If man had been only restored to his forfeited rights, to the enjoyment of the same happiness which was lost, his first state were most desirable; and it had been greater goodness to have preserved him innocent, than to recover him from ruin: as he that preserves his friend from falling into the hands of the enemy, by interposing between him and danger in the midst of the combat, delivers him in a more noble manner, than by paying a ransom for him after many days spent in woful captivity: and that physician is more excellent in his art, who prevents diseases, and keeps the body in health and vigour, than another that expels them by sharp remedies. But the grace of the gospel hath so much mended our condition, that if it were offered to our choice, to enjoy either the innocent state of Adam or the renewed by Christ, it were folly like that of our first parents, to prefer the former before the latter. The jubilee of the law restored to the same inheritance, but the jubilee of the gospel gives us the investiture of that which is transcendently better than what we at first possessed. Since "the day-sping from on high hath visited us" in tender mercy, we are enriched with higher prerogatives, and are under a better covenant, and entitled to a more glorious reward, than was due to man by the law of his creation.

1. The human nature is raised to a higher degree of honour, than if man had continued in his innocent state;

(1.) By its intimate union with the Son of God. He assumed it as the fit instrument of our redemption, and preferred it before the angelical, which surpassed man's in his primitive_state. The fullness of the Godhead dwells in our Redeemer bodily, Col. ii. 9. From hence it is, that the angels descended to pay him homage at his birth, and attended his majesty in his disguise. The Son of man hath those titles which are above the dignity of any mere creature; he is King of the church, and Judge of the world; he exercises divine power, and receives divine praise. Briefly; the human nature in our Redeemer is an associate with the divine; and being made a little lower than the angels for a time,

is now "advanced far above all principality and power," Eph. i. 21.

(2.) In all those who are partakers of grace and glory by the Lord Jesus. Adam was the Son of God by creation, but to be joined to Christ as our head by a union so intimate, that he lives in us and counts himself incomplete without us, and by that union to be adopted into the line of heaven, and thereby to have an interest in the

exceeding great and precious promises" of the gospel; to be "constituted heirs of God, and co-heirs with Christ," are such discoveries of the dignity of our supernatural state, that the lowest believer is advanced above Adam in all his honour. Nay, the angels, though supe rior to man in the excellency of their nature, yet are accidentally lower by the honour of our alliance: their King is our brother. And this relative dignity, which seems to eclipse their glory, might excite their envy; but such an ingenuous goodness dwells in those pure and blessed spirits, that they rejoice in our restoration and advancement.

To this I shall add, that as the Son of God hath a special relation to man, so the most tender affections for him. To illustrate this by a sensible instance: angels and men are as two different nations in language and customs, but under the same empire; and if a prince that commands two nations should employ one for the safety and prosperity of the other, it were an argument of special favour. Now the angels are "sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation," Heb. i. 14. Besides, in two other things the peculiar affection of the prince would be most evident to that nation-if he put on their habit, and attire himself according to their fashion-if he fixed his residence among them. Now, the Son of God was clothed with our flesh, and "found in fashion as a man," and for ever appears in it in heaven; and will at the last day invest our bodies with glory like to his own. He now dwells in us by his Spirit, and when our warfare is accomplished, he shall in a special manner be present with us in the eternal mansions. As God incarnate, he conversed with men on earth, and as such he will converse with them in

heaven. There he reigns as the first-born in the midst of many brethren.

Now all these prerogatives are the fruits of our redemption. And how great is that mercy which hath raised mankind more glorious out of its ruins! The apostle breaks out with a heavenly astonishment, "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God!" that we who are strangers and enemies, children of wrath by nature, should be dignified with the honourable and amiable title of his sons! 1 John iii. 1. It was a rare and most merciful condescension in Pharaoh's daughter, to rescue an innocent and forsaken infant from perishing by the waters, and adopt him to be her son; but how much greater kindness was it for God to save guilty and wretched man from eternal flames, and to take him into his family! The ambition of the prodigal rose no higher than to be a servant; what an inestimable favour is it to make us children! When God would express the most dear and peculiar affection to Solomon, he saith, "I will be his Father, and he shall be my son," 2 Sam. vii. 14; this was the highest honour he could promise; and all believers are dignified with it. It is the same relation that Christ hath. When he was going to heaven, he comforted his disciples with these words, "I ascend to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God." There is indeed a diversity in the foundation of it. Christ is a Son by nature, we are by mere favour; he is by generation, we are by adoption. Briefly; Jesus Christ hath made us "kings and priests unto God and his Father:" these are the highest offices upon earth, and were attended with the most conspicuous honour; and the Holy Spirit chose those bright images, to convey a clearer notice of the glory to which our Redeemer hath raised us. Not only all the crowns and sceptres in the perishing world are infinitely beneath this dignity, but the honour of our innocent state was not equal to it.

