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as it is

of God,

Jalvation. Pfal. lxxxix. 26. God having promised to be the Father and God of Chrift, this bleffing was transferred to the elect when the Saviour had finished the work of redemption, and was rifen again from the dead; as it is written-Go, tell my brethren that I am rifen; and fay unto them, I afcend unto my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God. God therefore is become our God, and we are heirs of him, as our eternal portion; written-And, if children, then heirs, heirs and joint heirs with Christ. Rom. viii. 17. covenant Chrift and his elect brethren are faid to be of one; as it is written-For both be that fanctifieth and they who are fandlified are all of one; for which caufe be is not ashamed to call them brethren (Heb. ii. 11, 12.), saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, v. 12. The glorious result of all this is This to bring many fons to glory. Heb. ii. 10. therefore is another bleffed effect of God's everlasting love. But I proceed.

In this

As God's fervant Chrift was fet up from everlafting to ferve under the law, and to redeem them that were under the law; and then to gather together in himself all the elect fheep, as their chief fhepherd; as it is written-Behold my fervant whom I uphold, mine elect in whom my foul delighteth, &c. As a fhepherd he was appointed to redeem and gather in the sheep that were given to him; as it is written-Thine they were, and thou gavest them me, and I lay down my life for the sheep. And again

This is the will of my heavenly Father, that of all that he hath given me I fhould lofe nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. It appears plain in the word of God, that Chrift received the sheep, their names, and the number of them before all worlds; as it is faid-In thy book were all my members written when as yet there was none of them. This appears very plain; for God calls them fheep before they were either redeemed, or called, or born.-He shall gather the lambs with his arms, and carry them in bis bofom, and fhall gently lead thofe that are with young. Ifa. xl. 11. And this fulfils the ancient prediction-And to him fhall the gathering of the people be. Gen xlix. 10. I will, fays God, set up one fhepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my fervant David; he shall feed them, and he fhall be their fhepherd. Ezek. xxxiv. 23. This doctrine will be proclaimed on the judgment-feat; as it is written-He fhall feparate them, even as a shepherd divideth the sheep from the goats. Then fhall the king say unto them on his right band, Come ye bleffed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Matth. xxv. 32-34. This alfo is another bleffed effect of everlasting love.

Thus God has fhewn his everlasting love to the elect in appointing them fuch a glorious head, fet up from everlasting; in whom he has given them eternal life, and eternal union with him as an husband, an honourable discharge by him as a furety,

furety, peace by him as a mediator, adopting grace in him as an everlafting father, and an eternal portion with him as an elder brother. So much for the eternal and unchangeable love of God the Father.

But my dear hearers may object and fay, Your text treats only of the love of Chrift. I anfwer, When we speak of the love of Chrift we do not exclude the love of the Father, nor of the Spirit, for it is one love. The glorious Trinity loved the elect from everlasting. But of each of these in particular.

Of God the Father's love I have treated already; I next proceed to speak of the love of Christ.

The Saviour manifested his love to the elect, in undertaking their caufe, accepting their names and perfons, and fubftituting himself in their room and stead from everlasting; in vailing his infinite Deity in flesh and blood, fuffering fhame, reproach, and ignominy, to procure our eternal falvation in time; and, lastly, in laying down his life to redeem us from all evil; as it is written-Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John xv. 13.

The dear Saviour had much to fuffer; the floodgates of wrath were opened on him, the floods of death compassed him about, and also the floods of temptation. All these met together on the dear Redeemer's head; and our frail nature, and the infirmities of it, with which he was compaffed about,

fhrunk

fhrunk back at the thought of the approaching tragedy. If it be poffible, let this cup pass from me. However, love was strong as death, and stronger too ; for many waters could not quench his love,

neither could the floods drown it. Song viii. 6, 7.

Is this the eternal love of Chrift to his elect? It really is; then who shall separate us from the love of Chrift? fhall tribulation, or diftrefs, or perfecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or fword? Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. Rom. viii. 35-37.

I next proceed to fhew that the love of the Spirit appears from the fame date; I mean from everlasting.

The Holy Ghoft fhewed his eternal love to the elect, in bearing witness to this everlasting covenant; as it is written-There are three that bear record in beaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and thefe three are one. 1 John v. 7. He not only appeared a witness of the covenant, but the feal and fealer; as it is written-And 1 faw, in the right hand of him that fat on the throne, a book written within, and on the backfide, fealed with feven feals. Rev. v. 1. Thus the Spirit undertook to bear witness to the covenant, to ratify it, and to reveal to all God's elect the glorious benefits arifing from it; as it is written-He fhall take of the things that are mine, and fhall Show them unto you. John xvi. 15. And, bleffed be his name, fo he does; he leads us into all truth; works faith in us; fheds abroad the Father's love

in our hearts; and I believe that love, joy, and peace, are the first fruits of the harvest of glory; and the holy spirit himself is the earnest of our eternal inheritance; and he is to abide with us for ever, as a well of water springing up into everlasting life. Thus we fee the Holy Spirit's love; as it is written -Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jefus Chrift's Jake, and for the love of the Spirit (mark that)! the love of the Spirit. Rom. xv. 30. But the fruit of the Spirit is love. Gal. v. 22.

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Thus, my friends, we have gone through the second head. I will next fhew you the stability of this covenant; and then proceed to confider the third head.

This blessed covenant is figned and witnessed by the FATHER, SON, and HOLY GHOST; ratified by the fevenfold fealer and feal of heaven; confirmed by the oath of God, and by the blood of Jefus Chrift the immutable teftator; and thus it is made fure to all the feed. Rom. iv. 6. How sweetly are the elect fecured from the wrath of God, bleffed with eternal love, and a sweet foundation laid for a ftrong confolation in all our troubles! First, they are fecured from wrath; as it is teftified-For this is as the waters of Noah unto me; for, as I have fworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, fo have I fworn that I will not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee. Oh bleffed and fweet fecurity! His loving kindness too is as ftrongly fecured-For the mountains fhall depart, and the hills be removed; but my

kindness

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