Sermons (pages 315–356) – Part 1 (pages 315–334)
SERMON, XIIL EPHESIANS
iii.
To the Intent that now unto the Principalities and Towers in heavenly T laces, might be known by the Church the manifold Wijdem of God. Jf'rom whence we observed,
this
OCT. The wisd-m appearing in the way offau vation by JESUS CHRIST, iifar above the
wijdom of the ang els.
For the more diftin l: handling of which,wc proposed to illustrate two, propositions.
Prop
That there is great wisdom manifeflcd in sal vation by Christ
contriving the way of
II That this wisdom Angels.
To shew that
above the wisdom of. the
was a wife way, we proposed to con-
fidcr two things Firfl. The wonderfulness cf the things done, by The choice of a perwhich redemption is procured. fubfticuting' him The incarnation of Christ his son
life
his death
his exaltation
Second y. The wonderfulness of the way. appertainUnder which, we pro* ing tc the good obtaine4 by it. poled
— The Wijihm of God difplajd
pofcd to conficlcr two things,
Ser. XIII.
How great and mani-
fold ihe good ends are that are obtained by it.
wonder fuicircumftanccs of me attainment. (i)
How great and manifold the good ends are, that
are attained by it, as they re ace
to God
— to men
toangels— and devils, i. HowGod is glorified hereby. W hat good is procured for men. 3. What benefits 2 the angels have hereby. 4. How satan is overthrown.
Fiaving in ihe preceeding Sermon considered tlie glory that is brought to God and the good that is pro-
cured for man.
proceed,
what benefit the Angels have by what is done in the affair of our redemption. So hath III.
'i'o confider,
the wifdomof God contriv d this affair, that the benefit
of what he has done therein should be focxtenfive, as to reach the ele6t angels.
men that the work
of redcmi ion is wrought out ; and yet the benefit of
the things done in this work is not confined
or all that is properly called redemption, or included in
The angels can't prtake in have no need of any redemption, having never fallen. Neither have they that dirc£l benefit, by what is done in this work, that man has yet they have great indirc benefit by it. haih sc) wifely ordered, ihat what has been done dire ly and cfpccially for men, in this, should redound to ilio exceeding benefit of all intcLigent crea» tures, that nrc in favour with God. That the benefit of it fhou'd be so diffusive as not to be confined to earth, but reach heaven itfe f So great and manifo'd is the gooci attained in this work, tha ihofe g'orious spirits that arc so much above us, and were so highly cxa'ted in it
confined to men.
this, for they
happincfs before,
fliould
receive great additioa
hereby.
J will fliew Im'j in fginc pariiculars. I.
the Way of Salvation.
The ange-s hereby see a great and wonderful maThe happinefsot an-
nifeftacion of the g'ory of God
gels as well as of menconfifts very much in beholding tbo
The excellency of the divine Being is
glory of God.
a moss deight fu! fubje£l of contemplation to the faints on earth but much more to the angels in heaven. The more ho y any being is, ihe more fwee si d delight fu! wi it be to him to behold the g'ory and beauty of the supreme Being. Therefore the beholding the glory ol God mufl be exceeding ravifhin to the holy ange's, jhat are peifeft in ho inefs, and never had their minds leaven'd with (in. The manifcflations of the g ory of God, are as it were the food that satisfies the ange,s they livfe thereon. ;
It is their greatcil happ.ness.
And it is exceeding delightful to them to behold the God manifested in his works. It is without doubt much of their employment to behold the glory of God appearing in his works. Therefore this work glory of
of redemption greatly contributes to their happiness and delighc,as the glory of God is so exceedingly manifciied
by it. gels, as
For what is done, is done in the sight of the anis evident by our text and many other puffages
And they behold the glory of God as it appearing hearin with entertainment and dcli<j,hc is manifefl by 1 Pet. 1. 12. Which things the angels
of holy scripture.
desire to look into.
The angels have behold the glory of
now they may God in tl,e face of jesus Chrifl,
this advantage that
where it fliines with a peculiar lull re and brigbrncfs. This is spoken of, i Tim. 3. 5. Great is the myflc'y oj ( odlinefs, God zvas manifefi in the flejh, jufiifed
the fpirttf seen
of Angels,
l erliaps
God s attri-
butes are more gloriously manifcacd in this work, than in
any other that ever tlic angels
tainly a fuller manifcration of than''
ever
they
favv
before
fiiw.
