_Practical Reflections._ (1.) How Christians should feel, in view of this subject. Isa. 51:1. 1 Cor. 15:10. (2.) How they should feel, in view of the condition of the impenitent. Rom. 9:1-3. (3.) How act. Acts 20:31, l.c. Rev. 22:17. (4.) The necessity of a mediator between G.o.d and man. Gal. 3:10.
6. _The plan of Redemption._ (1.) Why sin could not be pardoned without an atonement. Gen. 2:17. Dent. 27:26, compared with Deut. 32:4, l.c.
Heb. 9:22. (2.) What a mediator is. Job 9:33. 2 Cor. 5:18, 19. (3.) Why it was necessary that our mediator should be G.o.d. (4.) Why, that he should be also man. (5.) Why it was necessary that he should obey the law. Isa. 42:21. Gal. 4:4, 5. (6.) Why, that he should suffer. Gal.
3:13. 4:4, 5. Heb. 9:22, 28. (7.) Why, that he should rise from the dead. Rom. 4:25. 1 Cor. 15:17. 1 Pet. 1:21. Heb. 7:25.
_Practical Reflections._ [1.] How the love of G.o.d is manifested in the provision of such salvation. John 3:16. Rom. 5:8. [2.] How we should feel and act in view of the amazing love of Christ. 2 Cor. 5:14, 15.
[3.] What effect his love should have upon sinners. Zech. 12:10. Rom.
2:4. [4.] How Christians should feel, in view of the ingrat.i.tude of the impenitent. Ps. 119:136, 158.
7. _Justification_ [1.] What justification is. [2.] Why we cannot be justified by the law. Rom. 3:23. [3.] The nature of all our good works, religious exercises, duties, &c. Luke 17:10. [4.] The ground of justification. Isa. 53:11. Acts 13:39 Rom. 8:3, 4. [5.] The instrument or medium of justification. Rom. 3:28. [6.] The effects of justification. Rom. 5:1-5. 8:1-4. 15:13. 1 Pet. 1:8.
8. _Adoption._ [1.] What adoption is. Exod. 2:9, 10. [2.] Through whom believers are adopted. Gal. 4:4, 5. [3.] How their adoption is manifested to them. Rom. 8:15, 16. Gal. 4:6. [4.] To what adoption ent.i.tles them. Rom. 8:17. Gal. 4:7. [5.] What was the moving cause of adoption. 1 John 3:1. [6.] What emotions this should excite in the hearts of Christians.
9. _Sanctification._ [1.] What sanctification is. Rom. 6:6, 11--13.
8:13. [2.] By whom believers are sanctified. Rom. 8:13, l.c. 15:16, l.c.
1 Pet. 1:22. (3.) The instrument of sanctification. John 17:19. (1.) The procuring cause. 1 Cor. 1:2. 6:11. Heb. 10:10. (5.) The importance of sanctification, or growth in grace. John 15:8. Col. 1:9-12. (6.) How we are to strive for sanctification. Phil. 2:12, 13. 3:13, 14. (7.) How we may secure the aid of the Holy Spirit. Luke 11:13. Rom. 8:26. (8.) How Christ regards us, when we are not making progress in holiness. Rev.
3:15, 16.
10. _Death._ (1.) Its certainty. Heb. 9:27. (2.) The uncertainty of life. Jas. 4:14. (3.) The shortness of life. Ps. 90:3-10. 1 Cor.
7:29-31. Bring death near, and commune with it; try to enter into the feelings of the death-bed. (4.) How we should live in view of the subject. Luke 12:33-40. (5.) The folly of laying up treasures for ourselves in this life. Luke 12:16-21. (6.) How death will appear to such. Isa. 33:14. (7.) How death appears to those who "set their affections on things above." 2 Cor. 5:6, 8. Phil. 1:23. (8.) The support which such have in the hour of death. Isa. 43:1, 2. 1 Cor. 15:54-57.
