The following discourse by Jonathan Edwards is called The Wisdom of God Displayed in the Way of Salvation. Ephesians 3 verse 10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers and heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God. Introduction The Apostle is speaking in the context of the glorious doctrine of the redemption of sinners by Jesus Christ. and how it was in a great measure kept hid in the past ages of the world. It was a mystery that before they did not understand, but now it was in a glorious manner brought to light. By revelation he made known unto me the mystery, as I wrote before in few words, whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ, which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. 9 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which, from the beginning of the world, has been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ. The apostle in the text informs us that what Christ had accomplished towards his church in the work of redemption had not only in a great measure unfurled a mystery to the church in this world, but God had more clearly and fully opened it to the understanding even of the angels themselves, and that this was one end of God in it, to discover the glory of his wisdom to the angels, to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God. One end of revealing God's counsels concerning the work of redemption is making known God's wisdom. It is called manifold wisdom because of the manifold glorious sins that are attained by it. The excellent designs hereby accomplished are very manifold. The wisdom of God in this is of vast extent. The contrivance is so manifold that one may spend an eternity in discovering more of the excellent ends and designs accomplished by it, and the multitude and vast variety of things that are by divine contrivance brought to conspire to the bringing about of those ends. We may observe, to whom it is, that God would manifest this wisdom by revealing the mystery of our redemption. They are not only men, but the angels. to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known, the manifold wisdom of God. The angels are often called principalities and powers because of the exalted dignity of their nature. The angels excel in strength and wisdom. Those who are the wise men of the earth are called princes in the style of the apostle, 1 Corinthians 2 verse 6. Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect, yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, which none of the princes of this world knew. For had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. So the angels are called principalities for their great wisdom. They may also be so called for the honor God has put upon them, and employing them as ministers and instruments, wherewith he governs the world. and therefore are called thrones, dominions, principalities and powers, Colossians 1 verse 16. They are called principalities and powers in heavenly places, as distinguishing them from those that are in places of earthly power and dignity. The offices or places of dignity and power that the angels sustain are not earthly, but heavenly. They are in places of honor and power in the heavenly city and in the heavenly kingdom. One end of God in revealing His design or contrivance for redemption, as He has so fully and gloriously done by Jesus Christ, is that the angels in heaven may behold the glory of His wisdom by it. Though they are such bright intelligences as to always behold the face of God the Father, and know so much, yet here is matter of instruction for them. Here they may see more of the divine wisdom than ever they had seen before. It was a new discovery of the wisdom of God to them. The time when this display of the wisdom of God was especially made to the angels is when Christ introduced the gospel dispensation implied in those words to the intent that now unto the principalities of so on. When Christ came into the world and died and actually performed the work of redemption, when he had fully and plainly revealed the counsels of God concerning it, and accordingly introduced the evangelical dispensation and erected the gospel church, then the angels understood more of the mystery of man's redemption and the manifold designs and counsels of divine wisdom than ever they had done before. In the foregoing verse, the apostle, after speaking of revealing this wisdom of God to man, And it make all men see what is the fellowship of this mystery, and so on, speaks of this mystery as a thing from the beginning, kept hid till now, the mystery which was from the beginning of the world had been hid in God, that now, and so on. In this verse he mentions another end, that he may at the same time make the angels also see God's wisdom in his glorious scheme of redemption. now at this time, implies that it was before a mystery kept hid from them in comparison of what it is now, and here is room enough for the angels to discover more and more to all eternity of the wisdom of God in this work. Observe the medium by which the angels come by this knowledge, the church, that now unto principalities might be known by the church, in other words, by the things that they see done in the church or towards the church, and by what they see concerning the church. So hath it pleased the sovereign God that the angel should have the most glorious discoveries of divine wisdom by his doing towards his church, a sort of beings much inferior to themselves. It is pleased God to put this honor upon us. The wisdom appearing in the way of salvation by Jesus Christ is far above the wisdom of the angels. For here it is mentioned as one end of God in revealing the contrivance of our salvation, that the angels thereby might see and know how great and manifold the wisdom of God is, to hold forth the divine wisdom to the angels' view and admiration. But why is it so, if this wisdom be not higher than their own wisdom? It never would have been mentioned as one end of revealing the contrivance of redemption, that the angels might see how manifold God's wisdom is, if all the wisdom to be seen in it was no greater than their own. It is mentioned as a wisdom such as they had never seen before, not in God, much less in themselves, that now might be known how manifold the wisdom of God is, now, four thousand years since the creation, And all that time the angels had always beheld the face of God, and had been studying God's works of creation. Yet they never, till that day, had seen anything like that, never knew how manifold God's wisdom is, as now they knew it by the church. Section 1. Wonderful things done by which salvation is procured. such