Book II. C .HR IS T A SURETY. 3· The Word figni)ies to give Pledges, I[a. xxxvi. 8. 2 Kings xviii. 23. .. 4. Sometimes to jlrike Hands, for fo the Surenes were engaged, as Prov. xxu. 26. ren– dered by the Septuagint by"' •rfvr.• as a Surety. SURETY. I. SURETISHIP fuppofes or imports two or more Par– ties in a way of Commerce or Trade one with another. P ARALLEL. . GOD and Mankind are concerned in a way . of fpiritual . Commerce and Correfpon– denceone with another. God gave many Talents, many choice Bleffings, Privileges, Opportunities, &c. to Man, to trade with and improve in a fpiri– tual Way, to the Glory ofhis Creator, Lukexix. 13· I!. A Surety either engages for one or both Parties covenanting : This (though rarely) is done among Men ; for one fometimes engages to fee the Terms and Conditions ofthe Covenant kept on both fides; as one that becomes the Warranty of a mutual Contract. Ill. A Surety engagetl1 before or after the Obligation of the prin– cipal Debtor. IV. A Surety is one that under– takes for another, whofe Credit is not good, or whofe Faithfulnefs or Ability touching Performances becomes fufpected. II. Chrift:, our fpiritual Surety, (as he is Me– diator) undertakes on God's part to the Creature: All the Promifts of God in him are Yea, and in him Amen, unto the Glory of God, &c. 2 Cor. i. 20. He undertakes on the Creature's part to God :- 1 have prayed for thee, that thy Faith fail not, L uke xxii. 32. III. Chrifi's Sureti!hip or Undertaking in the Behalf of the Creature, was part of the Refult of God's eternal Counfd ; yet this Office of his may be confidered as fubfequent to Man's Obligation, IV. Chrifl: (being a fit Perfon) undertook not only to be a Mediator betwixt God and Man, but alfo to be the Surety of the Covenant on Man's part, upon Confideration of his Impotency or In~ ability to perform the Conditions of the firfl: Co– venant lince the Fall, and to bear the Punilhment for the Breach of it; for Man having once failed, and become Bankrupt, God will neither treat nor trade with him more, without a Mediator, and fuch a Surety as Chrilt. Becaufe they coutinued not in my Covenant, I regarded them not, faith the Lord, lfa. liii. 5 , 6, 7, 10. Ma;t. xx. 28. 1 'fim, ii. 6. Rom. iii. 25, 26. Heb. x. 5, 6, 7, 8. Rom. viii. 2, 3, 4· See Dr. Owen on Heb. vii. 22. p. 225. V. The IntroduCtion of a SureV. The Stability of the new Covenant depends ty in any cafe, is to give Stability upon the Surety!hip of Chrifl:, and it is fecured to and Securi ty in cafe of Bonds, CoBelievers thereby, Gat. iii. 13. for the firfl: Adam venants, &c. for it is never done (in whofe H ands the whole Efl:ate and Riches of but upon a fuppoGtion of Defect Mankind were tn11led) ran out of all; and there– on fame account or other. fore God eftabli(hed another Covenant, and confl:itmed Chrifl: (as a refponfib!e Security, of known Fidelity, and mighty to perform) to be the Surety thereof, that fo it might be a firm and fure Covenant between Him and Man, Heb. viii. 8. VI. Suretilhip imports Ob!igaVI. Chrifl: by becoming Surety, ftands engaged tion for another, and is ranked by to the Father to fatisfy in the behalf of M an, fo Lawyers among ContraCts: Fidefar as God fees it necelfary, or comports with his j u.!Jor non fit tti}i p er Stipulatiomm. Wifdom, and the Perfections of his holy Attri– Be not Surety for Debts, &c. butes. 'fhat he might be jujl , and the J 11 .jlijit'l' of VII. A Surety does not only undertake for Debtors, but fame– rimes alfo engages for Criminals. him that believeth in Jefus, Rom. iii. 26. VII. Thofe that Chcifl:, the Surety of the Co– venant, underrook ro make Peace for, were not only fpiritual" Debtors, bm Criminals alia, fuch as deferved Death, dead in Law, and under the Sentence thereof, fpiritual!y dead, being under the Deprivation of the Light of God's Countenance. * Sins arf'lc<illcd Dehts, Matt. xvi. 12. o(/)uA· 11f/.a.Ta, debita. In the Evangelifls. the Words, Si11J and Debts, a~e ltft:d promifcuoully; as Luke xi. 4· r.omparcd with ,r.,.Jan, vi. 12. and Lulu xiii. 4 . Luke was learned 111 Greek, and- wrote ""1'-"fna..;, SinJ, in the Lord's Prayer; whcrca! Matthew hath flq;:1Ar,p.a.oa, Debt1. Canon. iniac. N. r. page 86, 87. VIII. Chrift
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