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is no condemnation to them that are in Chrift, Rom. viii. 1. All the wrath of God to the laft drop, was fqueezed out into. that bitter cup which Christ drank off, and wrung out the very dregs thereof.

Thirdly, This deliverance obtained for us by the death of Chrift, is a special and diftinguishing deliverance. Not common to all, but peculiar to fome; and they by nature no better than those that are left under wrath. Yea, as to natural difpofition, moral qualifications, and external endowments, oftentimes far inferior to them that perish. How often do we find a moral righteousness, an harmless innocency, a pretty ingenuity, a readi nefs, to all offices of love; in them that are notwithstanding left under the dominion of other lufts, and under the damning fentence of the law; whilft, on the other fide, proud, peevish, fenfual, morofe, and unpolished natures, are chofen to be the fubjects of this falvation. You fee your calling, brethren," 1 Cor. i. 26.

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Fourthly, and lastly, It is a wonderful falvation. It would weary the arm of an angel to write down all the wonders that are in this falvation. That ever fuch a defign fhould be laid, fuch a project of grace contrived in the heart of God, who might have fuffered the whole fpecies to perifh. That it fhould only concern man, and not the angels, by nature more excellent than us; that Chrift fhould be pitched upon to go forth upon this glorious defign. That he should effect it in fuch a way, by taking our nature and fuffering the penalty of the law therein. That our deliverance fhould be wrought our and finished when the Redeemer and his design seemed both to be loft and perished. These with many more are fuch wonders as will take up eternity itself to fearch, admire, and adore them.

Before I part from this firft end of the death of Chrift, give me 'leave to deduce two useful corollaries from it, and then proceed to a fecond

Coroll. 1. Hath Chrift by death delivered his people from the wrath to come? How ingrate and difingenuous a thing must it be then for those that have obtained fuch a deliverance as this, to repine and grudge at those light afflictions they fuffer for a moment upon Chrift's account in this world!

Alas! What are these fufferings, that we should grudge at them? Are they like thofe which the Redeemer fuffered for our deliverance? Did ever any of us endure for him what he endured for us? Or is there any thing you can fuffer for Christ in this world, comparable to this wrath to come, which you must

have endured, had he not, by the price of his own blood rescued you from it.

Compare. pared.

Reader, wilt thou but make the comparison in thine own thoughts, in the following particulars, and then pronounce when thou haft duly com

First, What is the wrath of man to the wrath The Natures. of God? What is the arm of a creature to the anger of a Deity? Can man thunder with an arm

like God?

Subjects.

of torments.

Duration.

Secondly, What are the fufferings of the vile body here, to the tortures of a foul and body in hell? The torments of the foul are the very foul

Thirdly, What are the troubles of a moment to that wrath, which, after millions of years are gone, will still be called wrath to come? Q what compare betwixt a point of hafty time, and the interminable duration of vaft eternity?

Continuity.

Fourthly, What compare is there betwixt the intermitting forrows and fufferings of this life, and the continued uninterrupted wrath to come? Our troubles here are not conftant, there are gracious relaxations, lucid intervals here; but the wrath to come allows not a moment's ease or mitigation.

Defigns.

Fifthly, What light and easy troubles are those, which, being put into the rank and order of adju

vant causes, work under the influence and bleffing of the first cause, to the everlasting good of them that love God, compared with that wrath to come, out of which no good effects or iffues are poffible to proceed to the fouls on which it lies?

nions.

Sixthly, and Laftly, How much more comfortAnd compa- able is it, to fuffer in fellowship with Chrift and his faints for righteoufnefs fake, than to fuffer with devils and reprobates for wickednefs fake? Grudge not then, O ye that are delivered by Jefus from wrath to come, at any thing ye do fuffer, or fhall fuffer from Chrift, or for Chrift in this world.

Coroll. 2. If Jefus Chrift hath delivered his people from the wrath to come, how little comfort can any man take in his prefent enjoyments and accommodations in the world, whilst it remains a question with him, whether he be delivered from the wrath to come? It is well for the prefent, but will it be fo ftill? Man is a profpecting creature, and it will not fatisfy

him that his prefent condition is comfortable, except he have fome hope it thall be fo hereafter. It can afford a man little content that all is easy and pleasant about him now, whilst such paffages and terrible hints of wrath to come are given him by his own confcience daily. Oh, methinks fuch a thought as this, what if I am reserved for the wrath to come? fhould be to him, as the fingers appearing upon the plaifter of the wall were to Belte hazzar, in the height of a frolic *. It is a custom with fome of the Indians, when they have taken a prisoner (whom they intend not presently to eat) to bring him with great triumph into the village, where he dwelleth that hath taken him; and placing him in the house of one that was flain in the wars, as it were to re-celebrate his funerals, they give him his wives or fifters to attend on him, and use at his pleasure; they apparel him gorgeously, and feed him with all the dainty meats that may be had; affording him all the pleasure that can be devised; when he hath paffed certain months in all these pleasures, and (like a capon) is made fat with delicate fare, they affemble themselves upon fome festival day, and in great pomp bring him to the place of execution, where they kill and eat him.

Such are all the pleasures and enjoyments of the wicked, which feed them for the day of flaughter. How little stomach can a man have to thofe dainties that understands the end and meaning of them! Give not fleep therefore to thine eyes, reader, till thou haft got good evidence, that thou art of that number whom JeJus hath delivered from wrath to come. Till thou canft fay, he is a Jefus to thee. This may be made out to thy fatisfaction three ways.

