JESUS CHRIST THE ONLY FOUNDATION.

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JESUS CHRIST THE ONLY FOUNDATION.

FOR OTHER FOUNDATION CAN NO MAN LAY, THAN THAT IS LAID, WHICH IS JESUS CHRIST.

EVERY man, who has any sense of the value of his soul, and any regard to its eternal interest, must be convinced of the necessity of some sure and certain foundation, for peace, comfort, and hope, with respect to his future state

The soul is so precious, that nothing can be a proper foundation for hope concerning its salvation, but one that is firm and stedfast, one that is laid by GOD himself, one that will endure the severest trials, and that will stand when every thing else will fall.

He is represented as a foolish man, who
built his house on the sand; but he is called wise, who built upon the Rock, and that Rock is "CHRIST JESUSE".

It is also a matter of great importance, that Christians should learn to distinguish between the true ground of hope, and every thing else which has any connection with it, or dependence upon it: For want of this, many a true Christian has been subject to great uneasiness of mind, and has deprived himself of much comfort, which he might have enjoyed.

The Apostle in our context, compares Christians to a building, "YE are GOD's building," the foundation of which is JESUS CHRIST. "Every man" is building on this foundation; but the Apostle direction is, "Let every man take heedhow he builds thereon."

The foundation is the most important part: There is but one, and no man can lay another, that will stand. When he
has begun on the true foundation, then let him take heed how he builds; for there are precious and vile materials, which, imperfect as we are.

There are "gold, silver and precious stones," by which are meant divine truths in the heart, forming the graces and virtues of the Christian character, the genuine fruits of faith and acts of obedience to the gospel.

And there are "wood, hay and
stubble," by which are meant false notions, misguided zeal, and erroneous conduct in religion, superstition, enthusiasm and human infirmity.

These things are too often mixed with the
genuine fruits of religion, even in those whom we have reason to hope are true Christians. But there is a day coming when "every man's work will be tried as with fire," then these imperfect and corrupt mixtures will be burnt, and the man who had them will suffer loss, a loss however which he will have no reason to regret; because he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire, i. e. as "a brand plucked out of the burning."

But if any man's work shall abide the trial, he shall receive a reward, from
that impartial and all-penetrating Judge, who"shall try every man's work of what sort it is."

This I take to be the meaning of the Apostle in our text and context. He would have us take heed that we build on the true
foundation|, for God has laid but one, and no man can lay another.

Yet as it is too evident that many persons, and some who call themselves Christians, are either building on an
imperfect foundation, or else mistaking the
foundation, for some part of the superstructure; I shall endeavour, in discoursing on this subject:

I. To shew that JESUS CHRIST is the only Foundation, on which we can build with safety.

II. To point out the weakness and insufficiency of other things which we may mistake for the Foundation.

First, I am to shew, that JESUS CHRIST is the only Foundation, on which we can build with safety.

The Christian life is here compared to a building raised on a foundation; to a building not yet
finished, but which is growing up by degrees, to an holy temple in the Lord. Such a foundation is CHRIST, as he is described by the Prophet;

Behold I lay in Zion for a foundation, a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner-stone, a sure foundation.

God was pleased to give the most public, solemn testimony to the perfection of his righteousness, and the acceptance of his sacrifice, by raising him from the dead, and exalting him to his own right hand in the heavenly places.

Being thus made perfect through suffering, he is become the author of eternal salvation to them that obey him. Upon this foundation, namely, the once offered
sacrifice of Jesus Christ, God is reconciling the world to himself. Upon this foundation the Church is built. "Christ is the stone which the Jewish builders rejected, and which is now become the head of the corner; neither is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name given under heaven, among men, whereby we must be saved.

I now proceed to the second thing proposed,

II. To point out the weakness and insufficiency of other things, which we may mistake for our foundation.

There are some who build their religion only on the foundation of nature; on the natural notions which they have of God, his attributes and works.

They have learnt that there is a God,
that he is infinitely wise, holy, just and good; and from these characters of God, they infer the duties of reverence, love, and obedience to the dictates of that law which he has written on the heart.

These primary truths and duties of religion are all contained in the Gospel, and make an essential part of it; but this foundation is
defective, because it admits not of a Mediator. It will do for innocent, but not for sinful creatures. Some people build their religion on a partial view of Christ, as a redeemer. They believe that
he died to redeem us from the punishment of sin in the future world; but they have no idea of being redeemed from the power of sin in this world:

They will readily trust in him as a saviour from the wrath of God, but they are not willing to submit to him as
a King and Lord, and bow their necks to his yoke: They would be glad to be saved by him, but they are not willing to be ruled by him:

They entertain very high thoughts of the mercy of God towards sinners, and the merits of Christ's blood, to deliver them from destruction; but they have no regard to the duty which God requires of them; no readiness to the work of mortification
and self-denial; no disposition to do any thing in religion, but to entertain a blind hope, and a dead faith in Christ, as a partial redeemer.

Finally, Let us be thankful to God for Jesus Christ, the only foundation which he has laid; and for the abundant evidence which he has given us of the divinity of his character, the perfection of his righteousness, the acceptance of his sacrifice, the prevalence of his intercession, and the future glory of his kingdom.

On him, as our foundation, let us build our faith, our hope, our profession, our obedience, and our experience.

We must not pretend to hold the foundation, unless we are building thereon; for a foundation is of no use but to build upon, Having therefore
begun at the right foundation, let us be
careful that our structure consist of the best materials, and avoid, as much as possible, all
impure and perishable mixtures. And if we are building on this foundation, we shall have all his glorious perfections engaged for us; his wisdom to direct us, his righteousness to justify us, his
power to defend us, and his grace to bestow on us a full reward—when he "shall be revealed from heaven in flaming fire."