to God effectually, that makes an end of sin, and brings in everlasting righteousness; that does not only bring into a salvable state conditionally, but works also and maintains those conditions and qualifications that have salvation at the end of them.

Infer. IV. If Christ gave himself a ransom for the elect, then is redemption also of grace, and free as election itself; which bespeaks both our thankful remembrance, and all self-denial. There is a great aptness to forget our original; to pay tribute where it is not due, and to withhold it where it is. It was needful counsel of old, and no less at this day, "Ye that follow after righteousness, look to the rock whence ye were hewn," Isa. 51: 1. Your Redeemer first brought you out of nothing; and when you had sold yourselves for nought, he himself became your ransom, though he needed you not; see therefore that ye ascribe all to his love. It was not any excellence of yours that gave you preference in redemption, nor was it your ingenuous compliance that made redemption effectual to you, (these are slight pretences.) Had not your Redeemer bought you from yourself, released you from your imaginary freedom, and saved you from unbelief, you had never known what this redemption had meant, nor what it is to be free indeed. No, it was purely your Redeemer's love: he valued you as being his Father's gift; and as given to be one with himself; "He therefore loved you, and gave himself for you." When you were in your blood, and no eye pitied you, no, not your own; then was the time of his love; even then he accepted the motion made by his Father and yours, and signed the contract. He knew both your weight and your worth; your natural unfitness for him, and aversion to the match: he also knew what it must cost him to make you both meet and willing; and that it was so stupendous a work, that all the hosts of heaven would have broken under. He further knew, that after all he should do and suffer for you, you could not advantage him in the least; only he should have the satisfaction to have made you happy against your unrenewed will; and yet he declined it not: he came "leaping upon the mountains, and skipping over the hills" of death and difficulties, as longing for, and delighting to be in that work: he was straitened until it was accomplished; such was the intenseness of his love to you! And a great deal ado he had with your wills, before

you were made willing. And for all this he only expects you will carry it worthy of so great a lover, and such manner of love: which is, in effect, but to accept of, and to contin ue in his love, and be willing he should save you freely; and own this love of his, as the immediate fountain whence your happiness is derived.

Infer. V. Since your propriety in redemption is founded in electing love, "give all diligence to make your election sure:" spare not for pains; its fruit will be worth all the labor and cost you can lay out upon it; if clear in this point, the whole body will be full of light. And among other evidences of election, review the marks specified before under that head. Make out also your interest in redemption, by walking worthy of redeeming love; which cannot be, but by doing and being something more than others; some singular thing must warrant your claim to that singu lar privilege: hold forth, therefore, in your life, the effects of your union with Christ in his death: let the scope of redemption be the scope of your conversation. You have no such way, if I may so speak, to gratify your Redeemer, a. by letting him see the travail of his soul: a thorough newness of life, with a total devoting yourself to God, will illustrate redemption not a little, and proclaim convincingly both its merit and efficacy. It will also be a good office done to yourselves, as an evidence of your special concern in redemption; and much more vindicate your Christianity, than formal professions, or eager contests. And in order to this, 1. Determine to "know nothing but Jesus Christ, and him crucified;" count all things else not worth your knowing; for, in truth, all knowledge else will come to nothing. Let all, therefore, be "loss and dung, for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord," Phil. 3: 8. And study the doctrine of his cross; that ye may not stand by and hear him defamed, and not have a word to say for him: so also observe him, that when the world and he part, you may know your own Master, and be known by him: 2. Let nothing be so dear to you, as not to part with it for your Redeemer when called for; and rise early to do it: take up your cross, and inure yourself to the bearing of it, before it be laid on: the Lord parted with his delight for you from eternity; there is nothing more reasonable, nothing more natural to a heart rightly postured, than to love and live to him who

died for you: and whoever hath known the grace of God, and the love of Christ in truth, cannot but so judge. 3. Deal with sin according to its kind; the dreadful nature whereof nothing discovers, nor can, but hell itself, and the sufferings of Christ, and mostly these: let it die no other death but that of the cross, and the more it cries out to be spared, do you cry out the more urgently that it may be crucified. 4. Let not Christ be divided: his offices are requisitely conjoined, and cannot be separated with our security; nay, not without our certain ruin. Know him, therefore, for your Prophet and Lord, as well as your Redeemer; and for your wisdom and sanctification, as well as your righteousness; one and all. Take orders from him as your Captain-general; recieve your law from his mouth; whatever he bids you do, do it: follow him wherever he goes, and carry it as becomes his attendants: the armies in heaven follow him upon white horses, and arrayed in white: be not your own director in any thing, nor overhasty; stir not up your beloved until he please, but await his counsel and conduct, as preferring his knowledge of times and seasons, with the manner and method of his working and prescribing, before your own. 5. Let nothing divide you from Christ: Let nothing but death, yea, let not death itself separate between you and him, Nothing, you see, could separate him from you, nay, had it not been for you, and such as you are, he had not died: "We are not our own, we are bought with a price," 1 Cor. 6:20. which is the highest engagement in every state and duty, whether living or dying, to be the Lord's, Rom. 14: 8.

