in Contriving Man's Redemption. but wirhour Prefumption. The Mediator takes away the guilt of our old Sins, and our ~ Inclination to new Sins: We are not only refior'd, but exa lted, made Heirs of God,jomt- Chap. 6. heirs with Chrift, Rom. 8. '7· For rhefc Reafons the i\polHc fets fo high a value upon ~ the Heavenly Doarine, that reveals a Saviom· to the undone World. H e dejired to know ' ;f:fl:forf,i:a?'t;a;~~{'i:n;o::,;r;:}o~'i~'/;h; ~~~;,!,~~· o/~%,d~~;,~~~d;J ' J'c~~~;c~J;~ Phi!. l- 8. Othet· Knowledg fwells the Mind, and increafes the cfieem of our felves, this ~ives us a llncere view of our State. It d1fcovers our Mifcry in its Ca~fcs, an~ the Almtghty Mercy that faves us. Other Knowledge inlightens the Underfiandmg, wtthout changing the Heart, but this infpires us with the Love of God, with the Hatred of Sin, and malres us truly better. In feeking after other Knowlerlg, the Mind is perplext by endlefs I nquiries : Here 'tis at refi, as the waveri~g Needle is fixt when turn'd to its bcw loved Star: Ignorance of other things may be wtthout any real damage to us ; for we may be dtre£\ed by the sktlful how to preferve Life and Efiate. Bm tillS Knowledg is abfolutely neceflary to Jufiify, SanCtify, and fave us. All other Knowledge is ufc- ~2n~t l;~ l~~~~e~:i~~~,t~'l~{Jr~ t~v":. l~7d ;nb~~fith~soc;~,~ ~f~:~~~~n~bl~~,:i~~e isvb~~; the ornament of our Profperity, and the fupport of our Adverfity. A little Ray of tillS is infinitely more deorable, than the light of all Human Sciences in their Lufhc and PerfeCtion. And what an amazing Folly is it, that Men, who arc poffcfi with an earnelt paffl.on of knowing, fhould waAe their Time.and Strength in fearching after [hings, the knowledge of which can't remove the Evils that opprefs them, and be cardefs of the faving Knowledg of the Gofpel? Were there no other rcafon to dimintfll the efleem of earthly Knowledg, but the difficulty of its Acquifition, that Error often furprifcs rhofc who are fearc/nng after Truth, this might check our intemperate purfuit of it. Sin bath not only fhorten'd our Unde~·ftandings> but our Lives, that we cannot arrive to the perfeEl: difcovery of inferiour ObjeCts. But fuppofe that one, by his vaft Mind, fhould comprehend all created things , from the Centre of the Earth to the Circumference of the Heavens, and were not favingly cnlighten'd in the Myftery of our Redemption, with all his Knowledge he would be a Prey to Satan, and increafe the Triumphs of Hell. The Hifiorian upbraids the Homa" Luxury,that with fomuch coil and Hazard they fhould fend to foreign Parts, for Trees that were beautiful but ba rren, and produc'd a Shadow only ~:~.~~~: :?~~i:· np~~cio~ i~o~~~~~·r~~:~~n~:~~~at~~~:fi~~~;,t1~~~1i~c~r~~~~~fu~~et~~ ~~~=7;!~ thetr laft end. How can a condemned Cnminal, who is 10 fufpence between Life and a/i(no ( x periDeath, attend to ftudy the Se~rets of Nature and Art, whe~ ail his Thoughts arc. taken ~7o.orbt? Ma~~l;fs:0t~~~~~~n~1~~h;~:ac::~~~t 0~_t}ho~~~~c~n:erta.:~d ;;~~:~~~~~~~~~~h:nf'rt~d~fca~ the \Vrath to come, fhould rack the1r Brams m fiudyu?g thmgs tmpemnent to Salvation, and negleCt the knowledge of a Redeemer. Efpccmlly when there is fo clear a Revel.~ tion_ of him : The RJghteoujne[s of Fauh_doth not cowJm4nd ."s t? aftcnd to the _He~vem,or :z~::: :,~;::~a r;;~';:~~::ta~i:::~~{u~~~- ;6~;: th~e~~::,dat:)l~~tro~~~r:h:~~~c~~rtf::, valued hiS bemg m the World only upon this account, that ho m1ght contemplate the Starry Heaven. [ Sentc. Pr'cf. I. Nat. qu:dl . ] He only faw the vifible beauty of the Fir- ~~a:~~~lab~~' ~~=sf~~k;~e~~~a~~h~1fi~1~~t ~v~~~ci~~ i~~1~c~~i~1etl~~~a~·~11~~ ;~~d~vti~~~~t ~~1~ C~:mtemp!ation of the Celcftial Bodies, he efteem'd his continuance in the World not the Ltfe of a Man, but the toil of a Bealt ( o ). But what Tranfports had he been in, if he ( o J ri!!li ~~dp~~~s~ :~~dut~~~-t~~a~~~tl~h~~c r~~rc~r~~~:et~~ c~:;~~~~~~~l:,;ct~~l~fe?ira~~~~ ol~~e~h~; ;~~~;~r~~~- n:uhopen f~ce ma1 m the Glafs ofthe Gofpel behota ~he C!lory oftl~e Lora, turn ~lV4J our Eyes from ~~~~11:~ ~:~~t tt !" -r:4mty,. 2 ~or. 3: 18. Her:e the complamt_IS mure )Uil> Ad Japientiam quis accedit ? dbos f$potum quu drgnam Judzcat nift quam m tranftru novertt? 'IJ, le content our fe! vcs with t1iohr pmo!Jrm? ut and tranficnt &lances, bm. do_ not ferioully an_d fix:d!y ~onfider this bleffe~ Defign ° ?f j{:~~~:'~~~ p:~: God' upon. wl_uch ~he bcgmmng of our Happmefs 111 this , and the Perfefbon ot ir m dum,~u~ur:lm the next L1fc 1~ b~Ilr . . Let us proyoke our fel~es by rhe Example of t~le At~gels? who ;~~~~~~!::}:~~ are no~ concern d m thts Redemptton as Man ~~; for they continued m thetr Frdeli_ty cir.:m? f!J. ~i: to ~hen· Creator, and were a!w_ays happy in Ius Fa vour; and where there is no Altc- 'V~r~m.ri!.nmrnatiOn between Parties, Reconcilement IS wmeffary ; yet rhcy are St1.tdents with us in ;!~;j:;/;~':~- ~;~:,;?1''"'" h" i••flim•bil< bomm>, "" <ft vifJ Will "' ( ,;,m, "' reft '<m. 0 F·'" """"P" m ,(/ ' '"' »•fi {:.~';';.;:~:,~ ]< the
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