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to mean, simply, the communicating of this heavenly knowledge. to mankind. To which we reply, that if coming down from heaven be a metaphor, it must have a meaning precisely the opposite of that which belongs to the counter metaphor of ascending up into heaven; and in that case, if the latter figure means, obtaining a perfect knowledge of the divine counsels, the former must signify the losing of such knowledge, or the non-possession of it. And what sort of sense will this give? Although it is a very obvious and easy figure to say, that a man, who acquires a supernatural knowledge of divine things, ascends up to heaven, I cannot see with what propriety, or force, he, who imparts divine knowledge to others, can be said to come down from heaven. The knowledge itself may be said to come down from heaven, but not the man who possesses or imparts it. But according to our interpretation, the passage bears a very easy and natural sense; No man hath enjoyed the opportunity of acquiring an intimate and perfect knowledge of the counsels of God, but he who came down from heaven; even the Son of Man, who Was in heaven; (for so the original words may be rendered.*) Compare this passage with the 18th

* See Note in p. 270.

verse of the first chapter, which I considered in my second Lecture, and you will see how the one explains and enforces the other. Our Lord declares, in express terms, of himself, what John the Baptist had before asserted of him, that he had been in heaven, and that he came down from heaven; a declaration which no earthly man, whatever degree of authority or inspiration he might have possessed, would have presumed to make.

The sum and substance of the information, which our Lord gave to Nicodemus, touching the Messiah, was this: That the Messiah was the Son of God; his only-begotten Son; not merely a teacher sent from God, which Nicodemus had acknowledged Jesus to be: that he was to undergo death; contrary to the prevailing opinion of the Jews, who expected that the Messiah would never die. The particular mode of death which he was to suffer, our Lord did not think fit to disclose, otherwise than by a similitude; but a very strong and pertinent similitude; that, as the brazen serpent was raised up by Moses, in order that the children of Israel, at the sight of it, might be cured of bodily disease; so the Messiah was to be lifted up; that by a stedfast looking to, and firm belief in him, so lifted up, all

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men might be healed of the spiritual disease of sin-that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. No words could more pointedly express the efficacy of the death of Christ. He is lifted up,* or crucified; in order that whosoever believeth in him, may have eternal life. Now surely men might have believed, (and many did believe) that Jesus was the Messiah, a prophet sent from God, without his being cruci→ fied; and indeed our Saviour does not say that he was to be crucified, that men might believe in him, but in order that those who did believe in him, might be saved. It is then a plain and necessary inference, that the death of Christ was the indispensable condition of man's salvation; and that the belief, required of Christians, is a belief in the efficacy of that death.

It is added, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life-gave, i. e. gave up to death; as in Luke xxii. 19, This is my body which is given for you. But as God is here said to have

* So viii. 28, When ye have LIFTED UP the Son of Man-xii. 32. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This, adds the Evangelist, he said, signifying what death he should die.

given his only-begotten Son, so it is said of Christ, by St. Paul, that he gave himself for our sins. In the same sense he is said to have been given up, or delivered for our offences, †

In this declaration then of our blessed Lord, are clearly stated the effects of his death upon the cross; it liberated mankind from the penalty of eternal death, and procured to them the capacity of eternal life. And this is a fundamental doctrine of the Gospel, which we should cherish, as we value our religious stedfastness in this world, or our hope in another. The atonement made for our sins by the sacrifice of the incarnate Word, is the distinguishing and consolatory feature of his religion. Upon our faith in that, depends our capacity of receiving divine grace through him. If Jesus was no more than man, his death upon the cross had no more virtue, nor efficacy, than the death of any other holy man, who at any time has died in defence of the truth: it was an attestation of his own sincerity and rectitude of intention; but it could have no influence upon the condition of other men's souls, with respect to the punishment due to sin; for, as the Psalmist says, None of them can by any means redeem his brother, * Gal. i. 4. + Rom. iv. 25.

nor give to God a ransom for him: for the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth (or is let alone) for ever.* Deny the exalted nature of the Redeemer; reduce him to the common level of the human race; and the Atonement is done away: He is no longer the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world: He is no longer that Saviour, who gave his life a ransom for many,† and for us amongst the rest the comfortable assurance of a propi tiation made for our sins, which we have clung to as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, is withdrawn from us; and we are left under the penalty due to those, who are commanded to fulfil the law of righteousness, but are incapacitated by their nature from doing so; and who have no means whatever of making even the slightest amends for their deficiencies. The Scriptures of the New Testament become confused and obscure; the declarations of our Lord and his Apostles inconsistent with one another; the dignity of the Gospel dispensation lowered, the beauty of its holiness defaced. Oh, let us beware of falling under that fearful denunciation of the Apostle; Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall HE be thought worthy, who

* Ps. xlix. 7. + Matt. xx. 28.

Heb. vi. 19.

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