as the choice of the person chosen to be our Redeemer, the substituting of him in our room, his incarnation, his life, his death and exaltation in number one, we will consider the choice of the person to be our Redeemer. When God designed the redemption of mankind, his great wisdom appears in that he pitched upon his own, his only begotten son, to be the person to perform the work. He was a Redeemer of God's own choosing. And therefore he is called in scripture God's elect. Isaiah 57 verse 1. The wisdom of choosing this person to be the Redeemer appears in his being in every way a fit person for this undertaking. It was necessary that the person that is the Redeemer should be a divine person. None but a divine person was sufficient for this great work. The work is infinitely unequal to any creature. It was requisite that the redeemer of sinners should be himself infinitely holy. None could take away the infinite evil of sin, but one that was infinitely far from and contrary to sin himself. Christ is a fit person on this account. It was requisite that the person, in order to be sufficient for this undertaking, should be one of infinite dignity and worthiness, that he might be capable of meriting infinite blessings. The Son of God is a fit person on this account. It was necessary that he should be a person of infinite power and wisdom, for this work is so difficult that it requires such an one. Christ is a fit person also upon this account. It was requisite that he should be a person infinitely dear to God the Father in order to give an infinite value to his transactions in the Father's esteem, and that the Father's love to him might balance the offense and provocation by our sins. Christ is a fit person upon this account. therefore called the Beloved, Ephesians 1 6, he hath made us accepted in the Beloved. It was requisite that the person should be one that could act in this as of his own absolute right, one that in himself is not a servant or subject, because if he is one that cannot act of his own right, he cannot merit anything. He that is a servant, and that can do no more than he is bound to do, cannot merit. And then he that hath nothing, that is absolutely his own cannot pay any price to redeem another. Upon this account Christ is a fit person and none but a divine person can be fit and he must be a person also of infinite mercy and love for no other person but such in one would undertake a work so difficult for a creature so unworthy as man. Upon this account also Christ is a fit person It was requisite that he should be a person of unchangeable perfect truth and faithfulness. Otherwise he would not be fit to be depended on by us and so great an affair. Christ is also a fit person upon this account. The wisdom of God in choosing his eternal Son appears not only in that he is a fit person, but in that he was the only fit person of all persons, whether created or uncreated. No created person, neither man nor angel, was fit for this undertaken. For we have just now shown that he must be a person of infinite holiness, dignity, power, wisdom, infinitely dear to God, of infinite love and mercy, and one that may act of his own absolute right. But no creature, how excellent soever, has any one of these qualifications. There are three uncreated persons, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and Christ alone of these was a suitable person for a Redeemer. It was not meet that the Redeemer should be God the Father, because he, in the divine economy of the persons of the Trinity, was a person that holds the rights of the Godhead, and so was a person offended, whose justice required satisfaction, and was to be appeased by a mediator. It was not meet it should be the Holy Ghost, for in being mediator between Father and the Saints, he is in some sense so between the Father and the Spirit. The saints, in all their spiritual transactions with God, act by the Spirit, or rather, it is the Spirit of God that acts in them. They are the temples of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Spirit dwelling in them is their principle of action, in all their transactions with God. But in these, their spiritual transactions with God, they act by a mediator. These spiritual and holy exercises cannot be acceptable or avail anything with God as from a fallen creature, but by a mediator. Therefore Christ, in being Mediator between the Father and the Saints, may be said to be a Mediator between the Father and the Holy Spirit that acts in the Saints. And therefore it was meet that the Mediator should not be either the Father or the Spirit, but a middle person between them both. It is the Spirit in the Saints that seeks the blessing of God by faith and prayer, and, as the Apostle says, with groanings that cannot be uttered. Romans 8 26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities, for we know not what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. The Spirit in the saints seeks divine blessings of God by and through a mediator, and therefore that mediator must not be the Spirit, but another person. It shows the divine wisdom to know that he was a fit person. No other but one of divine wisdom could have known it. None but one of infinite wisdom could have thought of him to be a redeemer of sinners, for he, as he is God, is one of the persons offended by sin. Against whom man by his sin had rebelled, who but God infinitely wise could ever have thought of him to be a redeemer of sinners, against whom they had sinned, to whom they were enemies, and of whom they deserved infinitely ill? Who would ever have thought of him as one that should set his heart upon man? and exercise infinite love and pity to him, and exhibit infinite wisdom, power, and merit in redeeming him. We proceed. Number two, to consider the substituting of this person in our room. After choosing the person to be our redeemer, the next step of divine wisdom is to contrive the way how he should perform this work. If God had declared who the person was that should do this work, and had gone no further, no creature could have thought which way this person could have performed the work. If God had told them that His own Son must be the Redeemer, and that He alone was a fit person for the work, and that He was a person every way fit and sufficient for it, but had proposed to them to contrive a way how this fit and sufficient person should proceed, we may well suppose that all created understandings would have been utterly at a loss. The first thing necessary to be done is that this Son of God should become our representative in surety, and so be substituted in the sinner's room. But who of created intelligences