our labour and pain in serving of him; there will be no end of his love and grace in saving us. No comparison between a few tears of godly sorrow, and a whole river of endless pleasures; between our weak and momentary duties, and a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.

There are but two arguments more, which, being both peculiar to the day, and the solemnity thereof, I shall very briefly conclude with.

The former is drawn from Christ's resurrection; "Who brought again from the dead the Lord Jesus." But why is Christ said here, as often elsewhere, to be raised by God the Father', when we find it done by his own power? "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." (John ii. 19) "I have power to lay down my life, and I have power to take it up again." (John x. 18)-I answer two things: First, the Spirit whereby Christ was quickened, as St. Peter expresseth it, (1 Pet. iii. 18) was the Spirit of the Father, and of the Son; and so the action common to both. Secondly, hereby the Father, to whose justice the debt was due, by letting Christ out of prison, acknowledged a satisfaction of judgement. Christ died as a reputed transgressor; "He was numbered with the transgressors;" (Isa. liii. 12) but he rose a justified person ", and declared the Son of God with power; (Rom. i. 4) for owning whereof before, as for blasphemy, they accused and condemned him. (John x. 33, 36. xix. 7) Now this doctrine of the resurrection is likewise a notable argument to enforce the duty here prayed for. We find deliverance out of captivity largely described by a resurrection, Ezek. xxxvii. 1, 13; and even this figurative resurrection is used as a special argument to enforce the duties of the whole Decalogue. "I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage; thou shalt have no other Gods before me," &c. In like manner, the resurrection of Christ, being a deliverance from a greater captivity, is an excellent argument unto holiness of life; for "God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless us, in turning us away from our iniquity;" (Acts iii. 26) " that like as Christ was raised from the dead

1 Acts iii. 24, 32. iii. 15, 26. iv. 10. v. 30. xiii. 30, 33. m 1 Tim. iii. 16.

Rom. vi. 4.

by the glory of the Father, so we should also walk in newness of life." (Rom. vi. 4) The life of Christ is diffusive and communicative. "Because I live, ye shall live also." (John xiv. 19) Christ rose to declare his victory over all our enemies, the greatest whereof is sin; in the subduing whereof, and quickening us unto new obedience, the self-same power is exerted upon the hearts of sinners, which was wrought in Christ, when he was raised from the dead; as the apostle insinuateth, Eph. i. 19, 20, ii. 1, 5. Col. ii. 12. The resurrection of Christ is a ground of holiness, ‘Per modum causæ efficientis et exemplaris.'

6

1. By way of efficiency, called the Power of his Resurrection,' (Phil. iii. 10) whereby "we are risen with him," as the apostle speaks: (Col. iii. 1) he, from his grave; and we, from our sin. For he being the head, and we the members, we have a communion with him in the good things of the head. Being a risen and a living head, he will not have a dead body. God is not the God,-nor Christ the head,-of the dead, but of the living. "

2. By way of pattern; his resurrection is an example of our sanctification. 1. He rose to life, not as a ghost, or spectre; but as a victor, to teach us not to content ourselves with dead shows of holiness, but to live the life of God. 2. He rose to a heavenly life, to ascend unto his Father, teaching us to have our conversation in heaven P, and our affections set upon things above, where Christ is. 3. He rose to an abiding life, to die no more, now no more to return to corruption: (Rom. vi. 9. Acts xiii. 34) so should we unto such a repentance, as is not again to be repented of. (2 Cor. vii. 10) 4. He rose to life speedily, very early in the morning, (Luke xxiv. 1) teaching us, as the psalmist speaks," to make haste, and not delay to keep God's commandments." (Psalm cxix. 60) Rise as early as we will, he

is

up to save us, before we are to serve him. 5. He rose to a victorious life; he came not forth bound as Lazarus, but he left the grave-clothes behind him: (John xx. 6, 7) so should we rise from sin, never to be bound or entangled in it more. A sealed stone, a watch of soldiers could not hinder his re

n Matth. xxii. 32.

9 Col. iii. 1, 2.

• John xx. 17.

