the apple of his eye, and how God will bear this, that parable, Mat. xxi. 37, to 40. will inform you; furely he will miferably destroy fuch wretched finners. If you would study to do God the greatest despight, there is none like this. What a difmal word is that; 1 Cor. xvi. 22. "If any man love not our Lord "Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha,” (i.e.) let the great curfe of God lie upon that man till the Lord come. finners! you shall one day know the price of this fin; you fhall feel what it is to defpife a Jefus, that is able to compel love from the hardest heart. O that you would flight him no more! O that this day your hearts might fall in love with him! I tell you, if you would fet your love to fale, none bids fo fair for it as Chrift.

2. Ufe of Exhortation.

1. To faints: If Chrift lay eternally in this bofom of love, and yet was content to forfake and leave it for your fakes; then, (1.) Be you ready to forfake and leave all the comforts you have on earth for Chrift: famous Galleacius left all for his enjoyment. Mofes left all the glory of Eygpt: Peter, and the other apostles left all, Luke xviii. 28. But what have we to leave for Chrift in comparison of what he left for us? Surely Christ is the highest pattern of felf-denial in the world. (2.) Let this confirm your faith in prayer: if he, that has fuch an interest in the heart of God, intercede with the Father for you, then never doubt of audience and acceptance with him; furely you fhall be accepted through the beloved, Eph. i. 6. Chrift was never de nied any thing that he asked, John xi. 42. the Father hears him always; though you are not worthy, Chrift is, and he ever lives to make interceffion for you, Heb. vii. 25.

(3.) Let this encourage thy heart, O faint, in a dying hour, and not only make thee patient in death, but in a holy manper impatient till thou be gone; for whither is thy foul now going, but to that bofom of love whence Chrift came ? John xvii. 24. "Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given " me, be with me where I am :" and where is he, but in that bofom of glory and love where he lay before the world was? verse 5. O then let every believer encourage his foul; comfort ye one another with these words, I am leaving the bofom of a creature, I am going to the bofom of God.

2. To finners, exhorting them to embrace the bofom fon of God: Poor wretches! Whatever you are, or have been ; whatever guilt or difcouragement at present you lie under, embrace Chrift, who is freely offered you, and you fhall be as dear to God as the holiest and most eminent believer in the

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SERM. III. world but if you ftill continue to defpife and neglect such a Saviour, forer wrath is treafured up for you than other finners, even fomething worfe than dying without mercy, Heb. x. 28. O that these discoveries and overtures of Christ may never come to fuch a fatal iffué with any of your fouls, in whole eyes his glory hath been this day opened!

ISA. liii. 12. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he fball divide the Spoil with the strong, because he hath poured out his foul unto death: and he was numbered with the tranfgreffors, and he bare the fin of many, and made intercession for the tranfgreffors.

I'

N this chapter, the gospel seems to be epitomized; the fubject-matter of it is the death of Chrift, and the glorious iffue thereof by reading of it, the Eunuch of old, and many Jews fince, have been converted to Chrift. Chrift is here con. fidered abfolutely, and relatively; Abfolutely, and fo his innocency is industriously vindicated, verse 9. Though he fuffered grievous things, yet not for his own fins, "for he had done no

violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth;" but relatively confidered in the capacity of a furety for us: fo the justice of God is as fully vindicated in his sufferings; verse 6. "The Lord "hath laid upon him the iniquity of us all." How he came to fuftain this capacity and relation of a furety for us, is in these verfes plainly afferted to be by his compact and agreement with his Father, before the worlds were made, verse 10, 11, 12. In this verse we have, 1. His work. 2. His reward. 3. The

*Norton's Orthodox Evangelift, p. 41. The call of the Lord Jefus unto office, includes election on the Father's part, and accep tation on the Mediator's part, and is fet down after the manner of mutual transaction between God and Chrift; whereby he was defigned thereunto, as it were by way of covenant. If his foul fhould fet itself an offering for fin, (for fo, according to the original, do good authors read the text) "he fhall fee his feed, prolong his days, and "the pleasure of the Lord shall profper in his hand," verse 10.

respect or relation of each to the other. (1.) His work, which was indeed a hard work, to pour out his foul unto death, aggra. vated by the companions, with whom, being numbred with tranf greffers; the capacity in which, bearing all the fins of the elect,

he bare the fins of many ;" and by the manner of his bearing it, viz. meekly, and forgivingly, "he made interceffion for the "tranfgreffors;" This was his work. (2.) The reward or fruit which is promised him for this work, "therefore will I divide "him a portion with the great, and he will divide the spoil with "the strong;" wherein is a plain allufion to conquerors in war, for whom are reserved the richest garments, and most honourable captives to follow the conqueror, as an addition to his magnificence and triumph; these were wont to come after them in chains, Ifa. xlv. 14. fee Judges v. 3. (3.) The refpect or relation betwixt that work and this triumph: fome will have this work to have no other relation to that glory, than a meer antecedent to a confequent: others give it the refpect and relation of a meritorious caufe to a reward. 'Tis well obferved by Dr. Featly, that the Hebrew particle ; which we render therefore, noting order, it is not worth fo much contention about it, whether it be the order of caufality, or meer antecendency; neither do I forefee any abfurdity in calling Chrift's exaltation the reward and fruit of his humiliation : however 'tis plain, whether one or other, 'tis that the Father here agrees and promifes to give him, if he will undertake the redemption of the elect, by pouring out his foul unto death; of all which this is the plain refult :

DOCT. That the bufinefs of man's falvation was tranfacted upon covenant terms, betwixt the Father and the Son, from all eternity.

