Wherein the Resurrection of Christ, with its Influences

Wherein the Resurrection of Christ, with its Influences

The Fountain of Life.

SERM . XXXIX.

SERMONΧΧΧΙΧ.

Wherein the Resurrection of CHRIST, with its Influences upon the Saints Resurrection, is clearly opened, and comfortably applied, being the first Step of his

Exaltation.

Маттн . xxviii . 6. He is not here ; for he is risen, ashes aid: come, fee the place where the Lord lay.

WEhavefinishedthedoctrineofChrist's humiliation,whereing the Sun of righteousness appeared to you, as a setting fun, gone out of sight ; but as the fun when it is gone down to us, begins a new day in another part of the world; fo Christ, having finished his course and work in this world, rises again, and that, in order to the acting another glorious part of his work in the world above.

In his death, he was upon the matter totally eclipsed ; but in his resurrection, he begins to recover his light and glory again. God never intended,that the darling of his soul should be lost in an obscure sepulchre. An angel descends from heaven, to roll away the stone, and, with it,the reproachofhisdeath. And to be the heavenly herald, to proclaim his resurrection to the two Mary's, whose love to Christ had, at this time, drawn them to visit the sepulchre, where they lately left him.

At this time (the Lord being newly risen) the keepers were trembling, and become as dead men. So great was the terrible majesty, and awful solemnity, attending Christ's resurrection : but, to encourage these good fouls, the angel prevents them with these good tidings; " He is not here ; for he is risen, as " he said: come, see the place where the Lord lay :" q. d. Be not troubled, though you have not the end you came for, one fightmoreofyour dear, though dead, Jesus ; yet you have not loft your labour; for, to your eternal comfort, I tell you, " he

" is risen, as he said." And to put it outofdoubt, come hither and fatisfyyourselves," See the placewhere the Lord lay."

In which words, we have both a declaration, and confirmation of the resurrection of Christ from the dead.

First, A declaration of it by the angel,both negatively and affirmatively.

Negatively, He is not here.

Here indeed you laid him, here you left him, and here you thought to find him as you left him ; but you are happily mistaken,He is not here.

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However, this giving them nofatisfaction, fo he might continue dead still, though removed to another place, as indeed they suspected he was, John xx. 13.

Therefore his resurrection is declared positively and affirmatively ; He is risen ; ηγερθε, the * word imports, the active power or self-quickening principle, by which Christ raised himself from the state of the dead.

Which Luke takes notice of also, Acts i. 3. where he faith, HeShewed, or presented , himself alive after his passion. It was the divine nature, orGodhead of Christ,which revived and raised the manhood.

Secondly, Here is also a plain confirmation of Christ's resurrection, and that, first, From Christ's own prediction, He is risen, as he said.

He foretold that, which I declare to be now fulfilled.

Let it not therefore seem incredible to you.

Secondly, by their own fight, " Come, see the place where the " Lord lay. "

The grave hath lost its guest; it is now empty ; death hath loft its prey.

It received, but could not retain him.

" Come, fee the place where the Lord lay."

Thus the resurrection of Christ is declared, and confirmed.

Hence our observation is, Doct. That our Lord Jesus Christ, by the almighty power of his own Godhead, revived, and rose from the dead ; to the terror and consternation of his enemies, and the unspeakable consolation of believers.

That our Lord Jesus Christ, though laid, was not loft in the grave; but the third day revived and rose again, is a truth confirmed to us by many infallible proofs, as Luke witnesseth,

Acts i. 3. We have testimonies of it, both from heaven and earth, and both infallible.

From heaven, we have the testimonyofangels, and to the teftimonyof an angel all credit is due; for angels are holy creatures, andcannotdeceive us . The angel tells the two Marys, in the text, " He is risen." We have testimonies of it from men, holy men, who where eye-witnesses of this truth, to whom he shewed himself alive by the space of forty days after his resurrection, by no less than † nine solemn apparitions to them. Sometimes five hundred brethren saw him

*The argument whereby we prove that Christ raised himself by hisownpower, is drawn from the very activity of his resurrection :

Chriftus ηγερθε, i. e. Christ arose, Matth. xxviii. 6. παρεσησεν έαυτον ζωντα, Acts 1. 3.

Maccov.loc. Com. p. 874.

+ John xx. 14.

Mark xvi. 12.

John xx.19 .

1 Cor. xv. 6, 7.

1Cor. xv. 8.

John vii. 26. Jolm xxi. 1, 2. Luke xxiv. 36.

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at once, 1 Cor. xv. 6.

These were holy persons, who durst not deceive, and who confirmed their testimony with their blood.

So that no point of religion is of more confessed truth, and infallible certainty than this before us.

AndblessedbeGod it is fo.

For if it were not, then were " the gospel in vain,"

I Cor. xv. 14. seeing it hangs the whole weight of our faith, hope, and salvation, upon Christ as risen from the dead t.

If this were not so, then would the holy, and divinely inspired apostles be foundfalfe-witnesses, 1 Cor.

XV. 15.

For they all, with one mouth, constantly, and to the death affirmed it.

If Christ be not risen, " then are believers " yet in their fins,"

I Cor. xv. 17.

For our justification is truly ascribed to the resurrection of Christ, Rom. iv. 25.

Whilst Christ was dying, and continued in the state of the dead, the price of our redemption was all that while but in paying, the payment was compleated, when he revived and rose again.

Therefore for Christ to have continued always in the state of the dead, had been never to have compleatly satisfied; hence the whole force and weight of our justification depends upon his resurrection. Nay, had not Christ risen, " the dead had

" perished,"

I Cor. xv. 17.

Even the dead who died in the faith of Christ, and of whose salvation there now remains no ground to doubt.

Moreover, Had he not revived, and risen from the dead, how could all the types that prefigured it have been satisfied ? Surely they must have stood as insignificant things in the scriptures, and so must all the predictions of his resurrection, by which it was so plainly foretold.

See Matth. xii. 40. Luke xxiv. 46.

Psal. xvi. 10. 1 Cor. xv. 4.

To conclude.

Had he not risen from the dead, how could he have been installed in that glory whereof he is now possessed in heaven, and which was promised him before the world was, upontheaccount of his death and sufferings ? " For to this

" end Christ both died, and rose and revived, that he might " be Lord both of the dead and living," Rom. xiv. 9.

And that, in this state of dominion and glorious advancement, he might powerfully apply the virtues and benefits of his blood to us, which else had been as a precious cordial spilt upon the ground.

‡ Our deliverance, was in his death, put in motion ; or, as they say, in fieri, i. e. begun ; but was finished in bris resurrection, whence it is, that ourjuftification or absolution from debt is justly by the apostle afcribed not to his death but resurrection, &c.

Maccov. loc. Com. p. 869.

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So then, there remains no doubt at all of the certainty of Christ's resurrection ; it was so, and upon all accounts it must needs be fo ; for you see how great a weight the scriptures hang upon this nail.

And blessed be God it is a nail fastened in a fureplace.

I need spend no more words to confirm it ; but rather choose to explain and open the nature, and manner of his resurrection, which I shall do by shewing you four or five properties of it.

And the first is this, First, Christ rose from the dead with awful majesty.

So you find it in Mat. xxviii. 2, 3, 4. " And behold, there was a great earthquake; for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door,

" and fat upon it.

His countenance was like lightning, and " his raimentwhite as snow. And for fear of him the keepers

" did shake, and became as dead men."

Human infirmity was notable to bear such heavenly majesty as attended the business of that morning.

Nature sank under it.

This earthquake was, as one calls it, triumphalefignum : a sign of triumph, or token of victory, given by Christ, not only to the keepers, and the neighbouring city, but to the whole world, that he had overcome death in its own dominions, and, like a conqueror, lifted up his head above all his enemies.

So when the Lord fought from heaven for his people, and gave them a glorious, though but temporal deliverance; see how the prophetess drives on the triumph in that rhetorical song, Judg. v. 4, 5.

Alluding to the most awful appearance of God, at the giving of the law.

Lord, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the field ofEdom, the earth trembled, and "

" the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water. The mountains melted from before the Lord, even that Sinai

" from before the Lord God of Israel."

Our Lord Jesus went out of the grave, in like manner, and marched out of that " bloody field, with apomp and majesty ‡ becoming so great a conqueror.

Secondly, And to increase the splendorofthatday, and drive on the triumph, his resurrection was attended with the resurection of many of the saints; who had lept in their graves till then, and then were awakened and raised to attend the Lord at his rising. So you read, Mat. xxvii : 52. 53. "And the graves

" were opened, and many bodies of the saints, which slept † Eft incedere cumpompa et majestate. i. e. It is to march with romp and majesty.

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" arose, and came out of the graves, after his resurrection ; " and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many."

This wonder was designed, both to adorn the resurrection of Christ, and to give a specimen or pledge of our resurrection ; which also is to be in the virtue of his.

This indeed was the resurrection of saints, and none but faints, the resurrection of many faints, yet it was but a special, resurrection, intended only to shew what God will one day do for all his saints. And, for the present, to give testimony of Christ's resurrection, from the dead.

They were seen, and known of many in the city, who doubtless never thought to have seen them anymore in this world.

To enquire curiously, as some do, who they were, whatdifcourse they had with those to whom they appeared, and what became of them afterwards, is a vain thing. God hath cast a veil of silence, and secrecy upon these things, that we might content ourselves with the written word, and he that " will not believe Moses and the prophets, neither will he be- " lieve though one rise from the dead," as these saints did.

Thirdly, As Christ rose from the dead with those satellites, or attendants, who accompanied him at his resurrection ; so it was by the power of his own Godhead that he quickened and raised himself; and by the virtue of his resurrection were they raised also, who accompanied him.

It was not the Angel who rolledbackthe stone that revived him in the fepulchre, but he resumed his own life, fo he tells us, John x. 18. " I lay

" down my life that I may take it again."

Hence 1Pet, iii. 18.

He is said to be put to death in the flesh, but quickned by the Spirit, (i. e.) by the power of his Godhead, or divine nature, which is opposed there to flesh, or his human nature.

By the eternal Spirit he offered himself up to God, when he died, Heb. ix. 14. (i. e.) by his own Godhead, not the third person in the Trinity, for then it could not have been ascribed to him as his own act, that he offered up himself. And by the fame

Spirit he was quickned again.

And, therefore, the apostle well observes,Rom. i. 4. "That " he was declared to be the Son of God with power, by his

" resurrection from the dead. Now if he had been raised by the power of the Father, or Spirit only, and not by his own, howcouldhe be declared by his resurrection to be the Son of God? What more had appeared in him than in others ? For others are raised by the power of God, if that were all.

So that in this respect also it was amarvellous resurrection.

Never any did, or shall rise as Christ rose, by a self-quickning principle.

For tho many dead saints rose at that time also, yet it

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was by the virtue of Christ's resurrection that their graves were opened, and their bodies quickned. In which respect, he faith,

John xi . 25. when he raised dead Lazarus, I am the resur- " rection and the life," (i e.) the principle of life and quick-

ning, by which the dead faints arė raised.

Fourthly,And therefore it maybe trulyaffirmed, that though some dead faints are raised to life before the resurrection of Christ, yet that Christ is " the first-born from the dead," as he is called, Col. i. 18.

For though Lazarus and others were raised, yet not by themselves, but by Christ.

It was by his virtue and power, not their own.

And though they were raisedtolife, yet they died again. Death recovered them again, but Christ dieth no more. " Death hath no dominion over him."

He was the first that opened the womb of the earth, the first-born from the dead, that in all things he might have thepre-eminence.

Fifthly, But lastly, Christ rose as a public or common person. "As the first fruits of them that slept," 1 Cor. xv. 20.

Idefire this maybe well understood; for upon this account it is that our resurrection is secured to us by the resurrection of Christ; and not a resurrection only, but a blessed and happy one, for the first-fruits, both assured and sanctified the whole crop or harvest.

Now that Christ did rise, as a public person, representing and comprehending all the elect, who are called the children of the resurrection, is plain from Eph. ii. 6. Where we are said to be risen with, or in him.

So that, we are said to die in Adam, (who also was a common person) as the * branches die in the death of the root; so we are said to be raised from death in Christ, who is the head, root, and representative, of all his elect feed.

And why i she called the first-born, and first-begotten from the dead, but with respect to the whole number of the elect, that are to be born from the dead in their time and order also, and as sure as the whole harvest follows the first fruits, fo thall the general resurrection of the saints to life eternal, follow this birth, of the first-born from the dead.

It shall surely follow it, I say, and that not only as a confequent follows an antecedent, but as an effect follows its proper cause. Now there is a three-fold cafuality, or influence that Christ's refurrectionhath upon the saints resurrection, of which it is both the meritorious, efficient, and exemplary cause.

D 2 * Mankind putrifiedin their first parent, as the branches in the root. Greg.

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First, The resurrection of Christ, is the meritorious cause of the saints resurrection, as itcompleated his satisfaction, and finished his payment, and so our justification is properly assigned to it, as before was noted from Rom. iv. 25.

This his resurrection was the receiving of the acquittance, the cancelling of the bond.

And had not this been done,we had still been in our sins, as he speaks, 1 Cor. xv. 7. and so our guilthadbeen still a bar to our happy resurrection.

But now, the price being paid in his death, which payment was finished when he revived; and the discharge then received for us, now there is nothing lies in bar against our resurrection to eternal life.

Secondly, As it is the meritorious cause of our resurrection, so it is the efficient cause of it also.

For when the time shall come, that the saints shall rise out of the dust, they shall be raised by Christ, as their head, in whom the effective principle of their life is. " Your life is hid with Christ in God," as it is Col. iii . 3. As when a man awakes out of his sleep †, " the " animal spirits seated in the brain, being set at liberty by the ⚫⚫digestion ofthosevapours that bound them up, do play freely

" through every part and member of the body;" so Christ, the believer's mystical-head, being quickned ; the spirit of life,which is in him, shall be diffused through all his members to quicken them also in the morning of the resurrection. Hence the warm animatingdew of Christ's resurrection is said to be to our bodies, as thedewofthe morning is to the withered, languishing plants, which revive by it, Ifa xxvi. 19. " Thy dew is as the dew of " herbs;" and then it follows, " the earth shall cast forth her

" dead."

So that by the fame faith we put Christ's resurrection into the promises, we may put the believer's resurrection into the conclusion. And therefore, the apostle makes them convertibles, reasoning forward, from Christ's to ours ; and back again from ours to his, I Cor. xv. 12, 13.

Which is also the sense of that scripture, Rom. viii. IC, II . " And if Christ be in " you, the body indeed is dead because of fin; but the spirit is

" life because of righteousness." (i. e.) Though you are really united to Christ by the Spirit, yet your bodies must die as well

+ Proximum inftrumentumfivefedesfomni eft cerebrum, utpote in quofpiritus animalesfrigefiuntet condensantur, aut etiam refolvunturet dissipantur, proxime, tanquam in propriafpirituum animalium officina, et in quo etiam radices nervorum obftruuntur, per vapores, nespiritus an i males fenfui communi fervireaut in partes reliquas inferiores corporis propagari libere poffint.

Keckerm. Syft. Phyf. p. (mihi) 441.

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as other mens ; but your souls shall be, presently, upon your dissolution, swallowed up in life. And then it follows, verse 11 .

" But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead, " dwell in you ; he that raised up Christ from the dead, shall

" alsoquickenyour mortal bodies, by his Spirit thatdwelleth in " you," (i. e.) though your bodies must die, yet they shall live again in the resurrection ; and that by virtue of the Spirit of Christ which dwelleth in you ; and is the bond of your mystical union with him your head.

You shall not be raised as others are, by a mere word of power, but by the spirit of life dwelling in Christ your head, which is a choice prerogative indeed.

Thirdly, Christ's resurrection is not only the meritorious and efficient cause, but it is also the exemplary cause, or pattern of our resurrection .

" ‡ He being the first and best, is therefore " the pattern and measure of all the rest."

So you read, Phil. iii. 21. " Who shall change our vile body that it may be fa- " shioned like unto his glorious body." Now the conformity of our resurrection to Christ's, stands in the following particulars.

Christ's body was raised substantially the fame, fo will ours.

His body was raised first ; so will ours be raised before the rest of the dead.

His body was wonderfully improved by the resurrection; so will ours. Hisbody was raised to be glorified; and so will ours .

First, Christ's body was raised substantially the same that it was before ; and so will ours .

Not another, but the famebody.

Upon this very reason the apostle uses that identical expression, J Cor. xv. 53. "This corruptible must put on incorruption,

" and this mortal, immortality."

Pointing, as it were, to his own body when he spake it; the samebody, I fay, and that not only specifically the fame, (for indeed no other species of flesh is so privileged) but the same numerically, that very body, not a new or another body, in its stead.

So that it shall be both the what it was, and the who it was. And indeed to deny this, is to deny the resurrection itself. For should God prepare another body to be raised instead of this ; it would not be a resurrection, but a creation; for non refurrectio dici poterit, ubi non refurgit quod cecidit.

That cannot be called a resurrection, where onethingfalis, andanotherrises, asGregorylong sincepertinentlyobserved.

Secondly, His body was raised, notbyaword of power from the Father, but by his own Spirit.

So will ours.

Indeed the power of God shall go forth to unburrough sinners, and fetch †Optimum inunoquoquegenere eftregula etmenfura caterorum.

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them forcibly out of their graves; but the resurrection of the saints is to be effected another way; as I opened but now to you.

Even by his Spirit,which nowdwelleth in them.

That very Spirit of Christ, which effected their spiritual resurrection from fin, shall effect their corporal resurrection also from the grave.

Thirdly, His body was raised first, he had in this, as well as in other things, thepre-eminence; so shall the saints, in respect of the wicked, have the pre-eminence in the resurrection, 1 Thef. iv. 16. "The dead in Christ shall rise first."

They are to attend the Lord at his coming, and will be brought forth sooner than the rest of the world, to attend on that service.

As the Sheriff, with his men, goes forth to meet the judge, before thejaylor brings forth his prisoners.

Fourthly, Christ's body was marvellously improved by the resurrection, and so will ours.

It fell in weakness, but was raised in power; no more capable of sorrows, pains and dishonours.

In like manner our bodies are " sown in weakness, but raised " in strength, sown indishonour, raised in glory.

Sown natu- " ralbodies, raised spiritual bodies," as the apostle speaks, 1 Cor. xv. 43, 44. Spiritual bodies, not properly, but analogically. No distempershang about glorified bodies, nor are they henceforth subject to any of those natural necessities, to which they are now tied.

There are no flaws, defects , ordeformities, in the children of the resurrection.

What members are now defective or deformed, will then be restored to their perfect being and beauty; " for, if the universal death of all parts be rescinded

66 by the resurrection, how much more the partial death of any single member?" || As Tertullian speaks,and from thenceforth theyarefreefrom the law of mortality," they candienomore,"

Luke xx. 35, 36.

Thus shall they be improved by their resurrection.

Fifthly, To conclude, Christ's body was raised from the dead to be glorified, and crowned with honour.

Oh it was a joyful day to him, and fo will the resurrection of the saints be to them, the day of the gladness of their hearts.

It will be said to them in that morning,"Awake, and sing, ye that dwell in the dust," as Ha, xxvi. 19. O how comfortable will be the meeting betwixt the glorified foul, and its new raised body.

Much more comfortable than thatofJacob's and Joseph's, after twenty years || Membri detruncatio vel obtufio nonne mors membri eft ? Si univerfalis mors refurrectione refcinditur, quanto magis portion a lis!

Tertull. de Refur.

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absence,Gen. xlvi. 29. Or thatofDavid's with Jonathan,when he came out of the cave to him, I Sam. xx . 41.

Or that of the father of the prodigal with his son,who "was dead and is a- " live, was loft, and is found."

As he speaks, Luke xv. there are three things will make it fo.

And First, The gratifications of the soul, by the satisfaction of its natural appetite of union with its own body.

For even glorified fouls in heaven have such an appetition and desire ofre-union.

Indeed, the angels, who are pure spirits, as they never had union with, so they have no inclination to matter; but fouls are otherwise tempered and disposed. We are all sensible of its affection to the body now, in its compounded state, we feel the tender care it hath for the body, the sympathy with it, and lothness to be separated from it.

It is said, 1 Cor. v. 6. " To be at " home in the body." And had not God implanted such an inclination to this its tabernacle, in it, it would not have paid that due respect it owes the body while it inhabited in it, nor have regarded what became of it when it left it.

This inclination remains still with it in heaven, it reckons not itselfcompleatly happy til itsolddear companion and partner be with it, and in that sense some understand those words, Job. xiv. 14. "All the

" days of myappointedtime," i. e.of the time appointed for my body to remain in the grave, will I wait till my change (viz. that which will be made by the resurrection) come ; for it is manifest enough he speaks there of the resurrection. Now, when this its inclination to its own body, its longings and hankerings after it, are gratified with a fight and enjoy meet of it again, oh what a comfortable meeting will this make it ! especially if we confider, Secondly, The excellent temper and state in which they shall meet each other.

For, as the body shall be raised with all the improvements and endowments imaginable, which may render it amiable, and every way desirable, so the soul comes down immediately from God out of heaven, shining in its holiness and glory.

It comes perfumed out of those ivory palaces, with a strong scent ofheavenuponit. And thus it re-enters itsbody, and animates it again.

But, Thirdly, And principally, that wherein the chief joy of this meeting consists, is the end for which the glorified foul comes down to quicken and repossess it, namely, to meet the Lord, and ever to be with the Lord.

To receive a full reward for all the labours and services it performed to God in this world.

This must needs make that day, a day of triumph and exultation.

It comes out of the grave, as Joseph out ofhisprifon, to bead-

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vanced to the highest honour. O do but imagine what an extafy of joy, and ravishing pleasure it will be, for afoul thus to resume its own body, and say as it were, unto it, come away, my dear, my ancient friend, who servedst and fufferedst with me in the world ; come along with me to meet the Lord, in whose presence I have been ever since I parted with thee.

