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that it must coft more to redeem Mankind, SERM. than they were able to pay: But when the II. Sacred Scriptures inftruct us, and call for our ftedfaft Belief, that it was no lefs a Perfon, than the Son of God himself, of Glory equal, of Majefty coeternal with the Father, who came into the World to bleed and to die for us, how perfectly does this Revelation filence all our Misgivings concerning the Sufficiof his Sacrifice for the Remiffion of Sins ?

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THE fublime Doctrine then of our Lord's Divinity ought not to be questioned, though it cannot be comprehended. It is a Mystery not propounded to puzzle our Understandings, but to confirm our Hopes: It is the main Anchor of our Souls fure and ftedfaft; and without it, what have finful Men to trust to? They cannot, as we have seen, confide in their own polluted Performances, the best of which will by no Means stand the Examination of confummate Purity,---nor can they rely on the Interpofition of any other Creature, every one having Work enough to answer his own Obligations.---Neither can they lay Claim to their Maker's Goodness, which they have forfeited to fuch a Degree, that the Expectation of its Continuance plainly makes his Attributes to clafh

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SERM. with one another, exclufive of Faith in a DiII. vine Reconciler.

WHEREAS on the Suppofition, that our Saviour is God as well as Man, all Danger ceafes, every Difficulty is got over,---Justice is fatisfied, and Favour is recalled,---from the grand Event of our Redemption arises unfpeakable Glory to God in the highest, on Earth Peace, good Will towards Men (0), and in Chrift Jefus, Mercy and Truth are met together, Righteousness and Peace have kiffed each other (p). When we regard him as God purchafing the Church with his Blood (q), it is not poffible to imagine, how the Price paid fhould fall fhort of what was, or could be, demanded, and we cannot help concluding, that the Union of the Godhead gave the moft efficacious Value to the Sufferings of the Manhood, and rendered his Death a full and perfect Sacrifice, Oblation, and Satisfaction for Mankind.

THESE Obfervations on this Head we may corroborate by taking Notice, in what Manner St. Paul ufually introduces the Mention of Chrift's Satisfaction by his Death: He

(o) St. Luke ii. 14.
(q) Acts xx. 28.

(p) Plxxxv. 10.

He seldom speaks of this aftonishing Act SERM. of his Love, but he ufhers it in with a pre- II. vious Description of our Lord's effential Perfection. He tells not the Philippians, that Chrift Jefus made himself of no Reputation, and took on him the Form of a Servant, and being found in Fashion as a Man, he humbled him, and became obedient unto Death, even the Death of the Cross; till he had informed them, that being in the Form of God, be thought it not Robbery to be equal with God (), and as fuch, equal to the vaft Undertaking he had gone upon. When, again, the Apostle infifts on his Mafter's being a Match for the Work of Redemption, he brings his Proof from his finishing the Work of Creation, and conducting the immenfe Scheme of Providence: For by him were all Things created, and by bim all Things confift (s). And speaking to the Hebrews of Chrift's Atonement, the better to demonstrate, that he had by himself purged our Sins, he reprefents the crucified Jefus, as being the Brightness of God's Glory, and exprefs Image of his Perfon, and upholding all Things by the Word of his Powen (1).

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SERM.
II.

THUS the Compleatnefs of our Saviour's Ransom is a Doctrine too weighty and too deeply founded, to be eafily overturned! And it is quite ftrange, that they, who acknowledge the infinite Dignity of his Perfon, fhould deny the abfolute Sufficiency of his Propitiation. Yet fo contradictory a Profeffion are many Christians obferved to make,--even all, who have implicitly furrendered their Faith to the Ufurpations of fuch, as affume the Character of infallible human Guides. It is a favourite Tenet in the Church of Rome, that the Sacrifice offered up by our Redeemer on the Crofs is of itself an incompetent Atonement; and under Colour of supplying the Deficiency, it has from lucrative Views invented the daily Sacrifice of the Mafs, wherein the Priests of that Communion are faid to be vefted with the Authority of making an Oblation to God the Father, of the Body and Blood of his Son for the Sins both of the Living and the Dead.

BUT what a furprizing Mixture of Error and Wickednefs have we here blended together? A Practice this! in which, what is attempted, is in its Nature impoffible, and

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what is performed, is idolatrous in its Cir- SERM. cumftances, as well as fcandalously dishoII. nonurable to our Lord in its Design. It first pretends to make the Victim, and afterwards to offer it up to God; not content with commemorating and exhibiting the Paffion, the Romish Clergy arrogate the Power to themselves of changing the Elements in the Eucharist substantially, and not virtually, into Chrift's crucified Body, which they hold forth to the People for the Object of their religious Worship, and Sacrifice to God for the Remiffion of Sin. So that it is difficult to fay, whether the Impiety, or the Injury, or the Abfurdity, fhewn in this Proceding be the greater. It oppofes the clearest Evidence of Senfe,----is repugnant to the plaineft Principle of Nature,--contrary to unexceptionable Teftimonies of God's Word, and destructive to the Office of the great High Prieft of our Profeffion---Chrift Jefus is fet forth to be a Prieft for ever after the Order of Melchifedech (u), and to be poffeffed of an unchangeable Priestbood (x), in which no one went before, or can fucceed him. He was, and is the first and the last in his facerdotal Function, and his Sacrifice being nothing less than himself,

(u) Heb. vii. 17.

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(x) V. 24.

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