Jlrotung unto jjefu.s. Book IV. 153 4 . faith mull look principally to the end and rneani,.g of Chrifl: as Gcd coming in the fleth Now what was the delign and meaning of Chrift in this? the Apoftle anfwers, Rom·. 8. 3· God fent hu Son in the lik,tnefs of finful ftefh, to condema fin in the flefh, Rom. 8 ·l• (i.) God the Father fent into the world his eternal and only begotten Son, whom in his eternal counfel he had deligned to the Office of a Mediator, to take.away or abolilh in the firll place Original fin. Mar!I rhefe two words, he condemnrd fin in the jiejl,; .the fir!l word condemned] is by a Metonymy put for that whtch follows Condemnan9n, namely for the abolillung of lin; as condemned perfons ufed to be cut off, and to betaken out of the world, tbat th<y may be no more; fo Chrifl: bath condemned or abo– lilhedthisfin. For rhe fecond word, in thefiejh] is meant that humane naturewlrich Chrifl: allumed: he abolilhed Iin altog<!'ther in his own nature; and that flelh of his being perfectly holy, ~nd the holinefs of it being imputed unto us •. it t~kes away our gullt in refpectofthe tmp~renefs of our Naturealfo. Some may obJect, tf .thts were fo, then w.,erewewithour ortgmal fin? I anfwer,the flelh or the natur<wluch Chnfl: rook upon him,was altogether withourlin;and by imputation ofit we are in proportion freed from lin; Chrill had nor the leall fpot of Original fin; and if we are Chri~s, then is this fin in fome meafure ~bolilhed and taken out of our beans. But howfoever the filth of this fin mly rem'ain in part, .ye.t the guilt is removed 1 in this refpect the purity of Chriils hu- [I , mane nature is no lefs reckoned to us for the curing ofour defiled nature, than the fuf– ferings of Chri!l are reckoned to us, fort he remiffion of our acrull fins. 0 my foul, look to this end of Chrifl: as God in rhe flelh ; if thou confider him as made tlelh and bloud,and laid in aManger, think withal,that his meaning was to condemn fin in our flelh; there flows from the holinefs of Chrifts n•ture fuch a power, as countermands the power ofour Original fin, and acquits a:nd difcharges from the condemnation of the fame fin: not only the death, and life, but alfo the conce~tion and birth of Chrift bath its influence inro our Juflifimion. Oh the fweet that a lively Faith may draw from this Head! 4· The encouragements to bring on fouls to believe on Chrill: incarnate, we may draw-- 1, From the excellency of this Object. This very Incarnation of Chrifl: is the foun– dation of allot her at'!ings of God for us; iris the very Hinge or Pole on which all turn. it iHhe Cabinet whe•ein all the De!igns of God do lie; Election, Redemption, Jufl:ili~ cation,. Adoption, Glorification, are all wrapt up in it; it is the highefl pitch of the Declaration of Gods wifdom, goodnefs, power and glory ; Oh what a fweet Objeer of Faith is this ! I know there are fome other th ngs in Chriti which are mofi proper for fome acts of Faith; as Chrift dying is mofl proper for the pardon of actual fin; and Chrifl riling from the dead is mofl proper for the evidencing of our Jufl:ilication; bur the llrongell purefl: acts of Faith are thofe which take in Chrifl: as fuch a perfon, laid out in all this Glory. Chrill:s Incarnation is more general than Chrifl:s Paffion, or Chrifls Refurrection, and (as fome would have it) includes all; Chrifl:s Incarnation holds forth in fome fort Chrifl in his fulnefs, and fo it is the full and (Ompleat fubjed of our Faith ; or if it be only more comprehen!ive, why then it requires more compre– henlive acts of Faith, and by confequence we have more enjoymems of Chrifl: this way, than any other way: Come poor loul, Tfed, J.feel thy eyes are running to and fro the world, to find comforrs and happinefson earth: 0 come, call: thy eyes back, and fe~ heaven.and earth in one Object! look fixedly on Chrilt incarnate! there is more in thts, t.han mall the variety of this world, or of that world to come. Here is an object: ?f Fa1th, an~Love, and Joy, and Delight; hen:isaCompendiumof all Glories; here rs~ne for a bean to be taken with to all eterni•y. 0 lay thy mouth to this Fountain; fl~ek._ andbe fatufiedwith the brejls of hi& Confolation; mil/lom and be delighted with the !(,, 66", 11. bnghrnefs of his Glor)'. . 2. From the futabienefsof 1his objec:'l. Chrifl: incarnate is moll: futable for our Faith ~o act .upon. We are indeed to believe on God ; but God effentially is the urmoft Ob– J<ct ol Fa~rh; we caonot come to God, but in and through Chri(l ; alas God is of– fended, and therefore wt cannot find ground immediately to go to God; hence you heard ·that Faith mHjt'direfl:lygo to Chrift .u G•d in our fiefh: ~ the i.nfinite condefcen– llons of God Ill Chnft! God takes up our Nature, and joms tt to lumfelf as <me per– fon, and !ayes_ out that before our Faith; fo that here is God, and God fuired to the particular ftate and condition of the linner. Oh now with what boldnefs may our fouls .Jraw mgh to God? why art thou ftrange poor foul? why flandefl: thou afar off, as if it X · w=
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