I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand in the latter day upon the earth. And though after my skin, worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. CHRISTIANITY, that is, the religion of which MESSIAH is the author and object, the foundation, life, and glory, though not altogether as old as the creation, is nearly so. It is coeval with the first promise and intimation of mercy given to fallen man. When Adam by transgression had violated the order and law of his creation, his religion, that is, the right disposition of his heart towards God, was at an end. Sin deprived him at once of faith and hope, of love and joy. He no longer desired, he no longer could bear, the presence of his offended Maker. He vainly sought to avoid it; and when compelled to answer, though he could not deny his guilt, instead of making an ingenuous confession, he attempted to fix the blame upon the woman, or rather indeed upon the Lord himself, who had provided her for him. But mercy, undeserved, and undesired, relieved him from a state in which he was already become obdurate and desperate. A promise was given him of "the seed of "the woman,"* which virtually contained, as the seed contains the future plant, the substance of all the subsequent promises which were fulfilled by the incarnation of the Son of God, and by all that he did, or suffered, or obtained for sinners, in the character of Mediator. For a sinner can have no comfortable intercourse with the holy God, but through a Mediator. Therefore the apostle observes of the patriarchs and servants of God, under the Old Testament, "These all died in faith."† We can say nothing higher than this of the apostles and martyrs under the New Testament. They died, not trusting in themselves that they were -righteous, not rejoicing in the works of their own hands; but they died, like the thief upon the cross, in faith, resting all their hope upon him who, by his obedience unto death, "is the end of the law "for righteousness, unto every one that believeth."‡ We have greater advantages, in point of light and liberty, than those of old. The prophecies concerning MESSIAH, which, at the time of delivery, were obscure, are to us infallibly interpreted by their accomplishment. And we know that the great atonement, typically pointed out by their sacrifices, has been actually made; that the Lamb of God has, by the one offering of himself, put away sin. But as to the ground and substance, their faith and hope were the same with ours. "Abraham rejoiced to "see the day of Christ;"§ and aged Jacob, soon after he had said, "I have waited for thy salvation, "O Lord," died with the same composure and willingness as Simeon did, who saw it with his own * Gen. iii. 15. + Heb. xi. 13. eyes. Job, who was perhaps contemporary with Jacob, who at least is, with great probability, thought to have lived before Moses, gives us in this passage a strong and clear testimony of his faith. And it forms a beautiful and well-chosen introduction to the third part of the Messiah, the principal subject of which is, the present privileges and future prospects of those who believe in the Saviour's name. The learned are far from being agreed, either in the translation, or in the explanation, of this text. The words worms and body being printed in Italics in our version, will apprize the attentive English reader, that there are no words answerable to them in the Hebrew. If you omit these words, something will be evidently wanting to make a complete sense. This want different writers have supplied, according to their different judgements; and from hence chiefly has arisen the variety of versions and interpretations. But it would be very improper for me, in this place, to take up your time, and to draw off your attention, from the great concerns which should fill our minds when we meet in the house of God, by giving you a detail of controversies and criticisms, which, after all, are much more uncertain than important. We need not dispute whether Job, in this passage, professes his assurance of the incarnation of MESSIAH, or of his resurrection, or of his final appearance to judge the world; or whether he is only declaring his own personal faith and hope in him. These several senses are not so discordant, that if we determine for one, we must exclude the rest. I shall content myself with the words as I find them. And I hope that, if we should miss some of the precise ideas which Job might have when he spoke, we shall not greatly mistake his general meaning, nor wander far wide from the scope of the text. Four things are observable: I. The title of " Redeemer." II. The appropriating word, "My." III. His standing upon "the earth." IV. Job's expectation of seeing him "in his "flesh." 86 I. The title. There is no name of MESSIAH more significant, comprehensive, or endearing, than the name REDEEMER. The name of Saviour expresses what he does for sinners. He saves them from guilt and wrath, from sin, from the present evil world, from the powers of darkness, and from all their enemies. He saves them with an everlasting salvation. But the word "Redeemer" intimates likewise the manner in which he saves them. For it is not merely by the word of his power, as he saved his disciples when in jeopardy upon the lake, by saying to the winds and the seas, Peace, be still: and there was a great calm;' but by price, by paying a ransom for them, and pouring out the blood of his heart, as an atonement for their sins. The Hebrew word for Redeemer, Goel, primarily signifies, a near kinsman, or the next of kin. He with whom the right of redemption lay,† and who, by virtue of his nearness of relation, was the legal avenger of blood. Thus MESSIAH took upon him our nature, and, by assuming our flesh and blood, became nearly related to us, that he might redeem our forfeited inheritánce, restore us to liberty, and avenge our cause against Satan, the enemy and murderer of our souls. But thus he made himself also responsible * Mark, iv. 39. + Numb. xxxv. 19-21.; Ruth, iv. 13. for us, to pay our debts, and to answer the demands of the justice and law of God on our behalf. He fulfilled his engagement. He suffered, and he died on this account. But our Redeemer, "who "was once dead is now alive, and liveth for ever"more, and has the keys of death and of hades.' This is he of whom Job saith, "I know that he "liveth" (was then living,) though he was not to "stand, upon the earth, until the latter day." He is the living One, having life in himself, "the same 'yesterday, to-day, and for ever." Such was his own language to the Jews, "Before Abraham "was, I am." Therefore the Redeemer is mighty, and his redemption is sure. He is able to save to His power is unlimited, and his official authority, as Mediator, is founded in a covenant, ratified by his own blood, and by the oath of the unchangeable God.§ 66 the uttermost. II. But Job uses the language of appropriation. He says, "My Redeemer." And all that we know, or hear, or speak of him, will avail us but little unless we are really and personally interested in him as Our Redeemer. A cold speculative knowledge of the Gospel, such as a lawyer has of a will or a deed, which he reads with no farther design than to understand the tenour and import of the writing, will neither save nor comfort the soul. The believer reads it, as the will is read by the heir, who finds his own name in it, and is warranted by it to call the estate, and all the particulars specified, his own. He appropriates the privileges to himself, and says, The promises are mine; the pardon, the peace, the heaven, of which I read, are all mine. This is the will and testament of |