will visit them, and fulfill the promises of his covenant, which is well order'd in all things, and fure.

V. We are here affured, that forrows and afflictions may be sanctified, and turn'd to the good of thofe that are exercised thereby. The great God tempers these calamities and makes them medicinal to fouls. Their property fhall be alter'd from legal punishments, to paternal chastisements. They fhall lead to humiliation and repentance; to a mortification to the world, and a deadness to thofe corruptions and temptations, by which others are led captive. Many a difciplined foul has reafon to be thankful for his rebukes, and to say, I know O Lord, that thy judgments are right, and that thou, in faithfulness (to thy covenant, and my best intereft) haft afflicted me.

VI. There are graces and virtues for suffering seasons; which are then to be prayed for and are then given in from above, and are then to be exercifed. There is faith, which muft look beyond fight and sense; and rely upon the goodness and promife of God in the days of distress. There is hope, that waits and expects a good iffuc. There is patience that yields to the difpenfations of God, and waits his leifure. He endured as Seeing him that is invifible. There is humility, meekness, mortification to a vain, sorrowful world. These empty the foul of manifold impurities, and make it meet for divine communications. Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the holy Ghost.

VII. The author of the inftitution has fufficiently forewarn'd his profelites, to expect fufferings for religion's fake. No wonder the religious fuffer in an irreligious world. But his religion is pureft of all. Most separate from the spirit of the world. Most contrary to the other religions in the world. So that his difciples will be expofed to fcorn and reproach and dangers on every fide. They that will live godly in Christ Jefus will be liable to perfecutions. But then, he has provided encouragements and fupports for them, under their tribulations. He fuftains them by his fpirit, and makes their confolations abound; and promifes abundant recom

pence

pence in the heavenly world. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile ye, and perfecute ye, and say all manner of evil against you falsly for my fake ; rejoice and be exceeding glad; for great is your reward in heaven.

VIII. We fee, that the author himself was attended with afflictions, while he was here. He was a man of forrows and acquainted with grief. And the difciple must not expect to be above his Lord. He has fet us an example, how to bear them and demean ourselves under them. There was no murmuring, fretfulness or impatience with him. He bore more for us, than we can do for him. He has fanctified forrows and trials, having fo born them himself. His fervants must be content to be conformed to him, therein, as being affured, that, in due time, they shall be Conformed to him in glory. If we be dead with him, we shall also live with him. If we fuffer (with him) we shall reign with him. Here water is turned into wine. Such an inftitution may well alleviate and sweeten the difquietments of life.

SEC T. XXV.

The Chriftian Religion gives beft Succour and Security against the Fears and Approaches of Death.

HIS is indeed the king of terrors; the univerfal vanquisher of man

TH

kind. And more terrible it must be, the more notices there are, in nature, and in the providence of God, that the foul is a vital thing and dies not with the body; but is tranfmitted to another world, and ftate of retribution. Yet this is acknowledged in all religions. 'Tis religion must be our beft armour against the power and mischief of death. And that must be the beft religion, that will beft fortify and fccure us against its malignity. Some indeed have indolently and undauntedly

edly ventured upon death; little knowing what it was, or what it would prove. A natural courage, a willful refolution, a bold curiofity, a blind zeal and stupid confcience have pufh'd many into the jaws of the devouring lion. But the heart is more timerous, when reafon and confcience are well aware of the confequences. When it is once feen, that this life is the time affigned by God for our probation, in order to another; that God is a great King, and will dreadfully punish a life spent in fin; and that the future state of dreadful punishment, is irreversible and unalterable; when this is seen, the heart quakes, and the conscience trembles and dreads to appear at the tribunal of God. If the great God, in fo many dreadful ways, pursues and punishes fin in this world, where there is fo much of his goodness, how fearfully will he punish it in the penal world, on those that would never repent of it! If death (that was let in by fin) muft inexorably reign over the best of men; and they must be laid in afhes for hundreds or thousands of years, what will become of thofe, whom death transmits to the utmost wages of fin? There must be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. Here is need of all the relief, that religi on can afford. And none can afford more than this noble religion does. Here reafon and confcience are abundantly fatisfied. And the serious profelite is enabled to bid defiance to his adversary, to lie down in peace, and make his entrance into a ferene and blissful world. Here,

