his own blood, Acts xx. 28. and therein was the love of God jeen, that he gave his life for us, 1 John iii. 16. on this account was there room enough in his breaft to receive the points of all the fwords that were sharpened by the law against us, and strength enough in his fhoulders, to bear the burthen of that curfe that was due to us. Thence was he fo willing to undertake the work of our redemption, Heb. x. 7, 8. Lo, I come to do thy will, O God; because he knew his ability to go through with it. Had he not been man, he could not have fuffered, had he not been God, his fuffering could not have availed either himself or us, he had not fatisfied; the fuffering of a meer man, could not bear any proportion to that which in any respect was infinite. Had the great and righteous God gathered together all the fins that had been committed by his elect from the foundation of the world, and fearched the bofoms of all that were to come to the end of the world, and taken them all, from the fin of their nature, to the least deviation from the rectitude of his moft holy law, and the highest provocation of their regenerate and unregenerate condition, and laid them on a meer holy innocent creature, Oh! how would they have overwhelmed him, and buried him for ever out of the prefence of God's love! Therefore doth the apostle premife that glorious defcription of him to the purging of our fin. He hath spo'ken to us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom alfo he made the world; who being the brightnefs of his glory, and the exprefs image of his perfon, up-holding all things by the word of his power, hath purged our fins.' Heb. i. 2, 3. It was he that purged our fins, who was the Son and Heir of all things, by whom the world world was made, the brightness of his Father's glo ry, and express image of his perfon; He did it, he alone was able to do it. God was manifefted in the flesh, Tim. iii. 16, for this work; the fword a waked against him that was the Fellow of the Lord of hofts, Zech. xiii. 7. and by the wounds of that great Shepherd, are the fheep healed, 1 Pet. ii. 24, 25. 2. Hence doth he become an endlefs, bottomlefs fountain of grace to all them that believe. The fulness, that it pleafed the Father to commit to Christ, to be the great treasury and store-house to the church did not, doth not ly in the human nature considered in itfelf; but in the perfon of the Mediator God and man. Confider wherein his communication of grace doth confift, and this will be evident. The foundation of all is laid in his fatisfaction, merit and purchase, these are the morally procuring caufe of all the grace we receive from Christ. Hence all grace becomes to be his; all the things of the new covenant, the promises of God all the mercy, love, grace, glory promifed, became, I fay, to be his. Not as though they were all actually invested or did refide and were in the human nature, and were from thence really communicated to us; by a participation of a portion of what did fo inhere; but they are morally his by a compact, to be bestowed by him, as he thinks good, as he is Mediator God and man, that is, the only begotten Son made flesh John i. 14. from whofe fulness we receive, and grace for grace: The real communica tion of grace is by Chrift fending the Holy Ghoft to regenerate us; and to create all the habitual grace, with the daily fupplies thereof in our hearts that we are made partakers of; now the Hol Ghof Ghoft is thus fent by Chrift as Mediator, God and man, as is at large declared, John xiv. 15, 16. (of which more afterwards.) This then is that which I intend by this fulnefs of grace that is in Chrift; from whence we have both our beginning, and all our fupplies, which makes him as he is the Alpha and Omega of his church, the beginner and finisher of our faith, excellent and defirable to our fouls. Upon the payment of the great price of his blood, and full acquitment on the fatisfaction he made, all grace whatever, (of which at large afterwards) becomes in a moral fenfe his, at his difpofal; and he bestows it on, or works it in the hearts of his by the Holy Ghoft, according as in his infinite wisdom. he fees it needful. How glorious is he to the foul on this confideration? That is moft excellent to us which fuits us in a wanting condition; that which gives bread to the hungry, water to the thirsty, mercy to the perifhing. All our reliefs are thus in our beloved. Here is the life of our fouls; the joy of our hearts; our relief against fin and deliverance from the wrath to come. 3. Thus is he fitted for a Mediator, a Days- man, an Umpire between God and us; being one with him; and one with us, and one in himfelf in this oneness in the unity of one perfon. His ability and universal fitnefs for his office of Mediator are hence ufually demonftrated. And herein is he Christ, the wisdom of God and the power of God, 1 Cor. i. 24. Herein fhines out the infinitely glo- . rious wisdom of God: which we may better admire than exprefs. What foul that hath any acquaintance with thefe things falls not down with reverence, and aftonishment? How glorious is he that is the beloved of our fouls? what can be wanting that fhould fhould encourage us to take up our reft, and peace in his bofo:? Unlefs all ways of relief and refrethment be so obstructed by unbelief, that no confideration can reach the heart to yield it the least affiftance, it is impoffible but that from hence, the foul may gather that which will endear it unto him with whom we have to do. Let us dwell on the thoughts of it. This is the hidden mystery, great, without controversy, admirable to eternity. What poor, low, perifhing things, do we spend our contemplations on? Were we to have no advantage by this aftonishing difpenfation, yet its excellency, glory, beauty, depths, deferve the flower of our enquiries, the vigour of our spirits, the fubftance of our time; but when withal our life, our peace, our joy, our inheritance, our eternity, our all lies herein, fhall not the thoughts of it, always dwell in our hearts, always refresh, and delight our fouls? 4. He is excellent and glorious in this; in that he is exalted, and invefted with all authority; when Jacob heard of the exaltation of his Son Jofeph in Egypt and faw the chariots that he had fent for him, his fpirit fainted and recovered again, through abundance of joy and other overflowing affections. Is our beloved loft who for our fakes was upon the earth, poor and perfecuted, reviled, killed? No! he was dead, but is alive, and lo he lives for ever, and ever, and hath the keys of hell and death, Rev. i. 18. our beloved is made a Lord, and Ruler, Acts ii. 36. He is made a King; God fets him his King on his holy hill of Sion, Pfal. ii. 8. and he is crowned with honour, and dignity, after he had been made a little lower than the angels for the fuffering of death, Heb. ii. 7, 8, 9. and what is he made King of? all things are put in fubjection under his feet. feet. ver. 8. and what power over them hath our be-loved? All power in heaven and earth, Mat. xxviii. 18. as for men, he hath power given him over -all flesh, John xvii. 2. And in what glory doth he exercise this power? He gives eternal life to his elect, ruling them in the power of God, Micah v. 3. until he bring them to himself; and for his enemies, his arrows are fharp in their hearts, Pfal. xlv. 5. he dips his vefture in their blood, Ifa. lxiii. 3. Oh how glorious is he in his authority over his enemies? in this world he terrifies, frightens, awes, convinces, bruifes their hearts and confciences, fills them with fear, terror, difquietment, until they, yeild him feigned obedience; and sometimes with outward judgments, bruifes, breaks, turns the wheel upon them; flains all his vefture with their blood; fills the earth with their carcafes; and at last will gather them altogether, beast, false prophet, nations, &c. and caft them into that lake that burns with fire and brimstone, Pfal. cx. Rev. ix. 20. He is gloriously exalted above angels, in this his authority, good and bad, Eph. i. 20, 21, 22. far above principalities and powers, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but in that to come; they are all under his feet, at his command, and abfolute difpofal. He is at the right hand of God. in the highest exaltation poffible, and in full poffeffion of a kingdom over the whole creation; having received a name above every name, &c. Phil. ii. 9. Thus is he glorious in his throne, which is at the right hand of the Majefty on high; glorious in his commiffion, which is all power in heaven and earth; glorious in his name, a name above every name, the Lord of lords, and King of kings; glorious in his fceptre, a fcep |