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what end the numerous afflictions and temptations which befal the Christian, as he paffes through life, but to deftroy fin? And yet it ftill lives. It withdraws but to return; it fleeps but to awake again. Like a moniter of many heads, though deprived of one, it has another; nay, one shoots out from the place another was lopped off.

Moreover, the death of the crofs was an accurfed death; inflicted on none but those guilty of the blackest crimes ; fuch as were accurfed of men, and held to be accurfed of God too. Sin is that which has introduced death into the world, and all our woe; is that abominable thing which the Lord hates; and, therefore, is the object of the greateft hatred with the believer. He feeks the deftruction of it without mercy.

From thefe confiderations we may fee the propriety and force of this expreffion, crucified with Chrift, and all of the like kind in fcripture.

In the last place, There is implied a felf-denied temper towards this prefent world. Though this may be included in the former particulars, yet it may be confidered as fomething distinct, and is of importance in the present fubject. God forbid, fays the Apostle, that I should glory, fave in the cross of our Lord Jefus Chrift, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. We cannot argue from hence, that we should caft off all care and concern about the world; nor that every degree of defire after, and delight in the things of the world is finful; nor yet that we are to withdraw ourselves from the company and conversation of the men of the world: but that from a sense of the vanity and emptinefs of the world, our hopes and expectations of happiness ought not to be placed upon it, and that we ought to cheerfully part with every earthly thing, and go to death for Chrift, if he calls

us

us to it. Hear his own words: He, that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me: and be that loveth fon or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me. And be, that taketh not his crofs and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life fhall lofe it, and be that lofeth his life for my fake fhall find it. He hath likewise, in this refpect, left us an example that we should follow his fteps. He was denied to the riches and honours of this world; and for the joy that was fet before him, endured the cross, defpifing the shame.

In the early days of the church, the profeffion of the religion of Jefus expofed perfons to the hazard of their lives and estates, and particularly the publishers of the Gofpel could expect nothing else but a conftant scene of difficulties and perfecution. The Apostle has recorded many trials and diftreffes which he encountered; and it is faid that he fuffered a violent death at laft; fo that there is a peculiar emphafis in his faying that he was crucified with Chrift. Every believer indeed, ought to be a martyr in his temper, and hang fo loose to this world and its enjoyments, nay, to life itself, that he may readily part with all to win Christ.

These things are implied in the crucifixion of the believer. I proceed now,

II. To confider his life. Chrift liveth in him; and the life which he now lives in the fleth, is by the faith of the Son of God.

This is the divine or fpiritual life which 'he lives in confequence of fin being mortified, and the heart renewed. As he dies to fin, so he rifes to holiness. So we are taught in these words-That ye put off, concerning the former converfation, the old man, which is corrupt, according to the deceitful lufts; and be renewed in the fpirit

of

of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which, after God, is created in righteousness and true boliness.

Here is the corrupt nature called the old man, which is put off, or crucified with Chrift; and the spiritual life called the new man, because a new principle is infused; and this new man is the image of God, confifting in righteousness and true holiness. It is the conformity of our natures to the holy nature of God, and the conformity of our lives to the will of God.

The manner in which Chrift lives in the believer, is by his holy Spirit, who begins and carries on the divine life. We cannot make ourselves alive to God. That Almighty power which called, Lazarus come forth, muft call us from the death of fin. That Divine Spirit who quickened the dead body of the Saviour when it lay in the tomb, must quicken our fouls to a life of grace. Having begun the work, he carries it on to perfection; and for this purpose, he dwells and lives in believers; incites holy defires; directs the meditations of the heart; enables them to overcome and fubdue their lufts; ftrengthens them under afflictions; and quickens them in the way of duty. Chrift thus living in them, they are actuated by the fame temper, and feek the fame things. They imitate his example, and endeavour to refemble him as far as their nature and circumftances will admit.

The great inftrument of this fpiritual life is faith. By this they are united to the Son of God; depend upon his merits for pardon, and derive influences for fanctification. It is called the faith of the Son of God, because he is the great object of it, and because it is of his bestowing. Perhaps there is fomething in this phrase more peculiar to the time in which the Apostle lived. The faith of the Son of God; that is, a firm belief that Jefus of

Nazareth

Nazareth who was crucified on Calvary, was the true and expected Meffiah; that he was no impoftor, but really the Son of God; that he roíe again and afcended up into heaven; and that there is forgiveness of fins through his blood. These were the great truths upon which the Apostle infifted in his difcourfes, and propofed for the belief of his hearers. When he preached at Athens, we find that fome faid, He feemeth to be a fetter forth of Strange gods; because he preacheth unto them Jefus and the refurrection. To have a proper notion how the doctrine of a crucified Saviour appeared at its first publication, we must imagine ourselves in their place, with all their prejudices in favour of a false religion. Among us we are early initiated in the Christian system, and taught from childhood that Jefus is the Son of God, the true and only Saviour; and therefore, we are in danger of contenting ourselves with a belief merely speculative. There was not fo much danger at the first publication of the Gofpel; because it can hardly be admitted that any would embrace a religion fo contrary to human wisdom -attended with fuch ignominy and reproach-and, withal, expofing its friends to fo much hazard and difficulty, unless they felt the power of it, and were fincere in their profeffion. What multitudes profefs it now, whofe lives loudly testify against them! If they believe him to be the Son of God, where is the efficacy of his death upon them? where that transformation into the Divine image, which always accompanies a view of Divine glory, fhining in the fufferings of this wonderful Perfon?

Faith in Chrift, as being the Son of God, is that by which every believer lives. Allow me, in a few particulars, to point out its influence.

Firft,

First, Faith is that act of the foul which receives and refts upon the righteoufnefs of Chrift for pardon and acceptance with God. The believer, convinced of his guilt, unworthiness, and utter inability, accepts the free offer of falvation made in the Gofpel, as his only ground of hope. This exercife he has occafion often to repeat; not that his juftification before God is incomplete, or that he needs to be often juftified; but that a manifeftation of his interest in the fulness of Chrift, is neceffary to his encouragement and comfort.

Secondly, By faith, influences are derived for the mortification of fin and the promotion of holiness. He that abideth in me, faith Chrift, and I in him, the fame bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing: The substance of these things having been already faid, all that may be neceffary to add is, that although the righteoufnefs of Chrift be the meritorious cause of justification, and the Spirit of Chrift the efficacious cause of sanctification, yet faith is that which interests us in these bleffings, and is the mean of their conveyance.

Once more: Faith influences the believer to live with regard to another world. It is described in the epistle to the Hebrews, to be the fubftance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not feen. It is a confident expectation of the things which God hath promised. It realizes the invifible glories of a future ftate, and caufes us to believe them as ftrongly as what we fee with the bodily eyes. The men of the world live by sense. External objects engage the whole of their attention and affections. The things of another world are future and invifible; and therefore they do not strike and affect them. It is faith which makes them prefent and visible.

The

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