(

before the great Tribunal to receive a juft Recompence of Reward for the Things done in the Body. This Account is given in the Words preceding those of the Text: Who bath abolished Death, and brought Life and Immortality to Light through the Gospel. Now, if the abolishing of Death was the 'bringing to Light Life and Immortality, it is plain that the Coming in of Death was that which darkened Nature in this great Point, of Religion.

There are two Things, as we learn from our Saviour's Anfwer to the Sadducees, neceffary to confirm us in the Belief of a Refurrection to come; namely, the Knowledge of the Power of God, and of the Will of God: Do ye not therefore err, says our Lord, because ye know not the Scriptures, neither the Power of God? The Scriptures contain the Revelation of the Will of God; and therefore the Words, I reckon, are to be understood as if he had faid, Ye err, not knowing the Will of God and the Power of God. If we are fatisfied in these two Points, that God both can and will raife the Dead, we shall want nothing to affure us of the Certainty of a Refurrection. The Power of God we may learn from Reason and Nature: For what fhould make us doubt

but

but that He, who at the firft formed Man out of Duft and Afhes into a living Soul, should be able to call him into Life again out of the fame State? But the Gospel has declared both his Will and his Power, which he confirmed in the raifing his own Son from the Grave, and better Evidence we could not have for the Poffibility and Certainty of a Resurrection. This Evidence of the Gospel has reinftated Nature in all her Hopes, confirmed her Right to Immortality, and taught her to triumph over Death and the Grave, which feemed before to be unmoveable Bars to all her Expectations. This has restored Religion, which had hardly one found Foot to stand on, and made our Faith and our Reason confiftent, which were before at too great Distance. Nature indeed taught us to hope for Immortality; but it was in fpight of Senfe and Experience, till the great Prince of our Peace appeared, who brought Life and Immortality to Light through bis Gospel.

DISCOURSE VII.

ROMANS iv. 25.

Who was delivered for our Offences, and was raifed again for our fuftification.

T

HE Manner of Expreffion here ufed is different from what is generally to be met with in other Parts of the New Tefta

ment upon the like Occafion. Here we are told that Chrift was delivered for our Offences, and raised for our Juftification; as if the Remiffion of our Sins was to be aferibed peculiarly to the Paffion, and our Juftification in the Sight of God to the Refurrection of Chrift: Whereas in the Chapter before this, Ver. 25, the Apostle tells us in general, that God hath fet forth Christ to be a Propitiation through Faith in

his Blood; and in Ch. v. Ver. 9, particularly and exprefly, that, being juftified by his Blood, we shall be faved from Wrath through him; and Ver. 10, that we are reconciled to God by the Death of his Son. In the twentieth of the Acts, the Apoftle, in his Exhortation to the Elders of the Church, warns them to feed the Church of God, which he hath purchafed with his own Blood, Ver. 28. To the fame Purpose both St. Peter and St. John fpeak; the one telling us, that the Blood of Fefus Chrift cleanfeth us from all Sin, I John i. 7; the other, that we have been redeemed with the precious Blood of Chrift, as of a Lamb without Blemish and without Spot, 1 Pet. i. 19.

It is the conftant Tenor of Scripture, that Atonement for the Sins of the World was made by our great High-Prieft upon the Crofs; that his Death was our Redemption, and his Blood the Price paid for us. So that, when we confider the Redemption (which includes our Juftification) with respect to Chrift, the Author and Finisher of it, it must be ascribed to his Death and Paffion : But, as to ourselves, our Title and Interest in this common Salvation being grounded on Faith, our Juftification, though purchased by the Blood of Chrift, must be appropriated

to