that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghoft, and these three are one, 1 John v. 7. and in the penult verse of that chapter, We know that the Son of God is come, and has given us an underftanding to know him that is true; and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jefus Chrift: this is the true God, and eternal life. (2.) He is God's Fellow in point of property; even in all his effential properties, which is much the fame with the former. Is God omnipotent? fo is Chrift; he is the wonderful counsellor, the mighty God. Is God omniprefent? fo is Chrift; Lo I am with you always, to the end of the world. Is God omnifcient? fo is Chrift; Thou that knoweft all things, knowest that I love thee, fays Peter. Is God unchangeable? fo is Chrift; The fame yesterday, to-day, and for ever. Is God eternal? fo is Chrift; Before Abraham was, I am : He is the King eternal, immortal, the only wife God. He is God's Fellow in all these refpects. (3.) He is God's Fellow in point of will and confent; what the Father wills, Christ wills: hence it was his meet and drink to do his Father's will, who fent him; I delight to do thy will, O my God. It is true, as man, he had a will diftinct from his will as God, and fo diverfe from the Father's will; though yet this did act ftill in fubordination 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 pafs from me nevertheless not my will, but thine be done : yet, as God, his will is one, and the fame 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 fame in fubstance, as flowing from one and the fame effence and power; for, What things foever the Father doth, thefe alfo doth the Son likewife, John v. 19. He acts not as an inftrument fubordinate; but, as there is an unity in the work, fo alfo in the manner of it; by the fame power, wisdom, liberty, and authority; only only the order of operation being obferved: and we find all the works proper to God, afcribed 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 from the dead; the inftitution of ordinances and offices in his 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 bo nour the Father; they are to believe in him, Te believe in God, believe alfo in me, John xiv. 1.; they are to hope and truft in him, Kifs the Son, left he be angry, and ye perifh from the way. If once his wrath begin to burn, bleffed 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, Chrift came, who is over all, God blessed for ever, Amen. As he was bleffed and happy from all eternity in his Father's boffom, 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 fons of men, Prov. viii. 30, 31.: So he ever was, and will be, bleffed 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 effential glory was never diminished; as God, he was as happy and bleffed on the crofs, 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 fufferer. a facrifice to the awakened fword of justice. The Governor of all becomes a fubject: fhould an emperor become a fly, it would not be fuch a humiliation. O! how fadly was the world mistaken about Chrift, 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 Chrift to finners! God's Fellow receiv⚫ receiving the ftroak of the sword of divine juftice in their room. 2. Why he behoved to be God's Fellow that was our Redeemer? It was neceffary that our Redeemer fhould be God's Fellow; (1.) In regard of merit : his obedience to the death could not be fufficient to fatisfy the law and the Lawgiver; to be a full ranfom, and a full price of redemption, 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 fins were an infinite evil, and God's justice required infinite fatisfaction now, there could be no fatisfaction, of infinite value; but by a person of infinite value; and there is no fuch perfon, but God: and therefore our Redeemer must be God's equal, otherwise he could not give the fatisfaction required. (2.) In regard of power: our Redeemer must be fuch an one as could go through all the difficulties that lay in the way of redemption, triumphing over all oppofition from God, men, and devils, from heaven, earth, and hell. The weakeft of these were too ftrong for human nature; therefore that our Redeemer might overcome death, bind the strong man, break down the gates of hell, cut in funder the bar of fin, 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 fave to the uttermoft, all them that come to God through him, but able to draw poor ftubborn fouls to himfelf, 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 Mediator between God and men, was too great for any creature, fuppofing 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 perfon, is moft unfuitable: this dignity was fo great, that even Chrift himfelf, though Λ 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: fince our Redeemer was to make a covenant with God for us, it was neceffary that he fhould be with God at the making of it, and know the depths of God's counfel in it, and perfectly know for whom he was to fatisfy, and upon what condition. Now, this covenant being as antient as eternity; and feeing God fhould 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 faid to all the creatures, as to Job, in another cafe, Job xxxviii. 4. Where waft 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 fuch bleffings as peace, pardon, reconciliation, juftification, and eternal life; power by his blood to confirm and establish all the promifes of the covenant? Chrift Jefus did, through the eternal Spirit, (that is, his Godhead,) offer up himself, without spot to God; and then the apostle infers, for this caufe, he is the Mediator of the new teftament: yea, Chrift was to be Surety of this teftament; Surety for God to us; to make out all the bleflings and promifes of the covenant to us; and Surety for us to God, to fatisfy law and juftice in our room; what creature was able to do this? or if any creature fhould VOL. I. E be fuppofed to be able, was it fit that God fhould put fuch a truft 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 fufficient 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 mifcarried: therefore it was requifite to quiet òur fears, that our Redeemer fhould be God's Fellow; fee Ifa. xxxv. 3. He is God, therefore fear not our hearts could never have been at full reft otherwife. I remember, when Ifrael were going through the wilderness, they were to meet with much oppofition; God promifes to fend an angel with them; it is faid, all the people mourned for thefe evil tidings, that God himself would not go up; yea, Mofes himself was fearful of the mifmanagement of a mere angel; therefore fays Mofes, If thou go not with us, carry us not up hence, Exod. xxxiii. 2, 3, 4, 15. And again, ver. 12. Thou haft not let me know whom thou wilt fend. They thought his fending of an angel, was as good as his fending none at all. Thus, you see, people's fears would never be quieted by the govern- ̧ ment of an angel, though one of them was able to destroy a whole hoft in one night: even fo, our hearts could never be at reft, though God fent an angel for our deliverance! therefore God fent his own Son, his Fellow, that he might fully truft him, and depend upon him; that we might place all our fatisfaction in him, as a full portion, fo as to seek no further. Thus you fee, he is God's Fellow; and why, as our Redeemer, he behoved to be fo. 2dly, Confider the account we have of his human nature, The MAN that is my Fellow. Here I would fhew you, 1. What kind of a man Chrift became. 2. Why our Redeemer behoved to be a man. 1. What kind of a man he become? Why, The Vord was made flesh, and dwelt among us: Great is the |