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created all things, and for thy pleasure they are, and were created," Rev. iv. 11. It is grace that gave being to the angels, with all the prerogatives that adorned their natures. It is grace that confirmed them in their original integrity, for God owes them nothing and they are nothing to him. It was grace that placed Adam in paradise, and made him as a visible god in the lower world. And if grace alone dispensed benefits to innocent creatures, much more to those who are obnoxious to justice: the first was free, but this is merciful. And this leads to the second consideration, which exalts redeeming love.

II. The object of it is man in his lapsed state. In this respect it excels the goodness that created him at the beginning. In the creation as there was no object to invite, so nothing repugnant to man's being and happiness. The dust of the earth did not merit such an excellent condition as it received from the pure bounty of God, but there was no moral unworthiness. But the grace of the gospel hath a different object, the wretched and unworthy; and it produces different operations, it is healing and medicinal, ransoming and delivering, and hath a peculiar character among the divine attributes. It is goodness that crowns the angels, but it is mercy, the sanctuary of the guilty and refuge of the miserable, that saves man. The scripture hath consecrated the name of grace in a special manner, to signify the most excellent and admirable favour of God in recovering us from our justly deserved misery. We are "justified freely by his grace," Rom. iii. 24;-" By grace we are saved," Eph. ii. 5 ;—“ Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ,” John i. 17;— it is "the grace of God that bringeth salvation," Tit. ii. 11.

And this is gloriously manifested towards man in that, 1, considered in himself, he is altogether unworthy of it; 2, as compared with the fallen angels who are left under perfect, irremediable misery.

1. Man, considered in himself, is unworthy of the favour of God.

The usual motives of love are the goodness of things or persons. This is the proper allective of the rational appetite: there is such a ravishing beauty in it, that it powerfully calls forth affection. When there is a union of amiable qualities in a person, every one finds an attractive. disposition hath a mighty force to beget love. is the common principle of union in nature:

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thrive best when near together: sensitive creatures associate with those of their kind. And love, which is an affectionate union and voluntary band, proceeds from a similitude of wills and inclinations. The harmony of tempers is the strongest and sweetest tie of friendship.-Love is an innocent and powerful charm to produce love: it is of universal virtue, and known by all the world. None are of such an unnatural hardness, but they are softened and receive impression from it. Now there are none of these inducements to incline God to love man.

(1.) He was utterly destitute of moral goodness. As the exact temperament of the body, so the order and beauty of the soul, was spoiled by sin. Nothing remained but deformity and defilements. The love of God makes us amiable, but did not find us so. Redemption is a free favour, not excited by the worth of him that receives it, but the grace of him that dispenses it; "God commendeth his love toward us, that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us," Rom. v. 8. Our goodness was not the motive of his love, but his love the original of our goodness.

(2.) There is a fixed contrariety in the corrupted nature of man to the holy nature and will of God, for which he is not only unworthy of his love, but worthy of his wrath. We are opposite to him in our minds, affections, and actions: a strong antipathy is seated in all our faculties. How unqualified were we for his love! There is infinite holiness in him, whereby he is eternally opposite to all sin, yet he expressed infinite love to sinners in saving them from misery.

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(3.) There was not the least spark of love in man to God. Notwithstanding his infinite beauty and bounty to us, yet we renewed acts of hostility against him every day, Rom. v. And it was the worst kind of hostility, arising from the hatred of God, Rom. i. 30; and that for his holiness, his most amiable perfection. Yet then in his love he pitied us. The same favour bestowed on an enemy, is morally more valuable than given to a friend; for it is love that puts a price on benefits and the more undeserved they are, the more they are endeared by the affection that gives them. "Herein is

love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins," 1 John iv. 10. We were rebels against God and at enmity with the Prince of life, yet then he gave himself for us.

(4.) It will further appear that our salvation comes from

pure favour, if we consider man not only as a rebellious enemy to God, but impotent and obstinate, without power to resist justice and without affection to desire mercy. Sometimes the interest of a prince may induce him to spare the guilty; he may be compelled to pardon, whom he cannot punish. The multitude is the greatest potentate. The sons of Zeruiah were too strong for David; and then it is not pity, but policy to suspend the judgment; 2 Sam. iii. 39. But our condition is described by the apostle, that when we were sinners and "without strength," then Christ died for us, Rom. v. 6. Man is a despicable creature, so weak that he trembles at the appearance of a worm, and yet so wicked that he lifts up his head against heaven. How unable is he to encounter with offended omnipotence! How easily can God destroy him, when by his sole word he made him! If he unclasps his hand that supports all things, they will presently relapse into their first confusion. The whole world of sinners was shut up, utterly unable to repel or avoid his displeasure; and what amazing love is it to spare rebels that were under his feet! "If a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away?" 1 Sam. xxiv. 19: But God, when we were all at his mercy, spared and saved us.

