Page:A Compendium of the Chief Doctrines of the True Christian Religion.djvu/130

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A COMPENDIUM OF THE

letter being made perfectly correspondent with it's divine spirit.

Henceforth, therefore, no other miracle is required in the church, than the opening of the eyes of the understanding, the renovation of the heart and affections, a conformity of the life to the holy and divine precepts of the Word, and the actual descent of the New Jerusalem from heaven to earth. Effects like these, wheresoever or with whomsoever they take place, are truly miraculous, because they are supernatural, and plainly bespeak a divine power, which is alone capable of producing them.

XLIII. The Laws of Divine Order, by which all the Divine Operations are conducted.

NOTHING is more important for man to know, than that all the divine operations towards him are under the regulation of laws, which can never be transgressed. For otherwise he might imagine, that the divine mercy being infinite, and the divine power unlimited, whatsoever the Supreme Being might will, his omnipotence can effect, without any regard to the fitness or unfitness of the subject, in and towards whom he would display them. And hence too many have concluded, that as his love wills the salvation of all his creatures, and his wisdom knows how to accomplish it, therefore his omnipotence is engaged to complete the work, if not at one period, yet at another; if not in this life, yet in some future stage of existence, when evil itself shall be abolished, and every intelligent being made completely happy.

Again, there are others, who, in like manner believing God to be omnipotent, according to the vulgar notion of omnipotence, and yet reading in the