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made full atonement for your sin, all your consolations and your hopes for time and eternity. God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Under the symbols of the bread broken and the wine poured out upon the altar, you may behold the Lamb of God bruised and slain for your sins. And the church calls you, on the approaching festival that commemorates the resurrection of Him who once died, but now liveth for ever, to celebrate the infinite condescensions of his love. You are called spiritually to feed, by lively faith, on his body broken and blood shed, that you may partake of his mercy, and be nourished by his grace unto everlasting life. Seated at the table which his mercy spreads, as an all-sufficient and merciful Redeemer, Jesus addresses the accents of tender compassion-" Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and, he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price."* Brethren, the invitation is addressed to you; for, sinful, guilty, and doomed to death, from the divine fountain only, which is opened in the merits and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, can you derive health, and salvation, and life. Place then your trust in him, as that Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. Faithfully devoting yourselves to his service, you shall enjoy the consolations of his mercy, and the unfailing and almighty protection of his grace; and finally you shall be admitted to the kingdom of the once-suffering, but now highly exalted and triumphant Saviour; and there, with

*Isaiah lv. 1.

angels and archangels, and all the company of heaven, celebrate the everlasting festival of love; ascribing blessing, and honour, and glory, and power to him that sitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb that was slain to redeem you by his blood.

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SERMON XXV.

THE CONTEST AND VICTORY OF EMMANUEL

ISAIAH lxiii. 1-6.

Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the wine-fat? I have trodden the wine-press alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury, and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. For the day of vengeance is in my heart, and the year of my redeemed is come. And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me. And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth.

WITHIN the whole compass of language, no passage can be produced more truly eloquent and sublime than these glowing words of the evangelical prophet. He presents to our view a severe and bloody conflict, in which a personage most glorious and exalted is introduced as the principal actor; and the tremendous effects of his power and anger are displayed in the total destruction of his enemies. This scene is exhibited in language highly figurative, with imagery awfully just and appropriate, calculated to awaken the varied emotions of astonishment and sympathy, of terror and of triumph.

Independently of its evangelical meaning, the

passage cannot be read without those feelings of awe and pleasure which the truly sublime never fails to excite. But when we consider the evangelical prophet as describing, in these words, the glorious character and the deep humiliation and sufferings of the Messiah-as depicting the splendid victories by which he achieved our redemption, and the terrible vengeance which he will execute on his impenitent adversaries-this sublime passage assumes infinite interest; and the scene which it unfolds, excites the emotions of the most profound reverence and adoration. The evangelical strain of the prophet, who seems never for a moment to take his enraptured view from the promised Child that was to be born, and the Son that was to be given-the elevated grandeur and sublimity of the epithets, which are weakened and degraded when applied to a personage and event less glorious than the Saviour and his redemptionjustify this application of the passage.

Our church, by appointing the chapter in which these words are contained, as part of the epistle for Monday in this holy week, consecrated, from the earliest ages of Christianity, to the commemoration of the passion and crucifixion of our Lord, refers the event exhibited in this passage to that victory which, by his sufferings and death, he achieved over our spiritual enemies. Your time, therefore, cannot be more suitably employed than in considering the evangelical meaning of these sublime words.

It is necessary to remark, that though some of the declarations in this passage, which the prophet puts into the mouth of the Messiah, have a future aspect, yet the evident meaning and connexion of

the various parts of it require that they should be rendered in the past time; and the original justifies this rendering. The scene is under the form of a dialogue, which increases its spirit and sublimity.

The Messiah is introduced as an Almighty Conqueror returning triumphant from the slaughter of his foes, and awakening in those who behold him the emotions of astonishment and awe; and they burst forth in the inquiry-"Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah?" Bozrah was a city of Edom, a country, the inhabitants of which had been distinguished for their inveterate enmity to the Jews; and it is usual with the prophets to distinguish the enemies of Christ and his church by the names of nations who were adversaries of Israel, God's peculiar people, whom he had selected to be the depositaries of his laws and truths until the promised seed should come, who should be for salvation to the ends of the earth. The Messiah therefore, returning in "dyed garments" from the conflict with the enemies of man's salvation, is represented as coming from Edom and Bozrah.

The majesty and splendour of his appearance excite still further astonishment and awe.

"This that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength."

The appearance of the Conqueror was suited to the dignity of his character, to the irresistable might of his dominion, and to the infinitely important achievements in which he had been engaged. He "travels in the greatness of his strength," bearing dismay and defeat amongst all his enemies, and bringing victory and salvation to his faithful followers.

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