Besides, rebels sometimes solicit the favour of their prince by their acknowledgments, their tears and supplications, the testimonies of their repentance; but man persisted in his fierce enmity, and had the weapons of defiance in his hands against his Creator; he trampled on his laws, and despised his Deity; yet then the Lord of hosts became the God of peace.

In short; there was nothing to call forth the divine compassion but our misery: the breach began on man's part, but reconciliation on God's. Mercy opened his melting eye, and prevented not only our desert, but our expectation and desires. The design was laid from eternity. God foresaw our sin and our misery, and appointed a Saviour "before the foundation of the world,” 1 Pet. i. 20. It was the most early and pure love to provide a ransom for us before we had a being; therefore we could not be deserving, or desirous of it; and after we were made, we deserved nothing but damnation.

2. The grace of God eminently appears in man's recovery, by comparing his state with that of the fallen angels who are left under misery. This is a special circumstance that

magnifies the favour; and to make it more sensible to us, it will be convenient briefly to consider the first state of the angels, their fall, and their punishment.

God, in creating the world, formed two natures capable of his image and favour, to glorify and enjoy him, angels and men; and placed them in the principal parts of the universe, heaven and earth. The angels were the eldest offspring of his love, the purest productions of that supreme light man in his best state was inferior to them, Psalm viii. 5. A great number of them kept not their first state of integrity and felicity. Their sin is intimated in scripture; "Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride, he fall into the condemnation of the devil," 1 Tim. iii. 6; that is, lest he become guilty of that sin which brought a severe sentence on the devil. The prince of darkness was blinded with the lustre of his own excellencies, and attempted upon the regalia of heaven, affecting an independent state. He disavowed his Benefactor, enriched with his benefits: and, in the same moment, he with his companions in rebellion was banished from heaven. "God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness to be reserved unto judgment," 2 Pet. ii. 4. Mercy did not interpose to avert or suspend their judgment, but immediately they were expelled from the divine presence. A solemn triumph in heaven followed: "A voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants. And I heard as it were the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Hallelujah, for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth." They are now the most eminent examples of revenging wrath. Their present misery is insupportable, and they expect worse. When our Saviour cast some of them out of the possessed persons, they cried out, "Art thou come to torment us before the time ?" "Miserrimum est timere cum speres nihil;" it is the height of misery to have nothing to hope, and something to fear. Their guilt is attended with despair. They are in everlasting chains;" he that "carries the keys of hell and death" will never open their prison. If the sentence did admit a revocation after a million of years, their torment would be nothing in comparison of what it is; for the longest measure of time bears no proportion to eternity, and hope would allay the sense of the present sufferings with the prospect of future ease: but their judgment is irreversible; they are under the "blackness of darkness for ever."

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not the least glimpse of hope to allay their sorrows, no starlight to sweeten the horrors of their eternal night. They are "servi pœnæ," that can never be redeemed. It were a kind of pardon to them to be capable of death; but God will never be so far reconciled, as to annihilate them. His anger shall be accomplished, and his fury rest upon them, Ezek. iii. 5. Immortality, the privilege of their nature, infinitely increases their torment; for when the understanding, by a strong and active apprehension, hath a terrible and unbounded prospect of the continuance of their sufferings, that what is intolerable must be eternal, this inexpressibly exasperates their misery: there wants a word beyond death to set it forth.

This is the condition of the sinning angels, and God might have dealt in as strict justice with rebellious man. It is true, there are many reasons may be assigned why the wisdom of God made no provision for their recovery.

(1.) It was most decent that the first breach of the divine law should be punished, to secure obedience for the future. Prudent lawgivers are severe against the first transgressors, the leaders in disobedience. He that first presumed to break the sabbath, was by God's command put to death; and Solomon the king of peace, punished the first attempt upon his royalty with death, though in the person of his brother.

(2.) The malignity of their sin was in the highest degree; for such was the clearness of the angelical understanding, that there was nothing of ignorance and deceit to lessen the voluntariness of their sin. It was no mistake, but malice. They fell in the light of heaven, and rendered themselves incapable of mercy: as under the law, those who sinned "with a high hand," that is, not out of ignorance or imbecility to please their passions, but knowingly and proudly despised the command, their presumption was inexpiable; no sacrifice was appointed for it. And the gospel, though the declaration of mercy, yet excepts those who sin the great transgression against the Holy Ghost. Now of such a nature was the sin of the rebellious angels, it being a contemptuous violation of God's majesty, and therefore unpardonable. Besides, they are wholly spiritual beings, without any alloy of flesh, and so fell to the utmost in evil, there being nothing to suspend the entireness of their will; whereas the human spirit is more slow by its union with the body. And that which extremely aggravates their sin is, that it was committed in the state of perfect happiness; they despised the full

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