Baxter - Houston-Packer Collection BT770 .B39 1670

ioo The Life ofFaith. ®mnipotency, Wijdom and Goodnef and the three perlons iaa the Trinity, the Father, the Word and the Spirit; and the three Caufalitics of God, as thelEficient, Dire&ive and fïxa' Caufe, (ofwhom, and through whom, and to whom areea things) fhould have three moll eminent fßecimina or impreffions in the world, or three molt confpicuous works to declare andglori- fie them ; viz. Nature,.Grace andGlory. And char God fhould accordingly hand. related. to man in three anfwerable Rela- tions, viz. as our Creatour, our Redeemer, and our PerfefIer (by Hulinefs initially, and Glory finally. z. How wifely it is ordered, that feeing Mans Love toGod is both his grcatcfi duty, and his perfethon and felicity, there fhould be force handing eminent means for the attra&ion and excitation of our Love : And this thould be the molt eminent manifeilationof the Love of God to us; and withall,ofhis own miff perfcft Holinefs and Goodnefs : And that as we have as much need of the fence of his Goodneß as of his Powt', (Loving him being our chief work) that there fhould be as obfervable a dcmónfiration ofhis Goodnejs extant,as the world is ofhis Power. 3. Efpecially when man had fallen by íìi from the Love of God, to the Love of his carnal fell, and ofthe creature ; and when he was fallen under vindi&ive Jufiicc,and wasconlciout of the difplcafureofhis Maker, and had made himlelf an heir of Hell : And when mans nature can fo hardly love one thae< in Jufiice ftandeth engaged or refflved to damn him, forfake him, and hate him: How wifely is it ordered that he that would recover him tohis Love, fhould firft declare his Love to theoffender in the fulleft fort, and should reconcile himfelf unto him, and thew his readinefs to forgive him, and to fave him, yea to be his felicity and his chiefell good : That fo the Rctnedy may be anfwerable tathe dijea(e, And to the duty. 4. How wifely is it thus contrived, that theframe and courje ofmans obedience, Ihould beappointed to conffi in Love and Gratitude, and to run out in fuchpraife and cheerful duty as is animated throughout byLove, that lo fweet a fpring may brit g forth anfwerable ftreams: That fo the Goodnera of our Mailermay appear in the fweetnejs of our work ; and we may mot îerve the Godof Love andGlory,hke flaves,with a.g,rudging weary

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=