weight at all when brought to teach the way of God with Man. Besides, I know not of any human Laws, which admit of suretyship in capital Offences; and sin is not only a Debt, for which suretyship is sometimes admitted, but a Transgression, a Crime, capital in the highest sense, only atoned for by the shedding of Blood; by the Death, yea, by the eternal Death of the Sinner: which Justice must inflict, before it can be properly satisfied; nor can it possibly admit of a Surety here: because, it can only punish Him, whom it first finds guilty; and that not by reckoning him to be what he is not, according to human quibbles; but according to artless, reasonable, divine Equity; which can only declare such guilty, on whom the fault is found, and can only find the fault on such who have committed it: We only committed the fault, upon Us only can it be found: Therefore, without such an Union between Christ, and us, as exposes us, in his person, to Judgment, and Condemnation; the harmony of the divine perfections, doth not appear in the things which he suffered, because contrary to Truth and Justice.

Again, it is contrary to Mercy, as Mercy may not, consistent with its own nature, trespass the limits of Truth and Justice. But, if Jesus suffered for sin, without such an Union to the Sinner, as made his Sufferings and Blood, to be regarded as that of the offender; though there be an appearance of mercy towards us, there is great lack of it towards Him, who suffered for sin unjustly charged upon him. Such is not the nature of infinite goodness, to shew mercy to one, through injustice to another: But, if united to the Sinner, there is a consistency, yea, a Divine Equity, in His sufferings; and mercy appears to Man; where God hath provided himself a Lamb for the Burnt-offering: the like appears to Christ, where God hath engaged to support him, under his Just sufferings, to hold his Hand, and to keep him, when He gave him a purifier to the people. This is Mercy, tempered with Justice, and in the faithful view of this, every Believer can sing of Mercy and Judgment.

Again, it is contrary to Wisdom; yet God hath marked out all his ways in infinite Wisdom: But that System which,

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ís not founded in equity, hath no exhibi-
tion of true wisdom in it; nay rather ac-
cuses God (if imputed to Him) either
as lacking wisdom when concerting His
plan, or else, of unwillingness to give us
a specimen thereof; and consequently of
denying his own Praise, and Man's hap-
piness; which consists in admiring, and
glorifying Him, in the discoveries of
His infinite wisdom. For, where is the
wisdom of imputing Sin to Christ, which
he had no right to bear? and whence
his right, if not from Union to the sin-
ner? but grant this, Then indeed the
great Deep breaks open, and Wisdom, in-
finite Wisdom appears whilst each be-
holder, with wonder cries, O! the Depth !
who hath known the mind of the Lord?
or who hath been his Counsellor ?·

It is also contrary to Love: the scrip-
tures are very explicit, in declaring the
Father's Love to the Son; but the pun-
ishment of this Son, for crimes he stood
in no relation to, implies a defect in Love:
yea, rather a greater Love to Man, the
offender, than to his well-beloved Son,
who was the Brightness of his glory, and
the express Image of his person and is

withal a manifest contradiction to the divine Testimony, which asserts the preeminence of Jesus in all things. Withal, to love the impure, is inconsistent with the morality of the divine nature; therefore, where the Father giving his son, is at any time mentioned as an evidence of his Love to mankind, it is a proof of his superlative Love unto Him,* and a manifestation of His glory; the descent of his humbled Life, and bloody Death, being the appointed Depth, from which he was to ascend above all Heavens, that He might fill all things; and, that he might thus inherit the boundless, infinite Riches of His Father's Love, it was necessary he

*God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, &c. The superlative love of God to his Son, is manifest here: where the valuableness of the Gift so infinitely preferable to the receiver, is, in order to enhance the Grace intelligibly hinted. God's giving his Son, and giving himself, is a Synonymy in Scripture; and confirms the above proposition the Lesser being always blessed of the Greater. Only considering, that all things were made for him, and that he is the appointed Heir of all things, it will appear in brightness, that the Honour, and Glory, of the beloved Son; and of the Father in him, was first, and principal in view, when he was given for the life of the World: consequently, God's love to the World, was subordinate unto that wherewith he loved his Son; and all his Grace and kindness to the World, subservient unto his Glory.

should suffer what He did: and, that the extendings of the Love of God, to Man, might be subordinate unto the Love he bears to the eternal Son of his Bosom, His union to those, for whom he suffered the Death of the Cross appears absolutely necessary.

The union of Christ, and his Church, is a necessary consideration; for the right explication of the scriptures: without which, they would want a key, and a great part of them be altogether unintelligible, and without any just propriety in phrase. To prove which, I need only note a few of the numerous passages, which are pregnant with this matter. And here I design not the least intimation, of my quoting all the scriptures which positively speak of this truth; nor will I affirm, that those mentioned, are of the whole, the most pertinent to the purpose, but having their light, and perfection, in Jesus Christ our Lord; and being (as I conceive,) such that treat of His union with the Church, I oft make use of them, as a confirmation of my Doctrine, when discoursing on this subject: Therefore, occurring the more readily to my memory,