There is
some of his j
cer-
attributes,
evident
by the
The Wi/dcm of God dllphyd
have
obfervcd
already.
with rcfpeifl to the mercy and grace ihut fwcct and endearing artribiue of the di-
cfpccially,
of God,
text,
Sep XIII.
vine nature. The angels of heaven never saw foniuch grace nianifchcd before, as in the wo k of redemption ; nor in any measure ec.ual to it. inc; to
ih.cm to behold fiich
exceeding ravish-
discovery of this amiable
How full of ji,y doth
God.
pcrfc cation of
fill
heart of the angels, to see such a bogndlefsand bottomjcfs
occnn of love and grace in the heart of God.
iherefoic v\iih what njuycing Chrifl for, this
work
the angels praise
divine grace, his being slain
Rev. 5. 1.1,12. And I beheld, and beard the voice of many angels rowid about the throne, and the beafls and the elders : And the number of them zoas ten thou*
/and times ten thousand, and thousands 0: thoujands ; saying with a loud voice, zvorth- is the lamb that was
wiJdQm,and Jlrength fain to receive power &richei and honor and glory and blejjlng, .
They have this benefit by it,
that
hereby Jesus
God. fubfiflgod-man, is become their head. ingin three persons. Father, Son and loly Gholt, was the king of angels, and would have been, if it had Biu it was owing not been for our redemption. Chriil,
what
done
this
work,
that
lefus
Ch.riii,
God man, becomes ih licadof the angels. Chrill is now not only the head of angels (imply as (Tzo} , bm a$ God man. Col. 2. 10. And ye a e compleat in him» power. Eph. :, who is the head of all principality when in wrought he 20.21,22. Ifhich he Chrifl, ratjed him from the dead, and set h:m on hii own ght hand in heavenly place s jar above all principal Irty and power, and might and dominion, and every as
name that is named, .not only in this zvorld, but also in that which is to ccm'e, And hath put aU things under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things so the church.
This
/» the Way of Salvation.
Ser Xlli.
This is a part of the exahation and glory of Chrifl, which God confers on him, as his reward. But not only { t
greatly
angels benefit.
It is
God's manner in his dealings with his eleO creatures, in the same works wherein he glorifies himself", or his Son, greatly to benefi. them. 1 he lame dealings of his that are molt for his glory, shall
be moll for their
good.
That Christ God- man should be made the head olf the angels, is greatly to their benefit, First,
bccaufe they become hereby more nearly reThey have a more near
lated to To glorious a person.
and close union with the Son of God, than oThe angels esteem it a grent honor'done them to be related to such a Person as Jesus Chrid, God- man, who by reason that he is a divine Person is an infinitely honourable person. The angels by Chrifl s becoming their head, are become nearly related to him. They with the faints are gathered together in one in Chrid, Kph. l. lo. They by virtue hereof, tho' Christ be not their redeemer as he is our's, yet have a right and propriety in this glorious Person, as well as we. He is theirs tho' not their Saviotir, yet he is their head of government, and bead )l'«lation
therwife they would have.
of influence. Secondly, Again this is greatly to their benefit'; as they, as well as we, hereby are under advantages for a far more intimate converse with God.
The divine na-
ture is at an infinite distance from the nature of angels, as well as from the nature of
bids that It
man.
This distance for-
familiarity and intimacy of inttrcourfe
therefore a great advantage to the angels, that
God is come down to them in a created nature
and in
become (htir head; so that their intercourse and enjoyment may be more intimate. They are invited by the similar qnaifications of the created that nature is
mature, tnat the JSon ot jod is in,
Thirdly
The WtJJom of God d'tffhyd
Thirdly.
for the benefit
Sek. XIII.
of the angels, as here-
by the ele of mankind are gathered into this Society. Christ by the vvoik of redemption, gathers in the cleft Eph. i. lo. of mankind to join the angels of heaven :
hat in the Jijpenfation
of tJye julnefs of times, he mi <lht gather together in one all things in Christ, both T hich are in hea"jen,& zuhich are on earth, even in him. to Men are brought in to join with the angels work praising Gcd to their of partake in with then?) join The angels greatly with them of their enjoyments. They rcjoyce when but one pcrfon is rejoyce at this. gathered in, as Chrid leaches us, Luk. 15. 10. Liie zojje Ifay unto you, there is joy in the presence of the The hieacngels 0, God,overonefmner that repenteth. vcnly society is made morecomplcai by this acccffion of The faints and angels will contribute the faints to it. The angels rejoyce to the happiness of each other. that others are added to join them and alTill ihcm ;
praising
God.
