he finds a ranfom; he fets forth Chrift to be the propitiation. Whenever he is fet forth, the fword falls upon him, and awakes against him who was the Shepherd, that the sheep might efcape.

I might here premife many ufeful particulars prefuppofed in this doctrine, namely, That it fuppofes a covenant of works broken, and fo juftice enraged againft men: Acovenant of redemption made; a counfel of peace between JEHOVAH and Chrift, for man's relief: and, which I reckon much the fame with the former, a covenant of grace eftablished in Chrift; he engaging to falfil the condition of the covenant of works, which we had broken; to obey the law, which we had- tranfgreffed; to fatisfy the juftice, which we had offended; to bear the wrath, which we had incurred; whereupon the fword of the Lord awakes again him, and all the fquadrons of enraged fury march forth against him, with infinite horror and terror; "Awake, O fword, against my Shepherd."-But omitting all that might be fuppofed, and prefuppofed to this doctrine, I fhall endeavour to confine myfelf as clofely as poffible to the feveral parts of the text and doctrine, by profecuting it in the following method; namely,

I. To enquire into the Character of the perfon against whom this fword doth awake.

H. The Nature and Quality of this fword that did awake against him.

III. How this fword did awake, against him; by fhewing what may be Imported in this expreffion, "Awake, O fword." IV. What fpecial hand the Lord JEHOVAH, the Lord of hosts, had in ordering or calling of this fword to awake againft this glorious perfon. V. The Reasons of the doctrine, why the Lord of hofls ordered the fword of juftice to awake against his Shepherd, and the man that is his Fellow.

VI. Draw fome Inferences for the application of the whole, in a fuitablenefs to the work of the

day.

I. Who is this that the fword of juftice muft awake againft? The Character of the perfon is very great and glorious, in the words of our text, "My Shepherd, the man that is my Fellow ;" that is, in, fhort, Godman Mediator; for, being here defcribed in his perfon and office, I fhall touch a little at both in the following order.

1. His divine nature, as God's Fellow. 2. His human nature, the Man that is my Fellow. 3. The conjunction of both thefe in one perfon, "The man that Is my Fellow." 4. His mediatorial office, "My Shepherd."

ift, Confider this account we have of his divine nature; "MY FELLOW, faith the Lord of hofts." Let Arians and Socinians blafpheme this wonderful perfon, here is an article of our creed, that Chrift is God's Fellow, God's equal, "Who being in the form of God, thought it no robbery to be equal with God" and therefore he himself fays, John x. 30. "I and my Father are one." But here confider, 1. Wherein he is God's Fellow: and, 2. Why, as our Redeemer, it behoved him to be God's Fellow.

1. Wherein, or in what Refpect is he God's Fellow? I anfwer, He is God's Fellow, not as he is Mediator, taking upon him the form of a fervant, and becoming the Father's fervant in the work of our redemption; but he is God's Fellow in thefe fix refpects.

(1.) He is God's Fellow in point of Nature and Effence; Chrift is God effentially, as well as the Father, and the Holy Ghoft, though perfonally diftinct from both; for, neither the Father nor the Holy Ghoft were incarnate, or took on our nature, but Chrift the fecond perfon of the glorious Trinity who, though perfonally diftinct, yet is effentially one with the Father and Spirit, John i. I. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the word was God:" And it is fure there is but one God, Deut. vi. 4. "Hear, O Ifrael, the Lord our God is ONE Lord, one JEHOVAN." I Cor. viii. 4. "In Chrift our Redeemer dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily," Col. ii. 9. "There are

three

three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghoft, and these three are one," 1 John v. 7. and in the last verse of that chapter, "We know that the Son of God is come, and has given us an underflanding to know him that is true; and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jefus Chrift: this is the true God, and eternal life."

(2.) He is God's Fellow in point of Property; even in all his effential properties, which is much the fame with the former. Is God omnipotent? fo is Chrift; he is the wonderful com fel, the mighty God. Is God omniprefent? fo is Chrift; "Lo I am with "Lo I am with you always,

to the end of the world." Is God omnifcient? fo is Chrift; "Thou that knoweft all things, knoweft that I love thee," fays Peter. Is God unchangeable? fo is Chrift; "The fame yefterday, to-day, and for ever." Is God eternal? fo is Chrift; "Before Abraham was, I am" He is the King eternal, immortal, the only wife God. He is God's Fellow in all thefe refpects.

