too many proofs of this truth. If then we are wicked, our only way is, that, yielding to the convictions of God's word and Spirit, we apply in the name of our bleffed Redeemer for power to deny ourselves and follow him: that through him, as our high priest, we present our fouls and bodies a facrifice to God*, befeeching him to accept the gift, to take and keep poffeffion of us. And though we think ourselves ever fo good, yet if we imagine we are become fuch, or hope to continue fuch, by our own abilities, we deceive ourselves, and know nothing yet, as we ought to know. By the grace of God I am what I am, faith the apoftle; I laboured more abundantly than they all; yet not I, but the grace of God, which was with me. I am crucified with Chrift, nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Chrift liveth in me, and I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himfelf for me§. Nay, Jaftly, if we flatter ourselves, that even by the means of help from above we have attained to a perfection of self-denial, or of any other virtue, we mistake our condition, endanger out humility, and neglecting to pfs forward, fhall be driven back. Indeed, though perfection is afcribed to men in feripture, by way of oppofition to characters wilfully and effentially defec tive, and of comparison with others of inferior goodness¶, and in respect of God's gracious acceptation through Chrift Jefus**; yet, ftrictly speaking, the hope of ever attaining it here is vain, notwithstanding that the ftruggle to advance fowards it ought to be inceffant: for the nearer the approach, the greater the reward. But who can say I have mude my heart clean; I am pure from my fin? For there is not a juft man upon earth, that doth good, and finneth not. When we put off these bodies, and not before, that which is perfect being come, that which is in part fhall be done away. Our understandings fhall be thoroughly enlightened, our affections completely purified, our wills intirely conformed to that of our heavenly Fa ther; we fhall love ourselves only as bearing his image, and God fhall be all in all. SERMON LXVIII. OUR SAVIOUR'S SOVEREIGNTY OVER THE DEAD AND LIVING. ROM. xiv. 9. For to this end Chrift both died and rofe and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living. THE public offices of our church have led us, within a few months, through most of the principal transactions of our bleffed Redeemer's life on earth. We have commemorated his condefcenfion to take upon him the likeness of finful flesh *, his fubmitting to fulfil the righteousness of the Jewish law, and his early manifestation to the Gentile world; his fafting forty days and nights, and yielding afterwards to be tempted in all points as we are, yet without fint. Many of his wonderful works, many of his gracious inftructions have been rehearsed in our ears; and very lately his most bitter fufferings and death represented, as it were, before our eyes. We have accompanied him, from his forrows and agonies in the garden, through all the fad variety of difgrace and pain that he under went, till be bowed bis bead, and gave up the ghoft § on the cross. We have feen his dead body pierced to the heart with a spear, taken down and interred, the fepulchre clofed, fealed up, and guarded; his difciples, though continuing to honour him, quite in defpair about him and yet we find him this day rifen again, to die no more. : Surely it is time we should ask ourselves what was the meaning of fo unparalleled a tranfaction, to which the attention of all mankind hath been called fo folemnly ever fince? It could VOL. II. Rr not • Rom. viii. 3. $ John xix. 30, ↑ Matth. ii. 15. Heb. iv. 15. not be merely to move our compaflion with a piteous hiftory, that God fent his Son from heaven, to live in wretchedness and die in torment; nor to fill us with a vain admiration, that he raised him from the grave, and hath placed him at his own right hand. What then was the view and ufe of this most exTo this end traordinary difpenfation? The text informs us. Chrift both died and rofe and revived; or, as it should be tranflated, and is elsewhere in the New-Teftament, lives again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and the living. Every thing he did or suffered was ordained to accomplish that merciful and awful fcheme of providence, our Saviour's univerfal dominion. over all; to make the obedient good and happy, and reward the difobedient according to their works. This important doctrine I fhall I. Explain and prove. Then fhew, II. Under what obligations it lays us. I. Chrift indeed, as the eternal Son of the Father, had origi nal glory and dominion before the world existed; was in the beginning with God, and was God. But the apostle speaks not here of that dignity and power which his divine nature always poffeffed, but which his human nature acquired, by dying and rifing and living again. It is true, the former part of his life contributed greatly, both by his doctrine and example, to fet up that kingdom of righteousnefs, over which he was to reign. And even then the Father had given all things into bis handt, and committed all judgment to him. But this being done in confideration of his future fufferings, on them the foundation of his authority is laid in fcripture. Thus St. Paul teaches, that, because