Use

1. We may here observe the marvelous wisdom of God, in the work of redemption. God has made man's emptiness and misery, his low, lost and ruined state into which he is sunk by the fall, an occasion of the greater advancement of his own glory, as in other ways so particularly in this, that there is now a much more universal and apparent dependance of man on God. Though God be pleased to lift man out of that dismal abyss of sin and woe into which he was fallen, and exceedingly to exalt him in excellency and honor, and to a high pitch of glory and blessedness, yet the creature has nothing in any respect to glory of; all the glory evidently belongs to God, all is in a mere, and most absolute and divine dependance on the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

And each person of the Trinity is equally glorified in this work: there is an absolute dependance of the creature on every one for all: all is of the Father, all through the Son, and all in the Holy Ghost. Thus God appears in the work of redemption, as all in all. It is fitting that he that is, and there is none else, should be the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the all and the only, in this work.

2. Hence those doctrines and schemes of divinity that are in any respect opposite to such an absolute, and universal dependance on God, do derogate from God's glory, and thwart the design of the contrivance for our redemption. Those schemes that put the creature in God's stead, in any of the mentioned respects, that exalt man into the place of either Father, Son, or Holy Ghost, in anything pertaining to our redemption; that however they may allow of a dependance of the redeemed on God, yet deny a dependance that is so absolute and universal; that own an entire dependance on God for some things, but not for others; that own that we depend on God for the gift and acceptance of a Redeemer, but deny so absolute a dependance on him for the obtaining of an interest in the Redeemer; that own an absolute dependance on the Father for giving his Son, and on the Son for working out redemption, but not so entire a dependance on the Holy Ghost for conversion, and a being in Christ, and so coming to a title to his benefits; that own a dependance on God for means of grace, but not absolutely for the benefit and success of those means; that own a partial dependance on the power of God, for the obtaining and exercising holiness, but not a mere dependance on the arbitrary and sovereign grace of God; that own a dependance on the free grace of God for a reception into his favor, so far that it is without any proper merit, but not as it is without being attracted, or moved with any excellency; that own a partial dependance on Christ, as he through whom we have life, as having purchased new terms of life, but still hold that the righteousness through which we have life is inherent in ourselves, as it was under the first covenant: and whatever other way any scheme is inconsistent with our entire dependance on God for all, and in each of those ways, of having all of him, through him, and in him, it is repugnant to the design and tenor of the gospel, and robs it of that which God accounts its luster and glory.

3. Hence we may learn a reason why faith is that by which we come to have an interest in this redemption; for there is included in the nature of faith, a sensibleness, and acknowledgement of this absolute dependance on God in this affair. It is very fitting that it should be required of all, in order to their having the benefit of this redemption, that they should be sensible of, and acknowledge the dependance on God for it. It is by this means that God has contrived to glorify himself in redemption, and it is fitting that God should at least have this glory of those that are the subjects of this redemption; and have the benefit of it.

Faith is a sensibleness of what is real in the work of redemption; and as we do really wholly depend on God, so the soul that believes does entirely depend on God for all salvation, in its own sense, and act. Faith abases men, and exalts God, it gives all the glory of redemption to God alone. It is necessary in order to saving faith, that man should be emptied of himself, that he should be sensible that he is wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. Humility is a great ingredient of true faith: he that truly receives redemption receives it as a little child. Mark 10:15. Whoever shall not receive the kingdom of heaven as a little child, he shall not enter therein. It is the delight of a believing soul to abase itself and exalt God alone: that is the language of it, Psalm 115:1. Not unto us, not unto us, O Lord, but to your name give glory.

4. Let us be exhorted to exalt God alone, and ascribe to him all the glory of redemption. Let us endeavor to obtain, and increase in, a sensibleness of our great dependance on God, to have our eye to him alone, to mortify a self-dependent, and self-righteous disposition. Man is naturally exceedingly prone to be exalting himself, and depending on his own power or goodness, as though he were he from whom he must expect happiness, and to have respect to enjoyments alien from God and his Spirit, as those in which happiness is to be found.

And this doctrine should teach us to exalt God alone as by trust and reliance, so by praise. Let him that glories glory in the Lord. Has any man hope that he is converted, and sanctified, and that his mind is endowed with true excellency and spiritual beauty, and his sins forgiven, and he received into God's favor, and exalted to the honor and blessedness of being his child, and an heir of eternal life; let him give God all the glory; who alone makes him to differ from the worst of men in this world, or the most miserable of the damned in hell. Has any man much comfort and strong hope of eternal life, let not his hope lift him up, but dispose him the more to abase himself, and reflect on his own exceeding unworthiness of such a favor, and to exalt God alone. Is any man eminent in holiness, and abundant in good works, let him take nothing of the glory of it to himself, but ascribe it to him whose workmanship we are, created in Christ Jesus unto good works.