Chap. XIV. Of HEAVEN. CHAP. XIV. Other Motil1es to Jeek tl•e l(ingdam of HealJbt. G,J is llery ••i(li•zg Men fooulci partake of his Glory. All who unfergnedly and earne(lly jeek, fi,a/1 obtain it, Eleal1en is promijed upon gacious terms. An AnfJVer to the CanJ.Jl Allegation, that •veare commaoded to pluck out the IJ{ig!Jt Eye, and cut off the !/?...rgbt Hand, and to fubmit to the fharpeft Stljferi•rgs. Ferl1ent and conftant Prayer for Vil1ine Grac~, that we may fix our aims uponl'.temal Happinefi,. and be dilrgent in tiJe ufe of the means to obtain it. The grace of the Spmt requifite to conl>mee the Mind thoroughly of the reality andgreatnefs of an ml1ijible and future Happinefs. 'Iis requifite to purify the Will and fijfe{]ions, that with ft<ll confent tbe Soul may defire and profecute its blejfeJ End. ~0 encourage us to feek the Kingdom of Heaven, I Jhall propound other Motives :; ~ to Confideration. . . end; ~"f.~h;o~]ht'"L~~~nT;~~~~.lf:t~~~d ~~;h;~~~i:~~J:takTh~i:;~dGf;(u~, ~0: ~~~ of Righteoufncfs, has<lifpell'd thedarknefs of the Gentiles, and the Jhadows of the Jews, and rendered the blelfed and eternal State fo clear and fa vifible, that every Eye may fee it. Our alfurance of it is upon infallible Principles. Andtho the excellent Glory of it is ~ffetli~~le,le~d;:: ~~d-e:~~ ~~~;n~rt~~e~fo~tten~o 1~~ei~i hfsy~~,t~; ih~it~o0~: rnands, Counfels, Excit~, Urges, nay Intreats and Befeeches with infinite Tender~efs, that Men will accept of 1t. Thus the Apoftle declares, Now then we are Emhajfadon for Chrifl, as tho God did he[eech Jouby us, we fYaJ you in Chrifl's .ftead he reconciled to God. Is it not evident then beyond the moft jealous fufpicion, God is defirous of our Happinefs ? ~~r~'?i~fsihl .. ~v~-;~~~~~~~~~~;~~1e:ith~:l~~r~hjt !'~ae~d\~g~~~~~~~~t~ manner, to melt and overcome the perverfe and hardned in Sin. And as his Words, fo his Works are a cor.vincing Argument of his Will : His moft gracious fuflaining and fupporting of finful Men, his innumerable Benefits conferred upon them, in the provifion of Good! and prefervation from Evil, are for this End, that by thecondua o! hJSmerC1ful Provtdence they may be led to Repentance, and received into his Favour. And the temporal Judgments inflitled on Sinners, are medicinal in their Nature, and in his defign to bring them to a fight and abhorrence of Sin, to prevent their final ruin : if they prove mortal to any, 'tis from their obftinate Corruption. The time allowed to thofe who are obnoxious to his Juflice every hour, is not a mere reprieve from Torment, btit a fpace of Repentance to fue out a Pardon: They are fparcd in order to Salvation. The Lord is long-(ujfering to turvdrd, not willing that an7 Jbould perijb, hut that. All Jbould come to Repentance, 2 Pet. 5· 9· But, above all his other Works, the giving of his Son to be a Sacrifice for Sin, is an incomparable demonflration how much he dehghts in the Salvation of Men. Since God has been at fuch cofl to put them into a capacity of obtaining the Kingdom of unchangeable Glory, far tranfccnding the earthly Paradife that was forfeited by Sin, we have the firongefi alfurance that he defires their Felicity. And how guilty and miferable will thofe Sinners be, that when Chrift has opened Heaven to us by his Blood, refufe to enter into it? When Brutus, the moft noble Roman, propounded to a Philofopher his dcfign to reftore Rome to Liberty, he replied, That the atlion would be glorious indeed, but that fo many fervile Spirits that tamely ftoop'd under Tyranny, were not worthy that a Man of Vertue and Courage Jhould hazard himfelf to recover that for them, which they did fo lightly efteem. The Redemption of Mankind is without controverfy theMafter-picce of God's works, wherein his principal Attributes appear in their excellent Glory. But how aftonifhing is the unworrhinefs of Men, who wretchedly negleCl: Salvation, which the Son of God purchafed by a Life full of Sorrows, and a Death of infinite Sulferings ? ~l~~: ~i~;~~rv~. Wh;.t d~~J~h~~ ~~!~ t~~~ r~W';.b~~nr:~a;~;~~~r:~~;~:~:~~~~~!d Wtth thetr Mifcry, and with the moft foul Ingratitude difvalue fa precious a Redemption?
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