By all which we are perpetually put in mind-of God's faithfulness to his promises, of his paffing over thofe that think highly of themselves, and of his accepting fuch as are humble, and fenfible of their own unworthinefs.

But the highest inftance of the love of God for us miferable finners is, That Jefus Chrift was crucified for us, that he died and was buried. That he fuffered for our fakes, and in our ftead, and what our fins had deferved that we fhould fuffer.

If this does not affect our hearts and our practice, it is a fure fign our falvation is not much regarded by us.

As we love our fouls, therefore, let us confider, that the sufferings of Christ discover plainly to us the very dreadful nature of fin, and that God cannot but hate it, fince his juftice required fuch an atonement. That therefore Chriftians ought to hate it, and every degree of it, as they hope for any benefit from Chrift's fufferings.

Jefus Chrift laid down his life, that he might obtain of God this favour for us, that our repentance might be accepted, inftead of a perfect obedience. If therefore we do not repent and forfake our fins, we are in the fame fad condition as if Jesus Christ had never died for us.

The defign of Chrift's death was to redeem us; as how? Why; by redeeming us from fin,

and

and purifying to himself a peculiar people, a generation of men freed from the pollutions of the world, and zealous after good works.*

If, through our own fault and negligence, the merits of Chrift's death have not this effect upon us, we are still under the power of Satan, under the bondage of fin, and utterly incapable of eternal life and happiness.

In the next place, let us confider, that the facrifice which was offered for us, was the Lamb of God, which taketh away the fins of the world. This ought to be fuch an affurance that God is reconciled to us, as a voice from heaven to every particular foul cannot give a greater fatisfaction.

Let us therefore, whenever the memorial of Christ's death and mercies are celebrated in the Lord's Supper; let us be careful to apply them every one to himself, faying in our hearts, This body was given for me, this blood was fhed for me; the priest, the minifter of God, affures me of it, and I do faithfully believe it.

It was for this reafon Jesus Christ ordained this holy facrament, that we might be often obliged to remember his love, his bitter fufferings, the occafion of his death, the mifery we have escaped, the pardon he has obtained, and the graces and the happiness he has purchafed for us; that calling these things to mind, we might be obliged, by all the motives of intereft and gratitude, to love him with

* Titus ii. 14.

!

with all our hearts, and to put our whole truft in him.

Then will our own death, whenever it fhall happen, be a bleffing to us, when nothing in this world befides can help or comfort us, but a firm faith in Jefus Chrift, and what he has done and fuffered for us.

We fhall then fee the importance of our faith, and fet an infinite value upon the fufferings of Chrift, when we can say with the apostle, I know in whom I have believed; even in the only Son of God, who came to seek and to fave loft finners, who gave his life for us, who has prevailed with his Father to accept our repentance, whofe grace I have experienced in my life, whom I have all my life. long intreated to plead with God for my pardon, whofe gracious affiftance I have begged and prayed for against the attempts and the accufations of the devil, and the fears of my own confcience; and in hopes that when he shall come again to judge the quick and the dead, that he, who in our nature had experienced our frailty, and the temptations we are fubject to, that he will accept of my fincere, though imperfect obedience.

We should eafily underftand how great an advantage it would be to have the Son of a King our friend with his father. It does not appear that the generality of Chriftians are fenfible what it is to have Jefus Chrift, the Son of God, for a mediator with God his father.

In this faith, and with thefe hopes, I fubmit to death, as a punishment which, as finners, we are all justly condemned to; but then I offer it as a facrifice for fin, which I am confident God will accept of, in union with that of his own Son, for whofe merits I truft he will be propitious to me.

And therefore I make it one of the petitions at my prayers, that when I come to die, I may with an humble confidence make use of my Saviour's dying words upon the cross, Father, into thy hands I commend my fpirit; or the laft words of St. Stephen, in imitation of his Lord, Lord Jefus, receive my fpirit.

My God! grant that I, and all who now hear me, may die in this faith, and with these difpofitions. But then let us all remember, that as we defire our death, like that of our Saviour and his first martyr, should be a facrifice of faith, of love, and obedience, we muft take care to make our lives fo too, or we shall be dreadfully disappointed.

And now to return to the remaining articles of this part of our Creed; namely, that Jefus Chrift being crucified, HE DESCENDED

INTO HELL, AND ROSE AGAIN THE THIRD

DAY FROM THE DEAD; that is, his foul underwent the condition of the fouls of all men when feparated from the body.

The comfort and hope we draw from hence is this; that since Jefus Chrift underwent the fame fate that we must do, then we conclude

the apostle for certain, That if the fame Spirit which raifed up Jefus our Lord from the dead, dwell in us; then he that raifed up Chrift from the dead, fhall alfo quicken our mortal bodies.

Here is our hope, this our confidence; only let us, as ever we expect to die in expect to die in peace, and reft in hope, and rife in glory, let us not grieve that Holy Spirit, which was given us in baptifm, whereby we were fealed unto the day of redemption; and which alone can raise us to life eternal.

HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN, AND SITTETH AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD THE FATHER ALMIGHTY. What a comfort is here for finners! Jefus Chrift, the Son of God, who for us men, and for our falvation, came down from heaven, and took our nature upon him; who in our nature felt all our infirmities; who, to fatisfy the juftice of God, fuffered the death which our fins had deferved; this Jefus, this Saviour, is now in heaven, and ever liveth to make interceffion for us.

So that the greatest finner, whose heart God has touched with a sense of his danger, and who is truly concerned for having offended fo good and gracious a Father; fuch a one need not despair, if he fues to God for mercy and pardon for his own Son's fake, with full purpose of heart of living as becomes a Chriftian for the time to come.

And receive it, Chriftians, for a most certain truth, that no man ever prayed for par