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The next fatal froke which this univerfal tyrant receives, is when we are fanctified by the influences of the Holy Ghost, and justified by divine grace. When faith is implanted in the foul, it then looks beyond the grave and beholds eternal life. And altho' death may injure him, it can never destroy him. The believing foul forefees the day, "when death shall be "fwallowed up of victory." So he may in the prefent time lift up his voice and fing that triumphant fong, "O death, "where is thy fling, O grave where is thy victory. For this "caufe we faint not, tho' our outward man perish, our inward "man is renewed day by day, for our light affliction, tho' it "extends to the grave, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory."

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But the laft ftroke that death will receive, and when the conqueft fhall be perfected, will be at the resurrection, and this is the victory referred to in our text, wherin it is affirmed the laft enemy that shall be deftroyed is death. Many a mortal wound it received heretofore, but now it is completely vanquifhed. Death will be then given to death. The body lyeth under death, and under the penal effects of fin till the refurrection, and it is in a fort penal to the foul too, it is an allay to its perfect felicity, whilft in a state of feparation from the body, even tho' it is in perfect glory with Jesus Christ, because it is deprived of the perfection or full completion of glory, which it fhall receive after the refurrection, when the whole man, foul and body, will be introduced to and confirmed in all the blef fednefs of eternal life. The Mediator's work will then be finithed and accomplished. All things fhall be completely ref tored. "Then there fhall be no more death, nor forrow, nor "crying, nor pain, for the former things are paffed away." No terrible enemy between us and our God, to prevent the emanations of his love, or feclude us from his prefence. O! what a birth day will it be, when the grave fhall bring forth fo many millions of fons for glory? How joyful will the meeting

of the foul and body be, who had been feparated fo long Then fin and tranfgreffion will be finished and can do no more, "And death and hell will be caft into the lake of fire." Then Chrift fhall have accomplished all, and will have no more to perform as our Redeemer; he will have placed all in glory who were given to him before the foundation of the world. Then fhall he deliver up the kingdom to the Father, and God fhall be all in all.

The fubject thall c with a few deductions.

First, from death's being fo great an enemy in fo many ref peas we are taught the exceeding malignity of fin. Sin hath entered into the world, and death its never failing companion attends it, and thus death hath passed upon all men, inafmuch as all have finned. It is fin which gives death all his power and dominion. Without fin death could neither exift nor reign. Hence we should use all poffible means to destroy it, which has been fo inftrumental in our destruction. Let fin be the enemy we fhall chiefly oppofei By a proper oppofition. to him, we fhall conquer death itfelf and difarm it of its fting; let us fight neither against small nor great, but against this implacable foe. He is a foe, he is a murderer indeed, who would deftroy both foul and body without any caufe. Let us therefore carry on unceafing war against fin as our most deadly, unreasonable, and most dangerous enemy. Let us get it flain, by fanctifying grace derived from Christ Jefus, before it fhall flay us. Sin must be flain or it will furely deftroy us forever. It is fin which hath made fueh univerfal havec among mankind, which hath flain all the nations of the earth age after age, and hath made our world an Aceldama, a field of blood. It is he who hath hurried death upon our near relatives, upon our intimate friends and dear companions, and who will quickWherefore let us no ly deftroy us, at least our bodies, also. longer, let us never be at peace with fuch an enemy, but let us

maintain an obftinate and continual war with every iniquity, trusting in Chrift the captain of our falvation, under whose banner we fhall come off conquerors and more than conquerors. When we weep and mourn over the corpfe of a departed friend, fhall we not think with abhorrence of the cause of the pale ruin and wounding feparation? Let us hate and abhor fin, which has entailed fuch evil upon the world, is infinitely difpleafing to God, and coft his eternal fon fo dear.

Secondly, we learn from this doctrine, from the victory obtained over this enemy, the great love and power of Jesus Chrift, who condefcended to enter the lifts with this mighty combatant, and after an engagement beyond the comprehenfion of men, came off triumphant; "Who thro' death destroy"ed him who had the power of death." Herein was the love of Chrift manifefted, that when we were taken captive by Satan, and were dead in trefpaffes and fins, Jefus the Saviour undertook for us and ranfomed us from death and the grave. What returns fhall we make for these wonders of love? Ought we not to return to him our whole hearts and lives? Herein is fafety, fecurity and confolation that the fecond death, even death eternal, can never injure us. When the fhafts of natural death are continually flying thick around us, ought we not folemnly to confider how we may be able to encounter the king of terrors? If we take Christ for our leader and captain, we fhall furely prevail. For this purpofe, let us furnish and gird ourselves for the war. "Put on the whole armour of "God, for we wrestle not again't flesh and blood, but against "principalities, again!t powers, against the rulers of the dark"nefs of this world, against fpiritual wickedness in high places. "Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye "may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all "to fland. Stand therefore having your loins girt about with "truth, and having on the breaft plate of righteouluefs, and

your feet fhod with the preparation of the gofpel of peace } "above all taking the fhield of faith, wherewith ye fhall be able "to quench the fiery darts of the wicked, and take the helmet "of falvation, and the fword of the Spirit, which is the "word of God. Finally, my brethren, be ftrong in the Lord "and in the power of his might." Now if we put on this chriftian armour and bravely use the fame, the victory will furely be our own. Let us fecure the one thing needful, for we daily fee that neither young nor old, learned nor unlearned, but must enter the field of battle. Wherefore, "watch ye, ftand faft in the faith, quit you like men, be ftrong." Let us learn to live every day as if it were our last. When we enjoy one day, we have no certainty of another. We know no more that we shall behold another rifing fun, than if we were now upon a dying bed, our physicians had given us over, and our friends ftanding weeping around us at our expiring and agonifing groans. Let us all be admonifhed to prepare for ficknefs and our diffolution. Let us be employed in the exercifes of felf examination, repentance of and humiliation for fin, confeffing the fame, renewing covenant with God, mortifying corruption, living by faith, denying ourfelves and meditating on heaven. Let the counfel of our Lord ever abide upon our

minds, "Be ye also ready."

SERMON XXXVII.

The doctrine of the Refurrection ftated and proved.

Daniel xii. 2. And many of them that fleep in the duft of the earth shall awake, fome to everlafting life, and fome to Shame and everlafling contempt.

THE doctrine of the refurrection of the dead, altho' in fome reípects it is both marvelous and myfterious, yet it is of the ut most certainty, and neceffarily compofes an article of the christian's creed. In thefe days of fcepticism, it is denied by many, who tho' they do not entirely renounce the name of chriftian in profeflion, ftrangely allegorife away this as well as fome other diflinguishing truths of divine revelation. This will always be the cafe with mankind when they exalt their own wisdom and understanding above the plain declarations of heaven. They will continually be the fubjects of error and delufion. When perfons depart from the fimple and obvious meaning of language, the plain relation of facts and things delivered in the oracles of truth, and begin to fpiritualife and allegorife every matter that is fpoken, they never fail of falling

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