i THE W OR K OF THE REVEREND GEORGE'WFIITEFIELD, M. A. Late of Pembroke-College, Oxford, And Chaplain to the Rt. Hon. the Countefs of Huntingdon. CONTAINING All his SERMONS and TRACTS Which have been already publifned : WITH A Select COLLECTION of LETTERS, Written to his mofl intimate Friends, and Perfons of Dillindlion, in England^ Scotlatid, Ireland^ and America^ from the Year 1734., to 1770, including the whole Period of his Minillry. ALSO Some other Pieces on Important Subjects, never before printed ; prepared by Hi'mfelf for the Prefs, To which is prefixed, An ACCOUNT of his LIFE, Compiled from his Original Papers and Letters. VOL. VI. LONDON: Printed for Edward and Charles Dilly, in the Poultry; and JVLcirrs. Kincaid and Creech, at Ediabvirj^h. MDCCLXXIU f ni I CONTENTS ^ QERMON XXXli. A Penitent Heart, the beft New O Year's Gift. Luke xiii. 3. Except ye repent, ye JJiall all tlkivife perijh. Page 3 SERM. XXXIII. The Gofpel Supper. Luke xiv. 22^ 23, 24. And the fervant faid, Lord^ It is done as thou haji commanded, and yet there is room. And the lord faid unto the fervant. Go out into the highways, and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my houfe may be filled. For I fay unto you, that none of thofe men which luere hiddeni Jhall tajie of my f upper » p. 20. SERM. XXXIV. The Pharilee and Publican. Luke xvili. 14. / tell ycu, this man went down to his houfe jufiified rather than the other : For every one that exalteth hirnfelf, Jhall he ahafed , and he that humbleth himfelf, jhall he exalted, p. 36 SERM. XXX V. The Converfion of 2accheus. Luke xIx. 9,10. And Jefus faid unto him,This day is faha- lion come to this houfe ; forafmuch as he alfo is the Son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to fee k and to fave that which was lofl. — • — — P* 49" SERM, XXXVL The Marriage of Cana. John ii. 11. nis beginning of miracles did JefUs in Cana of Galilee, and majiifefied forth his glory j a7id his difciples believed on him, — - — ^ — p. 64 ♦ The Sermons marked with a *, arc now firft published from the Authoi's own Marsufcripts. Vol. VL a SERM. C iv ] S K R M. XXXVir. The Duty of fearching the Scriptures. John v. 39. Search the Scriptures* — — P» 79 SERM. XXXVIII. The Indwelling of the Spirit, the common Privilege of all Believers. John vii. 37, 38, 39. In the lajl day^ that great day ofthefeajij J ejus Jiood and cried^ faying-, Jf ^^y ^^^^ ^^^^J^t ^^' ^^^^ ^°^^^ unto me and drink. He that believeth on me^ as the fcripture hath faid^ out of his belly jhall floiv rivers of living zvater. But this fpake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him Jhould receive, — — — P» 89 SERM. XXXIX. The Refurreaion of Lazarus. John xi. 43, 44. And when he had thus fpoken^ he cried with a hud voice, Lazarus come forth. Jnd he that was dead^ came forth, bound hand and foot with grave-cloaihs : and his face was bound about with a napkin* Jefus faith unto them^ Loofe him, a?td let him go* — — p. 1 03 SERM. XL. The Holy Spirit convincing the World of Sin, Righieoulhefs, and Judgment. John xvi. 8. And ivhen he is come, he will reprove the world of fm, and of righteoitfnefs, and of judgment. P- 127 SERM. XLI. Saul's Converfion. Acts ix. 22. But Saul increafed the more in Jlrength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damafcus, proving that this is very ChrijL — — — P* 14-3 SERM. XLII. Marks of having received the Holy Ghoft. Acts xix. 2. Have ye received the Holy Ghoji fmce ye believed? — — — - p. 161 SERM. XLIII. The Almoft Chrlftian. Acts xxvi. 28. Almoft ihou perfuadejl me to he a chrijlian, p. 174 SERM; C V ] SERM. XLIV. Chrlft, the Believer's Wifdom, Righ- teoufnefs, San£lification, and Redemption. I Cor. i. 30. But of htm are ye in Chriji Jefus^ who of God is made unto us, w'tfdom, righteoufnefs^ fanSi'ification, and redemption, — — — P» 187 SERM. XLV. The Knowledge of Jefus Chrift the bcft Knowledge. I CoR. ii. 2. / determined not to know any thing among you^ fave Jefus Chriji ^ and him crucified, — ?• 203 SERM. XL VI. Of Juftification by Chrift. I Cor. vi. II. But ye are jujiified. The whole verfe is : Jnd fuch were fame of you ; but ye are waj})ed^ but ye are fanSlified^ but ye are jujiified in the name of our Lord Jefus Chriji, and by the Spirit of our God. — -— p. 214 SERM. XLVII. The great Duty of Charity recom- mended. I Cor. xiii. 8. Charity never faileth, — p. 227 SERM. XLVIII. Satan's Devices. 1 Cor. ii. 11, Leji Satan Jhould get an advantage over us\ for ive are not ignorant of his devices. -;- P» 241 SERM. XLIX. On Regeneration. 2 Cor. V. 17. If any man be in Chriji y he is a new creature. P- 257 * S E R M. L. Chriftians, Temples of the living God. 2 CoR. vi, 16. Te are the Temple of the living God. p. 273 SERM. LI. Chrift the only Prefervative againft a Re- probate Spirit. 2C0R. xiii. 5. Know ye not your ownfelves, how that Jefus Chriji is in you, except ye be Reprobates. — P* 287 SERM. LII. The heinous Sin of Drunkennefs. Ephesians v. 18. Be not drunk with wine, ivherein is exccfs ; but be filled with the Spirit, — — P- 3^3 SERM. [ vi ] SERM. LIII. The Power of Chrift's Refurreaion. Philip, iii. lO. That I may know him ^ and the power of his refurreclicn. — — — P* 3^7 SERM. LIV. Interceflion every Chriffian's Duty. 1 Th£Ss. v. 25. Brethren^ pray for us. — p. 331 SERM. LV. Perfecutlon every Chriftlan's Lot. 2 Tim. iii. .12. Tea, and all that will live godly in Chrijl JefuSy j})qII fujfcr perjccution. — — p. 345 SERM. LVI. An Exhortation to the People of God not to be difcouraged in their Way, by the Scoffs and Con- tempt of wicked Men. Hebrews iv. 9. There remaimtb therefore a reji to the people of God, — — — - P- 361 4(fSERM. LVII. Preached before the Governor and Council, and the Houfe of Allembly, in Georgia, on January 28, J 770. Zech. iy. .10. For -who hath defpifid the day offnall things^ ■^ • p. 36g^ SERMON SERMON XXXII A Penitent Heart, the beft New Teaf-'s Gift. Luke xiii. 3, Except ye repent^ yeJJiall all like-wife periJJi, WHEN we confider how heinous and aggravating our offences are, in the fight of a jutt and holy God, that they bring down his wrath upon our heads, and occafion us to live under his indignation; how ought we thereby to be deterred from evil, or at leaft engaged to ftudy to repent thereof, and not commit the fame again ; but man is fo thoughtlefs of an eternal ftate, and has fo little confideration of the welfare of bis immortal foul, that he can nn Vi^ithout any thought that he muft give an account of bis ailions at the day of judgment; or if he, at times, has any reflexions on his behaviour, they do not drive him to true repentance : he may, for a fhort time, refrain from falling into fome grofs fins which he had lately committed ; but then, when the temptation comes again with povi^er, he is carried away with theluil; and thus he gees on promifing and refolving, and in breaking both his refolutions and his promifes, as faft al- moft as he has made them. This is highly offenfive to God, it is mocking of him. My brethren, when grace is given us to repent truly, we fnall turn wholly unto GoD; and let me befeech you to repent of your fins, for the time is haflening when you will have neither time nor call to repent ; there is none in the grave, whither we are going ; but do not be afraid, for God often receives the greateft fmner to mercy through the merits of Christ Jesus ; this magnifies the riches of his free grace ; and fliould be an encouragement for you, who are great and notorious finners, to repent, ff)r he will have mercy upon you, if you through Christ return unto him. A 2 St. Paul [ 4 ] St. Paul was an eminent inftance of this ; he fpeaks of him- fejf as " the chief of finners," and he declareth how God fliewcd mercy unto him. Christ loves to fliew mercy unto finners, and if you repent, he will have mercy upon you, put as no word is more miftajcen than that of repentance, i fhall I. Shew you what the nature of repentance is, II. Confider the feveral parts and caufes of repentance, III. I fliall give you feme realbns, why repentance is necef- iary to falvation. And IV. Exhort all of you, high and low, rich and poor, one with another, to endeavour after repentance. I. Repentance, my brethren, in the Brfl place, as to its na- ture, is the carnal and corrupt difpofition of men being changed into a renewed and fandified difpofition. A man that has truly repented, is truly regenerated : it is a different word for one and the fame thing ; the motley mixture of the beaft and devil is ^one ; there is, as it were, a new creation wrought in your ke-ir:s. If your repentance is true, you are renewed through- out, both in foul and body ; your underduudings are cn- Ijahtened with the knowleda;e of Gop, and of the Lord Jesus Christ ; and your wills, which were ftubborn, obiii- uate, and hated all good, are obedient and conforujable to the will of God. Indeed, our.deifts tell us, that man now has a free v.'iil to do good, to love God, and to repent when he will; but indeed, there is no free will in any of you, but to fin ; nay, your free-will leads you fo far, that you would, if poPaible, pull God from his throne. This may, perhaps, offend the Pharifees; but (it is the truth in Christ which I fpeak, I lie not) every man by his own natural will hates GoDi but when he is turned unto the Lord, by evangelical repentance, then his will is changed ; then your v^onfciencej, now har- dened and benumbed, (hall be quickened and awakened ; then your hard hearts fliall be melted, and your unruly affedlions ihall be crucified. Thus, by that repentance, the whole foul will be changed, you will h^ve new inclinations, new deilres, ^nd new habits. .^. [ 5 ] You may fee how vile we are by nature, that it requires (0 great a change to be made upon us, to recover us from thij i\zte of fin, and therefore the confideration of our dreadful ftate (hould make us earnefl: with God to change our condi- tion, and that change, true repentance implies ; therefore, my brethren, copfider how hateful your v/ays are to God, while you continue in fmj how abominable you are unto him, while you run into evil : you cannot be faid to be cbriHians while you are hating Christ, and his people ; true repentance will entirely change you, the blafs of your fouls will be chan2;ed, then you will delight in God, in Christ, in his law, and in his people; you will then believe that there is fuch a thing as inward feeling, though now you may efteem it madneis and enthufiafm ; you will not then be afliamed of becoming fools for Christ's fake; you will not regard being fcofFed at; it is not then their pointing after you and crying, " Here comes *' another troop of his followers," will difmay you; no, your foul will abhor fuch proceedings, the ways of Christ and his people will be your whole delight. It is the nature of fuch repentance to make a change, and the greateft change as can be made here in the foul. Thus you fee what repentance Implies in its own nature ; it denotes an abhorrence of all evil, and a forfaking of it. I fhail now proceed Secondly^ To (hew you the parts of it, and the caafes con- curring thereto. The parts are, forrow, hatred, and an entire forfaking of fm. Our forrow and gtief for fin, muft not fpring merely frorh ^ fear of wrath ; for if we have no other ground but that, it proceeds from felf-love, and not from any lo'/e to GoD ; and if love to Gob is not the chief motive of your repentance, your repentance is in vain, and not to be elteemed true. Many, in our days, think their trying, God forgive me! or. Lord have mercy upon me I or, 1 am forry for it I is repentance^ and that GoD will efleem it as fuch; but, indeed^ they ai-e miftaken ; it is not the drawing near to GoD with our lips, while our hearts are far from him, which he regards. Repentance does not ^ome by fits and flarts 5 no, it Is on0 A 2> continue^ [ 6 ] continued as^ of our lives ; for as we daily commit finj fo wc need a daily repentance before God, to obtain forgivenefs for thofe fins we commit. It is not your confeiTmg yourfelves to be fmners, it is not knowing your condition to be fad and deplorable, fo long as you continue in your fins ; your care and endeavours fhould be, to get the heart thoroughly afFeded therewith, that you may feel yourfelves to be loft and undone creatures, for Christ came to fave fuch as are loft; and if you are enabled to groan under the weight and burden of your fins, then Christ will eafe you and give you reft. And till you are thus fenfible of your mifery and loft coa^ dition, you are a fervant to fm and to your lufts, under the bondage and command of Satan, doing his drudgery : thou art under the curfe of God, and liable to his judgment. Con- fider how dreadful thy ftate will be at death, and after the day of judgment, when thou wilt be expofed to fuch mifeiies which the ear hath not heard, neither can the heart conceive, and that to all eternity, if you die impenitent. But 1 hope better things of you, my brethren, though I thus fpeak, and things which accompany falvation ; go to God in prayer, and be earneft with him, that by his Spirit he would convince you of your miferable condition by nature, and make you truly fenfible thereof. O be humbled, be humbled, I be- feech you, for your fins. Having fpent lo many years in fin- ning, what canft thou do lefs, than be concerned to fpend fome hours in mourning and forrowing for the fame, and be hum- bled before God. Look back into your lives, call to mind thy fins, as many as poffible thou canft, the fins of thy youth, as well as of thy riper years; fee how you have departed from a gracious Father, and wandered in the way of wickednefs, in v/hich you have loft yourfelves, the favour of God, the comforts of his Spirit, and the peace of your own confciences ; then go and beg par- don of the I.oiiD, through the blood of the Lamb, for the evil thou haft committed, and for the good thou haft omitted. Confider, likewife, the hcinoufnefs of thy fins ; fee what very aggravating circumftances thy fins are attended with^ how you have abufed the patience of God, which fiiould have led you to repentance ; aii J vvhen thou findeft thy heart hard, beg of God [ 7 3 God to foften it, cry mightily unto him, and he will take away thy ftony heart, and give thee a heart of flefti. Refolve to leave all thy finful lufts and pleafures; renounce^ forfake, and abhor thy old fmful courfe of life, and ferve God in holinefs and righteoufnefs all the remaining part of life. If you lament :ind bewail pafl: fms, and do not forfake them, your ^repentance is in vain, you are mocking of God, and dcceiv- • ing your own foul ; you muft put ofF the old man with his deeds, before you can put on the new man, Christ Jesus. You, therefore, who have been fwearers and curfers, you^ who have been harlots and drunkards, you, who have been thieves and robbers, you, who have hitherto followed the fm- ful pleafures and diverfions of life, let me befeech you, by the mercies of God in Christ Jesus, that you would no longer continue therein, but that you would forfake your evil ways, and turn unto the Lord, for he waiteth to be gracious unto you, he is ready, he is willing to pardon you of all your fins | but do not expect Christ to pardon you of fin, when you run ' into itj and will not abftain from complying with the tempta- tions j but if you will be perfuaded to abftain from evil ancf chiife the good, to return unto the Lord, and repent of your wickednefs, he hath promifed he will abundantly pardon you, he will heal your back-flidings, and will love yoii freely. Refolve now this day to have done with your fins for ever; let your old ways and you be feparnted j you muft tefolve againft it, for there can be no true repentance without a refolution to forfake it. Refolve for Christ, refolve againft the devil and his works, and go on fighting the Lord's battles againft the devil and his emifiaries; attack him in the ftrongeft holds he has, fight him as men, as chriftians, and you will ■foon find him to be a coward ; refift him and he will fly frotrt you. Refolve, through grace, to do this, and your repentancd is half done •, but then take care that you do not ground youf refolutions on your own ftrength, but in the ftrength of the Lord Jesus Christ ; he is the way, he is the truth, and he is the life ; without his afTiftance you can do nothing, but through his gtace ftr<:ngihening thee, thou wilt be enabled rci do all things ; and the more thou art fenfibleof thy own weak- nefs and inability, the more ready Christ will be to help thee J and what can all the men of the world do to thee when A 4 Christ . [ 8 ] Christ is for thee ? thou wilt not regard what they fay againft thee, for you will have the teftimony of a good confcience. Refolve to caft thyfelf at the feet of Christ in fubj'-6^ion to him, and throw* thyfelf into the arms of Christ for falva- tion by him. Confider, my dear brethren, the many invita- tions he has given you to come unto him, to be faved by him; " God has laid on him the iniquity of us all." O let me prevail with you, above all things, to make choice of the Lord Jesus Christ; refign yourfelves unto him, take him, O take him, upon his ov.'n terms, and v/hofoever thou art, bow great a finner foever you have been, this evening, in the name oC the great God, do I offer Jesus Christ unto thee ; as thou valueft tiiy life and foul refufc him not, but (lir up thyfelf to accept of the Lord Jesus, take him wholly as he is, for he will be applied wholly unto you, or ejfe not at all. Jesus Christ muft be your whole wifdom, Jesus Christ muft be your whole rjghteoufnefs, Jesus Christ muft be your whole fan£lification, or he will never be your eternal redemption. What though you have been ever fo wicked and profligatCy yet, if you will now abandon your fins, and turn unto the Lord Jesus Christ^ thou {halt have him given to thee, and all thy fms (hall be freely forgiven. O why will you neglecSt the great work of your repentance ? do not defer the doing of it one day longer, but to-day, even nowj take that Christ who is freely offered to you. Now as to the caufes hereof, the firft caufe is God ; he Is the author, " we are born of God," God hath begotten us, even God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ ; it is he that ftirs us up to will and to do of his own good pleafure : and another caufe is, God's {ttQ graoe ; it is owi-ng to the *' riches of his free grace," my brethren, that we have beer> prevented from going down to hell long ago; it is becaufe the companions of the Lord fail not, they are new every morn- ing, and frefli every evening. Sometimes the inftruments are very unlikely : a poor de-* fplfed minifter, or member of Jesus Christ, may, by the power of God, be made an inftrument in the hands of God, of bringing you to true evangelical repentance; and this may be done to fliew, that the power is not in men, but that it 15 entirely owing to the good pleafure of God ^ and i( there C 9 ] has been any good done among many of you, by preaching the word, as 1 truft there has, though it was preached in a field, if God has met and owned us, and bleffed his word, though preached by an enthufiaftic babbler, a boy, a mad- jDan ; I do rijoice, yea, and will rejoice, let foes fdy what they will. I Ihall now Thirdly^ Shew the rcafons why repentance is neceiTary to falvation. And this, my brethren, Is plainly revealed to us in the word of God, " The foul that does not repent and turn unto the Lord, fhall die in its fins, and their blood (liall be required at their own heads." It is neceflary, as we have fmncd, we fhould repent ; for a holy God could nor, nor ever can, or will, admit any thing that is unholy into his prefence : this is the beginning of grace in the foul ; there mull be a change in heart and life, before there can be a dwelling with a holy God. You cannot love fin- and God too, you cannot love God and mammon ; no unclean perfon can ftand in the pre- fence of God, it is contrary to the holir.efs of his nature ; there is a contrariety between the holy nature of God, and the unholy nature of carnal and unregenerate men. What communication can there be between a finlefs God, and creatures full of fin, between a pure God and impure creatures? If you were to be admitted into heaven with your prefent tempers, in your impenitent condition, heaven itfelf would be a hell to you ; the fongs of angels would be as ea- thufiafm, and would be intolerable to you j therefore you muft have thefe tempers changed, you muft be holy, as God is : he muft be your God here, and you muft be his people, or you will never dwell together to all eternity. If you hate the ways of God, and cannot fpend an hour in his fervice, hov/ will you think to be eafy, to all eternity, in finging praifes to him that fits upon the throne, and to the Lamb for ever. And this is to be the em.ploymenr, my brethren, of all thofe who are admitted into this glorious place, where neither fin nor finner is admitted, where no fcoffer ever can come, without repentance from his evil ways, a turning unto GoBj and a cleaving unto him : this muft be done, before any can be admitted into the glorious manfions of God, which are 1 prepared [ 10 ] prepared for all that love the Lord Jesus Christ In fincerl- ty and truth : repent ye then of all your fins. O my dear brethren, it makes my blood run cold, in thinking that any of YOU fhould not be admitted into the glorious maniions above. O that it was in my power, I would place all of you, yea, you my fcoffing brethren, and the greateft enemy I have on earth, at the right-hand of Jesus ; but this I cannot do : however, I advifeand exhort you, with all love and tendernefs, to make Jesus your refuge ; fly to him for relief ; Jesus died to fave fuch as you ; he is full of compaffion ; and if you go to bim, as poor, loft, undone fmners, Jesus will give you his fpirit ; you fhall live and reign, and reign and live, you (hall love and live, and live and love with this Jesus to all eternity. I am, Fourthly^ to exhort all of you, high and low, rich and poor, one with another, to repent of all your fins, and turn unto the Lord. And I {hall fpeak to each of you ; for you have either re- pented, or you have not, you are believers in Christ Jesus, or unbelievers. And firft, you who never have truly repented of your fins^- and never have truly forfaken your lufts, be not offended if I fpeak plain to you ; for it is love, love to your fouls, that con- llrains me to fpeak : I fhall lay before you your danger, and the mifery to which you are expofed, while you remain im- penitent in fin. And O that this may be a means of making you fly to Christ for pardon and forgivenefs. While thy fins are not repented of, thou art in danger of death, and if yon fhould die, you would perifh for ever. 1'here is no hope of any who live and die in their fins, but that they will dv/ell with devils and damned fpirits to all eternit}^ And how do we know we fhall live much longer : we are not fure cf feeing onr own habitations this night in fafety. What mean ye then being at eafe and pleafure while your fins are not pardoned. As fure as ever the word of God is true, if you die in that condition, you are fliut out of all hope and mercy for ever, and fhall pafs into eafelefs and endlefs mifery. What is all ihy pleafures and diverfions worth ? They lafi but for a moment, they are of no worth, and but of fhort continuance. And fure it muft be grofs folly, eagerly to purfue * thofe [ I' ] thofe finful lufls and pleafures, which war ao^ainft the fouJ which tend to harden the heart, and keep us from clofin<^ with the Lord Jesus ; indeed, thefe are deftruc^ive of our peace here, and without repentance, will be of our p;;ace hereafter. O the folly and madnefs of this fenfual world ; fure if there were nothing in fin but prefent flavery, it would keep an in- genuous fpirit from it. But to do the devils drudf>-ery ! and if we do that, v^e jfhall have his wages, which is eternal death and condemnation ; O confider this, my guilty brethren, you that think it no crime to fwear, whore, drink, or feoff and jeer at the people of God ; confider how your voices will then be changed, and you that counted their lives madnefs, and their end without honour, fhall howl and lament at your own madnefs and folly, that fhould bring you to fo much woe and diftrefs. Then you will lament and bemoan your ov/n dreadful condition ; but it will be of no fignificiition : for he that is now your merciful Saviour, will then become your inexorable Judge. Now he is eafy to be entreated ; but then, all your tears and prayers will be in vain : for God hath allotted to every man a day of grace, a time of repent- ance, which if he doth not improve, but negleds and defpifes the means which are offered to him, he cannot be faved. Confider, therefore, while you are going on in a courfe of fin and unrighteoufnefs, I befeech you, my brethren, to thfnJc of the confequence that will attend your thus mifpendinrr your precious time ; your fouls are worth being concetned about : for if you can enjoy all the pleafures and divernons of life, at death you muft leave them ; that will put an end to all your worldly concerns. And will it not be very de- plorable, to have your good things here, aUyour earthly, fen- fual, devilifh pleafures, which you have been fo much taken up with, all over : and the thought for how trifling a concern thou haft loft eternal welfare, will gnaw thy very foul. Thy wealth and grandeur will ftand in no ftead ; thou canft carry nothing of it into the other world : then the con- fideration of thy uncharitablenefs to the poor, and the ways thou didft take to obtain thy wealth, wiU be a very hell unco thee. No\y r 12 1 Now you enjoy the means of grace, as the preaching of his word, prayer, and facraments ; and God has fent his mi- nifters out into the fields and highways, to invite, to woo you to come in j but they are tireiome to thee, thou h;idlt rather be at thy pleafures : ere long, my brethren, they will be over, and you will be no more trcubk-d with them ; but then thou wouldft give ten thoufand worlds for one moment of that merciful time of grace which thou had abufed ; then you will cry for a drop of that precious blood which now you trample under your feet ; then you will \\'\(\\ for one more oft'er of mercy, for Christ and his free grace to be oiTered to you again ; but your crying will be in vain : for as you would not repent here, God will not give you an opportunity to repent hereafter: if you would not in Christ's time, you fhall not in your own. In what a dreadful condition will you then be ? What horror and adonilhment will poiTtIs your fouls ? Then all thy lies and oaths, thy fcofts and jeers at the people of God, all thy filthy and unclean thoughts and actions, thy mifpent time in balls, plays, and afTembhes, thy fpending whole evenings at cards, dice, and mafquerades, thy frequenting of taverns and alehoufes, thy worUilinefii, cove- toufnefs, and thy uncharitablenefs, will be brought at once to thy remembrance, and at once charged upon thy guilty foul. And how can you bear the thoughts of thefe things '( Indeed I am full of compaffion towards you, to think that this (hould be the portion of any who now hear me. Thefc are truths, though awful ones ; my brethren, thefe are the truths of the gofpel ; and if there was not a necefiity for thus fpeaking, I would willingly forbear : for it is no pleafmg fubje6t to me. any more than it is to you j but it is my duty to fhew you the dreadful confequences of continuing in fin. I am only now ading the part of a ficilful furgeon, that fearches a wound before he heals it : I would fliew you your danger firft, that deliverance may be the more readily accepicd by you. Confider, that however you may be for putting the evil day away from you, and are now firiving to hide your fins, at the day of judgment there fhall be a full difcovery of all -, hid- den things on that day fiiall be brought to light ; and after all thy fms have been revealed to the whole world, then ycu mud depart r 13 ] depart Into cvcrhHing fkre in hell, which will not be qiienchec! night and day ; it will be without intermiiiion, without end. O then, what ftupidity and renfclefsnefs'hath pofleftcd your hearts, that you are not frighted from your fins. The fear of N-jbuchadnezxar but I hope better things of you, and things that accompany falva- tion. Let me beg of you to pray in good earneft for the grace r t9 ] grace of repentance. I may nev-er fee your faces again ; but at the day of judgment I will meet you : there you will either blefs God that ever you were moved to repentance ; or elfe this fermon, though in a lield, will be as a fwift witnefs againfl: you. Repent, repent therefoiCj my dear brethren, as John the Bapiljl^ and as our blefled Kedeemer himfelf earneftly exhorted, and turn from your evil ways, and the Lord will have mercy on you. Shew them, O Father, wherein they have offended thee ; make them to fee their own vilenefs, and that they are loft and undone without true repentance 5 and O give them that repentance, we befeech of thee, that they may turn from fm unto thee the living and true God. Thefe things, and whatever elfe thou feeft needful for us, we entreat that thou wouldfl beftow upon us, on account of what the dear Jesus Christ has done and fuffered ; to whom, with Thyfelf, and holy Spirit, three perfons, and one God, be afcribed, as is moft due, all power, glory, might, majefty, and dominion,, noWj henceforth, and for evermore. Amm, fi 2 SERMON [ 20 ] SERMON XXXIII. The Gofpel Supper. Luke xiv. 22, 23, 24. And the few ant faid^ Lord, it is done as thou haft com- manded, and yet there is room, A7id the lord/aid unto the ftrvant, Co out into the high -ways, and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my houfe may be filled. For I fay unto you, that fione of thofe men which ivere bidden, Jliall tafte of my fufpcr, THOUGH here is a large and folemn afiembly, yet I fuppofe you are all convinced, that you are not to live in this world always. May I not take it for granted, that even the moft prophane amongft you, do in your hearts be- lieve, what the facred oracles have moft clearly revealed, " That as it is appointed for all men once to die, fo after death comes the judgment ?" Yes, I know you believe, that nothing is more certain, than that we are to " appear before the judgment-feat of Chris/f, to be rewarded according to the deeds done in the body, whether they have been good, or whether they have been evil." And, however hard the fay- ing may feem to you at the firft hearing, yet I cannot help informing you, that I am thoroughly perfuaded, as many will be driven from that judgment-feat, with a "Depart ye curfed into everlafting fire," for purfuing things in themfelves lawful, out of a wrong principle, and in too intenfe a degree ; as for drunkennefs, adultery, fornication, or any other grofs enormity whatfoever. Bad as the world is, bleflld be God, there are great numbers yet left amongft us^ who either through the reftraints of a religious education, or fclf-love^ and [ 2. ] and outward reputation, abflain from grofs fin themfelves, and loc?k with deteftation and abhorrence upon others, who indulge themfelves in it. But then, through an over-eaoer purfuit after the things of fenfe and time, their fouls are in- ienfibly lulled into a fpiritual flumber, and by degrees become as dead to Gop, and as deaf to all the gracious invitations of the gofpel, as the fpoft abandoned prodigals. It is remark- able, therefore, that our Saviour, knowing how defperately wicked and treacherous the heart of man was, in this, as well as other refpe6ts, after he had cautioned his difciples, and us in them, to " take heed that their hearts were not at any time overcharged with furfeiting and drur.kcnnefs," immediately adds, '^ and the cares (the immoderate anxious cares) of this life." For they are of a diftracSling, intoxicating nature, and foon overcharge and weigh down the hearts of the children of men. To prevent or remedy this evil, our Lord, during the time of his tabernacling here below, fpake many parables, but not one more pertinent, not one, in which the freenefs of the gofpel-call, and the frivolous pretences men frame to excufe t-heinfelves from embracing it, and the dreadful doom they in- cur by fo doing, are more difplayed, or fet off in livelier co- lours, than that to which the words of the text refer. '• And the lord faid unto the fervant. Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my houfe may be filled : For I fay unto you, that none of thofe that v;ere bid- den (hall tafte of my fupper." In order to have a clear view of the occafion, fcope, and f.ontents of the parable, to v/hich thefe words belong, it is necelTary for us to look back to the very beginning of this chapter. " And it came to pafs, as he went into the houfe of one of the chief pharifees to eat bread, on the fabbatj? day, that they watched him." The perfon here fpoken of, as go- ing into this Pharifee*s houfe, is our blefled Saviour. For as he came eating and drinking, agreeable to his character, he was free, courteous and affable to all ; and therefore though it was on the fabbath-day, he accepted an invitation, and went into the houfe of one of the chief Pharifees to eat bread, not- withftanding he knew the Pharifees were his profeffed enemies, and that they watched him, hoping to find fome occafion to upbraid him, either for his difcourfe or behaviour. If the 13 2 Pharifee f 22 ] Pharifee into whofc houfe our Lord went, was one of this flamp, his invitation bcfpcaks him to be a very ill man, and may ferve to teach us, that much rancour and heart-enmity againft Jesus Christ, may be concealed and cloaked under a great and blazing profeiTion of religion. Flowever, our Sa- viour was more than a match for all his enemies, and by ac- cepting this invitation, hath warranted his miniftcrs and dif- ciples, to comply with the lilce invitation?, and converfe freely about the things of God, though thofe who invite them, may not have real religion at heart. For how knowcft thou, O man, but thou mayeft drop fomething, that may benefit their fouls, and make them religious indeed ? And fuppofing they (hould watch thee, watch thou unto prayer, whiift thou art in their company, and that fame Jesus, who went into this Fharifee's houfe, and was fo faithful and edify- ing in his conveifation when there, will enable thee to go and do likewife. That our Lord's converfation was not trifling, biit fuch as tended to the ufe of edifying, and that he behaved among the gueds as a faithful phyfician, rather than as a carelefs, in- different companion, is evident from the yth verfe of this chapter, where we are told, that '^ he marked how they chofe the chief rooms i" or, to fpeak in our common way, were dcfirous of fitting at the upper end of the table. And whether we think of it or not, the Lord Jesus takes notice of our behaviour, even when we are going to fit down only at our common meals. Would to God, all that make a profeflioii of real chriftianity, confidered this well ! Religion then would not be fo much confined to church, or meeting, but be brought home to our private houfes, and many needlefs un- chriftian compliments be prevented. For (with grief I fpeak jt) is it not too true, that abundance of profefl'ors love, and are too fond of the uppermofl: places in houfes, as well as fy- Jiagogues ? This was what our Lord blamed in the gueib v/here he now was. He marked, he took notice, he looked before he fpake (as we fliould always do, if we would fpeak to the purpofc) how they chofe out the chief rooms. There- fore, though thty v/cre rich in this world's goods, and were i-'.o^ii: of his guefts, yet unwilling to fuffer the leaft fin upon Uitmj or lofe any opportunity of giving inilrudion, he gave them [ 23 ] them a le^ure upon humility, faying unto them, or dirc£llng his difcourre to all in general, though probably he fpake to one in pariicular, who fat near him, and whom, it may be, he took notice of, as more than ordinarily folicitous in choofing a chief room, or couch, on which they lay at meals, after the cuftom of the Romrifjs ; " When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding (which fcems to intimate that this was a wed- ding- feaft) fit not down in the highefl room, left a more ho- nourable man than thou be bidden of him ; and he that bade thee and him come and fay to thee, Give this man place ; and thou begin with ftiame to take the loweft room. But whea thou art bidden, go and fit down in the loweft room ; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may fay unto thee. Friend, go up higher : then fhalt thou have worftiip (or refpedl) in the prefence of them who fit at meat with thee." O glo- rious example of faith fulnefs and love to fouls ! How ought minifters efpcially, to copy after their blefled Mafler, and, with fimplicity and godly fmcerity, mildly and opportunely rebuke the faults of the company they are in, though fuperior to them in outward circumftances ? What rightly informed perfon, after reading this pafTage, can think they teach right and agreeable to the word of God in this refpecSl, who fay, we muft not, at leaft need not, reprove natural men ? Surely fuch doctrine cometh not from above ! For are we not com- manded, in any wife, to reprove our neighbour (whether he be a child of God or no) and not to fufier fin upon him ? Is it not more than probable, that all thefe guefts were na- tural men ? And yet our Lord reproved them. Help us then, O Saviour, in this and every other inftance of thy mo- ral condudl, to walk as thou haft fet us an example ! Neither did our Lord ftop here ; but obferving that none but the rich, the mighty, and the noble, were called to the feaft, he took occalion alfo from thence, to give even his hoft (for the beft return we make our friends for their kind- nefs, is to be faithful to their fouls) one of the chief Phari- fees, a wholefome piece of advice. *' Then faid he alfo to him that bade him, when thou makcft a dinner or a fupper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinfmen nor thy rich neighbours, left they alfo bid thee again, and a jecompence be made thee. But v»'hen thou makeft a feaft, B 4 ^aU r 24 ] call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind, and th(?u fhalt be bleflcd ; for they cannot rccompcnce thee : For thou fhalt be rccompenced at the refurredion of the juft !" Thus did our Lop.d entertain the company. Words fpoken in fuch due feafon, how good are they ! Would Christ's followers thus exert themfelves, and, when in company, begin fome uftful difcourfe for their great mafter, they know not what good they might do, and how many might be influenced, by their good example, to fecund them in it. An inftanceof this vvc have in the 14th verfe: " And when one of them that fat at meat with him heard thefe things, he faid unto him, Blefled is he that (hdU eat bread in the king- dom of God." Happy they who fliall be rccompenced at that rcfurreCiion of the juft, which thou haft been fpeaking of. A very pertinent faying this ! every way fuitable to perfons fittinf^ down to eat bread on earth, which v/e (hould never do^ without talking of, and longing for that time, when we Oiall fit down and eat bread in the kingdom of heaven. This opened to our Lord a frefh topic of converfation, and occa- fioned the parable, which is to be the more immediate fub- je£l of your prefent meditation. As though he had faid to the perfon that fpoke laft. Thou fayeft right : blciTed are they indeed, who fliall fit down to eat bread in the kingdom of God : But alas ! moft men, cfpecially you Pharifces, a6l as if you did not believe this ; ai^d therefore he faid unto him, '* A certain man made a great fuppcr, and bade many ;" by the certain man making a great fuppcr, we are to underftand God the Father, who has made provifion for perifhing fouls, bv the obedience and death of his beloved Son Christ Jesus. This provifion is here reprefented under the character of a fupper, becaufe the Cc:ena or fupper, among the ancients, was their grand meal : Men could never have made fuch provifion for themfelves, or angels for them. No, our falvation is all from God, from the beginning to the end. He made it, and not we ourfelves ; and it is wholly owing to the divine wif- dom, and not our own, that we are become God's people, and the flicep of his pafture. This provifion for perifhing fouls, maybejuftly called great, becaufe there is rich and gmple provifion made in the gofpel for a great many fouls. For however Christ's flcek may be but a little flock, when afundcrj, t 25 ] afunder, yet when they come all together, they will be a mul- titude which no man can number. And it is efpccially called great^ becaufe it was purchafed at To great a price, the price of Christ's moft precious blood. And therefore, when the apoftle would exhort the chriftians to glorify God in their fouls and bodies, he makes ufc of this glorious motive, " That they were bought with a price." He does not fay what price, biit barely 2. price y emphatically fo called ; as though all the prices in the world were nothing (as indeed they are not) when compared to this price of Christ's mofl precious blood. For thefc reafons, Jesus faid in the parable, " A certain man made a great fupper, and bade many, and fent his fervant at fupper-timie, to fay to them that were bidden, Come, for all tilings are now ready.'* He bade many ; the eternal God took the Jews for his peculiar people, under the Mofa'ic dif- penfation ; and by types, (hadows, and prophefies of the Old Tertament, invited them to partake of the glorious privile2;es of the gofpel. " But at fupper-time," in the fulnefs of time, which God the Father had decreed from eternity, in the evening of the world (for which reafon the gofpel times are called the laffc times) '' he fent his fervant," Christ his Son, here called his fervant, becaufe a(51:ing as Mediator he was inferior to the Father ; therefore fays the prophet Ija'iah^ " Behold my fervant whom 1 havechofen :" " to fay to them that were bidden," to the profefling "Jews^ called by St. Jchn^ "his own," that is, his peculiar profcffing people — with this mcffage, " Come ;" repent and believe the gofpel. Nothing is required on man's part, but to come, or accept of the gofpel offer. It is not according to the old covenant, '' Do and live ;" but only " come, believe, and thou flialt be faved." All things are ready. Nothing is wanting on God's part. " All things are now ready." There feems to be a particular cmphafis to be put upon NOVv^, implying, this was an efpecial feafon of grace, and God was now exerting his laft efforts, to fave loll: man. Well then, if the great God be at fo great an expcnce, to make fo great a fupper, for perid^ng creatures, and fends fo great a perfon as his own Son, in the form of a fervant, to invite them to come to it; one would imagine, that all who heard thefe glad tidings (hould readily fay. Lord, Id we come. But inlicad ot tnis, we [ 26 ] we are told, *' They all, (the greateft part of the Jews) with one conlent began to make excui'e." Confcience told them they ought to come, and in all probability they had Tome faint defire to come J and they had nothing, as we hear of, to object cither againft the perfon who prepared the fupper, or the perfon that invited them, or the entertaiiiment itfelf ; neither do we hear that they treated either with contempt, as is the cuftom of too many in the days wherein we live. In all probability, they acknowledged all was very good, and that it was kind in that certain man, to fend them fuch an invitation. But being very bufy, and as they thought very lawfully engaged, they begun to make excufe. But the cxcufes they made, rendered their refufal inexcu- fabic. " The firft faid unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I muft needs go and fee it :" Thou fool, buy a piece of ground, and then go fee it ! A prudent man would have gone and feen the ground firft, and bought it afterwards. Why muft he needs go ? At leaft, why muft he needs go noiv ? The land was his own, could he not therefore have accepted the invitation to-day, and gone and feen his eftate, or plantation, on the morrov/ ? As he had bought it, he need not fear lofing his bargain, by anothers buying it from him. But notvvith- ftanding all this, there is a needs maft for his going, and therefore fays he, " I pray thee, have me excafed," and im- prove thy intereft with thy mafter in 'my behalf. This was a bad excufe. The fecond was rather worfe. For what hys the evange- lift, verfe 19 ? " And another faid, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them :" One, it fcems, had hten. buying an eftate ; another, cattle, to ftock an eftate already boughtj and boih equally foolifh in making their bargains. For this fecond had bought five yoke of oxen, which muft: needs coft them a confiderable fum, perhaps all he had in the world, and no*v he muft go and prove them. A wife dealer would have proved the oxen fiift, and bought them afterwards : But our Saviour fpcaks this, to ftiew us, that we will truft one another, nay I may add, the devil himfclf, more than we \v\A truft God. The excufe which the third makes, is worft of all. " I have married a wife, and therefore 1 cannot come." Had he fa^d, [ 27 ] f^iJ, I will not come, he had fpoken the real fentlmcnt?? of his heart : for it is not (b much mens impotcncy, as their want of a will, and inclination, that keeps them from the gofpel-fcaft. But why cannot he come? He has "married a wife." Has he fo ? Why then, by all means he fhould come. For the fupper to which he was invited, as it (liould feem, was a wedding- fupper, and would have faved him the trouble of a nuptial entertainment. It was a great fupper, and confequently there was provifion enough for him, and his bride too. And it was made by a great man, who fent out his fervant to bid many, fo that he need not have doubted of meeting with a hearty welcome, though he fnould bring his wife with him. Or fuppofmg his wife was unwilling to come, yet as the hufband is the head of the wife, he ought to have laid his commands on her, to accompany him. For we cannot do better for our yoke-fellows, than to bring them to the gofpel-feaft. Or, fuppofing after all, flie would not be prevailed upon, he ought to have gone without her : for " thofe that have wives, muft be as though they had none ;" and we muft not let carnal afFedion get fuch an afcendancy over u.s as to be kept thereby from fpiritual entertainments. Jikm paid dear for hearkening to thevoice of his wife ; and fometimes, unlefs we forfake wives, as well as houfes and lands, we cannot be the Lord's difciples. This then was the reception the fervant met with, and fuch were the excufes, and anfwers, that were fent back. And what was the confequence ? " So that fervant came (no doubt with a forrowful heart) and (hewed his Lord thefe things." However little it be thought of, yet minifters muft fhew the Lord, what fuccefs their miniftry meets with. We muft fhew it to our Lord here. We muft fpread the cafa before him in prayer. We muft (hew it to our Lord here- after, before ihe general afTembly of the whole world. But how dreadful is it, when minifters are obliged to go upon their knees, crying, *' O 1 my leannefs, my leannefs !'* and £//^;-like, to intercede as it were againft thofe, to whom they would not only have imparted the gofpel, but even their own lives. It is a heart-breaking confideration. But thus it muft be ; " The fervant came and fhewed the Lord thefe things j" fo muft we. Well, and what fays the Lord? C 23 ] We are told, vepfe lift, that " the maftcr of the houfe was an- gry ?" Not with the fervant : for though Ifracl be not gather- ed, yet (hall Christ be glorious ; and faithful miniftcrs fliall be rewarded, whether people obey the gofpel or not. " We are a fweet favour unto God, whether the word be a favour of life unto life, or a favour of death unto death." The mafter of the houfe therefore was angry, not with the fervant, but with thefe-worldly-minded, pleafure-taking refufers of his gracious invitation ; who, in all probability, went to fee and flock their eftates, and attend upon their brides, not doubt- ino^, but their excufcs would be taken, becaufe they were law- fully employed. And, indeed, in one fenfe, their excufes were accepted. For I do not hear that they were ever invited any mort. God took them at their word, though they would not take him at his. They begged to be excufed, and they were excufed, as we (hall fee in the fequel of this parable. Let us not therefore harden our hearts, as in the day of pro- vocation ; *' Now is the accepted time, now is the day of fair vation." But muft the feaft want gucfts ? No, if they cannot, or will not come, others fhall, and v;ill. The mafter of the houfe therefore being angry, fent the fervant upon a fecond errand. " Go out quickly into the ftr-ets, and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind." Every word befpeaks a fpirit of refent- ment and importunity. Go out quickly, make no delay, dread no attempt or danger, into the ftreets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither, not only call them, but bring them in (for the maftcr here, to encourage the fervant, alFures him of fuccefs) the poor, and the maimed, and the hair, and the blind. This was fulfilled, when Jesus Christ, after the gofpel was rcjcded by the Jeu)s^ went and invited the Gentiles^ and when the publicans^ and harlots took the kingdom of God by a hoiy violence, whilft the fcif- righteous fcribes and Pharifees rejecled the kingdom of God againft themr fclves. This was alfo a home reproof to the rich Pharifee, at vvhofe houfe the Lord Jesus vyas, as well as a cutting leffon to the other guefts. For our Saviour v»'ould hereby fhev/ them, that God took a quite different method from his hoft, and was not above receiving the poor, and hair, and blind, and maimed, to the gofpel fupper, though he had called none fuch [ 29 ] fiich to fit down at his tabic. Whether the gucfts irefcntcd it or not, we are not told. But if they were not quite blind, both hoft and guefts might eafily fee that the parable was fpoken againfl them. But to proceed. The fervant again returns, but with a more pleafing an- fwer than before, *' Lord, it is done as thou haft commanded, and yet there is room." The words befpeak the fervant to be full of joy at the thoughts of the fuccefs he had met with. None can tell, but thofc who experience it, what comfort minillers have in feeing their Ubours blcft. " Now I live, (fays the apeftle) if you ftand faft in the Lord. Ye are our joy and crown of rejoicing; in the day of the Lord Jesus." " Lord, it is done as thou haft commanded. The poor, and maimed, and halt, and blind, have been called, and have obeyed the fummons, and I have brought them with me; yet. Lord, thy houfe, and thy fupper is fo p-reat, there is room for more. Hereby he infinuated that he wanted to be employed again, in calling more fouls ; and the more we do, the more may we do for God : " To him that hath, fliall be given ;" and piefent fuccefs is a great encouragement to fu- ture diligence. Such hints are pleafing to our Saviour. He delights to fee his miuifters ready for new work, and waiting for frefti orders. " The Lord, therefore, wc are told, ver. 23, faid unto his fervant, (the fame fervant,) Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my houfe may be filled ; 24. For I fay unto you, that none of thofe who are bidden, ftiall tafte of my fupper." O cutting words to thofe that fat at meat, if they had hearts to make the application ! But glad tidings of great joy to the publicans, harlors, and Gentiles, who were reje6led by the proud Phari- fees, as aliens to the commonwealth of Jfrael^ and ftrangers to the covenant of promife I This was fulfilled, when our Lord fent the apoftles, not only into the ftreets and lanes of the city, and places bordering upon Jernfakm znA Judea -y but when he gave them a commifiion to go out into all the world, and preach the gofpel to every creature. Gentile as well 2s Jew ', and not only gave them a command, but blefied their labours with fuch fuccefs, that three thoufand were converted in one day. And I am not without hopes that it will be ftill further fulfilled, by the calling of fome of vou t 30 ] you home this day : For however this p-araWe was fpoken ori- ginally to the Jdws^ and upon a particular occafion, as at a feaft, yet it is applicable to us, and to our children, and to as many as are afar cfF; yea, to as many as the Lord our God (hall call. It gives a fandion, mcthinks, to preaching in the fields, and other places bcfides the fynagogues ; and points out the reception the gofpel meets with in 'thefe days, in fuch a lively manner, that one would think it had a particular refe- rence to theprefent age. For is it not too, too plain, that the gofpel-offers, and gofpel-grace, have been flighted, and made light of, by many profellbrs of this generation ? We have been in the churches, telling them, again and again, that God has made a great fupper (and has invited many, even them) and fent us by his providence and his fpirit, " to fay unto them that were bidden. Come, for all things are now ready. Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you fhall be faved." But the gene- rality of the laity have made light of it, they have given us the hearing, but are too bufy in their farms and their mer- chandizes, theic marrying and giving in marriage, to come and be blefTed in the Lord of life. We have told them, ac^ain and again, that we do not want them to hide themfelves from the world, but to teach them how they m.ay live in, and yzt not be of it* But all will not do. Many of the clergy alfo (like the letter-learned Scribes and Pharifees in our Savi- our's time) rejed the kingdom of God againft themfelves^ and deny us the ufe of the pulpits, for no other reafon but becaufe wc preach the do6lrine of juftification in the fight of God by faith alone, and invite fmncrs to come and tafle of the gofpel feaft freely, without money and without price. Whatever they may think, we are pcrfuaded, the great mafter of the houfe is angry with them, for being angry with us without a caufe. He therefore now, by his providence, bids us '' Go out quickly into the flreets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind," or call in the publicans and harlots, the common curfers and fwearers, and fabbath-breakers, and adulterers, who, perhaps, never entered a church door, or heard that Jesus Christ died for fuch finners as they are. We, through grace, have obeyed the command, we have gone out, though cxpofed [ 31 ] cxpofeJ to much contempt for fo doing, and, blefTed be GoS, our labour has not been in vain in the Lord. f^or many have been made willing in the day of God's power; and, we would fpeak it with humility, we can go chearfully to our Saviour, and fay, " It is done. Lord, as thou hafl com- manded, and yet there is room." He is therefore plcafcd, in fpite of all oppofition from men or devils, to continue, and renew, and enlarge our commiflion ; he hath fcnt us literally into the highways and hedges; and, I truft, has given us a commiflion to compel fmners to come : For, could we fpeak with the tongues of men and angels, yet if the Lord did not attend the word with his power, and fweetly inclined men's wills to comply with the gofpel-cal], we fhould be as a founding braf??, or a tinkling cymbal. But this we believe our Saviour will ilo, for his houfe mult be filled : every foul for whom he has fhed his blood, fliall finally be faved, ** and all that the Father hath given him, fhall come unto him, and whofoever cometh unto him he will in no wife cafl out." This comforted our Lord, when his gofpel was re- jevfled by the Jews, As though he had faid. Well, tho' you dcfpife the ofFers of my grace, yet 1 fhall not fhed my blood in vain J for all that the Father hath given me fliall come unto me. Supported by thi.