332 Of COMMUNION with are not all fruits of holinefs, in purity of heart, and ufefulnefs of con- verfation, all in vain, and to no purpofe? And who then will or need take care to be holy, humble, righteous, meek, temperate, patient, good, peace- able, or to abound in good works na the world ? IIhall, God affilting, briefly remove thefe two objeElions, and then proceed to carry on the defign in hand,about our communion with Chrift. (1.) Jefus Chrift in his undertaking of the workof our reconciliation with God, for which caufe he came into the world, and the áccomplifhment of it by his death, was conftituted and confidered as a common publick perfon, in the ftead of them for whofe reconciliation to God he fuffered. Hence he is the mediatorbetween Godand man, t Tim. ii. 5. that is, one who under- took to God for us, as the next words manifeft, v. 6. And gave bimfelfa ranfomfor all, and the furetyof the new covenant, Heb. vii. 22. undertaking for, and on the behalf of them with whom that covenant was made, hence he is faid to be given for a covenant to the people, Ifa. xlii. 6. and a leader, xlix. 8. he was the fecond Adam, t Cor. xv. 45, 47. to all ends and purpofes of righteoufnefs to his fpiritual feed ç as the firft Adam was of fin to his natural feed, Rom. v. t5, 16,. t7, 18, 19. (a.) His being thus a common perfon, arofe chiefly from thefe things. [t.] In general, from the covenant entred into, by himfelf with his fa- ther to this pupofe. The termsofthis covenant are at large inffted on, Ifa. fummed up, Pfeil. xl. 7, 8. Heb. x. 8, 9, to. hence the father became his God, which is a covenant expreífion, Pfal. lxxxix. 26. Heb. i. 5. Pfal. xxii. r. Pfal. xl. 8. Pfal. xlv. 7. Revel. iii. 12. Mich. v. 4. So was he by his rfa- ther, on this account defigned to this work, Ifa. xlii. 1. chap. vi. 1. chap. xlix. 9. Mal. iii. 1. Zech. xiii. 7. fob. iii. 16. t Tim. i. t5. Thus the counfel of peace became to be between themboth, Zech. vi. 13, that is, the father, and fon. And the fon rejoices from eternity in the the thought of this undertaking, Prov. viii. 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29,$0. The command given him to this purpofe i the promifes made to him thereon, the aífiltance afforded to him, I have elféwhere handled. [2.] In the fovereign grant, appointment, and defign Of the father, gi- vingand delivering the cleft to Jefus Chrift in this covenant, to be redeem- ed and reconciled to hitnfePf, Joh. xvii. 6. Thine they were, and thou gáve/l them to me. Theywere God's by eternal defignationand elation, and he gave them to Chrift to be redeemed, hence before their calling or believing, he calls them his fheep, Joh. X. 15, 16. laying down his life for them as fuch. And hence are we faid to he cbofen in Chrift, Eph. i. 4. or defigned to obtain all the fruits of the love of God by Chrift, and committed into his hand, for that end and purpofe. [3.] In his undertaking to fuller what was due to them, and to do what was to be done by them, that theymight be delivered, reconciled, and ac- ceptedwith God. And he undertakes to give in to the father, without lofs or tnifcarriage, what he had fo received ofthe father as above, job. xvii. 2, 12. chap. vi. 37, 39. As Jacob did the cattle he received of Laban, Gen. xxxi. 39, 40. Of both thefe I have treated fomewhat at large elfewhere, in handling the covenant between the father and the fon, fo that I Ihall not need to take it up here again. [4.] Theybeing given unto him, he undertaking for diem, to doand fuf- fer, what was on their part required, he received on their behalf and for - them, all the promifes of all the mercies, grace, good things and privileges, which they were to receive, upon the account of his undertaking for them. On
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