THE father's part IN THE WORK OF REDEMPTION.
1 Pet. i. 20, 21. JVho verily was fore-ordained before the foundation of the luorld, hit was manifest in these last times for you, who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory, that your faith and hope might be in God.
THE salvation of man is with great propriety ascribed to Christ, because he laid down his own life a ransom for us. But we shall have very imper- fect views of this mystery, if we do not trace it up to God the Father, and see him concurring with Christ in every part, and performing, as it were, an appro- priate office in the economy of Redemption. Indeed a distinct knowledge of the Father's work is highly conducive to our progress in the Divine life. This being intimated in the text, we shall endeavour to shew,
I. What part the Father bore in the work of Re- demption— He ordained his Son to his Mediatorial office from all eternity —
[As the Prophets frequently speak of the Messiah as sent and qualified for his office by the Father*, so our Lord him- self constantly acknowledged that he received his commission from him'\ Nor was he first appointed when he became in- carnate : he was fore-ordained before the foundation of the world. The time of his incarnation, the manner of his death, together with every the minutest circumstance relating to him, were fixed in the Divine counsels '. Hence he is called the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world ''.J
In due season he manifested his Son to the world —
[The Father prepared him a body in the Virgin's womb — and by a preternatural star conducted the Magi to him as soon as he was born — He afterwards bore testimony to him
repeatedly
» Isai. xlii. I. •> John viii. 28, 42,
' Acts ii. 23. & iv. 28. * Rev. xiii, 8.