efficacy of his fufferings and death, and to acknowledge him worthy of glory and honour upon that account, yea, worthy of all this glory of fitting at the right hand of God; this is grace in its highest perfection, as drawn forth in the highest heavens. A view of which is heart-reviving, and foul-inflaming. And here is the quinteffence of grace as exercifed in glory by the elect angels, who inceffantly cry to the honour of the flaughtered Lamb, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of bofts, the whole earth is full of his glory. It may be here, as in its proper place, neceffary to obferve, that Chrift's perfonal worth as God, by effential union with the Father and the Holy Ghost in the ineffable, incomprehenfible effence, is the foundation of all his mediatorial glories. But then it must be declared and remembered, that his mediatorial glories add nothing to his effential glory. He is the object of faith, love, hope, and worship, as Godman, Mediator, hence they cry, Worthy is the Lamb that was flain, to receive power. They attribute power to him; Chrift, as Mediator, having power and authority over all worlds, beings, and things, and this is one of his mediatorial prerogatives. All power (lays he) is given unto me in heaven and in earth. This belongs unto him as the everlafting and almighty God; and as the Saviour and Redeemer of his people, he is mighty to fave from fin, Satan, death, and hell. And he is also mighty to defend, support, and preferve his chofen ones. He is a mighty interceffor and advocate in heaven for them. He is worthy to receive the praise of all the power he hath put forth, and manifested in the falvation of his faints. He is worthy to receive riches: which may well be afcribed unto him. For he is rich with all the perfection of effential effence; and he has, as God-man, Mediator, in his fulness, all the riches of grace and glory. In him are bid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge ; and his gospel contains unfearchable riches. He has all the riches of heaven and earth at his own difpofal. All things are Chrift's. Riches of grace, knowledge, and glory--all are his. He is worthy to receive wifdom, i. e. he is worthy to receive all the praise of the infinite wifdom which fhines forth in him, and hath been manifefted by him; and his wifdom and underftanding are unfearchable. He knows all the heart of God; all his eternal counfels and defigns. He is wifdom itself, for he is the only wife God, the author and fountain, giver and maintainer of all wisdom, natural and fpiritual. As Mediator, all the treasures. of it are held in him, and the Spirit of wifdom and understanding refts upon him. He is the power of Godand the wildom of God, the revealer thereof to his church and people. He has strength likewise attributed unto him, which he has fhewn and manifefted in making the world, and in fupporting all things in heaven and earth, by the word of his power. And he has fhewn it in faving and redeeming his people, and in fubduing his, and all their enemies. Honour is likewise ascribed and rendered unto him; and this is his due as God, Son of God, and as God-man, Mediator, who is crowned with glory and honour. Glory is alfo attributed unto him his effential, perfonal, and mediatorial glory and excellency are all afcribed to, and given by them unto him. And bleffing is, and ought moft justly to be given unto him, for he is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.-The ever bleffed God, the fountain of bleffednefs: in whom the faints are bleffed with all fpiritual bleffings. Thus they worship Chrift, and praise the worthy Lamb. May the Holy Ghoft add his blefling, and follow with his influence and energy what hath been delivered unto you, and make you of one heart and foul, with faints and angels in glory, that you may moft heartily join them in making melody in your hearts to the Lord. Amen. SERMON XVI. ON THE INTERCESSION OF THE HOLY ROMANS, Chap. viii. Ver. 26, 27. Likewife the Spirit alfo belpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh interceffion for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that fearcheth the hearts knoweth, what is the mind of the Spirit, because be maketh interceffion for the faints, according to the will of God. UPON reading these words to you, : be it may naturally fuppofed that I am going to discourse upon that great and important duty, the ordinance of prayer in the right difcharge of which, believers enjoy much holy fellowship with the Lord, and at times, much of the divine prefence. Perhaps, there is no child of God but finds himself, through the darkness and ignorance which befet him in the prefent ftate, more or lefs diftreffed and difcouraged in his approaches to the throne of grace. To pray aright, in faith, and in the Holy Ghost, is beyond all the power of nature. Prayer is the breath of the new-born foul, of the foul which is born of God; yea, it is the breathing of the Spirit of God which is in him. To affift your minds, and to lay before you the concern of the Spirit of Chrift in prayer; to fhew you how he helps the faints, and enables them to offer up their petitions with energy, and in a manner acceptable unto the Lord, is my end in view, and my design in proposing to treat upon the Scripture now before us. May the Lord be pleased moft graciously to affift me in speaking, and you in hearing, that the whole may tend to our mutual profit and édification, and to his glory. From what I have premised you will obferve, that I am not going to speak concerning prayer as a moral duty or act, binding upon all mankind, in which they do by it acknowledge their entire dependence upon the Lord for life, and breath, and all things; it becoming them, as rational creatures, to adore, admire, and praise JEHOVAH for all the bounties of his providence towards them: the neglect of this is their fin; and the obfervance of it is their bounden duty and service. This, I fay, is not my subject; nor does my concern lay with fuch at this time. But my fubject, text, and bufinefs, lay with, and concern. the children of the most high God; who are born again of the Spirit-made partakers of a divine nature-have the love of God manifefted unto themand the love of God fhed abroad in their hearts: who love the Lord Jefus Chrift in fincerity and truth, and defire to have their daily conversation with him. |