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tion of the cross of Chrift, on which his fufferings were completed. Nay, of fo much moment was this, that it feems to have made the fum of the gospel, as preached by the apoftles; 1 Cor. ii. 2. "For I determined not to "know any thing among you, fave Jefus Chrift, and him "crucified."

The fufferings of Chrift, then, ought to be ever present to the mind of the believer. The neceffity and importance of this is plain from both the feals of the covenant of grace. The water in baptifm reprefents the blood of Chrift; and we are told, Rom. vi. 3. "Know ye not, "that fo many of us as were baptized into Jefus Chrift, "were baptized into his death." The inflitution of the Lord's fupper alfo had the remembrance of Chrifl's fufferings, as its direct and immediate intention; 1 Cor. xi. 24, 25, 26. And when he had given thanks, he brake "it, and faid, Take, eat; this is my body, which is bro"ken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the "fame manner alfo he took the cup, when he had fupped, faying, This cup is the new teftament in my blood: "this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. "For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, "ye do fhew the Lord's death till he come." Remember, then, Chriftians, how he left the throne of his glory, and took upon him the form of a fervant. Remember him. defpifed and rejected of men, a man of forrows, and acquainted with grief. His life, indeed, was one continued fcene of forrow, from the cradle to the grave.

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I hope the particulars of his fufferings are not strangers to your meditations: may the Lord enable you to contemplate them with faith and love. Remember his agony in the garden, when he fuffered from his Father's hand: For it pleafed the Lord to bruife him, and to put him to "grief." Think, O Chriftian, what it was to redeem a loft world, when you hear him faying, as in John xii. 27. "Now is my foul troubled; and what fhall I fay? Fa"ther, fave me from this hour; but for this caufe came "I unto this hour." Remember him feized by the treachery of one of his own difciples; accused and arraigned as a felon; dragged to the tribunal of an unrighteous judge;

clothed with a purple robe, and crowned with thorns in derifion of his kingly office; feverely fcourged; blindfolded, buffeted, and fpit upon; and the whole, indeed, fo conducted by the righteous permiffion and unfeen direc tion of divine Providence, that hardly any expreffion, either of cruelty or contumely, was omitted. Ceafe to wonder, my dear friends, that profane wretches deride the figus of his fufferings, when you remember that the blinded rabble attending the important trial were permitted to infult him, faying, "Prophefy unto us, thou Chrift, who "is he that fmote thee."

Remember him going forth without the camp, bearing his reproach. Remember that fpotlefs victim, the Lamb of God, ftretched upon a cross, and nailed to the accurfed tree, while he fuffered all that the extremity of bodily pain, and the most unutterable anguish of fpirit, could poffibly inflict upon an innocent creature. No wonder that the earth did shake, that the rocks were rent, and the natural fun refused to give his light, when the Sun of Righteoufnefs was under so great an eclipfe. Did the Saviour then willingly fubmit to all this pain and ignominy for our fakes? Was not this the most expenfive love; and can we refuse to say with the multitude of the heavenly hoft, Rev. v. 12. " Worthy is the Lamb that was flain, to re"ceive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and "honor, and glory, and bleffing?"

6. The love of Chrift was the most generous and disinterested love. The fuppofition or suspicion of any interefted views in what one perfon does for another, nay, even the poffibility of his ferving any purpose of his own at the fame time, greatly abates the value of any favor, and leffens the sense of obligation. But nothing of this kind can be fo much as imagined here. It was giving to thofe from whom he could receive nothing, and emptying himself of that glory to which the whole creation could not make any addition. The truth is, we ought to confider in the fame light every other mercy of God, as well as the love of Chrift his Son, which was the fource of them all; Job xxii. 2, 3, 4. "Can a man be profitable unto God, as he "that is wife may be profitable unto himfelf? Is it any

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"pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? or is "it gain to him, that thou makeft thy ways perfect? "Will he reprove thee for fear of thee? will he enter with "thee into judgment?" And to the fame purpofe, Job xxxv. 5, 6, 7, 8. "Look unto the heavens, and fee, and "behold the clouds, which are higher than thou. If thou finneft, what doft thou against him? or if thy tranfgref "fions be multiplied, what doft thou unto him? If thou "be righteous, what giveft thou him? or what receiveth "he of thine hand? Thy wickednefs may hurt a man as "thou art, and thy righteoufnels may profit the fon of "man." The effential glory and happinefs of the Deity, and confequently of the Eternal Word, can receive no addition, nor fuffer the fmallest diminution, from the ftate of any, or of all his creatures. He was infinitely happy in himfelf from all eternity, before there was man or angel to ferve him, and would have continued fo though they had never been. How infinitely then are we indebted to this generous Saviour! with what gratitude ought we to celebrate his pure and difinterested love, who graciously interposed in our behalf, and delivered us from the wrath of God, by bearing it in our room!

