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"v, and follow him. If we deny him, he also is when we appear before his judgment

herefore, is absolutely necessary to salo Christ and you are happy; reject done forever.

to his own Redemption.

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'one for the redemption of sinfor everlasting thanksgiving. od to his people, "thou hast dea me is thine help." That man e has destroyed himself, raises a l praise to him who laid the founlongs to man for destroying himpraise of his restoration from the pit ngs to God. "Not unto us," is the lan. the good man, "O Lord, not unto us, but to

ame give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy ..uth's sake." The good man knows that he has not redeemed himself; and having found Christ the only Rock of his salvation, he is sensible of his own nothingness, and ascribes all the praise to him to whom it is due. "All things," says he, "are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ:-for we are the workmanship of God, created in Christ Jesus. unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."

The whole building of God, from the first foundation to the head-stone of the same, is of grace. And, "when the Lord shall build up Zion, he will appear in his glory. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with songs, and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladpess, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away,"

ings, in those circumstances, however great, would have been entirely destitute of all virtue or merit.

2. What God requires of man in order to salvation is reasonable.

The rich man of whom we have an account in the Volume of truth, was not required to sell all his possessions, and give to the poor as a ransom for his soul. For this purpose the demand was not made. But it was promised him, that if he would sell all he had and give to the poor, he should have treasure in heaven. This was a reasonable service; for treasure in heaven was worth infinitely more than all worldly possessions. But his covetous heart was so attached to the world, that he would not obey this reasonable command. Hence, "The carnal mind is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be." It is the nature of such a mind to be displeased with every divine command. Man must be delivered from the carnal mind, before he can cordially say, "O how love I thy law." The WORD and LAW of God are not sweet to the taste of any but those whose minds have been sweetened by divine grace. God can take away the stony heart; but while it remains, the sinner is not in subjection to the DIVINE LAW. Sinners will hold fast their deceit until they are compelled to let it go, by being made willing in the day of God's power.

It is evident why sinners are unhappy, and far from salvation; because they seek to redeem themselves, or to make an atonement for their sins, that they may be saved in their own way, independent of divine grace and mercy. They do not like God's way; they prefer some other way. They do not like the foundation which God has laid for them; they will not build on God's foundation, they choose one of their own construction. They do not like God's righteousness; they therefore go about to establish one of their own. They do not like to be saved in a way of submission: self-denial is a painful doctrine to the selfish mind, If we would be saved by Christ, we must take up our

oross daily, and follow him. If we deny him, he also will deny us when we appear before his judgment

seat.

Conversion, therefore, is absolutely necessary to salvation. Submit to Christ and you are happy; reject him, and you are undone forever.

3 What God has done for the redemption of sinners lays a foundation for everlasting thanksgiving.

"O Israel," says God to his people, "thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help." That man may be saved after he has destroyed himself, raises a monument of eternal praise to him who laid the foundation. Blame belongs to man for destroying himself; but all the praise of his restoration from the pit of ruin, belongs to God. Not unto us," is the language of the good man, "O Lord, not unto us, but to thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake." The good man knows that he has not redeemed himself; and having found Christ the only Rock of his salvation, he is sensible of his own nothingness, and ascribes all the praise to him to whom it is due. "All things," says he, "are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ:-for we are the workmanship of God, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."

The whole building of God, from the first foundation to the head stone of the same, is of grace. And, "when the Lord shall build up Zion, he will appear in his glory. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with songs, and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladpess, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away."

SERMON XIV.

A MUTUAL TRANSFER OF RIGHTEOUSNESS AND GUILT NOT IMPLIED IN ATONEMENT.

1 PETER i, 18, 19.

Ye were redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb, without blemish and without spot.

DOCTRINE.

THE sole price of redemption from sin, is the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

But what is implied in the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot, when considered as the sole price of man's redemption?

I will endeavour to answer this inquiry in the negative, and in the positive.

1. Negatively: The negative answer will contain a number of particulars.

1. The precious blood of Christ which was shed for man's redemption does not suppose that while his body lay in the tomb, his soul was in the place of the damned.

I believe it has been thought by some, that when Christ yielded up the ghost. his departed soul went to the place of the damned. This sentiment is founded on what David says concerning him, as in the Acts of the Apostles; "I foresaw the Lord always before my face; for he is on my right hand that I should not be moved: therefore did my heart rejoice and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: be cause thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption." The Greek word, ad, which is translated hell, does not mean the

place of the damned. The place, into which the wicked are cast in the future state, is expressed by the Greek word, γεέννα The hell in which Christ was not suffered to remain, means the situation of the soul while separated from the body. The soul of Christ was not suffered to remain in that state, nor his body to see corruption. This separate state is expressed in the Acts, by the English word, Hell. But in the true sense of the word in the Original, all souls separated from the body are in hell; not only the souls of the wicked but also the souls of the righteous; for the souls of both are equally separated from the body. Though some may think that the soul of Christ was in hell while his body was in the grave, and that this was necessary in order to his making atonement for sin; yet it is a fact, that the soul of Christ while his body was in the grave, was in Paradise: This is evident from the encouraging and animating promise of Christ to the penitent who expired with him on the cross. The penitent prayed Christ, saying, "Remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.' The dying Redeemer, the Lamb of God, replied, "To-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise" Paradise is always considered as a place of happiness. The souls of good men, the disciples of Christ, as soon as the body dies, go into Paradise; that is, into a state of complete happiness, where there is no mixture of evil So also, did the soul of Christ, as soon as he gave up the ghost upon the cross, go immediately to Paradise, where he was perfectly free from all suffering: he never suffered another moment, after he cried aloud upon the cross and yielded up the ghost.

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2. The precious blood of Christ, which was shed for the redemption of sinners does not suppose that his life was taken from him without his consent. When a mere man is pierced through the heart, he dies: he must die; it depends not upon his choice, in the least degree, whether he shall die or not. But with Christ, the Lord from heaven, it was quite otherwise; he

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