SER M. plied to our Saviour's coming into the III. World, (or coming forth from the Father into the World) as in the words now mention'd, it clearly implies, that he who was thus fent into the world from God, was with God, in the glory of the Father, before he was fent into the World: As appears both from the natural Force of the expreffion itself, and more fully from those parallel places of Scripture, which mention to us the fame thing. Job. xvii. 5. Our Saviour prays thus to his Father, And now, O Father, glorify me with thine own felf, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. Again Job. iii. 13. No man bath afcended into Heaven, but be that came down from Heaven, even the Son of man which is in Heaven. And again, ch. xvi. 28. he faith unto his Difciples, I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world; again, I leave the world, and go to the Father. Which words his Difciples thought fo plainly to fignify his having been with God, in the glory of the Father, before he was sent into the World; that they immediately answered him, ver. 29. Now speakest thou

2

plainly,

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plainly, and fpeakeft no parable: By this SER M. we believe that thou cameft forth from God. The Use the Scripture makes of This confideration, of the Dignity of the Perfon, by whom God has been pleased to declare his Mercy in the Gofpel; that it was the only begotten Son of God, fent down from Heaven to take our Nature upon him; I fay, the Ufe which the ScriUse pture makes of This confideration, is This: Heb. ii. 2. If the word Spoken by Angels was stedfast, and every tranfgreffion and difobedience received a just recompence of Reward; How shall we efcape, if we neglect fo great Salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the LORD!

Secondly, HERE is a defcription of this divine Perfon's condition, and his manner of converfation in the World; He was made of a woman, made under the Law. He was made of a Woman, i. e. he became truly and really a Man; not taking upon him only the fimilitude of our Nature, and appearing in the form and appearance of a Man, but being really and truly fuch; fubjected to all the infirmities

of

SER M. of humane nature, and tempted in all points III. like as we are, yet without fin, Heb. iv. 15.

For (as the Apostle obferves, Heb. ii. 17.) in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful High-prieft, in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the fins of the people: For in that he bimfelf bath fuffered, being tempted, he is able to fuccour them that are tempted. It follows; he was made under the law; i.e. he was fubject and obedient to it. By the law, fome understand here the moral law of God; and that, by our Saviour's being made under the law, is meant his performing perfect and compleat obedience to the law of God: that fo, by having in his own perfon unfinning obedience to the law of God, he might become the Author of eternal Salvation, to all those that fhould believe and repent; and that by having first obeyed those commandments himself, to which he required obedience from others, he might become an example of obedience to his Difciples. All which, is indeed very true: But yet, because by the law the Apostle

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in this Epistle means generally the cere- SER M. monial law, or that part of the Mofaick institution which is opposed to the Chriftian religion, and fuperfeded by it; and because 'tis most probable he must in this place concerning our Saviour's fubmitting to that law, which in the words immediately following 'tis faid the defign of his coming into the World was to redeem men from; therefore 'tis more reasonable to conclude, that, by his being made under the law, the Apostle intends in this place, that our Saviour was born in the nation and under the religion of the Jews; that he was circumcifed according to the commandment of Moses; that he fubmitted to and performed the whole ceremonial law, (fulfilling even in that sense all righteousness;) that having perfectly obeyed the law in his Life, he might for ever abolish that part of it at his Death, and free his followers from the Servitude thereof.

3dly, HERE is the End and Defign of his coming thus into the World, fet forth in the last part of the words; To redeem them that were under the law, that we

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SER M. might receive the adoption of Sons. The fame phrase the Apoftle again makes use of in the Epistle to the Romans, ch. viii. ver. 15. Ye have not received the Spirit of Bondage again to fear, but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry Abba, Father; i. e. God deals not with Us as a Mafter with his Servants, but as a Father with his Sons, requiring of us not any hard and burdensome fervice, but only a rational and fincere obedience. Our Lord came to redeem them that were under the law; i. e. to abrogate the burdenfome ceremonies of the Jewish inftitution; That we might receive the adoption of Sons; i. e. that he might establish with men a New Covenant, which fhould be most easy to observe, and most fufficient to justify those that should obferve it. Most easy to obferve, is this Covenant of the Gofpel; because its precepts are not pofitive and carnal Ordinances, but the great duties of the moral and eternal law of God, which are abfolutely and in their own nature moft acceptable to God, and most perfective of men; and 'tis moft fufficient to justify those who shall live according to it, because