exhibit. For, as he himself justly obferves, (John xv. 13.) " Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for [or to serve] his friends." And upon this account it was, that the Father loved, and highly exalted him, and blessed us with all the grace of the gofpel. Thus "Chrift gave his life a ranfom," or atonement, "for many." Or, in other words, (Eph.v. 2.) "Chrift hath loved us," to fuch a degree, that he "hath given himself for us, an offering and a facrifice to God, for a fweet Imelling favour." And to put the matter out of all doubt, the apostle (Rom. v.) exprefsly affirms, that the grace of God, and his gift to a finful world, Ver. 15; even that free gift, which relates to juftification, not only from the confequence of Adam's one offence, but to the many offences which men have committed, Ver. 16; that grace and gift, which has reference to our reigning in eternal life, Ver. 17; he affirms, I fay, that this gift and grace is in, by or through the grace of one man, Jefus Chrift, [v xagili in to raveway Ins Xeru, Ver. 15.] that is to fay, through his goodness, love and benevolence to mankind. And he directs us to conceive, that, as Adam's offence and difobedience was the reason or foundation of death's paffing upon all mankind: fo Chrift's righteoufnefs and obedience is the reafon, or foundation, not only of the general restoration to life, but of all other gofpel bleflings. He confiders the offence of the one, and righteoufnefs of the other, as moral caufes of different and oppofite effects. For, faith he, Ver. 18, 19, "As by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation: even fo by the righteoufnefs of one, the free gift came upon all men unto juftification of life. For as by one man's difobedience the many were made finners; fo by the obedience of one fhall the many be made righteous." 2 Cor. viii. 9, "Ye know the grace [the goodness and love] of our Lord Jefus Chrift, that though he was rich, yet for your fakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich."

147. From all this it appears; that the blood of Chrift, or that by which he has bought, or redeemed us, is his love and goodness to men, and his obedience to God; exercifed indeed through the whole of his ftate of humiliation in this world, but moft eminently exhibited in his death. His blood is precious, (1 Pet. i. 19.); and it is precious not in the fenfe in which filver and gold, or any other material thing, is precious, but as it is the "blood of a lamb without fpot and blemith" that is to fay, it is his compleat and fpotlefs righteoufnefs, his humility, goodnefs and obedience unto death, which makes his blood precious, in the beft and higheft fenfe, and gives his cross all its worth and efficacy.

148. This being rightly understood, our redemption by Chrift, I conceive, will ftand in a very clear and rational light. For thus obedience, or "doing the will of God," (Heb. x. 6, 7, 10, 11, 12.) was the facrifice of fweet fmelling favour which he offered unto God for us. It was his righteoufnefs, or righteous, kind and benevolent action, his obedient death, or the facrifice of his love and obedience, which made atonement for the fin of the world; fo far, and in this fenfe, that God on account of his goodnefs and perfect obedience, fo highly pleafing to him, thought fit to grant unto mankind, whom he

might

might in ftrict juftice have deftroyed for their general corruption and wickednefs, (John iii. 17,) the forgiveness of fin, not "imputing unto them their trefpaffes," (2 Cor. v. 19.) or thofe "fins which were paft," or which they had already committed, (Rom. iii. 25.) and for which they deferved to fall under the dreadful effects of God's wrath. And not only did he forgive former trefpafies (to all the living, and to all the penitent and obedient dead;) but further, he erected a glorious and perfect difpenfation of grace, exceeding any which had gone before it in means, promifes, and profpects; at the head of which he fet his Son, our Lord, Jefus Chrift, invefted with univerfal power in heavenand in earth, conftituting him King and Governour over the new body, which he defigned to form, the Captain of our falvation, the High-priest of our profeffion, the Mediator and Surety of the new covenant, to negocitate and manage all affairs relating to our prefent inftruction and fanétification, to raife all the dead out of their graves, and to put the obedient and faithful into poffeffion of eternal life. In this new conftitution the Redeemer was commiffioned to enlarge the bounds of the kingdom of God, before limited to the Jews, and to take into it the idolatrous Gentiles alfo, upon their profeflion of faith in Chrift, and of fubjection to his government; accounting them his children and chofen people, and conferring upon them all the pri vileges and bleflings of the gospel. Accordingly, he fent forth his Apoftles and other fubordinate minifters, to reconcile or change the heathen world unto God (2 Cor. v. 18, 19.) by the preaching of the gofpel, having poured out his Spirit upon them, and furnifhed them with various gifts and powers, to qualify them for their work, and to make them fuccefsful in it. Thus the whole of gofpel-grace is in, by or through Chrift. Thus we are redeemed, or bought with his blood. [95] (*)

