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who made the world, to govern it, and take care of it. And if we be not thus affected and disposed, we do not believe the providence of God, whatever profession we make of it if we did, it would have an influence upon our minds, to free us from anxious care and discontent. Were we firmly persuaded of the wisdom and goodness of the divine providence, we should confidently rely upon it, and, according to the Apostle's advice here in the text, cast all our care upon him, because he careth for us.

SERMON CXXXIX.

The wisdom of God, in the redemption of mankind.

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I COR. 1. 24.

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-Christ, the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Have, in the ordinary course of my preaching, been treating of the attributes and perfections of God, more particularly those which relate the divine understanding, the knowledge and wifdom of God. The first of these I have finished; and made some progress in the second, the wisdom of God: which I have spoken to in general, and have propounded more particularly to confider those famous instances and arguments of the divine wif dom, in the creation of the world; the government of it: and the redemption of mankind by Jesus Chrift. The first two of these I have spoken to, namely the wisdom of God, which appears in the creation and government of the world. I come now to the

III. instance of the divine wisdom, the redemption. of mankind by Jesus Christ; which I shall, by God's assistance, speak to from these words, Chrift the wifdom of God.

The Apostle, in the beginning of this epistle, upon occasion of his mentioning the divisions and parties that were among the Corinthians, where one faid,

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faid, I am of Paul, another, I am of Apollos, asks them, whether Paul was crucified for them? or, whether they were baptized in the name of Paul? To convince them that they could not pretend this, that they were baptized into his name, he tells them, at the 14th and 15th verses, that he had not so much as baptized any of them except two or three; so far was he from having baptized them into his own name; and at the 17th verse, he says, that his work, his principal work, was to preach the gospel, which he had done, not with human eloquence, not in wif. dom of words, but with great plainness and fimplicity, left the cross of Christ should be made of none effect; left, if he should have used any artifice, the gospel should have been less powerful. And, indeed, his preaching was unaffectedly plain, and therefore the gospel did seem to very many to be a foolish and ridiculous thing. The story which they told of Christ crucified, was to the Jews a stumbling-block, and to the Greeks foolishness. The Jews, who expected another kind of Meffias, that should come in great pomp and glory, to be a mighty temporal Prince, were angry at the story of a crucified Christ. The Greeks, the Philosophers, who expected some curious theories, adorned with eloquence, and delivered and laid down according to the exact rules of art, derided this plain and simple relation of Chrift, and of the gospel.

But though this design of the gospel appeared filly and foolish to rash and inconfiderate and prejudiced minds; yet to them that are called, to them that do believe, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God; Christ, that is, the way of our redemption by Jesus Christ, which the Apostle preached, the wisdom of God, an eminent instance of it.

So that the redemption of man by Jesus Christ, is a design of admirable wisdom. This I shall endeavour to confirm to you,

I. By general testimonies of scripture. And,
II. By a more particular enquiry into the nature of

this design, and the means how it is accomplished.

1. By testimonies from scripture. You know

I have all along, in my discourses of the attributes. of God, used this method of proving them, from the dictates of natural light, and the revelation of fcripture: But now I must forsake my wonted method, for here the light of nature leaves me. The wisdom of the creation is manifest in the things which are made; the heavens declare the glory of God's wifdom, and the firmament shews his handy-work. The works of God do preach and set forth the wisdom of the Creator; but the fun, moon and stars do not preach the gospel. The wisdom of redemption is wifdom in a mystery, hidden wisdom, which none of the Princes or Philosophers of this world knew. The sharpest wits, and the highest and most raised understandings amongst the Heathen could say nothing, of this. Here the wisdom of the wife, and the understanding of the prudent is posed, and we may make the Apostle's challenge, ver. 20. of this chapter, Where is the wife? where is the disputer of this world? There is no natural light discovers Christ; the wise men. cannot find him out, unless a star be created on purpose to lead and direct to him. Therefore in this L shall only depend upon divine revelation, 1 Cor. ii. 7, 8. the gospel is called the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world unto our glory; which none of the princes of this world knew. Eph. i. 7, 8. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness. of fins, according to the riches of his grace, wherein he hath abounded towards us in all wisdom and prudence. Eph. iii. 10, 11. The manifold wisdom of God according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord. This work of our redemption by Jesus Christ, is so various and admirable, that it is not below the Angels to know and understand it; To the intent, that unto principalities and powers in heavenLy places, might be known the manifold wisdom of God...

