yet proclaiming Pardon for our past Offences upon our fincere Repentance; --- by setting before us the most excellent Pattern of Duty in his own Example; --- - by propofing to us the most effectual Means both for Reformation of Life, and Establishment of Obedience; --- and, laftly, by enforcing all this on us from the View of Motives fingularly affecting. By all this he hath fully answered the Character given of him, viz. Of being that Prophet which should come into the World.

Beyond all this, it deferves likewise our Attention, that, befide the Excellency and Extent of our Faith, it hath been derived to us, not in the Way which had been used in former Times, by the Teaching of Men divinely commiffioned, or even the Difpofition of Angels, but by the Authority of the only begotten Son of God; --- of One equal in Dignity, as being of the fame Nature with the Father himself; of a Person whom the Angels of God worship, and by whom also God made the Worlds. In this View, the Scheme propofed comes enforced on us in a very particular manner. We are now directly taught of God. His Condefcenfion in doing this, is amazing: And, fince the Authority which doth it, is fupreme and original, one might

hope

hope the Effects of it likewife would be univerfal. But should it prove otherwise, judge what must be the Confequence of our Difobedience: For we are not only acting against full Light, our own Confciences (if we confult them) reproaching us, but we fet ourselves at open Defiance with God himfelf. When he commands, in Perfon commands, and we will not obey, muft we not expect, that God will arife and maintain his own Caufe, remembering how the foolish Man blafphemeth him daily? And when the great Tryal comes, what Excufe can we make? what Plea in Abatement can we offer? Our Bleffed Saviour himself thus ftates the Matter; If I had not come, and spoken unto them, they had not had Sin [i. e. had not finned fo heinously]; but now they have no Cloak for their Sin;---no Ignorance, no Sufpicion of Authority to alledge: They have finned with their Eyes open,---perhaps their own Minds reproving them, and against a Power just ready to overwhelm them.

It will not be improper (and what I have juft now faid fuggefts it) to confider our Bleffed Lord, the Author of our Faith, under another Character; viz. as the fupreme Head and Governor of the Church.

Thus

Thus he is confidered in the New Teftament as erecting a fpiritual Empire in Oppofition to the Power of Satan, who had feduced Mankind from their Allegiance to that God, to whom they were naturally fubject. Of this State, or Combination of Perfons thus united, he is declared the Head; and the Perfons fo combined are his Subjects, his Soldiers, --- Perfons concerned to obey his Laws, and to war his Warfare. Agreeably, those to whom he addresses himself are exharted to come to him; those who are converted are faid to be given to him; he is to guide and to direct them as the Captain of their Salvation,---to protect them from Danger, --to fupport them under Difficulties, --and at length to reward them with Glory.

In Truth, a fpiritual Empire of this Kind was not entirely a new Thing begun under the Chriftian Difpenfation, but in fome fort the Continuation of a former Empire erected under the Jewish: For of them was Chrift alfo the King: By Him was the Law delivered to Mojes; it was He who went before them in the Pillars of Fire and Smoak; it was He who gave them Victory over their Enemies; who fpake forth his Oracles; who fixed his Refidence between the Cherubim;

and,

and, in fhort, who governed the Hebrews with fupreme Authority.

to

Upon this Foot, I prefume, it is, that when Christ appeared amongst them in an human Form, he is faid to come to His Own, His Own, not merely as he was the Defcendant from David, to whom the Jewish Crown by Succeffion belonged, ---but as one greater than he, the fupreme Governor of their State, whofe Vicegerent only David himself could be understood to be.

In confequence of this Regal Power over the Jews, a Difobedience to the Law was a Rebellion against God; it was an entire Renunciation of his Authority over them; and. accordingly punished, as other wilful Rebellions are wont to be, by abfolute Destruction: He, faith the Apostle, who defpifed Mofes his Law, died without Mercy under Two or Three Witnesses.

Let us carry this on to a fimilar Power under the Chriftian State; or rather let us confider it as the fame Power either revived or continued. In this View of the Matter, what ought to be our Behaviour, ---and what our Apprehenfion, in case of Difobedience ? Our Submiffion itself should be abfolute; for. the Authority to which we are fubject is unlimited;

5

limited; and every wilful and habitual Offence against it, is a Resistance of this Authority; in which, if we perfevere, and continue unrepentant to the End, and thereby trample under Foot the Son of God, in both his Prophetical and Regal Characters, what must remain but a fearful Looking for of Judgment and fiery Indignation, which shall devour the Adverfaries [Heb. x. 27.]? What a fearful Thing must it be to fall into the Hands of a living and provoked God! ver. 31.

II. I pafs on now to the Second Particular from whence the Aggravation of Sin under the Gospel arises; viz. It is a Renunciation of all the Benefits purchafed for us by the Sufferings and Death of Chrift; as reprefenting the Blood of the Covenant wherewith we are fanctified, as an unholy Thing.

Under the former Head I have confidered our Bleffed Lord both in his prophetical and regal Characters; --- in the One, as our Supreme Teacher; in the Other, as our Supreme Governor. I fhall now take a Step farther, and confider him likewife as our High-Prieft, offering for us a Sacrifice of Atonement, which none but he could offer, ---the most valuable Sacrifice of Himself; as confirming the new Covenant of Pardon

he