glory. And then when the new principle breaks on his soul; he marvels at the change.

Doth nature awake to counteract it? Nature cannot root out grace. Grace implanted produceth grace; which must ripen to eternal life, in spite of all the strugglings, resistance, lothings, and most obstinate contention of nature, aided by all the snares of the world, and the malice and subtilty of the devil.

But 3d. Repentance springing from regeneration is the fruit of Christ's death for his people.

The more and the longer the man hath struggled against grace, the more must he be led to repent of the same. This is a fruit of Christ's death, and the blessed privilege of the seed of the woman. There is a certain sense in which the seed of the serpent, struggle and strive, resist and overcome grace. But this is not irresistible and saving grace, but common grace such as is given to all men, to obey or not, (in natural strength), the dealings of God's providence towards them. Were saving grace applied to them, they could not resist it; but the withholding of it from them, proves they are chosen to final reprobation, left to resist holiness and grieve the Spirit, without having received the grace of repentance, and without having either will or power given of God to lay hold of everlasting life. And after Christ had died for his people, he " Exalted as a prince and a Saviour, to give

was

" repentance unto Israel and forgiveness of sins,” Acts v. 31.

4th. Faith is another fruit of Christ's death. "Faith, (for we cannot better define it than the " scripture hath done), is the substance of things "hoped for, the evidence of things not seen," Heb. xi. 1. It is the substance of things hoped for. Now what doth man hope for as considering that he is endued with eternal life, but the substance or certainty of a happy eternity. Now Christ "hath " brought life and immortality to light through "the gospel," 2 Tim. i. 10. A gospel whose truth he sealed when he expired on the tree, when those around, yea even a Roman centurion, employed with a band of soldiers to attend his crucifixion, were inwardly moved to cry out, "Truly, this man was "the Son of God," Mark xv. 39. It is the evidence of things not seen. We see not the glories that shall be revealed to God's people. Yea we cannot form any adequate idea of their purity, sublimity, and unalloyed pleasure; but our faith believes them, lays hold upon them as sure, eyes them

spiritually as if close at hand, and so feasts upon them in foretaste, as often gives the soul such ardor of love and draws it up so near Heaven, that when we descend from the mount of vision, to the valley of humiliation in flesh and blood, we often know not how to suppress the disappointment, at the thought that we must tarry a little longer here below. Yet as faith may be exercised to as much

and often more advantage in the valley, than on the mountain, it becomes us to use it when the ardor of our love is thus disappointed, and we feel we still carry about with us a body of sin and death wherever we go. Now Christ is the author and finisher of our faith, and that principally by leading us to the scenes of his humiliation and suffering whilst here below. "Looking (says Paul) to Je" sus the author and finisher of our faith, who for "the joy that was set before him, endured the "cross, despising the shame, and is set down at "the right hand of the throne of God," Heb. xii. 2.

5th. Holiness is another fruit of Christ's death. Christ by his death purchased all the graces of his Holy Spirit, that they might be implanted by that Spirit in the soul of man. The Spirit of holiness is one, and is itself a complication and combined essence of all graces; for it presupposes faith on Christ as the only ground of acceptable holiness,-repentance as the only state of heart, in which faith is necessary, or holiness desirable to the soul,-love as the exciting cause, which alone can bind a man to God, the love of God shed abroad in his heart; leading him to believe that holiness here is necessary for happiness for ever, and obedience as the comfortable exercise of all graces, hastening to fulfil his just and righteous commandments. Hence holiness in heart, is the acme of perfection in a Christian here below, which can only be

equalled in degree, comfort and duration, by the possession of the last fruit of Christ's death, viz.

The possession of eternal life. Now God the Father hath so willed, that all his chosen shall repossess his blessed image for ever and ever, in those mansions which Christ hath prepared for them: "And this (says Christ) is the will of him that sent " me, that every one which seeth the Son, and be" lieveth on him, may have everlasting life; and I " will raise him up at the last day," John vi. 40. Mark the expression: eternal life is the will of the Father, but the gift of the Son. It is Christ who by his divine power raiseth up his people at the last day. He willingly laid down his life for them. He took it up again when the salvation of his people was sealed and secured through his blood. And he set forth his own resurrection, as a ground that they should rise to glory also. Now as the eternal life which Christ hath to give to his people, consisteth in the most blessed enjoyment of, delight in, and communion with God for ever; so Adam had forfeited this for himself and all his descendants by his one fatal transgression. If given then to him or any of his descendants, it is by an act of free grace; in a way consistent with all God's most adorable attributes, and more particularly with his justice. But justice requires the punishment of sin in a way suited to its dreadful nature and consequences. Now sin is an infinite evil against infinite good; and can only be expiated by an infinite atonement. But all

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created beings not excepting angels, are finite; hence a person in the Godhead, could alone offer infinite satisfaction for an infinite offence, and this hath Christ offered. Behold then, the beauty, and Godhonoring, yea sinner-saving tendency of justification by the righteousness of Christ. By his righteousness he confessed, the honor of the Godhead was injured through the sin of man; by his righteousness he confessed that man deserved eternal death; by his righteousness he divulged to his divine fellows, (to speak in the very language of scripture, see Zech. xiii. 7.) a plan of his own glorious contrivance, in which God might be just, and the justifier of those who should believe on himself in all ages; by his righteousness, he submitted without a murmur to the stroke of death, and finished what the bowels of his tender mercy intended; by his righteousness he will sit at the last, decreeing a righteous sentence on all mankind, condemning his enemies to the flames of hell for ever, but giving life eternal and all its attendant blessings to all the chosen of God, "who are the called according to his purpose," Rom. viii. 28.

16th. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his Lord; neither he that is sent, is greater than he that sent him. John xiii. 16.

Humility is the ground work of religion, not the foundation; for Christ is the foundation. Humility is the place of contest in which a christian fights the battles of the Lord. Here to speak in the