ing head to his people; and if he had not been exalted to the right hand of all power, in virtue of his death, he could not have communicated to them the Spirit as the principle of that life.

THERE is no shadow of reason for questioning the perfection of this fulness, though the adversaries of the atonement would persuade us otherwise. He was under no obligation to obey or suffer on his own account. Viewing him merely as man he had no sin, either by transgression or imputation; "He did no violence, neither was deceit found in his mouth." Having no human personality, he had no being, as a man, and no concern with the law and its curse, on his own account, because no creature can be the subject of a law without holding a distinct personal relation to the law-giver, in the same capacity in which he is subject. But Christ, as man, had no such relation to God; his personality was divine, because he was the Son of God, and his human nature acted and suffered under this personality. As God-man he was the subject of the law, obeyed and suffered. He was not so naturally, as all men are, else he must have been subject on his own account, but by paction or agreement. This paction did not include any thing on his own account,-it could not, for he had no need to procure any favour for himself, being possessed of all things, and he had no sin of his own to expiate. All that he did and suffered, remains to his people, undiminished in its value, by any deduction on his own account. When, in addition to this, the infinite dignity of his person is considered, no rooni is left to suspect any deficiency in the value of what he did. Here God's fellow,--his equal in all divine excellence and perfection, is the subject of the law, and suffers all that divine justice could demand for the ex

piation of sin. If, then, the merit of his obedience may be estimated from the dignity of his person, we must conclude that it is infinite! Such is the price paid for the redemption of sinners, and such is the encouragement offered to every gospel hearer to say, by faith, "In the Lord have I righteousness." No sinner, then, ought ever to put the question to himself, "Wherewith shall I come before the Lord;" but his proper work is to come and receive all salvation" without money and without price."

5. THERE is in Jesus a fulness of light. In virtue of this he is admirably adapted to the condition of sinners. They are represented as in a state of extreme darkness, ignorance, and error, as the consequence of sin, nay even darkness in the abstract, according to the Apostle. "For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord." Eph. v. 8. Though "darkness," when applied to sinners in Scripture, may some. times comprehend their wretched condition at large, yet in its more common application, it denotes that state of the human understanding, respecting the knowledge of God and divine things, which is the effect of sin. As the fall of mankind in Adam is denied by many, so the dismal effects of it are also refused. That all men have sufficient light in natural reason, without the assistance of supernatural revelation, to answer all the purposes of religion and happiness, is a very prevailing opinion, and is making very considerable advances in these times. The true state of mankind cannot be properly known even where supernatural revelation is not enjoyed, because much light is derived from it, in general, without being acknowledged. Nor would it be difficult to show that, even in heathen countries, any just notions of God and religion, which prevail,

have been borrowed from revelation. But these were very imperfect, and totally insufficient to answer any valuable purpose. They had no just conceptions of the nature, perfections and unity of God, nor of his universal superintending providence. Hence they deified the heavenly bodies and deceased heroes, ascribed to them the management of all human affairs, and paid them divine honours, even when acknowledged to be evil beings. In many instances, their worship was ridiculous, and often savage and inhuman, in butchering hundreds of human beings in sacrifice, to appease the resentment of their deities. Many of them held sin to be no evil, productive of no hurtful consequences, and even necessary to the harmony of the universe, and advantageous to mankind at large. Others had no just conceptions of its nature and penal consequences, nor on what footing it could be pardoned. From what is to be found in profane history concerning them, their situation is very justly described in Revelation. " They had no hope, and were without God in the world. They changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds and four-footed beasts, and creeping things." The Apostle well affirms concerning them, even with all the improvement and erudition they had that, "The world by wisdom knew not God." He left them to walk in their own ways, and while in that state, they knew no. thing of the ways of God, or of religion.

To remedy this, the Son of God has come a light into the world, and he that believeth in him shall not walk in darkness. He is to the moral world what the sun is to the natural world. As God he is light itself. "He only hath immortality, dwelling in light to which no man can approach." Sinners cannot behold him

in this character, he has therefore assumed the character of Mediator, in order to afford them that light in which they might see God. His harbinger was a

burning and a shining light," in which the church rejoiced while it continued; but it was only like the obscure dawn when compared with the meridian splendour of the Sun of righteousness. The Evangelist tells us that Jesus is the true light which cometh into the world and enlighteneth every one.

WHEN he is considered as possessing a fulness of light, it implies his perfect knowledge of all the divine counsels, with authority to communicate to the sons of men such information concerning them, as may be necessary to their salvation. To what extent his human nature knew, or at present knows, the mind of God is not for us to determine. It is sufficient for us to be assured that as Mediator he knows all the divine counsels equally with the Father. This knowledge was not communicated to him by instruction; they are his own counsels, as he was one with the Father in forming them. This perfect knowledge fitted him for his work though of vast extent. Sustaining and executing the office of prophet, he is a most advantageous and important light to mankind. God would have them taught the knowledge of himself, and for this end employed not only prophets and apostles; but hath also spoken to them by his own Son, who is the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person. "He was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people." To Jesus we are indebted for the whole of divine revelation. While holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, they received the Spirit from this great prophet of the church, and messenger of the covenant, who is set to be a light of

the Gentiles, and "salvation unto the ends of the earth." This revelation contains the mystery of the diviae will, which from the beginning of the world had been hid in God; and must have remained unknown to mankind for ever, had not Jesus brought it to light: "For no man hath seen God at any time; the only be gotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father, hath declared him." But the discoveries given by this prophet are not merely external, he imparts saving illumination to the soul by means of external revelation; so that the light of the gospel comes not in word only, but in power. Not one ray of saving light enters the soul but what proceeds from this Sun of righteousness. He is the light of Israel, giving his people instruction, and counsel, in all cases, especially such as are dark and perplexing. Even when they shall have reached the perfection of their natures, and the summit of their blessedness, Jesus will still be their light,their everlasting light and their glory. The "city" which they shall then inhabit," will have no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it; for the glory of the Lord will lighten it, and the Lamb will be the light thereof."

6. He has a fulness of offices. These are commonly reckoned three, the Sacerdotal, Prophetical, and Kingly. His title of Lord has been considered by some, as expressing a distinct office, but without any good reason; as there is nothing which can be supposed to belong to his dominion as Lord, but may be very properly included in his kingly office. The inscription upon his thigh and vesture," King of kings and Lord of lords," does not denote a distinction of offices, but the extent of his power.

His general office is that of Mediator, invested with unlimited power to act between God, and sinners of the human family in order to their salvation. Under