Le&t. VI. and especially thofe Flefhly Lufts that War against the Soul. And this he does by fubduing the Power of Sin in us, and Mortifying our Corrupt Affections, that we being dead to Sin might live no longer therein. (2.) Satan, that great Adverfary of Mankind, who goes about like a roaring Lion, feeking whom he may devour. From whom he faves us by Arming us againft his Affaults and Temptations, that we might not be led Captive by him at his will. And (3.) Wicked Men, who will always hate to oppofe thofe that are good, and envy and perfecute them whofe holy Lives and Converfations are a fecret Reproach to them for their Wickednefs. And from thefe he defends us by reftraining their Power, that tho' they would they fhall not be able to

hurt us,

us.

And as he is our King to fave and defend us, fo he muft and will be our King to Command and Rule over And indeed where we receive Protection (if there were nothing else) we are oblig'd to pay our Allegiance and Subjection. We ought therefore readily to obey his Laws and obferve his Commands, and pay him that Tribute of Honour and Reverence which is due to him. We ought to hold no Correfpondence with any of his Enemies, but to keep our Allegiance entirely to him as to our rightful Soveraign. And to conclude this Head with one neceffary Caution, if we pretend to an Inte reft in Chrift, and to receive any Benefit by him, we muft take him together in all his Offices: Not only as a Prieft to make an Attonement for us, but as a Prophet to teach and direct us, and as a King to Rule and Govern us. Otherwise inftead of Subjects we shall be treated as Enemies and Rebels, and he will fay with him in the Gospel, Luke 19. 27. Those mine Enemies which would not that I should Reign over them, bring them hither and lay them before me. But,

(3.) We are to confider this Title of Son of God, and not only fo, but of [his only Son.] Now you must know, that tho' there be three forts of Perfons who may

claim the Title of Son of God, yet this of his only Son is proper and peculiar to Jefus Chrift alone.

1. Some are the Sons of God by Creation. So this Title is given to the Angels, Job 1. 6. And for the fame Reafon Adam is called the Son of God, Luke 3. laft.

2. Others are the Sons of God by Adoption. Thus we are faid to receive the Adoption of Sons, Gal. 4. 5. And are called the Sons of God, 1 John 3. 1. But,

3. There is the Son of God by Eternal Generation, and this is peculiar to Jefus Chrift only: And therefore he is called the Only Begotten of the Father, full of Grace and Truth, John 1. 14.

And this fhews the wonderful Love of God to poor Sinners, in giving his dear and only Son to die for us, to fave us from Hell and Everlafting Deftru&tion, and to purchase for us Eternal Life and Salvation, John 3. 14. God fo loved the World, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whofoever believeth on him, should not perish, but have everlasting Life.

(4.) Lastly, We are to confider this Title of [our Lord.] Now Chrift may well be called our Lord upon feveral Accounts. As,

1. He is our Lord by right of Creation. For as all the Perfons in the Bleffed Trinity were equally concern'd in the Creation of the World (as you have heard) and it is exprefly faid of the Son, John 1. 3. That all things. were made by him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. So we may well fay, It is He that bas made us, and not we our felves; we are his People and the Sheep of his Pafture, Pfal. 100. 3.

2. He is our Lord by the Right of his Father's Dona tion. So we read, John 3. 35. The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. And in his Prayer for his Difciples, John 17. He often mentions thofe that his Father had given him.

on.

3. He is our Lord by right of Purchafe and Redempti And thus he is called the Lord that bought us,

2 Pet. 2. I. And 'tis faid that we are not Redeemed with corruptible things, as Silver and Gold,

but with

the precious Blood of Chrift, Pet. 1. 18. And accordingly St. Paul exhorts the Elders of Ephefus, Acts 20. 28. To feed the Church of God, which he bath purchased with his own Blood.

4. He is our Lord by right of Conqueft and Poffeffion. And this is what God promifed, P/al. 2. 8. That be would give him the Heathen for his Inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the Earth for bis Poffeffion. And fo we are delivered from the Power of Darkness (or of Satan) and tranflated into the Kingdom of his dear Son, Col. 1. 13. And,

5. Laftly, He is our Lord by right of Covenant. For when we were Baptiz'd in his Name, we were dedicated to him, and the Renewal of our Baptifmal Vow, is nothing else but a repeated devoting our felves to his Service.