^ confideration, I am not afliamed to come out this day into the highways and hedges, and to confefs that my bufinefs is to call the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind, felf-condemned, helplefs finners, to the marriage-feaft of the fupper of the Lamb. My cry is. Come, believe on the Lord Jesus ; throw yourfelves at the footftool of his mercy, and you fhall be faved ; for all things are now ready. God the Father is ready, God the Son is ready, God the Koly Ghoft is ready j the blefled angels above are ready, and the blefTed faints below are ready, to welcome' you to the gofpel- feafl. A perfect and everlafling righteoufnefs is now wrought out by Jesus Christ. God, now, upon honourable terms, can acquit the guilty. God can now be juft, and yet juflify the ungodly. «^ For he hath made Christ to be fin for us, who knew no fin, that we might be made the righteoufnefs of God in him." The fatted calf is now killed, and '' Christ, our pafibver, is I facrificed f 32 ] facrificed for us." Come, finncrs, and feed upon him irt your hearts by faith, with thankfgiving. For Jfsus Christ's fake, do not with one confent begin to make excufe. Do not let a piece of ground, five yoke of oxen, or even a wife, keep you from this great fupper. Thefe you may enjoy, as the gifts of God, and make ufc of them for the Mediatoi'^ glory, and yet be prefent at the gofpel-feaft. True and un- defiled religion docs not take away, but rather greatly en- hances the comforts of life ; and our Lord did not pray that we fliould be taken out of the world, but '■' that we fhould be delivered from the evil of it." O then that you would all, with one confent, fay, Lo ! we come. Aflure yourfelves there is provifion enough. For it is a great fupper. In our Father's houfe there is bread enough and to fpare. And though a great God makes the fupper, yet he is as good and conde- scending as he is great. Though he be the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity, yet he will dwell v/ith the humble and contrite heart, even with the man that trembleih at his word. Neither can you complain for want of room ; " for yet there is room. In our Father's houfe are many man- fions." If it was not fo, our Saviour would have told us. The grace of Christ is as rich, as free, and as powerful as ever. He is " the fame yefteiday, to-day, and for ever ;" He is full of grace and truth, and out of his fulnefs, all that come to him may receive grace for grace. He giveth liberally, and upbraidcth not. He willeth not the death of a finner, but rather that he fhould believe and live. Come then, all ye halt, poor, maimed, and blind fmners ; take comfort, the Lord Jesus has fent his fervant to call you. It is now fup- pcr-time, and a day of uncommon grace. The day may be far fpent. Haltc, therefore, and away to the fupper of the Lamb. If you do not come, I know the mafter will be angry. And who can ftand before him when he is angry ? " Hardert not therefore your hearts, as in the day of provocation,- as in the day of temptation in the wildernefs." Do not: provoke the Lord to f^iy, " None of thofe that were bid- den fhall t?.fte of my fupper." O dreadful words ! Much more is implied in them than is exprefled. It is the fame with that in the pfalms, " I fware In my wrath, that they fhould not enter into my reft." And if you do not enter into' God's refl, nor taflc of CfiRisT^i fupper, you mufi lift up 3 ^ your t n ] ^our eyes in torments, where you will luve no reft, and mu(i fup with the damned devils for ever more. Knovvirig therefore the terrors of the LoiiD, we pcrfuade you to hade away, and make no niore frivolous exciifes. For there is no excufe againft believing. Perhaps you fay. You call to the halt, and maimed, and blind, and poor. But if we are halt, and maimed, how can we come ? If we arc blind, how can we fee our way ? If we are poor, how can we cx- pCiSl admiflion to fo great a table? Ah! Happy are ye, if you are fenfible, that you are halt and maimed. For if you feel ydurfelves fo, and are lamenting it, who knows but whiift I an) fpeaking, God rhay fend his Spirit with the word, and fetch you hortie ? Though you arc blind, Jesus has eye falve to anoint you. Though you are poor, yet you are welcome to this rich feaft. It coft Jesus Christ a great price, but you (hall have it gratis. For fuch as you was it defigned. *' BlefTed are the poor in fpirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Rich, felf-righteous, felf-fufficient fiiiners, I know, will fcorri both the feaft and its great provider. They have done fo already, therefore the LoiiD has fent us into the high- ways and hedges, to bring fuch poor fouls as you are in. Ven-> ture then, my dear friends, and honour Gob, by taking hint at his v/ord. Come to the marriage- feaft. Believe me, you will there partake of moft delicious fare. Tell me, ye that have been made to tafte that the Lord is gracious, will you not recommend this feaft to all ? Are you not, whiift I am fpeaking, ready to cry out. Come Jill ye that are without, come ye, obey the call, for we Have fat under the Redeemer's ftiadow with great delight, ^nd his fruit has been pleafant to our tafte. Whiift 1 am fpeaking, does not the fire kindle, do not your hearts burn with a defire that others may come and be blelTed too ? If yoii are chriftians indeed, I know you will be thus minded, and the language of your hearts will be. Lord, whiift he is calling, let thy Spirit Jcompel them to come in. O that the Lord may fay. Amen! And why fhould we doubt? Surely oUr Saviour will not let rfie complain this day that I have laboured in vain, and fpent my ftrength for nought. Methinks I fee many defining to come. O how fliall I com- pel you to come forwards. 1 will not ufe fire or fword, as Vol. VI. C the 5^ [ 34 3 the Papijh do, by terribly perverting this text of fcripture. But 1 will tell you ol the love of God, the love of God in Christ, and furely that muft compel you, that muft conftrain you, whether you will or not. Sinners, my heart is enlarged to- wards you. I could fill my mouth with arguments. Con- fider the greatnefs of the God who makes the fupper. Con- fider the greatnefs of the price, wherewith it was purchafed. Confider the greatnefs of the provifion made for you. What would you have more ? Confider God's infinite condefcen- fion, in calling you now, when you might have been in hell, *' vvhere the worm dieth not, and the fire is nor quenched.'* And that you might be without excufe, he has fent his fer- vant into the highways and hedges to invite you there. O that you tafted what I do now ! I am fure you would not want arguments to induce you to come in : No, you would fly to the gofpel-feaft, as doves to the windows. But, poor fouls ! many of you, perhaps, are not hungry. You do not feel yourfelves halt, or maimed, or blind, and therefore you have no relifli for this fpiritual entertainment. Well, be not angry with me for calling you ; be not offended if I weep over you, becaufc you know not the day of your vifitation : If I muft appear in judgment as a fwift witnefs againft you, I muft. But that thought chills my blood! I cannot bear it ; I feel that I could lay down my life for you. J3ut I am not willing to go without you. What fay you, my >dear friends ? I would put the queftion to you once more. Will you tafte of Christ's fupper, or will you not? You fliall all be welcome. There is milk at this feaft for babes, as well as meat for ftrong men, and for perfons of riper years. There is room and provifion for high and low, rich and poor, one with another; and our Saviour will thank you for coming. Amazing condefcenfion ! Aftonifhing love ! The thought of it quite overcomes me. Help me, help me, O be-* lievers, to blefs and praifc him. And O ! that his love may excite us to come afrefh ta him, as though we had never come before ! For, though wc have been often feafted, yet our fouls will ftarve, unlefs we renew our a61s of faith, and throw ourfclves, as loft, undone fmners, continually at the feet of Christ. Feeding upon paft experiences will not fatisfy our fouls, any mors than what 5 w:^ I 35 1 we did e^t yefterday will fuftain our bodies to day. No, be- lievers muft look for frefh influences of divine grace, and be"- of the Lord to water them every moment. The parable therefore fpeaks to faints as well as finners. Come ye to the marriage-feaft ; you are as welcome now as ever. And may God fet your fouls a longing for that time when we fhall fit down and eat bread in the kingdom of heaven ! There we (hall have full draughts of divine love, and enjoy the glorious Emmanuel for ever more. Even fo, Lord Jesus, Jmen, C2 SERMON [ 36 3 SERMON XXXIV. The Pharifee and Publican. Luke xviii. 14. I tell you^ this man went down to his hcufe jujlified rather than the other: For every one that exalteth himfelf, fliall he ahajcd \ and he that humbUth himfelf, Jhall be exalted. THOUGH there be fome who dare to deny the Lord Jesus, and difbelieve the revelation he has been pleafed to give us, and thereby bring upon themfelves fwift deftruc- tion; yet I would charitably hope there are but few if any fuch among you, to whom I am now to preach the kingdom of God. Was I to afk you, how you expecSl to be juftified in the fight of an offended God? I fuppofe you would anfwer, only for the fake of our Lord Jesus Christ. But, was I to come more home to your confciences, I fear that moft would make the Lord Jesus but in part their Saviour, and go about, as it were, to eftablifh a righteoufnefs of their own. And this is not thinking contrary to the rules of chriftian cha- rity : for we are all felf-righteous by nature; it is as natural for us to turn to a covenant of works, as for the fparks to fly upwards. We have had fo many legal and fo few free-grace preachers, for thefe many years, that moft profeflbrs now feem to be fettled upon their lees, and rather deferve the title of Phartjees than chrillians. Thus it was with the generality of the people during the time of our Lord's public miniftration : and therefore, in al- moft all his difcourfes, he preached the gofpel to poor fmners, and denounced terrible woes againft proud felf-jufticiaries. The parable, to which the words of the text belong, looks 3 botii [ 37 ] both thefe ways : For the evangelift informs us (ver. 9.) that our Lord " fpalce it unto certain who trufted in thcnifelves that they were righteous, and defpifed others." And a notable parable it is ; a parable worthy of your moft ferious attention. " He that hath ears to hear, let him hear," what Jesus Christ fpeaks to all vifible profeflbrs in it. Ver. 10. " Two men went up to the temple to pray (and never two men of more op{X)rite chara6lers) the one a Pha- rifee and the other a Publican." The Pharifees were the ftrideft fe(3: among the Jews. '' I was of the ftri6left fe6t, of the Pharifees," fays Paul. They prayed often ; not only fo, but they made long prayers ; and, that they might appear ex- traordinary devout, they would pray at the corners of the ftreet, where two ways met, that people going or coming, feoth ways, might fee them. " They made broad (as our Lord informs us) the borders of their phylad^eries," they had pieces of parchment fown to their long robes, on which fome parts of the Scripture were written, that people might from thence infer, that they were lovers of the law of God. They were fo very punctual and exa£i: in outward purifications, that they walhed at their going out and coming in. They held the wafliing of pots, brazen vcfiels and tables, and many other fuch-like things they did. They were very zealous for the traditions of the fathers, and for the obfervation of the rites and ceremonies of the church, notwithftanding they frequently raade void the law of God by their traditions. And they were fo exceedingly exa6l in the outward obfervation of the fabbath, that they condemned our Lord for making a little clay with his fpittle ; and called him a finner, and faid, he was not of God, becaufe he had given fight to a man born blind, on the fabbath-day. For thefe reafons they were had in high vene- ration among the people, who were fad ly milled by thefe blind guides : they had the uppermoft places in the fynagogues, and greetings in the market-places (which they loved dearly) and were called of men. Rabbi ; in (hort, they had fuch a repu- tation for piety, that it became a proverb among the Jews^ that, if there were but two men faved, the one of them muft be a Pharifee. As for the Publicans, it v/as not fo with them. It fecms they were fometimes Jrivs, or at kail profclytes of the gate ; C 3 for [ 38 ] for we find one here coming up to the temple ; but for thfr generality, I am apt to think they were Gentiles-^ for they were gatherers of the Roman taxes, and ufed to amafs much wealth (as appears by the confeflion of Zaccheus, one of the chief of them) by wronging men with falfe accufations. They were fo univerfally infamous, that our Lord himfelf tells hi^^ difci- pies, ** the excommunicated man ihould be to them as a hea- then man, or a Publican." And the Pharifees thought it a fufficient impeachment of our Lord's chara6ter, that he was a friend to Publicans and finners, and went to lit down with them at meat. But, however they difagreed in other things, they agreed in this, that public worfhip is a duty incumbent upon all : for they both came up to the temple. 1 he very heathens were obfervers of temple-worfnip. We have very early notice of mens facrificing to, and calling upon the name of the Lord, in the Old Teibment ; and I find it no where contradicted in the New. Our Lord, and his apoftles, went up to the tem- ple ; and we are commanded by the apoftle, *' not to forfake the aflenibling ourfelves together," as the manner of too many is in our days ; and fuch too, as would have us think well of them, though they feldom or never tread the courts of the Lord's houfe. But, though our devotions begin in our clofets, they muft not end there. And, if people never fhew their de- votions abroad, I muft fufped they have little or none at home. *' Two men went up to the temple." And what went they thither for? Not (as multitudes amongft us do) to make the houfe of God a houfe of merchandize, or turn it into a den of thieves; much lefs to ridicule the preacher, or difturb the con- gregation ; no, they came to the temple, fays our lyORD, " to pray." . Thither fiioulJ the tribes of God's fpiritual Jfrael go up, to talk vv'th, and pour out their hearts before the mighty God of Jacob, " Two men went up to the temple to pray." I fear one of them forgot his errand. I have often been at a lofs what to call i\\t Pharifeis ad d re fs ; it certainly does not deferve the name of a prayer: he may rather be faid to come to the temple to boajiy than to pray ; for I do not find one word of confelli- on of his original guilt; not one fingle petition for pardon of his pad adlual fins, or for grace to help and aflift him for the time [ 39 ] time to come: he only brings to God, as it were, a reckoning of his performances 5 and docs that, which no flcfti can juftly do, I mean, glory in his prefence. Ver. II. " The Pharilee flood, and prayed thus with him- felf ; God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are, ex- tortioners, un)uft, adulterers, or even as this Publican.'* Our Lord firft takes notice of his pofturej *' the Pharifee ftood^'* he is not to be condemned for that ; for ftandino^, as well as kneeling, is a proper pofture for prayer. '' When you ftand praying," fays our Lord; though fometimes our Lord kneeled, nay, lay flat on his face upon the ground ; his apof- tles alfo kneeled, as we read in the Acis^ which has made me wonder at feme, who are fo bigotted to {landing in family, as well as public prayer, that they will net kneel, notwithftand- ins; all kneel that are around them. I fear there is fomethins: ... of the Pharifee in this condu(St. Kneeling and ftanding are indifferent, if the knee of the foul be bent, and the heart up- right towards God. We fhould ftudy not to be particular in indifferent things, left we offend weak minds. What the Pha- rifee is remarked for, is his *' ftanding by himfelf :" for the words may be rendered, he ftood by himlelf, upon fome emi- nent place, at the upper part of the temple, near the Holy of holies, that the congregation might fee what a devout man he was: or it may be underftood as we read it, he prayed by him- felf, or of himfelf, out of his own heart ; he did not pray by- form ; it was an extempore prayer : for there are many Pha- rifees that pray and preach too, extempore. I do not fee why thefe may not be acquired, as well as other arts and fciences. A man, with a good elocution, ready turn of thought, and good memory, may repeat his own or other mens fermons, and, by the help of a JVilkins or Henry^ may pray feemingly excellently well, and yet not have the leaft grain of true grace in his heart ; I fpeak this, not to cry down extempore prayer,. or to difcourage thofc dear fouls who really pray by the fpirit; I only would hereby give a word of reproof to thofe who are fo bigotted to extempore prayer, that they condemn, at leaft judge, all that ufe forms, as though not fo holy and hea- venly, as others who pray without them. Alas ! this is wrong. Not every one that prays extempore is a fpiritual, nor every one that prays with a form, a formal man. Let us not judge one another; let not him that ufes a form, judge him C 4. thac [ 40 ] that prays extempore, on that account ; and let not him that prays extempore, defpife him who ufes a form. '* The Pharifee flood, and prayed thus by himfelf." Which may fignify alfo praying inwardly in his heart ; for there is a way (and that an excellent one too) of praying when we can- not fpeak J thus ^mia prayed, w^hen file fpoke not aloud, only, her lips moved. Thus God fays to Moffs, •:' Why crieft thou ?'* when, it is plain, he did not fpeak a word. This is what the apoftie means by the " fpiiit making intercefTion (for believers) with groanings which cannot be uttered." For there are times when the foul is too big to fpeak ; when God fills it as it were, and overfhadows it with his prefence, fo that it can only fall down, worfhip, adore, and lye in the duft before the Lord. Again, there is a time when the foul is benumbed, barren and dry, and the believer has not a word to fay to his heavenly Father ; and then the heart only can fpeak. And I mention this for the encouragement of weak chrifiians, who think they never are accepted but when they have a flow of words, and fancy they do not pleafe God at the bottom, for no other reafon but becaufe they do not pleafe themfclvcs. Such would do well to confider, that God knows the language of the heart, and the mind of the fpirit ; and that we make ufe of words, not to iniorm God, but to affe£l: ourfclves. When- ever therefore any of you find yourfelves in fuch a frame, be not difcouraged : offer yourfelves up in filence before Goo, as clay in the hands of the potter, for him to write and flamp his own divine imgge upon your fouls. But I believe the Phari- fee knew nothing of this way of prayer : he was fclf- righteous, a llranaer to the divine life: and therefore either of the former cxplanaiiuns may be bed put upon thefe words. " He ilood, and prayed thus with himfelf j God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are, extortioner, unjuft, adul- terer, or even as this Publican." Here is fome appearance of devciir.n, but it is only in appearance. To thank God that we are not extortioners, unjuli, adulterers, and as wicked in our practices as other men are, is certainly meet, right, and our boiindcn duty: for whatever degrees of goodnefs there may be in us, more than in others, it is owing to God's reflraining, preventing, and affifting grace. We are all equally conceived 2nd born in fm j all are fallen iliort of the glory of God, and liable [ 41 ] liable to all the curfes and maledictions of the law ; To that " he whoglorieth, muft glory only in the Lord." For none of us have any thing which we did not receive; and whatever we have received, we did not in the leaft merit it, nor could vye lay the leaft claim to it on any account whatever : we are wholly indebted to free grace for all. Had the Pharifee thought thus, when he faid, '' God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are," it would have been an excellent introduction tp his prayer: but lie was a free-wilier, as well as felf-righteous (for he that is one muft be the other) and thought by his own power and ftrength, he had kept himfelffrom thefe vices. And yet I do not fee what reafon he had to truft in himfelf that he was righteous, merely bccaufe he was not an extortioner, un- juft, adulterer ; for all this while he might be, as he certainly vvas (as is alfo every felf-righteous perfon) as proud as the devil. But he not only boafts, but lies before God (as all felf-jufticiaries will be found liars here or hereafter.) He thanks God that he was not unjuft: but is it not an a6l of the higheft: injuftice to rob God of his prerogative ? is it not an a«Sl of in- juftice to judge our neighbour ? and yet of both thefe crimes this felf-righteous vaunter is guilty. *' Even as this Publi- can !" He feems to fpeak with the utmoft difdain ; this Pub- lican I Perhaps he pointed at the poor man, that others might treat him with the like contempt. Thou proud, confident boafter, what hadft thou to do with that poor Publican ? fup- pofing other Publicans were unjuft, and extortioners, did it therefore follow that he muft be fo ? or, if he had been fuch a finner, how knoweft thou but he has repented of thofe fins? His coming up to the temple to pray, is one good fign of a re- formation at leaft. Thou art therefore inexcufable, O Pha- rifee, who thus judgeft the Publican : for thou that judgeft him to be unjuft, art, in the very aCi: of judging, unjuft thv- ftlf : thy facrihce is only the facrifice of a fool. We have (een what the Pharifee's negative goodncfs comes to; I think, nothing at all. Let us fee how far his pofitive goodnefs extends; for, if we are truly religious, we fliall not only efciiew evil, but alfo do good : " I faft twice in the week, 1 give tithes of all that I poftefs." The Pharifee is not here condemned for his fafting, for faft- ing is a chriilian duty^ " when you faft," fays our Lord, thereby [ 42 ] thereby taking it for granted that his difciplcs would faft. And •' when the bridegroom (liall be taken away, then fhall they fad in thofe days." " In fading often," fays the apoftle. And all that vvoild not be caft-aways, wiil take caie, as their pri- vilet^e, without legal conftraint, to " keep their bodies under, and bring them into fubjccSlion." The Phaiifee is only con- demned for making a right( oufnefs of his failing, and think- incr that God would accept him, or that he was any better than his neighbours, merely on account of his fading : this is what he was blamed for. The Pharifee was not to be difcom- mcndcd for fading twice in a week ; I wifh fome chridians would imitate him more in this : but to depend on fading in the lead, for his judification in the fight. of God, was really abominable. " I give tithes of all that I pofiefs." He might as well have faid, I pay tithes. But felf- righteous people (whatever they may fay to the contrary) think they give fome- thing to God. " I give tithes of all that I podefs :" I make confcience of giving tithes, not only of all that the law re- quires, but of my mint, annife, and cummin, of all things whatfoever I podefs; this was well; but to boad of fuc h things, or of fading, is pbarifaical and devilifii. Now then let us fum up all the righteoufnefs of this beading Pharifee, and fee what little reafon he had to trud in himfelf, that he was righteous, or to defpife others. He is not unjud (but we have only his bare w'ord for that, I think I have proved the contrary;) he is no adulterer, no extortioner; he fads twice in the week, and gives tithes of all that he podefles ; and all this he might do, and a great deal more, and yet be a child of the devil: for here is no mention made of his loving the Lord his God with all his heart, which was the " fird and great commandment of the law ;" here is not a dngle fyilable of in- ward leligion ; and he was not a true ^ew^ who was only one outwardly. It is only an outdde piety at the bed ; inwardly he is full of pride, felf-judification, free-will and great uncha- ritablenefs. Were not the Pharifees, do you think, highly offended at this charatSler ? for they might eafily know it was fpoken againd them. And though, perhaps, fome of you may be offended at me, yet, out of love, I mud tell you, I fear this parable is fpoken againd many of you: for are there not many of [ 43 1 xf you, who go up to the temple to pray, with no better fpirit than this Pharifee did? And becaufe you faft, it may be in the Lcnt^ or every Friday^ and becaufe you do no body any harm, receive the I'acrament, pay tubes, and give an alms row and then ; you think that you arc lafe, and truft in youiTelves that you are righteous, and inwardly defpife thoie, who do not come up to you in theie outward duties? this, I am pcrfuadcd, is the cafe of many of you, though, alas I it is a defperate one, as I fiiall endeavour to (hew at the clofe of this difcourfe. Let us now take a view of the Publican, ver. 13. " And the Publican ftanding afar off, would not lift up fo much as his eyes unto heaven, but fmote upon his breaft, faying, God be mer- ciful to me a finner." '* The Publican (landing afar off:" Perhaps in the outward court of the temple, confcious to himfelf that he was not wor- thy to approach the Holy of holies; fo confcious and fo weigh- ed down with a fenfe of his own unworthinefs, that he would not fo much as lift up his eyes unto heaven, which he knew was God's throne. Poor heart! what did he feel at this time! none but returning Publicans, like himfelf, can tell. Me- thinks I fee him {landing afar oft', peniive, opprefled, and even overwhelmed with forrow; fometimes he attempts to look up; but then, thinks he, the heavens are unclean in God's fight, and the very angels are charged with folly; how then fhall fuch a wretch as I dare to lift up my guilty head ! And to (hew that his heart was full of holy felf-refentment, and that he forrowed after a godly fort, he fmote upon his breaft; the Word in the original implies, that YiQ Jlruck hard upon his breaft : he will lay the blame upon none but his own wicked heart. He will nor, like unhumbled Adam^ tacitly lay the fault of his vilenefs upon God, and lay, l^he p;iftions which thou gaveft me, they deceived me, and 1 finned : he is too penitent thus to reproach his Maker; he fmites upon his breaft, his treacherous, ungrateful, defperately wicked breaft ; a breaft now ready to burft : and at length, out of the abun- dance of his heart, I doubt not, with many tears, he at lafl: cries out, *' God be merciful to me a finner." Not, God bp merciful to yonder proud Pharifee : he found enough in him- felf to vent his refentment againft, without lookino; abroad upon others. Not, God be merciful tome a faint; for he knew [ 44 ] knew " all his righteoufnefTes were but fihhy rags.