any one else obtain the name saviour, in the same sense in which it has always been applied to the Messiah; no other of God's most highly honoured and distinguished messengers, was ever so designated. What was Noah, who was commissioned by God to warn the world of the punishment that would come upon them for their sins, unless they repented? Only a "preacher of righteousness.' What was Moses, that exalted personage, through whom the first covenant was revealed to the chosen race? Only a leader and a law-giver. What was Elijah, the great restorer of the true worship in an age of corruption and idolatry? No more than a prophet. What were Isaiah and Jeremiah and Ezekiel and Daniel, and the rest of those remarkable men, by whom it pleased God

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"sundry times and in divers manners' warn and exhort the world, and to foreshow things that should come to pass? Neither did these pretend to any other character, than that of prophets. What was he, of whom our Lord himself declared that he was "more than a prophet," and that "a greater had not risen among them that were born of woman?" Only the "baptist," a "messenger," a "man sent from God." What were they, who under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, promulgated to the world the history and doctrines and commandments of

Christ, and in fact instructed many more in the truths of the gospel, than he himself had personally done? Only evangelists and apostles.

Now all these were teachers of true religion, -they all instructed man how to flee from the wrath of God, and how to secure his favour; yet (as you have seen) not one of them was called a SAVIOUR. If then they, however greatly honoured as instruments in the revelation of God's will to mankind, were not yet thought worthy of that title, while one teacher was, by divine command, expressly so named, as pre-eminently distinguished above them all, what follows but that he must have had something very peculiar in his character, which did not belong to the rest? In fact, that he in some sense really is that Saviour, which none of the others either themselves professed, or were by their followers supposed, to be? The fact, I maintain, is important, and well worthy of serious. notice; for it is a very powerful testimony against those, who would reduce the character of Jesus Christ (in plain English the anointed Saviour) to that of a mere human, though inspired, instructor, in no wise distinguished from other divinely-commissioned teachers, than as having been appointed to reveal a purer system of religion and morality, We then are the disciples, not of a mere prophet, or preacher, or lawgiver,

though he was all these as well, but more especially of a Saviour." "Thou shalt call his name JESUS."

It remains now to enquire on what account, that title was given him, in what respect he is a Saviour. From what then has he saved us? From any temporal evils? From sorrow and sickness and trouble, from any of the numerous afflictions of human life? No, this he has not done; for man is born to trouble now as much as before Christ came into the world. Wherein then does his salvation consist? Let the angel who brought his name from heaven be our instructor; "Thou shalt call his name JESUS, for he shall save his people from their sins." And how has he effected this? Are men now no longer sinners? Are all in heart and life willingly and constantly obedient to the holy laws of God, doing his will on earth as perfectly as it is done by the innocent spirits in heaven? O wretched man, how far art thou from this happy condition! How little is there in thee of the likeness and image of God, wherein thy first parents were created! How small the remains of that original righteousness which thy maker beheld when he looked upon all his creatures as they first proceeded from his hands, and pronounced them to be very good! How impure and infirm, and perverse, and rebellious art thou

become. How then has Christ saved us from our sins? Is it that he has published impunity to all the world? Has he repealed all the laws of God, that were formerly in force against sin, and told us that we are no longer required to obey them, that henceforth there is no more need of purity and holiness, no longer any restrictions upon our carnal passions and inclinations, that no distinction remains between religion and impiety, virtue and vice, that nothing is any longer commanded or forbidden, but that all things are equally lawful? Such a resolution neither has nor could have come from heaven; the gospel is a most holy dispensation, and reflects the image of him from whom it proceeded, "who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity." Has Christ given us then a system of just and perfect laws, and told us that if we strictly obey these in the letter and in the spirit, as long as we live, we shall for that meritorious obedience be rewarded with eternal life? And is this what is meant by his saving us from our sins? Alas, would not this rather be to condemn us in our sins, and on account of them? How little cause would there be for glorying in our hopes and privileges as Christians, if such were the method of salvation proposed to us in the gospel! For creatures so prone to evil, so sensual, so frail, so irresolute as

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we are, to have no other hope of heaven but from the entire and uniform observance of laws which issued from the pure bosom of a God of essential holiness! Oh think how it would fare with us, if we could not go to heaven unless we had loved God with all our heart and all our soul, and our neighbour as ourselves; unless we had rigorously mortified all our earthly desires and affections, unless we had been sincerely pious and charitable, and just, and honest, and temperate, and that without any intermission or inconstancy in all our lives? My brethren, if we are acquainted with the excellence of the gospel, and with our own corruption and weakness, we must perceive that it is impossible to be saved through our own unsinning obedience, we must be "saved from our sins," or we shall inevitably perish.

Hear then, O sinners, "the good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people," unto us has been sent this very Saviour, whom you need, which is Christ the Lord. He has saved us from our sins, from their guilt and their condemnation; he has taken the pain and burthen of them upon himself, and has made satisfaction to God's justice by his own perfect obedience. The Father so loved us, even while we were sinners, that he sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins; and with equal love, the Son came to do his