investigation is far below Angelical Learning But the Mysteries of the Gospel are so great that the glorious Angels gaze upon them with wonder and adoration These things saith the Apostle the Angels desire to look into 1 Pet. 1.12 alluding to the Cherubims with their faces on the Mercy-seat Exod 25.20 To principalities and powers is made known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God Eph. 3.10 This is one Branch of the Mystery of Godliness That Christ is seen of Angels 1 Tim. 3.16 This is one great business of the Angels about the Throne to ascribe power and riches and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and blessing to the Lamb that was slain Revel 5.11 12. Again the highest natural knowledge in the world is no way Beatifical A man may as to all such learning be the greatest Scholar living and yet perish But the right knowledge of Christ by the Gospel will justifie and save those that have it By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many Isa 53.11 It is a knowledge which makes perfect Till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man Eph. 4.13 2. The noblest Moral Attainments which men can arrive at by the utmost improvement of natural Reason alone of the most generous Principles of the precepts of the best Philosophers of the examples of the most eminent Heroes will none of it suffice to bring a man to Blessedness The Apostle would not have concluded better things then these to be but loss and dung if he might have been saved by them But there is no other name under heaven whereby salvation is to be had but by the Name of Christ Act. 4.12 Thus the supereminent excellencie of the Gospel of Christ doth appear by comparing it with all other excellent things the excellency of created innocency the excellency of the Law whether Moral or Ceremonial and the excellency of the highest Rational or Moral accomplishments We shall next demonstrate the excellency of the Gospel by considering it Absolutely in it self And here let us first take a view of the supernaturalness sublimity of it It is every where in Scripture called a Mystery the Mystery of Christ the Mystery of the Kingdom a great Mystery of Godliness which signifieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as St. Chrysostom speaks some wonderful and unknown thing The Apostle calleth it Hidden wisdom the deep things of God beyond the discovery of the noblest created Reason in the world That two natures should be in one Person that God himself should take flesh that a pure Virgin should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Mother of God as the Council of Ephesus stileth her that he who blesseth all should be made a curse himself who is Lord over all should become a servant himself that the Prince of life should dye and the Lord of Glory be put to shame that the sin should be punished and the sinner pardoned that the Son of David should be the Lord of David and the Son of Mary the Saviour of Mary and he who made the world be born into the World four thousand years after the world was made these were Mysteries shut up in the bosome of God undiscoverable by any created wisdom till he himself was pleased to reveal them Again let us here consider the sanctity of the Gospel as a great Mystery of Godliness The whole design and contrivance thereof being 1. To set forth the glorious righteousness of an holy God that neither his verity nor sanctity might be impaired by his clemency and mercy unto sinners For though he spared them that he might in them shew the riches of his Grace yet he spared not his Son but delivered him up for us all that in him he might declare his righteousness Rom. 3.25 2. Another design of the Gospel was to restore lapsed man unto that primitive holiness wherein he had been created Col. 3.10 for the grace of God which bringeth salvation doth also teach us to deny ungodliness and wordly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world Christ gave himself for us that he might redeem us from iniquity Tit. 2.11 14. and from our former vain conversation 1 Pet. 1.18 And this the Gospel doth not onely by the precepts thereof as a Rule of holiness but by the grace thereof as a Principle of holiness helping us to do what we are commanded Efficit Fides quod lex jubet Lex imperat fides impetrat saith St. Austin The Law onely commands but faith obtains help to do what is commanded The Law was given to demonstrate our impotencie but Grace was given to heal and to remove it Again here offereth it self to our view the admirable contexture of justice and mercy the unspeakable contrivance of Redemption and salvation by the Gospel There seemeth to be a kinde of conflict between the Attributes of God as St. Bernard hath observed Iustice and Truth resolved to punish sin Moray and Grace resolved to save sinners No created wisdom could have found out a way to effect this so to sever the sin from the sinner that Iustice might satisfie it