the highest angel in glory, Phil. ii. 9. Wherefore God hath highly exalted him, and given him a name above every name.

Friendly. But do not both natures hold communion and delight in each other?

Truth. Yes, in the moft confummate and perfect manner: the Godhead delights in the man, as his refidence, the repofitory of his grace, the door of hope, and the channel of his love. The man delights in the GOD, as the fum of his happiness, the fountain of his joy, and the fruition of his glory. There is nothing but harmony fubfifts in their understandings, happiness in their affections, and mutual agreement in their wills; thereby it is that each nature co-operates with fuch harmony, in every act and accomplishment of our falvation; on which account, actions peculiar to the human, and fuch as are peculiar to the divine, are afcribed to his perfon, as they are wrought, or performed by two natures, in one perfon.

Friendly. Wherein doth it appear fo abfolutely neceffary for the divine nature to take upon it the human, to render him a compleat Saviour?

Truth. In that the Saviour had business to tranfact by autho rity both with GoD and man; therefore, as GoD, he could approach unto the Father in our nature, and thereby tranfact the business which concerned us with infinite authority; befides, it was neceflary that he fhould be GoD by nature, in order to make his life meritorious, and his death fatisfactory; and that he fhould be man, to render him a compleat Saviour, appears abfolutely neceffary, not only that he might know our cafe, feel out wants, and commiferate our ftate, but in order to fubftitute himfelf in our place and stead.

Friendly. What might be the caufe of all this condefcenfion and grace in the Son of GOD affuming our nature.

Truth. The impulfive motive was his own love; when facrifices and offerings would not do, then faid he, lo, I come! and again, he faith, John xv. 9. As the Father hath loved me, fo bave I loved you, he also prayeth to his FATHER, John xvii. 24. That the love wherewith thou haft loved me might be in them. This is love indeed! what can the foul defire more, than to poffefs the fame love, that the SAVIOUR himself is loved with, as Man and Mediator.

Friendly. What might be the peculiar defign and end of the SON of GOD affuming our nature?

Truth. The honour of the divine perfections, and the glori

fication of poor finners: to his FATHER he faid, I have glori fied thee on earth; and concerning the falvation of finners, het faith, it is finished.

Friendly. Did CHRIST aflume our nature, as confidered perfed or fallen?

Truth. In that flate of perfection wherewith it was created in innocency; for in no other fate was it fit to be taken into anion with the divine nature; though I acknowledge that the Prophet, and the Evangelift, together with the Apostle, obferves, that he bore our infirmities; which I apprehend, was by imputation, and not that he took upon him our nature, under any confideration of infi mity; unlets by infirmities are only meant, hunger, wearinefs, and labour; which is what I apprehend, human nature was incident to in a state of perfection.

Friendly. As fo much depends upon, and arifeth from CHRIST'S afluming our nature, give me fome evident proofs wherein it doth appear, that it was our nature which he affumed?

Truth. That it was our nature will appear manifeft from Heb. ii. 14, 16, 17. Forafmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself took part of the fame; for verily het ok not on him the nature of Angels, but the feed of Abraham Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, e. And it will further appear, that human nature is afcribed to him, inafmuch as he is called the Son of Man, Matt. viii. 20. Likewife he hath the effential properties of a man, in origination, dimenfion, and circumfcription; he was conceived, Matt. i. 20. he was born, Ifa. ix. 6. he had Refh and bones, even after his refurrection, Luke xxiv. 39. Dimension of ftature, Luke ii. 52. Logomation, he hungred, Matt. iv. 2. he died, and lived again, Rev. i. 18. Likewife he had true human affections, as love, hatred, defire, joy, forrow, commiferation; and all the paffions of the human mind, fuch as anger, weeping, lamentation, grief, and forrow, Matt. xxvi. 38. Likewife he had the actions of the human nature, fuch as walking, talking, feeing, hearing, &c. and that he had a true human body was not only vifible before, but after his refurrection, Luke xxiv. 39. Behold my bunds and my feet, that it is I myself; handle me, and fee, for a fpirit bath not flesh and bones, as ye fee me have. And when he bad thus fpoken, he fhewed them his hands and bis feet. And with regard to his having a reasonable foul it is notorious, in that he laith, Mark xiv. 34. My foul is exceeding forrowful even usto

death. All which inconteftibly prove, that CHRIST affumed our nature, in which he obeyed, fuffered, died, and rofe again, and is now exalted at the right hand of God.

Firft, If CHRIST affumed our nature, then we may fafely depend on receiving fupplies of grace from him; he who fo loved our nature, as to take it into perfonal union with his divine, will furely withhold no bleffing from us, which he fees we ftand in need of; for his affuming it, is an irrefragable proof of his boundless favour to us; it is a monument of his love, erected in Heaven, and founds fweetly among the Saints.

Secondly. Hence fee the admirable plan of infinite love, that all the accomplishments of his grace to us finners fhould be in our own nature; though for our fins he might justly have frowned us into Hell, yet now we are not fo much as to think of him, as armed with juftice, or edged round with inconceivable terrors, but as holding forth the fceptre of mercy by the man that is our brother. This thought fhould fan away our fears, and give us holy familiarity at the throne, feeing that the Saviour of finners is near a-kin unto us, and that we belong to him by right of redemption.

