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ceptance with GOD. The language of GoD on this subject is, Him that cometh unto me, that is, in this manner, will I in no wise cast out. The sole concern of every sinner ought, therefore, to be the attainment of this evangelical character; the very thing, which is intended by coming to God; and not curious inquiries, nor anxious doubts, concerning a point, so easily settled in this manner, and so clearly decided by the Scriptures.

4thly. The salvation of the Church is here shown to be an object of inestimable greatness and importance.

It has, I trust, been proved, that this event was a primary part of the providential system of God towards mankind, and the subject of a solemn covenant between the Father and the Son in the ages of Eternity. For the accomplishment of it, as one primary object, this world was created; and a mysterious and most wonderful system of Providence carried into execution. For the accomplishment of it the Son of God condescended to be born, to lead a life of humiliation and suffering, to die on the cross, and to be buried in the tomb. For the accomplishment of it he rose again from the dead on the third day; ascended into Heaven; sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; and makes an unceasing and effectual intercession. For the same end the Spirit of Truth came into the world on a divine and benevolent mission; and here renews and purifies the souls of men, and conducts them to the heavenly world. For the same end the world itself will be consumed with fire; the visible heavens pass away with a great noise; they that are in the graves hear the voice of the Son of God, and come forth; the judgment be set; angels and men be tried, and sentenced to their respective rewards; new heavens and a new earth be created, wherein righteousness shall dwell for ever: while, at the same time, the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs, and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Each of these things declares in a forcible manner the importance of this mighty object in the sight of God. In his providence the Means are never greater, more numerous, or more splendid, than the nature of the End will amply justify. The means, which I have recited, are the most magnificent and awful events, of which we have any knowledge. The greatness of the end is proportional. Accordingly, St. Paul in a most sublime exhibition of this subject, in the eighth chapter of the Epistle to the Romans, declares, that the earnest expectation of the Creature (in the Greek, Creation) waiteth for the manifestation of the Sons of God: and that the whole Creation groaneth, and travaileth together in pain, with this divine and most wonderful birth.

If, then, the salvation of the Church holds this high place in the divine estimation; it ought unquestionably to hold the same place in ours. By each of us it ought to be regarded as an event of incomprehensible magnitude, of transcendent glory, and of an im

portance, sufficient to reward, with propriety, the labours and sufferings of the Son of God.

Of proportional importance is the salvation of each of the Individuals, of which this assembly of the righteous is composed. Lord Shaftesbury has decided, that no conduct, in which future good to one's self is the motive of action, can be virtuous. Proofs of the soundness of this decision his Lordship has not however furnished, and plainly was not able to furnish: for it is a decision, contradicting alike the voice of common sense, and the voice of GOD. GOD by commanding us to flee from the wrath to come, and to lay hold on eternal life, has assured us of the rectitude of this conduct. In the observations, contained in this discourse, we have seen ample reason for this command; and ample proof of the rectitude of the conduct, which it requires. If the salvation of the Church was so great and glorious a thing in the sight of God; the salvation of each individual, which it contains, is proportionally important a thing in itself great and good; incomprehensibly great and good; deserving our supreme attention, most anxious labours, and most fervent prayers. The attainment of it, in every instance, is pleasing to our Creator; makes man lovely in his sight; and diffuses a peculiar joy over that happy world, where all the virtuous are assembled together. Let every one of us, therefore, with all humility of mind, with strong crying, and many tears, begin, and carry on, this prime business of life, unseduced by sophistry, unwarped by temptation, unbroken by discouragement; and by a patient continuance in all well-doing, seek so faithfully for glory, honour, and immortality, as to obtain in the end everlasting life.

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LUKE XXIV. 19.—And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet, mighty in deed and word, before God, and all the people.

IN the preceding discourse I considered, at some length, the Covenant of Redemption. In the terms of this covenant, I observed, was contained the substance of Christ's employment, as the Mediator between God and man, and the reward, which He was to receive in this character. By the substance of his employment, I intend the things, which he did, and suffered, alike, while in the execution of the Mediatorial office. These things naturally follow the covenant of Redemption, in a system of Theology, and therefore, naturally demand our next examination.

In the Scriptures, Christ is frequently spoken of, as the Prophet, Priest, and King, of mankind. This distribution of his Mediatorial character into three great and distinguishing parts is, undoubtedly, the most proper, which can be made; and is amply authorized by the Spirit of God: it will, therefore, be followed in these discourses.

The first, and at the same time the most remarkable, designation of the Redeemer, as a Prophet, is found in the 18th chapter of Deuteronomy. In the 15th verse, Moses says to the Israelites: The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me ; unto him ye shall hearken. This promise, we learn from the verses immediately following, was given to the Israelites, in answer to their petition, at the foot of Mount Horeb: Let us not hear again the voice of the Lord, our God; neither let us see this great fire any more; that we die not. In answer to this petition, the Lord said unto Moses: They have well spoken that which they have spoken. I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee; and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words, which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.

