powerful word produced light, life, beauty, and order. He commanded the fun to fhine, and the planets to roll. The immensity of creation is far beyond the reach of our conceptions. The innumerable stars, the worlds, which however large in themselves, are, from their remoteness, but barely visible, to us are of little more immediate, and known use, than to enlarge our idea of the greatness of their Author. Small, indeed, is the knowledge we have of our own fyftem; but we know enough to render our indifference inexcufable. The glory of the fun muft ftrike every eye, and in this enlightened age, there are few perfons, but have fome ideas of the magnitude of the planets, and the rapidity, and regularity of their motions. Farther, the rich variety which adorns this lower creation, the dependance and relation of the several parts, and their general fubferviency to the accommodation of man, the principal inhabitant, together with the prefervation of individuals, and the continuance of every species of animals, are fubjects, not above the reach of common capacities, and which afford almost endlefs and infinite scope for reflection and admiration. But the bulk of mankind regard them not. The viciffitudes of day and night, and of the revolving feafons, are, to them, matters of courfe; as if they followed each other without either cause or defign. And though the philofophers, who, profeffedly, attach themselves to the study of the works of nature, are overwhelmed by the traces of a wisdom and arrangement, which they are unable to comprehend; yet few of them are led to reverential thoughts of God, by their boasted knowledge of his creatures. Thus men live without God in the world, though they live, and move, and have their being in him, and are inceffantly furrounded, by the most ftriking proofs, of his prefence and energy. Perhaps an earthquake, or a hurricane, by awakening their fears, may force upon their minds a conviction of his power over them, and excite an occafional momentary applica-. tion to him; but when they think the danger over, they relapse into their former stupidity. What can engage the attention, or soften the obduracy, of fuch creatures? Behold, one wonder more, greater than all the former the last, the highest effect of divine goodness! God has fo loved rebellious, ungrateful finners, as to appoint them a Saviour in the perfon U 2 perfon of his only Son. The prophets forefaw his manifeftation in the flesh, and foretold the happy confequences-that his prefence would change the wilderness into a fruitful field, that he was coming to give fight to the blind, and life to the dead; to fet the captive at liberty; to unloofe the heavy burden; and to bless the weary with reft. But this change was not to be wrought meerly by a word of power, as when he faid, Let there be light, and there was light*. It was great, to speak the world from nothing; but far greater, to redeem finners from mifery. The falvation, of which he is the Author, though free to us, muft coft him dear. Before the mercy of God can be actually dispensed to fuch offenders, the rights of his juftice, the demands of his law, and the honour of his government, must be provided for. The early institution and long continued use, of facrifices, had clearly pointed out the neceffity of an atonement; but the real and proper atonement could only be made by MESSIAH. The blood of flaughtered animals could not take away fin, nor difplay the righteousness of God in pardoning it. This was the ap* Gen. i. 3. pointed, pointed, covenanted work of MESSIAH, and he alone could perform it. With this view he had faid, Lo I come *. And it was in this view, when John faw him, that he pointed him out to his disciples, faying, Behold the Lamb of God! Three points offer to our confideration, I. The title here given to MESSIAH, The Lamb of God. II. The efficacy of his facrifice, He taketh away fin. III. The extent of it, The fin of the world. I. He is the Lamb of God. The paschal lamb, and the lambs which were daily offered, morning and evening, according to the law of Mofes, were of God's appointment; but this lamb was, likewife, of his providing. The others were but types. Though many, they were all insufficient to cleanse the confciences of the offerers from guilt; and they were all fuperfeded, when MESSIAH, by the one offering of himself, once for all, made an end of fin, and brought in an everlasting righteousness, in favour of all who believe in his name. This title, therefore, The Lamb of God, refers to his voluntary substitution for finners, * Pfal. xl. 7. U 3 + Heb. x. 1. that that by his fufferings and death, they who deserved to die, might obtain eternal life through him, and for his fake. Mankind were univerfally chargeable with tranfgreffion of the law of God, and were in a state of alienation from him. A penalty in case of disobedience, was annexed to the law they had broken; to which, they, as offenders, were therefore obnoxious. Though it would be prefumptuous in fuch worms as we are, to determine upon principles of our own, whe-, ther the fovereign Judge of the universe, could, confiftently with his own glory, remit this penalty without fatisfaction, or not; yet, fince he has favoured us with a revelation of his will upon the point, we may speak more confidently, and affirm, that it was not confiftent with his truth and holiness, and the honour of his moral government to do it, because this is his own declaration. We may now be affured, that the forgiveness of one finner, and, indeed, of one fin, by an act of meer mercy, and without any interpofing confideration, was incompatible with the inflexibility of the law, and the truth and justice of the Lawgiver. But mercy defigned the forgiveness of innumerable finners, each of them |
