gotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and fent his Son to be the propitiation for our fins.— And we have feen, and do teftify, that the Father fent the Son to be the faviour of the world. If then, we feriously confider that Jefus Chrift is employed by God the Father, to make atonement for our fins, and to procure life and falvation for us, we can no more doubt of the love of the Father, than of the love of Jefus Chrift, to us. 2. This will ferve to affure us of the all jufficiency of Chrift to fave us. As we are apt to be fufpicious of the good will of God the Father, fo we are fometimes apt to 1ufpect the ability of Chrift to fave. Though he bears a good-will to us, yet we may queftion whether he can fave fuch great finners as we are. But now, if we fe riously confider, that Jefus Chrift is a faviour of God's own providing and fending into the world, we shall be fully fatisfied, that he is an all fufficient faviour, able to fave to the uttermost all that come to God by him. 'Tis an unworthy reflection upon the infinite wifdom and goodnefs of God, to fuppofe that he has pitched upon an incompetent and infufficient faviour. If he will give unto the world a faviour, he fhall every way be anfwerable to their neceffities; able to deliver them out of the greateft depths of fin and mifery. Ifai. xix. 20. The Lord hall fend them a faviour and a great one, and he shall deliver them. Pfal. Ixxxix. 19. I have laid belp upon one that is mighty. This is primarily intended of Jefus Chrift, who is a mighty one indeed, on whom our help and falvation is laid. Look then upon Jefus Chrift, as given of God in his faving offices to the world, and we may be confident that there is an all fulnefs of faving power in him. And in truth, he that is given of God the Father,. is no other than a divine perfon, even God the Son, the mighty God. Ifai. ix. 6. Unto us a Son is given,—the mighty God. 3. This will ferve to affure us of the acceptableness of Jefus Chrift unto his Father, in the office of a faviour. Though Though we may not queftion his fufficiency to fave, yet we may be ready to doubt, whether he will be accepted of God in what he does for our falvation. But if we feriously confider, that he is given of God to be à faviour to us, there will be no room left for doubting in that cafe. Indeed, had he not been appointed of God to procure our falvation, all that he did, could avail us nothing, though in itself ever fo fufficient. But the cafe is otherwife. In the work of our redemption, he was the fervant of God the Father, doing his will; and therefore he is infinitely well-pleafing to God in what he did. Matth. xii. 18. Bebold, my fervant whom I have chofen, my beloved in whom my foul is well pleafed. God is well-pleased with his person, and with his performances for us. And therefore it is faid, that he gave himself for us, an offering and a facrifice to God for a fweet fmelling favour, Eph. v. 2. His fatisfactory facrifice, was highly acceptable to God. APPLICATION. Let us then attentively confider, that Jefus Chrift in his faving offices is the gift of God to us. Olet us make this the subject matter of our frequent meditation. And let us fee to it that we confider thereof after a due man 1. With most humble admirations at the rich grace of God. The great defign of God the Father in giving Jefus Chrift to be a faviour to the world, was the advancing his fovereign grace, and rendring it moft illuftrious. Eph. ii. 7. That in the ages to come he might fhew the exceeding riches of bis grace, in his kindness towards us through Jefus Chrift. We fhould therefore meditate on this gift of God to us, with hearts ravished and tranfported into wonderment, at the glorious grace of God. To this end, Us. (1.) Let us confider the perfon giving Jefus Chrift to And this was that God who was juftly displeased with us. He was the offended party, whofe anger was Q 2 kindled kindled against us. Nevertheless, he provided this faviour for us, and gave this faviour to us. What grace is here! Who could ever have expected a faviour, from a provoked God !-Again, it was that God who ftood in no need of us. He did not give a faviour to us, from any neceffity that he ftood in either of us or our fervices. He could have done well enough without us, and it would have been no detriment to him, if he had left us to perish for ever. He is infinitely bleffed in himself, without any poffibility of having any addition made thereunto by any thing out of himself. Our falvation, is no ways any real advantage or benefit to him. Nothing then but his free and unobliged grace, moved him to give a faviour to us.