God is in his work that he works in us, when he comes to convince and convert finners, and draw them to himfelf; O Sirs, the finger of God is in it; then is the arm of God revealed, ifa. liii. 1.

8. God is in the word of the gofpel of Chrift.When Chrift is offered in this gofpel, God is offered in him; when Chrift is revealed, God is revealed in him. And, O when the goipel-revelation is effectual, then it is the very power of God to falvation, Rom. i. 16. Thus there are fome outward vifible things, wherein you may fee and difcern the invisible God; if they be the things of Chrift, fuch as the gospel of Chrift, the preached word, the outward difpenfation of the gospel, and the written word; fay not, God is far off, if the word be nigh you, even in your heart and mouth, Rom. x. 18.

9. God is in the heart of Chrift: why, the love of God is in his heart, and the law of God is in his heart; "I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart;" or, as it is in the Hebrew, It is in the midst of my bowels, Pfal. xl. 8. As Chrift lies in the Father's bofom; fo the Father lies, as it were, im his befom, in the midst of his bowels. If you could look into the heart of Chrift, you would fee nothing but God, the love of the law of God there, the glory of God.'

10. God is in the hand of Chrift: as God is in the heart of Chrift, infomuch, that he is the greatest lover of God; fo God is in the hand of Chrift, infomuch, that he is the only giver of God. What is the great gift of the new covenant? Why, God himfelf is the great gift, according to that promife, "I will be thy God." Who is the giver of fuch a great gift? Who but Chrift, into whofe hand all things are given, and all the new covenant goods and bleflings, even he whom God hath given to be the covenant of the people. It is ftrange, and yet true, Chrift is the great gift of God, and God is the great gift of Chrift: God gives Chrift to us, and then Chrift gives God to us. He gives God, and he gives himself, and he gives his Spirit; and he comes with all these gifts in his hand, and prefents and pro

fers

fers them to us freely, under the notion of living waters; "Whofoever will, let him come, and take of the waters of life freely," Rev. xxii. 17.Thus you may have fome view how God is in Chrift.

III. The third thing propofed was, To fhew, that in Chrift alone God is a well-pleafed God. This will appear, if you confider, 1. What God hath done with refpect to Chrift himself. 2. What he doth for his people, in him.

Ift, We may confider what he hath done with refpe&t to Chrift himself.

1. He hath folemnly proclaimed his approbation of his person and undertaking from heaven, three feveral times, with an audible voice, namely, at his baptifm, transfiguration, and paffion; This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleafed. Agreeable to which is that open proclamation, Ifa. xlii. 1. "Behold, my Servant, whom I uphold; mine Elect, in whom my foul delighteth."

2. He hath releafed him from the prifon of the grave, in which, as our Surety, he was detained for a time; "He was taken from prifon and from judgment," fays the prophet, Ifa. liii. 8. He was taken from thence by a public fentence; which was an undoubted argument, that the debt, for which he was thrown in prifon, was fully paid; and the Lord was well-pleafed with the random. Hence it is very obfervable, that the resurrection of Chrift is afcribed unto God, as reconciled; The God of peace is faid to bring again from the dead the Lord Jefus Chrift, the great fhepherd of the sheep, Heb. xiii. 20.

3. The authority, and power, and honour, wherewith our Surety is invefted, as a reward of his hard work, is an evidence, that God is well-pleased in him.

QUEST. What reward hath he conferred on him?

ANSW. (1.) He hath fet him at his own right-hand in the higheft heavens; Heb. xii. 2. "Looking unto Jefus, who, for the joy that was fet before him, endured the crofs, defpifed the fhame, and is fet down at the righthand of the throne of God." The martyr Stephen, in

his dying words, Acts vii. 56. fays, that he faw heaven opened, and the Son of man ftanding on the right-hand of God. Had he been fhut out of his Father's prefence, it had been a fign that anger ftill lodged in his breaft, both against the Cautioner and the principal; but his being re-admitted into that glory which he had with the Father before the world began, is an evidence, that he is well-pleafed in him.

(2.) He honours him with a complete victory over all his enemies. He makes, all the powers of hell to be proftrate at his feet; Pfal. cx. 1. "Sit thou at my righthand, until I make thine enemies thy footftool. Phil. ii. 9,10. At the name of Jefus every knee fhall bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth," &c. When man finned, God delivered the power of death unto the devil, as his executioner; but he found fuch a fweet favour in the righteoufnefs of the Surety, that he wrefts the keys of death out of the devil's hand, and delivers them into the hand of our Redeemer. Hence Chrift proclaims it as good news to all his friends, Rev. i. 17. "I am he that liveth and was dead; and behold, I am alive for evermore, and have the keys of hell and of death."

