259 in intenfe froft: So the believer's graces are, ordinarily most vigorous in a time of trouble. There is a certain pleasure and fweetness in the cross, to them who have their fenfes exercised to difcern, and to find it out. There is a certain sweetness in one's feeing himself upon his trials for heaven, and standing candidate for glory. There is a pleasure in travelling over these mountains, where the Chriftian can fee the prints of Chrift's own feet, and the footsteps of the flock, who have been there before him. How pleaíant is it to a faint in the exercise of grace to fee how a good God croffeth his corrupt inclinations, and prevents his folly! How fweet is it to behold thefe thieves upon the crofs! How refined a pleasure is there in obferving how God draws away provifion from unruly lufts, and fo pincheth them, that the Chriflian may get them governed! Of a truth, there is a paradife within his thornhedge. Many a time the people of God are in bonds; which are never loofed, till they be bound with cords of affiction. God takes them, and throws them into a fiery Jurnace, that burns off their bonds; and then like the three children, Dan, iii. 25. they are loose, walking in the midst of the fire. God gives his children a potion, with one bitter ingredient: If that will not work upon them, he will put in a fecond, a third, and so on, as there is need, that they may work together, for their good, Rom. viii 28. With crofs winds he haftens them to the harbour. They are often found in fuch ways, as that the cross is the happiest foot they can meet with and well may they falute it, as David did Abigail,faying, 'Bleffed be the Lord God of Ifael, which fent thee this day to meet me.' 1 Sam. xxv. 32. Worldly things are often fuch a load to the Chriftian, that he moves but very flowly heaven ward. God fends a wind of trouble that blows the burden off the man's back: and then he walks more speedily on his way; after God hath drawn fome gilded earth from him, that was drawing his heart away from God, Zeph. iii. 12. I will alfo leave in the midst of thee, an afflicted and poor people, and they fhall truftin the name of the Lord.' It was an obferve of an heathen moralift, That no hiftory makes mention of any man, who hath been made better by riches. I doubt if our modern hiftories can fupply the defect of ancient hiftories in this point. But fure I am, many have been the worse of riches; tho have been hugged to death, in the embraces of a world; and many good men have got wounds from o profperity, that behoved to be cured by the crof member to have read of one, who having an impofth his breaft, had in vain ufed the help of phyficians; ing wounded with a fword, the impofthume broke; life was faved by that accident, which threatned imm death. Often have spiritual impofthumes gathered breafts of God's people, in time of outward profper been thus broken and difcuffed by the cross. It is kin believers to be healed by ftripes; although they are fo weak as to cry out for fear, at the fight of the p hook, as if it were the defroying ax; and to think th is coming to kill them, when he is indeed coming them. I fhall now conclude, addreffing myself in a few first to faints and next to finners. I. To you that are faints, I say, Firfi, Strive to obtain and keep up actual com and fellowship with Jefus Chrift; that is, to be ftill o freth fupplies of grace, from the fountain thereof in faith; and making fuitable returns of them in the e of grace and holy obedience. Beware of eftrangem twixt Chrift and your fouls. If it has got in already, feems to be the cafe of many in this day,) endeavou it removed. There are multitudes in the world tha Chrift, though ye fhould not flight him; many have their backs on him, that fometimes looked fair for The warm fun of outward peace and profperity has fome caft their cloak of religion from them, who faft when the wind of trouble was blowing upon the ⚫ will ye alfo go away?' John v. 67. The greatef titude is ftampt on your flighting of communion with Jer. ii. 31. Have I been a wilderness unto Ifrael of darkness? Wherefore fay my people, we are lo will come no more unto thee?' Oh! beloved, your kindness to your friend? It is unbecoming any flight converfe with her husband, but her especia wastaken from a prifon or a dunghill, as ye were fen time to live at a distance from God:it is a time in which divine providence frowns upon the land we live in ; the clouds of wrath are gathering, and are thick above our heads? It is not a time for you to be out of your chambers, Ifa. xxvi. eo. They that now are walking moft clolly with God, may have enough ado to ftand when the trial comes; how hard will it be for others then, who are like to be furprifed with troubles, when guilt is lying on their confciences unrenewed. To be awakened out of a found fleep, and caft into a raging fea, as Jonah was, will be a fearful trial. To feel trouble before we fee it coming, to be past hope, before we have any fear, is a very fad cafe. Wherefore break down your idols of jealoufy, mortify these lufls, thefe irregular appetites and defires, that have ftolen away your hearts, and left you, like Samfon, without his hair, and fay, I will go and return to my first husband'; for ⚫ then it was better with me than now,' Hof. ii. 7 Secondly, Walk as becomes thofe that are united to Christ. Evidence your union with him by walking as he also walked, 1 John ii. 6. If ye be brought from under the power of darkness, let your light hine before men. Shine as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life,' as the lanthorn holds the candle which being in it, fhines through it, Philip. ii. 15, 16. Now that ye profefs Chrift to be in you, let his image shine forth in your converfation, and remember the bufinefs of your lives is to prove by practical arguments what ye profefs. 