things he told his difciples before he left the world: John xiv. 2. 3. "In my Father's houfe are many manfions; if it were not fo, I would "have told you: I go to prepare a place for you. "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I "will come again, and receive you unto myself, "that where I am, there ye may be alfo." You are this day to commemorate your Redeemer, who died once upon a crofs, but who has now been many ages upon a throne: Rev. i. 18. "I am he that liveth, and was dead; and "behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and "have the keys of hell and death." He is able to make his faithful disciples more than con querors over all their spiritual enemies; or, as it is expreffed in the paffage where the text lies, he will make them kings and priests to God and his Father. In the paffage immediately preceding the text, he is called the firft begotten from the dead; and elfewhere we are told, that the order of the refurrection is, "Chrift the firft fruits, "and afterwards they that are Chrift's at his co"ming." It fhall both finish and illuftrate his love when he fhall raise them that fleep in the duft; when he " fhall change thir vile bodies, "that they may be fashioned like unto his own glorious body, according to the working "whereby he is able to fubdue all things unto "himfelf." At prefent, how imperfect are our difcoveries! how weak and feeble our conceptions! how cold and languid our affections! Now we "fee through a glass darkly, but then "face to face." O how joyful to every believer the the deliverance from a state of fuffering temptation and fin, and the poffeffion of perfect holinefs and unchangeable happiness! And O how great the oppofition of the future to the present ftate! No more ftruggling with the evils of life: No more perplexity or anxious care for food and raiment ; no more diftrefs from sickness or pain; no prifons nor oppreffors there; no liars nor flanderers there; no complaints of an evil heart there, but the most perfect fecurity of state, and most unremitted vigour of affection. How fhall the ranfomed of the Lord then fing their Redeemer's praife! Rev. i. 5. 6. " Unto him that loved 66 us, and washed us from our fins in his own "blood, and hath made us kings and priefts un"to God and his Father; to him be glory and "dominion for ever and ever. Amen." II. I proceed now to make fome practical improvement of what hath been faid. And, 1. Let me intreat every perfon in this houfeto make the following obvious reflection : If so great are the obligations of believers, to the love of Chrift, how dreadful must be the condition of those who die in their fins! The one of these explains and illuftrates the other. The believer can owe but little, if the deliverance is not great. I have been lately speaking of the happiness of the elect of God, in being freed from the miferies of the present state; but, oh! unhappy they who fhall depart from this life unreconciled to God: "He that believeth on the Son "hath everlasting life; but he that believeth. "" not "not on the Son, fhall not fee life, but the "wrath of God abideth on him." When the heirs of glory" fit down with Abraham, Isaac, "and Jacob, in the kingdom of their Father," the unbelieving and impenitent fhall be caft into the lake of fire, "where the smoke of their "torment afcendeth up for ever and ever." I defire to put you in mind of this, under the impreffion of this important truth, That nothing but the fovereign grace of God can make the warning effectual; and therefore befeeching him to accompany it with the powerful operation of his Holy Spirit. At the fame time, I affure you, that if you reject the counsel of God against yourfelves, your blood fhall be upon your own heads. Do not pretend to fay, "If it depends upon election, and almighty "grace is neceffary, all our endeavours will be "vain." Secret things belong only to God. His purpose is not more unchangeable than his promife is faithful. Nay, though you may not be able to fee it, nor I to explain it, they are perfectly confiftent the one with the other. He will be just when he speaketh, and clear when he judgeth; and therefore give heed to the exhortation, not in my words, but in the words of the Holy Ghost, Phil. ii. 12. 13. "Work out your own falvation with fear and trembling. "For it is God which worketh in you, both to "will and to do of his good pleasure." Know, I beseech you, your own mercy. The neceffity is urgent, and the time is uncertain. With what propriety may the words of the the apoftle be addreffed to every perfon in every fituation, and in every age! 2 Cor. vi. 1. 2. "We then as workers together with him, be"feech alfo, that you receive not the grace ye "of God in vain: for he faith, I have heard "thee in a time accepted, and in the day of fal"vation have I fuccoured thee; behold, now "is the accepted time; behold, now is the day "of falvation." Happy they who ftill hear the joyful found! Happy the finner who is not yet gone to his own place! Flee, flee to your ftrong hold, ye prifoners of hope. Confider the aggravated guilt and feven fold condemnation of defpifers of the gofpel. All that you have heard of the love of Chrift ferves to fhew the danger of his enemies. Read the words immediately following the afcription of which the text is a part, (ver. 7.): "Behold, he co"meth with clouds; and every eye fhall fee "him, and they also which pierced him and "all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of "him." Read alfo this awful defcription, Rev. vi. 14. 15. 16. 17.“ And the heaven de"parted as a fcroll when it is rolled together; "and every mountain and island were moved "out of their places and the kings of the "earth, and the great men, and the rich men, "and the chief captains, and the mighty men, "and every bond-man, and every free-man, hid "themselves in the dens, and in the rocks of "the mountains; and said to the mountains "and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the "face of him that fitteth on the throne, and " from : "from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of his wrath is come; and who fhall be "able to ftand?" Mark this extraordinary ex. preffion, the wrath of the Lamb, that meekeft and gentlest of all creatures; teaching us, that his former meeknefs, and patience, and fuffering, fhall inflame and exasperate his future vengeance. Could I conduct you to the gates of the infernal prifon, I am perfuaded you would hear Judas Iscariot, and all other treacherous difciples, crying out, O that 'Chrift had never come in the flesh! The 'thunders of Sinai would have been lefs ter'rible. The frowns of Jefus of Nazareth are 'infupportable. O the dreadful, painful, and uncommon wrath of a Saviour on the judge'ment-feat!'- The Lord fpeak confolation to his own people, and pierce the hearts of his enemies, that they may be brought to repent ance. 2. You may learn from what has been faid, that the great and leading motive to obedience under the gospel is a deep and grateful sense of redeeming love. This runs through the whole writings of the New Teftament. It binds the believer to his duty; it animates him to diligence; it fills him with comfort: 2 Cor. v. 14. 15. "For the love of Chrift constraineth us, "because we thus judge, that if one died for "all, then were all dead: and that he died for "all, that they which live, should not hence"forth live unto themselves, but unto him "which died for them, and rofe again." Gal. ii. VOL. I. N 19. |