en is opened by Christ's death, yet
this keeps a sinner from entering in. Therefore Jesus Christ, who came
himself into the world to satisfy justice and remove its plea, that there
might be no obstruction from that airth, he sends out his powerful Spirit
with the word, to deliver poor captive sinners, to break down the wall of
ignorance and blindness, to cast down the high tower of wickedness and
enmity against God, to take captive and chain our lusts that kept us in
bondage. And, as he made heaven accessible by his own personal obedience
and sufferings, so he makes sinners ready and free to enter into that
salvation by his Spirit's working in their persons. In the one, he had
God, as it were, his party, and him he hath satisfied so far, that there
was a voice came from heaven to testify it, "This is my beloved Son, in
whom I am well pleased;" and therefore, in testimony of it, God raised him
from the dead. In the other, he hath Satan and man's wicked nature as his
party, and these he must conquer and subdue. These he must overcome, ere
we can be saved. A strange business indeed, and a great work, to bring two
such opposite and distant parties together,--a holy and just God, and a
sinful and rebellious creature; and to take them both as parties, that he
might reconcile both.

Now what do you think of this, my beloved, that such a glorious person is
come down from heaven, for such a work as the salvation of sinners? I put
no doubt, it would be most acceptable unto you, if you knew your misery,
and knowing your misery, you could not but accept it, if you believed that
it were true and faithful. I find one of these two the great obstruction
in the way of souls receiving advantage by such glad tidings. Either the
absolute necessity and excellency of the gospel is not considered, or the
truth and reality of it is not believed. Men either do not behold the
beauty of goodness in it, or do not see the light of truth in it. Either
there is nothing discovered to engage their affections, or nothing seen to
persuade their understandings. Therefore the apostle sounds a trumpet, as
it were, in the entry, before the publication of these glad news, and
commends this unto all men as a true and faithful saying, and as worthy of
all acceptation. There is here the highest truth and certainty to satisfy
the mind: It "is a faithful saying." And there is here also the chiefest
good to satiate the heart: It is "worthy of all acceptation." Now, i