Exercitations on the Epistle to the Hebrews

There is no other way then for man, if he will not perish eternally under the punishment due unto his Apostasy and Rebellion, but secondly to find out some way of Commutation, or making a Recompense for the Evil of sin unto the Law and Righteousness of God. But herein his utter insufficiency quickly manifests it self. What ever he is, or hath, or can pretend any Interest in, lies no less under the Curse than he doth himself. And that which is under the Curse can contribute nothing unto its removal. That which is in its whole Being obnoxious unto the greatest Punishment, can have nothing wherewithal to make Commutation for it. For that must first be accepted in, and for its self, which can either make Atonement, or be received for any other in Exchange. And this is the condition of man, and of every individual of mankind, and will be so to Eternity, unless Relief arise from another place. It is farther also evident, that all the endeavours of men must needs be unspeakably disproportionate unto the Effect and End aimed at, from the concernment of the other parts of the Creation in the Curse against sin. What can they do to restore the Universe unto its first Glory and Beauty? How can they reduce the Creation unto its Original Harmony? Wherewith shall they recompense the Great God for the defacing of so great a portion of that impress of his Glory and Goodness that he had enstamped on it? In a word, they who from their first date unto their utmost Period are always under the Punishment, can do nothing for the total removal of it. The Experience also of five thousand years hath sufficiently evinced, how insufficient man is to be a Saviour unto himself. All the various and uncertain motions of Adam's Posterity in Religion, from the Extremity of Atheism unto that of Sacrificing themselves and one another have been destined in vain, towards this End. Neither can any of them to this day, find out a better, or more likely way for them to thrive in, than those wherewith their Progenitors deluded themselves. And in the Issue of all we see, that as to what man hath been able of himself to do towards his own Deliverance, both himself and the whole world, are continued in the same state wherein they were upon the first Entrance of Sin cumulated as it were with another world of Confusion, Disorder, Mischief and Misery.

There is no other way then for man, if he will not perish eternally under the punishment due unto his Apostasie and Rebellion, but secondly to find out some way of Commutation, or making a Recompence for the Evil of sin unto the Law and Righteousness of God. But herein his utter insufficiency quickly manifests it self. What ever he is, or hath, or can pretend any Interest in, lyes no less under the Curse than he doth himself. And that which is under the Curse can contribute nothing unto its removall. That which is in its whole Being obnoxious unto the greatest Punishment, can have nothing wherewithall to make Commutation for it. For that must first be accepted in, and for its self, which can either make Attonement, or be received for any other in Exchange. And this is the condition of man, and of every individuall of mankind, and will be so to Eternity, unless Relief arise from another place. It is farther also evident, that all the endeavours of men must needs be unspeakably disproportionate unto the Effect and End aimed at, from the concernment of the other parts of the Creation in the Curse against sin. What can they do to restore the Ʋniverse unto its first Glory and Beauty? How can they reduce the Creation unto its Original Harmony? Wherewith shall they recompence the Great God for the defacing of so great a portion of that impress of his Glory and Goodness that he had enstamped on it? In a word, they who from their first date unto their utmost Period are alwayes under the Punishment, can do nothing for the total removall of it. The Experience also of five thousand years hath sufficiently evinced, how insufficient man is to be a Saviour unto himself. All the various and uncertain motions of Adam's Posterity in Religion, from the Extremity of Atheism unto that of Sacrificing themselves and one another have been destined in vain, towards this End. Neither can any of them to this day, find out a better, or more likely way for them to thrive in, than those wherewith their Progenitors deluded themselves. And in the Issue of all we see, that as to what man hath been able of himself to do towards his own Deliverance, both himself and the whole world, are continued in the same state wherein they were upon the first Entrance of Sin cumulated as it were with another world of Confusion, Disorder, Mischief and Misery.