a better hand for all things to be put into, than the hand of Chrift, whom the Father thus loves? All things you need to make you for ever happy, are in the hand of a God-man. That your flock may be fure to you, it is in the hand of a God; and that it may be near to you, it is in the hand of a Man. How can it be furer to you than in his hand, who is God as well as man? How can it be nearer to you than in his hand, who is man as well' as God? O then, is not the ftock in a friend's hand? A great friend, a near friend? God could not chufe a better hand both for his own intereft and yours. It is more honourable for God, more profitable for you, that all things are put in the hand of Chrift, the fecond Adamı, the new-covenant head, than if all things had remained in the ftate they were in before. The covenant of works was broken; but if you look believingly towards Christ, not only will God get more glory this way than if he fhould damn you for your fins, and fatisfy his juice upon you to eternity; but alfo more glory than if he fhould have rewarded you with life, for your righteoufnefs, according to the tenor of the covenant of works, fuppofing it had never been broken. Why, all the glory of God was defigned to concentre in Chrift, as in a bright conftellation; and will you cross this defign, that tends fo much more to God's honour, and your profit, than if matters had ftood in their old primitive posture? See how Job was taken up with the way of grace, beyond that of works, Job ix. 15. 20, 21. Whom, tho' I were righteous, yet would I not anfwer; but I would make fupplication to my Judge. If I juftify myfelf, mine own mouth. fhall condemn me; if I fay, I am perfect, it fhall also prove me perverse. Tho' I were perfect, yet would I not know my foul, I would defpife my life."

3. Confider, as another motive, that as it is not poffible to mils everlafting life, if you look believingly to him that hath all things in his hand; fo it is not poffible to escape everlasting wrath, if you believe not in him; read the verfe immediately following the text; "He that believeth on the Son, hath everlafting life; and he that believeth not the Son, fhall not fee life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. He that believeth, fhall be faved;

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fhops are clofed, but Chrift's houfe ftands open; and on it this infcription, Whofoever will, may come and fhare of this treasure. Chrift's fulnefs is communicable; and therefore, Out of this fulness we may all receive, and grace for grace, John i. 16. We needed not preach of this ftore that is in Chrift's hand, if it was locked up in him. Why is it, that in him, as Mediator, dwells all fulness of the Godhead bodily? Why, but that we may be complete in him, Col. ii. 9, 10. Chrift is a cabinet of rich jewels; faith is a key to open the cabinet: we receive out of his fulnefs by faith. Prayer is a key, "If any man lack wifdom, let him afk it of God." If these keys be not in your hand, furely they are in his, who hath all things in his hand. O folicite him to caft you the key, and give you the fpirit of faith and prayer.

3. All things are in his hand fufficiently; there is bread enough and to fpare, Luke xv. 17. Fulnefs enough for the deftitute; light enough for the dark; life enough for the dead: there is grace enough in him, pardon enough in him, help enough in him; bread enough and to spare. If you think there is none to fpare for you, it is because you do not believe there is enough in him; but will you difgrace our infinitely noble and glorious Lord, by fuppofing that there is not enough in him? O! He can fatisfy the longing foul, and fill the hungry foul with good things. Nothing in this world gives fatisfaction to the foul: he was a fool that faid, when he had a full barn, "Soul, take thy reft, thou haft goods laid up for many years." We may as well dream of a coffer full of grace and glory, as of a foul full of corn and wine; it is only Chrift that has in him fuitable and fatisfying fulness for the foul, and enough to give complete, folid, permanent, and everlasting fatisfaction.

4. All things are in his hand efficiently and effectively, in fo much, that he can make others to fhare of a conformity to him, in that ftore that is in his hand. For example, hath he all comelinefs? Well, what fays he? "I have made thee perfect thro' my comelinefs which I put upon thee," Ezek. xvi. 14. Hath he all righteoufnefs? Well, the believer is made righteous through his righteoufnefs. Hath he all glory? The believer is made

glorious

glorious thro' his glory, and all glorious within; "Beholding his glory, we are changed into the fame image, from glory to glory, by the Spirit of the Lord,” 2 Cor. iii. 18. There is a power and efficacy in every faving discovery of the glorious treasure that is in Christ, a fmiling favour in his face; and, O happy they, that are fmitten with a conformity to him: who, beholding the glory of his grace, are made gracious; beholding the glory of his holiness, are made holy; beholding the glory of his mercy, are made merciful.

