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Conscious then of the dignity and importance of our high and heavenly calling, which renders us candidates for the kingdom of God, and heirs of immortality, let us perfevere fteadily and uniformly, in our progress towards those celestial mansions, which are prepared for all the faithful fervants of Chrift; where we fhall be released from all the endless anxieties, the vain hopes, and causelefs fears that now agitate and difquiet us; and shall, through the merits of our Redeemer, be rewarded, not merely with uninterrupted tranquility and repofe, (the utmost felicity of the pagan elyfium); not merely with a visionary posthumous reputation, which commences not till we are incapable of enjoying it; but with a crown of glory that fadeth not away, a real immortality in the kingdom of our Father and our God.

LECTURE XXIV.

MATTHEW xxviii.

THE

HE last Lecture ended with the history of our Lord's refurrection. The evangelift then proceeds to give a concife account of what paffed after that great event had taken place.

"Then, fays he, the eleven difciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain, where Jefus had appointed them*."

By the eleven difciples he means the apoftles, who, though originally twelve, were now reduced to eleven, by the defection and death of Judas. These Jefus had commanded to meet him in Galilee. "Go, tell my brethren, fays he to the women, that they go into Galilee, and there shall they fee me." There therefore the apoftles went about eight days after the refurrection, and many others with them; for this probably was the time and the place when he fhewed himself to about five hundred brethren at once. "And when they faw him they worshipped him; but fome doubted." Here we have the authority of the apoftles themselves for the worship of Christ. The women, when they first saw Jefus, paid him the fame adoration; "they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped himt." But fome, it is added, doubted. And where can be the wonder, if among five hundred perfons there fhould be two or three, who, like the disciples mentioned by St. Luket, believed not for joy, and wondered; that is (as is very natural) were afraid to believe what they fo ardently wifhed to be true; or who, like St. Thomas, would not believe, unless they touched the body of Jefus, and thruft their hands into his fides.

• Matth. xxviii, 16 + Matth. xxviii. 9. + Ch. xxiv. 41.

But their doubts, like his, were probably foon removed. This circumstance therefore only ferves to fhew the fcrupulous fidelity of the facred hiftorians, who, like honeft men, fairly tell you every thing that paffed on this and on fimilar occafions, whether it appears to make for them or against them.

"And Jefus came and spake unto them, faying, all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth."

In his divine nature he had this power from all eternity; but it was now to be exercised in his human nature also, which, from a ftate of humiliation, from the form of a fervant, was foon to be exalted to the higheft dignity, and placed at the right hand of God. Accordingly St. Paul informs us, that, "God raised our Lord from the dead, and fet him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and do.. minion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but in that which is to come: and put all things. under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all." And again, in his Epistle to the Philippians, he fays, that "God has highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name; that at the name of Jefus every knee fhould bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue fhould confefs that Jefus Chrift is Lord, to the glory of God the Fathert." In the fame magnificent language he is fpoken of in the book of Revelations; "Worthy is the Lamb that was flain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blefling. And again, Bleffing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that fitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever‡.”

Such is the dignity of the Lord and Master whom we ferve; and fuch is that authority with which, in the two concluding verfes of this chapter, he gives his laft command to his apoftles: "Go ye, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Philip. i 9-II, Rev. v. 12, 13.

Ephes. i. 20-23

Son, and of the Holy Ghoft; teaching them to obferve all things whatever I have commanded you; and lo! Į am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.”

The ceremony then by which our Lord's disciples were to be admitted into his religion, was baptifm. This was fometimes used by the Jews on the admiffion of profelytes, and by the heathens on initiation into their mysteries. But the baptifm of Chriftians was to be accompanied with a peculiar form of words, which distinguished it from every other. They were to be baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft. This form of words has accordingly been used in the Christian church, from the earliest times down to the prefent; and is, as you all know, the mode of baptifm adopted and constantly practifed by the Church of England. And it is remarkable, not only on this account, but as being alfo one principal ground of a very diftinguished doctrine of the Gofpel, and of the Church of England, the doctrine of the Trinity. For the plain and natural interpretation of the words is, that by being baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft, we are dedicated and confecrated equally to the fervice of each of those three divine perfons; we are made the fervants and discipies of each, and are confequently bound to honor, worfhip, and obey each of them equally. This evidently implies an equality in their nature, and "that all the fulness of the Godhead dwells in each." In confirmation of this, we find in various parts of Scripture, that all the attributes of divinity are ascribed to each. And yet, as the unity of the Supreme Being is every where taught in the fame Scriptures, and is a fundamental article of our religion, we are naturally led to conclude with our church in its first article, "That there is but one living and true God, of infinite power and wisdom, the maker and preferver of all things, vifible and invisible; and that, in the unity of this Godhead, there are three perfons, of one fubftance, power, and eternity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft."

That this is a very myfterious doctrine we do not deny; but it is not more fo than many other doctrines of the

Chriftian revelation, which we all admit, and which we cannot reject without fubverting the foundation, and destroying the very fubftance and effence of our religion. The miraculous birth and incarnation of our bleffed Lord, his union of the human nature with the divine, his redemption of mankind, and his expiation of their fins by his death upon the crofs; these are doctrines plainly taught in Scripture, and yet as incomprehenfible to our finite understandings as the doctrine of three perfons and one God. But what we contend for in all these instances is, that these mysteries, although confeffedly above our reason, are not contrary to it. This is a plain and a well-known diftinction, and in the prefent cafe an incontrovertible one. No one for inftance can fay, that the fuppofition of three perfons and one God is contrary to reafon... We cannot, indeed, comprehend such a diftinction in the divine nature; but unless we knew perfectly what that nature is, it is impoffible for us to fay that fuch a distinction may not fubfift in it confiftent with its unity. The truth is, on a fubject where we have no clear ideas at all, our reasoning faculties must fail us, and we must be content to fubmit (as well we may) to the clear and explicit declarations of holy writ. It is indeed natural for the human mind to with that every thing in religion fhould be intelligible and plain, and that there fhould be no difficulties to perplex and stagger our faith. But natural as this wish may be, is it a reasonable one? Do we find, that in the most important concerns of the prefent life, in thofe where our most effential interefts, our property, our welfare, our health, our reputation, our very life are at stake, that no difficulties, no perplexities,, no intricacies occur; that every thing is plain and level before us, and that we are never at a lofs how to act, what opinion to form, or what courfe to take? There are few, I fancy, here prefent, whofe experience has not taught them, to their coft, the very reverse of all this. If then, even in the ordinary affairs of life, there is fo much difficulty, doubt, and obfcurity, how can we wonder to find it in religion alfo, in thofe enquiries that relate to an invifible world and an invifible Being," to the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity*?"

"So far is it from being true (as fome one has faid) that where mystery begins religion ends; that religion, even natural religion,

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