28. "Christ was once offered to bear the fins of many." † To bear, the word is a full and emphatical word, fignifying not only to bear, but to bear away. So John i. 29. "Behold the Lamb " of God, • apoy, that taketh away the fins of the world:" not only declaratively, or by way of manifeftation to the copfcience; but really, making a purgation of fin, as it is in Heb. i. 3., nadaproper montavos, word for word, a purgation being made, and not declared only. Now, how great a mercy is this, "that by him, all that believe hould be juftified from all things "from which they could not be justified by the law of Mofes," Acts xiii. 39. What fhall we call this grace? furely, we should do fomewhat more than admire it, and faint under the fenfe of fuch a mercy. "Bleffed is he, whofe tranfgreffion is forgiven, "whofe fin is covered"‡, Pfal. xxxii. or, O the blessedness or felicities of him that is pardoned! who can exprefs the mercies, comforts, happiness of fuch a state as this? Reader, let me beg thee, if thou be one of this pardoned number, to look over the cancelled bonds, and fee what vaft fums are remitted to thee. Remember what thou waft in thy natural estate; poffibly thou waft in that black bill, 1 Cor. vi. 3. What, and yet pardoned! full and finally pardoned, and that freely, as to any hand that thou hadft in the procurement of it! what canft thou do lefs, than fall down at the feet of free grace, and kiss those feet that moved fo freely towards fo vile a finner?. It is not long fince thy iniquities were upon thee, and thou pinedft away in them. Their guilt could by no creature-power be feparated from thy foul. Now they are removed from thee, as far as the Eaft from the West, Pfal. ciii. II. So that, when the East and West, which are the two oppofite points of heaven, meet, then thy foul and its guilt. may meet again together.

O the unspeakable efficacy of Chrift's facrifice, which extends to all fins! John i. 7. "The blood of Chrift cleanfeth" from all fins, fins paft and prefent, without exception. And fome divines of good note affirm, all fins to come alfo; for, (faith Mr. Paul Bains), original fin, in which all future fins are, as fruits in the root, is pardoned; and if these were not pardoned, they would void and invalidate former pardons. And lafly, it would derogate from the most plenary fatisfaction of Chrift. But the most fay, and, I think, truly, that all the past fins of be

The Greek word avveyev, fignifies to lift up, or carry upwards: fo the Syriac. Casa di avvy, he carried and took upwards. Beza's Greek Annot. on 1 Pet. ii, 24.

אשרי נשוי +

SERM. XII. lievers are pardoned, without revocation; all their prefent fins without exception; but not their fins to come by way of antici pation: and yet for them there is a pardon of course, which is applied on their repentance, and application of Christ's blood; fo that none of them fhall make void former pardons. Olet thefe things flide fweetly to thy melting heart!

Inference 2. From this oblation Chrift made of himfelf to God for our fins, we infer the inflexible feverity of divine Juftice, which could be no other way diverted from us, and appeased, but by the blood of Cbrift. If Chrift had not prefented himself to God for us, Juftice would not have fpared us: And if he do appear before God as our furety, it will not fpare him; Rom. viii. 32., "He spared not his Son, but delivered him up to death for us "all." If forbearance might have been expected from any, furely it might from God, "who is very pitiful, and full of ten"der mercy," James v. 11.; yet God in this cafe fpared not. If one might have expected sparing mercy and abatement from any, furely Chrift might moft of all expect it from his own Father; yet you hear, God fpared not his own Son. Sparing mercy is the lowest degree of merey, yet it was denied to Chrift: he abated him not a minute of the time appointed for his fuffering, nor one degree of wrath he was to bear: nay, though in the garden Chrift fell upon the ground, and fweat clodders of blood, and in that unparalleled agony fcrued up his fpirit to the highest intention, in that pitiful cry, "Father, if it be poffible, let this "cup pafs;" and though he brake out upon the cross, in that heart-rending complaint, "My God, my God, why haft thou "forfaken me?" yet no abatement; Justice will not bend in the leaft; but having to do with him on this account, refolves upon fatisfaction from his blood. If this be fo, what is the cafe of thy foul, reader, if thou be a man or woman that haft no interest in this facrifice? For if these things be done in (Chrift) a green tree, what will be done to (thee) the dry tree? Luke xxiii. 31.

That is, if God fo deal with me, that I am not only innocent, but like a green and fruitful tree, full of all delectable "fruits of holinefs; yet if the fire of his indignation thus feize

upon me, what will be your condition, that are both barren "and guilty, void of all good fruit, and full of all unrighteouf"nefs," and so like dry feary wood, are fitted as fewel to the fire? Confider with thyself, man, how canst thou imagine thou canst

Η Ει ταύτα ποιεσιν, εν εμοι εγκάρπω και αειθαλει και αρξων δια την FesΤητα τι γενηται εν υμιν άκαρποις και πάσης δικαιοσυνης ζωοποιέντος υπέρης vols. Thus Theophilact beautifully paraphrafes on that paffage.

