matter; Do I stand to my covenant? I once said I was willing that God in Christ should be mine, and that I in Christ should be his; am I still willing? Do I stand to this covenant with God in Christ; yea or no?

saved by hope; and your hope is to live, and be maintained, by your continual commerce with God. Walk accurately according to the Gospel instructions; to wit, according to the instructions and teachings of appearing Then consider, whence are your expectations to be? I grace. The grace of God, that bringeth salvation, hath am not to have my great expectations from a stranger, appeared, teaching us, what? that "denying ungodliness, from a strange god, but from a God of my own. "This and worldly lusts, we do live soberly, righteously, and God is our God for ever and ever, and he that shall be our godly in the present world;" and what is the consequent guide even unto death," Ps. xlviii. last verse. How great hereupon? "Looking for the blessed hope, and the glori a thing is it to be able to say, "God, even our own God, ous appearing of the great God, and our Saviour Jesus shall bless," Ps. lxvii. 6. Your hope will languish if you Christ." Now, as being taught effectually by the grace let the apprehension dwindle of the relation between God that hath appeared bringing salvation, oh, deny "all unand you; so that you look not towards him from day to godliness," and every thing of ungodliness; deny it as an day, and at all times, as a God related to you, upon the abhorred thing, and a most abominable thing. What? terms, and by the tenor, of an everlasting covenant; how should I bear an ungodly frame of heart to him, whose wisely will that man look about him in his wants, and in grace hath appeared to save me? And all "worldly lusts;" his languishings, that hath no one to expect help and relief shall worldly lusts rule in me, and govern me, who am a from; from one no more than from another! That is, if disciple of grace, and under the teachings of grace? And all about him, or with whom he is to expect, are equally it teaches me to live soberly, righteously, and godly. Oh! strangers to him, and he can have no more expectation let us comply with these teachings, when we see what will from one than from another. To hear of the name of be the end of it, what will follow, then we shall live God, that he is a great God, a bountiful God, and that there" looking for the blessed hope." How reviving will our is an immense fulness of goodness in him; but what is that own hope be to us then! how full of vigour, how full of to me, when I have no concern with him, nor he with me? sweetness, and how full of power and life! Every thought But when you know, that there is nothing requisite to of that blessed state will even bless our souls, and make bring about a fixed relation between him and you, but your them flourish as a field that the Lord hath blessed. And, consenting to the terms of his covenant; "I entered into Direction 12. Converse much with them that have the covenant with thee, and thou becamest mine," Ezek. xvi. same hope that you have. That is a very heart-strengthen8. If that be from time to time recognised, be made more ing thing, mightily animating, to have much conversation and more explicit, then are you to walk in this sense from with them that will give you a reason of the hope that is day to day. This God is my God, and I am his. And then in them, "with meekness and fear;" (1 Pet. iii. 15.) and what may you not hope for? what may you not expect to whom also, you may give a reason of the hope that is from him, in reference to present support, and final bless- in you, with the same meekness and the same fear. That edness? And again, is fruitful, edifying conversation, to converse with them that will interchange accounts with you of the reason of their hopes, which you can give them, and they can give you. But if there be any that care not for that society, that can take a thousand times more pleasure to talk two or three hours over a glass of wine in a tavern, with impertinent, idle fellows, from whom there is nothing of good to be gotten; this is that they rather choose, which they can savour, can take complacency in; but all discourses about God, and the things of God, and the world to come, and the matters of an eternal hope, are unsavoury and unpleasant. If this be with any an habitual frame, from week to week, and from month to month, and from year to year, and yet they will tell you they hope to be saved; oh! the monstrous stupidity of these wretched souls! What are they sunk into, and what under this very Gospel, which makes all things so very plain!

Direction 9. Keep up a continual intercourse with God hereupon, walk with him if he be yours and you be his, and that is ascertained by a sure covenant often recognised; then accordingly, walk with him continually, keep up an intercourse by acts of reverence, and trust, and love, and subjection; so is the intercourse to be kept up, for you must consider, it is not an intercourse inter pares, between equals; but it is an intercourse between an all sufficient God, a self-sufficient God, a sovereign Lord and Ruler, and a mean indigent object, and (who ought to be) a subject creature; and so only ought the intercourse to be kept up. “As the Father loveth me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love, even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love," John iv. 9, 10. And so are we directed to keep ourselves in the "love of God," Jude, ver. 21. This is the way to maintain hope, waiting for his mercy by Christ Jesus to life eternal. Be in his fear all the day long, keep your hearts in a subject frame and posture towards him; keep you in a depending frame; keep you in a complacential frame, always apt and ready to exert acts of love, kindness, and good-will towards God. Oh! that I could do more for thee! I love thy name, thy honour, thy interest, thy presence, thy communion. In this way let intercourse with God be kept up, and so hope will flourish, will do its part towards the saving of you; even the saving you out of the gulf in which you now lie, almost swallowed up, only to be saved by this hope, such a hope as is subservient and conducing thereunto. Again,

