Lord God was upon him, because the Lord anointed him to preach good tidings to the meek.” He sent him to "bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the acceptable year of the Lord, to comfort all hat mourn." He exercised the most tender compassion to dark, doubtful a d tempted souls. He did not "break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax, but strengthened the weak hands, confirmed the feeble knees, and said to them of a faint heart, be strong, fear not.”

He warned careless and secure sinners of their misery and danger, proclaiming to them the day of vengeance, and admonishing them to be wise, to serve the Lord with fear, and to kiss the Son, lest he should be angry, and they perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. He made the path of salvation plain to those who believe in him, like a highway, where the way-faring men, though fools, should not err. As the great high priest of our profession, he bore our griefs and carried our sorrows. The chastisement of our peace, was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed. He made his soul an offering for in, and brought in everlasting righteousness; and this is the name whereby he is called with the greatest emphasis and propriety, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. The Lord has given him for a covenant to the people, to establish the earth, and has promised that his covenant shall stand fast with him. In a word, he is our advocate, with the Father, and makes intercession for transgressors; and according to God's

oath concerning him, he remains a priest for ever, after the order of Melchisedek.

This is not all. Our eternal Intercessor, "is also King of kings, and Lord of lords.

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God has set his King upon his holy hill of Zion. throne of God, our Saviour, is for ever and ever, and the sceptre of his Kingdom is a sceptre of righteousness. As a King, he reigns in the hearts of his people, brings them into subjection to himself, and makes them willing in the day of his power. As a King, he sits at God's right hand, and rules in the midst of his enemies. In his Majesty he rides forth prosperously conquering and to conquer. Nor was his regal office limited to the establishment of Christianity, for of the increase of his government and peace, there is no end. He sits upon the throne of David, and in his kingdom to order it, and to establish it with judgement and with justice, from henceforth,

even for ever..

The personal properties which have so illustriously distinguished our Redeemer, such as his innocence, wisdom, humility. &c. have been accurately described in the style of a prophecy, and have all had their literal accomplishment in the remarkable incidents of his life and death. Previous to his entering upon his public ministry, there was a messenger sent before him in the spirit of the prophet Elijah, to prepare the hearts of God's people for his reception; and then the Lord, whom they sought, came suddenly to his temple, and by his appearance and preaching there, made the glory of the latter house

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much greater than that of the former, which was built by Solomon. This is the Star which came out of Jacob, and enlightened the whole land of Israel.

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In confirmation of his divine mission, he wrought many wonderful miracles. Then the eyes of the blind were opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped. The lame man leaped as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb sung. In that day the deaf heard the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind saw out of obscurity, and out of darkness. The meek also increased their joy in the Lord, and the poor among men, rejoiced in the holy one of Israel."

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When the stretching out of Immanuel's wings, had thus filled the land of Judah, it might be expected that he would have met with a most joyful entertainment among the people; but the case was far otherwise. Though he was for a sanctuary to some, yet he was for a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel; and many among them stumbled and fell, and were broken, and scared and taken :" for the testimony was bound up, and the law sealed among his disciples, known indeed and understood by them, but unknown by the body of the Jewish nation.

When the prophetic calculation, determined upon this people, and recorded in the book of Daniel was accomplished, Messiah was cut off, but not for himself. The rulers of Israel, in the zenith of their envy, and unexampled malice, took counsel together against the Lord and his

anointed. He was betrayed into their hands, by one of his own familiar friends. They insulted and mocked him, with the most unreasonable invectives; and having wounded and bruised him, they pierced his hands and his feet, and cut him off, by tortures inconceivable, from the land of the living.

But though his body was buried, God did not suffer his holy one to see corruption. The grave was unable to detain its prisoner. I know, says Job, that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. After his soul was made an offering for sin, he saw his seed and prolonged his days. He ascended to the right hand of God, and the Lord said to him, sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.

He ascended on high, that he might lead captivity captive, and give gifts to men.

The native consequence of Messiah's excision, was, the rejection of the Jews, and the calling of the Gentiles into a Church capacity, according to Isaiah 65th: The Lord God shall slay thee, and call his servant by another name. Thus the isles have been induced to wait for his law. He has brought forth judgement unto the Gentiles. The children of the desolate woman have been many; and her seed has inherited the Gentiles, and made the desolate cities to be inhabited. Our Lord Jesus was given for a light to the Gentiles, that he might be for salvation to the ends of the earth, and the Gentiles have come to his light, and kings to the brightness of his rising. And not only so, but we look forward with believ

ing transport, to the more full accomplishment of those ancient predictions, which establish our faith in the Redeemer's universal reign We believe that the fruit of that handful of corn, which was sown on the top of the mountains, shall shake like Lebanon, and they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth. That the name of our glorious Redeemer, shall endure for ever; and his throne be continued as the days of heaven; and that his secd shall be established for ever Men shall be blessed in him; all nations shall call him blessed.

This brief representation of Christ, I have collected from the Old Testament prophecies, not o ly to show their exact accomplishment in the New Testament history; but also, to prove that he was foretold, and consequently foreordained to be the author and finisher of our faith. That as there is no other name given, whereby we must be saved, so there can be no other way in which, or person by whom, we can be justified.

We come now to consider more particularly, the doctrine of our justification through the imputed righteousness of Christ, and the various obj ctions which are raised against it.

The term justification, having one invariable meaning throug out the book of God, constantly signifies to be esteemed, declared, manifested, or pronounced righteous. This is what the original word, both in the Old and New Testaments, naturally signifies, and in this sense only it is always used. I need not, therefore, undertake to