and appear unto many? Matt. xxvii. 52, 53. Besides examples, have we not an all-sufficient pledge of our certain rising again, in the victorious resurrection of the Lord of life? Is he not our head? Are not we his members? Is he not the firstfruits of them that slept? 1 Cor. xv. 20. Did he not conquer death for us? 1 Cor. xv. 57. Can the head be alive and glorious, while the limbs do utterly perish in a final corruption? Certainly then, "If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also, which sleep in Jesus, will God bring with him." 1 Thess. iv. 14.-HALL. mercy, and grace, and power to eschew evil and do good, and all the blessings we can ever have or desire, either in this world or the next; that death, by virtue whereof he entered into heaven, now to appear in the presence of God for us; and therefore is able to save to the utmost them that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. HYMN. Sprinkled with reconciling blood Let me my grateful homage pay, Thy Son who, on the accursed tree, § CCLVIII. BEDDOME. CHAP. XII. 1–19. He prophesied that he should die for that nation; and not for that nation only, but that he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.-The death, here spoken of, is the death of the Lord, the Almighty and eternal Son of God; that death which he suffered in the nature, and in the stead, of mankind in general; and particularly of us who are here present; that death, whereby he expiated our sins, and made complete satisfaction to the Divine truth and justice for them that death, whereby he appeased the wrath which he that made us had justly conceived against us, and hath reconciled him again unto us: that death, whereby he delivered us from the slavery of sin and Satan, and THEN Jesus six days before the asserted us into the glorious liberty of the sons of God: that death, whereby he redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made himself a curse for us: that death, whereby he purchased for us both pardon and peace, and Jesus excuseth Mary anointing his feet. The people flock to see Lazarus. The high priests consult to kill him. Christ rideth into Jerusalem, passover came to Bethany, a " where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. b 2 There they made him a с 8 For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always. 9 Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there and they came not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 But the chief priests ¶¶ consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death: 1-1 "Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went 172 15 Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt. 16 These things "understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, P then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him. 17 The people therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of his grave, and raised him from the dead, bare record. 18 For this cause the people also met him, for that they heard that he had done this miracle. 19 The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? behold, the world is gone after him. a ch xi. 1, 43.-6 Mat. xxvi. 6. Mark xiv. 3.-c Luke x. 38, 39. ch. xi. 2.-d ch xiii. 29.-e Mat. xxvi. 11 Mark xiv. 7.-f ch. xi. 43, 44.-g Luke xvi. 31-h ch. xi. 45. ver. 18.- Mat. xxi. 8. Mark xi. 8. Luke xix. 35. 36, &c. k's exviii. 25, 26.-/ Mat. xxi. 7.-m Zech. ix. 9, -n Luke xviii, 34.—o ch. vii. 39.—p ch. xiv. 26.—q ver. 11.-r ch. xi. 47, 48. shall keep it unto life eternal. 26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and "where I am, there shall also my servant See Matthew XXVI. 6-13. be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour. § LXXXII. And Matthew XXI. § LXVI. § CCLIX. CHAP. XII. 20-36. 28 Father, glorify thy name. d Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both Greeks desire to see Jesus. He fore- glorified it, and will glorify it telleth his death. 20 And there were certain Greeks among them 'that came up to worship at the feast: 21 The same came therefore to Philip, "which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus. 22 Philip cometh and telleth Andrew and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus. 23 And Jesus answered them, saying, "The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. 24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, "Except Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. 25* He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world again. 29 The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him. 30 Jesus answered and said, "This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes. 31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. 32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw "all men unto me. 33 This he said, signifying what death he should die. J 8 Acts xvii. 4-1 Kin. viii. 41, 42. Acts viii. 27.-u ch. i. 44.—a ch. xiii. 32; & xvii. I.-y 1 Cor. xv. 36.