[6.] Observe again, God discovered this by degrees, first in types, then in truths ; first in promises, then in performances. God spake to his people formerly not so much by words as by things. We teach children to fight with puppets, and in the oriental nations it is their genius to be taken with allegories and figures. God would prepare the world by degrees, as the day groweth till it cometh to high noon ; to us he hath opened all liis good treasure. And further, it was for our instruction, that wickedness should be perfectly discovered. And besides the former ages needed restraints more than comforts. Every age had sufficient revelation for what God required of them.
2. Follow this meditation by arguments. There could not have been a better way to save the creature, whether we respect God's glory or the creature's comfort and profit.
[1.] If we consider God's glory.
(1.) It was the best way to commend his love : Rom. v. 8, ' But God commended his love tovv^ards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.' Herein was the commendation of the divine love, that God would give up the Son of his own love and bosom to die for us that were sinners. As the apostle saith, Heb. vi. 18, ' When God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself.' So when the Lord could give us no greater gifts, he gave us his Son. David seems to be amazed with wonder when he considers the power of God in making such creatures as the moon and stars, much more when he considers the love of God in framing of man : Ps. viii. 3, 4, ' When I consider the heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained ; what is man, that thou art mindful of him ? and the son of man that thou
336 SERMONS UPON GENESIS XXIV. («.
visitest him ? ' But here the Son of God himself is become man for us. Oh ! that Jesus Christ should stoop so low ! that he that fills all things should be shut up in the narrow straits of the virgin's womb ! that Christ should disrobe himself of all his glory, and submit to the greatest abasement ! John iii. 16, 'For God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life,'
(2.) Hereby his justice is discovered. One attribute is not to be exer- cised to the wrong and prejudice of another. Now in this excellent con- trivance God did glorify his mercy so as his justice was no loser, that being sujB&ciently satisfied in the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore justice, which in itself is our dread, is in Christ the ground of our comfort and support, and that attribute which would discourage sinners doth now invite and draw unto Christ ; 1 John i. 9, ' If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all un- righteousness.' So Eom. iii. 25, 26, ' Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God ; to declare at this time, I say, his righteousness, that he might be just, and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus.' God would dispense acts of grace with the greatest advantage to his justice. This is the beauty of his design, he would be just jn justification, and those acts which to us are acts of mere grace, are now made acts of righteousness.
(3.) Hereby the authority of the law is still preserved. God in innocency had written a law in man's heart, and he was to preserve the honour of it. Man transgressed this law. Now by appointing Jesus Christ to die for us, the dignity of the law is kept up. Impunity maketh sin to be lightly esteemed ; when laws are relaxed there must be some commutation or recompense, or else their authority is not preserved : Mat, v. 18, ' Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one little shall in no wise pass from the law till all be fulfilled.' The omission of punishment would detract from it, therefore Christ must be made under the law : Gal. iv. 4, 5, ' But when the fulness of time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.' Christ endured the severity of it.
(4.) Hereby God's essence is discovered, even the whole Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. The doctrine of the Trinity was but darkly revealed in the Old Testament till Christ came in the flesh. One of the main designs of our redemption was to discover God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, There is a God that must be satisfied, there is a God that must satisfy, and there is a God that must seal up all this to the soul. At Christ's baptism, when he was solemnly inaugurated into the mediatorship, there was a discovery of the Trinity, the Father in a voice, the Son in person, and the Holy Ghost in the shape of a dove.