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SERMON III.

The Character of the MESSIAH.

[Preached on Christmas-Day.]

GAL. iv. 4, 5.

But when the fulness of time was come, God fent forth his Son made of a woman, made under the law; To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of Sons.

T

III.

HE principal defign of St PaulS ER M.
in this Epiftle, is to vindicate
the truth and justice of God,
in abolishing the Jewish reli-
gion fo far as concerned the

Gentile Converts, and establishing the Chri

SER M. ftian alone in its room: against those who III. contended that even the Gentile Disciples were obliged to observe the law of Mofes, and that the religion of Chrift was to be added to That of Mofes, and not That of Mofes to be taken away by Christ. Amongst many Arguments which the Apostle makes ufe of to confute these false Teachers, he begins this ivth chapter with the Similitude of a young Heir's being under Tutors and Governours, ver. 1 and 2. Now I fay, that the Heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a Servant, though be be lord of all; But is under Tutors and Governours, until the time appointed of the Father. Which Similitude he applies in the 3d verse, and in the words of the Text; Even So We, fays he, when we were children, We of the Jewish difpenfation, were in bondage under the elements of the world; But when the fulness of time was come, God fent forth his San made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of Sons. The Meaning is: Before the World was prepared for the reception of the Gospel,

III.

God thought fit to oblige men to obferve S ER M. those first and more imperfect rudiments, which were instituted in the Jewish law; But when the time was come that the Meffiab fhould appear, God did by him abolifh That inftitution of religion, (at least as to the Neceffity of its being embraced by the Gentiles) and redeemed or freed men from the fervile obedience thereof; requiring from them thenceforward, only That free, That manly and rational obedience, which is the duty and privilege not of Servants but of Sons; That we might receive the Adoption of Sons.

IN the Words we may obferve, ft, The Character of the perfon fent into the World; God fent forth his Son. 2dly, His Condition and Manner of Converfation among men; he was made of a woman, made under the law. 3dly, The Design of this his coming; it was To redeem thofe that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of Sons. And 4thly, The particular Time of his appearing; When the fulness of time was

come.

VOL. V.

E

ift, HERE

SERM.

ift, HERE is the Character of the perIII. fon fent into the World; God fent forth his Son. The Phrafe is of the fame import, with those other expreffions we meet with in Scripture; God fo loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whofoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life, Jöh. iii. 16. and, God who at fundry times and in divers manners Spake in times paft unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days Spoken unto us by his Son, Heb. i. 1. The Meaning is: God having of old eftablished several Forms of Religion among men, by divers ways of revelation, by discovering himself to the Patriarchs, by the delivering of the law to Mofes, and by the preaching of the prophets; and all thefe Methods having proved severally ineffectual to make men truly virtuous, to recover God's Creation from the Corruption and Bondage of Sin, and much more infufficient to afford any effectual means of redeeming them from the Guilt thereof; he did at laft in mercy and compaffion to mankind vouchsafe to afford them one more clear and perfect revelation of

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