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1. MAN is reprefented as a captive, held by the most cruel tyrant, and fubject to the moft fervile drudgery: the Gospel points out his Great Deliverer, and how he is to obtain his freedom. His Redeemer, or Deliverer, is ftrong-the Lord of Hofts is his name ; and He will thoroughly plead his cause, and fays, Deliver the prifoner from going down to the pit, I have found a ransom for him*. So that by the blood of his covenant, he brings the prisoners from the pit, wherein is no water t.

2. MAN is represented as dead-dead in trefpaffes and fins; and, as such, is incapable of helping himfelf. The Gofpel is the voice of the Son of God, which he is to hear, and live; § raising him from his deadly flumber, and quickening him to a life divine-so that he may not live to himself, but to Him who died for him and rose again. Having life, he has feeling, feeling of his own finfulness, and of the amazing goodness of his Saviour, and can be satisfied with nothing but the love of Him who died for him and rofe again. This is life eternal,—to know the only true God, and Jefus Chrift whom he hath fent. So that he who hath the Son of God, hath life; but he that hath not the Son of God, hath not life.

3. In various parts of Scripture, Man is represented IN as dark and blind;- -as fuch, he does not fee his own deformity, nor the finfulness of fin; nor does hs fee the

* Job xxxiii. 24.
Col.ii. 3.

amiableness

+ Zach. ix. II.

§ John v. 25.

amiableness of Jefus, the worth and value of a Saviour. The Gospel is fent to open his eyes, and to turn him from darkness to light *. It fays, Arife, shine, thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is rifen on thee t Its bleffed Author fays, I am the Light of the world, and he that keepeth company with me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. Sin now appears in its proper colour, and holiness appears exceeding amiable; the man fees his danger, and likewise how he may escape the fame.

4. MAN is a guilty creature alfo, and, when he feels the weight of fin, it is a burden too heavy for him to bear. §. Now the Gospel points him the way of forgiveness, so that he may be pardoned here, and faved from hell hereafter. The Gospel fays, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the fins of the world: || Come, let us reafon together; though your fins be as fcarlet, yet they shall be like wool; and though they bered like crimson, they shall be white like fnow **. Thy Saviour fays, I do not condemn thee; go, and fin no more ‡‡• He blots out the hand-writing which was against thee," taking it out of the way, and nailing it to his Cross: ‡‡ So that God is just in justifying the ungodly, even all that believe §§.

5. MAN is vile and filthy; yea, from the crown of his head to the foleof his foot; he is full of wounds, and bruises,

*Acts xxvi. 18.
§ Pf. xxxviii. 1-4.
tt John viii. 11.

H 2

+ Ifa. ix. 1. John i. 29. 11 Col. ii. 14.

John viii. 12.

** Ifa. i. 18.
§§ Acts xiii. 38.

and

and putrifying fores *. Strong expreffions, to denote the entire and deep depravity of mankind; nay, it is farther confeffed, We are all as an unclean thing, and our righteousnesses are as filthy rags †. Thus, not only what we may call our fins, but our excellencies, our good actions, our righteoufneffes; the word is plural, to take in all our good deeds: and these are as filthy rags. Now, who can fay, I have made my own heart clean? Nay, nay, my poor dear fellow-finner, tho' thou shouldest wash thee with nitre, and take thee much foap, yet thine iniquity will cleave unto thee; fo that all human attempts are nothing. But the Gospel. points out a furer remedy for this disease: it tells us, In that day, (that glorious day of which I am speaking) there shall be a fountain open for fin and uncleanness I And, no doubt, but David had an eye to the fame, when he cried out, Purge me with hyffop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I fhall be whiter than fnow ||. Chrift loved the Church, and gave himself for her, that he might fanctify her, and cleanfe her with the washing of water by the Word; that he might present it unto himself a glorious Church without fpot, that it should be holy and without blame §. It is his fole prerogative to sprinkle us with clean water, and from all our idols and filthinefs to cleanse us, and to create a clean heart, and renew a right spirit in ** fo that we may sweetly join the triumphant Church in finging, To Him that loved us, and washed

us;

* Ifa. i. 6.

Pf. li. 5.

+ Ibid, Ixiv. 6. § Eph. v. 26.

us

+Zach. xiii. I. **Fzek. xxxvi. 35, 35.

us from our fins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests to God and his Father, to him be glory for ever *. O thou poor leprous foul, vile and loathfome as thou art, cry out,

"Touch me, and make the leper clean-
"Purge mine iniquity;

"Unless thou wash my foul from fin,

"I have no part in thee."

Without holiness no man can fee the Lord, for whatsoever defileth, can in no wife enter into the kingdom of God; fo, then, our great privilege is to haften to the fountain open for fin and for uncleannefs, which the Gospel fo ftrongly recommends, and which our great neceffities fo loudly call for.

6. MAN is in a hungry, famishing state; he feels he wants fomething, and is ever reftlefs to obtain that something which is to make him happy. He feeks for riches, he runs after pleasure, lays hold on the wings of honour; but, alas, these leave him juft as they found him; hence he often groans in deep anguish, is ready to wish he had never been born, and, like him of old, who was refolved to die, becaufe he faw nothing worth living for. But now the joyful found falutes his ears with these heavenly accents,-O every one that thirfteth, come ye to the waters; and ye that have no money, come ye, buy wine and milk, without money, and without price + for in this mountain will the Lord of hofts make unto all people a feaft of fat things, full of marrow, and of wines

H 3

012

* Rev. i. 5, 6,

+ Ifa.lv. I.

on the lees well refined *. I am the bread of life, faid Fefus: he that cometh to me, shall never hunger; and be that believeth, fhall never thirstt. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if a man eat of this bread, he fhall live for ever; and the bread that I will give, is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. Here is the true nourishment for never dying fouls; here is a fullness for all, a rich, and a free entertainment for every child of man; for whofoever will, let him take of the water of life freely ||.

7. MAN has a very intricate journey to take, in which he ftands in continual need of direction; the Gospel proposes that unto him. Hence the promise is, that the eyes of the blind shall be opened; ** that they fhall fee out of obfcurity ++. I will lead the blind by a way which they know not; I will lead them in paths which they have not known; I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things ftrait ‡‡. In the days of our Saviour, he cured every bodily disease, let it be ever fo obftinate; fo that the man who was born blind, found a healer in his Great Redeemer; and it was one of his gracious errands into the world-to recover fight to the blind ||||. As all thofe bodily complaints were true emblems of a fore difeafed mind, fo the Gospel points out the true remedy, even the Diyine Spirit, which is the true Illuminator, whofe office is to lead and guide into all truth ¶¶. The natural

* Ifa. xxv. 6.
Rev. xxii 17.
Ibid lii. 16.

+ John vi. 35. ** Ifa. xxxv. 5. IH Luke iv.a18.

Ibid, 511
tt Ibid xix. 18.

man,

¶¶ John xvi. 13.

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