A55305:319
The divine will considered in its eternal decrees, and holy execution of them. By…
The divine will considered in its eternal decrees, and holy execution of them. By Edward Polhill of Burwash in Sussex Esquire
London : printed, and are to be sold by Thomas Shelmerdine, at the sign of the Rose-Tree in Little-Britain, 1695
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 Standing of it in its Usefulness to us. Sin was the blast and forfeiture, but Christ is the Purchaser and heir of all things, Heb. 1. 2. and in and through him all are as it were new-given to us. We became such wretches by Sin, that the Earth would not have bore our persons, if Christ had not bore our iniquities? the Sun in the Firmament would not have lighted the material World, if the Sun of Righteousness had not appeared in the spiritual; these lower Heavens would not have spun out a day for us, if Christ had not purchased the upper ones of Glory; the Blood of Creatures should never ⟨p. 254⟩have been shed for the life of our Bodies, if the Blood of God had not been poured out for the Life of our Souls. Under the Law, before Harvest began the Passover was killed; at Harvest a Sheaf of the first-fruits was brought to the Priest to be offered to God; and after Harvest there was the Feast of Tabernacles to bless God for the Fruits of the Earth, which by the Jews was kept with Booths and Hosannas. Had not Christ our Passover been sacrificed for us, there would have been no Harvest of Creature-blessings at all; and now that there is one, the praise of every Sheaf must be brought to Christ the high-priest of good things, and in and through him offered up to God: therefore there is a spiritual feast of tabernacles under the Gospel, Zach. 14. 16. Whilst we sit under the Booths of the Creature, we must sing Hosannas to the Son of God, who tabernacled in our flesh, and in it merited all comforts for us. Every bough of Nature hangs upon his Cross, every crumb of Bread swims in his Blood, every Grape of blessing grows on his Crown of Thorns, and all the sweetness in Nature streams out of his Vinegar and Gall. A right-born Christian is the best Philosopher; for he sees the Sun of ⟨p. 255⟩Righteousness in the Luminaries of Heaven, the waterings of Christ's Blood in the fruits of the Earth, the Word incarnate in Creature-nourishment, and the Riches of Christ in all the Riches of Nature. All are ours, and we are Christ's, and Christ is God's.
3. The Standing of it in its Usefulness to us. Sin was the blast and forfeiture, but Christ is the Purchaser and heir of all things,