him, was the universe created, and by his providence it is preserved. But by nothing are these intentions of his goodnefs more effectually proanoted and fecured, than by this Word's becoming flesh, and the Son of God and of Man, and by the offices he performs for the honour of God, and the happiness of his creatures. Take we a furvey of his perfon, of his offices, of his fufferings, or his glory, we fhall find them all admirably calculated, and all eminently conducive to exalt the dignity, promote the virtue and perfection, and advance the happiness of the intelligent creation. By affuming our nature into union with Deity, he hath raised man, who was inferior in excellence, to be fuperior in honour to higher beings, and when exalted to our proper perfection, to be on the whole equal to the angels. By the conftitution of his perfon, which unites all exiftence, he hath advanced the rational creation into clofer union with the Deity, and with one another, and given them higher fecurity of their eternal exiftence, friendship and happiness. The blefsful influence of his obedience and atonement, is effectual for redeeming his fallen and human fubjects, but its moral influence extends to every ipecies of his rational empire. Men, through his merits, are redeemed from guilt and condemnation to juftification and life; by his power recovered from fin to holiness, and raised by both from animal to angelic beings; from worms on earth, to become rivals in glory and happiness with angels in heaven.

An

gels, though they needed not the merits of his righteoufnefs to redeem them from fin and mifery, yet the highest of them was dignified, and by. his mediation they were mightily confirmed in goodness

goodness and happiness. By the connection of God and his creation in the generation and conftitution of his Son, the creation has got the beft fecurity poffible for its eternal existence, and his virtuous creation of their eternal felicity; for what bond of union can be ftronger than God's giving himself into perfonal union with his creation, and taking creation into personal union with himself? for if the head of the creation, united with the eternal fountain of life, muft live for ever, the connected parts muft live alfo. If the bond of union and medium of communion between the eternal Father and his vaft empire continues, the union and communion thereby effected can never fail. Exalting creation into perfonal union with its divine Creator, Chrift hath dignified and ennobled creation above what it was before, of creatures making them kinfmen, of the created children of God making them brethren of the Son of God, and more near relations of God through him. "For both he "that fanctifieth, and they who are fanctified "are all of one, wherefore he is not afhamed to "call them brethren," Heb. ii. 11. Connecting creation more clofely with God, and with each other in his perfon and government, he by his mediatory offices communicates to the whole, all that happiness that refults immediately from the divine favour or from the good offices of his creation to every being in it. Like the head in the human body, that connecting the animal part with the intellectual principle, dignifies, animates, and improves every inferior part of the animal frame fo Chrift, as Son of God, and head of the creation, connecting the world with God, H 2

the

and its different parts with each other, no lefs dignifies and improves the whole. By him as the grand repofitory of the divine Spirit and life, his related members are improved in all wisdom and goodness; and under his visible and gracious adminiftration, as Lord and governor of the univerfe, all evil fhall be extirpated from the empire of God, and righteousness and peace and happiness univerfally and for ever prevail. The irreclaimable rebels are banifhed his kingdom, to tempt the virtue, difturb the peace, and endanger the happiness of his fubjects no more. The recoverable are reclaimed to their duty; the good confirmed in their goodness; men raised to a refemblance of angels in goodness and glory, and exalted to poffefs with them the fame heavenly kingdom; angels raised to higher dignity and happiness; the whole dutiful creation improved in the divine image, their highest perfection; confirmed unalterably in their allegiance to him, their indifpenfable duty; bleffed with his highest favour and enjoyment, their fupreme happiness, and fecured of its continuance and increasing improvement through eternal ages. Well, then, might the angels, that announced his birth, proclaim, "Glory to God in the higheft, and on "earth, peace, good-will, towards men," Luke ii. 14. for the honour of God and happiness of his creation were to be alike promoted by his Son our Saviour. And as in time this God-like defign has been begun, and is carrying on, fo through all eternity, fhall it be preserved in perfection. By Chrift, as vicegerent of God, in his immediate intercourfe with his rational creation, fhall the vaft empire of Jehovah be vifibly

govern

governed, confirmed in their love and duty to their eternal Father, and continued the happy objects of his love, through their immortal exiftence. Equally allied to God and his creation in perfon, he fhall, by his office, fecure their alliance to each other to eternity. The Son of God, he shall administer all things to his Father's glory; the Son of Man, he fhall conduct every thing for his brethren's good. The creator of the universe as God, the head of the creation as man, the grand connecting bond in the univerfal fyftem of being, as God-man; the divine Word embodied with created nature, he shall remain the medium of intercourfe and guarantee of everlasting friendship between God and his creation; his power fhall fuftain his subjects in eternal exiftence, and his government preferve them in love and obedience. His Spirit shall preferve them in eternal perfection, and his infinite fulness fhall complete and fecure their happiness for ever. Like the Sun, that beft image of the divine glory and goodness in the material world, who adorns, chears, and actuates his, vaft fyftem through all its parts with his light and heat; fo fhall Chrift the Sun of Righteoufnefs, the brightest image of his Father, and glory of the whole creation, from his imperial throne in heaven enlighten and enliven, chear and rejoice for ever his immenfe empire of virtuous beings through all its provinces; adorning them with his image their higheft glory, and difpenfing full to them every bleffing of the divine goodnefs for ever and ever. God's whole creation fhall rejoice in his Son as the everlasting friend of God and his creatures, and through eternity

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fhall

fhall admire and extol the confummate wisdom and goodness of this wonderful conftitution, by which the honour of God is illuftrioufly exalted, and the virtue and happiness of his creation are raifed to the highest pitch, and fecured by an establishment that can never be fhaken.

Such are the capital offices the Son of God was to execute. And how fully do they demonftrate the neceffity, and juftify the wisdom and expediency of his marvellous generation, his wonderful perfon, and the labours and fufferings to which he was expofed. The generation and perfon of God's begotten Son, the condefcenfions of his life, and the humiliation of his death, ever have been, and ever must be held the most amazing of the works and ways of God. But though the wonder can never ceafe while the infinite dignity of the divine perfon is known, it ceases to be inexplicable and appears every way wife and worthy of God, fo foon as the offices he was to execute are taken into the account. The redemption of fallen and confirmation of fallible; the reconciliation of difcordant and the immutable establishment of all virtuous beings; the union of God with his creation, and of creation with God in tyes and relations to the honour of both, and which can never be diffolved, were no ordinary purpofes, and required no ordinary perfon to atchieve. Nay, fo arduous was the enterprize, that according to our beft directed apprehenfions of things from Scripture and reafon, no perfon but the one provided was qualified to accomplish it. None but God-man and the Son of both could give that proper and condign fatisfaction for our fins, that was neceffary to pur

chafe