born psalmist, "What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits?" And answer yourself with him; “I will take (not this or that single benefit, but) the cup of salvation (glorious redemption, which that cup signifieth,) and call on the name of the Lord." All the divine attributes centre in redemption, as light and heat in the sun, and are thence savingly reflected upon men redeemed: and this is the most compendious way of beholding the glory of God, and of celebrating our dear-bought happiness. Something, perhaps, like this may that "fruit of the vine" be, though unspeakably beyond it, which Christ and his disciples "shall drink new in his Father's kingdom," Matt. 26: 29. “when he that sowed, and we that reap, shall rejoice to gether," John 4: 36. Therefore, "unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, be glory and dominion for ever. Amen." Rev. 1: 5, 6.

III. That the purpose or intent of Christ's death cannot be frustrated; that is, those for whom Christ died shall certainly obtain all the benefits accruing by his death. All the counsels of God from eternity; all his promises and declarations holding forth those counsels; and all his dispensations in order to their accomplishment; have a special relation to Christ as dying for his people, and their actual salvation thereby, as the end thereof. Now the end of a thing, is that for which the thing itself is; and but for which, it had not been; it is that the chief agent principally purposeth, and aims at; and if he be wise, he will certainly use and appoint such means, and order them in such manner, that the thing designed shall not miscarry. Men indeed may miss of their end; they aim at this, and that is produced, as in building the tower of Babel: but this is still from some imperfection in themselves; either the thing itself is not feasible, or the way to it imprudently contrived, or the means unduly applied; their minds alter, or they are made to desist by a power above them, &c. But with the only wise and almighty God it is not so, none of those things which impede the designs of men can happen to his; there can be no other event of them but what he intended; the least of his purposes shall not suffer disappointment, much less that great design of men's salvation by the death of his Son. That the thing itself is feasible, is attested by that innumerable company already

in heaven on his account. It was so wisely contrived, that all interests concerned are secured and satisfied: God is just in justifying; the sinner saved, while vengeance is taken on his sin; and Christ well pleased with a seed to serve him. The way of obtainment is such as will cer tainly compass the end; the divine power is engaged in it; which rests not in the least on the concourse or compliance of any mutable agent, or frustrable instrument. His heart cannot be taken off from it; it is that his blessed thoughts have run upon from eternity; and those thoughts of his stand fast to all generations. And lastly, no higher power can supersede his decree; he is sovereign Lord, and controlleth all.

To confirm the point, take the following arguments.

Arg. I. Is from redemption itself; wherein, 1. The greatness of the price; 2. The kind or manner of payment; and, 3. The scriptural import of the word, are not a little considerable.

1. For the price: it was the life of the Son of God; whose personal dignity was such as put a transcendency of merit upon his death, which therefore could not be parted with for a doubtful or uncertain purchase; nor could any obtainment, inferior to salvation, compensate the price. In this lies the stress of the apostle's argument; who, to set forth the happy state of God's elect, and to prove them out of danger, brings in the price of their redemption; "Who shall condemn? It is Christ that died," Rom. 8: 33. The eminency of the person, and the sufferings he submitted unto, as they greatly illustrate his love to men; so they strongly affirm and ensure the event of his death: "For, if reconciled to God, by the death of his Son, much more shall we be saved by his life," chap. 5: 10.

2. The kind or manner of payment; it was by suffering. Had the ransom been of the nature of depositable things (namely, to secure satisfaction, in case the treaty took ef fect, and to be resumed, in case it succeeded not,) it had much altered the matter; there had no great damage accrued to the depositor; he might have received his own again, though not with advantage: but sufferings once undergone cannot be recalled: they are as water spilt upon the ground; they cannot be gathered up again, unless in their fruits, namely, in the accomplishment of the end they were designed for; which, duly weighed, will not allow redemp

tion to be conditional, nor its intended effects to depend upon things contingent. Besides, that which is infinite, will not admit of addition; nor can that which hath all worth entirely within it, find any thing of worth without itself to depend upon. But this, methinks, should not nced arguing, since it is so apparent.

3. From the scriptural usage and import of the word: which shews, that redemption hath made eternal life our due; and that all supposable conditions, all manner of graces, means, and helps, which must come between our natural state and glory, with glory itself, were all intentionally in the design of it, purchased by it, and contained in it; as the stalk which the flower must grow upon, is virtually in the same seed with the flower itself. Redemption doth not only allow men their book, and save them in case they can read (that is a heartless notion,) but enables them to read, and that in point of will, as well as knowledge. Faith is to salvation, as livery and seizin are to possession; they are no part of the price, nor condition of your right, but a legal and notifying introduction to your actual enjoyment; yea, the purchase-money entitles you to them, as well as to the inheritance. As we can ask nothing of God, either warrantably or successfully, but as entitled thereto by redemption, so, on redemption's account, ye may ask any thing that hath a tendency to its end; ye may claim faith in order to salvation, as well as salvation as the end of your faith.

