ing in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men." The greatness of this thought entirely confounds our reason, but is easily apprehended by faith, and becomes the ground of our sublimest hopes..

2d. The atonement of the sins of men, by the sufferings of the human nature, in union with the Deity, is another truth which runs through the whole of the word of God, and seems to be the first and leading principle of the Gospel. This expedient of divine wisdom for saving mankind, is so different from every thing which human reason would have thought of; so perfectly honorable for the government of God, and so safe for the penitent sinner, that it perfectly comes up to every view in which satisfaction for sin could be necessary, and is found by long experience, to be the only consideration that can give peace and tranquility to an awakened and self-condemning conscience.

This exhibits at one and the same time, the exceeding love of God to the world, and the most disinterested and generous affection of the Savior who suffered the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God.

There is certainly no consideration so powerful to raise our gratitude and love, to reduce our soul to an humble and obedient temper, and pro

duce a warm, active and diffusive love to mankind. "Scarcely for a righteous man would one die, yet peradventure for a good man, some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." The sentiment is most noble in it. self, and most powerful in its effects.

3d. The union of all the faithful with Jesus Christ, and by virtue of it, with one another, is also an idea of the most endearing and sublime nature. I am the vine, saith our Lord to his disciples, and ye are the branches. This implies several beautiful and most interesting ideas-that they derived their life and being from him-that they depend on him for the continuance of it— that their connexion with him, is very intimateand that lopped or severed from him, they not only fail of fruit, but must inevitably wither and die. The same idea is represented by the Apostle, by another beautiful and charming allusion.— He compares the whole church to the human body-all the members of which, are connected with one another by various joints and ligaments, having their respective uses with regard to the whole-and such a common sympathy, that "if one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; and if one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it," and that the whole, and each particular part, is nourished by the head, and under

its direction and that the head is Christ. To this I may add, that the holy angels are also represented as making a part of that great spiritual body over which Christ presides and rules-and bearing some special relation by affection and services to the church, redeemed with his blood. Such another community in intimacy, happiness and honor, does not exist, that we know of, in the universe. Nor is there any subject within the compass of our knowledge, that affords larger scope for agreeable reflection; or more effectual motives to love and obedience to Christ-and a vigorous affection to all his members, as well as concern for their common prosperity and honor.

4th. The next and last thing I shall take notice of under this head, is-the doctrine of an universal resurrection from the dead, and the reunion of the body and soul, for an immortal duration. There is something naturally affecting in the idea of the dissolution of the body-of its being reduced to a state of entire corruption, and blended with the common mass of the elements.

And I cannot but think, that the view of this event must often have excited very gloomy and disconsolate thoughts in the minds of the wise and reflecting among the heathen. Yet it does not appear that any of them ever formed the least idea of a resurrection. So far from this, that when Paul preached at Athens, before the most grave

and learned body of men, at that time among the heathens, on introducing this subject, they seemed to suppose he spoke of some new deity which he wished to recommend to them. However, it appeared so entirely absurd and impossible to them, that they treated it with great contempt, and hastily broke up. Thus, by a fatal mistake common to all who reject Christianity, that nothing is to be believed that cannot be comprehended by reason, they lost perhaps the only opportunity they ever had of being instructed in a doctrine the most agreeable to our desires. For certainly the idea of the restitution of the body from the ruins of mortality, to a state of perfect health, activity and vigor, and capable of accommodating itself to the spiritual exercises and happiness of the soul, is of all things the most desirable, and makes ample compensation for all that can be endured in this life, as the punishment of the fall. So natural is this desire of immortality, that men in every age have contrived some expedient to gratify it. The practice of embalming the body to preserve it from putrefaction, the doctrine of the transmigration of the soul, from one body to another, and the erection of monuments to preserve a sort of imaginary existence, are so many expressions of it.

These expedients how natural soever, are yet very unsatisfactory, and leave us whelmed in the gloom of uncertainty. But by a few unquestionable

facts in the history of the Gospel, this gloom is effectually dispelled, and the soul by faith, looks forward to the period when "this corruptible shall put on incorruption, when this mortal shall put on immortality, and when death shall be forever swallowed up in victory."

The subjects we have now touched upon, are peculiar to the revelation, give us the most amiable views of the divine character, and by their sublimity, serve to elevate the soul above the transient concerns of mortality, and give it a firmness and dignity under afflictions, which neither reason nor philosophy are capable of affording. And it is a peculiarity in these excellent subjects, that they are equally accommodated to all capacities and conditions of men. While other subjects of a much inferior rank, require either a particular cast and strength of genius, or long application, or both of them united, in order even to a moderate proficiency, these are as attainable by the plain and unlettered Christian, as the speculative and laborious philosopher. Not being in the order of natural things, they lie not within the laws of any science, nor to be understood by any chain of reasoning-but a simple act of faith in them, as doctrines of divine revelation, give them as certain a reality to the mind, as any objects of the bodily senses. It is but a very small part of mankind that are capable, either by genius, or condition of