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government shall be upon his shoulder, "and his name shall be called Wonderful, "Counsellor, the Mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace."

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He is elsewhere styled "the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last,-the "Prince of the kings of the earth,—the

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King of Kings and Lord of Lords,-the "King of Glory and the King of Saints." But of all the views that can be given of the Lord Jesus, none, perhaps, is more interesting and encouraging, and none more deserving of our serious and attentive consideration, than that which the Apostle Paul here suggests, when he styles him "the Author and Finisher of our "faith or salvation.

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The object, then, of the following discourse, will be to shew in what respects Jesus Christ may be styled the Author of our faith.

In the first place, The honourable appellation in the text may be given to Christ because he hath published salvation

to man.

Long indeed before our Saviour's manifestation in the flesh, God had revealed the

doctrines of salvation in his written word. But the Jews were the only people on earth who enjoyed this heavenly light; and even among them it was sadly obscured. Divine truths were blended and perverted with human inventions. Captivated with the ceremonial precepts of their law, they utterly neglected the moral'; and while they paid their highest attention to those rites which pleased their own imaginations and humours, they undervalued those essential duties that were calculated to purify and improve the heart. By their vain traditions they increased the load of ceremonies; and by their corrupt interpretations of the law, they not only abridged the number of its moral precepts, but in a great measure destroyed the obligation of those that remained, and which they themselves acknowledged to be divine. Their ideas of doctrinal truths were equally erroneous; and their interpretation of the prophecies respecting the Messiah shewed the absurd notions they entertained of the nature of his kingdom. Their teachers were blind leaders of the blind.

But even this knowledge of which I speak, imperfect and corrupted as it was, extended no farther than the narrow limits of Judea, and a few Gentile proselytes. By far the greatest part of the human race was sunk in the grossest ignorance with respect to divine things. Nor was this the character of the barbarous nations

alone; for, even in the refined ages of Greece and Rome, when the different arts and sciences were carried to a high pitch of perfection, how miserably defective were their systems of natural religion ?— how gross and deplorable was the darkness of even the wisest of men, with respect to the most important of all subjects, -the knowledge of God and his perfections, the manner in which he ought to be worshipped, and the way in which his favour is to be obtained, the relations that man bears to his Maker, and the duties resulting from these relations! The imperfection both of their moral and religious knowledge, and the inefficacy of all their attempts to instruct and improve mankind, are best seen from the ill success with which they were attended.

But if men, who were distinguished for their intellectual abilities, and whose time was devoted to the attainment of knowledge and of truth, were so ignorant of the first and fundamental principles of religion, what must have been the situation of the common people? Even in those refined and learned ages, did Isaiah's prophecy receive its full accomplishment. “Behold darkness shall cover the earth, " and gross darkness the people." But he adds, "The Lord shall arise upon them, "and his glory shall be seen upon them;" and "the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising."

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This more comfortable part of the prophecy has been fully accomplished in Jesus Christ. What the wisdom and power of man were totally unable to perform, the Great Author and Finisher of our faith hath accomplished by his gospel, which he commanded his apostles to preach to every creature. At this time of universal ignorance and corruption, the Son of righteousness arose, and dispelled that darkness which for four thousand years had covered the Pagan world; and the idols of the nations were moved at

his presence. He taught even the benighted Heathens how they ought to serve God with fear, in holiness and righteousness all the days of their life.

By his discourses, and by his example, he explained, extended, and perfected the law, and filled Zion with judgment and righteousness. Those doctrines, which in the Old Testament writings were darkly revealed, and imperfectly understood, are clearly brought to light in the gospel. Every thing necessary, either to faith or practice, is unfolded, with such perspicuity, that he who runs may read. The blessings that the Israelites enjoyed were only shadows of good things to come; but when the Sun of righteousness arose upon the earth, the shadows fled before the radiance of his light. He came to give knowledge of salvation to his people,

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"to give light to them that sat in dark"ness and in the shadow of death, and to guide their feet into the way of peace." He was given for a light to lighten "the Gentiles, and to be the glory of his people Israel." Now was the prediction of the prophet fulfilled: "They shall "all know me from the least to the great

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