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"as the propitiation for our sins: and for the sins of the whole world";" and "is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them "."

Lastly, we find in holy writ, that they who believe in this Jesus Christ, are said to "be in him," to "abide in him," as a member in the body, or a branch in a tree, and so to "partake of him," and of all he did and suffered upon earth, and of all he is now doing in heaven; where he looks upon them as his own, his disciples, his servants, his friends, his brethren, his sheep, his peculiar people; and accordingly takes particular care of them, as their Saviour, their Mediator, and Advocate with the Father, interceding continually for them, and for them only: "I pray for them,” saith he; "I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine "."

Now, these things being thus briefly laid down together, we may easily see how the spiritual sacrifices, which the spiritual house and holy priesthood, here spoken of, offer unto God, come to be acceptable to him by Jesus Christ. For this spiritual house being wholly made up of such as "come to Christ, and believe on him," as we learn from the context'; therefore they are built up in him, as St. Peter here saith; or, as St. Paul expresseth it, "In him they are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit"." So that they have a near relation to him, and an interest in him, and he in them; they are wholly his, and are actuated and influenced by that Holy Spirit that proceeds from him; as the members of a body are by the animal spirits that flow from the head 3. It is by the Spirit of Christ, and so by Christ himself, that they offer all their spiritual sacrifices, and do all the good works that are required of them; according to that of the apostle, "I can do all things through

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But what is done

Christ which strengtheneth me1."
by Christ or his Holy Spirit, is done by God himself.
And so far as any thing is done by himself, so far be
sure he is well-pleased with it, as he is with every
thing which he himself doth. This, therefore, is one
reason wherefore the spiritual sacrifices, which his
people offer, are acceptable to God by Jesus Christ,-
because they are offered by Him, in whom God is well-
pleased.

But although they be thus led by the Spirit of Christ, yet while they are in the body "the flesh lustest against the spirit;" so that, do what they can, there are many blemishes and imperfections in their best sacrifices, which would hinder their being acceptable unto God, if Christ did not cover them with his own sacrifice. But he having offered up himself as a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world, by virtue of that he makes atonement and reconciliation for all the sins of those who believe in him, and particularly for the imperfections of their duties and performances: for which he himself hath borne the punishment, and therefore intercedes, that God would not be angry or displeased with them; but be graciously pleased to accept of the imperfect sacrifices which they offer him, for the sake of that absolutely perfect Sacrifice which he himself had offered in their stead. And hence it is, that Almighty God, having his Sacrifice always in his eye, overlooks the imperfections of theirs, and accepts of what they do through the merits of that death which his Only-begotten Son hath suffered for them.

But that nothing might be wanting to render the good works which his servants do by his assistance as acceptable to God through him as it is possible for them to be, he doth not only wash out their spots with his blood, but he adorns them also with his own righteousness, that perfect righteousness which he fulfilled through the whole course of his life. For that

Phil. iv. 13.

also being, we have seen, performed in the whole nature of man, and therefore applicable to all that are of that nature, he accordingly applies it to all that by faith come unto him for it: as all his faithful people be sure do; as well as St. Paul, when he desired to "be found in Christ, not having his own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith." Where we see he desired, and accordingly had, another righteousness besides that of the law,—the righteousness which is through the faith of Christ, "who knew no sin," and yet "was made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him ";""who of God was made unto us righteousness as well as wisdom ',"-"The Lord our righteousness "." So that we may every one say, "Surely in the Lord have I righteousness and strength "." Strength to do good works, and righteousness to make them acceptable when they are done; as they may well be, seeing it is the righteousness of God himself, who is wellpleased with every thing that he himself doth, and with nothing else.

6

From hence, therefore, we may see how the sacrifices which his people offer, come to be acceptable to God by Jesus Christ, even because they are offered by the assistance of his Holy Spirit, cleansed by the merits of the death he suffered in their stead, and perfected by the righteousness which he himself performed in their And being begun, continued, and finished in and by himself, he looks upon them as his own works, and is therefore well-pleased with them, as he was with every thing he made at first, when it was said, "That God saw every thing that he had made, and behold it was very good."

nature.

Now what a mighty encouragement is this to do all the good we can in the world! For who would not please Him that governs all things in it, and disposeth

5 Phil. iii. 9.

6 2 Cor. v. 21.

7 1 Cor. i. 30.

8 Jer. xxiii. 6.

9 Isa. xlv. 24.

set us.

of every thing as he himself pleaseth? And yet we see that we little, we sinful creatures upon earth may do such things as are acceptable and well-pleasing to the great God of heaven, though not in themselves, yet by his only-begotten Son Jesus Christ: but for that purpose we must do all such good works as he hath And "whatsoever we do in word or deed, we must do it in the name of the Lord Jesus:" believing and trusting on him to perfume it with the incense of his ointments, that so it may be acceptable to God by him, and then it will most certainly be so; for we have the word of God himself here for it, as we have now heard. And, therefore, when we have offered any sacrifice, or performed any service, to him, we ought not to doubt, but be fully persuaded in our minds, that although there be no merit, but many imperfections in it, yet that God is graciously pleased to accept of it, and will accordingly reward us for it, both in this world and the next, through the merits and mediation of his Son Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever.

SERMON III.

THE EFFICACY OF FAITH ON THE MINISTRATION OF THE WORD.

1 THESS. ii. 13.

"For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe."

"IN you that believe;" there lies the emphasis, and the foundation of all that I design at present to build upon these words. St. Paul having been at Thessalonica, and preached the word of God to the inhabitants of that city, many of them hearkened to what he said, not as spoken by a philosopher, but by an apostle sent from God; and therefore received it, not as "the word of men," which may or may not be true, but as it really was, the infallible "word of God" himself. For this the apostle here tells them "he thanked God without ceasing," ascribing it wholly to his power and goodness; and puts them withal in mind of two things: first, of the great force and efficacy which the word they so received had upon them: "the word of God," saith he, "which effectually worketh in you." It had, it seems, its whole effect, its end, its perfect work, upon them, insomuch that, as he saith in the following words, "they were now able to suffer as much for the sake of

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