3. As a stimulus to our exertions —
[Sweetly encouraging was the testimony given to Abel, when he offered a firstling of his flock to God ; insomuch that Cain, who understood its im])ort, was filled with rage at the distinguishing grace shewn to his piovis and believing bro- ther"'. But the blood of Christ sprinkled on our souls " speaks infinitely better things to us"." And shall not his love in shedding it for us influence our minds ? Shall it not " constrain us to live unto him who died for us and rose again"?" What will be able to stop us when impelled by gratitude to him ? " Will tribidation, or distress, or persecu- tion, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword ? No : in all those things we shall be more than conquerors through him that loved us^" None of these things will move us : we shall " be ready not only to be bound, but also to die," for our adorable Benefactor ; and shall never cease to fight against our adversary till he is overcome, and " bruised under our feet."-i
Seeing then that our victory over this great adver- sary is to be gained by the blood of the Lamb, let us exercise faith in that blood,
1 . With simplicity —
[This is the precise idea contained in our text The Redeemed overcame by a simple reliance on the blood of
Christ, ' Heb. viii. 10. '" fn'n. \v 4, ."i. " Heb. xii.'it.
• 2Cor. V. N. '' Rom. viii. :i.'), 36.
Christ as the only ground of their hopes. And in this we must resemble them. We must not blend any thing else with this. We must not endure the thought of uniting any work of ours in any degree whatever with Christ's meritorious death and passion. We must make Him our only foundation, and glory in him alone ]
2. With boldness —
[It is added, that they overcame Satan by the word of their testimony. No doubt they all testified of Christ where- ever they went : and by their testimony they prevailed on thousands to embrace the faith, and to burst the bonds in which they had been held. You are not all, it is true, called to be Ministers of Christ, but you are all to be witnesses for him in the midst of a dark benighted world. With the heart you may believe unto righteousness ; but with the mouth you must make confession unto salvation. By this you will give the death-wound to Satan : for let light only shine, and the kingdom of darkness will be utterly destroyed ]
3. With constancy —
[To the honour of the saints in glory it is recorded, that " they loved not their lives unto the death." This is the sure way to conquer. Jesus himself, " by death overcame him that had the power of death, that is, the Devil :" and in the same way must we triumph also. If we would vanquish Satan in the world, or in our own hearts, it must be by shewing that death has no sting for us ; and that we can welcome it for Christ's sake. " Be ye then faithful unto death, and Christ will give you the crown of life." ]