cending before them to heaven. Since there is no greater paradox to reason than the resurrection, which seemed utterly incredible to men, and not to be the object of a rational desire, God by raising him from the grave, hath given the most convincing argument that our Redeemer was sent from him, to acquaint the world with the future state. Thus the apostle speaks to the Athenians; "The times of this ignorance God winked at, but now commandeth all men every where to repent; because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness, by that man whom he hath ordained, whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead," Acts xvii. 30. Jesus Christ who was attested from heaven to be the Son of God by that great and powerful act, declared the recompenses that shall attend men after death; therefore a full and perfect assent is due to his testimony. Hell, with all its dread and terror, is not a picture drawn by fancy to affright the world, but is revealed by him whose words shall remain when heaven and earth shall pass away. The heavenly glories are not the visions of a contemplative person, that have no existence, but are great realities promised by him, who, as he died to purchase, so he rose to witness the truth of them. And to bring these great things, that are separate and distant from this present state, nearer to us, he sometimes causes hell to rise up from beneath, aud flash in the face of secure sinners, that they may break off their sins by repentance; and sometimes he opens heaven from above, the paradise of true delights, and sends down "of the precious fruits of the sun, of the precious things of the lasting hills," that by the sight of their beauty and the taste of their sweetness, we may for ever abhor the pleasures of sin. By the frequent and sensible experience of the truth of the gospel in its threatenings and promises, innumerable persons have been converted from sin to holiness, from heaven to earth, from vanity to eternity.

Love is a prevalent affection, stronger than death; and kindness is the greatest endearment of love. Now, the Lord Jesus expressed such admirable love to us, that,

being duly considered, it cannot but inspire us with love to him again, and with a grateful desire to please him in all things. He descended from heaven to earth, and delivered himself to a shameful death, "that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works," Tit. ii. 14. And what argument is more powerful to cause in us a serious hatred of sin, than the consideration of what Christ hath suffered to free us from the punishment and power of it? If a man for his crimes were condemned to the galleys, and a friend of his who had been extremely injured by him, should ransom him by a great sum; when the guilty person is restored to liberty, will he not blush for shame at the memory of what he hath done? but how much more if his friend would suffer for him the pains and infamy of his slavery? If any spark of humanity remain in him, can he ever delight himself in those actions, which made such a benefit necessary to him? Now, we "were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from our vain conversation," the most sordid and deplorable captivity, "but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot," 1 Pet. i. 18, 19. And is it possible for a Christian to live in those sins for which Christ died? Will not love cause an humble fear lest he should frustrate the great design, and make void the most blessed effect of his ter rible sufferings? Why did he redeem us with so excel. lent a price from our cruel bondage, but to restore us to his free service? Why did he vindicate us from the power of the usurper to whom we were captives, but to make us subjects of our natural Prince? Why did he purify us with his most precious blood from our deadly defilements, but that we might be entirely consecrated to his glory, and be fervent in good works? What can work upon an ingenuous person more than a sense of kindness? What can oblige more strongly to duty, than gratitude? What more powerful attractive to obedience, than love? This pure love confirms the glorified saints for ever in holiness; for they are not holy to obtain heaven, because they are possessed of it; nor to preserve their blessedness, because they are past all hazard of

losing it; but from the most lively and permanent sense of their obligations, because they have obtained that incomparable felicity by a gift never to be reversed, and by a mercy transcendently great. And the same love to God that is in the saints above in the highest degree of perfection, and makes them for ever glorify him, will proportionably to our state in this life cause us to observe his commands with delight and constancy. A true Christian is moved by fear, more by hope, most by love

CHAPTER XIX.

PRACTICAL INFERENCES.

