here is a joyful found in your ears; "He that hath ears to hear let him hear;" you may, in Chrift, be more righteous in God's fight, than ever you was guilty in his fight; yea, you may be the very righteousness of God in him; you may not only be juftified, but find God to be juft in juftifying you; becaufe the juftice of God is in him, and it is fatisfied in him, magnified in him, glorified in him.-In him we may fee all the mercy of God: all the infinite love, pity, and compaffion of God is in him, in his heart: what is Chrift, but the love of God wrapt up in the garments of flesh and blood?" In this was manifefted the love of God towards us, because that God fent his only-begotten Son into the world, that we might live thro' him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and fent his Son to be the propitiation for our fins," John iv. 9, 10. And Jude, ver. 21. "Keep yourselves in the love of God." How? Looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, unto eternal life." O poor miferable finner, would you wish to find mercy in the moment of death, and mercy at the great day? Know there is no mercy to be expected from God out of Chrift; and unlefs you look to his mercy as in Chrift; for he will never thew mercy to the prejudice of his juftice and it is only in Chrift that mercy and truth meet together, and embrace each other.In him we may fee all the faithfulness and truth of God; "My mercy and my faithfulness fhall be with him," Pfal. lxxxix. 24. I have obferved, (as I formerly noticed, upon another discourse,) between thirty and forty places of fcripture, where mercy and truth, mercy and faithfulness are joined together; and here you fee they are joined together in Chrift. In him the mercy and love of God vents to the honour of divine truth pledged, even in all the threatenings of the law, as well as divine truth pledged in all the promifes of the gofpel; because in him all the threatenings and curfes of the law have fpent their force, Gal. iii. 13. "And in him are all the promifes Yea and Amen, to the glory of God," 2 Cor. i. 20. He is the way and the truth; truth itfelf, the God of truth, the truth of God. O perfidious, faithlefs, unfaithful, and treacherous finner, that

hath

hath many times lied to the God of truth, would you have your falfhood all done away, and fwallowed up in the truth and veracity of God, and your falvation fecured, notwithstanding of your falfhood, ficklenefs, and inftability? Here is a pillar on which you may ftand firm and fixed amidst all changes, whether in your outward lot or inward frame; "For all flesh is grafs, but the word of the Lord endureth for ever." The truth of God ftands unalterably the fame.-Again, in him we may fee all the authority of God; "My name is in him," Exod. xxiii. 21. O! poor loft finner, when Chrift in his gofpel, comes to feek and fave that which was loft; fay not, By what authority doth he thefe things?" He is the Sent and Sealed of God; and he hath all the authority that God can give him: and if you afk, By what authority we, poor finful mortal worms like yourfelves, do offer him, and all his riches to you? Indeed, we could have no authority, if he had not said, "Go preach the gofpel to every creature: And lo I am with you to the end of the world."-In a word, in him we may fee all the fulness of God; "It pleafed the Father, that in him fhould all fulness dwell," Col. i. 19. In him dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily: not only all the attri butes of God, but all the fulness of all the divine attributes; not only the wifdom of God, but all the ful nefs of divine wifdom; not only the power of God, but all the fulness of divine power; not only the holiness of God, but all the fulness of divine holinefs; not only the juftice and righteousness of God, but all the fulness of divine righteoufnefs; not only the mercy of God, but all the fulnefs of divine mercy; not only the truth and faithfulnefs of God, but all the fulnefs of divine faithfulness; not only the authority of God, but all the fulness of divine authority: not only is God in him, but all the fulness of the Godhead. O poor, empty finner, here is unfearchable riches, a bottomlefs well of everlafting falvation and confolation for you.

2. In Chrift we fee God in all his faving offices. You know the Father hath anointed him to the office of Prophet, Prieft, and King: O Sirs, what employment will you put in his hand? It is he, as a Prophet, who fays,

"They

They fhall be all taught of God;" look to him for the promifed teaching. It is he, as a Prieft, who fays, upon the ground of the facrifice he hath offered, "I, even I, am he that pardoneth thine iniquity for my own name's fake;" look to him for remiffion in his blood. It is he, as a King, who fays, "I will fubdue your iniquities; fin fhall not have dominion over you." O ignorant finner, will you find in your heart to refufe fuch a Prophet as Chrift is?" Who teacheth like him?" O guilty finner, will you refufe fuch a High-Prieft as this? fuch a facrifice as this is? O inflaved finner, will you refuse the help of fuch a King and Conqueror as this? If there be none of these offices to be difpenfed with, then take hold of him in them all.

