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of God, and co-beirs with Christ; and from the work of the spirit upon their fouls, which is a fruit and effect of redeeming grace; and from the benefits of redemption being applied to them, fuch as righteoufnefs, pardon of fin, atonement, and the like; this is certain, that they to whom the bleffings of redemption are applied, are interested in the Redeemer, who may justly conclude, from their receiving the earnest of the redemption of the purchafed inheritance, that they fhall enjoy the whole: The connexion between grace and glory is infeparable, and he that has the one may be fure of the other. So much for the first article of Job's faith.

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II. The fecond article in this creed is, that the living Redeemer ball ftand upon the earth in the latter day. The word day is not in the original text, but is a fupplement of the tranflators; hence fome interpreters leaving it out, refer the word latter or laft, not to time, but perfons, about whom they cannot agree some ascribing it to God the Father, who is the first and the last, the eternal God, who, as he is before all creatures, fo he will continue after all have had their beings, and have acted their part in this world. Others to Jefus Chrift, to whom the fame characters of Alpha and Omega, the first and the laft, belong. Others to Job himself, who, they fuppofe, calls himself the lat upon the earth, that is to fay," the meanest among men ", the most despicable "of creatures, the off-fcouring of all things, and the refuse of the earth;" and yet, notwithstanding this, declares his faith and confidence, that he should stand, keep his ground, maintain his cause, and carry his point against his friends, having an interest in such a Redeemer. But, for my own part, I am inclined to think, that the living Redeemer mentioned in the first article, is designed in this, and that the words belong to him, which, according to the different verfions they will admit of, refer to different things.

1. Reading them as they are rendered by our tranflators, He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth, they may defign the incarnation of Chrift, and hold forth Job's faith in it. This was an article in his creed, that the fame Redeemer, who then lived and existed in heaven, should defcend from thence, not by local motion, but by affumption of the human nature, and stand and dwell with here upon this earth. Thus, according to Job's faith, the word was mai and dwelt among us"; converfed with mortals upon earth upwards of years, travelled over the land of Judea, took many fatiguing journe about doing good, at length died for his people, and was buried in

Vid. Mercerum in loc.

• Vid. Caryl in loc.

• Vid. Bolduci So Ultimus Myforum," the laft of the Myfians," a poor mean people in ' proverbially of one that was exceeding despicable and contemptible. Quid por tam tritum atque celebratum eft, quam, fiquis defpicatui ducitur, ut Mysc Ciceron. Orat. 24. pro L. Flasco, p. 785. Ed. Gothofred.

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Now it was in the last days that God fent this Redeemer, and spake to us by this bis Son: It was once in the end of the world that Christ appeared to put away fin by the facrifice of himself.

2. If we read the words as they may be, and are rendered; He fall rife the laft out of the earth, or dust. Then they exprefs Job's faith in the refurrection of Christ, that as he should appear on earth, converse a while here, then die, and be buried, so he should rife again; God would not leave his foul in bell, (or the grave) or fuffer his boly One to fee corruption. When Christ is faid to rife the last out of the duft, this is not to be understood, as though he should be the last man that should rife from the dead; so far from this, that he is the first that rose from the dead to a life of immortality: God first shewed him the path of an immortal life, hence he is called the first-fruits of them that flept, and the first-born from the dead; but when he is faid to rife the left, this, as fome well obferve, is to be understood of him as the laft Adam, in oppofition to the first man; and so it is written, The first man, Adam, was made a living foul, the lat Adam was made a quickening Spirit“. The refurrection of Chrift is a confiderable article of faith, much depends upon it; it has a great influence both on our justification and regeneration: The whole fyftem of the chriftian religion is nothing without it; if this is not true, our faith and hope are both in vain. nor have we any reafon to expect the refurrection of our bodies, or look for the blefied hope. Hence the refurrection of Jefus was a principal fubject of p:.mitive preaching, and ought not to be neglected now.

3. If we translate the words as they may be traslated, thus, He fkaïl Sozi et the latter day abote, or over the earth, they may refer to Chrift's fecond coming to judgment, when he will defcend from heaven, come in the clouds of it, and appear in the air, over the earth, where he will be met by the living faints, and will judge the world in righteouttes. This was a very early article of faith; the Jews say ', that the difpute and quarrel between Chix and.£d was about this, the one afferting, the other deaying, that there would be a future judgment. However, Enoch, the seventh from Adam, propheted of it, and of sbe coming of the Lith ten toe and of bi

all and at le rift, and hold lame Redeemer, ence, not by local nd dwell with men word was made f upwards of thirty uing journeys, we buried in this earth

Now

d. Bolducium in loc eople in Phrygia, w uid porro in Grac Mylorum altim

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SERMON XI.

The Fulness of the Mediator.

Preached June 15, 1736, to the SOCIETY that fupport the
LORD'S-DAY Evening Lecture, near Devonshire-Square.

COLOSS. I. 19.

For it pleafed the Father, that in him should all fulness dwell.

TH HE apostle, after his usual falutation to the church at Coloffe, with a great deal of pleasure, takes notice of their faith in Chrift, and love to all the faints, puts up feveral petitions on their account, for an increase of spiritual knowledge, holiness, fruitfulness, patience and strength; gives thanks for fome special blefsings of grace he and they were partakers of; fuch as meetnefs for heaven, deliverance from the power of darkness, a tranflation into the kingdom of Chrift, redemption through his blood, and the forgiveness of fins; and then takes an occafion to fet forth the glories and excellencies of the perfon of Chrift; who, he says, ver. 15. is the image of the invifible God, the natural, effential, eternal, uncreated, perfect and exprefs image of his Father's perfon, whom no man hath seen at any time; and the first-born of every creature: Not that he was the first creature God made, which will not agree with the apoftle's reafoning in the next verse, for by him were all things created; and will be liable to this manifest contradiction, that he was the creator of himself; but the meaning is, either that he is the only begotten of the Father from all eternity, being the natural and eternal Son of God, who, as fuch, exifted before any creature was brought into being; or that he is the first parent, or bringer forth of every creature; as the word will bear to be rendered, if, instead of gallo, we read lolx, which is no more than changing the place of the accent; and may be very easily ventured upon, feeing the accents were all added fince the apostle's days, and efpecially, feeing it makes his reafoning in the following verfes appear with much more beauty, ftrength and force; he is the firft parent of every creature, for by him were all things created that are in heaven, and that are in earth, whether

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