self upon the one and Mercy magnifie it self upon the other This could not be done but by such a Mediator and Surety as might be both able and willing to suffer the wrath of God and having so done victoriously to rise up and triumph over Hell and Death All this is sound in the Lord Iesus In him man suffer'd In him God conquered His sufferings valid for satisfaction of Justice and impetration of favour and by the infinite dignitie of his Person made applicable to the persons of all that should believe· Grace given unto them that they may believe and consent to their own Salvation And thus all parties are satisfied and all willing· God satisfied by the obedience of his Son This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Christ satisfied with the salvation of his body He shall see the travel of his soul and shall be satisfied Believers satisfied with their pardon and inheritance When I awake I shall be satisfied with thine Image God willing to pardon sinners Christ willing to Redeem sinners and sinners made willing by the Spirit of the Father and the Son to enjoy the benefit of so great a redemption and to obey the precepts of so holy a Gospel And thus Mercy and Truth are met together Righteoutness and peace have kissed each other All the Religions that ever were in the world could never shew so glorious a temperament of exquisite Iustice of most gratuitous Mercy of unsearchable wisdom as is revealed in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 4. Let us consider the necessity of the Gospel by the Grace and Righteousness whereof alone we are saved through faith in Christ Eph. 2.8 A thing may be necessary to an end 1. By way of a Temporary mutable sanction So
legal obedience was necessary unto life by the first Covenant made with Adam Do this and live Rom. 10.5 by which since the fall no man can be saved 2. By way of a final perpetual Decree never to be altered Such is the Covenant of Grace in the Gospel confirmed by an oath to shew the immutability thereof for Christ offered one sacrifice for sin for ever upon rejection whereof there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin If ye believe not that I am he ye shall dye in your sins saith our Saviour Ioh. 8.4 Again one thing may be necessary to another two ways 1. Necessitate causae as that which giveth it its being and foundeth a right unto it So the payment of a price is necessary to a purchase and foundeth that right which the Purchaser hath thereunto 2. Necessitate viae without the which I cannot come to the possession of the thing purchased For though the price procure me the property yet I must go the way which will bring me unto it before I can be personally possessed of it The only cause of salvation is the free Grace of God and price of the bloud of Christ deriving a property thereunto upon us as one by faith with the Purchaser by regeneration descending from him by adoption joynt heirs with him But we cannot come to the actual possession of that inheritance without running that race of Evangelical holiness which is the way thereunto From these things thus distinguished we gather this conclusion that although the Gospel were not originally necessary unto blessedness by the Law of Primitive Creation another Covenant having been made with Adam in order unto life yet upon supposition of the fall of man and of the unchangeable sanction of God whereby the Covenant of Grace is made perpetual so the Gospel is indispensably necessary unto salvation called in the Scripture the Gospel of Salvation the Power of God unto Salvation the Grace of God which bringeth Salvation yea by the name of Salvation it self 1. The sacrifice of Christ necessary Ad acquisitionem to the purchasing of blessedness for us called by the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and by an Hypallage as some think 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A purchase of Salvation of glory of Redemption The bloud of Christ was both a price of ransome whereby we were Redeemed out of misery He gave his life a ransome for many Matt. 20.28 and a price of purchase of that eternal Glory unto which though it were his own he could not ascend so as to take possession thereof for us which was one principal business of his Ascension I go to prepare a place for you Joh. 14.2 until first he had suffered as himself telleth us Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory Luk. 24.26 for Christ having a double right unto glory a natural right as the Son of God and a purchased right as the Saviour of the world reserveth the former unto himself and bestoweth the latter upon the Church 2. The gracious Acts of Divine Love in Iustification and Adoption necessary unto the Ius ad rem or deriving a title upon us For sonship hath a right accompanying it If sons then heirs Gal 4.7 The inheritance it self is sometimes called by the name of Adoption Rom. 8.23 Gal. 4.5 3. Faith and Repentance which two Evangelical graces Christ hath honoured in the business of Salvation above others because they are humbling graces the one teaching us to judge and abhor our selves the other to go out of our selves for righteousness these necessary ad Statum to that condition wherein we are capacitated to receive the conveyance of that inheritance so purchased for us and derived upon us Repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out Act· 3 19· He that believeth in him shall not perish but have eternal life Joh· 3 15. 