(3.) It was condescending love. Never did love humble itself and stoop so low as the love of Christ did. It was great condescension, that he should pitch his love upon creatures so mean-man, that is a worm ...the son of man, that is a worm...so near a-kin to the brutal part of the creation, especially since the fali, that one would think he should rather be the scorn than the love of the spiritual and purely intellectual world; yet this is the creature that is chosen to be the darling of heaven, and in whom Wisdom's delights are.... Prov. viii. 31. But especially, that, in persecution of his love, he should humble himself as he did....humble himself to the earth in his incarnation...humble himself into the earth in the meanness of life...humble himself into the earth, when he went to the grave, the place where mankind appears under the greatest mortification and disgrace.

(4.) It was expensive love. His washing the feet of his disciples, is spoken of as an act of love to them, (John xiii. 1.); and that was condescending love, but not costly, like this. He loved us, and bought us, and paid dear for us, that we might be unto him a purchased people.... Pet. ii. 9. Because he loved Israel, he gave men for them, and people for their life, even Egypt for their ransom, (Isa. xliii. 3, 4.); but because he loved us, he gave himself for us, even his own blood for the ransom of our souls.

(5.) It was strong love...strong as death, and which many waters could not quench....Cant. viii. 6, 7. This was the greatness of his strength, in which the Redeemer travelled, who is mighty to saye....Isa. Ixiii. 1. It was strong to break through great difficulties, and trample upon the discouragements that lay in his way. When he had his baptism to be baptized with, this baptism of blood, it was love that said, How am I straitened till it be accomplished?....Luke xii. 50. It was love that said, With desire have I desired to eat this passover, which he knew was to be his last. was the strength of his love that reconciled him to

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the bitter cup which was put into his hand, and made hia wave his petition, that it might pass from him; which, for ought we know, if he had insisted upon, it had been granted, and the work undone.

(6.) It was an everlasting love....Jer. xxxi. 3. It was from everlasting in the counsels of it, and will be to everlasting in the consequences of it: not like our love, which cometh up in a night and perisheth in a night. He loved to the end, and went on with his undertaking till he said, It is finished. Never was there such a constant lover as the blessed Jesus, whose gifts and callings are without repentance.

(7.) Come and see the conquest of Satan: and this is a very pleasing sight to all those who through grace are turned from the power of Satan unto God, as it was to the Israelites, when they had newly sha ken off the Egyptian yoke, to see their task-masters and pursuers dead upon the sea-shore....Exod. xiv. 30. Come and see our Joshua discomfiting the Amalekites-our David, with a sling and a stone, vanquishing that proud Goliah, who not only himself basely deserted, but then boldly defied the armies of the living God. Come and see, not Michael and his angels, but Michael himself-Michael, our prince, who trode the wine-press alone, entering the lists with the dragon and his angels, and giving them an effectual overthrow-the seed of the woman, though `bruised in the heel, yet breaking the serpent's head, according to that ancient promise made unto the fathers....Gen. iii. 15. Come and see the great Redeemer, not only making peace with earth, but making war with hell...dispossessing the strong man armed... spoiling principalities and powers...making a show of them openly, and triumphing over them in his cross'....Col. ii. 15.

Come and see Christ triumphing over Satan at his death. Though the war was in heaven, (Rev. xii. 7.) yet some fruits of the victory even then appeared on earth. Though when Christ was in the extremity of

ture in the person afferings of Christ Ne laid down his

omen nothing else o, what is man, Psalarded!-that emnadiomong us, but

(2.) Ch

and rclow tornut a Sveter Satan, and Satan tempted Peter

his sufferings, there waidar which gave the powers o day they could wish for yet he own ground. Sata (some in his agony; but the he ke soul, and steadily adhed to his own undertaking: se it into the heart of Juda t immediate ruin of Judas hanged himself, Christ tr made a show of him open! to deny Christ, desiring to hae bhim, that he might sift him as wheat; but by the speedy repentance of Peter, who, upon a look from Christ, went out and wept bitterly, Christ triumphed over Satan, and baffled him in his designs. Satan was ready to swallow up the thief upon the cross; but, Christ rescued him from the gates of hell, and raised him to the glories of heaven, and thereby spoiled Satan, who was as a lion disappointed of his prey.

