16

"The

For

a life, abstractedly considered, that even the remission of sins. We was not liable to death; and was now receive the reconciliation, not such a life a treasure? No are adopted to the family of God, person had a right to take it away although as Gentiles we had long from him, nor was there any thing been strangers to the covenant of in him that justly demanded the promise, without hope and withsacrifice of his life. The prince out God in the world! of this world could find nothing obedience of Jesus Christ to death in Jesus he could lay hold of.- is that act of obedience," saith Jesus of Nazareth then was rich: Mr. Locke, whereby he procurRich in the possession of the di- ed life to all mankind. vine favour, in the habits of while we were yet sinners Christ wisdom and holiness, in his legis. died for us. Much more then, lative power and authority, and in being now justified by his blood,` the possession of an immortal life. we shall be saved from wrath by In this respect, he was the light him." We shall then be made of the world. But for our benefit, rich by him! In short, the stress our greater benefit, he was de- which the apostles place on Jesus prived of all by death. He be- yielding up his life, by an act of came obedient to the death of a unparalleled generosity and love slave, though he was entitled to in the scheme of salvation, and govern. And he of his own free the substantial benefits which will thus emptied himself, that is, became poor, and appeared on the cross and in the grave, like one of his brethren! He, then, became poor when he gave his life as a ransom for many. He not only was poor in his appearance as well as upon the life itself; when he was by wicked hands crucified and slain, but he was so in reality when he lay down in the cold, unconscious tomb! It to immortality, without passing was a certain, real change, from through the gate of death! But a state of conscious dignity to one when it became proper that he of great degradation! Nothing should wave his own claims to is so valuable as a life of inno. glory and bliss without the intercence and virtue. Nevertheless vention of death for the benefit of the New Covenant uniformly others, he did it. He yielded to teaches us that by this last and the necessity or to the wisdom of most trying act of obedience, I the measure, and emptied himself, mean submission to death, the and gave his life for the happiness world is most highly enriched and and glory of the world. By this benefited! We are reconciled to grand act of humiliation, though God by the death of his son; we he became poor for our sake, he are redeemed from vain conversa- sealed the truth of his mission, and tion by the precious blood of furnished his enemies and friends Christ; and by the shedding of with a decisive proof of his behis blood we have redemption, lief in a future state of retribu

Christians now enjoy and hope yet more fully to enjoy, even an eternal life of bliss, will not permit us to doubt that the apostle had his eye upon the innocence and virtue of our Redeemer's life,

and in this respect that he was rich, was filled with all the fulness of God, and had a just title

tion. And he also formed the filed, consequently not naturally
strongest motives to his disciples and necessarily subject to death
to profess his religion, believe his from the penal sanction of any
doctrine, and imitate his ex- law to which he was in his indi-
ample! -
vidual state subject; but yet
Thus, then, we account for the standing in the relation of a Sa-
language of the text, in a rational viour to the human race and their
and expressive manner, without leader to eternal happiness, it
recurring to the idea that any became necessary that in all suf-
union betwixt the Creator and ferings he should be like his bre-
the creature can possibly effect thren. His example by such a
any change in the former from conduct becomes more impressive,
riches to poverty. Nor could a and the evidence of the truth of
change take place in the person a future state and a just retribu-
of Christ wrought by himself tion more convincing and satis-
from a super-angelic being to the factory.

rank of a man! If he were rich If the ideas I have suggested in
in his pre-existent state, in the this paper are just, and to me
possession of a nature vastly more they appear natural and conclu
noble than human, could this sive, they will apply with equal
nature undergo such a revolution force to the illustration of Phil.
by means of any other being than ii. 6, 7, 8. Christ was first in
God himself? But St. Paul, in the form of God as not necessa
the text, holds to our view the rily subject to mortality, and as
change in the condition of Jesus possessing a right to command;
as an act of his own will and but he rather chose to obey,
compassion for the benefit of than endanger the object of his
mankind.

To conclude, I think the apostle Paul considers Jesus Christ as a man, holy, harmless, and unde

mission.

