liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound"-To you, even to you, ye stout-hearted, is "the word of this salvation sent"-Your past iniquities shall be forgiven, if only you will humble yourselves before himNor is this all: your God will not only restore you to his favour, but will "glory" over you with unutterable joy-" You shall be even a crown of glory and a royal diadem in his hands"-Let not then your hearts be yet hardened against him; but let his transcendent "goodness lead you to repentance"-1

ADVICE

1. Endeavour to see your obduracy in its true colours [If you are free from gross sins, you think but little of an unhumbled and impenitent state-But what can be worse than a, seared conscience, and a callous heart?-What can be worse than to feel no sorrow or contrition for your past offences, no desire to please your God, no anxiety to save your souls?-Be assured that such a state, with whatever name it may be glossed over, is hateful in the extreme; and that, if continued in, it will prove as fatal as a course of open profligacy and profaneness-]

2. Fear lest God should give you up to final impenitence

[The present address, which is made by God himself, shews clearly enough, that he "has no pleasure in the death of a sinner, but rather that he should turn from his wickedness and live”—But he is an holy God; nor will his Spirit "always strive with man"-He may be provoked at last to "swear in his wrath that you shall never enter into his rest"This he most assuredly does with respect to many, who "grieve his Spirit" till they have altogether "quenched" his sacred motions-To-day therefore, while it is called to-day, harden not your hearts," "lest he tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver"—]

3. Think what regret you will feel, when that salvation, which is now so near to you, shall be removed to an unapproachable distance

[Of all the miseries that can afflict a soul in the future world, we cannot conceive any more distressing than the thought of having had a Saviour provided for us, and salvation through him offered to us-No words can express the sense which a self-ruined sinner will have of his folly, when he sees in one view the mercies he has slighted and the judgments he has brought upon himself—Now he can be "far from righteousness," and glory in his shame: but then he will see that, which

Isai. lxii 3.

even courted his embraces here, removed afar off indeed; so far, as to preclude a possibility of ever attaining the possession of it-The Lord grant, that they who have hitherto slighted these overtures of mercy; may now embrace them with their whole hearts!-]

CLXXI. CHRIST A GREAT SAVIOUR.

Isai. xix. 20. They shall cry unto the Lord because of the oppressors, and He shall send them a Saviour, and a great One, and he shall deliver them.

GOD usually vouchsafes his mercies when we are reduced to the greatest straits

This is manifest in his most remarkable dispensations. of providence and of grace

In the greatest extremity God promised to send a deliverer to Egypta.

But there is a further reference to Christ as the Saviour to the Gentile world

And it is in seasons of heavy dejection that He reveals himself to them

To him therefore we must look as the Saviour foretold in the text

I. In what respects He is "a great Saviour"

It is justly said by the Psalmist that "his greatness is unsearchable"

Nevertheless we may, not unprofitably, endeavour to illustrate it

He is great when considered in his own person

[He has a name above every name either on earth or in heaven

He is exalted to be a prince that can give repentance and remission of sinsd

a In this view it seems applicable to the angel who slew 185,000 of Sennacherib's army: for, though that deliverance was more immediately vouchsafed to the Jews under Hezekiah, yet in its consequences it extended to Egypt. Sennacherib had before conquered and ravaged Egypt; and it was most probable that if he had taken Jerusalem he would have again proceeded thither with his victorious army, and reduced that already desolated kingdom to the lowest ebb of misery. But perhaps there may be a further reference to some other deliverers. b This appears from the whole context, ver. 18-25. Ps. cxlv. 3.

VOL. II.

Acts v. 31.

The voice of inspiration calls him," the great God and our Saviour"

He speaks of himself in terms of similar import

Nor can any thing be more glorious than the description given of him by the prophets-]

He is also great in respect of the salvation he has wrought out for us

[Who can count the number of the sins from which he has delivered us?