5. All things are in his hand unchangeably; for he is the fame yesterday, to-day, and for ever, Heb. xiii. 18. He is always the fame; and his ftock and treasure is invariably the fame. Whatever you get out of his hand, yet fill the ftock and ftore is in his hand. Let faith draw never fo many bills upon him, for this and that fupply, at this time and the other time, and get never fo much rent, annual rent, or daily rent, out of the ftock; yet ftill the ftock and intereft both are in his hand and the believer hath his all to the fore; even when all that was in your hand is fpent, yet all things remain as they were in Chrift's hand; yea, and this well of falvation fprings up for ever, and that to everlasting life. O great encouragement! the fulnefs of Chrift, as it is in our hand may ebb and flow; but as it is in Chrift's hand, it is unchangeably the fame. The believer may be fometimes full, and fometimes empty; fometimes up, and fometimes down; but Chrift is always the fame; "I am the Lord, I change not." All believers, since the beginning of the world, have been always putting down their buckets of faith, and drawing water out of this well of falvation; yet ftill it is full and running over; and no wonder, for his fulness is infinite; it is the fulness of God.

6. All things are in his hand eternally, Col. i. 19. "It pleafed the Father that in him fhould all fulnefs dwell;" it is a dwelling fulnefs. In him it is, and in him it dwells for ever. "In him are durable riches and righteoufnefs; and at his right-hand are pleafures for evermore." Hence alfo the bleffings he communicates are everlafting; everlafting peace, everlafting pardon, everlafting confolation,

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everlafting life; "He that believeth on the Son, hath everlasting life." Here is a depth to dive into for ever; Chrift hath an eternity of all perfection in him. eteruity of all excellency, an eternity of all bleffings: here is a portion that will make you up to eternity. Here is eternal wifdom, eternal power, eternal holiness, eternal happinefs. He is the true God, and eternal life. Every thing is everlafting in him; his righteoufnefs is everlafting righteoufnefs; his ftrength is everlasting ftrength; his wifdom is everlafting wifdom. Poor dying mortal, here is an everlafting treafure. O! come here, come here, poor mortal, that art to die in a few days; and no matter tho' you give up the ghoft shortly, when, inftead of this fhort lafting life, here is everlasting life for you, as well as fecurity from everlafting death. All things are in his hand eternally.-But I fhall go on,

Fiftbly, To the next thing I propofed, which was, in order to the quickening and exciting of our faith, to offer fome motives and confiderations, arifing from, and accompanying this truth, that all things are given into Chrift's hand. O let us be exhorted to come to, and clofe with, and believe in, this glorious One. And, for motive, confider,

1. Is it poffible that we can have or defire a better pattern to follow or imitate, in trufting in Chrift, than his eternal Father, who hath entrusted him with all things?"Behold my Servant whom I uphold!" Ifaiah xlii. 1.; or, as the word is obferved to fignify, "My Servant whom I truft;" and accordingly hath entrusted him with all things. And, Oh! may not this fhame us out of our diftruft? Thus the Father entrusted him with all the great concerns of his everlasting glory! And may not we well truft him with all the concerns of our everlafting welfare? O Sirs, is it not fafeft laying our help where God has laid it? Where the waters go, the fish will go; God and all his fulnefs is gone with Chrift. Is it not beft going where God goes, and refting where he refts, and loving whom he loves, and trusting whom he trufts.

2. Confider, is it poffible that we can have or defire

a bet

a better hand for all things to be put into, than the hand of Chrift, whom the Father thus loves? All things you need to make you for ever happy, are in the hand of a God-man. That your flock may be fure to you, it is in the hand of a God; and that it may be near to you, it is in the hand of a Man. How can it be furer to you than in his hand, who is God as well as man? How can it be nearer to you than in his hand, who is man as well ́ as God? O then, is not the ftock in a friend's hand? A great friend, a near friend? God could not chufe a better hand both for his own intereft and yours. It is more honourable for God, more profitable for you, that all things are put in the hand of Chrift, the fecond Adam, the new-covenant head, than if all things had remained in the ftate they were in before. The covenant of works was broken; but if you look believingly towards Christ, not only will God get more glory this way than if he fhould damn you for your fins, and fatisfy his juflice upon you to eternity; but alfo more glory than if he fhould have rewarded you with life, for your righteoufnefs, according to the tenor of the covenant of works, fuppofing it had never been broken. Why, all the glory of God was defigned to concentre in Chrift, as in a bright conftellation; and will you cross this defign, that tends fo much more to God's honour, and your profit, than if matters had ftood in their old primitive posture? See how Job was taken up with the way of grace, beyond that of works, Job ix. 15. 20, 21. “Whom, tho' I were righteous, yet would I not anfwer; but I would make fupplication to my Judge. If I juftify myfelf, mine own mouth fhall condemn me; if I fay, I am perfect, it shall also me perverse. Tho' I were perfect, yet would I not know foul, I would defpife my life."

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prove

3. Confider, as another motive, that as it is not poffible to mils everlasting life, if you look believingly to him that hath all things in his hand; fo it is not poffible to efcape everlafting wrath, if you believe not in him; read the verfe immediately following the text; "He that believeth on the Son, hath everlafting life; and he that believeth not the Son, fhall not fee life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. He that believeth, fhall be faved;