come to Christ, mercy must come to the soul, and the Lord must come and bring truths unto the soul. What is then to be done? Then be not angry with him; wait with all longsuffering, and all patience, and go to God; go to God for thy child; go to God for thy friend; go to God for thy servant, upon this ground, because the kingdom of heaven must come to us first, before we can come to it.

But especially, Trust in the Lord for ever. Oh, all you that are the servants of the Lord, upon this ground, trust in the Lord for ever. Does the kingdom of heaven approach, and draw near to us, before we draw near unto it? Then say within your souls, Doubting shall be no more.

Some there are, that doubt of their salvation, because of the ignorance that is in them: darkness causes fear: they do not know the merciful disposition of Jesus Christ, and so they doubt of his love. The devil, as he labours to change himself into an angel of light; so he labours to change Christ into an angel of darkness. But beloved, ye have heard of the merciful, sweet disposition of Jesus Christ: he is willing to save sinners, and the greatest sinners; brings near the kingdom of heaven to us, before we draw near to it: oh, wilt thou doubt again; poor christian, wilt thou doubt again?

Some there are, that doubt of their salvation, because they are afraid their duties shall not be accepted, prayers shall not be accepted: Oh, if I could but be persuaded, says one, that the Lord would hear my prayer, and accept of my duty, then I should know indeed I should be saved: but I am afraid the Lord doth not hear my prayers, and accept of my duties; and therefore I fear I shall not be saved. Man or woman, wherever thou standest, or art, hear the word of the Lord. Does the Lord cause the kingdom of heaven to approach and draw near to us, before we draw near to it; will the Lord be found of those that seek him not; and will he not be found of you that do seek him? Will the Lord come with his grace, and make an offer of grace and mercy to a sinner, and a great sinner; and will not the Lord receive you, when you do come unto him? Think of this and surely then you will say, Doubting shall be no more.

Some there are that doubt of their salvation, because they

cannot pray; their hearts are dead; pray I cannot, and hear I cannot, and read I cannot; perform duty I cannot; and therefore I have cause to fear that I shall never come to heaven. Well, but though you cannot, man, or woman, christian, pray as thou art able, and hear as thou art able, and read as thou art able: the Lord Christ is of this sweet disposition, that he does cause the kingdom of heaven to draw near to us, before we draw near to it: oh, therefore, you that are the servants of the Lord, trust in the Lord for ever; for ever trust in the Lord and let doubting be no more.

I conclude all with one word of exhortation, and it is unto those that have not yet submitted unto this kingdom of heaven, this kingdom of grace: is there a truth in this doctrine: That the kingdom of heaven, grace, mercy, and free remission, does approach unto us, before we draw near unto it; and that because, indeed, we are not able to draw near to it, before it draws near unto us? Then all you, that have not yet submitted unto this kingdom of grace, and the offer of grace and mercy in the gospel; whenever any offer shall be made unto you, take heed that ye neglect not so great salvation. You see how it is with the seaman: because the seaman is not able to raise a wind, or turn the wind when it is raised, he lies upon the sea coast ready, waiting upon the wind; and when the wind turn, then he hoists up his sails, for, says he, now the wind is come about, and if I lose this gale, I am likely to lose my voyage: I cannot turn the wind, I cannot make the wind. So I say to you, man or woman, young man or old: hath the Lord brought a gale upon thine heart at any time; a gale of mercy, made a tender of mercy, and free remission to thee? Oh, for the love of God, and of thy own soul, take heed how you lose this opportunity; is the wind come about? The Spirit bloweth where it listeth. Is the wind come about? Up with thy sails, up with thy sails, take heed how you lose this opportunity that now you have. Little do you think, that the kingdom of heaven may be in such a motion as you despise : the kingdom of heaven may be knocking at your door, the door of your heart, by such a hand as you little think of. "The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which indeed is the least of all seeds; but it grows to that bigness, that the fowls of the air come and make there their

