reckoning, upon them already, that they know not how to answer for. Do they consult their guide, the 'law itself, how they may be eased of the account that is past; it hath not one word of direction or consolation, but bids them prepare to die; the sentence is gone forth, and there is no escaping. (2dly.) That if all former debts should be blotted out, yet they are no way able for the future to fulfil the law; they can as well move the earth with a finger, as answer the perfection thereof; and therefore, as I said, on this twofold account, they conclude that this labour is lost; "by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.' 2dly. Wherefore, secondly, being thus disappointed by the severity and inexorableness of the law, men generally betake themselves to some other way, that may satisfy them as to those considerations, which took them off from their former hopes; and this, for the most part, is by fixing themselves upon some ways of atonement to satisfy God, and helping out the rest with hopes of mercy. Not to insist on the ways of atonement and expiation which the Gentiles had pitched on, nor on the many ways and inventions by works satisfactory of their own, supererogations of others, indulgences, and purgatory in the close, that the Papists have found out for this end and purpose, it is, I say, proper to all convinced persons, as above, to seek for a righteousness, partly by an endeavour to satisfy for what is past, and partly by hoping after general mercy. This the apostle calls a seeking for it, 'as it were by the works of the law;' Rom. ix. 32. "not directly, but as it were by the works of the law;' making up one thing with another. And he tells us what issue they have in this business, chap. x. 3. Being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, they were not subject to the righteousness of God.' They were by it enemies to the righteousness of God. The ground of this going about to establish their own righteousness, was, that they were ignorant of the righteousness of God; had they known the righteousness of God, and what exact conformity to his will he requireth, they had never undertaken such a fruitless business, as to Deut. xxvii. 26. Gal. iii. 10. • 'Ως ἐξ ἔργων νόμου. * Gal. iii. 11, 12, have compassed it, as it were by the works of the law;' yet this many will stick on a long time. Something they do, something they hope for; some old faults they will buy off with new obedience. And this pacifies their consciences for a season; but when the Spirit comes to convince them of righteousness, neither will this hold: wherefore, 3dly. The matter comes at length to this issue; they look upon themselves under this twofold qualification; as, (1st.) Sinners; obnoxious to the law of God, and the curse thereof; so that unless that be satisfied, that nothing from thence shall ever be laid to their charge, it is altogether in vain, once to seek after an appearance in the presence of God. (2dly.) As creatures, made to a supernatural and eternal end, and therefore bound to answer the whole mind and will of God in the obedience required at their hands. Now it being before discovered to them, that both these are beyond the compass of their own endeavours, and the assistance which they have formerly rested on, if their eternal condition be of any concernment to them, their wisdom is, to find out a righteousness that may answer both these to the utmost. Now both these are to be had only in the Lord Christ, who is our righteousness. This wisdom, and all the treasures of it, are hid in him. (1.) He expiates former iniquities, he satisfies for sin, and procures remission of it; Rom. iii. 24, 25. Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God. All we like sheep,' &c. Isa. liii. 5, 6. ' In his blood we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins;' Eph. i. 7. *God spared not him, but gave him,' &c. Rom. viii. 32. This, even this alone is our righteousness, as to that first part of it which consists in the removal of the whole guilt of sin, whereby we are come short of the glory of God. On this account it is, that we are assured, that none shall ever lay any thing to our charge, or condemn us; Rom. viii. 31. 34. there being 'no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus;' ver. 1. we are purged by the sacrifice of Christ, so as to have 'no more conscience of sin; Heb. x. 2. that is, troubles in conscience about it. This wisdom is hid only in the Lord Jesus; in him alone is there an atonement discovered and give me the wisdom which shall cut all scores concerning sin, and let the world take what remains. But, : (2.) There is yet something more required; it is not enough that we are not guilty, we must also be actually righteous; not only all sin is to be answered for, but all righteousness is to be fulfilled; by taking away the guilt of sin, we are as persons innocent, but something more is required to make us to be considered as persons obedient. I know nothing to teach me that an innocent person shall go to heaven, be rewarded, if he be no more but só. Adam was innocent at his first creation, but he was to do this,' to 'keep the commandments' before he entered into life; he had no title to life by innocency. This, then, moreover is required, that the whole law be fulfilled, and all the obedience performed that God requires at our hands. This is the soul's second inquiry, and it finds a resolution