the fecond Adam, and not tranfa&ted any more with man, in his own perfon, now when turned rebel to his crown and dignity; but tranfacted immediately with Chrift, a perfon of equal dignity with himfelf, giving all things to him, and through him to us. Thus we are taught

to keep at a due diftance from this infinitely glorious Sovereign, and to come and receive bleflings, not imimediately out of his hand, but by the hand of Chrift, the Mediator: "I am the way, no man cometh to the Father but by me."-He hath confulted the credit of his name, and of all his glorious excellencies; the credit of his broken law, how it might not only be fulfilled, but magnified to the utmoft; the credit of his offended justice, how it might not only be fatisfied, but glorified to the higheft. Why, infinite wifdom knew that there was nothing that the violated law, or the injured attributes of God, could demand for the reparation of their honour, but what the finner's Surety, having all things given to him, could anfwer with eafe, and to infinite fatisfaction. The Creditor well knew that the Surety was not only creditable, but refponfible, abundantly able to pay all the debt; mighty to fave: mighty to fatisfy, mighty to give all the infinite fatisfaction demanded; infomuch, that mercy vents to finners, without any prejudice to juftice; and the attributes of God, feemingly inconfiftent one with another, are reconciled in Chrift: "Mercy and truth meet together, righteoufnefs and peace kiss each other." And God pardons and fatisfies fo as not only to be merciful, but even juft, in justifying the ungodly.— He hath confulted the credit of his Son Chrift Jefus, who thus is honoured with a name above every name that can be named; all things being given into his hand, not only to furnish him with his mediatorial fervice, but also to reward him for it, Phil. viii. 9. He is honoured with a goodly train, a throng court of fupplicants, all things being given unto him, that the gathering of the people might be to him for fupply, and that the revenue of praise might be given to him thro' all eternity.-Yea, he hath confulted the credit as well as the profit of all the redeemed, by giving all things into the hand of Chrift. God never honoured the church, nor advanced them to greater dig

nity, than by giving them an univerfal plenitude, as head of the body the church: and every believer may fay, "My Head, my Husband, my Lord, hath all things "in his hand." This is the honour of all the faints, they have all things in Chrift; and he is made of God unto them wifdom, righteoufnefs, fanétification and redemption; yea and all things; that he that glorieth may glory in him. So much for a hint at the beauty of this difpofure.

Thirdly, The next thing propofed was, in order to enlarge and widen our faith in this matter, to speak of the Extent of this ftore and treafure that Chrift hath; the Father having given all things into his hand. Why then, befides what we faid on the doctrinal part, confider,

1. If all things are in his hand, then all the attributes of God are in him. There is nothing that the Father hath, excepting his perfonality, but the Son hath, as Mediator; "All things that the Father hath are mine," John xvi. 15. All things that God hath, they belong to the Mediator alfo, the God-man. Here then is an ocean where you and I may dive for ever, and never get to the bottom. Having all things, he hath all the wifdom of God, Col. ii. 3. “In him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." Poor foolish finner, who hath no wisdom, knowledge, nor understanding, here is a treasure for you; "Chrift, the wifdom of God, made of God unto you wifdom," I Cor. i. 30.-Having all things, he hath all the power of God; "We preach Chrift crucified, to the Jews a ftumbling-block, and to the Greeks foolishness; but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Chrift, the wifdom of God and the power of God," 1 Cor. i. 24. Poor feeble foul, who can do nothing, here is a good bargain for you to lay hold upon; it is he that can work in you, both to will and do; and make his people willing in a day of his power. You are not called to come to Chrift, but by the power of Chrift, which is the power of God.. You are to receive him that can give you power to receive him; and, as one abfolutely weak, to take hold of his ftrength, and look to his power, to whom is given all power in heaven and in earth.-Having all things, he

hath

hath all the holiness of God; he is faid to be made of God unto us fanctification: and furely here is an immense fountain of fanctity, the infinite holinefs of God. O poor, vile, polluted finner, who hath loft the image of God, by the fall of the firit Adam, and the deficiency of his holinefs, here is a better head and husband for you, in whom is all the fulness of the divine holinefs, that you may be complete in him.-Having all things, he hath all the juftice of God, and all the righteousness of God in him, and justice satisfied in him, by his mediatorial righteoufnefs; for, "The Lord is well-pleafed for his righte oufnefs' fake;" yea, he that is the righteousness of God, is made unto us righteousness, 1 Cor. i. 30. and, Q wonderful word!" He was made fin for us,-that we might be made the righteousness of God in him,” 2 Cor. v. 21. O guilty, guilty finner! here is a joyful found in your ears, "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." You may, in Chrift, be more righteous in God's fight, than ever you was guilty in his fight; yea, you may be the very righteousness of God in him. You may not only be justified, but find God to be just in justifying you; because the justice of God is in him; and it is fatisfied in him, magnified in him, glorified in him.-Having all things, he bath all the mercy of God in his hand; all the infinite love, pity, and compaffion of God is in his hand, and in his heart. What is Chrift, but the love of God wrapt up in a garment of flesh and blood? 1 John iv. 9, 10. "In this was manifefted the love of God towards us, becaufe that God fent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live thro' him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that God loved us, and fent his Son to be the propitiation for our fins." And Jude, ver. 21. "Keep yourselves in the love of God;" how? "Looking for the mercy of our Lord Jefus Chrift, unto eternal life." O poor miferable finner! would you with to find mercy in the moment of death, and mercy at the great day? Know that there is no mercy to be expected out of God's hand, unless you look to his mercy as in the hand of Chrift; for, he will never fhew mercy to the prejudice of his juftice; and it is only in Chrift, that mercy and juftice meet together and embrace each other.

