tion is all wonder; there is wonderful wisdom in the contrivance, wonderful power in accomplishing the defign, fatan and his rebel hoft fubdued and vanquished; a wonderful discovery of justice, in -faving no finner without adequate fatisfaction; a wonderful manifeftation of mercy, in accepting one to fuffer in the ftead and place of another; a wonderful perfon engages in the wonderful work, and wonderful love begins, carries on, and compleats the whole. Such love as this, which God commendeth to us, no man can fhew; friend may of fer himself to death for friend:* or fome dear relative allied by blood, † &c. yea peradventure some for a good man would even dare to die, Rom. v. 7. but the love of God is manifefted, and exercised towards us, when in a state of fin and alienation for when we were without strength, finners, and enemies, Chrift died for us, to raise, reconcile, and Dreftore us, Rom. v. 6, 8, 10.

There is a story on record of two friends Damon and Pythias, one of whom the tyrant Dyonifius had condemned to die; he asked a few days to fet his house in order, which that he might procure, the other willingly offered himself to stay as a pledge, and to die in his place, if he did not return by the day appointed. The other faithfully returned according the time appointed, in order to receive his doom, and redeem his friend who had fo deeply engaged for him; when the tyrant faw fuch faithfulness in their friendship, he pardoned him that was appointed to die, and defired to be admitted a third in their friendship.

+ It is recorded of Zaleucus, the lawgiver of Locrenfis, that he appointed by law, that adulterers fhould have both their eyes put out. And it happening that his own fon being taken in adultery, he, to preferve inviolate his law, yet manifest paternal affection to his fon, put out one of his own eyes, to redeem one of the eyes of his fon.

Reader is it poffible thou canft believingly meditate on these astonishing and interesting truths, as they stand on facred record, and not find thy heart glow with gratitude and joy? Angels on their being obfcurely fhadowed in legal ceremonies, filled with wonder, and a holy curiofity, de fired to look into them. Angels gladly published the news of the new born Saviour to our wondering world, and gave glory to God in the highest, while they proclaimed peace on earth, and good will towards men; and fhall man be filent in his praise? Bless the Lord O my foul, and all that is within me, magnify bis holy name; blefs the Lord all ye his faints, and tell abroad from day to day the wonders of his grace and love. "He took not on him the 26 nature of angels, but he took the feed of Abra"ham, and because the children were partakers " of flesh and blood, he likewise alfo himself took 66 part of the fame," Heb. ii. 14, 16, and that he might have the right of redemption, Jer. xxxii. 7 be our lawful (goel) redeemer, deliverer, &c. he af fumed our nature, and became our elder brother. We were become poor, and had fold our poffef fions, yea our very fouls for nought, Levit. xxv. 25, and Chrift our kinfman redeemed us without money, not with gold and filver, nor any other corruptible thing, but with the precious blood that circulated through his own unblemished body, 1 Pet. i. 12.

Reader, before I conclude this chapter, I would beg leave to remind thee of the two greatest tranfactions that the fun hath feen; the one in paradise, the other on Mount Calvary; by the former of these came death, and all our woe; and whoever thou art that readeft thou art concerned in

this affair; no birth, nor blood can exempt thee from the common charge of guilt, which lies equally against all that fpring from the loins of Adam: By the latter God is reconciled, and guilty finners are abfolved, through faith in him that died upon the cross. the cross. My brother finner fee the lamb of God, fufpended on the tree, grow pale in death, and agonizing in the mortal combat ; ah! what do I fee? He bleeds from every pore; but O aftonishing to tell, he bleeds the balm, that heals our wounded fouls. How chearing was the word that clofed the folemn fcene, it is finished, when rightly understood, and believingly received! What more remains to be done? What after work? What further claim? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? For, Chrift has died, Rom. viii. 33. Thus may we by often looking to the rock from whence we are hewn, be humbled under a deep fense of our fin, and the finfulness of our nature; that we may be as nothing and less than nothing in our own eyes; and with fuch believing views may we look to Jefus, that we may find in him an all-fufficient Saviour; for as Mofes lifted up the ferpent in the wilderness, Jo is Jefus lifted up upon the pole of the gospel, that whofoever believeth in him, may not perish but bave everlasting life. John iii. 14, 15.

СНАР.

IV.

Bi

1769

HE pofts went out being baftened by the king's

THE commandment, and the decree was given in

Shuhan the palace, Efth. iii. 15. Haman pleased at having iucceeded fo well in his bloody defign, fits down to regale himself with wine, but the city Shulkan was perplexed, and in every province whitherfoever the king's commandment, and his decree came, there was great mourning among the jews, chap. iv. 13. An horrible cloud of darknefs pregnant with immediate death, was now ftretched over the extenfive empire of Abafuerus, and appeared ready to burst on the heads of all the circumcised tribes that dwelt in his dominion. It is death by law for Efther to come into the prefence of the king; it is death by a malicious bloody decree to her kindred and nation if he does not come. This was indeed a day of darkness and diftrefs, Esther uncalled for thirty days, Mordecai difgraced, and a fwift decree gone forth ftamped with the royal fignature, to deftroy and make a speedy end of all the jews in every province.

But how much more dark and diftressful was the day when Adam forfeited the favour of his Lord and King, and fell into foul difgrace by fin and disobedience! Not the ftate of Perfia only, but all the world became obnoxious to death; not only jews, but gentiles too, even all that should come from the loins of Adam were involved together with him in the guilt of his tranfgreffion. A law more ftable and unalterable than that of the Medes and Perfians, by which, it was death to

eat

at from that forbidden tree, was violated, and the penal-fanction thereof, death, was ready to be inflicted on the unhappy offender, and common parent of mankind. Esther muft put on her royal robes to intercede, and become an advocate for her diftreffed friends and nation; Chrift, the brightness of the father's glory, muft put off his robes of royalty, and become a mediator for a loft and ruined world. Queen Efther engages for her own flesh, the jews; Chrift affumes a body, that being our flesh, the might engage in our caufe. Efther undertakes for her friends; Chrift undertakes, that from enemies he might make friends. She is employed to revoke the deathful ‡ decree by abrogating the law; HE, to deliver those doomed to death, yet establish the law. || She rifques the difpleasure of Abusureus, and hereby expofes herself in much probability to death, to fave her people from the purposed bloody maffacre; HE, voluntarily lays down his life, § and courageously rushes into the arms of certain death, death armed with all the multiplied tranfgreffions of his people, death the most formidable, and alarming, to fave them from the cause and curfe, fin and death. Efther was stirred up by Mordecai to interest herself in the important businefs of her nation; but Christ from his own philanthropy, for the great love wherewith be loved us, makes his people's caufe his own, and gave bimfelf for our fins. Eph. ii. 4. Gal. i. 4. Eftber managed her affairs with fo much prudence, that her kindred flesh was thereby faved from the bloody

* Phillip. ii. 6. Rom. iii. 13.

+ Heb. ii. 14. § John x. 28.

Rom. v. 10.