I 52 'The Harmony of the Vivine Attributes ~~P:-o-we-r,-a-nd-c-on-ta-in_so_m-in-en-tly_a_ll_ki..:...nd_o_t -Ev-il-,.- A -La-ke-o-:f-:fl,...-an-Jit-,g-::8-:-rit-nf't:-c-ne-, ,-hd Chap. 9· whatever is mof't dreadful to Swfr, is but an iinperfelt Allulion to reprefent it. ~ And how gr~at is that Love which pitied and refcued us from Sin and Hell? This fa. ving Mercy is fet out fOr its Tendernefs and Vehemence by the commotion of the BorcelJ, at the light of one in mifery, Lu/ze 1. 78. efpecially the working of the Mother, when any Evil befals her Children: Such an inward deep refrntment of our Dif'trefs was in the FatherofMercies. 111henwewcrci110itrblood, Hefaicluntotts1 Live, Ezek. 16. 6. And that which funher difcovers the eminent degree of his love i.s this; He might have been unconcerned with our Dif'tre[s, and left us under Defpair of Deliverance. There is a Compaflion which arifeth from Self· love, when the fight of anothers Mifery furprifes us, - and affelts in fuch a manner as to dil\urb our Repofe, and imbitter our Joy, by conlidering our liablenefs to the fame Troubles, and frcm hence we are enclin'd to help them. And there is a Compaflion that proceeds from pure love to the miferable, when the Perfon that expreffes it, is above all the affaults of Evil, and incapable of all Affeltions that might Jeffen his Felicity, and yet applies himfelf to relieve the afllilted; and fuch was God's towards Man. If it had been a tolerable Evil under which we were fain, the Mercy that recovered us had been Jefs : For Benefits are valued by the neceflity of the Receiver. Bm Man was dif.. inherited of Paradife, an Heir of HeU, his Mifery was inconceivably great. Now the meafure ofGod's love is proportionable to the Mifery from whence we are redeemed. Tf there had been any pollible Remedy for us in Nature, our Engagements had not been fo f:~~~n~fi~s~~n~~::~:t~~:~:ffi~~; ~~~,P~~;bel~~~;:n~=~s0~~1;1~n~fi~;fre~0~~· ha~rib~{~ admirable Favour to have mitigated our Mifery, but we have a perfeQ Redemption fwee tned by the remembrance of thofe dreadful Evils that opprefl us. As the three Hebrew 1 Martyrs came unhurt out of the fiery Furnace, The bair of their Head.r tvere not ji1J.ged, nur theirCoatschanged, northefmellof theFirehndpn.!Jed on them, Dan. 3· 07, So the Saints above have no marks of Sin or Mifery remaining upon them, not the leaf/ fpot or wrinkle to blafl their Beauty, nor the leaf\ trouble to diminifh their Bleffednefs; but forever poffefs the fulnefs of Joy and Glory, a pure and triumphant Felicity. o. The Greatnefs of the Divine Love towards fain Man appears in the means by which our Redemption is accomplifh'd. And thofe are the Incarnation and S11Jfering; of theSon of God. The Incarnation manifefls this Love upon a do11ble account. 1. In regard of the effential condition of the Nature he affum'd. o. Its Servile State and Meannefs. 1. The eiTential Condition of the Humane Nature afft1m'd by our Redeemer difcovers his tranfcendent Love to us. For what proportion is there between God and. Man? ln- ~sn~~t'~~J~~;l~~ett:[;:~m~~~~~ a~:i:~~~~fo~~i~~~:s ~~~~t~: ~z:ld~:;s ;, ~1~ s:ct:~:z;; hath {carce weight to faU; and thefntaU duft of the Ballance, thtt.t i.r not of /itch moment a.r to t11rn the Scale.r; 'tis a.r n1thing, aud counted lefs than nothing, and Vanity, If:t. 40. 15, 17. The Deity in its own Nature includes Independence artd Sovereignty. To be a Creature implies Dependance and Subjeltion. The Angelica! Nature is infinitely inferiour to the Divine, and Man is lower than the Angels ; yet the World wa; '"ade Flefo. Add to this, he was not made as Adam in the Perfeltion of his Nature, and beginning the firfl !lep of his Life in the full exercife of R.eafon, and Dominion over the Creatures, but he came into the World by the way ofa natural Birth, and dependence upon a mortal Creature. The Eternal Wifdomof the Father floop'd to a flate of Infancy, which is moll di!lant fro111 that of Wifdom, wherein though the life, yet the Ligh t of the reafonable Soul is not vifible; and the mighty God, to a condition of Indigence and Iufir· mity. The Lord of Nature fubmitted to the Laws of it. Admirable Love! wherein God feemed to forget his own greatnefs, and the meannefs of the Creature. This is more indeared to us by confidering, o. The fervile State of the Nature he affumed. An account of this we have in the Words of the Apoflle, Phi!. o. 5, 6, 7, 8. Let thh Mind be il: JOII, which wa; alfo in Chrifl; who being in the form of God, that is, enjoying the Divine Nature with all its Glory eternally, and invariably. As to be in the form of a King, lignifies not only to be a King, but to have all the confpicuous marks of R.oyalty, the Crown, Scepter, Throne, the Guards and State of a King. Thus our Saviour poffef't that Glory that is truely Divine, before he took our Nature, 'John 17. 5· The An~els adored him in Heaven, and by him Prince.r reigned 011. tke Earth, Prov: 8. ~ 5· 'Tts add~d, He tho11ght it no Robbery to be •q•al with God, Phtl. o. 6. that IS, bemg the effenttal Image of the Father, he had a rightful poffeflion of all his Perfeltions, yet he made himfr!J of no R~p•· tatzon)
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