4. Man having broken the law of nature or works, is lost or disabled to his own recovery, or to do anything whereby to satisfy God. We cannot make any satisfaction to God for the pardon of sin, or escaping the curse of the law ; or change our natures to return to the obedience of it ; or if we could, the paying of new debts will not quit old scores. What can we do to satisfy justice, and reconcile such rebellious crea- tures to God ? ' The redemption of the soul is precious ; ' that work would cease for ever if it lay upon man's hands, Ps. xlix 7, 8. And as little can we renew the soul as reconcile it. Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean ? Surely not one. Will a nature that is carnal resist and overcome the flesh, and abhor the sin which it dearly loveth ? Therefore man is shut up under misery, without strength, unable to recover himself and return to God : Kom. v. 6, ' For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.'
5. Because man was under such an impotency, Jesus Christ became the mediator, stepped between us and the full execution of the curse ; redeemed us from this lost condition, by taking the penalty upon him- self, and thereby satisfied the lawgiver, and attained the ends of the law. He became the sacrifice to offended justice : Eph. v. 2, ' And hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for
Vee. 9.] SERMONS UPON PHILIPPL4NS III. 47
a sweet-smelling savour ; ' and a ransom for sinners, 1 Tim. ii. 6 ; which are the two solemn notions by which the death of Christ is set forth. His sufferings were satisfactory to his Father's justice, and expiatory of our sins. This sacrifice and ransom was paid with respect to the curse of the law ; that is, to free us from the penalty of the old broken cove- nant, there being nothing in us to recommend us to God, or to secure us from the dint of God's anger and justice.
6. Upon his death, Christ acquired a new right of dominion and empire over the world, to be their Lord and Saviour, to rule them, and save them upon his own terms : Rom. xiv. 9, 'For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living ; ' Acts ii. 36. ' Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus whom ye crucified both Lord and Christ ; ' Phil. ii. 7-11, ' But made himself of no repu- tation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men : and being found in fashion as a man, humbled himself, and became obedient to death, even the death of the cross. TVherefore God hath highly exalted him, and given him a name above every name : that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth : and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father/ God hath made this God-man supreme prince of his church, and hath given him all power in heaven and in earth, that all rational creatures should pay him all duty, and subjection, and acknow- ledgment ; and his doctrine and faith should be embraced by all nations in the world, as the means of their recovery to God.
7. Our Piedeemer being possessed of this lordship and dominion, hath made a new law of grace, which is propounded as a remedy for the recovering and restoring the lapsed world of mankind to the grace and favour of God, by offering and granting free pardon, justification, and adoption, and a right to glory, to those that, coming off from the law, will submit to his terms ; but peremptorily concluding and sentencing them anew to eternal death who will not embrace these terms and this way of salvation which he hath set up. This is the sum of the gospel in many places: Mark xvi. 16, 'He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved ; but he that believeth not shall be damned ; ' John iii. 16-18, ' God so loved the world, that he gave his only be- gotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life : for God sent not his Son into the world to con- demn the world, but that the world might be saved. He that believ- eth on him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God.'
Here mark that in this proposition I assert three things — [1.] That Christ, as Lord of the new creation, hath set down the terms of life and death. I say, that Christ, as king, doth enact the law, the law of grace and promise by which we are justified. He merited it by his death and bloody sufferings, but the grant we have from him as lord and king. He, as having all power, sent abroad his apostles as ambassadors to acquaint the world with his new law ; and lie doth still execute it as lord and judge, and as a judge he doth justify