DISCOURSE XL.

THE BEATIFIC VISION; OR, BEHOLDING JESUS CRUCIFIED.

JOHN i. 29.

Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the fin of the world.

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UR Saviour calls John the Baptist one of the greateft of the prophets, and that, no doubt, not only on account of his abftemious life and renunciation of the world, or because he was a martyr for the fake of his testimony, but because he, of all the goodly company of the men of God, was the only one who furvived till the dawn of the days of the Son of Man, and faw the Lord in flesh. Other prophets and holy perfons, fince the beginning of the world, had the favour to fee in fpirit the kingdom and redemption of Chrift; but they faw afar off; and though they knew God would furely visit and redeem his people, and publifhed the glad tidings to all who mourned in Zion, or looked for falvation in Ifrael; and though they were perfuaded of his incarnation, or, as they termed it in their predictions, his tabernacling among us, though they forefaw how, by his death, he would abolish death, and by his fufferings heal the hurt of his people, and fave the world, and could die in this faith rejoicing; yet none among them had the honour to fee him like

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John, or be able to fay boldly, while he could point to him, that is the "Lamb of God, which taketh away the fin of the world,'

John Baptift had been infpired with the Holy Ghoft in his mother's womb, and had fo early leaped for joy at the approach of his Lord, God, and Malter, who was then newly conceived in the Virgin Mary. He had retired early into the defart, convinced of his high errand to proclaim the coming of the Lord, and to prepare his way. He had baptized the inhabitants of many countries to repentance, and fet them upon expecting one greater than himself, preaching that they should believe on him, who was then among them, but not yet manifefted, who thould baptize with the Holy Ghoft, whofe fhoes latchet he confeffed he was not worthy to ftoop

was own and unloofe; but all this while he

not fure his coufin, the Son of Mary, was he, till at his baptifm in Jordan, and then the Holy Spirit defcended upon Jefus in form of a dove, while a voice from heaven affured the Baptift, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleafed." Till this time, John had many difciples, who, with bimfelf, waited for the Meffiah to be revealed; but now John pointed him out to all his converts, faying, Behold the Lamb of God!" See the Lamb God has prepared to be offered for the fins of the world. Ye have hitherto read the law, and been prefent at the facrifices, and at the morning and evening oblation: ye have known with whe what folemnity the beafts have been appointed to to be flain on the days of atonement, and heard your fathers tell how, after the fame manner, they offered their goats and lambs for four thousand years: Behold now the true Lamb, all the reft were the patterns, but this is the fubflance. The others were but fhadows, and were the gifts and offerings which men made

out of the best of their flocks upon the altars of God; but this is the Lord's own Lamb, this is the Lamb which he prepared, and the body which he ordained to be offered once for all. Behold him, turn from every other facrifice, and expect your help and atonement and forgivenefs from this Lamb. He fhall take away the fin of the world. Thus the difciples of John understood it, and they left him and followed Jefus.

The whole gofpel is included in the declaration of John; and by him, God the Holy Ghoft has begun, and continues to exhibit and fet forth the Son as the Lamb, whofe death hath abolished fin, and taken it away, teaching finners to look to him and be faved. Thus the prophets had, in their measure, preached him; and all the Scriptures fet forth remiffion of fin in this Man's name, and in no other. All the divine miffionaries have, in other words, more or lefs plain, declared that he takes away fin, and finishes iniquity, and that to him every one must look, and all fleth come, who would be faved.

Three things efpecially are contained in the text; namely, the character of Jefus Chrift; his office; and the way to be faved by him. Of these let us think a little, and learn rightly to efteem that facred Perfon, whom John in the text, and whom all the fcriptures preach alone."

The firft thing to be confidered is, his character; the Lamb of God, John the Baptift was not the first who thus names the Saviour; for Mofes in his dark manner had preached him as a Lamb, throughout the law, and even the fathers had thus offered lambs as thadows of him, froin the days of Abel. Ifaiah had faid, "He fhall be led as a lamb to the flaughter," And again, Send the lamb to the ruler of the people." But after John had called him a Lamb, the apostles, through the fame fpirit, fpake

of him under that name. St. Peter fays, "Ye were redeemed with the precious blood of Chrift, as of a lamb without blemish and without fpot." St. Paul calls him, our Paffover, our Pafchal Lamb, facrificed for us. Thus St. Philip preached him to the Eunuch; and St. John the Evangelift, who had feen him in his glory, and well knew what name beft fuited him, who is not afhamed to appear in heaven as a Lamb that has been flain, in his whole book of the Revelation, calls him the Lamb, the Lamb that was flain.

There could be given many reafons wherefore the name of the Lamb fo becomes our Saviour: First, because of his innocency, his being harmless and meek; for as the lamb is without any thing of the fury, poifon, or ravenous difpofition of other animals, fo that the leaft child is not afraid to approach it, or the most timorous to be where it is; fo Jefus is of fuch a tender lamb-like difpofition and nature, that the most affrighted and fearful foul may approach him, and come into his prefence without danger. At the time when the antients looked upon him as a lion, by which name, he was known in Judah, and in many ages; no wonder that Hezekiah and others fo trembled before him, and poor finners were afraid, left, as a lion, he would tear them to pieces, when there was none to help. But now thofe gloomy times like fhadows flee away, and as John himfelf looked to fee the Lion of the tribe of Judah, and behold he faw a Lamb; fo all who approach J fus, and apply with fear and trembling to him, h wever they may juftly expect to meet him as a lin, fince they are confcious of their having fo grievoufly finned and offended him, yet they fhall find he is now a Lamb, and now fury is not in him; he is come not to deftroy men's lives, but to fave them; and fuch as are not cruel and lion-like to themselves,

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themfelves, fhall find nothing in Jefus but mercy, and love, and gentlenefs for ever.

There is another reafon why our Saviour's name may well be called the Lamb; for no creature of God is more useful than a Lamb, their flesh is meat, and their wool our beft raiment; thus is Jefus our meat indeed, the only fleth that gives life to the world, and his righteousness the fleece of the true Lamb, which can hide fin, or cover a naked foul, or dress it for the King's marriage fupper.

But the best reafon that can be given, why the Lord delights to be known by his new name, the Lamb, is because, from the beginning of the world, lambs were used for the facrifices. Lambs were used at the deliverance out of Egypt, and for the confecration of priests, and for the daily facrifice. Thus is our Lord Jefus incarnate called the Lamb, by way of eminence, as if all the reft were nothing, and unworthy of the name; he is properly the Lamb; the reft were but faint figures, and no facrifices which could take away fin, make peace, or atone for our fall, or avert the juft wrath of Almighty God.

This could only be effected with a better facrifice, and with a better Lamb than men could offer, or prefent to the Moft High. Now, this God himfelf found out a Lamb; he prepared a body, and offered up his own eternal Son, his dearest Lamb, his co-effential and beloved Child. This is the Lamb of God, the Lamb he gave up to die in the room of a finful creature. God will have it now known, that his Child Jefus is the very and true Lamb, the antitype of all oblations, gifts, facrifices, and offerings, and the fulness and fubftance of all whatever the law or the prophets preached.

I come now, of course, into the office of this holy Person, which was, to take away the fins of the world.