CHAP. X.

Divine mercy is magnified in the excellency of the state to which man is advanced. He is enriched with higher prerogatives, under a better covenant, entitled to a more glorious reward than Adam at first enjoyed. The hu man nature is personally united to the Son of God. Believers are spiritually united to Christ. The gospel is a better covenant than that of the law. It admits of repentance and reconciliation after sin, It accepts of sincerity instead of perfection. It affords supernatural assistance to believers, whereby they shall be victorious over all opposition in their way to heaven. The difference between the grace of the Creator and that of the Redeemer. The stability of the New-Covenant is built on the love of God which is unchangeable, and the operations of his spirit that are effectual. The mutability and weakness of the human will, and the strength of temptations shall not frustrate the merciful design of God in regard of his elect. The glorious reward of the gospel exceeds the primitive felicity of Adam, in the place of it, the highest heaven. Adam's life was attended with innocent infirmities, from which the glorified life is entirely exempt. The felicity of heaven exceeds the first, in the manner, degrees, and conting ance of the fruition,

THE third consideration, which makes the love of God so admirable to lapsed man, is, the excellency of that state to which he is advanced by the Redeemer. To be only exempted from death is a great favour: the grace of a prince is eminent in releasing a condemned person from the punishment of the law. This is sufficient for the mercy of man, but not for the love of God: he pardons and prefers the guilty; he rescues us from hell, and raises us to glory; he bestows eternity upon those who were unworthy of life. The excellency of our condition under the gospel will be set off, by comparing it with that of innocent man in paradise. It is true, he was then in a state of holiness and honour, and in perfect possession of that blessedness which was suitable to his nature; yet in many respects our last state transcends our first, and redeeming love exceeds creating.

If man had been only restored to his forfeited rights, to the enjoyment of the same happiness which was lost, his first state were most desirable; and it had been greater goodness to have preserved him innocent, than to recover him from ruin. As he

that preserves his friend from falling into the hands of the enemy, by interposing between him and danger, in the midst of the combat, delivers him in a more noble manner, than by paying a ransom for him after many days spent in woful captivity. And that physician is more excellent in his art, who prevents diseases, and keeps the body in health and vigour, than another that expels them by sharp remedies. But the grace of the gospel hath so much mended our condition, that if it were offered to our choice, either to enjoy the innocent state of Adam, or the renewed by Christ, it were folly like that of our first parents, to prefer the former before the latter. The jubilee of the law restored to the same inheritance; but the jubilee of the gospel gives us the investiture of that which is transcendently better than what we at first possessed. Since "the day-spring from on high hath visited us in tender mercy," we are enriched with higher prerogatives, and are under a better covenant, and entitled to a more glorious reward, than was due to man by the law of his creation. First, the human nature is raised to a higher degree of honour, than if man had continued in his innocent state.

1. By its intimate union with the Son of God. He assumed it as the fit instrument of our redemption, and preferred it before the angelical, which surpassed man's in his primitive state. "The fulness of the Godhead dwells in our Redeemer bodily." Col. 2. 9. From hence it is, that the angels descended to pay him homage at his birth, and attended his majesty in his disguise. The Son of man hath those titles which are above the dignity of any mere creature; he is king of the church, and judge of the world; he exercises divine power, and receives divine praise. Briefly, the human nature in our Redeemer is an associate with the divine; and being made a little lower than the angels for a time, is now "advanced far above all principalities and powers.' Ephes. 1. 21.

2. In all those who are partakers of grace and glory by the Lord Jesus. Adam was the Son of God by creation, but to be joined to Christ as our head by a union so intimate, that "he lives in us," and counts himself incomplete without us, and by that union to be adopted into the line of heaven, and thereby to have an interest in the "exceeding great and precious promises" of the gospel; to be "constituted heirs of God, and co-heirs with Christ," are such discoveries of the dignity of our supernatural

state, that the lowest believer is advanced above Adam in all his honour. Nay, the angels, though superior to man in the excellency of their nature, yet are accidentally lower by the honour of our alliance: their king is our brother. And this relative dignity which seems to eclipse their glory, might excite their envy but such an ingenuous goodness dwells in those pure and blessed spirits, that they rejoice in our restoration and advancement.

To this I shall add, that as the Son of God hath a special relation to man, so the most tender affections for him. To illustrate this by a sensible instance: angels and men are two different nations in language and customs, but under the same empire and if a prince that commands two nations should employ one for the safety and prosperity of the other, it were an argument of special favour. Now the angels are "sent forth to minister for them who are heirs of salvation." Heb. 1. 14. Besides, in two other things the peculiar affection of the prince would be most evident to the nation.

(1.) If he put on their habit, and attire himself according to their fashion.

