his own blood, that we should continue the servants of Satan and sin still, which he came to destroy. "Ye are bought with a price," saith the apostle"; "be ye not the servants of men," much less of sin: for "to this end Christ both died and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living." (Rom. xiv. 9)

The apostle maketh mention of the fellowship' of Christ's sufferings, and our being made conformable to his death;' (Phil. iii. 10) wherein our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin,' as the same apostle speaks. For that is to be done to sin in us, which was done to Christ, when he was made sin for us.

The death of Christ was a violent death; Christ, having no sin in himself, could not have died otherwise than as a sacrifice. So sin in us would never die of itself. "Omnis peccator peccat in suo æterno." It must therefore be judged, condemned, and destroyed, as the apostle speaks. (Rom. vi. 6. Rom. viii. 3)

Again; the death of the cross was servile supplicium,' as historians usually call it; whereunto the apostle seemeth to allude, when he saith, that "Christ took upon him the form of a servant, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." (Phil. ii. 7, 8) Thus should we treat sin as a base, vile, and servile thing, not suffering it to reign, or have dominion over us, as the apostle speaks. (Rom. vi. 12, 14)

Again; the death of the cross was infame supplicium ;' Christ "endured the cross, and despised the shame," saith our apostle, Heb. xii. 2: so sin should be put to shame by us. "A sinner, in his baptism and repentance, doth," as Gregory Nazianzen elegantly expresseth it, παραδειγματίσαι Tv duagriav," put sin to open shame." "What fruit had ye in those things, whereof ye are now ashamed,” saith the apostle. (Rom. vi. 21)

Lastly; the death of the cross is frequently called, in historians, summum supplicium,' a cruel and a cursed death. We should show no mercy to sin. Christ would not drink the vinegar and gall, which some learned men (as I remem

ber) think was a cup of astonishment to dull his senses against the pain of death; thereby teaching us, if so, to refuse any anodynes or stupefactives, which might take away the sense of sin from us. Thus the blood of Christ is to cure sin, and not only to cover it. One of the surest comforts of the pardon of sin, is its dying in us; for the life of a Christian should be a showing forth of the death of Christ.

3. The everlastingness of the covenant of grace, is an impregnable argument unto holiness of life. There is no real fruit in sin; the promises thereof are all false and deceitful. Gehazi promised himself gain, but got a leprosy. Balaam pursued honour, but met with a sword. Achan found a wedge of gold; but it cleaved asunder his soul from his body. The only fruits of sin are, shame, if we repent; and death, if we do not repent. (Rom. vi. 21)

But whatever fruit we can promise ourselves from sin, it is all but vanishing and transitory. The pleasures of sin are but for a season; (Heb. xi. 25) the world passeth away, and the lusts thereof. (1 John ii. 17) Our sin will leave us nothing to keep company with for ever, but a polluted soul, and a guilty conscience. Now what a folly is it for men that are themselves immortal, who must have a being as long as there is power in God to preserve it, as long as there is truth in God to make good the promises of eternal life to them that serve him, and the threatenings of eternal death to them that despise him,-not to provide a happiness of equal duration with themselves! to prefer the false and dying comforts of the world, before the pleasures which are at God's right hand for evermore! O let us learn, by a sincere and serious holiness of life, to secure unto ourselves the mercies of an everlasting covenant. O let us remember what a God we have to do withal, and dread to provoke him, because his wrath is eternal-"Who amongst us can dwell with everlasting burnings?"-and resolve to serve him with reverence and godly fear, because he will "render unto them, who, by patient continuance in well-doing, seek for glory, and honour, and immortality, eternal life." (Rom. ii. 7) And let the perpetuity of his covenant teach us constancy in our obedience. If he repent not of his mercy, neither should we repent of our duty: if he save us to the uttermost, we should serve him to the uttermost. There will be an end of

our labour and pain in serving of him; there will be no end of his love and grace in saving us. No comparison between a few tears of godly sorrow, and a whole river of endless pleasures; between our weak and momentary duties, and a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.

There are but two arguments more, which, being both peculiar to the day, and the solemnity thereof, I shall very briefly conclude with.

