Blake - Houston-Packer Collection BT155 .B53 1653

Chap. 8 and the Covenant of Grace. 47 alc the glory of his free grace, to fet out the riches of his great mercy, that fo noble a# cies as that of mankinde might not for ever perifh; yet he quits not man of his fubjection and obedi- ence. When the Angels fell, fome food;(whether the fallen or perfevering number be greater,cannot be determined) but when man fell, mankinde wholly was loft, and unleffe grace fave, rnuf everlaftingly perifh. As force with the loft Angels mutt be ob- jects on whom God will glorifie his juftice, Mat. 25. 41. fo o- thers mull be veffels of mercy, on whom his free grace (hall be feen, to make them as the Angels of heaven. Therefore love is afligned as the alone impulfory motive; God fo loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Ion, John 3. 16. god who is rich in mercy, according to the great love,wherer--rith be loved us, when We were dead in lane, Eph. a. S. of this all that expect to be faved by grace, muff be tender, that it be not obfcnred; Gods defigne be- ing to advance it, our care mutt be that it be not leffened. In this exercife of grace God yet keeps up authority and rule, -power and dominion fill is his. Man was made of God fubject to a law and under dominion, having the law written in his heart from the Creation. He was not divefted of this by Adams fall, nor deli- vered from it by Chrifts Redemption. Corvinos indeed in his Re- ply to Moulin, (cap. 8. fit . 7.) faith, a l bat men under an obli- gation to punifhmert are not under any obligation to obedience. God l not be ferved by that man that bath violated his Covenant, gi- ving his reafon of this afiertion, To b be admitted to serve is a token of favour, which is not voucbfafed to men under guilt and wrath. But this is a manifeft errour, mans guilt can never rob God of his Sovereignty , nor yet difingage man from his duty, flanding right with God, he is bound to homage, under guilt he is bound both to homage and punithment; and to be admitted to ferve is not meerly of favour, but of dominion and power. It was no great favour that `dfrael in Egypt found in the fervice of Pharaoh; to ferve with acceptance is indeed a favour, but necef- fity and duty ties all that are under Sovereignty . As man fallen in right is a fubjeu, though in his demeafnour a rebell ; fo in his re- generate eftate fill he owes fiibjection.When God became a Sa- viour to the Elect of mankind, he did not ceafe to be a Sovereign; Matter Ponell faith well, The children of a King and Emperor loom their father to be their Sovereigne, page 219. The childe-of God Mans fall by fin wasno dia- obligation to obedience. a Cùrn itagite . homo jaccrct f ùb malediëli- one, ad obedien- tiam amplius non obligabztur quia coli ab co veno amplius non volebat, b Nam quòcl coli á creatura lita Deus' znat favoris eft.

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