the Lord of life and glory, "fhould have been "holden of them." Then the Holy One of God faw not corruption. Then, in the fublime language of the Pfalmift, "the gates, the everlasting doors" of the heaven of heavens, lifted up "their heads, that the King of Glory might enter "in*""He afcended up on high; he led cap. 66 c6 tivity captive; he received gifts for men; yea, "even for the rebellious; that the Lord God t," the third perfon in the glorious and incomprehenfible Trinity, the Holy Ghoft, the Comforter, "might dwell among them;" might form his "temple within their bodies t;" might enlighten, renew, and fanctify them,----make them partakers of the divine nature,----fill them with all the fulnefs of God, and render them "MEET to be par"takers of the glorious inheritance prepared for "the faints in light ." It is true, our dear Redeemer, being "the "brightness of his Father's glory, and the exprefs "image of his perfon, and upholding all things by "the word of his power*, was full of grace " and truth," poffeffing all the treasures of divine goodness and wifdom from everlasting to everlasting. But it was not until he became "the ful« nefs of the Godhead bodily +,” taking upon himfelf" the form of a fervant, being found in the likeness of man" it was not until he had "be *Pfa. xxiv. 7. +Pfalm Ixviii. 18. See Eph. iv. 8, &c. 2 Cor. vi. 16. Eph. i. 17, 18, &c. XV. 16. 1 Cor. vi. 11. 2 Pet. i. 4. i. 12. *Heb. i. 3. + 1 Johni. 14. Philip, ii. 6, 7. 8, " come 1.Cor. vi. 19. Tit .iii. 5. Rom. Eph. iii. 19. Col. Col. ii. 9. "come obedient," and that even" unto death," the most painful and ignominous death of the crofs; then alone he purchased an intereft, an inheritance, a prefent poffeffion, in all his divine graces for us, that " of his fulness we might all re"ceive, and grace for grace *." He then became "the head over all things to his church +." fully fatisfied divine juftice: He bare the fins of many; yea of all. "All we like fheep have He gone aftray, we have turned every one to his "own way, and the Lord laid on him the iniquity "of us all." He deftroyed the enmity, as it were, nailing it to his crofs. His Divine nature gave fuch an infinite merit to his obedience and fufferings in the nature of man which he had af fumed, that now there was no longer any impediment to the free exercife of divine love and mercy. God could now be "juft, and the jufti❝fier of all who should believe in Jefus." "God "was in Chrift, reconciling the world unto him❝ felf, not imputing their trefpaffes unto them." And it now only remained that mankind fhould accept the offers of mercy, and, by faith in Chrift, become" reconciled to God *." . So, infinite was the love and mercy of God, that this glorious pardon and acceptance through faith in the Redeemer, was open unto all who would embrace it, even from the fall of man! God then entered into the gracious covenant, that "the John. i. 16. See Col. i. 19. Rom. xv. 29. Eph. Col. i. 18. 23. iv. 13. Eph. i. 20. 21, 22. iv. 15. Ifai. lii. 6. 2 Cor. iv. 19. * Ver. 20.* "the woman's feed, our great Immanuel, God manifeft in the flesh, fhould bruife the head of the ferpent; fhould deftroy the power of Satan, the old ferpent, the enemy of God and man. God's Spirit ftrove with man, against his inbred corrup tions, and "evil heart of unbelief" from the very beginning. Though many, at every period *, re fifted him to their eternal lofs and condemnation, he ftill ftrove, in order to lead them through the promised feed, to everlasting falvation. We have only to read the 11th chapter of the epiftle to the Hebrews, to fee that many illuftrious faints in all ages, received the bleffings of falvation by faith in the promifed Redeemer. They faw Chrift's day, though obfcurely, and were glad t, "efteeming reproach for Chrift greater riches than the treafures" of this world. "They all "died in faith, not having received the promises, "but having feen them afar off, and were perfua"ded of them, and embraced them, and confeffed that they were ftrangers and pilgrims in the earth." And even of the Ifraelites in the wildernefs, though with many of them God was "not well pleafed," and " they were broken off "through unbelief," yet, we are affured, "they "did all eat the fame fpiritual meat, and did all drink the fame fpiritual drink: for they drank "of that fpiritual Rock that followed (or went "with) them; and THAT ROCK WAS CHRIST."They, as well as ourselves, though by means of 7680 facrifices Acts ii. 25, to 32 1 Cor. x. 4: 5 facrifices and other types in fome measure obfcure, had the ineftimable privilege of "feeding "upon Chrift in their hearts, by faith with "thanksgiving*." But, ftill, it was not until our bleffed Saviour's departure from the earth, having finished the greab work of our falvation here below, in order to interçede for ever for all the members of his Church, and plead the infinite merits of his obedience and fufferings in their favour; it was not till then that the Holy Ghoft, the Comforter, came in all that fulnefs of divine influences which we have already noticed. Then he began fully to establish the Redeemer's kingdom on earth; the kingdom of grace here, leading to the kingdom of glory hereafter; that kingdom refpecting which our Lord directed his difciples to pray earnestly that it fhould come: that kingdom which is within us, and confifts of "righteoufnefs, and peace, "and joy in the Holy +:" that kingdom for which they were directed to wait, until they were endued with power" from on high power not merely + to enable them to work miracles, and speak with other tongues (as in the firft age of the Chriftian church) but to remove all their impenitency and unbelief, and to purify all their corruptions: that kingdom, in order to which, it was promised. that the comforter fhould produce the glorious effects recorded in our text, that he should reprove, * Communion Service. Rom. xiv. 17. + Luke xvii. 20, 21. prove, or rather convince the world, 1ft, Of fin: 2dly, Of righteoufnefs: 3dly, Of judgment.-- Let us proceed, then, to confider each of these in the order in which it is fet down, together with the reafon affigned for it by our gracious Redeemer, which may ferve clearly to explain its Spiritual nature. 1ft, "He fhall convince the world of fin; bc caufe they believe not in Chrift." You may obferve that I ufe the word convince, inftead of reprove The reafon of which I hope you will be able to understand without any long difquifition on the meaning of the original. You will find our translation thus corrected in the margins of many Bibles: and, with reafon; for, though we can eafily understand what is meant by the Holy Spirit reproving of fin, yet we should be quite at a lofs to comprehend what is meant by his "reproving of righteoufnefs;" and could not very readily explain his "reproving of judgment." But, He may convince of all the three. ft, In what fenfe, fhall HE convince the world of fin, because they believe not in Chrift? Obferve, HE fhall convince them of fin, becaufe' they believe not on Chrift. Their not believing on Chrift is the reafon why HE fhould convince them of fin. Their not being convinced of fin, is the reafon of their not believing, and HE fhall therefore convince them of fin, in order that they may believe in Christ. They must know their own fouls in danger, before they |