diator; for, being here described in his person and office, I shall touch a little at both in the following order.

1. His divine nature, as God's fellow. 2. His human nature, "the man that is my fellow." 3. The conjunction of both these in one person, "The man that is my fellow." 4. His mediatorial office, "My shepherd."

1st, Consider this account we have of his divine nature; " My FELLOW, saith the Lord of hosts." Let Arians and Socinians blaspheme this wonderful person, here is an article of our creed, that Christ is God's fellow, God's equal," Who being in the form of God, thought it no robbery to be equal with God;" and therefore he himself says, John x. 30. "I and my Father are one.” But here consider, 1. Wherein he is God's fellow and, 2. Why, as our Redeemer, it behoved him to be God's fellow.

1. Wherein, or in what respect is he God's fellow? I answer, He is God's fellow, not as he is Mediator, taking upon him the form of a servant, and becoming the Father's servant in the work of our redemption; but he is God's fellow in these six respects.

(1.) He is God's fellow in point of nature and essence; Christ is God essentially, as well as the Father, and the Holy Ghost, though personally distinct from both; for, neither the Father nor the Holy Ghost were incarnate, or took on our nature, but Christ the second person of the glorious Trinity: who, though personally distinct yet is essentially one with the Father and Spirit, John i. 1. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God:" And it is sure there is but one God, Deut. vi. 4. "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is ONE Lord, one JEHOVAH." 1. Cor. viii. 4. "In Christ our Redeemer dwells all the fulness of the godhead bodily." Col. ii. 9. "There are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one," 1 John v. 7. and in the last verse of that chapter, "We know that the Son of God is come, and has given us an understanding to know him that is true; and we are in him that is true,

even in his Son Jesus Christ: this is the true God, and eternal life."

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(2.) He is God's fellow in point of property; even in all his essential properties, which is much the same with the former. Is God omnipotent? so is Christ; he is the wonderful counsel, the mighty God. Is God omnipresent? so is Christ; "Lo I am with you always, to the end of the world." Is God omniscient? so is Christ; "Thou that knowest all things, knowest that I love thee," says Peter. Is God unchangeable? so is Christ; "The same yesterday, to-day, and for ever." Is God eternal? so is Christ: "Before Abraham was, I am :" He is the King eternal, immortal, the only wise God, He is God's fellow in all these respects.

(3.) He is God's fellow in point of will and consent; what the Father wills, Christ wills; hence it was his meat and drink to do his Father's will, who sent him; "I delight to do thy will, O my God." It is true, as man, he had a will distinct from his will as God, and so diverse from the Father's will; though yet this did act still in subordination to the will of God: hence when the bitter cup is put to his mouth, he prays, “O my Father, if it be thy will, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine be done:" yet, as God, his will is one and the same with the Father's will.

(4.) He is God's fellow in point of work: John v. 17. "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work." Christ's works are not only like unto the Father's but the same in substance, as flowing from one and the same essence and power; for," What things soever the Father doth, these also doth the Son likewise." John v. 19. He acts not as an instrument subordinate; but, as there is an unity in the work, so also in the manner of it; by the same power, wisdom, liberty, and authority; only the order of operation being observed: and we find all the works proper to God, ascribed to Christ; as creation, "All things were made by him :" Preservation, “ Upholding all things by the word of his power:" Redemption: the donation of the Spirit; raising himself froin the dead; the institution of ordinances and offices in his

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church; and the judging the world: in all these he is God's fellow.

(5.) He is God's fellow in point of honour and worship: all men are to honour the Son, even as they honour the Father; they are to believe in him, "Ye believe in God, believe also in me." John xiv. 1.; they are to hope and trust in him, "Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way. If once his wrath begin to burn, blessed are all they that trust in him."

