is liable to without the Mercy of God thorough Chrift.

We are now prepared to judge of the true Import of thofe Words Eternal Salvation in my Text, which must imply,

ift, An Indemnity from the Punishment due to Sin in the World to come.

The first and most obvious Senfe of the Word Salva¬ tion, is negative, and imports the being indemnified and freed from fome Evil which a Man is obnoxious to; and because Adam and his Pofterity were by their Tranfgreffion liable to eternal Punishment, therefore their being freed from this, is properly called eternal Salvation. This is indeed no more than a negative Good; but confidered even as fuch it is invaluable. Men in Health and at Ease may not fo rightly judge of it, but let us afk the Man who has been ftretch'd on the Rack, or tortur'd with the Gout or the Stone, and he will tell us the true Value of Eafe. And we read of one in St. Luke's Gospel who could tell us yet better, and that is the rich Man, who being in Hell, begs that Lazarus might dip the tip of his Finger in Water to Cool his Tongue, for Jays he, I am tormented in this Flame, Ch. 16. V. 24. However, to be freed from Pain is

only

only the first Step towards being happy, and therefore the

2d, Import of Eternal Salvation goes much further, and fignifies the Enjoyment of the highest Happiness that our Natures are capable of, for ever in Heaven.

We meet with both these Meanings in the 25th ch. Luke, v. the last, where our Saviour declares, And thefe, i. e. the Wicked, fhall go away into everlafting Punishment, but the Righteous into Life eternal.

What will be the particular Ingredients of the heavenly Happiness, we know very little of, the holy Scriptures being very sparing on that Subject, and giving only some short and obfcure Hints about it. They speak of feeing God as he is, and of being for ever with the Lord, of Life eternal, of Fulness of Joy in God's Prefence, which leaves nothing to be wifh'd for, and of Pleafures at his right Hand for evermore. Thefe general Hints are fufficient to shew us, that every thing is to be found in Heaven that may render us abfolutely and completely happy. That the noblest Kind of Entertainments, I mean fuch as are agreeable to our spiritual and intelligent Natures, will not be wanting, is past doubt; and it is not unlikely that there will be

others

It

others of a lower Nature for the Gratifi-
cation of our Bodies, fince Bodies we shall
have; but what thofe Kind of Gratifications
will be we cannot guefs, unless we could
tell what Sort of Bodies we fhall have.
is fufficient that we are told in general, that
Eye has not feen, nor Ear heard, nor has it
enter'd into the Heart of Man the Things
which God has prepared for them that love
bim, 1 Cor. 2. 9. One would be apt to con-
jecture from this Paffage, that the Objects
will be entirely new, and may require quite
different Senfes from our prefent ones, to
perceive them. But tho' we are in the
Dark about these Things, yet we may safe-
ly rely upon his Promises who is good and
faithful, and cannot deceive his Creatures.

This may fuffice to fhew you how compleat the Salvation is which my Text mentions, and how perfectly it recovers Man→ kind from all the ill Effects of Sin and the Fall. Which leads me to fhew you in the

2d Place, who is the Author of this eternal Salvation, and that is our Saviour Jefus Chrift. The New Teftament is very exprefs and copious upon this Head, telling us, John 4. 42.that he is the Saviour of the World; that he 1 Tim.4.10.is the Saviour of all Men; that he came in

to

to the World to fave Sinners; that as in Adam Tim.1.15. all die, Jo in Chrift shall all be made alive; 1 Cor.15.22. that the Wages of Sin is Death, but the GiftRom. 6. 25. of God is eternal Life through Jefus Chrift our Lord; and therefore when he came into the World, an Angel was fent express, to notify his Arrival, in those Words, Behold I bring you good Tidings of great Joy which fhall be to all People, for unto You is Born this Day in the City of David a Saviour, which is Chrift the Lord, Luke 2. 10.

This mighty Work he perform'd by taking our Nature upon him, and offering up himself a Sacrifice on the Crofs, to expiate our Guilt, and appease the Anger of God, for without hedding of Blood there could be no Remiffion.

By purchafing for us an Inheritance in- Pet. 1. 4+ corruptible, undefiled, and which fadeth not away, which is referved for us eternally in the Heavens, this was done with the Price of his own Blood, for which Reason Heaven is call'd in the Scriptures the purchased Poffeffion, Eph. 1. 14.

By laying down in his Gospel a System of the most excellent Rules and Precepts for training us up in Virtue and Holiness, and

preparing

preparing us for that happy State he had purchased for us.

By setting us an Example in his own moft holy Life of all those Virtues which he expects we should practise in ours. And laftly,

By fending down his Holy Spirit to enlighten and guide us in the Way to everlafting Happiness, to ftrengthen us in all Virtue, and purify our Hearts, that so we may be meet to partake of the heavenly In beritance. In thefe Refpects is Chrift the Author of eternal Salvation, as he purchased it for us, and prepares us for it; which brings me to the

3d and last Thing, And that is the Condition upon which it is to be obtained, which is Obedience: He became the Author of eternal Salvation to all them that obey him. i. e. who shall fincerely endeavour to live up to the Rules and Precepts of the Gospel. But I must here obferve that this Obedience must be univerfal, and reach to all the Commands of Chrift; for to pick and choose in Religion, is not to please God, but our felves. Some Duties are easier in their own Nature than others, and fome may better comport with our Tempers, Inclinations