I am, Sir,

Yours, SOMERSETENSIS.

BSERVATIONS ON JOHN VI. 37, BY THE LATE REV. W. TURNER,

OF WAKEFIELD.

(Concluded from p. 38.)

Of this perverse, prejudiced, former part of the chapter, when and very bad spirit, exactly an. he fed five thousand men with five swering the general character barley loaves and two small fishes; which our Saviour gives in the yet so stupid were they as not to forecited xiii. chap. of Matt. were perceive therein, the attestation those particular Jews to whom he which was given by it to his didiscoursed in the vi. chap. of John. vine mission and authority; but, They had been witnesses of, and being full of expectation of the partook in, the effects of that asto- immediate appearing of the Mesnishing miracle recorded in the siah, they concluded, that a per

son, who could so easily support on him whom he hath sent, and multitudes of followers, was very hath given to you, personally, proper to undertake that office: such proofs that he hath sent him." they therefore determined to com- Thus far our Lord discourses to pel him to become their king. them in the most plain and intelTo avoid which, when he with- ligible manner. But now the drew from them, and went to the people began to cavil, and to other side of the sea, they fol- shew themselves in their true colowed him the next day to Caper- lours, that they were not sincere naum, and accosted him with, inquirers after truth and the will "Rabbi, when camest thou hither?" of God, but wanted that real but he who knew the thoughts reverence for God and his authoand secret principles of men's rity which was necessary to dishearts, plainly told them, "Ye pose them to pay a proper regard seek me, not because ye saw the to the evidences he had given of miracles (and were thereby con- the mission of his son. They devinced of my mission from God, manded of him, "What sign shewand are desirous to be instructed est thou then, that we may see and in his will) but because ye did believe thee? What dost thou eat of the loaves and were filled; work?" Just as if he had hitherto (and therefore are willing to be given them no sign: or as if they come followers of one who, you had quite forgotten the miracles think, can so easily support you of the preceding day. They even without any expense or labour of require from him a repetition of your own; but act not by such the miracle of manna by which mean views. I have much nobler the Israelites were supported forty ones to propose to you.) Labour years in the wilderness, or some not for the bodily meat which other like it: so strongly were perisheth, but for that (spiritual) they attached to the bodily bread food which endureth to everlasting life, (and will render you immortal) which the son of man will give unto you, for him hath God the Father sealed, i.e. stamped with the impression of his own authority in those miracles of The general import of which is, to which yourselves have been wit- assert his own divine mission, the nesses and partakers. To this important purposes of that office to the people replied, "If thou art in- which he was appointed by the deed sent of God to reveal his Father, the faithful and effectual will to us, and authorized by the manner in which he would exesignature of his divine power, cute it, the glorious effects which tell us, what shall we do, that we a cordial reception and complimay work the works of God, or ance with his doctrines would what is that duty which God hath produce for mankind, securing to required of us by thee?" Jesus them everlasting life, which he answered, "This is the work of will assuredly bestow on all God, the particular duty he re- who sincerely believe in him; but quires from you, that ye believe that it was never intended, that

which perisheth. Now, after the people had discovered such a captious and ill-disposed spirit, our Saviour through the rest of his discourse to them, uses much more figurative and obscure expressions.

