love, the eternal Word which made and fupports all things. V. In conformity with this glorious purpose and grace in Chrift Jefus, what hath been executed? Every thing worthy of a defign fo grand, every thing worthy of its great "Author," worthy of the glorious "Finifher of our faith." His appearing hath made it manifeft. The cleareft-fighted of the prophets, like the blind man only half restored to vifion, faw men but as trees walking, but now, under the gofpel, the dullest and most defpifed among believers fees every thing plainly; he fees the eternal purpose of God written in characters which he can read and underftand; he compares the model with the structure, and finds the tabernacle erected in the plain, the perfect counterpart of the pattern delivered in the mountHe finds the scriptures fulfilled, the predictions verified, the types explained, realized, juftified; all things finifhed in and by the Lord Chrift. What hath been executed? He hath abolished death, that hated, hideous spectre, through fear of whom the fallen pofterity of Adam are "fubject to bondage." He hath reftrained the power, put an end to the dominion, annihilated the existence of the king of terFors. Through fin death gained admiffion into the world; in fin his empire is founded; by fin he is armed with a mortal fting. By the great propitiation for fin he is banished thence, his reign is terminated, his fting is plucked out. Afk that fickly, pining creature, what it would be to have the difeafe which is perceptibly preying upon his vitals abolished? Afk that dejected prifoner of defpair, what it would be to have his debt discharged, and the writ of his confinement abolished? Afk the wretch condemned, what it would be to have the fatal hand-writing of judgment that is againft him abolished? And let the aufwers you would receive convey, as well as they can, a fenfe of the obligation under which we lie, to Him who hath done away the deadly plague which waftes, wastes, which threatens, which destroys the foul; to Him, who hath paid the enormous debt "to the ut termost farthing," purchased a release, set open the prifon doors; to Him who hath cancelled the awful fentence of a righteous God, "nailing it to his crofs.” He hath abolished death, with all the woe that leads to it, all the dreaded woe that is in it, all the more tremendous woe that fucceeds: fickness and pain, anguish and old age; the bitter pang that rends afunder the body and the fpirit; the hell that follows. And by what wonderful means hath all this been effected? 'through death" he has deftroyed " him that had the power of death." Into his own fnare the deceiver has fallen; by his own weapons the enemy has been difarmed; his own triumph hath proved his ruin. "O death, where is thy fting? O grave, where is thy victory? The fting of death is fin, and the strength of fin is the law. But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jefus Chrift."* 66 What hath been executed? He hath brought life and immortality to light. It is more than flattering hope or fond defire; it is more than the fpeculation of a philofophic mind, or the presumptuousness of reafoning pride; it is more than patriarchal confidence, or the dawning light of Mofaic revelation. It is defire warranted, and hope fupported by facts; it is reafon juftified and confirmed by demonftration; it is the morning light of promife, advanced to the perfect day of difcovery and accomplishment. "He that raised up Christ from the dead, fhall alfo quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." "For if we believe that Jefus died, and rofe again, even fo them alfo which fleep in Jefus will God bring with him." This is not the cold peradventure of a fage, faying, "If in this I err, I willingly err;" but the bleffed affurance of an apostle, faying, "I know whom I have believed, and I am perfuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that * 1 Cor. xv. 55, 56, 57- + Rom. viii. II. ‡ Theff. iv. 14. that day." "I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my courfe, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteoufnefs, which the Lord the righteous Judge fhall give me at that day and not to me only, but unto all them alfo that love his appearing."