2$6 ofGods Workmanthip S a c r. VI. heads have thought the very natural beingofaman, tobefo great agood, as that in reafon a man wouldchufe rather tobe damned,then not tobe at all : And there- fore theyexpound that Meech of our Saviours concerning Nat, to be true only in regard of the fenfitive part of a man , but not his rational. But this cannot hold : for I. Why it were I. Damnation istheinfitíling of an infinitcevialupon avian , fo faras heie ca. better nevo ro pableef it, and thedepriving himofan infinitegood. Now to be, or to have be, then not to life, is but finite, limited good : If therefore thou art not Gods gracious work- be new made. maofhip , it hadbeenbetter ifthou hadftbeen a Toad , a Serpent, yea nothing at all, then to bea min: And ifmen in the extremityoftheir bodilypain ,havecurfed the daychat ever they were born , as we read 7o6 and 7eremiah, thoughit was their great(info! impatience to do fo : Howmuch rather met: they cry out fo in hell., wherethe re is not onedrop ofisocy io ad! rite gall theybave Not the leaft dropof water can bebad tocool (o much asthexopofeheir tongue. Why then do not your ears tingle while they hear this ? Art thounot a New Creature?Hath notGod made thee all over anew ? Ohmiferable man ! Alas chatever thouwert born ! How often wilt thou with in the horror of thy confcitnce,thoubattik never been a roan? Why doll thou rejoycein thy wealth,in thy grearnefs,in thy comforts, and heft no true godiinefsco rejayce in ? If thou hadit all Soiomonswealth,and Me. thtefalems d aies toenjoy it,yetif notGodsworkmanfh p,wobe thee that ever thou wertborn i 2. Themhadß better never have bees Gods natural creature, ifnot Ibis gracious rreatgirr; becau/e¿hie Mgtfind life is frareghtedwithmany miferies and troubles, fo that thegrief bmore then the joy : noW to be miferablehere and miferable fir e- ver hereafter, ie wateryin itsheight. cXors thatseborn eel m'osnaib offew claim and(nil ofennoble, Job 14. a. But manthat isboroof God,is incorruptible , and everlafting,and full ofpeace and joy in the holy Gholi. Alas , all thy comforts in thislife, which arebut few, they hang butupon a tired ofthy uncerta in life : fo that asthelseatheo faid,whenone was commendingthe riches, and wealthof mer- chants, Non amp falicitatem é funibsu pendentsm, I do not love that wealth whichhangs upon ropes, if theybreak the (hipmifcarrieth. We may fay of all comforts: We love notthat profit,that pleafurewhich hangs upon tiered : Why thendoff thounotbetake thy fell ro lome folitary & (edamtanninplation ?laying, What is my life worth? wherein am I more happy then beafls? then that Toad that creepsthere,ifI be not made a new Creature? 3. Thereforebetter never behorn, thennot'be this workmanlhip of gad, became hereby aman is fuß ratedofbisend, and that truehappinefs which ought te be the fiadyandsndeavoursof ail. Min ashe was created with more remarkable .excel- lency thee other Creatures , therefore you havetheScripturebringing inGod, as it were,coníulting with others , Let su make manafter our own image; fo was be ordainedto a more fublime and glorious end, which wasto enjoy God , andhave eternal communionwith him ; and the means to partake of this beatimdr, was the imageof God , a pureand holynature. Nowwhen weloft, or fell from this means and help,we alfo Apoftatized from that glorious end : And by this means is Head ofevetiaftinghappinaf,meet witheverlaftivghorrorand damnation: So that if thebleffednefs of every thing lye inccproper and fusable operations after themoll perkedmanner , to its proper cnd , then are we becomemollmierable, who are turned both out of the way to, and endof all bappinefs. Ob that mess fhouldnot mote confider the end why they are made, the end why God gives them to live and move and havea being, is it to eat and d rinkand faeisfie Clay Tufts, and at lull g-, down intohellin amoment ?Oh benot as bruithearts, that perifh without undetftanding. In the third place obfervethis, That as here in theText we are railed in the general godsworkman(hip , foinother placeswe leave theparticular kinde of work maníbipevpreffed:; For Godsword dotöpie tents,Gmilttúdestoexpreffeourrela- tion I I. ti
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