T

But to return. You have heard what various thoughts there were concerning JESUS CHRIST, whilst here on earth: nor is he otherwife treated, even now he is exalted to fit down at the right hand of his Father in heaven. A ftranger to chriftianity, was he to hear, that we all profefs to hold one LORD, would naturally infer, that we all thought and spoke one and the fame thing about him. But alas! to our fhame be it mentioned, though CHRIST be not divided in himself, yet profeffors are fadly divided in their thoughts about him; and that not only as to the circumftances of his religion, but also of those effential truths which must neceffarily be believed and received by us, if ever we hope to be heirs of eternal falvation. Some, and I fear a multitude which no man can eafily number, there are amongst us, who call themselves chriftians, and yet feldom or never seriously think of JESUS CHRIST at all. They can think of their fhops and their farms, their plays, their balls, their affemblies, and horfe-races (entertainments which directly tend to exclude religion out of the world); but as for CHRIST, the author and finisher of faith, the LORD who has bought poor finners with his precious blood, and who is the only thing worth thinking of, alas! he is not in all, or at moft in very few of their thoughts. But believe me, O ye earthly, fenfual, carnally-minded pro feffors, however little you may think of CHRIST now, or however industriously you may ftrive to keep him out of your thoughts, by pursuing the luft of the eye, the luft of the flesh, and the pride of life, yet there is a time coming, when you will with you had thought of CHRIST more, and of your profits and pleasures lefs. For the gay, the polite, the rich alfo muft die as well as others, and leave their pomps and vanities, and all their wealth behind them. And O! what thoughts will you entertain concerning JESUS CHRIST, in that hour?

I

But I must not purfue thefe reflections: they would carry me too far from the main defign of this, difcourfe, which is to fhew, what those who are truly defirous to know how to worship GoD in fpirit and in truth, ought to think concerning JESUS CHRIST, whom God hath fent to be the end of the law for righteoufnefs to all them that shall believe.

Itruit, my brethren, you are more noble than to think me too ftrict or fcrupulous, in thus attempting to regulate your thoughts about JESUS CHRIST: for by our thoughts, as well as our words and actions, are we to be judged at the great day. And in vain do we hope to believe in, or worship CHRIST aright, unlefs our principles, on which our faith and practice are founded, are agreeable to the form of found words delivered to us in the fcriptures of truth.

Befides, many deceivers are gone abroad into the world. Mere heathen morality, and not JESUS CHRIST, is preached in most of our churches. And how should people think rightly of CHRIST, of whom they have fcarcely heard? Bear with me a little then, whilft, to inform your confciences, I afk you a few queftions concerning JESUS CHRIST: For there is no other name given under heaven, whereby we can be faved,

but his.

First, What think you about the perfon of CHRIST? "Whofe Son is he " This is the queftion our LORD put to the Pharifees in the words following the text; and never was it more neceffary to repeat this queftion than in thefe laft days. For numbers that are called after the name of CHRIST, and I fear, many that pretend to preach him, are fo far advanced in the blafphemous chair, as openly to deny his being really, truly, and properly GOD. But no one that ever was partaker of his Spirit, will fpeak thus lightly of him. No; if they are afked, as Peter and his brethren were, "But whom say ye that I am?" they will reply without hesitation, "Thou art CHRIST the Son of the ever-living God." For the confeffion of our LORD's divinity, is the rock upon which he builds his church. Was it poffible to take this away, the gates of hell would quickly prevail against it. My brethren, if JESUS CHRIST be not very GOD of very GOD, I would never preach the gospel of CHRIST again. For it would not be gofpel; it would be only a fyftem of moral ethics: Seneca, Cicero, or any of the Gentile philofophers, would be as good a Saviour as JESUS of Nazareth. It is the divinity of our LORD that gives a sanction to his death, and makes him such a high-priest as became us, one who by the infinite merits of his fuffering could make a full, perfect, fufficient facrifice, fatisfaction and oblation to infinitely offended juftice. And

whatsoever

whatsoever minifter of the church of England, makes use of her forms, and eats of her bread, and yet holds not this doctrine (as I fear too many fuch are crept in amongst us) fuch a one belongs only to the fynagogue of Satan. He is not, a child or minister of GOD: no; he is a wolf in sheep's cloathing; he is a child and minifter of that wicked one the devil.

