Salvation is to be had by his Name, and by that alone. And, III. That they, who hear his Gofpel, and reject it, have no just Reason to hope for the Pardon of their Sins at the Hands of God; and much lefs to attain to any Happiness in the World to come.-They reject the Counsel of God against themfelves; and have no Title to any thing from him, but Judgment and fiery Indignation. I. The firft Particular is, that Salvation has been obtained and purchased for the Sins of Men by that bleffed Jefus who is here fpeaking, who, ver. 26. exprefsly tells the Samaritan Woman, that he was the Meffias, and who was by Nation a Jew, by Pedigree descended from Judah, from whom the Jews were fo called, and was of the Stock of Abraham and of David.-And, for the more full and clear Profecution of this, it is proper to fhew, 1. That the Jews had great Reason to expect that a Saviour would defcend from them, and what Characters were given of him before he came. 2. That the bleffed Jefus, when he came, fully answered all their well-grounded Expectations concerning the Perfon of their Deliverer. And, 3. What 3. What that Salvation is which he has purchafed; and for whom, and by what Means he has obtained it. i. I am to fhew, that the Jews had Reafon to expect that a Saviour would defcend from them, before he came, and what Characters were given of him. That this Expectation was entertained, and very prevalent among them, about the Time of our Lord's Appearance upon Earth, and not only among them, but among many of the neigbouring Nations, is very evident, both from facred and profane Historians. The Samaritan Woman, in this Chapter, speaks of it as a Thing well known and acknowledged, that a Meffias would speedily come; and that when he came he would teach them all things; that is, all things neceffary to be known concerning either God the Object of their Worship, or the Nature of the Worship which he would require; for of these Things she is here fpeaking. When John the Baptift came preaching in the Wilderness, it is faid, that all Men mufed in their Hearts concerning him, whether he were the Chrift, or not, Luk. iii. 15. which implies the general Expectation of the People, not only that the Christ would come, but also that the Time of his coming was at hand. The Doubt raised in the Jews by our Lord's Miracles, whether he were the Chrift, as queftioning whether when the Meffias came he would do greater Miracles than our Lord did, John vii. 31. The Enquiry of the Magi, or wife Men at his Birth, and the cruel Maffacre of the Children .upon their Enquiry, though founded in a mistaken Notion of the Power of this Saviour, and the Nature of the Deliverance he would bring about, are undeniable Proofs that he was expected, and expected to be of the Jews. And if the Evangelifts may be thought partial, and their Accounts doubted, the Roman Hiftorians themfelves (viz. Suetonius and Tacitus) are very and clear as to the Prevalence of this Expectation, That out of Judæa should come thofe, who Should get the Government of the World. full And that the Jews had great Reason for this Hope is from hence evident, that God himself had been pleased to repeat his Promises to them from time to time of the Mercies he would vouchfafe Mankind in this Deliverer; and that more frequently, and with more Perfpicuity and Clearnefs, as the Time of his Appearance drew nigh. Had the Almighty continued filent, Man must have continued ignorant. This wonderful Deliverance was the Contrivance of infinite Wisdom and Goodness, which alone could declare and give Men Reafon to hope for this amazing Instance of Divine Love. And therefore the fame Goodness went farther, and gave fuch Notices of it at different Times, and to different Perfons, as the fame Wisdom thought fit, to raise their Expectations, Expectations, prove their Virtue, and make Trial of their Faith in the Divine Promises. The first Discovery was made to the first Man, to raise him from Fear and Defpondency; but in fo very dark and obfcure a Manner, as could give him but little Knowledge of the Perfon of his Deliverer, unless it were more full than is recorded by the facred Historian; that the Seed of the Woman should bruise the Serpent's Head.-And therefore we may probably conjecture, that he, who had frequent Communications with God, had this Promise opened and explained to him in those Communications. Befides, we know, that the Sacrifice of Beasts was inftituted as early as in his Time, and that most probably in Allufion to, and in Explanation of, the Bleffings that were to be expected from the promised Seed.And by a traditional Explanation of this Promife, derived originally from Adam or Noah, and by the publick Inftitution of bloody Sacrifices in Confirmation and Illustration of it, the Hopes of a Saviour might have been conveyed down to all their Pofterity in all Parts of the World. To Abraham, the Father of the Faithful, God was pleased to repeat his Affurances with this farther Light, that from him should descend that promised Seed, in whom all the Families of the Earth should be bleffed.-Jacob, in fome measure forefaw both the Time of his coming, and the great Expectation which the World World should have of it, when he foretold by the Spirit of God, That the Sceptre should not depart from Judah, nor the Law-giver from between his Feet, till this Shiloh [or Meffiah, or Saviour] fhould come, unto whom the Gathering of the Nations should be.-And to Mofes it was revealed, that this Saviour should be a Prophet like unto himself, who was both the Divulger of a new Law from God, and a Mediator between God and his People; and Mofes tells the Jews, that in these two Particulars the Likeness between him and the Me fab fhould chiefly confift.-The Lord thy God, fays he, will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee like unto me, unto him ye shall hearken; according to all thou defiredft of the Lord thy God in Horeb, in the Day of the Affembly, faying, Let me not hear again the Voice of the Lord my God, neither let me fee this great Fire any more, that I die not. And the Lord faid unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken; I will raise them up a Prophet from among their Brethren like unto thee, and will put my Words in his Mouth, and be Shall speak unto them all that I fhall command him, Deut. xviii. 15----18. When the Jews faw and heard the Terrors of God's Appearance, the Thundrings and the Lightnings, and the Noife of the Trumpet, and the Mountain Smoking, when God fpake the Ten Commandments to them from Mount Sinai, they were ftruck with Dread at his tremendous Majefty, and |