objections infidel professors of Christianity may raise against Jesus, we have the infallible testimony of God himself that Jesus is the Christ.]
2. His acceptableness in that office —
[In every view the Father could not but feel complacency and delight in him. As voluntarily undertaking the media- torial work, as richly qualified for the discharge of it, and as persevering in it notwithstanding all the difficulties that he should have to encounter, he must be highly acceptable to the Father. But God foresaw the perfect accomplishment of all his designs through the ministration of his dear Son : he saw, as it were, all his elect delivered from their guilt and misery, and made partakers of everlasting glory and felicity : he saw all his own perfections also honoured and exalted in the mys- tery of redemption: and he cordially approved of it as the most stupendous effort of wisdom and of love. None can henceforth entertain a doubt whether he will accept those who come to him by Christ, since it was on account of the suit- ableness and sufficiency of his atonement that the Father was so " well pleased in him."]
We may learn from hence,
1. How we should think of God —
[We know nothing of God except from revelation. It is presumptuous, therefore, either to form notions about him from our own vague conjectures, or to refuse our assent to the representations which he has given us of himself. That there is a Trinity of the persons in the Godhead is doubtless an incomprehensible mystery : but it is plainly revealed in num- berless passages of Scripture. It is indeed from other passages that we know each of the persons in the Trinity to be God : but that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, are Three distinct persons, is as clear as any truth can be : and so clearly is it intimated in the very words of our text, that the ancients were wont to say, " Go to Jordan, and there learn the doctrine of the Trinity."]
2. How we should act towards him —
[All that is required of us is, to be like-minded with God. Did God point him out as his beloved Son? let us believe in him as the Messiah, the Saviour of the world. Did the Father profess himself well pleased in him ? let us delight ourselves in him : let it be the joy of our hearts to contemplate his fulness and sufficiency, and to be receiving out of his fulness grace for grace. Let us, in short, " count all things but dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ," and glory in him as all our salvation, and all our desire.]