LXX.

beginning of this epiftle, chap. i. 1. that "GOD who SERM. "at fundry times, and in divers manners, fpake in "times past unto the fathers, by the prophets, hath " in these last days, fpoken to us by his Son :" and if we will not hear him, he will speak no more; after this it is not to be expected that he fhould make any farther attempts for our recovery, he can send no greater and dearer perfon to us, than "his own "Son." If we despise him; whom will we reverence? If we reject him, and the great falvation which he brings and offers to us; we have all the reafon in the world to believe that our cafe is defperate, and that we fhall die in our fins." "This was "the condemnation of the Jews, that they did not "receive and believe on him whom GOD had fent." And if we who profefs to believe on him, and to receive his doctrine, be found difobedient to it, in our lives, we have reafon to fear that our condemnation fhall be far heavier than theirs: for fince the appearance of the Son of God" for the falvation of men, "the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against "all ungodliness and unrighteoufnefs of men," efpecially against thofe "who detain the truth of God. "in unrighteousnefs;" that is, against those who entertain the light of God's truth in their minds, but do not suffer it to have its proper effect and influence upon their hearts and lives; and make that a prifoner, which would make them free. So our LORD tells us, that "the truth fhall make us free;" but if after we have received the knowledge of "the truth," we are ftill "the fervants of fin;" our condemnation is much worse, than if "the Son of "God" had never come: for the christian religion hath done nothing; if it do not take men off from their fins, and teach them to live well.

66

SERM.

LXX.

Especially at this time when we are celebrating "the coming of this Son of God, to destroy the "works of the devil," we fhould take great heed, that we be not found guilty of any impiety or wickedness; because this is directly contrary to the main defign of the grace of GoD, which brings falva❝tion, and hath appeared to all men," (and the appearance whereof we do at this time commemorate) for that "teacheth men to deny ungodliness and worldly lufts, and to live foberly and righteously and "godlily in this prefent world:" and we cannot gratify the devil more, than by fhewing ourselves more diligent than ordinary to uphold his works, at "this very time," when "the Son of GOD was ma"nifested" on purpose "to diffolve them :" we cannot poffibly chufe a worse, a more improper feafon to fin in, than when we are celebrating the birth of the bleffed JESUs, who came "to fave us from our "fins." This is, as if a fick man, for joy that a famous phyfician is come to his houfe, fhould run into all manner of excess, and fo do all he can to inflame his disease, and make his cafe defperate. Not but that our inward joy may lawfully be accompanied with all outward innocent expreffions of it: but we cannot be truly thankful, if we allow ourselves at this time in any thing contrary to the purity and fobriety of the gofpel. It is matter of juft and fad complaint, being of great fcandal to our SAVIOUR, and his holy religion, that fuch irregular and extravagant things are at this time commonly done by many, who call themselves Chriftians; and done under a pretence of doing honour to the memory of CHRIST's birth; as if, because the Son of God was at this time made man, it were fit for men to make themselves beafts,

If we would honour him indeed, we must take SER M. care that our joy do not degenerate into fin and fen- LXX. fuality, and that we do not exprefs it by leudness and luxury, by intemperance and excefs, by prodigal gaming, and profuse wafting of our eftates," as the "manner of fome is;" as if we intended literally to requite our SAVIOUR, "who being rich, for our "fakes became poor." This is the way of "parting "with houses and land, and becoming poor for his "fake, "for which he will never thank, nor reward us. This is not to commemorate the coming of our SAVIOUR, but to contradict it, and openly to declare that we will uphold "the works of the devil," in defpite of the Son of God, who came to destroy "them." It is for all the world like that leud and fenfelefs piece of loyalty, too much in fashion some years ago, of being drunk for the king. Good God! that ever it should pafs for a piece of religion among Christians, to run into all manner of excess for twelve days together, in honour of our SAVIOUR! A greater aggravation of fin cannot eafily be imagined, than to abuse the memory of the greatest blefling that ever was, "CHRIST coming into the world to take away fin," into an opportunity of committing it; this is to represent the Son of God as a patron of fin and licentiousness, and to treat him more contumeliously than the Jews did, who bowed the knee to him, and mocked him, and called him king, and fpit upon him; and, under a pretence of rejoicing for his birth, "to crucify to ourselves afresh the LORD of "life and glory; and to put him to an open shame."

હૈદ

I will conclude all with the apoftle's exhortation, Rom. xiii. 12, 13, 14. "Let us caft off the works “of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. “Let us walk decently as in the day; not in rioting " and

3

SERM." and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonLXX. "nefs, not in ftrife and envying. But put ye on "the LORD JESUS CHRIST, and make not provifion for the fleft to fulfil the luft thereof."

Now to our most gracious and merciful God, the great friend and lover of fouls, who regarded us in our low and loft condition, and caft an eye of pity upon us, when "we were in our blood, and no "other eye pitied us," and when we had loft and ruined our felves, was pleafed in tender compaffion to mankind," to fend his only begotten Son into "the world to feek and fave us," and by the purity of his doctrine, and the pattern of his life, and the facrifice of his death, to purchase eternal life for us, and to direct and lead us in the way to it and to him alfo, the bleffed SAVIOUR and redeemer of mankind, who came down from heaven, that he might carry us thither, and took human nature upon him, that we thereby might be " made partakers of a di"vine nature;" and "humbled himself to death,

even the death of the cross," that he might exalt us to glory and honour, and whilft we were bitter enemies to him, gave fuch a demonftration of his love to us, as never any man did to his best friend: "Unto him that fitteth upon the throne, and to the "lamb that was flain, to GOD, even our Father, "and to our LORD JESUS CHRIST, the firft begotten "from the dead, and the prince of the kings of the

earth, to him who hath loved us, and washed us "from our fins in his own blood, and hath made "us kings and priests unto GoD and his Father, to "him be glory and honour, dominion and power, 66 now and for ever. Amen."

SER

1103

SERMON

LXXI.

Preached at St. Peter's Corn

CHRIST JESUS the only mediator be-hill on the

tween GoD and men.

feast of. the annunciation 1691.

I TIM. II. 5, 6.

For there is one GOD, and one mediator between GOD and men, the man CHRIST JESUS, who gave bimfelf a ransom for all.

T

HESE words contain in them thefe four SER M. propofitions; three of them express, and the

fourth of them fufficiently implied in the text.

I. "That there is one GOD."

II. That there is one mediator between GOD

and men; CHRIST JESUS."

III. "That he gave himself a ramfom for all."

IV. "That the mediation or interceffion of JESUS "CHRIST, is founded in the redemption of man"kind." For this feems to be the reason why it is added, that "he gave himself a ranfom for all," to fignify to us, that because he gave himself a ran"fom for all," therefore he intercedes for all. In virtue of that facrifice which he offered to God for the falvation of men, he offers up our prayers to GOD and therefore it is acceptable to him, "that

we should pray for all men.". This feems to be the true connexion of the apostle's difcourfe, and the force of his reafoning about our putting up "pub"lick prayers for all men.”

LXXI.

'The firft

fermon on this text.