Direction 10. If such an intercourse should be intermitted, (as can never be, but by slips and failings on your part,) hasten the restoring of it. As you value the life of your hope, and as you value the life of your souls, hasten the restoring of it. That is not to be borne, for one to say, Now the intercourse ceaseth between God and me! What? that there should be a discontinuance of my commerce with God, this is not to be borne. Oh! hasten to get all rectified, and set aright, by renewed applications of the blood of Jesus; by speedy and serious turning to God with all the heart, and with all the soul. By any such more observable slips hope hath got a wound, and it is to be healed, recovered, redintegrated, by such a return; your return to God in Christ speedily and betimes.

Direction 11. After that walk more "circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise," as knowing you are to live and be

I tremble to think of the case of such, when they have nothing at all to keep off terrors from their hearts, but either a present peremptory refusal to think, I will think of no such thing; or the vain hope of a death-bed repentance at last, that shall expiate for so sensual and unchristian a life. I tremble (I say) to think what the case of such men will be at last. They may have some confidence in a death-bed repentance at a distance, while they put off from them the evil day; but that repentance may be far fled, removed, and hid from their eyes, when the dying hour is come, and when they are stretched out on the bed of sickness and languishing. And will God overthrow his own design, merely to comply with the brutish inclination of this or of that man, when his design is to have a people in this world, that shall in their continual, holy heavenly conversation, testify against the wicked conversation of it? But he shall dispense with them, and let them live like so many brutal sots all their days, and save them at last, because they say they will repent upon a dying bed; but how such will dare to die, God knows; when in the mean time they hardly dare to come to an ordinance of God, but make all the shift they can to avoid serious and searching preaching; and think it a great gain to them, if they can this or that day avoid a blow. Thou that hast lived so long in the indulgence of sensual and brutish inclinations, that art afraid to come to a sermon, or come to the Lord's table; or the like guilt stares thee in the face; how wilt thou not be afraid to die, and to appear at last before the tribunal of thy judge? Will God alter his Gospel for you, and determine that a man may live an earthly and carnal life in this world,

and be saved at last; though he hath told us, that they | state of things; take heed of having your spirits so deeply who mind earthly things, (the gust and relish of their souls lies there, they savour them,) their end is destruction, and they are enemies to the cross of Christ? They counter-design the end of Christ's dying, and so their end is destruction. And I add,

Direction 13. Take heed of too impatient a sense of the tediousness of your expecting state, while you are expecting; we must be expectants here; we are saved by hope. There needs a great deal of patience; not only in order to bearing, but in order to expecting; not only in order to the bearing of evil things, but in order to the expecting of good things; "ye have need of patience, that after ye have done the will of God, you might receive the promise," Heb. x. 36. And see what immediately follows the text; | "We are saved by hope; but hope that is seen is not hope; for what a man sees, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it:" so we read of "the patience of hope," (1 Thess. i. 3.) as that which the apostle blesseth God for, on the behalf of those Thessalonian Christians, having heard of their patience of hope, how cheerfully they did endure in an expecting state. And,

Direction 14. Labour to fortify yourselves against the fear of death, that so your hope may live and flourish. That inasmuch as the final object of your hope lies beyond time, and beyond this present world; it is a sad thing there should be that gulf between you and the last object of your hope, which you dare not shoot; but are afraid of that which you supremely are to hope for. How very uncomfortable a case is that, that the highest matter of your hope should be also the matter of your fear, the going into that estate wherein mortality is to be swallowed up of life? What? are we afraid of becoming immortal? To be angels' fellows, equal with the angels of God, gathered up to the innumerable company of angels, and the spirits of just men made perfect? Are we afraid indeed of that which we are chiefly to hope for? Oh! labour to overcome that fear; know that Christ died for this end, that you might do it. He was partaker of flesh and blood, he took a human body as we have here; that "by death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them, who, through fear of death, were all their lifetime subject unto bondage."

