SERMON II. UPON THE PASSION OF OUR BLESSED SAVIOUR. PHIL. II. 8. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. WHEN, in consequence of the original apostasy SERM. II. from God, which did banish us from paradise, and by continued rebellions against him, inevitable to our corrupt and impotent nature, mankind had forfeited the amity of God, (the chief of all goods, the fountain of all happiness,) and had incurred John iii. his displeasure; (the greatest of all evils, the foun- Col. iii. 6. dation of all misery :) 36. 13. When poor man having deserted his natural Lord and Protector, Other lords had got dominion Isai. xxvi. over him, so that he was captivated by the foul, malicious, cruel spirits, and enslaved to his own vain mind, to vile lusts, to wild passions": ii. 17. When, according to an eternal rule of justice, Gen. iv. 7; that sin deserveth punishment, and by an express law, wherein death was enacted to the transgressors of God's command, the root of our stock, and consequently all its branches, stood adjudged to utter destruction: 3 Cyril. c. Jul. vi. [Opp. Tom. vi. p. 278 A, B. IX. p. 303 B.] b Iren. iii. 33, 34; iii. 8. Iren v. 16. SERM. Rom. iii. 19. v. 16, 18. When, according to St Paul's expressions, All II. the world was become guilty before God, 'Yπódios TO Oew, (or subjected to God's judgment:) All Rom. iii.9; men (Jews and Gentiles) were under sin, under Gal. iii. 10. condemnation, under the curse; All men were conRom. xi. cluded into disobedience, Eis ameileiav, and shut up Rom. iii. together (as close prisoners) under sin; All men had 23; V. 12. sinned, and come short of the glory of God: Death had passed over all, because all had sinned: 32. When for us, being plunged into so wretched a condition, no visible remedy did appear, no possible redress could be obtained here below: for what means could we have of recovering God's favour, who were apt perpetually to contract new debts and guilts, but not able to discharge any old scores? What capacity of mind or will had we to entertain mercy, who were no less stubbornly perverse and obdurate in our crimes, than ignorant or infirm? How could we be reconciled unto Heaven, who had an innate antipathy to God and goodness? [Sin, according to our natural state, and secluding Rom. vi. evangelical grace, reigning in our mortal bodies, 12, 14, 20. No good thing dwelling in us; there being a predominant Law in our members, warring against the law of our mind, and bringing us into captivity Col. iii. 9. to the law of sin; a main ingredient of our Old man being a carnal mind, which is enmity to God, and cannot submit, Ovx væотáσσeтα, to his law; we being Alienated from the life of God by the blindness of our hearts, and enemies in our minds by wicked works:] How could we revive to any good hope, Eph. ii. 1. who were Dead in trespasses and sins, God having Col. i. 21. withdrawn his quickening Spirit? How at least could we for one moment stand upright in God's Rom. vii. 18, 5. Rom. vii. 23. Rom. vi. 6. Rom. viii. 7. Eph. iv. 18. Rom. v. 10. sight, upon the natural terms, excluding all sin, SERM. and exacting perfect obedience? II. Rom. vi. Ps. cxliii. Exod. in xxxiv. 7. as Ezek. xvi. 6. When this, I say, was our forlorn and despe- Eph. ii. 5. rate case, then Almighty God, out of his infinite 11, 13. goodness, was pleased to look upon us (as he 2. sometime did upon Jerusalem, Lying polluted her blood) with an eye of pity and mercy, so graciously to design a redemption for us out of all that woful distress: and no sooner by his incomprehensible wisdom did he foresee we should lose ourselves, than by his immense grace he did conclude to restore us. 9, 11, & .11. 2 Tim. i. 9. I 8. Rom. xvi. Tit. i. 2. But how could this happy design well be com- Eph. i. 4, passed? How, in consistence with the glory, with the justice, with the truth of God, could such ene- 1 Pet. i. mies be reconciled, such offenders be pardoned, Rev. xiii. such wretches be saved? Would the omnipotent & Majesty so affronted, deign to treat with his rebels 25. immediately, without an intercessor or advocate? Would the sovereign Governor of the world suffer thus notoriously his right to be violated, his authority to be slighted, his honour to be trampled on, without some notable vindication or satisfaction? Would the great Patron of justice relax the terms of it, or ever permit a gross breach thereof to pass with impunity? Would the immutable God of truth expose his veracity or his constancy to suspicion, by so reversing that peremptory sen- Gen. ii. 17. tence of death upon sinners, that it should not in a sort eminently be accomplished"? Would the most righteous and most Holy God let slip an d Athan. de Incarn. [Θανάτου γὰρ ἦν χρεία, καὶ θάνατον ὑπὲρ πάντων ἔδει γενέσθαι, ἵνα τὸ παρὰ πάντων ὀφειλόμενον γένηται.-opp. Tom. I. p. 64 r.] SERM. opportunity so advantageous for demonstrating his II. perfect love of innocence, and abhorrence of ini quity? Could we therefore well be cleared from our guilt without an expiation, or reinstated in freedom without a ransom, or exempted from condemnation without some punishment? No: God was so pleased to prosecute his designs of goodness and mercy, as thereby nowise to impair or obscure, but rather to advance and illustrate the glories of his sovereign dignity, of his severe justice, of his immaculate holiness, of his unchangeable steadiness in word and purpose. He accordingly would be sued to for peace and mercy: nor would he grant them absolutely, without due compensations for the wrongs he had sustained; yet so, that his goodness did find us a Mediator, and furnish us with means to satisfy him. He would not condescend to a simple remission of our debts; yet so, that, saving his right and honour, he did stoop lower for an effectual abolition of them. He would make good his word, not to let our trespasses go unpunished; yet so, that by our punishment we might receive advantage. He would manifest his detestation of wickedness in a way more illustrious than if he had persecuted it down to hell, and irreversibly doomed it to endless torment. But how might these things be effected? Where was there a Mediator proper and worthy to intercede for us? Who could presume to solicit and plead in our behalf? Who should dare to put himself between God and us, or offer to screen mankind from the divine wrath and vengeance? Who had so great an interest in the court of hea II. ven, as to ingratiate such a brood of apostate ene- SERM. mies thereto? Who could assume the confidence to propose terms of reconciliation, or to agitate a new Covenant, wherewith God might be satisfied, and whereby we might be saved? Where, in heaven or earth, could there be found a priest fit to atone for sins so vastly numerous, so extremely heinous? And whence should a sacrifice be taken, of value sufficient to expiate for so manifold enormities, committed against the infinite Majesty of Heaven? Who could Find out the everlasting redemption of innumerable souls, or lay down a competent ransom for them all? Not to say, could also purchase for them eternal life and bliss? These are questions which would puzzle all the wit of man, yea, would gravel all the wisdom of angels to resolve: for plain it is, that no creature on earth, none in heaven, could well undertake or perform this work. 26. Where on earth, among the degenerate sons of Adam, could be found Such an high priest as Heb. vii. became us, holy, harmless undefiled, separate from sinners? and how could a man, however innocent and pure as a seraphim, so perform his duty, as to do more than merit or satisfy for himself? How many lives could the life of one man serve to ransom; seeing that it is asserted of the greatest and richest among men, that None of them can by any Ps. xlix. 7. means redeem his brother, or give to God a ransom for him. And how could available help in this case be expected from any of the angelical host; seeing (beside their being in nature different from us, • Αἰωνίαν λύτρωσιν εὑράμενος.—Heb. ix. 12. |