Sermons (pages 268–314) – Part 1 (pages 268–287)
SERMON,
ROMANS
For if when ivj were Enemies, ive were reconciled to God by the Death of his Son,
DOCTRINE. Natural Men are Cod's Enemies,
INwh
fpenking to this clo6lrine, t
refpcifls
has been shewn, in
they areGod s enemies,
gree they are enemies,
— and why they
some ol>je6lions have been answered.
— what deto
And And we have
are so.
proceeded to the improvement of the do6lrine,
1 now proceed to
inference.
Inf. II.
Hence we may learn the reason why na-
men will
not com: to Christ For they do not come because they will not come. " Yc will not come to me, that ye might have life." " When we say that natural men be not willing to c vne tochrift,it is not tural
meant that they are not v/illing to be delivered from hell for v/ithout do :bt, no natural man is willing to go to hell. Nor is ic meant, that they are not willing that Christ should keep them from going to hell. Without doubr. natural men iha are under awakenings, do often greatly dcfirc this. But if they do dcfire it, this don t argue that they arc willing to come tochrift for ;
notwithstanding hotwithftanding their dcfire to be delivered from hell, yet their heart don t close with Christ, bat are averfeto him. 7 hr y see nothing in Christ wherefore they sh< uld desire
no beauty or comelinels to draw or incline
And they are not willing to take There
their hearts to him.
Chriit as he is; they would feign divide Christ.
are fbmc thinc s in him thit they like, and oth
rs that
but confider him as he is, and as he is offered to them in the gospel, and they will not
they greatly iflike
have him. They are not willing to accept of Chrifl as he is offered ; for in doing so, they must of necessity part with all their (ins; they mud self the world, and
own righteoufncfs
But rhey are noi: they had rather, for the present, run the venture of going to hell than do that. part with their
willing to do that
When men a e truly willing to come to Chriii, they It is not what they are /(?rr and but they are willing to come, drove to by threatnings and choose to come without being driven. But natural men have no such free willingness; but on thecontrary have an aversion. And the ground of it is that which we have heard, viz. That they are enemies to God. Their hiviiig such a reigning enmty againiiGod, makes them obfvmately refuse to come to Christ. If a man is an enemy to God, he will necefltarily be an enemy to Christ too for Chrifl is the Son of God ; he is infinitely near to God,yea he is .lod. He has the nature of God, as well as the nature of man. He is a saviour appointed of God. God anointed him, and sent him into the world. And in doing what he di in the work of redemption, he wrought the works of God. He always did thofe things that pleafedgod ; and all that he to the glory of God. And one great docs as a saviour, thing that he aimed at in his redemption, was to deliver them from their idols which they had chosen, and bring them to God. The cife being so, and (inncrs being enemies to God they will ncceffarily be opposite to
coming
Men naturally Go s Enemies,
coming to Chrirt olir
for Christ Is of God, and as a favlf cks to bring them to God only But natural men ;
arc not of God, but a;c avcrfe to hiin.
III.
From this do£lrine we may learn, how
dreadful the condition of natural
men is.
Their flare
If we confidcr what God
of enmity withGod,
is a (late
and wh.n men are, it will be easy for us to conclude
men as arc God's enemies, muff be mifcrable. Confidcr, ye that are enemies to God, how great a God that such
he is that you are enemies to.
He is the eternal God
the God that fills heaven and earth, and whom the hea-
ven of heavens cannot contain. He is the God that mad you the God in whose hand your breath is, and whose are all your ways the God in whom you live and move, and have your being the God who has your soul and body in his hands every moment. You would l ok on yourfclf as in very unhappy circumftanccs, if your neighbours were all your enemies, and none of your fellow creatures were your friends. If every body was set againfl you, and all despised and hated you, you woiild be ready to think, you had bet;
But if it be such a calamity to have enmity maintained between you and your fellow creatures, what is it, wheh you and the al-
ter be out of the world than in it.
itiighty
God are enemies one to another ?
