and Abafement, to which the only-begotten Son of God condefcended. It is nowtime that we move forward, to confider

Secondly, the End for which he was fent into the World, and fubmitted to that Humiliation and Abasement, God fent his only-begotten Son into the World, that we might live through him; THIS was the principal End of his coming; and in order to this, He was fent to be the Propitiation for our Sins. For we were all concluded under Sin; and because the W ages of Sin is Death, and the Majefty affronted by Sin infinite; we were under an Obligation to fuffer eternal Death, from which we could not be delivered, unless our Sins were firft forgiven; And before this could be done, God's Juftice required Satisfaction to be rade. But now that Perfon alone could make Satisfaction, who was himself free from all Sin; and in whom the Man-hood and God-head were joined together.

The Person who could fatis fie infinite. Juftice, must himself be free from all Sin, because 'twas impoffible for a Sinner to latisfie for himself: All that a Sinner could do, would be finite and imperfect; but the Satisfaction demanded, was perfect

and

and infinite: And if he could not fatisfie for himfelf, much lefs could he for all Mankind. Such an bigh Prieft therefore became us, who was Holy, barmless, unde filed, feperate from Sinners, and made higher than the leavens; who had no sins of his own to offer up Sacrifice for.

Again, he muft partake of the Human Nature, that fo Punishment might be undergone for Sin, in that Nature which fin'd: Forafmuch as we Sinners were partakers of Flesh and Blood, it behoved bim alfo to take part of the fame; that therein be might be made like unto us, and be a merciful and faithful High Prieft, in things pertaining to God, to make Reconciliation for the Sins of the People:

And lafly, it was neceffary that he fhould partake of the Divine Nature too, that from thence the Obedience which he perform'd, and thofe Sufferings which he underwent, in his Human Narure,. might receive fo much Virtue and Merit, as to make full Satisfaction for the Sins of. the whole World. / No Perfon could be a Propitiation for our Sins, but he that could make a Satisfaction of infinite Value for them. For our Sins being com mitted against God, who is a Bei g of inC finite

finite Excellency, must therefore be infinite in Guilt and Hainoufnels: And how can we imagine, that infinite Juftice hould be appeas'd, and render'd favourable, unless it receiv'd a Satisfaction anfwerable to the Injury it fuftain'd by Sin: The Guilt and Hainoufnefs of our Sins being inite, the Satisfaction for them, must be likewife infinire in Worth and Value. But who could make a Satisfaction of infinite Worth and Value, except a Perfon of the fame Worth and Value? Or what Blood could be precious enough to Redeem us from Wrath, or to Atone for our Offences, except the Blood of God himfelf, whom by our Sins we had offended?

From what has been said, we may easily give an Account, why the only begotten Son of God was fent into the World, and Lubmitted to fo much Humiliation and Abasement. 'Twas that he might become fuch an High Prieft, as our Condition required, boly, barmlefs, unde filled, separate from Sinners, made higher than the Heavens. Twas that he might flay the Enmity which was between God and Man; and render us once more the Objects of his Favour. Twas that our actual Sins, which were red as the Blood he shed,

when

when he was Crucified; might become White, as the Light he fhone in when he was Transfigur'd: And that the Poy. fon deriv'd from eating of the forbidden Tree in Eden, might be expell'd by the Virtue of that Fruit, which hung upon the accurfed Tree in Calvary. In a Word; 'Twas that we might be Redeemed from the Curse of the Law, from eternal Death and Destruction; and be made capable to enjoy, and put in a Way to obtain all the Bleffings included in Life Everlasting. Thirdly therefore, let us behold the exceedingly great Love of God to Mankind, evidenc'd by this Action: In THIS was manifefted the Love of God towards us; HEREIN is Love. This doubling the Affertion, makes it remarkably Emphatical, and plainly implies, that this was the greatest Inftance of Divine Love, that was ever given.

Numerous and great are the Evils to which we are continually expos'd, and the Love of God eminently leen in protecting us from them, but his Love ap peareth far more illuftrious in working out our Redemption, because hereby we are deliver'd from the greatest of all Evils, from the Bondage of Sin, and eternal Damnation.

*It was a noble Proof of Divine Love ro form us out of Nothing, and place us in a State of Felicity, but to redeem us after we had received a happy Exifténce from him, and made ourfelves unworthy of lo much Kindness, is a Proof of Divine Love more noble than that. For though before we had a Being, there could be nothing done that might deferve God's Love, yet there alfo could be nothing done which might deferve his Hatred or Angers · Whereas our Redemption fuppofes that we had incurr'd his heavy Difpleafure, and provok'd his Anger to wax hot againft us, for tranfgreffing the Command he had given us to obferve: And certainly to rea ftore us to a State of Blifs after we had loft it, by provoking and affronting him, argues a much greater Degree of Love, than to place us in fuch a State, before we had provoked or affronted him at all One of thefe Acts of Love was exercised before we had deferved God's Favour; but the other after we had ungratefully abused it: One of them was fhown when we only wanted fomewhat to be reckon'd his Friends, the other after we had actually made ourselves his Enemies. And therefore St Paul, in Rom. v. & takes efpecial Notice of this; That God commendeth his