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that same covenant wherein all the means of bringing the elect to glory are contained; Gen, iii, 15. He gave and sent his Son to be a savior and redeemer; so that in his whole work, in all that he did and suffered, he obeyed the command, and fulfilled the will of the Father. Him did God the Father seal and set forth, as the scripture every where expresseth it. And our Lord Jesus Christ every where remits us to the consideration of the love, will, and authority of his Father in all that he did, taught, or suffered, so "seeking the glory of God that sent him." Moreover, it is the Father who draws the elect, and enables them to come to his Son, to believe in him, and so obtain life, salvation, and glory by him. "No man," saith our Savior, "can come to me, except the Father, which hath sent me, draw him," John vi, 4. "No man,” no not any one of the elect, can come to Christ, unless the Father, in pursuit of that love from whence it was that he sent the Son, put forth the efficacy of his grace to enable him; and accordingly he reveals him to some, when he is hidden from others, Matt. xi, 25. For the reyelation of Christ to the soul is the immediate act of the Father, Matt. xvi, 17. Being reconciled to them by the blood of his Son, he reconciles them to himself, by giving them pardon and forgiveness, without which they cannot come to glory. He is in Christ reconciling us to himself, by the non-imputation or forgiveness of our sins, "forgiving us all our trespasses for Christ's sake," Ephes. vi, 2. He quickens them and sanctifies them by his Spirit, to make them "meet for the inheritance of the saints in light;" that is, for the enjoyment of glory. He that raised up Jesus from the dead, quickens us by his Spirit, Rom. viii, 2. As the great Father of the family he adopts them, and makes them his sons, heirs and co-heirs with Christ, Rom. viii, 14-17; sending into

their hearts the spirit of adoption, enabling them to cry, Abba Father, Gal. iv, 6. As the whole right of adopting children is in the Father, so is the authoritative translation of them out of the world and kingdom of Satan into his own family and household, with their investiture in all the rights and privileges thereof. In brief, in bringing the elect to glory, all the sovereign acts of power, wisdom, love, and grace, exerted therein, are peculiarly assigned to the Father, as all ministerial acts are to the Son as mediator. So that there is no reason why he might not be said, by way of eminency, to be the (yoyevs) "the leader" or bringer of his sons to glory.

§8. And herein lies a great direction to believers, and a great support for their faith. Peter tells us, that by Christ we do "believe in God that raised him from the dead, and gave him glory, that our faith and hope may be in God," 1 Pet. i, 21. Jesus Christ considered as mediator is the next, but not the ultimate object of our faith and hope. We so believe in him, as by him to believe in God the Father, whose love is the supreme` fountain and spring of our salvation; which the apostle manifests in that double instance of his "raising up Christ," and "giving of him glory;" thereby declaring himself the principal author of the great work of his mediation. This he directs us to, so to believe in Christ, as that, discerning through him the grace, goodwill, and love of the Father himself towards us, we may be encouraged to fix our faith and hope upon him, seeing he himself loveth us. So that Christ himself had no need to pray for the love of the Father towards us, but only for the communication of the effects of it, John xvi, 26, 27. And we thus place our faith in God the Father, when we conceive of him as the sovereign leader of us to glory, by all the instances before

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mentioned. And then doth faith rest in him with delight, complacency, and satisfaction.

$9. (II.) There is in these words intimated the principal means that God fixed on for the accomplishment of this wonderful design; it was by "appointing a captain of their salvation." The Jews generally granted, that the Messiah was to be the captain of their salvation; but misunderstanding that salvation, they also mistook the whole nature of his office. The apostle here evidently compares Christ to Joshua, the captain and leader of the people into Canaan. All the sons of God are put under his conduct and guidance, as the people of old were under the rule of Joshua, to bring them into the glory promised them in the covenant made with Abraham. And he is called their (apxuros) prince, ruler, and captain, or the author of their salvation, because of his authority and right to rule over them in order to their salvation; his actual conducting of them by his example, spirit, and grace, through all the difficulties of their warfare; and as he procured salvation for them. So that the expression denotes both his acquisition of salvation itself, and his conduct in leading the people of God to the enjoyment of it. And the Holy Ghost hereby also intimates, that the way whereby God will bring the sons to glory, is full of difficulties, perplexities, and oppositions, (as that of the Israelites into Canaan also was) so that they have need of such a captain and guide as Christ is, to insure their success. They only, perish in the wilderness, and die in their sins, who, either out of love to the flesh pots of Egypt, the pleasures of this world, or being terrified with the hardships of the warfare which he calls them to, refuse to go up under his victorious banner and command.

$10. (III.) There is expressed in these words the special way whereby God qualified the Lord Christ for this arduous office. To understand this aright, we 'must recollect, that the apostle speaks not here of the "redemption" of the elect absolutely, but of "bringing them to glory," when they are made sons in an espe cial manner; and therefore he treats not absolutely of the designation and consecration of Christ for his office of mediator in general, but with respect tó that one part, and the execution of it, as Joshua led the Israelites into Canaan. This will help to explain what act of God towards the Lord Christ is intended in this phrase, (τελείωσαι αυτόν δια παθηματων) “to perfect him through sufferings." The word (TEE) in this place signifies to consecrate, to dedicate, to sanctify for an office, or some special part or act of an office. This is the proper meaning of the word. Hence the ancients called baptism (TEAEs) consecration to the sacred service of Christ. Nor is this word used in any other sense in this whole epistle, wherein it is often used, when applied to Christ; see chap. v, 9; chap. vii, 28. And thus was the use of the word among the heathen, signifying the initiation and consecration of a man into the mysteries of their religion, to be a leader unto others. The Lord Christ must be consecrated by his own sufferings and the sacrifice of himself.

$11. (IV.) There remains yet to be considered, thereason why the captain of our salvation was to be consecrated by his sufferings; "It became God so to deal with him." Which he amplifies by that description of him, "For whom are all things, and by whom are all things." This (TO TрETOV) becomingness, whatever it be, ariseth hence, that God is he "for whom are all things, and by whom are all things." It became him as he is so, and because he is so. There is no assignable reason for this addi

tional consideration of God in this matter, but as it expresses the cause why it became him to do what is here ascribed to him. Now the description of God in these words, is plainly of him as the first cause and last end of all things; the governor, ruler, and judge, with respect to that order and law of their creation which all things were to observe. And this government of all things, taking care that they are of God, so they should be for him, is what the apostle principally respects, Therefore it became God, as the governor, ruler, and judge of all things, to consecrate Jesus Christ by his sufferings; which must be farther explained.

$12. Man being made an intelligent creature, had a rule of moral obedience given him. This he was to observe to the glory of his Creator and Lawgiver, as the condition of his continued favor. But how man, having broken the law of his creation, and therein come short of the glory of God, might be made again partaker of it, is the grand inquiry. God can be no otherwise considered but as the supreme governor and judge; and that property of his nature which he ex erted principally in this state of things, was (justitia regiminis) "the righteousness of his government." And this righteousness is that on account of which it was meet for him, or "it became him" to bring the sons to glory by the sufferings of the captain of their salvation; it was just, equal, and therefore indispensably necessary that he should do so. Supposing that man, created in the image of God, capable of yielding obedience, according to the law concreated with him, and written in his heart, which obedience was his being morally for God, as he was from him; supposing, moreover, that he by sin had broken this law, and so was no longer for God, according to the primitive order and law of his creation; supposing also, notwithstanding all

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