Fourth. If the surety stands bound, the debtor is at liberty, and if the law does issue out any process to take any, it will be the surety. [Though the debtor and the surety are liable to pay the debt by the law of man, Christ our Surety only by the Covenant of Grace]. And, O! how wonderfully accurate was this accomplished in that, when Christ our Surety came down from Heaven, God's Law did so seize upon the Lord Jesus, and so cruelly handle Him, and so exact upon Him, that it would never let Him alone until it had accused Him and condemned Him, executed Him, and screwed His very heart's blood out of His precious heart and side; nay, and more than this too, as I shall show hereafter. But,
Christ the Messenger of the new covenant.
SECOND. [His second office]. After that, Jesus Christ stood bound and became our Surety about this covenant. His next office was to be the Messenger of God touching His mind and the tenor of the covenant unto the poor world, and this did the Prophet foresee long before, when he saith, "Behold, I will send My messenger, and he shall prepare the way before Me"; speaking of John the Baptist. "And he shall prepare the way before Me." And then He speaketh of Christ to the people, saying, "And the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to His temple." Who is He? Even the Messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in, is Christ. "Behold, He shall come, saith the LORD of Hosts" (Mal 3:1).
Now the covenant being made before between the Father and the Son, and Jesus Christ becoming bound to see all the conditions fulfilled, this being done, He could come down from Heaven to earth, to declare to the world what God the Father and HE had concluded on before, and what was the mind of the Father towards the globe concerning the salvation of their souls; and indeed, who could better come on such an errand than He that stood by when the covenant was made? Then He that shook hands with the Father in making of the covenant? Then, He became a Surety on behalf of poor sinners, according to the terms of the covenant.
Now, you know, a messenger commonly when he cometh, doth bring some errand to them to whom he is sent, either of what is done for them, or what they would have them whom they send unto do for them, or such like. What a glorious message was that our Lord Jesus Christ came down from Heaven withal to declare unto poor sinners and that from God His Father? I say, how glorious was it; and how sweet is it to you that have seen yourselves lost by nature? and it will also appear a glorious one to you who are seeking after Jesus Christ, if you do but consider these following things about what He was sent
First, Jesus Christ was sent from Heaven to declare unto the world from God the Father that He was wonderfully filled with love for poor sinners. First, in that He would forgive their sins. Secondly, in that He would save their souls. Thirdly, in that He would make them heirs of His glory. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son.—For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved" (John 3:16,17).
Second. God sent Jesus Christ to tell the poor world how that He would do this for poor sinners, and yet be just, and yet do His justice no wrong; and that was to be done by Jesus Christ's dying of a cursed death in the room of poor sinners, to satisfy justice, and make way for mercy; to take away the stumbling-blocks, and set open Heaven's gates; to overcome Satan, and break off from sinners his chains (Luke 4:18) to set open the prison doors, and to let the prisoners go free (Isa 61:1-3). And this was the message that Christ was to deliver to the world by commandment from His Father; and this did He tell us when He came of His errand, where he saith, "I lay down My life for the sheep—no man taketh it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and to retake it. This commandment have I received of My Father" (John 10:15-18). Even this commandment hath My Father given Me that I should both do this and tell it unto you.
