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SERM. Abhorrence of their Guilt, he determined to VIII. admit no meaner Perfon for their Substitute

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to fuffer in their Place and Stead, than his only beloved Son, in whom he was well pleafed The infinite Value of whofe Sufferings plainly difcovers the Value of thofe, for whom he fuffered; and in this was manifefted the Love of God towards us, because that God fent his only begotten Son into the World, that we might live through him,-be sent him to be the Propitiation for our Sins (a), and to be made Sin (i. e. a SinOffering) for us, that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him (b). To the Praife of the Glory of his Grace, wherein he bath accepted us in the Beloved, in whom we have Redemption through his Blood, the Forgiveness of Sins, according to the Riches of bis Grace (c), and Christ being delivered by the determinate Counfel and Fore-knowledge of God was by wicked Hands crucified and flain (d) for the Expiation of our Offences: Whereupon God was graciously pleased to receive his fallen Creatures again into his Favour, promifing to crown them with Rewards far beyond their Deferts, if they returned from their evil Ways, and put off concerning the former

(a) 1 St. John iv. 9, 10.
(c) Ephef. i. 6, 7.

(b) 2 Cor. v. 21.
(d) Acts ii. 23.

former Conversation the old Man, which is SERM. corrupt according to the deceitful Lufts; or VIII. otherwife, if they perfifted in their rebellious Impenitence, treafuring up Wrath against the Day of Wrath, to inflict on them the Punishments, they fhould juftly deferve. Agreeably to what he has revealed unto us by his Apostle (e), that he will render to them, who by patient Continuance in well doing feek for Glory, Honour, and Immortality, eternal Life; but to them that are contentious and do not obey the Truth, but obey Unrightioufnefs, Indignation and Wrath, Tribulation and Anguifh upon every Soul of Man, that doth Evil, of the few first, and also of the Gentile.

THIS is the Plan of that Deliverance, which for the Benefit of the Souls of Men the Divine Wisdom contrived before the Fall, and Mercy executed after it; and by this the Father of Spirits moft evidently expreffed the great Regard he had for them.

NOR have we lefs remarkable Proof of the exceeding high Value, which God the Son our Saviour fat on them, if we may' judge thereof by the Price he paid for them.

(e) Rom. ii. 7, &c,

IT

SERM.

VIII.

It is manifeft, that he had no contemptible Opinion of the Worth of Souls, in that for their Sakes he willingly undertook to bear the chief Part in the Father's most ftupendous Scheme, calculated not lefs for their Good, than his Glory.

To fave Mens precious Souls, he thought it worth his while to be made lower than the Angels,---to come down from Heaven, from the Bofom of infinite Blifs, and to partake of Flesh and Blood, though he was in the Form of God, and in Nature and Effence equal with God; yet for their Improvement and Deliverance he condefcended to make bimfelf of no Reputation, and to take upon him the Form of a Servant (f), to live a poor miferable Life, and to die a painful, lingering and accurfed Death. Thus Chrift bath once fuffered for Sins, the Just for the Unjust, that he might

bring us to God (g).

He was free, as Ifaiah had of old prophefied concerning him, to be defpifed and rejected of Men, to become a Man of Sorrows and acquainted with Grief, that we with his Stripes might be healed (b),---and as it has

(f) Phil. ii. 6, 7.
6) Ifai. liii. 3, 5-

(g) St. Pet. iii. 18.

has been fince preached unto us in the SERM. VIII. Gofpel, that We were not redeemed with cor ruptible Things, as Silver and Gold, but with the precious Blood of Christ, as of à Lamb without Blemish and without Spot, who was fore ordained before the Foundation of the World, but was manifested in these laft Times (i).

AND can we think, that the Son of God would have paid down fo vast a Price, as his very Life and Blood for mean and worthlefs Things? He could not have fo low an Efteem of his own divine Glory, as to diveft himself of it for Trifles: He could not have, so flight an Apprehenfion of Shame and Distress, Pain and Mifery, as to thruft himself into a State of fuch Suffering for Beings of little Value. Nothing, but what is ineftimable, could over-balance the Blifs, he parted with, and the Anguish he underwent. How then can we imagine those Souls to be of fmall Account, which the Son, one in Majefty and Divinity with the Father, thought worth the dying for? He, who is infinitely wife and knowing, cannot be miftaken in the Value of Things, nor by any Fallacy be induced to make lefs than the moft confiderable Purchafe at fo exceffive a Rate.

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SERM.
VIII.

We may still further be convinced of the high Importance of our Souls from the fingular Refpect and Concern, which the Holy Ghoft has alfo fhewed for them.

It is for their Sakes, that he has fo induftriously operated in the Kingdom of our Saviour,---that he has taken fo much Pains to make the Subjects thereof happy. It is upon their Account, that he has made so many Revelations of God's Will to Mankind, and confirmed them by mighty Signs and Wonders,---that he has ufed fuch astonishing Methods to make the Kingdoms of the World become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Chrift, in order to extricate the bewildered Souls of Men out of those Mazes of Error, in which they had involved and loft themselves. And it is for their Benefit, that he still continues to fhed forth his heavenly Influences upon them,---that he still infpires them with pious Thoughts, and importunes them with urgent Motives, from a View of quickening them if poffible, to a Senfe of their Danger, of opening their Eyes, that they fleep not in Death. So zealously and affectionately is the bleffed Spirit concerned for the Welfare of Men's Souls, that

he

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