Owen - Houston-Packer Collection BT300 .O9 1679

246 An !JUmble Enquiry into the Infinite Wijdom ofGod C:.. 1. Of the firft fo,rt, are Lo7J.c, Grace and Mercy, which I refer unto one Head, their Nature being the fame, as they have refpecr untofinners.. For although thefe.were nooe of them manifefied in the Works of Creation, )iCt are the:r no lefs ~{[entia/ Properties of the Divine Nature, than either Power, Goodnefs or Wifdom. Wit11 thefe itwas that the re 7 paration ofour Nature was coml?liant,_unto them it had a con· decency,and the glory ofthem infinite Jf!ifdomdefigned therein. That lflifdom onwhichit is.incumbent to pt;ovide tor the rna· fefl:ation of all the other Properties of Gods Nature, contrived this· work unto the Glory of his Love, Mercy and, Grace, as in the Gofpel it is every where declared. · /'.;. 2. Of the fecond foxt is Divin.e Goodnefs. This as the communicative Proper!J0f the Divine Nature, had exerted it felf in the Creation of all things. Hpwbeit it had not done fo perfefl!J, it had not done 1o to the uttermofl. But the Nature of Goodnefs being communicative, it belongs unto its 1)erfecrion, ~o acr it felf unto the uttermoft. This it had not · yet done in the Creation. Therein God made man, and aCted his goodnefs in.the communication ofour ~eing unto us,. w_ith .. all its endowments; But there yet remamed another effect ofit, which was thatGodjhould /;e made mtm, as theway unto and the means ofour recovery. Thefethings being premifed, we proceed to enquire. more particularly; by what way and means the recovery ofmankittd might be wrought, fo as that Gqd might be glorified thereby. Iffallen man be refiored and reinftated in his primitive con– dition, or brought into a better, it muft either be by himfelf, or by fome other undertaking for him. For it mufi be done by fome means or other. · So great an alter.ation in the whole fiate of things was made by the entrance .of fin, that it was not confifient with the Glory ofany of the Divine' E~ . cellencies, that a Reflaurationofall things·fuould be made .by ameer

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