has promised, that as his Father has appointed unto him a kingdom, so he will appoint unto them, that they may eat and drink at his table in his kingdom. He has promised to crown them with a crown of glory, and that they shall sit with him in his throne. That he will confess their names before his Father, and before his angels. That he will give them a new name; and that they shall walk with him in white.

Christ has also purchased for them the greatest wealth. All those that are in Christ are rich. They are now rich. They have the best riches; being rich in faith, and the graces of the Spirit of God. They have gold tried in the fire. They have durable riches and righteousness. They have treasure in heaven, where neither thief approacheth, nor moth corrupteth. An inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away. They are possessors of all things.

Christ has also purchased pleasure for them; pleasures that are immensely preferable to all the pleasures of sense, most exquisitely sweet, and satisfying. He has purchased for them fulness of joy, and pleasures for evermore at God's right hand; and they shall drink of the river of God's pleasure.

6. Christ has purchased all needed good both for soul and body. While we are here, we stand in need of these earthly things; and of these Christ has purchased all that are best for us. He has purchased for the body, that God should feed, and clothe us. Matt. vi. 26. How much more shall he FEED you, O ye of little faith! How much more shall he clothe you! Christ has purchased, that God should take care of us, and provide what is needed of these things, as a father provides for his children. 1 Pet. v. 7. Casting your care upon him, for he careth for you.

7. Christ has purchased good that is suitable for his people in all conditions. There is, in this way of salvation, respect had to, and provision made for all circumstances, that they can be in. Here is provision made for a time of affliction-for a time of poverty and pinching want-for a time of bercavement and mourning-for spiritual darkness-for a day of temptation-for a time of persecution-and for a time of death. Here is such a provision made that is sufficient to carry a person above death, and all its terrors; and to give him a complete triumph over that king of terrors. Here is enough to sweeten the grave, and make it cease to seem terrible. Yea, enough to make death in prospect to seem desirable; and in its near approach to be not terrible but joyful.

8. There is provision made in this way of salvation for the life and blessedness of soul and body to all eternity. Christ has purchased, that we should be delivered from a state of temporal death, as well as spiritual and eternal. The bodies of the saints shall be raised to life. He has purchased all manner

of perfection for the body of which it is capable. It shall be raised a spiritual body in incorruption and glory, and be made like Christ's glorious body, to shine as the sun in the kingdom of his Father, and to exist in a glorified state in union with the soul to all eternity.

9. But man in his fallen state still needs something else in order to his happiness, than that these fore-mentioned blessings should be purchased for him, viz. He needs to be qualified for the possession and enjoyment of them. In order to our having a title to these blessings of the covenant of grace, (so that we can scripturally claim an interest in them,) there is à certain condition must be performed by us. We must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and accept of him as offered in the gospel for a Saviour. But, as we cannot do this of ourselves, Christ has purchased this also for all the elect. He has purchased, that they shall have faith given them; whereby they shall be [actively] united to Christ, and to have a [pleadable] title to his benefits.

But still something further is necessary for man, in order to his coming to the actual possession of the inheritance. A man, as soon as he has believed, has title to the inheritance: but in order to come to the actual possession of it, he must persevere in a way of holiness. There is not only a gate that must be entered; but there is a narrow way that must be travelled, before we can arrive at heavenly blessedness; and that is a way of universal and persevering holiness. But men, after they have believed, cannot persevere in a way of holiness, of themselves. But there is sufficient provision made for this also, in the way of salvation by Jesus Christ. The matter of a saint's perseverance is sufficiently secured by the purchase that Christ has made.

But still there is something else needful in order to qualify a person for the actual entering upon the enjoyments and employments of a glorified estate, viz. that he should be made perfectly holy: that all remainders of sin should be taken away; for there cannot any sin enter into heaven. No soul must go into the glorious presence of God, with the least degree of the filth of sin. But there is provision made: for Christ has purchased that all sin shall be taken away out of the hearts of believers at death; and that they should be made perfectly holy whereby they shall be fully and perfectly qualified to enter upon the pleasures and enjoyments of the new Jerusalem.

Christ has purchased all, both objective and inherent good : not only a portion to be enjoyed by us; but all those inherent qualifications necesary to our enjoyment of it. He has purchased not only justification, but sanctification and glorification; both holiness and happiness.-Having considered the

good attained in the way of salvation as manifold and various, I now proceed, as proposed,

II. To consider the good attained for us by this way salvation, as exceeding great.

of

There is not only every sort of good we need, but of every sort in that degree, so as to answer the extent of our capacity, and the greatest stretch of our desires, and indeed of our concept ons. They are not only greater than our conceptions are here, but also greater than ever they could be, were it not that God's relation, and our own experience will teach us. They are greater than the tongue of angels can declare, the deliverance that we have in it is exceeding great; it is deliverance from guilt, from sin itself, from the anger of God, and from the miseries of hell.

How great is the good conferred! The objective good is the infinite God, and the glorious Redeemer, Jesus Christ. How great is the love of the Father, and the Son! And how near the relation between them and the true believer. How close the union, how intimate the communion, and ultimately how clear will be the vision in glory!

