The devil is styled “the god of this world, who blindeth the minds of those that believe not,” and by keeping the light from them, leads them captive at his pleasure. And Christ delivers them from this thraldom, “i by opening their eyes, and turning them from darkness to light;" dispelling those clouds of ignorance, error, and prejudice, whereby Satan maintains bis usurpation over the hearts of men.

“ No man bath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath de. clraed lim." To him we are indebted for the fullest and most satisfying information concerning the nature and perfections of God Most High; the measures of his go. vernment, his relation to us, and the worship that is due to him; and that neither guilt for distance might discour. age our approach to the throne of his holiness, Christ hath opened to us, in his own blood, a precious fountain of sovereign virtue, in which the chief of sinners may wash and be made clean; and by revealing to us the mysterious union of the divine and human natures, in his own person as Mediator, he hath, as it were, thrown a bridge over that boundless infinite ocean, which separates the creature from the invisible Godhead: so that through the man Christ Jesus, who is also God's beloved Son, we may now address the Father of our spirits, without that dread of a repulse, and fear of offending him, which otherwise must have overwhelmed our minds. He hath given as a law which is holy, just, and good, ntterly subversive of the kingdom of Satan, and contrary to all his works; “ teaching us, that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, and righteously, and godly in this present world.” This law he hath enforced with the most persuasive arguments. Every motive to obedience that can either encourage our VOL. I.

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hopes, or alarm our fears, is get before us in the strongest and most affecting light. Heaven is unfolded to our view, and destruction hath no covering : And that no incitement may be wanting to invigorate our opposition to the devil and his works, this great C'aptain of Salvation solemnly enlists us into his army by baptism; and hath appointed the other sacrament, not merely to represent his atoning sacrifice, and to remind us of the price with which we were redeemed, but likewise to afford us an oppor. tunity of recognizing his title to our grateful homage and most loyal subjection; and to be a means of imparting to our souls those supplies of grace, which will enable us to quit ourselves like men, while we fight under his banner against the powers of darkness, till the God of peace shall in due time bruise Satan onder our feet. Thus doth the Son of God destroy the works of the devil, by the doctrines, and laws, and ordinances he bath taught us. To which I add,

2dly. The bright and glorious example of his life.

It was the just reproach of the Jewish teachers, that “ they bound heavy burdens, and laid them upon other men's shoulders, but they themselves would not touch them with one of their fingers.” Whereas the example of our Lord was of equal perfection with his laws. He lived as he taught; and the whole of his conduct, from his birth to his death, was one continued lecture of the purest devotion, the sublimest morals, and the most extensive usefulness. But this opens a field too extensive to be entered upon. It must suflice at present to observe, that the principal virtues which the peculiar character and circumstances of our Lord gave him an opportunity to practise, were obviously adapied to counteract the devil's most favourite vices. How odious, how disgrace. ful, do luman pride and vain-glory appear, when set in opposition to the lowliness of Christ, who, “though he was in the form of God, and thought it not robbery to be equal with God, yet made himself of po reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant?” With what persuasive eloquence doth the contempt he poured upon the riches, and honours, and pleasures of this world, reprove and condemn the covetousness, the ambition, and sensualty of men? His condescension to the mean, and his sympathy with the miserable; his meekness in receiving and forgiving injuries; and his patience in enduring the most grievous sufferings, do all serve to expose the deformity of those opposite distempers which give Satan so much room in the hearts of most men. After this manner doth the perfect example of the Son of God in our nature contribute to the subversion of the kingdom of darkness. But,

3dly. It was by his obedience unto death that our Lord did most eminently destroy the works of the devil ; as we learn from the passage to which I formerly allud. eil, (Heb. ii. 14.) “ Through death be destroyed him that had the power of death, that is the devil.” Accord. ingly, in the epistle to the Colossians, the cross of Christ is compared to a triumphal chariot, on which, having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly. I shall therefore discourse at greater length upon this head, and endeavour to illustrate the efficacy of Christ's death, in counteracting and defeating the malice of Satan : 1st. As it advances the glory of God which he sought to impair; and, 2d. As it purchaseth and secures the salvation of men, in spite of all his attempts to ruin them. These subjects, which are no less delightful than interesting, will serve to unfold the meaning of that heavenly anthem with which angels celebrated the birth of our Lord: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men."

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1. First, then, let us view the death of Christ as a means of advancing the glory of God, or, to speak with greater propriety, of displaying it more fully to his intelligent creatures.

Satan, no doubt, triumphed in his victory over the heads of our race. He had seen with envy that fountain of beneficence flowing out towards them, wbich he knew was eternally shut against himself; and bebeld, with vexation and rage, the complacency and delight of the Creator in his new-made world. But now that the fatal trespass was committed, he would fondly conclude, that this blessed harmony between heaven and earth was for ever at an end. Man, would he think, is become po less guilty than I am. That tremendous justice, the severity of which I feel, stands as much in the way of this creature's happiness as of mine. God must rear up another world before he can make any further display of his goodness, for this world is effectually put beyond the reach of it. Thus we may suppose him glorying in his conquest, and his fancied disappointment of the divine purpose.

But, behold! by the death of Christ, the shameful dis. appointment recoiling upon himself. He had before seen goodness and justice displayed alternately, each acting in the most perfect manner upon their proper objects; but now be sees them ministering to each other's glory, and mutually conspiring to take advantage of bis malice, that both might shine forth with more dazzling splendour. He sees mercy to the guilty (an exercise of goodness which till then he thought impossible) rejoic. ing against judgment, and judgment at the same time triumpbing in a satisfaction of infinitely greater worth than the whole world of angels and men. He sees love bringing the sacrifice to satisfy justice; and justice, baving nothing more to demand, giving place to love; nay, becoming bound to serve the purposes of love in the sal. vation of those whom it formerly sought to destroy. This is that mysterious object which angels contemplate with increasing wonder, and wbich des ils must look at with shame and confusion, The Son of God suffers, that the sinner may escape; and thus mercy and truth, righte. ousness and peace, which are never to meet upon those apostate spirits, meet and embrace upon the cross of Christ; and God appears infinitely just, as well as infinitely gracious, when he justifies those who believe in Jesus,

In short, all the attempts of Satan to impair or darken the glory of God, serve only to furnish out a theatre for the more illustrious display of it. He pulls down his kingdom with his own hands, and builds up that which he meant to overturn.

It is impossible to know with certainty what views he had of the Messiah; but it is plain, that be thought bis death would bring great advantage to himself. He very probably hoped, that by this horrid deed, God would be provoked finally to abandon the human kind. The Jews were the only society of true worshippers upon earth, the people whom God had chosen for bis peculiar inheritance; and if their charter could be broken, by their ungrateful rejection, and barbarous murder, of their longpromised King, then of course they would fall to bis share; and so the whole world would become his own, and God have no tribute of praise from men. But, O the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! Here again Satan is caught in his own snare; and by seeking to enlarge his kingdom, saps the foundation of it. Christ being lifted upon the cross draws all men unto him. The covenant of peculiarity doth in