Pagina-afbeeldingen
PDF
ePub

vindicated the Honour of the Divine Holinefs by a plenary Satisfaction to Divine Juftice.

19.

Here might alfo have been fhew'd, that all the Properties that belong to a Redeemer were to be found in Chrift, who had a Right to redeem, by affuming our Nature. For both he Heb, 2, 11. that fanctifieth, and they who are fanctified, are all of one. He that fuffer'd on the Crofs, and they for whom he suffer'd, had Communion in the fame Nature. He had alfo a valuable 1 Pet. 1. 18, Price to lay down, which was that of his own precious Blood; as much as the Law demanded, or Juftice requir'd: And this was not paid to the Devil, who had captivated and inflaved a whole Species of Creatures, upon the Apoftacy of Adam; but to God the Father, who had a Power to condemn us, and a Right to detain us in Prifon till Juftice was fatisfy'd: That is the first.

2dly, Here is the Act of Job's Faith, I. know that my Redeemer liveth. Knowledg is frequently taken for Faith in the Sacred Volume, John 17. What our Lord calls Knowledg, ver. 23. he had called Faith, ver. 21. and indeed Knowledg is a word very proper to fignify this Grace by; for no one Branch of Faith can be rightly exercis'd without it.

What Allent can a Man give to the Truth of a Revelation, if he does not know it to be Divine, and from the God of Truth? Who John 5. can affent to that account that is given of our Lord's Perfon in the Scripture, but he that knows that it is the Record God has given of his Son?

[blocks in formation]

Again, who that is ignorant of Chrift's Perfon, and the Offices that he executes as a Mediator, will ever confent to receive him as Prophet, Priest, and King?

So for the Act of Recumbency upon Chrift, is it likely that any one fhould trust to his Righteousness and Blood for the Pardon of his Sins, that is a ftranger to his atoning Sacrifice, and the infinite Merit of it, arifing Pfal. 9. 10. from the Dignity of his Perfon? They that know thy Name (fays the Pfalmift) will put their Tim.1.12.trust in thée. And the Apoftle fays, I know whom I have believed. And thus Job in the Text, I know that my Redeemer liveth; or I know most certainly, I am fo well affur'd of it, fo fatisfy'd in it, that I have confented to take him as my Redeemer, and to trust him as fuch.

Whether this well-grounded Perfuafion in Job's Mind, fprung from any fpecial Revelation that God made to him concerning the Meffias; or whether 'twas only bottom'd upon Gen. 3. 15. that general and antient Promife, The Seed of the Woman Shall break the Serpent's Head, I'll not determine: 'tis not improbable but there might be both. However it was, the Phrafe connotes the certainty and fteddinefs of his Perfuafion, and the strength of his Faith and here feems to be a reflex Act as well as a direct Act of Faith on the Perfon of the Redeemer; for he speaks with fo much confidence and certainty, as to exclude all doubt. And when a Soul is advanc'd thus far, Heaven in part is come down into it; for it has fuch an aflurance of afcending up thither, that the Soul even tastes of the Clusters of Canaan before it enters into the promis'd Land.

3dly, Here is the Propriety and Interest which Job profeffeth to have in this Redeemer: I know that [my] Redeemer liveth. Hereby he fignifies his extraordinary Affection to Christ, as well as his Interest in him. Mr REDEEMER: they are words of great import, and tho but two, yet they fignify more than a thoufand; for hereby he applies Chrift to himself, and pronounces him to be his. It is one thing to talk of Chrift as a Redeemer, and another to know that he is our Redeemer, and to fay with the Apostle, Who loved me, and gave himself for me. It is Gal. 2. 29. one thing to hear of the Chrift of God, and another to receive him by an appropriating Act of Faith. For he that is enabled to put forth fuch an A&t of Faith, is first made fenfible of his need of Chrift, and drawn to the Father by him; and then cries out, This Lord is my Fefus, he is my Righteoufnefs and my Life, my Hope, my Help, and my Salvation, my Lord and my God.

And as fob by this appropriating A& of Faith lays claim to the Redeemer's Perfon, and all the Benefits which he hath purchas'd by his Blood; fo hereby he doth devote and refign, and give up himself, Body and Soul, to the difpofe of the Redeemer: For those that are redeem'd, pafs into the Poffeffion of their Redeemer; therefore fays the Apostle, For ye are bought with a Price: What then? Cor.6. 20 therefore glorify God with your Bodies, and with your Spirits, which are his.

To close this Head: Till a Soul can put in fuch a Claim as Fob does in the Text, and by Appropriation, and fpecial Interest in Chrift,

fay,

[ocr errors]

fay, I know that my Redeemer liveth; he is a ftranger to the most pleasant and comfortable part of the Chriftian Life. For here is the Ground of our Confidence, here is the Spring Cant, 2, 16. of our Joy, when a Soul can fay, My Beloved is mine, and I am his; I know that my Redeemer liveth. But then,

4thly, Here is a further Illuftration of the Redeemer's Character: He liveth. Hereby may be intended one or all of these things.

(1.) Our Lord's Eternity. To fay that God liveth, is as much as to fay, that he is Eternal. Now Job doth not fay, that his Redeemer hath lived, or that he shall live; but that he doth live, without the distinction of Time past or future. God is for ever I am: Chrift as God lives from Eternity, as Man to EterRev. 1. 18. nity. I am he that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am alive for evermore.

(2.) Hereby may be denoted the Irrefiftibleness and Almighty Power of the Redeemer ; for Life, in the Language of the Scripture, fignifies Might and Power: and indeed we cannot suppose that Chrift is Eternal, without concluding that he is Omnipotent. Therefore Rev. 1. 8. they are join'd together: I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, faith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

(3.) I know that my Redeemer liveth: He liveth; that is, he hath Life in himself; he is the Prince of Life, and he giveth it to others: John 5. 21. not only the Father, but the Son quickneth wham he will. He hath purchas'd fpiritual Life for his People on the Crofs, and he difpenfes it to them from the Throne.

[ocr errors]

Heb. 7. 24,

(4.) I know my Redeemer liveth, i. c. as my Advocate and Interceffor. For Job's Faith did not only fix upon Chrift as crucified, but as rifen; he did not only eye him as a bleeding Victim, but as an afcended Conqueror; not only as treading the Wine-prefs of his Father's Wrath, but as pleading the Virtue of his own invaluable Sacrifice. Therefore when he speaks of his Redeemer's living, he intends one of the great Ends of his living; that is, to intercede for his People, which is one necessary part of his Prieftly Office. But this Man, becaufe he continueth for ever, hath an unchangeable 25. Priesthood: Therefore he is able to fave to the uttermoft all that come to God by him, feeing he ever liveth to make Interceffion for them. Interceffion for Sinners is as neceffary to our Happiness, as our Lord's making expiation for Sin: He Spoiled Principalities and Powers upon the Crofs, and Col. 2. 15. made a fhew of them openly. But he answers the Accufations of thofe malicious Spirits, now he is feated upon his Throne. 'Tis true, the available Plea in our Lord's Interceffion is that of his own Blood; and the right he has to be an Interceffor is founded on the Infinite Merit of his atoning Sacrifice: therefore He, and He only, hath a legal right to plead our Caufe before God, who hath fully paid what we are indebted to him.

This by the way difcovers the Vanity and Vileness of thofe of the Roman Faction, who apply themselves to other Interceffors befides the Lord Jefus Chrift; invocating the Holy Angels, the Bleffed Virgin the Mother of our Lord, and fome imaginary Saints of their own departed. And to excufe this horrid Impiety, they diftinguish between a Mediator of Re

demption,

« VorigeDoorgaan »