S E R M 0 N S upon Serm. IV, for the future we(hould be obedient to him, yet who (hall reftore that we have taken away ? Or fatisfie for the wrong done to Gods Juftice? Thirdly, The law had no pow - er of taking away of fn, but only of punifhing of fin, as it threatned death to the fin- er; but how we fhould efcape this death, it told us not; being all (hut up under fin, we are that up under wrath, and there iono efcape but by JefasCirif. 2. It cannot give us faneIifacation.: It calleth for duty, and puts in mind of it, but gi- veth noflrength to perform it, for being corrupted within, we are little wrought upon by a law without, to which our hearts Rand in fuch enmity and contrariety; but let me prove it by two Arguments. . 1. They that did not keep ihemflves in innocency, cannot recover their integrity now Ws loft. 'Tis eafier to preferve life, than to reflore it when once dead 5 any fool may open the Floodgates,but when once the waters are brokenin,who can recall them ?Jobt4.4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean ? not one ; that is, who can purifie his heart when 'Lis once defiled with fin ? This is an evil.not to be remedied by inftrul ion, but inclination 2. Suppofe they could recover themfelves, they mould foon lofe it again: As Adam gave out at the ,firft affault, fo we would be every moment breaking with God; the fare ettate, and the everlafting Covenant is provided for us by Chrift, and our condition by Grace is more (table. God by Chrift hath ingaged his faithfulnefs, to give us nccefary and efelimalgrace to preferve the new life, i Cor. t. g. God is faithful, by whom ye werecalled. Au flip compareth the (late of ;fob and Adam 5 fob was more happy in his mifery than Adam in innocency; he was viiítorious on the Dunghil, when the other was defeated on the Throne; he received no evil counfel from his wife, when the firft Wo- man feduced Adam; he by grace defpifed the affaults of Satan, when the other fuffered himfelf to be worfted at the firft temptation;'be preferved his righteoufnefs in the midui of his farrows, when the other loft his innocency in paradife : So much better is it to Rand by the Grace of Chrift, than our own free will; the broken veffel being cemented again, is (tronge(t in the crack. Well then, you fee that our mifery is fuch, that God only can help us by fome new treaty of relief, and therefore let us fte what God bath dbne for us. Secondly, The means of our deliverance, they are tvvo, his Incarnation and Pall Pion. 1, His Incarnation, He feet his Son iu the likenefr of finful flefh ; let me firft op n the words; Secondly thew what benefit wehavethereby. a. Chrifts coming in the likenefs of finful fleib, implieth that it was the nature of fin - ful men; that he had a true humane nature as other men have, but not a finful nature;in fome places 'cis faid be was made in the likenefs of men, Phil. 2.7. and Heb. 2. 17. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren ; in other places fin is excepted; tempted in all points like us, (except fin) Heb. 4. 15. and .Heb. 7. 26. He affumed the true, and realnature of man, with all the fame effential properties, which other men have, only fin is exepted, that infel(ion was flopped by his fupernatural Conception, through the power of the HolyGhofl ; in (hort,he came not in finful &(b, but in the likenefs offinful flefh;he took not our nature as in innocency, but when our blood was tainted, and we were rebels to God. 2. He took not the humane nature as it [hall be in glory, frilly without fin. (There will a time come, when the humane nature (hall be perfealy glorified) But Chrift took our nature as it was cloathed with all natural, finlefs infirmities, even fuch as are in us. The puni(hment of fin as he affumed a mortal body ; and death to us is the fruit of fin, Rom.' 6. 23. atad 5. 12. he was hungry, weary, pained, as we are. 3. He was counted a(inner, condemned as a finer, expofed to many Afi &ions, fach as finners endure; yea, bore the punifhment of our fin. The Jews acctifed him of Sedition and Blafphemy, two of the higheft crimes agaínft either Table ; the Handers by looked on him as one flricken.and fmitten of God, Ifa. 53. 4. Yea, God made him to be fin, 2 Cor. 5. 2i. He was made finfor us, that we might be made the righteoufnefs of God in him,, and Heb. 9. 28. So Chrtil was once offered to bear the fins of many. Let us next con" Cider. 2. What benefit have we thereby , Becaufe Chri(ts fle(h is meat indeed, to feed hun- gry fouls. l (hall a little infili upon that, it being fo ufeful to us when we are Sacramen- tally to eat theflefh,and drink the blood of the Son of God. 1. He came in our fiefh, that thereby he might be under the law which was given to the whole
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