God has made it the chief stone of the corner; and another foundation no man can lay: "This is the Lord's doing, and it is wondrous in our eyes." 6. This year the vail of the temple was rent from the top to the bottom, and the way to the holieft was opened by the blood of Jefus. Immediately upon the fall of man, the door of accefs to God and glory was shut, and bolted against Adam and all his pofterity; this was fignified by the cherubims with the flaming (word, turning every way to guard our accefs unto the tree of life. But by the blood of Jefus, a new and living way opened, which is confecrated for us; and by this new way we have entered with boldnefs. "I am the door (fays Chrift): by me if any man enter in; he shall be faved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture." is 7. This year fin was finished, and tranfgreffion ended in a way of fatisfaction, infomuch that the uttermoft farthing of debt, that we owed unto divine juftice for fin, was paid down in the red gold of a Redeemer's blood. This Christ testified in his dying words; he cried out, It is finifbed; and thereupon bowed the head, and gave up the ghoft. And And upon Chrift's uttering of that word, fin was condemned in the flesh of the Son of God, and the hand-writing that was against us, even our debt; bond unto justice, was cancelled and torn, he having nailed it to his crois. 8. This year the covenant of grace, or the teftament of Chrift, was confirmed and made fure by his blood: Dan. ix. 27. "He fhall confirm the covenant with many." The testament is now of force fince the Teftator's death, as the apostle argues, Heb. ix. The death and blood of Jefus has given fuch a validity unto his latter will contained in this bleffed Bible, that we may purfue for the goods of the testament with boldness at a throne of grace, and do it with full affurance of faith: 9. This year the facrifice and oblation was made to cease, the Mofaic oeconomy was unhinged: all the fhadows of the Jewish ceremonies did flee away, Chrift the fubftance of them all being come. Not to infift upon particulars: This year the Prince of life was incarcerate for our debt, died and came under the power of death for a time. This year he was "juftified in the Spirit, taken from prifon and from judgement," and fully difcharged of our debt, which he had undertaken to pay. This year he was "declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the fpirit of holiness, by his refurrection from the dead." This year God was declared to be a God of peace, by the refurrection of Christ from the dead; and this year the foundation of a lively hope was laid for us, even the hope of "an inheritance that is incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away." This year a whole elect world was raised from the dead in their glorious representative; he having drunk of the brook in the way, immediately he lifted up the head in his resurrection, and our heads were lifted up in him. This year God went up with a fhout (I mean God in our nature), yea God with the found of a trumpet; and "when he afcended up on high, he led captivity captive, and received gifts for men, even for the rebellious, that the Lord God might dwell among them." O Sirs, God is afcended in our nature, and fitting upon the throne of glory, fwaying the fceptre of heaven; and he is wearing our nature in glory, as a pledge that we fhall follow him, for the human body was affumed for the fake of the myftical. Thus you fee what great events happened in the year of our redemption by purchafe. O let fongs be heard from this end of the earth, at the hearing of this joyful found, even glory to the righ teous. Thirdly, A third year of the redeemed, is the year of exhibit redemption; by which I understand, the year of a gospeldifpenfation among a people. This is fometimes called alfo a day in fcripture: "O that thou hadst known, in this thy day, the things that belong unto thy peace!" fays the Lord to Jerufalem. If it be asked, What are the great tranfactions of this year? Anfw. Great things are done for the redeemed this year alfo. Only before I proceed to particulars, I would have you to remember, that redemption in this fituation of it, or confidered in its revelation or exhibition, is a thing common to all the hearers of the gofpel. Here we are to abstract from the fecret decrees of election and reprobation, and to make open proclamation of redeeming grace and love in Chrift to every creature under heaven; we are to tell every man and woman fprung of Adam, this good news," That God was in Chrift, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trefpaffes unto them;" that "the promife is unto you, and to your feed, and to all that are afar off, and to as many as the Lord our God fhall call" by the found of the gospel. O Sirs," fecret things belong unto the Lord, but things that are revealed belong unto us, and to our children:" and therefore let alone this fecret of election or reprobation, as pertaining to God, do not invade his property, but hearken unto things revealed, things brought to light by the glorious gofpel; for this belongs unto you, and " to you is the word of this falvation fent," and therefore intermeddle with it with the greatest freedom by faith; it is no prefumption for us VOL. II. 3 K to to claim what (God fays)" belongs unto us, and to our children." Now, this premifed, I come to tell you of fome great things that are done in this year of exhibit and revealed redemption, which you and I do at this moment enjoy, you in hearing, and I in preaching. The great things done in this period are fo many, that I can only point at them. 1. then, This year the people that fat in darkness are made to fee great light, and to them that fat in the regions of the fhadow of death, light is made to fpring up. And O! is it not matter of praife, that this is the privilege of Scotland at this day? The time was, when the grofs darkness of Pagan and Popish error and idolatry did overfpread our land; but the day fpring from on high hath vifited us, and brought life and immortality to light; the temple of God is opened, and the ark of his teftament may be feen, the vail is rent, the face of the covering is deftroyed, I mean, as to the objective revelation, and the myfteries which were hid from ages and generations are now made manifeft. 