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truths to him. Sometimes when he hath been ready to sink under sin, temptation, or affliction, the Spirit of God hath brought him unexpected and sufficient support. Often had the believer read the same truths and promises, but without that consolation from them that he now enjoys.

Thus the Holy Spirit takes of the things of Jesus, and shews them unto his people; and he is convinced, beyond the admission of a doubt, of the unspeakable importance of that promise of Christ relative to the Holy Spirit, "He shall abide with you forever." Without him we are nothing.

VI. The efficacy of the atonement is now to be considered. I mean to confine myself to two sources of proof on this occasion.

1. The declarations of scripture. But where shall I begin, and when shall I end? Isaiah liii. "He was wounded for our transgressions—and with his stripes we are healed." Zechariah xiii. 1. "In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness." Hebrews i. 3. "When he had by himself purged our sins." ix. 28. "Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many." x. 14. "By one offering he hath perfected forever all them that are sanctified." With 1 John i. 7. I may finish this part of the subject. "The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth from all sin." I need not remark on these passages; they are so plain that he who runs may read. By one offering-Then what efficacy is there in that offering? From all sin-Then how efficacious is that blood that was shed for sinners?

2. But I pass to the experience of believers, who have all happily found that there is a divine

efficacy in the atonement made by Christ. I appeal to you, my Christian friends, whether, in the moment when you believed in Jesus, you did not behold and rejoice in the efficacy of what Christ had done and suffered for ruined man? Just before, you were without hope, or nearly so, sinking under your load of guilt; now brought by the Spirit of God to look to Jesus, and to realize his fullness of merit, you find peace, you can trust your immortal all with him. believe the truth, and you feel its efficacy. Christ is precious, and mighty to save. David, Peter, Magdalene, Saul, and millions of others, have found the sufficiency of the atonement.

You

VII. We pass to consider the consequences of denying the atonement of Christ.

1. Such denial renders the sacrifices of the law unintelligible. We cannot explain them on any other principle, as having a rational meaning.

2. The only foundation on which sinners may expect salvation, is destroyed. Because "there is no other name under heaven, given amongst men, whereby they can be saved." "Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins."

3. It follows, that they who reject the atonement can have no just hope of salvation. "For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries."

4. Permit me now to ask, why we are exhorted to look to Christ rather than to any other object? Why not to Peter, to Paul, or to some

other saint? I answer, because Christ alone is the Redeemer of sinners; he, and he only, is able to save to the uttermost, all that come unto God by him.

Two reflections shall close the subject.

1. What infinite obligations are those under to the Saviour, who are conscious that they have been redeemed by his most precious blood. Astonished at the displays of mercy to guilty men, angels swell their loud hosannas to the Lamb; while the four and twenty elders cry, "Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth."

What manner of persons ought we to be, in all holy conversation and godliness. We are not our own, but bought with a price. Forasmuch then as ye know that ye were not redeemed with gold and silver and such corruptible things; but with the precious blood of the Son of God, as of a lamb without blemish; glorify him with your body and spirit which are his.

2. Let such as have hitherto despised the Saviour, and trifled with the blood of atonement, realize that it is through this precious blood alone that they can ever hope for pardon and acceptance with God. May the Spirit of the living God arrest their attention, shew them their guilt, and bring them to a humble reliance upon the great atonement.

Amen.

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But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

THE conversation of which the text is a part, Christ had with a woman of Samaria, at the well of Jacob; to which he went with a design of converting her and a number of her countrymen to the faith of the gospel. The place was well chosen by our Lord, because crowds of the people resorted thither for water. Among the many, he addressed himself to this woman, saying, "Give me to drink." She pertly replied, "How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, who am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. To which he replied, "If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith unto thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water."

By "the gift of God," Christ himself is meant. "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." He is said by Paul to have "delivered him up for us all." He is "the unspeakable gift.”

* Preached Lord's day, March 9, 1806.

Had this woman known Christ's real character, she would have bowed before him with sacred reverence, and have asked of him the things that she wanted, as a lost sinner; and he would have given her living water, i. e. a principle of spiritual life, with all its satisfying pleasures. Like all other persons in a natural condition, she was ignorant of his meaning; hence she answered him, "Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep from whence then hast thou that living water? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?" This question discovered her entire ignorance of Christ : for he was far greater than Jacob, than Abraham, than angels, yea, than all the hierarchy of angels, cherubim and seraphim; he was very and eternal God. Had she known this divine, this adorable personage, she would have been overcome with the appearance of God in human nature. In this ignorance, however, he did not leave her,, but said to her, "Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst."

In what sense may it be said that he shall never thirst? is a question often asked by the lovers of the sacred scriptures; to which I reply,

1. That they who are made acquainted with the grace of the gospel, and feel its influence, will never thirst with that vehement desire as heretofore after earthly things. The power of religion in the heart, will cure them of their once supreme attachment to the things of the world. Or,

2. And which I esteem the real sense of our Lord in this sentence, "they shall never thirst,"

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