teaches how that life may be obtained by the mysterious sacrifice of the Son of God-so that every humble disciple of the Saviour may, through his grace, seek for honour, and glory, and immortality.

Our Lord, again, made the most express promises of everlasting life to all who believe and obey him. The sincere Christian, with the revelation of the New Testament in his hands, has a blessed assurance of life and immortality. To him are vouchsafed, not doubtful and hesitating surmises, but explicit and immutable promises, which God, that cannot lie, hath made since the world began.

Christ has done more. He has made these doctrines obvious, palpable, practical. They lie at the foundation of Christianity. They do not rest in speculation, far less in hypothesis; they are the very elementary certainties of the Christian religion. Man is an accountable, immortal creature; a future state of rewards and punishments, undoubtedly, awaits him; Christ has abolished death, and has brought life and immortality to light; the Gospel plainly, strongly, authoritatively, declares these things to every human being; the ministers of religion are sent forth to preach peace, and proclaim reconciliation by Jesus Christ; salvation is set before a ruined world; preparation for eternity is proposed as the one thing needful-all, all in

Christianity turns on these commanding truths, the immortality of the soul, and an eternal judgment to come.

But why do I speak thus coldly on a theme so great? Our divine Lord has not only taught the doctrine of immortal life, but he has taken possession of the life which he promises. Having routed the hosts of death, he enters in triumph the kingdom of life and glory. Rising in all his mightiness from the depths of his voluntary degradation, he ascends up on high; he leads captivity captive, he scatters gifts amongst men; the everlasting doors unfold to receive him, and he sits down on the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens. There is our great captain of salvation already on the throne of triumph. There he not only teaches by his revealed Gospel, but demonstrates by the gifts of the spirit shed down upon the church, the life and immortality which he invites us to pursue. Yes, adorable Saviour, thou art now clothed with majesty and honour; angels, principalities, and powers, are made subject to thee; and we believe, that as Thou hast died and risen again, so those also that sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

And if these be the triumphs achieved by the Saviour, can we wonder that they furnish to the true Christian the effectual motive of zeal and obedience? This is the argument of

the Apostle in our text. Let us then, as we proposed, consider:

II. THE MOTIVE which the victories of Christ furnish to unfailing obedience.

For these truths are the springs of holy obedience and patient suffering in all the course of service to which the Christian is called.

They are such, because they are attended, when duly received and cherished, with a divine influence upon the heart and character. My brethren, there is a power in true Christianity, of which the world has little conception. The grace of God softens, impresses, illuminates, sanctifies the heart. The Holy Spirit turns man from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, renews him in the spirit of his mind, and makes him a new creature in Christ Jesus. Contrite and penitent, he feels his deep sinfulness, and flies for peace and forgiveness to the meritorious death and sufferings of Jesus Christ. Instructed at the foot of the cross, he gradually learns to rely on that victory over death, which the Son of God achieved by his power, and to anticipate that life and immortality which he brought to light by his grace.

Need I say, that from this entire renovation of heart, obedience flows? Yes, my brethren, to one thus disposed, the commandments of God are not grievous. His aim is to serve and please

God, in all truth, goodness, and righteousness. And, amidst the difficulties which he may be called to encounter, he bears up without fainting, and without dismay. Our trials in these days are, for the most part, inexpressibly trifling when compared with those of the Apostles and first Christians; but to whatever conflicts the servant of God may be called, he will be consoled by the contemplation of that abolition of death, and that discovery of immortal life, which will terminate his sufferings and consummate his felicity.

For the triumphs of Christ are further the motive to obedience, as they remove from the mind of the Christian distressing fears in the pursuit of his duty; and assure him of the certainty of the object which he has in view, and of the reward to which he aspires. Convinced that death is disarmed and abolished, what can he reasonably apprehend in the service of his master? He needs no longer to fear them that can kill the body, but after that have no more that they can do. His helmet is the hope of salvation. It is this principle which has armed the martyrs and confessors of the church in every age. They knew in whom they had believed. They were well persuaded, that the exceeding great recompense of reward which Christ had promised to all who should truly

serve him, was no vision of fancy, no splendid delusion, but a glorious reality, purchased by the precious bloodshedding of their Master and only Saviour, and resting on the immoveable basis of the veracity of God. They had not followed cunningly-devised fables in expecting the power and coming of their Lord Jesus Christ, but, like the Apostles on the holy mount, had been, by faith in the revelation of Christ, eye-witnesses of his majesty; for he received from God the Father, glory and honour, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.

Once more, gratitude for the unspeakable triumphs of the Son of God operates on the Christian's heart. Can he hesitate to do and to suffer all God's will, when Christ has for him suffered the death upon the cross, for him destroyed death, for him opened the kingdom of heaven? Shall not some swellings of gratitude, some emotions of love, some sense of infinite benefits, move and bind him, as one redeemed, regenerated, pardoned by unmerited grace, to persevering efforts of duty and submission? Shall not the love of Christ constrain him, whilst he thus judges, that if one died for all, then were all dead; and that he died for all, that they which live, should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him that died for them