THE HISTORY OF Sin and Heresy ATTEMPTED, From the First War that they Raised in Heaven: Through their various Successes and Progress upon Earth: To the final Victory over them, and their Eternal Condemnation in Hell.  
IN SOME MEDITATIONS Upon the Feast of St. MICHAEL and all ANGELS.  
LONDON: Printed for H. Hindmarsh, at the Golden-Ball over against the Royal-Exchange, in Cornhill. 1698.   

THE PREFACE.  
IT may be Expected that I should make an Apology for Attempting a Subject so seemingly Abstruse, and out of the Common Road: But Excuses signify nothing, the Performance must Answer for itself, Readers are not to be Bribed by Petitionary Writers; and I must leave it, whether I will or not, to their Impartial Judgement, whether I have walked Safely and Modestly in so Untrod a Path; or have Improved any thing Useful and Christian from it.  
The Gravity and Seriousness with which this Subject aught to be treated, has not been Regarded in the Adventurous Flight of Poets, who have Dressed Angels in Armour, and put Swords and Guns into their Hands, to Form Romantic Battles in the Plains of Heaven, a Scene of Licentious Fancy; but the Truth has been Greatly Hurt thereby, and Degraded at last, even into a Play, which was Designed to have been Acted upon the Stage: And tho' once Happily Prevented, yet has Passed the Press, and become the Entertainment of Profane Raillery.  
This was one Reason why I have Endeavoured to give a more Serious Representation of that War in Heaven, and I hope I may say much better Founded than Milton's Groundless Supposition, who, in the 5th. Book of his Paradise Lost makes the Cause of the Revolt of Lucifer and his Angels to have been, that God, upon a certain Day in Heaven, before the Creation of this Lower World, did Summon All the Angels to Attend, and then Declared His Son to be their Lord and King; and Applies to that Day the 7th. verse of the Second Psalm, Thou art my Son, this Day have I Begotten Thee. The Folly of this Contrivance appears many ways. To make the Angels Ignorant of the B. Trinity; And to take it ill to Acknowledge Him for their King, whom they had always Adored as their God; or as if the Son had not been their King, or had not been Begotten till that Day. This Scheme of the Angel's Revolt cannot Answer either to the Eternal Generation of the Son, which was before the Angels had a Being, or to His Temporal Generation of the B. Virgin, that being long after the Fall of the Angels.  
But if Mr. Milton had made the Cause of their Discontent to have been the Incarnation of Christ, then, at that time, Revealed to the Angels; And their Contesting, in such Manner as hereafter told, for the Dignity of the Angelical above that of the Humane Nature, his Contexture had been Nearer to the Truth, and might have been much more Poetical; in the severe and just measure of Poetry, which ought not to Exceed the Bounds of Probability, not to Expatiat into Effeminate Romance, but to Express Truth in an Exalted and Manly Improvement of Thought.  
Milton, in the first Book of his Paradise Lost, makes Lucifer suppose himself to be Self-Existing, and so without Beginning; Which seems Incongruous to the Knowledge of an Angel; tho' he has Deluded some foolish Men, into that Blasphemous and vain opinion, as hereafter shown. p. 35. And Philosophers of Great Name have held the Eternity of the World, because they were Ignorant of its Beginning; so that there are more Footsteps to warrant this Conjecture of Milton's than the former which I have Mentioned  
In the Repetition of the several Heresies which Satan has Broached in the World, against the Truth of the Incarnation of Christ, I have but slightly named those of Former and Early Ages, but Insisted a little more particularly upon those of our own Times, because we are more Nearly Concerned in them.  
And I have now Added them to the rest of these Sheets, which have lain by me these several years, without any Intention of Making them Public: But now at last I have Adventured to let them run their Fate, if perhaps they may Provoke more sufficient Pens to Correct, or Improve these Thoughts, to the Advantage of Religion, and Benefit to the Souls of Men.  
I have taken a Text, that I might keep closer to my Subject; for it is no Objection against an Essay, if the Discourse be as Regular as that of a Sermon.   

THE CONTENTS.  

I. THe Benefit of Contemplating the Fall of the Angels. Page 1  
II. This Text is likewise Applicable to the Conflicts of the Church upon Earth.  
III. Pride the first Sin of the Devil. p. 2  
IU. Which Aspires, by Consequence, to an Equality with God.  
V The Incarnation of Christ shown to be the Ground of this Contest in Heaven. p. 3  
VI The Battle of the Good and Evil Angels Concerning it, proceeding upon the Principles of Love and Pride. p. 7  
VII. God's Determination of the Cause. p. 14  
VIII. The same War carried on by the Devil upon Earth.  
IX. Why Lucifer and his Angels did not submit to the Determination of God. p. 15  
X. The many Heresies broached by the Devil against the Truth of the Incarnation of Christ. p. 17  
XI. And of His Satisfaction. p. 20 

Wherein these Objections are Considered,  
1. That the Sufferings of Christ ought to have been Eternal. p. 28  
2. That Christ ought to have had Despair. p. 29  
3. That He took the Pollution as well as the Curse of our Sin, as the Antinomians hold. p. 32  
4. The Quakers and Bourignonists oppose the Satisfaction of Christ. p. 33  
5. Pride the Mother of these and All Heresies. p. 35    
XII. The Dispute concerning Grace. p. 37  
XIII. Of Faith and Works. p. 38 

Wherein  
1. Of Imputation. p. 41  
2. Of Election and Reprobation. p. 44  
3. Of Foreknowledge and . p. 46    
XIV. The various Successes of this War upon Earth, before Christ came. p. 51  
XV. The Grand Conflict betwixt Christ and the Devil. p. 53  
XVI. Application of the Whole. p. 57    

ERRATA.  
PAge 14. line 3. deal the first of. p. 15. l. 25. deal one and. p. 20. l. 1. r. strike. p. 32. penult. r. out of. p. 37. l. 32. r. than. p. 43. l. 31. for their r. there. p. 45. on the Margin r. 1 Sam. vi. 19 l. 8. r. Decrees. p. 54. l. 35. r. Disciples. l. 36. for as r. all. p. 55. l. 2. for a r. as. p. 56. l 14. r. was not. l. 35 for Dictates r. Oeconomie.   

MICHAEL MAS-DAY.  Rev. XII. 7. There was War in Heaven. 
THE Subject of this Day is a Great Mystery: But Mysteries are to be Enquired into. Why else were they Revealed?  
But our Inquiries must be with Reverence and profound Humility. Why else are they Mysteries?  
Our Contemplation upon the Fall of the Angels may be of Excellent use to Us: It will lay our Sin more lively before our eyes: because the Angels Sinned first; and Tempted Us to follow their Example; and therefore it is to be supposed that our Sin is like theirs, of the same Nature, tho' differing in Circumstances and Qualities, as a River altars from its Fountain.  
I will not deny but this History of the Fall of the Angels may be applied by the Apostle to Illustrate the Conflicts and final Victory of the Church upon Earth, against the Malice of Men and Hell; and may very fitly be understood so in this same Chapter.  
But this does in no ways derogate from the Truth of the Fall of the Angels and of their War in Heaven; No, but by supposing it, and applying it to the Church, does more strongly Confirm the Truth of it. Or rather indeed does but continue the Story; for the War that is now upon Earth 'twixt the Devil and the Church, is but the continuance of the same Quarrel which he fought in Heaven against St. Michael and his Angels.  
But the Collect for this Day applies the Consideration of the Epistle and Gospel, and proper Lessons to the Angels of Heaven, to which they primarily belong. And there being many days, indeed all the other Holy days of the Year, wherein we remember the Conflict of the Church against the Devil, let Us employ this one Day as set apart to consider the first and great Battle, that Lucifer fought in Heaven, according to such light as the Scriptures give of it, particularly those chosen for this Day, Especially from these words of my Text. There was War in Heaven.  
The Sin of the Devil is generally agreed to be, Pride. And that from good Authority of Scripture. Is. xiv. 12. How art thou fallen from Heaven, O Lucifer Son of the Morning? for thou hast said in thine heart; I will exalt my throne above the Stars of God: I will be like the Most High. Again, Ezek. xxviii. 14. Thou art the anointed Cherub, and I have set thee so, thou wast upon the holy Mountain of God. Thine heart was lifted up because of thy Beauty, thou hast Corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy Brightness.  
Tho' this by the Prophet was applied to Men, yet it was by allusion to the Pride of the Devil;  
Thus far in the General that it was Pride.  
And it's commonly said to be an Aspiring to be Equal with God. But that cannot be directly (for we cannot suppose such Absurdity in an Angel) but by Consequence if you please, and from Consideration of the Nature of Pride, which sets no bounds to its Ambition; for he that desires to be High, would he not be Higher, and Highest? which is, in consequence, to be God.  
But now as to the Particular Instance of his Pride, the Occasion, the Contest, and the Issue of this first Discontent of the Devil which raised a War in Heaven, let us with Humility inquire, bounding our thoughts within the Rule of God's word, to infer no Doctrine contrary to any express Command in Scripture; let Us make a Resignation of whatever we earn in this Harvest, by Dedicating the whole to Glorify and Exalt the Doctrine of Christ, and vindicate His Virtue from its sorest Enemies.  
We know the Incarnation of Christ was Revealed to Man (Gen. 3.15.) Four Thousand Years before it came to pass. And we are not to suppose that so Glorious a Mystery was concealed from the Angels. We are told, 1. Tim. 3.16. that it was declared unto the Angels. And, Tit. 1.2. That it was promised Before the World began, which could not be to Man. And, 1. Pet. 1.12. That the Angels desire to look into it. And the like might be inferred from many places of Scripture; Particularly from the Verses immediately before my Text, where the Apostle in a Vision seeing this War in Heaven as it were present before his Eyes, plainly tells the Cause of it to be the Incarnation of Christ, and the Malice that the Devil thence conceived against Christ and against his Church. The Dragon stood before the Woman, to Devour her Child when she had brought it forth: So she brought forth a Man Child, who should Rule all Nations: And her Son was taken up unto God, and to his Throne. As you have it in the 4th and 5th ver. and thereupon ver. 7th he tells you, there was a Battle in Heaven 'twixt Michael and the Dragon, and their Angels on both sides.  
You will observe that in this, as in other Prophecies and Visions, things long past and to come are Represented as present; and therefore in this Chapter the first Ground of Difference among the Angels, the War which thereupon Ensued in Heaven, and which is still carried on to this day upon Earth, and the final Issue thereof at the Consummation of the World, are all told in one breath, as all present together, as in a Picture, for such they were represented to St. John, who in his Vision saw all at one view; and thence he speaks of the first Revelation God gave of the Incarnation to Angels or to Man, and of the fulfilling thereof in the fullness of time, he speaks here of them without distinction, as of the self same thing.  
But we who must frame our knowledge by steps, let Us begin with the first Revelation, and thence Inquire into this War in Heaven, and so descend by degrees till we see Christ actually Incarnate as had been Revealed. Thus than we proceed. When the Incarnation was first Revealed, We reasonably suppose, That the Good Angels looked upon this Infinite Condescension of God, as an Act of the greatest Glory in God, and in Raptures of Love, Adored the Divine Goodness.  
But the other Angels, who had their Eyes full of their own Glory, thought such Condescension Unworthy of God, and therefore were loath to believe it, at least in that sense they could not understand it (being blinded with Pride) it was not agreeable to that Notion of God, which they had, which consisted chief in Power and Greatness, as they belong to Haughtiness, they understood not the Nature of Love, which only is Almighty, and Conquers in its Condescending: And therefore they Argued against it, as St. Peter against Christ's Passion, Mat. xuj. 22. he could not believe Christ meant it in earnest; But perhaps, to try the Zeal of his Disciples, to see how much they would be concerned against it, and show themselves not indifferent that their God should Die and be Crucified like a Thief: therefore Peter would be the first to show his love to his Master; and to show it more zealously he took upon him to Rebuke Christ, for but speaking of such a Thing, as if he had heard Blasphemy; it was not so much as to be Named or Imagined: be it far from thee, Lord, this shall not be unto thee. So little did Peter then understand the true Nature and Greatness of Love! And to show that this was the Error of Lucifer, our Saviour there rebukes Peter in his Name, Get the behind me Satan, thou art an offence unto me. as if he had been speaking to the Devil himself, who first had a wrong Notion of Love, and Instilled the same Principle into Men. And this I show you for the first Sin of Lucifer and his Angels, that it consisted in a wrong Notion of God (which is the Great and Mother Heresy) considering of him falsely in his attributes of Power and Sovereignity; And therefore they could not believe the Incarnation could be meant literally by God, as being unworthy his Greatness, and so vast a Diminution of His Majesty to Empty Himself into the Basest of the Order of Spirits, and Mingle Infinite with Flesh and Blood! and therefore Argued against it; not knowing that true Power and Sovereignity are in the Conquests of Love, which delights to Condescend itself, and Advance others: But the desire to overpower others by force and violence, and Debase them under our Power, is so far from Almightiness, that it is an Impotent Vice, which arises from Fear and want of Strength in our minds; and the more we grow Powerful, in that sense, the more we fall from that which is true Power, that is, to Help or Advance others, which we may perceive from this Experience. Those who overcome by Love, Advance those they overcome into their Love: But who overcome by Force, Subjugat those they overcome; therefore the Conquest of Love is giving a greater Freedom, and that must be by losing us from some former Thraldom, and that is truly Power and Greatness; and therefore the Conquest of Force, is taking from us some Freedom we had before, but cannot be the giving of any Freedom, (for then it would not be Force) and therefore cannot help or free from Thraldom, and is therefore Impotence, and shares nothing of Greatness.  
