Some, and I fear a multitude which no man can easily number, there are amongst us, who call themselves christians, and yet seldom or never seriously think of JESUS CHRIST at all. They can think of their shops and their farms, their plays, their balls, their assemblies, and horse-races (entertainments which directly tend to exclude religion out of the world); but as for CHRIST, the author and finisher of faith, the LORD who has bought poor sinners with his precious blood, and who is the only thing worth thinking of, alas! he is not in all, or at most in very few of their thoughts. But believe me, O ye earthly, sensual, carnally-minded professors, however little you may think of CHRIST now, or however industriously you may strive to keep him out of your thoughts, by pursuing the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life, yet there is a time coming, when you will wish you had thought of CHRIST more, and of your profits and pleasures less. For the gay, the polite, the rich also must die as well as others, and leave their pomps and vanities, and all their wealth behind them. And O! what thoughts will you entertain concerning JESUS CHRIST, in that hour?
But I must not pursue these reflections: they would carry me too far from the main design of this discourse, which is to shew, what those who are truly desirous to know how to worship GOD in spirit and in truth, ought to think concerning JESUS CHRIST, whom GOD hath sent to be the end of the law for righteousness to all them that shall believe.
I trust, _my brethren_, you are more noble than to think me too strict or scrupulous, in thus attempting to regulate your thoughts about JESUS CHRIST: for by our thoughts, as well as our words and actions, are we to be judged at the great day. And in vain do we hope to believe in, or worship CHRIST aright, unless our principles, on which our faith and practice are founded, are agreeable to the form of sound words delivered to us in the scriptures of truth.
Besides, many deceivers are gone abroad into the world. Mere heathen morality, and not JESUS CHRIST, is preached in most of our churches. And how should people think rightly of CHRIST, of whom they have scarcely heard? Bear with me a little then, whilst, to inform your consciences, I ask you a few questions concerning JESUS CHRIST: for there is no other name given under heaven, whereby we can be saved, but his.
_First_, What think you about the person of CHRIST? “Whose Son is he?” This is the question our LORD put to the Pharisees in the words following the text; and never was it more necessary to repeat this question than in these last days. For numbers that are called after the name of CHRIST, and I fear, many that pretend to preach him, are so far advanced in the blasphemous chair, as openly to deny his being really, truly, and properly GOD. But no one that ever was partaker of his Spirit, will speak thus lightly of him. No; if they are asked, as _Peter_ and his brethren were, “But whom say ye that I am?” they will reply without hesitation, “Thou art CHRIST the Son of the ever-living GOD.” For the confession of our LORD’s divinity, is the rock upon which he builds his church. Was it possible to take this away, the gates of hell would quickly prevail against it. My brethren, if JESUS CHRIST be not very GOD of very GOD, I would never preach the gospel of CHRIST again. For it would not be gospel; it would be only a system of moral ethics: _Seneca_, _Cicero_, or any of the _Gentile_ philosophers, would be as good a Saviour as JESUS of _Nazareth_. It is the divinity of our LORD that gives a sanction to his death, and makes him such a high-priest as became us, one who by the infinite merits of his suffering could make a full, perfect, sufficient sacrifice, satisfaction and oblation to infinitely offended justice. And whatsoever minister of the church of _England_, makes use of her forms, and eats of her bread, and yet holds not this doctrine (as I fear too many such are crept in amongst us) such a one belongs only to the synagogue of Satan. He is not a child or minister of GOD: no; he is a wolf in sheep’s cloathing; he is a child and minister of that wicked one the devil.