SERMON VII.

I COR. i. 22, 23, 24.

For the Jews require a Sign, and the Greeks feek after Wisdom ;

But we preach Christ crucified: unto the Jews a Stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks Foolishness;

But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Chrift, the Power of God, and the Wifdom of God.

O expect eternal Life through a Saviour

who died for us, is the fundamental Doctrine of the Chriftian Profeffion: the Article, that distinguishes our Faith from all others, and with which our Religion ftands or falls. The New Teftament therefore dwells much on the Importance of this Belief: and especially the Epiftles of St. Paul inculcate it every where. He determined, though a Man of extenfive Knowledge, not to know any Thing among thofe whom he inftructed, to infift on no Subject, comparatively fpeaking, fave Chrift

VOL. I.

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Jefus,

Jefus, and him crucified. Still both he, and the rest of the Apostles, must plainly foresee, and they quickly experienced, as the Preachers of the Gospel have done ever fince, that the Prejudices of many, and the Pride of all Men, would find much Difficulty in fubmitting to owe their Salvation to another; especially to one, who had lived fo poor a Life, and fuffered fo difgraceful a Death; which would all be avoided by teaching them to ascribe the whole Merit of it to themselves. But they had not learned Chrift, as to handle the Word of God deceitfully. They knew, that what seemed to human Vanity weak and ill-judged, was the true and only Way to heavenly Happiness. And therefore, though the Jews required a Sign, &c.

In difcourfing on thefe Words, I fhall endeavour to fhew,

I. What it is to preach Christ crucified. II. Whence it came to pass, that this was to the Jews a Stumbling-block, and to the Greeks Foolishness.

III. That, notwithstanding, it places in a ftrong Light both the Power and the Wisdom of God.

2 1 Cor. ii. 2. b Eph. iv. 20.

c 2 Cor. iv. 2.

I. What

I. What it is to preach Chrift crucified. Now this, in one Word, is to lay before Men the Nature and Terms of that eternal Salvation, of which, by his fuffering on the Cross, he is become the Author unto all that obey hima. More particularly it is to inftruct them in the following great Truths: that there ever hath, doth, and will exift, one infinite Being, perfectly wife, just and good, the almighty Maker and Ruler of the Univerfe; who created Man for the Practice of Piety and Virtue, and for the Enjoyment of everlasting Life: that our first Parents, by wilfully tranfgreffing a most equitable Command of his, forfeited their Title to Immortality, disordered the Frame of their Bodies and Minds, and derived to us the fame corrupt and mortal Nature, to which they had reduced themselves: that being in this Condition through their Fault, all Men funk into a still worfe, by committing many Sins, which, however prone to them, they might have had the Means of avoiding; and thus have deserved Punishment here and hereafter that, Wickednefs prevailing early, and spreading wide in the World, firft the Practice, then the Knowledge, both of true Reli

gion and moral Virtue, were in a great Measure loft out of it: but that the unspeakable Mercy and Wisdom of the Supreme Being provided a Remedy for these Evils, intimated in general Terms to the earliest Offenders, promised more distinctly in the fucceeding Ages, and actually given when the proper Fulness of Time came; which Remedy was this. · A Perfon, made known under the Character of the onlybegotten Son of God, and one with the Father in a Manner to us incomprehenfible, after teaching Mankind from the Beginning by various other Methods, took upon him our Nature, was born of a Virgin, and dwelt on Earth, to teach us perfonally by his Word and Example: condefcended, for this compaffionate Purpose, to all the Inconveniences of the prefent State of Things, to numberless Indignities and Sufferings, and lastly to have his Life taken away by the Hands of wicked Men; humbling himfelf unto Death, even the Death of the Cross', ufually inflicted on none but the vileft and loweft of Malefactors. In Confideration of this meritorious Goodness of his, which he engaged, before the World began, thus to manifeft, the moft High established with him

• Gal. iv. 4.

f Phil. ii. 8.

a Cove

a Covenant of Grace and Favour, by which all Power in Heaven and Earth was given him2 and Provifion was made, that whoever fhould fincerely repent of the Sins which he had committed, and throw himself on the promised Mercy of God; whether as more obscurely notified before the Redeemer's Incarnation, or more clearly afterwards; taking the Word of Truth for the Law of his Life, and faithfully endeavouring to obey it, fhould not only have Pardon for his paft Tranfgreffions, however heinous, but the Affiftance of the divine Spirit to preserve him from future ones that a kind Providence fhould turn every Thing to his Good, which befell him in this World, and endless Felicity be his Portion in the next. But then it was alfo denounced, that whoever fhould either flight these Offers when duly made; or, profeffing to accept them, live unfuitably to them, Chrift fhould be of no Benefit to fuch; they fhould remain in their Sins, with this heavy Aggravation of their Guilt, that they had rejected the Counsel of God for their Salvation; and when Light was come into the World, loved Darkness rather than Light, because their Deeds were evil".

Matth. xxxviii. 18.

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h John iii. 19.

This