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In my library is a book that is over three hundred years old. The book is fifteen sermons preached in England by John Sharp, the Archbishop of York in the 1690s.

One of the sermons was given in 1691 to members of the English government in London and to William III and Mary II, the then King and Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland. The sermon’s text was the second half of Hebrews 9:26. This says

But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.

Here is part of the sermon.

God has sent his Son, his only Son into the world to assure us of his good will toward us; to give a demonstration of the heartfelt love and kindness that he bears to every human soul, that he would not have any of them perish, but that they should all come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved. This Son of his does most solemnly in the name of his Father proclaim pardon and remission of sins to everyone that should believe in him. There is no sinner forgotten, even the oldest, the worst, the most evil, if they will come and submit to the yoke of Jesus Christ, have his certain promise that they shall be received.

And lest anyone should fear God’s justice, believing that there can be no satisfaction made to it for their sins, our Lord has taken care to remove that objection. For by the immeasurable merits of his very nature and the free unconstrained offering up of himself to a hideous death upon the cross for all humanity, he has made a full and complete satisfaction to God’s justice for all the sins of the world, from the beginning to the end of time.

O how welcome ought this news be to us! How uplifted should we be at the infinite kindness of God made known to us by our Saviour! Praised be God for his astonishing love. Forever worshipped be our Lord Jesus, who has made atonement for us by his blood. O let us ever kiss and hug the precious Scriptures of the New Testament that say that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, to save you, and me, and all sinners, even the greatest of sinners.

What fabulous preaching, spoken not only to ordinary people but to government and royalty.

How encouraging! This Gospel of God’s saving grace has been faithfully proclaimed for hundreds of years. This Gospel of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross is the answer to humanity’s need for forgiveness and hope. This Gospel of redemption is unchanging; it is the power of God for salvation.

Let us celebrate this Gospel today; let us take this Gospel into every area of our lives; let us announce this Gospel by word and deed, in our homes, neighbourhoods, places of work, with family and friends, and to strangers. As Hebrews 9:26 says: Christ appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.

May our hearts, voices, and lives rejoice. Christ has done it.

視頻大意翻譯(video Chinese translation):

大家早。

上周，在我圖書館裡看到了一本已有300多年歷史的書。這本書是約克大主教約翰·夏普 1690 年代在英國宣講的十五篇講道。

因此，你可以想像我在讀到這1691年所寫講道時的喜悅。這篇道是約克大主教向倫敦的英國政府成員以及當時的英格蘭、蘇格蘭和愛爾蘭國王和女王威廉三世和瑪麗二世所宣講的。講道的經文是希伯來書9：26的後半部分。說:

但如今在這末世顯現一次、把自己獻為祭、好除掉罪。

一起來聽這一部分的講道。

神差遣他的兒子，他的獨生子來到世上，向我們保證他對我們的善意; 來展示他給每個靈魂所懷全心的愛和恩慈，他不會讓他們當中任何一個人滅亡，而是讓他們都認識真理並且得救。兒子奉他父的名鄭重地向所有應該相信他的人宣告赦免和罪得赦免。沒有任何一個罪人會被遺忘，即使是最年長的、最壞的、最邪惡的，如果他們來，順服耶穌基督的軛，他應許他們肯定會被接受。

為了避免有人敬畏神的公義，覺得他們自己的罪不能得到滿足，但我們的主已經移去了這異議。因憑著祂本性中無法測度的美善，以及祂白白地為全人類在十字架上死去，祂已經完全滿足了神對世上所有罪孽了的公義，從時間的開始一直到結束。

哦，這個消息對我們來說是多麼受歡迎！我們的救主向我們彰顯神無限的仁慈，我們應該多麼振奮！讚美神驚人的愛。永遠敬拜我們的主耶穌，祂用祂的寶血為我們贖罪。哦，讓我們永遠親吻和擁抱新約中寶貴的經文，這些經文說耶穌基督來到世上是為了拯救罪人，拯救你和我，及所有的罪人，甚至是最大的罪人。

多麼美妙的講道！不只是對普通人說話，而且對政府和皇室說話。

當我讀到這些話時，我受到了鼓勵。這福音關於神在耶穌裡救贖恩典的福音已經忠實地宣揚了數百年。基督在十字架上犧牲救贖你我的福音是人類需要寬恕和希望的答案。這救贖的福音是不變的; 這是神救恩的大能。

今天讓我們慶祝這個福音; 讓我們把這福音帶到我們生活的每一個領域：讓我們在家裡、鄰里、工作場所、與家人和朋友以及陌生人面前，通過言語和行為宣講這福音。正如希伯來書9：26所說：基督在這末世顯現一次、把自己獻為祭、好除掉罪。

讓我們禱告。

Grace and peace

Pastor Callum