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368 Chrift's Obedience a proper Ground of God's Grace. CH. VIII. fovereign disposer of all things may communicate his bleffings by what means, and in any way, he thinks fit. But whatever he effects by the interpofition of means, and a train of intermediate caufes, he could i produce by his own immediate power. He wants not clouds to diftil rain, nor rain, nor human induitry to make the earth fruitful, nor the fruitfulness of the earth to fupply food, nor food to fuftain our life. He could do this by his own immediate power: but he choofes to manifeft his providence, power, wifdom and goodness in a variety of inftances and difpofitions, and yet his power and goodnefs are not only as much concerned and exercifed in this way, as if he produced the end without the intervention of means, but even much more. Because his power, wifdom and goodness are as much exerted and illuftrated in every single intermediate step, as if he had done the thing at once, without any intermediate step at all. There is as much power and wisdom exercifed in producing rain, or in making the earth fruitful, or in adapting food to the nourishment of our bodies; I fay, there is as much power and wifdom exercised in any one of these steps, as there would be in nourishing our bodies by one immediate act, without those intermediate means. Therefore, in this method of procedure, the difplays of the divine providence and perfections are multiplied, and beautifully diversified, to arrest our attention, exercife our contemplation, and excite our admiration and thankfulness: for thus we fee God in a furprizing variety of instances. Nor, indeed, can we turn our eyes to any part of the visible creation, but we.fee his power, wisdom and goodness in perpetual exercise, every where. In like manner, in the moral world, he chooses to work by means, the mediation of his Son, the influences of his Spirit, the teachings of his Word, the endeavours of apoftles and minifters; not to fupply any defects of his power, wifdom, or goodness, but to multiply the inftances of them; to fhew himfelf to us in a various difplay of his glo rious difpenfations, to exercife the moral powers and virtues of all the fubordinate agents employed in carrying on his great defigns, and to fet before our thoughts the moft engaging fubjects of meditation, and the most powerful motives of action. And this method in the moral world is ftill more neceflary; because, without the attention of our minds, the end propofed, our fanclification, cannot be attained.

151. But if the agency, or miniftry, of Chrift, in executing the gra cious purposes of God's goodnefs, be a right appointment, how comes his love and obedience to be a juft foundation of divine grace (*); or a proper

expedient

(*) When I fay, Chrift's love and obedience is a juft foundation of the divine grace, I know not how to explain myself better than by the following inftance. There have been mafters willing, now and then, to grant a relaxation from study, or even to remit deferved punishment, in cafe any one boy, in behalf of the whole fchool, or of the offender, would compofe and prefent a diftich or copy of Latin verfes. This at once fliewed the master's love and lenity, and was a very proper expedient for promoting learning and benevolence in the fociety of little men training up for future ufefulness, and, under due regulations, very becoming a good and wife Tator. And

one

expedient to communicate it to us? Anfw. The Love and Obedience of Chrift will appear a very juft Foundation of the Divine Grace, and the most proper Expedient to communicate it, and our Redemption by Chrift will stand in a juft, clear and beautiful Light, if we duly confider; that Truth, Virtue, Righteoufnefs, being useful and doing good, or, which is the fame Thing, Obedience to God, is the chief Perfection of the intellectual Nature. Intelligent Beings are of all others the moft excellent; and the right Ufe of the Power of Intelligence is the very highest Glory and Excellence of intelligent Beings. Confequently, Righteoufnefs, Goodness and Obedience must be of the highest Esteem and Value with the Father of the Univerfe, a moft pure and perfect Spirit; the only Power, if I may fo fay, that can prevail with him, and the only acceptable Price, for purchafing [95] any Favours, or Bleffings at his Hands. And it must be the moft fublime and perfect Difplay of his Wifdom and Goodness to devife Methods, and erect Schemes for promoting Righteousness, Virtue, Goodnefs and Obedience; because this is the most effectual Way of promoting the truest Excellency, Honour and Happiness of his rational Creatures. For which Reason, he cannot, poffibly, in any other Way exercise his Perfections among the Works of his Hands more nobly and worthily.

