iv PREFACE. wherein it was made, and the dominion over the lower world wherewith it was intrusted, made it the seat of excellency, of beauty, and of glory. But of them all it was at once divested and made naked by sin, and laid grovelling in the dust from whence it was taken Dust thou art and unto dust thou shalt return, was its righteous doom. And all its internal faculties were invaded by deformed lusts; every thing that might render the whole unlike unto God whose image it had lost. Hence it became the contempt of angels, the dominion of satan, who being the enemy of the whole creation, never had any thing or place to reign in, but the debased nature of man. Nothing was now more vile and base, its glory was utterly departed. It had both lost its peculiar nearness unto God, which was its honor, and was fallen into the greatest distance from him of all creatures, the devils excepted, which was its ignominy and shame. And in this state, as unto any thing in itself, it was left to perish eternally. In this condition, lost, poor, base, yea cursed, the Lord Christ the Sonof God found our nature. And herein in infinite condescension and compassion, sancti lying a portion of it unto himself, he took it to be his own, in an holy ineffable subsistence in his (ran person. And herein again the samenature sodepressed into the utmost misery is exalted above the whole creation of God. For in that nature, God hath set himat his own rightband in the heavenly places, far above all princi- palities and powers, and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, bin . also in that which is to come. This is that which is so celebrated by the psalmist, with thehighest admiration, I's. viii. 3. When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained; ver. 4. What is man, that thou art mindfu' ofhim? and the son of man that thouvisitest him? eel. I. For thou hast made him a little lower than th, -angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour -ver. 6. Thou madest him to have dominion over th, works ofthyhands; thou hast pat all things under hi, feet: ver. -7. All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beast, of the field; ver. 8. The fowl of the air, and the fish( of the sea, and whatsoever passes through the paths c the seas. This is the greatest privilege we have among all our fellow creatures; this we may glory in, ano NM- value ourselves upon. Those who engage this nature on the service of sensual lusts and pleasures, who think that its felicity and utmost capacities consist in their satisfaction, with the accomplishment of other earthly temporary desires, are satisfied with it in its state of apostacy from God. But those who have received the light of faith and grace, so as rightly to understand the being and end of that nature whereof they arppartakers, cannot but rejoice in its deliverance from the utmost debasement, into that glorious exaltation, which it hath received in the person of Christ. And this must needs make thoughts of him full of refreshment unto their souls. Let us take care of our persons; the glory of our nature is safe in him. For, 2. In him the relation of our nature unto God, is eternally secured. We were created in a covenant- relation unto God. Our nature was related unto him in a way of friendship, of likeness, and complacency. But the bond of this relation and union was quickly broken by our apostacy from him. Hereon our whole nature became to be the utmost moral distance from God, and enmity against him, which is the depth of misery. But God in infinite wisdom and grace did designonce more to recover it, and take it again near unto himself. And he would do it in such a way, as should render it utterly impossible that there should ever be a separation between him and it any more, Heaven and earth may pass away, but there shall never be a dissolution ofthe union between God and our na, ture any more. He did it therefore, by assuming it into a substantial union with himself, in the person of the Son. Hereby the fulness of the Godhead dwelt in it bodily, or substantially, and eternally. Hereby is its relation unto God eternally secured. And among all the mysterious excellencies which relate hereunto, .here are two which continually present themselves auto our consideration. (t.) That this nature ofours, is capable of this glo- ious exaltation and subsistence in God. No creature could conceive how omnipotent wisdom, power, and goodness, could actuate themselvesunto the production of this effect. The mystery hereof, is the object of the ümiration of angels, and will be soof the wholechurch uo all eternity. What is revealed concerning the ry, way, and manner of it in the scripture, I have ueclared in my treatise concerning the Mystery-of God-
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=