an do, either to themselves or
others, will not purchase the least measure of freedom from predominant
corruptions, cannot deliver you from your sins, till this free Spirit that
blows where he pleases, come. It is our part to hoise up sails, and wait
for the wind, to use means, and wait on him in his way and order. But all
will be in vain, till this stronger one come and cast out the strong man,
till this arbitrary and free wind blow from heaven, and fill the sails.

Sermon X.

Verse 3.--"For what the law could not do, in that it was weak
through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of
sinful flesh, and for sin condemned sin in the flesh."

The greatest design that ever God had in the world, is certainly the
sending of his own Son into the world. And it must needs be some great
business, that drew so excellent and glorious a person out of heaven. The
plot and contrivance of the world was a profound piece of wisdom and
goodness, the making of men after God's image was done by a high and
glorious counsel. "Let us make man after our image." There was something
special in this expression, importing some peculiar excellency in the work
itself, or some special depth of design about it. But what think you of
this consultation,--let one of us be made man, after man's image and
likeness. That must be a strange piece of wisdom and grace. "Great is the
mystery of godliness, God manifested in the flesh." No wonder though Paul
cried out, as one swallowed up with this mystery, for indeed it must be
some odd matter beyond all that is in the creation, wherein there are many
mysteries, able to swallow up any understanding, but that in which they
were first formed. This must be the chief of the works of God, the rarest
piece of them all--God to become man, the Creator of all to come in the
likeness of a creature,--he by whom all things were created, and do yet
consist to come in the likeness of the most wretched of all. Strange, that
we do not dwell more, in our thoughts and affections, on this subject.
Either we do not believe it or if we did, we could not but be ravished
with admiration at it. John, the beloved disciple who was often nearest
unto Christ, dwelt most upon this, and made it the subject of his
preaching, "that which was from the beginning, which we have heard, and
seen, and handled, &c." 1 John i. 1. He speaks of that mystery, as if he
were embracing Jesus Christ in his arms, and holdin