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by faith, that it might be by grace, to the end the promise might be fure to all the feed; and it will reign till it has brought us to the full poffeffion of falvation, even eternal life, by Chrift. But fecondly, let us now confider the words, as they may refer to grace in us.

This fuppofes an ejection of the ftrong man armed, a demolition of fin's empire and throne in the finner's heart; which are effected by the powerful grace of the Spirit, in making the weapons of our warfare effectually mighty for the pulling down thofe ftrong holds. It allo fuppofes a principle of grace implanted by the fame hand; which principle exerts itself, reigns, and maintains its ground against all oppofition, which it will do, if true, though it be but fmall; for it is an incorruptible, immortal, never-dying feed, a well of water, which springs up unto eternal life; and a good work, which being begun, shall be performed. until the day of Christ.

Also this grace reigns by righteoufnefs; it is fupported and maintained by it; as Solomon fays, the king's throne is established by righteousness; fo is this throne. of grace by Chrift's righteousness imputed, and his grace imparted. All our peace, joy and comfort, in a great measure, refult from, and are maintained by faith's living on Chrift's righteoufnefs, and by an apprehenfion of our juftification by it; for being juftified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jefus Chrift; by whom also we have access by faith into this grace, wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Alfo this work of grace is maintained by fresh supplies of grace, from that fulness which is in Chrift, out of which every believer does receive, more or lefs, even grace for grace. Now both these together, namely, righteousness imputed, and grace imparted, will bring a foul fafe to eternal life. Chrift's righteousness is our title to, and the Spirit's grace from Chrift, is our meetnefs for, heaven; and without both thefe none shall enter there. Now I will only add this one obfervation more, that is, that all this grace, righteoufnefs, and eternal life, come to us through Jefus Christ our Lord. All the difcoveries of grace, which are made to our fouls, are through Chrift; and all that grace which is implanted in us, is from him, as well as all those fresh fupplies by which it is maintained. Alfo that righteoufness, by which we are juftified, is in him, and that eternal life, which we are the expectants of, is through him.

Thus have I endeavoured to open and explain to you, this glorious and comfortable portion of fcripture, according to the defire of our deceased friend, whose character may now be expected from me. I apprehend that the defign of funeral difcourfes is not to praise the dead, but to inftruct the living; and fure I am, our dear friend had no fuch thing in view, when he defired a difcourfe

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courfe from this text, on this occafion. How well he filled the relations of an husband and parent, his wife and children are here the mournful witneffes. How well that of a neighbour, many of you here prefent can atteft; and how well he behaved himself as a member and officer of this church, that univerfal efteem he gained among the members thereof, is a fufficient indication. The inward frame of his foul was generally very warm and lively; and with an uncommon seriousnefs, warmth and affection, would he speak of the great things of God. His light in the gofpel was very considerable, and his conversation agreeable to that gospel which he profeffed; notwithstanding his employment in the world, daily threw him in the way of a great many fnares and temptations. In fhort, he appeared to be an instance of mighty grace, reigning through righteoufnefs unto eternal life. I fhall add no more, but fome brief improvement of this difcourfe, and fo conclude.

ft, What encouragement is here for poor finners from hence to hope for grace and mercy through Chrift? What though, poor foul, thou feeft the aboundings of fin in thy nature, and in every power and faculty of thy foul; yet look up and view the fuperabounding grace of God ftreaming through the perfon, blood, and righteoufnefs of Chrift; it is a mercy that thou feest the plague of thine own heart, and art not left to thy native blindness, to a vain conceit of the goodness of thy eftate, when thou wert poor, wretched, miferable, and blind and naked; take heart, therefore, and do not be discouraged; Chrift's grace is fufficient for thee; and where fin abounded, grace hath much more fo; there is enough in Chrift for thee; there is righteoufnefs to clothe, and bread to nourish, grace to fanctify, ftrength to fupport, and every thing needful for thee; go to him as a poor perifhing finner, implore his grace, and venture on him, I dare fay he will not reject thee.

2dly, Though here is encouragement for finners from hence, yet no encouragement to fin. The doctrine of grace is no licentious doctrine; it gives no liberty to fin, nor encourages perfons in it; however it may be clamoured against, and befpattered by perfons who neither understand the doctrine, nor have felt the power of it on their fouls: what though there is more grace in Christ to fave us, than there is fin in us to damn us, or becaufe the more fin has abounded in us, the more his grace fuperabounded in our falvation; does it thence follow that we are, by this doctrine encouraged to continue in fin that grace may abound? No, God forbid; how shall we that are dead to fin, live any longer therein? Which the apostle takes notice of in the beginning of the next chapter, foreseeing what objections would be formed against it, and how much it would be aspersed by a spiteful and ill-natured world. And whatever may be advanced against it, this doctrine is the foundation of all real holiness, the faints bulwark against apoftacy, and their magazine of folid confolation.

