grace upon your hearts? For the juft encouragement of thofe who are thus reconciled to God by the death of his Son, I fhall, in further illuftration of the Apoftle's reafoning, endeavour to shew the powerful influence of the life of Chrift upon every thing that belongs to their complete falvation.

ift, The juflification of believers which was purchased by the death of Chrift, is rendered fure and permanent by his reftored life. Upon this the Apoftle lays a peculiar emphafis, Rom. viii. 34. where, in fupport of that triumphant challenge, "Who fhall lay any thing to the

charge of God's elect?" having faid, "It is "Chrift that died," he immediately fubjoins, yea rather, that is rifen again, who is even at "the right hand of God, who alfo maketh inter"ceffion for us."

From whence can a fentence of condemnation proceed? Is it not from that very throne to which our once crucified Redeemer is raifed, that he may confer that remiffion which he purchased with his blood? And now that he is entered into his glory, fhall the indictment that he nailed to his crofs be taken down from thence, and put in fuit against thofe who, in obedience to his Father's command, have fled to him for refuge? Impoffible! As he bowed his head upon the crofs to expiate our guilt, fo he lifted it up again when he rofe from the grave, that he might effectually apply the merit of his facrifice, and obevery charge that could be brought against his people.

viate

2dly, The life of Chrift is no lefs available to infure the fanctification of all who believe on him. For what end did he enter into the heavenly fanctuary, but that from thence he might fend forth his conquering Spirit to cleanse and purify the hearts of those whom he had washed with his blood, that as no guilt might be left to provoke the juftice of God, fo neither fhould there be any defilement to offend his holinefs. It is impoffible to doubt, that a Redeemer in glory will at length present to his Father "a glorious

church, without spot, or wrinkle, or any fuch "thing." Surely Chrift is not gone to heaven, to leave that blood to run wafte which he shed upon earth, or to be negligent in improving the virtue of his facrifice. That prayer, "Father, "fanctify them through thy truth," hath as loud a found from his illuftrious throne, as it had from the footftool, when he was juft about to enter upon his agony and fufferings. He did not utter these words upon the confines of his kingdom, to forget or difufe them when he fhould enter upon the poffeffion of it. What he prayed for in his humiliation, he hath power to difpenfe in his exalted fate; and he will do it to all who put their trust in him: he wili gradually adorn them with the beauties of holiness, and keep them by his power through faith unto falvation.Which leads me to observe,

In the third place, That the life of Chrift doth effectually fecure an honourable iffue to all the ufflictions and temptations of his people. It is the fame perfon that was crucified on earth, who is now crowned with glory in the highest heavens:

heavens: and though he dropped the infirmities of that body he had affumed, and left all the weakness of humanity behind him in the grave; yet he carried his pitying nature to the throne, and is ftill touched with the feeling of our infirmities, and difpofed to help us in every time of need. "He will not break the bruifed reed, nor quench the smoking flax." He knows

our frame; he remembers that we are duft; and will therefore "debate with us in measure, and flay his rough wind in the day of his caft "wind."

And with regard to temptations, the life of Chrift affords the moft comfortable affurance, that over these we fhall be finally victorious. He that fuffered being tempted, will certainly be difpofed to fuccour those that are tempted; and there can be no room to doubt, that he is as able as he is willing. If, while in the form of a fervant, he defeated all the artifices of the cunning ferpent, and repelled the most violent attacks of the roaring lion; if in his lowest state of abasement, even while he hung upon the crofs, he spoiled principalities and powers, making a fhew of them openly; now that all power is committed to him both in heaven and on earth, can he want either wisdom or ftrength to bruife Satan under the feet of the weakest of his fervants? Impoffible!-While the head of the body reigns in glory, we may be well affured, that no member can become the prey of an adverse power: fo that every believer may adopt the language of Paul, and fay as he did, "Who fhall feparate us from the love of Chrift?

"fhall

"fhall tribulation, or diftrefs, or perfecution, or "famine, or nakednefs, or peril, or fword?Nay in all these things we are more than conquerors, through him that loved us. For "I am perfuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things prefent, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, fhall be able "to feparate us from the love of God, which is "in Chrift Jefus our Lord."-Once more,

4thly, The life of Chrift fecures to his people the refurrection of their bodies, and the happiness of the whole man, in the full and everlasting enjoyment of God.

As Adam, by his apoftafy, became the fource of death to all his natural defcendants; fo Chrift, by his expiatory fufferings, and the glory that followed, is become the fountain of life to all his fpiritual offspring, who accordingly are faid to be " begotten again to the lively hope of an "inheritance that is incorruptible, and undefiled, "and that fadeth not away;" and that by means of his refurrection from the dead. Hence the fecond Adam is called a quickening Spirit, having the fame virtue and efficacy to convey all the fulness of life to thofe who are new born into the family of God, that the first Adam had to tranfinit death to his pofterity. It was not the foul of Chrift only, but his body also, that was exalted and crowned with honour: in like manner fhall the bodies of believers be rescued from the grave, and raised to glory, feeing thefe were redeemed by Chrift as well as their fouls. Nay, the bodies of the faints are faid exprefsly

to

to be "the temples of the Holy Ghoft;" and it cannot be supposed, that these temples shall remain always under the ruins of death. He who honoured them with his refidence, will certainly rebuild them in due time; as the Apoftle reafons, Rom. viii, 11. "If the fpirit of him "that raised up Jefus from the dead,, dwell in you; he that raised up Chrift from the dead, "fhall alfo quicken your mortal bodies, by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." Then shall that fong be fung by all the redeemed company newly raifed from the duft,-" Death is swallowed up " in victory.". "O death, where is now thy

fting? O grave, where is now thy victory? "The fting of death was fin, and the ftrength "of fin was the law; but thanks be unto God, "who hath now given us the victory through "Jefus Chrift our Lord."

THUS have I endeavoured to lead you through a very extenfive, but furely a pleasant and fruitful, field, wherein a variety of objects have occurred, interefting to all, and peculiarly comfortable to the people of God: upon whom I therefore call, in the conclufion of my discourse, to praife and magnify that compaffionate Saviour, and faithful High-Prieft over the house of God, who ranfomed them with his blood; and amidst all the fplendors of his exalted ftate, is not unmindful of his charge upon earth, but continually appears in the prefence of God for them; whofe car is always attentive to the voice of their fupplications, whofe mouth is ever open to plead in their behalf? and as if it had not been love

enough