254 FAÌTH IN ITS LOWEST DEGItete. ye Iook to Jesus, who it God, and therefore mighty to save; Is, lxiii. 1. There is an all-sufficiency in his blood and righteous- ness to atone for infinite transgressions, and to procure the ever- lasting favour of God : For this High -priest or Mediator him- self is one with God, he is God, and his sacrificeon earth, and his intercession in heaven, are all over dignified with godhead, and thereby become almighty for salvation. 2. I am 'God; and therefore have a right to prescribe the means of obtaining my salvation. Look therefore unto, me, ye sinners, and be saved. I will give it to every one that looks ; he that believes on one shall be saved from sin and death ; Mark xvi. 16. John iii; h5, 10. God isrich in grace ; and if he will mani- fest the glory and freedom of it in the grant ofhis new. covenant, and will promise salvation to faith, and not insist upon that per- sonal perfect obedience which once was required, let the thankful sinner rejoice, and submit,and give Godthe honour of his abound- ing mercy. Let him pursue the highest measuresof holiness, under the melting influences of gratitud, and the constraining power of divine love. This is naturally implied in the first part of the words, I am God. But when he adds this glorious clause, and there is noneelse, he seems, in the secondpart ofthis sentence, to intimate these three things further to us : I. There is none that can save besides me. The salvation of asinner from the ends Of the earth, from the borders of hell, is toogreat a work for any being that is less than God. What mere creature has worth enough to make compensation to the great God for thesins of men : Or whatcreated power has influ- ence enough to persnde God to be reconciled ? Is there know- ledge enough in a mere fellow-creature, intimately to acquaint himself with all the thoughts and wants of a perishing sinner ? Is there power enough to new-mould his nature ? To strike di- vine light into his conscience? To bendhis stubborn will and subdue all his powers to the obédience of the gospel? Has any mere Creature power sufficient to change a dead sinner into a living saint ? To secure him through every temptation? To fit him for the society of God and angels? And to bring him through death to eternal glory ? All this must be done if a sin- ner be saved. 2. These words also imply, there is none but God who has a right to prescribe themeans of our salvation. If he says to sin- ners, look and be saved; who shall dare forbid the blessing, or appoint a different way to obtain it? If the Lord of heaven has said to poor perishing creatures on earth, ye shall be saved if e, believe. Shall the Jew Clare to impose circumcision as necessary to salvation? Or the papists command penances or pilgrimages? Or shall the conceited Pharisee require a perfection cf holiness, and a righteousness made up of the worksof the law, in order to
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