CHAPTER XVII.

Other Evidences of Divine Wisdom in the Contrivance of the Work of Redemption in and by the Person of Christ, in Effects Evidencing a Condecency thereunto

That which remains of our present inquiry, is concerning those evidences of divine condecency, or suitableness unto infinite wisdom and goodness, which we may gather from the nature of this work, and its effects as expressed in divine revelation. Some few instances hereof I shall choose out from amongst many that might be insisted on.

1. Man was made to serve God in all things. In his person-in his soul and body—in all his faculties, powers, and senses--in all that was given unto him or intrusted with him-he was not his own, but every way a servant, in all that he was, in all that he had, in all that he did or was to do. This he was made for this state and condițion was necessary unto him as a creature. It could be no otherwise with any that was so; it was so with the angels, who were greater in dignity and power than man. The very name of creature includes the condition of universal subjection and service unto the Creator. This condition, in and by his sin, Adam designed to desert and to free him self from. He would exalt himself out of the state of service and obedience absolute and universal, into a condition of self-sufficiencyof domination and rule. He would be as God, like unto God; that is, subject no more to him, be in no more dependence on him—but advance his own will above the will of God. And there is somewhat of this in every sin;—the sinner would advance his own will in oppoșition unto and above the will of God. But what was the event heredf? Man, by endeavouring to free himself from absolute subjection and universal service, to invade absolute dominion, fell into absolute and eternal ruin.

For our recovery out of this state and condition, considering how we cast ourselves into it, the way insisted on was found out by divine wisdom-namely, the incarnation of the Son of God; for he was Lord of all, had absolute dominion over all, owed no service, no obe dience for himself being in the form of God, and equal unto him. From this state of absolute dominion he descended into a condition of absolute service. As Adam sinned and fell by leaving that state of absolute service which was due unto him, proper unto his nature, inseparable from it,-to attempt a state of absolute dominion which was not his own, not due unto him, not consistent with his nature; so the Son of God, being made the second Adam, relieved us by descending from a state of absolute dominion, which was his owndue to his nature—to take on him a state of absolute service, which

was not his own, nor due unto him. And this being inconsistent with his own divine nature, he performed it by taking our nature on him-making it his own. He descended as much beneath himself in his self-humiliation, as Adam designed to ascend above himself in his pride and self-exaltation.

The consideration of the divine grace and wisdom herein the apostle proposeth unto us, Phil. ii. 6-8, “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God; but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." Adam being in the form—that is, the state and condition-of a servant, did by robbery attempt to take upon him the "form of God," or to make himself equal unto him. The Lord Christ being in the "form of God"—that is, his essential form, of the same nature with him-accounted it no robbery to be in the state and condition of God, to be "equal to him;" but being made in the "fashion of a man," taking on him our nature, he also submitted unto the form or the state and condition of a servant therein. He hiad dominion over all, owed service and obedience unto none, being in the "form of God," and equal unto him-the condition which Adam caspired unto; but he condescended unto a state of absolute subjection and service for our recovery. This did no more belong unto him on his own account, than it belonged unto Adam to be like unto God, or equal to him. Wherefore it is said that he humbled himself unto it, as Adam would have exalted himself unto a state of dignity which was not his due.

This submission of the Son of God unto an estate of absolute and universal service is declared by the apostle, Heb. x. 5. For those words of the Psalmist, "Mine ears hast thou digged," or bored, Ps. xl. 6, he renders, "A body hast thou prepared me." There is an ›allusion in the words of the prophecy unto him under the law who gave up himself in absolute and perpetual service; in sign whereof his ears were bored with an awl. So the body of Christ was prepared for him, that therein he might be in a state of absolute service unto God. So he became to have nothing of his own-the original state that Adam would have forsaken; no, not [even] his life-he was obedient unto the death.

This way did divine wisdom find out and contrive, whereby more glory did arise unto the holiness and righteousness of God from his condescension unto universal service and obedience who was over all, God blessed for ever, than dishonour was cast upon them by the selfexaltation of him who, being in all things a servant, designed to be like unto God.

2. Adam was poor in himself, as a creature must be. What riches he had in his hand or power, they were none of his own, they were only trusted with him for especial service. In this state of poverty he commits the robbery of attempting to be like unto God. Being poor, he would make himself rich by the rapine of an equality with God. This brought on him and us all, as it was meet it should, the loss of all that we were intrusted with. Hereby we lost the image of God—lost our right unto the creatures here below-lost ourselves and our souls. This was the issue of his attempt to be rich when he was poor. In this state infinite wisdom hath provided for our relief, unto the glory of God. For the Lord Jesus Christ being rich in himself, for our sakes he became poor, that we through his poverty might be rich, 2 Cor. viii. 9. He was rich in that riches which Adam designed by robbery; for "he was in the form of God, and accounted it no robbery to be equal with God." But he made himself poor for our sakes, with poverty which Adam would have relinquished; yea, to that degree that "he had not where to lay his head"-he had nothing. Hereby he made a compensation for what he never made spoil of or paid what he never took. In this condescension of his, out of grace and love to mankind, was God more glorified than he was dishonoured in the sinful exaltation of Adam out of pride and self-love.

