a scheme of making his mercy to harmonize. with his justice.

In like manner it fets before us the mifery of man in confequence of that corruption, which he derives from the original fin of his first Progenitor, and which in his natural state he continually aggravates by his own alienation from God and goodness. At the fame time it opens to us the gladfome prospect of recovery from our unhappy ftate, through the merits and mediation of our divine Redeemer by whom, if we resort unto him in fincere and vital faith, we have the affurance of every good and precious gift, which the Father of mercy can bestow upon us; the pardon of all our fins, the affiftance of divine grace to promote our recovery, the hope of juftification in the fight of God, of adoption into his household, and acceptance into his inheritance.

But befide this impreffion on our faith, it has a commanding influence on our practice. For we must not expect to have any portion in the bleffings, which our Redeemer by his precious blood hath purchased for us, unless we verify and fubftantiate our faith in his merits, by repentance from all those fins, from which he came to fave us, and a diligent endeavour to conform to his character and

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to cultivate his law in all manner of holiness of heart and life. Weak and helpless as we are in our natural state, yet by the affiftance of that holy Spirit, which he has rendered propitious to our earnest prayers, we are enabled to do whatever is effential to our fpiritual weal. His grace is fufficient for us; and from those, who devoutly feek it, it will never be withholden; from thofe, who diligently improve it, it will never be withdrawn.

In the first place, it teaches us to repent of our fins. If they are fo odious in the fight of God, and have thrown upon us fo great a weight of guilt, as to require the propitiatory facrifice of one, so dear in his fight, and in himself of fuch tranfcendent dignity and holiness, it furely concerns us to mourn feverely for our fins ourselves, to confefs them before God in fervent fupplication of his mercy, and, as far as we have grace to enable us, to forfake and abandon them for ever. It concerns us also very frequently and very ftrictly to examine ourselves, whether we have made any progrefs in our repentance, more especially of thofe fins, to which from habit or conftitution we are most inclined; to be vigilant and circumfpect in all our conduct, and to make a facrifice of every

affection repugnant to the law and will of God.

After engaging our repentance from every fin, it urges the cultivation of every virtue. And first of humility towards God: If it was expedient for fo great and fo innocent a Perfon as the Son of God to fuffer an agonizing death, in order to make atonement for our fins, shall we presume on our own righteoufnefs to engage his favour, or to merit his reward? Of refignation to the will of God: If Chrift his only Son condefcended on our account to do and to endure the whole will of God, fhall we hefitate on our own account to do and to endure whatever he requires? Of thankfulness under bleffings and of patience under fufferings: If Chrift, a Perfon of unblemished innocence and of tranfcendent worth, fubmitted to forego the happiness of heaven and to fuffer the extremities of evil in our nature, fhall we, who are unworthy, be unthankful for unmerited favours? fhall we, who are guilty, prefume to murmur when we fuffer for ourfelves? Of readinefs to fuffer for righteoufnefs fake: If our bleffed Lord, for the purpofe of fulfilling all righteousness, was content to endure the cross, and to defpife the fhame, fhall we, who profefs ourselves his difciples,

'

disciples, hesitate to take up our cross with him, and to submit to all those partial evils, which we may be called to undergo, in vindication or teftimony of virtue and religion?

It urges us to peace and charity with our brethren. If Chrift fo loved us, as to lay down his life a peace-offering for us, ought not we alfo to love one another? And how fhall we more adequately express this love, than in studying to maintain a spirit of unity and benevolence among all thofe, who have a common intereft in his precious facrifice, and in labouring by exhortation, by example, and by interceffion, to restore them to the peace and love of God?

It urges us to purity both of heart and life. If Chrift" hath given himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify to himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works," fhall not we be careful and vigilant to purify ourselves, even as he is pure, fo that we may be in a condition "to present our bodies, a living facrificè, holy, acceptable, to God?"

To conclude, It preffes on us a frequent and thankful remembrance of his death, in the manner that he has appointed, by partaking

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taking of his Supper in the congregation of the faithful. For we cannot be true in our allegiance to him, unless we obey him in his pofitive, as well as in his moral injunctions, more especially by doing this in remembrance of him. And this, though apparently no more than a pofitive duty, will be full of moral improvement; fince it will make a more fenfible impreffion on our mind, of that Lamb of God, who taketh away the fin of the world. And while it operates on our faith, it will alfo animate our practice: it will difpofe us, more carefully to examine our hearts and lives, to renew our repentance for all our former fins, to confirm our good resolutions of leading à new life, and to give the whole application of our faculties to be poor in fpirit, to be pure in heart, to be at peace with God, and to be in charity with all men.

If thus with the eye of faith we look upon that Lamb of God, that taketh away the fin of the world, we may hope hereafter to behold him face to face in the realm of heavenly 'bliss, and to be admitted into the number of that bleffed multitude, who join in this divine doxology : "Unto him, that loved us, and washed us from our

fins