DISÇOUISE 11. 201 Christ we- are dead to this world, by the death of Christ crucified to it, and the world crucified to us. Col. iii. 1. We should live as those who are above, whose hearts are on high, where Christ is at the right-hand of God. Under our carnality andearthly- mindedness, let us govern ourselves by these meditations. Let us remember we are dead to sin. Under all our temptations to sin ; Rom. vi. 2. let us be upon our guard, remembering our be- ing united to Christ; in his death and his life. If at any time we fall under doubts of the truth of our reli- gion, let us look up to a risen Jesus. What better supports can we have under- all Our afflictions, sorrows, fears, weaknesses ? Rev. i. 18. He who was dead, is alive, and lives for evermore. Amen. Under the apprehensions of death'; 1 'Cor. xv. 57. Thanks be to God who giveth us the victory over death and the grave by a living Christ.' O what a shame is it for professors of a dying and a risen Saviour to be dead hearted in religion, which is our sublïmest hope ; to be carnally minded, or to be afraid of death ? 6. If Jesus being dead, and being alive again is so great and important an article of our religion, and as it were the foun- dation on which it stands, then how wisely hath he ordered it in his gospel, that we should have a constant memorial appointed us both of his death and his resurrection ? Of his death in the Lord's-supper ; 1 Cor. xi. 24, 25. and of his resurrection in the - Lord's-day ; Rev. i. 10. it is the rising of Christ that gives a blessed name to this day ; Acts xx. 7. John xx. 19, 20. 1 Cor. xvi. 2. On the first -day of the week Christ appears in his holy ordinances, and saith, Peace be unto you, as he did to the apostles. The primitive christians celebrated both these institutions on every first day of every week, that is, the christian sàbbath, and the Lord's-supper. We all agree to celebrate one of these, riz. his resurrection, every week on the first day ; but how few are there that celebrate the memorial of his death in a constant attendance at the Lord's-supper, in comparison of the multi- tudes who call themselves christians ? O let us take pleasure in these sacred memorials, and practise them both with stea- diness and constancy, in remembrance of Jesus, who was dead, and is alive. Let us remember at the Lord's-supper a dying Saviour, and call to mind the great designs of his death, as many as we can, viz. to witness the truth of his gospel ; to fulfil ancient predic- tions of his death and his resurrection ; to teach us to die as an example ; but above all, to make atonementfor our sins, and lay a foundation for pardoning grace, and our hope of acceptance with God. Let .us remember' every Lord's-day to raise our thoughts to the heavenly world : where Jesus is at the Father's right-hand ; Col. iii. 1, 2.
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