would have thought of any such thing as the eternal and infinitely beloved Son of God being substituted in the room of sinners, His standing instead of a sinner, a rebel, an object of the wrath of God? Who would have thought of a person of infinite glory, representing sinful worms that had made themselves by sin infinitely provoking and abominable? For if the Son of God be substituted in the sinner's room, then the sin must be charged upon him. He will thereby take the guilt of the sinner upon himself. He must be subject to the same law that man was, both as to the commands and threatenings. But who would have thought of any such thing concerning the Son of God? But we proceed, number three, to consider the incarnation of Jesus Christ. The next step of divine wisdom in contriving how Christ should perform the work of redeeming sinners wasn't in determining his incarnation. Suppose God had revealed his counsel thus far to created understandings, that his own son was the person chosen for this work, that he had substituted him in the sinner's room, and appointed him to take the sinner's obligations and guilt on himself, and had revealed no more, but had left the rest to them to find out. It is no way probable that even then they could ever have thought of a way whereby this person might actually have performed the work of redemption. For if the Son of God be substituted in the sinner's stead, then he takes the sinner's obligations on himself. For instance, he must take the obligation the sinner is under to perform perfect obedience to the divine law. But it is not probable that any creature could have conceived how that could be possible. How should a person who is the eternal Jehovah become a servant, be under law, and perform obedience even to the law of man? And again, if the Son of God be substituted in the sinner's stead, then he comes under the sinner's obligation to suffer the punishment which man's sin had deserved. And who could have thought that to be possible? For how could a divine person, who is essentially, unchangeably, in an infinitely happy state, suffer pain and torment? And how should he, who is the object of God's infinitely dear love, suffer the wrath of his father? It is not to be supposed that created wisdom ever would have found out a way how to have got over these difficulties. But divine wisdom hath found out a way by the incarnation of the Son of God, that the word should be made flesh, that he might be both God and man and one person. What created understanding could have conceived that such a thing was possible? Yet these things could never be proved to be impossible. This distinction, duly considered, will show the futility of many Sassanian objections. And if God had revealed to them that it was possible, and even that it should be, but left them to find out how it should be, we may well suppose that they would all have been puzzled and confounded to conceive of a way for so uniting a man to the eternal Son of God. That they should be but one person, that one who is truly a man in all respect should indeed be the very same Son of God that was with God from all eternity. This is a great mystery to us. Hereby a person that is infinite, omnipotent, and unchangeable Is become, in a sense, a finite, a feeble man. A man subject to our sinless infirmities, passions, and calamities. The great God, the sovereign of heaven and earth, is thus become a worm of the dust. Psalm 22, verse 6. I am a worm and no man. He that is eternal in self-existence is by this union born of a woman. He who is a great original spirit is clothed with flesh and blood like one of us. He who is independent, self-sufficient, and all-sufficient now has come to stand in need of food and clothing. He becomes poor, has not where to lay his head, stands in need of the charity of men, and is maintained by it. It is far above us to conceive how it is done. It is a great wonder and mystery to us, but it was no mystery to divine wisdom. Number four, the next thing to be considered is the life of Christ in this world. The wisdom of God appears in the circumstances of his life and in the work and business of his life. One, the circumstances of his life. If God had revealed that his own son should be incarnate and should live in this world in the human nature, and it had been left to men to determine what circumstances of life would have been most suitable for him, Human wisdom would have determined that he should appear in the world in a most magnificent manner, with very extraordinary outward insigns of honor, authority, and power far above any of the kings of the earth, that here he should reign in great visible pomp and splendor over all nations. Thus it was that men's wisdom did determine before Christ came. The wise, the great men among the Jews, scribes and Pharisees, who were called princes of this world, did expect that the Messiah would thus appear. But the wisdom of God chose quite otherwise. It chose that when the Son of God became man, He should begin His life in a stable, for many years dwell obscurely in a family of low degree in the world, and be in low outward circumstances, that He should be poor, and not have where to lay His head, that He should be maintained by the charity of some of His disciples, that He should grow up as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. Isaiah 53, 2. that he should not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the streets, Isaiah 42 verse 2, that he should come to Zion in a lowly manner, riding on an ass, an occult, the foal of an ass, that he should be despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And now the divine determination in this matter is made known. We may safely conclude that it is far the most suitable and that it would not have been at all suitable for God when He was manifest in flesh to appear with earthly pomp, wealth, and grandeur. No, these things are infinitely too mean and despicable for the Son of God to show as if He affected or esteemed them. Men, if they had this way proposed to them, would have been ready to condemn it as foolish and very unsuitable for the Son of God. But the foolishness of God is wiser than men." 1 Corinthians 1.25 And God hath brought to naught the wisdom of this world, and the princes of this world." 