*' Not, God be merciful to fuch or fuch a one; but, God be iri'^rci- iul to me, even to mc a finncr, a finncr by birth, a Tinner in thought, word, and deed ; a Tinner as to my perlon, a Tmner as to all my performances; a Tinner in whom is no health, in whom dwcUcth no good thing; a Tmncr, poor, miferable, blind and naked, from the crown uf the head to the Tole of the feet, full of wounds, and bruifcs, and putrifying Tores ; a TclT-r accufed, felf-condemned Tinner. What think you? would this Publican have been ofFendcd if any minifter had told him that he deferved to be damned ? would he have been angry, if any one had told him, that by nature he was half a devil and half a beaft? No: he would have confefied a thoufand hells to havQ been his due, and that he wzs an earthly, devilifh Tinner. He felt now what a dreadful thin^ it was to depart from the living God: he felt that he was inexcufable every way; that he could in nowife, upon account of any thing in himTelf, bejuT-r lifted in the Ti^^ht of God ; and therefore lays himfelf at the feet of fovereign mercy, " God be merciful to me a Tinner." Here is no confidence in the flefh, no plea Tetched from faftr w^i paying tithes, or the performance of any other duty ; here isno boafting that he was not an extortioner, unjufi-, or an adulterer. Perhaps he had been guilty of all theTe crimes, at leaft he knew he would have been guilty of ail thefe, had he been left to follow the devices and deTires of his own heart ; and therefore, with a broken and contrite Tpirit, he cries out, '' God be merciful to me a Tinner." This man came up to the temple to pray, and he prayed Indeed. And a broken and contrite heart God will not de- fpiTe. " I tell you," Tays our Lord, I who lay in the boTom of the Father from all eternity ; I who am God, and there- fore know all things ; I who can neither deceive, nor be de- ceived, whofe judgment is according to right ; I tell you, whatever you may think of it, or think of me for telling you fo, " this man," this Publican, this dcTpifed, Tinful, but bro- ken-hearted man, " went down to his houf<^ ju (lifted (acquit- ted, and looked upon as righteous in the ftght of God) rather than the other." Let Pharifees take heed that they do not pervert this text: for when it is Tiid, "■ This man Vf cm down tp his houfe juT- tiftcd t 45 3 lified rath&r than the other," our Lord does not mean that both were tuftified, and that the Publican had rather more juf- tification than the Pharifee : but it implies, either that the Publican was adually juftified, but the Pharifee was not; or, that the Publican was in a better way to receive juflification, than the Pharifee; according to our Lord's faying, " The Publicans and Harlots enter into the kingdom of heaven before you." That the Pharifee was not juftified is ccrtainj for ** God refifteth the proud ;'* and that the Publican was at this time adi^ually juftified (and perhaps went home with a fenfe of it in his heart) we have great reafon to infer from the latter part of the text, " For every one that cxalteth himfelf (ball be abafed, and he that humbleth himfelf fliall be exalt- ed." The parable therefore nOw fpeaks to all who hear me this day : for that our Lord intended it for our learning, is evi- dent, from his making fuch a general application; *' For every one that exalteth himfelf ftiall be abafed, and he that humbleth himfelf fhall be exalted." The parable of the Publican and Pharifee, is but as it were a glafs, wherein we may fee the different difpofition of all mankind ; for all mankind may be divided into two general clafTes. Either they trufl wholly in themfelves, or in part, that they are righteous, and then they are Pharifees; or they have no confidence in the flefh, are felf-condemned Tinners, and then they come under the charader of the Publican juft now defcribed. And we may add alfo, that the different re- ception thefe men met with, points out to us in lively colours, the different treatment the felf-jufticiary and felf-condemned criminal will meet with at the terrible day of judgment : *' Every one that exalts himfelf (hall be abafed, but he that humbleth himfelf (hall be exalted." " Every one," without exception, young or old, hi^h or low, rich or poor (for God is no refpedcr of perfons) " every one," whofoever he be, that exalteth himfelf, and not free* grace ; every one that trufteth in himfelf that he is righteous, that refts in his duties, or thinks to join them with the righ- teoufnefs of Jesus Christ, for juftification in the fight of GcD, though he be no adulterer, no extortioner, though he be not outwardly urjuft, nay, though lie fiift twice in the week. '[ 46 ] week, and gives tithes of all that he poflefTes ; yet fliall he be abafed in the fight of ail good men who know him here, and before men and-angels, and GoD himfelf, when Jesus Christ comes to appear in judgment hereafter. How low, none but the almighty God can tell. He (hall be abafed to live with devils, and make his abode in the loweft bell for evermore. Hear this, all ye felf-jufticiaries, tremble, and behold your doom ! a dreadful doom, more dreadful than words can ex- prefs, or thought conceive! If you refufe to humble yourfelves, after hearing this parable, I call heaven and earth to witnefs againft you this day, that God ftiall vifit you with all hi$ ftorms, and pour all the vials of his wrath upon your rebelli- ous heads; you exalted yourfelves here, and God (hall abafe you hereafter ; you arc as proud as the devil, and with devils (hall you dwell to all eternity. '' Be not deceived, God is not mocked ;" he fees your hearts, he knows all things. And, notwithftanding you may come up to the temple to pray, your prayers are turned into fin, and you go down to your houfes unjuflified, if you are felf-jufticiaries; and do you know what it is to be unjuftified ? why, if you are unjuftified, the wrath of God abideth upon you ; you are in your blood ; all the curfes of the law belong to you : curfed are you when you go out, curfed are you when you come in ; curfed are your thoughts, curfed are your words, curfed are your deeds; every thing you do, fay, or think, from morning to night, is only one continued feries of hn. However highly you may be cfteemed in t!ie fight of men, however you may be honoured with the uppermoft feats in the fynagogues, in the church militant, you will have no place in the church triumphant, ** Humble yourfelves therefore under the mighty hand of God :" pull down every felf-righteous thought, and every proud imagination, that now exalteth itfelf againft the per- fe£l, perfonal, imputed righteoufnefs of the dear Lord Jesus: " For he (and he alone) that humbleth himfelf (hall be ex- alted." He that humbleth himfelf, whatever he be : if, inftead of fafting twice in the week, he has been drunk twice in the week; if, inftead of giving tithes of all that he poflefTes, he has cheated the minifter of his tithes, and the king of his taxes ; notwithftanding he be unjuft, an extortioner, an adul- terer. [ 47 ] tcrer, nay, notwithftanding the fins of all mankind center and unite in him j yet, if through grace, like the Publican, he is enabled to humble himftlf, he (hall be exalted ; not in a tem- poral manner; for chriftians muft rather expect to be abafcd, and to have their names caft out as evil, and to lay down their lives for Christ Jesus in this world : but he {hall be ex- alted in a fpiritual (enk; he fhall be freely juftified from all his fins by the blood of Jesus ; he fhall have peace with God, a peace which pafleth all underftanding ; not only peace, but joy in believing ; he fhall be tranflated from the kingdom of Satan, to the kingdom of God's dear Son : he fiiall dwell in Christ, and Christ in him : he (hall be one with Christ, and Christ one with him : he fhall drink of divine pleafures, as out of a river: he fliall be fanc^ified throughout in fpirit, foul and body 5 in one word, he fhall be filled with all the fulnefs of God. Thus (hall the man that humbleth himfelf be exalted here; but O, how high fhall he be exalte^ here- after ! as high as the higheft heavens, even to the right-hand of God : there he (hall fit, happy both in foul and body, and judge angels ; high, out of the reach of all fin and trouble, eternally fecure from all danger of falling. O finners, did you but know how highly God intends to exalt thofe who hum- ble themfelves, and bel:e/e in Jesus, furely you would hum- ble yourfelves, at lead beg of God to humble you ; for it is he that muft ftrike the rock of your hearts, and caufe floods of contrite tears to flow therefrom. O that God would give this fermon fuch a commiflion, as he once gave to the rod of Mofes ! I would ftrike you through and through with the rod of his word, until each of you was brought to cry out v^ith the poor Publican, *' God be merciful to rne a finner.'* What pleafant language would this be in the ears of the Lord of Sabbaoth ! Are there no poor finners among you ? what, arc you all Pharifees ? Surely, you cannot bear the thoughts of returning home unjuftified ; can you ? what if a fit of the apoplexy fhould feize you, and your fouls be hurried away before the av/ful Judge of quick and dead ? what will you do without Christ's righteoufnefs ? if you go out of the world unjuftified, you muft remain {o for ever. O that you would humble yourfelves I then would the Lord exalt you; it may be, that, whilft I am fpeaking. [.48 1 fpeaking, the Lord might juftify you freely by his grace. 1 obferved, that perhaps the Publican had a feiife of his jufti- fication before he went from the temple, and knew that his pardon was fealcd in heaven : and who knows but you may be thus exalted before you go home, if you humble yourfelves? what peace, love and joy, would you then feel in your hearts! you would have a heaven upon earth. O that I could hear any of you fay (as I once heard a poor firtner, under my preaching, cry out) He is come, He is cojne ! How would you then, like him, extol a precious, a free-hearted Christ! how would you magnify him for being fuch a friend to Publicans and finners ? greater love can no man (hew, than to lay down his life for a friend j but Christ laid down his life for his enemies, even for you, if you are enabled to humble your- felves, as the Publican did. Sinners, I know not how to leave ofF talking v/ith you ; I v;ould fill my mouth with arguments, 1 would plead with you. " Come, let us reafon together ;" though your fms be as fcarlet, yet, if you humble yourfelves^ they (hall be as white as fnow. One a6l of true faith in Christ, juftifies you for ever and ever ; he has not promifed you what he cannot perform ; he is able to exalt you : tor God hath exalted, and given him a name above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee (hall bow; nay, God hath exalted him to be not only a Prince, but a Saviour. May he be a Saviour to you ! and then 1 fiiall have reafon to rejoicCp- in the day of judgment, that I have net preached in vain^ not Iflboured in vain. SERMON [ 49 ] SERMON XXXV, The Converfion of Zacchcus. Luke xix. 9, 10. And Jesus faid unto him^ This day is falvation come to this houfe •, forafmuch as he alfo is the Son of Abra- ham. For the Son of man is coins to feek and to fave that which was lofii SALVATION, every v^here through the whole fcri'p- ture, is faid to be the free gift of God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Not only free, becaufe God is a fove- teign agent, and therefore may withhold it from, or confer it on, whom he pleafeth ; but free, becaufe there is nothing to be found in man, that can any way induce God to be mer- ciful unto him. The righteoufnefs of Jesus Christ is the fo)e caufe of our finding favour in God's fight : this righte- Cuf! jfs apprehended by faith (which is alfo the gift of God) makes it our own ; and this faith, if true, will work by love. Thefe are parts of thofe glad tidings which are publiftied in the gofpel ; and of the certainty of them, next to the exprefs word of God, the experience of all fuch as have been faved, is the beft, and, as I take ,it, the nrioft undoubted proof. That God might teach us every way, he has been pleafed to leave upon record many inftances of the power of his grace exerted in the falvation of feveral perfons, that we, hearing how he dealt with them, might from thence infer the manner we muft expect to be dealt with ourfelves, and learn in what way we muft iook for falvation, if we truly defire to .be made partakers of the inheritance with the founts in light. The converfion of the perfon referred to in the text, I ^hink, will be of no fmall fervice to us in this matter, if Vol. VL D rightly i3 [ 50 1 t\ing fo, I fliould reproach my Maker. The poor are dear to my foul ; I rejoice to fee them fly to the do61:rine of Christ, like the doves to their windows. I only pray, that the poor who attend, may be evangelised, and turned into the fpirit of the gofpel : if i'o, *' BleiTed are ye ; for yours is the kingdom of heaven." But we muft return to Zaccheus, ^' He fought to fee Jesus." 'That is good news. 1 heartily wifli I could fay, it was out of a good principle : but, without fpcaking contrary to that D 2 charitjr [ 52 ] charity which hopes and believeth all things for the beft, we may fay, that the fame principle drew him after Christ^ which now draws multitudes (to fpeak plainly, it may be multitudes of you) to hear a particular preacher, even curi- ofity : for we are told, that he came not to hear his dodrine, but to view his perfon, or, to ufe the words of the evangelift^ " to fee who he v/as." Our Lord's fame was now fpread abroad through all Jerufalem^ and all the country round about: ibme faid he was a good man ; others, " Nay, but he de- ceiveth the people." And therefore curiofity drew out this rich Publican Zaccheus^ to fee who this perfon was, of whom he had beard fuch various accounts. But it feems he could not conveniently get a fight of him for the prefs, and becaufe he was little of ftature. Alas ! how many are kept from fee- ing Christ in glory, by reafon of the prefs 1 I mean, how many are afliamed of being Angularly good, and therefore follov7 a multitude to do evil, becaufe they have a prefs or throng of polite acquaintance I And, for fear of being fet at nought by thofe with whom they ufed to fit at meat, they deny theLoRD of glory, and are afhamed to confefs him before men. This *bafe, this fervile feai of man, is the bane of true chriflianity ; it brings a dreadful fnare upon the foul, and is the ruin of ten thoufands ; for I am fully perfuaded, numbers are ration- ally convitSted of gofpel-truihs 5 but, not being able to brook contempt, they will not profecute their convidions, nor re- duce them to pra£lice. Happy thofe, who in this refpet^-, like Zaccheus, are refolved to overcome all impediments that lie in their way to a fight of Christ: for, finding he could not fee Christ becaufe of the prefs and the littlenefs of his na- tural flature, he did not fmite upon his bread, and depart, faying, " It is in vain to feek after a fight of him any longer, I can never attain unto it." No, finding he could not fee Christ, if he continued in the midft of, " he ran before the multitude, and climbed up into a fycamore-tree, to fee him ; fvith him: and indeed well he might; for his name was writ- ten in the book of life, he was one of thpfe whom the Father had given him from all eternity : therefore he muft abide at his houfe that day, *' For whom he did predeftinate, them he alfo called." Here then, as through a glafs, we may fee the dodlrine of free grace evidently exemplified before us. Here was no fit- jiefs in Zaccheus, He was a Publican, chief among the Pub- licans ; not only fo, but rich, and came to fee Christ only put of curiofity: but fovereign grace triumphs over all. Anc} if we do God juftice, and are effectually wrought upon, we jnuft acknowledge there was no more fitnefs in us than iri T^accheus ; and, had not Christ prevented us by his call, we had remained dead in trefpafles and fms, and alienated from ^he divine life, even as others. " Jesus looked up, and favv him, and faid unto him, Zacchues^ make hafte and come down j for this day I muft abide at thy houfe." With what different emotions of heart may we fuppofe Zaccheus received this invitation ? Think you not that he was furprifed to hear Jesus Christ call him by name, and not only fo, but invite himfelf to his houfe? Surely, thinks Zac^ chcus^ I dream : it cannot be ; how fhould he know me ? \ never faw him before : befides, I fhall undergo much con* tempt, if I receive him under my roof. Thus, I fay, we may fuppofe Zaccheus thought within himfelf. But what faith the fcripture ? *' I will make a willing people in the day of mw power." With this outward call, there went an effica- cious power from God, which fweetly over-ruled his natural Will : and therefore, verfe 6. " He made hafte, and came down, and received him joyfully j" not only into his houfe, but alfo into his heart. Thus it is the great God brings home his children. He calls them by name, by his word or providence ; he fpeaks to them alfo by his fpirit. Hereby they are enabled to open their hearts, and are made willing to receive the King of glory, for Zaaheui\ fake, let us not entirely condemn people that [ 55 1 come tinker the word, out of no better principle than curio- fity. Who knows but God may call them ? It is good to be where the Lord is pafling by. May all who are now prefent out of this principle, hear the voice of the Son of God fpcak- ing to their fouls, and fo hear that they may live ! Not that men ought therefore to take encouragement to come out of curiofity. For perhaps a thoufand more, at other times, came to fee Chri^st out of curiofity, as well as 'Zaccheus^ who were not effectually called by his gra^e. I only mention this for the ■encouragement of my own (oul, and the confo- lation of God's children, who are too apt to be angry with thofe who do not attend on the word out of love to God : but let them alone. Brethren, pray for them. How do you know but Jesu5 Christ may fpeak to their hearts ? A few words from Christ, applied by his fpirif, will fave their fouls. " Zaccheus^ fays Christ, make haile and come down. And he made hafte, and came down, and re,ceived him joy- fully.^' I have obferved, in holy foripture, how particularly it is remarked, that petfons rejoiced upon believing in Christ, Thus the converted Eunuch went on his way rejoicing; thus the Jaylor rejoiced with his whole houfe; thus Zacchois received Christ joyfully. And well may thofe rejoice who neceive Jesus Christ; for with Jiim they receive righteouf- fiefs, fandification, and eternal redemption. Many have brought up an ill report upon our good land, and would fain perfuade people that religion will make them melancholy mad. So far from it, that joy is one ingredient of the kingdom of God in the heart of a believer ; " The kingdom of God is -righteoufnefs, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghoft." To re- joice in the Lord, is a gofpel-duty. " Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I fay, rejoice.'* And who can be fo joyful, as thofe who know that their pardon Is fealed before they go hence and are no more feen ? The godly may, but I cannot fee how any ungodly men can, rejoice : they cannot be truly cheerful. What if wicked men may fomeiimes have laughter amongft them ? It is only the laughter of fools ; in the midft of it there is heavinefs : At the beft, it is but like the crack- ling of thorns under a pot; it makes a blaze, but foon goes out. Bat, as for jthe ^odly, it is not ^o with them j their joy D 4 is [ 5^ ] is folid and laftlng. As it is a joy that a ftranger intermed-» dleth not with, fo it is a joy that no man taketh from them : it is a joy in God, a " joy unfpeakable and full of glory." It fhould feem that Zaccheus was under foul-diftrefs but a little while ; perhaps (fays Guthrie^ in his book intituled, The Trial concerning a fav'ing Interefi in Chriji) not above a quar- ter of an hour. I add, perhaps not fo long : for, as one ob-f ferves, fometimes the Lord Jesus delights to deliver fpeedily. God is a fovereign agent, and works upon his children in their effectual calling, according to the counfel of his eternal will. It is with the fpiritual, as natural birth : all v/omcn have not the like pangs; all chriflians have not the like degree of convi(5tion. But all agree in this, that all have Jesus Christ formed in their hearts : and thofe who have not fo many 'trials at fxrft, may be vifited with the greater conflids hereafter ; though they never come into bondage again, after they have once received the fpirit of adoption. " We have not, (fays Paul) received the fpirit of bondage again unto fear." We know not what Zaccheus underwent before he died : however, this one thing I know, he now believed in Christ, and was juftified, or acquitted, and locked upon as righteous in God's fight, though a Publican, chief among the Publicans, not many moments before. And thus it is with all, that, like Zaccheus^ receive Jesus Christ by faith into their hearts : the very moment they find reft in him, they are freely juftified from all things from which they could not be juftified by the law of Mofes ; " for by grace are we faved, through faith, and that not of ourfelves, it is the gift of God." - Say not within yourfelves, this is a licentious Antinomian do6lrine ; for this faith, if true, will work by love, and be produdive of the fruits of holinefs. See an inftance in this convert Zaccheus: no fooner had he received Jesus Christ by faith into his heart, but he evidences it by his works; for, ver. 8. we are told, " Zaccheus ftood forth, and faid unto the Lord, Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give unto the poor ; and if I have taken any thing from any man by falfe accufation, I reftore him four-fold." Having believed on Jesus in his heart, he now makes con- feilion of him wilh his mouth to falvation. " Zaccheus flood forth ;" i 57 1 forth :" he was not afhamed, but flood forth before his bro^ ther Publicans ; for true faith cafts out all fervile, fmful fear of man ; " and faid, Behold, Lord." It is remarkable, Jiow readily people in fcripture have owned the divinity of Christ immediately upon their converfion. Thus the woman at Jacob's well ; " Is not this the Christ ?" Thus the man born blind ; " Lord, I believe j and worfliippcd him." Thus Zaccheusy *' Behold, Lord." An inconteflable proof this to me, that thofe who deny our Lord's divinity, never efFe6lu- ally felt his power : if they had, they would not fpeak fo lightly of him ; they would fcorn to deny his eternal power and Godhead. " Zaccheus flood forth, and faid. Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if \ have taken any thing from any man by falfe accufation, I re- llore him four- fold." Noble fruits of a true living faith ii> the Lord Jesus I Every word calls for our notice. Not fome fmall, not the tenth part, but the half. Of what ? My goods ; things that were valuable. My goods, his own, not •another's. I give : not, I will give when I die, when I can ieep them no longer ; but, I give now, even now. Zaccheus, .would be his own executor. For whilft we have time W9 Jhould do good. But to whom would he give half of his goods ? Not to the rich, not to thofe who were already clothed in purple and fine linen, of whom he might be re- ,Compenfed again ; but to the poor, the maimed, the halt, the blind, from which he could expe6l no recompence till the refurre(9:ion of the dead. " I give to the poor." But know- ing that he muft be juft before he could be charitable, and confcious to himfelf that in his public adminiflrations he had wronged many perfons, he adds, " And if I have taken any thing from any man by falfe accufation, I reftore him four- fold." Hear ye this, all ye that make no confcience of cheating the king of his taxes, or of buying or felling run goods. If ever God gives you true faith, you will never refl, till, like ZaccheuSy you have made reftitution to the utmofl of your power. I fuppofe, before his converfion, he thought it JIG harm to cheat thus, no more than you may do now, and pleafed himfelf frequently, to be fure, that he got rich by doing fo : but now he is grieved for it at his heart; he con- fefles his injuflice before men, and promifes to make ample reftitution. 6 [ 58 ] reftitution. Go ye cheating Publicans, learn of Tacchem ; go away and do likewife. If you do not make reftitution here, the Lord Jesus fhall make you confefs your fms before men and angels, and condemn you for it, when he comes irt the glory of his P'ather to judgment hereafter. After all this, with good reafon might our Lord fay unto him, " This day is falvation come to this houfe ; forafmuch as he alfo is the Son of Abraham ;" not fo much by a natural as by a fpiritual birth. He was made partaker of like pre- cious faith with Abraham : like Abraham he believed on the Lord, and it was accounted to him for righteoufnefs : his faith, like Abraham's^ worked by love ; and I doubt not, but he has been long fince fitting in Abraham^ harbour. And now, are you not afhamed of yourfelves, who fpoak againft the do6lrines of grace, efpecially that do6^rine of being juftified by faith alone, as though it leaded to licentioufnefs ? What can be more unjuft than fuch a charge ? Is not the inftance of Zaccheu's, a fufficient proof to the contrary ? Have I ftrained it to ferve my own turn ? God forbid. To the beft of my knowledge I have fpoken the truth in fmcerity, and the truth as it-is in Jesus. I do affirm that we are favcd by grace, and that we are juftified by faith alone : but I do alfo affirm^ that faith rouft be evidenced by good works, where there is an opportunity of performing them. What therefore has been faid of Zaccheus^ may ferve as a rule, whereby all may judge whether they have faith or not. You fay you have faith , but how do you prove it? Did you ever hear the Lord Jesus call you by name? Were you ever made to obey that call? Did you ever, like Zauheus, receive Jesus Christ joyfully into your hearts? Are you influenced by the faith you fay you have, to ftand up and confefs the Lord Jesus before men? Wer^ you ever made willing to own, and humble yourfelves for, your paft offences ? Doei your faith work by love, fo that you c(5nfcientioufly lay up, according as God has profpered you, for the fupport of the poor ? Do you give alms of all things that you poflefs ? And have you made due reftitution to thofe you have wronged ? If fo, happy are ye; falvation is come to your fouls, you arc fons, you are daughters of, you (hall (liortly be everlaftingly blefTed with, faithful Abraham, But, if you are not thus minded, do not deceive C 59 ] Receive your own fouls. Though you may talk of juftlfica- (ion by faith, like angels, it will do you no good ; it will only inereafe your damnation. You hold the truth, but it is in ynrighteoufnefs : your faith being without works, is dead : you have the devil, not Abraham ^ for your father. Unlefs you get a faith of the heart, a faith working by love, with devils ^nd damned fpirits (hall you dwell for evermore. But it is time now to enforce the latter part of the text ; f' For the Son of man is come to feek and to favethat which was loft." Theie words are fpoken by our Saviour in anfwer to fome felf- righteous Pharifees, who, inftead of rejoicing with the angels in heaven, at the converfion of fuch a finner, murmured, *' That he was gone to be a gueft with a man that was a finner." To vindicate his condu6t, he tells them, jhat this was an a(5t agreeable ta> the defign of his coming ; " For the Son of man is come to feek and to fave that which was loft." He might have faid, the Son of God. But O the wonderful ccndcfcenfion of our Redeemer f He delights to ftile himfelf the Son of man. He came not only to fave, but to feek and to fave that which was loft. He came to Je- rUho to feek and fave Zaccheus ; for otherwife Zaccheus would never have been faved by h,im. But from whence came he ? Even from heaven, his dwelling-place, to this lower earth, this vale of tears, to feek and fave that which was loft ; or fill that feel themfelves loft, and are willing, like Zaccheus^ to receive him into their hearts to fave them ; with how great a falvation ? Even from the guilt, and alfo from the power of their fms ; to make them heirs of God, and joint heirs with himfelf, and partakers of that glory which he enjoyed with the Father before the world began. Thus will the Son of man fave that which is loft. He was made the fon of man, on purpofe that he might fave them. He had no other end but this in leaving his Father's throne, in obeying the moral law, and hanging upon the crofs : all that was done and fuf- fered, merely to fatisfy, and procure a righteoufnefs for poor, loft, undone ftnners, and that too without refped of perfons. " That which was loft ;" all of every nation and language, that feel, bewail, and are truly defirous of being delivered from their loft ftate, did the Son of man come down to feek ]and to fave : for he is mighty, not only fo, but willing, to fave to [ 6o ] to die uttcrmofl: Ml that come to God through him. He will in no wife call them out : for he is the fame to-day, as he was yellerday. He comes now to Tinners, as well as formerly; and, I hope, hath fcnt me out this day to fcek, and, under him, to bring home fome of you, the loft flieep of the houfe of Ifrael. What hy you ? Shall I go home rejoicing, faying, That many like (lieep have went aftray, but they have now be- lieved on Jesus Christ, and fo returned home to the great Shepherd and Bifliop of their fouls ? If the Lord would be ptcafed thus to profper my handy-work, I care not how many Jcgalifts and fclf-righteous pharifees murmur againft me, for offering falvation to the worft of finners : for 1 know the Son of man came to fcek and to fave them ; and the