DISCOURSE XL.

THE BEATIFIC VISION; OR, BEHOLDING

JESUS CRUCIFIED.

JOHN i. 29.

Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.

OUR

JR Saviour calls John the Baptist one of the greatest of the prophets, and that, no doubt, not only on account of his abstemious life and renunciation of the world, or because he was a martyr for the sake of his testimony, but because he, of all the goodly company of the men of God, was the only one who survived till the dawn of the days of the Son of Man, and saw the Lord in flesh. Other prophets and holy persons, since the beginning of the world, had the favour to see in spirit the kingdom and redemption of Christ; but they saw afar off; and though they knew God would surely visit and redeem his people, and published the glad tidings to all who mourned in Zion, or looked for salvation in Israel; and though they were persuaded of his incarnation, or, as they termed it in their predictions, his tabernacling among us; though they foresaw how, by his death, he would abolish death, and by his sufferings heal the hurt of his people, and save the world, and could die in this faith rejoicing; yet none among them had the honour to see him like

John,

John, or be able to say boldly, while he could point to him, that is the "Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."

John Baptist had been inspired with the Holy Ghost in his mother's womb, and had so early leaped for joy at the approach of his Lord, God, and Master, who was then newly conceived in the Virgin Mary. He had retired early into the desert, convinced of his high errand to proclaim the coming of the Lord, and to prepare his way. He had baptized the inhabitants of many countries to repentance, and set them upon expecting one greater than himself, preaching that they should believe on him, who was then among them, but not yet manifested, who should baptize with the Holy Ghost, whose shoes latchet he confessed he was not worthy to stoop down and unloose; but all this while he was not sure his cousin, the Son of Mary, was he, til at his baptism in Jordan, and then the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus in form of a dove, while a voice from heaven assured the Baptist, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Till this time, John had many disciples, who, with himself, waited for the Messiah to be revealed; but now John pointed him out to all his converts, saying, "Behold the Lamb of God!" See the Lamb God has prepared to be offered for the sins of the world. Ye have hitherto read the law, and been present at the sacrifices, and at the morning and evening oblation: ye have known with what solemnity the beasts have been appointed to be slain on the days of atonement, and heard your fathers tell how, after the same manner, they offered their goats and lambs for four thousand years: Behold now the true Lamb; all the rest were the patterns, but this is the substance. The others were but shadows,' and were the gifts and offerings which men made

out

out of the best of their flocks upon the altars of God; but this is the Lord's own Lamb, this is the Lamb which he prepared, and the body which he ordained to be offered once for all. Behold him, turn from every other sacrifice, and expect your help and atonement and forgiveness from this Lamb. He shall take away the sin of the world. Thus the disciples of John understood it, and they left him and followed Jesus.

The whole gospel is included in the declaration of John; and by him, God the Holy Ghost has begun, and continues to exhibit and set forth the Son as the Lamb, whose death hath abolished sin, and taken it away, teaching sinners to look to him and be saved. Thus the prophets had, in their measure, preached him; and all the Scriptures set forth remission of sin in this Man's name, and in no other. All the divine missionaries have, in other words, more or less. plain, declared that he takes away sin, and finishes iniquity, and that to him every one must look, and all flesh come, who would be saved.

Three things especially are contained in the text; namely, the character of Jesus Christ; his office; and the way to be saved by him. Of these let us think a little, and learn rightly to esteem that sacred Person, whom John in the text, and whom all the scriptures preach alone.

The first thing to be considered is, his character; the Lamb of God. John the Baptist was not the first who thus names the Saviour; for Moses in his dark manuer had preached him as a Lamb, throughout the law, and even the fathers had thus offered lambs as shadows of him, from the days of Abel. Isaiah had said, "He shall be led as a lamb to the slaughter." And again, "Send the lamb to the ruler of the people." But after John had called him a Lamb, the apostles, through the same spirit, spake

of

"Ye were

of him under that name. St. Peter says, redeemed with the precious blood' of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." St. Paul calls him, our Passover, our Paschal Lamb, sacrificed for us. Thus St. Philip preached him to the Eunuch; and St. John the Evangelist, who had seen him in his glory, and well knew what name best suited him, who is not ashamed to appear in heaven as a Lamb that has been slain, in his whole book of the Revelation, calls him the Lamb, the Lamb that was slain.

There could be given many reasons wherefore the name of the Lamb so becomes our Saviour: First, because of his innocency, his being harmless and meek; for as the Lamb is without any thing of the fury, poison, or ravenous disposition of other animals, so that the least child is not afraid to approach it, or the most timorous to be where it is; so Jesus is of such a tender lamb-like disposition and nature, that the most affrighted and fearful soul may approach him, and come into his presence without danger. At the time when the ancients looked upon him as a lion, by which name he was known in Judah, and in many ages; no wonder that Hezekiah and others so trembled before him, and poor sinners were afraid, lest, as a lion, he would tear them to pieces, when there was none to help. But now those gloomy times like shadows flee away, and as John himself looked to see the Lion of the tribe of Judah, and behold he saw a Lamb; so all who approach Jesus, and apply with fear and trembling to him, however they may justly expect to meet him as a lion, since they are conscious of their having so grievously sinned and offended him, yet they shall find he is now a Lamb, and now fury is not in him; he is come not to destroy men's lives, but to save them; and such as are not cruel and lion-like to themselves,

themselves, shall find nothing in Jesus but mercy, and love, and gentleness for ever.

There is another reason why our Saviour's name may well be called the Lamb; for no creature of God is more useful than a Lamb, their flesh is meat, and their wool our best raiment; thus is Jesus our meat indeed, the only flesh that gives life to the world, and his righteousness the fleece of the true Lamb, which can hide sin, or cover a naked soul, or dress it for the King's marriage supper.

But the best reason that can be given, why the Lord delights to be known by his new name, the Lamb, is because, from the beginning of the world, lambs were used for the sacrifices. Lambs were used at the deliverance out of Egypt, and for the consecration of priests, and for the daily sacrifice. Thus is our Lord Jesus incarnate called the Lamb, by way of eminence, as if all the rest were nothing, and unworthy of the name; he is properly the Lamb; the rest were but faint figures, and no sacrifices which could take away sin, make peace, or atone for our fall, or avert the just wrath of Almighty God.

This could only be effected with a better sacrifice, and with a better Lamb than men could offer, or present to the Most High. Now, this God himself found out a Lamb, he prepared a body, and offered up his own eternal Son, his dearest Lamb, his coessential and beloved Child. This is the Lamb of God, the Lamb he gave up to die in the room of a sinful creature. God will have it now known, that his Child Jesus is the very and true Lamb, the antitype of all obligations, gifts, sacrifices, and offerings, and the fulness and substance of all whatever the law or the prophets preached.

I come now, of course, into the office of this holy Person, which was, to take away the sins of the world.

God