1 Corinthians 2 verse 6. Christ, by thus appearing in mean and low outward circumstances in the world, has poured contempt upon all worldly wealth and glory, and has taught us to despise it. And if it becomes mean men to despise them, how much more did it become the Son of God? And then Christ hereby hath taught us to be lowly in heart, If he who was infinitely high and great was thus lowly, how lowly should we be, who are indeed so vile? 2. The wisdom of God appears in the work and business of the life of Christ, particularly that he should perfectly obey the law of God under such great temptations, that he should have conflicts with and overcome for us in a way of obedience the powers of earth and hell, that he should be subject to not only the moral law, but the ceremonial also, that heavy yoke of bondage. Christ went through the time of his public ministry in delivering to us divine instructions and doctrines. The wisdom of God appears in giving us such in one to be our prophet and teacher, who is a divine person, who is himself the very wisdom and word of God, and was from all eternity in the bosom of the Father. His word is of greater authority and weight than if delivered by the mouth of an ordinary prophet. And how wisely ordered that the same should be our Teacher and Redeemer, in order that His relations and offices as Redeemer might the more sweeten and endear His instructions to us. We are ready to give heed to what is said by those who are dear to us. Our love to their persons makes us delight in their discourse. It is therefore wisely ordered that He who has done so much to endear Himself to us should be appointed our great prophet to deliver to us divine doctrines. 5 The next thing to be considered is the death of Christ. This is a means of salvation for poor sinners that no other but divine wisdom would have pitched upon. And when revealed, it was doubtless greatly to the surprise of all the hosts of heaven, as they never will cease to wonder at it. How astonishing is it! That a person who is blessed forever and is infinitely and essentially happy should endure the greatest sufferings that ever were endured on earth. That a person who is a supreme lord and judge of the world should be arraigned and should stand at the judgment seat of mortal worms and then be condemned. That a person who is a living God and the fountain of life should be put to death. That a person who created the world and gives life to all his creatures should be put to death by his own creatures That a person of infinite majesty and glory, so the object of the love, praises, and adorations of angels, should be mocked and spit upon by the vilest of men. That a person infinitely good, and who is love itself, should suffer the greatest cruelty. That a person who is infinitely beloved of the Father should be put to inexpressible anguish under his own father's wrath. That he who is king of heaven who hath heaven for his throne, and the earth for his footstool, should be buried in the prison of the grave. How wonderful is this! And yet this is a way that God's wisdom hath fixed upon as a way of sinner's salvation, as neither unsuitable nor dishonorable to Christ. 6. The last thing done to procure salvation for sinners is Christ's exaltation. Divine wisdom saw it needful, or most expedient, that the same person who died upon the cross should sit at the right hand on his own throne, as supreme governor of the world, and should have particularly the absolute disposal of all things relating to man's salvation, and should be the judge of the world. This was needful, because it was requisite that the same person who purchased salvation should have the bestowing of it. For it is not fit that God should at all transact with a fallen creature in a way of mercy, but by a mediator. And this is exceedingly for the strengthening of the faith and comfort of the saints, that he who hath endured so much to purchase salvation for them, hath all things in heaven and in earth delivered unto him, that he might bestow eternal life on them for whom he purchased it. that the same person that loved him so greatly as to shed his precious blood for them was to be their final judge. This, then, was another thing full of wonders, that he who was man as well as God, he who was a servant and died like a malefactor, should be made the sovereign Lord of heaven and earth, angels and men, the absolute disposer of eternal life and death, the supreme judge of all created intelligent beings for eternity. and should have committed to him all the governing power of God the Father, and that not only as God, but as God-man, not exclusive of the human nature. As it is wonderful that a person who is truly divine should be humbled so as to become a servant, and to suffer as a malefactor, so it is in like manner wonderful that he who is God-man, not exclusive of the manhood, should be exalted to the power and honor of the great God of heaven and earth. But such wonders as these has infinite wisdom contrived and accomplished in order to our salvation. Section 2 In this way of salvation God is greatly glorified himself in the work of creation and providence. All his works praise him, and his glory shines brightly from them all. But as some stars differ from others in glory, so the glory of God shines brighter in some of his works than in others. And amongst all these, the work of redemption is like the sun in its strength. The glory of the author is abundantly the most resplendent in this work. One, each attribute of God is glorified in the work of redemption, how God has exceedingly glorified his wisdom. May more fully appear before we have done with this subject, but more particularly, number one, God hath exceedingly glorified his power in this work. It shows the great and inconceivable power of God to unite nature so infinitely different as the divine and human nature in one person. If God can make one who is truly God and one that is truly man to self same person, what is that that he cannot do? This is a greater and more marvelous work than creation. The power of God most gloriously appears in man's being actually saved and redeemed in this way. And he is being brought out of a state of sin and misery into a conformity to God. and it lasts to the full and perfect enjoyment of God. This is a more glorious demonstration of divine power than creating things out of nothing. Upon two accounts, one, the effect is greater and more excellent. To produce the new creature is a more glorious effect than merely to produce a creature. Making a holy creature, a creature in the spiritual image of God and the image of the divine excellencies and a partaker of the divine nature is a greater effect than merely to give being. And therefore, as the effect is greater, it is a more glorious manifestation of power. 