ceived on earth, from the juftice of God, on our account. Other advocates spend their breath, Chrift his blood.

Fourthly, He pleads the caufe of believers freely. Other advo cates plead for reward, and exhauft the purfes, while they plead the causes of their clients.

Fifthly, In a word, he obtaineth for us all the mercies for which he pleads; no caufe mifcarries in his hand, which he undertakes, Rom. viii. 33, 34. O what a lovely Advocate is Chrift for be

lievers!

- Fourthly, Chrift is altogether lovely in the relation of a friend, for in this relation he is pleafed to own his people, Luke xii. 4, 5. There are certain things in which one friend manifefts his affection and friendship to another, but none like Chrift. For,

Firft, No friend is fo open-hearted to his friend as Chrift is to his people; he reveals the very counfels and fecrets of his heart to them. John xv. 15. "Henceforth I call you not fervants, for the fervant "knoweth not what his Lord doth; but I have called you friends; "for all things that I have heard of iny Father, I have made "known unto you."

Secondly, No friend in the world is fo generous and bountiful to his friend, as Jefus Chrift is to believers; John xv. 13. he parts with his very blood for them; "Greater love (faith he) hath no "man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." He hath exhaufted the precious treasures of his invaluable blood to pay our debts. O what a lovely friend is Jefus Chrift to be lievers!

Thirdly, Nor friend fympathizes fo tenderly with his friend in affliction, as Jefus Chrift doth with his friends: "In all our afflic❝tions he is afflicted," Heb. iv. 15. He feels all our forrows, wants and burdens as his own. Whence it is that the fufferings of believers are called the fufferings of Chrift, Col. i. 24.

Fourthly, No friend in the world takes that complacency in his friend, as Jefus Chrift doth in believers. Cant. iv. 9. "Thou "haft ravished my heart, (faith he to the spouse) thou haft ravish"ed my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck." The Hebrew, here rendered ravished, fignifies to puff up, or to make one proud: how is the Lord Jefus pleafed to glory in his people! how is he taken and delighted with thofe gracious ornaments which himself bestows upon them! No friend to lovely as Chrift.

Fifthly, No friend in the world loves his friend with fo fervent and ftrong affection as Jefus Chrift loves believers. Jacob loved Rachel, and endured for her fake the parching heat of fummer and cold of winter; but Chrift endured the ftorms of the wrath of God, the heat of his indignation, for our fakes. David manifested

his love to Abfalom, in wifhing, "O that I had died for thee!" Chrift manifefted his love to us, not in wishes that he had died, but in death itself, in our stead, and for our fakes.

Sixthly, No friend in the world is fo conftant and unchangeable in friendship as Chrift is, John xiii. 1. "Having loved his own "which were in the world, he loved them unto the end." He bears with millions of provocations and injuries, and yet will not break friendship with his people. Peter denied him, yet he will not difown him; but after his refurrection he faith, "Go, tell the "disciples, and tell Peter," q. d. Let him not think he hath forfeited, by that fin of his, his intereft in me; though he have denied me, I will not difown him, Mark xvi. 7. Ő how lovely is Chrift in the relation of a friend! I might farther fhew you the lovelinefs of Chrift in his ordinances and in his providences, in his communion with us and communications to us, but there is no end of the account of Chrift's lovelinefs: I will rather chufe to prefs believers to their duties towards this altogether lovely Christ, which I fhall briefly difpatch in a few words.

Ufe. First, Is Jefus Chrift altogether lovely, then I beseech you Jet your fouls upon this lovely Jefus. Methinks fuch an object as hath been here reprefented, fhould compel love from the coldest breast and hardest heart. Away with thofe empty nothings, away with this vain deceitful world, which deferves not the thousandth part of the love you give it; let all ftand afide and give way to Chrift. O did you but know his worth and excellency, what he is in himself, what he hath done for, and deferved from you, you would need no arguments of mine to perfuade you to love him.

Secondly, Efteem nothing lovely but as it is enjoyed in Chrift, or improved for Chrift. Affect nothing for itself, love nothing separate from Jefus Chrift. In two things we all fin in love of creatures, viz. in the excess of our affections, loving them above the rate and value of creatures; and in the inordinacy of our affections, i. e. in loving them out of their proper places.

Thirdly, Let us all be humbled for the bafenefs of our hearts, that are fo free of their affections to vanities and trifles, and fo hard to be perfuaded to the love of Chrift, who is altogether lovely. O how many pour out ftreams of love and delight upon the vain and empty creature; whilft no arguments can draw forth one drop of love from their obdurate and unbelieving hearts to Jefus Chrift! I have read of one Joannes Mollius, who was obferved to go often alone, and weep bitterly; and being preffed by a friend to know. the caufe of his troubles; O! faid he, it grieves me that I cannot bring this heart of mine to love Jefus Chrift more fervently. Fourthly, Reprefent Chrift, as he is, to the world, by your carriage VOL. II. Ff

towards him. Is he altogether lovely; let all the world fee and know that he is fo, by your delights in him and communion with him; zeal for him, and readiness to part with any other lovely thing upon his account; proclaim his excellencies to the world, as the fpoufe here did; convince them how much your beloved is better than any other beloved; display his glorious excellencies in your heavenly converfations; hold him forth to others, as he is in himself, altogether lovely. See that you "walk worthy of him "unto all well-pleafing," Col. i. 10. "Shew forth the praises of "Chrift," 1 Pet. ii. 19. Let not that "worthy name be blaf"phemed through you," James ii. 7. He is glorious in himself, and will put glory upon you; take heed ye put not shame and difhonour upon him: he hath committed his honour to you, do not betray that trust.

