of the PERSON Of CHRIST. 19 Tobenigh unto God, and to be like untohim, are the fame. To be al- Ways with ham, and perfectly like him, according to the capacity of our na- ture, is to be eternally bleffed. To live by faith in the contemplationof the glory ofGod in Chrift, is that initiation into both, whereof we are ca- pable in this world. The endeavours of fome to contemplate and report the glory of God in nature, in the worksof creation and providence, in the things of thegreater and the letter world, do defervetheir juft commen- dation ; and it is that which the fcripture in fundry places calls us unto : Bat for any there to abide, there to bound their defigns, when they have a much more noble and glorious objeft for their meditations, namely, the glory ofGod inChryl, is both to defpife the wifdom of God in that revela- tion of himfelf, and to come Ihort of that transforming efficacy of faith in the contemplation hereof; whereby we are made like unto God. For here- unto alone doth it belong, and not unto any natural knowledge, nor to any knowledge of the molt ferret receftes of nature. I fha',1 only fay, that thofe who are inconverfasit with thefe objefts of faith, whofe minds are not delighted in the admiration of, and acqúiefcency in things incomprehenuble, loch as is this conflitutionof the perfon of Chrift, who would reduce all things to the meafure of their own under- flandings, or elfe wilfully live in thenegleft of what they cannot compre- hend, do not muchprepare themfelves for that vii onof thefe things in glory wherein our bleffednefs doth conhft. Moreover, this conftitution of the perfon of Chrift being the molt ad- mirable and ineffable eftei of divine wifdom, grace and power, it is that alone which can bear the weight ofthe whole fupesylrulbure of the nyftery of godlinefs; that wherein the whole fanelificataon and falvation of the church is refolved, wherein alone faith can find reft and peace. Other foundation can no man lay fave that is laid, which is Jefus Chrift, a Cor. Iii, a I. Reft and peace with God, is that whichwe Peek after; Wha...Pall we do to be fared? In 'this enquiry the ais of the mediatory office of Chrift are in the gofpel firft prefented unto us, efpecially his oblation and inter - ceffion : Through them is he able tofave unto the utmoft thofe that come to Godby him. But there were oblations for fin, and interceffionsfor tan- ners under the Old Teftament; yet ofthem all doth the apoflle affirm, that theycould not make them perfèll that came unto God by them, not take a- wayconfcience condemning for fin, Heb. ii. I, 2, g, g. Wherefore it is not thefe things in themfelves that can give us reff and peace, but their relati- on unto theperfon ofChrift. Theoblation and interceffion of any other would not have favedus. Hence for the fecurity of our faith, weare mind- ed that God redeemed the church with his own blood, AU: xx. 28. He did fo whowas God, as hewas manifefted in the flefh. His blood alone could purge our confciences from dead works, who did offer himfelf unto God, through the Eternal Spirit, Pleb. ix. 1 .. And when the apoftle, for our re- lief againft the guilt of fin calleth us unto the confideration ofintercefron and propitiation, he mindeth us pecuSarly of hisperfon by whom they are formed, r yam u. I, 2. Ifany manfin, we bave an advocate with the fa- ther, Jefus Chrifi the righteous, andbe is the propitiationfor ourfins. And we may briefly confider the order of thefe things. I. We fuppofe in this cafe confcience tobe awakened unto a fenfe of fin and ofapoficry from God thereby. Thefe things are now generally look- ed on as of no great concernment unto us, by force made a mock of and by the molt thought eafy to be dealt withal at time convenient : But when God fixechan apprehenfion of his difpleafure for then on the foul, if it be not before it be too late, it will caufe men to look out for relief. 2. This
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