2. The holiness of God is also exceedingly glorious in this work. Never did God so manifest His hatred of sin as in the death and sufferings of His only begotten Son. Hereby He showed Himself unpeaceable to sin, and that it was impossible for Him to be at peace with it. 4. God hath also exceedingly glorified his truth in this way, both in his threatenings and promises. Herein is fulfilled the threatenings of the law, wherein God said, In the day thou readest thereof thou shalt surely die. 5. And cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law to do them. God showed hereby that not only heaven and earth should pass away, but which is more, that the blood of him who is the eternal Jehovah should be spilt, rather than one jot or tittle of his words should fail till all be fulfilled. Lastly, God has exceedingly glorified his mercy and love in this work. The mercy of God was an attribute never seen before in its exercises till it was seen in this work of redemption or the fruits of it. The goodness of God appeared towards the angels and given them being and blessedness. It appeared glorious towards man in his primitive state, a state of holiness and happiness. But now God has shown that he can find in his heart to love sinners who deserve his infinite hatred. And not only has he shown that he can love them, but love them so as to give them more and do greater things for them than ever he did for the holy angels that never sinned nor offended their creator. He loves sinful men so as to give them a greater gift than ever He gave the angels, so as to give His own Son, and not only to give Him to be their possession and enjoyment, but to give Him to be their sacrifice. And herein He has done more for them than if He had given them all the visible world, yea, more than if He had given them all the angels and all the heaven besides. God hath loved them so, that hereby he purchased for them deliverance from eternal misery and the possession of immortal glory. Each person of the Trinity is exceedingly glorified in this work. Herein the work of redemption is distinguished from all the other works of God. The attributes of God are glorious in his other works, but the three persons of the Trinity are distinctly glorified in no work as in this of redemption. In this work, every distinct person has his distinct parts and offices assigned him. Each one has his particular and distinct concern in it. agreeable to their distinct personal properties, relations, and economical offices. The redeemed have an equal concern with the dependence upon each person in this affair, and owe equal honor and praise to each of them. The Father appoints and provides the Redeemer and accepts the price of redemption. The Son is the Redeemer and the price. He redeems by offering up Himself. The Holy Ghost immediately communicates to us the thing purchased. Yea, and He is the good purchased. The sum of what Christ purchased for us is holiness and happiness. But the Holy Ghost is the great principle both of all holiness and happiness. The Holy Ghost is the sum of all that Christ purchased for men, Galatians 3, 13 and 14. He was made a curse for us, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. The blessedness of the redeemed consists in partaking of Christ's fullness, which consists in partaking of that Spirit, which is given not by measure unto him. This is the oil that was poured upon the head of the church, which ran down to the members of his body, to the skirts of his garment. Thus we have an equal concern with and dependence upon each of the persons of the Trinity, distinctly, upon the Father as he provides the Redeemer, and the person of whom the purchase is made, the Son as a purchaser, and the price, the Holy Ghost, as the good purchased. Section number three. The good attained by salvation is wonderfully various and exceeding great. Here we may distinctly consider the variety and the greatness of the good procured for men. The good procured by salvation is wonderfully various. Here are all sorts of good procured for fallen man that he does or can really need or is capable of. The wisdom of God appears in the way of salvation in that it is most worthy of an infinitely wise God, because every way perfect and sufficient. We, in our fallen state, are most necessitous creatures, full of wants, but they are here all answered. Every sort of good is here procured, whatever would really contribute to our happiness, and even many things we could not have thought of had not Christ purchased them for us and revealed them to us. Every demand of our circumstances and craving of our natures is here exactly answered. For instance, one, we stand in need of peace with God. We had provoked God to anger His wrath abode upon us, and we needed to have it appeased. This was done for us in this way of salvation for Christ, by shedding His blood, His fully satisfied justice, and appeased God's wrath for all that shall believe in Him. By the sentence of the law we were condemned to hell, and we needed to have our sins pardoned that we might be delivered from hell. But in this word, pardon of sin and deliverance from hell is fully purchased for us. Number two, we needed not only to have God's wrath appeased and our sins pardoned, but we needed to have the favor of God. To have God not only not our enemy, but our friend. Now God's favor is purchased for us by the righteousness of Jesus Christ. 3. We need not only to be delivered from hell, but to have some satisfying happiness bestowed. Man has a natural craving and thirst after happiness, and will thirst and crave till his capacity is filled. And his capacity is of vast extent, and nothing but an infinite good can fill and satisfy his desires. But notwithstanding, provision is made in this way of salvation to answer those needs. There is a satisfying happiness purchased for us that which is fully answerable to the capacity and cravings of our souls. Here is food procured to answer all the appetites and faculties of our souls. God has made the soul of man of a spiritual nature and therefore he needs a corresponding happiness, some spiritual object in the enjoyment of which he may be happy. Christ has purchased the enjoyment of God, who is a great and original Spirit as a portion of our souls, and he hath purchased the Spirit of God to come and dwell in us as an eternal principle of happiness. God has made man a rational, intelligent creature, and man needs some good that shall be a suitable object of his understanding for him to contemplate, wherein he may have full and sufficient exercise for his capacious faculties to their utmost extent. Here is an object that is great and noble and worthy of the exercise of the noblest faculties of a rational soul. God himself should be theirs for them forever to behold and contemplate his glorious perfections and works for most worthy objects, and there is room