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guage of the Holy Scripture, which in the Acts (xx. 28) describes the purchase of the church to be by God's own blood. In 1 Cor. ii. 8, He, whom they crucified, is styled the Lord of glory. -After all, as before observed, this is a grand mystery exceeding the penetration or conception of degenerated finite beings; and these remarks are so far useful, to prevent our lessening the merit of the act, in ascribing it to mere man, and also lest we should confound the nature of the divine Person, and thus assent to a contradiction.

However unequal the powers of a mortal certainly prove to paint our Saviour's real sufferings; yet what has been attempted, may afford some faint idea of their nature. A serious meditation on the severity of his burden, and the cause of his enduring it, furnishes the most proper application that can be made of such vast concern to our eternal interests; for which reason I shall not proceed to enlarge upon the remainder of this article of our faith, which will afford abundant matter for another Lecture; but conclude in a pointed address to the grateful feelings of all who hear me (in which I humbly pray to consider my own case, as deeply interested as that of any one).

What returns, my brethren, can we, poor sinners, make for such an instance of condescending love? Can they possibly be too great?

What could the hardest trials of the longest life afford, proportionate to the value of our Redeemer's sufferings? How would the utmost service that the BEST of us could pay, bear any comparison with the excellence of the reward that is obtained for us? Never, then, let us henceforth murmur at our lot; but if impatience or discontent assault us, let us reflect what CHRIST endured; what we must have merited through fallen nature, to have subjected HIM to bleed, and consequently from what a depth of misery we have been saved by his obedience. Let us not be content barely to say, we love God; for that, too often, is a form of words without truth or meaning. It is learnt when young, and used as we grow up, but seldom hath the virtue the words bespeak. We cannot surely love HIM too much, who hath so loved us, as not to spare his own Son from suffering for our sakes, who loved us even when we were enemies. Our love then must be shown by such marks as really prove it to be sincere-for if we truly love God, we shall have no other will but his. To love God (my brethren) is to love, if so appointed us, what Christ loved, for our sakes, viz. poverty, humiliation, and suffering: then may we hope, that, as we are partakers of the suffering, so shall we be also of the consolation. Nay more, it is also to hate what he hated, this wicked world, and all its dangerous vanities. For not only conscience, but common sense,

will plead against us, in showing it impossible to love an object which we do not principally desire to imitate and to resemble.

Surely you will agree, that love must be feigned, or very shallow indeed, which does not desire to see the object of its professed regard; and how can we hope to see him, if we lead unholy lives? Can it be possible for us, my friends, after all we have heard and known (and many of us, I trust, feel) to have been done for us, that we can be otherways than earnest in loving such a Saviour; in desiring to converse with him; in wishing to go to him; in resounding his praise both here and hereafter? Is it not natural, is it not our duty and interest, and should it not be our supreme delight, continually to exclaim, in private, and in the congregation, Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none on earth that I desire besides thee. (Ps. lxxiii. 25.)

O, let this be our constant song every future day of our lives; and then may we safely hope that the Lord will hear the voice of our prayer. Let but humility and gratitude be the pure metives of our bounden sacrifice, and God will afford us such supplies of grace, that we shall love HIM only and eternally: which God grant may be the faithful study of all present, through the mediation, and for the merit's sake of our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

To whom, &c.

LECTURES ON THE CHURCH CATECHISM. 253

LECTURE XI.

FOURTH ARTICLE OF THE CREED.

SECOND SERMON ON THIS SUBJECT:

"That Christ suffered under Pontius Pilate; was "crucified, dead, and buried; AND DESCENDED " INTO HELL."

JOHN, XIX. PART OF VER. 30.
He said, IT IS FINISHED.

THESE
HESE words, my brethren, must naturally in-
cline us to rapturous exultation! They contain a
subject of double joy. They declare the happy
end of our blessed Master's grievous sufferings,
and pronounce that glorious information, that
our ransom is discharged! The sudden change
from such a scene of pain and horror, as our
heavenly Benefactor's sorrows represented, to
the bright prospect of his having delivered us
from sin and death, must surely touch our hearts
with feelings worthy of such deliverance! It is
FINISHED!! The debt is paid. Christ, by his

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