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rightful poffeffion, is himself difpoffeffed. The foul laments its former obftinacy, throws down its arms, throws wide open its doors, and bids the King of glory welcome. Then old things pass away, and all things become Such was the change the poor man experienced, out of whom Jesus cast a legion of evil fpirits. At first, if he could, he would have prevented his kind purpose; he was afraid of his deliverer and faid, I befeech thee torment me not *. How wretched was his state then, miferable in himself, and a terror to others! But what a wonderful and happy alteration, when he fat quietly at his Saviour's feet, clothed and in his right mind!

I close the fubject with the Apoftle's inference, Seeing then that we have fo great a high priest, who is passed into the heavens, Jefus the Son of God, let us bold faft our profeffion +. Let not those who know him be ashamed of their attachment to him. You will not repent in a dying hour, that you once thought too highly of him, or expected too much from him, or devoted yourself with too much earnestnefs to his fervice. Nor yield to unbelief and fear. Though your enemies

* Mark v. 7.

+ Heb. iv. 14.

are

are many and mighty, and your trials great,

greater is he that is with you. If the Lord, the Lord of hofts, the Lord strong and mighty in battle be for you, who can be against you, so as effectually to harm you? Continue inftant in prayer, perfevere in well doing. Our afcended Lord will one day return; and then they who have lived, and served, and trusted him here, shall appear with him in glory *.

Others, if they can, muft prepare to meet him. But alas! How fhall they stand before him? Or whither fhall they flee, from him whose presence filleth the heavens and the earth +. Have they an arm like God? Or can they thunder with a voice like his? As yet he is proclaimed by the Gospel, a Saviour, feated upon a throne of grace, ftretching forth the golden fceptre of his love, and inviting finners to be reconciled. Now is the accepted time. Hereafter he will be feen upon a throne of judgment, to take vengeance of his enemies.

Col. iii. 4.

+ Jer. xxiii. 24.

SER

SERMON XXVII.

MESSIAH THE SON OF GOD.

HEB. i. 5.

For unto which of the angels faid he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee?

HOUGH every part of a revelation from

TH

God muft of courfe be equally true, there may be a confiderable difference even among truths propofed by the fame authority, with respect to their immediate importance. There are fundamental truths, the knowledge of which are effentially neceffary to our peace and holiness: and there are others of a fecondary nature, which, though very useful in their proper connexion, and though the right apprehenfion of them is

VOL. II.

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great

greatly conducive to the comfort and establishment of a believer; are not fo neceffary, but that he may be a true believer before he clearly understands them. Thus our Lord pronounced Peter, Bleffed *, for his acknowledgment of a truth, which had been revealed to him, not by flesh and blood, but from above, tho' he was at that time very deficient in doctrinal knowledge. It is not easy to draw the line here, and precifely to distinguish between fundamental and fecondary truths; yet fome attention to this diftinction is expedient; and the want of such attention, has greatly contributed to foment and embitter controverfies in the church of Chrift; while fallible men, from a mistaken zeal for the faith once delivered to the faints, have laboured to enforce all their religious fentiments, with an equal and indifcriminate vehemence. It is evident that the truths effential to the very being of a christian, must be known, and experienced by all, of every nation, people and language, who are taught of God. For they, and they only, are Chriftians indeed, who are thus taught. And therefore it feems to follow, that no doc+ Ifa. liv. 13.

* Matt. xvi. 17.

trine, however true in itself, which humble and spiritual perfons, who study the scripture with prayer, and really depend upon divine teaching, are not agreed in, can be ftrictly fundamental. And perhaps the chief part of the apparent diverfity of their fentiments, does not so often respect the truth itself, as the different acceptation they put upon the words and phrases, by which they endeavour to exprefs their meaning to each other.

However, if there be any doctrine fundamental and neceffary to be rightly understood, what the scripture teaches concerning the perfon of MESSIAH the Redeemer, must be eminently fo. Mistakes upon this point, must neceffarily be dangerous. It cannot be a question of mere fpeculation, whether the Saviour be God, or creature. He must be either the one or the other. And the whole frame of our religion is unavoidably dependant upon the judgment we form of him. If he be a man only, or if he be an angel, tho' of the highest order, and poffeffed of excellencies peculiar to himself; ftill upon the fuppofition that he is but a creature, he must be infinitely inferior to his Maker, in comparifon

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