The saints risen insult death, and triumph over it, and the grave for ever, saying, "O death where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be unto God which giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ."

The words of my text thus in part opened, are a triumph over death and the grave; uttered by Paul, and put by him into the mouths of saints, as newly risen from the dead on the glorious morn of their resurrection. In speaking further on them, I will aim to hold forth, and express the following particulars.

First, by considering to whom they belong, and are applicable.

Secondly, that believers in Christ have good reason to triumph in him, and may well shout victory over death itself, and the grave, saying, "Thanks be unto God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Thirdly, the misery of such as have no portion in this grace, with the happiness of such as have.

I propose in the first place to consider to whom the words before us belong, and to whom they are applicable. It may easily be seen, and conceived by you, that my text stands closely connected with the words going immediately before it. The word But knits it so, that in a very concise manner I must survey them again, that I may shew the true ultimate scope thereof. I will begin with the fiftyfirst verse, "Behold, I shew you a mystery: we shall not all sleep, but we shall all (i. e. living saints who shall be on earth at the second coming of Christ) be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump, for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead (i, e. the dead in Christ) shall be raised incorruptible in their bodies, made powerful, glorious, and immortal, and we (i. e. living saints) shall be changed," in our bodies without tasting death, and undergo in them the same change which other saints are the subjects of by their resurrection. "For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall

have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, death is swallowed up in victory." These words are quoted from the twentyfifth chapter of the prophet Isaiah, and were spoken by the prophet of the glorious Messiah, who as the conqueror of death was to swallow it up in his own person in victory, and has done it, and abolished death; and what he did his people have their part, share, and interest in; and these words are here applied by Paul to saints on their resurrection morn; who are represented as insulting death, and triumphing over it and the grave, saying, "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" These last words are quoted from Hosea, and belong to Christ, and may be considered as spoken by him at his own personal resurrection from the grave. Christ hath destroyed and abolished death, so that at the time these words refer to, it will be known no more for ever. Then the grave, that great devourer, its bands will be loosed, it will never have power any

more. By way of reply to these questions it is said, "the sting of death is sin." But Christ died in the room and stead of his people, charged with their sins, and he bore their iniquities; hence there is redemption in his blood, the free, full, and irrevocable pardon of them. "The strength of sin," that which gives it a damning guilt and power to all who live and die in, and under it, is the law, the holy law of God which pronounces an eternal curse upon every transgressor of it. But Christ fulfilled the law for his people; hence they are justified from all things, so that they shout, "But thanks be unto God, which giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ." So that these words in their primary meaning belong to saints, when risen from the dead, made completely, in body and soul, in every sense and faculty, like Christ, and fully conformable to him; when they most gloriously appear to be the sons of God, being the children of the resurrection. We commonly apply them to believers in their present state, and many of them express their strong faith in

Christ by the use of them, and they well may, as there is a present and everlasting victory in Christ, which they are called upon to anticipate and enjoy. But their fulness of triumph can only be uttered in this language, when risen from the grave of death, as lords and conquerors in their own persons through Christ over it. At which time their bodies will be like Christ's, they will then see him as he is, and be completely fitted for the full enjoyment of him in his eternal kingdom of glory. Having shewn to whom these words belong, and are in their highest sense applicable, so I proceed secondarily to shew how they belong only at present to believers in Jesus, who may mix faith with them, make use of them, and thereby express their triumphs in Christ's victories over death and hell, by which I mean the grave. But will it not be suitable to set forth and declare, who are believers? "All men have not faith." Every man born into this world deserveth God's wrath and damnation. No man can save himself. Sin hath totally corrupted all flesh. All mankind are equally fallen,