Chriflian Religionproved by Reafon. his inco;1ceiveable Mercy is the pnly principle and fountain of our Pardon. For Man r-..-1\../-.. was abfolutely uncapable to merit the Favour, or to repair the Honour of God, fo in- Chap. 2. jur'd byhis inexcu[able d1fobedience. Repentance cannot produce fuch great effects, ~ What merit can there be in the forrowful fenfe and confeflion of that which deferves Eternal Death? Befides an extream hatred of Sin, an ardent love of Holinefs, fc·rious Refolutions to follow it whatever it cofls, (which is the befl part of Repentance) was due to God before the comnuflion of Sin, therefore cannot be btJsfaction ; So that pure Mercy is the caufe of our forgivenefs. Moreove_r, Gcd to glorifie Jus Holmefs in declaring his vehement and lrreconctlea_ble hatre~ to Sm, and to prefcrve t~1e ~Jghts of J~fnce, was pleas'd to appoint an. All-f':ffiCJe.nt Medmtor.' capable to offer h1mlelf an expmtory Sacrifice for Sin, and to gtve an mfimte Value to tt. Thts was do~1e by the Incarn~tl.on of the Son of God. The Flefh and Blood he took of our humamty, was made Dmnc by union with him,. and offer'd on the Crofs w.as full payment for our offences. . Thus Juflice and Mercy trmmph with equal Glory, bemg equally VtClonous. For what JS more honourable to Juflice than fatisfaction equal to the offence? And what can more commend Mercy than the rnofl free and undeferved bellowing the high pric7 requifite fiJr it ? Thus the Gofpel affords to us a jufl ":'d ,compleat Idea of the D1vme excell enCieS in the Redemption of Man. The dehgn, manner, and rhe effect are mofl worthy of God. Where might ruch a contrivance of Wifdom be fram'd but in the Divine Mind? Where could fuch an excefs of com_rallion be found but m the heart of God ? Thus Jt became God who is Love~ to mag_mfie h1s Love, t~ adva~ce h1s deareft Glc;ny, and overcome our Guilty Difaffdhon to htmfelf. F~r wh1le .ternble apprehenfions of the D eity polfefs the heart 'tts frozen With a ftonyngor, whtch the hope of Mercy only can dil~ fo!vc. Thus it it appears that the Do{Jrine of the Gofpel is worthy of all acceptation. 2 • The Chriflian Religion fets before us a rule of Life pure and perfpicuous, in noti1in• fuperfluous or defective, but comprehending the entire Duty of Man, This was neceffary in order to his recover)'. Forin his fallen ftate the Law of Nature is active in fame things, but dormant m others. The befl Morals of the Heathens are daOlt with impure permifiion. But the G,·ace ofGod that bringeth Salvatiou, teaches 1H tha.t dmying tmgodlinefs and World!J l~tjls, we jho~t!d live Sober!J, Righteoufly and Godly in thi.r pre{ent World. It forbids all Sin in all its degrees, not only the confummation of it in the act, but the firfl conception of it in the thoughts, and defires. Which argues that the Lawgiver was more than a Man, having an infpection into the Heart, wh ich is only vifible, to God and ~nly accountable to him. It teaches us to worfhip God the fupream and purefl -Spirit with the highefl efteem, and with purity of AffeClions. It injoyns all relative Duties to Men in a moO: perfect manner. What thii1gs we would have others to do unto us, fuppofing our felves in their circumflances, we are obliged rodo to them. This one Law of Chrifl eminently contains all others thatrefpectSociety. This is the Primitive rule of Commerce, and direCts our carriage towards all Perfons with Ju11ice and Equity, Kindnefsand Decence. The Gofpel alfo with refpeCl to our (elves gives a perfell: rule to make us Holy and Bleffed. It teaches us the contempt of the World, the valuadon of Heaven, the re((raint of corrupted fenfe, and the An.gelical exercife of our Affections. In fhort, it com111ands the practice of all Vertues, and thilt we fi10u!d afpire to the mofl eminent degrees in them. But efpecially ite njoyns humility and love to God, the foundation and perfeClion of all Vertues, of which the precepts of Philofophy take little notice. Humility, that is, a lively deep fenfe that nothing is properly ours but Sin and Mifery, arifes from the confideration of our abfolute dep>ndance upon God for ou~ Being, and all the Benefits we enjoy in Nature or Grace. From hence gratitude fprings. 'Tis mofl reafonable that our lives fhould be a continual expreflion of Obedience from a noble and free principle of love 10 God, and be defign'd for his Honour, and that for all our advantages temporal and fpiritual we fhould only glory in bim. In this Philofopherswere very defective: Theyconfider'd Man with refpectto himfclf, or to ,.,d,mv;,,, other Cr-eatur<:>s whhout him, and accordingly the produCt of their Pr~cepts, was a certain J!~~'7,,~;~~emoral honefty, to do nothing unbecoming the rearonable Nature, nor to break the Civil prricHiorurr.q11e Peace. But they did not confider duly his relation to the Creator; in whom he livu, 1;f~:::~,':u~s· 1JJOV.es, m:d fhts his ~eing? frc:nn rvh~m proceeds every good and perfea gift. And by neg- &.:tori11: q11.e ~f~~~~h~~;tu~.1 t~~"tl~!:t~:£f e~~e~t ;~b~ic~u~;;::~h~~~~;'~rf~~' ~e~e~~a:e~~~~~~~S~: ;:~~t:,:~ mate defign; and as fame appe.ar Bold from Fear thev were Venuons from Vanity. e:i&u1vit~clfr· ~f God be n~t the Pri~ciple, the Motive, and the End a·f what we do, there a_re wa~t- ~~c;;;; t~~:~~ mg_ theeffenttal Ingred1ents ,of Moral Goodnefs. Now all thefe Precepts !hme wtth '"''"';h,. '"" thetr native hght, and carry fuch evidence of their rectitude, that our ob_ed ience 1113Y ~i~:mw!_ come from an ingenuous filial Spirit fatisfied with the reafonablenefs of our Heavenly Fa- Arth; P" · ther's
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