this is a ftrong argument and encouragement for faith.

ift, Is it fo, that the Father loveth the Son? Hence we may fee,

1. The infinite love of God, in giving the Son of his love to be a Saviour and a facrifice for the like of us. O!" How excellent is his loving-kindnefs! And, how precious is his grace," that he fhould love fuch vile. creatures, and make his love to flow in fuch a channel as this of his love to his Son! Here is a love that paffeth knowledge and comprehenfion, and they comprehend it beft, who comprehend that it is incomprehenfible; they know it beft who know that it paffeth knowledge, Eph. iii. 18, 19. O! does the Father love the Son, as our Surety and Saviour? How aftonishing fhould the love of God, in Chrift, be to us! Are we not obliged to love that God that loves our Redeemer; and loves him, because he is our Redeemer?

2. See here a strong argument to make ufe of in our application to God for what we need. We are to go to God, in Chrift, and to plead upon the love he bears to Chrift; there cannot be a ftronger argument with God than this, the Father's love to the Son. This is the argument on which Chrift pleads, and prays for his people, John xvii. 24. "Father, I will, that they alfo whom thou haft given me, be with me, where I am, that they may behold my glory which thou haft given me; for thou lovedit me before the foundation of the world." You hear commonly, that we fhould pray in the name of Chrift; and if we pray the Father, in his name, we fhall be heard, what foever we afk. What is it to pray the Father in Chrifl's name? It is even to raise our faith, and embolden our confidence with God, merely on the account of that high love the Father bears to the Son; and that, though we have nothing that is lovely in God's fight; nay, but rather every thing that is lothfome: though we have nothing in us to make God love us, but a thoufand things to make him lothe us; yet we build our hope of acceptance and fuccefs, upon the Beloved of the Father, and upon the Father's love to him. He is a bleffed believer that can plead with God upon

this argument, for he fhall prevail: "And whatfoever ye fhall ask, in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye fhall afk any thing in my name, I will do it," John xiv. 13, 14. "And in that day ye fhall afk me nothing: verily, verily, I fay unto you, whatsoever ye fhall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you," John xvi. 23. Where you fee both the Father and the Son engaged to do it.

3. See how dear and precious Christ should be to us; fince the Father loves him, what fhould move us to love him if this do not? How precious fhould he be to us, who is precious unto God? It would argue that the mind of God and the Spirit of God was in us, if the Father's beloved were our beloved.

4. See here the right rule of our love to Chrift, namely, to love him as the Father loves him. Wherein fhould our love to Chrift refemble the Father's love? Why, the Father's love to the Son was evidenced in choofing him to be our Saviour and Surety: fo fhould our love to Chrift be manifefted in making choice of him to be our Saviour and Surety; infomuch, that as God hath laid all our help upon him, fo we thould lay all our help where God hath laid it.—Again, the Father's love to the Son was evidenced in giving all things into his hand: thus fhould our love to Chrift be evidenced in putting all things in his hand as the Father doth; and particularly, you may put your hearts in his hand; that he may keep them; put your fouls in his hand, that he may fave them; put your plagues in his hand, that he may heal them; put your corruptions in his hand, that he may weaken and fubdue them; put your wants in his hand, that he may fupply them; put your work in his hand, that he may work all your works in you, and for you; put your burdens in his hand, that he may bear them: put all things in his hand, and thus evidence your love to him, by putting honour upon him, as a Prophet, to teach you; as a Prieft, to pardon; and as a King, to conquer you by his grace, and crown you with his glory. This leads to the fecond branch.

2dly, Is it fo, that the Father hath evidenced his love

to

to his Son, by giving all things into his hand? Hence we may fee,

1. How the infinite wifdom of God hath outwitted the policy of the devil in his fubtile attack upon, and in robbing the first Adam of all his ftock, and thereby thinking to deftroy all mankind: but, behold, the fecond Adam appears with a flock incomparably greater than that which the firft Adam loft! Oh! what a happy change of Adams! what a happy change of covenants, and covenant-heads! The fecond Adam is well-furnifhed, having all things in his hand; and there the ftock is well fecured in a hand that the devil dare not meddle with; in a hand that hath already bruised his head, and hath spoiled principalities and powers, and hath all things put in fubjection under his feet, Heb. ii. 8.