Now if Chrift be our Lord, we ought to approve our felves to be his faithful Servants, and refolve that no q ther Lords fhall any longer have Dominion over us. But alas! how many profefs that Chrift is their Lord, and yet refufe to obey him, but are the apparent Slaves and Vaffals of Sin and Satan! To whom he may well fay as old, Te call me Mafter and Lord, and ye fay well, for so I am (John 13.13.) But if I be a Mafter, where is my fear? where is my Obedience? (Mal. 1.6.) This Confideration therefore that Chrift is our Lord, ought to have a great influence upon us, in cafting down Imaginations, and bringing into Captivity every Thought to the Obedience of Chrift, as the Apostle speaks, 2 Cor. 10. 5.1

LECT

LECTURE VII.

Who was conceived by the Holy Ghoff, Bom of the Wirgin Mary, Suffered under Pontius Pilate, was Crucified, Dead, and Buried, Pe defcended into Pell.

N the foregoing Article we had a Description of

ty, especially with relation to his Godhead. In those which I have now read we have an account how he be came Man, and what he did and fuffered for us in his State of Humiliation. All which may be compriz'd under these Five Heads.

1. His Conception.

2. His Birth.

3. His Sufferings. 4. His Death and Burial. 5. His Defcent into Hell. briefly as I can.

And,

Of thefe in their Order, as

(1.) We fhall confider his Holy Conception, as it is expreft in these words [Conceived by the Holy Ghoft.] And this was neceffary that he might be Holy, Harmless, Undefiled, and Separate from Sinners, as the Apoftle fpeaks, Heb. 7. 26. In a word, that he might be the Son of God, without which it was impoffible for him to accomplish the great Work of our Redemption. But as to the manner of his Conception, that is a Myftery too Holy for us to pry into, and too great for us to comprehend. All that we know of it is what the Angel faid to his Mother, Luke 1. 35. The Holy Ghoft Shall come upon thee, and the Power of the Higheft fhall overShadow thee; therefore alfo that Holy Thing that shall be Born of thee fhall be called the Son of God. We ought not therefore too curioufly to fearch into the Mystery of the Incarnation of Chrift; remembring what the Apoftle has faid, 1 Tim. 3. 16. Great is the Mystery of

Lect. VII. Godliness, God manifeft in the Flesh. It will be more ufeful to enquire whether we be conformable to him in having Chrift formed in us by the fame Spirit. For as the Conception of Chrift in the Womb of the Virgin was wrought by the over fhadowing of the Holy Ghoft, To no Conception of Chrift in our Hearts is to be expeЄted without it.

(2.) We fhall confider his Miraculous Birth in these words [Born of the Virgin Mary.] And this was neceffary that he might be in all things like unto us, Sin only excepted, and to fit him alfo for the Work of our Redemption, which requir'd that he fhould be Man, that he might fuffer in our ftead, and in the fame nature that finned. And this was foretold in the beginning, That the Seed of the Woman Should break the Serpent's Head, Gen. 3. 15. And more exprefly afterwards, That a Virgin fhould Conceive and bring forth a Son, Ifa. 7.14. Which is applied to Chrift, Mat. 1. 23. And they tell us of a very ancient Temple, dedicated long before by the Druides, with this Infcription, Virgini paritura, To the Virgin that should bring forth. And thus was the ·Son of God in the fulness of time made of a Woman, made ander the Law, to redeem thofe that were under the Law, that we might receive the Adoption of Sons: As the Apo file fpeaks, Gal. 4. 4, 5.

And this Account of the Birth of Chrift will afford us feveral ufeful Inftructions.

1. Hence we may learn the wonderful Love and Condefcenfion of Chrift, in leaving his Father's Glory to come into this Sinful Miferable World, and appear in the Weakness of Flesh, and take our Nature upon him with all the Infirmities of it: That he did not make choice of fome Illuftrious Queen or Princefs to be his Mother, but that he came into the World in the most defpicable Circumftances, his Mother being a poor Virgin, and the place of his Birth a Stable, and his Lodging a Manger, and the Brute Animals his Companions. That he who was the Ancient of Days, fhould become