enough for improving them and still to exercise their faculties to all eternity. What object can be more worthy to exercise the understanding of a rational soul than the glories of the divine being with which the heavenly intelligences and even the infinite understanding of God himself is entertained? Our souls need some good that shall be a suitable object of the will and affection, a suitable object for the choice, the acquiescence, the love and the joy of the rational soul. Provision is made for this also in this way of salvation. There is an infinitely excellent being offered to be chosen, to be rested in, to be loved, to be rejoiced in by us. Even God himself, who is infinitely lovely, the fountain of all good, a fountain that can never be exhausted, where we can be in no danger of going to excess in our love and joy, and here we may be assured ever to find our joy and delight and enjoyment answerable to our love and desires. Number four. There is all possible enjoyment of this object procured in the way of salvation. When persons entirely set their love upon another, they naturally desire to see that person. Merely to hear of the person does not satisfy love. So here is provision made that we should see God, the object of our supreme love. Not only that we should hear and read of him in his word, but that we should see him with a spiritual eye here. And not only so, but that we should have the satisfaction of seeing God face to face hereafter. This is promised in Matthew 5 verse 8. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. It is promised that we shall not see God through a glass darkly, as we do now, but face to face. 1 Corinthians 13 verse 12, that we shall see Christ as he is. 1 John 3 verse 2. We naturally desire not only to see those whom we love, but to converse with them. Provision is made for this also, that we should have spiritual conversation with God while in this world, and that we should be hereafter admitted to converse with Christ in the most intimate manner possible. Provision is made in this way of salvation, that we should converse with God much more intimately than otherwise it would have been possible for us. For now Christ is incarnate, is in our nature, he has become one of us, whereby we are under advantages for an immensely more free and intimate converse with him than could have been if he had remained only in the divine nature, and so in a nature infinitely distant from us. We naturally desire not only to converse with those whom we greatly love, but to dwell with them. Provision through Christ is made for this, it is purchased and provided that we should dwell with God in His own house in heaven, which is called our Father's house. To dwell forever in God's presence and at His right hand. We naturally desire to have a right in that person whom we greatly love. Provision is made in this way of salvation that we should have a right in God, a right to Him. This is the promise of the covenant of grace, that he will be our God. God, with his all-glorious perfections and attributes, with all his power and wisdom, and with all his majesty and glory, will be ours, so that we may call him our inheritance and the portion of our souls. What we can humbly claim by faith, having this portion made over to us by a firm instrument, by a covenant ordered in all things and sure, We may also hereby claim a right to Jesus Christ. Love desires a right should be mutual. The lover desires not only to have a right to the beloved, but that the beloved should also have a right to him. He desires to be his beloved as well as his beloved should be his. Provision is also made for this in this wise method of salvation that God should have a special propriety in the redeemed that they should be in a distinguishing manner his, that they should be his peculiar people. We are told that God sets apart the godly for himself, Psalm 4, verse 3. They are called God's jewels. The spouse speaks it with great satisfaction in rejoicing, Canticles 2, verse 16. My beloved is mine, and I am his. Love desires to stand in some near relation to the Beloved. Provision is made by Christ that we should stand in the nearest possible relation to God, that He should be our Father and we should be His children. We are often instructed in the Holy Scriptures that God is the Father of believers and that they are His family. And not only so, but they stand in the nearest relation to Christ Jesus. There is a closest union possible. The souls of believers are married to Christ. The church is a bride, the lamb's wife. Yea, there is yet a nearer relation than can be represented by such a similitude. Believers are as the very members of Christ and of His flesh and of His bones. Ephesians 5.30 Yea, this is not near enough yet, but they are one spirit. 1 Corinthians 6.17 Love naturally inclines to a conformity to the beloved. to have both excellencies upon the account of which he is beloved, copied in himself. Provision is made in the way of salvation, that we may be conformed to God, that we shall be transformed into the same image. 2 Corinthians 3 verse 18 We all with open faith, beholding as in a glass, the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory. and that hereafter we shall see him as he is and be like him. It is the natural desire of love to do something for the beloved, either for his pleasure or honor. Provision is made for this also in this way of salvation that we should be made instruments of glorifying God, in promoting his kingdom here and of glorifying him to all eternity. 5. In this way of salvation provision is made for our having every sort of good that man naturally craves. His honor, wealth, and pleasure. Here is provision made that we should be brought to the highest honor. This is what God has promised, that those that honor Him, He will honor, and that true Christians shall be kings and priests unto God. Christ's promise is that as His Father has appointed unto Him a kingdom, so He will appoint unto them that they may eat and drink at His table in His kingdom. He has promised to crown them with a crown of glory, and that they shall sit with Him in His throne, that He will confess their names before His Father and before His angels, that He will give them a new name, and that they shall walk with Him in white. Christ has also purchased for them the greatest wealth. All those that are in Christ are rich. They are now rich. They have the best riches, being rich in faith and the graces of the Spirit of God. They have gold tried in the fire. They have durable riches in righteousness. They have treasure in heaven, where neither thief approaches, nor moth corrupteth. An inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and fadeth not away. They are possessors of all things. Christ has also purchased pleasure for them, pleasures that are immensely preferable to all the pleasures of sense, most exquisitely sweet and satisfying. He has purchased for them fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore at God's right hand, and they shall drink of the river of God's pleasure. 