Laws,converse with finful mortals, and bearing our fins in his own body, be made a bloody facrifice for fin, to the justice of God. Here is love not that we (in the first place) loved God, but that God loved us, and fent his Son to be the propitiation for our fins! Herein God commendeth his love to us (and recommends it to our admiration) in that while we were finners (and opprefs'd by the power and guilt of fin) (his Son) Chrift died for us, and in the work of our redemption. This is incomparably higher love, and to an incomparably higher end, than if fuch beings as the heathen gods came down, in human fhape among us, to heal our diseases, or discharge us out of a temporal captivity.

IV. When the nations of the world were generally drown'd in ignorance and idolatry, God was pleased to select one nation to himself, to be near him,to fee his works,and be acquainted with the way to falvation to himself. He would not lofe all, tho' the most had forfaken him. He calls Abraham out of idolatrous Mefopotamia, to be his disciple and bear his name, and derive it to his pofterity. The nation of this pofterity is exalted above all nations. The ftatutes, the ordinances and glory of God are placed among them. Their deliverances, mercies, and judgments might found through the earth. They are fet as a beacon, or a light upon an hill, that cannot be hid. Their God gave wonderful evidence, that he was the living and true God. He intended the nations should hear of him. The people shall hear and be afraid (that will not fubmit), forrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Paleftina (b) This day will I begin to put the dread of thee, and the fear of thee upon the nations that are under the whole heaven, who sball hear report of thee and shall tremble, and be in anguish becaufe of thee, (and because of the vengeance executed in vindication of thee. (c) Foreigners might well fear the name of Ifrael's God. All encouragement was given to ftrangers, to come and join themfelves to their God. Moreover, concerning the stranger that is not of thy people Ifracl, but cometh out of a far country for thy name's fake (for they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy ftrong hand, and of thy stretched out

(6) Exod. xv. 14.

(c) Deut. ii. 25.

arm)

arm) when he shall come and pray towards this house (as it was fuppoled that fometimes he would) then hear thou in Heaven thy dwelling-place. (c) With this people, was the good God at the care and expence of fending Judges, Pricfts and Prophets for divers ages, for keeping of them in their way to him: so that the men of all languages and of all nations might well take hold of the skirt of him that was a Jew, and fay, we will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you. (d)

V. When this stubborn nation had rejected the falvation of God, it was sent and offer'd to the Gentiles. Heavens, good will must be made known to all nations. Some where or other the good God will have those that are to be faved. Hereupon, the Jews; national church and religion is laid aside. The Partition-wall, between them and the Gentiles is broken down. The meffengers of peace are fent into all nations. The most barbarous and forlorn are invited to turn from their dumb idols to ferve the living God, and to wait and look for his Son from Heaven, to judge the world. Now light fhines upon the darkest lands, and Divine Grace abounds to the chief of Sinners.

VI. To this end, a gracious Gospel is fent abroad with wonderful power and motive to reconcile the world to God. A rich word is given, ftored with all incitements to draw all mankind to God. The gracious will and pleasure of the bleffed God is fet open. The mind and heart, the love and tranfactions of the Son of God are most affectionately displayed. The joy of Angels upon finners repentance and reconciliation is wonderously reported. The promises made to returning mortals arc vastly great and valuable. The threatnings against the impenitent and irreconcileable, are flaming and dreadful. Heaven is opened to our view, for our instigation; and Hell, to drive us towards Heaven. Nay, the great God does by his word and ambassy, as good as intreat us to be reconciled, and how can we deny him? What love is here! What condefcenfion, to evince his love! ftrange, that

() Kings viii. 42, 43. (d) Zech. viii. 23.

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the God of Heaven, and of all the hofts of Heaven fhould ftoop to invite and intreat such miscreants as we, to be reconciled to himself! Be astonish'd, O Heavens! and let the Earth fear to deny the love of a reconciling God!

VII. An eternal kingdom of glory is ordain'd for those that were once finners of mankind. An undefiled, incomprehenfible inheritance is prepared for them in the Heavens. The great God does not think this world good enough for them. He has in his wifdom and grace provided for them, a most beautiful, fplendid city; an habitation, in which he will pour out upon them the riches of his love. They must be with him,and see his face, and dwell in his light and presence, with ineffable delight and joy. Tongue cannot exprefs,nor heart conceive the exceeding and eternal weight of glory, with which he will crown them in his own celestial kingdom. Surely, he loves our nation, when he has built a most sumptuous, magnificent temple for us, eternal in the Heavens!