11. _Heaven._ (1.) Heaven a place. John 14:2, 3. Heb. 9:24. (2.) The glory of heaven. Rev. 21:22, 23. (3.) What const.i.tutes the blessedness of heaven to the righteous. [1.] Freedom from sin, and sinful a.s.sociations. 2 Cor. 5:2-4. Rev. 21:27. [2.] Freedom from pain, and all evil. Rev. 21:4. [3.] Exercise of holy affections. 1 John 4:16. [4.] The company of holy beings. Heb. 12:22-24. [5.] The immediate presence of G.o.d, and such communion and fellowship with him as will make us like him. Ps. 17:15. Isa. 33:17, f.c. 1 John 3:2. [6.] The presence of Jesus, as our Redeemer, to whom we are indebted for all this glory. John 17:24.
1 Thess. 4:17. Rev. 5:9. (4.) The employments of heaven. [1.] The contemplation of the infinite perfections of G.o.d, and the glories of his moral government. Rev. 19:1, 2. [2.] Rendering cheerful obedience to his will. Ps. 103:20, 21. Matt. 6:10. 22:30. [3.] Singing his praises. Rev.
5:9. [4.] And we may suppose holy conversation. (5.) Contemplate this state as existing forever, with the continual increase of the capacity for enjoyment, and the discoveries of the divine character, his government and works.
12. _The Resurrection._ (1.) What signal will usher in the glorious morn. 1 Cor. 15:52. 1 Thess. 4:16. (2.) What will follow. 1 Thess. 4:16, l.c. (3.) What will come to pa.s.s in regard to the saints which shall then be alive on the earth. 1 Cor. 15:51. 1 Thess. 4:17. (4.) With what bodies the saints will arise. 1 Cor. 15:42-44, 50, 53, 54. (5.) To whom the saints will ascribe their victory and triumph, in that day. 1 Cor.
15:57. (6.) How the wicked will rise. Dan. 12:2.
13. _The Judgment._ (1.) This awful ceremony is to take place at a certain time, fixed in the councils of eternity. Acts 17:31. (2.) It will come suddenly and unexpectedly. Matt. 24:36-39. (3.) Who will be the judge. Matt. 25:31. Rev. 20:11. (4.) Who will stand before him to be judged. Rom. 14:10. Rev. 20:12. (5.) In respect to what they will be judged. Eccl. 12:14. Matt. 12:36. Rom. 2:16. 2 Cor. 5:10. (6.) By what rule they will be judged. John 7:21. Rom. 2:2. (7.) How any will be able to stand this awful test. 1 John 2:1, 2. (8.) What separation will be made. Matt. 25:32. Consider this in its application to friends, and those who have in any way come under our influence. (9.) The final award of the righteous. Matt. 25:33-36. (10.) What state of feeling is indicated by their answer. Matt. 25:37-39. (11.) The final sentence of the wicked. Matt. 25:41-43. (12.) What state of feeling is indicated by their answer. Matt. 25:44.
14. _The World of Woe._ Contemplated for the purpose of arousing the attention to the condition of the impenitent. (1.) The place itself--the prison-house of the universe. Matt. 25:46. (2.) In what manner it is described. Isa. 33:14. Matt. 13:42, f.c. Rev. 20:14. (3.) What will const.i.tute the misery of that dread abode. [1.] The consciousness of guilt. Rom. 3:19. [2.] The recollection of mercies abused. Rom. 9:22.
[3.] The company that will be there. Matt. 25:41. Rev. 21:8. [4.] The wrath and curse of Almighty G.o.d. Rom. 2:8, 9. [5.] The reflection that this misery is to have no end. Mark 9:14. (4.) What will be the employments of that place. Matt. 13:42. 24:51. How we ought to feel, in regard to those who are exposed to this awful doom. Matt. 22:39. (6.) What we should do for them. Jude 23, f.c.
III. CHARACTER OF CHRIST.
1. It is unlike that of any other being in the universe
2. A mysterious complexity in his character, which we call a union of two natures--a combination of attributes, all of which can neither be ascribed to men, nor to angels, nor to G.o.d. Gen. 19:10. Num. 24:17. Job 19:23-27. Ps. 2:7, 12, c. 1. Isa. 6:1-3. 9:5, 6. 28:16. 15:10-12, 21--25. Ps. 22: 6. Isa. 49:7. 52:14. 53:2, 3.