FROM hence we may discover the perfection and completeness of the redemption that our Saviour purchased for us. He fully repairs what was ruined by the fall. He was called Jesus, because he should save his people from their sins, Matt. i. 21. He reconciles them to God, and redeems them from "their vain conversation." He 66 came by water and blood," to signify the accomplishment of what was represented by the ceremonial purification, and the blood of the sacrifices. Satisfaction and sanctification are found in him. And this was not a needless compassion, but absolutely requisite in order to our felicity. Man, in his guilty corrupt state, may be compared to a condemned malefactor, infected with noisome and painful wounds and diseases, and wanting the grace of the prince to pardon him, and sovereign remedies to heal him. Supposing the sentence were reversed, yet he cannot enjoy his life till he is restored to health. Thus the sinner is under the condemnation of the law, and under many spiritual, powerful distempers, that make him truly miserable. His irregular passions are so many sorts of diseases, not only contrary to health, but to one another, that continually torment him. He feels all the effects of sickness. He is inflamed by his lusts and made restless, being without power to accomplish or to restrain them. All his faculties are disabled for the spiritual life,

that is only worthy of his nature, and whose operations are mixed with sincere and lasting pleasure. Sin, as it is the disease, so it is the wound of the soul, and attended with all the evils of those that are most terrible. "The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint; from the sole of the foot to the head, there is no soundness in it, but wounds, and bruises, and putrefying sores,' Isa. i. 5. Now our Redeemer, as he hath obtained a full remission of our sins, so he restores holiness to us, the true health and vigour of the soul. He hath made a plaster of his living flesh mixed with his tears and blood, those divine and powerful ingredients, to heal our wounds. By the Holy Spirit it is applied to us, that we may partake of its virtue and influence. His most precious sacrifice purifies the conscience " from dead works," that we may serve the living God. Without this the bare exemption from punishment were not sufficient to make us happy; for although the guilty conscience were secure from wrath to come, yet those fierce unruly passions, the generation of vipers that lodge in the breast of the sinner, would cause a real domestic hell. Till these are mortified, there can be no ease nor rest. Besides, sin is the true dishonour of man's nature, that degrades him from his excellency, and changes him into a beast or a devil; so that to have a license to wallow in the mire, to live in the practice of sin that stains and vilifies him, were a miserable privilege. The scripture therefore represents the curing of our corrupt inclinations, and the cleansing of us from our pollutions, to be the eminent effect and blessed work of saving mercy. Accordingly Peter tells the Jews, "God having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities," Acts iii. 26; that is, Christ in his glorified state gives the Spirit of holiness to work a sincere thorough change in men, from all presumptuous reigning sins, to universal holiness. Invaluable benefit, that equals if not excels our justification! for as the evil of sin in its own nature is worse than the evil of punishment, so the freeing of us from its dominion is a greater blessing than mere impunity. The Son of God for a time was made subject to our miseries, not to our sins.

He divested himself of his glory, not of his holiness. And the apostle in the ecstasy of his affection desired to be made unhappy for the salvation of the Jews, not to be unholy. Besides, the end is more noble than the means; now Jesus Christ purchased our pardon, that we might be restored to our forfeited holiness. He ransomed us by his death, that he might bless us by his resurrection. He " gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works," Tit. ii. 14. Sanctification is the last end of all he did and suffered for us.

Holiness is the chiefest excellency of man, his highest advantage above inferior beings. It is the supreme beauty of the soul, the resemblance of angels, the image of God himself. In this the perfection of the reasonable nature truly consists, and glory naturally results from it. As a diamond, when its earthy and colourless parts are taken away, shines forth in its lustre; so when the soul is freed from its impurities and all terrene affections, it will appear with a divine brightness. The church shalĺ then be glorious, when cleansed from every spot, and made complete in holiness. To this I will only add, that without holiness we cannot see God; that is, delightfully enjoy him. Suppose the law were dispensed with, that forbids any unclean person to enter into the "holy Jerusalem," the place cannot make him happy; for happiness consists in the fruition of an object that is suitable and satisfying to our desires. The holy God cannot be our felicity without our partaking of his nature. Imputed righteousness frees us from hell, inherent makes us fit for heaven. The sum is-Jesus Christ, that he might be a perfect Saviour sanctifies all whom he justifies; for otherwise we could not be totally exempted from suffering evil, nor capable of enjoying the supreme good; we could not be happy here nor hereafter.

II. From hence it appears, that saving grace gives no encouragement to the practice of sin; for the principal aim of our Redeemer's love in dying for us, was 66 to sanctify and cleanse us, by the washing of water and the word." And accordingly all the promises of pardon and salvation are conditional. The holy mercy of the gospel