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النشر الإلكتروني

96

SERMON CXXII.

Chrift the author, and obedience the condition of falvation.

HEB. V. 9.

And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal falvation unto all them that obey him.

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HIS is fpoken of Christ,our great High-prieft under the gofpel; upon the excellency of whofe perfon, and the efficacy of his facrifice for the eternal benefit and falvation of mankind, the Apoftle infifts fo largely in this, and the following chapters; but the fum of all is briefly comprehended in the text, that our High-prieft being made perfect, became the author of eternal salvation to them that obey him.

In which words we have thefe, four things confi derable:

ft, The great bleffing and benefit here fpoken of, and that is eternal falvation; and this implies in it, not only our deliverance from hell, and redemption from eternal mifery; but the obtaining of eternal life and happiness for us.

adly, The author of this great bleffing and benefit to mankind; and that is Jefus Chrift the Son of God; who is here reprefented to us under the notion of our High-priest, who by making atonement for us, and reconciling us to God, is faid to be the author of eternal falvation to mankind.

3dly, The way and means whereby he became the author of our falvation; being made perfect, he became the author of eternal falvation. The word is Teλewis, having confummated his work and finished his course, and received the reward of it. For

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this word hath an allufion to thofe that run in a race, where he that wins receives the crown. And to this the Apoftle plainly alludes, Phil. iii. 12. where he fays, not as though I had already attained, bux öti ♪ exaßov, not as if I had already taken hold of the prize; but I am preffing, or reaching forward towards it; fn TETEλwμal, or were already perfect; that is, not as if I had finished my courfe, or had the prize or crown in my hand; but I am preffing forward towards it. In like manner, our bleffed Saviour, when he had finished the course of his humiliation and obedience, which was accomplished in his fufferings, and had received the reward of them, being rifen from the dead, and exalted to the right hand of God, and crowned with glory and honour, he is faid to be reais, made perfect; and therefore, when he was giving up the ghoft upon the crofs, he faid, John xix. 30. Teléλesa, it is finished, or perfected; that is, he had done all that was neceffary to be done, by way of fuffering for our redemption. And the fame word is likewife ufed, Luke xiii. 32. concerning our Saviour's fufferings, I do cures to day and to morrow, ỳ ty Tin Texeupau, and the third day I shall be perfected; this he fpake concerning his own death. And therefore, chap. ii. 10. God is faid to make the captain of our falvation perfect through sufferings; dia watnμάτων τελειώσαι. And thus our High-prient being made perfect in this fenfe, that is, having finifhed his courfe, which was accomplished in his fufferings, and having received the reward of them, in being exalted at the right hand of God, he became the author of eternal falvation to us.

4thly, You have here the qualifications of the perfons who are made partakers of this great benefit, or the condition upon which it is fufpended, and that is obedience; he became the author of eternal falvation to them that obey him.

Thefe are the main things contained in the text. For the fuller explication whereof, I fhall take into confideration these five things: I

VOL. VI.

ift, How

ift, How and by what means Chrift is the author of our falvation.

2dly, What obedience the gofpel requires as a condition, and is pleafed to accept as a qualification, in those who hope for eternal falvation.

3dly, We will confider the poffibility of performing this condition, by that grace and affiftance which is offered, and ready to be afforded to us by the gofpel.

4thly, The neceffity of this obedience, in order to eternal life and happiness.

And 5thly, Lfhall fhew that this is no prejudice to the law of faith, and the free grace and mercy of God, declared in the gofpel.

ift, We will confider how and by what means Christ is the author of our falvation; and this is contained in thefe words, being made perfect, he became the author of eternal falvation; that is, (as I told you before) having finifhed his courfe, which was accomplished in his laft fufferings; and having received the reward of them, being exalted at the right hand of God, he became the author of eternal falvation to us; fo that by all he did, and fuffered for us, in the days of his flesh, and in the state of his humiliation, and by all that he ftill continues to do for us, now that he is in heaven at the right hand of God; he hath effected and brought about the great work of our falvation. His doctrine and his life, his death and fufferings, his refurrection from the dead, and his powerful interceffion for us at the right hand of God, have all a great influence upon the reforming and faving of mankind; and by all thefe ways and means, he is the author and caufe of our falvation; as a rule, and as a pattern, as a price and propitiation, and as a patron and advocate that is continually pleading our caufe, and interceding with God on our behalf, for mercy and grace to help in time of need.