fupport that infinite wrath that Chrift grappled with in the room of God's elect! He had the strength of a Deity to fupport him, Ifa. xlii. 1. "Behold my fervant whom I uphold." He had the fulness of his Spirit to prepare him, Ifa. Ixi. 11. He had the miniftry of an angel, who came poft from heaven to relieve him in his agony, Luke xxii. 43. He had the ear of his Father to hear him, for he cried," and was heard in that he feared," Heb. v, 7. He was affured of the victory, before the combat ; he knew he should be justified, Ifa. 1. 8., and yet for all this he was fore amazed, and forrowful even to death, and his heart was melted like wax in the midst of his bowels. If the cafe ftood thus with Chrift, notwithstanding all these advantages he had to bear the wrath of God for a little time; how dost thou think a poor worm as thou art, to dwell with everlafting burnings, or contend with devouring fire? Luther faw ground enough for what he said, when he cried out, "I will have nothing to do "with an abfolute God *," i. e. with a God out of Chrift: for," it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living "God." Wo and alas for evermore to that man that meets a juft and righteous God without a Mediator! Whoever thou art that readeft thefe lines, I befeech thee, by the mercies of God, by all the regard and love thou haft to thy own foul, neglect not time, but make quick and fure work of it. Get an inte reft in this facrifice quickly, what else will be thy state when vaft eternity opens to fwallow thee up? what wilt thou do, man, when thine eye-ftrings and heart ftrings are breaking? O what a fearful fhriek will thy confcience give, when thou art prefented before the dreadful God, and no Christ to screen thee from his indignation! Happy is that man who can fay in a dying hour, as one did t, who being defired, a little before his diffolution, to give his friends a little taste of his prefent hopes, and the grounds of them, chearfully answered, I will let you know how it is with me: then ftretching forth his hand, faid,

"Here is the grave, the wrath of God, and devouring flame, "the juft punishment of fin, on the one fide; and here am I, 66 a poor finful foul, on the other fide: but this is my comfort, "the covenant of grace, which is established upon so many fure promises, hath falved all. There is an act of oblivion paffed in heaven: I will forgive their iniquities, and their fins " will I remember no more. This is the bleffed privilege of

66

* Nolo Deum abfolutum.

Mr. William Lyford.

SERM. XII. "all within the covenant, among whom I am one." O'tis fweet at all times, efpecially at fuch a time, to fee the reconciled face of God through Jefus Chrift, and hear the voice of through the blood of the crofs !

"It

peace

Inference 3. Hath Christ offered up himself a facrifice to God for us? Then let us improve, in every condition, this facrifice, and labour to get hearts duly affected with fuch a fight as faith can give us of it. Whatever the condition or complaint of any chriftian is, the beholding the Lamb of God, that taketh away the fin of the world, may give him ftrong fupport, and fweet relief. Do you complain of the hardnefs of your hearts, and want of love to Chrift? behold him as offered up to God for you; and such a fight, (if any in the world will do it) will melt your hard hearts. Zech. xii. 10. "They fhall look upon "me whom they have pierced, and fhall mourn." It is reported of Johannes Milius, that he was never observed to speak of Christ and his fufferings, but his eyes would drop. Art thou too little touched and unaffected with the evil of lin? Is it thy complaint, Chriftian, that thou cansft not make fin bear so hard upon thy heart as thou wouldft? confider but what thou haft now read; realize this facrifice by faith, and try what efficacy there is in it to make fin, for ever bitter, as death to thy foul. Suppofe thine own father had been stabb'd to the heart with fuch a knife, and his blood were upon it, wouldst thou delight to fee, or endure to use that knife any more? fin is the knife that stabb'd Chrift to the heart; this fhed his blood. Surely, you can never make light of that which lay fo heavy upon the foul and body of Jefus Chrift.

Or is your heart preft down even to defpondency, under the guilt of fin, fo that you cry, how can such a finner as I be pardoned? my fin is greater than can be forgiven? "Behold the "Lamb of God, that taketh away the fin of the world." Remember that no fin can stand before the efficacy of his blood. 1 John i. 7. "The blood of Jefus Chrift cleanfeth from all fin." This facrifice makes unto God full fatisfaction.

Are you at any time staggering through unbelief? filled with unbelieving fufpicions of the promises? Look hither, and you fhall fee them all ratified and established in the blood of the crofs, fo that hills and mountains fhall fooner ftart from their own bafis and centers, than one tittle of the promife fail: Heb. ix. 17, 18, 19.

Do you at any time find your hearts fretting, difquieted, and impatient under every petty cross and trial? See how quietly Christ your facrifice came to the altar, how meekly and patient

ly he ftood under all the wrath of God and men together. This will filence, convince and fhame you.

In a word, here you will fee fo much of the grace of God, and love of Christ, in providing and becoming a facrifi for you you will fee God taking vengeance againit fin, but fparing the finner: you will fee Chrift ftanding as the body of fin alone; for "he was made fin for us, that we might be made "the righteousness of God in him :" that whatever corruption burdens, this, in the believing application, will fupport; whatever grace be defective, this will revive it.

Bleffed be God for Jefus Chrift.

#нашаны

Opens the Interceffion of Chrift our High-Prieft, being the second Act or Part of his Priestly Office.

HEB. vii. 25. Wherefore he is able alfo to fave them to the uttermost, that come unto God by him, jeeing he ever liveth to make interceffion for them.

HAVING dispatched the firft part, or act of Chrift's priesthood, confifting in his Oblation; we come to the other branch of it, confifting in his * Interceffion, which is nothing elfe but the virtual continuation of his offering once made on earth; that being medium reconciliationis, the means of reonciling; this, medium applicationis, the way and means of his applying to us the benefits purchased by it.

This fecond part, or branch of his priesthood, was typified by the High Priest's entring with the blood of the facrifice and fweet incenfe into the holy place: Lev. xvi. 12, 13, 14. “And "he fhall take the cenfer full of burning coals of fire from off "the altar before the Lord, and his hands full of sweet incenfe "beaten fmall, and bring it within the vail. And he fhall put "the incenfe upon the fire before the Lord, that the cloud of "the incenfe may cover the mercy-feat that is upon the testi

* Seeing the redemption which he wrought is the foundation of the interceffion, and therefore the scripture uses to mention the redemption and the interceffion as two infeparable parts of Christ's facrifice. Ravanella on the word interceed.