2. This year of exhibit redemption a throne of grace is reared, a court of grace erected, and liberty granted to every man that finds himfelf condemned in the court of confcience, in the court of the law or juftice, to carry his caufe by an appeal; which if he do, he is fure to find grace and mercy to help him in time of need. O Sirs, know your own privilege. Art thou faying within thy breaft, If God mark mine iniquity, according to the tenor of his holy law, I cannot stand? O, I am condemned already, and the wrath of God is pursuing me? Well, I tell you for certainty, the court of grace ftands open to you, and if you will carry your caufe there, though it be never fo defperate, the caufe is won; for all the acts and interlocutors of this court are acts of grace, acts of indemnity and oblivion, for the name of him that fits on the throne is, "The Lord, the Lord God merciful and gracious, pardoning iniquity, tranfgreflion, and fin. I, even I am he that blotteth out thine iniquities for mine own fake, and will not remember thy fins." 3. This year the batteries of heaven are reared up against the gates of hell. Error, ignorance, unbelief, Atheism, pride, profanity, fecurity, and the like evils; they are the ftrong-holds of the devil's kingdom, whereby he fecures finners in his service. Now, by the difpenfation of the gospel, God's batteries are mounted against thefe, all the ordinances of the gospel, particularly the preaching of the word, is calculate for cafting thefe ftrong-holds to the ground. 2 Cor. x. 4. "The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God, to the pulling down of strong-holds," &c. 4. This 4. This year the fountains of the great deep of the love of God toward a loft and perishing world are broken up ; I mean his love in fending of his only begotten Son upon the glorious errand of our redemption: John iii. 16. " God fo loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, fhould not perish, but have everlasting life." What is the great bufinefs of gospel-minifters, but to reprefent to finners the excellency of this loving-kindness, that fo the fons of men may put their trust under the shadow of his wings? 5. This year God reveals and brings near his righteoufnefs and falvation, even to them who are ftout-hearted and far from righteoufnefs; If. xlvi. 12. 13. "Hearken unto me, ye ftout-hearted, that are far from righteoufnefs. I bring near my righteoufnefs: it fhall not be far off, and my falvation. fhall not tarry; behold, I will place falvation in Zion for Ifrael my glory." O Sirs, we tell you it for good news this year, that he who knew no fin, was made fin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him ;" and that he is become "the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." 6, This year the tree of life which grows in the midst of the paradife of God thakes his fruit, which is for the feeding, and his leaves, which are for the healing of the nations. And O many a ripe cluster of fruit, many a healing leaf of found doctrine has been dropt in this very place; happy they who by the hand of faith have gathered and applied them. You who have not yet gathered, will you fall to work yet, gather and glean in the field of our bleffed Boaz, our Kinsman and Redeemer, and you will find his fruits fweet to your taste, and his words, if you eat them, to be the joy and rejoicing of your heart. 7. This year Jacob's ladder is fet up in Bethel, by which we may fcale heaven, and recover that glory and happiness from which we fell by the fin of the firft Adam. The gofpel fhews unto us the path of life, a stair by which we may afcend unto thefe regions of bliss and glory that are above; and the lower part of this ladder of communication ftands at every man's fout, inviting him, as it were, to take the benefit of it. "I am (fays Chrift) the way, the truth, and the life. I am the door; by me if any man enter in, he shall be faved, and shall go in and out, and find pafture." 8. This year the pure river of water of life iffues forth from the throne of God and of the Lamb, and runs in the very ftreets of the city of God, I mean of the vifible church, and a voice comes forth from heaven, crying, "Whofoeyer will, let him come come and take of the water of life freely. Ho, every one that thirfteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy and eat, yea come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.' 9. Í'his year the doors of God's banqueting-houfe are opened, and the manna falls about the camp of the vifible church. He "makes unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined." This year that fcripture is fulfilled, Prov. ix. 1-5. 10. This year the gates of the city of refuge are caft wide open, the ways and avenues to it are cleared, ftumbling-blocks are removed, and a cry made to felf-deftroying finners, who are under the arreft of law and justice, "Turn ye to your ftrong holds, ye prifoners of hope;" flee for refuge unto the hope fet before you. This year prifon doors are opened, and a cry made to the prifoners to come forth, and to them that fit in darkness, Shew yourfelves. This year a charter for heaven and eternal life is put in every man's hand, with an express command from God to every man to take the benefit thereof by faith, "Search the fcriptures, for in them ye think to have everlafting life." This year the latter-will or testament of Christ is opened, that every man may, by virtue of the teftament, claim the legacies thereof." then "let us fear, left a promise being left us of entering into his reft, any of us should come fhort of it." Thus you fee fome of the great things that are done this year. Fourthly, Another notable year of the redeemed, is the year of applied redemption; under which may be comprised and comprehended the whole period of time from the foul's converfion unto the day of death. This year, what was purposed by the Father, purchafed by the Son, and exhibit in the gofpel, is applied and made effectual. If it be asked, What great things are done for the redeemed this year? I answer, 1. Commonly in the beginning of this year, fome thunderclaps are heard from mount Sinai, whereby the poor foul that was lying falt afleep within the fea mark of God's wrath, is awakened to perceive his danger. The poor veffel of mercy was under the power of fin and Satan promifing himself peace, though he walked after the imagination of his own heart, hiding himself from wrath in the refuge of general mercy, in the refuge of a profeffion of law righteousness, cr the like; but a ftorm of hail, I mean of terrors of the law, comes and fweeps away the refuge of lies, it blows away his fig-leaf covering; and thereupon the man, who before thought himfelf |
