Rom. iv. 17. He forefaw the Fall of Man, and no Doubt, appointed the Means of his Recovery. Man being fallen in God's Account before he existed, and ruined himself and his Offspring. We may fuppofe, to illuftrate the Point in Hand, that a Question was afked in Heaven, viz. Forasmuch as Man had foolishly fold himself for Nought, how was it poffible that he could be redeemed without Money, (or Price from fallen Man) and God's Justice fuffer no Wrong? Ifa. lii. 3. We'll fuppose the mysterious Question was aftonishing to Angels, who all ftood filent in the Court of Hea ven, when the eternal Father, who knew what he intended to do, unfolded the grand Mystery of Christ's coming into the World, the Son of God to die for Man; that he fhould affume our Nature in the Virgin's Womb, to be qualified for the important Truft, Rom. ix. 5. and fulfil the Father's righteous Laws in our Stead, Mat. v. 17. and fuffer Death for our Disobedience, viz. The Juft for the Unjuft, that he might lawfully bring loft Souls home unto God, 1 Peter iii. 8. And God's Justice fuffer no Wrong: that God might be juft, and the Juftifier of all who through Grace believe in the Merits of Jefus, Rom. iii. 26. And their Faith (not the Act of Believing, but the Object believed in) fhall be imputed unto them for Righteousness, Rom. iv. 22. And in Confequence of his becoming Man, and humbling himself to the Death of the Cross, Phil. ii. 8. God the Father covenants with his Son, faying, "Afk of me, and I will give thee the Heathen for thine Inheritance, and the uttermoft Parts of the Earth for thy Poffeffion, Pfal. ii. 8. "Thy Dominion alfo fhall be from Sea to Sea, and from the River unto the Ends of the Earth," Pfal. lxxii. 8. "For the Earth is mine, and the Fulnefs thereof; yea, the World, 1. 4. and all they that dwell therein," Pfal. xxiv. 1. Out of which a Seed fhall ferve thee, and it fhall be accounted unto the Lord for a Generation, Pfal. xxii. 30. (Thus were we "chofen in Chrift before the Foundation of the World, that we fhould be holy and without Blame before him in Love," Eph. On this Account, Jefus faid to his Difciples, "Ye have not chofen me, but I have chofen you, and ordained you, that you should bring forth Fruit, even Fruit that should remain," John xv. 16.) And this Generation of chofen People, fhall from Age to Age, through Faith in the Blood of the Covenant, be imputed Righteous, Gen. xv. 6. and shall be always accepted in Chrift the Beloved, Eph. i.. 6. "Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all Iniquity, and purify unto himfelf a peculiar People, zealous of good Works," Tit. ii. 14. "But in his Righteoufnefs fhall they make their Boaft; He is the Glory of their Strength, and in his Favour they fhall lift up their Horn," Pfal. lxxxix. 16, 17. And at length they fhall fing a loud Song in Heaven, with fweet Melody, when Time fhall be no more; faying, "Worthy is the Lamb that was flain, to receive Power, and Riches, and Wisdom, and Strength, and Honour, and Glory, and Bleffing," Rev. v.12. "Who hath redeemed us unto God by his Blood, out of every Kindred, and Tongue, and People, and Nation," ver. 9. With what unfpeakable Joy will the dear Emmanuel rejoice over his Bride, when she appears in his Prefence, clothed in her beautiful Garments, the fine Linen, which is the Righteoufnefs of the Saints? Rev. xix. 8. And her Beauty made perfect through his Comeliness, Ezek. xvi. 14. O! how gloriously is the Church described when entered on her triumphant State! Made up of a great Multitude which no Man can number, number, out of all Nations, Kindreds, People and Tongues, ftanding before the Throne of God, and before the Lamb, clothed with white Robes, and Palms (the Emblem of Victory) in their Hands, af cribing Salvation unto God which fitteth upon the Throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the Angels ftood round about the Throne, and about the Elders, encircling the whole Choir. And both Saints and Angels, united in the fame folemn Worship, fell before the Throne on their Faces, in Token of Reverence and Homage, faying, "Amen, Bleffing, and Glory, and Wisdom, and Thanksgiving, and Honour, and Power, and Might, be unto our God, for ever and ever, Amen." Thus the Son with great Delight views his dear-bought Church, who came out of great Tribulation, having wafhed their Robes, and made them white in his own Blood; joined in fweet Connection with the angelick Hoft, to praise God Day and Night, for ever and ever, in his holy