indispensable to all future teachers, who wished to benefit their fellow-men.

IV. It was necessary, that Christ should preach the Gospel, in order to the authoritative abolition of the peculiarities of the Mosaic system.

These peculiarities are called by St. Peter, Acts xv. 10, a Yoke, which neither our fathers, nor we, (that is, the Jews,) were able to bear. For the Gentiles at large it would have been not only an insupportable yoke, but a system of rites and duties, with which their accordance would, in many cases, have been impossible. Still all these were sanctioned by an authority confessedly divine. Equal authority was necessary to abrogate them. Yet this abrogation was absolutely necessary to the success of the Gospel. The authority of the Apostles would not, I think, in this case, have been submitted to by the Jews; nor easily have been placed in their estimation above, nor in an even balance with, that of Moses; but would probably have been classed with that of the Prophets, who succeeded Moses, and who were universally, and justly, considered as possessing an authority inferior to his.

The Jews were taught to expect the only material change, which would ever exist in the Mosaic system, from that Prophet, whom the Lord their God was to raise up unto them, like unto Moses. This Prophet not one of the Apostles could claim to be. Not one of them, therefore, could arrogate to himself the authority, by which that system was to be changed. This belonged exclusively to Christ, the Prophet thus foretold; the Prophet, from whom the Scriptures themselves taught the Jews to expect material alterations in their religion.

Had Christ, then, been silent on this subject, it is not easy to conceive how the Jews could have been persuaded, that the system was to be changed at all; nor, if they had not been persuaded, how the Gentiles could either have realized, or maintained, this important fact.

V. It was necessary, that Christ should preach the Gospel, to furnish an opportunity of faith, and conversion, to the Jews, who liv ed at that time.

Although Christ, as a preacher, was less successful than his VOL. II.

30

Apostles, yet we learn from the Scriptures, that several hundreds, and, if I mistake not, that in all probability thousands, believed his word. The importance of this event needs no explanation, so far as the salvation of these believers only is considered. But there is another point of view, in which this subject demands an explanation at the present time. The persons, converted by the preaching of Christ, were themselves the only Preachers of the Gospel, whom at his ascension he left behind him in the world. From his preaching they derived their own conversion, and their qualifications for the business of converting others. The existence of these Preachers, since all Christians become converts by means of the truths, contained in the Gospel, was absolutely necessary to the conversion of their fellow-men; and the preaching of Christ was equally necessary to the conversion of themselves.

When we remember, that in the number of the Preachers of the Gospel the Apostles are included, the importance of this article will appear in its proper light. To them the whole Christian world, throughout the past, present, and future, ages of time, confessedly owes its redemption from Spiritual darkness, and its introduction into the marvellous light of Christ's kingdom.

But it is only indebted to them in the immediate sense. Ultimately, this immense blessing is owing to the preaching of the Redeemer himself. The importance of his preaching, therefore, may be fairly estimated from the greatness of the blessing.

VI. It was necessary that Christ should preach the Gospel, for the purpose of furnishing important evidence of its divine origin.

Interesting evidence of the divine origin of the Gospel is derived from the fact, that it was preached by Christ; and that in two ways.

1st. It cannot be rationally supposed, that a mere man, educated as he was without any advantages, beside those enjoyed by the poor people of the Jewish nation, generally, could have devised the Gos pel by the strength of his own mind.

The Jews asked, with the utmost good sense, this question concerning our Saviour: How knoweth this man letters, having never learned? John vii. 15. The only rational answer to this inquiry is, that what they meant by letters, viz. the wisdom which

he taught, he received immediately from God. It is plainly impossible, that he should have devised this wisdom, had he been ever so advantageously educated, either from the frivolous and superstitious doctrines of his countrymen, or from the vain, gross, erring, and self-contradictory philosophy of the Heathen. Scarcely any thing can be imagined more unlike the Gospel of Christ, than the instructions, given by both these classes of men. But Christ was not thus educated. On the contrary, he was in the proper sense an unlearned man. That, which he taught; sprang up, therefore, originally in his own mind. But no other such mind ever appeared in this world. Nor was such wisdom ever taught, here, by any man, whether learned or unlearned. That it should be taught by a man unlearned, as he was, from the inere force of his own mind, is a far more improbable counteraction of those laws, which regulate, and limit, the nature of man, than a Revelation from God can be, of any supposable laws of nature.

2dly. Christ proved the Gospel to be from God by his life and miracles.

Christ asserted his Doctrine to be derived immediately from God. To prove the truth of this assertion he wrought a multitude of wonderful miracles; and appealed to them, as decisive evidence, that it was true. A miracle can be wrought by none but God; for no other being can suspend, or counteract, that infinite power, which is unceasingly employed in bringing events to pass, according to those, which are called the laws of nature. But God cannot work a miracle, to support a falsehood: for this would be no other than a declaration, that the falsehood was true. The miracles of Christ, therefore, were an unquestionable proof that his Gospel is a Revelation from God.

The holiness of his life is another proof of the divine origin of the Gospel: a proof not less solid, although, perhaps, less frequently allowed its full force. No miracle is a more palpable contradiction to the laws, which respect the nature of man in this world, than the perfect holiness of Christ. At the same time, this character forbids, as absurd and contemptible, the supposition, that he was capable of uttering a known falsehood.

But Christ declared, that his Gospel was from God. Coming

from such a person, the assertion cannot, without perfect irrationality, be called into question.

Had not these proofs of the divine origin of the Gospel been furnished by Christ; the evidence on this subject would undoubtedly stand on very different ground, and want not a little of its present strength, and completeness.

VII. It was necessary, that Christ should preach the Gospel, in order to the fulfilment of numerous prophecies, which foretold this part of his character.

One of these, contained in Isaiah Ixi. and applied by Christ to himself, Luke iv. 18, 19, may stand in the place of all others. The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind; to set at liberty them that are bruised; to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. The predictions of the Scriptures were not written, merely that they might be fulfilled; but, when they were written, it became indispensable, that they should be fulfilled. The prophetical character of Christ was predicted, because it was an event, determined on by infinite Wisdom; because of its own intrinsic importance, and utility to the universe; and because the prediction itself, also, was in many respects useful and important. After it was once written, those, who hear me, will without the aid of an explanation discern with a glance, that its fulfilment became indispensable.

For all these reasons, and some others which we can comprehend, and undoubtedly for others, which lie beyond our reach, it was necessary, that Christ should assume, and execute, the office of a preacher of the Gospel. It is hoped, that this attempt to elucidate a subject, so interesting in itself, of such magnitude in the scheme of redemption, and yet so rarely an object of investigation, or even of attention, will not be unedifying to those persons, who regard the Mediation of Christ with reverence and complacency.

SERMON XLV.

CHRIST A PROPHET.

HIS PERSONAL PREACHING.

THE THINGS WHICH HE TAUGHT.

JOHN vii. 46.

The Officers answered, Never man spake like this Man.

In the last discourse, I proposed to consider the Character of Christ as a Prophet; or as the great Preacher of Truth and Righteousness; under the following heads.

I. The Necessity of his preaching the Gospel:

II. The Things, which he taught:

III. The Manner of his preaching: and,

IV. The Consequences of his preaching.

The first of these subjects I discussed at that time.

proceed to an Examination of the

II. Viz. The Things which he taught.

I shall now

In the context we are informed, that the Sanhedrim sent Officers to take Christ, as he was preaching in the temple, and bring him before them. When they returned without him, they were asked by the Sanhedrim, why they had not brought him. They answered in the words of the text; Never man spake like this man, (that is,)" The things which he said, and the manner in which he said them, were such, as never before were exhibited by any human being."