Sixteen Sermons Volume 2, Sermon 16
SERMON XVI. The Love of God to Men, in the Incarnation of Chriſt.
Preached in the Chapel of Lambeth-Houſe, ON Chriſtmas-Day, 1691.
1 JOHN IV. 9.
In this was manifeſted the love of Go towards us, becauſe that God ſent his only-begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
THESE Words contain a clear and evident Demonſtration of the Love of God to us; In this was manifeſted the Love of God towards us; VOL. II.that is, by this it plainly appears, that God had a mighty Love for us, That he ſent his only-begotten Son into the World, that we might live through him. In which we may conſider this Three-fold Evidence of God's Love to Mankind.
I. That he ſhould be pleaſed to take our Caſe into Conſideration, and to concern himſelf for our Happineſs.
II. That he ſhould deſign ſo great a Benefit to us, which is here expreſt by Life; that we might live through him.
III. That he was pleaſed to uſe ſuch a Means for the obtaining and procuring of this Benefit for us; he ſent his only-begotten Son into the World, that we might live through him. Each of theſe ſingly is a great Evidence of God's Love to us; much more all of them together.
I. It is a great Evidence of the Love of God to Mankind, that he was pleaſed to take our Caſe into Conſideration,Serm. XVI. and to concern himſelf for our Happineſs. Nothing does more commend an Act of Kindneſs, than if there be great Condeſcenſion in it. We uſe to value a ſmall Favour, if it be done to us by one that is far above us, more than a far greater, done to us by a mean and inconſiderable Perſon. This made David to break out into ſuch Admiration, when he conſidered the ordinary Providence of God towards Mankind, Lord, what is Man, that thou art mindful of him! or the Son of Man, that thou ſhouldſt conſider him! This is a wonderful Condeſcenſion indeed, for God to be mindful of Man.
At the beſt we are but his Creatures, and upon that very Account at an infinite Diſtance from him; ſo that were not he infinitely Good, he would not be concerned for us, who are ſo infinitely beneath the Conſideration of his Love and Pity. Neither are we of the higheſt Rank of Creatures; we are much below the Angels, as to the Excellency and Perfection of our Beings; ſo that if God had not had a peculiar Pity and Regard to the Sons of Men, he might have placed his Affection and Care, upon a much nobler Order of Creatures than we are, and ſo much the more miſerable, becauſe they fell from a higher Step of Happineſs, I mean the loſt Angels; but yet for Reaſons beſt known to his Infinite Wiſdom, God paſt by them, and was pleaſed to conſider us. This the Apoſtle to the Hebrews takes notice of, as an Argument of God's peculiar and extraordinary Love to Mankind, that he ſent his Son, not to take upon him the Nature of Angels, but of the Seed of Abraham.
Now that he, who is ſo far above us, and, after that we by wilful Tranſgreſſion had loſt our ſelves, had no Obligation to take Care of us, but what his own Godneſs laid upon him, that he ſhould concern himſelf ſo much for us, and be ſo ſolicitous for our Recovery, this is a great Evidence of his Kindneſs and Good-will to us, and cannot be imagined to proceed from any other Cauſe.
II. Another Evidence of God's great Love to us, is, that he was pleaſed to deſign ſo great a Benefit for us. This the Scripture expreſſeth to us by Life; and it is uſual in Scripture to expreſs the beſt and moſt deſirable things by Life; becauſe as it is one of the greateſt Bleſſings, ſo it is the Foundation of all other Enjoyments: And therefore the Apoſtle, uſeth but this one word to expreſs to us all the Bleſſings and Benefits of Chriſt's coming into the World; God ſent his only-begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
And this Expreſſion is very proper to our Caſe becauſe Life ſignifies the reparation of all that which was loſt by the Fall of Man. For Man by his willful Degeneracy and Apoſtacy from God, is ſunk into a State of Sin and Miſery, both which the Scripture is wont to expreſs by Death. In reſpect of our Sinful State we are Spiritually Dead; and in reſpect of the Puniſhment and Miſery due to us for our Sins, we are Judicially Dead, Dead in Law; for the wages of Sin is Death. Now God hath ſent his Son into the World, that in both theſe reſpects we might live through him.
