prisoners.

under the yoke which was henceforward to be broken. Moses was ordered to the court of Pharaoh, to demand the surrender of his And when he refused compli ance, he was pursued with repeated judg ments, until he was subdued, and was no longer able to retain the victims of his barbarous and unrelenting despotism. In this way suffering humanity obtained relief. By a similar process is the captive soul made free, or redeemed from the curse, or penalty, of that law, which denounces death against the sinner. Misery may always be traced back to sin, as the baleful and bitter root out of which it grows. To redeem men from wo, it is, therefore, necessary first to redeem them from sin. The first effects of sovereign grace appear, therefore, in the renovation of the heart, in setting the soul at freedom from those lusts, which war in our members and bring forth fruit unto death. When the Israelites saw the dead bo dies of the Egyptian host, their former oppressors, struck dead by the arm of the Almighty, they felt as if they had nothing more to fear from their haughtiness and cruelty : and to the children of God, who are in Christ, and partakers of his fulness, it is a comfortable saying, as in the words of the apostle, "For sin shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the law but under grace. Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him (Christ) that the S s

body of sin might be destroyed, that hence forth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin." When sin is purg ed from our souls, death is swallowed up in victory. Christ, therefore, redeems men from the eternal plagues of hell, by prepar ing them for heaven; by taking the stoney heart out of their flesh, and giving them a heart of flesh. Thus they are translated out of the kingdom of Satan into the kingdom of God's dear Son. This comports with such scriptures, as represent Christ Jesus as exalted with the right hand of God to be a prince and a Saviour, to give repentance unto Israel and forgiveness of sin. The prophet foreshews the redeming influences, which he would put forth towards the objects of his merciful regard, when he says: "And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness." And the apostle says that "Christ loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the wash ing of water by the word; That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blem ish." As Christ redeems his people from their sins, cleanses them from all unrighteousness, and makes them holy, that they may be prepared to reign with him in his king m of glory; so he is not induced to un

dertake this work by any excellencies he sees or foresees in them. He loves them while

enemies, and reconciles them to God by his death. He takes them in a state of pollution and makes them clean; and thus they are comely by reason of his comeliness put upon them. "Be not deceived:" says the apostle, "neither fornicators, nor adulterers, &c.. shall inherit the kingdom of God.

And such were some of you but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but we are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” The external means, by which this saving work is performed, are the scriptures, which are given by inspiration of God, and are profitable for doctrine, reproof, correc tion and instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto

all good works.

We are told, that "after the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe." It is nothing, therefore, but a divine blessing upon the christian ministry, that insures the conversion of any sinner. "Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers, by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man ? I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase." From the apostle Paul we get the same idea, in another passage of his writings, as thus; "I have, therefore, whereof I may glory through Jesus Christ in those things which pertain to God. For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which

Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient by word and deed, through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ." Christian instruction, in its largest extent, is a princi pal mean of salvation to sinners.

5. Let us briefly inquire into the antiquity of this great work of redemption, or when it is that it first commences; not as it res pects the church, as a collective body, merely; but as it respects every individual, who is, at any time, a subject and partaker of it. It appears to be the work of God, (let the instruments, used in it, be such and so many as they may) intirely, and from beginning to end. No man can ascribe his own redemption to himself, neither in whole, nor in part. And since it is accomplished by the hand of God, we must look to him to find it, in every stage. With him it has its origin and end, and the whole of its progress through the intermediate space. As a thing actual and experimental, on the part of the sinner, who is redeemed, no doubt it begins, when he first receives those heavenly and life giving influences, which heal the plague of his heart, and bring him into holy com munion with God: but as a matter which proceedeth from the Lord, contrived and executed by his wisdom and power, it is as really without a beginning, as is his own existence. The building of Solomon's temple,

pur

if by this we mean its going into actual form, began in the fourth year of his reign; but, antecedently to this, he was, a long time, providing materials, and making preparations for it. The salvation of sinners, as an event, actually brought to pass, begins in time, after those have come into being, for, whom it is wrought; but, in the counsels of God, it is coexistent with all his other poses, none of which have a beginning; but are as ancient, as absolutely eternal, as his own nature. This is agreeable to the plain and uniform language of the scriptures. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ; According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy, and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will. But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the begin ning chosen you to salvation through sanctifi, cation of the Spirit, and belief of the truth; Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began." That eternal life,