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fign of providence, " To the intent that now "unto principalities and powers in heavenly

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places, might be known by the church the ma"nifold wifdom of God *." How much more muft the interested believer, with peculiar complacency, approve and adore it? But, above all, if that love and mercy which reigns through the whole is glorious to God, muft it not be delightful to the Chriftian? God is love; and his tender mercies are over all his other works; but creating and preferving goodness are shaded and eclipfed by redeeming love. It is the theme of the praises of heaven, where Chrift, as the object of worship, is reprefented as appearing like a "Lamb that had been flain."

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2. Believers have peace of confcience through Chrift, as their redemption through his blood, ferves for their own humiliation and self-abafement, for the manifestation of the evil of fin, and the vileness and unworthiness of the finner ̧ Nothing could be fo well contrived as the doctrine of the cross, in its purity and fimplicity, to ftain the pride of all human glory. We are particularly called to deny ourselves, and to derive our worth and ftrength from our Redeemer, in whom it hath pleased the Father, that all ful

nefs fhould dwell," and from whofe fulness all his difciples must "receive, and grace for

* Eph, iii. 10.

grace."

grace." No hope of mercy but through him. "I am the way, and the truth, and the life : cc. no man cometh unto the Father but by me *.” Neither is there falvation in any other for there is none other name under heaven given " among men, whereby we must be faved +." No access to the throne of grace, or acceptance in worship, but through him: "In whom we "have accefs with boldness and confidence, "through the faith of him . And whatfoever 66 ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of "the Lord Jefus, giving thanks to God and the

Father by him ." No hope of ftability in duty, of usefulness, or holiness of conversation, but by the continued exercife of faith in him. "Abide "in me, and I in you; as the branch cannot "bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am "the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in "me, and I in him, the fame bringeth forth much "fruit; for without me ye can do nothing §."

Hard fayings and humbling doctrine indeed! But this is appeafing to the conscience; for as conscience condemns us as guilty and undeferving, this condemnation is ratified in every particular by the gospel. Thefe very circumstances in this doctrine, which provoke the hatred, or + Acts iv. 12. Eph. iii, 12. § John xv. 4, 5• M

* John xiv. 6.
Col. iii. 17.

invite

invite the contempt of worldly men, do but fo much the more endear it to the convinced foul; and he fays from the heart, "It is highly just

and reasonable that God alone fhould be ex"alted, and that he, through our Redeemer,

fhould have the whole praife of our recovery "and falvation." Agreeably to this it will be found, that the apostles, in celebrating the grace of God, feldom omit an exprefs condemnation of themselves, and a renunciation of all merit of their own, which indeed in every passage on this fubject is manifeftly implied: "For by grace ye are faved, thro' faith; and that not of your"felves, it is the gift of God: not of works, " left any man fhould boast: for we are his work

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manship, created in Chrift Jefus unto good "works, which God hath before ordained that "we fhould walk in them *.-Whereof I was "made a minifter, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me, by the effectual working of his power. Unto me, who am less than the leaft of all faints, is this grace given, "that I fhould preach among the Gentiles the "unfearchable riches of Chrift +."

3. Believers have peace from the challenges of an evil confcience, through Chrift, as they have an abfolute affurance of being delivered from the power of fin, and effectually enabled to glorify

Eph. ii, 8, 9, 10.

Eph. iii. 7, 8,

him

him with their fouls and with their bodies, which are his. This must be the most earnest desire of every convinced finner. He breathes after deliverance from the bondage of fin: the more he hath felt the weight of his chains, the more he longs to be free. This is infeparable from genuine convictions, on the principles above laid down. How much muft it contribute to compofe the confcience, to know that this defire fhall certainly be accomplished? However much cause he may have to condemn himself for his paft provocations, or to dread the weakness of his own refolutions of future amendment, he knows and trufts in the power of his Redeemer. He knows that henceforth he fhall not ferve fin, that its dominion fhall be gradually broken thro' life, and entirely deftroyed at death. As the end of Chrift's coming was to glorify his heavenly Father, he knows that the glory of God cannot be promoted by leaving the finner under the bondage of corruption, and therefore that he shall be purified, and made meet to be a par"taker of the inheritance of the faints in light.

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If we look with care and attention into the New Testament, we fhall perceive that there is a close and mutual connection between our juftification and fanctification, and that both are reprefented as the fruit of our Redeemer's purchafe There is therefore now no condemna❝tion

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"tion to those that are in Chrift Jefus, who walk "not after the flesh but after the Spirit: for the law. "of the Spirit of life in Chrift Jefus, hath made 66 me free from the law of fin and death: for what "the law could not do, in that it was weak "through the flesh, God fending his own Son "in the likeness of finful flesh, and for fin con"demned fin in the fefh *." All the bleffings of falvation are represented as following one another in a continued chain or feries, not one link of which can poffibly be broken: "For "whom he did foreknow, he also did predefti"nate to be conformed to the image of his Son, "that he might be the first-born among many "brethren. Moreover, whom he did predefti66 nate, them he alfo called; and whom he call

ed, them he alfo juftified; and whom he juf"tified, them he alfo glorified +." There is a cleanfing and purifying virtue in the blood of: Chirst, as well as an infinite value in the way of purchase and atonement: "For if the blood of "bulls, and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer "fprinkling the unclean, fanctifieth to the pu"rifying of the flesh; how much more shall the "blood of Chrift, who through the eternal Spi"rit offered himself without fpot to God, "purge your confcience from dead works to ferve the living God?"

* Rom, viii, 1, 2, 3. † Rom. viii. 29, 30. 13, 14.j

Heb. ix.

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