Imagens das páginas
PDF
ePub

can be defcribed, you have been raised to the hope of a refurrection from death to an endlefs life of ever increafing happiness. Take care that you do not lofe a benefit fo tranfcendent, and fink at last into a death from which there will be no redemption. This cannot happen except through your own fault. But fhould it happen, Chrift will not lofe the fruits of his labour; for though you should have no fhare in them, others will, and myriads delivered by him from fin and death will hereafter unite in raifing fongs of praife and triumph, and afcribing bleffing, and glory, and honour, and power to the Lamb that was flain, and whe hath redeemed us to God by his blood.

SERMON

SERMON X.

Of the Character of Chrift as the Saviour of

the World.

I JOHN, iv. 14.

WE HAVE SEEN, AND DO TESTIFY, THAT THE FATHER SENT THE SON TO BE THE SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD.

I HAVE thought it a proper part

of the duty of my office in this place to give you a particular account of my ideas of that Gospel which we all profefs, and on which we build our hopes of a future happy immortality. I have, already, proceeded a good way in the execution of this defign. Before I proceed farther, I muft defire you to bear in mind as I go along, that, knowing how liable I am to error, I feel no difpo

fition to be very anxious about bringing you over to my opinions. The rage for prof elytifm is one of the curfes of the world. I wish to make no profelytes except to can dour, and charity, and honeft inquiry. You muft judge for yourselves: And fhould any thing I have faid in my former discourses, or Thall fay in the prefent difcourfe, give you any affiftance in doing this, my principal end will be answered. I can, in this inftance, as in moft others, with much more confidence fay what is not, than what is the truth. The Athanafian or Calvinistic fcheme of Chriftianity I reject with ftrong conviction. The Socinian fcheme alfo, on the two points which chiefly distinguish it, I find myself incapable of receiving. The reafons which determine my judgment on one of these points I have stated in my laft difcourfe. I am now to state my reafons for not receiving the Socinian doctrine on the other of thefe points.

God, my text fays, SENT his SON to be the SAVIOUR OF THE World.

I have obferved that these words lead us to confider THREE particulars in the doctrine of our falvation by Christ.

Firft. The dignity of the Saviour. He was the SON OF GOD. This has been explained.

Secondly.

Secondly. The nature of the inftrumentality, expreffed by his having been SENT. Thirdly. The nature of the fervice, expreffed by his having been fent to be the

SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD.

After I have faid what I think neceffary on the two last of these heads, you will be in full poffeffion of my fentiments of the Gof

pel.

I am first of all to give you an account of the nature of that inftrumentality in the work of our redemption which is afcribed to Christ, when it is faid, that he was SENT of God to be the Saviour of the world. The following obfervations on this fubject appear to me of fome importance.

[ocr errors]

In the communication of benefits from one being to another there are two forts of inftrumentality. There is an inftrumentality which (being constrained and paffive) does not imply obligation to the inftrument; and which, therefore, requires no gratitude except to the donor himself. And there is an inftrumentality which (being fpontaneous and active) does imply obligation to the instrument; and which, therefore, calls for gratitude to him as well as to the donor. Of the former fort is the inftrumentality of a fervant in conveying a benefit to another from his master. In this cafe, the fervant being merely the conveyer, and having no choice with refpect W

to

to the communication of the benefit, the perfon benefitted carries his views entirely to the mafter, and confiders him alone as the caufe of the benefit.Of the latter fort is the inftrumentality of one employed by another as a trustee to distribute his bounty, but who, at the fame time, is left at liberty, and may be unfaithful if he pleases. In this. cafe, thofe who partake of the bounty feel obligation and gratitude to the trustee as well as to his principal. Room is left for the exercife of the free will and difcretion of the truftce; and the reception of the bounty is made to depend on his benevolence and honour in fuch a manner that, but for thefe, the recipient would have loft it.

Of this laft fort is the inftrumentality em ployed by the Deity in the distribution of his bounty among his reafonable creatures. He makes them, not paffive inftruments, but trustees and voluntary agents, in conveying to one another the bleffings of his goodness, He makes them inftruments in fuch a fenfe that the bleflings received fhall come from them, as well as primarily from him. He makes them, in fhort, grantors of benefits at the fame time that they are conveyers. In no other way could there have been room for gratitude to inferior beings for any benefits,

You must be fenfible, that the principal bleffings of our existence are not received by

[ocr errors]
« AnteriorContinuar »