A golden mine opened, or, The glory of God's rich grace displayed in the mediator to believers, and his direful wrath against impenitent sinners containing the substance of near forty sermons upon several subjects / by Benjamin Keach.

HEB. II. 3. How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation?

BRETHREN, the last Day I shewed you that Gospel-Salvation is Great and Glorious Salvation, considering the Greatness, Dignity and Glory of the Persons that are con∣cerned in bringing of it in, and working of it out for us, namely, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost: But more particularly upon the Consideration of the Dignity of the Person of Christ, who is that great Saviour God hath sent, who is great in his Name, great in respect of his Person and Nature, great as to his Commission in his Call, and in respect of those great and glorious Anointings that were upon him 〈◊〉〈◊〉 small now proceed.

Seventhly, The Salvation of the Gospel is great, &c. if we con∣sider what poor Sinners hereby 〈…〉〈…〉 and delivered from: By this Salvation, those th•••• believe are delivered from every Evil in this World, and in that which is to come.

All Evil may be considered under two general Heads.

• First, That which corrupteth our Nature, both Soul and Body, as to their Being.
• Secondly, That which is destructive to our Nature, as to its well∣being, both Soul and Body.

The first is Sin, the second is Punishment. I purpose to speak briefly to both these, that so we may the better demonstrate the Greatness of this Salvation.

First, Of the Evil of Sin which all those are and shall be for ever saved and delivered from, who embrace this Salvation. This I shall speak unto more generally, and then more particularly.

Brethren, the Evil of Sin comprehendeth many things, as it respecteth God, and is directly against him, his Holy Nature, hate∣ful and loathsom in his sight: and in respect had to Man, which takes in our first Apostacy from God, the loss of his Holy and Blessed Image, as also his Love and Favour; and so the Pravity of all the Powers of our Souls, and Faculties thereof, as the blind∣ness of our Minds, and Darkness of our Understandings; the Re∣bellion and Stubbornness of our Wills, and hardness of our Hearts; the Carnality and Vanity of our Affections; the horrid Guilt, Pol∣lution and Filthiness that cleaves to the Soul and Conscience; toge∣ther with Shame, Bondage, Nakedness, Poverty and Enmity a∣gainst God, Slavery to Satan and to this World, having contra∣cted a Likeness to the Devil, or an Impress of his Image, doing his Will, and serving our own Lusts: All these, and many other things, comprize the Evil of Sin, from which by this Salvation we are delivered.

But to speak a little more particularly; let us,

1. Consider the Evil of Sin: As it is contrary to God's most Holy and Pure Nature, it is that thing which his Soul is said to hate. Would not we be greatly concerned, if any should do that in our sight and presence, which they know we hate and abomi∣nate?

2. Sin is a Dishonour to God, and it is called a Despising of God: Them that honour me, I will honour; and they that despise me, shall be lightly esteemed. Certainly Sin must needs have a great Evil in it, if it be a despising of God: if a Man be despised, he thinks

himself greatly wronged; loss of Honour is no small loss.

3. Sin is a crossing of God's Will, acting directly contrary there∣unto; nay, and it is a doing the Will of the Devil: How are you troubled if your Servants cross your Will in that which is just and right, and wherein your Interest and Honour lies, and is nearly concerned. Sin is a crossing of the Will of God; not only when the Sinner doth not what God commands to be done, which is a Sin of Omission, but also in doing that which he hath positively forbid, which is a Sin of Commission.

4. Sin doth cast contempt upon God, as when Men sin presump∣tuously with a high Hand, as if it were in defiance of Heaven, as if they bid God do his worst, intimating that they will have their Way, their Wills, their cursed Lusts, or sinful Pleasures and Pro∣fit, let what will come of it.

5. Sin is a renouncing of God's just Authority and Govern∣ment over us; it is a breaking his Bonds, and casting his Cords from us. What is the Voice of Sin? God shall not reign over us, we will not be under his Government, but will live as we list, our Tongues are our own; and who is Lord over us? Nay, and as Sin doth cast off God, and disown him, contemn him, rebel against him, will not have him reign, but strive to pull him out of his Throne: So by Sin the Sinner sets up the Devil in God's Place, puts him into God's Throne. The Heart is the Throne of God, but there the Sinner will not allow God to rule, God to be, but gives way to Sin, and will sin; and in so doing he exalts Satan, and puts him into the Government, and subjects to him. O what is the Evil of Sin?

