Righteoufnefs? Your Righteoufnefs will not abide the firit Fire of the Law when it comes to be discharged against you, and to exact Obedience and Satisfaction; but Chrift's Obedience unto Death answers the whole Charge of its Precept and Sanction both to the full Therefore, what think ye of Chrift, and what think ye of his Righteousness? This is the first Thing imported in this Queftion, as it ftands here.

Secondly, what think ye of his Pedigree? That this is imported in the Queftion, appears from the Connection alfo, Whofe Son in he? What think ye of his Pedigree? They thought it was eafy to anfwer that Queftion, by faying only, He is David's Son. They might have known it was not so easy to answer that Queftion, if they had confidered the Queftion of the Prophet Ifaiah, Chap liii. 8. Who fhall declare his generation? And the Defcription which that Prophet gives of him, la. ix. 6. that the Name of the Mefias, the Child born and Son given to us, fhould be Wonderful, Counsellor, and the Mighty God, the Everlafling Father, the Prince of Peace. What think ye of his Pedigree as he is Man? No doubt this was partly implied in the Queftion; for Chrift did not difprove their Anfwer, tho' it was but to the leaft Part of the Queftion: He is David's Son, fay they; and it is right to think of him as the Son of David, clothed with our Nature: Here was the great Mystery of Godliness, God manifefied in the Flesh. It was no Myftery for the Pharifees to think only that he was the Son of David; David had other Sons, and a numesous Seed: And if that be all, that he was the Son of David, they might thus think of Christ, and yet think nothing of him. But it is another Thing to think of him as God in our Nature. If we think duly of Christ as the Son of David, or in humane Nature, then, must we not think that God is come very near to us, fo as there is a natural Sibness betwixt him and us, he being Bone of our Bone, and Flesh of our Flef? Muft we not think, that he wonderfully emptied himself of his Divine Glory, and humbled himself unto

Death?

death? Tho' he thought it no Robbery to be equal with God, yet he suffered himself to be denuded of his glory, clothed with Rags of our Flesh: God calls him the Man that it is his Fellow, yet he was made a Fellow to Thieves and Malefactors, and a Murderer preferred before him. Tho' he was the Prince of Life, yet, as the Word may be rendered, he evacuated or emptied himself unto death; and yet, to them that know him. he is most lovely, even in his greatest Abafement. What think ye of Chrift as man, as the Son of David, the Son of man, a man of the fame Infirmities with us, except finful Infirmities? He was made in all Things like unto us, Sin only excepted: He became a poor man in all outward Refpects, a diftreffed man, a Man of Sorrows and acquainted with Grief, a tempted man, toffed and tempted of the devil fometimes, he going thro' all the Ages of a man, first conceived, then born, then a Babe, then a Youth, and at last the perfect Stature of a man: He became a

mortal man, and accordingly was put to a painful and fhameful death; yet a holy man, a wonderful man, a God-man: What think ye of the man Christ Jesus ? But the main Thing imported in the Queftion here with relation to his Pedigree, is, What think ye of his Pedigree, as he is God? What think ye of Christ, in this Refpect? For to feparate Chrift from God, is to make him no Chrift; therefore the Question is, What think ye of Chrift, whose Son he is, with respect to his divine Nature, as well as his Humane? That this was the Import of his Queftion, appears from his Reply to their Anfwer, How then does David call him Lord? He is Lord JEHOVAH, the only begotten Son of God, the Brightnefs of the Father's Glory, &c. by whom all Things were made, John i. 3. Heb. i. 2. It is the Arian Blafphemy, to affirm him to be no more but Omoiufius Patri, but not Omoufius; that is, like unto the Father, but not the fame Effence and Subftance with him. He is, according to his Godhead, arrayed with all Glory. All the Creatures are to hi as the drop of a Bucket; yea, as nothing, and

lefs than rothing and Vanity; he hath a Name above every Nan e, and all the Creatures are but Shadows to him, who is the substantial Image of God: He is the eternal Son of God, by an ineffable generation; whatever Arians and Atheists think of Chrift; yet Chrift himself thought it no Robbery to be equal with God, Phil. ii. 6. Therefore what think ye of Chrift? Is he no more but the Son of David? The Jervs looked upon Chrift, as an ignorant Clown will look upon the Sun, and, it may be, will think it no bigger than his Bonnet, or, at moft, no larger than a militone; fo did the Jews: The Pharifees looked upon the Son of God, faying, Is not this the Carpenter's Son? But their utmost was, That he was the Son of David, they did not fee him to be the Son of God. What think ye of Chrift? Do ye fee all the Attributes of God to be in him, and all his Actions, as Mediator, to be dignified with infinite Virtue and Value; that he was able to fatisfy infinite Juftice; that he is able to fave to the uttermoft; that he is the adequate Object of divine Worfhip, and a full fuitable Portion for an immortal Soul, because he is the Son of God, as well as the Son of David? All this is imported in the Question, What think ye of Chrift?

