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323 and righteous Being, for whom, and by whom, are all things, to make the Captain of salvation, his Son, whom he appointed to be the Saviour of men, perfect through sufferings, for the satisfaction of law and justice; and therefore he enjoined him to bear them, Heb. ii. 10. hence Christ says, speaking of laying down his life for the sheep, This commandment have I received of my Father, John x. 18. and hence his sufferings are called, the cup which his Father had given him; not just then put into his hands, for he spake of it long before, as what he was to drink of; but was what was ordered him in the everlasting covenant, John xviii. 11. Matt. xx. 22. and hence also they are spoken of by all the prophets from the beginning of the world: and this being the Father's will in covenant, hence likewise it is that the Father had so great an hand in them, as to bruise him and put him to grief, to awake the sword of justice against him, and smite him; not to spare him, but deliver him up by his determinate counsel, into the hands of wicked men, and to death itself; and the covenant having somewhat of the nature of a testament, or of a man's last will, there was a necessity of the death of the testator to ratify and confirm it; which was to be done by the blood of Christ, called therefore, the blood of the everlasting covenant, Heb. ix. 15-17. and xiii. 20.-6. When the Father signified in covenant, his dislike of the continuance of legal sacrifices, as insufficient to take away sin; he strongly suggested it was his will that his Son should become a sacrifice for it, and therefore prepared him a body, or human nature, in the covenant, capable of being offered up; and it was by his will expressed therein, that his covenant-people are sanctified through the offering up of the body of Christ, Heb. x. 5-10. This is the great condition of the covenant, and on which all the blessings of it depend; When thou shalt make his soul an offering for șin, or rather, When his soul shall make an offering for sin; that is, when he shall heartily and willingly offer up himself, soul and body, a sacrifice for sin, then the benefits following should be conferred both on Christ, and on his spiritual seed, Isai. liii. 10-12. And, —7. Farther, it was the will of the Father, in the covenant, that Christ should hereby make atonement for the sins of the chosen ones; this was the work which was assigned him in covenant, and is marked out in prophecy for him to do; namely, To finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, Dan. ix. 24. and as he agreed to do it, for this purpose he became man, and by his bloodshed, sufferings and death, has made it; which lays a foundation of solid joy in his people, Heb. ii. 17. and ix. 26. and x. 14. Rom. v. 10, 11.-8. In close connection with the former, his work assigned him in covenant was, to bring in everlasting righteousness, for the justification of the elect. God the Father in covenant, called him in righteousness, or to righteousness, to work out a righteousness for his people, commensurate to the demands of law and justice; and this call and proposal he answered and agreed to; hence the church of old could say, Surely in the Lord have I righteousness and strength; and by virtue of the suretyship-righteousness of Christ, and his engagements in covenant, all the old-testament saints were justified, Isai. xlii. 6.

and xlv. 24, 25. Lastly, The work which the Father proposed to, and prescribed to the Son was, to feed the flock of slaughter; to which he replied, I will feed the flock of slaughter; even all the elect of God, Zech. xi. 4, 7. and this feeding the flock committed to his charge, takes in his whole work as a shepherd; taking care of his sheep, laying down his life for them, gathering the lambs in his arms, carrying them in his bosom, gently leading those with young protecting them from all harms and enemies, bringing them into his fold here and above, setting them at his right hand, and introducing them into his kingdom and glory. This is the work that was before him; and his reward was with him.

II. On condition of Christ's engaging to do the above work proposed and prescribed to him, the Father promised in the covenant many things; some to him personally, and others to the elect, whom he personated and represented.

1. Some things to himself, respecting his work, assistance in it, &c. a glory on the nature in which he should do it, the honourable offices, he should be invested with in it, and the numerous offspring he should have. — 1. As the work assigned him was to be done in human nature, which needed qualifications for it, strength to do it, help and assistance in it, support under it, preservation from enemies, and encouragement of success: all this was promised him, that as his human nature should be formed. by the Holy Ghost without sin, so it should be filled with his gifts and graces; that the Spirit should be put upon him, and rest on him, as a Spirit of wisdom, counsel, might, knowledge, and of the fear of God, whereby he would be qualified to execute his offices of Prophet, Priest, and King, Isai. xi. 1, 2. and xlii. i. and lxi. 1. and which was bestowed upon him without measure, Psal. xlv. 7. John iii. 34. and that whereas the human nature, in which this work was to be done, would be attended with weakness, with all the sinless infirmities of human nature, as it was at last crucified through weakness; God promised to strengthen him, and he believed he would be his strength, and accordingly, he was the Man of his right hand, whom he made strong for himself, Psal. lxxxix. 21. Isai. xlix. 5. Psal. lxxx, 17. and that, as he would need help and assistance in that nature, it was promised him, and he expected it, asked for it, and had it, Psal. xxii. 1, 19. Isai. l. 7, 8. and xlix. 8. and as it would want support, under the mighty load of sin, and sense of wrath, that it might not sink under it, this was promised and granted; so that he failed not, nor was he discouraged or broken, Isai. xlii. 1, 4. and as it would have many enemies, who would seek to take its life away before its time; God promised that he would keep and preserve him, and hide him in the shadow of his hand, and in his quiver, and so secure him, as he did from Herod, and the wicked Jews, Isai. xliii. 6. and xlix. 2, 6. and since he would be treated with great contempt in that nature, be despised by men, abhorred by the nation of the Jews, and be a servant of rulers; he was told, for his encouragement, that the Lord would choose him, and express delight and pleasure in him, as his elect; and though disallowed of men, would be chosen of God, and precious, Isai. xlii. 1. and xlix. 7.

