were under the first testament, or that He was born under the law, to redeem them that were under the law;64 that He suffered the penalty which the law demanded, when the Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all;65 that the curse denounced by the old covenant was inflicted upon Him; and therefore those who believe in Him must be freed from it. As He was made answerable for the penalty due to sin, it shall not again be exacted of them, but their trespasses shall all be forgiven; their sins shall be cast into the depths of the sea, no more to rise up in judgment against them. He pleads the promise of pardon which has been made to them in Him; a promise which the faithfulness of God is bound to make good. He pleads the promise of the heavenly inheritance, which has also been given to them; and therefore they shall in due time enter upon it. He pleads that, as the call of the gospel has been sent to them, those who through grace obey that call cannot be denied the blessings promised, either in this life, or in that which is to come. Thus our Lord Jesus Christ appears as the Mediator and Advocate of His church and people before the throne of God; and as He is also the Surety of the covenant, they may be satisfied that its blessings shall be bestowed upon them; that they shall not be ashamed of their hope.

66

64 Gal. iv. 4, 5. 65 Isaiah liii. 6.

66 Heb. vii. 22.

He will see to it that they are not disappointed who put their trust in Him.

How delightful is it to contemplate our Lord Jesus Christ in the character in which He is set before us in the text, as the High Priest of good things to come, who is gone into heaven in human nature to present the memorial of His bloodshedding and death before the throne of God, and there to plead for the fulfilment of the promises made by His heavenly Father to them that believe in His name. How delightful to contemplate Him as the Mediator of the new testament, who intercedes on behalf of all them that come unto God by Him, that those spiritual and eternal blessings which they need may be vouchsafed to them. His having gone into heaven, the most holy place, affords an assurance to them that are called by His grace to the knowledge and love of Him, that they shall obtain the blessing of eternal redemption which He has purchased for them, that they shall receive the eternal inheritance, which is promised to them by His grace.

Let us then look up to our High Priest and Mediator as our Advocate on high, and pray that through Him these blessings may be bestowed upon us; and that we may be sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance, unto the praise of His glory.

67 Ephesians i. 13, 14.

Let us seek to have our consciences cleansed from all sin day by day, by means of a continually renewed application to the blood of sprinkling. Let us consider it as the employment of our lives, and our highest privilege, to serve the living God, to live in obedience to His word and will, to serve and please Him in newness of life. Let the death of Christ be our only hope and confidence for pardoning mercy. When sin is brought home to our consciences, and the conviction is fastened upon our minds that we are verily guilty before God, let us by faith behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world, that we may enjoy a sense of pardon and peace with God; that guilt may be removed, and that being reconciled to God through the death of His Son, we may have communion and fellowship with Him, under the influence of the Holy Spirit; and may go on our way rejoicing, so as to run with patience the race that is set before us; and fighting the good fight of faith, may lay hold on eternal life, whereunto also we are called. In a little time the race will be run, the conflict

68

will be over; the prize of the high calling of

God in Christ will be obtained by those who

have so run as the word of God directs us to do.

May we be numbered among them!

Finally, Let none who hear the call of the gospel

68 John i. 29.

turn a deaf ear to it; your souls may live. of every one of us, that we may be the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus,69 that we may be heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ," that the promise of the eternal inheritance may be ours also. It will do us no good to hear of these things, unless we earnestly seek for ourselves to partake of the blessing. It will be of no use to hear of the high priesthood of Christ, unless through Him we draw nigh to God; to hear of His being the Mediator of the new testament, unless we make use of His mediation; to hear that the consciences of men are cleansed by faith in His blood, unless we receive the benefit of it for ourselves; to hear that He died for our redemption, unless we seek for the pardon of our sins; to hear of the promise of the eternal inheritance, unless we hope to possess it, through union with Him by a living faith. May we then not hear in vain that the Lord our God waiteth to be gracious, and is exalted to have mercy upon the penitent sinner who is humbled at His footstool, and desirous of enjoying reconciliation with Him. May we look to Christ our great High Priest for the blessings which He came into the world to bestow upon the sinful children of men, that we may partake of His great salvation in time and in eternity.

but may you so hear it that Let it be the great concern

69 Galatians iii. 26.

70 Romans viii. 17.

SERMON XXIV.

FOR THE

SUNDAY NEXT BEFORE EASTER.

THE MIND OF CHRIST.

Philippians ii. 5.

LET THIS MIND BE IN YOU WHICH WAS ALSO IN CHRIST JESUS.

In the Collect for this day, the "great humility," or the wonderful humiliation of the Son of God, is spoken of as a pattern which it becomes us as Christians to contemplate and to follow. This is the subject to which our meditation is directed in a special manner at this season, when we call to mind the scenes of Gethsemane and Calvary, or of Christ our passover being sacrificed for us.

In the text the apostle Paul exhorts those who had been made acquainted with the consolation that is in Christ, with the comfort of His love, and the fellowship of the Spirit of His grace,