YALE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

Gift of
Elizabeth F. lilcoxson

SERMON'S

ON

THE PERSON AND OFFICE

OF

THE REDEEMER,

AND ON

THE FAITH AND PRACTICE

OF

THE REDEEMED.

BY WILLIAM JESSE, A. M.

' Nihil appetit, nihil ardetj nihil somniat, nisi Jesum Cheistum."
Archbishop Ci'.'.-.uicr.

JUnBon :
Printed by Luke Hansard fy Sons,
FORT. CADELL AND \V. DAVIES, IN THE STRAND.
1810.

CONTENT

Sermon I. The Antiquity, Importance, and Truth
of the Doctrine of Salvation. — 1 Peter i. 10, u, 12.
Page i
Sermon II. Isaiah's Prophecy of the Saviour's Ad
vent. — Isaiah xl. 1, a. - p. 23
SermonIII. On the Birth of Jesus Christ. — Isaiah,
ix. 6. - - - - - - p. 50
Sermon IV. On calling his name Jesus.— Matthew,
i. 31. - - - » - r - p- 67
Sermon V. The Humility of Jesus Christ. — Phi
lippians ii. 5 — 11. - - - - p. 91
Sermon VI. Jesus Christ our Great High Priest.
Hee. vii. 24 — 28. - - - - - p. 112
Sermon VII. The Scriptural Doctrine of Redemption.
Col. i. 14. --»-.«-- p. 134
Sermon VIII. A Resurrection of the Dead, the Doc
trine of both the Testaments. — Isaiah xxvi. 19.
p. 156
Sermon IX. The Resurrection of Christ and ours
equally certain.— -1 Cor. xv. 17, 18. - p. 180
Sermon X. Our Saviour's Ascension into Heaven.
Ephesians iv. 8, 9, 10. ... p. 190*
a 2

iy CONTENTS.
Sermo*. XI. On Preaching Christ Crucified.— i Co-
L1NHIANS xi. 2. ----- p. 2l6
Sermon XII. The Same - - - - p. 236
Sermon XIII. The Same p. 258
Sermon XIV. The Unchangeable Friend. — Hebrews
xiii. 8. -------p. 282
Sermon XV. The Author of V. crnal Salvation to them
that obey him. — Hes. v. 9. - - - p. 308
Sermon XVI. The True Vine; Christ and his
Church. — John xv. 1 — 8. - p. 33s
Sermon XVII. The Divine Mercy, and the Christian
Temper and Conduct.-—i Cok. xv. 11. - p. 354
Sermon XVIII. Christian Practice.— 1 Pet. v. 5—11.
P-37*
Sermon XIX. Christian Charity. — Matth. xxii. 39.
Sermon XX. On doing the will of God. — Matth.
vii. 21. - - - - - - - p. 411
Sermon XXI. The Gospel hid to them that are lost.
2 Cob. iv. 3. p. 430

PREFACE.

The Sermons presented to the Public in this
volume were selected from many more, which
the Author has been in the habit of writing
and preaching to his Parishioners during the
last twenty years of his life. In making this
selection, he was influenced by the subjects of
these sermons; and not at all by any con
ceit of excellence in their composition. He
prefers these subjects, because he is persuaded
that they are the subjects of the most import
ant doctrines of revelation ; and, because he
thinks they are more alluded to than preached
and insisted upon in the present day. While
some devote themselves to the study and ex
planation of that morality which is excellent
in the economy of human life, others in our
church, and dissenters from it, have employed
their talents chiefly in teaching and expound
ing the subordinate Truths of revelation, and
too frequently in a controversial way.
The subordinate Truths have relation to pre
ceding dispensations described by Moses and
the Prophets ; to the state and condition of
b

ii PREFACE.
the Jews and Gentiles when our Saviour came
into the world ; and, more particularly, to
the prejudices of the Jews in resisting all com
munion with Gentile converts unless they were
circumcised, and observed all the rites and
ordinances of the law as the Jews observed
them. These circumstances of things con
sidered, and considering too the evident ad
vantage, in many respects, of being well ac
quainted with the language and phraseology
of the Old and New Testaments, and of being
able to refer to the writings of the early contro
versialists, many divines have been induced
to think that their learning, and skill in the
art of criticism, applied to the subordinate
Truths, would enable them to produce such,
an explanation of them as would commend
itself to every man's conscience in the sight
of God, and would correct the errors of the
many sects into which the Church is unhap
pily divided. They made the experiment, and
have absolutely failed : the sects have mul
tiplied greatly : each of them has a doctrine,
has a tongue, or manner of speaking, has a
revelation, has an interpretation, peculiar to
itself. But,, no more than one of them can
fee right in all points ; and, probably, not so

PREFACE. iii
much as one perfectly right in any point.
Yet, they are waging war with each other,
with as much confidence as if privileged with
infallibility, or covered with an impenetrable
shield ; till at length many, who have ob
served this odious controversy, begin to think
that these subordinate Truths have no truths
in them, but are the conceits of quarrelsome
enthusiasts. It may be thought worthy of remark* that
there is in the Sacred Scriptures a wide
difference in the manner of expressing the sub
ordinate Truths and those other essential doc*
trines of revelation. The subordinate Truths
are expressed occasionally, and in the way
of argument, or logically, to expose some pre
judice which had an evil tendency ; to correct
some error which had crept into the Church, or
was attempted to be introduced into it; and
further, to account for the general depravity
of mankind, and so to excite in sincere Chris
tians a more lively sense of their vast obligations
to the mercy and special grace of God through
Jesus Cheist. But, we find the essential
doctrines expressed in a very different man
ner, with the utmost simplicity, in plain pro
positions, in direct and positive assertions, and

iv PREFACE.
as authoritative and unquestionable Truths,
which require no explanation, and nothing
more than attention of mind, and a capacity
to understand the words by which they are
revealed, or by which they are or may be ex
pressed in any language whether ancient or
modern. Being thus plainly expressed, they are not,
and cannot be so much the subjects of con
troversy as the subordinate Truths are. But,
the meaning of words may be perverted
by artifice and forced criticisms : therefore,
the essential doctrines are guarded in the
book of revelation by sacramental emblems,
by parables and allegories, and are perpetu
ated by historical facts and actions. Besides
all this, we find these most important Truths,
in almost every part of the Scriptures, evi
dently declaring that the Person and Office
of ^the Redeemer are the grand, character
istic, and comprehensive subject of revelation.
Moses wrote of Him; and to Him all the Pro
phets witness, that through His name, whoso
ever believeth in Him shall receive remission
of his sins ; i. e. whosoever regards and owns
Him, according to the truth and importance
of His character, is become a sincere Christian,

PREFACE. *
and therefore pardoned, accepted of God, and
an heir of the eternal life.
The vast importance of this character of our
Redeemer, and of Faith iniTi?72,was plainly de
clared, when he said, " This is life eternal, that
they might know Thee the only true God and
Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." But,
how shall we know Him ? Did the world by
human wisdom ever know God ? Hear what
our Saviour said : " No man knoweth the Fa
ther, but the Son, and He to whom the Son
will reveal Him" — " He that hath seen me,
hath seen the Father." Again ; " We all, with
open face beholding, as in a glass, the glory of
the Lord, are changed into the same image
from glory to glory :" for, " The light ofthe
knowledge of the glory of God is given to us
in the face of Jesus Christ," and shines in
the hearts of all sincere believers. Therefore
St. Paul determined that he would not know
any thing among those to whom he minis
tered, save Jesus Christ, and Him cruci
fied. Yea, doubtless, said he, and I count
all things but loss for the excellency of the
knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. Surely
then, it is only by the special revelation of
b3

vi PREFACE.
Jesus Christ that we attain unto God:
by knowing Him we know the Father also.
And, if it be eternal life to know the only true
God through fesus Christ ; and, if the know
ledge of Jesus Christ be therefore the ex
cellency of all knowledge, then he that has it,
he that rightly apprehends the personal Cha
racter and Office of the Redeemer, may be
wise unto salvation, though he be ignorant of
every thing else ; or, though he know little,
cr nothing distinctly, of the subordinate
Truths, or mistakes their meaning*.
It does not appear that the Apostles ever
once insisted upon, or preached the subordi
nate Truths, or argued the subject of any one
of them, during the three . years after our
Saviour's ascension, in which time their minis
try was confined to the Jews only. But, when
St. Peter was miraculously instructed to
preach the gospel to Cornelius and other
Gentiles with him, and had baptized them,
and thereby received them into the Church,
* Who can doubt whether the Jews converted by
St. Peter's first sermon, and other Christian Jews, who
never heard any mention of the subordinate Truths, were
wise unto salvation ?
Hoc est nescire, sine Christo plurima scire :
Si Christum scis, satis est, si csetera neseis,

PREFACE. vii
which then consisted entirely of believing
Jews, the subordinate Truths began to be pro
duced : for, the fact of the baptism of these
Gentile Converts declared that they were not
a new Church, or not to be formed into an
other Church distinct from that of the elect
Jews ; and, it declared this also, that the un-
cleanness imputed to the Gentiles was taken
away ; and, that, so soon as they believed,
they were no longer to be considered as aliens
from the commonwealth of Israel, but rege
nerated and ordained to befelkw-citizens with
the Saints, and of the household of God : and,
the miraculous gift of the Holy Ghost to
these Gentile Converts plainly demonstrated
that God put no difference between the Jews
and them. But, this being perfectly oppo
site to the national prejudices ofthe Jews, antt
contrary to the prejudices of all Christian
Jews at first, and of many of them from first
to last, the subordinate Truth of Justification
by Faith, and other subordinate Truths,
became very interesting both to Jews and
Gentiles. A little before his sufferings and death, our
Saviour told his disciples that the Comforter,
which is the Holy Ghost, should be sent
b4

viii PREFACE.
to testify of Him ; and, he added, " Ye also
shall bear witness, because ye have been with
me from the beginning." After his resurrec
tion, and just before his ascension, he said
to the Apostles whom he had chosen, " Ye
shall be Witnesses unto me, both in Jerusalem,
and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and to the
uttermost part ofthe earth." When St. Peter
and St. John were brought before the San
hedrim, after the descent ofthe Holy Ghost,
they said, " The God of our Fathers raised up
fesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.
Him hath God exalted to be a Prince and a
Saviour for to give repentance to Israel and
forgiveness of sins. And, We are His Wit
nesses of these things ; and so is also the Holy
Ghost." — When preaching to Cornelius,
St. Peter said, " We are Witnesses of all
things which he did both in the land of the
Jews and in Jerusalem — Him God raised up
the third day, and shewed him openly ; not
to all the people, but unto Witnesses chosen
before of God, even to us who did eat and
drink with him after he arose from the dead :
and, he commanded us to preach unto the peo
ple and to testify that it is He which was or
dained of God the Judge of quick and dead.

PREFACE. ix
To Him give all the Prophets witness, that
through his name whosoever believeth in Him
shall receive remission of sins." And St.
John, in his first epistle, describes the ministry
of the Apostles as a testimony, or witness, of
the divine character of the Lord Jesus —
" That which v/as from the beginning, which
we have heard, which we have seen with our
eyes, which we have looked upon, and our
hands have handled of The Word of Life ;
for, The Life was manifested, and we have
seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you
That Eternal Life which was with the
Father, and was manifested unto us. That
which we have seen and heard declare we unto
you, that ye also may have fellowship with
us, &c."
Accordingly, the gospel, which the Apostles
preached to Jews and Gentiles, consisted
principally, if not entirely, in a declaration
of facts which manifested the personal cha
racter and office of our Redeemer, and proved
that Jesus of Nazareth was that Redeemer, the
expected Messiah. They were facts which
admitted no other question or dispute than
Whether they had real existence, or not. This
question was fully answered by the Apostles,

H PREFACE.
testifying, or witnessing at the hazard of their
lives, and contrary to all their former pre
judices, what they had seen with their eyes,
what they had heard with their ears, and
what they had sensibly felt with their hands
— facts which could not be mistaken, and"
which could not produce a delusion of their
senses. As faithful martyrs, they sealed their
testimony with their blood ; and God him
self confirmed their testimony, during the
whole course of their ministry, by the mira
culous gifts and operations of the Holy
Ghost. This was the simple method or their teach
ing, level with every one's capacity — for, they
made no pretensions to a new revelation, or
to new doctrines communicated to them by
immediate and miraculous inspiration: and
it is a great error to suppose that a new
dispensation implies a new revelation, or a new
religion ; or, to confound the one with the
other. The Apostles appealed to the prophe
cies in the Old Testament, which described
and foretold those very facts, to the real ex
istence of which the Apostles testified : And,
in the same way, they expressed the doctrines
which those facts confirmed ; i. e. by appeal-

PREFACE. xi
ing to the writings of Moses and the prophets.
— Their special testimony amounted to this —
that the promised Seed was come ; that He
had bruised the Serpent's head ; and, that in
Him all nations are now blessed. This was
'proclaiming to all nations that " faithful say
ing and worthy of all acceptation, that Jesus
Christ came into the world to save sinners;"
that he, the great High-Priest over the house
of God, gave Himself an offering and sacri
fice to God, and died for us, the Just One for
the many Unjust — that now God is recon
ciled to us by the death of his Son, and
therefore commands all men every where to
repent and believe the gospel of this salva
tion, and now to be reconciled to Him as He
is to them. It was calling and inviting sinful
creatures to a full participation of the divine
mercy and grace, and even beseeching them
to be reconciled to God ; and, the preaching
of this gospel is therefore called The Ministry
of Reconciliation.
The essential doctrines of Christianity are
called, by a most respectable author *, " The
Leading Doctrines concerning our Saviour and
the Holy Spirit;" and in his description ©f
* William Wilberfefee Esq.

xii PREFACE.
them*, he has not comprehended so much as
one of the subordinate Truths. Yet, it is not
to be supposed, that either He, or the person
who is writing this, has any design to repre
sent the subordinate Truths as obsolete, or of
no use at this time. It sureiy is of import
ance to us to be made deeply sensible of that
great defect in our common rature, as desti
tute of the spirit of holiness, a;.d prone in all its
tendencies to earthly things — it is of importance
to know our utter insufficiency, without the
grace of our Lord Jejus Christ, to will and
do any thing which is spirioially good — it is of
importance to be assured that every sincere
penitent, whether Jew or Gentile, who believes
in our Saviour, according to the truth of his
personal character and office, is justified, par
doned, and accepted of God as righteous
in his sight — it is of importance to know
that the mere profession of Christianity, how
ever exact that profession be, will avail no
thing to the eternal salvation of any one who
is not sanctified unto obedience ; and conse
quently, that they only, who are really con
formed in principle and practice to this most
gracious and merciful dispensation, are the
* Page 63.

PREFACE. xiii
elect people of God, and predestinated to the
eternal life.
If these are the subjects of the subordinate
Truths, as the Author believes them to be,
they are all implied in the essential doctrines •
or, they may be called " The essential doc
trines applied to particular cases and circum
stances of things in the visible church." If
they are not viewed and studied in this rela
tion, it is not possible, that any one should
be delivered from the prejudices, misconcep
tions, and errors which abound in the partial
interpretations of controversialists. And, it
may have been the fault of many learned
men, and the cause of failure in their attempts
to correct the errors of the various sects in
the interpretation of the subordinate Truths,
that they have not paid that regard which is
due to the essential doctrines, and have relied
altogether upon their own critical skill, and
the strength of argument, to correct those
errors. When any one knows and rightly appre
hends the Redeemer's personal character and
office, let him judge the interpretation of any
of the subordinate Truths by this standard.
A wrong interpretation will never agree with

xvi PREFACE.
^he Author trusts that he needs not to add
more to justify the preference he has given
to the subjects in the following pages. But,
he wishes the Reader to understand and re
member, that these Sermons were not written
with any design to publish them ; and, that
they are presented to him as they were deli
vered from the pulpit. If, as compositions^
they are not below what any one may reason
ably expect to hear in a country-church, and
in a mixed congregation of people of various
ranks, it may not be thought presumption in
him to hope that these Sermons may be more
useful to the generality of Readers, than com
positions intended for the critical eye of the
Learned. W.J.
West Bromwich, Staffordshire,
ioth January 1810.

SERMON I.
THE ANTIQUITY, IMPORTANCE, AND
TRUTH, OF THE DOCTRINE OF
SALVATION.
i Pet. i. 10, ii, 12.
Of which salvation the Prophets have enquired, and
searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that
should come uiTto you : searching what, or what man
ner of time, the Spirit of Christ zohich was in them did
signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of
Christ, and the glory that should follow: unto whom
it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us,
they did minister the things which are now reported unto
you by them that have preached the gospel unto you,
with the Holy Ghost sent dozen from heaven ; which
things the Angels desire to look into.
St. Peter's design, in this epistle, was
to animate the believing Jews dispersed
throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia,
and Bithynia ; to strengthen their minds
against all discouragements; and, particularly,
to fortify them against the violence of perse
cution. His argument is the Doctrine of Salvation;
which he illustrates, in our text, by its anti-

2 SERMON I.
quity, its importance, and its infallible truth.
— First, by its antiquity.
It is not a new doctrine. It was not then
first revealed and known, when the Apostles
received the gift of tongues, that they might
preach this doctrine of salvation to all nations
in their own languages.
The Apostles were merely reporters of
truths, which they had learned in the Scrip
tures by the assistance and instruction of their
divine master ; and reporters of those facts
which the Prophets foretold, and which the
Apostles had witnessed with their own eyes.
For, thus we have it in our text, " The Pro-
" phets ministered unto us," the Apostles,
" the things which are now reported unto you
44 by them." And, surely, in vain did the
Prophets minister to the Apostles in their sa
cred writings, if the Apostles acquired their
knowledge in any other way than by the true
interpretation ofthe prophetic writings.
They were, indeed, the disciples of Christ :.
but, it is a decided point, that our Lord
taught them out of the Scriptures. For, after
his resurrection, when he came into the midst
of their assembly, hesaid, " These are the words
which I spake unto you while I was yet with
23

SERMON I. 3
you, that all things must be fulfilled which
were written in the law of Moses, and in the
prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me ;"
evidently signifying the method and course of
his instruction in the interpretation of the
Scriptures; and, evidently declaring, that the
doctrine of salvation, which the Apostles were
to believe and teach, was no other than the
doctrine of the Old Testament. " And, he
opened their understanding, that they might
understand the Scriptures, saying, Thus it is
written, and Thus it behoved Christ to suffer
and to rise from the dead the third day, and
that repentance and remission of sins should be
preached in his name among all nations begin
ning at Jerusalem*."
This is plain proof of the antiquity of the
apostolic doctrine. But, you shall have fur
ther evidence of it.
" Whatsoever things were written afore-
" time" in the Old Testament, " were written
" for our instruction, that we through patience
" and comfort of the Scriptures might have
" hope-f." — The Church is said to be builded
* " Christ denied that he spake from himself, when he
" spake out of the Lazo and the Prophets." Chrysostom,
quoted in Jewel's Apology. See John vii. 16, 17, 18, 19.
viii. 26, 27, 28. xii. 49, 50. f Rom. xv. 4.
B 2

4 SERMON I.
upon the foundation of the prophets, that is"?
upon the doctrine which the ancient prophets
taught. — And, the Apostles insisted again and
again upon their own scriptural orthodoxy,
that they believed and taught no other things
than Moses and the Prophets; and, that the
facts, to which the Apostles witnessed, were
exactly those which Moses and the Prophets
did say should come to pass ; particularly, that
Christ should suffer, and that he should be
the first to rise from the dead, as the first-
fruits of a harvest, and should shew light unto
the people, Israel, and to the Gentiles ; that
is, should produce a glorious revolution in the
moral world, to be completed in the world to
come. And, to Him, Christ, give all the
Prophets witness, that, through his name, who
soever believeth in Him shall receive remission
of sins. So far is the New Testament from
"being a new revelation ; and, so far is the doc
trine of salvation from being a new doctrine.
It is, indeed, the most ancient doctrine in
the world. Itis the Truth which the Lord
God of Israel had been speaking by the mouth
of his holy Prophets ever since the world began.
—It is the truth which God revealed to the
patriarch Abraham, who, with an extacy of

SERMON I. 5
joy, anticipated the day of Christ— the
Truth which was the consolation of Noah,
typified by his salvation in the ark — the Truth
which Abel believed when he offered a more
acceptable sacrifice than Cain — the Truth
which revived Adam from the despair into
which sin had plunged him — the Truth which
he heard in the gracious declaration, that the
seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's
¦head — and, it is the Truth ofthe eternal coun
sels of Jehovah, which he purposed in
Christ before the zoorld began, and without
which the world would never have been
created. Before I was aware, I have touched upon the
Importance of this doctrine, which is the second
thing proposed in our text. For, if the doc
trine of salvation was the theme of all the
Prophets, the eternal purpose of Jehovah,
the ultimate end of all his counsels, and that
for which all things are and were created, it
has an Importance far more exceeding in weight
than every thing else which can be named ; of
more vast importance than the whole world.
Oh ! how do our little politics, which agitate
our minds so much, dwindle and fade into
nothing in comparison of it! Why; all the
*3

6 SERMON I.
interests of human nature, in relation to this
transitory state of things, and the fate of king
doms, which is only a temporal concern, are,
in comparison of the eternal salvation of one
of the poorest of my parishioners, less than
nothing and vanity.
Our Apostle illustrates the Importance of
this doctrine of salvation, by representing the
intense application of the minds of the Pro
phets to this great subject. They enquired
after it, and searched diligently, when they pro
phesied of the grace that should come unto us
in the days of the Messiah. They were not
contented with general views of the subject.
With the utmost care and zeal, they investi
gated this doctrine of salvation, tracing it out
in all particulars, " searching what, or what
manner of time, the Spirit of Christ, which
was in them, did signify, when it testified
beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the
glory that should follow."
If it be asked, What were the means they
used? What was it, in which the Prophets
searched for information ? I answer, undoubt
edly, the latter Prophets searched in the writ
ings of preceding Prophets. Thus, we are
told, Daniel, in the first year of Darius,

SERMON I. 7
searched and understood by books the number
of the years, whereof the word of the Lord
came to Jeremiah the Prophet, that he
would accomplish seventy years in the deso
lations of Jerusalem. And, Daniel, seeing
the time fulfilled, or nearly so, set his face unto
the Lord God to seek by prayer and suppli
cations, with fasting and sackcloth and ashes,
for further manifestations of the divine coun
sels. And, it was given him to understand,
that the seventy years typified seventy weeks
of years ; that, after sixty-nine weeks of years,
Messiah should be cut off, but not for him
self; and, that the new Jerusalem should be
builded in troublous times, during one of these
weeks of years, as the wall of the city would
be built in troublous times, after the return of
Israel from captivity.
Thus the Spirit of Christ in Daniel did
not inspire him with the knowledge of a new
truth, but unveiled the typical dispensation.
And, this will explain the Apostle's meaning,
in our text, how the Prophets searched, and
how they were led into the understanding of
the doctrine of salvation, and ofthe time, and
the manner of the time, in which the salvation
af God would be accomplished.
b 4

8 SERMON 1
But, were there no other books than the
writings of preceding Prophets? Yes, verily:
there was the Law ; there were the books of
Moses ; and, there were the sacramental em
blems instituted from the beginning, the most
ancient hieroglyphical characters. These de
scribed every thing that relates to the com
mon salvation, every thing that relates to the
Christian Church, even to the most minute
particulars, with the greatest exactness. And,
never was there any other picture, or type, or
figure, that presented so perfect a representa
tion as this pattern of heavenly things pro
duced by the finger of God.
In these books and sacred emblems the
Prophets looked, and searched, and enquired
diligently, for information. And, the Holy
Ghost blessed their endeavours, enlightening
their minds, in the use of the appointed means
of grace ; and inspired them with holy af
fections to declare, in their prophetical dis
courses and writings, the future accomplish
ment of God's salvation.
And this is a further illustration of the
Importance of this doctrine, namely, that the
Holy Ghost is the great Agent, in commu
nicating the knowledge of it to mankind, and

SERMON I. 9
in imparting the actual enjoyment of it to
faithful souls. You would not expect the
extraordinary interposition of such an Agent
in things of small moment; but, only in tliose
of such vast Importance as to be worthy of
his name and character.
And what can be conceived of greater Import
ance than the salvation of souls, and therein the
glory ofthe eternal God ? Itis not a mere nega
tive good. It is not merely a freedom from evil:
but, positive happiness. There is in it, indeed,
a full and final escape from all evil. All tears
shall be wiped away. That fountain of sorrow
will be dried up. All feeling, and fear, and dan
ger of evil, will be done away. There will be no
invasion of enemies, no robbing nor destroy
ing, no deceit nor guile, no voice of complain
ing in the streets of the New Jerusalem. In
this holy city will be perfect peace and perfect
bliss; because that perfect Being, God, will be
perfectly known and enjoyed as the fountain
of life and happiness : and, we shall be like
him; for, we shall see him as he is.
And, what can be conceived of equal Import
ance in this world, compared with the salva
tion which Christians experience on this side
of eternity— the sanctification of the Spirit

10 SERMON I.
unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of
Jesus Christ — the being begotten again
unto the lively hope of an inheritance incorrup
tible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away,
and which is reserved in heaven for them— 'the
being kept by the power of God through faith
unto the salvation ready to be revealed in the
last time — and, the trial of their faith, to purify
them for the enjoyment of it?
But, the Importance of the doctrine, of this
present and that future Salvation, is illustrated
in our text, by the means through which it was
obtained, viz. the sufferings of Christ and
the glory that should follow. The Prophets
diligently enquired and searched out this doc
trine of salvation in the humiliation and exal
tation of the Messiah. By his death he
overcame death; and, by his rising again, he
has opened to us the gate of everlasting life.
But, who was it that did this ? Was it a
mere man? It was the Son of God. It was
the Word made flesh. It was He, who said,
And now, Father, glorify Thou me with thine
own self with the glory which I had with
thee before the world was. He, that made
the world, redeemed it — He redeemed it, who
shall sit upon the great white throne, and

SERMON I. u
finally judge the world* He it is — Oh !
great, and most important, and glorious salva
tion, which was atchieved by the humiliation,
the sufferings, the death, of such a person ;
of whose glorious character we can obtain but
a mere glimpse ; and, that small portion of it
ineffable !
Which things the Angels desire to look into.
This is the last thing mentioned to illustrate
the Importance of this doctrine of salvation.
If, with some learned interpreters, we sup
pose that St. Peter here refers to the Che
rubim in the Holy of Holies, i. e. to the
emblematical representatives of the Father,
the Word made flesh, and the Holy Ghost,
no -word could have been chosen more proper
than that which is expressed in English by
looking into. It means to stoop down, or
bend forward, in order to view any thing with
great attention. — It expresses the very atti
tude of the Cherubim looking down upon the
Propitiatory, or Mercy-seat ; upon which the
High Priest, every year, on the great day of
atonement, sprinkled the blood of the propi
tiatory sacrifice for the sins of the people.
That sacrifice was, typically, the very sa-

12 SERMON I.
crifice of Christ, who is the true and proper
propitiation for the sins of the whole world ;
in whom God is well-pleased; through which,
and in whom, all the perfections of deity har
monize in our salvation. It is in Christ,
through Christ, for his sake, as mediator,
that God is propitious to us; in whom God
beholds all the reasons of his mercy, that is,
of its actual communication to sinful men.
And, if this indeed was the Apostle's mean
ing, nothing could more strongly express the
immense Importance of this doctrine of salva
tion, than representing the divine persons in
tent upon this great subject, as it were, bend
ing over it, and providentially directing all
things to the accomplishment of this salvation.
But, if we understand, by Angels, those
created spirits, which are sent forth to minis
ter unto the heirs of salvation, and who sung,
at the birth of Christ, Glory to God in the
highest, and on earth peace, good-will to men ;
even this illustrates the importance of this
doctrine. They desire to look into — and only
to look into, this great subject, the whole of
which surpasses the capacity of all created
¦minds — but, looking into it, the Angels behold

SERMON 1. 13
that character of deity, which is but dimly
seen, even by them, in all the other works of
God. To discern that Truth, of which the Pro
phets prophesied ; that Gospel which the
Apostles preached; to look into that great
mystery of godliness, God manifest in the flesh,
and so seen of Angels — this is their desire—-
and, Let all the Angels of God worship Him.
There is a passage, Ephes.iii. which perfectly
agrees with this interpretation of our text —
God created all things by Jesus Christ,
to the intent, that now unto the Principalities
and Powers in heavenly places — meaning the
Angels in heaven, and those of the highest
order, might be made known, by the Church*
the manifold wisdom of God — that, by what
has been transacted in the Church and re
vealed to it, the Angels might look into this
mystery and adore the divine perfections dis
played in this dispensation of mercy.
The salvation of men by Jesus Christ
is their incitement to praise; and This is their
song, uttered by the voice of many Angels
round 'about the throne, ten thousand times
ten thousand, and thousands of thousands —
Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive

14 SERMON I.
power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength,
and honor, and glory, and blessing.— And, every
creature which is in heaven and on the earth
heard I, saying, Blessing, and honor, and
glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth
upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever
and ever.
And now a word or two, on the infallible
Truth of this doctrine.
It is not a doctrine which one or two, or a
few more, pretend to have been revealed to
them by an impression upon their minds,
which, I suppose, is what is meant by direct
and immediate inspiration — It does not ap
pear, in the Scriptures, that the doctrines of
revelation were ever communicated in this
way. And, if any one pretended to such a
communication from heaven, he might be
charged with enthusiasm, and would find it
difficult to resist the charge : and he himself
would want some evidence to assure him that
he is not deceived. Another additional im
pression would not do this; for, this second
impression would want a third, and so on to as
many more as you are pleased to imagine or
to require.
The doctrines of revelation have been com-

SERMON I. i5
municated in a very different way, by such
sensible evidences to the eyes and ears of men,
that they could as certainly judge that God
spake to them as we can judge of the reality
of any one speaking to us.
What think you of the evidences which
assured more than a million of people, at
Mount Sinai, that God spake to them ? Could
they doubt the evidences of his presence,
and that awful voice which pronounced I
am the Lord thy God ? Let all the cir
cumstances which preceded the giving of the
Law, and which accompanied it, and the ex
perience which the Israelites had of the mi
raculous interposition of the Lord their God
in delivering them from Egypt, and in con
ducting them to Sinai, be considered ; you
will then say They could not doubt that it
was the Lord their God whom they heard
speaking from the holy mount. Could
Joshua, or Moses, or Abraham, or Adam,
doubt that God did indeed speak to them,
when he appeared to their very eyes, when
they heard his words, and received the most
convincing evidences of his presence ?
" But, we have the revelation of God at
second hand" — Yes ; but, with facts confirm-

t6 SERMON L
ing the report — not only those which are re
lated in the Scriptures, but which are related
in the history of human nature, and in every
history, even in histories which were intended
as a vehicle, to spread abroad the infidel opi
nions of their authors. In truth, we hold a link
of the chain which connects us with the first
revelation, and with the creation of the world,
and with God himself. The Scriptures enable
us to count the links of the chain, and to
trace the revelation of God up to its original
source, Our text directs us principally to the evi
dence of prophecy. And here, I must remark,
that the prophecies were not uttered by one
or two prophets in an obscure corner; but, on
a very conspicuous part of the theatre of the
world, by a succession of prophets during
many ages,' and even from the beginning of
time, to the day which enlightened the Gen
tiles ; when the doctrine of revelation was es
tablished in the completion of the ancient
prophecies. I must remark too, that the prophecies
which relate more immediately to the Mes
siah, to his sufferings and the glory that.
should follow, comprehend such extraordinary

SERMON I. i7
circumstances, and such a multitude of minute
discriminating particulars, that it is impossible
they should receive their accomplishment ac
cidentally : and, the Truth of God, his name
and glory, and the interests of his Church,
make it absolutely incredible that any thing
like this should be permitted to happen. And,
such prophecies as these, and which are so
important in their object, receiving their ac
complishment from time to time, and still re
ceiving it in their appointed seasons, suffici
ently establish the infallible Truth of that doc
trine to which they are related, and which they
were intended to confirm.
This is what St. Peter meant in his se
cond epistle — " We have not followed cun-
" ningly devised fables, when we made known
" unto you the power and coming of our
" Lord Jesus Christ, but were eye-wit-
" nesses of his majesty. For, he received from
" God the Father honor and glory, when there
" came such a voice to him from the excellent
" glory, This is my beloved Son in whom I am
" well-pleased. And, this voice, which came
" from heaven, we heard, when we were with
" him in the holy mount. We have also a
" more sure word of prophecy," or rather, the
prophetic word more confirmed, namely, by
c

18 SERMON I.
the advent of Messiah, and by other events,
in which the prophecies have received their
accomplishment. And, the Gospel, which is an attested de
claration of this accomplishment, or of the
prophecies, or of the facts in which they
received their accomplishment, was preached
with the Holy Ghost sent down from hea
ven. — He meant the miraculous gift of tongues,*
and other miracles wrought by the Apostles,
who went forth preaching every where, the
Lord working with them and confirming the
word with signs following, - as the Prophets
had foretold7. And this denotes the infallible
Truth of their doctrine, as the very Truth of
God; because, in addition to the consistent
testimony of the Prophets, andof the Apostles,
God also was evidently bearing witness, both
with signs and. wonders, and with divers miracles
and gifts of the Holy Ghost
So much for the Truth ofthe doctrine. But,
the certainty of-'our salvation rests upon that
sure foundation which this doctrine presents
to our faith, viz. the sufferings and the glory of
Christ — His sufferings, the purchase of our
salvation ; his resurrection, the certain proof
that the purchase is valid ; and his glory, our
assurance of glory. '

SERMON I. i9
This was his mediatorial prayer, that Where
he is, we may be also. This was his most
solemn declaration, The glory, which thou
gavest me, I have given them. This was his
promise, Because I live, ye shall live also. We
are united to the great Head, of the Church :
we are one with Christ, and Christ with
us : and, by virtue of this union, our life is hid
with Christ in God ; and, when Christ,
who is our life, shall appear, we also shall appear
with him in glory.
Thus, the doctrine of salvation is infallibly
true ; and, our full and complete enjoyment
of salvation is as certain to us, as that we
really believe in him who is the author of
it. In speaking upon so great a subject, I very
sensibly feel my own weakness. But, if what
has been said, so far answer my purpose, as
to give you an idea of the antiquity, the im
portance, and the truth, of the doctrine of sal
vation, you must see the influence which this
doctrine ought to produce upon your minds
and conduct ; and which, indeed, it cannot
fail to produce, if you really believe it.
Beware of affecting novelties in religion.
That only is Truth, which is the mos t ancient
C 2

so SERMON I.
and Catholic Truth; and which is equally
Truth in the Old Testament and the New. —
Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways,
and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the
good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find
rest for your souls.
And, if the doctrine of salvation be so im
portant to you, and of so much dignity and
worth in itself, as the Truth of God, then pay
due regard to it; and receive it, not as a spe
culative opinion, nor as the word of men, but
as the word of God.
And if, dear Brethren, the Prophets en
quired and searched diligently into this doc-.
trine ; if they applied their mihds with intense
application to the mystery of Christ's suffer
ings and the glory that should follow ; let this
commend the holy Scriptures to your constant
study; and the doctrine of Christ crucified,
and of his glorious exaltation and kingdom, to
your devout meditations.
If the Prophets applied their minds to this
subject ; if it was the very gospel which the
Apostles preached at the hazard of their lives;
if the Holy Ghost confirmed the word with
miraculous operations, as worthy of such an
interposition ; if the Son of God died to se-

SERMON I. 21
cure our salvation, or to purchase it for us by
his agonies and death; if the Angels desire to
look into this great subject ; if it be the single
project of the divine counsels, to which all the
dispensations of Providence ultimately tend ;
if it be the first and the last, the alpha and the
omega, in the mind of God, and what he com
mends to us with so much authority, and
grace, and love, and mercy; What, I pray
you, is to be thought of our frigid indifference
about it, our lukewarm profession of Christi
anity? I would ask, and yet I fear to ask,
Whether there be any superstition of Papists,
or irregularities and misguided zeal of Me
thodists, half so odious, or so unworthy of
God and Christ, and of the doctrine of sal
vation, as are the stupid formalities of many
Protestants in o' ir day, and the unmeaning,
lifeless professic7 1 and worship of a great ma
jority in the Cl irch of England ?
Let it be reii .embered, that the doctrine of
salvation is not proposed to you as a specula
tive opinion, nor merely that you should be
baptized into the forms of what is called The
Christian Religion ; but, it is The Word of
God, setting life and death before you — it
is the offer of salvation to your choice, that
C3

22 SERMON I.
you may receive and enjoy it; and, conse
quently, that you may be accountable to God
in the day of judgment, if you reject it. You
may chuse it speculatively, in an opinion of
the truth of the doctrine ; and, at the same
time, reject it practically, in your heart and
conduct. And, it is this practical choice, or
practical refusal, of God's salvation, upon
which your present security and happiness, and
eternal life; or your perdition, absolutely and
finally, depend. The case will not admit in
difference. The great God sees your heart,
and will judge your conduct.

( 23 )

SERMON II.
ISAIAH'S PROPHECY OF THE
SAVIOUR'S ADVENT.
Isaiah xl. 1, 2.

Comfort ye, comfort ye, my people, saith your God. Speak
ye comfortably to Jerusalem ; and cry unto her, that
her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is par
doned : for she hath received of the Lord's hand double
for all her sins.
1 h E Prophets sometimes spoke of future
events historically ; that is, they described
them as actions already past, or accom
plishing at the very time when the prophecies
were uttered. Probably, they did this to ex
press the certainty of their accomplishment. ;
and so, to assist the faith of those who re
ceived them ; giving, as it were, a present sub
sistence in their mind to things hoped-for,
that they might derive the same comfort from
future events, which others will enjoy, who
shall see them produced into actual being.
And, it was usual with the prophets, to de
scribe the spiritual and eternal salvation of,
men ir? terms suited to the nature of that ty
pical dispensation, or law, under which the
c 4

-24 SERMON If.
Jews were placed ; that is, they described the
spiritual and eternal salvation, in reference
to some temporal deliverance or salvation of
Israel. Sometimes, the temporal salvation is so na
turally, and sometimes so strongly expressed
in relation to the then existing circumstances
of the Jews, that an inattentive reader of the
Prophecies, or one who has a prejudiced mind,
will not easily discern the spiritual or alle
gorical meaning. This is the case, in many
of those prophecies which describe the king
dom and glory of the Messiah : and, if
this had not been the case, the Jews would
never have found so much as an apparent
reason for expecting the Messiah in the
character of a temporal prince.
But, often, the language of prophecy rises
so high above every condition of things in this
world, and so far above the probability of
being fulfilled in a literal sense, that our ex
pectations and hopes are forced, by the very
strain of these prophecies, to overlook the
reference to the temporal salvation of Israel ;
and, to contemplate only the spiritual and
eternal salvation of men. And this is remark
ably verified in this prophecy of Isaiah, and

SERMON II. 25
in the subsequent parts of this prophecy to the
end of the last chapter.
In all ages preceding our Saviour's advent,
the faithful were encouraged and comforted by
the promise of his coming, and by the promise
that all the nations of the earth should be blessed
in him. And, to this day, all our comfort in re
lation to God and to a future state, is derived
to us from him, and through the knowledge of
him: and, did we but truly believe in him, or
rightly apprehend his character, we could not
miss of comfort in any condition of our being ;
for, even in our deepest afflictions, we should
" rejoice in hope ofthe glory of God."
All our impatience in time of adversity, all
our doubts and fears, especially our guilty
fears, prove that we are ignorant, or have only
an imperfect view of our Saviour's charac
ter ; or, that our faith in him is very little, or
very weak.
We ought to consider, that the Lord has
pleasure in the prosperity of his servants; and,
that he no more delights in melancholy looks
and a disconsolate state of the soul,- than in
seeing a man literally bowing down his head
as a bulrush and spreading sackcloth and
ashes under him. But, the sincerest Chris-

26 SERMON II.
tians may be in heaviness through manifold
temptations ; and, weak believers, through
that very condition of weakness, are subject
to distressing doubts and fears. Therefore,
comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your
God — Comfort sincere penitents, and weak
believers, and suffering saints — Inform their
minds, and assure their hearts:, not only that
God is reconcileable,but that he is reconciled;
and, that now he is reconciling the world to
himself, not imputing their trespasses unto
them — Inform them, that the Gospel commit
ted to the ministers of his mercy, is a gospel
of peace to every one that hears it; or, as the
Apostle declares, It is the ministry of recon
ciliation. We are ambassadors for Christ,
as though God did beseech you by us; we pray
you in Christ's stead, Be ye reconciled to
God. For, he hath made him to be sin for us,
who knew no sin, that we may be made the
righteousness of God in him.
This, surely, is crying to Jerusalem, that her
warfare is accomplished. It is giving " know-
" ledge of salvation by the remission of sins
" through the tender mercy of God." And,
this knowledge of salvation is the only thing
that can give light to them who are sitting in

SERMON II. 27
that darkness which is the shadow of death.
For, what is there in all the world, what prin
ciples of philosophy, or argument of natural
reason, or what form of religion, or what
righteousness of man, have so much virtue in
them as to be sufficient to alleviate the pangs
of guilt, or to support us under those afflic
tions which are the bitter fruit of sin ? Or,
what medicinal cordial can be found in all the
world, that can sustain our fainting spirits,
and comfort us in the near view of death, and
in the certain prospect of judgment to come?
There is not any thing that can do this, but
" the knowledge of salvation in the remission of
" sins;" an assurance of God's pardoning
love; a persuasion that God in Christ is
our reconciled Father; and, that he will sanc
tify all our afflictions to our benefit, and, in
the end, will annihilate all evil and the cause
of it.
Comfort ye, Comfort ye my people, saith your
God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem ;
and cry unto her, that her warfare is accom
plished, that her iniquity is pardoned : for, she
hath received of the Lord'.*? hand double for
all her sins.
The expression, " She hath received double"

28 SERMON II.
cannot mean, that the Lord had punished
the Jews more severely than their iniquity and
sins deserved. It may imply the large mea
sure of their sufferings, which was double to
any measure of correction which they had
ever before experienced. And, it may have
reference to the divine compassion, as willing
to have remitted half the punishment, if the
other proportion would have been sufficient
to correct their faults and bring them to re
pentance and amendment.
What the Jews suffered in those turbulent
times preceding the destruction of their city
and temple, and during the seventy years of
their miserable captivity, was not intended
to be a legal satisfaction to the justice of
God. The only true and proper satisfaction
to the divine justice, that was ever appointed
or made, is that which Christ was to offer,
and which he has offered upon the crosfe,
when, " by the oblation of Himself once
" offered, he made a full, perfect, and sufficient
" sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction for the
" sins of the whole world," whether committed
before the law, or under the law, or since
the law. By this offering of Himself without
spot to God for us, he became the propitiation

SERMON II. ag
for our sins, as a full recompence, and an am
ple covering of our sins, whenever we repent
and turn to him. This is the ground of all
God's merciful and gracious dealings with the
children of men.
But, though the sufferings of the Jews for
their sins had not any thing in them of the
nature of a proper propitiatory sacrifice, they
were, however, a vindication of the holiness
of God ; which will never suffer sin in his
own people without correction, or without de
claring his hatred of it. But, awful as his
judgments are in this respect, they are design
ed to remove the greatest impediment to the
communication of his goodness, by making us
partakers of his holiness : that is, our heavenly
Father corrects his children for their own
profit. And surely, it could not fail to administer
consolation to the suffering Israelites, when
they were assured by the prophets, that as
soon as the Lord should have vindicated his
•own great name, which they had polluted ;
and as soon as their sufferings should have
answered the end for which they were inflict
ed ; he would no longer hide his face under
severe judgments, but would shew himself

30 SERMON II.
perfectly reconciled, by hastening the accom
plishment of his eternal mercy in the. advent
of the long-expected Messiah. And you
will find in this chapter a prophetic revelation
of those great truths and great events, by
which the Jews at that time, and believers in
all ages, were, and are, or may be assured of
a complete pacification.
Immediately after our text, in the very next
verse, the Prophet speaks of John the Bap
tist, as if he had suddenly heard his voice,
proclaiming. the near approach of the Saviour
of the world. When the joyful sound first
struck his ear, perhaps he heard it indis
tinctly, or did not comprehend its meaning,
or he doubted, as well he might, whether the .
tidings were not too good tp be true, consi
dering how unworthy the Jews and all mankind
were of so great a benefit. But, listening at
tentively, he heard and understood ; and,
being perfectly satisfied, that it was no delu
sion of his fancy, he exclaimed, The voice of
one crying in the wilderness, crying to the in
habitants of Judea, Prepare ye the way of the
Lord. — Make straight in the desart a high-r
way for our God.
Every valley shall be exalted, and every

SERMON II. 31
mountain and hill shall be made low, and the
crooked shall be made straight, and the rough
places plain ; that is, all obstacles shall be re
moved out of the way of men's salvation, the
mysterious course of divine providence will be
explained, and every thing, past, present, and
future, shall be made to conspire in the accom
plishment of God's eternal purpose of mercy.
— Or, take the Prophet's words as an exhort
ation to the Jews ; and then, this is his mean
ing, Let all obstacles be removed by sincere
repentance ; every thing in your hearts and
practices, which would unfit you for receiving
your God and Saviour. — And, the glory of
the Lord, in the salvation of his people, shall
be revealed, shall be made manifest, and pub
lished in all the world — for, all people, Jews
and Gentiles, are interested in this great event
— and all flesh shall see it together ; for, the
mouth ofthe Lord hath spoken it; viz. when he
preached before the gospel, unto Abraham,
saying, In thy seed all nations shall be blessed.
The Prophet also heard the voice of the
Lord charging the messenger, whom he had
sent to prepare his way before him : and the
voice said Cry — and he, John the Baptist,
answered, What shall I cry ? Cry this, All flesh

32 SERMON- II.
is gi^ass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the
flower of the field : the grass withereth, the
flower fadeth.—i e. tell the Jews, The glory of
their national polity and of their typical dis
pensation is fading away before the glory
which excelleth — tell them, There must be
a change of the law ; not an abrogation, but
a change of the manner of exhibiting divine
things : the form of Truth in the law shall
vanish away ; but, the Truth shall remain for
ever, and shine forth in all its heavenly lustre,
without a shadow to obscure it — tell them,
That the people, the Jews themselves, surely is
grass ; that their being the natural children of
Abraham, does not give them the privilege
of Sons in regard to the eternal inheritance ;
and, that the righteousness of the law, in its
outward form, has no virtue nor strength in it
to justify or save them — tell them, That Israel
after the flesh, must be regenerated and born
again, and become the spiritual seed of Abra
ham, through that faith which Abraham
had before he was circumcised. That is,
Preach the doctrine of repentance, without
which there cannot be any preparation for the
all-gracious Saviour : man must learn and know,
*nd/ee/ his own frail and perishing condition;

SERMON II. 33
that " there is no health in him," no stability,
nor strength, nor life, nor principle of immor
tality ; no more than there is in the grass of
the field — the grass withereth, the flower fadeth,
because the spirit of the Lord, his mighty
Truth, bloweth upon it : but, the word of our
God, his sure promise, or decree, shall stand
for ever ; and not one tittle of the law, the
smallest part of it, shall ever fail in its autho
rity and essential truth and meaning.
The passage before us is quoted by St. Peter
at the end of the first chapter of his first
Epistle ; and the connection in which it stands
will justify this interpretation of Isaiah's
prophecy, as relating to the spiritual and eter
nal salvation.
This Epistle of. St. Peter is directed to
the Jews scattered over the Lesser Asia, whom
he calls Strangers, as exiles in a foreign land.
He blesses God for them, who, according to
his abundant mercy, had begotten them again
unto a lively hope- not the hope of returning
to Canaan, and to their former state of poli
tical prosperity — but, unto a lively hope of an
other sort of inheritance, an inheritance incor
ruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away.
He assures them, that this salvation was
D

34 SERMON II.
the grand subject of ancient prophecy ; for,
says he, the spirit of Christ in the prophets
testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ
and the glory that should follow — therefore, he
wished them to gird up the loins of their mind
and hope to the end for the grace which is to
be brought unto them at the revelation of
Jesus Christ; grounding his exhortation
upon this, that they had been redeemed by the
precious blood of Christ, and had purified
their souls in obeying the Truth through the
Spirit, being born again by the incorruptible
seed of the Word of God, which liveth and
abideth for ever.
To impress upon them a lively sense and
feeling of their infinite obligations to the grace
of God in Christ Jesus, he contrasts their
former condition, when they were carnal
Jews, with their present experience and hopes ;
and this he does in the very words of
Isaiah, and in the same meaning which I
have given to them. — For all fiesh" is as grass,
and all the glory of man — not the goodliness
of the flowfer of the field, as in Isaiah's
-prophecy, but the glory of man, of every man
in his natural state, however distinguished,
however accomplished, though descended from

SERMON II. 35
Abraham and circumcised, and blameless
as touching the righteousness of the law, or
whatever else there be of which he may boast
— the glory of man is as the flower of grass —
The grass withereth, and the flower thereof fall
eth away: but, the Word of The Lord endureth
for ever. And this, said Peter, is the
Word, that Word of which Isaiah spoke —
This, which by the gospel is preached unto
you. And thus, St. Peter gives a plain and
direct testimony, that the salvation of which
Isaiah prophesied in this 40th Chapter, is
the spiritual and eternal salvation of men by
Jesus Christ.
Having heard these joyful tidings of the
salvation of men from their frail and perishing
condition, the enraptured Prophet exclaimed,
O Zion, that bringest good tidings — or ra
ther, addressing The Lord's messenger,
John Baptist, 0 Thou thai bringest good tid
ings to Zion, Thou that tellest good tidings
to Jerusalem; get thee up into the high
mountain — ascend some lofty eminence, from
which thy voice may be heard afar off by all
in every part of the country — lift up thy ">oice
with strength ; lift it up ; be not afraid : Say
unto the cities of Judah, Behold Your God*
d 2

36 S E R M O N II.
But, how is it possible, that mortal eyes
should see Him that is invisible — Him that
dwelleth in light inaccessible — Whom no man
hath seen, nor can see ? They were to behold
him in the face of Jesus Christ, who is the
image ofthe invisible God, the express image
of his person; for, God was in Christ re-
concilingthe world untoHiMSELF — They were
to behold Him with the eyes of their mind, by
believing the Gospel of their salvation.— Thus,
they were to behold their God ; and, not
the God of the Jews only, but of the Gentiles
also ; in every sense and meaning ofthe word,
that can inspire hope and joy, their God, and
ours ! !
Behold ! Tne Lord God will come with
strong hand, mighty to save, and his arm shall
rule for him — Behold ! his reward is with him,
and his work before him. He shall feed his
flock, care for his people, like a Shepherd : he
shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry
them in his bosom, and gently lead those
that are. with young — that is, he will attend
to their wants, and condescend to help
their infirmities with the most perfect tender
ness. Aud, shall I pass on without declaring
23

SERMON II. 37
more explicitly the Shepherd of whom the
Prophet speaks ? Did not our Saviour say unto
the Jews, 7 am the good Shepherd, that good
Shepherd, the Shepherd of Israel, He that led
Joseph like a flock, He that dwelled between
the Cherubim ? Yes ; He it was of whom the
Prophet spoke and wrote this : for, there ne
ver was but one Shephesd of Israel ; and, that
good Shepherd laid down his life for the
sheep; for God was in Christ, and pur
chased his Church with his own blood- — In
his love and pity, He redeemed them, and
" carried them all the days of old :" and,
he watches over them still, and exercises the
same care and love.
His sheep are they, who hear his voice and
follow him. A flock pastured under the daily
inspection and care of their Shepherd, soon learn
to distinguish his voice and the meaning of his
voice, and to obey and follow him. And His
sheep are not only those ofthe house of Israel
who believe in him ; but, other sheep he has
which were not of that fold : the Gentiles also
have heard his voice, and follow him ; and, of
as many as do so, whether Jews or Gentiles,
he said, I know my sheep, and am known of
mine; and I give unto them eternal life, and
» 3

38 SERMON II.
they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck
them out of my hand. And who could ever say
this, or utter such language, excepting only
that Shepherd of Israel, of whom the Psalmist
sung, Jehovah -is my Shepherd; I cannot
want f
Oh ! How great his name, who conde
scended to the work of mercy ! It was He
that created the world, and without whom
was not any thing made that was made — ¦
for thus the Prophet goes on to describe his
character : It is He that measured the waters
in the hollow of his hand, and measured out
the heavens with his span ; that comprehended
the dust, the innumerable atoms, of the earth
in his exact measure ; , that weighed the moun
tains in the scales of his most perfect judg
ment, and the hills in his equal balance.
But, let not this astonishing Truth con
found your faith. For, was it God, who cre
ated this material frame, and formed all the
creatures which inhabit this earth ? And, does
the spiritual world, or any part of it, and
those who are forming for a higher condition
in that spiritual world, acknowledge an infe
rior creator ? Was it The Lord God, and
his out-stretched arm, who redeemed Israel

SERMON II. 39
from Egypt, and made a way for them through
the sea, and supported them forty years in
a barren wilderness ? And, shall the Church,
which is called " The Church of the living
" God, the Church of the First-born whose
" names are written in heaven," acknow
ledge that an inferior Saviour, or an infe
rior Power, redeemed them from the more
miserable state and condition of sin and death,
and subdued the Powers of darkness, and
rescued them from the tyranny of Satan ?
Or, that an inferior Power upholds and sup
ports the Church in the midst of innumera
ble temptations, and conducts every mem
ber of it in their difficult pilgrimage to the
land of promise ?
O monstrous absurdity, of those who call
themselves Rational Divines; who attribute
the first creation to the eternal God ; but,
the new creation, which is as far above the
other as heaven is higher than the earth,
they attribute to an inferior deity ! O mon
strous absurdity, to. ascribe the temporal sal
vation of the tribes of Israel to that God
which created the heaven and the earth;
but, the eternal salvation of millions, and of
millions of millions, of fallen creatures, and
the raising up sinful men, formed out of
D4

40 SERMON II.
the dust, to an equality with angels in hea
ven, This, This Salvation, they ascribe to a
mere man, and to every one's own personal
exertions and merit ! !
But, let it be our glory and triumph, that
the same God, who made the world, redeemed
it— that He, who was the Redeemer and
Saviour of Israel is the only Redeemer and
Saviour " of all the ends of the earth." Let
us remember, how often in this prophecy
and the subsequent parts of it, it is said, I
Jehovah am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer,
the Holy One of Israel ; and, I will not
give my glory to another — I, even I, am
Jehovah ; and beside me there is no Saviour
— and, all flesh shall know, that I Jehovah
am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the Migh
ty O^e of Jacob.
And, let these solemn declarations be
compared with the character of Christ
in the New Testament ; for assuming which,
in calling himself the Messiah, the Jews
would have stoned him to death—and, let
them be compared with that testimony of
John Baptist, He that cometh from above, is
above all ; and, with that testimony of
St. Feter* to this high character of being
* Acts iv. 12.

SERMON II. 41
he one and only Saviour, that was ever heard
of, or known, or revealed ; and that this tes
timony was given in the Sanhedrim during
the continuance of the Old Testament dispen
sation*; and therefore could not be true,
unless Jehovah, Lord God of Israel, had
been in Christ redeeming, saving, and re
conciling the world unto Himself.
And, the plan of mercy, in the salvation of
men, originated in Himself, in his own eter
nal counsel, wisdom, and goodness. For, the
Prophet asks, Who hath directed the Spirit
of The Lord ; or, as a counsellor, hath taught
him? With whom took He counsel, and in
structed him, and taught him in the path of
judgment, and taught him knowledge, and
shewed unto him the way of understanding f
Nor does the plan of his merciful providence,
in the execution of it, depend at all upon
man's merit, or upon works of righteousness
which he has done ; or, upon man's help, or
strength, any more than the contrivance of
the plan depended upon the concurrence of his
wisdom and will. For, behold, in these re
gards, the nations are as a drop of the bucket,
and are counted as the small dust ofthe balance,
' * Acts iv. 5, 6, 7, 8.

