The Sufferings of Chrift their End and Influence.

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2 Cor. V. 14, 15.

For the Love of Chrift constraineth us, because me thus judge, that if one died for all, then we are all dead: and that he died for all, that they which live, fhould not henceforth live to themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rofe again.

Noth

Othing is more common in our Mouths, that the Warmth of the Primitive Times, and the Coldness of our own; their Charity and Purity our Senfuality and Selfishness: But I wifh we did not content our felves with only magnifying those happy Times, and complaining of our own, but did heartily apply our felves to reftore decay'd Charity to its Primitive Power and Luftre. And nothing, I C 4 think,

Vol. II think, will fo effectually contribute to this, as the frequent and devout Contemplation of the Sufferings of Jesus. This was the Subject that imploy'd the Thoughts of thofe Times we fo much admire. Jefus Chrift, and him Crucified was the only thing St. Paul determined to know; and this, 'tis plain, was enough: For great is the Confidence of Hope; ftrong and vehement the Longings and Defires after Christ; great is the Transport and Exaltation of Spirit: And finally, great is the Zeal for God's Glory, and for the Service of his Church, which the Apostle expreffes throughout this Chapter. And if we enquire whence all these excellent Affections fpring, what is the Source and Origen of them, we shall find it to be that which is affigned in my Text, namely, The love of Chrift in dying for us. And may God fo affift us at this time by his Holy Spirit, that the Confideration of Christ's Sufferings may have the fame Influence upon us which it had upon St. Paul, and inflame our Breasts with the fame holy Paffion it did his : That it may prevail with us to dedicate our Lives to the Honour of God, and the . Interest

Interest of Vertue, that we may come Vol. II. experimentally to fay with him, The love of Chrift constraineth us, &c.

There is nothing obscure in the words, and I shall not spend time in an unneceffary Explication of them; but fhall from them discourse of these Three things:

I. The deplorable ftate of Mankind
before they were Redeemed by
Christ, Then were all dead.
II. The Paffion of Chrift, He died,
and the great End of it, For all.
III. The Influence his Suffering for
us ought to have upon us. And
that is twofold:

1. It should beget in us a fervent
Love of him. We fhould be
poffeffed, animated, and infla-
med by Love for this is im-
plyed in the word ouen, The
love of Christ constraineth us.
2. It should prevail with us to de-
vote our felves to his Honour
and Service, To live not to our
selves, but to him who died for
us, and rose again.

Vol. II.

The

1. Of the state of Mankind without Christ, Then we are all dead, &c. This imports, that the whole Word lay under the Dominion and the Guilt of Sin. The Effect of the former was, That the Light and Power, both of Reason and Grace, was opprefs'd and extinguifh'd in them, and the Life they lead, inftead of being Rational, Spiritual, and Heavenly, was wholly Senfual, Earthly and Devilish. Confequence of the latter was, That they were fubject to God's Wrath, and Eternal Punishment, For the wages of fin is Death. And though no Difpenfation did ever fo clearly and fo fully reveal the Eternal Mifery that attends the Impenitent, as that of the Gospel ; yet both the Law of God and Mofes did fufficiently affure both the few and Gentile, as St. Paul proves, Rom. 1.2, 3. Chapt. that he who lived wickedly was worthy of death; and that Tri bulation and Anguish, Indignation and Wrath, fhould one day certainly overwhelm every foul of man that did evil, whether Jew or Gentile. On these Accounts it is that Sin, in the Language of the Scripture, is fo frequently call'd Death. But Death, though

it be the greatest Terror of Humane Na-Vol. II. ture, can never give us a juft and full w Representation of the fatal Effects and Confequences of Sin : for Death attacks the Body, but Sin the Soul. The one destroys the Mortal, the other the Immortal Part of us. Death exftin. guishes the Senfitive and Animal; Sin the Rational and Spiritual Powers and Faculties of Man. Death defaces the Beauty of the Body; Sin the Image of God in the Soul. Death renders us loathfom to our dearest Friends, so that we must be buried out of their fight; Sin hateful to God,to our good God and gracious Father, fo that we must be for ever banished his Presence. Death puts and end to the Pleasures and Satisfactions of Earth; Sin excludes us from the Joys and Glories of Heaven. The Pangs of Death are short; but those of Sin will be for ever: for the Worm that gnaws that Sinner's heart must never die; and the Fire that Sin kindles must never be quench'd.

This view of Sin, as it gives us a plain account of the Nature and dif mal Confequences of it of it; fo does it

tend to form in our Minds a true No

tion of the Reason and

Defign of

Chrift's