(6.) He is God's fellow in point of happiness. and felicity, Rom. ix. 5" Of whom concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever, Amen." As he was blessed and happy from all eternity in his Father's bosom, being ever by him, and brought up with him, and being daily his delight; rejoicing always before him, and rejoicing in the habitable parts of the earth, and his delights with the sons of men, Prov. viii. 30, 31.: So he ever was and will be blessed with him. It is true, there was a time when the Son of God was humbled; when this God, blessed for ever, became a curse for us; but notwithstanding, his essential glory was never diminished; as God, he was as happy and blessed on the cross, and in the grave, as ever he was.-Well, thus, as God, is he every way God's fellow. O! how fearfully was he humbled! God's fellow, and yet a babe, a servant, a sufferer, a sacrifice to the awakened sword of justice. The governor of all becomes a subject: should an emperor become a fly, it would not be such a humiliation, O! how sadly was the world mistaken about Christ, that took him to be a base fellow, a pitiful fellow! but little did they know that he was God's fellow. O! how glorious is the love of Christ to sinners! God's fellow receiving the stroke of the sword of divine justice in their room.

2. Why he behoved to be God's fellow that was our Redeemer? It was necessary that our Redeemer should he God's fellow,

(1.) In regard of Merit: his obedience to the death could not be sufficient to satisfy the law and the lawgiver; to be a full ransom, and a full price of redemp

tion, if it had not been truly and properly meritorious; and this it could not be, if he had not been God's equal as well as man. Our sins were an infinite evil, and God's justice required infinite satisfaction: now, there could be no satisfaction of infinite value, but by a person of infinite value; and there is no such person but God: and therefore our Redeemer must be God's equal, otherwise he should not give the satisfaction required.

(2.) In regard to power; our Redeemer must be such an one as could go through all the difficulties that lay in the way of redemption, triumphing over all opposition from God, men, and devils, from heaven, earth, and hell. The weakest of these were too strong for humanı nature; therefore that our Redeemer might overcome death, bind the strong man, break down the gates of hell, cut in sunder the bar of sin, he must be God as well as man, even God's equal, God's fellow. And that he might be able for the application, as well as the impetration of man's redemption, not only able to save to the uttermost, all them that come to God through him, but able to draw poor stubborn souls to himself, by his own power, and make them willing.

(3.) Our Redeemer must be God's fellow in regard of the dignity of the work: his honour and dignity, in being a Redeemer and a Mediator between God and men, was too great for any creature, supposing any creature had been able for it; this crown of glory was not fitting for any mere creature's head. An office of dignity, on an unworthy person is most unsuitable: this dignity was so great, that even Christ himself, though God's equal, might not take it upon him, till he was called to it of God, Heb. v. 4, 5.

(4.) Our Redeemer must be God's fellow, in regard of the covenant of grace, which was the ground work and foundation of all: since our Redeemer was to make a covenant with God for us, it was necessary that he should be with God at the making of it, and know the depths of God's counsel in it, and perfectly know for whom he was to satisfy, and upon what condition. Now, this covenant being as ancient as eternity; and

seeing God should have our Redeemer by him, to conclude the covenant and bargain with him, who of all the creatures were capable of this? who, of all the creatures, have known the mind of the Lord, and being his counsellor have taught him? God might have said to all the creatures as to Job, in another case, Job xxxviii. 4. "Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?" Where were you when the plot of redemption was laid? when the names of my redeemed ones were put in the book of life? But our Redeemer was then by him, Prov. viii. 30. He becomes our everlasting Father; begetting us, with the Father in the womb of eternal election.

(5.) Our Redeemer must be God's fellow in regard of the place he was to have in the covenant, with respect to God: who among all mere creatures was fit to have all power in heaven and in earth committed to him? Power to bequeath such blessings as peace, pardon, reconciliation, justification, and eternal life; power by his blood to confirm and establish all the promises of the covenant? Christ Jesus did, through the eternal Spirit (that is, his godhead,) offer up himself, without spot to God; and then the apostle infers, for this cause, he is the Mediator of the New Testament: yea, Christ was to be Surety of this Testament: surety for God to us, to make out all the blessings and promises of the covenant to us; and surety for us to God, to satisfy law and justice in our room; what creature was able to do this? or if any creature should be supposed to be able, was it fit that God should put such a trust in any creature? No.

(6.) Our Redeemer must be God's fellow in regard of the place he was to have with respect to us: our Redeemer must be the object of our faith and love; what creature in heaven or in earth, could be a sufficient prop and foundation for our faith? Had any mere creature undertaken to be our Redeemer, we could never fully have depended upon him, but would always been afraid he had miscarried: therefore it was requisite to quiet our fears, that our Redeemer should be God's fellow; see Isa. xxxv. 3. "He is God, therefore fear not :" our