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Show "The PR E F A c 1:. The PREFACE. Tables of Stone, and alfo modelled the Jewifh Nation into a Body Politick, governed with lelec°t Inititutions of Civil Laws, and hallowed it with a religious Doctrine and Diicia pline founded in Rites of the Levitical Laws, many of them being Typical of the Great [We/rm: 5 and this Nation was not only fet up to Celebrate God's Worlhip and Praifes, but alfo to do right to themielves in promoting their own happineis, in the 91115Yi"‘h!‘ holy obfervance of many {uperintuced Sanctions, explicatory tcil sani‘ii. onsarecx- of thofe prime Laws of Nature, which God defigned to re- 31,9230?" commend by their mediation to Strangers, whereupon God made them a numerous People, to render them infirunients of propagating his Laws to other Nations. The Mofitic Precepts were but an obfcure Paraphrafe upon the Law of Nature, in which divers parts of that Triple obituie. m 3,, tank Law MS apprm duced to {omewhatof its primitive purity, anilenobled by fr: Evangelical Sanctions, and the more Divine Precepts of our Eiéw ‘ leilEd Saviour; SO tlmt.Chriftianity being a {yitem of molt ,1" Wife and holy Maxims, perfective oi" Humane Nature, might render it moit happy in its higheit capacity, by making the dictates oi" a clear Underltanding, directive of a molt compliant Will, whole commands might be obferved by regular Appetites, as Tome Faculties being commanding, and others obeying Powers, might all in their proper Spha‘res contribute to Man's happinefs ,- by advancing our prime inbred principles, as now modelled by Chril‘tian l'hilolophy, which having adopted the Law of Nature into Religion, might make its intendments more elevated and perfect. For thC prime Law founded in Nature, was {0 excellent a 3‘," £12215" Law were left unexplained, and principally the molt excellent confiitution, that the principles of it were adequate to that 34:31??? offices of God's Worfhip relating to the facrifice of Prayers, wherein we beg pardon of God for our Sins, and his fuper- defign of making Man hap ; and the nature of that Law 0! miliiivg was Eternal in its lilbltaiice, and f0 admitteth no variation in William" natural afsiftances in order to obey his holy Commands 5 and time, and being the fame for ever in its eflEntial parts, of wherein in Chrift's Name by Faith we refign our felves and actions, interelt and relations into the molt gracious conduct of God's providence. which it is conftituted , So that it cannot be conceived reaa And the Law given by Woflr was not only defective in on r duty to God in reference to Religion, but alfo in point of > i tedPM tea emperance, as Sobiicty 5a ' HS" ‘ ' the was no where plainly inltanced 1n pic. Mofaick Law , and the more noble acts of friendlhip and ci- fonable, that Vertue fhould afiume a new nature, or new conltituent parts, but only new improvements in reference to accidental perfection, and the nature of Morality, as JuPcice, Temperance, and Religion cannot be efrentially altered, but may be newly moulded and advanced by more exact rules of 33%??? Chriitian Philofophy, more highly to promote the firl't intend- Philofwhv )‘:lity, wherein we {peak mutual endearments and obligations in giving comfortable fupports to each other, when we labor under the fevere accidents of our unfortunate lives. And which was moit remarkable, this Law was appointed to a final] People, who retired tl]€ll]f€l\'€$ and had little con- verfe with other Nations in point of Traffick, which then was but little in the World, who had but afinall recourfe to the farm to be inltruc'ted in the Syftem of their more refined Laws: Whereupon the greater part of the Univerfe was covered with a thick Cloud of darknefs , and fate in the ihades of Death. And therefore God out of his infinite care and 10ve to Mankind, fent the Holy fES‘US to be a Light to lighten the Gentiles, and the Glory of the People Iflael, to inform the ment of Nature inf'tituted in our Creation, to put us into a (5:14in :0". great capacity of Felicity, for the Laws of Nature were ori» 23:3 £1" ginally in the firfi Creation engraven by a Divine hand on $31883," the Tables of our Hearts in fair Characters, which being de» one and profit the other, that their dark Underl'tandings might fiOmes) in fome degree to their native purity, and inftituted be enlightned by the Sun of Righteoufirefs; that the kLaw of hOIy methods of Grace to reduce the perverted Oeconomy of ature to perfection, and to Sign us a Pardon of our enor» Nature depraved by ill princrplcs and habits, might be re» V duced faced, are refrelhed, and as it were relingraven in the New Creature by the Finger of God's Spirit, the great Engraver, and the Scribe of the New Covenant, as the Author to the Hebremt hath it, gm, t ass/m '19,»th we mg; g ,3. 7.2. may; bm'wL; at," were,an pew ,1; ea Wag,- mains; 27; m Jamar "Mn gain/3.714" ami'. Here God merely out of his great goodnefs, being as it mirage- were in love with Man, the work of his hands, made a new Garacerc. and more excellent Covenant with him, being that of Grace, £3,325"? wherein he repaired his defaced lmage in us, and refiored the g‘fiflff corrupt principles of Nature (depraved by ill habits and cu» Mam mous |
