know much better than any mere fcholar, the deep sense of that text, Matth. xvi. 26. " What is a man profited, if he should gain "the whole world, and lofe his own foul? or what fhall a man "give in exchange for his foul?"

Five things fhew how weighty the thoughts and cares of falvation are upon their hearts.

Firft, Their continual thoughtfulness and folicitude about these things; if earthly affairs divert them for a while, yet they are ftiH returning again to this folemn business.

Secondly, Their careful redeeming of time, and faving the very moments thereof to employ about this work: Thofe that were prodigal of hours and days before, look upon every moment of time as a precious and valuable thing now.

Thirdly, Their fears and tremblings left they fhould miscarry, and come short at laft, fhew how much their hearts are fet upon this work.

Fourthly, Their inquifitivenefs and readiness to embrace all the help and affiftance that they can get from others, evidently difcover this to be their great defign.

Fifthly, and laftly, The little notice they take of all other troubles and afflictions, tells you their hearts are taken up about greater things. This is the third leffon they are taught of God.

Leffon 4. Fourthly, The Lord teaches the foul that is coming to Chrift, that though it be their duty to frive to the uttermost for falvation; yet all frivings, in their own ftrength, are infufficient to obtain it. This work is quite above the power of nature: "It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that theweth mercy." The foul is brought to a full conviction of this, by the difcovery of the heinous nature of fin, and of the rigour and feverity of the law of God. No repentance nor reformation can poffibly amount unto a juft fatisfaction, nor are they within the compafs and power of our will. It was a faying that Dr Hill often used to his friends, fpeaking about the power of man's will he would lay his hand upon his breaft, and fay, Every man hath fomething here to confute the Arminian doctrine." This fully takes off the foul from all expectations of deliverance that way; it cannot but ftrive, that is its duty; but to expect deliverance, as the purchafe of its own ftrivings, that would be its fin.

Lefon 5. Fifthly, The foul that is coming to Chrift by faith, is taught of God, that though the cafe it is in be fad, yet it is not defperate and remedilefs; There is a door of hope, a way of escape for poor finners, how black and fearful foever their own thoughts and apprehenfions are; there is ufually at this time a dawning light of hope in the foul that is under the Father's teachings; and this commonly

arifes from the general and indefinite encouragements and promifes of the golpel, which, though they do not prefently fecure the foul from danger, yet they prop and mightily fupport it against defpair: For though they be not certain that deliverance fhall be the event of their trouble; yet the poffibilities, and much more the probabilities of deliverance are a great stay to a finking foul. The troubled foul cannot but acknowledge itfelf to be in a far better cafe than the damned are, whofe hopes are perished from the Lord, and a death-pang of defpair hath feized their confciences. And herein the merciful and compaflionate nature of God is eminently difcovered, in hafting to open the door of hope, almost as foon as the evil of fin is opened. It was not long after Adam's eyes were opened to fee his mifery, that God opened Chrift, his remedy, in that firft promife, Gen. iii. 15. And the fame method of grace is ftill continued to his clect offspring, Gal. iii. 21, 22. Rom. iii. 21, 22. These fupporting hopes the Lord fees neceffary to encourage induftry in the ufe of means; it is hope that fets all the world awork; if all hope were cut off, every foul would fit down in a fullen defpair, yielding itself for hell.

Leffon 6. Sixthly, The Lord teaches those that come to Chrift, that there is a fulness of faving power in him, whereby any foul that duly receives him, may be perfectly delivered from all its fin and mifery, Heb. vii. 25. Col. i. 19. Matth. xxviii. 18. This is a great and neceffary point for every believer to learn and hear from the Father; for unlefs the foul be fatisfied of the fulness of Chrift's faving power, it will never move forward towards him; and herein also the goodness of God is most sweetly and seasonably manifefted; for, at this time, it is the great defign of Satan to fill the foul with defpairing thoughts of a pardon; but all those black and heart-finking thoughts vanish before the difcovery of Chrift's allfufficiency. Now the fin-fick foul faith with that woman, Matth. ix. 21. “ If I may but touch the hem of his garment, I fhall be "healed." How deep foever the guilt and ftain of fin be, yet the foul which acknowledges the infinite dignity of the blood of Chrift, the offering it up to God in our room, and God's declared fatisfaction in it, muft needs be fatisfied that Chrift is “able to save, "to the uttermoft, all that come unto God by him;" which is the fixth leffon believers are taught of God.

