death; not only fin in general, but the iniquity which is in their hearts, and with which they are moft easily befet. They are willing alfo to lay afide the grave-cloaths of felf: Matth. v. 3. "Bleffed are the poor in fpirit." They will look on the rags of their own righteousness but as grave-cloaths alfo, and fet themfelves againft all motions of this tendency. In a word, they are for doing all as if they were to win heaven this way; at the fame time, overlooking all as if they were doing nothing.

Now, to you living and believing communicants, we acquaint you with Chrift's welcome: Song, v. 1. "Eat, O friends! drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved!" Take it, and ufe freedom in his houfe. Eat, drink abundantly. Let your fouls feaft indeed at this gofpelfeast, and miss not the opportunity.-I will only fay to you, as the angel to Elijah, 1 Kings, xix. 7. "And the angel of the Lord came again the fecond time, and touched him, and said, Arife and eat, because the journey is too great for thee." You have a great journey to go, and it is a queftion if you get fuch another meal fet before you, ere you be at the end of it. You have a twofold journey, each of which requires you to eat.-You have,

1. Your journey through the world, towards the Canaan above. It is difficult at all times; fo as that many never dare venture on it, others never make it out, for it lies through many difficulties. The devil, the world, and the flesh, will struggle with you, to give over this journey, of living well through the world. It is like to be more than ordinarily difficult in our times. A spirit of delufion threatens a dark and misty day. Labour to taste the power of truth, if you would

be

be established in it. A Popish and malignant fpirit threatens with darknefs, blood, and confufion. This is evident, if we confider the apoftacy in these nations from the' once covenanted work of reformation, the blood of the faints yet lying at their doors, with the profanity and irreligion which is abounding among all ranks. As we have reason to think the Popish and malignant party in these nations, fetting up for a Popith pretender, are infatuated of God to their own ruin, that they may get blood to drink; fo we have ground to fear God may make them a fcourge to the nations, and perhaps by them he may drive them to reformation. Whatever, then, the clouds may turn to, eat for a wildernefs-journey.-You have,

2. Your journey out of the world, that is, to die well. It is a weighty journey from time to eternity. Eat for it this day, and do as you will wifh to have done when you come to a dyinghour. It may be some will not have as much time to think on it when it comes, as they will have this day at a communion-table. And that at a communion-table you may eat,-labour to have your appetite after Chrift fharpened. Open your mouths wide, and he will fill them. Confider well your own needs, and his fulness.-Adore the wonderful condefcenfion of the great God. Reverence his greatnefs; but beware of flavish fear and amazement. Look to God through the vail of Christ's flesh.In a word, beware of unbelief. Reft not in a general faith, but exercise a faith of application: Gal. ii. 20. I am crucified with Chrift: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me : and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Amen.

THE

THE DISTINGUISHING PRIVILEGE OF GOD'S

FAITHFUL SERVANTS

SERMON LXIV.

Exod. xxiv. II.

And upon the nobles of the children of Ifrael he laid not his hand: alfo they far God, and did eat and drink.

HE Lord is calling us to come up to him

TH

into the mount of solemn ordinances; and though there may be fome who will abide at the foot of the hill, unconcerned and ftupid, like Abraham's fervant and the afs, I hope there are others who will defire to go forward, though it is likely there may be a struggle betwixt hope and fear about their entertainment there. How are your hearts affected upon this awful approach? are they faying within you, as thefe Greeks, "We would fee Jefus ?" Or, as the prodigal Jew, Luke, XV. 17. "We perish with hunger." And at the fame time with the men of Bethfhemesh, 1 Sam. "Who is able to ftand before this holy Lord

vi. 19.

This and the following difcourfe were delivered at Maxton, Auguft 11. and 12. 1710.

THE DISTINGUISHING PRIVILEGF,

&c. 349

Lord God?" Our text gives you encouragement from this inftance of the nobles of Ifrael. Upon God's call they came up to the mount; and (which divides the text into two parts), firft, They were fafe: And upon the nobles of the children of Ifrael he laid not his hand, Secondly, They were kindly entertained: Also they faw God, and did eat and drink.We fhall attend to thefe feparately.

The first part is, they were fafe in their approach. Mofes remarks this, to the praife of the divine clemency in a Mediator, through whom finners may fee God, and not die. Sin has fet man at fuch a distance from God, and put his body into fuch a weak. and mouldering condition, that consciousness of guilt and a fight of the divine glory meeting together, is more than enough to exanimate and make him faint away, to break the corrupt earthern pitcher the foul dwells in to pieces. Hence it was a common opinion, that fuch a fight was deadly.-Confider here,

1. The parties whofe fafety is particularly remarked, the nobles of the children of Ifrael. Some reckon Nadab and Abihu among thefe; but if fo, why not Mofes and Aaron? It is plain they were all there, ver. 9. and 10. I think, however, it is only the feventy elders who are meant ; and therefore it is exprefled emphatically in the Hebrew, intimating, that not only was Mofes, the typical Me diator, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, who were defigned to be priefts, preferved; but even the elders, the reprefentatives of the people, thefe alfo were fafe. You will accordingly observe, that the people are as welcome to the divine favour, and to gracious manifeftations of God, as minifters. Tho' minifters be employed to open the doors of the temple, the people stand as fair for a fight of the glory within as they do. Though Mofes, &c.

went

went up foremost to the mount; yet no man should either value himself before the Lord, or be dif couraged upon the character which he bears. Ordinarily, people will pray that minifters may be helped in their public ministrations, to preach, &c.; but they fhould even alfo be concerned, that they may be helped to believe, tafte, feel, and feed, with the reft of the children..

They were nobles, great men, rulers of the people; yet they went up to the mount with Aaron, and fat down to the facred feast there, after they had taken the national covenant of Ifrael with the reft of the people, ver. 8. 9.-You will thence obferve, that it is the honour of the nobles of a land to fee God, and to be feen upon the mount with God, at the facred feast, as covenanters with him. This was fome time the honour of Scotland's nobility and gentry; they were forward in the national covenant with God; and we have heard the days have been, when scarlet-cloaks and velvet-hoods bare great bulk in fuch meetings as this. But, ah! how is our gold become drofs! they leave these things now mostly to the common people, with contempt of both. What wonder is it that they have been left to make themselves the tail, and not the head! to row us into deep waters, where the state is funk, and the church is broken; to turn Babel-builders, fo that for once the fcaffolding is broken, and the builders, with many others, heavily crushed. For, "these that honour God, he will honour; but they that despise him, fhall be lightly esteemed."

There were feventy of thefe nobles, the number of the children of Ifrael when they went down to Egypt, and fo a fit number to represent the body of the people, who were now folemnly taken into covenant with God. God faw it not meet to give