6. Sin in the Nature of it, is a manifestation of the Sinner's hatred of God: God declares against Sinners in his Word, as such that hate him; the lesser Love is accounted a Hatred in the Scrip∣ture. But alas, Sinners seem to have no Love to God at all, they proclaim War against him, even wish there was no God to con∣troul them, to judg them, to punish them, so that they might sin the more freely, and with the more impudence, if it be possible for them so to do: The Fool saith in his Heart, there is no God. He would have no God, he would be glad it there was no God; such is his hatred of God. Hence it is said, Visiting the Iniquity of the Fathers on the Children, unto the third and fourth Generation of them that hate me. And again it is said, Shouldst thou love them that hate the Lord? Sin even strikes at God's very Being. Can you think a∣ny Person can have more hatred to you, than to wish you had no

Being? nay, would, if he could, destroy you, and cause you not to be, or deprive you of a King any more for ever? This seems to be the Voice or Sin naturally in Mens Hearts; therefore it must needs be a great Evil, they would not have God to be, if they could bring it about or have their Will; for such as we despise, resist, war against, we would kill and destroy if we could: Sin would dethrone God, and thrust him out of the World, it fills the Mind so full of Enmity against him.

2dly. But in the second place, Sin hath not only great Evil in it, as it against God, but also in respect of our selves: 'Tis not only 〈…〉〈…〉 our to God but hurtful to us. No Evil like the Evil of Sin in this 〈…〉〈…〉 also, as will appear, if we con∣side••••▪

1. It was Sin we lost God's Holy Image in which we were created in our first Parents. O what a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Creature was Man, as he came out of his great Creator's Hand; there was no Spot, Blemish, nor Stain in him: Man was created in Righteousness and true Holiness, in that did the Image of God consist. But this Likeness to God we lost by Sin; and by yielding unto it, and by being overcome by it, we became like unto the Devil. Naturally all Men bear his Image, even the Devil's Likeness: Judas was so much like the Devil, that Christ calls him a Devil; Have not I cho∣sen you twelve, and one of you is a Devil?

2. Sin poisoned our whole Nature, and corrupted all our Fa∣culties.

1. It is compared to the Plague of the Leprosy, it spreads it self over us, from the Crown of our Heads to the Soles of our Feet; it is more filthy than the filthiest thing in the World in God's sight: And as all the Faculties of our Souls were poisoned thereby, so all the Members of our Bodies are defiled and polluted with it also. Nay, and it is such a kind of Pollution, that renders the Sinner loathsom to God: God is said to be grieved with Sin, nay grieved that he made Man; grieved at his Heart, because every Imagination of the Thought of his Heart was evil continually. God is said upon this to repent that he made Man; not that God proper∣ly can repent, it signifies an alienation of God's Heart and Af∣fections from Man for his Sin and Wickedness, whereby he carries himself towards him as we do when we repent we have done a thing.

2. It was therefore hereby that we lost God's Love and Favour, and is not that a dismal and most bitter thing? Man's only Happi∣ness lies in his Likeness to God, and in the enjoyment of his Love, and the Light of his sweet Countenance: But this the whole Race of Mankind lost by Original Sin, and instead of his Love, we were brought under his Wrath. Sin incurr'd the Wrath and Anger of God: God is angry with the Wicked every Day. And as we by Sin be∣came Enemies to God, so also hereby God became an Enemy to us: And if we consider what it cost God, and cost Jesus Christ to make our Peace, or to make up this Breach, sure we must say, this is a great and wonderful Salvation.

3. Sin is the worst of Evils, it is the Plague of Plagues, it is worse than any Affliction: Afflictions oft-times bring us nearer unto God, but Sin drives us further from him. Sin is a departing from God, a leaving and forsaking of God, a casting of God off; the more we are afflicted, the more we are made conformable to Jesus Christ. He was afflicted, and a Man of Sorrows; but the more we sin, the more like we are unto the Devil. Nay, and by Afflictions we are purged, and are said to partake of the Holiness of God; therefore there is much Good in Affliction: but Sin hath nothing but Evil in it, hurtful Evil, Soul-defiling, and Soul∣damning Evil. Sin is the Spring and Cause of all other Evils, it is the Cause of all Sickness, and of all Sorrow and Misery, nay and 'tis the Cause of Death it self: The Wages of Sin is Death; nay, the Sting of Death is Sin, that which makes Death so terrible to a wicked Man.

