Christ is said to be "our righteousness," the expression can only mean, that for His sake, and in consideration of His merits and sufferings alone, our sins shall be remitted to us; but that to render them effectual to that purpose, our own co-operation is indispensably requisite. In any other sense than this, it does not appear that the righteousness of Christ can any more be said to be our righteousness, or imputed to us, than it can be supposed that when our Lord is said to have been "made "sin for us," it is meant that He was literally guilty of our sins. All that can safely be affirmed is this; that on our compliance with the terms of the Christian covenant, our faith is reckoned or imputed to us for righteousness, notwithstanding the imperfection which still necessarily adheres to all human actions, and notwithstanding the innumerable transgressions for which we should be otherwise amenable to the tribunal of Divine justice.

With this simple statement of a doctrine in which we are all so vitally interested let us content ourselves, without adventuring upon speculations leading to most dangerous errors. Ever let us remember that the truths of the Gospel, while they abound in consolation to all true penitents, encourage none to "continue in sin." Christ is the "author of

"eternal salvation;" but it is to them who obey him. He is "an advocate with the Fa“ ther” and a “ propitiation for our sins;" but he will be the avenger of all such as "hold “ the truth in unrighteousness,” of all “ who profess that they know God, but in works

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deny him." These things we are commanded to "speak and exhort:" and that we may not speak and exhort in vain, let us beseech God to "stir up the wills of his faithful people, that they plenteously bringing forth "the fruit of good works, may of Him be "plenteously rewarded, through Jesus Christ "our Lord.”

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SERMON XVII.

JOHN i. 14.

The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the onlybegotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

THE incarnation of our blessed Saviour is that main article of the Christian faith, on which the whole system of our redemption depends; and on every point relating to this most important subject St. John's testimony may be deemed of peculiar value.

St. John survived all the other Apostles, and lived to so advanced an age as to witness the rise and progress of several pernicious errors. His Gospel was written many years after those of Matthew, Mark, and Luke; and his design in writing it appears to have been, not only to supply certain facts which it came not within their purpose to record, and to detail more largely than they had done some of our Lord's most remarkable discourses, but

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also to select those narratives and discourses with special reference to the heretical opinions which had already begun to infest the Church. In one of his Epistles he observes, that " many deceivers were entered into "the world, who confessed not that Jesus "Christ was come in the flesh." Some, it appears, denied his divinity; some, his human nature; others, that he was the Creator of the world. Each of these erroneous persuasions the Apostle seems to have had in view in the very opening of his Gospel, which he commences in these remarkable terms: "In the beginning was the Word, and the "Word was with God, and the Word was "God. The same was in the beginning with "God. All things were made by him; and "without him was not any thing made that "was made. In him was life; and the life

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was the light of men. And the light "shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not."-"He was in the "world, and the world was made by him, and "the world knew him not. He came unto "his own, and his own received him not.” Every part of this description tends to the refutation of one or other of the before-mentioned errors. The Apostle then sums up his statement in the comprehensive position

contained in the words of the text; "The "Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us; "and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father, full of grace " and truth."

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Four distinct points are here presented to our consideration; first, our Lord's divinity; secondly, his human nature; thirdly, his glory, thus manifested both as God and man; lastly, the gracious purpose of this wonderful dispensation.

1. With respect to the first point, our Lord's divinity, it is evident, that the term "Logos," or "Word," is here to be understood of a person so denominated. It cannot denote a mere attribute of the Deity; since the Word is said not only to be "with God," but to be "God" himself, and the personal pronoun is used throughout the context.

The same was in the beginning with God." "All things were made by him; and with"out him was not any thing made that was "made." Still more emphatically does the text declare, that "the Word was made flesh, "and dwelt among us." These expressions it seems impossible to interpret, but of a person assuming human nature. However highly figurative the style of Scripture may someC ο χωρὶς αὐτοῦ.

3 οὗτος.

ὁ δι' αὐτοῦ.