+ And can it be neceffary to inquire who caufed this light to arife? Who removed the veil, and difclofed the hidden glories of eternity? What power could tune the human tongue to fuch raptures, and inspire a mortal breast with fuch holy and triumphant joy? "God is the LORD, which hath fhewed us light." It is "the revelation of Jefus Chrift, who fheweth to his fervants things which muft fhortly come to pafs." By the gospel life and immortality are brought to light;" ""Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifeft to his faints to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Chrift in you the hope of glory." -Learn hence the folly and danger of all oppofi tion to the plans of eternal Providence. "He is wife in heart, and mighty in ftrength: who hath hardened himself against Him and hath profpered ?" "Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth fet themselves, 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. He that fitteth in the heavens fhall laugh: the LORD fhall have them in derifion. Yet have I fet my King upon my holy hill of Zion. Afk of me, and I fhall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermoft parts of the earth for thy poffeffion."|| " If this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought but if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; ‡ Col. i. 26, 27. * Tim. i. 12. † 2 Tim. iv. 6, 7, 8. Pfal. ii. 2, 3, 4, 6, 8. left left haply ye be found even to fight against God."* "Verily I fay unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle fhall in no wife pafs from the law, till all be fulfilled."+ "Woe be to him who striveth with his Maker." Sinner, learn wifdom in time cease from the ruinous contention; "it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks;" thou art wounding, destroying only thyself. "Kifs the Son, left he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Bleffed are all they that put their truft in him." -Chriftians, be of good. courage; "in patience. poffefs ye your fouls." God will fupport and vindi cate the cause that is his own. His truth and faithfulnefs, evinced by the interpofition of ages paft, are a full fecurity for his care and attention through ages to come. Time, which impairs all things else, gives stability, force and effect to the purposes of Heaven. The diffolution of the frame of nature is the confummation of the work of redemption. As the writings of Mofes are an improvement upon the traditional knowledge of the antediluvian world; and as the gof. pel is an improvement upon the law and the prophets, fo, "according to his promife," we look for a new economy, which fhall be an improvement upon, and an extenfion, confirmation and accomplishment of the gofpel difpenfation. What -Learn to aspire after the honour and happiness of working together with God in forwarding this gracious defign. It is the glory of the moft exalted of all beings; and therefore, furely, deservedly claims the employment of the nobleft powers of man. heart would not rejoice in putting forth a helping hand towards rearing this bleffed fabric, were it but to drive a pin, or fasten a cord. Remember that carelefsnefs here is highly criminal; that to fit ftill is not only robbing yourself of the most exquifite pleasure, and declining the highest honour of which your na *Acts v. 38, 39. + Matt. v. 18. ‡ Pfal. ii. 12. ture ture is capable, but is at the fame time the highest infult to your Creator, and the most certain means of incurring his difpleafure. Look around you, and obferve these myriads of your fellow-creatures, lefs favoured of Heaven than you are, confider them well, and be to them in the place of God. Extend to them that compaffion which the Father of mercies hath extended toward thee. 66 See, my brothers, they are deformed, difeafed in body; they are diftreffed in their circumftances; they are grieved in mind; alas, they are dead in trefpaffes and fins!" Loft to God, loft to all the valuaable purposes of existence, better for them they had never been born. But yet they are your brethren; they are fufceptible of pleafure and pain like you; the fame fun enlightens them; the gospel aims at relieving them as well as you; the fame God created and fuftains and cares for you both. Have pity upon them; ftrive to restore them to peace with themfelves, to peace with the world, to peace with God. "It is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones fhould perish. * "Jefus, thou Son of David, have mercy upon them." Let the purpofe of grace comprehend them, even them alo. Son of God, who didst restore agility to the lame, fight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, the faculty of fpeech to the dumb, life to the dead, and who givest wisdom to the wife,-thou fhalt renovate all things, thou fhalt abolish death and point out the path of life! O, I fhall blefs thee with transports of joy ineffable, in the day when the powers of heaven fhall be fhaken, and the heavens pafs away with a great noise, and the earth with all that it contains fhall be confumed! Then thy fuffering creatures, delivered from all the ills which oppreffed them, fhall be clothed upon with a glorious and immortal body, fashioned like to thy glorious body; fhall be perfectly conformed to thy bleff *Mat. xviii. 14. ed |