SERMON I. ON REDEMPTION. It is a common, but certainly a very true obsérvation, that the wishes and hopes of men are often very inconsiderate, and of such a nature that the Divine government, in its wisdom, cannot gratify them, and that a very small portion of happiness would fall to our share, if God were content with merely fulfilling our wishes. The fact is well known and requires no proof. But it is not the less true, that the benefits which Divine Providence really bestows on us, are seldom discerned in their full dimensions, and valued according to their actual worth. True as this two-fold observation is, concerning the wishes which we entertain in respect of our earthly affairs and prosperity, and a multitude of Divine benefits, which we, on this account, are accustomed to call the unknown benefits of God; it is true also, of such as have reference to our higher and spiritual felicity, as those for FREE & Mess watchful sung je raspanics, there is none veline. Amongst inade value, nd has ordained I createst of all Tai mes implored imates we Christians Set: and this with LE UST Les mer ut a temporal Iz de levish nation INTRA AL II is extent, The FC Wand impart to them a u den. because it was not St part actually W+ Christians value ksza css bgner: but I fear that AMA IS Bg such as, mdeed, is scarcely posTas areas u m. ir example, to be the mel al te va confine & simply or chiefly diveran from the penalties of sin, inasmuch aring or the Say Scripture and to truth, ¤ ezzens much farther, and is in particular a deliverance from six step. I have, therefore, resolved to address you to-day on the right estimation of the redemption of Jesus. Our Gospel for the festival presents us with an unsought occasion, in the wishes and hopes of the disciples of Jesus. E È IN much, and are de : God only grant that we may form right notions, and thereby be led to a just estimation of it! LUKE Xxiv. 21. But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel. WHEN the two disciples in our Gospel disclose their perplexity and dejection, on account of their Master's unexpected fate, to Jesus, whom they did not then know, and at the same time confess, "But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel," it is clear that they had not a true conception of the redemption which was to be effected, and which has been effected through Jesus. For they imagined its extent much too small, since they confined it to the Jewish nation alone, when they said, we trusted he should have redeemed Israel; whereas it was designed for the whole human race. Then again, they looked for a temporal redemption or deliverance, though the redemption of Jesus purported to be of quite a different kind, namely, a deliverance of the soul from sin, or a moral and spiritual redemption. I shall, therefore, take occasion to speak of the redemption, as it has actually been wrought through-Jesus Christ. But I hope I shall best comprehend what appertains to the subject, if I dwell partly on that which the Divine government is not less watchful and active, than for our temporal welfare. Amongst these spiritual blessings, for instance, there is none of greater magnitude, and of more ir stimable value, than the Redemption which God has ordained through Jesus Christ. It was the greatest of all the benefits which the Jewish nation once implored of God, and it is the greatest which we Christians glory to have received from God: and this with the most perfect right. But the Jewish nation limited their desire almost entirely to a temporal deliverance; comprehended not, in its full extent, the blessing which God would impart to them through Jesus; and for the most part actually scorned it when offered to them, because it was not agreeable to their wishes. We Christians value the Redemption of Jesus higher; but I fear that even we sometimes limit it too much, and are desirous of its being such as, indeed, is scarcely possible. This appears to me, for example, to be the case with all those who confine it simply or chiefly to a deliverance from the penalties of sin, inasmuch as, according to the Holy Scripture and to truth, it extends much farther, and is in particular a deliverance from sin itself. I have, therefore, resolved to address you to-day on the right estimation of the redemption of Jesus. Our Gospel for the festival presents us with an unsought occasion, in the wishes and hopes of the disciples of Jesus. God only grant that we may form right notions, and thereby be led to a just estimation of it! LUKE Xxiv. 21. But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel. WHEN the two disciples in our Gospel disclose their perplexity and dejection, on account of their Master's unexpected fate, to Jesus, whom they did not then know, and at the same time confess, "But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel," it is clear that they had not a true conception of the redemption which was to be effected, and which has been effected through Jesus. For they imagined its extent much too small, since they confined it to the Jewish nation alone, when they said, we trusted he should have redeemed Israel; whereas it was designed for the whole human race. Then again, they looked for a temporal redemption or deliverance, though the redemption of Jesus purported to be of quite a dif ferent kind, namely, a deliverance of the soul from sin, or a moral and spiritual redemption. I shall, therefore, take occasion to speak of the redemption, as it has actually been wrought through-Jesus Christ. But I hope I shall best comprehend what appertains to the subject, if I dwell partly on that |