Having all things, he hath all the faithfulness and truth of God; "My mercy and my faithfulness fhall be with him," Pfal. lxxxix. 24. I have observed between thirty and forty places of fcripture, where mercy and truth, mercy and faithfulness, are joined together; and here you fee they are joined together in Chrift. In him the mercy and love of God vents to the honour of divine truth, pledged even in all the threatenings of the law, as well as divine truth, pledged in all the promifes of the gospel; because in him all the threatenings and curfes of the law have spent their force; "Chrift hath redeemed us from the curfe of the law, being made a curfe for us," Gal. iii. 13. And, "In him are all the promifes, Yea and Amen to the glory of God," 2 Cor. i. 20. He is the way and the truth: truth itfelf, the God of truth, and the truth of God. O perfidious, faithlefs, unfaithful, and treacherous finner! who hath many times lied to the God of truth; wouldft thou have thy falfhood all done away, and fwallowed up in the truth and veracity of God, and your falvation fecured notwithflanding of your falfhood, fickleness, and inflability? Here is a pillar on which you may ftand firm and fixed, amidst all changes, whether in your outward lot or inward frame; for, "All flesh is grafs; but the word of the Lord endureth for ever." The truth of God ftandeth unalterably the fame. Again, having all things, he hath all the authority of God in his hand; "My name is in him," Exod. xxiii. 21. O poor loft finner, when Chrift, in this gofpel, comes to feek and fave that which was loft, fay not, By what authority doth he thefe things? He is the Sent and Sealed of God, and he hath all the authority that God can give him. And if you afk by what autho-` rity we, poor finful mortal worms, like yourselves, do offer him, and all his ftore to you? Indeed, we would have no authority, if he had not faid, "Go preach the gofpel to every creature; and lo, I am with you always, unto the end of the world." In a word, having all things, he hath all the fulness of God in his hand; It pleafed the Father, that in him should all fulness dwell, Col. i. 19. "In him dwells all the fulnefs of the Godhead bodily."

Not

Not only all the attributes of God, but all the fulness of all the divine attributes. Not only the wisdom of God, but all the fulness of the divine wifdom; not only the power of God, but all the fulnefs of divine power; not only the holinefs of God, but all the fulness of divine holiness; not only the juftice and righteousness of God, but all the fulness of divine righteoufnefs; not only the mercy of God, but all the fulnefs of divine mercy; not only the truth and faithfulness of God, but all the fulnefs of divine faithfulness; not only the authority of God, but all the fulness of divine authority; not only is God in him, but all the fulnefs of the Godhead. O! poor empty finner! here is unfearchable riches, a bottomlefs well of everlasting falvation for you.

2. If all things are in his hand, then all the reins of providence are in his hand; this muft follow upon what hath been faid, having all the perfections of God, furely his kingdom ruleth over all. What a vaft field is here! I fhall only touch at fome of the borders thereof. For all things in heaven, earth, and hell are under his government as Mediator, Phil. ii. 10. Eph. i. 22. All the reins of common providence, in the world, and special providence, in the church, and among the children of God, are wholly in his hand.-Why then, having all things, he hath all kingdoms and churches in his hand; "By me kings reign, and princes decree juftice," Prov. viii. 15. When he will, he cuts off the fpirit of princes, and is terrible to the kings of the earth. Pfal. lxxv. 6, 7. "Promotion cometh neither from the eaft, nor from the weft, nor from the fouth, but God is the judge; he putteth down one and raifeth up another." It is by him that the churches are planted and watered; and again difplanted and turned into a barren wildernefs when he pleafes, Ifa. xli. 18. Pfal. Ivii. 34. Whatever diforders and confufions be in the church of God, it is beft for us to keep about the hand of Chrift, who hath the over-ruling of all things to his Father's glory, and his people's good.-Having all things, he hath all the ftars of heaven in his hand, not only the fun, moon, and ftars of thefe vifible heavens; for, he could make the ftars in their courfes fight against Sisera; but also, all the stars in the church's fir

ma