SERMON XXXV. 409 toe, piety, and goodness, that turnedsinners into saints in multi- tudes, and raised a church for Christ in the world, in spite of all the rage of enemies, the superstitions of the priests, the learning and sophistry of the philosophers,the wildprejudices of the peo- ple, and the tyranny of princes. The primitive christian writers who were converted to the faith, teach us these same doctrines of the grace of God, through the atonement of Christ, the pardon of sin through his blood, which had so much power over their own souls. In the faith of these doctrines, and the hope of eternal life by them, they became the glorious confessors and martyrs 'of a crucified Christ, and cast down, the tempter andthe accuser by the blood of the Lamb. This is the doctrine that has been delivered down to us through all ages of the christian .church; and 'though the antichristian powershave mingled it with many of their superstitions, yet the gates of hell have never been able to prevail against it, so as to root it out. This is the religion which, two hundred years ago, was reformed from popish corruptions, and while our blessed re- formers laboured to recover and convey it to us in its primitive glory, many of them were called to witness and seal it with their own blood. An occasional Remark.Since these were the truths that the last, and brightest, and best revelation of God communicated tomen : since this propitiation of Christ was the doctrine which the inspired apostles taught, and in which all the foregoing reve lations centre, even from the beginning of the world : It is by this therefore, that all the former and darker discoveries are to be ,explained ; all the types and shadows of ceremonial worship, and the obscure language of prophecy, must have their true light Gast upon them by this doctrine. This is the clue to guide us into the mysteries and deep things of .God, which lay hid under the veils for so many ages. The great apostle St. Paul shews us how to penetrate and unfold all the ancient dispensations, by the doctrine of the Son of God coming into the flesh, by his dying as a sacrifice for sin, by his rising and ascending to heaven, by his appearing there as a priest to intercede for sinners in the vir- tue of his sacrifice, and by his sitting there as a king, to..reign over all things for the salvation of his people, whomhe has pur- chased with his own blood. The Recollection.-What a variety of supports has this blessed doctrine,nf our reëoncifiationto God bythe atoning death of Christ? What a train of, arguments to confirm- it are drawn down from the very first entrance of sin into the world ? Guilty nature urges us on to enquire after such an atonement, and the bible reveals it to us in a:long succession of types, pro- uk3
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