ther, mediatory work to the Son, and applying work to the Spirit.

THIS is the first view we are to take of the church's Lord. He has the concurrence and authority of the Father to hold this place and this character. These render it fit and proper that he should transact with the Father, in behalf of his church, according to those terms, which he, as sustaining the rights of Deity, should prescribe to him.

2. MESSIAH'S Lordship over his church is by the special appointment of the Father.

THAT act, which we have been just now considering, was not the act of the Father individually, but of the three divine persons equally; nor did that act properly and formally constitute him the Lord of the church; it fixed on and designed him as that divine person on whom the Father should formally confer that power: it is on this account, that the Scriptures always ascribe it unto the Father. By the preceding act we saw him placed at the head of the economy, with all the rights, authority and honour of Deity in his hand, to support and vindicate them. He was to exercise these rights in prescribing to the Son and Spirit their respective employments in the management of the great work of salvation. All the power and authority of Deity being thus economically vested in the Father, it belonged to him to invest the Son with mediatory pow. er and authority, for executing his part of the work, as the Priest, Prophet, and King of his church. At present, we speak of this power only as it respects his kingly office, or Lordship over the church. The delegation of power to the Mediator is sometimes expressed in terms so general as to comprise all his offices; and sometimes the expressions are limited to one or other

of them. His royal power is sometimes represented as comprehending all the subjects of God's moral government, in which his peculiar Lordship over his church is included. This investiture is declared by the Father himself. "I have set my king upon my holy hill of Zion." Psalm ii. 6. And Christ refers to it as an eternal deed, “I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, ere ever the earth was." Prov. viii. 23. The most remarkable manifestation of this power was made at his ascension to heaven, when "The Father of glory raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power-and put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body." &c. Eph. i. 20-23. By this authoritative act of the Father he was constituted both Lord and Christ. For this end he was sanctified and sent into the world, to make way for it by his death; and, being now exalted to the right hand of the Majesty on high, he shall reign till all his enemies be made his footstool. This is referred to in the psalm whence our text is taken. "Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows." verse 6. He loved the display of the divine holiness in its opposition to sin; he wished to have sinners made righteous in the sight of God; and to have them brought to the practice of righteousness, in a course of holy obedience to him; but as sin stood in the way of this, it was the object of his infinite hatred, and, to have it removed, he submitted to all the pu nishment due to it. Thus he became the end of the law for righteousness, and laid a foundation for the establishment of righteousness in the earth; and on this ac

count "God anointed him with the oil of gladness above his fellows," by exalting him to his own right hand, with supreme power over his church, and all her members, his fellows. This was the joy set before him, for which he so willingly endured the cross, and despised the shame.

3. THE Son, by being constituted Lord of the church, did not divest himself of any thing belonging to him as God, nor had he, by that, an accession of any thing not belonging to him as God.

ANY of these suppositions is incompatible with Deity, which is incapable of either diminution or accession. An accession of any thing would have implied imperfection in him; and had he been divested of any thing, it would have totally disqualified him from being Mediator. The assumption of human nature is only a mediatory qualification, but no accession to him as God. The Lord of the church is, therefore, the most high God; he is also man; and, by the hypostatical union of his two natures he is God-man. Every divine attribute belongs to him, as God, and every human excellence, as man; every divine and human excellence, must, therefore, belong to him as God-man, that is, as Mediator; for his mediatory fitness and qualifications lie in these very excellencies. He did not divest himself of the characters of Creator or moral Governor, nor of his right to act as such; he could not. Having made creatures, it is impossible he should cease to be their Creator; and while the moral relation between him and intelligent creatures remains, he cannot cease to be their moral head. This is implied in the prophet's address to the church, "Thy Maker is thine husband." Isaiah liv. 5. Though the Son, as God, does not divest himself of his moral authority over intelligent creatures,

he does not exercise it in that character, this being assigned to the Father, and to be exercised by him in his economical capacity. In virtue of this he invests the Son, as Mediator with moral power, to be the Lord of the church, for managing every thing for her salvation. That power, then, which belongs to the three-one God, essentially considered, is exercised, in the economical scheme, in a different manner, by the divine persons. The Father exercises it in supporting the character and rights of supreme Deity; the Son exercises it from and under the Father, as the Mediatory Lord of the church; and so also does the Spirit, in his capacity.

4.

MESSIAH'S Lordship over the church has a special relation to the covenant of

grace.

THIS Covenant comprises the whole scheme as agreed upon between the divine persons. It belonged to the Father, in virtue of his place in the economy, to fix upon the election of grace, or the sinners that were to be redeemed; to deliver them into the hand of the Mediator; and to prescribe to him the terms of their re demption. The Mediator accepted them from the Father, acceded to the terms prescribed, and engaged to fulfil them. By this covenant he is constituted their head, both as a Surety to pay their debt, and as a king to govern and defend them. In order to pay their debt "He was made the Surety of a better testament." Heb. vii. 22. "And for this cause he is the Mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of transgressions that were under the first testament, they who are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance." Chap. ix. 15. By the same covenant he was constituted the King and Lord of the church, to collect and extend her in the world;

to legislate and govern her; and to defend her against her enemies. "I have made a covenant," says the Father, "with my chosen, I have sworn to David my servant, thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations." Psalm lxxxix. 3. 4. The subjects which are to constitute this kingdom are promised to him, with the stability and perpetuity of his government.

ACCORDING to this covenant, the kingdom was to be founded in purchase. Those who were to become his subjects, were in the hand of God as a judge, and punishable for their sin. In order to their becoming subjects of a new kingdom under Christ, their sin behoved to be expiated, and their natures renewed. To offer himself a sacrifice, för sin was the arduous condition of the new covenant; and on the fulfilment of it the promise of his kingdom was founded. "When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand." Isaiah liii. 10. "Behold the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous branch, and a king shall reign and prosper, and execute justice and judgment in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely; and this is his name by which he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS." Jer. xxiii. 5, 6. It was necessary he should become the end of the law for righteousness; that those, who are stout hearted and far from righteousness, might be justified and have the enmity of their hearts destroyed; and that his kingdom might be established in righteousness. He had the promise of a willing people, in the day of his power; that, in the beauty of holiness, from the womb of the morning,