myself, a detail of what have been generally reputed the more prevailing orthodox fentiments on this fubject. But I dare not go beyond my own ideas. I fhall not, therefore, attempt to explain the phrase, eternal generation, because I must acknowledge that I do not clearly understand it myself. Long before time began, the purpofe of conftituting the Mediator between God and finners was established in the divine counfels. With reference to this, he himself speaks, in the character of the Wisdom of God. The Lord poffeffed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was fet up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. Then I was by. him, as one brought up with him, rejoicing always before him; rejoicing in the habitable parts of the earth, and my delights were among the fons of men*. If the Word. of God had not engaged, according to an everlasting and fure covenant, to affume our nature, and to accomplish our falvation, before the earth was formed, he would not have appeared afterwards; for we cannot with reafon conceive of any new determinations arising in the mind of the infinite God, to whom what we call the paft and the future are equally prefent. In this fenfe, (if the expreffion be proper to convey fuch a fenfe), I can conceive that he was the begotten Son of God from eternity; that is, fet up and appointed from eternity for the office, nature, and work, by which, in the fulness of time, he was manifested to men. But if the terms, begotten, or eternal generation, be used to denote the manner of his eternal existence in Deity, I must be filent. I believe him to be the eternal Son; I believe him to be the eternal God; and I wish not to exercise my thoughts and enquiries more than is needful, in things which are too high for me.

The fcripture, in different places, evidently applies the purport of this phrase, I have begotten thee, to tranfactions

* Prov. viii. 22. 31.

transactions which took place in time, This day, and particularly to two principal events.

1. His incarnation. Thus the angel to Mary, The Holy Ghoft fhall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest fhall overshadow thee*; therefore alfo the holy thing which shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son of God. So the Apostle, In the fulness of time God fent forth his Son made of a woman. And in the paffage we are next to confider, When he bringeth his first begotten into the world, he faith, and let all the angels of God worship him.

2. His refurrection. To this purpose our text is quoted from the fecond Pfalm. The promife which was made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled the fame to the children, in that he hath raifed up Jefus again‡: as it is also written in the fecond Pfalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. And in another place he teaches us, that he who was of the feed of David, according to the flesh, was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of bolinefs, by the refurrection from the dead .

After all, I would remind you, that the best knowledge of the doctrine of the perfon of Chrift, that which affords life and comfort to the foul, is to be obtained, not fo much by enquiry and study on our part, as by a gracious manifeftation on his part. Prayer, attention to the great Teacher, a humble perufal of the fcripture, and a courfe of fimple obe-. dience to his known will, are the methods which he has prefcribed for our growth in grace, and in the knowledge of himself. Thus even babes are made wife; while they who are wife and prudent in their own fight, the more they endeavour to investigate and afcertain the fenfe of fcripture, are frequently involved more and more in perplexity. He has given a promife and direction, for the encouragement of those who fincerely feek him. He that hath my com

mandments

Luke i. 35. † Gal, iv. 4.

As xiii. 32, 33.

| Rom. i. 4

mandments and keepeth them, be it is that loveth me; and be that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I wilk love him, and will manifeft myself unto him *.

This is he with whom we have to do. In and by this Son of his love, we have access by faith unto God. Unworthy and helpless in ourselves, from hence we derive our plea; here we find a refuge; and on this we reft, and build our hope, that God hath given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son; who is fo much better than the angels, as he hath by in heritance obtained a more excellent name than they †.

* John xiv. 21.

f. Heb. i. 4.

SER

MA

SERMON XXVIII.

Meffiah worshipped by Angels.

HEBREWS i. 6.

Let all the angels of God worship him.

ANY of the Lord's true fervants have been in a fituation fo nearly fimilar to that of Elijah*, that like him they have been tempted to think they were left to ferve him alone. But God had then a faithful people, and he has fo in every age. The preaching of the gofpel may be compared to a ftandard erected, to which they repair, and thereby become known to each other, and more expofed to the notice and obfervation of the world. But we hope there are always many, who are enlightened by his word and Holy Spirit, and training up in the life of faith and holiness, known and dear to God, though they have little advantage from public ordinances, and perhaps no opportunity of converfing with thofe who are like-minded with themfelves. But even though the number of those who vifibly profefs the gofpel of the grace of God were much smaller than it is, we need not be disheartened. If our fight could pierce into the invisible world, we fhould be fatisfied that there are more with us than against us +. And fuch a power is attributed to faith. It is the evidence of things not seen ‡, because it receives the teftimony of fcripture, and refts upon it, as a certainty, and a demonstration; requiring no other proof, either of doctrines or facts, than that they are contained in the fure word of God. True Chriftians therefore are comforted

1 Kings xix. 10.

† 2 Kings vi. 16.

Heb. xi. 1.

comforted by the affurance they have that their Saviour, the Lord of their hearts, is not fo neglected and despised, nor his character fo mifunderstood and mifrepresented in yonder land of light, as in this dark and degenerate world. Though too many here, like Feftus, treat it as a matter of great indifference, whether Jefus be dead or alive * ; and ask them with a taunt, What is your Beloved more than another beloved? they are not afhamed, for they know whom they have believed; and if men will not join with them in admiring and praising him, they are fure that they have the concurrence of far fuperior beings. By faith they behold him feated upon a throne of glory, adored by all holy and happy intelligent creatures, whether angels, principalities, powers, or dominions. And when he was upon earth, in a state of humiliation, though despised and rejected of men, he was feen and acknowledged by angels. Their warrant and ours is the fame. He is propofed to us as the object of our fupreme love and dependence; and as we are enjoined to kifs the Son and to pay him homage, fo when God brought him into the world, he faid, Let all the angels of God worship him.

Though the bringing MESSIAH, the first or only begotten, into the world, may, as I have obferved already, be applied to his incarnation, or to his refurrection, I apprehend it rather defigns the whole of his exhibition in the flesh. At his afcenfion, having finished the work appointed for him to do, he was folemnly invested with authority and glory, and fat down at the right hand of the Majefty on high. But in his loweft, no less than in his exalted state, the dignity of his divine perfon is the fame, yefterday, to-day, and for ever. He was always the proper object of worship. It was agreeable to right, and to the nature of things, and a command worthy of God, that all the angels of God fhould worship him.

Acts xxv. 19.

The