V. 2.

152. God graciously intended the future State of the Church fhould be revealed, for the Benefit and Comfort of his People in fucceeding Ages: But then, fome fuperior Worth must be honoured with this Favour; and an heavenly Herald is ordered to proclaim to the whole rational Creation, "Who is worthy?" Who can produce an Eminence of Character, which God fhall esteem proportionable to the Favour? Rev. But none could answer the Challenge, but the Son of God. He had Merit fufficient; "he prevailed," Ver. 5, or excelled fo far in real Worth, as to deferve the Benefit. Which moral Eminence is reprefented by the Emblem of "a Lamb as it had been flain," Ver. 6; denoting his perfect Innocence and Purity, his Goodness and Benevolence, Meeknefs and Humility, his Submiffion and Obedience to God, and his steadfast Adherence to Truth and Duty under all Trials, and even in the very Terrors of Death. This is the Worthinefs by which he prevailed to open the Book. And the fame Worthiness, in the fame Manner, is declared to be the Foundation of our Redemption, Ver. 9 ; "Thou art worthy to take and open the Book; for [thy Worthiness is equal to a much greater Effect] thou waft flain, and haft redeemed us to God by thy Blood."

153. And that the Removal of Evils, or the Donation of Benefits in Favour of fome, fhould have refpect to fome fignal Inftance of Righteousness and Obedience performed by another, must be acknowledged a very just and proper Method of promoting the moral Good. For, that Happiness fhould be confequent to Righteoufnefs, Goodness, and Obedience, is perfectly confonant with the Nature of Things. That all Beings, without Exception, fhould practise Righteousness is alfo

true;

one may fay, that the kind Verfe-maker purchased the Favour in both Cafes; or that his Learning. Ingenuity, Industry, Goodness, and Compliance with the Governour's Will and Fleafure, was a juft Ground, or Foundation of the Pardon and Refreshment, or a proper Reafon of granting them.

VOL. II.

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Obedience of One the Reason of Blessing Many.

CH. VIII.

And that

true; because this is the chief Perfection of their Nature.
the Righteousness of fome fhould redound to the Good of others, is a fit
and proper. Conftitution, fo far as the Quantity of Virtue or Righte-
oufnefs may thereby be probably increafed. [For an unactive, un-
obedient Reliance upon the Merit of another is abfurd: Or, it is not
true or right, that I fhould be finally benefited by the Righteousness
of another, while I live wickedly myfelf.] And the Quantity of Vir-
tue may probably be increased several Ways. 1. As this Method will
excite the Wife and Benevolent to Acts of Righteousness and Obedi-
ence, by the Prospect of being useful, and procuring Good to others.
2. Hereby illuftrious Examples will be propofed for Imitation. 3.
Which will be ftrongly inforced and recommended by the Benefits and
Bleffings, which are thereby derived to us.