1. You know the character of a wife, She that is mar⚫ried, careth how the may pleafe her husband,' Go you and do likewife; walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing,' Col. i. 10. This is the great bufinefs of life: you mult please him, though it should displease all the world. What he hates must be hateful to you, because he hates it. What ever lufts come in fuit of your hearts, deny them, seeing the grace of God has appeared, teaching fo to do, and you are joined to the Lord. Let him be a covering to your eyes: for you have not your choice to make, it is made already; and you must not dishonour your Head. A man takes care of his feet, for that, if he catch cold there, it flies up to his head. < Shall I then take the members of Christ, and make God forbid,' fays the them the members of an harlot ? Apoftle 2 Cor vi. 15. Wilt thou take that heart of thine, which is Chrift's dwelling place, and lodge his enemies there? Wilt thou take that body, which is his temple, and defile it, by using the members thereof, as the inftruments of fin? Be careful to bring forth fruit, and much fruit. The branch well laden with fruit, is the glory of the vine, and of the husbandman too, John xv 8. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit, fa fhall ye be my difciples." A barren tree ftands fafer in a wood, than an orchard: And branches in Chrift that bring not forth fruit, will be taken away and caft into the fire. 3. Be heavenly minded, and maintain a holy contempt of the world. Ye are united to Chrift, he is your Head and Hufband, and is in heaven: Wherefore your hearts fhould be there alfo, Col. iii. 1, • If ye then be rifen with ⚫ Chrift feek thofe things which are above, where Chrift fitteth at the right hand of God,' Let the ferpent's feed go on their belly, and eat the dust of this earth: but let the members of Chrift be ashamed to bow down and feed with them. 4. Live and act dependently, depending by faith on Jefus Chrift. That which grows on its own root, is a tree, not a branch. It is of the nature of a branch, to depend on the flock for all, and to derive all its fap from hence Depend on him for life, light, ftrength, and all fpiritual bene, fits, Gal. ii. 20. I live, yet not I, but Chrift liveth in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the • faith of the Son of God.' For this cause, in the myftical union, ftrength is united to weakness life to death, and heaven to earth that weaknefs, death and earth, may mount up on borrowed wings. Depend on him for temporal benefits alfo; Matth. vi. 2. Give us this day our daily bread,' If we have trusted him with our eternal concerns, let us be afhamed to distrust him in the matter of our provifion in the world. Laftly, Be of a meek difpofition, and an uniting temper with the fellow members of Chrift's body, as being united to the meet Jefus, the bleffed center of union. There is a pro a prophecy to this purpose concerning the kingdom of Chrift, Ifa. ii. 6. The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard fhall lie down with the kid.' It is an allufion to the beats in Noah's ark. The beafts of prey, that were wont to kill and devour others, when once they came into the ark, lay down in peace with them: the lamb was in no hazard by the wolf there; nor the kid by the leopard. There was a beautiful accomplishment of it in the primitive church, Acts iv. 32. And the multitude of them that be lieved, were of one heart, and of one foul.' And this prevails in all members of Chrift, according to the measure of the grace of God in them. Man is born naked, he comes naked into this world, as if God defigned him for the picture of peace: and furely when he is born again he comes not into the new world of grace, with claws to tear, a sword to wound, and a fire in his hand to burn up his fellowmembers in Chrift, because they cannot fee with his light. Oh! it is fad to fee Chrift's lillies as thorns in one another's fides: Chrift's lambs devouring one another like lions, and God's diamonds cutting one another: yet it must be remembred, that fin is no proper cement for the members of Chrift, tho' Herod and Pontius Pilate may be made friends that way. The apostle's rule is plain, Heb. xii. 14. ‹ Follow peace with all men, and holinefs.' To follow peace no further than our humour, credit, and fuch like things will allow us, 'tis too fhort: to pursue it further than holiness, that is, conformity to the divine will allows it, is too far. Peace s precious, yet it may be bought too dear: wherefore we must rather want it, than purchase it, at the expence of truth or holiness. But otherways it cannot be over dear bought; and it will always be precious in the eyes of the fons of peace, II. And now, finners, what fhall I fay to you? I have given you some view of the privileges of thefe in the ftate of grace: ye have seen them afar off. But alas! they are not yours, because ye are not Chrift's. The finfulness of an unregenerate state is yours; and the mifery of it is yours alfo: but, ye have neither part nor lot in this matter. The guilt of all your fins lies upon you: ye have no part in the righteoufnefs of Chrift. There is no peace to you, no peace with God, no true peace of confcience; for. ye have |
