Of HEAVEN. Chap. VU. Gentleman in poverty to fupply his want: and he furpriz'd with that immenfe Bounty, modellly fa1d, Ton were enough; He rephed, If fftJ are too much for yot• to receive, ten are too lttt!e [or me to geve; therefore do you recewe as Poor, I wzli gi'rle aJ tt/(jng. Thus God in the d1fpenfing his Favours does not refpeEt the meannefs of our Perfons or Services1 but gives to us as a God. And the clearell Notion of the Deity is, that he is a Be. mg 1nfimte m all PcrfeEhons, therefore alfuffic!Cnt and moll Willmg to make his Creatures complcatly happy. 4· If a Creature perfealy Holy, that nev~r finn'd, is uncapable to merit any thing from God, much lefs can thofe who are born ma finful State, and gudty of mnumerable aEtual Tranfgreffions, pretend to deferve any Reward for their Works. This were prefumption infpired by prodigious Vanity. For, 1. By his moll free Grace they are rellored in convcrfion to that Spiritual Power by which they ferve him. The Chaos was not a deader Lump before the Spirit of God moved on the Face of the Waters, than the bell of Men were before the vital Influences ?f the Spirit ~vrought upon them. And for this they are fo deeply obliged to God, that if a thoufand times more for Ius Glory were perform'd, yet they cannot difcharge what they owe. ' 2. The continuance and increafe of the powerful fupplies of Grace to the Saints, who ~~~~fhi~e~r~:;e~~~i;fr~li~fe ~~:btJi!:J~~ ~~~tl~~~ful~:f:~v~~Jht~e~~r~~~~~e~~~ lefs Merit. anJ ·n~~f ~~~ ,!;~~~si~;h~~1v~~~ i~!Jf;~~~· ~}a~~,~~~~~1nrffiil~t~~~~i~!~~~~:~~: teoufnefs, 'twill be found neither pure nor pcrfea in his Eyes, and without Favour and Indulgence would be rejeEted. And that which wants Pardon, cannot deferve Praife and Glory. He fbews Merry to thoufands that love him, and keep his Commandments. If Obedience were meritorious, it were llria Jullice to reward them. The Apofi!e prays for Onejiphorut, who had expofed himfelf to r,rear danger for ·his love to the Gofpel ; The ~o;~S:'a7:h%r''i~tf,;~:{~?e;~:::(iic~m~~~e~ivine Mercy gives the Crown of Life · II. The meritorious Caufe of our obtaining Heaven, is the Obedience of Jefus Chrift, comprehending all that he did and fuffered to reconcile God to us. From him as the Eternal Word we have all benefits in the order of Nature; for all things were madebJ him, and for him, as the incarnate Word, all good things in the order of Grace. What we enjoy in Time, and expea in·Eternity, is by him. To lhew what influence his Mediation has to make us happy, we mull confider; 1. Man by his Rebellion jullly forfeited his Happinefs, and the Law exaas precifely the Forfeiture. Pure Jullice requires the Crime fhould be punifjled according to its Quality, much lefs will it fuffer the guilty ro enjoy the favour of God : for Sin is not to be confidered as an Offence and Injury to a private Perfon, but the violation of a Law, and a dillurbance in the order of Government: fo that to preferve the honour of governing ~~!~· th~ ~~i~~~~~:c1~~;::~0a~ :t~~~P~;~:~:; a~i1lt:~~~dei'J~~~ ,%~ak~drr~~ the guilty Creature. Now the Son of God in our alfumed Nature offered up himfelf a ~~e~~~~fi~~~~i~~~~lv~~i~a~:sfy-Ri;~~~ft~c~~:Sntti~e~~;~~t t~f i~rWeh~~;-;ex~lt:::j,g~! .enter into the Holiejl, bJ the Blood of Chrijf, t a new and living WaJ which he hath conjict... ted for m through the Veil, that u to faJ, hu Flefh, Heb. ro. 19, 20. 2. Such were the moll precious Merits of his Obedience, that it was not only fufficient to free the guilty contaminated Race of Mankind from Hell, but to purchafe for them the Kingdom of Heaven. If we confider his humane Nature, all Graces were born with him, as Rays with the Sun, and fhin'd in the whole courfe of his Life .in the excellence of Perfeaion. And the dignity of his Divine Perfon derived an immenfe value to all he perform'd as Mediator. One A Et of his Obedience was more honOurable to God, than all the Lives of the Saints, the Deaths of the Martyrs, and the Service of the Angels. God was more pleafed in the Obedience of his Beloved Son, than he _was provok'd by the rebellion of his Servants. Therefore, as the jull Recompence of it? hecoollituted him to be univerfal Head of the Church, fupreme Judgof the World; mvefted him with Divine Glory, and with Power to communicate it to his faithful_ Servanrs:. He is the Prince of Life. In fhort, it is as muc~ upon· the account of. Chnll's Soffermgs that we are glorified, as that we are forgive:. The Wounds be received in his B~h~
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