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DISCOURSE II.

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HEBREWS vii. 25.

Wherefore he is able alfo to fave them to the uttermoft, that come unto God by him, feeing be ever liveth to make Interceffion for them.

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HEN we confider the great and wonderful Work of our Redemption, though we cannot account for every Step of it to our own Reafon and Underftanding, yet neither can we imagine it to be the Effect of mere Will and arbitrary Appointment, and void of all Foundation in the Reafon and Propriety of Things. All the Works of God are Works of Wifdom; and, as far as our Capacities give us leave tò judge, we discern evident Marks of Wisdom

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in them all, and difcover a Fitness and Propriety in every thing with respect to the End which it is intended to ferve or promote. If this be fo in every Inftance in which we are able to make any Judgment, it is a great Presumption that it is, and must be, fo in all other Instances, which are too high and great to be viewed and measured by human Understanding: And we have one pofitive Argument that it is fo, arifing from the natural Notion we have of God, and of his Attributes of Wisdom and Juftice. It is impoffible to fuppofe fuch a Being to do any thing by Chance, or in compliance to mere Will and Humour. No: Every Act of God is the Act of infinite Wisdom, and is founded in the neceffary Reafon and Propriety of Things: And it is as true of the Works of Grace, as it is of the Works of Nature, That in Wisdom he has ordained them all.

It is one thing not to be able to discern the Reasons of Providence, and another to fuppofe there is no Reafon in them. The Reasons, that made it either neceffary or proper for Chrift to die for the Sins of Mankind, may be removed out of our Sight: But to fuppofe that Chrift really did die for. the Sins of the World, and yet that there was no Reason or Propriety in his fo doing,

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is to found Revealed Religion upon a Principle destructive of Natural Religion; for no Religion can fubfift, with an Opinion that God is a Being capable of acting without Reafon.

The Publication of the Gospel has made an Alteration in the Scheme of Religion, by revealing to us the Son of God, whom God hath appointed Heir of all Things, by whom alfo be made the Worlds; who is the Brightness of his Glory, and the express Image of his Perfon; who upholdeth all Things by the Word of his Power, Heb. i. 2, 3.

The Knowledge of the Son of God, of his Power and Dominion in the creating and upholding all Things, became neceffary, as the Foundation of the Faith required to be placed in him as our Redeemer. The Character of Redeemer would be but ill fupported by any Person who had not Power equal to the great Undertaking. The NewTeftament Doctrines therefore, relating to the Dignity and Authority of Jefus Chrift, are relative to his Office of Redeemer; and therefore there was no explicit Declaration of them either before or under the Law of Mofes.

Natural Religion leads us by certain Conclufions to the Acknowledgment of one fupreme

fupreme intelligent Being, the Author and Creator of all Things, and can by no Reafoning whatever difcover 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 beseech 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 their 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 shall 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

will be, That the Religion of a Christian is a natural and reasonable Service, arising from the Relation between Chrift and Mankind, which the Gospel 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 Gospel, we cannot poffibly avoid inquiring who this Perfon is: When we hear his Promife 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 ask 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

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