And now, that redemption doth not barely make men releaseable, or capable of being saved, but doth, by its own proper virtue, prosecute its end to perfection, that the actual complete salvation of redeemed ones is bound up in it, and whatever might hinder it taken out of the way, I shall clear by a short induction of particulars. 1. Redemption. imports satisfaction. Without this the world had not been reconciled; nor could it be said, "The pleasure of the Lord hath prospered in his hand;" but both these are affirmed, Isa. 53: 10. "It pleased the Lord to bruise him." It does not intend only, that it was the pleasure or will of God that the thing should be done, but that he was well pleased by the doing of it; that is, he was again pacified towards us, in whose stead he suffered; his justice being thereby atoned. And this very reason ye have annexed in Isa. 42:21. "The Lord is well pleased for his righteous

ness' sake; he shall magnify the law, and make it honotable;" that is, by levying satisfaction upon Christ: which also accords with and explicates that in Rom. 3: 31. "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid; yea, we establish the law." It is further confirmed by 2 Cor. 5: 19. "God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself:" this must be reciprocally understood, for else the breach had continued: but, surely, the Lord would not be at such cost to have his work but half done; for what is reconciliation, but the renewal of friendship on both sides? and that this is Christ's own sense upon the word, is evident by Matt. 5. 23, 24. "If thy brother hath aught against thee, go and be reconciled to thy brother." It must, therefore, take in God's reconcilement to us, as well as our's to him; which could not be without satisfaction; his justice would not permit it; he will by no means clear the guilty. And, to put it beyond dispute, our grand creditor proclaims himself satisfied, by his sending from heaven to release our surety, Matt. 28: 2. It was to say, in effect, that he had no further demands upon us. 2. Redemption also imports justification, or freedom from guilt, Ephes. 1: 7." In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins," Rom. 3: 24. "Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ," Rom. 5: 9. Gal. 3: 13. "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: he blotted out the hand-writing that was against us, nailing it to his eross," Col. 2: 14. 3. It imports the eviction, vanquishing, or binding of the strong man, who would not else have let go the prey, nor have left his possession; "By death he destroyed him who had the power of death; that is, the devil," Heb. 2: 14. "By the blood of his cross, he spoiled principalities and powers, and triumphed over them," Col. 2: 15. 4. It imports freedom from the power of sin, Rom. 6: 6. Our old man was crucified with Christ, that, the body of sin might be destroyed; that henceforth we should not serve sin:" upon which it follows, "He that is dead, namely, with Christ, is freed from sin," verse 7. "sin shall not have dominion over you," verse 14. imports inherent holiness, or sanctification, Col. 1: 21. "You, who were sometimes enemies in your minds, now hath he reconciled, in the body of his flesh, through death, to present you holy," verse 22. Heb. 10: 10. "We are

And

5. It

sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ," Rom. 6: 18. "Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness." And that it was by virtue of Christ's death, appears by verse 8. "For if we be dead with Christ, we shall also live with him." It is his blood which " purges the conscience from dead works, to serve the living God," Heb. 9: 14. 6. It likewise imports resurrection, John 6: 54, 55. "I will raise him up at the last day; for my flesh is meat indeed," (that is, as crucified.) Christ dying, was the death of death, Hos. 13: 14. " In Christ shall all be made alive," 2 Cor. 15: 22. 7. It further extends to the actual possession of redeemed ones with blessedness and glory, Rom. 8: 30, "Whom he justified, them he glorified." Liberty of entering into the holiest, is by the blood of Jesus, Heb. 10: 19. "Thou hast re

deemed us to God by thy blood," Rev: 5: 9, 10. It is the voice of those in heaven. Now, that all these are in redemption, is evident; and as evident it is, that redemption, thus qualified, is not, cannot be, liable to frustration, for it brings us to heaven; and then we are sure beyond the reach of danger. And for this it was that Paul cared not (he need not care) "to know any thing, in comparison, but Jesus Christ, and him crucified," 1 Cor. 2: 2. It is true, the resurrection of Christ, his ascension, sitting at God's right hand, and intercession, have their respective influence into all these glorious privileges and parts of eternal glory; but they all spring from his crucifixion; if he had not died, he had not been a priest for ever, as he is.

Arg. II. The end of redemption cannot be frustrate, because the righteousness of Christ is, at least, as prevalent and effectual to his seed, as Adam's transgression was to his. All his posterity, indeed, were involved in the curse; yet, so that there still remained, through the intervention of grace, a possibility of release; but the righteousness of Christ hath so perfectly recovered and established his seed, that their justified state can never be lost: and the reason is, because grace hath outdone sin, and gone beyond it; $6 grace hath abounded much more," Rom. 5: 20. Which super-abounding of grace cannot refer to the subjects of grace, as if they were more in number than the subjects of sin; for sin came upon all, and grace cannot come upon more than all: but it is meant of the prevalent efficacy of grace, and the permanency of its effects towards all tha

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