IV. That the Father hath declared his acceptance and approbation of this righteoufnefs, as fo wrought out, for all the purposes for which it was intended.

V. That upon our union to Chrift by faith, we come to have an actual and pleadable intereft in it.

VI. The believing foul being thus interested in this righteousness, henceforth is esteemed perfectly righteous in the fight of God

VII. That the righteoufnefs of Chrift being thus made a believer's to his actual and personal juftification, none of the parties concerned have any reafon to complain; but it is to the fatisfaction, and with the full confent of them all. And then I might add,

VIII. And lastly, That the righteousness of Chrift being after this manner, and in this way made over to the believer, it does, and ever will continue his juftifying righteoufnefs; God will for ever own it as fuch, nor fhall any enemy difpoffefs him of it.

These several things will, I apprehend, place this great article of gofpel-truth in a clear and eafy light, and taking the whole fcheme thus together in one view, I hope, it will appear every way confiftent with itself, and not fo open to objections, as fome have imagined.

I. This righteoufnefs was wrought out by the appointment of God, and in confequence of fo lemn covenant tranfactions from eternity be tween the Father and Son. Our redemption and falvation by Chrift was not a work of yefterday: It had its rife in the bosom of God before

all

all worlds, and according to the model which was then pitched upon, the whole was conducted, and executed.

From an unconceivable eternity God faw us, no fooner formed by his power and goodness, but drawn into a fad apoftacy from him, and fo funk into the depths of guilt and mifery. Upon this view of our cafe, free and fovereign grace interpofed, formed a moft bleffed defign about our recovery, and fettled an everlasting covenant about the way and manner in which it was to be effected. It is true, how this covenant was ma naged, in the fettlement and various articles of it, from eternity, between the Father and the Son, then affuming, and acting in, the character of the Mediator and Surety of his people, is a knowledge too wonderful for us, and all our expreffions are low and poor when we come to fpeak of it. But it is abundantly plain from the fcriptures, that there was fuch a covenant, and that this covenant is the foundation of all the fubfequent acts and bleffings of divine grace. We read, that the counsel of peace shall be between them both, Zech. vi. 13. That is, between the Father,

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* Some have thought it a confiderable difficulty in the way of onderftanding this paffage of the eternal covenant between the Father and Son, that it is expreffed in the future tenfe, the counfel-shall be. But this difficulty will eafily be removed, when we confider how frequent fuch an enallage of tenfes is in the Hebrew language. A plain inftance of which we have Pfal. xvii. 3. thou haft tried me, and halt find nothing; where fhalt find is in the future tenfe, though plainly referring to what was paft; and ver. 9, 11, 14. fupply us with more inftances of the fame fort. Nor is it un

Father, the Lord of hofts, as he is called in the verfe before, and the man whofe name is the branch. And we are faid to be redeemed with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemifh, and without fpot: who verily was fore-ordained before the foundation of the world, or appointed before all worlds in the counfels of the Father to the great work of redeeming and faving finners by his death, 1 Pet. i. 19, 20. And fo Chrift, the eternal and effential wisdom of the Father, is brought in speaking of himself, Prov. viii. 22,25, 30, 31. The Lord poffeffed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was fet up from everlasting, from the beginniag, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were fettled, before the hills was I brought forth. Then was by him, as one brought up with him and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him: Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth, and my delights were in the fons

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ufual in fcripture or other writtings, to speak of a thing as to be done, when only fome eminent manifeftation of it is intended; and fo the counsel of peace fhall be, will fignify no more, than that it fhall appear and be evidenced to be. And what a signal manifeftation of fuch counfel and covenant between the Father and Son, were the great things that are spoken of in that verse, fuch as building the temple of the Lord, and bearing the glory, and fitting and ruling upon his throne, and being a priest upon this throne? Vid. Witf. Oeconom. Lib. 2. Cap. 2. Sect. 7, 8. where that excellent writer hath, with great learning and judgment, vindicated the application of this paffage to the eternal covenant we are speaking of.

of men: Which laft claufe neceffary obliges us to understand the whole paffage of Chrift's being fet up from everlasting, as the head of the redeemed world, and of his rejoicing in the foreview of his accomplishing the great work, which under that character, was committed to him; as it was upon the profpect of this that the Father and Son mutually delighted in each other, and would delight to dwell with men.

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In other paffages, we have all the effentials of a covenant: We find the Father propofing man's recovery, and the Son undertaking it: What elfe can be the meaning of that expreffion, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God, Heb. x. 7. And that will of God which Chrift undertook, and came fo readily to do, the Apostle explains in the 10th verfe, to be that great article and appointment of the will of God, which related to

the

"Therefore 1, that is Christ, come (according to "what he had undertaken and bound himself by bond to his Father, in order to that great work of our redemption) to perform whatfoever thou my God fhalt require of me." Hamn Paraph. And the fame learned writer thinks that this is the true reafon, why what Chrift came to do in the work of redemption is faid to be wrote in the roll or volume of the book, Pfal. xl. 7. His words are too remarkable, not to be tranfcribed. "The roll of the book, (as it belongs to Chrift) is no "more but a bill or roll of contract betwixt the Fa"ther and him, wherein is fuppofed to be written the agreement preparatory to that great work of Chrift's "incarnation, wherein he undertaking perfectly to ful"fil the will of God, to perform all active, and alfo "paffive obedience, even to death, had the promise "from God, that he fhould become the author of e"ternal falvation to all thofe that obey him." Dr. Hammond in loc.

the expiating the guilt of fin, and faving finners by his death.

Yet more particularly; we find the Father making all fuitable promises to the Son according to the nature of the work which he was to undertake; as of affittance; I the Lord ' have called thee in righteousness, and will hold 'thine hand, and will keep thee,' Isa. xlii. 6. • With whom my hand shall be established: mine ' arm also fhall rule for him,' Pfal. lxxxix. 21. Of acceptance; Thus faith the Lord, in an ac'ceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day ' of falvation have I helped thee:-That thou 'mayeft fay to the prifoners go forth; to them 'that are in darkness fhew yourselves, Ifa. xlix. 8, 9. Of fuccefs; When thou fhalt make his foul an offering for fin, he fhall fee his feed, 'he fhall prolong his days, and the pleasure of 'the Lord fhall profper in his hand. He fhall 'fee of the travel of his foul and fhall be fatisfied,' Ifa. liii. 10, 11. ' Ask of me, and I fhall give 'thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the ' uttermoft parts of the earth for thy poffeffion,' Pfal. ii. 8. And of honour, and glory; Alfo 'I will make him my firft-born, higher than the 'kings of the earth, --his feed alfo will I make 'to endure for ever; and his throne as the days of heaven,' Pfal. lxxxix. 27, 29. 'His name 'fhall endure for ever: his name fhall be con'tinued as long as the fun and men fhall be 'bleffed in him; all natious fhall call him blef• fed,' Pfal. lxxii. 17. And the Son accepting these promises; believing in them and depending u. pon them; For the Lord God will help me, therefore fhall I not be confounded: therefore

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