up safely) all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge," Col. ii, 3.

Moreover; the nature of the work required, that the ambassador of God to sinners should be able to make his message successful. It is not sufficient to say, that the message itself is so great and so advantageous to sinners, that there is no doubt but upon the first proposal they will embrace it; for we find the contrary by multiplied experience: and not only so, but it is a certain fact that no sinner is able of himself to receive it. For faith is not of ourselves, it is the gift of God. Now if this ambassador hath not power to enable men to receive it, however otherwise excellent and glorious, it must needs be frustrated. But who shall effect this arduous task? Is it the work of man to quicken the dead, to open the blind eyes, to take away the stony heart, to create spiritual light in the mind, and life in the will? All this is necessary to insure saving success to God's message to sinners, and to this the Son of God alone was equal. For "no man knoweth the Father but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him," Matt. xi, 27; and this he doth by the effectual working of his holy Spirit, the dispensation whereof is wholly committed to him. Let it be farther considered, that,

$7. (3.) The design of this work was no less than to proclaim and establish peace between God and man. He only who made this peace was meet to make a full declaration of it: he is our peace, and he came and preached peace, Ephes. ii, 14-17, on which account he is called "the word of God," he by whom God was declared; the angel of God's presence, the interpreter, the great interpreter of Jehovah's mind, the counsellor, and the messenger of the covenant, as well as the apostle of our profession. And hence we see our great

obligations to hearken to this message; not only on account of the message itself, which is worthy of all acceptation, but also on account of him that brings it: and everlasting woe will be to them by whom these glad tidings are rejected. He that refuseth peace with God shall have war and his eternal wrath, and that most deservedly. It may be some men think in their hearts, that if they had heard Christ himself delivering this message, if they had heard him preaching this peace, they would undoubtedly have received and embraced it. So indeed thought the Jews of old, that if they had lived in the days of the former prophets, they would not have dealt with them as their forefathers did, but would have believed their words and obeyed their commands. So the rich man thought, that his brethren would repent, if one might rise from the dead and preach to them. All have pretences for their present unbelief; and suppose, that were it not for this or the other circumstance, they should do otherwise. But these pretences are all vain and foolish in any case, but there is no pretence of this nature that can take place here: for this great apostle and ambassador of God continueth yet to speak to us, and press his message upon us. So saith our apostle, chap. xii, 25, "See that ye refuse not him that speaketh; for how shall we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven?" He did not only speak of old, but he continueth to speak in the word of the gospel. When we are pressed to believe, to accept the appointed terms of peace, and yet refuse them; we reject this great, this Divine and compassionate apostle. And what will be the end of such men? What will be the end of us all, if the guilt hereof should be found upon us?

$18. Obs. 9. Special privileges will not profit men without special grace. The Lord Christ was in an

especial manner an apostle to the Jews, to them was he sent immediately; and to them was his ministry in the flesh confined. Greater privileges could none partake of; and what was the issue? "He came unto his own, and his own received him not," John i, 11; by far the greatest part of them rejected both him and the tidings of peace he brought. This is worthy your consideration who are favored with precious gospel privileges. They will not save you; but, on the contrary, they may ruin you. Look for grace to make them effectual, lest they prove the "savor of death unto death" to any of you. Once more,

$19. Obs. 10. The Lord Jesus Christ is all in all to his church; the king, priest, apostle, (or prophet) of it; all in one; supplying all wants, answering all privileges, the spring of all grace, effecting all mercy; so that in him alone believers are complete, Col. ii, 10. The Old Testament saints had no one that was king, priest, and prophet to the church; nor could any be after the giving of the law; the kingdom being promised to the tribe of Judah, and the priesthood confined to the tribe of Levi, and the house of Aaron. Who sees not then herein the great privilege of the New Testament economy, seeing we have all these things really, which they had only in type; and all things centering in one, which were imperfectly distributed among so many? And shall we not seek for all in him, who was represented by them all? Shall we not seek to be perfectly justified by him who is really and substantially all in one? Yes, all our defects, weaknesses, and troubles arise from hence, that we make not our applications to him for that assistance which he is able, ready, and willing to afford us.

$20. Obs. 11. A diligent attentive consideration of the person, offices, and works of Jesus Christ is the

most effectual means to free the souls of men from all entanglements of error and darkness, and to keep them constant in the profession of the truth. These Hebrews were as yet entangled in their old Judaism, and ready to decline from the truth. To free them from the one, and to prevent the other, the apostle calls them to the consideration of what he had delivered, and what he was yet to deliver concerning the person, offices, and works of Christ. This being the principal intention of the place, we shall stay a little to confirm and apply our observation.

$21. "Consider Christ." And here we shall take notice of both the manner and the object of this consideration. As to the manner of attending to the means proposed, it is our incumbent duty,

1. To make a diligent search into the sacred word, wherein Jesus Christ is revealed to us, (which is therefore called the gospel of Christ) that we may find out and understand what is revealed concerning him, as he is the end of the law, and the fulness of the gospel; in whom, as in their common centre, all the prophecies and promises meet. Without this aim in our hearing, reading, and searching of the word, we labor in vain, and contend uncertainly, as men beating the air. Unto him, and the knowledge of him, is all our study of the scripture to be referred: and the reason why some in the perusal of it, have no more light, profit, or advantage, is, because they have no more respect to Christ in their inquiry. If he be once out of our eye in searching the scripture, we know not what we do, nor whither we go, no more than doth the mariner at sea without regard to the pole star. Truths to be believed are like believers themselves; all their life, power, and order consist in their relation to Christ; separated from him they are dead and useless.

2. Meditation upon what is discovered to us concerning Christ, is also included in this duty. When a revelation was made of Christ and his work to the blessed virgin his mother, it is said she kept the sayings and "pondered them in her heart," Luke ii, 17; as Job adviseth all to do, chap. xxii, 22; and the apostle bids us take care that "the word of Christ dwell in us. richly in all wisdom," Col. iii, 6; that it may not pass through our minds with some transient effects; as in reading and hearing, if alone, it often only casts somė glances of light upon the understanding, or some motions on the affections; but may make its abode with us by constant meditation.

3. A spiritual endeavor in this search and meditation to bring the soul to a real conformity with that revelation which is made of Christ in the word. And this would be the genuine effect of them, if duly and properly attended, 2 Cor. iii, 18. The glory of Christ is revealed in the gospel, as a face is represented in a glass; this we behold by a spiritual search and meditation. By this intuition we are assimilated to the revealed glory of the Lord. The Holy Ghost thereby brings upon our hearts that very likeness and image which we so contemplate.

§22. The object of this consideration is the Redeemin his person, his offices, and his work. "Consider Christ."

er,

1. The apostle treateth about his person as the principal object of our consideration. It is a signal promise that under the gospel we shall see the King Messiah in his beauty, Isa. xxxiii, 17; or, by faith see the uncreated excellencies and glories of this King of saints. And indeed the faith of the Old Testament saints did principally respect the glorious person of the Messiah, and his coming, leaving his work, and the mystery of