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thority of the Old Testament were confirmed, and the wisdom, power, and providence of God, overruling and directing the contingencies of human affairs, to produce this grand event in its determinate period, were display

from a presumption that they were his peculiar people, they despised and hated the rest of mankind. It is not our present concern closely to follow their history. Let it suffice to say that, by substituting a regard to the letter of the law in the place of spiritual obe-ed to the highest advantage. And as the dience, and by presuming to multiply their own inventions and traditions,* and to hold them no less binding than the positive commands of God; they, by degrees, attained to a pitch of impiety unknown to former times, and which was so much the more of fensive and abominable, as it was covered with the mask of religion, and accompanied with a claim to superior sanctity.

Pride, hypocrisy, and interest, divided them into sects; and the contests of each party for superiority threw the state into frequent commotions. Their intrigues at length brought upon them the Roman power. The city was taken by Pompey; and though they afterwards retained a shadow of liberty, their government was determined from that time by the will of the conquerors. At length Herod, a foreigner, obtained it. In his reign Christ was born.

Thus the state of mankind, before the coming of Christ, proved, with the fullest evidence, the necessity of his interposition. And, in the mean time, the world had not been left utterly helpless and hopeless. His future advent had been revealed from the beginning; and by faith in that revelation a remnant had subsisted in every age, who had triumphed over the general evil, and maintained the cause of God and truth. It was not necessary to the salvation of these, that he should have been manifested sooner; for they beheld his day afar off, and rejoiced in his name. With respect to others, destitute of divine faith, his incarnation would have had the same effect at any period as it had on multitudes who actually saw him in the flesh, but, offended with the meanness of his circumstances, and the great honours he vindicated to himself, rejected him with disdain.

But farther, the late appearance of Christ in the world gave room for the full accomplishment of the prophecies concerning him, which had been repeated at different times, with increasing clearness and precision; insomuch that the time, place, and every circumstance of his birth, life, and death, had been distinctly foretold. Thus the truth and au

* See one instance, Matt. xv. 5. The expression is rather obscure, but the sense is: "What you might expect from me for your support, I have put out of my own power; it is devoted to the service of God and the temple." And teachers allowed this to be a legal exemption. Any man who would pay handsomely to the priests and the temple, might treat his parents as he pleased. Thus they set aside the express command of God, by their own authority, and for their own advan tage. The same dispensing, commuting, engrossing spirit has too often appeared in the Christian church.

state of the moral world made his presence highly necessary, so God, in due time, disposed the political state of mankind in such a manner as to prepare the way for a speedy and general publication of the gospel through the world.

It would be pleasing to consider how the rise and fall and change of empires were made successively subservient to introduce the kingdom of Jesus. But this would lead me beyond my present bounds. I can only just hint at two or three events, which had a more general influence. The first is, The rapid progress of Alexander, whose extensive conquests, divided amongst his successors, laid the foundation of four powerful monarchies, and opened an intercourse between countries till then unknown to each other. By this means the Greek tongue became familiar and common to many nations; and, soon after, the Hebrew scriptures were translated into that language, and the prophecies concerning the Messiah were laid open to the Gentiles. To this may be added the several dispersions of the Jews, who, upon various occasions, had been settled in almost every considerable city under the heathen governments. By their traditions and prophecies, imperfectly understood, a general expectation had been raised of some extraordinary deliverer, who would shortly appear. Lastly, by the growth of the Roman empire, many nations and people, who were before acquainted by means of one common language, became more closely united under one dominion. Every province had a necessary connection with Rome, and Rome was the centre and resort of the greatest part of the then habitable world.

As to the Jews, many things concurred to animate their wishes and expectations of the Messiah's approach. The prophecies were in their hands. Many of their wise men were apprised, that the term of seventy weeks, spoken of by Daniel, was drawing to a period. The sceptre seemed departing from Judah: they groaned under a foreign yoke, from which they vainly imagined the Messiah would set them free, and give them, in their turn, a temporal dominion over the nations of the earth. Though this mistake prompted them to reject Christ, when he preached a deliverance unsuitable to their Worldly notions, yet it made them solicitous and eager for the appearance of the person on whom their hopes were fixed. A few amongst them, however, better instructed in the true meaning of the prophecies, were secretly waiting in the exercises of faith and

prayer for the consolation of Israel, Luke

ii. 3.

