serve you under his care. He will advance you in spiritual understanding, in spiritual strength, in saving faith, in moral attainments. He will make you more and more meet to be a partaker of the inheritance of the saints in light, and will seal you unto the day of redemption.

[REV. T. GISBORNE, Prebendary of Durham.]

SERMON XCVI.

EIGHTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.

PRIVILEGE OF INHERITING.

ROMANS viii. 12.-Brethren, we are debtors not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 13. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15. For ye have not received the Spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our Spirit, that we are the children of God. 17. And if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ: f so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

[Epistle for the Day.]

AFTER several other pre-eminences of the gospel above the Jewish law, and every other dispensation antecedent to it; St. Paul does, in this chapter, insist upon that most valuable one, of securing to them that obey it, life and a happy immortality. This he proves to be an excellence, peculiar to the gospel, from the means whereby it is effected. The first of these is justification, or a release from the guilt and punishment of sin, whereby death prevailed upon all mankind; for, as such, all had sinned. This benefit Christ obtained for us, by himself becoming our sin-offering, the only true and expiatory sacrifice; and so taking off the condemnation due to us, by undergoing death, on the behalf of the whole human nature, wherein he suffered. And to prove this an advantage, peculiar to the gospel, God is said, [ver. 3.] by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh,' and so, by his sacrifice for sin, condemning sin in the flesh,' to have done what the weakness of the law could not do.

But this weaknessis observed [ver. 3.] to have been through the flesh' too; namely, the prevalence of that sensual and carnai principle, which, by betraying men into sin, rendered them

still more obnoxious to death, in proportion as the precepts of the law were multiplied. In order therefore to escape that misery, sanctification also is necessary, Now this is effected by the assistances and influences of God's Holy Spirit, correcting that corrupt principle called the flesh.' Sanctifying grace rescues from the dominion of sin for the future; as justifying grace releases from the penalty of sin past. And, in regard no other covenant ever indented for the communications of this Spirit; in regard these also are merited by the death of Christ; [ver. 4, 5, 6.] in regard the things, which make for life and peace, cannot be loved, pursued, or compassed, without these, nor is God pleased with any of our works, which are not agreeable, and indeed owing to this Spirit [ver. 7, 8, 9.]-(for this is a distinguishing character of them who belong to Christ)-from hence it is, that happiness and immortality are, in this second respect also, represented as privileges, which give a just preference to the Christian, above any religion whatsoever.

But whence, it may be said, all these vain boasts of immortality, while it is plain, that even Christians die in common with other men? It is confessed. Nor does the apostle attempt the absurdity of denying it: for he places [ver. 10, 11.] their privilege, in being restored to life; and in such a future life, as far excels any advantages, possibly to be reaped from the continuance in the present life, by never dying at all. This, he contends, is a benefit entirely owing to Christ. For a right understanding whereof, I shall briefly state the case, as it stood with mankind in general, without Christ: and as it now, by virtue of his sufferings, stands both with human nature at large, and with them in particular, who partake of his spirit and his holiness.

The original condition of men appears to have been framed for bliss and immortality. So that death was no part of the first creation, but, as this Apostle [ver. 12.] observes, had been introduced by sin. Not only actually dying then, but even the capacity of dying, was properly a penalty. And from a state, in which they might not, and, supposing them not to have transgressed, could not have died; our first parents sunk themselves and all their posterity at once, into a condition, in which they could not but die: nay, and so die, as no longer to be able, either to preserve themselves from

sorrow and trouble in this life; or to rescue either their bodies from corruption, or their souls from misery, whenever God shall think fit to call them hence.

Now, in regard the whole human nature had sinned in Adam, this bodily death still passes upon all men. But then, in consideration of the whole human nature again suffering this punishment in the person of the Son of God, the bodies of all mankind shall be restored to life again, and so united to their souls, as to suffer no second separation. The souls too of such as, strictly speaking, are Christ's, do, together with their bodies, enter into a state of bliss endless and inconceivable. Thus full reparation is made for the loss, which mankind in general sustained, by the transgression of the first Adam; in that, as then, all died by one, so now all live again by one, their common representative. Nay, this is more than reparation; in regard death was inflicted for one offence; but the release is from many, each whereof had incurred the same penalty. But for that other death of the soul, which men bring upon themselves; they, who oppose those lusts that open the way to it, and are guided by that Spirit, which is the author and principle of all goodness to lapsed men,-are, not withstanding the necessity of bodily death, infinite gainers. For these persons are in much better circumstances, than if God should have brought them back to those of their common ancestor, even at the time of his innocence. It was possible for him not to die; but, because he was under a possibility of sinning, it was evident he was likewise under a possibility of dying; and consequently, of continuing in death for ever, supposing no redemption by a second Adam. Christians, the very best of them, have, it is confessed, afflictions to conflict with, and bodily death to undergo; but then from these they are translated to another state, where they do not only neither sin nor die; but where it is absolutely impossible for them, either to sin, or to die, any more.