But to Subdue one may give Freedom to another: Is it not Noble to Rescue a Friend from his Enemy? It is. But in so far as it gives Help or Freedom it proceeds from Love. (And from this very pretence it may be argued that the Glories of Pride are but an Imitation of the Power of Love) But it is more noble to overcome an Enemy by Love, then by Force; for by Force, you only Rescue your Friend, but by Love you Convert his Enemy, and so Rescue him too. Love has for its object only the giving Freedom to my Friend, to commit Force upon his Enemy is no part of its Design, for it would rather Convert that Enemy and so make a Friend of him too; and when it does Force an Enemy, it does it unwillingly, and thinks it no greater Bravery then to remove a Stone out of the way I am to go, or to tread through a dirty Step. And this Mire is all that Pride delights in: it delights in Mischief, to do others Hurt, and throw them down, and thinks that in that consists its own Exaltation: a Glory to which the Plague has a better Title than a Hero, for the Plague Destroys more; from which office the Devil, the King of the Children of Pride, takes his Title of Apollyon a Destroyer; but God delights to be known by the name of Jesus a Saviour. And if you think that a wild Beast has not more right to this Honour, than any Man of Arms, the best proof will be to see them Grapple together, and then you will easily judge of their Strength and Courage: If Wrath were a more noble Quality than Love, Christ would not have chose the Lamb and the Dove for his Emblem, and left the Dragon and the Serpent for the Arms of the Devil. To Destroy is the Courage of a Beast. I will deliver thee into the hand of Brutish Men, Skilful to Destroy. Says Ezek: xxi. 31.  
Whereas the Exaltation and Force of Love is in Humbling its self to do others Good, and the Higher it Raises others, the Greater is its Delight and Glory; nor does it fear to Raise others too High, too near itsself (which is the suspicion of Pride) because its Delight does Increase by doing Good to others; and therefore the Higher others Rise, its Delight is the Greater; and when it brings others to be even one with its self, than its Joy is in Perfection.  
From what we have Considered of the Nature of Love and Pride, this then is the Result. To be Conquered by Love is to be Exalted, but to be conquered by Pride, is to be Debased, for, Love Humbles itself, to Advance others. Pride Humbles others, to Advance itself. And which of these two is the most Noble, is the state of the Case, the Subject of our present Contemplation, in the two greatest Instances of either that ever was, or can possibly be in Heaven or on Earth.  
Of the one, in the Incarnation of Christ.  
Of the other, in the Revolt of the Angels.  
We have now gained the ground of Quarrel, which engaged the Angels of Heaven in a War.  
Next, let us bring their mighty Armies into the Field, and Examine the Conduct of their Chiefs, by discussing their Arguments on both sides, each in defence of their Principles: For differing Thoughts is the Contest of Spirits.  
And may we not be allowed thus to Inquire? For we shall be their Judges. Know ye not that we shall Judge Angels? says the Apostle, 1. Cor. vi. 3.  
The Good Angels, as we have heard, did believe the Incarnation when it was Revealed to them, as being agreeable to the Notion of God, which they had, which was all Love, and wherein they understood the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory of God to consist; And therefore they did willingly submit to adore the Humanity; joined in one Person with the Godhead. Submit! did I say: they Gloried in it with all their Powers, it was their most Natural Service, for it was a more Noble Demonstration of the Nature of Love than ever they had known before, which, being a clearer Revelation of the Divinity, was proportionably an Increase of Happiness to them, as being more nearly Reconciled, or admitted to a nearer Participation of the Divine Goodness, the Sum, the Completion the Farthest of Created Bliss! having all their Joy, their Hopes, their Exultation and Wonders of Love, their Eternal Security and Confirmation, all their Glory and Delight, every Thought of their Capacious and Enlarged Understandings all filled up, gathered together in one, in the Contemplation of that stupendous Infinite Excess of Love, the Incarnation of God The virtue of which wrought up from Earth to the Heavens, to the Confirmation and Perpetual Increase of Felicity, to the Blessed Angels, as we are taught from Ephes. 1.10. Col. 1.20.  
On the other side, the Rebel-Angels could not Believe the Incarnation when it was Revealed unto, them, at least in the plain and literal Sense of it, as being contrary to that Notion of God which they had, which was all Haughtiness and Pride (or what they could suppose it is in God, which holds proportion to Pride in Creatures, for which we want a proper Name) and in this they understood the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory of God to Consist. And therefore as they could not Believe, neither could they Submit to Worship Humanity in any Condition, tho' joined in one Person with the Godhead. Submit! No, it provoked their Contempt, their Hatred, Rage, and Madness against Man. and this carrying them still farther from the Sight and Participation of Love, consequently Removed them far away from the sight of God, who is Love (1 John iv. 8.) And that is the proper definition of Sin, and Hell, and Misery, for Sin and Hell are in Effect the same; there is Hell, that is Misery, involved in the Nature of every Sin; because all Sin consists in our withdrawing ourselves from God, who is Happiness Essential, and in his Absence only is any Misery or unhappiness: And consequently the farther we Remove from Him the Greater is our Misery. This frees Us from an Objection, how God, who is all Love, can be a Consuming Fire, and Inflict Hell. For Hell is the Natural Product of Sin. But that it proceeds from God is so Untrue, that it can only be where He is not. But God is every where, He is in Hell.  
That is, He comprehends Hell, and Understands the Nature of it, for that is the Seeing of a Spirit, or the Manner of its being Present. But Hell does not see Him, that is, Understand His Nature aright, which is the Original of Pride, and is the being Absent from God, and therein Consists their Misery. Can Love be said properly to Inflict those Torments which proceed only from the want of Love? Or does the Straightness of a Rule, Cause the Crookedness of that Line which will not keep to the Rule? He that hides his Adultery or his Murder in a Cave, may as justly Curse the Sun for the Darkness and the Damps which he Endures, as the wicked Blaspheme the God of Love, for the Envy, and Malice, and Vexation, which attend upon their Pride. Let Us be Judge by ourselves, whence do the Terrors of Conscience proceed? They proceed from the Sense of Good we have Omitted: It is not then the Good which causes those Terrors; but on the Contrary, the Omitting of that Good. The Nature of Love, like that of Fire, converts every thing into its Self: But a Proud Spirit even from thence will draw Arguments of Envy, and afflict its Self; but this proceeds not from the Nature of Love, but from the Nature of Pride; therefore Pride in its own Nature is Miserable; and Love is always Victorius. If any say, how is it that Love overcomes Pride? after what Manner? Let him observe how Light overpowers the Darkness, without Noise, but Irresistably: And the Grosser the Darkness is, the Greater does appear the Power of the Light, and its Extent the Greater: As Death gives place to Life, and Truth prevails against Error, with such Arms does Love fight against Pride: Love is Light, and Life, and Truth: And by whatever Degrees Love does Advance, by the same is its Conquest Secured; and Joy lifts up his head, and Sorrow, and Shame, and Pride fly before his Face. Now the Incarnation, being the greatest Extent of Love, is consequently the greatest Shock and Humiliation of Pride that is possible to be Imagined; and so, most contrary to the Devil the Father of Pride, the Greatest Destruction and Ruin of his Principles; as it Unites, gives Peace and Entire Satisfaction to the Angels of Love, so it Distracts and Runs contrary to all the thoughts of Proud Spirits. Thus Love, which is Happiness in the Abstract, becomes a Torment to those who Understand it not, by being seen through a false Prospect; And in their Madness they Blaspheme that Love, which is their only Remedy; And Curse it, because they have Parted from it; and the more it Invites them to Return, the more do they Fret themselves, and, in Spite, run farther from it, which still does more Incapacitate them to Return; and this is that makes Hell Immortal: And thus it is that the Virtue of Christ's Incarnation and Death wrought down from Earth to Hell, to the Confirmation and Perpetual Increase of Misery to the Damned Spirits, who have stood out proof against the last Remedy, the strongest Charm of Love that's possible, the Incarnation of Christ, and have separated themselves from His Love, and Pine away a sad Eternity in the Ruins of their Pride Irreparable; which grow more Obdurate, from its being overcome, and from that Triumph of Love in the Incarnation, so far beyond all that it looked for, or could believe; and which therefore, being fulfilled, it Hates and Reproaches with an Impotent Despair which is the Anguish of Hell.  
This was the Issue of the War, but let us now take a View of the Battle.  
As Korah and his Company were bold to appear before the Lord, and Appeal to Him, whether Moses or they were in the Right, so both Armies of Angels being persuaded of the Justice of their Cause, went forth to Battle, and were bold, both confident of the Victory, to Appear and Plead before the Lord, for whose Honour each Party did pretend to Fight (as it is still with Us) which proceeded from the Different Notions they had of God. Satan Argued, the Majesty, Sovereignty, and Omnipotence of God; The Poor, Dejected; worthless Condition of Man; And hence how Absurd and Blasphemous it would be, that God should be a Man, Subject to Infirmities and Death.  
Against whom Michael Fought from the same Consideration of God's Omnipotence, that therefore God might Incarnate Himself, and the more Difficult it did appear to Created Minds, the Greater Glory did it bring to God: That the ways were Unsearchable, by which God did Communicate Himself to His Creatures, whose whole Being was a Participation of God, and that it was Unexcusable Presumption for a Finit Power to Determine how Intensly an Almighty Love might bestow of its self, even to denominate what it Loves to be one and the same Person with its Self.  
Satan, tho' Dazzled with the Refulgence of Almighty Power, yet still pursues his Pride, and Contests, that if God should Choose a Creature to make one with Himself, it sure must be the Worthiest: That the Nature so joined to the Divinity must be Adorable; And that it were against the Justice of God to make Noble Spirits serve a Base than themselves: That therefore, if any, 〈◊〉 must be the Nature of Angels, and not the Impure ●eed of Man that God will assume: And if an Angel, who ●as pretensions beyond Lucifer the Brightest Son of the Morning, the Glory of God's First Creation? And in this sense he might be said to aspire to be Equal with God, even Literally, i. e. to be One and the same Person with God: Which cannot Rationally be made up of any other Scheme that we hear yet Advanced concerning his Rebellion; for no otherwise is it possible for Us to imagine, how a thought so seemingly Absurd, even to Us, should arise in the mind of an Angel, of being Equal with God. But as we have here Deduced it, why might he not think that God might be an Angel, as well, or rather than a Man? And this we may reasonably conjecture from what is Revealed to Us, Heb. 2.16. in these Words; He took not on Him the Nature of Angels, but he took on Him the Seed of Abraham. Which argues, as if there had been some such Contest, at least gives Us leave to think whether it might not be; and from such a suppose (you see not wholly Unwarrantable) I have Endeavoured to reconcile the common Notion of Lucifer's aspiring to be Equal with God, and brought him in arguing for himself as you have heard. Thus did he Exalt Himself in his Pride, and thought his Arms Invincible! Which yet were not proof against the Mighty Argument of Love wielded by St. Michael, who stood Victorious in his Constancy, on his Contemplation of the vastness of the Nature of Love, which can Endure no Limits, and when it Gives, knows not Reserves; whose Glory therefore is Extended by the Greatness of its Condescensions; and therefore Infinite Love, must find Infinite Condescensions to Exert itself: And Man being the Lowest of Rational Being's (which only are Capable of Union with God) that must needs be the Creature which Infinite Love will choose to Exalt to the Extremity of Almighty Power, to make it even one with God, that so Love (which is God) may be All in All, may be the First and the Last. And (in Man) Spirit being joined in one Person with a Body composed of the Four Inferior Elements, God does by this advance into an Union with His own Nature the very lowest of his Creatures Gross Matter itself, as far as possibly it can be made Capable: That as all things Spring from His Love, and from thence do perpetually flow, so do they, in this Mysterious Incarnation, for ever Return thither again: He is Α. and Ω. the Highest and the Lowest; for that he Ascended, what is it but that He first Descended into the Lowest parts of the Earth? For Descending and Ascending being Relatives, they must hold the same Proportion, 
Eph. iv. 9.10.  and therefore none can Ascend more than first he did Descend. Now Jesus who Descended even into Hell, is the same also that Ascended far above all Heavens, that He might fill all things. But such Glory of Love, could not arise from God's advancing the Highest Creature, because that would not be so great a Condescension; and the Supreme Angel might, perhaps, Attribute something of Merit to himself, and Despise all below; who might think themselves left behind, or forgot by the Eternal Providence, who yet had the same Original pretences, being all brought from out the same Mother, Nothing. But in this wonderful Oeconomy of the Incarnation, all Disparity of Creatures is taken away; like that of Stars, in the presence of the Sun. Eternal Love having Gathered together in one all things in Christ, 
Eph. i 10.  both which are in the Heavens and which are on the Earth, even in Him; who by this has made Heaven and Earth into one Family, 
iii. 15.  and of whom they both are named. And Christ the Head of Both, from whom (Both being made thus into One) the whole Body fitly Joined together, 
iv. 16.  and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the Effectual working in the Measure of every part, maketh Increase of the Body unto the Edifying of itself in Love. So that the Glory of Almighty Love shines alone in the many Members of this Great Body; that an Angel cannot say to a Man or to a Worm, there is no need of you, more than the Hand can Despise the Foot, or the Eye reject the assistance of the Ear: That therefore it is no Dishonour for the Greatest Creature to serve the Least, since, they are all Members of one Body, and United in the Incarnation of God. Therefore Michael and his Angels thought it not only Indispensible to Adore the Manhood in God, but that it was the Pitch of their Glory, the Sum of all possible Bliss, to contemplate such Love as was Vnfathomable to the Eternal Increasing of flight of Abstracted and Enlightened Spirits. And not only this, but they Rejoiced to be made Ministering Spirits to the meanest of Christ's Members upon the Earth (Heb. 1.6, 7.) And to take their Name of Angels or Messengers, from that Office assigned them, even to little Children, as you are Instructed from the Gospel for the Day (Mat. xviii. 2.10.) Nay farther, they were content to Learn of their Pupils, and to be Taught by the Church, the Manifold wisdom of God, Eph. 3.10. But this Humility of Love Satan Despised, and instead thereof; accused Man before God, as unworthy of His Union. And both Parties appealed to God.  
