I have put into thy mouth, fhall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy feed; nor out of the mouth of thy feed's feed, faith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever," Ifa. lix. 21.—Thus he that hath received gifts for men, and to whom the Father hath given all things for men, even for the rebellious, he gives out what he hath received, to the Father's honour and glory. Hence, fays Chrift, John xvii. 4. "I have glorified thee on the earth; I have finished the work which thou gave me to do." And what work? See a notable part of the work, ver. 22. “The glory which thou gavest me, I have given them." And what is that glory? See a notable part of that mentioned, ver. 23. even the glory of his grace and love, drawing them to onene fs with the Father and the Son; "I in them, and thou in me; that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou haft fent me, and haft loved them, as thou haft loved me." It lies in manifefting his love, his Father's love to them, in the refemblance that it bears of his Father's love to him. God, therefore, manifefted his love to Chrift, in giving all things into his hand, because he lays out all things the Father gives him to the Father's glory hence he is exalted as LORD, "To the glory of God the Father," Phil. ii. 9. As Lord of lords, and Lord of all things, to the glory of God the Father, that he may bring in the revenue of praise and glory, and of all things to the Father. And thus, by him a revenue of honour comes in to the crown of heaven, and glory to God in the higheft. : 2. The Father has manifefted his love to his Son, by giving him all things, becaufe, as he is one with the Father in nature and in will, and is the Father's exprefs image; his effential image, as God; and his reprefentative image, as Mediator; fo he had the greatest regard imaginable to his Father's will and command in all things; "I delight to do thy will, O my God," Pf. xl. 8. 18. 1 "I lay down my life; and this commandment have I received of my Father," John x.-17, 18. May I not allude. to that word, Luke xi. 13. "If ye, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children," efpecially if they be obedient children? O! how infinitely more must God the Father manifeft his love towards his eternal Son, in P 3 giving giving good gifts to him, whofe meat and drink was to do his Father's will! See Phil. ii. 7,-10. 3. The Father manifefts his love to his Son, by giv ing him all things, not only as a reward of his work and victories, that are over his head, but alfo as furniture for the work and victories that are` yet upon his hand to accomplish; for, "His reward is with him, and his work is before him," If. lxii. 11. Chrift came to destroy God's greatest enemies, as well as to do God's greatest work; For this purpofe was the Son of God manifefted, that he raight destroy the works of the devil. He deftroyed him that had the power of death, that is, the devil." And the devil hath groaned ever fince he met with him. He hath groaned with a fore head, a pained head; for, He bruifed the bead of the ferpent. Chrift was the ftouteft combatant. or ableft hand, that ever hell or the devil met with; he would make no parley or ceffation with his enemies, nor give over the battle till he brought the keys of hell, death and the grave alongft with him. See how magnificently his victories are defcribed, Ifa. Ixiii. 1,4. "Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozra? This that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatnefs of his ftrength? I that fpeak in righteoufnefs, mighty to fave. Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel and thy garments like him that treadeth in the wine fat? I have trodden the wine-prefs alone, and of the people there was none with me; for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood fhall be fprinkled upon my garments, and I will ftain all my raiment: for the day of vengeance is in mine heart and the year of my redeemed is come." And because all things are put under his feet, in point of victory and fubjection; all things are put in his hand in point of reward: and not only as a reward for what is over, but as furni ture for his further work and victories, as long as there is any foul on earth, to be ranfomed from the power of fin and Satan. See Pfal. lxxxix. 20,-25. “I have found David, my fervant; with my holy oil have I anointed him. With whom my hand fhall be eftablished; mine arm alfo fhall ftrengthen him. The enemy fhall not exact upon him, nor the fon of wickednefs afflict him. And And I will beat down his foes before his face, and plague them that hate him: but my faithfulnefs and my mercy fhall be with him; and in my name fhall his horn be exalted. I will fet his hand alfo in the fea, and his righthand in the rivers." Why does the Father furnish him as you fee, Ifa. xlii. 1. 4. "Behold my Servant, whom I uphold; mine Elect, in whom my foul delighteth: I have put my Spirit upon him, he fhall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles :-He fhall not fail, nor be difcou raged, till he fet judgment in the earth: and the ifles fhall wait for his law." It is, that he may bring forth judgment to the Gentiles: therefore, he is made Head over all things unto the church. 