2. By enquiring more particularly into the nature of this design, and the means how it is accomplished.. This is wisdom, to fit means to ends; and the more difficult the end, the greater wisdom is required to

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findi

find out fuitable and sufficient means for the accomplishment of the end. Now the wisdom of redemption will appear, if we consider the case of fallen man; and what fit, and proper, and suitable means the wisdom of God hath devised for our recovery.

First, Let us consider the case of fallen man, which was very fad, both in respect of the misery, and the difficulty of it.

1. In respect of the misery of it. Man, who was made holy and upright by God, having by his voluntary tranfgreffion, and wilful disobedience, fallen from him, did presently sink into a corrupt and degenerate, into a miferable and cursed condition, of which heaven and earth, and his own confcience, bore him witness. Man being become a sinner, is not only deprived of the image of God, but is liable to his justice: here was his mifery.

2, The difficulty of the cafe was this; man could not recover himself, and raise himself out of his own ruin; no creature was able to do it; so that our help is only in God; and, indeed, he is a merciful God, and doth not defire our ruin, nor delight in our destruction: But suppose his mercy never so willing to fave us, will not his holiness, and justice, and truth check those forward inclinations of his goodness, and hinder all the designs of his mercy? Is not fin contrary to the holy nature of God? Hath not he declared his infinite hatred of it? Hath not he threatened it with heavy and dreadful punishment? and faid, that the finner shall dy, that he will not acquit the guilty, nor let fin go unpunished? Should he now, without any fatisfaction to his offended justice, pardon the finner, remit his punishment, and receive him to favour; would this be agreeable to his holinefs, and justice, and truth? Would this become the wife governor of the world, who loves righteoufness and order; who hates fin, and is obliged, by the efsential rectitude of his nature, to discountenance fin?

So that here is a conflict of the attributes and perfections of God. The mercy of God pities our misery, and would recover us, would open paradife to us: but there is a flaming sword that keeps us out

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the incenfed justice of God, that must be satisfied; and if he takes vengeance of us, we are eternally ruined; if he spares us, how shall mercy and justice moet together? how shall God at once express his love to the sinner, and his hatred to fin? here is the difficulty of our cafe.

II. Let us now enquire what means the wisdom of God useth for our recovery. The wisdom of God hath devised this expedient to accommodate all these difficulties, to reconcile the mercy and justice of God. The Son of God shall undertake this work, and fatisfy the offended justice of God, and repair the ruined nature of man. He shall bring God and man together, make up this gulf, and renew the commerce and correspondence between God and us, which was broken off by fin. The work that God designs, is the redemption of man, that is, his recovery from a state of fin and eternal death, to a state of holiness and eternal life. The Son of God is to engage in this design of our redemption, to fatisfy the offended justice of God towards us, fo as to purchase our deliverance from the wrath to come, and so as to restore us to the image and favour of God, that we may be sanctified, and be made heirs of eternal life.

For opening of this we will confider,

1. The fitness of the person designed for this

work.

2. The fitness of the means whereby he was to accomplish it.

1. The fitness of the person designed for this work, and that was the eternal Son of God; who, in respect of his infinite wisdom and power, the dignity and credit of his person, his dearness to his Father, and interest in him, was very fit to undertake this work, to mediate a reconciliation between God and man.

2. The fitness of the means whereby he was to accomplish it; and these I shall refer to two heads, his humiliation and exaltation. All the parts of these are very subservient to the design of our redempti

on.

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