It is not only an uncomfortable, and an unchristian, but it is an irrational thing, and an unmanly thing, to live under the continual dominion and government of the fear of that which cannot be avoided. That is irrational; no man can give account of his own reason, why he should do so. It is a scandal even to the reason of a man, to be engaged in a continual contest against impossibilities; that which cannot be avoided, it is impossible I should avoid it. And to be in a constant war with this, is what no man can reconcile to his own understanding, if he do but use the understanding of a man.

And, therefore, there is nothing to be done in the case, but to fall into a speedy union with the great Prince and Lord of life, and then never fear death; that being the state of our case, that this death lies between us and our great hope, our final hope; when we think what we are to enjoy after death, one would go through a thousand deaths to enjoy that; and much more to die once to escape a thousand deaths. We die here every day; we are killed a thousand times over, from day to day, and from week to week; and if we would die a thousand deaths that way, to avoid one death, sure we may die one death, which we are to suffer unavoidably, that we may enjoy what we are to enjoy afterwards. Then I add,

Direction 15. That if we are to hope for the blessedness of the other state, as our last end, we are to hope too for whatsoever is certainly intermediate to the universal introduction of that state; and, therefore, so far as any better time or state of things in this world is ascertained to us, we are to live in the hope of it, as that which shall antecede our end; for it is the last end that our last hope terminates upon. But then, in the last place,

Direction 16. Take heed of letting your hope ultimately pitch upon any thing but what is itself ultimate; that is, take heed of letting your hope settle upon any thing on this side a blessed, glorious eternity, or upon any other

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engaged upon any better state of things on earth, that you mind less, or with much more coolness, and indifferency, the concernments of the eternal state. Be not so much taken up in the thoughts and expectations of a better scene of things in this lower world, that the very thoughts of heaven, and a blessed eternity, should be unsavoury, and unpleasant.

This a very grievous, (I might say,) a mortal evil; so preposterously doth it invert the course of things; it takes down the supreme end, and substitutes somewhat inferior in the room and stead of that. And though this spiritual distemper may be indulged by many, under a spiritual pretence, I would fain see religion thrive more, and God be honoured and better served in this world; yet there is this to be said to it, it is well, if seriously we desire such things indeed; but if such desires after the best state of things that is supposable in this world do grow superior to the desires that we have of a perfect, blessed state of things in the other world; this is (I say) to set the means against the end; and so is quite to invert the order of things.

Live in the glorious expectation of eternity; and live also in the comfortable hope, that all things in this world in order thereunto shall be managed suitably and subserviently, by that wisdom that cannot err, or make a false step, and by a power that cannot be resisted, or disturbed; but there is a great deal of carnality under that pretence of spirituality; and hence comes that contestation of interest and parties; party against party, and interest against interest. There will be perpetual quarrels, while all men are not of a mind about things within the compass of time; but in reference to the glory of the eternal state, there can be no possibility of such collision, but all will adoringly and joyfully fall into everlasting adoration and praise.

And this must be the matter of our last hope. And so I shall shut up all with the prayer of the apostle; "Now the God of peace, that hath given us eternal consolation, and good hope through grace, fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost," Rom. xv. 13. Amen.

SERMON XXVIII.

James ii. 23.

And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness; and he was called the friend of God.

IN recommending to you several requisites for a continual course of friendship with Christ, I did not mention that of trust, than which there is not a greater requisite to friendship. But that I intend to be spoken to by itself. And therefore have pitched upon this text. Now to proceed gradually, and in some method. There are four previous things which I shall premise. As, 1. Where do we find Abraham to be called the friend of God? for it refers to a former scripture, as fulfilled, that God did treat him as a friend. We find him expressly so called, 2 Chron. xx. 7. There was a numerous, potent enemy that did seek to keep out the people of God from possessing that land which God had given to the seed of Abraham his friend. And Jehoshaphat urgeth this to God in prayer. So we have it again, Isa. xli. 8. where there being an occasion to mention Abraham, he is spoken of also as the friend of God; "But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend." But, 2. We are to consider and take notice under what notion Abraham is spoken of by that glorious title of the friend of God. It is true he was an eminent saint. But was this spoken of him under that notion? or is it not under a common notion as a believer? So it seems to be in the text. “Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness; and he was called the friend of God." This is a notion common to him and to all believers; and this still must

