7 he Harmony of .. 'tlie':'B,,iv~'_i£ Atjributes 1"\...A../) without them. An nnrenewed Sinner m~'lj. ~· th~ Qbjefr 'of God's Compaffion, but Chap. 19. while he remains fo, he is uncapable of <iommunion with him here, much more hereafV'V""hJ ter. Under the Law the Lepers were excluded the Camp of Jfrael, where the Prefence of God was in a fpecial manner; much more fhall thofe ~ho are covered with moral Pol· lotions, be kept out from the Habitation of his Holinejf. 'Tis a mortal Delufion for any to pretend that eletling Mercy will bring them to Glory, or that the all·fuflicient Sacrifice of Chritl will atone God's Difplea(ure rowards them, although they indul ge themfelves in a courfeofSin. The Book of Life is fecret; only the Lanrb with whofe Blood the Names of the EleCI: are written there, can open the Seals of it. But the Gofpel that is a lower Book of Life, tell us the Qualifications ofthofe who are Velfels of Mercy, they are by Grace prepared for Glory; and that there can bono benefit by the Death of Chritl without conformity to his Life. Thofe who abufe Mercy now, fhall have Jullice for ever. 3· from hence we may difcover the peculiar excellency of the Chrillian Religion, above all other Infiitutions; and that in refpeCI: of its defign and effeCI:. The whol e Delign of the Gofpel is exprelfed in the Words of Chrill from Heaven to Paul, ACI:. 26. 18. whe'n he fent him to the Gmtile.r, To open their qes, and to tum them from darf:.!u~[I to light, nncl from the Power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgivenej.Jof Sins, and Inheritance among them that arefanlJified by Faith in Chrifl. One great End of iris to rake away all the filthinefs and Malignity wherewith Sin hath infeCI:ed the World, and to caufe in Men a real Conformity to God's Holinefs, according to their capacity. As the Reward it promi[es, is not an earthly Happinefs, fuch as we enjoy here, bm CeJefi ial: fo the Holinefs it requires, is not an ordinary natural PerfeCt ion, which Men honour \'t'ith the tide of Vertue, but an .Angelical Divine Quality thatflmt1ifes 1u ill the Spirit, So11l and Body; that clean[es the Thoughts and AffeCI:ions, and exprerfes it felf in a courfe of univerfal Obedience to God's Will. Indeed there are otherthings that commend theGofpei to any, that with Judgment compares it with other Religions . The height of its Mytleries which are [o facred and venerable, that upon the difcovery they affeCt with reverence and admiration: Whereas the Religion of the Gentiles was built on Folli es and (tJ Fit''"'" fables (t). Their moll: fol emn Myll:eries to which they were admitted after fo long a circuit :;:~[~lwm. of Ceremonies and great Preparations, contained nothin~ but a prodigious mixture of Va- (o) c""""· nity and Impiety, worthy to be concealed in everlatling Darknefs (u). Befid es, the Cont'i£4~;1;~ ~~~~~~~o~~ ~~=r~a~rk~;Irr~ff;~~~~:~~~u~~~~~~~ i~~~;~e~~~;;;;;:,t;;e~i~;i~~~- ABnu~ filim, tlltum that which gives it the moft vifible Pre-eminence, is, That it is a Doctrine according to God- ,;~;=::'fi;11_ li'nefi, I Tim. 6. 3· The End is the Charaffer of its Nature. The whole contexmre and lacbrum u· Harmony of it! Dotl:rines, Precepts, Promifes, Threatnings, is for the exaltation of God- ;:f":;;, T~;: linefs. The Objects of Faith revealed are not meerly fPcculative, to be concei ved and bekot. li eved on]y as true, or to be gazed on in an Extafy of Wonder, but are Myjlel'ies ofGod- . linejf, that have a powerful Influence upon PraCI:ice. The Defign of God in the Publication of them, is not only to enlighten the Mind, but to warm the Heart, and purify the AtleCI:ions. God difcovers his Nature that we imitate Him, and his Works that we may glorify Him. All the Precepts of the Gofpel are to embrace Chrill: by a lively Faith, to feek for Righteo\1fnefs and Holinefs in Him; to live Godly, Righteoufly, and Soberly in this prefent World. When our Saviour was on the Earth, the End of his Sermons, as appears in the Gofpel, was to regulate the Lives of Men, to correct their vicious Paffions rather than to explicate the greatell: Mytleries. Other Religions oblige their Difcipl es either to fome external Actions that have no mora/worth in them, fo that 'tis impoffibJe for anyone that is guided by Reafon to be taken with fuch Vanities: Or they require things incommodions and burthenfome. The Priell:s of Baal cut themfelves. And among the Chi"'fes, tho' in great reputation for Wi[dom, their Penitents expofe themfelves half naked to the ::J~;;e:~~~~e~~~~~e;'.~~he~~efui:~e~ 1b!i1 ;~~~lfa:~~e~lh:::f~fr.the~~v!l~twt~~ moll: ll:riCI: obfervance of ferious Trifles, nor fubmitting to rigorous Autlerities, that enables the humane Nature, and commends us to God. The moll: zealous Performers of things indifferent, and thatchall:ifethemfelves with a bloody Difcipline, labour for nothing, and may pafs to Hell through Pnrgatory. But the Religion of Chrill: reforms the ~~,d~~~·~~~~ :~~ :.:~~d~na~~~~~~~sAa~~~~ d{[g~d;~~ ~~~~~";;uri~~ ~~~fe~:a;:; ;,rd forms on Earth a lively reprefentation of that pure Society that is in Heaven. The end of it is to renderMenli4_e the Angels in Holinefs, that they may befoin Blelfednefs. This will render it amiable to all that confider it without Paffion. And •tis worthy of obfervation, that altho' many Heathens and Hereticks have contradiCI:ed other parts of the Chrill:ian Religion; yet none have dar'd openly to condemn the moral part of it. The
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