4. Evangelical obedience necessary to the Ius in Re to the Actual possession of this Inheritance as the onely way which leads thereunto For without holiness no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12.14 It is a gradus and an inchoation of Glory Thus we see the absolute necessity of the Gospel wherein we finde Christ meritoriously purchasing God graciously conveying Repentance humbly disposing Faith comfortably receiving and sincere obedience gradually conducting us unto eternal salvation In the next place let us observe the All-sufficiency of the grace of the Gospel unto the effecting of that blessedness whereunto it is so necessary In sickness Physick is necessary but when Death comes it is not sufficient to withstand it But there is a Plenipotency in Evangelical grace to consummate our Salvation for us Christ is able to save to the uttermost those that come to God by him Heb 7.25 Every thing which he did corporally for us he will do the same spiritually by his Grace in us So that though we be yet imperfect in our selves yet we are complete in him Col. 2.10 And as there was a consummatum est pronounced upon his work on earth whereby he wrought Redemption for us It is finished Joh. 19.30 So there will be a consummatum est pronounced upon his work in Heaven whereby he applyeth Redemption unto us It is done Rev. 21.6 He will perfect every good work which he begins and be the finisher of what he is the Author unto us And this is a further demonstration of the excellencie of the Gospel That as it is an onely so it is an all-sufficient means unto that blessedness which is therein tendred unto us Lastly the excellency of the Gospel will appear if we consider the infinite value and pretiousness of the things therein concerned 1. The preciousness of the subject by the grace thereof Redeemed It is true by sin our bodies are become vile and our souls cursed and might both be justly made vessels of dishonour But if we view them in their primitive integrity made after the Image of God in the Grace and Glory whereof they are capable in the immortal condition whereunto they are reserved in the honourable accompt which God hath of them when he hath once formed them for himself a people for his Name in whom he will be admired in these respects we may truely say that there is nothing which a man can give in exchange for his soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. The preciousness of the price whereby we were purchased the bloud of God as the Apostle calls it Act. 20.28 3. The preciousness of the condition whereunto we are by the Gospel called To be justified from the guilt of innumerable sins To have the peace of God which passeth understanding the joy of salvation which is unspeakable and glorious the Favour of God which is better then life shed abroad upon the Soul To have the sting of Death pulled out the fire of Hell quenched the worm of conscience killed the sentence
any we can discover to have belonged unto Adam and his natural posterity had they persisted in that integrity wherein they were created For then the Reward would only have born proportion to the obedience whereunto it related but now it shall have its dimensions from the dignity of the Person and excellency of the price whereby it was purchased both which do infinitely surpass both the person and obedience of Adam or any other meer man 3. By the Gospel there is more divine and supernatural help afforded to Believers to carry them through their course of obedience unto glory then there was unto Adam in Paradise To Adam was given a posse non peccare si vellet a power not to sin if he would and a power to have willed if he would so have done but he had not special supernatural assistance given him to will for if he had had that he had persevered But unto believers there is such grace given qua efficitur ut velint It is God that worketh in us both to will and to do of his own good pleasure saith the Apostle Phil. 2.13 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power saith the Prophet David Psal. 110.3 I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my judgements and do them saith the Lord Ezek. 36.27 This point is excellently handled by that renowned champion of the grace of God St. Austen in his book De correptione Gratia II. The excellencie of the Gospel will appear if we compare it with the Law of Moses The Priesthood thereof a nobler Priesthood after the order of Melchisedec the Covenant thereof a better Covenant established upon better promises as the Apostle proveth at large in his Epistle to the Hebrews 1. The Law moral considered singly and alone is a ministration of death and condemnation a killing enthralling inexorable insupportable Law insomuch that the people were not able to endure the commands thereof Heb. 12.20 Why should we dye say they This great fire will consume us If we hear the voice of the Lord our God any more then we shall dye Deut. 5.25 But the Gospel is a ministration of the Spirit and Righteousness and therefore more glorious as the Apostle argues 2 Cor. 3.7 8 9. 