separates us from every thing here, it is to attach us to himself.

Fifthly. The love of God is capable of embracing an object, not only unlike himself, but opposed to himself in every possible state. He loves one who hates him. Man hates God, because God is unlike him-because of God's excellence the scheme of salvation has elicited all the enmity of human nature. Man is incapable of loving a creature diametrically opposed to himself. God's holiness and justice are involved in his love, in saving man from the ruins of the fall. In considering the love of God, I speak of the dimensions of that love. We behold it in the Son of God assuming the nature of man, and in that nature enduring the death of the cross for sinners. In his sufferings there, hell gave the finishing stroke to the perfections of the Saviour's humanity, eliciting those perfections in their highest degree. Man in his own sufferings forgets all other things, while in the sufferings of Christ on the cross, we see the infinite love of God developing itself in a bosom like our own, " Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

Sixthly. The love of God is unchangeable; because it has all its sources in himself. The sinner is sometimes tempted to despond, when he views his own corruption, and asks, 'Can

God love a sinner such as I am?' But, in doing this, he turns away from God, who always must have viewed his sins as infinitely greater than the sinner himself can view them. This love is the source of all God's dispensations.

Seventhly. This love is wholly in his Son. When the Father presented the church to his Son, the church were sinners; when the Son presented them again to the Father, they were saints, in time and for eternity.

II. We proceed now in the second place, to speak of the EFFECTS OF THE LOVE OF GOD. Man by nature will not receive mercy at the hand of God; he loves his sin more than he loves his soul; he quarrels with God, because God has elected some persons. I would ask, Does God mock the non-elect, when he invites them to come to him? By no means—all are welcome; the gospel of reconciliation is freely offered to all who hear it; but when we consider that all are indisposed to receive it, and that their rejection of it, is exclusively their own, many difficulties vanish respecting reprobation and election. Election is the parent of grace; reprobation, the child of sin.

Again: It may be asked, If the non-elect were to come, would they be welcome? Yes, most assuredly; then if there is no obstacle on

God's part, every difficulty is the sinner's

own.

Again what a blessing, then, is it, that God draws sinners to himself, for if he did not, none would come to him. The office of the Spirit is as necessary in the salvation of the sinner, as the office of Christ.

Lastly. He gives the disposition to turn to him, and preserves it by his Holy Spirit. From what has been said, we may learn four lessons. First, God leads the sinner into perfect safety. Secondly, He leads his people into delightful obedience. Thirdly, He does this by strengthening their principles. And lastly, He teaches them to put to silence all their enemies, in the midst of every difficulty; and this constitutes the triumph of faith.

Christmas-day, 1827.

SERMON XXXVII.

ON THE DIVINITY OF CHRIST.

And the word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. JOHN i. 14.

THE Apostle begins this Gospel in a most interesting manner. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God." Plurality of persons in Jehovah is absolutely necessary to save ruined man. I shall not reason before I receive the truths of God, but, having received them, I shall then reason. An infinite person only can atone; so also, an infinite person only can receive the

atonement.

I. I SHALL CONSIDER THE WORD AS A DIVINE PERSON. The Apostle evidently speaks of a distinct person in the Word, and He is the same person who was known and worshipped under the Old Testament dispensation: this may be

proved by many passages quoted from the Old Testament. "After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abraham in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abraham: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. And Abraham said, Lord God, what wilt thou give me?" 1 and to render this truth free from mistake, it is again and again repeated. "And, behold, the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.' The Word is a divine. person; mark the following passages proving that the Word, was the Word spoken of by John, as the only-begotten of the Father. "Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." 3 "He that believeth on the son hath everlasting life and he

"2

1 Gen. xv. 1, 2.

2 Ibid. 4-6.

3 Rom iv. 3-5.