sential source of good, and as infinitely inferior to that original.

The enjoyment of the absolutely fupreme object is consistent with the enjoyment of the fupreme or highest created intellectual glory, in the society of all the most excellent creatures, and with the enjoyment of the fupreme or greatest visible material glory, in a place of the greatest light and beauty; and these inferior enjoyments, which, if alone, would be cloying, will not be so, when an uncloying incorruptible joy is joined to them, and enlivens

them.

To conclude, therefore, both the things mentioned in the question are ingredients of happiness, the best enjoyment of the best outward objects, and such internal perfection, that the confciousness and reflection on it must be joyful.

The

The Law magnified by the Redeemer *.

ISAIAH, xlii. 21.

The Lord is well pleased for his righteousness Sake, he will magnify the law, and make it honourable.

W

In

Hen we confider ourselves as God's creatures, and consequently as his fubjects, it is plain there is nothing more becoming us than to have high and honourable thoughts of his law. the mean time there is scarce any thing more difficult for finful corrupt creatures. It is the nature of tranfgreffors and criminals to bear a grudge and prejudice against the law, because the law is againft them. And one of the best means for curing these prejudices, by the grace of God, is certainly to confider the unfpeakable honour done to the law in the work of redemption: fo that we should love Chrift for loving us, and his law, because Chrift loved it, and honoured it so much; not that that is the only motive, but it ought furely to be a very great motive to us.

There are several things in this chapter that may fatisfy us, that the words before us are to be underftood of the work of redemption. All the preceding part of the chapter is concerning God's fending his Son to the world, and the things that were

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to happen at that time. It begins, "Behold my " fervant whom I uphold, my elect in whom my "foul delights;" and then gives an account of the design and confequences of his coming. In the verses immediately preceding the text, it tells us of a fort of enemies that Christ would have, and of the confufion they would bring on themselves; the Heathen that would continue obstinate in their idolatry, and the Jews that would continue obstinate in their unbelief. What the prophet tells of the Jewish teachers, who are here called God's fervants and meffengers, (which name their office intitled them to, though their abuse of it made them unworthy of it), is but, in other words, what the pfalmist tells us, at the end of the 118th pfalm, that those Jewish builders would reject that stone which God defigned should be the chief ftone of the

corner.

Now, when we consider this as spoken about the time of Christ's coming to the world, it is easy to reflect, that at the time it was chiefly by the work of redemption that God did magnify the law, and make it honourable. Otherwise, as to God's special covenant with the Jews, it cannot be faid, that God shewed himself well pleased with them. At that time the ceremonial law was abolished. It was the moral law was magnified by the fatisfaction Christ gave it. The Jewish builders rejected Chrift, they dishonoured the law. The words before us shew he put the greatest honour upon it. Besides, as the fcripture is its own best interpreter, this agrees perfectly well with what commendations are given of the work of redemption in other parts of fcripture. Thus, at the end of Rom. iii. the apostle, propofing this objection, "Do we then " make void the law," to wit, by the doctrine of redemption, or of the gofpel? replies,

"God for

bid; nay, we rather establish it:" for the 25th

:

verse of that chapter tells, that it is thereby that God declares or magnifies his righteousness.

It is not needful to infift long in explaining the words, after having thus shown of whom they are to be understood. Only we shall briefly confider what is meant by God's righteousness, and what it is to magnify the law. God's righteousness is sometimes in scripture taken for his mercy and goodness; but the most proper sense of it is, that justice by which he keeps up the authority of his law. It is also taken for the righteousness of Chrift, which satisfied the law, called the righteousness which is of God by faith. It is the fame thing, whether we understand it here of God's essential justice, or of Christ's righteousness; because it comes to the fame purpose, whether it be faid, that God was well pleased upon the account of his essential natural justice, which Christ satisfied, or that he is well pleased for the fake of Christ's righteoufness, which fatisfied that justice.

As for magnifying or making the law honourable, God may be faid to make the law honourable by every thing by which he shews his own great respect to it. In every government, the sovereign is the fountain of honour; in the divine government, God is the fountain of all honour. Whatever shews God's respect to it, magnifies the law. The law is magnified when either the precepts or penalty of it is fulfilled, when the commands of threatenings of it are fatisfied.

What I design to insist on at present is the doctrine in the latter part of the words, That by the work of redemption there is unspeakable honour done to the law. This is a doctrine very useful, to give us high and exalted thoughts both of the law, and also of the work of redemption. In profecuting it, we shall chiefly confider, how the work of redemption magnifies God's law; and at the fame

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fame time confider of how great importance it is that the law should be magnified.

Now, the work of redemption magnifies God's law, 1. By the perfect obedience that Chrift gave to the commandments of it. 2. By the perfect fatisfaction he gave to the threatenings of it. 3. The work of redemption magnifies the law, as it is a work of infinite love: for every thing that strengthens the motives to obey the law, magnifies the law by ftrengthening the force of it; and a manifeftation of infinite love magnifies and strengthens the motives to obey a law, the substance of which is love, and the chief part of which is to love the lawgiver himself. 4. The work of redemption magnifies the law upon the account of the great reward of Christ's obedience: for the law is magnified, not only when obedience is performed, but also when obedience is rewarded and the more honour and glory, and greater gifts, Christ received for the fake of his obedience, it was not Christ only was honoured, but the law alfo. 5. The application, as well as the execution, of the work of redemption, magnifies the law; the way and manner of the application, by faith. 'No finner can obtain any favour from the fovereign of the world, till he magnify the law, by joining with it, in condemning himself, and honouring that perfect obedience the Son of God gave it, and making it the ground of his hope; and by the fruit of that application, by bringing fuch innumerable wretches, that once defpiked and hated the law, to love, honour, and o bey it.

I. I begin with the first of these, That Christ did unfpeakable honour to the law by his perfect obedience to it. It is useful for us to confider, first, What is meant by his obedience. When we fpeak of ourselves, or of mere creatures, holiness, and obedience to the law, is but one and the fame thing; but