the Sinner restored to the Divine Favour.When the Law was once tranfgreffed, and Guilt contracted, the proper Due and Portion of the Tranfgreffor was nothing but Terror, and a fearful looking for of Judgment; and if it fhould please his offended Maker to remit of that Punishment, or totally to wave it, this was an Act of mere Grace and Favour, to which the Sinner could have no Right or Claim, and confequently which might be built on any practicable Conditions, upon which the God who gave it should think fit to found it. Indeed, God himself could not require more of Man, in order to his Reftitution, than it was in the Power of Man to do; because this would have been in effect sporting with the Mifery of his Creatures, which Wisdom and Goodness could not do.-But how can it be inconfiftent with God's Wifdom or Goodnefs, or any other Attribute, to found Man's Pardon and Reftitution on any Terms which he knew were not only practicable, but would be performed; and to infift, that he should not be restored without them, though they were fuch as Man himfelf could never have invented. The Declaration of these Terms could only be the greater Display of the Divine Mercy and Goodness, but could be no Impeachment of the Divine Wisdom or Juftice. -As the Sinner could have had no just Cause to complain, if he had fuffered the Punishment due to his Sin; fo he cannot but have ·

the

the greatest Reason to rejoice and be thankful, if he may escape that Punishment upon any Terms, which may be performed either by him, or for him, how ftrange foever thofe Terms, when known, may appear to his weak Understanding, and how much foever beyond the Reach of his own Invention.And this is really the Cafe with respect to the great Work of our Redemption in Chrift.It pleased the Lord of Heaven and Earth to make this the great Foundation of the Pardon of the Sins of Men, that his own Eternal Son should take the Nature of a Man upon him, and in that Nature fuffer the Death of a common Malefactor.-This Eternal Son was pleafed to comply with this Condition; and when the Time appointed for it by God the Father was come, he took upon him the Form of a Servant, and became obedient to Death, even the Death of the Crofs.-And in order to prepare Men for fo great an Event, and that they might the more readily believe in a crucified Saviour when he came, it pleafed the fame Divine Goodness, from the very Time in which the first Man fell, to give him Notice of this amazing Instance of infinite Love, and to raise his Expectation of it.-At the fame time the Sacrifices of Beasts were likewise commanded by God to be offered as vifible Memento's of this great Sacrifice; and by Means of the fpreading of this Practice univerfally throughout the World, Mankind in general became

perfoded

perfuaded, that God would not pardon Sin without fome Punishment of it, and as generally conceived Hopes that he would accept of fome other Punishment of it, instead of that of the Offender. And accordingly when that Saviour, whose Character, Office, and Sufferings was (as has been fhewn) foretold by the Prophets, was fent by God into the World, that the World through him might be faved, he underwent that Punishment for every Man, which God the Father was pleased to accept inftead of the eternal Death of the Sinner; He redeemed us from the Curfe of the Law, by being made a Curfe for us; and he answered the Expectations of the World concerning the Acceptance of a vicarious Punishment, by washing away the Guilt of our Iniquities in his own Blood. Not that I can apprehend, that God chose this Method of Atonement by our great Sacrifice, in Compliance with the received Prejudices of Mankind concerning an Atonement or Expiation by the Sacrifice of Beasts; but I believe on the contrary, that he inftituted those Sacrifices of Beasts as Types and Remembrances of the great Atonement by the Blood of Chrift; and in order to prepare Men for the more ready Belief in him, by giving them fuch Hopes and Expectations of Pardon through the Sufferings of another, which should be fully anfwered when he came. So that this Sacrifice was decreed before the Foundations of the World; and in VOL. II.

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the

the Fulness of Time appointed for it by God, this Saviour, who was of the Jews, was flain, and took away the Sins of the World by that Blood, without which there is no Remiffion for the finful Sons of Men.-This is the Method of our Reconciliation with God, which God himself was pleased to find out; and there is nothing in it abfurd, or contrary to Reason, but abundant Matter of Admiration, Joy, and Love.-There is nothing in it but what tends to heighten our Conceptions of the Purity of God, and of his Hatred to Sin; nothing but what tends to vindicate his Honour, and maintain his Dignity, as the great Lawgiver of the World; nothing but what tends to infpire us with the greatest Abhorrence of Vice, the Expiation of which required fo great a Sacrifice; and with the highest Admiration of that infinite Love, which could do and fuffer fo great things for us.—Indeed, we cannot fully comprehend the Ways of God, or underftand the Manner of his Operations; but they are no more unfearchable in this, than in many other Inftances of his providential Difpenfations; and which no Man can otherwise reasonably account for, than by resolving them into his Wifdom and Goodnefs.-And therefore the proper Inference from thence is, not to reject Facts and Truths which are plainly and undeniably proved, because we cannot comprehend the Manner of them; but to admire and adore that Wisdom and Love, which

no

no Man can know or comprehend; and to testify our Gratitude and Joy in the Reconciliation that is offered us, by a ftedfast Belief in our crucified Lord, and an immoveable Adherence to his Gospel.-But to proceed.

As this Death of the Son of God was one Condition of the Forgiveness and Recovery of finful Men, fo are their own Faith and Repentance, and Amendment, others; which being not abfolutely in their own Powers, I therefore add,

4thly, That this Saviour has not only saved us from Sin, by paying the Price of our Redemption, but does likewife enable us to perform thofe Conditions on our Parts, on which our Happiness is built.-This he does by the gracious Suggeftions, Affiftances, and Comforts of his Holy Spirit from above.—He irradiates, ftrengthens, and comforts the Minds of the Faithful.-He opens their Understandings, that they may fee the wonderful Things of bis Law.-He fubdues the Stubbornefs of their Wills, and brings them into Subjection to the Will of God. He draws their Affections to himself, and fixes them there, by imprinting ftrongly on their Hearts the Wonders of his Love. He raises their Minds from Earth to Heaven, by giving them Foretaftes of the Joys of that Seat of Blifs; and he leads them on from one Degree of Christian Perfection to another, till they come to have their ConverK 2 fation