4. Sin hath put Mankind into Satan's Hand, who hath laid him in cruel Chains: Consider what a thing it is to be taken Captive by a grand and merciless Tyrant: Satan took all Mankind Cap∣tive. and holds them still, who are under the Power of it in Capti∣vity; they are his Bondmen, his Slaves, he takes them Captive at his Will. Every vicious Habit is a strong Bond or Chain in which Sa∣tan binds his Vassals. All Men naturally are bound down under the Bond of Ignorance, Unbelief, and Hardness of Heart; such is the Nature of Sin. Christ came to set at liberty such that were bound. I perceive, saith Peter, that thou art in the Gall of Bitterness, and in the Bond of Iniquity. And O what is the Strength of these Bonds? Who can break them but the Arm of the Omnipotent God? Moreover, these Bonds bind the Soul unto, and under the Wrath of God. O what a kind of Salvation is it, that delivers us from Sin, and out of the Power of Satan!

5. Sin hath put out the Eyes of all Mankind, and stripp'd them naked, and wounded them unto Death: All Men are born blind, the Eyes of our Understanding naturally are darkened, the State of M••n by Nature is most miserable; it is set out by a wretched In∣fant cast out in the open Fi••la in its Blood, in the Day of its Nativity, having none to pity it, to wash it nor swade it at all. We are all na∣turally most loathsom, full of filthy S••abs and running Sores, and yet such i•• the Ignorance and Blindness of the Sinner's Eyes, and unsensibleness of his State, that he sees it not, feels it not, but thinks all is well with him, and is ready to fly into that Man's Face, that shall tell him such i•• his Condition.

6. Moreover Sin feeds Men poorly: How do they feed? What is their Table spread with? Are they served with the Best? They are fed, as it were with Mallows and Janiper-roots; That, saith Caryl, is the Chear Sin make •••• them: yea, Wickedness will be as Gravel in their Teeth, and as Poison in their Bowels. True, some of them feed their Bodies deliciously every Day; they are full fed, they have liberal, large and plentiful Tables: But, alas, what have their Souls to eat? What did the Soul of the Prodigal find? Did he not feed on the Husks which the Swine did eat? Their Food is and will be Gall and Wormwood; he feedeth on Ashes, saith the Prophet: all his Hopes will deceive him, and prove vain, like the Spider's Web; the Pleasures, Honours, Riches and Comforts of this Life, are the Food wicked Men live upon; they never tasted in a Spiritual manner of God, they know not how good he is, nor do they desire to eat that which is Good: but the Time is coming in which they will desire to taste of Christ's Supper, and shall not be admitted, because they refused to come to the Wedding. O what is Sin, and how miserable is the Condition of Sinners? And doth not this s••t forth and tend to demonstrate the greatness of this Salvation, which delivers us from so great an Evil? He shall save his People from their Sins. He that understands no Evil in Sin, as Man is fallen from God, hath lost God, the first Cause and chiefest Good, and last End; and being under the Power of a constant En∣mity against him, and in this deplorable Condition, as I have hinted, will have (as one observes) other apprehension of th••se things when at last he misses of a Part in this Great Salvation, and when the Means of it shall not be afforded any more to him for ever. And on the other Hand, he that comes to see this to be his State, and obtains an Interest in this Salvation, will say, it is a Great and Glorious Salvation.

Secondly, By this Salvation we are delivered from that which is destructive to our whole Souls and Bodies.

1. The Sinner by Sin is, as you heard, a Slave, a Captive and under Satan's Power, bound in strong Chains, &c. And now let me add, he is for his Sin cursed by the Lord, and condemned to die by his Righteous Law; nay the Law lets fly or denounces most bitter Curses against Sin, even against every Sin, and every Sinner that takes not hold of this Salvation: Cursed is he that continues not in all things that are written in the Book of the Law, to do them. From this Curse can no Soul be delivered, but by Jesus Christ alone: Is it not a fearful Thing to be under the Curse of an offended and angry God, whose Wrath is like Fire that seizes on dry Stubble? But he that believes, or accepteth of the Salvation of the Gospel, is delivered and saved for ever from the Curse of the Law: Christ hath delivered us from the Curse of the Law, being made a Curse for us.

