redeemer, and fo best knows what this great work of redemption is, in all its parts; and he has fet it before us in the wonderful glory and greatness thereof. 3. The great and glorious things of God's law.---The law of God contains in it great things. Hof. viii. 12. I have written to him the great things of my law. The glorious excellency of the law of God is largely fet forth by the Pfalmift, in Pfal. xixth. and cxixth. It is holy, just, and good, the great rule of life, leading them to falvation, that walk according thereunto. Now Jefus Chrift most fully inftructs us in the demands of this law of God. He has given us the cleareft expofition thereof, and opened to us all the duties therein required of us, in order to the obtaining eternal life. In the fifth chap. of Matthew, he efpecially fets himself to purge it from the falfe and corrupt gloffes, which the Scribes and Pharifees had put upon it. Therein, and in the whole courfe of his miniftry, he has plainly revealed to us the whole mind and will of God. So that the whole of that obedience which God requires of us, is most evidently made known unto us by Jefus Chrift. 4. The great and glorious myfteries of religion.---There are deep and myfterious truths, the foul of the chriftian religion, which Jefus Chrift has opened and revealed to us in the gofpel. Ex. gr. The glorious mystery of the Trinity, one God in three perfons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft. (Matth. xxviii. 19.) The object of our faith and worship, and author of our bleffednefs. There are no footsteps of this great mystery to be seen in nature; but it is purely of divine revelation, and never fo clearly revealed as by Jefus Chrift.-Again, the glorious myftery of the incarnation of the Son of God. This is one of the great myfteries of godlinefs, even, that God was manifeft in the flesh. 1 Tim. ii. 16. This great myftery which is the foundation of our faith and hope for eternal life, Jefus Chrift has moft clearly revealed CO US. A great part of the work of his minifry, was to convince and fatisfy men, that he was the Son of God nature, and by his miraculous works wrought by by his own power, he proved himself to be Immanuel, God with us, God made fleth. Again, the mystery of our redemption by the death of Fefus Chrift. This is a moft myfterious truth, that the Son of God incarnate fhould fuffer and die to redeem and fave finners; counted foolishness by learned Greeks, (1 Cor. i. 23.) that a crucified perfon fhould be the faviour of the world. He took upon him our nature, therein he fatisfied the juftice of God for us, in bearing the punishment due to us, and offering himself a facrifice to appeafe divine juftice, and deliver us from the curfe which we had deferved. This is that amazing truth, which Jefus Christ preaches to us. Matth. xx. 28. The fon of man came not to be miniftred unto, but to minifter, and to give his life a ranfom for many. Joh. x. 11, 15. I am the good Shepherd: the good Shepherd giveth his life for the beep...I lay down my life for the beep. Again, the great mystery of the intimate union of believers with Jefus Chrift. This the Apoftle calls a mystery. Eph. v. 30, 32. For we are members of his body. This is a great mystery. The church of believers are that body, whereof Chrift is the head, from whom they derive all vital influences, where by they are enabled to live, and bring forth fruit, to the glory of God. This is what our Lord Jefus Chrift clearly reveals to us, in declaring himself to be the vine, and believers to be branches in him: by vertue of which union to him, they receive communications of grace and spiritual life from him, unto their bearing good fruits. Joh. xv. 1-6. Again, the great mystery of the reJurrection of the body. This is a myfterious doctrine, which the Athenian philofophers fcoffed at, when Paul preached it to them. Act. xvii. 32. And when they heard of the refurrection of the dead, fome mocked; looking upon it as an abfurd and impoffible thing. Yet however, this is a great truth, which our Lord has plainly taught us. Job. v. 28, 29. Marvel not at this; for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in their graves fhall bear his voice, and shall come forth: they that have done good, unto the refurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unte unto the refurrection of condemnation. Thus has Jefus Chrift brought life and immortality to light by the gof pel. 2 Tim. i. 10. 5. Exceeding great and glorious promifes.---Such promifes Chrift fpeaks to us about, and gives to all true. believers. 2 Pet. i. 4. Whereby are given to us exceeding great and precious promifes. They are exceeding great and precious promifes, as they make over to us exceeding great and precious bleffings.---There are promifes of pardon of fin, which is a great bleffing. Pfal. xxxi. 1, 2. Bleed is the man, whofe tranfgreffion is forgiven, whofe fins are covered, to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity. Now this great bleffing is promifed in the gofpel of Chrift. Heb. viii. 12. I will be merciful to their unrighteousness; and their fins, and their iniquities will I remember no more.--- Again, there are promifes of freedom from the power of fin. Rom. vi. 14. Sin fhall not bave dominion over you. No more bleffed liberty, than fuch freedom from the tyranny of fin, the worst of bondages.