SERM.

I.

WHAT Sentiments then it behoves us to entertain of our Bleffed Lord in this Respect are, that he voluntarily, and of his own Accord gave up the Ghost upon the Cross, and died in that Nature, which was capable of dying, offering it up, as a Sacrifice instead of all, who are of that Nature. Even human Reason can discover, if the Divine had not thought fit to make it an Article of Revelation, that, as Chrift Jefus the eternal Son of God was holy and innocent in the most perfect Senfe, he could not be obnoxious to Mifery and Suffering, but by his own Act and Choice; because the Demerit of enduring natural Evil fprings origi-. nally from the Guilt of doing moral Evil. It was a juft Obfervation of the Pfalmift, that the Rod of the Ungodly cometh not into the Lot of the Righteous (c), and therefore, fays Chrift, doth my Father love me, because I lay down my Life, that I might take it again; no Man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself (d).

AND as he had fuch Power, fo the Ufe, he made of it, was for our Salvation: Quite unconcerned about his own Eafe, he gladly yielded

(c) Pf. cxxv. 3. (d) St. John x. 17, 18.

yielded to the Tortures of the Cross for the SERM. Joy, that was fet before him; the Joy! I. which nothing less than boundless Goodness could relish, of refcuing Multitudes of otherwife loft Souls from endless Perdition. His Love, as immenfe as his Nature, induced him freely to lay down his Life for the Redemption of Mankind, and to spill his moft precious Blood, as an Atonement for a whole World of Sinners. Nor did the Effect fall fhort of his gracious Intentions; for his fingle Death was equal to the Death of all Men, or rather of inconceivably greater Value and Merit; and if the whole Race of Mankind had been left to perifh everlastingly, their Destruction could have been no more, than that of fo many humane, finite Creatures, whereas Chrift's was the Diffolution of a Person truly Divine, of whom it may with great ftrictnefs of Expreffion be affirmed, that his Enemies crucified the Lord of Glory, God manifeft in the Flefb.

THE Deity, it must be ever acknowledged, was impaffible in him: However being fo ftrictly united to his Humanity, as to conftitute but one Perfon, it added an unfpeakable Value to the Sufferings, he chofe to ungergo: Thofe Pains of Death from his inherent

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SERM inherent Dignity, and their own Intenseness

I.

became infinite in Degree, tho' fhort in Duration, and proved an ample Commutation for that eternity of Torments, to which Sinners had exposed themselves.

HENCE we are brought to know and understand, how to Wretches juftly abandoned to the Gloominefs of Defpair, there arises the glorious Sun-fhine of Hope; ---- how an exorbitant Load of Guilt, which the Contractors would to endless Ages have in vain laboured to throw off, comes to be discharged at once by their Security; ---- how God's deepest Hatred of Sin, and his overflowing Compaffion towards Sinners are made confiftent,----and how the most heinous Tranfgreffions of the Law are forgiven without derogating from the Legiflator's Authority.

BUT remove this chief Corner-ftone, and what a weak tottering Building must we raise on Suppofition, that there was no Sacrifice, or an incompetent one made for Sin! all is dark, and confufed in any Scheme of Religion, we can frame,-----the Divine Attributes clash with one another,+--Wickednefs is rather encouraged than fuppreffed,--the Reftraint of God's fovereign Power

instead

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instead of being established, is weakened: And whoever fees not the Neceffity, as well as the Bleffing of an infinite Saviour, muft be reduced to the Dilemma of allowing, either that God is angry with his offending Creatures without Caufe, or is reconciled to them without Reafon.

SERM.

WE fhould therefore moft firmly be perfuaded, that---as nothing fhort of fuch an ineftimable Sacrifice, as the Death of Chrift, could have compleated Man's Redemption, fo neither could God's utter Abhorrence of all moral Turpitude be otherwise fhewn, nor a fufficient Guard placed to the Authority of his providential Government,---paft Tranfgreffions would not be atoned for, nor future prevented. Had he forgiven Offenders without inflicting any Punishment for their Offences, what must have been the Event? Why, Iniquity would have been eftablished, as it were, by a Law, and God's fupreme Jurifdiction expofed to the Contempt of every bold and infolent Invader. Or had he demanded fome Satisfaction for the daring Provocations, which were offered to him the lefs he had been content with, the lefs Weight would have been fecured to his Laws by it. To have admitted a small Atonement

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I.

SERM. Atonement for the greatest Offence must I. have proved almoft, as deftructive to his Authority, as to have exacted none at all; the punishing flightly for high Crimes being in a manner as pernicious to Government, as total Impunity. In order then for the Almighty to answer the Ends of his governing Juftice over his fallen Creatures, we muft confefs it to be quite neceffary, that he should not only require a Punishment for their wilful Difobedience, but also fuch a one as was proportionable to the heinous Aggravations of it.

AND fuch was the Death of our Bleffed Saviour Jefus Chrift; in whom the most intimate Union of the Divine and human Natures both enabled him to fuffer, and rendered his Paffion a compleat Sin-Offering; it enhanfed his temporary Sufferings into a full Equivalent for thofe endlefs Miferies, which we had deferved.

NAY, what is much more, it must from the Event be admitted, that his Atonement was fo inconceivably valuable, as not only to countervail the Punishment due to our Sins, but even abundantly to over balance it: Since it has certainly merited for us God's