2. Man by Sin is set against himself, his own Conscience wars and sights against him; and it is also sometimes let out upon him by the Lord to such a Degree, tormenting him so dreadful∣ly, that he is not able to bear it; hence some have destroyed themselves: What is more dreadful and amazing, than a guilty, an accusing and condemning Conscience? Poor Mr. Child found it intolerable, and many more besides him; it is that Worm that oft∣times begins to gnaw here, and will (if this Salvation be not took hold of) torment the Soul for ever: for as in Hell the Fire is not quenched, so the Worm dieth not. But he that receives Jesus Christ, believes in Jesus Christ, and so gets an Interest in this Salvation, is delivered from the Guilt and the Lashes, the Accusa∣tion and Condemnation of his own Conscience; nay, his own Conscience speaks Peace to him, and yields him a continual Feast: For our rejoicing is this, the Testimony of our Conscience, that in sim∣plicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly Wisdom, but by the Grace of God, we have had our Conversation in the World, &c. O how is the Case altered, Conscience before was a Tormentor, but now is a Comforter; before it spoke nothing but Terror, but now it speaks nothing but Peace; before it did accuse, but now it doth excuse; before it fed us with Gravel-stones, but now it feeds us with Joy and sweet Food.

3. The State of the Sinner is very sad, and the Nature of Sin very destructive, as it exposes the Soul to future Wrath: the Wrath of God remains upon him that believes not; The Wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all Vngodliness, and Vnrighteous∣ness

of Men. But by this Salvation we are saved from present and from future Wrath also; this is done by Jesus Christ: Even Jesus who delivered us from Wrath to come. Wrath to come is far greater than any Wrath Mortal ever felt in this World: Who knows the Power of thine Anger? even according to thy Fear, so is thy Wrath. But not one Drop of it shall fall upon that Soul that hath a Part and Interest in this Salvation: Should God let out but a lit∣tle of his Wrath upon a Soul whilst he is in the Body, wo to him, whither shall he fly? how should he be able to bear it! O 'tis a fearful thing to fall into the Hands of the living God. O what a great and glorious Salvation is this! Suppose a Man was condem∣ned to die for High-Treason, or for some other great Crime, nay to be burned alive, or to be flead alive, and just as the Sentence was going to be executed upon him, one should bring him the Ti∣dings, that the King had pardoned his Offence, and therefore he should not die; would he not look upon this to be a great Salva∣tion? But, alas, what can reach or be compared to the State of condemned Sinners? What is it to be thrown into a Fire, or to burn for half an Hour, nay, to be put into a lingering Fire, to be dying a whole Day, nay, a whole Year, or if it were pos∣sible to be dying forty or fifty Years, to lie burning in Hell to all Eternity? Every Sinner is condemned by the Law of God to be burned, to be burned alive in Hell for ever, where the Damned are always dying, but yet cannot die. If this were well and seriously considered, certainly every one must acknowledg the Gospel-Sal∣vation to be a Great and Glorious Salvation, that delivers all that imbrace it, from so great a Death as the second Death, or the Wrath of God in Hell. Brethren, this Salvation doth not only free and deliver the Souls of all that believe from Wrath, from all Wrath and Misery, but the Bodies also, as I shall shew you hereafter before I have done with this Text. The Body shall be delivered from Sickness, Lameness, Blindness, Poverty, Hunger, Nakedness, nay, and from Corruption it self, even from whatso∣ever it is, that is either grievous or destructive here or hereafter. If a Man be but delivered from Want, or from Hunger, being almost starved to Death, and ready to tear his own Flesh to feed himself; or from Nakedness, or from tormenting Pain, sup∣pose it be but the Extremity of the Tooth-ach, Gout, or torment∣ing Pain of the Stone, or from Slavery in Turkey, or from some grievous and cruel Imprisonment, being in Bonds and Irons, lying in a dark Dungeon among Toads and Serpents, would he not

