enjoyment of God. Moreover, to all the blessings of grace and peace he determined finally to add that of everlasting glory. He determined, not merely to remove our poverty, but to make us " rich." And in order to see how rich he makes his people, contrast for one moment the state of Dives in hell, crying in vain for one drop of water, and Lazarus enjoying all the fulness of God in Abraham's bosom. Such are the riches he designs for us : to procure them for us was the vei'y end of his incarnation and death : nor will he ever relinquish those whom he has purchased with his blood, till he makes them " joint-heirs with himself," and puts them into possession of that " inheritance which is incorruptible, and undefiled, and never-fading." In a word, he became bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh s, that we might be one spirit with him"^. He emptied himself of his glory*, and descended, as it were, to the lowest hell, that he might " pluck us as brands out of the burning," and exalt us to the throne from whence he came''.
Such, such was the grace of Christ : it was infinitely more than words can express, or than imagination can conceive.]
Having endeavoured to unfold this mystery, we will, IT. Inquire what you " know" respecting it —
It is here taken for granted that all Christians ''know" this grace. Let me ask then. What you do know of it,
1 . As an article of faith —
[Multitudes who are called Christians, know scarcely any thing respecting the faith which they profess ; and, if interro- gated concerning the ground of their hopes of salvation, would be found to expect it, not as purchased for them, by the death of Christ, but as obtained and merited by their own repentance and good works.
Many indeed are decidedly opposed to the principles of the Gospel, denying strenuously the divinity of Christ, and the atonement made by him, and the doctrine of justification by faith in him. As for such persons, they, with all their pre- tended knowledge, are as ignorant of the Gospel as if they had never heard it at all : and, if they were to attempt to expound my text, would reduce it to the veriest absurdity; divesting the work of Christ of all its grace and of all its efficacy.
But ye, I hope, brethren, " have not so learned Christ." Ye, I trust, do indeed believe in him as " Emmanuel, God with us." Ye believe that all the glory of the Godhead was his ;
g Eph. V. 30. h 1 Cor. vi. 17.
* EKit'Wffs, Phil. ii. 7. ^ Rev. ill. 21.