kingdom, where the fpiritual life begun at the new birth in the hearts of his people, fhall arrive at full maturity, and be enjoyed in perfection through all eternity. Thus it appears, that the Son, as Mediator, is poffeffed of all that life which is the Father's gift to finners of mankind.

2dly, We are taught with equal plainnefs, that the Son hath the entire difpofal of life, and is the fole fountain or fource from whence it flows. Thus our Lord faid to the

Jews, John v. 21. "As the Father raifeth up the dead, and quickeneth them, even "fo the Son quickeneth whom he will." In his conference with Martha at the sepulchre of her brother Lazarus, he styled himfelf the refurrection and the life; and added, "He that believeth in me, though he were "dead, yet fhall he live: and whofoever "liveth, and believeth on me, fhall never "die."-The manner of imparting this life he illustrates by the fimilitude of a vine and its branches. "I," faid he, "am the “vine, and ye are the branches. As the "branch cannot bear fruit of itfelf, except "it abide in the vine; no more can ye,

"except

"except ye abide in me: For without me "(or feparated from me) ye can do no"thing." Accordingly he gets the name of "the head, from which all the body, by "joints and bands having nourishment mi

nistered, and knit together, increaseth "with the increase of God.". -The clofenefs of this union is thus expressed, 1 Cor. vi. 17. "He that is joined to the Lord is ONE " SPIRIT." And the Apostle Paul, in defcribing his own life as "a man in Christ," Gal. ii. 20. after having faid, "I am cru"cified with Chrift," he immediately fubjoins, "nevertheless I live; yet not I, but 66 Chrift liveth in me; and the life which I "now live in the flesh, I live by the faith "of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."-And this leads to the

3d Particular I mentioned, as included in that strong expreffion, This life is in his Son; namely, That in him it is effectually fecured for all that believe on him, so that no adverse power fhall be able to deprive them of it. Nothing can be more explicit

upon

upon

this head than our Lord's own words, John x. 27. et feqq. My sheep hear my "voice, and I know them, and they follow 66 me. And I give unto them eternal life, " and they fhall never perish, neither fhall any pluck them out of my hand. My "Father which gave them me is greater " than all: and none is able to pluck them "out of my Father's hand. I and my Fa❝ther are one."-It is probable that Paul had this declaration in his eye, when he thus wrote to the Christians at Coloffe, Gotoff iii. 3. "Your life is bid (that is,

fafely lodged) with Chrift in God." Indeed the treafure was too precious to be committed to any creature. Of this, the example of Adam, in his greatest perfection, affords a ftriking proof. How foon was his own life, and the life of all his posterity, forfeited in his hands? Not the highest feraph, none other but Emmanuel, God in our nature, was equal to the truft. But with him it is in abfolute fafety. He is able to keep that which the Father hath committed to him: And therefore, " because he liveth, all who have fled to him

"for

"for refuge, fhall live alfo;" and may be fully affured, that "when he who is their

life fhall appear, then fhall they likewife appear with him in glory." Accordingly, the Apostle fubjoins to my text, He that hath the Son, hath life. He doth not fay, he shall have life at fome diftant period, but he hath it already, in present poffeffion. And well might he fay fo, when he recollected thefe words of our Lord, which his own pen had recorded in the 6th chapter of his gofpel, "I am the "bread of life.-I am the living bread which

came down from heaven: if any man eat of "this bread, he fhall live for ever. - As the "living Father bath fent me, and I live by "the Father; so he that eateth me, even he Shall live by me." For how can he die who feedeth upon that which giveth life? and He furely must have life in all its extent and perfection, whofe fuftenance or aliment is no other than effential life itself.

Hence it appears, how much they miftake the gofpel-conftitution, who represent eternal life as a diftant reward, fufpended upon the performance of certain conditions

on

on the part of the creature: whereas falvation through Chrift, though perfected in heaven, is a prefent falvation; of which the various particulars, which are com monly styled terms of acceptance with God, are in truth conftituent parts, fuited to the prefent state of Chriftians; and ought therefore to be confidered as the genuine actings, and confequently the proper evidences, of life received from Chrift, but not as the conditions or means of obtaining it. That our Apostle viewed the matter in this light is evident, from the 13th verfe of this chapter; where, in the review of the large account he had given of the special duties that belong to believers, and the characters by which they are diftinguished, he thus concludes: "These things have I written "unto you that believe on the name of the "Son of God," (not that ye may obtain,

but), "that ye may know that

ye have eter

"nal life," by the free gift of the Father, in confequence of your union with his bleffed Son, who hath the fulness of life in his hand, as the proprietor, the difpenfer, and the guardian thereof. For eternal life

doth