the whole ftrain of the holy Scriptures. This originally conftituted the neceffity of a Saviour, and alone illuftrates the love and mercy of God in the appearance of his Son in our nature. Unlefs this is fuppofed, the whole difpenfations of the grace of God, both in the old teftament and in the new, lose their beauty, and lofe their meaning; nay, and would be justly esteemed foolishnefs, as they are in fact by all who fee not this foundation upon which they are built. As our firft parents, and the earth for their fakes, were laid under a curse immediately after the original tranfgreffion; fo the effects of this apoftacy on their pofterity are amply declared in Scripture. We have this repeated teftimony from God himfelf concerning the old world, " And God faw "that the wickedness of man was great in the "earth, and that every imagination of the "thoughts of his heart was only evil continu"ally." And again, " And the Lord faid in "his heart, I will not again curfe the ground "any more for man's fake; for the imagination. "of man's heart is evil from his youth +."

The rites and ceremonies of the Mofaic difpenfation also, together with the whole history of providence contained in the old testament, suppose the guilt and impurity of our nature. the gospel, as it is in all refpects a clearer difpen

But

fation than the former, fo it is moft full and exprefs upon this fubject. Inftead of enumerating many paffages, we may confult the epiftle of the apostle Paul to the Romans, where there is a diftinct and laboured illuftration of the guilt and apoftacy of all mankind; towards the conclufion of which he thus expreffes himfelf: "For we "before proved both Jews and Gentiles that they "are all under fin; as it is written, There is 66 none righteous, no not one: there is none that "understandeth, there is none that feeketh after "God. They are all gone out of the way, "they are together become unprofitable; there ❝is none that doth good, no not one *."-And a little after, " That every mouth may be stop

ped, and all the world become guilty before "Godt." To this I fhall only add one paffage from the fame apoftle: "Among whom alfo we "had our converfation in times paft, in the lufts "of our flesh, fulfilling the defires of the flesh, "and of the mind; and were by nature chil"dren of wrath, even as others ‡."

That the fame Scriptures point out to us one only remedy for this our mifery, is equally evident. Chrift Jefus was promifed to our firft parents under the defignation of the feed of the woman, who should bruise the head of the ferpent. He is afterwards promised to Abraham as his feed,

Rom. iii. 9-12. † Rom. iii. 19. Eph. ii. 2.

in whom all thenations of the earth fhould be bleff ed; to Jacob as Shiloh, to whom the gathering of the people fhould be. He is pointed out by Mofes as the great prophet that should come into the world. And unlefs we fuppofe a typical reference to Chrift in the legal washings, facrifices, and other fervices, they will appear altogether unworthy of God, and altogether infufficient for the purposes for which they were ufed. This indeed is affirmed by the apoftle to the Hebrews, "For it is not poffible that the blood "of bulls and of goats fhall take away fins *." In the later prophets, there are many distinct and particular, many high and magnificent defcriptions of the glory of Chrift's perfon, and the greatnefs of his work. The attention and expectation of every believer is directed to him; and he is ftyled the defire of all nations +."

And in the new teftament, at his conception it is faid, "Thou fhalt call his name Jefus, for "he fhall fave his people from their fins ." At his entrance on his public miniftry, he is thus defigned by John the Baptift, "Behold the "Lamb of God that taketh away the fin of the "world." The great defign of his appearing in our nature, is declared in many paffages of Scripture. And as falvation is promised to thofe

*Heb. x. 4.

⇓ John i. 29.

† Hag. ii. 6.

‡ Matt. i. 21.

who

who believe, fo the condemnation of all unbelievers is neceffarily implied as its counter-part, and often expressly affirmed. Thus the apostle John represents our Saviour himself as teaching, "God fo loved the world, that he gave his only"begotten Son, that whofoever believeth in him, "fhould not PERISH, but have everlasting "life *."

And when he gave commiffion to his difciples to preach the gospel, it was in thefe terms: "Go ye into all the world, and preach "the gospel to every creature. He that believ"eth, and is baptized, fhall be faved; but he "that believeth not, fhall be damned +." The very meaning of the word Gospel is glad tidings; importing not only the great, but the distinguishing happiness of those who hear the meffage, and comply with the call. The apofiles, who spread thefe glad tidings through the world, confidered themselves as bringing falvation to thofe who before fat in darkness, and in the region of the shadow of death. And by the following defcription given by the apostle Paul of the fate of the Ephefians before converfion, may be seen what view he had of the condition of all who knew not God, as well as who believed not the gofpel,That at that time ye were without Chrift, "being aliens from the common-wealth of Ifsrael, and ftrangers from the covenants of pro* John iii, 16. Mark xvi. 15, 16.

"mife, having no hope, and without God in "the world."-From the above fummary, I hope it clearly appears, that, according to the Scriptures, there is no falvation in any other than in Jefus Christ of Nazareth.

It will, however, be proper, for the further illuftration of this fubject, to confider a little to what this doctrine ftands opposed. And though it is impoffible diftinctly to enumerate every thing that may in fome shape or other be put in Chrift's room, or attempt to rob him of his glory as a Saviour; yet, in general, they may all be reduced to the two following heads: 1ft, False religions, and uninftituted rites; 2dly, Self-righ teousness, or the merit of our own defective obedience to the moral law. It is neceffary to confider each of these by itself, and to state the bounds between them for however little relation they may feem to have one to another, they are often mingled together in our apprehenfions, and mutually support and strenghthen each other's caufe.

In the first place, then, All worship of false gods, holding for truth what hath not the stamp of divine authority, and all uncommanded worship, be the object of it what it will, is wholly ineffectual to falvation: nay, fo far is any thing of this kind from being fufficient to fupplant, or * Eph. ii. 12.

proper