been revealed, and the redemption of man had not taken place.

III. We are led by this fubject, with wonder, gratitude and joy, to contemplate the ability and fufficiency of Jesus Christ to redeem finners; and fee that he is juft fuch a Saviour as we need.

Were he not a person of infinite greatness, dignity and worthiness, were he not God, his fufferings and obedience would have been of no avail to make atonement for the fins of men; to procure pardon, and merit eternal life for us. And were he not man, he could neither fuf. fer nor obey. But being both thefe, he was equal to this. "Such an High Prieft became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, feparated from finners, and made higher than the heavens." And were he not almighty, infinitely wife and good, he would not be able and willing to rescue finners from the power of fin and fatan, and completely fanctify them, and make them meet for the inheritance in heaven. But being all this, he is a complete Redeemer: "For it hath pleafed the Father that in him all fulness fhould dwell. Who is made of God, unto his people, wifdom, and righteoufnefs, and fan&tification, and complete redemption." And all the redeemed must know and fay, "Surely in the Lord have I righteoufnefs and ftrength: In the Lord Jefus Chrift fhall the feed of Ifrael be justified and fhall glory."

They who know their own ftate and character, as finners, being wholly loft in fin, infinitely guilty and mifer able; and believe in Chrift, fee all this, in fome degree. To fuch Chrift is allfufficient, most honourable and precious. But to them who are ignorant of themselves; the nature and ill defert of fin, and their own guilt and mifery, who are unbelieving and difobedient, Jefus Chrift, confidered in his true character, is "a stone of stumb ling, and rock of offence."{

His

• Heb. vii. 26. † 1 Cor. i. 30. Col. i, '19. † Ifai, xlv. 24, 25. § 2 Pet.ii.7,8.

His fufficiency alfo includes his inexhauftible, unbounded fulness, as the glorious object of knowledge, contemplation and love, and of enjoyment and happiness. The redeemed will attend forever to their Redeemer, who is infinite, and whose person and character are full of wonders, with ever fresh and increasing delight. They will spring forward, in the full employ and strongeft exertion of all their powers, and make fwift progress in the knowledge of their Saviour, and in holiness and e happiness, without ever coming to an end. Whatever wonders and glories they may have seen, and however high their love and happiness may be at any supposed future period, the Redeemer may with truth say to them as he did to Nathaniel, "Ye fhall fee greater things than these." St. Paul entered upon this endlefs, progres five and happifying knowledge of Chrift, when he commenced a christian, and was admitted into the school of his Lord and mafter; which he expreffes in the following words. "What things were gain to me, those I counted lofs for Chrift. Yea, doubtlefs, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowlege of Chrift Jefus, my Lord: That I may know him," &c. ́

IV. THE view we have now had of the perfon and character of the Redeemer is fuited to enlarge our ideas, and excite a fenfe of the infinite, wonderful condescention and love exercised and manifested in the work of redemption. The love of the Father is expreffed in giving his only begotten, dear Son, to defcend to fuch a low ftate of humiliation, of poverty, difgrace, and fufferings; even unto a moft cruel death, to redeem man. And as this his own Son was equal to himself, and infinitely dear to him, the degree of love and goodness expreffed in giving him up to redeem man, by fuffering the curfe under which he had fallen, must be infinite, and the greatest poffible inftance and exercise of difinterested benevolence,

that

that can be conceived, or that ever did or can take place. And the more the greatness and dignity of the Son of God is known, and how dear he is to the Father, the greater will his fufferings appear to be, and the higher and more affecting will be the view and fense of the goodness of the Father, in giving up his Son to fuch fufferings. "God fo loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son." Herein is love!

And the condefcenfion and love of Chrift in his humiliation and fufferings for the redemption of men, appear in the most affecting and striking light, when we take into view his greatness and dignity, and the infinite height from which he defcended, to such an amaling scene of debasement, ignominy and fufferings: And the more our ideas are enlarged in the view of the former, the greater fense shall we have of the latter. Hence it follows, that as his greatness, dignity and excellence are infinite, there is a foundation for increasing, endless views and admiration of, "The love of Chrift, which paffeth knowledge."

