ing manner this was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost it is needless to say, as we have it fo fully related: and there we have the strongest and most convincing evidence of the comfortable truth he afferted to his difciples, Matth. xxviii. 18. "That (c all power was given him in heaven and "in earth;" and "that the Father had "fo loved him his Son, as to commit 11 things into his hand."

ry,

By this short sketch of our Lord's histo

it will eafily appear, that no exception can be taken against his proper and effential Deity from any thing he has faid of his Father's being greater than him, or his acting in the character of his fervant, directed and bound by his fupreme authority, &c. It might be fufficient to fay, that it was the man Jefus who spoke these things: but it is fully taken off by the character in which he acted, as mediator between God and man; by which office he was bound to execute all the counfels and purpofes of grace, mercy, and love, to mankind; and in this character, as God and man united in one perfon, to rule and govern with all divine power and authority, during the prefent ftate of things, until

the

the kingdom being given up unto the Father, God fhall be all in all, and there fhall be no further occafion for fuch a dif tinction of divine characters, and no room left for that which gave the Son that fubordination on which thefe expreffions are founded.

СНА Р. VI.

Chrift's Life and Character further confidered, as an Example.

I

Have taken no notice of the birth of

this extraordinary perfon, and the way in which he entered himself among Adam's children. And that was indeed every way as extraordinary, whether we confider the very mean and low circumstances wherein he appeared in the eye of the world, or the very grand ones in the eyes of all that were capable of observing them. The manner of his conception by

the

power of the Moft High in the womb of a pure virgin, the heavenly powers celebrating his coming into the world, the wonderful star which intimated his birth

VOL. II.

Р

to

to the remoteft Eaft, which were overlooked by those who had the best reason to attend to them; all thefe concurred to atteft his greatness in the lowest and most contemptible outward circumstances; though these last, at the fame time, were every way as proper, as it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren the sons of Adam, in their lowest state of abasement, fin only excepted.

I need not observe, that it is from the terms in which the angels delivered the intimation of his birth to the shepherds, as glad tidings of great joy," that the name was taken which denominated the publishing of these same tidings to the world, viz. the gospel, or good news concerning Jefus Chrift; and they must have been fuch indeed to all who had heard of the feed in whom all the families of the earth fhould be bleffed. But as we Gentiles were aliens from the commonwealth of Ifrael, and ftrangers to the covenants of promise, we could not have known how good the news were, until we were acquainted with his character, and how much the happiness of mankind depended on him. Hence the word has been extended

tended to take in the whole of what we are taught to believe concerning Christ, and the ends and purposes for which he came into the world. And thus the whole of that record which God has made concerning his Son, is called the gospel of Chrift.

The angels fong contains the substance of it; the uniting of two things, which, to all created wifdom, muft have appeared abfolutely incompatible ; Glory to God "in the highest, and on earth peace, and (C good will towards men." The doubt which put even Solomon's faith to a stand, all things confidered, was a very puzzling one, "Will God in very deed dwell with men upon earth?" and who could have refolved it in the affirmative, had it not been for the appearance of Jefus Christ? In his perfon God has condescended to unite himself to man in fuch a manner, as, even if we knew no more of him, muft give ground to expect fome very great advantage from this fingular honour done. our nature; the nearest approach the creator can make to the creature. But none durft have prefumed to carry their expectations fo high as our Lord did in his last prayer, where we find him improving it

to establish fuch an union between God and all who believe in him, as fhall make them one in the Father and the Son. In this grand point all the counfels of God terminate; and there the human nature is exalted to the highest pitch of perfection and happiness, far above what the most fanguine advocates for the dignity of it could ever imagine.

The first step that can be taken toward this, must be what our Lord fays is eternal life, viz. "to know the only true God." The best description that can be made of an invifible being muft labour under many defects, and hardly make any impreffion on creatures of our make; unless it be illuftrated and confirmed by fenfible facts. His eternal power and Godhead are clearly seen from the creation of the world, being understood by the things that he hath made; but what we have either to hope or fear from him needs further illuftration: and upon the whole, we need to have fome image or model to form our apprehenfions upon. The old image given us in man is fo greatly defaced, that it is in danger of darkening instead of illuftrating the divine perfections. In Jefus Chrift we have a complete one. He is the image of the invisible