the finner, and from death by dying for him ; it neceffarily follows that he intended to fave his people from the penalty of fin: for where guilt is not (at least) imputed, the obligation to punishment arifing therefrom ceases. Hence it is, that believers are faid to have passed from death unto life, and, be that believes though he were dead, yet fhall be live, and be that lives, and believes in me, (faith Chrift) shall never die. When the

wicked are reprefented as goats at the left hand of the righteous judge, and from thence are driven fentenced to deftruction and everlasting flames; the righteous, the dear purchase of his blood are fpared in that day of making up his jewels, and accepted with the gladdening approbation of heaven's Almighty King, Come ye bleffed of my Father, receive the kingdom prepared for you. The

unbelievers, the abominable, and all liars muft have their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone, but the great fhepherd knows his fheep, and their names are written in the flain Lamb's book of life. Rev. xiii. 8. 3dly, Believers in Chrift Jefus are made a free people, they are citizens of the new, the heavenly Jerufalem, and are all free-born; their language is, O Lord we are thy fervants, thou hast loofed our bonds, we will walk before thee in upright paths. Sin does not now reign in their mortal bodies that they should oobey it in the lufts thereof, for "Jefus has made <them free, therefore they are free indeed." Sin in the believer is fubdued by fovereign and fuperior grace; that as fin once reigned unto

death, now grace reigns through righteousness "unto everlafting life by Chrift Jefus our Lord. Rom. 5. ult. And "thofe members that were G 2 "" for

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formerly the inftruments of unrighteousness unto fin, are now inftruments of righteousness unto God, as being made alive from the dead." Thus the Lord Jefus faves his people from the power of fin, agreeable to his gracious intention, and receives from all that believe the free-will offering of a ready mind; "for he makes them a willing people in the day of his power." Pf. cx. 3. Sin may now oppofe and yield reluctant, wind and turn with many a fnaky wile in the old man of nature, but it muft fubmit; the elder fhall ferve the younger, faith the Lord. Nature however ftubborn, muft yield to fovereign grace. The strength of fin is the law. But happy the believer he is not now under the law, but under grace. Rom. vi. 14.

Thus from the guilt, the power, the pain, Jefus redeems the foul;

This we expect and not in vain, His blood fhall make us whole

But all this is but a fmall measure, the negative part of that falvation he intended. Sin had made his people wretched, therefore he would restore peace and happiness to them, and that by proclaiming to the world by the ministry of the gofpel, his purpose to fave all poor finners believing in him. "Go ye, (faid he) into all the world, and preach "the gofpel to every creature." The gofpel, the good tidings from heaven, "that God was "in Chrift reconciling the world unto himself." 2 Cor. v. 19. "That God hath given to us e"ternal life, and this life is in his Son." I John V. II. This is God's record concerning his fon,

this he testifies and declares to the world (allow me the expreffion) on the word of a God; therefore he who difbelieves it, makes God a liar, and esteems him to be altogether fuch a one as himself, in fhort, makes the God of truth, the father of falfhood. For the language of an unbeliever runs thus, God indeed has declared to the world. that he is well pleafed in his Son, and will caft out none that feek falvation by him, but will pardon their fins and fave them to the uttermoft; he has faid that with him there is mercy and plenteous redemption, and that he will multiply his mercies more than the multiplied tranfgreffions of the finner that turns unto him.' If. lv. 7. But I do not, cannot believe a word of all this; He may indeed fhew mercy to fome who are 'more deferving of it, but I have no reafon to expect it; I muft become more holy e'er I can be happy.' &c. Thus reafoning but not aright, the unbeliever rejects the counfel of God, and judges himself, unworthy of everlasting life." Acts xiii. 46. But where the heavenly wind defcends and blows upon the heart, it difpels from thence the clouds of ignorance, renews the face. of the finful foul, and irradiating all it's powers, prepares it to receive by faith in an boneft and good beart, the truth of the gofpel in the love of the truth. The happy refult of this reception is thus defcribed in the bleffed word; "He that believeth

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hath everlasting life. John iii. 36.`" He that "liveth, (quickened by the fpirit, for no dead foul believes)" and believeth, fhall never die." John xi. 26. These are the sheep of Jefu's fold, which fhall" never perifh, neither, (faith our Lord,) "fhall any pluck them out of my hand. John

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x. 28.

x. 28. These are the juftified by faith spoken of Rom. v. I, &c. who now have peace with God; a firm, a fure, a ftable peace; not arifing from the flights of fancy, and enkindled by a warm imagination ; but built on the immoveable bafis of veracity itfelf; built on'the infallible word of that God whofe faithfulness and "truth reacheth unto the clouds." 1.Pf. xxxvi. 5. A faith thus founded on the word of God, not on the fallacious and deceptible joys of sense, produces a peace exempt from the num berlefs interruptions which thofe joys are fubject to; the nipping blafts of bleakish winds, may caufe the flower to wither, droop and die, but yet theroot remains fecure; hence faith the foul-fupporting prophet in the Holy Ghost. If. l. 10, "Who "is among you that feareth the Lord, that obey"eth the voice of his fervant, that walketh in "darkness, and hath no light, let him trust in "the name of the Lord, and stay himself upon "his God. Faith is what the word of God ever requires in order to falvation; Jefus therefore when he purchased falvation for his people, purchafed alfo whatever was neceffary in order to that falvation. Juft as a prudent man who would purchase a house in the midst of a large field, would be careful at the fame time to buy a paffage to his house. Hence Jefus is faid to be "exalted a prince and a Saviour to give repentance and re"miffion of fins. Acts v. 31. And Eph. ii. 8. Faith is declared to be the gift of God; Peter's faith is faid to be of God, "Bleffed art thou "Simon Bar-jona, for flesh and blood hath "not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which "is in heaven. Math. xvi. 17.. Hence alfo it appears that Jefus did not only intend to make

fal

falvation poffible, by relaxing the law, and dying to purchase acceptance through imperfect obedience; but to make falvation certain ( without which it could not with propriety be called falvation) procuring at the expence of his blood, all that pertained thereto, and fecuring it to believers by his infallible word and promile. 2dly, Sin had defaced the image of God on the foul, that moft effential image of himself, holiness; and hereby rendered the finner quite incapable of the enjoyment of God the chiefeft good. Jefus therefore to remove this evil, reftore God's image, and capacitate the finner to enjoy him,, came into the world, lived, died, rose, and reigns above. Agreeable to this his gracious purpose, the Redeemer prays, John xvii. 17, "Sanctify them through "thy truth, thy word is truth." Thy word, the testimony given concerning Jefus, the fum of the gofpel; this truth is of a holy cleaning nature,

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he that hath that hope, (twin fifter of this faith) "purifies himself even as he is pure. 1 John iii. 3. He that believes "obtains a lot and portion among them that are fanctified through faith "in Jefus Chrift. Acts xxiv. 18. The feed fown in the believer is "incorruptible feed." 1 Pet. i. 23. and the bleffed spirit that regenerates them is a boly Spirit. John iii. 3. Believers are "creat"ed anew in Chrift Jefus, and old things are "paffed away. Jefus Chrift once fuffered for "fins, the juft for the unjust, that he might

bring us to God. 1 Pet. iii. 18. ift, In a way of reconcilement by pardoning our fins, and removing the mountains of guilt that intervened, and cut off the communications of divine and fpiritual joys, and 2dly, In a way of enjoyment of

that