Now thy bountiful Lord hath remembred thee also, and the day of thy glorificationis come.

Surely it will be a joyful awaking.

For, do but imagine, what a joy it is for dear friends to meet after long separation, how do they use to give demonstrations of their love and delight in each other, by embraces, kisses, tears, &c.

Or frame but to yourselves a notion of perfect health, when a sprightly vivacity runs through every part, and the spirits do, as it were, dance before us, when we go about any business ; especially to such a business as the business of that day will be, to receive a crown, and a kingdom. Do but imagine, then, what a fun-shine morning this will be, and how the pains and agonies, cold sweats, and bitter groans at parting will be recompensedby

the joy offuch a meeting ?

And thus I have shewed you the certainty of Christ's resurrection, the nature and properties of it, the threefold influence it hath on the saints resurrection, and the conformity of ours unto his, in these five respects. Hisbody rose substantially the same, so shall ours ; his body was raised by the Spirit, so shall ours. Not by the Godhead of Christ, as his was, but by the Spirit, who is the bondofourunion with Christ.

He was raised as the first-begotten from the dead, so the dead in Christ shall rife first.

His body was improved by the resurrection, so shall ours .

From the consideration of all which, Inference 1. We infer, that if Christ was thus raised from the dead, then death is fairly overcome, and swallowed up in victory * ; were it not so, it had never let Christ escape out of the grave.

The prey of the terrible had never been thus rescued outofits paws.

Death is adreadfulenemy, it defies all the sons and daughters of Adam. Nonedurft cope with thiskingofter- * How far short do we come of the primitive Christians, whose faith in the resurrection, and contempt of death, Cyprian thus expresses : With a sound mind, firm faith, and undaunted courage, we are ready to submit to the whole will of God, all fear of death being excluded; we think on the immortality which follows ; and when the set time of God's sending for us approaches, we come to him at his call willingly and without delay.

Cypr. sect. 5.deLaps.

But when we come to die, we pass intoimmortalityby death : This is not a coming to our end but a translating of us.

Cypr. ubifupra,

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The Fountain of Life. rors but Christ, and he, by dying, went into the very den of this dragon, fought with it, and foiled it in the grave, its own territoriesanddominions, and came off a conqueror.

For, as the apostle speaks,Acts ii. 24. " It was impossibleitshould hold " or detain him."

Never did death meet with its over-match before it met with Christ, and he conquering it for us, and in our names, rising as our representative, now every single saint triumphs over it as a vanquished enemy, I Cor. xv. 55. " O

" death, where is thy sting ? O grave where is thy victory ?

" Thanks be to God, who hath given us the victory through " our Lord Jesus Christ."

Thus, like Joshua, they set the foot of faith upontheneckofthatking, and, with an holy scorn, derideits power. " O death, where is thy sting?" I fit be objected that it is said, I Cor. xv. 26. " The last enemy that is to " be destroyed is death."

And if so, then it should seem the victory is not yet atchieved, and so we do butboast before the victory ; it is at hand to reply, that the victory over death, obtained by Christ's resurrection, is twofold, eitherperfonal and incompleat, or general and compleat.

He actually overcame it at his resurrection, inhisownperson, perfectly and virtually for us, as our head ; but at the general resurrection of the saints(which his resurrection, as the first-fruits, assures them of) then it will beutterlyvanquished and destroyed.

Till then, it will exercise some little power over the bodies of the saints, in which respect itiscalledthe last enemy.

For fin, the chief enemy that let it in, that was conquered utterly and eradicated when they died ; but death holds their bodies in the grave till the comingofChrist, and then it is utterly to be vanquished.

For after that they can die no more, Luke xx. 35. " And then shall be brought to pass

" that saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victo- " ryt."

Then and not till then, will that conquest be fully compleatedinour persons, though it be already so in Christ's ; now incompleatly in ours, and thencompleatly and fully for ever. For the famewordwhich signifies victory doth also signify perpetuity, and in this place, a final or perpetual conquest.

And, indeed, now it smites only with its dart, not with its sting, and that but the believer'sbody also, and the body but for a time remains under it neither. So that there is no reason why a believer should stand in a slavish fear of it.

Inference 2. Is Christ, and hath his resurrection such apo-

+ Absorpta est mors εις νικοςinperpetuam, ex Hebreo quod etvictoriamfignificat etperpetuitatem, Glass. Rhet. sac. p. 408.

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tentandcomfortable influence into the resurrection of the saints ?

Then it is the duty, and will be the wisdom of the people of God, fo to govern, dispose, and employ their bodies, as become men and women, that understand what glory is prepared for them at the resurrection of the just.

Particularly, First, Be not fondly tender of them,but employ and use them for God here.

How many good duties are loft and spoiled by sinful indulgence to our bodies? Alas ! we are generally more folicitous to live long, than to live usefully. How many faints have active, vigorous bodies, yet God hath little service from them.

If your bodies were animated by tome other fouls that love God more than you do, and burn with holy zeal to his set vice, more work would be done for God by your bodies in a day, than is now done in a month.

To have an able, healthy body, and not use it for God, for fear of hurting it, is as ifone should give you a strong and stately horse, upon condition you must not work or ride him.

Wherein is the mercy of having a body, except it be employed for God ? Will not its reward at the resurrection be fufficientfor all the pains you now put it to in his service ?

Secondly, See that you prefervetheduehonourofyourbodies.

" Possess them in sanctification and honour," I Thes. iv. 4.

O let not these eyes be now defiled with fin,by which you shall fee God.

Those ears be inlets to vanity, which shall hear the Allelujahs of the blessed. God hathdefigned honour for your bodies, O make them not either the instruments or objects of fin.

There are sins against the body, I Cor. vi. 18.

Preserve your bodies from those defilements, for they are the temples of God: " If any man defile the temple of God,him willGodde- " stroy," 1 Cor. iii . 17 .

Thirdly, Let not the contentment and accommodation of your bodies draw your souls into snares , and bring them under the power of temptations to fin.

This is a very common case. how many thousands of precious souls perish eternally, for the satisfaction of a vile body for a moment ? Their souls must, because their bodies cannot, suffer.

It is recorded to the immortal honour ofthoseworthies in Heb. xi. 35. " That they ac- " cepted not deliverance, that they might obtain a better refur- " rection ‡."

They might have had a temporal resurrection from death to life, from reproach to honour, from poverty to ‡ No man can rejoice both in this life and that which is to come, buthemuft necessarily letgo the one, who would enjoy the other.

Aug.

SERM . XXXIX.

The Fountain of Life. riches, from pains to pleasure ; butuponsuch terms they judged it not worth acceptance.

They would not expose their souls to secure their bodies.

They had the same natural affections that other men have.

They were made of as tender flesh as we are, but such was the care they had of their souls, and the hope of abetter resurrection, that theyliftned not to the complaints and whinings of their bodies. O that we were all in the fame resolutions with them.

Fourthly, With-hold not, upon the pretence of the wants your own bodies may be in, that which God and conscience bid you to communicate for the refreshment of the saints, whose present necessities require your assistance, O be not too indulgent to your own flesh, and cruel to others.

Certainly, the confiderationofthat reward which shall be given you at the resurrection, for every act of Christian charity, is the greatest spur and incentive in the world to it. And to that end it is urged as a motive to charity, Luke xiv. 13, 14. " When thou makest a " feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind, and thou

" shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee, for thou " shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just."

It was the opinion of an eminent modern divine , that no man living, fully understands and believes that scripture, Mat. xxv. 40.

" In as much as you have done it to one of the least of these 66 my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

How few faints would be exposed to dailywantsand necessities, if that scripture were but fully understood and believed ?

Inference 3. Is Christ risen from the dead, and that as a public person and representative of believers ? How are we all concerned, then, to secure to ourselves an interest in Christ, and, consequently, in this blessed resurrection ?

What consolation would be left in this world, if the hope of the resurrection were taken away ? It is this blessed hope, that must support you under all the troubles of life, and in the agonies of death. The securing of a blessed resurrection toy ourselves, is, therefore the most deep concernment you have in this world. And it may be secured to yourselves, if upon serious heart-examination, you candiscoverthefollowing evidences.

Evidence 1. First, If you are regenerated creatures, brought forth in a new nature to God, for we are " begotten again to " a lively hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the " dead."

Christ's resurrection is the ground-work of our hope.

And the new birth is our title or evidence of our interest in it, E2 Mr. Marshal.

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Sothatuntilour fouls are partakers of the spiritual resurrection from the death of fin, we can have no assurance our bodies shall be partakers of that blessed resurrection to life.

" Blessed and holy, (faith the Spirit,) is he that hath part in " the first resurrection, on such the second death hath no pow- " er," Rev. xx. 6.

Never let unregenerated fouls expect a comfortable meeting with their bodies again.

Rise they shall by God's terrible citation, at the found of the last trump, but not to the fame end that the saints arise, nor by the fame principle.

They to whom the spirit is now a principle offanctification, to them he will be the principle of a joyful resurrection.

See then that you get gracious fouls now, or never expect glorious bodies then.

"Evidence 2. " If you be dead with Christ, you shall live again by the life of Christ.

If we have been planted together " in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of " his resurrection," Rom. vi. 5. συμφυτοι, planted together.

Some refer it to believers themselves; Jews and Gentiles are planted together in Christ.

So * Erasmus, " Believers grow " together like branches upon the fame root." which should powerfully enforce the great gospel-dutyofunity among themselves.

But I would rather understand it, with reference to Christ and believers, with whom believers are, in other scriptures, said to suffer together, and be glorified together ; to die together, and live together; to be crucified together, and buried together ; all noting the communion they have with Christ, both in his death, and in his life. Now, if the power of Christ's death (i. e.) the mortifying influence of it, have been upon our hearts, killing their lusts, deading their affections, and flatting their appetites to the creature, then the power of his life, or resurrection, shall come (like the animating dew) upon our dead withered bodies, to revive and raise them up to livewithhim in glory.

Evidence 2. If your hearts and affections be now with Christ in heaven, your bodies indue time shall be there also, and conformed to his glorious body. So you find it, Phil. iii. 20, 21 ,

" For our conversation is in heaven, from whence we look for " the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vilę

"body, that it maybe fashioned likeuntohis own gloriousbo- " dyt." " The body is here called vile, or the body of our

" vileness." Not as God made it, but as fin hath marred it.

* In unum concrefcere vel coalefceres † Το σωμα, της ταπεινώσεως.

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Not absolutely, and in itself, but relatively, and in comparison of what it will be, in its second edition, at the resurrection.

Then those scattered bones anddisperseddust, like pieces of old broken battered silver, will be new cast, and wrought in the best and newest fashion,even liketoChrist's glorious body.

Whereof we have this evidence, that our conversation is already heavenly.

The temper,frame, anddispositionofour fouls is already fo; therefore the frame and temper of our bodies indue time shallbefo.

| Evidence 4. If you strive now by any means to attain the resurrection of the dead, no doubt butyoushallthen attain what you nowstrivefor.

This was Paul's great ambition, " that by any " means he might attain the resurrection of the dead," Phil. iii.

11. He means not simply a resurrection from the dead, for that allmen shall attain, whether they strive for it or no. But by a metonymy ofthesubjectfor the adjunct,he intends that complete holiness and perfection, which shall attend the state oftherefurrection, so it is expounded, ver. 12. So then, if God have raised in your hearts avehement desire, and assiduous endeavour after a perfect freedom from fin, and full conformity to God, in the beauties of holiness; that very love of holiness,your present pantings, and tendencies after perfection, speak you to be the persons designed for it.

Evidence 5. If you are such as do good in your generation. If you be fruitful and useful men and women in the world, you shall have part in this blessed resurrection,John v. 28, 29."All

" that are in the graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth ; they that have donegoodunto the resurrection of life." Now it is not every act materially good, that entitles am an to this privilege; but the same requifites that the ‡ schoolmen assign to make a good prayer, arealsonecessary to every good work.

The person, matter, manner, and end, must be good. Nor is it any finglegood act, butaferies and course of holy actions, that is here meant.

What a spur should this be to us all, as (indeed, theapoftle makes it, closing up the doctrine of the resurrection, with this solemn exhortation, 1 Cor. xv. 58. with which I also close mine) " Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast,

" unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, " for as much as ye know that your labour is not in vain in

" the Lord."

Thanks he to God for his unspeakable gift.

‡ Si bonus bona facit benead bonum. i. e. If one is good, he does what is good, in a good manner, and for a good end.

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SERMON XL.

Wherein the ASCENSION OF CHRIST is opened, and varioufly improved,being the second Step of his Ex-

ALTATION.

John xx. 17. Jesus faith unto her, Touch me not : for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, andfay unto them, I ascend unto my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God.

N all the former sermons we have been following Christ thro his humiliation, from the time that he left theblessedbosom of the Father : And now having finished the whole course of his obedience on earth, and risen again from the dead; we must, in this discourse, follow him back again into heaven, and lodge him inthatbosom of ineffabledelight and love, which for our fakes, he fo freely left.

For it was not his end in rising from the dead, to live such a low animal life as this is, but to live a most glorious life, as an enthronedKing in heaven; upon which state he was now ready to enter, as he tells Mary in the text, and bids her tell it to the disciples, " Go, tell my brethren,

" that I ascend to my Father," &c.

In the former verses you find Mary waiting at Christ's sepulchre, in a very pensive frame; exceedingly troubled, because she knew not what was become of Christ, ver. 15.

In the next verse, Christ calls herby her name, Mary ; she knowing the voice, turned herself, and answered, Rabboni.

And as afoul transported with joy *, rushes into his arms, as desirous to clasp and embrace him.

But Jesus said, " Touch me not," c.

In which words we have Christ's inhibition, " Touch me " not:" Strange that Christ, who rendred himself so kind and tender to all, that not only admitted, but commanded Thomas to put his finger into his wounds, should forbid Mary to touch him; but this was not for want of love to Mary ; for he gives another reason for it presently, " I am not yet ascended;" i. e. say some, the time for embracing willbewhenwe are in heaven.

Then and there shall be the place and time, we shall embrace one another for evermore. So August in.

Or, thou do test too ** Mary would embrace Christ, out of her great love to him, and joy that the had seenhimagain in the flesh.

Bucer. on the place.

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The Fountain of Life. much upon my present state, as if I had now attained the very ακμη, culininating point of my exaltation. When as yet I am not ascended; fo Cameron and Calvin expound it.

Or lastly, Christ would signify hereby, that it was not his will and pleasure in fo great a juncture of things as this, to spend time now in expressing (this way) her affections to him ; but rather to shew it by hasting about his service.

Which is The second thing observable, viz. his injunction upon Mary, to carry the tidings of his resurrection to the disciples.

In which injunction we have, First, The persons to whom this message was sent, my brethren, fohe calls the disciples. A sweet compellation, and full of love. Much like that of Joseph to his brethren, Gen. xlv.

4. save only that there is much more tenderness in this than that; for he twits them in the fame breath with what they had done against him ; " I am Joseph your brother, whom ye fold ;" but in this it is, "Go, tell my brethren," without the leafst mention of their cowardice or unkindness.

And, " Secondly, The message itself.

" Tell my brethren, I ascend to my Father, and your Father; to my God, and your God ;" αναβαινω, 1 ascend.

It is put in the present tense, as if he had been ascending; though he did not ascend in some weeks after this; but he so expresses it, to shewwhat was the next part of his work, which he was to act in heaven for them; and how much his heart was set upon it, and longed to be about it, " I " ascend to my Father, and your Father ; to my God, and your

" God."

Not our Father, or God in common; but mine and yours in a different manner.

Your's by right of donation, mine in a different manner.

Your's by right of dominion, mine (in reference to my human nature) not only by right of creation, though so too ; but also by special covenant and confederation.

* By predestinationofmymanhood, to the grace of personal uion, by designation of me, to the glorious office of Mediator.

My Father, as I am God, by eternal generation.

As man, by collation of the grace of union. And your Father by spiritual adoption and regeneration. Thus he is my God, and your God; my Father, and your Father. This is the substance of that comfortable message, sent by Mary to the pensive disciples. Hence the observation is, Doct. That our Lord Jesus Christ, did not only rise from the * Mr. Henry Jeanes's Second part of the mixture ofscholaftical and practical divinity, p. 273 .

SERM. XL.

The Fountain of Life. dead, but also ascended into heaven ; there to dispatch all that remained to be done for the compleating the salvation of his people.

So much the apostle plainly witnesseth, Eph. iv. 1o. "He " that descended, is the fame also that ascended up far above

" all heavens," (i. e.) all the aspect able heavens. A full and faithful account whereof the several evangelists have given us,

Mark xvi. 19. Lukexxiv. 51.

This is sometimes calledhisgoingaway, as John xvi 7.

Sometimes his being exalted, Acts ii. 33.

Sometimes his being made higher than the heavens, Heb. vii. 26. And sometimes his entering within the veil, Heb. vi.

19, 20. All which are but so manyfynonymous phrases, expreffinghis ascension, in a very pleasant variety.

1. Who afcendNow for the opening this act of Christ, we will bind up the whole in the satisfaction of these fix questions ed?

2. Whence did he ascend ?

3. Whither ?

4. When ?

5. How ?

6. and lastly, Why did he ascend ? And these will take in what is needful for you to be acquainted with in this point.

First, Who ascended ? This the apofile answers, Eph . iv. 10.

" the fame that descended," viz. Christ.

And himself tells us in the text, " I ascend."

+ " And though the ascension " were of Christ's whole person, yet it was but a figurative

" and improper expression, with respect to his divine nature, " but it agrees most properly to the humanity of Christ, which " really changed places and conditions by it." And hence it is that it is said, John xvi. 28. " I came forth from the Father,

" and am come into the world; again, I leave the world, and " go to my Father." He goes away, and we see him no more.

As God he is spiritually with us still; even to the end of the world.

But as man, " the heavens must contain him till the " restitution of all things," Acts iii. 21 .

Secondly, Whence Christ ascended ?

I answer,more generally,he isfaid to ascend from this world, to leave the world.

That is the terminus a quo, John xvi. 28.

Hut more particularly, it was from Mount Olivet, near unto Jerusalem.

The very place where he began his last sorrowful tragedy.

There, where his heart began to be sadded, there is it now made glad. O what a difference was there betwixt the * Afcenfio totiusfuit persone, naturæ tamen divinæ non convenit nisi figurate.

Sed humanæ naturæ max i me proprie conve nit, &c. Amef. Med. p. 114.

SERM . XL.

The Fountain of Life. frame Christ was in, in that mount before his passion, and this he is now in, at his ascension ! But, Thirdly, Whither did he ascend ?

It is manifest it was into the third heavens : the throne of God,andplaceofthe blessed : where all the faints shall be with him for ever.

It is said to be far above all heavens; that is the heavens which we fee, for they are but the pavement of that stately palace of the great King. He is gone (faith the apostle) within the veil, (i. e.) into the most holy place. And into his

Father's house, John xiv.2. And he is also said togo to the " place where he was before," Johnvi. 62. back again to that sweet and glorious bosom of delight and love, from whence at his incarnation he came.

Fourthly, WhendidChrist ascend ? Was it presently as soon ashe rose from the dead ?

No, not fo, for " after his resurrection (faith Luke) he was " seen of them forty days, speaking of the things pertaining

" tothekindom of God."

And truly the care and love of Christ to his people was very manifest in this his stay with them

. He had ineffable glory prepared for him in heaven, and awaiting his coming, but he will notgo to possess it, till he had settled all things for the good of his church here.

For in this time he confirmed the truth of his resurrection, gave charge to the apostles concerning the discipline and order of his house or kingdom: which was but needful, since he intended that their Acts should be rules to future churches. So long it was necessary he should stay.

And when he had set all things in order,he would stay no longer, " left he should seem to affect a terrene life

And besides, he had work of great concernment to do for us in the other world. He desired to be no longer here, than he had work to do for God, and fouls. Agoodpattern for the saints.

Fifthly, How did Christ ascend into heaven?

Here it is worthy our observation, that Christ ascended as a publicperfonorforerunner, in our names,anduponouraccounts *.

‡ The weakness of his disciples requiredthedelayofhis separation from them.

Ames.

|| Ne terrenam vitam videretur meditare.

Amef.

* He by his entrance into heaven gives us the strongest consolation, for as he came down from heaven, not on his own but our account, so he hath takenpoffeffionofheaven to prepare a place and habitation there for us. Pareus on the place.

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So it is faidexpressly, Heb. vi. 20. speaking of the most holy place within the veil : whither (faith he) theforerunner is for us entred.

His entring into heaven as our forerunner implies both his public capacity, and precedency.

First, His public capacity, as one thatwentupon our business to God.

So he himself speaks, John xiv. 2. " I go before " to prepare a place for you."

To take poffeffionofheaven in our names.

The forerunner, hath respect to others that were to come to heaven after him, in their several generations ; for whom hehathtakenup mansions, which are kept for them against their coming.

Secondly, It notes precedency, he is ourforerunner, but he himself had no forerunner. Never any entred intoheavenbeforehim, but such as entred in the name, and through the virtue of his merits. He was the first, that ever entredheavendirectly, immediately, in his own name,and upon his own account.

But all the fathers who died before him, entredin his name.

To the holiest of them all, God would have said as Elisha to Jehoram, 2 Kings iii. 14. Were it not that I had respect to the person of myfon, in whose name and right you come, I would not look upon you.

You must go back again, heaven were no place for you. No not for you, Abraham, nor for you, Moses.

Secondly, He ascended triumphantly into heaven. To this, good expositors * refer that which in the type is spoken of David, when he lodged the ark in its own place, with musical instruments and shoutings; but to Christ, in the antitype, when he was received up triumphantly into glory, Psal. xlvii. 5.