Lord Jesus will now be a gucft to the worft Publican, the vilefl fmner that is amongft you, if he docs but believe on him. Make hafte then, O ilnners, make hafte, and come by faith to Christ. Then, this day, even this hour, nay, this moment, if you believe, Jesus Christ fiiall come and make his eter- nal abode in your hearts. Which of you is made willing to receive the King of glory ? Which of you obeys he call, as Zaccheus did ? Alas ! why do you ftand flill ? How know you, whether Jesus Christ may ever call you again? Come then, poor, guilty finners ; come away, poor, loft, un- done publicans : make hafte, I fay, and come away to Jesus Christ. The Lord condefcends to invite himfelf to come under the filthy roofs of the houfes of your fouls. Do not be afraid of entertaining him ; he will fill you with all peace and joy in believing. Do not be afhamed to run before the mul- titude, and to have all manner of evil fpoke againft you falfly for his fake : one fight of Christ will make amends for all. Zaccheus was laughed at ; and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus, fliall fufter perfecution. But what of that ? V.accheus is now crowned in glory ; as you alfo ftiall fhortly be, if you believe on, and arc reproached for Christ's fake. Do not, therefore, put me ofF with frivolous excufes : there's no cxcufc can he given for your not coming to Christ. You are loft, undone, without him \ and if he is not glorified in your falvation, he will be gionficd in your deftrudlion ; if he does not co-.r.s and mai^e his abode in your hearts, you muft take [ Ci ] take up an eternal abode with the devil and his angels. O that the Lord would be pleafed to pafs by fome of you at this time ! O that he may call you by his Spirit, and make you a willing people in this day of his power ! For I know my calling will not do, unlefs he, by his efficacious grace, compel you to come in. O that you once felt what it is to receive Jesus Christ into your hearts ! You would foon, like Zac-- cheus^ give him every thing. You do not love Christ, be- caufe you do not know him ; you do not come to him, becaufe you do not feel your want of him : you are whole, and not broken hearted ; you are not Tick, at leaft not fenfible of your ficknefs ; and, therefore^ no wonder you do not apply to Jesus Christ, that great, that almighty phyficiani You do not feel yourfelves loft, and therefore do not feek to be found in Christ. O that God would wound you with the fword of his Spirit, and caufe his arrows of convidion to flick deep in your hearts ! O that he would dart a ray of divine light into your fouls ! For if you do not feel yourfelves loft without Christ, you are of all men moft miferable : your fouls are dead j you are not only an image of hell, but in fome degree hell itfelf: you carry hell about with you, and you know it not. O that I could fee fome of you fen- fible of this, and hear you cry out, " Lord, break this hard heart ; Lord, deliver me from the body of this death ; draw me. Lord, makis me willing to come after thee ; I am loft; Lord, fave me, or I perifh!" Was this your cafe, how foOn would the Lord ftretch forth his almighty hand, and fay. Be of good cheer, it is I ; be not afraid ? What a wonderful calm would then poflefs your troubled fouls ! Your fellovvfhip v/ould then be with the Father and the Son : your life would be hid with Christ in God. Some of you, I hope, have experienced this, and can fay, I was loft, but I am found ; I was dead, but am alive again : the Son of man came and fought me in the day of his power, and faved my finful foul. And do you repent that you came to Christ ? Has he not been a good maftcr ? Is not his prefence fweet to your fouls? Has he not been faitliful to hh promife ? And have you not found, that even in doing and fuftering for him, there is an exceeding prefent great reward ? I am perfuadcd you will anfwer. Yes. O then, ye faints, re- commend [ 62 ] commend and talk of the love of Christ to others, and tell them, O tell them what ^reat things the Lord has done for you! This may encourage others to come unto him. And who knows but the Lord may make you fifners of men ? The ftory of Zacihcus was left on record for this purpofe. No truly convicted foul, after fuch an inftance of divine grace has been laid before him, need defpair of mercy. What if you arc Publicans ? Was not Zaccheus a Publican ? What if you are chief among the Publicans ? Was not Zaccheus like- vvife ? What if you are rich ? Was not Zaccheus rich alfo ? And yet almighty grace made him more than conqueror ovet all ihcfc hindrances. All things are pofTible to Jesus Christ; rothing is too hard for him : he is the Lord almighty. Our mountains of fms muft all fall before this great ZeruhbahcL On htm God the Father has laid the iniquities of all that fnall believe on him ; and in his own body he bare them on the tree. There, there, by faith, O mourners in ^lon^ may you fee your Saviour hanging with arms ftretched out, and hear him, as it were, thus fpeaking to your fouls ; " Behold ** how I have loved you ! Behold my hands and my feet t " Look, look into my wounded fide, and fee a heart flaming " with love : love ftrenger than death. Come into my arms,- *' O fmners, come wafli your fpotted fouls in m.y heart's *' blood. See here is a fountain opened for all fin and all *' uncleannefs ! See, O guilty fouls, how the wrath of God '* is now abiding upon you : come, hafte away, and hide '* yourfelves in the clefts of my wounds ; for I am wounded *' for your tranf^reflions ; I am dying that you may live for " evermore. Behold, as Mofes lifted up the ferpent in the ** wildernefs, fo am I here lifted up upon a tree. See how I *' am become a curfc for you : the chafli'fementof your peace ** is upon me. I am thus fcourged, thus wounded, thus cru- •* cified, that you by my ftripes may be healed. O look unto ** me, all ye trembling fmners, even to the ends of the earth \ •' Look unto me by faith, ami you fhall be faved ; for I came " thus to be obedient iven unto death, that I might fave that *' which was loft.'* And what fay you to this, O fmners ? Suppofe you fav/ the King of glory dyin-g, and thus fpeaking to you ; would you believe on him r No, you would not^^ uiJefs you believe on i: 63 ] on him now : for though he is dead, he yet fpcakcth all this in the fcripturej nay, in effect. Cays all this in the words of the text, " The Son of man is come to feck and to fave that which is loft.'* Do not therefore any longer crucify the Lord of glory. Bring thofe rebels, your fms, which will not have him to reign over them, bring them out to him : though you cannot flay them yourfelvcs, yet he will flay them for you. The power of his death and refurredlion is as great now as formerly. Make hafl:e therefore, make hafte, O ye publicans and flnners, and give the dear Lord Jesus your hearts, your whole hearts. If you refufe to hearken to this call of the Lord, remember your damnation will be juft : I am free from the blood of you all : you mufl: acquit my Mafler and me at the terrible day of judgment. O that you may know the things that belong to your everlafting peace, before they are eternally hid from your eyes ! Let all that love the Lord Jesus Christ in fmcerity fay, Amen. S E R i\^ O N t 64 ] SERMON XXXVr. The Marriage of Cana, John ii. 11. nis hegimiiu^ cf miracles did ]^^v% in Cana of Galilee^ and mar.ij eft cd forth his glory , and his difciples believed en him. I Have more than once had occafion to obferve, that the chief end St. John had in view, when he wrote his gofpel, was to prove the divinity of Jesus Christ, [that Word, who not only was from evcrlafting with God, but alfo was really God blefled for evermore] againft thofe arch-heretics Ehion and Coriuthiis^ whofe pernicious principles too many follow in thefe laft days. For this purpofe, you may take notice, that he is more particular than any other Evangelift^ in relating our Lord's divine difcourfes, as alfo the glorious miracles which he wrought, not by a power derived from ano- ther, like Mofes^ and other prophets, but from a power inhe- rent in himfclf. The words of the text have a reference to a notable miracle vhich CnrasT performed, and thereby gave proof of his eternal power and Godhead. " This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilecy and manifefted forth his glory j and his difciplcs believed on him." 'Jlic miracle here fpoken of, is that of our Lord's turning water into wine at a marriage feaft. I defign, at prefent, by God's help, to make fome obfervations on the circumftances and certainty of the miracle, and then conclude with fome praflical inftrudtions j that you, by hearing how Jesus Christ has fhewed forlh his glory, may, by the operation of God's Spirit upon yoi:r hearts, with the difciplcs mentioned in the uxt, be brought Co believe on him> Firfli [ 65 ] FirJ]^ then, I would make fome obfervations on the miracJe iilclL Vcrfe I and 2. " And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee ; and the mother oF Jesus was there. And both Jesus was called, and his difciples, to the marriap-c." By our Lord's being at a fcaft we may learn, that feaftincr upon folemn occafions is not abfolutely unlawful : but then we muft be exceeding careful at fuch feafons, that the occa- fion be folemn, and that we go not for the fake of eatinn- and drinking, but to edify one another in love, Feafling in any other manner, I tlwnk abfolutely unlawful for the followers of Jesus Christ : becaufe if we eat and drink out of an/ other view, it cannot be to the glory of God. The Son of man, we know, " came eating and drinking." If a pharifee afked him to come to his houfe, our Lord went, and fat Hown with him. But then we find his difcourfe was always fuch as tended to the ufe of edifying. We may then, no iloubt, go and do likewife. We may obferve farther, that if our Lord was prefent at a marriage feaft, then, to deny marriage to any order of men, is certainly a " doctrine of devils." '' Marriage (fays the Apoilie) is honourable in all." Our Lord graced a marriape feafl with his firft public miracle. It was an inftitution of tjOD himfelf, even in paradife : and therefore, no doubt, lawful for all chriftians, even for thofe who are made pcrfetSi in. holinefs through the faith of Jesus Christ. But then, we may learn the reafon why we have fo many unhappy mar- riages in the world ; it is becaufe the parties concerned do not call Jesus Christ by prayer, nor afk the advice of his true difciples when they are about to marry : No ; Christ and religion are the laft things that arc coniulted : and no wonder then if matches of the devil's making (as all fuch are, which' are contracted only on account of outward beauty, or for iilthy lucre's fake) prove mod miferable, and grievous to be borne. I cannot but dwell a little on this particular, becaufe I ^rtl perfuaded the devil cannot lay a greater fnare for young chriftians, than to tempt them unequally to yoke themlelves with unbelievers : as are all who are not born again of GcD. This was the fnare wherein the fons of God were entangled "^oi.. VL E before 53 [ 66 ] before the flood, and one great caufe why God brought that flood upon the world. For what fays Mofes, Gen, vi. 2, 3. *' The Tens of God (the pofterity of pious Seih) faw the dau'^htcMs of men, (or the poiterity of wicked Cain) that they were fair, (not that they were pious) and they took them wives of all which they chofe :" not which God chofe for them. What follows ? " And the Lord faid. My fpiric fliall not always ftrivc with man, for that he alfo is flefh ;" that is, even the few righteous fouls being now grown carnal by tlicir ungodly marriage?, the whole world was altogether become abominable, and had made themfelves veflels of wrath fitted for deftrudlion. I might inftance farther, the care the ancient patriarchs took to chufe wives for their children out of their o\Ni-\ religious families ; and it was one great mark of Efaus rebellion againft his father, that he took unto himfelf wives of the daughters of the Canaanhes^ who were flrangers to the covenant of promife made unto his fathers. But I for- bear. Time will not permit me to enlarge here. Let it fufHce to advife all, whenever they enter into a marriage ftate, to imitate the people of Cana in Gal'ike^ to call Christ to the marriage : He certainty will hear and chufe for you ; and you will always find his choice to be the befl. He then will direct ydu co fuch yoke- fellows as fhall be helps meet for you in the great work of your falvatlon, and then he will alfo enable you to ferve him without dif^radion, and caufe you to walk, as Zad\iry and Elizabeth ^ in all his commandments and ordinances blamelefs. But to proceed. Who thefe perfons v/cre that called our Lord and his difciples to the marriage, is not certain. Some (becaufe it is faid, that the mother of Jesus was there) have fuppofed that they were related to the Virgin, and that there- fore our Lord and his difciples were invited on her account. However that be, it (liould feem they were not very rich, [iot whit had rich folks to do with a def|-;ifed Jesus of Nazarelb^ and his mean followers ?) becaufe we find they were unfur- nifhed with a fufficient quantity of wine for a large company, and iherefore, '< when they v/anted wine, the mother of Jesus," having, as it fliould feem by her applying to him fo readily on this occafion, even in his private life, fecn fome inftunccs of his. miraculous power, '« faith unto him, They have ' have no wine,'* She thought it fufHcient only to inform him of the wants of the hoft, knowing that he was as ready to give as flie to a(k. In this light the blefTed Virgin's requeft appears to us at the tirft view ; but if we examine our Lord's anfwer, we fhall have reafon to think there was fomething which was not right; for Jesus faith unto her, ver. 4. " Woman, what have I to do with thee?" Obferve, he calls her woman, not mother; to fhew her, that though fhe was his mother, as he was man, yet flie was his creature, as he was God. " What have I to do with thee ?" Think you that I mufl work miracles at your bidding ? Some have thought that {he fpoke as though (he had an authority over him, which was a proud motion, and our Lord therefore checks her for it. And if Jesus Christ would not turn a little water into wine, whilft he was here on earth, at her command, how idolatrous is that church, and how juftly do we feparate from her, v;hich prefcribes forms, wherein the Virgin is defired to command her Son to have compallion on us I But notwithftanding the holy Virgin v/as blartieable in this refpecSl, yet Ihe hath herein fet^ rich and poor an example which it is your duty to follow. You that are rich, and live in cieled houfes, learn of her to go into the cottages of the poor ; your Lord was not above it, and why fhould you ? And when you do vifit them, like the virgin-mother, examine their wants ; and when you fee they have no wine, and are ready to perifli with hunger, (hut not up your bowels of com- paffion, but blefs the Lord for putting it in your power to adminifter to their ncceflities. Believe me, fuch vifits would do you good. You would learn then to be thankful that God has given you bread enough, and to fpare. And I am perfuaded, every mite that you beftow on feeding the hungry and cloathing the naked difciples of Jesus Christ, will afford you more fatisfa6tion at the hour of death, and in the day of judgment, than all the thoufands Squandered away in balls and aflemblies, and fuch-like entertainments. You that are poor in this world's goods, and thereby are difabled from helping, yet you may learn from the Virgin, to pray for one another. She could not turn the water into wine, but fhe could entreat her fon to do it : and fo may you ; and E 2 doubt [ 68 ] doubt not of the Lord's hearing you ; for God has chof^ri the poor in this world, rich in faith : and by your fervent prayers, you may draw down many a blcfling on your poor fellow- creatures. O that I may ever be remembered by you before the throne of our dear Lord Jesus ! But what (hall we fav ? Will our Lord entirely difregard this motion of his mother ? No; though he check her with, '^ Woman, what have I to do with thee?" yet he intimates that he would do as flie defircd by-and-by : " Mine hour is not yet come." As though he had faid. The wine is almoft, but not quite out ; when they are come to an extremity, and fenfible of the want of my afliflance, then will I fliew forth my glory, that they may behold it, and believe on me. Thus, Sirs, hath our Lord been frequently pleafed to deal with me, and, I doubt not, with many of you alfo. Often, often when I have found his prefence as it were hidden from my foul, and his comforts well nigh gone, I have went unto him complaining that I had no vifit and token of his love, as ufual. Sometimes he has feemed to turn a deaf ear to my requefl-, and as it were faid, " W^hat have I to do with thee ?" which has made me go forrowing all the day long ; (o foolifli was I, and faithlefs before him : for I have always found he loved me notwithftanding, as he did Lazarus, though he ftayed two days after he heard he was fick. But when m^ hour of extremity has been come, and my will broken, then hath he lifted up the light of his blefied countenance afrefti ; he has flicvved forth his glory, and made me afhamed for dif- believing him, who often hath turned my water into wine. Be not then difcouraged, if the Lord does not immediately fccm to regard the voice of your prayer, when you cry unto him. The holy Virgin we find was not ; no, fhe was con- vinced his time was the bcft time, and therefore, verfc 5. ** faith unto the fcrvants, (O that we could follow her ad- vice!) vvhatfoever he faith unto you, do it." And now, behold the hour is come, when the eternal Son of God will fliew forth his glory. The circumftance of the miracle is very remarkable ; ver. 6. " And there were fet fix water-pots of water, after the manner of the purifying of the Jms^ containing two or three firkins a-piece." The manner of this purifying wc have an account of in the other 3 Evangeiifts, C 69 ] Evangelids, efpecially St. Mark^ who informs us, that the pharifees, and all the Jews^ except they wafh their hands oft, eat not ; and when they come from the market, except they waih they eat not. This was a fuperltitious cuftom ; but, however, we may learn from it, whenever we come in from converfing with thofe that are v\ithout, to purify our hearts by felf-examination and prayer ; for it is hard to go through the world, and to be kept unfpotted from it. Obferve further, verfe 7. " Jesus faith unto them," not to his own difciples, but unto the fervants of the houfe, who were flrangers to the holy Jesus, and whom the virgin had before charged to do whalfoever he faid unto them ; " Fill the water-pots with water. And they filled them to the brim. And he fiiith unto them, draw out now, and b^ar to the go- vernor of the feaft. And they bear it." How our Lord turned the water into wine we are not told. What have Vv'e to do v^ith that? Why (liould we defire to be wife above what is written ? It is fumcicnt for the manifedation of his glorious godhead, that we are aflured he did do it. For we are told, vq[-^q 9, 10. ^' When the ruler of the fcaft had tafted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was (but the fervants that drew the water knew) the gover- nor of the fea(l called the bridegroom, and faith unto him, every man at the beginning doth fet forth good wine, and when they have well drunk, that which is worfej but thoi4 haft kept the good wine until now." To explain this pafiage, you muft obferve, it was the cuf- fiom of the Jews^ nay even of the heathens themfelves, (to the {hame of our chriftian baptized heathens be it fpoken) at their public feafts to chufe a governor, who was to overfeeand regulate the behaviour of the guefts, and to take care that all things were carried on with decency and order. To this pcr- fon then did the fervants bear the wine ; and we may judge how rich it was by his commendation of it, *' Every man at the beginning, &c." Judge ye then, whether Jesus did not fiiew forth his glory, and whether you have not good reafon, like the difciples here mentioned, to believe on him ? Thus, my brethren, I have endeavoured to make fome ob- fervations on the miracle iifelf. But alas ! this is only the outward court thereof, the veil is yet before our eyes j tuni E 3 that [ 70 ] that afide, nn.l we Oiall fee fuch myfleries under it, as will make our hearts to dance for joy, and fill our mouths with praife for evermore ! But here I cannot help remarking what a fad inference one of our mafters of //'KW, in a printed fermon, has lately drawn from this commendation of the bridegroom. His words arc ihcfe. " Our blefled Saviour came eating and drinking, was prefent at weddings, and ether entertainments, (though I hear of his being only at one ;) nay, at one of them (which I fuppofe is that of which I am now difcourfmg) worked a miracle to make wine, when it is plain there had been more drank than was abfolutely neceflary for the fupport of nature, and confequently fomething had been indulged to pleafure and chearfulncfs."* I am forry fuch words fhould come from the mouth and pen of a dignified clergyman of the Church o^ England. Alas ! how is (he fallen ! or at leafl, in what danger mud her tot- tering ark be, when fuch unhallowed hands are ftretched out to fupport it ! Well may I bear patiently to be ftiled a blaf- phemcr, and a fetter forth of flrange doctrines, when my dear Lord Jesus is thus traduced ; and when thofe who pretend to preach in his name, urge this example to patronize licen- tioufncfs and excefs. It is true (as I obferved at the begin- ning of this difcourfe) our blefled Saviour did come eating and drinking-, he was prefent at a wedding, and other entertain- ments ; nay,- at one of them worked a mjracle to make wine, (you fee I have been making fome obfervations on it) but then it is not plain there had been more wine drank than was ab- folutely neceflary for the fupport of nature ; much lefs does it appear, that fomething had been indulged to pleafure and charfijlnefs. The governor does indeed fay, " When men have well drunken," but it no where appears that they were the men* Is it to be fuppofed, that the moft holy and unfpotted Lamb of God, who was manifcfted to deftroy the works of the de- vil, and who, when at a Pharifee's houfe, took notice of even the gefturcs of thofe with whom he fat at meat; is it to be fuppofed, that our^ dear R.edeemcr, whofe condant pracftice it was to tell people they muft deny themfelves, and take up •* See Dr. Trop^ Armon againft being righteous over-tnucb, p. 17. their [ 71 ] their crofles dally ; who bid his difciples to take heed, left at any time their hearts might be over-charged with furfeiting and drunkennefs y can it be fappofed, that fuch a felf- denying Jesus fhould now turn fix large water-pots of water into the richeil: wine, to encourage excefs and drunkennefs in pcrfons, who, according to this writer, had indulged to pleafure and chearfulnefs already ? Had our Lord fat by, and feen them indulge, without telling them of it, v/ould it not be a fin? But to infmuate he not only did this, but alfo turned water into wine, to increafe that indulgence ; this is making Christ a minifter of fin indeed. What is this, but ufing him like the Pharifces of old, who called him a glutton, and a wine»-bibber ? Alas ! how may we expert our dear Lord's enemies will treat him, when he is thus wounded in the houfe of his feem- ing friends ? Sirs, if you follow fuch do6lrine as this, you will not be righteous, but I am perfuaded you will be wicked ovcr-?nuch. But God forbid you fhould think our Lord behaved (o much unlike himfelf in this matter. No, he had nobler ends in view, when he wrought this miracle. One, the evangelift mentions ^ the words of the text, " to fhew forth his glory,'* or to give a proof of his eternal power and godhead. Here feems to be an a'lufion to the appearance of God in the tabernacle, which this fame evangel ift takes notice of in his firft chapter, where he fays, " The Word (Jesus Christ) was made flefh, and dwelt (or, as it is rendered in the margin, tabernacled) amongft us." Our dear Lord, though very God of very God, and alfo mod perfedl and glorious in himfelf as man, was pleafed to throw a veil of flefh over this his great glory, when he came to make his foul an offering for fin. And that the world might know and believe in him as the Saviour of all men, he performed many miracles, and this in particular; for thus fpeaks the cvangclifl", " This firfl," he This then was the chief defign of our Lord's turning the water into wine. But tliC.e are more which our Lord may be fu!\Dofed to have had in view, fome of v/hich I fliall proceed to mention. Secondly^ he might do this to reward the heft for calling him and his difciples to the marriage. Jesus Christ will E 4 not [ 72 1 not be behind -hand with thofe who receive him or his follow- ers, for Ins name's fake. Thofe who thus honour him, he will honour. A cup of cold water given in the name of a dil'ciple, fhall in np wife lofc its reward. He will turn water into wine. Though thofe who abound in alms-deeds, out of a true faith in, and love for Jesus, may feem as it were to throw their bread upon the waters, yet they fhall find it again after many days. For they who give to the poor out of this principle, lend unto the Lord ; and look, whatfoever they lay out, it (hall be repaid them again. Even in this life, God otan orders good meafure prefixed down and running over, to be returned into his fervants bofoms. It is the fame in fpirituals. To him that hath, and improves what he hath, for the fake of Christ and his difciples, fliall be given, and he fliull have abundance. Brethren, I would not boaft ; bur, to my mafter's honour and free grace be it fpoken, 1 can prove this to be true by happy experience. V/hen I have con- fidcred that I am a child, and cannot fpeak, and have fecn fo many of you come out into the wildernefs to be fed, I have ofren faid wichin myfclf, what can I do with my little {lock of grace and knowledge among fo great a multitude? Bur, at my Lord's command, I have given you to eat of fuch fpi- ritual food as I had, and before I have done fpcaking, have had my foul richly fed with the bread which comcth down from heaven. Thus (hall it be done to all fuch who are willing to fpcnd and be fpent for Christ or his dilciples^ for there is no rrfpccl of perfons with God. 7hirdly^ Our Lord's turning the water, v.'hich was poured out fo plentifully, into wine, is a fign of the plentiful pour- ing out of his Spirit into the hearts ot believers. The holy Spirit is in fcripture compared unto wmc ; and therefore the prophet calls us to buy wine as well as milk, that is, the. fpirit of Jove, which fills and gladdens the foul as it were with j)ew wine, The apoftle alludes to this, when he bids the Ephcf:ans *' not to be drunk with wine, wherein is excefs, but be filled with the Spirit." And our Lor.d Oiews us thus much by chufing wine ; to (hew forth the flrength and re- frcfhment of his blood, in the blefibd facrament. 