The vacancy by the fall of argcls h filled up Fourthly, It tends to make the angels the more to prize their happincls wl»en they see how much it cost The angels to purchase the same hrippincfs lor man. the* they knew so much, yet bc not incapable of being taught more and more of the worth of their own For the worth of it is infinite, and therehappinefs. fore the underdnnding of an angel cannot comprehend But when they law how much it coll to purchase jt. that it cod the precious the fjme happincis for man This tended to give them z blcod of the Son of God. great fenfc of the infinite value of their happint ss. They ;
never saw such a teiUmony of the value of the cicrnal enjoyment of God before. Thus we have flicwn, how the wisdom of God eppeari in the woik of redemption in the good ends aiiuincd thereby, with refp-.ft 10 God, jnen and angels.
Ser.XIIL
!h the Way of Salvation.
We come now IV.
To (hew what good ends are obtain'd with re*
fpeft to the devil, God's grand enemy, in his overthrow and the ruin of his kingdom. Satan and his angels re-
belled againfl God
heaven.
to try his (Irength with God's,
He proudly presumed He oppoled strength
And when God by his almighty power
over came tlie
strength of satan, and sent him like lightening from heaTen to hell with all his army; satan. does not give out
but tho' he was conquer d when he opposed his l rength to God's, yet he hoped to get the viftory by fubtilty» Tho' he could not overcorae God by power, yet he tho' he found that God's hoped to succeed by craft power could easily cafi them headlong from heaven to the bottomless pit yet this proud spirit did not despair of out-witting God ; and so his fubtilty, disappointing him of his end in creating this lower world. therefore has shewn his great wisdom in over:
throwing faian's design. He has disappointed the devises of the crafty, so that they cannot perform their enter-
He has carried satan's counsel Ivradlong. Satan thought to have disappointed God of his I. own glory,that he designed in creating this lower world : prize.
And to make mankind, which God had made for his own glory, not to be for God's, but for his own glory, la letting up himself God over them.
Now Chrifl-, by what he has done, in the work of redemption, has ovorthrown, satan, has utterly frustrated him, as to this end of his, viz. robbing God of his glory. God is not robbed of his glory but ;
exceedingly glorified in mankind
'in the ele6l
to the furprizc of angels and devils.
God by redemp-
tion has all the glory of mankind that he intended,
more than ever, either men, angels of, or imagined that
devils thought
God intended.
Satan did not know any way how God could havd his intended glcry by mankind, after he had procured
their
The Wijiom of God di/phyd
Ser, XIII.
But God knew a way that the devil never thought of. Neither could the wisest angel in heaven have thought oi it. might have g'orified hisjuflice in the dcftru lion ofal mankind. But it was God's design in creating the wi>rld to glorify hisgoodncfs& love and not only to be glonfied eventually but to be fervcd and glorified a ually by mankind. Satan intended to frullraie God but his design is confounded by the reof this end demption of Jesus Christ. 2. Another delign of the devil, was to gratify his envy, in (htr utter dellruflion of mankind. But by the redemption of Jefuschrill, this malicious design of faian's is crolt because all the elefl, whom God dcfign'd should be h ppy when he made the world, are brought which is much greater than to their deflgncd happiness ever faian thought it was in God*s heart to bestow on
their fa'l.
man.
And tho* some of mankind arc left to be miferabl yet that does not anfwcr satan's end ; for this is ordered for God s ghry. No more arc leftmiferabie than God saw meet to glorify his juflice upon. One end why God luffered satan to do what he did in procuring the fall of man, was that his Son might be glorified in conquering that ftron , fabtil and proud spirit, and triumphing over hirr. How glorious doth Christ I'cfiis appear in baffling and triumphing over this proud king of darkness, and all ihs haughty confederate rulers of hell. How glorious a sight is it to see the meek and patient Lan.b of Cod, leading that proud, malicious and. mighty enemy in triumph What (bngs doth this caufc in heaven It was a gli lions sight in Ifracl to fie T)avid carryIt ing lie hcr.d of ( oli;»h in iriumph to Jeiufalem. appeared a glorious sight to the daughters of Ifracl, who came cut with timbrels and with dances, and fang. !
