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53

CHRIST

EXALTED

AND

THE

SPIRtT GIVEN.

[SEEM.

IV.

ture

to

trust

him, in

our

most

important

interests

of

hea-

ven and eternity. Does

he

assure

us,

that

"

they

who

believe

on

him shall never perish

:

?"

John

vi.

40.

Then

we

may

rejoice

with. St.

Paul,

"

I'

know whom

I

have

believed, and

I

am

persuaded

he is

able

to keep

that

which

I

have

committed to

him till

the

great

day."

2

Tim.

i.

12.

Does

he

promise

his

followers,

that

he will

raise

them from the dead,

and

give,

them

eternal

life

?

John

vi.

54.

Then

we

may safely

commit

our

bodies

to the

grave under

his

care, for these

dead

bodies

"

shall

hear

the

voice

of

the

Son

of God

and

live

:"

The grave

shall resign its prisoners

at

his

command

:

He

has the

keys

of death,

and

the gates

of eternal

life

are

in his

keeping.

And

as his

promises

are

worthy

of

our trust,

so

are

his

laws

of our

obedience

:

for in

this

exalted state, he

can enforce them powerfully

with

temporal and eternal

rewards,

with

temporal

and

eternal

punishments.

Hea-

ven,

earth, and

hell,

with

all

that

belong to

them,

being

placed

in his power,

the

blessings

and

the vengeance

are

within

the

reach

of

his

hand,

he

shall

distribute

eternal

recompences

to men

and

angels,

as

the righteous

and

mighty

Judge of

all.

Ps.

ii.

11, 12.

"

Serve,

the

Lord

with

fear,

kiss

the

Son,

or adore

him with love,

lest

you

perish upon the

spot,

if

his

wrath

be kindled

but a little:

But

blessed

are

all

they

that put

their trust

in

him."

Remark

III.

Is Christ

exalted,

then

"

his

faithful

fol-

lowers have

a

pledge and

pattern of their

own

exalta-

tion, though

not

.to

equal

degrees

of

pleasure,

honour or

power."

It

is

as

their forerunner

he

is

entered

within

the

veil,

and

is

dignified

wit.h,many

glories, as

their great

representative. Is

his

body

of

flesh

and blood

by

some

glorious change made fitter for the heavenly world,

and

better

suited

to be the mansion

or instrúment

of

a

glori-

fied

Spirit?

Such shall be the bodies

of

all his people,

for

they

must

be

like

him

:

"

He will

change

their

vile

bodies

till

they

are made

like

his own

glorious

body

;"

Phil.

iii.

21.

Is

his

holy soul

filled with

all

joy

and

blessedness

in

the presence

of

God,

and

in

the review

of

his

past labours and

sufferings? Such shall be

the

felicity

of

their

souls,

for "

they

must

be

like him when they shall

see

him

as

he his

:"

1

John

iii.

2.

They shall rejoice

for

ever,

and their

joy shall

ho man talte

from them

;"