232___________ T._h_e_El_a_r_m_on~ry_o_f_t_h_e_v_,_~_in_e_~_*_tr_ib_u_te_s __________ f'..A./"1 Chap.19. ~ CHAP. XIX. PraElical Inferences. The Compleatnefs of our Kecuvery by Jefus Chrift. He frees 111 from the Power as well as Guilt of Sin, Si11 is the Difeafe and Wormd of tbe So11/: the meer Pard011 of it cannot maR.! us happy. SauElijication equalt, if not excelt, J•Jipcation. It qualifies ut for the enjoyment of God. Saving Grace doth not encourage the praCiice of Sin. 1/Je fromifet of Pardo11 and Heaven are conditional. To abufe the Mercy of the Gofpel, is dijbonourable to God, and perniciouJ to Man. The Excellency of the Cbriflzan Keligzpn dzfcovered from its dejign and ejfeCi. The defign is to purge Men from Sin, and conform them to God's Holimfs accordmg to their Capacity. This gzvet it tbe mojl vijible Preeminence above other Kelzgions. The admirable ejfeCi of the Gofpel in the Primitive ChriJizans. An eamejl Exbortation to live acwrdzng to the Purity of the Gojpel, and the great Obligations our Savioun bath lasd on us. !.FRom hence we may ·difcover the PerfeCtion and Compleatnefs of the Redemption that our Saviour purchafed for us. He fully repairs what was ruined by the Fall. He was called J cfiu, becaufe He fhouldjdve bi.r People from their Sins, Mat. 1. '2!. He reconci les them to God, and redeems them from their vain Converfotion. He came by Water and Blood, to fignify the Accomplifbment of what was reprefented by the Ceremonl Purification, and the Blood of the Sacrifices; Satisfat1ion and SanCtification are found in Him. And this was not a r.eedlefs Compafiion, but abfolmely requifite in order to our Felicity. Man in his gu ilty corrupt State may be compar'd to a condemn'd MalefaCtor, infected with noikrn and paintul Wounds an~Difeafes, and wants the Grace of the Prince to pardon him, and Soveraign Remedies to hea l him. Suppofing the Sentence were reverft, yet he cannot enjoy hi s Life till he is refior'd to Health. Thus the Sinner is under the Condemnation of the Law, and under many fpiritual, powerful Difiempero;; , that make him truly miferable. His irregular PafTions are fo many forts of Difeafes, not only contrary to Health, but to one another, that continually torment him. He feels all the effeus of Sicknefs. He is inflam'd by his Lufls, and made re()]efs, being without Power to accomplilh or to reftra in them. All his Faculties are difabled for the Spiritual Life, that is only worthy of his N:1ture, and whofe Operations are mixt with fincere and llfling Pleafure. Sin as 'tis the Difea[e, [o "tis the Wound of the Soul, and attended with all the ev ils of thofe that are moll terrible: The whole Head if Jick.., the wl~ole Heart is JaiNt 1 from tbe foie of tbe Foot to tbe Head, there is 110 foundf!efs in it, but H'oJUtds aNd Bmifes, and putrifying Sore.J, I fa. :;:. Now our Redeemer as he bath obta:n·d a full Remiflion of our fins, fo he reflores Holinefs to us, the true health and vigor of the Soul. He harh made a Plaifler of his living Flefh mixt with his Tears and Blood, thofe divine and powerful Ingredients, to heal our Wounds. By the Holy Spirit 'ris applied to us, that we may partake of its Virtue and Influence. His moll: precious Sacrifice purifies the Confcience from dead Worl<!, that we may ferve the living God. Wirhour this the bare exemption from Punifhment, were not fufficient to make us hap-- PY : For although the guilty Confcience were fecure from Wrath to come, yet thofe fierce unruly Par.ions, the Generation of Vipers that lodge in the Breafl of the finner, would cau[e a rea l Domeflick Hell. Till thefe are mortified, there can be no ea[e nor refl. BeGdes, fin is the true difbonourof Man's Nature, that degrades him from his Excellency, and changes him into a Beaft:, or a Devil: So that to have a licence to wallow in the lrlire, to live in rhe practice of Gn that fl:ains and vilifies him, were a miferabJe Privi!edge. The Script11re therefore reprefents the curing of our corrupt Inclinations, and the cleanfing LJS from our Pollurions, to be the eminent effetl: and bleffed work of Caving Mercy. Accordingly St. Peter tells "the Jews ( Aus 3· 26.) that God having 1'.tifed 11p bis SMt Jejiu, fent him to blefi you, in turnh1g f/Way every one of JOlt from hi.! J,;~ q11ilies: that is, · Chrifl: in his glorified fiate gives the Spirit of Holinefs to work a fincere thorow Change in Men, from all prefumptuous reigning fins, to univerfal Holinefs. Unvaluable Benefit! that equals if not excels our Ju!lification. For as the evil of tin in its own nature is worfe than the evil of Punifhment, fo the freeing us from its Do· minion
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