154. Agreeably to this Scheme, Abraham is propofed as a bright Example of Obedience and Reward; and his Obedience is given as the Reason of conferring Bleffings upon his Pofterity, and particularly of having the Meffiah, the Redeemer and greatest Bleffing of Mankind, defcend from him; Gen. xxii. 16, 17, 18, "By myself have I fworn, faith the Lord, for because thou haft done this Thing, and haft not withheld thy Son, thine only Son: That in Bleffing I will bless thee, and in Multiplying I will multiply thy Seed as the Stars of Heaven, and as the Sand which is upon the Sea-fhore; and thy Seed fhall poffefs the Gate of his Enemies; and in thy Seed fhall all the Nations of the Earth be blefied: Because thou haft obeyed my Voice. Gen. xxvi. 2-5," The Lord faid unto Ifaac,—I will be with thee and bless thee: And in thy Seed shall all the Nations of the Earth be blefied: Because that Abraham obeyed my Voice, and kept my Charge, my Commandments, my Statutes and my Laws." Gen. xviii. 26-32, Had but ten righteous Perfons been found in Sodom, God, upon Abraham's Interceffion, would have spared the City for the Sake of thofe Ten; probably as they might have proved the Seed and Means of Reformation. Mofes alfo, by his Interceffion (in which he performed an Act of Virtue; namely, Faith in the Goodnefs of God, and Kindness and Compaffion for the Ifraelites) made Atonement for their Sin, in the Affair of the golden Calf, and prevented their Destruction, Exod. xxxii. 30, 31, 32. See alfo Num. xiv. 20. Phineas likewife, by being zealous for his God, and executing an A& of Juftice upon two notorious Criminals, "turned away the Wrath of God from the Children of Ifrael; made Atonement for them," and gained the honourable Entail of the Priesthood on his Pofterity, Num. xxv. 11, 17, 13. Deut. iv. 37, "And because he loved thy Fathers," for their Piety and Virtue, "therefore he chofe their Seed after them, and brought thee outwith his mighty Power out of Egypt," &c. 1 Sam. vii. 8, 9, 10. Job xlii. 7, 8, "The Lord faid to Eliphaz, My Wrath is kindled against thee and thy two Friends;-Therefore go to my Servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a Burnt-offering, and my Servant Job fhall pray for you; for him will I accept: Left I deal with you after your Folly," &c. Pfal. cv. 41, 42, 43," He opened the Rock, and the Waters gufhed out, they ran in dry Places like a River. For he remembred his holy Promife, and Abraham his Servant. And he brought forth his People with Joy, and his Chofen with Gladness." Jer. xv. 1, Then faid the Lord unto me, Though Mofes and Samuel ftood before me, yet my Mind could not

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CH. VIII. We ought to imitate thofe Acts whereby Chrift has Redeemed us. 371

be towards this People." Ezek. xiv. 13-21, " Son of Man, when the Land finneth against me by trefpaffing grievoufly,

though these three Men, Noah, Daniel and Job were in it, they fhould deliver neither Sons nor Daughters, they should deliver only their own Souls by their Righteousness." That Virtue, Righteousness, Goodness and Obedience fhould be the Price of Happiness, and procure Bleffings to ourselves and others, is a very just and noble Conftitution; and may not only be feen in fuch Examples as I have just now mentioned; but, I make no doubt, takes place throughout the whole rational Universe. Chrift, indeed, is a Perfon of the highest Eminence; and the Effects of his Righteousness are proportionable to his perfonal Worth and Excellency; and amazingly extensive: But I reckon the Rule, Scheme, and Reason of his Work, and its Effects, is general, and reaches to all rational Beings. For it is confonant to all Reason, that a diligent, humble, and kind Subferviency to the well being of others, fhould be honoured with Favours from the Fountain of all Good. It is perfectly fit, that illuftrious Virtue and Righteousness should be crowned with an extenfive Influence; and that the good Effects thereof fhould reach to many, and be the Occafion and Means of their Happiness. And in our World here we find, in Fact, that it is by Virtue, Self-denial, Integrity, Love and Kindnefs, ftudying and labouring to do Good, that we are any of us ufeful, and a Bleffing to ourselves and others. We ourselves blefs the Good and Benevolent; and by fo doing, judge it is fit and right God should bless them, and make them Bleffings. Gen. xii. 2.

155. Nor is this Comparison leffening of the Dignity of our Lord, or any Difparagement of his glorious Work. For it is no Difparagement to the High-priest of our Profeffion, that we also are "a royal Priefthood;" that we are "Priefts to God." It is no ways derogatory even to the most perfect Excellence of the Divine Nature, that Wifdom, Goodnefs, Juftice and Holinefs are in Men the fame in Kind, though not in Degree, as they are in God. Or, fhould I account for our Lord's univerfal Dominion, and his being constituted Judge of the whole World at the laft Day, by alledging; that, although all Authority and Judgment belong to God, yet it is the general Method of his Wifdom, to employ Delegates in the Exercife of his Authority. For we fee in our World, he doth not immediately judge, and punish the Criminals who make themselves obnoxious to the Cenfures of the Society, but has every where appointed Kings and Governours, Magiftrates, fuperior and fubordinate, to adminifter and execute Judgment among Mankind in Affairs relating to Society. What Wonder then, if he has appointed his well-beloved Son, a Being of fo tranfcendent Excellence, to be the Judge of all, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. This Way of arguing would not leffen our Lord's Authority, but would very justly account for it. Even fo it is no Difparagement to the Dignity of our bleffed Lord, or to the glorious Work of Redemption, that among Men are found Actions fimilar to his, both in Nature and Effect.