149. But how are the bleffings of the gofpel the refult of pure grace and mercy, if they have refpect to the obedience and worthiness of Chrift? Anfw. The bleflings of the gofpel are the gift of God to the obedience of Chrift. And though the gift is by the obedience of Chrift, yet it is a free gift, Rom. v. 16, 18. See [67]. Indeed, if we are redeemed by fatisfying law or juftice, then our redemption could not be of grace, because it would be of law, or justice; or rather, it would then be impracticable. For law and juftice allow no equivalent or fubftitution, nor can be fatisfied any other way than by the legal punishment of the offender. But the fcripture faith nothing of Chrift's fatisfying juftice: nor is it any ways neceflary to fuppofe it. For it is the prerogative of every lawgiver to foften the rigour of law, and to extend mercy, to the penitent or impenitent, as he fees fit (+). And God was of himself inclined to mercy and kindnefs, out of his own pure goodness. Therefore what Chrift did, was neither to incline God to be gracious, nor to difengage him from any counter-obligations arifing

(*) See the connection between Chrift's worthiness, and our redemption further established and explained, Scrip. Doc..of Orig. Sin. Part I. in the Appendix.

(†) See the Note on Rom. v. 20, at the paragraph beginning with these words," Law never doth, nor can pardon."

arifing from law, or juftice, or what the finner's cafe might deferve. But (1.) What Chrift did and fuffered was a proper and wife expedient, a fit ground and method of granting mercy to the world. Rom. iii. 24, We are "juftified freely by the grace of God; through the redemption that is in Jefus Chrift." We are juftified freely by grace. But truth requires that grace be difpenfed in a manner the most proper and probable to produce reformation and holinefs. Otherwife, the chief defign of it will be defeated. Now this is what our Lord has done. He has bought us by his blood, and procured the remiflion of fins, as what he did and suffered was a proper reafon for granting, and a fit way of conveying, and rendering effectual the grace of God; which, according to the rules of wifdom and goodnefs, could not have been communicated, but in a way proper to secure the end and intention of it. The end and intention of it was to "redeem us from a vain," heathenifh "converfation," 1 Pet. i. 18, 19; "to deliver us from all iniquity, and to purify us into a peculiar people, zealous of good works," Tit. ii. 14. Now this could be done no otherwife than by means of a moral kind, or fuch as are apt to influence our minds, and engage us to forfake what is evil, and to choose that which is good and holy and pleafing to God. And what means of this fort could be more effectual, than the heavenly and moft illuftrious example of the fon of God, fhewing us the most perfect obedience to God, and the most generous goodness and love to men, recommended to our imitation by all poffible endearing and engaging confiderations? God, of his ef fential goodness, will do every thing that is fit and right; but it appears from all his conftitutions, as well as this, that he will do it in a way that is fit and right. Accordingly we read Heb. ii. 10, that " it became him [it was agreeable to his wifdom and goodness] for whom [for the difplay of whofe glorious perfections] are all things, and by whom are all things [who is the end and author of all difpenfations] in bringing many fons to glory, to make the captain of their falvation perfect through fufferings." His honour and glory, or righteoufnefs, goodness and truth, required that his grace fhould be planted upon fuch a ground, and exhibited and conferred in fuch a manner as this. Thus grace and redemption are not only perfectly reconciled; but thus the grace of God is greatly magnified, as he has vouchfafed his mercy in a method the molt conducive to promote our trueft happiness and excellency. (2.) All that Chriit did, or fuffered, was by the will and appointment of God: and was conducive to our redemption only in virtue of his will and appointment. Heb. x. 7, "Lo, I come to do thy will, O God." Chrift executed what God ordered and commanded. Therefore all that Chrift did and fuffered must be affigned to the grace of God, as its original caufe. And thus grace and redemption are not only confiftent; but thus by redemption grace is multiplied; as the grace of our Lord concurred with the love of God for our falvation.

150. But why fhould God choofe to communicate his grace in this mediate way, by the interpofition, obedience and agency of his fon; who again employs fubordinate agents and inftruments under him? I answer; For the difplay of the glory of his nature and perfections. The fove

reign

"

fovereign disposer of all things may communicate his bleffings by what means, and in any way, he thinks fit. But whatever he effects by the interpofition of means, and a train of intermediate caufes, he could produce by his own immediate power. He wants not clouds to diftil rain, nor rain, nor human induftry to make the earth fruitful, nor the fruitfulness of the earth to fupply food, nor food to fuftain our life. He could do this by his own immediate power: but he chooses to manifeft his providence, power, wifdom and goodness in a variety of inftances and difpofitions, and yet his power and goodnefs are not only as much concerned and exercifed in this way, as if he produced the end without the intervention of means, but even much more. Because his power, wisdom and goodness are as much exerted and illuftrated in every fingle intermediate step, as if he had done the thing at once, without any intermediate step at all. There is as much power and wisdom exercifed in producing rain, or in making the earth fruitful, or in adapting food to the nourishment of our bodies; I fay, there is as much power and wifdom exercifed in any one of thefe fteps, as there would be in nourishing our bodies by one immediate act, without thofe intermediate means. Therefore, in this method of procedure, the difplays of the divine providence and perfections are multiplied, and beautifully diverfified, to arreft our attention, exercise our contemplation, and excite our admiration and thankfulness: for thus we fee God in a furprizing variety of inftances. Nor, indeed, can we turn our eyes to any part of the visible creation, but we see his power, wisdom and goodness in perpetual exercife, every where. In like manner, in the moral world, he choofes to work by means, the mediation of his Son, the influences of his Spirit, the teachings of his Word, the endeavours of apoftles and minifters; not to fupply any defects of his power, wifdom, or goodnefs, but to multiply the inftances of them; to fhew himself to us in a various display of his glorious difpenfations, to exercife the moral powers and yirtues of all the fubordinate agents employed in carrying on his great defigns, and to fet before our thoughts the moft engaging fubjects of meditation, and the most powerful motives of action. And this method in the moral world is ftill more neceflary; because, without the attention of our minds, the end propofed, our fanctification, cannot be attained.