What avai's
cither the friciukhip or enmity of you neighbours, poor httle worms of the dust, that arc about you. in rifon of the fricndhiip or
heaven and earth ? If you continue
compaenmity o{ the great God of Confidcr,
your enmity a lirtle longer, tiicre will be a mutual enmity bcrwecn God and you to all otrrniry. God will appear to be your dreadful & irrecotKilablc enemy. And you know not how soon it will 'c(Mnc to this. If you Ihould die an enemy to God, there will be no such thing as any reconciliation after death. God will then appear in hatred of you. As 1-
Mvn natiiraJij God's Em cm!el,
you are a tneer enemy to God, so God will then aphe will appear in perfect: pear a meer enemy to you ;
any love, and without any pity, and without any mercy at all As you l.ateGod,he will hate you. And that will he verified of you "My soul loathAnd then God ed them, and their soul abhored me." will be your enemy forever. If you be not reconciled so as to become his friend in this life, God never will become your friend after death. If you continue an hatred,
wiehout
enemy to God
till
death, God will continue an enemy
There will nothing avail to reYou will find that you
to you to all eternity.
concile God to you hereafter. can't
move the heart of God by any of your cries. You
there will be no mediator offered you days man betwixt you. So that it becomes you to confider what it will be to have God your enemy to all eternity, without any poffibiliiy of being reconciled. Confider, what will it be to have this enmity to be For mutual or maintain'd for ever on both fides ? as God will for ever continue an enemy to you, foyou will for ever continue an enemy to God. If you continue God's enemy until death, you will always be his enemy. And after death your enmity will have noreflraint, but it will break out and rage without controul. When you come to be a fire-brand of hell, you will ba a fire- brand in two refpe£ls, viz. As you will be„?ill on will
have no
fire full of the fire of God's wrath :
and also as yaii will be all on a Ma e with spite&malice toward God. Yoii will be as full of the fire of malice,a3 you will with the fire 6f divine vengeance, both will make you full of torment. Then you will appear as you be, a viper indeed. You are now a viper but under great dlfguife a wolf in flicep's cloaihing But then your mafic will be pulled off; you shall loose your garments, and walk naked.* Then will you as a I'erpent spit poison at God, and vent
your rage and malice in fearful blafphemics,
Out of that
Rev. xvi naturally God's Efiemies.
that mouth, our of which, when you open it. will proeerd flames, will also proceed dreadful blafphemicx againli
That same tongue,
which you
to co. l
will wifb for a drop of waitr. will be eternally employed in curling and blaspheming
And that
God and Chrifl
not from any new corruption being pur into your heart;
but only from od's withdrawing flraining your (>ld cor upti jn.
hand from
And what a
miferablc
way will this be of (pending your eternity (2) Coifider, What will be the coi-f quence of a '
mutual enmity betwcenCTod and you, if it be continued, you find no very
NiAv you find your self left alone terrible
event
but there will be great changes.
Tho'
hiiherlo you ha e met wiih no very great changes, yet
Afier a little while, dying time will and then what will be the confcquence of this enmity ? God, whose enemy you be; has the frame of your body in his hands. Y ur times are in his hand And when he and he it is thjt appoints your bounds. fends death to arrilt you, and change your countenance, and diftolve your frame, and take you away from all your eanhly trie'-'ds. and from ail rhat is dear and pleawhat will be the ilTue then of fani to you in the world God and you being enemies one to another ? Will not you then iland in need of God's help * Would not he be the bcfl friend in such a cafe, worth more than ten If God be your enemy, then thousand earthly friends ? they will come.
come
who will you betake your self to for a friend ? When you launch forth into the boundless gulf of eternity,
then
you will need some friend to take care of you, but if God be your enemy. where will you betake your self P Your soul mult go naked into another world, in eternal fcperaiion f om all worldly things :
and you won't be able not be in its own [>owcT to defend, or dispose of it self Will you to difpofc of your ftlf
not then need tu have
your
soul will
for a friend,
into whose
hands
Men naturally Goii*s Enemies.