Thirdly, What think ye of his Perfon? This Queftion is alfo plainly imported in that, What think'ye of Christ, namely, as he is God-man in one Person, and the fecond Perfon of the glorious Trinty? It is plain, that Chrift fpeaks of himself here as perfonally confi dered, and as having two diftinct Natures in one Perfon.

Now, the Humane Nature of Chrift is not a Perfon diftinct from the divine; tho' the Natures are diftinct, the Perfon is One. But the Answer of the Pharifees to this Queftion, fhewed they had no diftinct Knowledge of this mytery; for they anfwer, He is the Son of David, without knowing that he was the Son of God, as well as the Son of David, in one Perfon which made Chrift here to declare his fovereign Lordfhip and Godhead, as well as his manhood. The mystery of the Question then, which they did not un

der

derstand, was, What think ye of that wonderful Perfon God-man, in whom the Humane Nature is advanced to fuch an unfpeakable dignity, as to be united to, and of the farme Perfonality with the Son of God? Here is Matter of Thought to the intelligent Mind : What think ye of the wonderful Manner, in which finful Men may come to be Partakers of the divine Nature, even by the holy Son of God his being a Partaker of the humane Nature? Here is a glorious Subject for Thought and Contemplation. What think ye of the wonderful Way, that God in his infinite Wifdom hath taken, to bring God and Men together, `even in and through him, who is both God and Man, and partaking of both Natures in one Perfon, is fit for bringing both God and Man into one, and to lay his Hand upon both Parties? What think ye of fuch a glorious Perfon as finite and Infinite, Time and Eternity, Creator and Creature joined together? John i. 14. The Word was made Flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his Glory, the Glory as of the only Begotten of the Father, full of Grace and Truth.

to

Fourthly, What think ye of his Unction or Anointing? This I fuppofe muft alfo be the Import of the Queftion objectively confidered, as it is here generally propofed; for Chrift fignifies Anointed, in the Hebrew it is Meffias, in the Greek it is Chrift, and in our Language it is the Anointed: And this being the main Word, on which the Weight of the general Queftion itself lies, it is the more neceffary that this be particularly opened. The Question then comes this in general, What think ye of his Father the Anointer: John vi. 27. For him bath God the Father fealed; How? See Pfal. xlv. 7. God, thy God, bath anointed thee with the Oil of Gladness above thy Fel lows. How much Pains is Chrift at, in the Gospel, to recommend his Father, as fending and authorifing him to his Mediatorial Work? Again, What think ye of his Office, to which he is anointed? He hath not taken the Honour of the mediatorial Office upon him, without being called of God, and anointed of God thereunto.

Heb.

Heb. v. 5. we do not think honourably enough of any of his faving Offices, unless we at the fame Time appreer hend his Divine Unction thereunto. Again it comes a to this, What think ye of his Spirit, the Ointment to wherewith he is anointed? Ifa. Ixi. 1. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, for he hath anointed me. Ifa.

100

xlii. 1. I have put my Spirit upon him, and he shall bring forth Judgment to the Gentiles. There is the Meaning of the Queftion in general, with respect to this Chrift, who is the Subject-Matter of the Question: But there is much in this Name Chrift, and more than we can tell; I only name fome Particulars further here imported. (1.) What think ye of his Prophecy and Teaching? For, as Chrift, he is anointed to be a Prophet: Who teaches like him? says Elihu, Job xxxvi. 22. Other Phrophets and Teachers have no Wisdom but what he gives them; but in him are hid all the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge. Other Prophets may err, but he teaches infallibly; for he is truth itself, full of Grace and Truth. Other Teachers may be dafht, but he teaches authoritatively; he fpeaks as One having Authority, and not as the Scribes. Other Teachers may fail in their Defign, and prove unfuccefsful in their Work; but he teaches efficacioufly: Men work upon a Capacity, but he can give the Capacity; the Entrance of his Words giveth Light, he gives Understanding to the Simple. The Excellency of his Teaching is fingular, if we confider his Ability and Fidelity; the Matter af his Teaching is fingular, if we confider it is the whole Will of God for our Salvation; the Manner of his Teaching is fingular, if we confider it is by his Word and Spirit, and even by a humane Voice, he can convey his Divine Power; the Extent of his Teaching is fingular, îf we confider it extends to all Sorts of Perfons, Jews and Gentiles, and, to all Sorts of Things neceffary to eternal Life: Anointing teaches all Things, 1 John ii. 27. In a Word, none have Authority to teach, but by Commiffion from him; neither can any other Teacher preach himself: We preach not ourselves, but Chrift Jefus

This

the