162 ST. PAUL'S bIVINB CÓMMISSiON jbisO.IF. is accepted Ofhis Father ; and he has thereby manifested, that there is a way opened for the pardon of sin, and our salvation. He bath conquered death and the devil; he hath laid a.foundation for our rising from the grave ; he will fulfil in heaven what he hath begun on earth ; his. throne shall consummate the workof his cross. Ifwhen we were enemies we were reconciled to Godby the death of his Son much more being reconciled, we shall be -,saved by his life ; Rom. v. 10. 4. If Jesus being dead, and alive again; is so momen. tous a point, so important an article in our religion, then we may remark, that some of the chief evidences of the truth of our religion, are nearly connectedwith some of the chief glories, benefits, and excellencies of it; for they are all built on this same foundation, even the resur- rection of our blessed Lord. These are not merely strange pieces of history, but such doctrines are built on therm, which are the life of our souls. The resurrection of Christ confirms our religion ; - Tirst, As it gives sufficient proof that God, whose prero- ative it is to raise from the dead, approves what Jesus taught : And Secondly, As Jesus Christ himself foretold his own resurrection ; as I said before. And it lays a foundation for some of the chiefdoctrines, blessings, and duties of our religion which St. Paul preaches without end; viz. our trust in this risen Savi- our ; our faith in his intercession in heaven, and coming to God by him : our dependance on his government ; our resignation of ourselves to him : our expectations of the Holy Spirit, and his graces, from him; our courage in death ; and our joyful hope of a resurrection and eter- nal life. 5. What continual matter for holy Meditation should these two things furnish us with, (viz.) the death and resurrection of Christ, especially in all our addresses to God ? lleb. x. 19. and iv. 14. How delightful and how encouraging are these ideas, in all our sacred and religi- ous transactions with G d, in life and in death. We have boldness to enter into the most holy place by the . blood of Jesus, and have such an High-Priest over the house of God to introduce us. How divinely agreeable in all our behaviour,.in our conversation in this world Gal. vi. 14. By the death of Christ we are dead to this world,
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