Ser.XIIL
Way of
in the
SalvatloH.
slain his thousands, and *Davtd\vi% ten But how much more glorious to see thcSon o 'David and the Son of God. carrying the head of the fpirirual Gohah, the champion of the armies of hell, in '<
Saul hath
thousands.*'
triumph to the heavenly Jerusalem. This vi£lory of Chrifl is much celebrated. It is with a principal view to this, that Chrill is called, " TheLord of HoMs or Armies, and a Man of War, Exod, 15. j. The And P/al, 24. 8. *' Who is this King of Glory Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in Battle." Thus we have briefly shewn,how ihe wisdom of God appears, in the contrivance of our salvation,by thegrcat<» ness. and manifoldness, of the good ends that arc ob!
tained.
Secondly,
We proceed. To shew how the wisdom of God appears
in the wonderful tpanner
and circumstances, of the at»
tainment of this good. And here, I. I would observe forae things under this head,with refpe£i: to the glory of God that is obtained thereby '
By thift contrivance for our redemption,
greatest difhonour
made an occasion of
God's greatest
Sin is a thing by which God is greatly diflionoured ; the nature of it's principle is enmity against God, and contempt of him. And man by his rebellion has greatly diflionoured God. But this dilhonour by the contrivance for our redemption, is made an occasion of ihe greaicfl manifestation of God's glory that ever was. Sin, the greatest evil, is made an occadon of the greatest good It is made an occasion of a greater glory, than before It is the na« was, or than otherwise would have been. ture of a princi le of sin that it seeks to dethrone God ; but this is hereby made an occasion of the greatest manifestation of God's royal majelly and glory thai ever was. By sin, man has flighted and difpifed God. But this is made an occ ifion of his appearing the more great" glory.
ly honourable.
Sin casts contempt upon the authority
The Wijdom of God dlfplay'd
S E R.XIIL
and law of God. But this is. by the contrivance for our redemption, made the occasion of the grcated honor done to that same authority, and that very law, that ever \\as. It was a greater honor to the law of God that Chrid was fubjeft to it, and obey'd it, than if all mankind hnd obey'd it. It was a greater honor to God's auihoriry that Christ fliew'd such great rcfpe l, and such intire iiibjc ion to it,
than the perfc(fl obedience of
the angels in heaven.
Man by his sin shew'd his enmity against the holiness of God but this is ir.adc an occasion of the greatest manifcoation of God s holiness. The holiness of God never appeared to the degree it did when God executed :
vengeance upon his own dear Son. 2.
So lias the wisdom of God contrived that thofe whofc glory
attributes are glorified in man's salvation ;
fccmed to require his de(lru£lion. When man had fallen, fevcral attributes of God feemcd to require his deffru(fiion. The julVice of God fecmed to require it ; for the juflice of God requires that (in be puniflicd as it deserves But it deserves no less than eternal dcflru iion. God proclaims it as a part of the glory of his nature, that he will in no wife clear the guilty, Exod, :
And so again the holiness of God fecmrd to require for God by his holiness infinitely hates (in. This fcemed tp require therefore that God man's dc(lru61ion
fbould manifcfl a proportionable hatred of
the (inner ;
and that he fliould be for ever an enemy unto him. And the truth of God seemed also to require man's dchruflion for eternal death was what God had threatncd for (in. one jot or tittle of which word cannot by any means pass away. But. yet so has God contrived that thofe very attributes not only do allow of man's redemption, and arc not oppolitc unto it ; ibcir glory is not only not incon;
fiflen*-
Seii.XIII. fiftent with k,
Way of Salvation.
but they are glorified in it.
