did what he did, and suffered what he suffered, not only for their benefit, but strictly and properly in their room and stead.

IV. That the Father hath declared his acceptance and approbation of this righteousness, as SO wrought out, for all the purposes for which it was intended.

V. That upon our union to Christ by faith, we come to have an actual and pleadable interest in it.

VI. The believing soul, being thus interested in this righteousness, henceforth is esteemed perfectly righteous in the sight of God.

VII. That the righteousness of Christ being thus made a believer's to his actual and personal justification, none of the parties concerned have any right to complain; but it

is to the satisfaction, and with the full consent of them all.

VIII. That the righteousness of Christ being after this manner, and in this way made over to the believer, it does, and ever will continue his justifying righteousness; God will for ever own it as such, nor shall any enemy dispossess him of it.

These several things will, I apprehend, place this article of gospeltruth in a clear and easy light, and taking the whole scheme thus together in one view, I hope it will appear every way consistent with itself, and not so open to objections as some have imagined.

I. This righteousness was wrought out by the appointment of God, and in consequence of solemn covenant

transactions from eternity between the Father and Son.

Our redemption and salvation by Christ was not a work of yesterday: it had its rise in the bosom of God before all worlds; and according to the model which was then pitched upon, the whole was conducted and executed.

From an unconceivable eternity God saw us, no sooner formed by his power and goodness, but drawn into a sad apostasy from him, and so sunk into the depths of guilt and misery. Upon this view of our case, free and sovereign grace interposed, formed a most blessed design about our recovery, and settled an everlasting covenant about the way and manner in which it was to be effected. How this covenant was managed, in the settlement and various articles of it,

from eternity, between the Father and the Son, then assuming, and acting in, the character of the Mediator and Surety of his people, ‘is a knowledge too wonderful for us;' and all our expressions are low and poor when we come to speak of it. But it is abundantly plain from the scriptures, that there was such a covenant, and that this covenant is the foundation of all the subsequent acts and blessings of divine grace. We read, that the counsel of peace shall be between them both.' Zech. vi. 13*—that is, between the

* Some have thought it a considerable difficulty in the way of understanding this passage of the eternal covenant between the Father and Son, that it is expressed in the future tense, the counsel shall be. But this difficulty will easily be removed, when we consider how frequent such an enallage of tenses is in the Hebrew language. A plain instance of which we have in Psal. xvii. 3, 'thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing;' where shalt find is in the future tense, though plainly referring to what was past; and ver. 9, 11, 14, supply us with

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Father, the Lord of hosts,' as he is called in the verse before, and the man whose name is the branch.' And we are said to be redeemed with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot, who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, or appointed before all worlds in the counsels of the Father to the great work of redeeming and saving sinners by his death. 1 Pet.

more instances of the same sort. Nor is it unusual in scripture or other writings to speak of a thing as to be done, when only some eminent manifestation of it is intended; and so the counsel of peace shall be,' will signify no more, than that it shall appear and be evidenced to be. And what a signal

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manifestation of such counsel and covenant between the Father and Son were the great things that are spoken of in that verse, such as building the temple of the Lord, and bearing the glory, and sitting and ruling upon his throne, and being a priest upon this throne?'-Vid. "Wits. Oeconom. lib. 2, cap. 2, sect. 7, 8, where that excellent writer hath, with great learning and judgment, vindicated the application of this passage to the eternal covenant we are speaking of.

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