6. Christ has purchased all needed good both for soul and body. While we are here, we stand in need of these earthly things. And of these, Christ has purchased all that are best for us. He has purchased for the body that God should feed and clothe us. Matthew 6, 26. How much more shall he feed you, O ye of little faith? How much more shall he clothe you? Christ has purchased that God should take care of us and provide what is needed of these things as the Father provides for his children. 1 Peter 5, 7 Casting your care upon him, for he careth for you. 7 Christ has purchased good that is suitable for his people in all conditions. There is in this way of salvation respect had to and provision made for all circumstances that they can be in. here is provision made for a time of affliction, for a time of poverty and pinching want, for a time of bereavement and mourning, for spiritual darkness, for a day of temptation, for a time of persecution and for a time of death. Here is such a provision made that it is sufficient to carry a person above death and all its terrors and to give him a complete triumph over that king of terrors Here is enough to sweeten the grave and make it cease to seem terrible, yea enough to make death and prospect to seem desirable, and in its near approach to be not terrible but joyful. 8. There is provision made in this way of salvation for the life and blessedness of soul and body to all eternity. Christ has purchased that we should be delivered from a state of temporal death as well as spiritual and eternal. The bodies of the saint shall be raised to life. He has purchased all manner of perfection for the body of which it is capable. It shall be raised, a spiritual body, in incorruption and glory, and be made like Christ's glorious body, to shine as a sun in the kingdom of his Father, and to exist in a glorified state in union with the soul to all eternity. wisdom displayed in salvation, and the overthrow of Satan. The wisdom of God greatly and remarkably appears, and so exceedingly baffling and confounding on the subtlety of the old serpent. Power never appears so conspicuous as when opposed in conquering opposition. The same may be said of wisdom, It never appears so brightly and with such advantage as when opposed by the subtlety of some very crafty enemy and in baffling and confounding that subtlety. The devil is exceeding subtle. The subtlety of that serpent is emblematical of his. Genesis 3 verse 1. He was once one of the brightest intelligences of heaven. and one of the brightest, if not the very brightest of all. And all the devils were once morning stars of a glorious brightness of understanding. They still have the same faculties, though they cease to be influenced and guided by the Holy Spirit of God, and so their heavenly wisdom is turned into hellish craft and subtlety. God in the work of redemption hath wonderfully baffled the utmost craft of the devils, And though they are all combined to frustrate God's designs of glory to himself and goodness to men, the wisdom of God appears very glorious herein for number one, consider the weak and seemingly despicable means and weapons that God employs to overthrow Satan. Christ poured the greater contempt upon Satan and the victory that he obtained over him by reason of the means of his preparing himself for it and the weapons he hath used. Christ chooses to encounter Satan and the human nature in a poor, frail, afflicted state. He did as David did. David, when going against the Philistine, refused Saul's armor, a helmet of brass, a coat of mail, and a sword. No, he put them all off. Goliath comes mightily armed against David with a helmet of brass upon his head, a coat of mail weighing five thousand shekels of brass, greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders, a spear whose staff was like a weaver's beam, and the spear's head weighing six hundred shekels of iron. And besides all this, he had one bearing a shield before him. But David takes nothing but a staff in his hand, and a shepherd's bag, and a fling, and he goes against the Philistines. So the weapons that Christ made use of were his poverty, afflictions and reproaches, sufferings and death. His principal weapon was his cross, the instrument of his own reproachful death. These were seemingly weak and despicable instruments to wield against such a giant as Satan. And doubtless the devil disdained them as much as Goliath did David's staves and slings. But with such weapons as these has Christ in a human, weak, mortal nature overthrown and baffled all the craft of hell. Such disgrace and contempt has Christ poured upon Satan. David had a more glorious victory over Goliath for his conquering him with such mean instruments, and Samson over the Philistines for killing so many of them with such a despicable weapon as the jawbone of an ass. It is spoken of in scripture as a glorious triumph of Christ over the devil, that he should overcome him by such a despicable weapon as his cross. Colossians 2 14 and 15 blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross. and having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. God shows his great and infinite wisdom in taking this method to confound the wisdom and subtlety of his enemies. He hereby shows how easily he can do it, that he is infinitely wiser than they. 1 Corinthians 1 27-29 God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty, and the base things of the world and the things that are despised hath God chosen, yea, and things that are not to bring to naught the things that are. 2. God has thereby confounded Satan with his own weapons. It is so contrived in the work of redemption that our grand enemy should be made a means of his own confusion, and that by those very things whereby he endeavours to rob God of his glory, and to destroy mankind, he is made an instrument of frustrating his own designs. His most subtle and powerful endeavours for accomplishing his designs are made a means of confounding them, and of promoting the contrary. Of this I will mention but two instances. First, his procuring man's fall is made an occasion of the contrary to what he Indeed, he has hereby procured the ruin of multitudes of mankind, which he aimed at. But in this he does not