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When we look abroad among the creatures of God, and figure to our imagination thofe which are not feen, we can conceive ftrength in one, beauty in another, faithfulness in a third, and wisdom in a fourth: but in Jefus Christ all those excellencies are united; " for it pleafed the Father," fays the apoftle to the Coloffians," that in him fhould all fulness dwell."* In a word, he has every excellence in the highest degree; almighty power, unerring wifdom, infinite goodnefs, unblemished truth, and spotlefs holinefs; every thing, indeed, capable of exciting the defire of an intelligent being: for in him, fays the apostle,, dwell all the treafures of wifdom and knowledge.. He infinitely tranfcends the highest created being in the independent excellence of his nature. Othersderive their excellencies from him as ftreams from a fountain; but he is the fource and fpring whence they flow. The glories of Chrift are perfectly ade-quate to the most enlarged defires of the foul: and,, to add no other circumftances from the excellencies of his nature which fhould make him be defired of men, the beauty of all other things fades away, but the lovelinefs of Chrift endures to eternity: "Jefus "Christ, the fame yesterday, to day, and for ever." Never, indeed, was there fuch fhining piety, never fuch glorious virtue, never fuch miraculous goodness, never fuch unfeigned humility, never fuch invincible patience, and, to fay all in one word, never fo much. of heaven on earth, never fo much of God in man, as there was in the temper and character of Jefus Chrift: "He is fairer than the children of men; grace is poured into his lips; for God, his God, "has anointed him with the oil of gladness above "his fellows." This Being, infinitely exalted in his nature and perfections, is worthy of the defire of all nations.

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2. This character, the defire of all nations, is due to Christ, from his qualifications as Mediator between God and man. As he came into the world to fuftain the character, and fulfil the work of Mediator, Lo

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fo he was in all refpects well qualified to fulfil it. "Who is this," fays the prophet, "that cometh "from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah ?

This, that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in "the greatnefs of his ftrength? I that fpeak in "righteoufnefs, mighty to fave." And the Apoftle to the Hebrews draws this important inference from his reafoning; "wherefore he is able to fave them "to the uttermost that come to God by him (a)." The mysterious union of the divine with the human nature, fitted him in an admirable manner for the work of redemption. As he was God, he was able to cffer up a perfect facrifice, and to redeem the Church by his blood. His divine nature fupported him under his fufferings, and enabled him to conquer principalities and powers, and nail them to his crofs. By his humbling himself to become man, he was capable of yielding obedience to his Father's will. In a word, the holinefs and purity of his character, the full commiffion he received from God, and the perfect unction of the Spirit, that oil of gladnefs, wherewith he was anointed above his fellows, confpired to qualify him for accomplishing our falvation. And as he was able, fo was he willing to undertake and accomplish it. No fooner was the redemption of fallen mankind proposed in the councils of the Everlasting, than he faid, "Lo, I come, in the volume of "the book it is written of me; I delight to do thy " will, O my God." Here, then, we have a noble and engaging defcription of our Saviour; a Mediator come into the world, a Mediator perfectly qualified for his work, poffeffed of every divine excellence, and yet condefcending to appear in our nature.

3. This character is due to Chrift, from his offices as Mediator. As the appointed Mediator between God and man, he was invested with various offices, fuited to the different wants of finners. He is a Prophet, to difpel their ignorance; a Prieft, to remove their guilt, and to procure their falvation; and a King,

(4) Heb. vii. 25.

King, to fubdue their enmity, and, by his power, to overcome the enemies of their fouls. In each of thefe characters, he is infinitely worthy to be the de

fire of all nations.

