XXVIII.

Gal. 4. 6, 7.

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SERM. really to become the sons of God? This grace also comes John 1. 12. by Jesus Christ; for, as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name." Is the Holy Spirit of God infused into us, to renew and sanctify us, to illuminate, direct, and assist us in what we do? For this we are beholden to Christ, whose Spirit it is, and by whom alone we are made the sons and heirs of God; for," because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father: wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God Tit. 3. 5, 6. through Christ." All this is through Christ; "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour."

less?"

Can we do all things, or any thing that God requires? [Luke 1.6.] Are we able to walk, as Zacharias and Elizabeth did, " in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord, blameWho puts this strength and grace into us, but Phil. 4. 13. Christ Jesus? "I can do all things," saith St. Paul, "through Christ which strengtheneth me." And, is any thing that we do acceptable to God, notwithstanding it comes far short of what His Law requires? It is so, only by Jesus Christ, as St. Peter teacheth us.

1 Pet. 2. 5.

Have we any consolation or support under the troubles we meet with in the world, particularly those we suffer for Christ's sake? It is by Christ alone we have it, but by 2 Cor. 1. 5. Him we have it abundantly; "for, as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ." Have we peace with God, or with ourselves, in John 14. 27. Our own minds? It is Christ that gives it us; "Peace I leave with you," saith He, "My peace I give unto you.' John 16. 33. And, "These things I have spoken, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

Can we look grim death in the face, defy its power, and triumph over it? In this we must say with the Apostle, 1 Cor.15.57. "Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Do we hope to be saved? How can we be so, but by our Saviour? No way, certainly. Peter, "That through the grace we shall be saved, even as they." for Heaven, and Heaven for us too; "In My Father's John 14.2,3. house," saith He, "are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you; and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself, that where I am, there ye may be also." It is Christ therefore who takes in, and keeps out of Heaven, whom He pleaseth; so that none ever did, or ever can come there, but by Him. And therefore, when St. Stephen was ready to go thither, he desires Christ to receive him, saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."

But we believe with St.

of the Lord Jesus Christ, Acts 15. 11. It is He that prepares us

Acts 7, 59.

Thus, from first to last, all the grace and favour that ever any man did, or ever shall receive from God, it all comes by Jesus Christ: not only that grace (as we commonly use the word) whereby He is pleased to incline our hearts unto Himself, to love, and fear, and trust on Him, whereby He makes us holy, and meek, and humble, and sober, and just, and charitable, and enables us sincerely to endeavour to live according to His laws; but whatsoever grace, or kindness, or mercy, He vouchsafeth to any of us, either in this world or the next, as it is all the same grace, so it all comes by Jesus Christ alike, of what kind or nature soever it is: "For the law was given by Moses, but grace," grace in general, and therefore all manner of 66 grace, came by Jesus Christ." And not only grace, but truth too; and as grace, so truth, in the fullest extent of the word, came by Him. The truth of the whole Levitical or ceremonial law; for that was made up altogether of types, and shadows, and figures of "good Heb. 10. 1; things to come." Christ was the antitype, the body, and 29:24; the truth of them all, and therefore is called "a minister of [Heb. 8. 2.] the true tabernacle," in contradistinction to that where Aaron and his sons ministered; which, together with all the service of it, was made according to the pattern that was Exod. 25. shewed to Moses in the mount. And therefore that was Heb. 8. 5. only a copy, Christ was the original. All the sacrifices which were there offered had no virtue or efficacy in themselves; "For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of Heb. 10. 4.

Col. 2. 17.

40;

XXVIII.

SERM. goats should take away sins." No, Christ was the only true sacrifice that was ever offered in the world; all other signified nothing, but as they had respect to Him. Wherefore, as the foresaid law was given by Moses, the truth of it came by Jesus Christ.

And if we take truth here as it is opposed to falsehood and lies, and so denotes the true objects of our faith, what we may and ought to believe to be truly so, as it is represented and made known to us, especially concerning God, and all things belonging to our everlasting peace: all such truth likewise came by Jesus Christ; so that no man ever had, or can have any true knowledge of God, or believe aright in Him, but by those Divine revelations which Christ hath made of Him, by His Prophets in the Old Testament, and by Himself and His Apostles in the New; for as it folJohn 1. 18. lows in the words after my text, "No man hath seen God at any time, the Only-begotten Son, which is in the bosom Matt.11.27. of the Father, He hath declared Him." "And no man,"

saith he, "knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and He to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him." This is that which He Himself

John 18. 37. intimated to Pilate, when He said, "To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth My voice." Wherefore in this sense also, truth came by Jesus Christ.

