A26796:418
The harmony of the divine attributes in the contrivance and accomplishment of man's redemption…
The harmony of the divine attributes in the contrivance and accomplishment of man's redemption by the Lord Jesus Christ, or, Discourses wherein is showed how the wisdom, mercy, justice, holiness, power, and truth of God are glorified in that great and blessed work / by William Bates.The harmony of the divine attributes in the contrivance and accomplishment of man's redemption by the Lord Jesus Christ, or, Discourses wherein is shewed how the wisdom, mercy, justice, holiness, power, and truth of God are glorified in that great and blessed work / by William Bates.
London: printed by J. Darby for Nathaniel Ranew and Jonathan Robinson and Brabazon Aylmer, 1674
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
3. The transcendent Love that God hath expressed in our Redemption by Christ, should kindle in us a reciprocal affection to him. For what is more natural than that one flame should produce another? We love him, because he loved us first. The original of our Love to God is from the evidence of his to us: this alone can strongly and sweetly draw the heart to him. 'Tis true, the divine excellencies as they deserve a superlative esteem, so the highest affection: but the bare contemplation of them is ineffectual to fire the Heart with a zealous Love to God. For Man in his Corrupt state hath a Diabolical Seed in him; he is inclined not only to Sensuality, which is an implicit hatred of God, (for an eager Appetite to those things which God forbids, and a fixed Aversation from what He commands, are the Natural effects of Hatred,) But to malignity and direct hatred against God.1 He is an enemy in his mind through ⟨p. 213⟩wicked Works: and this enmity ariseth from the consideration of Gods Justice, and the effects of it. Man cannot Sin and be happy, therefore he wishes there were no God to whom he must be accountable. He is no more wrought on by the Divine perfections and beauties to love the Deity, than a guilty person, who resolvedly goes on to break the Laws, can be persuaded to love the Judge, for his excellent knowledge, and his inflexible integrity, who will certainly condemn him. Besides, the great and abundant blessings, which God, as Creator, and Preserver, bestows upon all, cannot prevail upon guilty Creatures to love him. Indeed the goodness that raised us from a state of nothing, is unspeakably great, and lays an Eternal Obligation upon us. The whole stock of our affections is due to Him, for conferring upon us the humane Nature, that is common to Kings and the meanest Beggar. All the Riches and Dignity of the greatest Prince, whereby he exceeds the poorest Wretch, compared to this benefit which they both share in▪ have no more proportion than a Farthing to an immense Treasure. The Innumerable Expressions of God's Love to us every Day should infinitely endear Him to us. For who is so inhumane as not to love his Parents, or his Friend, who defended him from his deadly Enemies, or relieved him in his poverty, especially if the vein of his bounty be not dried up, but always diffuses it self in new favours?