being in the form of God, he was willing to take upon him the form of a fervant, an inferior and miniftering nature, as ours is; and then, being found in fashion a man, humbled himself yet lower unto the death of the cross: therefore God hath bigbly exalted him, and given him a name above every name §. But elfe where he more determinately grounds his fovereignty, on his paffion alone; We fee Jefus, for the fuffering of death, crowned with glory and honour ¶. And justly doth it intitle him to an authority over us, fince it For fin both fubjecting men by gained him a property in us. as its • John i. 1. + John iii. 35. John. v. 22. ¶ Heb. ii. 9. its guilt, as debtors and criminals, to the juft fentence of God, and by its dominion, as captives and flaves, to the unjust empire of the devil; our Saviour, by delivering us in each of these respects, hath obtained a double right to us. By giving his life a ranfom to divine juftice, he hath bought us to himfelf with the price of his blood; fo that we are his in right of purchase. And having destroyed the tyranny of the wicked one over us, by the holiness of the precepts which his death confirmed, and the efficacy of the grace which it procured, we are his again in right of conquest. This authority, thus acquired, his refurrection openly proclaimed; attesting, not only in general the truth of his miffion, but in particular the acceptance of his fufferings for our redemption and confequently his title to govern us, and his power to raise us up again according to his promife, as he had raised himself. Hence, during the remainder of his continu-, ance on earth, he founded and gave laws to his church; and being yet more folemnly invefted with fulness of power on his afcenfion to heaven, he ever lives to rule and protect it. Nor doth his fovereignty extend over mankind alone, but the whole creation. For God, as St. Paul affures us, having raised him from the dead, bath fet him at his own right hand, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but alfo in that which is to come, and hath put all things under bis feet: that in the name of Jefus, as he adds in another place, every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and every tongue confefs, that Jefus Chrift is Lord. In these words he is defcribed both as high-priest and the king of the universe. His poffeffion of the former office is expreffed by faying, that every knee hall bow in his name; for fo it fhould be tranflated, not at his name, when his name is mentioned though that be a practice, both unexceptionable and To how the knee is to pray. So, Eph. iii. 14. For this caufe I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, that he would grant you to be firengthened by his Spirit in the inner man. Therefore to bow the knee in the name of Jefus, is to pray in his name, as the perfon qualified and appointed to present our petitions to God, and derive his blefRr2 fings reverent. Eph. i. 20, 21, 22, Phil. ii. 10, Ila fings upon us. The remaining part of the paffage declares his kingly oflice: And every tongue confefs, that Jefus Chrift is Lord; or, as St. John more emphatically ftiles him, Lord of Lords, and King of Kings *. Nor are men only, but all the angels of God, required to worship him † as such. as fuch. Created beings, of how exalted rank foever, can only be faithful as fervants in the house of God, but Chrift as a fon over his boufe, which himself bath builded ‡. In what manner he governs the rest of his works we are not concerned to enquire. Men he governs, by giving laws, which every one, who receives the knowledge of them, is bound to obey, and no one may add too, diminifh, or alter; by forming those who submit to him willingly, into a regular fociety, or univerfal church, provided with fit means of inftruction, difcipline, and grace; by improving them in all goodness, and ftrengthening them against all temptation; by providing, that in the worst of times the gates of bell pall not prevail to abolish true religion: and gradually bringing on, according to his promise, that happy age, when the kingdoms of this world fball become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, and be fball take to himself his great power, and shall reign ¶. But however illuftrious his dominion may then appear, the full manifestation of it, (for which every other act of his regal au thority is opening the way) will be in that hour, when he shall come with the holy angels to fit upon the throne of his glory, and all nations being gathered before him, fhall fentence the wicked, both men and devils, to everlasting punishment, but befow on the righteous life eternal. After which, the ends of this whole dispensation being now accomplished, he shall deliver up his kingdom of grace to God even the Father, in whofe king. dom of glory he shall still reign, with him and the Holy Spirit, over his faints and angels, for ever and ever t†. Such is the fovereignty over all, which the Son of man fift died to acquire; and then rifing again, lives to exercife. And as it extends through the whole creation of God, from the beginning to the confummation of all things, no wonder, if the reafons Rev. xvii. 14. Heb. i. 6. Heb. iii. 3, 5, 6. § Matth. xvi. 15. Rev. xi. 15, 17. 1 Matth. xvi. 27.—xix. 28.—xxv. 31, 34. tt Rev. xi. 15. * 1 Cor. xv. 3. |