that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sins." Let them be never so numerous, drown them all as so many hellish monsters in the blood of thy Saviour. Take hold of this divine Jesus with the arms of faith and repentance. Wrap yourselves up in his winding sheet; repose yourselves upon his cross; and rest secure in the shadow of his almighty intercession.

25. But if the heinousness of your crimes fright you, take hold at the same time of the horns of this mystical altar, and all the powers of hell will not be able to pluck you thence. Comfort thyself, sinful soul; for there cannot be a spot so black or so deep, but the blood of Christ is able to wash it clean away. There is no crime so abominable, but the sa crifice of this Lamb without spot, that taketh away the sins of the world, can make an atonement for it. Let thy sins be never so great, they have their limits; but thy Redeemer's merits are without any limit, and the efficacy of his suffer ings continue for ever. To assure thee of this truth, and to encourage thee, he was pleased upon the cross to discover the riches of his mercy upon a wretched robber, who suffered then by the hands of justice for his crimes. As soon as he saw him moved with repentance, he changed his infamous and painful cross into a paradise of glory and happiness, and filled his soul with the sweetest comforts of his holy Spirit. This merciful Redeemer is the same yesterday, and to-day, and shall be the same for ever. Therefore, if thou art reckoned amongst the most filthy and abominable sinners, if thou dost groan under the burden of thy sins, and art moved with contrition, Heb. xiii. thou oughtest not to cast off thy hopes, and be discouraged; draw near with humility to thy Saviour's cross, and wash thyself in the blood that comes out of his veins. All the diseased persons that entered the pool of Bethesda, were healed of all manner of distempers, John v. Thus all spiritually diseased, are cured in this divine pool of

all their griefs. It is not necessary to stay till a good angel comes from heaven to move the waters; for Christ's blood is always fresh, living, and of the same virtue and efficacy. We need not fear, that others should step down before us, or that the throng should hinder us; for a thousand worlds may be all healed at the same instant. Neither can we pretend, that there is nobody to cast us into this mystical pool; for our Lord will never refuse to admit you. When you shall have been bed-rid eight and thirty years, as the poor man that was troubled with the palsy; and when you shall be nailed to a cross, as the good thief; you may nevertheless dip yourselves into the divine pool, and feel its saving and healing virtue. It doth not only wash away the filth, and heal all thy diseases, but it gives also life to the dead, and renders the living immortal. Whosoever thou art that dippest thyself in this precious blood, thou mayest say with the apostle St. Paul, This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the chief, 1 Tim. i. Howbeit I have obtained mercy; the Lord will deliver me from all wicked works, and will preserve me to his heavenly kingdom; to him be glory for ever and ever, Amen. 2 Tim. iv.

26. You understand therefore very well, believing souls, that you have no cause to fear Death, since all its darts have been broken to pieces, all its armour hath been torn, and its spoils appear so visibly upon Christ's cross. You may see the claws of this old lion, the paw of this devouring bear, the teeth and poison of this infernal serpent, and the head of this prodigious dragon; you may see Death swallowed up in victory, and the Prince of Life leading it in triumph. Follow then the glorious chariot of this noble Conqueror, saying with the apostle, "O Death! where is thy sting? O Grave! where is thy victory? The sting of Death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law; but blessed be God, who hath given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ," 1 Cor. xv,

27. Therefore, when God shall draw near to you, under death's veil, be not terrified; seek not to run from him, and to hide yourselves from his all-seeing eye, unto which darkness is as the noon-day, Gen. iii. Though you are by nature poor, wretched, blind, and naked, you have more substantial garments than fig-leaves; for you have the leaves of the tree of life, that are designed for the salvation of the Gentiles, Rev. xxii. The leaves that shall never fade shall cover all your nakedness, and adorn your immortal souls. For it is the eternal righteousness, the most accomplished righteousness of our Lord Jesus, who hath been made unto us of God wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, 1 Cor. i. 30. It is Jesus Christ himself, who is named, "the Lord our righteousness." It is the precious garment of salvation, the glorious cloak of righteousness mentioned by the prophet, Isa. Ixi. It is the wedding garment whitened in the blood of the Lamb without spot, and the fine and bright linen, which are the righteousness of the saints, Ezek. xvi. In short, it is a garment which will not only cover and adorn you, but will also heal all your infirmities, and advance you to immortality, Rev. vii.