4. The Father manifefts his love to the Son, by giving him all things, that he might be the reftorer of all things to God, and the giver of all things unto man; Then I reftored that which I took not away," fays Chrift, Pfal. Ixix. 4. The firft Adam's fin had robbed God and man: God's attributes was robbed of their honour, God's law was robbed of its obedience; man was robbed of the favour of God, of the image of God, of the grace of God, of the bleffing of God. Now, all things are given into Chrift's hand, that he might reftore all things to God and man, that fin had robbed them of: and accordingly he, as Mediator, reftores what he took not away; he reftores glory to the perfections of God, and obedience to the law of Ccd; and by this, means alfo, he reftores to man the favour of God in juftification, and the image of God in fanctification. In a word, he is the great magazine and ftorehouse, the poffeffor of all things, and the reflorer of all things, and the outgiver of all things, that finners ftand in need of, that thus a good folid foundation for faith may be laid unto finners. This leads, III. To the third general head propofed, namely, How this love of the Father to the Son, thus evidenced, by giving all things into his hand, is a ground of faith to finners. It is laid down here for the encouragement of the faith of all finners that hear of it; for it follows, P 4 "He that that believeth on the Son hath everlafting life." Everlafting life is in his hand, where all things are; and therefore, let finners come to him, and believe in him, for all things that they need. It is the greatest encouragement to faith in the world, that all the riches of the new covenant are depofited in his hand; and that in feveral respects. 1. It is the frongest encouragement to faith, that all is in fuch a good hand; for, (1.) Here is ground of faith and hope to finners, that all things are given into fuch a kind hand. Herein the love and kindness of God towards man appeard, Tit. iii. 4.; that all things finners need are given into the hand of a loving friend of theirs, an elder brother, a near kinsman; one that is bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh; who, out of kindnefs towards us, took on our nature; out of kindnefs, died in our nature, and in our room; in loving-kindness, came from heaven, and returned again thither; and now, in loving-kindnefs, fends the gospel unto us, and has promifed to fend the Spirit with it. Is not here ftrong ground for faith and hope? (2.) Here is encouragement for faith and hope, that all things are given into fuch a high and great hand; who as he hath infinite kindnefs, fo he hath infinite greatnefs; and therefore will act both in a fuitablenefs to the kindness of his heart, and to the greatnefs of his mind. As a liberal man devifes liberal things, and a great man loves to do great things, how much more will the great God do infinitely greater things, and that even towards great finners? And therefore, they may be encouraged to come to him, and look for great things from him. (3) Here is ground of encouragement to the faith and hope of finners, that all things are given into fuch a wife hand; even his, who is the wifdom of God, and knows how to give out of his treafures, and when, and in what measure; "His understanding is infinite. He is a God of judgment, and blessed are all they that wait for him,” Ifa. xxx. 18. for, "He waits to be gracious." He waits the best time, and therefore we would do best to wait his time, and we fhall find it to be the beft: He that be lieverb lieverb maketh not hafte, kuowing that wifdom dwelleth with God. (4.) Here is ground of faith and hope to finners, that all things are given into fuch an able hand; who is the power of God, as well as the wifdom of God: able to keep things that the Father commits to him, and able to keep all things that believers commit to him; able to fave to the uttermoft, able to help at the laft extremity, able to give out all things needful for our various circumftances, and able to do far above all that we can ask or think. (5.) Here is ground of faith, that the Father hath given all things into fuch a fure hand; infomuch, that all the bleffings and mercy, that he hath in his hand to give, are called, The fure mercies of David, Ifa. lv. 3. Acts xiii. 34. All the promifes in him, are fure promifes; for, the covenant ftands faft in him; Pfal. lxxxix. 28. "My faithfulness and my mercy fhall be with him,” fays God, ver. 24. His name is called, Faithful and true, Rev. xix. II. You may depend upon his word, more than upon the oath of all the angels of heaven, and faints on earth; thefe are but changeable creatures, but he is the unchangeable God, and unchangeable truth itself. (6.) Here is ground of faith, that all things are given into fuch an open hand. He keeps an open door to all that will come, and an open hand to all that will take; and therefore fays, Rev. xxii. 17. "Whofoever will, let him come, and take of the water of life freely. Ho! every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters; he that hath no money, come; buy wine and milk without money and without price," Ifa. lv. 1. As the Father hath an open hand to him, fo he hath an open hand to us: Freely he hath received, and freely he gives. His hand, thơ it be a fure hand, yet it is not a fhut or a closed hand no, by no means: it is an open hand, and a giving hand; and well were it for us, if we had a receiving hand: he gives freely, and we are called to receive freely. And hence he commands us to preach the gofpel to every creature, be what they will, of rational creatures among Adam's |