5 That if he had not done it, fallen man must of necessity have Perished for ever. There was no other way left for him to be Saved. There was not any other person to be found either in heaven or earth, that did or could appear for him. No other course could be taken to work out his deliverance. The Curse must have taken place, and swallowed him up with everlasting miseries, if the Son of God had not come and removed it from him by bearing of it in himself, Gal. 3.12. Acts 3.12. and now you that are the Children of God by Faith in his Son, say; are not these cords of love strong? and do they not bind us to Love, Serve, Praise and Honour ⟨p. 161⟩him all the days of our lives? out of doubt, there are no stronger Ties imaginable than what are made by this Covenant, to Holiness; the Apostle thus improves it, 1. Cor. 6.20. 2. Cor. 5.14.15. 1. Pet. 1.18. &c. That was a great design in this Covenant, that Christ might Purchase to himself a Peculiar People, that he might have a Generation to Serve him. It is therefore our work to study Holiness by all these incentives; and to that end, let us reflect upon all the Good that ariseth from this Covenant, and deriveth by it unto us, and acknowledge all our comforts and hopes to it. Remember that if this Covenant had not been made, The Precious Gospel had never been Preached to us; the Sacraments of it had never been administered; the Good News of God reconciling the world to himself had never been talked of in the world. All the fruits that you taste in the Love of God, all the hopes you have of escaping Hells Miseries, and being entertained in heavens felicities, acknowledge the original of them to this Covenant: and let the consideration of this put a Glorious Lustre upon them. Consider and think, they are not mercies which come by casualty or peradventure; ⟨p. 162⟩they are not occasional favours, but benefits which were provided for you before the world had its beginning, and then made as sure for you, as the Covenant of a God could make them. What then remains but that we enquire solemnly, what shall we Render to the Lord for all these his benefits to us? Let such speculations as these, raise us up to the highest ardours of the Divine Love, and engage us in the most fervent and sedulous endeavours to live all the rest of our time to the Glory of His Great Name.
5 That if he had not done it, fallen man must of necessity have Perished for ever. There was no other way left for him to be Saved. There was not any other person to be found either in heaven or earth, that did or could appear for him. No other course could be taken to work out his deliverance. The Curse must have taken place, and swallowed him up with everlasting miseries, if the Son of God had not come and removed it from him by bearing of it in himself, Gal. 3.12. Acts 3.12. and now you that are the Children of God by Faith in his Son, say; are not these cords of love strong? and do they not bind us to Love, Serve, Praise and Honour ⟨p. 161⟩him all the days of our lives? out of doubt, there are no stronger Ties imaginable than what are made by this Covenant, to Holiness; the Apostle thus improves it, 1. Cor. 6.20. 2. Cor. 5.14.15. 1. Pet. 1.18. &c. That was a great design in this Covenant, that Christ might Purchase to himself a Peculiar People, that he might have a Generation to Serve him. It is therefore our work to study Holiness by all these incentives; and to that end, let us reflect upon all the Good that ariseth from this Covenant, and deriveth by it unto us, and acknowledge all our comforts and hopes to it. Remember that if this Covenant had not been made, The Precious Gospel had never been Preached to us; the Sacraments of it had never been administred; the Good News of God reconcil•ng the world to himself had never been talked of in the world. All the fruits that you taste in the Love of God, all the hopes you have of escaping Hells Miseries, and being entertained in heavens felicities, acknowledge the original of them to this Covenant: and let the consideration of this put a Glorious Lustre upon them. Consider and think, they are not mercies which come by casualty or peradventure; ⟨p. 162⟩they are not occasional favours, but benefits which were provided for you before the world had its beginning, and then made as sure for you, as the Covenant of a God could make them. What then remains but that we enquire solemnly, what shall we Render to the Lord for all these his benefits to us? Let such speculations as these, raise us up to the highest ardours of the Divine Love, and engage us in the most fervent and sedulous endeavours to live all the rest of our time to the Glory of His Great Name.
