he that believeth the record that God hath given of his fon, putteth to his feal that God is true. And this is the record that God hath given of his fon, that there is life eternal in him, and that he that hath the fon hath life, 1 John v. 11, 12.

3. It implies a full poffeffion of this life eternal, and perfect deliverance. What must I do to be faved? How fhall I get out of harm's way, be meet for, and be actually poffeffed of that inheritance that's incorruptible and undefiled, and fades not away? Believe in the Lord Jefus Chrift, and thou shalt be faved: ye fhall be made meet for, nay, put in actual poffeffion of this blessed inheritance, and faved from all these dangers that ly in the way. Ye shall be kept by the power of God through faith unto falvation, and fhall receive the end of your faith, even the falvation of your fouls, 1 Pet. i. 5, 9. Thus have we given fome account, in the general, what falvation implies. We shall now proceed to give fome account of its properties, whereby we shall fee further into its

nature.

Many properties of this falvation might be named and infifted on; were it needful we should enquire into them all. I fhall fatisfy myself to name and infift a little on a few of the more confiderable properties of it. And

1. 'Tis a great falvation. So the spirit of God exprefly calls it, Heb. ii. 2, 3. If the word spoken by angels was ftedfaft, and every tranfgreffion and difobedience received a juft recompence of reward, how fhall we escape if we neglect fo great falvation, which at first began to be Spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him? And indeed if we shall take a view of it, we fhall find it deferves the title or character

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given of it. 'Tis called great falvation, and it is fo,

(1.) In regard of its contrivance. 'Tis not a thing that falls out by chance, without any project, forecast or forethought: No, but 'tis one of the deep contrivances of heaven. 'Tis the masterpiece of divine wisdom. There was much wisdom in the contrivance of the world, much in the creation of man, much appears in the works of providence but infinitely more in this. The manifold wifdom of God is to be seen in the falvation

of the church, Eph. iii. 10. Wisdom lies in propofing right ends to one's felf in acting, and finding out and ufing fuitable means, and ordering all the circumstances of action to the best advantage. Now, all these parts of wisdom are eminent in this falvation.

Never was there a more noble end than what God had in the falvation of the church. (1.) What more fuitable to God than that he fhould glorify his mercy and grace, the only attributes which before the fall of man had not been glorified in any remarkable inftance! God had made his infinite wisdom, power and godhead, legible in the creation of the world. His moral perfections were copied out in the fouls of men, and in the nature of angels. Thence one might learn, that God was glorious in holiness, goodness, bounty, justice, and all other moral perfections: but all the while there was no veftige, no footstep of mercy; nor could there be, till once fin entered into the world. Vindictive justice was eminent in the miferable ftate of fallen angels, who were juftly plung❜d into remedilefs ruin and deftruction; only mercy feem'd vail'd and hid. There was nothing by which this darling attribute could be known,

or

or God receive any glory on the account of it. It was not seen in either the works of creation or providence: nay, there feem'd by these no room for it; fince upon fuppofition of the fall, where only there was access for it, the door feem'd perfectly fhut against its appearance, by the peremp toriness of the threatening, In the day thou eateft thou shalt furely die. And indeed man had all the reafon in the world to believe it fhould be fo, not only from the veracity of God, but from the fad and lamentable proof of God's holy severity, that was given in the ruin of the angels that finned. (2.) What more worthy the great lawgiver of the world, than to make it appear to the conviction of all, that the laws he at firft fram'd, were exactly fuited to the ends of government, the glory, the fafety, the comfort and peace of the fubjects, and the honour of the governor? This end, furely, if any other, was worthy of God the lawgiver of the world; and this he had in view in the falvation of the church; and this he obtains by this means. The obedience of the fon of God proclaims that 'tis man's honour to obey: the peace that his people, when renew'd by his grace, do find in obedience, proclaims it their intereft to obey; the pain they fuffer in the ways of fin, fpeaks all the calumnies caft upon the ways and laws of God, abominably falfe. (3.) What end more fuitable for him, who had undertaken the protection of his fubjects, which is unqueftionably a part of a governor's business and work, than to give an eminent proof of his abilities for defeating the moft crafty and fubtil plots, and breaking the greatest force of his and his people's enemies! And this is done in a fignal manner, in the falvation of the church. (4.) What more fuitable

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fuitable end for him, who had all the jarring ele ments to manage, all the oppofite tendencies of things to govern, and direct to one common end, than to give a proof of his wonderful skill in reconciling the feemingly oppofite and irreconcilable interefts of justice and mercy! Never was there any end more noble, more fuitable than that which God had in view, in the contrivance of this falvation. He defign'd to complete the dif covery he gave of his attributes, to honour his laws, to expose the folly and weakness of his great enemy, to fhew his glorious wifdom in compofing the greatest difference, reconciling the most feemingly cross and irreconcilable interests of juftice and mercy.

Thus we fee the end was wife nor were the means, and the timing of the means-lefs fo. Much of wisdom was there laid out in fitting the perfon of the redeemer, to open a door for the glorification of the grace, mercy and love of God, to repair the honour of God's law and of his authority, to baffle Satan's power and policy, and to reconcile and amicably compofe the oppofite interefts of fpotlefs justice and tender mercy. Much of wif dom shines in timing of this discovery, and in the application of it. Well might it be called manifold wifdom that fhines herein. And justly may that falvation, which is thus wifely contrived, be called great, in respect of that wifdom which did

.contrive it.

(2.) This is indeed a great falvation, and can not but be fo, if we confider the author of it, God, the great God. He it is who contrived, and claims the honour of the accomplishment of this work, of the falvation of the church as his due: and this honour is given him cordially by all those who

are

are faved. They find themselves obliged to own all other things unable for contriving or for effe&tuating a work fo great as is the falvation of finners. In vain is falvation looked for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains; in the Lord alone is the falvation of his people, Jer. iii. 23. And this acknowledgment of the church is confonant to that declaration which God gives, Ifa. xlv. 21.There is no God elfe befide me, a juft God and a Saviour, there is none befide me.. All the perfons of the glorious Trinity have their diftinct hand and concernment in this falvation. The first proposal is owing to the love of the father, the accomplishment of it to the fon; and the application of it to the fpirit. Sure it must be a great work indeed, a great falvation that bufied the thoughts of the bleffed Trinity from all eternity, and employed, if I may fo fpeak, their hands in time. And fuch is the falvation we speak of.

(3.)'Tis a great falvation, if we confider the way of its accomplishment, the means whereby it is brought about; and thefe were the wonderful great condefcenfion of the Son of God, humbling himfelf fo far, as to take upon him the form of a fervant, finful man, Phil ii. 6, 7. his inexpreffibly great fufferings in foul and body, and the exceeding greatnefs of his mighty power put forth in the application of thefe great things which were purchafed, not with things of fo fmall a price, fo inconfiderable as filver or gold, or fuch corruptible drofs, but with the precious blood of Chrift, i Pet.

i. 18.

(4.) 'Tis great falvation, if we confider the manner of its publication. God himself brought the first news of it to Adam, and did afterwards upon feveral occafions carry on the difcovery, by