REFERING to that tranfaction, the redeemer declares, I was fet up from everlasting; "I was ordained' by Jehovah the furety of a better teftament, and commiffioned to appear in time for the accomplishment of that undertaking." The adorable father, in his turn, frequently mentions this fubftitution of his fon in the room of his cho fen. I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chofen out of the people; I have found David my fervant; with my holy oil have I anointed him: With whom my hand shall be eftablifhed; mine arm alfo fhall ftrengthen him. Behold my fervant whom I uphold; mine elect, my chofen, my confecrated one, in whom my foul delighteth: I have put my spirit upon him; he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. These characters can with no propriety be applied to the Son effentially confidered; he is in that fenfe the Father's FELLOW; he deems it not robbery to be EQUAL with God; he claims, and claims without the least air of prefumption, every title, every perfection, every glory that is proper to Jehovah; but they belong to him peculiarly as contractor for man; as mediator he is the Father's fervant; he has voluntarily undertaken to perform all his pleasure by standing in our co venant-room. 2. By the immediate agency of God the Father, the Eternal Son entered our world, and affumed that nature in which he fuffered and fatis fied for human tranfgreffion. While Jehovah, in the original contrivance of our redemption, contemplated the ultimate object, his own glory in the happiness of his creatures, he also con templated all the intermediate fteps by which the mediator fhould accomplish this work; and to these he actually ordained him. The incarna tion of Jefus, or his affumption of our nature is therefore reprefented in fcripture as the Father's act; as done in direct fubmiffion to his authority. When the fulness of the time was come, when the moment, mutually agreed upon between the father and fon, in their counfel from everlafting, had arrived, God fent forth his fon, reminded him of his covenant ftipulations, and fent him forth to enter upon the execution of his work, made of a woman, made under the law; to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of fons. Wherefore when he the fon cometh into the world he faith, he addreffes his father as vindicating the honors of the godhead, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not, "the countless oblations which have been prefented, and all the rivers of blood which have flowed in ages past thou haft rejected as infufficient for the expiation of human guilt; but a body haft thou prepared, framed, made ready for me." True it is, the manhood of Meffiah was formed by the immediate, miraculous agency of the Holy Ghoft, yet the fpirit formed it, and the Son affumed in virtue of the Father's appoint ment. As the affumption of his body, fo all the fufferings which he underwent either in body or foul, either from earth or from hell, were 'not barely with the permiffion, but by the direct appointment of the Father, It pleafed Jehovah to bruife him, he hath put him to grief; he who in his fovereignty formerly made him to be fin for us, who laid the iniquity of his people on the head of this fcape-goat, in his juftice made him afterwards to fuffer with his own lips he utters the awful mandate, awake O fword against my Shepherd, and with his own hand bathes this fword in the blood of his own fon. True it is, a blind infernal rage roufed the oppofition of his enemies: Impelled by the alternate paffions of envy and avarice and jealoufy, one early commenced his perfecutions, obliging the child Jefus to flee into Egypt; another betrayed him; another condemned him ; others mocked and reviled him; But all this infult was offered, and all this fuffering inflicted by the Father's appointment, and for the execution of his abfolute eternal purpose. Against thy holy child Jefus, whom thou haft anointed, lays an infpired author, both Herod and Pontius Pilate were gathered together; for to do whatever thy hand and thy counfel determined before to be done. While these men were endulging an unprovoked,unhallowed rage, they were fulfilling the fovereign, everlasting decree of Jehovah; in filling up the measure of their own iniquity, they were filling up that cup which the Father, myriads of ages before, had ordained him to drink. 3. By the immediate agency of God the Father, the Son as Mediator arofe from the dead and afcended to his present elevation of glory in heaven. In pursuing our precious Lord through all the grades of his exaltation, from the humble tomb to the highest throne, we behold the authority of the Father illuftriously expreffed. By his appointment, and commiffioned by the high court of heaven, the angel leaves his feat in blifs, vifits the tomb, breaks off the feal, rolls back the ftone, and welcomes to the region of day his conquered conquering Lord; we hear the Son thus pathetically addrefs the Father by the mouth of David his type, Thou wilt not leave my foul in hell, the prison of the grave, this ftate of invisibility. "Thy juftice indeed required that I, as furety for man, fhould be seized and caft into prison, but justice now demands that when the debt is discharged the furety be liberated; thou wilt fhew me the path of life; thou wilt make me full of joy with thy countenance." When the rifen Saviour had converfed with his apoftles; when he had, by frequent and familiar interviews, fully fatisfied them that he was really rifen from the dead, and had directed them as to the future management of his kingdom, by an immediate act of the Father Jehovah incarnate afcends on high, enters the gates of the celeftial fan&uary, and takes his feat on the right hand of the majesty on high. Then did his fervent prayer receive a literal anfwer, Father glorify thou me with thine ownfelf; with the glory which I had with thee before the world was; then did the ancient prophecy receive its full accomplishment, the Lord faid unto my lord; he who formerly fpared not his own Son, who apparently delighted in his degradation and grief; who doomed him to all the ignominy, and all the agonies of the manger and the garden and the crofs, now delights to honor him; takes him from prison and from judgment; introduces him amidst a choir of adoring angels, to his prefence, and affigns him the highest throne in his dominion; fit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footfool; with his rod of iron this Jefus has already ground to powder the head of the old ferpent, and his feet fhall ere long tread on the neck of every oppofer of his reign. Again, God hath highly exalted him, and what greater glory can be conferred on the Son, than he now participates; the midft of the throne is his refidence, the brightest crown in heaven adorns his head, and the fceptre of unlimited empire is put into his hand; and given him a name above every name; other exalted fpirits are called lords, but the Son as Mediator is LORD of thefe lords; others are called kings, but he is KING of kings; others are dignified with the appellation of Gods, but the man Christ Jefus |