"est of them; for they shall be all taught " of God."

Indeed a Christian, though placed in a humble station, though denied the benefit of a liberal education, yet if learned in the Scriptures alone, knows more of God and of the great truths of religion, than the most enlightened Heathen could ever attain. "No man hath seen God at any "time; the only begotten, who was in "the bosom of the Father, he hath reveal"ed him." This is the great Prophet whom God was to raise up, like unto Moses, and to whom we are commanded to hearken. He came to proclaim the divine mercy, to reveal the counsels of the Everlasting, and clearly to point out the path that leads to perfection and happiness for ever. He hath brought the message of peace and reconciliation to a guilty world; and the doctrines which he hath delivered are heavenly and spiritual, every way calculated for enlightening the understanding and purifying the heart, and therefore are to be received by us with faith and love, reverence and thanksgiving. How acceptable must they indeed be to those who, conscious of guilt

and of their inability to regain the divine favour, ardently desire the forgiveness of their sins, and peace with an offended God? He hath commanded and authorised his servants to declare in his name, that God is in Christ" reconciling a guil"ty world unto himself, not imputing "unto men their trespasses ;" and that "whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but shall have everlasting life;" nay, that he is the Author of complete and everlasting salvation to all who believe in his name and obey his word.

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How perfect, O sinner, must that salvation be which he hath published, when it contains thy own deliverance from a state of deplorable darkness, wretchedness and guilt, from the condemnation and dominion of sin, from death and the grave, and from the power of thy spiritual foes? It is a salvation which restores thee to the forfeited favour of God, which renews the divine image in thy soul, which bestows on thee the privileges of a child of heaven, and raises thee to the hope and to the possession of life everlasting. Such is the value and perfection of that salvation which Jesus came

heaven, to hear and to receive Christ as your Prophet, Priest, and King, yet his authority is not less powerful than at any former period. His command, delivered in his word, is as binding on your consciences at this day, as it was upon those of the chosen disciples to whom it was immediately addressed: it is as obligatory, as if, with your own eyes, you saw his glorious Majesty shining through the cloud on the mount of transfiguration it enforces your obedience as implicitly, as if, with your ears, you now heard the voice of the Almighty Father calling upon you aloud, to hear and obey his well-beloved Son.

Although you are deprived of Christ's bodily presence, yet the eye of faith can carry you back to the glorious display of his Divinity on the Holy Mount, and forward into the highest heavens, and there behold a once crucified Saviour, now enthroned in glorious majesty, at God's right hand, where he still acts as Head of his Church, and where he shall continue to reign, till all his enemies are made his footstool.

Although you cannot hear his hea

venly discourses delivered from his own mouth, yet to your comfort, Christians, you have access to read his word, which contains every thing necessary for you to know, to believe, and to practise, in order to salvation, which in his kind providence is transmitted pure and entire to this remote age and country, and which, if you peruse it with diligence and care, is, by the blessing of his Spirit, no less efficacious for salvation, than if its contents had been by the Lord Jesus uttered in your hearing.

Although the great Prophet of the Church is gone to heaven, yet, in goodness and love to your souls, he hath established a succession of men, whom he hath appointed and authorised to expound his word, and to dispense his ordinances to his people; and to whom he hath promised, that he will be with them to the end of the world, by his Spirit, to render their ministration effectual for your spiritual edification and comfort. And, therefore, by this command of God, given in the text, you are bound to hearken to their words, as to the words of Christ, so long as by the

SERMON VI.

JESUS THE AUTHOR AND FINISHER OF FAITH.

HEBREWS XII. 2.

-Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

GLORIOUS things are spoken in Scripture concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the grand subject of the sacred volume, both in the Old and in the New Testament, the centre where all the rays of divine revelation meet, and from which they receive their brightest lustre. Numberless, indeed, and truly magnificent, are the titles with which he is there adorned. He is "the eternal and only begot"ten Son of God; the brightness of the "Father's glory, and the express image "of his person." "Unto us a child is “born, unto us a son is given, and the