only in the Lord Christ; for if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son; much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life;' Rom. v. 10. his death reconciled us, then are we saved by his life. The actual obedience which he yielded to the whole law of God, is that righteousness whereby we are saved; If so be we are found in him, not having on our own righteousness which is of the law, but the righteousness which is of God by faith;' Phil. iii. 9. This I shall have occasion to handle more at large hereafter. : To return then. It is not I suppose any difficult task to persuade men, convinced of immortality and judgment to come, that the main of their wisdom lies in this, even to find out such a righteousness as will accompany them for ever, and abide the severe trial of God himself. Now all the wisdom of the world is but folly, as to the discovery of this thing. The utmost that man's wisdom can do, is but to find out most wretched, burdensome, and vexatious ways of perishing eternally. All the treasures of this wisdom are hid in Christ; he of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness; 1 Cor. i. 30. [3.] Come we to the last thing which I shall but touch upon, and that is judgment. The true wisdom of this also is hid in the Lord Christ; I mean in particular that judgment that is for to come; so at present I take the word in that place. Of what concernment this is to us to know, I shall not speak; it is that, whose influence upon the sons of men, is the principle of their discriminating themselves from the beasts that perish. Neither shall I insist on the obscure intimations of it, which are given by the present proceedings of Providence in governing the world, nor that greater light of it, which shines in the threats and promises of the law. The wisdom of it, is in two regards hid in the Lord Jesus. 1st. As to the truth of it. 2dly. As to the manner of it. 1st. For the truth of it; and so in and by him it is confirmed, and that two ways. (1st.) By his death. (2dly.) By his resurrection. (1st.) By his death. God, in the death of Christ, punishing and condemning sin in the flesh of his own Son, in the sight of men, angels, and devils, hath given an abundant assurance of a righteous and universal judgment to come; wherefore, or upon what account imaginable, could he be induced to lay such load on him, but that he will certainly reckon one day with the sons of men for all their works, ways, and walkings, before him? The death of Christ is a most solemn exemplar of the last judgment. Those who own him to be the Son of God, will not deny a judgment to come. (2dly.) By his resurrection, Acts xvii. 31. míori raparxwv. Tãow, he hath given faith and assurance of this thing to all, by raising Christ from the dead, having appointed him to be the judge of all, in whom, and by whom, he will judge the world in righteousness. And then, Lastly, for the manner of it; that it shall be by him who Cæsar hæc disserit, credo falsa existimans ea quæ de inferis memorantur, diverso itinere malos a bonis loca tetra, inculta fæda atque formidolosa habere. Cato. apud. Salust. Bell. Catil. Καὶ τὸ ἀναβιώσκεσθαι, καὶ ἐκ τῶν τεθνεώτων τοὺς ζῶντας γίγνεσθαι, καὶ τὰς τῶν τεθνεώτων ψυχὰς εἶναι, καὶ ταῖς μὲν ἀγαθαῖς ἄμεινον εἶναι, ταῖς κακαῖς κάκιον. Plat. in Phæd. Devenere locos lætos, et amœna vireta Fortunatorum nemorum, sedesque beatas, &c.-Virg. Æn. vi. 648. hath loved us, and given himself for us, who is himself the righteousness that he requires at our hands; and on the other side by him who hath been, in his person, grace, ways, worship, servants; reviled, despised, contemned by the men of the world, which holds out unspeakable consolation on the one hand, and terror on the other; so that the wisdom of this also is hid in Christ. And this is the second part of our first demonstration. Thus the knowledge of ourselves, in reference to our supernatural end, is no small portion of our wisdom. The things of the greatest concernment hereunto, are sin, righteousness, and judgment; the wisdom of all which, is alone hid in the Lord Jesus; which was to be proved. 3. The third part of our wisdom is to walk with God; now that one may walk with another, five things are required. [1.] Agreement. [5.] An aiming at the same end. All these, with the wisdom of them, are hid in the Lord Jesus. a [1.] Agreement. The prophet tells us that 'two cannot walk together unless they be agreed;' Amos iii. 3. Until agreement be made, there is no communion, no walking together. God and man, by nature (or whilst man is in the state of nature), are at the greatest enmity; a he declares nothing to us but wrath, whence we are said to be children of it, that is, born obnoxious to it; Eph. ii. 3. and whilst we remain in that condition, the wrath of God abideth on us ;' John iii. 36. All the discovery that God makes of himself unto us, is that he is inexpressibly provoked, and therefore preparing wrath against the day of wrath, and the revelation of his righteous judgments; the day of his and sinners meeting, is called the day of wrath ;' Rom. ii. 5, 6. Neither do we come short in our enmity against him, yea, we first began it, and we continue longest in it. To express this enmity, the apostle tells us, that our very minds, the best part of us, are ' enmity against God;' Rom. viii. 7,8. and that we neither are, nor will, nor can be, subject to him; our a Rom. i. 18. |