AGAIN, the Goodness of the Father with respect to us, was only a Goodness in forbearing. It was only the Son's Goodness, therefore, which appeared in fuffering, which is reputed Goodnefs of the highest Kind; and is estimated as to more or less, by the Degree of Expence and Inquietude, that it occafions to the Perfon, who is inclined to do another Service: Which Expence and Inquietude to our Saviour were as great as poffible. For he made his Divinity, which implies the highest Happiness of Nature, by taking our Flesh, attach itself to the Miferies of Mortality: He exchanged the Joys of Heaven, not for the common Lot of Mortals, but for a State of Humanity exercised in all the Trials, that can terrify, affright, and annoy us. His Life was despised, and poor, and painful; and, at his Death, the finishing Part of human Mifery! he was ignominiously nailed to a Cross, and raised amidst the Scoffs, and Tumult, and Barbarity of Men, as a Mark for the Vengeance of offended Heaven. Awake, ℗ Sword, againữ my Shepherd, and against the Man that is my Fellow, faith the Lozd *

* Zech. xiii. 7.

*

IN these Sufferings appeared the Goodnefs of God the Son; great indeed and unparallelled, but yet tempered with Severity. He died for Men, but, at the fame Time, declared upon what Conditions he died, and explained the Purpofe and Occafion of his SurFERINGS. We thus judge, faith the Apofle, that, if one died for all, then were all dead, and that he died fo2 all, that thep which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them. Therefoze, if any Man be in Chzißt, he is a new Creature. His Death was only to balance Man's firft Difobedience, and put him again upon a State of Probation: In this confifted his Goodness. And, in reserving to himself the Power and Authority of faving only those who should yield Obedience, and condemning those who fhould disobey, confifted his Severity. De + mußt all appear, faith St. Paul, before the Judgment Seat of Chrift, that every one may receive the Things done in his Body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good o2 bad. Kinowing,

2 Cor. v. 14, &c.

K 4

+ Ibid. 10, 11.

therefore,

therefore, the Terrozs of the Lozd, we perfuade Men,

BEHOLD then, in the Work of our Redemption, a full Display of the Goodness, and Severity of God, And as we meditate on these their Jeveral Operations, let his Goodness encourage us to hope for Mercy, and let his Severity teach us to ground that Hope upon Obedience,

Of