And what could be the Event when Love was Judge? The Accuser of our Brethren was cast down, who Accused them before God day and night, as you have heard in the Epistle. And Michael was Justified, who maintained the Cause of Love; in that Almighty Condescension of it in the Incarnation and Death of Christ, They overcame him by the Blood of the Lamb, says the Epistle, that is, that High Instance of Love, in Defence of which Michael fought, did out shine all the pretended Glories of Pride, and left the Devil Overthrown, Astonished, and Desperate: and in this did appear the Strength and Salvation, and Kingdom of our God, and the Power of his Christ, that is, Love in its utmost Condescension, which is its Victory, and most Noble Glory, the Riches and Superabundance of its Grace, it's Natural and Beloved Conquest.  
And now Rejoice, O ye Heavens, ye Angels of His who do His pleasure, who have overcome in this Noble Contest; and for your Reward, feed Eternally on that Unexhaustible Fountain of Love, whose Cause you have so truly maintained!  
But woe to the Inhabitants of the Earth, for the Devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, and he Deceiveth the whole World, and is come to make War with the Remnant which keep the Commandments of God, and have the Testimony of Jesus Christ. You see the same War is carried on by Him upon Earth, which He fought in Heaven.  
But before we enter into this Second part of the Battle, there is a Proeliminary to be adjusted, which will be necessary to the carrying on of this War; and that is, that we find a Reason, why the Devil did not Acquiesce in the Judgement which God gave, since we suppose that he Appealed to it? as Korah and his Company appealed to God against Moses and Aaron, and appeared with Censers in their hands before the Lord; which 'Cause I have made instance of, as a Copy of the Rebellion of Lucifer.  
Towards Satisfaction in this difficulty, let us first consider the Nature of that Obstinancy, which is generally found in Error. Non persuadebis etiam si presuaseris, is a true and common saying, and we read in the Gospel of those who seeing, see not, and who close their Eyes lest they should see.  
We know that Spite and Malice will provoke that Rage which it knows too strong for it, and which will torment it; and will oppose itself out of the excess of Madness and Folly. Of which even our present case is not a plainer Instance, than what happened in the Matter of Korah, our Parallel case. For we find, that the very next day after that Terrible and unexampled Destruction of Korah, Dathan Abiram and and their Confederates, the rest of the Congregation mutinyed against Moses and Aaron, for that very Reason, and ran themselves into the same Sin, which they had but the day before frightfully bemoaned in the Judgement of their Brethren, and fled at the Cry of them; for they said least the Earth swallow us up also, and yet they made that very swallowing up, the Argument of their Rebellion, for which 14700 died by a new Plague. Many the like Examples are to be found in the History of the Jews, and is daily Experimented in ourselves, who remain Unperswaded by their judgements, and Gods daily Providences over ourselves; nor want we our Miracles too. And may not we allow as great Perverseness in the Devil, as we have learned from him, and Improve daily by his Instigation?  
This I think is sufficient to clear the matter of Fact of Lucifer's Discontent and Murmuring even against that Sentence of God, to which he had at first Appealed. And this we have learned from the Experience of ourselves.  
And from the same we may like wise search out a farther Reason of this so seemingly an unreasonable a Procedure, that should make one Act contrary even to what appears to be his own Reason. And that, as I conjecture, is this, That Error does not beget Truth, but Increases to more Error; and some men will obstinately adhere to their Principle, and what seems to make against it, tho' never so Reasonable, if they cannot satisfy it directly, they will frame Distinctions and subterfuges to Evade what they are notable absolutely to Deny: And this temper is still to be supposed where the Mind is not Vnprejudiced and Equal to the Truth on what side soever it shall appear; for that is a Preparative indispensible to the obtaining of any Truth; and from the want of which alone (were there no other obstruction) all Error maintains its Ground, against the the most demonstrative Truths. From hence it is I conclude, that Pride being the Principle of the Rebel Angels contest, they could never from thence infer the Incarnation of God, tho' enforced upon them with undeniable Arguments, unless they should first abandon their Principle, because it was the greatest contradiction to their Principle that could possibly be: and they would not suffer themselves to be persuaded into that Docible temper which our Saviour requires, when he so often repeats that most material Caution, Take heed how ye hear, for to him that hath more shall be given, and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath. Abstinancy will confirm its self into more Abstinancy; and a good Disposition will still take in more of Truth, and still grow more and more Capable. And the Devil not thinking of forsaking his Principle, but to Adapt to it the Reasons which were offered against it, he could nor understand the Incarnation literally as it was Revealed, but Invented Distinctions and Salvoes to Reconcile it with his Principle; at least, to make it Militat against his Principle, as little as he could. As that the Person Incarnated was some Holy Creature begotten by God in an Extraordinary manner, and therefore called the Son of God; but that it was not very God Himself: Or, if it must be God himself, that it was not Real Flesh and Blood which he Assumed, but only in Appearance and Show.  
It is said indeed in Scripture that the Devils knew Him, but not that they knew Him to be God. They called Him the Son of God; and the Holy one of God, and they adjured Him by God: but I do not find that ever they owned Him to be God, as His Disciples did, they gave no such Confession to Him.  
Now as the former Conclusions which I have made of this whole Warfare of the Devils, are I confess chiefly drawn a posteriori, from consideration of the Effects which it has produced, especially upon us here Below, who are taken Captive by him at his will; so in this present Instance, I am not a little confirmed from the prospect of those many-headed Heresies which the Devil has sent into the Christian Church, to the Disparagement of her Greatest Fundamental, the Incarnation of God. Arius and his Bastard Socinus are Generals of the greatest Name in this War; they deny the Divinity of Christ, tho' upon Different, and very Contradictory Pretences. Simon Magus was first in Commission among those falsely called unitarians; after him the Ebionites said that Christ was God, but not from Everlasting: the Nestorians that He became God by Merit, but was not the Son of God before the Incarnation; the Macedonians, that He was not of one Substance with the Father. The Alcoran calls Him the Messiah, and the word of God, but not the Son of God: and they allow not that He was Crucified, as the Theopaschites (not supposing it forsooth consistant with the Justice and Greatness of God) but that another man suffered in His place; others said that Christ did not really hang upon the Cross, but that His Passion was Only in Show, such were the Cordonites, the Eutychians and Manicheans; that His whole Passion is to be understood Allegorically, and not according to the Letter, which is maintained by the Family of Love, who likewise make an Allegory of His Incarnation; the Manichees, Eutychians, Marcionites, and Saturnians held that He had neither Human Body nor Soul, but was Man in Appearance only; the Eunomians, Arians, Apollinarians, and Theopaschites, that He had a Body without a Human Soul. And these Ancient and Pestilent Heresies are still kept alive amongst us, they are Gathered together, and Improved by the Quakers, who Deny the Humanity of Christ, and the Divinity of Jesus. They will not allow the Incarnation of Christ, that is, that He took the Nature of Man into His own Person, only (as the Socinians speak) that He Dwelled in or did Inspire the Person of that Man Jesus, as the Prophets of old, and other Goodmen Now, tho' not in so High a Degree as He did Inspire Jesus. Thence they take the Name of Christ to Themselves, and say that it belongs to Them, as well as to Jesus, to every Member as well as unto the Head. And in this sense, they allow Jesus Christ to be the Son of God, not Properly, but in a Large Sense, as we are called the Sons of God. They allow that the Body of Jesus was that Prepared Body in which Christ (or the Light within, as they call Him) did, for a time, Reside, and therefore that it might be called the Body of Christ, as a Man's House, Garment, or Veil is called his who owns or Possesses it: But not as a Man's Body which is Part of himself; 
Some Principles of the Elect People of God in Scorn called Quakers. p. 126.  for say they, we can never call the Bodily Garment, Christ.  
They deny that Christ had Properly any thing Human, either Soul or Body.  
That the outward Person which suffered, upon the Cross, was Properly the Son of God, we utterly Deny says their Serious Apology wrote by Will. Penn, p. 146. They Dream that Christ had a Spiritual Body before the Creation, and that He has the same now in Heaven, but not that Body of Jesus of Nazareth which He took of the B. Virgin, and which suffered upon the Cross.  
The Eutychians held that the Humanity of Christ was Absorbed or swallowed up in His Divinity, so that there Remained not now any Human Nature in Christ; Agreeable to this, the Quakers allow not Christ to have now any thing that is Human about Him: But to have Divested Himself of all that, when he Ascended into Heaven; where they say He now is only as he was before the Creation.  
In short, they make what they call their Light within to be not only a Ray, Influence, or Inspiration sent from Christ, but to be the very Essential, and Personal Christ, as well Body as Spirit, and that He has no other Body or Spirit but what is within them. For a further account of these men I Refer the Reader to a Book called The Snake in the Grass, and to another wrote by the same Author, Entitled Satan Disrobed. And so Proceed to another less Famous Sect amongst us, called the Muggletonians.  
These, with the Quakers, deny any Distinction of Persons in the Godhead; and Consequently they run into the the old Heresy of the Patripassians, thence so called, because they held that it was God the Father who was Incarnate, and did Suffer upon the Cross. To this the Quakers agree, and George Fox (the Father and Founder of them) in his Great Mystery. p. 246. Disputes against those who said that it was not God the Father who was Incarnate.  
Lodowick Muggleton (who Arose the same Year with G. Fox. An. 1650.) And his Followers say, that the Godhead Died upon the Cross; and that there was then no God. But that God, before He was Incarnate Deputed Elijah to Govern in His Absence; that Elijah Raised Him again from the Dead, and Restored Him to His Throne. That Christ (who was God the Father) did not know Himself to be God, or any more than Elijah pleased to let Him know, That Elijah was the Father to whom He prayed upon the Cross, They strick in likewise with the Anthropomorphits (as John Bidle the late Celebrated Socinian) and say that God from all Eternity, had a Body, and of the same Shape as Man's Body; and that being made after the Image of God referred to the Shape of His Body. They pretend to Describe His Shape, a Middlesized Handsome Man, and such like most Vile and Ridiculous stuff.  
These Batteries, the Devil has Raised, of several Shapes and Sizes, against the Truth of the Incarnation of Christ. This he is not able to Digest, or Understand aright; and Seduces his Weak but Envied Rival Man, by such Multiplicity of Subterfuges as he has Invented.  
This is the Great and Fundamental Head of that War which the Devil now carries on upon Earth.  
And there is another, which is Like unto it, and Depends upon it, Namely, The Doctrine of Satisfaction, which the Devil opposes upon the same foot with the Incarnation; for they are Both so closely Linked together, as that the Doctrine of Satisfaction supposes the Incarnation and Death of Christ, without which no Adequat Satisfaction, that is, No Satisfaction could have been made to Justice for the Sin of Man: And on the other hand, no Rational Account can be given for the Incarnation and Sufferings of our Saviour, but to Satisfy the Justice of God for our Sin. For all other Considerations of Christ, as a Prophet, a Teacher, a Mediator or Intercessor, might have been Executed, either by an Angel, or Holy Man thereunto Commissionated by God. And that without any Necessity of the Death of such a Messenger.  
But to make Adequat Satisfaction to the utmost Demand of Infinite Justice for all the Sins of the World; to Pay this Infinite Debt, Exceeded all Created Sufficiency, and could be Performed by none but God alone.  
And the Doom of Sin being Death, without shedding of Blood there could be no Remission. Which Infers the Necessity not only of Christ's Incarnation, but His Death.  
And it was not Possible the Cup should pass from Him, if He would Redeem lost Mankind. If it had been Possible, sure, His Father would not have Refused what He so Passionately, and in so Bitter an Agony, Three times Requested. His Father would not, Causelessly, 
Luk. xxiv. 46, 26. Mat. xxvi. 54.  have so Exposed His Beloved Son, in whom He was well Pleased. No. But as Christ Himself has told us, It thus Behoved Him to suffer. That He Ought to have suffered these things. And That Thus it Must be.  
When God, in His Alwise Providence, had so far Permitted the Spirit of Pride and Malice as to seduce Mankind into Disobedience; the Devil then thought, he had in some sort even Conquered at least overreached the Almighty: For thus He Argued with himself. If God's Justice be Exact, by which I Suffer, then must Man be Eternally Miserable with me, for He is less able than I am to make any Satisfaction for his Sin. And thus have I Ruined my Hatred and Despised Rival; and even, by the Necessity of God's Nature, which is Justice, I have forced Him to Damn that Base Human Nature, which He would join into His own Person, Postponing the more Noble Angelic Nature, which is thus Revenged!  
