each PERSON dzfitnttly. 3a 1 man finds, he fells all that he lath to purchafe. An goes for Chrifi, all righteoufnefs without him, all ways of religion, all goes for that one pearl. The glory of his deity, the excellencyof his perfon, his all-con- quering defirablenefs, ineffable love, wonderful undertaking, unfpeakable condefcenfions, effeaual mediation, compleat righteoufnefs, lie in their eye, ravilh their hearts, fill their affe&ions, and polfefs their fouls. And this is the fecond mutual conjugal affcftion betweenChriít and believers, all which on the part of Chrilt, may be referred unto two heads. (r.) All that he parted withal, all that he did, all that he fuffer'd, all that he doth as a mediator, he parted withal, did, fuffered, doth, on the account of his (a) love to; and efteem of believers. He parted with the greateft glory, he underwent the greateft mifery, he doth the greateft .works that ever were, becaufe he loves ltis fpoufe; becaufe he values be- lievers. What can snore, what can farther be fpoken? How little is the depth of that which is fpoken fathomed? How unable are we to look into the mylterious receffes of it? He fo loves, fo values his faints, as that ha- ving from eternity undertaken to bring them to God, he rejoices his foul in the thoughts of it; and purfues his defign through heaven and hell, life and death, by flittering and doing, in mifery and with power, and ceaf- eth not until he bring it to perfeftion. For, (2.) He doth fo value them, as that he will not loofe any of them to e- ternity, though all the world fhould combine to take them out ofhis hand. When in the days of his flefh he forefaw what oppofition, what danger, what rocks, they fhould meet with all, he cried our, Holy father keep them, gob. xvii. tt. Let notone of them be loft; andtells us plainly, `j<ob. x. 28. Tbat no man'ball take bis fheep out of his band. And becaufe he was then in the formof a fervant, and it might be fuppofed that he might not be able to hold them, he tells them, true ! as to his prefent condition of carrying on the work ofmediation, his father was was greater than he (b) and therefore to him he committed them, and none fhould take them out of his father's hands, job. x. 29. and whereas the world; atfliftions, and perfecutions which are without may be conquered, and yet no fecurity gi- ven, but that fin from within, by the affi(tance of fatan may prevail againft them to their ruin; as he bath provided againft fatan in his promife, that the gates of hell (hall not prevail againft them, fo he bath taken care that fin it felt (hall not deftroy them. Herein indeed is the depth of his love to becontemplated, that whereas his holy foul hates every fin, it is a bur- den, an abomination, a new wound to him, and his poor fpoufe is finful, believers are full of fins, failings, and infirmities; he hides all, covers all, bears with all, rather than he will loofe them; by his power preferving them from fuch fins as a remedy is not provided for in the covenant of Grace. Oh ! the world of finful follies, that our deaf Lord Jefus bears withal on this account? are not our own fouls aftonifhed with the thoughts of it? Infinite patience, infinite forbearance, infinite love, infinite grace, in- finite mercy are all fer on work for this end, to anfwer this his valuation of us. On our part it may an be referred to two heads. (t.) That upon the difcoveryof him to our fouls, they rejoice to (c) part with all things wherein they have delighted, or repofed their confidence O Gal. ii. 20. a Job. iii. s. Revel. i. 5, 6. Eph. V. , s, 26. neb, x. 4,1e. (b) Job. xiv, se. (e) Math. xüi, v. 45, 46. Phil. iii. 8. Gggg for
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