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2. What sort of a victory is it Jefus hath ob tained over death ?—It is,

(1.) A dear-bought victory, it coft the glorious Conqueror his precious life; he fuffered the bruifing of his heel, before the ferpent's head could be got bruised. He fuffered in his body, and alfo in his foul, and to fuch a degree, that the holy human nature could not have borne up under it, had it not been supported by his divine nature.

(2.) A complete victory in refpect of himself, though not yet complete in refpect of his members: Rom. vi. 9. "Knowing that Chrift being raised from the dead, dieth no more, death hath no more dominion over him." Now he is beyond the reach of death and all his enemies, fitting at the Lord's right-hand until he make his enemies his footstool, Pfal. cx. I.

(3.) A glorious victory, faints and angels finging the triumphant fong. Hear the acclamations of joy and wonder with which he was met at his return from the battle, Ifa. Ixiii. 1. "Who is this that cometh from Edom, with died garments from Bozrah? This that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatnefs of his ftrength? I that fpeak in righteoufnefs, mighty to fave." What a glorious victory was it which he obtained over the king of terrors, who fubdues the most potent armies, overcomes the conquerors of the earth; but behold the great fpoiler fpoiled, the conqueror conquered by the King of glory.

(4.) An everlasting victory. Now death's power is irrecoverably broke; the ferpent is wounded in the head, which is a deadly wound, it fhall never be able to rally its broken forces against him any more; it went out into the world full, but the

King of faints has met it, and spoiled it, fo that it in fome fort is now empty.

As a practical improvement of what has been faid, I would on this occafion earneftly call upon

you,

1. As mortals, dying men and women, to come over this day to the Conqueror's fide. Our Lord has obtained the victory over death, come ye and furrender yourselves to him, break your covenant with death and hell, enter into his covenant, and honestly enlift yourselves under his victorious banners, abide no longer among his enemies.-To prevail with you, I would lay before you the following MOTIVES.

(1.) If ye are out of Chrift, ye live in death's territories; yea, ye are dead; while ye live, death hath dominion over you, Eph. v. 14. " Where fore he faith, Awake thou that fleepest, arise from the dead, and Chrift fhall give you light." Ye are spiritually dead, the threatenings of the law, as the bands of death, gird you about; the divers lufts ye ferve are as the chains of death unto you. O! awake, ere ye be caft out of this world, and buried out of his fight.

(2.) The Conqueror is ready to receive you, and give you the privileges of the subjects of his kingdom, Zech. ix. 11. 12. "As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant, I have fent forth thy prifoners out of the pit, wherein is no water; turn ye to the ftrong-hold, ye prifoners of hope, even today do I declare, that I will render double unto thee." Chrift is coming this day in the word to your graves, and faying to you, as to Lazarus, Come forth, beftir yourselves, O prifoners of hope! and come away, when the Redeemer and Deliverer, who has overcome death, is calling you! Abide

not

not under the dominion of the foiled enemy, but come away to the victorious Lord of life.

(3.) Behold how he loved the children of men, John, xiv. 13. "And whatfoever ye fhall afk in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son." Why did he fight this battle with death, but to rescue finners to himfelf, as a prey out of the mouth of the devouring lion? Shall not his dying love win you, his dying groans awake you, out of your fleep in fin? Does not every wound he received call you to caft away your fins which lay fo heavy on him? will ye love death, and flight the Redeemer, Prov. viii. 26. All they that hate me love death."

(4.) How will ye grapple with death, if ye come not out of your fins to Jefus Chrift? Man, remember thou muft die; the day is coming thefe eyes will be closed, the breath that is now going out and in will go, to return no more till the laft pulfe beat. How wilt thou be able to grapple with the king of terrors alone? Death caft down the man Chrift; if it did fo to the green-tree, what will become of thee, a withered dead branch? Thou fhalt find death lively as to thee, armed with its fting against thee, fince thou art not in Chrift, his victory belongs not to thee, but the firft death will turn thee over into the hands of the fecond death; and fo thou shalt be eternally dying, but never die.

(5) Come to Chrift, and thou fhalt have the benefit of his victory over death: John, viii. 51.

Verily, verily, I fay unto you, If a man keep my fayings, he fhall never fee death," never feel the fting of death, its nature shall be quite altered to thee. O are ye not thinking what way ye fhall get through that ford on that Red Sea, which

ye

ye know not how foon ye may come to? Come to Chrift, lay hold on the Conqueror by faith, in the way of his covenant; the fealed covenant will be your pafs for fafe conduct to the other fide; it has carried all through that took their paffage with it hitherto, and fo will it you. I exhort you,

2. To prepare yourselves for celebrating the triumph of this victory. The faints above are celebrating it at the upper table, ye are called to celebrate it at the lower table: "This do ye in remembrance of me." Let not Satan get advantage of fuch as look for the benefit of this victory, to flight the memorial of it, left they vex the Spirit of God, and pour contempt on Chrift's institution, and give their fouls fuch a throw as they will not eafily recover, while their fig-leaf covers of excufes will avail them nothing. Let none, however, venture rafhly on fuch an ordinance. Take heed to your ftate, fee that ye be not the King's enemies, but his friends, by your coming honestly into his covenant, and putting a divorce into the hands of all your idols. In the midft of the triumphal throng, he will notice the man that wants the wedding-garment: Matth. xxii. 11. "And when the king came in to fee the guests, he faw there a man which had not on a wedding-garment." Sinners dead in trefpaffes and fins are not fit to celebrate the memorial of Chrift's victory over death. Off with the grave-cloaths of your lufts, then, that you may be fit guefts for the Lord of life on fuch an occafion.-Take heed to your frame; a dead frame is not fit for fuch an occafion.

Alas!

for the deadnefs on the fpirits of profeffors at this day. O! labour to get a lively frame of spirit, wherewith to celebrate the memorial of Chrift's victory; get faith, love, repentance, defires, thankfulness, &c. in exercife; and for this end, I VOL. I. recommend

recommend to you this night, to meditate on, and take a believing view of this battle.—Consider,

1. It was a fet battle; not an accidental rencounter, but determined from eternity: Gal. iv. 4. "But when the fulness of the time was come, God fent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law." Zechariah in his time proclaims the war: Zech. xiii. 7. " Awake, O fword! against my Shepherd, against the man that is my fellow, faith the Lord of hofts." Nay, it was proclaimed in paradife: Gen. iii. 15. " And I will put enmity between the woman, and between thy feed and her feed; it fhall bruife thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." The ceremonial law, by which fo much blood was fhed, plainly predicted that a bloody day was coming.It was,

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2. A hot battle. Heavy were the strokes given here: Pfal. xxii. 14. "I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint, my heart is like wax, it is melted in the midst of my bowels. My ftrength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the duft of death." It was a bloody battle, Ifa. ix. 5. "For every battle of the warriors is with confused noife, and garments rolled in blood; but this fhall be with burning, and fuel of fire.” dreadful noife was here, the law, men, and devils, crying against the Son of God, death roaring for its prey, and the Mediator himself crying with ftrong cries and tears. What garments rolled in blood were here on every fide !-rolled in the most precious blood of the Son of God: Ifa. Ixiii. 2. "Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat?" A bloody fpoufe have we been to him.→→

It was,

3. A folitary battle on Chrift's part. His ene

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