42 SERMON II.
having no importance, no weight at all, in
this great affair — and, the forest of Lebanon
is not sufficient to burn, nor all the beasts thereof
sufficient for a burnt-offering, either as a sa
crifice worthy of God, or sufficient to take
away the sin of the world. In these regards,
all nations before , Him are as nothing, and
they are counted to him less than nothing and
vanity. Who then by searching can find out God,
or conceive of him as He is ? Who can ex
press his character by any comparison, or
similitude, or image ? There cannot be any
thing more senseless, or more unworthy of
God than the idols and superstitions of the
heathen. But, God has revealed himself, in the
way of his mercy ; for, . have ye not heard the
report of him? hath it not been told you from
the beginning? have ye not understood from
the foundations of the earth ? namely, by the
revelation of himself, when he communicated
to Adam the purpose of his mercy, and when
he renewed that revelation to Abraham,
and confirmed it by all his Prophets.
It is He that sitteth upon the circle of the
earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grass
hoppers ; that stretcheth out the heavens as a

SERMON II. 43
curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to
dwell in— not as retiring* from the obser
vation of his works as unworthy of his regard,
or as indifferent to the actions of men, whom
he made accountable creatures— -But, he sitteth
upon the circle of the earth, to govern the
world, to direct and controul its powers, and
to render them subservient to his wise and
holy, and gracious and merciful designs : He
bringeth princes lo nothing; he maketh the
judges of the earth as vanity : yea, they shall
not be planted ; yea, they shall not be sown ;
yea, their stock shall not take root in the earth :
and He shall blow upon them, in their most
flourishing condition, and all the great states
and empires of the world shall rise and fall,
shall wither and decay, and lhe whirlwind oi 'his
awful providence shall take them away as stub
ble, to fulfil his counsel, either to stop the pro
gress of general depravity, or fo fulfil the pur
pose of his mercy towards his Church — To
whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal ?
saith The Holy One.
Lift up your eyes on high, and behold the
stars which shine in the firmament. Who hath
created these, and bringeth out their host by
number? He calleth them all by names, placing

44 SERMON II.
and commanding them, by the greatness of
his might. And, for that He is strong in
power, not one of them faileth. — And, the
same sovereign will and power protects and
guard his people, so that the gates of Hell
never prevail against them.
If then this be the character of the great
and good Shepherd of Israel; if He live for
ever ; if He be the Head over all things for
his body's sake the Church ; Why sayest thou,
O Jacob ; and, Why speakest thou, O Israel ;
saying, My way is hid from The Lord, and my
judgment is passed over from my God ? Why
use words of despair, or even of doubt ? Is
he not able to save, and to save to the utter
most ? And, is he not as willing as he is able?
Behold, as his majesty is, so is his mercy.
Poor creature, thou who art sinking under
thy burden, and tremblest at his word, and
fearest before him, Why do thoughts arise in
thy heart, as if he were not able, or not willing
to save thee ? Hast thou not known by expe
rience in Egypt, in the wilderness, and in
Canaan? or, Hast thou not heard, by the
mouth of all the Prophets, and of all the
ministers of God's word, even this, that the
everlasting God, The Lord, the creator of

SERMON II. 45
the ends of the earth, faint eth not, neither is
weary, in the exercise of his merciful power ?
There is no searching of his understanding, the
depth of his wisdom, the mystery of his pro
vidence, or the extent of his power. He giveth
power to the faint ; and to them that have no
might, he increaseth strength ; so that the more
sensibly weak any one is that trusts in him,
so much the stronger shall he be in the The
Lord and in the power of His might. Even
the youths shall faint, and be weary, and the
young men shall utterly fall : for, the natural
vigor of man gives no advantage here ; and,
they who trust in themselves, whatever be
their wisdom or strength, shall utterly fail in
the day of trial; but, they that wait upon The
Lord shall renew their strength ; they shall
mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run,
and not be weary ; they shall walk, and not
faint. — The greater their exertions are, the
more vigorous shall they grow.
Such are the contents of this wonderful
chapter. The subject, from the beginning to the
end, is the Salvation of God — not that salvation
which Israel experienced in their return from
Babylon. The language of the Prophet rises
far above that private event. It is evidently

46 SERMON II.
a description of the eternal salvation, and of
the Author of that salvation which John
Baptist declared, when he proclaimed the
Advent of Messiah; a salvation, which God
accomplished in the person of Christ, and
which He is now perfecting in all that believe
and call upon him.
It is evident, from this view of the whole
chapter, that whoever would comfort afflicted
consciences, and whoever would receive the
consolations of God, must pay special regard
to the great Truths of revelation, as the prin
ciples of all that is good and happy in reli
gion : he must apprehend the character of
God as it is revealed in his word : he must
understand what God has done for us men
and for our salvation; and, what he has pro
mised to do in every one, and for every one,
that faithfully trusts in him and calls upon
him. Without this knowledge of God, mi
nisters will preach in vain, and the people will
hear in vain. Without this knowledge, it is
not possible that any one should be esta
blished in the faith — Without it, he cannot
be assured of God's pardoning mercy and
paternal love; he cannot be comforted in the
blessed hope of eternal life. The grand and

SERMON II. 47
peculiar doctrines of revelation are the founda
tion upon which the Church is built, and upon
which its security depends; and, these doctrines
are the wells of salvation, out of which both
ministers and people must draw those living
waters, which quench the heat of sin in in
flamed consciences, which reconcile men to
their lot, and which refresh and cheer and
animate weary pilgrims in their progress
through this world of sin and sorrow.
But, in this revelation of the great God,
there is an awful and most tremendous ma
jesty, which has a powerful tendency to excite
in every one, to whom it is imparted, a lively
sense of his own accountableness to God.
And, it is this, which awakens the votaries of
pleasure and the plodding sons of care from
their atheistical dream of happiness in transi
tory enjoyments. — It is this revelation of the
divine character, which urges habijual sinners
to repentance, that is, to forsake their sins
and fly from the wrath to come; for, the
goodness, mercy, and grace of God are not
more manifest, in this revelation, than his
-holiness, justice, and truth ; nor are his pro-
"mises more plainly declared than his awful
threatenings ; nor his readiness to forgive and

48 SERMON II.
save penitent sinners, than his fixed decree to
punish the impenitent with everlasting de
struction. Only supposing, that I have given the true
interpretation of this chapter, or that the in
terpretation agrees with the general sense and
meaning of the Scriptures, one would think it
impossible that, you can have heard it with
indifference, or can go away without forming
a resolution to pay greater attention to a doc
trine of such infinite importance. — I call it
infinite, because the importance of this reve
lation must be estimated by the infinite dig
nity, majesty, and power of the great and
glorious Being who is the subject of it, and
who condescended to be the Redeemer and
Saviour of men ; and also, by the eternal
weight of glory, or the eternal misery and
ruin, which will be, and which must be, the
consequence of receiving, or of rejecting the
salvation of God.
The vast importance of this doctrine for
bids all indifference in the profession of it.
It must be as every thing to you, and more
than every thing in this world ; or, it will be
nothing. If your's be the inconsistent, un
decided character, which implies the absence,

SERMON II. 49
or want of an earnest, and sincere attention to
the salvation of God, in this case, it is not
possible, nor indeed is it fit, that you should
take the comfort which is offered only to sin
cere penitents and weak believers and suf
fering saints. And, this revelation of God
and our Saviour cannot be of any use to you,
but as it may awaken guilt in your consciences,
and discharge that indifference from your
heart. And, when that indifference is done away,
you will have yet to learn the humiliating
truth of man's insufficiency, that all flesh is
as grass, and aU the glory of man as the
flower of the field — The grass withereth ; the
flower fadeth — And, " let it wither — let it
fade"— But, the Word of our God shall stand
for ever. Come to this point through sincere
repentance — Believe this word of God, which
is our only sure foundation of hope — and
then, as you practically build upon this
foundation, you will derive comfort to your
selves from God in all your distresses of con
science ; you will find support in all trials and
afflictions; and, in the end, everlasting life
will be your exceeding great reward ; for, this
God will be your God for ever and ever.
E

( do 5
SERMON III.
ON THE BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST.
Isaiah ix. 6.
For unto us a Child is horn ; unto tis a Son is given ;
and the Government shall be upon His shoulder : and His
Name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor,
The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father,
The Prince of Peace.
It is almost impossible to repeat this text,
and not pronounce it with the voice of tri
umph. The subject is of infinite importance.
The whole world ; all mankind, in all ages,
are interested in it. He, the hope of Israel,
the desire of all nations, the theme of all the
prophets ; whose day Abraham contem
plated with a tumult of joy — He is come !
He is born ! He has accomplished the purpose
of his coming — He has ascended up on high
— He bas led captivity captive; and, is set
down on the right hand of The Majesty
on High.-
But, who can express the wonderful acts
ofthe Loud, or shew forth all his praise?
Who can perfectly unfold all the plan of this

SERMON III. 51
merciful providence ? Who can comprehend
all the mysterious characters of -the Saviour
of the world ? Some portions of this great
subject may be distinctly viewed, and plainly
declared. But, there is a bound, beyond
which the human eye cannot distinguish ob
jects in their just proportion : And, there is
a line, beyond which, we may perceive there
are many things, more and greater than the
mind can comprehend ; and which, therefore,
the tongue should not attempt to explain.
The character of Christ is one of these
great and inexplicable subjects: No man
knoweth the Son, but the Father. And yet,
the word of revelation has so plainly declared
Him, and placed him, as it were, within the
reach of our faculties, that every one, even
those of the meanest abilities, may contem
plate so much of his glorious character as
will compel him to exult that Unto us a Child
is born ; Unto us This Son is given.
What manner of child is this? It is the
child Jesus ; It is the Son of Mary ; It
is the Son of God — Laid in a manger ; and is
in the bosom of The Father — Made un
der the Law ; obedient to the Law of Moses :
subject to his parents ; and yet, The Prince
E 2

52 SERMON III.
of Life, The Lord' of Glory — So poor,
He had not where to lay his head ; indebted
to the charity of a few pious women ; despised
and rejected of men ; a man of sorrows ;
agonizing in Gethsemane ; nailed to a cross ;
and expiring in convulsions of body and mind ;
and yet, the Government is on His shoulder :
He has all power in heaven and earth : all
things committed to his hand ; has a name
above every name ; is exalted far above all
principality, and power, and might, and do^
minion ; all the Angels of God worship Him ;
and, to Him every knee must bow. He shall
be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The
Mighty God, The Everlasting Fa
ther, The Prince of Peace.
Of this child that was born ; of this Son
that was given ; of this man of sorrows ; of
this poor, despised, persecuted Jesus ; St.
Paul thus wrote, in his Epistle to the Co
lossians ; " Who is the Image of the invisible
God ; The First-born of every creature.. For,
by Him were all things created that are in
heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invi
sible, whether they be Thrones, or Dominions,
or Principalities, or Powers : All things were
created by Him, and for Him ; and He is

SERMON III. 53
before all things ; and, by Him all things con
sist. And, He is the Head of the body, the
Church ; who is The Beginning, The First-
Bom from the Dead ; that, in all things, He
might have the Pre-eminence."
With this passage, I connect the beginning
of St. John's Gospel. " In the beginning was
The Word," the Logos, a name well known
by the Jews, and applied to that Jehovah*",
who appeared in the human form to their
fathers — " In the beginning was The Word ;
and The Word was with God: and The
Word was God. The same was, in the Be
ginning, with God. All things were made
by Him ; and, without Him, was not any
thing made that was made. In Him was
Life ; and, The Life was the Light of men.
And The Light shineth in darkness ; and, The
Darkness compiehended it not. — There was
a man sent from God, whose name was John.
The same came for a witness, to bear witness
of The Light ; that all men, through him,
might believe. He was not That Light ; but,
was sent to bear witness of That Light. That
was the true Light, which lighteth every man
that cometh into the world. He was in the.
* mrv-m The Word — Jehovah.
E 3

54 SERMON III.
world ; and, the world was made by Him ; and,
the world knew Him not. He came unto his
own, country; and, his own, people,
received Him not. But, as many as received
Him, to them gave He power to become The
Sons of God, even to them that believed
in His Name. Which were born, not of
blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the
will of man, but, of God. And, The Word
was made flesh; and dwelt among us full of
Grace and Truth: and, we beheld his Glory,
the Glory as of The Only-Begotten of
The Father."
Without attempting to explain, and with
out pretending to be able to explain, the full
meaning of these passages in the sacred Scrip
tures ; I venture to offer to your devout me
ditations that little, which, I think, may be
clearly discerned and clearly expressed.
Jehovah, that most adorable name, by
which the Supreme Existence, and the abso
lute Perfection ofthe divine Nature, is declared
unto us — He, that Eternal Being, is so holy,
so pure, and jealous, and so infinitely removed
from the condition of all creatures, that it is
impossible He should rest satisfied in any crea
ture, though the work of His own hands ;

SERMON III. 55
because it is, and must be, the proper condi
tion of a creature, that is, of dependent Beings,
to be frail and far removed from the purity,
the perfection, and stability of the divine Na
ture. Neither the world, nor men, nor angels,
could stand one moment in his sight, unless,
beholding them through a Mediator, by
whom the glory of God might be illustrated
in His works*.
There is a plurality in the supreme ex
istence. For, though the absolute perfection
of the divine nature exclude all essential dif
ference, so that there cannot be any thing in
God greater or less, before or after ; yet, it
admits personal distinctions, in regard to the
counsels of Jehovah and the divine opera
tions, if God work in the production and go
vernment of creatures. If it were not so, it
seems impossible that God, should condescend
to any work of creation, because there would'
be no sufficient Mediator, through whom the
creature might begin to exist and be pre
served. The eternal Word, or Logos, a name proper
to that divine Power, or Person, by which the
counsel, the will, and character of Jehovah
* See Lord Bacon's Confession in the Scholar Jrmtd^
e 4

56 ' SERMON III.
have been and are expressed — He assumed
the office of Mediator : He created the world :
The heavens are the work of His hands. This
world, the earth and sea, were made by Him ;
and, without Him was not any thing made
that was made. He upholds the universe ;
and, in Him we live, and move, and have our
being. In Him was Life ; and, He, The Li fe,
was the light of men.
All things are naked and open to the eyes of
Him with whom we have to do. Before the
creation, He saw all possibilities of things, and
those which have been and shall be. The
foresight of evil, we are apt to think, should
have prevented the creation; and, doubtless,
would have prevented, if the office of Medi
ator had been to cease necessarily with the
introduction of sin and death. But, whereas
the mediation of The Eternal Word was to
extend, beyond creation, to its ruined condi
tion, to produce greater good out of the evil,
to advance the glory of God, in the redemp
tion of the world, above all his other works,,
He said, " Let the world be ;" and, the world
was created.
To accomplish this redemption, The Eternal
Word did, as it were,, empty Himself, laid

SERMON III. 57
aside His glory, bowed the heavens, and came
down to dwell with men. He was made flesh,
and tabernacled for a while, personally, in the
human nature, here upon this earth. He
united Himself to That Holy Thing, which
was born of the virgin Mary; which, being
cdnceived of the Holy Ghost, not in the
natural order of conception, but by the im
mediate interposition and power of The
Highest, is therefore called The Son of
God. This man, this Son of God, thus conceived
and born into the world, and dignified by the
incarnation of the Logos, became The Image
ofthe invisible God, the express Image of His
person ; through whom, the power and glory,
the holiness and righteousness, the goodness,
the mercy, and the love of God, His infinite
condescension and His eternal Truth, shone
forth, and dispelled the darkness of this
benighted world.
God was manifest in the flesh; was seen of
Angels, through this medium ; was preached
unto the world; and men beheld the light of
the knowledge of the glory of God in the face
of Jesus Christ. Therefore, he said,
" He that hath seen me, hath seen the Father."

58 SERMON III.
And, not for this reason only ; but because*
by the incarnation of the Logos, he was
united to God ; and, could say, " I and the
Father are one."
He called God his Father. He said that
God was His own Father, •na.-r^a tlm ; meaning,
not one divine person distinguished from
another, but the whole undivided Trinity, the
supreme Existence, God. For, though the
persons in the godhead are distinguished in
their operations, yet are they one Essence,
one Jehovah. Therefore, if the Logos, the
eternal Word, dwelt in the man Christ, the
whole fulness of the Godhead, as St. Paul
speaks, dwelt in him bodily. It is my Father,
of whom ye say that He is your God* — The
Father is in me, and I in himj* — The words
that I fpeak unto you, I speak not of myself;
but, The Father that dwelleth in me He
doeth the works J.
To say, that a mere man, though without
spot of sin, if such a one could be found; or,
to say that a mere creature, or an angel, one
of the highest order of created Beings, an
arch-angel, — to say, that such a one may me
diate between God and man, would be ascrib-
* John viii. 54. f lb. x. 38. J Ib. xiv. 10, 11.

SERMON III. 59
ing to that mere creature an office, which, the
frailty of his own nature and the absolute
perfection of Jehovah require another should
undertake and exercise for himself. And, if a
mere creature may not presume to mediate for
a creature, much less for a sinful creature.
When, therefore, we say, There is one Me
diator between God and men, the man Christ
Jesus, we speak of that man, Christ, in relation
to ourselves, as participating the common
condition of human nature ; to shew that Je
sus Christ is the Saviour of all men, and
not of one nation only, nor of the poor, nor
ofthe rich, exclusively ; and, to shew that the
man, Christ, is that part of the golden chain,
by which the Logos unites men to God.
But, we consider this one Mediator, the man
Christ Jesus, not merely as man ; but, as a
man personally united to the eternal Word,
in whom the eternal Word, the Mediator of
the universe, accomplished the redemption of
sinful creatures.
If we consider what is required, of one who
would mediate between God and men, we
shall see that such a person as I have at
tempted to describe, is requisite, to discharge
the mediatorial office, between the holy God

60 SE'RMON III.
and a fallen world^that he must be above
all creatures, and yet participate our nature.
He must be able to do, what seems to require
a greater exertion of almighty power, than
the production of matter and of intelligent
existences : He must secure the glory of the
divine perfections, in a dispensation of mercy
and grace towards guilty and depraved crea
tures. He must redeem sinful men from the
curse of sin by a propitiatory sacrifice ; a sa
crifice which hath an immense value ; a sacri
fice, which will express the entire guiltiness of
man, the utter demerit of sin, and satisfy the
justice of God, so that He appear just in
pardoning iniquity, transgression, and sin, and
holy in shewing favor to those who deserve
his wrath. He must be able to subdue the
kingdom and power of Darkness ; and, to re
generate the human nature ; and, in order to
this, he must be set at God's own right hand;
must sit upon the throne of God, and hold
and exercise sovereign dominion and unlimited
power ; be the Head over all things to his
Church, angels, authorities, and powers, being
made subject unto Him. He must know all
things; discern the character of every crea
ture—he must seach all hearts— he must hear

SERMON III. 61
the prayers of his Church, and the secret
sighing of every member ot it, and be able
to sympathize with his Saints in all their suffer
ings. He must be able to quicken whom he
will, to relieve and bless, to correct and pu
nish, an infinite multitude of people, in an
infinite variety of circumstances, at one and
the same time, and in a succession of ages.
He must raise the dead; and, finally judge the
world. That a mere man, or any mere creature,
should do all this, seems utterly impossible.
And, it seems utterly inconsistent with the
condition of this fallen world, that the eternal
Word should accomplish this great salvation,
unless by becoming incarnate and partici
pating humanity ; because the guiltiness of
human nature required, that our salvation be
grounded upon a propitiatory sacrifice. " For,
it became Him, for whom are all things, and
by whom are all ihings, in bringing many
sons unto glory, to make the Captain of
their salvation perfect through sufferings.
For as much then as the children," those
whom he would redeem, " are partakers of
flesh and blood, he also Himself likewise took
part of the same, that through death he might

62 SERMON III.
destroy him that had the power of death,
and deliver them, who, through fear of
death, were all their life-time subject to
bondage. For, verily he took not on him the
nature of angels ; but, he took on him the
seed of Abraham. Wherefore, in all
things, it behoved Him to be made like unto
his brethren, that he might be a merciful
and faithful High-priest, in things pertain
ing to God, to make reconciliation
FOR THE SINS OF THE PEOPLE: for,
in that He Himself hath suffered, being
tempted, He is able to succour them
that are tempted,"—" Such an High-priest
became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled,
separate from sinners, and made higher than
the heavens" — Who, " being the brightness
of his glory, and the express image of His per
son, and upholding all things by the word
of his power, when He had, by Himself,
purged our sins, sat down on the right hand
of the Majesty on high ; being made so
much better than the angels, as he hath
by inheritance obtained a more excellent
name than they"— Who, " being in the form
of God, thought it not robbery to be equal
with God : but, made himself of no repu-

SERMON III. 63
tation, and took upon him the form of a ser
vant, and was made in the likeness of men, and
being found in fashion as a man, he humbled
himself, and became obedient unto death,
even the death of the cross. Wherefore,
God also hath highly exalted him, and given
him a name, which is above every name ;
that at the name of Jesus every knee
should bowr, of things in heaven, and things
in earth, and things under the earth ; and, that
every tongue should confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord to the glory of God, the
Father." " It pleased the Father, that in
Him should all Fulness dwell ; and, having
made peace through the blood of his cross,
by Him to reconcile All Things unto Himself ;
by Him, I say, whether they be things in
earth, or things in heaven."
This great mystery of godliness, in the
redemption of the world, through the me
diation of THE WORD MADE FLESH, is the
perfect centre of all God's ways, with his
creatures. It isThat, without which, or without
respect to which, the creature had never been ;
and, unto which, all the works of God and the
wonders of his providence, both general and
particular, do but serve and refer ; and, unto

64 SERMON III.
which, they shall all finally be resolved. —
The last and final cause, was first in the mind,
and principal in the counsels of Jehovah.
Jesus Christ, his kingdom and government,
his salvation and glory, are the completion of
all God's works ; the consummation of His
eternal purpose. He was set up from everlast
ing : He was the Lamb slain from the foun
dation of the world : He was the Alpha, and
is the Omega ; The Beginning, and The End ;
The First, and The Last ; who is before all
things ; and, by Him all things consist.
This great mystery of godliness is what
the Angels desire to look into ; and only
look into, without hope of penetrating the
depth of this mystery, and of beholding all
its glory. How inadequate then must be our
conceptions of it ! and, how imperfect, how
deficient, must have been my expressions
of it !
O Jehovah, our Governour, how excel
lent is thy name in all the earth ! who hast
set Thy Glory above the heavens. Out ofthe
mouth of babes and sucklings, thou hast or
dained strength, and often perfected thy
praise. O then, bless this day, the imperfect
accents of my faultering tongue ! Help this

SERMON III. 65
people to think worthily of Thee ; to appre
hend Thy greatness and Thy goodness, the
h ight of Thy glory, and the depth of Thy con
descension; to apprehend the manifold wisdom
of God in his works and ways ; especially ; in
the work of mercy, in the way of Thy salva
tion. Let them discern Thine out-stretched
arm, rescuing man from the lowest abyss of
sin and misery, and renewing the face of the
earth. Give them a lively apprehension of thy
power, thine all-sufficiency to save them, even
to the uttermost : and, make them know that
love of thine, which passeth knowledge — to
know that thy love, O Saviour ofthe world,
is as great as thy power, and neither knows
measure nor end — Or, is only limited by the
obstinate unbelief of those who, with infinite
folly and wickedness, are devoted to the world,
and scorn and despise thy grace — who harden
their hearts, and wilfully close their eyes ;
and, therefore, stumble on and deeper fall—
and, none but those, who thus exclude them
selves^ are excluded from thy mercy.
Make This to be the subject of our exul
tation and praise this day ; our boast through
time, our consolation in the hour of death, and
our bliss through eternit}^ that Untous a Child

66 SERMON III.
is born, Unto us a Son is given; and, that the
Government is upon His shoulder, who is called,
and truly called, Wonderful, Counsel
lor, The Mighty God, The Everlast
ing Father, The Prince of Peace.

I 67 )
SERMON IV.
ON CALLING HIS NAME JESUS.
Matthew i. 21.
Thou shalt call his name Jesus ; for, He shall save his
people from their sins.
Joshua and Jesus are the same name in
different languages*.
Joshua, the successor of Moses, was at
first called Oshea; which signifies to save, or
a Saviour. But, afterwards, he was called
Jehoshea, or, as it is commonly pronounced
Joshua; which signifies Jehovah will save,
or Jehovah the Saviour; intimating this
at least, that the Israelites should not trust
in an arm of flesh, nor look to their visible
* Joshua in the Hebrew tongue — ino-ot*?, Greek ; and
which, in the Latin tongue, is contracted into Jesus.
In the Septuagint, or Greek Translation, the Book of
Joshua is entitled ihSOts nath, Jesus son of Nun<:
and, in every part of the Greek Version, Joshua is trans
lated inmvf — and twice, in the New Testament, Joshua,
the successor of Moses, is called iw?, Jesus. See
Acts vii. 45 ; and Heb. iv. 9.
F 3

68 SERMON IV.
Leader for salvation; but, to Jehovah, who
would save them by him.
If this be the meaning of the name Joshua,
in relation to the temporal salvation of Israel,
and to their gaining possession of the earthly
Canaan, for, it was not their own arm that
helped and saved them ; nor was it Oshea ;
but Jehovah, " thy right hand and thine
arm, O Jehovah the Saviour, and the
light of thy countenance, because Thou hadst.
a favor unto them"  If, I say, this be the'
meaning of the name, and of imposing the
name Joshua, it must be the meaning of the
name Jesus, in relation to a higher dispen
sation of Providence, a greater salvation, and
to the possession of the eternal inheritance..
And so the name Jesus is explained in our
text. Thou shalt call his name Jesus ; for,
auraq, He Himself, He that is, shall save His
own people from their sins; that is, Jehovah
will save them ; for, no mere human being
could claim the Israelites as his own people.
But, this is not all ; for, this explanation is
confirmed by the word of prophecy — "* AH
this was done, that it might be fulfilled, which
was spoken of the Loi*d by the Prophet, say
ing, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and

SERMON IV. 69
shall bring forth a Son, and they shall call his
name Emmanuel ; which, being interpreted,
is God with us." But, how can the calling
his name Jesus be a fulfilment of this pro
phecy ; if the sense and meaning of the name
Jesus do not comprehend the full sense and
meaning of Emmanuel ? and, what else is God
with us, than Jehovah our Saviour*?
The History of the Jews, in the Books of
Moses, was altogether a typical history,
presenting to the very senses of mankind an
example or pattern of heavenly things, that is
of themerciful, yet awful dispensation of God's
providence, in saving his elect and destroying
the wicked and finally impenitent.
Abstract reasoning, upon the principles of
natural philosophy, is above the comprehen
sion of mankind. It is a mode of reasoning
which makes no good impression, and no
lasting impression at all, upon the minds of
those few learned men, who are best able to
* If the Reader suspect the soundness of this interpre
tation, he is .desired to consult Pearson on the second
Article of the Creed ; in which also he may find enough
to justify every part of this discourse. He is desired
also to consult Purkhwst's Greek Lexicon on the words
aHIOTS and FMW ANOYHA. *3

7o SERMON IV.
pursue metaphysical disquisitions. Therefore,
God has condescended to human infirmity,
and teaches the knowledge of divine Truths
in that way which is level with every one's
capacity ; namely, by sensible appearances,
by historical facts, and by making the mate
rial system and visible scenes of action in it
types, examples, or patterns of the spiritual
system, and of that kingdom of God, which
cometh not with observation, and cannot be
an object of sense.
The emancipation of Israel from the ty
ranny of Pharaoh, and from their vile
bondage in Egypt, and their future experience
of salvation by the divine interposition and
power, were sensible exhibitions of a higher
and more extended providence. It was giving
to the Israelites, and to all who read the
sacred story, the certainty of experience, and
an example of this most important Truth,
that there is d God who. judgeth the earth —
a truth, which the most accurate process of
reasoning may describe as a probable con
jecture, but can never establish as a certain
conclusion — and, it proved this too, that Je
hovah, God of Israel, is God of Gods, and
23

SERMON IV. 71
truly Lord of Lords, the Creator and su
preme Ruler of all those Powers in nature
which were the objects of idolatrous worship.
The emancipation of Israel was also a pro
phetic type of the salvation of the apostate
Gentiles; and of all, whether Jews or Gentiles?
who are, or shall be saved from the power of
Satan, and from their own darkness, preju
dices, and domineering passions. Their pro
gress through the wilderness — not to mention
particulars, which would divert us from the
principal object of this discourse — their pro
gress through the wilderness, and what befel
them there, represents the providential course
of discipline, of trial and temptation, through
which the faithful in Christ Jesus must
pass, in this their earthly pilgrimage towards
the heavenly Canaan.
Moses neither led the Israelites into Ca
naan, nor did he himself enter into the pro
mised land. He died on the other side of
Jordan, because he did not glorify God in the
sight of Israel. Now, it is not unusual in the
Scripture, to take Moses for the doctrine
delivered by him, that is, for the law itself.
And so, the spiritual meaning of this history
of his decease is, that the law cannot give life,
F4

72 SERMON IV.
cannot save, cannot justify, cannot bring any
one that observes it in the letter, or in that
only, into possession of the eternal inhe
ritance. To the carnal Jews the law was " the
ministration of death ;" for, by adhering to it
in the letter, they transgressed the law in the
spirit, and broke the covenant of their God.
And, because the law in the letter, and the
observance of it in the letter, gave no glory to
God in the sight of Israel, nor in the opinion
of mankind, it was condemned to death ; that
being dead, said the Apostle, wherein ye were
held. It was not permitted to enter into the
evangelical Canaan; and, spiritual worship
pers are " become dead to the law," and no
longer observe it.
The temporal salvation of Israel was
wrought by the power of the omnipotent
God; that is, by The Lord himself through
Joshua. And, this describes that glorious
power, by which the present redemption and
the eternal salvation of men is and shall be
accomplished through Jesus Christ. For,
as neither Moses nor Joshua did either
redeem or save Israel by their own energy or
power ; but, God through them ; so it is not
a mere man in whom we trust : it is not the

SERMON IV. 73
human person, Christ, which either redeems or
saves us in and by himself; but, God in Christ.
It is Jesus, Jehoshea, Jehovah the
Saviour, Emmanuel, God with us, who
is become our salvation.
Thus the Apostle speaks, " God was in
Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself."
And, " In him," Christ, " dwells all the
Fulness ofthe Godhead bodily." " The Fa
ther is in me" said Christ, " and I in Him."
And again, " I and the Father are one,"
united — and so one, that Christ, who was
verily and truly man, " could do nothing of
himself," nothing separately, or without the
Father ; " but, the Father which was in him,
He did the works."
This is not asserting, that God was man,
nor that a mere man was God ; but this, that
God did so unite himself to Christ, as to
give sufficient dignity, worth, and efficacy to
his operations — sufficient, I say, to save the
world, being at once both human and divine
operations. St. John, speaking of the Word, meaning
Him that made the world, and without whom
was not any thing made that was made, asserts
that He, The Word, was made flesh. But,

74 SERMON IV.
he adds, by way of explanation, And dwelt
among us, or tabernacled with us, as in a
sacred tent ; namely, in the human person,
Christ; which agrees exactly with what is
before quoted from St. Paul, that God was
in Christ reconciling the world unto Him
self
Do you say This is too much ; too great a
condescension ? Can you tell what is too
much, or too great, for Omnipotence to per
form? Will you prescribe a limit to His
condescension who gave you. life, who pro
vides bread for your sustenance, and who, in
the inimitable language of revelation, hears
the young ravens when they call upon him, and
providentially feeds them ? Will you presume
to fix a limit, and say, Hitherto shalt thou
come down, but condescend no further ? Is
it for man, a worm formed out of the dust by
the hand of God, to say that any conde
scension is unfit for God ? Ah ! if He had
not condescended, you had never been.
You believe that God made the world;
and, can you not believe that he cares for it?
You believe that he made the world and cares
for it ; and, is it beneath him to save it ? —
Perhaps, you will not think it unphilosophical,

SERMON IV. 75
to say, " In him we live, and move, and have
our being ; and, that He is not far from any
one of us ; for, we are also his offspring :" and,
if you allow this, will you take up stones to
cast at Him, who said, I live by the Father;
and , the Father is in me, and I in Him ?
Perhaps, you do not think it absurd, to say
There is a certain presence of the Deity in
temples made with hands ; or, at least, you
acknowledge, that good men are living tem
ples, in which God vouchsafes to dwell ; that
he unites himself to their spirits, and ma
nifests his divine presence by lifting them up
above their trials and temptations, supporting
and comforting them, giving energy to their
virtue, and assisting their pious endeavours.
And, can you allow that there is a sober, yet
most important sense, in which all this may
be asserted and believed, and yet deny the
credibility of this doctrine that God was in
Christ reconciling the world unto Himself,
or presume to say that He blasphemed who
called himself The Son of God, and said,
The Father is in me, and I in Him ? Surely,
if there be any sense, in which it can be said,
that God unites himself to any of his crea
tures, or that he dwells in the heavens, or is

76 SERMON IV.
present in any place, or in every place, it may
be believed, that God was in Christ, in a
degree and by a union, far indeed beyond our
conceptions, as to the manner of it ; especially
considering the character of Christ, as the
Son of God, and the only sinless being that
ever lived in this world ; and, above all, con
sidering the magnitude of the design, equal,
at the very least, to the creation of the
world. The final cause of all things is a manifes
tation ofthe glory of God. No greater end
can be proposed. This end may be accom
plished in various degrees. God is but
dimly seen in these his lower works. And,
the design of God, in uniting himself to
Christ and dwelling in him, was the pro
duction of a spiritual system, in which he
might manifest more perfectly his divine per
fections and glorify his own great name.
Let us trace the accomplishment of this
design, so far as it may affect ourselves, who
were dead in trespasses and sins ; and there
fore had no more natural relation to the spi
ritual system, than the dust had to the con
dition of rational beings before Adam was
formed.

SERMON IV. 77
Philosophers, and they who pay little
regard to the revelation of God, speak of
death as the debt of nature. But, surely
death is something more to us, than either
the natural decay and dissolution of the
human frame, or the accidental destruction
of it. For, if God placed man, as he cer
tainly did, under his own moral government,
and determined that the life of man should
depend upon his obedience ; then death, as
the Scripture affirms, must be the wages of
sin — sin entered into the world, and death by
sin — and the strength of sin, to wound our
consciences and to destroy us, is the law which
man has disobeyed ; for sin is the transgression
of law ; and where no law is, there can be no
transgression. If a murderer remove to the most distant
part of the earth, he would carry the guilt of
murder with him. The change of place,
and the distance of time too, and any change
that might or could be produced in his conduct,
would make no change in his character : he
would still be a murderer ; his guilt would
remain. And, if the soul of man survive the
dissolution of his body, the guilt of sin would
follow wherever the soul shall go : Or, if man

78 SERMON IV.
be restored to life by an act of power merely,
he would still be subject to death the wages of
sin ; and, guilt would make him miserable,
whether in this, or in any other world.
In some way or other, the guilt of sin must
be discharged; or we, who are sinful and guilty
creatures, never can be delivered from suffer
ing the curse of sin, nor be happy in the
knowledge of God : and, it would be far
better, if possible, to be annihilated, or to be
reduced to the condition ofthe beasts, without.
possibility of moral consciousness, than to
exist and rise again to see God only through.
the medium of our guilt.
It may be questioned, whether God can
pardon those who are worthy to die, and
whom he has appointed to death as the wages
of sin ; for, we are told, God cannot lie, cannot
deny himself; and, it seems, that, in pardon
ing simby a mere act of sovereign authority,
He would be inconsistent with himself, or
with his own constitutions, and with the
truth of things, that is, with the truth of
man's condition artd relations. And, could
it be proved, that God may change his coun
sel, purpose, decree, or law ; or, that his
law is no. rule to himself in the governr

SERMON IV. 79
-ment of his creatures ; and therefore that he
may pardon those whom he had before con
demned as worthy of death ; we should still
want assurance of his mercy, or that he will
pardon such guilty creatures as some of us
know we are : for, if he pardon all, then, in
reality, there is no such thing as law, or just
judgment, or punishment; and then, mercy
and pardon would be words without any
meaning. Therefore, the assurance of pardon
and reconciliation cannot be a conclusion of
natural reason, or of reason independent of
revelation. To satisfy a guilty conscience,
there must be some medium through which
we may see, that it will consist with the
holiness, justice, and truth of God to pardon
and receive us into his favor ; that, while we
hope in his mercy, we may, with profound
humility, respect the righteousness of the
divine government, and adore the spotless pu
rity ofthe divine nature.
That medium, which God has appointed to
take away sin, is a propitiatory sacrifice— a
sacrifice, which will imply the full demerit
and guilt of sin, and which reveals the holi-
ness and justice of God, and in such a light,
that repenting sinners, conscious of their deep
est depravity and guilt, may behold the

8o SERMON IV.
divine character, and yet neither presume nor
despair. And, because the sacrifices of bulls
and of goats, &c. could not be such a medium,
through which the divine character might be
manifested in the pardon of sin, therefore the
blood of such sacrifices could not take away
sin as pertaining to the conscience, that is,
could not give satisfaction to the guilty con
sciences of sincere penitents : nor could the
holy and righteous God accept them.
The Apostle affirms expressly, It is not
possible that the blood of bulls and goats
should take away sin. Some more full and
perfect sacrifice was necessary. But, man had
no better sacrifice to offer. He cannot, by
any thing which he is ; nor by any thing
which he is able to perform, atone for
his sin. And, how is it possible, that sinful
men should make agreement with the holy'
God for one another, who are all equally in
the same condemnation, and cannot approach
God, unless through some other mediator?
Nor could Christ redeem and save them, if
he were a mere man, though without spot
of sin. As man, indeed, he might suffer and
die ; but, it would be without effect to take
away the tin of the world, or to lay a sure
ground for pardon and reconciliation con-

SERMON IV. 81
sistently with the glory of God and our con
dition as guilty creatures.
But, being the Son of God, a man united
to God, a person of infinite dignity and worth,
there is some hope to be derived from this
character. And the Gospel, which is the
word of God, publishes to all the world, that
He, through the eternal spirit, offered
Himself without spot to God for us — that He
gave Himself a ransom for all — that He took
away sin by the sacrifice of Himself ; and,
that we have redemption through His blood,
the forgiveness of sins.
This is the ground of our salvation. Its
strength consists in the dignity of our Savi
our's person — land the Father are one, united;
and therefore one Jesus Christ; and therefore,
He, who of himself, or separately, could do
nothing, or could have no merit or power
to save, was all-sufficient to save by virtue
of his union with God ; and He, who could
not die, may be said to have died for us
in the person of Christ with whom he was
united : and so the Apostle said, God pur
chased his Church with his own blood.
This is that " great mystery of Godliness,"
as it is called 1 Tim. iii. 16. " God was ma
nifest in thejksh, justified in the spirit, by

82 SERMON IV.
the resurrection of Christ from the dead *,
seen of Angels, preached unto the Gentiles,
received up into glory !" Oh ! Look into this
mystery, though you cannot comprehend
either its depth or its breadth. Attend to
it with reverence, as the revelation of God ;
and this, at least, you will see in it, that
" as his majesty is, so is his mercy," infinitely
exceeding all that you could know, or hope,
or think of the eternal God, if you had
not known him in the revelation of Jesus
Christ. Hitherto I have been speaking of the per
son of our Saviour and of the great sacrifice
which he offered for us ; and which I have
called the ground of our salvation. But, sal
vation itself is quite another subject ; and
must be distinguished from the ground upon
which it stands, though intimately connected
with it. This distinction is as evident as that
of a superstructure, or the building of a
house, from the ground or foundation upon
which it stands ; or, as any effect may be
distinguished from the cause producing it.
People deceive themselves by thinking that
salvation consists in a mere escape from pu
nishment in the future state ; and little more
* Rom. i. 4.

SERMON IV. 83
is intended when they talk of going to heaven
when they die. But, whenever the word sal
vation occurs in the Scripture, it always means
some present benefit, or a salvation to be ex
perienced in this present world, excepting
only when the word eternal or everlasting is
joined to it, or when something goes before
which plainly marks the intention of the
speaker or writer to express that future sal
vation which will be experienced hereafter in
the resurrection of the dead.
The future salvation will be the salvation
of God's elect. It will be the resurrection
of the just, or of those who are " the dead
in Christ," to the life everlasting. But,
the present salvation is the salvation of sinners
from their fallen state and condition, their
deliverance from the guilt of sin and their
sanctification unto obedience. And, this sal
vation is not a fancy or enthusiastic conceit,
but a substantial reality, as truly a real ex
perience as any deliverance can be from the
most imminent danger, and from the most
painful misery which our bodies can suffer ;
and, as real as will be the experience of the
resurrection of the dead and their admission
into the kingdom of heaven. They, who ex-
g 2

84 SERMON IV.
perience it, may not only know and feel that
they do experience it, but the real existence
of it in sincere Christians may be proved and
demonstrated to others as certainly as any
other plain matter of fact.
The salvation mentioned in our text, is that
salvation which is to be experienced in this
present world. " He shall be called Jesus;
for, he shall save his people from their sins ;"
the sins which they have committed, and
which they are in the habit of committing,
and which they are prone to commit, and
which otherwise they would infallibly com
mit i These all may properly be called their
sins, and ours too.
From the sins which have been committed,
he saves by pardoning them through the great
sacrifice ; and, by giving a sense of that par
don in the consciences of repenting sinners.
Without this, sin would continue its full effect
in tormenting the conscience, and so preclude
all holy intercourse and communion with God.
The heart, therefore, must be " sprinkled
from an, evil conscience ;" for, if the pardon
be not apprehended and felt, it produces no-
cure, no enjoyment or experience of salva
tion.

SERMON IV. 85
And, leaving us in the power of Satan, and
under the bondage of corruption, would be
the same thing as paying the price of redemp
tion for a captive and leaving him in abject
slavery. Our salvation, therefore, consists, not
only in the pardon of our sins and in a sense
and feeling of God's great mercy in pardon
ing them through the redemption which is
in Christ Jesus ; but, we must have expe
rience of perfect liberty, in a deliverance from
the habits of vice and wickedness to which we
have been enslaved.
It is not enough, to teach us mere moral,
or political virtues, which relate to this pre
sent world : for, it is not the object of God,
in this dispensation of his mercy and grace,
to better our poUtical condition here ; but,
to fit us for heaven. Therefore, heavenly
virtues must be implanted in us; virtues,
which, in their principle and nature, have re
lation to the heavenly state, which is our future
designation. In short, we must become new-
creatures — we who are sinful, mast be made
holy ; we who are wicked must become right
eous ; we who are earthly, must become
heavenly-minded. Our Apostle has said, " If
any man be in Christ, he is a new creature ;
» 3

S6 SERMON IV.
old things are passed away; behold, all
things are become new." Therefore, our sal
vation consists in the entire regeneration of
the human nature.
To effect this great revolution, or change
in the state and condition of men, requires
more than human power ; a power, that can
effectually oppose itself to our sinfulness and
to all the powers of darkness. And, Christ
could not produce this revolution, if he were
a mere man. But, his name is Jesus, Je
hovah the Saviour, Emmanuel, God
with us : and, it is the power of the om-'
nipotent God in Christ, which worketh
in us, and which renews the face of the
earth. In this present world, the power of God
is not immediate in its application, nor di
rect and absolute in its operations; no, not
in a single instance : but, it works by visible
and sensible means ; and, it is not irresistible;
for, otherwise, the Apostle would never have
said, " Ye do always resist the Holy Ghost;
as your Fathers did, so do ye." According
to this established order of things, the human
person, Christ, was necessary as a visible
instrument of the divine power ; or the me-

SERMON IV. 87
dium, through which, every thing is accom
plished which relates to our salvation. And,
God uses inferior agents and means, in the
regeneration of human nature ; and, has com
mitted to men of like passions with yourselves,
the ministry of reconciliation. " We are
workers together with Him."
-But, the success of our ministry depends
principally upon God's blessing ; that is, upon
thepower of God in Christ, rather than upon
our own talents and exertions. It is " His
power which worketh in us mightily." And,
for this reason, the Gospel, or the preaching
of the Gospel, is called " The Power of
God unto salvation to every one that be
lieveth." But, it is an instance of the grossness of
men's conceptions, that they more readily
attribute the creation of matter to the omni
potent God, than the new Creation ; the crea
tion of the spiritual system. We more readily
believe that he made us men, and not we
ourselves, than that he makes ils Christians
and new creatures in Christ. But, we must
ascribe it to God ih Christ, who " works
in us both to will and to do ; and must
G 4

88 SERMON IV.
confess, that it is His mighty power which
has produced and is producing the present
and eternal salvation of thousands and millions
of the human race. " Of Him, and through
Him, and to Him, are all things."
But, dear Brethren, has the word of God
and this divine power produced this salvation
in you ? The sins, which you have committed,
are more than can be numbered : but, are
they pardoned ? Have you fled for refuge to
the hope set before you ? Have you any sense
or feeling of your own misery and of God's
mercy in Christ? Is there any thing in
your hearts which accords with this language
of a Christian Bishop*? " I believe in thee,
O Jesus ; and rejoice in that dear name,
which is so full and expressive of thy love.
Thou art Jesus our Saviour, because thou
earnest into the world on purpose to save
us from our sins. All love, all glory be to
thee. O, be thou ever Jesus to me! Let me
feel the kind forCe of that sweet name, in
which I read my danger and my deliverance,
my guilt and my salvation."
I ask further, " Are your minds set upon
* Bishop Kenn.

SERMON IV. 89
righteousness, O ye congregation?" Are ye
truly serving God in holiness of heart and
righteousness of life ? If you cannot answer in
the affirmative, you are not yet saved from
your sins : they are neither pardoned nor
subdued. And, if, in this state and con
dition, you entertain hopes of the eternal
salvation, your hopes are groundless and
vain imaginations ; you are like men asleep,
dreaming of sitting at a plentiful table and
eating ; but awaking, they find themselves
empty and hungry. And, how miserable
must be your condition, if you do not awake
out of this sleep, till the day of grace shall
be passed away, and then find yourselves
utterly destitute of this great and most im
portant salvation ! !
Oh ! awake now — Awake ye that sleep in
the day-time of mercy. Awake, and be quite
in earnest to possess and secure to yourselves
this great salvation ; first, confessing your sins,
and that " there is no health in you ;" no
thing that can deserve what you seek to at
tain ; and, that there is no power in yourselves,
nor in any other persons, that can produce
in you the real enjoyment of this grace and

9o S E R M 0 N IV.
mercy. Your only hope must be placed in
Him who was called Jesus to signify his
divine and human character, and that He
it is who shall save his people from their
sins.

( 9i )
SERMON V.
THE HUMILITY OF JESTTS CHRIST.
Philip, ii. 5—11.
Let this mind be in you, zohich was also in Cheist
Jesus ; who, being in the form qf God, thought it not
robbery to be equal zoith God; but made himself of no
¦reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant,
and was made in the likeness of men: and, being found
in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became
obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given
him a name which is above every name; that at the
name qf Jesus every knee should bozo, qf things in
heaven, and things in earth, arid-things under the earth;
and, that every tongue should confess, that Jesus
Christ is Lord, to4he glory of God the Father.
1 h e R e has been great contention about
the translation and meaning of this text.
Some have thought, that this text expresses
the essential divinity of our Saviour; and,
others have imagined, that it proves the mere
humanity of Jesus Christ.
I shall not presume to enter into this con
troversy. Controversialists on both sides, I
fear, are equally blameable, for overlooking,
or forgetting, the very design ofthe Apostle;
which was, to inculcate the duty of humility,

92 SERMON V.
and to excite the Philippians to a careful imi
tation of Jesus Christ.
The idea of our Saviour's humility is not
taken from the low condition in which he
appeared ; but, evidently, from the greatness
and dignity of his character, compared with
the low condition to which he condescended.
It must be confessed that Jesus Christ
was a man, very and true man; in al} things
like unto us, sin only excepted. And, if this
were all that is meant, when Socinians call
him a mere man, the expression might pass
without censure. But, there is deceit and
treachery in the term : it goes to a denial of
that greatness and dignity of character, which
the Scriptures attribute to this most extra
ordinary person.
In whatever way this text is translated or
explained, still it intimates a dignity of per
sonal character, which neither my expressions,
nor your thoughts, can reach. If Jesus
Christ were not a person of such dignity,
our text flattens into an unmeaning antithesis
of words. If Jesus Christ were not of
such dignity, where then would have been
the humility of the blessed virgin, who said,
" God my Saviour has regarded the low
23

SERMON V. . 93
estate of his handmaiden ? " Where would
have been the humility of Elizabeth, who
said, " Whence is this to me, that the mother
of my Lord should come to me ?" Where
would have been the humility of John the
Baptist, who said, " I am not worthy to
stoop down and loose the latchet of his
shoes?" and, " I have need to be baptized
of thee, and comest Thou to me?" Surely,
all this degenerates into a mere affectation of
.... . /
humility, if it had not been literally true, He
that cometh from above is above all.
And, what becomes of the humility of Je
sus Christ, which is so earnestly, and with
such emphasis, proposed in our text, if Jesus
Christ were not of such dignity and worth,
that, in Him, it was the most astonishing act
ofhumiliation to take the form of a servant, to
be found in fashion as a man, and to be obe
dient unto death. For a mere man,, or any
Being who is not God, either by nature God,
or by personal union and dignity of character
God, there is no such humility in the case, as
to deserve the emphasis, which the Apostle has
put upon it.
Take away the dignity of his character, or
lose sight of it, and then you lose the force of

94 SERMON V.
his example; and, which is more pernicious,
you lose every idea of the propitiatory nature
of his death; which, in its efficacy to take away
sin, depends altogether upon the dignity of
his character : and then, the example, if it be
one in some sort, loses all that cogency of
argument, which persuades Christians to
faithful obedience, by the consideration that
He suffered for their sakes, to put away sin
by the sacrifice of Himself.
But, think of him, as the Son of God, in
that high and peculiar sense of the expression,
which is not applicable to any other, either
man or angel — so that he not only called God
his own Father, but could say " I and the
Father are one," united; and so united, that
the operation of the Father, God, and of
Christ, was the individual act of God and
man; or of man so united to God, by a per
fect personal union, that he could do nothing
of himself separately without the Father; and
could do, and did, every thing that the Father
doeth, the very same works, with the same
authority and power; quicken whom he will,
deliver from condemnation, raise the dead,
judge all men, control the powers of nature,
give spiritual life to whom he will, and

SERMON V. 95
renovate the moral world by his energy.- —
Look forward to the hour which is coming,
and see him sitting upon the throne of His
glory, when all that are in the graves shall
hear His voice, and shall come forth in obe
dience to the call of this Son of Man ; when
He will raise them up with the same ease and
certainty with which he called Lazarus out
of his grave; and, with sovereign authority
will award and give eternal life to some, and
damnation to others, accordingly as they
have done good, or evil.
Think of him as a man ; but, as the man
which is my fellow, saith the Lord of Hosts ;
as the man, who could truly say " The Father
is in me, and I in Him ; as the man, in whom
dwelt all the Fulness of the Godhead bodily ; as
the man, who was invested with divine glory,
authority, and power, and participated the
perfections of Deity ; as having life in Him
self, even as the Father hath life in Himself,
and therefore The Prince of Life and The Lord
of Glory; andtlerefore to be honoured of all
men, even as they honour the Father ; equally
with the Father the object of Faith, to be
believed on by every one that would be saved
and everlastingly blessed.

96 SERMON V.
View him in any of these lights ; and then
What humility in his emptying himself; in
making Himself of no reputation ; in laying
aside, or veiling, the dignity of his character,
and submitting to the lowest condition of
humanity — in taking upon him the form of a
servant ; in being destitute of a place, where
he might repose his blessed head; in being
beholden to the hand of charity ; in enduring
the taunts and scorn of men ; in giving his
back to the smiters and his cheeks to them,
who maliciously plucked off the hairs — yea,
he hid not his face from shame and spitting —
he went as a Lamb to the slaughter, and as a
sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He
opened not his mouth— he became obedient
unto death, even the death of the cross.
And when you consider, that this man, this
God-Man, endured all this poverty, all this
humiliation, all these complicated afflictions,
and extreme pain, and became a propitiatory
sacrifice for us, to take away the sin of the
world, to save us from the lowest depths into
which sin had plunged us — there is then a
sure ground for human hope; and, there is a
force of persuasion in this example, which
teaches us to walk humbly with God in a sense

SERMON V. -97
•©f infinite obligation to the divine mercies ;
and, to be condescending, kind, and charitable
to each other.
It is, therefore, necessary to the existence
of Christianity, to the attainment of those
virtues and graces which are essential to our
happiness here and for ever, that we apprehend
the dignity of our Saviour's character. It is
the surpassing glory of his person, which
illustrates the humility of Jesus Christ,
in the execution of that office which he gra
ciously assumed, when He became our Sa
viour. And, it is by believing what is written
•of Him, in respect to His person and office,
that the Christian character is formed.
In the dispute, whether Jesus Christ
were a man, or a mere man, eager disputants
seem to overlook the amazing dignity, to
which this man was exalted. They seem to
forget, that, after he had taken away sin by
the sacrifice of Himself, he was so highly
exalted as to have a name which is above
every name ; so that, at the name of Jesus
every knee should bow, every creature in heaven
and earth and under the earth; and, that
God has " set him at his own right hand in
the heavenly places, far above all principality,
h

98 SERMON V.
and power, and might, ami dominion, and
every name that is named, not only in this
world, but also in that which is to come ; and,
has put all things under his feet, and gave
him to be the Head over all things to the
Church, which is his body, the Fulness of
Him that filleth all in all." They seem to
forget, that he is set down at the right hand
of the Majesty on High j that he is in the
midst of the throne and upon the throne of
the most high God ; and, that there is no thing,
no Being, God only excepted, which is not
put under the feet of Jesus Christ.
Surely, if there be any meaning in words,
the dignity of the Son of man exceeds our
highest thoughts ! He looks down from the
throne of God, upon the thrones of Angels and
Archangels, and sees them further removed
below the footstool of His glorious throne,
than the condition of a worm is below that
of the greatest Prince or Philosopher — so
highly exalted, that the eye of Angels has
never reached the summit of his glory ; for,
there must be an infinite distance between the
seat and condition of Angels and the throne
of the eternal God, the height to which Jesbs
Christ is exalted.

