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النشر الإلكتروني

THE

PIOUS COMMUNICANT.

Lecture XI.

FAITH'S APPLICATION OF CHRIST, OR THE USE WHICH THE TRUE BELIEVER MAKES OF THE GREAT MEDIATOR OF THE COVENANT, IN ORDER TO PROMOTE HOLINESS IN HEART AND LIFE, AND TO INCREASE HIS JOYS AND CONSOLATIONS.

THE all-fufficiency and willingness of the Lord Jefus to fave to the uttermost all who come to God by him, were the delightful themes on which the children of God, who are just commencing the divine life, and who, though oppreffed with doubts and fears, are anxious to enter into covenant with God, were invited to meditate upon in the preceding difcourfe.The defign of the prefent lecture is, to unfold to the view of those who have folemnly covenanted with God, in what manner to make use of the Lord Christ, fo that they may increase in fpiritual ftrength, advance in grace, and have their confolations to abound.— To accomplish this object, we propose,

I. To caution the children of God against some things which prevent their advancement in holiness,

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and are obstacles in the way of their attaining to true comfort.

II. To inquire in what a believing ufe of Christ confifts, with refpect to its feveral parts.

III. To attempt the removal of fome of the difficulties which not unfrequently arife in the minds of the people of God, with regard to this subject.

IV. To conclude the lecture with an application drawn from the fubject, and adapted to the various fituations of those who compose this audience.

The FIRST thing propofed was, to offer fome cautionary remarks to the confideration of the children of God, with regard to fome points which always impede a growth in grace, and an advancement in holiness, and in the confolations of the divine life. And agreeably to this,

1. We recommend it to them that they be on their guard not to contemplate Deity barely in a general point of view; but rather as he has been pleased to reveal himself in his word as TRIUNE, Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, and that too with respect to the particular part which each of those divine persons fuftains in the work of falvation-We are too apt to make the Father the object of our meditations, independent of the Son; hence he exhibits himself to us in all the terrific forms of a holy and righteous judge, and the foul must lose its confidence in him, and fear and dread difmay be the natural refult, when it attempts to approach into his prefence.--As it is the peculiar work of the Spirit to bring the elect, who by nature are in a state of abfolute impotency, to embrace the Lord Jefus, it is, therefore, neceffary for them to confider God as he has made himself kr .wn in the fcriptures of truth, and by the Son, through

the divine influences of the holy fpirit, to approach unto the Father.

2. There is danger arifing to the people of God from another fource: they are liable, at times, to be unmindful of their covenant relation to Jehovah, and in their dealings with him too often confider themfelves not as being his covenant people, and they conduct accordingly; or if when they go to God they view themselves as ftanding in covenant with him, it is a circumftance which frequently occurs, that they conceive that covenant to be in many respects, as that which the Eternal made with Adam, and which required much to be done and performed in his own ftrength. In a word, they fometimes contemplate the covenant, but confider not that Jesus is the foundation and prop on which the building refts; although they obligate themselves to discharge all those duties which God demands of them, yet they must not think that by their exertions they can fulfil those divine requifitions; their reliance, not only in part, but altogether, must be which is proupon that grace mifed in the covenant which is derived from the fulnefs of Chrift, and communicated by the Holy Ghoft.

3. Many of God's children, in dealing with the Mediator, confider him too much,

A. In a general point of view. They do not apply to him fufficiently, with refpect to their particular neceffities and circumstances of foul and body into which they have been brought, as if the glorious Redeemer, because he is now exalted to his throne, felt no more concern for his church at large, and no longer was engaged to preferve and ftrengthen the individual members who conftitute his myftical body. To form fuch views of Chrift, reflects on his mediato

rial character; the Lord Jefus has ftill the fame af, fection for his people in his flate of glory, as ever he poffeffed in the days of his humiliation, and he permits them ftill to come and lay before him their par ticular wants and neceffities.

B. Too many of God's children are impeded in their progrefs by contemplating the Mediator too abftractedly, both as Gon, as MAN, or as a JUDGE who is tranfcendent in majefty and glory.

a. They too frequently confider his GODHEAD independent of his mediatorial character; then they behold him to be glorious in holiness, infinite in justice, and dwelling in light inacceffible.-Such views of Jefus are good and proper, if they produce the happy effects of making the foul more humble, and promoting a walk and conversation, tender, reverential, and holy; but if, on the other hand, they fill the foul with dread, and flavish fear, and destroy the Chriftian's boldness, fo that he dare not to come into his prefence, then the eye of faith, whilft it furveys Jefus in the glories of his divine nature, must be directed to him as the Saviour of finners.-Thus to look upon the Redeemer, at the fame time that it keeps his people humble, increases their confidence and joy.

b. The Mediator is fometimes too much viewed abftractedly as Man.-It is true, we cannot too frequently contemplate his beauty, nor meditate enough upon him as one who is the fairest of the children of men, and as one into whofe lips grace is poured, provided the heart be drawn out to love him with fupreme affection; but Satan, that fubtil adverfary, may improve to his advantage our views of Chrift, when confined merely to his human nature; he may tempt us either to treat him with lefs refpect or reverence than is due to the Son of God, or attempt to

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