1 know thefe terms are unintelligible to natural men, they can no more underHand me, than if I fpake to them in an unknown tongue, for they are only to be fpiritually difcerncd. To you F 71 1 you then that are fplritual do I fpealc, to you who arejufti- Jied by faith, and feel the blefled Spirit of Jesus Chris r working upon your hearts, you can judge of wliat I lay • you have aheady (I ani pcrfuaded) been as it were filled with new wine by the infpiration of his Holy Spirit. But alas ! you have not yet had half your portion; thefe are only earntfts, and in comparifon but Ihadows of good things to come ; our Lord keeps his beft wine for you till the laft ; and thouglx you have drank deep of it already, yet he irttencis to give you more : He will not leave you, 'till he has filled you to the brim, 'till you are ready to cry out, Lord, ftay thine hand, thy poor creatures can hold no more I Be not ftraitened in your own bowels, flnce Jesus Christ is not ftraitened in his, Open your hearts as wide as ever you will, the Spirit of the Lord fhall fill them. Christ deals with true believers, as Eli/a/j did with the poor woman, whofcoil increafed, to pay her hufband's debts J as long as (he brought pitchers, the oil continued. It did not ceafe till (he ce'afed bringing veilels to contain it. My brethren, our hearts are like thofe pitchers ; open them freely by faith, and the oil of God's free gift, the oil of gladnefs, the love of God through Christ, fliali be continually pouring in ; for believers are to be filled with all the fulnefs of God. Fourthly^ Our Lord's turning water into wine, and keep- ing the beft until laft, may fhew forth the glory of the latter days of his marrkige feaft with his church. Great thini^s God has done already, whereat millions of faints have rejoiced, and do yet rejoice. Great things God is doing now, but yet, my brethren, we (hall fee greater things than thefe. It is meet, right, and our bounden duty, to give thanks unto Gob, even the Father ; for many righteous men have defired to fee the things which we fee, and have not ktn them ; and to hear the things which we hear, and have not heard them. But ftill there are more excellent things behind. Glorious things are fpoken of thefe times, "when the earth fhall be filled with the knowledo-e of the Lord, as the waters cover the fea." There is a general expecSlation among the people of God, when the partition-wall between ynv and Gentile fnall be broken down, and all Ifracl be favcd. Happy thofe who live when God does this. They (liall fee Satan^ like light- ning, fall from heaven. They (iiall not weep, as the Jews did at the building of the fccor.d temple. No, they fhall re- joice [ 74 ] joicc with exceeding great joy. For all the former glory of the chriCfian church flmll be nothing in comparifon of that glory which fliall excel. Then (hall they cry out with the governor of the fcait, " thou haft ku'pt thy good wine until now !" Fifthly, and laftly, This fliews us the happinefs of that blcflcd (late, when we (hdl ail fit together at the marriage fupper of the Lamb, and drink of the new wine in his eternal and glorious kingdom 1 The rewards which Jesus Christ confers on his faithful fervants, and the comforts of his love wherewith he comforts them, whilfl: pilgrims here on earth, are often fo exceeding great, that was it not promifed, it were almoft prefumption for them to hope for any reward hereafter. But, my brethren, all the manifeftations of God that we can poffibly be favoured with here, when compared with the glory that is to be revealed in us, are no more than a drop of water when compared with an unbounded ocean. Though Christ frequently fills his faints even to the brim, yet their cor- ruptible bodies weigh down their fouls, and caufe them to cry, ** Who (hall deliver us from thefe bodies of death ?'* Thefe earthly tabernacles can hold no more : But, blefTed be God, thefe earthly tabernacles are to be difiblved ; this cor- ruptible is to put on incorruption ; this mortal is to put on immortality : and when God fhall caufe all his glory to pafs before us, then fhall we cry out. Lord, thou haft kept thy good wine until now. We have drank deeply of thy fpirit ; we have heard glorious things fpoken of this thy city, O God I but we now find, that not the haK, not the thoufandth part hath been told us. O the invifible realities of the world of faith I P2ye hath not feen, ear hath not heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of the greateft faint to conceive hov/ Christ will ftiew forth his glory there I St. Paul, who was carried up into the third heavens, could give us little or no account of it. And well he might not — -for he heard and faw fuch things as is not pofiible for a man cloathed with flefh and blood to utter. Whilft I am thinking, and only fpeaking of thofe things unto you, I am almoft carried beyond myfelf. Methinks, I now receive fome little foretaftes of that nev/ wine which I hope to drink with you in the heavenly king- dom for ever and ever. And t 75 ] And v»?hereforc do you think I have been faying thefc things ? Many, perhaps, may be ready to fay, To manifcft thy own vain-::lory. But it is a fmall matter with me to be judged of man's judgment. He that judgeth me is the Lord. He knows that I have fpoken of his miracle, only for the fame end for which he at firft performed it, and which I at firft pro- pofed, that is, " to fhew forth his glory," that you alfo may be brought to believe on him. Did 1 come to preach myfelf, and not Christ Jesus my Lord, I would come to you, not in this plainnefs of fpeech, but with the enticing words of man's wifdom. Did I defire to pieafe natural men, I need not preach here in the wilder- nefs. I hope my heart aims at nothing elfe, than what our Lord's great fore-runner aimed at, and which ought to be the bufinefs of every gofpel minifler, that is, to point out to you the God-man Christ Jesus. " Behold then (by faith behold) the Lamb of God, who taketh away the fins of the world." Look unto him, and be faved. You have heard how he manifeftcd, and will yet maniiefi: his glory to true be- lievers ; and why then, O fmners, will you not believe in him ? I fay, O fmners, for now I have fpoken to the faints, I have many things to fay to you. And may God give you all an hearing ear, and an obedient heart ! The Lord Jesus who {hewed forth his glory above 1700 years ago, has made a marriage feaft, and offers to efpoufe all fmners to himfelf, and to make them fi^fti of his flefli, and ^)one of his bone. He is willing to be united to you by one fpirit. In every age, at fundry times, and after divers man- ners, he hath fent forth his fervants, and they had bidden many, but yet, my brethren, there is room. The Lord therefore now has given a commifTion in thefe laft days to others of his fervants, even to compel poor finners by the cords of love to come in. For our mafter's houfe mulf and ihall be filled. He will not (lied his precious blood in vain. Come then, come to the marriage. Let this be the day of your efpoufals with Jesus Christ, he is v/illing to receive you, thourrh other lords have had dominion over you. Come then to the marriage. Behold the oxen and fatlings are killed, and all things are ready ; let me hear you fay^ as Rebecca did, when they afked her, whether flic would go and 5 b^ [ 76 ] he a wife to Ifa.^c ; O let me hear you fay, we will come, l.ideed you will not repent it. The Lord (hall turn your water into wine. He fliall fill your fouls with marrow and fatncfs, and caufe you to praife him with joyful lips. Do not lay, you are miferable, and poor, and blind, and naked, and therefore afhamed to come, for it is to fuch that this invitation is now fent. The polite, the rich, the bufy, felf-ri'^hteous Pharifees of this generation have been bidden already, but they have rejc61:ed the counfel of God againft thcu^felves. They are too deeply engaged in going, one to his country houfe, another to his merchandize. They are fo deeply wedded to the pomps and vanities of this wicked world, that thjy, as it were with one confent, have made excufe. And though they have been often called in their own fynagogues, yet all the return they make, is to thruft us out, and thereby in eltect fay, they will noi come. But God forbid, my bre- thren, that you ihould learn of them ; no, llnce our Lord condefccnds to call firfl-, (becaufe if left to yourfelves you would never call after him) let me befeech you to anfwer him, as he anfwered for you, when called upon by infinite offended juftice to die for your fins, *' Lo ! 1 come to do thy will, O God !" What if you are miferable, and poor, and blind, and naked, that is no excufe ; faith is the only wedding garment which CHRis;r requires ; he does not call you becaufe you already are, but becaufe he intends to make you faints. It pitiss him to fee you naked. He wants to cover you with his rightcoufnefs. In fhort, he defires to fhew forth his glory, that is, his free love through your faith in him. Not but that he will be glorified, v/hether you believe in him or not ; for the infinitely free love of Jesus Christ will be ever the fame, whether you believe it, and fo receive it, or the con- trary. But our Lord will not always fend out his fervants in vain, to call you ; the time will come when he will fay. None of thofe which were bidden, and would not come, fhall tafte of my fupper. Our Lord is a God of juftice, as well as of love ; and if finners will not take hold of his golden fceptrc, verily he will bruife them with his iron rod. It is for your fakes, O finners, and not his own, that he thus condefcends to invite you : fufil-r him then to fhew forth his glory, even the glory of the exceeding riches of his free grace, by believ- ing r 11 i ing on him, " For we are faved by grace through faith." It was grace, free grac^, that moved the f^uher fo to love the world, as to " give his only begotten Son, that whofo- ever believeth in him (liould not perilh, but have evcfilafting; life!" It v;'as grace, that made the Son to come down and die. It was grace, free grace, that moved the Holy G'noft to undertake to fan^tify the eledl people of God : and it was grace, free grace, that moved our Lord Je^us Christ to lend forth his miniiters to call poor finncrs this day. Let me not then, my brethren, go without my errand. Why Will you not believe in him ? Will the devil do fuch great and good things for you as Christ will ? No indeed, he will not. Perhaps, he may give you to drink at firfi: of a little brutifh pleafure ; but what will he give you to drink at lall ? a cup of fury and of trembling i a never-dying worm, a felf-con- demning confcience, and the bitter pains of eternal death. But as for the fervants of Jesus Christ, it is not fo with them. No, he keeps his befl wine till the laft. And thouf^h he may caufe you to drink of the brook in the way to heaven, and ofthecupof afflidion, yet he fweetens it with a fenfe of his goodnefs, and makes it pleafant drink, fuch as their fouls do love. I appeal to the experience of any faint here prefent, (as I doubt not but there are many fuch in this field) whether Christ has not proved faithful, ever fince you have been efpoufed to him ? Has he not fiiewed forth his '^loiy, ever fmce you have believed on him ? And now, fmners, what have you to object ? I fee you are all filent, and well you may. For if you will not be drawn by the cords of infinite and everlafting love, what will draw you ? I could urge many terrors of the Lord to per- fuade you ; but if the love of Jesus Christ will not con- ftrain you, your cafe is defperate. Remember then this day 1 have invited all, even the worft of finners, to be married to the Lord Jesus. If you perifh, remember you do not pcrifli for lack of invitation. You yourfelves (hall (tand forth at the laft day, and I here give you a fummons to meet me at the judgment feat of Christ, and to clear both my mafter and me. Would weeping, would tears prevail on you, I could vvifh my head were waters, and my eyes fountains of tears, that I miffht weep out every argument, and melt you into love. [ 78 ] Jove. Would an}' thing I could do or fuffer, influence your hearts. I think I could bear to pluck out my eyes, or even to hv down my life for your fakes. Or was I fure to prevail on v<;u bv importunity, I could continue my difcourfe till midnight, I would wr^ftie with you even till the morning watch, as Jacob did with the angel, and would not go away till I had overcome. But fuch power belongeth only unto the Lord, I can only invite ; it is He only can work in you both to will and to do after his good pleafure ; it is his pro- perty to take away the heart of ftone, and give you a heart of flcfh ; it is his fpirit that muft convince you of unbelief, snd of the everlafling righteoufnefs of his dear Son ; it is He alone mud: give faith to apply his righteoufnefs to your hearts; it is He alone can give you a wedding garment, and bring you to fit down and drink new wine in his kingdom. As to fpirituals we are quite dead, and have no more power to turn to God of ourfelves, than Lazarus had to raife himfelf^ after he had lain flinking in the grave four days. If thou canft go, O man, and breathe upon all the dry bones that lye in the graves, and bid them live ; if thou canft take thy mantle and divide yonder river, as Elijah did the river Jordan ; then will we believe thou haft a power to turn to God of thy- felf: But as thou muft defpalr of the one, fo thou muft de- fpair of the other, without Christ's quickening grace; in him is thy only help ; fly to him then by faith ; fay unto him, as the poor leper did, " Lord, if thou wnlt," thou canft make me v^'illino- ; and he will ftretch forth the ricrht- hand of his power to aflift and relieve you : He will fwectly guide you by his wifdom on earth, and afterwards take you Lp to partake of his glory in heaven. To his mercy therefore, and Almighty prote£!ion, do I ear- neftly, humbly, andmoft afi'c^iionately commit you : the Lord blcfs you and keep you ; the Lord lii't up the light of his blcffed countenance upon ycu, and give you all peace and joy in believing, now and for evermore 1 SERMON [ 79 ] SERMON XXXVII. The Duty of fearching the Scriptures. John v. ^g. Search the Scriptures, WHEN the Sadducees came to our blelTed Lord, and put to him the queftion, " whofe wife that woman fhould be in the next life, who had feven hufbands in this," he told them " they erred, not knowing the fcriptures." And if we would know whence all the errors, that have over-fpread the church of Christ, firft afofe, we fhould find that, in a great meafure, they flowed from the fame fountain, ignorance of the word of God. Our blefled Lord, though he was the eternal God, yet as man, he made the fcriptures his conftant rule and guide. And therefore, when he was afked by the lawyer, which was the great commandment of the law, he referred him to his Bible for an anfwer, " What readeft thou?" And thus, when led by the Spirit to be tempted by the devil, he repelled all his afTaults, with " it is written." A fufEcient confutation this, of their opinion, who fay, *' the Spirit only, and not the Spirit by the Word, is to be our rule of adion." If fo, our Saviour, who had the Spirit without meafure, needed not always have referred to the written word. But how fev/ copy after the example of Christ ? How many are there who do not regard the word of God at all, bot throw the facred oracles afide, as an antiquated book, fit only for illiterate men ? Such do greatly err, not knowing v/hat the fcriptures are, or for what they are defigned. I (hall. [ So ] I ftiall, therefore, Firji^ Shew, that it is every one's duty to fcarch them. And, Secondly^ Lay down fome direcSlions for you, to fearch them with advantage. I. I am to {hew, that it is every perfon's duty to fearch the Scripturts. By the Scriptures, I undcrftand the law and the prophets, and thofe hoi)ks which have in all ages been accounted cano- nical^ ?.:id which make up that volume commmonly called the Bible. Thclt arc emphatically fliled the Scriptures^ and, in one pbce, the '' Scriptures of Truth," as though no other books deibrvcd the name of true writings or fcripture in comparifon of them. They are not of any private interpretation, authority, or invention, but holy men of old wrote them, as they were moved by the Holy Ghoft. The foundation of God's revealing himfelf thus to man- kind, was our fall in Adam, and the neceiTity of our new birth in Christ Jesus. And if we fearch the fcriptures as we ought, we (hall find the fum and fubftance^ the Jlpha and Omega^ the beginning and end of them, is to lead us to a knowledge of thefe two great truths. All the threats, promifes and precepts, all the exhortations and dc6lrines contained therein, all the rites, ceremonies and facriiices appointed under the 'JewiJJi law; nay, almofl all the hiftoricai parts of holy fcripture, fuppofe our being fallen in Adam, and either point ont to us a Mediator to come, or fpeak of him as already come in the flefn. Had man continued in a ftate of innocence, he would not have needed an outward revelation, becaufe-the law of God' wai fo deeply written in the tables of his heart. But having eaten the forbidden fruit, he incurred the difpleafure of GoDy and loft ihc divine Image, and, therefore, without an exter- fial revelation, could never tell how God would be reconciled unto him, or how he {hould be faved from rhe mifery and darkncfs of his fallen nature, Thaf f 8, 3 That thefe truths are Co, I need not refer you to any other book, than your own hearts. For unlefs we are fallen creatures, whence thofe abominable corruptions which daily arife in our hearts ? We could not come thus corrupt out of the hands of our Maker, bccaufe he being goodnefs itfelf could make nothing but what is like himfelf, holy, juft, and good. And that we want to be deli- vered from thefe diforders of our nature, is evident, becaufe we find an unwillingncfs within ourfclves to own we are thus depraved, and are always ftriving to appear to others of 4 quite different frame and temper of mind than what we are. I appeal to the experience of the moft learned difputer againft divine revelation, whether he does not find ih himfelf^ that he is naturally proud, angry, revengeful, and full of* other pafTions contrary to the purity, holinefs, and long-fuf- fering of God. And is not this a demonftration that fome way or other he is fallen from God ? And I appeal alfo^ whether at the fame time that he finds thefe hurtful lufts in his heart, he does not firive to feem amiable, courteous, kind and affable; and is not this a manifeft proof, that he is fen- fible he is mlferable, and \Aants, he knows not how, to be re- deemed or delivered from it? Here then, God by his word fleps in, and opens to his view fuch a fcene of divine lov^^, and infinite goodnefs in the holy fcriptures, that none but men, of fuch corrupt and re- probate minds as cur modern deifls, would fiiut their eyes againft it. What docs God in his written word do more or lefs, than fhcw ihcc, O man, how thou art fallen into that blindnefs, darkncfs, and mifcty, of v.hich thou feeleft and complaineft? And, at the fame time, he points out the way to what thou defircft, even how thou mayeft be redeemed out of it by be- lieving in, and copyiiig after the Son of his love. As I told you before, fo I tell you again, upon thefe twor truths reft all divine revelation. It being given us for no other end, but to {hew us our njifery^ and our hnppinefs ; our fall and recovery ; or, in one word, after what manner we died in Jdam, and how in Christ we may iigain be made alive. Vol. VI. F Hence 53 [ 82 ] Hence then aiifes the neceflity of fearching the fcriptures r tor Iwice they are nothing elfe but the grand charter of our falvation, the revehition of a covenant made by God with men in Christ, and a light to guide us into the way of peace ; it follows, that all are obliged to read and fearch them, bccaufe all are equally fallen from God, all equally {land in need of being informed how they mud be reftored to> and again united with him. How fooliflily then do the difput'ng infidels of this gene- ration a£>, who are continually either calling for figns from' heaven, or feeking for outward evidence to prove the truth of divine revelation ? Whereas, what they fo earneftly feek for is nif^h unto, nav, within them. For let them but confulE their own hearts, they cann^ot but feel what they want. Let them but confult the lively oracles of God, and they cannot but fee a remedy revealed for all their wants, and that the written word does as exa6lly anfwer the wants and defires of their hearts, as face anfwers to face in the water. Where then is the fcribe, where is the wife, where is the folidity of the rcafoning of the difputers of this world ? Has not Goix tcvealed himfelf unto them, as plain as their own hearts could vvifli ? And yet they require a fign : but there fhall no other fign be given them. For if they believe not a revelation which is every way fo fuited to their wants, neither will they be perfuadtd though one fhould rife from. the dead. But this difcourfe is not defigned fo much for them that believe not, as for them, who both know and believe that the fcriptures contain a revelation which came from. God, and that it is their duty, as being chief parties concerned, not only to read but fearch them alio. I pafs on, therefore, in the Scccnd place, to lay down fome dire£lions, how you maj fearch them with advantajre. FirJ}^ Have always in view, the end for which the fcrip- tures were written, even to fhew us the way of falvation, by Jesus Christ. '' Search the fcriptures," fays our blefled Lord, *' for they are they that teftify of me." Look, therefore, always for Christ in ihe fcripture. He is the treafurc hid in the field, both [ 83 ] both of the Old and New Teftament. In the Old, you will find him under prophefies, types, facrifices, and fhadows ; in the New, manifefted in the flefli, to become a propitiation for our fins as a Prieft, and as a Prophet to reveal the whole will of his heavenly Father. HaveCnitisT, then, always In view when you are readino- the word of God, and this, like the ftar in the eaft, will guide you to the MefTiah, will ferve as a key to every thing that is obfcure, and unlock to you the wifdom and riches of all the myfteries of the kingdom of God. Secondly^ Search the fcriptures with an humble child-like difpofition.' For whofoever does not read them with this temper, fhall in no wife enter into the knowledge of the things contained in them. For God hides the fenfe of them, from thofe that are wife and prudent in their own eyes, and reveals them only to babes in Christ : who think they know nothing yet as they ought to know ; who hunger and thirft after righteoufnefs, and humbly defire to be fed with the fmcere milk of the word, that they may grow thereby. Fancy yourfelves, therefore, when you are fearching the fcriptures, efpecially when you are reading the New I'efta- ment, to be with Mary fitting at the feet of the holy Jesus ; and be as willing to learn what God fhall teach you, as Sa^ muel was, when he faid, " Speak, Lord, for thy fervant heareth." Oh that the unbelievers would pull down every high thought and imagination that exalts itfelf againft the revealed will of God ! O that they would, like new-born babes, defire to be fed with the pure milk of the word ! then we fliould have them no longer fcoffing at Divine Revelation, nor would they read the Bible any m.ore with the fame intent the PhiUjUnes brought out Sampforij to make fport at it ; but they would fee the divine image and fuperfcription written upon every line. They would hear God fpeaking unto their fouls by it, and, confequently, be built up in the knowledge and fear of him, who is the Author thereof. Thirdly^ Search the fcriptures, with a fincere intention to put in practice what you read. F 2 A de- A defire to do the will of God is the only way to know it 5 if any man v/ill do my will, fays Jesus Christ, " He fliall know of my doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I fpcak of myfelf." As he alfo fpeaks in another place to his difciples, " To you, (who are willing to pra61:ife your duty) it is given to know th€ myfteries of the kingdom of God, but to thofe that are without, (who only want to raifc'cavils afi-ainft my doctrine) all thefe things are fpoken in parables, that feeino- they may fee and not undeifland, and hearing they may hear and not perceive." For it is but juft in God to fend thofe ftrong delufions, that they may believe a lie, and to conceal the knowledge of himfelf from all fuch as do not feek him with a fingle in- tention. Jesus Christ is the fame now^ as formerly, to thofe who defire to know from his word, who he is that they may be- lieve on, and live by ; and to him he will reveal himfelf as clearly as he did to the woman of Samaria^ when he faid, *' I that fpeak to thee am he," or as h© did to the man that was born blind, whom the Jews had caft out for his name's fake, " He that talketh with thee, is he." But to thofe who con- fult his word with a defire neither to know him, nor keep his commandments, but either merely for their entertainment, or to fcofF at the fimplicity of the manner in which he is re- vealed, to thofe, I fay, he never will reveal himfelf, though they fliould fearch the fcriptures to all eternity. As he never would tell thofe whether he was the Mrjftah or not, who put that queftion to him either out of curiofity, or that they might have whereof to accufe him. Fourthly^ In order to fearch the fcriptures ftill more effec- tually, make an application of every thing you read feo your own hearts. For whatever was written in the book of God, was written for our learning. And what Christ faid unto thofe afore- time, we muft look upon as fpoken to us alfo : for fince the holy fcriptures arc nothing but a revelation from God, how fallen man is to be reftored by Jesus Christ : all the pre- cepts, threats, and promifes, belong to us and to our chil- dren, as well as to thofe, to whom they were immediately made known. I Thus [ 85 ] Thus the Apoftlc, when he tells us that he lived by the faith of the Son of Gop, adds, " who died and gave himfelf for me." It is this application of Jesus Christ to our hearts, that makes his redemption cfFedual to each of us. And it is this application of all the doctrinal and hiflorical parts of fcripture, when we are reading them over, that muft render them profitable to us, as they were defigned for reproof, for corredlion, for inftrudion in righteoufnefs, and to make every child of God perfedl, thoroughly furnifticd to every good work, I dare appeal to the experience of every fpiritual reader of holy writ, whether or not, if he confulted the word of Gon in this manner, he was not at all times and at ail feafons aa plainly direded how to a£t, as though he had confulted thq Urim and Thummim, which was upon the high-prieft's breaft. For this is the way God now reveals himfelf to man ; not by making new revelations, but by applying general things that are revealed already to every fincere reader's heart. And this, by the way, anfwers an objedion made by thofe who fay, '^ The word of Gop is not a perfed rule of adion, ^' becaufe it cannot dired us how to ad or how to determine ** in particular cafes, or what place ^o go to, when we are in ^' doubt, and therefore, the Spirit, and not th^ word, is to " be our rule of adion.'