that glorious ineffable contrivance of the person of Christ, or of the divine nature in the eternal Son of God, and of ours in the same individual person. Otherwise this work could not be accomplished; at least, all other ways are hidden from the eyes of all living, no created understanding being able to apprehend any other way, whereby it might so have been unto the eternal glory of God. This therefore is such an effect of divine wisdom, as will be the object of holy adoration and admiration unto eternity; as unto this life, how little a portion is it we know of its excellency?

OTHER

CHAP. XVII.

EVIDENCES OF DIVINE WISDOM, IN THE CONTRIVANCE OF THE WORK OF REDEMPTION IN AND BY THE PERSON OF CHRIST, IN EFFECTS EVIDENCING A CONDECENCY THEREUNTO.

THAT which remains of our present inquiry, is concerning those evidences of divine condecency or suitableness unto infinite wisdom and goodness, which we may gather from the nature of this work, and its effects, as expressed in divine revelation. Some few instances hereof I shall choose out from amongst many that might be insisted on.

1. Man was made to serve God in all things. In his person, in his soul and body, in all his faculties, powers, and senses, in all that was given unto him or intrusted with him; he was not his own, but every way a servant, in all that he was, in all that he had, in all that he did or was to do. This he was made for; this state and condition was necessary unto him as a creature. It could be no otherwise with any that was so; it was so with the angels who were greater in dignity and pow er than man. The very name of creature includes the condition of universal subjection, and service unto the Creator.

This condition in and by his sin, Adam designed to desert, and to free himself from. He would exalt himself out of the state of service and obedience, absolute and universal, into a condition of self-sufficiency, of domination and rule. He would be as God, like unto God; that is, subject no more to him, be in no more dependence on him, but advance his own will above the will of God. And there is somewhat of this in every sin; the sinner would advance his own will in opposition unto, and above the will of God. But what was the event hereof? Man by endeavouring to free himself from absolute subjection and universal service, to invade absolute dominion, fell into absolute and eternal ruin.

For our recovery out of this state and condition, considering how we cast ourselves into it, the way insisted on was found out by divine wisdom; namely, the incarnation of the Son of God. For he was Lord of all, had absolute dominion over all, owed no service, no obedience for himself, being in the form of God, and equal unto him. From this state of absolute dominion, he descended into a condition of absolute service. As Adam sinned and fell by leaving that state of absolute service which was due unto him, proper unto his nature, inseparable from it, to attempt a state of absolute dominion, which was not his own, not due unto him, not consistent with his nature; so the Son of God being made the second Adam, relieved us, by descending from a state of absolute dominion, which was his own, due to his nature, to take on him a state of absolute service, which was not his own, nor due unto him. And this being inconsistent with his own divine nature, he performed it, by taking our nature on him, making it his own. He descended as much beneath himself in his self-humiliation, as Adam designed to ascend above himself in his pride and self exaltation.

The consideration of the divine grace and the Apostle proposeth unto us, Phil. ii. 6-8.

wisdom herein, Who being in

the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God. But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of man; and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and be

came obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.' Adam being in the form, that is, the state and condition of a servant, did, by robbery, attempt to take upon him the form of God, or to make himself equal unto him. The Lord Christ being in the form of God, that is, his essential form of the same nature with him, accounted it no robbery to be in the state and condition of God, to be equal to him. But being made in the fashion of a man, taking on him our nature, he also submitted unto the form, or the state and condition, of a servant therein. He had dominion over all; owed service and obedience unto none, being in the form of God, and equal unto him, the condition which Adam aspired unto. But he condescended unto a state of absolute subjection and service for our recovery. This did no more belong unto him, on his own account, than it belonged unto Adam to be like unto God, or equal to him. Wherefore it is said, that he humbled himself unto it, as Adam would have exalted himself unto a state of dignity which was not his due.