That same
of salvation.
vindictive jufliee
this
is glorified in
It is manifest in the death and fufterings
of Christ
that same holiness of God and hatred of sin, that fecmed to require man's damnation, is fecn in Christ's dying for sinners.-'
So herein also is manifested and glorified the truth of God, in the threatenings of the Law. Yea, it is so ordered now that the glory of these attributes requires the salvation of thole that believe. The justice of God that required man's damnation, and fecmed inconsistent with his salvation, now does as much 3.
require the salvation of thofc that believe in Christ, as Salvation is an ever before it' required their damnation. absolute debt to the believer from God, so that he may not upon the acit ;
in justice demand and challenge
count of what he himself has done ; but upon the acfor Christ has count of what his Surety has done. so that it is but a thing satisfied justice fully for his sin ;
that
may be challenged
that
the believer from the puniftiment ;
fiiould it
release
but a piece of
juilice, that the creditor should release the d€btor,when
he has fully paid the debt.
And again, the believer may
because it has been merited by So it is contrived that Christ, by a merit of condignity
demand
eternal life,
that justice that seemed to require man's deftruftion, now
requires his salvation.
So it is with the truth of God. The truth of God that seemed to require man's damnation, now requires man's salvation. At the same time that the thrcafning cf thq law stands good,there is a promifc of eternal life to many They both fiand of them that hav& broken the law. good at the same time and the truth of God requires ;
that both ftiould be fulfill'd.
And how much
foevcr
they seemed to interfere one with another, yet so is the matter contrived in this way of salvation, thai both arc fulfil/Uand do not interfere one with another*
The Wifiom of God display'd
At the very same time that God uttered that threatring, " In the day thou eatcft thereof thou flialt surely c.t the same tijTiC that sAdam had first eaten the forbld(!rn fruit ; there was then a pronniie stood good,ih«i many ihoufands of Adonis race (hould obtain cterrnl liie for this prcmile W?s niiidc before the world was 10 Jcfns Chrid. V hat a difncujiy and «n incon {](lence,did here fecm to be ? bur it was no diffiuliy to the wifdc m of God, which had so contrived that there fljould lipjxyr no ircoi.lidcrce biu rhai that promise, and that ihrratcnlnp, fhculd be both fully accomphflied
Cod s truth in each of ihcm Plal . lo. AJercy and truth are mtt together, righteoufne/s
to the glory of
and peace have kiffea each other. 4. 1 hole very attributes which fcemed to requi reman's dcflru6hon, ?remore gloricus in his faivation ibaii ihcy would have been in his dtO* virion. l he revenging juflicc of Cod is a great deal more finanifeded in the death of Chrifl, than it would have been if all mc'.nkind hod been damned to all eternity and thrt bccaufe, if man had rem.aincd under the guile and 'iTpularicn of sin, the juflice rf God would i oi have hnd such a trial, as it had, wlien his own Son was under If all mankind had flood guilty, the im.putaiicn of sin. that and juflice had called for vengeance upon them, would have been, in no wife, Juch a trial of the irflexiblcnefs and unchangeablenefs of ihcjudicc of God, as when his own Son, that was the objc61 of his infinite lovc,and in whom he infinitely delighted, flood with the imputation of guilt upon him. This was the greatcfl trial that could be, whether or no Cod's juflice was perfc and unchangeable, or nor. This was thcgrcatcft pffi"ible trial whether or no God was so jufl that he would not upon any account, abate of "what juflice required. This was the grcaied trial that cr.n be conceived of, whether or no God wculd liavc And Gou when any refpcft to persons, in judgment. ;
Ser. XIII.
Way of Salvation.
there was such a trlal,hath appcar'd immutably just. exiled aall, even the utmost farthing of the debt due to justice, of his Son.
So the majefly of God appears much more in the sufferings of Christ than it would have done in the etei-
that his juflice should nal fuflerings of all mankind, great so a person of infinite a pcrfon, be executed upon dignity.
exceedingly (hews the awful
jufl punifliment of great
guilt
majcfty of
as tliemajefly of a prince appears greater
m the
personages that are under the
of treason, than lefler persons.
And then the sufferings of Christ have this advantage of the eternal sufferings of the wicked* for impressing upon the minds of the fpe£lators a sense of the dread majefly and infinite jullice of God, and his infinite hatred of sin viz. that the eternal sufferings of the wicked never will be seen aftually accomplished»and finished j whereas they have seen that which is equivalent to thofe ;
eternal sufferings aftually fulfilled
and finished in the
sufferings of Chrifl.