nests," Matt. xiii. 31, 32: when you see a little mustard seed, you will say, it is impossible; can ever this mustard seed grow to that bigness, that the fowls of the air should there make their nests? The kingdom of heaven is like Christ himself? Can this be the Messiah? it is the carpenter's son; can this carpenter's son be the Messiah? So the kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed: comes with a small motion: may be the child makes a motion to his father, Oh, father, let there be prayer in our family, oh, let there be reading the word of God in our family. May be the servant comes and makes a motion to the mistress; Oh, mistress, let us go to such a sermon, let us go to such a meeting, let us go to prayer: the kingdom of heaven may come in such a motion; by the hand of a child, by the hand of a servant : take heed therefore if you have not submitted to this offer; oh, take heed, take heed how you neglect so great salvation. I say the kingdom of heaven may come in such a small motion as you despise. And therefore, if ever the Lord breathe upon any of your hearts; if the wind come about; man and woman, up with thy sails, now for thy life, now for thy eternity; if this gale be lost, may be thou shalt never have such a gale again: the kingdom of heaven does approach and draw near unto us, before we draw near unto it: well therefore, when it comes, see that you accept of it.

SERMON II.

Repent ye for the kingdom of heaven is at hand:" (or hath approached.)-MATT. III. 2.

THESE words are part of that sermon which John the Baptist preached, when he first began for to preach the gospel. They contain, ye see at the first view, an exhortation to repentance, with a motive, or encouragement thereunto : "For the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

I take it for granted, that ye understand what is the notion of repentance. And my design is not to fall into the common place of repentance; but only to speak to it so far as it hath relation to this motive.

Some there are, that think these words are to be understood of a legal repentance; as if John the Baptist's ministry were a legal ministry: and in that sense he himself a forerunner of Jesus Christ. This, methinks, is to lower the ministry of John the Baptist. And if you look into Luke i., you will find, that John's ministry was not a legal ministry, but a gospel ministry: verses 76, 77, " Thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord, to prepare his ways: to give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins." And if ye look into the following verse to the text, ye shall find the interpretation of this repentance: "Repent ye: for this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight." So that preparing the way of the Lord, and making his paths straight, is all one with that which is going before. Now is any one able to make his paths straight, before he do come to Christ; why then do we come to Christ if we be able to make our paths straight, before we do come unto him?

And besides, As the motive is, such is the repentance that is founded on it. The motive here is evangelical: "Repent ye for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." The motive is evangelical, surely therefore the repentance here required, is not a legal, but an evangelical repentance.

But what is it then? what is here meant by the kingdom of heaven; and the kingdom of heaven being at hand, or approaching?

In the language of the New Testament, the kingdom of heaven is sometimes put for the kingdom of glory; sometimes it is put for the church of Christ under the New Testament: sometimes it is put for the gospel, and the preaching of the gospel: sometimes for the whole kingdom of grace. I take it here for the whole state of the Messiah: the kingdom of grace, the preaching of the gospel, and the dispensations thereof. And he says here, That the kingdom of heaven hath approached: therefore do you turn, therefore do ye repent.

There are these two notes that lie before ye.

First, The kingdom of heaven does approach unto us, before we do come unto it. Repent ye: or turn ye: because

the kingdom of heaven hath approached unto you; so in the beginning.

Secondly, That the appropinquation, approaching, or drawing near of the kingdom of heaven, is the highest and the greatest motive in the world unto true repentance.

I have spoken to the former, in a congregation not far distant: and my desire is to speak unto the second.

The appropinquation, approaching, or drawing near of the kingdom of heaven, is the highest and the greatest motive in the world unto true repentance.

This is the motive that John uses here; thus John begins, when he began for to preach the gospel. And if you look into chap. iv., ye shall find, that our Saviour Christ begins to preach repentance upon the same motive: verse 17, “ From that time Jesus began to preach, and say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." The same words. And if ye look into Matt. x., ye shall find, that when he sent out his apostles for to preach, he put the like words into their mouths also: verse 7, " And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand."

There the word, repent, is not, you will say: but if you look into Mark vi. 12, ye shall find that it is said there, "Then they went out and preached that men should repent." It was part of their commission: and thus they were to preach repentance upon this motive, "That the kingdom of heaven is at hand, or the kingdom of heaven is approaching." Surely therefore, this is the great motive, the motive of motives. In the invitation to the great supper spoken of in the gospel, what is the motive used, for to bring men unto the supper, but this?" Come, for all things are now ready;" mercy is ready, the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ is ready, come, for all things are now ready; this is the motive that is used there. And if ye look into Rom. xii. 1, ye shall find that when the apostle doth exhort them to present themselves a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, he persuades by this motive of mercy: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice." I beseech ye therefore. That therefore, sends us unto the former chapter, to inquire what these mercies were. At verse 30, of the former chapter, he says unto them, " For as ye in times past have not believed