ven is opened by his streaming blood, and the affecting sound of Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani, teaches us how heis forsaken, that we may be found of him in peace, without spot and blameless; all warn us to seek this state of grace, that we may rest with him. When the world frowns, Satan tempts, and sin solicits, we should hear first what he has to say. Does he not say, 'Will ye also go? Remember the day in which the Lord afflicted me with his fierce anger. All my sufferings were for you. It was for you that I was stricken, smitten, and afflicted. Let my love draw forth your's, and crucify me not again; and put me no more to an open shame, by leaving the paths of uprightness, to walk in those of sin, and rob me of my dear-bought purchase. The pleasures of sin are but for a season-the punishment which follows is eternal. I give true peace and joy. The privileges of my kingdom are glorious; and I cause them that love me to inherit substance. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life.' It is this which causes the believer to cry out, "How can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" How can I slight such love? How can I be guilty of such base ingratitude as to think of deserting thee? O God of peace, by the blood of the everlasting covenant, keep me from the error of the wicked, and suffer me not to fall from my own steadfastness; but help me to make my calling and election sure, by enduring to the end! 6. It affords the most extensive assistance, and the easiest means of salvation.-The state of mankind, whether we speak of weakness, vileness, misery, or liability to punishment, has, through the death of Christ, the most effectual relief afforded it; since it engages all heaven in its cause. God considers our enemies as his, and opposes those that oppose such as look to Jesus to be saved. All the promises of God, and all his fulness are their's. Strength, purity, happiness, with freedom from guilt and punishment are their's; and to them belong both grace and glory; and all on the easiest terms. By grace we are saved, through faith. We cannot look to him at an unseasonable hour, nor can we look in L vain. The virtue of his sacrifice remains for ever. Whatever he requires, he gives strength for its performance. Whatever yoke he imposes, he assists the bearer to carry it. Am I guilty? He does not command me to take long pilgrimages, and perform mighty and expensive works to expiate my fault; he does not require such and such degrees of learning, or the undergoing of severe penances to make me free. He commands me to forsake my sin, to humble myself under his mighty hand, and believe in him, and I shall be saved. I obey his voice; I plead his precious blood; and the eternal Spirit takes of the things belonging to him, and shews them to me. That which has pacified my God, pacifies my conscience; that which has eternally fixed the love of his Father, fixes mine; that which draws forth his approbation, compels my praises; and because he lives I live also. What better way could have been devised; what easier terms appointed? "What shall I do to be saved?" "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (is the answer) and thou shalt be saved." "What must we do to work the works of God?" "This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." How shall I overcome the world? By believing that Jesus is the Son of God. Who become the sons of God? Them that believe in his name. How are we to obtain a lot among the sanctified? By faith that is in him. Thus the blessings arising from his love, in laying down his life for us, are placed within the reach, not only of the rich, wise, honourable, active, and enterprising among men; but the poorest, most illiterate, and afflicted persons have the same opportunity of looking to him; and, upon the whole, are placed in circumstances more favourable for religion than those who have more to do with the world, and have more of its goods. 7. We have also by this mean a greater display of the Divine goodness.-The more unworthy we are of such a favour, so much the more do we behold this unmerited goodness displayed in the unspeakable gift. Unless it had been revealed to us from heaven, what reason could fallen man have to think for a moment that his sins could be expiated by the death of another; or that the victim must be the Son of the Highest, and that his death should be effected by the creatures he came to save? There is nothing in the whole range of human comprehension that leads to any thing of the kind. I think no man of sober reflexion will oppose to this the sacrifices of the heathen, unless he can prove that the present race of men did not spring from Noah and his family, by whom sacrifices were offered and approved of God. I conclude, that, though sacrifices were multiplied to a surprising extent, and greatly diversified, both in their nature and objects, amongst the Gentile nations, yet they were solely adopted from traditionary evidence, wherever attempts were made to appease their deities by the shedding of blood, and perhaps in all their other sacrifices. Since, then, Jesus has thus been set forth as a propitiatory sacrifice, who can doubt the good-will of God towards man ? "The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord;" every revolving year is crowned therewith. Life, with