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108

TVE

PRACTICAL

US"ES

ESERM. XXXVI;

learned

by

the

-

gospel,

the

excellency and virtue

of

the

propitiation

of Christ, to

cancel

my

iniquities;

and

shall

I-

not

receive

this

propitiation

in

all the

methods

of

his

own

appointment

?

Shal1,I

dare

to

say,

it

is

enough

for

me

to read

it

in

the

bible,

and

to

hear it

in

the ministry

of

the,

word;

and to

meditate

on

it

in

private,

when

my

Lord

has given

me

an express command to receive it

also

in

those emblems and sensible

figures

of

bread and

wine,

and

has sanctified them

for this very

purpose? Is

this a

kind

return

to him

that

died for

me

?.

"

Blessed

Redeemer, forgive

all

my omissions,

my

delays,

my

careless

or slothful neglects

of:this

holy

ordi-

nance

of

thine;

and

all my

sinful

itidiferency about

it.

o

scatter

all

my

doubts, banish

all

my

excuses,

and

bring

nie

to thy holy

table

as

a.penitent

and humble dis-

ciple,

as

a worthy

and joyful receiver

:

there let

me

join

with

'my

fellow

-

christians and remember

thy dying

love."

X.

We may

use this

doctrine

as

our

most effectual-de-

fence

against the

terrors of dying; and

as

our joyful

hope

of a

blessed

resurrection.

The atonement

of

Christ

is

a.divine

support

in

the

agonies

of

death.

At

such

a

season

a

thousand past

ini

--

quities

will

sometimes croud

in upon

the

memory,

and

fill

the

soul

with

.'horor,

and perhaps

Satan the

accuser

makes

á

dreadful assault

upon

the conscience

at

the same

time, and

tornments

the

spirit

with

painful agonies

:

But

the most

-

formidable terrors,

the sharpest. agonies

find

a

relief

here,

the

very

sting

of death

is

taken

away

by

the

death

of Christ

1

C,or.

xv.

56.

"

The

sting

of

death

is

sin,.

and

-the

strength of

sin to

condemn

us

is

the

law

of

God:

but

thanks

be

to

God through Christ Jesus,

"

wvhc>

bath answered

the

demands

of the

condemning

law,

and

taken

away the

sting of

deathp

by his

atoning

sacrifice.

We may.now,venture

into,the

presence

of

a'

holy

and

righteous

God,. laying fresh hold

of

the

atonement

in

a

dying

hour

by

a

living

faith;

end

having

our departing

spirits sprinkled

with

the blood of Christ.

It

was

this

ve,ry,blood

in

the

virtue

of

which

Jesus

himself

was

raised

from

ethe

d.ead';

IIeb.

xiii.

20.

" The

God

of

peace

brought

again-from

thedead

our

-Lord

Jesus,

the

great

shepherd

of

the sheep,

through

the

Hoed.

of

the ever-

lasting covenant."

It

was in

the

virtue of.tbi-sblood

that

he

ascended and

appeared-

before

God

in.

Heaven

:

IIe.