We are expecting " peace," though" in the way" of finWe are " in the thadow of death," or on the confines of deftruction But Chrift became incarnate to deliver us from this flateThis end he invariably purfued in the days of his miniftryHe ftill profecutes it by the miniftry of his fervants—],The initial or moving caufe was "the mercy of God" [There was nothing in us that could induce God to fend his Son There was every thing rather that could provoke his indignation Yet, unfolicited, he promised to fend this Saviour &—— This account is confirmed by St. Paul1-] h How should our fouls glow with a fenfe of this mercy! INFERENCES 1. How willing is God to fave finners! rife! [With what unwearied kindnets does he caufe the fun to And how incomprehenfible the love that fent us the Sun of righteoufnefs! Surely we cannot doubt his willingness to bestow falvationLet not any then entertain hard thoughts of God— Let all rather feek to have this "Day-ftar arife in their hearts"-] 2. How great is the happiness of those who believe in Chrift! [They were once fitting in darkness even as others *_ But they have been brought to behold this Day-spring from on high! They are now" in the way of" prefent and eternal " peace How great and ineftimable is their felicity! Let thofe that enjoy it be thankful for it, and look for its full completion-} 8 Gen. iii. 15. From the expreflion oλayxa ixées, "bowels of mercy," we may confider God as looking-with pity upon fallen Adam, and reafoning with himself as he did in the cafe of his people Ifrael, Jer. xxxi. 20. Eph. ii. 4, 7. k Tit. iii. 3. 11 Pet. ii. 9. LXXIX. THE ENDS AND EFFECTS OF CHRIST'S EXHIBITION TO THE WORLD. Luke ii. 34, 35. Behold, this child is fet for the fall and rifing again of many in Ifrael; and for a fign which shall be Spoken against; (yea, a fword fhall pierce through thy own foul alfo that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. THE ways of God are deep and unfearchableThe richeft difplays of his love have been often accompanied with the heavieft afflictons-- The honour beftowed on Paul was the forerunner of great fufferings Thus the Virgin's diftinguished privilege of bringing the Son of God into the world was a prelude to the fevereft anguifh to her foul Even the gift of the Meffiah himself, while it faves fome, is the occafion of a more dreadful condemnation to others It was foretold, that, as this was one end, fo it would alfo be an effect of Chrift's miffion I. The remote ends of Chrift's exhibition to the world God has on the whole confulted his creatures' good as well as his own glory— But he will not effect the happiness of every individual The "fall of many" was one end of Chrift's coming [His appearance was contrary to the carnal expectations of the Jews— Hence he became a fumbling-block to almoft the whole nation It had been plainly foretold that he should be fo2— ters Our Lord himself exprefsly refers to it He elsewhere confirms the declaration contained in it -] The coming of Chrift actually produced this effect [Many took offence at him Thus a Ifai. viii. 14, 15. c Matt. xxi. 42, 44. 1 Cor. i. 23. 1 Pet. ii. 8. d John ix. 39. At his low parentage, his mean appearance, his fublime doctrines, his high pretenfions, &c. Thus they became more wicked than they would otherwise have been Thus alfo they perished with a more aggravated condemnation -] But this was by no means the chief end The "rifing of many coming was another end of Chrift's [Jews and Gentiles were in a moft deplorable conditionThey were guilty, helplefs, hopeless From this ftate Chrift came to aife them This alfo was a fubject of prophecy h And our Lord often declares that this was the end of his coming Hence he calls himself" the refurrection and the life"-] [Few believed on him before his death- Many from their own experience can fay with Hannah II. The more immediate end T The minds of men in reference to God were very little known Neither ceremonial nor moral duties could fully dif cover their state But he came to make it clear how every one was affected towards God- In order to this he was "" dictionTM a mark or butt of contra [No man ever met with fo much contradiction as he "— He was contradicted by all perfons, on all occafions, in. the moft virulent manner, in fpite of the cleareft evidence', and in the most folemn feafons Σημεῖον ἀντιλεγόμενον. n Heb. xil. 3. Luke xix. 10. John x. 10.. m Scribes, pharifees, lawyers, Herodians. In all that he taught about his perfon, work, and offices, and in all he did, in working miracles, &c. 4 They came to catch, enfnare, and provoke him. They would rather aferibe his miracles to Beelzebub, and his doc trines to madness, impiety, and infpiration of the devil. Even on the crofs itself. This was frequently as a fword in Mary's breaft-] By his becoming fuch a mark, the thoughts of men's hearts were discovered [The Pharifees wished to be thought righteous The Scribes, the free-thinkers of the day, pleaded for candour The Herodians profeffed indifference for all religion- Thus they fhewed what was in their hearts-] The preaching of Chrift ftill makes the fame difcovery [Chrift is ftill a bult of contradiction in the worldBefore his gofpel is preached, all feem to be agreedBut when he is fet forth, difcord and divifion enfueThen the externally righteous people fhew their enmityThen the indifferent difcover the fame readiness to perfecute On the other hand the humility of others appearsMany publicans and harlots gladly embrace the truthAnd many believers inanifeft a willingness to die for Chrift-] By way of IMPROVEMENT we may enquire 1. What felf-knowledge have we gained from the preaching of Chrift? [He has been often " fet forth crucified before our eyes" This mult in a meafure have revealed our thoughts to us What difcoveries then has it made"? Let us take the gofpel as a light with which to fearch our hearts Let us beg of God to illumine our minds by his Holy Spirit-] 2. What effect has the preaching of Christ produced on our lives? [We muft either rife or fall by means of the gofpel- . Are we then rifen with Chrift to a new and heavenly life? Or are we filled with prejudice againft his church and people? Let us tremble left he prove a rock of offence to us If we rife with him now to a life of holiness, he will raife us ere long to a life of glory—] Matt. x. 34-36. "Has it fhewn us our natural pride and felf-righteousness, our selffufficiency and felf-dependence, our light thoughts of fin, our ingratitude, our unbelief, our enmity against God and his Chrift?. If it have not taught us these humiliating lessons, we have learned nothing yet to any good purpose. LXXX. THE NATURE AND EXTENT OF CHRISTIAN INNOCENCE. Hof. viii. 5. How long will it be ere they attain to innocency? MAN was originally made in the image of GodHe then poffeffed perfect innocence both in body and foul But this he loft through the commiffion of fin Nor can he ever recover it in this world Nevertheless there is a comparative innocence to which he may be restored The Ifraelites had altogether revolted from GodYet to them did God addrefs this affectionate interrogation 1. In what fenfe finners may be faid to attain to innocency It is certain we cannot undo any thing that is paft [Not only our actions, but the effects of them will remain We cannot restore thofe who are now fuffering the punishment of fins, which they were led into by our influence or example Nor can we reclaim thofe who are now living in courses which we once countenanced and approved-] Nor can we abfolutely live without fin in future [The Scriptures plainly affirm this—-—-—- They who boaft of finless perfection are under a delufion — The most perfect man on earth needs as much to implore a forgiveness of his trefpaffes, as a fupply of his daily bread —-—] But there is a fenfe wherein we may attain to innogency Our guilt may be removed [Chrift died that he might take away all our fins d And they who are interefied in his death are fpotlef's before God-] -Our natures too may be renewed [The Holy Spirit is promifed to renew our fouls -- * 1 Kings viii. 46. James iji. 2. Matt. vi. 12. • Eph. v. 25-27. b 1 John i. 8. d Heb. ix. 26. f Ezek. xxxvi. 25. He |