3. In Chrift we may fee God as he is clothed with all relations that can contribute to the happiness of a finner. What friend or relátion do you want, O finner!-Want you a Father to pity you? Behold, here you have an everlafting Father; for that is his name, İfa. ix. 6. and, In him the fatherless find mercy.-Want you a mother to be tender to you? Behold, here motherlefs children may have their loffes made up; When father and mother forfake you, here is one to take you up, Pfal. xxvii. 10. He is one that can be a thousand times better to you than father or mother; and manifefts more love than the tendereft mother that ever was; "Can a woman forget her fucking child? Yea, fhe may forget; yet will I not forget thee," Isaiah xlix. 15.-Want you a hufband! O! what would you think to be married with the Heir of all things? Why, if the ear of faith be opened, you may hear him faying, "Thy maker is thy Hufband," Ifa. liv. 5. And again, Hof. ii. 19. " I will betroth thee unto me for ever." If you fay, Oh! how will it be confiftent with the juice of God, for him to marry fuch a black bride? Why, he fays, "I will betroth thee unto me in righteoufnefs." If you fay, How will it be confiftent with the wifdom, mercy, truth and faithfulnefs of God, to betroth the like of me? He fays, "I will betroth thee unto me. in judgment, and in loving-kindness, and in mercies; I will even betroth thee

unto me in faithfulness, and thou fhalt know the Lord." Thou fhalt know God in Chrift, who can betroth thee' to himself, and yet be infinitely juft, and wife, and merciful, and faithful in doing fo; because mercy and truth have met together in Chrift, the glorious Bridegroom; they ftrike up a match together, and embrace each other, that there might be nothing to hinder the match between Chrift and you.-Want you a proper match then, O finner, or a meet help, poor bankrupt, run in fuch arrears to the law and juftice of God? Is not he that hath unsearchable riches, a fit match for you? Poor, dying creature, that will be food for worms in a little, here is a living Head for you, that can make you live for ever. O mortal worm, here is an immortal Hufband for you. Poor, changeable creature, here is an unchangeable Match for you, Chrift, "The fame yesterday, to day, and for ever."-Want you a lover? Are you an outcasft, that reckons yourself defpifed by all the world, infomuch that none cares for you, nor loves you? Behold an infinitely loving and lovely Jefus tendering his love to you, faying, "I will heal your backflidings, and love you freely," Hofea xiv. 4. And he is feeking your conjugal love, faying, " My fon give me thy heart."-Want you a leader through the dark and difficult fteps of your way; a guide, a director, and counsellor, in whatfoever affair you have upon your hand, wherein you need to be directed? O Sirs, here is the wonderful Counsellor, who fays, Ifaiah xlii. 16. "I will lead the blind in a way they know not, and in paths that they have not known. I will make darkness` light before them, and crooked things ftraight."-Want you a fhepherd to feed you? Or a captain to fight your battles for you?-Want you a phyfician, when in ficknefs, to heal you?-Want you a refiner and purifier, when you are in the furnace, to purge away your drofs? Behold a God in Chrift hath all the happy relations you can defire.

4. In Chrift we fee God in all his graces. This is a great part of the glory of the only begotten of the Father, that he is full of grace and truth, John i. 14. And, "Out VOL. VI. + Bb

of

of his fulness have we all received, and grace for grace," verle 16. Grace is poured into his lips," Pfalm xl. 2.; and, I hope, he is pouring grace from his lips by his word among fome of you this day. The Spirit of the Lord is upon him; for he hath anointed him he is ancinted with the oil of gladnefs above his fellows ;" anointed with the Spirit of all grace.-Want you grace to believe? Behold it is in him, as he is the Author of faith. Want you grace to repent? Behold it is in him, as a Prince and Saviour, exalted to give repentance.— Do you want grace to pray? It is he that hath the Spirit of prayer to give, Zech. xii. 10.-Do you want grace to communicate aright; grace to mortify fin; grace to bear the crofs; grace to refift temptation; grace to do and fuffer? It is he that hath all grace to give, and who fays, My grace fhall be fufficient for you." Hence his people are called to be strong in the grace that is in Chritt Jefus.

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5. In Christ we may fee God in all his bleffings which he hath to give. He is the Lord-Difpenfer of temporal bleflings; for, "The earth is his, and the fulnefs thereof:" the Lord-Difpenfer of fpiritual bleffings; for heaven is his and the fulnefs thereof: the LordDifpenfer of eternal bleffings; for eternal life is in him, He is the true God, and eternal life." It was promised of him, that men fhould be bleffed in him; and accordingly he is fent to blefs us, Acts iii. 26. "God having raifed up his Son Jefus, fent him to blefs you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities." I might here enumerate many particular bleffings. The bleffing of illumination is in him, for," He is the light to lighten the Gentiles:" the bleffing of converfion is in him; for he fays, "When I am lifted up, I will draw all men to me :" the bleffing of juftification is in him; for, "We are juftified freely by his grace:" the bleffing of reconciliation with God is in him; for, it is he that makes peace by the blood of his crofs: the bleffing of fanctification is in him; for, "He is made of God to us fanctification:" the bleffing of acceptation with God is in him; for," We are accepted in the Beloved:" the bleffing of accefs to God is in him; for, "By him we