acknowledgements from the mouth of " the "faithful witness," which must be fami liar to the ears of all who are converfant. with the lively oracles of truth, are fufficient to illuftrate the agency of the Father in framing the plan of man's Redemption before time commenced, and in ordaining the Son to carry it into execution.

Secondly, His agency is no lefs confpicuous in manifefting the Saviour at the appointed feafon.

.

a woman:

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It was the original promife, that " the. "feed of the woman fhould bruife the fer"pent's head." Accordingly we read, Gal. iv. 4. that" when the fulnefs of the time was come, God fent forth his Son made of The propriety of which expreffion cannot fail to ftrike us with peculiar force, when we recollect what the angel faid to Mary, after he had informed her, of the high honour which God was about to confer upon her, Luke i. 35. “The Holy "Ghoft fhall come upon thee, and the

pow

er of the Higheft fhall overfhadow thee:

"therefore alfo that holy thing which fhall

" be

"be born of thee, fhall be called the Son of "God." : 'All the predictions of the prophets concerning the time and place of the Meffiah's birth, and the circumftances of the Jewish nation at that important period, were most exactly fulfilled, as might cafily be fhown.

1

A fpecial meffenger was fent to prepare the world for his reception: This was John the Baptift, (who had likewife been foretold in ancient prophecy), to whom the Father manifefted the promifed feed, by a vifible defcent of the Holy Ghost at his baptifm, accompanied with a voice from hea ven, which faid, "This is my beloved Son, " in whom I am well pleased." Which fignal and most authentic atteftation was immediately published by John to the men of that age; for this was the record he bare, John i. 32, 33, 34, "I faw the Spirit de

fcending from heaven like a dove, and it "abode upon him. And I knew him not: "but he that fent me to baptize with water, "the fame faid unto me, Upon whom thou "fhalt fee the Spirit defcending and remain"ing on him, the fame is he which bap

"tizeth

«tizeth with the Holy Ghoft. And I saw, "-and bare record, that this is the Son of "God."

But he had greater witnefs than that of John. "The works which his Father gave. "him to finish, the fame works that he did,

bare witness of him, that the Father had "fent him." It was to this divine atteftation that our Lord himself most frequently appealed. When the Jews came to him in Solomon's porch at the feast of dedication, and faid unto him, "How long doft thou "make us to doubt? if thou be the Christ,

tell us plainly;" his anfwer was, "I told you, and ye believed not: The works " that I do in my Father's name, they bear "witness of me."—"If I do not the works "of my Father, believe me not: but if I "do, though ye believe not me, believe the "works: that ye may know and believe "that the Father is in me, and I in him.”

The miraculous appearances at his death had fuch an effect upon the centurion, and the foldiers who attended his crucifixion, that "when they faw the earthquake, and #thofe things that were done," and in par

ticular

ticular obferved with what majesty he retired from life, voluntarily difmiffing his Spirit, after he had cried with a fhout of triumph, It is finished, "they feared greatly, "faying, Truly this was the Son of God."

By thefe, and fundry other ways that might be mentioned, did the Father manifeft and give teftimony to the Saviour.

III. BUT it was chiefly by his refurrection from the dead, that our Lord was " declared to be the Son of God with power.". And this is the third particular mentioned in the text; which, you fee, is exprefsly attributed to the agency of the Father. It was God, faith the Apostle, that raised him up from the dead.This doth not imply, that our great Redeemer could not, or did not, by his own proper virtue, rise from the dead: for what he faid to the Jews was ftrictly true in the most obvious fenfe of the words, "I have power to lay down my life, " and I have power to take it up again;" and on another occafion, "Destroy this temple," pointing at his own body, "and in three days I will raise it up." Accordingly, the

author

author of this epiftle obferves, ch. iii. 18. that he was "quickened by the Spirit," or that divine nature which was perfonally united to his humanity. And in his memorable fermon on the day of Pentecoft, speaking of the refurrection of Christ, after he had faid, Acts ii. 24. that the Father "loofed the pains of death," he immediately added, because it was not poffible he "fhould be holden of it."

Nevertheless, as Chrift fuftained a public character, and died as the furety of fallen man, it was highly fit in itself, and neceffary for our comfort, that the agency of the Father fhould be clearly feen and acknowledged in his refurrection; and that his release from the grave fhould appear to be an act of righteous administration, rather than the mere exercife of fovereign power. It was certainly moft regular, that 'the fame hand from which he received his commiffion, fhould feal his discharge; for none elfe but the Father was qualified to judge whether or not the articles of agreement were fulfilled: He, and he alone, had authority to declare that the fatisfaction

was