fuffice at present to obferve, that the princi pal virtues which the peculiar character and circumstances of our Lord gave him an opportunity to practise, were obviously adapted to counteract the devil's most favourite vices,How odious, how difgraceful, do human pride and vain-glory appear, when fet in oppofition to the lowliness of Chrift, who," though he was in the form of God, "and thought it not robbery to be equal "with God, yet made himself of no repu"tation, and took upon him the form of a " fervant ?"With what perfuafive eloquence doth the contempt he poured upon the riches, and honours, and pleasures of this world, reprove and condemn the covetousness, the ambition, and fenfuality of men?-His condefcenfion to the mean, and his fympathy with the miferable; his meekness in receiving and forgiving injuries; and his patience in enduring the most grievous fufferings, do all ferve to expofe the deformity of those opposite diftempers which give Satan fo much room in the hearts of moft men. After this manner doth the perfect example of the Son of God in our

nature

nature contribute to the fubverfion of the kingdom of darkness. But,

ii. 14.

3dly, It was by his obedience unto death that our Lord did most eminently destroy the works of the devil; as we learn from the paffage to which I formerly alluded, Heb. "Through death he destroyed him "that had the power of death, that is the "devil." Accordingly, in the epistle to the Coloffians, the cross of Chrift is compared to a triumphal chariot, on which, having fpoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly. I fhall therefore difcourse at greater length upon this bead, and endeavour to illuftrate the efficacy of Christ's death, in counteracting and defeating the malice of Satan, ist, As it advances the glory of God, which he fought to impair; and, 2d, As it purchaseth and secures the falvation of men, in spite of all his attempts to ruin them. Thefe fubjects, which are no lefs delightful than interesting, will ferve to unfold the meaning of that heavenly anthem with which angels celebrated the birth of our Lord: "

Glory to

"God

devils must look at with shame and confu→ fion. The Son of God fuffers, that the finner may escape; and thus mercy and truth, righteousness and peace, which are never to meet upon those apoftate fpirits, meet and embrace upon the cross of Chrift; and God appears infinitely juft, as well as infinitely gracious, when he juftifies those who believe in Jefus.

It is

In short, all the attempts of Satan to impair or darken the glory of God, ferve only to furnish out a theatre for the more illuftrious difplay of it. He pulls down his kingdom with his own hands, and builds. up that which he meant to overturn. impoffible to know with certainty what views he had of the Meffiah; but it is plain, that he thought his death would bring great advantage to himself. He very probably hoped, that by this horrid deed, God would be provoked finally to abandon the human kind. The Jews were the only fociety of true worshippers upon earth, the people whom God had chofen for his peculiar inheritance; and if their charter could be broken, by their ungrateful rejec

tion, and barbarous murder, of their longpromifed King, then of courfe they would fall to his fhare; and fo the whole world would become his own, and tribute of praife from men.

God have no

But, O the

depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! Here again Satan is caught in his own fnare; and by seeking to enlarge his kingdom, faps the foundation of it. Chrift being lifted up on the crofs, draws all men unto him. The covenant of peculiarity doth indeed ceafe; but then it is fucceeded by a better and more extensive one. The wall of partition that inclosed the Jews, and feparated them from the rest of the world, is now broken down; and the divine goodness, which formerly ran in a narrow channel, now dilates itself, and embraceth a whole world, men of all kindreds, nations, and languages. Thus Satan, by overdoing, undoes his intereft; by grafping at the Jews, he lofeth his Heathen fubjects for as Paul writes to the Ephefians, chap. ii.-13.- 14. "But now in "Chrift Jefus, ye who fometimes were "far off," (being aliens from the comVOL. II. monwealth

T

monwealth of Ifrael, and ftrangers from

the covenants of promife),

by the blood of Christ.
peace, who hath made

are made nigh

For he is our both one, and

"hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us."-" Now therefore," as it follows, ver. 19. CC ye are no more ftran

gers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens "with the faints, and of the household of "God." Chrift, after his refurrection, fent forth his apostles to preach the gospel to every creature. In obedience to his command, they flew abroad like lightning, invaded the kingdom of darkness on all quarters, and made an amazing progress in their own day. And we look by faith for ftill more glorious times, when the dominion of Satan fhall be utterly fubverted, and all the nations of the earth fhall be brought to the knowledge of the only true God, and of Jefus Chrift whom he hath fent, whom to know is life eternal. Thus doth the death of Chrift destroy the works of the devil, inafmuch as it difplays the glory of all the divine perfections, and ́ enlarges the kingdom of God among men,

by