A nd how dread-
hands you may commend your spirit ?
ful will it be, to have God your enemy then
The time is coming when the frame of this world shall
be dilTolved
Christ
fliall
descend in the clouds
of heaven, in the glory of his Father and you, with all the red of mankind, must (land before the judgment Then what \ViIl be the confequcncc of seat of God. this mutual enmity betw en God and you If God be your enemy, who will fland your friend ? Whoelfe will be able to help you, & what will you do? And what will be the event of God's being your enemy then ? Now, it may be, it does not appear to be very terrible to you to have God for your enemy but when such changes as these are brought to pals, it will greatly alter the appearaacc of things. Then God s favour will appear to you of infinite worth. They, and they only will then appear happy, who have the love of God : and then you will know that God's enemies are mife;
rable.
But under this head,confider more particularly several things,
(i.) What God can do to his enemies. Or rather, what can he not do ? How miserable can he who is almighty make his enemies&thofe that he isan enemy to? Confider,you that are enemies toGod, whether or noyoii fliall be able to make your part good with him. "Do we provoke theLord to jealousy ? Are we stronger than he ? Have you such a conceit of your own ftrerigtb, as that you think to try it out with God ? Do you intend to run the risque of an encounter with him ? Do you imagine that your hand can be (Irong, or your heart endure ? Do you think you shall be well able to defend yourself P Or will you be able to escape out of his hand ? Or do you think to harden your own heart, j-
and fortify yourself with courage, and set yourself to And do you think that you fliall be able to uphold
bear I uphold your spirits, when God a< s as an enemy towards you ? If so, then gird up your loins, and prepare to meet God, and see what the event will be. Therefore and bccaufc I will do this thus will I do unto thee, "* Is it not \into thcc, prepare to meet thy God. to briars vain the thorns in fct and battle agiinft in dry thorns in it not like fctting and briars God ? Is array againfl devouring which iho' they battle flames to be armed with natural weapons, seem yet the fire through and burn pals them, them will together ? § to if endeavour you support yourself And under God's wraih,can'tGod lay so much upon you as to fink Can t he lay you under such misery, and crush you ? fpirir quite to fail as to cause your so that you fhal! (Ircngrh to no rciilt find him, or ro uphoW yourself ? "Why should a little worm think of" luppdning himself againll an omnipotent adversary ? Has not he that made you, and gave you your (frengrh and your courage, got your strength and courage in his hands ? Is Confider it an hard thing for him to overcome it ? God has ma.le your soul and he that made it, know« how to punijli it, to what degree he will. He can fill mirtry he can bring what degree of fbrrowp it with And he that made and angu Hi. and horror he will. can bring what torments he will upon it. your body, made and has every one every vein and sinew He has hands, and fill he can every one as full of torin his ments as he will. God who made you, has given you a capacity to bear torment and he has that capacity \vif. and hands he can enlarge it, and make you capahis mifcry, more If God ble of as much more as he will. any and cnehimfelf againfl: him his bates one, sets as cannot what he with ? How dreadful must him do mv, Surely, ic be to fall into the hands of such an enemy - it
Sec Ifai. xxvii,
Men naturally God's Enoiiies,
a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living
God." 2. If God be your meer enemy, you may rationally II
conclude that he will atfl as such in his dealings with you. We have already obfcrved that you are a mere enemy that is, have enmity without any love or true to God So, if you continue to be so, God will appear refpcifl:. and will be so forever, withto be your meer enemy ;
But if it be so, he willdoubtlefs
out being reconciled.
If he eternally hates you, he will
a£l a such.
with you, as one that hares you with meer The proper tendenhatred, without any love or pity.
his dealings
cy and aim of hatred is the misery of the objefl hated ; misery, and nothing elfc. So that you may expcftgod will make y(|a miserable, and that you will not be fpafor sparing is not the effefl of hatred, but of pity red which is a quite different thing from enand mercy ;
mity.
