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all; we know the worth of fouls, and how great a fervice it is to fave them from death, James v. 20. We also know the terrors of the Lord, which excite our utmost endeavours to perfuade men, 2 Cor. v. 11. We feel the compaffions of Chrift ftirring in our own bowels, which makes us long after their falvation, Phil. i. 8. We preach, we pray, yea, we travail again as it were in birth until Christ be formed in them, Gal. iv. 19. And when we have done all, we find their hearts as iron, and brass, Jer. vi. 28. We mourn in fecret when we cannot prevail, and oft times our hands hang down with difcouragement, and we are ready to lay with the prophet, Jer. XX. 9. We will speak no more in his name. But here is our relief, under all difcouragements from abroad and at home; the work is Chrift's, the power is his, he is with us, and we are workers together with him. There was a time when three thousand fouls were born to Chrift at one fermon, it may be now three thousand fermons may be preached and not a foul converted: yet let us not be difcouraged, a time of eminent converfion is promifed, and to be expected in these latter days, Ezek. xlvii. 9. when the living waters of the gospel hall make every thing to live whither they come, and when the fishers, i. e. the minifters Chrift, fhall not fish with angels, as now they do, taking now one, then another fingle convert, but fhall fpread forth their nets, and inclofe multitudes at a draught when they fhall fly as a cloud, and as the doves to "their windows." God now opens a door of opportunity beyond expectation; O that the hearts of minifters and people were fuitably enlarged, and the people made willing in the day of his power.

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Infer. 4. Hence we also infer the great dignity of the minifte rial office, and the fuitable refpect and honour due to all Chrift's faithful minifters. The Lord Jefus himself is represented by them, they ftand in his stead, 2 Cor. v. 20. his authority is clothed upon them; the honours and dishonour given them, redound to the perfon of Chrift. The Galatians received Paul as an angel of God, even as Chrift Jefus, Gal. iv. 14.

Yet how have their perfons and office been vilified and defpifed in this degenerate age! how many learned, pious, laborious, peaceful minifters of Chrift have, in this age, been hunted up and down in the world as wild beafts, been made the filth and off-fcouring of all things unto this day? I Cor. iv. 13. The word fignifies that dirt and filth which Scavengers rake together in the streets, to be carried to the dunghill, VOL. IV. Iii

No doubt but Satan drives a great defign in this to invalidate their miniftry, difcourage their labours, and break their hearts: but Jefus Chrift will fupport us under all these abufes, wipe off the dirt thrown at us for his name fake, and reserve some of us for better days.

Infer. 5. Is Chrift prefent in his ordinances, what aftrong m. gagement then lies upon you all to attend and wait affiduously upon the miniftry of the word, and to bring all yours, that are capa ble, there to wait upon Chrift with you? We read in the days of Christ's flesh, when he performed his miraculous cures upon the fick, what thronging there was after him; how parents brought their children, masters their fervants, preffing in multitudes, untiling the house to let down their fick to him, Luke xii. 1. Ab, fhall men be fo carneft for a cure for their bodies, and fo indifferent for their fouls? 'Tis true, the spirit of Chrift is not tied by any neceffity to act always with the word; he acts as an arbitrary agent, John iii. 8. The wind bloweth where it lifteth: but it is engagement enough to wait continually upon his ordinances, that he fometimes gracioufly, and effectually concurreth with them. Tis good to lie in the way of the Spirit; and there is a bleffing pronounced upon them that wait continually at his gates, Prov. viii. 34. O therefore neglect no feason with in your reach; for who knows but it may be the feason of life to thy foul?

Infer. 6. What an unspeakable lofs is the lofs of the gofpel, fec. ing the prefence of Chrift comes and goes with it? When the gospel departs, the fpirit of Chrift departs with it from ameng men; no more converfions, in God's ordinary way, are then to be expected: well therefore might the Lord fay, Hofea ix. 12. Woe to them when I depart from them. The fpirit may, in fome fenfe, depart, whilft the ordinances are left standing, for a time, among the people; but then expect no fuch blef fings or benefits from them. But when God takes away or dinances and fpirit too, woe indeed to that people; and are there not fins amongst us prefaging fuch a judgment? O England! reflect upon thy barrennefs under it; where be the fruits anfwerable to fuch precious means? The gofpel is a golden lamp, the graces of the fpirit communicated by it are golden oil; as in that stately vifion, Zech. iv. Will God maintain fuch a lamp, fed with fuch precious oil, for men to trifle and play by ?

And no lefs ominous and portentous is that bitter enmity to the gospel, and the ferious profeffors of it, which (I cannos fpeak without horror) is every where found among us; this

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great hatred brings on the days of vifitation, and the days of recompence, with a fwift and dreadful motion upon any people, Hofea ix. 7.

Infer. 7. If Christ be prefent, by way of spirit and energy in his ordinances, then there is no reason to defpair of the converfion and falvation of the greatest finners that yet lie dead under the gospel. What though their hearts be hard, their understanding dark, and their wills never fo perverfe and obftinate? all must give way, and open in the day of Chrift's power, when his fpirit joins himself with the word. This makes it an irresistible word; 'tis glorious to observe the hearts of publicans and harlots opening and yielding to the voice of Chrift, Matth. xxi. 31. What were thofe three thousand perfons pricked at the heart by Peter's fermon, Acts ii. 36. but the very men that, with wicked hands, had crucified the Lord Jefus? And what were the converted Corinthians, but idolators, turned from dumb idols, whoremongers, adulterers, effeminate? &c. 1 Cor. xii. 2. and vi. 11. God hath his elect among the vileft of men: the gofpel will find them out, and draw them home to Chrift, when the spirit animates and bleffeth it. Well might the apoftle therefore fay, that the gospel preached with the holy Ghost, fent down from heaven, is an object worthy for angels to be hold with admiration, Pet. i. 12. What though Satan has ftrongly fortified their fouls against Chrift, with ignorance, prejudice and enmity; yet the weapons of our wai fare are mighty, through God, to pull down these ftrong holds. Defpair not therefore of your carnal and dead-hearted relations, bring them to the gospel upon the encouragement of thefe words of Chrift, John v. 25. "The hour cometh, yea, and now is, that the dead "shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear it "fhall live."

