Baxter - Houston-Packer Collection BT70 .B397 1675

34 Of god's government, they notifie to us Gods Will appointing what(hall be Due from us andre us, as the infirument of GodsGovernment of Mankind. Now this Noti- fication is moftby the Refultancyof duty from the Nature of Man com- pared with God and all theCreatures that he hath to do with. And the very varietyof circumftances (as in the cafe of Adam's Children Mat- riages and ours , &c. ) may alter Nature's fignification , obligation and Law. 29. That which is called the Covenant of Nature or Innocency, was in theMain thevery Law ofInnocent Nature in all the parts of it. I. Na- turebeing perfeet, revealed Man's Duty perfectly to obey. 2. Nature declaredPunifhmentto bedue to fin ; yea to allfin. And this punifhment tobe fuitable to the nature of the Offender compared with the God offended, and the injury dose. Efpecially that if men will undoe them- felves, by forfaking Life andLove and Joy, and calling themfelves into darAnefi, difeafednefs andmifery, when it is forefhewn them, God is not bound to hinder or recover them. 3. Nature tellethman that God whomadehis Soul ample Intelleúual fpirit, and Life it fèlf (though createdand dependant) intended not to annihilateit ; and that its noble faculties, fitted to knowGod, and Lovehim , and Live to him perfe&ly in Immortality, were madefor this employ ment in Immortality, and not in vain. Andthat he that Naturally maketh it mans duty tohopeandPerk for Immortal happinefs, hath not made this hope or duty in vain : Nor will fail or fruftrate or deftroy them that forfeit not their hopes. So that theCovenant depends not alone upon fupernaturalRevelation. 3o. But that whichNature revealeth about the penalty, is t. Notthat God of necetymuff punifh the lofs of Innocency as highly as hemay do. 2. But that he mayjuflly punifb the Sinner in rigour, by temporal, fpiri- tual and eternal miferies. 3. And that the Ends of Government (the honour ofhis Wifdom, Goodnefs, Power, Truth anli7uflice, and the order of the humaneworld) do require that finfcape notfree , butfome exemplary punifhment be a Vindication of God, and a warning to Man : which our death, aliCtions , and fpiritual fufferings manifeft in part, and the fufferings of Chrift more fully. So that pardon, anddif- penfing inpart withhis Right to punifh us according to the Law brit broken, is nofalflioodinGod, nor any inju¡lice ," nor any violation of his Law of Nature. 31. The Lawwhich God put all mankind underafter the fall , and the world withoutthe Church is underfrill, is the Preceptive part of the Lain of Innocent Nature as de futuro, the promife of it beingceafed , and thepenaltynot totallynullifyed,but made remedyable byan a&ofoblivion or Conditional CovenantofGrace. q. d. [Thou (halt perfecly obey me, for the time to come; and everyfin (hall deferve everlaflingpunifhment, fo far as that Imight juflly infliti it, and will do it if it benot remitted : But all thy fin (hallbeforgiven thee, and thou(halt have thefree gift ofpardon and falvation if thou Believein me thy Merciful saviour, and repent andgive up thy felf to me to be faved , and to be Mine by fincere obedience and Love. ] 32. Thedeliverance.of theIfraelites fromEgypt by Mofes, and their imbodying into a new Common- wealth, with a Theocratical Govern-. ment ina peculiar manner , and a new body of Divine Laws, were all' doneîn performanceof GodsCovenant with Abraham, Ifaac and facob,' feparating their feed as Holy from all the world. Not as if noother were Holy in theworld ; but as thePriefts and Levites were fan&ified to Qand r.earer to God than the people ; and fo fpecially Holy ; even fo Ifrael

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