SERMON V. 99
Whether, therefore, we contemplate the
pre-existent glory of " The Eternal Spirit,"
which was in Christ, or the dignity of His
character as " The Son of God" born into
the world, and united to God, or the super-
eminent Height to which " The Son of Man'*
was exalted, after he had suffered the shame
ful death of the cross ; and consider the con
sciousness which he always had of his own
ineffable dignity of character in these respects ;
we cannot but be amazed at the depth to
which He humbled Himself.
He, who was higher than the highest, and
who was Himself the most High, stooped the
lowest. For, He took not on him the nature
of Angels; but, was made flesh. And this
man, Christ Jesus, did not assume the
majesty, the power and authority of Kings,
nor appear in the pomp of eastern magni
ficence ; -but took on Him the form of a ser
vant. He was a poor man, and worked for
his bread in the daily sweat of his brow. He
put his left hand to the nail, and his right hand
to the workman's hammer, until the time of
his shewing himself to Israel in the more im
portant work of his ministry ; and then, he
lived upon alms. He was hungry and thirsty,
h a

:J oo SERMON V;
¦Jttre'ary and faint. He went about doing good
to those who returned evil for his good-will*
;and used intreaties and tears, when he had
the highest authority to command. He suf
fered the rebellion of men, in order to reclaim
them, when even the evil Spirits were subject
-to his word.
-- With what humility did he bear with the
-ignorance, the prejudices, and the perverse-
iness of his disciples ! We see him in the midst
'of them, in the form of a servant, girded
with a towel, and stooping down to wash their
feet. And, how did he bear the contradic
tion of sinners against Himself! With wliat
-humility did he suffer the greatest indignities
and pains ! • He did not call fire from heaven,
to consume those who rejected him ; nor
command legions of Angels to destroy his
-murderers. He pitied them. He wept over
¦them. He prayed, " Father forgive them, foV
¦"they know not what they do." He gave his
unforfeited life a ransom for his enemies, whose
rage pursued him to the death, and addeji
scorn " and insulting mockery to their cruel
"persecution. And, in all this scene of suffeiV-
'ing, the humility of his deportment was such,
vfchatwe cannot read the story and understand

S'fcilMON V. for
it, without saying " Jesus Christ was-
Humility itself," or the divine example of hu
mility, absolutely perfect.
Persuasions of natural reason, and ar-ru--
ments of philosophy, expressing the littleness-
of man, the infirmities of human nature, and '
the propriety of a modest deportment in so
frail a Being as man is, may induce an af
fectation of humility ; and, true politeness puts
on the appearance of this Christian virtue'.-'
But, genuine humility never entered the
heart of man unless by the eye of faith gazing-
in wonder and amazement upon the Prince
of Life dying upon a cross to save' us. It-
is the blood of Christ, which stains the-
pride of human glory. Apprehend His cha
racter, the dignity of his person, the 'depth-
of his humiliation, and the greatness of his
sufferings ; enter into the mysteries of his-
cross ; put thy finger into the print of the
nails, and thrust thy hand into his side ; and'
then, with what humility of mind and low-;
liness of heart, wilt thou exclaim " My Loro,'
and my God ! ! "
And, while thou art contemplating the*
amazing dignity of his person, and the asto-.
irishing depth of his humiliation, let me say
H3

102 SERMON V.
If Christ had not died for thee, thou would'st
never have lived unto God — If He had not
suffered, thou would'st never have had cause to
rejoice. This is the price of thy peace ; thy
redemption-price. All good flows to thee on
the blood of Jesus Christ. Thou would'st
never know good ; nor be good ; never at
tain unto any heavenly virtue, nor to the praise
and reward of holy and virtuous actions, but
in and through Jesus Christ.
Thou art nothing in thyself ; and less than
nothing, a sinful, ruined, and undone creature.
But, through Jesus Christ, through his
humiliation, thou may'st rise high above thy
low condition of gin and suffering, and attain
unto God, to be blessed in Him. He made
himself of no reputation, that thou may'st
become equal to the Angels. He came down
from heaven, that thou may'st ascend thither.
He died in agonies inconceivable, that thou
may'st have hope in thy death, and rise again
to everlasting life. What, therefore, hast thou
to boast of, but of Jesus Chrjst, and Him
crucified? And, canst thou know Him, withou*
being emptied of self-sufficiency ; poor in
spirit, and humble before God?
If thou art distinguished abov*-? thy fellow

SERMON V. 103
men, by any talents, or faculties, whatever ;
thou hast something to despise for Christ:
but, hast nothing to boast of, in relation \to
the spiritual system; nothing that can make.
thee proud, or vain, if thou art a true disciple
of the meek and lowly Jesus.
What is thy learning, thy knowledge, or
thy philosophy, in comparison of the excel
lency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus
thy Lord ? What are thy worldly honors, in
comparison of having Christ for thy Saviour,
God thy Father, and thy country Heaven?
What are thy riches, in comparison with the
unsearchable riches of Christ, and of those
spiritual possessions and enjoyments, those
moral excellencies, those graces and virtues,
which thou hast in communion with Jesus
Christ, and which shall be thy eternal in
heritance ?
And, remember, this excellent knowledge,
these sublime honors, and heavenly posses
sions, are not obtained by thy industry, as
the result of mere rational inquiry and painful
investigation ; nor by the toil of thy hands
and the sweat of thy brow, as a debt due to
thy merits for works of righteousness which
thoa hast done ; but, are communicated to

j» 4

io4- SERMON V.'
thee by the revelation of Jesus Christ ; and-
are all derived from the personal dignity and
office of our Saviour, through His mediation,
his humiliation, his agonies, and death. What
hast thou, which thou hast not received as a
gift from God ; and, for which, that thou
mightest receive it, Jesus Chri-st did not
shed his blood?
And, in order still to keep thee low, that
thou mayst never open thy mouth, to vaunt
thyself above thy Brethren, consider, that
these distinctions have more relation to the
virtues of the heart, than to the capacities
of the head ; and bear no relation to any rank
thou may'st hold in the external order of -the-
Church, or of the world.
This knowledge is not human science, but
divine erudition ; which he, that cannot dis
tinguish a letter in the alphabet, may pos
sess in greater perfection than the exactest
critic. These riches may be inherited by the
meanest mechanic : These honors may crown-
the head of a beggar that sits upon a dung
hill. ' Who can say he is more wise, more holy,
or better than another ? or, that he has more
interest in Christ, and stands higher in the-;

SERMON V. : 105
favor of God, than any other Christian ? Who
is there, that perfectly knows himself,. and that
can take the exact gauge of another man's vn>
tue ? He may seem to fall short of thy at
tainments, merely because thou knowest not
what greater difficulties he had to overcome;
and, he might now far exceed thy measure,
if he had thy opportunities and means.
He, therefore, that appears to be the least
in the Church of Christ may be the greatest
in God's account. In this school, every
Orie must be contented to take •• and sit
down upon the lowest form, and be clothed.
with, humility ; and, if any one think he de
serves a higher rank, God will expel him from,.
the degree of the meanest of his- servants.
" In all lowliness of mind, let each, esteem'.
others better than himself ;" for, he that well
considers himself, may find more . in -himself
for deep humiliation, than he can see in others.-
to. censure or- despise. : ¦;-. -,
There is a lesson of great importance, which;
you may learn, by considering the. context.
The Apostle would urge the . Philippians to*
unanimity and ! concord. " Fulfil .ye . my joy,
that ye be like-minded, having the same love, of
one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done.
through strife, or vain glory." But, -what iff

io6 SERMON V.
there, that can thus preserve the union of the
Christian society; or prevent divisions, dis
putes, and animosities ? It is humility. " In
lowliness oj' mind, let each esteem others better
than himself. Let this mind be in you, this
meekness of wisdom, this lowliness of heart,
which was also in Christ Jesus.'^
Never be dogmatical, conceited, self-suffi
cient. Never vaunt yourselves. Be not puffed
up. Be not many masters. Maintain a
teachable temper, rather than indulge a dis
position to teach from a conceit of superior
knowledge. Never aim at setting off your
selves, or your own opinions ; nor make your
own experience and practice a measure and
rule for others. It is far more easy, and it is
safer, to serve and obey, than to govern. He
that humbles himself to the meanest offices ;
who is most simple-hearted, or child-like ; is
diffident, modest, humble ; and, is most th«
servant of all ; who is contented to be nothing,
and of no esteem in the Church, is most like
unto our Saviour, and is the highest in God's
esteem and regard.
If this spirit prevail; if you cultivate the
Christian graces, which have no place but in
humble hearts; you will not fall out by the
¦way; you will have no room for dou-btful dis-

SERMON V. 107
nutations. For, from whence come wars and
fightings ? From human pride and vain glory.
All the disputes and divisions that are now,
and that ever were in the Church, spring from
this root of bitterness, this proud desire to have
pre-eminence. Christians will never agree in one creed,
while pride prevails; for, pride seeks distinc
tion by contrary opinions and opposite prac
tices. Hence it is, that one saith I am of
Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas,
and I of Christ.
Make supposition, that Truth be on the
side of Trinitarians, or the Arians, or the So
cinians, or the Papists, Churchmen, or Pres
byterians — They will never, by any arguments
whatever, convince the ga'msayers, until they
become humble, and see that a little humility
is worth a thousand orthodox opinions. If
your doctrine be right, and proved by irre
fragable arguments, your antagonist is as far
off from conviction as he would be, if your
arguments were words, without meaning.
But, conquer his pride, and you are one > that
is, if you yourself be humble. There will not
remain any thing to provoke jealousy, or to
burst the bond of charity.
But,, pride will shut the mind's eye against

ioS SERMON V.
the clearest evidence; and will give the ap*;
pearance of truth to error ; will magnify every
imperfection into a capital offence, and justify -
schism. Pride is strenuous in opposition ;
will bear no contradiction, nor be patient of
human frailties, of errors and faults, in others.
It will not wait, nor pray, for God's provi
dence to rectify what is amiss in the Church,
to cleanse and purify it ; and hastily secedes
to set up separate meetings.
But, Humility either sees not the faults of
others, or casts her modest veil over the im
perfections which she cannot cure. Humility
will not presume to mind what Pride has '
marred. She turns her eye to Heaven, while'
the tear of pity distils, and drops into the
Church's wounds. — It is Humility, with her
inseparable companion, Charity, that main
tains the unity of the Spirit in the bond of-
peace. And now, Brethren, in conclusion of this
discourse, let me exhort you, agreeably to*
the subject before us. It requires some
humility in you, to suffer the word of exhort
ation. But, remember, God will resist the*
proud, and give his grace to the humble.
The man of pride has quitted his station.
He has no union with God, nor with any

S/EKMON^ 109
tasfeature in tbe universe, wc He has quitted his
freliance on the Almighty, ,to?rest in ** himself
in * his own ' opinions, » * his own schemes, his
©wri abilities::* and,, he cannot be happy .: isr Fori
What is man? A dependent ., Being ; amh,
utterly destitute of spiritual good; sinful dust
&nd" ashes; a* guilty creature, st Nothing m
2garth"nor in heaven can satisfy him, unless* he
•attain unto God, to his peace and blessing:
and, to Gor> he can never attain, but through
a- Mediator, through the humiliation and suf-
'-fefings-' of- J e s u s C h r 1 s t .
s: Pride -was the fall and ruin of T Angela.
Arid, if ; ever ive climb to those blessed man).
$iohsV from 'which thdy are fallen, it must be
'by <f fhe gracious steps of humility^ and lowlf-
mess :off mind. A\ The Irnind, which '-was in
iCHTR-rsrv Jesus, nrast; be transfused into us
4xy believing in him. We must renounce our
"self-cfonfideneejiand. become poor in spirit.;!'. ;
* -There is mo ^possibility of enjoying God,
: but iii *.a, humble, dependent frame of^mind'^
tkftd,-i -tbfef^T is : nan possibility of : union, "with
^Es'Tj**! n&y'ofi;4pproachmg G@B'>by Him, as
7&hr -iUqdia^br^iuclessf .we think -jhieanly ; of
ourselves as sinful creatures, who deserve evi,
.' ' !L*e 1 . us, therefore:, .. entertain

no SERMON V.
lowly thoughts of ourselves, in a humble sense
of our depravity, and of our many actual
transgressions; considering how low are our
highest attainments, and how very defective
are our best services.
But, more especially, be humble when you
approach the Lord's table. Consider what
you are; how poor, how mean, how unworthy:
" not worthy so much as to gather up the
crumbs under this table." Consider who
provided this feast of love ; who invited you
to partake of it ; and what the paschal Lamb
suffered, what He humbled himself to endure,
that He might be meat indeed to your souls.
If you approach the Lord's table with this
humble frame of mind, you will come away
from it more humble. For, as you have,
heard, all true humility comes to us with
faith in the holy Jesus: and here, at this
table, we remember His humiliation, his suf
ferings and death. u This is my body, which
is given for y&u—This is my blood, which is
shed for you— and, as oft as ye eat this bread,
and drink this cup, ye do shew forth the Lord's
death."— It is a type of the dying of our
Lord Jesus.
O, humble Christian, with what sympathy

SERMON V. 1 tu
will you commemorate Him ; " who, being in
the form of God, thought it not robbery to
be equal with God ; yet made Himself of no
reputation, and took upon him the form of a
servant, and was made in the likeness of men ;
and, being found in fashion as ^a, man, He
humbled Himself, and became obedient unto
death, even the death of the cross."
To Him, who thus condescended — to Him,
who is most highly exalted — To Him, who
has a name, or character and authority, which
is above every name — To Him, let every
knee bow ; and to Him, let every tongue
ascribe dominion and glory for ever and
ever. — Amen.

( 112 )

SERMON VI.
JESUS CHRIST OUR GREAT HIGH
PRIEST.
Heb. vii, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28.
But this man (this High Priest) because he continueth
ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he
is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto
God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession
, for them. For, such an High Priest became us, who
is. holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and
made higher than the heavens ; who needeth not daily,
as those High Priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own
.sins, and then for the people's : for this he did once, when
he offered up himself. For, the law maketh men High
Priests which have infirmity ; but, the word of ihe oath,
which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is conse
crated for evermore.
The doctrine, contained in this passage, is
of very great importance to us. All spiri
tual blessings, all our peace and comfort
here, and all our future hopes depend upon
the truth of this doctrine ; and, all our Chris
tian virtues, if we have any, spring out of the
belief of it.
Such a High Priest became us — one suita
ble to our state and condition, as sinful and
guilty creatures subject to misery and death,

SERMON VI. 113
the wages of sin. And, it was the purpose
of the Author of this Epistle, especially in
the chapter out of which our text is tak«n,
to shew that Jesus Christ is exactly such
a High Priest as our state, and condition re
quired. First, He must be holy, harmless, undefiled,
separate from sinners. This character of our
High Priest was represented in the law, Levit.
xxi. 17 : "The Lord spake unto Moses, say
ing, Speak unto Aaron, Whosoever he be of
thy seed in their generations, that hath any
blemish, let him not approach to offer the
bread of his God : for, whatsoever man he be
that hath a blemish, he shall not approach" —
and, ver.. 21, it is repeated, " No man that
hath a blemish, of the seed of Aaron the
Priest, shall come nigh to offer the offerings
of the Lord made by fire : he hath a ble
mish ; he shall not come nigh to offer the
bread of his God" — and again, ver. 23, " He
shall not go in unto the vail, nor come nigh
unto the altar, because he hath a blemish ; that
he profane not my sanctuaries." And, the
same rule is applied, in the next chapter, to
the sacrifices also ; " Whatsoever hath a blemish,.
I

H4 SERMON VI.
that shall ye not offer ; for, it shall not be ao
ceptable for you*"."
The Robes, which Aaron and his succes
sors wore in the holy ministrations, repre
sented both the dignity and immaculate pu
rity of our divine Saviour. The High Priest
wore on his forehead a plate of pure gold, and
there was engraven upon it holiness to*
the Lord, or the Holy One of Jeho
vah— and, whenever any of the Leviticaf
Priests were entering upon any service of the
sanctuary, they washed in the Laver to ex
press emblematically the required purity *f\
On the great day of atonement, the High
Priest offered a propitiatory sacrifice, first
for his own sins, that he might be without
sin in offering for the sins of the people :
and all this to teach that sin separates every
one defiled by it from all intercourse and com
munion with the holy Lord God ; and to
express this also, that our great High Priest,
represented by Aaron and his successors,
must be, and would be without sin, as indeed
he was absolutely. Therefore we are here
told, that he needed hot daily, as those High
* Read Malachi i. 13, 14, + See Ex. xxx. 17—21.

SERMON VI. 115
Priests, to offer up sacrifice fir,st for his own
sins, because in Him was no sin ; and then
for the people's sin, which our great High
Priest did once, when he offered up Himself.
For, the law, which was only a figurative, or
typical expression of the good things to come,
" made men High Priests which have infir-
mity ; but, the word of the oath, which was
since the law, makes the Son, who is conse
crated for evermore."
Yet, it behoved this High Priest to par
ticipate the whole human nature, or to be
made in all things like unto us ; sin only
excepted, which is no essential part of that
nature. And, because all men, naturally de
scended from Adam, bear his image, and
are of the earth, earthy as he was ; and
are destitute of the Spirit of Life, as he was
after his fall ; and, because the same moral
disease, which sin had produced in him, is
entailed upon every one naturally born of wo
man, through that defect ; therefore, this se
cond Adam, the Lord from heaven, ordained
to be our great High Priest, was not con
ceived and born in the ordinary course of na
ture ; but, by The Power of the Highest, the
Holy Ghost sanctifying his humanity, and
I a

.116 SERMON VI:
which is therefore called That Holy Thing
born of the vifgin-mother. And, as he was
perfectly free from all blemish or taint of sin
in his conception and birth, so did he also live
without sin, and was perfectly holy and right
eous in every thought and action of his life.
He was indeed tempted, in all points like
as we are, and more than any other person ;
" yet, without sin :" " in him was no sin."
And, all this was necessary; because the
purity of the divine nature resists whatever
is contrary to it, and is as a consuming fire
to every creature defiled by sin. And, what
is man, any man naturally born of woman,
that he should be clean ? Behold, the heavens
are not clean in his sight; in the sight of the
holy Lord God. How much more abominable
and filthy is man, who drinketh iniquity like
water ! Hence it is, that the Holiness of God,
or any thing that makes us conscious of the
presence of the Holy God, awakens in us
sensations of terror and guilt, filling us with
the most awful apprehensions. Even the Saints
of God, in this their present state of imper
fection, are unable to bear the sight of his
glorious Holiness.
When Jsaiaii saw his glory, and heard

SERMON VI. 117
the Seraphim crying Holy, Holy, Holy Lord
of Hosts, the Prophet was filled with appre
hensions of his own impurity and guilt ; which
made him exclaim, '* Woe is me, for I am
undone, because I am a man of unclean lips ;
for, mine eves have seen the King, the Lord
of Hosts." Daniel, the man greatly be
loved, fainted in his presence ; there remained
no strength in him; " his comeliness was turned
into corruption, and he fell upon his face as
dead." John too, the disciple whom Jesus
loved, and who had leaned upon his breast,
when he saw the Son of man in the glorious
robes of holiness as High Priest over the
house of God, and the divine glory shining
forth in him, he, that beloved disciple, was
overwhelmed and became as one dead. And,
when Peter had only a glimpse ofthe di
vine character in our Saviour, he fell at his
feet, saying, " Depart from me, for I am a
sinful man, 0 Lord." And, in all the many
manifestations of the presence of the holy
Lord God recorded in the Old and New
Testaments, the same or similar effects are re
presented to have been produced by them.
Men indeed will contemplate the greatness
ofthe Supreme Being, and speak of him as
13

u8 SERMON VI.
infinitely great— infinite in power — infinite in
duration —infinite as present every where
throughout the universe, and filling what
they imagine to be infinite space : they will
acknowledge too his infinite wisdom mani
fested in his works : and this they will do
without any other emotioris than those which
a school-boy feels while he stands gazing on
the magnitude and strength of the mighty
and half- reasoning elephant. They will hear
unmoved of his determining the lives and
fortunes of men in this world, excepting only
when they hear the thunder of his power
immediately over their heads, or are exposed
to some direful calamity, or imminent dan
ger of death. But, if a holy man, of esta
blished reputation, come into their company,
manifesting by his countenance and beha
viour that the holy God is with him, they will
presently be awed and hushed into silence;
and, if he open his mouth to speak of the
hply God, the stoutest hearts will be appalled;
because it excites in them apprehensions of
what God is, and what they are.
And, if our High Priest had not been per
fectly free from sin, he could not have ap
proached near unto the holy God ; lie could

SERMON VI. 119
not have interceded for us: he could not
have made any atonement by the sacrifice of
Himself. That sacrifice, if offered, would not
have been an acceptable sacrifice, having any
degree of blemish in it. He would have
needed for himself some other more perfect
sacrifice, and some other more perfect medi
ator to offer it and to make atonement for
him. And, if he had suffered death, being a
sinner in his own person, his death would have
been the wages of his own sin ; and therefore,
no satisfaction or atonement for our sin, nor a
medium through which God could shew us
favor or mercy. In short, none of those
great ends could have been attained, which
relate either to the glory of God, or to the sal
vation of sinful men, or to the regeneration of
the human nature. But, being without sin,
and not liable to death for any guilt of his
own, his sufferings were vicarious. It was a
price voluntarily offered and paid and accepted
fbr transgressors ; and became a medium
through which God is glorified and sinners
saved. Therefore, he was such a High Priest
as became us, or which suited our state and
condition, because he was holy, harmless,
undefiled, and separate from sinners,
I 4

iso SERMON VI. ,
But, secondly, the fitness of this High
Priest consisted also in the dignity of his
person. He was higher than the heavens;
higher than all creatures ; higher than the
Angels ; first, as being truly the Son of God,
conceived and born by the power of the
Highest: and, being the Son of God, he has
by inheritance obtained a more excellent
name than the Angels, who all are commanded
to worship him.
And, secondly, he was made higher than
the heavens by the incarnation of the divine
Word; for, the Word was made flesh, and
dwelt in the person of Christ; who is
therefore properly called Jesus, Emmanuel,
God with us. Yea, all the fulness of the
Godhead dwelt in him bodily, and God and
Man became one Christ.
This union of Christ, the human person,
with God, and God in and with him, con
ferred a peculiar character and dignity upon
this our High Priest, far above that of A'n°*eis
c ' fc>
and Archangels. And, being* both God and
Man, he, as man, could suffer for us ; and, as
God, could give an unbounded extent and
value to his sufferings, that they should be the
tasting of death for every/man, a propitiation,

SERMON VI. 121
or propitiatory sacrifice, for «the sins of the
whole world. Therefore, he was such a High
Priest as became us ; such as our state ai ^
condition required ; for, being both God •ynd
Man, participating both natures, the divine
and human, he was every way qualified to
mediate for us, to take away the sin of the
world, to obtain for us spiritual and eternal
blessings, and to discharge every part of the
office which properly belongs to this most
heavenly High Priesthood.
For, thirdly, in his whole person, he was
made higher than the heavens in consequence
of his humiliation, being exalted to the right
hand of power, to rule, direct, and govern all
things mediatorially for his body's sake the
Church. Thus the Apostle speaks of him
in his Epistle to the Ephesians, " God has set
him at his own right hand in the heavenly
places, far above all principality arid power
and might and dominion," and every name
that is named, not only in this world, but also
in that which is to come; and, has put all
things under his feet, and gave him to be the
Head over all things to his Church." This
more fully expresses what is meant by his
sitting at the right band of God; for, the

122 SERMON VI.
right hand means dignity, power, and autho
rity ; and, the right hand of God must mean
the highest glory and supreme domination :
and, sitting at the right hand of God implies
the permanency of his kingdom and glory.
See what a High Priest you have — holy,
harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners;
and, therefore, qualified to intercede for you —
the Son of God, and therefore higher than
.the heavens — personally united to God, and
therefore higher than the heavens — exalted far
above all things, to rule over all for his body's
sake, the Church, and therefore higher than
the heavens, and crowned with glory and
honor in all points, such a High Priest as
became us, perfectly suited to our state and
condition as sinful and guilty creatures.
Being the Son of God and one with the
Father, he has made complete atonement for
us by the sacrifice of Himself: and, so com
plete, so perfect was the work which he under
took to perform, and which he has performed,
there is no necessity for a repetition of it, nor
for any other sacrifice, nor for any thing to be
performed by us as the procuring or meri
torious cause, or ground of our salvation. All
is done and finished which was necessary to

SERMON VI. 123
take away sin, and to open the door of mercy
to all mankind. By that one oblation of
Himself once offered, he has perfected for
ever them that are sanctified, i. e. all that
truly repent and believe the gospel ; for, they
only are sanctified, set apart, and devoted,
who do so; and, they are sanctified, or set
apart by authority of that covenant of grace
which was confirmed before of God in
Christ ; according to which all that truly
repent and believe the gospel are the des
tined heirs of eternal life.
I willingly dwell upon this subject, and use
more words, perhaps, than are necessary, in
hope of fixing this important subject in your
minds, and to make you sensible of its vast
importance. I therefore repeat, that he
needed not daily, nor on a certain day, once
every year, to offer sacrifices for sin, as the
Levitical Priests did, first for themselves and
then for the people, repeating the incomplete
and insufficient service daily and yearly; the
repetition plainly indicating the incomplete
ness and insufficiency of the Levitical priest
hood and sacrifices, and intimating that better
and more perfect and all-sufficient priesthood
md sacrifice of the Son of God ; who, when

124 SERMON VI.
he offered up Himself, did so perfectly take
away sin that all repetition of that sacrifice
was for ever absolutely precluded. For, the
law made men High Priests, mere men, who
had infirmity, and whose work, therefore,
whatever they undertook, was of necessity
like themselves imperfect ; but, the word of
the oath, which was since the law, invested
the Son with this high office, to be Priest foi*
ever after the pattern or example of Melchi-
sedec, and consecrated Him for evermore.
The Levitical Priests were many. They
had no continuance in their office. They
were cut off by death. They succeeded each
other only for a short time. But, this Jesus
is one, and the same in Himself and to his
Church, yesterday, to-day, and for ever.
He had no partner; and, has no successor.
His priesthood passes not away: it is ever
lasting : he abideth a priest continually. And
his sacrifice, in its virtue and effects, is ever
lasting. Such as is the difference between the Levi
tical priesthood and that of Jesus Christ,
such also is the difference between the old
covenant and the new. The first covenant
served only for a time, and the highest advan-

SERMON VI. 125
tages which it offered, were temporal. It
failed, because they, who were under it,
failed: and, such was the nature of this cove
nant, it could not prevent this failure.' It was
weak through the flesh. But, the new cove
nant proposes spiritual and eternal advantages.
It is an everlasting covenant, ordered in all
things, and sure. It is a covenant of grace,
respecting man's fallen state and condition,
providing sufficient remedies for all the mise
ries of that state and condition. It rests upon
the obedience unto death of the infallible
mediator: It stands upon the Truth of the
unchangeable God, his promise and oath ;
who, according to the tenor of this covenant,
remits the sins of all that take hold of it ;
and, by the Holy Ghost, through the
ministry of the Word, He imparts to them
that knowledge of Himself, and that faith in
their great High Priest, by which they appre
hend the perfect satisfaction made for them,
and apply it to themselves, and derive the
benefit of it to their own salvation; so that
their hearts are delivered from an evil con
science and are sanctified by a stedfast regard
unto all God's commandments.
, The actual experience and enjoyment of

i26 SERMON VI.
this salvation, or the spiritual benefits* and
blessings of the new covenant, are not imme
diately derived from the death of Christ,
but consequently ; and immediately from his
life, his resurrection, his ascension, and his
sitting at the right hand of God. For, said
he, " It is expedient for you that I go away ;
and, if Igo not away," meaning his ascension
into heaven, " the Comforter, which is the
Holy Ghost, will not come unto you." —
And, if the Holy Ghost had not been given
through the intercession of our High Priest
in heaven, there could not have been any
experience or enjoyment of this state of sal
vation, nor of the holy condition which pro
perly belongs to it; that is, we never should
have had any true knowledge of God, nor
any true faith in our great High Priest, nor
peace of conscience, nor rejoicing of hope,
not regeneration of the human nature.
But, we have a High Priest, who is entered,
" not into the holy places made with hands,
which were figures of the true, but into
heaven itself, now to appear in the presence
of God for us." And, because he continues
ever, and has a priesthood which passes not
away, and is now as much a High Priest in

SERMON VI. 127
heaven as he was upon earth when offering up
Himself to God for us, he is therefore able to
save them to the uttermost who come unto
God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make
intercession for them. " Because I live, ye
shall live also" — and, " If, when we were
enemies, we were reconciled to God by the
death of his Son ; much more, being recon
ciled, we shall be saved by his life."
Thus the Levitical High Priest performed
the first part of his office in the holy place
without the vail. But, once every year,
when he had offered a sacrifice for the sins of
the people, he entered into the most holy
place within the vail, taking with him burning
incense and the blood of the sacrifice which
he had offered ; and there he stood before the
mercy-seat and sprinkled the blood, the holy
incense burning all the while, denoting that he
was interceding in the presence of God for
the people by virtue of the sacrifice which
had been offered — and the people all the
while were standing or prostrate on the out
side of the tabernacle; or, if at a distance,
turning towards it.
But, Christ, being a High Priest of good
things which relate to our eternal salvation

128 SERMON VI.
by a greater and more perfect sacrifice, and
in a more perfect tabernacle, and by his own
blood, entered once for all into the most holy
place, heaven itself, to appear and intercede
for all that are prostrate before God, having
obtained eternal redemption for them by the
sacrifice of Himself. For, " if the blood of
bulls and goats, sprinkling the unclean, sanc
tified to the purifying of the flesh," and which
was no more than a typical purification, then
" how much more shall the blood of Christ,
who through The Eternal Spirit offered
Himself without spot to God, purge your
conscience from dead works to serve the living
God ;" that is, if you truly turn to him by
faith in this great Mediator !
Lastly, considering both parts of the office
of our great High Priest, and that he is now
discharging the most important part, as our
advocate or intercessor in heaven, the Apos
tle's argument will apply with happy force to
your consciences, " He that spared . not his
own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how
shall he not with him freely give us all things"
through his mediation and earnest and power*
ful intercession?
In conclusion of this discourse, X woukj

SERMON VI. 129
exhort every one of you to consider what is
implied in this doctrine, viz. that sin against
God is ruinous to every creature. If that
great sacrifice was necessary to our salvation
as sinful and guilty creatures, What must be
the consequence, if, with infidel presumption,
you reject; or if, with wilful ignorance and
carelessness, you neglect so great a salvation ?
And, I would remark, how vain must be the
confidence of those, who trust in themselves
that they are righteous, or at least righteous
enough to secure themselves from final con
demnation! If it was necessary, that onr Saviour should
be without blemish, or spot of sin, to make his
obedience and the sacrifice of Himself accept
able, What presumption is it in any man,
who will dare to stand before the holy God
trusting in his own imperfect obedience, or
righteousness, bespotted as it is all over with
sinful defects, and defiled by so many actual
sins in thought, word, and deed J Verily,
salvation by the Mediator, absolutely excludes
all confidence in ourselves, in our own merits,
or righteousness, or any thing we can do to
deserve it.
Whenever you reflect on the character of
K

ioo SERMON VI.
our Saviour, that he was holy, harmless, unde
filed, and separate from sinners ; and, that it
-was necessary he should be so, because the
Lord our God is holy and infinitely abhors
sin and whatever is evil, let this reflection
have mighty force to make you fear the com
mission of sin and even the indulgence of the
thought of it in your heart.
If it was necessary that our Saviour should
be perfectly holy, that he might draw near to
God to intercede for us, surely we must dili
gently use the means by which we may be
come holy and righteous ; for, otherwise, that
is, without holiness, we cannot hope to be ad
mitted into the divine presence. Therefore,
it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy. Let
us then earnestly endeavour, and pray for
grace to sanctify our hearts and lives, or to
make us holy, harmless, undefiled, and sepa
rate from sinners in this world, that we may
hope to be separated from them in the future
world, and may be admitted into the ever
lasting communion of Saints and Angels in
the presence of the holy God.
If at any time, your consciences are alarm
ed by a sense of your own sinfulness and ma
nifold deficiencies — or if, through infirmity,
23

SERMON VI. 131
"Or force of temptation, you are* drawn aside
and offend God, and bring guilt upon your
conscience, suffer not that alarm, or this 'aiilt,
to remain : for, while they remain, you can
not serve God with a free spirit, nor be happy
in yourselves. Therefore, apply earnestly
to God through our great High-Priest, and
vplead the great sacrifice which he offered, that
you may obtain -remission of your sins and
.peace in your conscience.
Your High- Priest is in heaven appearing
in the presence of God for you ; and doubt
not the efficacy of his intercession. For,
whenever you sincerely repent and apply for
mercy and grace, the incense of his intercession
will be joined to your prayers, and they will
ascend to God and be accepted through him
who died for you. Doubt not that your hea
venly Father is and will be propitious to
Jou- But, hear what the Apostle has said**,
<i Seeing then that we have a great High
Priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus
•the Son of God., let us hold fast our profes
sion. For, we have not a High Priest which
cannot be touched with the feeling of our in-
* Heb. iv. 14, 15, 16.
X 2

13* SERMON VI,
firmities ; but was in all points tempted like
as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore
come boldly unto the throne of grace, that
we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help
in time of need." And, St. John wrote to the
same effect ; " If any man sin," meaning any
sincere believer who has sinned and repents,
" we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus
Chhist the righteous, and He is the propi
tiation for our sins." Therefore, in all such
cases, draw near in faith, and ask in the prayer
of faith, for the mercy which you want, and
which God has promised through the merits
and mediation of Jesus Christ,
In obedience to our Saviour's command,
we are now going to receive the Sacrament of
his body and blood. With great propriety,
this Sacrament has been called A Commemo
rative Sacrifice ; that is, a religious ceremony
representing the real propitiatory sacrifice
which has been offered for us, and bringing
it to our remembrance by outward and visible
signs, <*• As often as ye eat this bread and
drink this cup, ye do shew forth the Lord's
death ;" and so, in a manner, renew it again,
and make it present to your mind, And
indeed, the sacramental bread and wine are

SERMON VI. 133
not, and cannot be of any real use to Us in
any other way than as they assist our faith
by representing orir great High-Priest offer
ing that perfect sacrifice of Himself to God
for us. This, said he, is my body which is given
for you — This is my blood, the blood of the
new covenant, or New Testament, which is shed
for you, and for many, for the remission o
sins. Do this in remembrance of me  In re
membrance of Thee, O blessed Lord! What
Christians are they ! What mere pretenders
to Christianity, who refuse to do this in re
membrance of Thee! What hope, or peace,
or comfort have we, but in remembrance
of Thee ; in remembrance of thy Priesthood,
Sacrifice, and Intercession I

* 3

SERMON VII.
THE SCRIPTURAL DOCTRINE OF
REDEMPTION.
Colossians i. 1.4.
In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the ¦
forgiveness of sins.
Tn e most important circumstance, in the
doctrine of redemption^ is the sufficiency
of the great sacrifice to take away the sin of
the worlds In conviction of its vast import
ance, I wish to guard you against an attempt,
to make the beneficial effect, of the death ot
Christ to rest altogether upon a divine ap
pointment of this sacrifice ; as if there were
no worth, no peculiar fitness, or suitableness,,
in the sacrifice itself, derived from the cha
racter and dignity of our great High-Priest ;.
or, as if there were nothing in the condition-
of human nature, nor in the character of
God as the governour of this world,, which
made the sacrifice of Christ, necessary to
our salvation.
It is plainly revealed in the holy Scriptures,,
that- the mediatos between God. and men*

SERMON VII. 135
must needs be man ;vand, secondly, that he
must be so far exalted above the common con
dition of mankind, as to be able of himself to
offer a sacrifice proportionate to the guilt of hu
man nature, and worthy of the holy God. The
sufficiencv of the sacrifice of Christ rests
upon these two points.
First, he must needs be man. This was
typified in the law by making it necessary to
a redeemer, that he be near of kin to those
who were to be redeemed : and, the character
of redeemer properly belongs to the nearest
relation. He was the person, to whom was
committed the legal right to prosecute and
take vengeance on the murderer of his rela
tion, to reprieve his alienated inheritance, to
purchase his freedom, when reduced to the
condition of a bond-servant and to perpetuate
for ever his political life in the enjoyment
of his inheritance in the land of promise.
Therefore, to destroy tie destroyer of man
kind, death and him that had the power of
death ,' to recover the inheritance, which men
had forfeited by their apostacy, or sold for
the pleasures and glory of this world; to
free mankind from the miserable bondage of
sin; and, to give and secure eternal life
K4

136 SERMON VIL
So them in the perpetual fruition of the eter
nal inheritance ; it was necessary, that he,
who would become the redeemer of men,
should participate their nature, should himself
be man, born of a woman, and, in all things,,
like unto us, sin only excepted, which is no
essential property of the human nature-
He that would redeem mankind must needs
be man ; for, of man only could the price
©f redemption be exacted, and, in the same
nature which sinned, must that price be
paid. And, he that would pay this price, must
needs be man, because, to redeem mankind,.
he must suffer the curse of sin, that is,, he
must die for us. The heathen, in their deepest
apostacy, retained this truth, that " nothing
but the life of man can atone for man*,""
though, alas! they knew not the reasons of
this truth ; and, to them, it was the blind
prejudice of education, and without use. —
And, it was necessary, that the redeemer
should participate the common nature of ali
men, that all men might be capable of parti
cipating the benefit of redemption. Upon
this ground* St. Paul justifies his exhortation-
* The opinion of the Umidsy mentioned in- Cs*iAEV
Commentaries.

SERMON VII. 137
to make supplications, prayers, and interces
sions for all men, of every nation and of every
condition in the world, because, as there is
one God over all, so there is one mediator,
participating our common nature, who is
therefore the Saviour of all men.
But, hear what is written upon this sub
ject in the Epistle to the Hebrews. Jesus
was made a little lower than the Angels for
the suffering of death, or to be capable of
suffering it — that he by the grace of Gor>
might taste death for every man. And now
see the reason of this — For, it became Him,
the holy God, for whom are all things, and
fey whom are all things, in bringing many
sons unto glory, to make the captain of their
salvation, their leader, chief, perfect, accom
plished in this office, through sufferings. For
both he that sanctifieth, and they who are
sanctified are all of one, one -common nature
and interest, and children of the same father :
for which cause, he is not ashamed to call them
brethren. For as much then as ihe children are
partakers of flesh andblood, he also, the Captain*
of their salvation, himself likewise took part
of the same, or participated the same human-
nature, that through death he might destroy.

138 SERMON VII.
him that had the power of death, might bruise
the serpent's head, vanquish the kingdom and
power of Satan, that is, the devil, and deliver
them who, ' through fear of death were all
their lifetime subject to bondage. For, ve
rily, he took not on him the nature of Angels,
or he took not hold of Angels, another kind"
of nature ; but, he took on him the seed of
Abraham, and therefore the common nature
of all men ; i. e. he was made flesh, he was
made man, he assumed the human nature.
Wherefore, in all things it behoved him to be
made like unto his brethren, that he might be
a merciful and faithful High-Priest in things
pertaining to God, to make reconcili
ation TOR THE SINS OP THE PEOPLE.
Thus clearly and decisively do the Scrip
tures teach the doctrine of Christ's true and
proper humanity ; and, that he must needs
be man to mediate for men and die for them ;
because nothing but the life of man offered in
sacrifice can atone for men, or make reconci
liation for the sins of the people. And thus,
as by man came death, by man came also
the resurrection of the dead : for, as in Ad AM
all die, even so in Christ shall all be mads
alive.

SERMON VII. 139
- And, the Scriptures as clearly teach, that
this second man is the Lord from heaven.
In the passage, which has been repeated,
there is a plain intimation of pre-existence,
before he took on him the seed of Abra
ham ; where the choice of two possible things
" is stated, his taking on him either the nature of
Angels or the human nature. And, the Scrip
tures clearly teach, that the mediator, the savi
our, the redeemer of men, must be one exalted
far above the common condition of humanity ;
fbr, no one in the common condition of hu
man nature, no such mere man, can make
agreement with God for his brother, or lay
a sufficient ground of reconciliation for sinful
creatures with the holy God. If he must be
man, to act for men ; he must be such a
man as is qualified to mediate with God for
us — if he must be in all things like unto
us, he must needs be the very image of
God, or in all things like unto God —
vea, he must be such a person as can treat
with God upon the footing of equality, in
this great affair of mediation ; and, for this
reason particularly, because it will cost more,
a richer sacrifice, to redeem mankind, than
any mere man can offer, as the price of our

140 SERMON VII.
redemption — Humbled to the form of a ser
vant, and yet in the form of God.
" But, why so? Why may not a mere man
be the sacrifice? Why may not an angel, an
archangel, or any other spiritual being, such
as the Arians have feigned, a creature next
to God himself, or only inferior to him, a
being emanated from the eternal Father?"
And, we may as well descend below the con
dition of humanity, as ascend to the summit
of created existences, and may ask, " Why
may not a heifer, a sheep, a goat, a turtle
dove, or a young pigeon, a fly or a worm, or
any thing else ? If God appoint it for a
sacrifice, Why may it not answer the purpose*
of a sacrifice ?" .But, has God appointed
either the one or the other? No, verily; and
for this reason, because it was not possible
that a mere creature should mediate for a
creature, and much less for a sinful creature,
by offering a sufficient sacrifice for his sins.
This is the reason, which the Scriptures give,.
for superseding the sacrifices of the law, be-"
cause it was not possible that the blood of bulls-
and of goats should take away sin. And, this-
impossibility is made to consist in an intrinsic
worthlessness, or insufficiency, in the very

SERMON VII. 141
nature of them, and in relation to the end
proposed, and not in the want of a divine
appointment. And, for this reason only were
they set aside, to make room for a more full
and perfect sacrifice. Wherefore, when he,
the divine Saviour, cometh, or is prophetically
described as coming, into the world, he saith
Sacrifice, and burnt-offerings, and offerings for
sin, such as were offered by the law, thou
wouldest not : in them thou hadst no pleasure :
they Could not fulfil the purpose of thy mercy.
Then said I, Lo I come to do thy will : a body
hast thou prepared me, in which I may accom
plish what the legal sacrifices could never
perform— I come to take away sin by the
sacrifice of myself, and to make those, who
come to this sacrifice, perfect as pertaining to
the conscience ; and who are sanctified for
ever, through the offering of the body of Jesus
Christ once for all.
And why through this offering, and not the
other? For this reason only, because this
offering was a better sacrifice ; and better,
because it was an offering of the body of a
perfectly holy and an infinitely dignified per
son. Therefore, when St. Paul affirmed, in
our text, that in Christ we have redemp
tion, through his blood, the forgiveness of

i42 SERMON VII.
sins, he immediately subjoined, as the reason
and ground of it, a declaration of the glorious
character of our Redeemer ; Who is the Image
of the invisible God^ the First-Born of every
creature; for, by him were all things created
that are in heaven, and that are in earth,
visible and invisible, whether they be Thrones,
or Dominions, or Principalities, or Powers :
All things were created by him, and for him ;
xxnd He is before all things; and by Him all
things consist : and He is the Head of the
body, the Church, The Beginning, The First-
Born from the dead; that, in all things, He
might have the pre-eminence : for, it pleased
(the Father) that in Him should all fulness
dwell: and, having made peace by the blood of
his cross, by Him to reconcile all things to
Himself; by Him, whether things in earth, or
things in heaven.
S*uch is the Apostle's description of our
adorable Redeemer ! And, whether you take
these expressions as applicable to The Word,
which was in the beginning with God, and
was God, and by whom all things were
created ; or, as applicable to The Word made
flesh; or, applicable to Christ as man in
whom dwell all the fulness of the Godhead
bodily; they certainly express the most glo-

SERMON VII, 143
rious character of our Redeemer, and that
holiness and dignity which gave efficacy to
the sacrifice of Himself.
And observe, in Heb. ix. how the Apostle
makes the whole power and effect of the
Priesthood of Christ, to depend altogether
upon the superior dignity of his person.
" Christ being come an High-Priest of good
things to come, by a greater and more per
fect tabernacle, not made with hands ; neither
by the blood of goats and calves, but by his
own blood, he entered once into the holy
place, having obtained eternal redemption for
us. For, if the blood of bulls and goats, and
the ashes of an heifer, sprinkling the unclean,
sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh, How
much more shall the blood of Christ," of
that most dignified person, " who through
the Eternal Spirit," the divine inha
bitant of the tabernacle of his body, and with
whom he was personally united — " how much
more shall His blood," the blood of Christ,
¦" who offered Himself," so great, so infinitely
precious a sacrifice, " purge your conscience,"
free you from guilt, and restore you to the
service of the living God ! ! !
What now becomes of the idle, the quib-

144 SERMON VII.
bling, the ungrateful, the presumptuous ques
tion, " May not any other sacrifice do as well,
if God appoint it ?" Ah ! if God appoint it !
But, will he appoint? or, has he appointed?
and, shall a grave divine, a Christian Bishop,
even make the supposition, that he could ap-
t point what is in itself inadequate to the end
proposed ? shall a reasonable creature, with
the Bible in his hand, make supposition of
God's appointing a thing to do what that
Bible, what the very word of God declares it
cannot perform ? For, it is not possible, that
the blood of bulls and goats should take away
sin. And, because the impossibility consists in
the worthlessness of these sacrifices ; and, be
cause the condition of things in heaven and
earth requires a better sacrifice than these
were; therefore, for the same reasons, it was
impossible that any mere man, and utterly
impossible .that any sinful man (and every
mere man, every child of Adam, is sinful)
should make agreement with God for his
brother: and, for the same reasons, it was
impossible that any mere creature, angel or
archangel, should mediate between God and
man, to unite again, what sin had put asun-

SERMON VII. 145
der, the holy God and his sinful creatures.
The angels confess that they are our fellow-
servants. It is honor enough for them to
minister to the heirs of salvation. They de
sire to look into the mystery of man's redemp
tion ; and, only to look into it, there to behold
the manifold wisdom of God, but without
hope of fathoming the depth of this great
and profound mystery, God manifest in the
flesh. How then could any one of them be
competent to execute the plan of mercy, or be
the Redeemer of men, when even the plan
itself exceeds the extent of their large capa
cities, to comprehend its breadth and length,
and depth and height?
But, Christ was not only a man, and
nearest of kin to us, and capable of laying
down his life for us; but, this man was The
Son of God — The Word was made flesh,
and dwelt in the person of Jesus Christ —
God was in Christ reconciling the world
unto Himself. The works, which were per
formed by Christ, he did not of himself,
merely as man; but, the Father, God, who
dwelt in him, He did the works. And, it
was this, which gave an infinite dignity to his
person, and an infinite importance, or worth,
L

146 SERMON VII.
to his propitiatory sufferings ; for, in this
regard, it was truly said, God purchased his
Church with his own blood.
To say, that any other sacrifice might have
done as well, if God had appointed it to be
used; and, making the efficacy of Christ's
death to rest entirely upon the appointment^
is sending us back to the condition of the
Jews. Their sacrifices were appointed by a
divine law, and yet could never make those
who came to them, or used them, perfect as
pertaining to the conscience; for, conscious
ness of sins still remained. And, it must
needs be so, in every similar instance ; because
nothing will satisfy the conscience, which is
not in itself sufficient to satisfy the justice of
the holy Lord God; or, such a sacrifice is
expedient for us, in which God can have plea
sure as perfectly commensurate with the
extent of human guilt, and with the extent of
his purpose to save sinners consistently with
his own perfections and the glory of his holy,
righteous, and merciful government.
This is the reason, why the resurrection of
Christ is of so much importance to our
eomfort and hope in God; because it is so
strong a confirmation of our faith in the

SERMON Vll. 14?
atonement, or in the fulness of that perfect
sacrifice which Jesus Christ offered upon
the cross to take away the sin of the world.
Whoever has not this view of the great sacri
fice, as all-sufficient to remove our guilt and
glorify the perfections and government of the
holy God, is not delivered from the burden of
his own conscience ; and, labouring under
that burden, he never can be delivered from it
without this view of Christ and of his all-
sufficient sacrifice.
Looking for peace of conscience to a de
fective righteousness of any kind, whether it
be the sacrifice of bulls and goats, or of any
mere creature, or to a man's own righteous
ness, which is not only defective in every one
of us, but interrupted and broken by many
actual transgressions ; and, looking to mere
philosophical possibilities, or probabilities, of
things, in an affair of infinite concernment*
will leave the soul in a miserable' state of
doubt and uncertainty about its present and
future condition. Such a view of things will
never shed abroad the love of God in our
hearts^ nor support us in our dying moments,
iftor in the day of judgment.
And, let it be taken for granted, that God
b 2

148 SERMON VII.
can forgive sin without the propitiatory suffer
ings of Christ ; and, without any other sa
crifice, i. e. without a mediator — But then, let
it be confessed, that forgiveness simply con
sidered, or the remission of punishment, merely
as an authoritative act of the Creator and Go
vernour of this world, would have relation to
this world only, and to the course of God's
natural providence, and would notv produce
any other effect, than either a prevention of
those natural evils which are the consequences
of sin, or a restoration of mankind to their
natural condition of being and life in this vi
sible creation. It would not produce any
principle of spiritual life in the human nature
— It would form no connection with the eter
nal world, or with that eternal life which God
has given us in his Son, and only in his Son —
and then, after a thousand and a thousand
acts of forgiveness, man would remain the
same foolish, weak, worldly, and carnal being
which he was before, and he would bring new
guilt and condemnation upon himself every
da}*, aggravated exceedingly by the repetition
of offences against that adorable Being who
had so repeatedly pardoned him. And, be
cause this forgiveness is merely the act of so-

SERMON VII. 149
vereign authority, no one individually could
have any assurance, or certainty, of being one
of the objects of this mercy.
Oh ! let us turn from this obscure horizon,
so full of doubts and uncertainty, to that
better and brighter prospect, which is opened
to our faith in the glorious character of the
Lord our Redeemer — who, being in the form of
God, thought it not robbery to be equal with
God, but made himself of no reputation, and
took upon him the form of a servant, and was
made in the likeness of men ; and, being found
in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and
became obedient unto death, even the death of
the cross — And, doing this, he discharged the
office of High-Priest over the house of God
and ' put away sin by the sacrifice of Him
self And now, he is entered into the holy
place, into heaven itself, having obtained eter
nal redemption for us. Wherefore, he is able
also to save them to the uttermost, that come
unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to
make intercession for them.
Ask those who have studied the laws of
nature, whether they have ever discovered, in
a single instance, any unnecessary expence of
means or power to produce an effect, or to
L3

150 SERMON VII.
obtain any end, in this visible creation. They
They answer No — They will tell you, that the
process of natural causes and effects is most
simple and economical. And surely, the
greatest means would not have been used, the
greatest power would not have been exerted,
the most high God would not have conde
scended to the lowest condition of humanity,
and with his own arm have wrought the sak
vation of men, if the condition of men and
the glory of God had not been united in re
quiring this way and method of mercy and
grace. Therefore, to accomplish the greatest
end, viz. the glory of God in the salvation of
sinful men, i. e. to produce a new creation,
a new order of things, a spiritual system,
the highest kind of life and happiness, in mak
ing sinful creatures participate the divine na
ture, this way of salvation was chosen, as most
wise, most comprehensive, most extended in
utility and certain in its effects, or as. per
fectly fitted to produce the end proposed, and
was decreed in the eternal counsel of God,
before the foundation of this world was laid —
And, what has been so decreed is as neces
sary as what the heathens meant by irresisti-*
ble fate.. The counsel of the Lor.dh that shaffl

SERMON VII. 151
stand and the thoughts of his heart from gene
ration to generation.
To apply this doctrine for your improve
ment, permit to ask, Are we not sinful crea
tures? Have we not all sinned against the
great God ? The thing in question is, not
whether you are imperfect, frail, earthly-
minded, and your natural propensities directly
opposite to t every thing holy and spiritual ;
but, whether you have not. made the imper
fection and frailty of your nature, your natu
ral tempers and evil propensities, an excuse
to yourselves for venturing upon the commis
sion of sin, or for running into the danger
of committing it. Instead of watching and
guarding against your frailty, ifistead of call
ing upon God for his grace to help you in the
hour of temptation, have you not yielded to
temptation, run into temptation, and " fol
lowed the devices and desires of your own
hearts ?" and in consequence of this your own
unfaithfulness, have you not offended against
God's holy- laws, left your duty undone in a
thousand instances, and done those things
which ought not to be done ? Surely, you dare
not stand up to plead your righteousness before
God ! You dare not challenge the holy God to
enter into judgment with you !
l 4

i5a SERMON VII.
And, if you are sinful creatures and guilty
in the sight of God, and guilty in your own
consciences, What is your remedy ? How
escape God's righteous condemnation? He is
a holy God and a righteous judge. " He will
not clear the guilty" — and, how will you clear
yourselves in your own consciences ?
Suppose you reform, and acquire any de
gree of moral rectitude, or purity of heart,
you are pleased to imagine — Would this take
away your guilt? Is there any compensation for
past iniquitiesin this reform? Would this beany
thing like satisfaction to God's justice for the
sins which you have committed ? Say you re
pent; will repentance remove your guilt or sa
tisfy the demands of law and justice? Say you
shed rivers of tears, will tears wash away the
guilt of sin? Can you by any means undo what
you have done, and bring to pass that you
shall not be sinful and guilty creatures ? If a
murderer remove to some distant place, where
he is not known, and there live the most in
nocent and righteous and useful life, and be
an example of every thing virtuous and ami
able in his temper and conduct, and be es
teemed and loved by every one that is ac
quainted with him ; and if he have most deeply
repented of his crime ; he is still a murderer

SERMON VII. 153,
— his guilt remains. And, if the ministers of
justice, after twenty or thirty years, discover
his retreat and prove his crime against him,
he will certainly be hanged : neither his good
living, nor his exemplary conduct, nor his
high reputation, nor his repentance, will save
him from righteous vengeance: he must die
the death of a murderer*.
You will say, perhaps, The Scriptures teach
you to believe, that, if you truly repent, and
forsakeyour sins, and amend your lives, you
shall find mercy. This is true indeed : and,
may God give you grace to do so. But, re
member, that these same Scriptures teach you
upon what ground God will shew you this
mercy, or upon what ground he has promised
to forgive repenting sinners, and upon what
ground also he calls them to repentance and
gives them grace to repent, without which
they will never repent. The Scriptures teach
you, that there is no other name given amongst
men, whereby they may be saved, than the
name of Jesus Christ and of him cruci
fied ; that there is salvation in no other per
son or thing ; that the one great sacrifice of
* The Author remembers an example, in his younger
years, answering in every particular to the above de-
6cription.

154 SERMON VII.
Christ is the ground of all God's merci
ful and gracious dealings with us ; that, for
Ch rist's sake, he calls us to repentance ; that,
for Christ's sake, he gives us grace to repent;
that, for Ch rist's sake, he pardons us when we
do repent; and, that itis the blood of Jesus
Christ which cleanses us from all sin. And
surely, if any one lay that stresvs of confidence
upon his repentance and amendment, or on
the merit of his own righteousness in any form,
which is due to the sacrifice, the merit and
mediation of Jesus Christ, his repentance
needs to be repented of, as essentially defec
tive in principle ; it is not true repentance ;
and his amendment, his very righteousness,
in this regard, becomes his fault, and a fault
of the greatest magnitude, perfectly antichris-
tian — It is like to an Apostle becoming a trai
tor, and, as if virtue itself were engaged on
the side of treason and rebellion against the
Lord and his Christ.
The principle of men's actions must be
always taken into the account, when we would
estimate them by the rule of God's word.
If thine eye be single, thy whole body will be
full of light ; but, if thine eye be evil — if your
principle be so, if your motives fee wrong —
thy whole body, will be full of darkness, — theu

SERMON VII. i55
all is wrong. Christian virtue, and Christian
righteousness, that which is truly so in God's
account, is the virtue and righteousness of
faith: of faith in Christ as the propitiation
for our sins — when we walk in the light > as he
is in the light, then have zoe fellowship one with
another, and the blood of Jesus Christ
cleanseth us from all sin. AVhen we are hum
bled in sincere repentance; when we renounce
every other hope, than Jesus Christ, as
the ground of our justification and hope in
God; when we apply for mercy in the name
of Jesus Christ; when we come to the
fountain opened for sin and uneleanness
to wash away our guilt;,, when a sense of
God's mercy through Christ makes our
consciences clean? and the love of God puri
fies our hearts from selfish designs and worldly
desires, from pride and self-conceit; and,
when we act under a sense of the obligations
of mercy with a free spirit, and serve the Itoly
God, not as slaves unwillingly in the spirit of
bondage, but with joy as redeemed creatures,, as
children who love their father and their father's
will, then our righteousness is truly Chris*
fum; God is glorified, and *we are saved*

SERMON VIII.

A RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD,
THE DOCTRINE OE BOTH
THE TESTAMENTS.
Isaiah xxvi. 19.
Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall
they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust :
for thy dew is as the dew of herbs ; and the earth shall
cast out the dead.
Ihere is music in these words : the sen
tence is harmonious : The sentiment, though
imperfectly understood^^.- lively. It is the

voice of triumph
Thy dead mei
The Jews
quity, a polh
Their city,
religion per^
people. Thei
land. They ^
and Babylon Waj^
lay in darkness as

ault^cstacies of joy.
perfect! &c.
tostlejaeeon for their ini-
ere esiajstical death.
ellion 3ir polity, their
'ere no more a
s action from the holy
ait, whe*;nto captivity;
je oJ!rave> Tjjgj.g they
that have been long

dead. Neither in the natural course of things,
nor m their own powers, could they see a

SERMON VIII. 157
possibility of being restored to life, or to their
former state and condition.
But, Why should it be thought incredible
that God should raise the dead ? Cannot the
Almighty accomplish what seems impossible
and which is impossible to men, and which is
naturally impossible, because there are no
springs or principles originally in the consti
tution of the world, nor means to produce the
effect? The Prophet encouraged the Jews to hope
against hope. He bade them to expect from
the almighty power, in the course of God's
providence, what they must despair of ob
taining from any other quarter. Babylon
shall be conquered, and finally destroyed.
Cyrus, named before he was born, and who
was almost as unlikely as any other person
in the world to be employed in this service,
shall be the instrument of divine providence
to restore the Jews. Their city, their tem
ple, shall rise up out of ruins — their po
lity, laws, and religion shall again be esta
blished. But, not at all by their own wisdom or
might. The Prophet taught them to confess

158 SERMON VIIL
their own insufficiency — We have as it wett
brought forth wind ; all human attempts have.
proved utterly vain — We have not wrought any
deliverance in the earth, neither have the in
habitants of the zmr Id fallen. But, ** thy dead
men shall live; together with my dead
body shall they arise. Awake and sing,
ye that dwell in the dust," meaning the
dead in sepulchres and graves, " for, thy dew
is as the dew of herbs" — -You shall ex
perience such a change as herbs of the field,
parched by drought and burning winds and
heat of the sun, experience, when refreshed
by kindly and plentiful moisture of dew and
rain ; " and the earth shall cast out the
dead. Come, my people ; enter thou into
thy chamber, and shut thy doors about thee :
hide thyself, as it were, for a little moment,
in thy political grave, until the indignation be
over-past : For, behold, The Lord cometh
out of his place to punish the inhabitants of
the earth for their iniquity : the earth also
shall disclose her bloody and shall no more
cover her slain."
All that has befallen the Jews, from the
calling of Abraham to the present day, de*

SERMON VIII. !59
scribes more important events than those
in which any nation singly, can be inter
ested. The Jews were types of the Israel
of God. It is almost impossible, in reading
this chapter, to confine our attention to the
private concerns of the Jews. There is an
uncommon glow in the expressions . the dic
tion is exaggerated, as it were on purpose to
intimate and lead us to the contemplation of
higher and more important matters concealed
under the letter of this prophecy. A spiri
tual sense breaks forth, and shews itself
through the literal, and shines forth with
such splendor of expression, that the literal
sense is turned and thrown into shades, and
almost totally disappears. We are constrained
to think of the great event in which we our
selves are interested, and look forward unto
the general resurrection.
But, not to insist on this circumstance-
It is sufficiently evident, that the Jews under
the Old Testament dispensation, were not ig
norant of the doctrine of a resurrection from
the dead. For, how was it possible, that
Isaiah should describe the restoration of
the Jews from their captivity in Babylon by a

160 SERMON VIII.
resurrection from the dead, and how could the
Jews understand the meaning of this prophecy,
if they had no idea of a resurrection from the
dead? The same may be said of Ezekiel's
prophecy of the resurrection of a heap of dry
bones, in which we see the sinews and flesh co
vering the bones, and the skin clothing them,
and breath put into them, and they live.
Could Abraham have expected that God
would raise Isaac even from the dead, after
being sacrificed and consumed to ashes by
fire on the altar, if he had no idea or hope of
the resurrection of the whole man, soul and
body? When Job said, " I know that my
Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at
the latter day upon the earth, and though
after my skin worms destroy this body," or
though this body or frame be dissolved, " yet
in my flesh shall I see God," did he not ex
pect a resurrection ? And, is not the idea of
a resurrection of the body plainly expressed
in that of Daniel — " And many of them that
sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,
some to everlasting life, and some to shame
and everlasting contempt. And, they that
be wise shall shine as the brightness of the

SERMON VIII. 161
firmament, and they that turn many to right
eousness, as the stars for ever and ever.'
And it is said, that This should be " at the
time of the End," after ages to come.
" But, go thy way," said the Spirit of pro
phecy to Daniel — " Go thy way till the
end be ; for, thou shalt rest" (undoubtedly,
in thy grave; " and stand in thy lot at the
end of the days ;" i. e. thou shalt rise again.
Here is both the idea of a resurrection, and
the consequences of it to the righteous and
to the wicked, the just and the unjust. And
further, these consequences are described, in
this book of Daniel, as awarded by the
judgment of God. The Ancient of Days is
described in the utmost majesty of character,
as perfectly as it can be expressed in human
language : " The Judgment was set ; and the
books were opened."
I am well aware of the Sadducean doctrine,
which coMnes all these Scriptures to some-
private events ; in regard to which the resur
rection expressed by them is a mere meta
phor. But, even supposing that the interpreta
tion of these Scriptures must relate to private
events, still it is true, that the Jews, in every
part of the Old Testament dispensation, had
M

162 SERMON VIII.
an idea of a resurrection from the dead ; for,
otherwise, this metaphor could not have been
in use. And, whether that idea were what
we mean by the resurrection of the dead, and
accompanied with the expectation of it, may
be determined by indubitable facts.
When our Saviour told the sister of La
zarus /that her brother should rise again,
She answered most readily, " I know that he
shall rise again in the resurrection of the last
day." This answer carries with it the appear
ance of a popular opinion, and not of a doc
trine which she had learned of Christ and
his Apostles. — Excepting the small philoso
phical sect of the Sadducees, it appears to
have been the general opinion and expecta
tion of the Jews ; and, that they were as cer
tainly persuaded that the1 whole man, soul
and body, will rise again, as any Christians
now are, or can be : and certainly, the doc
trine of a resurrection from the dead, could
hot have been so singularly disputed by the
Sadducees, if it had not been the persua
sion, and the general persuasion of the Jews.
If this doctrine had not been the hope of
good old Simeon, instead of saying, " Lord,
now let thy servant depart in peace," he

SERMON VIIL 163
would have prayed for life, or would have
regretted his departure, when he knew that
Messiah was born into the world ; i. e. if
he had expected nothing more or better than
a political resurrection of the Jewish nation
and a temporal reign of Christ as king of
the Jews, he would have desired and prayed
to continue in this world that he might share
in the glory of Messiah's reign; for this
would have agreed perfectly with such car
nal views and worldly expectations. But,
considering, that Christ appeared in this
world to restore man to life in a better world,
he was ready to depart in peace, having his
hope full of immortality in a resurrection
from the dead. This hope St. Paul told
Agrippa, as a thing which Agrippa
well knew, was the promise made unto the
Fathers ; and, that it was the general ex
pectation of the nation — " Unto which our
twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and
night, hope to come." That he spake here of
the resurrection of the dead is evident from
the question which follows, in the next verse,
" Why should it be thought a thing incredi
ble with you, that God should raise the dead ?"
And, he made the same confession, when h*
M 3

164 SERMON VIII.
was arraigned before Felix, professing that
he believed all things written in the law and
the prophets,and had hope toward God, which
they themselves, viz. the Jews who had accused
him, also allow, " that there shall be a resurrec
tion of the dead, both of the just and unjust."
Now I would ask, From whence had the
Jews this doctrine of the resurrection ? That
they believed it, and generally professed to be
lieve it, is clear beyond a doubt. But, from
whence? Certainly, not from Christ and his
apostles ; for, it was as much the national per
suasion before Christ called and commis
sioned his apostles, and evidently at the time
of our Saviour's birth, and before he was born
into the world, as afterwards. There was no
new revelation, nor any prophet endowed
> with extraordinary powers, to interpret the
Scriptures, after the canon of Scripture was
closed. From the prophet Malachi, the
last of the prophets, to the birth of our Sa
viour, was an interval of nearly four hun
dred years; and, at the. conclusion of this
period the Jews were in full possession of the
' doctrine of the resurrection.
That they did not derive this doctrine
from the heathen is perfectly clear; for,

SERMON VIII. 165
the resurrection of the body made no part of
vulgar heathenism; and, tlie principles ofthe
heathen philosophers were absolutely inconsist
ent with it, or directly against it. Some few
of the Jews, by their communication with the
learned heathen, learned to question and dis
pute and deny the doctrine : but, assuredly, no
Jew ever derived his belief of it from the very
sink of infidelity.
The question, therefore, recurs — from what
source did the Jews derive this doctrine of
the resurrection of the dead? There is but
one answer to be given ; and, because it is the
only one, it must be the true answer. The
political resurrections, of which we have been
reading, were a metaphorical description taken
from a believed fact, that all men shall' rise
again with their own bodies; or rather, those
political resurrections were designed types of
this more important event; and, by some
means or other, the Jews were taught to under
stand them in this light. They knew, as per
fectly as did St. Paul, What Isaiah meant,
when he prophesied, " The Lord of Hosts
will destroy in this mountain the face of the
covering cast over all people, and the vail that
is spread over all nations. He will swallow
* 3

166 SERMON VIII.
up death in victory ; and The Lord God
will wipe away tears from off all faces." — They
knew as perfectly as he did, what Hosea
meant, when, speaking in the person of our
Saviour, he said, " I will ransom them from
the power of the grave : I will redeem them
from death : O Death, I will be thy plagues ;
O Grave, I will be thy destruction." That
these were not metaphorical descriptions of
any political, or temporal deliverance, or a
description to be confined to such an event,
is plain by St. Paul's application of these
texts in proof of the resurrection of the dead :
and, that the Jews so understood these Scrip
tures, is the only method of accounting for
their general belief of a resurrection at the
time of our Saviour's birth.
But, we need not argue this point any fur
ther, as we have the authority of the Author
of the Epistle to the Hebrews, to assure us
that, before the law, Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob, and many others, believed the pro
mise of a resurrection to come; that they died
in faith, expecting the fulfilment of the pro
mise in' the enjoyment of a better country
than his on either side of the Euphrates, a
heavenly country, a city whose foundation is

SERMON VIII. 167
upon the everlasting hills, and whose builder
and maker is God. The same Author in
forms us that Moses had respect unto a
recompence of reward, which he neither
sought nor obtained in this world. And
many others, especially after the return from
Babylon, suffered patiently under the iron
rod of persecution, and even refused a tem
poral deliverance, or to preserve their lives,
that they might obtain a better resurrection —
they suffered a violent death in the sure and
certain hope of the eternal life.
But, it may be asked, If the resurrection of
the dead was the belief of the Jews under the
Old Testament dispensation at all times, how
is it that we do not read any thing of this
doctrine in their law, which was plainly the
revelation of God ? I answer, Though we do
riot read this doctrine in the law of Moses,
it does not follow that the Jews did not read
it in the law as plainly as we read it in tlie
New Testament.
There is a key of knowledge, without which
neither Jews nor Christians can understand the
law: and, if we have lost that key, we ought
not to wonder that the law seems quite silent
oh this, or on any other doctrine of im
portance. The law was a typical dispensation;
M 4.

168 SERMON VIII.
and, this doctrine, and other doctrines of
equal importance, could not be plainly
expressed, i. e. openly expressed, without de
stroying the typical nature of that dispensa
tion. It would be utterly inconsistent to ex
press that plainly, which is designed to be
expressed enigmatically or mystically. The
law, therefore, could not teach this doctrine
openly: yet, with the key of knowledge in
our possession and use, we might unlock the
mysteries, and discover those truths, of which
others, who have not this key, cannot dis
cern a single trace.
Our Saviour, who had this key, told the
Jews that Moses wrote of Him; that the
Scriptures, in general, testified of Him; and
yet, those very Jews, who had lost the key of
knowledge, could not see, either in the wri
tings of Moses, or ofthe Prophets, or in the
Book of Psalms, any description of such a
Saviour. When the Sadducees, confident in their
wretched sophistry, proposed to our Saviour
an argument against the doctrine of a re
surrection of the dead, Jesus answering said
unto them, " Do ye not therefore err, be
cause ye know not the Scriptures, nor the
Power of God." Had they considered the

SERMON VIII. 169
Power of God, or entertained thoughts wor
thy of Omnipotence, they would have be
lieved it to be possible ; and, had they used
the key of knowledge to understand the
Scriptures, they would not have presumed to
disbelieve, or doubt the fact, as a thing cer
tainly to be expected.
Our Saviour appealed to the testimony of
the Scriptures, to prove that very doctrine,
concerning which they supposed the Scrip
tures to be entirely silent. As touching the
dead that they rise, have 'ye not read in the
Book of Moses, the only Book which the
Sadducees allowed to have divine authority,
how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I
am the God of Abraham, and the God of
Isaac, and the God of Jacob ? He is not God
ofthe dead, but ofthe living. — I apprehend that
the force of this argument lies in the Hebrew
meaning of the word God. The promise of
God fo Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, was
a promise confirmed by Oath, or a Covenant
established and ratified by Oath ; and, it is
emphatically called The Oath which Jehovah
sware unto Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob —
The word God, in the Hebrew sense or mean
ing of the term, implies an Oath, the most
solemn engagement, to save and bless and

i7o SERMON VIII.
everlastingly reward those in whose favor the
Oath was made; and, the Hebrew word,
being in the plural number, expresses a plu
rality engaged by Oath to be the Allies, the
Vindicators, the Saviours, the Benefactors,
the Life, Portion, and everlasting Reward of
those who are interested in this oath or cove
nant. Therefore, I am their God implies
this, I will never desert them, either here or
in the grave; I am their God for ever. And^
while God can say, not I was, but I am
The God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of
Jacob, so sure is it that Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob must and will live again; and,
in a covenant-sense, they do now live unto
Him. The Promise, Oath, or Covenant, was made
unto Abraham, or in favor of Abraham
and his seed — he saith not unto seeds, in the
plural number, but unto thy seed, which is
Christ — Christ mystical, the Head of the
Church with all its component parts, or mem
bers, consisting of believing Jews and Gentiles.
Therefore, in this covenarit-sense, God is not
the God of the Jews only, but of the Gentiles
also, to restore, or raise up to life, Christ
first, as Head of the Church, and therefore as
the first-fruits of a general resurrection of all

SERMON VIII. 171
the faithful in Christ Jesus unto eternal
life. That part of the covenant which relates
to this redemption from the grave, is thus
expressed : If He shall make his soul an offering
for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong
his days, raised up to immortal life : therefore,
he sang, and all the Church sing with him,
" Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell," the
grave, " neither wilt thou suffer thy Holy
One to see corruption : thou shalt make
known to me the path of life," in a joyful
resurrection; " in thy presence is fulness of
joy ; thou shalt make me glad with thy coun
tenance." It was, undoubtedly, upon this
ground, that Christ sent this message unto
his disciples immediately after his resur
rection, Tell my brethren that I ascend unto
my God and your God; i. e. who has ful
filled his. covenant-engagement to me as
Head of the Church, and so as the first fruits
of }rour resurrection; for, he will certainly
prove that he is your God also, in. this cove
nant-sense, by raising you up from your
grayes to a life of immortality in heaven.
This comparative view, or sketch of a com
parative yiew, of the Scriptures, and of the
doctrine of a resurrection therein contained,
rnay persuade! you to. believe, that whatever

173 SERMON VIII.
difference there be of the " divers manners3
in which the revelation of God is expressed
in the Old Testament and the New, yet the
revelation itself is one and the same.
A view of the Scriptures as one, perfect,
and consistent whole, will tend to enlighten
your understandings and strengthen your
faith, more than any interpretations of single
texts. For it is incredible, that a doctrine of
such importance as this of the resurrection,
and which is necessary to the existence of
that holy obedience, prescribed to us as of
the utmost importance, should be an upstart
doctrine, unknown and unrevealed for four
thousand years. And truly, it was not then
first revealed, when the Lord sware unto
Abraham, saying, Surely blessing I will bless
thee, and. will be God to thee and to thy
seed after thee — but, it was revealed as soon
as sin had brought death into the world, and
made such a revelation necessary to the peace,
comfort, and happiness of mankind. And, I
think it highly probable, if not certain, that
it was through faith in this revelation, that
Adam called his wife's name Eve, which
signifies Life, because she was to be the mo
ther of the promised Seed, even of Him who
was to be, and is The Life of the world ; the

SERMON VIII. 173
Life which, St. John says, was manifested, and
who is that Eternal Life which was with the
Father ; and the Life of all who live unto
God, and who have eternal life through his
name. Our Saviour Jesus Christ, by the sacri
fice of Himself, has virtually abolished death —
by his own death he has destroyed death,
broken its power, taken away its sting, by
removing from us the guilt of sin ; and, has
brought life and immortality — or rather incor
ruptibility, the incorruptibility of. our frail
bodies, to light by the gospel ; not as a thing
before unknown — but, has brought it to light
in the declaration, or demonstration, that he
has actually accomplished that which is the
ground of human hope. In every other
respect, the gospel was preached to the
Jews as well as unto us ; and the Apostle tes
tifies that God preached it before unto Abra
ham, and certainly he preached it to Adam
if he preached it unto Abraham; and there
fore, the gospel was known from the very be
ginning. And, it is equally clear that the resur
rection is as much the doctrine of the Law as
it is confessedly of the, Gospel, of Christ
and his Apostles, in the New Testament.

174 SERMON VIII.
Before we conclude, I would draw your
attention to one particular part of our text—
Together with my dead body shall they arise.
Any attempt to explain the literal sense of
this part of our text in relation to the Jews
and their political resurrection would be of
very little use to you. But/, the spiritual
sense, in relation to the Israel of God, and
their salvation by the death and resurrection
of Christ, is of the greatest importance to
be understood as perfectly as it can be ex
pressed. St. Peter, in his first Epistle, affirms that
The Prophets, in the Old Testament dispen
sation, prophesied of the salvation and grace
which should come unto you, and testified
before-hand the sufferings of Christ and
the glory that should follow. They spake
of his birth, life, and death ; of his burial
and resurrection ; of his ascension into hea
ven, and of the blessed effects to be pro
duced*. It may, therefore, be hoped, that
the interpretation which will be given of this
part of our text, Together with my dead body
shall they arise, will not be thought to be a
* See Tsaiah vii. 14. — ix. 6. — and liii. Daniel ix. 26.
—Psalm 2. The typical law is full of these subjects.

SERMON VIII. 175
forced construction ; especially considering
that Isaiah has obtained the character of
The Evangelical Prophet ; because, in his pro
phecies,, there are many more plain and open
revelations ofthe person, character, and office
of our Saviour, of his birth, life, death, bu
rial, and resurrection, than are to be found
in all the writings of the other Prophets.
When Martha, the sister of Lazarus,
said unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been
here, my brother had not died ; Jesus said
unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. To
this she replied, I know that he shall rise again
in the resurrection at the last day. And, Jesus
answered, lam the resurrection and the life;
he that believeth in me, though he were dead,
yet shall he live ; and whosoever liveth and be
lieveth in me shall never die ; or, not die
for ever. Believest thou this ? Yes ; O blessed
Jesus — Thou the salvation and life of my
soul and body— I believe thou hast died unto
sin once ; and, in that thou livest, thou livest
unto God ; and because thou livest, I live
alsp-^for, as thou didst die for my sin, in
thy resurrection I see, not only proof that
a resurrection is possible, but I see myself
acquitted in that action — Thou didst rise

176 SERMON VIII.
again for my justification, to demonstrate
that sin is taken away by the sacrifice of thy
self; and therefore didst rise as the first-fruits
of a glorious harvest, the resurrection, of mil
lions of fallen creatures to eternal life.
St. Paul speaks of himself and other sincere
believers, as crucified with Christ, as dead
with him, buried with him, quickened together
with him, raised up together with him, and
as ascended with him, and made to sit to
gether in the heavenly places in Christ
Jesus. You will see the propriety of these
expressions, if you consider the mediatorial
character of our Saviour, as the head of his
mystical body, the Church ; as bearing the
names of his people, and acting for them in
all that he did and suffered, and experienced
in consequence of his suffering for them. He
appeared for them in this world to take away
sin by the sacrifice of Himself ; and, being
dead and buried, he rose again and ascended
into heaven to appear there also in the pre
sence of God for them, as their advocate or
intercessor ; and, to take possession of the
eternal inheritance for them. Therefore, it
is said, Our life is hid with Christ in God:
and, when Christ who is our life shall
v

SERMON VIII. 177
appear, then shall we also appear with him in
glory. Thus you see how Jesus Christ is the
resurrection and the life ; and how together
with his dead body we are risen again. And
this is the happy condition of all faithful be
lievers, they shall not die for ever ; for,
though they have borne the image of the
earthy Adam, in a participation of his de
pravity and punishment, they shall also bear,
in the fulness of a perfect character, the image
of the heavenly Adam, both in their souls
and bodies, and shall live for ever.
They, who have never fled for refuge to this
blessed hope, cannot know the comfort which
it inspires in the hearts of sincere believers.
But, for their sake, I add, that, when our
Saviour expired on the cross, the vail of the
temple was rent in twain from the top to the
bottom ; to express the completeness of the
sacrifice which he had offered ; and, to sig
nify, that the way into the holiest of all was
now to be laid open to the view and hope of
all mankind ; and that repenting sinners may
see, in the doctrine of the gospel, Jesus, our
risen and triumphant Saviour, standing at
the right hand of God, and God propitious
N

178 SERMON VIII.
to them, and, in Christ, their reconciled
Father. And, what is there that can prevail with
men to repent, to forsake their sins and turn
to God, if this view of heaven and of the
way to it do not influence them? Sinners, draw
near to this sight. Your salvation is not now a
doctrine of doubt and uncertainty : a future
state, the resurrection of the dead, and life ever
lasting, are not mere probabilities. Christ-
is the way of life, in which you may be sure
to find mercy.
The hope of a political resurrection sup
ported the Jews in their miserable captivity.
Assured that they should return and see their
beloved Jerusalem once more in prosperity,
and should again worship The Lord their
God in his holy temple, they could rejoice
in the midst of their afflictions. We too are
in Babylon : we are suffering the due reward
of sin. But, having this precious hope in
Christ, the hope of a blessed resurrection,
we can patiently bear our lot of human misery;
and, though sorrowful, yet always rejoicing.
Some of you find it difficult to live by all
your toil, rising up early to labour, and labour
ing after the very beasts lie down to rest. If

SERMON VIII. 179
you have no well-grounded hope of faring
better in another world, no assurance of eternal
salvation, your condition is truly wretched.
But, if you obey the gospel and truly turn to
God, you then gain assurance, that whatever
you suffer here, it will be well with you here
after. The blessed hope of the gospel will alle
viate your toil and mitigate your sorrows, while
you can say, " Well ; it is but for a little
time — a few more painful steps — my hope is
in Christ, who died for me and rose again —
to him I yield and submit myself — Him I
follow and obey — I trust in Him, and know in
whom I trust — and I am persuaded that there
is not any thing in life or death that can se
parate me from Him ; or, from that love of
God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord "

N ii

SERMON IX.

THEy RESURRECTION OF CHRIST
AND OURS EQUALLY CERTAIN.
1 Cor. xv. 17, 18.
If Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet
in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in
Christ, are perished.
Sin implies a debt of duty to God — a
duty not discharged, a debt not paid. We
owe the debt of duty by virtue of God's
authority to prescribe and require it of us ;
and, because he has revealed his will and
commanded us to pay it.
If the debt of duty be not paid ; or, if we
sin against God, we become guilty creatures,
subject to the condemnation and punishment
which the law of God denounces against the
disobedient. And then, there is a debt of
satisfaction which we owe to the justice of
God, as supreme Lord and Governour of the
world ; and which cannot otherwise be dis
charged dv us. than by suffering the due

SERMON IX. 181
reward of our evil deeds. Therefore sins
are called debts. Thus Matth. vi. 19, in the
prayer which our Lord taught his disciples to
use, " and forgive us our debts, as we forgive
our debtors."
The wages of sin, or its due punishment, is
death, under whatever dispensation of the
divine government we may be placed. Adam
sinned in paradise, and died : he lost all that
happy life which he enjoyed in that privileged
state. The Jews sinned against that particular
law, or constitution, under which they were
placed ; and, by sinning against it, they for
feited and lost the political life of the earthly
Canaan. And they, to whom God has given
the eternal life, if they sin against this higher
dispensation, will forfeit and lose this eternal
life ; they will turn it into eternal death.
Eternal life was first revealed as a pro
missory grant to Adam, after he had forfeited
the paradisaical life ; and the grant extended
to all his children who should believe the
promise, and act suitably to the nature of
this promise. " If thou doest well," said the
Lord to Cain, " shalt thou not be accepted ?
And, if not well, sin lieth at the door."
When our Saviour came into the world, all
N 3

182 SERMON IX.
rriankind were " become guilty before God.
They had all gone out of the way" of life :
they had all departed from the living God.
They were apostates from God's revealed
Truth. " Both Jews and Gentiles were all un
der sin — All had sinned and were come short
of the glory of God." The eternal life was
forfeited and lo^t; and even the knowledge
of it.
But, when sin was universally obeyed, and
man undone, the Son of God undertook for
man to pay his debt — not the debt of duty,
which he owed to God simply as his creature;
for, if that could have been, the sacrifice of
Christ would not have been necessary,
because if man in any way could plead a per
fect righteousness, he would not have been
under obligation to suffer the curse of sin, and
would not want a suffering Saviour to make
atonement for him as a guilty creature. But,
the debt, which Christ paid for man's
redemption, was the debt of satisfaction,
which, as a guilty creature, he owed to the
justice of God.
This therefore is the first essential part of
the gospel; " the knowledge of salvation by
tlie remission of sins, through the tender

SERMON IX. 183
mercy of our God." * " Moreover, Brethren,"
said the Apostle in the beginning of this
chapter, " I declare unto you the gospel
which I preached unto you ; for, I delivered
unto you first of all, that Christ died for
our sins according to the Scriptures" — sins, in
the plural number — for all sins committed
under every past dispensation, and for all sins
which the wickedness of man is now com
mitting, or shall hereafter commit; so that
every penitent, who has returned, or is return
ing, or shall return to God and to the hope
of eternal life, will be saved.
The second essential part of the gospel is, that
Christ, having died for our sins, and being
buried, rose again according to the Scriptures.
This event confirmed the truth of his cha
racter, that he was indeed the true Messiah,
the Son of God, the Saviour of the world.
But, the resurrection of Christ has a more
important meaning. For, if he died for our
sins, to discharge the debt, which man as a
guilty creature owes to the justice of God,
then it is of infinite importance to us and to
our peace and comfort, to know that the debt
is actually paid, and fully, perfectly, and
* Luke i. 77, 78,
n 4

184 SERMON IX.
finally discharged, or so far discharged that
we are no longer under necessity to make
satisfaction to the divine justice by our own
personal sufferings. (
Now, as Christ undertook for us, and
professedly gave, Himself an offering and sa
crifice to God, the only sure ground of satis
faction to our consciences, that he has com
pletely discharged our debt, must consist in his
resurrection from the dead. While the surety
remains in custody, the principal, for whose
debt he was arrested and is detained, cannot
hope that his debt is paid, or that his creditor
is satisfied. But, when the surety is dis
charged by the creditor himself, in this act,
he that contracted the debt clearly perceives
a certificate of his own redemption.
The Apostle argues in the beginning of this
chapter, " If there be no resurrection of the
dead, then is Christ not risen. And if
Christ be not risen, then is our preaching
vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and
we are found false witnesses of God ;- because
we have testified of God that he raised up
Christ ; whom he raised not up, if so be
that the dead rise not. For, if the dead rise
not, then is not Christ raised: And if

SERMON IX. 185
Christ be not raised, your faith is vain : ye
are yet in your sins. And then they also
which are fallen asleep in Christ, are pe
rished." This consequence plainly and certainly fol
lows, if Christ be not risen. He died to
make satisfaction for sin, or to take away
sin, the cause of death, by the sacrifice of
Himself. But, if Christ be still detained
under the bands of death, a prisoner in the
grave, the satisfaction is not completely made ;
sin remains, and we must abide the conse
quence. And if so, then we can neither live
in hope, nor die in peace : either there is no
future state, or entering into it under the'
guilt of sin, it must be miserable. Or, if,
without that sure ground of hope, that
Christ has fully and for ever discharged
the debt of sin, we yet profess to hope in
God and to have peace of conscience, it is
mere opinion, a presumptuous conceit, or stu
pid insensibility, a dead calm, produced
through entire ignorance of our true state
and condition.
Of such vast importance to us is the resur
rection of Christ ! Therefore, the testimony
ef his resurrection is an essential part of the

186 SERMON IX.
gospel. Let me repeat the Apostle's words ;
and may they sink deep into your hearts —
If Christ be not raised, your faith is vain;
ye are yet in your sins : and then, they, who
are fallen asleep in Christ, the very Saints
of God, are perished. For, man, having
once sinned and forfeited and lost the eternal
life, must perish, if Christ have not died,
or is not risen again. No repentance, no
after-amendment, or reformation of life ; no
personal virtue, or holiness — not even the
holiness of those who have lived and died in
the faith of Christ — not even the laborious
and devoted services of St. Paul, nor all
the merits of confessors and martyrs, are any
satisfaction to the justice of God sufficient to
wipe off the stain of guilt, or to discharge the
debt of sin: Perish they must, if Christ
have not died for their sins and is not risen
again. But, take this along with you — There never
would have been any merit of confessors and
martyrs ; never have been any devoted ser
vices of Apostles; never any holiness of
Saints ; never any true virtue, or reformation,
or sincere amendment, if Christ had not
died and is not risen again. These all are

SERMON IX. 187
consequents and effects produced by the
death and resurrection of Christ ; through
which the Spirit of God was given to en
lighten and regenerate the human nature.
The satisfaction was first made, before there
were any merits of obedient faith ; and there
fore the merits of Saints come too late in the
order of things to produce that which had a
prior existence, and prior existence as the
very cause of these effects.
When we were yet sinners, Christ died for
the ungodly. And, if any one receive this
gospel, he must of necessity receive it while
he is yet a sinner and ungodly ; for, he can
not perform the obedience of faith till he have
faith in our Lord Jesus. Therefore, he
neither had, nor is it ever possible that he
should have, any merit, any heavenly virtue,
any holiness, or righteousness, to discharge
the debt of sin, or to justify himself in the
sight of God, or to deserve an interest in the
merits and mediation of Jesus Christ.
Upon the Cross of Jesus Christ, There
hangs all human hope and There hangs mine.
And, that hope must fail, and fall to the
ground, and be buried to this day in the
sepulchre, if Christ be not risen again.

188 SERMON IX.
But, now is Christ risen from the dead-—
There, the Apostle speaks authoritatively.
He speaks of the resurrection of Christ, as
what he himself knew to be certain matter
of fact, and not doubted by the Corinthians
to whom he wrote this Epistle, nor denied by
the false teachers who had corrupted the doc
trine of the resurrection from the dead. He
speaks of the resurrection of Christ, as cer
tainly true upon the evidence which he had
mentioned just before, the evidence of pro
phecy and experience. " He rose again
according to the Scriptures, which are the
Word of Prophecy : And, he was seen of
Cephas, St. Peter; then of the Twelve:
after that, he was seen of above five hundred
brethren at once ; of whom the greater part
remain unto this present, when St. Paul
wrote this Epistle ; and who were living wit
nesses, testifying the truth of the fact with
one unequivocal voice. After that, he was seen
of James ; then of all the Apostles ; and, last
of all, he was seen of me also."
Of the relation of this fact, and its im
portance, to our future state, he immediately
adds, " And is become the first-fruits of
them that sleep." For, if the resurrection of

SERMON IX. ' 189
Christ demonstrate the perfection of the
atonement for sin, it demonstrates also the
certainty of a general resurrection of the dead,
both ofthe just and the unjust, but especially
of the Just to the eternal life ; of whom and
of their resurrection, St. Paul particularly
argues in this chapter. If satisfaction be
made for sin ; if the debt of sin be discharged ;
if sin be actually pardoned, or taken away
from all true believers, that is, from the whole
mystical body of Christ; then, the curse
of sin, which is death, must be effectually and
finally abolished. Therefore, the resurrection
of Christ is, what was typically represented
under the law by presenting the first-fruits,
namely, the beginning, the earnest and pledge
of the whole harvest, our sure and certain
hope of rising to eternal life, the end pro
posed by the death and resurrection of
Jesus Christ.
Let me repeat a few more verses, which
directly bear upon this subject. For, since
by man came death, by man came also the
resurrection ofthe dead. For, as in Adam
all die, even so in Christ shall all be made
alive. The first man, Adam, was made a
living frame; the last Adam, Christ, was

i9o SERMON IX.
made a life-giving spirit. The first man is
of the earth, earthy : the second man is the
Lord from heaven. As the earthy was, such
they also that are earthy ; and, as the hea
venly is, such they also that are heavenly.
And, as we have borne the image of the
earthy, and die ; we shall also bear the image
of the heavenly, and live. For, this cor
ruptible frame must put on incorruption ;
and, this mortal must put on immortality.
And, there is a certain order in which this
shall happen; Christ, the first-fruits, the
principle, the beginning, the earnest and
pledge of the great harvest, and afterward
they that are Christ's — but not till the
whole number of his elect shall be perfected —
they that are Christ's at his coming.
He rose again to a state of incorruptibility;
and " death has no more dominion over him."
And, " the dead in Christ" will rise again
to the same condition of incorruptibility.
" And so, when this corruptible frame shall
have put on incorruption, and this mortal
shall have put on immortality, then shall be
brought to pass the saying that is written,
Death is swallowed up in victory. O Death,
where is now thy sting ? O Grave, where is

SERMON IX. 191
thy victory ? The sting of Death is sin ; and
the strength of sin is the law : But, thanks be
to God, who giveth us the victory through our
Lord Jesus Christ."
This is a summary of the doctrine vindi
cated in the fifteenth chapter of the first
Epistle to the Corinthians, consisting in these
three points inseparably connected, The death
of Christ for our sins, His resurrection, and
Our own. This doctrine of a future state,
and of the resurrection of the dead to eternal
life, rests upon the authority of revelation,
and upon the certainty of the fact that
Christ rose again, which at once evinces or
proves that Christ has made a complete
atonement, or satisfaction for sin ; and evinces
this too, that they who are Christ's shall
as certainly rise again to the eternal life as
that Christ Himself is risen again.
Therefore, my beloved Brethren, seeing
these things are so ; witnessed by the testi
mony of Prophets and Apostles, and con
firmed by the certainty of facts, Be ye sted
fast — stedfast in the faith, i. e. in the belief
pf this doctrine, and in the lively hope and
expectation of rising again to an immortal

19a SERMON IX.
life. Be immoveable ; so that no subtilties of
philosophists, nor persuasions of false teachers,
corrupters of the pure gospel, nor any ad
vantages, or cares, or pleasures of this world,
nor any sufferings, or persecutions, or fear of
death, shall be able to shake your confidence
and move you from the hope of the gospel.
I would recommend to your serious consi
deration the necessity of your being well
grounded in these principles of Christianity,
viz. the death of Christ for your sins, His
resurrection for your justification, and your
own resurrection connected with His. You
may be convinced, by what is written in the
beginning of this chapter, that if these prin
ciples do not engage your most serious at
tention, they cannot have any sanctifying
influence upon your practice. Indeed, if you
do not feel and retain an habitual sense of
their importance to you, they will never pro
duce any lasting or saving effects. A faith,
which is no better than the prejudice of edu
cation, or a speculative faith, is a dead faith :
and surely, you need not be told, that a dead
faith cannot give life, cannot save you.
Let me exhort you to receive the gospel

SERMON IX. 193
with all reverence, with humility of mind,
and with perfect sincerity. Let not any vile
attachments to this perishing world alienate
your minds and hearts from God ; for, all
its highest glory and riches are vile and con
temptible in comparison of the glorious hope
of the gospel. Let not any suggestions ofthe
enemy of your salvation, nor any example
of careless and hypocritical professors of
Christian religion, persuade you to presume
that there is no danger of perishing, or to pre
sume that there is any salvation out of Christ,
or separately from him.
Diligently use the means of grace. Trea
sure up the contents of the Bible in your
memory. Let the word of God dwell in
you richly ; that you may acquire a spi
ritual discernment and taste. Never lose
sight of Christ, of his death and resurrec
tion, and of their importance to your eternal
interests. Carry your Christianity with you
into your worldly employments to sanctify
your labours, and to moderate and give a
holy direction to your recreations.
, Be constant in the exercise of private de
votion. Let not a single day pass in which
you have not presented yourselves on your
O

194 SERMON IX.
knees before the great God ; and in your
hearts pray always. For, all good, all strength,
all support, and success in the Christian
warfare, all increase of grace, and perseve
rance, and victory over sin and temptation,
over the world and Satan, and all peace, com
fort, and joy of the Holy Ghost, come
from God through 'Jesus Christ ; and are
obtained, as we need them, by earnest
prayer. Without prayer, joined to reading and
searching the Scriptures, and watchfulness,
care and circumspection, the most holy Chris
tian will become as salt that has lost its sa
vour. Your hands will hang down, your
knees will become feeble, your hearts faint,
the enemy will prevail, darkness will come
upon you,*and you will not know where you
are, whether in the state of grace or of repro
bation. How unfit then to meet temptation,
or to receive your last summons to die !
Take the contrary course, if you would
enjoy the comforts of true religion ; if you
would thrive and prosper ; if you would live
in hope and die in peace. — In short, Be ye
stedfast, immoveable, as built upon a rock;
and immoveable you certainly will be, if in-

SERMON IX. 195
deed you cleave to Him, who is the Rock of
your salvation ; " always abounding in the
work of the Lord, knowing" most assuredly,
" that your labour neither is, nor will be, in
vain in the Lord."

Os

SERMON X.
OUR SAVIOUR'S ASCENSION INTO
HEAVEN.
Ephes. iv. 8, 9, 10.
Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led
captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. Now, that he
ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into
the lower parts of the earth'? He that descended is the
same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he
might Jill all things.
All the Prophets, from the beginning of
the world, testified of Christ. They fore
told that he would suffer for our sins and die
a violent death, or be cut off out of the
land of the living for the transgressions of his
people : but, that he would rise again from
the dead ; that he would ascend into heaven,
and sit at the right hand of God, the Father
almighty. Half the book of Exodus, and the
whole of Leviticus, contains sacramental re
presentations of these great events. And, in
the 110th Psalm, David prophesied con
cerning Him, " The Lord said unto my
Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I
make thine enemies thy footstool." Therefore,

SERMON X. 197
our belief of this article of Christian faith,
that Jesus Christ ascended into heaven
and sitteth at the right hand of God, does
not rest merely on the testimony of the Apos
tles ; but, on their testimony in connection
with the more sure word of prophecy, and
with the accomplishment of the word of pro
phecy in many important events, and such
events as never could have happened, if Jesus
Christ were not ascended into heaven.
Forty days after his resurrection, our Sa
viour led his Apostles to the mount Olivet ;
and, while they beheld, he was taken up, and
a cloud received him out of their sight. He
did not vanish as an apparition ; nor was
he suddenly snatched away from them ; nor
can it be alleged that their prejudices pro
duced a delusion of their senses, or a vain
imagination of his ascension. Their preju
dices directly opposed the forming of any such
imagination : for, they asked, Lord, wilt thou
at this time restore again the kingdom to
Israel ? plainly expressing the common pre
judice of their nation in regard to the tem
poral reign ofthe Messiah ; and, his answer
did not so much as intimate what presently fol
lowed. But, what he said engaged their eager
03

198 SERMON X.
attention to him, probably iri hope of further
explanation ; and while they were stedfastly
looking upon him, he lifted up his hands and
blessed them ; and while he blessed them, he
was parted from them, and carried up into hea
ven; ascending gradually* so that they plainly
saw him ascending, till he was gone beyond
the reach of their eye-sight. And then, while
they continued stedfastly looking up towards
heaven, two Angels, in appearance men, stood
by them ; who Said, Ye men of Galilee, why
stand ye gazing up into heaven ? This same
Jesus, which is taken up from you into hea
ven, shall so come in like manner as ye have
seen him go into heaven.
By heaven, in this last sentence, understand
some certain place above the visible heavens ;
for, it was Jesus in his whole person, that
same Jesus who just before stood with his
his disciples on mount Olivet — He it was,
who ascended into heaven. And, if his body
did not retain the nature of a body, it could
not be said that Jesus in his whole1 person
ascended thither, and remained sitting at the
right hand of God. And, if it continued to
have the nature of 'a body, it must occiipy
some place, and cannot be in two places at

SERMON X. 199
once. St. Luke says, While he blessed his
Apostles, he 'was parted from them, and car
ried up into heaven ; from the place where he
then was, on mount Olivet, to the place where
he now is ; and where, as he told his disciples,
I go to prepare a place for you.
But, when we speak of his sitting at the
right hand of God, you are not to imagine
that we describe either a place or the pos
ture of his body. For, God is a spirit, and
has not any thing in himself that is material,
corporeal, or parts, or members ; that is, in
a literal sense of the words, he has neither
place nor hands. The heaven, and heaven of
heavens, Cannot contain him, so as that it can
be said, He is here, or there, and no where
else. How then can it be said, that Jesus
sitteth at the right hand of God ? I will ex
plain this.
God is pleased to condescend to our weak
capacities. He not only speaks to us by men
of like passions with ourselves, or by the
mouth and tongue of Prophets and Apos
tles ; but, he speaks to us after the manner of
men ; i. e. he expresses that which is in him
by some analogy or likeness of things which
belong to us. For example ; our hands are th*
O4

200 SERMON X.
instruments of our power ; and the hand of
man is often used to signify the power of his
whole body and mind ; and it is in reference to
this meaning of the word, that the power
of God and the exertion of that power is
meant when we speak of the hand of God-
And further ; the right hand of man, being
more used than the other hand, has more rea
diness and greater strength to do any thing?
and can do many things which the left hand
cannot do ; for this reason the right hand of
God means the exceeding greatness of his
power to do whatever he will immediately — ¦
and further still ; because the right hand of
kings and emperors is the place where they
sit or stand who are most honourable, and
who share with these princes of the earth in
the exercise of their authority and power,
therefore sitting at the right hand of God
signifies the highest degree of distinction, ma
jesty, authority, and dominion.
Consequently, when Christ is said to
stand or sit at the right hand of God, it
means that he, as mediator, is exalted to
the highest honor, glory, and dominion,
and is held over all things for his Church, to
save and Jpless his people, to quicken whom

SERMON X. 201
he will, to deliver them from all evil, to
raise them up from the dead, and to crown
them with immortal glory. And, sitting at
the right hand of God the Father almighty,
not only means that his power is the al
mighty power of God and never fails to pro
duce the effects intended ; but, sitting at that
right hand means the permanency of his me
diatorial dominion, till he shall have accom
plished all the ends for which it was con
stituted. Accordingly, St. Paul prayed for the
Ephesians, that they might know, i. e. expe
rience, the exceeding greatness of the power
of God towards them that believe, according
to the working of his mighty power which he
wrought in Christ, when he raised him from
the dead and set him at his own right hand in
the heavenly (places) far above all principality,
and power, and might, and dominion, and every
name that is named, not only in this world,
but also in that which is to come, and hath
put all things under his feet, and gave him to
be the head over all things to the Church,
which is his body, the fulness of Him that
filleth all in all.
Our text opens to us another view of this
most important subject : Wherefore also he

202 SERMON X.
saith, viz. in the sixty-eighth psalm, When he
ascended up on high, he led captivity captive,
and gave gifts unto men. This psalm was
composed and sung upon occasion of remov
ing the Ark to Mount Sion, as typical of the
ascension of Jesus into heaven. The psalin
speaks of this action as the ascension of the
Lord God of Israel their Saviour, as having
subdued his enemies and gotten to himself
the victory over them all— Thou hast ascended
on high, thou hast led captivity captive ; thou
hast received gifts for men ; yea, for the rebel
lious also, that the Lord God might dwell
among them.
Observe how the Apostle reasons upon this
text. " Now, that he ascended, what is it, or
what does it imply, but that he descended first
into the lower parts of the earth ? And, he
that descended is the same also that ascended
up far above all heavens, that he might fill all
things." But, could this be spoken of the
human person Christ, that holy thing born of
the virgin Mary, or of that only? Could he
have been in heaven, and have descended
from heaven, before he was conceived and
born? He was made of the seed of Dav in
according to the flesh, a man in all things like
unto us, sin only excepted ; and therefore had

SERMON X. 203
a beginning on earth as we have. How then
can it be said of Him that he descended from
heaven into the lower parts of the earth?
But, if the Lord God of Israel, mentioned
iri the psalm, ascended up on high in the hu
man person Christ, then the Apostle's reason
ing is clear and decisive : for, this his ascending
certainly implies that he previously descerided
to the earth. Arid, this is what St. John
plainly affirms, in the first chapter of his gos
pel, that He, by whom all things were riiade,
and without whom was not any thing made
that was niade, and -who is the life and the
light of meri, was made fiesh; which he ex
plains by adding, and he dwelt, or tabernacled
among usj in the humari person born of the
virgin Mary ; for, " God was in Christ recon
ciling the world to Himself" — " the Father is
in me, and I in him" — and so God arid Man
became one Christ.' Thus he descended : thus
he, by whom all things were made, hurribled
Himself, arid was found in fashion as a man.
The Apostle, therefore, truly argued out of
the psalm, He that descended is the same also
that ascended Up, far above all heavens, in
the human nature which he had assumed, or
to which lie had united Himself.

204 SERMON X.
When he ascended up on high, the gates of
heaven are represented lifting up their heads— 7
the everlasting doors were lifted up, and the
King of glory, the Lord strong and mighty,
The Lord mighty in battle, who fought for
us and conquered, came in. And, entering
those everlasting doors, he set them wide
open to us, and gave us liberty of access to
enter through them into the Holiest, of all, by
that new and living way which he had conse
crated for us, through the vail, that is, through
the medium of his flesh in which he made
atonement for our sins. He entered into
heaven for us, and took possession of the
eternal inheritance, that mortality may be
swallowed up of life: And now nothing
remains but to make his faithful people par
takers with him in all his victories and
triumphs. And, It is not in a faint or small degree in
which they may enjoy this blessed partici
pation or communion with him even in this
present world ; for, sincere believers may see
with their mind's eye, and by faith realize to
themselves the certain ascension of their Re
deemer and the certain ascension of the Re
deemed, i. e. of all the real members of his

SERMON X. 205
mystical body the Church. In heart and
mind they may follow their Saviour into hea
ven, and with him continually dwell; not
doubting the efficacy of the prayer, which he
uttered for them in the day of his humi
liation, that they may be with me where I am,
and may behold my glory.
It is now no longer in any measure uncer
tain whether Jesus Christ has redeemed us
from the curse ofthe law, whether death as the
wages of sin be abolished, whether the sting
of death be destroyed, whether the Powers of
darkness be vanquished ; for, our Saviour has
manifestly prevailed, and has proclaimed his
victories in all the world. He ascended into
heaven to appear in the presence of God for us,
as our mediator, advocate, or intercessor, that
he might receive gifts for men ; and, to this
end, that the Lord God might be merciful
and gracious to them both here and for ever.
And being exalted to the right hand of God,
and sitting at the right hand of God, he will
not, and he cannot fail to help, uphold, and
save, and bless them. And, when the number
of his elect shall be perfected, that same Lord
and Saviour Jesus Christ will come again in
his glorious majesty to pronounce, them for ever

206 S/EJtMON X.
blessed, saying, Come ye blessed of my Fa
ther—Receive the kingdom prepared for you —
Enter ye into the joy pf your Lord ; and so
shall they ever be with the Lord.
Therefore, mere believing the truth of the
fact that Jesus Christ ascended into
heaven, is far short of the Christian's faith.
We are to believe that he ascended in his
whole person, and in a public character as the
representative of all his spiritual members, or
as the great Head of the universal Church,
which consists entirely of sincere believers
setting their affections on heavenly things.
And, for this reason, they are all rightly said
to have ascended with him, as well as to have
been crucified and dead with him, and to haye
risen with him through the faith of the opera
tion of God.
Sin had caused not only Adam, but all
born pf Adam, all mankind, to be excluded
from the earthly paradise: but, Jesus, tlie
heavenly Adam, lias secured the heavenly pa
radise to the generation of the faithful : it will
be their eternal inheritance : when he ascended
up on high; he, took possession of it for them.
Thus he said; I go to prepare a pjace for
you— not for niyself ; but, for you. Let not

SERMON X. 207
your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
For, though sin had separated you and all
mankind from God, yet now you believe in
God as your God, your reconciled Father ;
you believe also in me, that I came from God
and am come into the world to save sinful
men. It is true that you are not come into
that presence in which is fulness of joy ; and,
my character is not yet perfectly revealed.
But, be of good cheer ; for, I have made full
and complete atonement for you, and have
overcome the world as having laid a foundation
for your deliverance from all its miseries :
and, in consequence of this, I go unto the
Father, to receive the Holy Ghost, to qua
lify you for the office to which I have or
dained you as my witnesses in all the world,
and to sanctify you and all that shall believe
in me through your word, or testimony ; for,
the Spirit of Truth, as an enlightening and
sanctifying influence, shall abide with my mi
nisters and people for ever. And, if I go
away, for your benefit, I will certainly come
again, and receiv&you to myself ; that, where
I am, there ye may be also. Thus, or to this
effect, he spoke to his disciples while he was
yet with them : but, what he spoke to them,

2o8 SERMON X.
he meant to be extended to all sincere be-
ievers. Accordingly, when he ascended up into
heaven, he received gifts for men — every
thing necessary to counteract the depravity
of their nature ; every thing necessary to en
lighten the ignorant, to open their eyes, and
to sanctify them through the word of Truth —
And, He received the Spirit of grace in all its
fulness, that he might communicate it abun
dantly to all faithful souls — yea, for the rebel
lious, to convince them of their rebellious na
ture and guilt, and lead them to repentance ;
that, believing in him, the Lord God might
dwell among them also. \
For, understand this, that sin had stopped
-up the course of the divine communications.
Adam sinned, and forfeited, and lost tha*
Spirit of grace, without which there cannot
be any spiritual life in any human creature
or any comniunion with the holy Lord God ;
and, without which, man is merely of the
earth, earthy, and always prone to forget
God and to depart from him, and disobey
his revealed will. Adam could not impart
to his children and posterity what he himself
had so forfeited and lost. After he had

SERMON X. 209
sinned, he had no knowledge of God that
could inspire hope : he could see him only
through the medium of his guilt ; and there
fore he could not turn his heart to the Fa
ther of spirits. And, every child of Adam
is naturally in the same condition, has not
any principle of spiritual life within him, nor
any power sufficient to produce it.
This is the cause of the universal preva
lence of evil in all that are born of Adam.
This explains the mystery of what is called
Original Sin. And, God could not restore
the Spirit of life to a world lying in wicked
ness and condemned to death as the wages of
sin. It was therefore necessary that a new
dispensation be established to discharge the
guilt of sin before such a benefit could be
imparted to sinful creatures : and, such a dis
pensation has been established through the
interposition or mediation of Jesus Christ.
He came into the world to save sinners : he
died for them. As High-Priest he offered
a propitiatory sacrifice ; and that sacrifice
Was the offering up of Himself without spot to
God for us. And, there was such perfect
obedience in offering that sacrifice, such con
fession of sin and of the demerit of human

sio SERMON X.
nature, such entire zeal for the glory of God,
such a display of the divine perfections, and
such unbounded charity expressed for us men
and for our salvation, that the sacrifice was ac
cepted for us ; the Saviour was raised up
again from the dead, and received up into
heaven to appear in the presence of God for
us. The Apostle says, He humbled him
self, and became obedient unto death, even
the death of the cross ; wherefore, God also
hath highly exalted him, and hath given him
a name above every name ; that, at the name
of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven
and in earth and under the earth ; and, that
every tongue should confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord to the glory of God the
Father, He sitteth at the right hand of
God the Father almighty, and therefore is
almighty ; Angels, Authorities, and Powers
being made subject unto him, as our Me
diator, Advocate, Intercessor, Lord and
King. The benefits and blessings which God be
stows upon his own sinful creatures are not
bestowed upon them for any goodness or me
rit which he sees in them, or for their deser-
vings ; for, what goodness or merit can there

SERMON X. 211
be in sinful creatures to deserve his favor?
There is evil enough in the very best of us,
and in our best actions, to make God turn
away his eyes from us, or to make us worthy
of his abhorrence. He sees all the motives
of his goodness and patience and mercy, in
Christ and in his deservings. And, it is
through the merits, the mediation and inter
cession of our Redeemer and Saviour Jesus
Chrjst, and for his sake and only for his
sake, that God regards us at all, or shews us
any favor : and all blessings come to us
not immediately from God, but mediately
from Jesus Christ our Lord and King.
Oh ! What sure ground of comfort, of hope
and rejoicing in God, have we in the con
sideration that we have such a High-Priest,
such a friend in heaven appearing in the
presence of God for us ; such an advocate
with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous,
and who is the propitiation for our sins ! With
what confidence should we look for that in
fluence of the divine Spirit which our Sa
viour said should abide with his Church for
ever ! How earnestly should we set our affec
tions on heavenly things ; and how little
fhould we place them upon earthly things !
p 2

212 SERMON X.
Indeed, it is the mark of sincere believers,
that they do set their affections far above the
low pursuits of this present world ; though
perhaps, the best of them fall short -of that
high degree of zeal and piety and heavenly-,
mindedness with which we ought to aspire
after the unsearchable riches of Christ.
But they, who profess to believe that
Jesus is ascended into heaven, while their
hearts and prospects and pursuits are fixed
down to this world, are deceiving themselves
by a hypocritical profession of Christian reli
gion. Their faith is not faith in God and in
our Lord Jesus Christ ; it is no better
than opinion or prejudice. And, if they ex
pect, or profess to hope, that they shall go
to heaven, or into the state of the blessed,
when they leave this world, it is no better
than a fond conceit, or a fatal mistake.
Worldly views and pursuits are inconsistent
with a real belief of this most important doc
trine. The Sons and Daughters of Pleasure,
whose delight day and night is in what are
called amusements, entertainments, and pas
times, cannot really believe that Jesus is
ascended into heaven to prepare a pla<jB

SERMON X. 213
for them. How can they really believe this,
when that place has not any share of their
heart's desire ? Can the worldling, who is
anxious only for his health or his wealth —
I say, Can he be a believer in that Jesus who
ascended up far above all things and sitteth
at the right hand of God ? Can they, who
are contented to live in ignorance, who never
read God's book, or never study its mean
ing in regard to their own personal interest
in its contents ; and who never pray for the
illumination and sanctifying influence of the
Holy Ghost, which is emphatically called
The Promise of the Father, and for the ob
taining of which our Lord ascended into
heaven, and which must be prayed for
before we cari obtain it from him in any
saving degree — Can th'ey with any pro
priety be called Christians and Believers in
Jesus Christ? or can they regard him at
all according to the truth apd importance of
his character?
There is reason to think, that very few of
those who seem to be better disposed, and
who, at least in the judgment of charity,
are sincere disciples, have any just ideas of
the vast importance of our Saviour's ascen-
^3

214 SERMON X.
sion into heaven. But, it is of such vast im
portance to us, that, if he ascended not into
heaven, his crucifixion and death, and his
resurrection too, would signify nothing and
be of no avail to our salvation. If he had not
ascended into heaven, we never should enter
into it ; we never should so much as have
known the way to it — the Apostles would
never have been qualified to preach the gos
pel in all nations, and the world would never
have known the living and true God — we
should have remained in heathen darkness to
this time — every one of us would have been
mere worldlings, alienated from the life of
God, walking in the vanity of our minds,
living in sin, and sin living in us — we should
die under the curse of sin, and perish for
ever. But, our Saviour did ascend into heaven,
and he poured down the gift of the Holy
Ghost upon his Apostles, and the influence
of the Holy Ghost abides with the Church
to this day. And therefore, corrupt as the
Church certainly is at this time, and the ge
nerality of those who call themselves Chris
tians mere professors of Christian religion,
yet there are seven thousand, and T trust

SERMON X. 215
many seven thousands, who have the witness
of the divine Spirit in their own experience of
his sanctifying influences.
Wherefore, Holy Brethren, partakers Of the
heavenly calling, consider the great Apostle
and High-Priest of your profession, that he is
set down at the right hand of the throne
of the majesty in the heavens ; and, consider
that he is therefore able to save them to the
uttermost that come unto God by Him,
seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for
them ; and, to communicate to you all that
wisdom, and strength, and grace which are
necessary to conduct you safely through all
your trials and temptations into the eternal
mansions— and, to Him be glory for ever.

p

SERMON XI.
ON PREACHING CHRIST CRUCIFIED.
1 Corinthians ii. 2.
For Idetermined, not to know any thing among you, save
Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.
St. Paul declared the most important
Truth, attested by miracles, and confirmed
by the word of prophecy. His doctrine had
too much authority, and his object was too im
portant and interesting, to require, or even to
admit, the arts of oratory and the subtilties
of a vain philosophy. His manner of preach
ing, therefore, was plain and simple.
" And I, Brethren, when I came to you,
came not, with excellency of speech, or of
wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony
of God. For, I determined not to know any
thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and
Him crucified. And, I was with you in weak
ness, and m fear, and in much trembling.
And my speech, and my preaching, was not
with enticing words of man's wisdom ; but in

SERMON XI. 217
demonstration of the Spirit and of power ; that
your faith should not stand in the wisdom of
men, but in the power of God. Howbeit, we
speak wisdom among them that are perfect :
yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the
princes of this world that come to nought. But,
we speak the widom of God in a mystery,
even the hidden wisdom, which God or
dained before the world unto our glory."
St. Paul had been commissioned tp
" open the eyes of the heathen Gentiles ; to
turn; them from darkness to light,, and from
the power of Satan unto God." In the execu
tion of this high commission, he determined
to< know nothing among them, but Jesus
Christ and Him crucified.
He found, in this rich and inexhaustible
subject, all that was necessary for his purpose;
either to convert infidels, or tp confirm be
lievers, or to excite and animate them in the
practice of Christian duties ; to encourage
and comfort them under the pressure of afflic
tions ; to bring them back, when they had
wandered out of the way ; and to raise up the
faUen. Christian and heal his wounds.
When the sun appears above pur horizon,
diffusing over the eafth his bright and en
livening influence, the nocturnal shades, and

218 SERMON XI.
damps, and mists, and clouds, which fill the
air, presently vanish. And, when the Lord
Jesus Christ is manifested in the glorious
gospel ; when he arises in the hearts of men,
and diffuses his saving light ; immediately,
error and irreligion, superstition and vice,
disappear, unable to resist the mighty energy
of his bright illumination*.
It may be asked, What is there in the know
ledge of Jesus Christ, which can produce
these effects ?
It is not any single ray of light coming
from the sun, nor a multitude of rays of the
same colour, nor a combination of two or
three rays of different colours, which form the
white light that enlightens and animates the
world. But, itis the union of all the differently
coloured rays blended together, which makes
the clear and steady light of day, by which
all nature is illumined and quickened ; by
which we see things as they are, in their
proper proportions, and discern their beau
ties, or their deformities, and estimate their
worth. And thus, it is not any portion of Truth,
nor any single doctrine of revelation, nor
* Some parts of this discourse were extracted from
the Sermons of Mr. Daille.