(1.) It is much of friendly propension that God discovers to men in bringing about that faith which is justifying, in 2. As to the nature or kind of that faith, in reference to the friendly instructions and counsels he affords them in the object, it must be such as, according to his understand-order hereunto. And we must take in this, that what as to ing of the discovery he had there, must be an embracing of his heart and will towards this object. He doth close with Christ according to the representation he had of him. Christ was the sum and substance of the Gospel-faith in the mind and heart of Abraham, as far as the discovery

things themselves: "Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness, and forbearance, and long-suffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance ?" Rom. ii. 4. But he hath spoken out to men in the Gospel, wherein he opens his heart, and declares his counsels to them. But all this needs to be spoken to men inwardly. He urgeth and inculcates his mind and will to them; reasons and argues with their souls. Why hast thou not understood all this hitherto? but thou understandest it now that I am a reconcileable God, if thou now fall not in with my method for this end. This is of mighty importance for bringing about such a friendship; for while men apprehend God to be irreconcileable, that will lead them to despair, and be a hell upon earth. But to behold a Gospel of grace and reconciliation, and having it set on so as to apprehend the thing indeed, this engageth the intention and mind to consider the terms offered. And then,

affairs into such a hand as can at once both reconcile his attributes to one another, and reconcile him to us, and us to him. And then,

(4.) He instructs concerning the way and method of coming to have an interest and part in Christ. So as to have both righteousness and spiritual life in him and by him, i. e. upon being united with him. This is the way; and he instructs the soul that there is not only a fulness of all grace in his Son, from whom they are to receive righteousness, and the regenerating Spirit also; but there is a way of coming to be interested in all his fulness, and in that renovating Spirit; and we then must be united to him. "Of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who is made unto us wisdom." Then we are told there must be union. And how is that to be brought abcut? Why, thou must be in him, in order to this interest and participation from him. This wisdom and righteousness, and sanctification and redemption, which are in Christ, are nothing to thee that hast no part in him; but his wisdom is thine, his righteousness is thine, his sanctification and redemption thine; but all this upon supposition that thou art in him. There must be such a union in order to that participation. But how is this union brought about? Why, he that is the author of the whole design, is the author of this union: "Of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom," 1 Cor. i. 20. Thus this union must be of God.

