tice for their tranfgreffion, and who should bruise the head, or break the power of the ferpent, (the devil) who tempted them to fin: In confidering (Ifay) of this promifed feed, GOD entered into a new covenant with them, by way of remedy for what was paft and could not be undone; which covenant was this, that upon condition of their hearty repentance and fincere obedience hereafter, they should be restored to the favour of GOD, and after death, to that life and happiness, which, in their state of innocence, was promised to them without ever tafting of death; which privilege they had forfeited by their difobedience. And

7. Now, O my foul, that we may be fully convinced of the neceffity and bleffing of a redeemer, we ought to know and confider that our faviour and redeemer did not come till after mankind had been tried in all conditions ; in a state of innocence, under his own reafon, and under the law given by Mofes; all which methods of providence, through the perverfe will of man, had been rendered ineffectual for the amendment of the world. And because GOD decreed, that without shedding of blood there could be no remiffion of fin;* and it being im-.

poffible

Heb. ix. 22.

poffible that the blood or life of any creature, or of any mortal man, could atone for, or take away, the guilt and punishment due to fin; our gracious GOD, both to give to mankind the greatest token of his love, and at the fame time to fhew how great his hatred to fin is, by the greatness of the punishment it required, fent histonly fon to be a propitiation for our fins, that is, to make fatisfaction to his juftice, and to take off the juft difpleafure which he had declared againft finners. Upon this,

8. Jefus Chrift his fon (bleffed for ever be his goodness!) knowing how dreadfully fad the condition would be of all fuch, who fhould live and die under the difpleafure of GOD, and what unconceiveable happiness they would deprive themselves of; moved with compaffion for fo great a calamity, undertook to obtain their pardon; and in order to this he cloathed himself with our flesh, that, as man, be might make a full and fuitable fatisfaction to the divine justice, offering himself a sacrifice for the fins of the whole world; and, for the joy of delivering fo many millions of fouls from mifery, heendured the death of the cross, and all the afflictions leading to it, which we find recorded in the holy Gofpel: And,

9. It is by this worthy facrifice, that all mankind are reftored to the favour of GOD, and put into a way and state of salvation; GOD having, for his fon's fake, promised to pardon all fuch as fhall repent of and forfake their fins, and bring forth fruits meet for repentance; and also to give his holy spirit to all fuch as fhall fincerely defire him; and laftly, to make them eternally happy after death, if during this short state of trial, which is defigned to mend our corrupt and difordered nature, they endeavour to obferve thofe rules which he has given them, and which are abfolutely neceffary to make them capable of heaven and happinefs.

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Let us now, O my foul! reft here a while, and adore that infinite goodnefs of GOD, who did not overlook loft mankind, but fent his only begotten fon to redeem us, when he might, in ftrict justice, have required us to have lived up to the law of nature and reafon given in the ftate of innocence, on pain of being for ever feparated from his prefence: but instead of that, he has been graciously pleafed to accept of our fincere, tho' imperfect obedience, and of our hearty repentance, when we have done amiss, and returning to our duty.

The

The Hymn on Sunday Evening. The great bleffing mankind received in their redemp tion thro' Jefus Christ.

Moft dear are thy provifions, Lord,
Thy table furnish'd from above;
The fruits of life o'erfpread the board,
The cup o'erflows with heav'nly love.

1

Thine ancient family the Jews

Were first invited to the feast;
We humbly take what they refufe

And Gentiles thy falvation tafte.
We are the poor, the blind, the lame,
And help was far, and death was nigh;
But at the Gofpel call we came,
And ev'ry want receiv'd fupply.
From the highway that leads to hell,

From paths of darkness and defpair,
Lord, we are come with thee to dwell,

Glad to enjoy thy prefence bere..
What shall we pay th' eternal fon,

Who left the heav'n of his abode,
And to this wretched earth came down,
To bring us wand rers back to GOD?

It coft him death to fave our lives,

To buy our life it caft bis own;
And all the unknown joys be gives,
Were bought with agonies unknown.

Our

Our everlasting love is due.
To him that ranfom'd finners loft,
And pity'd rebels, when he knew
The vast expence his love would coft.

'Another.

Come now adore th' eternal word, 'Tis be our fouls bath fed;

*

Thou art our living stream, O Lord,
And thou th' immortal bread.

The manna came from lower fkies,
But Jefus from above, t
Where the fresh springs of pleasure rife,
And rivers flow with love,

The Jews, the fathers, dy'd at last,
Who ate that heav'nly bread ;
But these provifions which we tafte
Can raife us from the dead.

Bleft be the Lord that gives his flesh,
To nourish dying men,

And often spreads his table fresh,
Left we should faint again.

Our fouls fhall draw their heav'nly breath,
While Jefus finds supplies;

Nor fhall our graces fink to death,
For Jefus never dies.

* John iv. 14.

† John vi. 49, &c.

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