Heb. v. 9. And the Captain of the salvation of his people, Heb. ii. 10. a Prince and a Saviour. He is called Zion's salvation, Isa. Ixii. 11. “Behold, thy salvation cometh." He is spoken of, as saving by his own strength, and able to save to the uttermost; One mighty to save, and therein distinguished from all others; as in Isa. Ixiii. 1. "I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save." Ver. 5. "I looked and there was none to help, and I wondered that there was none to uphold. Therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me, and my fury it upheld me." What is said in this place, is meant of Christ, as is manifest by comparing ver. 3. with Rev. xix. 15. And the very same things that are said of Jehovah, the only God, as the only Saviour in whom men shall trust for salvation, as in Isaiah xlv. 21. to the end, are from time to time applied to Christ in the New Testament. And it is expressly said, Acts iv. 12. "There is salvation in no other, neither is there any other name given under heaven amongst men, whereby we must be saved." And the heavenly hosts, in their praises, ascribe salvation to Christ in like manner as to God the Father, Rev. vii. 10. "Salvation to our God, which sitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb." See also chap. v. Christ is a rock sufficiently sure, and perfectly to be trusted, Isa. xxviii. 16, 17. 1 Cor. x. 4.

§ 37. The redemption from Egypt, and bringing the children of Israel through the wilderness to the possession of Canaan, is often spoken of as a great salvation, which was most evidently the peculiar work of the One only Jehovah, greatly manifesting his distinguished power and majesty.-2 Sam. vii. 22, 23. "Wherefore thou art great, Lord God, for there is none like thee; according to all that we have heard with our ears;" meaning what they had heard of his great fame, or the name he had obtained by his wonderful works, in bringing them out of Egypt, &c. as appears by what follows: "And what one nation in the earth is like thy people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem for a people to himself, and to make him a name, and to do for you great things, and terrible for thy land, before thy people which thou redeemest to thee from Egypt, from the nations and their gods?" The same work is mentioned as an evidence, that the doer of it is Jehovah, and that there is none like unto him, and as that which makes known God's name through the earth; Exod. viii. 10, 22. ix. 14, 16. and x. 2.-See also chap. xv. 6-11. xviii. 11. and xxxiv. 10. Deut. iii. 24.

§ 38. But it was Jesus Christ that wrought that salvation;

Isa. Ixiii. 9, 10. "The angel of his presence saved them: in his love and pity he redeemed them, and he bore them, and carried them all the days of old. But they rebelled and vexed his Holy Spirit." This rebelling and vexing of his Holy Spirit is evidently the same thing with that spoken of, Psalm xcv. 8, 9, 10. "As in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness, when your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works. Forty years long was I grieved with that generation." But it is evident, that he whom they tempted, provoked, and grieved, was that God whose great works they saw, and therefore was that God who wrought those wonderful works in Egypt and the wilderness: As is evident by the same Psalm, ver. 3. where he is called " Jehovah, a great God, and a great King above all gods." And it is equally clear by that passage in Isa. Ixiii. just quoted, that it was the Angel of God's presence, and by 1 Cor. x. 9. " Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted."

And as it is said, Isa. Ixiii. that the Angel of God's presence saved them, &c. so it is plain by Exod. xxiii. 20-33. that God's Angel, a different person from him who acts as first in the affairs of the Deity, brought them into Canaan, &c. And it is plain, that the person that appeared in the bush, who said his name was Jehovah, and I am that I am, was the Angel of Jehovah: Exod. iii. 2, 14. vi. 3. and Acts vii. 30. And nothing is more evident, by the whole history, than that the same person brought them out of Egypt; and also, that it was the same Angel which appeared and delivered the ten commandments at Mount Sinai, conversed there with Moses, and manifested himself from time to time to the congregation in the wilderness. Acts vii. 38. "This is He that was in the church in the wilderness, with the Angel which .spake to him in the Mount Sinai, and with our fathers; who received the lively oracles to give unto us." That angel doubtless was the same that is called the Angel of the Covenant; Mal. iii. 1. "Behold, I will send my Messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me; and the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come into his temple, even the Messenger of the Covenant, whom ye delight in. Behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of Hosts:" And this messenger without doubt was Christ.-It is plain by Heb. xii. 25, 26, 27. that he who spake at Mount Sinai was Christ: "See that ye refuse not him that speaketh," &c.

§ 39. Thus we see, that however the work of salvation be so often spoken of as peculiar to God; yet this salvation out of Egypt, so much celebrated in scripture, is not peculiar to God the Father; but the Son wrought this work as well as

the Father. And it is true, that the scriptures abundantly speak of an infinitely greater and more glorious salvation than that out of Egypt; viz. the salvation of men from sin, Satan, eternal death, and ruin, and bringing them to the heavenly Canaan, to eternal life and happiness there. This is spoken of as a far greater work than the other. So that, in comparison of it, it is not worthy to be remembered or mentioned. Jer. xvi. 14, 15.." It shall no more be said, the Lord liveth," &c. See also chap. xxiii. 6—8. Isaiah xliii. 18-21. "Remember ye not the former things," &c. But I need not stop to shew the reader how this great salvation is in scripture ascribed in a peculiar manner to Christ as the author.

