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mon robbers, groaning under the bittereft agonies of death. Nor yet can all this mifery create in the lookers on any pity or compaffion. See how they shake their heads, and fay, Come down from the cross, Son of God, come down, and we will believe thee. But neither the pains of the cross, nor those pangs which drew from him that complaint, My God, my God, why haft thou forfaken me, nor all the malice and fcorn of the crucifiers could make him one moment forget his love and tendernefs towards them. You hear no complaint from him, no appeals made against them to a future judgment: instead of this, with latest breath he pleads their cause, excuses their weakness, and begs for their pardon; Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.

And here let us close this fcene, and return to ourselves with this question, What reward fhall I give unto the Lord for all the benefits that he hath done unto me? Let us alfo answer for ourselves in the words of the Pfalmift, I will receive the cup of falvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. We have nothing to return but our love and obedience, and nothing elfe is required of us; he hath borne our griefs, and carried our forrows; let us not call for them again by our iniquities: let them be buried for ever, but let us arife to a new life of righteoufnefs in Chrift Jefus, that when Chrift, who is our life, Shall appear, we may also appear with him in glory.

DISCOURSE XLIII.

If ye

COLOSSIANS iii. I.

then be rifen with Chrift, feek thofe things which are above, where Chrift fitteth on the right hand of God.

How much the metaphorical language of Scrip

ture has been mistaken, and what errors and abfurdities men have fallen into, under pretence of adhering to the literal fenfe, is well known. The words of the text are hardly capable of being fo abused; for it is not poffible to imagine that St. Paul fhould intend to tell the Coloffians, or that the Coloffians fhould believe him if he did, that they lived no longer in this world, but were, in the literal fenfe, men raifed from the dead. But, as our ftate and condition in this world is often fet forth in the Scriptures in metaphorical language, it has not fared fo well in all parts of it, but men have fometimes loft fight of the metaphor, and raised very abfurd notions from a literal interpretation, as I fhall have occafion to obferve to you in treating upon this fubject.

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The words now read to you are an inference from what had been before faid, as is evident from the

manner in which they are introduced: If ye then be rifen with Chrift. It is plain likewise that they muft refer to fomething which had been faid of our refurrection with, or in Chrift: for this conclufion fuppofes that doctrine already laid down and established. To find this connection, we must look back as far as the middle of the foregoing chapter, where the doctrine referred to in the text is plainly declared. At the tenth and following verses thus you will read And ye are complete in him, (that is, in Chrift Jefus,) which is the head of all principality and power. In whom alfo ye are circumcifed with the circumcifion made without hands, in putting off the body of the fins of the flesh by the circumcifion of Chrift. Buried with him in baptifm, wherein also you are rifen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raifed him from the dead: and you, being dead in your fins, and the uncircumcifion of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all tref paffes. From this the inference in the text naturally follows: If ye then be rifen with Chrift, feek thofe things which are above, where Chrift fitteth on the right hand of God.

For the explication of these words, it will be neceffary to fet before you the reprefentation which the Scripture makes of the natural state and condition of man, and of his Gospel state upon his becoming a Chriftian.

In the state of nature the Scripture reprefents men, Eph. iv. 17, 18. as walking in the vanity of their minds. Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, through ignorance and blindness of heart. As walking according to the

courfe of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the Spirit that worketh in the children of difobedience, chap. ii. 2. As children of wrath, having their converfation in the luft of the flesh, fulfilling the defires of the flesh and the mind, ver. 3. As frangers to the covenants of promife, as having no hope, and without God in the world, ver. 12. As fervants of fin, yielding their members fervants to uncleanness and to iniquity, unto iniquity, Rom. vi. 19,

20.

And because the end of these things is death, therefore this ftate of fin is called likewise a state of death: You hath he quickened, fays our Apostle, who were dead in trespasses and fins, Eph. ii. 1. The fame he repeats at the fifth verse. Whilst men were thus dead to God, and unto themfelves, they lived only to fin and unrighteousness. Sin therefore is faid to reign in them, to have dominion over them. The natural paffions and affections in this ftate of corruption were but the inftruments of fin, in all things fubfervient; and therefore are faid to conftitute the body of fin, that body over which fin, as the foul or active principle, had entire rule and dominion. Thus we read, Rom. vi. 6. The old man is crucified with him, that the body of fin might be deftroyed, that henceforth we should not ferve fin. And in the fecond of the Coloffians, and eleventh verfe, we are faid to put off the body of the fins of the flesh. The members, of which this body is made up, are in the next chapter defcribed: Mortify therefore your members which are upon earth, fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupifcence, and covetousness, which is idolatry, Eph. iii. 5. This body is by St. Paul, in his Epiftle to

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