Leon 7. Seventhly, Everyman that cometh to Chrift is taught of God, that he can never reap any benefit by the blood of Chrift, except be have union with the perfon of Chrift, 1 John v. 12. Eph. iv. 16. Time was when men fondly thought nothing was neceffary to their falvation but the death of Chrift; but now the Lord fhews them that their union with Chrift by faith is as neceffary, in the place of an applying caufe, as the death of Chrift is, in the place of

SERM. XXII. a meritorious caufe: The purchafe of falvation is an act of Chrift without us, whilft we are yet finners; the application thereof is by a work wrought within us, when we are believers, Col. i. 27. In the purchase all the elect are redeemed together by way of price; in the application they are actually redeemed, each perfon, by way of power. Look, as the fin of the firft Adam could never hurt us, unless he had been our head by way of generation; fo the righteoufnefs of Chrift can never benefit us, unlefs he be our head by way of regeneration. In teaching this leffon, the Lord, in mercy, unteaches and blots out that dangerous principle, by which the greatest part of the chriftianized world do perifh, viz. that the death of Chrift is, in itself, effectual to falvation, though a man be never regenerated or united to him by faving faith.

Leon 8. Eighthly, God teaches the foul, whom he is bringing to Chrift, that whatever is necessary to be wrought in us, or done by us, in order to our union with Chrift, is to be obtained from him in the way of prayer, Ezek. xxxvi. 37. And it is obfervable, that the foul no fooner comes under the effectual teachings of God, but the Spirit of prayer begins to breathe in it, Acts ix. 8. "Behold, he pray"eth." Thofe that were taught to pray by men before, are now taught of the Lord to pray: To pray did I fay? yea, and to pray fervently too, as men concerned for their eternal happiness; to pray not only with others, but to pour out our fouls before the Lord in fecret; for their hearts are as bottles full of new wine, which muft vent or break. Now the foul returns upon its God often in the fame day; now it can exprefs its burdens and wants, in words and groans which the Spirit teacheth. They pray, and will not give over praying, till Chrift come with complete falvation.

Leon 9. Ninthly, All that come to Chrift are taught of God to abandon their former ways and companions in fin, as ever they expect to be received unto mercy, Ifa. Iv. 7. 2 Cor. v. 17. Sins that were profitable and pleafant, that were as the right hand, and right eye, muft now be cut off. Companions in fin, who were once the delight of their lives, muft now be caft off. Chrift faith to the foul concerning thefe, as he faid in another cafe, John xviii. 8. « If "therefore ye feek me, let thefe go their way." And the foul faith unto Chrift, as it is, Pfal. exix. 115. " Depart from me, ye ❝evil-doers, for I will keep the commandments of my God.” And now pleasant fins and companions in fin, become the burden and fhame of a man's foul. Objects of delight are become objects of pity and compaffion: No endearments, no union of blood, no earthly interefts whatsoever, are found strong enough to hold the foul any longer from Chrift: Nothing but the effectual teachings of God are found fufficient to diffolve fuch bonds of iniquity as thefe.

