the revelation of Chrift: which is amply difcovered to us by our Saviour, in the words of the Text, who certainly beft knew himself the intent of his coming into the world; and He came, he affures us, to feek and to fave that which was loft; to recover and reftore loft finners: and to admit them to grace and pardon, on their true repentance and return to Göd. His revelation therefore is founded upon, and neceffarily fuppofes, the depravity of nature, and the irregularity of practice; as it is immediately calculated to remedy the former, and to provide a fufficient atonement for the latter. Look upon it, in any other view, and it becomes a thorough contradiction.

For, were human nature perfect; and were it poffible to pay an unerring obedience to the law of confummate righteoufnefs: did virtue continually attend our fteps; uprightness and integrity ever wait upon our doings: did no vices defile, no guilt alarm, no tranfgreffions bear teftimony against us; there would be no room for penitence or pardon: we could never want the grace of forgivenefs, as unconfcious of offence; and might, with fome fhew of juftice, demand the Deity's attention, and lay claim to the rewards of his kingdom. The religion of Chrift upon this view, would be vain and inefficacious: and the names of Saviour, Redeemer, and Reftorer, would

G

would be founds without meaning, and words without fenfe.

But in truth, This hath never been the cafe with mankind: Ever fince the fall of our firft parents, time and corruption, depravity, and offence have gone on hand in hand: and the history of every period fully fatisfies us, that human nature hath been in every period, the fame; ever alike prone to fin, ever alike tainted with guilt: every imagination of the thoughts of man's heart (in the language of the facredvolumes, of man's Heart, when not restrained: by the grace of God) hath been only evil continually. And tho' the preference hath in every respect been given to virtue; tho' Philofophers have taught; tho' education from infancy hath exerted its power; nay, tho' the Moft High hath. revealed his holy will, under the most tremendous fanctions; yet the malady hath ftill remained unremoved: and to this day we too feel-, ingly lament the prevalence of paffions, and the degeneracy of our nature.

The wifdom of philofophy, tho' conscious of the evil, could neither affert the true caufe, nor affign the adequate remedy. Virtue, they allow'd, they conftantly maintain'd, was infinitely preferable to vice, was the only road to true happiness here; was that alone which could recommend to God; if indeed there was a God, who regarded human affairs. But filent

was

was their voice, and unavailing their knowledge, when the heart oppreffed with guilt fought to them for relief: when erring virtue, burden'd in confcience, and defirous of comfort, applied for eafe to the one, and folid grounds for the other. They could neither affure fuch of pardon for paft offences; nor by any means enable them to walk blamelefs for the future. Fluctuating in doubt themselves, they left others equally fluctuating; and the best hopes, they could dare to entertain, arofe from fome uncertain and dark expectations of a mercy, whereto they were ftrangers even doubting whether fuch mercy. exifted at all; or if it exifted, on what foundation they could prefume to expect it.

To remove this uneafy folicitude; to relieve thefe urging neceffities; and to make the fulleft and plainest discovery of divine mercy, reconciliation, and peace; the Son of God affumed human nature, and entered upon his bleffed mi-> niftry; the grand intent of which, was early discovered to Jofeph, by the angel, who informed him, Thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he Jhall fave his people from their fins. Accordingly, that Prince of Peace no fooner made his public appearance, than Pardon and Life were offer'd from his gracious lips to Penitence and Faith. The burden'd foul, the heart opprefs'd, the stricken conscience fought him, and he remov'd the burden, gave them comfort, gave them G 2

reft.

reft. Come unto me, all ye that travel, and are heavy-laden, was his royal and acceptable proclamation. That he came to feek and to fave those who were loft; loft to their God, loft to themfelves, loft to future blessedness ; that he came not to call the righteous, but finners to repentance; that he came to fearch for and reftore the wandering fheep to the fold; to embrace with fatherly compaffion, the returning prodigal; that his grand bufiness was the ransom of Mankind, the rescue of Sinners, the redemption of Tranfgreffors, he continually witnessed by every word and by every action. But above all, he gave teftimony to the great, the confolatory truth, when, good and tender shepherd, he laid down his life for his fheep; when, as the prophet Ifaiah finely expreffes it, he was wounded for our transgressions; when the chaftisement of our peace was upon him; when he was oppressed, and was afflicted; when he poured out his foul unto death; and the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all *.

Under this gracious difpenfation, we have no longer any cause of doubt, distress, or despair: no longer, as in the heathen world, need we wander in the wretched wild of perplexing uncertainty; oppreffed with the consciousness of guilt, which we fear can obtain no pardon, or unacquainted wherewith to come before the Lord, or what facrifice to offer as an atonement

See the whole 53d Chapter.

for

for the fin of our fouls. Happy for us, tho' our guilt be complicated, and our offences numerous; we may be affur'd of forgiveness, thro His fufficient merits, who liv'd, who died, who rofe again to fave us. Whosoever cometh to him he hath himself declared, he will in no wife caft out: he never rejects the petition of the contrite. and the humble: with Him, real penitence and prayer never yet fued in vain: None ever trusted in him, and was confounded: nor did he ever despife any that called upon him*.

And to perfect his heavenly purpose, not only pardon is freely bestowed upon the penitent, but grace is given to affift, and the spirit of his love never withheld from thofe, who wish, by future obedience, to win his regard, and to witness their fincere fense of their former mifery, and prefent happiness. For we must never fail to remark, at all times, in teftimony of the complete wisdom and excellence of the Christian. difpenfation, that tho' it holds out to the penitent believer the most substantial confolation, in full and free forgiveness; yet that forgiveness is ever suspended on the condition of future gratitude and obedience: a deficiency in which, will infallibly cancel all former grants of mercy. And thus while, with the most beautiful propriety, it affords the wifh'd, the only valuable,