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SERM. fages in the Old must be neceffarily received II. as the only certain Interpretaion of them.

2

WHAT was promised to Adam, to Abrabam, to David, to the People of Ifrael, and to all Mankind in general, we see all fulfilled in him, on whom we have believed, and to whom all the antient descriptive Marks of the Meffiah do manifeftly agree in fo compleat a Manner, that, all Circumftances being confidered, it is impoffible there fhould be any fuch, if our Lord be not the Person. What was typified by Mofes, has been verified in Christ; and he is properly the End of all God's Engagements to the Jews, and the Sum of all their Hopes to the Gentiles. The offering up of the Son of Abraham in Intention prefigured the Sacrifice of the Son of the Highest in Reality. He was the Lamb of God, which taketh away the Sins of the World (u), and the Paffover facrificed for us (x). All the Predictions of the Prophets relating to the Sufferings of their Meffiah, are collected and brought to a Point in our Saviour: And as it was declared and recorded, many hundreds of Years before it happened, that he fhould be cut off out of the Land of the Living

(u) St. John i. 29.

(x) 1 Cor. v. 7.

Living (y), but not for himself (z), and SERM. that his Soul fhould be made an Offering for II. Sin (a). So is it confirmed by the Apostles and Evangelifts, that he appropriated to himself the Title of the good Shepherd, that layeth down his Life for his Sheep (b)-----that God hath not appointed us to Wrath, but to obtain Salvation by our Lord Jefus Chrift, who died for us (c). In whom we have Redemption through his Blood, the Forgiveness of our Sins, according to the Riches of his Grace (d). And that by his Stripes we are healed (e). The Refult then is, as St. Peter reprefents it, that thofe Things which God before bad fhewed by the Mouth of all bis Prophets, that Chrift should fuffer, be bath fo fulfilled (f).

THESE few Paffages may fuffice (to enumerate all to this Effect, one must tranfcribe a very confiderable Part of the New Testament) to prove the Truth of Christ's dying

Man's Behalf, and being punished in their Stead, in order to free the Tranfgreffors from Punishment. And if our Saviour has by the Sacrifice of himself made Reconciliation

(y) Ifai. liii. 8.
(a) Ifai. liii. 6, 10.
(c) 1 Theff. v. 9, 10.
(e) 1 St. Pet. ii. 24.

(z) Dan. ix. 26.

(b) St. John x. 15.
(d) Ephef. i. 7.
(f) Acts iii. 18.

SERM. ciliation for us,---has ranfomed us from Sin, II. and fatisfied God's Juftice, which we had by

our Offences most heinously provoked, the Neceffity of this Undertaking may be infallibly concluded; fince an infinitely-wife Being can do nothing in vain: Nor is it poffible to imagine, that God fhould prepare the bitterest Draught for his own moft dearly beloved Son, if our Cure could have been wrought, and our Deliverance, effected by any other flighter Means. It becomes us therefore to embrace it as a faithful Saying, and worthy of all Acceptation, that Chrift Jefus came into the World to fave Sinners (g); who, unless he had died meritoriously, must all have died eternally. We fhould every one of us have found too much Room to bewail our deplorable State in the Language of the Pfalmift, mine Iniquities are gone over my Head, as an heavy Burden they are too beavy for me (b). But now we, who are in Chrift Jefus, fee into the intire Sense of that Exhortation, Let Ifrael hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is Mercy, and with him is plenteous Redemption (i). We discern, by what Method Veffels of Wrath are converted into Objects of Love, viz. by the Propitiation,

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Propitiation, which has been made for them, SERM. and not by their own Work or Power: II. For, when we were yet without Strength, in due Time Chrift died for the Ungodly (k). And thus it behoved him to fuffer (1), otherwife we had been undone for ever.

AND as the Satisfaction of Christ appears from the Account given of it in the Holy Scriptures to have been neceffary, fo must we look on it also, as fufficient.

WE cannot throw a greater Reflection on the Deity, than to charge him with forming any Scheme, which will not answer up to the Purpose, it was calculated for. It is for weak fhort-fighted Mortals to be baulked in their Views, and to project, what they can never execute. But the All-knowing cannot be mistaken, nor the All-powerful be difappointed.

THIS general Remark, founded on the natural Senfe, we have of God, and his abfolute Perfections, is of itself enough to eftablifh the Sufficiency of Chrift's Satisfaction. Though we may very much encrease its Weight by throwing in the Confideration

both

(4) Rom. v. 6.

(1) St. Luke xxiv. 46.

II.

SERM. both of the Ranfom, and of the Person, who paid it. Be the Price laid upon our Heads never fo high, our Deliverer is ftill able to advance it,---be the Debt, we groan under, never fo heavy, our Surety can acquit us from it,----be our Crimes never fo many and grievous, his Merits far exceed them all. For we are not redeemed with corruptible Things, as Silver and Gold, but with the precious Blood of Chrift (m). Had the Treasures of the World, which may obtain the Enlargement of our Bodies from a temporal Slavery, been offered to ranfom our Souls from a Spiritual, we might have doubted of their being accepted, and our being fet at Liberty: But when we are affured, that Chrift hath loved us, and bath given himself for us, an Offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling Savour, (n). What can there be conceived to be wanting to render it effectual?---Or had any Man, how great, how good foever, undertaken the Redemption of his loft Brethren,-or had even the moft exalted Creature in the Scale of Beings interpofed for their Preservation, we might have apprehended too great Caufe to fufpect, that the Attempt was far above either of their Capacities, and that

(m) 1 St. Pet. i, 18, 19.

(2) Ephef. v. 2.

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