SERMON XI. 2 19
any partial system of orthodox opinions,
which produces that divine light, by which
any one becomes wise unto salvation. Taken
separately, or partially, they act with little
force, and cannot afford sufficient light, to
enlighten our minds, and to sanctify our
hearts. Many have great knowledge, a wide com
pass of theological learning, and yet have
little, or no spiritual understanding. The
Truths of revelation, in their mind, are like
scattered rays of light, till the divine Spirit,
by means of some extraordinary circum
stances, some peculiar talents of a preacher,
some sore trial, or great affliction, unite the
rays of heavenly light in their mind, and so
produce that spiritual understanding which
shall wholly change their hearts and sanctify
them. We may know there is a supreme Being,
one living and true God ; and, that there is
a providence, both: general and particular —
or, we may believe the doctrine of man's fallen
state, of his depravity and guilt — or, we may
apprehend the doctrine of a future state, of
rewards and punishments — or, we may confess
the doctrine of Christ's divinity, of the

220 SERMON XI.
atonement, of justification by faith, of the
necessity of divine influences, and of sancti
fication by the Holy Ghost ; and may have
learned by heart all the duties which we should
practise, and know the sins which we ought
to avoid — Any one, or more, of these
Truths, we may learn, and not be one jot
the better; or, we may learn them all, and
other important Truths of revelation, and re
ceive them as speculative Truths, without any
union, or harmony, ir**, our own minds; and then,
seeing, we see not, neither do we understand
with our hearts, and so are not converted to
God : And, with all this knowledge, we may
be really blind, and dark, and wicked in our
practice ; and even more blind, and dark,
and wicked, than they who are ignorant of ,
these Truths.
This, therefore, is the reason, why the
knowledge of Christ is the excellency of
knowledge; why the doctrine of Christ
crucified is capahle of producing such won
derful and salutary effects, that the Apostle
cpuld deliberately determine to know nothing
but Jesus Christ, and Him crucified —
The mystery ofthe cross of Christ contains
in itself all the treasures pf wisdom and know-

SERMON XI. aa*
ledge. It is the concentration of all the
Truths of revelation : It is the point in which
they all meet, unite, and blend together, and
form that mild and heavenly light, which has
a divine power and force in it, to enlighten the
human nature, to renew us in the spirit of our
minds, to assuage the conscience, to persuade
and purify the heart, to create us anew, and
to give a new direction to our choice, ancl to
all our natural powers.
Christ is the medium, by which the glory
of God, of his perfections, of his will, of his
providences, his righteous and merciful dispen
sations, are reflected upon the souls of men;
by which we so know God as to make Him
our choice, to be engaged to Him, to aim at
Him, to design Him, to rest in Him, to love
Him, arid to submit ourselves willingly to His
rule and government. To every one that
listens to the gospel, Christ, or, which is
the same thing to us, the doctrine of Christ
crucified is a living Law, a quickening spirit;;
full of authority and of the most persuasive
arguments, and motives of mighty energy, to
convert and conform him to the ever-blessed
God. Hear what the Apostle has written
upon this subject—" The light of the know-

222 SERMON XI.
ledge of the glory of God is giDen unto us in
the face of Jesus Christ:" and again,
" We all beholding, as in a glass, the glory of
the Lord, are changed into the same image
from glory to glory."
It is this light, which explores the illusions
of Satan, and the vanity of those delights,
with which the deceitful world promises to
reward the apostacy pf our hearts from God.
It is this light, which lays open the fatal
errors of superstition ; which dissolves the fas
cinating charms of vice; which enables us
to discern the beauty of holiness ; which en
gages our attention to a minute contemplation '
of its excellency, and excites in us an ardour
to break through the entanglements of sensual
pleasures, to turn our backs upon the world,
and to pursue that holy way of righteousness,
which leads to heaven, to eternal life and
glory. It is this light, by which we know the
plague of our own hearts; by which we dis
cover the depth of our depravity, the great
ness of our sin and guilt, our wickedness and
our weakness; by which we know ourselves,
our true condition, and our best Interests—
by which we are led to repentance ; and, by

SERMON XI. 223
which our hope is raised up, in a sense of
God's pardoning love, to the expectation of
all that mercy and grace we continually want,
and of all that glory and those eternal joys,
which inspire us with a fixed determination to
persevere in obedience and resignation to the
divine will.
That it is this light, communicated to us
in the doctrine of Christ crucified, which
produces all these wonderful effects, is plain
from what the Apostle wrote to the Galatians
concerning his own experience of its influ
ence — " God forbid, that I should glory,
save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
by whom," or by which doctrine of the cross,
" the world is crucified unto me, and I unto
the world." " I am crucified with Christ;
nevertheless I live; yet, not I," but Christ
liveth in me : and the life, which I now live in
the flesh, 1 live by the faith of, the Son of God,
who loved me and gave Himself for me."
And, in the third chapter of this Epistle,
he appeals tp the experience of the Christians
in Galatia, to prove that all good, all light,
and life, apd grace, and true liberty, come in
the knowledge of Jesus Christ, who had
been evidently set forth crucified among them.

224 SERMON XI.
This only would I learn of you, as sufficient
to determine this point, received ye the spirit-
he meant the spirit of life, of peace, of love,
and of a sound mind, the spirit of adoption
whereby we cry Abba Father, that quickening,
sanctifying spirit, by which we love God and
live unto Him in newness of life — " received
ye the spirit by the works of the law, or by
the hearing of faith," which is the doctrine
of CHRIST crucified? And, in the fifth
chapter, he mentions it as the experience of
all true Christians — " They that are Christ's
have crucified the fiesh with its affections and
lusts ;" for, by the doctrine of the cross, they
were " baptized into the death of Christ,
and were raised up with Him, through the
faith of the operation of God, to walk m
newness of life."
They, who are ignorant of the doctrine of
the cross, or do not understand it, or who view
it partially and under the influence of preju
dices, may well doubt whether it be the com
prehensive sum of all revelation; whether all >
the rays of heavenly light, all the linetf of
Truth, meet, concentre and harmonize in
Jesus Christ — and, they who have only a
speculative view of this doctrine of Christ

SERMON XI. 225
crucified, and never felt its saving, sanctifying
influence, may well question whether it have
any such influence — The former err, not know
ing the Scriptures ; and the latter, because
their faith, though scriptural, is merely of the
speculative kind, and cannot produce in them
any of those saving effects of a true and lively
faith. But, they who understand this mystery, and
have experienced its influence, find in it all
the principles of revealed Truth, and cannot
doubt whether " the gospel of Jesus Christ
be indeed the power of God unto salvation
to every one that believeth" — not indeed
merely through its own intrinsic virtue ; but,
because the doctrine of the cross was chosen
of God, in opposition to the wisdom of this
world, to be the instrument of His providence,
in saving his sinful creatures ; and, because
there are many promises in the Bible, that a
divine influence shall accompany this doctrine
ofthe cross: and, itis manifest, in the history
of the Church, that the* blessing of God has
ever accompanied the preaching of Christ
crucified ; and that all other preaching has
failed of producing fruit unto eternal life.
The present lamentable state of Christ-
Q

226 SERMON XI.
endom, of the Church of Rome, and of the
protestant Churches ; of the Church of Eng
land, and of the congregations of Dissenters
from the establishment ; must be attributed
principally to a neglect of this doctrine, or to
a perversion of it. It always hath been found,
and ever will be found true, in the experience
of mankind, that in exact proportion as
either Churches, or individual persons, for
sake the doctrine of Christ crucified, or
are ignorant of it, or profess it merely as
a speculative opinion, in the same proportion
have they been, and will be, destitute of the
spirit of Christianity, and become formal,
cold, lifeless, worldly, carnal, and profane in
practice. It may be asked ; or, the thought may arise
in your hearts ; " Are ministers always to be
harping upon this one string ?" Brethren, you
have heard the determination of St. Paul, to
know nothing among the Corinthians save
Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. And, I
would remark, The goodly fellowship of the
Prophets, who went before Christ, and the
glorious company of Apostles, and the noble
army of Martyrs, who followed after, all shouted
with one voice of joy and triumph, Hosanna

SERMON XI. 227
to the Son of God — and, God forbid, that I
should glory ; save in the cross of our Lord
Jesus Christ.
But, " are we, therefore, to preach nothing
else than Jesus Christ and Him crucified?"
I answer, Nothing else, as the. ground of our
acceptance with God, and of our title to the
eternal life. We must never lose sight of
this doctrine of Chsist crucified for us;
nor ever preach on any subject in the Church
without a manifest reference to it.
Suppose any one should treat of charity,
meekness, patience, temperance, honesty, or
justice, or of any other virtues of the heart,
or of any duties to be practised, anddoes not
connect all he advances on these subjects
with the doctrine of the cross, and derive
the spirit, and force, and obligation of these
virtues and duties, I will not say only, but
principally, from the love of God in Christ
Jesus — in this case, he forgets that he is a
Christian minister : he treats of morality, that
is, of mere morality, and not of Christian
graces and Christian duties. But, if Christ
be all in all with him, and he be true to his own
profession, as a minister of Jesus Christ,
then his treating of Christian virtues and
Q 2

228 SERMON XI.
duties is only a varied manner of preaching
Christ crucified, or an application of this
doctrine to a practical use.
We must urge upon the conscience of
Christians, that is, of all the members ofthe
Church, a very strict attention to the dis
charge of all relative duties : we must exhort
them to obey magistrates ; to submit them
felves to every ordinance of man, every law
ful institution for the conduct of human life ;
to be just and true in all their dealings ; and
to be useful,, friendly, and charitable— in short,
to lead a good life ; and, to be careful to
maintain good works ; which, though the du
ties of men in civil society, we must urge
upon the conscience as Christian duties and
as the fruit of fai thin Christ crucified; and,
must enforce the practice of these duties upon
this peculiar consideration, that Christ has
laid us under infinite obligations to newness
of life by washing us from our sins in his own
precious blood.
ou have been told before, that all the
doctrines of revelation are comprehended and
harmonize in this doctrine of Chiiist era*
cified : therefore, whatever doctrine we find
in the Scriptures ; whether it relate to faith

SERMON XI. 229
or practice, we may preach it, in perfect con
sistency with the obligation to know nothing
among our people but Jesus Christ, and
Him crucified ; that is, if we draw the sub
ject to this point, and keep distinctly in our
view, and in our people's view, that we are
washed, that we are sanctified, that we are
justified, in the name of our Lord Jesus, and
by the Spirit of our God.
Having stated the doctrine, let me now
apply it for a practical use.
Such as ought to be our preaching, such also
ought to be your faith, your experience, your
spirit, and temper, and practice. You must
determine, within yourselves, not to know any
thing, as the ground of your hope towards
God, as the ground of pardon and peace of
conscience, and as the principle of a religious
life and Christian practice, but Jesus Christ
and Him crucified. And, happy, unspeak
ably happy, are you, if you can truly say,
every one for himself, " I am crucified with
Christ ; and, the world is crucified unto me,
and I unto the world : nevertheless, I live ;
yet, not I, but Christ lives in me : and, the
life, which I now live in the flesh, I live by
the faith- of the Son of God, who loved me
Q 3

23o SERMON XI.
and gave himself for me." But, can you say
this, and speak it truly ? or do you so much
as aim at this mark ? I wish most sincerely
you could testify, as in the sight of God, that
Christ dwells in ypur hearts by faith.
To bring you to this, is the very end of the
gospel-ministry, in preaching Jesus Christ,
and Him crucified : and, if you are not brought
to this experience, our preaching is vain, and
your faith is also vain. That you are all
brought to it, is more than" I dare to hope :
and certainly, if you live in sin, you do not
live by faith in the Son of God. Faith in
Christ works by love : and, this is love,
that we keep his commandments. And, may
I not ask some of youj Did you ever perform
one single action, since you were born'
in the faith and for the love of Jesus
Christ? or, did any of your acquaintance,
t or your children, or servants, if you have
any, ever hear a single sentence, or wrord,
come out of your mouth, that expressed
any affectionate regard for our Lord Jesus
Christ, from which they could be per
suaded that Christ dwells in your heart
by faith, or that you love the Lord Jesus
Christ in sincerity?

SERMON XI. 231
Before Christ can dwell in your hearts
by faith, He musters*? be received : and,
no one will receive him, and no one can
receive him, till he know and feel his
want of such a Saviour. Repentance must
go before faith. Indeed, some .knowledge
of Christ crucified is necessarv to the
perfection of true repentance : for, with
out it, we cannot truly know God, nor our
selves and our true condition. And, till we
have experienced repentance towards God,
we cannot have that faith in Christ crucified
which brings salvation with it.
Convictions of sin, and terrors of conscience,
are not repentance; and, though they may lead
to repentance, they do not necessarily produce
it. Felix was convinced of sin, and trem
bled ; but, he did not repent. Herod's con
victions went further, and produced a partial
reformation : yet, neither did he repent. He
rod was satisfied, for the present, with his
partial reformation ; and Felix with his pro
mise of a more convenient season.
What has been, may happen again in a
thousand instances. You may have been con
vinced of sin. It is scarcely possible, that
Q4

232 SERMON XI.
any one living under influence of the dif
fused light of revelation, or who has sat under
the ministry of God's word, and has ever
given one serious thought to religion, but
must have felt convictions of sin, producing
certain doubts and jealousies and fears, and
sometimes very painful apprehensions, con
cerning his state before God. I would ask,
How did you get rid of these troublesome
guests ? Was it after the manner of Herod,
or of Felix? or, did you stifle your con
victions by pleasures and amusements, or by
drowning reflection in the cares of this busy
world ? Alas ! such remedies as these will
aggravate your disease ; and, in the end, will
increase your misery to a prodigious degree.
Stifling convictions and benumbing your
conscience will not heal your wounds, how
ever slight those wounds may be : and, par
tial reformations, and the performance of
duties in the spirit of self-righteousness, will
do no more than skin over, those wounds of
conscience, and cannot produce a radical
cure. The wounds of conscience cannot be
healed by any other salve than the balm of
Gilead, that is, by the blood of Jesus

SERMON XI. 233
Christ : and, it is not possible that this
remedy should be applied to the conscience
by any other means than faith in Christ
crucified. That faith, which is not mighty in opera
tion ; or, which does not produce salvation, is
good for nothing — that faith, which does
not relieve the conscience, and purify the
heart, and raise us up from earthly joys to hea
venly, is good for nothing — that faith, which
permits us to remain the slaves of the world
and of our own lusts and passions, oppressed
with a load of guilt, and filled with jealousies
and doubts, and a horrible fear of death, is
good for nothing. It is good for nothing,
however orthodox it may be ; though the
truth of revelation in general be admitted ;
and, though the particular doctrines of the
gospel be professed as undoubted verities.
It does not deserve the name of faith, when
Christ is not received into the heart, giving
us the actual enjoyment of present salvation
from the guilt and power of sin, and making
us new creajures, holy and happy in the
hope of eternal life.
Supposing you have attained to this blessed
experience, then this I would say to you, Bow

s34 SERMON XI.
your knees to the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, and pray continually, that
Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith ;
that, as you have received Christ Jesus
the Lord, so you may walk in Him, and
live by the faith of the Son of God, who
loved you and gave Himself for you.
Lastly, as ministers may press the practice
of good works in perfect consistency with a
determination to know nothing but Jesus
Christ and Him crucified, so you may,
and ought, to be very careful to maintain good
works in your practice.
In the faith of Christ crucified, do as
much as you will, and as much as you can for
God, who has done so much for you. But,
do nothing without faith in the Lord Jesus.
Let your works be the works of faith and
the labors of love. Never presume to offer
one prayer to God, but in the name, and by
faith in the name, of the crucified Jesus;
that is, never presume to approach God, but
through the Mediator.
Looking unto Jesus, you will see a perfect
pattern of Christian graces and duties ; and,
looking to Him, you will feel the force of
the greatest obligations to imitate his bright

SERMON XI. 235
example. Therefore, look unto Christ cru
cified, for motivesto dutiful obedience : Look
to Him for assistance in the performance of
duties : Look to Him for pardon of your de-
ficiences: And, look to Him after the per
formance of duties, for a gracious acceptance
of them. — This is the right determination of
a sincere Christian, to know nothing but
Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.

SERMON XII.
ON PREACHING CHRIST CRUCIFIED.
i Cor. ii. 2.
For I determined not to knozo any thing among you,
save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.
©Y what method shall they, who have the
knowledge of God, teach, or communicate it,
to others? The generality of mankind are
incapable of profiting by that course of rea
soning, in which the learned pretend to dis
cover and demonstrate the Being and perfec
tions of God. And, nothing can be more
discouraging, because nothing is more con
trary to the experience of mankind, than
telling them, " T^ruth shines so bright in their
view, as to be obvious and irresistible."
I find myself in a trackless wilderness.
You tell me of a beaten path; and, that I
cannot mistake my way. But, alas ! I can
not find it. I see footsteps ; but, they are
the footsteps of other wanderers, crossing

SERMON XII. 237
each other in an infinite variety of directions.
I look round on all sides, and see amazing
contrarieties, in the nature of man, and in the
frame and course ofthe world. I see nothing
throughout, but universal obscurity. Nature
offers no consideration, but what is the sub
ject of doubt and disquiet. I see too much
to question and deny, and too little to affirm
with any certainty. N
But now, supposing the attempt, to demon
strate the Being of God and the perfections of
his nature, succeed ; Suppose our reasonings,
from the works of nature, are unanswerable;
Suppose they\stop the mouths of infidels, or
even force thenli to acknowledge There is a
God, who judgfeth the earth; What advan
tage do we gain. ? These proofs of his Being
and perfectiojfhs strike with little force. They
produce noj lacred fire in the soul. The im
pression, if any, is transient. The very next
hour, we lose sight of God, and fall back into
stupid indifference about Him ; or, into our
former doubts and uncertainties again. AH
arguments of this kind lead no further, than to
a speculative knowledge of God; and, to
know Him only in this manner, is, in effect,
not to know him at all.

s38 SERMON XII.
To know God, simply as the supreme Be
ing — to know him, as the almighty, wise, holy,
just, and good — can be of little use to us, and
of no essential service ; because we ourselves
are not wise, holy, just, and good ; that is, we
are not simply in the condition of creatures.
We have another relation to God, as sinful
creatures subject to misery and death : and,
being contrary to' God, have too much reason
to tremble at the thought of his supremacy,
supported as it is by almighty power.
These important questions, therefore, still
remain to be determined, Is there a future
state ? Is God merciful ? Zs, there any hope
that God, once offended, will again be recon
ciled to his offending crehtmres ? and, By
what means, if any ? These questions must be
answered satisfactorily — not ]|hypothetically ;
not presumptuously- — but, satisfactorily an
swered, before we can put affiance in God;
before we can be happy in the knowledge of
Him ; and, before we can even so much as
think of Him willingly, or think of a future
state with hope and joy.
And surely, the works of God, the course
of nature, or the natural state of things in
this world, can never teach the doctrine of a

SERMON XII. 239
future state in another world ; and, can never
teach the doctrine of mercy in relation to it.
The creature cannot prove what lies beyond
the condition of a creature : and both sin and
mercy are equally distant from the condition
of a creature, simply as a creature. And as
to a future state in another world, there can
not be so much as an appearance of any natu
ral relation between this and that other world :
and, if there were a natural relation, death
would be as much a dissolution of our natural
connection with that other world, as with
this. The contrary never has been proved
and never can be proved, by the utmost
strength of human reason.
It is this, which distinguishes the Christian
doctrine concerning God, and which renders
it of such vast importance to mankind, be
cause it does not teach the knowledge of
God merely as the Supreme Being, and as the
author of nature, or of the elementary dispo
sition ofthe material world; nor barely as the
providential disposer of the lives and fortunes
of men*. It does not respect the condition
of man merely as man. It does not set before
* Pascha l's Thoughts, on this subject, are intro
duced into this discourse, and some of his expressions.

240 SERMON XII.
us the good and evil of this present life, nor
of a future state, in relation to the natural life
of men as citizens of this world, to excite us to
virtuous actions.
The God of Christians is the God of mercy,
giving them a new relation to Himself and to
another world perfectly distinct from this, and
pouring forth upon them those spiritual be
nefits which exceed their deserts and their
hopes — benefits, to which as men they have
no title, and of which, as sinful men, they are
utterly unworthy. " The God of Christians
reveals Himself to their hearts, and possesses
the hearts of his servants ; giving them an in
ward feeling of their own misery and of His
mercy; uniting Himself to their spirit, and
teaching them to live upon Himself; reple
nishing them with humility and joy in the
Lord, with affiance and love ; and rendering
them incapable of any prospect, any aim, but
Himself; who is an all-sufficient good to them,
and neither will, nor can, fail them in any
condition of their Being. They must there
fore rise again from the dead, because this
God is their God for ever ; their everlasting
portion, their eternal life.
This is the only true knowledge of God,

SERMON XII. 241
suited to our condition as sinful creatures.
And, this saving knowledge of him is com
municated to us in the revelation of Jesus
Christ, and of Him crucified.
To know God after this manner, we must
at the same time know ourselves, our own
misery and unworthiness, our own wickedness
and weakness, our depravity and guilt ; and
the need we have of a Mediator to intercede
for us. We must know that there is a Medi
ator. We must understand the character of
this Mediator ; and must see, that he is to us
all that is necessary, and perfectly sufficient,
to answer all the purposes of such a Mediator
as we ourselves want and our condition
requires. And, this further must be implied
in our knowledge of him, that God is actually
reconciled through this Mediator; so that a
sinner, a guilty, polluted creature, sensible of
his misery and knowing his guilt, may come
boldly, though humbly, to a throne of grace
and make the most high God his confidence.
Through this Mediator, God must appear,
what He is in himself, infinitely desirable and
lovely — in Himself, as well as in his conde
scensions, and grace, and mercy — most desir
able and lovely, in the eye of this repenting
R

2.4-2 SERMON XII.
sinner ; and allrsufficient for himself, to bless
him and make him eternally blessed ; and so,
that this repenting sinner may approve and
freely chuse the ways of God, and his service,
and count it his most perfect freedom.
The several parts of this knowledge must
not be separated ; for, to know God without
knowing* ourselves, i. e. without knowing our
condition as sinful creatures, would be know
ing only so much of God as is sufficient to
excite and feed our pride : it would be nothing
better than vain speculation, which renders
every one more conceited and presumptuous.
And, to know our miserable condition, with
out the knowledge of Jesus Christ, will
plunge us into deep despair, and excite in us
those diabolical tempers of hatred and enmity;
secretly wishing that God were not, or not
what He is.
But, if we truly know Jesus Christ, we
shall be preserved from pride and presumption,
and from despair. It will be to us a revelation
of the glory of God, rendered so mild and
beautiful, and so exceedingly interesting to
ourselves, that it cannot fail to engage our
confidence and sweetly compel us to adore
the divine character, and to love God, both

SERMON XII. 243
for what He is, and for what He has done for
us men and for our salvation — And, this know
ledge of God and of Jesus Christ will so
excite and increase our apprehensions of the
miserable condition of human nature, and of
our own miserable condition as depraved and
guilty creatures, that it will humble us to the
very dust before God, while it also inspires
us with the hope of all good, by giving us a ,
sight of God's mercy in the relief of our
misery through an all-sufficient Redeemer, or
Mediator. We may obtain some knowledge of God,
as the Creator and supreme Governour of the
world, without knowing ourselves and our
own misery — or, we may know our own mi
sery without knowing God, so as to be able
to look up to him with confidence as the Sa
viour of men — and, we may know both — I
mean, we may have some knowledge of God
and of our misery, sufficient to excite in us
awful suspicions and dread of the divine
power, without knowing Christ and the
wav of salvation, or the means of obtaining*
from God the relief of our miseries and
wants. But, we cannot truly know Jesus
Christ and Him crucified, without having
r 2

a44 SERMON XII.
the true and saving knowledge of God, of
our miseses, and of their cure.
Therefore, you have been told, that the
mystery of the cross of Christ contains
within itself all the treasures of wisdom and
knowledge. God in Christ is revealed to.
us as the Saviour of men, the hope of all the
ends of the earth, the healer and repairer of
our ruined nature. The sum of this doc
trine is plainly expressed by St. Paul,
5 Cor. v, " All things are of God, who hath
reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ ;
and, hath given to us (his Apostles and Evan
gelists) the ministry of reconciliation ; to wit,
that God was in Christ reconciling the
world unto Himself, not imputing their tres
passes unto them ; and hath committed unto us
(his ministers) the word of reconciliation.
Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as
though God did beseech you by us; we pray
you in Christ's stead, Be ye reconciled to
God. For, He hath made him to be sin for
us, who knew no sin, that we might be made
the righteousness of God in him."
In this way of salvation, by Christ cru
cified for us, how awful does sin appear 1
How great our guilt! How holy and just is

SERMON XII. 245
God! And yet, How merciful ! What must
sin be, in sight of the Holy Lord God ! and,
What ought to be our apprehensions of its
malignity, believing that it required such a
sacrifice as the death of the Son of God!
I ask again, What must sin be in the sight
of God, when He spared not his own beloved
Son standing before him in the place of sin
ners ! and yet, such his Goodness, such
his Love towards his fallen creatures, He gave
his only-begotten Son, and gave Him up for
us all, that whosoever believeth in him might
not perish, but have everlasting life ! !
To fulfil his promises in such a way as this,
how does it manifest the Truth of the un
changeable God ! And, by such means to
regenerate the human nature! to raise up
creatures formed of the dust; to raise up
men again from a state of error and vice, of
depravity and guilt ; to exalt creatures fallen
under the power of sin and death and hell,
to eternal hfe J Oh ! what a display of omni
potent and sovereign Grace ! And, what Wis
dom in the whole plan, which at once de
presses the presumptuous sinner and hides
pride from man, and reduces him to a state
of absolute dependance ; and yet, exalts him
to that sweet confidence in God which be-
»3

246 SERM'ON XII.
longs to innocent and holy creatures ! and
which, finding man destitute of good,* and
only evil, regenerates the human nature and
exalts it to a state of holiness and spiritu
ality worthy of God ! And this, This is the
triumph of Mercy, iri a display of the di
vine perfections — God exalted, and Sinners
saved ! !
But, hear the Apostle' of Ch rist — " When1
we were yet without strength, in due time
C h rt s t died for the ungodly. For, scarcely
for a righteous man will one die: yet, for a
good man, some would even dare to die.
But God commendeth His Love towards us,
in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ
died for- ns. Much more then, being now
justified: hyt His blood, we shall be saved from
wrath through Him. For if, when we were
enemies, we were reconciled to GoD by the
death of his ¦ Son, much more, being recon
ciled, we shall be saved by his UfeX And
not only so, but we also joy in God 'through
our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have
now received the atonement. — Wherefore as
by one man's disobedience mariy were made
sinners; so, by the obedience, of one, shall
many be made righteous. — That, as sin hath
reigned unto death, even so might Grace

SERMON XII. 247
reign, through Righteousness, unto Eternal
Life, by Jesus. Christ our Lord. — What
shall we then say to these things!" What
ground is here for confidence and joy ! " If
God be for us, who can be against us ?.
He that spared not His own Son, but de
livered Him up for us all, How shall He not,
with Him, also freely give us all things? Who
shall lay any thing to the charge of God's
elect ? It is God, even God Himself, that
justifleth — Who is he that condemneth ? It
is Christ that died ; yea, rather, that is
risen again ; who is even at the right hand of
God ; who also maketh intercession for us.
Who shall separate us from the love of
Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or
persecution, &c. ? Nay ; in all these things
we are more than conquerors, through Him
that loved us. For I am persuaded, that
neither death, nor life, &c. nor things present,
nor things to come, &c. shall be able to se
parate us from the love of God which is in
Christ Jesus our Lord."
What powerful motives, in this doctrine,
to excite and draw us to gratitude and love
and willing obedience ! Who can hear and
understand this doctrine of Christ cru-
r 4

s48 SERMON XII.
cified, and not feel his heart drawn to repent
ance, and, in reverence of the holy God,
and in fear of his righteous judgments, not
to forsake his sins, to turn his back upon the
world, and to live henceforth unto God, to
his will and glory ? And, will not the actual
belief of this doctrine, in sincere penitents,
when the Truth enters into their souls, at
once set them free, by giving them such a
sight of the divine character, of themselves.
and of their salvation, as will be sufficient to
raise them up from earth to heaven, from
misery to happiness, from that fear which
hath torment, to that hope and love which
are peace and joy ?
There is no misery, for which this doctrine
does not offer relief. There is no good, which
it does not put within our reach : no enemy,
against which it does not afford sufficient se
curity. It breaks down the bounds of time,
and opens the fair prospect of eternity ; and
teaches us to look upon death itself as the
gate of life. It connects us with God, with
his holy angels, with heaven, and with every
creature of God that has not sin in it. It
turns even those things, which are naturally
against us, to be for us ; our very enemies

SERMON XII. 249
into friends ; and teaches us to consider all
things as working together for our good.
And, it effectually teaches us our duty ; for,
it makes duty, not only easy, but our happi
ness to do it. It infuses love, the love of God
and man ; the very spirit of the sweetest har
mony, the principle of universal goodness and
rectitude. Without Jesus Christ, men are pursu
ing a vain shadow. They wander on still in
darkness : and they, who seek God without
Jesus Christ, are turning from the Truth
of God, and can never meet with such light
in their enquiries, as will afford true satis
faction and solid use. Either they advance
not so far, as to be persuaded that God is ;
or, if they do, they arrive* in this way, only
at an unprofitable knowledge ; because they
have no means, nor method, of communicating
with God ; i. e. they have no Mediator. And
without a Mediator, both as men, and as
sinful men, they neither can enjoy God, ndr
even know Him aright. They unavoidably
fall into profaneness, or carnal security, or
despair; or into atheism, or deism, which
are equally inconsistent with Christianity,
and inconsistent with the true condition
of things, and with the best interests of

250 SERMON XII.
human nature. Therefore, in the search after
truth and happiness, we must direct our en
quiries to the knowledge of Jesus Christ,
and of Him crucified ; because it is by Him
alone that we can know God, in such a
manner as shall be really advantageous '• to
us. It is God in Christ, reconciling the
world unto Himself; God in the personal
characters of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
our reconciled Father, Redeemer, and Sanc
tifier, who is truly God to us men ; * that is»
to miserable and sinful creatures. He is our
chief centre, and supreme object, and sure
support, in respect to all we want, all that
we can wish, and all that we can understand,
and all that we can enjoy of spiritual good,
peace, and comfort, and happiness, in this
world and in that which is to come.
Whoever knows not Jesus Christ, and
Him crucified, that is, who has' not entered
into the cdntemplation and understanding of
the doctrine and mystery of the cross of
Christ, is in darkness until now. He knows
nothing profitably, either in the order of the
world, or in his own nature and condition.
He has not a perfect, or profitable, under
standing of' any one thing to which he is

SERMON XII. 251
related, either past, present, oi* future. For,
as we know God only by Jesus Christ;
so it is by Him, and in Him alone, we know
ourselves and our true interests.
Without Jesus Christ, man is, and must
be considered, as lying in darkness, in vice
and misery. We are of God, little Children,
said the Apostle John, and the whole world,
besides, lieth in wickedness. But, with Jesus
Christ, iri the true and perfect knowledge
of Him, man is, and appears to be, and feels
too, as one released out of prison, released
from vice, and redeemed from misery. His
outward condition in this world may appear
wretched, to those who look on things with
a partial eye ; but, that man cannot be
wretched, in any condition of this mortal
life, who has Christ within, the hope of
glory. Ih Him consists all our happiness, and all
our virtue, our light and' life, our hope and
assurance. Out of Christ, and without the
knowledge of Him, there is no true peace,
nor solid comfort ; no real goodness, nor per
fect righteousness ; no heavenly light, nor
spiritual life; no" prospect, but of sins and
miseries, of darkness and despair; nothing to

252 SERMON XII.
be beheld by us, but obscurity and confusion,
in the divine nature and in our own.
After what has been said of the importance
and advantage of the knowledge of Jesus
Christ, it may be necessary, by way of
caution, to distinguish this knowledge from
every kind of vain speculation. It may be
said, " If I know Jesus Christ, it is sufficient."
Yes ; if you know him truly. The Apostle
speaks of knowing Christ after the fiesh;
and then adds, But now henceforth know we
him no more, i. e. no more after this manner ;
having obtained a divine, or spiritual, know
ledge of him ; or rather, as St. John calls it,
" an understanding to know Him that is true,
even Jesus Christ."
We may apprehend the doctrine of Christ
in a speculative way. We may approve the
doctrine of salvation by Christ alone, the doc
trine of justification by faith, as a true opi
nion ; and be very zealous for the truth of this
opinion, as making part of the system of reli
gious truths, or doctrines, which we have em
braced. And yet, all this while, we may be
as carnal, and hypocritical, and self-righteous,
and worldly, and even as profane, and as far
off from God, as they are, who deny every

SERMON XII. 253
point of Christian doctrine. St. Paul men
tions many professors of the gospel, and it
seems they were zealous preachers, as well as
professors of Christian religion, whose views
and conduct were so contrary to their holy
profession, that he scrupled not to say of
them,, they were enemies to the cross of
Christ, whose end is destruction.
While some are building their hopes upon
the outward ,forms of religion and upon a mere
civil righteousness ; others are trusting in
doctrines and opinions and a false experience,
mistaking convictions of sin for repentance,
and orthodoxy for faith; and others, in some
fancies of a special revelation that their sins
are pardoned. It is not my purpose, to make
any one remiss, in observing the forms of reli
gion and the duties of morality; but, I would
remark that a hypocrite may observe them
all, and be a hypocrite still. It is far from
my intention, to question the orthodpxy of
your opinions about Jesus Christ and Him
crucified, but, I would remark, that a wicked
man, an unconverted man, may be nearer the
Truth in his opinions, than another who has
the very Truth in his heart. And, as for the
knowledge of the forgiveness of sins ; there is

254 SERMON XII.
a far better way of obtaining it, than by fan
cies of a special revelation, or supernatural
impressions on the mind. It must come to
us in the faith of Christ crucified, and
through the ministry of the word of God, and
must be sealed to us by the work of the Spirit
in the sanctification of our nature : for, other
wise, assurance of pardon has no other foun
dation than a deluded imagination. .1 would
therefore say with St. Paul, Examine your
selves whether ye be in the faith : Prove your
own selves.
To assist you, I would remark, that there is
a portion of light, or knowledge of Jesus
Christ, communicated by preaching the
gospel, which does not at all depend upon
ourselves, or upon our willing and running,
out upon God who sheweth mercy. By his
special providence, we have the means of
grace, and the light of Truth shines upon us
in the revelation of Jesus Christ. We are
placed under the dispensation of the Holy
Ghost by the special favor, or the distin
guishing grace, of God. And now, if we
entertain this precious gift of God,* for it is
His gift ; and, as it is written, " my Son, if
thou wilt receive my words, and hide my

SERMON XII. 255
commandments with thee, so that thou in
cline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine
heart to understanding ; yea, if thou criest
after knowledge, and lift est up thy voice for
understanding ; if thou seekest her as silver,
and searchest for her as for hid treasures ;
then shalt thou understand the fear of the
Lord, and find the knowledge of God" —
so, my Brethren, I must say to you, that the
true and saving knowledge of God and of
Jesus Christ is obtained by those only
who, having received the first communication
of gospel-light, are in earnest to obtain the
perfect knowledge of Jesus Christ, and
look for it with earnest desire ; who prefer it
to every thing, and seek it from God by dil
igent prayer. " No man can come to Christ,
except the Father draw him ; and, no man is
drawn by the Father, who is not contented to
sit down in the lowest room, to hear and learn
of the Father; and no man can say, that
Jesus Christ is Lord, but by the Holy
Ghost. I therefore put it to your consciences,
whether the knowledge you have of Jesus
Christ, be that which you have taken up as

256 SERMON XII.
an opinion ; and which, perhaps, you zealously
maintain as an opinion merely ? or, whether
it has been obtained by serious meditation
and earnest prayer — whether it be that know*
ledge, which produces an inward sense and
feeling, both of your own misery and of
God's mercy, replenishing you with humility
and joy, with affiance and love; purifying
your conscience from guilt, and your heart
from the love of this present evil world?
Are you enlightened with that apprehension
of the divine character, of God as your
Father in Christ Jesus, so that you per
ceive, and know, and feel, that He is your
only true good; so that you find peace in
Him alone, no delight in any thing without
his love ; and, so that you trust in Him, and
serve him most willingly and faithfully ?
Brethren, I must insist again, that the
knowledge of Christ, which produces no
essential change ia our condition, which leaves
us still in darkness, in a state of sin, and
guilt, and misery, slaves to the world and our
own vile tempers, is unprofitable and vain.
But, the true knowledge of Jesus Christ,
and of Him crucified, is indeed the excellency

SERMON XII. 257
of all knowledge ; not only because it will be
eternal life; but also, because it produces in
us an earnest of eternal life, and a present
beginning and enjoyment of it, in the sanc
tification of our nature.

SERMON XIII.
on preaching Christ crucified.
i Cor. ii. 2.
For I determined not to know any thing among you, save
Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.
It has been remarked, in a former discourse,
that when a Christian minister treats of cha
rity, meekness, patience, temperance, honesty,
or justice, his discourse will be no other than
a varied manner, or a practical method, of
preaching Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.
He will connect every part of his discourse
with the doctrine of the cross, and will de
rive the spirit and force of his arguments, and
urge the obligation of the several virtues and
duties of which he treats, from the love of God
in Christ Jesus. But, if the ground of
his argument be utility, expediency, or the
reason and fitness of things, or the natural
rights of men, or their natural relation to
•ne another ; in this case, he basely retreats

SERMON XIII. 259
from consecrated ground, and treats of natu
ral tempers and political virtues and duties,
that is, of mere morality, and not of Chris
tian graces and Christian practices.
The subject of creation may seem very
remote from the doctrine of the cross. But,
if any one were to treat of the creation, and
not keep the doctrine of the cross in his view
and design, he may speak well, and with a
great deal of ingenuity and truth, as a philo
sopher ; but, is not worthy of a patient hear
ing, as a Christian divine.
If God built this material system, as a stage,
upon which he *would introduce and display
a higher scene of things, than is manifested
in the course of nature — if he made man, and
suffered him to forfeit and lose all the life
and happiness which he received from his
Creator, with this gracious design to teach
him his own frailty and insufficiency ; and,
that his fall might be the occasion of raising
up millions of the human race to the enjoy
ment of a life and happiness infinitely superior
to the life and happiness, which man had
forfeited and lost — then, the omission of this
part of the plan of God's providence, in any
treatise, or discourse, on the subject of cre-
s 2

2<5o SERMON XIII.
ation, would be an unpardonable defect ; and,
an attempt to demonstrate the Being and
Perfections of God, from his works, without
any view of this his great design, must hi"*.
very erroneous, as well as miserably de
fective. Whatever was man's original state ; and,
whatever was his condition, when translated
into paradise ; it was never designed to be
perpetual, or to be the permanent state and
condition of mankind. The event fully proves
this. For, it is not to be imagined, that the
Creator was ignorant of his own works, and
his purpose defeated at first setting out ; or,
that the recovery of fallen man was an after
thought, to remedy a misfortune.
The laws and constitutions of the great
Creator, are not, like those of weak and short
sighted mortals, to be altered, and amended,
and repealed, as unforeseen events may
chance to happen. The views of God's all-
comprehensive mind have no limits : and
therefore, known unto God are all his works
from the beginning ; and heaven and earth
shall sooner pass away, than any part of God's
plan shall fail, or any part of the divine con
stitutions change, or be changed, until the

SERMON XIII. 261
*
whole be finished. His plan is so perfect,
that every step makes way for another, until
his whole design be accomplished.
The order of creation, and the course of
providence, are from less to greater ; from
less perfect to greater perfection ; as from
an embryo to a foetus, from a foetus to an
infant-child, then from childhood to youth,
and from youth to perfect manhood. And,
this progress, from less to greater and more
perfect, is observed in the course of all God's
dispensations. He gave being to matter — He created the
heavens and the earth, that is, the substance
of which they were formed. At first, they
were without form, and were enveloped in
darkness ; not a privation of light ; for, light
was not yet created ; but a substance distinct
from earth and water — And God said, Let
there be light, and there was light. He
made the expansive firmament ; and, by
means of this power, He separated the water
from the earth, and gathered the water into
one place; and, then, dry land appeared,
above the water. And now, He clothed the
earth with grass, and herbs, and shrubs, and
trees. And next, he made the sun, and moon,
s3

262 SERMON Xiii.
and stars. And then, He produced every living
creature ; fishes first, and fowl ; and after
wards cattle, and reptiles, and beasts, and
every living creature ; having first made pror
vision for every one of them, for their Being
and sustenance. But, last of all, -He said,
Let us make man in our image, after our like
ness. — In this history of creation, there is evi
dently a progress from less to greater, from
less perfect to greater perfection ; and, every
degree was a step and provision for a superior
degree of Being.
The same progress, from less to greater,
appears in the history of man. His original
dust, the same as that of other terrestrial
animals: " and, the Lord God formed man
ofthe dust ofthe ground." When first made,
he was merely a piece of organized matter,
without life. Then God breathed, into his
nostrils the breath of life, or the vital air ;
and man became a living frame. Being formed
and animated, a place was prepared for a
more exalted condition of his Being :. It was
a terrestrial paradise. And God took the
man whom he had formed, and translated
him into this paradise ; for, it was not his ori
ginal state.

SERMON XIII. 263
Here he was taught the use of artificial lan
guage, and to give names to the objects which
surrounded him ; by which the ideas of things
became fixed in his mind, and rendered
him capable of reflection and reason. In
this paradise, he was enlightened, by in
struction, in the knowledge of God, arid of
every thing to which he was related, so far as
his present condition required. Here he was
made to know his dependance upon his Cre
ator, by receiving a limited and conditional
grant of life and happiness ; by which he
learned his accountableness to God. And,
to complete the whole, God gave him a
partner, not formed immediately of the dust,
as he had been ; but, formed of Himself and
in paradise, to increase his enjoyments by
social intercourse and mutual participation.
Here, he possessed every thing that could
make such a creature happy. All that the
earth could produce of good was placed
within his reach. He had perfect innocence,
unalloyed by any thing that could mar his
inward peace, and the friendship of his Maker
assured to him, and assured by every day's
experience of his love. -s 4

264 SERMQN XIII.
But, all this was human happiness, the
happiness of this world. It does not appear,
that Adam had any idea, or hope, or thought,
of a more perfect kind of life. There is not
the least shadow of an intimation, in the
Scriptures, of any promise to Adam of a
higher condition of Being, or of life, in a
future state, or in another world. And,
surely, it is presumptuous guessing, when any
thing is affirmed upon this subject beyond
what is revealed.
The whole life and happiness of man in
paradise, soon came to an end ; a sure evi
dence, that the Creator never intended his con
dition there to be the permanent copdition of
mankind ; but, rather, as an introduction
into that state, which he had determined to
be the perpetual coridition of human nature
in this world ; and which, in fact, has been the
condition of mankind, ever since our first
father was expelled from the terrestrial pa
radise. If this condition, thus introduced, were the
whole plan of God's providence, in creating
this world, it had been wretched., But, it
was not the whole : It was only a part ; and.

SERMON, XIII. 265
only the introductory part", of the most great
and most gracious providence. God had
higher ends in view. And, placing the
earthy Adam in a terrestrial paradise, and
raising him up to the most complete bless
edness of which he was capable, and the de
struction of that life and happiness, were
necessary parts of that higher plari which
God designed from the beginning, and be
fore the world was created, apd without
regard to which this world had never been.
God had in view a second Adam, a new
order of things, a spiritual system j , another
sort of life, another kind of, happiness, a hea
venly paradise: and, this is saying no less
than, that Jesus Christ is the final cause of
all God's dispensations, the Alpha and . the
Omega, the, beginning and the end.
Jesus Christ was set. up from ever
lasting, in the eternal counsels of God, as
Mediator, between God and men ; through
whom, or in regard to whpm, all things are
and were created; through whom the divine
favor, shines upon, this worlds and through
whom the blessing of God is conveyed to us
sinful creatures, and a higher station allotted
to mep in the (eternal world? as much more

266 SERMON XIII.
excellent than what Adam possessed in pa
radise, as heaven is higher than the earth, or
God better than the creature; and, in "whom,
this superior life and happiness are secured,
without possibility of change, or loss.
Salvation by the blood of Christ, even
eternal salvation — implying in the word salva
tion, not only the pardon of sin, but also the
highest kind of life, spiritual and eternal life,
living upon God Himself, and enjoying his
presence and glory, was the eternal purpose
of God, the ultimate end of all his counsels,
and of all his works.
St. Peter, mentioning our redemption by
the blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without
blemish, adds, Who verily was fore-ordained
before the foundation of the world : And, he
is called The Lamb slain from the foundation
of the world. And, when our Saviour prayed
for them whom the Father had given him,
that they might be with him and share in his
glory, he pleaded the eternal purpose of
God's love; for, thou lovedst me before the
foundation of the world. Eternal life, which
is the hope of all faithful Christians, is that
which God, that cannot lie, promised before
the world began. Titus i. 2. And, in 2 Tim.i. 9,

SERMON XIII. 267
St. Paul wrote, God hath saved us, and
called us with an holy calling, not according
to our works, but according to his own purpose
and grace, which was given us in Christ
Jesus before the world began.
The Epistle to the Ephesians begins with
these eucharistic expressions, " Blessed be the
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings
in heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (putting
these spiritual blessings and heavenly places
in contradistinction to the blessings of this
world in the earthly paradise and the earthly
Canaan) " according as He hath chosen us in
> him, i. e. in Christ, before the foundation of
the world, that we should be holy'and without
blame before Him in love, having predestinated
us unto the adoption of children by Jesus
Christ to Himself, according to the good
pleasure of his will, to the praise and glory of
his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in
the Beloved; in whom we have redemption
through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, ac
cording to the riches of his grace, "wherein He
hath abounded towards us in all wisdom and
prudence, having made known unto us the
mystery of his will, according to his good

268 SERMON XIII.
pleasure, which He hath purposed in Him
self, That in the dispensation of the ful
ness of times, He might gather together
in one, all things in Christ, both which are
in heaven and which are on earth, even in
Him ; in whom also we have obtained an in
heritance, being predestinated according to the
purpose of Him who worketh all things after
the counsel of his own will, that we should be
to the praise of His glory." And, in the
third chapter, where St, Paul mentioned his
commission, to preach among the Gentiles
the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to
make all men see what is the fellowship of the
mystery, namely, that the Gentiles (all men)
are privileged to share in these unsearchable
riches, he adds that this astonishingly rich
grace had " been hid in God, who created all
things by Jesus Christ, to the intent that
now unto the principalities and powers in
heavenly, places might be known by the
Church the manifold wisdom of God, accord
ing to the eternal purpose which He purposed'
in Christ Jesus our Lord.
These Scriptures plainly declare, that thei
world was not created without special regard
to Jesus Christ, and Him crucified^-tlaBt

SERMON XIII. 269
the eternal glory, to which God has called
us by Christ Jesus, was one part of the
great plan of Providence in creating this
world — that Christ, and his Church in him,
were never out of sight, but were the object
of the divine counsels before all time and
from all eternity— and that the salvation of
men by Jesus Christ is the completion
of that eternal purpose, which was the very
design of God in creating the world, and be
fore the world was created. And, iri that
last-quoted text, where the Apostle affirms
that God created all things by, or through,
Jesus Christ, he surely did not mean, that
Jesus Christ was the Agent personally ;
but rather, the object of creation, in regard to
whom, as the end or final cause, the world
was created and made. And, in Heb. i.
where it is affirmed of the Son of God,
By whom He made the worlds, it should
perhaps be understood of all the dispensations
of providence, and of all the ages ofthe world,
that He, the Son of God, is the object to
which they all tended, to which they were all di
rected, and for which they were all constituted.
As soon as sin was finished, it brought
forth death. All the happiness of man in

270 SERMON XIII.
paradise vanished away. His eyes, during the
working of temptation, had been closed ; but
now were opened. He saw what he had
done : and, reflecting upon himself in rela
tion to his great benefactor, he saw his sin,
his guilt, and extreme foolishness. He was
filled with terror, remorse, and shame ; i. e<
he died to God ; his , heart turned from
him, as from an implacable enemy ; having
no means of reconciliation, of communion
with God, nor any idea, or thought, that could
inspire hope.
But, mankind were not left in that mise
rable condition of despair. The gracious Lord
of heaven and earth came to their relief;
but, to their apprehension, as a judge to ex
ecute wrath upon them ; for, a guilty con
science will ever think of God in this awful
character. But, judgment was given in terms,
which perfectly relieved their fears, and raised
them above despair to the hope of eternal
life. And thus, the eternal purpose of God,
to lift up his creature man above the condition
in which he was created, and above the con
dition in which he was placed in paradise, was
revealed as soon as it became necessary. And,
this has been the grand subject of all the

SERMON XIII. 271
revelations of God from that time to this pre<-
sent hour. ¦¦¦!¦> ¦
Christ is the end of the Law, the sum
and substance of that typical dispensation.
We aje expressly told, by Christ Him
self, that Moses wrote of Him. And to Him
all the Prophets witness : they testify of
Christ and the glory of his kingdom.
And, as creation began in the design of
God's mercy in Christ Jesus, so all the
dispensations of Providence have this end in
view, to bring men to the enjoyment of eter-,
nal, life through the knowledge of Him ; to
discipline them, as a schoolmaster, unto
Christ ; to correct their departure from this
fountain of living waters ; to make them feel
the. misery of their apostacy from this hope of
all the ends of the earth ; and to bring them
back again to this centre of all souls, this life of
the world.
To this end, the four great monarchies of
the world were made subservient. They rose
and flourished, or decayed and fell, as the
condition of the Church required. And, no
doubt, the changes which have happened in
our day Sj and which are now happening, in

272 SERMON XIII.
the kingdoms of Europe ; and even inferior
circumstances, the changes in the opinions of
mankind, the progress of science, true and
false philosophy, and the extension of com
mercial intercourse with foreign nations, have
all a providential connection with the in
terests of Christiariity, and are tending to the
final accomplishment of God's eternal purpose
in Christ Jesus.
And thus, the whole history of creation
and providence, and the history of mankind,
from first to last, will be a manifestation of
the exceeding riches of God's grace, in his
kindness towards us by Jesus Christ : for,
God will not appear the less kind and mer
ciful, because men are ungrateful, and wicked,
and obstinate, in rejecting the counsel of God
against themselves, and in sinning against
their own mercies.
And when the old scene of God's providence
shall come to the concluding part of the
great Drama, then this same Jesus Christ,
who was the beginning of the creation of
God, will put his finishing hand to it. This
world will meet its final period, when He shall
sit upon the throne of his glory, and shall

SERMON XIII. 273
have pronounced, " Come, ye blessed of my
Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you
from the foundation of the world."
Thus, the conclusion of the whole will look
back to the very beginning, even to the
foundation of the world; just as the begin
ning looked forward, through all intermediate
dispensations, to the consummation of all
things in the glory of Christ and the eter
nal salvation of men by Him ; that is, from
all eternity, and through all time, in all the
works of God, and in all his providential
dispensations, Jesus Christ and the. eter
nal salvation of men by Him, is the one,
unchangeable, and eternal purpose of God,
the grand object of the divine counsels. All
things were created by and through Him, as
the mediating cause; and unto Him, as that
which gives creation all its importance in the
counsels of God ; and He is before all things,
as first in the eternal purpose of God ; and
all things subsist together and are preserved
in being, and directed to subserve the com
pletion of the grand design of God's provi
dence in his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
Very imperfect, as is this account of the
plan of God's providence in the creation of
T

274 SERMON XIII.
the wPrld, and in the dispensation under
which you are placed, it is, I trust, sufficient
to give you some apprehension of the vast
importance of Christianity.
That, which has been the one grand ob
ject of the divine counsels ; that, which has
been the eternal purpose of God ; that, for
which the world was created, and for which it
continues to exist ; that, in which you are all
infinitely interested ; ought to be uppermost
in your thoughts, to be constantly in your
view, and ought to engage your most serious
attention, your supreme regard, and all the
affections and powers of your soul.
Ministers are without excuse if they do not
teach and preach Jesus Christ, and Him
crucified. And, Christians are unworthy of
the name, if they do not value the Saviour
above all price ; if they do not count all
things but as refuse, dung and dross, for the
excellency of the knowledge of Christ
Jesus the Lord.
This great concern will not admit of indif
ference. A cold, unmeaning, formal, pro
fession of Christianity is as inconsistent with
the doctrine of Christ crucified as the most
vicious conduct. To be indifferent, in such a

SERMON XIII. 275
cause as this, is pouring contempt upon it.
It is pouring contempt upon the supreme
Being. It is trampling* the Son of God under
foot. It is turning our backs upon the di
vine mercy ; and, it is doing despite unto the
Spirit of grace.
Christ must be all in all to us; dearer
to us than life, and of more account in our
esteem than all the world, all its interests, all
its politics, all its riches, all its honors and
pleasures. We must renounce our own merits,
and despise every form and character of reli
gion, as the ground of our hope ; and, we
must, as it were, annihilate ourselves, and be
as nothing, that we may become something
in Christ Jesus ; or, that Christ may be
in us the principle of life and the hope of
glory. We value Christ, no further, than as we
value his salvation : and, we cannot value his
salvation any further, than as we feel our
poverty and want of his salvation, and in pro
portion as we have experienced the benefits of
it in our own souls.
They who talk of Christianity, merely as a
rational mode of worship, and as a rule for
the conduct of human life; and, who call it
t 2

276 SERMON XIII.
the best religion in the world, the best in
their scale of comparison with all other reli
gions, know nothing about it — they know not
what Christianity is — they pollute it by the
mean comparison, and degrade and dishonour
it exceedingly by their insipid and silly com
pliment. Some seem to think, that salvation consists
in a resurrection to the same kind of life,
which we derive from our parents ; and others,
that it is a resurrection to the life and hap
piness, which Adam had in paradise before
his fall. But, both are mistaken. Man is
under sentence of death ; and die he must :
the sentence is irreversible. And, this natural
life will never be restored : and, who can
wish it may be restored? And, as for the
life and happiness of Adam in paradise ; the
best that can be said of it, is, that it was, a
mere shadow of that divine life and happiness,
which Christians have in Christ Jesus.
The salvation of men by Jesus is alto
gether a new creation. And, all that man
ever had, or was, in the first Adam must
perish. Old things must pass away, and all
things become new : a new state ; a new rela
tion to God, and to the spiritual system ; a

SERMON XIII. 277
new nature ; a new kind of life ; new views ;
a new taste ; a new kind of happiness —and, a
new method of communicating with God,
perfectly different from what Adam expe
rienced in the terrestrial paradise; and which,
at last, will raise us up to an equality with the
blessed Angels. The very bodies of men will
be made incorruptible and spiritual bodies :
and the whole nature of man become spiritual,
a mirror of the divine perfections, reflecting
the very image of God. We shall be like
Him ; for, we shall see Him as He is.
Many have found it difficult, to believe
that God created matter ; or that a Being of
infinite perfections formed this world ; because
there is so much imperfection in it ; so many
things happening without any apparent de
sign ; and, in the whole system, no end to be
answered worthy of such a Being: They
therefore ask, " Why has he made all men
for naught ?" But, in the view we have taken
of the creation, there is an infinite im
portance in it, and an end worthy of the ever-
blessed God.
What think you of millions and millions,
countless myriads, an innumerable multitude,
of all nations raised up from the dust and
t 3

278 SERMON XIII.
from a state of sin and death, to a partici
pation of the divine nature, to a state of the
most perfect beauty and excellence, a spiri
tual system, eternal life and glory ? What
think you of a medium, or mediator, in which
the divine character is perfectly expressed;
and through which men are united to God ;
and through which the glory of God shall
fill the whole system of intelligent Beings j
and fill them with perfect harmony and eter
nal blessedness ?
It is curious to see, how the wise are taken
in their own craftiness. By the vain attempt,
to make revelation appear, as they think,
more rational in the dress of worldly wisdom,
they have made it appear most irrational.
Having obscured the doctrine of the cross,
by the attempt to demonstrate the Being and
Perfections of God in his works, instead of
his Word, they lost sight of the great end
and purpose of creation and providence. In
Consequence of this fatal error, the spring
of all true piety was destroyed, and the mass
of professing Christians became superstitious,
hypocritical, lifeless, and profane ; the learned
became Deists, or inclined to Deism ; and
Deism has produced Atheism, speculative and

SERMON XIII. 279
practical ; and Atheism threatens to produce
that persecution, which our apostacy from the
doctrine of Christ crucified has deserved as
a righteous judgment ; but, which will also be
the natuial effect of our wickedness, in ma
king our holy profession contemptible and the
^corn of infidels. " God," said an excellent
Bishop in the 17th century, " will bring na-
" tions into distress and perplexity, that they
" may be forced at length to recur to the
" Scriptures ; and all governments will be
" shaken, that men may be forced to build
" upon that firm foundation The Word of
" God." When this shall happen, the doctrine of
Jesus Christ, and Him crucified, will re
cover its importance. The great end of Cre
ation and Providence will be manifested. The
spirit of Christianity will revive. And Truth
will enlighten the world. And thus, in all
changes and chances of this mortal life ; in
all the falls, backslidings, and apostacies of
the professors of religion, in all judgments,
under all dispensations, the one, eternal
purpose of God, which He purposed in
Christ Jesus before the world began, is,
and will be, pursued, and be receiving its
t 4

280 SERMON XIII.
accomplishment, till the mystery of God,
of the Father and of Christ, shall be
finished .
Dear Brethren, witness for me, that I know
nothing among* you save Jesus Christ, and
Him crucified ; Him the Alpha and the Omega.
I know no other gospel ; nor any other doc
trine of salvation, than Jesus Christ, and
Him crucified. But, I cannot preach this
doctrine as a speculative opinion ; nor teach
people to imagine, that an opinion about
Christ is faith in Him ; nor can I encou
rage them to fancy, that conversion to this
opinion, or to any particular form of godli
ness, is conversion to God, or a real expe
rience of a saving change in the state and
condition of their souls. Such a preaching
of the gospel tends to no other end than
making bigots and hypocrite-?.
The true and lively faith in Christ, is ever
accompanied with a humiliating sense of our
own perishing condition, as mortal men and
sinful creatures : and the true and lively
faith grows out of a knowledge of the most
exalted character of the Lord Jesus, by be
lieving the testimony of God's word concern
ing him. Christ must be received into the

SERMON XIII. 281
heart, so that we esteem and love him more
than all the world and every thing in it.
Our whole spirit, soul and body, our life, and
time, and talents, must be christianized ; living
unto God, and living for eternity.
O, may the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give
unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in
the Knowledge of Him ! May the eyes of your
Understanding be enlightened, that ye may
know what is the hope of his calling, and what
the riches of the glory of his inheritance in
the saints — May Christ dwell in your hearts
by Faith, that ye, being rooted and grounded
in Love, may be able to comprehend what is
the breadth and length, and depth and height,
and know that Love of Christ which
passeth knowledge ; that ye may be filled
with all the fullness of God.
Now, unto Him, that is able to do exceed
ing abundantly above all that we ask or think,
according to the power that worketh in us —
Unto Him be glory in the Church by Christ
Jesus, throughout all ages world without
end. — Amen.

