the Book of Ruth feems to be penned on purpose to Chap. 8. shew forth his Genealogy. The Tribe of Judah was carried to Babylon; the Family of David was brought into a very low mean condition: but Judah muft return again, the withered ftem of David must bud and bring forth the Meffiah, and that when it was in the lowest ebb. The Lamp of David was almost quite extinct; but at the coming of the Meffiah it was turned into a glorious Sun, which should reign for ever. When Chrift was to come, Providence took order that it should be in due circumstances; a long train of types and facrifices, fuch as filled many ages, paffed before his appearance. There was Gallicinium Prophetarum, the Cock-crowing of the Prophets, before the rifing of this Sun. John Baptift came a little before, to prepare the way of the Lord by Sermons of Repentance. At laft he came in the fulness of time, in the præ-appointed hour. When the Gentiles were defperately corrupted, when the Jews were horribly degenerate, then he came to heal the world. He was born in the right place. Auguftus's Tax calls up Jofeph and Mary to Bethlehem, the House of Bread, that there our Saviour, the true Bread from Heaven, might be born. He being God and Man in one perfon, Providence took order, that all along there fhould be an appearance of Majefty and Meannefs: At his birth there was a Star directing to him, wife men worshipping him, an Hoft of Angels congratulating the good tydings; yet himfelf an Infant,wrapped in poor clouts, and laid in a Manger. In his life he caft out Devils, yet was tempted; he healed infirmities, yet was weary. The glory of Myfteriesand Miracles brake forth from him, yet he was in the fa

Y 2

fhion

Chap. 8. fhion and frailty of a man. The Officers a little before his death, went backward and fell to the ground; yet he was apprehended: He was crucified through weakness, but liveth by the power of God. He hung upon a Cross, but even there triumphed over all the powers of darkness. All which fuits to God in the Hesh. Nothing more fublime than God, nothing more vile than Flesh. Accordingly in our Saviour there appeared a mixture of glory and weakness. To add but one thing more; Providence would have the righteousness of his life, and the fufferings of his death, to be fuch as might be a full and ample Satiffaction for the fin of the world; and fo it was. The righteousness of his life highly honoured the rule of the Law; the sufferings of his death were accommo dated, as much as could be, to the curfe of the Law. Here the two great things, in which the Law hath as high a completure as could poffibly be in a Sponfor on our behalf, that is, fulfilling the righteousness, and bearing the curfe of the Law, were both eminently comprised. Here the two great Attributes of God which called for a Satisfaction, that is, his Holinefs, which perfectly hates fin; and his Justice, which punisheth it; were both gratified to the full. This Satisfaction, as obediential, pleased Gods Holiness; as penal,fatisfied his Juftice; in both there was

vadias;

a fweet-fmelling favour unto God. He was, at least, as highly, if not more, pleased in it, as he was difpleafed at the fin of a world. Thus there was, as Providence would have it, a very full and just compenfation for fin, and withal a redundancy of Merit to procure all good things for us.

2. There

2. There was a great Providence over the fruit of Chap. 8. his Satisfaction, in raising up a Church to God. The Son of God affuming our nature, and in it making fo glorious a fatisfaction for us, Providence would not, I may fay (without difparagement to its own perfection) could not, fuffer fo great a thing to be vain, or to no purpose; no, it therein aimed at a Church: Two things will make this appear.

The one is the Promises of God. He did not only fay, That Chrift fhould be a light to the Gentiles, and his falvation to the ends of the earth, Ifa. 49. 6; but in exprefs terms, That he should fee his feed, Ifa. 53. 10: Which Promife having no other condition but his death only, did thereby become abfolute; it was as fure as the Truth of God could make it, that there should be a feed, a progeny of believers: And for the continuance of this feed fucceffively, remarkable is that promife, filiabitur, nomen ejus, His name shall be sonned, or childed, from generation to generation, Pfal. 72. 17: There fhall from time to time be a company of believers coming forth as the genuine off-fpring of Christ. Thus run the Promifes; and if God take care of any thing, he will take care to be true. If Providence (which without án aim is not it self) aim at any thing in all the world, it will aim at the performance of the Promifes; the keeping of Gods word being more precious to him than the preferving of a World.

The other thing to clear this point, is the End of Chrifts death, which is fignally fet down in Scripture. Chrift loved his church, and gave himself for it, that he might fanctifie and cleanfe it with the washing of water by the word, Eph. 5.25, 26. He gave himself for us,

that.

Chap. 8.

that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purifie unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works, Tit. 2. 14. He died that he might gather together in one the children of God that were fcattered abroad, John 11. 52. Here the end of his death is plainly expreffed; and if Providence did not aim at the fame thing, how fhould the wills of God and Christ stand in harmony, whilft Providence neglects what Christ defigns? Or how should Chrift,after so vast an expence as his own blood, ever arrive at the intended end? To arrive at that by Providence, which Providence never aimed at, was impoffible: to hit it by chance, was uncertain, and infinitely below fuch an Agent as Christ, and fuch a work as his Satisfaction. It was therefore the aim of Providence that there should be a Church.

Further, Providence doth not only intentionally aim at it, but actually procure it. And here two things are to be noted.

1. Providence directs the outward means of grace: Thefe (which are things fo great, that the Kingdom of God is faid to come nigh unto men in them) go not forth by chance, but by the Divine pleasure, they are not hits of Fortune, but bleffings of Providence, and that in a choice special manner: Evangelical light doth not,as the corporeal Sun, shine everywhere: Supernatural dews do not, as the common rain, fall in every place: Providence directs whither they fhall go. Hence the Apoftles did not, at least for fome time, let out their light, or drop their heavenly Doctrine in Afia or Bithynia, Act. 16.6, 7, but pafs into other parts. Their Commiffion was general, to preach to every creature; but they followed the duct

of

of Providence in the executing of it. When Paul Chap. 8. was at Corinth, his stay there was proportioned to his work, God had much people in that city, A&t. 18. 10. There was a great draught of believers to be made, therefore the Evangelical Net was long, and aften caft in that place, as Providence would have it: So the holy light was spread abroad in the World.

2. Providence takes order that the Holy Spirit in the use of the means, should so effectually operate, as might infallibly fecure a Church unto God. Hence, befides the light in the means, there is an in-shining into the heart; befides the outward hearing, there is an hearing and learning of the Father: Cathedram In Epift. Job. in cælo habet, qui corda docet: He hath a Chair of Track. 3. State in Heaven, who teaches hearts, faith St. Austin. There is not only a proposal of objects, but an infu- fion of principles, to affimilate the heart thereunto. The Gospel doth not come in word only, but in power, and in the Holy Ghoft, 1 Thef. 1.5. A Divine power opens the heart, unlocks every faculty, diffolves the ftone which is in it, imprints the Holy Law there, and frames and new-moulds it into the image of God;and thus there comes forth a Church of Believers, or as the Apostle speaks, a church of the first-born which are written in heaven, Heb. 12. 23, and all this is from the Providence and good pleafure of God. Hence Saint Paul faith, That they are called according to his purpofe and grace, 2 Tim. 1. 9. Saint James faith, That they are begotten of his own will, James 1. 18. Saint John faith, That they are born not of the will of man, but of God, John 1. 13. all is from the doxia, the good-will and pleafure of God. This Providence which watches over the Church, though it be a very