SERMON XVIII. 261 confirmed state of holiness and glory is not secured to them by trust or dependance on Christ, maybe a reasonable enquiry; for all things in heaven and earth are said to be gathered together, and reconciled in him; Eph. i. 10. Col, i. 20. But this we are sure of, thatnot one of all therace of Adam hath been restored to the love of God, or raised toheaven, by their own'worksbut all by faith. It is sovereign anti glorious grace that has saved them all, and that by the gospel too, in the various editions of it, from the promise in Eden, till the full discoveryofgrace at theday of Pen- tecost after the ascension of Christ. O it is a pleasing entertainment of soulto send our thoughts forward to the last great day, or to send them upward to -the courts of heaven and glory, and to hear how the millions' of. re- deemed sinners shout and sing to the honour of divine grace? 1-low all that happy world of believersassist the melody, and dwell upon the delightful sound. " Not unto us, O God our Father, not untous, lint to thine ownname, and to thy mercy be all our honours paid through the ages of eternity. We were a race of guilty and perishing rebels, who had sinned against thy majesty, and ruined our own souls : We lay upon the borders of death and hell without help, and without hope : We could do nothing to procure thy- love, nor meritally thing by the best of our works : But thou hast called us to believe thy gospel, to trust in thygrace; and to lay down the arms of our rebellion, and to receive the blessings of salvation by faith : We have nothing to boast of, for weare mere receivers : Thou hast, put forth thine almighty arm, and hast made thy gospel the instrument of thypower to save us ; and while wefeel and taste the complete salvation, thy powerand thy mercy shall have all the praise. Not unto us, O Lord Jesus our Saviour, not unto us is any honour due but to thy condescending love ; to thy compassion and death shall our honours be paid, and our acknowledgments made for help. We saw ourselves helpless, and were directed to thee for ever : We trusted in thee, and thou hast saved us : it is thy sufferings that have procured our pardon ; it is byfaith in thy blood we find an atonement; it is through thy righteousness that we are justified and accepted of God, and made partakers of these heavenly glories that shine all around us. All our sacred comforts, our excellencies, and our joys are thine. Pride ishid- den from our eyes for ever, and boasting is banished from all our tongues : It isthouhast fulfilled the law : it is thou hast suffered the curse ; it is thou hast purchased, and promised, and bestowed the blessing. We believed thy word, we receivedthy grace, and behold, we, dying sinners, are raised to life, and advanced to glory: There is not a soul ofus but delights to join in these sub- lime anthems of worship ; Worthy is the Lana) that was slain to
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