20f
THE
ATONEMENT
OF
CHRIST MANIFESTED.
(DISC.
YE.
and monument
of
the church's
safety
and
security, hope
and
confidence, even to
the
end
of
the world
;
though
their
circumstances
be
never
so low,
though they are
never
so
much sinking
under
their
fears, this is
a good
security
of
that
promise
;
Mat.
xvi.
18.
"
The
gates
of
hell shall
not
prevail
against the
church's"
interest, to
bring
it
down to the
ground
;
for the
sacrifice
of Christ
is
of
everlasting
value,
and
has
purchased the
security
of
the
church
to
the end
of
the world.
Jesus
is
repre-
sented as standing
in
the
midst of
the
throne, and
before
the
eyes
of
God
the
Father
;
so
that
the church
shall
never
be
condemned,
nor
given
up to destruction.
All
the
living
stones
that God
has
designed
to be
brought
into
the building
of
the church,
shall
be
brought into
it
in
their
several seasons
:
All
the dead sinners
that
are
made
alive
by
the blood
of
Christ,
and
by
the work
of
his
Holy
Spirit, shall
be
raised,together
in a
glorious
build-
ing, which
God
shall
dwell
in
for ever
:
And when the
"
topstone"
is
laid
in
heaven, the redeemed
nations
shall.
shout
unto
it,
"grace,
grace;"
Zech.
iv, .7.
8th Lesson. This
vision may
be
esteemed also
as
a
monumental
emblem,
that
the
followers
of
Christ,
who
shall
fill
heaven
with
inhabitants, are
sinners
redeemed
from
the
earth
:
They are
brought
into heaven
as
ran-
somed by the
blood
of
the Lamb, and
as
cleansed in this
laver, they
are,not
originally
pure
and
holy in themselves,
as the angels
were,
but they
are
guilty
creatures,
once
shamefully
defiled
and
corrupted, but rescued
from hell
and
sin,
and recovered
from all
their
defilements
and
dangers
by
a blessed
Redeemer.
Such were some
of
you,
all
ye pardoned and sanctified souls
;
such were
all
of
you,
as
related
to
the
first Adam, sinful and
miserable;
but
ye
are
redeemed and saved'
by
the
second.
This
thought
should ever keep
us
humble
and self
abased,
that
such
worthless
creatures
as
we
are,
are not
banished
for
ever from
the
presence
of
God.
This
should ever
put
us
in
mind
of
our
low
estate,
that
we
were once
fallen
creatures,
and
are raised
by
the
sovereign and condq
-_
scending grace
of
God
in
Christ
Jesus;
and it
is
in
Christ
alone that
we
stand.
This
should
be
a
perpetual
warning
to
each
of
us,
not
to indulge
or endure
the
least defilement
of
sin
;
for
sits
is
of
so
malignant a nature,
that
it
will
soon
spread
all