PRACTICAL USES OF CHRIST'S ATONEMENT. Jesus thy Saviour bore all those very sins in bis own bodyon the tree : There the demands of Divine Justice were all answered, and sin has now no power to condemn the saint, nor has death power to hurt him in his best interests; 'Rom. viii. 34. " Who shall condemn ? It is Christ that died, yea, rather has risen again, as a complete conqueror over death." And is not Christ thy Head, thy Redeemer and the Captain of thy, salvation? Let me call to mind the solemn seasons of transaction between Christand my soul. Have I not resigned myself to him as an all- sufficient Saviour, to deliver me both from the guilt and the power of every sin ? Have I not trusted in the blood of his atonement, and felt the quickening po%ver of his 'Spirit as the fruit of his blood > Has he not raised me to a new life ? What ifthe mortal body must die, becauseit has sin in it, yet my Spirit shall live because Christ is my righteousness. Fear not then, O my 'soul, but go . chearfelly through the gates of death when he calleth thee. Jesus has taken away the terrors of that dark passage. He has deprived-death of its sting, and sanctified the grave for a sweet sleeping place. Awaken all the powers of thy faith, and triumph over the conqueredeneìny. The justice of Gqd is become thy friend, and death can do no inischief to the friendsof God, reconciled by the bloodof Jesus. Look forward and behold tby great Fore- runner ready to intro- duce thee into the presenceofhis Father and thy Father, his God and thy God, with exceeding joy. Rid a joyful farewellto flesh and sense, those busy tempters ; farewell to time and this world, and ail things that are not divine and holy. Turn thy baclt on all visible objects, clóse thine eyes with a smiling court- tenance, forget earth for ever, and enter into the heavenly mansions." XI. The view of Christ as our propitiation, is not only a safe defence against the terrors 'of death, but it is a divine allure- ment toward-the upper world. There lives our dear Redeemer, our blessed and belovedLord, who ransomed our souls from sin and hell. ` There he reigns on the throne as king of glory, who once hungon the cross as our sacrificeof atonement: The Lamb of God in themidst of the throne, with the signals of his death upon him. The sight of these signals shall open all our springs of love: Joy, love, and gratitude shall fill the departed spirit : As soon as weare absent from the body, we are present with theLord who died for us. Reflection."O happy dayand happy hour indeed, that shall finish the long absence of my beloved, and place me within sight of my adoredJesus! When shall I see that lovely, that illustrious fiend, who laid down his own life to rescue mine, his own valuable life to ransom a worn, a rebel that deserved' to die.
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