The doctrine of the covenant of redemption. Wherein is laid the foundation of all…

2. That he thus engaged for us before we desired it of him. He did not tarry to be asked by us; he did not wait for our petitions to be put up to him requesting him that he would put in for us, and become our Propitiation: but before we had a being, or were in any capacity of enquiring after him, he then put in, undertook, and made himself fast by a Covenant and a Promise. It had been incomparable love for him to have undertaken such a thing for us, upon our most ardent and importunate entreaties: yea it would have looked like a thing that was unreasonable, for us ever to have requested him to engage himself in our behalf: but for him to interpose, and take up our cause, and become responsible for us, Unsought! ••is carries the greatest Force in it, 1 John 4.9.

2. That he thus engaged for us before we desired it of him. He did not tarry to be asked by us; he did not wait for our petitions to be put up to him requesting him that he would put in for us, and become our Propitiation: but before we had a being, or were in any capaci•y of enquring after him, he then put in, undertook, and made himself fast by a Covenant and a Promise. It had been incomparable love for him to have undertaken such a thing for us, upon our most ardent and importunate entreaties: yea it would have looked like a thing that was unreasonable, for us ever to have requested him to engage himself in our behalf: but for him to interpose, and take up our cause, and become responsible for us, Unsought! ••is carries the greatest Force in it, 1 John 4.9.

3 That the engagement that he has took upon him, was the greatest, and most condescending that could have been,; viz that he would stand in the sinners room and place, when he had provoked the Holiness and Justice of God against him, and lay open to Infinite Wrath and all the Curses of the Law were now fallen upon him. For him now to take the whole Guilt of our sins upon himself, resign himself up to the Law and undertake to answer it for us, to do all that it required of us, to suffer all that it had denounced against us, even the most Ignominious and dreadful impressions of the wrath of God, and endure his furious displeasure in making his Soul an Offering for sin. Who ever would have done any thing like unto this? These were astonishing things and therefore they require our attention,