The Son receiveth not of the Son, to wit, of himfelf, but of the Father: So when the Father giveth Commandment, he giveth it not to himself, but to another; as Christ faith, He hath given me a Commandment, John 12. 42. So again, I am one that beareth Witness of myself, and the Father that fent me, beareth Witness of me John 10. 18.

Further, here is fomething implied that is not expreffed, to wit, that the Father hath not given all Men to Chrift; that is, in that Senfe as is intended in the Text, though in a larger, as was faid before, he hath given every one of them; for then all should be faved: He hath therefore difpofed of fome another way. He gives fome up to Idolatry; he gives fome up to Uncleannefs, to vile Affections, and to a reprobate Mind. Now thefe he difpofeth of in his Anger, for their Deftruction, (Acts 7. 42. Rom. 1. 24, 26, 28.) that they may reap the Fruit of their Doings, and be filled with the Reward of their own Ways. But neither hath he thus difpofed of all Men; he hath even of Mercy referved fome from thefe Judgments, and thofe are they that he will pardon, as he faith. For I will pardon them whom I referve, Jer. 50. 20. Now thefe he hath given to Jefus Chrift by Will, as a Legacy and Portion. Hence the Lord Jefus fays, This is the Father's Will which hath fent me, that of all which he hath given me, I should lofe nothing, but should raife it up again. at the last Day, John 36. 29.

The Father therefore in giving of them to him to fave them, muft Needs declare unto us thefe following Things:

1. That he is able to answer this Defign of God, to wit, to fave them to the uttermoft Sin, the uttermoft Temptation, &c. Heb. 7. 25. Hence he is faid to lay Help on one that is mighty, mighty to fave: And hence it is again, that God did even of old promife to fend his People a Saviour, a great one,

Pfal.

Pfal. 89. 19. Ifa. 63. 1, To fave is a great Work, and calls for Almightiness in the Undertaker: Hence he is called the Mighty God, the wonderful Counsellor, &c. Sin is ftrong, Satan is alfo ftrong, and fo is the Curfe of the Law; therefore it follows, that this Jefus muft Needs be by God the Father accounted Almighty, in that he hath given his Elect to him to fave them, and deliver them from these, and that in Despite of all their Force and Power.

And he gave us Teftimony of this his Might, when he was employed in that Part of our Deliverance that called for a Declaration of it. He abolished Death; he destroyed him that had the Power of Death; he was the Deftruction of the Grave; he hath finished Sin, and made an End of it, as to it's damning Effects upon the Perfons that the Father hath given him; he hath vanquished the Curfe of the Law, nailed it to his Cross, triumphed over them upon his Cross, and made a Shew of these Things openly, 2 Tim. 1. 10. Heb. 2. 14, 15. Hof. 13. 14. Dan. 9. 24. Gal. 3. 13. Col. 2. 14, 15.

Yea, and even now, as a Sign of his Triumph and Conqueft, he is alive from the Dead, and hath the Keys of Hell and Death in his own Keeping, Rev. 1. 18./

2. The Father's giving of them to him to fave them, declares unto us that he is and will be faithful in his Office of Mediator, and that therefore they fhall be fecured from the Fruit and Wages of their Sins, which is eternal Damnation, by his faithful Execution of it. And indeed it is faid, even by the Holy Ghoft himself; That he is faithful to him that appointed him; that is, to this Work of faving thofe that the Father hath given him for that Purpofe; as Mofes was faithful in all his House: Yea, and more faithful too, for Mofes was faithful in

God's

God's Houfe, but as a Servant; but Chrift as a Son, over his own House, Heb. 3.

And therefore this man is counted worthy of more Glory than Mofes, even upon this Account, because more faithful than he, as well as because of the Dignity of his Perfon. Therefore in him, and in his Truth and Faithfulness, God refted well-pleafed, and hath put all the Government of his people upon his fhoulders. Knowing, that nothing shall be wanting in him, that may any Way perfect the Defign. And of this, He, to wit, the Son, hath already given a Proof: For when the Time was come, that his Blood was by divine Juftice required for their Redemption, washing and cleaning, He as freely poured it out of his Heart, as if it had been Water out of a Veffel; not flicking to part with his own Life, that the Life which was laid up for is People in Heaven, might not fail to be bestowed upon them. And upon this Account (as well as upon any other) it is that God calleth him the righteous Servant, Ifa. 53. For his Righteoufnefs could never have been compleat, if he had not been to the uttermost faithful to the Work he undertook: It is also, because he is faithful and true, that in Righteouinefs he doth judge and make Work for his People's Deliverance. He will faithfully perform this Truft repofed in him: The Father knows this, and hath therefore given his Eleft unto him.

