pre

covered from total depravity, and renewed, as to be pared and difpofed to believe on Chrift and receive him, being offered to them: And he comes on a work of fanctification in their hearts, until they are perfectly holy. Therefore Chrift fays, he will fend and give the Holy Spirit, and the Father will fend him in his name; and he is called the Spirit of Chrift. "If I go not away, the comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will fend him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of fin, and of righteoufnefs, and of judgment. The comforter, the Holy Ghoft, whom the Father will fend in my name, he shall teach you all things. When the comforter is come, whom I will fend unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of Truth,which proceedeth from the Father, he fhall testify of me. "If any man

+

This

have not the fpirit of Chrift, he is none of his." gift of the Holy Ghoft, really comprises all pofitive good which Chrift has by his obedience purchased for the redeemed. And as "Chrift is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth," all fuch, being interested in his righteousness, and having the benefit of it as much as if they had in their own perfons perfectly obeyed the law, have eternal life made fure to them; the Holy Spirit is given to them to abide with them forever, as the earneft of their eternal inheritance; and they have a divine promife that they fhall never perish, but shall persevere in holiness, until they are made perfect," being kept by the power of God, through faith unto falvation." All which favours they receive by the obedience and merit or righteousness of Chrift, which is imputed to them, or avails to procure all these benefits for them, in confequence of their union to him by faith. But these matters will be more fully confidered in fome of the following chapters.

Before this head is difmiffed, it may be useful to observe the following things. Though there be a real diftinction be

tween

Hh 4

John xiv. 26. xv. 26. xvi. 7, 8.

+ Rom. viii. 19.

↑ Rom. x. 4

tween the atonement which is made by Chrift for fin by fuffering; and his obedience, by which finners who believe in him are recommended to all the pofitive bleffings, which they want, and are beftowed on them; yet both these are generally included and meant by the righteousness of Chrift; but a principal refpect feems to be had to the Jatter, and fometimes perhaps that only is intended, He who reads the Bible with care, will take notice of this, The righteoufnefs of Chrift does moft properly confift in his obedience, by which believers in him obtain eternal life, and all pofitive bleffings; yet as his obedience implies his fufferings, and his fufferings imply his obedience, and one is as neceffary for the falvation of men as the other, they are both included in his righteousness; as they are both neceffarily included in his obedience unto death.*

It may be farther obferved, that to be juftified by Chrift, fometimes means only a being pardoned, or deliv erance from the curfe of the law by the fufferings and atonement of Chrift, or has a principal refpect to that; though it includes pofitive favour, and a title to eternal life, which are given to believers, for the fake of the obedience and worthiness of Chrift. Pardon of fin, or deliverance from the evil which fin deferves, is diftinguifhable from what is called " juftification of life," which implies a title to eternal life, though these are never separated; for he who is pardoned, is by one and the same act of God, alfo made heir of eternal life, including all the favours which the believer receives for the fake of the worthinefs and obedience of Chrift; and, is treated as well as if he were perfectly righteous, out of respect to the obedience and righteoufnels of the Redeemer. The following, feem to be inftances in which to juftify, or be juftified, intends only forgiveness of fins on account of the fufferings or atonement of Chrift; or, at leaf, to have a primary and chief refpect to that—

"Be it known unto you, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of fins: And by him all that believe are juftified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Mofes.”* "Much more then being now juftified by his blood, we fhall be faved from wrath through him."+ Here juftification feems to mean no more than pardon of fin, or rather opening the way to pardon by the fuffering and death of Christ in their ftead, Chrift having died for them.

Redemption feems alfo to be fometimes ufed in a more reftrained fenfe, and primarily, if not wholly, refpects deliverance from the curfe of the law by the fufferings of Chrift, or forgiveness of fins through the atonement he has made by fuffering the curfe of the law. The following appears to be inftances of this, "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of fins." Chrift hath redeemed us from the curfe of the law, being made a curfe for us!" Yet this includes, and is connected with deliverance from fin and all evil, and the bestowment of eternal life, and comprehends the whole work of the Redeemer.