Now God does not a6l as your meer enemy If he He now exercises abundance of mercy to you. He threatens you now but in a way of warning, and so in a merciful way. He :
corrc£ls you, it is in measure.
it is
now calls and invites, and flrives with you, and waits to be gracious to you.
But hereafter there will be an end
to all these things
In another world God willceafeto
(liew you mercy. 3.
If you will continue God's enemy, you may ra-
tionally conclude that
God will deal with you so as to it is to have God for an
make it appear how dreadful
enemy. It is very dreadful to have a mighty prince ** The wrath for an enemy. of a king, is as the roarBut if the wrath of man, a i'ellowing of a lion." § worm, be so terrible, what is the wrath of God And God will doubtless (hew it to be immensely more dreadful. If you will be an enemy, God will make you !
k*now that it
not a light thin
be an
enemy
lUb. X
Prov. xix,
— Men naturally God's Enemies.
God, nnd have liim for an enemy to you. God will doubrjefs glorify himself as an enemy, in his dealings with ihofe to wh. m he is an enemy. That is, he will so as to glorify
acfl
as an
enemy
juflice.
iholc attributes which he exercises
which are
his majesty, his
power and
God will deal so with you as ro glorify these
attributes in your dcliruftion. His great majesty, his awful julVico. and mig'uy power, fliall be flicwed upon you. What if God willing to fhcw his wrath, and *
make his power known, endured with much long vdfels of wrath fitted to defiruftion .' ''t
iiiftering the
(4.) Confider, What God has said he will do to his enemies. has declared that they fliall not escape; " Thine hand but (hat hew 11 surely punish them.
fnall find out all thine enemies, fiiul
thofe
that
righA hand
hate thee." f
fliall
repayeth
them that hate him to their face, to deflroy them he beilack to him thai hateth him, he will repay " The Lord fliall wound the him to his face."* :
will not
head of his enemies, and the hairy scalp of ftjch an one as goeih on flill in his trefpafles. § Yea, God \\2\\\fu>orn that he will be avenged on them; and that in a moll awful and dreadful manner. *' For I lift up my hand'to heaven, and say, 1 live for ever. If 1 whet my glittering (word, and mine hand -take hold on juJgment I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and 1 will reward them that hate mfi. 1 will make mine arrows drunk with blood (and my sword fliall devour flefli) and that with the blood of the slain from the beginning of revenges on the enemy."H The tcrriblcnefs of that dcflrii£tion that God will bring oa ;
his enemies,
larly ;
here variously
forth.
As par icu-
In God's "wheting his glittering sword, as one
that prepares himself to iSo fume great execution. ''His hands take hold on judgment," to fjgnify that he will
Deut.
x.xxii.
Deut.
vii.
Plal
Ser/X.
Men naturally Cod's Enemier,
" He will render surely reward them as they dcferve. vengeance to his enemies, and reward them that hate he won't him." i. e. He will render their full reward As in the forementioncd place it fail'or come short. was laid, he would not be flack in this matter. **I will make mine arrows drunk with blood This (ignifies the It shall not be a Tutleof greatness of the deflru6tion. their blood that ihall satisfy ; but his arrows lliall be " And his sword (hall deglutted witli their blood That is, it shall make dreadful waste of vour flcfh." ;
hereby is very livelily set forth the terrible manner which God will one day rife up and execute vengeance on his enemies. Again. the totalnef and perfection of their deflru£lion *' The wicked is reprefcnted in the following words shall perish, the enemies of the Lord shall be as the into fmokc shall hey sat of lambs, they fliallconfume consume away. " The sat of Iambs, when it is burnt there is not so much a > a cinin the fire, burns all up This is made der left \ \z all consumes into smoke. use of here to reprefentthe perfesi deftruftion of God's So God hath promised Chrifl ; enemies in his wrath. that he would niike his enemies his footftoolj i. e He would pour the greatest contempt upon them, and as it were tread them under foot. Confider, that all these things will be executed on you, if you continue God's enemies. Inf. IV. If it be so, that natural men are God's enemies, hence we may learn how justly God may refuse to shew you mercy. For is God obliged to shew mercy to his enemies Is God bound to set his love but hate him with on them that have no love to him perfect hatred Is God bound to come and dwell with them that have an aversion to him, and choose to keep at a diftancc from him, and fly from him as one that is it.
hateful Pfal. XXX vii. 20,
Pfal. ex.