Or estimate the misery from which he has redeemed us?Through our whole lives we have been heaping up treasures of wrathh

Yet there is no condemnation to us if we be interested in him1

Besides, he has purchased for us an eternal inheritance in heaven

We must know all the glories of heaven and the horrors of hell, before we can fully appreciate the greatness of his salvation

But before we speak peace to ourselves it becomes us to enquire

II. For whose deliverance he is sent

Great as his mercy is, it will not indiscriminately extend to all

They, for whose relief he comes, are "oppressed" with the burthen of sin

[The generality, alas! are well contented with their bondage

If he should offer to deliver them they would thrust him from them

But there are some who mourn like the saints of oldThey desire nothing so much as to be delivered from their corruptions

For these Jesus came down from heaven, and died upon the

cross

Nor, though they be lawful captives, will he leave them in the hand of their enemies"]

They at the same time "cry earnestly to the Lord" for deliverance

[There are some, it must be confessed, who are uneasy in

e Tit. ii. 13.

h Rom. ii. 5.

f Isai. xlv. 22.

i Rom. viii. 1.

Isai. vi. 5. Rom. vii. 24.

g Isai. ix. 6.

kActs vii. 37, 39. m Isai. xlix. 24, 25.

their sins, yet do not with fervour and constancy implore his mercy

Such therefore, notwithstanding their uneasiness, obtain no help from him—

His mercy is promised to those alone who seek it with importunity"

But humble and believing suppliants shall never be rejected. by him

They shall find him a great, compassionate, and all-sufficient Saviour-]

APPLICATION.

[Let those who are unconcerned about their sins reflect on their state

Would God have sent them such a Saviour if their condition had not required it?

Or, will they take occasion from this grace to live more securely in their sins?—

Let them consider that their cries, however available now, will soon be of no effecto.

Let those who are conflicting with sin and satan lift up their heads with joy

However desperate their state may seem, their redemption draweth nigh

Nor shall all the powers of darkness rescue them from their Redeemer's hands❞—

Let those who have experienced deliverance adore their Lord

Let them still go on, “ strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus"

And soon they shall join in eternal Hallelujahs to God and to the Lamb-]

" Matt. vii. 7. Ezek. xxxvi. 37.
P John x. 28.

• Luke xvi. 24, 25.

CLXXII. THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Jer. xxiii. 6. This is his name, whereby he shall be called THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

THE writings of the prophets no less than of the apostles testify of Christ: nor can we any where find a fuller exhibition of his character than in the words before us As to his origin, he is "a branch from the root of David;" and, in his character, "a righteous" branch. His

office is that of "a King;" and, as to the manner in which he executes that office," he executes righteousness and judgment in the land." Look we for the effects of his administration? "In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely." Lastly, Would we know in what light he is to be regarded?" This is his name, whereby he shall be called, The Lord our Righteousness.'

In these words the prophet sets forth

I. The dignity of Christ

The inspired writers never seem afraid of speaking of Christ in too exalted terms-The prophet, in this very place, declares

1. His essential dignity

[There is frequent occasion to observe that, wherever the word LORD is printed in large characters, it is in the original, JEHOVAH. Now Jehovah denotes the self-existence of the Deity, and is a name incommunicable to any creature: yet is it here assigned to Christ-By comparing similar declarations in the Old Testament with the expositions given of them in the New, we know assuredly that this name belongs to Christ; and that therefore he is and must be "God over all blessed for ever"]

2. His official dignity

[The title of Jehovah belongs equally to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; but the additional title of "Our Righteousness" is peculiar to Christ alone-It imports that Christ has by his own obedience unto death wrought out a righteousness for guilty man; and that "this righteousness. shall be unto all and upon all them that believe in him”—It is in this sense that St. Paul speaks of him as "made unto us righteousness”h____

The connexion between the different parts of this comprehensive name deserves particular notice: for, if He were not Jehovah, he could not be our Righteousness; seeing that as a creature, he could merit nothing; because he would owe to God all that he could do; and, " after he had done all, he would be only an unprofitable servant:" but as he is God, all which he does is voluntary; and his divinity stamps an infinite value upon his work; so that it may well merit, not for himself only, but for a ruined world

a Isai. vi. 5. with John xii. 41. or Isai. xlv. 22, 23. with Rom. xiv. 10, 11. or Joel ii, 32. with Rom. x. 13, 14. or Mal. iii. I. with Luke i. 76. b 1 Cor. i. 30.

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