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is made, that juftice is fatisfied, that God is well pleased, that our victory over fin, death, and hell is fure, that it is an earneft of ours, and the pattern of its perfection.

Friendly. Let me juft afk, did CHRIST rife from the dead by his own power?

Truth. The refurrection of CHRIST feems to be the joint concern of the whole Godhead, therefore applied to each divine perfon, the FATHER, the WORD, and the HOLY GHOST. Indeed, as the Father was concerned in the preparation of the human nature, and the Holy Ghoft in its formation in the womb of the Virgin, and CHRIST, as the 'eternal word, in affuming this nature, it was therefore neceflary, that each divine person should be concerned in the refurrection of the Man Jefus, to prove their union and agreement, through the whole of our falvation, Acts ii. 24. John ii. 19, 20. Rom. i. 4.

But this leads us to the fixth particular, which was to fhew, wherein the love of Chrift appears in his ever living to make interceffion with his own blood before the throne for us.

Here I fhall beg leave to refer the reader to * Number Second, where this fubject is dilated upon in all its branches, and I am almost excited to recommend it with warmth, as fo many judicious readers have expreffed their approbation of it, and indeed its paffing through two or three editions in fo little time, is a proof of its favourable acceptance; I fhall therefore only obferve, what CHRIST pleads, with whom he pleads, for whom he pleads, and for what he pleads. What CHRIST pleads is his precious blood; for he is not entered with the blood of bulls and of calves, but with his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption for us. With whom he pleads, viz. with GOD, in the character of the Father; I afcend (faith he) to your Father, and unto my Father, to your GoD, and to my God. For whom he pleads, viz. for all thofe that come unto God by him. For what he pleads, viz. for all the bleffings of divine grace, contained in the promises of his word, to be communicated to them that feek his face; and, as an advocate or counfellor, pleads the moft ftrong and cogent arguments, in order to obtain the thing he pleads for. Then, why may we not think, that the Man JESUS, in perfonal union with GOD, pleads the moft pregnant arguments of his death for his people, fuch as his foul being made an offering for fin for them; his Father's promise to him that he fhould fee his feed; likewife the dignity of his fufferings, his wounds and fears, the dear memorials of his love, his veftment dipt in blood! And as he ever liveth to make interceffion, methinks I hear the once fuf

* Vol. I. page 35,

cr

fering Saviour thus plead, for a poor guilty finner, that comes trembling to the throne of grace, "Father, pardon this poor guilty finner, fee I have fuffered all thy wrath for him, the "juft for the unjuft, that he might be brought nigh unto "GOD. See the forrow of my once fuffering foul in his ftead; "behold my bleeding heart and fide, my precious blood within "the vail"

"Father, forgive their fins, he cries,
"For I myself have dy'd;"

Then he difplays, his bleeding heart,
And pleads his wounded fide.

WATTS.

So that we may fafely conclude, that as the dignity of his perfon, the prevalency of his blood, the power of his interceffion are engaged for thofe that come unto God by him, they fhall be faved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation, and fhall never be confounded world without end. For note, as by his fufferings he took upon him the whole of our fins, in order to make an atonement for them by his blood, fo by his interceffion he takes upon him the whole of the communication of falvation, Rom. v. 10. For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more being reconciled we shall be faved by his life.

Friendly. Does the interceffion of CHRIST make GOD propitious?

Truth. No, for the interceffion of CHRIST is the effect of his love, therefore it cannot be the caufe; but then, as the Man JESUS intercedes in union to the divine nature, his arguments may be faid to be infinite with GOD, though it is only the way and means of the communication of his love, John . 16. For God fo loved the world, that he gave his only begotten fon; that whofoever believeth in him might not perish, but have everlafting life.

This leads us to the feventh particular, which was to fhew, Wherein the love of God appears in the exaltation and glorification of Chrift, as the exalted Head of the Church.

No truth fhines more bright in fcripture, than the exaltation of the MESSIAH, as the Head of the Church; the Prophets foretold it, and the Apoftles fpeak of the accomplishment of it in the most comprehenfive manner. We find the Pfalmift, fpeaking of the glorification of the MESSIAH,. fays,

Pfal. xxi. 5. His glory is great in thy falvation, honour and majefty hast thou laid upon him. And God himself faith, Fjal. Cxxxii. 18. His enemies will I clothe with fhame, but upon himself fhall the crown flourish. And again, Ifa. lii. 13. Behold, my fervant fhall deal prudently; he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. And the Prophet Zechariah faich, Even he fall build the Temple of the Lord, and shail bear the glory. And the Apoftle faith, God hath highly exalted him, and hath given him a name above every name, &c. Indeed the glory of the Man JESUS, as in perfonal union with GOD, is fo great, that many of our eminent divines have afcribed (in opening texts of fcripture) the perfonal glories of his human nature to his divine effence. Friendly. But wherein do the glories of CHRIST, as GodMAN, appear to be so great?

Truth. I anfwer, the human nature being taken into perfonal union with the divine, there is fuch a communication of knowledge, fuch a tranfcendency of dignity, fuch a glory of power, that it is not poffible for us to conceive of it, though it be not infinite, (which is peculiar to the Godhead) yet it is far above our comprehenfion, which made Dr. Thomas Goodwin thus draw up the heads, or contents of his Second Chapter, Vol. II. Book II. Page 103. "The perfonal and native "glories which belong to the fon of God, as dwelling in our "nature. How the divine attributes are inherent, and shine "forth in the Man JESUS, fo united to the Son of God. In "what fenfe he is the image of the invifible GoD. How he is "the wisdom and power of GoD. His human nature does not "poffefs thofe perfections in that high degree, as they are at"tributes in the divine nature, and fo infinite; but he hath "them in a nearer refemblance than any mere creature is ca"pable of. In what refpect he alfo has independency, and "fovereignty. It is upon the union of the human nature with "the divine that it is invefted with its high privilege."