And this is the argument, adopted at the 10th and 11th verses: The certainty of a resurrection to bliss and glory, for all them, who submit themselves to the guidance of the Holy Spirit:-a Spirit, who is a quickener as well as a sanctifier; the giver of holiness, and the giver of life; the giver of the former, as an earnest and certain foretaste of the latter. For proof of this St. Paul argues, that the graces of this

Spirit are a mark of the Christian's sonship, and that sonship was imparted by adoption:-a method always taken, in order to confer on the party so adopted, a right to inherit the estate of the party adopting. But now, in regard to the benefit here mentioned [ver. 14, 15, 16, 17.] is such, as the present state is not capable of; it follows, that there must, of necessity, be another and more perfect state in reserve, wherein the profits of this adoption may be fully made good and enjoyed. And it also follows, that the certain prospect of so complete a happiness is an abundant encouragement against any afflictions of the life we now lead, and against the fear of that death of the body, which shall one day be swallowed up in this endless and infinitely better life; of which life the actual possession and glories of that natural Son of God, who was once dead, but now lives for evermore, give infallible assurance of his adopted sons.

Such seem to be the connexion and true force of the Apostle's argument in this place. Which, so far as it regards the privilege of inheriting, consequent to the relation of sonship, it shall suffice to make some few remarks.

These words at the 17th verse, 'If children, then heirs, heirs with God, and joint heirs with Christ,' are expressions taken from among men: and particularly allude to the customs, and methods, and design of adoption. My attention at present is to assign some reasons, wherefore the happiness of good men hereafter, which the Holy Scripture hath elsewhere mentioned by sundry other figures and expressions, should here be represented under the notion of an inheritance: what we may be allowed to draw from hence for our comfort and advantage; and what engagements, we ought, upon this account, to think ourselves under, in point of duty and obedience.

1. Now, first, the design of the Apostle is to fortify men against the hardships and temptations of a malicious and dangerous world, distresses, and persecutions, and even death itself. Now, even to this effect, great and difficult as experience proves it to be, must the notion of an inheritance be admitted for an adequate cause. This naturally turns our thoughts upon the manner in use among men, for securing estates to their posterity. It describes Christians, not as younger sons, whose portions the parent hath kept in his

own disposal; but as so many first-born, for whom a certain provision is made, deeds of conveyance irrevocably executed, and a sure claim in law to all the honours and advantages, which, by the ancestor's quality, are possible to descend in the elder line. In regard, therefore, this is the best grounded expectation, and upon that account called very significantly ' a settlement,' among men; when Almighty God condescends to call Christians heirs,' such are hereby justified in the highest degree of filial trust; they may, without arrogance, plead their title; nay, they cannot suspect, that this conveyance will not hold good without incurring the guilt of a dishonourable reflection, upon the kindness and truth of their Father which is in heaven.

Now the duties, arising from this consideration, are a steadfast affiance in him, whose promises are sure, and purposes unchangeable. But then that affiance must be built upon a holy life, as its proper foundation and only true support. For even heirs in the eye of the law may evacuate their own title, by provoking their parents to cut off an entail; or by an attainder, that shall forfeit their pretensions. It is true, immortal existence shall be every man's portion: but whether we shall exist in happiness or misery, will depend upon our own behaviour. For our Father hath kept it still in his power, to punish undutiful and obstinate children: and St. Paul acquaints us here, that those sons only are heirs, whose being led by the Spirit of God' proves them to be sons indeed. And for them who are such, I would earnestly recommend another duty, naturally deduced from the consideration before us, which is, the love and study of the Holy Scriptures. These are the deeds, in which our title is set forth. The privileges we are endowed with, and the conditions of our tenure, are to be learned only from hence. And therefore our time can be nowhere better employed, no where with greater profit, if we would secure,-nowhere with great delight, if we duly value and desire,-this blest inheritance.

2. The same may be said, secondly, in regard of the certainty and duration of this future happiness. The stability whereof is, by the allusion before us, very fitly intimated. For, whereas other tenures are determined to a certain period of times, estates of inheritance submit to no such limitations.