28. If you come before your heavenly Father with this perfumed clothing of your elder brother, Jesus Christ, Gen. xxvii. or rather, if you be clothed with him as with a garment, Rom. i. you shall not only obtain the best and most adantageous blessing, but you shall enter into the possession of the incorruptible inheritance, prepared for you from the beginning of the world. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life, through our Lord Jesus Christ," Rom. vi.

8.

Q q

A PRAYER

PRAYER and MEDITATION for a Christian, who strengthens himself against the Fears of Death, by meditating upon the Death and Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ.

MERCIFUL Saviour! who hast taken our mortal

nature, that thou mightest offer it up as a sacrifice to God, vouchsafe me thine assistance, and an increase of thy faith and hope, now that I am threatened to be devoured by death. I embrace thy cross and passion as my only relief. I take hold of the horns of this altar, and claim an interest in thy sufferings and righteousness. How grievous were thy torments, O blessed Redeemer; which made thee sweat drops of blood, required the comfort of angels, and drew from thee strong crying and tears. But thy death was not as mine, or as the departure of thine holy martyrs, who went willingly to execution with expressions of joy. Thy death was an atonement for the sins of the whole world; but ours can yield no satisfaction to the divine justice; it makes us capable of reaping the fruits of thine eternal compassions and mediation. Thou sufferedst the heavy strokes of God's wrath, and tookest upon thee the load of our sins; but we, instead of this consuming fire, quenched by thy precious death, perceive in our death the flames and motions of thy love. Instead of the hand of thy vengeance, we meet here with the embraces of thy mercy, ready to admit us into eternal happiness. Deathappears to us armed with our sins, and the dreadful consequences of hell and damnation. But I see all this armour hanging upon thy cross, as the everlasting trophies and monuments of thy glory. Thou hast been pierced with the dartsof a cruel death, suffered the terrible thunderbolts and curses of the law, and thou hast drunk the dregs of the cup of God's fury for our sakes, that thou mightest conquer sin, death, and Satan, and free us from the curses we have deserved. O wonderful Saviour ! thou hast spoiled principalities and powers, showing them openly, and triumphing over them on the

cross.

cross. How marvellous are thy works, and worthy of the continual admiration of men and angels! What extraordinary benefits do I reap from thy blessed passion! Thy violent sufferings are preventions of my torments; thy bruises and wounds are my safety and cure; thy fears comfort and settle my mind; thy distressed soul fills mine full of joy ; thy crying appeases the troubles of my conscience; and thy drops of blood wash away my tears; thy bitterness is my sweetness, and thy death my victory, and thy cross my triumph. I shall no longer tremble at the approaches of death, since thou hast purchased for me life and immortality; and the kingdom of heaven is thine by a two-fold right, as thou art the Son of God, and heir of all things; and as thou hast paid for it a valuable price, by thine infinite merits. The first is sufficient for thee; by the second we have a claim to this kingdom, and shall possess it as the fruits of thy death and sufferings. My hope is in thee, O blessed Lord! suffer me not to fail in my expectations. I know that nothing impure shall enter into thy holy city; but thy blood shall wash and cleanse me from all my sins. O glorious Lord! how won derful art thou, and how precious is thy death, the atonement of my crimes, and the ransom of the whole world! It is our peace with God, our reconciliation with heaven, and with the angels of light. In a word, it hath not only rescued me out of an abyss of misery, from an eternal damnation, and the endless torments of hell; but it hath purchased for me heaven and its glory, and paradise with all its unspeakable delights. And the method thou hast taken, O victorious Son of David! to accomplish this, deserves our admiration. By thine own death thou hast conquered Death; and by entering into its dark prison, hast given to Death its mortal wound: Thy cross therefore, to me, is as Jacob's ladder, where at the bottom I may sleep secure from sin, and the fears of the grave, and by it ascend up to the throne of grace, to obtain mercy and help in time of need.. It is the source of sweet

ness,