In this very remarkable prediction we are taught,

1st. That a Prophet should, at some subsequent period, be raised up, in the Jewish Church; and of that nation; who should be like unto Moses; that is, one who, like Moses, introduced a new dispensation, to stand in the place of the Mosaic; as that, at the time of this prophecy, was introduced into the place of the Patriarchal Dispensation. In the last chapter of Deuteronomy written, not improbably, by several hands, and closed, perhaps, by Ezra, it is

said: There arose not a Prophet since in Israel, like unto Mosès. If this was really written by Ezra, it is a direct testimony, that the Prophet, marked out in this prediction, did not arise until after the captivity. In John i. 19-21, we are informed, that the Jews, to wit, the Sanhedrim, to whom belonged the right of inquiring into the authority and commissions of Prophets, sent a solemn delegation to John the Baptist, to demand of him an account of his character. They first asked him, particularly, Art thou Elias? and, upon his answering in the negative, asked him again, Art thou that Prophet?-o goonsns: THE Prophet by way of eminence. In John vi. 14, the five thousand Jews, whom Christ fed with five loaves and two fishes, under the strong impression of that wonderful miracle said concerning Christ, This is of a truth that Prophet, that should come into the world. In John vii. 40, we are told, that the multitude of the Jews in the temple, after hearing the discourses of Christ, recorded in this chapter, said, Of a truth, this is THE Prophet.

The first of these passages assures us, that in the judgment of the Sanhedrim, the Prophet, foretold by Moses, who was to be like unto him, had not arisen, when John the Baptist began to preach: and the two last assure us of the same fact, according to the judgment of the People at large. Of course, it is fairly presumed to have been the belief of every preceding age. The two last passages also teach us, that Christ appeared in a character so like that of the expected Prophet, as to be repeatedly acknowledged in this character by the Jewish people.

2dly. This Prophet was to appear with a divine commission, as an inspired teacher from GOD. I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I command him.

3dly. His appearance was to be such, as not to alarm, or terrify, the People of the Jews.

This is evident from the fact, that he was promised in answer to a petition of that people, in which they requested, that they might no more hear the awful voice of God, nor see the fire, by which Mount Sinai was surrounded. GOD, approving of the request, answers, that he will raise them up a Prophet from the midst of them; One, who should be of their brethren; One, of course, who was to be like themselves; a man, conversing with them, as friend with friend, who should not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the streets ;* but who should be anointed by the Spirit of the Lord to preach good tidings to the meek; and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,t with the still, small voice of wisdom, truth, and righteousness.

.*

From these things it is evident, that no other prophet sustained all these characteristics, but Christ; even his enemies themselves being the judges. That Christ sustained them all is unanswerably

"Isaiah xlii. 2

+ Isaiah Ixi. 1, 2.

certain; particularly, that he wrought mighty signs, and wonders, and that he was known of God face to face. St. Peter in his sermon to the Jews, Acts iii. has, by directly applying this prophecy to Christ, assured us, that he was the prophet intended; and, therefore, precluded the necessity of any further inquiry.

In the text, the same character is attributed to him by Cleophas: as he himself decisively informs us, by adding in a following verse, We trusted, that it had been he, who should have redeemed Israel. At the same time, the text furnishes us with a summary account of the manner, in which the Redeemer discharged his prophetical office, by declaring, that he was a prophet mighty in deed and word, before God and all the people. To discuss this subject, is the design of the following discourse.

Prophecy may naturally be divided into two parts: The communication of the will of God to mankind, concerning their duty and salvation; and the prediction of future events.

The power, by which both these were done, was no other than Inspiration for Man is as unable to divine the will of God, as to foresee future events. Both these parts of the prophetical character, Christ sustained in the most perfect degree: But the revelation of the will of God to mankind, the original, and far the most important, part of the business of a Prophet, and that which is alike pointed out in the text, and in the prediction of Moses, is the characteristic of the Redeemer, especially intended to be, at this time, the subject of consideration.

In Newton's dissertations on the prophecies may be found an ample illustration of the nature, and extent, of Christ's predictions. The prophetical Instruction, or preaching, of Christ, is in the Scriptures distributed into that, which he communicated in his own person: and that, which he communicated by his Apostles. The former of these shall be first considered.

In an examination of the Personal Preaching of Christ, the following things demand our attention:

1. The Necessity of his executing the office of a preacher. II. The things which he taught.

III. The Manner, in which he taught: and,

IV. The Consequence of his Preaching.

I. I shall consider the necessity of Christ's assuming the office of a Preacher.

It is obvious to every man, that Christ might have appeared in the world in the humble character, in which he actually appeared; have wrought the miracles, recorded of him; suffered the death of the cross; and generally, have done every thing recorded of him, either as an act or a suffering; and then, instead of teaching mankind the way of life and salvation with his own mouth, might have taught it to his Apostles by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, and commissioned them to publish it to mankind.

This course, however, he did not pursue. On the contrary,

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