There are great communications made to the believing soul, on earth, but how much greater in heaven. Then their conformity to God will be perfect, their enjoyment of him will be full, their honour great and unsullied, and the glory of body and soul ineffable. The riches of the Christian are immense; all things are included in his treasure. Pleasures unspeakably and inconceivably great await him; rivers of delight, 'ulness of joy; and all of infinite duration.

The benefit procured for us, is doubly infinite. Our deliverance is an infinite benefit, because the evil we are delivered from, is infinite; and the positive good bestowed is eternal; viz. the full enjoyment of all those blessings merited.

SECT. IV.

How Angels are benefited by the Salvation of Men.

So hath the wisdom of God contrived this affair, that the benefit of what he has done therein, should be so extensive, as to reach the elect angels. It is for men that the work of redemption is wrought out; and yet the benefit of the things done in this work is not confined to them, though all that is properly called redemption, or included in it, is confined to men. The angels cannot partake in this, having never fallen; yet they have great indirect benefit by it.-God hath so wisely ordered, that what has been done in this directly and especially for men, should redound to the exceeding benefit of all intelli

gent creatures who are in favour with God. The benefit of it is so diffusive as to reach heaven itself. So great and manifold is the good attained in this work, that those glorious spirits who are so much above us, and were so highly exalted in happiness before, yet should receive great addition hereby.— I will show how in some particulars.

1. The angels hereby see a great and wonderful manifestation of the glory of God. The happiness of angels as well as of men consists very much in beholding the glory of God. The excellency of the divine Being is a most delightful subject of contemplation to the saints on earth; but much more to the angels in heaven. The more holy any being is, the more sweet and delightful will it be to him to behold the glory and beauty of the supreme Being.-Therefore the beholding of the glory of God must be ravishing to the holy angels, who are perfect in holiness, and never had their minds leavened with sin. The manifestations of the glory of God, are as it were the food that satisfies the angels; they live thereon. It is their greatest happiness.

It is without doubt much of their employment to behold the glory of God appearing in his works. Therefore this work of redemption greatly contributes to their happiness and delight, as the glory of God is so exceedingly manifested by it. For what is done, is done in the sight of the angels, as is evident by many passages of holy scripture. And they behold the glory of God appearing herein with entertainment and delight; as it is manifest by 1 Pet. i. 12. Which things the angels desire to look into.

The angels have this advantage, that now they may hehold the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, where it shines with a peculiar lustre and brightness. 1 Tim. iii. 5. Great is the mystery of godliness, God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of angels. Perhaps all God's attributes are more gloriously manifested in this work, than in any other that ever the angels saw. There is certainly a fuller manifestation of some of his attributes, than ever they saw before; as is evident by the text. And especially, it is so with respect to the mercy of God, that sweet and endearing attribute of the divine nature. The angels of heaven never saw so much grace manifested before, as in the work of redemption; nor in any measure equal to it. How full of joy doth it fill the hearts of the angels, to see such a boundless and bottomless ocean of love and grace in their God! And therefore with what rejoicing do all the angels praise Christ for his being slain! Rev. v. 11, 12. And I beheld and heard the voice of many angels round about the throne, and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that

was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

2. They have this benefit by it, that hereby Jesus Christ, God-man, is become their head. God, subsisting in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, was the King of angels, and would have been, if it had not been for our redemption. But it was owing to what is done in this work, that Jesus Christ, as God-man, becomes the head of the angels. Christ is now not only the head of angels simply as God, but as God-man. Col. ii. 10. And ye are complete in him, who is the head of all principality and power. Eph. i. 20-22. Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him on his own right hand in heavenly places, far above all principality and power, and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. And hath put all things under his feel, and gave him to be head over all things to the church.

This is a part of the exaltation and glory of Christ, which God confers on him as his reward. And not only so, but it is greatly to the angels' benefit. It is God's manner in his dealings with his elect creatures, in the same works wherein he glorifies himself, or his Son, greatly to benefit them. The same dealings of his that are most for his glory, shall be most for their good.-That Christ, God-man, should be made the head of the angels, is greatly to their benefit several ways.

(1.) Because they become hereby more nearly related to so glorious a person, the Son of God, than otherwise they would have. The angels esteem it a great honour done them to be related to such a person as Jesus Christ, God-man, who is an infinitely honourable person.

The angels, by Christ becoming their head, are with the saints gathered together in one in Christ, Eph. i. 10. They by virtue hereof, though Christ be not their Redeemer as he is ours, have a right and propriety in this glorious person, as well as we. He is theirs though not their Saviour, yet he is their head of government, and head of influence.

(2.) Again, this is greatly to their benefit; as they are under advantages for a far more intimate converse with God. The divine nature is at an infinite distance from the nature of angels, as well as from the nature of man. This distance forbids a familiarity and intimacy of intercourse.-It is therefore a great advantage to the angels, that God is come down to them in a created nature; and in that nature is become their head; so that their intercourse and enjoyment may be more intimate. They are invited by the similar qualifications of the created nature, with which the Son of God is invested.

(3.) It is for the benefit of the angels, as hereby the elect