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spouse; I have eaten my honey-comb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk. Eat, Ŏ friends, drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved." This honey is presented here according to the order of the sub. sistence of the three distinct persons of the Deity. 1. As honey in the flower, which is at such distance from us we could never extract it, namely, "All things that the Father hath." 2. Honey in the comb, prepared for us, in our IMMANUEL, God-man, Redeemer, the Word that was made flesh, saying, All things that the Father hath are mine; and mine for your use and behoof: for, 3. Here is honey in the mouth; the Spirit taking all and making application thereof, by shewing them to us, and making us to eat and drink with Christ, and share of these all things; yea, not only eat the honey but the honey-comb with the honey; not only his benefits, but himself; his person with his benefits; himself, and all things that the Father hath intrusted him. with: here is bread enough and to spare in our Father's house: here is the steward saying, All is mine to give out to you by the hand of my Spirit.

The subject here spoken of is no less than all things that relate to our eternal salvation, and these are spoken of, 1. In respect of their origination; they are the Father's things. 2. Their donation to Christ, as Mediator, they are mine. 3. Their communication, they are actually communicated to us by the Holy Ghost.

From the first part of this verse, we lay down the following doctrinal proposition.

OBSERV. Such is the matchless glory of Christ, in his mediatorial fulness and furniture, that he can say, "All things that the Father hath are mine."

He, as Mediator, is possessed of all things that the Father hath for the benefit of sinners; and this is the reason why the Spirit, taking the things of Christ, and shewing them to us, doth glorify Christ; because all the glorious things of the Father are things of Christ, they are mine, &c. How could the Spirit's revelation and communication of the things of Christ make his matchless glory to appear, if they were not the things of God? Or thus,

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Christ our Redeemer is intrusted with all things the Father hath for the benefit of sinners.'

If these things were only the Father's and not the things of Christ, we could have no access to them, no share of them; we could never see them in the Father's bosom; for, "No man hath seen God at any time," though all things that relate to our eternal life are originally there; but the only begotten Son, that lay in the Father's bosom, he came out thence, laden with all the good, and great, and glorious things that were hidden there from eternity, and he hath declared him, and declared that all things that the Father hath there are his.

In the prosecution of this subject, I would inquire, through divine assistance, into the following things. I. What right and title Christ hath to all things that the Father hath.

II. Point out some of these all things that the Father hath which are his..

III. Inquire how, and in what sense they are his. IV. Shew for what reason it is so ordered; or, the beauty of this dispensation, that all things the Father hath are his.

V. Make application of the whole subject.

I. The first thing proposed, is, To shew what right and title Christ hath to all things that the Father hath. And, in short,

Ist, He hath a natural right to all things that the Father hath; and that as he is God, one God with the Father and Holy Ghost: in which sense he said, “I and my Father are one." And thus he hath the same essential right and title to all things with the Father, in regard of the unity, of the essence among the glorious Three, and their equality in power and glory; "The Lord our God is one Lord."

2dly, He hath a mediatorial right and title to all things; and this may be considered under these following properties.

1. As Mediator he hath a federal right to all things; "I have made a covenant with my Chosen, my faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him," Psal. lxxxix.

3. 24. It is said, ver. 4. 11. Thy seed will I establishi for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine;" intimating, that he hath a federal right to all things by covenant with his Father.

2. As Mediator he hath a donative right and title to all the things the Father hath: hence, "The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand,” John iii. 35. And hence, says Christ," All 'power in heaven and in earth is given unto me," Mat. xxviii. 18.

3. As Mediator he hath an acquisite right, by his own purchase of the things the Father hath to give out to the children of men by his death upon the cross, he hath merited and obtained a name above every name, and a being head over all things to the church.

4. As Mediator he hath a bellipotent right, by conquest, having destroyed principalities and powers, and overcoming them that make war with him, Rev. xvii. 14. "He is able to subdue all things to himself," Phil. iii. 21. And accordingly, all things are put in subjec tion under his feet, Heb. ii. 8. And he subdues his people to himself, and makes them willing in the day of his power, Psal. cx. 3.

