neart may, for the sake of character, for the advantage of having a good character, for the sake of decency, for the sake of being trusted and respected, and well spoken of, from a love of praise and commendation, from a view of carrying his schemes and designs in the world, or of raising himself by strength of character, or at least from a fear lest a tainted character should be an obstacle to his advancement-therefore it is, that we are not serious about from these, and a thousand such sort of considerations, which might be reckoned up; and with which, it is evident, that religion hath no concern or connexion whatever, men may be both active, and forward, and liberal, in doing good; and exceedingly cautious of giving offence by doing evil; and this may be either wholly, or in part, the case with ourselves.

Words

that whenever this is the case, these things, be known, to be examined and searched into which are accounted such blessings, which for the purpose of ascertaining whether we men covet and envy, are, in truth, deep and are in a right and safe way or not. heavy calamities. For, lastly, I believe, that this levity must be changed into seriousness, before the mind infected with it can come unto God; and most assuredly true it is, that we cannot come to happiness in the next world, anless we come to God in this.

and actions are to be judged of with a reference to the disposition which they indicate. There may be language, there may be expressions, there may be behaviour of no very great consequence in itself, and considered in itself, but of very great consequence indeed, when I repeat again, therefore, that we must look considered as indicating a disposition and state to our hearts for our character: not simply or of mind. If it show, with respect to religion, solely to our actions, which may be and will that to be wanting within, which ought to be be of a mixed nature, but to the internal state there, namely, a deep and fixed sense of our of our disposition. That is the place in which personal and individual concern in religion, of its religion dwells: in that it consists. And I importance above all other important things; also repeat, that one of these internal marks then it shows, that there is yet a deficiency in of a right disposition, of an honest and good our hearts; which, without delay, must be heart, as relative to religion, is seriousness.- supplied by closer meditation upon the subject There can be no true religion without it. And than we have hitherto used; and, above all, further, a mark and test of a growing religion, by earnest and unceasing prayer for such a is a growing seriousness; so that when, in- portion and measure of spiritual influence shed stead of seeing these things at a distance, we upon our hearts, as may cure and remedy that begin to look near upon them; when from heedlessness and coldness, and deadness, and faint, they become distinct; when, instead of unconcern, which are fatal, and under which now and then perceiving a slight sense of these we have so much reason to know that we as matters, a hasty passage of them, as it were, yet unhappily labour. through the thoughts, they begin to rest and settle there in a word, when we become serious about religion, then, and not till then, may we hope that things are going on right within us; that the soil is prepared, the seed sown. Its future growth and maturity and fruit may not yet be known, but the seed is sown in the heart and in a serious heart it will not be sown in vain; in a heart not yet become serious, it may.

SERMON XVIII.

(PART I)

THE EFFICACY OF THE DEATH of Christ.

Now once in the end of the world hath he ap. peared to put away sin by the sacrifice of him. self. Hebrews ix. 26.

THE salvation of mankind, and most particularly in so far as the death and passion of our Lord Jesus Christ are concerned in it, and whereby he comes to be called our Saviour and our Redeemer, ever has been, and ever must be, a most interesting subject to all serious minds.

Religious seriousness is not churlishness, is not severity, is not gloominess, is not melancholy but it is nevertheless a disposition of| mind, and, like every disposition, it will show itself one way or other. It will, in the first place, neither invite, nor entertain, nor encourage any thing which has a tendency to turn religion into ridicule. It is not in the nature of things, that a serious mind should find delight or amusement in so doing; it is not in the nature of things, that it should not feel an inward pain and reluctance whenever it is Now there is one thing in which there is no done. Therefore, if we are capable of being division or difference of opinion at all; which pleased with hearing religion treated or talk is, that the death of Jesus Christ is spoken of, ed of with levity; made, in any manner what-in reference to human salvation, in terms and ever, an object of sport and jesting; if we in a manner, in which the death of no person are capable of making it so ourselves, or join- whatever is spoken of besides. Others have ing with others, as in a diversion, in so do- died martyrs as well as our Lord. Others ing; nay, if we do not feel ourselves at the have suffered in a righteous cause, as well as heart grieved and offended, whenever it is our he; but that is said of him, and of his death lot to be present at such sort of conversation and sufferings, which is not said of any one and discourse: then is the inference as to else. An efficacy and a concern are ascribed ourselves infallible, that we are not yet seri- to them, in the business of human salvation, ous in our religion; and then it will be for us which are not ascribed to any other. to remember, that seriousness is one of those marks by which we may fairly judge of the state of our mind and disposition as to religion; and that the state of our mind and disposition is the very thing to be consulted, to