" God is gone up with a shout, the Lord with the found of a " trumpet ; sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises un- " to our king, sing praises."

A cloud is prepared, as a royal chariot, to carry up the King of glory to his princely pavilion †. "A cloud received him

" out of their fight," Lukexxiv. 51. And then a royal guard of mighty angels surround the chariot, if not for support, yer for greater state and solemnity of their Lord's ascension. And oh whatjubilations of the blessed angels were heard in heaven !

How was the whole city of God moved at his coming ! For look as when " he brought his first-begotten into the world,

" he said, let all the angels of God worship him," Heb. i. 6.

So at his return thither again, when he had finished redempti- *Molerus in loc. Geirus. Aynsworth.

† Mr. Case in his Pisgah.

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on-work, there were no less demonstrations given by those bleffedcreatures of their delight and joy in it.

The very heavens echoed and refounded on that account. Yea, the triumph is not ended at this day, nor never shall.

It is said, Dan. vii. 13, 14. " I saw, (faith the prophet), in " the night visions, and behold one like the Son of man came

"with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, " and they brought him near to him. And there was given

" him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom; that all people, " nations and languages should serve him."

This vision of Daniel's was accomplished in Christ's ascension, when they, i. e. the angels, brought him to the Ancient of days, i. e. to God the Father, who, to express his welcome to Christ, gave him glory, and a kingdom.

And so it is and ought to be expounded *. The Father received him with open arms, rejoicing exceedingly to fee him again in heaven; therefore God is said to " receive him up into glory," 1 Tim. iii. 16.

For that which, with respect to Christ is called ascension, is, with respect to the Father, called assumption. He went up, and the Father received him.

Yea, received so as none ever was received before him, or shall be received after him.

Thirdly, Christ ascended munificently, shedding forth, abundantly, inestimable gifts upon his church at his ascension. As in the Roman triumphs they did fpargere misfilia +, bestow their largest promises upon the people: so did our Lord when he ascended; "wherefore he faith, when heafcended up on high, he led captivity captive; and gave gifts unto men."

The place to which the apostle refers, is Psal. lxviii. 17, 18 . where you have both the triumph and munificence, with which Christ went up, excellently set forth together.

" The chariots of God, (faith the Pfalmist), are twenty " thousand, even thousands of angels ; the Lord is among " them, as in Sinai, in the holy place. Thou hast ascended

" on high, thou hast led captivity captive, thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that God might

" dwell among them."

Which words in their literal sense, are a celebration of that famous victory and triumph of David over the enemies of God, recorded 2 Sam. viii. These con.

F2 * See Deodat, and English An not. &c.

† Princes, when triumphing after victory, use to disperse great presents, andsumsofmoney among the people, congratulating their triumph with joyous shouts.

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quered enemies bring him several forts of presents, all which he dedicated to the Lord.

The spiritual sense is, that just fo our Lord Jesus Christ, when he had overcome by his death on the cross, and now triumphed in his ascension, he takes the parts and gifts of his enemies, and gives them, by their conversion to the church, for its use and service: thus he received gifts, even for the rebellious *, i. e. fanctifies the natural gifts and faculties of such as hated his people before, dedicating them to the Lord, in his peoples service.

Thus, (as one observes), Tertullian, Origen, Austin, and Jerome, came into Canaan, laden with Egyptian gold. Meaning they came into the church richly laden with natural learning and abilities.

Austin was a Manichee, Cyprian a magician, learned Bradwardine a scornful proud naturalist, who once said, when he read Paul's epistles, Dedignabar esseparvulus ; he scorned such childish things, but afterwards became a very useful man in the church of God. And even Paul himself was as fierce an enemy to the church as breathed on earth, till Christ gave him into its bosom by conversion, and then no mere man ever did the Lord and his people greater service than he.

Men of all forts, greater and smaller lights, have been given to the church.

Officers of all forts, were given it by Christ.

Extraordinary and temporary, as prophets, apostles, evangelists ; ordinary and standing, as pastors and teachers, which remain to this day, Eph. iv. 8, 9.

And those stars are fixed in the church-heaven by a most firm establishment, I Cor. xii. 28.

Thousands now in heaven, and thousands on earth also, are blessing Christ at this day for these his ascension-gifts.

Fourthly, Our Lord Jesus Christ ascended most comfortably, for whilst he was blessing his people, he was parted from them,

Luke xxiv. 50, 51.

Therein making good to them what is said to him, John xiii. 1. " Having loved his own, he loved them to " the end."

There was a great deal of love manifested by Christ in this very last act of his in this world. The last sighttheyhad of him in this world was a most sweet and encouraging one.

They heard nothing from his lips but love, they saw nothing in his face but love, till he mounted his triumphant chariot, and was taken out of their sight.

Surely these blessings at parting were sweet and rich ones.

For the matter of them, they were the mercies which his blood * Thou dost raise up teachers of thy church, among those who hateandperfecute thy people; and, from time to time, bring many ofthyenemies to this thy kingdom.

Mol. on the place..

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had so lately purchased for them. And for their extent, they were not only intended for them, who had the happiness to be upon the place with him from whence he ascended; but they reach us as well as them; and will reach the last saint that shall be upon the earth, till he come again.

For they were but representatives of the future churches, Matth. xxviii. 20.; and in blessing them, he blessed us also. And by this we may be satisfied that Christ carried an heart full of love to his peopleawaywith him to heaven; since his love so abounded in the last act that ever he did in this world: and left such a demonstration of his tenderness with them at parting.

Fifthly, He ascended, as well as rose again,by his own power.

He was not merely passive in that his ascension, but it was his ( own act.

He went to heaven.

Therefore it is said, Acts i. 10.

He went up, viz. by his own divine power t.

And this plainly evinceth him to be God, for no mere creature ever mounted itself from earth, far above all heavens, as Christ did.

Sixthly, and lastly, Why did Christ ascend ?

I answer : his afcenfionwas necessary upon many and great accounts.

For, First, If Christ had not ascended, he could not have interceded, as now he doth in heaven, for us. And do but take away Christ's interceffion, and you starve the hope of the saints.

For what have we to fuccour ourselves with, under the daily surprises of fin, but this, " That if any man fin, we have an " advocate [with the Father] : " mark that, with the Father : a friend upon the place: one that abides there, on purpose to transact all our affairs, and as afuretyfor the peace betwixt God and us, Secondly, If Christ had not ascended, you could not have entered into heaven when you die.

For he went to prepare a " place for you," John xiv. 2. He was, as I said before, the first that entred into heaven directly, and in his own name ; and hadhenotdone so, we could not have entered, whenwedie, in his name. The Forerunner made way for all that are coming on, in their several generations, after him. Nor could your bodies have afcendedafter their resurrection, but in the virtue of Christ's ascension.

For he ascended, as was said before, in the capacity of our headandrepresentative; to his Father, and our Father :

For us and himself too.

† His divine power was the cause of his ascension.--but that which likewise contributed to it, was the condition of his glorified body,whichcanmove upwards, as well as downwards. Ames.

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Thirdly, If Christ had not ascended, he could not have been inaugurated, and installed in the glory he now enjoys in heaven. This world is not the placewhereperfect felicity and glory dwell. And then, how had the promise of the Father been made good to him ? Or our glory, (which consists inbeing with, and conformed to him),where had it been ? " Ought not " Christ to suffer,and to enter into his glory ?" Luke xxiv. 25.

Fourthly, If Christ had not ascended, how could we have been satisfied, that his payment on the cross made full satisfaction to God, and that now God hath no more bills to bring in against us ? How is it that the Spirit convinceth the world of righteousness, John xvi. 9. 10., but from Christ's going to the Father, and returning hither no more ? which gives evidence of God's fullcontentand satisfaction, both with his person and work.

Fifthly, How should we have enjoyed the great blessings of the Spirit and ordinances, if Christ had not ascended ? And surely we could not have been without either.

If Christ had not gone away, " the comforter had not come," John xvi. 7. hebeginswhereChrist finished. For he takes of his, and shews it to us, John xvi. 14.

And therefore it is said, John xvii. 39.

" The holy Ghost was not given, because Jesus was not yet " glorified."

He was then given as a fanctifying spirit, but not given in that measure, as afterwards he was, to furnish and qualifymen with gifts, for service. And indeed,by Christ's ascension, both his sanctifying, and his mini string gifts were shed forth, more commonly and more abundantly, upon men.

These fell from him when he ascended, as Elijah's mantle did from him, so that whatsoever good of conversion, edification, support, or comfort you receive from spiritual ordinances, he hath shed forth that, which you now fee and feel.

It is the fruit of Christ's ascension.

Sixthly, and lastly, IfChrift had not ascended, how had all the types and prophecies, that prefigured and foretold it, been fulfilled? " And the scriptures cannot be broken," John x. 35.

So that, upon all these accounts, it was expedient that he should goaway.

It was for his glory, and for our advantage.

Though we loft the comfort of his bodily presence by it, yet if "we " loved him, we would rejoice he went to the Father," Joha xiv. 28. We ought to have rejoicedinhisadvancement, though it had been to our loss ; but when it is so much for our benefit, as well as his glory, it is matter of joy on both fides, that he is ascended to his Father, and our Father ; to his God, and to our

God.

From the several blessings flowing to us out of Christ's

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The Fountain of Life. ascension, it was that he charged his people not to be troubled at his leavingofthem,John xiv. And hence learn,

Inference 1. Did Christ ascend into heaven ? is our Jesus, our treasure, indeed there ? Where then should the hearts of believers be, but in heaven, where their Lord, their life, is ? Surely, faints, it is not good that your love, and your Lord should be in two several countries, said one that is now with him.

Up, and hasten, after your lover, that he and you may be together.

Christians, you ascended with him, virtually, when he ascended; you shallafcend to him, personally,hereafter; Oh that you would ascend to him, spiritually, in acts of faith, love, and desires daily.

Surfum cord a, up with your hearts, was the form used by the ancient church at the sacrament. How good were it, if we could fay with the apostle, Phil. iii. 20. "Our conversation is

" in heaven, from whence we look for the Saviour. "

An heart ascendant, is the best evidence of your interest in Christ's ascension.

Inference 2. Did Christ go to heaven, as a forerunner ? What hafteshould we make to follow him ? He ran to heaven; he ran thither before us. Did he run to glory, and shall we linger ?did he flee as an eagle towards heaven, and we creep like snails ?

Come Christians, " Lay aside every weight, and the fin that doth " so easily beset you, and run with patience the race set before " you,looking unto Jesus," Heb. xii. 1, 2. The captain of our salvation is entered within the gates of the newJerufalem, and calls to usoutofheaventohaften to him; proposing the greatest encouragements to them that are following after him, saying,

He that overcomes shall fit with me in my throne, as I also o- " vercame, and am set down with my Father in his throne,"

Rev. iii. 22. How tedious should it seem to us, to live so long at a distance from our Lord Jesus !

Inference 3.Did Christ ascend so triumphantly; leadingcaptivitycaptive ? How little reason then have believers to fear their conquered enemies ? Sin, Satan, and every enemy, were, in that day, led away in triumph, dragged at Christ's chariot wheels, brought after him as it were in chains. It is a lovely fight to fee the necks of those tyrants under the foot of our Joshua. He made, at that day, " an open shewof them," Col. ii. 15. Their strength is broken for ever. In this he shewed himself more thanaconqueror; for he conquered and triumphed too.

Satan was then trod under his feet, and he hath promised to tread him under our feet also, and that shortly,Rom. xvi. 20. some power ourenemiesyetretain, theferpentmaybruise our heel,but Christ hathcrushedhishead.

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Inference4. Did Christ ascend so munificently, shedding forth so many mercies upon his people ? mercies of inestimable value, reserved on purpose to adorn that day ? O then fee that you abuse not those precious ascension-gifts of Christ, but value and improve them, as the choicest mercies. Now, the ascension-gifts, as I told you, are either the ordinances and officers of the church, (for he then gave them pastors and teachers), or the Spirit that furnished the church with all its gifts.

Beware you abuse not either of these.

First, Abuse not the ordinances and officers of Christ.

This isa sin that no nation is plunged deeper into the guilt of, than this nation, and no age more than this.

Surely God hath written to us the great things of his law, and we have accounted them

Small things .

We have been loose,wanton, sceptical professors , for the most part, that have had nice and coy stomachs, that could not relish plain, wholesome truths, except so and so modified to our humours.

For this the Lord hath a controversy with the nation, and, by a forejudgment, he hath begun to rebuke this fin already. And I doubt not, before he make an end, plain truths will down with us, and we shall bless God for them.

Secondly, But in the next place, fee that you abuse not the Spirit, whom God sent from heaven, at his ascension, to supply his bodily absence among us, and is the great pledge of his care for, and tender love to his people. Now take heed that you do not vex him by your disobedience ; nor grieve him by your unkindnesses ; nor quench him by your sinful neglects of duty, or abuse of light. O deal kindly with the Spirit, and ebeyhis voice : comply with his designs, and yield up yourselves to his guidance and conduct.

Methinks, to be in treated by the love of the Spirit, Rom. xv. 30., should be as great an argument as to be in treated for Christ's fake. Now, to persuade all the saints to be tender of grieving the Spirit by fin, let me urge a few considerations proper to the point under hand.

Consid. 1. First, He was the first and principal mercy that Christ received for you at his first entrance into heaven.

It was the first thing he asked of God when he came to heaven.

So he speaks, John xiv. 16, 17. " I will pray the Father, and he " shall give you another comforter, that he may abide with " you."

No foonerhad he set foot upon the place, but the first thing, the great thing, that was upon his heart to ask the Father for us was, that the Spirit might forthwith be dispatched, and fentdown to his people. So that the Spirit is the first-

SERM . XL.

The Fountain of Life. born of mercies ; and deserves the first place in our hearts and esteems .

Confid. 2. Secondly, The Spirit comes not in his own name to us,(though, if so, he deserves adearwelcome for his own sake, and for the benefits we receive by him, which are inestimable), but he comes to us in the name, and in the love, both of the Father, and the Son.

As one authorized and delegated by them ; bringing his credentials under both their hands and seals, Johnxv.

26. " But when the Comforter is come, whom I will fend to you " from the Father ;" Mark, I will fend him from the Father ; and in John xiv, 26. the Father is said to " send him in Christ's

" name."

So that he is the messenger that comes from both these great and holy persons. And if you have any love for the God that made you, any kindness for the Christ that died for you, shew it by your obedience to the Spirit that comes from them both, and in both their names to us, and who will be bothoffendedandgrieved, if you grieve him. O therefore give him an entertainment worthy of one that comes to you in the name of the Lord.

In the Father's name, and in the Son's name .

Confid. 3. Thirdly, But that is not the only consideration that should cause you to beware of grieving the Spirit, because he is sent in the name of such great and dear persons, to you, but he deserves better entertainment than any of the faints give him,for his own fake, and upon his own account, and that upon a double score, viz. of his nature and office.

First, On the account of his nature; for he is God co-equal with the Father and Son in nature and dignity, 2 Sam. xxiii. 23.

The Spirit of the Lord spakeby me, and his word was in my tongue ; the God of Israel said; the rock of Israel spake to " me."

So that you fee he is God. The Rock of Ifael. God omnipotent, for he created all things, Gen. i. 2. God omnipresent, filling all things, Psal. cxxxix. 7. God amniscient, who "

" knows your hearts, Rom. ix. 1.

Beware of him therefore, and grievehimnot, for in sodoingyou grieve God.

Secondly, Upon the account of his office, and the benefits we receivebyhim.

We are obliged, evenonthescore of gratitude and ingenuity, toobeyhim; for he is sent in the quality of an advocate to help us to pray ; to indite our requests for us; to teachuswhatandhow to ask of God, Rom. viii. 26.

He comes to us as a Comforter, John xiv. 16.

And none like him.

His work is to take of Christ's andshew it to us *, i. e, to take of

* John xvi . 14.

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his death, resurrection, ascension, yea, of his very present interceffion in heaven, and shew it to us. He can be with us ina moment, he can, (as * one well observes), tell you what were the very last thoughts Christ was thinking in heaven about you.

It was he that formed the body of Christ in the womb, and fo prepared him to be a sacrifice for us . He filled that humanity with his unexampled fulness†.

So fitting and anointing him for the discharge of his office.

It is he that puts efficacy into the ordinances, and without him they would be but a dead letter.

It was he that blessed them to your conviction and conversion 1.

For if angels had been the preachers, no converfionhad followedwithoutthe Spirit.

It i she that is the vinculum union is, bond of union betwixt Christ and your souls, without which you could never have had interest in Christ, or communion with Christ.

It was he that so often hath helped your infirmities, when you knew not what to say; comforted your hearts when they were overwhelmed within you, and you knew not what to do; preserved you ma- : ny thousand times from fin and ruin, when you have been upon the slippery brink of it in temptations.

It is he, (in his fanctifying-work), that is the best evidence your foul shave for heaven.

It were endless toenumerate the mercies you have by him. And now, reader, dost thou not blush to think how unworthy thou haft treated such a friend ? For which of all these his offices or benefits dost thou grieve and quench him ? O grieve not the Holy Spirit whom Christ sent as soon as ever he came to heaven, in his Father's name, and in his own name, to perform all these offices for you.

Infer. 5. Is Christ ascended to the Father as our forerunner ?

Then the door offalvation stands open to all believers, and by virtue of Christ's ascension, they also shall ascend after him, far above all visible heavens || .

O my friends, what place hath Christ prepared and taken up for you ! what a splendid habitation hath he provided for you ! " God is not ashamed to be

" called your God; for he hath prepared for you a city," Heb. xi.16.

In that city Christ hath provided mansions, and reftingplaces for your everlasting abode, John xiv. 2., and keeps them

* Mr. Tho. Goodwin.

† Luke i. 35. Ifa. Ixi. 1. Col. i. 19.

† 2 Cor. ix. 6.

John xvi . 9.

1 Pet. i. 12.

I Johniii. 24.

Rom. viii. 9, 26.

John xiv. 26.

Ezek. xxxvi . 17 .

The hope of future inheritance is most fully secured to us in our Head, and we are set down together with him in heaven, Eph. ii.

Synopsis purioris Theol. Difp. 28. p. 342.

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for you till your coming. O how august and glorious àdwelling is that, where fun, moon, and stars, shall shine as much below your feet, as they are now above your heads ? Yea, such is the loveChrift hath to the believer, that, as one faith, if thou only hadst been the chosen of God, Christ would have built that house for himself and thee. Now it is for himself, for thee, and for many more, who shall inherit with thee. God fend us a joyful meeting within the veil with ourForerunner, and sweeten our passage into it, with many a foresight and foretaste thereof.

And, in the mean time, let the love of a Saviour enflame our hearts,sothatwheneverwe cast a look towards that place, where our Forerunner is for us entered,our souls may say, with melting affections, Thanks be to God for Jesus Christ ; and again, Blessed beGodforbis unspeakable gift . ttocananattinni SERMON XLI.

Wherein CHRIST's fitting at Gon's right-hand is explained and applied, being the third Step of his glorious EXALTATION.

HEB. 1. 3.

When he had by himself purged ourfins, fat down on the right-hand of the majesty on high.

CHRIST being returnedagaintohis Father, having finished his whole work on earth, is there bid by the Father to fit down in the featof honourand rest. A feat prepared for him at God's right-hand, that makes it honourable ; and all his enemies as a footstool under his feet that makes it easy. How much is the state and conditionofJesus Christ changed in a few days ! Here he groaned, wept, laboured, suffered, sweat, yea, fwearblood, and found no rest in this world, but when he comes to heaven, there he enters into rest.

Sits down for ever in the highest andeasrestthrone, prepared by the Father for him, when hehaddonehis work. " When he had by himself purged our

" sins, he fat down," &c .

The scope of this epistle istodemonftrate Christ to be the fulness of all legal typesandceremonies, and that whatever light glimmered to the world through them, yet it was but as the light of the day-star, to the light of this fun.

In this chapter, Christ the subject of the epistle, is described, G2

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and particularly, in this third verse, he is described three ways.

First, By his effsential and primeval glory and dignity, he is απαύγασμα, the brightness of his Father's glory, the very splendor of glory, the very refulgency of that son of glory.

" * The primary reason of that appellation is with respect to " his eternal and ineffable generation, light of light, as the " Nicenecreedexpresses it. As abeam of light proceeding from " the fun.

And the secondary reason of it, is with respect to 66 men," for look as the fun communicates its light and influence to us, by its beams, which it projects ; so doth God communicate his goodness, and manifest himself to us, by Christ. "Yea,

" he is the express image, or character of his person.

Not as " the impressed image of the feal upon the wax, but as the en- " graving in the seal itselft."

Thus he is described by his essential glory.

Secondly, He is described by the work he wrought here on earth, in his humbled state, and it was a glorious work, and that wrought out by his own single hand, " when he had by

" himself purged our fins." A work that all the angels in heaven could not do, but Christ did it.

Thirdly, and lastly, He is described by his glory, the which (as a reward of that work) he now enjoys in heaven. "When

" he had by himself purged our sins, he fatdownon the right- " hand of the majesty on high," i. e. the Lord cloathedhim with the greatest power, and highest honour, that heaven itself could afford; for so much this phrase of" fitting down on the "right-hand of the majesty" imports, as will appear in the explication of this point, which is the result of this clause, viz.

Doct. That when our Lord Jesus Christ had finished his work on earth, he was placed in the feat of the highest honour, and authority ; at the right-hand of God in heaven.

This truth is transformingly glorious.

Stephen had but a glimpse of Christ at his Father's right-hand, and it caused " his

" face to shine, as it had been the face of an angel," Acts vii.

56.

This, his high advancement, was foretold and promised *Ratio appellationes primaria eft respectu Patris cæleft isàquo abaterno, per ineffabilem generationem in star luminis, de lumine refplenduit, fecundaria respectu hominum, &c. Glass. Rhet. p.

