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SERMON XV.

THE SACRIFICE OF CHRIST WORTHY OF AD MIRATION AND GRATITUDE.

Rev. v. 11, 12. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne, and the beafts, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thou fands; faying, with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was flain, to receive power, and riches, and wifdom, and frength, and honour, and glory, and bleffing.

TH

HESE words contain a fong of praife, in honour of the Saviour of mankind, which John, the beloved apoftle, heard fung by the angels and faints in glory. The occafion of their joining in this fong, we are told in the 6th and 7th verfes of this chapter, was Chrift's undertaking to open the book of the divine counfels, concerning the more remarkable events that were to happen to the Chriftian church through all the fucceeding periods of time. "And "I beheld," fays the apoftle," and lo, in the midst "of the throne, and of the four beafts, and in the "midst of the elders, stood a Lamb, as if it had been "flain, having feven horns and feven eyes, which

are the feven fpirits of God fent forth into all the "earth." And he came and took the book out of

the

the right hand of him that fat upon the throne, namely, that he might difclofe and execute the divine pur pofes contained in it, for the protection and benefit of his church. And no fooner had he done fo, than the apostle heard both the church triumphant and militant, unite in facred harmony to his praife. They fung a new fong, faying, "Thou art worthy to take "the book, and to open the feals thereof; for thou "waft flain, and haft redeemed us to God by thy "blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and peo "ple, and nation; and haft made us unto our God "kings and priefts, and we fhall reign on the earth." In the two following verfes, this fublime anthem of praife, thus begun by the church, is carried on by the angels, who cheerfully concur with the redeemed of the Lord, in celebrating the infinite worth and excellency of the Lamb: " And I beheld, and I heard "the voice of many angels round about the throne, "and the beafts, and the elders; and the number of "them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and "thousands of thousands; faying, with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb that was flain, to receive ་ power, and riches, and wifdom, and strength, and "honour, and glory, and bleffing."

It is pleafant to obferve here, who they are that joined together in this fublime and devout afcription of praife to our Redeemer. They are the angels, the four beafts, and the four and twenty elders. The angels, thofe glorious and bleffed fpirits, though they need no Saviour themfelves, and are unalterably con. firmed in a state of purity and happiness; yet they rejoice in our redemption. With what cheerfulnes did they defcend to bring the welcome news to earth! To what notes of melody are they reprefented as tuning their golden harps on that happy occafion! Far from being filled with envy, in confequence of the high favour which we were to receive, they took part in the joy which they communicated, and praifed God, faying, "Glory to God in the higheft, and on "earth peace, and goed will towards men." With

what

what readiness and alacrity did they minifter to our Saviour, while he was employed in our redemption! And when, at last, the fcene of his humiliation and fuffering was terminated; when all that part of his work which was to be tranfacted on earth, was finished: With what tranfports of joy did they attend him, in his glorious afcenfion to his Father, and our Father, to his God and our God! And here, in the text, they are reprefented as joining with the church, in celebrating the praifes of our Redeemer; and in the following verfe, with the rest of the creation, in afcribing bleffing, and honour, and glory, and power, unto Him that fitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb, for ever and ever.

What returns, then, of love and gratitude, do we owe to the bleffed angels! How fhould we rejoice in their happiness, and do what lies in our power to promote it! It is true, indeed, we have no opportuhity of teftifying our regard to them by outward acts; but there is one way whereby every foul in this af fembly may be inftrumental in advancing, in fome degree, even the happiness of the angels. You, who are unconverted, and yet in your fins, may do it, if, through the influence of divine grace, you pay fuch regard to the truths of the gofpel, as fhall iffue in a fincere repentance, and faving converfion to God: for our bleffed Saviour exprefsly affures us, that there joy in heaven over every finner that repenteth; and of this joy the angels do undoubtedly partake. And you who are fincere believers, will increafe the joy, of angels, by your increasing ardour and delight in the knowledge of Chrift, and by your growing zeal and diligence in the practice of your duty.

2. The four beasts, or, as it had been better tranflated, the four living beings or intelligences, and the four and twenty elders, are here represented, in conjunction with the angels, as áfcribing infinite merit and worthiness to our Redeemer.

Some

Some interpreters think, that, by the four living creatures, and the four and twenty elders, are meant the heavenly world, the brightest and most excellent of created beings, and the glorified fpirits of juft men made perfect, who are as the angels, and join with them in their exalted worship. But the general, and indeed most probable opinion, is, that by thefe expreffions, we are to understand the whole church of the redeemed, both minifters and people, in the day's of the gospel; fo that, we ourselves are a few of that happy number, if we are indeed of thofe that worthip God in the fpirit, and rejoice in Chrift Jefus. By the four living creatures, then, we may underftand, the holy, enlightened, and faithful minifters of Chrift, the pastors and teachers he has given to the church. And by the four and twenty elders, the whole body of private Chriftians, and devout worhippers of God, through the one Mediator, in all the affemblies of the faints. In the fourth verfe of the preceding chapter, they are faid to be round about the throne; for fo are all that worship God in fpirit and in truth. They are clothed in white, which is emblematical, of their purity and holinefs. And they have crowns on their heads, for they are heirs of the kingdom, and are to reign with Chrift.

This, then, is an eafy and familiar explanation of the four living creatures, and twenty four elders. They are all, as in the foregoing verfes, the redeemed to God, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation, and are made to him kings and priests. In the text, they are faid to be an innume rable multitude; ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thoufands; and there is the voice. of many angels joining with them, faying, "Worthy "is the Lamb that was flain, to receive power, and "riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and "glory, and blefling."

In difcourfing on this fubject, I propofe, by divine affiftance,

affiftance, First, To confider the subject of this fong; the Lamb flain. Secondly, The propriety and fitness of it as applied to Chrift our Redeemer. And, Laftly, Conclude, by leading your thoughts to fome practical improvement.

The subject of this fong, is the Lamb flain; that is, Chrift crucified, the Lord of glory making his foul an offering for fin. And,

1. The first thought which must occur to us on a fubject of this kind, is the manner in which he fubmitted to death. He died meekly, as a lamb dies. This was clearly foretold by the prophet Ifaiah: "He "is brought as a lamb to the flaughter; and as a "fheep before her fhearers is dumb, fo, he opened "not his mouth (a)." Not that he was altogether filent during the laft fcene of his fufferings; for he uttered many excellent and useful fayings: but he opened not his mouth in repining at the difpenfations of Providence, no threatening nor revenge; nay, not one word, expreffive of refentment or impatience, efcaped his facred lips. We may obferve, by the way, that the eunuch, in the Acts of the apostles, was directed to this very paffage of scripture, as a means of his converfion: and Philip, under divine infpiration, began at the fame fcripture, and preached unto him Jefus Chrift. In a word, our Saviour expreffed, under all his fufferings, a perfectly quiet, mild, and forgiving fpirit. "He bowed his head," fays the evangelift, and gave up the ghoft." Thus, he expired in the fpirit of meeknefs, and was, in this refpect, the Lamb flain.

2. He was fo, alfo, in the end and defign of his death. For he died as a facrifice, to appease the of fended Deity, and purchase our peace with God..

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jaj Ifa. liii. 7.

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