dying, but never dead, deftined to Torments unutterable, everlafting. How could Man redeem himself from this miferable Condition? Or what Method could he pur. fue to regain the Favour of his offended. Creator? Would the Lord be appeased with thousands of Rams, or would be accept ten thousands of Rivers of Oil? Alas! these were unprofitable. The Apostle telleth us, that the Blood of Bulls and of Goats could never take away Sins. Sins. Should he offer his First-born for his Tranfgreffion, the Fruit of his Body for the Sin of his Soul? This was adding Sin to Sin, and ferved only to enflame and heighten the Wrath of God. Man was utterly unable ever to recover himfelf; he must have remained the Servant of Sin, under the Power of Death in this World; and devoted to all the Pains and Miseries of eternal Death in the next. But what Man could not do, God (whofe Mercies are over all his Works) effected. Offended Goodness contrived the Method of Reconciliation. God fent his only begotten Son into the World, who took upon him

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him the Vilenefs and Infirmity of human Nature; and was contented to fuffer Shame and Reproach, and Death itself, to avert from us the Anger of our Almighty and incenfed God. Thus, Mercy and Truth met together; thus, Righteousness and Peace kiffed each other. A most amazing Instance this of the Mercy and Goodness of God. This is a great and wonderful Mystery; yet it is a mystery which is undoubtedly true. For without Controverfy, great is the Mystery of Godliness; God was manifeft in the Flesh. In difcourfing upon which Words, I fhall obferve the following Method:

First, I fhall fhew you what this Myftery is, which is contained in thefe Words, God was manifeft in the Flesh; and lay before you the Reafon why He was manifeft in the Flesh; and,

Secondly, I fhall confider the Greatnefs and Veracity of the Mystery, conveyed to us in these Words, Without Controversy, great is the Mystery of Godliness.

And firft, For the Mystery contained in the Words, God was manifeft in the Flesh.

The

The only begotten Son of God, who was the Brightness of his Father's Glory, and the express Image of his Perfon, deprived himfelf of that Glory which he had enjoyed with his Father from all Eternity, and took upon him the Nature of Man. The eternal, incomprehenfible God, to bring Salvation to Mankind, defcended from Heaven, and became as one of us; and the Ancient of Days became a Child. God took Flesh of the Subftance of the Virgin Mary, and was made Man; and the omnipotent and immortal God was subject to the Infirmities of frail Humanity. Thus the human Nature being united to the Divine, became one Perfon; for, as the reasonable Soul and Flesh is one Man, fo God and Man is one Chrift. This is the great Mystery which the Apostle here taketh Notice of, that Jefus Chrift who was very God of very God, of one Subftance with the Father, and by whom all Things were made, was manifeft in the Flesh, in the Form of a tender, frail, and impotent Infant.

Having premifed this much concerning the Mystery here fpoken of, I proceed to fhew the Reason why God was manifeft in the Flesk.

Man, having by his Tranfgreffion of the divine Commands, broken the Contract be twixt God and himfelf, had made himself obnoxious to Mifery and Death. Death was the Penalty denounced against him; Death temporal and eternal; from which Man had no Way to deliver himself. Mankind, indeed discovered by the Light of Reason, that fome Satisfaction ought to be made to offended Justice; but the weak Endeavours of Man could not make a fufficient Atonement. It is true, they offered Sacrifices and Oblations for the Remiffion of Sins and poured out the Blood of Thousands of living Creatures to appeafe the Wrath of God, and render him kind and propitious to them. But thefe Sacrifices could avail Nothing through their own Worth; they were as Nothing when compared with the Worth of the Soul of one Man, which they were defigned to atone for; much less could

they

they atone for the Souls of the whole Race of Mankind. Neither was it in the Power of Man (how greatly foever he might defire it) ever to fatisfy even for himself. For having loft his Innocence, and being become the Child of Sin, had he offered up himself a Sacrifice for his own Sins, that very Sacrifice would have ftood in Need of another, and a better Expiation. If Man then was unable to wash away his own Guilt, how much more unable must he be to take away the Guilt of others? That was an impoffible Taík. For no Man can deliver his Brother, · nor make an Agreement unto God for him. It must cost more to redeem their Souls, than weak Man could offer; fo that he must let that alone for ever. Wherefore, when God faw that there was no Interceffor, his own Arm brought Salvation. The Son of God defcended from his Throne of inacceffible Glory, and was clothed with frail Flesh; that as Man he might fuffer, and as God fatisfy for Sin. He debased himself to take our Nature upon him, that he might raise us to a Conformity with himself; that by his confummate

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