1 able by any other means, than those with which Christ hath bleffed us in his gospel, How happy fhould the world be, if all men would fo difcern the worth of this bliffing, as to be excited to purfue it as the one thing needful. But alas! the natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are fpiritually difcerned. How happy fhould men be, if they cordially embraced the christian difpenfation? yet alas! how many are there who continue in fin, though grace doth abound; who turn the grace of God into wantonnefs; who fo much neglect or defpife the gofpel of Jefus, that instead of the favour of life unto life, it is to them the favour of death unto death? Who then are those that fhall receive life from Chrift? The question to which our text directs our attention, is not concerning the intent of Christ's purchase, or offer of that life. Without entering upon the difcuffion of that queftion at prefent, we may rest fatisfied that none fhall ever perish for want of either power or willingness in Chrift to fave him; for Jefus is able to fave unto the uttermoft, all who come unto God through him, and he invites all who labour and are heavy laden, to come unto him, and find reft for their fouls. But the question is, concerning the character of those who fhall in fact receive this life from Christ, To fet before you their character, is the second thing propofed, and what I now intend, They are thofe whom, in the verfes immediately preceding our text, Chrift calls fheep. For the puririty of their hearts, the innocency of their lives, and the fimplicity of their manners, are the friends of Christ frequently called sheep in the writings of the New Testament; and at the great day of final judg ment, shall be placed on the right hand of the judge. But in particular, Chrift tells us in the context, that his fheep, to whom he came to give life, know him, hear his voice, and follow him. 1st, They know him.-They know him, and firmly believe in him, as "The Chrift and the Son of "God." They know him as that divine perfon, who thought it no robbery to be equal with God. They know him as the promised Meffiah, the only Saviour of the world, the only Mediator between God and man, who is able to fave unto the uttermoft, all who come unto God through him. The evidences arifing from the exact fulfilment of a long chain of prophecies; from most aftonish ing and public miracles; from the excellency and perfection perfection of Chrift's doctrine; and innocency and 2dly, They hear his voice.-This is a neceffary confequence of their knowing him. Devils, because their state is defperate, may believe and tremble; but depraved as human nature is, it is next to impoffible for any man rightly to know Chrift, and yet to defpife and reject him: Dif tinctly and firmly to believe, that Jefus is the Christ Christ and the fon of God: That all men being guilty, muft neceffarily perifh, unless a Saviour. interposes for them; and that there is falvation by no other name given under heaven among men, but the name of Jefus, and yet to despise him and his doctrine, is an abfurdity too grofs to be fuppofed. They hear his voice. It gives them the highest pleasure to read and study those truths recorded in the New Testament, which originally proceeded from his mouth: They attend with regularity and delight on the preaching of the word: In the truths delivered by Jefus, and recorded in scripture, they clearly perceive the knowledge, the wisdom, the holinefs, and the goodness of God: By them they are convinced that he spoke as never man yet fpoke: From the doctrine itself, independent of all external evidence, they are perfuaded that it is of God: They attentively lif ten to, and firmly believe all the doctrines, precepts, and ordinances, which were taught either by Christ himself, or his apoftles, and which are recorded in the New Teflament: They hear his voice, fo as clearly to diftinguish it from the voice of all others who are strangers to him, and to his fheep: "The voice of a stranger they know not, " and "and they will not follow him :" Their knowledge of the character of him, and of his religion, as both are delineated in fcripture, is fo accurate, and their esteem and love of them fo high, that, at the first view, they clearly perceive how inconsistant with thefe, the characters of every falfe teacher, and every falfe religion are: However much distinguished, like Jefus himself, for their peaceableness, prudence, and obliging demeanour, no influence of human authority, can make them receive the doctrines of men, for the commandments of God: Whilst in other things, they become all things to all men; in matters of confcience, no favour, no threat can move them: No force of prejudice, of human authority, of old cuftom, or of new opinion, can make them adopt or retain any tenet, any obfervance, or any practice in religion, when once they perceive that it is contrary to the will of Chrift. Lastly, They follow him. They follow him by chearfully complying with the instructions and laws which he hath prescribed to them: They follow him by a chearful, a conftant, and progreffive imitation of that example which he hath left us, that we might follow his steps It is their conftant and diligent endeavour, their chief delight, and their highest ambition, in dependence on the holy spirit of God, to cultivate |