SERMON XIV.

THE UNCHANGEABLE FRIEND.
Hebrews xiii. 8.
Jesus Christ, the san <e yesterday, and to-day, and
for ever.
It is doubted, whether these words belong
to the preceding verse, or to the verse which
immediately follows the text.
The preceding verse is this, Remember them
which have the rule over you, who have spoken
unto you the word of God : whose faith follow,
considering the end of their conversation : Je s us
Christ, the same yesterday, and to-day, and
for ever — Or, if the preceding verse be a com
plete sentence by itself, and the text begin ano
ther sentence, then this is its meaning, Jesus
Christ is the same, yesterday, to-day, and
for ever, (therefore) be not carried about with
divers and strange doctrines ; for, it is a good
thing, that the heart be established with grace.
We will consider the text in both these

SERMON XIV. 283
relations ; first, joining ir with the preceding-
verse ; secondly, with the verse which fol
lows after ; and then take the text simply by
itself. The Hebrew Christians, to whom this
Epistle was written, had been reduced to great
distress by the violence of persecutors, who
had spoiled them of their goods. In the fifth
verse of this chapter, the Apostle exhorted
them to be disengaged from all anxiety about
their worldly interests — " Let your conver
sation be without covetousness ; and, be content
with such things as ye have," however poor
your condition be : man wants but little ; nor
that little, long.
To encourage this contented state of mind,
in the exercise of faith and patience, the Apos
tle assures them, that He, whose they were and
whom they served, would never suffer them
to be destitute; "for, He hath said, I will
never leave thee, nor forsake thee ;" which is
much more strongly expressed in the original
text — I will never, never leave thee ; I will
never ; no, never forsake thee.
Whatever be the condition of faithful
Christians in this world ; whatever be their
trials ; under the heaviest load of afflictions,

284 SERMON XIV.
and in the face of the greatest dangers ; they
may boldly say, " The Lord, is my helper, and
I will not fear what man shall do unto me"—
Or, like him, who plunged into the malignant
infection of prisons and hospitals, " Trusting,
said he, in divine providence, and believing
myself to be in the way of my duty, I fear no
evil."- — The conscience of the wicked and
hypocrites often makes them afraid where is
no danger, and to flee when no enemy is pur
suing them. But, they, who make the most
high God their confidence, are secure in the
midst of danger ; mercy encompasses them on
every side : they need not fear though sur
rounded by a host of foes threatening their
destruction. To encourage the patient faith of the He
brew Christians, even to the suffering of
death, the Apostle sets before them the ex
ample of those bishops or pastors, who had
presided over them in the Lord ; how they
lived; how they died — Remember them that
have the rule over you ; who have spoken unto
you the word of God ; whose faith follow —
Recollect their instructions and their beha
viour, and imitate their example — Recollect
how they finished their course; with what

SERMON XIV. 285
composure, with what joy and triumph,
though suffering violent deaths accompanied
with torture and ignominy! While they lived,
they lived unto the Lord ; and when they
died, they died unto the Lord ; so that Jesus
Christ was truly the end of their conversa
tion, that which they preached, that for which
they lived, and that for which they died.
But, though those useful persons, who
taught you both by precept and example, are
removed by the stroke of death ; yet, that
adorable Lord, whom they recommended to
your faith with so much earnestness and
energy — He, the great Head of the Church,
ever liveth — He was, and is, and shall be the
same, yesterday, to-day, and for ever. The
Hebrew Christians, therefore, might and
should cleave to Him with full purpose of
heart, and confide in his care and love, who
would be their sure support and consolation
in all their sufferings for his sake, even as he
was to them, who had so happily finished
their course before them.
Let us now take a view of the text in con
nection with the verse which immediately fol
lows it.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, to-

286 SERMON XIV.
day, and for ever, the only Redeemer, the
only Saviour of men ; and, being grounded
and settled in the faith of Jesus Christ,
Be not carried about with divers and strange
doctrines, as clouds driven here and there by
different currents of wind. This caution was
necessary, because there were many inno
vators, many pretending to be ministers of
Christ, who, by vain distinctions and ad
ditions contrary to the simplicity of the gos
pel, sought to draw away disciples after them,
and so to divide the Church, whose prospe
rity, strength, and perfection, consist in unity
and concord.
It is one thing to preach gospel-doctrines,
and quite another to propagate the spirit
of Christianity. Gospel-doctrines may be
preached so as to quench the very spirit of
the gospel ; which is a spirit of love, of har
mony, of order and peace; but, which cannot
exist where gospel-doctrines are preached and
maintained controversially, or as opinions
merely, and with the strife of tongues. The
very manner of preaching, if that manner be
singular, may cause divisions by gratifying
itching ears. And, that favouritism, that
preference given to ministers, whether Paul,

SERMON XIV. 287
or Apollos, or Cephas, or any other as
wise and good as they, expresses a deficiency
in the faith of the gospel, or a want of entire
dependance upon him who is the only source
of good, and by whom alone you can be
blessed, or made to profit by any one's mi
nistry. You should therefore have your
hearts established with grace, in the faith of
Jesus Christ ; i. e. in a single and entire
dependance upon Him, the only Mediator
and Saviour of men; for, who is Paul, or
Apollos, or Cephas ; or, what are they
but ministers, mere instruments in the hand
of a superior Power, by whom ye believe, even
as the Lord gives to every man ?
Consistently with this character of Christ
and a sincere faith in him, there cannot be
any divisions in the Church — There cannot
be any sects or parties, or tumultuous assem
blies, or running hither or thither after po
pular preachers, if we truly hold to Christ
the Head. Mere opinionists, carnal pro
fessors, the unconverted, may, consistently
with their own character, run where they
will, hear whom they will, join whatever sect
or party may please them, or adhere to none :
they are not subject to our rules. But, let us

288 SERMON XIV.
be Christians — that, and nothing else ; sub
mitting ourselves to Christ, and to his
injunctions, considering all sectarian practices
as evidence of the decay of vital Christianity,
and pregnant with ruinous consequences.
And, what, if your minister be not an eloquent
Apollos, nor a Boanerges, nor a Barnabas?
what if he be a workman that needeth to be
ashamed of his mean abilities ? Is not the
great Shepherd and Bishop of souls able to
make all grace abound towards you by the
weakest instruments?
We will now consider the text simply by
itself — Jesus ChrIst, the same yesterday,
and to-day, and for ever.
The disciples were called Christians first in
Antioch, about tenyearsafter our Lord's ascen
sion into heaven. It was not what they called
themselves; but, was a name of reproach given
to them by those who did not understand their
true character, or it was meant to describe
them as a sect in the Jewish religion. They
called themselves and one another, The Dis
ciples, The Brethren, The Saints, and The
Faithful in Christ Jesus, and described
them generally by this peculiar character, All
that in every place call on the name ofthe Lord

SERMON XIV. 289
Jesus, i. e. who worship Him their Lord and
Saviour. But, taking this name Christian, as
denoting any one to be in Christ, and, as
it is commonly used to express relation to
Him ; and, supposing it to be properly
applied to any one as really a member of
Christ, it is then the highest style and cha
racter of man ; and, we may glory in it,
as of more dignity and worth than imperial
titles. Though faithful men were not called Chris
tians till long after our Lord's ascension, yet,
there were Christians long before he was born
into the world. Abel, Seth, Enoch, Noah,
Abraham, Moses, Daniel, and Job, were as
much Christians, in the best sense of the
term, as the twelve Apostles, though not dis
tinguished by this name ; for, they had the
same faith in Christ, the same relation to
him, which any holy Christians have now;
and, they lived and died in the same blessed
hope of eternal life through his mediation,
expecting his coming to bruise the Serpent's
head, i. e. to redeem and save them.
Jesus Christ was the same under the
law, the same before the law, the same since
the law, the same to the end of time, the
u

29o SERMON XIV.
same for ever — the Lamb slain from the foun
dation of the world ; offered typically by
Abel believing the word of promise, by the
Father of the Faithful on mount Moriah, by
all Israel in Egypt,' and by the Jews in
all succeeding generations, till the real Lamb
of God offered Himself on mount Calvary
to take away the sin of the world. Therefore
we preach Christ crucified ; and, he is evi
dently set forth crucified among you, and even
as now hanging upon the cross and shedding
forth his blood to redeem and save you ;
that is, if he be truly preached, and received
as the hope of eternal life. And, St. Peter
testified, and all true preachers testify with
joy and triumph, that there is salvation in
no other person, in no other sacrifice, in no
other device, or doing, or merit, or righteous
ness of men ; nor is there any other authority,
or power, given either now, or in ages past,
by which we or they may be saved.
The doctrine of the cross, in the plainest-
language j is simply this, Jesus Christ came
into the world to save sinners. That Just One,
suffering for the unjust, is a propitiation for
the sins of the whole world. There is there
fore, :.md upon this ground only, peace on

SERMON XIV. 291
earth and good-will to men. And God has
committed the government of the Church,
and of the world too, unto this his Son,
whom he has made heir of all things, and has
put all things under his feet, that he may
save and bless mankind ; first, by calling them
to repentance with the promise of forgiveness,
and then sanctifying them with the Holy
Ghost, when they repent and believe the
gospel. The actual administration of this merciful
government began when the Holy Ghost
was poured down from on high, where Jesus
sitteth at ' the right hand of God upon the
throne of supereminent glory. From that
high seat of authority he imparted, to the
Apostles whom he had chosen, those mi
raculous powers which were necessary to qua
lify them to preach the gospel in all the world,
i. e. to all men without exclusion of any one
of the human race, the Lord himself working
with them and confirming the word with signs
following. And, what Jesus was then, the
same he is now, and will be to the end of
time, in his power, and all-sufficiency, in his
pity and compassion, in his mercy and love.
The same in his power and all-sufficiency ;
v 2

292 SERMON XIV.
for, he was Priest after the order of Melchi-
zedec, having neither beginning of days nor
end of life : He ever liveth : he abideth a
Priest continually, a Priest for ever ; and, the
virtue of the sacrifice, which he offered, remains
for ever undiminished. It was offered once
for all. It was a " full, perfect, and sufficient
sacrifice and satisfaction for the sins of the
whole world," so that sin never — no, never in
any one instance, shall obstruct the enjoyment
of peace with God through our Lord Jesus
Christ : that is, if we truly believe in him.
I must repeat this again ; for, it is of too
great importance to be passed over slightly.
Our eternal life hangs upon this point ; and
he that fails here, cannot be a Christian.
The sacrifice of Christ, once offered, was
a real, true, and perfect sacrifice, and the only
true and perfect sacrifice that ever was offered.
But, being perfect, there is no need of repe
tition. It is perfect in itself. It was im
maculate. It was the offering of the Son of
God, the brightness of his glory, the express
image of his person. And, it has the same
virtue to save you that it ever had to save
any other person that ever fled for refuge
to lay hold on the horns of this altar upon

SERMON XIV. 293
which he offered up himself without spot to
God for us. Therefore our great High-Priest
is able to save unto the uttermost all that
come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth
to make intercession for them by virtue of
this perfect sacrifice.
Therefore Jesus Christ is the same,
yesterday, to-day, and for ever. And, his
gospel is the same ; and Christianity is the
same now that it ever was ; and he that is
once washed in the blood of this sacrifice,
continuing to believe in Jesus, is washed
for ever — or, if he defile his conscience by
sin, through the force of temptation, or weak
ness of the flesh, yet, repenting of his sin, his
washing is renewed by his faith in Christ's
blood, so that he is clean every whit, and
no spot of sin remains to be imputed to him.
And, this is our perfect righteousness; being, in
relation to God, a perfect satisfaction for sin ;
and in relation to us, a perfect discharge from
guilt. It is such a cleansing from all sin and
all unrighteousness, that we are accepted as
righteous in the beloved Son of God, no sin
remaining to our condemnation.
There is no other door of hope for sinful
creatures ; no other way of salvation, than
U3

294 SERMON XIV.
this by Jesus Christ and him crucified.
Therefore, when Christ said, I am the
door, meaning into the Church, the privileged
state of pardon and adoption, he shewed how,
or in what respect he was the door of en
trance into it, by adding, I lay down my life
for the sheep. It is by his death that we
live ; and for this reason, he said, I am the
way, the truth, and the life ; no man cometh
to the Father but by me — not partly by me
and something else. His perfect sacrifice
wants not the addition of our merits, or de-
servings, or works. Neither our repentance,
nor our faith, nor the fruits of faith, have
any share with Christ in making the atone
ment. Repentance is a renunciation of all merits
on our part ; for, it is a confession of our sin
and guilt: and, faith in Christ apprehends
Him as a whole and perfect sacrifice, and
Saviour mediating for us : and, the fruits of
faith are the effects and the proof, not the
cause of our union with Christ, and of our
interest in Him, and in the mercy of God
through Him, and in the blessing of eternal
salvation. Holy living and good works may
satisfy us that our title is good ; but, they are*

SERMON XIV. 295
not that title. Therefore, it is of infinite con
sequence to us, and to our hope and comfort.
and peace in the Christian life, to know assu
redly that Jesus Christ is the same, yes
terday, to-day, and for ever — the same in his
power and all-sufficiency to save us.
To be Christians, i. e. truly to believe in
Jesus Christ, we must intimately know the
plague of our own hearts, our depravity and
guilt : we must repent of our sins and confess
them before God, acknowledging that we
deserve to suffer the curse of sin ; and yet, if
God spare us, determined to forsake sin and
live unto God ; and therefore turning our
mind to him in the faith of the gospel, and
turning our hearts to him, as to an offended,
but now reconciled Father — turning them to
him, not only in confidence of his mercy
through Jesus Christ, but with love to
serve and obey him, submitting ourselves
cheerfully to his will, his disposal and pro
vidence, and living to his name and glory' in
the blessed hope of eternal life — and ali this
through faith in Jesus Christ, as our Sa
viour, our Redeemer, our Priest, our Sa
crifice, our Intercessor — Christ in you the
-hope of glory ; the foundation of all your
U4

396 SERMON XIV.
hopes towards God ; rejoicing in Him, that
He is yours, and that ye are His, living,
dying, and for ever. ^
The outward expression of this faith and
hope in God and in our Lord Jesus Christ,
which is properly the Christian worship, or
Christian Religion, consists chiefly in the
union of all Christians living in one place or
neighbourhood; their union in Christian fel
lowship, their union in love, a visible union in
one Church ; and this one Church in concord
with all other Churches : for, unless Chris
tians are outwardly united, the Church would
be invisible to the world. For this reason,
they must meet together in one place, under
one pastor, and eat of one sacramental loaf, and
drink of one sacramental cup, to express their
unity and that they love one another — and, in
their individual capacities, kind and' chari
table, compassionate and just, to all man
kind — contented, thankful, humble, meek,
patient, cheerful, and happy — and, happy too
in the prospect of soon leaving this present
world, and of going home to their heavenly
Father's house. This is Christianity, in prin
ciple and practice ; that true Christian Reli
gion, which eminently distinguished the pri-

SERMON XIV. 297
mitive believers, and, which, like its author,
is the same, yesterday, to-day, and for ever.
And Jesus Christ is the same in his pity
and compassion. The histories, written by
St. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John,
disclose his character. How did he pity and
compassionate the widow carrying her only
son to the grave! What was it, but the
melting of his heart, which made him weep
at the grave of Lazarus ? He seemed, at
first, to be deaf to the cries of the Syro-
phoenician woman : but, his heart was com
passionating her condition all the while, and
only waiting for the moment, when he could
express his compassion with the greatest ad
vantage. What was it but his pity and compassion,
which engaged him in the interests of sinful
creatures, healing all manner of sickness and
disease? There is not an instance, in the
four histories, of a single person that applied to
this cpmpassionate Saviour, who was refused
and turned away unrelieved. He expressed
the utmost readiness to relieve every one;
preventing the petitions of many, and some
times relieving them with unhoped-for, as
well as unsolicited apd undeserved mercy.

298 SERMON XIV.
Let us unite, in our view, the expressions
of his power and grace. The winds and
waves and fishes of the sea confessed his
power — the very devils were subject to him—
He cast them out — He healed the sick, the
blind, the lame, the deaf and dumb — He
raised the dead — the fig-tree withered at his
rebuke, and the armed multitude fell pros
trate at his feet when they heard his voice.
But, listen to the expressions of his grace and
goodness — Come unto me, all ye that labour
and are heavy laden, and I will give you
rest — come, and learn of me ; for I am meek
and lowly in heart — I can condescend to your
infirmities : ye shall find, not a harsh master,
nor a cruel imposition, nor any increase of
your heavy burdens ; but, ye shall find rest
to your souls — and, him that cometh to me I
will in no wise- cast out.
Whatever be the sickness of your souls, he
can cure them ; and, he is as ready to cure
your souls as he Was to heal the bodies of
men, when he sojourned in this vale of tears.
Whatever storms beat upon you, O ye of little
faith ! he can give you security in the greatest
danger ; or, he can hush the storm, and pro
duce a perfect calm. Though dead in sin, he

SERMON XIV. 299
can raise you up to spiritual life and quicken
all your powers. He can cast out devils, all
evil tempers out of your hearts. And, if he
had power on earth to forgive sins, he has
power in heaven, on the throne of supreme
authority, to say, Thy sins are forgiven, and
to give the comfort of it to your - aching
hearts by increasing your faith.
Be assured that he is the same gracious
Saviour now, as ready to exert his power in
relieving your necessities and your miseries,
as when he sojourned here. The same that
descended to this earth, is the same also that
ascended up to heaven with this gracious
intention, that he might fill all things with his
saving influence. He carried his humanity,
with all its affections, into heaven. And the
Apostle tells us, We have a High-Priest, who
can be touched with a sympathetic feeling of
our infirmities, having been tempted in all
points like as we are. In pity and com
passion, therefore, he is the same gracious
Lord, yesterday, to-day, and for ever.
And, the same in his mercy and love —
mercy, I mean, to repenting sinners ; and
love -to his faithful people. Magdalene
repented, and found mercy. Peter re-

300 SERMON XIV.
pented, and found mercy. Our Lord sought
out the publicans and sinners to bring them
to repentance ; and, when they repented, this
great and good Physician gave them expe
rience of his ability and willingness to heal
their diseases. Whatever they had been,
they now experienced his mercy in its effects
and consequences. He could not express his
mercy, in the pardon of their sins, before
they repented, because they were not pre
pared to receive it. He could do no more
than seek the lost sheep of the house of
Israel; and then, when he found them pe
nitent, he took them on his shoulders, and
lifted up their souls to take a believing view
of his own lifting up to suffer for them.
When the Jews rejected him, he saw the
consequence of their impenitence and un
belief; he beheld the city, and wept over it :
and, hanging on the cross, he prayed for his
murderers, Father, forgive them; for, they
know not what they do. And, is he less
pitiful and compassionate now, or less mer
ciful ? No — He ever liveth* to make inter
cession for us — and, his Ministers are the
ministers of his mercy; we are ambassadors
for Christ, praying you in Christ's stead

SERMON XIV. 301
to be reconciled to God. Can it then be
doubted, whether a repenting sinner shall find
mercy? or, whether Jesus Christ be the
same to-day as yesterday, in his readiness to
save sinners ? Will He, who died for all,
withhold his mercy from any one who is pre
pared to receive it ? or, will he shut up his
loving-kindness in displeasure against a sin
cere penitent ?
And, He is the same, to-day, and for
ever, in his love to his faithful people. It is
to-day the love of yesterday. It existed
before all time. It was the motive, which
moved the hand of omnipotence in creating
the world. It is the same love, with which
the Father loved his only-begotten Son : and,
that love without measure, flowing from the
source of eternal goodness into Christ, filled
him with that love which passeth knowledge.
He loved us when dead in sins ; and, having
made us his own, he will love us unto the
end. It is an everlasting, unchangeable love.
O man, thy friendship and love, like thy
self, are frail and* changeable. To-day thou
dotest upon what thou hatedst yesterday ;
or, thou viewest with perfect indifference,
perhaps with dislike, the very persons whom

302 SERMON XIV.
yesterday thou didst esteem and fondly love.
Selfishness mixes with all thy projects, and
gives a bias to all thy affections ; and there
fore, thou art so often whimsical as a child
in thy likings, unsettled even in thy attach
ments, quick and sudden in thy resentments ;
and, frequently, the countenance of thy friend
ship is as changeable as the cameleon's skin.
Not so the love of God in Christ Jesus
—In this love, there could not be any self
ishness, any private design, any human infirm
ity. God loved us in Christ, in view of his
perfect character, his perfect submission and
obedience in suffering for us — He loves us,
not for what we were ; but, for what we are
in Christ ; i. e. for what his love has made
us in his Son. And if, when we were enemies,
Christ died for us ; if Christ loved the
Church and gave Himself for it, can we think
that any thing shall ever separate his faith
ful people from that love of God which is
in Christ Jesus our Lord? Hear the Re
deemer's words : My Sheep hear my voice,
and I know them$ and they follow me, and I
give unto' them eternal life, and they shall
never perish, neither shall any pluck them out
of my hand. His love will direct all things,

SERMON XIV. 303
whether great or small, straight or crooked,
plain or intricate ; whether health or sickness ;
whether the favour of men, the smiles of
the world, or the hatred and persecution of
men and devils, or life, or death, things pre
sent or things to come — All things, all that
shall happen in the natural course of provi
dence, and all extraordinary events, shall be
so far attempered and directed as to work
together for good to them who love God
and are loved of him, because Jesus Christ
is the same, yesterday, to-day, and for ever.
Let this great Truth be the anchor of your
souls, and keep you stedfast in the faith. I
do not mean stedfast in holding any set of
opinions, or in observing any particular
ceremonies or forms of professing Christian
religion ; for, whatever is peculiar or appro
priate to any particular Church or Sect, has
no more relation to Christ and your eternal
salvation, than the peculiarities of the Ma-
homedan religion — but, this I say, be sted
fast in cleaving to Christ, the rock of your
salvation : Be not carried about with divers
and strange doctrines — and all doctrines are
divers and strange, which deviate, or incline
you to deviate in any degree from this character

304 SERMON XIV.
of Jesus Christ as the same, yesterday,
to-day, and for ever. This character, to be
The Same for ever, belongs to Him alone, who
is both Alpha and Omega, and the very all
in all of your salvation.
Opinions, merely as opinions, though right
opinions, will do you no more good, than
dreaming of eating and drinking will to sa
tisfy hunger and thirst and to nourish your
bodies. And, the manner of expressing the
doctrines of faith and observing the forms
of external religion, are in themselves just
as vain as the distinctions of meats ; which,
the Apostle said, have not profited them
who have been occupied therein. But, let
your hearts be established with grace, that
grace of God in Christ Jesus which brings
salvation and the actual enjoyment ©f it.
If Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, to
day, and for ever, be the great subject of our
ministry, He ought to be the great object
of your faith and hope. You must look to
Him alone for all your salvation. You must
come to God by Him, in his name, and
by faith in his name. And, it is not enough
to know this, as an orthodox doctrine, or a
right opinion ; but, you must act upon it.

SERMON XIV. 305
Your heart and mind must be put into mo
tion by sincere repentance ; and then, with
all the affections of your soul, you must
choose God as your God, and yield your
selves wholly to Him through Christ, as the
way to God's mercy and grace, and to the
enjoyment of eternal felicity.
And, because Jesus Christ is the same,
yesterday, to-day, and for ever, you must
cleave to him for future security, life, and
peace, in every condition of your being ; re
membering this, that, after you have begun to
believe in him, you must faithfully persevere
unto the end : for, as you first entered into
life by Him, so every day, and in every part of
the Christian course, you must live by the
faith ofthe Son of God, who loved you and
gave Himself for you.
And, be not carried about and agitated by
the deluding hope and expectation of hap
piness, any where or in any condition of
this world. A man's life, his true happiness,
does not depend upon any outward circum
stances of things. His best interests may be
promoted by ill health, by disappointments,
and by poverty. Yet, never affect voluntary
poverty ; nor voluntary humility in neglecting
x

306 SERMON XIV.
the body; nor invite persecutions, or afflictions
of any kind. There cannot be any merit in
making yourselves miserable. Afflictions will
come without your invitation. God will send
them, when most necessary. And, when sent
as Christ's cross, take it up and bear it
patiently. Give to the world, as God's creature, its
due honor ; and receive whatever portion of it
is allotted to you by God's providence, and
use it with thankfulness. Ascribe to reputa
tion, and to the honors, riches, and pleasures
of this life, all the importance due to them :
but, remember, it is an importance which is
vanishing into nothing, when compared with
your eternal salvation. In this comparison}
you will see the guilt and folly of minding
earthly things, when you are called by the
word of God to attend to the greater concerns
of religion and eternity : and, in this compari
son you will see, and feel too, that this guilt
and folly in yourselves* is very sinful, and
foolish in the extreme.
Your life, like a vapour, appears for a little
time, and vanishe$ away. The pleasures of
sin are still more transient ; and the guilt of
indulging yourselves in them remains to tor-

SERMON XIV- 307
mentyou. But, Jesus Christ is the per
petual spring of peace and joy. To have an
interest in Him, to be reconciled to God
through him ; to be pardoned, sanctified, at
peace with God and with the whole creation ;
and, to know this, and to enjoy the comfort
of it by a firm and stedfast faith in the all-
sufficiency, the grace, the unchangeable favor
and everlasting hove of Jesus Christ, this
is heaven upon earth, and is a happiness
which may be enjoyed in every condition of
human life, and even in death itself.

x 2

SERMON XV.
THE AUTHOR OF ETERNAL
SALVATION TO THEM THAT OBEY
HIM.
Hebrews v. g.
And being made Perfect, he became the Author of Eternal
Salvation unto all them that obey him.
It is commonly said, There is nothing per
fect in this world. And yet, Every thing
which God made is perfect ; perfect in its
kind : But, the word Perfection is often used
to signify the highest possible degree of wis
dom, virtue, and goodness. In this sense, it
must be confessed, We are very imperfect.
If there be a measure or standard of truth,
holiness, and righteousness, suppose it to be
the highest possible degree attainable by any
creature, then, while we are only tending
towards that degree, we cannot be said to be
perfect in regard to that measure or standard.
But, if there be another law, or rule, accord
ing to which we must tend towards that

S E R M 0 N XV. 309
highest degree, then, if we walk according
to this law, or are progressively conformed to
this rule, it may be said that we are perfect
in regard to this law or rule.
For example ; there is a law, or rule, accord
ing to which we ought to be merciful. We
are required to be merciful to every one, even
to our enemies : we • must bless them that
curse us, do good to them that hate us, and
pray for them that despitefully use and per
secute us : And when our mercy is not par
tial, not confined to our near neighbours or
kindred, or party, or countrymen,, but ex
tends itself to all people of every description,
even to our enemies, we are then perfect,
agreeably to this law or rule ; we are perfect
even as our Father in heaven is perfect ; for,
he makes his sun to shine upon the evil as
well as the good, and his fertilizing showers
fall upon the fields both of the just and ofthe
unjust — that is, our mercy is of the same kind
as his, though his mercy in the degree of it,
in the value and importance of its effects, in
its extent and duration, greatness and glory,
infinitely exceeds ours. We may, therefore,
be perfect, though our virtue and goodness
fall far short of the highest degree, infinitely
*3

3io SERMON XV.
short of the divine perfection, and far short
of that charity which will fill our souls in
the heavenly state.
St. Paul mentioned, Phil. iii. a state, or
degree* of perfection, which, as the goal of his
Christian race, he was earnestly endeavour-'
ing to reach — if by any means I might attain
unto the resurrection of the dead — he meant
the future state of holiness and glory, not as
though I had already attained, or had reached
the goal ; for then, he would have been
already perfect, according to the precise mean
ing of the word, which is the attainment of
the end at which any one is aiming, or
for which he is combating. This perfection,
he said, he had not — not as though I had
already attained, or were already perfect. Bre
thren, I count not myself to have apprehended,
to have reached the goal, or to have won the
prize, but, I press towards the mark for the
prize of the high calling of God in Christ
Jesus. Here, he confesses his imperfection ; and
then, immediately, in the next verse, he says,
Let us, therefore, as many as be perfect,
be thus minded ; namely, in aiming at the
highest degree of salvation, and in pressing

SERMON XV. 311
forward towards the most perfect state of
holiness in heaven. He speaks of a perfection
which is consistent with a state of imperfec
tion — As many as be perfect, viz. in relation
to the gospel ; who are freed from the errors
and superstitions of heathenism, or of Juda
ism ; who clearly understand the nature and
design of the Christian dispensation, and are
conformed to it in principle and practice —
These are the perfect, intended in the fifteenth
verse — They are no longer children in under
standing, tossed to and fro with every wind
of doctrine *; but, are grown up to the full
age and state of manhood — in understanding,
in the knowledge of Christ, they are mew,
established in the truth, and able to maintain
their ground. Yet, in regard to the highest
state of salvation, they are still children, still
imperfect, and only tending towards that
finished character which is to be obtained in
heaven, and will be the crown of glory, which
• the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to
every faithful combatant in the Christian
race. You may now understand what is meant in
eur text, by saying, our Saviour was made
perfect. The Apostle intended the finished
x4

312 SERMON XV.
character of High-Priest. He had said, that
the office of High-Priest consisted in offering
gifts and sacrifices for sin ; and, that it was
necessary, in order to the full discharge of
this office, that he should be compassionate
towards the ignorant and them that are out
of the way. Therefore, till our Saviour had
actually made the atonement for sin by the
sacrifice of Himself ; and had known what sore
temptations mean, by his own experience of
the trials, temptations, and sufferings of his
people, when he offered up strong cryings
and tears to him that was able to save him
from death ; and had experienced deliverance
from his fears ; his character, as High-Priest
over the house of God, was not complete.
In this respect, the Captain of our salvation
was made perfect through sufferings ; in all
points tempted, like as we are —
Yet, without sin. In him was no sin ; no
degree of temper consenting to that spirit of
independency which raised the hand of Adam
to pluck forbidden fruit. He was a spotless
Lamb ; holy, harmless, undefiled, and sepa
rate from sinners. It was his nature, his meat
and drink, to do the will of him that sent
him. In this regard, he was always perfect :

SERMON XV. 313
but, in regard to his office, as High-Priest,
he was not perfect, until he had finished the
work, which the Father gave him to do.
By the law of mediation, a measure of suf
ferings was appointed for him. When he was
born, he was initiated into these sufferings.
Through his whole life he was tending towards
the accomplishment of that measure ; and, he
was not perfect till it was completed.
The Psalmist prophetically declares this
law of mediation. He represents our Saviour
saying, Sacrifice and burnt-offerings, and of
ferings for sin, such as were offered by the
law of Moses, thou wouldest not, neither
hadst pleasure therein, because the purpooe of
his mercy could not be accomplished by
them. Then said he, Lo I come to do thy
will, O God ; a body, fitted for the work,
thou hast prepared for me. Thy will, thy law
of mediation, thy decree, thy purpose of
mercy, in the redemption of a fallen world by
an adequate sacrifice, is within my heart — iny
heart accords with thy merciful design — I
devote myself to accomplish this service — I
submit to the terms of redemption — I am
ready to suffer, and will endure the curse
of sin.

3i4 SERMON XV.
Thus our Saviour became engaged for us,
to be obedient unto death. And, this was
the law which he, who was holy, undefiled,
and separate from sinners, obeyed for us —
not a mere moral law, or the law of nature ;
which has no relation to redemption, or to a
sacrifice ; and which abhors the very idea of
substitution, or of one obeying or suffering
for another — Though he were a Son, yet
learned he obedience by the things which he
suffered. The law, therefore, was the law of
redemption, or of mediation, which required
the sufferings and death of the Mediator;
and which, indeed, is the only law, that
requires, and that will permit, the interpo
sition of such obedience.
He learned obedience — not as though obe
dience were a difficult lesson, or a strange
thing to him, as it is to sinful creatures, who ,
learn obedience, if they learn it at all, as
a thing contrary to their nature and habits.
But, He learned obedience, by experiencing
what it is to suffer the curse of sin ; and, by
suffering it he obeyed. This was an obe
dience which has no parallel. He became
obedient unto death, even the death of the
cross.

SERMON XV. 315
There suspended, between, heaven and
earth, in agonies inexpressible, and ready to
give up the ghost, the last act of his obe
dience, and which filled up the measure of his
sufferings, he exclaimed, It is finished; and,
in the act of giving up the ghost he was made
perfect as a suffering Saviour : he fulfilled the
law of mediation, having made by his one
oblation of Himself once offered, " a full,
perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation and
satisfaction, for the sins ofthe whole world."
But this, though perfect, was only the first
part of the priestly office. It was necessary
also, that he should rise again for our justi
fication, to demonstrate the perfection of the
atonement, and that the dead in Christ shall
most certainly rise again. And, it was neces
sary, that he should ascend into the Holy of
Holies, into heaven itself, with the same
body that was crucified for us, to appear in
the presence of God as our perpetual Inter
cessor, or Advocate ; and, that he should be
invested with supreme domination, as Head
over all things for his Church's sake. This
was entering into the most perfect part of the
office of High-Priest, which our Saviour is
now perfecting ; but which will not be per.

316 SERMON XV.
fected, until he shall have accomplished the
number of his elect, and God be all in all.
Being thus made perfect as High-Priest
over the house of God, he became, and is,
The Author of eternal Salvation ; and, because
he continues ever, he has an unchangeable
priesthood, and is able to save them to the
uttermost, even all and every one of them,
that come unto God by Him, seeing he ever
liveth to make intercession for them.
The eternal salvation, of which the Apostle
speaks in our text, stands in contrast with
those temporal salvations obtained through
Moses, Joshua, Jephtha, David, and
others. This salvation is from sin and from
the Powers of darkness. It is taking away
the sin of the world, by laying a ground, or
foundation, for deliverance from all the evil
which sin has produced and is producing.
It is opening the door of mercy for the pardon
of sinful creatures, and for the communi
cation of the Spirit of holiness to them who
are pardoned ; and, consequently, a deli
verance from death, in a resurrection from the
dead, and the gift of immortal life to mortal
men. This eternal salvation stands more espe-

SERMON XV. 317
cially in contrast with the salvation obtained
through the Levitical priesthood and sacri
fices. That salvation was nothing more than
a temporal deliverance ; for, the priests stood
daily ministering, and offering oftentimes the
same sacrifices for sin, the same sin for which
they had been offered before again and again ;
and, there was a remembrance of sins made
every year, on the great day of atonement.
This repetition, of the same sacrifices and for
the same sins, was a declaration that the
sacrifices of the law could not take away sin,
so as to free the conscience in sight of the
holy Lord God, with which character of
God his mercy cannot be inconsistent. There
fore, those sacrifices produced only a temporal
salvation, for the time then present, from im
puted faults, from consequent disqualifications,
and punishments in this world ; and they de
rived all their importance and value from the
typical design of their institution as shadows
of good things to come. But, Christ, who
is the end of the law prefigured by the Levi
tical priesthood and sacrifices, being a High-
Priest of infinitely superior dignity, offered
one sacrifice for sin, of such efficacy that it
needs no repetition ; for, it has produced eter-

318 SERMON XV.
nal redemption for us, or in its effects and
consequences perfect and everlasting. By
Him we may be justified from all things, from
which neither the Jews nor the Gentiles could
be justified by the law of Moses.
He is, therefore, the Author, or, as the
word properly signifies, the Cause of eternal
salvation — the sole Author, the only cause of
salvation. Of the people, there was none
with him : No works of the typical law pro-
mulged from Mount Sinai ; no works of right
eousness which we have done ; no merits or
deservings of man, or of any of the sons of
men ; no dispositions, or qualifications in us ;
no breathings of desire ; no supplications, or
intreaties of ours ; but He, by Himself alone,
by his own blood, by offering up Himself
upon the cross once for all, has obtained
eternal redemption for us. He is the only
Mediator, through whom all blessings flow
to us sinful creatures ; so that we never did
receive, and never can receive any good from
God in a way of mercy and in relation to the
eternal life, but through what Christ has
done and suffered for us, and through his
present intercession.
He is the only door, by which any one

SERMON XV. 3i9
can enter into the fold of God's elect and be
saved. And, neither present, nor future sal
vation rests upon any other foundation than
this, Jesus has lived and died for ifte, for
you, for all. The whole, and every part of
God's gracious dealings with the sons of
men, has respect unto Christ, and to his
finishing the work which the Father gave him
to do. Being made perfect through his suf
ferings, he became the Author of eternal sal
vation by virtue of those sufferings ; and upon
the same ground stands the efficacj^ of his
intercession. And here I would notice, that the expe
diency and necessity of this interposition of
Christ to take away sin by the sacrifice of
Himself, is taught in the Scriptures as plainly
as 'the fact that he was crucified.
The Question, on this subject, is not Whe
ther God could have made another world
instead of this ; nor, Whether he could have
made this world different from what it is—
but, Whether this world, constituted as it is,
and man's condition in it properly considered,
and God's revealed character arid our rela
tion to him taken into the account — Whe
ther, I say, the world, or any part of it,

320 SERMON XV.
could be saved, otherwise than by the inter
position and death of the Son of God ?
In this Epistle, the Apostle told the He
brews, that it became him for whom are all
things, and by whom are all things, in bring
ing many sons unto glory, to make the Cap
tain of their salvation perfect through suf
ferings. Christ could not effectually be a
captain of salvation, or a successful and
triumphant Saviour of sinful men, in any
other way than by suffering for them : He
must needs be a suffering Saviour ; or, he
could not be a Saviour. And, the text
plainly intimates the propriety of this con
dition, by declaring that it became him, was
suitable to his revealed character, and con
sistent with that constitution of things which
God had thought fit to be established. And,
what became him to appoint and do ; what is
suitable to his character ; what is consistent
with the established order of things, must
be — there is a necessity for it*, that the end
proposed might be obtained.
* The necessity is of the same kind with that which
gave existence to the world. If God would have beings
capable of knowing his perfections, and of receiving a
portion of his own felicity, he must create and place

SERMON XV. 321
If it be asked, In what light must we con
sider the propriety of the divine conduct in
this respect, the Apostle will answer, that
God might be just, or appear so, and yet
the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus.
You will say, Some further explanation is
necessary, that we may understand how the
sufferings of Christ operate to our re
demption. Attend, therefore, to the scripture-doc-
them in circumstances suitable to their peculiar mode of
existence. If he would give being to such a creature as
man is, he must create this world, in which man might
live and act. And, if sin enter into the world, and death
the wages of sin ; then, if God would deliver man from
the condition of sin and death, into which he is fallen, it
must be in some way suitable to man's condition, and suit
able to the condition and felicity to which God would
exalt him. And, there being no other way conceivable by
us, in which this purpose of mercy and grace may be ac
complished, than the interposition of Christ, this is suf
ficient to justify the idea of the necessity of this inter
position. And, since God has actually appointed and
established this way of salvation, we ought to conclude,
that it was not only expedient, the best all things consi
dered, but that it was the only way in which the holy
God could save any of his sinful creatures ; because that
which is best, all things considered, is the only way in
Which a perfect Being can direct his providence. — If
this be arguing the point, it is arguing upon principles
laid down in the Scriptures, and in perfect consistency
with the whole tenor of revelation. Y

322 SERMON XV.
trine of the efficacy of a sacrifice resulting
from the value, or dignity, of the person, or
of the thing, offered. It is impossible that
the blood of bulls and goats should take
away sin — But, .why impossible, if the value,
or dignity, of the sacrifice be not a necessary
consideration? And observe, the efficacy of
the sacrifice of Christ consists in this, that
He, through The Eternal Spirit, offered
Himself without spot to God for us. Hence
it is, that this sacrifice can expiate sin,
though the legal sacrifices could not. And,
it was in this view of the superior personal
dignity of Christ, and of the sacrifice of
Himself, as of infinitely greater value than
the sacrifices of bulls and goats, that the
Apostle argued, " If the blood of bulls and
goats and the ashes of a heifer sanctifieth to
the purifying of the flesh, how much
more shall the blood of Christ purge
your conscience from dead works to serve
the living God!"
You may now see how it became him, who
is over all from the beginning, to make it the
law of mediation, that the Mediator should
suffer, in offering a sacrifice of so pecu
liar a kind, and of such inestimable value —

SERMON XV. 323
You may see why God gave his only-be
gotten Son as the only adequate price of our
redemption. It was to express the great evil
of sin, and to open a way for the mercy of
God to pardon sinful creatures without
giving any countenance to sin a way of
mercy, in which every one must feel infinite
and eternal obligations to obedient love, to
reverence and godly fear : because God^ in
this way of salvation, appears to be what He
is, the most holy and righteous Being, and yet
merciful above all that we can ask, or tliink —
that he might he just, and yet the justifier of
him that believeth in Jesus, there being no
other way to secure the glory of the divine
government ; and no other way to teach sin
ful creatures that holy obedieace which is
the happiness of a rational nature.
This salvation, in its importance, value,
and power, and in the offer of it by the
gospel, extending to the whole race of man
kind, is limited in its operation and ef
fects to all them that obey him. As under
the law of Moses, he that did not respect
the priestly office of Aaron, who would not
come to the tabernacle, or temple, and direct
his attention to the sacred ordinances, but
Y 2

324 SERMON XV.-
despised the law and sinned presumptuously,
could not derive- any benefit to himself from
the daily and annual sacrifices, though offer
ed for all Israel : he could not claim any
protection, or defence, or privileges, or bless
ing of any .kind, or "right to enter into the
promised land. So it is in this case — for, he
that does not consent in his heart, and in his
practice too, to the dispensation of grace in
Christ Jesus, must needs frustrate the
very purpose of mercy ; and Christ, and
the offering up of Christ in sacrifice for
the sin of the world, cannot be of any effects
to confer eternal salvation upon those who do
not obey him.
The Word obey, in its original signification,
as it was written by the author of this Epistle,
signifies to listen to, or hearken attentively,
to regard with reverent submission and active
obedience ; as a good servant or subject re
gards his master or prince, whose character
he respects, whose authority he reveres, and
whose will he executes with alacrity and dili
gence. Such is the obedience of faith.
When the gospel is preached in the histo
rical facts of our Saviour's birth, life, death,
and resurrection ; of his having died for our

SERMON XV. 325
sins, and of his being* raised again for our
justification ; of his becoming obedient unto
death, even the death of the cross ; and, of
his being highly exalted far above all prin
cipality, and power, and might, and domi
nion ; and, having a name which is above
every name, that at the name of Jesus every
knee should bow, and every tongue confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord — and, when
any one apprehends the meaning of this
gospel, and believes it, and regards our Savi
our according to the truth of his character,
and according to its importance to himself,
and depends upon him as Mediator and
Saviour, and as the only hope of eternal life,
and cleaves to him, and reveres his authority,
and yields himself to Christ in whatever
the word, and Spirit, and providence of God
directs him to shew his faithful attachment to
such a glorious and exalted character, whe
ther in doing or suffering the will of heaven-—
such a person may be said truly to believe in
Christ: he loves and obeys the Lord
Jesus Christ in sincerity. And, can you
doubt for a single moment, whether the man,
who thus obeys our divine Saviour, will be
eternally saved ? Or, can you imagine, that
Y3

326 SERMON XV.
any one will be saved, who does not obey our
Saviour in this kind, or manner of obedience ?
Will any thing* called Faith, which is not this
sincere obedience, save any one? Will any
one enter the kingdom of heaven, who was
not holy to God, and obedient to Christ,
in this world ?
This doctrine of obedience, I trust, has
been sufficiently guarded, to prevent the mis
take that this obedience is laid as a founda
tion ; or, that.it shares with Christ as the
author or cause of eternal salvation. But,
lest any one should so mistake what has
been said, I beg leave to repeat that Christ
by himself, by his own merits, his own per
fect work, his own obedience, in his life of
sufferings and death of extreme pains, un
locked and opened the door of eternal mercy
— that no works of the law, no works of
righteousness which we have done, either in
the strength of nature, or by the power of
grace, are in any degree the fundamental or
procuring cause, or the price of our salvation.
When we were enemies, we were reconciled to
God by the death of his Son. In con
sequence of -this reconciliation, so obtained,
Christ is exalted to be a Prince and a

SERMON XV. 327
Saviour; and, from the throne of the highest
authority, he calls, he invites, and persuades
sinful men to turn to their reconciled Father
in obedience to this gospel, that they may live
through Him, who lived and died for them.
Whoever obeys his voice, or, which is the
same thing, whoever believes in His Name,
shall be eternally saved.
To repent of my sins, to be humble under
a sense of my short-comings, and manifold
deficiencies, to renounce the plea of pharisaic
righteousness in self-justification, to trust in
the merits of my suffering Saviour, to cleave
to him in hope and love, to respect his cha
racter and revere his authority in dutiful
obedience to the divine precepts, to tread in
my Saviour's steps and imitate his example,
and after all, to call myself an unprofitable
servant, and to ascribe all the good that is
in me, or done by me, all my comforts here
and better hopes above, to the mediation of
my Saviour and to the grace of God through
him — This is the faith, the subjection, the
loyalty, the duty, which I owe to God and
to my Saviour, my Lord and King. And, this
is the obedience, which you must learn and
practise, in opposition to the world, the flesh,
y 4

328 SERMON XV.
and the devil : and, without this obedience,
Christ will never be to any of you The
Author of Eternal Salvation.
The character of Christ is that of a Savi
our perfected by his sufferings for us. His
authority shines forth with the mildest beams
of compassion, mercy, and love. His gospel
encourages hope, even in despairing souls, and
has a persuasive eloquence to win the most
obdurate hearts. And, if you understand his
character, if, sensible of your own sinfulness,
you apprehend the plan of God's mercy and
what our Saviour has done and suffered for
you, then, instead of finding it hard to obey,
you will find it almost impossible not to obey
him. We are this day * met together to comme
morate the miracle of mercy, the most asto
nishing* transaction that was ever recorded in
the page of faithful history— the Son of God
obedient unto death, the death of the cross,
to expiate the guilt of a sinful world, and to
accomplish the eternal salvation of men. This
is that transaction, that scene of wonder,
which angels desire to look into. They pry
into this mystery, and behold in it the mani-
* Good Friday, 1702.

SERMON XV. 329
fold wisdom of God ; and, it awakens in them
new ecstacies of joy, of praise, and love. This
is that transaction, the simple declaration of
which converted the wilderness-state of the
heathen world into a moral paradise. This
transaction, through the preaching of the
gospel, had the happiest effect in making
some of you to become holy men and holy
women. It taught you the evil of sin and
the beauty of holiness. Christ crucified
won your hearts, and engaged your obedient
reverence, love and duty. Blessed Souls!
who thus know the Saviour of sinners — to you
he is the Author, the Cause of eternal sal
vation. You regard him in this light ; and,
you will surely find, in happy experience,
that Eternal Salvation is your portion and
inheritance. In truth, your present, experi
ence is the beginning ofthe eternal salvation,
the actual enjoyment of it in part ; for, to con
sent to the dispensation of grace, that is, to
obey, is to be happy. „
But, are there not some, who have never
given to this great subject one serious
thought ? who are either ignorant of the doc
trine of the cross, or so engaged by worldly
cares, th^t seeing they see not, nor under-

330 SERMON XV.
stand with their hearts, and have never felt
the persuasive and sanctifying eloquence of
our Saviour's sufferings disposing them to
sincere obedience. Oh! suffer one serious
thought of Christ to dwell in your mind —
hear, I beseech you — The Son of God suffered
for sin, the Just for the Unjust : he hung upon
the cross in agonies, and died to redeem you
from the curse of sin. What then ought you
to think of sin ? How awful the consideration,
that nothing less than such a sacrifice could
expiate your guilt! And, if your Saviour
endured such grievous pains, that the earth
did quake, and rocks were rent asunder, and
the sun obscured the lustre of his beams, and
refused to shine, when the Prince of life ago
nized upon the cross, What will be your feel
ings, if, to all your other sins, impenitency,
and the basest ingratitude to such a Saviour,
shall be laid to your charge in the day of
judgment? But, ah! more dreadful still, the condition of
those who hold the truth in unrighteousness !
who turn the grace of God, this inestimable
grace, into an argument for licentious living!
who take encouragement from the mercy of
God, and from the very sufferings of our

SERMON XV. 331
Saviour, to live in sin — who onfess him i n
words, and deny him in their practices! Un
happy men! who have contrived to be syste
matically wicked ! Can nothing, but hell it
self, awaken you out of your impious dream
of a faithless faith, a disobedient faith ; nor
deter you from making the holy Jesus a
minister of sin? Did he die upon the cross for
sin, that you might live in sin ? Did he suffer
to take from you the obligation to obedi
ence ? and, not rather, to lay upon you such
an obligation as should constrain you to love
and serve and obey him in all things ? Oh !
let this text correct your error, and deliver
you from so fatal a delusion — The Son of
God was made perfect through his sufferings ;
and being made perfect, he became the Author
of eternal salvation, not to antinomian belie
vers, nor to carnal Christians, but unto all
them that obey him.

