for us. * I have power (saith he) to lay down my life; this " commandment have I received of my Father,"" John x. 18. And upon that account, his offering up of his blood is, by the apostle, stiled an act of obedience, as it is, Phil. ii. 8. " He became f* obedient unto death." He also called him to intercede for us ; Heb. vii. 21, 24, 25. " These priests were made without an oath ; " but this with an oath ; by him that said unto him, The Lord u sware, and will not repent, thou art a priest for ever :" because his sacrifice is virtually continued, in his living for ever to make intercession, as it is, verse 24. Yea,
3. He called him to his regal office ; he was set upon the high- est throne of authority by his Father's commission, as it is, Matth. xxviii. 18. " All power in heaven and earth is given to me." To all this was Christ sealed and authorized by his Father.
Secondly ', What doth the Father's sealing of Christ to this work and office imply ? There are divers things implied in it : As,
1. The validity and efficacy of all his mediatory acts. For, by virtue of this his sealing whatever he did was fully ratified. And in this very thing lies much of a believer s comfort and security ; forasmuch as all acts done without commission and authority (how great, or able soever the person that doth them is, yet) are in them- selves null and void. But what is done by commission and autho- rity, is authentic, and most allowable among men. Had Christ come from heaven, and entered upon his mediatory work without a due call, our faith had been stumbled at the very threshold ; but this greatly satisfies.
2. It imports the great obligation lying upon Jesus Christ to be faithful in the work he was sealed to: for, the Father, in this commission, devolves a great trust upon him, and relies upon him for his most faithful discharge thereof. And, indeed, upon this very account Christ reckons himself specially obliged to pursue the Father's design and end, John ix. 4. " I must work the works of " him that sent me." And John v. 30. H I seek not mine own " will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me." Still his eye is upon that work and will of his Father. And he reckons himself under a necessity of punctual and precise obedience to it; and, as a faithful servant, will have his own will swallowed up in his Father's will.
3. It imports Christ's complete qualification, or instrumental fitness to serve the Father's design and end of our recovery. Had not God known him to be every way fit, and qualified for the work, he would never have sealed him a commission for it. Men may, but God will not seal an unfit, or incapable person, for his work. And, indeed, whatever is desirable in a servant, was emi- nently found in Christ : for faithfulness, none like him. Moses
SERM. VI. THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. 89
indeed was faithful to a pin, but still as a servant : but Christ as a Son, Heb. iii. £. He is the faithful and true witness, Rev. i. 5. For zeal, none like him. The zeal of God's house did eat him up, Jphn ii. 16, 17. He was so intent upon his Fathers works that he forgot to eat bread, counting his work his meat and drink, John iv. 32. Yea, and love to his Father carried him on through all his work, and made him delight in the hardest piece of his service ; for he served him as a Son, Heb. iii. 5, 6. All that ever he did was (lone in love. For zvisdom, none like him. The Father knew him to be most wise, and said of him before he was employed, " Be- " hold my servant shall deal prudently," Isa. Iii. 13. To conclude, for self-denial, never any like him ; he sought not his own glory, but the glory of him that sent him, John viii. 50. Ha I he not been thus faithful, zealous, full of love, prudent, and self-denying, he had never been employed in this great affair.
4. It implies Christ's sole authority in the church, to appoint and enjoin what he pleaseth ; and this is his peculiar prerogative. For, the "commission God sealed him in the text, is a single, not a joint commission ; he hath sealed him, and none beside him. Indeed there were some that pretended a call and commission from God; but all that were before him were thieves and robbers,* that came not in at the door, as he did, John x. 8. And he him- self foretels, that after him some should arise, and labour to de- ceive the world with a feigned commission, and a counterfeit seal, Matth. xxiv. 24. " There shall arise false Christs, and false pro- " phets, and shall shew great signs and wonders : insomuch, that " if it were possible, they should deceive the very elect." But God never commissioned any besides him, neither is there any other name under heaven, Acts iv. 12. Thus you see how the validity of his acts, his obligation to be faithful, his complete qua- lifications, and sole authority in the church, are imported in his sealing.
Thirdly, Let us enquire how God the Father sealed Jesus Christ to this work, and we shall find that he was sealed by four acts of the Father.
1. By solemn designation to this work. He singled him out and set him apart for it: and therefore the prophet Isaiah, chap. xlii. 1. calls him God's elect, f And the apostle Peter, 1 Pet. ii. 4. Chosen of' God. This word which we render Elect,% doth not only signify
* All that came before me (that is, whom I did not send, but who fan unsent, giving themselves out for the Messiah) are thieves and robbers; after their guile- ful manner, they "have contrived certain false doors to heaven, by which they h^ve thrown men down headlong into the abyss of everlasting misery. JJkhricus.
| TTfi Elect, i. e. choice, surpassing, ... tell .- .
j »fce the Jjutc/i annotations on tuis place.
90 THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. SEIIM. VI,
one that in himself is eximious, worthy, and excellent, but also one that is set apart and designed, as Christ was, for the work of mediation. And so much is included in John x. 36. where the Father is said to sanctify him, i. e. to separate, and devote him to this service.