think it a Great Salvation? Or if People who feel the bitterness of War, Famine, or Pestilence, were delivered and set at Liber∣ty, would they not account it a Great Salvation, a Great Deli∣verance? But what are all these Salvations to this Great Salvation I am speaking of! What is the Sickness of the Body, or Death of the Body here, to the Sickness and Death of Body and Soul for ever? What is an Imprisonment in the worst of Jails, and to lie in Chains and Irons put upon us by Men like our selves, and to bear their Wrath for a few Days, to the eternal Prison? What is a dark Dungeon here to the Blackness of Darkness for ever? What is the Wrath of Man to the Wrath of God, or Chains of Iron to everlasting Chains of Darkness? What is a little outward Want or Poverty, to the Want of God's Favour and Love to Eternity, being separated from his Presence for ever, and to lie in Fire, burning and broiling, and cannot have so much as one Drop of Wa∣ter to cool the Tongue; for one Drop is denied to the Damned in Hell. The rich Glutton when in Hell, begged that Lazarus might be sent to him and dip the Tip of his Finger in Water to cool his Tongue, but it was not granted. Alas, all Miseries here are nothing (as they pass away in a Moment) when compared unto Eternal Wrath and burning in Hell, which is the pourings forth of the unspeakable and righteous Vengeance of a provoked and angry God.

There is no Parallel, nothing to express the Nature of that destructive Evil that is in Sin; there is nothing left us to illustrate it withal: therefore to be delivered and saved for ever from the just Punishment and dismal Wrath of God, must needs be deemed Great Salvation; and the Excellency of it will at length be known to them who slight and despise it, when they come to fall and pe∣rish under the want of it. He that is delivered from lying in Pri∣son for a thousand Pound Debt, where he must have lain till Death, having nothing to pay it, and being fallen into the Hands of Justice it self, but meeting with a Friend who paid all he owed, he cannot but cry out, O great Love and Compassion, that would be a Deliverance indeed! But it is nothing to this, we in a spiritual Sense being delivered from Hell by Jesus Christ, who payed our Debts for us, each of us owing not less than ten thousand Talents, I mean, so many Sins, and every Sin a greater Debt than ten thou∣sand Pounds. And this brings me to the next Demonstration.

Eighthly, The Salvation of the Gospel is a Great and Glorious Salvation, if we consider the Way and Means by which this Sal∣vation is wrought out and accomplished for us. It could not be effected, except the Son of God became Man, or without the In∣carnation, Mediation, and bloody Passion of Jesus Christ. The precious Blood of Christ must be poured forth, or there was no Salvation, no Deliverance for our Souls; Gold nor Silver could not purchase it, nor the best of all earthly things: For as much as ye know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, as Silver and Gold, from a vain Conversation received by Tradition from your Fathers, but with the precious Blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without sp••t. No such Price would be accepted of God, so precious is the Redemption of the Soul.

Quest. But may be some may say, Could not the Law effect it? Could not the keeping the Precepts, the Law of the Ten Com∣mandments do it, nor the Sacrifices of the Law procure Salvation for us?

Answ. No, it was impossible, the Law requires perfect Righ∣teousness, sinless Obedience; besides we have broke it, and there∣by the whole World is become guilty before God: And, could the Blood of Beasts, the Blood of Bulls and Goats take away Sin, or satisfy Divine Justice, and so make an Atonement for our Iniquities? No, no, For it is not possible that the Blood of Bulls and Goats should take away Sin. Sin cannot be done away without an in∣finite Price: What Influence could the Blood of Beasts have to take away Sin? being in their own Nature corporal things, they could not deliver us from the spiritual Evil of the Soul; nor were they ordained of God to that End and Purpose, but to point out the great Sacrifice: Besides, saith the Text, Sacrifice and Offerings for Sin thou wouldst not, but a Body hast thou prepared me. It must be the Blood of Christ, whose Sufferings had a satisfactory and incon∣ceivable Worth in them; For what the Law could not do, in that it was weak through the Flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sin∣ful Flesh and for Sin condemned Sin in the Flesh: Compare this with that Passage of the Holy Ghost, in Heb. 1. 3. Who being the Bright∣ness of his Glory, and the express Image of his Person, and upholding all things by the Word of his Power; when he had by himself purged our Sins, sat down on the right Hand of the Majesty on High He being God as well as Man, or his Humanity being hypostatically united to his Divine Nature, offered up himself by the Eternal Spirit a Propitiatory Sacrifice unto God; by which Satisfaction and Merits

