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Isaiah, "I form the light, and create darkness: I Isaiah xlv.7. make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these

things."

"No man hath seen God at any time, the only John i. 18. begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father,

He hath declared him :"-" The heaven and heaven 1 Kings viii. 27 of heavens cannot contain Thee"-but, "In Him Acts xvii. 28. we live, and move, and have our being." Hence,

"If he gather unto himself his Spirit, and his Job xxxiv. 14. breath, all flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again into dust."

The recorded sufferings of our Saviour under temptations, "yet without sin," were to that excess by the oppression of the spirit of evil, or those passions which beset all of us, "that his sweat was as Luke xxii. 44. it were great drops of blood falling to the ground;

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and being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and there appeared an angel from heaven, strengthening him." But, by his words, he came prepared for the great sufferings and indignities he bore; for after fulfilling the law, and before his death on the cross, he said, "Now is my soul troubled, and what John xii. 27. shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour! Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said, That it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him. Jesus answered, and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your

sakes." For our sakes, inasmuch as having fulfilled the law, he willingly gave himself up as the sacrifice for our nonfulfilment of it; by which the tempter, or spirit of malignity was cast out as the witness against us-by the grace due to his merits. So that the whole might become one spiritual body John xii. 31. in his eternity, which his words do signify. "Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.”

Matt.xxviii.18

"And Jesus," after his resurrection, "came and spake to the eleven disciples, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth: Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things, whatsoever I have commanded you; and lo! I am with you, even unto the end of the world."

Hence, the means adopted to cast out the spirit of malignity from our souls-called the serpentSatan-the Devil-the prince of this world-the beast, &c.-to create mankind in his own spiritual image, and to elevate them to the dignity of sons of God, was, in the first place, to fulfil the Mosaic law, which none of us have fulfilled by works; by which he proved, that a greater trial was not required of us, for our justification by that law, than he willingly fulfilled himself in our nature, and in the most rigorous manner: but, in afterwards giving himself up to every indignity, our natural desires endeavour

to avoid, and to a death the most cruel, depravity could inflict, or a feeling heart deplore, to obtain the means, consistent with his plan, to raise all mankind to a participation of eternal joys with himself-is, surely, a demonstration of the affection and magnanimity of the man-in the image of God: and, on our part, of the everlasting reverence, gratitude, and love that is due to him, for the sorrows he has borne; and, for the dignity and happiness his inestimable worth has prepared for us to enjoy. The words of the Lord, speaking by Isaiah, are,

therefore, in truth fulfilled: "I will make a man Isaiah xiii. 12. more precious than fine gold; even than the golden

wedge of Ophir."

Hence, "There is none other name under hea- Acts iv. 12. ven given among men, whereby we must be saved,"

than the name of Jesus Christ-the Word-and Son of God.

Hence," Unto us a child is born, unto us a son Isaiah ix. 6. is given and the government shall be upon his shoulder and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

Hence, "He shall be called, THE LORD OUR Jer. xxiii. 6. RIGHTEOUSNESS."

Hence the words of Isaiah, "Behold God is my Isaiah xii. 2. salvation: I will trust" in him, " and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength."

Hence St. Paul's words, "By the offence of one, Rom. v. 18. judgment came upon all men to condemnation;

Rom. viii. 1.

2 Cor. v. 14.

Heb. iii. 12.

even so by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life: for as by one man's disobedience, many were made sinners; so by the obedience of one, shall many be made righteous."

"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit" of God.

Again," If one died for all, then were all dead; and that he," Jesus Christ," died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him who died for them, and rose again: wherefore, henceforth know we no man after the flesh; yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature,”—by the regeneration of his soul by the Holy Spirit of Christ.

"Take heed, therefore, brethren, lest there be in any of you, an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God: but exhort one another daily, whilst it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end, while it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts as in the provocation: for some when they had heard did provoke, howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses."

"But with whom was he grieved forty years?

Was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? And to whom sware he, that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief."

"Let us labour, therefore, to enter into that rest, Heb. iv. 11. lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. For the word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart; neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight, but all things are naked and open unto the eyes of Him, with whom we have to do."..

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Seeing then, that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession; for we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."

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