our hearts, even when our breath is failing us: "Thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory, through Jefus Chrift our Lord."

Thefe are fcripture views of the almighty Jefus. Out of his infinite compaffion he undertook to fave his people from fin and death, the works of the devil. And he has done it. It is finished. He has put away fin by his facrifice, and he completed his conqueft of death by his refurrection. And has had witneffes of these gofpel truths in all ages, whom he fent to preach repentance, and remiffion of fins, in his name. When it is the good pleasure of his own will to accompany the meffage with power from on high, then he bleffes it by making it the miniftration of righteoufnefs and of life: As it is written, 66

Verily,

verily,

verily, I fay unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth in him that fent me, hath everlafting life, and fhall not come into condemnation, but is paffed from death unto life," already. The Spirit of life in Chrift Jefus hath freed the believer from the law of fin and of death, and has alfo created in him a new life: He has given him a new birth into the fpiritual world, and fpiritual fenfes to fit him for spiritual enjoyments: For he is actually paffed from death unto life. By the Holy Spirit as the agent, and by faith as the inftrument, he is made a child of God, united to Chrift, one with him, interested in him, and so closely joined to him, as the members are to the head, as to be a real partaker of all that he did upon earth, and of

all

all that he is now doing for his re-
deemed in heaven. He has a good
warrant, for he is not only per-
mitted, but also commanded, to
apply to himself all the privileges
and bleffings, which are contained
in this large charter of grace.
"Ye are complete in Chrift, who
is the head of all principality and
power: In whom alfo ye are cir-
cumcifed with the circumcifion
made without hands, in putting
off the body of the fins of the flesh
by the circumcifion of Chrift,
buried with him in
wherein alfo ye are rifen with
him, through the faith of the
operation of God, who hath raif-
ed him from the dead: And you
being dead in your fins, and the
uncircumcifion of your flesh, hath
he quickened together with him,
having forgiven you all trefpaífes,
blotting

baptifm,

blotting out the handwriting of ordinances, that was against us, which was contrary to us; and he took it out of the way, nailing it to his crofs, and having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a fhew of them openly, triumphing over them in that fame crofs." In this view of the almighty conqueror of all our enemies, and of his enabling us also by faith to come after him, conquering and to conquer, what thanks and praises should be given unto him? There is no poffible evil, but he has removed it from us-and no poffible good, but he has obtained the right, and gives the poffeffion. We are complete in him, our head-completely. circumcifed in heart by his circumcifion, fo as to put off the body of fin, and rifen indeed with

him by the faith of his own operation: Through which we have the firft refurrection from the grave of fin, and fhall have the refurrection of the body from the grave of death. He now gives the firft as a fure earnest of the fecond. He raises us from the grave of fin, and quickens us to newness of life, and thereby gives us a lively hope, that we shall one day be with him. and like him. In this hope the redeemed of the Lord. have thus expreffed their joys-We will rejoice in thy falvation, and in the name of our God we will fet up our banners, in defiance of all our enemies-we need not fear fin, nor Satan, nor death, nor hell. Our Redeemer is ftrong, the Lord of hofts is his name. He for us men, and for our falvation, was manifested to destroy the works of

the