of mankind were up in arms against him, when not one of the whole human race (except a few whose hearts he himself had touched) desired reconciliation with him ; yea, when all were utterly averse from it, and desired nothing so much as to live in sin with impunity, and wished for no better heaven than the unrestrained indulgence of their lusts ; for what end could God send his Son, but to execute upon them the vengeance they deserved?]
2. Consider for what end God had before sent messengers from heaven- —
[God had on some remarkable occasions commissioned angels to perform his will : and though, when sent to some highly-favoured individuals, they were messengers of mercy, yet, when sent to the avowed enemies of God, they were, for the most part, ministers of wrath to execute the most signal vengeance. Who can contemplate Sodom and the cities of the plain ; who can call to mind the Egyptian first-born ; who can survey one hundred and eighty-five thousand soldiers lying dead in the Assyrian camp ; and not tremble at the thought of a messenger being sent from heaven ? Suppose then we should hear that God was about to send his own Son from heaven to execute his will with respect to the whole world, and especially such a world as this ; what would any one imagine, but that, as it was not a particular city or nation that God was about to punish, but a whole world, he had determined to employ his own Son ; and that the judgments he was about to inflict, would be great in proportion to the power and dignity of the executioner ? As for conceiving the idea that he should send his Son to save the world, it would not so much as enter into the mind of any created being.]
3. Consider that God certainly foreknew the way in which the world would treat his Son —
[If God had not certainly foreknown all future events, he might perhaps have reasoned thus : ' I have sent to that wretched world my servants the prophets, and instead of attend- ing to them they have persecuted them even unto death : but if I should send them my Son, surely they would reverence him ; they would not dare to lift up a finger against him ; they would be so struck with wonder at my condescension and love, that they would return instantly to their allegiance. Rather therefore than they should perish, I will send them my Son to save them.' But God knew that instead of reverencing his Son, they would no sooner see him, than they would exclaim, " This is the heir ; come let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours." He knew full well that, however manifest the credentials of his Son, and however indisputable the evidences