SERMON XVI.
THE TRUE VINE; CHRIST AND
HIS CHURCH.
John xv. i — 8.
I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh
away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth
it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are
clean through the Word which I have spoken unto you.
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot
bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine ; no more
can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the Vine, ye are
the Branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him,
the same bringeth forth much fruit ; for, without me ye
can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast
forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather
them, and cast them into the fre, and they are burned.
If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall
ask what ye zeill, and it shall be done unto you. Herein
is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit, so shall
ye be my disciples\
The Jews had been described as a Vine in
the Old Testament. Thus in the 8oth Psalm,
" Thou hast brought a Vine out of Egypt.
Thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted

SERMON XVI. 333
it. Thou preparedst room for it, and didst
cause it to take deep root, and it filled the
land." The great husbandman took it out of
the unkindly soil of Egypt, and transplanted
it into the fruit full and of Canaan by a mira
culous providence.
But, the Jews were a type of another sort
of people. And, the providence, under which
they were disciplined, was an example, or
pattern of a higher providence, or dispen
sation. Therefore, the nation of Jews was
not the true Vine.
Christ is the true Vine — Christ mysti
cally — Christ and his Church — Christ
and his disciples, with all that believe in him
through their word. Christ personally is
the root and stem of this true Vine ; and, all
that believe in him are the branches. , I am.
the Vine, said He ; ye are the branches.
A vine represents the members of Christ's
Church in many particulars. It cannot sup
port itself. It bends to the earth. It will
creep low upon the ground, unless there be
something stronger than itself, some wall or
tree, upon whih it may climb. When it has
means of climbing, it naturally runs wild,
£pd puts forth branches of luxuriant growth,

334 SERMON XVI.
in abundance, which exhausts its strength,
and prevents its fruitfulness. And, in the
state of nature, it either produces no fruit, or
no good fruit. But, when transplanted into
a kindly soil, and grafted ; when restrained
from running wild by the pruning knife;
when trained by a skilful hand, and properly
managed and kept in order, it is capable of
producing fruit in great abundance. But, in
the best vines, there will be fruitless branches,
bending to the earth, and which hinder the
fruit from attaining to perfection. Lastly,
the vine, in its wild state, is the most unpro
fitable of all the trees which grow; and, so
are the fruitless branches of the cultivated
vine ; both being fit only to be burned.
The fruitful branches of the true Vine do
not naturally grow out of the stock which
bears them. They naturally grow out of
another stock, which never can make them
fruitful, or never can make them bear good
fruit. But, they were separated from their
parent-stock by the skilful husbandman, and
grafted into the stock which made them fruit
ful. This indeed is contrary to nature, and
to common practice. For, Husbandmen, or
Gardeners, take the branch, or bud, of a. good

SERMON XVI. 335
tree and graft it upon a wild stock : And, it is
the goodness of the graft, which produces
good fruit. But, in this case, the Husband
man, of whom our Saviour spake in this para
ble, takes a branch of the wild vine, which
never could produce fruit of itself, and grafts
it upon a good stock ; and, it is the virtue of
the stock, which makes the branch to become
fruitful, and the fruit of it to be exceed
ingly good.
Consider the natural state of men, before
they are grafted into Christ, the true vine.
They were without strength — without wisdom,
so much as to know their true state and con
dition ; and without so much as a desire
either to help themselves, or to be helped out
of that state and condition — in short, without
any principles of true virtue, and without any
power to acquire such principles and to pro
duce good fruit.
In the state of nature, men have relation
to this world, and only to this world. All
their tendencies, the propensities of the hu
man nature, bend towards the interests of
this present world. Like the vine, they creep
along upon the ground ; and either bear no
fruit at all, or no good fruit. Or, if, in their

336 SERMON XVI.
thoughts and speculations, they climb above
the common level of human creatures, they
climb upon that which is as much a part pf
this world as they themselves are ; and which
will never help them to rise up to God,
nor enable them to produce fruit unto eter
nal life.
They, who are now the Saints of God,
would have remained for ever in their natural*
state, minding earthly things, if there had
not been a Mediator come from heaven,
through whom they might attain unto God:
nor would they ever have known that Medi
ator, if he had not been revealed to them,
and if divine grace had not produced a
change in their state and condition by uni
ting their hearts to him. For, men are not
born Christians, but are made Christians;
not of blood, not by descent from pious an
cestors ; nor of" the will of the flesh, which
cannot produce any thing spiritual ; for, that
which is born of the flesh is flesh, and nothing
better — nor are they born of the will of man,
however qualified to instruct them, but of
God. , Not to say any thing of the prejudices of
education, and the force of example, which

SERMON XVI. 337
generally oppose the Truth of God ; but,
considering* man simply as he is in himself,
without the grace and word and Spirit of
God, this we must say, that he is of the
earth, earthy ; and therefore his highest Wis
dom is worldly wisdom ; and his religion, df
perchance he have any, is worldly too, mei\e
form and ceremony, either superstition or
hypocrisy. But, when any one is taken out of the state
of nature, by participating the means of
grace, and is grafted into the true Vine, and
becomes a sincere Christian, " a member of
Christ, a child of God, and an inheritor of
the kingdom of heaven," he is a new creature,
another man than that he was before : he has
a new relation to every thing in heaven and
earth — he has a new character, a new name,
a new direction, a new tendency, a new life,
a new spirit, by virtue of his union with
Christ — and, cleaving to him with full pur
pose of heart, he grows in grace, rises up to
God, and brings forth the fruits of the Spirit.
And these, likewise, are all new ; for, they are
such fruits, as cannot be found in nature, but
only in Chrisjt Jesus, through whom this

338 SERMON XVI.
new creature is living unto God, and living
for eternity.
My Father is the husbandman— the prime
agent ; and indeed the only agent, by which
this miraculous change is produced. All
others, who have any concern in this work,
are only the means by which God works.
Ye are God's husbandry : ye are God's build
ing* : And, neither is Paul that planteth any
thing; nor is Apollos that watereth any thing ;
but God that giveth th&increase-f. They are
only Ministers, instruments of God, by whom
ye believe, even as God gives to every man J.
And for this reason, the Gospel is called,
The Power of God unto salvation to every
one that believeth §. Of Him, and through
Him, and to Him, are all things ||. Of his
own will begat He us with the Word of
Truth ^|. Being persuaded, said the Apostle
to the Philippians, that He, who hath begun
a good work in you, He, the same, will per
form it unto the day of Christ** — so that
the beginning of this work, its continuance,
its progress, and its perfection, or final ac-
* 1 Cor. iii. 9. f Ib. 7. $ Ib. 5. § Rom. i. 16.
[|Rom. xi. 36. If James i. 18. ** Phil. i. tf.

SERMON XVI. 339
complishment, are to be ascribed unto God.
My Father is the husbandman.
The doctrine of our redemption in the
blood of Jesus Christ, or the preaching
of Christ crucified, is the principal exter
nal mean by which men are converted to
God ; and by which they are grafted into the
true Vine, and by which they become fruitful
branches. The doctrine of the cross, when
faithfully preached, is ever accompanied with
the Spirit of God, drawing men to Christ,
and so giving them power to believe in him.
But, unless they do believe in him, receiving
the Word and Spirit of God into their hearts,
the Word preached, and only heard, will not
profit them that hear it — will not produce its
proper effects. For, the preaching of the
cross is, to them that perish, foolishness ; but,
unto us which are saved, or who believe in
order to salvation, it is the power of God.
Afflictions, ill-health, sickness, danger of
jife, pain, and trouble* of mind, public and
private calamities, war and famine, persecu
tions, and temptations of Satan, are often
sent, or permitted, as subordinate means, to
correct our prejudices, to humble our pride
and to soften and prepare the hearts of men
Z 2

340 SERMON XVI.
for the divine Word and Spirit ; which, when
received, produce that faith in Christ by
which any one is grafted into the true Vine —
for, Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by
the Word of God — and, it is by Faith that we
become one with Christ, and dwell in
him, and He in us.
Some suppose that we are grafted into
Christ by the sacraments. But, who
would baptize an uninstructed heathen, or an
infidel? Who would administer the Lord's
supper to any one that does not profess faith
in Christ, or who is notoriously profane and
wicked? Faith must precede the sacraments;
and the sacraments must be received in the
actual exercise of faith in Christ ; for,
otherwise, they are to us mere ceremonies, or
holy things profaned*. But, when we are
incorporated into Christ, or into the true
Vine, by a lively faith ; then, receiving the
* When Infants are baptized, they are regenerated
sacramentally — that is, they become visible members of
Christ's mystical body, the Church, by an outward
and visible sign of the grace of God : but, they must
actually exercise faith in Christ, when capable; for
otherwise, they will never experience his salvation, nor
be able to derive any comfort or hope from their baptism
as a testimony, or a sealing ordinance.

SERMON XVI. 341
sacraments in a profession of the faith which
we have already, they are indeed to us a
testimony or seal of our being united to
Christ, and of our communion with other
Christian people, who are branches of the
true Vine. And, because we are yet very
imperfect, and must proceed daily, till we
increase te a perfect state iist Christ, there
fore God has ordained that our grafting into
Christ, and our union with him, and our
communion with his faithful people, should be
often renewed and confirmed in us by the
frequent use of these holy mysteries ; which
do not indeed begin, but help the continuance
of our faith, and strengthen and increase our
union and incorporation into this true vine.
But, all men, said the Apostle, have not
Faith : he meant, all who profess faith in God
and our Lord Jesus Christ, have not the
Faith of God's elect. Some are converted to
the Gospel merely as a system of right opi
nions ; and some are converted to Christianity
as comparatively the best religion in the
world, that is, as a rational form of Godliness,
and a system pf the purest moralitj^. They
are not converted to God, nor have they any
union of heart with Jesus Christ as their
z 3

342 SERMON XVI.
Redeemer. They never had any humbling
views of their own sinfulness ; never truly
turned to God in sincere repentance : they
have always too good an opinion of them
selves to see any necessity for the greatsacrj-
fice; or, they have been too much devoted to
pleasure and business, to pay any serious
regard to the convictions of their own mind.
The world is uppermost in their thoughts;
and God and Christ and the interests* of
eternity have only a very inferior consider
ation in them. Yet, making a formal pro
fession of Christian religion, and perhaps a
zealous profession of evangelical doctrines,
they are called Christians,: and are often taken
for real Christians, and living branches of the
spiritual vine. ¦ _
•^That which proves any of them to have no
true faith in Christ, is their absolute un-
fruitfulness ; or, that they produce no good
fruit. And this is one part of the husbandr
man's care in the management of this vine,
to cut off these unfruitful branches./ This
he does, by temptations and persecutions,
through which they fall away and, become
apostates. Some are cut off by judgments ;
and others are silently removed by death.

SERMON XVI. 343
And, in the last day, all hypocrites and un
faithful professors of Christianity will be sepa
rated for ever from the congregation of the
righteous. Every branch in me, that beareth
not fruit, he taketh away.
And, every branch, that beareth fruit, he
purgeth it, that il may bring forth more fruit.
He purgeth it by these very trials and tempt
ations and judgments, which cut off the un
fruitful branches ; for, these awful visitations
and judgments, upon the wicked and hypo
critical professors, are corrective mercies to
the righteous. Corrupt Churches are some
times reformed by the purifying storms of
persecution ; and particular members of the
Churches, every branch that beareth fruit,
acceptable men, are purified by slowly melt
ing them down in the furnace of affliction.
Various are the dispensations of God's pro
vidence towards his people — various are their
trials, their temptations and conflicts. But,
they are all appointed by infinite wisdom and
goodness, and allotted to the Lord's people in
measure to each of them, and, as best suits
their condition, to promote their eternal inte
rests, to cure them of worldly attachments,
and to make them more holy, more fruitful,
z 4

344 SERMON XVI.
and more happy, and better prepared for ever
lasting felicity.
Now ye are clean, through the word which I
have spoken unto you. This our Lord said
to his Apostles. He had made them clean —
not by baptizing, or washing them with
water — that was only a sacrament, or visible
sign of this cleansing. But, they were clean
through the divine word, the doctrine which
he had taught them; to which they had
paid due attention, and believed it ; for, the
word of God and faith are the means of
grace and salvation from first to last, without
which all other means will fail to produce any
saving effects. But, how were they clean ?
Certainly, as having no cankered branch, no
hypocrite amongst them. Judas was separated
from them ; and now they were all clean.
They were clean from the pullution and guilt
of sin ; from every thing that might prevent
their fruitfulness : they were perfect and entire,
wanting nothing — Or, one thing only was
wanted ; and which must be always wanting
to every Christian, till he shall have finished
his course : and this is constancy and perse
verance in the faith. You have further yet to
go, more to do, more improvement to make,

SERMON XVI. 345
more to suffer ; and, your faith must still be
exercised and tried. " Hold fast that thou
hast : let no man take thy crown" — " he that
endureth to the end, the same shall be
saved." Therefore, our Lord added, Abide in me,
and I will abide in you ; namely, by the effi
cacious operation or influence of the divine
Spirit, making them more abundantly fruit
ful. For, notwithstanding any present attain
ments, Christians will ever find, that without
fresh supplies of grace, and without an abi
ding union with Christ, deriving continual
nourishment from him as their daily bread,
they will not thrive, or prosper, or continue
to produce Christian fruit. As the branch
cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in
the Vine; no more can ye, except ye abide
in me.
They who are wholly separated from
Christ, or who never had any real or vital
union with him in their heart, cannot produce
any good fruit at any time. And, true be
lievers will cease to bear fruit — they cannot
do any thing effectually in the service of
God, if the exercise of their faith shall by
any means suffer interruption. Hence the

346 SERMON XVI.
necessity of perpetual watchfulness and self-
denial, lest our intercourse and communion
with Christ should fail; which would cer
tainly render us barren and unfruitful.
And this, probably, is the condition of
those branches which our Lord intended to
describe in the sixth verse — If a man abide
not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is
withered— Observe our Lord's words ; If a
man abide not in me — implying this, that he
was in Christ, and had communion with
him, and might have continued in this blessed
state, and have borne much fruit to the glory
of God. But, alas! he did not continue sted
fast in the faith, nor cleave to Christ with
full purpose of heart. Therefore, his inter
course and communion with Christ failed.
The Spirit of grace was grieved, and with
drew his holy influence ; and the Lord hid
his face from him. He was no more the holy,
lively, happy Christian which he had been,
and might have been still. He is now like a
branch separated from the vine, cast forth
and withered. How then can he be happy !
Remember therefore from whence thou art
fallen, and repent, and do thy first works.
Our Lord's argument for abiding in Him,

SERMON XVI. 347
is the promise of his abiding in them, and
the assurance of fruitfulness if their faith
remain true and constant. Abide in me, and
I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of
itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can
ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are
the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in
him, the same bringeth forth much fruit ; for,
without me ye can do nothing — A faithful
Christian is a consistent Christian. He can
not fail of much usefulness. He will abound
in the fruits pf the Spirit, in Christian graces
and good works. He will bring glory to
God. He will adorn the doctrine of God
our Saviour. He will edify his brethren by his
example. He will discountenance infidelity
and vice. He will overcome the prejudices
of men by his sweet and *amiable spirit and
behaviour, incline them to a veneration and
liking of sincere religion, and will be an
instrument in the hand of God to convert
and save them who are ready to perish : or, at
the least, his example will contribute a due
proportion of influence in producing these
sanctifying effects.
But, if a man abide not in me ; or, having
in any degree declined, does not repent, he is

348 SERMON XVI.
cast forth as a branch, a branch separated
from the vine, and is withered, and men gather
them, and cast them info the fire, and they are
burned. This needs no further comment :
but surely, it requires much and deep reflec
tion. It is a very awful denunciation of the
danger and consequences of falling away from
Christ. And here is another argument for abiding
in Christ, viz. Success in all our addresses
at the throne of grace. If ye abide in me, and
my words abide in you, i. e. as long as the Apos
tles and all sincere Christians abide in
Christ, and his words abide in them, so
long as they persevere in this truth and are
conformed to it, Ye shall ask what ye will, and
it shall be done unto you. Ask any thing,
whatever your necessity requires, whatever
will conduce to your real interest and happi
ness, even every thing which God has pro
mised, and it shall be done unto you : your
prayer shall be answered. Oh ! what encou
ragement is this, to every believer in Christ,
to cleave to him faithfully !
But, there is a greater consideration than
this, in our Lord's argument for abiding in
him ; even the final cause of all things, the

SERMON XVI. 349
glory of the eternal God ; and that glory of
God connected with His approbation whose
favor is life. Herein is my Father glorified,
that ye bear much fruit, so shall ye be my
disciples. The glory of God, most undoubtedly,
ought to be first and chief in our esteem and
regard. We ought to aim at it, to design and
purpose his will, and the glory of his great
name, in all things. The Apostle exhorted,
Whether ye eat or drink, or whatever ye
do, do all to the glory of God* — that God
in all things may be glorified through Jesus
Christ our Lord-h
But,, how can we praise him? how give
glory to the eternal God ? I answer, By
thinking worthily of him ; and then by living
in such a manner as shall testify of his being
and providence, of his mercy and grace.
We glorify God by expressing our faith in
him, that, we believe " verily there is a reward
for the righteous, that doubtless there is a
God who judgeth the earth." We glorify
him, when we evidently live above this world,
and shew that our hope is in God through
Jesus Christ — when we express that sweet
* 1 Cor. x. 31. f i Pet. iv. u.

350 SERMON XVI.
tranquillity of the soul which springs from a
lively sense of our reconciliation to God —
when we live above the fear of death, and
patiently endure all afflictions with resignation
to the divine will — when we shew our esteem
of God's mercy to us by unwearied zeal to
make others partakers of it — when our chief
delight is in the communion of saints— and
when we love one another as children of the
same Father, as redeemed by the same pre
cious blood, as sanctified by the same Holy
Spirit, and as partakers of the same hope in
Christ Jesus. It is thus, by bearing Chris
tian fruit, and much fruit, we glorify God.
Can you conceive there is any one, that in
true repentance has tasted the bitterness of
sin and felt the pangs of guilt, arid has appre
hended the mercy of God in Christ Jesus,
and known what it is to believe in God as his
reconciled Father, who will riot feel the forCe
of this argument to abide in Christ? If
by bearing much fruit we glorify the ever-
blessed God, then let me ever' cleave to
Christ and abide in him, that I may bear
much fruit to thy glory — Oh! let me live
to thee !
And so shall ye be my disciples— so shall it

SERMON XVI. 351
appear that ye are my disciples indeed ; your
fruits of righteousness proving that ye are
living branches of the true Vine — and so shall
ye be acknowledged to be my disciples ; for,
I will confess you to be mine before my Fa
ther and the holy Angels : . that is, I will ac
knowledge them to be true believers, branches
of the true Vine, who are holy, faithful, and
obedient. The proper effect of this explanation of
the Parable, ought to be serious self-exami
nation. Examine yourselves, said the Apostle,
whether ye be in the faith. Prove your own
selves. Know ye not, that Jesus Christ
is in you, and that ye are in him, except ye
be reprobates* empty professors, hypocritical
Christians. True Faith is an engagement of the whole
soul, with all its powers, to Christ, as the
only hope of eternal life. True Faith not
only unites men to Christ, but enables them
to abidein him. It is far from being a tempo
rary conviction producing momentary emo
tions, and an occasional conformity to Ch rist.
It is constant and persevering. It is lively,
and cannot be idle ; nor unfruitful. They
only truly believe the gospel, who live accord- *

352 SERMON XVI.
ing to the gospel, and bring forth the fruits
of the Spirit, heavenly tempers, love, joy,
peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness,
fidelity, meekness, temperance, patience.
It is a most important point to be attained
by undeceiving those, who say they are
Jews, and are not ; or, who call themselves
Christians, and are not Christians in reality.
Hypocrites of all sorts want the essential
principle. — they have not that Faith which
unites men to Christ ; or, which incorpo
rates them with other living branches of the
true vine, and makes them fruitful.
Lastly, let those who think they have this
true and lively Faith, consider that the
proofs of their sincerity are their constancy,
their abiding in Christ, and their increasing
fruitfulness. Let them consider too, that
their own peace and comfort, their usefulness,
the honor of religion, and the glory of God
in the world, depend upon the stedfastness of
their faith in Christ. And let them be
ware of every thing that would loosen their
hold of him, that would obscure their sight
of Christ and darken their future pros
pects ; or, that would spoil their spiritual
taste, and render them barren and unfruitful.

SERMON XVII. *
OF THE DIVINE MERCY,
AND THE
CHRISTIAN TEMPER AND CONDUCT.
l Cor. xv. 11.
So we preach, and so ye believed.
The subject of the Collect, Epistle, and
Gospel for this day, the eleventh Sunday
after Trinity, is the Mercy of God, and the
Temper and Conduct necessary, on our part,
to enjoy the benefits of this Mercy. And,
this is the subject of the Evangelical minis
try — It is the subject of the whole revelation
of God. There is not any part of the Bible,
either a History, or an Institution, or a Pro
phecy, or a Promise, or a Threatening, which
has not some relation to this great and inte
resting subject.
The Collect, for this day, begins thus —
" 0 God, who declarest thy almighty power
most chiefly in shewing mercy and pity." — In
the heavens and earth, his eternal power and
godhead are visible to those, who have been
directed by revelation to the contemplation
of them as the work of his hand. But, the
A A

354 SERMON XVII.
recovery of man from his state of sin and
death, the conversion of sinners from the r
apostacy, the exaltation of ruined creatures,
originally formed out of the dust, to a par
ticipation of the divine nature, are the most
glorious instances of almighty power. St.
Paul mentions the resurrection of Christ
and his exaltation to the right hand of God,
and the faith of the Ephesian Christians, their
illumination, their sanctification, their pre
servation in the state of grace, and their
future glorification, as effects of the exceeding
greatness of the divine power.
In the creation of this material system,
and of all its inhabitants, there was not any
positive resistance, any thing that opposed
itself to the will of God ; or, that had any
tendency to thwart the plan of his eternal
counsel and providence : He spake, and it
was done ; he commanded, and they were
created. But, in the new creation, the very
purpose of mercy finds resistance in the pro
pensities of human nature, in the foolishness,
the pride, the sensuality, and the guilt of men.
Human depravity and the very wisdom of
this world are directly opposite to the holi
ness and wisdom of God : and, nothing can

SERMON XVII. 355
be more adverse to the truth and righteous
ness of the divine government than that sin
ners, justly condemned to death for their
sin, should yet revive and live ; or, that
guilty creatures, deserving evil and not good,
should be pardoned and received into favor.
Hence the expediency of a mediator — I
would rather say, the necessity of a mediator.
The reason of man has never yet discovered
the possibility of mercy — of mercy properly
so called ; and, upon supposition of mercy
merely as impunity in a future state, has
never yet discovered any sufficient means by
which sinful creatures may attain to the
assurance of this mercy towards themselves :
and, there being no other name under
heaven, no other mediator, no other au
thority, power, ground of hope, or means of
attaining unto God and to the assurance of
eternal life, save Jesus Christ and Him
crucified, we therefore conclude that the
interposition of this one Mediator was indis
pensably necessary. It was certainly neces
sary to us conditioned as we were, though it
might not be necessary abstracted from this
condition ; or, abstracted from the constitu
tion of, things which God had previously
A A 2

356 SERMON XVII.
thought fit to establish ; nor necessary to
God. who would be what He is, perfect
in Himself, though mankind had utterly
perished. When we say, God is a perfect Being, and
cannot change, cannot lie, cannot deny him
self, cannot will, nor act, inconsistently with
his own character, nor with the truth, the
character and nature of things, What do
we say less than this? that he cannot treat
sinful creatures otherwise than as sinful crea
tures ; or, that* he cannot receive into his
favor, and bless guilty creatures obnoxious to
punishment, and who are worthy to die and
perish from his creation ; unless, through some
new medium, or mediator, in relation to
which and to his own glory through that medi
ator, as well as in regard to the beauty, har
mony, and happiness, of the universe, and of
a new, higher, and more perfect system, it
may become right and fit, in these rela
tions, that he should will and act otherwise
than he would if the character of his sinful
creatures simply were to be considered.
And, whenever such sinful and guilty crea
tures have their eyes opened to a sight of their
true condition in relation to the great God,

SERMON XVII. 357
their consciences must be appalled and filled
with horrible sensations of guilt ; and then,
the very perfections of the divine nature will
be a terror to them. And, after their con
sciences are once burdened with guilt, they
can never feel peace and joy arid love, in the
knowledge of God, unless through some me
dium, or mediator, they see his mercy harmo
nizing with his truth, his holiness and justice ;
or, the salvation of sinners perfectly consistent
with the name, the character, and the glory
of God. He may be merciful ; but, he must
be just, holy in all his ways, and righteous in
all his works.
This argument was never produced by any
man totally ignorant of the contents of that
book called The Bible : and, it may be pre
sumed, that it never could have entered the
heart of any one to conceive this argument,
if that book, The Bible,- did not contain a
revelation from God. That which man of
himself never thought ; that which never
could have entered his heart to conceive,
must come from God. It cannot be de
rived from any other source, if there be
truth in it ; or, if its proper effect be the
glory of God, and its tendency the destruc-
a A3

358 SERMON XVII.
tion of sin in the regeneration of the human
nature. No evil spirit could be the author
of it ; for, Satan cannot be divided against
himself. It is not in the power of every Christian
to express this argument", even in the imper
fect manner in which it is now offered to you.
But, every Christian feels the force of this
argument, in that apprehension of the divine
mercy, which the gospel of Jesus Christ
has in any degree communicated to his mind ;
for, it is only by force of this argument, that
the Christian character is formed in him. He
feels it in the grief and sorrow of repentance ;
and, more happily, in the joy and peace which
his faith derives from the knowledge of God
in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
What that gospel is, which reveals the
mercy of God so gloriously to our eternal
consolation, is plainly declared in the epistle
which follows the collect for this day ; and
which is the introductory part of St. Paul's
vindication of the Christian doctrine of the
resurrection of the just, in the fifteenth chap
ter of his first Epistle to the Corinthians — ¦
Moreover, Brethren, I declare unto you the
gospel which I preached unto you — that Chr ist

SERMON XVII. 359
died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
and that he was buried and rose a^ain the
third day according to the Scriptures, and
that he was seen of Cephas, then of the
Twelve, after that he was seen of above five
hundred brethren at once ; of whom the greater
part remain unto this present — After that,
he was seen of James ; then of all the Apostles;
and, last of all, he was seen of me also.
This gospel is plainly a testimony of factsj
the death of Christ and his resurrection ;
that he died for our sins and rose again — and
because the certainty of this testimony is of
so much importance, that the testimony would
be no gospel at all without it, he therefore
mentions the evidence of its truth as part of
the gospel — first, the prophecies in the Old
Testament, and then their completion in the
person of Jesus Christ; he died for our
sins according to the Scriptures written many
hundred years before. The fact of our Savi
our's death was public, and known of all
men : and, his resurrection was certified by
witnesses chosen before of God ; and such
witnesses, and so many, as were sufficient ;
and, in any other case, would be thought
a a 4

360 SERMON XVII.
more than sufficient to produce conviction in
unprejudiced minds.
But, to what does all this amount ? Un
doubtedly, to this, that man is a sinner ; and,
that sin is the transgression of law ; the penalty
death : and man, being a sinner, is subject
to death. It is a debt which must be paid;
for, the wages of sin is death, and God
is a holy and a righteous Judge. But, Jesus
Christ was not subject to death, because in
him was no sin. Yet, he died — He, the Son
of God, the Prince of life, the Lord of glory,
died for sinful men — He suffered under im
puted guilt, the Just One for the many unjust
— and, to this end he suffered, that he might
put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself, that
man might not die for ever. And, if it be
asked, How does it appear that the death of
Christ was effectual to this end? His resur
rection is a decisive proof that he has accom
plished his purpose ; He rose again for our
justification, to demonstrate that sin, the cause
of death, is removed out of the way of God's
mercy, and, that man shall rise again unto
eternal life.
Therefore, repentance and remission of sins

SERMON XVII. 361
are preached in the name of Jesus Christ
among all nations ; full and free forgiveness
and perfect reconciliation through the redemp
tion in Christ Jesus, whom God has set
forth a propitiation through faith in his blood,
to declare his righteousness in the remission of
sins — that, even in the way of his mercy, his
own holiness might appear ; and, that he might
be, or appear to be, just, and yet, the Jus
tifier of him that believeth in Jesus.
This, indeed, was opening wide the beau
tiful gate of his sanctuary, the door of eter
nal mercy, to all mankind : but, in a way,
and by means, the most awful ; and, in their
tendency and influence, the most sanctifying.
It is a mirror presented to sinful creatures, in
which they may behold the divine charac
ter, and be impressed with suitable affections
and dispositions ; convinced of their sin, with
out sinking in despair ; and, filled with hope
and joy, without any temptation to arrogance
or presumption.
This leads us to consider the temper and
conduct necessary, on our part, to enjoy the
benefits of the divine mercy; and which are
perfectly represented in the Collect, Epistle,
and Gospel for this day.

'¦-"

362 SERMON XVII.
We will begin with the Concluding verse of
the Gospel, in the eighteenth chapter of St.
Luke ; which describes the temper upon
which the Christian character is formed ;
and which, indeed, is an essential part of
it — Every one that exalteth himself shall be
abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be
exalted. The gospel is a testimony, or witness of
the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jes u s
Christ ; implying, or including, a further
testimony, or witness, of God's mercy to his
sinful and apostate creatures. It is a tender
of the benefits of his mercy through a Medi
ator, through the merits, the sufferings, the
death and intercession of our great High-
Priest. In this gospel, all ideas of the merits,
deservings, works, and righteousness of men,
are excluded ; for, in this dispensation of
mercy and grace, men are not dealt with as
men, or simply as the creatures of God ;
but as fallen, sinful, and guilty creatures ;
and are blessed with all spiritual blessings in
Christ, and only through Him. Therefore,
it is impossible — in the very nature of things
impossible, that any one should receive this
gospel without the deepest humility.

SERMON XVII. 363
A proud and self-righteous religionist, or a
proud and self-righteous moralist, valuing
himself in a conceit of his own merits, may
have a speculative, or orthodox faith in the
great doctrines of revelation without any. ap
prehension of their importance to himself:
but, cordially receive the gospel, as a procla
mation of mercy, and as a way of salvation,
so as to be conformed to it, no one can, with
out a humiliating sense of his own depravity
and guilt, or without lowly thoughts of him
self, of his own merits and attainments.
We have examples proposed to us, in the
gospel for the day, which will illustrate this
doctrine. Jesus spake this parable unto cer
tain which trusted in themselves that they
were righteous, and despised others : Two men
went up into the temple to pray ; the one a
Pharisee, and the other a Publican. The Pha
risee stood and prayed thus with himself;
God, I thank thee, that I am not as other
men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or
even as this Publican : I fast twice in the
zveek ; I give tithes of all that I possess. And
the Publican, standing afar off, would not
lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but

364 SERMON XVII.
smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful
to me a Sinner. I tell you, this man Went down
to his house justified rather than the other.
I remark, that the word rather has here
the force of an absolute negative — this man
went down to his house justified, and not the
other. The Pharisee's prayer was perfectly incon
sistent with the covenant of his God, or
with his revealed method of mercy and grace
in the promised seed of Abraham : but, the
Publican's prayer was perfectly conformed to
this dispensation — The Pharisee boasted his
merits-: but, the Publican disclaimed all merit,
confessing that he was a great sinner — The
Pharisee approached near to the sanctuary of
God, and stood and prayed thus with him
self, in the pride of self-confidence : but,
the Publican, in his humility, stood afar off,
and would not so much as lift up his eyes
towards the holy place, and expressed his
deep conviction of personal demerit, by smi
ting upon his breast—The Pharisee demanded
justification, or the approbation and favor of
God, as the due reward of his righteousness :
but, the Publican sued for mercy; and, in

SERMON XVII. 36.
terms which implied God's way of mercy
through the propitiatory sacrifice * — In short,
the righteousness of the Pharisee was the
righteousness of works, or obedience to the
law in the letter : but, the Publican, who could
not so much as plead that defective righteous
ness, and who had neither merit nor excuse to
offer, had now the righteousness of faith, and
truly worshipped God in spirit, that is,
according to the spirit of the law, which the
Pharisee had obeyed only in the letter.
The gospel, as a testimony or witness of
Jesus Christ, cannot possibly be received in
* DiasAdTi put — The heaven, which the Pharisee presumed
to approach, was The Holy of Holies, in the temple ;
from which the Publican stood afar off, probably in the
court of the Gentilea, or at the entrance into the inner
court where the Jews worshipped — In that heaven was
the lA»?Tfljio», tiie propitiatory, or mercy-seat. Mr. Park-
hurst remarks, that iaa?Tugie» is properly an adjective,
agreeing with in-ilV**** a lid, understood, which is ex
pressed by the LXX, Exod. xxv. 1 7 ; and, in that version
i*\«{Tuf m generally answers to the Heb. JT130 (from the
verb 133 to cover, expiate) which was the lid or covering
of the ark of the covenant, made of pure gold, on and
before which the High-Priest was to sprinkle the blood
of the expiatory sacrifices on the great day of atonement.
St. Paul, by applying this name to Christ, Rom. iii.
25. assures us that He was the true mercy-seat, die
reality of what the mSS represented to the ancient
believers^

366 SERMON XVII.
any other way, or by any other operation of
the mind, than by believing its truth and vast
importance. When it is so received by a
penitent sinner, one, I mean, who knows him
self, and understands the meaning of the gos
pel, or what is implied in it as a testimony of
Jesus Christ, he will receive it as life
from the dead. In receiving the gospel, he
receives Christ into his heart in all the
grace and virtue of his character, as the one,
the only, Mediator and Saviour of men ;
and, Christ will be to him a quickening
spirit, inspiring him with the hope of eternal
life, presenting new principles of action, new
motives to holy obedience, and determining
his will and affections to live unto God, and
to live for eternity.
This faith is plainly expressed in the be
ginning of the Epistle for the day—" Brethren,
I declare unto you the gospel which I preached
unto you, which also ye have received, and
wherein ye stand, and by which also ye are
saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached
unto you, unless ye have believed in vain;"
i. e. unless your faith was mere opinion, or
a transient conviction passed away ; which
implies, that the true Christian faith is lively,
sanctifying, permanent — It gives present sal-

SERMON XVII. 367
vation, by relieving the conscience and puri
fying the heart : and, it presents to us the
cheering prospect of future salvation through
out our course in this world, and of complete
and final salvation in the world to come.
The blessings of future salvation are as
sured to us by many exceeding great and
precious promises, and which are the promises
of the unchangeable and omnipotent God.
But, the actual fulfilment of the promises will
depend upon our perseverance in the faith,
or in that holy obedience which agrees with
the nature of the Christian dispensation. If
a man say, I know him, and keepeth not his
commandments, he is a liar, a hypocrite in
the profession of Christianity. Therefore, in
the Collect for the day, we pray, " Mercifully
grant unto us such a measure of thy grace,
that we, running the way of thy command
ments, may obtain thy gracious promises, and
be made partakers of thy heavenly treasure,
through Jesus Christ our Lord." To ex
pect heaven, or a safe passage to heaven,
through the many trials and temptations, the
changes and chances, of this mortal life, in any
other way than perseverance in the faith and
in well-doing, is the most foolish and most
1 fatal delusion.

368 SERMON XVII.
But, let us remember in every stage of the
Christian life, and when we have faithfully
persevered in holy obedience and done all
that is commanded, that hitherto the Lord
has helped us, that we owe our safety to
him ; that at best we are but unprofit
able servants, who have done no more than
was our duty to do ; and, that we have not
done this, nor any part of it, without the
special grace of God. Humility must be
the ground of our character from first to
last. St. Paul ever remembered what he
was, and to whom he was indebted every
moment — " I am the -least of the Apostles,
that am not meet to be called an Apostle,
because I persecuted the Church of God.
But, by the grace oj* God, I am what I am ;
and His grace, which was bestowed upon me,
.was not in vain ; but I laboured more abun
dantly than they all ; yet, not I, but the grace
of God which was with me."
Christian obedience is perfect in its prin
ciple and kind ; but far from being perfect in
degree, even in the sincerest believer ; and,
in every one, is accompanied with many
failings and faults, through the weakness of
the flesh, through natural depravity, through
ignorance, mistakes, and prejudices, and the

SERMON XVII. 369
violence of temptation. Therefore, St. Pe
ter's confession, I am a sinful man, 0 Lord,
and the Publican's prayer, -God be merciful
to me a sinner, will be always suitable to the
sense and feelings of every humble Christian.
And, let it be remembered, that our security
does not lie in the entire perfection of our
obedience ; but, in this, that we have an ad
vocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the
righteous, who is the propitiation for our sins,
and whose blood cleanseth us from all sin.
I have only to observe further, in this de
scription of a Christian conduct, that the
commandments of God require whatever we
ought to do, as men, in those particular sta-'
tions, or ranks, in which the providence of God
has placed us, and whatever becomes us, as
Christians, to observe and practise ; especially
that we, be united in Christian fellowship, and
love one another ; and, that we imitate the
divine mercy by endeavouring to promote the
peace and salvation of all mankind.
So we preach : And, I wish to say, So ye
believed. But, alas ! it is not so. Some there
are, whose practice contradicts their profes
sion, and proves against them, that they are.
Christians in name, and not in reality. But
B B

37o SERMON XVII.
a wicked Christian is a contradiction in
terms ; and, there cannot, in the very nature
of things, there cannot be such a thing as a
wicked Christian.
And, spiritual pride and self-conceit in the
profession of orthodox opinions, and super
stition and hypocrisy in observing the out
ward forms of religion, and in abstaining from
the grosser vices of immorality, and so trust
ing in ourselves that we are righteous, are
as contrary to the spirit of the gospel, and to
the nature of vital religion, and as odious in
the sight of God, as is the greatest profligacy
of manners. A proud Christian, or a Chris
tian trusting in himself that he is righteous, is
as truly a contradiction in terms as a wicked
Christian. We must be Christians in reality and
ruth of character. Christ must be formed
n us ; and we must be transformed by the
renewing of our minds. Let us then study
the Christian character, and be conformed to
it ; remembering, that Every one who exalteih
himself shall be abased, and he that humbleth
himself shall be exalted.

SERMON XVIII.

CHRISTIAN PRACTICE.
1 Pet. v. 5 — n.
Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder,
Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed
with humility: for God resist eth the proud, and giveth
grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under
the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due
time: casting all your care upon him ;for he carethfor
you. Be sober, be vigilant ; because your adversary the
. devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he
may devour: whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing
that the same afflictions are accomplished in your bre
thren that are in the world. But the God of all grace }
who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ
Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you
perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. To him be
glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Before we enter upon the interpretation
of this text, I would remark that the word
Gospel is usually confined to the doctrines of
faith, or what we are to believe concerning
our redemption in Christ's blood. Thus,
in the beginning of 1 Cor. xv. the Apostle
defines the Gospel to be a declaration of this
B B 2

372 SERMON XVIII.
most important truth, that Christ died for
our sins and rose again. But, the word Gos
pel is sometimes used to express the whole
doctrine of revelation. St. Paul compre
hends the judgment to come, in the gospel
which he preached. He says, As many as
have sinned without law, shall also perish
without law ; and, as many as have sinned
in the law, shall he judged by the law, accord
ing to my gospel. And, the four histories
written by St. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and
John, which are full of our Lord's prac
tical discourses, and in which the doctrines of
faith are rather intimated than openly ex
pressed and explained, are called The Gos
pels. — In this large sense of the word, he that
urges the practice of Christian duties, does as
truly preach the gospel as when he sets forth
the doctrines of faith.
The word Gospel signifies good news ; or joy
ful tidings. And, undoubtedly, the news of a
Saviour, and that Saviour Christ the Lord,
are tidings of great joy to all people : and,
this doctrine is supereminently The Gospel.
But, the precepts which command our sub
mission and obedience, are so necessary and
useful, so beautiful and excellent, so gra-

SERMON XVIII. 373
ciously and mercifully designed, that we may
not exclude any practical discourse, or ex
hortation to the keeping of God's command
ments, from the larger sense and meaning of
the Gospel ; supposing always that such prac
tical discourses are addressed to real Chris
tians, and enforced upon Christian or evan
gelical principles. The commandments of
God are not grievous to sincere believers:
they delight in knowing and doing the will of
their heavenly Father : therefore, instruction
in righteousness is gospel or good news to
them. Sin and misery are inseparably connected ;
and so are holiness and happiness : where the
one is, there will be the other also. There is
riot any thing forbidden by God's command
ments, which would not be for our hurt, or
bring our" best interests into danger ; nor is
any thing commanded, which is not for our
safety and happiness. The conduct which is
prescribed, and the tempers which are re
quired to be exercised by Christians, dignify
the human nature, and render men beautiful
and lovely in the sight of every creature capa
ble of discerning moral excellence, and even
in. the sight of' God; and will fit and prepare
bb 3

374 SERMON XVIIL
them for communion with him and the enjoy
ment of everlasting felicity.
That God should, and that he wjll conde
scend to teach and command what is so much
to our advantage, and that he should and will
assist and enable us to obey his precepts, is
undoubtedly a very important part of the
gospel of Jesus Christ : therefore, they
are very much mistaken, who call it legal
preaching when a Minister of Christ stre
nuously insists on the necessity of holiness
and practical obedience to God's command
ments. Legal indeed it is, in a good sense of
the term ; but not according to their meaning
who make the objection: for, Do we make
void the law through faith? God forbid!
yea, we establish the law ; not indeed as the
Pharisees and Scribes taught, but as our
Saviour taught, and upon evangelical prin
ciples. A great part of the Epistles in the New
Testament, and I might have said the largest
part of the whole Bible, relates to practice,
or keeping the commandments of God. How
did St. Paul exhort Timothy and Titus,
in his Epistles to them, to preach and insist
upon , the practice of relative duties ? I ex-

SERMON XVIII. 375
hort, said he, first of all, that supplications,
prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks
be made for all men ; for kings and all that
are in authority — I will, therefore, that men
pray every where, lifting up holy hands :
likewise, that women adorn themselves in
modest apparel ; and, as becometh women pro
fessing holiness, with good works. And af
terwards speaking of servants, he says, Let
as many servants as are under the yoke count
their own masters worthy of all honor, that
the name of God and his doctrine be not
blasphemed : and they that have believing
masters, let them not despise them ; i. e. let
them not encroach upon their masters, or
take liberties with them, because their mas
ters are Christian brethren, or because in
this relation all are equal before God ; but
rather, let them do service to their masters,
with so much the greater care and diligence
upon this very account because they are bre
thren. These things teach and exhort : and
he adds, If any man teach otherwise, and
consent not to wholesome words, the words
of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doc
trine which is according to godliness, he is
proud, a conceited professor of the gospel ;
b b 4

376 SERMON XVIII.
yet really knowing nothing as he ought to
know. Then follow exhortations in regard to the
poor and rich— to the poor, that they con
tract their desires to their means — if they have
only food and raiment, to be therewith con
tent. And he says, Charge them that are
rich in this world, that they be not high-
minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in
the living God, who giveth us all things
richly to enjoy ; that they do good, that they
be rich in good works, ready to distribute,
glad to communicate.
To Titus he wrote, Speak thou the things
which become sound doctrine ; that the aged
men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in the
faith, in charity, in patience. The aged women
likewise, that they be in their behaviour as
becometh holiness, not false accusers, in
speaking of their neighbours, not given to
wine, or any sort of intoxicating liquors,
but teachers of good things ; that they may
teach the young women to be sober, to love
their husbands, to love their children ; to be
discreet, prudent in the management of house
hold affairs, chaste, keepers at home, good,
obedient to their own husbands, that the word

SERMON XVIII. 377
of God be not blasphemed. Young men
likewise exhort to be sober-minded ; in all
things shewing thyself a pattern of good
works. Exhort servants to be obedient unto
their own masters, and to please them well in
all things : not answering again, not purloin
ing, not pilfering and stealing, or wasting
their masters substance, nor slothfully idling
away their time, but shewing all good fidelity,
that they may adorn the doctrine of God our
Saviour in all things.
And here observe how the Apostle stops to
express the Christian principles of this obe
dience — that they may adorn the doctrine of
God our Saviour ; for, says he, the Grace of
God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to
all men, all men of every degree, to servants
as well as to their masters, teachihg us that,
denying all ungodliness and worldly lusts, we
should live soberly, righteously, and godly in
this present world ; looking for that blessed
hope, and the glorious appearing of the great
God and our Saviour, Jesus Christ, who
gave himself for us, that he might redeem us
from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a
peculiar people, zealous of good works.
Having thus pointed to the principle or foun-

378 SERMON XVIII.
dation of Christian righteousness, or Christian
morality, he concludes his exhortation gene
rally to Christians of every subordinate rank.
Put them in mind to be subject to princi
palities and powers ; to obey magistrates ;
to be ready to every good work ; to speak
evil of no man ; to be no brawlers ; but gentle,
shewing all meekness to all men : for, we
ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, de
ceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures,
living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating
one another. And, then he shews, that it
was through the kindness and love of God
our Saviour by which they had been deli
vered from this sinful state and condition,
and, that being justified by faith, they were
made heirs according to the hope of eternal
life. This, said the Apostle, is a faithful saying,
a true exhibition ofthe grace of God; and
these things I will that thou affirm constantly,
that, or in order that, by these principles,
they which have believed in God, might be
careful to maintain good works.
I have produced these examples of moral
preaching, which St. Paul exhorted Timo
thy and Titus to pursue, that you may
at once see in them examples of moral in-

SERMON XVIII. 379
struction, and the principles upon which
Christian righteousness is to be grounded.
And now, I trust, that I may venture to affirm,
that preaching gospel-doctrines without due
regard to holiness, or practical godliness and
righteousness, is as great an error on the one
hand, as preaching mere morality, or Christian
duties without insisting upon Christian prin
ciples. The former is like laying a founda
tion without adding to it a superstructure,
which affords no use as a house to live in ;
and, the latter is building a house without a
foundation upon a bed of sand in the sea, or
a castle in the air.
Let us now turn our attention to the text.
St. Peter had admonished the Elders, or
Pastors of the Churches, to feed the flock of
Christ ; i. e. to teach, excite, and encou
rage them to believe the doctrines of faith,
and to devote themselves wholly to God, to
live as Christians ought to live in the practice
of those precepts which Christ had com
mended to his disciples ; taking the oversight
of the flock, not by constraint, but willingly ;
not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind ; nei
ther as being lords over God's heritage, but
as being examples to the flock. This surely

380 SERMON XVIII.
relates as much to practice as to faith. And,
to encourage them in this voluntary and ar
dent service, he sets before them what is far
better than lucre, wealth, .dignity, or advan
tage of any kind which this world can afford,
or better than their own hope can promise
to them on this side of eternity — When the
chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive
a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
Having excluded the desire of private inte
rest from the ministers of Christ, he imme
diately shews that the same disinterested spirit
ought to pervade the whole flock and govern
their conduct — Likewise ye younger submit
yourselves unto the elder : yea, all of you
be subject one to another, and be clothed
with humility. They must be subject one
to another, according to their different rela
tions — they must obey their spiritual Pastors :
they who have natural parents must obey
them : subjects must honor and obey the
king, and all that are put into authority un
der him : servants must obey their masters.
Whatever faults there may be in rulers, still
they are rulers, and God's authority must be
respected in them. We are not to obey our
rulers because they are good, or learned, or

SERMON XVIII. 381
wise, or powerful, but for conscience towards
God. If a servant have a churlish master,
he must serve that master as faithfully as he
would another who is more generous and kind
— or, if a Husband be weak, or foolish, or
covetous, or unkind, still he is a husband ;
and, it is the wife's duty to submit herself
to him ; not for what he is, if he be ever so
good, or wise ; but, for what God is and has
commanded. A single eye to God and his commands,
upon the principles of the gospel, is essentially
necessary to sincere and true obedience : fbr,
the most correct behaviour, the most inno
cent and righteous conduct, proceeding from
mere good-humour, or a compliant temper,
or from motives of advantage to receive as
much again, is mere morality, or worldly po
licy : and though such a conduct be very
beautiful and useful in the external order of
things, it has no intrinsic worth in it in regard
to true religion; And, it is worse than mere
morality, when it proceeds from superstition,
or self-righteous pride and presumption, or
from such principles as are unworthy of God,
inconsistent with our own weak and depend-

382 SERMON XVIII.
ent and sinful condition, or inconsistent with
the gospel of Jesus Christ.
And be ye clothed with humility. He does
not mean humility in appearance, worn as
an upper garment for mere ornament sake.
Humility must be the habit of the soul,
giving a modest shade to all our virtues and
actions; yet never affecting to shew itself.
Pride in inferiors militates against due sub
ordination ; and, in equals it disturbs the
order of things ; for, the attempt of equals to
rise one above another destroys equality.
Therefore amongst equals there must be a
yielding, as in fluids, to preserve equality.
Equals must be voluntarily subject one to ano
ther ; or there will be civil war and endless
contentions in famUies, in states and king
doms, and in religious societies, or Churches.
Pride and self-will are ever opposing the errors,
or supposed wrong opinions, mistakes, blun
ders, misconduct and faults of other people,
and make us blind to our own. But, humi
lity would teach us to behold our own infirm
ities and faults, and to be very considerate
of the infirmities of other people, to be flex
ible and easily in treated, and to overlook or

SERMON XVIII. 383
to pardon their faults. Humility is ever ac
companied with her twin-sister Charity. Hu
mility is prostrate before God, and regards
the duty which he commands to be paid to
superiors, and equally regards the offices of
brotherly kindness to all mankind ; therefore,
humility will teach us to be subject one to
another by making the most candid and ge
nerous allowances to other people ; and, will
make us shrink from contention, by a sense of
our own manifold infirmities and faults, for
which we need so much mercy from God.
There is not only a propriety, but a neces
sity that this conduct be observed and this
temper cultivated ; because God's plan, or
the order of things which he has ordained
and established, consists in a due subordina
tion of all his creatures. Therefore, God
resists the proud as .infringing upon his au
thority and hostile to the general good, or
as breaking the order which he has established
with a view to the greatest possible good of
the whole creation. He never shews favor
to the proud and presumptuous, the con
ceited and self-sufficient, excepting only so
far as his providences and the means of grace
have an influence to humble and bring them

384 SERMON XVIII.
down to the dust of self-abasement. All the
riches of his grace are reserved for, and are
freely bestowed upon the humble ; that is,
upon such as practically acknowledge God's
supremacy, who keep in their ranks, or return
into them, and observe the order of things
which he has ordained; in which, and in
which alone, we may find peace and prospe
rity, security and happiness.
If you look well into the Christian dis
pensation, you will see in it exactly the
same plan which I have described. What
is repentance towards God, but the return
of sinful creatures to an acknowledgment
of God's supremacy, a return into their pro
per ranks again ? What is the faith of Chris-<
tians less than submission to God's plan or
method of mercy through a mediator ? Or,
what is it less than the principle and spirit
of submission and obedience, of humility
and charity, of peace and concord ? A re
penting sinner does not vaunt himself, is not
puffed up, but is humble : he does not come
before God proudly boasting his merits j or
trusting in himself that he is righteous ; but,
smiting his breast and crying, God be mer
ciful to me a sinner. And, his faith, looking

SERMON XVIII. 385
unto Jesus, presents to his mind infinite
obligations to the grace and mercy of God.
He is therefore humble; and consequently
meek and patient : he is satisfied, contented,
and happy. For, in his view of things,
God is all in all ; and every thing is to
him what the grace of God, or his provi
dence and blessing, makes it to be. He
knows this : therefore he keeps in his rank,
and can be yielding even to the pushes of
insolence and the violence of oppression.
Humble yourselves, therefore, said the
Apostle, under the mighty hand of God,
which can crush the stoutest rebel, and can
support and save the weakest believer, how
ever tried or tempted. Humble yourselves
under his hand ; and, there can be no mean
ness in this humiliation. It is the best quali
fication for eternal glory. Humble your
selves that He may exalt you ; which he
will certainly do, if you are humble, and in
proportion to the degree of your humility.
You will indeed meet with trials and tempt
ations ; you will find cares and troubles, both
temporal and spiritual ; which, perhaps, will
wring your heart: but, being humble and
attentive to the duties which call for submis-
c c

386 SERMON XVIII.
sion and obedience, you are encouraged to
cast all your anxieties upon God in the exer
cise of faith and prayer, assured that God will
order and turn every thing eventually to your
best ihterests and advantage ; for, he pities
and cares for the righteous ; that is, for all
who are humble and trust in him.
The conclusion is, Be sober, be vigilant, or
watchful — First, be sober, that is, moderate in
your desires and enjoyment of the things of
this world ; lest, intoxicated by its pleasures
and interests, you be off your guard and
lulled asleep in a dangerous or fatal security.
Secondly, be sober in what you judge to be
right or wrong, or in what you require of
other people ; for, otherwise, you will be often
guilty of greater faults than those which you
censure or blame in others, or correct in
your children. Thirdly, be sober even in
your religious profession, lest too forward a
zeal lead you into temptations beyond your
strength to resist them.
You will never get beyond the reach of
trials and temptations in this world ; for, your
adversary, the devil, is ever watchful for op
portunities to seduce you ; and, as a roaring
lion, is seeking whom he may devour ; and,

SERMON XVIII. 387
either by means of the smiles of the world, or
by the cunning craftiness of false teachers, or
by the frowns of the world and the violence
of persecution, he would beguile you from
the simplicity of truth, and betray you into
sinful compliances. It is your part to be
watchful, and never off your guard — and when
in any way assailed, resist stedfastly in the
faith ; that is, adhere with full purpose of
heart to the Lord, whatever you may lose
or suffer by it ; trusting in that mighty hand
of God, which can support you in all dangers
and carry you safe through all temptations.
And, to excite Christians to resolution in this
warfare, the Apostle reminds them, that it
*s the common lot of Christians to be tried
and tempted ; knowing, said he, that the same
afflictions are accomplished in your brethren
that are in the world. But, the God of all
grace, who has called us unto his eternal
glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have
suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish,
strengthen, settle you. He prayed, not that
they might be exempted from trials and
temptations, which would not consist with
God's plan of mercy ; but, that they might
be upheld and preserved and matured in the
c c 2

388 SERMON XVIII.
Christian warfare, and persevere unto the
end. And, it should be remembered, that
the most dangerous trial of our faith consists
in outward peace and prosperity.
To conclude — Such, dear brethren, is the
beautiful and holy and righteous conduct
which is prescribed to you in the gospel of
Jesus Christ. Let us endeavour to prac
tise accordingly — not indeed in our own
strength ; but, in the faith of Jesus Christ,
relying upon the power of that gracious and
merciful God who has called us unto the
participation of his eternal glory : and to
Him be glory and dominion for ever and
ever. Amen.

