conquered mankind, he condemned sin
in his flesh, he overthrew it in its plea and power against us. He
condemned that which condemned us, overcame it in judgment, and made us
free. By sustaining the curse of it in his flesh, he cut off all its plea
against us. This is the great work and business, which was worthy of so
noble a messenger, his own Son, sent to conquer his greatest enemy that he
hates most. And then, in the third place, you see what benefit or fruit
redounds to us by it; what was the end and purpose of it,--verse 4, "that
the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us;" that seeing it was
impossible for us to fulfil the righteousness of the law, and that so it
became impossible to the law to fulfil our reward of life, it might be
fulfilled by him in our name; and so the righteousness of the law being
fulfilled in us by Christ, the reward also of eternal life might be
fulfilled by the law to us,--he having removed the impediment of our
weakness, it might be not only possible, but certain to us.

You would consider then the reason of Christ's coming. God made at first a
covenant with man, promising him life upon perfect obedience to his law;
and threatening death and damnation upon the transgression thereof. You
see then, what was the way of life to Adam in the state of innocency. He
was made able to satisfy the law with obedience, and the law was
abundantly able to satisfy him, by giving life unto him. God's image upon
man's soul instructed him sufficiently for the one and the Lord's promise
made to him was as sufficient to accomplish the other; so that there was
no impossibility then in the law, by reason of the strength which God gave
man. But it continued not long so. Sin entering upon man, utterly disabled
him; and because the strength of that covenant consisted in that mutual
and joint concurrence of God's promise and man's obedience--this being
broken, (the one party falling off,) that life and salvation becomes
impossible to the promise alone to perform. It is sin that is the weakness
and impotency of man. This is the disease which hath consumed his
strength, and concluded man under a twofold impossibility, an
impossibility to satisfy the curse, and an impossibility to obey the
command. There are three things in the covenant of works,--a command of
obedience, and a threatening of wrath and condemnation upon disobedience,
and a promise of life upon obedience. Sin hath disabled us every way. In