Thirdly, The Father giving of them, to him, to fave them, declares that he is, and will be gentle and patient towards them, under all their Provocations and Miscarriages. It is not to be imagined, the Trials and Provocations that the Son of God hath all along had with thefe People that have been given to him to fave: Indeed he is faid to be a tried ftone; for he has been tried, not only by the Devil, Guilt of Sin, Death, and the Curfe of the Law, but alfo by his People's Ignorance, Unrulinefs, Falls

into Sin, and declining to Errors in Life and Doctrine. Were we but capable of feeing how this Lord Jefus has been tried even by his People, ever fince there was one of them in the World, we should be amazed at his Patience and gentle Carriages to them. It is faid, indeed, The Lord is very pitiful, flow to Arger, and of great Mercy: And indeed, if he had not been fo, he could never have endured their Manners as he has done from Adam hitherto. Therefore is his Pity and Bowels towards his Church, preferred above the Pity and Bowels of a Mother towards her Child. Can a Woman forget her fucking Child, that he should not have Compaffion on the Son of ber Womb? Yea, they may forget, yet I will not forget thee, faith the Lord, Ifa. 49. 15.

God did once give Mojes, as Chrifi's Servant, an Handful of his People, to carry them in his Bofom, but no farther than from Egypt to Canaan; and this Mafes, as is faid of him by the Holy Ghoft, was the meekeft Man that was then to be found on the Earth yea, and he loved the People at a very great Rate, yet neither would his Meeknefs nor Love hold out in this Work; he failed and grew Paffionate, even to provoking his God to Anger under this Work. And Mojes faid unto the Lord, Wherefore haft thou afflicted thy Servant? But what was the Affliction Why the Lord had faid unto him, Carry this People in thy Bofom as a nurfing Father beareth bis fuckling Child, unto the Land that he fare unto their Fathers. And how then? Not I, fays Mofes, I am not able to bear all this People, because it is too heavy for me: If thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of Hand, and let me not jee my Wretchedness, Numb. 11. 11, 12, 13, 14. God gave them to Mofes, that he might carry them in his Bofom, that he might fhew Gentleness and Patience towards them, under all the Provocations wherewith they would provoke him from that Time, till he had brought them to their Land; but he failed in the

Work;

1

Work; he could not exercise it, because he had not that Sufficiency of Patience towards them: But now it is faid of the Perfon speaking in the Text, That he fhall gather his Lambs with his Arm, fhall carry them in his Bofom, and shall gently lead them that are with Young. Ifa. 40. 10, 11. Intimating that this was one of the Qualifications that God looked for, and knew was in him, when he gave his Elect to him to fave them.

Fourthly, The Father giving of them to him to fave them, declares that he hath a Sufficiency of Wisdom to wage with all thofe Difficulties that would attend him in his bringing of his Sons and Daughters unto Glory, 1 Cor. 1. 30. He hath made him to us to be Wisdom; yea' he is called Wisdom itself: And God faith moreover, That he shall deal prudently, Ifa. 52. 13.. And, indeed, he that fhall take upon him to be the Saviour of the People, had Need be wife, because their Adverfaries are subtle above any. Here they are to encounter with the Serpent, who for his Subtility outwitted our Father and Mother, when their Wisdom was at highest (Gen. 3.) But if we talk of Wisdom, our Jefus is wife, wifer than Solomon, wifer than all Men, wifer than all Angels; he is even the Wifdom of God. Chrift is the Wisdom of God, (Col. 1. 1.) And hence it is, that he turneth Sin, Temptations, Perfecutions, Falls, and all Things for Good unto his People, (Rom. 8.)

Now thefe Things thus concluded on, do fhew us alfo the great and wonderful Love of the Father in that he should chufe out one every Way fo well prepared for the Work of Man's Salvation.

Herein indeed perceive we the Love of God. Hurám gathered, that God loved Ifrael, because he had given them fuch a King as Solomon, (2 Chron. 2. 11.) But how much more may we behold the Love that God hath bestowed upon us, in that he

hath