1st. God hath there discovered that no sacrifices for sin, though of his own aj^pointment, could ever make them perfect that offered them, Heb. x. 1 1. Those sacrifices could never take away sin ;^ — those services could never make them perfect that performed them, as to the conscience, Heb. ix. 9 ; as the apostle proves, chap. x. 1. And thence the Lord rejects all sacrifices and offerings whatever, as to any such end and purpose, verses 6-8, Christ, in their stead, saying, " Lo, I come;" and by him we are "justified from all things, from which we could not be justified by the law," Acts xiii. 39: God, I say, in Christ, hath condemned all sacrifices, as wholly insufficient in the least to make an atonement for sin. And how great a thing it was to instruct the sons of men in this wisdom, the event hath manifested.
2dli/. He hath also written vanity on all other endeavours what- ever, that have been undertaken for that purpose. Rom. iii. 24-26, by setting forth his only Son " to be a propitiation," he leaves no doubt upon the spirits of men that in themselves they could make no atonement; for " if righteousness were by the law, then were Christ dead in vain." To what purpose should he be made a pro- pitiation, were not we ourselves weak and without strength to any such purpose? So the apostle argues, Rom. v. 6, when we had no power, then did he by death make an atonement; as verses 8, 9.
This, wisdom then, is also hid in Christ. Men may see by otlier hel2:)s, perhaps, far enough to fill them with dread and astonishment, as those in Isa. xxxiii. 14; but such a sight and view of it as may * Vid. Diatr. de Just. Divin. cixp. iii. vol. x. » Ps, xl. G, 7.
OF COMMUNION WITH THE SON JESUS CHRIST. 99
lead a soul to any comfortable settlement about it, — that only is dis- covered in this treasury of heaven, the Lord Jesus.
[2.] Our disability to answer the mind and %vdll of God, in all or any of the obedience that he requireth, is in him only to be dis- covered. This, indeed, is a thing that many will not be acquainted with to this day. To teach a man that he cannot do what he ought to do, and for which he condemns himself if he do it not, is no easy task. Man rises up with all Ms power to plead against a conviction of impotency. Not to mention the proud ^ conceits and expressions of the philosophers, how many that would be called Christians do yet creep, by several degrees, in the persuasion of a power of fulfilling the law ! And from whence, indeed, should men have this knowledge that we have not? Nature ^vill not teach it, — tliat i^^ proud and con- ceited; and it is one part of its pride, weakness, and corruption, not to know it at all. The law will not teach it: for though that will show us ivltat tue have done amiss, yet it will not discover to us that we could not do better; yea, by requiring exact obedience of us, it takes for granted that such power is in us for that purpose : it takes no notice that we have lost it ; nor doth it concern it so to do. This, then, also lies hid in the Lord Jesus. Rom. viii. 2-4, " The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh ; that the right- eousness of the law might be fulfilled in us." The law can bring forth no righteousness, no obedience ; it is weak to any such purpose, by reason of the flesh, and that corruption that is come on us. These two things are done in Christ, and by liim: — First, Sin is condemned as to its guilt, and we set free from that ; the righteousness of the law by his obedience is fulfilled in us, who could never do it ourselves. And, secondly. That obedience which is required of us, his Spirit works it in us. So that that perfection of obedience which we have in him is imputed to us; and the sincerity that we have in obedience is from his Spirit bestowed on us. And this is the most excellent glass, wherein we see our impotency ; for what need we his perfect obedience to be made ours, but that we have not, can not attain any ? what need we his Spmt of life to quicken us, but that we are dead in trespasses and sins?
(3.) The death of sin ; — sin dying in us now, in some measure, whilst we are alive. Tliis is a third concernment of sin which it is our wis- dom to be acquainted with ; and it is hid only in Christ. Tliere is a
' "Quia uuusquisque sibi virtutem acquirit; nemo sapienhim de ea gratias Deo egit." — Cicer.
^ " Natura sic apparet vitiata, ut lioc niajoris vitii sit nou videre." — Aug.