V. By confidering the perfon of the Redeemer we are led to infer the height to which the redeemed are raised, the great honour which is conferred upon them, by their union to him. In the perfonal union of the human nature to the Son of God, the greatest honour is put upon it; and they who are united to this person as the redeemed are, rife to a degree of honour and exaltation, far above the angels, and unspeakably beyond all our prefent conceptions. They are the bride, the Lamb's wife, and share in all his honours and riches. They are "Raised up together with him, and made to fit together in heavenly places with Chrift Jefus." In his exaltation, they are exalted, as members of his body, of which he is the head; and fhall fit with him, on his high throne,

Eph. ii. 6.

and

and reign with him forever. This honour have all the faints.

VI. We may hence fee the warrant we have to worfhip and pray to Jefus Chrift, and call upon his name. We have seen that he is worshipped by all the inhabitants of heaven; that the Apostles and primitive chriftians prayed to him, and called on his name; And there is the fame reason why his people fhould do fo in all ages, and at all times. He is God manifeft in the flesh, Immanuel, God in our nature. He has all power in heaven and on earth; and is head over all things to the church. He can do all things for us that we want; why should we not ask him for what we want, and conftantly pray to him, acknowledging our abfolute dependence on him, and his fufficiency and ability to do all for us? And is not a neglect to do this putting a flight upon him?

It will be asked, perhaps, whether this be not expreffly forbidden by Chrift, when he fays, "In that day ye fhall ask me nothing: Verily, verily, I fay unto you, Whatsoever ye shall afk the Father in my name, he will give it you."+

Anf. When he fays, "In that day ye fhall afk me nothing," the word in the original is commonly used for asking questions. And not to make a petition. The disciples had been asking him a number of queftions for their information about things which they did not underftand. Chrift tells them in these words, that after his afcenfion they should have no opportunity or occa fion to afk him any queftions; for they should then have fufficient knowledge by the holy fpirit teaching them all things they should have need to know. When he fays, "Whatsoever ye fhall afk the father," he ufes another word for afking, which always fignifies to make a petition.

John xvi. 28,

But

PART II. But from these laft words there arifes another question. Here Chrift directs to ask the Father in his name. Is not this an implicit prohibition to ask any thing of him directly?

Anf. This cannot be understood as a prohibition to pray to Jefus Chrift, and call on his name because the Apoftles and primitive chriftians did this, as has been fhown. And perhaps, if the matter be properly confidered, it will appear that praying directly to Jefus Chrift, and asking him, is afking in his name, and afking the father, as really, though not exprefsly, as when we ask the father directly, in the name of Chrift. Jefus Chrift fays, "I and my father are One. What things foever the father doth, these alfo doth the Son likewife."* He hath, and exerciseth all the power that is in heaven and earth. It hath pleased the father that all fulness fhould dwell in him. And the father fays to wretched man, "This is my beloved Son, hear ye him." Whatever you want, go to him for relief and a fupply; as Pharoah faid to the starving people, " Go to Jofeph." He then, "Go who goes to Chrift and afks the things which he wants of him, does really and in truth go to the father, and asks of him, as he is the appointed governor and steward, and has all things in his hands. "The father loveth the fon, and hath delivered all things into his hand. All things that the father hath, are mine." As the people by applying to Jofeph, with whom all the authority and supplies were lodged, did really apply to Pharaoh ; fo they who apply to Chrift and ask him, do really apply to the father through him, and afk of the father as really as if they exprefsly applied to him: For he and the father are one, and what he does, the father doth, and what the father doth, the fame doth the fon likewife. Therefore what our Saviour fays in one paffage the fath er will do, in another he fays, he himself will do the fame. In