Dead fhall hear the Voice of the Son of God; and they that hear fhall live. In the next Verfe the Reafon follows: For, as the Father hath Life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have Life in himself, John v. 25, 26. If the Son has Life in himself, even as the Father has Life in himself; if he is really endued with Power to which all Nature fubmits and obeys, a Power fufficient for the Creation of the World at firft, and for the Prefervation ever fince; we have Reafon to conclude, that he is now as able to restore Life, as he was at first to give it; to call Men from the Grave into Being, as: well as to call them out of nothing at the firft Creation.

The Relation of Chrift to Mankind as Creator and Governor confidered, the Work of Redemption could not properly have been undertaken by any other Hand: For, if Chrift was the immediate Creator and Governor of the World, what Reafon can you imagine why God fhould refume this Authority out of the Hands of his Son, or fet another to have Dominion and Authority, over any Part of the Creation, which by natural Right belonged to Him, who made all Things? Were we to confider one Perour Creator, and another as our Redeemer,

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up

Redeemer, it would be extremely to the Diminution of the Honour and Regard due to the Creator, inasmuch as the Bleffing of Redemption would greatly outweigh the Benefit of Creation; and it would be natural to us to prefer the Love that delivered us from the Evils and Miseries of the World, to that which placed us in them. In the daily Service of our Church we praise God for creating and preferving us, but above all for his inestimable Love in the Redemption; which is very confiftent with Respect to one great Benefactor, who both made us and redeemed us: But, had any other Hand redeemed us, fuch Expreffion of Gratitude to him would have reflected Dishonour upon the Creator.

St. Paul tells us exprefly, That Chrift is Head of the Church; a Title founded in the Right of Redemption, that in all Things he might have the Preeminence; that, as he was the Head of all Creatures in virtue of having created them, so he might be the Head of the Church, the elect People of God, in virtue of having redeemed them: For it pleafed the Father, that in him fhould all Fullness dwell; that is, that Christ should be all in all, the Head of the second as well as of the first Creation; Coloss. i. 19.

According

According to St. Paul's Reasoning here, if other Perfon had redeemed the World, any or if the World had been redeemed without Chrift, he would not have had the Preeminence in all Things; which yet he had before Sin came into the World; and, confequently, the Sin of the World would have been the Diminution of the Headship and Power of Chrift. Upon these Principles of the Gospel Revelation we may discern fome Propriety in Chrift's coming to redeem the World: The Work was fuch, that no Perfon of lefs Power could undertake it; and his Relation to the World was fuch, as made it fit and proper to commit the Work to him.

The Redemption of Mankind is a Work which in the Event feems to concern Men only: But, confidered as a Vindication of the Juftice and Goodness of God towards his Creatures, it is a Work exposed to the Confideration of every intelligent Being in the Universe. Whether they may be fuppofed to inquire into God's Dealings with the Children of Men, we may judge by ourfelves. "Tis little we know of the Fall of Angels; yet how has that employed human Curiosity! For every Man confiders himself as having an Intereft in the Juftice

and

and Equity of that fupreme Being, under whose Government he lives, and by whose Judgment he must finally ftand or fall. If we doubt whether the fuperior Orders of Beings have the like Inclination, St. Peter will tell us, That the Sufferings of Chrift, and the Glory that should follow, -are Things the Angels defire to look into, 1 Pet. i. 11-12. And indeed the Method of God's dealing with any rational Creature is a common Con cern to all; and it is for the Honour of God's Government to be vindicated in the Sight of every intelligent Being, that he may be juftified in his Saying, and overcome when be is judged.

If this be fo, it must neceffarily follow, That the Redemption by Chrift, though it relates immediately to Men, must be agreeable to all the Reason and Relation of Things, known or discoverable by the highest intellectual Beings; and need I add, that there are many fuch not discoverable by us?

"Tis certain that we are but a fmall Part of the intellectual World: What Relation we bear to the other Parts, or to the Whole, we know not; and yet undoubtedly the common Governor of the Whole must in his Dealings with every Part have regard to this common Relation, whether we under

ftand

ftand it, or no. The Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews tells us, That Chrift took not on him the Nature of Angels, but he took on him the Seed of Abraham. Angels finned, and Men finned: Men only are redeemed. If God is juft, there must be a Reason for this, though not within our Reach at present; and, when we come to know it, perhaps we may be no longer at a lofs to know that the Sacrifice of Chrift was neceffary to the Salvation of Men.

That there are many Orders of Beings fuperior to Man, is a Propofition fo agreeable to Reason, that there is little room to doubt of it. All these Orders are in Scripture comprehended under the general Name of Angel. What Relation thefe Beings ftand in to us in many Respects, I will not now inquire: But that they are not unconcerned Spectators in the Work of our Redemption, is evident. Our Saviour tells us, There is Joy in the Prefence of the Angels of God over one Sinner that repenteth, Luke xv. 10. Again; He that overcometh, the fame shall be clothed in white Raiment; and I will not blot out his Name out of the Book of Life; but I will confefs his Name before my Father, and before bis Angels, Rev. iii. 5. Here the Angels are mentioned