1. Hereby the curse of the Law is removed for Christ came to bless us Act. 3.26 That repentance and remission of sins might be preached in his name 2. Hereby we are delivered from the Law as a Covenant of life though not as a Rule of living the righteousness of Faith being substituted in the room thereof as the Apostle teacheth us Act. 13.39 Rom. 3.20 28. Gal. 2.16.3.10 13. 3. Hereby the Rigour of the Law is corrected Christ procuring acceptation of sincerity instead of perfection He is the Altar which sanctifieth all our oblations so that the Lord notwithstanding their defects is well pleased with them pardoning that in them which comes from our weakness and accepting and rewarding that which comes from his own Grace 1 Pet. 2 5. Isa. 56.7 4. Hereby the Coaction of the Law is sweetned by healing and assisting grace that whereas the Law doth onely drive by terrour and bondage unto the doing of duty which otherwise we should rather have left undone Mallent licitum quod male delectat as St. Austin speaks the Spirit of Grace in the Gospel shedding abroad the love of Christ into our hearts doth cause us with delight to run the ways of Gods commandments c Vt non sit terribile sed suave mandatum for the yoke of Christ is easie and his burden light and his Commandments not grievous 1 Joh. 5.3 5. Lastly hereby the Irritation of the Law is rebuked that whereas the restraints thereof did before exasperate corruption that like an obstructed River Ab obice saevior iret it gathered strength by suppression now all the channels of the heart being opened by grace the course of obedience goeth on with more freedom and lust is not able to gather head against it as it was wont to do 2. The excellency of the Gospel will appear if we compare it with the ceremonial Law For though quoad substantiam Foederis the Covenant was the same to them and us Christ theirs and ours the new Testament hidden in the Old and the Old expounded in the New as St. Austin speaks yet quoad modum Administrandi there is as much greater excellency in the Gospel then in the Law as there is in the body or substance then in the picture or shadow whereby it is represented 1. The Law was dark and obscure a veil over the eyes of that people but in the Gospel Christ is evidently set forth Gal. 3.1 We see with open face the glory of God 2 Cor. 3.18 Though the Jews had the same promises of eternal life and an heavenly Country with us yet they were overshadowed with the Types of an holy Land and temporal blessings there and therefore the Apostle telleth them of another rest besides that of their Sabbath and Canaan There remaineth a rest for the people of God Heb. 4 9. 2. The Law was exceeding Burdensome in many chargeable and painful observances a yoke which they were not able to bear Act. 15.10 Whereas the yoke of Christ is light and easie unto the bearing whereof he encourageth us by glorious promises and assisteth us by the supplies of his Spirit of grace 3. The Law is weak and unprofitable not able to make the comers thereunto perfect to expiate sin to pacifie God to quiet conscience or procure salvation It is true by vertue of divine Institution it was profitable to the uses for which it was designed namely to prefigure and lead unto Christ for that salvation which it self could not give But Christ being come the use of it is wholly ceased and it become to all intents weak and unprofitable And therefore Moses and Aaron both dyed before the entring of Israel into Canaan the Lord thereby signifying as Tertullian hath observed the mortality of the Law and its impotency to bring men into the possession of the Promises that it was to give way to Christ who had an unchangeable Priesthood and to his Gospel which was an everlasting Gospel Rev. 14.6 Thus we see the excellencie of the Gospel above the Law for by it onely is ministred Grace to pardon the sins committed against and to perform the duties required by the Moral Law and by it is Christ exhibited to accomplish the Prefigurations of the ceremonial Law For the Law came by Moses but Grace and Truth by Iesus Christ. III. The excellency of the Gospel appeareth if we compare it with any other the most noble perfections acquirable by the uttermost improvement of natural abilities either in Genere notitiae or in Genere morum 1. The highest knowledge attainable by humane