and accordingly, delight and well-pleasedness in him were expressed by his Father, when both obeying and suffering, Matt. iii. 17. John x. 17. yea, success in his work was promised him, that the pleasure of the Lord should prosper in his hand; that is, the work of the Lord be succeeded, which it was his will and pleasure to put into his hand. Now all this was promised him in covenant, as an encouragement to engage in this work. 2. As he was to do and suffer much in his human nature, so it was promised him, that he should have a very great glory conferred on him in that nature, not only that the glory of his Deity should be manifested and displayed, which was hid, especially from many, during his state of humiliation; for which, when he had done his work, he may be thought to pray, pleading a promise made to him, John xvii. 4, 5. But there was a glory to be put on his human nature, which was promised in the everlasting covenant, and which he had with his Father, in promise, be fore the world was; hence the prophecies of the old Testament, which are founded on covenant-engagements, speak, as of the sufferings of Christ, so of the glory that should follow, and of Christ's entering through sorrows and suffer ings, into this kingdom and glory; and Christ believed and expected that he should be glorious, notwithstanding all his meanness in a state of humiliation, Isai. xlix. 5. Luke xxiv. 26. particularly it was promised him, that though he should die and be laid in the grave, yet that he should not lie so long as to see corruption, but be raised again the third day, as he was, and so had the glory given him, and which he had faith and hope of, Psal. xvi. 9-11. 1 Pet. i. 21. as also, that he should ascend to heaven, and receive gifts for men, or in man, in human nature; and accordingly he did ascend above all heavens, to fill all things, and gave the gifts to men he received, and that in a very extraordinary manner; whereby it appeared he was glorified, as was promised him, because the Spirit was not given in such a plentiful manner till Jesus was giorified, exalted at the right hand of God, and made and declared Lord and Christ, Psal. lxviii. 18. Eph. iv. 8-10. John vii. 39. Acts ii. 33, 36. Moreover, it was promised him, that in human nature he should sit at the right hand of God; a glory and honuor which none of the angels was ever admitted to; but, in consideration of his obedience, sufferings, and death, he was highly exalted, as it was promised he should, and a name given him above every name; being placed on the right hand of God, angels, authorities, and powers being made subject unto him! Psal. cx. 1. Heb. i. 13. Phil. ii. 7-9. Pet. iii. 23. and now he is seen crowned with glory and honour, and will come a second time in his own glory, and in his Father's glory, and in the glory of the holy angels, all according to the covenant-agreement. In a word, it was promised him in covenant, on condition of making his soul an offering for sin, among other things, that God would divide him a portion with the great; give him as large and ample a portion, yea, a larger one, than any of the great men of the earth; that he would make him his first born, higher than the kings of the earth: and that he should divide the spoil with the strong, or take the prey out of the hands of the mighty, and deliver the lawful captive; which spoil and

