Then it overthrows, at once, all those sophistical arguments, by which we before attempted to pacify the mind. The word of the Lord, operating with Divine power, awakens the conscience, empowers it to speak without reserve, and confirms its just but painful decisions. It exhibits to its view enormities before concealed, exposes to the light of truth" the hidden things of darkness," reveals the profoundest secrets of the heart, brings all the principles, purposes, and conceptions of the mind to the test of Scripture, and makes the conscience feel and acknowledge what sin is, when stripped of all its disguises. Then, convinced of our vileness, we tremble before the majesty of God. Divested of every pretence to righteousness, left without even the shadow of an excuse before our Maker and our Judge, we fall prostrate at his feet, with this mortifying confession on our lips, "Behold, I am vile!" Job xl. 4. Pricked in our hearts, we exclaim, "What shall we do? What shall we do to be saved? Who shall deliver us from the wrath to come?" Acts ii. 37; xvi. 30; 1 Thess. i. 10.

To whom, in such distressing circumstances, shall we have recourse? Whither shall we flee for consolation? From what source can we derive hope? From our own obedience? Alas! it is defective. From the law? It condemns us. From Divine justice? It demands vengeance. Blessed be God, his gospel, which is perfectly suited to our state, satisfactorily answers our most solicitous inquiries. It informs us, that his Son Jesus, "whom he raised from the dead," 1 Thess. i. 10, has, in virtue of his resurrection, power "to save to the uttermost," because he ever liveth to make intercession for transgressors, Heb. vii. 25. He was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification

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Rom. iv. 25. Hence, says the apostle, "Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again," Rom. viii. 33, 34.

The belief "of the operation of God, who hath raised Christ from the dead," Col. ii. 12, quickens us to a new life, a life of hope; and induces us to adopt the language of Peter, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead," 1 Pet. i. 3. The import of this fact, brought home to the heart, is efficacious to raise the dead, the "dead in trespasses and sins," Eph. ii. 1, by giving hope to those whose circumstances would otherwise be desperate. For, it is impossible that the mind of a sinner, when thoroughly awakened, can be animated with the least solid hope from any other quarter. "The answer of a good conscience" can be no otherwise supplied, than "by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead," 1 Pet. iii. 21. This fact, which is a striking display of Divine power, proves that God is well pleased with his Son, for his righteousness' sake, because he hath magnified the law, and made it honourable, Isa. xlii 21. His resurrection presents to our view a righteousness already finished, by which God can be just in justifying the ungodly, Rom. iii. 26; iv. 5. Faith in this righteousness, in its perfection, in its all-sufficiency to answer the gracious purposes for which it is intended, and in the sovereign freeness with which it is bestowed, is unspeakably precious, 2 Pet. i. 1. For this, and this only, affords complete relief to the pained conscience.

Nothing can satisfy the conscience, when tho

roughly awakened to a sense of guilt, but a view of that work which satisfied Divine justice. Consequently, the resurrection of Christ, which displays the perfection of his work, is admirably adapted to satisfy the mind. Yes, this splendid proof that justice is satisfied-this grand fact, which exhibits the Supreme Being under the endearing character of "the God of peace," Heb. xiii. 20, is excellently suited to afford peace to the troubled conscience. That peace which the Holy Spirit produces in the consciences of those whom he enables to believe, is derived, not from abstract reasonings, not from the feelings of their hearts, nor from any real or imaginary difference between themselves and others, but from a view of that Divine character which this fact reveals, "a just God, and a Saviour," Isa. xlv. 21 just, and yet the justifier of the ungodly. This is the ground of our encouragement to trust in Christ for salvation.

Who, then, that believes this fact, and its delightful import, can possibly despair? For, however numerous our sins, however complicated our guilt, however great our distresses, the resurrection of Christ affords effectual relief. This, this is the sovereign antidote for the anguish of human guilt. This will satisfy the conscience that would otherwise be plunged into all the horrors of darkness, and all the wretchedness of desperation. For this gives an answer, a decisive answer, to the most interesting, and yet the most perplexing of all questions, "What must I do to be saved ?" Acts xvi. 30. The righteousness which it reveals "speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above :) or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is to bring up Christ again from the dead)

But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved," Rom. x. 6—9.

Thus, this certain fact, by displaying the efficacy of Christ's death, and so illustrating the Divine mercy and justice in their admirable union, exhibits an object to the mind of the sinner, on which it may lay firm hold for the security of its hopes. The language of the gospel to the sinner is, "Son, or daughter, be of good cheer. Behold the grand remedy which grace has provided. Who is He that hangs on yonder ignominious tree? Nay, rather, who is he that revived, and left the tomb? It is He who died, and rose again, for the justification of the ungodly. Look to him, and be saved. Trust in him, and be blessed for ever. His righteousness will justify thee from every charge, which the Divine law, thy own conscience, or the great enemy of souls, can bring against thee. In the most humiliating view thou canst have of thyself, in the most awful light in which thou canst appear to the eye of Him who searches the heart, and who hates iniquity, the resurrection of Christ exhibits a righteousness which is fully adequate to thy complete justifi

cation."

Thirdly, the resurrection of Christ is a powerful stimulus to obedience.

"God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless us, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities," Acts iii. 26. To accomplish this important purpose, the resurrection of Christ is admirably adapted. For in what light does this fact represent him ? We have seen that it proves him

to be the Messiah, the Lord of conscience, the Son of God, the Saviour of sinners, the Resurrection and the Life, and the Judge of men.

Is he the Messiah? A Divine Messenger? The Prophet like unto Moses? Acts iii. 22. Then his counsels are important, his precepts necessary, and his institutions sacred. To that form of religion which he hath established, we must submit. For" it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that Prophet, shall be destroyed," ver. 23. Is he the Lord of conscience? Then, "whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: for to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living," Rom. xiv. 8, 9. Viewing his resurrection in this light, we shall bow to the authority of Jesus, seek his approbation, and make his will the rule of our conduct. We shall say, “Lord, what wilt thou have us to do?" Acknowledging his right to command, and desirous of obeying his precepts, we shall apply for instruction to his word.

Is he the Son of God? His supreme personal dignity supplies new motives to obedience. For, to whom shall we attend, to whom shall we pay homage, to whom shall we yield obedience, if not to Him, who is "the brightness of the Father's glory, and the express image of his person," Heb. i. 3; who bears Divine titles, possesses Divine attributes, performs Divine works, and receives Divine honours? "If they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from Him that speaketh from heaven," Heb. xii. 25.

But motives of a more generous kind than those of terror arise out of the resurrection of Christ