though God's equal, might not take it upon him, till he was called to it of God, Heb. v. 4. 5.

(4) Our Redeemer must be God's Fellow, in regard of the covenant of grace, which was the ground-work, and foundation of all: fince our Redeemer was to. make a covenant with God for us, it was neceffary, that he fhould be with God at the making of it, and know the depths of God's counfel, in it, and perfectly know for whom he was to fatisfy, and upon what condition. Now, this covenant being as antient as eternity; and feeing God fhould have our Redeemer by him, to conclude the covenant, and bargain with him, who, of all the creatures, were capable of this? who, of all the creatures, have known the mind of the Lord, and being his counsellor have taught him? God might have faid to all the creatures, as to Job, in another cafe, Job xxxviii. 4. "Where waft thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?" Where were you when the plot of redemption was laid? when the names of my redeemed ones were put in the book of life? But our Redeemer was then by him, Prov. viii. 30. He becomes, our everlasting Father; begetting us, with the Father, in the womb of eternal election.

(5.) Our Redeemer must be God's Fellow in regard of the place he was to have in the covenant, with respect to God: who among all mere creatures was fit to have all power in heaven and in earth committed to him? Power to bequeath fuch bleffings as peace, pardon, reconciliation, juftification, and eternal life; power by his blood to confirm and eftablifh all the pronifes of the covenant? Chrift Jefus did, through the eternal Spirit, (that is, his Godhead,) offer up himfelf, without fpot to God; and then the apoftle infers, for this caufe, he is the Mediator of the New Teftament: yea, Chrift was to be Surety of this Teftament; Surety for God to us; to make out all the bleffings and promifes of the covenant to us; and Surety for us to God, to fatisfy law and juftice in our room; what creature was able to do this? or if any creature fhould be fup

C 4

pofed

pofed to be able, was it fit that God fhould put fuch a trust in any creature? No.

(6.) Our Redeemer must be God's Fellow in regard of the place he was to have with refpect to us: our Redeemer must be the object of our faith and love; what creature in heaven, or in earth, could be a fufficient prop and foundation for our faith? Had any mere creature undertaken to be our Redeemer, we could rever fully have depended upon him, but would always been afraid he had mifcarried; therefore it was requifite to quiet our fears, that our Redeemer fhould be God's Fellow; see Isa. xxxv. 3. "He is God, therefore fear not :" our hearts could never have been at full reft otherwife, I remember, when Ifrael were going through the wildernefs, they were to meet with much oppofition; God promifes to fend an angel with them; it is faid, "All the people mourned for thefe evil tid. ings," that God himself would not go up; yea, Mofes himself was fearful of the mifmanagement of a mere angel; therefore fays Mofes, "If thou go not with us, carry us not up hence," Exod, xxxiii. 2, 3, 4, 15. And again, ver. 12. Thou haft not let me know whom thou wilt fend." They thought his fending of an angel, was as good as his fending none at all. Thus, you fee, people's fears would never be quieted by the government of an angel, though one of them was able to deftroy a whole hoft in one night: even fo, our hearts could never be at reft, though God fent an angel for our deliverance! therefore God fent his own Son, his Fellow, that he might fully truft him, and depend upon him; that we might place all our fatisfaction in him, as a full portion, fo as to feek no further.-Thus you fee, he is God's Fellow; and why, as our Redeemer, he behoved to be fo.

2dly, Confider the account we have of his Human Nature, "The MAN that is my Fellow." Here I would fhew you, 1. What Kind of a man Chrift became. 2. Why our Redeemer behoved to be a Man.

1. What kind of a man he became? Why, "The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us: Great is

the

the mystery of godlinefs, God manifefted in the flesh: He took not on him the nature of angels, but the feed of Abraham." More particularly,

(1.) He was a poor man; a man very poor and mean in outward refpects: poor in his birth; he was not born of a queen, nor laid in a palace; but born of a poor virgin, and laid in a manger: He was poor in his life; feveral people minifired to him of their fubftance: yea, "The foxes had holes, and the birds of the air had nefts, but the Son of man had not where to lay his head. Though he was rich, yet for our fakes he became poor." Let not poor people quarrel at their lot; Chrift, God's equal, was a poor man.

(2.) He was a diftreffed man; "A man of forrows, and acquainted with griefs :" a man of the fame infir mities with us, except finful ones: "In all things it behoved him to be like unto his brethren; that he might be a merciful and faithful High-prieft," Heb. ii. 17. ; and, "He was in all points tempted-like as we are, yet without fin," Heb. iii. 15. He was hungry, thirsty, weary, tempted, afflicted, and every way diftreffed. Let no diflreffed perfon think it ftrange that they are fo, fince God's Fellow was a diftreffed man.