And the Devil thought himself Secure and Impregnable in this his Pride, and Malice. For if the Nature of Justice (which is God) cannot Acquit without Full Satisfaction: and that the Satisfaction for Sin must be Proportionable to the Person against whom the Sin is Committed, which is Infinite: And that the Penalty must be Death: And that God only is Infinite: and that God cannot Die. And again, That the same Nature which Offended must make the Satisfaction: And that Human Nature was far from Infinite, and so could make no Satisfaction. I say, upon all these Accounts, the Devil thought Man's Cause, to be Irremediable, and Desperate, and that, in this, he had Prevailed against God for Ever.  
But God thus far Permitted His Enemy, thereby to show forth more Gloriously the Riches of His Grace, and the In-Exhaustibility of His Wisdom. For by the Ever-Adorable Mystery of God Manifest in the Flesh, and suffering Death for us, upon the Cross, all the above seemingly Insuperable Difficulties are Dissolved, like Ice before the Fire. For Here is Satisfaction made by the same Nature which Offended: and the Satisfaction is Full and Adequat, because the same Person is God: And tho' the Godhead cannot Die, yet the Person which is God may Die. As the Soul of Man does not Die, but the Man, who has the Soul Dies.  
And in this is the Great and Absolute Victory over all the Devils and Powers of Hell.  
Here the Devil finds himself out-witted as well as overpowered; and that Love is Superior to Pride as much in Wisdom as in Strength.  
But his Malice never fails him. He sets all his Engines on work to Prejudice Men from Receiving this Doctrine of Satisfaction; and from believing in Christ as their surety, or Propitiation: Which only is the Saving Faith.  
The Mahometans believe Christ to be a Prophet; The Alcoran calls Him the Messiah, and the Word of God, and our Intercessor with God. Yet are they not Christians: which Denomination Properly belongs to none who do not Believe the Divinity, Incarnation, and Satisfaction of Christ for our Sins.  
Who deny any of these, may Flatter themselves with the Name of Christians; but they are Really (tho' may be themselves Perceive it not) Inlisted under the Devil's Banner, and Fight his Battles. And he has Gained Followers in nothing more than in this, He has Persuaded Men to Dispute against their own Salvation; He has put such Arguments as these in the Mouths of Socinians and Quakers, what need has God of any Satisfaction? May He not do what a Man can? to forgive a Debt? we call it Mercy in a Man; and can it be unjustice in God? But when a Man forgives a Debt, do we call it Mercy or Justice in him? you say it is Mercy; In Man Mercy and Justice are Mixed in proportions; but in God they are both in their Utmost; God is not only a Just being, that is, who has a great deal of Justice in Him, but He is Justice itself, the Highest Notion possible of Justice; and since Justice cannot acquit without full Satisfaction, no more can Herald  
How then? do His Attributes fight against one another? No, that is Impossible; but as the Vulgar renders, Jam. 2.13. Misericordia Superexaltat Judicium, Mercy does Exalt Justice. God's Mercy in sending Christ, does Exalt His Justice, which could not be exact Justice, if it did not require full Satisfaction. God is all Justice. He is all Love and Mercy too. They are the same thing in God. They are the same in Love; for God is Love. Every Sin is a Debt to Love, or an offence against it, which is against God. Now a Debt of Love is not to be reckoned as a Debt of Money. A Man may forgive his Money as he pleases, but Love cannot forgive an Ingratitude, but upon Repentance: Love cannot allow of Hypocrisy, or Envy, or Malice, or any thing contrary to its self.  
Love is so much the Essence, so the All of Christ's Religion, that all other Gifts and Graces are valued only in so far as they Administer to the Ends and Purposes of Love.  
Without this, the Greatest Excellencies and Performances Imaginable are Reputed as nothing, in the sight of God, that is, of Love; Faith, even to Remove Mountains, and Zeal to give all my Goods among the Poor; 
1 Cor. xiii. 3.  and my very Body to be Burnt, and all Prophecy, and all Knowledge, all will signify nothing, if they be not done out of a Principle of Love, if Charity be wanting, all these and all other things Possible, all are nothing, Love regards them not.  
Nothing can Charm Love, but Love. All the whole Earth in one Sacrifice, and all the Pains of Hell cannot Bribe Love into a Friendship or Reconciliation with Pride, or Ill Nature; It must Hate these by the same Necessity that it is its self; Behold the justice and Severity of Love! Behold the reason why our Love can never be accepted with God. Because it is mixed with what God hates, by the necessity of His Nature, with Insincerity and Affections to Vice, we love not God for His own sake, for the native Beauty of Love, but to serve our own Ends, pitiful selfish designs! vain, foolish, wicked! The Heavens are not Clean in His sight, and He chargeth His Angels with folly, and our Righteousness is as filthy Rags, and that which is highly Esteemed among men, is Abomination before God. Now what hopes of Atoneing for our Faults, when our Best Performances are fresh Provocations?  
And this Inexorable Justice of Love, is the Greatest Mercy too, if we consider it. For there being no Happiness but in Love; and no Atonement to Love, but by Returning to Love again, consequently this seeming Severity is really but an Invitation to our Happiness. But all our Love is Polluted, and therefore Hateful to Purity which is God. So that we can never perform this Condition, tho' the most Merciful as well as Just. And here Satan would Stop all our Hopes, by persuading Us, That our Debt cannot be paid by Another, That the Most Perfect Love will not be accepted for that which is Defficient.  
And this is so far True, that where the Imperfect Love does not go as far as it can, it can receive no help from that which is more Perfect. For being willing to remain Insensible of any Offence I have committed against Love, is the Greatest Contempt of Love, and Love can hear nothing in its Defence.  
But where I am as Sensible as I can, and wish to be more, and do all that is in my Power, and Repent with my whole Heart; tho' all this be very Unproportionable to my Offence, and full of Imperfections, there Love will rejoice to accept the Interceding of a Perfect Love, and it's full Satisfaction and Atonement for the weak but willing Love.  
And this manner of Paying the Debts of Love, is perfectly agreeable to the Nature of Love. It is agreeable to the Common Conversation of the World. Was it ever made an Objection that the Surety should pay the Debt? or that it was unjust to be a Surety? Yet this Enemy of Mankind would make Us think it against Reason that Christ should be our Surety or that He should pay our Debt?  
And this being the main Hinge, or indeed the whole of Christianity as to Us, many Batteries are raised against this, to Destroy Us all at once; for if we lose this, what good can Christianity do Us? we are yet in our Sins.  
There are several Parties, and from several Arts, which attack Us in this most Essential Point. Some say that Christ came into the World only as an Example. But then they are put to it to find a Reason for his Death. It will not bear an Argument, That His Death was only intended as a Confirmation of His Doctrine; for that shows it neither to be True nor False, but only that He was fully Persuaded of the Truth of it, Yet this is all that Cause can afford. Others say that He came to Teach a new Condition for the Remission of Sin, which was Repentance. To this it is Answered, That that was no new Condition. What time soever a Sinner Reputes he shall save his Soul, This was in the Old Testament. Rend your Heart and not your Garments; and many other places to the same purpose. Secondly, Repentance was the meaning of the Sacrifices under the Law. The Sacrifices of God are a broken Spirit. So that Repentance was no new Condition. Nor indeed was any Doctrine of Christ new, for He came to fulfil the Law.  
And if we look into this, it will convince Us beyond all we could gather from our own Reason. As much as a Picture is beyond a Description.  
Behold therefore in the Law the Types of Christ; how they were Expiatory and not merely for Example. Christ our Passover is Sacrificed for Us. 
1 Cor. 5.7.  Sacrifices were for Expiation, and not for Example. The Sin of the Party was Laid upon the Sacrifice, and it was said to Die for His Sin. Which was confessed over the Escape Goat, 
Leu. XVI. 21.22.  and put upon his head, and he was to bear it away to a Land not Inhabited. This was to show that Death was the wages of Sin, and that Christ was to bear it for us; and Escape with it, and carry it from Us. 
Chap. xvii. 11.  The life of the Flesh is in the Blood, and I have given it to you upon the Altar (says the Old Testament) to make an Atonement for your Souls, for it is the Blood that maketh an Atonement for the Soul. And this is the Reason that almost all things are by the Law purged with Blood; 
Heb. ix. 22.23.  and without shedding of Blood is no Remission. It was therefore Necessary says the Apostle, and so goes on to infer the Necessity of Christ's shedding his Blood according to his Types, which He did to the least Jota, 
Chap. xiii. 12.  even to His Suffering without the Gate.  
This sets before Us, as in a Picture, the whole Oeconomy of Christ's Sufferings; and from the first Sentence of Death pronounced against Sin. In the Day thou Eatest, thou shalt surely Die; we see this fulfilled in the Legal Sacrifices slain for the Sin of Man which Typified the Shedding of that Blood which could indeed take away Sin, which it was not possible for the Blood of Bulls and Goats to do, 
Heb. x. 4, 5.  and therefore says Christ a Body hast thou prepared me, and Lo I come. 
Col. 1.20.  He was the true Sacrifice, and Expiation for our Sin, having made Peace through the Blood of his Cross. 
Eph. 1.7.  In whom we have Redemption through His Blood. To call all this only His being an Example to Us, is so wide both from Reason, and the Matter of Fact, that it shows the very Impotence of our Enemy. It was by the Blood of the Lamb they overcome him says the Epistle for this Day. This Expiation of Christ takes away our Sin, pays all our Debt, and leaves nothing to the Spirit of Pride but to Feed on his own Envy and Malice and Mad Despair.  
God has Guarded this last stake and great Rock of our Salvation, as to render it Impregnable, but by our supine Negligence. He who can turn all that the Scripture speaks of the Expiation and Atonement and Ransom of Sin, to a mere Example, he must go against his own Conviction, if ever we can determine it in any Case. Nay I dare appeal to any such, whether, if he were Dying, he would take greater Comfort in Considering Christ as his Surety, who had paid his Debt, as his Sacrifice and Expiation who could plead to the Justice of God, full Satisfaction for all his Sins, whether his heart would not Lean more to Christ, thus as a Saviour, then to look upon Him merely as an Example, which he has not followed?  
Some would go farther, and let Christ be an Intercessor only, and as such a Redeemer. i e. Who Redeems Us by His Interceding with God for Us. That God appointed Him for this work, but that it is against Reason to talk of his Answering to God's Justice, for that God needed no body to Pay a Debt to him. He might forgive without all that if He pleased.  
This has been Answered already. But I would fain ask one Question. Whether God needs an Intercessor more than a Redeemer to Save Mankind? How can People pretend Reason for the one, and yet cry down the other as against all Reason? And again to give Divine worship to this Intercessor, and at the the same time to deny his Divinity? as the Arians did, and the Polonian Socinians do at this Day, which is Reckoned no less than Rank Idolatry by the new fashioned Socinians, which are got up amongst us, who deny Divine Honour to be due to Christ, and yet when these Socinians are pleading for Antiquity they Derive themselves from the Arians. Tho' the Arians allow Christ to have a Being with God the Father before the Creation of the World; And the Socinians say, that he never was at all before he was Born of the Virgin. Which is so wide a Difference, besides that of Divine worship above told, that nothing could make them of the same Party but fight under the same General; And than their Cause will gain great Antiquity; it came from the Praeadamites, the Mighty Host's of Heaven who fell in this Quarrel, and Manage it with greater success now on Earth.  
1. Others by their Instigation, Argue in this Form, against this Doctrine of the Satisfaction: That if Christ Pay the Debt, and undergo the Curse which was Due to Man for Sin, He ought to Suffer the same Curse that was laid upon Man, which was Eternal Death, else He does not Pay the Whole Debt, or Suffer that which Man was to have Suffered.  
Ans. Man Suffers Eternally, can Never come out of Prison, because he can Never Pay the Uttermost Farthing, which Justice does Require.  
Therefore Christ's Sufferings were not Eternal, because they were Sufficient, for the Dignity of the Person, to make Full Satisfaction.  
And not only because of the Dignity of the Person, who was God; but from the Nature of the thing: For, Sin being an Offence against Love or Goodness, the Nature of Love does Require that the Person Offending should have a Sense of his Fault: For while the Offender Remains Obstinate, Insensible, and Persists in his Ingratitude, even Love cannot Forgive. I say Cannot, because tho' Love were willing, Love is always willing, yet the Insensible Offender is not Capable, because the Forgiveness of Love is Restauration, to Restore those to the Happiness and Enjoyment of Love who have fallen from it: And all Happiness being Centred in Love (as before has been said) for God is Love, consequently till we Return to Love, we cannot Return to our Happiness: And an Ungrateful Man and Insensible of his Ingratitude to His Greatest Benefactor, who still Courts and Invites him to Return, is utterly Uncapable, while he Persists in his Ungratitude, to Know or Enjoy the Blessings of Love, and Consequently of the Forgiveness of Love: which by its own Nature, must Necessarily Hate all Baseness, Envy, Malice, and whatever is Contrary to its own Nature.  
Now as the Nature of Love does Require that an Offender should be Sensible of his Fault; so likewise that he should be sensible Proportionably to his Offence: For to be but a Little sensible of a Great Offence, is a Fresh Provocation.  
And it being Impossible that the Capacity of All Creatures should Ever Reach to the Full sense of an Offence against Infinite Love and Goodness, Consequently their Sufferings can Never attain unto it; which makes their Hell to be Eternal.  
Besides that in Hell, they Repent not, to give Glory to God, but Blaspheme the Name of God, 
Rev. xuj. 9  who hath Power over their Plagues.  
