Chrift's facrifice was vicarious, if he actually died in the room and ftead of the finner; by what law or juftice can the finner be obnoxious to? It is true he has offended, has contracted a debt of five thousand talents perhaps; but what of this? Jefus his furety has difcharged it all. The finner it is alfo true, had nothing to give him a rightful title to heaven and happinefs; but Jefus his Jurety and fubftitute, the foederal head, fulfilled the law, magnified and made it bonourable; wrought out, and brought in an everlasting, fpotlefs, and compleat righteousness, and imputes it to the belever. If Chrift's facrifice was complete and full, to purchase and procure the falvation he intended for his people; the happiness of the finner ftands not upon the precarious bottom of his performances; nor is the golden crown referved for him in glory, to be placed upon the head of an image, part gold, and part clay. It appears upon the whole, that this glorious falvation we have feebly and faintly defcribed, is fure and certain; and fure to all that "are in Chrift Jefus who walk "not after the flesh, but after the fpirit." But the grand queftion that concerns us to be folved to the fatisfaction of cur own confcience, is, Am I in Chrift? Have I any good ground to hope God in him is reconciled to me? Did he die for me? Have I any part in that righteousness he hath wrought out? Thefe are queftions of no fmall importance; and the ufe that fhould be made of all that has been faid, fhould be to prefs the enquiry clofe upon the confcience; the affifting you in which, fhall (God permitting) be the fubject of another discourse.

SER

SERMON V.

1 PETE R, ii. 24.

Who his own felf bare our Sins, in his own Body on the Tree.

M

A N's reafon, amidst the thickeft clouds of ignorance and error, has by the innate power of which it at prefent ftands? poffeft, been able though by darkly feeling after, to difcover thefe momentous and felf-evident truths namely, that there is one great and glorious caufe of all exiftent things, for as nothing can give what it has not, all that has a being, owes it existence, and is the effect of fome firft great cause. This great cause is perceptible by reason in it's wonderful effects, (of which the reafoning faculty itfelf is not the least,) and in the things that are made reafon cannot but perceive an eminent display of the eternal godhead, power and wisdom fhining forth illuftriously in the armies of heaven, and all created things of the earth. Reason also has the power to contemplate herself, and has long fince fixed it as a law, that this mass of flesh and blood is not the thing called reason, but something far inferior to it, fubjected to disease and death, and liable to corruption; but that the reaH 2

fon,

7

fon, foul, or life, is incorruptible; and when the body dies must live, and think, and reason still.

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This laft, has received from revelation all the confirmation one could afk or wifh; " we are told, "it is appointed for us once to die, but after "that the judgment; that the body shall return to the earth as it was, but the spirit fhall return to God that gave it ;" but how the foul fhall be difpofed of after the diffolution of the body; whether we have any good ground to hope that our after being, will not be worse than not to be at all, is a point of folemn enquiry, and is intended to be the fubject of this discourse.

That falvation, and that the most comprehenfive, extensive and glorious, is certain to fome, in confequence of the facrifice made by our Saviour of himself has already been fhewn; whether we are included in that number, let us now proceed to enquire. But it perhaps may not be amifs before we enter upon the principal defign, to lay before you the following Cautions.

CAUTION Ift. Let none of you think it an indifferent thing whether you be in Chrift or not, or fneer at a phrase so common in fcripture, as an unmeaning quaint term; for the word of God knows no other way to obtain this falvation but through Chrift. Chrift is the alpha and omega in grace; the author and finisher of faith, the way in which a man muft walk that would ever come at heaven; the truth, by which alone a man can be directed to believe and act aright; the life, which animates and impowers a feeble faint to ftand as the beaten anvil to the ftroke, amidst all the oppofition, difcouragements and trials he is exercifed with, in his way to the kingdom. Do

not think that regeneration, faith, justification, &c. \ are words without meaning; and that if you do but live quiet and peaceable lives, be honest and upright in your dealings, &c. nothing more is required to give you a title to glory. The bible would be the most unintelligible book in the world if this was true; and be fo far from being level to the capacity of a wayfaring man, that the most wife and fubtle doctor, muft learn it's meaning, in something foreign to it's precepts. "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the

kingdom of God." John iii. 3. " Without "faith it is impoffible to please him." Heb xi. 6. And, "he that believes not, is condemned "already, and the wrath of God abideth on him." John iii. 36. "Yea, he that believeth not fhall "be damned." Mark xvi. 16. Again, " He "that believeth on this man is juftified from all "things, from which he could not be juftified "by the law of Mofes." Acts xiii. 39. " but "there is no other name given under heaven among men by which he we can be faved." Ch. iv. 12. Therefore I fay, think it not an indifferent thing whether you be in Christ or no, for we are accepted in the beloved, and in him only.

Caution 2d. Think not the enquiry I am about to lead you into a matter of mere indifference, and that a matter of fact will be the fame, as to the truth of it, whether you know it or no; for firft, your indifference about it, and unwillingness to enter upon it, bears a bad afpect on your fuppofed grace; it being the defire of a gracious foul to known the worst of itself, and to have all fin detected and laid open, "Search me O God, and know my heart; try me and know my thoughts."

H 3

faid

faid holy David. Pf. cxxxix. 23. 2d. If upon impartial and pious enquiry you are found yet afar off from Chrift; you are yet on earth, not in hell; you are in the house of God, not at his awful bar; and it is much more defirable to have miftakes of infinite concern difcovered, while it is poffible they may be corrected, than to be of that number hereafter, who fhall cry Lord, Lord, open to us, and be repulfed with thofe awful words, I know you not. 3d. If upon examination you have fome good ground to hope that all is well with you, this will open to you a fresh source of confolation, will infpire you with a kind of new life, animate you with renewed courage to take the field against your spiritual foes, and give you boldness in the prefence of your friends. What can be more chearing to a foldier in the doubtful field, than for his captain to come and affure him of victory. So the feebleft faint being found in Jefus, fhall be mighty through him to fuftain the fierceft oppofition, and obtain the crown.

Caution 3d. In this important enquiry, I intreat you truft not to a peradventure, if greater certainty can be obtained; for remember your peradventure, may preponderate either way; perhaps it is fo; but perhaps it is not fo; and then you are undone for ever. Men do not chufe to reft the little affairs of this life on a doubtful bottom, but endeavour fo to fecure their eftates and properties that none may have power to wrest them out of their hands and fhould you be less careful for falvation? We read of fome, that had attained a good degree of boldness in the Lord, and had a strong affurance that he was their God. Holy David fays, "I fought the Lord and he

"heard