1. Demonst. In the covenant of redemption he made 'vvith God concerning us before this Avorld had a being ; for such covenants and promises did really pass betwixt him and the Father before all time, or else I know not how to understand that scripture. Tit. i, S. " In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised '' before the world began." To whom could that promise be made but unto Christ, which bears date before the creation ? What else can this mean but the covenant of redemption made betwixt the Father and the Son ? the terms whereof are set down in Isa. liii. 10, 11. where you find what Christ was to do, viz. To make his soul an offering for sin. And what should be his reward for pouring out his soul unto death, viz. To see his seed, to see the travail of' his soul, even a church purchased mth his own blood ? Whether this be not a great demonstration of the propension and inclination of Christ's heart and desire towards union and communion with poor sinners, let all men judge. O what a value did Christ set upon our souls, that upon such costly terms he would consent to redeem them ! Unto this agreement God the Father held him, Rom. viii. 32. God spared not his own Son. And this very covenant Christ pleaded with the Father, John viii. 6. " I have manifested thy name to the " men which thou gavest me out of the world ; thine they were, and *' thou gavest them me." This plainly shews the vehement desire of Christ's heart to be in union with men ; according to tliat Prov. viii. 31. " Rejoicing in the habitable parts of his earth, and my " delights were with the sons of men." Blessed Jesus ? nothing but the strength of thine own desire and love could ever have drawn thee out of that bosom of delights to suff'er so many things for the sake of poor sinners.
2. Demonst. Secondly, Let us consider Christ's temper and dispo- sition towards union and communion with sinners, within time; and every thing done by Christ carries and conforms this conclu'- sion.
1. His assumption of our nature plainly speaks it.
2. His whole life upon earth evidently discovers it.
3. His doctrine is a clear proof of it.
4. His joy at the conversion of souls proves it
5. His sorrows for men's unbelief evidence it.
6. His indefatigable labours plainly shew it
7. His admirable encouragements to coming sinners.
8. His dreadful menaces to obstinate sinners.
9i His sending and encouraging ministers to draw and gather the world to himself
All these things, which were transacted in the life of Christ, plainly demonstrate how greatly and earnestly his heart did pro- pend and incline towards this desirable union with the sons of men.
1. Christ*s assumption of our nature nianifesteth his desire after imion with us. Herein he gave two incomparable proofs of his transcendent love to us, and desire after us.
(1.) In passing by a more excellent nature^ (2.) In marrying our nature to himself
(1.) He passed by a superior and more excellent nature, Heb. ii. 16. " Verily he took not oil him the natui^e of angels." An- gels were excellent creatures, but behold vessels of gold cast into the fire, and earthen potsherds fitted for glory I It is true, the angels that kept their integrity are members of Christ's kingdom ; he is a head to them by way of dominion, but unto us by way of vital union. Christ takes the believer into a nearer union with himself than any angel in heaven ; but for the multitudes of apos- tate angels, he never designed their recovery^ but left them, as they were before, bound in chains of darkness unto the judgment of the great day, Jude, ver. 6. This pretention of Christ heigh- tens his love to poor man.
(2.) In marrying our nature to himself, and that aftei* sin had blasted its beauty, and let in so many direful calamities upon it^ Rom. viii. S. " He was found in the likeness of sinful flesh," i. e. Flesh subject to weariness, pains and death, which though there be no sin in them, yet are the effects and consequences of sin : such a nature he assumed into a personal union with himself, not- to experience any new pleasure in it, but to capacitate himself to suffer and satisfy for us ; and therein to give a convincing proof of the strength of his love, and vehemency of his desire to us. His per- sonal union with our nature shews his desire after a mystical unioit with our persons. He would never have been the Son of man, but to make us the sons and daughters of the living God : he came in our likeness, that we, by sanctification, might be made in his likeness. Behold how near Christ comes to us by his incarnation ! O what a stoop did he make therein to recover us ! Rather than lose us, he was contented to lose his manifestative glory for a time ;
for his incarnation made him of no reputation, Phil. ii. 7. Behold the desire of a Saviour after union with sinners !
2. The whole life of Christ upon earth was an evident proof and demonstration of the desire of his heart to be in union and communion with us; John xvii. 19. " For their sakes I sanctify myself The life of Christ was wholly set apart for us ; there- fore it is said, Isa. ix. 6. " Unto us a child is born, unto us a son " is given."*' What was the errand and business upon which Christ came into this world, but to seek and to save that which was lost.
All the miracles he wrought on earth were so many works of mercy ; he could have wrought his miracles to have destroyed and ruined such as received him not ; but his Almighty Power was employed to heal and save the bodies of men, that thereby he might win theu' souls unto him ; Acts x. 38. " God anointed Je- *' sus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power; Avho '• went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of " the devil ; for God was with him." When the apostles desired a commission from him to fetch fire from heaven to destroy the Samaritans, he rebuked them, saying, " Ye know not what man- " ner of spirit ye are of; for the Son of man came not to destroy '' men's lives, but to save them," Luke ix. 54, 55, 56. The whole life of Christ in this world was nothing else but a wooing, draw- ing motive to the hearts of sinners ; he rejected not the vilest of sinners, Luke vii. 39. He rejected none that came unto him ; he would not have little children forbidden to be brought unto him, Mark x. 13. What his winning carriage should be, was long before predicted by the prophet, Isa. xlii. 3. " A bruised reed shall he " not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench." Lentulus, the proconsul, in his epistle, ad. S. P. Q. R. having graphically described the person of Christ, gives this account of his carriage and deportment ; " In his reproofs he was terrible, in his admo- ** nitions fair and amiable, cheerful without levity ; he was never " seen to laugh, but often to weep ; his words grave, few, and " modest," &:c.