151. But if the agency, or miniftry, of Chrift, in executing the gracious purposes of God's goodness, be a right appointment, how comes his love and obedience to be a juft foundation of divine grace (*); or a proper expedient

(*) When I fay, Chrift's love and obedience is a juft foundation of the divine grace, I know not how to explain myself better than by the following inftance. There have been mafters willing, now and then, to grant a relaxation from study, or even to remit deferved punishment, in cafe any one boy, in behalf of the whole fchool, or of the offender, would compofe and prefent a diftich or copy of Latin verfes. This at once fhewed the master's love and lenity, and was a very proper expedient for promoting learning and benevolence in the fociety of little men training up for future usefulness, and, under due regulations, very becoming a good and wife Tutor. And

one

expedient to communicate it to us? Anfw. The Love and Obedience of Chrift will appear a very juft Foundation of the Divine Grace, and the most proper Expedient to communicate it, and our Redemption by Chrift will stand in a just, clear and beautiful Light, if we duly confider; that Truth, Virtue, Righteousness, being useful and doing good, or, which is the fame Thing, Obedience to God, is the chief Perfection of the intellectual Nature. Intelligent Beings are of all others the moft excellent; and the right Ufe of the Power of Intelligence is the very highest Glory and Excellence of intelligent Beings. Confequently, Righteousness, Goodness and Obedience must be of the highest Efteem and Value with the Father of the Univerfe, a moft pure and perfect Spirit; the only Power, if I may fo fay, that can prevail with him, and the only acceptable Price, for purchafing [95] any Favours, or Bleffings at his Hands. And it must be the moft fublime and perfect Difplay of his Wisdom and Goodness to devife Methods, and erect Schemes for promoting Righteoufnefs, Virtue, Goodnefs and Obedience; becaufe this is the most effectual Way of promoting the trueft Excellency, Honour and Happiness of his rational Creatures. For which Reason, he cannot, poflibly, in any other Way exercife his Perfections among the Works of his Hands more nobly and worthily.

152. God graciously intended the future State of the Church fhould be revealed, for the Benefit and Comfort of his People in fucceeding Ages: But then, fome fuperior Worth must be honoured with this Fa vour; and an heavenly Herald is ordered to proclaim to the whole rational Creation, "Who is worthy?" Who can produce an Eminence of Character, which God fhall efteem proportionable to the Favour? Rev. v. 2. But none could answer the Challenge, but the Son of God. He had Merit fufficient; "he prevailed," Ver. 5, or excelled fo far in real Worth, as to deferve the Benefit. Which moral Eminence is reprefented by the Emblem of " a Lamb as it had been flain," Ver. 6; denoting his perfect Innocence and Purity, his Goodnefs and Benevolence, Meeknefs and Humility, his Submiffion and Obedience to God, and his steadfast Adherence to Truth and Duty under all Trials, and even in the very Terrors of Death. This is the Worthiness by which he prevailed to open the Book. And the fame Worthinefs, in the fame Manner, is declared to be the Foundation of our Redemption, Ver. 9; "Thou art worthy to take and open the Book; for thy Worthiness is equal to a much greater Effect] thou waft flain, and haft redeemed us to God by thy Blood."

153. And that the Removal of Evils, or the Donation of Benefits in Favour of fome, fhould have refpect to fome fignal Inftance of Righteousness and Obedience performed by another, muit be acknowledged a very jutt and proper Method of promoting the moral Good. For, that Happinefs fhould be confequent to Righteoufnefs, Goodnefs, and Obedience, is perfectly confonant with the Nature of Things. That all Beings, without Exception, fhould practife Righteoufncis is alfo

true;

one may fay, that the kind Verfe-maker purchafed the Favour in both Cafes; or that his Learning. Ingenuity, Induftry, Goodness, and Compliance with the Governour's Will and Pleafure, was a juft Ground, or Foundation of the Pardon and Refreshment, or a proper Reafon of granting them.

VOL. III.

A a