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SERMON V.

IMMANUEL.

ISAIAH Vii. 14.

Behold a virgin fhall conceive, and bear a fon, and shall call his name IMMANUEL,

GOD WITH US.

TH

HERE is a fignature of wisdom and power impreffed upon the works of God, which evidently distinguishes them from the feeble imitations of men. Not only the fplendour of the fun, but the glimmering light of the glow-worm proclaims his glory. The structure and growth of a blade of grass, are the effects of the fame power which produced the fabric of the heavens and the earth. In his word likewife he is inimitable. He has a style and manner peculiarly his own. What he is pleased to declare of himself by the prophet, may be prefixed as a proper

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motto to the whole revelation of his will in the Bible. My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, faith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts*. This fuperiority of his thoughts to ours, causes a proportionable difference in his manner of operation. His ways are above our conceptions, and often contrary to them. He fometimes produces great effects, by means, which, to us, appear unfuitable and weak. Thus he gave Gideon a complete victory, not by providing him an army equal to that of the enemy, but by three hundred men furnished with earthen pitchers and lamps +. At other times the greatnefs of his preparations, intimates that there are difficulties in the case, infuperable to any power but his own, where our narrow apprehenfions, until enlightened and enlarged by his teaching, can scarcely perceive any difficulty. It is eminently fo, with refpect to the reftoration of fallen man to his favours. We have but flight thoughts of his holinefs, and therefore are but flightly affected by the evil of fin. But though he + Judges vii. 19, 20.

* Ifai. Iv. 8, 9.

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be rich in mercy, no wifdom, but his own, could have propofed an expedient, whereby the exercise of his mercy towards finners, might be made to correfpond with his juftice and truth, and with the honour of his moral government. His gospel reveals this expedient, and points out a way in which mercy and truth meet together; and his inflexible righteousness is displayed, in perfect harmony with the peace of finners who fubmit to his appointment; and thus God appears, not only gracious but juft, in receiving them to favour. This is the greatest of all his works, and exhibits the moft glorious difcovery of his character and perfections. The means are answerable to the grandeur of the defign, and are fummarily expreffed in my text.

I fhall not take up your time with attempting to clear the difficulties which have been obferved in the context. It may fuffice for my purpose to affirm, that this paffage expressly and exclusively refers to MESSIAH; for which my warrant is, the authority of the evangelifts Matthew and Luke*, who directly apply it to him, and affure us that it was accomplished in him. If finners are to

* Matt. i. 23.

Luke i. 31, 32.

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be faved, without injury to the honour of his law and government (and otherwise they must perish) two things are necessary,

I. That a virgin fhall conceive and bring forth a fon.

II. That this fon of the virgin shall have a juft right to be called Immanuel, God with us. I. A virgin fhall conceive and bring forth a fon. The Mediator, the furety for finful men, must himself be a man. Because those whom he came to redeem were partakers of flesh and blood, he therefore took part of the fame. Had not MESSIAH engaged for us, and appeared in our nature, a cafe would have occurred, which I think we may warrantably deem incongruous to the Divine Wisdom. I mean, that while fire and hail, fnow and vapour, and the stormy wind fulfil the will of God; while the brutes are faithful to the instincts implanted in them by their Maker, a whole fpecies of intelligent beings would have fallen fhort of the original law and design of their creation, and indeed have acted in direct and continual oppofition to it. For the duty of man, to love, ferve, and trust God with all his heart and mind, and to love his neighbour as himself, is founded in the

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