Page images
PDF
EPUB

and goodness, to look up to him as the Creator and Preferver of the world, the Rewarder of moral good and the Avenger of moral evil; and in confequence they were taught to worship him alone, to reverence his name, to hallow his fabbath, and to love him with all their hearts and all their faculties.

And in this light also we are taught to contemplate him under the Gospel difpenfation; though with additional motives of gratitude and love; as therein he is manifested more diftinctly to us under the character of a Parent, who regards us as his children, and is folicitous for our welfare and happiness. For though Man is degenerate from that image of God in which he was originally made, and by reafon of his fall from his primitive uprightnefs is rendered unworthy of divine favour and regard, yet the Father of all in his confummate wisdom has formed an expedient to reconcile his inflexible justice with his unbounded benevolence. This wonderful scheme of grace he has manifefted to the world in the laft difpenfation of his counsel: "God fo loved the world, that he sent his only begotten Son into the world; that whofoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

This brings me to the confideration of that other article of our faith, that there is one Mediator between God and Man, the Man Chrift Jefus, who gave himself a ranfom for all. This doctrine is peculiar to the Gospel. It is that mystery of godliness, which had been concealed for ages from the world in general, had been fignified only through the fhade of types and parables to the Jews, but was openly revealed to all men in the Gofpel of Jefus Chrift. In this mediatorial character he prefents himself to the eye of faith in these three capacities, for which he was anointed with the Holy Ghost and with power, of a Prophet, of a Priest, and of a King.

As a Prophet, he came to declare the whole counsel of God to men, to teach them what they had to do in this life, and what they had to look for in the life to come; to direct them in the way of holiness on earth, as the neceffary road to happiness in heaven; of duty, what he taught in precept, to illustrate in example, and of recompence, what he declared in doctrine, to affure to all men by his own refurrection from the dead.

As a Prieft, he has undertaken the ministry of reconciliation between God and Man.

Being

Being holy, harmless, undefiled, feparate from finners, he was prepared and qualified to yield an acceptable facrifice for the fins of men. And this he effected, not by fuch offerings as the Mofaic Law required, but by the inestimable offering of himself. By furrendering his precious life upon the cross he gave himself a ranfom for all. And on the merit of that ransom he is now entered into the most holy place, even into heaven itself, where he continually makes a most prevailing interceffion for us. Thus being redeemed, not with corruptible things, but by the precious blood of Chrift, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot, we are encouraged to hope not only for the pardon and remiffion of our fins, but alfo for acceptance and adoption into the grace and inheritance of heaven.

As a King, he has undertaken to deliver us from the bondage of fin and Satan, having entered himself into warfare with our Spiritual Foe, and by his arduous conflict on the cross having refcued us from his dominion. He has given us laws for our government and guidance: He has conducted us on the way in which he would have us go. And

[blocks in formation]

now that he is returned in triumph to his throne of glory, he ftill continues by his providence and grace to defend us from all the affaults and feductions of our enemies. From that high and holy place he diffuses every spiritual gift upon his Church, to the truly penitent the forgiveness of fins, and to the truly faithful every divine. fupport and affiftance, to cheer them in a state of warfare, and finally to bring them to a state of triumph. And when this fcene of difcipline is clofed, he will return in the ftyle and authority of a King, to take vengeance on thofe, who know not God and obey not his Gospel, and to receive all his faithful Soldiers and Servants into his heavenly Kingdom.

Such are the doctrines of that Gofpel, which we are required to believe, as one of the two principal conditions of acceptance into the Kingdom of God.

But how are we to believe?—Not merely by affenting to them with our lips, nor yet by acknowledging them with our understandings, for fo fuperficial a faith would not avail us in the fight of God, but by receiving the impreffion into our hearts. The belief, which we are called upon to yield, is such as is animated by love and gratitude to Christ, as produces in us good difpofitions and defires,

[blocks in formation]

and manifefts itself in the habit of a holy life.

Our Belief in one God, when duly eftablished in the heart, induces and implies a ferious difpofition and fincere endeavour to serve him with reverence and with godly fear; to love him in his mercies, to adore him in his judgments; to be thankful for his favours, to be patient under his corrections; to truft to his providence, to be refigned to his difpofal; to imitate his character, to conform to his will; to regard him as a Father, who is tenderly folicitous for our true and final welfare, and, provided we avail ourselves of his fpiritual gifts, is promoting the defign of our redemption and adoption, is working in us a release from fin, is disposing us to holinefs, and preparing us for happiness.

In like manner our Belief in one Mediator between God and Man, when equally grounded in the heart, both induces and implies an earnest resolution to pay him the homage of our hearts and of our lives.

While we believe in him as a Prophet, we accept his word as an embaffy of pardon and of peace, we adore him in the mysteries that he hath opened to us, we attend to all his doctrines with gratitude and reverence, we are animated by his exhortations, we are corrected

« PreviousContinue »