Many will think thefe hard fayings: But I think it no breach of charity to affirm, that an Arian or Socinian cannot be a chriftian. The one would make us believe JESUS CHRIST is only a created God, which is a felf-contradiction : and the other would have us look on him only as a good man; and instead of owning his death to be an atonement for the fins of the world, would perfuade us, that CHRIST died only to feal the truth of his doctrine with his blood. But if JESUS CHRIST be no more than a mere man, if he be not truly GoD, he was the vileft finner that ever appeared in the world. For be accepted of divine adoration from the man who had been born blind, as we read John ix. 38. "And he faid, LORD I believe, and worshipped him." Befides, if CHRIST be not properly GoD, our faith is vain, we are yet in our fins for no created being, though of the highest order, could poffibly merit any thing at GOD's hands: it was our LORD's divinity, that alone qualified him to take away the fins of the world; and therefore we hear St. John pronouncing fo pofitively, that "the Word (JESUS CHRIST) was not only with God, but was GOD." For the like reafon, St. Paul fays, "that he was in the form of GOD: That in him dwelt all the fulness of the godhead bodily." Nay, JESUS CHRIST affumed the the title which God gave to himfelf, when he fent Mofes to deliver his people Ifrael. "Before Abraham was, I AM.' And again, "I and my father are one." Which laft words, though our modern infidels would evade and wreft, as they do other fcriptures, to their own damnation, yet it is evident that the Jews understood our LORD, when he fpake thus, as making himfelf equal with GOD; other wife, why did they ftone him as a blafphemer? And now, why fhould it be thought a breach of charity, to affirm, that thofe who deny the divinity of JESUS CHRIST, in the ftricteft fenfe of the word, cannot be chriftians? For they are greater infidels than

the devils themselves, who confeffed that they knew who he was, even the holy one of GOD." They not only believe, but, which is more than the unbelievers of this generation do, they tremble. And was it poffible for arch-hereticks, to be releafed from their chains of darkness, under which (unless they altered their principles before they died) they are now referved to the judgment of the great day, I am perfuaded they would inform us, how hell had convinced them of the divinity of JESUS CHRIST, and that they would advife their followers to abhor their principles, left they should come into the fame place, and thereby increase each others tor

ments.

But, Secondly, What think you of the manhood or incarnation of JESUS CHRIST? For CHRIST was not only GOD, but he was GOD and man in one perfon. Thus runs the text and context, "When the Pharifees were gathered together, JESUS afked them, faying, What think ye of CHRIST? Whofe Son is he? They fay unto him, The Son of David. How then, fays our divine mafter, does David in spirit call ແດ້ him LORD?" From which paffage it is evident, that we do think rightly of the perfon of JESUS CHRIST, unless we believe him to be perfect GoD and perfect man, of a reafonable foul and human flesh subsisting.

под

of the

For it is on this account that he is called CHRIST, or anointed one, who through his own voluntary offer was fet apart by the father, and ftrengthened and qualified by the anointing or communication of the Holy Ghoft, to be a me Jiator between Him and offending man.

7

The reafon why the Son of God took upon him our nature, was, the fall of our firft parents. I hope there is no one prefent fo atheistical, as to think, that man made himfelf: no, it was God that made us, and not we ourselves. And I would willingly think, that no one is fo blafphemous as to fuppofe, that if God did make us, he made us fuch creatures as we now find ourfelves to be. For this would be giving God's word the lie, which tells

us, that in the image of GOD (not in the image which we now bear on our fouls) made he man." As GOD made man, fo GoD made him perfect. He placed him in the garden of Eden, and condefcended to enter into a covenant with him, promifing him

eternal

eternal life, upon condition of unfinning obedience; and threatening eternal death, if he broke his law, and did eat the forbidden fruit.

"IN

Man did eat; and herein acting as our reprefentative, thereby involved both himself and us in that curfe, which GOD, the righteous judge, had faid should be the confequence of his difobedience. But here begins that mystery of godlinefs, GOD manifefted in the flesh. For (fing, O heavens, and rejoice, O earth!) the eternal Father, foreseeing how Satan would bruife the heel of man, had in his eternal counfel provided a means whereby he might bruife that accursed Serpent's head. Man is permitted to fall, and become fubject to death; but JESUS, the only begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, Light of light, very GOD of very GOD, offers to die to make an atonement for his tranfgreffion, and to fulfil all righteoufnefs in his ftead. And because it was impoffible for him to do this as he was GOD, and yet fince man had offended, it was neceffary it fhould be done in the person of man; rather than we should perish, this everlasting GOD, this Prince of Peace, this Antient of Days, in the fulness of time, had a body prepared for him by the Holy Ghoft, and became an infant. In this body he performed a compleat obedience to the law of GOD; whereby he, in our ftead, fulfilled the covenant of works, and at last became fubject to death, even death upon the cross; that as Gop he might fatisfy, as man he might obey and fuffer; and being GOD and man in one perfon, might once more procure a union between Gop and our fouls.

And now, What think you of this love of CHRIST? Do not you think it was wondrous great? Efpecially when you confider, that we were CHRIST's bitter enemies, and that he would have been infinitely happy in himself, notwithstanding we had perifhed for ever, Whatever you may think of it, I know the bleffed angels, who are not fo much concerned in this mystery of godliness as we, think most highly of it. They do, they will defire to look into, and admire it, through all eternity. Why, why O ye finners, will you not think of this love of CHRIST? Surely it muft melt down the most hardened heart. Whilft I am fpeaking, the thought of this infinite and condefcending love fires and warms my foul. I

Z 4

could