Fifthly, Never be ashamed to own Chrift; he is altogether lovely; he can never be a fhame to you; it will be your great fin to be afhamed of him. Some men glory in their fhame; be not you afhamed of your glory: if you be afbamed of Chrift now, he will be afbamed of you when he fhall appear in his own glory, and the glory of all his holy angels. Be afhamed of nothing but fin; and among other fins, be afhamed especially for this fin, that you have no more love for him who is altogether lovely.

Sixthly, Be willing to leave every thing that is lovely upon earth, that you may be with the altogether lovely Lord Jefus Chrift in heaven. Lift up your voices with the fpoufe, Rev. xx. 20. " Čomé Lord Jefus, "come quickly." It is true, you must pass through the pangs of death into his bofom and enjoyment; but fure it is worth fuffering much more than that to be with this lovely Jefus. "The Lord "direct your hearts into the love of God, and the patient waiting "for Jefus Chrift," 2 Thef. iii. 5.

Seventhly, Strive to be Chrift-like, as ever you would be lovely in the eyes of God and man. Certainly, my brethren, it is the Spirit of Chrift within you, and the beauty of Chrift upon you, which only can make you lovely perfons; the more you refemble him in holinefs, the more will you difcover of true excellency and loveliness: and the more frequent and spiritual your converse and communion with Chrift is, the more of the beauty and loveliness of Christ will ftill be stamped upon your fpirits, changing you into the fame image, from glory to glory.

Eighthly, Let the loveliness of Chrift draw all men to him. Is lovelinefs in the creature so attractive? And can the transcendent lovelinefs of Chrift draw none? O the blindness of man! If you fee no beauty in Chrift why you should defire him, it is because the god of this world hath blinded your minds.

SERMON XII.

Alluring the Hearts of Men to come to CHRIST, by a fourth Motive contained in another Title of CHRIST.

THE

HAGGAI . 7.

And the defire of all nations fhall come.

HE former chapter is mainly spent, in reproving the negli gence of the Jews, who, being difcouraged from time to time, had delayed the rebuilding the temple: and, in the mean time, employed their care and coft in building and adorning their own houfes: but, at last, being perfuaded to fet about the work, they met with this difcouragement, that fuch was the poverty of the prefent time, that the fecond ftructure would no way anfwer the magnificence and fplendor of the firft. In Solomon's days the nation was wealthy, now drained; fo that there would be no proportion betwixt the fecond and the firft. To this grand dif couragement the prophet applies this relief; that whatsoever fhould be wanting in external pomp and glory, fhould be more than recompensed by the prefence of Jefus Chrift in this fecond temple. For Chrift, "the defire of all nations," faith he, fhall come into it. Which, by the way, may give us this useful note: That the prefence of Jefus Chrift gives a more real and excellent glory to the places of his worship, than any external beauty or outward ornaments whatsoever can bestow upon them. Our eyes, like the difciples, are apt to be dazzled with the goodly ftones of the temple, and, in the mean time, to neglect and overlook that which gives it the greatest honour and beauty.

But to return. In thefe words we have both the description of Christ, and an index pointing at the time of his incarnation: he is called the defire of all nations;" and the time of his coming in the flesh, is plainly intimated to be whilft the fecond temple fhould be standing. Where, by the way, we find just cause to admire at and bemoan the blindness that is happened to the Jews, who, owning the truth of this prophecy, and not able to deny the deftruction of the fecond temple, many hundred years paft, will not yet be brought to acknowledge the incarnation of the true Meffiah notwithstanding.

But to the point. The character, or description of Christ, stiled the defire of all nations, who was to come into the world in the time of the fecond temple, Mal. iii. 12. and that, after grievous concuffions and shakings of the world, which were to make way for

his coming; for fo our prophet here fpeaks, "I will shake all na❝tions, and the defire of all nations fhall come," to which the apostle alludes, in Heb. xii. 26. applying this prophecy to Jefus Chrift, here called the "defire of all nations:" putting the act for the object, defire for the thing defired: as in Ezek. xxiv. 16. "The defire of thine eyes," i. e. the defirable wife of thy bofom; fo here, the "defire of all nations," i. e. Chrift, the object of the defires of God's elect, in all nations of the world: a Saviour infinitely defirable in himself, and actually defired by all the people of God, difperfed among all kindreds, tongues, and nations of the world. From whence this note is,

Doct. That the defires of God's elect, in all kingdoms, and among all people of the earth, are, and shall be drawn cut after, and fixed upon the Lord Jefus Chrift.

The merciful God beholding the univerfal ruins of the world by fin, hath provided an univerfal remedy for his own elect, in every part of the earth. Chrift is not impropriated to any one kingdom or nation in the world; but intended to be God's falvation to the ends of the earth; and accordingly fpeaks the apostle, Col. ii. .There is neither Greek, nor Jew, Barbarian, Scy"thian, bond nor free; but Chrift is all and in all." In the explication of this point two things must be enquired into..

1. Why Chrift is called the defire of all nations.

2. Upon what account the people of God, in all nations, defire

him.

First, Why he is called the defire of all nations, and what that phrafe may import; and there are divers things that are supposed, or included in it.

Firft, That God the Father hath appointed him as a common remedy for the fins and miferies of his people, in all parts and quarters of the world. So in the covenant of redemption, betwixt the Father and the Son, the Lord expreffeth himself, Ifa. xlix. 6. and he faid, "It is a light thing that thou fhouldeft be my fervant, "to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of "Ifrael: I will alfo give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou "mayeft be my falvation unto the end of the earth." Suitable whereunto is that prophecy, Ifa. lii. 15. "He shall sprinkle many "nations." If God had not appointed him for, he could not be defired by all nations.

And, indeed, herein the grace of God doth admirably fhine forth in the freeness of it, that even the most barbarous nations are not excluded from the benefits of redemption by Chrift. This is what the apoftle admires, that Chrift fhould be preached to the