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SERMON IX.

THE IMPORTANCE OF BELIEVING ON THE

SON OF GOD.

JOHN, Chap. ix. Part of Ver. 35.

THE

Doft thou believe on the Son of God?

HESE words were put by Chrift in the days of his flesh to one whom he had restored to bodily fight, and are a queftion of eternal importance. To return a true anfwer in the affirmative is of the greatest moment and consequence to us. We are in this chapter informed concerning a notable miracle which Chrift wrought in opening the eyes of one who was born blind, which ftruck the people with wonder and admiration: fome who had known the man before, affirmed that they knew him to have been perfectly blind others faid, it is, in all appearance, he, his face and person are just like him; while the man himself affirmed, "I am he." They inquired of him how his eyes were opened, and he gave them an account. He was brought to the Pharifees, to the Jewish fankedrim, where he was again interrogated, and ftill

returns the fame anfwer, and gives the fame account, which he had done before. He is caft out and excommunicated by them. Jefus heard they had caft him out. He knew this as the omnifcient God, and as man he had been informed of it; and when he had found him, be faid unto him, Doft thou believe on the Son of God? This beautifully fets before us our bleffed Lord's dealing with finners, of whom was this man. He does not wait for their return to him, but he goes after them, to the very place where they are, and lays hold of them by his grace, draws them unto himself by the cords of his own love, opens their eyes to behold his glory, their hearts to enjoy his mercy, and beftows himself freely and fully upon them. Doft thou believe, fays Chrift to this man, on the Son of God? He answered and faid, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? and Fefus faid unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. And he faid, Lord, I believe, and he worshipped him. So that here I think it fhould be remarked, that when this man before faid, one thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I fee, he was fpeaking only of his bodily fight. It is indeed the work of God to open the eyes of the mind to fee Jefus, to perceive and apprehend in him everlasting life and falvation; and thofe perfons are truly bleffed, being among the living in Jerufalem, whose eyes are opened to behold the Lamb of God who taketh away the fin of the world. My text is fhort, but very important; it contains a queftion very neceffary for each of us to put to our own fouls; and we should do well to confider the Son of God as fpeaking in

thefe words to each of us individually. Doft thou believe on the Son of God?

I fhall, as the Lord may be graciously pleased to affift, divide the text in the following manner :

First, by confidering from fcripture testimony that Chrift is the Son of God.

Secondly, will attempt to lay before you what we are to believe concerning the Son of God. And

Thirdly, endeavour to apply the question closely to all present, Doft thou believe on the Son of God? These are the particulars, and of each in its order.

Firft, let us attend unto the fcripture teftimony, that Chrift is the Son of God. The whole Scripture is a revelation concerning God: his perfons and perfections, and what is therein revealed, we are bound to believe and receive upon the bare credit and teftimony of God's own divine authority, all Scripture being given by the inspiration of God. It is the one grand and principal defign of God, to fet before us in his word the perfon and work of his well-beloved Son, for the whole Scripture may be confidered as the Father's teftimony concerning him. And our Lord himself declares to his Divine Father, This is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jefus Chrift whom thou haft fent. To know God in the perfon of the Mediator is eternal life. Hence the apoftle faith, We know that the Son of God is come, and bath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true: and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jefus Chrift. This is the true God and eternal life. And from hence we learn that Jefus Chrift is the Son of God;

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that in him is eternal life: he being the true God; and by effential union with the Father and the Spirit, he is over all God bleffed for ever. Amen. The Scripture reveals Chrift in his divine nature to be God; in his divine perfon, the Son of God; and in his mediatorial character, God-man-Mediator, JEHOVAH's equal, the fellow of the Lord of hosts, in whom dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily (or fubftantially); every effential perfection of the Godhead is afcribed unto him; and the works of creation and providence are acknowledged to be his. John declares, in the first chapter of his gospel, that Chrift is God, the creator of all things visible and invifible. In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. The fame was in the beginning with God. In which words we have the eternity, the distinct perfonality, and the effential Deity of Chrift afferted. And the creation of all things is afcribed unto him in the following words: All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. And the immenfity, omnipotence, and omnifcience of Chrift, are hinted at in the 10th verfe of the fame chapter: He was in the world, which muft refpect his immenfity: Do not I fill heaven and earth, faith the Lord? And the world was made by him; by which act his eternal power and Godhead were dif covered and the world knew him not. The apoftle Paul, in the first chapter to the Coloffians, afferts the fame truth, and afcribes the works of creation and providence to Chrift. By him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth; visible and invisible,

whether they be thrones or dominions, or principalities or powers. All things were created by him, by his almighty power, and for him, that is, for his own glory, his ultimate end in all: and then he roundly afferts his eternity in the following words: And he is before all things; which is an infallible proof of his being eternal. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlafling, thou art God, faith Mofes, in the 90th Pfalm, ver. 2. The apostle adds, and by him all things confift. It is as much the act of Godhead to preferve, fupport, and uphold all things, as to create all things. So that here the eternity of Chrift is afferted, and the creation and fuftentation of all afcribed unto him. And in the second chapter of this epiftle, it is exprefsly declared, that in Chrift dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead; and this is to be understood of the Godhead as subsisting in the Son of God: the whole fulness of the divine nature, and all the incomprehenfible perfections of Deity, fuch as eternity, immensity, omnipresence, omnipotence, omnifcience, immutability, and felf-exiftence, dwell in him. Thus the Scripture proves Chrift, in his divine nature, to be God; and, in his divine perfor, to be the coequal, coeternal, and confubftantial Son of the Father. When our Lord asked his difciples, Whom do men fay, that I, the Son of Man, am? And when they had returned an answer, he said unto them, But whom fay ye, that I, the Son of Man, am? Peter, in the name of the reft, replies, Thou art Chrift, the Son of the living God. To which our Lord rejoins, Bleffed art thou

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