speed the time when the dark places of the church which now know it, shall know it no more! For it is one among the brood of pestilent errors which unblushingly oppose themselves to the revealed mind of the spirit.

He

FOURTHLY.-"Christ hath once suffered for sins," although himself a “just” and sinless being. I have already incidentally touched upon this point. Himself had no sin, of any description or degree, for which to account. The Saviour of the world was the only perfect character that can be found to adorn its history. He was the eternal word of God assuming flesh in time, and dwelling amongst us. He was miraculously produced; not shapen in iniquity, nor conceived in sin. Totally unspotted by original corruption, his actions, also, were such as to defy reproach. He was holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners. knew no sin, neither was there any guile found in his mouth. This innocence--this uprightness--this purity--this unqualified perfection of heart and life, was required to accomplish him for the sacerdotal charge, and to magnify the worth of the propitiatory offering which he made of his precious life. The same high authority before quoted, reasons, on this matter, with his usual energy. "Such a high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the Heavens; who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's; for this he did once, when he offered up himself. For the law maketh men high priests, which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated forever more." *

FIFTHLY.-Christ hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust." The race of man is carnal, sold under sin. There is none righteous; no, not one." "All the world is guilty before God." Inheriting from Adam a patrimony of corruption, we have improved and extended it with most

*Heb. vii. 26.-28.

pernicious industry; "drawing iniquity as with cart ropes;" "drinking it in like water;" "rolling it as a sweet morsel under the tongue." Even where principles of heavenly origin have been wrought into the soul, there is a law in the members warring against these principles, and captivating them to the inferiour powers of appetite and passion. "Who can understand his errors?"* "For there is not a just man upon earth that doeth, good, and sinneth not." Such is man. Such are they whom Jesus came from Heaven to save. It is not a flattering picture, for truth seldom flatters. Is there not in the conduct of man, in the aggregate, evidence too unanswerable to impartial observation, of something that cannot properly be called by a softer name than that of hostility against God? Are not justice and equity, benevolence and mercy, while admired in theory, and celebrated by the declaimer and the poet, remote from general practice? Does not the precipitating impulse of fleshly desire too commonly break down the barriers of reason, and defy the controlling power of God's word and providence? O! how has the gold of man's early glory become dim! This district of the creation is peopled by a family of sinners; this fair earth, which, with the fulness thereof, is the Lord's, formed by his hand and designed for his praise; sustains those who are his enemies by wicked works. And such were some of you, men and brethren. But you are washed--but you are sanctified-but you are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the spirit of our God. What a world, then, was this for God's blessed Son to visit! But what do I say? Our necessity was his glory. Our deep degeneracy moved his commisseration; and this just one died, that the unjust might live.

Once more. He suffered "that he might bring us to God.” This was the final cause of his suffering; "that he might bring us to God." Not but that there are other important uses of the passions of our Mediator. One of these uses more

immediately respects himself; it is, that the captain of salvation might be made perfect. Another of these uses, in which we are deeply concerned, is intimated by our apostle, who points us to the Son of God as a pattern of submission and fortitude in adversity. "For as much, then, as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind."* Another object of great moment to us promoted by the passions of Christ, is the forming of the Christian's mind to habits of self-denial--the mortifying of the body of sin-the separating of the heart from carnal attachments--the opening of the eyes upon the vanity of all secular anxieties and joys, and upon the futility and perishableness of all human glory. "God forbid," says Paul, "that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." A fourth consequence of magnitude effected by the passions of Christ, is the superiour qualifications which they wrought in him for the office of our advocate. "Wherefore, in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren; that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered, being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted." But, my brethren, not one of these uses of the passions of Jesus-not one of these benefits resulting from them and uses and benefits of essential importance I acknowledge them to be; much concerns that man whom Jesus does not bring to God. Exhibit not Jesus as a pattern of fortitude and submission in adversity, to those who have not been taught of God the sweet and sanctified uses of adversity. Talk not of denying self, and taking up the cross, to those who have not been drawn to that cross on which the Saviour was lifted up. These are duties to which they are disinclined until his spirit work in them to will and to do. And why should you speak of a Redeemer made perfect * 1. Peter, iv. 1. † Gal. vi. 14.

Heb. ü. 17. 18.

through suffering; of a priest and intercessor vested by it with superiour qualifications to advocate a sinner's cause; unless it be to announce him as a Redeemer in fact-a priest, intercessor, and advocate in very deed bringing the penitent to God? This, then, after all, is the final cause why "Christ hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust:" "that he might bring us to God."

For it is a solemn truth, my brethren, that sin had formed a separating wall between man and his Creator. Our state, irrespectively of a Redeemer, is a state of alienation from God. The Redeemer hath suffered to recover us from this state of alienation--to demolish that separating wall. "In him God is reconciling the, world unto himself, not imputing trespasses and sins." By him peace is effected, "peace for them that are afar off" from God. By him every legal demand was met, and every award of divine justice fulfilled. "All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus; whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say at this time his righteousness; that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus."* Without shedding of blood, there is no remission." "But now in Christ Jesus, ye, who some times were far off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace."

But our distance from the author of our being implies more than this. It is not merely as criminals, convicted by his law, and exposed to its penalty, that we are restored, and brought to God by his Son. We are estranged also in mind and will, in temper and inclination. The fellowship of our spirits is not with God's spirit. To reclaim us from this perverse bent of the affections, that divine spirit must form us anew. "Except a man be born of water, and of the *Rom. iii. 23-26. † Heb. ix. 22. Ephes. ii. 13. 14.

spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."* But this reforming and regenerating spirit is the purchase of the blood of Jesus. It is "with his precious blood, as the blood of a lamb without blemish and without spot, that we are redeemed from our vain conversation." Hence that prayer of an apostle: "Now the God of peace, that brought again' from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever.-Amen.”‡

- Christ, by suffering for sins, "the just for the unjust," hath made the throne of Almighty God accessible to the penitent. A ceremonial purification was prerequisite in certain cases, by the ancient law, in order to gain for the worshipper an entrance into the Temple. In like manner, in every supposable case under the new dispensation, polluted, as we are, by vice and folly, our approaches to God are sanctioned and consecrated only by the obedience and blood of the suffering Mediator. Hence that reasoning of an inspired author: "If the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who, through the eternal spirit, offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works, to serve the living God?" "The blood which cleanses from all sin, gives us boldness to enter into the holiest." Although the God we serve is undoubtedly of purer eyes than to behold evil; although he cannot look upon iniquity but with abhorrence; yet have we a "High Priest over the house of God, who hath consecrated for us a new and living way, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;" in "whom we have boldness, and access, with confidence, by the faith of him."**

Heb. xiii. 20. 21, § Heb. ix. 13. 14. ** Eph. iii. 12.