whatever is lawful, pleasant, commendable, valuable and useful-whatever traces of justice, honesty or virtue, appear among men-whatever peculiar advantages belong to our respective situations—or whatever mercies, privileges, comforts, or favours we enjoy, we ought to consider as so many streams from the ocean of goodness. These are, however, only for a time; but the sacrifice of Christ is not merely temporary in its effects and bebenefits, eternity itself will never exhaust them. His love, in giving himself for us, is a theme for ever new. Everlasting songs and anthems ascend for it before the throne of God. Oh may this most precious instance of our heavenly Father's care, in bestowing such a gift, cause us to imitate their example who sing his praise on high! May we learn to sing it in the best possible manner here, till we shall celebrate it in nobler strains in the realms above! 8. In all probability it will render the redeemed more thankful for ever. The benefits we receive from God are great and numerous; and as those of a spiritual nature are highly beneficial to us in preparing us for a future state, they should be proportionably esteemed, and our thanksgivings be presented to him accordingly. He considers himself honoured by us when we offer him thanks and praise; and if our hearts are right in his sight, nothing appears more reasonable than to be found in such exercises, and nothing proves more pleasant. But of all the subjects which demand our thankfulness, there is not one so deserving of our notice as that of redeeming love; neither can the pure flame of grateful devotion in the heart burn with sufficient glow without it. This appears to be the grand subject among the inhabitants of heaven, in nearly all their anthems and sacred songs: "Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood.Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, riches, wisdom, strength, honour, and blessing.-Blessing, honour, glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne; and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.-Let us be glad and rejoice, and give him honour." Nor does it seem possible, with the glorified Redeemer for ever in view, that it should be otherwise; especially as all things are delivered into his hands, and he is become the great medium of communication between the Deity and the creatures of his grace. Redemption discovers more of the Divine perfections than creation; and man, raised from degradation and woe, and restored to the favour, image, and enjoyment of God, and all his forfeited privileges, will have new motives for more abundant praise and gratitude, than a mere receiver of his Creator's bounty, or as performing perfect obedience, and obtaining immortality for his works. And supposing that even some other way of saving man, than by the shedding of the blood of the Paschal Lamb, had been appointed, which I do not admit, still greater love than that of God's beloved Son laying down his life for us could not have been manifested; and hence it appears that there will be cause of constant, cheerful, affectionate, fervent, and eternal praise to our gracious covenantGod; and this will prove an addition to our happiness for ever. 9. This may also prove the principal cause of their fidelity to God in a future state. If we were beings whose existence was bounded by a given number of years, and then annihilated, it would seem desirable to us to crowd as large a portion of happiness into that limited period as possible. This is not, however, the case. We shall exist for ever. The great concern, then, of every one should be, not to expect too much in this present state, but to be ultimately happy in another. This is the great care of the wise and good, and it should be our's. Now, admitting that we were entered upon that state of future happiness, and the whole man in possession of all its promised glories, how would our enjoyments be marred, were a thought entertained that, from some internal or external cause, we should forfeit all, as some of the angels have done before us, by their transgression; and if free agency remain, why not? I answer, through the death of Christ, who is our infallible surety, and by the union of his twofold nature, we shall be placed in a higher and more perfect state than our first parents, or perhaps angels themselves; and by the continual favour and virtue of our LIVING HEAD, we who form his mystical body shall be kept in never-ceasing union with himself: and that some such like benefit is conferred upon the holy angels, may, I think, be gathered from what St. Paul observes of the good pleasure which God hath purposed in himself, "That in the dispensation of the fulness of times, he might gather together in one, all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth, even in him," by making him the Lord of all. But of this little can be said, because little is revealed. It is sufficient, however, that every part of scripture which speaks of the future state of the saints, speaks in the most positive manner of the perpetuity of their bliss, and of their final deliverance from all evil whatever; and this is all in Christ. Thus it speaks: "That they (the elect) may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.—He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him. He entered the holy place, having obtained eternal re |