From this general view of the moral and political state of mankind, and the lealing designs of divine revelation and providence, previous to the birth of Christ, we may conclude, that the time fixed on from before the foundation of the world, for his actual exhibition amongst men, was not an arbitrary, but a wise and gracious appointment; a determination admirably suited to place the most important truths in the strongest light. In this way the depravity, misery, and helplessness of man, the mercy of God, and the truth of the scriptures, were unquestionably proved to all succeeding times. The neces sity of a Saviour was felt and acknowledged; and the suitableness, all-sufficiency, and condescension of Jesus, when he undertook and accomplished the great designs in which his love engaged him, were more strongly illustrated by the preceding contrast. He knew the whole human race were sinners, rebels, enemies against God. He knew the terms, the price of our redemption, that he must obey, suffer, weep, and die. Yet he came. He emptied himself of his glory and honour, and took on him the form of a servant, to bring the glad tidings of salvation to men. In effect, the gospel of Christ soon appeared to be the great desideratum, and completely redressed the evils which philosophy had given up as desperate. The genius and characteristic marks of this gospel will be considered in the following chapter.

CHAPTER II.

The Character and Genius of the Gospel, as taught and exemplified by Christ.

A SUCCINCT history of the life of our Lord and Saviour is no part of our plan. This the inspired evangelists have performed with the highest advantage and authority; and their writings (through the mercy of God) are generally known and read in our own tongue. It will be sufficient for me to select a few passages from them, to explain and confirm the several points I have proposed to treat of in this book, as principles whereon to ground our observations on the spirit and conduct of aftertimes.

At present I propose to state the true character and genius of his doctrine. This may seem a digression from my main design. But as I shall often have occasion to speak of the gospel, and the opposition it has met with, it will not be improper, in the first place, to exhibit a general idea of what we mean by the gospel, especially as the professed followers of Christ have been, and still are, not a little divided upon the point.

We may describe the gospel to be—“ A divine revelation in the person of Jesus Christ, discovering the misery of fallen man by sin, and the means of his complete recovery by the free grace of God, through faith, unto holiness and happiness." The explanation and proof of these particulars, from our Lord's express declarations, and the tenor of his conduct, will sufficiently point out the principal marks and characters of his gospel. But, before we enter upon this, two things may be premised.

1. Though I confine myself to the writings of the evangelists in this disquisition, yet it should be remembered, that whilst our Lord was visibly conversant with men, he did not ordinarily discover the whole system of his doctrine in express terms. He spoke to the multitude, for the most part, in parables, (Matt. xiii. 10, 11,) and was not forward to proclaim himself the Messiah upon every occasion, Matt. xvi. 20. And even in his more intimate discourses with his disciples (John xvi. 12—25,) he taught them with a wise and gracious accommodation to their circumstances and weakness.* The full explanation of many things he referred to the time when, having accomplished his wish, and returned victorious and triumphant into heaven, he should send down, according to his promise, the Holy Spirit, to enlighten and comfort his people. Then, and not before, they fully understood the meaning of all they had seen and heard while he was with them, Mark ix. 10; John ii. 22.

2. The doctrine of the gospel is not like a mathematical problem, which conveys precisely the same degree of truth and certainty to every one that understands the terms. If so, all believers would be equally enlightened, who enjoy the common privilege of the written word. But there is, in fact, an amazing variety in this respect. Where this doctrine is truly understood, though in the lowest degree, it inspires the soul with a supreme love to Jesus, and a trust in him for salvation. And those who understand it best, have not yet received all the evidence, comfort, and influence from it, which it is capable of affording. The riches of grace and wisdom in this dispensation are unsearchable (Eph. iii. 8,) and immense, imparted in different measures, and increased from time to time, according to the good pleasure (1 Cor. xii. 11,) of the Spirit of God, who furnishes his people with light and strength propor

ledge advanced as the light, or according to his own beautiful smile) first the blade, then the ear; first green corn, then fully ripe.

* Our Lord taught his disciples gradually; their know

He considered their difficulties, he made allowances for their infirmities. It is to be

wished his example was followed by all who teach in his name. Some are so hasty, they expect to teach to others, in one discourse or interview, all that they have attained themselves by the study and experience of many years.

tioned to their exigences, situation, and the | my Father which is in heaven," Matt. xvi. services or trials he calls them to; not with- 16, 17. If Peter could read, and had the out respect to the degree of their diligence, scriptures to peruse, these were advantages obedience, and simplicity, in waiting upon derived from flesh and blood, from his birth, him. For these reasons, it is not to be expect- parents, and teachers; advantages which the ed, that every one who serves God with his Scribes and Pharisees, our Lord's most invespirit in the gospel of his Son, should have ex- terate enemies, enjoyed in common with him. actly the same views of this sublime subject. The difference lay in a revelation of the truth Neither do I presume to think myself capa- to his heart. As it is said in another place, ble of displaying it in its full light and beauty. "Thou hast hid these things from the wise I desire, therefore, to write with candour, and prudent, and revealed them unto babes." and entreat a candid perusal, as conscious of my infirmities, and the imperfections necessarily attending the human mind, in this present state of things. Yet I am not afraid to express my just confidence, that I shall advance no principle, as a part of the gospeldoctrine, which does not assuredly belong to it.

