47$ THE SACRIFICE OF-CHRIST. which. gives a holder assurance to our faith and hope of pardon and salvation. V. I might add that our holy freedom or confidence in prayer is raised hifiber, and all our addresses to the throne of grace in andby Jesus as a Mediator and Intercessor, are much. snore animated, encouraged, and supported by the sacrifice of the Son of God than by any of the doctrinesof Agrippa's creed : And therefore the sacred writer to the Hebrews expresses himself thus, chapter x. .verse 19. We have boldness or confidence, brethren, to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus ; and verse 22. -Let us draw near in full assurance offaith, having our hearts sprinkled, that is, with this blood, from an evil or guilty conscience. But Ferventio has paraphrased on this text already, and therefore I am brief. Besides, our prayers gain further encouragement hereby, for we know now that the risen and ascended Saviour pleads for nothing on our account but what he himself has purchased with his own blood :- And we venture to 9sk the biggest and the best of his blessings in his naine, because he pleads for them all as the fruit of his own purchase, for lie lias paid the price of his life for them,, when he died to redeens us f rons every curse. Thus much in respect of the several christian duties that relate to God and his Son Jesus. VI. In the last place let us consider what influence the death of Christ as a sacrifice in our stead may have upon our love, sink all 'our consequent duties to our fellow-creatures, above and beyond what the death of Christ could have in any other view. Here we shall be plentifully convinced if we dobut take one sin- gle scriptureand try to explain it both ways ; that is 1 John iii. 16. Herebyperceive we the love of God, because .he laid down his lt'fe for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. Agrippa would explain it thus t Jesus the Son of God bore tes- timony to his gospel with his own blood, or he suffered death to shew us by way of emblem what our sins required, and there- fore we ought to lay clown our lives for one another. Surely the inference here does not seem so strong, nor theconnection so plain as to reach the conscience of every christian with evidence and power.- But if Paulinus were to 'explain it, I dare venture even in his presence to say that he would snakethe force of St. John's reasoning appear much more evident and constraining thus : Jesus Christ the Son of God, whom this evangelist more tLxh once represents as God himself, took human flesh and blood upon him, that he might be capable of dying as a ransom for his brethren, the sons of men; and he actually laid down his life as a surety to save them from dying : , Surely then we who are the followers of Christ should be ready to lay down mir lives for our brethren, when providence calls us to it. I need not ask you, Gaveuor, which of these doctrines carries the plainest and
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