é 173 SALVATION OF MAN BY CHRIST. II. That our Lord Jesus Christ might be the better known by us, and the more endeared to us, by sustaining these various offices and relations ; and that we might be able to borrow some further ideas, and some clearer knowledge of these divine and important things of our salvation, from many of the common affairs and occurrences of life. When the blessed God has taken so much care to provide such a Saviour for us, andauch an illustrious salvation, he is very desirous that we should view it on all sides, andbe more thoroughly acquainted with it, as well as with that blessed person by whom he prepares andbestows it. III. That all sorts of persons, of whatsoever temper or capacity, whatsoever want or difficulty they are in, might have wherewith to suit them and their circumstances ; that every son and daughter of Adam, in their various ranks of life, might all learn the way to receive this Saviour, and layhold on this sal- vation of Christ, and that he might render it easy and familiar to usby so many common similitudes, or parallels drawn from the things of common life : And thusthose who know not how to ap- ply themselves to Christ one way, might do it another. As for instance, some poorfeeble creatures who are convinc- ed of sin, and ready to perish, perhaps may not know how to ap- plyor addressthemselves toChrist, as a Surety, oras a Sacrfce, or as a Redeemer, &c. for these things are done already, and in a great measure were finished long ago ; but the meanest and poorest creatures can easily learnhow to apply to Christ as a Me- diator, to do something for them that is yet to be done, to recon- cile them to God, and tobring them intohispresence withcomfort ; or as a high-priest of intercession, or as an advocate to plead for them before the throne of God, and their faith can wait onChrist, can call upon him, and trust in him to make intercession for them in the virtue of his blood, orto present his blood before the Fa- ther as an atonement fortheir sins, to appear before God for them as their great'friend in heaven, to become their Mediator, Peace- maker, or Reconciler, to bring them into the favour of God. Those who are infants or babes in Christ; may thus be nou- rished by the sincere milkof the word, and with diet fitted for their feeble capacity, when they are not sufficientlygrown to bear stronger meat, as the apostle expresses himself ; Heb. v. 12 14. whereas those whoare well grown christians, and in the sense of the apostle, may be called perfect, may know better how to converse with Christ as their great representative, they may know and rejoice in him, and in thepower of his resurrection and thefellowship of his sufferings, and be made conformable unto his death ; but those that are in a lower form may not have their ap- prehensions so well cleared, and so much raised at present, although afterwards God may reveal also these things unto them; Phil. iii. 10, 15.
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