could not have mistaken him, had they made use of their unprejudiced reason: but, instead of this, it was with the utmost reluctance they could be brought to acknowledge them: forced, however, to do fo, they were always ready to impute them to other caufes; and their marvelling, which they could not avoid, fo far from producing its proper effect, ferved only as a stumbling-block to them, by depriving them of their only cloak for their unbelief.

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"21.

21. For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even fo the "Son quickeneth whom he will."

The prophets, whofe acts are recorded in the Old Testament, fometimes raised the dead, as well as healed the fick; but they were only the inftruments which the Almighty made use of: whereas our bleffed Saviour did these mighty works by his own power and authority.

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"22. For the Father judgeth no man; “but hath committed all judgment unto "the Son:

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23. That all men fhould honor the "Son, even as they honor the Father. "He that honoreth not the Son, honoreth not the Father which hath fent him."

One would think that the foregoing verses must strike even the most careless and unthinking, with the utmoft awe, respect, and reverence, for Jefus Chrift.

How wonderfully good and gracious was God the Father, in appointing him to be our Judge! He that felt all our weakneffes and infirmities, and who laid down his life for our fakes, will make every allowance which the circumstances of the cafe will admit; but will at the fame time expose the hypocrites who only outwardly obey the law of God, making it a cloak to impose upon their fellow-creatures.

The first principle of all our actions fhould be a defire to please God; for without fuch motive, be the action ever

fo good in itself, we cannot expect to reap any benefit from it, but what the world can bestow: and when we confider how tranfitory are all its enjoyments, we shall find we have made a bad bargain.

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24. Verily, verily, I fay unto you, he "that heareth my word, and believeth on “him that fent me, hath everlasting life, "and fhall not come into condemnation; "but is paffed from death unto life.

the

25. Verily, verily, I fay unto you, "hour is coming, and now is, when the dead fhall hear the voice of the Son of "God: and they that hear shall live.”

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Many divines think, that our Saviour, by this firft refurrection, meant those who heard his voice, and joyfully accepted his gofpel, with a firm refolution to love, honor, and obey him. Before their conversion, they were dead in trefpaffes and fin; but no fooner did they hear his voice, than they became his difciples: this was a resurrection from the death of

fin to a life of grace here, which would prepare them for a life of glory hereafter.

"26. For as the Father hath life in him"felf, fo hath he given to the Son to have "life in himself;

"27. And hath given him authority to "execute judgment also, because he is "the fon of man."

He had power to give, or to take life: inherent power in himself; which no created being was ever fo abfurd as to pretend to.

"28. Marvel not at this; for the hour "is coming, in the which all that are in shall hear his voice, and shall come forth;

the

grave

29. They that have done good, unto "the resurrection of life; and they that "have done evil, unto the refurrection of " damnation."

We are not to fuppofe, from this paffage, that our best performances would be able to procure us the kingdom of Heaven: this is a privilege which became forfeited at the fall, and which is reftored to us folely through the merits, and for the fake of our bleffed Saviour: a privilege which we fhall again lofe, except we obey his commands.

This most awful fubject of the laft day is more fully treated of in the twenty-fifth chapter of St. Matthew, from the thirtyfirft verfe; there our bleffed Lord defcribes the human race as divided into two feperate multitudes, according as they had done good or evil; the one he places on his right hand, the other on his left. To the former he fays: "Come, ye bleff"ed of my Father, inherit the kingdom "prepared for you from the foundation "of the world. For I was an hungred, "and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, "and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, took me in; naked, and ye clo

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and ye

"thed