610 LlriJ.3.:U. ~piritual Perfetlion. de~;, 0f.~~r;r~es;;'~;~ :1 ~ZJ;;d~al~h{h~ ~~~\~~,un~:e;E~u~~i n~[;(;·~~YL1 ,;~1 :n~ ~~: tion, and pours forth his treafures of Light and Heat witl1our an}' Iofs and i mpo~erifhi og: Thus God communica<cs his Ble!lings w all <he progeny of Men. He is a oh<e ld, pro. teEting us from inn umerable Eyils, unforefcen and inevita bk, .w i t~o~r.h i s prc\'~ntin g Good . nelS. Were we only kept a!Jve1 and fighed out our d,1 ys_m Gr:.d and,Pdl~ , wtrt our paffage to the next State through a barren Wildernefs, wahout any n:!J t:fhwg .'prings and Showers, this were infinite Mercy: For if we duly confzder his G1catnds and our Meannefs, his HolinefS and J utlice, and our Siofulncfs, it would caufc us w look up to God with admiration, and down to am· fel ves with con fufion, rhat ou r Ji ves fo trcu! an~ fO ofcen forfeited, are preferved. The Church in a dero_lctcc fta ce aclmowlt:dgcs' 'Tu the Lord's Mercy that we are not confi~med, bua ·,fe hH_ Mercus are remn·ed tvery mor: ning. 'Tis Mercy upon Mercy, all is Mercy . Our Sa\'tour, with n.:fpeCt eo his humble flare, fays:a I am a Worm, and no Man; but we are Serpents, and no Worms : And as 'tis ufual to deftroy venomous Creatures in the egg , before chey have dor.e actual mif:. chief, we ~hat are Children of Wr.ath by Nature, whofe Confl irurion i~ PuyfOn, mighc have been JU!lly dc!lroyed in rhe Conception. This ravi!h'd <he Pfa lmi!l 1oto an cxralit of Wonder, whilll he contemplated che glorious Lights of Heaven, 1 1Fhat i-1 M11n1hat tho:~ Art mindfi~! of him, or the Son of Man th•t thote{horddfl reg11rd and rtluve him ? He befi:ows innumerable. and ine!limable Benefits upon a r~ce of Rebels tha<boldly brea k his Laws, and abufe Ius Favours: He no< only fufpends hiS Judgments, but d1 fpeofes Ius Blclliogs £0 thofe <hat infinitely provoke him. Now, can we be una lfeaed with his mdulgcnt Cle. mency, his immenfe Bounty, his condefcending and compallionarc Goodoels? Why does he load us wirh his Benefits every day, but for his Goodne[s fake, and to endear himfelf to us? For he is always ready w open his bountiful Hand, if we do not !hut our Brealls and Harden our Hearts, not to receive his Gifts. His Mercy is like the Widows mira~ culous Oyl, that never ceas'd in pouring out, wl1ile tberc was any Vc(fel to receive it: Then <he flowing Vein was ftop'd. How is i£ pollible fuch rich aod continued Good. nefs lhould not inlinua<e i£ felf into our Souls and engage our Love to our Blelfed Be. nefa£lor? Can we degenerate fofar from Human Nature, nay below <he Senfitive (for the dull Ox, and ftupid Afs, ferve <hofe <hat feed them) as £0 be Enemies to God? How prodigious and aftoni!hing is <his degeneracy! . l· The Love of God appears in m full Force and Glory, in our Redemption. The Eloquence of an Angel, would be very difproportion'd to the digni<y and greatnefs of this Argument,, much more <he weak Exprellions of Men. Tha£ we may <he more di!linllly conce~ve u, I w1ll bnelly conliderthe greamefs of the bencfi<, and the means ofobtainin!l i£. Man in his ftate of un!lain'd Innocence, was furnilh'd wi<h power to perfevere, but left in the hand of his own Counlel. He was drawn by a foft Seducer to ea£ of <he forbid· den Tree, and in that lingle In!lance was guilty of univerfal Difobedience. He was ingaged in a deep Revolture wi<h the Apo!late Spirits, and incurr'd <he Sentence of a double Death, both of <he Body and of <he Soul. Now where was <he Miraculous Phylician to be found, <hat could Cave us from Etemal Death? Whocould Appeafe God, and Abolilh Sin? God was alfeaed with <ender pity at <he ligh< of our Mifery, and thor1gl1 tbe mornin!( Stars, that fell from heavtn, 4re notv tvandring Stars, for whom the blacknej of darknej! i4 referv'd for ever, ye< he wa< pleafed to recover Man from that defperate ftate, in a way becoming his Perfeaioos. This was <he Produa of his moLl free Love. God's Will and Chrift's Willingne!S were <he Springs of our Redemption; for he might have pari jure: with the fame jull ~e verity have dea.lt with us as with the Rebellious Angels. There was no legal Con!lra1nt upon our Savwur to dye for us, for he w..u holy, harmle{s, tmdefiled, and f eparate from SiPners: There was no violem Conllrainr, for he could wi<h one Word have dellro}''d his Enemies: The dep<h of his Wif.. dom, <he !lrengeh of his Power, <he Glory of his Holinefs and Ju!lice were illullnouOy reveal'd in thi s great work, but Love was <he Regent Ami bute <hat call'd forth the other into <heir dillina Exercife and Aa s : Moll Wife, Omni potent and Holy Love faved us. What the Pfalmift fpeaksof the Divine Perfeaions in mal<ing us, I am fearfully and wonkrfu!IJ made, is in a nobler Score verified in our Salvation, we are fearfu ll y and w~n .. derfully Redeem'd, by <he Concord of <hofe feeming irreconcileable Attributes ,_ \'w· di£liveJu!lice, and Saving Mercy. Our Rebelhon was w -be expmed br the h1ghefl perfeaion of Obedience; aod thereby rhe honour of God's Moral Governmem £0 be <e· repair'd. For <IllS end tbe Son of God difrob'd himf<: lf of IllS Glor y, and pu<on the l..ivery of our frail Flcfh, and in the form of a Servan~ hec4me ·obedunt to the Death of th< Croj!, to rrf<•e "'from the C11r[e of the Law: he rnt crcepted the heavy !lroke of Vengeance,
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