P Phil. iii. 20.

surrection: no fears or prejudices should dismay us, or keep us in the grave of sin, when Christ calls us out. In our spiritual resurrection, there are, ever, more with us, than against us. We should keep these evidences of our communion with Christ in his resurrection, clear and unquestionable; for we must rise with him unto holiness, before we can rise with him unto glory. No man can rationally hope to be like unto Christ in blessedness hereafter, who doth not purify himself, that he may be like unto him in holiness here: no man can sincerely desire consummate holiness, who is an enemy to inchoate holiness.

The last argument is drawn from Christ's pastoral office, the "great Shepherd of the Sheep ;" of whom the angel foretold that he should be great. (Luke i. 32) A great King'; a great Prophet'; a great High-priest'; the Chief Shepherd "; great in power; and this power acted by great love, and both quickened by great interest: for he is Lord of the house*; the sheep are his own. All which power, love and interest he will put forth, to save to the uttermost those that come unto God by him: for every office of his is by him powerfully administered, to the sanctification and salvation of his people.

1. As a Shepherd, he rules and governs his people with a sceptre of righteousness, bringing into captivity their thoughts unto his obedience *; causing them, with all cheerfulness, to submit unto his sovereignty, and to choose much rather to be ordered by his will, than to be left unto their

own.

2. As a Shepherd, he leads them by his heavenly doctrine, and most gracious example, into the ways of truth and holiness; causing them to walk as he walked, to follow his steps; and, as the Angel of God's presence, treading forth their way unto the heavenly Canaan for them.

3. As a Shepherd, he heals all their sicknesses, whereof sin is the chief: This is his name, The Lord that healeth us.' (Exod. xv. 26) For this end he was wounded, that by his stripes we might be healed; he a true Bethesda,

whose waters are for healing; a tree of life, whose leaves are for healing; a sun of righteousness, whose wings are for healing. No sickness, no death, is too hard for him; he hath raised dead men from the bed, from the bier1, from the grave", from dry bones." No man's doubts or fears, no man's sins or temptations should keep him from coming, with a lively faith, with godly sorrow, with unfeigned repentance, unto Christ for mercy. Of all sinners, they who feel most need of him, are most welcome to him; and whosoever so come, he will in no wise cast them out. (John vi. 37)

Lastly, as a Shepherd, he feedeth his people, not only with his holy word, but with his own most precious body and blood. In the law, the passover, after it had been sacrificed unto God, was to be eaten in a feast by them that offered it; (Deut. xvi. 2, 5, 6, 7) conformably whereunto, Christ having been sacrificed for us, is, in his last supper, as a perpetual feast, fed on by us. As no man might eat P of the legal sacrifice in his legal uncleanness, no more can we be welcome unto the Lord's table, if we come thither in impenitency and spiritual defilement. "Christ, our passover, is sacrificed for us; therefore we must keep the feast, not with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." (1 Cor. v. 8) We come unto the Lord's table for fellowship with Christ in his sufferings, that being made conformable unto his death, we also may be dead unto sin, as the apostle speaks. We come thither to exercise that faith in Christ crucified, which, the scripture assureth us, doth purify the heart, and work by love. We come, as to receive the seals of the sure mercies of David unto us, so to renew our covenant of obedience and service unto him, to dedicate and offer up ourselves as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable unto God." Lastly, We come to the Lord's table, to profess our unfeigned love and thankfulness unto Christ for the unspeakable benefits of his passion; and "this is love," saith the apostle," that we keep his commandments *;" this is thankfulness, that we

order our conversation aright, as becometh the gospel of Christ', adorning the doctrine of God our Saviour with lives suitable to the strict and severe precepts of his word: for "herein," saith Christ, "is my Father glorified, in that you bring forth much fruit." That we may, in this manner, bring glory unto God, and testify our fellowship with Christ in his sufferings; that we may thus evidence the sincerity of our love and thankfulness unto him, for the unspeakable benefits of his death and passion; "The God of peace, who brought again from the dead the Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the Sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make us perfect in every good work to do his will, working in us that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ."-To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

■ Phil. i. 27.

Tit. ii. 10, 14.

b John xv. 8.