frustrate God's design from all eternity to glorify himself, and the misery of multitudes of mankind will prove no content to him, but will enhance his own misery. What Satan did in tempting man to fall is made an occasion of the contrary to what he intended, and that it gave occasion for God to glorify himself the more, and giveth occasion for the elect being brought to higher happiness. The happy state of man was envied by Satan. That man who was of earthly originals should be advanced to such honors, when he who was originally of so much more noble nature should be cast down to such disgrace. His pride could not bear. How then would Satan triumph when he had brought them down? The devil tempted our first parents with this, that if they would eat of the forbidden fruit, they should be as gods. It was a lie in Satan's mouth, for he aimed at nothing else but to fool man out of his happiness, and make him his own slave and vassal, with a blinded expectation of being like a god. But little did Satan think that God would turn it so, as to make man's fall an occasion of God's becoming man, and so an occasion of our nature being advanced to a state of closer union to God. But this means it comes to pass that one in man's nature now sits at the right hand of God, invested with divine power and glory, and reigns over heaven and earth with a God-like power and dominion. Thus is Satan disappointed in his subtlety, as he intended that saying, ye shall be of God, that was a lie to decoy and befool man. Little did he think that it would be in such a manner verified by the incarnation of the Son of God. And this is the occasion also of all the elect being united to this divine person, so that they become one with Christ. Believers are of members and parts of Christ. Yea, the church is called Christ. Little does Satan think that his telling that lie to our first parents, ye shall be as gods, would be the occasion of their being members of Christ, the Son of God. Again, Satan is made a means of his own confusion in this. It was Satan's design, in tempting man to sin, to make man his captive and slave forever, to have plagued and triumphed over him. And this very thing is a means to bring it about, that man, instead of being his vassal, should be his judge. The elect, instead of being his captive, to be forever tormented and triumphed over by him, shall sit as judges to sentence him to everlasting torment. It has been the means that one in man's nature should be his supreme judge. It was man's nature that Satan so envied and sought to make a prey of. But Jesus Christ at the last day shall come in man's nature and the devil shall be all brought to stand trembling at his bar and he shall judge and condemn them and execute the wrath of God upon them. And not only shall Christ in the human nature judge the devils, but all the saints shall judge them with Christ as assessors with him in judgment. 1 Corinthians 6 verse 3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? Secondly, in another instance, Satan is made a means of his own confusion, that is, in his procuring the death of Christ. Satan set himself to oppose Christ as soon as he appeared. He sought by all means to procure his ruin. He set the Jews against him. He filled the minds of the scribes and Pharisees with the most bitter persecuting malice against Christ. He sought by all means to procure his death, that he might be put to the most ignominious death. We read that Satan entered into Judas and tempted him to betray him. Luke 22 verse 3 And Christ speaks of his sufferings as being the effects of the power of darkness, Luke 22, 53. When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me, but this is your hour in the power of darkness. But Satan hereby overthrows his own kingdom. Christ came into the world to destroy the works of the devil, and this was the very thing that did it, the blood and death of Christ. The cross was the devil's own weapon, and with this weapon he was overthrown, as David cut off Goliath's head with his own sword. Christ thus maketh Satan a means of his own confusion. It was typified of old by Samson's getting honey out of the carcass of the lion. There is more implied in Samson's riddle. Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness, and ever the Philistines explained. It was verified by Christ in a far more glorious manner. God's enemies and ours are taken in the pit which they themselves have digged, and their own soul is taken in the net which they have laid. Thus we have shown in some measure the wisdom of this way of salvation by Jesus Christ. This Reformation audio track is a production of Stillwater's Revival Books. SWRB makes thousands of classic Reformation resources available free and for sale in audio, video, and printed formats. Our many free resources, as well as our complete mail-order catalog, containing thousands of classic and contemporary Puritan and Reform books, tapes, and videos at great discounts, is on the web at www.swrb.com. We can also be reached by email by phone at 780-450-3730 by fax at 780-468-1096 or by mail at 4710-37A Edmonton Alberta, abbreviated capital A, capital B, Canada, T6L3T5. You may also request a free printed catalog. And remember that John Calvin, in defending the Reformation's regulative principle of worship, or what is sometimes called the scriptural law of worship, commenting on the words of God, which I commanded them not, neither came into my heart. From his commentary on Jeremiah 731, writes, God here cuts off from men every occasion for making evasions, since He condemns by this one phrase, I have not commanded them, whatever the Jews devised. There is then no other argument needed to condemn superstitions than that they are not commanded by God. For when men allow themselves to worship God according to their own fancies, and attend not to His commands, they pervert true religion. And if this principle was adopted by the papists, all those fictitious modes of worship in which they absurdly exercise themselves would fall to the ground. It is indeed a horrible thing for the Papists to seek to discharge their duties towards God by performing their own superstitions. There is an immense number of them, as it is well known, and as it manifestly appears. Were they to admit this principle, that we cannot rightly worship God except by obeying His word, they would be delivered from their deep abyss of error. The Prophet's words, then, are very important, when he says that God had commanded no such thing, and that it never came to his mind, as though he had said that men assume too much wisdom when they devise what he never required, nay, what he never knew.