(2.) If he fixed his residence among them. Now the Son of God was clothed with our flesh, and "found in fashion as a man," and for ever appears in it in heaven; and will at the last day invest our bodies with glory like to his own. He now dwells in us by his spirit, and when our warfare is accomplished, he shall in a special manner be present with us in the eternal mansions. As God incarnate he conversed with men on earth, and as such he will converse with them in heaven. There he reigns as "the first-born in the midst of many brethren." Now all these prerogatives are the fruits of our redemption.

And how great is that mercy which hath raised mankind more glorious out of its ruins! The apostle breaks out witha heavenly astonishment, 1 John 3. 1. "Behold, what manner of love the father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God!" that we who are strangers and enemies, “children of wrath by nature," should be dignified with the honourable and amiable title of his sons! It was a rare and most merciful condescension in Pharaoh's daughter, to rescue an innocent and forsaken infant from perishing by the waters, and adopt him to be her son but how much greater kindness was it for God to save guilty and wretched man from eternal flames, and to take

him into his family? The ambition of the prodigal rose no higher than to be a servant; what an inestimable favour is it to make us children! When God would express the most dear and peculiar affection to Solomon, he saith, 2 Sam. 7. 14. "I will be his father, and he shall be my son;" this was the highest honour he could promise; and all believers are dignified with it. It is the same relation that Christ hath: when he was going to heaven, he comforted his disciples with these words, "I ascend to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God." There is indeed a diversity in the foundation of it: Christ is a Son by nature, we are by mere favour; he is by generation, we are by adoption. Briefly, "Jesus Christ hath made us kings and priests unto God, and his Father:" these are the highest offices upon earth, and were attended with the most conspicuous honour; and the holy spirit chose those bright images, to convey a clearer notice of the glory to which our Redeemer hath raised us. Not only all the crowns and sceptres in the perishing world are infinitely beneath this dignity, but the honour of our innocent state was not equal to it.

Secondly, The gospel is a better covenant than that which was established with man in his creation: and the excellency of it will appear, by considering,

1. It is more beneficial, in that it admits repentance and reconciliation after sin, and accepts of sincerity instead of perfection. The apostle magnifies the office of Christ. Heb. 8. 6. "By how much he is a Mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. The comparison there, is, between the ministry of the gospel, and the Mosaical economy. And the excellency of the gospel is specified, in respect of those infinitely better promises that are in it. The ceremonial law appointed sacrifices for sins of ignorance and error, and to obtain legal impunity; but the Christ's "all sufficient" sacrifice, that are repented of and forsaken. covenant of grace is to be preferred before the covenant of works. For the law considered man as holy, and endued with perfection of grace equal to whatsoever was commanded: it was the measure of his ability as well as duty, and required exact obedience, or threatened extreme misery. The least breach of it is fatal: a single offence as certainly exposes to the curse, as if the

gospel upon the account of offers full pardon for all sins Now with greater reason the

whole were violated. And in our lapsed state we are utterly disabled to comply with its purity and perfection. But the gospel contains the promises of mercy, and is in the "hands of a Mediator. The tenour of it is, "That repentance and remission of sins be preached in the name of Christ." Acts 2. 38. "And if we judge ourselves, we shall not be judged." 1 Cor. 11. 31. It is not if we are innocent, for then none can be exempt from condemnation but if the convinced sinner erect a tribunal in conscience, and strip sin of its disguise, to view its native deformity; if he pronounce the sentence of the law against himself, and glorify the justice of God which he cannot satisfy, and forsake the sins which are the causes of his sorrow, he is qualified for pardoning mercy.

Besides, the gospel doth not only apply pardon to us for all forsaken sins, but provides a remedy for those infirmities to which the best are incident. Whilst we are in this mortal state, we are exposed to temptations from without," and have corruptions within that often betray us: now to support our drooping spirits, our Redeemer sits in heaven to plead for us, and perpetually renews the pardon that was once purchased, to every contrite spirit, for those unavoidable frailties which cleave to us here. The promise of grace is not made void by the sudden surprises of passions. "If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." 1 John 2. 1. The rigour of the law is mollified by his mediation with the Father: a title of love and tenderness. God deals not with the severity of a judge, but "he spares us as a man spares his own son that serves him." Malachi 3.

And as he pardons us upon our repentance, so he accepts our hearty, though mean services. Now the legal, that is, unsinning and complete obedience cannot be performed; the evangelical, that is, the sincere, though imperfect, is graciously received. God doth not require the duties of a man by the measure of an angel. Unfeigned endeavours to please him, unreserved respects to all his commands, single and holy aims at his glory are rewarded. Briefly, although the law is continued as a rule of living, yet not as the covenant of life. And what an admirable exaltation of mercy is there in this new treaty of God with sinners? It is true, the first covenant was "holy, just and good,” but it made no abatements of favour, and "it is now weak