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"the devils are fubject unto us through thy "name."

Upon this the hotter part of the war begins. The old ferpent puts forth all his ftrength and cunning, raiseth up enemies from every quarter, works upon the pride, envy, and prejudices of the Jewish rulers and teachers, and by their agency carries on a most furious perfecution against him. Yet ftill this great Captain of Salvation maintains his ground, and, amidst all the oppofition that is made to him, lays the foundation of a kingdom against which the gates of hell fhall never be able to prevail; till at length, by feeming to yield, he gives the enemy the mortal blow, pursues him into his own dominions; and, by a mysterious wisdom, "through death, he

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conquers him that had the power of death, "that is the devil :" And having thus obtained a complete victory, he rifeth from the grave in triumph, ascendeth up on high, leading captivity captive; where, feated on the right hand of the Father, he shall continue in the exercise of government as Mediator,

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diator, till all his enemies be made his footftool.

Thus, you fee, that the doctrine of my text doth not lean upon a fingle testimony, but is fupported by many clear and express declarations of holy writ, and beautifully illuftrated by the whole of our Saviour's conduct during the time of his abode on this earth. Let us then proceed,

II. In the fecond place, To confider more particularly fome of the principal means by which the Son of God hath hitherto conducted his falutary undertaking, and fhall finally deftroy the works of the devil.

If, He hath given us the most certain and enlarged discoveries of every thing that is neceffary to be known, believed, or done by us, in order to our prefent improvement in holiness, and the perfection of our happiness in a future state.

The devil is ftyled "the god of this "world, who blindeth the minds of those. "that believe not," and by keeping the light from them, leads them captive at his pleafure. And Chrift delivers them from this thraldom,

thraldom, by "opening their eyes, and "turning them from darkness to light;" difpelling those clouds of ignorance, error, and prejudice, whereby Satan maintains his ufurpation over the hearts of men.

"No man hath feen God at any time; the "only begotten Son, who is in the bofom "of the Father, he hath declared him." To him we are indebted for the fulleft and moft fatisfying information concerning the nature and perfections of God Moft High; the measures of his government, his relation to us, and the worship that is due to him: and that neither guilt nor distance might difcourage our approach to the throne of his holiness, Chrift hath opened to us, in his own blood, a precious fountain of fovereign virtue, in which the chief of finners may wash, and be made clean; and by revealing to us the mysterious union of the divine and human natures, in his own perfon as Mediator, he hath, as it were, thrown a bridge over that boundless infinite ocean, which separates the creature from the invifible Godhead: fo that through the man Christ Jefus, who is alfo God's beloved Son,

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we may now addrefs the Father of our fpirits, without that dread of a repulfe, and fear of offending him, which otherwise must have overwhelmed our minds. He hath given us a law which is holy, juft, and good, utterly fubverfive of the kingdom of Satan, and contrary to all his works; "teaching us, that denying ungodliness, and worldly lufts, we should live foberly, and righteously, "and godly in this prefent world." This law he hath enforced with the most perfuafive arguments. Every motive to obedience that can either encourage our hopes, or alarm our fears, is fet before us in the strongest and most affecting light. Heaven is unfolded to our view, and destruction hath no covering: And that no incitement. may be wanting to invigorate our oppofition to the devil and his works, this great Captain of Salvation folemnly enlifts us into his army by baptifm; and hath appointed the other facrament, not merely to represent his atoning facrifice, and to remind us of the price with which we were redeemed, but likewise to afford us an opportunity of recognising his title to our grateful homage

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and most loyal subjection; and to be a means of imparting to our fouls those supplies of grace, which will enable us to quit ourselves like men, while we fight under his banner against the powers of darkness, till the God of peace fhall in due time bruise Satan underneath our feet. Thus doth the Son of God destroy the works of the devil, by the doctrines, and laws, and ordinances he hath taught us. To which I add,

2dly, The bright and glorious example of his life.

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It was the juft reproach of the Jewish teachers, that " they bound heavy burdens, ❝ and laid them upon other mens shoulders, "but they themselves would not touch "them with one of their fingers."-Whereas the example of our Lord was of equal perfection with his laws. He lived as he taught; and the whole of his conduct, from his birth to his death, was one continued lecture of the pureft devotion, the fublimeft morals, and the most extensive usefulness. But this opens a field too extenfive to be entered upon. It must fuffice

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