SERMON XIX.
CHRISTIAN CHARITY.
Matthew xxii. 39.
Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. '
Whatever was the degree of moral recti
tude and of intercourse and communion with
the Father of spirits, to which man was exalt
ed in paradise, he lost it all when he trans
gressed the commandment of God. But,
the human character remained entire. Man
was of the earth, and is earthy, a creature
of this world, prone to it in all the tendencies
of his nature.
When the Spirit of God departed from
him, the appetites of his body and passions
of his mind were no longer in subjection.
In the gratification of these he seeks his hap
piness, and cannot aim at any higher good.
For, whatever knowledge of God, as his crea
tor and sovereign lord, remains, it serves only
tb excite a fear and dislike of that authority
and power which restrains and condemns
c 03

390 SJERMON XIX.
every improper indulgence of the appetites
and passions of his rebellious nature.
Fallen from God, man has no other end in
view than his own interest, in regard to this-
world ; for, if he become a member of a fa
mily, and his own interest connected with the
interests of the other members of the same
family, he will pursue them in that relation :
But, in many instances, their interests will in
terfere with his, or he will not see the rela
tion of their interests to his own ; and then
in a thousand ways he will shew that he feels
the difference ; and, in every point, beyond
the circle of common interest, he will disre
gard father, mother, brother, sister, friend,
and every other relation. He seeks his own
single gratification, and theirs only as self is
Concerned. It is the same in the more enlarged sphere
of civil society, composed of thousands and
ihillions of families. The very virtues of
men in society have no other principle than
expediency, or utility, in which every one's
own interest is his first consideration. And,
those heroic deeds, which have redounded to
the great advantage of men's own family,
or country, or kingdom, and which have been

SERMON XIX. 391
so much celebrated by poels and orators,
were the efforts of a selfish mind. A man
may seek himself in those actions, which, ap
parently, are the most generous, the most
disinterested. In the general conduct of human life, man
will disregard the interests and rights of others,
and slight their conveniency and satisfaction,
excepting only as self may be nearly, or
more remotely concerned. He is drawing
every thing, as he can, to himself; or, is
seeking self in every thing. He is, therefore,
pushing others out of their way, that they
may be out of his way ; or, that he may, go
straight forward to obtain his own purpose.
'Hence every kind of dishonesty and rudeness
— hence wars and fightings, dissensions, tu
mults, disagreements of neighbours, family
feuds, and quarrels — hence the oppressions
of those in power, the rebellions of subjects,
and the contentions of equals — hence mur-
murings, discontent, frauds and thefts, back-
bitings, false-witness, pride and haughtiness
of carriage, sturdy obstinacy, insolence, envy,
hatred, malice, and revenge.
But, when any one is enlightened by the
revelation of God; and believes the gospel of
c c 4

392 SERMON XIX.
Jesus Christ, he discerns such wisdom and
goodness in the dispensations of providence,
such astonishingly rich grace and mercy in
the redemption of fallen creatures, and such
an all-sufficiency of power engaged to make
him eternally blessed, that, though penetrated
with a sense of his own sinfulness, he is filled
with admiration of the divine character, and
with the hope of eternal life. He is drawn,
and won, and constrained to love the Lord
his God with all his heart and soul and mind ;
i. e. in his judgment and choice, he prefers
God to every thing.
This love of God will make him sincerely
desirous of knowing God more perfectly ;
and, will incline him to contemplate and me
ditate upon God in his works and ways. In
its lowest degree, it is a spark of that hea
venly fire which feeds upon its proper fewel,
i. e. upon God himself, upon what he is and
is to us. And, if this spark be cherished, it
will increase in us and burn stronger and
brighter, and its energy will never cease, till
it obtain the most perfect enjoyment of its
beloved object in heaven.
That perfect Being, God, loses nothing of
his absolute sufficiency by communicating

SERMON XIX. 393
happiness to his innumerable creatures. And
they, who seek their happiness in God, will
never find it less, though millions, and millions
of millions, participate with them. In regard
to this great object, and the happiness which
may be found in the enjoyment of it, there
cannot be any interfering interests; and, there
fore, there cannot be any selfishness in this
pure region of love. Here, all is union and
harmony, and every one's happiness is the
happiness of every one that loves the Lord his
God. Tlbou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself :
and, he that loves God will readily obey this
commandment. He will love the children
of God, for this reason simply, because they
are his children, the children of his heavenly
Father : And, he will love them, because
they bear some resemblance of him, some
traits of the most perfect beauty and trans
cendent excellency. These will be his pecu
liar delight. He will rejoice in their pros
perity as his cwn. He will sympathize with
them in their afflictions, their trials, tempta
tions, and sufferings. If one member of the
body be wounded, the other members feel
the pain and suffer with it.
But, the love of God will not confine its

394 SERMON XIX.
operations within the Church ; but, in its
tendency, will reach to the utmost bodnds of
God's creation. And, considering all man
kind, as equally redeemed by the same pre
cious blood, and capable of bearing the image
of God, and of becoming fellow citizens
with the Saints; and, considering that God
calls and invites all men, of every degree, in
every nation, to come to him and live— there
fore, this love of God will look, and long,
and pray, for the happiness of all mankind,
that the name of God, his character and
glory, may be illustrated in their eternal sal
vation. We have known and believed the love that
God hath to us; i. e. we have known it by
believing the revelation of Jesus Christ,
through whom all the divine perfections so
beautifully harmonize in our salvation, that
we may comprehend them all by saying, God
is Love. And, he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth
in God, and God in him. And, by means^if
this revelation, God has imparted to us of his
own Spirit ; and therefore, we cannot fail to*
love all mankind, as God does ; who is loving
to every man, and his mercy is over all his
works. From hence, St. John concludes, If
any man say I love God, and yet shew an

SERMON XIX. 395
Unloving temper towards his fellow creatures,
he is a liar, i. e. a hypocrite in pretending to
love God ; for, he that loveth not his brother
whom he hath seen, how can he love God
whom he hath not seen, and of whose character
he is deplorably ignorant ?
It is the blindness of his mind and heart,
which renders him incapable of pure and holy
love. He looks only at things temporal ;
and, in them he sees a thousand and a thou-r
sand interests thwarting his own schemes, or
wishes ; and, this excludes love, and renders
him jealous of another's prosperity. But,
the love of God corrects this selfishness of
our nature, while philosophy and politeness
only conceal and disguise it. It teaches us
to love our neighbour as ourselves ; his hap
piness as our own. And, where this spirit
prevails, it will make us very considerate of
his rights, of his feelings, bodily and mental,
in great matters and in small. It will make
us respect the ease, the accommodation, and
self-complacency of all with whom we have
any intercourse, or concern, especially of all
that suffer, and of all who are in our power,
or who are dependent upon our will.
From hence honesty, doing to others as we

396 SERMON XIX.
would that others should do unto ourselves —
from hence harmony and peace, friendship
and charity. He that loveth another hath
fulfilled the law ; that is, he does, and will
practise whatever is required in every one of
the commandments which regard his neigh
bour. For this, thou shalt not commit adul
tery, thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal,
thou shalt not bear false witness, thou shalt
not covet ; and, if there be any other com
mandment, it is briefly comprehended in this
saying, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy
self. For, how can I injure those I love ?
Love worketh no ill to his neighbour : there
fore, love is the fulfilling of the law.
It is well known, that this love, this atten
tive regard to the interests and welfare of
others, is the subject of all the practical ex
hortations in the Epistles, which the Apostles
wrote to the Churches and to particular per
sons. It is that, with which their morality
begins and ends; from which all their de
scriptions of particular duties set out, and
into which they return. Love is the sum
total of all they spake and wrote — the love of
God in Christ Jesus, and the love of men
to God and to one another.

SERMON XIX, 397
Happy would it be, if the love of Goo
did sanctify the hearts of all mankind ! We
should then have neither wars nor rumours of
wars ; no quarrels in our neighbourhood, nor
in our families. The world would be a lame fa-
mily of friends, of brothers and sisters. Uni
versal peace would reign. It would anninilate
ten thousand evils; and produce a bf ivenly
smile upon every countenance : men would be
at home every where ; they would meet their
relations in every climate and nation.
But, since it is the lamentable condition of
human nature to be destitute of this love, and
all the views and designs of men are selfish —
since it is true in fact, that a very small por
tion of the human race are called Christians,
and a much smaller portion are Christians in
reality — and, since the Christian character is
not so perfectly formed in any as to exclude
absolutely the selfishness of human nature,
but, even in the best Christian, is rather as a
contrary principle opposing the natural self
ishness of the heart — therefore, we must
describe the Christian character, in loving
our neighbour, as a plant of the heavenly
paradise growing in an unkindly soil, and as

398 SERMON XIX.
a principle operating under very discouraging
circumstances. In the world, some are high, and others
low ; some are rich, and others poor ; some
are learned, and others ignorant ; some have
power, and others are almost destitute of
every kind and degree of influence ; some
are strong, and others weak ; but, all are
selfish, self-willed, seeking some private ends
of their own, without relation to, or regard
for, another's welfare, or the general good.
It is this which has produced, and is produ
cing, oppression, fraud, dissimulation, impa
tience, resentments, revenge. The true Chris
tian was once of the world, one who walked as
other men, having his understanding dark
ened, and actuated by the common principle
which directs the conduct of all mankind.
We ourselves, said the Apostle, were formerly
foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers
lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy,
hateful, and hating one another.
But, true Christians are no longer what
once they were. There is an essential dif
ference. They have passed from death unto
life: they are become children of God and

SERMON XIX. 399
heirs of his everlasting kingdom : they have
received a new principle counteracting and
subduing the selfish principle of their nature,
and giving a new direction to their mind.
But, still the fiesh lust eth against the spirit, as
the spirit does against the fiesh — and, the tri
umph of Christians consists in denying them
selves, successfully opposing the selfishness of
their nature, so that the love of God and man
prevails over the selfish principle and sub
dues it.
The remembrance of what they were,
when under the direction of the natural self
ishness of their hearts, and the consciousness,
that, without the continued influence of divine
grace, the selfishness of human nature would
still govern their conduct — this has a ten
dency, co-operating with the love of God and
man, which now sways them, to make them
palliate and excuse the injuries they receive ;
to make them bend, like shrubs, to the storm
which splits and roots up stubborn oaks ; to
make them humble, meek, yielding, comply
ing, patient, and forgiving, willing to suffer,
silent and gentle under rudeness and insult,
suing for reconciliation where others would
demand satisfaction, giving way to the pushes

400 SERMON XIX.
of impudence, conceding and indulgent to
the prejudices, the wrong-headedness, the
intractability of those with whom they have
to deal.
And, what is all this, but love taking the
tinge of character, which the circumstances,
under which it lives and operates, give to it ?
It is love, producing its proper effects, amidst
unkindness and cruelty. It is love bleeding
in the wounds it receives in this turbulent
world ; and, bleeding forth a balm to heal,
if possible ; or shedding tears, in pity of those
evils which it cannot cure.
It is love, and nothing else, which suffers
long and is kind ; which is patient, slow to
anger, and ready to put up with wrongs.
Love envies not ; does not vaunt itself; is not
arrogant, insolent, scornful, nor apt to under
value, or disparage others, and is not puffed
up with self-conceitedness ; does not behave
itself unseemly, whether in high or low es
tate, in age or youth, in power or depend
ence ; seeketh not her own, but the advantage
of others ; and, therefore, is not soon disap
pointed, or disheartened, and is not easily
provoked by contradictions and resistance ;
thinketh no evil, will neither design nor rea-

SERMON XIX. 401
dily suspect it, so as to take doubtful things
in the worst sense ; rejoiceth not in iniquity,
whatever may be gained by it, but rejoiceth
in the truth, in whatever is just and honorable,
though it meet no present reward ; beareth
all things, the weakness and ignorance, the
rudeness and injustice, of men ; believeth all
things, by putting the most favorable inter
pretation upon men's words and actions, so
far at least as there is any ground for it ;
hopeth all things, the best it can of every one,
at least, wishing and longing for their con
version, amendment, and salvation.
If any one pretend to love God, and to love
his brother also and his neighbour as himself,
and yet is full of impatience, resenting every
venial fault, and revengeful ; how dwelleth
the love of God in him ? Where is his love,
either to God or man ? Or, if any one see .
that his brother has need of his assistance, and
shutteth up the bowels of his compassion from
him, where is his love ? If any man take his
brother by the throat, saying, Pay me that
thou owest — pay me all the honor, all the
respect, all the deference to my opinion which
I demand of thee, every punctilio, or I will
be affronted and take my revenge — Or, if
"***- D D

402 SERMON XIX.
he be litigious and contend for the veriest
trifles, and rail at his neighbour with a cla
morous voice, or plunge hiiri into expensive
law-suits, or cast him into prison in a re
vengeful spirit for some offence or trouble
which he may have Occasioned — Or, if he vex
him in any way because he is his rival in trade,
or outstrips, or outshines him in learning, or
honor, or wealth ; or because he is a person
of greater consideration in the Church, and
therefore envies his superior character, and
is at perpetual variance with him, and never
can speak of him with respect or charity —
in any of these cases, how dwelleth the love
of God in that man ? Surely, he has never
known the gracious and most merciful God,
never felt the obligations of his loving-kind
ness ! Selfishness has contracted his heart,
or filled it with the poison of hell, producing
discord and every evil work.
If any one still think, that the temper
which has been described, the love of God
and man, operating as has been described,
is not attainable, or not to be attained
in any good degree of perfection, I readily
grant it. I have already insisted that man is
naturally connected with this world, that his

SERMON XIX. 403
views and desires cannot rise above his in
terest in it, that his virtue, such as it is,
is mere worldly policy ; and so is his religion
too, if he have any. His desires, his wishes,
his prayers, terminate in himself, and in such
a life and such enjoyments as this world pre
sents to his view — after all these things do the
Gentiles seek — And, he cannot, by self-exer
tions merely, form even the lowest degree of
the Christian character.
But, what is naturally beyond our power,
what is impossible to man as man, is not out
of our reach under the Christian dispensa
tion ; is not impossible to us as Christians.
Under this dispensation, God is so revealed
as to become the object of our admiration
and love. Under this dispensation, we find new
motives and incitements ; and, God worketh
in us to will and to perform. " All things
are possible to God ;" and, " all things are
possible to him that believeth," because he that
believeth yields himself to the almighty power;
therefore, Christians " can do all things," every
part of their duty, and suffer all things,
even the heaviest crosses, " through Christ
strengthening them."
The precepts of the gospel, the commands
D D 2

4o4 SERMON XIX.
of, Christ, prove, that the divine virtue' of
love is not unattainable, and, that the exer
cise of this virtue, in loving our neighbour,
as has been described, is not impracticable.
For, why is it commanded, Thou shalt love
the Lord thy God with all thy heart and
soul and mind, and thy neighbour as thy
self ? Why is it commanded, Resist not evil,
Love your enemies, Bless them that curse
you ; Pray for them who despitefully use and
persecute you? Why are Christians command
ed not to seek distinctions, not to love the
uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats
in religious assemblies, and to refuse to be
called Rabbi, and to be ambitious only of
usefulness as the servants of all, and to
be humble and meek and poor in spirit?
Why are they commanded to regulate their
thoughts, to curb the desires of nature, to
check the rising of every evil temper, to cleanse
the inside of their vessels, their hearts, and
to purify their minds, to abstain from the
very thought of sin, and be free from adul
tery, not only in their looks but in their very
heart? Why are they commanded to seek
first the kingdom of heaven, and to do all
things to the glory of God ; to sit loose to

SERMON XIX. 405
the world, to be detached from its iddls,
politics, and vain delights; to live in it as
if they did not belong to it, as strangers and
pilgrims ; and, to be holy in all manner of
conversation? Why are they commanded to
love one another with a pure heart fervently,
and to do unto all men as they would that all
men should do to them? And, why is it made
the distinguishing badge of Christ's disci
ples, that they have love one to another ?
These things are commanded. And, would
it not be absurd to command, or prescribe^
the attainment of these virtues, and the prac
tice of these duties, if the former were unat
tainable, and the latter impracticable ? Or,
are we to suppose that Christ and his Apos
tles knew not what they said, or that they
commanded what was not intended to be the
character and practice of Christian people?
Far otherwise ; for, whatever was the inability
of the heathen Gentiles, sunk into the pro
foundest ignorance, and destitute of the
means of grace ; and, whatever be the natural
inability of every child of man ; it will never
justify the disobedience of those who have
been baptized, and placed under the dispen
sation of the Holy Ghost.

406 SERMON XIX.
•I fear, there has been much mistake, and
great misapprehension, of this most im
portant subject. Some there are, who seem
to think, because we can do nothing of our
selves without God, nothing effectual to our
salvation without the, Spirit of grace, that we
may be like stones, and. never begin to act,
till we shall be hurried on by an irresistible
force; a. force, or influence, which God has
never promised, and, which indeed would be
perfectly , inconsistent with the established
order of his government, and with his pur
pose of final judgment and retribution.
There are others, who seem to imagine,
that Christ has so done every thing for
them, that they need not do any thing for
themselves ; that he so obeyed for them, that
they need not be obedient to him; that he so
died for sin, that they need not die to sin ;
but, that they may remain as depraved and
selfish as the carnal heart of man is inclined
to be ; yet dreaming all the while that they
are perfectly holy and righteous in Christ
by imputation. This, surely, is a most fatal
delusion: It is turning those most precious
truths of our redemption in Christ Jesus,
and which should have been for our health,

SERMON XIX. 407
into poison itself, and is making the very
gospel of Christ the occasion of a greater
downfall and deeper damnation.
Christ gave himself for us, that he might
redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto
himself a holy and peculiar people zealous of
good works — that he might convert us to
God, to his love and service — that he might
kill the enmity of our hearts, and overwhelm
the selfishness of our nature, by the love of
God, teaching us to love the Lord our
Qod with all our hearts, and purifying our
souls to unfeigned love of the brethren. If
this be not accomplished in us, what are
we the better for Christ, or for all that
he has done and suffered for us? And, if
this be not accomplished in us, the fault is
all our own. They who have the means
of grace, must thank themselves, their own
inattention and unbelief, if they do not ob
tain that grace which effectually works in all
that believe.
I pray you, consider what has been ad
vanced in this discourse. Examine it by the
word of God. Search the Scriptures. But,
beware of partial fondness for your own
d d 4

408 SERMON XIX.
opinions, and for the doctriries and com
mandments of men. Beware of worldly
attachments of every kind, lest they blind
your minds and prejudice your hearts against
the sincere truths of the holy Scriptures.
Pray for a simple and teachable temper ; and,
enquire seriously into the state and condition
of your own souls. This is what the Apostle
exhorted the Corinthians to do, in his second
Epistle to them — Examine yourselves whether
ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.
If you discern the Christian character, and,
comparing your own experience with it,
should see just reason to suspect that you
are destitute of this character ; then, I beseech
you, lift up your hearts to God in earnest
prayers, and intreat him to form the Chris
tian character in you — intreat, that he will
give you to know and feel that you do indeed
love the Lord your God with all your
heart, and your neighbour as yourself; and,
that he will give you a real experience of the
effects of his love in "Christ, by your be
coming humble, meek, patient, forgiving,
having bowels of mercy, kindness, charity,
feeling yourselves detached from the world

SERMON XIX.- 409
and united in heart and spirit to the holy
brethren, and, in one word, having the
mind of Christ.
Can you not see how necessary it is, that
the Christian spirit and temper be formed in
you? that it is a necessary qualification for
the heavenly state ? Will empty notions and
vain opinions, or mere orthodoxy, or the most
perfect creed, or the strictest forms of god
liness, or the purest mode of public worship,
or any thing you can substitute for these, be
sufficient to confer upon you a valid title to
the eternal inheritance, or fit you for the
heavenly state ?
Will not pride, and most of all, spiritual
pride, and self-conceit, and self-will, and the
spirit of the world, covetousness, sensuality^
impatience, resentment, envy, and malice, fit
you for that state and condition which was
ordained for the Devil and his Angels ? And,
is it not plainly evident, that the very con-.
trary to these are so necessary, that, without
them, heaven will be no place for you ? Do
you not see, that to know God, so as to prefer
him to every thing, to have a pious and de
vout temper of soul, a benevolent and loving
•spirit, a mind and heart at peace with the

4io SERMON XIX.
whole creation, and in perfect harmony with
all that are good and holy ; and to be humble,
meek, contented, submissive, , and resigned,
are qualifications which will make you happy
inimediately5 even in this world, so far as these
vifews and tempers prevails and are formed
into fixed habits; and, when they shall be per
fected,: that they will produce perfect' happi
ness, which is. heaven itself?
Twish it could be said of everyone of you,
The love of God is shed abroad in your
hearts by the Holy Ghost; and,; that you
arte taught of God tq love one, another — that
you are, all of you, humble-minded, not
boasting of any thing, desiring rather to be
subject than to govern, to give than to
receive — that, whatever be your condition in
this world, you are contented — that you are
meek, and kind, and charitable, patient and
resigned, : of a forgiving temper, void of re
sentment, and loving even to your enemies ;
raised above the world, and ripening, like the
corn, for the heavenly state.

SERMON XX.
ON DOING THE WILL OF GOD.
Matthew vii. 21.
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter
into the kingdom of heaven ; but he that doeth the will
of my Father which is in heaven.
Our Saviour had been declaring the will of
God ; and, in conclusion of his discourse,, he
said, Not every one that saith unto me Lord,
Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven ;
but he that doeth the will of my Father which
is in heaven.
The will of God, therefore, is that doctrine
which Jesus Christ taught in his sermon
on the mount : and, doing the will of God
must mean practical obedience to the divine
law as it had been explained and illustrated
by our Saviour.
That this was his meaning is still more
evident by what immediately follows ; there*
fore, whosoever heareth these sayings of mine,
and doeth them — plainly referring to all he
had been saying, or td all which goes before,

412 SERMON XX.
in the fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters of
St. Matthew.
Viewing the text in this connection, it
plainly appears that he who faithfully sub
mits himself to God, under the established
dispensation of his mercy and grace, and
lives in obedience to his revealed will, shall
go to heaven ; and, that the hypocritical
preacher of the word of God, and the merely
formal professor of true religion, shall be ex
cluded from the kingdom of Christ and of
God. For, saying unto Christ, Lord,
Lord, is making profession of being his dis- ,
ciples and servants. To whatever degree this
profession is carried, however strict and ac
companied with great zeal, yet, being mere
profession, it will profit nothing.
Suppose any one, either by the prejudice
of education, or persuaded by dint of argu
ment, assents to the truth of revelation in
general — suppose that he has learned to dis
tinguish the doctrines of Christianity, and
maintains as pure a system of evangelical
truths as can be found in any of the approved
creeds and confessions ; which, certainly,
any wicked man, or hypocrite, may do —
suppose also, that he has prophesied in
Christ's name, i. e. has been a preacher of

SERMON XX. 413
his gospel, and compassed sea and land to
make proselytes to his doctrine — there is no
conclusion to be drawn from all this, concern
ing his present or future state, as one that
doeth the will of God. He may be like some
Physicians who administer medicines to the
sick, but cannot cure themselves, and will
not follow their own prescriptions : and, many
such will say to me, in that day, Lord, Lord,
have we not prophesied in thy name ? and, in
thy name, done many wonderful works ? And,
then will I profess unto them, I never knew
you ; depart from me, ye workers of iniquity.
If this may be said of the preachers of
Christianity, surely it may be applied to the
laity likewise; because the reason of things
is the same in all. It is equally true of the
private professors of Christianity ; Not every
one that saith Lord, Lord, shall enter the
kingdom — Every one, every professor of reli
gion, every Christian, every one upon whom
the light of revelation has shined, every one
that has heard the gospel, every one that
heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them
not, shall be likened to a foolish man, who
built his house upon the sand— the hopes of
that man, whose Christianity, or whose reli
gion, consists in right opinions, and in the

4H SERMON XX.
profession and form of godliness, are vain,
and will deceive him.
The Jews are an example to us, or as a
pillar of salt, or monument, to warn us of this
extreme danger. " Moreover, brethren, I
would not have you ignorant, that all our
fathers were baptized unto Moses, and did
all eat the same spiritual meat, and did all
drink the same spiritual drink — but, with
many of them God was not well pleased ; for,
they were overthrown in the wilderness." The
Apostle adds, " Now these things were our
examples" — and these examples demonstrate
most clearly, that the advantage of an ex
ternal revelation, and the profession of be
lieving it, and also that the holy sacraments,
whether of the Old or the New Testament,
do not confer grace, nor ensure the salvation
of any one.
People may participate the ordinances of
religion in any form, and go through a re
gular course of religious discipline, and yet
perish at last. They may be honest in trade,
without any real virtue or religious principles
in their hearts, acting always upon the worldly
maxim, that honesty is their best policy :
they may be constitutionally sober, temperate
in their enjoyments, harmless, or useful and

SERMON: XX 415
friendly, as citizens of the world : they may
be constitutionally cheerful, pleasant, and
good-natured ; or, may wear the semblance
of virtue, of candour and charity, through
the force of education ; and, through a shaken
frame, or relaxed temperament, be awed into
the assumption of a religious character ; and
yet, every one of these remain totally desti
tute of those principles, and of that righteous
ness, which are of account in the sight of
God *. Therefore, every one that heareth
the sayings of Christ and doeth them not,
though he call him Master and Lord, is like-
ened unto a foolish man, which built his house
upon the sand, and the rain descended, and
the floods came, and the winds blew, and
* The Author has no design to plead for or against
any particular modes of faith, nor for any particular,
forms of professing Christian religion. He is ready to
confess that a Papist may do the will of God, though
his being a papist has no relation whatever to his dojng
it, — that a Dissenter, though not as a disienter, may be
a good Christian — and, that a Papist, a Protestant, a
Church-man, a Dissenter, a Calvinist, an Arminian, or
a Methodist, may be essentially deficient, and utterly
destitute of every Christian virtue. We may suppose;
a man perfectly right in all the articles of his creed, a*
opinions ; and, in observing the forms of religion and
morality ; and yet conclude, not that he is, but thai*?
he may be, nothing better than as a whited sepulchres
or as sounding brass, or a tyikling cymbah

416 SERMON XX.
beat upon that house ; and it fell, and great
was the fall of it.
We will now consider the holy obedience
of that man, who is approved of God, and
who shall enter into the kingdom of heaven —
he that doeth the will of my Father which is in
heaven. When sin had entered into the world, it
Was not in the power of man, now fallen and
destitute of the spirit of holiness, to expel it
again, nor to make any atonement for it. All
the powers of the human mind, all that could
be found in the whole compass of nature, or
in the Universe, were insufficient to produce
a remedy, or to draw man to God, or to
raise him up from his fallen state and con
dition. But, when there was none to help ;
iwhen man was utterly without strength to
help himself, without remedy, and without,
hope, the gracious voice was heard announ
cing, that the Seed ofthe woman should bruise
the Serpent's head ; and, in the fulness of the
appointed time, Jesus Christ came into
the world to save sinners. He interposed
himself as mediator, and offered himself a
sacrifice without spot unto God for us ; and,
in doing this, he made atonement and be-

SERMON XX. 417
came a propitiation for the sins of the whole
world. This was opening to our view the
door of eternal mercy.
For, see ! there is peace on earth ; good
will to men! God is glorified, and sinners
may be saved ! This is my beloved Son, in
whom I am well pleased. In this revelation
of Himself by Jesus Christ, God offers
himself to us as a reconciled Father, ready to
forgive his undutiful children ; ready to em
brace them in the arms of his mercy ; ready
to take them under his protection and pater
nal government, and to provide all things
necessary for their future support and ever
lasting establishment.
It is this view of things, which makes obe
dience possible to us. It is this view of the
divine character which converts the heart to
God ; so that his commandments are not
grievous. But, speak to sinners of God
merely as the supreme Being ; speak of bis
essential Godhead, of his eternal power, of
his absolute sovereignty — speak of the relation
which subsists between the Creator and his
creatures ; and speak of a mere moral law
resulting from this relation, and urge the
duties which man as man owes to the Author

418 SERMON XX.
of his being — discourse on the moral fitness
of things, the excellency of virtue and of
virtuous habits ; or describe the turpitude of
vice ; propose the rewards which duty may
expect, or denounce the vengeance due to
sin, in any way you can conceive ; and, you
may as well hope to animate the dead by
dint of argument, or cause trees to bear fruit
by influence of a painted sun, as hope to re
generate the human nature by these principles
of philosophical deism. The greater number
of those who hear you will not and cannot
understand either your language or argument;
and they, who listen to your discourse, and
seem to understand your meaning, will not
profit by it ; for, your doctrine will leave
them utterly ignorant of themselves and of
their true condition ; and will only fill them
for a short time with stupid amazement at the
greatness of the power of the unrevealed, the
unknown and incomprehensible deity.
But, when God presents himself to us as
the God of all grace and mercy through the
Redeemer, a holy and righteous Being, and
yet full of pity and compassion to his fallen
creatures, and even solicitous to save them ;
then it is no longer impossible to obey. We

SERMON, XX. 419
are insensibly drawn to meditate on these
things ; and, this very revelation, understood
and believed, and regarded according to its
vast importance, will touch all the sensibili
ties of our nature, produce compunction of
spirit, melt the stubborn heart, captivate the
soul, purify it and draw it up to GoD.
Our Saviour, therefore, began his divine
sermon, by expressing the spirit and temper
of a true convert. Blessed are the poor in
spirit — blessed are they that mourn — blessed
are the meek — blessed are they that hunger
and thirst after righteousness — For, these are
the beginnings of repentance, and of that
obedience which is unto life. If ever we do
the will of God, obedience must begin in the
conversion of the heart to God as he hath
revealed himself to us. A tree must first be
good in its nature, or must be made good,
before the fruit can be good.
There is no true obedience which does not
begin in humility, in a sense of our sin and
great unworthiness, and in admiration of
God's mercy and great goodness. The true
penitent mourns before God, and is meek-
ened under a sense of what he is, and of what
God is, and of what Jesus Christ has
E £ 2

42b SERMON XX.
dohe and suffered for us men and for our
salvation. And then, the heart will return to
God hungering and thirsting after righteous
ness, that is, to be pardoned and sanctified
unto obedience:
The sense, which any sincere believer has
of his obligation to the mercy of God, fills
him with such admiration and love of mercy,
that he wishes every one to share with him
in it : he prays, he looks and longs for the
salvation of men. And now, he is pure in
heart, single in his intention to be good, and
to do good : he seeks the peace and happiness
of all mankind. Arid, though he meet with
unkindness, is censured or persecuted for his
Christian piety and virtue, he returns good,
for evil, and counts it his honor to suffer any
thing for his Saviour's sake.
This is doing the will of God in the heart:
and he, who is thus inwardly grateful and
obedient, will express this obedience by a
sincere regard to all God's commandments.
This light will shine forth before men, that
they may see his good works — not ostenta
tiously, but through the modest vail of humi
lity. His righteousness exceeds the righteous
ness of the Scribes and Pharisees, because his
22

SERMON XX. 421
outward acts of righteousness are the genuine
expressions of an inward obedience, the con
formity of his soul to the will of God, without
partiality and without hypocrisy.
He will not think it enough to abstain from
the overt act of murder, but also from inju
rious language, from injuries of every kind ;
and, as much as in him lieth, he will live
peaceably with all men. — He will not only
abstain from actual adultery, but from all
impurity in thought, word, and deed.— So far
from forswearing himself, he conscientiously
observes the obligation of a simple promise ;
and, if he swear unto his neighbour, he will
not disappoint his expectations, though it be
to his own hinderance.
His love of Truth will curb his tongue ;
and, instead of expressions of too lively an
imagination, he will think soberly, and speak
within compass. Instead of revenging him
self, or harbouring a promptness for retali
ation, he will exclude from his heart the very
temper of revenge, patiently submitting to
an injury, or yielding to the aggressor, rather
than returning evil for evil. He considers his
enemy as a man, the creature of God, re
deemed by the same precious blood which
e e 3

422 SERMON XX.
bought his own peace ; and therefore, he Is
not only ready to forgive, but pities his ad
versary, and prays for those who despitefully
use and persecute him.
He is charitable to the poor ; but, not like
the Pharisees, to be seen of men, ostentatious
in the distribution of their alms. It is enough
for him, that God sees his good works and
labours of love. For the same reason, his
pious prayers are more frequent and more fer
vent in the closet, or in secret, than in pub
lick ; and he prays more for spiritual blessings
than for temporal enjoyments. And, know
ing that his heavenly Father is disposed to
give more than he asks, he does not rely
upon the form of his prayer, nor use vain
repetitions, as if he expected to succeed by
the eloquence of his speech, or by much
speaking. He abounds more in thoughts and
wishes than in words.
He is moderate in the use of this world, in
his recreations, in food and raiment ; and
uses proper abstinence, and lays restraints
upon himself in all his enjoyments, that he
may curb the inordinate desires of nature. —
His treasure is in heaven. There are his
affections : and, he counts his riches by the

SERMON XX. 423
acquisition and improvement of Christian
graces, by his increasing preparation for the
heavenly state ; and, by those faithful ser
vices and sufferings, which God will graci
ously reward.
He is a consistent Christian : not like a
double dealer, a servant "who will serve two
masters in opposite interests. His heart is not
divided between the interests of this world
and of that which is to come. He is contented
in his station ; and relies upon that gracious
providence which feeds the fowls of the air.
He is more severe in passing judgment on
himself than on others. He more readily
sees and censures his own faults than theirs ;
because he is more watchful over his own
conduct, and more jealous of himself; and,
for this reason, he tries to amend himself,
rather than to expose their misconduct. And,
if he attempt to inform, or amend them, ten
derness influences his heart ; modesty gives
tone to his voice ; prudence guides his hand
and tongue, instead of that forwardness, that
psrtness, and harsh correction, which are ex
pressions of inexperience and self-conceit.
He considers the persons and characters, and
tempers and prejudices of those whom he
E e 4

424 SERM.ON XX.
would instruct or amend and reform. And
therefore he will not cast his pearls before
swine, by attempting to reform those who
are incapable of receiving instruction : and,
when he ventures to offer his service to any
one, he takes care not to irritate by untimely
counsel or impertinent advice.
He looks more to God than fo man, and
applies to Him in all his difficulties and
wants : and, he does to others, as he would
wish they should do to himself.
He has entered into the tlrait gate : and
thus he walks in this narrow way which leadeth
unto life. And those are to him the true
prophets of God, who urge him forward in
this holy course of obedience, and under
whose ministry he gathers fruit unto eternal
life. This is the obedience of a Christian man,
described bv our blessed Lord, when he
preached to a vast multitude of people, and
to his disciples. This is doing the will of
God : and he that doeth this will of God,
most assuredly, shall enter the kingdom of
heaven. But, I must desire you will take notice, that
this obedience admits of various degrees.

SERMON XX. 42S
This will of God may be done more, or less
perfectly ; and is done more or less perfectly
by some than by others. Some there are
more deeply convinced of sin ; more sensible
of their unworthiness ; more humble than
others are. Some are more grieved for their
wickedness, are more deeply penitent, more
lowly and meek than others. Some are hun
gering and thirsting after righteousness with
a keener appetite of Soul than others. Some
have a livelier sense of the obligations of
mercy, are more sincere and upright, more
disposed to peace, and more able to bear up
under the cross. They abound, more than
others, in all good works ; and, the principle
of righteousness is more vigorous, as an
operative principle, in their souls. They are
more perfectly delivered from the angry pas
sions, and readier to forgive an injury. Their
appetites are more perfectly subdued. They
are less selfish, and more steady in their con
duct, and more charitable ; and their charity
is of a purer kind, and with less alloy.
They are more frequently in their closet,
and pour forth more fervent and more chari
table prayers before God in secret. They are
riper for glory ; more full of lively hope, and

426 SERMON XX.
better prepared to die. They are more de*
tached from the world, and have a richer
treasure laid up in store against the day of
recompence. They are better qualified to
instruct and reprove with meekness of wisdom
and discreet prudence. They live more, the
life of faith, upon their heavenly Father's
providential care; and, can practise, in a
greater degree, the self-denying life. They
are more perfectly aware of the deceits of
false prophets, and obtain greater advantages
under the ministry of sincere preachers.
But, though there be this variety, this
difference of degree, in doing the will of God,
yet obedience is the same in all; the same in
kind, though more, or less perfect, Every
true Christian is an obedient Christian: he
doeth the will of God. And, while the
weakest believer is aiming at the perfect will
of God, and longs and labours to attain to
the highest degree, the best Christians are
prostrate before Him, calling themselves un
profitable servants.
There is not any thing more plainly declared
in the sacred Scriptures than this, that the
Unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of
God. No modes of faith, no orthodoxy of

SERMON XX. 427
bpinions, no forms of external religion, nor
alms-deeds, nor any other political virtues,
nor all these together, will be sufficient to
justify the Unrighteous, or, to be a substitute1
for true holiness and sincere obedience.
You have heard the character of every true
Christian; he doeth the will of God. You
cannot place the Christian character lower
than this. The most imperfect Christian, the
weakest believer, has some degree of the
spiritual light and life, some apprehension of
the mercy and love of God through Jesus
Christ, and is influenced by it. There is in
him a corresponding temper; and, a suitable
conduct appears in his life. He has repented
and turned to God ; he is walking in the path
of duty, in holy obedience to the revealed
will of God, conscientiously living unto God,
and living for eternity.
But, is this your character? Are you con
formed to Christ, ih any degree of Christian
holiness, and doing the will of God. Ah!
Sirs, to name the nairie of Christ, to profess
that you belong to him, and not depart from
iniquity; to call him Master and Lord, and
not do as he has taught and commanded ; to
make profession of Christianity without any

4s8 SERMON XX.
degree of the Christian spirit — This is a most
fatal error, a profane mockery. It is taking
God's holy name in vain; and Tile Lord
our God will not hold them guiltless who do
this. Here we are, all mixed together, in the
visible Church, the good and the bad. But,
a day is coming, when the chaff will be
separated from the wheat, and then, ye shall
discern between the righteous and the wicked,
between him that serveth God and him that
serveth him not ; or, that serveth him feign-
edly, calling Lord, Lord, but not doing the
will of our heavenly Father.
Let me, therefore, warn and exhort you,
by repeating the words of St. James — Be ye
doers of the word; not hearers only, nor
professors only, deceiving your own selves.
For, if any be a hearer of the word, and not
a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his
natural face in a glass; for, he beholdeth
himself, and goeth his way, and straightway
forgetteth what manner of man he was ; so
transient is Lhe impression of God's most
weighty truth upon the mind and heart of
mere hearers and professors of the gospel!
But, whoso looketh attentively into the perfect

SERMON XX. 429
law of liberty, and continueth therein, He,
being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the
work — This man shall be blessed in his deed;
for, so an entrance shall be abundantly
administered unto him into the everlasting
kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ — Well done, Good and Faithful
Servant ; Enter Thou into the joy of thy
Lord.

SERMON XXI.

THE GOSPEL HID TO THEM THAT
ARE LOST.
2 Cor. iv. 3.
If our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost.
In the preceding chapter, the Apostle treats
of the evangelical ministry, in contradis
tinction to the method of instruction under
the Old Testament dispensation. The Law
was a shadow of good things to come. It
was a typical representation, an image, or
form, of Truth. But, the Gospel is the very
Truth itself; or, an open and clear revelation
of it.
Therefore, having received commission
from the Lord Jesus to publish the word of
God, or his Truth, in all the world, the Apos
tles used great plainness of speech ; not hand
ling the word of God deceitfully ; but, by
manifestation of the Truth, commending
themselves to every man's conscience in the

SERMON XXI. 431
sight of God. But, if our Gospel be hid, it
is hid to them that are lost ; in whom the God
of this world hath blinded the minds of them
that believe not, lest the light of the glorious
gospel of Christ, who is the image of God,
should shine unto them. For, we preach not
ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and,
ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. 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."
Here, you have the text with the connec
tion in which it stands. By attending to it
in this connection, you may see, that the
Apostle did not comprehend either Jews or
Gentiles generally in the number of those
who are lost. He did not mean, what some
call, Mans lost condition by nature ; for then,
his words would be applicable to all mankind.
But, evidently, he speaks of some lost, in con
tradistinction to the many who are not lost ;
of some, to whom the gospel is hid, in contra
distinction to others, to whom it is as plain
and obvious a Truth as can be proposed tp
the understanding of men.
Where would be the propriety of saying.

432 SERMON XXI.
We use great plainness of speech, if, notwith
standing, the gospel were an unintelligible
mystery ? How could there be a manifest
ation of the Truth, in preaching the gospel,
and an application of it to every man's con
science in the sight of God, if the meaning of
the gospel be hid from the generality of those
to whom it is preached? or, if another reve
lation, or some special inspiration, were neces
sary to render it intelligible to any one*.
Preaching the gospel implies a plain and
full exposition of the subject : and, surely,
the Apostle meant to affirm this, " The truth
" we preach is not above any one's capacity
" to understand it. It is plain and obvious
" to all who will attend to it ; to Jews and
" Gentiles, to the learned and uulearned, to
" high and low, to rich and poor. It is of
" such vast importance, that it demands every
„ one's mott serious attention and acceptance.
" It carries its own evidence along with it,
" that it is the Truth of God ; and, it cannot
" be rejected by any one, who seriously con-
* Sacra Theologiaet Religio res est simplex et nuda j
sine magno artificio divinis constans testimomis: quam
tamen prave quidam converlunt in artem difficilimam.
Grc. Naziau,

SERMON XXI. 433
" siders and understands its meaning. If it
" be hid from any, it is hid to them who
" are lost."
He evidently speaks of persons irrecoverably
lost — so lost, that even Mercy cannot save
them — so lost, that even the gospel of our
salvation cannot afford either remedy, or hope
of remedy, to them ; because to them it is
hid; hid as to all its most important meaning
and influence.
Therefore, whatever be man's natural con
dition, as born of the earthy Adam; what
ever was the condition of the Jews, and of
the Heathen, when first the Gospel was
preached to them ; and, whatever be people's
condition now, when first the gospel offers its
light to their mind ; it was not, and is not,
that lost condition, which the Apostle meant
in our text. For, the gospel brought an
adequate, a complete and glorious remedy to
the Jews, and to the Heathen ; and, it brings
salvation to all people who hear it preached.
But, it brings no remedy, no salvation, to
them that are lost : The gospel is hid ; and,
the word of God will no longer manifest its
Truth, and commend itself to their con
sciences in the sight of God,
f t

434 SERMON XXI.
The condition, in which we were born, is1
not our own personal fault ; and, will never"
plunge any one into the damnation of hell'.'
It will never cause the gospel to be Md.
And, neither the Condition, in which the gos
pel found the Jews, nor , that,, in which it
found the Heathen, sunk into absolute igno
rance of God and of the hope of eternal life,'
was their own personal fault. It was' a con
dition, received by tradition from their fa-<
thers— a-icondition, which required the pro
gress of ages, to bring to its maturity — and,
therefore, did not prevent the publication of
the gospel, nor cause it to -be bid from them
who had no hand in producing it.
,It was, indeed, a miserable condition ; but,
not such, a hopeless one, as. precluded the!
operations of mercy in delivering them from
it. But, the lost condition, pf which the
Apostle speaks in our text, is every man's own
personal fault, who' falls into it. This is
evident, from- what immediately follows our1
text. — If our Gospel be bid, it is hid to them
that. are lost ; in whom the God of this- world
hath blinded the minds of them that believe
not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of
Christ, who is the image of God, should-
shine unto them.

SERMON XXL 435
It might seem, to an inattentive, hearer, or
to a careless reader of the Scriptures, that,
the. fault, or. blame of falling into this con
dition, is imputed to the evil Spirit or God of
this world. But, I must desire you will re
mark, that the Apostle's expression implies
a blindness, or degree of blindness, which.,
was not natural to them ; and which. they had
not when the gospel came to them ; but,
J*. ' - - j ¦ t
was a consequence of their unbelief, in. not
yielding to the gospel, when it had been
plainly and faithfully preached, the preachers
of it commending themselves to eyery man's
conscience in the sight of God.
Therefore, falling into this lost condition,
was neither the fault of Adam's disobe
dience, nor a necessary consequence of it
It cannot be imputed to the ignorance of
heathenism, nor to the prejudices of Judaism ;
for, many of the heathen, who, before the
gospel came to them, were in the deepest
darkness, and many Jews, who had been
filled with prejudices, never fell into this
lost condition.
And falling into it was not occasioned by
any want of the means of grace, nor by de
fect in Gop's mercy, nor by any unavoidable

436' SERMON XXI.
force of the Powers of darkness. It was their
own personal fault altogether, which plunged
them into this misery ; for, most evidently*
the Apostle is speaking of those who had the
means of grace ; of those whom God had
mercifully called by his gospel ; and, the God
of this world could not have had any power
over them, to blind their rninds, in any other
way, or by any other means, than through
their own unbelief
They believed riot, " lest the light of the
gospel of the glory of Christ should shine
unto them." The gospel placed them, as
it does every one to whom it is preached,
Under an unavoidable necessity, either to fall
out with themselves and forsake their evil
ways, or else to quarrel with God's Truth,
and to oppose themselves in their practice to
the evidences, and witnesses, and preachers of
it. They chose, the latter ; and, it proved
their ruin.
If our gospel be hid, it is hid to them
that are lost — He evidently means reprobates,
wicked men, determined neither to repent, nor
to reform ; who, having heard the gospel, have,
notwithstanding, freely subjected themselves
to the God of this world ; that is, to its vain

SERMON XXI. 437
opinions, customs, riches, honor, glory, plea
sures ; and, to whom, therefore, the light
of God's Truth is most painful. For, " every
one that doeth evil, hateth the light, neither
cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be
reproved." Unbelief springs from a disinclination of
heart to receive the Truth ; and, this disincli
nation of heart, from yielding to its lusts
and passions, and from pride indulged and
self-conceit. Therefore, our' Saviour said,
How can ye believe, who receive honor one
of another, and seek not the honor which
cometh of God only? imputing their want
of faith to their wicked temper.
The world, its possessions, interests; its
riches, honors, glory, and power; its repu
tation, esteem, friendship, and pleasures ; its
cares, frowns, contempt, and persecutions,
sway them; and, pride and self-conceit per
vert their judgment. They hesitate; they
draw back ; they try to reconcile God and
Mammon ; they quiet themselves for the pre
sent with hypocritically-good resolutions of
future amendment; and then, falling into
repeated acts of wickedness against the cbn-»
victions of conscience, they force themselves
r p 3

. 438 SERMON XXI.
into more daring opposition to God's' truth ;
they adiriit doubts ; they listen to infidel ob
jections and sophistical reasonings; they close
their eyes and harden their hearts ; so that the
Truth cannot enter and abide with them.
Some commence infidels by a shorter pro
cess. Sitting doWn at once in the scorner's
chair, they reject and persecute the Truth of
-God. They have acquired a violence of
temper, and an obstinacy in error, that will
bear rio contradiction: Others, retaining the
prejudices, of education, or influenced by ex
ample, perhaps by interest, admit the evi
dences of Truth, so far as to become specu
lative believers, such believers as was King
Agrippa ; but; through worldly attachments,
they see and believe nothing of its vast im
portance : the rays of light are ' dissipated ;
and, they never feel its saving influence.
-They pay no sincere regard to God, as God;
"nor to Christ, as the Christ of God; or,
according to the dignity of these names, and
the interest which they have, or might have,
in them.
Yet the light, which shines upon them,
-imperfect as it is, Often reproves their hy
pocrisy, and excites painful doubts arid apt

SERMON XXI. 439
prehensions in their mind. They then pur
pose better things : but, the performance
rests upon some future day, which never
comes. For, were their purpose sincere, they
would use the present moment. But, they
trifle, and prevaricate, and deceive themselves,
till they are hardened through the deceitful-
ness of sin ; and, till that one day of grace
and of God's patience is ended, and that
night overtakes them which will never end.
The gospel is hid to them, fallen by their
own personal fault, into a lost condition,
from which there is no redemption.
There is no redemption ; because, for per
sons in this condition, no sacrifice has been
offered, no intercessor appointed, no re
deemer. And, in them is fulfilled the pro
phecy of Isaiah, which saith. " By hearing
ye shall hear, and will not understand ; and
seeing ye shall see, and will not perceive ;
for, this people's heart is waxed gross" (im
plying that it was not so* once) " and their
ears, are dull of hearing" (or become so) " and
their eyes they have closed-; lest at any time
they should see with their eyes and hear with
their ears, and should be converted and I
should heal them." E p 4

440 SERMON XXI.
But, that opportunity of mercy is passed
away, and gone by for ever. They have
turned from the Truth, and are turned unto
fables, to falsehood, to lies, to a world that
cheats their expectations. They have bar
tered heaven for transitory gratifications; and,
for a morsel of meat, have sold their birth
right ; for, all the world is but one morsel to
the soul that covets it. If it could be the
portion of any one, it would not satisfy him.
Instead of being, as some of them pretend,
philosophically wise, they are, in practice, ar
rant fools; and, even in speculation, mere phi-
losophists, who take meteors for stars, and their
own dazzling light, for the light of heaven.
There is a deceivableness of unrighteous
ness in them that perish, because " they re
ceived not the love of the Truth that they
might be saved." And, for this cause, and
this only, " God sends them a strong delusion,
that they, should believe a lie" — that is, he
judicially blinds them, who have first wilfully
shut their eyes — he blinds them by with
drawing that influence, without which no man
can believe unto salvation — " that they all
might be damned, who believed not the Truth,
but had pleasure in unrighteousness."

SERMON XXI. 441
O most righteous, and most tremendous
judgment, of almighty God ! who opened
wide the door of mercy, and commanded
that all men every where repent and believe
the gospel; and, when some disobeyed and
had shut the door of mercy through unbelief,
and that, unbelief produced by worldly at
tachments and pride indulged, then his irre
vocable decree barred the door of mercy for
ever against them. Righteous art thou, O
Lord, and just are thy judgments !
" If our gospel be hid, it is hid to them
that are lost" — an awful text ! which should
awaken in us the deepest concern ; first, for
ourselves, lest it describe our own condition ;
and, secondly, for others, whose condition it
is. To ourselves, it should be as a warning
voice from heaven, " Take heed, lest he spare
not thee — Be not high-minded, but fear." And,
if this fear be accompanied with a good
hope through grace, that we are not fallen
into this lost condition, we ought to mourn
over those whose condition it is. If our
Saviour wept over devoted Jerusalem ; if we
have any portion of his charitable spirit ; if
we know the worfch of souls capable of the
eternal life ; and, have any apprehension

,44-2 SERMON XXI.
of the misery of being lost, and the very
gospel hid, as to all its most important mean
ing and saving influence, and hid for ever
from their eyes ; we should think there is
no tragical story more affecting, than is im
plied in this short description, If our gospel
be hid, it is hid to them that are lost.
But, awful as this text of Scripture sounds
in our ears, it is also full of encouragement
and comfort, to them who are in earnest
to make their peace with God ; or, who are
earnestly enquiring, What must we do to be
saved ? For, if the gospel import glad tidings
of salvation ; if the ministers of mercy were
commanded to preach this gospel in all na
tions to all people, without exception of any
one, of whatever character or degree ; if the
gospel be hid to them only who are lost ;
and, if they only are lost, who have finally
rejected the counsel of God against them
selves; there is great encouragement for you
who are in earnest to save your souls ; encou
ragement to hope that the gospel of the glory
of Christ will shine unto you with all its
saving influences. And, I appeal to your own
conscious feelings, whether you do not derive
much consolation from this text of Scripture,

SERMON XXI. 443
though the subject be primarily intended to
awaken the fears of my audience.
What can be more encouraging, more
revivins: to a distressed conscience, than the
assurance that Christ died for all; and
that God has commanded all men, every
where, to repent and believe the gospel? What
can be more comforting to tbe aching heart
of a sincere penitent, than knowing that
Christ, in his gospel, invites all that are
weary and heavy laden to come to him, i. e.
to believe in his name : and, assures every
one that is coming to him, that he will in no
wise cast him out, or reject him ? And, what
can give greater encouragement to the weak,
who feel their want of more than human wis
dom and human aid, than knowing that the
Holy Spirit will not fail to help them in
their time of need ? To see the door of mercy
standing so widely open to all mankind, and
receiving penitent sinners of every descrip
tion — -to know, that no one ever was ex
cluded, and that no one ever will be excluded,
either for the depth of his depravity, or the
greatness of his unworthiness and guilt ; and,
that this door of mercy cannot be shut
against any one, but by his own fault hv

444 SERMON XXI.
rejecting the counsel of God against himself,
or hy sinning of malicious wickedness against
the hand that would save him — this is such
an encouragement, such a ground of conso
lation, as is sufficient to sustain and cheer the
most afflicted, to exclude despair, and to
inspire hope, in every one that hears the
gospel. God forbid that I should make the heart
©f the righteous sad, whom God has not
made sad; or, that I should discourage any
one that would flee from the wrath to come.
But, the same charity obliges me to give
faithful warning. — Brethren, I am not so
much concerned for the orthodoxy of your
opinions, though of prime importance in
forming the Christian character, as I am for
the sincerity of your intentions, and the up
rightness of your hearts. If your hearts be
not right in the sight of God, right opinions
will produce no saving change in your state,
or condition : Seeing, you will not see. But,
if you become really in earnest to save your
souls, and so in earnest as to be ready to give
up every thing which stands in competition
with your eternal interests, the gospel of
Christ will be easily understood, and you

SERMON XXI. 445
cannot mistake in any material point either of
doctrine or practice.
It is pride indulged, and an undue attach*
ment to this world as the means of gratifying
this vile principle, which perverts the judg
ment, which hardens the heart, and makes us
either infidels, or hypocrites, or contentious
opinionists, or mere formalists, in the pro
fession of Christianity. This is the .grand
obstacle. It must be surmounted. Over
come this, and your way is plain and easy:
you will repent and believe the gospel.
And, let it be noted, as a most certain, yet
tremendous Truth, that all, and every one,
who have ever heard the gospel, or upon
whom the light of revelation has shined, and
who are no more than almost persuaded to be
Christians, have been hindered from becom
ing Christians altogether, by the love of this
present evil world*. Infidels, of every sort
and degree, are infidels upon this ground;
and upon no other, whatever they may pre
tend. Their grand objection to the Truth
of Revelation will never assume a logical
Sequi Christum quomodo possunt, qui patrimonii vin
culo detinentur? Aut quomodo ccelum petunt, et ad
sublimia et alta conscendunt, qui terrenis cupiditatibus
degravantur? Cyprian, De Lapsis.

446 SERMON XXI.
form ; and, for this reason, is unanswerable,
It proceeds not from their heads ; but, from
their hearts; and, is more the prejudice of
passion, than of judgment or opinion.
Ye will not come to me, that ye might have
life. And, why would they not ? Was it
because they were in love with death? No.
Was it because they wanted sufficient means
of conviction, that he was the Christ of
God? No — but, because they would not:
and, they would not, because they must have
sacrificed their pride, and have given up their
popularity, their honor, their interest, their
ease and reputation.
The case is the same with many in the
present day. It is not a want of conviction,
or of sufficient means of conviction, that
there is a God- who judgeth the earth. It is
not a want of conviction, that they ought to
turn to him with all their hearts. But, they
will not turn to God and become real Chris
tians, or will not till a future season, because
they will not clothe themselves with humility ;
because they will not risk the favor and friend
ship of the world ; and, because they will not
deny themselves,, by forsaking a course of hv>
ing which they are accustomed to pursue.

SERMON XXI. 447
You profess, what is called, The Christian7
Religion; and, sometimes, yoh have been
almost persuaded to become real Christians.
I have seen evident symptoms of the work
ings of divine grace, and of the impression
which the word of God has made upon your
consciences. I have seen them in an unusual
eagerness of attention, in the change of your
countenances, in the tear starting into your
eye, or trickling down your cheek — almost
persuaded — alas! but almost persuaded, to
be real Christians.
It would give me pain, to tliink, of any one
of you, that you are fallen into that lost con
dition. But, when I see many of you as
worldly, as careless, as profane, as at the
beginning ; when, after repeated warnings,
after repeated visitations of God on your
persons or family; and, after repeated con
victions of conscience, I see you as far off as
ever you were, from the character of pious
and devout Christians— in this view, I am
filled with awful ^apprehensions of your dan
ger, and think I see you approaching very
near to this brink of final ruin.
God hath said, My Spirit shall not always
strive with man. And, the Holy Ghost
saith To-day, if ye will hear his voice— to-day,

448 SERMON XXI.
while it is called to-day — while it is day to
you — during the acceptable time — lest ye be
hardened through the deceitfulness of sin—
And, if hardened, then farewell Hope for ever !
Life or Death, God or Mammon, Christ
and the blessings of his salvation, or the world
with its transitory enjoyments, Heaven or
Hell — These are placed before you in direct
opposition to each other. You do, you must,
you will, infallibly, make your choice. If
the Lord be God, follow Him : but, if Baal,
then follow him. I know which, in your
judgment, you will approve, while the pro
posal is making. But, I fear, which, in your
practice, you will follow.
Oh ! may the word, and grace, and Spirit
of God, this day, prevail, and captivate your
hearts! Eternal life is won, or lost, under
the ministry of God's word : and, we are to
you, either a savour of life unto life, or of
death unto death. If our gospel be hid, it is
hid to them that are Lost.

> M* , - , <y

FINIS.

London : Printed hy Luke Hansard & Sori#
neat Lincolu's-lnn Fields.