I now proceed to explain and confirm the definition I have given of the gospel.

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2. It is a revelation in the person of Jesus Christ. As a revelation, it stands distinguished from all false religions; and as revealed in the person of Jesus, it is distinguished from all former dispensations of the true God, who, in time past, had spoken by the prophets, but was pleased in those last days to speak unto us by his Son. The law was given by Moses, both to enforce the necessity of a universal sinless obedience, and to point out the efficacy of a better Mediator; but grace and truth, grace answerable to the sinner's guilt and misery, and truth, and the full accomplishment of all its typical services, came by Jesus Christ. All the grand peculiarities of the gospel, centre in this point, the constitution of the person of Christ, Col. iL 3, 9; John xvii. 3. In the knowledge of him standeth our eternal life. And though our Lord, on some occasions, refused to an

1. It is a divine revelation, a discovery of truths, which, though of the highest moment, could have been known no other way. That God will forgive sin, is beyond the power of unassisted reason to prove. The prevailing custom of sacrifices, is indeed founded upon such a hope; but this practice was, without doubt, derived from revelation, for reason could not have suggested such an expedient. And those among the Heathens, whether priests or philosophers, who spoke of forgive-swer the captious questions of his enemies, ness of sin, knew but little what sin was. Revelation was needful to discover sin, in its true nature and demerit; and where this is known, the awakened and wounded conscience is not easily persuaded, that a just and holy God will pardon iniquity; so likewise the immortality of the soul, after all the fine things said upon the subject, remained a problematical point among the Heathens. Their best arguments, though conclusive to us, were not so to themselves. When they laid aside their books, and returned to the common affairs of life, they forgot the force of their own demonstrations.* But the gospel of Christ is an express, complete, and infallible revelation, as he himself often assured his hearers, John vii. 16, and viii. 26.

and expressed himself so as to leave his hearers in suspense, yet at other times, he clearly asserted his own just rights and honours, and proposed himself as the supreme object of love, trust, and worship, the fountain of grace and power, the resurrection, life, and happiness of all believers.

That he vindicated to himself those characters and prerogatives which incommunicably belong to God, is evident from the texts referred to. He was a judge of the thoughts and intents of the heart, (Matt. ix. 2, 3;) he forgave sins; he adopted the style of Supreme Majesty:† his wonderful works were proof of an almighty power; he restored sight, health, and life, with a word; (Matt. viii. 3, 9, 30; John iv. 53;) he controlled the elements, (Matt. xiv. 25; Mark iv. 39,) and showed himself Lord of quick and dead, angels, and devils, (John xi. 25, 44; Luke

That babes should be admitted to this knowledge,

And as the subject-matter of the gospel contained in the New Testament is a revelation from God, so it is only by a divine revelation, that what is there read or heard, can be truly understood. This is an offensive assertion, but must not be omitted when the and express a certainty, where the wise are all perquestion is concerning the marks and charac-plexity and darkness, is extremely mortifying to hu ters of Christ's doctrine. Thus when Peterman pride. But are not these the words of Christ? How arrogant, how dangerous, must it be to be displeased made that noble confession, "Thou art Christ, with that dispensation at which he rejoiced! the Son of the living God," our Lord an"Blessed art thou Simon, for flesh swers, and blood hath not revealed this to thee, but

*Cicero frankly confesses this: "Nescio quomodo, dum lego, assentior; cum posui librum, et mecum ipse de immortalitate animorum cœpi cogitare, assentio omnis illa elabiture." Tuse. Qæst. lib. 1.