Such is the wisdom of this way of salvation,
that
the more any of the ele61 have difhonoured God,
more is God glorified in this redemption. Such wonders as these are accomplished by the wisdom of this way of falvajtion. Such things as these, if they had been proposed to any creature intelligence, would have fcemed flrange and unaccountable paradoxes, till the counsels of divine wisdom concerning the matter were unfolded. this way of salvation, that it is not any of God*s attributes to fave the chief of sinners. However great a sinner any one has been, yet God can, if he pleases, fave without any injury to the glory of any one attribute. And not only so, but the more finfu any one has been, the more doth God glorify bimfelf in his salvation. I he more doth he glorify his power, that Jie can redeem one in whom
So fufecient is
inconsistent with
The Jfi/dovi of G od d'lfp ayd
Se R
and of whom satan has such strong noH. .Tlie greater triumph has Christ over his grand
sin so abounds,
fefllon.
advcrfary, in redeeming
and setting at liberty from his
bpn 'age ihs sc that were his grcateft vaiTltls. doih the fuflicicncy of Chrill appear, cieiit for Ibch vile wretches.
in that
'J'he more it
fuffi-
The more is the fovcrcignty, and boundicfs extent of the mercy of God manifefled,
in that
is sufficient
redeem thofc that are mod undefcrving. Rom. 5. 20, JVh re sin abotn:ded, grace did much more abound.
XIV.
EPHESIANS 71? the Intent that
iii.
now unto the Vrincipalities and
Towers in heavenly T lares, might be known by the Church the manifold Wisd ni of Gi>d.
\Vc now come, II. "*0 lake notice of some wonderful circumQan-
of the attainment of our good, herewhich fliews the great wifdora of this
contrivance.
So hath God coiitrivcd in this way, that a fmful become not guilty and he that has no riglucoufnefs of his own, should become righteous. ..
creature, fliould
if ihcy had been propofcd, wou d have appeared contradidtions to any but only the divine un-
Thcfc things dcrHandiiig.
If it had been propofcd to any creature, to find out a way that a finlul creature Ihould not be agulity crcalurc,
Ser.XIV.
Ih the
Way of Salvation.
bow impoJible would it have been judged, that It would doubtless there fhou'd be any way at all. have been judged impoftible but that he that has committed nn,mu(t (land guiliy of ihe sin he has committed. ture,
And if sin be such a thing as necclTarily obliges to punishment, then, that it must ob ige to punishment him If punishment and sin be infethat has committed it. pcrable, then that punifhmert and the sinner are infeperable. {f the law denounces death to the person that
and it be impossible, that the lawfhould not take place, then that he that has committed sin must
guilty of
sin,
Thus any
created
iinderftanding
would have
thought.
And foif it had been proposed that there (hould be some way found out, wherein man might be righteous, with-out fulfilling righteousness himfeif; so that he might reasonably and properly be looked upon and accepted as a righteous person, and adjudged to the reward of righteousness, and yet have no righteousness at all of his own ; and nothing but the contrary. That he should
be righteous by the rightcoufnefs of
the law, by a per-
feftrighteou fnefs,and yet have broken the law and done
nothing clfe but break it; this would doubt efs have been looked upon impossible and contradi<flions. But yet the wisdom of God has truly accomplished each of ihefe things. He hath accompliihed, that tho' men are sinners, yet they fliould be without guilt, in that he hath found, out a way th. t the threatnings of the lr.w fliould truly and properly be fulfilled, and punish-
ment be executed on
sin, and yet not on the sinner. Chrin do answer the demands of the Inw, with refpeft to the sins of thofe that believe in
Christ
(uffcrings
and jus ice is truly fulfilled
& faiisfied thereby.
And the Law is fulfilled & answered by the obedience of Chriif, so that his righteousness fliould properly be our rightcoufnefs. Tho* not performed by us, yet it is
properly and reasonably accepted for uS; as much as
The W'tfciom of God Ji/playd
if we had performed it our selves. Divine wfdom has so contr vcd, that inch an interchanging of (in and righ-
teoufnefs -fhi)uld be confident, and most agreable with ireaion, with the law. and his own holy attributes. And that bccaufe
Jesus Chrifl: has so united himself to' us, him, as to mike himself mr's, to make himself our head. He has u:iited himself to the ele< 2ind us to
by his dying love.
