OBEDIENCE NEEDED IN MAN'S RECOVERY. 195
and for itself ; and to suppose that satisfaction Avill be made for a former fault by that whose omission would have been another, had the former never been committed, is madness. An old debt cannot be discharged with ready money for new commodities ; nor can past injuries be compensated by present duties, which we are anew obliged unto. Wherefore — mankind being indispensably and eternally obliged unto the present performance of all duties of obedience unto God, according to the utmost of their capacity and ability, so as that the non-performance of them in their season, both as unto their matter and manner, would be then" sin — it is utterly impossible that by any- thing, or all that they can do, they should make the least satisfaction unto God for anything they have done against him ; much less for the hoirible apostasy whereof we treat. And to attempt the same end by any way which God hath not appointed, which he hath not made their duty, is a new provocation of the highest nature. See Micah vi. 6-8.
It is therefore evident, on all these considerations, that all mankind, as unto any endeavours of their own, anything that can be fancied as possible for them to design or do, must be left irreparable, in a condition of eternal misery. And unless we have a full conviction hereof, we can neither admire nor entertain the mystery of the wisdom of God in our reparation. And therefore it hath been the design of Satan, in all ages, to contrive presumptuous notions of men's spiritual abilities — to divert their minds from the contemplation of the glory of divine wisdom and grace, as alone exalted in our recovery.
AVe are proceeding on this supposition, that there was a condecency unto the holy perfections of the divine nature, that mankind should be restored, or some portion of it recovered unto the enjoyment of himself; so angelical nature was preserved unto the same end in those that did not sin. And we have showed the general grounds whereon it is impossible that fallen man should restore or recover himself Wherefore we must, in the next place, inquire what is necessary unto such a restoration, on the account of that concernment of the divine excellencies in the sin and apostasy of man which we have stated before ; for hereby we may obtain light, and an insight into the glory of that wisdom whereby it was contrived and effected. And the things following, among others, may be observed under that end : —
1. It was required that there should be an obedience yielded unto 6^* God, bringing more glory unto him than dishonour did arise and accrue from the disobedience of man This was due unto the glory of divine holiness in giving of the law. Until this was done, the excellency of the law, as becoming the holiness of God, and as an effect thereof, could not be made manifest. For if it were never kept in any instance, never fulfilled by any one person in the woidd, how should the glory of it be declared ? — how should the holiness of God
196 THE PERSON OF CHRIST.
be represented by it? — ^how should it be evident tliat the transgres- sion of it was not rather from some defect in the law itself, than from any evil in them that should have yielded obedience unto it? The obedience yielded by the angels that stood and sinned not, made it manifest that the transgTOssion of it by them that fell and sinned was from their own wills, and not from any unsuitableness unto their nature and state in the law itself. But if the law given unto man should never be complied withal in perfect obedience by any one what- ever, it might be thought that the law itself was unsuited unto our nature, and impossible to be complied withal. Nor did it become infinite loisdom to give a law whose equity, righteousness, and holi- ness, should never be exemplified in ohedience — should never be made to appear but in the punishment inflicted on its transgressors. Wherefore the original law of personal righteousness was not given solely nor primarily that 7nen might suffer justly for its transgression, but that God might he glorified in its accomplishment. If this be not done, it is impossible that men should be restored unto the glory of God. If the law be not fulfilled by obedience, man must suffer evermore for his disobedience, or God must lose the manifestation of his holiness therein. Besides, God had represented his holiness in that image of it which was implanted on our nature, and which was the principle enabling us unto obedience. This also was rejected by sin, and therein the holiness of God despised. If this be not restored in our nature, and that with advantages above what it had in its first communication, we cannot be recovered unto the glory of God.
2. It was necessary that the disorder brought into the rule and government of God by sin and rebellion should be rectified. This could no otherwise be done but by the infliction of that punishment which, in the unalterable rule and standard of divine justice, was due thereunto. The dismission of sin on any other terms would leave the rule of God under unspeakable dishonour and confusion ; for where is the righteousness of government, if the highest sin and provocation that our nature was capable of, and which brought confusion on the whole creation below, should for ever go unpunished ? The first ex- press intimation that God gave of his righteousness in the govermnentof mankind, was his threatening a punishment equal unto the demerit of disobedience, if man should fall into it : "In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt die." If he revoke and disannul this sentence, how shall the glory of his righteousness in the rule of all be made known ? But how this punishment should be undergone, which consisted in man's eternal ruin, and yet man be eternally saved, was a work for divine wisdom to contrive. This, therefore, was necessary unto the honour of God's righteousness, as he is the supreme Governor and Judge of all the earth.