"My bowels! my bowels! I am pained at

แ

my very heart, because thou hast heard, "O my foul! the found of the trumpet, and "the alarm of war." All above is order and harmony; there is nothing to hurt, nothing to destroy, through the whole extent of the heavenly Jerufalem, that imperial feat of Zion's King.-Such, can the believer say, is the object of my hope.

Do you inquire into the grounds of his hope, he hath an answer ready in the words. of my text, and can fay with the Apostle Paul,-If when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son; much more being reconciled, we shall be faved by his life.

Here the reasoning is at once profound and obvious; it is fimple and ingenious at the fame time: fo fimple and obvious, that the mind, with one glance, perceives its force, and is fatisfied; fo profound and ingenious, that the more accurately it is examined, the more conclufive it will ap

pear.

From the efficacy of Chrift's death, which

P 3

the

the Apostle had proved at large in the foregoing part of this epiftle, he infers, in this paffage, the fuperior efficacy of his restored life: fay, his reflored life; for the life here referred to, was not that life previous to his crucifixion, which he led upon earth in "the form of a fervant; but the life he now lives at the right hand of God, where he is exalted to the throne as a Prince and a Saviour,

having a name given him above every name, that at the name of Jefus every knee fhould bow, and every tongue confefs, that he is Lord, to the glory of God "the Father."

Two comparisons are here ftated; the one betwixt the paft and present state of believers; formerly they were enemies to God, now they are become friends. The other comparison is betwixt the past and prefent condition of the Saviour; once he was dead, now he is alive. And the propofition that connects the two is this, That reconciliation to God was entirely owing to the death of Chrift, as the meritorious procuring caufe. Thefe are the premifes from whence the Apostle draws his con

clufion,

clufion, and proves, with demonstrative evidence, the abfolute certainty of the complete and everlafting falvation of believers.

The only principle he affumes, is what every one must admit as foon as it is mentioned, viz. that reconciliation to an enemy is a more difficult exercife of goodness than beneficence to a friend. Upon which he thus reasons, That if the death of Chrift had fufficient virtue to produce the greater effect, viz. reconciliation to thofe who formerly were enemies, there can be no room to doubt that the life of Chrift, which is a more powerful caufe, must be fufficient to produce the leffer effect; leffer I mean in point of difficulty, namely, the continuance of the divine friendship and beneficence to those whom his death hath reconciled, till he bring them in due time, to the full poffeffion of the purchased inheritance.

Say then, my brethren, may not the hope of a Chriftian be justly denominated a rational hope, or, as the Apostle terms it, verfe 5. a hope that maketh not afha"med?" And may not the believer reply,

with holy exultation, to every one that

asketh him a reafon of the hope that is in

I was
was recon-

him, If when I was an enemy, ciled to God by the death of his Son, much more being reconciled, I shall be faved by his life his death was the price of the inheritance I look for; and his reftored life is my evidence that the price was accepted, and the purchase made. This renders my hope affured and vigorous. Did it depend upon any thing in myfelf, on the strength, or wisdom, or worthinefs, of the creature, it would quickly languifh and die; but as it leans upon him who rofe from the grave to die no more, who afcended up on high, leading captivity captive, and is now exalted at the right hand of God, it is become an anchor of the foul, both fure "and ftedfaft:" for the Father raifed him from the dead, and gave him glory, for this very end, that every ground of jealoufy being removed, my faith and hope might be in God, 1 Pet. i. 21.

It must already have occurred to you, that none can apply this reasoning to themselves, but thofe who are previously reconciled

reconciled to God by the death of his Son. Here begins the hope of a finner; and here likewife muft I begin to bring the fubject home to our own hearts, by inquiring who among us can fay, that we have experienced this bleffed fruit of the Redeemer's death.

And for our affiftance in this important trial, I fhall endeavour, in few words,' to mark out fome of the principal steps, by which the foul is most usually led by the Spirit of God unto a vital union with the Lord Jefus Chrift; who of God is made unto all that believe in him, wisdom, and righteousness, and fanctification, and redemption.

A deep conviction of guilt and mifery doth certainly lie at the root of this import{ant change. The finner feeth himself to be all pollution, naked, and 'defenceless, having nothing to fcreen him from the wrath of that Almighty Being whom he hath offended.- This conftrains him to look about for deliverance. The wrath of God is intolerable: he cannot dwell with devouring