The love of Christ lo the clc£ is
so great, that God the Father looks
upon it proper and
fuirable to account Chrill and the eledl as one
and ac-
cordingly to account what Christ docs and suffers, as if they did and juffered it.
That love of Christ that is so great as to render Christ willing to put himself in the stead of the ele£l,and to bear
the misery that they dcferved, does in the Father's ac-
count so unite Christ and the elctSl, that they may be
lookd upon aS legally one. 2. It fliews wonderful wisdom that our good should be procured by such feeminj y unlikely and oppoiitc means, as the humiliation of the Son of God. When Christ was about to Undertake that great work of redemption, he did not take that method that any creature-wisdom would have thought the most proper. Cr ature-vvifdom would have determined that in order to his esse(5 ually and more gloriously accompliftiing such a great work, he ftiould rather have been exalted higher, if it had een polfible, rather than humbled (o low. Earthly kings and princes when they arc about to engage in any great and difficult work, will put on their flrengih, and will appear in all the majesty and power that tney are ir. afters of, that they might be fucceisful. But w en Christ was about to perform the great work of redeeming a loft world, the wisdom of God took an oppofjie method, and dcrermin'd that Christ in order to the fucccfsfully performing of it, ftiould be humbled and ab: fed to a meanftaie, that he ftiould a'l pcariii low He did not deck himself with his tircumftjikts. ftrcngth
Ser.XIV.
in the Way of
Salvation.
He but he laid aside his glory. emptied himself. PhlL 2. 6, 7,8. *' Being in the form made himself of no reputation, and took on of God him the form of a servant, and was made in the likcncfs of men and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unco death, even the strength and glory
death of the cross. Creature- wisdom would have thought that Christ, in order to perform this great work, should deck himself with all his strength, andif possible be made more strong. But divine wisdom determined, that Christ, in order to perform it, should be made weak, that he should put on the infirmities of human nature.
The wisdom of God
saw this infirmity and weakness needful in order to the vi orking out our salvation. And why did divine wisdom determine that he It was that he might be fliould become thus weak ? fubjefl to want, and to suffering, and to the power and Bmc then what advantage could malice of his enemies. it be of to him in this work, to be Yubjc£l to the power and malice of his enemies It was the very design that he came into the world upon,to overcome his enemies,to overthrow thciii. Who would have thought that this was the way to overthrow them, to become weak &: feeble, & for that very end that he might be fubje to their power and malice. But this is the very means that the wisdom of God pitched upon, whereby Christ was to overthrow his enemies, viz. his being weak, and so being for a time fubje<Sk to their power and malice. This was the means by which God determined that Christ should prevail against his enemies, that he fho»ld be so fubjeft to their power, that they might prevail a!
gainft him, so as to put hiiTi to
great
disgrace
and to
great pain, and even so as to kill him.
What other wisdom but divine wisdom could ever have determined that this was the way to be taken in order to the being fucccfsful in the work of our redemption. This would have apnear'd to creature-v/ifdom
The W'tjdom of God difplayd
Se R XIV.
the itofl wrong way that could be thought of,
the dicourfe ro be fruflratcd that could be devifod. "But it was indeed the way to glorious success, and the rc(5lc(t
only way. I
Cor.
" I'hcfoolifhnefsof God Is wiser than men.'* 25.
God has brought ftrengih out of weak-
ignominy and reproach. Chrill s fhnmc and reproach are the only means, by which way' glory out of
fiff?,
made to our eternal glory and onor. Thewifdum ot Goi\ hnth made Christ's humiliation his coming down from the means of our exaltation The wisdom lieaven is that which brings us to heaven. The death ofcjod hath made life the fruit of dcaih '
of Christ was the on!y means, we could have eternal The dejih of perfonthat was God, was the only life. way by which v e could come to have \\ q: in God. Here favour is made to arise out of wrath our acceptance into God's favor, out of God's wrath upon his .i
own on.