What may be called the first Gospel declaration upon this subject, is the exclamation of John the Baptist, when he saw Jesus coming unto him: "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." I thinks

t plain, that when John called our Lord the Lamb of God, he spoke with a relation to his being sacrificed, and to the effect of that sacrifice upon the pardon of human sin; and this, you will observe, was said of him even before he entered upon his office. If any doubt could be made of the meaning of the Baptist's expression, it is settled by other places in which the like allusion to a Lamb is adopted; and where the allusion is specifically applied to his death, considered as a sacrifice.

end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many, and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation." And in the xth chapter, 12th verse: "This man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sin, for ever sat down on the right hand of God, for by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified." I observe again, that nothing of this sort is said of the death of any other person; no such efficacy is imputed to any other martyrdom. So likewise in the following text, from the Epistle to the Romans: "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us; much more then being now justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him; for if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life." "Reconciled to God by the death of his Son;" therefore that death had an efficacy in our reconciliation; but reconciliation is preparatory to salvation. The same thing is said by the same apostle in his Epistle to the Colossians: "He has reconciled us to his Father in his cross, and in the body of his flesh through death." What is said of reconciliation in these texts, is said in other texts of sanctification, which also is preparatory to salvation. Thus, Hebrews x. 10. "We are sanctified:" how? namely, "by the offering of the body of Christ once for all;" so again in the same epistle," the blood of Jesus is called the blood of the covenant by which we are sanctified."

In the Acts of the Apostles, the following words of Isaiah are, by Philip the evangelist, distinctly applied to our Lord, and to our Lord's death. "He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearers, so opened he not his mouth; in his humiliation his judgment was taken away, and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth;" therefore it was to his death, you see, that the description relates. Now, I say, that this is applied to Christ most distinctly; for the pious eunuch who was reading the passage in his chariot, was at a loss to know to whom it should be applied. "I pray thee," saith he to Philip, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself or of some other man?" And Philip, you read, taught him that it was spoken of Christ. And I say, secondly, that this particular part and expression of the prophecy being applied to Christ's death, carries the whole prophecy to the same subject; for it is undoubtedly one entire prophecy; therefore the other expressions, which are still stronger, are applicable as well as this. "He was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our In these and many other passages, that lie iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was spread in different parts of the New Testaupon him; and with his stripes we are heal-ment, it appears to be asserted, that the death ed; the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of of Christ had an efficacy in the procurement us all." There is a strong and very apposite of human salvation. Now these expressions text of St. Peter's, in which the application of mean something, mean something substanthe term "Lamb" to our Lord, and the sense tial; they are used concerning no other perin which it is applied, can admit of no ques-son, nor the death of any other person whattion at all. It is in the 1st chapter of the 1st epistle, the 18th and 19th verses: "Forasmuch as ye know, that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." All the use I make of these passages is to show, that the prophet Isaiah, six hundred years before his birth; St John the Baptist, upon the commencement of his ministery; St. Peter, his friend, companion, and apostle, after the transaction was over, speak of Christ's death, under the figure of a lamb being sacrificed; that is, as having the effect of a sacrifice, the effect in kind, though infinitely higher in degree, upon the pardon of sins, and the procurement of salvation; and that this is spoken of the death of uo other person whatever.

ever. Therefore Christ's death was something more than a confirmation of his preaching; something more than a pattern of a holy and patient, and perhaps voluntary martyrdom ; something more than necessarily antecedent to his resurrection, by which he gave a grand and clear proof of human resurrection.-Christ's death was all these, but it was something more; because none of these ends, nor all of them, satisfy the text you have heard; come up to the assertions and declarations which are delivered concerning it.