3. As

prey being taken out of the hands of the strong, should be his portion and inheritance; and that because he poured out his soul unto death, was numbered with the transgressors, and bore the sins of many, Isai. liii. 12. an encouragement to Christ to engage in the above work proposed to in, in covenant, it was promised him, that he should be invested with, and sustain several honourable offices, which he should execute in human nature; as, that he should be the great prophet of the church; not only the minister of the circumcision for the truth of God to the Jews; but be for a light of the Gentiles; which is twice promised, where plain traces of this everlasting covenant are to be seen, Isai. xlii. 6. and xlix. 6. and he accordingly was expected to be a light to lighten the Gentiles, as well as to be the glory of the people of Israel, Luke ii. 32. and he was so, by the ministry of his apostles, in the Gentileworld, and still is, by the preaching of his ministers in it; whereby men are turned from darkness to light, and to shew forth the praises of him who has called him out of the one to the other, 1 Pet. ii. 9. Eph. ii. 17: Acts xxvi. 18. It was also promised, and swore to by an oath in covenant; that he should be a Priest; an honour which no man takes to himself; but he that is called to it, as was Aaron; even Christ glorified not himself, to be called an High Priest; but his Father, who invested him with his office, by an oath, to shew the immutability of it; and that he should continue in it, and be a priest on his throne, Psal. cx. 4. Heb. v. 4, 5. and vii. 21. Zech. vi. 13. Likewise, that he should be King of Zion, of saints, over his church and people, and have a kingdom very large, from sea to sea, from the river to the ends of the earth; of which government, and the increase of it, there should be no end; a dispensatory kingdom, besides that of nature and providence, which he had a tight to, as a divine Person; but this is a kingdom disposed of to him in covenant and by promise; I appoint unto you a kingdom, says Christ, as my Father hath appointed me, diabeto, has disposed of or appointed in covenant to me, Luke xxii. 26. Once more, God has appointed him in covenant to be the Judge of quick and dead; and has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness, by that Man whom he has ordained, and accordingly, he has committed all judgment to him, that all men should honour him as they honour the Father, Acts. x. 42. and xvii. 31. John v. 22, 23. 4. In consequence of fulfilling the condition of the covenant, engaging to do, and doing the above work proposed in it; it was promised to Christ; that he should see his seed, and prolong his days, Isai. liii. 10. that is, that he should have a spiritual offspring, a seed that should serve him, and be accounted to him for a generation; that he should be an everlasting Father to them, and they be his everlasting children; that as the first Adam was the common parent, and federal head of all his posterity, who sinning, conveyed sin and death to them; so the second Adam becomes the Father and federal Head of a spiritual offspring, and conveys grace, righteousness, and life unto them; it was promised him, that that this seed of his should be numerous, and continue long;

yea, that these children should endure for ever, and his throne be as the days of
heaven; and that these should be his portion, and his inheritance; not only the
elect among the Jews, but those among the Gentiles also; and therefore he was
bid to ask of his Father in covenant, and he would give him the heathen for his
inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession; which ac-
cordinly he asked, and has, and is well pleased with his portion, and says, the
lines are fallen to him in pleasant places, and he has a goodly heritage, Isai. ix. 6.
Psal. xxii. 30. and lxxxix. 29, 36. and ii. 8. and xvi. 6. yea, it was promised
him, that all persons and things should be put into his hands, to subserve his
mediatorial interest, and the good of his spiritual seed, his covenant-people; even
all the wicked of the earth, whom he diposes of as he pleases, and rules with a
rod of iron: he is given to be an Head over all things to the church; for its
preservation and security; and has power over all flesh, that he may give eter-
nal life to as many as the Father hath given him; and accordingly all things are
put into his hand, and all creatures are at his disposal; all power in heaven and
in earth is given unto him, so that he can order and appoint whatsoever he
pleases for the good of his people, Psal. ii. 9. Eph. i. 22. John xvii. 2. and

iii. 35.

11. There are other things which God the Father promised in covenant, re-
pecting the elect, the persons for whom Christ was a covenantee, and whom he
represented in the covenant, and for whose sake he was to do all the work pro-
posed to him, and which he undertook. And, -1. It was promised, that upon
Christ's engaging in, and performing the work of redemption, they should be
delivered out of that state of misery sin brought them into, even out of the pit
wherein is no water, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Zech. ix. II.
that they should be redeemed from all their inquities, original and actual, which
should be cast behind God's back, and into the depths of the sea, never to be
seen and remembered more to their condemnation, Psal. cxxx. 8. that they
should be ransomed from the hand of Satan, stronger than they, and the prey
be taken from the mighty, and the lawful captive delivered, Jer. xxxi. 11.
Isai. xlix. 24, 25. that they should be freed from the law, its curse, and
condemnation, Christ being made a curse for them, and sin condemned in his
flesh, Rom. viii. 1, 3, 33. Gal. iii. 13. and that they should be secured from
hell, wrath, ruin, and everlasting destruction their sins deserved, Job xxxiii. 24.
-2. That upon the faithful discharge of his office, as a Servant, particularly
in bearing the sins of his people, they should be openly justified and acquitted;
that his righteousness he would bring in, should be made known unto them,
and received by faith; and so they should be manifestatively, and in their own
consciences, justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our
God, Isai. liii. 11. 1 Cor. vi. 11. Ezek. xxxvi. 25. 3. That all their
iniquities should be forgiven them, for Christ's sake, and their sins and trans-
gressions be remembered no more. This is a special and particular article in
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