Thirdly, Hence fee how deep JEHOVAH hath laid the foundation of his people's falvation; not only by fecuring it by oath and promife, but by taking our nature into perfonal union with himfelf; this makes it as fure as his throne, for while he remembers himself, he remembers us in himself; as he hath taken our nature into perfonal union, we may fafely depend upon having his heart to fympathize with us under all our burthens, to fuccour and fupport us in every time of need, Ifa. lxiii. 9. the Prophet, speaking of the ponderous forrows, and trials of his people, faith, in all their afflictions he was afflicted; and when he was about to deliver his people Ifrael out of their fore bondage, he makes the tender fympathy of his heart the grand motive of his undertaking, Exod. iii. 7, 8. For I know their forrows, and am come down to deliver them, &c. for it is very conclufive, that if he wears our nature, he feels our wants; and as he is not afhamed to call us brethren, we may depend upon it (from the relation he stands in unto us, and from the relation of our nature in perfonal union with himself) that we have his heart and his hand engaged for us; and if we have his heart, we have all that we can wish, or that Heaven can bestow, as faith the Apostle, things prefent, or things to come; all are yours, and ye are Chrift's.

Laftly, If CHRIST be eflentially GOD, then we fee that the fountain and fpring-head of our falvation arifeth in Deity; that the grand origin of our happiness is the perfections of the Godhead, then it follows, while Deity existeth, our happiness must be fecure; as GOD himself hath engaged in our nature to confummate our blifs, and as no defire can be too large for him to grant, fo nothing in time or eternity can change his love. We are apt to look upon all our wants through a magnifying glass, and then we behold them with fuch magnitude and greatness, so numerous and boundless, that we think they never will be fupplied, and forget that Heaven has decreed that we fhall live in wants, yet never die for want; because the fpring of our fupply is the fulness of the Godhead; the grand motive is the love of his heart, the channel way of his divine conveyance is the glory of the human nature, in perfonal union with the LORD JESUS, who is over all, God bleffed for evermore, amen, Rom. ix. 5. But we proceed to notice,

Thirdly, Wherein the love of God fhines in the life and obedience of Christ as the finner's juftification before God; which appears, Firft, In God the Father's appointing the human nature of CHRIST in union with the divine, to yield that obedience to the law of GOD, which its nature and perfection required, 1 Pet. i. 20, Who was verily fore-ordained before the foundation of the world.

Secondly, It appears, in that the obedience of CHRIST WAS every way adequate to the demands of the law, which was a finlefs and a perpetual perfection in thought, word and deed; for the moral law, or the law of GoD, is a perfect portraiture of the holiness of his nature, therefore called holy, Rom. vii. 12. its commandments are juft, therefore called good. Now this law was wrote in CHRIST's heart, Pfal. xl. 8. and from the holinefs of his nature flowed a perfection of thought, word, and action, 1 Pet. ii. 22. Who did no fin, neither was guile found in his mouth. Though the command of the law of Gon is exceeding broad, as it extends to the thoughts, intents, and purpofes of the heart, Matt. xxii. 37. yet it found the obedience of the LORD JESUS every way commenfurate to all its demands, which renders him the end of the law for righteousness, to every one that believeth, Rom. x. 4.

Friendly. What peculiar glory attended the obedience of CHRIST in union to the divine nature?

Truth. Much every way; Firft, in grandeur and glory, in that it thereby became pregnant with all the glory of the Deity,

Secondly, in worth and value, as it became meritorious for the life and falvation of finners, therefore called the righteoufnefs of GUD, 2 Cor. v. 21. Thirdly, in that it thereby magnified and bonoured the law of GOD in the moft illuftrious and confpicuous manner. Fourthly, by virtue of this union his obedience may properly be faid to be infinite, and thereby it hath not only pread an infinite glory upon the perfections and attributes of the Deity, but even fpread a glory upon the throne of GOD, and difplays a brilliancy through the empire of Heaven. Laftly, the obedience of CHRIST, by virtue of this union, is fo glorious and available, that it fecures for ever the juftification of all them that believe. The glory of his Godhead communicates an infinite dignity, worth and value to the obedience, or righteoufness of his manhood, thereby not only rendering it commenfurate to the demands of the law, but available with GOD, and interefting to man; available with GOD, as it authoritatively demands falvation for his people; and interesting to man, as it gives and fecures a right to eternal life.

Friendly. If the obedience of CHRIST be fo glorious, how is it that we have fuch a low idea of it?

Truth. Because we understand fo little of the fpirituality, purity, and holiness of the law of GOD; for had we more underftanding of the extent of the law of GOD we should thereby be more fenfible of our own imbecility and weakness, to yield that obedience thereunto which is neceffary for our juftification before GOD, and confequently fhould have more valuable and adorable thoughts of the obedience of CHRIST, as our alone juftification before GOD.

Friendly. What doth juftification, as to the import and meaning of the word fignify?

Truth. Juftification is a law term, and is never apprehended to make any one righteous, but a judicial pronouncing a perfon as fuch, when upon trial, he appears to be fo, Ifa. xliii. 26 As a fentence of condemnation doth not make the perfon guilty, but finding him fo upon trial, Exod. xxiii. 7.

Friendly. This puts me in mind of Job's question, how shall a man be just before God?

Truth. Either by his own righteoufnefs, or by another's imputed to him. If by his own, then it must be a righteousness perfectly finless in thought, word, and deed; as faith our dear LORD, if ve will enter into life, keep the commandments; but faith the Apoftle James, if ye offend in one part ye are guilty of the whole