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Show The PREFACE. imply a COlltI‘I-ldiétion in the nature of things 3 which the Incar' The P R a r A c E. lv eculiar Nature, by which one Man is numerically difcrimir rheumato- nated from another, which natural notion is as concealed :iiéiiiiiliiii. nation of Cbri/l is free from, it being notimpofsible, that he who is intimately prefent to all things, fhould in a more pecua liar manner afTume our Humane Nature, as to the manner of it, is as myi‘terious as true ; but the reafon of it may be better apprehended, for if our Redeemer had not been like us in nag ture as Man, he could not have redeemed us; For Man having oliended, Man all?) muil be punilhed and latisfie God's Juitice, which C/arifl did in fulfilling the Law, and ofiering himfelf a Sacrifice for our Sins, which could in no way have proved efficacious to us, had not his Divine nature been united to his Humane ; So that if C/Jrifl had been only Man, though accoma plilhed with Nature and Grace, and had in every title fulr The Adire Obedience of Cbrijt. filled the Moral Law, and paid a perfect Obedience (accord, ing to God's Will ) to all his molt Holy Commands ; yet be/ ing a Creature, he could only {peak his Duty in offering up His Paflive Obedience. his Life (in God's fervice to his Glory) which he had originally received from him: But C/yrifl‘ the Saviour of the World in reference to his Divine nature, rendred his fufibrings meritoa rious, giving them thereby an infinite value, as accompanied with infinite perfeétions proper to his Godhead only, and upon this account he oflered himfelf a Propitia'tory Sacrifice for the whole VVorld. Th: Relitr- retlion 01' our Bodies is not imrollible. It is as (she to mile a Body, as to treatcit. Another Myllery revealed in the Gofpel is the Refurreétion of our Bodies at the day of ]udgment, which is disbelievcd by from us, as the greatel't Article of Faith, unlefs it be mania Mam" {cited to us by Iome fupernatural Light 5 which is as great an initance of God's Wifdom, as his love to give clear and in» fallible Rules in an extraordinary manner to advance the Law of Nature when deficient, in order to his Service and Glory, and our Pace and Happiiiels. And it will be worth our re; mark to confider how mean and flat our Sentiments are (how abfiracted foever they may fliem) in the knowledge of Philw fophical Principles, and much more in Divine,- And hence it may be well inferred, how reaionable it is to make a finer en, iniry, whether God hath propounded anly revealed Truth, and then not to fay it is an Article of Fait 1, becaufl: it is op; The Ant. polite to Realon , is a vain way of Argument and very 255333;" filiacious, becaufe what is contrar to Reafon is defiructive 0103:2133, it, and cannot be afcribed to Articles of Faith, which do not de/ 3:0"? fire or abolifh, but perfect and exalt the Law of Nature, as molt fuitable to it. And when we are prefented by Divine Revelation with {ome Truths of which we were formerly ignorant, we mul‘t fpeak our thanks and obedience to him for clearing up our Under, {landing by fome new revealed Principles. And though the rheSanE t .LAE'EVISIYCI‘ hath enacted no new moral Sanctions but $25," iuch as are conl~ ham to the Law of Nature and the end 0 f;f;§l3',‘;:' Atheiits, and wicked Perfims, as repugnant to their interei't, to be called to account, and to filflt‘l‘ Eternal torments for their our Creation, and hath taughtus many new Precepts, as ex, [13:ij N3- demerits ; But laying afide all prejudice, and truly confider; ing the nature of the Refurreétion, it doth not at all imply any biillied new Ordinances as Suppletorics of the defect ofthe Law of Nature, to elevate it to greater perfection, to render Man PllCL‘iiul') of the old ones of the Moral Law, and hath efiaa contradiction ; l confefs there is no natural Agent of fufficient capable of that great Happinefs, to which he was configned ability to produce fuch an Efleét, but the fupream caufe being of infinite power and perfection, havingr created Heaven and Earth and variety of Creatures in fuch great order out'of no; thing, is able by the fame power to raife Dufi and Afhes to Life, it being much leis to rel'tore fomewhat bereaved of its in his firil production. And to that end the Holy 'f' E S ‘U S hathinfiituted many holy Precepts, and tendered gracious Promifes in the Gofpel, as being to its former Preexiilence,and to add new degrees of perz iectron, thento createall things of nothing. out of 3. Wing of the Dove, to invite us by infallible and en» ‘ And indeed we need not wonder that the myfl‘eries of Re» ligion cannot be fathomed by our fhallow capacities, when the f0 many endearing infiances of his love C to carefs Man to his duty) which are wrote in fair Characters, by a (kill taken dearing Arguments to attain thofe Felicities and Glories which God defigned us before the foundation of the World. And the Eternal Law/giver, our Gracious Redeemer, hath $33 3:; fecrets of Nature, the Eflences of Forms do fear above our mofi elevated conceptions; and we, though bred in Schools, Taken ofi‘ many burdeniome and expenfeful Rites of the ea a}; 2:11:0- vitical Law, which were ordained to be temporar in their 1 C" are 110I Mailers of lo much Philofophy as to tell any Man's peculiar firftinftitution, as the Sacrificing of Beafis, and the lilze, which Were |
