this he hath done by giving us the most undoubted and convincing evidence of his affections.

1. By contracting the most intimate alliance with mankind. In this God is not only lovely, but love, 1 John 4. 8, 9. and his love is not only visible to our understandings, but to our senses: the divine nature in Christ is joined to the human, in an union that is not typical or temporary, but real and permanent. "The Word was made flesh." John 1. "And in him dwells the fulness of the Godhead bodily." Col. 1. Now as love is an affection of union, so the strictest union is an evidence of the greatest love. The Son of God took the seed of Abraham, Heb. 2. the original element of our nature, that our interest in him might be more clear and certain. He stooped from the height of his glory to our low embraces, that we might with more confidence lay hold on his mercy.

2. By providing complete satisfaction to offended justice. The guilty convinced creature is restless and inquisitive after a way "to escape the wrath to come." For being under the apprehension that God is an incensed judge, it is very sensible of the greatness and nearness of the danger, there being nothing between it and eternal torments, but a thin veil of flesh. Now an abundant satisfaction is made, that most effectually expiates and abolishes the guilt of sin: that is a temporary act, but of infinite evil, being committed against an infinite object; the death of Christ was a temporary passion, but of infinite value, in respect of the subject; the honour of the law is fully repaired, so that God is justly merciful, and dispenses "pardon to the glory of his righteousness. He hath set forth his Son to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness, that he might be just, and the justifier of him who believes in Jesus." Rom. 3. 25. And what stronger security can be given, that God is ready to pardon man, upon his accepting the terms of the gospel, than the giving his Son to be our atonement? If the stream swell so high as to overflow the banks, will it stop in a descending valley? Hath he, with so dear an expence, satisfied his justice, and will he deny his mercy to relenting and returning sinners? This argument is powerful enough to overcome the most obstinate infidelity.

3. By the unspeakable gift of his Son, he assures our hopes of heaven, which is a reward so great and glorious, that our

guilty hearts are apt to suspect we shall never enjoy it. We are secure of his faithfulness, having his infallible promise; and of his goodness, having such a pledge in our hands. As the apostle argues, Rom. S. 22. "If he hath given us his Son, will he not with him give us all things?" Will he give us the tree of life, and not permit us to eat of its fruit? Is it conceivable, that having laid the foundation of our happiness in the death of his Son, an act, to which his tender affection seemed so repugnant, that he will not perform the rest, which he can do by the mere signification of his will? It is an excellent encouragement St. Austin propounds from hence; Securus esto accepturum te vitam ipsius, qui pignus habes mortis ipsius, &c. Be assured thou shalt partake of his life, who hast the pledge of it in his death. He hath performed more than he promised. It is more incredible, that the eternal should die, than that a mortal creature should live for ever.

In short; since no mortal eye can discover the heavenly glory, to convince us of the reality of the invisible state, and to support our departing souls in their passage through the dark and terrible valley, our Saviour rose from the grave, ascended in our nature to heaven, and is the model of our happiness: he is at the right hand of God to dispense life and immortality to all that believe on him. And what can be more comfortable to us, than the assurance of that blessedness, which, as it eclipses all the glory of the world, so it makes death itself desirable in order to the enjoyment of it.

2. As the comfort, so the holiness of man is most promoted in this way of our redemption. Suppose we had been recovered upon easier terms, the evil of sin would have been lessened in our esteem; (we are apt to judge of the danger of a disease from the difficulty of its cure) hunger is reputed a small trouble, (although if it be not satisfied it will prove deadly) because a small price will procure what may remove it; and the mercy that saves us, had not appeared so great. He that falls into a pit, and is drawn forth by an easy pull of the hand, doth not think himself greatly obliged to the person that helped him, though if he had remained there he must have perished. But when the Son of God had suffered for us, more than ever one friend suffered for another, or a father for a son, or than the strength and patience of an angel can endure; who would not be struck with horror at the thoughts

of that poison which required such a dreadful cure? And the benefit we receive in so costly a way, is justly magnified by us. Now what is more apt to inflame our love to God, than the admirable expression of his love to us, in that with the most precious blood he ransomed us from hell? How doth it endear obedience, that God hath sacrificed his Son, to keep us from acts of hostility? So that the grace of the gospel is so far from indulging sin, that it gives the most deadly wound to it. Especially when the tenor of the new covenant is, that the condemned creature, in order to receive pardon, and the benefits that are purchased, must receive the benefactor, with the most entire consent, for his Prince and Saviour. The law of faith requires us to submit to his sceptre, as well as to depend upon his sacrifice. The gospel is a conditional act of oblivion, that none may ven→ ture to sin upon confidence of pardon.

