of the word of life, that which was from the beginning, and was manifested
unto us," that is written "that we sin not:" For, saith this same apostle,
chap. iii. 5, 8, "And ye know that he was manifested to take away our
sins, and in him is no sin;" yea, for this very purpose, saith he, "that
he might destroy the works of the devil." Now, this is the great business,
that drew the Son out of the Father's bosom,--to destroy the arch-enemy and
capital rebel, sin, which, as to man, is a work of Satan's, because it
first entered in man by the devil's suggestion and counsel. All that
misery and ruin, all those works of darkness and death, that Satan had by
his malice and policy wrought upon and in poor mankind, Jesus was
manifested in the flesh without sin, to destroy and take away sin out of
our flesh, and to abolish and destroy Satan's work, which he had builded
upon the ruins of God's work, of the image of God, and to repair and renew
that first blessed work of God in man, Eph. iv. 23, 24.

Now, O how cogent and persuading is this; one so high, come down so low,
one dwelling in inaccessible glory, manifested in the flesh, in the
infirmity and weakness of it, to this very purpose, to repair the
creation, to make up the breaches of it, to destroy sin, and save the
sinner! What force is in this to persuade a soul that truly believes it,
"not to sin!" For, may he think within himself, shall I save that which
Christ came to destroy, shall I entertain and maintain that which he came
to take away, and do what in me lies to frustrate the great end of his
glorious and wonderful descent from heaven? Shall I join hands, and
associate with my lusts, and war for them, "which war against my soul,"
and him that would save my soul? Nay, let us conclude, my beloved,
within our own hearts,--Is the Word and Prince of life manifested from
heaven, and come to mar and unmake that work of Satan, that he may rescue
me from under his tyranny? Then God forbid that I should help Satan to
build up that which my Saviour is casting down, and to make a prison for
myself, and cords to bind me in it for everlasting. Nay, will a believing
soul say, rather let me be a worker together with Christ. Though faintly,
yet I resolve to wrestle with him, to pull down all the strongholds that
Satan keeps in my nature, and so to congratulate and consent to him, who
is the avenger and assertor of my liberty.

Then consider the greatest end and furthest design of t