beginning of this epistle, chap. i. 1. that "God who SERM.

“

at fundry times, and in divers manners, spake in " times past unto the fathers, by the prophets, hath " in these last days, spoken to us by his Son:" and if we will not hear him, he will speak no more; after this it is not to be expected that he should make any farther attempts for our recovery, he can send no greater and dearer person to us, than " his own "Son." If we despise him; whom will we reverence? If we reject him, and the great falvation which he brings and offers to us, we have all the reason in the world to believe that our cafe is defperate, and that we shall "die in our fins." "This was "the condemnation of the Jews, that they did not " receive and believe on him whom God had fent." And if we who profess to believe on him, and to receive his doctrine, be found disobedient to it, in our lives, we have reason to fear that our condemnation shall be far heavier than theirs: for since the appearance of " the Son of God" for the falvation of men, "the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against "all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men," efpecially against those "who detain the truth of God. " in unrighteousness;" that is, against those who entertain the light of God's truth in their minds, but do not fuffer it to have its proper effect and influence upon their hearts and lives; and make that a prisoner, which would make them free. So our Lord tells us, that "the truth shall make us free;" but if " after we have received the knowledge of "the truth," we are still "the servants of fin;" our condemnation is much worse, than if "the Son of

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God" had never come: for the christian religion hath done nothing; if it do not take men off from their fins, and teach them to live well.

LXX.

ŞERM.

LXX.

Especially at this time when we are celebrating "the coming of this Son of God, to destroy the " works of the devil," we should take great heed, that we be not found guilty of any impiety or wickedness; because this is directly contrary to the main design " of the grace of God, which brings falva" tion, and hath appeared to all men," (and the appearance whereof we do at this time commemorate) for that " teacheth men to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly and righteously and "godlily in this present world:" and we cannot gratify the devil more, than by shewing ourselves more diligent than ordinary to uphold his works, at " this very time," when " the Son of God was ma" nifested" on purpose " to dissolve them :" we cannot possibly chuse a worse, a more improper season to fin in, than when we are celebrating the birth of the blessed JESUS, who came "to save us from our " sins." This is, as if a fick man, for joy that a famous physician is come to his house, should run into all manner of excess, and so do all he can to inflame his disease, and make his case desperate. Not but that our inward joy may lawfully be accompanied with all outward innocent expressions of it: but we cannot be truly thankful, if we allow ourselves at this time in any thing contrary to the purity and sobriety of the gospel. It is matter of just and fad complaint, being of great scandal to our SAVIOUR, and his holy religion, that such irregular and extravagant things are at this time commonly done by many, who call themselves Christians; and done under a pretence of doing honour to the memory of CHRIST'S birth; as if, because the Son of God was at this time made man, it were fit for men to make themselves beafts,

If If we would honour him indeed, we must take SERM. care that our joy do not degenerate into fin and fen- LXX. suality, and that we do not express it by leudness and luxury, by intemperance and excess, by prodigal gaming, and profuse wasting of our estates, " as the " manner of some is;" as if we intended literally to requite our SAVIOUR, "who being rich, for our " sakes became poor." This is the way of "parting " with houses and land, and becoming poor for his "fake, "for which he will never thank, nor reward us. This is not to commemorate the coming of our SAVIOUR, but to contradict it, and openly to declare that we will uphold " the works of the devil," in despite of "the Son of God, who came to destroy "them." It is for all the world like that leud and senseless piece of loyalty, too much in fashion some years ago, of being drunk for the king. Good God! that ever it should pass for a piece of religion among Christians, to run into all manner of excess for twelve days together, in honour of our SAVIOUR! A greater aggravation of sin cannot easily be imagined, than to abuse the memory of the greatest blessing that ever was, "CHRIST coming into the world to take away " fin," into an opportunity of committing it; this is to represent the Son of God as a patron of fin and licentiousness, and to treat him more contumeliously than the Jews did, who bowed the knee to him, and mocked him, and called him king, and spit upon him; and, under a pretence of rejoicing for his birth, " to crucify to ourselves afresh the LORD of " life and glory; and to put him to an open shame."

I will conclude all with the apoftle's exhortation, Rom. xiii. 12, 13, 14. "Let us caft off the works " of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. "Let us walk decently as in the day; not in rioting " and

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LXX.

SERM." and drunkenness, not in chambering and wanton" nefs, not in strife and envying. But put ye on "the LORD JESUS CHRIST, and make not provi"fion for the flesh to fulfil the luft thereof."

Now to our most gracious and merciful God, the great friend and lover of fouls, who regarded us in our low and loft condition, and caft an eye of pity upon us, when "we were in our blood, and no " other eye pitied us," and when we had loft and ruined our selves, was pleased in tender compaffion to mankind, "to send his only begotten Son into "the world to seek and save us," and by the purity of his doctrine, and the pattern of his life, and the facrifice of his death, to purchase eternal life for us, and to direct and lead us in the way to it: and to him also, the blessed SAVIOUR and redeemer of mankind, who came down from heaven, that he might carry us thither, and took human nature upon him, that we thereby might be " made partakers of a di"vine nature;" and "humbled himself to death, " even the death of the cross," that he might exalt us to glory and honour, and whilst we were bitter enemies to him, gave such a demonstration of his love to us, as never any man did to his best friend : "Unto him that fitteth upon the throne, and to the " lamb that was flain, to GOD, even our Father, " and to our LORD JESUS CHRIST, the first begotten " from the dead, and the prince of the kings of the " earth, to him who hath loved us, and washed us " from our fins in his own blood, and hath made

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us kings and priests unto God and his Father, to " him be glory and honour, dominion and power, " now and for ever. Amen."

SER

1103

SERMON

LXXI.

Preached at St. Peter'sCornon the feast of. the annunciation 1691.

CHRIST JESUS the only mediator be-bell tween God and men.

ITIM. II. 5, 6.

For there is one God, and one mediator between GOD and men, the man CHRIST JESUS, who gave himSelf a ransom for all.

HESE words contain in them these four

SE R M.

propositions; three of them express, and the LXXI.

fourth of them fufficiently implied in the text. I. "That there is one GOD."

II. "That there is one mediator between GOD " and men; CHRIST JESUS."

III. "That he gave himself a ramsom for all." IV. "That the mediation or intercession of JESUS "CHRIST, is founded in the redemption of man"kind." For this seems to be the reason why it is added, that "he gave himself a ransom for all," to signify to us, that because " he gave himself a ran" fom for all," therefore he intercedes for all. In virtue of that facrifice which he offered to God for the falvation of men, he offers up our prayers to GOD: and therefore it is acceptable to him, "that "we should pray for all men." This feems to be the true connexion of the apostle's discourse, and the force of his reasoning about our putting up "pub" lick prayers for all men."

The first fermon on this text.