But on the other hand, Christ being God, had a Full and Adequat Sense of the Offence against Infinite Love; which is All the Satisfaction that Love does Require; and, by the Necessity of its own Nature, cannot be Satisfied with any thing Less.  
Therefore Christ's Sufferings were not Eternal; because He made Full Satisfaction: And if they were to have been Eternal, than He could Never have made Satisfaction. For therefore only are Men's Sufferings Eternal, because they can Never make Satisfaction.  
2. There is yet another Objection which, by the Artifice of the Enemy of Mankind, some Men do struggle with against the Satisfaction of Christ, which is, That tho' in Duration the Sufferings of Christ do not last so Long as those of the Damned, yet that as to the Greatness and Intesness of them, they should be at least Equal, if not Superior to those of the Damned: Because if those of the Damned are not Great enough to make Satisfaction, Consequently His who does make the Satisfaction, aught to be Greater.  
And Despair being the Saddest Ingredient in Hell, if Christ had it not, He did not Suffer so Great Pain as they do. And if He had Despair, than He Disinherited the Power or Mercy of God and Consequently had Sin, and so could not be our Redeemer.  
In Answer to this, let us Consider, First, what has been said above, that Sin is an Offence against Love and Goodness: That the Satisfaction which Love Requires is a Sense of the Offence, such a Sense as is fully Proportionable to the Offence. Then Secondly let us Reflect that all Sense of an Offence against Love and Goodness must carry with it a Sorrow and Agony Proportionable to the Offence; without which it cannot be said that any Man is truly Sensible of his Offence.  
This Agony was Borne by Christ to the Full, when He bore the Sins of the whole World, Charged Himself with them, and stood Answerable for them before His Father; And this was far Greater than any Bodily Pains which He endured? And Infinitely Exceeded what it was Possible for All Created Minds to have Sustained, or so much as to Comprehend to all Eternity.  
Yet was there no Mixture of Despair in all this. For Despair does not Proceed from the Sense of our having Offended God (which Sense is Strongest in the most Sincere Penitents) but from a Defect in our Apprehensions of God, and Mistaking of His Nature, which is All Love and Goodness; which those who Dispair cannot Believe. Hence we find that many Lesser Sinners do Despair, when Greater do Repent. Why? Not because they have a Stronger Sense of their Sin (for the other May, and often, have much Greater than they) but because they have a Weaker and Fainter Sense of the Goodness of God, which is thinking amiss of the Nature of God, as the Apostate Angels did, Measuring it by Greatness and Power, not by Love; and is the Reason that they Despair and cannot Repent, or Hope for Mercy from that Power which they have Offended, and think In-exorable. We may Read our Punishment as well as our Sin in their Offence. And they who Sin as they do, will be Punished as they are, and have their share in that Lake prepared for the Devil and his Angels.  
But tho' Christ did not Despair, because He had the True, Full, and Adequat Knowledge of God, and of His Nature, yet for an Example and Comfort to our Infirmity which He took upon Him, He suffered Himself to fall under the Greatest Despondency that could be Distinguished from Sin, in His last Agony and Dereliction upon the Cross, when He Cried out My God My God, why hast thou forsaken me? thereby supporting the Weakness and Faintings of our Faith, that we should not Despair when we find ourselves Unequal to our Pressures, and seem Deserted by God and Man! For even in that Case, in the worst that can befall us, we have His Great Example to set before Us, who Complained as we do, yet Committed His Soul to God, in the Height of His Displeasure, 
Heb. 5.7.  with Strong Crying and Tears, and was Heard, in that He feared. Therefore let no Man's Fears cause him to Despond; For we have have not an Highpriest who cannot be touched with the feeling of our Infirmities; but was in all Points Tempted like as we are, yet without Sin. Let us Therefore come boldly unto the Throne of Grace, that we may obtain Mercy, and find Grace to Help in time of Need. Heb. IV. 15, 16.  
Let this suffice as to the Difficulty whether Christ had Despair or not (which has Perplexed some Learned Men) for tho' Despair was wholly Incompatible to Him who had a True Knowledge of the Nature of God; yet, for that same Reason, He had a Sense of Sin, and of its Demerit Infinitely Exceeding what All those in Despair can have; which Answers all those Objections that can be Raised, upon this Head, against the Doctrine of the Satisfaction of Christ.  
3. But then the Devil starts another Objection, That if Christ took upon Him our Sins, than He became the Sinner, and we were Discharged, and need heed no more what we do, for that all is Paid, all Satisfied for etc. We may Sin on, and no Harm can come to us. That if Christ took upon Him our Sin, He must take the Filth and Pollution of it, as well as the Curse, else that He did not take it All. And if so, He was a Sinner indeed! Exceeding All the Sinners in the World, because He took upon Him the Sins of All the World; and made Satisfaction for them All.  
With this Bate the Devil has Caught the Antinomians now amongst Us, who say, That they are not Sinners, for that Christ was the Sinner— That Christ took upon Him the Gild, the Pollution, the Loathsomeness, and Filth of our Sin, as well as the Curse of it; and was therefore Hated of God, and Separated from Him, till after His Resurrection, that He had Purged it off: And particularly, when He cried upon the Cross My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? That He was then Odious to God, as a Toad— and other such Blasphemies, which are Horrid to Repeat.  
The Foundation of this Monster of a Heresy, to make our Blessed Lord the Greatest of Sinners, is easily Discoverable to any Judicious Eye: For to Pay a Debt, for another, of out Mere Love and Charity to Prevent his Ruin, was never yet thought to Infer, that the Surety who Paid the Debt, did thereby make himself Guilty of any ill Arts, which the Principal might have used either in Procuring or Spending of the Money. But very slender Hooks will serve to Catch the Smal● Frie.  
And the Devil has not used Greater Pains and Skill in Oppugning any Article of our Faith, than in this of the Main End of the Incarnation, Sufferings, and Death of Christ, as a Sacrifice to make Satisfaction for the Sins of the World.  
Against this Satan has spent his utmost Force, as being the Greatest overthrow of his Kingdom among Men.  
And this Doctrine is so closely linked with that of the Trinity and Incarnation, they do so Mutually suppose and Depend upon each other, that those who Deny any One of them, are seldom Sound in the other Two: And the surest means to Corrupt Men in the Doctrines of the Trinity and Incarnation is to Prejudice them against the Doctrine of Satisfaction, which is the Result of the other two, and cannot be without Supposing of them both.  
4. These are the Doctrines which the Quakers call The sandy Foundation, and Dispute against them, with the Socinian Artillery.  
There is another Squadron lately Inlisted in this Cause, led by the Famous Madamosel Antonia Bourignon, who has been Seduced herself, and has Seduced Many others with the Semblance of her own Flights and Devotion; which show from whose Inspiration they came, by that Insuperable Pride which runs throw all that she and her Disciples have wrote of her; Advancing her above all the Prophets and Apostles, above all Born of Women, not excepting our Lord Jesus Himself. I refer the Reader for a full Account of her and her Doctrine to Bourignionism Detected; by Dr. Cockburn, Printed this Year 1698. But as to the Particular Subject we are now upon, she flatly Denys and Disputes against the Doctrine of Satisfaction, As shown in the Preface to The Snake in the Grace. 2d Edition. She says p. 139, 140, 142. of her Book there Quoted, called The Light of the World, that there was no need of God's becoming Man in order to our Redemption: That He took Flesh not to Suffer or Dye, but only to Converse with Us: That His Sufferings and Death happened by Accident, that is, beyond His Intention. And her Arguments are the same which we have heard before from Lucifer, That it was Beneath the Greatness and Majesty of God; And that His Glory could not be Advanced by being Crucify'd betwixt two Thiefs, as she words it.  
Here I must tell the Reader that the Arguments which I put in the Mouth of Lucifer were not borrowed from this of Bourignon (with which they so exactly agree) but were wrote many years before I saw any of her Books, or had so much as heard of her Name.  
But when I Read them in her, it was a Great Confirmation to me, of the Truth of my Reasoning, when I found the same Arguments made use of by one whom the Devil had Deluded, and Possessed to as High, and perhaps a Greater Degree of Enthusiastical Madness, Blasphemous Pride, and Wild Heretical Notions, than any Age can Produce, since Simon Magus, who Boasted Himself to be The mighty Power of God; and in many things she Exceeded him.  
I have Mentioned her, because her Infection has spread strangely in Holland (that Soil Fertile of Religions) and the Adjacent Countries; Has lately taken Root in Scotland; and at last has come to London, where her Book beforementioned was Printed 1696. and too much Recommended; and has Travelled into several Parts of the Country. Insomuch that the Bourignonists Deserve now their Class, in the first Form of the Heretics. They have Gained some Learned Men, who have Drawn their Pens in their Cause, both Here and Abroad, some Translating the Books of Mrs. Bourignon, and others writing in Defence of Her and Them. But if seasonably and Diligently Attacked, it is to be hoped that they may not make Great Inroads upon Christianity, at least in our Parts: otherwise they will, in all appearance, become Formidable; and, like the Quakers, or the Saxons, Grow upon us till we must be forced to let them Live with us; and Compound at last for an Act of Toleration.  
5. This is the War which the Devil Manages here Below, the same which He Fought in Heaven. I have shown you some of His Arms, they are Discoverable by their Colours; the Field is always Pride, whatever other Device is wrought upon it. And this misleads them into all Error, first, a wrong Notion of God; which leads them into a wrong Notion of Christ, His Nature and Office; and that is Productive of all the Hydra Heresies we have Mentioned, and of Many more, which it would be tedious to Examine in so short an Essay: But those I have Named are the Chief, and Mother of all the Rest: And Pride the Grandmother of all.  
The first Tentation of the Devil to Man, was, That they should be as Gods. And he has Persuaded some since that they really are Gods, even Equal to God, in Equality itself, as Pure and Holy as He is, as Harmless and Innocent as Christ; but Preferable to all Mortals, 
Snake in the Grass 2d Edict. Sect. 11. 111. and iv.  Meeker than Moses, Stronger than Samson, wiser than Solomon etc. Nay they go farther, and make their Soul a Part of God, of the same Substance, Person, and Essence with God, and therefore to be Infinite in itself, and without Beginning as well as Ending. This is Copying after Lucifer, and even outdoing of Him, in His Blasphemous Pride! The Pharisees Advanced themselves beyond all other Men, as to Piety and Holiness, but not to be Quite Free from Sin, as the Quakers and Bourignon do Pretend.  
The Gnostics gave themselves that Gaudy Name, from their supposed Knowledge Exceeding that of other Christians.  
And all the way down from them to Bourignon and the Quakers, All the Heresiarchs set up upon Pride, and High value for themselves; with as great Contempt of other Men.  
Our Pharisees got the Name of Puritans, from the High Purity to which they Pretended.  
And all our Sects have arisen from those who called themselves Gifted-Men, and Boasted in their wonderful Attainments, sufficient (as they gave out) to Supersede all Established Constitutions, tho', at first Instituted by God Himself. Hence that Spirit of Pride which did Inspire them, Gave some of them to be Apostles, some Prophets, some Evangelists, some Teachers, and Preachers, without any outward Commission, Disdaining the Humility of Succession, continued by Vicarious Ordination, from Christ and the Apostles, upon which the Church has been Built, and Preserved to this Day.  
And what vile Contempt and Despite they All have poured out against the Church, and their Superiors, has filled the World.  
To Curb and subdue this Spirit of Pride, was the end of Christ's coming in the Flesh; who fought against him with the Arms of Humility and Love; which is the Inseparable Badge of Christ and His Diciples, by which they are known, and out shine all the False Glories and Pomp of Hypocritical Pride and Ostentation.  
I have Endeavoured to Trace this Pride from its first Rise in Heaven; and shown its Progress upon Earth; and that it is the Mother and Nurse of all the Heresies in the Church; And as it was the first Sin, so is it a Principal Ingredient in all our Sins. The Jews had a saying, that there was a Grain of the Golden Calf in all their after Judgements. And we may truly say, that there is a Spice of the first Sin, that is, Pride, in all our Sins, and Delusions. And if we search Impartially, we shall find it. This Corrupts both our Practice and our Principles, and hinders us as much to Work as to Believe aright.  
The Devil is Equally Concerned against Both. And let me here Instance in two Particulars, which have Raised Great Contest in the World.  
The First is the Dispute about Grace. The Devil knowing our Weakness, and that we are not able of ourselves, to help ourselves, has endeavoured to Disarm us of the assistance of God's Grace (without which we are not able so much as to think a good Thought) by this Suggestion of Pride, That we have strength enough of our own to Perform all that is Required of us; and therefore need ask no Assistance of extraordinary Grace: That there is no other Grace given to Man, but that Reason with which God Endows Each Man, and therefore which is Natural to him: That nothing Supernatural is to be Expected in this World: That it is a Tempting of God to Ask for or Expect any such thing: That it Hinders our own Endeavours, while we look for Supernatural Assistance. And other such like Arguments as these.  
Pelagius our Countryman was a Great General upon this Head of the War: And he has not a Few or Inconsiderable Part of this Nation, and elsewhere of his Followers. The Libertines every where are Inlisted under his Banner. And they think themselves no mean Men. They Command Wit and Raillery, and Mighty Numbers. They call it a Reflection upon God, to say that He has not made Man Perfect, and with sufficient Powers to Perform what God has Required of him.  
But they forget that Man is Fallen from that State in which God at first did Create him; and therefore, as a Man who has Lamed himself, he needs more Help than his own Legs.  