Infer. VI. Christ's giving himself a ransom for you, warrants your largest expectation of good things from him: what sins too great to be pardoned? or iniquities so stubborn as not to be subdued? Heb. 9:14. or graces so precious as not to be obtained? The Lord delights in nothing more than mercy; the only bar was sin; which being dis solved by the blood of Christ, grace and glory run freely. The making us kings and priests unto God, yea, "one in the Father and himself," John 17: 21. being the thing he died for, no inferior good thing can be withholden from us. Faith and holiness are great things indeed, and highly to be valued: yet, let me say, that even these, and all other good things laid together, will be but a very little heap, to

that grace which put us into Christ; the honor and privilege of union with him; and the price he hath paid for our ransom: "Herein is love, "That God sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins!" 1 John 4: 10. The pur chase is paid, releases are sealed, and he in possession; all things are ready: it is now but his giving forth the revenue that lies by him, which also be delights to do.

Other notes of use this doctrine affords, which I can but touch, as Jonathan the honey: 1. It shews the high esteem that God has for his chosen; whom "he went himself to redeem, and purchased with his own blood," 2 Sam. 7:23. Acts 20: 28. 2. That by this standard those favorites of heaven should value themselves; not weighing the world's contempt, nor clouding those marks of worth redemption has put upon them. 3. It shews the contagious nature of sin; the deadly venom whereof nothing but the precious blood of the holy One could possibly subdue, nor withstand the torrent of that fiery lake; as also its dreadfulness, in that the Son of God died in the conflict. 4. It argues the greatness and preciousness of the soul; the redemption whereof had ceased for ever, if Christ, the Son of God, had not made his own soul an offering for it. 5. That the world is not a little beholden to God's people for all the good things they possess; for they have them on their account, and should therefore afford them better quarter. 6. That God will not lightly pass by the wrongs done to his people: redemption hath made them kings, Rev. 5: 10. against whom even hard speeches are criminal: how severely then will he make inquisition for blood! Psal. 9: 12. 7. It argues the absoluteness of election, for that an infinite price was irrevocably decreed and paid to confirm its title. 8. It also evinceth the absolute freeness and independency of electing love, since creatures could not pos sibly deserve or be worthy of so great a ransom. 9. It infers the exceeding weightiness of that glory, which required so vast a price, and could not be had for less. Lastly, It further yields a chief corner-stone for the saints' perseverance: for, 1. They are not now at their own disposal; redemption has transferred their title to another, who loves them better than to leave them exposed to a second lapse, from which there is no recovering. 2. Redemption being a valuable consideration, and so accepted, even the righte ousness of God is engaged to save them; and must there

fore prevent, remove, or over-rule whatever would hinder that salvation. On all which accounts (and others) redemption should be much the subject of our discourse and contemplation: it was the first-born promise after the fall; by the repetitions whereof, and further explanations, the Lord bath perfumed the breath of all his holy prophets which have been since the world began. Our Lord and Saviour himself was frequently speaking of it; which shews that his mind was much upon it, and that the same mind should be in us. It is a theme that glorified saints take pleasure to dilate upon; witness Moses and Elias on the holy mount, Luke 9: 31. and John, wrapped into heaven on the Lord's day, found them at this service before the throne of God, Rev. 1: 10. chap. 5: 9. 12, 13. where I cannot but make, by the way, three observations. 1. That the saints in heaven were celebrating the work of creation, and that of redemption, both in one day; and it was the Lord's day: a good argument for our Lord's day sabbath! 2. That they ascribe the same glory and honor unto the Lamb that was slain, as to him that sits on the throne; an evident proof of Christ's divinity! And, 3. That the ground of their triumph and exultation was not the general point (no speech of that in heaven,) but peculiar redemption: a good confirmation of the present truth. And further, our Lord and Saviour still bears about him the marks of his crucifixion; he appears as a Lamb that had been slain," Rev. 5: 6. and he glories in it. "I am he that was dead," Rev. 2: 8. and 1: 18. and with these marks he will appear when he cometh to judge the world, Zech. 12: 10. Till when, the Lord's day, and its most solemn ordinance, are for an unchangeable remembrance of him, 1 Cor. 12: 26. Whatever therefore befalls us, should remind us of this glorious transaction: if it be evil, that redemption hath saved from the evil of it; if good, redemption hath purchased it for us; whether good or bad in itself, redemption will sanctify it to us. But when ye think of heaven, and the heaven of heavens, as your portion, with all that heavenly viaticum (angels food, and better) that attends you at every stage, "until ye appear before God in Zion," Psal. 84: 7. especially when ye are admiring, for what it is ye cannot think, I say, when ye are admiring that transcendent glory which shall arise from that ineffable oneness, to be then completed between the Father and Christ, and his saints, say with that heaven.

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