end of fin, to deftroy death, and him that hath the power of it, to repair every diforder, and to remove every mifery. And he will fo fully, fo gloriously, accomplish his great undertaking, in the final issue, that every thing contrary to holiness and happinefs, shall be swallowed up, and buried, beyond the poffibility of a return, as a stone that is funk in the depths of the fea. Thus where fin has abounded, grace will much more abound. This victory, however, being the Redeemer's work, and the fruit of his mediation, the fcripture teaches us to restrain the benefits of it, to the subjects of his church and kingdom. In Adam all die. A depraved nature, guilt, forrow and death, extend to all his pofterity. The All, who in Chrift fhall be made alive, are thofe, who, by faith in him, are delivered from the fting of death, which is fin, and are made partakers of a new nature. There is a fecond death, which, though it shall not hurt the believers in Jefus*, will finally swallow up the impenitent and ungodly. We live in an age, when there is, if I may fo fpeak, a refurrection of * Rev. ii. II. many many old and exploded errors, which, though they have been often refuted and forgotten, are admired and embraced, by fome perfons, as new and wonderful difcoveries. Of this ftamp, is the conceit of a univerfal reftitution to a state of happiness, of all intelligent creatures, whether angels or men, who have rebelled against the will and government of God. This fentiment contradi&s the current doctrine of scripture, which asferts the everlasting mifery of the finally impenitent, in as ftrong terms, in the very fame terms, as the eternal happiness of the righteous, and fometimes in the very fame verse *. Nor can it poffibly be true, if our Lord fpake the truth concerning Judas, when he faid, It had been good for that man if he bad never been born †. If I could confider this notion, as harmless though useless, and no worse than many mistakes, which men of upright minds have made, through inattention and weakness of judgment, I should not have mentioned it. But I judge it to be little lefs pernicious and poisonous, than false. It directly tends to abate that fenfe of the evil of fin, of the inflexible juftice of God, † Matt. xxvi. 24. * Matt. xxv. 46. and Let us and the truth of his threatenings, which is but too weak in the best of men. abide by the plain declarations of his word, which affures us, that there remaineth no other facrifice for fin*, no future relief against it, for those who now refuse the gospel; and that they who cordially receive it, fhall be faved with an everlasting falvation, and fhall one day fing, Death is fwallowed up in victory. I would further obferve, that many prophecies have a gradual and increafing accomplishment, and may be applied to several periods; though their full completion will only be at the refurrection and last judgment. This paffage, as it ftands in the prophecy of Ifaiah +, from whence the apoftle quotes it, appears to have a reference, to the comparatively brighter light and glory of the gospel state, beyond what was enjoyed by the church, under the Levitical dispensation; and especially to the privileges of those happy days, when the fulness of the Gentiles and the remnant of Ifrael fhall be brought in, and the kingdoms of the world, shall become the kingdoms of the Lord and his Chrift. * Heb, x, 26, 27. + Ifa. xxv. 8. I would ; I would not exclude these subordinate senses I have already confidered them. But my text calls our attention to the end of all things. Then, in the most emphatical fenfe, Death will be fwallowed up of victory. Let us endeavour to realize the great scene before us, to contemplate the redeemed of the Lord, when they fhall return with him to animate their glorified bodies. Let us ask the question which the elder proposed to John, Who are thefe clothed with white robes, and whence came they? They came out of great tribulation, they were once under the power of death, but now death, as to them, is fwallowed up in victory. In every fenfe in which death ruled over them, they are now completely delivered. I. They were once dead in law. They had revolted from their Maker. They had violated the holy order of his government, and ftood expofed to his righteous displeafure, and to the heavy penalty annexed to the tranfgreffion of his commandments. But mercy interpofed. God fo loved them, that be gave his only begotten Son, to make an atonement for their fins, and to be their * Rev. vii. 13. wisdom, righteousness, fanctification and redemption *. They received grace to believe in this Saviour, and now they are delivered from condemnation. They are accepted in the Beloved. They are confidered as one with him, and interested in all that he did, and in all that he fuffered. Now they are the children of God, and heirs of his kingdom. Though they were afar off, they are brought nigh, admitted into a nearer relation, than the holy angels, to him who fitteth upon the throne. For he took upon him, and ftill is pleased to wear, not the nature of angels, but the human nature. Their former guilt is cancelled, blotted out, and fwallowed up. All their fins are covered, funk in his precious blood, as in a deep fea, fo that even if fought for, they can no more be found. That they have finned, will always be a truth; and probably they will never lose a consciousness of what they were by nature and practice, while in this world. But this, fo far from abating their joy, will heighten their gratitude and praise to him who loved them, and washed them from their fins, in his own blood. Their happiness * 1 Cor. i. 30. VOL. II. X + Rev. i. 5. prin |