III. ANOTHER part of the work of the Redeemer, is to complete the falvation of thofe whom he redeems, and to finish and perfect the work of redemption. This has been in fome measure brought into view under the former head; but requires a more particular confideration. In confequence of the fuffering and obedience of Chrift, and as a reward of the latter, he is exalted to give repentance and remiffion of fins, and complete falvation to those who fhall be actually redeemed. All things are given into his hands, and all power in heaven and earth And he is made head over all things to the church; that he might fanctify and cleanfe it, and prefent it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or

•Afs xiii. 38, 89. † Rom. v. 9. ↑ Eph. i. 7.

wrinkle, Gal. iii. 13.

wrinkle, or any fuch thing; but that it fhould be holy, and without blemish. As all men are naturally in a ftate of total depravity, enemies to God, his law and government; and therefore enemies to the Redeemer, and all his defigns and works; not one of them can be perfuaded to come to him and accept of the offered falvation, unless he be made willing by his mighty power, renewing his heart, taking away the heart of ftone, the rebellious heart, and giving a difcerning, obedient heart. This is reprefented in the scripture by a variety of phrafes, and abundantly afferted, which may be more fully confidered in a following chapter. The Redeemer having renewed by the fpirit, thofe whom he defigns to fave, fo far as to bring them to a union with himself by faith, and to become his real friends, carries on this work through life, until they are brought at death to perfection in holiness; and he will raife their bodies, at the laft day, and give them eternal life. All this he has declared he will do. He has faid, "All that the Father giveth me, fhall come to me, and him that cometh to me, I will in no wife caft out. This is the will of the Father, which hath fent me, that of all which he hath given me, I fhould lofe nothing, but fhould raise it up again at the laft day. And this is the will of him that fent me, that every one which feeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlafting life, and I will raife him up at the laft day."*

He is exalted to the right hand of God, and fits on the throne of the univerfe, having all things in his hands, and governing the whole world, fo as in the best manner to save the Redeemed, and fulfil the good pleasure of his goodness towards them, and totally to difappoint, overthrow and deftroy all his and their enemies, putting them under his fect, when he will come to judge the world in righteoufnels.

* John vi. 37, 39, 40.

The

The Redeemer, in profecuting his work, fuftains the character, and performs, the offices of prophet, priest and king. He is in the moral world, efpecially in his church and kingdom, what the fun is in the natural world, the light thereof. He is therefore called "the fun of righteoufnefs." He faid, "I am the light of the world: He that followeth me, fhall not walk in darknefs, but fhall have the light of life. I am come a light into the world, that whofoever believeth on me, fhould not abide in darkness,”*

The Redeemer is the author of all the moral light and inftruction afforded to men. He has given the divine revelation which we enjoy. He infpired men by his fpirit to write that part of fcripture which the church enjoyed before his incarnation. He taught and inftructed men when in the flesh on earth; and infpired the Apoftles and others to write what is contained in the New Teftament, in which, among other things, all the future,

grand

John viii. 12, xii. 46. These words of Chrift ferve to explain what is faid by this Evangelift [Chap. i. 5.] "Who was the true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world." The words of Chrift fuppofe, and implicitly affert, that he who believeth not, is in darkness, and abideth in darknefs. And this Apoftle afferts the fame thing. He fays, He that hateth his brother [which is true of every unbeliever] is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes." [1 John, 2.] Therefore Chrift's lightning every man that cometh into the world, cannot mean that he a&ually illuminates the mind of every man in the world, for the words of Chrift, and of his beloved difciple, affert the contrary. The meaning therefore must be, either that he lightens every man in the world, without exception, who has any true light; that is, all who believe, and come to the light; Or that he is the only objective light in the world; there being no other light to be feen, but that which he affords objectively: which objective light is let before all men and is offered to all, in a greater or lets degree. It nevertheless remains true that all who are not christians, and do not follow Chrift, have no light within them, but walk in total darknets, from which they are turned when they believe. Therefore Chrift fays, "I am the light of the world. He that followeth me, fhall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." [John viii. 12.] This implies that all who do not follow him, have no degree of that light of which he speaks, when he says, “I am the light of the world ;" but are wholly involved in that darkness which is oppofed to this light; and live and walk in it.

+ 1 Pet. i. 11.