First, if Jefus have delivered thee from fin, the caufe of wrath, thou mayeft conclude he hath delivered thee from the wrath, the effect and fruits of fin. Upon this account the fweet name of Jefus, was impofed upon him, Matth. i. 21. "Thou shalt call his

name Jefus, for he thall fave his people from their fins." Whilst a man lies under the dominion and guilt of fin, he lies exposed to wrath to come; and when he is delivered from the guilt and power of fin, he is certainly delivered from the danger of this coming wrath. Where fin is not imputed, wrath is not threatned.

Secondly, If thy foul do fet an inestimable value on Jefus Christ, and be endeared to him upon the account of that inexpreffible grace manifefted in this deliverance, it is a good fign thy

* Sir R. Barkley, on the felicity of Man, p. 12, 13.

foul bath a fhare in it., Mark what an epithet the faints give Chrift upon this account, Col. i. 12, 13. "Giving thanks to the "Father, who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, "and tranflated us into the kingdom of his [dear] Son." Chrift is therefore dear, and dear beyond all compare, to his faved ones. I remember it is ftoried of the poor enthralled Grecians, that when Titus Flaminius had restored their ancient liberties, and proclamation was to be made in the market-place by an herald; they so pressed to hear it, that the herald was in great danger of being stifled and preffed to death among the people; but when the proclamation was ended, there were heard fuch fhouts and joyful acclamations, that the very birds of the air fell down aftonished with the noife, while they continued to cry, Ewan, Σwinp, a Saviour, a Saviour; and all the following night they continudancing and finging about his pavilion.

If fuch a deliverance fo endeared them to Titus, how should the great deliverance from wrath to come, endear all the redeemed to love their dear Jefus? This is the native effect of mercy on the foul that hath felt it.

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Thirdly, To conclude, A difpofition and readiness of mind to do, or endure any thing for Chrift's fake, upon the account of his deliverance from the wrath to come; is a good evidence you are so delivered, Col. i. 10, 11. "That we may walk worthy of the Lord "to all pleafing, being fruitful in every good work." There is readiness to do for Christ. "Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and long"fuffering with joyfulnefs." There is a chearful readiness to endure any thing for Christ. And how both these flow from the fense of this great deliverance from wrath, the 12th verse will inform you, which was but now cited. Oh then be serious and affiduous in the refolution of this grand cafe. Till this be refolved, nothing can be pleasant to thy foul.

"End 2. As the typical blood was shed and sprinkled to deliver from danger, fo it was fhed to make atonement, Lev. iv. 20. "He shall expiate (we translate, atone) the fin." The word imports both. And the true meaning is, that by the blood of the bullock, all whofe efficacy ftood in its relation to the blood of Christ, fignified and shadowed by it, the people, for whom it was fhed, fhould be reconciled to God, by the expiation and remiffion of their fins. And what was fhadowed in this typical blood, was really defigned and accomplished by Jefus Chrift, in the fhedding of his blood.

+ Plutarch. in vita T. Flaminii.

Reconciliation of the elect to God, is therefore another of thole beautiful births which Chrift travailed for. So you find it exprefsly, Rom. v. 1o. "If when we were enemies, we were "reconciled to God by the death of his Son." This [if] is not a word of doubting, but argumentation. The apostle fuppofts, it is a known truth, or principle yielded by all Christians, that the death of Chrift was to reconcile the elect to God. And again he affirms it with like clearness, Col. i. 20. “And having made "peace by the blood of his crofs, by him to reconcile all things." And that this was a main and principal end designed both by the Father and Son in the humiliation of Chrift, is plain from 2 Cor. v. 18, 19. "God was in Chrift reconciling the world "to himfelf." God filled the humanity with grace and authority. The fpirit of God was in him to qualify him. The authority of God was in him by commiffion, to make all he did valid. The grace and love of God to mankind was in him, and one of the principal effects in which it was manifefted, was this defign upon which he came, viz. to reconcile the world to God. Upon which ground Christ is called the "propitiation for our fins," John ii. 2. " Now reconciliation or atonement is nothing else but the making up of the ancient friendship be"twixt God and men which fin had diffolved, and fo to reduce "these enemies into a ftate of concord, and fweet agreement." And the means by which this bleffed defign was effectually compaffed, was by the death of Christ, which made compleat fatif faction to God, for the wrong he had done him. There was a breach made by fin betwixt God and angels, but that breach is never to be repaired or made up; fince, as Chrift took not on him their nature, fo he never intended to be a mediator of reconciliation betwixt God and them. That will be an eternal breach. But, that which Christ designed, as the end of his death, was to reconcile God and man. Not the whole species, but a certain number, whose names were given to Chrift. Here I must briefly open, 1. How Chrift's death reconciles. 2. Why this reconciliation is brought about by his death, rather than any other way. 3. What are the articles according to which it is made. And. 4 What manner of reconciliation this is.

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First, How Chrift reconciles God and man by his death. And it must needs be by the fatisfaction his death made to the justice

Reconciliare nihil aliud eft quam amicitiam offenfione aliqua gravi diremptam refacire, et fic inimicos in priftinam concordiam reducere. B. Daven in Col. i. 20.

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