and resurrection of Jesus, God also bearing them witness, by signs, and wonders, and divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost; stedfastly maintaining the truth of the glad tidings they published, amidst the hottest persecution, and at last sealing it with their blood!

Finally let it be considered, that these great transactions all passed, and their history was published, not in an obscure corner, nor in a dark and unenlightened age and part of the world, where a cunningly devised imposture might have some chance of succeeding, but, at Jerusalem, at Rome, in all the cities of Greece; at a time, and in an age, renowned above all others for proficiency in knowledge, for exquisiteness of taste, improvement in every branch of science and art, called, by way of eminence, the Augustan age; in this fulness of time, this most curious, inquisitive, enlightened period, and part of the world, did these great events happen; and the accounts of them contained in the sacred books of the New Testament, were written by eight of our Lord's intimate disciples, who were eye or ear-witnesses of the things they record; and who suffered and died in attestation of their truth.-Had there been any possibility of disproving the facts their writings contain, or of convicting christianity of any falsehood or fraud, all the men of power, both in church and state, and even all of inferior rank, would have felt themselves impelled by every motive of interest, of pride, of bigotry, of prejudice, of religious or partý zeal, to have detected the imposture; and, if it had been possible, to have erushed it in its birth.

But, of no such imposture hath it ever been convicted: it hath stood the test of the severest scrutiny, and even of fiery trials, for more than seventeen hundred years: it hath flourished and

triumphed over all opposition; and appears to be a religion, or church, founded upon a rock, against which no powers of earth or hell ever have, or ever shall be able to prevail.

And when, to all that has been above offered, we add the circumstantial fulfilment of several important prophecies, delivered also by Christ himself, and his apostles, concerning the impending desolation and destruction of Jerusalem-the captivity, dispersion, and future fate of the Jews -their being kept a distinct people, amidst all the shocks and revolutions which have crumbled and mixed together all the other antient nations, and sunk them into one common mass- concerning a grand apostacy which was to arise; and a man of sin who was to appear; a strange and unheard of power, whose features and character and unparalleled transactions are minutely described all which predictions, we have seen with our own eyes most surprisingly fulfilled, and fulfilling at this very day.--Such accumulated weight is given to the evidence above adduced, that no rational doubt of the divine mission of Christ, we trust, can possibly remain in any truly impartial inquisitive mind.

II.

Having thus seen the foundation on which our faith in Christ stands, let us proceed to take a view of the glorious superstructuré we are called to build upon it.

If it be a faithful saying, founded upon proper evidence, that Christ came into the world to save sinners, it is surely most worthy of our joyful acceptation and very heinous must be the crime, and very heavy will be the condemnation of those who shall be found to have treated it with neglect.

It opens to our view a most glorious scene; raises us to hopes high as heaven, and boundless as eternity. It represents to us the ever-blessed Deity in the most amiable and attractive, as well as the most awful and adorable light: it assures us that God is love, perfect light, in whom there is no darkness or imperfection at all: so essentally, immutably, eternally good, that in the whole universe of beings there is none that can be called good in comparison with God. It invites us to contemplate him; to love, to adore, to trust, to hope and rejoice in him, as the almighty and most merciful father of mankind; ever present and attentive to our minutest concerns, numbering even the hairs of our head; pouring a thousand undeserved blessings, every day of their lives, upon even the evil and unthankful; having an ear always open to our humble supplications; more ready to pity and relieve our distresses, and to give us every thing that is really good for us, than the kindest parent upon earth is to give bread to his child when languishing for want.

In this divine revelation we see this compassionate Father of mankind swearing by himself, that he desires not our death-that he would have all men to be saved-that it is not his will that any should perish-and that he so loved the world of sinful and apostate men, that, when no other method was so conducive to restore them to their lost liberty and life, he sent his only begotten son, the most dignified person, according to our apprehension, he possibly could send, and the most invaluable gift he could possibly bestow; this glorious divine person he sent to rescue us from our bondage to sin and to death, and to raise us to greater glory and liberty and life, than that which by transgression we had unhappily lost.

And now behold-to assure his beloved off. spring of these riches of his goodness, and the more effectually to remove all the doubts and suspicions which guilt naturally creates, and to lead them to repentance, he hath graciously condescended to enter into a solemn covenant with all humble and sincere penitents, that he will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and transgressions he will remember no more-that he will write his law in their hearts-that he will be their God, and take them for his people. The promises of this covenant are justly said to be exceeding precious and great; exalting us to be partakers of a nature that is divine: they contain a grant of immense blessings, far greater than we can at present conceive. This most gracious covenant God, in infinite mercy, hath been pleased to ratify and confirm by the death, the resurrection, and the assumption into glory of Jesus the Mediator, his only begotten son, who not only came from heaven to publish it to mankind, but died to attest its truth, and to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself: as a reward of this his voluntary obedience unto death, he is exalted to supreme power over all created beings, both in heaven and earth; and is thus vested with full authority to carry all its kind designs into full execution. So that now, with the strongest confidence of hope, we may trust and rejoice in him as a complete and all-sufficient Saviour, able to do for us exceeding abundantly above all our thoughts.

But these sufferings of the Mediator we are always to consider, not as the primary and moving cause of God's being propitious to us, and willing to be reconciled, but as the manner only, or the medium, in which he was pleased to shew

himself propitious. Antecedent to the death of Christ, he was gracious, and merciful, and ready to forgive. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son-and God, who is rich in mercy, for the great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sin, hath quickened us together with Christ. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ. But, for infinitely wise reasons, fully known only to himself, but some of which we clearly see, he chose to dispense his pardons only by the hands, and as a reward of the meritorious sufferings of one of the human race; that as by man came death, so by man also should come the resurrection of the dead.

The great Mediator betwixt God and man is the man Christ Jesus. Him hath God exalted at his own right hand, to be a prince and a Saviour, to dispense his blessings and favours, and to fulfil all the great purposes of his transcendent mercy and love to the redeemed from amongst men. For his suffering and death he was crowned with this honour: and because he humbled himself, and in submission to the will of God, and in love to mankind, became obedient to death, even the death of the cross; therefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name above every name. So that now all power both in heaven and earth is put into his hands; the father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment to the son; and hath made him head and Lord over all things for his church. With what grateful astonishment, christians, should we contemplate and adore this amazing scheme of salvation.

This exalted son of God, who had a glory with the father before the world was, and probably was that brightness of his glory, that angel of his