pletely purchaſed; —ſo that, againſt the true believer, ſin ſhall never riſe up in judgment; ſhall not ſo much as be mentioned unto him; Ezek. xviii. 22. ſhall be done away, as though it had never been. For thus faith the embaſſador of the Prince of peace; Be it known unto you, men and brethren, that thro' this man is preached unto you the forgiveneſs of ſins: and by him all that believe are juſtified from all things, Acts xiii. 38. —Oh my ſoul! my guilty ſoul! what are all the kingdoms of the world, and the glories of them, compared with this ineffable bleſſing! Yet this is but one among a multitude.
Another benefit, accruing from the croſs of Chriſt, is, reconciliation with God. —When we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, Rom. v. 10. Not pardoned only, but accepted from a ſtate of enmity, reſtored to a ſtate of favour, even that favour which is better than life, Pſalm lxiii. 4.— A privilege of ſuch ſuperlative excellency, that it was celebrated in the hymns of angels. When the heavenly hoſt uttered a ſong, this was the ſubject of their harmonious joy: Glory be to God in the higheſt; and on earth peace; goodwill towards men, Luke ii. 14. “By the birth of this wonderful child, and the death he ſhall ſuſtain, peace is made between heaven and earth. And not peace only, but a divine friendſhip [1] commences. God regards the poor apoſtate race of
- ↑ There ſeems to be a beautiful gradation in this angelic hymn. Good-will is more expreſſive, and denotes a richer bleſſing than Peace.—The original (illegible text), is a word of the moſt amiable and noble meaning. It ſignifies a very high eſteem, and a very tender benevolence. By a word of the ſame import, the Almighty Father expreſſes his infinite ſatisfaction, in the perſon and undertaking of his beloved Son; Matth. iii. 17.
