Abby Breise

SERMON I.

JESUS CHRIST the Corner-Stone.

I PETER, ii. 6.

Behold! I lay in Sion a chief Corner-Stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on Him fhall not be confounded.

To the attentive reader the holy Scriptures continually offer new fubjects of admiration and gratitude. Among other circumftances which will excite his wonder and thankfulness, he will notice the accommodating condefcenfion of God to the dulnefs of human understanding, in setting before men under fo copious a variety of appropriate and familiar figures the nature and plan of Redemption through Chrift. The fower fowing his feed; the good shepherd giving his life for the sheep; the vine nourishing its branches; the king making a marriage for his fon; the householder fuperintending his vineyard; the faVOL. I.

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ther receiving the repentant prodigal; the mafter fettling accounts with his fervants; the wheat-field overfpread with tares; the net caft into the fea, and gathering fishes of every kind: these are among the images, by which the office of the Son of God, and his dealings with man, are reprefented and rendered clear to our apprehenfions. In the paffage now before us the apostle alludes to our Saviour under the description of a maffy corner ftone placed in the foundation of a building, that it may unite and bind together the principal, walls, and may thus enfure the firmnefs and the durability of the ftructure. Chrift is displayed to us as the chief corner-ftone, of chofen ftrength, of ineftimable value, fixed by the hand of God himfelf, and capable of fuftaining for ever and ever the fabric of the univerfal church. Under this image Chrift was originally pourtrayed by David and Ifaiah. The Stone which the builders refufed, the fame is become the head-ftone of the corner. This is the Lord's doing; it is marvellous in our eyes (a). Therefore thus faith the Lord God; Bebold, I lay in Zion for a foundation, a ftone, a tried ftone, a precious corner-flone, a fure foundation; he that believeth on him shall not make baste (b); shall not be hurried into dismay, shall not be confounded. To these words of Ifaiah (b) Ifaiah, xxviii. 16. St.

(a) Pfalm cxviii. 22, 23.

St. Peter refers. To them St. Paul alfo refers in his epiftles to the Romans, and to the Ephefians (c). In feveral paffages in the New Teftament the expreffions of David are likewife recited and applied to Chrift (d). I propose, therefore, in the first place, to point out fome of the particulars with respect to which we are to regard Jesus Christ as the great corner-ftone. And I fhall endeavour afterwards to illustrate the animating declaration of St. Peter; that he who believeth on Chrift fhall not be confounded: and the tremendous warning which it involves, that they who refufe to believe on Chrift fhall be confounded for ever.

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I. 1. Jefus Chrift is the corner-ftone of religious doctrine. He is the fole foundation, the author and finisher (e) of our faith. He came from the Father: he is one with the Father: and he knoweth the will of the Father. He was in the beginning with God, and was God: and he knew the incomprehenfible nature and the unchangeable attributes of the Godhead. He knew the perfect holiness neceffary to obtain acceptance from a God of holinefs. He knew the inherent heinoufnefs

(c) Romans, ix. 33. x. 11. Ephefians, ii. 20. xxi. 42. Acts, iv. 11. (e) 1 Cor. iii. 10, 11.

(d) Matt.

Heb. xii. 2.

of fin; the extreme guilt of every deviation from the divine law, of every instance of rebellion against God, He knew how great must be the sacrifice, for he offered himfelf to be made that facrifice, by which the pardon of fin, and the reftoration of the diviné favour, fhould be procured. He knew by what price, for that price he undertook to pay, the continual grace of the Holy Spirit, by which alone the finner could be cnabled to repent, to believe, to become holy, and to perfevere in holinefs, must be purchafed. He was the Son of the God of truth: he was Truth himself: and he came into the world to bear witness to the truth. By his perfonal miniftry, and by the miniftry of his apoftles, he revealed to the fallen children of men the things which belonged to their peace. By his Spirit he inftructed and empowered the facred writers of the New Teftament to spread to the most diftant regions, to deliver down to the lateft generations, the words of eternal life. Well therefore may St. Paul affirm that all Scripture is profitable for doctrine (f). Well may St. John pronounce; Whofiever abideth not in the doctrine of Chrift, hath not God: be that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, be bath both the Father and the Son. If there come any you and bring not this doctrine; receive

unto

(ƒ) 2 Tim. iii. 16.

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