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EDINBURGH, MAY 31. 1792.

At a General Meeting of the Society in Scotland for Propagating Chriftian Knowledge,

The Earl of Leven, President, in the Chair,

THE thanks of the Society were given from the Chair to the Rev. Dr. Gloag, for his excellent Sermon this day preached before them; and he was requested to give his manufcript of the fame, to be printed for the benefit of the Society.

Jo. KEMP, SIC.

THE GOSPEL REVELATION OF THE FUTURE STATE AND HAPPINESS OF MAN CONSIDERED;

SERMO N.

JOHN, xi. 25.

-JESUS SAID UNTO HER, I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE: HE THAT BELIEVETH IN ME, THOUGH HE WERE DEAD, YET SHALL HE LIVE.

THERE is an inimitable grandeur and fimplicity in all the difcourfes of our blessed Saviour, which distinguish his character, as a teacher of religion, from every inftructer under heaven. From the common and ordinary events of Providence, he takes occafion to reveal the moft fublime and important doctrines to our faith, and to recommend the wifest and best rules of conduct to our practice, in language clear and expreffive; admirably adapted to convey his meaning, with perfuafive force and energy, to perfons of all capacities.

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The death of Lazarus of Bethany, the be loved brother of Mary and her fifter Martha, gäve rife to a most tender and interesting converfation, recorded in this chapter; where we behold our divine Mafter in a point of view, both venerable and amiable; "touched with a feeling of "our infirmities," and revealing, at the fame time, fuch precious truths, as are full of inftruction and confolation to his people. "Martha,

as foon as she heard that Jefus was coming" to the house of mourning," went and met ઃઃ him, and faid unto him, * Lord, if thou hadst "been here, my brother had not died. But I "know that even now whatsoever thou wilt afk "of God, God will give it thee. Jesus faith "unto her, Thy brother fhall rife again. Mar

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tha faith unto him, I know that he shall rife "again in the refurrection, at the last day. Je"fus faid unto her, I am the refurrection, and "the life: he that believeth in me, though he "were dead, yet shall he live."-The important doctrine which our Lord hath taught us in the words of the text, concerning the future state and happiness of his faithful people, will, it is hoped, be a proper fubject of difcourfe before

* John, si, 21.

THE GOSPEL REVELATION OF THE FUTURE STATE AND

HAPPINESS OF MAN CONSIDERED;

SERMON.

JOHN, xi. 25.

-JESUS SAID UNTO HER, I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE: HE THAT BELIEVETH IN ME, THOUGH HE WERE DEAD, YET SHALL HE LIVE.

THERE is an inimitable grandeur and fimplicity in all the difcourfes of our bleffed Saviour, which distinguish his character, as a teacher of religion, from every inftructer under heaven. From the common and ordinary events of Providence, he takes occafion to reveal the moft fublime and important doctrines to our faith, and to recommend the wifest and best rules of conduct to our practice, in language clear and expreffive; admirably adapted to convey his meaning, with perfuafive force and energy, to perfons of all capacities.

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"I am the refurrection, and the life." There is a dignity in thefe words of our Lord becoming himself, and peculiar to him as the Son of God, and the Saviour of the world. No prophet merely of human kind, ever prefumed to speak in this manner; for, in him, fuch language would have been falfehood, impiety, and blafphemy. It became him alone, who "thought "it not robbery to be equal with God;" "for"in him dwelleth all the fulness of the God"head bodily.*" Well did our Lord know what was within the compafs of his own power, and what it was able to accomplish with respect to the two great objects here fet before us. He had already displayed his almighty power in the creation of the world; and was daily making it manifeft in the prefervation and government of the countless millions of beings that inhabit the universe and surely the fame power is equal to any other effect, neceffary to the perfection and happiness of the human race, that the divine. wisdom and goodness may fee fit to be produced, Of this kind, are the refurrection, and the life; and of both these glorious works, the Lord Jesus afferts, that he is the author and the caufe. As

Phil, ii, 6. Col. ii. 9.

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