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"herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he "loved us, and gave his Son to be a propitiation for "our fins." "God hath commended his love towards "us, in that while we were yet finners, Christ died for Much more then, being now juftified by his "blood, we shall be faved from wrath through him. "For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled "unto God by the death of his Son: much more be❝ing reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”

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Behold a fourth reason. As divine goodness acts in harmony with every other perfection of his nature, the fufferings of our Saviour were defigned to display the glory of God, as the moral ruler of the universe. There is no governing without laws; laws are nothing without fanctions. If the penalty attached to the law of God, be founded in equity, and were it otherwife, how could He have annexed it? does not the fame principle which led him to propose it, constrain him to maintain it? Suppofe a governor, when he establishes a new fyftem of legislation, were to iffue a proclamation that whoever tranfgreffed it should be pardoned upon his repentance and reformation; would not this difarm the law of all its terrors, and rather encourage than repress the violation of it? Is the gospel such an enemy to the law? "Do we by faith make void the law? "Yea, we establish the law." We do not however on this fubject, go all the lengths to which fome ad

vance.

We would not "limit the Holy One of Ifra"el:" or affirm that He could not have pardoned fin without an atonement. Let us remember the Supreme Majefty is accountable to none; let us not try to fix the bounds of abfolute prerogative. Our Sa

viour in the garden does not indeed intimate that the cup could not pafs from him; but he refolves this impoffibility into the WILL of God. It is fufficient for ús to know that in this way God chofe to glorify his perfections, and that to us no other way appears, in which we could have had an equal display of the divine attributes. Juftice could have feized the tranfgreffor; or mercy could have fpared him; but in the cafe before us, both justice and mercy are blended in their exercise; we fee the one in requiring this meditation, the other in providing it. The law is fecured, and the offender too. Sin is condemned, and the finner pardoned; and God neither beholds the iniquity, or the misery of man. These we conceive to be a few of the reasons why " it became Him, for whom are all "things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many fons unto glory, to make the Captain of their fal"vation perfect through fufferings."

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We close the subject with two reflections.

First, Let not chriftians think it "ftrange" if they fhould be called to fuffer. Let them learn, “how to "be abafed," as well as "how to abound:" let them determine to pass "through evil report," as well as "good report:" and be willing to deny themselves and take up their cross, and follow him. The gofpel does not deceive us : it informs us only of one way, by which we can reach the crown; in this we see all our brethren walking, and our elder Brother going before them; but we are looking for a fmoother paffage; we would be children, and not chastised; gold, and not tried; foldiers, and not "endure hardness;" christians, and not like Chrift. Are the members to have no

fympathy with the suffering Head? Are you not chofen to "be conformed to his image?" Obferve his likeness; see his forrowful features; how "his vifage "is marred more than any man's, and his form than "the fons of men." Can you refemble him, and not fuffer? Is it not an honour to have fellowship with him in his fufferings? Would you wish for the friendship of that world, whofe malice he continually bore? Would you only have ease, where he only had trouble? or nothing but honour, where he had nothing but difgrace? Would you reign with him, and not fuffer with him? Can the common foldier complain, when he fees the commander enduring the fame privations with himself? "The difciple is not above his master, 66 nor the fervant above his lord: it is enough for the 66 difciple that he be as his master, and the fervant as "his lord." But, ah! what are your fufferings, compared with His? Are you oppressed? look before you, and fee him carrying a crofs infinitely heavier; carrying it for you; carrying it without a groan-Oh! "confider Him that endured fuch contradiction of "finners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint "in your minds."

Secondly, If the fufferings of Christ were fo variously useful and neceffary, and of fuch high importance in the view of God, can minifters dwell too much upon them in their preaching? Can chriftians eftimate them too highly, or make too much of them in their meditations, and in the exercises of their faith and of their devotion? And if an ordinance be established in the church as a memorial of his fufferings,

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fhould they not thankfully embrace every opportunity of attending it?

Such, christians, is the inftitution of the Lord's Supper, of which you are going to partake; approach, and in lively memorials behold " Jefus Chrift evident"ly set forth, crucified among you." "For as oft ઃઃ as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do fhew "forth the Lord's death till he fhall come." Draw near, and looking on Him who was pierced by you and for you, mourn and rejoice. Draw near, and exercise faith, aided even by the medium of sense; and of the best Object, take the best view it is in your power to enjoy; till "you fhall fee Him as he is," and joining a nobler affembly, fhall fing the fong which you are loving and learning now," unto Him that lov❝ed us, and washed us from our fins in his own blood, " and hath made us kings and priests unto God and "his Father, be glory and dominion for ever and ev"er." Amen.

SERMON VIII.

THE CONDEMNATION OF SELF-WILL.

JOB XXXIV. 33.

Should it be according to thy mind?

"OH! that I were made judge in the

"land; that every man which hath any fuit, or caufe, "might come unto me, and I would do him juftice." Such was the language of Abfalom, when labouring to promote and to justify a measure, the defign of which was to exclude David from the throne, and to establifh a ufurper. It is the common eloquence of faction, which always knows how much eafier it is to cenfure than to reform; which loves to talk of the facility of government, and to hide the difficulties; which is fure to fix on evils which are often unavoidable, and to difregard advantages, in the procuring of which human prudence has fome fhare; and which is ever making comparisons between long established institutions, the fober value of which cannot ftrike with the freshness of novelty, and the charming scenes to be found in the paradife of fpeculation.

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Who is not ready to condemn Abfalom?" Young man, while the king is employed in the cares and "perplexities of empire, it is an eafy thing for you to

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