SERM. main no more Sacrifice for our Sin: For VIII.

if the word spoken by Angels was stedfast

, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; how shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard bim? For if we fin wilfully after we have received the Knowledge of the Truth; that is, if Christians live as those who know not God, in the Practise of any vice or debauchery whatsoever; there remains no more Sacrifice for Sin, no new Dispensations; but a certain fearful looking for of judgment, and fiery indignatian, which shall devour the adversaries.

SERMON

i

1 Cor. xv. 56 and 57. The sting of Death is fin, and the strength of fin is the law; But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ.

HEN he who was the desire S e RM. and expectation of Nations IX. appeared first in the World, my it highly concerned all those

who looked for redemption in Ifrael, rightly to understand the end

and

W

ز

Ser M. and design of his coming : And if we IX. who live at this distance of time after

his appearing in the flesh, expect yet to be partakers of the common Salvation which he has purchased for us; it highly concerns Us also to understand wherein that Salvation consists, and how and on what conditions he has purchased it for

The Yews who lived about the time of his coming, milled by a partial application and wrong interpretation of the prophecies that went before concerning him, expected a temporal prince to appear in the power and Splendor of this world, who should deliver their nation from that slavery into which the Romans had subdued them, and restore again the kingdom to Ifrael; They expected that Jerusalem fhould have become once again the Head of the nations, and the glory of the whole Earth; They expected that Mesiah the prince mould have come to fit upon the throne of David for ever, and to have established a kingdom among them which Should have had no end. And so indeed he did; though in a sense far different

from what they expected. Nay, his Dif-Serm.
ciples themselves were for a great while IX.
so blinded with the splendor of this opi-
nion, that they understood none of those
prophecies that related to his Humilia-
tion, Sufferings, and Death; As appears
from St Peter's undertaking to rebuke
him when he began to foretel how many
things he should suffer of the Jews; and
from his Disciples asking him even after
his resurrection if he would at this time
restore again the kingdom to Ifrael. But
as he himself a little before his death
witnessed before Pontius Pilate that good
confession, that his kingdom was not of
this world; so his Disciples, after his re-
furrection and ascension, began to have
their eyes opened, and to understand that
the design of his coming into the World
was wholly Spiritual. And as at the de-
scending of the Holy Ghost they were
more perfectly instructed in the nature
and end of That his Spiritual kingdom, fo
did they afterward in their inspired wri-.
tings deliver to us, what they then re-
ceived from that unerring instructor :

Namely,

SER M. Namely, that the true end and design of IX. Christ's coming into the World, was to

deliver men, not from their Temporal Enemies, but to save them from their Sins. Now This he does, by delivering us ift, from the power and dominion of Sin; and 2dly, from the guilt and punishment thereof. ift, He delivers men from that. Bondage and Slavery into which the practice of Sin has reduced them; and then those who are so freed, he delivers from that punishment which must have been the necessary consequence of their being enslaved to Sin. These are the two great designs which exhaust the whole history of our Saviour ; there being nothing that he either said or did, which was not directed to one of these great ends. It then, We are to show, how Christ delivers us from the dominion or practice of Sin. That the service of Sin is an intolerable thraldom, All who are so unhappy as to be engaged in any · habit of Vice, do sadly experience; and it

may also easily be observed by others. This deplorable state, it fitly described by

Solamon