should appear to be an act of righteous administration, rather than the mere exercise of sovereign power. It was certainly most regular, that the same hand from which he received bis commission should seal his discharge; for pone else but the Father was qualified to judge whether or not the articles of agreement were ful. filled: He, and he alone, bad authority to declare that the satisfaction was valid, and the debt paid to the uttermost farthing. This, I apprehend, was the reason why an angel was sent from heaven to roll away the stone from the door of the sepulchre. It was not surely to open a passage for our Lord, as though any stone, how great soever, could have confined bis revived body to the grave; for we read, (John xx. 19.) that “on the same day at evening, when the doors were shut, where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst of them.” But what our Lord said to the people (Johu xii. 30.) concerning the voice which came from heaven, in answer to that prayer, “ Father, glorify thy name.” This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes, may justly be applied to that appearance of the angel. It was not because of Christ, as though he needed his aid, but for the sake of the pious women who had come to visit the sepulchre; and I may add, for the sake of all whom their report shall reach, to make it evident, that his discharge was issued in due form, in testimony of the Father's infinite delight in him, and of his perfect satisfaction with his whole conduct as Mediator. This leads to the

Fourth and last particular; upon which it is as im. possible to say enough, as it is unnecessary to say much; namely, the glory he received from the Father as the promised and merited reward of his obedience and sufferings.

Of this we have many lofty descriptions in Scripture. There we are told, that “God, who raised him from the dead, hatb set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: and hath put all things under his feet, and given him to be the head over all things to the church." “ He is gone,” saith our Apostle, (in the 3d chapter of this epistle, at the 22d verse) “ He is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels, and authori. ties, and powers, being made subject unto him.” He is constituted the final judge of men ; for “God hath appointed the day in which be will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof lie hath given assurance unto all men, in that he raised him from the dead." "Then shall the Lord Jesus be revealed from heaven, with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ : who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power : when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe.” The donation of this glory by his heavenly Father, and its connexion with his previous sufferings and death, are solemnly acknowledged by our Lord himself, in that prayer which he uttered in the hearing of his disciples, (John xvii. 4, 5.) ' “ I have glorified thee on earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self, with the glory wbich I had with thee before the world was.” And both are expressly asserted in the same connexion, (Philip ii. 6,--11.) where the Apostle first relates the several steps of our Lord's hu. miliation, and then adds, “ Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in hearen, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess, thai Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Fa. ther."

Thus I have endeavoured to give you a short illustration of the agency of the Father in the work of man's redemption, as it is described in this passage. He or. dained the Saviour:-he manifested him to the world;

-he raised him up from the dead ;-he gave him glory. And all those particulars are made known to us. For what end? that our faith and hope may be in God. Amazing goodness! What shall we say to this? “ Lord, we believe; help thou our unbelief."

Can we entertain hard thoughts of that God, who hath not only done such great things for our recovery, but done them in a manner so demonstrative of his love, that it is impossible for the jealousy of guilt itself to find out any seeming defect in the encouragement they afford, or to devise any additional security, for dispelling the fears, and assuring the hopes, of the chief of sinners; who, conscious of deserved wrath, and confessing the justice of the sentence that condemns them, flee for re. fuge to that sanctuary erected by infinite wisdom and love, for the reception of those who look for protection do where else? Unbelief, when viewed in the glass of my text, changeth its aspect; and instead of timid distrust, plainly appears to be daring presumption. We give God the lie, when we put away from ourselves the calls of his mercy, and offers of his grace: Whereas, by humble and thankful acceptance of the Saviour,“ we set to our seal that God is true;" and only render unto him the glory that is due to his name, as the God of love, the God who is love, even the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom he reconciles the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them.

A copious enlargement upon this branch of my subject would carry me far beyond the ordinary limits of a discourse: but as it is the will of God, that the heirs of promise should have “ a strong consolation," I cannot conclude my remarks upon the agency of the Father in the work of man's redemption, without reminding you of “the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, though he was rich, yet for our sakes became poor, that we through his poverty might be rich." “ He who was in the form of God, and thought it not robbery to be equal with God, made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the like. ness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." The Father indeed freely gave the Son to us; but with equal freedom the Son gave bimself for us. With what alacrity did be accept the office of Mediator ? 6 Lo, I come,–I delight to do thy will: thy law is within my heart." With what ardour did he execute the commission be had received ! “I have a baptism to be baptized with, and bow am I strai. tened till it be accomplished !” “I,” said he, “ am the good shepherd; the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” It is not violently taken from me; I voluntarily lay it down. Nay, he was not only a willing sacrifice, like Isaac, consenting to be bound, and laid upon the altar; but he himself was the priest that offered the sacrifice: for thus it is written in the epistle to the He

brews, (chap. ix. 14.) “ Through the eternal Spirit, he offered himself without spot unto God."

Here then is sunshine without a cloud. Around the throne of God, and of the Lamb, all is bright meridian splendour. What pity is it that any gloom should sit upon our minds ? “ In this was manifested the love of God towards us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that they might live through him.” 1 John ix. 9. The love of Christ was no less clearly manifested in his “GIVING himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God, for a sweet-smelling savour." Eph. v. 2.

These two memorable and interesting sentences, like the cherubims which covered the mercy-seat, have their faces looking one towards another; and both smile with complacence upon every returning prodigal. For to connect them together, and bring them bome to ourselves, I need only direct your attention to a third passage of Scripture, where faith in the Son is expressly enjoined as an act of obedience to the will of the father: (1 John iii. 23.) “this is the command of God, that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ." Let us this day unite them all in the serious meditations at the table of the Lord ; and improve them, as we ought to do, for the establishment of our faith, and hope, and joy. We are not straitened in God: let us not be straitened in our bowels; for this is the call which he addresseth to each believer in particular, “Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it." Amen.