he purged, or took away the Guilt and Pollution of Sin, and de∣livered us from that just and deserved Wrath that was due unto it, by bearing of it himself in our Nature and stead; so that God (who was injured, and whose Holy Law was violated) might be just, or that his Justice might appear, (for he could as soon cease to be God, as cease to be just) and yet hereby he magnifies his Mercy also. What can we desire more, than to be delivered from Sin, and purged from Sin? This was the Way and no other, which the Wisdom of God found out in Christ; both those At∣tributes are united: so that Justice, as well as Mercy, says, Whoso∣ever believeth in Jesus Christ, or lays hold of his Righteousness by Faith, shall be justified, and eternally saved. The Apostle adds his being sat down on the right Hand of God, to intimate he hath made our Peace, obtained Redemption for us, and brought in by his Obedience, Everlasting Righteousness, and made an end of Sin; and as a mighty Conqueror, has triumphed, and is gone to Heaven, and there appears at the Father's right Hand, to plead the Merits of his own Blessed Sacrifice, and that Atonement he hath made for us by his own Blood on the Tree. O consider what our Salvation cost him, what did he do to work about this Salva∣tion! Why he,

1. Became Incarnate, or was made Flesh; And the Word was made Flesh, and dwelt among us, and we behold his Glory as the Glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of Grace and Truth: Though he was equal with God (as you lately heard) yet he took on him the form of a Servant.

2. He became poor. Sirs, Jesus Christ who was rich, that he might accomplish the Salvation of our Souls, became poor; May not this affect our Hearts? We must be miserable for ever, or Christ must become poor, and seem to be miserable for a Time: No Salvation for us, useless our Blessed Saviour doth abase himself and take our Nature upon him; For verily, he took not on him the Nature of Angels, but took on him the Seed of Abraham. All this was, Brethren, to bring this Blessed Salvation to his chosen Ones.

3. He in his humane Nature must be made under the Law, and so become obnoxious or liable to the Obedience the Law required; yea, he was obliged to keep it exactly in every part thereof. When the Fulness of time was come, God sent forth his own Son made of a Woman, made under the Law: The Apostle adds the Reason of this, to redeem them that were under the Law. He thus became, not only bound to do what the Law required, but to suffer what the Law

threatned and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 on us, who had broke and violated it, and this in our Nature, or in the same Nature that had sinned, in which 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the Justice of God required a Satisfaction for the wrong Sin had do 〈◊〉〈◊〉 unto him: Which being impossible for sinful Man 〈…〉〈…〉 and that we might not be exposed for ever unto th•• 〈…〉〈…〉 Wrath and Punishment in Hell, which was due to 〈…〉〈…〉 for us, or in our place, that we through 〈…〉〈…〉 Obedience, and painful Death and Suffering both in 〈…〉〈…〉 Body, might obtain a gracious Discharge from Si••, or free Justification unto Life, and a full deliverance from Wrath and Etern•••• Death.

4. Nay, and as he must di•• if he procures Salvation for us, so by this means he also was made a Curse for us; for we having broken the Law, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 under the Curse of it; the Law lets fly its bitter Curses against very 〈◊〉〈◊〉 thereof: For as many as are of the Works of the Law, are under the Curse; and therefore im∣possible for us to be 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and saved by it. Whosoever keepeth not the Law perfectly, is cursed; but no Man can keep the Law perfectly, therefore all Man naturally are cursed, and impossible then to be blessed, until delivered from that Curse: and this therefore Christ came to do, him hath God sent to bless us; which Blessing we could not have 〈…〉〈…〉 Christ puts himself in our place, and bears the Curse away from us: Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law by being 〈◊〉〈◊〉 a Curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is every one that 〈◊〉〈◊〉 on a Tree. He that was hanged on a Tree under the Law, was hanged for transgressing of it, and was cursed of God; and when 〈◊〉〈◊〉 is said, Christ was made a Curse for us, it signifies his bearing that Wrath and indignation of God, which was due to us for our Sin: and his he must do if ever we are justified and eternally ••••ved from that Eternal Wrath and Vengeance Sin had brought upon every Soul of us.