(3.) He is God's Fellow in point of Will and Confent; what the Father wills, Chrift wills; hence it was his meat and drink to do his Father's will, who fent him; "I delight to do thy will, O my God." It is true, as man, he had a will diftinct from his will as God, and fo diverfe from the. Father's will; though yet this did act ftill in fubordination to the will of God; hence when the bitter cup is put to his mouth, he prays, "O my Father, if it be thy will, let this cup pals from me: neverthelefs not my will, but thine be done:" yet, as God, his will is one, and the fame with the Father's will.

(4) He is God's Fellow in point of work: John v. 17. "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work." Chrifl's works are not only like unto the Father's, but the fame in fubftance, as flowing from one and the fame effence and power; for, for, "What things foever the Father doth, thefe alfo doth the Son likewife," John v. 19. He acts not as an inftrument fubordinate; but, as there is an unity in the work, fo alfo in the manner of it; by the fame power, wildom, liberty, and authority;

only.

only the order of operation being obferved: and we find all the works proper to God, afcribed to Chrifi; as creation," All things were made by hita :" Prefervation, 66 Upholding all things by the word of his power:" Redemption; the donation of the Spirit;" railing himself from the dead; the inflitution of ordinances and offices in his church; and the judging the world in all thefe he is God's Fellow.

(5.) He is God's Fellow in point of Honour and Worship: all men are to honour the Son, even as they honour the Father; they are to believe in him, "Ye believe in God, believe alfo in me," John xiv. I.; they are to hope and truft in him, "Kifs the Son, left he be angry, and ye perifh from the way. If once his wrath begin to burn, bleffed are all they that truft in him.”

(6.) He is God's Fellow in point of Happinefs and Felicity, Rom. ix. 5. "Of whom, concerning the flesh, Chrift came, who is over all, God bleffed for ever, Amen." As he was bleffed and happy from all eternity in his Father's bofom, being ever by him, and brought up with him, and being daily his delight; rejoicing always before him; and rejoicing in the habitable parts of the earth, and his delights with the fons of men, Prov. viii. 30, 31.: So he ever was, and will be, bloffed with him. It is true, there was a time when the Son of God was humbled; when this God, blefied for ever, became a curfe for us; but notwithstanding, his effential glory was never diminished; as God, he was as happy and bleffed on the crofs, and in the grave, as ever he was. Well, thus, as God, is he every way God's Fellow. O! how fearfully was he humbled! God's Fellow, and yet a babe, a fervant, a fufferer, a facrifice to the awakened fword of juftice. The Governor of all becomes a fubject: fhould an emperor become a fly, it would not be fuch a humiliation. O! how fadly was the world mistaken about Chrift, that took him to be a bafe fellow, a pitiful fellow! but little did they know that he was God's Fellow. O! how glo rious is the love of Chrift to finners! God's Fellow

receiving the firoak of the fword of divine juftice in

their room.

2. Why he behoved to be God's Fellow that was our Redeemer? It was neceffary that our Redeemer fhould be God's Fellow,

(1.) In regard of Merit: his obedience to the death could not be fufficient to fatisfy the law and the Lawgiver; to be a full ransom, and a full price of redemption, if it had not been truly and properly meritorious; and this it could not be, if he had not been God's equal, as well as man. Our fins were an infinite evil, and God's juftice required infinite fatisfaction: now, there could be no fatisfaction, of infinite value, but by a person of infinite value; and there is no fuch perfon, but God: and therefore our Redeemer must be God's equal, otherwise he could not give the fatisfac tion required.

(2.) In regard of Power: our Redeemer must be fuch an one as could go through all the difficulties that lay in the way of redemption, triumphing over all oppofition from God, men, and devils, from heaven, earth, and hell. The weakeft of thefe were too ftrong for human nature; therefore that our Redeemer might overcome death, bind the ftrong man, break down the gates of hell, cut in funder the bar of fin, he muft be God as well as man, even God's equal, God's fellow. And that he might be able for the application, as well as the impetration of man's redemption, not only able to fave to the uttermoft, all them that come to God through him, but able to draw poor ftub. born fouls to himself, by his own power, and make them willing.

(3.) Our Redeemer must be God's Fellow in regard of the dignity of the work: his honour and dignity, in being a Redeemer and Mediator between God and men, was too great for any creature, fuppofing any creature had been able for it; this crown of glory was not fitting for any mere creature's head. An office of dignity, on an unworthy perfon, is moft unfuitable this dignity was fo great, that even Chrift himself, though