The Life of Faith. r. The Author ofit, Jefus Chrifi, was perfedly Good him- felf ; being God and man ; fullers in nature, and in life ; living, and dying, and riling to do god; and.making it his cffice and his work, even in Heaven, to do mankind the grcatea good. 2. The Matter of the Chriaian Religion, is GOD him- fell the infinite Good. The u:f of it is, to teach men to know. God, and to bringus to him. To which end it maketh a fuller', difcovcry of his bleffed nature, attributes and works, than is any whereelfe to be found in this world. 3. The utmofi End of it is, the highea imaginab'e ; the pleating and glorifying of God : Forhe that is the Beginning ofall, muff needs be the End of all. q,. It leadcth manto the higheLi Rate of felicity for himfelf (which is an End conjunct in fubordination to the higbeft.) There can be no greater happinefs imaginable, than the Chri- flian Religion diredeth us to attain. 5. It placeth ourhappinefs fo certainly and clearly in that which is happinefs indeed, that it diredeth mans intentions, and delires, and leaveth them no longer to the old variety of opinions about the chicfat} good : Nature perfected, and working by its perfected ads upon the moll perfed objed, and receiving the moli full communications from him, and this for ever, mua needs be the moll perfect felicity of man. To have all our faculties fully perfed, and to live for ever in the perfed light and love of God, and to be accordingly be- loved of him ; this is the endof Chriaianity. 6. To this end, the wholedefign of the Chriaian Religion is to make mangood, and to cure him of all evil, and to pre= pare him jualy for that bleffed age. 7. To that and the great work of Jefus ChriR is, to fend down the fapâifying Spirit of God, tomake men new creatures, and to regenerate them to the Nature of God himfelf, and to a heavenlymind and life : That they níay not only have pre. cepts which are good, but the power of God to make them good, and a heavenly principle to tit them for Heaven. 8. To that end, the principal means is, the fullea revela- tionofthe love of God toman, thatever, made, and more than is any where,elfe eevcaled. All thehdcfgn of Chtiaianity P 3 is rog
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