7. In the last place, the love of Chrift was a moft fruitful, active, and beneficent love. The effects of it are unfpeakably great; the bleffings which we'reap from it are not only infinite in number, but ineftimable in value. They are indeed almost as valuable as their price was coftly. It was not to be fuppofed that fo great a perfon would be employed upon a trivial work, or an infinite price paid for an inconfiderable purchase. But how, my brethren, fhall we form any adequate conception of the benefits that flow from our Redeemer's death? All that is necessary for us, all that is defirable to us, all that is truly precious in itself, is effectually made ours: Rom. viii. 32. "He that fpared not his own Son, but delivered him "up for us all, how fhall he not with him alfo freely give "us all things?" I Cor. i. 30. "But of him are ye in "Chrift Jefus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and " righteoufnefs, and fanctification, and redemption."

(1.) We are through Chrift delivered from condemnation: Rom. viii. 1. "There is therefore now no con"demnation to them which are in Chrift Jefus, who walk "not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Do you know any thing of a fenfe of guilt? Does your Creator's power and greatnefs ever make you afraid? Have you trembled at the approach of the king of terrors? Or of that day of righteous judgment, when God fhall render to every man according to his works? Chrift our Saviour hath delivered us "from the wrath to come." This is the first ground of the apostle's afcription in the text: Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood. Hear also the apostle's triumphant affurance, Rom. viii. 33, 34. "Who fhall lay any thing to the charge of God's "elect? It is God that juftifieth: who is he that con"demneth? It is Chrift that died, yea rather, that is risen "again, who is even at the right hand of God, who alfo "maketh intercellion for us."

(2.) Through Chrift the believer is affured, that he shall receive every thing that is neceffary for him in his paffage through the world. The Spirit is purchased and bestowed to lead him into all truth, and to fanétify him wholly. Chrift did not fatisfy himself with cancelling our guilt, but made effectual provifion for the renovation of our nature. The Spirit is alfo given as a spirit of confolation. He is ftyled the Comforter, who fhall abide with us forever. Without enlarging at this time on the comforts of the gospel, they are fufficiently commended in the following words of the apoftle, Phil. iv. 7. “And the "peace of God which paffeth all understanding, fhall keep "your hearts and minds through Chrift Jefus." To thele add a fanctified providence. As many as are reconciled to God through Christ, may reft fatisfied that all things fhall work together for their good. The moft oppofite events, profperity and adverfity, health and fickness, honor and reproach, nay, every thing without exception, fhall be fubfervient to their intereft: 1 Cor. iii. 21, 22, 23. "For all things are yours; whether Paul or Apollos, or "Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things pre

"fent, or things to come, all are yours; and ye are "Chrift's; and Chrift is God's."

(3) Through Chrift the believer is entitled to everlast. ing glory and happiness, in the enjoyment of God to all eternity. This was among the lalt things he told his dif ciples before he left the world: John xiv. 2, 3. "In my "Father's houfe are many manfions; if it were not fo, I "would have told you: I go to prepare a place for you. "And if I go and prepare a prepare a place for you, I will come

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again, and receive you unto myself, that where I am, "there ye may be alfo." You are this day to commemorate your Redeemer, who died once upon a cross, but who has now been many ages upon a throne: Rev. i. 18. "I am he that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am "alive for ever more, Amen; and have the keys of hell "and death." He is able to make his faithful difciples more than conquerors over all their fpiritual enemies; or, as it is expreffed in the paffage where the text lies, he will make them kings and priests to God and his Father. In the paffage immediately preceding the text, he is called the first begotten from the dead; and elsewhere we are told, that the order of the refurrection is, "Chrift the first "fruits, and afterwards they that are Chrift's at his co"ming." It fhall both finish and illuftrate his love when he fhall raise them that fleep in the duft; when he “ fhall "change their vile bodies, that they may be fafhioned like "unto his own glorious body, according to the working "whereby he is able to fubdue all things unto himself." At prefent, how imperfect are our difcoveries? how weak and feeble our conceptions? how cold and languid our affections! Now we "fee through a glafs darkly, but "then face to face." O how joyful to every believer the deliverance from a ftate of fuffering, temptation and fin, and the poffeffion of perfect holiness and unchangeable happiness! And O how great the oppofition of the future to the prefent flate! No more ftruggling with the evils of life: No more perplexity or anxious care for food and raiment; no more diftrefs from fickness or pain; no prifons nor oppreffors there; no liars nor flanderers there; no complaints of an evil heart there, but the most perfect

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