3. Christ is a man. Phil. 2:8. John 1:14. Luke 21:39. Heb. 2:17. 5:8.
4. He is G.o.d. (1.) The Scriptures represent Christ as pre-existing, in a glorious character, before he appeared in this world. John 1:1, 2. 3:13.
6:38. 17:5. Heb. 1:10. (2.) They represent that, in pa.s.sing from that state to this, he suffered a humiliating change. 2 Cor. 8:9. Phil. 2:6, 7. (3.) The Scriptures directly a.s.sert that he possessed a superhuman nature. Heb. 1:4, 6. Col. 2:9. (4.) This superhuman nature is _divine_--the names of G.o.d are ascribed to him--the attributes of G.o.d are ascribed to him--he is represented as performing the works of G.o.d.
Com. Luke 1:16, 17, with Isa. 40:3, and Isa. 6:1-3, with John 12:41.
Rom. 9:5. John 20:28. 1 John 5:20. 1 Ti. 3:16. John 1:2. Rev. 22:13.
Isa. 44:6. Acts 1:24. John 2:24. Jer. 17:10. 1 Kings 8:39. Matt. 9:2.
18:20. 28:20. John 10:15. Isa. 44:24. Gen. 1:1. Heb. 1:10. Jer. 10:12.
Col. 1:16. John 1:3. Phil. 3:21. John 5:21. Rev. 1:5, 6. He performed miracles _in his own name_. He was worshiped by inspired men who knew his character; and the Scriptures encourage such worship. Acts 7:59. 2 Ti. 4:18. 2 Cor. 12:8. Acts 1:21. 1 Thess. 3:12. 2 Thess. 2:16. Phil.
2:10. Heb. 1:6. Rev. 5:8-14.
Contemplate the character of Christ in its moral and practical relations; (1.) As ill.u.s.trating or exhibiting the character of G.o.d; (2.) As confirming and sustaining his moral government, while it admits the exercise of mercy; (3.) As the medium through which all our duties are to be performed; (4.) As the foundation of our hopes.
IV. NAMES AND OFFICES OF CHRIST.
1. _Saviour._ (1.) What salvation is. (2.) Why we need a Saviour. What it is to be _lost_--carry out the figure in imagination. Matt. 18:11.
(3.) From what Christ saves us. Matt. 1:21. (4.) How he saves us from sin. Acts 15:8, 9. (5.) His willingness to save. Matt. 11:28-30. John 6:37, l.c. (6.) His Ability to save. Heb. 7:25. (7.) The expense of this salvation. Rom. 5:7, 8. (8.) The ingrat.i.tude of neglecting so great salvation. Heb. 2:2, 3.
2. _Redeemer._ (1.) What it is to redeem--contemplate the figure, and form a clear perception of the condition of captives taken in war, and held in slavery. (2.) Our condition by nature. Rom. 6:13, f.c. 16, 20.
7:14, l.c. Gal. 3:10. (3.) How Christ has redeemed us. Gal. 3:13. (4.) The price paid for our redemption. 1 Peter 1:18, 19. (5.) How we should feel in view of this. Rev. 5:9, 10. (6.) What this should lead us to do.
1 Cor. 6:20.
3. _Prophet._ (1.) What a prophet is. (2.) How Christ teaches his people. John 1:18, 5:39. 16:13, 14. (3.) What encouragement we have to go to him for direction, in all cases of doubt and difficulty. 1 Cor.
1:30. James 1:5. (4.) With what feelings we must receive him as our great Teacher. Matt. 18:3, 4.
4. _Priest._ (1.) What a priest is. Heb. 5:1, 2. (2.) Why we need a priest. Deut. 27:26. Rom. 3:20. (3.) How he was qualified to become our priest. Heb. 5:7-9. 7:26-28. 4:15. (4.) How he has made atonement and reconciliation for us. Heb. 9:11-14, 28. (5.) How this is rendered available to believers in all ages. Rom. 8:34. Heb. 9:24. 7:25. (6.) What benefits believers may derive from his intercession. Rom. 5:2. Heb.
4:16. (7.) The sympathy of Christ with believers. Heb. 4:15.
5. _King._ (1.) What a King is. (2.) In what sense Christ is our king.
Eph. 1:21, 22. (3.) The nature of the control he exercises over us.
