[2.] Observe God's wisdom fetched a large compass and circuit ; and those things which we count the ruin of man were through the wisdom of providence his preservation. The fall of angels, the fall of man, those crooked things which seemed to be the destruction of the creature, through the overruling of God made for the manifestation of his glory. Gregory called the sin of Adam foelix sceJus, because it occa- sioned the coming of Christ. Providence hath many creeks and turnings, but all concur to the beauty of the whole frame. The apostle calls it 7roX,u7r6t/ci\o9 ao(f)La, ' the manifold wisdom of God,' Eph. iii. 10. There fore we are not to judge by present sense. God's mending is better than his making ; he would have all fall to pieces to discover more of his mercy. Man must commit a shameful act, and Christ must suffer a shameful death, and all this to advance his own glory. As a vessel that is cracked and soldered is the stronger there, or a leg that has been broken, and set again by a skilful hand, is the stronger ; so the Lord w^ould first have man to fall and ruin himself, that he might be the better established by his own grace.
[3.] Observe again, that God should pitch upon this way of sending his Son. God was not limited or bound up ; he could have done it by an angel, or of his own will have released the creature of his offence ; but ' it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell,' Col. i. 19 ; it was God's will that salvation should be brought about this way. In the whole business of salvation God would proceed by choice, not necessity. I confess, supposing the determination of the divine decrees, no creature was qualified to do us good ; the angels do but their work, they could not so fitly supererogate for us ; but if God would send his own Son, he might have come as a king in glory and triumph, and wrestled with Satan, and rescued all the elect out of his hands. But the Lord would not now discover power, but love ; he had discovered power in creation : Eom. i. 20, ' For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and godhead ; ' Liiit in redemption he discovered his wisdom ; every attribute of God was to be discovered in its season. Again, the Lord would meet with the sin of men and angels. The angels had lost their holiness out of a desire of greatness, they would be over all, and under none ; and man was sick of the same disease, and did desire to be rather great than good. Adam would be as God ; Adam fell by pride, and to counterwork this, Christ was to restore mankind by humility. When he cometh to save mankind, he lays aside his majesty, and puts on a humble garb ; he would not save mankind by power, but by suffering ; the Lord's de- sign was by the quality of the remedy to show the nature of the disease.
[4.] Observe, man or angel could not have found out such an excel- lent plot or design as this is. It could not have come into our heads or hearts, and therefore it came merely from the breast of God ; it was devised by Father, Son, and Holy Ghost : Eom. xi. 34, ' Who hath
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known the mind of the Lord ? or who hath been his counsellor ? ' What creature did prescribe to God, or direct him to such a way ? The apostle showeth it could not enter into the creature's thoughts : 1 Cor. ii. 9, ' Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.' You will find by the context he speaks of the doctrine and contrivance of Christ crucified ; neither sense, nor fancy, nor reason could suggest such a thing to the creature. There are some seeds of the law in nature, but not the least seeds of the gospel. We see in other nations they cannot so much as think of a way of a recovery : Isa. Ivi. 19, ' He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor, therefore his arm brought salvation unto him ; ' it is chiefly understood of the everlasting salvation by Christ. If the Lord had tarried till man had devised a way for his own comfort, we had been miserable to all eternity.
[5.] Observe, God discovered this design before it was accomplished in the fulness of time : Isa. xlii. 9, ' Before they spring forth I tell you of them.' This love was too big to be contained in his heart, but he must open his mind. The prophecies and promises of the Old Testament were the eruptions and overflows of God's love ; his heart was so full of love, that it could not be contained within the bounds of secrecy. He openeth his heart, and gives vent to his love in the midst of anger. As soon as man had displeased him, God drops out the promise that the seed of the woman should break the serpent's head.