Creation, wherein there are many Myf teries, able to swallow up any Understanding, but that in which they were firft formed. This muft, be the Chief of the Works of God, the rareft Piece of them all, God to become Man, the Creator of all, to come in the Likeness of a Creature, He by whom all Things were created, and do yet confift, to come in the Likeness of the most wretched of all. Strange, that we do not dwell more, in our Thoughts and Affections, on this Subject: Either we do not believe it, or if we did, we could not but be ravished with Admiration at it. Fobn the beloved Difce le, who was often neareft unto Chrift, dwelt moft upon this, and made it the Subject of his Preaching; that which was from the Beginning, which we bave beard, and feen, and bandled, &c. John i. 1. He speaks of that Mystery, as if he were imbracing Jefus Chrift in his Arms, and holding him out to others, faying, Come and fee. This Divine Myftery, is the Subject of thefe Words read, but the Myfery is fome what unfolded and opened up to you in them, yet fo, as it will not diminish, but increase the Wonder of a believing Soul. It is Ignorance that magnifies other Myfteries, which vilify through Knowledge; but it is the true Knowledge of this Myftery, that makes it the more wonderful; whereas Ignorance only makes it common and defpicable. There are three Things then of fpecial Confideration in the Words, which may declare and open unto you fomething of this Mystery: Fir, What was the Ground and Reafon, or Occafion of the Son's fending into the World; next, What the Son, being fent, did in the World: And the third, For what End and Ufe it was. What Fruit we have by it. The Ground and Reafon of God's fending his Son, is, because there was an Impoffibility upon the Law, to fave Man, which Impoffibility was not the Law's Fault, but Man's Defect, by reafon of the Weakness, and Impotency of our Flesh; to fulfill the Law. Now, God having chofen fome to Life, and Man having put this Obstruction and Impediment in his own Way, which made it impoffible for the Law to give him Life, though it was firft given out as the Way of Life; therefore, that God fhould not fail in his glorious Defign of faving his Chofen, he choofed to fend his own Son, in the Likeness of Flesh, as the only Remedy of the Law's Impoffibility. That which Chrift, being fent into the Likeness of Flesh,did, is the condemning of Sin in the Flefh, by a Sacrifice offered for Sin; even the Sacrifice of his own Body upon the Crofs. He came in the Likeness, not of Flesh fimply, for he was really a Man; but in the Likeness of finful Flefb, though without Sin, yet like a Sinner; as. to the outward Appearance, a Sinner, becaufe fubject to all thefe Infirmities and Miferies, which Sin did first open à Door for. Sin was the Inlet of Afflictions, of bodily Infirmities and, Neceffities, of Death it felf; and when the Floods of thefe did overflow Chrift's Humane Na ture, it was a great Prefumption to the World, who look and judge according to the outward Appearance, that Sin was theSluice opened to let in fuch an Inundation of Calamity. Now he being thus in the Likeness of a Sinner,though not a Sinnes, he, for Sin, that is, because of Sin that had entered upon Man, and made Life impoffible to him by the Law; by Occafion of that great Enemy of God which had conquered Mankind, he condemned Sin in bis Flefb, he over threw is in its Flea and Power against a us. us; he condemned that which condemned us, overcame it in Judgment, and made us free, by fuftaining the Curfe of it in his Flesh, he cut off all its Plea a gainft us. This is the great Work and Business, which was worthy of fo noble a Messenger, his own Son, fent to conquer his greateft, Enemy that he hates moft. And then in the third Place, You see what Benefit or Fruit redounds to us by it What was the End and Purpose of it? Verfe 4. That the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us; that feeing it was impoffible for us to fulfill the Righ teousness of the Law, and fo became impoffible to the Law, to fulfill our Reward of Life; it might be fulfilled by him in our Name, and fo the Righteoufnefs of the Law being fulfilled in us by Chrift, the Reward alfo of eternal Life might be fulfilled by the Law to us; he having removed the Impediment of our Weakness, it might be not only poffible, but certain to us. You would confider then, the Reason of Chrift's coming. God made at firft a Covenant with Man, promifing him Life, upon perfect Obedience to his Law; and threatning Death and Damnation upon the Tranfgreffion thereof. You fee then, what was the Way of Life to Adam in the State of Innocency, he was made able to fatisfy