1. We were Spiritually Dead, Dead in Treſpaſſes and Sins, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks, Eph. 2.1, 2. You hath he quickned, who were dead in treſpaſſes and ſins, wherein in times paſt ye walked, according to the courſe of this world. Every Wicked Man, tho' in a Natural Senſe he be Alive, yet in a Moral Senſe he is Dead. So the Apoſtle ſpeaking of thoſe who live in ſinful Luſts and Pleaſures, ſays of them, that they are dead while they live, 1 Tim. 5.6. What Corrupt Humours are to the Body, that Sin is to the Soul, their Diſeaſe and their Death. Now God ſent his Son to deliver us from this Death, by renewing our Nature, and mortifying our Luſts; by reſtoring us to the Life of Grace and Holineſs, and deſtroying the Body of Sin in us, that henceforth we ſhould not ſerve Sin. And that this is a great Argument of the mighty Love of God to us, the Apoſtle tells us, Eph. 2.4, 5. God who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in ſins, hath quickned us together with Chriſt. It is an Argument of the Riches of God's Mercy, and of his great Love to us, to recover us out of this ſad and deplorable Caſe. It is a kindneſs infinitely greater, than to redeem us from the moſt wretched Slavery, or to reſcue us from the moſt dreadful and cruel Temporal Death; and yet we ſhould value this as a Favour and Benefit, that could never be ſufficiently acknowledg'd: But God hath ſent his Son to deliver us from a worſe Bondage, and a more dreadful kind of Death; ſo that well might the Apoſtle aſcribe this great Deliverance of Mankind from the ſlavery of our Luſts, and the Death of Sin, to the boundleſs Mercy and Love of God to us. God who is rich in mercy, for the great love wherewith he loved us, hath quickned us together with Chriſt, even when we were dead in Sins; when our Caſe was as deſperate as could well be imagined; then was God pleaſed to undertake this great Cure, and to provide ſuch a Remedy, as cannot fail to be effectual for our Recovery, if we will but make uſe of it.
2. We were likewiſe judicially Dead, Dead in Law, being Condemned by the juſt Sentence of it. So ſoon as ever we ſinned, Eternal Death was by the Sentence of God's Law become our due Portion and Reward; and this being our Caſe, God in tender Commiſeration and Pity to Mankind, was pleaſed to ſend his Son into the World, to inter poſe between the Juſtice of God and the Demerits of Men; and by reverſing the Sentence that was gone out againſt us, and procuring a Pardon for us, to reſcue us from the Miſery of Eternal Death; and not only ſo, but upon the condition of Faith and Repentance, of Obedience and a Holy Life, to beſtow Eternal Life upon us; and by this means to reſtore us to a better Condition than that from which we were fallen, and to advance us to a Happineſs greater than that of Innocency.
And was not this great Love, to deſign and provide ſo great a Benefit and Bleſſing for us, to ſend his Son Jeſus to bleſs us, in turning away every one of us from our Iniquities? Our Bleſſed Saviour, who came from the boſom of his Father, and knew his tender Affection and Compaſſion to Mankind, ſpeaks of this as a moſt wonderful and unparallell'd expreſſion of his Love to us, John 3.16. God ſo loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son. God ſo loved the world, ſo greatly, ſo ſtrangely, ſo beyond our biggeſt hopes, nay, ſo contrary to all reaſonable expectation, as to ſend his only-begotten Son, to ſeek and to ſave the ſinful Sons of Men.
If it had only in general been declared to us, that God was about to ſend his Son into the World upon ſome great deſign, and been left to us to conjecture, what his Errand and Buſineſs ſhould be; how would this have alarmed the guilty Conſciences of ſinful Men, and fill'd them with infinite Jealouſies and Suſpicion, with fearful expectations of Wrath and fiery Indignation to conſume them! For conſidering the great Wickedneſs and Degeneracy of Mankind, what could we have thought, but that ſurely God was ſending his Son upon a deſign of vengeance to Chaſtiſe a Sinful World, to Vindicate the Honour of his deſpiſed Laws, and to revenge the multiplyed Affronts which had been offered to the higheſt Majeſty of Heaven, by his Pitiful and Ungrateful Creatures? Our own Guilt would have been very apt to have fill'd us with ſuch Imaginations as theſe, that in all likelihood the Son of God was coming to Judgment, to call the Wicked World to an Account, to proceed againſt his Father's Rebels, to paſs Sentence upon them, and to Execute the Vengeance which they had deſerved. This we might juſtly have dreaded; and indeed conſidering our Caſe, how ill we have deſerved at God's Hands, and how highly we have provoked him; what other weighty Matter could we hope for?