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Leon 10. Tenthly, All that come unto Chrift are taught of God, that there is fuch a beauty and excellency in the ways and people of God, as is not to be equalled in the whole world, Pfal. xvi. 3. When the eyes of ftrangers to Chrift begin to be opened, and enlightened in his knowledge, you may fee what a change of judgment is wrought in them, with refpect to the people of God: and towards them efpecially, whom God hath any way made inftrumental for the good of their fouls, Cant. v. 9. they then call the fpoule of Chrift, "the fairest among women." The convincing holinefs of the bride then began to enamour and affect them, with a defire of nearer conjunction and communion: We will feek him with thee; with thee that haft fo charged us, that haft taken fo much pains for the good of our fouls: now, and never before, the righteous appeareth more excellent than his neighbour. Change of heart is always accompanied with change of judgment, with respect to the people of God: thus the gaoler, Acts xvi. 33. wathed the apoftle's tripes, to whom he had been fo cruel before. The godly now feem to be the glory of the places where they live; and the glory of any place feems to be darkened by their removal; as one faid of holy Mr Barrington, "Methinks the town is not at "home when Mr Barrington is out of town." They efteem it a choice mercy to be in their company and acquaintance ; Zech. viii. 23. “We will go with you, for we have heard that God "Is with you." No people like the people of God now; as one faid, when he heard of two faithful friends, Utinam tertius effem! O that I might make the third! Whatever vile or low thoughts they had of the people of God before, to be fure now they are the excellent of the earth, in whom is all their delight: The holiness of the faints might have fome intereft in their confciences before, but they never had fuch an intereft in their eftimation and affections, till this leffon was taught them by the Father.

Lefon 11. Eleventhly, All that come to Chrift are taught of God, that whatever difficulties they apprehend in religion, yet they_must not, upon pain of damnation, be difcouraged thereby, or return again to Jin, Luke ix. 62. "No man having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." Ploughing-work is hard work; a ftrong and fteady hand is required for it he that ploughs must keep on, and make no balks of the hardest and toughest ground he meets with. Religion also is the running_of a race, 1 Cor. ix. 24. there is no standing still, much lefs turning back, if ever we hope to win the prize.

The devil, indeed, labours every way to difcourage and daunt the foul, by reprefenting the infuperable difficulties of religion to it; and young beginners are but too apt to be difcouraged, and fall under defpondency; but the teachings of the Father are en

couraging teachings; they are carried on from strength to strength againft all the oppofitions they meet with from without them, and the many difcouragements they find within them. To this conclufion they are brought by the teaching of God, We must have Chrift, we must get a pardon, we must firive for falvation, let the difficulties, troubles, and fufferings in the way be never fo great or many. As he faid, Neceffe eft ut eam, non ut vivam; it is neceffary that I go on, it is not neceffary that I live: So faith the foul that is taught of God; it is eafier for me to difpenfe with eafe, honour, relations, yea, with life itself, than to part with Chrift, and the hopes of eternal life.

Leon 12. Twelfthly, They that come to Chrift, are taught of God, that whatever guilt and unworthiness they difcover in themselves, and whatever fears and doubts are upon their hearts, as to parden and acceptance; yet, as the cafe ftands, it is their wisdom and great intereft, to venture themselves in the way of faith, upon Jefus Chrift, whatever the flue thereof be.

Three great difcouragements are usually found upon the hearts of thote that come to Chrift in the way of faith.

Firft, The fenfible greatnefs of guilt and fin. How can I go to Christ that am in fuch a cafe, that have been fo vile a wretch? And here meafuring the grace and mercy of Chrift, by what it finds in itself, or in other creatures, 1 Sam. xxiv. 19. the foul is ready to link under the weight of its own difcouraging and mifgiving thoughts.

Secondly, The fenfe they have of their own weakness and inability to do what God requires, and must of neceffity be done, if ever they be faved. My heart is harder than adamant, how can I break it? My will is ftubborn, and exceeding obftinate, I am no way able to bow it; the frame and temper of my spirit is altoge♫ther carnal, and earthly; and it is not in the power of my hand to alter and change it; alas! I cannot fubdue any one corruption, nor perform one fpiritual duty, nor bear one of those sufferings and burdens which religion lays upon all that follow Chrift: this allo proves a great difcouragement in the way of faith.

Thirdly, And, which is more than all, the foul that is coming to Jefus Chrift, hath no affurance of acceptance with him, if it fhould adventure itself upon him: it is a great hazard, a great adventure; it is much more probable, if I look to myfelf, that Chrift will hut the door of mercy against me.

But under all thefe difcouragements the foul learns this leffon from God, That, as ungodly as it is, nevertheless it is every way its great duty and concernment to go on in the way of faith, and make that great adventure of itfelf upon Jefus Chrift: and of this the Lord convinceth the foul by two things, viz.