174.

†Χαρατειν infculpere dicitur, non tam imaginem exfigillo cera impress am, quam ipfumfigillum denotare, Glass.Rhet, sac. p. 159.

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before the work of redemption was taken in hand, Psal. cx. r.

" The Lord taid unto my Lord, fit thou at my right-hand, " until I make thine enemies thy footstool." And this promise was punctually performed to Christ, after his resurrection and ascension, inhistupreme exaltation,far above allcreatedbeings, in heaven and earth, Eph. i. 20, 21, 22. We shall here open two things in the doctrinal part, viz. What is meant by God's right-hand, and what is implied in Christ's fitting there, with his enemies for a footstool.

First, What are we to understand here by God's right-hand?

† It is obvious enough, that the expression is not proper, but figurative and borrowed. God hath no hand, right or left; butitisacondescending expression, wherein God stoops to the creature's understanding, and by i the would have us to understand honour, power, andnearness.

First, The right-hand is the hand of honour, the upper hand, where we place those whom we highly esteem and honour.

So Solomon placed his mother ina feat, at his right hand, I Kings ii.

19.

So, in token of honour, God sets Christ at his right-hand ; which, on that account, in the text is called the right-hand of Majesty. God hath therein expressed more favour, delight, and honour, to Jesus Christ, than everhedid to any creature.

To which of the angels said he at any time, fit thou on my right-hand?" Heb. i. 13 .

Secondly, The right-hand is the hand of power: we call it the weapon hand, and the working hand. And the setting of

Christ there, imports his exaltation to the highest, authority, and most supreme dominion. Not that God the Father hath put himself out of his authority, and advanced Christ above himself; no, " for in that he faith he hath put all things un- " der him, it is manifest that he is excepted which did put all

" things under him," 1 Cor. xv. 27. But to fit as an enthronedking at God's right-hand, imports power, yea, the most sovereignandfupreme power ; and so Christ himself calls the right-hand at which he fits, Mat. xxvi. 64. " Hereafter ye

" shall see the Son of man fitting on the right-hand of pow- " er."

Thirdly, And as it signifies honour and power, sonearness in †The right hand of God denotes divine honour and glory, on which the Son of God, who existed before all ages, as God, in the highest, co-essential with the Father, and incarnate in the latter times, fatdownwithhis glorifiedbody.

Damafc. lib. 4. c. 2. de orth. side.

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place, as we use to say at one's elbow, and so it is applied to Christ, in Psal. cx. 5.

The Lord at thy right-hand, shall " strike through kings in the day of his wrath;" that is, the Lord, who is very near thee, present with thee, he shall subdue thine enemies.

This then is what we are to understand by God'sright-hand, honour, power, and nearness.

Secondly, In the next place let us fee what is implied in Christ's fitting at God's right-hand, with his enemies for his foot-stool.

And, if we attentively confider, we shall find that it implies and imports divers great and weighty things in it. As,

First, It implies the compleating and perfecting of Christ's work, that he came into the world about.

After his work was onded, then he fat down and rested from those labours, Heb. x.

11, 12. "Every priest standeth daily mini string, and offering " oftentimes the same sacrifices ; which can never take away

" fins: but this man when he had once offered one sacrifice for " fins, for ever fat down on the right-hand of God."

Here he assigns a double difference betwixt Christ, and the Levitical priests; they stand, which is the posture of servants ; he sits, which is the posture of a Lord. They stand daily, because their sacrifices cannot take away fin; he did his work fully, by one offering; and after that fits, or rests for ever in heaven. And this (as the accurate and judicious Dr. Reynolds * observes) was excellently figured to us in the ark, which was a lively type of Jesus Christ, and particularly in this, it had rings by which it was carried up and down, till at last it rested in Solomon's temple, with glorious and triumphal solemnity, Psal. cxxxii. 8,

9. 2Chron. v. 13. So Christ, while he was here on earth, being anointed with theHolyGhost and wisdom, went about doing good, Acts x. 38. and having ceased from his works, did at last enter into his rest, Heb.v. 10. which is the heavenly temple, Rev. xi . 19.

Secondly, His & fitting down at God's right-hand, notes the high content and satisfaction of God the Father in him, and in his work.

"The Lord said to my Lord, fit thou on my right- " hand;" the words are brought in as the words of the Father, welcoming Christ to heaven; and(as it were) congratulating the * Dr. Edward Reynolds, on Psalm cx. p. 35, 36.

+They are said to fit down, who rest from their labour, and therebyrefreshthemselves,Gen. xviii. 1. in which sense some understand what is said of Christ.

To fit at God's right-hand, i. e. in the heavens, to rest in that eternal blessedness with God, from these

Jabours and miseries to which he voluntarily subjected himself for us.

Ravan. on the word to fit.

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happy accomplishment of his most difficult work. And it is as if he hadfaid, "Omy Son, what shall be done for thee this day?

" Thou hast finished agreatwork, and in all the parts of itac- " quitted thyself as an able and faithful servant to me'; what

"honours thall I now bestow upon thee nee? The highest glory in "heaven is not too high for thee; come fit at my right-hand."

Ohowwell is he pleased with Christ, and what he hath done !

He delighted greatly to behold him here in his work on earth, and by a voice from the excellent glory he told him fo, when he spake from heaven to him, saying, " Thou art my beloved Son,

" in whom I am well pleased," 2 Pet. i. 17.

And himself tells us, Johnx. 17. "Therefore doth my Father love me, because " Ilaydown my life," &c. for it was a work that the heart of Godhadbeenupon from eternity. He took infinitedelightinit.

Thirdly, Christ's fitting down at God's right-hand in heaven, notes the advancement of Christ's human nature to the highest honour; even to be the object of adoration to angels and men.

For it is properly his human nature that is the subject of all this honour and advancement ; and being advanced to the right hand of Majesty, it is become an object of worship and adoration. Not simply, as it is flesh and blood, but as it is personally united to the second person, andenthronedinthe fupremeglory of heaven.

Ohere is the mystery, that flesh andbloodshouldeverbe advanced to the highest throneofmajefty, and being there installed in that glory, we maynowdirectourworship to him as God-man; and to this end was his humanity so advanced, that it might be adored and worshipped by all. "The Father hath committed

" all judgment to the Son, thatallmen shouldhonour the Son, " even as they honour the Father."

And the Father will accept of no honour divided from his honour.

Therefore it is added in the next clause," He that honoureth not the Sou, honoureth

" not the Father which hath sent him," John v. 22, 23. Hence the apostles, in the salutations of their epistles, beg for grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and our Lord Jesus

Christ ; and in their valedictions, theydefire the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ to the churches.

Fourthly, It imports the sovereignty and supremacy of Christ over all.

The investiture of Christ, with authority over the empire of both worlds : For this belongs to him that fits down upon his throne.

When the Father said to him *, Sit at my *Therefore this fittingdownofChrist at the Father's right-hand, does

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right-hand, he did therein deliver to him the dispensation and oeconomy of the kingdom.

Put the awful fceptre of government into his hand, and so the apostle interprets and understands it, 1 Cor. xv. 25. " He must reign,till he have put all his ene- " mies under his feet." And to this purpose, the fame apostle accommodates, (if not expounds) the words of the Pfalmist,

" Thou madest him a little lower than the angels," (i. e.) in respect of his humbled state on earth," thou crownedsthimwith

" glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy " hands, thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet,"

Heb. ii.7, 8.

He is over the spiritual kingdom, the Church, absolute Lord there, Matth. xxviii. 18, 19, 20. He also is Lord over the providentialkingdom, the whole world, Psal. cx. 2. and thisprovidentialkingdom, being subordinate to his spiritual kingdom; he orders and rules this, for the advantage and benefit thereof, Eph. i. 22.

Fifthly, To fit at God's right-hand with his enemies for a footstool, implies Christ to be a conqueror over all his enemies.

To have his enemies under his feet, notes perfect conquest and compleat victory. As when Joshua set his foot upon the necks of the kings : So Tamerlane made proud Bajazet his footstool*.

They trampled his name, and his saints, under their feet, and Christ will tread them under his feet.

It is true indeed this victory is yet incompleat, and inconfummate ; for now " we fee

" not yet all things put under him, (faith the apostle) but we fee Jesus crowned with glory and honour," and that is enough.

Enough to shew the power of his enemies, is now broken ; and though they make some opposition still, yet it is to no purpose at all; for he is so infinitely above them, that they must fall before him; it is not with Christ as it was with Abijah, against whom Jeroboam prevailed, because he was young and tenderhearted, and could not withstand them.

His incapacity and weakness , gave the watchful enemy, an advantage over him.

I fay, it is not so with Christ, he is at God's right-hand. And all

does not signify properly that glory andessentialkingdom which was common to the Son of God with the Father from eternity, for in this respect even the Holy Spirit fits at the right hand of God; but the oeconomical and voluntary kingdom, over which he is appointed as Θεανθρωπος, i. e. God-man and Mediator by the Father, for the gathering in and defending of his church.

Synopf. pur. Theol. Difp.

28. P. 343 .

*The man who so often terrified the cityConftantinople, was a dog and a footstool under Tamerlane.

Aurel. Vect.

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The Fountain of Life. the power of God stands ready bent to strike through his enemies, as it is Psal. cx. 5.

Sixthly, Christ's fitting in heaven notes to us the great and wonderful change, that is made upon the state, and condition of Christ, since his ascent i on into heaven.

Ah, it is far otherwifewith him now, than it was in the days of his humiliation hereon earth.

Quantum mutatus ab illo ! Oh what a wonderfullchange hath heavenmadeupon him ! It were good (as a †Worthyofoursspeaks) to compare in our thoughts the abasement of Christ, and his exaltation together; as it were in co. lumns, one over against the other. He was born in a stable, but now he reigns in his royal palace.

Then he had a manger for his cradle, but now he fits on a chair of state.

Then oxen and asses were his companions, now thousands of saints, and ten thousand of angels minister roun about his throne. Then, in contempt, theycalledhim the Carpenter's Son, now he obtains a more excellent name than angels.

Then he was led away into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil, now it is proclaimedbeforehim; " let all the angels of God worship him."

Thenhehadnota place to lay his head on,now he is exalted to be heir of all things. In his state of humiliation, "he en- " dured the contradiction of sinners;" in his state ofexaltation,

" he is adored and admired by faints and angels."

Then " he " had no form or comliness; and when we saw him, there was " no beauty, why we shoulddefire him:" Now the beauty of his countenance shall send forth such glorious beams, as shall dazzle the eyes of all the celestial inhabitants round about him, &c.

Owhat a change is this! Here he sweated,but there he fits.

Herehegroaned, but there he triumphs. Here he lay upon the ground, there he fits in the throne of glory. When he came to heaven, his Father did, as it were, thus bespeak him .

My dear Son, what an hard travail hist thou had of it ?

What a world of woe hast thou passed through, in the strength of thy love to me, and mine elect ? Thou hast been hungry, thirsty, weary ; Scourged, crucified, and reproached : Ah what badusagehast thou had in the ungrateful world ! Not a day's reft for comfort since thou wentest out from me ; but now thy suffering days are accomplished ; now thy rest is come, reftfor

evermore.

Henceforth fit at my right-hand.

Henceforth thou Sbaltgroan, weep, or bleed no more.

Sit thou at my right-hand.

* Mr. T. Case, Pisgah, part 3. p. 21.

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The Fountain of Life.

Seventhly, Christ's fitting at God's right-hand, implies the advancement of believers to the highest honour : For this session of Christ's, respects them, and there he sits as our representative, in which regard we are made to fit with him inheavenlyplaces, as the apostle speaks, Eph. ii.6. How secure may we be (faith

Tertullian) who do now already possess the kingdom ? meaning in our head, Christ. This (faith another) is all my hope, and all my confidence, namely, that we have a proportion in that flesh and blood of Christ, which is so exalted, and therefore where he reigns, we shall reign; where our flesh is glorified, we shall be glorified.

Surely, it is matter of exceeding joy, to believe that Christ our head, our flesh, and blood, is in all this glory at his Father's right-hand.

Thus we have opened the sense and importance of Christ'sfittingat his Father's right-hand.

Hence we infer, Inference 1. Is thissogreatanhonour to Christ, to fit enthroned at God's right-hand ? What honour then is reserved in heaven for those that are faithful to Christ, now on the earth? Christ prayed,and his prayer was heard, John xvii. 24- " That we maybe

" with him to behold the glory that God hath given him ;" and what heart can conceive the felicity offuch a fight ? It made Stephen'sfaceshineas the face of an angel, whenhehadbut a glimpse of Christ at his Father's right-hand.

" Thine eyes shall fee the king in his beauty," Ifa. xxxiii. 17. which respected Hezekiah in the type, Christ in the truth.

Butthisisnot all, though this be much, to be spectators of Christ in his throne of glory ; we shall not only see him in his throne, but also sit with him enthroned in glory.

To behold him is much, but to fit with him is more.

I remember it was the saying ofa heavenly christian, now with Christ, I would far rather look but through the hole of Christ's door, to see but one half of his fairest and most comely face, [for he looks like heaven]suppose I should never win to fee his excellency and glory to the full ; than to enjoy the flower, the bloom and chiefeft excellency of the glory and riches of ten worlds.

Andyouknow howtheQueenofthe South fainted at the fight of Solomon in his glory. But this fight you shall have of Christ, will change you into his likness. " We shall

" be like him (faith the apostle) for we shall fee him as he is,"

1 John iii. 2. He will place us as it were in his own throne with him.

So runs the promise, Rev. iii. 21. "To him that " overcometh , I will grant to fit with me in my throne; even as I " also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne ; " and fo 2 Tim. ii. 12. " If we suffer with him, we shall also

" reign with him."

The Father set Christ on his right-hand,

SERM. XLI.

The Fountain of Life. and Christ will set the saints on his right-hand.

So you know the theep a replaced by the angels, at the great day, Matth. xxv. and so the church, under the figure of the daughter ofEgypt, whom Solomon married, is placed " on the king's right-hand,

" in gold ofOphir," Psal. xlv.

This honourhave all the saints.

O amazing love ! What, we seton thrones, while as good as we bynaturehowl in flames ! O what manner of love is this ! These expressions indeed do not intend, that the saints shall be set in higher glory than Christ ; or that they shall have a parity of glory with Christ, for in all things he must have the pre-eminence: But they note the greathonour that Christ willputupon the saints ; as also, that his glory shall be theirgloryinheaven.

" As the glory of the husband redounds to the wife; " ‡ and again, their glory will be his glory, 2 Thef. i. 10. and so it will be a social glory. O it is admirable to think, whither free grace hath already mounted up poor dust and ashes !

To think how nearly we are related now to this royal, princely Jesus ! But how much higher are the designs of grace, that are not yet come to their parturient fulness, they look beyond all this that we now know ! "Now are we the fonsofGod,

" but it doth not yet appear what we shall be,"

I John iii. 2.

Ahwhat reason have you to honour Christ on earth, who is preparing such honours for you in heaven.

Infer. 2. 1s Christ Jesus thus enthroned in heaven, then how impossible is it, that ever his interest should miscarry orfink on earth?

The church hath many subtle and potent enemies.

True, but as Haman could not prevail against the Jews, whilst Esther their friend spake for them to the king, no more can they, whilst our Jesus fits at his, and our Father's right-hand.

Will he suffer his enemies that are under his feet, to rise up and pull out his eyes, think you ? Surely they that touch his people,

"touch the very apple of his eye," Zech. ii. 8. " He must reign " till all his enemies areputunder his feet," ICor. xv. 25. The enemy under his feet, shall not destroy the children in his arms.

He fits in heaven on purpose to manage all to the advantage of his church, Eph. i. 22.

Are our enemies powerful; lo our king fits on the right-hand of power.

Are they subtle and deep in their contrivance; he that fits on the throne, overlooks all they do. Heaven overlooks hell. "He that fits in heaven beholds," and derides their attempts, Psal. ii. 4. He may permit his enemies to straiten them in one place, but it shall be for their en- † Uxorsplendefcit in radiis mariti.

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largement in another.

For it is with the church, as it is with the sea; what it loses in one place, it gets in another; and fo really loses nothing. He may suffer them also to distress us in outwards, but that shall be recompensedwith inward and better mercies; and so we shall lose nothing by that. A footstool you know is useful to him that treads on it, and serves to lift him up higher; so shall Christ's enemies be to him, and his; albeit they think not so. What sfingular benefits the oppositions of his enemies, occasion to his people; I have|| elfewere discovered, to which I refer my reader; and pass to Infer. 3.Is Christsetdownon the right-hand of the Majesty in heaven ? O with what awful reverence should we approach him in the duties of his worship ! Away with light, and low thoughts of Christ. Away with formal, irreverent, and careless frames in praying, hearing, receiving, yea, in conferring and speaking of Christ. Away with alldeadness, anddrowsiness in duties; for he is a great King with whom you have to do.

A King, to whom the kings of the earth, are but as little bits of clay. Lot he angels cover their faces in hisprefence. He is an adorable Majesty.

When John had a vision of this enthroned king, about sixty years after his ascension; such was the over-powering glory of Christ, as the fun when itshineth in its strength ; that when he saw him, he fell at his feet as dead, and died it is like he had, if Christ had not laid his hand on him, and said, " Fear not, I am

" the first and the last ; I am he that liveth, and was dead, " and behold I am alive for evermore," Rev. i. 17, 18.

When he appeared to Saul in the way to Damascus, it was in glory above the glory of the fun, which over-powered him also, and laid him asonedead upon the ground.

O that you did but know, what a glorious Lord you worship, and serve. Who makes the very place of his feet glorious, wherever he comes.

Surely He is greatly to be feared in the assembly of his saints, and to be had in reverence of all that are round about him.

There is indeed a παρρησια boldness or free liberty of speech allowed to the saints, Eph. iii. 12. But no rudeness or irreverance. We mayindeedcome, as the children ofakingcometothe father,who is both their awful sovereign, and tender father; which double relation causes a due mixture of love, and reverence in their hearts, when they come before him.

Youmaybefree, but not rude, in his presence.

Though he be your Father, brother, friend; yet the distance betwixt him and you is infinite.

||ASaintindeed.

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The Fountain of Life:

Inference 4. If Christ be so gloriomfly advanced in the highest throne *, then none need to reckon themselves disbonoured, by suffering the vilest things for his fake †.

The very chains and sufferings of Christ have a glory in them. Hence Moses " e- "steemedthe very reproaches of Christ greater riches than the

" treasures ofEgypt," Heb. xi. 26. He saw an excellency in theveryworst things of Christ, his reproaches, and sufferings, asmadehim leap out of his honours, and riches into them. He did not (as one faith) only endure the reproaches of Christ, but counted them treasures. To be reckoned among his honours and things of value.

So Thuanus reports of Ludovicus Marsacus, a noble knight of France, when he was led with other martyrs, that were bound with cords, to execution; and he for his dignity was not bound, he cried, give me my chain too, let me be a knight of the fame order ‡.

Disgrace itselfishonourable, when it is endured for the Lord of Glory. And furelythere is (as one phraseth it) a little paradise, ayoungheaven, in sufferings for Christ.

If there were nothing else in it, but that they are endured on his account, it would richly reward all wecanendure for him ; but if we consider howexceedingkind

Christ is to them, that count it their glory to be abafed for him; that though he be always kind to his people, (yet if we may so speak) he overcometh himself in kindness, when they suffer for him; it would makemen in love with his reproaches.

Infer. 5. If Christ fat not down to reft in heaven, till be had finished his work on earth ; then it is in vain for us to think of reft, tillwehavefinisbed our work, as Christ also did his.

How willing are we to find rest here! To dream of that, which Christ never found in this world, nor any ever found before us. Othinknotof resting, tillyouhavedoneworking and done sinning.

Your life and your labours must end together.

" Write (faith the spirit)blessed are the dead that die in the Lord, " for they rest from their labours," Rev. xiv. 13.

Here you must have the sweat, and there the sweet.

It is too much to have two heavens. Here you must be content to dwell in the tents ofKedar, hereafter you shall be within the curtains of Solomon. Heaven is the place of which it may be truly said, that there the weary be at rest. O think not of fitting down on this

* Itisnodisgrace for us to suffer what Christ suffered, nor is it any glory for you to do what Judas did.

Hieronym.

†Dr. Man ton on Jam. p. 228.

†Gur et non me quoque torque donas? Et infignis hujus ordinis militem creas ? Thuan, Hift.

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fideheaven.

There are four things will keep the saints from fitting down on earth, to rest, viz. grace, corruption, devils and wicked men.

First, Grace will notfuffer you to rest here.

Its tendencies are beyond this world.

It will be looking and longing for the blessed hope. A gracious person takes himself for a pilgrim, seeking a better country, and is always suspicious of danger in every place and state.

It is still beating up the sluggish heart with such language as that, Mic. ii. 10. " Arise, depart, this

" is not thy rest, for it is polluted."

Its further tendencies and continualjealoufies, willkeepyou from fitting long still in this world.

Secondly, Your corruptions will keep you from rest here.

They will continually exercise your spirits, and keep you upon your watch, Saints have their hands filled with work by their own hearts every day.

Sometimes to prevent fin; and sometimes to lament it. And always to watch and fear to mortify and kill it.

Sin will not long suffer you to be quiet, Rom. vii.

21, 22, 23, 24.

And if a bad heart will not break your rest here, then Thirdly, There is a busy devil will do it. He will find you work enough with his temptations, and suggestions, and except. you can sleep quietly in his arms, as the wicked do, there is no reft to be expected.

" Your adversary, the devil, goeth about as

" a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour ; whom resist,"

Pet. v. 8 .

Fourthly, Nor will his servants and instruments let you be quiet on this side heaven.