-Again, it was that God who could have glorified himself in our eternal deftruction. He could have advanced his declarative glory in our ruin, as he will in the eternal perdition of fallen angels. How then is the good-will of God to be admired, in that, when he might have glorified his juftice in our damnation, he has chofen rather to glorify his mercy in our eternal falvation! (2.) Confider the perfon given to us by God the Fa ther. This is no other than his own Son, his moft dearly beloved, and only begotten Son, Ifai. ix. 6. Unto us a Son is given. This is the greateft gift of God; than which he had nothing better to give unto us. This Son of his, is as dear to him as himself. And therefore his love and grace is inconceivably great, in giving him to us. Job. iii. 16. God so loved the world, as that he gave his only begotten Son. God fo loved the world! fo as cannot be parallel'd. His love herein was matchlefs. Especially will it appear fo, if we confider what he was given up unto, for us, even to the most bitter forrows, sufferings and death. Rom. viii. 32. He fpared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all. God delivered him up into the hands of wicked men, into the hands of Satan, into the hands of his own vindictive justice, that fo he might undergo the punishment of our fins, and procure the par don don of them for us. This enhances the love of God in a wonderful manner. Job. iv. 10. In this was love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and fent bis. Son to be the propitiation for our fins, i. e. to make fatisfaction or atonement for them, by bearing the punishment due to them. (3.) Confider the perfons to whom Jefus Chrift was given. And these were finners against God, enemies to. God. Being fuch, they were unworthy of the leaft favour from God. Nevertheless, God beftows the greatest bles fing upon them. This is marvellous love. For one friend to love and be kind to another, is no fuch great matter: But to love one's enemy, to reward him good for evil, to return the greatest good for the greatest evil, this is furprizing love indeed. Now fuch is the love of God to us. Rom. v. 8, 10. God commendeth his love towards us, in that while we were yet finners, Chrift died for us.-When we were enemies, we were reconciled to God, by the death of his Son. O what grace is this! Again, we were helpless creatures, as well as finful. We were utterly unable to fave ourselves from deftruction. Nor was there any hope or help for us in any other creature. Now when there was none that was able to deliver or fave, then God raised up an horn of falvation for us, and fent us a mighty redeemer. Rom. v. 6. For when we were without ftrength, in due time Chrift died for the ungodly. Herein is feen the love of God. The great trial of love and friendship, is in the time of adverfity, when men are in a fhiftlefs, helplefs condition. Now, in fuch a time as this, when God looked and there was none to help, then his own arm brought falvation to us. O let us ponder upon these things, that fo the grace of God in giving Chrift to fave us, may be marvellous in our eyes. Thus for the first thing. 2. Ponder upon God's giving Chrift, with a concern to make fuitable returns to him for this gift of his. When David was meditating on the Lord Redeemer, and the benefits enjoyed by him, the great enquiry of his foul Q 3 was, was, what he should render to the Lord for all his benefits, Pfal. cxvi. 12. Such an infinite gift as that of Jesus Chrift, fhould never be thought on, without a folicitous concern about making proper returns to God for it. And they are fuch as thefe 1. A return of thanksgiving and praife. If any thing calls for our offering the facrifice of thanksgiving to God, certainly it is this unfpeakable gift of his Son to us. O how fhould our hearts be enlarged in thankfulness to God for this great faviour! No fooner was the mouth of Zacharias opened, and his tongue loofed, but he spake, and praised God, faying, Bleffed be the Lord God of Ifrael, for be bath vifited and redeemed bis people, and raifed up for us an born of falvation in the house of his fervant David, Luk. i. 68, 69. To blefs God, is to fpeak well of him and to him. So fhould we do, for his kindness towards us in Chrift Jefus. With moft grateful refentments, we fhould acknowledge to him this gift of gifts, viz. the gift of Chrift. 2. A return of love. The favours of God to us, ought to endear God unto us. Indeed, God is chiefly to be loved on the account of those infinitely amiable excellencies that are in himself. However, he is to be loved alfo for his benefits towards us. And above all, for this moft aftonishing gift of his Son Jefus Chrift to be our faviour. This is the leading gift of God, which has the train of all other bleffings following of it. Rom. viii. 32. How shall be not alfo with him freely give us all things? If Chrift be given to us, grace, and glory, and every good thing, fhall be affuredly given to us. Such a rich and precious gift of God then, as this of Jefus Chrift to us, does loudly call upon us to give God our hearts and affections. It is faid in Prov. xviii. 16. A man's gift maketh room for him. It usually makes room for him in the heart and favour of another, efpecially if it be an exceeding great gift. Now fuch is God's gift of Chrift to us. There is no gift so great as this; nay, all other gifts are of no real advantage or |