156. But that which puts the Matter out of Difpute, is our being required, not only to imitate our Lord in other Inftances of his Love and Obedience, but in thofe very Acts whereby he has ranfomed, or

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redeemed us. Mat. xx. 26, 27, 28, "Whofoever will be great among you," my Difciples, "let him be your Minifter. And whofoever will be chief among you, let him be your Servant;" let him deserve his Honour by Usefulness, by affifting and doing Good to all. "Even as the Son of Man came not to be miniftred unto, but to minister, and to give his Life a Ransom for many." Our Lord came to serve and affift, to be ufeful, and do Good to all, with all Humility, Meekness and Gentleness; and even humbled himself, and condefcended fo far, for promoting the Happiness of Mankind, as to lay down his Life to redeem them from Sin and Mifery. And he is moft honourable and eminent in Chrift's Kingdom, who comes nearest to his Example. John xv. 12, 13,————“ Love one another as I have loved you. Greater Love hath no Man than this, that he lay down his Life for his Friends." 2 Cor. viii. 7, 9, " Abound in this Grace," this Act of Kindness to your diftreffed Brethren;" for ye know the Grace," the great Love and Goodnefs, " of our Lord Jefus Chrift, that though he was Rich, yet for your Sakes he became Poor," &c. Eph. v. 2, "Walk in Love, as Chrift alfo has loved us, and given himself for us an Offering, and Sacrifice to God." All this is ftill more clearly and ftrongly expreffed. 1 John iii. 16, " Hereby perceive we the Love of God, because he (that is, Jefus Chrift) laid down his Life (g nu) for us: And we ought to lay down our Lives (vTtg Twv adiλ@wr) for the Brethren," to promote their Happiness. It is, therefore, fo far from diminishing the Dignity of our Lord, or the Glory of his Work, to produce fimilar Inftances among us; that it is made our Duty, by an infpired Apostle, to copy after his Example, even in his Dying for us. Indeed there is no Comparison between the Value and Importance of Chrift's Work, and any we can perform. Yet ours, in a much lower Degree, may produce fimilar Effects; and will not fail of being attended with a proportionable Measure of the Divine Bleffing.

157. But here I must put in a Caveat; namely, that it cannot belong to us to fet a Value upon the Obedience and Goodness of fuppofed Saints, and then determine how much it shall redound to the Benefit of ourselves, or others. By no Means. In fo doing corrupt Chriftians have taken a very prefumptuous, and unwarrantable Liberty. For this is manifeftly to invade the Divine Prerogative, and to take out of his Hands a Work, which, in the Nature of Things, is peculiar to himself alone; and can belong to none, but to the Judge of all the Earth, who only knows the Hearts of all Men, and who alone can truly adjuft Rewards and Punishments. He alone can fettle the Value of any Virtue or Righteoufnefs; and he alone muft appoint and beftow the Benefits proper to honour it with: Nor has he given any Man either Capacity or Authority to rate, or estimate the Goodness of other Beings, whether Men or Angels, and then to affign the Benefits proper to be bestowed on others on Account thereof: Nor is our Faith and Dependence in Revelation directed to any other Worthiness (befides the Goodness of God) but that of our bleffed Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift.

158. And as the Juftnefs and Truth of Redemption clearly appears in this Light; fo the Propriety of it is no less evident. Had our Redemption been of a Civil Kind, it might have been effected only by

Power

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