ESSAY VI. 177 every kindness, and procuring or purchasing every blessing for ut, and bestowing it upon us ; whereas in the Character of a Redeemer he bought or purchased our persons from impel; sònment and Condemnation. Faith gives us an interest in these blessings of Christ at a benefactor, when it comes to him, and seeks them at his hand, when it humbly depends upon Christ for them, and,trusts in him to bestow them. Thus our faith is like a hand, whereby we re- ceive these blessings which Christ has to bestow, or like the feet whereby we come or fly to Christ to partake Of them ; or it may be likened to the voice of petition, whereby we seek them at hit hands, and call upon the Lord to bestow them. Thus I have briefly run through many of the scriptural cha- ractersor offices, whereby our Lord Jesus Christ is represented to us, whereby our salvation is set forth, and whereby our faith is described as the appointed means of our interest in them. It is evident enough they often run into one-another, nor did the gospel ever design that these several representations of Christ; of his salvation and of our faith, should be kept so separate by exact logical forms of expression, as to please Scholastic readers only ; but that plain sincere souls, under a sense of guilt and condemnation, might see and view them on every side, and might find something in Christ, suited to their sensation of their own wants andmiseries, and apply themselves to him for relief ; but this shall be the subject ofthe next section. SECT. III.The Reasons why Christ and his Salvation rnäy be represented to us urtder these various Characters. The great God was pleased to sendhis own Son Jesus Christ to save us by these various characters or ottees, and to represent hits to us tinder so many relations, emblems or figures borrowed from the things of men; perhaps for such reasons as these : I. That those attributes of the divine nature, viz. his wis- dom, his justice, his mercy, his faithfulness, &c. which Could not have so full an illustration one way, or under one expression or metaphor, might have another. God is said to be just and kind, andfaithful, in theforgiveness ófour sins through the blood of Christ. He is just in bestowing this blessing Gpòn us, since Christ has become our sacrifice of atonement, and made full sa- tisfaction for our offences : He is kind and merciful in appointing such a forgiveness for us, and sending his own Son to pur- chase or procure it : He it faithful in fulfilling his promise made to Jesus Christ, in the covenant of, redemption, and bestowing upon us what Christ our benefactor has purchased for us. His wisdom also and his goodness are rendered more conspicuous to us in contriving and effecting our salvation, in assuring it to us, and bestowing it upon us in so many different ways and manners. Vol,. lit. I
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