Forgiveness of sin.

become of those, who reject thy saving sacrifice, and yet all the while have nothing but sin in themselves?

Who could support such excruciating tortures, unassisted and uncomforted as thou wert, even upon a just account? It was not in the power of a creature to sustain thy inward griefs, thine outward torments, and the entire dereliction or forsaking of God, of men, and of nature, all together and at once, as thou didst sustain them, upon' any account or motive in the world. But thou endurest the whole with dignified complacency and satisfaction, even for thine enemies, to convert them into friends, and to make rebels and apostates heirs of God, and joint-heirs with thyself of an eternal weight of glory. May I not turn thine own words and say, "Behold, and see, was there love like thy love, which thou showedst for thy people, when the Lord afflicted thee in the day of his fierce anger?"

Lord, how shall I speak, and what shall I say to these things? Shall my incredulous heart be still backward to believe? If Jesus died for my sins, can I die for them too? If he freely bare the curse for my sake, will the justice of my God still require the curse at my hands? If my iniquities were taken on himself by my Saviour, and he made a full and perfect atonement for them; can I dare to affront the divine Majesty by supposing, that he is yet so unrighteous, as to charge them all again upon me? O forgive my hard and impenitent heart, that I should ever imagine such blasphemy against thy faithfulness and love; that I should even think, that thou canst be so unjust and untrue, even in contradiction to thine own word, as to lay that still upon myself, which

Resurrection of Christ.

for my sake was entirely laid upon my dearest and most blessed Redeemer! Lord, I melt into tears of shame at myself, and into tears of comfort upon. the remembrance of all this thy kindness to my. soul. Thy blood, O my Jesus, cleanseth from ALL sin; and if from all, what sin can possibly remain to be now imputed to me? O help, thou mighty God, thou Prince of Peace, that I may no more be faithless, but believing!

CHAP. XII.

ON THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST.

NEVER fact was more strongly and undeniably established than this. Divine Providence ordained, that it should be so; because upon this great truth depend all the assurance and efficacy of our redemption. If Christ be not raised (says the Apostle,) your faith is vain; ye are yet in your

sins.

Buti s there no proof of Christ's resurrection, but the historical evidence ?Yes, blessed Lord, as thou givest thy people to know of the doctrine of salvation, that it is thine, by the demonstration of thy Spirit; so thou affordest to them a most convincing testimony, that thou art indeed risen from the dead, by their super-resurrection from the death of trespasses and sins. thou hadst not been raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, it would have been impossible for any of them to have either received or walked in the newness of life. Their being spiritually quickened with thee, is a proof in itself of thy

If

Inability of Man.

glorious resurrection, and a confirmation to their souls, that they are thine own unalienable inheritance, and that therefore they shall live with thee for ever.

Thou hast truly and graciously said, I am the Resurrection and the Life: He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and whoso ever liveth and believeth in me, shall never die. Lord, I was long, and too long dead to God and dead to thee, shut up under the ban of the law through sin; yet, like a dead carcase to all outward impressions, utterly insensible of my alienation and separation from thy life and peace, I was dead also to my own true interest and everlasting concerns, and alive only to sin, and to the service of the lord of sin, without perceiving his bitter tyranny and horrible designs. So foolish was I and ignorant, yea, even as a beast before thee. The beasts indeed follow the end of their being, but I did not think upon mine. In tender mercy didst thou open mine eyes, that I might know myself and my misery, and that I might behold thee as the only refuge and hope of my soul. Thou gavest me the powers of a new and spiritual life; and then I ran towards thee with an affec tion I had never felt before, and desired to know more and more of thee and the power of thy resurrection, that so I might no longer live in or for myself, but in thy faith, and for thy glory. All this was thy work, and thine alone. I might as easily have created a world, as thus have newcreated myself in opposition to the millions of hindrances from within and without. No; it was thou, my dearest Redeemer, it was thou that restoredst my soul, and leddest me in the paths of righteousness for thy name's sake; and there

Inward Evidence.

fore I trust, (and though I am sometimes afraid, yet still do I trust, and would trust again) that surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and that I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

O what an evidence of thy resurrection hast thou thus brought home to my heart! Confirmed, as it is, by thy holy written word, it is demonstration itself, and is not to be argued away by all the corrupt reasonings of men. It is a demonstration both of word and of deed, of spirit and of life, of understanding and of experience, of thy faithfulness and truth, and of all my blessed and joyful interest therein. Sing, O ye heavens, for the Lord hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein; for Jehovah hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel.

Thomas doubted, that I might believe more strongly. He was suffered to fail in his faith, that my faith, and that of all thy children after him, might be improved and confirmed. But the mere evidence of sense can draw no blessing. His bodily view of thy resurrection was indeed followed by faith; but from hence thou tookest occasion, most happily for thy people, to say, Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. Through thy mercy, I have believed, and, according to thy word, have tasted thy blessing. Joy and peace in believing, quietness and assurance of mind, peace and resignation of soul, some holiness and strong desires after more, contempt of this world and foretaste of a better, preparation for death, and views of a transporting eternity, are among the many proofs that thou art

Ascension of Christ.

risen and livest, that thou art gracious and true.— O that these proofs may increase in number and measure, that faith may my be more and more lively, and that I may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

CHAP. XIII.

ON THE ASCENSION OF CHRIST.

THOU hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive, thou hast received gifts (in thy human nature) for men; yea, for the rebellious also; that the Lord God might dwell among them, or that they might become an habitation of God through the Spirit.

This was prophesied of Jesus long before his advent in the flesh. It was so prophesied, as though it were a fact already past; because the things to come are, as it were, present with God, being foreknown by his omniscient mind, and ordained in his holy will, which must be accomplished in all its purpose and decree.

He ascended to the throne of the Highest, with the full merits of his blood and righteousness, which were a sweet-smelling savour, or a savour of rest, to the everlasting THREE. By this gracious ascension, Jehovah is become propitious to the redeemed, receives them in Christ, loves them for Christ's sake, favours them with his peace in their hearts, carries them on by his providence and grace, makes all things work together for their good, bears them through life and death, and finally receives them to glory.