'death, even the death of the cross.' But that Redemption by Price is, in Scripture, fometimes attributed to his Blood, as the completing Part of the Ranfom, including the reft; even as one fays, he hath paid the utmoft Farthing: John xix. 30. When Jefus therefore had received the vinegar, he faid, It is finifeed: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghoft.' He redeems them by Power, refcuing them by Strength of Light, and by Strength of Hand, out of the Hands of their Enemies: Luke i. 68. Bleffed be the Lord God of Ifrael, for he hath visited and redeemed his people;' verf. 70. 71. As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been 'fince the world began; that we should be faved 'from our enemies, and from the hand of all ' that hate us.' verf. 73. 74. 'The oath which 'he sware to our father Abraham, that he would 'grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, might ferve him without fear.' That Redemption by Power, is begun in their Converfion, and perfected in their glorious Refurrection, at the last Day: Col. i. 13. [The Father] hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the king'dom of his dear Son.' Rom. viii. 23. And not only they, but ourselves alfo, which have the firft-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves grone within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. Cor. xv. 26. The laft enemy that fhall be deftroyed, is 'death.'

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To execute an Office, is to do or perform what belongs to the Officer And Chrift, as our Redeemer, hath and executeth three Offices; namely, the Of

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fice

fice of a Prophet, of a Prieft, and of a King: Acts iii. 22. For Mofes truly faid unto the fathers, A prophet fhall the Lord your God raise

up

unto you, of your brethren, like unto me; him fhall ye hear in all things whatfoever he fhall fay unto you.' Heb. v. 6. Thou art a priest 'for ever after the order of Melchifedec.' Pfal. ii. 6. Yet have I fet my King upon my holy hill

of Zion.' The Relation of thefe Offices of Chrift to the Covenant of Grace, is, that, in his prieftly Office, he performed the Condition of the Covenant; in his prophetical and kingly Offices, he adminifters the Covenant: Heb. vii. 20. 22. 'Andin " as much as not without an oath he was made priest, " by fo much was Jefus made a furety of a better • teftament.' Mal. iii. 1. The Lord whom ye

feek, fhall fuddenly come to his temple: even the 'meffenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in.' If. lv. 3. 4. Incline your ear, and come unto me : hear, and your foul fhall live, and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the fure mercies of David. Behold, I have given him for a witnefs to the people, a leader and commander to the people.' It is neceffary for our Redemption, that he should execute all these Offices: And it is neceffary, in respect of the Ignorance, Guilt, and Bondage in our Cafe: 1 Cor. i. 30. But of him are ye in Chrift Jefus, who of God is made unto us wifdom, and righteousness, ⚫ and fanctification, and redemption.'

३०.

True juftifying Faith receives Chrift in all his Offices: 1 Cor. i. 30. forecited. Compared with John i. 12. As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the fons of God, even to them that believe on his name.' But as jufti

fying,

fying, it eyes him particularly in his priestly Of fice: For there only can the convinced Sinner fee an Atonement, a Ranfom, and a Righteousness, for his Juftification: Rom. iii. 25. Whom God hath 'fet forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remif'fion of fins.' Chap. v. 11. We joy in God, through our Lord Jefus Chrift, by whom we have now received the atonement.' And the Life of Faith lies in a daily Ufe-making of Chrift in all his Offices: Gal. ii. 20. I am crucified with 'Chrift: Nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ

liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, 'who loved me, and gave himself for me.' Com. pared with Col. ii. 6. As ye have therefore received Chrift Jefus the Lord, fo walk ye in him. The State of our Redeemer is twofold; namely, his State of Humiliation, and his State of Exaltation: Phil. ii. 8. 9. And being found in fafhion 6 as a man, he humbled himself, and became o 'bedient unto death, even the death of the cross. • Wherefore God alfo hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name.' He was in his State of Humiliation, when he was on the Earth: He is in his State of Exaltation now, when he is in Heaven. He did execute all these Offices in his State of Humiliation on Earth: Rom. xv. 8. Now I fay, that Jefus 'Chrift was a minister of the circumcifion for the 'truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers.' Eph. v. 2. Chrift hath given ' himself for us, an offering and a facrifice to God 'for a sweet-smelling favour.' Matth. xxi. 5. "Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King < cometh

y.

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'cometh unto thee, meek, and fitting upon an afs, and a colt the fole of an afs.' And he doth ftill execute them all, now when he is in Heaven : Heb. xii. 25. See that ye refuse not him that fpeaketh: For if they efcaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more fhall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven.' Chap. vii. 24. 25. But this 'man, because he continueth ever, hath an un. changeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able alfo to fave them to the uttermoft, that come unto God by him, feeing he ever liveth to make interceffion for them. Luke i. 33. And he fhall reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there fhall be no end.' Yea, he did execute them all, under the old Teftament, be fore he came in the Flesh: Pet. iii. 19. By which alfo [the Spirit] he went and preached to the fpirits in prifon.' Zech. i. 12. Then the angel of the Lord answered and said, O Lord of hofts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Je. rufalem, and on the cities of Judah, against which 'thou haft had indignation these threefcore and ten years? Cant. i. 4. Draw me, we will run after thee: the King hath brought me into his ⚫ chambers."

Queft. 24. How doth Chrift execute the Office of a Prophet?

Anf. Chrift executeth the Office of a Prophet, in revealing to us, by his Word and Spirit, the Will of God for our Salvation.

EXPLICATION.

The Office of Prophets was to reveal the Will of God to Men: Heb. i. 1. God, who at fundry times, and in divers manners, fpake in time paft unto the fathers by the prophets. And the Lord Jefus Chrift, as our Redeemer, is a Prophet: Acts iii. 22. For Mofes truly faid unto the fathers, A prophet fhall the Lord your God raise up unto you, of your brethren, like unto me; him fhall ye hear in all things whatsoever he fhall fay unto you.' The Difference betwixt him and the other Prophets, lay here, that Chrift was the Fountain-head of Prophecy, revealing by his own Spirit; whereas they were but Inftruments by whom he spake, through his Spirit coming on them at Times: 1 Pet. i. 10. 11. Of which falvation the prophets have inquired, and fearched diligently, who prophefied of the grace that fhould come unto you: fearching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Chrift which was in them did fignify, when it teftified beforehand the fufferings of Chrift, and the glory that should "follow.'

The Office of a Prophet belongs to our Redeemer, as a Redeemer by Power: Pfal. cx. 2. The Lord 'fhall fend the rod of thy ftrength out of Zion.' Compared with . xi. 4. But with righteoufnefs

fhall he judge the poor, and reprove with equi· ty, for the meek of the earth: and he fhall fmite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips fhall he flay the wicked.' And in it he redeems or rescues by Strength of Light. And he executes it, by revealing to us the Will of God for our Salvation. By

the