weighty. It contains the grace, the goodness of God, the effect of his indulgence and compaffion, the provifion that he hath made for the defperate cafe of finners. Matter of great importance, of near concernment. For the connexion. This inforceth the great invitation of grace, to be reconciled to God, becaufe God hath done fo much towards it he hath made him fin for us, that knew no fin; that we might be made the righteoufnefs of God in him. And was ever argument better enforced? If we confider the cafe: either, 1. The reason of the inference. 2. The neceffity of our condition: or, 7. Tranfcendent fupply: all which are in these words confidered in their reference and relation to the former words. Nothing is there more inexcufable than keeping off from God, fo kindly inviting us, when this offer of grace is fo well grounded, in fuch a provifion as God hath made. He hath made him fin for us, who knew no fin, &c. God hath not better provided for any effect in the world; no, not for the great effect upon which the being and welfare of the whole creation depends, than he hath provided for a finner's faith and hope in him, for his affurance and fatisfaction in believing. Wherefore it follows in all reason, that which we find in St. John, that it should be declared, that this is the condemnation, condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light, John iii. 19. And so much for the account of the reference and relation that these words have to the foregoing words. Be ye reconciled to God; for God is in good earneft; he hath done more upon this account than he doth in keeping up the whole course of nature. For, he hath made his own fon a facrifice. He hath made him that knew no fin, to be fin for us; that we might be the righteoufness of God in him. He hath made him fin; which is more than if he had faid, a finner; that we might be made righteousness; which is more than if he had faid, righteous. Two things now lie before me to do. ift. To lead you into a right apprehenfion of the words. 2dly, To fecure your minds from fome mistakes in the matter of thefe words. Concerning the points of life or death, mifapprehenfions may be mifchievous and truly there are mistakes on both parts. These words require a right interpretation, how Chrift is made fin: how we righteousness, for believe it, there are wrong apprehenfions, which reflect ill upon God, and are mischievous to those that have them. 1. Therefore I must tell you for the `word fin, Christ was made fin, this form of words is a Hebraifm, for the new teftament doth often use the language of the Hebrews, which is very short for words, more than any other language in the world. One word fignifies fin, and the facrifice for fin, and the expiation of that facrifice; as thofe who are learned in that that language know. So that here a man might mistake, if he should think Christ was made a finner. That would attribute injuftice to God the father, difhonour to Christ, and loss to us. But he made him fin for us; and that is, a facrifice for fin. And for this I refer you to the prophet: he made bis foul an offering for fin, Ifa, liii. 10. Now, that I may prevent this misapprehenfion on our part in this that may fo unworthily reflect upon God, and difparage and difcredit our Lord and Saviour, I fhall explain to you in what Christ is made fin, both negatively and pofitively. Ift. Negatively. Three things therefore I must peremptorily deny. 1. That Chrift was ever faulty, ever guilty in the leaft; not in any one inftance, either the leaft mifgovernment of his fpirit, or in the government of his life. There was never any evil received or admitted into him, by his confent; which is the known way by which one becomes a finner by that way men betray their innocence, and become finners. But our Saviour never stained himself by admitting evil into himself, by his own confent. The thought of evil, the knowledge of evil, is not evil. I have met with fome tender-fpirited perfons, that have had the thoughts of evil, and thought it was evil. Good fouls! It is good to be tender. But it is not evil to think of evil. God himself thinks of evil, and fees evil; how elfe fhould he punish evil. It is not what you know, or think of; but what you make choice of, and delight in. viour never admitted any Our Sa had failed, he could not have made fatisfaction. For it is not the passion of Chrift that gives us any comfort and fatisfaction; but that Chrift's paffion is a propitiation. This is the cause of justification and fatisfaction, that this paffion is our propitiation, that which God will have in order to our reconciliation. So that it was the provifion of grace, the fruit of Chrift's good-will to us; fo it is the ground and foundation of our reconciliation. And thus confidered, the paffion of Chrift is our confolation (otherwise it were our reproof:) and this could not have been, if there had not been abfolute innocence, and that could not have been, if our Saviour had admitted fin into him by confent or choice. This must be, else you make God unjust, dishonour Chrift, and invalidate his death. That is the first: Christ was never faulty, never guilty in the least. 2. I deny that Chrift was ever under God's diflike or displeasure. This follows upon the former, and is as neceflary to be understood. As Chrift was never a finner, so his perfon was never unacceptable unto God. God never had any regret at him, never any the least offence at him; he was never under God's diflike or difpleafure. In the lowest ftate, his perfon was in favour and acceptance with God. This is teftified by those extraordinaries, no lefs than miracles, at his death, and that great miracle, the refurrection of Christ. When he died the fun eclipfed, the vail of the temple rent, dead bodies arofe; enough to convince the hard-hearted Jews; which made barbarous foldiers acknowledge him the Son of God. And this is teftimony to all VOL. II. the A a the world, that he was a perfon in grace and favour with God, and that God had no diflike or difpleafure in him. And then, 3. And this is confequent upon both the former, I deny that Chrift ever felt the worm of conscience. Chrift was never in the hellish ftate, as we express it; he never endured in the leaft the pain of the damned; he never fuffered the worm of conscience: for he could not have reflexion upon that which was not; and he was never guilty. He never fuffered the hellish ftate; which doth mainly import two things, (I speak not now of the whole of it, but the main and principal of it) that is, the fenfe of guilt, and a fenfe of God's final refufal. For if I have a fenfe of guilt, and have hope of pardon, this is fome comfort: but if I have a sense of guilt, and that the time is past for recovery, this compleats the hellish state; and the foul riseth up against God, and is in rancour and malignity towards God. Now Christ was never in this state in the least; he never had the pain of the damned. and laft, holy and harmlefs. Our Saviour was first Whenever Whenever you hear of Chrift being made fin, discharge Christ in your thoughts from these three; from being at any time. faulty or guilty, from being ever under God's difpleafure, from being ever in the hellish ftate. This for the negative part. 2. Now for the pofitive part: what was done, when Chrift was made fin: he was made a facrifice for fin. You will ask me, what is it to be a facrifice for fin? I anfwer, it is to be deftroyed, burnt with fire. A facrifice is put into a state of suffering, put |