What is man that thou dost magnify him, that thou settest thine heart upon him, that thou visitest him every morning? &c. Job. 7.17, 18. How much then doth God condescend to be his constant guide and guard, to keep him night and day least any hurt him? O the grace of this God! This incomparable God doth much more magnify his grace and condescension in the care he is pleased to take of mens precious souls: Herein he showeth the riches of his mercy, the exceeding abundant riches of his grace, Eph. 2.5. and 7. Reader, is it not condescending grace in the highest degree, nay beyond all degrees, for this self-sufficient, absolutely perfect, incomparable God, when the soul of man lay naked, starving, restless, encompassed with enemies, unpitied of all creatures, weltering in its blood, gasping for breath, ready every moment to ⟨p. 233⟩fetch its last, and to be seized on by Devils dragged to their Dungeon of darkness, there to fry in untollerable flames for ever; for him to look on man in this loathsome condition with an eye of favour and love, to clothe it with the righteousness of a God, to feed it with that flesh which is meat indeed, and with that blood which is drink indeed, to give it rest in his own bowels and bosom, to bind up its wounds, and raise it from the dead, and make it free from the slavery of Satan, and his bondage to sin, and death, and hell, and to adopt it for his own child, accept it as perfectly righteous, marry it to his only begotten, the heir of all things, dwell in it by his own blessed Spirit, and carry it on eagles wings, and conduct it safe through the wilderness of the world, and in spite of all the Lyons and wolves and serpents and adders and Giants and Anachims and Canaanites that opposed it, to bring it to an heavenly Canaan, to fullness of joy, and rivers of pleasures, and crowns of life, and weights of glory, there to reign in and with his own incomparable Majesty for ages, generations, millions of ages, yea unto all eternity? Friend, friend, what is condescending ⟨p. 234⟩grace, if this be not? Alas the incomparable God had no obligation to man, he stood in no way need of man, he is uncapable of the least good by man; he would have been as happy as he is at present, if the Race of mankind had been ruined and had perished: Besides, he was infinitely disobliged by man, and had all the reason in the world to destroy him;
What is man that thou dost magnifie him, that thou settest thine heart upon him, that thou visitest him every morning? &c. Job. 7.17, 18. How much then doth God condescend to be his constant guide and guard, to keep him night and day least any hurt him? O the grace of this God! This incomparable God doth much more magnifie his grace and condescention in the care he is pleas'd to take of mens precious souls: Herein he sheweth the riches of his mercy, the exceeding abundant riches of his grace, Eph. 2.5. and 7. Reader, is it not condescending grace in the highest degree, nay beyond all degrees, for this self-sufficient, absolutely perfect, incomparable God, when the soul of man lay naked, starving, restless, encompass'd with enemies, unpittied of all creatures, weltring in its blood, gasping for breath, ready every moment to ⟨p. 233⟩fetch its last, and to be siezed on by Divels drag'd to their Dungeon of darkness, there to fry in untollerable flames for ever; for him to look on man in this loathsom condition with an eye of favour and love, to cloath it with the righteousness of a God, to feed it with that flesh which is meat indeed, and with that blood which is drink indeed, to give it rest in his own bowels and bosome, to bind up its wounds, and raise it from the dead, and make it free from the slavery of Satan, and his bondage to sin, and death, and hell, and to adopt it for his own child, accept it as perfectly righteous, marry it to his onely begotten, the heir of all things, dwell in it by his own blessed Spirit, and carry it on eagles wings, and conduct it safe through the wilderness of the world, and in spight of all the Lyons and wolves and serpents and adders and Giants and Anachims and Canaanites that opposed it, to bring it to an heavenly Canaan, to fulness of joy, and rivers of pleasures, and crowns of life, and weights of glory, there to reign in and with his own incomparable Majesty for ages, generations, millions of ages, yea unto all eternity? Friend, friend, what is condescending ⟨p. 234⟩grace, if this be not? Alas the incomparable God had no obligation to man, he stood in no way need of man, he is uncapable of the least good by man; he would have been as happy as he is at present, if the Race of mankind had been ruin'd and had perished: Besides, he was infinitely disobliged by man, and had all the reason in the world to destroy him;
