164 ST. iACL'S DI:'tNE COMMISSION. [nisc. tt, practise them both with steadiness and constancy, in remembrance of Jesus, who was dead, and is alive. Let us remember at the Lord's-supper a dying Saviour, and call to mind the great designs of his death, as many as we can, (viz.) to witness the truth of his gospel; to fulfil ancient 'predictions of his death and his resurrec- tion : to teach us to die as an example ; but above all, to make atonement for our sins, and lay a foundation for pardoning grace, and our hope of acceptance with God. Let us remember every Lord's -day to raise our thoughts' to the heavenlyworld : where Jesus is at the Father's right-hand ; Col. iii. 1, C. 7. Let us reflect on this_ delightful circumstance ofour own death, and the new life of Christ, that, in both these, he was our Pattern and Forerunner ; 2 Tim. ii. 8, 10 13. If we die with him we shall also live with him : 1`-Ìe&. vi. 20. Must we lie down in death ? Jesus, the Son of God, went through the dark valley before us, and lay 'down in the grave, and sanctified it to us for a sleeping place-; 1 Thess. iv. 13-18. His death was attendedwith much more terror from God and man than ours is or can be. His death bath taken away the sting from ours. Did Jesus rise again from the dead ? So shall we, if è are his sincere followers. He is our Head, thefirst- .born from the dead; Col. i. 15. and our example. Rom. viii. 11. The same spirit,, shall quicken us, whatso- ever nation we lived in, Rome, or Jerusalem, Asia, or Corinth, or Great-Britain, or in what age soever ! 1 Cor. xv. 20, 23, 49. 2 Cot. iv. 14. And it will be a divine jo'y to meet holy Paul, our great apostle and our teacher, áinong the holy saints, who has gone through so many deaths and dangers, to acquaint us with this gospel. . Was it so strange a thing to tell us, that one dead than even Jesus, should be alive again after his death? )Flow strange and glorious a sight will it be, when all the dead in Christ, thousands and ten thousands, shall be made alive, with their Lord Jesus at the head of them. Rejoice for ever in the Lord, and comfort yourselves with this divine consolation. Amen.
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