But besides this, suppose Man in his utmost Perfection, is it any Reflection upon the Power, Goodness, or Wisdom of God, to make him still Dependent upon God, and to need the Assistance of His Grace? as the Earth does the Influence of the Sun; and yet the Earth is Perfect in its Kind.  
Man in his Fallen Estate has Powers still left him to Beg and sue to God for His Assistance, and to Attend those Means of Grace which he has Commanded, the Prayers and Sacraments of His Church; which whosoever does Sincerely and Diligently, God has given them His Promise to Bestow His Grace upon them, sufficient for their Need.  
And they who will not be at this Pains, but Trust to the Plea of the Unprofitable servant, that they serve a severe Master, who Reaps where he did not Sow, and Exacts more than he gave them Abilities to Perform, will, with him who Hid his Talon, be Condemned out of their own Mouths; because that Consideration, if it were true, should make them Double their Diligence; and not Neglect those Means which their Lord has Appointed.  
They are loath to Share with Him the Glory of their Salvation, they would do all themselves. But He will not Share with them, He will have all the Whole Glory of it, for to Him only it does Appertain. And they whose Pride, will not suffer them to submit Absolutely and without Reserve to Him, must have their Portion with those who Rebel against Him.  
The other snare of the Devil, which I mentioned is the Dispute about Faith and Works, which has made a Great Bustle in the World; and this is near of Kin to the last; for some are Persuaded to Lean wholly upon their own Works, and to esteem of Faith only as an Empty Notion, and mere Imagination, of no Virtue or Efficacy at all. That there is no Trust in any other, tho' in Christ Himself. That we shall be Reckoned with only according to the Works that we have done, and not according to what we Believe Another has done for Us, which can no ways be Imputed unto Us.  
Others again are Tempted wholly to Neglect Works, and Lean all upon Faith. They think the Doctrine of Works to be Great Arrogance and Pride, in Assuming to ourselves the merit of our Salvation, which is Due only to God. That because He ought to have the whole Glory, therefore we ought not to Intermix any of our Works at all, but to Live only by Faith in Him. That our Righteousness is Filthy Rags, and therefore cannot be Accepted by Him, nor are worthy to be Accepted: And Therefore can Add or Help nothing, no not in the least Tittle, to our Salvation: But on the Contrary, that we ought to Renounce them, and Divest ourselves wholly of them; and Trust to God's Mercy without them; which they suppose has no Consideration at all of them: But Justifies the Elect without any Respect to them; And therefore Loves the Saints in all their Sins; That they are not the less Beloved while wallowing in their Sins; because God's Love is Free, and without Regard to our Performances; That therefore there ought to be no Sorrow for Sin, that this is contrary to a true Godly Frame. This the Antimonians, (who are set up on High now in London) have Preached and Printed in their Books. Particularly the Famous Dr. Crisp. Nay they go farther, they make neither Faith nor Works necessary, for that, they say, would hinder the Freedom of God's Love, and make it Conditional (which they Abhor to think) and to depend upon any thing that is in Us to do. They call Faith therefore only an Echo of the Soul answering to the Call of God, and saying I come without any Change in the Man, But that the Soul which has not that Echo is not the less safe. For they Resolve all into the Absolute Decree of God, without Respect either to Faith or Works on our Part. This is the Plea of Lucifer for himself, that he was overruled in Heaven, by Absolute Power, without Respect to Justice; for that he had Merit beyond many of those Angels who Stood, tho' he and others Better than they Fell. And the same Argument is taken up by many of His Followers at this Day, who have Bewildred their Understandings in the Intricate Mazes of Absolute Decrees, Un-Conditionate Election and Reprobation, so as to Confound themselves, and stop their Endeavours from working out their own Salvation, as they are Commanded. The Antinomians say that Christ has wrought All for us, so that we need not Work. And that to offer to Add our Works to His is Presumption, and an Under-Valuing of His, as if His were not Sufficient. They say, that He bore not only the Pollution, and Filth of Sin (as before has been Mentioned) but the Sadness and Sorrow for it too, all that was Due to it; and that therefore whoever has any Sadness or Sorrow for Sin is out of Christ, and in a False way.  
See the many Snares of the Devil to keep Men from Repentance, and Harden them in their Sins!  
Here he Guilds his Poison with a seeming Trust in God, as when he Tempted Christ to throw Himself down from the Pinnacle, that He might thereby Tempt God.  
And this is the very case here, for to neglect those Works which Christ has Commanded, out of a seeming Faith in Him, and Deference towards Him, as if we would not Presume to mix our Works with His, all this is a Downright Tempting of Him, to Excuse ourselves from what He has Commanded, on Pretence of Trusting to what He has Promised or Decreed secretly from Eternity, as if these could Interfere, and His Decrees dissolve His Commands.  
But say these Men, it is He who Worketh all the Good that is in us, therefore what need we Work?  
I answer. Therefore we ought to Work. Therefore He Works in Us, that we should Work, that is, Work with Him. This is the very Argument of the Apostle. Phil. 2.12, 13. Work out your own Salvation with Fear and Trembling; for it is God who Worketh in you, both to Will and to Do of His good Pleasure.  
All the Good in us, God worketh it. Therefore all the Glory is to Him, and none to us at all.  
But when we Work with God, our Works are full of Imperfections, which come from ourselves, therefore we Trust not in them. Here then is our Faith viz. In the Perfect Work and Obedience of Christ to the Whole Law, which All of us have many ways Broken; and His undergoing the Curse of the Law which was Due to our Breaches of the Law. And this being Applied to Us, by a true Lively Faith, which Worketh by Love, and a sincere Repentance and sense of our Sin, though not Equal to the Demerit, yet to our weak Abilities; And for what is Defective, when we have done as much as we can do, and are sorry that we can do no more, it is supplied, and we Accepted in the Perfect obedience of Christ, and His Sufferings of Infinite Value for that wherein we have been Deficient, when we fully Trust in and Believe the Promises of God, that we shall have Remission through Christ; this is our Faith, by which we Apply the Merit of the Sufferings of Christ to ourselves.  
1. And then is His Righteousness Imputed unto us, as our Sins were to Him. Not that He was a Sinner, (as the Antinomians say) tho' He Bore our Sins; or that His Righteousness, which is Infinite, can be Inherent in us so as to make Us as Righteous as He is (as the Quakers and some others speak) But that He has given Us a Right to Plead His Righteousness and Sufferings on our behalf, as Performed for us, in our Nature, and in our Stead.  
This wholesome and necessary Doctrine of Imputation has been Greatly strained, and turned into a Cant by many of our Dissenters since 1640. who would thereby have the whole Righteousness of Christ, not only Applied but Transferr'd to us, to become our Righteousness and Inherent in Us; so as to Supersed all our own Righteousness, or any Endeavours on our side, not only from having any Merit (which is most True) but from being any way Necessary or Beneficial towards our Salvation.  
This has given Occasion to others, in Odium to this vile Extravagance, quite to throw off the Doctrine, and Redicule the very Name of Imputation, which is as Dangerous an Error on the other side; for it is (when Rightly Understood) a Necessary Consequence of the Doctrine of Satisfaction; and the Means whereby the Satisfaction which Christ made for our Sins is Applied, and made Profitable to us; without which it could be of no Advantage to us, for if it were not Imputed to us, how would it Concern us? what Benefit could we Reap from it? No Benefit at all, say the Socinians and Quakers, more than as an Example, like the Sufferings of other Good Men; which are not Imputed to any others. Solomon Eccles, a Great Prophet of the Quakers says in his Letter to one Rob. Porter, 
See Snake in the Grass. Sect. x. p. 138. of the 3d. Edit.  That the Blood of Christ, which was Shed upon the Cross, was no more than the Blood of another Saint; and adds, God will overthrow your Faith, and your Imputative Righteousness too. Such as have Christ in them (says George Fox in his Great Mystery, p. 183.) they have the Righteousness itself, without Imputation. For they suppose their Light within to be not only an Illumination or Influence sent into their Hearts by Christ, but to be the very Christ itself; and that there is none other. And consequently that they have the whole Righteousness of Christ Inherent in them; and that it thus becomes their own Righteousness without Imputation.  
William Pen, in his serious Apology, p. 148. Speaking of our Justification by the Righteousness which Christ hath Fulfilled in his own Person for us, says, And indeed, this we Deny, and Boldly Affirm it, In the Name of the Lord, to be the Doctrine of Devils, and an Arm of the sea of Corruption, which does now Deluge the whole World. It is Dreadfully Astonishing to see the Heart and Foundation of the whole Christian Religion thus called The Doctrine of Devils, and that Boldly In the Name of the Lord! These men throw off the Righteousness of Christ, that they may Establish their own Righteousness, which they call Christ's. They may be Named Solifidians, for making the Righteousness of Christ their own, without Imputation, they Trust wholly in Themselves, and Reject the Imputation of the Righteousness of any other.  
And this they call their Deep Knowledge in the Mysteries of God: And by this Expect to be Saved. As Simon Magus (the Father of the Gnostics, Quakers, Solifidians, and Anti Nomians) who taught that Men might be saved by their Knowledge, however Vicious their Lives were; or (which is the same) that nothing they do is Vicious, as being the Immediate Dictates of the H. Ghost, or Light within them.  
Here we may see the Dangerous Error of both the Extremes before mentioned, of those who make a jest of Faith, and Place all in their Opus Operatum, in their own Performance. And, on the other hand, of those Solifidians who throw off all Works on Pretence to Magnify Faith.  
These are the Fiery Darts of the Devil, by which he endeavours to Ruin the Souls of Men, undermining the Foundation of our Christian Faith, with his False and Pernicious Glosses. That where He cannot Beat Men from the Belief of the Incarnation and Satisfaction of Christ, he may by these means, render them Useless to Us.  
He Separates Faith and Works; and sets them up in Opposition to each other: And whatever side Prevails He is sure of Both sides. Because Faith and Works are not to be Separated; And whoever Separates them has Erred from the Faith.  
Our B. Saviour makes them both one. For being asked. What shall we do that we might Work the Works of God? Jesus Answered and said unto them, This is the Work of God, that ye Believe on Him whom He hath sent. Joh. vi, 29. For their are Works of our Minds, and they are the Chief Works, and Faith is one of these Works. We must not confine the Notion of Works to the operations only of our Hands or our Feet. And if Faith be a Work (as our Saviour says it is) where then is the War that has been set up betwixt Faith and Works?  
I will End all I have said of Grace in the last Section, and of Faith and Works in this, with the Words of St. Paul Eph. 2.8. By Grace are ye saved, through Faith; And that not of yourselves, it is the Gift of God; not of Works, lest any Man should Boast. That is, not of our own Works which Faith is not; for it is the Gift of God. And therefore we have no Pretence to Boast in it. And if His Gift, and His only, How Careful ought we to be in Attending those Means of Grace, the Prayers and Sacraments in the Church, which He has Commanded, and to the Due Performance of which He has Annexed His Infallible Promise of Giving Us that Faith, which we cannot otherwise obtain of ourselves. And we have no Promise or Grounds of Expectance to Receive it any otherwise. And without it we shall never see God. Heb. xi. 6.  
2. But all this is lost to some Men, who think all Means useless, because as they suppose, there is an Irreversible Decree already gone forth upon Every Man, of Happiness or Misery, which no Means that can be used will ever Alter. That this Decree has been from Eternity, tho' Secret to Us. And therefore, that all our Labour all our Means are Perfectly in vain; that there is nothing to be done, but to Fold our Arms, and Expect the Issue of God's Secret Decree, which is already Past, and therefore that it is no matter whether we obey the Commands of God, or not. That they were Given us to no End, as to our Salvation, which does not Depend upon them, but only upon the supposed Decree. Thus has the Arch-Enemy Blinded their Eyes, and tied up their Hands from working towards their own Salvation. And thrown them upon a Fresh Provocation of Scearching into God's Secret Councils, which He has Forbidden. The Secret things belong unto the Lord our God: But those things which are Revealed belong unto us, and to our Children, for ever, that we may do all the Words of this Law, Deut. xxix. 29.  
What is Revealed only is the Rule of our Duty, Why then do we Scearch into those Decrees, which we call Secret? If God will have them Secret, why will not we let them be Secret?  
He smote 50070 of the Bethshemites, 
vi. 19 1 Sam.  with a great Slaughter because they looked into His Ark. Who then is able to stand before this Holy Lord God? And who Dare Pry into what He has Reserved as a Secret from us?  
But this we may be sure of, that his Commands or His Promises cannot Contradict His Decrees how Secret soever. And therefore we ought Diligently to obey His Comtmands; and Cheerfully to Trust in his Promises, without Confounding ourselves about Supposed Decrees of which we know nothing at all, nor aught to Inquire.  
I have Read a story of a Pious Man who was much troubled about his Election or Reprobation, prayed Earnestly that God would let him know whether he were Praedestinated to Salvation? And that a Voice answered him, what if you did Know? To which he Replied, that if he were sure to be Saved in the End, how Cheerfully could he Despise all the Allurements of Flesh and Blood, and with Joy follow all the Commands of Christ, even to the Death. Would you do all this, said the Voice, if you were sure to be Saved? Which he having faithfully Promised, the Voice answered once more, Then do so, and you shall be sure to be Saved.  