Men naturally God's Evemies.
soul,
If yru earned !y deflre t]-!C falvatiori
batcful to them ? of youi
CtOlI bound to comply
with yotir dcfires,
do always refill and oppose his will ? Is God bound to be perfvvnded and overcome by your pr.'iyers. when you cjrc oblVinare in your opposition to him, and refufc to yield obedience to him ? Is God b(Uinii tQ put honor upon you, and to advance you to I'uch dignity as to be a child of the King ot Kings, and the heii of chc kingdom of glory, while you at the same limehavcGod in thegrcatefl coijtempt,6<: set him too low to have the lowed place in your heart Is God bound to snare your life, and deliver you from eternal death, when you arc a mortal enemy lo God, and would, if you cc uld, dcllroy the Being of God t Is God oblig'd to set his great and trai fcendanl love on you, so as to give you benefitij purcha fed by the b'ood of hi own Son, when your heart is all the v hilc full of that enmity that vvh.cn yrii
flrikcs at the life of God
This do£lrine affords a f.rorg argument for the abfo lute fovere'tanty of God, with refpeff to the falvaiion of sinners. If God is plcafed to fhcw mercy to his that he fliould do
it is
certainly
rcign w'ay,
without
a(fiing
haters,
as any
will ffjcw merc) to his mortal enemies
he will have
will nor be bound,
in a
way obliged.
liis
fove-
but then
liberty to choose
to fluw mercy to what enemy the obj' < ls of his mercy he pleafcs, and punilh and dcilroy which of his haters lie pleafcs. And cenainly ihi> is a fit and rcafonablc ;
thing,
li is fit that
flngs in this way,
God fliould dillributc saving blef-
nooihcr, viz.
in a fovcreign
and arbitrary vva) . And that ever any body thought of or deviled any other vvay for God to shew mercy, jhan to have mercy on vvhom lie would have mercy, nuill aiifc from ignorance of their own licarts, whereby hey wcic infjnflblc whar enemies ih y nariirally arc to Cod. I
Men naturally God*s Enemies.
% But ccipfider here the following things, How caufelefl you are enemies to God.
have no manner of reason for it either from what God You have no rcafoa is, or from what he has done. For he is an infinitely lovely for chis from what he is the fountain of all excellency : and glorious Being All that is amiable and lovely in the universe, is origiNothing can possibly be nally and eminently in him. lovely not in in God, that i conceived of that could be ;
him.& that in thegreateft poHTible degree,even infinitely.
And you have no realbn for this, from what God has & bountiful God to you.
done. For he has been a good
He has exercised abundance of kindness to you
you from the womb, preserved your life, taken care of you, and provided for you, all your life long* carried
He has exercised great patience and long fuflering towards you. If it had not been for the kindness of God to you, what would have become of you ? What would have become of your body P And what, before this time would have become of your soul P And you arc now, every day, and hour, maintained by the goodEvery new breath you draw,» ness and bounty of God. How caufelefly then are is a new gift of God to you. you such dreadful enemies to God And how justly might God, for it, eternally deprive you of all mercy, seeing you do thus requite God for his mercy and kind-'
ness to you 2.