This submission of the Son of God unto an estate of absolute and universal service, is declared by the Apostle, Heb. x. 5. For those words of the Psalmist, Mine ears hast thou digged or bored,' Psal. xl. 6. he renders, 'a body hast thou prepared me.' There is an allusion in the words of the prophecy unto him under the law, who gave up himself in absolute and perpetual service; in sign whereof, his ears were bored with an awl. So the body of Christ was prepared for him, that therein he might be in a state of absolute service unto God. So he became to have nothing of his own, the original state that Adam would have forsaken, no not his life; he was obedient unto the death. This way did divine wisdom find out and contrive, whereby more glory did arise unto the holiness and righteousness of God from his condescension unto universal service and obedience, who was over all God blessed for ever, than dishonour was cast upon them by the self-exaltation of him, who being in all things a servant, designed to be like unto God.

2. Adam was poor in himself, as a creature must be. What riches he had in his hand, or power, they were none of his own, they were only entrusted with him for especial service. In

this state of poverty he commits the robbery of attempting to be like unto God. Being poor, he would make himself rich, by the rapine of an equality with God. This brought on him, and us all, as it was meet it should, the loss of all that we were entrusted with. Hereby we lost the image of God, lost our right unto the creatures here below, lost ourselves and our souls. This was the issue of his attempt to be rich, when he was poor.

In this state, infinite wisdom hath provided for our relief unto the glory of God. For the Lord Jesus Christ being rich in himself, for our sakes he became poor, that we through his poverty might be rich,' 2 Cor. viii. 9. He was rich in that riches which Adam designed by robbery; for he was in the form of God, and accounted it no robbery to be equal with God. But he made himself poor for our sakes, with poverty which Adam would have relinquished; yea, to that degree, that he had not where to lay his head ;' he had nothing. Hereby he made a compensation for what he never made spoil of, or paid what he never took. In this condescension of his, out of grace and love to mankind, was God more glorified, than he was dishonoured in the sinful exaltation of Adam, out of pride and self-love.

3. The sin of man consisted formally in disobedience; and it was the disobedience of him who was every way, and in all things obliged unto obedience. For man by all that he was, by all that he had received, by all that he expected, or was farther capable of, by the constitution of his own nature, by the nature and authority of God with his relation thereunto, was indispensably obliged unto universal obedience. His sin therefore was the disobedience of him who was absolutely obliged unto obedience by the very constitution of his being and necessary relation unto God. This was that which rendered it so exceeding sinful, and the consequents of it eternally miserable. And from this obligation, his sin, in any one instance, was a total renunciation of all obedience unto God.

The recompense, with respect unto the glory of God, for disobedience, must be by obedience, as hath been before declared. And if there be not a full obedience yielded unto the

law of God in that nature that sinned, man cannot be saved without an eternal violation of the glory of God therein. But the disobedience of him who was every way obliged unto obedience, could not be compensated but by his obedience, who was no way obliged thereunto. And this could be only the obedience of him that is God, (for all creatures are obliged to obedience for themselves), and it could be performed only by him who was man. Wherefore, for the accomplishment of this obedience, he, who in his own person, as God, was above the law, was in his human nature, in his own person, as man, made under the law. Had he not been made under the law, what he did could not have been obedience; and had he not been in himself above the law, his obedience could not have been beneficial unto us. The sin of Adam (and the same is in the nature of every sin) consisted in this, that he who was naturally every way under the law, and subject unto it, would be every way above the law, and no way obliged by it. Wherefore it was taken away unto the glory of God, by his obedience, who being in himself above the law, no way subject unto it, yet submitted, humbled himself, to be made under the law, to be every way obliged by it; see Gal. iii. 13. chap. iv. 4. This is the subject of the discourse of the Apostle, Rom. v. from ver. 12. to the end of the chapter.

Unto the glory of God in all these ends, the person of Christ, as an effect of infinite wisdom, was meet and able to be a Mediator and undertaker between God and man. In the union of both our natures in the same person, he was so meet by his relation unto both; unto God by filiation or sonship, unto us by brotherhood or nearness of kindred, Heb. ii. 14. And he was able from the dignity of his person. For the temporary sufferings of him who was eternal, was a full compensation for the eternal sufferings of them who were temporary.

4. God made man the lord of all things here below. He was as it were the heir of God, as unto the inheritance of this world in present, and as unto a blessed state in eternal glory. But he lost all right and title hereunto by sin. He made forfeiture of the whole, by the law of the tenure whereby he held it, and God took the forfeiture; wherefore he designs a new heir of all,