the Law with Obedience, and the Law was abundantly able to fatisfy him, by giving Life unto him; God's 1mage upon Man's Soul inftructed him fuffi ciently for the one, and the Lord's Promife made to him, was as fufficient to accomplish the other; fo that there was no Impoffibility then upon the Law, by Reafon of the Strength which God gave Man. But, it continued not long fo, Sin enter ing upon Man, utterly disabled him, and because the Strength of that Covenant confifted in that mutual and joint Concur rence of God's Promife and Mans Obe dience, this being broken, the one Party falling off, that Life and Salvation becomes impoffible to the Promise atone, to perform. It is Sin that is the Weaknefs and Impotency of Man; this is the Difeafe hath confumed his Strength, and concluded Man under a two fold Impor tibility; an Impoffibility to fatisfy the Curfe and an Impoffibility to obey the Command. There are three Things in the Covenant of Works, A Command of Obedience, and a Threatning of Wrath and Condemna tion upon Difobedience, and a Promise of Life upon Obedience; Sin hath disabled us every Way, in Relation to the Curfe and Threatning. Man cannot fatisfy it, no Price, no Ranfom found fufficient for the Soul, for the Redmption of it is precious, and ceafetb for ever; that Curfe hath infinite Wrath in it, which must needs fwallow up finite Man. And then in Re lation to the Command, there is fuch a Diminution of all the Powers of the Soul, fuch a Corruption ad Defilement by Rea fon of the first Sin, that wherein Man's Strength lay, which was God's Image, is cut off, and fpoiled; fo that henceforth it is become impoffible to yield any ac ceptable Obedience to the Commandment: And hence it is, from our Impof libility to obey in Time to come,that there is a holy and faultlefs Impoffibility upon the Promife, to give Life unto Mankind; fo you fee that the Law cannot do it, be caufe of our Weakness. If either Man, while he was made upright,had continued in Obedience, or Man now fallen from Uprightness, could fatisfy for the Fault done, and walk without any Blemish in Time coming, then it were feasible for the Law to give Life to us; but the one was not done, and the other now cannot de done'; D d 2 own Delivery; and fancying a Probabili→ ty, yea, a Certainty of that which is so impoffible, that is, an attaining of Life by our felves, according to the Law and firft Covenant of Works. Though our Strength be gone, yet, like Sampson, Men rife up and think to walk and roufe up themselves, as in former Tunes, as if their Strength were yet in them, and many never perceive that it is gone, till they be laid hold on by Satan, according to the Law's Injunction, and bound into Chains of everlafting Darkness; but then alas, tis too late, for they cannot fave themselves, and the Seafon of a Saviour is gone; and this, no doubt, will be the Acceffion of the Bitternefs and Torment that damned Souls fhall be into, that they dreamed of attaining Life by a Law, that now is nothing but a Miniftration of Death; that they loft Life by feeking their own Righteoufnefs; and made the Law more able to condemn them, by their appre hending in themselves an Ability to fatisfy it, and by refting in a Form of Obedience to it. There is fomething natural in it. Adam and all his Pofterity was once to be faved this Way, fo the Terms run at firft, Do this and live; no wonder that something of that Impreffion be retained, but that which was a vertue in Adam, while he retained Integrity, and fulfilled his Duty, is a mighty Fault, and presumptuous Madness in us, who have fallen from that bleffed Eftate. If Man, doing his Duty, expected a Reward, according to the Pro and fo the Impoffibility of Life by Works, is refounded upon our felves, who would not when we could, and now neither will nor can obey. Thus we may fee clearly, that all Mankind must needs perish, for any Thing that Man can do; and according to that firft Transaction of God with Man, unless fome other Way and Device be found out,which indeed was far from the Eyes of all living, without the Reach of their Invention or Imagination. I believe, if all the Creatures higher or lower, that have any Reafon, had conveened to confult of this Business, how to repair that Breach made in the Creation, by Man's Sin, they might have vexed their Brains, and racked their Inventions unto all Eternity, and yet never have fallen upon any probable Way of making up this Breach they might have taken up a Lamentation, not as the Bemoaners of Babyton's Ruine, we would have healed thee, and thou would not; but rather thus, we would heal thee, but we could not, and thou wouldst not. This Defign, which is here