Confider, how you would refentit, if others were
as you are to God. If they had if they treated of enmity to you you with such contempt, and oppofcd you, as yon do God and injured you so much as you do God,
such enemies to you,
their hearts so full
it ? Do you not find that you are apt greatly to resent it, when any oppose you and fhewan ill spirit tov/ardsyou ? And tho' you ex-
how Would you resent
cufe your own enmity againfl God from your corrupi: nature that you brought into the world with you which yet you do not excuse others for you coukl not help being enemies to you f om heir corrupt nature that they brought into the world, which they could not help; but ;
are ready bitterly to refcnt it notwiihlianding.
Condder therefore, if you, a poor,unworthy,unlovely crcature,do so resent it, when you be not loved, but hated,
how may God justly resent it when you arc enemies to him, an infinitely glorious Being
and a Being from
whom you have received To much kindness ? 3. How unreasonable is it for you to imagine that you can oblige God to have refpe6l to you by any thing that you can do, continuing fiill to be his enemy. If you think you have prayed and read, and done confi-
derable for God
yet who cares for the seeming kind-
ness of an enemy
What value would you your Tels set upon it, if a man should seem to carry it refpe ifully to you, with a fair face, talking smooth, and making a shew of friend ship; when you knew at the same time, that he was inwardly
Would you look upon yourself Would you not rather abhor it Would you count such refpc(5l to be valued, as Joab's towards Amafa, who took him by the
your mortal enemy ?
obliged for such refpefl: and kinjnefs ?
beard, and kilTed him, and said, Art thou in health my brother ? and fmoce him at the same time tnJcr the
and killed him ? What if you do pray to God ? Is God oMigcd to hear the prayers of an enemy P V\ hat if you have taken a great deal of pains, is God obliged to give heaven for God may juHly abhor your the prayers of an enemy ? in religion, ;<s the flattery of all that you do and prayers,
fifth rib,
No wonder God does not accept any thing from the hands of an enemy. Ikf. V. Hence wc may learn how wonderful is
a mortal enemy.
the love us.
that
maniftfted
For this love
notice of in the text,
in giving Christ
love to enemies,
to die for
l hr.t
''While we were E e m 1
taken s
were were reconciled
God by
the death of his Son.**
How wonderful was the love of God the Father in giving such a gift, to such, who not only were such as him. and such as could not be profitable to could merit nothing from him, and poor little worms of the dust ; but were his enemies, and enemies, They had that enmity that aimed to so great a degree yet so did he love them, that he gave his at his life 1
own Son to lay down his own life, Tho' they had
enmity
that
to fave their lives.
that sought to pull
down out of his throne; yet God lb loved them, that he sent down Christ from heaven, from his throne there, and in flead of a throne of glory, gave him to be nailed to the cross, and to be laid in the grave, that sb we might be brought to a throne of glory. How wonderful was the love of Christ, in thus exThat he should ercifing dying love towards his enemies so love thofe that hated him, with hatred that sought to to be in the form of a servant ;
take away his life life, that is
love
so as voluntarily
to lay down his
they might have life through him.
" Herein
not that we loved him, but that he loved us
and laid down his life for us.
Inf. VI. If we are all naturally God's enemies, hence we may learn what a spirit it becomes us to be of towards our enemies. Tho' we are enemies to God, yet we hope that God ha loved us 'and we hope that and we hope that God hasfor« Christ has died for us given'orwill forgive us; and will do us good, and beflow infinite mercies and bleifmgs upon us, so as to make us happy for ever. All this mercy, v/e hope has been, or will be excrcifed towards us, while enemies. Certainly then, it won't become us to be bitter in our spirits against thofe that are enemies to us, and have injured and ill treated us and tho' they have yet an ill spirit towards us. Seeing we depend so much onGod's forgiving us, iho' enemies, we should be of a spirit oi' ;
forgivencfj forgiveness
towardsour enemies.