Whether the story be true or not it is no matter; the Moral of it does Determine this Question. This is the only way to make our Calling and Election sure. Let us Work and not Dispute, not Perplex ourselves about Hidden Decrees, but see to follow that which is Plainly Commanded, and then we may safely Trust to what is Promised; and Commit our Souls to God, in well-doing, as unto a Faithful Creator. Let us look upon every thing which weakens our Hands in this, to be (as it truly is) the Suggestion of the Devil: And let us shake off that Lethargy of Glaring upon Decrees, which we understand not, till it Transforms us into Stone, that we have neither Courage nor Power to move Hand or Foot towards Heaven; but stand Dozing upon that Earth, which we find Sinking; and Helpless, let it Sink, and ourselves with it, even into Hell, crying out, what can we Help it, for we are Decreed? Yet never offer to move one Foot from off it! This is Enchantment indeed, and a Wonderful Degree of it. It is like a Man's head turning Round upon a Precipice, which makes him Run to meet his Death. It is said, that a Squirrel having once fastened its Eye upon that of a Rattle-Snake, has no Power to look off him, but Dancing from bough to bough, with a fearful Crying, leaps down at last upon the Ground, and Darts its self into his Mouth. This is too like the Condition of these Men, whom nothing will Detain, whom no Argument can Persuade from their own Ruin. The old Serpent has caught them with the Enchantment of his Eye, and they are Dancing themselves into his Mouth. The Eternal and Secret Decrees of God are a Precipice enough to turn the Head of an Angel, they Veil their Faces, and Dare not Pry into that Infinite Abiss! Yet Poor Man will not be Content unless he can Fathom it, and will leap into that Gulf, tho' he is sure it must Swallow him. Is there any thing in God, which we Must not, Cannot know? Yes sure, for nothing but Infinite can Comprehend Infinite. And what is that which is Hidden and Inaccessible in God, if not His Eternal and Secret Decrees? And what can follow our Pressing in upon these, but Confusion and Destruction to ourselves? Especially when God has Commanded that we should not Press upon these, Threatened us severely if we do; and has, for an Example to us, poured out His Vengeance, in a Dreadful Manner, upon the Heads of those who would not be Restrained from this Un-warrantable and Presumptuous Curiosity of Prying into His Secrets.  
3. But after all, what is the Ground of these supposed Hidden Decrees of God, with which these Men have so Unmeasurably Perplexed themselves?  
They are all Founded upon the very weak Reasonings of  Men concerning the Foreknowledge of God: Which being Certain and Infallible, Consequently they Argue, that whatever He Foresaw from Eternity, must Necessarily come to Pass That therefore it cannot be left to the Liberty of our will to Act otherwise than Exactly according to what God has Fore-seen, else that it would be in our Power to Defeat God's Foreknowledge, and render it Fallible. Hence they throw off all , and make it Inconsistent with, the Foreknowledge of God. And then again, from the Certainty of God's Foreknowledge, they Infer, that this is Tantamount to a Decree, or that God has from Eternity Decreed all those Events which He Foresaw.  
They say that God is the same from and to Eternity: that all things Past, Present, and To come, are Present with God, who beholds all things with one Intuitive Act; without Succession of Time, which Measures our Actions here Below. And therefore that All God's Decrees are from Eternity: And since He has Decreed the Reprobation of the Wicked, and the Election of the Just, it must follow that He has Decreed it from Eternity. And thence they Infer that such Decrees being already Past, they are Irreversible, and cannot be Altered by any thing that we can do: And therefore that it signifies nothing what we do whether Good or Bad, for that our Sentence is already Pronounced, tho' we know it not.  
That God having Decreed to Love the Elect, He Loves them, tho' in their Grossest Sins: And Hates the Reprobate, because He has so Decreed, tho' in the most Virtuous Actions: That He Loves them never the more for their Good Actions; nor is any whit the more Displeased with the Elect for their Sins.  
Now in Answer to these Fatal and Diabolical Suggestions, I would Recall these Men a little to Consider of their own way of Reasoning. For if there be no Succession of Time in God; that Eternity is but one Enduring Instant; That therefore Past, Present, and To come are all one with God, that All things are Present to Him; than it must follow that Foreknowledge, and Praedestination are words only fitted to our Capacities, who cannot Apprehend Duration without Succession of Time, which Measures all Duration to us. And there being no Past or Future in God, Consequently tho' He Knows all things, yet He Fore-knows nothing; and tho' He has Decreed, yet not Praedecreed, and there is no such thing as Praedestination in God, that is, not Properly, and in the strictness of the thing, tho' the word is used in H. Scripture, as many others are, only to Comply with our Weakness, who could Understand Nothing of God from Words spoke of Him Strictly and Properly according to His Incomprehensible Nature. There are no such Words among Men, or Intelligible to Men. And therefore we must not Argue Strictly and Philosophically from such Words, more than from God's coming down to see whether men's Sins were according to the Cry of them which had gone up to Him, and the like.  
Now there is no Difficulty in God's Knowledge or Decrees, to say that He Knows our Sins, and Decrees Punishment to them, and Happiness to those that are Good. For this is Just, and what every one does Allow. But all the Objection is in the particle Fore or Prae, Foreknowledge or Praedestination, which being considered as Before our Actions, are supposed to lay a Force upon them, and take away the Freedom of our Will.  
But there being no such thing as Fore or After in God, Consequently our whole Reasoning upon them is out of Doors; and all the Dreadful Consequences before Mentioned are only Chimaeras of our own, proceeding all upon awrong Notion of God, while we Endeavour to Measure Him by our short skantling, and Argue from Propertys, which we must Confess that we only Suppose to be in Him; but know, at the same time, that they do not belong to Him.  
If it be said, that we cannot Argue otherwise of these Hidden things of God, which are not Revealed to us.  
I Grant it. But then the right Consequence is that we should let them alone. At least, since we cannot Argue Truly and Properly of them, that we should not draw Concequences as Certain, from Proemises which are altogether Uncertain. And where we Confess that we cannot Argue Right, the best way is not to Argue at all; Especially where we are Forbidden; and the Effects of it are of such Terrible Consequence.  
If any think that I have Criticised too nicely upon Foreknowledge, and Praedestination, let them Consider that I have only Repeated what the Praedestinarians do Urge on their side. They Build upon that Nicety, and thence Infer God's Eternal Decrees: And I have shown, that from the same Nicety, all their Superstructure falls to the Ground, having, by their own Confession, but an Imaginary Foundation.  
Come then let us Speak a little more Plainly. Some cannot Reconcile the Certainty of God's Knowledge, with the Freedom of our Will: For say they, His Knowledge is Determinate, else were it not Certain. And if He knows that I will Determine my Choice to such an Action, then can I not Choose any otherwise; which takes away the Freedom of my Choice.  
I Answer, That if God sees that I will Determine my Choice so or so, and Determine it Freely, than I must Determine it Freely, and not Necessarily, because He sees that I will do it Freely and not Necessarily.  
And His knowing what I do, does no more put any Necessity upon me, than my seeing a Man Walk (supposing the utmost Certainty of my Senses) puts him under a Necessity of Walking. It is true, that if I see him Walk, and my Eyes do not Deceive me, the Consequence is Certain that he does Walk: But none does Infer from hence, that my Seeing takes away the Freedom of his Will, or puts him under any Necessity of Walking.  
God sees every thing Act according to the Nature which He has Given to it. Thus He sees the Sun move, and a Man walk; but He sees the one Move Necessarily and not by Choice, and the other Walk by his own Choice. And the Knowledge of God is Equally Certain in Both Cases, therefore there is no Necessity arises from the Certainty of His Knowledge.  
And now I would Desire these men to Consider the Consequences of their Hypothesis.  
They would put it out of the Power of God to make a Creature, with : which would be to Destroy the most Glorious Part of the Creation; and the most Signal and wonderful Instances of the Power and Wisdom of God, in Governing the Wills of Men, even in their full Freedom. Without this God could have no Reasonable Service paid to Him. There could be no Rewards or Punishments, because no Choice, more than in a stone falling down. No Virtue, no Sin, no Wisdom or Folly amongst Men. Then all the Promises of God, His Threaten, and Exhortations, even the coming of Christ in the Flesh, His Death and Passion were all to no Purpose, were mere Banters upon Mankind, if Man have no Choice, no  to go to the Right hand or to the Left. Have I any Pleasure at all that the Wicked should Die? 
Ezek. xviii. 23. ver. 31.  Saith the Lord God; and not that he should Return from his ways and Live. And why will ye Dye, O House of Israel? Why? Because (they might say, upon this Scheme) you have Decreed us to Die, and we have no Choice no Power to do any otherwise then we do.  
It is as if I should Bind a Man Hand and Foot, Lock him into a House, than set Fire to it; and ask him, Why will you stay there and be Burned? As I Live, I have no Pleasure in your Death, etc. This would be a Mocking and Insulting upon his Misery.  
This would be making God the Author of all the Sin in the World. For where there is no Choice, there can be no Sin. Therefore those Creatures who have no Choice, are Incapable of Sin, as Trees, Stones, Beasts etc.  
And as there could be no Sin against God, so could there be no Offence against Man. No man ought to be Punished for Murder, Theft, Robbery etc. If he be carried to it by a Fatal Necessity, which he cannot Resist. Therefore Men Distracted, or in Fevers, are not Liable to Law, because they are not supposed Capable of the use of their Reason, whereby they may Govern their Choice in their Actions.  
I may Add that there is nothing more Self-Evident, no not the Perception of our outward Senses, than  in Man; who does not Perceive that it is in his Power to do this or that? And all the Repentance and Regret in Man for his Follies, arises from this Consideration, that he might have done otherwise. Without this, there could be no such thing as Repentance; no nor of Council and Advice, or indeed of any Thinking at all. Without this Man could not be a Reasonable Creature: for where there is no Choice, there can be no Reason, at least, no use of our Reason.  
It is Liberty and  which Confounds all those Atheists, who would Reduce Every thing, even God Himself, to mere Matter: For let Matter be Refined as far as Imagination can stretch it, it can never come from under the Laws of Necessity: All its Motions are Perscrib'd, and must proceed Exactly according to its Mechanism, and cannot vary in the least Tittle. But the Freedom of Will to Act this way, or the Contrary, exceeds all Rules of Mechanism; and is an Image of God which cannot be Impressed upon Matter. And when the Devil or Man (by his Instigation) would shroud their Sin under this seeming Necessity, it is to throw it upon God: But their own Consciences fly in their Faces, and tells them that they might have Helped it; and therefore that their Sin lies at their own Door.  
How far any or All of the Errors and Heresies before Mentioned, or what others of the like Nature, did Prevail in the Ancient Ages of the World, of which we have little Account, and before the Flood, we cannot now Determine: But this we may be Assured of, that there were Gross Errors and Heresies amongst them: And that these, as well as those of which we have the Account, were Instigated and Promoted by the Arch-Enemy, who first Tempted Man to Sin, after his own Example; And has, and will to the End of the World Seduce Mankind, as far as in his Power.  
And God has Permitted him Great Power, and Great Success; which will all turn, no Doubt, to the Greater Glory of God in the End, and to the Increase of Endless Happinness to those who are subjected to Great Trials and Tentations, and shall Continue Faithful unto the End.  
God has had His City from the Beginning; and the Devil his Camp, laying Siege to it; and often Wasting, and almost Destroying it; whereby God showed His Almighty Power, and Love to His Church, in His Miraculous Defence of it, amidst so many and Great Dangers.  
Of which this Attempt is Designed by way of a History, Deduced from the Beginning of that first Revolt in Heaven; and the various Successes of the same War carried on upon the Earth ever since the Fatal Seduction of our first Parents in Paradise.  
And the Low Ebb to which the Church was often Reduced, and yet still Delivered, will strengthen our Hearts in those Afflictions and Depressions of this City of God which we see in our times; And not only keep us from Despair, but give us a Lively Hope, Increase our Faith, and stir up our Courage, always to Work and never to Despond, when we know that God is on our side, and that we must Overcome in the End, if we Faint not, and give up the Cause, for want of Trust in God; and Lose both our Labour and Reward.  
Therefore that we may see that Nothing New has befallen Us; Let us look into the Several Ages of the World. Whom find we that walked with God, or fought on his side, but Abel, Seth, Enoch, and Noah before the Flood?  
Then was the whole World Destroyed for its Wickedness except Eight Persons. After the Flood, how soon did Nimrod and the Builders of Babel declare their Pride: And the whole World received this Principle of the Devil, and Governed themselves by it: And the Army of God was confined within the small Family of Abraham.  
And when God had Rescued a Nation to Himself, 
Deut. seven. 7. Psal. Lxxviii. 9 Matt. xxiii. 37.  and given them His Law, they were the Fewest of all People, a Stubborn and stiffnecked Generation, that set not their heart Aright, nor sought after God, they stoned their Prophets and killed those whom God sent to Reclaim them. Till at last God Removed Them too, and Scattered them among the Heathen.  
Then the Devil boasted in his Conquests, and set up his Banners for tokens, he Possessed all the Temples and Thrones in the World; None Appeared against him but a few Heathen Philosophers, who were themselves in half Pay with him, had sucked many of his Principles with their Milk, but yet were assisted by God, and Spoke Noble things in defence of Love, till by it, as by a clue, they discovered God Himself, or found that Love was Almighty, and they made it the first Former of all Things. They battered Pride with mighty Arguments, and brought upon themselves the Rage of the Devil, who kept them Low and Poor and Despised, and Armed Kings and States against them, and Raised many of them to a sort of Martyrdom. Thus Deplorable was the Condition of the World then; a few stifled Embers only left, and all the Torrents of the World, all their Violence let lose upon them, to Quench them.  
