his immenfe ocean of redeeming love? O finners, think of this! all who perifh under the gofpef muft carry this dreadful aggravation along with them," "That mercy was in their offer, and offer, and they would not accept it; nay, that they infulted and abused the mercy that would have faved them. 24 And an your hearts endure, or can can your "hands be strong, in the day that God fhall deal with you id ᎥᎥ . ” for this contempt ?»›

----_For the Lord's fake, open your eyes

id:on of ben him whom you in time; look upon

have pierced by your fins, and mourn.I ado drefs you as the angels did Lot, when they brought him forth from Sodom'; Efcape for thy life, look not behind thee, neither! stay thou in all the plain" Flee to the Saviour, "left thou be confumed."

As for you who have already got within the walls of the city of refuge, I have one request to make to you, with which I fhall conclude *. -Come now and receive the new teftament in Chrift's blood:

* This, and the four Sermons that immediately fol low, were preached at the celebration of our Lord's Sup

-For confirming your faith, and increafing your joy, he hath instituted this vifible pledge of his love, this external feal of his gracious covenant; that, by the elements of bread and wine, the appointed fymbols of his broken body and shed blood, he might inveft his people with a full and unalterable right to all the bleffed fruits of his fufferings and death. And therefore, as you have come to Chrift himself, you may lawfully consider the invitation in my text as your warrant and call to come to his table; and may hope to find, in this holy facrament, fomething of that reft, or fpiritual relief, which he is always ready to dif penfe to those who feel their need of it, and who know its worth. Amen.

SER

SERMON

M ON VIII.

213

ZECHARIAH ix. 12.

Turn ye to the ftrong bold, ye prifoners of hope; even to-day do I declare, that I will render double unto thee.

N the 9th verfe of this chapter, procla

IN th

mation is made, that the Meffiah is at hand; and the church is called upon to go forth, and to meet him with joy.

"Re

joice greatly, O daughter of Zion; fhout, "O daughter of Jerufalem: behold, thy

\King cometh unto thee." And that the awe of his majesty might be no bar to their joy, they are told, for their encouragement, that he comes in fuch a form of condefcenfion and grace, as ferves rather to invite, than forbid their approach to him: For, "He is juft, and having falvation; "lowly, and riding upon an afs, and upon a colt, the fole of an afs."-They are

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further, affured, in the 10th verfe, that as the enfigns of his royalty differ fo widely from thofe which earthly monarchs ufe, fo he fhall govern his fubjects, and fubdue his enemies, not by external force, but by inward perfuafion; not by "the chariot, "the horse, and the battle-bow;" for all. thefe fhall be cut off;" but by the preaching of the gofpel, accompanied with the powerful operation of his Spirit, which is emphatically called " fpeaking peace unto the Heathen" in confequence whereof, “his dominion fhall extend from sea to fea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth." And to finish the defcription of this King of Zion, it is added, in the 11th verfe, that the gracious aim of his government is, to fet men at liberty from the vilest flavery, and to releafe them from the most ignominious confinement, by opening their prifon - doors, and "fending them forth out of the pit "wherein is no water." This too he is

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to perform in a way peculiarly endearing : he is to purchase their freedom with the price of his own blood; which, with great propriety,

propriety, is ftyled" the blood of the covenant," as it ratifies and confirms that covenant of grace, whereby finners are reinftated in the favour of God, and rescued from the power of all their fpiritual enemies.

The like reprefentation is given of the Meffiah, aiah xlii. 6. 7. "I the Lord have "called thee in righteoufness, and will hold

thine hand, and will keep thee, and give "thee for a covenant of the people, for a "light of the Gentiles; to open the blind "eyes, to bring out the prifoners from the "prison, and them that fit in darkness out "of the prison-house." And the Meffiah himself is introduced, Ifaiah Ixi. at the beginning, fpeaking to the fame purpose, saying," The spirit of the Lord God is upon 66 me, because the Lord hath anointed me "to preach good tidings unto the meek, he "hath fent me to bind up the broken

hearted, to proclaim liberty to the cap❝tives, and the opening of the prifon to "them that are bound.'

In all these paffages, he is plainly pointed ont to us in the character of a Redeemer

;