provoked. Can any Good come out of Nazareth, that was a Proverb concern ing him. But I think in fome Senfe it might be faid, can any Good come down from Heaven, from his holy Habitation to this accurfed Earth? Could any Thing be expected from Heaven, but Wrath and Vengeance? And if no Good could be expected that Way, what Way could it come? Sure if not from Heaven, then from no Art: Yet from Heaven our Help is come, from whence it could not be looked for, even from him who was offended, and his Juftice engaged against Man, that he might both fatisfy Juftice and fave Man, that he might not wrong himfef nor destroy Man utterly, he fends his only begotten Son, equal with him felf in Majefty and Glory into the World in the State of a Servant, to accomplish Man's Salvation, and perform to him Satisfaction. Therefore Chrift came-into the World to fave Sinners.

There were two grand Impediments in the Way of Man's Salvation, which made it impoffible to Man; one is God's Juftice, another is Man's Sin: Thefe two behooved to be fausfied or removed, e're there can be Accels to fave a Sinner. The Sentence of Diviae Juftice is pronounced against all Mankind. Death paft on all. A Sentence of Death and Condemnation: Now, when the Righteoufnels and Faithfulness of God is engaged into this, how ftrong a Party do you think that muft be? What Power can break that Prison of a Divine Curfe, and take out a Sinner from under Juftice Hand? Certainly, there is no coming out all the uttermoft Farthing be paid that was owing, till compleat Satisfacti on be given to all Wrongs. Now, truly, the Redemption of the Soul had ceafed for ever (it's fo precious that no Creature

can give any Thing in Exchange for it) except Jefus Chrift had come into the World, one that might be able to tread that Wine-prefs of Wrath alone, and give his Life a Ranfom, in Value far above the Soul, and pay the Debt of Sin that we were owing to God, And, indeed, he was furnished for this Purpose, a Perfon fuited and fiued tor fuch a Work. A Man to undertake it in our Name, and God to perfom it in his own Strength. A Man, that he might be made under the Law, and be humbled even to the Death of the Cross, that fo he might obey the Commandment, and suffer the Punishment due to us, and all this was elevated beyond the worth of created Actions, or fufferings by that Divine Nature. This perfumed all his Humanity, and all done by it, or in it; this put the Stamp of Divinity upon all, and impofed an infinite Va Jue upon the Coin of finite Obedience and Sufferings; And fo in his own Perfon, by coming into the World, and ac ing and fuffering in the place of Sinners, he hath taken the first great Impediment out of the Way; taken down the high Wall of Divine Juftice which had enclosed round about the Sinner, and satisfied all its Demands by paying the Price; fo that there is nothing upon God's Part to accufe or condemn, to binder or obftruct Salvation..

But then there is an inner Wall, or dark Dungeon of Sin, into which the Sinner is shut up, and reserved in Chains of his own Lufts, until the Time of everlafting Darkness, and when Heaven is opened by Chrift's Death, yet this keeps a Sinner from entring in. Therefore Jefus Chrift, who came himself into the World to satisfie Justice, and remove its Plea, that there might be no Obstruction from that Airt, be fends out his powerful

Spirit

accept it, if you believed that it were true and faithful. I find one of thefe two the great Obstruction in the Way of Souls receiving Advantage by fuch glad Tidings; either the abfolute Neceffity and Excellen

Spirit with the Word, to deliver poor cap-
tive Sinners, to break down the Wall of
Ignorance and Blindnefs, to caft down
the high Tower of Wickednefs and En
mity againft God, to take captive and
chain our Lufts, that kept us in Bondage:cy of the Gospel is not confidered, or the
And, as he made Heaven acceffible by Truth and Reality of it is not believed,
his own perfonal Obedience and Suffer- Men either do not behold the Beauty of
ings, fo he makes Sinners ready and free Goodness in it, or do not fee the Light of
to enter into that Salvation by his Spirit's Truth in it; either there is nothing dif
.. working in their Perfons. In the one, he covered to engage their Affections, or
bad God, as it were, his Party, and him nothing feen to perfwade their Under-
be hath fatisfied fo far, that there was a ftandings. Therefore the Apoftle founds:
Voice came from Heaven to teftifie it, a Trumpet, as it were, in the Entry, be-
This is my beloved Son in whom I am fore the Publication of thefe glad News,
well pleased, and therefore, in Tefti- and commends this unto all Men as a true
mony of it, God raised him from the and faithful Saying, and as worthy of all
Dead. In the other, he hath Satan and Acceptation. There is here the higheft
Man's wicked Nature as his Party, and Truth and Certainty to fatisfy the Mind,
thefe he muft conquer and fubdue; thefe it's a faithful Saying; and there is here
he muft overcome, ere we can be faved; alfo the chiefeft Good to fatiate the Heart,
a frange Bufinefs indeed, and a great it's worthy of all Acceptation. Now,
Work, to bring fuch two oppofite and dif if you do really apprehend your loft and
tant Parties together, a holy and juft God, miferable Eftate, you cannot but behold
and a finful and rebellious Creature, and that ravishing Goodness in it; and behold
to take them both as Parties, that he might that you cannot, till you fee the other firft:
reconcile both.
Whence is it, I pray you, that fo many
Souls are never firred with the Propofi
tion of fuch Things in the Gospel, that the
Riches and Beauty of Salvation in Jefus
Chrift doth not once move them? Is it
not becaufe there is no lively Apprehenfi-
on of their Mifery without him?

Now, What do you think of this, my Beloved, That fuch a glorious Perfon is come down from Heaven, for fuch a Work as the Salvation of Sinners? I put no Doubt, it would be moft acceptable anto you, if you knew your Misery,, and knowing your Milery you could not but

SER

SERMON I.

