SERMON VIII.

THE CHRISTIAN CONFORMED TO CHRIST IN HIS RESURRECTION.

ROMANS vi, 4.

That like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so, we also should walk in newness of life.'

THE great event, which we at the present season commemorate, is one, which, in various parts of holy scripture, we are taught to regard, as furnishing us with subjects for many important and profitable reflections. It is, however, too frequently the case, that those who profess to believe the truth and certainty of the facts, connected with our holy religion, altogether overlook the instruction which those facts afford. They observe, perhaps, the times and

' For Easter.

66

the seasons, but they do it in a manner little calculated to produce any spiritual advantage. Thus, for instance, that period which is set apart for the commemoration of the time when the Son of God appeared in human nature, is not overlooked by the great bulk of those who call themselves christians. But still, is not the manner in which the incarnation of the Redeemer is usually celebrated, such as would almost lead us to imagine that the festival was observed, for the purpose of recording the publication of a general licence for the practice of iniquity, rather than for the thankful commemoration of the advent of Him who came to save his people from their sins?" And the same is, to a considerable extent, the case with regard to the present season. How few are there of those who observe this festival, who regard the fact that Jesus arose from the dead, as at all intimately connected with their own hopes, or as furnishing them with any important instruction! They believe that he rose, but they forget that his death and resurrection were intended to call their attention to truths so important as these that they must "die to sin, and rise again unto righteousness;" -that when Jesus was raised, he became "the first fruits of them that slept;"'—and that I' 1 Cor. xv, 20.

the time is approaching, when the multitude "that sleep in the dust of the earth shall "awake, some to everlasting life, and some "to shame and everlasting contempt."

1

It is the gross abuse of these christian festivals, which leads many, in the present day, to contemn them, or to argue against their observance. But the fact, that a festival is abused, does not by any means prove that it may not profitably be observed. The appointed feasts among the Jews were, through their wickedness, so perverted, that the Most High declared that his soul hated them; and yet were these very feasts ordained by the express command of God himself, and could not be overlooked without daring contempt of his authority. And we know, with regard to the present season in particular, that it has been, from the very first ages of christianity, observed with peculiar solemnity; that, among the primitive christians, it used to be attended to with strong demonstrations of thankful joy: and that, were it duly improved, it would be found highly profitable to us all. It is therefore by no means to be desired, that the observance of these seasons should be renounced. Those who pour contempt upon them should consider,

' Dan. xii, 2.

that they are setting at nought the practice of the best and purest ages of the christian church: but, at the same time, it is necessary to warn those who profess to keep them, against an unholy and profane, a light and trifling observance of them. "Christ our

passover is sacrificed for us: therefore let “us keep the feast. Not with old leaven, "neither with the leaven of malice and wicked

66

ness; but with the unleavened bread of sin"cerity and truth." 1

The resurrection of Christ from the dead, is the event which, on the present occasion, we are called to commemorate: and this event is often represented to us, as suited to bring before our minds that great and decisive change, which must take place in the heart and conduct of man, in order to his becoming the servant of God in this world, and to his being prepared to enter upon heavenly glory in the world to come. "Know ye not," says the Apostle," that so many of us as were bap"tized into Jesus Christ, were baptized into "his death? Therefore we are buried with "him by baptism into death; that like as “Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should

1 1 Cor. v, 7, 8.

"walk in newness of life. For in that he "died, he died unto sin once, but in that he "liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon

66

ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto "sin, but alive unto God, through Jesus Christ 66 Our Lord." "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, "where Christ sitteth at the right hand "of God."2

66

The words of our text call our attention, first, To the import of the expression, that "Christ was raised from the dead by the glory

of the Father;-and secondly, To the nature of that newness of life, in which we are taught that we must walk.

I. First, then, we inquire what is the import of the expression, "Christ was raised from the "dead, by the glory of the Father ?"

By these words, the Apostle leads us to reflect, that in the resurrection of our Saviour Christ, we behold a remarkable display of the mighty power of God. We profess to believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins, and was buried, and on the third day rose again. This is a fact, the truth of

1

Rom. vi, 3, 4, 10, 11.

2 Col. iii, 1.