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No, certainly, God hath afforded the laft and greatest Means for Man's Salvation, and no other is ever to be expected. Chrift hath once appeared in the End of the World to put away Sin, by the Sacrifice of himself; and to those that believe in him, and love him, and obey him, will he appear the Second Time to their Salvation. But never will he appear again to make a new Reconciliation for thofe Men, that are not reconciled to God by his first Appearance. To fuch (as our Apostle speaks in the Tenth Chapter) There remains no more Sacrifice for Sin, but a fearful Expectation of Judgment and fiery Indigna. tion to confume the Adverfaries.

III. The Third General Point I am to infist on from the Text, is the End of our Saviour's Appearance; and that is here faid to be, the putting away of Sin; Once in the End of the World bath he appeared to put aways Sin,

This is that which the Scripture every where affigns as the Business and Design of Chrift's coming. To run over all the particular Texts, would be tedious in fo plain a Cafe. I fhall therefore only name One or Two.

This is the Account that St. John gives of his Appearance, i Epift. Chap. iii. Te know, faith he, that he was manifefted to take away our Sins.

And again, this is the Account that the Angel gives to Jofeph, a little before his Birth, Matth. 1. 20. Fear not (faith he) to take unto thee Mary thy Wife; for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And he shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call his Name Jelus; for

for he shall fave his People from their Sins. He was called Jefus, because he was defigned by : God to be our Saviour; for fo much that Word imports. And he is therefore our Saviour, because he faves his People from their Sins, which is in the Words of the Text, to put them away.

But what is it to be faved from our Sins, or to have our Sins put away? Since the Salvation we have by Christ doth consist in this, it is fit we should a little more particularly infift on it. In Anfwer therefore to this Queftion, we fay, that Two Things are implied in Christ's putting away Sin.

First, His faving or delivering us from the Guilt of our Sins, and the Punishment due to them. Secondly, His faving or delivering us from the Power and Dominion of them.

In thefe Two Things confifts the Salvation obtained for us by Jefus Chrift; and if either of them was wanting, or was not effected, he would not be a compleat Saviour.

Firft, Chrift appeared to put away Sin, by delivering us from the Guilt and Punishment of it; that is to fay, by procuring for us the Pardon and Remiffion of it.

This is the Salvation which Zachary in his Hymn foretels John Baptift should publish to the World, Luke 1. To give Knowledge of Salvation to his People for the remiffion of their Sins.

And this is that Redemption of Chrift which St. Paul speaks of, 1 Coloff. 14. In whom we have Redemption through his Blood, even the Forgiveness of Sins.

And

And Laftly, St. Paul's Sermon to the Gentiles is, Be it known unto you, Men and Brethren, that through this Man Jefus Chrift, is preached unto you the Forgiveness of Sins, and by him, all that believed are justified from all Things, from which could not be justified by the Law of Mofes, Acts 13. And therefore, much lefs, certainly, by the Law of Nature.

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The Effect of thefe Texts is, That all Mankind are Sinners, are concluded under Sin, dre become Guilty before God, as the Apostle speaks. The most innocent Perfon is not excepted. All, without Exception, have, by their Sins, fallen fbort of the Glory of God. Means now for the freeing themselves from the Guilt of thefe Sins, they have none, nor is it poffible they fhould have, for that wholly depends upon the Pleasure of Him to whom they have rendred themselves obnoxious; and that is God, the Governour of the World. Here therefore appears the infinite Mercy of God, and the Kindness of our Soviour: The Eternal Word interpofeth and offers himself to become Man, and in that Perfon, to make Satisfaction for the Sins of the World. And God accepts the Terms. And hereupon a Covenant is made between God and Mankind; wherein, God for his Part, upon Account of this Mediation of Chrift, promises Forgiveness of all Sins, to all true Penitents all the World over.

O joyful Tidings thefe! What Eafe is here to wounded Confciences? What Comfort to defpairing Sinners? What Encouragement to all Men every where to repent?

If we confider Mankind in their pure Naturals, and as without Chrift Jefus, this plainly was their Cafe. They did believe a Supreme God; and their Reason, it is likely, would tell them, that God was Good and Merciful. But yet this Reafon could difcover no more than God's general Goodnefs to them that all along endeavoured to please and approve themselves to Him. But as for his Willingness to pardon and forgive Sinners, efpecially those that had offended him, by very grievous Crimes, or lived in a long habitual Course of Wickedness; this they could not conclude from their Reafon. Nay, if they did reafon as they juftly might, they might rather be inclined to believe that he would not pardon fuch Criminals. For as their Reason told them, that God was Good; fo the fame Reafon told them that he was Just, and had an infinite Regard to the Honour and Reputation of his Laws: Which Laws, their own Confciences told them, they had heinoufly tranfgreffed; nor had they any Thing wherewith to compenfate or make Satisfaction for the Tranfgreffion of them: And therefore what could they expect from fo Just a God, but to undergo the Punishment they had deferved?

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This was a very uncomfortable Reasoning; and yet fuch a one it was, as there was no Answer to be given to, in the State of Nature; and therefore in what a melancholy Condi tion were Mankind all the while? What Encouragement had they feriously to fet upon the Amendment of their wicked Lives? Or,

if

if they did, what Fruit, what Comfort could they promise to themselves by fuch an Amendment?

But, bleffed be God, that hath removed us out of these Uncertainties; Bleffed be God, that hath given us the greatest Assurance that is poffible, of his Love and Kindness to the greatest of Sinners; and confequently laid the greatest Obligation upon all Mankind, to turn from their Evil Ways.

He hath fent his Son, his only Son, into the World, on purpofe to affure us of his good Will to us; to give a Demonftration of the unfeigned Love and Kindness that he bears to every Soul of the Sons of Adam, that he would not have any of them perish, but that they should all come to the Knowledge of the Truth, and be faved. This Son of his doth most Solemnly, in the Name of his Father, proclaim Pardon and Remiffion of Sins to every one that fhould believe in Him... There is no Sinner excepted even the Oldest, the Greatest, the most Enor, phones of Sinners, if they will come in, and fubmit to the Yoke of Jefus Chrift, have his certain Promise that they fhall be received.

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And left any one fhould fear the Divine Fuftice, upon Account that there is no Satisfa. tion made to it for his Sins, our Lord hath taken Care to remove that Objection: For he, by the unvaluable Merits of his Perfon, and the free unconstrained Offering up of Himself to an Ignominious Death upon the Crofs, on the Behalf of Mankind, hath made a full, compleat and entire Satisfaction to God's