2. By the operation of his grace —
[" Dead as \vc arc in trespasses and sins, we are quickened liv Christ"1 ;" and immediately begin in his strength to conflict with sin and Satan. The warfare we maintain is attended with many diilieulties ; so that we are sometimes ready to cry out, " O wretched man that 1 am ! who shall deliver me from this body of sin and death ?" but in our lowest state it is our pri- vilege to add, " I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord1'." •• In him we are strong;" and through his gracious communi- cations " we can do all things :" " none can be effectually against us, whilst he is for us." Having infused into our souls a principle of life, " he dwells in us," and " is himself our life s," and carries us forward " from conquering to conquer," till sin and " Satan are bruised under our feet," and " death itself is swallowed up in everlasting victory."]
Observations —
1. How infatuated are they who live in wilful sin !
[Do they consider whom they serve, and against whom they fight ? Do they consider that they are doing those very works which proceed from and characterize the devil, and which Christ was manifested to destroy ? Reflect on your con- duct, brethren, in this view, and then judge, whether ye do well to continue in it ]
2. What reason for humility have even the best of
men !
[There is no man who has not daily occasion to lament his short-comings and defects. We are not any of us so watchful, but Satan finds some opportunities to deceive us; nor so expert in our warfare, but he wounds us occasionally by " his fiery darts." And when that wicked fiend has " got an advantage over us," with what exultation is he filled, even though he knows that he can never ultimately prevail against our blessed Lord! Be watchful, brethren, that ye do not so gratify your malignant adversary, or so grieve the Spirit of your adorable Saviour. Put yourselves more habitually under the protection and guidance of your Divine Master ; and " through him you shall be more than conquerors."]
3. How unbounded are the obligations we owe to Christ !
[Who but he could have ever redeemed us from sin and death ? Who but he could have ever destroyed for us those works of the devil ? Think what would have been the state of the world, if he had never become incarnate ; what slaves we
Q Eph. ii. 1. r Rom. vii. 24, 25. « Col. iii. 4.