.... "''14 _ __ _ 'ASttJnt or tt Brute: Part I I.' ej the Divin~ natflre , having e[caped the corr·uption that is in thtJ worldthrottgh luft.] And can there be more on earth bellowed . .on man, then to be made partakers of rhe Divine nature ? As it · woufd be a greater gift to a bruit , to be made a man, and have manly Riches., then to have fiore of Provender fuited to his bru• tifhnefs ; fo is it greater Riches to the ungodly to be fan[lified and made partakers of that nature that i_s called Divine by God him. fdf, then to ha,•e provi£ion for unmonified lufl:s, .and to have all rh~ comenrmenrs of a flelhly mind. It were a greater gift to an Ideot , to be · made a wife and learned man, thet.a to be furniilied with feathers or fiicks to play wirh. So is it bere. _ 4· Every truly fancbfied man, is reftored from the mifery that he 'YIIU brfJught into byfin. He bath all his fins forgiven him , and is freed from the curie of the Law , -by the merits of Chrifi, and the promife of the Gofpel. For in him )\?e h>~.ve Redemption through his blood, evouhe forgivenefJ of fins. Col. I. I 4· And by him all ~h~t br!ieve ttre juftified from all thi"tJgs, fromwhich they could not he juftified6y the Lawof Mofes. Ad:s I 3. 39. When we were dead inour /i»s, -we were quickfned with Chrijf, and hadall oHr trefpaj{eJ forgiven m, Col. 2. I 3. 'Ask a wounded Confcience that groan– eth under the weight of fin, and under rhe fen'fe of Gods in– dignation , Whether forgivenefs of fin be aTreafure or not ? I am fure they that now are pafi forgivenefs, and feel what fin is in the bitter fruits , would give ten tboufand worlds, if they had them, for the pardon of their fins; and would account forgive– nefs agreater mercy then all the Riches ~nd Kingdoms of the world. What a heavy Ctilrfe did the Spirit of God pafs upon Si– man Magus, for thinking that.: mrmeywas a valuable thing to pur– chafe the Holy Ghofi with! Ails 8. 20,21. Thy money perifo with thee, 6ec,wfe thou haft thought that thegift of God r¥Jil) be purcha(cd by meney : Thou httft neither p;trt nor lot in this matter, f or thy heart is not right in the fight of God : repent therefore of this thy -wic~ednefs, &c. The name of Simon Magus i~ odioes to us al_l ; and yet !doubt that maft among us exceedhimm the fin for wh1ch he is thus curfed, For he thought the gift of the holy-Ghaf! to be hetter then his money, or elfe he would not have offered h1s money for ir. Bnt mo/1 men rake their money tobe hetter then the g;ft of the Holy-Ghof/. If he thar would h.ave;purchtt(edche HolrGhoff, )'\a a lower and lefs nece.Jlarygift of the fpirit, was pronpu_nced . . m~~
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