That the human nature of CHRIST is thus highly dignified, and exalted, is manifeft from Eph. i. 20, 21, 22. And fet him at bis own right hand in heavenly places; far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And bath put all things under his feet, and hath given him to be head over all things to the church. So it is plain that the Man JESUS, by virtue of his union with the Godhead, hath an incxpreffible and fuperexcellent glory above all other created beings, as this exaltation is fpoken of his human nature, which is faid not only to be dignified above all principalities and powers, but a name

iven it above every name that is named, both in this world. and that which is to come; which proves, that no glory ever was, nor never can be communicated to any being, like that which the Man JESUS, by virtue of his perfonal union with GOD enjoys. Why? becaufe he is nearer the fountain than all creatures are, for he is one with GOD, and therefore the communication with GOD, and all the fulness of the Godhead to him must needs be fo much the greater, by how much the union is nearer. As he had the nearest union that any creature could have, to be one perfon with the Godhead, fo in his human. nature he hath joys of GOD, which none elfe can have; whilst he was on earth, he was the man of forrows emphatically; but, as exalted in glory, he is the man of joys; for all the joys of the Godhead refide in him, Col. i. 19. In whom it has pleafed the father should all fulness dwell.

Befides, it is worthy our notice, that the Apostle fays, that his exaltation is not only above, but far above all principalities and powers, &c. So far above, that the Apoftie could not exprefs it; infinitely above, &c. We find in Acts ii. 33. that the man JESUS is exalted at the right-hand of God; but when the Apoftle would fet forth the fuper-excellency of his exaltation, he faith, Phil. ii. 9. Wherefore God hath highly exalted, and given him a name above every name; which denotes a fuperexaltation, for the word in the original implies, not only an. exalting, but an exalting above all exaltation; an exaltation to the highest degree that a created nature can poffibly be advanced to, therefore it is faid, Heb. vii. 26. to be made higher than the heavens.

Another thing remarkable in the text is, the beauty of the gradation, or the aptnels of the fimilitude which the Apostle makes ufe of, to fet forth the exaltation of CHRIST, far above all principalities, might, power and dominion; be they whatsoever they will, names either in this world, or that which is to come, yet the man JESUS is above them all. The Apostle feems here to compare GOD to a great king, and heaven to his court, with angels, arch-angels, thrones, dominions and powers before him, and the man JESUS, in perfonal union with the Godhead, exalted in the midft of the throne, far above them. all, being appointed heir of all things, Heb. i. 2. even of his throne, Prov. iii. 21. And all this is the reward of the fuffering nature of JESUS, which he had in view when he died upon the crofs, Heb. xii. 2. Who for the joy that was fet before him, endured the cross, defpifed the fhame, and is fet down at the

right-hand of the throne of God. Therefore as his reward, the Father gave it him; for as he had fuffered, and condescended in his human nature to be made lower than the angels, it was fit, according to infinite wifdom, that in his exaltation he fhould be far above them, and even the object of their adoration. Heb. i. 6. He faith, let all the angels of God worship him. Some would reftrain this exaltation of CHRIST only to his human nature, for, fay they, as he was the Son of GGD, he did always fit at GoD's right-hand; which is true, as GOD, he had originally the fame equality of power with the Father from everlasting; but then that power is never expreffed as fitting at God's right-hand; for if fo, then the HOLY GHOST may be faid to fit at GOD's right-hand, of which we have not the leaft hint in fcripture. So then CHRIST's fitting at God's right-hand, doth take in that power which is committed to him as Mediator, as God-man, as the Son of GOD cloathed in the human nature, exalted in glory; fo that what we attribute to the one, is by communication of properties, or virtue of the hypoftatical union, afcribed to the whole perfon, as when we fay that God died, as the apoftle John expreffeth it, Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us; though it was only his manhood that died and rose again; yet as his human nature was in union with the divine, fo the actions of his dying, rifing and ascending, are attributed to his whole perfon, Immanuel, God with us.

But upon mature confideration, there is one text that points out the exaltation of his Godhead, Pfal. cx. 1. The Lord faid unto my Lord, fit thou at my right-hand, &c. which, as Dr. Goodwin opferves, is more full in the original, though our tranflation omits it; Jehovah faid unto my Lord Jehovah, fit thou at my right-hand; which takes in his complex perfon as God-man. But perhaps you are ready to fay, how can his Godhead be exalted in any fenfe, for take it in the higheft exaltation it now enjoys, it is but what it always was? True, as to his effential perfections, there never can be any addition or exaltation.— But then you are to confider, that whilft the Son of GOD was here below, his divine nature was clouded, and obfcured in the veil of his flesh, notwithstanding he had an indubitable right to shine with all the beams and perfections of the Godhead every moment, as he did before Peter, James, and John, when his face did fine as the fun, and his raiment was white as the light. This glory he condefcended to conceal in the veil of his humanity; but in heaven it breaks forth with all those native beams, fo refulgent that John the divine faith, from

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