And therefore our
Savidur M.fccied it in that prayer, which he di61ate.l as '* Forgive us our debts, as a gcflc;-al direflory to all 'we forgive our debtor 5 to enforce the duty upon us, ;
and to fhcw us how reafonabie it is. love them even while enemies ; for
And we ought to so we hope God
We should be the children of our hath done to us. father, who is kind to the unthankful and evil, f If we refuse thus to do, and are of another fpirif, wemay juQly expeft that God will deny us his mercy, "If ye forgive men their trcfpalles, but if yc your heavenly father will also forgive you as he has threatned
forgive not men their trefpa(res,neither will your Fath'rr The same we have in the forgive your trefpalfes. X
parable of the man, talents.
who owed his lord ten ihoufand
The Wisdom of GOD, as display'd in theWay ot Salvation .
by Jesus Christ, far superior to the Wisdom of the Angels. [March 1733]
EPHESIANS
iii.
To the Intent that now unto the Trincipalities and Towers in heavenly T laces, might he known by the Church the manifold Wi/dem of God.
in fpeakingbere in the context
of the glorious doftrine of the redemption
of sinners by Jesus Christ ; and how it was in a great mcafure kept hid in the past and that it was a mystery that they aacs'of the world ;
dfd not underHand, but now, was in a glorious manner '* By revelation he made brought to light. i\ 3,4,5.
known unto me the mystery, (as I wrote afore in few whereby when ye read ye may undcrftand my words ;
knowlec'gc
in the
my fiery of Chrifl) which in other
ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his oly apostles and prophets, by 1
the spirit."
The Wlfdom of God display'd
than the least of
faints,
this
Ser. XI.
grace given, that I
fliould preach among the gentiles the unsearchable riches
of Chrill; and to make all men see what is thefellowof the mystery, which, from [he beginning of the world, hath been hid in God, who created all things by fliip
Jesus Chrilt. And the apoQlc,
the text, informs us,
that what
Christ had accomplifhod towards his church. in the work
of redemption, had not only in a great meafureunvail'd the mydery to the church here in this world but God had more clearly and fully opened it to the un;
derfianding, even of the angels thcmfelves this
And that
was one end of Cjod in it. to discover the glory of
his wifdoni to the angels.
intent
that
unto the principal if "res and powers in heavenly places, might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God."
We may observe in the text, One end of the revealing God's counsels concern-
ing the work of redemption specified,viz. The glorifying, or making known
God*s wisdom.
The epithet given to the wisdom of God appear-'
ing in the work of reJcmption
v/ifjom
attained by pli fhcd, are
this
called
?nani/old
bccaufe of the manifold glorious ends that arc
Tlie excellent dcfigns. hereby accomvery manifcff. The wisdom of God in
of vaff extent.
The contrivance is so manifold,
that one may fpcnd an eternity in difcovcring more of
the excellent ends and di(j),yrs accomplilhcd by
the multitude and vast varictyof things that are,by divine contrivance, brought to confpirc to the bringing about ihofc c!uls. 5.
Wc may observe, to -cuhom
it is that God would by revealing the myflcry of and ihcy are not only men, but the
manifefl this his wisdom,
our rcdcmptic n
"I'o the intent that now unto the P/'/wr/f)aAngels, /;7/V; and Pcivcrsin bcCivcniy places might be known— the
Way of Salvation.
the manifold wisdom of God."
The Angels are often
called principalities and powers, which seems to be be-
cause of ihe exalted dignity of their nature The Angels are of a very noble and excellent nature, They .
excel in
strength
and wisdom.
Thofe that are the
wife men of the earth, are called princes in the (lile of 6. " Howbeit we speak wisdom i Cor. among them that are perse l, yet not the wisdom of his world, nor of the princes of this world f, 8. "Which none of the princes of this world knew for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of
the apostle,
glory."
So the Angels are called principalities for their
They may also be so called for the honor God has put upon them, in improving them as his minii ers and instruments, wherewith he governs the world and therefore are called thrones, dominions, principalities and powers, Col. i. i6. They are called principalities and powers in heavenly places, as distinguishing them from thofe that are in places of earthly power and dignity. The offices, or places of dignity and power, that the angels sustain, are not earthly but heavenly. They are in places of honor and power in the heavenly aV_y,and the heavenly great wisdom.
kingdom.
