fincere obedience hereafter, they fhould be rellored to the favour of God, and after death to that life and happiness, which in their state of innocence was promiled to them without ever tafting of death; which privilege they had forfeited by their disobedience. And VII. Now, O my Soul, that we may be fully convinced of the neceffity and bleffing of a redeemer, we ought to know and confder, that our Saviour and Redeemer did not come till after mankind had been tried in all conditions; in a state of innocence under his own reason, and under the law given by Mofes, all which methods of Providence, through the perverfe will of man, had been rendered ineffectual for the amendment of the world. And becaule God decreed, that without hedding of blood there could be no remiffion of fins; and it being impoffible that the blood or life of any creature, or any mortal man, could atone for, or take away, the guilt and punishment due to fin; our gracious God, both to give to mankind the greateft token of his love, and at the fame time to hew how great his hatred to fin is, by the greatnefs of the punishment it required, fent his only Son to be a propitiation for our fins, that is, to make fatisfaction to his juftice, and to take off the juft difpleasure, which be had declared against finners. Upon this, B 2 VIL Heb. ix, 22. VIII. Jefus Chrift his Son (blessed for ever be his goodness!) knowing how dreadfully fad the condition would be of all, who should live and die under the displeasure of God, and what unconceivable happiness they would deprive themselves of, moved with compaffion for fo great a calamity, undertook to obtain their pardon; and in order to this he clothed himself with our flesh, that as man, he might make a full and fuitable fatisfaction to the divine juftice, offering himself a facrifice for the fins of the whole world; and for the joy of delivering fo many millions of fouls from mifery, he endured the death of the cross, and all the afflictions leading to it, which we find recorded in the holy Gofpel: And IX. It is by this meritorious Sacrifice, that all mankind are reftored to the favour of God, and put into a way and state of falvation; God having, for his Son's fake, promised to pardon all, who fhall repent of, and forfake their fins, and bring forth fruits meet for repentance; and also to give his holy Spirit to ́all, who fhall fincerely defire him; and lastly, to make them eternally happy after death, if during this short state of trial, which is defigned to amend our corrupt and difordered nature, they endeavour to obferve thofe rules, which he has given them, and which are abfolutely neceffary to make them capable of Heaven and happiness. Let Let us now, O my Soul! rest here a while, and adore that infinite goodness of God, who did not overlook loft mankind, but fent his only begotten Son to redeem us, when he might, in ftrict juftice, have required us to have lived up to the law of nature and reafon given in the fate of innocence, on pain of being for ever feparated from his prefence: but, inftead of that, he has been graciously pleafed to accept of our fincere, though imperfect obedience, and of our hearty repentance, when we have done amifs, and have returned to our duty. The Hymn on Sunday Evening. The great bleng mankind received in their Redemption through Jefus Chrift. OST dear are thy provifions, Lord, Thy table furnish'd from above; The fruits of life o'erfpread the board, The cup o'erflows with heav'nly love. Thy ancient family, the Jews, Were first invited to the feaft; We are the poor, the blind, the lame, B3 - From From the high way that leads to hell, It coft him death, to fave our lives; To him who ranfom'd finners loft, The vast expence his love would cost. COM HOME now adore th' Eternal Word, Thou art our living ftream, O Lord, The manna came from lower skies, Where the fresh springs of pleasure rife, The Jews, the fathers, dy'd at laft, But * John iv. 14. t John vi. 49, &c. But these provifions, which we tafte, Bleft be the Lord, that gave his flesh And often fpreads his table fresh, Our Souls fhall draw their heav'nly breath Daily our mortal flesh decays, But Chrift our life fhall come; His all refiftless power fhall raife Our bodies from the tomb. TH Another, HUS fince our hearts embraced our God, And wish to die as Simeon * would * Luke ii. 29, &c.. Thou |