Infer. 8. Is Chrift fpiritually prefent in his ordinances? O then what an endeared affection foould every gracious foul bear to the ordinances of God! They are the walks of Chrift, and his fpirit, the appointed times and places for your meeting and communion with him; there your fouls firft met with Chrift; there you began your acquaintance with him; there you have had many sweet converfes with him fince that day; they were the feed of your regeneration, 1 Ret. i. 23. the bread of life, by which your fouls have been fuftained ever fince, and therefore to be more elteemed by you than your neceffary food, Job xxiii. Here you have found the richest cordials to revive and recover your drooping fpirits, when ready to fink away in a faint

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fit under fin within you, and afflictions upon you. No wonder David's foul even fainted for the courts of God, Pfal. cxix. 50. and that Hezekiah defired a fign on his fick bed, that he fhould go up to the house of the Lord. Here are the choiceft comforts of the faints upon earth; all our fresh springs are in Zion, Pfal. Ixxxvii. 7. What a dungeon, what a barren wilderness were this world without them! Prize the ordinances, love the ordinances, wait affiduously upon the ordinances, and pray for the liberty and efficacy of the gospel, that it may fet no more in your days, nor in the days of your posterity.

SERMON III.

REVEL. iii. 20. Behold I [fland] at the door and knock; &c.

HA TAVING finished Chrift's folemn preface, and cleared the manner of his prefence in his churches and ordinances; I now come to a third obfervation which is neceffarily implied in thefe words, "Behold I ftand at the door and knock;" and that fad truth therein implied is this,

Doct. That the hearts of men are naturally locked up, and faft barred against Fefus Chrift their only Saviour.

If it were not fo, what need were there of all that pains and patience, ufed and exercised by Chrift, in waiting patiently, and knocking importunately for entrance into the hearts of men ? To keep a clear method in this point, three things must be slated in the doctrinal part.

1. How it appears the hearts of men are thus fhut up. 2. What are thofe locks and bars that shut them up. 3. That no power of man can remove these bars. First, That all hearts are naturally (hut and made fast against Chrift, is a fad but certain truth; we read, John i. 11, 12, "He 46 came unto his own, and his own received him not," &c. He came unto his own people, from whose stock he sprung up; a people to whom he had been prefigured in all the facrifices and types of the law, and in whom they might all clearly discern the accomplishment of them all. His doctrines and his miracles plainly told them who he was, and whence he came; yet few difcerned or received him as the Son of God. Chrift found the doors of mens hearts generally shut against him, save only a few whose hearts were opened by the Almighty power of God, in of faith, ver. 12. These indeed received him, but all

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the reft excluded and denied entrance to the Son of God. So again, John v. from ver. 33, to 40. Chrift reasons with them, and gives undeniable demonftrations, that he was the Messiah come to fave them; proves it from the teftimony of John, ver. 33. "Ye fent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth:" Tells them, the defign of his coming among them was their falvation, ver. 34. fhews them the great feal of heaven, his uncontroulable miracles, ver. 36. "The works that I do, bear "witness of me, that the Father hath fent me:" And if that were not enough, he reminds them of the immediate teftimony given of him from heaven, ver. 37. "The Father himself which hath fent me, hath born witness of me." He did fo at his baptifm, Math. iii. 17. "And lo a voice from heaven, saying, "this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." And fo again, at his transfiguration upon the holy mount, Matth. xvii. 5. "While he yet fpake, behold a bright cloud overshadowed "them; and behold a voice out of the cloud, which faid, this " is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, hear ye him." He bids them search the fcriptures, and critically examine his perfect correspondence to them, John v. 39. Enough, one would think, to open the door of every man's understanding and heart, to receive him with fulleft fatisfaction; and yet, after all, behold the unreasonable obftinacy and refiftance of their hearts against him, ver. 40. "Ye will not come unto me, that ye might "have life."

Not a foul will open, with all the reasons and demonftrations in the world, till the Almighty power of God be put forth to that end. If another come in his own name (faith he, ver. 43.) him will ye receive; any body rather than the Son of God: Every cheat can impofe upon you eafily, 'tis to me only your hearts have such strong averfions. Now there is a twofold shutting up of the heart against Jesus Christ.

1. Natural.

2. Judicial.

1. Natural. Every foul comes into this world fhut up and faft clofed against the Lord Jefus. The very will of man, which is the freest and most arbitrary faculty, comes into the world barred and bolted against Christ, Rom. viii. 7 "The carnal mind "is enmity against God; for it is not fubject unto the law of "God, neither indeed can be." Phil. ii. 13. "'Tis God that "worketh in you both to will and to do of his own good plea"fure." This is a difmal effect of the fall. Who feels not ftrong averfations, violent rebellions, and obftinate refiftances in his own heart, when moving towards Chrift in the first weak and trembling acts of faith?

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