task. To rescue us, therefore, from this wretched condition, in which death seemed to be our inevitable portion, is the glory of the MESSIAH, and the felicity of man *.

BUT by what means was this to be effected? not certainly without a more merciful covenant. And this was established in virtue. of that atonement for fin, which our Saviour, out of his infinite goodness, was pleased to

? • How nobly and beautifully does our fublime poet, MILTON, write on this fubject, in his Third Book of Paradife Loft, line 209?

He with his whole pofterity muft die,
Die he or justice muft; unless for him
Some other able, and as willing, pay

The rigid fatisfaction, death for death.

Say heav'nly Powers, where fhall we find fuch love?

Which of ye will be mortal to redeem

Man's mortal crime, and juft the unjust to fave?
Dwells in all Heaven Charity fo dear?

He afk'd but all the heav'nly choir stood mute,
And filence was in Heav'n; on Man's behalf
Patron or interceffor none appear'd,

Much less that durft upon his own head draw
The deadly forfeiture, and ransom set.
And now without redemption all mankind
Must have been loft, adjudg'd to Death and Hell
By doom fevere, had not the Son of God,
In whom the fullness dwells of love divine,

His deareft mediation thus renew'd.
E 2

undertake,

undertake, and, in the fulness of time, to make for us, by the facrifice of himself. And now, though we are not capable of that finless perfection required by the first, we are capable of thofe milder conditions, which are offered to us by this fecond covenant. Rigid obedience, as it is no longer in our power, is no longer infifted on as the terms of our acceptance, but fincere repentance for our paft tranfgreffions, and a faithful endeavour to avoid the repetition of them, is allowed, for our Redeemer's fake, to fupply the place of it, and to entitle us to that bliss and immortality, which were forfeited in ADAM by the fall. To procure for us the ineftimable benefit of this merciful difpenfation, the Prince of peace, the great captain of our falvation, was pleased to defcend from the manfions of glory, into the habitations of wretchedness; and to affume that nature in which fin had been committed, to render it an offering for fin. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels, but that of the feed of Abraham. Even he, by whom the worlds were made, who was appointed heir of all things, and who, being in the form of GOD, thought it not robbery to be

equal

equal with God, to accomplish this gracious defign, took upon him the form of a fervant, and was made in the likeness of man; and having thus humbled himself to the condition of man, became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Even he, I say, who, from eternity, had dwelt in light inacceffible, at the right hand of power, who was the express image of GOD, and the brightness of his glory, fubmitted to all the miseries of mortality, and became a man of forrows and acquainted with grief, to qualify himself to expiate our guilt, and to give us an example of the most confummate virtue, that we might follow his steps, and walk in all purity and holiness, even as he also walked. For be furely, as the Prophet faith, was wounded for our tranfgreffions, and bruised for our iniqui

ties.

He was defpifed and rejected of men; he was oppreffed and afflicted, and, to conclude the tragedy, was brought as a lamb to the Slaughter; that by means of these bitter fufferings, he might bear our griefs, and carry those forrows, to which our fins had exposed us. For the chaftifement of our peace was upon him; because the Lord laid upon him the iniquities of us all; and with his fripes we are healed. How great, how wonderful, then is

this inftance of the divine goodness! What an amazing condefcenfion, what astonishing love, and exalted mercy, are here exhibited by our Saviour in the accomplishment of our redemption! Well may we cry out, with the pfalmift, what is man, O Lord, that thou art thus mindful of him, or the son of man, that thou so regardeft him?

THE means of grace are another most invaluable benefit conferred on us by Almighty GOD. To promote and facilitate our progress in our christian courfe, many helps are given, many rules are enjoined us; but as these are various and extenfive, I fhall only mention a few of them. Of all the helps which we receive from GOD, to do him true and laudable fervice, and to live foberly, righteously, and piously in this prefent world, the aid and direction of his Holy Spirit are the first and most confiderable. For by him we are moved and animated to every good work, to every righteous purpofe; and by him we are ftrengthened and fupported in the pursuit of every virtue, and in the difcharge of every duty.-Again, as the love and favour of GOD, are only to be obtained by an earnest and fincere endeavour to obey his will, the fcriptures,

scriptures, which are an express revelation of that will, are obviously, therefore, one of the principal means of grace. In them all that is required of us, both as men and Christians, is contained; and by them we are instructed every branch of our duty. They illuminate our path through this world, and

in

open

to

us the most awful profpect into futurity. They exhibit the clearest view of all the just objects of our hopes and fears; explain to us our trueft intereft, and direct us to the most certain method of fecuring it. They furnish us with the wisest maxims and most perfect rules for the government of ourselves in every poffible condition; and teach us both how to live and how to die. But however conducive they may be, in themselves, to inform our minds, or influence our wills, however profitable for doctrine, reproof, or inftruction, it is evident they can be of no farther real benefit to us, than as we make a right use of them; than as we hear, read, mark, and learn, what they teach, fo as inwardly to digeft it. The poffeffion of them, like that of any other good talent, is only a bleffing when it is duly improved. But the proper application of this inftrument of grace is of the greater moment, as the knowledge of fo many others.