awful penalty of the "second death;" to be plunged into that "lake that burneth for ever and ever"." They, on the contrary, who hear the word of God and keep it; they who hearken unto the commands of God, and in their lives obey him; they who overcome, shall not be hurt of this second death. It is the glorious declaration of our blessed Lord-"I am the resurrection and the life, whosoever believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall never die." To this divine Redeemer "all power in heaven and earth" is committed: "God hath put all things under his feet, and made him to be head over all things to his Church'." He, our glorious head, is raised from the dead; and where he is, there shall we, his members, be also. "Unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation"."-Then shall he "redeem them from death, he shall ransom them from the power of the grave."" Death shall be """Death swallowed up in victory." "Thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Thanks be to God, "there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus"." He hath freed them from the rigorous demands of the law; he hath redeemed them from sin; he hath ransomed

them from death and the grave-and they shall live with him for ever. Great then must be the guilt of those, who, instead of returning thanks to God for the unspeakable gift of his son Jesus Christ, reject the salvation which he hath wrought for them. Ye despisers of God and of his Son, are ye heedless of your soul's immortal interests? Cheat ye yourselves with the hope, that there is no eternity or that in that eternity there is no punishment for you? Listen for a moment to the voice of reason and conscience-they will teach you that transgression involves guilt; that guilt must be punished; and that of all guilt, that is the most heinous which arises from sins committed against the Maker and Judge of heaven and earth. Trust ye then your salvation to the moral law?-It speaks no mercy-it exacts perfect obedience-it dooms to punishment all who in any degree violate it. Trust ye in the hope of pardon, inspired by the compassion and mercy of God?-What confidence have ye that these hopes will not prove delusive?-Oh! when God himself in his Son Jesus Christ proclaims mercy to you, reject not his voice-spurn not him who teaches you the way of access to your offended God; who proffers you not the uncertain hope, but the assurance of mercy-for "Christ also suffered for your sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring you to God "."

Christ hath redeemed us from the law. Let us not hence conclude that the law is made void, that we are freed from its obligations. "Shall we sin that grace may abound? God forbid *." Jesus Christ came "not to destroy the law, but to fulfil"." He hath indeed redeemed us from " its awful curse, eternal death-he hath placed us under a covenant of mercy, in which sincere, though imperfect, is accepted instead of perfect and unsinning obedience. But this covenant of grace, instead of making void the moral law, enforces all its precepts in the utmost purity and power-commanding us to be pure as God is pure, to be perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect; to follow after holiness, without which, no man shall see the Lord. But this covenant of grace unfolds the hope of which the law knows nothing, that "if any man sin, he hath an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous"."

But let us remember that Jesus Christ hath given us the means of victory over sin. We live under a dispensation, which in the most clear and impressive manner enforces our duty; which in the sacrifice of the Son of God displays the infinite evil of sin; and which offers to each one of us grace to escape from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the sons of God. If we continue in sin with this display of its enormity, with these means and motives to forsake

* Rom. vi. 1.

y Matt. v. 17.

z 1 John ii. 1.

it, what can we expect but the severest punishment that insulted justice and contemned mercy can inflict. Be not deceived-" they that continue in sin are the servants of sin;" and such have no inheritance in the kingdom of God.

Let us then devoutly adore the justice and holiness, the goodness and mercy of God, as displayed in the victory which he hath given us in our Lord Jesus Christ. His justice and holiness are displayed in the establishment of a law which required unsinning obedience, which allowed no transgression, which remitted no punishment, which exacted every penalty, though his only Son was the victim. The riches of his goodness and mercy are displayed in the pardon, the grace, the everlasting life which he offers us through Christ Jesus the Lord. He was "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world;" and through the efficacy of his blood, the sincere and pious, who lived under the dispensation either of the law as proclaimed by the light of reason, nature, and tradition, or as delivered to the Jewish nation, were accepted; however imperfect their obedience, however inadequate it might be to the rigorous claims of the law.

Finally let us devoutly thank God, who hath not only given us the victory over the law and over sin, but over death-over death temporal and eternal. Yes-thanks be to God. Jesus Christ

a John viii. 34.

hath "abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through his Gospel." Thanks be to God," when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, we also shall appear with him in glory' "we shall be with him, for we shall see him as he is." Why then, O my soul, dost thou tremble at the approach of death? Terrible, justly terrible indeed, are the pains and agonies of dying, of leaving the world and all thou dost hold dear, and entering on an untried scene. But look by faith to thy Redeemer-stay thyself upon him— He will conduct thee through the grave and gate of death to a joyful resurrection.

"

And sorrow not, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, as those that have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so they also who sleep in Jesus will God bring with him." "O Death, where is thy sting? O Grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law-but thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."