* But this I deny, and affirm on the contrary, that God at all times, circumftances, and places, though never fo minute, never fo particular, will, if we diligently feek the afTiftance of his Holy Spirit, apply general things to our hearts, and thereby, to ufe the words of the holy Jesus, will lead us into all truth, and give us the particular afliftance we want : But this leads me to a Fifth diredion how to fearch the fcriptures with profit : La- bour to attain that Spirit by which they were written. For the natural man difcerneth not the words of the Spirit of God, becaufe they are fpiritually difcerned j the words that Christ hath fpoken, they are fpirit, and they are life, and can be no more underftood as to the true fenfe and meaning of them, by the mere natural man, than a perfon who never had learned a language can underfland another fpeaking in it. The fcriptures, therefore, have not unfitly been compared, by F 3 fome. [ 86 ] fome, to the cloud which went before the Ifraeliies^ they are dark' and hard to be underftood by the natural man, as the cU)ud appeared dark to the Egyptians ; but they are light, they are life to chriftians indeed, as that fame cloud which feemed dark to Pharaoh and his houfe, appeared bright and altogether glorious to the Ifrael of God. It was the want of the afliftancc of this Spirit, that made Nicodemus, a teacher of Ifrael, and a ruler of the Jews, fo ut- terly ignorant in the do6bine of regeneration : for being only a natural man, he could not tell how that thing could be ; it was the want of this Spirit that made our Saviour's difciples, though he To frequently converfed with them, daily miftake the nature of the dodrines he delivered ; and it is becaufe the natural veil is not taken off from their hearts, that fo many who now pretend to fearch the fcriptures, yet fee no farther than into the bare letter of them, and continue entire Grangers to the fpiritual meaning couched under every parable, and contained in almoft all the precepts of the book of God. Indeed, how fliould it be othcrwife, for God being a fpirit, he cannot communicate himfelf any otherwife than in a fpi- ritual manner to the hearts of men ; and confequently if we are flran^^ers to his Spirit, we muft continue flrangers to his word, becaufe it is altogether like himfelf, fpiritual. Labour, therefore, carneftly for to attain this blelTed Spirit ; otherwife, your underftandings will never be opened to underftand the fcriptures aright : and remember, prayer is one of the moH immediate means to get this Holy Spirit. Therefore, Sixthly, Let me advife you, before you read the fcriptures, to pray, that Christ, according to his promife, would fend his Spirit to guide you into all truth ; interfperfe fhort ejacula- tions whilft you are engaged in reading ; pray over qw^v^ word and vcrfe, if poffible j and when you clofe up the "book, molt carneftly befeech God, that the words which you have read, may be inwardly engrafted into your hearts, and bring forth in you the fruits of a good life. Do this, and you will, with a holy violence, draw down God's Holy Spirit into your hearts j you will experience his gracious influence, and feel him enlightening, quickening, and inflaming your fouls by the word of God ; you will thcri ppt only read^ but mark^ learn, and inwardly digeft what you read : f 87 ] read : and the word of God will be meat indeed, and drink indeed unto your fouls ; you then will be as Jpollos was, powerful in the fciiptures ; be fcribes ready inftruded to the kingdom of God, and bring out of the good treafures of your heart, things both from the Old and New Teftament, to en- tertain all you converfe with. One Direaion more, which (liall be the lad, Seventhly, Read the fcripture conftantly, or, to ufe our Saviour's expreffion ia the text, " fearch the fcriptures j" dig in them as for hid treafurej for here is a manifeft allufion to thofe who dio- in mines ; and our Saviour would thereby teach up, that we muft take as much pains in conftantly reading his word, if we would grow wife thereby, as thofe who dig for gold and filver. The fcriptures contain the deep things of God, and there- fore, can never be fufHciently fearched into by a carelefs, fu- perficial, curfory way of reading them, but by an induftrious, clofe, and humble application. The Pfalmift makes it the chara£^erlftic of a good man, that he " meditates on God's law day and night." And " this book of the law, (fays God to Jojhua) (hall not go out of thy mouth, but thou flialt meditate therein day and night ;" for then thou {halt make thy way profperous, and thou flialt have good fucccfs. Search, therefore, the fcriptures, not only devoutly but daily, for in them are the words of eter- nal life ; wait conftantly at wifdom's gate, and (lie will then, and not till then, difplay and lay open to you her heavenly treafures. You that are rich, are without excufe if you do not \ and you that are poor, ought to take heed and improve that little time you have : for by the fcriptures you are to be acquitted, and by the fcriptures you are to be condemned at the laft day« But perhaps you have no tafte for this defpifcd book ; per- haps plays, romances, and books of polite entertainment, fuit your jtafte better : if this be your cafe, give me leave to tell you, your tafte is vitiated, and u:ilefs correiled by the Spirit and word of God, you ftiall never enter into his heavenly kingdom : for unlefs you delight in God here, hov»/ will you be made meet to dwell with him hereafter. Is it a fm then, you will fay, to read ufelefs impertinent books ; I anfwer. Yes : And that for the fame reafon, as it is a fm to indulge ulelcfs F 4. con- [ 88 1 converfation, becaufe both immediately tend to grieve and quench that Sj)irit, by which alone we can be fealed to the day of redemption. You may reply, How fl^all we know this? Why, put in practice the precept in the text -, fearch the fcripturc in the manner that has been recommended, and then you will be convinced of the danger, rmfulnefs, and un- fatisfad^orinefs of reading any others than the book of God, or fuch as are wrote in the fame ({mh. You will then fay, when I was a child, and ignorant of the excellency of the word of God, I read what the world calls harmlefs books, as other children in knowledge, thou^'^h old in years, have done, and ftill do ; but now I have tafted the good word of life, and am come to a more perfed knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, I put away thefe childifli, trifling things, and am de- termined to read no other books but what lead me to a know- ledge of myfelf and of Christ Jesus. Search, therefore, the fcriptures, my dear brethren ; tafte and fee how good the word of God is, and then you will never leave that heavenly manna, that angel's food, to feed on dry hulks, that light bread, thofe trifling, fmful compofitions, in which men of falTe tafte delight themfelvcs : no, you will then difdain fuch poor entertainment, and blufh that yourfelves once were fond of it. The word of God will then be fweeter to you than honey, and the honey-comb, and dearer than gold and filver ; your fouls by reading it, will be filled as it were, with marrow and fatnefs, and your hearts infenfibly moulded into the fpirit of its blcfled Author. In fhort, you will be guided by God's wifJom here, and conducted by the light of his divii^e WQrd into glory hereafter. SERMON [ 89 3 SERMON xxxvirr. The Indwelling of the Spirit, the common Privilege of all Believers. John vii. 2>1^ 3^, Z<^^ In the lafi day, that great day of the feaft, Jesus flood a7id cried, f^yif^g-> V ^i^y man thirft, let him come unto me and drtnk. He that believe th on me, as the fcrip- tiire hath f aid, cut of his belly fJiall flow rivers of living water. But this fpake he of the Spirit^ which they that believe on him fliould receive. NOTHING has rendered the crofs of Christ of lefs efFe£l; nothing has been a greater ftumbling-block and rock of offence to weak minds, than a fuppofition, now current among us, that mofl; of what is contained in the gofpel of Jesus Christ, was deftgned only for our Lord's firft and immediate followers, and confequently calculated but for one or two hundred years. Accordingly, many now read the life, fufferings, death, and refurredion of Jesus Christ, in the fame manner as Cafars Commentaries, or the Conquejls of Alex- ander are read : as things rather intended to afford matter for fpeculation, than to be aded over again in and by us. As this is true of the doctrines of the gofpel in general, fo it is of the operation of God's Spirit upon the hearts of be- lievers in particular ; for we no fooner mention the neceiTity of our receiving the Holy Ghoft in thefe laft days, as well as formerly, but we are looked upon by fome, as enthufiafts and madmen ; and by others, rcprefented as wilfully deceiving the people, and undermining the eilablifhed conftitutioa of the church. Judge [ 90 ] Judge ye then, whether it is not high time for the true mi- niltcrs of Jesus Christ, who have been made partakers of this heavenly gift, to lift up their voices like a trumpet ; and if they would not have thofe fouls perifli, for which the Lord Jesus has flied his precious blood, to declare, with all bold- ncfs, that the Holy Spirit is the common privilege and portion of all believers in all ages ; and that we as well as the firfl chriftians, muft receive the Holy Ghoft, before we can be truly called the children of God. For this reafon, (and alfo that I might anfwer the defign of our church in appointing the prefcnt feftival *) I have chofen the words of the text. They were fpoken by Jesus Christ, when he was at the feaft of tabernacles. Our Lord atiendcd on the temple-fer- vice in freneral, and the feftivals of the Jewijlo church in par- ticular. The fcftival at which he was now prefent, was that of the feaft of tabernacles, which the Jews obferved according to God's appointment in commemoration of their living in tents. At the laft day of this feaft, it was cuftomary for many pious people to fetch water from a certain place, and brincj- it on their heads, ftnging this anthem out of Ifaiahy " And with joy fliall they draw water out of the wells of falvation." Our Lord obferving this, and it being his con- ftant prndice to fpiritualize every thing he met with, cries cut, " If any man thirft, let him come unto me, (rather than unto that well) and drink. He that believeth on me, as the fcripture hath fpoken, (where it is faid, God will make water to fpring out of a dry rock, and fuch-like) out of his belly (hall flow rivers of living water." And that we might know what our Saviour meant by this living water, the Evan- gclift immediately adds, " But this fpake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him fliould receive.'* The laft words 1 fliall chiefly inflft on in the enfuing dif- courfe : And F'lrjl^ I (hall briefly (hew, what is meant by the word Spirit, Secondly,, That this Spirit is the common privilege of all believers. ♦ Whitfuntide. \ Thirdly^ [ 91 ] Thirdly^ I fiiall fliev/ the reafon on which this dovflrlne is founded. And Loftly^ Conclude with a general exhortation to' believe on Jesus Christ, whereby alone we can receive this Spirit. F'lrji^ I am to fhew, what is meant by the word Spirit, By the Spirit, is evidently to be underftood the Holy Ghofl, the third perfon in the cver-blefTed 7>inity, confubftantial and co-eternnl with the Father and the Son, proceeding from, yet equal to them both. For, to ufe the words of our Church in this day*s office, that which we believe of the glory of the Fa- ther, the fame we believe of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft, without any difference or inequality. Thus, fays St. John^ in his firft epiille, chap. v. ver. 7. ^' There are three that bare record in heaven, the Faiher, the Word, and the Holy Ghoft, and thefe three are one." And our Lord, when he gave his Apoftles commiflion to go and teach all nations, commanded them to baptize in the name of the Holy Ghoft, as well as of the Father and the Son. And St. Petcr^ Aas v. 3. faid to Ananias^ '« Why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghoft ?" And ver. 4. he fays, " Thou haft not lied unto men, but unto God." From all which paftages, it is plain, that the Holy Ghoft, is truly and properly God, as well as the Father and the Son. This is an unfpeakable myftery, but a myftery of God's revealing, and, therefore, to be affented to with our whole hearts : feeing God is not a man that he ftiould lie, nor the fon of man that he fliould deceive. I proceed. Secondly^ To prove that the Holy Ghoft is the common privilege of all believers. Bur, here I would not be underftood of fo receivino- the Holy Ghoft, as to enable us to work, miracles, or fliew out- ward figns and wonders. I allow our adverfaries, that to pre- tend to be infpired, in this fenfe, is being wife above what is written. Perhaps it cannot be proved, that God ever inter- pofed in this extraordinary manner, but when fome new reve- lation v/as to bp eftabliflied, as at the firft fettling of the 5 Mofaic [ 92 ] ALfdk and gofpel difpenfation : and as for my own part, I cannot but iufpea the fpirit of thofe who infift upon a repe- tition of fuch miracles at this time. For the world being now become nominally chriftian, (though, God knows, little of the povvtir is left among us) there need not outward miracles, but only an inward co-operation of the Holy Spirit with the word, to prove that Jesus is the Melliah which was to come into the world. BeiiJes, if it was poflible for thee, O man, to have faith, fo 9S to be able to remove nwuntains, or caft out devils ; nay, couldfl thou fpeak with the tongue of men and angels, yea, and bid the fun ftand ftill in the midft of heaven ; what would all thefe gifts of the Spirit avail thee, without being made partaker of his ran6lifying graces ? Saul had the fpirit of go- vernment for a while, fo as to become another man, and yet probably was a caft-away. And many, who caft out devils in Christ's name, at the laft will be difowned by him. If, therefore, thou hadft only the gifts, and was deftitute of the graces of the Holy Ghoft, they would only ferve lo lead thee with fo much the more folemnity to hell. Here then we join ifTue with our adverfaries, and will readily grant, that we are not in this fenfe to be infpired, as were our Lord's firft Apoftles, But unlefs men have eyes which fee not, and ears that hear not, how can they read the latter part of the text, and not confefs that the Holy Spirit, iii another fenfe, is the common privilege of all believers, even to the end of the world ? " This fpake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him {hould receive." Obferve, he does not fay, they that believe on him for one or two ages, but they that believe on him in general, or, at all times, and in all places. So that, unlefs we can prove, that St. John was under a delufion when he wrote thefe words, we muft beHeve that even we alfo, (hall receive the Holy Ghoft, if we believ}e on the Lord Jesus with our whole hearts. Again, our Lord, juft before his bitter paflion, when he was about to ofFer up his foul an offering for the fins of the eledl world ; when his heart was mod enlarged, and he would undoubtedly demand the moft excellent gift for his difciples, prays, " That they all may be one, as thou. Father, art in me, and I in thee ; that they aho may be one in us, I in [ 93 ] them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfe^ in one;" that isi that all his true followers might be united to him by his holy Spirit, by as real, vital, and myftical an union, as there was between Jesus Christ and the Father. I fay all his true followers 'f for it is evident, from our Lord's own words, that he had us, and all believers, in view, when he put up this prayer j " Neither pray 1 for thefe alone, but for them alfo which (hall believe on me through their word ;" fo that, unlefs we treat our Lord as the high priefts did, and count him a blafphemer, we muft confefs, that all who believe in Jesus Christ, through the word, or miniftration of his fer- vants, are to be joined to Jesus Christ, by being made par- takers of the Holy Spirit. A great noife hath been made of late, about the word en- ihufiajl^ and it has been caft upon the preachers of the gofpel, as a term of reproach ; but every chriftian, in the proper fenfe of the word, muft be an enthufiaft ; that is, muft be infpired of God, or have Gcd, by his Spirit, in him. St. Peter tells us, " we have many great and precious promlfes, that we may be made partakers of the divine nature ;" our Lord prays, *' that we may be one, as the Father and he are one;" and our own church, in conformity to thefe texts of Scripture, in her excellent communion-office, tells us, that thofe who re- ceive the facrament worthily, " dwell in Christ, and Christ in them ; that they are one with Christ, and Christ with them." And yet, chriftians muft have their names caft out as evil, and minifters in particular, muft be looked upon as de- ceivers of the people, for affirming, that we muft be really united to God, by receiving the Holy Ghoft. Be aftoniftied, heavens, at this ! Indeed, I will not fay, all our letter-learned preachers deny this doctrine in exprefs words; but however^ they do in efFe6t; for they talk profefledly againft inward feelings, and fay, we may have God's Spirit without feeling it, which is in reality to deny the thing itfelf. And had I a mind to hinder the pro- grefs of the gofpel, and to eftablifh the kingdom of darknefs, 1 would go about, telling people, they might have the Spirit of God, and yet not feel it. But to return: When our Lord was about to afcend to hw Father and our Father, to his God and our God, he gave his [ 94 ] his apodles this commiiTion, " Go and teach all nations, bap- tizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft." And accordingly, by authority of this com- mifTion, we do teach and baptize in this, and every age of the church. And though we tranflate the words, " baptizing them in the name\' yet, as the name of God, in the Lord's prayer, and feveral other places, fignifies his nature, they might as well be tranflated thus, " baptizing them into the nature of the Father, into the nature of the Son, and into the nature of the Holy Ghoft." Confequently, if we are all to be baptized into the nature of the Holy Ghoft, before our baptifm be effec- tual to falvation, it is evident, that we all muft a61:ually receive the Holy Ghoft, and ere we can fay, we truly believe in Jesus Christ. For no one can fay, that Jesus is my Lord, but be that has thus received the Holy Ghoft. Numbers of other texts might be quoted to make this doc- trine, if poflible, ftill more plain; but I am aftonifhed, that any who call themfelves members ; m.uch more, that many, who are preachers in the church of England^ fhould dare fo much as to open their lips againft it. And yet, with grief I fpeak it, God is my Judge, perfons of the eftablifhed church {eem more generally to be ignorant of it, than any diftenters whatfoever. But, my dear brethren, what have you been doing ? how often have your hearts given your lips the lye? how often have you offered to God the facrifice of fools, and had your prayers turned into fm, if you approve of, and ufe our church-liturgy, and yet deny the Holy Spirit to be the portion of all believers? In the daily abfolution, the minifter exhorts the people to pray, that " God would grant them repentance, and his Holy Spi-^ rit;" in the Collect for Chrijlmas- day^ we befeech God, " that he would daily renew us by his Holy Spirit;" in the laft week's Colledi, we prayed that " we may evermore rejoice in the comforts of the Holy Glioft;" and in the concluding prayer, which we put up every day, we pray, not only that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, but that ** the fellowHiip of the Holy Ghoft" may be with us all evermore. But farther, a folcmn feafon, to fome, is nov/ approaching; I mean the Ember- dap ^ at the end of which, all that are to be C 95 ] be ordained to the office of a deacon, are in the fight of God, and in the prefence of the congregation, to declare, that '' they truft they are inwardly moved by the Holy Ghoft, to take upon them that adminiftration ;" and to thofe, who arc to be ordained priefts, the biftiop is to ^repeat thefe folemn words, " Receive thou the Holy Ghoft, now committed unto thee, by the impofition of our hands." And yet, O that I had no reafon to fpeak it, many that ufe our forms, and many who have witnefTed this good confcffion, yet dare to both talk and preach againft the neceffity of receiving the Holy Ghoft now ; and not only fo, but cry out againft thofe, who do infift upon it, as madmen, enthufiafts, fchifmatics, and underminers of the eftablifhed conftitution. But you are the fchifmatics, you are the bane of the church of England^ who are always crying out, '^ the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord ;" and yet fiarve the people out of our communion, by feeding them only with the dry hufks of dead morality, and not bringing out to them the fatted calf; I mean, the doctrines of the operations of the bleiTed Spirit of God. But here is the misfortune ; many of us are not led by, and therefore no wonder that we cannot talk feel- ingly of, the Holy Ghoft; we fubfcribe to our articles, and make them ferve for a key to get into church-preferment, and then preach contrary to thofe very articles to which we have fubfcribed. Far be it from me, to charge all the clergy with this hateful hypocrify; no, blefted be God, there are fome left among us, who dare maintain the do6^rincs of the Refor- mation, and preach the truth as it is in Jesus: But I fpeak the truth in Christ, I lye rot ; the generality of the clergy are fallen from our articl : , and do not fpeak agreeable to them, or to the form of found words delivered in the Scrip- tures ; wo be unto fuch blind leaders of the blind I how can you efcape the damnation of hell ? It is not all your learning (falfely fo called) it is not all your preferments can keep you- from the juft judgment of God. Yet a little while, and we fiiall all appear before the tribunal of Christ ; there, there will I meet you; there Jesus Christ, the great Shepherd and Biftiop of fouls, ftiall determine who are the falle pro- phets, who are the wolves in ftieep*s cloathing. Thofe who 5 fay. [ 96 ] fav, that we mufl: now receive and feel the Holy Ghoft, of thole who exclaim againft it, as the do£trine of devils. But I can no more; it is an unpleafing tafk to ceDfure any order of men, cfpecially thofe who are in the miniftry ; nor would any thing excufe it but ncceflity : that necefHty which extorted from our Lord himfejf fo many woes againft the Scribts and Pharifees, the Icttcr-lcarned rulers and teachers of the ^cwljl church ; and furely, if I could bear to fee people peri(h for lack of knowledge, and yet be filcnt towards thofe who keep from them the key of true knowledge, the very ftones would cry out. Would we reftore the church to its primitive dignity, the only way is to live and preach the dodfrine of Christ, ami the articles to which we have fubfcribed ; then we (liall find the number of dilTenters will daily dccreafe, and the church of England become the joy of the whole earth. I am, in the Third place, to fliew the reafonablenefs of this do61rine. I fay, the reafonablenef. of this do£lrine ; for however it may feem foolifhnefs to the natural man, yet to thofe, who have tafled of the good word of lif?, and have felt the power of the world to come^ it will appear to be founded on the highefl reafon ; and is capable, to thofe who have eyes to fee^ even of a demonftration ; I fay of demonftration : for it (lands on this felf-evident truth, that we are fallen creatures, or, to ufe the fcripture-cxpreiTion^ "• have all died in Adamr I know indeed, it is now no uncommon thing amongft us, to deny the dodrine of original fin, as well as the divinity of Jesus Christ; but it is incumbent on thofe who deny itj hrft to difprove the authority of the holy Scriptures; if thou canfl: prove, thou unbeliever, that the book, which we call The Bible, does not contain the lively oracles of God; if thou canft (liew, that holy men of old, did not write this book, as they were inwardly moved by the Holy Ghclf, tiicn will we give up the doctrine of original fin ; but unlefs thou canft do this, we mufl: infift upon it, that we are all conceived and born in fin ; if for no other, yet for this one reafon, becaufe that CiOD, who cannot lye, has told us fo. But what has light to do with daiknefs, or polite infidels with the Bible ? Alas ! as they are ftrangcrs to the power, fo they th(ty are gehdrally a^ grc^t ftrahgers to the word of God. And therelbre, if we will preach to them, we mufl preach td and from the heart: for talking in the language of fcripturc, to them, is but like talking in an unknown tongue. Tell me then, O man, whofoever thou art, that denied the do6lrine of original fni, if thy confcience hfe not feared as with a hot iron ! tell me, if thou doft not find thyfelf, by nature, to be a motly mixture of brute and devil ? I know thefe terms will ftir up the whole Pharifee in thy heart; but let not Satan hurry thee hence 5 flop a little, and let us reafon together 3 doft thou not find, that by nature thou art prone to pride ? otherwife, wherefore art thou now offended ? Again, doft not thou find in thyfelf the "feeds of malice, revenge, and all un- charitablenefs? and what are thefe but the very tempers of the devil ? Againj do we not all by nature follow, and fufFer our- felves to be led by our natural appetites, always looking down- wards, never looking upwards to that God, in whom we live^ move, and have our being ? and what is this but the very na- ture of the beaffs that perifh? Out of thy owri heart, therefore^ will I oblige thee to confefs, what an infpired apoftle has long fince told us, that " the whole world (by nature) lies in the wicked one ;" we are no better than thofe whom St. Jude calls " brute beafts ;" for v;e have tempers in us all by nature, that prove to a demonfttation, that we are earthly^ fenfual, dc- \ilifh. And this \Vill fefve as another argument, to prove the reality of the operations of the blefled Spirit on the hearts of believers, againft thofe falfe profefTors, who deny there is any fuch thing as influences of the Holy S-pirit, that may be felt. For if they will grant that the devil wotketh, and fo as to be felt ih the hearts of the children of difobedience (which they muft grant, unlefs they will give an apoftle the lye) where is the wonder that the good Spirit fhould have the fame power over thofe whal are truly obedient to the faith of Jesus Christ ? If i and you; and he that preaches any other doctrine, howfoever dignified and diftinguiflied, Ihall bear his punifhrnent, who- foever he be. From this plain reafon then appears the ncceflity why we, as well as the firft apoftlef, in this fenfc, mull receive the Spirit of God. For C 99 ] For the great work of fandification, or making us holy, ic jparticularly referred to the Holy Ghoft ; therefore, our Lord fays, " Unlefs a man be born of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." Jesus Christ came down to fave us, not only from the guilt, but alfo from the power of fin : and however often we have repeated our creed, and told God we believe in the Holy Ghoft, yet, if we have not believed in him, fo as to be really united to Jesus Christ by him, we have no more concord with Jesus Christ than i5t'//W himfelf. And now, my brethren, what fhall I fay more? tell me, are not many of you offended at what has been faid already ? do not fume of you think, though I mean well, yet I have carried the point a little too far ? are not others ready to cry out, if this be true, who then can be faved? is not this driving peopU into defpair ? Yes, I ingenuoufly confefs it is j but into what dcfpair ? a defpair of mercy through Christ ? no, God forbid j but a defpair of living with GoD without receiving the Holy Ghoft. And I would to GoD, that not only all you that hear me this day, but that the whole world was filled with this defpair. Believe me, I have been doing no more than you allow your bodily phyficians to do every day : if you have a wound, and are in earneft about a cure, you bid the furgeon probe it to the very bottom ; and ftiall not the phyfician of youi' fouls be allowed the fame freedom? What have I been doing but fearch- ing your natural wounds, that I might convince you of your danger, and put you upon applying to Jesus Christ for a remedy ? Indeed I have dealt with you as gently as I could ; and now 1 have wounded, I will attempt to heal you. For I was in the Lajl place, to exhort you all to come to Jesus Christ by faith, whereby you, even you alfo, fliall receive the Ho'y Ghoft. ' " For this fpake he of the Spirit, which they that lelieve on him ftiould receive.'* This, this is what I long to come to. Hitherto I have been preaching only the law; but behold I bring you gla^d tidings of great joy. If I have wounded you, be not afraid ; behold, I now bring a remedy for all your wounds. Notvvithftanding y©u are funk into the nature of the beaft and devil, yet, if you ' G 2 truly [ 100 ] truly believe on Jesus Christ, you {hall receive the quicken- ino- Spirit piomit'cd in the text, and be reftored to the glorious liberties of the Tons of God ; I fay, if you believe on Jesus Christ. " For by faith we are faved ; it is not of works, left any one {hould boaft." And, hou'ever fome men may fay, there is a fitnefs requiied in the creature, and that we muft have a righreoufncfs of our own, before we can lay hold on the righteoufnefs of Christ ; yet, if we believe the fcripture, falvation is the free gift of God, in Christ Jesus our Lord; and whofoever believeth on hini with his whgcred, and ye gave me meat, I was thirfty, and ye gave me drink, naked, and ye cloathed me. Tick and in piifon, and ye came unto me." What reafon have we then to be '* ftcdfaft and unmoveable, always abounding in the W' ik of the Lord, forafmuch as we are afTured, that our labours will not be in vain or forgotten by the Lord ?" It was that A4ary that anointed the Lord with ointment, and v/ipsd his feet with her hair. And what follows? " Whofe brother Lazarus was fick." So that being related to Cptrist, cr his difciples, will not exempt perfons from fickneis. Li this life, time and chance happen to all, only with this ma- terial difrVrence, thofe afRidions which harden the obfli- naiely impenitent, foften and purify the heart of a true believer. *' My fon, therefore defpife not the chaftening of the Lord (on one hand), nor faint when thou art re- buked of him (on the other) : for whom the Lord lovcth he chafteneth, and fcourgeth every fon whom he receiveth.'