VIII. Those that upon his invitation and intreaty are reconciled to him, have all their fins forgiven them, be they never fo many and great; they are immediately admitted into his favour, and juftified from all condemnation, through the attonement made by the Son, and adopted into Sonfhip towards God, and entitled to the eternal inheritance: O what love is here! that fuch as we fhould be made and call'd the Sons and Heirs of the bleffed God! And thereupon holy AnThe great God ap

gels are charged with their tuition and defence. points his immediate Ministers to wait on them. What grace is here,that the Lords of the fuperiour world must wait on those, that are, by nature of the lower house, and are both finful and unable to behold their glory!

IX. The great God fo loves them, that he will have them whole and entire with him in his house of glory. Their scatter'd duft will he favour and rebuild for immortality. As he redeemed them for himself, he will recover them from their captivity and difperfion. Not one of them shall be loft, or be miffing in the day of their account. He has

given them to the Son, and the Son will take care to prefent them all to the Father. He will come from Heaven on purpose to open the graves, and raise them from the dead, and advance them to the heavenly ftate. This is the Fathers will, that hath fent me, that of all which he hath given me, I should lofe nothing (not a part of any one of them) but should raise it up again at the last day. (e)

X. Rather than all fhould be loft, the great God, has, in his eternal counsel and purpose determin'd fome of our world, for his eternal glory. There is and shall be a remnant, designed for bleffedness, according to the election of his grace. We fee how loath the world is to be recover'd and reconciled to God. We fee by the hiftory of all ages, what a wicked, perverfe, debauch'd world it is; how few, under greatest light, fairest means, most eminent mercies or chastisements will be drawn to God. Sin, and the world, and the flesh infnares, and captivates the untoward race. The great God forefaw all this, more fully than we can fee it. Shall we take it ill, that he fhould fecure fome part of his glory, and not fuffer it all to be loft! Shall fo great love be manifefted, and fuch a Redemption be ordain'd, and after all, left to the hazard whether it fhall fucceed or no. Should the happy fruit intirely depend upon the froward heart of the degenerate race! Let the great God effectually determine fome for himself, and for the great ends of the redemption, that he has ordain'd! If this may be done without any injury to others; if the reft are debarr'd none of the uses of their natural powers,if they are left to the exercise of their understanding and will,if they are treated with much mercy to their recovery, if they are not condemned, nor defigned to be condemned, but upon fuppofition of their own finfulness, why fhould peculiar favour be deny'd to fome? Let us leave it to the Divine wisdom (which made the heart) to bring them all fafe to glory, in a way confiftent with their will and duty, with his own law and glory. Why should our eye be evil, because he is tranfcendently good? Here will be love and wif dom, fupremacy and grace! Here will be prudence in fecuring the

(e) John vi. 39.

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good iffue of his reconciling defigns; honour and juftice to the Reconciler, in giving him a feed to ferve him; good-will and mercy to the aftonishment of Angels, and everlafting obligations laid on all the chofen reconciled company. Here will be a moft noble inftance of divine Philanthropy! The great God refolves to have a confiderable, yca, a vaft company of mankind to dwell with Angels and be bleffed in his complacency and glory for ever. But if any scruple this inftance of divine favour to our race, there is enough faid before. No institution can more extol or difplay the admirable love of God to this world of ours. Here we most eminently fee, that God is love.

SECT. VI.

It is the Chriftian Inftitution, that most wonderfully reconciles the perfections of God, in and to our endless falvation.

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E are to be faved from fin and misery, before we are made happy. He that conducts us to bliss, may well be filed JESUS, for he must fave his people from their fins. Sin is an horrid of fence to the great governour of the world. It is a violation of his holy law; and thereupon, a poor creature's contempt of his wisdom, authority and government. Hereupon Divine Majefty and Honour is concern'd for juft vindication. The beft of Beings, and the fupream governour of the universe may well affume the ftile of a jealous God. It becomes him to be the Patron of his own tranfcendent prerogatives and glories. Jealoufy, in cafe of heinous indignity and affronts will arife into vindictive juftice, The vindictive juftice of the moft holy almighty Majefty will be a confuming fire. And who among us, can dwell with, or ftand before devouring fire, and everlasting burnings! It is true, God is good; but he is alfo holy, pure, and juft. He loves his creatures, but himself infinitely more. He has made all things for himself, for his own pleasure and glory. He is gracious; but there

may