---Again, there are promifes of full deliverance from the being of fin in us. Eph. v. 27. That he might prefent it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any fuch thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. O the blefiednefs of fuch a finlefs ftate Again, there are promifes of growth in grace. Pfal. xcii. 12, 13, 14. The righteous fhall flourish like the palm tree, he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Thofe that are planted in the house of the Lord, fhall flourish in the courts of our God. They fhall bring forth fruit in old age, they fhall be fat and flourishing. Joh. x. 10. I am come, that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.--Again, there are promifes of perfeverance in grace to the end. The work of grace begun in anv, fhall be carried on, 'till it comes to its perfection. Phil. i. 6. Being confident of this very thing, that he who bath begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Jefus Chrift. And our Lord himself has faid, that none fhall pluck bis fbeep out of his bands, nor all they ever perif, but shall come to everlafting life. Joh. Job. x. 28.Finally, there are promifes of eternal life, and future happiness in the kingdom of heaven. Tit. i. 2. In hope of eternal life, which God that cannot lie, bath promifed. 1 Joh. ii. 25. And this is the promife, that he hath promifed us, even eternal life. O the bleffedness of an eternal life with God and Christ in the kingdom of heaven! 6. Exceeding great and terrible threatnings, wherein the glory of God's juftice fhines forth.Thefe are things of which Christ also speaks to us, that we may fee our danger, and be concerned to fecure ourselves from the evil threatned. He conceals nothing from us, but reveals to us the worst, as well as the best. And never were the evils threatned, fo fully declared to us, as they are by Jefus Chrift. He not only makes known to us, the evils denounced against finners, and which they may expect to meet with in this world, but alfo the miferies that they will undergo in the world to come. These he has laid open to us in their dreadfulnefs, more than ever they were before. He has fet hell before our eyes in its moft hideous and frightful afpects. What the punishment of impenitent, unbelieving and difobedient finners will be in the future world, he has most fully and faithfully informed us. Ic tells us of the never-dying worm within, and unquenchable fire without, to torment finners. Mar. ix. 45, 46. E is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet, to be caft into hell, into the fire that never fhall be quenched; where their worm dieth not, and where the fire is not quenched. He tells us what will be the fentence paffed and executed on finners by himself at the day of his coming to judgment. Matth. xxv. 41. Depart from me, ye curfed, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. They must be separated from God and Chrift, from holy angels and faints, and confequently be fhut out of the kingdom of heaven, the feat of bleffednefs. They must go into fire, the most raging and tormenting element. They must be there with accurfed devils for their companions and tormentors. In this place and state of tor ment ment they must be for ever. There fhall they be punished with everlasting destruction, from the prefence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power. 2 Thef. i. 9. Thus we have feen what great things Chrift is speaking to us about, even the great things of the kingdom of grace, the kingdom of glory, and the kingdom of eternal darkness. Now furely one that is fpeaking to us of fuch things as thefe, which are of everlasting importance and concernment, fhould diligently be hearkened to. O how diligently will men hearken unto things that are of infinitely lefs moment! If men are in cruel captivity, how diligently will they hearken to a way of efcape? If men are miferably poor, how diligently will they hearken to a method for enriching themselves? If men are dangeroufly fick, how diligently will they hearken to a prefcription for a cure? Nay, how diligently will men fometimes hearken to an idle tale ? And O how inexcufable fhall we be, if we have an ear to hear fuch things as thefe, and cap find no ear to hearken unto Chrift, who is fpeaking to us about thofe things which concern the glory of God, and the fpiritual and eternal welfare of our Souls? APPLICATION. This is Let us then be exhorted to this great duty of bearkening diligently unto JESUS CHRIST, Speaking to us. what we are foleninly called to do, and to do it fpeedily. Heb. i. 15. While it is faid, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. In this prefent feafon of Grace, while we enjoy the means of grace, we should be careful to understand, believe, and obey the voice of Christ speaking to us. No delays are to be allowed of in this weighty concern. For we know not how foon Jefus Chrift may have done fpeaking to us. We cannot tell which will be the laft time of our hearing the words of the Lord. Moft certain it is, the joyful found will not long be heard. We are daily drawing near to the grave, which is the place of filence, where the |
