us think of him as vanquishing, not as vanquished. Let his death be confidered by us as the purchase of our immortality; and his refurrection, which in this cafe we ought not to feparate from his death, being fo nearly and fo neceffarily connected with it, as the pledge and affurance of it. By this means we fhall find refuge in the meditations of Chrift's death, efpecially at the table, against the fears of our own. Why should I fear to die? why "fear to pafs into the state of the dead? "Hath not my Saviour tafted of the same

bitter cup? and was not his death foon "followed by his refurrection? In like "manner, though I die, I fhall live

again, because Chrift liveth. The in"terval indeed is like to be much longer "between my death and my refurrection: "but what of that, fince the fouls of the "faithful immediately go to be where "Chrift is; and I have the fame certainty "that I fhall rife in the last day, as that "my Redeemer is already rifen; and "that I fhall rife to dwell with Chrift for "ever, as that I live and die to him now? "For this reafon, while I am commemora

ting the death of my Redeemer, I will "take the occafion to celebrate his con"queft over death: and' to comfort my

"felf with the profpect of that univerfal "triumph of all his members over it, "which is referved to complete and crown. "the folemnities of the laft day. O death, "where is thy fting? O grave, where is "thy victory? The fting of death is fin: "and the ftrength of fin is the law. But "thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jefus Chrift." (y)

VII. We may confider the death of Christ as the ground of his exaltation. For because he humbled himself, and became obedient to death, even the death of the cross; therefore alfo bath. God highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jefus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things on earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue fhall confefs, that Jefus Chrift is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (z) The whole world is fubject to his authority; and all that can, are to acknowledge it, by a voluntary fubjection of themfelves to it. In another place, God himself is brought in faying to his Son, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever; a fceptre of righteousness is the fceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, bath

(y) 1 Cor. xv. 55-57. (3) Phil. n. 8-11,

anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows; (a) advanced thee far above all thofe, who, like thee, partake of the royal ftate and dignity. From these two places compared together, we learn that what was fo highly pleafing to God in the death of his Son, and that for which he hath exalted him to his own right hand, investing him with all power both in heaven and earth, is the obedience and fubmiffion to the will of God which he manifefted therein; his love of holiness, and zeal for the advancement of it, which was the great motive to his undertaking the office of Mediator between God and man, and discovers itfelf throughout the execution of it. From the humiliation of Chrift the Son of God, which is the firft fcene that opens to us when we are participating in the memorials of his death, let us pafs in our thoughts to his exaltation, which foon followed. He firft Suffered, and then entered into glory. From hence I am inftructed by what method I may gain the divine favour, and advance myself in it: not by praifing his filial obedience, and refignation under fufferings, while I indulge to a fretful and repining temper myself; not by trufting to his righteoufnefs, when I am without the love (4) Heb. i. 8, 9.

G

of righteoufnefs in my own heart, and a ftranger to the practice of it in my life. I cannot think, if I think foberly, that I can rife by any other way than that in which the Son of God did; that though I do not imitate him in his hatred of iniquity, yet for his fake who hated it, and because he hated it, God will beftow the fame marks of his favour upon me, as on those that are most like him; and that a part of that glory which he received as the reward of his holinefs and obedience, fhall defcend on me, who have nothing to produce of either; not even the lowest degree of gofpel fincerity. Let this convince me of the neceffity of holiness, that I may please God, and animate me to endeavour after the highest measures of it; fince, in the fame degree as I approach my Saviour now, I fhall approach him in happiness and glory hereafter. Once more,

SECT. VIII.

VIII. THE death of Christ may be confidered in the relation it bears to his fecond appearance. For as often as we eat this his bread, and drink this his cup, we do fhew his death till be come. Come he will then; and till he

does come, his church on earth is never to cease showing forth his death. As he was once offered to bear the fins of many, so unto them that look for him fhall be appear the fecond time without fin (i. e. an offering for fin) unto falvation. (b) He then came to purchase falvation, now to confer it. Thefe two, viz. the firft and the fecond coming of Chrift, how great foever the distance of time may be between the one and the other, ought to be joined in the Christian's view, as they are mentioned together in the passage just now cited, As often as ye eat this bread, &c. We believe

that Chrift died; and, to publish this belief, we fhow his death in this ordinance: but we believe also that he rose again from the dead, that he afcended up far above all heavens, and that from thence he fhall defcend in the fame manner as his difciples faw him go into heaven; and, in teftimony of this our belief, we show his death till he come. This ordinance hath a double afpect in one. It does at the . fame time look backward and forward; being a thankful commemoration of the meritorious, though accurfed death which our Saviour fuffered when he first came into the world, by virtue of which com(b) Heb. ix. 28.