The former is drawn from Christ's resurrection; "Who brought again from the dead the Lord Jesus." But why is Christ said here, as often elsewhere, to be raised by God the Father', when we find it done by his own power? "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." (John ii. 19) "I have power to lay down my life, and I have power to take it up again." (John x. 18)-I answer two things: First, the Spirit whereby Christ was quickened, as St. Peter expresseth it, (1 Pet. iii. 18) was the Spirit of the Father, and of the Son; and so the action common to both. Secondly, hereby the Father, to whose justice the debt was due, by letting Christ out of prison, acknowledged a satisfaction of judgement. Christ died as a reputed transgressor; "He was numbered with the transgressors;" (Isa. liii. 12) but he rose a justified person ", and declared the Son of God with power; (Rom. i. 4) for owning whereof before, as for blasphemy, they accused and condemned him. (John x. 33, 36. xix. 7) Now this doctrine of the resurrection is likewise a notable argument to enforce the duty here prayed for. We find deliverance out of captivity largely described by a resurrection, Ezek. xxxvii. 1, 13; and even this figurative resurrection is used as a special argument to enforce the duties of the whole Decalogue. "I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage; thou shalt have no other Gods before me," &c. In like manner, the resurrection of Christ, being a deliverance from a greater captivity, is an excellent argument unto holiness of life; for "God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless us, in turning us away from our iniquity;" (Acts iii. 26) "that like as Christ was raised from the dead

Acts iii. 24, 32. iii. 15, 26. iv. 10. v. 30. xiii. 30, 33. Rom. vi. 4. in 1 Tim. iii. 16.

by the glory of the Father, so we should also walk in newness of life." (Rom. vi. 4) The life of Christ is diffusive and communicative. "Because I live, ye shall live also." (John xiv. 19) Christ rose to declare his victory over all our enemies, the greatest whereof is sin; in the subduing whereof, and quickening us unto new obedience, the self-same power is exerted upon the hearts of sinners, which was wrought in Christ, when he was raised from the dead; as the apostle insinuateth, Eph. i. 19, 20, ii. 1, 5. Col. ii. 12.

The resurrection of Christ is a ground of holiness, Per modum causæ efficientis et exemplaris.'

1. By way of efficiency, called the Power of his Resurrection,' (Phil. iii. 10) whereby "we are risen with him," as the apostle speaks: (Col. iii. 1) he, from his grave; and we, from our sin. For he being the head, and we the members, we have a communion with him in the good things of the head. Being a risen and a living head, he will not have a dead body. God is not the God,―nor Christ the head,—of the dead, but of the living."

2. By way of pattern; his resurrection is an example of our sanctification. 1. He rose to life, not as a ghost, or spectre; but as a victor, to teach us not to content ourselves with dead shows of holiness, but to live the life of God. 2. He rose to a heavenly life, to ascend unto his Father, teaching us to have our conversation in heaven, and our affections set upon things above", where Christ is. 3. He rose to an abiding life, to die no more, now no more to return to corruption: (Rom. vi. 9. Acts xiii. 34) so should we unto such a repentance, as is not again to be repented of. (2 Cor. vii. 10) 4. He rose to life speedily, very early in the morning, (Luke xxiv. 1) teaching us, as the psalmist speaks, "to make haste, and not delay to keep God's commandments." (Psalm cxix. 60) Rise as early as we will, he is up to save us, before we are to serve him. 5. He rose to a victorious life; he came not forth bound as Lazarus, but he left the grave-clothes behind him: (John xx. 6, 7) so should we rise from sin, never to be bound or entangled in it more. A sealed stone, a watch of soldiers could not hinder his re

n Matth. xxii. 32.

9 Col. ii. 1, 2.

• John xx. 17.

p Phil. ii. 20.

surrection: no fears or prejudices should dismay us, or keep us in the grave of sin, when Christ calls us out. In our spiritual resurrection, there are, ever, more with us, than against us. We should keep these evidences of our communion with Christ in his resurrection, clear and unquestionable; for we must rise with him unto holiness, before we can rise with him unto glory. No man can rationally hope to be like unto Christ in blessedness hereafter, who doth not purify himself, that he may be like unto him in holiness here: no man can sincerely desire consummate holiness, who is an enemy to inchoate holiness.

The last argument is drawn from Christ's pastoral office, the "great Shepherd of the Sheep ;" of whom the angel foretold that he should be great. (Luke i. 32) A great King'; a great Prophets; a great High-priest'; the Chief Shepherd "; great in power; and this power acted by great love, and both quickened by great interest: for he is Lord of the house; the sheep are his own. y All which power, love and interest he will put forth, to save to the uttermost those that come unto God by him for every office of his is by him powerfully administered, to the sanctification and salvation of his people.

1. As a Shepherd, he rules and governs his people with a sceptre of righteousness, bringing into captivity their thoughts unto his obedience ; causing them, with all cheerfulness, to submit unto his sovereignty, and to choose much rather to be ordered by his will, than to be left unto their

own.

2. As a Shepherd, he leads them by his heavenly doctrine, and most gracious example, into the ways of truth and holiness; causing them to walk as he walked, to follow his steps; and, as the Angel of God's presence, treading forth their way unto the heavenly Canaan for them.

3. As a Shepherd, he heals all their sicknesses, whereof sin is the chief: This is his name, The Lord that healeth us.' (Exod. xv. 26) For this end he was wounded, that by his stripes we might be healed; he a true Bethesda,