ii. 8.-11. And, when he had by himself purged our fins, he fat down on the righthand of the majefty on high,' Heb. i. 3. And, "Who is it that is thus exalted over all? "Who is thus encompaffed with glory, majefty, "and power? Who is it that fits down at the "right-hand of the majefty on high, all his "enemies being made his footftool? Is it not "he, who in this world was poor, defpifed, per❝ fecuted and flain for our fakes? Is it not the "fame Jefus who loved us, and gave himself "for us, and washed us in his own blood? So "the Apostle told the Jews, that the fame Je"fus whom they flew and hanged on a tree, God "had exalted with his right-hand. If we have 66 any valuation of his love, if we have any con"cernment in what he hath done and fuffered "for the church, we cannot but rejoice in his "present state and glory *."

Finally, who can tell what a fhout of joy will echo thro' the upper world, when Chrift shall afcend the mount of God at the head of his redeemed people, that glorious affembly, that · great multitude, which no man can number of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, whom he hath washed from their fins in his own blood, and now comes to prefent • faultlefs before the prefence of his glory, with exceeding joy, faying, behold, I, and the children which God hath given me?' Thefe are a Redeemer's diadem and crown, and let him wear the whole glory of their falvation. In fuch a way,

and

* Dr. Owen's Meditations on the glory of Chrift, page 96.

and with fuch full fatisfaction to himself, fhall all the labours of his crofs, and of his love, terminate, and in fuch manner fhall the ancient oracle be accomplished, Ifa. liii. 11. He fball fee of the travel of his foul, and shall be fatisfied. However then it cost him fuch fore travel, fuch grievous fufferings, a gracious Redeemer never did, nor will, complain that his people are redeemed, pardoned, and faved at too dear a rate; for tho' he suffered fo deeply, it was freely, and in confequence of his own choice; whilft he has recovered from all the dishonours of the grave; is invefted with the highest power and the everlasting righteousness of his people, and the exalted head of the redeemed world, Heb. xii. 2. Who for the joy that was fet before him, the joyful profpect he had of promoting the glory of God, fulfilling the counfels of divine wifdom and grace, and accomplishing the falvation of the church; endured the cross, despifing the Shame, chearfully fubmitted to the painful and cruel death of the cross, contemning all the affronts, reproaches, and indignities his enemies could offer him; and is fet down at the righthand of the throne of God, being advanced, as the fruit and event of his fufferings, in equal authority, glory, and power with God, in the rule and government of all *. As the Apoftle defcribes him in this fituation in characters and circumstances of great glory, Eph. i. 20,

23.

Whom God hath raifed from the dead, and fet at his own right-hand in the heavenly • places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name ' that

* See Dr. Owen on the place.

that is named, not only in this world, but alfo ' in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be head ' over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.' And when we can by faith behold the once fuffering Redeemer, thus exalted and enthroned, clothed with his own and his Father's glory, and haftning to set the finishing hand to his work, how delightful the profpect! how transporting! How should we rejoice in all the honours poured round him! And with what full fatisfaction of foul fhould we cleave to him, the center of our reft and hopes, whilft, with a holy impatience, we ftretch forward to that day, when we shall fee him as he is, and all our happiness fhall be perfected in the immediate and everlasting enjoyment of him! "BLESSED Jefus! we can "add nothing to thee, nothing to thy glory; "but it is a joy of heart unto us, that thou art "what thou art; that thou art fo gloriously ex"alted at the right hand of God; and do long "more fully and clearly to behold that glory "according to thy prayer and promife *." And this minds me to add, that as the Redeemer does not, neither will complain, much lefs,

4. And lastly, Can the finner, the pardoned juftified finner, complain: Complain, did I say? This is a way of pardon and falvation he can never be enough thankful for, never enough exult and glory in. As it is added in the next verfe

* Dr. Owen's Meditations, page 97.

verse to the text, In the Lord fhall all the feed of Ifrael be juftified, and fball glory. The great Apostle is all rapture when he thinks, or speaks of it. Bleffed be the God and Father of our Lord 'Jefus Chrift, who hath bleffed us with all fpi'ritual bleffings in heavenly places in Chrift: according as he hath chofen us in him, before 'the foundation of the world: Having predefti'nated us to the adoption of children by Jefus 'Chrift to himself: In whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of fins, according to the riches of his grace. Yea 'doubtlefs, and I do count all things but lofs, ' for the excellency of the knowledge of Chrift Jefus, my Lord; for whom I have fuffered 'the loss of all things, and do count them but 'dung that I may win Chrift, and be found in him. And God forbid that I fhould glory fave in the cross of our Lord Jefus Chrift.' What, indeed, can it be, but everlasting occafion of joy and thankfulness to the believer, when he confiders the bleffednefs of that ftate into which he is brought, and the righteousness thro' which he is brought into, and kept in it? Even as David alfo defcribeth the bleffedness of the man unto whom Chrift imputeth righteousness ' without works, faying, bleffed are they whose 'iniquities are forgiven, and whose fins are co'vered. Bleffed is the man to whom the Lord 'will not impute fin,' Rom. iv. 6, 7, 8. Chrift's righteousness is a robe long enough to cover all our guilt, and hide all our deformities; and what is that bleffing that does not go along with an intereft in it? By it the law is difarmed of all its terrors, and the curfe turned far away. In

thefe

thefe garments of his elder brother, the believer has a near and delightful accefs to God, and may plead for the bleffing of the first-born; put in his claim to all the bleffings of grace now, and build his hopes of greater hereafter. Be'ing juftified by faith, we have peace with God, 'through our Lord Jefus Chrift. By whom alfo we have accefs by faith, into the grace 'wherein we ftand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And joy in God through our 'Lord Jefus Chrift, by whom we have now re'ceived the atonement,' Rom. v. 1, 2, 11. To have all fin pardoned, and the curfe for ever taken away; grace beftowed, and heaven enfured; to have a righteousness to apply to and trust in, through which we may form comfortable hopes of an intereft in fuch bleffings, and which we may plead for fuch purposes, what can be an equal reason for joy and thankfulnefs! And when this righteoufness comes to be feen in its full glory, with what exalted fentiments of joy, and wonder, and praise will the faint contemplate it through the endless ages of eternity?

How fhould we then adore the wifdom and grace of God in this provifion and establishment of a justifying righteoufnefs? And with what gratitude receive both it, and the bleffings that ftand connected with it? But I fhall have a proper opportunity a little more diftinctly to reprefent the believer's high efteem of this righteoufnefs, his thankful acceptance of it, and joyful adherence to it, when I come, in our next difcourfe, to confider that difpofition and ten

dency