3dly, If

3dly, If the grace of God is fo apparent in our falvation, what reafon have we to admire it, and to glorify God for it? The grace of the Father abounds towards us, and the grace of the Son abounds towards us,' and fo does the grace of the Spirit; therefore we should be equally concerned for the glory of the eternal three, whofe grace has much more abounded where fin did abound; and this we cannot but do, when we confider what has been bestowed on us, and how much more is yet in referve for us, though we are altogether undeserving of it.

4thly, Seeing that without Chrift's righteoufnefs imputed, and his grace imparted, none can enter into the kingdom of heaven; how much should fouls be concerned for both; that this grace might be within them, and Chrift's righteousness put upon them, that being thus cloathed, they may not be found naked?

And then, laftly, With what comfort can any look death in the face, if fin reigns over them, and not grace in them? over them will the fecond death reign. eternally; for none fhall reign with Chrift in glory, but thofe in whole hearts grace has reigned here.

But, on the contrary; how chearfully do thofe refign themselves into the arms of Chrift when death approaches, who have known the grace of God in truth? These fhall for ever reign with Chrift, and dwell in his prefence; in whofe prefence is fulness of joy, and at whose right hand are pleasures for evermore: these fhall live in the continual view, enjoyment, and admiration of boundless grace; afcribing bleffing and honour, and glory, and power, unto Him that fits upon the throne, and to the Lamb for ever and ever. Amen.

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SERMON

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Job's Creed: or, Confeffion of Faith.

Occafioned by the Death of the Reverend Mr EDWARD WALLIN, Preached June 18, 1733.

JOB XIX. 25-27.

For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall ftand at the latter day upon the earth. And though after my skin, worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh fhall I fee God: Whom I fall fee for myself, and mine eyes fhall behold, and not another, though my reins be confumed within me.

TH

HIS chapter contains Job's anfwer to Bildad the Shuhite, who, in the preceding chapter, had represented him as a wicked man, and one that knew not God, and had faid many fevere things concerning him; which fhews, that he looked upon him as rejected of God, and devoted to ruin and destruction; all which he concluded from his prefent afflictions, and conduct under them. Job replies, by granting, that he was under very great and fore afflictions, which he particularly enumerates, and therefore was a proper object of pity and compaffion, and ought not to be used in the barbarous and inhuman manner he was by him and his other friends; and, that he ought not to be traduced as a wicked man, and ignorant of the divine Being; fince he did know God, as his living Redeemer; was able, in the midst of all his afflictions, to exercife faith and hope in him, and to believe that he fhould everlastingly enjoy him. And though Bildad had represented destruction a near at hand, which fhould devour the firength of his fkin; yea, even his whole ftrength, and bring him to the king of terrors: this gave him no frightful apprehenfion; he knew in whom he had believed, and to whom he had committed both foul and body:

a Job xviii. 12, 13.

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though

though he saw himself in a wasting consumption, reduced to fkin and bones, and had reason to conclude, that he fhould in a fhort time be laid in the filent grave, and the remains of his body be the repaft of worms; yet he believed he should rise out of his dufty bed, live again, and be for ever bleffed with uninterrupted communion with his living Redeemer. Bildad had intimated, that his light fhould be put out; and the fpark of his fire fhould not fine; that the light should be dark in his tabernacle, and his candle fhould be put out with him. Job, on the contrary, was fully affured that his Redeemer would plead his cause, bring him forth to the light, and he should behold his righteousness: That though for a time he should be shut up in the dark and gloomy grave, yet he should rise from thence, and in his flefb fee God, whom he should fee for himself, and his eyes fhould behold, and not another.

These words may be confidered as containing the substance of what was Job's support under his prefent troubles, the unkind treatment of his friends and others, and in the views of death and eternity. His troubles were many and great; he had loft both his children and his fubftance, his brethren and acquaintance were estranged from him, his kinsfolk failed him, and his familiar friends. had forgotten him; his maids counted him a stranger, and his servants refused to obey him; his breath was ftrange to his wife, young children despised him, and all his inward friends abhorred him; his body was filled with a lothefom disease, and was become a mere skeleton, his bones cleaved to his skin and flesh, and he just escaped with the fkin of his teeth; and in this most forrowful condition had none to pity him, or fhew any compaffion to him. Add to this, that he had received the sentence of death in himself, and judged that he was near his last end, and long home: My face, fays he, is foul with weeping, and on my eye-lids is the fhadow of death. My breath is corrupt, my days are extinct, and the graves are ready for me. He was waiting and looking for death and the grave, and endeavoured to make them eafy and familiar to him: If I wait, says he, the grave is mine house: I have made my bed in the darkness: I have faid to corruption, Thou art my father; to the worm, Thou art my mother and my fifter". Now Job's support under all this was, his fettled and secure interest in a living Redeemer, the delightful profpect he had of his appearance in the latter day, the refurrection of the fame body by him, and the glory and happiness which fhould follow upon that; and indeed, nothing fhort of this can yield folid relief and comfort, when afflictions prefs hard, death ftares in the face, and an awful eternity is in view.

Such were the joy and peace this good man's foul was filled with, through believing these things, that for the glory of the Redeemer's grace, and the encouragement of others, he is defirous that the words by which he had expreffed VOL. I. Z z

them,

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