Come and see Christ triumphing over Satan by his death-the true Sampson, that did more towards the ruin of the Philistines dying than living....see Judg. xvi. 23. Having by his life and doctrine destroyed the works of the devil, at length, by his death, he destroyed the devil himself, that had the power of death'....Heb. ii. 14. In him was fulfilled the blessing of the tribe of Gad, (Gen. xlix. 19.) 'a troop shall overcome him, but he shall overcome at the last," and 'through him that loved us, we are conquerors; yea, more than conquerors.'

(1.) Christ, by dying, made atonement for sin, and so conquered Satan. By the merit of his death he satisfied God's justice for the sins of all that should believe in him. And if the Judge remit the sentence, the executioner hath nothing to do with the prisoner. We were ready to fall under the curse...to be made an anathema-that is, to be delivered unto Satan. Christ said, Upon me be the curse; this blotted out

the bitter cup whicing that asagainst us...took that out hin wave his petimailed thao the cross; and so Satan which, for ought ho shall ademn? It is Christ that had been grante viii. 33, 3. When God forgives the

(6.) It was a his people, brigs back their captivity was from evexxv. 1, 2. Ive hall not come into con*be to everlast, we are savedrom coming into execution. our love, whirist, by dying jealed the gospel of grace, aniot Hased the spirif grace, and so conquered Satan. The spirit actis by the gospel, as the instrument....and the gospelanimated by the spirit as the principal, are becom mighty to the pulling down of Satan's strong holds. Thus a foundation is laid for a believer's victory over the temptations and terrors of the wicked one. Christ's victory over Satan is our victory; and we overcome him by the blood of the Lamb....Rev. xii. 11. Thus kings of armies did flee apace, and even they that tarried at home, and did themselves contribute nothing to the victory, yet divided the spoil....Psal. lxviii. 12. Christ having thus trodden Satan under our feet, he calls to us, as Joshua to the captains of Israel, (Josh. x. 24.) 'come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings; resist the devil, and he shell flee from you,' for he is a conquered enemy.

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(5.) Come and see the worth of souls: We judge of the value of a thing by the price which a wise man that understands it gives for it. He that made souls, and had reason to know them, provided for their redemption not corruptible things, as silver and gold, but the precious blood of his own Son'....see 1 Pet. i. 18, 19. It was not a purchase made hastily, for it was the contrivance of infinite wisdom from eternity: it was not made for necessity, for he neither needed us, nor could be benefited by us; but thus he was pleased to teach us what account we should make of our own souls, and their salvation and happiness. The incarnation of Christ put a great honor upon the human nature; never was it so dignified as when it was

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taken into union with the divine nature in the person of Immanuel: but the death and sufferings of Christ add much more to its value; for he laid down his own life to be the ransom of ours, when nothing else was sufficient to answer the price. Lord, what is man, that he should be thus visited....thus regarded!—that the Son of God should not only dwell among us, but die for us!

Now (1.) Let us see this, and learn how to put a value upon our own souls; not so as to advance our conceit of ourselves; nothing can be more humbling and abasing, than to see our lives sold by our own folly, and redeemed by the merit of another; but so as to increase our concern for ourselves, and our own spiritual interest. Shall the souls...the precious souls which Christ put such a value upon, and paid such a price for, debase and undervalue themselves so far as to become slaves to Satan, and drudges to the world and the flesh? We are bought with a price, and therefore we not only injure the purchaser's right to us, if we alienate ourselves to another, but we reproach his wisdom in paying such a price if we alienate ourselves for a thing of nought. It is the apostle's argument against uncleanness, (1 Cor. vi. 20.) and against making ourselves the servants of men....I Cor. vii. 23. Christ having purchased our souls at such a rate, we disparage them if we stake them to the trifles of this world, or pawn them for the base and sordid pleasures of sin. Shall that birth-right be sold for a mess of pottage, which Christ bought with his own blood? No, while we live, let our souls be our darlings, (as they are called, Psal. xxii. 20. & xxxv. 17.) for his sake to whom they were so dear. If Christ died and suffered so much to save our souls, let us not hazard the losing of them, though it be to gain the whole world.... Mat. xvi. 26.

(2.) Let us see this, and learn how to put a value upon the souls of others. thing that may turn to the

This forbids us to do any prejudice of the souls of