Temple, Rev. vii. 10, 11, 12, 14, 15. Thus we find the Holy Ghost exhibits the State of the Church in her glorified Condition, in the new Jerufalem, the Church triumphant, Rom. xix. 7. in her full Dress, adorned as a Bride for the Bridegroom, Rev. xxii. 1. Of which bleffed State Saint John Speaks fo familiarly and pofitively as if all the Redeemed were arrived thither, because they furely fhall; Grace and Glory being one with God! Grace is the Bud, and Glory is the Fruit. But let us take a Review of the Church, and ourselves, originally God regarded us in our low Eftate; we'll fuppofe the Father faying, "Son, thy intended Bride is in Mifery, but the must be redeemed by thy Blood, in order to be entitled to Heaven, and to be made meet for Glory above with thee: without sheding thy Blood there can be no Remiffion of her Sins, Heb. ix. 22. Neither will any other Sa crifice crifice (which are only Types) be fufficient; Levitical Sacrifices being only Types and Shadows, but a Body have I prepared thee, Heb. x. 5. Likewife, all Power is given unto thee both in Heaven and in Earth, Matt. xxviii. 18. I'll judge no Man, but do hereby commit all Judgment unto thee my Son, and none fhall receive Life eternal, but those that receive thee," John v. 22. Now the mysterious Son, God's equal Fellow, Zech. xiii. 7. In whom all the Fulness of the Godhead dwelleth bodily, Col. ii. 9. Knowing that his Father's Will was to redeem the Church, (faid when he came upon Earth, "I came down from Heaven, not to do mine own Will, but the Will of him that fent me," John vi. 38. His faying in Time was the Index to discover the eternal Mind before Time began) He, I say, who is Almighty to deliver, immediately ftood up, like a Giant refreshed with Wine, to fmite his Enemies, Pfal. lxxviii. 65, 66. and broke Silence in the Court of Heaven, faying, "Behold! I that fpeak in Righteoufnefs am mighty to fave my Bride: I'll travel in the greatnefs of my Strength on this important Errand, Ifa. lxiii. 1. I have Power to lay down my Life to redeem her, and I have Power to take it again, having received this Commandment of my Father, John x. 17, 18. Therefore, Salvation being enfured by the eternal Compact, the Bride's Happiness is fure and certain; I am Alpha and Omega, (faith Chrift) the Beginning and the End. I will give unto them that thirst after Righteoufnefs to drink out of the Fountain of the Water of Life freely, Rev. xxii. 13, 17. There fhall be a Fountain opened in my Side (fpringing from my Heart, in Confequence of my Incarnation) from whence fhall iffue Blood and Water, for their Juftification, and Sanctification; in which my Bride fhall wash away her Sins, and Uncleannefs upon upon Earth, Zech. xiii. 1. And I will allure her, and bring her up out of the Wilderness of Sin, and caufe her to lean on me her Beloved, Cant. viii. 5. She fhall understand by my written Word, that I, even I, am the Lord, and befides me there is no Saviour. And that before the Day was, or Time began, I am he that covenanted with my Father, to fatisfy Divine Juftice in the Behalf of my Spouse. Also, as the Father hath loved me, even fo have I loved her, John xv. 9. And there is none that can pluck her out of my Father's Hands, John x. 29. I will work out her Salvation, and none fhall let it, Ifa. xliii. 11, 13. Hereby I'll cause her to know that I have loved her with an everlasting Love, and therefore with Loving-kindnefs have I drawn her unto me, Jer. xxxi. 3. And this Knowledge of Faith fhall fo work by Love in her Heart, that it fhall make her willing to part with all her finful Pleasures, and impatiently defirous to crucify the Flesh on my Crofs, 'till the whole Body of Sin (the old Man) is deftroyed, Rom. vi. 6. So fhall fhe put on me, the Lord Jefus, and make no Provifion for the Flefh, to gratify the Lufts thereof, Rom. xiii. 14. Thus wearing my Righteousness, and cleansed by my Blood, having my Spirit of Love formed in her Heart, which shall be as a Well of living Water, fpringing up into everlafting Life, John iv. 14. Then fhall fhe love the Lord her God with all her Heart, Soul, Mind, and Strength, Mark xii. 30. and fo be made meet for my Glory. And holy Father, my Will is that they whom thou haft given me, be where I am, to behold my Glory which I had with thee before the World was; neither pray I for thefe alone, but for. them alfo which fhall believe in me through their Word. And the Glory which thou haft given me (as Son and Heir) I have given them, that they may |