200 I4t. DA tit's DIVINÉ commission. 3. Let us remember, that whatsoever advantages or bles- sings we can derive from the death of Christ, they all depend on his resurrection. His.being dead will be of no avail to our souls ; either for pardon, or sanetfication, or future happiness, unless he be risen again ; 1 Cor. xv. 14, 17. And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is alsovain ye areyet in your sins. Rom. iv. 25. Jesus who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. When we meditate on a dying Saviour in any of his ordinances, let us remember, the Lord is risen ; he hath fulfilled that dreadful atonement for sin in his death ; he is accepted of his Father, and he has thereby manifested, that thereis a way opened for the par- don of sin, and our salvation. He bath conquered death and the devil ; he bath laid a foundation for our rising from the grave; he will fulfil in heaven what he bath begun on earth : his throne shall consummate the work of his cross. If when we were ene- mies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son ; much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life; Rom. v. 10. 4. If Jesus being dead, and alive again, is so momentous a point, so important an article in our religion, then we may remark, that some of the chief evidences of the truth of our religion, are nearly connected with some of the chief glories, benefits, and excellencies of it ; for they are all built on this same foundation, even the resurrection of our blessedLord. These are not merely strange pieces of history, but sue doc- trines are built on them, which are the life of our souls. The resurrection of Christ confirms our religion : First, As it gives sufficient proof that God, whose prerogative it is to raise from the dead, approves what Jesus taught: And Secondly, As Jesus Christ himself foretold hts own resurrection ; as I said. before. And it lays a foundation for some of the chief doctrines, blessings, and duties of our religion which St. Paul preaches without end; viz. our trust in this risen Saviour, our faith in his intercession in heaven, and coming to God by him ; our depen- , dance on his government, our resignation of ourselves to him, our expectationsof theHoly Spirit, and his graces, from him ; our courage in death, and our joyful hope of a resurrection and eternal life. 5. Whatcontinual matter for holy meditation should these two things furnish us with, viz. the death and resurrection of Christ, especially in all our addresses to God ? Heb, x. 19. and iv. 14. How delightful and encouraging are these ideas, in all our sacred and religious transactions with God, in life and in death. We have boldness to enter into the most holy place by the blood of .Jesus, and have such an High-Priest over the house of God to introduce us. How divinely agreeable in all our behaviour, in ¡Air conversation in this world; Gal. vi. 14. By the death of
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