2. See what a great want it is to want Chrift; for, then they want all things: they have nothing, that are without Chrift; they have no wifdom, they have no ftrength, no righteoufnefs. They are deftitute of God; for God and all his perfection, are in him. They are deftitute of the Spirit; for, the Spirit and all his graces are in Chrift; they are deftitute of all things; for, "All things are in him :" and he is all in all. Without Chrift, ordinances are nothing but an empty fhell; the facramental fupper, without Chrift, is but an empty table; fermons, without Chrift, are but an empty found; heaven, without Chrift, is but an empty void: heaven would be but darkness, if the Lamb were not the light of the place. The finner, then, that remains without Christ, is nothing but a hell full of wickedness; empty of all good, and curfed in the want of all things.

3. See what a great thing it is to have Chrift, because they who have Chrift, have all things, Rom. viii. 32. When God gives Chrift, he cannot but with him, freely give all things; for, he hath given all things into his hand. O how happy are believers? All things are yours, because Chrift is yours, 1 Cor. iii. 21,-23. "All things are yours, whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things prefent, or things to come; all is yours, and ye are Chrift's, and Chrift is God's." The believer's ftock can never be fpent; and VOL. V.

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he can never fee himfelf in mifery as long as he is looking to his Head. He can never lofe any thing but it is well repaid in Chrift; and so long as Christ is to the fore, he has all things in him.

4. If the Father has given all things into Chrift's hand, then hence we may be fure of feveral particulars.

(1.) We may be fure that we cannot go to a better hand for all that we need; for, he hath all things in his hand, both by a natural right, as God; and a donative right, as Mediator: therefore we may fay, "To whom fhall we go? thou haft the words of eternal life," John vi. 68. To whom fhould we go for light, and life, and ftrength, and pardon, and peace, and perfeverance ? To whom fhould we go for the Spirit of faith, for the Spirit of repentance, for the Spirit of grace, and fupplication?-Again, We may be fure that it is eafy with Chrift to fupply all our needs, and to give us all sufficiency in all things, 2 Cor. ix. 8. He hath not far to go to bring our fupply; no: he hath no more ado but open his hand; for, the Father hath given all things into his

hand.

(2.) We may be fure that all things fhall work together for good, to them that love God, Rom. viii. 28. All things are for their fakes, becaufe all things are in the hand of their Lord, and Head, and Husband; and he can eafily turn them about in his hand for accomplishing his pleasure and their profit. The worst things, as well as the beft, are in his hand; the moft heavy croffes, as well as comforts, are in his hand, and at his difpofal.

(3.) We may be fure that the covenant is well-ordered in all things, and the covenant Head hath all things in his hand, who will do all things well; and will have this teftimony from all his children, at the end of the day, that he hath done all things well. How can it be otherwise, when all things are put in his infinitely wife and gracious hand? It is unbelief to fay, O! there is an ill-crdered providence; there is an ill-ordered trial. Stay a little, till faith look up and fee all things in Christ's hand; and fee all things managed by the hand of infinite wifdom, infinite holiness, infinite righteoufnefs, faithfulness, and

truth,

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truth, and then it will fay, "O! well-ordered tempta"tion, that hath thus humbled me. O! well-ordered tribulation, that hath made me take reft in God only. "O! well-ordered chaftifements, that have driven me "to my heavenly Father. O! well ordered loffes and "croffes, that have weaned me from the world, and made Chrift precious to me. O! well-ordered defertion, that tended to imbitter that which feparated between God and me, and made his prefence more precious to me than ever. O! well-ordered victory, "that fin and Satan got over me, that tended to fill my "heart with holy revenge againft fin, and made me fet "the powers of heaven against the powers of hell. O! "well-ordered difappointment, at fuch and fuch a time, "that made me know that God was a Sovereign, to "be waited on, and not to be limited to my time. O! "well-ordered providence, that dried up the ftreams "of creature-comforts, and worldly enjoyments that I might betake my felf to the fountain of all confolation. "O! well-ordered extremity, that so tended to make the "Lord's appearing, at fuch a time, to be wonderful and "welcome; for, I was brought low, and he helped me." All things are well-ordered, becaufe all things are in his hand. Again,

(4.) We may be fure that the dead fhall rife again, according to the word of God, and that by the power of the Mediator; for, all things, even the dust of the earth, is in his hand, and particularly the duft of the faints; he hath undertaken to raise them up at the laft day: John vi. 39, 40. 44, 45. " And this is the Father's will which bath fent me, that of all that which he hath given me, I fhould lofe nothing, but fhould raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that fent me, that every one that feeth the Son, and believeth in him, may have everlasting life, and I will raife him up at the last day. No man can come unto me, except the Father which fent me draw him, and I will raife him up at the laft day."

(5.) We may be fure that dead finners may be raifed to fpiritual life, and dead hearts quickened to a new and

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