2. The second Work wherein God's Wisdom shines forth, is the Work of Redemption. 1. Here was the Master-piece of Divine Wisdom, to contrive a way to Happiness between the Sin of Man, and the Justice of God. We may cry out with the Apostle, Rom. 11.33. [Greek or Hebrew], O the depth of the Riches both of the Wisdom and Knowledge of God! This posed Men and Angels. If God had put us to find out a way of Salvation when we were lost, we could neither have had an Head to devise, nor an Heart to desire what God's infinite Wisdom hath found out for us. Mercy had a mind to save Sinners, yet loath that the Justice of God should be wronged: 'Tis pity, saith Mercy, that such a noble Creature as Man should be made to be undone, and yet no reason that God's Justice should be a loser. What way then shall be found out? Angels cannot satisfy for the wrong done to God's ⟨p. 41⟩Justice; nor is it fit that one Nature should sin, and another Nature suffer. What then, shall Man be for ever lost? Now, while Mercy was thus debating with it self what to do for the recovery of fallen Man, here the Wisdom of God stepped in, and thus the Oracle spake; Let God become Man, let the second Person in the Trinity be Incarnate, and Suffer, and so for fitness he shall be Man, and for ability he shall be God. Thus Justice may be satisfied, and Man saved. O the depth of the riches of the wisdom of God, thus to make Justice and Mercy to kiss each other! Great is this Mystery, God manifest in the flesh, 1 Tim. 3.16. What wisdom was this, that Christ should be made sin, yet know no sin; that God should condemn the sin, yet save the sinner. Here was wisdom to find out the way of Salvation. 2. The means by which Salvation is applied sets forth God's wisdom. That Salvation should be by Faith, not by Works. Faith is an humble Grace, it gives all to Christ, 'tis an adorer of Free-grace; and Free-grace being advanced here, God hath his glory, and it is his highest wisdom to exalt his own glory. 3. The way of working Faith declares God's wisdom; 'tis wrought by the Word preached, Rom. 10.17. Faith comes by hearing. What is the weak Breath of a Man to convert a Soul? 'tis like whispering in the Ears of a dead Man; this is foolishness in the eye of the world: but the Lord loves to show his wisdom by that which seems folly, 1 Cor. 1.27. He hath chosen the foolish things of the World to confound the wise. Why so?
2. The second Work wherein God's Wisdom shines forth, is the Work of Redemption. 1. Here was the Master-piece of Divine Wisdom, to contrive a way to Happiness between the Sin of Man, and the Justice of God. We may cry out with the Apostle, Rom. 11.33. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, O the depth of the Riches both of the Wisdom and Knowledge of God! This posed Men and Angels. If God had put us to find out a way of Salvation when we were lost, we could neither have had an Head to devise, nor an Heart to desire what God's infinite Wisdom hath found out for us. Mercy had a mind to save Sinners, yet loath that the Justice of God should be wronged: 'Tis pity, saith Mercy, that such a noble Creature as Man should be made to be undone, and yet no reason that God's Justice should be a loser. What way then shall be found out? Angels cannot satisfie for the wrong done to God's ⟨p. 41⟩Justice; nor is it fit that one Nature should sin, and another Nature suffer. What then, shall Man be for ever lost? Now, while Mercy was thus debating with it self what to do for the recovery of fall'n Man, here the Wisdom of God step'd in, and thus the Oracle spake; Let God become Man, let the second Person in the Trinity be Incarnate, and Suffer, and so for fitness he shall be Man, and for ability he shall be God. Thus Justice may be satisfied, and Man saved. O the depth of the riches of the wisdom of God, thus to make Justice and Mercy to kiss each other! Great is this Mystey, God manifest in the flesh, 1 Tim. 3.16. What wisdom was this, that Christ should be made sin, yet know no sin; that God should condemn the sin, yet save the sinner. Here was wisdom to find out the way of Salvation. 2. The means by which Salvation is applied sets forth God's wisdom. That Salvation should be by Faith, not by Works. Faith is an humble Grace, it gives all to Christ, 'tis an adorer of Free-grace; and Free-grace being advanced here, God hath his glory, and it is his highest wisdom to exalt his own glory. 3. The way of working Faith declares God's wisdom; 'tis wrought by the Word preached, Rom. 10.17. Faith comes by hearing. What is the weak Breath of a Man to convert a Soul? 'tis like whispering in the Ears of a dead Man; this is foolishness in the eye of the world: but the Lord loves to shew his wisdom by that which seems folly, 1 Cor. 1.27. He hath chosen the foolish things of the World to confound the wise. Why so?