But the Goodneſs of God hath ſtrangely out-done our Hopes, and deceived our Expectation; ſo it follows in the next Words, God ſent not his Son into the world, to condemn the world, (intimating that this we might juſtly have imagin'd and feared) but upon a quite contrary Deſign, that through him the world might be ſaved. What a ſurprize of Kindneſs is here! that inſtead of ſending his Son to condemn us, he ſhould ſend him into the world to ſave us; to reſcue us from the Jaws of Death and of Hell, from that Eternal and Intolerable Miſery which we had incurred and deſerved!
And if he had proceeded no farther, this had been wonderful Mercy and Kindneſs: But his Love ſtopt not here, it was not contented to ſpare us, and free us from Miſery; but was reſtleſs till it had found out a way to bring us to Happineſs; for God ſo loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, not only that whoſoever believes in him might not periſh, but might have everlaſting life. This is the Second Evidence of God's great Love to us, the greatneſs of the Bleſſing and Benefit which he had deſigned and provided for us, that we might live through him; not only be delivered from Spiritual and Eternal Death; but be made partakers of Eternal Life.
III. The laſt Evidence of God's great Love to us, which I mentioned, was this, that God was pleaſed to uſe ſuch a Means, for the obtaining and procuring of this great Bleſſing and Benefit; he ſent his only-begotten Son into the World, that we might live through him. And this will appear to be great Love indeed, if we conſider theſe Four things.
1. The Perſon whom he was pleaſed to employ upon this Deſign; he ſent his only-begotten Son.
2. How much he abaſed him, in Order to the effecting and accompliſhing of this Deſign, implyed in theſe words, he ſent him into the World.
3. If we conſider to whom he was ſent, to the World. And,
4. That he did all this voluntarily and freely, out of his meer Pity and Goodneſs; not conſtrain'd hereto by any Neceſſity, not prevail'd upon by any Application or Importunity of ours, nor oblig'd by any Benefit or Kindneſs from us.
1. Let us conſider the Perſon whom God was pleaſed to employ in this Deſign, he ſent his only-begotten Son; no leſs Perſon than his own Son, and no leſs dear to him, than his onlybegotten Son.
(1.) No leſs Perſon than his own Son; and the Dignity of the Perſon that was employed in our behalf, doth ſtrangely heighten and ſet off the Kindneſs. What an Endearment is it of the Mercy of our Redemption, that God was pleaſed to employ upon this Deſign no meaner Perſon than his own Son, his begotten Son; ſo he is called in the Text, his Son, in ſo peculiar a Manner as no Creature is, or can be; the Creatures below Man are call'd the Works of God, but never his Children; the Angels are in Scripture call'd the Sons of God; and Adam likewiſe is call'd the Son of God, becauſe God made him after his own Image and Likeneſs, in Holineſs and Righteouſneſs, and in his Dominion and Sovereignty over the Creatures below him: But this Title of begotten Son of God was never given to any of the Creatures, Man or Angel; for unto which of the Angels ſaid he at any time, thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee, as the Apoſtle Reaſons, Heb. 1.5. He muſt be a great Perſon indeed to whom this Title belongs, of the begotten Son of God; and it muſt be a mighty Love indeed, which moved God to employ ſo great a Perſon, on the behalf of ſo pitiful and wretched Creatures as we are. It had been a mighty Condeſcenſion for God to treat with us at all; but that no leſs Perſon than his own Son ſhould be the Embaſſadour, is an aſtoniſhing Regard of Heaven to poor ſinful Duſt and Aſhes
(2) This Perſon was as dear to God, as he was great; he was his only-begotten Son. It had been a great Inſtance of Abraham's Love and Obedience to God, to have ſacrificed a Son at his Command; but this Circumſtance makes it much greater, that it was his only Son; hereby I know that thou feareſt God (ſays the Angel) ſince thou haſt not with-held thy Son, thine only Son from me. This is a demonſtration that God loved us at a ſtupendous rate, when he would ſend his only-begotten Son into the World for us.
