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23.

XII.

Sam. 12.

SER M. treading in their Steps, we fhall certainly follow them. It was from this Source that the pious King drew his Comfort upon the Death of his beloved Son. But now he is dead, wherefore should I faft? can I bring bim back again? I shall go to him, but he fhall not return to me. To Sorrow is humane and becoming, it is one of the tender and lovely Paffions of our Natures, which is wanting in none but obdurate Hearts; but to forrow as thofe that have no Hope, is to forrow like Heathens, and to forget that we are Christians, for if we believe that Jefus died, and rofe again, even fo them also which fleep in Jefus, will God bring with him.

SERMON

SERMON XIII.
Upon the last Judgment.

HE BR. 9. 27. and Part of the 28th
Verse.

And as it is appointed unto Men
once to die, but after this the
Judgment,

So Chrift was once offered to bear the Sins of many.

T

HE Author of this Epiftle, en- SER M. deavours to convince the Jewish XIII. Converts, that the Sacrifice of

Christ once offered upon the Crofs, had put a final Period to all the Sacrifices of the Law. To this End he fuggefts two Arguments; the First is taken

C c 4

from

SER M. from the tranfcendent Value and Efficacy XIII. of Chrift's Sacrifice, which by one fingle Oblation performed that great Work, which their repeated Sacrifices could not effect any otherwife than as Types and Reprefentations of his Death. This you will find clearly and copioufly fhewn before and after my Text.

The fecond Argument is taken from the general Law which God hath put all Mankind under, and that is to die once, and but once; from whence it follows, that the humane nature of Chrift having once fuffered Death on the Cross, that Sacrifice could not be repeated a fecond Time. This is a Pofition which St. Paul exprefly lays down in his Epiftle to the Romans, ch. 6. v. 9, 10. Knowing that Chrift being raised from the Dead, dieth no more; Death bath no more Dominion over him; for in that he died, he died unto Sin once. Since therefore Chrift could die but once, it follows, that the one Sacrifice which he offered upon the Crofs, must be fufficient to answer fully the End and Intention of it, without any Repetition. And this is the Subftance of the Apostles Argument as introduced in the Words of my Text, And as it is appointed

unto

XIII.

unto Men once, that is, but once, to die, and SER M. after Death, the Judgment, fo Chrift was once offered to bear the Sins of many.

I cannot proceed to what I mainly de-. figned in my Choice of this Text, without making one Observation as I pass, which must naturally offer it self to every Man who hears it read: And this is, that the Popish Doctrine of the real Prefence, and real Sacrifice of Chrift in the Holy Sacrament, is utterly overthrown by this Argument of St. Paul. For if it be true as the Church of Rome affirms, and requires all Christians to believe, that the Body and Blood of Christ are truly and properly prefent under the Appearance of the Bread and Wine, and that Chrift is actually facrificed every Time that the Mafs is celebrated, then the whole reasoning of St. Paul in this Place is falfe and groundlefs. St. Paul reasons at the 25th Verse, that it was not necessary that Chrift should offer himself often, as the High Prieft entreth into the holy Place every Year with the Blood of others, for then he must often have fuffered fince the Foundation of the World. He affirms, that by the general Law of Mortality, Men are to die once and no more, and that pursuant there

to,

XIII.

SER M. to, Chrift was once offered to bear the Sins of many; and in the 12th Verfe of the next Chapter, That by ONE Offering he bath perfected for ever them that are fanctified; and in the Place above-mentioned to the Romans, That Chrift being raised from the Dead, dieth no more. Now if Tranfubftantiation and the Sacrifice of Chrift in the Mass be true, St. Paul must be quite mistaken, and we must wipe all these Texts out of our Bible; for the Romish Priests have found out the Art of facrificing Chrift ten thousand Times in every Year.

Having thus fhewn you how the Words of my Text are introduced and connected, I shall not confider them as they stand a Part of St. Paul's Argument in this Place; but as a feparate Propofition. For it is appointed unto Men once to die, and after Death the Judgment.

Two Things are here plainly affirmed, the first is the Certainty of Dearh to all Men.

The 2d is the Confequence or Sequel of Death, and that is the Judgment of every Man at God's Tribunal.

As to the Former of thefe, viz, the Certainty of Death, it is needlefs for me to go about

to

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