purgations were but fymbolical reprefentations S E R M. of the true and real efficacy of this blood; XV. and this alone could fhew, that the whole r custom of purifications all the world over had not any meaning or defign at all in them. What is the wondrous manner of the application of this blood to our fouls; how it works this glorious effect, and purges our whole nature from the deepest dye of guilt, and perfectly restores its native innocence we know not.

But this we know, that it is revealed to us from heaven that it will do fo; and that if it had not been revealed we had never known as much as we do of it; and to the utter confusion of all who reject it, it receives this additional confirmation from the light of reafon; that the whole course of providence, and chain of his dispensations from the beginning of the world, is clearly folved upon this principle; and the univerfal fenfe and practice of mankind, relating to facrifices and purgations, accounted for, which are otherwise unaccountable.

Nor doth the Gospel only afford us this folid foundation for hope of pardon for the most wilful and deliberate fins repented of; but it gives us comfort with respect to the infuperable infirmities, and incurable frailties of human nature; which before the coming of Christ were much bewailed and lamented, but no ground ever offered for our support and encouragement under them. Our High-Prieft is faid to be touched with a feeling of our in

firmities;

SERM. firmities; and for this reason we are bid to XV. come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy: Good God! what an emphasis there is in the expreffion? and how apt to raise a foul defponding with a sense of guilt? He may now come boldly to the throne of grace for mercy; and though he finds nothing but weakness and imperfection in himfelf, yet Chrift through God is made unto him wisdom, and righteousness, and fanctification, and redemption. We are now informed, that where there is a fincere endeavour the grace of God will do the reft; the blood of Chrift will wash away our guilt, and the holy fpirit will form us inwardly to innocence and holinefs; and put our whole nature into a dispofition for a great and glorious change at the refurrection of the juft.

Now let any one apply this to the subject I am upon, and then tell whether the giving the world fo much fatisfaction in this great point, hath not a direct tendency to cut off all manner of fin, and wickednefs; and to promote and encourage all virtue and goodnefs, beyond what was practicable without it. Nothing is fo great an inducement to repentance and amendment of life, as the hopes of a full and free pardon for all past offences; and nothing is fo great an encouragement to labour after the attainment of great and commendable degrees of virtue, as the being affured that all merciful allowances will be made for the infirmities of nature; which

were

were ever a difcouragement to virtue, and ever S ER M. complained of: And this promise and affu- XV. rance, together with the foundation it is built on, is to be had no where but in the Gospel. Both Jews and Heathen did hope for pardon of guilt, upon confeffion and forfaking of it it; but they could not tell why they did fo: But the Gospel gives a reafon of that hope that is

in us.

The only reason that ever was or could be given before Chrift, why men expected mercy for fin, was, because God was infinitely good: And this was an invincible reafon why he should shew no mercy to fin, because it was fo contrary to his nature: For if God be infinitely good, how can he be reconciled to any thing that is evil? But the Gospel gives a ground of hope that may be relied on. God will be reconciled to a finner, because there is a propitiation made for our fins; and that, by a divine incomprehenfible efficacy, the blood of Chrift will wash away our guilt; and render us innocent in the fight of God. This can give perfect ease to the mind of man, labouring under a sense of guilt; the affurance of this goodnefs of God leads to repentance. Now we have this conviction that there is mercy with God, therefore fhall he be feared: And it is impoffible to imagine what the extent of that mercy for fin muft be, which commands us to forgive our offending brother not till feven times, but till Seventy times feven,

SERMON

SERMON XVI.

Chrift came to fulfil the Law.

SERM.
XVI.

MATTH. V. 17.

Think not that I am come to deftroy the Law or the Prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

I

Have fhewn you in fome preceding difcourses on this text, how Chrift has per~ formed these in many inftances. I here point out the several things which our Saviour hath performed, in order to the advancement of all virtue and goodness in the world; by thus enlarging the mind of man in the knowledge of thefe great and important points; and letting in new lights upon the foul; and fhewn you that those motives to goodness have received a mighty additional force, and lively vigour, to influence the paffions and affections of all who confider them; and confequently to carry them on to the attainment of fuch degrees of virtue and holinefs, as were not practicable without fuch revelation; and this is properly refining

refining morality into christianity. I now pro-SER M. pofe, by way of application, to fay fomething XVI. to the two forts of people who run into the contrary extremes in this matter: But firft I fhall obferve these following particulars, with relation to that improvement which morality hath received from the Gofpel. And accordingly,

1. Though many of the Philofophers and wife men among the Heathen spoke many good things, and laid down very commendable rules for the attainment of virtue, and the conduct of human life; yet it must be owned, that Chrift was the first that ever gave the world a compleat fyftem of all morality, an intire fum of religion, and a perfect rule of life: It is confeffed that the fubftance even of that golden rule, Matth. vii. 12. All things whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, do ye even fo to them, was extant in the world before Chrift; yet he was the firft that ever rendered it fo univerfal, and declared it to be the law, and prophets. What scattered rules of morality were extant among the Heathen, were many of them no doubt owing to the moral part of the law of Moses; which, though the most compleat defcription of the law of nature extant before Chrift, yet was but a general scheme and rough draught of the heads only of duty: Whereas the Gofpel hath filled it up, and takes in the whole law of nature in its fullest extent: Infomuch that there cannot be one inftance