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(1.) As a Prophet, on account of that divine revelation which he has publifhed to the world. Before the appearance of our Saviour, the nations of men were fitting in darknefs, and in the fhadow of death. A vail of ignorance overfpread the Gentiles; their understandings were darkened; they wandered in wild fuperftition, and in moft abominable idolatry. The Jews themfelves, although the chofen people of God, and favoured with a difcovery of his will, had grofsly corrupted their religion, and almoft loft the knowledge of it, amidst unwritten traditions. this degenerated, and benighted ftate of the nations, the Meffiah appeared as the light of the world; a light to enlighten the Gentiles, and the glory of his people Ifrael. "He came," as the prophet expreffes it, "to deftroy the face of the covering caft over all "people, and the vail that was fpread upon the na"tions." He appeared as the great Apoftle of our profeffion, and Angel of the covenant; the Meffiah, and Anointed of the Lord, whom the Father employed for revealing his mind to the world. This, he himfelf informs us, was the defign of his miffion: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has ❝ anointed me to preach the gofpel to the poor; to bind up the broken-hearted; to proclaim liberty to the captives; recovering of fight to the blind; "and to preach the acceptable year of the Lord (a).” All his difcourfes to the multitudes, and to his dif ciples, breathed the wisdom of a divine fpirit. He made mankind acquainted with the whole counfel of God concerning their falvation; he confirmed his doctrine by the most unquestionable miracles; he enforced his precepts by the most powerful motives; and, that nothing might be wanting to teach men their duty, and encourage them to the practice, he gave

(a) Luke iv. 18, 19,

us,

us, in his own life, a most perfect and amiable example of all that he required of us. In what an affectionate and engaging manner did he inftruct and perfuade? He spoke with the majesty and authority of a God, and yet with the condefcenfion and gentlenefs of a man. He fo charmed his audience with the heavenly ftrains of his doctrine, that all bore him witnefs, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. Even the officers who were commiffioned to apprehend him, were obliged to confefs, that never man fpake like this man. How tenderly did he expoftulate with finners? How earnestly did he invite the weary and heavy laden to come to him? And with what wifdom and meeknefs did he bear with the infirmities of his own difciples? The bruifed reed he did not break, the fmoaking flax he did not quench, till he fent forth judgment unto victory. The excellency of his character, and the value of his inftructions as a prophet,. are fuch, that the Chriftian who has the most extenfive fenfe of his duty, and the greatest love for holi nefs, can find nothing wanting in his precepts, and nothing more amiable than his life. A character fo perfect, could it have exifted in any other inftance, would have deserved the love and admiration of the human race. But when we confider, that this example, and those inftructions, were for the benefit of mankind, what forbids every individual of mankind to regard this Prophet as the object of his conftant defire. Let us add, that the office of a prophet, is not confined to the moral instructions which he was pleased to communicate, as the rule of our conduct. He has revealed, in the moft unequivocal terms, great and important facts respecting the future deftination of man. He has brought life and immortality to light by the gofpel, and given us the knowledge of falvation, through the remiffion of sin. Defirable to the weary traveller, is the first light of the morning. Welcome is the natural fun which gilds the earth with his rays, which cheers us with his influ

ences,

ences, and guides us in our journeyings and labours. But incomparably more defirable is that Day-fpring from on high, which has vifited us; that Sun of righteoufnefs which is rifen with healing in his wings, to give light to them who fit in darknefs and in the fhadow of death, and to guide their feet into the ways of everlasting peace.

(2.) As a Prieft, he is worthy to be the defire of all nations. In this character he is represented, in the facred fcriptures. He is compared by the apostle Paul, to the high-priest under the Jewish difpenfation, who entered into the holy place with the blood of the facrifice, and made atonement for the fins of the people. But in many refpects, the priesthood of Chrift was infinitely fuperior. The high-prieft under the law, was himself but a finful man; and therefore, needed to offer for his own fins as well as for the fins of others. But Chrift was holy, harmless, and undefiled, and feparate from finners. Though he had made his foul an offering for fin, yet he had done no iniquity; neither was guile found in his mouth. The Jewish high-priests were mortal, and continued not, by reafon of death; but this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. The priests under the law, offered only the blood of flain beafts, which could not poffibly take away fin. But our great High-prieft offered up himself, his own precious blood, as a facrifice and atonement for the fins of the world. Not by the blood of goats and calves, fays the apostle to the Hebrews, but by his own blood, he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. How lovely, then, is Jefus, as a Prieft? infinitely more excellent than all the family of Aaron: But efpecially when the believer views him by faith as fuffering upon the crofs, enduring the wrath of God, and never quitting his ftation, till juftice was fully fatisfied, and he was able to cry out with the voice of triumph, It is finished. Confidered in this light, is he not worthy to be the defire of the na

tions?

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