SERM. I.] INWARD WITNESS TO CHRISTIANITY. 13 foundation of this double blessing ; for he has not only made an endofsin,, but brought in an everlasting right- eousness, Dan. ix. He has fulfilled the law in all the commands of it, as well as borne the penalty : he has purchased all the blessings of divine love, as well as bought a freedom fròm divine vengeance. If when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the deathof his Son ; much more being reconciledwe shall be saved by his life, Rom. v. 10. And in ver. 1, and M, he saith, Being justified byfaith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Thus you see there is not only reconciliation, but full salvation: not onlypeace with God, ,but the hope of glory, to be obtained by believing on the Son of God. Many are the instances of saints here dwelling in flesh in a day of grace, that have been raised tó a good degree of eternal life in this respect, that have had a joyful sense of the love of God shed abroad in their souls, and upon solid grounds have hoped for glory, such as no other religion could pretend to furnish them with ; and this is a witness to the truth of christianity. No mere human religion can pretend to tell how this special love of God may be attained, no human religion can ever tell us how long this love of God shall con- tinue; but the word of God gives us full evidence and assurance, that the worst of sinners who apply to Jesus Christ the Saviour, in theway of humble faith and hearty repentance, shall not only be forgiven and released from the guilt of sin and punishment, but also shall be beloved' of God for the sake ,of Christ, and that this divine love is everlasting. Read Acts iii. 19. Repent and be con verted, that your sins may be blotted out. Acts xvi. 31. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. And when persons are interested in these pro- mises, who shall lay any thing to their charge? Who shall condemn them when God justifies? Who shall serrate them from the love of Christ ? Shall tribula- tion or distress, famine or sword ? No, by no means ; for in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that hath loved us and we are persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principa- lities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to
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