Deliverance. He by his Sufferings on the Crofs procur'd for us that Divine Grace by which we are freed both from the Dominion and Punishment of Sin; the Grace of Repentance, by which we are enabled to wash and cleanfe our felves from the Filth of it; and the Grace of Mercy, by which God freely forgives it, fo as not to impute to us the Guilt of it. Thus were we redeem'd from all Iniquity by him who was therefore named Jefus, because he was to fave his People from their Sins. SIN is the Sting of Death ; that therefore being deftroy'd, and as it were crucified on the Crofs of Chrift, Death, which was once the King of Terrors, is now difarm'd, and become a harmless inoffenfive Thing. It is permitted to af fault us, but not to hurt us; to detain us under its Dominion for a Time, but not for ever; to land us on the Shoar of Eternity, but not to confignus over to the fecond Death, which fhall have no Power over the Redeemed. Juftly, there fore is our Saviour faid to have abolished Death, SERM. IX. Death, and to have deliver'd those over whom it reigned, and who thro' Fear of it were all their Life-time fubject to Bondage. T TOGETHER With Death he destroy, ed him that had the Power of it, i. e. the Devil; who presuming to bruise the Heel of his Adverfary, the Seed of the Wo man, was quickly made fenfible that he was over-match'd, when he himself receiv'd an incurable Wound in his moft vital Part. For that Seed of the Woman, being alfo the Almighty Son of God, trod him under Foot and crushed his Head; bereft him of his Strength, caft him out of his Kingdom, and put a Period to his Reign and our Thraldom. And having thus fpoiled Principalities and Powers, he made a Shew of them openly, triumphing over them on his Crofs. Unfpeakable are the Advantages which accrue to us by this Victory; for by it we alfo are enabled, to overcome the evil One. And all who overcome will Chrift reward with a Crown of Life, and advance them to fit with himself in his Throne in the Heavenly SERM Places, from which Satan and his asso-. ciate Angels fell. Thus of Slaves we are made Kings; and of Captives, Conquerors. That we being deliver'd from Bondage into the glorious Liberty of the Sons of God, might ferve him without Fear; and live all the Days of our Life. to the Praise of Him who hath wrought for us this great Salvation. MOREOVER, by our Violations of God's Laws, we had render'd our felves obnoxious to his Vengeance, and incurr'd the Penalties, annex'd to them. Our Of fences against God were in the Nature of Injuries and Debts; for by them we had detain'd from God the Obedience. due to him, and were therefore to be deliver'd over to the Tormentors till Satisfaction fhould be made. But we were Infolvent, and could do nothing. towards our own Redemption. In this Extremity, Jefus Chrift, became our Surety; and tho' perfectly innocent and finlefs, yet was contented for our Sakes to be by Imputation guilty, to be look'd upon SERM. IX. upon and treated as a Debtor, tho' he had fulfilled all Righteousness, that by fuffering in his own Perfon the Punishment due to our Sins, and making full Satisfaction to the Juftice of God which we had injur'd, he might cancel the Ob. ligation that was upon us to Suffering or Satisfaction. We being thus freed, he who freed us claims a Dominion over us, and a Propriety both in our Bodies and in our Souls by Right of Redemption. ACCORDINGLY St. Paul afferts, That we are not our own, for we are bought with a Price. And another Apoftle hath asfured us, that we were not Redeem'd with corruptible Things, as Silver and Gold, but with the precious Blood of Chrift; who Himfelf, whilft he was upon Earth, declar'd that the End of his Coming was to give his Life a Ranfom for many. Nor can we doubt but that this Ranfom was fufficient to the Purpose for which it was intended, fince St. Paul hath in another Place declared, That he was God who purchas'd the Church with his own Blood. So ineftimable a Price was given in Exchange for Mens OUR Lord did indeed for our Redemption fubmit himself to Death, yet was he the Prince of Life; and of him it is witneffed by fob in the Text feveral hundred Years before his Appearance in the Flefh, that he Liveth. By which we are to understand not only that he had a Being at that Time, but that he liveth from Eternity to Eternity, without Beginning of Days or End of Years, the fame Yesterday, to Day and for ever; and that he is the Author, Preferver and Reftorer of Life to the Creatures; for by Him were created all Things visible and invifible; He upholdeth them all by the Word of his Power; He raiseth the Dead, and quickneth whom he will. For as the Father hath Life, and the Power of communicating it, in himfelf: even for the Son hath Life in himfelf. Wherefore he is in the New Teftament called the Life, the Living Bread, and the Living Water.var R SERM. XI. |