The wisdom and goodness of God in the formation of man : Being an anniversary sermon preached before the Royal College of Physicians, London, in the Church of St. Mary Le-Bow, on September 21st, 1751. According to the institution of Dr. Croun, and his widow the Lady Sadlier / By Stephen Hales.

  • Stephen Hales
Date:
1751
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The wisdom and goodness of God in the formation of man : Being an anniversary sermon preached before the Royal College of Physicians, London, in the Church of St. Mary Le-Bow, on September 21st, 1751. According to the institution of Dr. Croun, and his widow the Lady Sadlier / By Stephen Hales. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Ih] tgr-eateft Infclence for the Creature to rebel againd his Creator; who can as eafily reduce him to his primitive, Nothing, as he at firft created him. i i ; God as Creator of Mankind, has the mod fatherly Tenders ;nefs for him. I will not contend for ever, neither will I he always Wrath, faith the Lord; for the Spirit fhouldfail before me, and the Souls which I have made, Ifa, lvii. 16. * His loving Kindnefs, as the Pfalmid elegantly expreffes it, is fetter than Life itfelf] Pfal. lxiii. 3. And his tender Compaffion •for us, far exceeds that of Parents to their Children, as God himfelf emphatically allures us by the Mouth of his Prophet. Can a Woman forget her fucking Child, that fhe Jhould not have Compaffion on the Son of her Womb, yea they may forget, yet will I not forget thee;.behold I have graven thee upGn the Palms of > my Hands, ifai. xlix. 15, 16. And in another Place. How Jhall I give thee up Ephraim.? how fhall Ifet thee as Zeboim, mine. Heart is turned within me, my Repent ings are kindled together• I will not execute the Fiercenefs of mine Anger, I will not return to deflroy Ephraim, for I afn God and not Man, Hof. xi. 8, 9. But when Men harden thernfelves in Wickednefs, when Men defpife the Riches of his Goodnefs, Patience, and long Suffering, who mod tenderly invites them to Repentance, then God becomes a fevere, and inexorable Judge, he then no longer looks on them as his 'Creatures but his Enemies. How great is the Ingratitude to offend that kind and benefi¬ cent Being, who, without any feliilh Views, has created and formed us out of nothing, to be Partakers of much Happinefs here in this Life, and that unfpeakable and eternal in the Life to come. It were the Excels of Folly to flight and difobey thole Laws, which God has gracioufly given us, purely for our own Good, in order to exalt our Nature, and to endow us with thofe , virtuous Difpofitions, which are in their own Nature neceffary to capacitate us for the Enjoyment of the exalted Happinefs of $ future State. Are we then thus happily placed in a progreflive State of exalting our Nature, and being dill happier and happier -to all Eternity ? And {hall we negledl to make a right Ufe of ithis mod important and definable Situation, in which our merci¬ ful Creator has placed us. Who is withal eyer willing and ready, .. ‘ ' ' . * dill