Owen - BS2775 O8 1668

Jefus of Nazareth theonlyTrue and 'Promi/ed.Meriah. its through the envy of the Scribes andPharifees, - and their own unwillingnefs to admit of thepurity and holinefsof his Dodtrùre, they were flirted up to oppofe and per-, feeutehim, as they had doneall other Prophets, who in their feveral Giber fore- told his coming, is evident from the records ofthe Evangelical jtory; fee Job. r.46. chap. 6. 57. A&. . zz, 23. Their prefent ,obftinate denial hereof, isa meet contrivance to juflifie themfelves in their rejectionand murder of him. But this is not all ; he Was npt only a Prophet in general, but he was that Prophet who was foretold by Mefes, and all theProphets, who built on his foundation, who was to put the latt hand un- to divine Revelations, in a full declaration of the woole counfel of God, the 'peculiar work of the Mefïab ; and this we (hall evince in theenfuing-conuderations of his Do- ¿irine and Prophefie, with the fuccefsand event of them. Firft, The Nature of the Doctrine taught by this Prophet, gives Teftimony unto our 3 37, affertion. Whatever Chara5ters of that Truth which is holy and heavenly can ra- tionally be conceived or apprehended, they aie all eminently and incomparably im- printed on the Dodtrineof Jefus Chrift. Whatever tends to tile glory of God, as the nth Caufe, and lati End of all things, as the only Soveraign Ruler, Judge, and dif- pofer of all, as the only infinitely holy, wile, righteous, good, gracious, merciful, powerful, faithful, independen Being, is clearly, evict:utly, and in a aeavenly manner revealed therein. Whatever is Meld or fuitabie to excite and improve, all that is of good in man, in the n,ti nsof .his mind, or inctinaiions of his will, to dilcover his wantsand det:8s that fee may not exalt himfelf in his own unag nation above hs hate and condition ; whatever is needful to reveal unto him, his E. d, or his Way, hs Happinefs, or the Mans conducing thereunto, whatever may bring him into a d. e fubjcdfion unto God, and fitbordivauon unto his Glory ; whatever m y tech him to be ufful in all thole Reiatio:swherein he may be cat}, within the bounds and compafs of the moral principles of his nitiue, as a creature made for foeietys w'ia-evr is ufeful the deterr him from, and f pprefs in him every thi.,g that is ev , even thof hidden feeds and Emtrios of it winch lye beneath the hrtt initances thae Reafon can reach unto to difcoveryof and that in an abfriute univerfality, without -the I alt in- dulgence-on any *retence whatever, and to Mr hi,n up, provoke.him unto, and di- red£ him in the pradtice :of whatever thing is true, honest, jatt, pure, lovely, of good report, that is virtuous, or prai(e-worthy, that may begin, bound, guide, li- mit, finish, and perfedt, the whole Syfieme ofmoral adtions in him in relation unto God himfelf, and others; it is all revealed, confirmed, and ratified in the Doefrine of the Golpel ofJefus Chaff. It bath (rood upon its trial above fixteen hundred years in the weirld, challenging the wit and malice of its adverfariei, to difcoverany one thing or circumitanceofany thing that is ten,rue, faf, evil, unc,meÿ, not refitted, or inconvenient in it, or to find out any thing that is manly good, virtuous, offul, praife-worthy, in habit or exercife, in any inftances of op. rations in any deg ee of intention of mind, any dutythat man owes to God, others, or himfe!,, that is not taught, injoyned, incouraged, and commanded by it ; or todifcoverany motivis, in- couragements, or reafons unto, and tor the purtait of that winch is good, and the avoidanceof evil that axe true, real, folid, and rational, w,.íeh it aftürdeth not unto them that embrace it. This abfolute prrtret.on of the Dodtrine of this Prop et, joyned with thofe Charat'ers ofDivine Authority which are enftamp_d on ir, cloth fuffrcientlyevidence that it contains the great, promifd, full, final Revelation of the Will of God, vihich was to begiven forth by the Msb. Add hereunto, trat finer the delivery of this Dottrine, the whole race of mankind hath not be n abe to inv_nt, or find out any tiling, that without the moltpr!p,ble fol y and madnefs might be added lanai it, much lets hand in competition wi.h it, and it will it fell futficiendy demon- ttrate its Author. Secondly, we have declared in theentrance ofthisdifcourl7e, that the mphwas Á. 38 the means promifèd for 'the delivery of maok nd. from that woful efface of fin and mifeny whereunto theyhad calf themfelves. This was declared unto all in general, this they believedwhomGad graciously enabled thereunto. But how this deliverance thould bewrought in particular by the li/ ffisb, how tirerar:4 of the-Devil (hiuld be de- firoyed, how God and Man (hould be reconciled, how timers.might recover. a tide untotheir toll happinefs, and be brought to an enjoyment of it ; this was unknown ' notonly unto ail the Sons of Men, 'but alto to all the Angels in Heaven themfelvesii who then ¡hall unfold this myeterie winch was -hid in the counfel of God Earn the foundation of the world ? It was utterly beyond the reason and wifaiamofmail, to Gg give

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