blished most righteous and wholesome laws; the which his subjects are by him obliged and enabled to obey. He constantly defendeth and protecteth his subjects from all invasions and assaults of their enemies, (intestine enemies, their own lusts; external enemies, the devil and the world.) He provides for all their needs and wants; he supports them in all their distresses and troubles. He exercises judgment over them; distributing fit rewards and punishments with exquisite justice and equity; (most liberal rewards to the loyal and obedient; most severe punishments on obstinate offenders and rebels.) He lastly restrains and suppresses, defeats and destroys, all the adversaries to his royal dignity, and to the welfare of his good subjects, both visible and invisible, temporal and spiritual. 'Out of his mouth (as it is in the Apocalypse) there goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations; and he shall rule them with a rod of iron.' These mine enemies, (he shall one day say,) which would not that I should reign over them, bring them hither, and slay them before me.' 'He must reign,' saith St. Paul, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. Thus is he a king, endued with sovereign right and power, crowned with glorious majesty, enjoying all pre-eminences, and exercising all acts suitable to regal dignity.

3. He is likewise a priest, and that much above an ordinary one; διαφορωτέρας τέτευχε λειτουργίας, ‘He hath obtained a more excellent function' (as the Apostle to the Hebrews speaketh) than ever any other priest had. Every high priest,' saith the Apostle to the Hebrews, is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices.' He did, as such, once offer up an oblation, in worth and excellency far surpassing all the sacrifices and oblations that ever were made; (all the fattest hecatombs that ever were sacrificed, all the gold and precious stones that ever were dedicated, all the spices and perfumes that ever were kindled into incense, on altar, were but vile and sordid, were ineffectual and unacceptable, in comparison thereto;) a willing oblation he made on the altar of his cross of himself, (his most innocent, most pure, most spotless and unblemished self,) of his most glorious body, (the temple of the Divinity,) of his most precious blood, of his dear life, for the life of the world' and redemp→ tion of mankind; for the 'propitiation of our sins and the sins

of the whole world;' an oblation which alone could appease God's wrath, and satisfy his justice, and merit his favor toward us.

He doth also (which is another sacerdotal performance) intercede for us; he intercedes as an advocate for the pardon of our sins; ('If any man sin, we have an advocate with (or to) the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.') He intercedes for the acceptance of our services, (whence we are enjoined to do all things, to pray, to give thanks in his name ;) for the granting our requests; for grace and assistance; for comfort and reward; for all spiritual blessings and advantages to be conferred on us; he thus pursuing the work of salvation by his propitiatory sacrifice begun for us; whence, as the Apostle to the Hebrews saith, he is able to save to the uttermost those that by him come to God, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for us.'

He doth also perform the priestly function of blessing. Blessing the people in God's name, and blessing God in the people's behalf; as did that illustrious type of his, Melchizedek; (Blessed,' said he, 'be Abraham of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand.') So hath Jesus effectually pronounced all joy and happiness to his faithful people; he pronounced blessedness to them in his sermons; he blessed his disciples at his parting; Lifting up his hands, he blessed them,' saith St. Luke; God in him,' saith St. Paul, hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places,' (or in heavenly things;') and, God,' saith St. Peter, having raised up his son Jesus, sent him to bless us in turning every one of us from his iniquity:' and at the last day he will utter that comfortable benediction; Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.' So is Jesus a true and perfect priest. And,

.

So, finally, in all respects, is Jesus God's anointed, and the Christ of God; as the great Prophet and Doctor; as the Sovereign King and Prince; as the High-priest and Advocate of his church. And indeed that he is so is the fundamental point of our religion; which the Apostles did peculiarly testify,

preach, and persuade; the sincere belief of which doth constitute and denominate us Christians.

IV. The consideration whereof ought to beget in us a practice answerable to the relations between him and us, grounded thereon.

