Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

fupreme intelligent Being, the Author and Creator of all Things, and can by no Reafoning whatever discover any other Being concerned in the making, framing, or governing the World: And therefore all the Hopes and Fears, in a Word, all the religious Acts of Man, in the State of Natural Religion, are neceffarily and immediately relative to this one fupreme Being. But put the Cafe, that Natural Religion could poffibly discover that this one fupreme Being had an eternal Son, to whom he had communicated all Power and Authority, who was the immediate Creator, Governor, and Judge of Mankind; I befeech you to confider, whether, upon this Suppofition, there would not neceffarily arise an Alteration in Natural Religion; whether the Hopes and Fears, and all other religious Acts of Mankind would not relate immediately to this there immediate Creator, Governor, and Judge. Can it be reasonably fuppofed that we were created by the Son of God, that we are now under his Government, and fhall be finally under his Judgment, and at the fame time maintained that no Service, Obedience, or Regard is due to him from us his Creatures and Subjects? If this cannot be maintained confiftently with this Suppofition, the Conclufion

[ocr errors]

will be, That the Religion of a Christian is a natural and reasonable Service, arifing from the Relation between Chrift and Mankind, which the Gofpel has revealed and made known to the World.

When we confider what Expectations we have from our Redeemer, and what great Promises he has made to us in his Gofpel, we cannot poffibly avoid inquiring who this Perfon is: When we hear his Promise to be always prefent with us to the End of the World, to fupport us under all our Difficulties, 'tis but a reasonable Demand to afk by what Authority he does these Things: And when we are told that he liveth for ever, and is the Lord of Life and of Glory, there is no room to doubt of his being able to fave us. St. Paul tells us, that the Lord Jefus Chrift ball change our vile Bodies, that they may be fashioned like unto his glorious Body: A great Expectation this! But confider what the reasonable Foundation of this Expectation is: St. Paul tells us, it is the Energy of Power with which Chrift is endued, whereby he is able even to fubdue all Things to himself. Our Saviour puts this Article upon the fame Foot: Hear his Declaration; Verily, verily I fay unto you, The Hour is coming, and now is, when the

Dead

Dead fhall hear the Voice of the Son of God; and they that hear shall live. In the next Verse the Reafon follows: For, as the Father bath Life in himself, fo bath he given to the Son to have Life in himself. John v. 25, 26. If the Son has Life in himself, even as the Father has Life in himself; if he is really endued with Power to which all Nature fubmits and obeys, a Power fufficient for the Creation of the World at first, and for the Prefervation ever fince; we have Reafon to conclude, that he is now as able to reftore Life, as he was at first to give it; to call Men from the Grave into Being, as well as to call them out of nothing at the firft Creation.

The Relation of Chrift to Mankind as Creator and Governor confidered, the Work of Redemption could not properly have been undertaken by any other Hand: For, if Chrift was the immediate Creator and Governor of the World, what Reason can you imagine why God fhould refume this Authority out of the Hands of his Son, or set up another to have Dominion and Authority over any Part of the Creation, which by natural Right belonged to Him, who made all Things? Were we to confider one Perfon as our Creator, and another as our Redeemer,

Redeemer, it would be extremely to the Diminution of the Honour and Regard due to the Creator, inafmuch as the Bleffing of Redemption would greatly outweigh the Benefit of Creation; and it would be natural to us to prefer the Love that delivered us from the Evils and Miseries of the World, to that which placed us in them. In the daily Service of our Church we praise God for creating and preferving us, but above all for his inestimable Love in the Redemption; which is very confiftent with Respect to one great Benefactor, who both made us and redeemed us: But, had any other Hand redeemed us, fuch Expreffion of Gratitude to him would have reflected Dishonour upon the Creator.

- St. Paul tells us exprefly, That Christ is Head of the Church; a Title founded in the Right of Redemption, that in all Things be might have the Preeminence; that, as he was the Head of all Creatures in virtue of having created them, fo he might be the Head of the Church, the elect People of God, in virtue of having redeemed them: For it pleafed the Father, that in him should all Fullnefs dwell; that is, that Chrift should be all in all, the Head of the fecond as well as of the first Creation. Coloss. i. 18.

According

According to St. Paul's Reasoning here, if any other Person had redeemed the World, or if the World had been redeemed without Chrift, he would not eminence in all Things;

have had the Prewhich yet he had before Sin came into the World; and, confequently, the Sin of the World would have been the Diminution of the Headship and Power of Christ. Upon thefe Principles of the Gospel Revelation we may discern fome Propriety in Chrift's coming to redeem the World: The Work was fuch, that no Perfon of lefs Power could undertake it; and his Relation to the World was fuch, as made it fit and proper to commit the Work to him.

The Redemption of Mankind is a Work which in the Event feems to concern Men only: But, confidered as a Vindication of the Juftice and Goodness of God towards his Creatures, it is a Work exposed to the Confideration of every intelligent Being in the Universe. Whether they may be suppofed to inquire into God's Dealings with the Children of Men, we may judge by ourfelves. "Tis little we know of the Fall of Angels; yet how has that employed human Curiofity! For every Man confiders himself as having an Intereft in the Juftice

and

« AnteriorContinuar »