t5-6 S E R M ON S upan . Serm. I 8. and joint Confent. And after all this, he is to give an account of Bodies and Souls. john 6. 39. That of all which be hath given me, I fhould lofe nothing, but fhould rail than up again at the laß day. Which accordingly he doth, when he prefents the Kingdom to the Father, and appeareth before him with all his little Ones, as a Prey fnatched out of the Teeth of Lions. Heb. 2. 13. Behold, I and the Children which God hathgiven me. (2.) What Chrift undertook; the whole Propofal of the Father was accepted; Pfd. A.ó. 7, 8. Lo, l come, in the Volume of the Book it is written of me; I delight to do thy Will, O my God ; yea, thy Law is within my Heart. Chrift confented to all the Articles of the Treaty and eternal Covenant, not only to take a Body to die, but to take a particular Charge of all the Ele&. As Judah interpofed for Benjamin, fo doth Chrift for . all the Souls committed to him, Gen.43.9. I will be Surety for him, of my Hand fbalt thou require him ; if I bring him not to thee, and fet him fafe in thy Prefence, let me bear the Blame for ever : So doth Chrift fay concerning all the Perfons that fall under his Charge; If I do not fee them converted, juftified, fandified, Caved, count me an unfaithful Undertaker, and let me bear the Blame for ever. 2. By way of Reward. As in a Covenant there is not only a Duty incumbent, but a Benefit accruing to the Party that contralleth : So Chrift in this eternal Treaty dealt with God by way of Bargain and Purchafe ; his aim was to get a fpecial Intereft in, and Relation to Believers, as Mediator. This was all the Gain he reckoned of; Ira. 53. 10. When thou (halt make his Soul an Offering for Sin, he fall fee his Seed, he fliall prolong his Days, and the Pleafnre of the Lord (hall profper in his Hand. And therefore by virtue of this Purchafe he bath many Relations to them ; they are given to him as Subjects of his Kingdom, as Scholars of his School, as Children of his Family, as the Spoufe of his Bofom, as the Members of his Body. All thefe Relations I shall Witt upon ; for this was the Honour granted to Chrift upon his Obedience ; I mean, he counted it an Honour, and bought it at a dear rate, and yet was contented with the Purchafe. Alas ! nothing could be added to the Greatnefs of his Perron, who was equal with the Father in Glory and Power ; the Privileges of the Incarnation were but as fo many milder Humiliations ; but he was fo tender of Souls, that he was pleafed to take it as a Gift from his Father, and a Reward of all his Services. Mark ir, nothing elfe could bring Chrift out of Heaven into the Manger, the Wildernefs, the Crofs, the Grave, but to get an Intereft in your Souls; Ifa. 53.1i. He ßiall fee of the Travel of his Soul, and (hall be fatisfred. What did he gain by all his Expence of Blood and Sweat, his Temptations, Agonies, taking our Nature, bearing our Burden, but to fee you fafe in the Arms of Mercy, that he might be your King, your Prophet, your Prieft, your Head ? Next to the Title of The Son of God, Chrift valueth that of being Head of the Church. And fee how the Relations are diverfified, that he might come nearer and clofer to us : a King is a more large Relation, a Matter bath a more particular Infpe &ion; a Mailer may be faithful and careful, bpt he bath not the Bowels of a Father ; a Father is very tender : but the greatell Intimacy is between Hufband and Wife, we are the Wife of his Bofom ; if Hufband be a Relation too remote, be- caufe the Union is civil, he comes nearer to us yet, he will be our Head, we his Mem- bers, where the Union is natural. Let us go over there feverally. (1.) We are given to him to be Subje &s of his Kingdom. Chrift is Lord of all the World, but he prizeth no Title like that of King of Saints, Rev. 15.3. No Throne to him like the Confcience of an humble Sinner; the Heart is his bell Prefence- Chamber, there is his Throne of State fet. He had an eternal Right together with the Father, and HolyGhoit, but he would come and fuffer, and be crowned with a Crown of Thorns, that he might have a new Right as Mediator, and have the Crown of Glory put upon his Head in the Church : Therefore it is raid, Acts 5. 31. That upon his Wefarrei1ion, God bath exalted him to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give Repentance unto Ifrael, and forgive/ref; of Sins. The Grant was made long before, when he firft con- traded with Chrift about the Salvation of the World ; but when the Price was paid, then it was made good. There is never a Subje& Chrift bath, but he is bought, and with the deareft price, his Soveraign's own Blood. Mat. 20.28. The Son of Man gave his Life a Ranfom for many, 'air& sri iuvM? v In other Kingdoms many SubjeCts die, that the Prince may be feated in the Throne; but here the Prince dyeth for the Subjects fakes,that he may govern his fpiritual Realm with Peace and Quietnefs. And as the Price was great, fo the Father bath made bim a large Grant; Chrift's Empire is univerfal, properly he is the Catholick King, there are no Bounds and Limits of his Kingdom, firit or last, in all the habitable Parts of the Earth there are, or shall be force that ad- knowledg
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