t 6 SERMONS -upón Serm.36. Chrift, there is wrong done to all theiPerfons of the Godhead : but in the laft refult of all, it is anOffence to God the Father, and an Affront to his Authority ; for all that is done to the other Perlons, redounds to him. It is his Spirit that is grieved 5 and our Saviour thus realoneth, LuIe to. 16. He that defpifeth me, defpifeth him that font me; So that he is the wronged Party. And again, he is the SupreamJudg. All the Perlons in the Godhead are coeffential and coequal in Glory and Honour ; but in the ()econo- my and Dilpenfation of Salvation, 'the Father is to be looked upon as Judg and Chief. Therefore Chrift Both fay, rÌl1y Father is greater than I. And all Addreffes are made to him, not only by us, but by Chrift ; Father, forgive them, they know not what they do. And Chrift is laid to be an Advocate with the Father, i John 2. 1. I fay, in that- Conn and Throne that is ere &ed, the Father is Supream; and if it paffeth God the Father, the Bufinefs is done. So, job: 14. 16.7 will,pray the Father, and he will give you another Comforter, that he mày abide with you for ever. Pardon, Comfort, Grace, all comes from the Father,as theFountain and firft Caule. It is true, it is'faid, Mat. 9.6. That the Son of Man,hath Power on Earth to forgive Sins; but this is by Commiffion from God the Father. Well then, the Father fendeth Chrift. Eli faith, r Sam. 2. 25. If one Man fin againft another, the Judg (hall judg him ; but if a Man fin againfe the Lord, who (hall intreat for him? There may be an Umpire to compromife the diffe- rence between Man and Man, and award SatisfaCtion to the Party offended ; but now who (hall (fate the Offence, and compound the difference between Us and God ? Can there be an Umpire above God, that can give Laws to God? The Sin is commit- ted againft the Judg himfelf, the higheft.Judg, from whom there is no Appeal ; And who is a fit Perron to arbitrate the Difference ? This is a Doubt that would have re- mained to all Eternity unfatisfied, a Qyeftion that never could be anfwered ; Where fhould we find an Umpire between God and Us, to have awarded a meet Satisfa &ion ? But now God himfelf is pleafed to find out the Remedy ; Chrift faith to the Father, Thou haft Pent me; his A& is Authoritative, and above Contradi&ion. If God had not given us a Mediator out of his own Bofom, there could have been no Satisfa &ion, and we had for ever lain under the Guilt and Burden of our Sins. Gal. 4.4. God fent forth his Son made of a Woman, &c. he confecrated him for this great Purpofe. There- fore he is laid to real him, john 6.37. Him bath God the Father foaled; a Metaphor taken from them that giveCommifüons under Hand and Seal. Chrift is a Mediator, confirmed and allowed under the Broad -Seal of Heaven, by God the Father, as the Supream Judg. God bath awarded Satisfa &ion. to himfelf, and fent his own Son to make it. Il. What is this Sending ? It implies three things : 1. The Defignation of the Perron. 2. His Qualification for the Work. 3. His Authority and Commiffion. r. The Defignation of the Perlon. This was an A& of Divine and Voluntary Dilpenfation, according to which the Second Perron in the Trinity, the Son of God, not the Father, nor the Holy Ghoft, was fent to take our Nature, and the Office of a Redeemer upon himfelf. hi this chufing of Chrift, was the Original and firft Rife of Ele&ive Love. esguftine bath oblerved, in chufing Chrift, what was the Realon Chrift was the Perfon defigned : Col. 1. 19. It pleated the Father, that in him Jbould all Fulnefs dwèll. What is the Reafón we are Ele&ed and Chofen above others ? that God reveals himfelf to Babes ? andthe. Things of his Grace, are hidden from the Wife. and Prudent? Even fo, Father, for fo it Teemed good in thy fight, Mat. 11. 29. The fame Realon is givenfor the Ele &ion and Choice of Jefus Chrift to be the Redeemer, that is given for our Eleftion; It pleated the Father, that is all. That Chrift might be the firft Patern of Free - Grace, the Father chofe the Son, that hGmight be the Re- deemer : It was congruous and very fit, that the Son and Heir of all Things, fhould give us the adoption of Sons ; Gal. 4. 4, 5. God lent forth his Son made of a Womana made under the Law, to redeem them that were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption of Sons. He fent his Son, that we might have the fame Relation to God by Grace, which Chrift had by Nature. By Nature, he is the only begotten Son of the Father ; and this is that which is purchafed for us, that we thould become the Sons of God ; and the middle Perfon of the Trinity, is the fitteft to be the Mediator be- tween Us and God. 2. This
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