And indeed our condition required an High-priest who was qualified in all these refpects, for the recovery of mankind out of that corrupt and degenerate ftate into which it was funk; an High-priest whofe

lips fhould preferve knowledge, and from whofe mouth we might learn the law of God; whofe life fhould be a perfect pattern of holiness to us, and his death a propitiation for the fins of the whole world; and by whofe grace and affistance we fhould be endowed with power and ftrength to mortify our lufts, and to perfect holiness in the fear of God; and therefore fuch an High-prieft became us, who was holy, harmless, undefiled, and feparate from finners, who might have compaffion on the ignorant, and them that are out of the way, and being himself compaffed with infirmities, might have the feeling of ours, being in all points tempted as we are, only without fin; and in a word, might be able to fave to the uttermost all those that come to God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make interceffion for us.

By thefe qualifications our High-prieft is defcribed in this epiftle, and by thefe he is every way fuited to all our defects and infirmities, all our wants and neceffities; to inftruct our ignorance by his doctrine, and to lead us in the path of righteoufnefs by his most holy and most exemplary life; to expiate the guilt of our fins by his death; and to procure grace and affiftance for us, by his prevalent interceffion on our behalf. By all thefe ways, and in all these refpects, he is faid to be the author of eternal falvation.

ft, By the holinefs and purity of his doctrine, whereby we are perfectly inftructed in the will of God and our duty, and powerfully excited and perfuaded to the practice of it. The rules and directions of a holy life were very obfcure before, and the motives and encouragements to virtue but weak and ineffectual, in comparison of what they are now rendered by the revelation of the gofpel. The general corruption of mankind, and the vicious practice of the world, had in a great measure blurred and defaced the natural law; fo that the heathen world for many ages, had but a very dark and doubtful knowledge of their duty, efpecially as to feveral inftances of it. The custom of feveral vices had fo prevailed among mankind, as almoft quite to extinguish the natural fenfe of their evil and deformity. And the Jews,

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who enjoyed a confiderable degree of divine revelation, had no ftrict regard to the morality of their actions; and contenting themselves with fome kind of outward conformity to the bare letter of the ten commandments, were almost wholly taken up with little ceremonies and obfervances, in which they placed the main of their religion, almoft wholly neglecting the greater duties, and weightier matters of the law.

And therefore our bleffed Saviour, to free mankind from these wanderings and uncertainties about the will of God, revealed the moral law, and explained the full force and meaning of it, clearing all doubts, and fupplying all the defects of it, by a more parti cular and explicit declaration of the feveral parts of our duty, and by precepts of greater perfection, than the world was fufficiently acquainted withal before ; of greater humility and more univerfal charity;. Sof abstaining from revenge and forgiving injuries, and returning to our enemies good for evil, and love for ill-will, and bleffings and prayers for curfes and perfecutions. Thefe virtues indeed were fometimes, and yet but very rarely, recommended before in the counfels of wife men; but either not in that degree of perfection, or not under that degree of neceffity, and as having the force of laws, and laying an univerfal obligation of indifpenfible duty upon all mankind.

And as our bleffed Saviour hath given a greater clearness, and certainty, and perfection, to the rule of our duty, fo he hath revealed, and brought into a clearer light, more powerful motives and encouragements to the conftant and careful practice of it; for life and immortality are brought to light by the gofpel; the refurrection of Chrift from the dead be ing a plain and convincing demonftration of the im mortality of our fouls, and another life after this, and an evidence to us both of his power, and of the fi delity of his promife, to raife us from the dead. Not but that mankind had fome obfcure apprehenfions of these things before. Good men had always good hopes of another life, and futute rewards in another

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