† John viii. 38; xiv. 9. "He that hath seen me God dare use these words? God, in the strict sense, is hath seen my Father." Which of all the creatures of invisible and inaccessible; but he communicates with his creatures, through Christ his Son, without whom he cannot be seen, or known at all. We cannot enjoy any spiritual, clear, and comfortable views of God, unless our thoughts fix upon the Man Christ Jesus; he is the door and the vail to the holy of holies; and there is no coming to the Father by any other way.

iv. 34; Matt. iv. 11, 26, 53;) and both his enemies and his friends understood his claim. The Jews attempted to stone him for making himself equal to God (John v. 18; x. 33;) and he received from Thomas the most express and solemn ascription of deity that can be offered from a creature to his Creator, John xx. 28.

would lay upon him the iniquities of us all; that he was to be wounded for our transgressions, and by his stripes we should be healed. Here then we see the manifold wisdom of God; his inexpressible love to us commended, his mercy exalted, in the salvation of sinners; his truth and justice vindicated, in the full satisfaction for sin exacted from the Surety; his glorious holiness, and opposition to all evil; and his invariable faithfulness to his threatenings and his promises. Consıdered in this light, our Saviour's passion is the most momentous, instructive, and com

man. But if his substitution and proper atonement are denied, the whole is unintelligible. We can assign no sufficient reason why a person of his excellence was abandoned to such miseries and indignities: nor can we account for that agony and distress which seized him at the prospect of what was coming upon him. It would be highly injurious to his character to suppose he was thus terrified by the apprehension of death or bodily pain, when so many frail and sinful men have encountered death, armed with the severest tortures, with far less emotion.

Yet all this glory was veiled. The Word was made flesh: he assumed the human nature, and shared in all its infirmities, sin excepted. He was born of a woman; he passed through the states of infancy, childhood, and youth, and gradually increased in wis-fortable theme that can affect the heart of dom and stature, Luke ii. 52. He was often, yea, always afflicted; he endured hunger, thirst, and weariness; (Mark xi. 12; John iv. 6, 7;) he sighed, he wept, he groaned, he bled, he died; (Mark vii. 34; John xi. 35, 38; Luke xxii. 44;) but, amidst all, he was spotless and undefiled. He repelled the temptations of Satan, (Matt. iv. 1, 10;) he appealed to his most watchful enemies for his integrity; he rendered universal, unceasing obedience to the will of God, and completely fulfilled the whole law, John viii. 46; xiv. 30; xvii. 4. In him the perfection of wisdom and goodness shined forth. He burned with love to God, with compassion to men; a compassion which he freely extended to the most necessitous, and the most unworthy. He returned good for evil, wept for his enemies, (Luke xix. 41,) prayed for his murderers, Luke xxiii. 34. Such was his character, a divine person in the human nature, God manifest in the flesh, 1 Tim. iii. 16. And from this union, all he did, and all he said, derived a dignity, authority, and efficacy, which rendered him every way worthy to be the Teacher, Exemplar, Lord, and Saviour of mankind.

Here, as in a glass, we see the evil of sin, and the misery of man. The greatness of the disorder may be rationally inferred from the greatness of the means necessary to remove it. Would we learn the depth of the fall of man, let us consider the depth of the humiliation of Jesus to restore him. Behold the beloved of God, perfectly spotless and holy, yet made an example of the severest vengeance; prostrate and agonizing in the garden; enduring the vilest insults from wicked men; torn with whips, and nails, and thorns; suspended naked, wounded, and bleeding upon the cross, and there heavily 3. In the person and sufferings of Christ, complaining that God had, for a season, forthere is at once a discovery of the misery of saken him. Sin was the cause of all his fallen man, and the means of his complete anguish. He stood in the place of sinners; recovery. It has already been observed, that and therefore was not spared. Not any, or the full explication of these truths was defer- all the evils which the world has known, red till after his resurrection; and the subse- afford such proof of the dreadful effects, and quent writings of his apostles are useful to detestable nature of sin, as the knowledge give us a complete view of the cause, design, of Christ crucified. Sin had rendered the and benefits of his passion. At present we case of mankind so utterly desperate, that confine ourselves to his own words. He fre- nothing less than the blood and death of quently taught the necessity and certainty Jesus could retrieve it. If any other expeof his sufferings, (Matt. xvi. 21; xx. 28;) he dient could have sufficed, his prayer, that spoke of them as the great design of his in- the bitter cup might pass from him, would carnation, that it was by this means he should surely have been answered. But what his draw all unto himself, (John xii. 32; x. 17;) enemies intended as the keenest reproach, that he was, on this account, especially, the his redeemed people will for ever repeat as object of his Father's complacency, because the expression of his highest praise: "He he voluntarily substituted himself to die for saved others, himself he cannot save," Luke his people. He enforced the necessity of xxiii. 35. Justice would admit no inferior believing on him in this view, (John iii. atonement: love would not give up the cause 14-18;) and applied to himself the prophe- of fallen ruined man. Being therefore detercies of the Old Testament, (Luke xxiv. 25-mined to save others, he could not, consistent27; Isa. liii.) which speak to the same pur-ly with this gracious design and undertakpose. Isaiah had foretold, that the Lording, deliver himself.