mentioned of repairing the Breach, by deftroying that which made it, Sin; it lay hid in the Depth of God's Wisdom, till it pleased himself to vent and publish it unto poor forlorn and defperate Man, who, out of Defpair of Recovery,had run away to hide himself; a poor Shift indeed, for him to think that he could hide himself from him to whom Darkness is as Light, and to flee from him whofe Kingdom is over all, and who is prefent in all the Corners of his univerfal King-mife, it was commendable; butfor Man, dom; in Hell, in Heaven, in the utmoft now rebellious and ftubborn, and come Corners of the Earth: But this filly bort of the Glory of God, to look for Invention fhews how hopeless the Cafe a Reward from God, againft whom he wareth continually, and that for Rebellion and Enmity, it is damnable. But befides this, I think this Principle of Selfrighteoufnefs is much corrupted in Mant was. Though this be the Cafe and Condition of Man by Nature, yet ftrange it is, to fee every Man by Nature attempting his now, < ignorant of that large glorious Robe of But as the Impoffibility of the Law's fav- now, by what it was in Adam; I con- this Want. As the Son fhould not have . the on of Sin and Mifery, Men ought to come of the Law, that will eternally ruine you; to Chrift; we thall not fet or prescribe and therefore, you see the Punishment is any Measure of Conviction to exclude lengthned throughout Eternity, to them you, if you can but come to him indeed, who have this to undergo alone. Go upon the leaft Measure of it, you will not then, and firft fuffer the eternal Wrath be caft out, according to his own Word of an infinite God, and then come and ofbut as certain it is, that Men will not fer Obedience if thou can. But now, come to this Physician, till they find no thou art in a double Error, both of which other can fave them. These two Things, are damnable; One is, thou thinks thou I wish, were deeply and feriously thought art able by Confideration, and Refolution, upon, that you cannot fatisfy God's Juftice, to perform fome acceptable Obedience for the leaft Point of Guilt, and then, to God; another, that Performance of that you cannot do any Thing in Obedi- Obedience, and amending in Time comence to please God. There is a ftrange ing, will expiate former Tranfgreffions. Inconfideration; yet, I may fay, Ignorance If either of thefe were true, Chrift needed among us, when you are challenged and now to have come in the Likeness of finconvinced of Sin, (as there is no Con-ful Flefb, because it had been poffible for fcience fo benum'd, but in fome meafure the Law to fave thee. But now, it accufeth every Man of many Wrongs) Truth is, fuch is the utter Disability and what is the Courfe you fall on, to paci- Impotency of Man through Sin, that he fy it, or please God? Indeed if you can can neither will nor do the leaft Good, get any Shadow of Repentance, if it were truly good and pleasant to God; his but a bare Acknowledgment of the Fault, Nature and Perfon being defiled, all he you excufe your felves in your own Con- doth is unclean. And then, fuppofe that fciences, and anfwer the Accufation, by it were poffible, that Man could do any it; either fome other good Works former Thing in Obedience to his Commands, yet ly done occurr to you, or fome Refo- it being unquestionable, that all have finlution for Amendment in Time coming; ned, Satisfaction must fire be made to and this you think fhall pacify God, and God's Threatning, Thou fbalt die, be fatisfy Juftice: But alas, you are far fore Obedience be acceptable, and that 'from the Righteousness of God, and you is impoffible too. This then, I leave do err even in the very Foundation of upon your Confciences, befeeching you Religion; these are but Sparks of your to lay to Heart, the Impoffibility you are own kindling, and for all these, you fball encompaffed with on both Hands; Jufly down in Darkness and Sorrow; thefe tice requiring a Ranfom, and you have are but the vain Expiations and Excuses of none, and Justice requiring new Obedinatural Confciences, which are led to ence again, and you can give none; old fome Senfe of a Deity, by the Law writ- Debts urging you, and new Duty preften in their Heart. But, confider this fing you, and ye alike difabled for both; once, you must first fatisfy the Curfe of that fo finding your felves thus invironed the Law, which you are under, before you with Indigency and Impoffibility within, can be in any Capacity to please him, by you may be constrained to flee out of your new Obedience: Now, if you should un- felves, unto him that is both able and dertake to pay for your former Breaches willing. This is not a fuperficial Bufmefs, |