5. As our Lord Jesus, if he procure Salvation for us, must die, and become a Curse for us, so he must also raise up himself from the Dead, or be discharged of the Bonds of Death; he must de∣stroy Death, and be freed out of Prison: He therefore rose again from the Dead for our Justification. His Discharge was virtually a Discharge for us, or for all he died for; our Lord Jesus must sub∣due all our Enemies, and bring not Death only, but the Devil also, and all the Powers of Darkness under his Feet, or there could be no Salvation for our poor Souls: Forasmuch then as the Children are partakers of Flesh and Blood; he also himself likewise took part of the

same, that through Death he might destroy him that had the Power of Death, that is, the Devil: And deliver them, who through fear of Death were all their Life-time subject to Bondage. Christ and Be∣lievers are of one and the same Nature; they are as it were but one Man, or are so united as to be considered as one Mystical Body. This was held forth in his Incarnation, in his assuming our Nature: He took not only an Humane Soul, but our Humane Flesh into Union with his Divine Nature, that both our Souls and Bodies might be brought into Union with him, and that our Bodies might also be raised from Death to a State of Life and Glory at the last Day, and be fashioned like unto his Glorious Body; Who hath a∣bolished Death, and hath brought Life and Immortality to light through the Gospel. Had not Christ conquered Death, and the Devil who had the Power of Death, we had been lost for ever: He hath not only taken away Sin, the Sting of Death, but he hath and will be the Death of Death; The last Enemy that shall be destroyed, is Death. The Body as well as the Soul is brought into Union with Christ; he is the Head of the whole Believer, the Body as well as the Soul: Shall I then take the Members of Christ, and make them the Members of an Harlot? Both Body and Spirit are the Lord's, our Body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost.

Brethren, what a Conquest hath Christ made! how hath he sub∣dued all our Enemies, that so he might work out a full and per∣fect Victory for us in every respect: For this Corruptible must put on Incorruption, and this Mortal must put on Immortality, 1 Cor. 15. 53. So when this Corruptible shall have put on Incorruption, and this Mor∣tal shall have put on Immortality, then shall be brought to pass the say∣ing that is written, Death is swallowed up in Victory, Ver. 54. O Death, where is thy Sting? O Grave, where is thy Victory? Ver. 55.

6. And lastly, And as Christ must conquer the Devil, the World, Sin, Death and the Grave, for us, and in our Nature; so he must by his mighty Power destroy the Devil, and Sin's great Power in us, and vanquish that natural Enmity that is in our Hearts against God and his Ways, and thereby restore the Image of God in us which we had lost.

Notes

• Serm. III.
• Great Sal∣vation in respect of what we are delivered from.
• The Evil of Sin opened.
• 1 Sam. 2. 30.
• Psal. 2. 3.
• Exod. 20. 5.
• 2 Chron. 19. 2.
• Rom. 8. 7.
• Gen. 6. 5, 6.
• Psal. 7. 11.
• Rom. 6. 23. 1 Cor. 15. 56.
• Isa. 61. 1.
• Acts 8. 23.
• Ezek. 16. 3, 4, 5, 6.
• Sinners are under God's Curse.
• Gal. 3. 10.
• Gal. 3. 16.
• 2 Cor. 1. 12.
• Rom. 1. 18.
• Psa. 90. 11.
• Heb. 12. ult.
• Luke 16. 24.
• Gospel-Sal∣vation is great, in re∣spect of what Christ doth and must do, in order to ef∣fect it.
• 1 Pet. 1. 28, 1••.
• Heb. 10. 4.
• Verse 5.
• Rom. 8. 3.
• Joh. 1. 14.
• 2 Cor. 2. 8, 9.
• Heb. 2. 16.
• Gal. 4. 4.
• Gal. 3. 13.
• Gal. 3. 13.
• Heb. 2. 14, 15.
• Phil. 3. ult.
• 2 Tim. 1. 10.
• 1 Cor. 15. 26.
• 1 Cor. 6. 15.
• Ver. 19, 20.