SERM ON VI. HEBREWS ix. 26. -He appeared, to put away fin by the facrifice T of himself. HE fundamental principle of true religion is humility. We must be conscious of our depraved and finful state, before we can with any fort of reafon expect or look for a deliverance from it. The fober mind is naturally cautious, and the humble mind diftruftful. This cautious diffidence will quickly bring us to a conviction of our impotence and fin. And he that is truly fenfible of these failures, will not only in earneft seek after a deliverance, but when it is offered, will ftudy to qualify himself for the due reception of its benefits. Our minds thus thus affected will be fitly prepared for a candid examination of any new light, and a right improvement of any additional information, that with fufficient authority fhall be recommended to our notice. For it is a vain imagination to conceive, that the goodness of God was ever meant to fuperfede our own endeavours; whereas on the contrary it was graciously defigned to relieve, affift, and ftrengthen them. The riches of his forbearance and loving kindness should have fuch a commanding influence on our gratitude, as to lead us to repentance from dead works, and to ferve the living God'. Both the confidence then and the indolence of pride will prevent men from becoming the true difciples of the holy and the humble Jefus. And on this account it was, that at the first preaching of Chriftianity, not many wife men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, were called. Self-importance must always offer an infuperable impediment to the felf-denying influence of the religion of Chrift. But to the a Heb. ix. 14. b I Cor. i. 26. poor poor in fpirit, to those, who from a deep infight into the human nature are convinced of their wretchedness and fin, and their need of a Saviour, we may hope with success to preach Christ crucified; to the men of this world, even yet in its defign and benefits, either a ftumbling block or foolishness; but to the meek and teachable, the modeft and impartial mind, Chrift the power of God, and the wifdom of God". In difcourfing on the expediency and prediction of our redemption, it was scarce poffible to avoid frequent intimations of the general plan in which it was accomplished. But in order to do justice in some suitable degree to this most important part of my fubject, I must now proceed to a more diftinct view of the methods of our deliverance, as effected by our Prieft, our Prophet, and our King. And in the present Difcourfe I fhall propose to shew how the guilt of fin hath been expiated, and our pardon procured; how the finner hath been triumphantly freed from that condemnation, which in common justice was due, and by the revealed law of God threatened, to the revolters from his authority, and the opposers of his will. Now the Text tells us, that Chrift appeared to put away fin by the facrifice of himself. He was therefore to be put to death, and his death was to be a facrifice. As his death is an event of fuch vaft importance, the grand hinge on which the whole fabrick of our redemption turns, it will be proper to offer a few fuitable reflections on the circumftances of it, before we advert to this great defign of it. That the Meffiah fhould fuffer and die for our fins, was almost as clearly foretold in the Old Testament, as the fufferings and death of Christ are recorded in the New. Every thing that was thus written of him was punctually fulfilled in Jefus. His whole life was a continued series of afflictions; and though after he had entered on his public ministry, he went about |