4 SERMONS upon Serin g. Thoughts 5 that he would not truft an Angel with your Salvation, but fend his Son, he is to come in Perfon. t John 4. to. Herein is Love ; not that we loved God, but that he laved or, and fent his Son to be the 'Vitiation for out Sins. He thought nothing too near and too dear for us. Ufually Man's Love defcendeth, and all his Happinefs is laid up in his Children. Again, God had no Reafons 5 he was moved by his own Good- nefs, he had Reafons to the contrary ; we were Enemies, but he fent his Son for Ene- mies. Rom. 5. 10. If when we were Enemies; we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, &c. What was his Son Pent for ? not to treat with us in Majefty, but to take our Nature, to be fubftituted into our Room and Place. Oh, pralle the Father. EpheC t. 3. Blef d be the God and Father of our Lord le* CLrifi, who bath bleffid as with all fpiritual Wings in. heavenly Places in Chrß. 2 Cor. t. 3. Bleffed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jefus Chrifi,_ the Father of Mercies, and the God of all Com- fort. 2. Chriffs Condefcenfion ; He fubmitteth to be fent : Pfal. 40. 7, 8. Lo; I come, in the Volume of the Booh it is written of me. I delight to do thy Will, 0 my God"; yea, thy Law is within my Heart. We could never have asked fo much as God hath given. He would not only borrow our Tongue to fpeak to us, but our Bowels to mourn for us; and our Bodies to die for us. He layeth afide his Majefly, and taketh on himfelf the condition of a Servant. It is irkfome to us to go back ten degrees in Pomp or Plea- fure, upon juft and convenient Reafons. Oh the wonderful fell- denial of Chrift ! he laid afide the Majefly of God, and fubmitted to the greateft Abafement and Suffer - I tn$ The value of Souls, and Spiritual Privileges : If we defpile them, we put ati Affront upon the Wifdom of Heaven, and undervalue Chrift's Purchafe. Freedom, from Sin, Juftification, Holinefs, they are the only things 5 Chrift was fent from Head ven to purchafe them. Gold and Silver would not buy them 5 Mony is not currant in Heaven, though it doth all things in the World. a Pet. a. 18. We are not redeemed with corruptible things, as Silver and Gold, from our vain Converfations, but with the preci- ous Blood of the Son of God, as of a Lamb without fpat and blemit& Chrift muft come from Heaven, and take a Body, and flied hisBlood. Scourge your Hearts with that Quellion : Heb. 2. 3. How Pall we efcape,, if we neglell fo great Salvation ? Sure we fhould be more ferious, and think that worthy of our bell Endeavours, and greatel Earneftnefs, which Chrift thought worthy a Journey fromHeaven, and all the pains' and flame he fuffered. Secondly, The next thing in the Text is, That he is jefss. Mat. I. 21. Thou (halt salt his Name Jefu, for he (ball fave his People from their Sins. It is there interpreted tofig- nify a Saviour, an Angel himfelf_ is the Expofitor; fo here, Chrift is lent to be aSavi- our ; that is a principal Object of Faith, to look upon Chrift as the Saviour of the World. A Saviour properly, isne that delivereth from Evil : Now, Chrift Both not only deliver us from Evil, from Sin,the Wrath of God, the Accufations of the Law, and Eternal Death; but politively, he giveth us Grace and Righteoufnefs, and Eternal Life : He is a Saviour to defend us, and a Saviour to biefs us. Pfal. 84. 1 a. The Lord God is a San, and a Shield; he will give Grace and Glory, and no good thing will he with- hold from them that walk uprightly. The Mercies of the Covenant are. Privative and Pofitive. Many enter into a League, that they will not hurt one another 3 but God is in Covenant with us, to biefs us. If Chrift had only procured Come place for us, un- acquainted with Pain or Pleafure, it had been much; but we have not only a Ran- fort), but an Inheritance 5 inftead of Horrors and Howlings, everlafling Joys. Again, many are called Saviours, either becaule of their fubordinate fubferviency to Chrift, Inftruments in inward and outward Salvation ; but thtfe Saviours needed a Saviour. Chrift is the True Jefus, who faveth, as an Author of Grace, not as an Inftrument and Means of Conveyance. Now Chrift is a Saviour, partly by Merit, partly by Efficacy and Power; he doth fomething for us, and ómething in us : for us, he prevaileth by the Merit of his Death; in us, by the efficacy of his Spirit ; all his Work is not done on the Crofs. Both are neceffary, partly in regard of the difference of the Ene- mies ; God, and the Law, are in a diftinet Rank from Sin and Death, Satan and the World. God was an Enemy, he cannot be overcome, but mull be reconciled ; the Law an Enemy, that could not be difannulled, but muff be fatisfied. Sin, the World, and Satan, affault us out of Malice, they make themfelves Our Enemies ; the Law, and God, aremade Enemies out of our Rebellion; therefore Chrift muff fatisfy, as well as
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