§ 40. We read in scripture of two creations: The first, that which Moses gives an account of in the first chapter of Genesis; the other, a spiritual creation, consisted in restoring the moral world, bringing it to its highest perfection, and establishing it in its eternal felicity and glory; and the latter is spoken of as most incomparably the greatest work; Isaiah lxv. 17, 18. and Ixvi. 22. Now, as creation is so much spoken of as a most peculiar work of the Supreme God, one may well determine, that if the first creation be not so, yet the second is, which is so much greater, and evidently the greatest of all God's works.

But this new creation, which is the same with the work of redemption, is, in the most especial manner, spoken of as the work of Jesus: for he is ever mentioned as the great Redeemer and Restorer. This work is committed to him: for this he has a full commission. It is left in his hands; all things are committed to him; all power in heaven and in earth is given him, that he may accomplish this work, and bring it to its most absolute perfection. To this end are subjected to him, thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers, and he is made Head over all things; and to this end, the world to come, that is, all the affairs of that new creation, are put in subjection unto him: And he, with regard to all the transactions belonging to this new creation, that are written in the book of God, is the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last. Christ built the house; he built all things, especially in this new creation; and therefore is God. These things are plainly asserted in Heb. iii. 3, 4. "For this man (rather, this person) was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house, hath more honour than the house. For every house is builded by some man': but he that built all things is God."— Thus, the work of redemption, which is both the greatest work of salvation, and the greatest work of creation, (the

two kinds of works chiefly spoken of in scripture as divine,) is accomplished by the Son of God.

§ 41. The giving of spiritual and saving light is one chief part of the new creation, as creating the light was a chief part of the old creation. The causing of this spiritual light is spoken of as the peculiar work of God. 2 Cor. iv. 6." For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ," &c. But the giving of this light is especially ascribed to Christ, as the Author and Fountain of it. He is called the Light of the world; the Light of life; the true Light, that lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He is the Sun of Righteousness. No man knoweth the Father, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal Him, &c.

§ 42. So calling men into Christ's fellowship and kingdom, is also ascribed to God. Rom. viii. 30. Whom He did predestinate, them He also called." Acts ii. 39. "As many as the Lord our God shall call." 1 Cor. i. 9. " God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord." 1 Thess. ii. 12. "That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto His kingdom and glory." 2 Thess. ii. 13, 14. " God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation; whereunto He called you by our gospel." 2 Tim. i. 9. " According to the power of God, who bath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace.' 1 Pet. v. 10. "The God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory."

But this is ascribed to Jesus Christ. Rom. i. 6. "Among whom also ye are called of Jesus Christ." 1 Cor. vii. 17. "As the Lord hath called every one." 99 John x. 3. "And he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out." Verse 16. "Other sheep have I, which are not of this fold, them also I must bring in; and they shall hear my voice." Eph. i. 18. "That ye may know what is the hope of His calling."

§ 43. Regeneration, or the changing and renewing of the heart, is spoken of as the peculiar work of God. John i. 13. "Which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." James i. 18. "Of his own will begat He us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first-fruits of His creatures."

It is likewise ascribed to Christ. Saints are born of Him in their spiritual generation, and therefore are called his seed;

Gal. iii. 29. It is Christ that baptizes men with the Holy Ghost, which is called the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost, and a being born of water and of the Spirit. Christ sanctifies and cleanses the souls of men, by the washing of water, by the word; Eph. v. 26.

§ 44. Justification, washing from sin, delivering from guilt, forgiving sin, admitting to favour and to the glorious benefits of righteousness in the sight of God, are often spoken of as belonging peculiarly to God. Rom. iii. 26. "That he might be just, and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus." Verse 30. "Seeing it is one God that justifieth," &c. Chap. viii. 30. "Whom he called, he also justified." Verse 33. "It is God that justifieth." Isaiah xliii. 25. “I am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake." Psalm li. 2-4. "Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin: against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned." Therefore the Jews said, Luke v. 21. "Who can forgive sins but God only?"

But Christ hath power to forgive sins, as it follows in the last mentioned place; verse 24. "But that ye may know, that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins," &c. He washes us from our sins in his own blood; Rev. i. 5. And he justifies those that know and believe in him, Isaiah liii. 11.

§ 45. Overcoming Satan, and delivering men from him, and giving his people victory over him, are spoken of as the peculiar works of God's glorious power. Isaiah xxvii. 1. “In that day, Jehovah, with his great and strong sword, shall punish Leviathan the piercing serpent, even Leviathan, that crooked serpent; he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea." Psalm viii. 1, 2. "O Jehovah, our God, how excellent is thy name in all the earth, who hast set thy glory above the heavens! Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast Thou ordained strength, because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger."

But it is the special work of Christ to bruise the serpent's head; to destroy the works of the devil; and that by his own strength. For he is represented as conquering him, because he is stronger than the strong man armed, and so overcoming him and taking from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and spoiling his goods. It is He that has spoiled principalities and powers, and made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them. He is the spiritual Samson, that has rent the roaring lion as he would have rent a kid; and the spiritual David, that has delivered the lamb out of his mouth, and has slain that great Goliath. He is that Michael who fights with the dragon and casts him out; and at last will judge Satan, and