If God had exacted the satisfaction of the sinners themselves, by sending them to hell, it might have declared his justice and righteousness much; but here it is more gloriously declared, and glorified to the highest; for, if we consider Christ in himself, and the elect in themselves, his death and sufferings are more than if all the elect had suffered eternally in hell. Here is mercy also and free grace glorified to the highest, while the sinner is liberate and not put to pay the debt in his own person. Here is divine power glorified to the highest; in the crucifying Christ, whom the power of God sup ported under that load of wrath that would have crushed ten thousand worlds. Here is wisdom glorified to the highest; "The manifold wisdom of God," that there should be two natures, yet but one person; that mercy should be fully magnified, and yet justice fully satisfied; that sin should be punished, and yet the sinner unpunished: that the sinner should escape, and yet God should take vengeance upon sin. O the wis dom of God in a mystery!

3. Reason why the Lord of hosts ordered the sword of justice to awake and smite the Shepherd, the man that is his Fellow; it was even for the honour of the Shepherd, and the glory of the man his fellow. God designed that for his suffering of death, he should be crowned with glory and honour, Heb. ii. 9. That for his humbling himself, and becoming obedient to the death, he should be highly exalted above all, and have a name above every name, Phil. ii. 9. That for drinking of the brook in the way, he should lift up his head; that after he had drunk of the brook of divine wrath in our room, he should lift up his head above all principalities and powers, and have all power in heaven and earth given to him, and a number of elect to praise him, for ever. O it is a wonderful thing to think, what he gave, and what he got! What gave he? His body, his soul, his blood, his life: What got he? Even some of the black, ugly race of Adam to embrace him? he makes his soul an offering for sin, and then he sees his seed, he sees the travail of his soul, and is satisfied. He thinks all his pains well bestowed, when he gets

his bride in his arms. O here is love! behold incarnate love! bleeding love! dying love! Shall not this glorious lover be exalted of God for ever, and exalted by all the Redeemed with the highest praises, for opening his breast to receive the wound of the awakened sword of justice! yea, more, the song will be," Worthy, worthy is the Lamb that was slain. Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood." And this leads to the

4. And last reason, why the sword of justice was ordered to awake and smite the shepherd, the man that is God's fellow, viz. That a fountain of blood might be opened for the benefit of the sheep. The shepherd was smitten with the sword of justice, that the stroke might open a fountain for the watering of the sheep; Zech. xiii. 1. "There shall be a fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness." A fountain for watering and washing of the sheep. And how is it to be opened? even with the sword of justice; " Awake O sword, against the man, my fellow." Now, the shepherd's blood, shed by the sword of justice, is for the benefit of the sheep many ways: Why?

(1.) It is a peace-speaking blood; it speaks better things than the blood of Abel: It speaks peace and reconciliation with God, which is founded upon the blood. of Christ: this is the wine that cheers the heart of God and man. The justice of God took a drink of this blood till it was cheered and satisfied: and when the soul of the sinner gets a drink of this blood, O but this red wine rejoices his heart.

(2.) It is heart cleansing blood; the blood of the shepherd, shed by the sword of justice, is for the washing of the sheep; "The blood of Christ cleanses from all sin." It cleanses meritoriously from the guilt of sin, in justification; it cleanses efficaciously from the filth of sin, in sanctification: it cleanses ONLY; for no means, no duties, no tears, no prayers, no sermon, no sacrament, no ordinances, no communion-table, will cleanse you from sin, but only the blood of Christ. It cleanses infallibly; for all the devils in hell, and all the evils in the heart, shall not be able to mar the efficacy of this

blood, if it be sprinkled on you by the hand of the Spirit. The whole company that are standing about the throne, have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

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(3.) This blood, which the sword of justice draws from the shepherd, is healing blood; for the healing of his sheep: "By his stripes we are healed." Were your diseases never so desperate, here is a healing medicine for them: it can heal the hardness of the heart; They shall look on him whom they have pierced and mourn:" It can heal the barren soil of the heart, and turn it to a fertile ground; Hos. xiv. 6. "From me is thy fruit found:" from my spirit, as the efficient: and from my blood, as the procuring cause.

(4.) It is a sweet smelling blood; it has a sweetsmelling savour in the nostrils of the Lord of hosts; and perfumes the prayers and duties of the believer; "We are accepted ONLY in the beloved." Our persons, our prayers, our preaching, our communicating, would all stink, unless they be dipt in the blood of the Lamb.

