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SER M. him: It may in like manner be very reaXV. fonable, in order to keep up in their

Minds a juft fense of their own Unworthiness and of the true Demerit of Sin, to require of them, that through fuch a Mediator only, as he has thought fit to appoint, should they have Access to Him who is of purer Eyes than to behold iniquity. And though it be indeed very true, that by No interceffion whatsoever, can God ever be moved to act otherwife than is agreeable to perfect Right and Reafon; yet in cases of Mercy and Compaffion, where the whole of what he does, proceeds from mere Free Bounty; 'tis evident he may convey those his Free Gifts, in what Manner, and upon what Terms or Conditions, and through what Inftruments he pleases; and may require their being accepted in that particular Method, or not at all. For however otherwise it be in all fuch cafes, where there is any Claim of Justice, or Demand of Right; yet undoubtedly, in Difpenfations of mere Mercy, that which is true of every Owner even among frail and mortal Men, may

with much greater propriety be faid of S ER M. God; fhall he not do what and how he

will, with his own?

THAT which remains, is, to draw two or three practical Inferences from the whole of what has been faid.

AND I, From the doctrine of our Lord's fitting at the Right Hand of God to intercede continually for us, and to govern his Church by the miffion of the Holy Ghost the Comforter, the Apostle's inference is very natural. Heb. iv. 16. Let us therefore come boldly unto the Throne of Grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Again, ch. x. 19. Having boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jefus, (i. e. having accefs to God through Him,) by a new and living way which he has confecrated for us; and having an High Priest over the house of God; let us draw near with a true heart, in full affurance of faith. For He that spared not his own Son, Rom. viii. 32. how shall be not with Him alfo freely give us all things?-----Who is he that condemneth? it is Chrift that died,

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XV.

SERM. died, yea rather that is rifen again, who XV. is even at the right hand of God, who alfo maketh interceffion for us.

2dly, IF We follow the example of our Lord's Humility and Righteousness here upon Earth, we may hope through Him to be made Partakers alfo of his exaltation in Heaven. I go, fays he, to prepare a place for you, and------I will come again, and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there Ye may be alfo. Again: To Him that overcometh, (that is, who perseveres in refifting the temptations of Sin;) unto Him will I grant to fit with Me in My Throne, even as I also overcame, and am fet down with my Father in His Throne, Thefe Promises caused St Paul fo to exprefs himself, as if God had already raised us up together with Christ, and made us already fit together in heavenly places in Chrift Jefus, Eph. ii. 6. The manner of expreffion, is highly figurative; But the literal and proper Sense of it is what he elfewhere thus explains: We have Hope, fays he, as an Anchor of the Soul, both fure and ftedfaft, and which entreth

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XV.

entreth into that within the Veil, whither S E R M. our Fore-runner is entred for us. And if we have this Hope in us, then ought we accordingly to fet our affections on things above, not on things in the Earth; that where our Treasure is, there may our Heart be also that we may feek those things which are above, where Chrift fitteth on the right hand of God, and where our life is hid, (that is, depofited, laid up for us in the determinations of the divine good pleasure, 'tis hid) with Chrift in God: that our Converfation, (the Thoughts of our Home and final Abode,) may be in Heaven, from whence alfo we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jefus Chrift; who, at his coming, fhall fo change Us, that we shall become like him, when we shall fee him us he is; and, as we have born the image of the Earthly, we shall also bear the Image of the Heavenly. By imploying our Meditations in This manner, upon our Lord's State of exaltation in Heaven; fo as to make it a continual Motive to us, to prepare ourselves to become finally Partakers of that promised inheritance; we

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fhall

SER M. fhall contribute what in Us lies, towards XV. fulfilling that Prophecy which he spake before his Death, Job. xii. 32. And I, if I be lifted up from the Earth, will draw all men unto me.

3dly; Another proper

and most important Use of the Doctrine before us, is as follows. If our Lord came down upon Earth, to put away Sin by the Sacrifice of himfelf; and if, in his State of Exaltation in Heaven, the Design of his continual interceffion with God, and of his whole Government of the Church by his Spirit, be ftill always one and the fame, even the putting away of Sin: Then from hence we may learn how great and fatal a Corruption it is of Chriftian Religion, for men who live wickedly, in a courfe of Debauchery, or in the habitual Practice of any known Sin whatsoever, to expect to obtain Salvation by relying prefumptuously upon the Merits of Chrift, or upon His Interceffion, instead of obeying his Commands delivered in the Gofpel. The Blood of Chrift, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, was fhed, not to ren

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