dence felected the defcendants of Abraham from the nations of the earth, and by a peculiar fyftem of laws, and ceremonial obfervances, kept them a diftinct, and feparate people. In fucceeding ages, the tribe and particular family, from which the Meffiah fhould fpring, the time, and place. of his birth were diftinctly marked out. At length the Saviour of Mankind appeared, agreeably to all the circumstances which had been foretold concerning him; in the course of his ministry, he displayed his divine commiffion in acts of miraculous benevolence; he gave feet to the lame, and eyes to the blind, the deaf heard his voice, and the tongue of the dumb fang his praises. Having thus, in numberlefs inftances furpaffing the power of human agency, established his divine character, he fulfilled the grand purpose of his incarnation, fubmitted to the death of the cross, and thereby restored mankind to that conditional state of acceptance, which the tranfgreffion of our first parent had for

feited;

feited; So, as in Adam all died, in Chrift fhall all be made alive.

Life and Immortality, therefore, man has no claim to, either as a natural right, or as a reward of merit, it is the free gift of God's mercy.

A just sense of this truth has a direct tendency to humble the heart of man, and to cast down every high thought which might exalt itself against the sovereign majesty of God.

Let the doctrine of man's fall in Adam, and his redemption by the cross of Christ, be to the Jews a scandal, offenfive to their prejudices because contradictory to their vain expectations of a Meffiah in the character of an earthly conqueror. Let the notion of a dying Saviour be folly to philofophers of Greece, and a derifion to all the vain conceits of worldly wisdom. Let the profligate, and the inconfiderate part of mankind openly profane, or fecretly flight our faith, yet to men who fenfible of their own infufficiency and unwor

thinefs

thiness walk humbly with their God, the redemption of the world by the facrifice of atonement in Christ Jesus must ever be a doctrine full of comfort and joy.

It was my defign in this difcourfe to lay before you, in one general view, the great outline of the plan of Providence, 'which was gradually unfolding, from the creation of man to the coming of our Lord Jefus Chrift. In this, as in every other difpenfation of divine wisdom respecting the moral or material world, there is evidently a chain of causes and effects, though we cannot distinctly difcern every link that connects them together. Great it must still be confeffed is the mystery of our redemption; the counfels, like the throne of the Almighty, are encompaffed with clouds of darkness impenetrable to vain curiofity. We may not yet fully comprehend the means, but the light of revelation has, nevertheless, afforded us fuch an infight into the gracious defign, and effects of divine wisdom in the redemption of man

kind

kind by Jefus Chrift, as fufficiently proves the Christian Religion to be a consistent uniform difpenfation, reconciling the divine attributes of justice and mercy, bringing peace to men on earth, and opening to them the way of eternal glory in the life

to come.

Let us not then idly dispute about the nature, and propriety of the means whereby we are restored to the divine favour, but apply the comfortable affurance of mercy to our hearts, and let it excite there juft fentiments of love, gratitude, and adoration.

To all fuch as, fenfible of their own unworthiness, turn unto the Lord in humility, repentance, and amendment of life, the Gofpel of Chrift, expressly and clearly affures forgiveness through his mediation; and for our encouragement alfo to future obedience, he who hath fo reconciled us unto God hath promised to perfect the work of our falvation, affifting our en

deavours,

deavours, and fanctifying our hearts, by the grace of his holy fpirit.

The vain conceit of worldly wisdom may affect alfo to treat with fcorn all notions of divine influence on the heart of man; yet the grace of God ceaseth not, but co-operating with the will of the humble believer will help his unbelief, and lead him on from truth to truth, adding conviction to faith, and confidence to hope, until nothing doubting, he embraces with joy and gratitude the gift of eternal life, through our Lord and Saviour Jesus

Christ.

The