2:+o an Expofitton of the Cu A P.I Fourthly, He hash made themfife. Theyare in their own nature a.Lt .ilderrief4wherein thenmay endlefly wander and quickly lofe themfelves.. But he hathmade them: a may, a 'life way ; That way-faring men, thoughfools; may not ërre therein. Never .did a Believer perifh byäfflielions or ?equations : never was good Gold or Silver confutned or loft in this Furnace. Hypocrites indeed and fa fe Profeffors; fearful and unbelievers are difcovered by them, and difearded from their hopes. But they that are Difeiples indeed, are never No. than in this way, and that becaufe it is confecrated for them. Sometimes it may be through their unbelief, and want of heeding the Captain of their falvation, they are wounded and call down by them for a feafon, but they are .01 in the way, they are never turned quite outof the way. And this through the grace ofChritt doch turn alto unto their advantage. Nay it is not only abfolutely a fafeway, but comparatively more fife than the way ofProfperity. And this the Scripture , with the experience of all Saints, bear plentiful witnefs unto. And manyother bleffedends arewrought by.the r:nf craticn ofthis way for theDifciples ofChritt, not now to be infifted on. There remains yet to beconfdered in the words ofthe Apotfle, theReafon why the Captain ofour falvation was to be confecrated byfufferings; and this he declares in ithebe- ginning of the Verfe, It became Godfo to deal withhim ; which he amplifies by that de- Icriptionofhim, For whom are all things, andby whom are allthings. Having fuck a de- fign as he hid, to bring manyfont unto glory, and being he, forwhom are ali things, and by whom are all things, it became hirn fo to deal with the Captain of their falvation. What is the ai ay¢rocr here intended, and what is the importance of the word, was declared before. ThisBecomingneff, what ever it be, it arifeth from hence, ThatGod h hefor whom are all things, and bywhom areall things. It became him, not only whoh fo, but at he sr fo, and becaufe. he is fo. There is no reafon for the addition of that confederation of God in this matter, but that the caufe is in them contained and expreffed, why it becamehim to do that which is here afcribed unto him. We are then toenquire what it is that is principally regarded inGod in this Attribution, and thence we (hall learn how it became him to bring the Lord Chrift unto fuffering. Now thedefeription ofGod inthefe words, is plainly ofhim as the firjlCaufe and tiff Endofall things; neither is it abfolutely his Power in making all ofnotbing,. and his Sovereign Eternal Being requiring that all things tend unto his glory that are intended in thewords. But he is the Governour, Ruler and Judge ofall things made by him and for him, with refped unto that Order and Law of their Creation which they were to obferve. This Rate and Government ofall things, taking care that as they are ofGád, fo they thould be for him, is that which the Apoftle refpel s. This then is that which he affhrts, namely that it became God, as the Governour, Ruler and judge pfall, to confecrate Chritt by fufferings ; which muffbe farther explained. Man being made an intelleEtual Creature, had a Rule of Moral Obediencegiven unto him. This was he to obferve to the glory ofhis Creator and Law -giver, and as the condition of hiscoming unto him, and enjoyment of him. This is here fuppofed by the Apoftle ; and he difcourfeth how man having broiyn the Law of his Creation, and thereincome fhort ofthe glory ofGod, might by his grace beagain made partaker of it. With refpci h unto this (late of things, God can be no otherwife confrdered but as the SupremeGovernour and Judge ofthem. Now' that Property ofGod which he exerteth principally as theRuler and Governour ofall, is hisfallico, Juffitia regiminis, the Righteoufnefs of Government. Hereof their are two branches ; for it is either Remunerative orVindü'üve. And this Righteoufnefs of God, as the Supreme Ruler and Judgeofall, is that, upon the account whereof it war meet for him, or becamehim to bring the Ions to glory by the Tuft:ring ofthe Captain oftheir falvation. it was hence jail, equal, and therefore iudifpenlibly neceffary,that fo he fhould do. Suppofing that man wascreated in the Image of God, capable of yielding Obedienceunto hint, according to the Lawconcreated. withhim,. andwritten in his heart, which Obedi- ence was his moral beingfor God, as he wasfrom or ofhim; fuppoGng that he by fin had broken this Law, and Co was no longer for God, according to the primitive Order and Law of his Creation ; fuppofing allo notwithftanding all this, that God inhis infinite Grace and Love intended to bring fumemen unto the enjoyment of himfelf, by a new way, Law, and appointment, by which they fhoWld be brought to be for him again; Suppoling, Ifay, thefe things whichare all herefuppoJed by our Apoftle, and were granted by.theJews, itbecame the.7uJ{iceof God, that is, it was fo jtifl, right, meet and equal, that the Judge ofall the world who doth right could no otherwife do, than taufe him, who was to be the Way, Caufe, Means and Author of this Recovery of men
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