Secondly; For the Title of Mercy and Love. Christ is a Saviour as well as the great God. How is Christ the Saviour? Take it thus, Positively as well as Privatively; he doth not only free us from Misery, but gives us all spiritual Blessings; Ephes. 1.3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual Blessings in Heavenly Places in Christ. As he frees us from Misery, so he gives us everlasting Life: John 3.16. That whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting Life. Then he is a Saviour, not only by way of Deliverance, but by way of Prevention; he doth not only break the Snare, but keeps our Feet from falling; he not only cures our Diseases, as a Physician, when we are sick, but he leads, guides and keeps us as a Shepherd. We do not take notice of preventive Mercy; How many times might we fall if we had not a Saviour? Prevention is better than Escape; better never meet with Danger, than be delivered out of Danger. There is an invisible Guard, we are not sensible of it, but the Devil knows and is sensible of it; Job 1.10. Thou hast made an Hedge about him, and about his House, and about all that he hath on every side. Again, he is a Saviour by way of Merit, and by way of Power; not only to rescue us from Satan, but to redeem us to God. If a Man would deliver a condemned Person, it is not enough to take him by force out of the Executioner's hands, but he must satisfy the Judg. Thus hath Christ done, not only delivered us from the Power of Darkness, but God in Christ is well-pleased, he hath satisfied his Father's Wrath. Again, before his Exaltation he redeemed us, then he deserved our Salvation, and afterwards he works our Salvation. When he was upon Earth, he was a Saviour by Merit, therefore it is said, we have Salvation by his Death, 1 Thess. 5.9. God hath not appointed us unto Wrath, but to obtain Salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us. And after his Exaltation he works out our Salvation, and so we are saved by his Life; Rom. 5.10. Much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his Life. Living and dying, he is ours, that so living and dying, we might be his. Again, he saves not only for a while, so as we might be lost afterwards, but for ever; therefore it is called eternal Salvation, Heb. 5.9.
Secondly; For the Title of Mercy and Love. Christ is a Saviour as well as the great God. How is Christ the Saviour? Take it thus, Positively as well as Privatively; he doth not only free us from Misery, but gives us all spiritual Blessings; Ephes. 1.3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual Blessings in Heavenly Places in Christ. As he frees us from Misery, so he gives us everlasting Life: John 3.16. That whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting Life. Then he is a Saviour, not only by way of Deliverance, but by way of Prevention; he doth not only break the Snare, but keeps our Feet from falling; he not only cures our Diseases, as a Physician, when we are sick, but he leads, guides and keeps us as a Shepherd. We do not take notice of preventive Mercy; How many times might we fall if we had not a Saviour? Prevention is better than Escape; better never meet with Danger, than be delivered out of Danger. There is an invisible Guard, we are not sensible of it, but the Devil knows and is sensible of it; Iob 1.10. Thou hast made an Hedg about him, and about his House, and about all that he hath on every side. Again, he is a Saviour by way of Merit, and by way of Power; not only to rescue us from Satan, but to redeem us to God. If a Man would deliver a condemned Person, it is not enough to take him by force out of the Executioner's hands, but he must satisfy the Judg. Thus hath Christ done, not only delivered us from the Power of Darkness, but God in Christ is well-pleased, he hath satisfied his Father's Wrath. Again, before his Exaltation he redeemed us, then he deserved our Salvation, and afterwards he works our Salvation. When he was upon Earth, he was a Saviour by Merit, therefore it is said, we have Salvation by his Death, 1 Thess. 5.9. God hath not appointed us unto Wrath, but to obtain Salvation by our Lord Iesus Christ, who died for us. And after his Exaltation he works out our Salvation, and so we are saved by his Life; Rom. 5.10. Much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his Life. Living and dying, he is ours, that so living and dying, we might be his. Again, he saves not only for a while, so as we might be lost afterwards, but for ever; therefore it is called eternal Salvation, Heb. 5.9.