It was now time for God Himself to Appear in Defence of His own Cause, which, in the hands of Men, had been Betrayed, Overpowered, Conquered, and only not Entirely Lost.  
And Lo He Comes! a Body is prepared for Him, and God was made Flesh.  
Now let Us seriously attend this Conflict, for never before, nor ever again will two such Combatants enter the Lists. Here is a Creature so Mighty, that he dares contend with God; and here is God humbled into a Man, to subdue that Spirit which had overthrown all Mankind: And Christ grapples with him as a Man, without interposing his Godhead (for that had been not contest) and to show what Man might have done, and may still do.  
I need not here again tell you of the Quarrel, upon which these two Fought: it is the same we have been speaking off, the same that St. Michael Fought before, that is, Pride and Love, which of these is the most Noble and most Mighty.  
Michael defended his Cause well, and was Victorious: but Christ Acted what Michael could not. Since the Devil would not be perswaded by Arguments, Christ here brings him to the Test, to Experiment the Powers of Love, and of Pride. And that with all the Disadvantages Imaginable. Love in its Lowest Condescension; exposed to Pride, Enraged in its Altitude.  
Christ came of Poor Parents, Born in a Stable, not room for him, in a common Inn, he lived Destitute and Forlorn, without a place to lay his head in, worse provided for than Foxes or Birds; he choose poor Men, and unlearned for his followers: He was Despised, Persecuted, Slandared, called a Glutton, and a Drunkard, a Madman, a very Devil. 
Isa. 53.2, 3.  He had neither Form nor Beauty, a Man of Sorrows and acquainted with Griefs, we hide as it were our Faces from Him, He was Despised and Rejected of Men, and they esteemed Him not. His Virtue was Omnibus ornamentis Spoliata, void of all outward Ornaments to Recommend it, according to Plato's Qualification and may be called a Prophecy of the Just one, and of His Passion. His Arms was Blessing and Praying and Instructing; He never used His Power to Hurt any, but to Heal His very Enemies, He went about doing Good to all, and Loved His Enemies more intensely than they could Hate him▪ and tho' they requited Him with Mischief for His , yet He always returned Good to them for their Evil. He came into his own, and His own Received Him not: The only Visible Church He had upon the Earth had taken Arms with the Enemy▪ the Scribes and pharisees were His sorest Prosecutors; the Sanhedim Bought Him, preferred a Thief and a Murderer before Him, and procured His Death with violent outcries; one of His own Diciples Betrayed Him, another Forswore Him, as Forsook Him: He was left to Tread the Winepress alone, exposed single to all the Malice and Scorn of Men and Devils, the Agony of His Soul forcing Him into such an Astonishment and Exceeding Sorrow a was never heard of since the World began; a Bloody Sweat making its passage through Skin and , and falling down in Great Drops upon the Ground; Lastly His Father Himself forsook Him— in His Greatest Extremity, Hanging upon the Cross, twixt two Thiefs, and filled with the Reproaches of all about Him; shaking their Heads, and thrusting out their Tongues at Him; His Father forsook Him! That only could make Him Cry out; yet did not that itself overcome His Love, for He Entirely and willingly submitted Himself. He Bowed his Head, in Obedience, and Gave up the Ghost: He Resigned His Soul into the Hands of His Father who had forsaken Him, trusting in Infinite Love, that it can never fail: and Died praying for His Murderers, showing the transcendence of His Love above their Malice.  
And here behold the Wisdom as well as Goodness of Love! That same Method which Pride and Malice suggested to destroy Christ, that was it which most Advanced the Glory of His Love. And let Us here Adore the Almighty Power of Love, that out of all the Evils Pride was able to Invent could bring such Infinite Good!  
And by the Rule of Contraries, here we may see the Folly as well as the Impotence of Pride!  
When it is arrived at the Full of its own Wishes, that is always its Destruction. For when Love has born all that Pride can do, when it sees it can go no farther, it Returns upon its self with Impatience, and Rage, and Madness.  
When the Devil had nailed Christ to the Cross, he thought himself a Victor; And had been so, if that could have moved Christ to Impatience or Distrust, or if He had withdrawn Himself from His Sufferings, either for the Shame or the Pain; for than His Love had been Conquered, it had fled the Field, not being able to abide the Shock.  
But Christ supported that Trial with a Godlike Patience and Constancy, and His Love Unshaken Remained more than Conqueror. That Old Serpent left his Sting in the Cross, and fled away Disarmed, Ashamed, Confounded! And the Grave of Christ which he thought to have kept shut for ever, was made the Gate to open the Triumphs of Love into Hell; where the Spirits of Pride did Gnash their Teeth, with Unextinguishable Rage, to find that Love was Unconquerable, and that its Lowest Condescensions turn to its Greatest Glory, for what can Conquer that, which has the Virtue to bring Good out of Evil? Thus you see how Christ has spoiled the Principalities and Powers of Pride by the Arms of His Love, and hath made a show of them openly Triumphing over them in His Cross, 
Col. 2.15.  that is, in the Humiliation, which is the Great Power of Love and having loosed the Pains of Death; because it was Possible that He should be holden of it, 
Act. 2.24.  He Arose Gloriously to the Astonishment of His Wretched Guards, and all the Affrighted Legions of Hell:  
Whom He Chained to His Triumphal Chariot, and when He Ascended up on High, He led Captivity Captive, or a Multitude of Captives (as our Margin Reads it) And Gave Gifts unto Men, 
Eph. iv. 8.  Bestowed His Royal Donatives Liberally among His own Soldiers, who had Fought under His Banner, and now Attended on His Triumph, and Shared in the Glory of it.  
Now that He Ascended, what is it but that He also Descended first into the Lower Parts of the Earth? 
Eph. iv. 9  He that Descended, is the same also that Ascended up far above all Heavens, that He might fill all things.  
This shows that the Glory of Love Consists in its Condescensions: And its Glory Rises Proportionably High to the Lowness of its Condesension: Thus the Meanest Condescension Rises to the very Highest Glory: and this Fills, or Fulfils All things. Includes All things; for All things are Contained between the Highest and the Lowest, And this is Fulfilling all Righteousness, all the Dictates or Demands of Love, towards our Righteousness, making us like itself: and this Includes in it the full Goodness and Power of God, that is, the utmost Condescension of Love. So that now we see in Christ all the fullness of the Godhead dwelling Bodily; And we are complete in Him. And from hence let me make the Apostles Inference and Prayer for you, 
Eph. 3.17.  That ye may be Rooted and Grounded in Love, because so, and never otherwise, You will be able to comprehend with all Saints, what is the Breadth, and Length, and Depth, and Height, And to know the Love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that thus ye may be filled with all the fullness of God. Observe how the Inspired Apostle Rejoices even to Ecstasy upon this Subject! The fullness of God, that is, all we or any Creature can hold of Him, consists, in what we Understand of the Nature of Love: And then to our Eternal Comfort, the Love of Christ passes all Knowledge, that is, no Knowledge can comprehend it all, and therefore it can afford still new Matter of Joy and Rapture to all Created Understandings for Ever and Ever. And may not this Contemplation raise us to the Courage of an Apostle? it will certainly, if we let this Good Seed stay in our hearts till it take Root, if we do not choke it with the foolish Principles of Pride, or make it give place to Cares, and Riches, and Pleasures of this Life, it will bring our hearts to the firmness of an Angel, and make Us see nothing that can Terrify Us: We will be ready to join with St. Paul in his holy Exultation and say— Who shall separate Us from the Love of Christ, shall Tribulation, or Distress, or Persecution, or Famine, or Nakedness, or Peril, or Sword? as it is Written for thy sake are we killed, all the day Long, we are counted as Sheep for the Slaughter, nevertheless, in all these things we are more than Conquerors through Him who Loved us; for I am persuaded that neither Death nor Life, nor Angels, nor Principalities, nor Powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor Height, nor Depth, 
Rom. viij. 35.  nor any other Creature shall be able to Separate Us from the Love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  
And now, as a Conclusion to all that has been said we may learn this, that the best Guard we can have against falling into Heresy, is to Watch carefully against all the Inroads and Temptations of Pride; which I have shown to lie at the bottom of all Heresies, as the Source from whence they Spring. It Corrupts the Will, and, by that, Viciates the Understanding, and Inclines them by a strong Byass, to the side of Error, and in Prejudice of the Truth; which is always Founded upon, and Accompanied with the opposite of Pride, that is, Love and Goodness, which is Naturally Productive of a Sweetness and Humility of Temper, that Renders us Docible and Vnprejudiced; without which Truth cannot be Duly Discerned; but is Clouded from Perverse and Obstinate Minds.  
And as the Humility of Love is the best Preservative against Error and Heresy, so is it the surest Defence against most sort of Sins in our Private Conversation; especially it Enables us most Effectually to Perseverance in the Faith, against that Fiery Trial of Persecution, which, in one sort or other, 
2 Tim. 3.12.  comes to most men's share that will live Godly in Christ Jesus.  
But there is an higher Pitch of Perfection even than this: And that which I would raise Men to, and desire to Imitate myself, is that whereof the Daily Exercise and Improvement is, by God's great Mercy and Goodness, afforded to every one of us, which is, not only to bear the Persecution or the Pride of others; which some may do even out of Pride, Obstinacy, or other Vicious Principle: But chief to banish Pride out of yourselves; to look upon the meanest Man in the World as a Member of Christ, and so equal to yourself; And therefore to Condescend to the Lowest Offices that may do him Good, to bear his Infirmities and Injuries with Patience (which is the true Magnanimity) as Christ also did bear ours; And that you think this so far from being Dishonourable, as that you may esteem it the Greatest Glory and Praise of Love, wherein the Happiness of Heaven does consist. And if Angels were thrown out of Heaven for Despising Man, and Christ Died to Redeem Man, and is Himself a Man, and Loves and Values the meanest Man, what is that Man that Despises another!  
And if even in Heaven there was War, and Folly, and Blasphemy among the Angels there, and misunderstanding the Nature of God, how should this make us Patient to one another's Infirmities? How Solicitous and careful to Secure ourselves? How Reasonable will it hence appear to keep a watchful Eye upon the least progress of Pride or Self-conceit, which was Potent to Disturb the Seat of the Blessed, and overthrow Spirits which were Heavenly-Born?  
That therefore you should justly abhor the Pride of this World, to see a Man Despise not only his Inferiors (which was the Sin of Angels) but his Equals and Superiors! To think himself beyond every Man he meets! and that it is below his Greatness (Forsooth) to receive an Injury from any! this is the Character of a Hero, so much courted in Romances and Plays (the Gospel of this World's Honour) a Fool swelled with Pride even to Blasphemy! Is it not Nauseous! to see Him brave Thunder whose Scull is not proof against the sliding of a Tile from a House top! a weak piece of Flesh, whose Foundation is in the Dust, the food of Worms, that is crushed before the Moth! A man that is not able to Encounter a Disease, to hear him Railly against God and to think this either Wit or Courage! that Men of Spirit (as they call themselves) should be fond of a Vice which proceeds Merely from want of Sense! And not rather to follow the Advice and Example of a God, which is, that you would think it your Greatest Honour to become Innocent and Harmless, Loving and free from Pride as little Children are (which is taught in the Gospel for this Day) and that with such Courage, that you would rather Choose to Pluck out your Eyes and Cut off your Hands than to Offend the Least, the most Inconsiderable of Mankind; who are Created by God after His own Image, and are the Price of the Blood of Christ. That you would believe the Argument of Honour to be Decided, which has been Bandied by the Angels of Heaven, and Determined there by God Himself, that it consists in Love, and not in Pride: but more sensibly by the Incarnation and Sufferings of Christ, which makes it as it were Visible to our Eyes.  
That you would therefore suffer yourselves to be persuaded by your own Reason, which will show you the restless Miseries which attend upon Pride, and the Beauties and Great Glory of Love, in the which if ●●u can 〈…〉 selves, you have already tasted of He●●●●, and are Heirs of Immortal Honour. Amen.  
And let this Comfort us in our Faint Long, Languid Attempts, and many Failings in our Spiritual Warfare; And let this silence all our weak Murmur at the Providence of God, which has, for Infinitely wise Ends, not Fathomable by us, Permitted the Fall of Man, and Wars and Divisions upon Earth, since for this End, no Doubt, among many others, He has made known to us, that There was war in Heaven: And that as the Conquest can be only by His Strength and Grace in us, so it will End in Infinite and Eternal Victory and Triumph, to those who Trust wholly in Him, by Faith in Christ Humbled and Crucifi'd for us; and who follow him Manfully to the end of that Race, which He, our Great Prophet and Guide, has not only Pointed out to us, but as our Captain, has Led us, and Run before us, and Fought the same Fight, which He would have us to Fight, and wherein he will Assist us, and Protect us, that the Gates of Hell shall never Prevail against us. And has already, in Our Cause, and in in our Name and Nature Triumphed over every Power of the Enemy, and taken Possession of Heaven for us, as our Head, the Soul and Life of that Body, whereof we are Members.  
And as the Soul does Actuate all the Members of the Body, consequently it must Raise all the Members with the Body. So that all who Partake of the Spirit of Christ, are sure that that Spirit must Raise up their Bodies, as Certainly as it did Raise up the Body of Christ. 
Rom. viij. 9.11.  Now if any Man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His— But if the Spirit of Him who Raised up Jesus from the Dead, dwell in you; He that Raised up Christ from the Dead, shall also Quicken your Mortal Bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you. Amen.  
FINIS.