mortal sacrifice, (and a mortal one it must be if his body was mortal, because that was the offering that the Son of God, our great, High Priest, had to offer,) they are not the true worshippers, and therefore shall be rejected to the end of the chapter, as were those that worshipped by corrupt legal sacrifices under the law. Just the same as the Samaritans, who worshipped they knew not what. "But," says Christ, "we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews." As to those persons who persist in holding a doctrine which they cannot bring one passage of scripture to support, but resting solely upon human testimony, what a state of perverseness and blindness must such be in! for what is the witness and evidence of men when it contradicts and opposes the plain revealed will of God in his word? In this case, it must be entirely rejected and set aside for ever. And, so far as good men have spoken unadvisedly with their lips, and countenanced in their writings, though unintentionally, yet in its consequences, when persisted in, that which is nothing less than a doctrinal lie, it must be rejected; and, as they have stumbled, we ought to bless God for teaching us his own truth himself, and shewing us that plainly of which they were ignorant. The mortality of the body of Christ is that Dagon that shall fall before the ark of God, 1 Sam.

v. 3,4; and that Agag that must not be spared, but be hewn in pieces by the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 1 Sam. xv. 33. And this blessed work I hope God has accomplished in some measure in this epistle, by the least of all his family. I come now to shew

V. The absolute necessity of Christ's body being in itself free from every cause of death, in order to preserve a sure foundation for the Church.

This having been already noticed in the course of this letter, I shall not treat largely upon it in this place. To secure the holiness and perfection of the human nature of Christ, the Holy Ghost formed his body in the virgin's womb, and it was therefore called an holy thing; and, being in union with the person of the Son of God, it must remain for ever pure and holy; nothing can corrupt a nature that is pure and holy but sin; and from original as well as actual sin the human nature of Christ was entirely preserved, for "he did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth." And, as all sin is of the devil, so he could have no access to Christ, whereby to corrupt his nature; nor could he prevail against him. "The prince of this world cometh, but hath nothing in me.”—And, as observed before, Christ being

made sin for us by imputation, that did not at all affect the purity, holiness, and uprightness, of his human nature; nay, it was necessary, ab solutely necessary, that his human nature should remain holy, or, when offered in sacrifice, it could not effect all the great purposes that were required by it: but, being an offering without spot, a pure holy nature, it was allsufficient to perfect for ever all those that are sanctified. It was an offering and a sacrifice in every sense available; "an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour,' Eph. v. 2. The wrath of God was appeasedjustice satisfied-the curse of God executed -a full and glorious atonement for sin madethe penalty of the law fulfilled in the death of our blessed Surety and perfect reconciliation and friendship established between God and elect sinners: "This (says God) is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him." And, when we view the completeness of his finished work, arising from the perfection of the sacrifice he offered, and the entire finished work he accomplished, then what a sure, what a stable foundation Christ crucified becomes to the church of God! "Upon this rock (said our blessed Lord) I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it," Matt. xvi. 18. And observe how gloriously Christ is spoken of as a found

ation of the church in these words: "There fore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste," Isa. xxviii. 16. And then it is shewn us that this foundation was laid in judgment being executed upon Christ, and in justice being satisfied by Christ. "Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet,"-" Justice and judgment are the habitation (or establishment) of thy throne; mercy and truth shall go before thy face," Ps. lxxxix. 14. This glorious and stable foundation was laid by Paul, that wise master-builder, who speaks of it thus: "According to the grace of God, which is given unto me, as a wise master-builder I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon; but let every man take heed how he buildeth thereon; for other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ," 1 Cor. iii. 10, 11. Now here is the glorious foundation of the church; and it becomes so upon the perfection of the sacrifice he offered, and upon the completeness of his finished work: but, let mortality come into his sacrifice, and I will insist upon it that Christ is no foundation of the church, nor for the church. But, while so many are going about to undervalue and undermine our glorious foundation, may the God of all grace

inspire, by his blessed Spirit, his own family to defend it; for, "If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?" Ps. xi. 3. Do! why they must defend them according to the word of God; and Gentile converts are thus spoken of: "And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations, and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, the restorer of paths to dwell in," Isa. lviii. 12. When the truths of God fall into decay, God will raise up some to bring them forth to the light again, and to defend them against all gainsayers. The promise of God is sweet upon this head; for he says, "I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist," Luke xxi. 15.

Having thus endeavoured to set before you what my views are upon the subject in question, I now come,

VI. In conclusion, to make some observations, arising from what has been said.

How very dangerous it is to tamper and make free with words and phrases, that cannot be supported by plain unwrested scripture! And to attempt to found erroneous doctrines upon them is a proof to me that such have