I. We are inform'd, how death is to be duly vanquish'd. He is a legal monarch; he came in by law; and must be caft out by law again. The tyrant shall not be beraved of his prey; but his prey fhall be his banc. Death fhall have it's course, and fhall cut down all; but among the reft, it fhall cut down one, that fhall arife and be revenged on it. The Son of God comes into human form; and in that form, is made under human law. According to his original dignity, he owed no fubjection to the law, nor homage to death, nor tribute to the grave. But for our fakes, he will glorify the law, and fatisfy the lawgiver thus acting according to law. He will honour death, and deftroy him when he has fo done. In this form, death finds him, feizes him, ftabs him, and tramples him down to the duft. But, O Death, fays he, I will be thy plague. It was not poffible that death fhould hold him. He foon throws off all the force of death, and all the power the law had given him. He arifes with the warrant of

heaven,

heaven, in token of propitiation made, and juftice fatisfy'd. He arifes for our juftification and death's deftruction. The juftification of his fervants must be the deftruction of death, that makes them prifoners. Here's a mystery of wisdom and grace and righteoufnels! Here's joy to a foul, that is diftreffed for the law and the glory of God! Here's fupport and cafe to a pained confcience! O death where is thy fting? O grave where is thy victory? The fting of death is fin. (But fin is expiated; and fo the fting is broken). The ftrength of fin is the law. (But the law is executed; and fo that ftrength is diffolved.) But thanks be to God, that gives us the victory through our Lord Jefus Chrift!

II. We fee here an eminent instance of the conquest of death. None of the philofophers, none of the founders of other religions could raise themfelves from the dead. Our Lord told his disciples before-hand, when he would rife. His enemies hear it; and frive to prevent it. But the means of prevention commend the certainty of the prediction. What! would guards and a feal and a stone prevent the Lord of Life from rifing! As good prevent the fun from appearing in the morning. Here is one that has intrinfic and legal power to conquer death. He rifes with a new covenant (or his own teftament) in his hand, gives affurance of refurrection to all his followers. Because I live, ye shall live also. He has all pow. er in heaven and earth, to vanquifh all his enemies, and to fulfill alı the defigns of grace towards his profelites.

Here we have it in the best way
In the best way, procured. In

III. We have the left affurance of the forgiveness of fin. The gentile philofophers can fay very little, with certainty, about it. And yet without this, religion will be vain. procured; in the best way, affured. a way, most honourable to God, to his nature and righteoufness, to his law and government. Procured by an incftimable propitiation and atonement; by an high pricft and facrifice, futable to the majefty of heaven. The legiflator will affume human flesh and blood,

and

Here content and

and thereby make an expiation of fin for ever. peace arifes to the guilty, folicitous mind. In the best way affured. A covenant, promifing pardon and peace to all the believing profclites is iffued out with all folemnity and confirmation imaginable. It is ratified by the teftator's death. This is the New Teftament in my blood. It is attefted by the vifible feal of heaven. Long time therefore abode they (the heralds of this edict) Speaking boldly in the Lord, who gave teftimony (public, authentic teftimony) to the word of his grace (the word of reconciliation and forgiveness, by his grace) and granted figns and wonders to be done by their hands. This covenant, as it depends upon an immutable counsel; fo it is cftablished also by the oath of God; that, by two immutable things, in which it is impoffible for God to lie, they may have strong confolati on, who have fled for refuge unto the founder of that inflitution, as the hope that is fet before them. Here's ftability and affurance for faith and for the believing mind.

IV. We have the best affurance of the immortality of the foul; and of its entrance into life at death. We have seen that the whole frame of this religion, fuppofes this immortality. We have feen inftances of this entrance into life. We have feen Mofes and Elijah,

glorious upon the mount. We have heard the Saviour affuring his dying profelite, that that day, he should be with kim in paradife. We are not to suppose, that these few only are transplanted to the paradife of God. We hear, in common, of the Spirits of just men, that are made perfect, as an happy part of the heavenly fociety; and we are generally affured, that when this earthly tabernacle shall be diffolved, we fhall have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. Here's fatisfaction for the departing profelite!

V. IVe have notice of a great advocate with God, that conti nually intercedes on the behalf of faithful profelites. As through him, they come to God, in all their worship, fo through him, they

may,