One end of God in revealing his design or contrivance for redemption, as he hath so fully and glorioully done by Jesus Christ, is that the angels in heaven may behold the glory of his wisdom by it. Tho' they are such bright intelligencies,and do always behold the face of God the father, and know so much yet here is matter of in{lru6lion for them. Here they may see more of the divine wisdom than ever they had { tn before. It was a new discovery of the wisdom of God to them. 4. Observe the t'nne when this display of the wisdom of God was especially made to the angels, and that is, ;
when Christ introduced the gospel dispensation, implied in thofe words,
"To the intent that L 4
JSozo unto the Principalities. >>
The W'tjdom of God dlfphyd
Ser. XL
When Christ came into the world and died, and ii6tu dly performed the work of redempthe counsels of tion, had fully and plainly revealed God concerning it and accordingly introduced the evangelical dilpenfation, and ereOcd thegofpel church, then the angels underfiood more of rhe mydcry of n an's redemption, and the manifold dcfigns and counsels of divine vvifdoin. than ever they had done before.
principalities.' &c.
This is very plainly implied in the text and context. In the foregoing v.rlc. the apoCtle after f[>eaking of "And to n akc all men Ice, what is the fellcwfhipof this mystery &c. He then (peaks of this myllcry as a thing from the be*'The myfiery, which from ginning kept hid till now. ibe beginning of the world hath been hid in God that now, &:c Now in this verfc, he mentions another end,and that is. that he may also at the same time, make the angels also to see [God's wisdom in his glorious scheme of redemption] JSow at this time, .i.e. now Christ has a ually wro't and fully reveal d [ it to the angels ] out redemption which implies that it was also before a myflcry kept hid from them in comparison of v/hat it is now. And this need not seem fl ange for here is room enough for the angels to difcovcrmore and more to all So manietcrniiv.of the wisdom of God in this work. thereof. wisdom the is fold and iniiniie 5. Observe the medium by which the angels come That now unto by this knowledge, viz. rhe church i.e. by might be known Z7 the church, principalities towards the or church, done in the (ec things they ihe church: and by what they see concerninj rhe church. »So hath it pkafed the fovcreign God that the angels should have the moil glorious difcovcrics of divine wisdom by his doing? towards his church, towards a sort of beings much inferior to ihcmfclves. It hath plcaledGod revealing of this wildom of God to man,
to put this honor upon us..
DOC- in the Way of Salvation,
DOCTRINE.
The wifdotn appearing in the way of fahation hi JESUS CHRIST, is far above the wfdom of the Angels,
This is evidently taught in this
text ; for here it is mentioned as one end of God in revealing the contri-* Vance for our salvation, that the angels thereby might see and know how great and manifolds the vvifdom of God is to hold forth the wonderfulness of divine wis dom to the angel's view and admiration. But why is itfo, if ihiswiidombe not higher than their own wisdom ? It never would have been mentioned as one end of revealing the contrivance of redemption, that the angels might see how manifold God s wisdom is j if alUhe wisdom to be fcen in it was no greater than their own. It is mentioned as such a v ifdomasthey had never {'ecn before, not in God, much less in themselves. That now might be known how manifold the wisdom of God is J now, four thousand years since the creation. In all that time the, angels had always beheld the face of God ; and had been (ludying God's works of creation for four thousand years together; yet they never till that day. had fcen any thing like that never knew how manifold God s wisdom is, as now they knew it by ihe church. Here I would shew,
That there is great wisdom manifested in contri-
ving the way of salvation by Christ.
That this wisdom is above the wisdom of the
angels. I.
would shew, that there
great wisdom mani-
fefled in coniriving the way of salvation
And to shew ihig, I would conflder two things, viz. The wonderfulness of the things done, by which
redemption is procured
She wonderfulncis of the
good that is attained thereby. Fir/I,