f the PERSON Of CHRIST. 14.1 and loye to mankind, was God more glorified, than he was dilhonoured in the finful exaltation of Adam out of pride and felf-love. 3. The fin of man confifted formally in difobedience, and it was the difobedience ofhim who was every wayand in all things obliged unto obe- dience. For manby all that he was, by all that he had received, by all that he expelled or was farther capable of by the conffutation of his own na- ture, by the nature and authority ofGod with his relation thereunto, was indifpenfibly obliged unto univerfal obedience. , His fin therefore was the difobedience of him who was abfolutely obliged unto obedience by the Very conftitutionof his being and neceffary relation unto God. Thiswas thatwhich rendered it fo exceeding finful, and the confequents of it eter- nally miferable. And from this obligation his fin in any one infante was a total renunciation of all obedienceunto God. The recompençe with refpef unto theglory ofGod, for difobedience muff be by obedience, as hath been before declared. And if there be not a full obedienceyielded unto the law ofGod in that nature that finned, man cannot be faved without an eternal violationof thegloryofGod therein. But the difobedience ofhim who was every way obliged unto obedience, could not be compenfated but by his obe- dience, who was no way obliged thereunto. And this could be only the obe- dience ofhim that is God,(for all his creaturesare obliged to obedience for themfelves) and it could beperformed only by him who was man. Where- fore for the accomplifhment of this obedience, he who in his own perfon, as God, was above the law, was in his humane nature, in his own perfon, as man, madeo uncle the law. Had he not beenmadeunder the law, what he did could not havebeen obedience; and had he not been in himfelfabove the law, his obedience could not have been beneficial unto us. The fin of Adam (and the fame is in the natureof every fin) confifted in this, that he who was naturally every way under the law, and fubje& unto it, would be every way above the law, and no way obligedby it. Wherefore it was taken away unto the glory of God, by his obedience, who being in him- felf above the law, no way fubje& unto it, yet fubmitted, humbled him- felf, to be made under the law, to be everyway obliged by it, fee Gal, iii. 13. Chap. iv. q.. This is the fubjeít of the difcourfe of the apoftle, Roon, y. from ver. it. to the end of the chapter. Unto the glory ofGod in all thefe ends the perfon of Chrift as an effe& of infinite wifdon was meet and able to be a mediator and undertaker between God and man. In the unionofboth our natures in the fame perfon, he was fo meet by his rela- tion unto both; unto God by filiation or fonthip, unto us by brotherhood or nearnefs of kindred, .Feb. ii. i 4. And he was able from the dignityof his perfon. For the temporary fufferings of him who was eternal, was a full compenfation for the eternalfufferings of them who were temporary. 4. God mademan the Lord ofall things here below. He wasas it were the heir ofGod, as unto the inheritance ofthis world in prefent, and as unto a bleffed Rate in eternal' glory. But he loft all right and title here- unto by fin. He made forfeiture of the whole, by the law of the tenure whereby he held it, and God took the forfeiture. Wherefore he defgns a new heir ofall, and veRs the whole inheritance of heaven and earth in him, even in hisSon. He appointed him the heir ofall things, Heb. i. 3. This tranfhationof God's inheritance the apoRle declares, Heb. ii, 6, 7, 8, 3. For the words which he cites from Pfal. viii. 4, q, 6. What is man that thou art mindful of him, and the Son of man that thou vifitet him ? For thou bafl made bim a little lower than the angels, and haft crowned him with gloryand honour thou madeff him to bave dominion over the works of thy bands: thou haft put all things under bis feet; do declare the N n original
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