A blcfung rifesout of a curie.
j-iHing blcftednefs
Our ever-
from Chritts being made a curse for
Our righteous efs is n ade to rife out of
Chr'fts
He v/as made (in for us, that we might imputed guilt. By be made the righrcoufnefs of God. 2 Cor. 5 21. such wcndcrfu! means hath the wifdo.n of God procured our salvation. g. Our fm and misery, is by this contrivance made This is a very an occadon o? our greater bltifednefs. wonderful have been a very would iliii g. It v.ondcrful milcry, merely from rcdored sin been had we tliir.g if wonderful w;is a ir more re bu much werebefc to be aswc
tliiu;
that
we fiiould n( t only be rrflored.but bro't ro a
hi:;hcr bli ifeihiefs th:<n c\Q\
and tlut our (In sk misery
fuot ld be the occnfion c f ir. <. Hiiiuld make v. ay for ir. It u,-:S wonderful ih.n both our fm and milory,fliould \x\m\c ti,' o(C.i(i<'n o( onr greater blclltdncfs. w.iS wondc rful that our hn should be made
dcfcrves miici y.
bh (rcdncfcj ;
P.y nur fia w; had dcfcrvcd 13
Ser. XIV.
Way of Salvation
But yet this Is H) turned by divine wisdom that it is madp an occafioii of uur being more happy.
to becverlaflingly miserable.
It was a (Irangc thing that sin should
be t]]e occnfion
and nothing but divine wisdom could have made it an occasion of any other. It was a strange thing that after man had fjn'd,it Iliould But divine wifdoni be poftible for him to escape misery. has found out a way whereby the sinner might not only of any thing else but misery
escape being miserable, but that
than before he finned
should be happier
yea, than he would have been
And this sin and unhe had never finned at all. worthiness of his, is the thing that is the occasion of this
greater blcftednefs.
Secondly. It was a wonderful thing that man's own
misery should be an occcafion of his greater happlnefs. For happiness and misery are contraries. It shews divine wisdom to bring contraries thus one out of another. Efpccially when it is considered how great man*s misery He was under the wrath and curse of God, and was. condemned to everlading burnings. This sin and misery of man, is by this contrivance, made an occasion of his being more happy, not only than he was before the fall, but more happy than he would have been, if he never had fallen. Man if he never had fallen, the required if he had performed obedience of the law, would have had a more high degree of happiness than he had while in a (late of trial. Our firfl parents, if they had stood and perfevcr'd in perfect obedience, 'till God had given them the the tree of life as a seal of their reward, fruit of they would have been advanced to higher happiness ; for they before were but in a ffate of probation for their And 'lis not to be supposed but that their reward. happiness was to have been greater after they had perfiflcd in obedience, and had actually received the reward
than it was, while they w«re in a state of
for it.
7hewifdomof Goddlfpuyd
Shr.XIV.
But by ihc redemption of Christ, the sin and misery of the ele t is made an occjfion of their being brought lo a higher happincTs than mankind would
have had if they they had received the reward. As-is manifest in the following things. I ft. Man is hereby brought to a greater and nearer union with God. If man had never fallen, God would had pcrfilitd in obedience 'till
have remained man's friend
he would have erjoyed and so wou'd have been the cbjc< of Chris], as he would have had the favor of all the per;
Gods favor,
Tons of the trinity.
But now Chrifl becoming our surety nnd Saviogr, am. having taken on him our nature, occasions between Christ and us an. union of a c]uite diiTcrcnt kind, and a nearer re'arion than oiherwife would have been. Chrifl is
become our's now, in a manner than otherwise would
not have been.
The A ll is the occasion of Christ's
becoming our head, and the church his body. And believers are become his brethren and kinsfolk, and spouse, in a manner that otherwise would not have been. And by cur Pinion with Chrifl we have a greater union with God the Father. We, if we had flood, fliould have been the children of God in a fenle-as the angels are said to be the sons of God, Job 38. 7.
But now wc are sons in a different, more excellent that is by a special relation to Christ the eternal Son of God, and a certain participation of his relamanner,
tion to the Father. are sons nion with the natural son of God.
by vertue of our u-
Q \.j ,A , ,6.TVhen the fulness oj it me was come, Gcd sent forth his son, made of a -woman, made under the lazv to redcemthem that Wire under the law. that we might receive the adoption of fans, nd becoufe ye are sons » God hath
sent forth the spirit cf his Son into your hearts, crying, abba father. And therefore Christ has taught us, in all our addrtftes to God, to call him, Ourfathcr,in like
mapucr as he calls him Father, Joh. 2 17. Co tell my brethren