SERM, thus introduced into the world, increased XII. so dreadfully within the space of seventeen hundred years, that God was provoked to overwhelm the earth with a flood of waters, and to destroy all flesh. One family only, which had remained unpolluted amidst the general contagion of vice, was preserved, and from that was the world afterwards peopled. We find, however, as the descendants of Noah multiplied and spread themselves upon the earth, that, notwithstanding this dreadful example of God's vengeance on the wicked (the remembrance of which could not possibly have been soon done away) they, within a short time, began to degenerate, they forgot entirely the true God, and immersed themselves in all manner of iniquity. With the Jews, indeed, by particular revelations from heaven, and the immediate superintendance of the Almighty, the true knowledge of him was retained; but even they frequently turned XII. aside to idoltry, and were, in their moral SERM. conduct, desperately abandoned; while all the other nations of the earth paid their devotions to stocks and stones, or to men wicked and frail as themselves, and were so far from conforming themselves to the obligations of virtue, that they were deplorably ignorant in what it consisted. This was the state of things, when it pleased God "to send his only-begotten son "into the world, to the end that all that be lieve in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Considering the great and manifold provocations which God had received, it might have been expected that he would have sent his son upon a far different errand, to take vengeance on such a rebellious race, to punish and to extirpate; but, no! Jesus Christ was sent to instruct and to save, to inform us of our duty, and to redeem our immortal souls; in other words, to be our Saviour and our King,-It VOL. II. N is SERM. is under these two characters then that we XII. will consider the Scn of the Almighty. You will observe in the text, that it is not said absolutely that all should have everlasting life through the son of God, but that all that believe in him; the promise of salvation and immortality is limited to believers; there is a condition annexed to it, -the believing in him through whom it is offered-which implies, that if we do not believe in him, we shall not be in the number of those who shall partake of the benefits of his coming. It becomes then a matter of importance, to inquire what believing in Jesus is. Το believe in Jesus, is to be thoroughly persuaded that he is the only-begotten son of God, that he is the brightness of his father's glory, and the express image of his person; that he was sent into the world by God, and that the end of his appearance was to make known the will of heaven, and to to die to atone for the sins of men. All SERM. this, you will say, we are very ready to do; the wonderful works which he did, and the angelic doctrines which he taught, speak for him; we acknowledge him to have been the Messiah, the son of the Most High! So far it is well; but there is yet more in believing in Jesus, and it will be well indeed, if you can answer with equal readiness to what remains: believing in Jesus comprehends likewise a conviction of the goodness and importance of the lessons which he taught, and not only this, but the uniform and settled practice of them; without obedience to his commands, our faith in his divinity will be of no effect, our professions of it, however frequently repeated, will be merely solemn mockeries! it will be a lame, an impotent, a deficient faith, it will not be a faith unto salvation. And here the other part of Christ's character comes to be considered, that of King; XII. SERM. he came to rule as well as to save us; we XII. Alle must accept him in both characters, or in be |