The subject we have been considering reminds us of the duty of brotherly love. Members of Christ, and of one another! Recollect how all the members of the body suffer when one member suffers; may we have this feeling towards our brethren! The spirit of Christ will produce this love in all his members, and keep it alive for ever. The proof we have that we love each other, is the delight we feel in serving, instead of backbiting and quarrelling with each other. Alas! that this should exist in the church of God.

Some divine (I forget who,) once said, ' He who carries a tale against his brother, and the other who entertains it, should be both hanged; the one by his ear, the other by his tongue.' Far be this spirit of slander and evil speaking from us; may we delight in speaking well of each other; and if we discover anything wrong in a Christian brother, let us go and tell him in the spirit of love-but conceal his fault from others. What, then! we shall soon be before the throne of God, and every evil removed far away. Soon we shall be worshipping in the presence of our Saviour, partaking of all the bliss which can flow from union and communion with the Son of God.

Morning, June 13, 1830.

SERMON XLIII.

THE NECESSITY AND PERFECTION OF CHRIST'S

SUFFERING.

For it became Him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.—HEB. II. 10.

The Apostle in the context, quotes David, "But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?"1 The world was given to Adam, but he forfeited every blessing when he fell. All the blessings, either of this world or in another, are purchased for the believer by the Son of God. He is the head of all things, and his family receive everything at his hands; all good, temporal as well as spiritual, is the purchase of the price of the

1 Heb. ii. 6.

Saviour's precious blood. The bread we eat, the water we drink, are his purchase. Are we abusing these blessings which he hath purchased for us? The temporal blessings which the believer enjoys are presented to him in a degree of glory superior to that in which spiritual blessings are presented to the angelic hosts above. God intended his family should enjoy these blessings in sweet friendship and communion with himself. "Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honor, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him." The promise that was made to the Messiah, "sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool," 2 will and must be fulfilled: it involves in it the promise of Deity; "but we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man." 3 He is crowned; on Calvary his "that he by the grace

cross became his crown,

Heb. ii. 7, 8.

2 Psalm cx. 1.

3 Heb. ii. 9.

of God should taste death for every man," Christ in his sacrificial glories is a medium of government between God and the world at large. It has been asserted, that on no other principle can the general invitation of the gospel be given. For it is urged that it is not enough to say that God has commanded his ministers to give the invitation; the mind is not satisfied with that, and asks how can it be given? But in this view of the subject the general invitation is founded in justice, and therefore it is said that Christ, by the grace of God, should taste death for every man.1 But there is more than this in the death of Christ: besides the general aspect of salvation in the cross of Christ, he died also as a surety; not only as a medium of government, but he died to purchase all his blessings for, and to bestow them upon, his people. These truths are two lamps, and will throw light upon many passages of scripture, where there is apparent darkness and obscurity. The minister, from these passages, has every encouragement to invite sinners to Christ. We live in a day where accuracy is

1 In the Evening Sermon Mr. Howels adverted to this passage, and observed, that he might have been misunderstood: the command of God was enough, and ought to satisfy the mind of every one; but he used the expression in reference exclusively to the objections of those cavillers, who ask upon what principle he addresses any others than the elect?

called for it is to be lamented that many young clergymen think they are excellent divines, because they can preach on election: their hearers flatter them, and they present their hearers with crude and erroneous views. The divinity that is taught as a mere system, is worth nothing.

"For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings it became him," because, as I shall consider,

1

I. SIN MUST BE PUNISHED. The perfections of God require that he must punish sin: "Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look upon iniquity." Another scripture says, "He will by no means clear the guilty."2 Suppose, for a moment, sin not to be punished, and then let us glance at the absurdities and blasphemies into which we must travel: God must, in that case, connive at sin, and, consequently, he must be a sinner himself. I shudder while I speak upon the subject; at the same time these are salutary truths when rightly considered! they drive the sinner to the bosom of Him who is able to save to the uttermost. If God did not punish sin, I should be obliged to

1 Hab. i. 13.

2 Exodus xxxiv. 7.