3. The sin of man consisted formally in disobedience; and it was the disobedience of him who was every way and in all things obligedl unto obedience. For man-by all that he was, by all that he hadl received, by all that he expected or was farther capable of, by the constitution of his own nature, by the nature and authority of God, with his relation thereunto-was indispensably obliged unto universal obedience. His sin, therefore, was the disobedience of him who was absolutely obliged unto obedience by the very constitution of his being and necessary relation unto God. This was that which rendered it so exceeding sinful, and the consequents of it eternally miserable; and from this obligation his sin, in any one instance, was a total renunciation of all obedience unto God.

The recompense, with respect unto the glory of God, for disobedience must be by obedience, as hath been before declared. And if there be not a full obedience yielded unto the law of God in that nature that sinned, man cannot be saved without an eternal violation of the glory of God therein. But the disobedience of him who was every way obliged unto obedience could not be compensated but by his obedience who was no way obliged thereunto; and this could be only the obedience of him that is God, (for all creatures are obliged to obedience for themselves,) and it could be performed only by him who was man. Wherefore, for the accomplishment of this obedience, he who, in his own person as God, was above the law, was in his

human nature, in his own person as man, made under the law. Had he not been made under the law, what he did could not have been obedience; and had he not been in himself above the law, his obedience could not have been beneficial unto us. The sin of Adam (and the same is in the nature of every sin) consisted in this—that he who was naturally every way under the law, and subject unto it, would be every way above the law, and no way obliged by it. Wherefore it was taken away, unto the glory of God, by his obedience, who being in himself above the law, no way subject unto it, yet submitted, humbled himself, to be "made under the law," to be every way obliged by it. See Gal. iii. 13, iv. 4. This is the subject of the discourse of the apostle, Rom. v., from verse 12 to the end of the chapter.

Unto the glory of God in all these ends, the person of Christ, as an effect of infinite wisdom, was meet and able to be a mediator and undertaker between God and man. In the union of both our natures in the same person, he was so meet by his relation unto both ;-unto God by filiation, or sonship; unto us by brotherhood, or nearness of kindred, Heb. ii. 14. And he was able from the dignity of his person; for the temporary sufferings of him who was eternal were a full compensation for the eternal sufferings of them who were temporary. 4. God made man the lord of all things here below. He was, as

it were, the heir of God, as unto the inheritance of this world in present, and as unto a blessed state in eternal glory. But he lost all right and title hereunto by sin. He made forfeiture of the whole by the law of tenure whereby he held it, and God took the forfeiture. Wherefore he designs a new heir of all, and vests the whole inheritance of heaven and earth in him, even in his Son. He appointed him "the heir of all things," Heb. i. 2. This translation of God's inheritance the apostle declares, Heb. ii. 6-9; for the words which he cites from Ps. viii. 4-6,-" What is man, that thou art mindful of him, and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet,❞—do declare the original condition of mankind in general. But man forfeited the dominion and inheritance that he was intrusted withal; and God settleth it anew, solely in the man Christ Jesus. So the apostle adds, "We see not yet all things put under him;" but we see it all accomplished in Jesus, verse 8. But as all other inheritances do descend with theirs, so did this unto him with its burden. There was a great debt upon it-the debt of sin. This he was to undergo, to make payment of, or satisfaction for, or he could not rightly enter upon the inheritance. This could no otherwise be done but by his suffering in our nature, as hath been declared. He who was the heir of all, was 14

VOL. I.

in himself to purge our sins. Herein did the infinite wisdom of God manifest itself, in that he conveyed the inheritance of all things unto him who was meet and able so to enter upon it, so to enjoy and possess it, as that no detriment or damage might arise unto the riches, the revenue, the glory of God, from the waste made by the former possessor.

5. Mankind was to be recovered unto faith and trust in God, as also unto the love of him above all. All these things had utterly forsaken our nature; and the reduction of them into it is a work of the greatest difficulty. We had so provoked God, he had given such evidences of his wrath and displeasure against us, and our minds thereon were so alienated from him, as we stood in need of the strongest motives and highest encouragements once to attempt to return unto him, so as to place all our faith and trust in him, and all our love upon him.

Sinners generally live in a neglect and contempt of God, in an enmity against him; but whenever they are convinced of a necessity to endeavour a return unto him, the first thing they have to conflict withal is fear. Beginning to understand who and what he is, as also how things stand between him and them, they are afraid to have anything to do with him, and judge it impossible that they should find acceptance with him. This was the sense that Adam himself had upon his sin, when he was afraid, and hid himself. And the sense of other sinners is frequently expressed unto the same purpose in Scripture. See Isa. xxxiii. 14; Micah vi. 6, 7.

All these discouragements are absolutely provided against in that way of our recovery which infinite wisdom hath found out. It were a thing delightful to dwell on the securities given us therein, as unt our acceptance, in all those principles, acts, and duties wherein the renovation of the image of God doth consist. I must contract my meditations, and shall therefore instance in some few things only unto that purpose.

(1.) Faith is not capable of greater encouragement or confirmation than lieth in this one consideration-that what we are to believe unto this end is delivered unto us by God himself in our nature. What could confirm our faith and hope in God, what could encourage us to expect acceptance with God, like this ineffable testimony of his goodwill unto us? The nature of things is not capable of greater assurance, seeing the divine nature is capable of no greater condescension. This the Scripture proposeth as that which gives a just expectation that, against all fears and oppositions, we should close with divine calls and invitations to return unto God: "Last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son," Matt. xxi. 37,they will believe the message which I send by him. He hathi "spoken unto us by his Son"-"the brightness of his glory, and the

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