And since the occasion of the fall was from a conceit, that man could better his estate by complying with the tempter, and obtain a more desirable happiness in the creature, than in the favour of God: his recovery is by revealing to him wherein true blessedness consists; and giving him an assurance that he may obtain it. For man will never subject himself to God as his highest Lord, till he looks on him as his last end, and sovereign good. Now the gospel offers to us the most effectual means, to convince man of the folly of his choice, in making the creature his happiness. For, the Son of God, who was heir of all things, during his continuance in the world, was in the perpetual exercise of self-denial. He lived a despised life, and died an ignominious death, to discover to us, that as the miseries of this life cannot make us truly miserable, so the prosperities of it cannot make us truly happy. Besides, how is it possible that the wretched enjoyment of this world, should be the blessedness for which he spent his sweat, his tears, his blood? The rich price he laid down doth most powerfully convince us, that our felicity is infinitely more valuable than all earthly things, and can be no less than the fruition of God himself. Thus the divine wisdom hath so ordered the way of our salvation, that as mercy and justice in God, so holiness and comfort may be perfectly united in the reasonable creature.

CHAP. VI.

Practical inferences. A superlative degree of praise and thankfulness due to God for the revelation of the gospel. It is not discovered by the creation. It is above the reach of natural reason. The heathen world is entirely ignorant of it. It is pure grace that distinguishes one nation from another, in sending the gospel. Evangelical knowledge deserves our most serious study. The gospel exceeds all contemplative and practical sciences. Contemplative in the greatness of its object, and the certainty of its principle. Practical in the excellency of its end, and the efficacy of the means,

1. WHAT a superlative degree of praise and thankfulness is due to God, for revealing his eternal and compassionate counsel in order to our salvation? The fall of man was so wounding and deadly, that only an infinite understanding could find out the means for his recovery. And if that mercy which moved the Lord to ordain the remedy, had not discovered it, a thick cloud of despair had covered mankind, being for ever unable to conceive the way of our redemption. It is a mystery "which eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor hath entered into the heart of man to conceive." 1 Cor. 2. All human knowledge is acquired by two sorts of faculties; the external and internal. Of the first, sight and hearing are the most spiritual, and convey the knowledge of the most worthy objects. They are the senses of discipline, the other three are immersed in matter, and are incapable to make such clear discoveries. Besides those impressions that are made on the senses, we may form some ideas in the imagination; upon which the mind reflecting may argue and discourse: thus far the light and vigour of the understanding can only go. So that the apostle declares, that the whole plot of the gospel was without the compass of our most searching faculties. This will be evident by considering,

1. There was no discovery of it in the creation: the voice of the heavens instructs us concerning the being of God, but not in the secrets of his will. The economy of man's redemption is the merciful design of God, which hath no connexion with the existence of the creatures, but depends only upon his good pleasure.

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It is as impossible to read the divine decrees in the volume of the world, as for the eye to discover a sound, which hath neither figure, colour, nor visible motion. Besides, the glorious nature of God in three persons, which is the foundation of this mysterious mercy, is not made known by the visible frame of the universe. It is true, in all external works the three persons are equally concerned: being of one essence, they are of one efficacy; and the essential perfections of the Deity as they concur, so they are evident in the production of all things. The first motive is goodness, Rom. 1. 20. that which orders and directs is wisdom, that which executes is power. And the several ranks of creatures, according to their state, reflect an honour on their author. Things endued with life, declare him to be the fountain of life, and intellectual creatures represent him to be the Father of lights. But the personal being, as personal, operating nothing out of the divine nature, there is no resemblance in the world that expresses the distinction, propriety, and singularity of the persons, so as to discover them to the human understanding. Those deeper mysteries of the Deity are only made known by the word of God.

2. It is above the strain and reach of natural reason to attain to the knowledge of it. There are seminal sparks of the "law in the heart of man, Rom. 2. 15. some common principles of piety, justice and charity, without which the world would soon disband and fall into confusion; but there is not the least presumption or conjecture of the contrivance of the gospel. Though misery sharpens the mind, and makes it more ingenious to find out ways of deliverance, yet here reason was utterly at a loss. How could it ever enter into the thoughts of the Israelites, that by erecting a brazen serpent on a pole, and looking towards it, the wounds made by the fiery serpents should be healed? And how could guilty man find out a way to satisfy infinite justice by the sufferings of a Mediator, and to heal the wounded spirit by believing on him? The most inquiring reason could never have thought of the wonders of the incarnation, that a virgin should conceive, and a God be born; nor of the death of the Prince of life, and the resurrection, and ascension of the Lord of glory. We may see how impossible it is for the natural understanding to discover the mystery of redemption, when those that had the highest reputation for wisdom were ignorant of the creation. The philo