SERM

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THIS will be the laft folemn Act of the Son of God in the Quality of Meffiah;---his Mediation being now brought to its final Iffue, it will of Course expire; Christ's Kingdom, as it ftands diftinguished from the univerfal abfolute Government of the Deity over all his Creatures, will be delivered up; and God be all in all, henceforth even for evermore!

THESE, which I have here thrown together, are some of the many great Truths concerning Jefus Chrift; to the Knowledge whereof I have judged it not improper to ftir up your pure Minds by Way of Remembrance: Butfo far from fully explaining, that I have only touched very briefly upon them; nor have I fo much aimed at leaving with you a perfect Measure of Chriftian Instruction, as at exciting in you, by this fummary View, a noble Ardour of fearching more diligently into the lively Oracles of God, and prevailing on you to give Attendance to Reading, to Exhortation, to Doctrine.

BE perfuaded, that the Holy Scriptures piously studied, and foberly interpreted, are the only certain and moft ineftimable Funds

of

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of religious Knowledge. What is derived SERM.' from any other Fountain, or from that imprudently or defignedly corrupted, is no better than Ignorance: It deferyes no Commendation, when it is either not rightly. grounded, or not duly tempered: And to affect a Wifdom above or befides what is: written, is a Conduct, in God's Account, favouring of the most flagrant Folly: Much lefs would I recommend, as of any Value, what is even worse than Ignorance and Folly; I: mean fuch an Understanding of the Things! of our Lord, however well regulated, which ferves but for Amusement, and refts in empty Speculation. Practice is the Life of Knowledge; and in vain does Truth irradiate the Mind, if it does not fhine forth in the outward Action. It is this, which the Apostle speaks of, and accounts fo very excellent ;----it is this, which finks deep into the Heart, as well as the Head, moves the Affections, and prompts us to live in all Refpects according to what we believe and know :---It is this, which experimentally teaches us, that Chrift affumed our human Nature, by our partaking of his divine; that he died for our Sins by our living unto Righteousness ;---that he is exalted above all Things in Heaven by our preferring him before all Things on Earth. THEY,

SERM.

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THEY who have acquired fuch a Knowledge of Chrift, will not need many Arguments to convince them of the Excellency of it; and even they, who have not experienced it in their Minds, may yet perhaps be convinced too by God's Grace on their Attention, to what I have further to offer.

THE Excellency of this Knowledge then may appear in a good Measure from the Height and Sublimity of the Objects, upon which it is exercifed. For whereas all our other Studies and Applications lie low, and are perplexed and entangled among the Creatures, this foars aloft upon the Creator and those divine Perfections of his, which he manifested in the Redemption of Mankind according to the Gofpel. By knowing Jefus Chrift we become acquainted with the Son of God, by whom all Things were made and without whom there was not any Thing made that was made (q), and by knowing the Son, we are brought to entertain right Notions of the Father alfo ; fince No Man knoweth who the Father is, but the Son, and be, to whom the Son will reveal him (r). By this Knowledge of Jefus Christ we learn, how

(9) St. John i. 3.

(r) St. Luke x. 22,

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how Grace and Truth came into the World, SERM. and how the great Parent of the Universe comes to be more propitious to fallen Man, than to the fallen Angels, though both his Creatures: Chrift never took on him the Nature of Angels (s),---he never died for them; because, it may be, they offended more. wilfully and maliciously, consequently, there being no Propitiation made for their Of fences, no Place of Repentance allowed to them, they are referved in everlafting Chains under Darkness, unto the Judgment of the great Day (t). But Man, being first beguiled by the Tempter, the Head of the Apoftacy from God, was treated by his Maker as an Object of his Pity, rather than of his Vengeance.---From the fame Fountain of revealed Truth we likewife derive the most comfortable Discovery, that all the Loffes, we fuftained in the first Adam, are more than repaired in Christ, the fecond :---We perceive, how that, as by one Man's Difobedience many were made Sinners, fo by the Odedience of One many are made Righteous (u).---We learn, how the good Works, which we fincerely perform, come to be acceptable to Heaven, notwithstanding their manifold Imperfections,

(s) Heb. ii. 16. (u) Rom. v. 19.

D

(1) St. Jade, 6,

SERM. perfections, and how two Parties, at fuch an I. infinite Distance as God and Man, are, in a

Way quite agreeable to the Nature of both, reftored to perfect Peace and Amity with each other.

AND though this be fo high and wonderful, it is ftill the most certain Knowledge we can poffibly attain to. In all other Cafes we have little better than Conjecture to build upon. For muft we not depend on either rational Deduction, or fenfible Information, or mere human Teftimony? But as for our Reason, is it not often apt to conclude Wrong? Are not our Senfes liable to deceive us? And are not Men not only fallible, but fallacious? They frequently add to their Ignorance Fraud, and impofe on one another fometimes inadvertently, yet oftner defignedly.

WHEREAS the Knowledge we have of Chrift, is afcertained to us from the infallible Declaration of God himself; who, by his Prophets and Apoftles, vefted with full Powers for Proof of their Commiflion, has revealed whatever is neceffary for us to be informed of concerning his Nature, his Offices, and his Relation to us: And fooner

fhall