A26796:421
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.
Suppose an Angel by special delegation had been enabled to have trod Satan under our feet, our obligations to him had been inexpressible, and our love might have been intercepted from ascending to our Creator. For Salvation is a greater benefit, than the mere giving to us our natural being. As the privation of felicity with the actual misery that is joined with it, is infinitely worse than the negation of being. Our Lord pronounced concerning Judas; 1It had been good for that Man that he had never been born. Redeeming Goodness exceeds creating. Now the Son of God that he might have our highest Love, alone wrought Salvation for us.
Suppose an Angel by special delegation had been enabled to have trod Satan under our feet, our obligations to him had been inexpressible, and our love might have been intercepted from ascending to our Creator. For Salvation is a greater benefit, than the meer giving to us our natural being. As the privation of felicity with the actual misery that is joyned with it, is infinitely worse than the negation of being. Our Lord pronounced concerning Judas; 1It had been good for that Man that he had never been born. Redeeming Goodness exceeds creating. Now the Son of God that he might have our highest Love, alone wrought Salvation for us.
And what admirable Goodness is it, that he puts a value upon our affection, and accepts such a small return! our most intense and ardent love bears no more proportion to his, than a spark to the Element of Fire. Besides, His Love to us was pure, and ⟨p. 216⟩without any benefit to himself; but ours to him is profitable to our Souls, for their eternal advantage. Yet with this He is fully satisfied; when we love Him in the quality of a Saviour, we give Him the Glory of that he designs most to be Glorified in, that is, of his Mercy to the miserable. For this reason he instituted the Sacrament of the Supper, the contrivance of his Love, to refresh the memory of his Death, and quicken our fainting love to him. Now the Love that our Saviour requires must be.