Their very name speaks their turbulent disposition. "My soul (faith the holy man) is among lions, and " I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of 66 men, whose teeth are spears and arrows," Psal. lvii. 4.

Well then, be content to enter into your reft, as Christ did into his.

Hefweat, then sat,and fo must you.

עשר Inquietum esse.

Turbulent us..

SERM. XLII.

The Fountain of Life.

SERMON XLII.

Wherein CHRIST coming to Judgment, being the fourth and last Degree of his Exaltation, is opened and improved.

Acts x. 42. And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.

C HRIST enthronedin the highest glory in heaven, is there to abide for the effectual and successful government, both of the world, and of the church, until the number given him by the Father, before the world was, and purchased by the blood of the cross, be gathered in; and then cometh the judgment of the great day, which will perfectly separate the precious from the vile; put the redeemed in full possession of the purchase of his blood in heaven, and " then shall he deliver

" up the kingdom to his Father, that God may be all in all."

This last act of Christ, namely, his judging the world, is a special part of his exaltation and honour, bestowed upon him,

" because he is the Son of man," John v. 27.

In that day shall his glory, as king, and absolute Lord, shine forth as the fun when it shineth in its strength. O what anhonour will it be to themanChrift Jesus, who stood arraigned and condemned atPilate's bar, to fit upon the great white throne, surrounded with thousands, and ten thousands of angels ! men and devils waiting upon him to receive their final sentence from his mouth.

In this will the glory of Christ's sovereignty and power, be eminently and illuftrioufly displayed, before angels and men*,

And this is thatgreattruth, which he commanded tobepreachedand testified to the people; namely, that it is " he which is

" ordained of God, to be the Judge of quick and dead."

Wherein we have four things to be distinctly considered, viz.

The subject, object, fountain and truth of the fupremejudiciary authority.

First, The subject of it, Christ, it is he that is ordained to be judge.

Judgment is the act of the whole undivided trinity.

The Father and Spirit judge, as well as Christ, in respect of *To the royal dignity, doth belong that power, or authority, by which Christ is made the judge of allmen and angels. Amef.

Med. p. 117.

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authority and consent, but it is the act of Christ, in respect of visiblemanagementand execution,and so it is his per proprietatem, by propriety, the Father having conferred it upon him, as the Son of man; but no this per appropriationem,so as to exclude either the Father or Spirit from their authority, for they judgebyhim.

Secondly, The object of Christ's judiciary authority.

The quick and dead, (i. e.) all that at his coming do live, or ever had lived.

This is the Object personal.

All the men and women that ever sprang from Adam; all the apostate spirits that fell from heaven, and are reserved in chains to the judgment of this great day. And in this personal object, is included the real object, viz. all the actions, both secret and open, that ever they did, 2 Cor. v. 5. Rom. ii. 16.

Thirdly, the Fountain of this delegated authority, which is God the Father ; for he hath ordained Christ to be the Judge,

" He is appointed †," as the Son of man, to this honourable of. fice and work.

The word notes, a firm establishment of Christ in that office by his Father. He is now, by right of redemptir on, Lord and King. He enacts laws for government, then he comes to judge of mens obedience and disobedience to his laws.

Fourthly, And lastly, here is the infallible truth, or unquestionable certainty of all this. "He gave us commandment to preac hand testify it to the people."

We had it in charge from his own mouth ; and dare not hide it. Hence the point of doctrine is plainly this.

Doct. That our Lord Jesus Christ is ordained by God the Fa ther, to be the Judgeofquick and dead.

This truth stands upon the firm basis of scripture authority, You have it from his own hand, John v. 22. " TheFatherjudg

" eth no man, but hath committed all judgment to the Son," viz, inthesensebeforegiven. And so the apostle, Acts xvii. 31.

" He hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world " in righteousness, by the manwhomhe hath ordained ; where- " of he hath given assurance," &c. And again Rom. ii. 16. " In "the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jens

" Christ."

Three things will be opened here.

First, The certainty of a judgment to come.

Secondly, The quality and nature of it. Thirdly, That it is a special part of Christ's exaltation to be appointed Judge in this day.

Definitusfeu conftitutus.

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The Fountain of Life.

First, The certainty of a judgment. This is a truth of firm-, erestablishmentthanheaven and earth.

It is nodevifedfable,no cunning artifice to keep The certainty of the world in awe! but a thing as confessedly a judgment. true as it is awfully solemn.

For, First, As the scriptures aforementioned (with these, 2 Cor.

V. 10. Ecclef. xii. 14. Mat. xii. 36. and many other, the true and faithful sayings of God) do very plainly reveal it ; so the justice and righteousness of God require it should be fo.

For the judge of all the earth will do right, Gen. xviii. 25. Now righteousness itself requires that a difference be made betwixt

the righteous and the wicked:

Sayye to the righteous, it " shall be well with him ; woe to the wicked, it shall be ill with

" him," Ifa. iii. 10. But no such distinction is generally, and fully made betwixt one another in this world.

Yea, rather the wicked prosper, and the righteous perish," There is a just man " thatperisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man

" that prolongeth his life in his wickedness," Ecclef. vii. 15.

Yea, not only in, but for his righteousness, as it maybe fairly rendered.

Here the " wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous " than himself," Hab. i. 13.

As the fishes of the sea, where the great and strong swallow up the small and weak. And even in courts of judicature, where the innocent might expect relief; theretheyoftenmeetwith theworstoppreffions. How fairly and justlythereforedoth awise maninfer ajudgmenttocome from thisconfideration, Eccle. iii. 16, 17. " I saw under the fun the "placeofjudgment, that wickedness was there, and the place

" of righteousness, that iniquity was there; I said in my heart, "God shall judge the righteous and the wicked ; for there is a "time there for every purpose, and for every work," q. d. the judgment to come, is the only relief and support, left to poor innocents, to quiet and comfort themselves withal*. To the famepurposealso is that, Jam. v. 6, 7. " Ye have condemned

" and killed the just; and he doth not resist you ; be patient " therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord."

It is confessed, that sometimesGodvindicates his providence against

* In considering so great injustice, I have betaken myself to the judgment of God, who will declare who are guilty.

Drufius. I have applied this remedy to this evil. Merc.

I have comforted myself against this injustice, with the thought that God judgeth all,

Geirus.

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theAtheism of the world, by particular strokes upon the wicked; but this is but rare. And as the Father well observes,

" † if no sin were punished here, no providence would be be- " lieved; again, if every sin were openly punished here, no "judgment hereafter could be expected."

Besides, Secondly, Man is a reasonable being, and every reasonable being, is an accountable being. He isa subject capable of moral government. His actions have a relation toa law. He is swayed by rewards and punishments. He acts by counsel, and therefore of his actions, he must expect to give an account, as it is Rom. xiv. 12. " So then every one of us, shall give anac- " count of himself to God." Especially if we add, that all the gitts of body, mind, estate, time, &c. are so many talents, con credited and be trusted to him by God, and every one of us hathone talent at least; therefore a time to render an account for all these talents will come, Mat. xxv. 14, 15. We are but stewards, and stewards must give an account, in order whereto, there must be a great audit day.

Thirdly, And what need we seek evidence of this truth, further than our own conscience ? Lo, it is a truth engraven legibly upon every man's own breast.

Everyone hath a kind of little tribunal, or privy sessions in his own conscience, which both accuses, and excuses for good and evil, which it could never do, were there not a future judgment, of which it is now conscious to itself.

In this court, records are now kept of all we do, even of our secret actions and thoughts, which never yet took air ; but if no judgment, what need of records ? Nor Jet any imagine, that this may be but the fruit of education and discourse.

We have heard of such things, and so are scared by them.

For if fo, how comes it to obtain so universally ?

Who could be the author of such a common deception ?

Reader, bethink thyself a little; if thou hadst a mind (as ‡ one faith) to impose a lie upon all the world, what course wouldest thou take ? How wouldest thou lay the design ? Or whydost thou in this case imaginewhatthou knoweft not how to imagine ? It is evident that the very consciences of the Heathens, have these officesofaccufing and excusing, Rom. ii. 15.

Anditishardtoimagine, (as an ingenious author|| speaks) that + Si nullum peccatum manifest a plecteretur pæna; nullam effe divinam providentiam crederetur.

Rurfum fi omne peccatum apertepuniretur, nullumforejudicium crederetur.

Aug.

† Mr. Howe's Blessedness of the Righteous,p. 343 .

Sir Charles Woolfely's Unreasonableness ofAtheism, p. 76.

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The Fountain of Life.

a general cheat shouldbowdown the backs of all mankind, and induce fo many doubts and fears, and troubles, amongst them; and give an interruption to the whole course of their corrupt living, and that there should be no account of it? And therefore it is undoubted that such a day will come. But I shall rather chuse, in the Second Place, to open the nature, and manner of this judgment, than to spend more time in proving a truth, that cannot be deThequality of the jugdment. nied without violence offered to a man's own light.

If then the question be, what manner of judgment will this be ? I answer, First, It will be a great and awful day.

It is called the "judgment of the great day," Jude 6.

Three things will make it so, the manner of Christ's coming.

The work he comes about.

And the issues, or events of that work.

The manner of Christ's coming, will be awfully solemn, " For the " Lord himself shalldescendfromheaven with a shout, with the " voice of the archangel, with the trumpofGod; and the dead

" in Christ small rise first. Then we which are alive and remain, " shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet

" theLordintheair,"&c. I Theff. iv. 16, 17. Here Christ breaks out of heaven, with the shouts of angels εν κελευσμαλι, it signifies fucha shout (* faith one) as is to beheardamong sea men,when after a longanddangerousvoyage, they first descry land, crying aloud, with united voices, a foore, ashore.

As the poet describes the Italians when they saw their native country, " lift- " ing up their voices, and making the heavens ring again with

† Italy, Italy ; or as armies shout when the signal of battle " is given."

Above all which (as some expound it) shall the voice of the Archangel be distinctly heard. And after this shout, the trump of God shall found. By this tremendous blast, sinners will be affrighted out of their graves,but to the saints, it will carrynomore terror, than the roaringofcannons, when armies of friends approach a besieged city, for the relief of them that are within it. The dead being raised, they shall be gathered before the great throne on which Christ shall fit in his glory : and therebedividedexactly to the right and left-handofChrist, by the angels.

Here will be the greatest assembly that ever met. WhereAdammayseehis numerous offspring, even as the

* Case's Pisgah .

Italiam, Italiam, lacto clamorefalutant.

Virgil. Æneid.

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sand upon the sea shore, which no man can number. And never was there such a perfect division made, (how many divisions soever have been in the world) none was ever like it.

The faints in this great Oecumenical affize (as the author stiles it) shall meet the Lord in the air, and there the Judge shall fit upon the throne, and all the saints shall be placed upon bright clouds, as on feats or scaffolds round about him ; the wick mainingbelowupon the earth, there to receive their finaldoom and sentence. reThese preparatives will make it awful; and much more will the work itself, that Christ comes about, make it so.

For it is to judge the secrets of men," Rom. ii. 16.

To sever the tares from the wheat ; to make every man's whites and blacks appear; and according as they are found in that trial, to be sentenced to their everlasting and immutable state. O what a solemn thing is this!

And no less will the execution of the sentence on both parts make it a great and solemn day. The heart of mancannotconceivewhat impressions the voice of Christ, from the throne, will make, both upon believers, and unbelievers.

Imagine Christ uponhisglorious throne, surrounded withmyriads and legions of angels,his royal guard; a poor unbeliever trembling at the bar ; an exact scrutiny made into his heart and life; the dreadful sentence given; and then a cry; and then hisdeliveringhimovertothe executioners of eternal vengeance, never, never, to fee a glimpse of hope, or mercy any more.

Imagine Christ, like the generalofanarmy, mentioning with honour, on the head of allthehosts of heaven and earth, all the services that the saints have done for him in this world : then sententially justifying thembyopen proclamation; then mountingwithhim to the third heavens, and entering the gates of that cityofGod, in that noble train of saints and angels intermixed; and fo for ever to be with the Lord. O what a great day must this be !

Secondly, As it will be an awful and solemn judgment, so it will be a critical and exact judgment, everyman will be weighed το his ounces anddrams. The name of the Judge is Καρδιογνωσης, the searcher of hearts. The Judge hath eyes as flames of fire, which pierce to the dividing of the heart and reins.

It isfaid, Matth. xii. 36. That men shall then "giveanaccountofevery " idlewordthat they shall speak."

It is a day that will perfectly fan the world.

No hypocrite can escape ; Justice holds thebalJances in an even hand : Christ will go to work so exactly, that some divines of good note think, the day of judgment will last

SRRM . XLII.

σε The Fountain of Life. as long as this day ofthegofpel's administration hath lasted, or shall last.

Thirdly, It will be anuniversaljudgment, 2Cor. v. 10. "We "must all appear before the judgment-feat of Christ."

And Rom, xiv. 12. " Every one of us shall give an account of him- " self to God."

Those that were under the law, " and those " that having no law, were a law to themselves," Rom. ii. 12.

Those that had many talents, and he that had but one talent, must appear at this bar; those that were carried from the cradle to the grave, with him that stooped for age: the rich, and poor ; the father, and the child; the master, and servant; the believer, and the unbeliever, must stand forth in that day. "I fawthe

"dead, both small and great, stand before God, and the books " were opened," Rev. xx. 12.

Fourthly, It will be a judgment full ofconvictive clearness.

All things will be so sifted tobran, (as we fay,) that the sentence of Christ, both on saints and sinners, shall be applauded. " Righ- " teous art thou, O Lord, because thou hast judged thus."

His judgments will be as the light that goeth forth.

So that those poor sinners whom he will condemn, shall be first αυτοκατακριτοι self-condemned.

Their own consciences shall be forced to confess, that there isnotonedrop of injustice in all that sea of wrath, into which they are tobecaft.

Fifthly, and lastly, It will be a supreme and final judgment, from which lies no appeal.

For it is thesentenceofthe highest, and only Lord. " For as the ultimate resolutionoffaith is in- " to the word, and truth of God, so the ultimate resolution of "justice is into the judgment of God*."

This judgment is supreme and imperial.

For Christ is the only Potentate, 1 Tim. vi. 5., and therefore the sentence once passed, its execution is infallible. And so you find it in that judicial process, Matth. xxv. ult.; just after the sentence is pronounced by Christ, it is immediatly added, "these shallgo away into everlasting punish- " ment, but the righteous into life eternal."

This is the judgment of the great day. you, that God, in Thirdly, In the last place, I must inform ordaining Christ to be the Judge, has very highlyexaltedhim. This will beverymuch That this judgment for his honour : for in this, Christ's royal dignity will be illustrated, beyond whatever makes for Christ's honour.

* Ad Dei verbumfit ultima refolutio fidei, ad Dei tribunal ultima refolutiojudicii.

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it was since he took our nature, till that day; now he will appear in his glory.

For, First, This act of judging pertaining properly to the kingly office, Christ will be glorified as much in his kingly office, ashe hathbeenin either of the other.

We find but some few glimpses of the kingly office, breaking forth in this world; as, his riding with Hosannahs into Jerusalem; his whipping the buyers and fellers out of the temple; his title upon the cross, &c.

But these were but faint beams : Now that office will shine in its glory, as the fun in the midst of the heavens.

For what were theHosannahs of little children, in the streets of Jerusalem, to the shouts andacclamations ofthousandsofangels, and ten thou-

sands of saints ? what was his whipping the prophane out of the temple, to his turning the wicked into hell, and sending his angels to gather out of his kingdom every thing that offendeth ? what was a title written by his judge, and fixed on the ignominious tree, to the name that shall now be seen on his vesture, and on his thigh, King of kings, and Lord of lords.

Secondly, This willbeadisplayof his glory in the highest, before the whole world.

For there will be present at once, and together, all the inhabitants of heaven, and earth, and hell ; angels must be there to attend and minister; those glittering courtiers of heaven must attend his person, so that heaven will, for a time, be left empty of all its inhabitants : men and devils must be there to be judged: and before this greatassemblywill Christ appear in royal Majesty. He will, (to allude to that text, Ifa. xxiv. 23.), reign before his ancients gloriously. " For he will

" come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them " that believe," 2 Thess. i. 10.

The inhabitants of the three regions, heaven, earth, and hell, shall then rejoice, or tremble before him, and acknowledge him to be supreme Lord and King.

Thirdly, This will roll away for ever the reproach of his death: for Pilateandthe high-Priest, that judged him at their bars, shall now stand quivering at his bar ; with Herod that set him at nought, the soldiers and officers that traduced and abufedhim: there they thatreviledhimon the cross, wagging their heads, will stand,with trembling knees, before his throne.

For every eye shall fee him,and they also that pierced him," Rev. i. 7. O what a contemptible person was Christ in their eyes once ? As a worm, and noman.

Every vile wretch could freely treadandtrample on him ; but now such will be the brightness of his glory, such the awful beams of majesty, that the wicked shall not stand in his presence, or" be able to rise up," (as that

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†word imports, Psal. i. 5.), " before him." So that this will be a full and universal vindication of the death of Christ, from all that contempt and ignominy that had attended it.

We next improve it.

Inference 1. Is Jesus Christ ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead ? Great then is the security believers have, that they shall not be condemned in that day. Who shall condemn, when Christ is Judge ? If believers be condemned in judgment,

Christ must give sentence against them : yea, and they must condemn themselves too.

I say, Christ must give sentence, for that is the proper and peculiar office of Christ. And, to be sure, no sentence of condemnation shall, in that day, be given

Christ against them.

For, First, He died to save them, and he will never cross and overthrow the designs and ends of his own death. That cannot be imagined. Nay, Secondly, They havebeencleared, and absolved already. And being once absolved by divine sentence, they can never be condemned afterward.

For one divine sentence cannot cross and rescind another.

He justified them here in this world by faith :

Declared in his word, (which shall then be the rule of judgment, Rom. ii.16.), that " there is no condemnation to them that are

" in Christ," Rom. viii. 1.

And surely he will not retract his own word, and give a sentence quite cross to his own statute book, out of which he hath told us that they shall be judged.

Moreover, Thirdly, The far greatest part of them will have passed their particular judgment, long before that day, and being therein acquitted by God, the Judge of all; and admitted into heaven upon the score and account of their justification; it cannot be imagined that Christ should now condemn them with the world.

Nay, Fourthly, He that judged them is their head,husband, friend, and brother : who loved them, and gave himself for them : O then, withwhatconfidence may theygo, evenuntohis throne ? and say, with Job, " Though he try us as fire,we know we shall

" come forth as gold." We know that we shall be justified.

Especially, if we add, that they themselves shall be the affeffors with Christ in that day. And, (as a judicious author pertinently observes), not a sentence shall pass without their votes. " So as that they may by faith notonlylookupon themselves as alreadyinheaven, sitting with Christ, as acommonperson, in ומקי אל+ .

‡ Goodwin's Triumph, p. 146.

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" their right; but they may look upon themselves as judges al- " ready.

So that if any sin should arise to accuse, or condemn, " yet it must be with their votes. And what greater security

" can they have than this, that they must condemn themselves, " if they be condemned." No, no, it is not the the business of that day to condemn, but to absolve, and pronounce them pardonedandjustified, according to the sentenceofActs iii. 19. and Mat. xii. 32.

So that it must needs be a time of refreshing, (as all scriptures call it), to the people of God. You that now believe, shall not come into condemnation,Johnv. 24.

You that now judge yourselves shall not be condemned with the world, 1 Cor . xi . 31 , 32 .

Inference 2. If Christ be ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead, how miserable a case will Christless fouls be in at that day! They thatareChristlefsnow, will be speechless, helpless, and hopeless then. How will their hands hang down, and their knees knock together ! O what pale faces, quivering lips, fainting hearts, and roaring consciences will be among them in that day ! Odreadful day ! O astonishing fight ! to see the world in a dreadful conflagration, the elements melting, the stars faling, the earth trembling, the judgment set,the prisoners brought forth ; O who shall endure in this day, but those that by union with Christ are secured against the danger and dread of it ! Let me demand of poor Christless souls, whom this day is like to Overtake unawares .

First, Do you think it possible to avoid appearing, after what terrible citation is given to the world by the trump of God?

Alas, howcanyou imagine it ? is not the fame power that revived your dust, able to bring you before the bar ? There is a necessity that you must come forth, 2 Cor.v. 10. " We [must]

" all appear."

It is not at the sinner's choice, to obey the summons or not .

Secondly, Ifyoumust appear, are there no accusers, nor witnesses, that will appear against you, and confront you in the court ? What think you, was Satan so often atempter to you here, and will he not be an accuser there ? Yes, nothing surer ; for that was the maindesignofallhis temptations.

What think you of your own consciences ? are they not privy to your secret wickedness ; do not they now whisper sometimes in your ears, what you care not to hear of? If they whisper now, they will thunder then, Rom. ii. 15, 16.

Will not the Spirit accuse you, for refiftinghis motions, and stifling thousands of his convictions ? Will not your companions in fin accuse you ? who drew, or were drawn by you to fin ? Will not your teachers be your

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accufers ? How manytimeshaveyou made them complain, Lord, they are iron and brass, they have made their faces barder than a rock; they refuse to return.

Will not your very relations be your accufers, to whom you have failed in all your relational duties ? Yea, and every onewhomyou have tempted to fin, abused, defrauded, over-reached ; all these will be your accufers.

So that it is without dispute, you will have accufers enough to appear against you.

Thirdly,BeingaccusedbeforeJesus Christ, what will you plead for yourselves : will you confess, or will you deny the charge ?

If you confess, what need more ?

Out of thine own mouth " will I judge thee," faith Christ, Luke xix. 22.

Ifyoudeny, and plead not guilty; thy Judge is the searcher of hearts, and knows all things.

So that it will not at all help thee to make a lie thy last refuge.

This will add to the guilt, but not cover it.