If Jesus be such a prophet, we must, with careful attention, and a docile mind, hearken to his admonitions and instructions; we must yield a steady belief to all his doctrine, and we must adhere constantly thereto, and we must readily obey and practise what he teaches.

If he be a king, we must maintain our due allegiance to him, pay him honor and reverence, submit to his laws and commandments, repose trust and confidence in him, fly to his protection and assistance in all our difficulties and needs.

If he be a priest, we must with sincere faith and hope apply ourselves unto him for, and rely on, his spiritual ministries in our behalf; sue for and expect propitiation of our sins by virtue of his sacrifice; the collation of all spiritual gifts from his intercession; all comfort, joy, and felicity in consequence of his effectual benediction. Having' (so the Apostle to the Hebrews admonisheth us) a great priest over the house of God,

let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith.'

In short, if Jesus be Christ, let us be Christians; Christians, not only in name, in outward profession, in speculation and opinion, but in very deed and reality, in our heart and affection, in all our conversation and practice. Let every one that nameth the name of Christ' (that is, who confesseth Jesus to be Christ, and himself to be his follower) depart from iniquity.'

Now the God of peace, that brought from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make us perfect in every good work to do his will, working in us that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever.' Amen.

SUMMARY OF SERMON XXI.

JOHN, CHAP. I.-VERSE 14.

THAT Jesus Christ our Lord is the only Son of God, that is, the Son of God in a peculiar and high manner, &c. St. John here affirms; and this is a great point of Christian doctrine, and a special object of our faith. It is now proposed to show the truth of this, and to explain how it is to be understood.

I. That the Messias was to be in an especial manner the Son of God, even the ancient prophets did foretel and presignify. Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee, saith God of him in the second Psalm. This relation shown to be expressed and intimated in many other parts of the ancient Scriptures, wherein are many epithets applied to it, importing peculiar eminency in its kind. The relation, in a large sense, and equivocally, is attributed to several as to Adam, to the angels, to God's peculiar people, and sometimes to all people; but to these in a manner inferior and in an improper sense for Christ is the only Son of God. The difference between these two cases stated.

1. Christ is called the Son of God in regard to his temporal generation, being born of the Holy Ghost: this explained. 2. In regard to his resurrection by divine efficacy; that being a kind of generation. 3. He is capable of this title by reason of that high office, in which by God's especial designation he was instated: this explained. 4. Whereas also it is said that God did appoint our Saviour heir of all things, did put all things under his feet, did commit unto him all authority in heaven and earth, &c.; in these and such other respects is he

properly or fitly called the Son of God, with some peculiarity and eminency above all others: but his being with such emphasis called God's only begotten Son, imports a more excellent ground than any of the preceding.

Reasons given why neither the temporal generation, nor the resurrectional one, nor the free collation of power and dignity, nor the heirship of all things, nor all the glorious prerogatives appropriated to Christ, &c. can account for this peculiar relationship, and the expressions by which it is denoted.

We must search for a better ground of this peculiar Sonship in the testimonies of holy Scripture; whence it is evident,

1. That our Saviour had in himself somewhat more than human, according to which he is said to have existed before his temporal generation here among men. No man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, &c. This head enlarged on.

2. And this pre-existence was necessary, since God by him made the world. God, saith St. Paul, created all things by Jesus Christ, &c.

3. He did indeed exist from all eternity; for he is called absolutely, the Beginning, which excludes all time previous to his existence: he is styled the first-born of every creature; or rather, as it ought to stand, born before all the creation: this head enlarged on.

4. From what has been said, it follows that his being was absolutely divine. If he was no creature, if author of all creatures, if eternally subsistent, then assuredly he is God; such state, action, and property being incommunicably peculiar to God. Many instances quoted from Scripture, wherein he is expressly designated as God. In many others the same is intimated. And seeing that holy Scripture is so cautious against inculcating the belief of more gods than one, how can we reconcile these things, unless we acknowlege our Saviour to be God?