5. To these may be added, that he hath an hereditary right, being the heir of all things. It is said, Psal. lxxxix. 24. “I will make him my first-born, higher than the kings of the earth." And Col. i. 18. he is called the first-born from the dead, that in all things he might have the pre-eminence.

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6. He hath a right by the Father's consent; pleased the Father that in him all, fulness should dwell."

We find Christ, as Mediator, hath his title to all things that the Father hath secured and confirmed with a special solemnity,-It is confirmed by a solemn election; "Behold, my servant whom I uphold; mine Elect, in whom my soul delighteth," Isa. xlii. 1.--By a solemn vocation and formal call; "I have called thee, and given thee to be a covenant of the people, a light to the Gentiles," &c. ver. 6.-By a solemn commission under the Father's broad seal; "Him hath God the Father seal

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ed," John vi. 24. Sealed to be all the things that the Father hath to bestow upon poor sinners. It is confirmed with the solemnity of a promise, Psal. lxxii. 8, 9, 10. That his dominion shall be from sea, to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth," &c.-Also with the solemnity of an oath, Psal. lxxxix. 35, 36, 37. "Once have I sworn by my holiness, that I will not lye unto David," &c.-But not to enlarge.

II. The second thing proposed was, To point out some of these all things that the Father hath which are his. To speak of all things which the Father hath, that are intrusted to Christ, is impossible; but I mention a few.

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1. All the perfections of the Father are his. There is nothing that the Father hath, except his personality, or priority of order in subsistence, but the Son as Mediator hath; yea, he not only hath, but he is the wisdom of God, and the power of God, 1 Cor. i. 24. Here is wisdom for poor witless creatures who know nothing. Here is power for the impotent that can do nothing. He that saith, All things that the Father hath are mine," he says, upon the matter, His wisdom is mine for your behoof; his power is mine, and all his other perfections. He that is the essential image, is the representative image of God; the image of the invisible God, in whom are made visible or evident to our faith, all the invisible attributes of God. See the holiness of God, in this holy one of God, who is made of God to us sanctification; and who magnifies the holiness of God in the precept of the law, by fulfilling all righteousness. See the justice of God in Jesus Christ the righteous, who is made of God to us righteousness; and who was made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him: and so the guilty sinner may become more righteous in God's sight than ever he was guilty in his sight; and not only justified by his blood and righteousness, but may find and see God to be just in justifying through him, whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, whereby justice is satisfied fully, and glorified highly. But, of some other perfections more afterwards may be mentioned.

2. All the glory that the Father hath is his; yea, the glory of all his Father's perfections is to be seen in him: for, " He is the brightness of the Father's glory, and the express image of his person," Heb. i. 3. And hence, the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, is said to shine into our hearts, to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. It is not only the light of the knowledge of God, but the light of the knowledge of the glory of God: where is it? Even in the face, or person of Jesus Christ.

3. All the fulness that the Father hath is his; "It pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell:1 and in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily," Col. i. 19. ii. 9. O! upon what solid footing does he say, "All things that the Father hath are mine,” when all the Father's fulness is in him, and dwells in him? And, O! should not all poor souls look to and rely upon him, and out of his fulness receive grace for grace? O may we come and dwell where fulness dwelleth?

4. All the promises that the Father hath in his covenant are his; they are made to him first, and to us in him, in whom the covenant stands fast; " All the promises of God are in him, Yea, and Amen, to the glory of God," 2 Cor. i. 20. As the promises of God are all affirmed by his word, and confirmed by his blood; so, he is trusted with the donation and application of the promises: hence he is the Author and Finisher of that faith whereby we see Christ in the promise, and the promise in Christ.

5. All the grace and mercy that the Father hath in store for sinners are his; Grace is poured into his lips,' Psal. xlv. 2. And this is a notable part of the glory of God that is to be seen in him; "The word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace, John i. 14. There is such fulness and sufficiency of grace in him for us, that we need no more but this saying, "My grace is sufficient for you." The spirit of all grace is in him above measure; he is anointed with this

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