In answer to these questions, it may be observed, first, that the death of Christ, considered in itself, supplies us with a valuable confirmation of our faith, inasmuch as it is his own seal set to the truth of the declaration he had formerly made, that he was acting under Divine authority. His exposing himself to death, rather than renounce his claim, seems to furnish us with a sufficient proof that he believed it to be genuine ; and the possibility of his being deceived as to the reality of supernatural knowledge and power which he had been so constantly in the habit of exerting, and that, too, in a manner so sensible and striking, seems utterly incredible. But, secondly, the death of Christ was a necessary preparation for his resurrection. The latter of these events is universally acknowledged to have been of unspeakable importance, as a confirmation of the Divine authority of Christ, and a pledge and pattern of a general resurrection; and from their inseparable connection, the former must be admitted to partake, in no inconsiderable degree, of this importance. As in the death of Christ we recognize his own seal attached to the declaration that his mission was divine, so in his resurrection we behold the seal of onmipotence itself attached to the same declaration. A more express confirmation of all that he had taught, and ratification of all that he had commanded, and promised, and threatened, it were impossible to imagine. Surely, then, the death of Christ, and that a public death, without which his resurrection could scarcely have taken place, in such a manner as to have been sufficiently attested, must be acknowledged to have been an event of no ordinary interest and consequence, and one which has contributed, in no ordinary degree, to the confirmation of our faith, and, consequently, to the promotion of our improve ment. Thirdly, the death of Christ led to his exaltation to the right hand of God,―to his being invested with power to bestow miraculous gifts upon his followers, and thus accomplish the effectual dissemination of his religion,—and to fill the offices of supreme head of his church, dispenser of pardon to the penitent, bestower of eternal life, and judge of the dead and of the living. That his death was an act of obedience and devotion to the will of God, indispensably necessary to his attainment of these distinguished honours,-honours, in the attainment of which, all the most important ends of his mission were evidently involved,—seems de clared with sufficient distinctness in different passages of Scripture. If this be so, we cannot but regard the obedience, and especially the death, of Christ, as having been the means employed by Divine Providence of conferring upon his church the unspeakably valuable blessings of pardon and eternal life. Who can doubt as to the comfort and encouragement to be derived from the reflection that Jesus now reigns in glory, a living pledge of the certainty of the blessings he was sent to communicate or to promise, a reflection which we could never have enjoyed, but for that obedience unto death, even the death of the cross, which prepared the way for his present exaltation? The preceding remarks may serve sufficiently to display the intimate connection that subsists between the death of Christ, considered both in itself and as a necessary preliminary to his resurrection and exaltation, and the firmness of our belief in his Divine authority and some of the most important doctrines of his religion, and, consequently, between that great event and its practical efficacy as a means of purification; and thus to justify the apostle's declaration in the text, that "he gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." K Does it not become us, my fellow Christians, in conclusion, to consider seriously how far, in the case of each of us, this most important end of the death of Christ has hitherto been accomplished. We have been admiring the disinterested magnanimity of the sacrifice, and the purity and sublimity of the motive that led to it. Shall we, then, suffer such a sacrifice, from such a motive, to have been made, so far as we are concerned, in vain? Let us, if we would not be guilty of such base ingratitude, think for a moment upon our religious condition. Let us examine ourselves whether we be in the faith. Let us prove our own selves. How far has the religion of Jesus, as confirmed by his death and its consequences, been effectual in accomplishing our redemption from iniquity? How far do we feel ourselves entitled to lay claim to a place amongst that peculiar people, whose distinguishing quality it is, to be zealous of good works? Let our answers to these questions be well considered. Awful, my friends, must be our responsibility, if we neglect or despise this great salvation. Glorious will be our destiny, if we can succeed in obtaining for ourselves an interest in it. The faithful and humble follower of Christ will find, at length, to his unspeakable delight, that the means of moral improvement, though one blessing, was not the only one |