Romans VIII.

1. There is therefore now no I. C012demnation to them which are in Chrift Fefus, who walk not after the Flefb, but after the Spirit.

T

HERE are three Things | upon, amongst the greatest Miseries of
which concur to make
Man miferable; Sin,
Condemnation, and Af
Aiction: Every one may
obferve, that Man is

Men, as Vanity in themselves, and Vexation, both in the injoying and lofing of them: But, alas! they knew not the Fountain of all this Mifery, Sin; and the Accomplishment of this Mifery, Condemborn unto Trouble, as the Sparks flienation. They thought Trouble came upward; that his Days here are few out of the Ground and Duft, either by and evil, be poffefes Months of Vanity, a natural Neceflity, or by Chance; but, and wearifome Nights are appointed the Word of God difcovereth unto us for bim, Job v. 6, 7. and vii. 3. He the Ground of it, and the End of it: The is of few Days, and full of Trouble, Ground and Beginning of it was Man's Job xiv. 1. Heathens have had many Me- Defection from God, and walking acditations of the Mifery of Man's Life; cording to the Flesh; and from this Head and in this have out-ftript the moft Part have all the Calamities and Streams of of Chriftians. We recount, amongst our Miseries in the World iffued; it hath not Miseries, only fome Afflictions and only redounded to Men, but even to the Troubles, as Poverty, Sicknefs, Re- whole Creation, and fubjected it to Vanity, proach, Banishment, and fuch like: They Ver. 20. of this Chap: Not only fhalt again have numbred even thefe natural thou, O Man (faith the Lord to Adam) Neceffities of Men amongst his Miseries, eat thy Meat in Sorrow, but thy Curfe is to be continually turned about, in fuch a upon the Ground alfo, and thou who Circle of Eating, Drinking, and Sleeping: was immortal, fhalt return to that Duft What Burden thould it be to an immortal which thou magnified above thy Soul,Gen. Spirit to roll about perpetually that Wheel? iii. 17. But the End of it is fuitable We make more of the Body than of the to the Beginning; the Beginning had all the Soul: They have accounted this Body Evil of Sin in it, and the End hath all the 2 Burden to the Soul; they placed Evil of Punishment in it. Thefe Streams Profperity, Honour, Pleafure, and fuch of this Life's Mifery, they run into an inThings, which Men pour out their Souls finite, boundless, and bottomlefs Ocean of

.

eternal Wrath. If thou live according the work together for the Good of thofe that Flesh, thou fhalt die : It is not only Death love God, Ver. 28. So then we have here, but eternal Death after this. The a most compleat Deliverance in extent, Miseries then of this prefent Life, are not but not in degrees: Sin remains in us, a proportionable Punishment of Sin; they but not in Dominion and Power: Wrath are but an Earneft given of that great fometimes kindles becaufe of Sin, but it Sum, which is to be payed in the Day of cannot increafe to everlafting Burnings. Accounts; and that is Condemnation, Afflictions and Miferies may change their everlasting Destruction from the Prefence Name, and be called Inftructions and of the Lord and the Glory of his Power. Trials, Good and not Evil: But Chrift Now as the Law difcovers the perfect hath referved the full and perfect Delive Mifery of Mankind, fo the Gofpel hath ry till another Day, which is therefore brought to Light a perfect Remedy of all called the Day of compleat Redempti this Mifery. Jefus Chrift was manifeft-on, and then all Sin, all Wrath, all Mifery ed to take away Sin, and therefore his fhall have an End, and le Swallowed up Name is Jefus, for he shall fave bis of Life and Immortality, Ver. 23. People from their Sins. This is the Lamb of God that takes away the Sins of the World. Fudgment was by one unto Condemnation of all, but now there is no Condemnation to them that are in Chrift Fefus; to these two Evils are removed, which indeed have all Evil in them. He takes away the Curfe of the Law, being made under it; and then he takes away the Sin against the Law by his Holy Spirit. He hath a twofold Verzue, for he came by Blood and Water, John v. 6. 7. by Blood, to cleanfe away the Guilt of Sin; and by Water, to purifie us from Sin it felf. But in the mean Time, there are many Afflictions and Miferies upon us, common to Men: Why are not these removed by Chrift? I fay, the Evil of them is taken away, tho' themselves remain. Death is not taken away, but the Sting of Death is removed. Death, Afflictions, and all are overcome by Jefus Chrift, and fo made his Servants to do us good: The Evil of them is God's Wrath and Sin, and thefe are removed by Jefus Chrift. Now they would be taken away indeed, if it were o good they remained, for all Things

This is the Sum of the Gofpel; and this is the Subftance of this Chapter. There is a threefold Confolation anfwer able to our three-fold Evils: There is no Condemnation to thofe that are in Cbrift. Here is a bleffed Meffage to condemned loft Sinners, who have that Sentence within their Breafts, Ver. 1. This was the End of Chrift's coming and dying, that he might deliver us from Sin as well as Death, and the Righteousness. of the Law might be fulfilled in us; and therefore he hath given the Holy Spirit, and dwels in us by the Spirit, to quicken us who are dead in Sins and Trespas fes. O! what Confolation will this be to Souls, that look upon the Body of Death within them, as the greatest Mi fery, and do groan with Paul, O miferable Man that I am, &c. Rom. vii. 24. This is held forth to Ver. 17. But because there are many Grounds of Heavinefs and Sadness in this World, there fore the Gofpel oppofes unto all thefe, both our Expectation which we have of that bleffed Hope to come, whereof we are fo fure, that nothing can fruftrate us of it, and alfo the Help we get in the mean