from his conception to his refurrection; and they were of various kinds, poverty, wearinefs and labour, hunger and thirft, contempt and reproach, buffetting, fcourging and a thorny crown. But there are two words, which by a fynecdoche are often used in scripture to fignify all his fufferings of every kind, from firft to laft; viz. his blood and his crofs. And the reason is, the fhedding of his blood, and the death of the crofs, were the worst kind and higheft degree of his fufferings. In his crucifixion all his other fufferings were united and centered: this was a complete fummary and confummation of them all; and therefore, they are frequently included under this. In this latitude I fhall ufe the word in this difcourfe; which I hope you will take notice of, that no part of the meaning may escape you. Our inquiry fhall be, What are the reasons that the preaching of Chrift crucified is, above all others, the beft, and the only effectual mean for the falvation of finners ? Thefe reafons may be reduced under two general heads; namely, That through the crucifixion of Chrift, and through that only, a way is really opened for the falvation of finners; and that the preaching of Chrift crucified makes fuch a difcovery of things, as has the most direct tendency to bring them to repentance, and produce in them that temper which is neceffary to falvation. Or, in other words, in this way falvation is provided, and finners are made fit to enjoy it; both which are abfolutely neceffary. Our world is deeply and univerfally funk in fin. Men have caft contempt upon the divine government, broken the divine law, and fo incurred its penalty ; they have forfeited the favour of God, and rendered themselves liable to his difpleasure. Had mankind continued innocent, there would have been no difficulty in their cafe. It would be very plain what would be fit for the divine government to do with dutiful fubjects. But, alas! rebellion against God has made its entrance like the Greeks, through an affectation of florid harangues, moral difcourfes, and a parade of learning and philofophy, nauseate this fort of preaching, and count it foolishnefs. It is therefore high time for the minifters of the gofpel to ftand up as advocates for the cross, and with a pious obftinacy to adhere to this fubject, whatever contempt and ridicule it may expose them to. For my part, I know not what I have to do, as a minister of the gofpel, but to preach Christ crucified. I would make him the fubftance, the center, the end of all my ministrations. And if we, or an angel from heaven, preach unto you any other gospelyou know his doom-let him be accurfed. Gal. i. 9. We are to confider the apostles as fent out into the world to reform and fave the corrupt and perifhing fons of men, and the preaching of Chrift crucified as the mean they ufed for this important end. This is the formal view the apoftle had of preaching Chrift in this place, viz. as a mean found out by the wifdom of God to fave them that believe, after that all the wifdom of the world had tried in vain to find out a method for this end. This is evident from ver. 21. After that the world by all its wisdom knew not God, it pleafed God, by the foolishness of preaching; that is, by the preaching a crucified Saviour, which the world counts foolishness, to fave them that believe. This is the excellency of this preaching, this is the reafon why the apoftle could not be prevailed upon by any motive to defert it, that it is the only mean of falvation and it is in this view I now intend to confider it. And if your everlasting falvation be of any importance to you, certainly this fubject demands your moft ferious attention. I have been the longer in explaining the context, because it is so closely connected with the fubje&t I have in view, and reflects light upon it. And I fhall only add, that preaching Chrift crucified is the fame thing as preaching falvation through the fufferings of Chrift. His fufferings were of long continuance, even from in arms into our world; and all its inhabitants are up against Heaven. This has thrown all into confufion, and rendered it a perplexing cafe what to do with them. In one view, indeed, the cafe is plain, viz. that proper punishments should be executed upon them. This would appear evidently just to the whole universe, and no objection could be made againft it, though the criminals themselves, who are parties, and therefore not fit judges, might murmur against it as unmerciful and fevere. But the difficulty is, how fuch rebels may not only be delivered from the punishments they deserve, but made happy for ever? If they cannot be faved in a way that displays the perfections of God, and does honour to his government; a way in which fin will meet with no encouragement, but, on the other hand, an effectual warning will be given against it; a way in which depraved creatures may be fanctified, and made fit for the pure blifs of heaven; I fay, if they cannot be faved in such a way as this, they cannot be faved at all their falvation is quite impoffible; for each of these particulars is of fuch importance, that it cannot be dispensed with. God is the best and most glorious Being in himself; and it is fit he should do juftice to his own perfections, and exhibit them in the most Godlike and glorious manner to his creatures; to do otherwise would be to wrong himself, to obfcure the brighteft glory, and dishonour the higheft excellency. This therefore cannot be done: men and angels must be happy, in a way confiftent with his glory, otherwise they muft perish; for the difplay of his glory is a greater good, and a matter of more importance than the happiness of the whole creation. God is alfo the moral Governor of the world. And his government over our world is a government over a country of rebels and that is a tender point, and requires a judicious management. An error in government in fuch a cafe may have the most fatal confequences, both as to the ruler and his fubjects, in all parts of his diminions. A private perfon may may, if he pleases, give up his rights, may pardon offenders, and conceal his juftice, and other qualities. for government; but a ruler is not at liberty in this cafe. He muft maintain his character, make known his capacity for government, and fupport the dignity of the law: otherwife, all might rush into confufion and lawless violence. If the ruler of a fmall kingdom on our little globe should fail to discover his justice; if he should pardon criminals, and admit them into favour, and into pofts of honour and profit, without giving proper expreffions of his difpleafure against their conduct, and a striking warning against all difobedience, how fatal would be the confequences? how foon would fuch a ruler fall into contempt, and his government be unhinged! And how foon would his kingdom become a fcene of confufion and violence! Criminals might like fuch an adminiftration: but, I appeal to yourselves, would you choose to live under it? Now, how much more terrible and extensively mischievous would be the confequences, if the univerfal Ruler of men and angels, and of more worlds than we have heard the fame of, fhould exercise fuch a government over our rebellious world? It would be reproachful to himfelf; and it would be moft injurious to his fubjects: in fhort, it might throw heaven and earth, and unknown regions of the universe, into coufufion. He must therefore difplay his own rectoral virtues; he must maintain the honour of his government, he muft fhew his difpleasure against difobedience, and deter his fubjects from it; I fay, he muft do these things in faving the finners of Adam's race, or he cannot fave them at all. Should he fave them upon other terms, it would reflect dishonour upon himself and administration; and it would be injurious to the good of the whole, which is always the end of a wife ruler; for the favour thus injudicioufly + Pardoning fin, receiving into favour, and bestowing happiness, are not to be confidered in this cafe as private favours; but they are acts of government. |