2. The gospel is a better covenant than that which was established with man in his creation; and the excellency of it will appear, by considering,

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(1.) It is more beneficial, in that it admits repentance and reconciliation after sin, and accepts of sincerity instead of perfection. The apostle magnifies the office of Christ; "By how much he is the Mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises," Heb. viii. 6. The comparison here is between the ministry of the gospel, and the Mosaical economy; and the excellency of the gospel is specified, in respect of those infinitely better promises that are in it. The ceremonial law appointed sacrifices for sins of ignorance and error, and to obtain only legal impunity; but the gospel upon the account of Christ's all-sufficient sacrifice, offers full don for all sins that are repented of and forsaken. Now with greater reason the covenant of grace is to be preferred before the covenant of works; for the law considered man as holy, and endued with perfection of grace equal to whatsoever was commanded; it was the measure of his ability as well as duty, and required exact obedience, or threatened extreme misery. The least breach of it is fatal: a single offence as certainly exposes to the curse, as if the whole were violated: and in our lapsed state we are utterly disabled to comply with its purity and perfection. But the gospel contains the promises of mercy, and is in the hands of a Mediator." The tenor of it is, that repentance and remission of sins be preached in the name of Christ, Acts ii. 38. And "if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged," 1 Cor. xi. 31. It is not, if we are innocent, for then none could be exempt from condemnation; but if the convinced sinner erect a tribunal in conscience, and strip sin of its disguise, to view its native deformity; if he pronounce the sentence of the law against himself, and glorify the justice of God which he cannot satisfy, and forsake the sins which are the causes of his sorrow, he is qualified for pardoning mercy.

Besides, the gospel doth not only apply pardon to us for all forsaken sins, but provides a remedy for those infirmities to which the best are incident. Whilst we are in this mortal state, we are exposed to temptations from without, and have corruptions within that often betray us: now to support our drooping spirits, our Redeemer

sits in heaven to plead for us, and perpetually renews the pardon that was once purchased, to every contrite spirit, for those unavoidable frailties which cleave to us here. The promise of grace is not made void by the sudden surprises of passions. "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous," 1 John ii. 1. The rigour of the law is mollified by his mediation with "the Father”- -a title of love and tenderness. God deals not with the severity of a judge, but he spareth us 66 as a man spareth his own son that serveth him," Mal. iii. 17.

And as he pardons us upon our repentance, so he accepts our hearty, though mean services. Now the legal, that is, unsinning and complete obedience cannot be performed; the evangelical, that is, the sincere, though imperfect, is graciously received. God doth not require the duties of a man by the measures of an angel. Unfeigned endeavours to please him, unreserved respect to all his commands, single and holy aims at his glory, are rewarded. Briefly, although the law is continued as a rule of living, yet not as the covenant of life. And what an admirable exaltation of mercy is there in this new treaty of God with sinners! It is true, the first covenant was holy, just, and good," but it made no abatements of favour, and it is now "weak through the flesh;" that is, the carnal corrupt nature is so strong and impetuous, that the restraints of the law are ineffectual to stop its desires, and therefore cannot bring man to that life that is promised, by the performance of the condition required. But the gospel provides an indulgence for relenting and returning sinners. This is the language of God in that covenant, "I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more, "Heb. viii. 12.

(2.) The excellency of the evangelical covenant above the legal, is, in that supernatural assistance which is conveyed by it to believers, whereby they shall certainly be victorious over all opposition in their way to heaven. It is true Adam was endued with perfect holiness and freedom, but he might entagle himself in the snares of sin and death. The grace of the Creator given to him was