Before this, God had tryed ſeveral Ways with Mankind, and employed ſeveral Meſſengers to us; ſometimes he ſent his Angels, and many times his Servants the Prophets: But in theſe laſt Days he hath ſent his Son. He had many more Servants to have employed upon this Meſſage, but he had but one Son; and rather than Mankind ſhould be ruined and loſt, he would ſend him. Such was the Love of God towards us, that rather than our Recovery ſhould not be effected, he would employ in this Work the greateſt and deareſt Perſon to him both in Heaven and Earth, his only begotten Son; in this was the Love of God manifeſted, that he ſent his only-begotten Son, that we might live through him.
2. Let us conſider how much this Clorious and Excellent Perſon was abaſed, in order to the effecting and accompliſhing of this Deſign, which is here expreſt by ſending him into the World; and this comprehends his Incarnation, with all the mean and abaſing Circumſtances of it. This the Apoſtle declares fully to us, Phil. 2.6, 7. tho' he was in the Form of God, (that is, truly and really God) yet he made himſelf of no Reputation, foreign, he empty'd himſelf, was contented to be ſtrangely leſſen'd and diminiſh'd, and took upon him the Form of a Servant, or Slave, and was made in the likeneſs of Men; that is, did really aſſume Humane Nature. Here was an Abaſement indeed, for God to become Man, for the only-begotten Son of God to take upon him the Form of a Servant, and to become obedient to Death, even the Death of the Croſs, which was the Death of Slaves, and famous Malefactors. Here was Love indeed, that God was willing that his own dear Son ſhould be thus obſcured and diminiſhed, and become ſo mean and ſo miſerable for our ſakes; that he ſhould not only ſtoop to be made Man, and to dwell among us, but that he ſhould likewiſe ſubmit to the Infirmities of our Nature, and to be made in all things like unto us, Sin only excepted; that he ſhould be contented to bear ſo many Affronts and Indignities from perverſe and unthankful Men, and to endure ſuch Contradiction of Sinners againſt himſelf; that he who was the Brightneſs of his Father's Glory, ſhould be deſpiſed and rejected of Men, a Man of ſorrows, und acquainted with griefs, and rather than we ſhould periſh, ſhould put himſelf into our Place, and be contented to ſuffer and die for us; and that God ſhould be willing that all this ſhould be done to his only Son, to ſave Sinners. What greater Teſtimony could he give of his Love to us!
3. Let us conſider farther to whom he was ſent, which is alſo implyed in theſe Words, he ſent his Son into the World; into a wicked World, that was altogether unworthy of him; and to an Ungrateful World, that did moſt unworthily uſe him.
Firſt, Into a Wicked World, that was altogether unworthy of him, that had deſerved no ſuch Kindneſs at his Hands. For what were we, that God ſhould ſend ſuch a Perſon amongſt us, that he ſhould make his Son ſtoop ſo low, as to dwell in our Nature, and to become one of us? We were Rebels and Enemies, Enemies to God by evil Works, up in Arms againſt Heaven, and at open Defiance with God our Maker. When the World was in this Poſture of Enmity and Hoſtility againſt God; then he ſent his Son to Treat with us, and to offer us Peace. What can more commend the Love of God, than this, that he ſhould ſhew ſuch Kindneſs to us, when we were Sinners and Enemies! Herein God hath commended his Love towards us, (ſays the Apoſtle, Rom. 5.8.) in that whilſt we were yet Sinners, Chriſt died for us.
Secondly, Into an Ungrateful World, that did moſt unworthily uſe him, that gave no becoming Entertainment to him (the Foxes had Holes, and the Birds of the Air had Neſts; but the Son of Man had not where to lay his Head) that heaped all manner of Contumelies and Indignities upon him, that Perſecuted him all his Life, and at laſt put him to a moſt painful and ſhameful Death; in a word, that was ſo far from receiving him as the Son of God, that they did not treat him with common Humanity, and like one of the Sons of men.
4. He did all this voluntarily and freely; God ſent his Son into the World, mero motu, of his own meer Grace and Goodneſs, moved by nothing but his own Bowels, and the Conſideration of our Miſery; not overpowered by any Force; (for what could offer Violence to him to whom all Power belongs?) not conſtrain'd by any Neceſſity, for he had been Happy, tho' we had remained for ever Miſerable; he might have choſen other Objects of his Love and Pity, and have left us involved in that Miſery, which we had wilfully brought upon our ſelves.
