SERMON XV. CHRISTMAS. THE MEANING AND EXTENT OF THE SALVATION PURCHASED BY JESUS CHRIST, AND THE DREADFUL CASE OF THOSE WHO DESPISE IT. I TIM. i. 15. THIS IS A FAITHFUL SAYING, END WORTHY OF ALL ACCEPTATION, THAT CHRIST JESUS CAME INTO THE WORLD TO SAVE SINNERS. THA HAT is; there is no truth more certain, no truth more worthy of our knowledge, no truth which fo much concerns us to know, or which we may more furely depend on, than this; That Chrift Jefus came into the world to fave finners. But however worthy this truth is to be received of all men, yet few, God knows, receive it as they ought to do. For how many are there, who, because Jefus Chrift came into the world to fave finners, hope for falvation, without taking any care to live as becomes the gofpel of Chrift? How many who believe this truth, and yet receive no comfort from it; either fufpecting themselves not to be of the number of those whom Chrift came to fave, or that their fins are too great to be pardoned? And lastly, how very many are there, who, though they are indeed finners, never think of the danger of being fuch; and are therefore as carele fs and unconcerned for what may come hereafter, as if there were nothing to be feared, not hing to be hoped for? Now, all there being fad delufions, and a great dishonour to Chriftianity, it well becomes the fervants of him, who came into the world to fave finners, to use their utmost endeavours to remove them; to fupport the fpirits of those who fear where there is no danger; to awaken the confciences of those who are fecure and careless in the very midst of danger; and laftly, to reprove the prefumption of those who hope for falvation through Jefus Chrift, without obferving his laws. And these are the things which I beseech you will give attention to with the greatest feriousness. And that I may set these things before you after as plain a manner as poffible, we will confider, Ift. The meaning and extent of this truth, That Chrift Jefus came into the world to fave finners; that we may be able to judge who may, and who may not, hope for falvation through his merits. 2dly. We fhall confider the delufion, and the danger, of those who neglect or despise the falvation purchased for them by Jefus Christ. I. We will firft confider the MEANING, and then the EXTENT, of this truth, That Chrift Jefus came into the world to fave finners. Now, a finner is one, who, having broken the laws of God, has reason to fear that God will feverely punish him for fo doing. He fees very plainly, that he cannot deliver himfelf from the wrath of an angry God. He is fo far from being able to make any fatisfaction for the fins he has been guilty of, that he finds in himself a pronenefs, an inclination to evil, and an averfion, an unwillingness to close with what God has commanded us for our good. This is the condition of a finner ;—this is the condition of every man by nature. And a fad condition it will appear to be to every one who knows and confiders, that the end of fin is not to be seen in this life; but that a day is coming, in which God will judge the world in righteoufnefs, and give to every man according to the works done in the body. What finner, what man living, could think of this without despair, if Jefus Chrift had not undertaken to deliver us from the just displeasure of God; to make fatisfaction for our fins; to restore us to God's favour; and to put us into a way of being happy for ever? But what has Jefus Chrift done to save finners from this fad condition? Why; he took upon him the nature of man; he dwelt amongst men; made known to them this comfortable truth, that God, for his fake, will accept accept of our repentance; receive us into favour, notwithstanding our paft offences; affift us with helps fufficient to do what he expects from us; and will make us eternally happy when we die, if we will fuffer ourfelves to be governed by his holy laws while we live. To convince us more effectually of the truth and importance of these things, after he had wrought many wonderful miracles to thew that he came from God, he willingly laid down his life for our fake, for our fins, for our offences; and that God might spare us, and not punish us as we had deferved. And God, to convince mankind how entirely he was reconciled to them on account of his Son's death, raised him from the dead, received him into heaven, set him at his own right hand, where he is continually interceding for all those that come unto God by him, that pray to God for his fake. And that we may have no doubt in our minds but that all this is done in heaven for us, our Lord fent down the Holy Ghost to fupply his place on earth; who, having appointing an order of men to publish these glad tidings to the whole world, enabled them to work miracles, to speak languages which before they were ignorant of, to heal the fick with a word of their mouth, to raise the dead; in one word, to do fuch things as none but fuch as were fent by God could do. And |