Now allowing the subject to stop here, allowing that we know nothing, nor can know any thing concerning it but what is written, and that nothing more is written than that the death of Christ had a real and essential effect upon human salvation; we have certainOther plain and distinct passages, declaring ly before us a doctrine of a very peculiar, perthe efficacy of Christ's death, are the follow-haps I may say of a very unexpected kind, in ing, Hebrews ix. 26: "Now once in the some measure hidden in the councils of the di

SERMONS ON SEVERAL SUBJECTS.

vine nature, but still so far revealed to us, as in order, by whatever means it was done, to
to excite two great religious sentiments, ad- promote the attainment of salvation to man-
miration and gratitude.
kind, and to each and every one of themselves,

That a person of a nature different from all was a theme they dwelt upon with feelings of other men; nay superior, for so he is distinct- the warmest thankfulness; because they were ly described to be, to all created beings, whe-feelings proportioned to the magnitude of the ther men or angels; united with the Deity as benefit. Earthly benefits are nothing comno other person is united; that such a person pared with those which are heavenly. That should come down from heaven, and suffer they felt from the bottom of their souls. That, upon earth the pains of an excruciating death, in my opinion, we do not feel as we ought. and that these his submissions and sufferings But feeling this, they never cease to testify, should avail and produce a great effect in the to acknowledge, to express the deepest obligaprocurement of the future salvation of man- tion, the most devout consciousness of that obkind, cannot but excite wonder. But it is by ligation to their Lord and Master; to him

In

no means improbable on that account; on the whom, for what he had done and suffered, contrary, it might be reasonably supposed be- they regarded as the finisher of their faith, and forehand, that if any thing was disclosed to us the author of their salvation. touching a future life, and touching the dispensations of God to men, it would be something of a nature to excite admiration. the world in which we live, we may be said to have some knowledge of its laws, and constitution, and nature: we have long experienced them; as also of the beings with whom we converse, or amongst whom we are conversant, we may be said to understand something, at least they are familiar to us; we are not surprised with appearances which every day oc

cur.

SERMON XIX.

(PART II.)

ALL STAND IN NEED OF A REDEEMER.

Now once in the end of the world hath he ap peared to put away sin by the sacrifice of him. self. Hebrews ix. 26.

But of the world and the life to which we are destined, and of the beings amongst whom we may be brought, the case is altogether different. Here is no experience to explain things; no use or familiarity to take off surprise, to reconcile us to difficulties, to as- IN a former discourse upon this text I have sist our apprehension. In the new order of shown, first, That the Scriptures expressly state things, according to the new laws of nature, the death of Jesus Christ as having an efficaevery thing will be suitable; suitable to the cy in the procurement of human salvation, beings who are to occupy the future world; which is not attributed to the death or sufferbut that suitableness cannot, as it seems to me, ings of any other person, however patiently be possibly perceived by us, until we are ac- undergone, or undeservedly inflicted; and farquainted with that order and with those beings. ther, it appears that this efficacy is quite conSo that it arises, as it were, from the necessity sistent with our obligation to obedience; that of things, that what is told us by a divine mes-good works still remain the condition of salva. senger of heavenly affairs, of affairs purely spi- tion, though not the cause; the cause being the ritual, that is, relating purely to another world, mercy of Almighty God through Jesus Christ. must be so comprehended by us, as to excite There is no man living, perhaps, who has conadmiration. But, secondly, Partially as we may, or per- this is not a consoling doctrine, and a gratesidered seriously the state of his soul, to whom haps must, comprehend this subject, in com- ful truth. But there are some situations of mon with all subjects which relate strictly and mind which dispose us to feel the weight and solely to the nature of our future life, we may importance of this doctrine more than others. comprehend it quite sufficiently for one pur- These situations I will endeavour to describe ; pose; and that is gratitude. It was only for and, in doing so, to point out how much more a moral purpose that the thing was revealed at satisfactory it is to have a Saviour and Redeemall; and that purpose is a sense of gratitude er, and the mercies of our Creator excited toand obligation. This was the use which the wards us, and communicated to us by and apostles of our Lord, who knew the most, through that Saviour and Redeemer, to conmade of their knowledge. This was the turn fide in and rely upon, than any grounds of me. they gave to their meditations upon the sub-rit in ourselves. ject; the impression it left upon their hearts. That a great and happy Being should volun- and endeavouring after salvation, and with tarily enter the world in a mean and low con- sincerity-such souls are every hour made sendition, and humble himself to a death upon the sible, deeply sensible, of the deficiency and imcross, that is, to be executed as a malefactor, perfection of their endeavours. Had they no

