in Contriving Man's Redemption. Praife of all had been entirely due to God; for our Faculties and the excellent Difpofi-Ch6 tions that fitted them for ACtion, were bellowed upon us freely by Him, and depended . ap. 1 • upon his Grace in rheirexercife. But there is now greater reafon m attribute the Glory ~f~ all ou r Goodnefs folely ro him: For he revives our dead Souls by the power of the ~ptri r, of the Sanctifying Spirit, without which we are fli every good ~'Vor/zreprobate. S1~ce all our Spiritual Abiliries are Graces, the more we have received, the more we are obliged; an<\ therefore Chould be more l)umble and thankful to the Author of them. And in comparing our [elves with others, the Gofpd forbids all proud RefleCtions that we are dignified ,tbove them: For, who ma4fth thee to differ from anotberl And what haft thou that thou didji not receive? A~td if thou didft receive it, why doft thoiJ gWry , as if thou h~d;1 not received it? If God difcern one from another by fpecial Gift, the Man hath nothmg. of his own that makes him excellent. Although Inherent Graces command a refpeet from othersro the Perfon in whom they lbine, yet he that poffeffes them, ought rather to confider himfelf in thofe Qualities that are natural, and make him like the worfl, than m thofe that are Divine, proceeding from the foie Favour of God, and that exalt him above them. Add further, that God hath ordained in the Gofpel Repentance and Faitb, which are humbling Graces, to be the Conditions of our obtaining Pardon. By Repentance we acknowledge that if we are condemned 'tis juft Severiry, and if we are faved 'cis rich Mercy. And Faith abfolurely excludes hoaf\ing. For it fuppofes the Creature guilty, and receives Pardon from the Sovereign Grace o~ God, upon the account of onr Crucified Redeemer. The Benefit, and tlie Manner of our receiving it, was tipyfied in the miraculous cure of the lfraelit e.r, by looking up ro the Brafen Serpent. For the act of feeing is performed by receiving the Images derived from ObjeCts; 'Tis rather a Paflion than an Allion, that it might appear that the healing Virtue was meerly from rhe Powtr of God, and the Honour of it intirely his. In fi10rt, God had refpeCt to the lowlinefs of this Grace, in appointing it to be the Qualification of a Jullified Perfon: For the mofl firm reliance on God's Mercy, is always joyned with the flrongefl renounci ng of Our own Merits. Briefly, to excite Humility in us, the Gofpel tells us, that the Glorious Reward is from rich Bounty and Liberality ; The Gift of God i< Eternal Life throHgh 'jejiu Chrijl 011r Lord, Rom. 6. 23. As the EleCtion of us to Glory, fo the aCtual pcffeffion of it proceeds from pure Favour. There is no more proportion between all our Services, and that High and Eternal Felicity, than between the running a few freps, and the obtaining an Imperial Crown. Indeed not only Heaven, but all tbe Graces that are neceffary to purify and prepare us for it, we receive from undeferved Mercy. So that God crowns in us not our proper Works, but his own proper Gifts. • 2. The Gofpel ftriCtly commands Self-denial, when the Honour of God and Religion is concerned. Jefus tells his Difciples, Mat. 16. 24. If any Man wiU come after me, let hi•• deny himfelf, and ta!,s up his Crofs and foUow me. Life, and all the Comforts of it, Eftates, Honours, Relations, Pleafures mufl be put under our feet, to take the firfl flep with our Redeemer. This is abfolutdy neceffary to the being of a Chriflian. In the Preparation of his Mind, and the Refolution of his Will, he mufl live a Martyr; and whenfoever his Duty requires, he mufl break all the Retinatula Vit£, the voluntary Bands that fallen us to the World, and die a Martyr, rather than fuffer a Divorce tc be made ~~~~enp~~~~e~~t::'a~ ;~~~~~. ifi~a:~~e;t~r ui: r:C: ;~:~:t~~e ~o~~do~r~~e ~o~;d; Sacrifice, when the Glory of God calls for it. And this command that appears fo hard to ~~~ f~~~~;"t~fl~~~ ~:di~:i~~n~1Jica~i~~ ~~do~:t~l~:, f~n~'::'Jr~~~s v~l~~\~~ :~te~!rr:ht~ ~im. _Our Redeemer infinitely denied himfelf to fave us, and 'tis mof\ jufl we lbouJd m gratrtude den~ our felves to ferve him. Befides, an infinite Advantage redounds to ~s: For our S~vtour alftlres us, Mat. 16. 2 5· that whofoever wiUJave his Life, when 'tis mconfiflent Wtth the performance of his Duty, jhaU lofo it; and whofoever will lofe hi< life for h" foks, fhaUftnd it. Now what is more prudent, than of two Evils that are propounded, ro chufe the leaf\? that is, Temporal Death, rather than Eternal; and of two Goods that are offered to our choke~ to prefer the greater, a Life in Heaven before that on the Earth. Efpecially if we confider, that we muf\ Chortly yield the prefent L•~e to the Infirmities of Nature; and 'tis the richefl Traffick to exchange that which is frall and mortal, for that which remains in its perfeC\:ion for ever. 3· The Gofpel enjoy~s Univerfal Love among Men. This is that Fire which Chrijl cam_e to i{md/e upon the Earth, R..om. r l· 8, 9, 'tis the abridgment of all Chrietian PerfeCt ion, the fulfilling of the Divine Law, for all the particular Precepts are in fubflance, Love. He that loves his Neighbour, will have a tender regard to his Life, Honour and Eflate,
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