(3.) He instructs such souls about the great reconciler and mediator of their peace, into whose hands he hath put all this affair; unto whom they must be beholden, from whom they must receive all that grace that is requisite, either to the changing of the state, or the changing of the frame. And if men be not inwardly and with efficacy instructed concerning all this, the very doctrine of reconciliation itself would very slowly enter against those mighty objections, which it might meet with in a considering mind. For any one that understood the nature of God, and considered him as a being absolutely perfect, and so But then you must consider this to be very proper and apprehended his holiness and his justice to be in the high-wholesome counsel to you. Acquaint now thyself with est perfection in him, as well as his other governing attri- him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee," butes; if one thought should arise in the mind of such a Job xxii. 21. Sue to him for all such counsels as any wise person, about contracting a peace and friendship with his man would take and follow. As Luke xiv. latter end. God, oh, how shall he answer it to himself, when his own "Or what king going to make war against another king, mind tells him, his nature admits of no change, and my sitteth not down first, and consulteth, whether he be able nature, by any power of my own, admits of none.. God with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him will not change his nature, and I cannot change mine. with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet a This very nature and natural state put me into a posture great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conof direct hostility against his sovereign authority, against ditions of peace." This is good counsel, which is secretly his justice, and against his holiness, all at once. If a prompted unto that. Oh, sinner, sue for peace. Thou man in this case hath no way in view how God can canst never, with thy feeble power, oppose and contend in consistently with the honour and dignity of his autho- a war against Almightiness itself, that comes armed with rity and government, and the unalterableness of his eter-terror and vengeance against thee. This cannot be it is nal law, be reconciled to a sinner, and lead him into thy way to sue for peace. And we are told in what way communion with himself: here lies an objection in the God will be reconciled, if ever to be reconciled; that is, mind of such a one, against the sum of the Gospel, if it must be in and by the Mediator. Here is suitable counthat were held faith only in general. That is, that God sel given thee. He counsels thee, Rev. iii. 18. "I counis willing to be reconciled to sinners. For what? is he sel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou willing to deny himself? To come down from his throne, mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be to quit his government? or is it possible to him to change clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not aphis nature, to be less just and less holy than he essentially pear; and anoint thine eyes with eye-salve, that thou is? But when there cometh to be a distinct explication mayest see." You are externally counselled to all this in of the way and method wherein God can honourably, and the Gospel. And it may be there are such direct intimaconsistently with his truth, justice, and holiness, be recon- tions given to minds too; it is likely very often but little ciled to sinners; to wit, by the discovery of the doctrine regarded. But that such counsel should be given is very of the Mediator; and when this discovery is inwardly ap-friendly. What wilt thou do, thou undone, lost creature? plied and brought home; that which was before a stum- Thou hast no clothing, but must appear naked before the bling-block, and a mountain of opposition raised up in the Divine vindictive justice; nothing to fence thee, nothing soul against the truth and purpose of the Gospel, vanish- to arm thee against the stroke of vengeance. Thou eth, and the way is plain, smooth, and open to it; and so art running on blindly upon thy own ruin. I tell thee nothing remains but to fall in with it. But oh, how friendly where there is eye-salve for thee, and where there is clothis this, not only to speak this in an unregarded, external ing for thee, and where there is every thing that thy nerelation, but to speak it internally to the mind and soul, cessitous, indigent, undone state requires and needs; I and make it apprehended and understood. To show unto counsel thee to betake thyself to him, to apply to him. man his righteousness, who it is that he must be beholden This is very friendly counsel. It is friendly in the design, to for all that is requisite for the changing of his state, and and aspect, and tendency of it, as it presents itself to thee for changing his natural frame and inclination, when he in the external word; but much more when it is inwardly must have righteousness and strength. To declare all this suggested, when the thing is inculcated inwardly to the by inward, internal light, oh how friendly is this converse! mind and heart, and thou art beaten upon by these things, These things are spoken thousands of times over, to the thou art so and so counselled. Why dost thou not hearken stupid and inadvertent generally, and they never take to counsel? Why, in such things as these, there appears notice of it. But when he comes to make light, and to much of friendship on God's part; that is, in the friendly shine through that darkness which inwrapt the heart, then instructions and counsels which he is pleased to give, hope begins to take place. Then saith such a soul, "I see especially internally and correspondently, as it must be, it is a feasible thing, a practicable thing, that the Gospel with the external revelation of his mind concerning these proposes; I see God hath put the management of all these things.

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SERMON XXIX.*

James ii. 23.

And the scripture was fulfilled, fc.

2. THE friendship of God appears in his friendly performances and effectual communications. We are to know that his friendly design towards souls doth not terminate here; it reacheth further. That is applicable enough in this case which is spoken in reference to lower and inferior cases in the 15th and 16th verses of this same chapter; "If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of food, and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body, what doth it profit?" It would profit as little if God should himself but at the same rate treat men's souls; give them good words, though very apposite and suitable to their case; say to them, Be warmed, be filled; but not give them the things requisite to their souls; what would that profit them? Compare that with 1 John iii. 17. "But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?" What he may show of kindness and good-will-is nothing like the love of God. God's friendly propension towards miserable, necessitous souls, did show itself at another rate than merely in advising and counselling them, or seeming to wish them well; his friendship exercises itself in the most considerable acts of external benefaction, in doing them good, and rejoicing over them to do them good, "with all his heart and with all his soul," as the expression is, and his own words are. But as to this also, I shall give your instances how this kind of friendship, by way of communication and performance, on God's part appears. As,

one takes great pains, and uses industrious endeavours to induce to trust in him, he himself having no advantage by it, but I gain by it the greatest things. That the blessed God should induce and engage souls to trust in him, when it can be of no advantage to him; but he knows that without it they must perish and be lost; when he doth not only invite them to trust in the Lord, stay themselves upon their God, rely upon him and upon that truth and fidelity that never failed any; how friendly is this! To insist on it from time to time, not to give over the soul that hath often neglected him in making these overtures; this is wonderful friendly. To draw the soul into union with Christ, and with himself in and by him; this is to bring such into a state of blessedness. "Of him are ye in Christ Jesus," &c. You are foolish creatures, but he will be wisdom to you; you are guilty creatures, but he will be righteousness to you: you are impure creatures, but he will be sanctification to you; you are enslaved creatures, but he will be redemption unto you: all this is of God. And whereas he doth manifestly design to reunite souls to his Son, and by him to himself; how friendly is this design. He intimates hereby that such and such can never be too near to him, or be too close with them. But,