(3.) He was a true man; he had a true body and a reasonable foul: his body was nailed to the tree; they pierced his hands and his feet: his foul was exceeding forrowful, even unto death. As man he went through all the ages of men; firft, he was conceived; then, he was a babe; next, a youth; and at last, came to the perfect flature of a man. But,

(4.) He was a good man, an holy man; immaculate was the conception of the holy child Jefus: we come defiled into the world, but Chrift brought no fin into the world with him; and all the devils could not make him fin; for, "The prince of this world could find nothing in him," either of original or actual finș "He was made fin for us, who knew no fin; but was holy, harmless, undefiled, and feparate from finners." Never was there fuch an holy man upon earth; fee Heb. v, 7. "He was heard, in that he feared; or, he

was

was heard for his piety and holinefs." Since Adam fell, "never was there a man but this, that was heard and accepted of God for his own piety and holineis.

(5.) He was a wife man, the wifet man that ever was; Solomon was very wife, but behold, a wifer than Solomon is here. He answered the learned doctors, to their amazement, when he was twelve years old: Yea, all that heard him were aftonifhed at his understanding and anfwers, Luke ii. 47. And fometimes afked queftions to which no man was able to answer a word, nor durft afk him any more questions, Matth. xxii. 46. and no wonder, for he was the power of God, and the wildom of God;, and in him are hid all the treasures of wifdom and knowledge: and hence he revealed the glorious truths that were before concealed. He was a wife man indeed. Yet,

(5.) He was a mortal man as we are, and he actually died as we muft; he was put to a painful and fhameful death; and his curfed death, which yet we may call his bleffed death, we are to commemorate this day. - This man fell a facrifice to the awakened fword of infinite juftice; the Shepherd was fmitten and flain, for he was a mortal man; if it be lawful to call him a man,' as Jofephus, a Jew, faid. For,

In a word, he is a wonderful man; to all eternity his name fhall be called wonderful, Ifa. ix. 6. This wonderful man is our peace-maker with God; "This man fhall be THE peace when the Affyrian cometh into our land." This wonderful man is our only covert from the furious ftorm of divine wrath; "A man fhall be an hiding-place from the ftorm, and a covert from the tempeft." But,

2. Why muft our Redeemer be a man? Why, for the following reafons.

(1.) He must be a man in regard of the tranfaction between the Father and the Son. Not only was God's truth engaged in the promise, that the feed of the woman fhould be fent; that to us a child fhould be born, to us a Son given, and that a virgin fhould bring forth a fon, and call his name Immanuel, God with us, God

=

in our nature; and not only was God, in his infinite. wifdom, refolved, in the weaknefs of our nature, to perfect his own ftrength, and get the greater glory; and that as, By one man's difobedience, many were made finners; fo by the obedience of one, many should be made righteous." But also, it being agreed between the Father and the Son, in the covenant of redemption, or grace, that the Son fhould offer up a facrifice for us; it was alfo agreed, that there must be fomewhat to of fer, Heb. viii. 3. Somewhat of greater value than all the world; for, nothing could be a fufficient facrifice for the expiation of fin. If Chrift had not been man, he could have had nothing to offer up as a facrifice to God God himfelf provided a facrifice, as he did a ram in the room of Ifaac: "Sacrifice and offering thou wouldft not; a body halt thou prepared me." This body, this facrifice, was provided in the counfel of peace; and being thus provided, Chrift comes chearfully to offer it, "Lo, I come; I delight to do thy will, O my God."

(2.) He must be a man in regard of us; he would not have redeemed us, if according to the law, the right of redemption had not belonged to him as our kinfman, Lev. xxv. 25.; and being man, he is fit to communicate to us the things of God in fuch a way, as we are capable to receive. If God fhould appear to us immediately, in his terrible glory, we would be afraid of him, as Ifrael were, and run away from him; and hide ourselves, as Adam did: yea, thus we have at merciful High-prieft, that is touched with the feeling of our infirmities. As man he had experience of our 'afflictions; are we forrowful? fo was he; "Sorrowful, even unto death :" are we grieved? he was acquainted with grief: are we in poverty? fo was he: are we fmitten? fo was he: are we deferted? fo was he: having a natural fibness to us, being bone of our bone, and flefh of our flesh.

(3.) He must be a nian in regard of juftice: juftice required that the fame nature that finned fhould be punished for fin, and make fatisfaction for fin. God