SERM. 3. How much he abafed him, in order to the efLXXXV. fecting and accomplishing this defign, implied in

thefe words," he fent him into the world."

3. If we confider, to whom 'e was fent," to the "world." And,

4. That he did all this voluntarily and freely out of his mere pity and goodness; not conftrained hereto by any neceffity, not prevailed upon by any application or importunity of ours, nor obliged by any benefit or kindnefs from us.

1. Let us confider the person whom God was pleased to employ in this defign, "he sent his only-begotten Son"; no less perfon than his own Son, and no lefs dear to him, than his only-begotten SoN.

(1) No lefs perfon than "his own SoN;" and the dignity of the person that was employed in our behalf, doth strangely heighten and set off the kindnefs. What an endearment is it of the mercy of our redemption, that God was pleafed to employ upon this design no meaner perfon than his own "SON, his begotten SoN; fo he is called in the text, his Son, in fo péculiar a manner, as no creature is, or can be; the creatures below man aré called the works of God, but never his children; the angels are in fcripture called the fons of GUD; and Adam likewife is call'd the fon of GoD, becaufe God made him after his own image and likeness in holiness and righteoufnefs, and in his domi Aion and fovereignty over the creatures below him; but this title of begotten Son of God was never given to any of the creatures, man or angel; "for unto "which of the angels faid he at any time, thou art "my Son, this day have I begotten thee,” as the

5

apostle

apostle reafons, Heb. i. 5. He must be a great per-SERM. fon indeed to whom this title belongs," of the be

gotten Son of GOD;" and it must be a mighty love indeed which moved God to employ fo great a perfon, on the behalf of fo pitiful and wretched creatures as we are. It had been a mighty condefcenfion for Gop to treat with us at all; but that no lefs perfon than his own Son fhould be the ambaffador, is an aftonishing regard of heaven to poor finful duft and ashes.

(2.) The perfon was as dear to GoD, as he was great, "he was his only-begotten SoN." It had been a great inftance of Abraham's love and obedience to GOD, to have facrificed a fon at his command, but this circumftance makes it much greater, that it was his only Son; "hereby I know that thou feareft "GOD (fays the angel) fince thou haft not withheld

thy fon, thine only fon from me." This is a demonstration that God loved us at a ftupendous rate, when he would fend his only-begotten Son into the world for us.

Before this, GoD had tried feveral ways with mankind, and employed feveral meffengers to us; fometimes he sent his angels, and many times his fervants the prophets; "but in these last days he hath sent his ἐσ SON." He had many more fervants to have employed upon this meffage, but he had but one Son; and rather than mankind should be ruined and loft, he would fend him. Such was the love of God towards us, that rather than our recovery fhould not be effected, he would employ in this work the greatest and dearest person to him both in heaven and earth, his only-begotten Son; "in this was the love of

GOD

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SERM." GOD manifefted, that he fent his only-begotten LXXXV. SON, that we might live through him."

2. Let us confider how much this glorious and excellent perfon was abafed in order to the effecting and accomplishing of this defign, which is here expreffed, by fending him into the world; and this comprehends his incarnation with all the mean and abafing circumftances of it. This the apostle declares fully to us, Phil. ii. 6, 7. "tho' he was in "the form of GOD, (that is, truly and really GOD) "yet he made himself of no reputation, iavlov ixé

νωσε, he empty'd himself," was contented to be ftrangely leffen'd and diminish'd, "and took upon him the form of a fervant, or flave, and was made in the likeness of men; " that is, did really affume human nature. Here was an abasement indeed, for God to become man, "for the only-be

gotten Son of GOD to take upon him the form of "a fervant, and to become obedient to death, even "the death of the cross," which was the death of flaves, and infamous malefactors. Here was love indeed, that God was willing that his own dear SON fhould be thus obfcured and diminished, and become fo mean and fo miferable for our fakes; that he should not only stoop" to be made man, and to dwell among "us," but that he should likewife fubmit "to the

infirmities of our nature, and to be made in all "things like unto us, fin only excepted; "that he fhould be contented to bear fo many affronts and indignities from perverfe and unthankful men, and to endure fuch contradiction of finners against "himself; that he who was the brightness of his "FATHER'S glory, fhould be defpifed and rejected

of

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❝of men, a man of forrows, and acquainted with SER M. "griefs," and rather than we should perifh, fhould put himself into our place, and be contented to fuffer and die for us; and that GOD fhould be willing that all this fhould be done to his only Son, to fave finners, what greater teftimony could he give of his love to us!

3. Let us confider farther to whom he was fent, which is alfo implied in these words, "he fent his "SON into the world; " into a wicked world, that was altogether unworthy of him; and an ungrateful world, that did moft unworthily use him.

First, into a wicked world, that was altogether unworthy of him, that had deferved no fuch kindness at his hands. For what were we, that GOD fhould send fuch a person amongst us, that he should make his Son stoop fo low as to dwell in our nature, and to become one of us? We were rebels and enemies, ❝ enemies to God by evil works "up in arms against heaven, and at open defiance with God our maker. When the world was in this pofture of enmity and hoftility against GOD; then he sent his Son to treat with us and to offer us peace. What can more commend the love of God than this, that he fhould fhew fuch kindness to us, when we were finners and enemies! Herein "GOD hath commended his love "towards us; (fays the apostle, Rom. v. 8.) in that "whilft we were yet finners CHRIST died for us "

Secondly, Into an ungrateful world, that did moft unworthily use him, that gave no becoming entertainment to him ("the foxes had holes, and the birds " of the air had nefts; but the Son of man had not where to lay his head") that heaped all manner of

con

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SER M. contumelies and indignities upon him, that perfecuted him all his life, and at last put him to a moft painful and fhameful death; in a word, that was fo far from receiving him as the Son of GOD, that they did not treat him with common humanity, and like one of the fons of men.

4. He did all this voluntarily and freely; " GoD "fent his Son into the world," mero motu, of his own mere grace and goodness, moved by nothing but his own bowels, and the confideration of our mifery; not overpowered by any force; (for what could offer violence to him to whom all power belongs?) not constrained by any neceflity, for he had been happy, tho' we had remained for ever miserable; he might have chofen other objects of his love and pity, and have left us involved in that mifery which we had wilfully brought upon ourselves.

Nor was he prevailed upon by any application from us, or importunity of ours to do this for us. Had we been left to have contrived the way of our recovery; this which God hath done for us, could never have entered into the heart of man to have imagin'd, much less to have defir'd it at his hands. If the way of our falvation had been put into the hands of our own counsel and choice, how could we have been fo impudent as to have begg'd of God, that his only SoN might defcend from heaven and become man, be poor, defpifed and miferable for our fakes? Gon may ftoop as low as he pleaseth, being fecure of his own majefty and greatness; but it had been a boldness in us, not far from blafphemy, to have defired of him to condefcend to fuch a fubmiffion.

Nor