* Jesus loved Lazarus^ and yet Lazarus was fick. And what do his fifters do for him now he is fick? No doubt they applied to a phyfician, for it is tempting God to neglei^ making ufe of means for the recovery of our health, when it is impaired. But then they v;ere not guilty of y^'s crime, " who fought to the phyficians, but not to the Lord." No; they knew the moft fl:ilful prefcriptions would be of no efFecSl", unlefs attended with a blefling from Jesus the Great and Al- mighty Phyfician ; and therefore his fillers fent unto him, probably at the beginning of their brother's illnefs. How un- like is their condud, to that of the generality of people, efpecially [ io6 ] cfpecially the rich and great! Flow unfafii ion able is it now-a- days for perfons to Tend to Jesus in behalf of their lick rela-i- lions ! It is io very uncultoniary, that in fome places, if a minifter be fent for to a fick perfon, it is a fad fymptom that the patient is almoft paft hopes of recovery. Thus did not Martha and her Tifter Mary ; they fent unto Jesus, though he was now beyond Jordan^ (chap. x. 40.) where he abode, or thicfly refided, for fome time. Hence it was that they knew where to fend to him. But what kind of mefiage did they fend ? A very humble and fuitable one. " Lord, Behold, he whom thou loveft is fick." They might have faid, Lord, he who loveth thee is fick. But they knew, that our love was not worth mentioning, and that we love Jesus only becaufe he firft loved us. Befides, here is no piefcribing to our Lord what he fliould do, or what means he (hould make ufe of. They do not fo much as fay. We pray thee to come, or only Ipeak the word, and our fick brother Ihall be redored. They fimply tell Jesus the cafe, knowing it was fufficient barely to ]ay it before an infinitely compalTionate Redeemer, and leave it to him to a£t according to his own fovereign ^ood-will and pleafure. *' Lord, Behold he whom thou loveft is fick." Oh how fweet is it when the foul is brought to this ! And with what a holy confidence may we pray to, and intercede with the holy Jesus, when we have reafon to hope, that thofe we pray and intercede for, are lovers of, and are beloved of him ! P'or his eyes are in a peculiar manner over the righteous, and his ears always open to their prayers. This was their meflage, and it foon reached Jesus Christ. And how does he receive it ? *We are told, verfe 4. '* When Jesus heard that, (that he whom he loved was fick) He faid, this fjcknefs is not unto death, but unto the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified thereby." To whom thefe words were fpoken is not certain. In all probability, Jesus fpake them to the perfons that delivered Marthas and Marys mefiage. And if fo, it was no doubt a comfortable anfwer tor the prefent, though it muft afterwards puzzle them as well as the difciples how to explain it, when they found that La- T^arus was actually dead. '' This ficknefs is not unto death," not unto an abiding death, becaufe he intended to raife him ?£ain, foon after his deceafe. It is like that exprelTion of our Lord C 107 ] Lord In St. Marh^ " The damfel is not dead, but flccpeth ;'* which mult not be underftood in a literal, but metaphorical fenfe. And this and fuch-like inftances, ought to teach us to weigh carefully our bkfled Lord's words, and to wait for an explication of them, by fubfequent providences ; otherwifc we (hall be in danger of miHipplying them, and thereby bring our fouls into unfpeakable bondage. " Tliis ficknefs is not unto death, but unto the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified thereby." This is the end both of the afflic- tions and the deaths of God's people. By all that happens to them he will be glorified one way or another, and caufe every thing to work together for their good. And who then but would be content to be fick, or willing to fubmit to death itfelf, if fo be the Son of God may be glorified thereby ? This anfwer, no doubt, proceeded from love. For we are told, Verfe 5. that " Jesus loved Martha and her fifter, and La- %arus.'* Oh happy family ! Three in it beloved of Jesus, with a peculiar, everlafting love. " Very often it fo happens, (to ufe the words of the pious Bifhop Beveridge) that there " is but one in a city, and two in a country of this ftamp." But here are two fifters and a brother, all lovers of, and be- loved by the glorious Jesus. What {hall we fay to thefe things .f* Why, that our Saviour's grace is free and fovereign, and he may do what he will with his own. They who are thus fo highly favoured as to have fo many converted in one houfe, ought to be doubly thankful ! Such a blelTing have not all his faints. No ; many, very many, go mourning over their perverfe and gracelefs relations all their lives long ; and find, even to their dying day, that their greateft foes are thofe of their own houfhold. Surely thefe three relations lived a heaven upon earth. For what can they want, what could make thcni mifcrable, who are alTured of Jesu's love ? But furely if Jesus loves this dear little family, the next news one might think we (hould hear, would be, that he went imme- diately and healed Lazarus ; or at leaft cured him at a dif- tance. But inftead of that, we are told, verfe 6. '* When he had heard that he was fick, he abode two days flill in the fame place where he was." A flrange w-s this, in the eye of natural reafon, of exprcfTing love 3 but not fo flrange in the [ 'o8 ] the eye of faith : for the Lord Jesus very often fheweth his love, by deferring to give immediate anfwers to our prayers. Hereby he tries our faith and patience, and exercifes all our paffive graces. We have a proof of this in the Syrophcnician woman, upon whom the blclled Jesus frowned, and fpake roughly to at firft, only that he might afterwards turn unto her and fay, " O woman, great is thy faith." Let not thofe then who btlieve, make too much hafle ; or immediately in their hearts repine againft the Lord, becaufe he may not anfwer their requefts, in their own tin.e and way. God's time and way is beft. And we {hall find it to be fo in the end. Martha and A4ary experienced the truth of this, though imdoubtcdiy our Lord's fceming delay, to come and heal their brother, coft them great fearchings of heart. But will the Lord Jesus forget his dear Lazarus^ whom his foul loveth ? " Can a woman forget her fucking child ?" Indeed file may ; but the Lord never faileth thofe that fear him. Neither is he flack concerning his promife, as fome men count flacknefs : for his very delays are anfwers. The vifioa is for an appointed time ; in the end ic will fpeak and not lie. Though our Lord abode two days where he was, to try the faith of ihefe fifters, yet after this, he faid unto his dif- ciples, verfe y. " Let us go into Judea again." With what a holy familiarity does Jesus eonverfe with his dear children \ Our Saviour fcems to fpeak to his difciples, as though he was only their brother, and as it were upon a level with them ; *' Let us go into Judea again." How gently, according to what was predicted of him, does he lead thofe that are with young ! Jesus very well knew the weaknefs of his difciples, 2nd alfo what a dangerous place Judea was : how gradually therefore does he make known unto them, his defign o^ going thither ! And how does he admit his difciples to cxpoifulate with him on this account! " MaOer, fay they, the Jews of- late fought to ftone thee, and gotft thou thither again ?'* They were amazed at our Lord's boldnefs, and were ready to call it prcfumption; as we generally are prone to cenfure and con- demn other zealous and enterprizing perfons, as carrying matters too far ; it m.ay be for no other reafon, if we examine \ht bottom of our hearts, but becaufe they go before, and excel [ 109 ] excel ourfelves. The difciples, no doubt, thought that they fpoke out of love to their Lord, and afiuredly they did ; but what a deal of felf-love was there mixed and blended with it? They feem much concerned for their Mafter, but they were more concerned for themfelves. However Jesus overlooks their weaknefs, and mildly replies, verfe 9, and 10. " Are there not twelve hours in the day ? If any man walk in the day, he ftumbleth not, becaufe he feeth the light of the world ; but if any man walk in the night, he ftumbleth, becaufe there is no light in him." As though our Lord had faid, My dear difciples, I thank you for your care and con- cern for me. Jttdea is a dangerous place, and what you fay of the treatment I met with from its inhabitants, is jufi: and true : but be not afraid of going there upon my account. For as a man walkcth fafcly twelve hours of the day, becaufe he walkeih in the light : fo as long as the time appointed by my Father for my public adminifiration lafts, I fhall be as fecure from the hands of my enemies, as a man that walks in broad-day is fecure from falling. But as a man ftumbleih if he walketh in the night, fo when the night of my paflion cotr.cih, then, but not till then, fliali I be given up into the hands of my fpiteful foes. Oh what comfort have thefe words, by the bleiTing of God, frequently brought to my foul ! Hew may all Christ's miniP.eis ftrcngthen themfelves with thitj cortfideration, that fo long as God hath work for them to do, they are immortal ! And if after our work is over, our Lord Ihould call us to lay down our lives for the brethren, and to feal the truth of our dodhine v/ith our blood, it would certainly be the higheft honour that can be put upon us. " To you it is given not only to believe, but alfu to fuffer," fays the apoftie to the Pbilippians. *' Thefe things (the evangelift tells us, ver. 1 1.) faid Jesus, and after that, (to fatisfy them that he was not going into Judea without a proper call) he faith unto them, Our friend Lazarus fleepeth." Our friend. Amazing ! For what is a friend ? As one's own foul. Hovy dear then, and near are triie believers to the mod adorable Jesus ! " Our friend La- zarus." Still more amazing ! Here is condefcenfionj here is unparalleled familiarity indeed. And what of him ? " He flecpeth." A hgurative way of e::prcffion. For what is death to [ no ] to the lovers of Jesus Christ, but a flccp, and a rcfrelhirif^ one too? Thus it is faid o^ Stephen when he d'ied, that " hs fell aflcep." Christ indeed died, but believers only fleep. And " ihofe that flccp in Jesus, (fays the fcripture) will GoD bring with him." " Our friend Lazarus fleepeth." For though he be dciid, I fhall raife him from the grave fo foon, that his dying will be only like a perfon's taking a fliort fleep. *' Our friend Lazarus fleepeth, but I go that I may awake him out of fl'jcp." By this time, one would imagine, our Lord's difciplcs {hould have undcrftood him : But how un- willing are we to believe any thing that we do not like. '* Then faid his difciplcs, Lord, if he fleep he (hall do well." Oh fearful, and flow of htart to believe I Kow fain would they excufe themfelves from going into Judea^ for fear cf a few Ooncs ! By this way of talking, how do they in efFedt impeach their blelled Maker's conduct, and under a pretence of prcferving his prrfcn, fcder, and as it were plead for their own (though pirhaps undifcerned) cowardice and unbelief ? That charity, which hopeth and belicveth all things for the bcft, tracheth us to judge thus favourably of them. For, " Howbeit Jesus fpake of his death : they thought that he had fpoken of taking reft in fleep." The great and compaf- fionate High-pritft knowing and remembering they were but duft, throws a veil of love over their infirmity; and at length, verfc 14. " Saith unto them plainly (for if we wait on Jesus, we {hall know his will plainly, one wav or another) Lazarus is dead." And even then, left they fhould be fwallowed up with overmuch forrow, he immediately adds, verfe 15. " And I am glad for your fakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe," or have norc faith, or hnve that faith which you already poflefs increafed and confirmed. A plain proof this, that all Jesu's delays to anfwer prayer, are only to Urcngthen our faith. '* NeveriheKfs, fays our Lord, let us go unto him." This was a fufficient hint, if they knew how to improve it, that he intended to do Something extraordinary, thoiish he would not tell them d!re<£^ly what he intended. For the Lord Jesus will keep thofe whom he love?, at his foot, and dependant cii him. " Let us go unto him." He ft ill fpeaks as though they were his equals. Oh that Chriillans in general, Oh that mil 5 nifters [Ill 3 nlftcrs in particular, would learn of him their grcit exemplar, to condcfcend to men of low degree ! Well, the fecret is now out. Jesus has faid unto them plainly, Laznrus is dead. And what reception does this melancholy news meet wiih ? With great condolancc, efpccially from Tho?iuis ; for veifc 1 6. *' Then faid Thomas^ who is called Didynius, unto his fellow difciples, let us aifo go and die with himj" i. e. ac- cording to fome, with Lazarus^ with whom, it may be, Thofniu had contra£led an intimate acquaintance. But grant- ing it was fo ; lliall I commend him for this paffionate ex- preflion ? I commend him not. Surely he fpakc unadvifcdly with his lips; "Let us alfo go and die with him." As' though there was no comfort henceforward to be cxpe'cled in the world, now his friend Lazarus was gone. This was a great fault, and yet a fault that many of God's children run into daily, by mourning for their deceafed relations over- much, like perfons that have no hope. But this infirmity ou^-ht not to be indul;;, refers to Jesus his dear Mafte'r; and if fo, he is fo far from being blamed, that he fpake like a good foldicr of Jesus Christ. Let us alfo go, that we may die with him. If our dear mafter will go into "Judea^ and hazard his precious life, let us not any longer make fucli frivolous excufes, but let us manfully accompany him ; and if the y^?-{;i (hould not only be permitted to ftone, but alio to kill him, let us alfo go and die with him, wc cannot die in a better caufe. This was a fpeech worthy of a chriftian hero, and Thomas herein hath fet us an example, that we fliould follow his ftep?, by exciting and provoking one ano- ther clofcly to adhere to the blelFv^d Jesus, efpecially when his caufe and intcrcft is in any immediate danger. 1 his ex- hortation, it feems, had a proper efFecl. They all went, and as far as we know, chearfully accompanied their glorious Mafter. How their thoughts were exercifed on the rr>aJ, we are not told. But I am apt to believe they were a litilc difcouraged when they came to Bethany. Fur " When Jesus came, he found [ 11^ 1 found that Lazarus had licr. in the grave for four clays already.*' And what would it avail them, to come To many miles only to lee a dead man's ton-.b I But how wifely were all things ordered by the blelTed Jesus, to manifeft his glory in the moll: extraordinary manner, that not only his difciples might have their faith confirmed, but many allb of the Jews might be- lieve on him. This Bethany, it feems, verfe 18. " was n"gh unto "Icrujalcm, about fifteen furlongs offj" or about two miles i and Martha and Mary, being what we may call peo- ple of fafhion, and devout likevvife; many of the devout, and we may fuppofe many of the wealthy Jews came from the metropolis, as well as other adjacent places, verfe 19. to Martha and Mary \ not to pay an idle, trifling, but a fcrious, profitable vifit, " to comfort them concerning their brother." This was kind and neighbourly. To weep with thofe that weep, and to vifit the afHi(5led in their diftrefles, is one eflen- tial branch of true and undcfiled religion. And O hov*^ fweet is it when we vifit furviving friends, that we have reafon to think that their departed relations died in the Lord ! And we can therefore give them comfort concerning them : For «' blefied are the dead, that die in the Lord, even fo faith the Spirit, for they reft from their labours." This and fuch- like arc^uments, no doubt, thefe vifitors made ufe of, to com- fort Martha and Mary. And indeed they flood in much need of confolation. For we have reafon to fuppole, from our Lord's anfwer, " This ficknefs is not unto death, but the glory of God i" that they had entertained thoughts of the recovery of their brother. But who can tell what thefe two holy fouls muft feel, when they found their brother did not recover, but was dead, laid out, and now (linking in the filent grave! What hard thoughts, without judging them, may we fuppofe they entertained concerning Jesus I Think ye not that they were ready to cry out in the language cf the prophet, " Thou haft deceived us, and we are deceived r" But man's extremity is Jesu's opportur.ity. In the multitude of the forrows that they had in their hearts, the news of Christ's coming refrefhes their fouls. Somebody or ano- ther, commendably officious, privately informs Martha of it. *' Who, as foon as (he heard that Jesus was com.e (without making any apology to the company for her rudenefs) went ^ and [ II? ] Rnd met him : But Adary fat flill in the houfe." But why fo, Alary? I thought ihou hadit been moil forward to attei^.d on Jesus, and thy fifter Martha more prone to be cumbered about the many things of this life. Why fitteft thou ftil! ? It may be the news was brought only privately to Martha (for it is plain from verfe 3 1 ft", that the ^eivs who were in the houfe knew not of it ;) and Mdriha knowing how our Lord had chid her once, was refolved he fliould have no reafon on the fame account to chide her any more ; therefore vv'hen the news . was brought, (he would not fo much as fiay to inform her fifler, but went out to fee whether it were true or not, and if fo, as the cldeft fifter, fhe would invite the bleffed Jesus in. How happy is it, when Christ's reproofs for palt ncgledls, excite our future zeal to come out and meet him ! Such re- proofs are an excellent oil. Or, it may be, the news reached Mdry% ears, as well as Martha's^ but being overcome with forrow, (lie thought it too good news to be true, and therefore fat ftill in the houfe. O how careful ought believers to be, to cherifh and maintain, even in the midft of tribulation, a holy confidence and joy in God ! For the joy of the L0RJ3 is a believer's ftrength. Whereas giving way to melancholy and unbelief, raifes gloom and vapours in the mind, clouds the underftanding, clogs us in the way of duty, and gives the enem.y, who loves to fifti in troubled waters, a very great ad- vantage over us. Mary^ perhaps, through the prevalence of this, and being alfo naturally of a fedentary difpofition, " fat ftili in the houfe," while her filler Martha got the ftart of her, and went out to meet Jesus. And how does (he accoft him ? Why, in a language befpeaking the diftrefs of a burdened and difor- dered mind. For flie faid unto Jesus, verfe 21, ''Lord, if thou hadft been here, my brother had not died." Here is a mixture of faith and unbelief. Faith made her fay, "Lord, if thou hadft been here, my brother had not died." But un- belief made her confine Christ's power to his bodily prefencc. Befides, here was a tacit accufation of the blefled Jesus of unkindnefs, for not coming when they fent unto him the melTage, '' Lord, he whom thou loveft is fick." Once fhe charged Jesus with want of care ; " Lord, careft thou not, that my fifter hath Icfc me to ferve alone f" Now flie taxes Vol. VI. H hi.ii 54 [ TI4 ] hrm wltli want of kindnefs. " If thou hadd been here j'^ as much as to fay, if thou hadft been fo kind as to have come when we fent for thee, *' my brother had not died i" and by iayin'- thus, flie does as it were by her brother's death to JEbUs Christ. O how apt are even thole whom jEsys loves in a peculiar manner, to charge him looli{l:ily ! How often iiocs the enmity of our dcfperately wicked hearts rife again(t Christ, when we are under the afHiding hand of his providence ! Are not the very belt of us frequently tempted, in fuch ciicumf^ances, to fay within ourfclvcs at leafl, Why does God thus cruelly deal with us ? Why did not he keep •ofi-"this ftroke, feeing it was in his power to have prevented it ? How fhould we be afliamed and confounded before him upon this account ? How fhould we pray and labour to be delivered from this remaining enmity of the heart, and long for that time, when mortality Ciall be fwallowed up of life, ;ind we (hall never feel one fingle rifing of heart, againft a was exiiJl to mark every thing that we fay or do amifs, alas 1 lid abide ? He only calmly fays unto her, verfe 23,. wno coui Glad C i'5 ] Glad tidings thefe of great joy. This fliould comfort us concerning our dcceafcd, pious relations, that ere long they fhall rife again, and foul and body be for ever with the Lord. Howbeit Jesus fpake here of an immediate refurreftion, though he did not fpeak plainly : For Christ loves to exer- cife the fiiith and patience of his difciplcs, and frequently leaves them to find out his meaning by degrees. It is beft for us in our prefent (late, that it fhould be fo. In heaven it will be otherwife. " Thy brother, (fays Christ to Mar- tha) {hall rife again." She might immediately hav^e replied. When, Lord ? But (lie fetches a circuit as it were, and la- bours to find out the mind of Jesus by degrees* " I knovi', fays fhe, that he fnall rife again at the reruire6*:ion of the laft day." Thefe words feem to imply, that fhe had fome diflant thought of our Lord's defign to raife her brother now, and that fhe fpoke thus only to draw our Saviour to fpeak, and tell her plainly whether he meant to do fo or not. Thofe who are acquainted with Jesus, are taught an holy art by the blefTed Spirit, in dealing with their blelTed mafter. " I know, fays (he, he fhall rife again at the refurre»rtion of the lafl day," (a notable proof this, by the way, that the pious yews believed the refurre^lion of the body). It is juft the fame as though fhe had faid, Lord, doft thou mean that my bro- ther fhall rife again before that time ? Our Saviour wifely keeps ofF from giving her a diredt anfwer, but chufes rather to preach to her heart. " Jesus faid unto her, I am the re- furredion and the life : He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet fhall he live." On this Marthas faith, if in exercife, m.ight take hold. O glorious words ! How encou- raging to you poor fmners lying in your blood ! Though ynii are dead in trefpailes and ^ins^ and might juflly be condemned to die the fecond death, yet if you believe on the Lord Jesus you fhall live. He adds, '' And whofoever belicveth in me fhall never die ;" never die as to their fouls, never die eternally, and confcquently never finally fall away from God. This is an encouraging foul-comfoning declaration for you, O believers, who are thus kept, as it were, in a garrifcn, by the mighty power of God, through faith, unto falvation ! " Bdievcfl thou this?" fay3 QviKi-,T io Martha, verfc 26. What avail all the many great 2nd precious promJ.fes of the g"fpel, unlefs they arc applied and brought home in particuh-*-- to each of our ^H a fouli ? [ 1.6 ] fouls ? The word does not profit unlcfs it is mixed with faith. "We therefore do well, when we are reading Christ's words, to put ^his quirftion to ourfclves i O my foul, bclieveft thou this ? And WL'll would it be for us, if upon putting this quef- tion to ourfclves, we could with the fame holy confidence, and in the fame delightful frame, fay with Martha^ verfe 27. *' Yea, Lord : I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, whicii fhould come into the world." This I think is a di;c^ cor.fclTion of our Lord's divinity. How full was her heart when (he fpoke thcfe words ! I am perfuaded it burnt within her. What a divine warmth had (he contraded by talking with Jesus ! How does (he long that her filler niight fliare in her holy joy! For when fhe had fo faid, verfe 28. " file went away j" full of love, no doubt, and called Alary her fifter, as all will labour to call their near relations, who have felt the Lord Jesus to be the refurredllon and the life themfclves. But Martha took care, in the midft of her zeal (as we ihould always do) to behave with prudence ; and therefore " (he called her fifler fecretly, faying. The mafter is come, and calleih for thee." The mafter is come. She need fay no more; Mary knew very well whom file meant. For holy fouls eafily underhand one another when talking of their mafier Jesus. The divine Herbert ufed to delight (when fpeaking of Jesus) to fay, " My Mafter ;" perh.ips he learned It o( MiUthjy who faid here, *' The Mafter is come, and calleth for thee." But what is this thou fayeft, Martha P The Mafter is come, and calleth for thee ? Surely a woman of thy exalted piety will not tell a deliberate lie, and in order to induce thy fifter to come to Jesup, acquaint her that Jesus called her, when indeed he did not. Thou needeft not put thyfelf to fuch an expence, or do fo much evil, that good may come of it. Only mention Jesus to Mary^ and let her know for a certainty that the Mafter is indeed come, and I Lm perfuaded file will fit no longer. Martha no doubt knew, and therefore I cannot judge her as fome do, as though in her hnfte flic faid what was not true. For Jesus might bid her to call her fifter, though it be not dlredly meniioned in this chapter. And it is very probable, that our Lord did enquire after Mary^ becaufe fhe ufed to takti fuch great delight in fitting at his feet, and hearing the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth. *« The Mafter is come (faith Martha [ "7 ] Martha to herfifter) and calleth for thee." And fq fay I to all poor firiners. Jesus, your Lord and Mafter, your Prince and Saviour, is come, come unto this lower world, und is Come this day in his word, and by mc^, who am lefs than the ]eaft of all his fervants, and calleth for you. O that \\z may alio come in the demonftration of the Spirit, and by his mighty power bow your ftubborn hearts and wills to obey the call, as holy Mary diJ. For we are told, verfe 29. " When ftie heard that, flie rofe quickly, and came to Jesus." Sinners, when will you do fo \ Or why do you not do fo ? How know you whether Jesus ^.v'il call for you any more, before he calls you by death to judgment ? Linger, O linger no lonp;er. Fly, fly for your lives. Arife quickly, and with Mary come to Jesus. She obeyed the call fo very fpecdily, that her hafte was taken notice of by her vifitors. " The "jeivs then, who were with her in the houfe, and comforted her, v/lien they faw Mary that fhe rofe up haftily (without any ceremony at all) and went out, followed her, faying, fhe goeth to the grave, to weep there." How wifely does our Lord permit and order all this, to bring the Jews out to behold the won- derful miracle that he was about to perform ! Little did Mary and the Jews think for what end they w-ere thus providentially led out. But when Jesus hath work to be done, he will bring fouls to the place where he intends to call them, in fpite of men or devils. But how does Aiary behave when {he comes to Jesus .'* We may be allured, not without great hu- mility. No wonder then we are told, veife 32. that " when ihe faw him, (lie immediately fell down at his feet (a place Mary had been ufed to, and in an agony of grief, fays, as her fifter had done before her) Lord, if thou hadft been here, my brother had not died." Poor Mary / Her concern was great indeed. Though fhe was a holy woman, (lie could not well bear the lofs of her brother. She knew very well, that the world would mifs him, and no doubt he had been a kind and tender brother to her. But I am afraid (he was fmfully overcome with overmuch forrow. However, had we been there, the fight mufl: have affe