.VerC9, to. the fixth Chapter of the ROMANS.. 53 live therefore or dye, roe are the Lords. Chrift gave us a Pattern of an holy , obedient and heavenly Life in his converfation here on Earth ; and in Heaven we mull: frill write 'after his Copy, we mutt be Chri(fs , as Chrift is Gods , and then all things are ours, -I Car. 3.23. All are your:, for you are ChrJh, and Chrifì is Gods. Wholly devote your time and ftrength and lervice to him. God mull be your folace and your ltrength and your beginning, end, way and all : When you awake, you fhould be fall with him , Pfal. 139. t8. all the day long you fhould keep in his Eye: Prov. 23.17. Be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long. In all your attions, your intention muft be to pleafe and glorifie him : t Cor. to. 3i. Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatfoever you do, do all to the glory of God. 2. Our glorious Life in Heaven, that is a living untoGod indeed; for there we have nothing elk to mind but God. We are admitted before the Throne of his Glory , to be with himfor evermore. Now if Chrift be there , we (hall be there alto ; for if we follow him, we (hall fare as he fared : yob. 12.26. Where I am, there fhall ee fervant be. Jolt. 17.24. Father I will, that theft alfi, whom thou haft given me, may be with me, where I am. So Job. 14.3. If I go and prepare a place for you , I will come again, and receive you unto ney felf, that where I am, there ye may be alfo. Our Saviour defireth to have the Faithful in Heaven with himfelf, it is a thing which his heart is let upon; and he prefents the efficacy of his Merits and Obedience to this end and purpofe , that the great work of the Reftitution of loft Man may obtain its end and effelt, and his myfti- cal Body may be brought together to one place , that they may aver laud and praife and glorifie God. Many in the World cannot endure the prefence and company of the Saints, Chrift cannot be in Heaven without them ; now the fpiritual Life iffuing it fell into the heavenly , is a great encouragement to us to go on in our Duty and Obedi- ence. vree. Let us often and ferioufly think of him, Who dyed for our acre', and rofe again for our jußifuation, Rom. 4.25. and improve it, 1. For the deffruftion of fn; Chrift dyed , that he might deftroy fin , and take a- way fin; if he had not fully done his work, he could not rife again; or if rifen, he needed to return once more to dye : but Chrift dyeth no more , death hath no more dominion over him. By railing up Chrift God (heweth, that he received the death of his Son as a fufficient ranfom for our fins, and all that believe in him (hall have the com fort of it. If he had remained in death , or were (till obnoxious to it, his Satisfaetion Should not have been perfe&, neither fhould he have been able to apply the virtue and comfort of it to us v but now who (hall condemn , when God juffifeth ? when Chrift is dead, yea rather rife from the dead , &c. Rom. 8.33, 34. 1f Chrift hash paid our debt, and born our furrows fo far, that no more is required of him; finely God will never reverie that Pardon , which was fealed With Chrilts Blood. The Curie and Con- demnation are terrible indeed ; but he bath taken them away , and given us a free diF charge. ti 2. For the new Life, Chrift is both the Caufe and the Pattern of it. His Spirit is the Caufe of it, and his Life in Heaven is the Copy after which we muff write. a. His Spirit is the Caufe of it, who cjuickeneth our dead Souls ; therefore if you be entred into Gods Peace, have Cued out your Atonement , you may expert to be faved by his Life: Ram. 5. 10. If when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son ; mueh more being reconciled , (ball we be faved by his life : that is, by him who now liveth, and fitteth at the right hand of God , and there intercedeth for grace neceffary, that we may live unto God : he that intercedeth wanteth no will; and he that faith, that all things are put into his hands, wanteth no power. 3. Chrift is the Pattern of this new Life, which we are to live in the World. Chrift h the great Agent to promote Gods Kingdomand Glory , but his Spirit ingageth us in the fame defign ; as long as we live, we fhould live unto God; we are railed cep from the grave of fin , that We ( hould be to the pralle of his glorious Grace: The Cfrrifrians fife is a life whereby we glorifie God; fee this life be 'begun in you, and fee it be pef- fefted more and more. Be Cbrifts, as Chrift is Gods, fhb. 7.25. He is able to jive unto' the uttermoft all thofe that come unto God through him, feting he ever liveth to Make inter- ceffron for us. Chrift liveth, we need not doubt of a fupply. He gives life as Creator to the fmalleft worms, In him was life, Joh. t. 4. he can quicken us when dead and dull s' he came into the World for this purpolè , fob. 10. io. i am come that they might have lif4 and that they might have it mare abundantly : and he is gone out of theWorld to Heaven, for this purpofe, Eph.4, so. He afcended far above the heavens, that be might fill all thing; .
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