^ Christ is our Lord, but in the work of redemption he was the Father's servant.
VERY CLEARLY AND LARGELY OPENED. S&l
enemies, bears up bravely under all his sore temptations and trials, and ' triumphs over principalities and powers,' Mat. iv. 11 ; Luke xxii. 43 ; Col. ii. 15. And certainly if Christ had not had singular support, and an almighty strength from the Godhead, he could never have been able to have bore up under that mighty wrath, and to have drunk of that bloody cup that he did drink of. Now upon the account of God the Father's engaging himself to own Christ, and stand by him in the great work of our redemption, Jesus Christ acts faith against all his deepest discouragements, which he should meet with in the discharge of his mediatory office, as the prophet tells us : ' The Lord God will help me ; therefore shall I not be confounded ; there- fore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. He is near that j ustifieth me, who will contend with me ? ' Isa. 1. 7, 8. From the consideration of God's help, Jesus Christ strengthens and encourages himself, in the execution of his office, against all oppositions. God's presence and assistance made Jesus Christ victorious over all wrongs and injuries. Jesus Christ knew that God the Father would clear up his innocency and integrity, and this made him patient and constant to the last. But,
Fourthly, God the Father promiseth to Jesus Christ that he shall not labour in vain, and that the work of redemption shall prosper in his hand, and that he loill give a blessed success to all his undertakings, and croivn all his endeavours.^ * He shall see his seed, and he shall see the travail of his soul.' Another promise of the Father to the Son you have in that, Isa. Iv. 5, ' Nations that know thee not, shall run unto thee.' The Gentiles, that never heard of Christ, nor ever were acquainted with Christ, nor ever had any notice of Christ ; when Christ calls, they shall readily and speedily repair unto him and submit unto him. Christ shall one day see and reap the sweet and happy fruit of his blood, sufferings, and undertakings ; ' The pleasure of the Lord shall,' certainly, ' prosper in his hand.' Christ's sufferings were as a woman's travail, sharp though short. Now though a woman suffers many grievous pains and pangs, yet, when she sees a man-child brought into the world, she joys and is satisfied. So when nations shall run to Christ, he shall see his seed and be satisfied. God the Father promiseth that Jesus Christ shall have a numerous spiritual posterity, begetting and bringing many thousands to the obedience of his Father; 'Nations shall run unto thee;' and this shall fill the heart of Jesus Christ with abundance of joy and comfort, con- tentment and satisfaction, when he shall see the fruit of his bitter sufferings, when he shall see abundance of poor, filthy, guilty, con- demned sinners pardoned, justified, and accepted with his Father, ' his soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness,' Ps. Ixiii. 5. The numerous body of believers, past, present, and to come, that God the Father had promised to Jesus Christ, was the life of his life. That is a sweet promise, Ps. ex. 2, ' Kule thou in the midst of thine enemies.' They that will not bend must break ; those that will not stoop to his government shall feel his power. ' Thy people ' — ^the people of God are Christ's five ways: (1.) By donation; (2.) By purchase; (3.) By conquest; (4.) By covenant; (5.) By com- ^ See Isa. liii. 10, and xlii. 6-12 ; Micah iv. 3.
382 THE COVENANT OF REDEMPTION
munication — 'shall be willing in the day of thy power' — Heb., loillingnesses in the abstract and in the plural number, as if the Holy Ghost could not sufficiently set forth their exceeding great willingness to submit to all the royal commands of the Lord ; John xvii. 6 ; 1 Pet. ii. 9 ; Luke i. 57 ; 1 Cor. iii. 23. All Christ's subjects are volunteers, free-hearted, like those isles that wait for God's law, Isa. xlii. 4, and Ivi. 6; Zech. viii. 21, 'And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying. Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts : I will go also ; ' ' From the womb of the morning, thou hast the dew of thy youth,' Ps. ex. 3. Here is the success of Christ's office promised, both in the victorious subduing of his enemies, and in the cheerful willingness of his subjects, and in the wonderful numerousness of his people brought over to him, even like the innumerable drops of the morning dew. Another promise of that great and complete success that God the Father hath made for Jesus Christ in his mediatory office, you have in that Isa. xlix. from the 6th verse to the 14th verse : Christ shall have a people gathered to him, and a seed to serve him, ' because he hath made his soul an offering for their sins.' The multitude of sinners brought over to Jesus Christ, is the product of the satisfaction which he hath made for them, and the trophies of the victory that he hath got by dying the death of the cross. Thus you see that God the Father hath not only engaged him- self by compact to preserve Jesus Christ in his work, but he hath also made to him several precious promises of preservation, protection, and success, so that the work of redemption shall be sure to prosper in his hand. And, to make these glorious promises the more valid and bind- ing, God confirms them solemnly by an oath: Heb. vii. 21, ' This priest,' Christ, ' was made with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever.' God the Father foresaw from everlasting that Jesus Christ would so infinitely satisfy him and please him by his incarnation, obedience, and death, that thereupon he swears. But,