who fpake as never man fpake, he opened to mankind every thing that was neceffary to be known on this subject. He fhewed us the nature of a future world. He informed us alfo of the nature of that world, which we now inhabit. He fhewed us, that one world was meant only to lead us to the other-and that in a future ftate, rewards and punishments should be finally adjusted, so as to rectify every appearance of inequality which might ftrike us here. He difcovered to us the nature of God-informed us that his providence extended to the fmalleft parts of his creation-that he was merciful, and kind to man; but, at the fame time, juft and righteous. He fhewed us how we were to please this holy God. The facrifices of the heathen, and ceremo❤ nies of the Jews, which were meant only as types, were not the kind of devotion in which he took maft delight.-A fincere and humble heart-a pious life-and holy prayers, were the most acceptable offerings that could be made to him.-The fame gracious friend to mankind promised alfo, that the endeavours of his faithful fervants fhould be, affifted by his Holy Spirit. He farther explained the kind intention of his coming into the world, not only to reftore us by his divine precepts, to tha ftate of purity, as far as human frailty would

admit,

admit, which we had loft; but chiefly to lay down his life to procure pardon for our fins, and to obtain that happiness for us, which we had forfeited by the fall of our firft parents. Even our bodies, he informs us, fhould not for ever mingle with the duft, but fhould rife again from the grave-be united to our fouls-and take part with them in the rewards and punishments of a future life. And that we might not doubt the truth of all this, he confirmed it, by rifing himself from the grave, of which he hath left us the foundest evidence in the truth of Scripture.

Now all this information was perfectly new to the world. Conjectures men might have, and certainly had, on many of these fubjects: but their best philofophers ran wild in all their opinions. It could not but give great comfort, therefore, to all serious people, to fee light thrown, by degrees, on all these interesting questions-to find their conjectures cleared of all their abfurdities-and formed into facred truths by him, who proved his divine commiffion before their eyes, by fuch mighty works as never man wrought; and to their ears, by speaking as never man before him spoke.

I fhall

I fhall detain you farther only by two or three obfervations.

If our bleffed Saviour spake as never man fþake, it is fo far an argument, that he was more than man: and we add this to our other arguments to prove his divinity. We do not reft our conviction on what the officers reported; but we have proved, from various inftances, that what they reported was the truth.

Secondly, if our Saviour fpake as never man fpake, we may juftly wonder, that no more attention is now paid to what he said. When our Lord lived on earth, he was the admiration of all men People crowded from all parts to hear him. They were astonished both at what he spoke, and at the authority with which he spoke.-Whence is it then that, fince, in his own time, he was fo much admired both by friends and enemies, we should now read the Scriptures, when we do read them, with fo much coldness? His divine faying are the fame now they ever were. We read them just as he fpoke them. His wifdom is the fame He reproves his enemies with the fame admirable prudence. His heavenly inftructions are the fame, and his infinite kindness in laying down his life

for

for mankind. Why are we then lefs ftruck with these things than they were, who lived in our Saviour's time?

When we read the Scriptures therefore, let us endeavour to be more attentive. Let us place ourfelves in the circumftances of those, to whom he fpoke. Let us bring before our eyes, as it were, the bleffed Jefus inftructing us, as he did those who crowded round him. His inftructions are, in fact, as much directed to us. as to the Jews. The precepts he gave them, are the precepts he gives us. His inftructive parables apply to both. Our minds, like theirs, are the various foils in which the feed is fown. The repenting prodigal is not more held up to them than to us. The rich man who lifted up his eyes in hell, being in torment, is a dreadful warning to us all, who spend the bounty of heaven in felf-indulgence: while the good Samaritan fets the Chriftian, as well as the Jew, a noble example of charity; and the ten talents instruct both equally how we ought to proportion our good offices to our abilities.-Let us then thank God for all this holy inftruction. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear; and listen, with a full purpose of obedience to that voice, which fpake as never man spake.

THE END OF THE SERMONS.