Fourthly, If no defence or plea be left thee, then what canst thou imagine shouldretardthe sentence ? Why should not Christ goon to that dreadful work ? " Must not the Judge of all the " earth do right?" Gen. xviii. 25. Must not he render to eve ry man according to his deeds ? 2 Cor. V. 10.

Yes, no question but he will proceed to that sentence, how terrible soever it be to you to think on it now, or hear it then.

Fifthly, To conclude, if sentence be once given by Christ against thy foul, what in all the world canst thou imagine should hinder the execution ? Will he alter the thing that is gone out of his mouth ? No, Psal. lxxxix. 34. Dost thou hope he is more merciful and pitiful than so? Thou mistakest, if thou expectest mercy out of that way in which he dispenses it.

There will be thousands, and ten thousands that will rejoice in, and magnify his mercy then; but they are such as obey his call, repented, believed, and obtained union with his person here ; but for unbelievers, it is against the settled law of Christ, and constitution of the gospel, to shew mercy to the despisers of it.

But it may be, you think your tears, your cries, your pleadings with him, may move him; these, indeed, might have done somewhatintime, but they come out of season now. Alas, too late.

What the success of such pleas and cries will be, you may fee, if you will but consult two scriptures, Job xxvii 8, 9. " What

" is the hope of the hypocrite, tho' he hath gained, when "God taketh away his soul ? Will God hear his cry when

"trouble cometh upon him ?" No, no: And Mat. vii. 22.

"Manywillsay unto me in that day, Lord, Lord,have we not VOL. II.

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" prophesied in thy name, and in thy name have cast outde- " vils, and in thy name done many wonderful works ? And " then will I profess unto them, I never knew you ; depart

" from me ye that work iniquity."

And must it come to this dismal issue with you indeed ? God forbid it should.

Oh then, Inference 3. If Christ be appointedofGod to be the Judge of all, how are all concerned tofeeure their interest in him, and therein an eternity of happiness to their ownfouls, by the work of regeneration ? Of all the business that men and women have in this world, there is none so solemn, so necessary, and important, as this. O my brethren, this is a work, able to drink up your spirits, while you do but think of the consequence of it.

•Summon in then thy self-reflecting, and considering powers : get alone, reader, and, forgetting all other things, ponder with thyself this deep, dear, eternal concernment of thine.

Examine the state of thy own soul.

Look into the scriptures, then into thine own heart, and then to heaven, saying, Lord, let me not be deceived info great a concernment to me as this. O let not the trifles of time wipe off the impressions of death, judgment, and eternity, from thy heart. O that long word [Eternity,] that it might be night and day with thee. That the awe of it may be still upon thy spirit. A gentlewoman of this nation, having spent the whole afternoon, and a great part of the evening at cards, in mirth and jollity, came home late at night, and finding her waiting gentlewoman reading, she looked over hor shoulder upon the book, and said, Poor melancholy foul, why dostthou fithereporing solongupon thy book ? That night the could not sleep, but lay sighing and weeping; her servant asked heronceandagain what ailedher; at last she burst out into tears, and said, O ! it wasone word that I cast my eye upon in thy book , that troubles me; there I saw that word Eternity. How happy were I, if I were provided for eternity ! Sure it concerns us, seeing we look for such things, to be diligent that we may be foundofhim in peace. O let not that day come by furprizal upon you.

Remember that as death leaves, so judgment will find you.

Infer. 4. Is Jesus Christ appointed Judge of quick and dead, then look to it, all you that hope to be found of him in peace, that you avoid thosefins, and live in the daily practice of those duties, which the consideration of that day powerfully persuades you to avoid or practise.

For it not only presses to holiness in actu primo, in the being of it; but in actufecundo, in the daily exercise

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The Fountain of Life. and practice of it. then, Do you indeed expect such a day ? Oh, First, See you be neek and patient under all injuries and abuses for Christ's fake. Avenge not yourselves, but leave it to the Lord,who will do it. Do not anticipate the work of God.

" Be patient my brethren, to the coming of the Lord, " James

V.7,8, 9.

Secondly, Be communicative, public-hearted Christians, studying and devising liberal things, for Christ's distressed members.

And you shall have both an honourable remembrance of it, and a full reward of it in that day, Mat. xxv. 34, 35 .

Thirdly, Be watchful, and sober, keep the golden bridle of moderation upon all your affections; and see that you be not over-charged with the cares and love of this present life, Luke xxi. 34, 35.

Will you that your Lord come, and find you in fuchaposture? " O let your moderation be known unto all,

" the Lord is at hand," Phil. iv. 5.

Fourthly, Improve all your Master's talents, diligently and carefully.

Take heedofthenapkin, Mat. xxv. 14, 18.

Then must you make up your account for them all.

Fifthly, But above all, be sincere in your profession.

Let your hearts be found in God's statutes, that you may never be ashamed ; for this day will be the day of manifestation of all hidden things. And nothing is so secret, but that day will reveal it, Luke xii. 1 , 2, 3. " Beware of hypocrity, for there is

" nothing covered, which shall not be revealed ; neither hid, " that shall not be made known. "--Thus I have finished, through divine aids, the whole doctrine of the impetration of redemptionbyJesus Christ; we shall windup the whole in a ge neral exhortation, and I have done.

The General USE .

AND now, to close up all, letmepersuade all those for whom the dear Son ofGodcame from theblessedbosom of the Father ; assumed flesh, brake, by the strength of his own love, through all discouragements and impediments, laid down his own life a ransom for their souls ; for whom he lived, died, rose, ascended, and lives for ever in heaven to intercede ;

The general use of the whole, pressing to holiness, which is the main scope of the doc trineofredemption to live wholly to Christ, as Christ lived, and died wholly for them.

Obrethren, never was the Heathen world acquainted with K 2

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such arguments todeter them from sin; never acquainted with such motives to urge them to holiness, as I shall this dayacquaintyou with. My request is, to give up both your hearts and lives to glorify the Father, Son, and Spirit, whose you are, by the holiness and heavenliness of them.

Other things are expected from you, than from other men.

See that you turn not all thisgracethathathfoundedinyour ears, intowantonness.

Think not because Chritt hath done to much for you, you may fit still; much less indulge your selves in fin, because Christ hath offered up such an excellent sacrifice for the expiation of it.

No, no, though Christ came to be a curse, he did not come to be a cloak for your fins. " Ifone died for all, then were all

" dead; that they that live, should not henceforth live to them- " selves; but to him that died for them," 2 Cor. v. 15. Ο keep your lives pure and clean. Do not make fresh work for the blood of Christ everyday. " If you live in the Spirit, fee

" that you walk in the Spirit," Gal. v. 25.

That is, (faith * Cornelius a Lapide very solidly) " Let us shape and order " our lives and actions according to the dictates, instinct, and " impulses of the Spirit, and of that grace of the Spirit put

" within us, and planted in our hearts, which tendeth toprac- " tical holiness ." O let the grace which is in your hearts, issue out into all your religious, civil, and natural actions.

Let the faith that is in your hearts appear in your prayers; the obedience of your hearts in hearing; the meekness of your hearts in suffering; the mercifulness of your hearts in distributing ; the truth and righteousness of your hearts in trading; the sobriety and temperance of your hearts in eating and drinking.

These be the fruits of Christ's sufferings indeed, they are sweet fruits.

Let grace refine, ennoble, and elevate all your actions ; that you may say, " Truly our conversation is in heaven."

Let grace have theorderingofyourtongues, and of your hands ; themoulding of your whole conversation. Let not humility appear in some actions, and pride in others.

Holy seriousness in some companies, and vain frothiness in others.

Suffer not the fountain of corruption to mingle with, or pollute the streams of grace.

Write as exactly as you can after your copy, Christ, Olet there not be (as + one well expresses it) here a line and there a blank ; here a word, and there ablot.

One word of God, and two of the world. Now a spiritual rapture, and then * Secundum dictamen, instinctum, impulfum Spirit us eogratia immisse, et indita nobis a Spiritu Sancto.

† R. A. Vindicia Pietatis.

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a fleshly frolic.

This day an advance towards heaven, and tomorrow a slide back again towards hell. But be you in the fear of the Lord all the day long.

Let there be a due proportion betwixt all the parts of your conversation. Approve yourselves the servants of Christ in all things . " Bypureness, by know- " ledge, long-suffering, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned,

" by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of " righteousness, on the right-hand, and on the left," 2 Cor. vi.

See then how accurately you walk.--Cut offoccafion from them thatdefire occasion ; and in well-doing commityourselves to God, and commend religion to the world.

That this is your great concernment and duty, I shall evidence to your consciences,by these following considerations.

That of all persons in the world the redeemed of the Lord, are most obliged to be holy ; most assisted for a life of holiness; and that God intends to make great use of their lives, both for the conviction, and conversion of others .

Confider, First, God hath more obliged them to live pure and strict lives.

I know the command obliges all men to it, even those that cast away the cords of the commands, and break

Christ's bonds asunder, are yet bound by them ; and cannot plead a dispensation to live as they do. Yea, and it is not unusualforthem to feel the obligations of the command upon their consciences, even when their impetuous lusts hurry them on to the violation of them; but there are special tiesuponyour fouls, that oblige you to holiness more than others. Many special and peculiar engagements you are under.

First, from God.

Secondly, from yourselves. Thirdly, from your brethren. Fourthly, from your enemies .

First, God hath peculiarly obliged you to purity and strictness of life.

Yea, every Person in the blessed Trinity hath cast his cord over your fouls, to bind up your hearts and lives to the most strict and precise obedience of his commands. The Father hath obliged you, and that not only by the common tie of the Father. creation, which is yet of great efficacy in Obligations from itself; for, is it reasonable, that God should create and form fo excellent a piece, and that it should be employed against him ?

That he should plant the tree, and another eat the fruit of it ?

But, besides this common engagement, he hath obliged you to holiness of life.

First, By his wife and merciful designs and counsels for your recovery and salvation by Jesus Christ.

It was he that laid the corner-stone of your salvation with his own hands. The first

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motion sprang out of his breast.

If God had not designed the Redeemer for you, the world had never feenhim ; he had never left that sweet Bosom for you.

It was the act of the Father to give you to the Son to be redeemed, and then to give the Son to be a Redeemer to you.

Both of them stupendous and astonishing acts of grace. AndinbothGod acted as a most free A. gent. When he gave you to Christ before the beginning of time, there was nothing out of himself that could in the least move him to it.

When the Father, Son, and Spirit fat(as I may fay) at the counsel table, contriving and laying the design for the salvation of a few out of many of Adam's degenerate offspring, there was none came before him to speak one word for thee ; butfuch was the divine Pleasure to infertthy name in that catalogue of the saved. Oh how much oweft thou to the

Lord for this ! And what an engagement doth it leave upon thy soul to obey, please, and glorify him ?

Secondly, By his bountiful remunerations of your obedience, which have been wonderful.

What service didst thou ever perform for him, for which he hath not paid thee a thousand times more than it is worth ? Did it thou ever seek him diligently, and not find him a bountiful rewarder; none seek him in vain, unless such only as seek him vainly, Heb. xi. 6. Didst thou ever give a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, and not receive a disciple's reward ?

Mat. x. 42.

Haft thou not found inward peace and comfort flowing into thy foul, upon every piece of sincere obedience ! Oh what a good master do faints serve ? You that are remiss and unconstant in your obedience, you that are heartless and cold in duties; hear how your

God expoftulates with you, Jer. ii. 31. " Have I been a wilder- " ness to Israel, or a land of darkness?" q. d. Have I been a hard Master to you ? Have you any reason to complain of me ?

To whomsoever I have been streight-handed, surely I have not been so to you.

Are fruits of fin like the fruits of obedience ?

Do you know where to find a better,Master ? Why then are you so shuffling and unconftant, so sluggish and remiss in my work ? Surely God is not behind-hand with any of you.

May you not say with David, Psal. cxix. 56.

This I had, because " I kept thy precepts."

There are fruits in holiness, evenprefent fruit.

It is a high favour to be employed for God.

Reward enough that he will accept any thing thou dost. But to " return every duty thou presentest to him with such comforts, such quickenings, such inward and outward blessings into thy bosom, fo that thou mayeft open the treasury of thine own experiences, view the variety of encouragements, and tokens of

SERM. XLII.

The Fountain of Life. his love, at several times received in duties; and say, this I had, and that I had, by waiting on God, and serving him.

Oh what an engagement is this upon thee, to be ever abounding in the work of the Lord ! Though thou must not work for wages ; yetGodwill not let thy work go unrewarded.

For he is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love.

Thirdly, Your Father hath further obliged you to his holiness and purity of life, byfignifying to you (as he hath frequently done) the great delight and pleasure he hath therein. He hath told you, " that such as are upright in the way are hisde- " light," Prov. xi. 20. That he would not have you " forget to do good, and to communicate, for with such sacrifices he

" is well pleased," Heb. xiii. 16.

You know you cannot walk worthy of the Lord to all pleasing, (except) ye be " fruitful in every good word and work," Col. i. 10. And oh what a bond is this upon you to live holy lives ! Can you please yourselves in displeasing your Father ? If you have the hearts of children in you, sure you cannot. O you cannot grieve his spirit by loose and careless walking, but you must grieve your own spirits too. How many times hath God pleased

" you, gratified and contented you, and will you not pleale and content him ? This mercy you have asked of him, and he gave it, that mercy and you were not denied ; in many things the Lord hath wonderfully condescended to please you, and now there is butone thing that he desires of you, and that most reasonable, yea, beneficial for you, as well as pleasing to him, Phil. i. 27.

" Only let your conversation be asbecometh the gospel of Jesus " Christ."

This is the one thing, the great and main thing, he expects from you in this world, and will not you do it ?

Can you expect he should gratify your desires, when you make no more of grieving and displeasing him ? Well, if you know what will please God, and yet resolve not to do it, but will rather please your flesh, and gratify the devil, than him ; pray pull off your vizards, fall into your own rank among hypocrites ; and appear as indeed you are.

Fourthly, The Father bath further obliged you toftrictness and purity of conversation, by his gracious promises made to such as fo walk.

He hath promised to do great things for you, if you will but do this one thing for him.

If you will " order your conversation aright," Pial. 1. ult. He will be your fun and Soield, if you walk before him and be upright,Gen. xv. 1. "He

" will give grace and glory, and no good thing will he with-hold "from himthatwalketh uprightly," Plal. Ixxxiv. 11. And he promises no more to you than he hath made good to others,

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that have thus walked, and stands ready to perform to you also.

If you look to enjoy the good of the promise, you are obliged by all your expectations and hopes, to order your lives purely and uprightly.

This hope will fetyou on work to purge your lives, as well as your hearts, from all pollutions, 2 Cor. vii. 1.

" Having these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from all fil- " thiness of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of " God."

Fifthly, Yea, Hehatbyet more obliged you to strict and holy lives, by his confidence in you, that you will thus walk and please him. He expresseth himself in scripture, as one that dares trust you with his glory, knowing that you will be tender of it, and dare do no otherwise.

If but a man repose confidence in you, and trust you with his concerns, it greatly obliges you to be faithful.

What an engagement was that upon Abraham to walk uprightly, when God said of him,Gen. xviii.

19. " I know him, that he will command his children, and his " houfhold after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord," q. d. as for this wicked generation, whom I will speedily consume in my wrath, I know they regard not my laws, they will trample my commands under their feet, they care not how they provoke me, but I expect other things from Abraham, and I am confident he will not fail me .

I know him, he is a man of another spirit, and what I promise myself from him, he will make good. And to the like purpose, is that in Isa.

Ixiii. 7. " I will mention the loving-kindness of the Lord, and " the praises of the Lord; according to all that the Lord hath,

" bestowed onus, and the great goodness towards the house of " Israel, which he hath bestowed on them; according to his

" mercies, and according to the multitude of his loving-kind.

" nesses.

For he said, surely they are my people, children that " will not lie, (or fail me) so he was their Saviour."

Here you have an ample account of the endearing mercies of God to that people, ver. 7. and the Lord's confident expectations of suitable returns from them, ver. 8. I said, (i. e.) (speaking after the manner of men in like cases) I made a full account, that after all these endearments, and favours, bestowed upon them, they wouldnotoffer to be disloyal and false to me.

I have made them fureenough to myself, by fomanybondsoflove.

Like to which is that expression, Zeph. iii. 7. " I said, surely thou wilt fear " me, thou wilt receive instruction." Oh! how great are the expectations of God from such as you ! I know Abraham, there is no doubt of him. And again, they are children that will not lie, (i. e.) they willnotfallerefidemdatam,break their covenant

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The Fountain of Life. with me.

Or they are my people that will not shrink, as Mr.

Coverdalewell translates,filii non negantes, such as will be true tome, and answer their covenant-engagements. And again, surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive instruction.

And shall not all this engage you to God ? What! Neither the ancientandbountiful love of God, in contriving your redemption from eternity, nor thebountyofGod, in rewarding all, and every piece offer vice you have done for him. Nor yet the pleasure he takes in your obedience and upright walking : Nor the encouraging promises he hath made thereto, nor yet his confident expectations of such a life from you, whom he hath so many ways obliged, and endeared to himself ? Will you forget your ancient friend, contemnhis rewards, take no delight or care to please him ? Slight his promises, and deceive and fail his expectations ? " Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this ! and be hor- " ribly afraid. "

Consider how God the Father hath fastned this five-fold cord upon your souls, and thew yourselves christians ; yea, to use the prophet's words, Isa. xlvi. 8. " Remember this,

" and shew yourselves men ."

Secondly, You are yet further engaged to this precise and holy life, by what the Son hath

Obligations from the Son. done for you ; is not this pure and holy life the very aim, and nextendofhis death ? Did he not shed his blood to " redeem you from your vain conversa- " tions ?" I Pet. i. 18. Was not this the design of all his sufferings ? " That being delivered out of the hands of your enemies,

66 you might serve him in righteoufsness and holiness all the days " of your life," Luke i. 74, 75.

And is not the apostle's inference, 2 Cor. v. 14, 15. highly reasonable ? " If on died for all,

" then were all dead, and that he died for all, that they which " live, should not henceforth live to themselves, but to him that " died for them. "

Did Christ onlybuyyour persons, and not your services also ? No, no, whoever hath thy time, thy strength, or any part of either ; I can assure thee, christian, that Christ hath paid for it, and thou givest away what is noneofthine own to give.

Every moment of thy time, is his.

Every talent, whether of grace or nature, is his. And dost thoudefraudhim of his own ? O how liberal are you of your precious words and hours, as if Christ had never made a purchase of them! O think of this, when thy life runs muddy and foul, When the fountain of corruption flows out at thy tongue, in idle frothy discourfes; or at thy hand, in sinful unwarrantable actions ? Doth this become the redeemed of the Lord ? Did Christ come from the VOL. II.

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bosom of his Father for this ? Did he groan, sweat, bleed, endure the cross, andlaydown his life for this ? Was he so well pleased with all his sorrows and sufferings, his pangs and agonies, upon the account of that satisfaction he should have in seeing the travailofhis foul ? Ifa. liii. 11. as if he had said, "Welcome death,

" welcome agonies, welcome the bitter cup, and heavy burthen; " I chearfully submit to all this.

These are travailing pangs, " indeed, but I shall fee the beautiful birth at last. These throws

" and agonies shall bring forth many lovely children to God ; I " thallhavejoy in them, and glory from them, to all eternity.

" This blood of mine, these sufferings of mine, shall purchase to me, the persons,duties, services, and obedience of many thou- " sands that will love me, and honour me, serve me, and obey

" me, with their souls and bodies which are mine."

And doth not this engage you to look to your lives, and keep them pure !

Is not every one of Christ's wounds, a mouth open to plead for more holiness , more service, and more fruit from you ? Oh ! what will engage you if this will not ? But,

Thirdly, This is not all ; as a man when he Engagements from weigheth a thing, casteth in weight after the Spirit. weight, till the scales are counterpoised ; So doth God cast in engagement, after engagement, and argument upon argument, till thy heart, christian, be weighed up, and won to this heavenly life.

And therefore, as Elihu said to Job, chap. xxxvi. 22. " Suffer me a little, and I " will shew thee what I have yet to speak on God's behalf."

Some arguments have already been urged on the behalf of the Father and Son, for purity andcleannessof life ; and next I have something to plead on the behalf of the Spirit.

I plead now on his behalf, who hath so many times helped you to plead for yourselves with God. He that hath so often refreshed, quickened, and comforted you,he will be quenched, grieved, and displeased, by an impure, loose, and careless conversation ; and what will you do then ? Who shall comfort you, when the comforter is departed from you ? When he that should relieve your fouls, is far off?

Ogrieve not the holy Spirit of God, by which you are sealed, to the day of redemption, Eph.iv. 30. There is nothing grieves him more than impure practices; for he is a holy Spirit. And look, as water damps andquenches the fire, fo-doth fin quench the spirit, I Thef. v. 19. Will you quench the warm affections andburningdefires which he hath kindled in your bosoms ? If you do, it is a question, whether ever you may recover them again to your dying day. The spirit hath a delicate sense.

It is the most tenderthing in the whole world. He feels the least

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touch of fin, and is grieved, when thy corruptions within, are stirred by temptations, and break out to the defiling of thy life ; then is the holy Spirit of God, as it were, made fad, and heavy within thee. As that word μη λυπειθε, Eph. iv. 30. may be rendered.

For thereby thou resistest his motions, whereby in the way of a loving constraint, he would lead and guide thee in the way of thy duty ; yea, thou not only resistest his motions, but crossest his grand design, which is to purge and sanctify thee wholly, and build thee up more and more to the perfection of holiness.

And when thou thus forsakest his conduct, and crof. sest his design in thy soul, then doth he usually withdraw as a man that is grieved by the unkindness of his friend. He draws inthebeams of his evidencing and quickening grace.

