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death by our sins; but we cannot merit life by our obedience. No man, whatever excellencies he may possess, deserves heaven; for as all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, he might justly punish all, by an eternal banishment from the blissful realms of glory. Heaven has been forfeited by human transgression; and cannot be obtained but by divine grace. But the kingdom of heaven is open to all true believers, through the meritorious death and powerful intercession of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; and when we believe with the heart unto righteousness, we have an undisputed title to glory in the merit of our Redeemer. Eternal life, with all its blessedness, has been purchased for us by his precious death; and, by faith, we humbly and confidently claim the blessing.

But what is implied in a meetness for glory? It implies a pure and holy state, by which the soul enjoys a fitness for the society of angels and saints; and by which it attains a sweet relish for the enjoyments of the celestial world. Without this, heaven itself would not be a desirable place to us, as we could not either engage ourselves in the duties of that holy place, or enjoy its high and refined pleasures. What pleasure has a carnal man in the company or religious exercises of the saints on earth? He abhors both the one and the other. How, then, could he dwell with the redeemed of the Lord in glory? or how could he sing the

blessed songs of God and the Lamb? The fitness of a saint for eternal blessedness, is wrought by the Spirit of God, through the merit of the adorable Saviour. 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. So that we are saved, first and last, by Jesus Christ our Lord.

XII. Our title to heaven, and our meetness for it, afford high consolations in all our griefs and sorrows in the present world.

The mercy of God which brings us into this state is matter of rejoicing in life; and it will enable us to triumph in death. Then we shall see heaven opened, and "claim the crown, through Christ, our own." The crown has been purchased for us by the blood of Christ; but we shall receive it as a free gift. Thus every Christian can say, in the language of the Apostle Paul, "There is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing." 2 Tim. iv. 8. And we “have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, which entereth into that within the veil: whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. Heb. vi. 18-20.

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CHAPTER XV.

THE FINAL TRIUMPH OF CHRISTIANITY.

Christianity has been opposed—It has maintained its ground -It will ultimately triumph-How this will be effectedHappy results-The salvation of Israel.

CHRISTIANITY commenced when Jesus appeared as a public teacher in Judea. His opening address, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand," is a proof that he was about to set up a spiritual kingdom, "which cannot be moved." Matt. iv. 17; Heb. xii. 28. Afterwards he taught all the great verities of our holy religion, with great clearness and energy, both in public and in private; and the substance of all his instructions is recorded, by faithful men, in the four Gospels. After his ascension to heaven, he sent down his Holy Spirit, to guide the Apostles into all truth. John xvi. 13. Under his influence, they preached the truth with wisdom and power, to many nations; and wrote all those Epistles to the churches that are recorded in the New Testament. The voluminous writings of the Christian fathers, containing many excellencies and defects, may be consulted to advantage; but they are not of any authority in determining either the faith or the practice of the Christian church. The same

may be affirmed of all the Christian authors that have succeeded them, down to the present day. They have rendered good service to Christianity; but the New Testament is the only infallible directory to the church of Christ.

Here, then, we take our stand; fearlessly maintaining, that neither fathers nor councils are of any authority, any farther than they agree with the Evangelists and the apostolical writers; and if all the works of the most eminent divines were lost, and the New Testament saved, we should still have genuine Christianity, in all its beauty and perfection: we farther maintain, that the ceremonial laws of the Old Testament were but preparatory instructions to introduce the great Messiah; and that the law was a schoolmaster to bring the Jewish nation to Christ. Gal. iii. 24. We state these things to show that it is the Christianity of the New Testament which will triumph; and that when the vile rubbish of Popery is removed, with that of every other antichristian sect, we shall see blessed days of the Son of man.

I. Genuine Christianity has been opposed both by Jews and Heathens; by infidels, and by the powers of darkness.

Jesus was opposed, by the wicked Jews, through the whole course of his ministry. His character was defamed by the tongue of slander; his miracles were ascribed to Beelzebub, the prince of the devils; and his faithful reproofs

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and warnings filled those hardened rebels with hatred, malice, and revenge. His Godhead was manifested in the mighty works which he wrought. All the elements of nature obeyed him; and he subdued the invisible powers of darkness. He gave sight to the blind; hearing to the deaf; and health to the sick. sed the leper; and he raised the dead. He fed multitudes by miracle; and comforted all who laboured and were heavy laden under a sense of sin. He feared no man; but loved, with pity, his bitterest enemies; and he went about doing good. Yet he was opposed; arraigned at the bar of Pilate; unjustly condemned; and crucified on the accursed tree. But Jesus had his triumphs. He saved many from darkness, from sin, and from extreme wretchedness. He completely finished the work for which he came into the world; he triumphed over unclean and apostate spirits; made atonement for sin, by suffering the just for the unjust; conquered death and the grave, by his resurrection from the dead; and ascended triumphantly to heaven, from whence he came. He laid the foundation of the church upon a rock, and assured his disciples that the gates of hell should not prevail against it. That foundation includes his infallible teachings, and his all-sufficient atonement; for on the one we build our faith and practice, and on the other our hope of entire salvation from sin and death.

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