fterity of Adam. Hereby "fin was con "demned in the flesh," that is, in the same nature that had offended: And God, by "fetting forth his own Son, to be a propi"tiation through faith in his blood," doth how manifest his righteousness, no less than his mercy, in the forgiveness of fin; and appears to all his intelligent creatures to be infinitely just, as well as infinitely gracious, when he justifies those that believe in Jesus. The Son of God" was wounded for our "tranfgreffions, and bruifed for our iniquities:"" He bore our fins in his own body upon the cross" So that "now "there is no condemnation to them that are in Chrift Jefus ;" for, as the Apostle reasons, Rom. viii. 33, 34. "Who fhall lay

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any thing to, the charge of God's elect? "It is God that justifieth. Who is he that " condemneth? It is Chrift that died, yea, "rather that is rifen again, who is even at "the right hand of God, who also maketh "interceffion for us.'

And as the death or facrifice of Christ abfolves all that believe on him from the guilt of fin, which, as I formerly obferved, is the fundamental

VOL. II.

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fundamental and introductory bleffing of the covenant; so his exaltation, which is the reward of his poverty, or voluntary humiliation, qualifies him to confer upon them all thofe confequent bleffings which enrich them in time, and fhall complete their hap piness in the eternal world. Thus it is writ ten, Philip. ii. 8, &c. that because "Chrift "humbled himself, and became obedient

unto death, even the death of the cross;" therefore God alfo hath highly exalted "him, and given him a name which is "above every name; that at the name of "Jefus every knee should bow, of things in

heaven, and things in earth, and things "under the earth; and that every tongue "fhould confefs that Jefus Chrift is Lord, "to the glory of God the Father." And to the fame purpose we read, Eph. i. 21. et feq. that "when God raifed him from the dead, he fet him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, "and power, and might, and dominion, "and every name that is named, not only "in this world, but alfo in that which is to ' come; and put all things under his feet,

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and gave him to be the head over all "things to the church, which is his body, "the fulness of him that filleth all in all." When Chrift afcended up on high, leading captivity captive; he then received gifts for men, even for the rebellious, that the Lord God might dwell among them. And now all power is committed to him, both in heaven and on earth: He not only appears in the prefence of God as our great High Prieft, to plead the merit of his facrifice, and to blefs his people; but he fits at the Father's right hand, enthroned in glory, as "the

King whom God hath fet upon his holy " hill of Zion;" from whence he fends forth his angels as "miniftering fpirits," to minifter unto the heirs of promife during their continuance in this houfe of their pilgrimage, till they arrive at his Father's houfe in heaven, where they fhall be advanced to fit with him upon his throne, and poffefs fulness of joy, and pleafures for ever

more.

AND now, my dear brethren, in the review of these five particulars, to which the

Apostle directs our attention in proof and commendation of the grace which he celebrates, what improvement doth it become us to make of the fubject?

Doth not the grace of our Lord Jefus Chrift call for our humble and thankful admiration? The original and effential riches of the Redeemer, the poverty to which he voluntarily fubmitted, the character of thofe for whofe fake he became poor,-the riches he imparts unto them, and the means by which he doth it;-are all fo wonderful when feparately confidered, and kindle fuch a blaze of glory when combined and brought together, that angels themfelves are dazzled with its splendor; and, through all eternity, will contemplate, with increafing wonder: and delight, what neither they, nor we,* fhall ever be able fully to comprehend.

You must further be fenfible, that thisgrace of our Lord Jesus Christ doth likewife invite, and fhould even conftrain, our imi-. tation. It was for this purpose that the Apostle introduced it into the fubject with which my text is immediately connected. He is recommending love to the brethren,

and

and in particular that inftance of charity which confifteth in fupplying the wants of the poor and the argument or motive with which he preffeth his exhortation, is the grace of our Lord Jefus Chrift, who, though he was rich, yet for their fake became poor, that they through his poverty might be rich. And here, did your time permit, I might take occafion to fhow, that the gospel of Chrift is fo far from relaxing the obligations of those who receive it, to the practice of focial duties, that, on the contrary, it strengthens thefe obligations, and carries the duties. themselves to a fublimer height of selfdenial, than the most refined moralift ever thought of, or perhaps would choose to adopt for the measure of his own conduct. I need only quote one paffage of Scripture in proof of what I have faid, where love to the brethren appears plainly to be raised by gofpel-grace even above the standard of the original law itfelf. The law faith, " Thou "fhalt love thy neighbour as thyfelf." But what faith the gospel? You may read it, 1 John iii. 16. "Hereby perceive we the love "of God, because he laid down his life for " us."

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