any other but the sincere, up- it becomes all his followers to be right, and well-disposed, who have modest and cautious in their ina true reverence for God, should terpretations of them. It would obtain these benefits; and that, be very improper for any to erect indeed, it is impossible, that per- their own interpretations of such sons of a contrary character, passages into ticles of faith, and either would or could believe in, dogmatically insist on their fellow and comply with the Messiah, Christians also to receive them as and embrace his doctrines. But such. But above all, it would these things are mostly couched, certainly be in the highest degree as I observed before, in very figu- extravagant and unwarrantable to rative and obscure expressions, put a literal interpretation on obwhich serve to bring the truths scure and figurative expressions, referred to into an imperfect light, and then to deduce from them to point out their high importance, articles of faith plainly repugnant but not to explain them clearly, to the moral perfections of God, in order to put the hearers upon and the rectitude and goodness of more serious consideration, and, his administration. if it might be, to engage them to Of this kind of obscure expresask an explanation with a more sions is that in the 37th verse, candid and tractable spirit. The "All that the Father giveth me event, however, was that the same will come unto me; " and those persons who had trampled upon others, v. 44, " No man can come his plain declarations, and replied to me, except the Father which to them with cavils, now mur. hath sent me draw him." And mured at his obscurer expressions, v. 65, "Therefore, said I unto and thought it not worth while either to consider them, or ask an explanation. "This is a hard saying," say they, "who can hear it?" And, though he himself furnished them with a key to open to them the true sense of the several figurative expressions he had used, by saying, v.63, "It is the spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing "- "The words (or the doctrines) which I speak or deliver unto you, they are spirit and they are life"-yet, from that time, many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father." All these passages are plainly similar, and contain a like sentiment and meaning. If, therefore, we can come at the true sense of one of them, that will lead us to the understanding of the rest. Allow me, therefore, in a modest attempt to point out to you the true meaning of the expression, "All that the Father giveth me will come unto me." The expression here is very gene. ral: nothing is said of the nature of this gift of some to Christ, Now, when our Lord, on ac- whether absolute or conditional; count of the ill-temper of his nor who they are that are given to present audience, thought proper him by the Father, or what is to use figurative and obscure ex- their character. But let us see pressions, such as the hearers whether our Lord does not else. pronounced, to be hard sayings, where explain himself on these difficult to be understood, surely, subjects. If he any where tells

as the

us plainly, who they are and not of the world even as he was what is their character whom the not of the world, i. e. they Father had given him, we shall were not of such dispositions, then see the grounds and rea- temper, and conduct sons why they are thus distin- mere men of this world are, but guished, and this, methinks, will spiritually-minded and devoted furnish us with undeniable and to the will of God as he was. authentic principles on which to Now in what sense are some proceed in the interptetation of persons here distinguished as this passage. being God's, or belonging to

Now let us turn to the xviith him? Undoubtedly, God is the chapter of this gospel; where, creator, proprietor, and sovereign among the many other remarkable Lord of all men, without expassages contained in that admi- ception; and therefore, we may rable intercession which our Lord conclude that God's property as made unto his Father for his fol- Creator and Lord of all men lowers, are these words, v. 6, "I is not the thing here meant, have manifested thy name unto because this would admit of no the men whom thou gavest me distinguishing of one from anoout of the world: thine they were, ther. Besides our Lord expressly and thou gavest them me, and establishes another sort of distincthey have kept thy word." And tion, viz. between those who are v. 9, "I pray for them; I pray of God, and those who are of not for the world, but for them the world; and of those who, which thou hast given me for they he says, were God's, and given are thine; and all mine are thine, to himself by God, he repeats it and thine are mine, and I am twice, they are not of the world, glorified in them," and v. 14, Here he plainly distinguishes man"I have given them thy word, kind into two parties; one the and the world hath hated them, party of God, the other the party because they are not of the world, But surely it caneven as I am not of the world, difficult to any one, and, again, v. 16" They are not ever so little versed in religious of the world, even as I am not of subjects, or the language of the the world." Here we see, that scriptures, to determine what are the persons said to be given to the characters of these two parties. him of the Father, are by our Certainly the persons who are Lord distinctly and expressly God's, or belong to God, or are characterized, as belonging to of his party, are those who truly God, and, as having been his be- reverence and love God, and subfore they were given by him to ject themselves to his authority; Christ.-"Thine they were and who sincerely inquire into his thou gavest them me. Nay, will, and, when they know it, he adds, that the Father had conscientiously keep it; or if, given him all that were his own, through their own ignorance or v. 10: "All mine are thine, and infirmity, or the surprise of tempthine are mine, and I am glori- tations, they be drawn into sinful -fied in them.” They are also practices, yet, whenever the will further characterized as being of God is fairly proposed to them

of the world. "not be at all