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hath hitherto conducted the war against Satan, and fhall finally defroy the works of the devil: And now, in the review of all that hath been faid, let us, in the

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1 place, Praise and magnify our great Deliverer, who came into the world upon fo merciful an errand. “O the height and "depth, the breadth and the length, of the "love of Chrift!" It might justly have been feared, that if the Son of God was to vifit this earth, it would have been for a very different end, even to difplay the glory of divine juftice, by executing vengeance upon thofe ungrateful creatures who had rifen up in rebellion against the God that made them. But behold, and wonder! he came to fave, and not to deftroy" For God fent "not his Son into the world to condemn "the world, but that the world through "him might be faved." Nay, he came to destroy those enemies who had vanquished us, and to refcue us out of their hands. "Lord, what is man, that thou art mindful "of him "My brethren, however coldly we may think or talk of these matters, angels, whom they lefs concern, contemplate

them

them with ecstasy. They fhouted for joy when the world was made; but they raise a higher note to celebrate the redemption of mankind. And fhall men be filent while angels fing? O let us contend with those bleffed fpirits in the praifes of our own Redeemer: He is their Lord, but he is our Saviour. Let our fouls, and all that is within us, be stirred up to blefs him; and let us even at this diftance begin that grateful triumphant fong, "Unto him that loved 66 us, and washed us from our fins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and

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priests unto God and his Father, to him "be glory and dominion for ever and "ever."

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2dly, This doctrine yields the strongest confolation to every fincere Chriftian, He is engag d in a cause that must prevail; he follows a Leader whom no might can withftand; he contends with a fubdued and vanquished foe, who hath already received the mortal wound, and ere long shall be caft down and trampled under his feet. And will not this infpire you with courage and fortitude? You fight under a General whom Satan

Satan feareth; and though he useth every artifice to make others unbelievers, yet he himself believes and trembles. Remember the battles and victories of your Redeemer : confider the virtue of his blood, and the efficacy of his Spirit. Let faith behold him in his prefent exaltation at the Father's right hand, pleading your cause, and obferving your conduct; covering your heads, and healing your wounds; while he prepares for you thofe crowns of glory that fhall never fade away: and then cry out with the Apostle in holy triumph," If God "be for us, who fhall be against us ?”

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"Who fhall feparate us from the love of "God? fhall tribulation, or diftrefs, or perfe"cution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril,

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or fword? Nay, in all those things we are "more than conquerors through him that "loved us.”—Be bold, O Christians in the caufe of righteoufnefs. Let the wicked blush; they have reason to do fo; their work is base, and their wages deadly: but furely the difciples of Jefus have no caufe to be afhamed, whether they.confider the nature of their fervice, or the reward that attends it. And what

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a reproach is it, that the flaves of Satan should act more vigorously for their master, than we do for ours? Their caufe is not only bad in itself, but defperate too, as to any profpect of fuccefs: whereas the intereft for which we contend, is so just and honourable, that the very attempting to fupport it is glorious; and unless we were to fuppofe, that Omnipotence may become weak, and the Creator be overmatched by the workmanfhip of his own hands, we are fure of victory. What then fhould we fear? Be strong, O believers! and of good courage; you fight the battles of the Lord of hosts; and greater is he that is

that can be against you.

with you, than all

Say not that you

are the fons of the Moft High, and born from above, unless you can prove your defcent, by daring to be holy in spite of devils and men. The battle may be hot, but

it cannot last long. Death will foon come, and tell you, that your warfare is accomplifhed; and angels, who now minister to you with joy, will carry you home in triumph to your Father's houfe; and the Redeemer, by whofe blood and Spirit you

overcome

overcome, will put the crown upon your heads, and "grant unto you to fit with him in his throne, even as he alfo overcame, and is fet down with the Father in his "throne."

3dly, The stability of the gospel-church is a neceffary consequence of the doctrine in my text. Zion's King fhall have a feed to ferve him as long as fun and moon endure. The church he hath purchased with his blood is built upon a rock, against which the gates of hell fhall never prevail. The heathen may rage, and the people imagine vain things; the kings of the earth may fet themfelves, and the rulers take counfel together, against the Lord, and against his Anointed, faying, Let us break their bands afunder, and caft away their cords from us: But he that fitteth in the heavens fhall laugh; the Lord fhall have them in derifion; and at length he fhall fpeak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his fore difpleasure. The proudest of his enemies fhall lick the duft, when he arifeth to plead the caufe that is his own: and therefore his people may well rejoice

under

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