it; and thus " by one man fin entered into "the world, and death by fin:" fo that ever fince that fatal trespass, "death hath passed 66 upon all men."

The SECOND ADAM received the grant of eternal life for his church, upon terms no lefs fevere than his obedience unto death, even the death of the crofs; that fin being condemned in the flesh, mercy and truth might meet together upon the apoftate race, righteousness and peace might embrace each other. But difficult as the terms were, he not only punctually, but cheerfully, fulfilled them, infomuch that under all the pain and ignominy of the cross, he would not bow his head, and yield up the ghost, till, with a fhout of triumph, he could fay, "It " is finished."

"The firft man Adam was made a living "foul; but the fecond Adam was made a quickening fpirit." "The firft man was "of the earth, earthy: the fecond man was "the Lord from heaven.'

In the head of the first creation there dwelt indeed a fulness, but it was only the fulness of a creature: whereas all fulness

refides

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refides in the Head of the new creation; or, as it is elsewhere expreffed in this fame epistle, "in him dwelleth all the fulness of "the Godhead bodily."

Here, my brethren, expreffion fails; an ocean opens to our view that hath neither bottom nor fhore, the Godhead !-the fulnefs of the Godhead!-all the fulnefs of the Godhead! How flat, how unmeaning, is the language of men, when applied to a fubject which angels themselves are unable to comprehend? glorious constitution of grace! worthy of him whofe name, whofe effence, is love; and infinitely becoming the wifdom of that Sovereign, "whofe "work is perfect, and all whose ways are

judgement." With fuch an object in our eye, can we refrain from crying out, "Let "Ifrael rejoice in him that made him; let "the children of Zion be joyful in their King?" Well might Paul fay, "I know "whom I have believed; and I am perfuaded, that he is able to keep that which "I have committed to him against that day." This is the endearing peculiarity of the gofpel-covenant, that all the bleffings

of

of it are fecured against forfeiture, in the hands of him who hath already fulfilled the terms of the grant, and finished the work which was given him to do who, as he died to purchase those bleffings, so he ever liveth to dispense them :-ONE who by nature is God as well as man; and in whom, as the Word incarnate, and Mediator of the covenant, it hath pleafed the Father that all fulness fhould dwell, for enriching, to the utmoft capacity of created beings, all the members of that body whereof he is the head.

But what are the bleffings of this wellordered covenant?-Let your own neceffities. dictate the anfwer.. Say, my brethren, what do you need?

Is it the pardon of fin? Look back to the 14th verfe of this chapter:-" In Christ we "have redemption through his blood, even "the forgiveness of fins." "He hath

"made peace by the blood of his cross," as we read verfe 20th; and "the blood of

Jefus cleanfeth from all fin." "He was "made fin for us, who knew no fin, that we "might be made the righteousness of God in

"given to the Son to have life in himfelf." And in this fame epiftle where my text lies, Chrift is exprefsly ftyled our life; and the life of the believer is faid to be bid, or treafured up, with Chrift in God. Coloff. iii, 3, 4. "Ye are dead," faith the Apostle; dead to Adam, and the corrupted perishing life you derived from him; dead to a prefent world, and the things on earth, which are no longer the objects of your affection. Thus are ye dead; but being raised with Chrift to the things that are above, to a new life, and manner of living, " your life is hid with "Chrift in God: and when he who is our "life fhall appear, then fhall ye alfo appear

"with him in glory."

Here we are again led into a fubject, to which no language is adequate, but fuch “unfpeakable words" as Paul heard in paradife," which it is not lawful for a man "to utter."

Should I attempt to enlarge upon it, I am afraid that I fhould only "darken counsel "by words without knowledge." What hath already been faid upon that fulness which dwelleth in Chrift, may fuffice to convince

convince you, that "his riches are unsearch"able," and that nothing is wanting which finners can either need or wish to poffefs. In him, as you have heard, they have both righteousness and ftrength: Righteousness for the guilty, complete and everlasting righteousness; for " by him all who be"lieve are juftified from all things:"-And strength for the weak,-nay life for the dead; with this peculiar advantage, that it is not left to their own keeping, but still refides in him who is the head of the body, and is imparted to them as his members, by that Spirit which is the indiffoluble bond of their union; "for he that is joined to the "Lord is one fpirit." Accordingly he fays, "Because I live, ye fhall live alfo." And this was the foundation of that parting promife to his difciples, "I go to prepare a "place for you: and if I go and prepare a "place for you, I will come again and re

ceive you unto myself, that, where I am, "there ye may be alfo."-This would lead me to fpeak of that high perfection at which the life they at prefent receive from him fhall arrive in the heavenly world, when

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