(5.) This blood of the surety, shed by the sword of justice, is bliss purchasing blood; and one of the grand blessings purchased is the Holy Ghost: the Spirit is one of the greatest instances of the love of God in Christ. Whenever Adam sinned, the Holy Spirit left him, and the unclean spirit came in his room; but when the second Adam came, he brought the Spirit of God again with him: "I have put my spirit upon him; and he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles." And, O what is she world without the Spirit of God? What is a man, a minister, a sacrament, a city, a nation, without the spirit of God? What makes matters so far wrong in a land, but that there is so little of the spirit with ministers and people? There is no life where the quickening spirit comes not: O sirs, we will have dead preaching, dead hearing, dead communicating, lifeless work this day, if the purchased Spirit do not come ! When he comes, life comes with him. "Can these dry bones live?" Can these dead, formal, lifeless, unbelieving, hypocritical, and carnal hearts live? Yea, undoubtedly they can, if the spirit blow: O let your

hearts cry, "Come, O north-wind! blow, thou south: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live." Cry for the purchased and promised spirit, that we may live, and be lively in our work this day.

(6.) This blood has purchased all spiritual blessings: It has purchased pardon of sin: "We have redemption through his blood, even the remission of sin." It has purchased recovery after falls, and freedom from total apostasy to all that believe; "I will heal their backslidings. Though he fall, he shall not utterly be cast down; for the Lord upholds him with his hand," Psal. xxxvii. 24. Good news to believers, say you, he has purchased all good for them; but not to the like of me; such an unbelieving impenitent sinner as me. If that be your thought, man, it is an ignorant blunder; I tell you better news, this blood of Christ, shed by the sword of justice, has purchased faith to the faithless; repentance to the impenitent; grace to the graceless; and nothing did he purchase to any but as guilty sinners, destitute of all good. Here is a good market for you that have no good, no grace: others that are increased with goods, and think that they have a good heart to God, good desires and inclinations, and hope thereupon for God's favour, may be doing with their old covenant of works, where they and their money shall perish: but for you that are poor, guilty, filthy, perishing sinners, destitute of all good in yourselves, here is good news to you: here is grace, free grace, full grace, rich grace, all grace; grace to justify the guilty, grace to sanctify the filthy, grace to strengthen the weak, grace to supply the needy. You that want grace may come here and get it; you that have grace, may come here and get more; this blood has purchased all grace, and the purchaser stands ready to communicate it: for. he has no other thing to do with his mediatorial grace, but to give it out to sinners, to men, to rebels: "He has received gifts for men, even for the rebellious, that God the Lord might dwell among them." O the noble purchase of this blood! It has purchased freedom from the law, both from the curse and command of the

covenant of works, in so much that the believer is neither under the mandate, nor the sanction of the law, as a covenant of works: by the obedience of Christ to the command of that covenant they are made righteous, Rom. xv. 19. Who also hath redeemed them from the curse of the law, being made a curse for them, Gal. iii. 13. The believer indeed is under stronger obligations to obey the law, as it is a rule of life and holiness, than ever Adam was in a state of innocency; but as it is a covenant of works, and condition of life, he has not a farthing of debt to pay to it, if the righteousness of Christ be complete and full: yea, this makes the law of God his delight, when he attains to the faith of this, that he has nothing to do with it as it is a covenant.

In a word, by this blood, shed by the sword of justice, there is a purchase made of access to God. The Son of Man was lifted up upon the cross, to open the gates of heaven, which our sin had shut; he rent the vail from top to bottom, and we have boldnes to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus. The sword awakened against the Son, that he might bring us to the Father, 1 Pet. iii. 18. “Christ has once suffered for sin; the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God." We are at a distance from God, lying peaceably in the devil's arms; but they that were far off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ. All the sermons, all the means in the world, will not bring us near to God; the means by which he draws men to himself, is just by his blood and righteousness: "When I am lifted up," says Christ, "I will draw all men after me." Well, he was lifted up upon the cross, where he received the blow of God's awakened sword; he was lifted up into heaven, to his Father's right-hand, and he is lifted up upon the pole of this gospel; and as he said, "I will draw all men after me?" O say, Amen, Lord, let this be a drawing day.

VI. The Sixth thing was the application. Now, many, very many things might be deduced from this doctrine, by way of application. I shall at the time of fer you but a few general inferences, and refer the rest