Nor was he prevail'd upon by any Application from us, or importunity of ours to do this for us. Had we been left to have contrived the way of our Recovery; this, which God hath done for us, could never have entred into the Heart of Man to have imagin'd, much leſs to have defir'd it at his Hands. If the way of our Salvation had been put into the Hands of our own Counſel and Choice, how could we have been ſo impudent as to have begg'd of God, that his only Son might deſcend from Heaven and become Man, be poor, deſpiſed, and miſerable for our ſakes? God may ſtoop as low as he pleaſeth, being ſecure of his own Majeſty and Greatneſs; but it had been a Boldneſs in us, not far from Blaſphemy, to have deſired of him to condeſcend to ſuch a a ſubmiſſion.
Nor, Laſtly, was he pre-oblig'd by any Kindneſs or Benefit from us; ſo far from that, that we had given him all poſſible Provocation to the contrary, and had Reaſon to expect the Effect of his heavieſt Diſpleaſure: And yet though he was the pars laeſa, the party that had been diſoblig'd and injured; tho' we were firſt in the Offence and Provocation; he was pleaſed to make the firſt Overtures of Peace and Reconciliation; and tho' it was wholly our Concernment, and not his; yet he was pleaſed to condeſcend ſo far to our Perverſeneſs and Obſtinacy, as to ſend his Son to us, and to beſeech us to be reconciled.
Now herein, (ſays the Apoſtle, immediately after the Text) herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and ſent his Son to be the propitiation for our Sins: Herein is the Love of God manifeſted, that the kindneſs began on his part, and not on ours; that being neither obliged nor deſired by us, he did freely and of his own accord, ſend his only-begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
What now remains but to apply this to our ſelves?
1. Let us propound to our ſelves the Love of God for our Pattern and Example. This is the Inference which the Apoſtle makes in the next Verſe but one after the Text, Beloved, if God ſo loved us, we ought alſo to love one another. One would have thought the Inference ſhould have been, if God ſo loved us, then we ought alſo to love him. But the Apoſtle doth not ſpeak ſo much of the Affection, as the Effect of Love; and his meaning is, if God hath beſtowed ſuch Benefits upon us, we ought, in imitation of him, to be kind and beneficial one to another. Not but that we ought to love God with all our hearts, and ſouls, and ſtrength; but in this Senſe we are not capable of it. We cannot be beneficial to him; becauſe he is ſelf-ſufficient, and ſtands in need of nothing; and therefore the Apoſtle adds this as a Reaſon, why he does not Exhort Men to love God, but one another; no man hath ſeen God at any time; he is not ſenſible to us, and therefore none of theſe ſenſible things can ſignifie any thing to him. But he hath Friends and Relations here in the World, who are capable of the ſenſible Effects of our Love, and to whom we may ſhew kindneſs for his ſake; we cannot be beneficial to God, but we may teſtifie our Love to him, by our Kindneſs and Charity to Men, who are made after the Image of God; and if we ſee any one Miſerable, that is Conſideration enough to move our Charity. There was nothing but this in us to move him to Pity us, when we were in our blood, and no eye pitied us.
God is a Pattern of the moſt generous Kindneſs and Charity. Tho' he be infinitely above us, yet he thought it not below him to confider our Caſe, and to employ his only Son to Save us; he had no Obligation to us, no Expectation of Advantage from us, and can never be in a poſſibility to ſtand in need of us; and yet he loved us, and hath conferred the greateſt Benefits upon us. So that no Man can have deſerved ſo ill at our hands, but that if he be in want, and we in a Condition to help him, he ought to come within the Compaſs and Conſideration of our Charity.
And this is the proper Seaſon for it, when we Commemorate the greateſt Bleſſing and Benefit that was ever conferred on Mankind, The Son of God ſent into the world, on purpoſe to redeem and ſave us. And therefore I cannot but very much commend the Cuſtom of Feeding and Relieving the Poor, more eſpecially at this time, when the Poor do uſually ſtand moſt in need of it, and when we Commemorate the grace of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, who being rich became poor for our ſakes, that we through his poverty might be made rich.