Again, the means and certainty of a salvation proportioned to the guilt and misery of sinners, and a happiness answerable to the utmost capacity of the soul of man, are revealed in the same astonishing dispensation of divine love. When Jesus was baptized, he was pointed out by a voice from heaven: "This is my beloved Son, in whom (or for whose sake) I am well pleased," Matt. iii. 17. He afterwards proclaimed his own authority and sufficiency, that all things were delivered into his hands, and invited every weary, heavyladen soul to seek to him for refreshment and peace, Matt. xi. 27-29. He gave the most express assurances that whoever applied to him should in no case be rejected, John vi. 37. He mentioned his death and sufferings (John xii. 32, 33,) as the principal circumstance that should engage the hearts, and confirm the hopes of sinners. He gave repeated promises, that those who believe in him shall never perish, (John x. 38;) that neither force nor fraud should frustrate his intentions in their favour; that after his ascension, he would send the Holy Spirit (John xvi. 7, 13, 14,) to supply his bodily presence; and that his power, grace, and providence, should be with his people to the end of the world, (Matt. xxviii. 20:) finally, that he would manage their concerns in heaven, (John xiv. 3, 13, 14,) and at length return to take them to himself, that they might be with him for ever, to behold, and to share his glory.

is necessary, therefore, to confirm it by proofs which cannot be evaded by any who profess to acknowledge him to be a teacher sent from God.

He was daily conversant with many who were wise and righteous in their own eyes; and we find he omits no opportunity to expose and condemn their pretensions. He spake one parable purposely to persons of this stamp, (Luke xviii. 9-14,) and describes a Pharisee boasting of his observance of the law: He paid tithes, he fasted, he prayed; he was not chargeable with adultery or extortion; he could say more for himself than many can who affect to be thought religious; but the poor publican (though despicable in his sight,) who, conscious of his unworthiness, durst not lift up his eyes to heaven, but smote upon his breast, and cried for mercy, was in a happier and safer condition than the other with all his boasted obedience.

ignorant of the spirituality of the law, he trusted to a defective obedience: and the love of the world prevailing in his heart, he chose rather to part with Christ than with his possessions.

Another remarkable instance is that of the ruler (Matt. xix. 16, Luke xviii. 18,) who accosted our Lord in a respectful manner, asking him, What he should do to inherit eternal life? His address was becoming: his inquiry seemed sincere; and the character he gave of himself was such as men, who see not the heart, might have judged exemplary and praise-worthy. When our Lord referred him to the precepts of the law, he answered that he had kept them all from his youth. Yet one thing, we read, was wanting. What could this one thing be, which rendered so 4. In this revelation, God has illustriously fair a character of no value? We may collect displayed the glory of his free grace. The it from the event. He wanted a deep sense miserable and guilty, who find themselves of his need of a Saviour. If he had been without either plea or hope, but what the possessed of this one thing, he would willinggospel proclaims by Christ, are invited with-ly have relinquished all to follow Jesus. But, out exception, and received without condition. Though they have been the vilest of fenders, they are freely accepted in the Beloved; and none of their iniquities shall be remembered any more; on the contrary, the most respectable characters amongst men are declared to be of no avail in point of acceptance with God; but, in this respect, all the race of Adam are upon equal terms, and must be involved in the same ruin, without an absolute dependence on the great Mediator. This is an illustrious peculiarity of the gospel, which the proud fallen nature of man cannot but resist and find fault with, till the conscience is truly affected with the guilt and demerit of sin. The whole tenor of our Saviour's ministry was suited to depreciate the most specious attainments of those who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and to encourage all who felt and confessed themselves to be miserable sinners: Parcere subjectis, et deballare superbos. This was a chief cause of the opposition he met with in his own person, and has awakened the hatred and dislike of the bulk of mankind against his doctrine ever since.

It

On the other hand, how readily our Lord received sinners, notorious sinners, who were vile to a proverb, appears from the remarkable account given by St. Luke (chap. vii. 37,) of a woman whose character had been so infamous, that the Pharisee wondered that Jesus could permit her to touch him. But though a great sinner, she found great forgiveness; therefore she loved much, and wept much.* She had nothing to say for herself; but Jesus espoused her cause, and pronounced her pardon. He likewise silenced the proud caviller by a parable, that sweetly illustrates the freeness and genuine effect of the grace of God, which can only be possessed or prized by those who see they must perish without it.

* She washed his feet with tears; neтo ex, she began to rain tears upon his feet: her head was waters. and her eyes fountains: to receive a free pardon of many sins, a pardon bought with blood,-it is this causes the heart to melt, and the eyes to flow.

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