DISCOURSE VI. 237 Inferences or remarks drawn from these discourses.T. Rem. How large, how excellent, and how glorious is this sal- vation of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, slain to take away the sins of the world? And this may be made to appear in many particulars : 1. It is a salvation that reaches through all ages, from the beginning to the end of time, from the first sin of man, even to the end of all things : Those glories of the salvation of Jesus Christare beyond the reach of our present conception, and beyond all the powers of number to reckon up, and the force of elo- quence to display. 2. It reaches through all the tribes of mankind, through all countries and nations, through all families and persons, both Jew and Gentile, to the ends of the earth. Our Saviour prophesies, that if he be lifted up from the earth, that is, crucified, anddie as an atoning sacrifice, he shall draw all men unto him; John xii. 32. So in Rev. v. 10. and vii. 9. men of all nations, and of all languages, of all countries, and all ages, shall be found in this blessed number, who are redeemed by the blood of Christ, and join in the everlasting song of praise to him that sitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb for ever. 3. This doctrineof the Lamb of God, slain from the found- ation of the world, reaches through all the transactions of God with the children of men. It begins as high as creation itself; thousands of mankind wereat first created for this reason, that they might in time be joined to this blessed army, and rejoice and triumph in the Lamb that was slain : It reaches through all the redemption of Christ, for sinful men were redeemed by the blood ofChrist for this very purpose : For this purpose they were called and converted from the wicked of the earth ; and turned from sin to God, that they might for ever be made glorious in ho- liness. It is through this death of Christ, the Son of God, that they are all justified and brought into the divine favour : They are all sanctified by his Holy Spirit, under this influence, and adopted into the family of God, to become the younger brethren of Jesus, the first-begotten of the Father. And when God ful- fils this salvation in heaven, it will appear what multitudes of fal- len ruined creatures are recovered and saved, by this atonement of the Lamb. 4. I may add further, all the mercies and blessings that are bestowed upon men through time and eternity : I might add, whether these blessings are national or personal, yet our Lord Jesus Christ, in our nature, dyingon theBross, has somehand, by the exuberant merit ofhis sacrifice, in procuring andaccomplish- ingall thesepurposes : Thegrace of Christ, while we keep our eye on the united godhead, has some hand in all the temporal favours, and even the national mercies, even of those who refuse
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