2. Let us readily comply with the great Deſign of this great Love of God to Mankind. He hath ſent his Son, that we might live through him. But tho' he had done all this for us, tho' he hath purchaſed ſo great Bleſſings for us, as the Pardon of our Sins, and Power againſt them, and Eternal Life and Happineſs; yet there is ſomething to be done on our parts, to make us Partakers of theſe Benefits. God hath not ſo loved us, as to ſend his Son into the World, to carry Men to Heaven whether they will or no; and to reſcue thoſe from the ſlavery of the Devil, and the Damnation of Hell, who are fond of their Fetters, and wilfully run themſelves upon Ruin and Deſtruction. But the Son of God came to offer Happineſs to us, upon certain Terms and Conditions, ſuch as are fit for God to propound, and neceſſary for us to perform, to make us capable of the bleſſedneſs which he offers; as namely, repentance towards God, and faith in our Lord Jeſus Chriſt; a ſincere and conſtant Endeavour of Obedience to the Laws and Precepts of our Holy Religion.
Theſe are the Terms of the Goſpel; and the Grace of God which brings Salvation, offers it only upon theſe Terms, that we deny Ʋngodlineſs and worldly Luſts, and live ſoberly, righteouſly, and godly in this preſent world: then we may expect the bleſſed hope. But if we will not ſubmit to theſe Conditions, the Son of God will be no Saviour to us; for he is the Author of Eternal Salvation only to them that obey him. If Men will continue in their Sins, the Redemption wrought by Chriſt will be of no Advantage to them; ſuch as obſtinately perſiſt in an impenitent Courſe, Ipſa ſi velit ſalus ſervare non poteſt, Salvation it ſelf cannot ſave them.
Theſe are the Conditions of our Happineſs, and if we ſubmit to them we are Heirs of Eternal Life; if we refuſe, we are Sons of Perdition, eternally loſt and undone; for we may aſſure our ſelves, that theſe are the beſt and eaſieſt Terms that can ever be offered to us, becauſe God ſent them by his Son. This is the laſt Effort of the Divine Love and Goodneſs, towards the Recovery and Salvation of Men; ſo the Apoſtle tells us, Heb. 1.1, 2. that God, who at ſundry times, and in divers manners ſpake to the fathers, by the Prophets, hath in theſe laſt days ſpoken to us by his Son; and if we refuſe to hear him, he will ſpeak no more. After this it is not to be expected, that God ſhould make any farther Attempts for our Recovery; for he can ſend no greater nor dearer Perſon to us, than his, own Son; and if we refuſe him, whom will we reverence? If after this we ſtill wilfully go on in our Sins; there remains no more ſacrifice for Sin; but a fearful looking for of Judgment, and fiery indignation to conſume us.
3. With what Joy and Thankfulneſs ſhould we Commemorate this great Love of God to Mankind, in ſending his only-begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him!
This is the proper End of the Bleſſed Sacrament, which we are now going to receive, to repreſent to our Minds the Incarnation and Paſſion of our dear Lord, by the Symbols of his Body broken, and his blood ſhed for us. With what acknowledgments ſhould we Celebrate the Memory of this wonderful Love, which the Son of God hath ſhewn to the Sons of Men; endeavouring to make all the World in love with him, who hath ſo loved all Mankind!
When ever we ſee his Blood poured forth, and his Body broken for us, ſo moving a Sight ſhould raiſe ſtrange Paſſions in us, of love to our Saviour, and hatred to our Sins; and ſhould inſpire us with mighty Reſolutions of Service and Obedience to him; and when ever the Pledges and Seals of theſe Benefits are delivered into our Hands, the ſight of them ſhould at once wound and revive our Hearts, and make us to cry out, Lord, how unworthy am I, for whom thou ſhouldeſt do and ſuffer all this! I am overcome by thy love, and can no longer hold out, againſt the mighty force of ſuch kindneſs! I render my ſelf to thee, and will ſerve thee for ever, who haſt redeemed me at ſo dear a rate!
Now to him that ſitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb that was ſlain, to God even our Father, and to the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, the firſt begotten from the Dead, and the Prince of the Kings of the Earth; unto him that hath loved us, and waſhed us from our Sins in his own Blood, and hath made us Kings and Prieſts to God and his Father, to him be Glory and Dominion for ever and ever, Amen.
FINIS.
End of the text · John Tillotson, Sixteen Sermons Volume 2 (1700)