2. This divine friendship appears in his hereupon counting them righteous, and imputing righteousness to them, as the text expresses it; "he believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness." This faith was given Abraham, and thereupon God counts him righteous; and so he does every believer besides. And is not this a most friendly estimate? is it not to count as a friend, to count us righteous who were far from righteousness? He not only pardons, but accepts as righteous. We should count this wonderful friendship, when we consider our state; we were creatures under a law that cursed every one that "continued not in all things written therein to do them ;" and we had broken that whole law, in every part of our duty as to love of God, and our fellow-creatures of the same order. From the depraved nature of man, being (1.) That he ingenerates this faith; he works it in us. carnalized into enmity against God, and hatred one of anIt is called a "fruit of the Spirit," Gal. v. 22. And it is other, "the carnal mind is enmity against God," Rom. said to proceed from the "Spirit of faith," 2 Cor. iv. 13. viii. 7. This is more than the breach of every command; We are told that "by faith we are saved, and that not of for my quarrel is not against this or that precept, but ourselves; it is the gift of God," Eph. ii. 8. That faith against subjection; and so my design is against the diwe are not to take separately and alone; but it heightens vine government; now, is not this friendly when he will the love and gift, that we do believe and are saved by faith, thus give faith to such, and reckon and impute righteous" and that not of ourselves; it is the gift of God." It is ness to them? I know there is, as to this, commonly inby this faith that the soul is brought into union with his troduced a very unnecessary and trifling dispute. What Saviour; by it, it comes to him; by it, they receive him, it is that is counted for righteousness? When the matter (John i. 12.) and it is by this they come to the Son, and comes to be thus stated-is it the act of believing or the to have life, 1 John v. 11. It is in order hereto, that God object believed on? and the question will be easily anthe Father is said to draw souls to Christ, and they are swered by putting another question:-Suppose it be asked, said to come to him. John vi. 44. "No man can come What is that which clothes a man ?—is it bis garment, or to me, except the Father which hath sent me, draw him." his putting it on? Sure a very ordinary understanding What friendliness is this to induce and draw souls to would find no difficulty to answer it. The garment Christ! We must understand that drawing aright. It is would never clothe a man, if it were not put on; and the not dragging by violence, but as himself expresses it, action that a man uses in putting on a thing would not that, (Hosea xi. 4.) "I drew them with cords a man, have clothed him if he had not the garment; and ergo, with bands of love! and I was to them as they that take these two must contribute together for this end, of being off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat ur to them." clothed, but in different kinds it is the garment when put It is by a gentle but effectual allection, drawing you to on that clothes him, and the action that is used in putting him; making it by reason and love in conjunction, to ap-it on is no part of the clothing, but it was requisite therepear to be your interest and concern; and so v orking on unto, and that without which he could not have been love to yourselves that it may be improved into a love to clothed. All this is so obvious, that I might save the him too. When they are brought-in with a lc ve upon in- labour of applying it to the case in hand. What is it upon digency first, they may grow into a love of complacency which a man is counted righteous in the sight of God? and highest delight afterwards; one love being the load- Why, he puts on the Lord Jesus Christ, and God puts stone of another-loving because you are firs. loved. But him on, as it were, so that the Scripture phrase is intellilook into these acts, and you will see what a friendly de-gible enough. It is that which is put on which is the matsign there must be in faith which is produced by union with Christ. By the result of that faith, you will see the kindness of it. There must be friendship in him that will engage my trust when it is nothing to him: he gains nothing by it, but it is necessary and beneficial to me. I do in this case take pains with myself to trust in him, working, but only so as one man may upon another in order thereunto; for they cannot immediately touch, and attract, and turn, and draw hearts. They can but use apt and suitable methods in order hereunto: but if they do that, there is much of kindness in the design; when

* Preached Sept. 24th, 1693,

ter of this clothing, and the action that is used here is no part of that matter, and yet it is such a requisite as without which he would never be clothed.

What is it upon which a man is counted righteous before God?-why he puts on the Lord Jesus Christ, as was said. But how friendly is it that such men should upon such terms, and in such a way and method, be brought into that state of righteous persons, when, if they were not so clothed, they stood exposed and naked unto vindictive justice armed with power even to the highest. But now the sword of vengeance cannot touch them; otherwise,