DISC. "the facrifice which taketh away fin, the

VII.

price which hath ranfomed fouls from "death, the leader of the whole army of "bodies that fhall rife again. For though "it had a beginning from us, yet God "hath given it vital efficacy, Heaven hath "endowed it with celeftial power, that "virtue which it hath from above, in re

gard whereof, all the angels in heaven " adore it "."

And if no man ever yet hated his own flesh," can God hate the flesh, which, by being taken into one person with the WORD, is united to the Godhead? Can the Father hate Him, of whom he more than once declared from heaven, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased?” “And we are members of HIS body, of HIS flesh, and of HIS bones. "It is a great mystery," faith the apostle, "but I fpeak concerning Chrift and the "church".'

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VII.

When man had offended, he fled from DISC. his Maker, and dared no more to approach the divine presence. But now that the WORD incarnate hath published his general invitation-" O thou that hearest the 66 prayer, unto thee fhall all flesh come!"

If the Son of God became the Son of man, why should it seem a thing incredible, that the fons of men fhould become the fons of God?" Beloved, now are we "the fons of God; and it doth not yet

appear what we shall be; but we know, "that when Chrift, who is our life, fhall

appear, then shall we also appear with "him in glory; for we shall fee him as " he is *."

Delight we, then, to talk (and, fince the incarnation of the WORD, why should we not delight to talk ?) of the dignity of human nature? Let us be careful to act to it. To a Chriftian the advice of the philofopher comes with redoubled force;

up

DISC. "Reverence yourself."

Confider, to

VII. whom you are related, by whom you have been begotten again to a lively hope of an unfading inheritance. The ftock, from which you are sprung, is noble, it is royal, it is divine. Difgrace it not by base and unworthy actions. Your inheritance is with the faints in light; have no fellowship with the works of darkness. Let your education be suitable to your birth, your conduct answerable to your expectations". The infirmities and difhonours, to which mortality is and must be fubject, need not discompofe and afflict you. Be not difmayed at the approach of pain and ficknefs; let not the coffin and the fhroud terrify you. For though "all flesh be as grafs,

and all the goodlinefs of man as the "flower of grafs ;" though "the grass wi

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thereth, the flower fadeth," kindly ad

y Utile effe civitatibus, dicit Varro, ut fe viri fortes, etiamfi falfum fit, Diis genitos effe credant, ut eo modo humanus animus velut divinæ ftirpis fiduciam gerens, res magnas aggrediendas præfumat audacius, et agat vehementius. Auguftin. de Civit. Dei, lib. iii. p. 49. See Leland, Advant. and Neceff. of Rev. i. 182.

monishing

VII.

monishing you to prepare for an autumn DISC. and a winter, when the spring of youth and the fummer of manhood shall be paffed and gone; yet

"deth for ever."

the WORD of God abi

And this is the WORD,

which hath been "made flesh, and dwelt

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among us;" this is the WORD to which your nature is in Chrift united; "this is "the WORD, which by the Gospel is "preached unto you;" whofe glory there difplayed, "as the glory of the only begot"ten of the Father," you may now behold; and who, by his " grace" preceding, and his "truth" accompanying, will lead you to a glory, the excellence of which, enjoyment only can enable you to comprehend.