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And now to return to the remaining articles of this part of our Creed; namely, that Jesus Christ being crucified, HE DESCENDED INTO

HELL, AND ROSE AGAIN THE THIRD DAY FROM THE DEAD; that is, his soul underwent the condition of the souls of all men when separated from the body.

The comfort and hope we draw from hence is this; that since Jesus Christ underwent the same fate that we must do, then we conclude with the apostle for certain, That if the same Spirit which raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, dwell in us; then he that raised up Christ from the dead, shall also quicken our mortal bodies.*

Here is our hope, this our confidence; only let us, as ever we expect to die in peace, and rest in hope, and rise in glory, let us not grieve that Holy Spirit, which was given us in baptism, whereby we were sealed unto the day of redemption; and which alone can raise us to life eternal.

HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN, AND SITTETH at the right HAND OF GOD THE FATHER alMIGHTY. What a comfort is here for sinners! Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who for us men and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and took our nature upon him; who in our nature felt all our infirmities; who, to satisfy the justice of God, suffered the death which our sins had deserved; this Jesus, this Saviour, is now in heaven, and ever liveth to make intercession for us.

• Rom, viii. 11.

So that the greatest sinner, whose heart God has touched with a sense of his danger, and who is truly concerned for having offended so good and gracious a Father; such a one need not despair, if he sues to God for mercy and pardon for his own Son's sake, with full purpose of heart of living as becomes a Christian for the time

to come.

And receive it, Christians, for a most certain truth, that no man ever prayed for pardon, for faith, for strength to overcome his corruptions, for perseverance; no man ever prayed for these or any other grace, in the sincerity of his heart, and for Christ's sake, but he had his petitions granted.

For Jesus Christ has all power with God; that is the meaning of his SITTING AT THE -RIGHT HAND OF GOD; he is our own flesh and blood; he loves us as his brethren; he loved us so well as to die for us; all our enemies are under his power; he has every thing that he can ask of God, and cannot be refused; and has given -us this faithful promise, that whatever we shall ask in his name, that he will do for us.

But even this is not all we hope for by his going to heaven. In his last dying address to his disciples, he assures his faithful followers,* that he ascended into heaven in order to prepare a place for them; that they shall share with him the blessings of heaven to all eternity.

What have we now to do, good Christians, but to endeavour to prepare ourselves for that happy state? And not to lose the time in

John xiv. 2.

which we have to do it, lest we for ever come short of it.

What should hinder us from doing this? Shall the pleasures I hope for from the world tempt me to neglect the concerns of my soul and eternity? No, sure, when I consider, that these are but for a very little while, those of heaven for ever.

Shall my own weakness discourage me? Shall the multitude of my enemies, their malice, or their power, make me afraid? Not if I believe, that the grace of God is sufficient to enable me to overcome all difficulties; and that Jesus Christ has obtained this grace for all that ask it in his name.

Do my sins make me despair of pardon? That would be unreasonable indeed, when I am assured, that I have an advocate with the Father, even his own beloved son, pleading for me.

Shall the sense of my own unworthiness make me fear, that heaven is too holy a place for such a miserable creature as I am ever to be admitted there? Let this rather encourage me to be as holy as I can, because Jesus Christ, who is to be my judge, has promised to allow of sincere endeavour after holiness.

And then let me remember, that he who is gone to prepare a place for us has declared, that in his Father's house are many mansions; and if,

by his grace, I am thought worthy of the very

lowest place in heaven, I shall be sufficiently happy, and shall have cause to be eternally thankful.

And now you see the wisdom of that church of which you are members, in obliging us so often to lay before God the meritorious passages of his Son's life and death, in order to prevail with him to deliver us from the evils which we have justly deserved; and which we should always repeat with the greatest devotion.

And if we do so, he cannot deny our requests, when we plead his incarnation, his nativity, and circumcision; his baptism, fasting, and temptation; his agony and bloody sweat, his cross and passion, his precious death and burial, his glorious resurrection and ascension. We cannot think too often of these mysteries; we cannot too often repeat them. If we do it with attention, it will increase our faith and hope in God; and is the only sure way of having success at the throne of grace.

The last article of this part of our Creed is expressed in these words; FROM THENCE HE

SHALL COME TO JUDGE THE QUICK AND THE

DEAD; upon which depends our eternity; and therefore to be minded with the greatest seriousness. For at the coming of Jesus Christ again, all men shall rise with their own bodies, and shall give an account of their own works; and they that have done good, shall go into life everlasting; and they that have done evil, into everlasting fire.

And will not this awaken Christians? Shall we profess this truth, and yet be careless, and sleep on, and die in our sins, and rise again, only to be miserable? God forbid !-Rather let the knowledge and the belief of a future judgment have its saving, its proper effects

upon us.

For example:-My own conscience tells me that I have done many things, which, if not forgiven, will rise up in judgment against me. Well then; what have I to do, but to endeavour to prevent the judgment of God, by judging and condemning myself, by confessing my sins, by imploring his gracious pardon, and by bringing forth fruits answerable to amendment of life?

And every Christian, who would not have this article of his creed to be a plague and a torment to him, ought every day of his life to have his accounts in some sort of readiness, that he may live with comfort, and die free from despair. And to make our accounts easier, we should do well always to ask leave of God before we undertake any thing of moment. This would secure his blessing, if we are in a good way; and hinder us, if we are in a bad.

If a Christian would have but the courage to say to himself,-This careless life I lead I must one day answer for; this injury I am going to do, this injustice, this oppression, this fraud, this malicious story, this ill use of my time, this squandering away of my estate; these will certainly rise up in judgment against me;what an infinite mischief would this prevent!

No;

And let us not fancy, because God spares us in this world, that therefore we are safe. for this very reason we may be assured, that God being just, there must be an after-reckoning; and his spirit assures us, that he reserveth sinners unto the day of judgment to be punished.

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