Matt. 11:30. Rom. 6:9-22. 11:17. 2 Cor. 10:5. (4.)The need we have of such a king. Matt. 12:29. (5.)Our duty to him as subjects. 2 Cor. 10:5.
6. _Mediator._ (1.) What a mediator is: one that undertakes to make reconciliation between two parties at variance. Job 9:33. We are at variance with G.o.d. Ps. 7:11. Ro. 8:7. (2.) What qualifications are required in a mediator. [1.] He must be the mutual friend of both parties. Christ both G.o.d and man. John 1:1, 14. The mutual friend of both. Luke 3:22. Heb. 2:16, 17. [2.] He must be able to render satisfaction to the injured party. Christ has done this. Isa. 12:21.
Gal. 3:13. He must be able to bring back the offender to his duty. This Christ is able to do. Rom. 6:1-14. (3.) How we may become reconciled to G.o.d. 2 Cor. 5:18, 19.
7. _Advocate and Intercessor._ (1.) What an advocate is: one that manages a cause for another at court, and undertakes to procure his justification and discharge. If his client is prosecuted for debt, he must show that the debt has been paid; if for crime, he must show some reason why he should not be punished. Jesus Christ can show both, in regard to us. 1 Peter 1:18, 19. 1 Cor. 6:20. Isa. 53:5. What an intercessor is: one that undertakes to present the pet.i.tions of a criminal at the bar of his offended sovereign. When a pet.i.tion is presented for pardon, the person presenting it must become responsible for the future good conduct of the criminal. Christ has become our surety. When he asks for undeserved favor to be bestowed upon the criminal, it must be on the score of his own merits. Jesus can present our pet.i.tions with a.s.surance on this ground. How blessed are they who have such an Advocate and Intercessor at the throne of heaven! Rom.
8:34. Heb. 7:25. How we may come to the throne of grace through his intercession. Heb. 4:16. No worship acceptable, which is not offered through the intercession of Christ. John 14:13. Acts 4:12. Eph. 5:20.
8. _Friend._ What is implied in a friend. [1.] He must be able and willing to help us. Christ is both able and willing to help all who come to him. Heb. 7:25. Matt. 11:28-30. John 6:37, l.c. [2.] Friendship must be cordial. Such is the friendship of Jesus. John 15:15, 16. [3.] A friend must possess a sympathizing heart. Such is the heart of Jesus.
Heb. 4:15.
9. _Elder Brother._ (1.) The relation of an Elder Brother to the younger members of the family. (2.) How we come into this relation to Christ.
Gal. 4:4-6. (3.)The blessings that we receive, through this relation.
Gal. 1:7. Rom. 8:17. (4.) The goodness of the Son, who would of his own accord, receive a stranger into his Father"s family, to be adopted, as a joint heir with him to his Father"s estate.
10. _Husband._ (1.)Proof of this relation between Christ and the church.
Isa. 54:5. Eph. 5:25-32. Rev. 19:7, 8. 22:17. (2.) What is implied in this relation. [1.] Union. John 15:5. Eph. 4:31. [2.] Protection. Matt.
16:18. Ca. 8:5, f.c. [3.] Provision. Phil. 4:19. Eph. 5:29. [4.]
Sympathy and Love. Heb. 4:15. 8:6, 7. [5.] Fellowship. Ca. 5:1.
V. THE CHRISTIAN GRACES.
1. _Faith._ (1.) What faith is. Heb. 11:1. (2.) It"s object. Rom. 4:3, 5 Eph. 1:12, 13. Heb. 11:6. (3.) The effects of faith on the heart. Acts 15:9. Gal. 5:6, l.c. (4.) Its effects on the life. James 2:14-26. (5.) Necessary to acceptable prayer. James 1:6.
2. _Hope._ (1.) The object of hope. 2 Cor. 4:17, 18. (2.) The ground of hope. Col. 1:27. 1 Tim. 1:1. (3.) The author of hope. Rom. 5:5. 15:13.
(4.) The influence of hope upon the Christian character. 1 Thess. 5:8.
1 John 3:3. (5.) Effect of hope upon the comfort and religious enjoyment of the believer. Heb. 3:6. 6:19.