were the case, how it could before, with propriety, be predicted that God should smite, and bruise, and put him to grief and afterward be acknowledged that his sufferings and death were the effects of the hand and determinate counsel of God; is not easy to be comprehended. Were it so that the hand and power of God were less active in bringing those evils on Christ, than in any other evils brought on moral beings; it is not easy to see why Christ, who, in character of mediator, always considered himself as a servant, and acknowledged subjection to God, should yet cry to Him for help and deliverance. It is evident, therefore, that whatever evils were endured by Christ, were from the hand of that God between whom and men he acted as mediator: All the sufferings he endured, were from his active power and providence; they were as much from the hand of God, as any evils that were ever brought on any of the human race.

2. ALL the conduct of God, in his providential government over his creatures, is expressive, and hath a language in it. None of the providences of God are without meaning; but are all instructive and significant. They exhibit the same uniform and glorious character that is held up in his word. The same purposes and designs, the same most perfect and excellent disposition, which are expressed in words, in the holy scriptures, are delineated and exemplified in facts, in his providential government. The divine

character is described in words, in the sacred oracles; and exhibited in facts in his providence and works. And the character itself is not less legible, nor its excellencies less visible or conspicuous, in the latter than in the former. The real character, the general disposition of the divine mind, is not less obvious in what he does, than in what he says: Nor could it easily be accounted for that it should be otherwise, while one great end of his wordis, to explain the reasons of his

conduct the rule of his providential government. And as the glory of God really appears in the perfect correspondence of his actual government, with those laws of his kingdom which are taught us in his word; so, every part of the divine conduct toward intelligent creatures, expresseth the same general character which is marked out in the promises and threatenings of revelation.

3. THIS being the case, it is manifest that there is no part of the divine conduct toward moral creatures, but what is expressive, either of his approbation of righteousness, or hatred of iniquity. It is the glory of God that he loves righteousness, and hates iniquity. This is absolutely essential to his goodness and love. Without this, his disposition to promote the general and the greatest good, could not possibly be perfect. And if such a disposition as this wholly possesses and fills the divine mind, there can be no part of the divine conduct but what is expressive of it. It must be that, in all the good, and the evil, which he brings on the subjects of his moral government, he invariably exhibits this most pure and perfect goodness: adjusting all his providential dispensations in such a manner, and in such perfect wisdom, as naturally to carry the marks of it; and sensibly to express, to rational beings, either his approbation of virtue, or his hatred of vice.

THIS brings us to show, in the next place,

II. THAT the sufferings and death of Christ were expressions of divine anger.

THERE is nothing in the word of God to lead us to suppose that evils brought on moral beings are not, in every instance, expressive of divine anger; but a_va riety of things that evidently prove the contrary. For,

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1. THE law and the promise of God, secure the innocent from every positive evil, every infelicity which doth not necessarily result from the mere natural imperfection of the creature. The word of God is full of promises to the righteous; and there is no mention any where made of evil, but in case of transgression. God blessed our first parents in their estate of innocency; and gave not the least intimation of any evil that should befall them, unless they rebelled against him. Such was the nature of the covenant, the tenour of the law, under which they were placed, that it absolutely secured them from every positive evil; and particularly from so great an evil as natural death, in case they persisted in their obedience. Therefore the Apostle considers temporal death as a certain proof that the subject of it is a sinner. He says, "Where"fore as by one man sin entered into the world, and "death by sin; and so death hath passed upon all ་་ men, for that all have sinned."(1) As sin brought death into the world, so this still gives it universal dominion. As it was originally a testimony of divine anger, it still continues to be so. That death is a curse is evident from this, if nothing else, that the death of Christ is brought, by the inspired Apostle, as a proof that he became a curse.(m)

BUT it is evident that the law of God secures the innocent, not only from death, but from every other positive evil. The Apostle saith, "Now to him that "worketh, is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of "debt."(n) Where the obedience is perfect, the reward is due by law; the law, under which man was originally placed, secures it; and it is not considered as an act of grace to confer it. And if the reward here spoken of implies a deliverence from all positive evils, and a security against them; if it intends a hap(n) Rom. iv. 4.

(1) Rom. v. 12. (m) See Galat. iii. 13.

piness as complete as the natural imperfection of the creature will admit; then, of course, the law, the established rule of divine government, certainly secures the innocent from every such evil; and ascertains to him all possible good. But if the divine law thus protects the innocent, and secures him against evil, then all positive evils brought on moral beings, must certainly proclaim divine anger, and prove that some iniquity hath taken place.

Ir the law of God doth not certainly secure the innocent from all evils; if there are evils to which such may be exposed and subjected, which nevertheless, are not the objects of a curse, and that too the curse of God's law; there is no security that they who are redeemed by Christ shall ever be delivered from all evil; because his redemption is effectual to deliver only from the curse of the law. Christ hath redeemed his people from the curse of the law; but from no other evils than such as they are doomed to by this curse. If, therefore, the law doth not secure the innocent from evil and sufferings, neither doth the gospel, the believer. And of course, if natural evils and sufferings are not invariable testimonies of divine displeasure; we neither should have had any security against them, had we remained innocent; nor can we › now obtain any security against them by being interested in the redemption purchased by Christ. Yet we find it expressly declared, concerning those who are redeemed by Christ, that "God shall wipe away all "tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more "death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there "be any more pain: for the former things are passed $6 away."() Accordingly,

2. POSITIVE evils, we find, are invariably the sub

(0) Rey. xxi. 4..

jects of a threatning: with these God threatens his enemies. There is no evil to which human nature is subjected in the present world, or to which men are exposed in the future, but what is comprised in some one of the threatnings of the word of God. Therefore, though peace and happiness are promised to the righteous, the Lord proclaims, "Wo unto the wicked, it "shall be ill with him; for the reward of his hands "shall be given him."(p) And, it is of great importance that we view the subject in this light, in order that we may be convinced, that the evils we suffer in this life, are indeed so many testimonies of God's righteous displeasure against us. God never threatens evils excepting in the cases of offence; and, never brings evils in the execution of the great and original laws of his kingdom but on those who transgress. And, if this be true, it manifestly proves that all positive evils are certain expressions of divine anger. But,

3. THE holy Scriptures clearly and very evidently teach us that the sufferings and death of Christ were expressions of divine anger. By the Prophet Zachariah, God calls upon his sword to awake against Christ, and commissions it to take away his life in the followwing words," Awake, O sword, against my shep"herd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith "the Lord of hosts: smite the shepherd and the "sheep shall be scattered."(q) That Christ is the shepherd here spoken of, is evident from this, that he was many times prophesied of under that title; and frequently stiled himself the shepherd, the true shepherd, while he was upon earth; and had that title often given him, by the Apostles, after his ascension. And, that the words under consideration had reference to the death of Christ, and were an express prediction of it, is manifest from the application which he, him

(p) Isai. ii. 11. (9) Zachar. xiii. 7.