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devil." Hence, when Chrift is lifted up upon the cross, receiving the ftroak of justice's sword, it is faid, “Now is the judgment of this world; now is the prince of this world caft out, John xii. 31. By death he deftroyed him that had the power of death; that is, the devil." By the bruife of his heel, his human nature, he broke the ferpent's head, and his power. Again, was all the honour and beauty of God's workmanfhip like to be loft Behold, the man that is God's Fellow, fultaining the firoak of Jenovan's fword, reftores all; Pfal. Ixix. "Then reftored I that which I took not away.' What was taken away? why, the devil, Adam, and Eve took away the glory due to God, the obedience due to the law, and the happiness that belonged to man in his first creation. Well, fays Chrift, it is much to bring them all back again; but I will do it, though I took them not away. I will reftore to man his happinefs; he has loft the favour of God, I will reflore it in juftification; he has loft the image of God, I will reltore it in regeneration; he has left the fellow fhip of God, I will restore it, being God's Fellow: I will bring them to fellowship with God, by fuftaining the ftroak of the fword which they fhould have fuflained for ever. I will reftore to the law its due obedience; yea, I will magnify the law and make it honourable, by my obedience to it, in fo much that the Lord of Holts fhall be well pleafed for my righteoufnefs fake; and fo I will reftore to God the honour and glory that he loft by the fin of man. And this leads to a

24 Reafon, why the Lord of Hofts made the fword of juftice to awake and fmite his Shepherd, the man that is his Fellow? Why, that thus he might get all his divine Attributes glorified in the higheft." Glory to God in the higheft," was the fong of angels when he appeared in our nature, to receive this awful ftroak." God's honour was not more impaired and embezzeled by the fin of man, that it was reftored and repaired by the death of Chrift. If all mankind, and all the angels with them, had fallen a facrifice to the fword of divine juftice, it could not have repaired the honour of God. for one fin: though they had all been offered

up

up in one whole burnt-offering, it could not have fatisfied infinite juftice; yea, though they had all been damned in hell, to all eternity, juftice could never have got full fatisfaction. But here is Juftice glorified to the higheft; "By one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are fanctified ;" and at the fame time vindicated the fpotlefs holinefs and righteoufnefs of God, that it may be known that God is holy and juft, who will needs avenge fin in his own Son, the holy and innocent Cautioner, when he interpoles in the finner's This is the declared defign of God's awakening the Sword of juftice againft Chrift; Rom. iii. 25. "Whom God hath fet forth to bè a propitiation for fin, through faith in his blood, to declare his righteoufnefs, that he might be juft, and the juftifier of him that bes lieveth in Jefus." If God had exacted the fatisfaction of the finners themfelves, by fending them to hell, it might have declared his juftice and righteoufnefs much; but here it is more glorioufly declared, and glorified to the highest for, if we confider Chrift in himself, and the elect in themfelves, his death and fufferings are more than if all the elect had fuffered eternally in hell. Here is mercy alfo and free grace glorified to the highest, while the finner is liberate and not put to pay the debt in his own perfon. Here is divine power glorified to the higheft; in the crucifying Chrift, whom the power of God fupported under that load of wrath that would have crushed ten thoufand worlds. Here is wisdom glorified to the higheft; "The manifold wif dom of God," that there fhould be two natures, yet but one perfon; that mercy fhould be fully magnified, and yet juftice fully fatisfied; that fin fhould be punifhed, and yet the finner unpunished; that the finner fhould efcape, and yet God fhould take vengeance upon fin. O the wisdom of God in a mystery!

3. Reason why the Lord of hofts ordered the fword of juftice to awake and fmite the Shepherd, the man that is his Fellow; it was even for the honour of the Shepherd, and the glory of the Man his Fellow. God defigned that for his fuffering of death, he fhould be crowned with glory and honour, Heb. ii. g. That for VOL. I. E

his

his humbling himself, and becoming obedience to the death, he should be highly exalted above all, and have a name above every name, Phil. ii. 9. That for drinking of the brook in the way, he fiould lift up his head; that after he had drunk of the brook of divine wrath in our room, he fhould Eft up his head above all principalities and powers, and have all power in heaven and earth given to him, and a number of elect to praile him for ever. O it is a wonderful thing to think, what he gave, and what he got! What gave he? His body, his foul, his blood, his life: What got he? Even fome of the black, ugly race of Adam to embrace him he makes his foul an offering for fin, and then he fees his feed, he fees the travel of his foul, and is fatisfied. He thinks all his pains well beflowed, when he gets his bride in his arms.. O here is love! behold incarnate love! bleeding love! dying love! Shall not this glorious Lover be exalted of God for ever, and exalted by all the redeemed with the higheft praifes, for opening his breaft to receive the wound of the awakened fword of juftice! yea, more, the fong will be, Worthy, worthy is the Lamb that was fluin., Thou waft flain, and haft redeemed us to God by thy blood.” And this leads to the

