they cannot live without him in the world, as they once did. They are now conscious of wants and defires, which only God can fatisfy. But they are confcious likewife that they are finners, and therefore they durft not approach him, if they had not the invitation of his promife, and an affurance of an Advocate with the Father *.

2. They come to God, in Chrift. He is the great Temple, in whom the All-fulness dwells; and they are not afraid of idolatry, when they worship and honour the Son, even as the Father. This diftinct application to God, in the perfon of the Son of his love, perhaps, becomes more frequent and familiar, as they advance in the knowledge of their Lord and Saviour ‡. They, who feek to him for deliverance from fin and mifery, at first, I believe, chiefly confider him, as the Advocate and High Prieft, who, by the virtue of his atonement, and the prevalence of his interceffion, is able to fave to the uttermoft. But when the apostle distributes christians, according to their growth in grace, into the state of babes, young men, † Col. i. 19. and ii. 9,

* 1 John ii. 1. + 2 Pet. iii. 18,

and

and fathers *, he speaks of a more distinc and appropriate knowledge of him, who is from the beginning, as the peculiar privilege, and diftinguishing attainment of the fathers. He speaks of him that is from the beginning, so often, that we can be at no lofs to determine whom he intends by the expreffion. He applies it to him who was in the beginning with God †, and whom he and the other apoftles had heard, had seen with their eyes, and touched with their hands ‡. An eminent divine points out fome efpecial feafons in the chriftian life, in which, he thinks, the peculiar preffures of the foul may obtain the most sensible and immediate relief, by direct application to the Saviour. But there are fome believers, who find themfelves, almost continually, in one or other of the fituations, which he marks as occafional. However this may be, I am ready to take it for granted, that they who really and cordially believe the Deity of Christ, do, at least at fome seasons, and upon fome occafions, exprefly direct their prayers to him. If precedents be required to warrant this practice,

*

I John ii. 14. + John i. I. ‡ 1 John i. 1-3. Owen in his Christologia.

Gg 4

the

The

the New Teftament will furnish them in abundance. I fhall felect but a few. apostle Paul bowed his knees to the God and Father of our Lord Jefus, but he often prayed to the Lord Jefus. He prayed to him in the temple*, and when he obtained that anfwer, My grace is fufficient for thee +. To him, the prayer of the apoftles and difciples was addreffed, previous to the lot, which was to determine a fucceffor to Judas ‡. And to him Stephen committed his departing spirit, an act of truft and worship of the highest kind, and at the moft folemn feafon. In fhort, it is a ftrange inconsistence,

if any, who acknowledge his Deity, queftion the propriety of praying to him. What is it, more or less, than to question the propriety of praying to God?

IV. This folemn worship and praise, is referred, ultimately, to him who fitteth upon the throne. To the great and glorious God, thus known and manifested, in and by, and with the Lamb that was flain.

The mediatorial kingdom of Christ, will ve a period. He will reign as Mediator,

‡ A&s

till he has fubdued all enemies under his feet, and perfected his whole work, Then his kingdom, in this fenfe, will ceafe, He will deliver it up to the Father, that God may be all in all *. This paffage is difficult, that is, the subject is too great, for our faculties, in their present state of imperfection, fully to comprehend. For the difficulties we meet with in fcripture, are, more properly, to be ascribed to our ignorance. The Son, as man, is even now fubject to the Father. And God is undoubtedly all in all, at prefent, and from everlasting to everlasting. But his kingdom, here, is to be taken, figuratively, for the subjects of his kingdom, his people, whom he received as a truft and a treasure, Thefe he will deliver up, and the form of his administration and government over them, will be changed. They will then have no more fins to confefs, there will be no more dangers requiring the care and tenderness of a Shepherd, no enemies to be controlled, and the ordinances and means of grace, accommodated to their wants and weakness, while in this world, will be no longer neceffary. But MESSIAH, the Lamb I Cor. xv. 28.

that

that was flain, will ever be the Head, and Lord of the creation, the medium of communication of the light and love of God to his people; and God in him, the object of their eternal adoration and praise.

Then the grand, ultimate, final caufe of all the manifeftations of God, will be completely obtained. The glory of the great Creator and Lawgiver, the fplendor of all his perfections, will for ever fhine, without a vail or cloud, and with a brightnefs which could not have been known, by creatures, had not the entrance of evil, given occafion for a display of his wisdom and love, in overruling it to the praise of his glorious grace.

Thus, according to the measure of my ability and experience, I have endeavoured to point out to you the meaning and importance of the well-chosen series of fcriptural passages, which are fet to music in the Oratorio of the Meffiah. Great is the Lord MESSIAH, and greatly to be praised! I have attempted to fet before you a fketch, of what the fcripture teaches us, concerning his person, undertakings and fuccefs; the mifery of those whom he came to fave, the happiness to