z74 EiJilences of Divine Wifllom tightly enter· upon the Inheritance. This could no other– Wife be done but by his fuffering in our Nature, as hath 1 been declared. He who was the fleir of all, was in himfelf to purg~ our fins. · Herein did the Infinite Wifdom of God "' manifefi it felf, in that he conveyed the Inheritance of all ', ~hings unto him, who mas meet and a/;le fo to enter upon it, !o to enjoy and poffe(s it, as that no detriment or dammage might arife unto the Riches, the Revenue, -the Glory ofGod, trom the wafle made by the former Po!feifor. 5. Mankind was to 6e recoveredu;Jto Faith andTrufl in God, tis alfo unto the Love of him a!Jove all. All thefe things had utterly forfaken our Nature; arid the Redu{/ion of them in– to it, is a work of the greatefidifficiilty. We had fo pro- . voked God, he had given fuch evidences ofhis wrath and 'dif– pleafure againfi us, and our minds thereon were fo aliena~ ted from him, as we fi:ood in need of theflrong,e.fl Moti·ves, and highefi encouragements once to attempt to return unto him, fo as to place all ·our Faith and Trufi in him, and all our Love upon him. Sinners generally live in a neglect and contempt of God, in an enmity againfi him. But whenever they are convinced ·of a neteffity to endeavour a return untp him, the firfr thing they have to ' conflict withal, is Fear. Beginning to"under– ftand who and what he is, as alfo how things fiand betwec:n him and them, they are afraid to have an)' thing to do with him, and judge it impoilible that they fhould find acceptance with him. This was the fenfe that Adam himfelfhad upon his fin, when he was afraid and hid himfelf And the fenfe of other finners is frequently expre~d unto the fame purpofe in the Scripture. See !fa. 33· 14: Mich. 6. 6, 7· . . · All thefe Vi.[Courag,ements are ~olutely provi~ed agamfl: m that way of our Recovery 'rhi.cch lnfintte f;fliJdcm hath found out. It were a thing delzghtful to dwell on the ~e~urrtles:
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