"know my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; " and I give unto them eternal life." "I am the light " of the world." "I am the resurrection and the life*." If we could suppose an apostle or an angel speaking of himself in terms like these, requiring our unlimited dependence, and directing our hope and love to centre wholly on him, we might justly reject him as a blasphemer. How the apostles understood these expres sions, and that they did not mistake our Lord's meaning, is evident from the behaviour of Thomas. He saluted his risen Saviour, " My Lord, and my God." Had his transport of joy carried him too far in giving this ascription to Jesus, he would doubtless have corrected him, and provided us with a caution against committing the like fault. For who that has tasted his love, and been made partaker of the power of his resurrection, can avoid adoring him with the utmost homage their words can express, or their hearts conceive! From hence we may take occasion to observe, 1. His wonderful condescension; that, for us and our salvation, he stooped so low, drew a veil over his eternal glories, and appeared in the form of a servant, to suffer and to die: "Though he was rich, for our sakes he be બ came poor, that we through his poverty might be made richt". This was love passing knowledge, to pour out his blood, his life, his soul, for those who by nature and practice were enemies and rebels, disobedient to his government, and averse to his grace! 2. What a blessed and glorious hope is set before awakened sinners! Add to the consideration of his per * John xiv. 1.; vi. 53.; v. 23.; x. 27, 28.; viii. 12.; xi. 25. 2 Cor. viii. 9. † John xx. 28. son, what we have yet to offer from the word of God concerning his authority and purpose, and say if these truths do not give sufficient encouragement to believe and be saved! 3. How awful must be the case of those who shall be found in final rebellion against him, and die in a state of impenitence and unbelief! Alas! poor obstinate sinners, that have stood out so long, will you still harden your hearts, and stop your ears, and rush, (like the thoughtless horse in the battle,) upon your own destruction? Do you consider whom you are opposing? "Did ever any harden himself against the Lord, and prosper *?" "Have you an arm like God? or can you thunder with a voice like him?" Where will you stand, or what will you say, "to shake terribly the earth? "vealed in fire, to take vengeance on all that know not "God, and obey not the Gospel t." O kiss the Son, throw down your arms, and fall prostrate at his footstool, lest his anger awake, and you perish without hope; for in a little time the great day of his wrath will be revealed, "which will burn like a furnace, and all "the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be "stubble, and the day that cometh shall burn them "when he shall arise when he shall be re up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them "neither root nor branch§." Then will it appear, that those, and those only, are blessed, who put their trust in him: "For those who trust in him shall never be "ashamed; but when Christ who is their life shall appear, they also shall appear with him in glory||.” * Job. ix. 4. † Job xl. 9. Col. iii. 4. 2 Thess. i. 8. SERMON VII. OF THE AUTHORITY OF CHRIST. MATTH. XI. 27. All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father: neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. WE have spoken something of the dignity and excel lence of that Mighty One on whom our help is laid; and are now to consider, II. The covenant authority he is intrusted with to manage the great concern of man's salvation. He is not only infinitely sufficient, but divinely appointed for this great work. Of this covenant there is express mention in many parts of Scripture, to some of which I have referred in the note*. It is styled the covenant of peace, the everlasting, ordered, and sure covenant. The power and efficacy of this covenant respected the future incarnation of our Saviour. He asserted his right, while in the form of a servant, in the words of my text; and to the same purpose are the words of John the Baptist : "The Father loveth the Son, and hath delivered all 66 things into his hands t." But the full manifestation of it was deferred to the time of his resurrection, when, and by which, he was declared to be the Son of God * Ps. lxxxix. 19.; Prov. viii. 23.; Isai. xlii. 1-6. compared with Matth. xii. 18-21.; Isai. xlix. 8, 9.; Zech. vi. 13. † John iii. 35. with power*. Hence, before he left his disciples, he assured them, "All "All power is committed to me in heaven "and in earth t." The sum is, that our Lord Jesus Christ, by virtue of his divine nature, and his voluntary undertaking in our flesh, to fufil all righteousness for us, both as to obedience and satisfaction, is exalted in that nature wherein he suffered, to be the sovereign Judge and Lord of all.. He it is now with whom we have to do. The Holy God, considered without respect to the covenant of grace, is a consuming fire to sinners; and we cannot stand before him. But now he reveals himself; he dwells, as in his temple, in the man Christ Jesus. He has intrusted all his glory and all his grace in his hands; and to him we are to look, on him we are to depend, for all the blessings we need for time and eternity. For "all things are delivered to him of the Father.' All things is a most comprehensive expression. We may distribute it as referring to all persons, all blessings, and all dispensations. 1. All persons are in his hands. Hence his sublime title, "King of kings, and Lord of lords§." He doth what he will among the armies of heaven, and the in-. habitants of the earth. Thus Isaiah saw his glory, and spake of him. 1st, He is Lord over his enemies, and those that hate him. He rules them with a rod of iron, and so disposes their designs as to make them, (though against their wills,) the means and instruments of promoting his own purposes and glory. They are his servants even Matth. xxviii. 18. *Rom. i. 4. when they rage most against him. He has a bridle in their mouths to check and turn them at his pleasure. He can and often does control them, when they seem most sure of success, and always sets them bounds, which they cannot pass. So he showed his power over Pharaoh of old; the haughty king's resistance only gave occasion for a more glorious display of the greatness and goodness of the God of Israel. So he humbled the pride of Herod, and gave him up, in the midst of his guards, a prey to worms*. And thus, sooner or later, all his enemies are brought to lick the dust before him. 2dly, But especially he is Lord of his own people. By nature indeed they likewise are his enemies, but he knows them all by name. They have been in a peculiar manner given to him by the Fatherf; he accounts them his portion, and he will not lose his own. He knows where to find them, and when to call them; and when bis time is come, one word or look from him can disarm them in a moment, and bring them humbly to his feet. How soon did he stop and change the persecuting Saul §! When they are thus made willing in the day of his power, he takes them under his especial care; and whoso toucheth them, toucheth the apple of his eye. He guides, and guards, and feeds, and strengthens them; he keeps them night and day, waters them every moment, and will not suffer any to pluck them out of his hand, nor will he himself leave them or forsake them, till he has done all that he has spoken to them of. He gives them likewise a new heart and gracious dispositions, suited to the honourable relation * Acts xii. 23. † John xvii. 6. John x. 15, 16. |