First, then, souls which are really labouring

ground, therefore, for hope, but merit, that is from religious exercises does not accompany to say, could they look for nothing more than ours; at least not constantly. I speak not what they should strictly deserve, their pros- now of the hypocrite in religion, of him who pect would be very uncomfortable. I see not only makes a show of it. His case comes not how they could look for heaven at all. They within our present consideration. I speak of may form a conception of a virtue and obe- those who are sincere men. These feel the dience which might seem to be entitled to a imperfection of their services, and will acknow nigh reward; but when they come to review ledge that I have not stated it more strongly their own performances, and to compare them than what is true. Imperfection cleaves to with that conception; when they see how every part of it. Our thankfulness is never short they have proved of what they ought to what it ought to be, or any thing like it; and have been, and of what they might have been, it is only when we have some particular reahow weak and broken were their best offices; son for being pleased that we are thankful at they will be the first to confess, that it is in- all. Formality is apt continually to steal upfinitely for their comfort that they have some on us in our worship; more especially in our other resource than their own righteousness. public worship; and formality takes away the One infallible effect of sincerity in our endea- immediate consciousness of what we are doing vours is, to beget in us a knowledge of our im- which consciousness is the very life of devotion, perfections. The careless, the heedless, the all that we do without it being a dead cerethoughtless, the nominal Christian, feels no mony. want of a Saviour, an intercessor, a mediator, because he feels not his own defects. Try in earnest to perform the duties of religion, and you will soon learn how incomplete your best performances are. I can hardly mention a branch of our duty, which is not liable to be both impure in the motive, and imperfect in the execution; or a branch of our duty in which our endeavours can found their hopes of acceptance upon any thing but extended mercy, and the efficacy of those means and causes which have procured it to be so extended.

No man reviews his services towards God, his religious services, but he perceives in them much to be forgiven, much to be excused; great unworthiness as respecting the object of all worship; much deficiency and imperfection to be passed over, before our service can be deemed in its nature an acceptable service. That such services, therefore, should, in fact, be allowed and accepted, and that to no less an end and purpose than the attainment of heaven, is an act of abounding grace and goodness in Him who accepts them; and we are taught in Scripture, that this so much wanted

In the first place, is not this the case with our acts of piety and devotion? We may ad-grace and goodness abounds towards us through mit, that pure and perfect piety has a natural Jesus Christ; and particularly through his title to reward at the hand of God. But is sufferings and his death. ours ever such? To be pure in its motive, it But to pass from our acts of worship, which ought to proceed from a sense of God Al- form a particular part only of our duty to God; mighty's goodness towards us, and from no to pass from these to our general duty, what, other source, or cause, or motive whatsoever. let us ask, is that duty? What is our duty toWhereas even pious, comparatively pious men, wards God? No other, our Saviour himself will acknowledge that authority, custom, de- tells us, than "to love him with all our heart, cency, imitation, have a share in most of their with all our soul, with all our strength, and religious exercises, and that they cannot war-with all our mind:" Luke x. 27. Are we rant any of their devotions to be entirely in-conscious of such love to such a degree? If dependent of these causes. I would not speak we are not, then, in a most fundamental duty disparagingly of the considerations here recit-we fail of being what we ought to be. Here, ed. They are oftentimes necessary induce- then, as before, is a call for pardoning mercy ments, and they may be the means of bringing on the part of God; which mercy is extended us to better; but still it is true, that devotion to us by the intervention of Jesus Christ; at is not pure in its origin, unless it flow from least so the Scriptures represent it. a sense of God Almighty's goodness, unmixed In our duties towards one another, it may with any other reason. But if our worship of be said, that our performances are more adeGod be defective in its principle, and often de- quate to our obligation, than in our duties to based by the mixture of impure motives, it is God; that the subjects of them lie more level still more deficient, when we come to regard with our capacity; and there may be truth in it in its performances. Our devotions are this observation. But still I am afraid, that broken and interrupted, or they are cold and both in principle and execution our perforlanguid. Worldly thoughts intrude them-mances are not only defective, but defective in selves upon them. Our worldly heart is tied a degree which we are not sufficiently aware down to the earth. Our devotions are un- of. The rule laid down for us is this, "to worthy of God. We lift not up our hearts love our neighbour as ourselves." Which unto him. Our treasure is upon earth, and rule, in fact, enjoins, that our benevolence be our hearts are with our treasure. That heav- as strong as our self-interest: that we be as enly-mindedness which ought to be inseparable anxious to do good, as quick to discover, as