4

I would not here be mistaken, as though I were now to treat of the covenant of grace, made in Chrift betwixt God and us; it is not the covenant of grace, lut of redemption, I am now to speak to, which differs from the covenant of grace, in regard of the federates; in this, 'tis God the Father, and Jefus Chrift, that mutually covenant; in that, 'tis God and man: they differ, alfo in the preceptive part; in this it is required of Christ that he should fhed his blood, in that it is required of us that we believe: They alfo differ in their promifes; in this, God promises to Chrift a name above every name, ample dominion from fea to fea; in that, to us, grace and glory: fo that these are two diffinct convenants."

The fubftance of this covenant of redemption is, dialogue

SERM. III. wife, exprefs'd to us in Ita. xlix +: where (as divines have weil obferved) Chrift begins, at the firft and fecond verfes, and Thews his commiffion, telling his Father, how he had both calJed, and prepared him for the work of redemption; The Lord hath called me from the womb―he hath made my mouth like a Sharp fword, and made me a polifked fhaft, &c. q. d. by reafon of that fuper abundant measure of the fpirit of wisdom and power wherewith I am anointed and filled; my doctrine fhall, as a fword, pierce the hearts of finners; yea, like an arrow, drawn to the head, ftrike deep into fouls ftanding at a great distance from God and godliness.

Having told God how ready, and fit he was for his fervice, he will know of him what reward he shall have for his work; for he refolves his blood fhall not be undervalued hereupon, verfe 3. the Father offers him the elect of Ifrael for his reward, bidding low at firft (as they that make bargains ufe to do) and only offers him that finall remnant, ftill intending to bid higher: but Chrift will not be fatisfied with thele, he values his blood higher than fo: therefore in verfe 4. he is brought in .complaining, "I have laboured in vain, and spent my strength "for nought," q. d. This is but a small reward for fo great a suffering as I muft undergo; my blood is much more worth than this comes to, and will be fufficient to redeem all the elect difperfed among the ifles of the Gentiles, as well as the loft sheep of the house of Ifrael. Hereupon the Father comes up higher, and tells him, he intends to reward him better than fo; and therefore, verse 6. fays, "It is a light thing that thou shouldst "be my fervant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to reflore "the preferved of Ifrael: I will alfo give thee for a light to the "Gentiles, that thou mayeft be my falvation to the ends of the "earth." Thus is the treaty carried on betwixt them, tranfacting is after the manner of men.

Now, to open this great point, we will here confider, (1.) The perfons tranfacting one with another. (2.) The business tranfacted. (3.) The quality and manner of the transaction, which is federal. (4.) The articles to which they agree (5.) How each perfon performs his engagement to the other. And laftly, The antiquity or eternity of this covenant-tranfaction.

(1.) The perfons tranfacting and dealing with each other in this covenant; and indeed they are great perfons, God the Fa ther, and God the Son; the former as a Creditor, and the latter as a Surety: The Father ftands upon fatisfaction, the Son

* Vide Goodwin's Triumph of Faith,

engages to give it. If it be demanded, why the Father and the Spirit might not as well have treated upon our redemption, as the Father and Son! It is anfwered, Chrift is the natural Son of God, and therefore fitteft to make us the adopted fons of God. Chrift alfo is the middle perfon in the trinity, and therefore fitteft to be the mediator and middle perfon betwixt us and God *. The Spirit hath another office affigned him, even to apply, as Christ's vicegerent, the redemption defigned by the Father, and purchased by the Son for us.

(2.) The bufinefs tranfacted betwixt them; and that was the redemption and recovery of all God's elect: our eternal happinefs lay now before them, our deareft and everlafting concerns were now in their hands; the elect (though not yet in being) are here confidered as exiftent, yea, and as fallen, miferable, forlorn creatures +: How these may again be restored to happiness (falva juftitia Dei) Without prejudice to the honour, justice, and truth of God; this, this is the business that lay before them.

(3.) For the manner, or quality of the tranfaction, it was federal, or of the nature of a covenant; it was by mutual engagements and ftipulations, each person undertaking to perform his part, in order to our recovery.

We find each perfon undertaking for himself by folemn promife; the Father promiseth that he will "hold his hand, and "keep him," Ifa. xlii. 6. The Son promiseth he will obey his Father's call to fuffering, and "not be rebellious," Ifa. 1. 5. And, having promised, each holds the other to his engagement. The Father stands upon the fatisfaction promifed him: and, when the payment was making, he will not abate him one farthing; Rom. viii. 32. "God fpared not his own Son," i. e. he abated nothing of the full price he was to have at his hands for us.

And, as the Father food strictly upon the terms of the covenant, fo did Chrift alfo; John xvii. 45. "I have glorified thee

* Vide Robert's Medulla Bib. p. 1577, et Lyf. Teft. p. 83, 84. + The external caufe of that fatisfaction, which the Father decreed, and the Son rade, was the miferable ftate we were in, upon the account of our fins, which juftly deferved eternal punishment, and bound us over unto it; we being in this forlorn condition, the God of mercy had compaffion on us, and for our fakes, the Son of God underwent all that punishment which we deserved to suffer; in order that we might be restored to our firft happiness. Synop. purior. Theol. p. 350.