4. And last reafon, Why the word of juftice was ordered to awake and fmite the Shepherd, the man that is God's Fellow, viz. That a fountain of blood might be opened for the benefit of the theep. The Shepherd was fmitten with the fword of juftice, that the firoak might open a fountain for the watering of the freep: Zech. xiii. 1. "There fhall be a fountain opened for fia and for uncleannefs." A fountain for watering and washing of the fheep. And how is it to be opened even with the fword of justice; "Awake, Ofword, against the man, My Fellow." Now, the Shepherd's blood, fhed by the fword of juftice, is for the benefit of the fheep many ways: Why?

(1) It is peace-ipeaking blood; it speaks better things than the blood of Abel: It fpeaks peace and reconciliation with God, which is founded upon the blood of Chrift: this is the wine that cheers the heart of God

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and man. The juftice of God took a drink of this blood till it was cheered and fatisfied; and when the foul of the finner gets a drink of this blood, O but this red wine rejoices his heart.

(2.) It is heart-cleanfing blood; the blood of the Shepherd, fhed by the fword of juftice,, is for the wathing of the fheep; "The blood of Chrift cleanles from all fia." It cleanfes meritorioufly from the guilt of fin, in juftification; it cleanfes efficacioufly from the filth of fin, in fan&ification: it cleanfes ONLY; for no means, no duties, no tears, no prayers, no fermon, no facrament, no ordinances, no communion-table, will cleanfe you from fin, but only the blood of Chrift. It cleanfes infallibly; for all the devils in hell, and all the evils in the heart, fhall not be able to mar the efficacy of this blood, if it be fprinkled on you by the hand of the Spirit. The whole company that are flanding about the throne, have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

(3.) This blood, which the fword of juftice draws: from the Shepherd, is healing blood; for the healing of his fheep: "By his ftripes we are healed." Were your difeafes never fo defperate, here is a healing medicine for them: it can heal the hardness of the heart; "They fhall look on him whom they have pierced and mourn:" It can heal the barren foil of the heart, and turn it to a fertile ground; Hof. xiv. 6. "From me is thy fruit found:" from my Spirit, as the efficient; › and from my-blood, as the procuring caufe.

(4) It is a fweet-fmelling blood; it has a fweetfmelling favour in the noftrils of the Lord of hosts ; and perfumes the prayers and duties of the believer; "We are accepted ONLY in the Beloved." Our perfons, our prayers, our preaching, our communicating, would all flink, unless they be dipt in the blood of the Lamb.

(5.). This blood of the Surety, fhed by the fword of juftice, is blifs-purchafing blood; and one of the grand bleffings purchafed is the Holy Ghoft: the Spirit is one of the greatest inftances of the love of God in Chrift. Whenever Adam finned, the Holy Spirit

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left him, and the unclean fpirit came in his room; : but when the fecond Adam came, he brought the Spirit of God again with him: "I have put my Spirit upon him; and he fhall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.” And, O what is the world without the Spirit of God ? What is a man, a minifter, a facrament, a city, a nation, without the Spirit of God? What makes matters fo far wrong in a land, but that there is fo little of the Spirit with minillers and people? There is no life where the quickening Spirit comes not: O Sirs, we will have dead preaching, dead hearing, dead communicating, lifelefs work this day, if the purchafed Spirit do not come! When he comes, life comes with him. "Can thefe dry bones live?" Can thefe dead, formal, -lifelefs, unbelieving, hypocritical, and carnal hearts live? Yea, undoubtedly they can, if the Spirit blow: O let your hearts cry, Come, O north-wind! blow, thou fouth: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon thefe flain, that they may live." Cry for the parchaled and promifed Spirit, that we may live, and be lively in our work this day.

(6.). This blood has purchafed all fpiritual bleffings: It has purchafed pardon of fin; "We have redemption through his blood, even the remiffion of fin." It has purchased recovery after falls, and freedom from total apoftacy to all that believe; "I will heal their backflidings. Though he fall, he fhall not utterly be caft down; for the Lord upholds him with his hand," Pial. xxxvii. 24. Good news to believers, fay you, he has purchased all good for them; but not to the like of me; fuch an unbelieving impenitent finer as me. If that be your thought, man, it is an ignorant blunder; I tell you better news, this blood of Chrift, fhed by the fword of justice, has purchased faith to the faithlefs; repentance to the impenitent; grace to the graceless; and nothing did he purchafe to any but as guilty finners, deflitute of all good. Here is a good market for you that have no good, no grace: others that are increafed with goods, and think that they have a good heart to God, good defires and inclinations, and hope thereupon for God's favour, may be doing with their

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