Son is represented as receiving all from the Father. John v. 19, 20, 22, 26, 27.

If it be farther enquired, 'why Christ is called the Lamb of God,' I shall not pursue those many fine metaphors and similes, in which the wit and fancy of men have run a long course on this subject; but shall only mention these two things.

1. He is called the Lamb, from the innocence of his behaviour, the quietness and meekness of his disposition and conduct in the world. The character of Jesus, among men, was peaceful, and harmless, and patient of injuries; "when he was reviled, he reviled not again, but was led as a Lamb to the slaughter," with submission, and without revenge: This resemblance appears, and is set forth to view in several Scriptures, wherein he is compared to this gentle creature. Acts viii. 32. 1 Pet. ii. 23.

2. He is called the Lamb, because he was appointed a sacrifice for the sins of men; John i. 29. "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world." 1 Pet. i. 18, 19. "You were redeemed with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish, and without spot." It was a lamb that was ordained for the constant daily sacrifice amongst the Jews, morning and evening, to typify the constant and everlasting influence of the atonement made by the death of Christ. Heb. x. 11, 12. It was a lamb which was sacrificed at the passover, and on which the families of Israel feasted, to commemorate their redemption from the slavery of Egypt, and to typify Christ who is "our passover, who was sacrific

ed for us," and for whose sake the destroying angel spares all that trust in him, 1 Cor. v. 7.

But will a lamb discover such dreadful wrath? Has the Lamb of God such indignation in him? Can the meek, the compassionate, the merciful Son of God, put on such terrible forms and appearances? Are his tender mercies vanished quite away, and will he renounce the kind aspect, and the gentle. language of a lamb for ever?

To this I answer, that the various glories and offices of our blessed Lord, require a variety of human metaphors and emblems to represent them. He was a lamb, full of gentleness, meekness, and compassion, to invite and encourage sinful perishing crea tures, to accept of divine mercy: But he has now to deal with obstinate and rebellious criminals, who renounce his Father's mercy, and resist all the gentle methods of his own grace and salvation: And he is sent by the Father to punish those rebellions, but he is named 'the Lamb of God' still, to put the rebels in mind what gentleness and compassion they have affronted and abused, and to make it appear that their guilt is utterly inexcusable.

Let us remember, Christ is now a Lamb, raised to the throne in heaven, and furnished and armed with seven eyes and seven horns,' with perfect knowledge and perfect power, to govern the world, to vindicate his own honour, and to avenge himself upon his impenitent and obstinate enemies. Rev. v. 5, 6. Here the Lamb will assume the name of the "Lion of the tribe of Judah" also, and he must act in different

characters, according to the persons he has to deal with.

The second general question which we are to consider, is, 'How comes the wrath of that great day to be so terrible?'

I answer in general, because it is not only the wrath of God,' but of the Lamb: It is the wrath that is manifested for the affronts of divine authority, and the abuse of divine mercy: It is wrath that is awakened by the contempt of the laws of God, written in the books of nature and Scripture, and for the contempt of his love revealed in the Gospel by Jesus Christ.

It is proper to observe here, that the wrath of God,' and the 'wrath of the Lamb,' are not to be conceived as exactly the same, for it is the wrath of the Son of God in his human nature exalted, as well as the displeasure of God the Father: It is the righteous and holy resentment of the man Jesus, awakened and let loose against rebellious creatures that have broken all the rules of his Father's government, and have refused all the proposals of his Father's grace: It is the wrath of the highest, the greatest, and the best of creatures, joined to the wrath of an offended Creator*. But let us enter a little into particulars.

* Here let it be observed, that when the holy Scripture speaks of the wrath and indignation of the blessed God, we are not to understand it as though God were subject to such passions or affections of nature, as we feel fermenting or working within ourselves when our anger rises: But because the justice or rectoral wisdom of God inclines him to bring natural evil, pain or sorrow, upon those who are obstinately guilty of moral evil or sin, and to treat them as anger or wrath inclines men to treat those

1. It is righteous wrath, and just and deserved vengeance, that arises from the clearest discoveries of the love of God neglected, and the sweetest messages of divine grace refused.' refused.' All the former discoveries of the love of God to men, both in nature and providence, as well as by divine revelation, whether made by men, or by angels, whether in the days of the Patriarchs, or in the days of Moses and the Jews, were far inferior to the grace which was revealed by Jesus Christ; and therefore the sin of rejecting it is greater in proportion, and the punishment will be more severe. "If the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward,— how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation, as THIS which began to be spoken by our Lord ??? Heb. ii. 2, 3.

Moses had many true discoveries of grace made to him, and entrusted with him, for sinful men: But the Scripture saith, Johni. 17. "The law came by Moses, and grace and truth came by Jesus Christ," i. e. in such superabundance, as though grace and truth had never appeared in the world before. The forgiving mercy of God, under the veil of ceremonies and sacrifices, and the mediation of Christ, under the type

that have offended them; therefore the Scripture, speaking after the manner of men, calls it, the wrath and indignation of God.

And it is hard to say, whether or no the wrath of the Lamb, i. e. of the man Christ Jesus, in whom the Godhead dwells, be any thing more, than the calm, dispassionate, rectoral wisdom of the human nature of Christ, inclining him to punish rebellious and impenitent sinners, in conformity to the will of God his Father, or in concurrence with the Godhead which dwells in him.

of the high priest, was but a dark and imperfect discovery, in comparison of the free, the large, the full forgiveness, which is brought to us by the gospel of Christ. Learn this doctrine at large, from Heb, x. 1.-14. This is amazing mercy, astonishing grace, and the despisers of it will deserve to perish with double destruction, for they wink their eyes against clearer light, and reject the offers of more abounding love.

2. It is wrath that is 'awakened by the most precious and most expensive methods of salvation slighted and undervalued.' Well may God say to Christian nations, especially to Great-Britain, who sits under the daily sound of this gospel, "What could I have done more for you than I have done?" Isa. v. 4. 'I have sent my own Son, the son of my bosom, the son of my eternal love, to take flesh and blood upon him, that he might be able to die in your stead, who were guilty rebels, and deserved to die: I have given him up to the insults and injuries of men, to the temptations, the buffetings, and rage of devils, to the stroke of the sword of my justice, to the cursed death of the cross for you; here is heaven and salvation purchased for man, with the dearest and most valuable life in all the creation, with the richest blood that ever ran in the veins of a creature, with the life and blood of the Son of God; and yet you refused to receive and accept of this salvation, procured at so immense a price. I called you to partake of this invaluable blessing freely, "without money and without price," and yet you slighted all these offers of