(3.) He not only makes him victorious over all the powers of hell, but, as Mediator, invefts him with a precedency over all the angels in heaven; " And every name that can be named, either in this world, or the world that is to come. Heb. i. 4. Being made fo much better than the angels, as by inheritance he hath obtained a more excellent name than they." And in the 6th verfe. When he brings in his firfl-begotten into the world, he fays, "Let all the angels of God worship him." Doth not this fay, that God is well-pleased in him?

(4.) He hath clothed him with all judicative authority, and conftitute him the fole Judge of the world; "The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment to the Son. He hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the world, by that man whom he hath or dained," Acts xvii. 31.

2dly, We may confider what he doth for his peo

ple,

pie, thefe for whom Chrift is Surety; and from thence it will appear, that God is well-pieafed in him.

1. In him, and for his fake, he pardons all their fins; "Whom God hath fet forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteoufnefs, for the remiffion of fins," Rom. iii. 25.

2. In him, and for his fake, he hears their prayers; Rev. viii. 3, 4. "And another angel came and flood at the altar, having a golden cenfer, and there was given unto him much incenfe, that he fhould offer it with the prayers of all the faints upon the golden altar, which was before the throne. And the fmoke of the incenfe which came with the prayers of the faints afcended up before God, out of the angel's hand." This is the incense that renders them acceptable unto God, and without which they would be an abomination.

3. In him, and for his fake, he admits them into communion and fellowship with himself; " By the blood of Jefus we have access to the holy of holies," &c. Heb.

X. 19,-22.

4. In him, and for his fake, they have adoption, with all the privileges that attend it; "In the fulness of time, God fent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, that we might receive the adoption of fons," Gal. iv. 4, 5.

5. In him, and for his fake, they have access to glory at laft. The righteoufnefs of Chrift removes the bar that bolts heaven's gates againft us, which was fin, Heb. ii. 10. and v. 9.; there fays the apostle, "Chrift was made perfect thro' fuffering, in bringing many fons and daughters to glory."-Now, from these things it is clear, that God is well-pleafed in Chrift.

IV. The fourth thing propofed was, To make application, and it may be applied,

aft, By way of information. Is God in Chrift? Then let us fee God here; for here is the glafs wherein we may fee all the divine glory: in Chrift we may fee God in all his attributes and fulness; in all his faving offices and relations to us; in all his graces, and in all his bleffings.

upon;

You are not called

1. In Chrift we may fee Gad in all his attributes and fulnefs; there is nothing that the Father hath, except his perfonality, but the Son, as Mediator hath; "All things that the Father hath, are mine," John vi. 15.; all things that God hath, they belong to the Mediator, alfo the God-man. Here then is an ocean where you and I may dive for ever, and never reach to the bottom. In him we may fee the wifdom of God; "In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge," Col. ii. 3. Poor foolish finner, who haft no, wisdom, knowledge, or understanding, here is a treafure for you, Chrift the wifdom of God, 1 Cor. i. 30.-In him we may fee all the power of God; "We preach Chrift crucified, unto the Jews a ftumbling-block, and to the Greeks foolifhnefs; but unto them that are called, Chrift the power of God, and the wisdom of God," 1 Cor. i. 24. Poor weakling, that can do nothing, here is a bargain for you to lay hold "It is he that can work in you, both to will and to do; and make his people willing in the day of his power," Pfal. cx. 3. to come to Chrift, but by the power of Chrift, which is the power of God; you are to receive him, who can give you power to receive him; and as an abfolute weakling. to take hold of his ftrength, and look to his power, to whom is given all power in heaven and in earth.-In him we may fee all the holinefs of God; he is faid to be made of God to us fanctification and furely, here is an immenfe fountain of fanctity, the infinite holiness of God. O poor, vile polluted finner, that haft loft the image of God by the fall of the first Adam, and the deficiency of his holiness; here is a better Head and Hufband for you, in whom is all the fulness of di vine holiness, that ye may be complete in him.-In him we may fee all the juftice of God, and all the righteouf nefs of God; we may fee juftice fatisfied in him, by his mediatorial righteoufnefs; for, the Lord is well-pleafed for his righteoufnefs' fake; yea, he that is the righteoufnefs of God is made unto us righteousness, 1 Cor. i. 30. And, O wonderful word! 2 Cor. v. 21. "He was made fin for us, who knew no fin, that we might be made the righteoufnefs of God in him." O guilty, guilty finner,

here