Withholds all his divine cordials,and faith, as it were, to the unkind anddisingenuous foul, " Hast thou thus requited me, for all "the favours and kindnesses thou hast " received from me ? Have I quickened The Spirit's expostulation with careless

Christians. greffions ? DidIdescendupon thee in " the preaching of the gospel, and communicate life, even the thee, when thou wast dead intranf-

" life of God, to thee; leaving others in the state of the dead ?

" Have I shed forth such rich influences of grace and comfort " upon thee ? Comforting thee in all thy troubles, helping

" thee in all thy duties ; satisfying thee in all thy doubts and perplexities of foul; saving thee, and pulling thee back from " so many destructive temptations and dangers ? What had

" been thy condition, ifI had not come unto thee ? Could the "word have converted thee without me ? Could ministers,

"could angels, have done that for thee which I did ? And when " I hadquickened thee, and made thee a living foul, what couldst

"thou have done, without my exciting and assisting grace?

" Couldest thou go on in the way of duty, If I had not led " thee ? How wouldest thou have waded through the deeps of " spiritual troubles, if I had not borne thee up ? Whither had

" the temptations ofsatanand thine own corruptions, carried " thee before this day, If I had not stood thy friend, and come

" in for thy rescue in the time of need? Did I ever fail thee " in thy extremities ? Did I ever leave thee in thy dangers ?

"Have I not been tender over thee, and faithful to thee ? And " now, for which of all these kindnesses, dost thou thus wrong

" and abuse me ? Why hast thou wounded me thus by thy un- " kindness ? Ah ! thou hast ill requited my love !And now thou

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" shalteatthe fruit of thy doings. Let thy light now be dark- " ness ; thy songs turned into howhngs ; the joy of thine heart,

" the light of thine eyes, the health of thy countenance, even " the faceofthyGod, and the joy of salvation be hid from thee."

This is the fruit of careless and loose walking. To this sad issue it will bring thee at last, and when it is come to this, thou shalt go to ordinances, and duties, and findnogood in them ; no life-quickening comfort there. When thy heart which was wont to be enlarged, and flowing, shall be clung up and dry ; when thou saalt kneel down before the Lord, and cry, as Elisha, when with the mantleofElijah, he smote the water,

66 Where " is the Lord God of Elijah ?" So thou, where is the God of prayer ? where is the God of duties ? But there is no answer :

When like Samfon, thou shalt go forth and shake thyself, as at other times ; but thy strength is gone; then tell me, what thou haftdone in resisting, quenching, and grieving the holy Spirit of God by impure and offensive practices ? And thus you fee what engagements lie upon you from the Spirit also to walk uprightly, and keep the issues of life pure. Icouldwillingly have enlarged myself upon this last branch, but that * a judicious hand hath lately improved this argument, to which I shall refer the reader.

Thus God hath obliged you to circumspect and holy lives.

Secondly, You are under great engagements to keep your lives pure, even from yourselves, as well as from your God. As God hath bound you to purity of conversation, so you have bound yourselves. And there are several things in you, and done by you, which wonderfully increase, and strengthen your obligations to practical holiness.

First, Your clearer illumination is a strong bond upon your souls, Eph . v. 8. " Ye were sometimes darkness but now ye

66 are light in the Lord; walk as children of the light."

You cannot pretend, or plead ignorance of your duty.

You stand convinced in yourownconfciences before God, that this is your unquestionable duty. Christians, will you not all yield to this ?

Iknowyou readily yield it. We live, indeed, ina contentious, disputing age.

In other things, our opinions are different.

One Christian is of this judgment, another of that ; but doth hedeferve the name ofa Christian that dare once question this truth ? In this we all meet and close in oneness of mind and judgment, that it is our indisputable duty, to live pure, strict, and clean lives.

" The grace of God, which hath appeared to * Mr. Polewheil's treatise ofquenching the Spirit.

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66 you, hath taught you this truth clearly, and convincingly,"

Tit. ii. 11, 12.

" You have received how you ought to walk, " and to please God," I Thef. iv. 1.

Well then, this being yielded, the inference is plain and undeniable ; that you cannot walk as others, in the vanity of their mind; but you must offer violence to your own light.

You cannot suffer the corruptions of your hearts to break forth into practice, but you must flight, and put by the notices and rebukes of your own consciences,

Jam. iv. 17. " He that knoweth to do good, and doth it not, to " him it is sin."

Yea, sin with a witness. Aggravated fin.

Sin of a deeper tincture than that of Heathens.

Sin that sadly wastes and violates conscience.

Certainly whoever hath, you have no cloak for your fin.

Light and lust struggling together, great light, and strong lusts: these make the soul a troubled sea that cannot rest. O but when masterless lusts over-bear conscience, this impresses horror upon the soul.

This brake David'she art, Psal. li. 6. " Thou hast put knowledge in my inner " parts," q. d. Ah, Lord ! I went against the rebukes of conscience, to the commission of this fin.

I had a watchful light set up within me.

I knew it was fin. My light endeavoured lovingly to restrain me, and I thrust it aside.

Besides, what pleasure in sin can you have ? Indeed, such as, for want of light know not what they do, or such, whose consciences are feared, and past feeling; they may seek a little pleasure (such as it is) outoffin: but what content or pleasure can you have, so long as your light is ever breaking in upon you, and smiting you for what you do? This greatly increases your obligation to a precise,holy life.

Again, Secondly, You are professors of holiness.

You have given in your names to Christ, to be his disciples ; and by this your engagements to a life of holiness, are yet further strengthened,

2 Tim. ii. 19. " Let every one that nameth the name of Christ, " depart from iniquity."

The name of Christ is called upon you, and it is, a worthy name, Jam. ii. 7.

It is called upon you, as the name of the husband is called upon his wife, Ifa. iv.

1. " Let thy name be called upon us."

Or, as the name ofa Father is called upon his child,Gen. xlviii. 16. " Let my name

" be called on them, and the name of my fathers."

Well then, you bear the name of Christ as his spouse or children ; and will you not live suitably to your name ? Every place and relation, every title ofhonour and dignity hath its decorum, and becomingness. Ohow will that worthy name of Christ be blafphemed through you, if you adorn it not with becomingdeportments? Better you had never professed any thing, than to set

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yourselves by your profession in the eye and observation of the world; and then to pour contempt on Jesus Christ, by your scandalous conversations, before the eyes of the world ; who will laugh at it.

I remember it was a memento given to one of his name by Alexander, record are nominis Alexandri.

Remem ber(faidhe) thy name Alexander, and do nothing unworthy of that name. Othat is aheavycharge, Rom.ii. 24. " Through " you is the name of God blafphemed among the Heathens."

Unhappy man that ever thou shouldest be a reproach to Christ !

The herd of wickedmen, they are ignota capita ; men of no note, or observation.

They may fin, and fin again ; drink, swear, and tumble in all uncleanness; and it passes away silently; the world takes little notice of it.

Their wicked actions make but little noise in the world; but the miscarriages of professors, are like a blazing comet, or an eclipsed sun, which all men gaze at, and make their observations upon; oh then, what manner of persons ought you to be, who bear the worthy name of Christ upon you !

Thirdly, But more than this, You have obliged yourselves to this life of holiness by your own prayers. Howmanytimes have you lifted up your hands to heaven, and cried with David,

Psal. cxix. 5. "O that my ways were directed to keep thy sta- " tutes.

Order my steps in thy word, and let no iniquity have "dominion over me," ver. 133.

Were you in earnest with God, when you thus prayed ? Did you mean as you said ? Or did you onlycomplimentwithGod? If your hearts and tongues agreed in this request, doubtless it is as much your duty to endeavour, as to desire those mercies ; and, if not, yet do all those prayers stand onrecordbefore the Lord, and will be produced against you as witnesses to condemn you, for your hypocrisy and vanity. How often also have you in your prayers lamented, and bewailed your careless and uneven walkings ? You have said with Ezra, Chap. ix. 6. " O my God, I am ashamed and even

" blush to look up unto thee."

And do not your confessions oblige you to greater circumspection,and carefortime to come?

Will you confess, and fin? And fin, and confess ? Go to God andbewail your evils, and when you have bewailed them, return again to the commission of them ? God forbid, you should thusdissemble with God, play with fin, and dye your iniquities with a deeper tincture.

Fourthly, and lastly, to add no more, You have often reproved or censured others for their miscarriages and falls, which adds to your own obligation, to walk accurately, and evenly.

Have you not often reproved your erring brethren ? or at least privately

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censured them, if not duly reproved them, (for to these lefthandedblows of secret censurings, we are more apt, than to the fair and open strokes of just and due reproofs) and will you practise the fame things, you criminate and censure others for ?.

"Thou that tea chest another, (faith the apostle) tea chest thou " not thyself ?" Rom. ii. 21.

So say I, thou that censurest or rebukest another, condemnest thou not thyself? Will your rebukes ever do good to others, whilst you allow inyourselves what you condemn in them ? And as these reproofs, and cenfures can do them no good, so they do you much evil, by reafonofthem you are αυτοκατακριτοι, self-condemned persons ; and out of your own mouths God will judge you.

For you need no other witness, than yourselves in this case. Your own tongues will fall upon you.

Your cenfures and reproofs of others, will leave you without plea, or apology, if you look not to your lives with greater care. And yet will you be careless still? Fear you not the displeasure of God ? Nor the wounding anddisquietingyour own consciences ? Surely, these things are of no light valuewithyou, if you be Christians indeed.

Thirdly, You are yet further engaged to practical holiness upon the account of your brethren, who are not a little concerned, and interested therein.

For if, through the neglect of your hearts, your lives be defiled and polluted, this will be thrown in their faces, and many innocent and upright ones, both reproached, and grieved upon your account.

This mischievous effect holyDavid earnestlydeprecated, Psal. lxix. 5, 6.

" OGod, thou knowest my foolishness, and my fins are not hid "from thee; let not them that wait on thee, O Lord God of " hosts, be ashamed for my fake.

Let not them that feekthee, " be confounded for my sake, OGod of Israel," q. d. Lord, thou knowest what a weak and foolish creature I am. And howapt tomiscarry, if left to myself, and should I, through my foolishness, act unbecoming a saint; how would this shame the faces, and fad the hearts of thy people! They will be as men confounded at the report of my fall.

The fallofone Christian, is matter of trouble and shame to all the rest ; and, when they shall hear the sad and unwelcome news of your scandalous miscarriages, (which will certainly be the effect ofaneglectedheart and life) they will say as David concerning Sauland Jonathan,

" tell it not inGath, publish it not in the streets ofAfkelon," c.

Or as Tamar concerningAmnon, " and we, whither shall " we cause our shame to go ?" And for them, they shall be as fools in Israel. Thy loose and careless life will cause them to estrange themselves from thee, andlookshy upon thee, as being

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ashamed to own thee, and canst thou bear that ? will it not grieve and pierce your very hearts to fee a cloud of strangeness and trouble over the countenances of your brethren ? To see yourselves disowned and lightly esteemed by them ? This very consideration struck a great favourite in the Persian court to the very heart.

* It wasUstazanes,who had been governor toSapores in his minority. And this man for fear denied the Christian faith; and complied with the idolatrous worship of the king.

Andoneday(faith the historian) fitting at the court-gate, hefaw Simon, the aged archbishop of Seleucia, drawing along to prison, for his constancy in the Christian faith, and though he durst not openly own the Christian faith he had bafely denied, and confess himself a Christian, yet he could not chuse but rise, and express his reverence to this holy man, in a respective and honourable salutation : but the zealous good man frowned upon him, and turned awayhisfacefrom him; as thinkingfuch an apoftate unworthy of the least respect from him; this presently struck

Ustazanes to the heart, and drew from hin many tears and groans ; and thus he reasoned with himself: Simon will not own me, and can I think but that Godwilldisclaim me, when I appear before his tribunal ? Simon will not speak unto me, will not fo much as look upon me,and can I look for so much as a good word or look from Jesus Christ, whom I have so shamefully betrayed, and denied? Hereupon he threw off his rich courtly robes, and put on mourning apparel, and professed himself a Christian and died a martyr. O it is a piercing thing to an honest heart, to be cast out of the favour of God's people.

If you walk loosely, neither God nor his people will look kindly upon you.

Fourthly, and lastly, Your very enemies engage you to this pure and holy life upon a double ground.

You are obliged by them two ways, viz. as they are your boldcenfurers, and your watchful observers.

They censure you as hypocrites, and will you givethemgroundand matter for such a charge ? They say, only your tongues are more holy than other mens, and shall they prove it from your practice? They also observe you diligently ; lieatcatch, and are highly gratified by your miscarriages. your lives be loose and defiled,you will not only be a shame to your friends, but the song of your enemies. You will make

If mirth in hell ; and gratify all the enemies of God.

This is that they watch for.

They are curious observers of your goings.

And that which makes them triumph at your falls andmifcar- * Sozomen. lib. 2. cap.8.

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riages, isnotonlythatdeeprootedenmitybetwixtthe two feeds, but because all your miscarriages an devils are so many absolutions to their consciences, andjuftifications (as they think) of their ways and practices. For look, as your strictness and holiness doth, as it were, cast and condemn them, as Noah, Heb. xi.

7. by his practice, condemned the world, their consciences Ay in their faces, when they fee your holy and pure conversations.

It lays a damp upon them.

It works upon their consciences, andcausesmany smart reflections.

So when you fall, you, as it were, abfolvetheirconfciences, loose thebondsofconvictionyou had made fast upon them, andnowthere is matter ofjoyputbeforethem.

Oh, say they, whatever these men talk; we fee they are no better than we. They can do as we do. They cancozen and cheat for advantage.

They can comply with any thing for their own ends; it is not conscience,as we once thought, but mere stomach and humour, that made them so precise. And oh, what afadthing is this! herebyyoushed foul-blood.

You fasten the bonds of death upon their fouls. You kill those convictions, which, for any thing you know, might have made way to their conversion. When you fall, you mayrife again ; but they may fall at your example, and never rife more. Never have a good opinion of the ways of God, or of his people anymore. Upon this consideration, David begs of God, Psal. v. 8. " Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness, because of my

" enemies ;" (or, as the Hebrew) my observers, make thy way straight before my face. And thus you fee how your very enemies oblige you to this holy and pure conversation also.

Now put all this together, and see to what these particulars will amount.

You have heardhowGod theFatherhath engaged you to this purity of conversation, by his designment of your salvation; rewarded your obedience; his pleasure in it; his promises to it; andhisgreatconfidenceinyou,that you will thus walk before him.

The LordJesushath also engaged you thereuntoby his death andfufferings, whereby you were redeemed from your vain conversations.

The Spirit hath engaged you, by telling you plainlyhowmuch you will grieveandwronghim, resist and quench him, if you do not keep yourselves pure.

Yea, you are obliged further, by yourselves ; your clear illumination ; your high profession ; your many prayers and confessions; yourmanycenfures and reprehenfions of others; do all strengthen your obligation to holiness. Yea, you are obliged further to this holy life, by the shame, grief, and trouble,

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your loose walking will bring upon your friends; and the mirth it will make for, and mischief it will do to your enemies ; who, thereby, maybe made utterly to fall, where, it may be, you only have stumbled: who are justified and absolved, (as before you heard),by your miscarriages. And now, what think you of all this ? Are you obliged or not, to this purity of life ? Are all these bonds so tied, that you can get loose, and free yourselves at pleasure from them ? I fall these things are of no force with you, if none of these bonds can hold you, may it not be questioned, (notwithstanding your profession),whether any spiritual principle, any fear of God, or love to Christ, be in your souls or no ? O you could not play fast and loose with God; if so, you could not, as Samson, snap these bonds asunder at your pleasure.

Confid. 2. Secondly, As you are more obliged to keep the issues of life pure than others are, soGodhath given you greater afsistances and advantages for it,than others have. God hath not been wanting to any in helps and means. Even the Heathen, who are without the gospel, will be yet speechless and inexcusable before God : But how much more will you be fo ? Who, besides the light of nature, and the general light of the gospel, have, First, such a principle put within you.

Secondly, such patterns set before you.

Thirdly, such an assistant ready to help you.

Fourthly, so manyrods to quicken you and prevent your wandering : if notwithstanding all these helps, your life be still unholy.

First, Shall men offuch principles walk as others do ? Shall we lament for you, as David once did for Saul, saying, " There the shield of the mighty was vilely cast away, the shield of " Saul; as though hehadnotbeen anointed with oil."

There thehonour of a Christian was vilely cast away, as though he had not been anointed with the Spirit ? " You have received an une- " tionfrom the holyOne, which teacheth you all things," I John ii. 20. another Spirit, far above that which is in other men,

1Cor. ii. 12. And as this spirit which is in you, is fitted for this lifeofholiness, " (for ye are his workmanship, created in Christ

"Jesus to good works," Ephef. ii. 10.); so this holy spirit or principle, infused into your souls, hath such a natural tendency to this holy life, that if you live not purely and strictly, you must offer violence to your own principles, and new nature. A twofoldhelp this principle affords you for a life ofho- - liness .

1. First, it pulls you back from fin, as in Joseph ; "How can " Ido this great wickedness, and fin against God?" And it also

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inclinesyou powerfully to obedience.

It is a curb to fin, and aspur to holiness.

It is impossible for all others to livespirituallyandheavenly, because they have no new nature toinclinethem hereunto. And, methinks, it should be hard for you to live carnally, andfenfually; and therein cross the very bent and tendency of the new creature, which is formed in you. How can you neglect prayer, as others do, whilst the Spirit, by divine pulfations, isawakingand rousing up your sluggish hearts withfuch inward motions, and whispers, as that, Plal. xxvii. 8. " Seek my

" face." Yea, whilst you feel, (during your omiffions of duty), something within that bemoans itself, and, as it were, cries for food, pains and gripes you, like an empty stomach, and will not letyoubequiet, till it be relieved. How can you let out your hearts to the world, as other men do ; when all that while your spirit is restless, and akes like a bone out of joint ? And you can neverbeatease, till you comeback to God, and say, as Psal. cxvi.

" Return to thy rest,O my soul."

I sit not hard, yea, natural . ly impossible to fix a stone, and make it abide in the fluid air ?

Doth not every creature, in a restless motion, tend to its proper centre, and desire its own perfection ? So doth this new creature also.

You see how the rivers in their course will not be checked, but bear down all the obstacles in their way, etfeavior ab obice i bit ; a stop doth but make them rage the more, and run the swifter afterwards.

There isa central force in these natural motions, which cannot be stopped. And the like may you observe, in the motions of a renewed foul, John iv. 14. " It shall be in him as a well of "water springing up." And is it not hard for you to keep it down, or turn its course ? Howharddid Jeremy and David find that work ? If you do not live holy lives, you must cross your own new nature, and violate the law that is written in your own hearts, and engraven upon your own bowels.

To this purpose a late * writer speaks ; Till you were converted, (faith he),the flesh was predominant, and therefore it was impossible for you to live any other than a fleshly life; for every thing will act according to its predominant principle.

Should you not therefore live a spiritual life ? Should not the law of God written in your hearts, be legible in your lives ? O should not your lives be according to the tendency of your hearts ? Thus he :

Doubtless this is no small advantage to practical holiness.

But, Secondly, Besides this principle within, you have no small afM 2 *Mr. T. Mall's Exhortation to holy living,

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sistance for the purityoflife,by these excellent patterns before you. The path of holiness, is nountrodden pathtoyou . Christ and his servants have beaten it before you.

The life of Christ is your copy, and it is a fair copy indeed, without ablot, Oh ! what an advantage is this, to draw all the lines of your actions, according to his example ! This glorious grand example, is often pressed upon you for imitation, Heb.xii. 2. Looking to Jesus, he hath left you an example, that yesbould tread in his steps,

1 Pet. ii. 21.

His life is a living rule to his people ; and besides Christ's example, (for you may say,who can live as Christ did? his example is quite above us) you have a cloud of witnesses. A cloud for its directive use,and these men of like pas sions, temptations, and constitutions with you ; who have gone before you in exemplary holiness. TheHolyGhost (intending therein your specialhelpandadvantage)hath set many industrious pens to work, to write the lives of the saints, and preserve for your use, their holy sayings, andheavenlyactions. Hebidsyou

" take them for an example," James v. 10. Oh! whatexcel lent men are passed on before you ! what renownedWorthies have led the way ! Men, whose conversations were in heaven, whilst they tabernacledon earth.

Whilst this lower world had their bodies, the world above had their hearts, and their affections.

Their actions, and their designs were all for heaven, Men that improved troubles and comfort; losses and gains ; smiles and frowns, and all for heaven. Men that did extract heaven out of spirituals, out of temporals, out of all things ; their hearts were full of heavenly meditations, their mouths of heavenly communications,and their practices of heavenly inclipations : Owhat singular help is this ! Where they followed

Christ, and kept the way, they are propounded for your imitation; and where any of them turned af.de, you have a mark set upon that action, for your caution and prevention. Doth any strange or unusual trial befal you, in which you are ready to say with the church, Lam. i. 12. "Was there ever any for- " row like unto my sorrow ?" Here you may fee "the fame

" affliction accomplished in your brethren," 1 Pet. v. 9.

Here is store of good company to encourage you.

Do the world and the devil endeavour to turn you from your duty, by loading it with shameful scoffs, orfufferings? In this case you may look to Jesus, who despised the shame; and to your brethren,

"who countedittheirhonour to be dishonoured for the name " of Christ *," as the original of the text, Acts v. 41. maybe

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translated.

Is it adishonour to thee, to be ranked with Abraham, Moses, David, and such as were the glory of the ages they lived in ? Art thou at any time under a faint fit ofdifcouragement; and ready todespondunder any burden ? Oh howmayest thou be animated by such examples, when such a qualm comes over thy heart ? Some sparks of their holy courage cannot chuse but ftealintothy breast, whilst thou confidereft them.