And so did the truth of all the threatenings and promises that God hath made to mankind; whatsoever punishment God had threatened against the sins of men, it was fully executed upon Christ, and suffered by Him in their nature. Gen. 2. 17. As when God said to Adam, "In the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die." This was accomplished in

Christ, the second Adam, who died in effect the same day, Rev. 13. 8. and is therefore said to be "slain from the foundation of the Deut.27.26. World." And when He said, "Cursed is every one that Gal.3.10,13. continueth not in all things which are written in the book

of the law, to do them." This was exactly fulfilled in Christ, when He was "made a curse for us." So that, notwithstanding His infinite grace and mercy in the pardon of our sins, through the blood of Christ; yet God's Word was

verified in Him, and so truth as well as grace came by

Him.

But that which seems chiefly to be aimed at in this place, is the truth of the promises which God hath been graciously pleased to make us; for truth being here, and all along in the Old Testament, joined with grace or mercy, it hath doubtless a peculiar respect to that, as promised to us by Almighty God. But all such promises are made and confirmed to us only in Jesus Christ, who is therefore said to

be a minister of the "circumcision for the truth of God, to Rom. 15. 8. confirm the promises made unto the Fathers." And "all 2 Cor. 1. 20. the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen, unto the glory of God by us." That is, in Him they are all and every one truth itself, which cannot but be fulfilled.

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12;

To the same purpose is that, where the Apostle saith, “That Gal. 3. 17. the covenant, wherein all the promises are contained, was confirmed of God in Christ." And that the truth here spoken of, hath respect to the covenant, appears in that, instead of truth, the covenant is sometimes joined with mercy; as, "My mercy will I keep for Him, for evermore, Ps. 89. 28. and My covenant shall stand fast with Him." And soon after, the Psalmist having said, “ My mercy will I not take ver. 33. from Him, nor suffer My truth to fail," he immediately adds, ver. 34. My covenant will I not break." And instead of shewing Deut. 7. 9, mercy and truth, God is often said, to keep covenant and 1 Kings 8. mercy with His people. Which shews, that when truth is 23; joined with mercy or grace, as in my text, it is principally 14; meant of the truth which God manifesteth, in keeping the 9. 32; covenant and promises which He hath made to us; which Dan. 9. 4. being made, confirmed, and fulfilled only in Christ, without Him the truth of God could never have appeared in the world; we could never have known that He was true to His promise, neither could He have been so, unless He had first made it. Whereas now, through Christ, His truth shines forth in every favour He is pleased to shew us; and therefore, as the law was given by "Moses, not only grace, but truth also came by Jesus Christ."

2 Chron. 6.

Neh. 1. 5.

Now from hence we may first learn, what reason the holy Angels had to sing at the birth of Christ, "Glory to Luke 2. 14. God in the highest, and on earth peace, good-will toward

F

XXVIII.

SERM. men." Seeing the glory of God's grace and truth appeared in the peace and good-will He shewed to men, by Him who was then born, as His wisdom, power, and goodness did in the creation of the world.

But what cause have we poor mortals upon earth, to praise and magnify the Eternal God, for sending His Onlybegotten Son into the world, seeing He brought both grace and truth along with Him! For otherwise, what would have become of us? We had all been in the same forlorn estate with the fiends of Hell; destitute of all hopes of ever finding any grace or favour in the sight of God.

But did grace come by Jesus Christ? From hence we may then see where to find it. Not in Plato or Aristotle, nor in Moses himself. It is to be had only in Jesus Christ: it came by Him alone, and it is in Him alone that any mortal man ever did, or ever can come by it.

But did truth as well as grace come by Him? Then we may be confident that we may have it in Him: of His fulness we may all receive, and grace for grace. We may be confident, I say, of it, seeing that in Him the truth of God Himself is engaged for it.

"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." Let us, by a quick and lively faith, apply ourselves continually, in the use of the means which He hath ordained, to Christ our Saviour, to procure us favour in the sight of God, to give us repentance and forgiveness of sins, to cleanse and purify our hearts, to guide and assist us by His grace, till He hath brought us to Himself in glory. And then He will certainly do it for us, as the truth is in Jesus, and as it came by Him, "who liveth and reigneth with the Father and the Holy Ghost, one God blessed for ever."