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or be left to the Methods of Nature and Philofophy, for the attaining their Happiness, as fome loofe People among us do fometimes talk! Were the natural Talents of Mankind exalted far above what they either are, or ever have been; yet I would value that one Saying, That Jefus Chrift came into the World to fave Sinners, more than all the Notions and Speculations of Reafon and Philofophy. I would defire to know nothing but Jefus Chrift, and him crucified. I would, with the Apostle, count all Things as Lofs, nay, as Dung, in Comparison of the Excellency of the Knowledge of Christ Jefus my Saviour; and that I may be found in him, not having my own Righteousness, which is by Nature, but that Righteousness, which is by the Faith of Jefus Chrift, who gave himself for me. And thus much of Chrift's appearing to put away Sin, in the first Notion of that Expreffion.

But Secondly, Chrift appeared to put away Sin in another Senfe: That is to fay, to deftroy the Power and Dominion of it from amongst Men; to abolish it, fo as that it should not henceforth reign in our mortal Bodies. To free us from Sin, as the Apoftle speaks, that is, to enable us to lead holy and virtuous Lives. So that whereas Mankind heretofore yielded their Members Servants to Uncleanness, and to Iniquity unto Iniquity; fo they fhould now yield their Members Servants to Righteousness unto Holiness.

Thus to put away Sin, was as principal an End of Chrift's Coming, as the other beforementioned; nay, perhaps more principal: For the other, in true Reafoning, may be faid

to

to be wholly in order to this. Certain it is, unless this End be attained, the other will fignify nothing to us; for we are not capable of any Benefit from that Remiffion of Sin which was purchased for us by Chrift, until our Sins be put away by Repentance, and we become holy Perfons by the Change and Renewal of our Natures.

Never therefore let us deceive ourselves; though Chrift hath actually put away all the Sins of the World in the former Senfe, by his Satisfaction; that is to fay, hath procured the Pardon of them; hath taken away the Sting of them, fo as that they fhall not be deadly to any; yet all this is upon Suppofition, that the Strength of them be taken away in us; that they have no Dominion over us; that we mortify them in all our Members; that we daily die to them, and live a Life of Righteousness. All that Chrift merited or purchased for the World, will not do us the leaft Good, unless we be made conformable to him in his Death and Refurrection, by our dying to Sin, and living to Righteousness.

And in Truth, if we will mind it, the putting away Sin in this Senfe of it, hath as great Weight laid upon it in Scripture, and is as often affigned for the great End and Business of Chrift's Appearance, as the other.

St. John tells us plainly, that for this Purpose was the Son of God manifefted, that he might deStroy the Works of the Devil.

And St. Paul likewife tells us, that he therefore gave himself for us, that he might redeem us

from

from all Iniquity, and purify to himself a peculiar People zealous of good Works.

And Laftly, St. Peter gives the fame Account of his coming, Acts 3. 26. where he tells us, That therefore God raised up his Son Jefus, that is, fent him into the World (for his raifing up there spoken of, as any one will fee that looks into the Context, was not his being raised from the Dead, but his being manifefted to Mankind: For here the Apoftle's Business is to apply that Promife or Prophecy of Mofes unto our Saviour, viz. That God would, in due Time, raife up to his People a Prophet like unto him, whom they should all be obliged to hearken to: I fay therefore, God raised up his Son Jefus, i. e. fent him into the World) that he might blefs his People, in turning every one of them from their Iniquities. This turning every one from their Iniquities was the great End for which our Lord Jefus Chrift was manifested unto Mankind.

And, indeed, Reason will teach usall this, as well as Revelation: For, in the Nature of the Thing, none can be truly Happy but those that are truly Pious: And in the fame Degree and Proportion that any one is wicked, or is under the Power of his Lufts, in the fame Degree he muft needs be miferable. So that if Chrift came to be our Saviour, and in that, meant either to make us happy, or to keep us from being miferable; there was an abfolute Neceffity, that his firft and principal Design must be to root out of our Nature all Sin and Wickedness; and to restore the Image of God in

our

our Minds which confifts in unchangeable Purity and Holiness, and Goodness.

Away, therefore, with all thofe Hypothefes, that give fuch an Account of Chrift's coming into the World, as to make the ultimate End of it, to be the freeing us from Hell and Damnation, and purchafing Heaven and Eternal Life for us, but without any Respect had to the renewing our Natures, or the making us fincerely Holy and Virtuous. All fuch Accounts of Chrift's Undertaking, are monftrously unreasonable and abfurd.

For not to infift upon the manifest Affront they put upon God's Juftice and Holiness, in making Him the great Patron of Sin, whilft they affert Him to be the Juftifier of wicked Men, even whilft they continue Wicked.

You cannot, as I faid, but fee (in the First Place) how very much fuch Doctrines do difparage the Love of our Saviour, and leffen his Undertaking: For whilft he is here fuppofed to have Redeemed us only from his Father's Wrath, and the Punishment confequent thereupon; leaving us in the mean Time to the Wickednefs and Impurity of our own Nature, which alone, without the Acceífion of any other external Evil, is a Mifery great enough; He is hereby rendred but half a Saviour; One that freed us indeed from an external Evil, but left us irremediably expofed to an internal one, as grievous as the other: One that delivered us from the Apprehenfions of a Gibbet, or an Executioner; but could not, or would VOL. I.

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not

not cure us of the inward Sickneffes and Maladies under which we languished.

But this is not all. In the Second Place, it ought to be taken notice of, what an abfurd inconfiftent Notion this kind of Doctrine gives us of the Happiness of Mankind: For whilft they fuppofe, that a Man under the Power and Dominion of Sin, is capable of that Happinefs which Chrift purchased or us in the other World (which Happiness, as both Scrip→ ture and Reafon teftify, doth chiefly confist in the Enjoyment of God, and of his Excellencies and Perfections ;) they muft at the fame Time fuppofe, that a Man may be rendred happy by the Enjoyment of that of which he has no Senfe, no Perception; or rather, to speak properly, that he is the happiest Creature alive, in the Enjoyment of an Object, to which he has the greatest Averfion and Antipathy in the World. Which, if it be not an Absurdity, I know not what is. When Light can have Communion with Darkness, when God can have Fellowship with Belial; then, and not till then, çan a wicked Man, a Man that lives in Sin, and loves it, be capable of that Happiness which Jefus Chrift hath purchafed for us.

IV. The Fourth Thing I fhould fpeak to from this Text, is the Means by which our Saviour brought to pass the great End of his Appearance, viz. The putting away of Sin which Means are faid to be the Sacrifice of himself. Now once in the End of the World bath be appeared to put away. Sin, by the Sacrifice of himself.

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