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SERMON IX.

CHARACTERS AND NAMES OF MESSIAH.

ISAIAH ix. 6.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a fon is given; and the government shall be upon bis Shoulder and his name fhall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of peace.

UCH was the triumphant exultation of

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the Old Teftament church! Their nobleft hopes were founded upon the promise of MESSIAH; their fublimeft fongs were derived from the profpect of his advent. By faith, which is the fubftance of things hoped for, they confidered the gracious declarations of the faithful unchangeable God as already accomplished, though the actual performance respected a period, as yet, future and distant. Efpe

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Efpecially, as believers, under that difpenfation, already felt the influence of the redemption, which MESSIAH was to confummate in the fulness of time. It was the knowledge of his engagement on the behalf of finners, that gave life and fignificancy to all the inftitutions of the ceremonial law, which otherwife, though of divine appointment, would have been a heavy and burdenfome yoke*. Ifaiah therefore prepares this joyful fong for the true fervants of God, who lived in his time; and though it was a day of trial and rebuke, they were provided with a sufficient compenfation for all their fufferings, in being warranted to fay, Unto us a child is born, unto us a fon is given; and the government shall be upon his fhoulders, &c.

This ancient fong is ftill new. It has been, and will be taken up from age to age, by the New Teftament church, with fuperior advantage. I truft many of you understand it well, and rejoice in it daily. Men naturally look for fomething wherein to rejoice and glory. Little reafon have the wife + to glory in their fuppofed wifdom, or the ftrong in their fading ftrength, or the rich in their + Jer, ix. 23.

* Aûts xv. 10.

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transitory wealth; but this is a juft and unfailing ground of glory to true Christians, that Unto us a child is born, unto us a fon is given, &c.

When a finner is enlightened by the Holy Spirit, to understand the character and offices of MESSIAH, his ability and willingness to save those who are ready to perish, and the happiness of all who are brought into fubjection to his gracious government; and when he begins to feel the cheering effects of faith in his name, then this fong becomes. his own, and exactly fuits the emotions and gratitude of his heart. But many perfons will defpife and pity him as a weak enthufiaft. And yet, perhaps, they do not think fo unfavourably of the rapture of Archimedes, of whom it is related, that havimg suddenly discovered the solution of a difficult problem while he was bathing, he was so transported with joy, that he forgot his fituation, fprung inftantly from the bath, and ran through the city crying, "I have found it, I have found it!" He is not ufually charged with madness on this account, though the expreffion of his joy was certainly over-proportioned to the cause. The truth is, the world will allow of a vehemence approaching to extasy,

on almost any occafion, but on that alone, which, above all others, will juftify it. A perfon who would be thought deftitute of tafte, if he was unaffected by the music to which this passage is fet, would, at the same time, hazard his reputation for good fenfe, with fome judges, if he owned himself affected by the plain meaning of the words. Incompetent judges furely! who are pleased to approve of warmth and emotion of spirit, provided the object be trivial, and only condemn it in concerns of the greatest importance! But, I truft, the character of my auditory is very different, and that the most of you defire to enter into the fpirit of this paffage, and to have a more lively sense of your own interests in it. May the Lord grant your defire, and accompany our meditations upon it with his power and bleffing!

Every claufe in this paffage might furnish fubject for a long difcourfe; but my plan will only permit me briefly to touch upon the feveral particulars, which will lead to a recapitulation or fummary, of what has been already confidered more largely concerning the perfon, offices, and glory of MESSIAH. We have,

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