In them, God hath set before thee the possibility of overcoming all difficulties, thou seest men of the fame mould,who had the fame trials, discouragements and fears, that now thou haft, and yet overcame all. How is thy unbelief checked, when thou tayest, Oh ! I shall never reach the end, I shallonedayutterly perish ! Whydost thou say fo? Why may not such a poor creatureasthou art, be carried through as well as they ? Had not they the fame temptations and corruptions with you ? Were they not all troubled with anaughtyheart, an enfnaringworld, andabufy devil, as well as you ? Alas ! when they put on the divine, they did not put off the human nature ; but complained, and feared, as you do, and yet were carried through all.

O what an advantage have you this way ! They that first trusted in Christ,had not such helps as you.

You stand upon their shoulders.

You have the benefit of their experiences.

You that are fallenintothe last times, have certainly the best helps to holiness ; and yet, will not you live trictly and purely? Will you put on the name and profession of Christians, and yetbelofty in your spirits; earthly in your designs; neglectiveof duty; frothy in your communications ? Pray, from which of all the saints did you learn to be proud ? Did you learn that from Christ, or any of his ? From which of his saints did you learn to be earthly and covetous,passionate or cenforious,over-reaching and crafty? If you have read of any such evils committed by them,have you not also read of their shame and sorrow, their repentanceandreformations ? If you have found any fuchblots in their lives, it was left there defignedly, to prevent the like in yours. O what an help to holiness is this !

Thirdly, And this is not all.

You have not only a principle within you, and a pattern before you, but you have also an om nipotentassistant to help, and encourage you throughout your way. Are you feeble and infirm ? and is every temptation, even the weakest, strong enough to turn you out of the way of your duty ? Lo, God hath sent his Spirit to help your infirmities, Rom. viii. 26. no matter then how weak you are, how many and mighty your difficulties and temptations are, as long

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as you have such an assistant tohelpyou.

Great is your advantage for a holy life this way also.

For, (1.) First, When a temptation to sin presses sore upon you, he pleads with your consciences within, whilst Satan is tempting without.

How often hath he brought such scriptures to your remembrance, at the very opportunity, as have saved you out of the temptation ? If you attend his voice,you may hear such a voice within you, as that, Jer. xliv. 4. " O do not this abomi- " nablethingwhich I hate ! " What mighty strivings were there in the heart ofSpira, as himself relates ? He heard, as it were, a voice within him, saying, Do not write, Spira, do not write.

To this purpose is that promise, Ifa. xxx. 20, 21. " Thine eyes " shall behold thy teachers, and thine ears shall hear a word

"behind thee, saying, This is the way,walk ye in it ; whenye " turn to the right-hand, and whenye turn to the left."

Here you have a two-fold help to holiness, the outward teaching of the word, ver. 20. and the inward teachings of the Spirit, ver.

21. He shall say this is the way, whenye are turning aside to the right-hand, or to the left. Alluding to a shepherd, faith one, who driving his sheep before him; whistles them in, when he fees them ready to stray.

(2.) Secondly, When ye walk holily and closelywithGod in your duties, and the Spirit encourages you to go on, by those inward comforts, sealings, and joys, you have from him at such times; how often does he entertain your souls in public ordinances, in private duties, with his hidden Manna, with marrow and fatness, with incomparable and unspeakable, comforts, and all this to strengthen you in your way, and encourage you to hold on ?

(3. ) Thirdly, When you are indisposed for duties, and find your hearts empty and dry, he is ready to fill them, quicken and raise them; so that oftentimes the beginnings and end of your prayers, hearing, or meditations, are as vastly different, as ifoneman had begun, and another ended the duty. O then, what assistances for a holy life have you ! Others indeed are bound to resist temptations, as well as you; but, alas, having no special assistance from the Spirit, what can they do ? It may be, they reason with temptation a little while, and in their own strength resolve against it; but how easy a conquest doth Satan make, where no greater opposition is madetohim, than this ?

Others are bound to hear, meditate, and pray as well as you ; else the neglect of those duties would not be their sin : But, alas, what pitiful work do they make of it ! being left to the hardness and vanity of their own hearts ; when you spread your

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fails, you have a gale, but they lie wind-bound, heart-bound, and candonothing spiritually in a way of duty.

Fourthly, and lastly, to mention no more, You have a further advantage to this holy life, by all the rods of God, that are at anytime upon you .

I might shew you in many particulars, the advantages this way also, but I shall only present these three to your observation at this time.

First, By these you are clogged, to prevent your straying and wandering.

Others may wander even as far as hell, and God will not spend a sanctified rod upon them, to reduce or stop them; but faith, " Let them alone," Hos. iv. 17.

But if you wanderoutof the way of holiness,he will clogyou with one trouble or other, to keep you within bounds, 2 Cor. xii. 7. " Lest I should be

" lifted up, a thorn in the flesh; a messenger of Satan, was " sent to buffet me."

So David, Psal. cxix. 67. " Before I was " afflicted, I went astray ; but now I have kept thy word."

Afflictions are usedbyGod, as thorns by husband-men, to stop the gaps and keep you from breaking out of God's way, Hos. ii. 6. " I will hedge up her way with thorns, and build a wall,

" that she shall not findherpaths." A double allusion; 1. To cattle that are aptto stray, Iwillhedgeup thy way with thorns.

2. To the sea, which is apt to overflow the country, I will build a wall to prevent inundations. HolyBasilwas a long timeforelyafflicted with an inveterate head-ach, he often prayed for the removal of it ; at last, God removed it, but, in the room of it, he was sorely exercised with the motions and temptations of lust ; which, when he perceived, he heartily desired his headach again, to prevent a worse evil.

You little know the ends and ules of many of your afflictions. Are you exercised with bodily weakness ? it is a mercy you are so ; and if these pains and infirmities were removed, these clogs taken off, you may with Basil, wish for them again, to prevent worse evils. Are you poor ? why, with that poverty God hath clogged your pride. Are you reproached ? with these reproaches God hath clogged your ambition.

Corruptions are prevented by your afflictions. And, is not this a marvellous help to holiness of life?

Secondly, By your afflictions, your corruptions are not only clogged, but purged. By these God dries up and consumes that spring of fin, that defiles your lives, Isa. xxvii. 9. " By this

therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged; and this is " all the fruit to take away fin." God orders your wants to kill yourwantonness; and makes your poverty poison to your pride.

They are God's physic, to purge illhumours out of

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yourfouls.

* " When they fall by the sword, and by famine, " and by captivity, and by spoil, it is to try them, and to purge

" them, and to make them white ? " They are both purges and lavatories to your souls.

Others have the fame afflictions that you have, but they do not work on them as on you ; they are to you as fire for purging, and water for cleansing ; and yet, shall not your lives be clean ? It is true, (as one well observes upon that place of Daniel), Christ is the only lavatory, and his blood the only fountain to wash away fin: but, in the virtue and efficacy of that blood, sanctified afflictions are cleanfers and purgers too.

Across without a Christ never made anyman better, but, with Christ, faints are much the better for the cross.

Hath God been(as it were) so many days and nights a whitening you, and yet is not thehue of your conversation altered ? Hath he put you so many times into the furnace, and yet is not your drofs separated? The more afflictious you have been under, the more assistance you have had for this life of holiness.

Thirdly, By all your troubles, God hath been weaning you from the world, the lusts, loves, and pleasures of it ; and drawing out your souls to a more excellent life and state than this.

He makes your sorrows, in this life, give a luftre to the glory of the next.

Whoever hath, be sure you shall have no reft here; and all, that you may long more ardently for that to come. He often makes you groan, " being burdened, to be

" cloathed with your house from heaven," 1Cor. v. 4.

And yet will you not be weaned from the lusts, customs, and evils of it? O what manner of persons should you be for heavenly and holy conversations ? You stand upon the higher ground.

You have, as it were, the wind and tide with you. None are assisted for this life as you are.

Put all this together, and fee what this second argument contributes towards your further conviction, and persuasion to holiness of life.

Have you received a supernatural principle, fitting you for, and inclining you to, holy actions, resisting and holding you back from fin ?

HathGodalso set before you such eminent patterns to encourage, and quicken you, in your way ? Doth the Spirit himself stand ready,fo many ways, to assist and help you in all difficulties, and hath God hedged up the way of fin, with the thorns ofaffiction, to prevent your wandering, and yet will you turn aside? Will you offer violence to your own principles, and new nature ? Refuse to followfuch leaders as have beatentheway

* Dan. xi . 33, 34, 35-

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The Fountain of Life. before you ? Resist, or neglect the gracious assistancesoftheblessed

Spirit, which he offers you in every need, and venture upon fin, though God hathhedged up your way with afflictions ?Ohowcan you do such great wickedness, and fin against such grace as this !

Methinks, I need say no more to convince you how much you are concerned to keep the issues of life pure,none being fo much obliged to it, or assisted for it, as you are. But when I remember thatJoash loft the compleat victory over the Syrians, because he smote not his arrows often enough upon the ground,

2 Kings xiii . 8. I shall level one arrow more at this mark :

For, indeed, that can never be enough pressed, which can never be enough practised. And therefore, Confid. 3. Thirdly, It will yet farther appear to be your high concernment, to exalt holiness in your conversations, because of the manifold and great uses which God hath to make of the visible holiness and purity of your lives,both in this world and that to come.

The uses God puts the conversation-holiness of his people in this world, are these, among others.

First, To win overfouls to Christ, and bring them in love with religion.

Practical holiness is a very lovely, attractive, and obliging thing.

If the Heathen could call moral virtue verticordia, turn-heart, from that obliging and winning power it exercises upon the hearts of men: iftheycould say of it, that were it visible to human eyes, all men would adore it, and fall in love with it ; how much rather may we say so of true holiness, made visible in the lives of saints ! This is the turn-heart indeed. makes the souls of men to cling and cleave to the persons in whom it is ; as it is prophesied, Zech. viii. 23. of the Jews, when they shall be called (which shall be a time of great holiIt ness) " in that day, ten men out of all languages of the nations

" shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, we " willgo with you, for we have heard that God is with you."

So much of God as appears in men, so much drawing excellency there is in them.

And this is the apostle's argument, 1 John i. 3. " That ye may have fellowship with us."

Why, what is there in your fellowship to invite men to you? " Truly our " fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Christ Jesus."

Who can choose but covet their company, that keep company everyday with God ? Great is the efficacy of visible holiness to work upon the hearts of men; either as a con cause, working in fellowship with the word, or as a single instrument, working folitarilywithout the word.

Where God is pleased to afford thewordunto men, there the

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The Fountain of Life. practical holiness of faints is offingular use, to assist and help it in its operation upon the hearts of men. When the lives of Christians fentibly exhibit that to the eyes of men, which the gospel doth to their cars ; when so we preach, and fo ye believe and live ; when we draw by our doctrines, and you draw with us by our examples,when we hold forth the word of lifedoctrinally, and you hold it forth practically; as Phil. ii. 16.

Where is the heart that can fstand before us ? O ! when the plain and powerful gospel pierces the ears of men, and, at the fame time, the visible holiness of professors shines so full in their faces, that they must rather put out their own eyes, or elle be forced to acknowledge, that God is in you of a truth; then it will work to purpose uponfouls. ThenwillChriftfee of the travail of his soul daily .

Yea, ifGoddeny the word to men, yet this practical holiness I am speaking of, may be to them an ordinance for conversion.

This way, fouls may be won to Christ without the word, as the apostle speaks, 1 Pet. iii. 1.

Though pulpits should be silent, and vision fail; yet, if you would thiswayturn preachers, if your lives may but preach the reality, excellency, and sweetness of Jesus Christ, and his ways ; and, if you would this way preach down the love of the world, and let men fee what poor vanities these are; and preach up the necessity andbeautyofholiness ; surely you, even you, might be honoured tobringmany fouls to Christ , to turn many to righteousness, and cause many to bless God, on your behalf, in the day of visitation.

This is the use God hath for the holiness and purity of your lives, and doth not this engage you strongly to it ? What, not when it may prove the means of eternal life to others ? Surely, if you have any bowels of mercy in you, you cannot hide from others that whereby they may be saved. How can you instead of holding forth the word of life, (which is your manifest duty) visibly hold forth the works of death before men ? Have you been beholding to others, and shall none be beholding to you for help towards heaven ? Dare you fay, let others shift as well as they can, findtheway to heaven by themselves iftheycan, they thall have no benefit by your light ? If you be Christians, you are

Christians of a different stamp and spirit from all those we find defcribedin scripture.

Should not you rather say as the Lepers did, 2 Kings vii. 6. " Do we well to hold our peace," whilst

Others are perishing?.Shall the lips of ministers, audthe lives of Chriflians,be both filencedtogether ? Shall poor sinners neither hear anything from us, nor fee anything from you, that may help them to Christ ? The Lord have mercy then upon the

SERM . XLII.

The Fountain of Life. poor world, and pity it, for its case is desperate. O put on, as the elect of God, bowels of mercy.

Destroy not, by the loose ness of your conversations, so many fouls ; for your scandalous miscarriages are like a bag of poison put into the spring, which supplies the whole city with water .

Secondly, Another use Godhathfor it, is to recover andfalve the credit of religion, which by the apostacies of hypocrites, and Scandalous falls of careless Christians, is wounded, and exposed to contempt.

Much reproach by this means is brought upon religion, and how shall that reproach be rolled away, but by your strictness and purity ? By this the world must be convinced that all are not fo.

Though some be ablot to the name of Christ, yet others are his glory. The more others slur and disgrace religion, the more God expects you tohonourand adorn it.

I'remember Chryfoftome brings in the perfecutors speaking to two renowned martyrs, after this manner, Nonne videtis alios veftri ordinis hoc feciffe ? (i. e.) Why are you so nice and scrupulous ?

See you not that others of your rank and profeffionhave done these things ? To which they returned this brave answer, Nos hacpotiffimum ratione viriliterftabimus, (i. e.) have they done it? For that very reason we will stand it out like men, and will never yield to it.

There is an holy Antiperistasis in the zeal of a Christian, which makes it, like fire, burn most vehemently in the coldest weather.

If men make void God's law, therefore willDavid love his commandments above gold, Psal. cxix. 127.

If there be many Pendletons among professors who will betray Christ and his truth to fave their flesh ; God will have some Sanders to repair that breach,by their conftancyandcourage in appearing for them.

Thirdly, God makes use of it for the encouragement of his ministers, who tabour among you.

And indeed it is of no small use to refresh their hearts, and strengthentheirhands, in their painful work: " Now we live (faith the apostle) ifye stand fast in " the Lord," I Theff. iii. 8.

He speaks, as if their very life lay at the mercy of the people, because so much of the joy and comfort of it iswraptupin their repularity and stedfaftness. God knows what an hard providence his poor ministers have, and howmanydifcouragements attend them in their work ; hear how

*oneofthemexpresses it,"Ministers would not be gray-headed " so soon, nor die so fast, notwithstanding their great labours, if " they were but successful ; but this cuts to the heart, and makes

" us bleed in secret, that though we do much, yet it comes to nothing.

Our work dies, therefore we die.

Not so much N2 * Lockyer upon the Colofsians, p. 528 , 529.

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" that we labour, as that we labour in vain: When our mini- " stry petrifies, turns hearts into stones, and these taken up

" and thrown at us, this kills us ; the recoiling of our pains " kills us. When our peace returns to us, when we spend

" our strength to make men more nought than they were; " this wounds our hearts : Which should be considered by sinners, to kill one's self, and one's minister too, which would

" save them; what a bloody condition is this ? † Every drop " that hath fallen from our heart and hand, from our eye- " lids, and eye-brows, shall be all gathered up, and put as mar- " ginalnotes by all our labours, and all put inonevolume toge- " ther, and this volume put in your hands at the great day, and " opened leaf after leaf, and read distinctly and exactly to you."

Christians, you hear our case, you see our work, now a little to chear our spirits in the midst of our hard and killing labours,

God sends us to you for a little refreshment, that, by beholding your holy and heavenly conversation, your chearful obedience, and sweet agreement in the ways of God; we may be comforted over all these troubles, 2 Thef. i. 3, 4.

And will you wound and kill our hearts too ? O what a cut will this be !

Fourthly, God hath further use for holiness of your lives ; this serves todaunt the hearts, and overawe the consciences of his, and your enemies. And sometimes it hath had a strange influence, and effect upon them.

There is a great deal of awful Majesty in holiness, and when it shines upon the conscience of a wicked man, it makes him stoop, and do obeysance to it.

Which turns toa testimony for Christ and his ways before the world.

Thus Herod was over-awedby the strict and holy lifeofJohn, he feared him, knowing that he was a just and holy man,and observed

(or preserved and saved) him.

That bloody tyrant was convinced in his conscience of the worth and excellency of that servant of God, and was forced to reverence him for his holiness.

So Darius, Dan. vi. 14, 18, 19, 20. What conflicts had he himself about Daniel, whom he had condemned ; his conscience condemned him, for condemning so holy, and righteous a person. " Then the king went

" to his palace, and past the night in fastings ; neither were in- " struments of music brought before him, and his sleep went

66 from him. He goes early in the morning to the den, and cries " with a lamentable voice, O Daniel, servant of the living God."

How much is this for the honour of holiness, that it conquers the very perfecutors of it ; and makes them stoop to the meanest

* Lockyer, upon the Coloffians, p. 551.

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servant of God ! It is said of Henry II. of France, that he was sodaunted by the heavenly majesty of a poor taylor that was burnt before him, that he went home sad, and vowed, that he would never be present at the death of such men any more.

When Valencethe emperor came in person to apprehend Basil, he fawsuch majesty in his very countenance, that he reeled at the very fight of him; and had fallen backward to the ground, had no this servant stept in to support him. O holiness, holiness, thou art a conqueror.

So much, O Christians, as you shew of it in your lives, somuchyou preserve your interest intheconfciences of your enemies : cast off this, andtheydespiseyou presently.

Fifthly, and lastly, God will use the purity of your conversations, to judge and convince the world in the great day ‡.

It is true, the world shall be judged by the gospel, but your lives shall also be produced as a commentary upon it; and God will not only thew them by the word how they ought to have lived, but bring forth your lives and ways to stop their mouths, by shewing how others did live.

And this I suppose is intended in that text, I Cor. vi . 2. " The saints shall judge the world, yea,

" we shalljudgeAngels ;" that is, our examples are to condemn their lives and practices, as Noah, Heb. xi. 7. is said tocondemntheworld by building the ark, i. e. his faith in the threatning, and obedience to the command, condemned their supineness, infidelity and disobedience.

They saw him every day about that work, diligently preparing for a deluge, and yet were not moved with the like fear that he was; this left them inexcusable : fo when God shall say in that day to the careless world, did you not fee the care, and diligence, the holy zeal, watchfulness, and self-denial, of my people,who lived among you ? How many times have they been watching, and praying, when you have been drinking, or sleeping! Was it not easy to reflect when you saw their pains, and diligence; have not I a soul to look after as well as they ; a heaven to win or lose, as well as they ? O how speechless and inexcusable will this render wicked men, yea, it shall not onlybeused to judge them,but angels also.

Howmanyshocks of temptations have poor saints stood ;whereas † When therefore the faithful are said to fit in judgment with Christ, it must be understood, not of any authority and power of judging of themselves, but, (1.) Of that which is given them in Christ their lead.

(2.) Of their approbation of the sentence pronounced by Christ.

Apoc. xix. 1.

(3.) Of their bearing witness by their ministry or conversation (against the wicked) and the comparison of their own lives with theirs, by which the justice of the Judge shall be manifest,

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they fell without a tempter ? They stood not in their integrity, though created in such excellent natures ; how much then are you concerned on this very account also, to walk exactly ! if not instead of judging them, you shall be condemned with them.

And thus you fee what use your lives and actions shall be put to; and are these in considerable uses? Is the winning overfouls to God a small matter? Is the salving the honour, and reputa tion ofgodliness, a small matter ? Is the encouraging the hearts, and strengthening the hands of God's poor ministers, amidst their spending, killing labours, a small matter ? Is the awing of the consciences of your enemies, and judging them in the last day, a light thing ? Which of these can you call fo ?

Othen, finceyou are thus obliged to holiness of life, thus singularly assisted for it ; and since there are such great dependencies upon it, and uses for it, both now, and in the world to come; fee that ye be holy in all manner of conversation,

See that, " as yehave received Christ Jesus the Lord, soye walk in " him;" always remembring, that, for this very end, Christ hath redeemed, or " delivered you out of the hands of your enemies, that you might serve him without fear, in righteous.

" ness and holiness all the days of your lives," Luke i. 74, 75.

And to how little purpose will be all that I have preached, and you have heard, of Christ, if it be not converted into practical godliness ? This is the scope and design of it all.

And now, Reader, thou art come to the last leaf of this trea tise of Christ, it will be but a little while, and thou shalt come to the last page or day of thy life ; and thy last moment in that day.

Wo, to thee, wo and alas for ever, if an interest in this blessed Redeemer be then to get.

The world affords not a sadder fight, than a poor Christless foul hivering upon the brink of eternity.

To fee the poor soul that now begins to awake out of its long dream, at its entrance into the world of realities, to shrink back intothebody, and cry, O I cannot, I dare not die. And then the tears run down.

Lord, what will become of me ? O what shall be my eternal lot ? This, I say, is as fad a fight as the world affords.

That this may not be thy case, reflect upon what thou hast read in these sermons; judge thyself in the light of them.

Obey the calls of the Spirit in them.

Let not thy flight and formal spirit, float upon the furfaceofthese truths, like a feather upon pon the water; butgetthem deeply fixed upon thy spirit, by the Spirit of the Lord; turning them into life and power upon thee; and so animating the whole course and tenor of thy con. versation by them, that it may proclaim to all that know thee, that thou art one who esteemest all to be but dross, that thou mayst win Christ .

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