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But he was God and man, that the suffering might be stamped with infinite value. The sacred writers are nervous and pointed upon this subject-St. Paul speaks thus to the elders of the church of Ephesus---“ Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood." Acts xx. 28. In these words, this doctrinal assertion is clearly contained, God hath purchased the church with his own blood, as God man. Nor do I see, how any sinner convinced of his fallen state, can rely on the atonement of Christ for Salvation, unless he is thoroughly persuaded of the divinity of his character. For if Christ be only a mere man, as some think, or super angelic, and the highest of all created intelligencies, as others suppose, it is difficult to conceive in what sense, his blood can be the object of our faith, any more than the blood of Jeremiah, Peter, Paul, or any other martyr, to` the truth of God, and let his actions and sufferings be whatever they may, they are only the obedience and sufferings of a subordinate, and limited being, and cannot possess infi

nite, and eternal merit, for as David says, "None can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransome for him, for the redemption of the soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever."

In this amazing undertaking then, we must look higher than created beings, even to him, who is absolute in dominion, illimit able in his immensity, inconceivable in his mode of existence, and inexplicable in his essence; and where can these indispensible requisites, for such a stupendous and all-sufficient sacrifice be found? but in God our Saviour, who had power to lay down his life, and power to take it again, who in his human nature was as obedient, as in his divine nature he was powerful, and who at the general resurrection, in the judgment of the great day, when satan, sin, and death, shall be totally subdued, is able to present us faultless before the presence of his glory, with exceeding joy.* Jude 24th verse.

* It might well be expected that the crucifixion of the Son of God, should be accompanied with circumstances of a peculiar nature, sufficient when properly

understood, to remove the offence of his cross, and to distinguish him from all others who had suffered the same kind of death. The whole creation is at God's command, and ready in any manner that he sees fit, to display his power. The sun in particular has been made his instrument for that end. In the days of Joshua, it suspended its course for the space of a whole day. Hezekiah, it reversed its natural course,

In the days of and went back

ward ten degrees, on the dial of Ahaz. And at the death of Christ, when risen to its meridian height, it veiled its face in darkness. This could not be an eclipse, because the moon at that time, was at the full: and even if it had been an eclipse, it could not have been total for more than a quarter of an hour; whereas, this continued for three hours. It was manifestly a miraculous darkness, produced by the interposition of the Deity, in confirmation of our religion: that as the three days darkness in Egypt, was a convincing testimony from God to the mission of Moses, so this, might be an incontestible proof of the Messiahship of Christ.

Miracles are a natural argument of a power divine, the creature must ever act in subordination to the creator, who will not suffer the highest order of his creatures to disturb the laws of the universe. If ye believe not me, therefore, says Christ to the incredulous Jews, believe the works. No herb of the field, or native mineral, no chymical preparation, could cure the sick, absent or present, in a moment. No human skill could instantly restore the withered hand, or enable the palsied man, to take up his bed and walk. No dexterity could complete and finish an organ of sight, wherein nature had omitted some es

sential part, or left it ill proportioned, or ill adjusted. No hand but his who rained manna from heaven, could make a few loaves and fishes a sustenance for thousands. If any doubt therefore of Christ's divinity, should still remain upon the reader's mind, let him consider the miracles which our Saviour performed, and the honours which were paid to him by men and angels.

See the winds obeying him, the raging tempests revering his words, the swelling seas subsiding into a calm at his awful command, all manner of diseases vanishing at his sacred touch, legions of devils departing, and quitting their long possessed habitation at his rebuke, the dead arising at his call, and returning to active life. See him exercising his prophetic power, penetrating into the most distant events, and laying open the secrets of futurity. See him sitting on a throne of mercy, forgiving sins, obliterating our guilt, and sealing a pardon to offending man. See him not only looking into the secrets of the heart, but revealing them with his eye, and discerning them with a glance. See him honoured as God, by the wisest and holiest men on earth, by the inspired writers, and universal church. See him acknowledged at his death, by rending rocks, and opening graves. See him arising from the dead, to shew us that he had achieved the whole design of his coming, ascending up to heaven, filling the throne of unapproachable glory, and worshipped by all the hosts of angels. See the harps of cherubim and seraphim, tuned to celebrate his perfections, and thrones, and dominions, principalities and powers, bowing to their exalted Redeemer, and casting all their crowns at his feet.-See, consider, and weigh all this, and then tell me whether this Jesus can be any

other than God, who is over all, blessed for evermore. Is not he God who has the keys of the grave, who holds the sceptre of universal nature, who has the infernal spirits in a chain, and receives the homage of all created beings? This is a true saying, worthy of all acceptation, and proved beyond all contradiction, that the same Jesus, who came into the world to save sinners, is both Lord and Christ. It is impossible for words to express a more consoling doctrine, and equally impossible for any fact, to receive a more clear, satisfactory, and indispu table confirmation.

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