-2 Mat. x. 39; & xvi. 25, Mark viii. 35. Luke ix. 24; & the world whilst we are in it, and to despise it whilst we use it; to be always upon our watch and guard, strictly observing not only the outward actions of our life, but the inward motions of our hearts; to hate those very sins, which we used to love, and to love those very duties which we used to hate; to choose the greatest affliction before the least sin, and to neglect the getting of the greatest gain, rather than the performing of the smallest duty; to believe truths which we cannot com xvii. 33.-a ch. xiv. 3; & xvii. 24. 1 Thes. iv. 17. Mat. prehend, merely upon the testimony xxvi. 38, 39. Luke xii. 50. ch. xiii. 21.-c Luke xxii. 53. ch. xviii. 37.-d Mat. iii. 17.-e ch. xi. 42-ƒ Mat. xii. 29. Luke x. 18. ch. xiv. 30; & xvi. 11. Acts xxvi. 18. 2 Cor. iv. 4. Eph. ii. 2; & vi. 12.-g ch. iii. 14; & viii. 28.-h Rom. v. 18. Heb. ii. 9.-i cb. xviii. 32.-k Ps. of one whom we never saw; to submit our own will to God's, and to lxxxix. 36, 37 ; & cx. 4. Is. ix. 7, & liii. 8. Ezek. delight ourselves in obeying him; xxxvii. 25. Dan. ii. 44 ; & vii. 14, 27. Mic. iv. 7.-/ ch. i. 9; & viii. 12; & ix. 5. ver. 46.-m Jer. xiii. 16. Eph. v. 8.-n ch. xi. 10. 1 John ii. 11.-o Luke xvi. 8. Eph. v. 8. 1 Thes. v. 5. 1 John ii. 9, 10, 11.-p ch. viii. 59. & xi. 54. READER.-If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be.-As for these several graces and virtues, which our souls must be adorned withal, before ever they can come to heaven, though it be easy to talk of them, it is not so to act them. I shall instance only in some few; as, to love God above all things, and other things only for God's sake; to hope in nothing but God's promises, and to fear nothing but his displeasure; to love other men's persons so as to hate their vices, and so to hate their vices as still to love their persons; not to covet riches when we have them not, nor trust on them when we have them; to deny ourselves that we may please God, and to take up our cross that we may follow Christ; to live above to be patient under sufferings, and thankful for all the troubles we meet with here below; to be ready and willing to do and suffer any thing we can, for him who hath done and suffered so much for us; to clothe the naked, feed the hungry, relieve the indigent, and rescue the oppressed to the utmost of our power: in a word, to be every way as pious towards God, as obedient to Christ, as loyal to our prince, as faithful to our friends, as loving to our enemies, as charitable to the poor, as just in our dealings, as eminent in all true graces and virtues, as if we were to be saved by it, and yet put no confidence in it, but still look upon ourselves as unprofitable servants, and depend upon Christ, and Christ alone, for pardon and salvation.-Beveridge. Let us consider, that though it be never so hard to get to heaven, yet it is possible; and though there be but few that come thither, yet there are some; and why may not you and I be in the number of those few as well as others? There are many perfect and glorious saints in heaven at this moment, which were once sinful creatures upon earth as we are now; but it seems the way thither was not so narrow but they could walk in it, nor the gate so strait but they could pass through it; and why may not we as well as they? We have the same natures whereby we are capable of happiness as they had; we have the same Scriptures to direct us to it as they had; we have the same promises of assistance as they had; we have the same Saviour as they had, and why then may we not get to the same place where they are? Is the way more narrow, and the gate more strait, to us than it was to them? No, surely it is every way the same. Why then should we despair of ever attaining everlasting glory, seeing we are as capable of it as any one who hath yet attained it? It is true, if no mortal man had ever got to heaven, or God had said none ever can get thither, then indeed it would be in vain in us to expect it, or to use any means to attain it but, seeing many of our brethren are already there, and many more will follow after them, and we are as capable of coming to them as any other, the straitness of the gate, the narrowness of the way, or the difficulty of getting thither, should never discourage us from endeavouring after it, no more than it did them, but rather make us more diligent in the prosecution of it: especially considering, in the next place, that we are not only, as yet, in a capacity of getting to heaven, but we are all invited thither, and that by God himself, for he would have all men to be saved, and to "come unto the knowledge of the truth." Tim. ii. 4. Yet he hath sworn by himself, saying, "As I live, saith the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his ways and live ;" and therefore calls upon us all, "Turn ye, Turn ye from your evil ways, for why will ye die, O house of Israel?" Ezek. xxxiii. 11. Hence it is that he sent his prophets to invite us, "Ho every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters." Isaiah lv. 1. Yea, he came down in his own person to earth, on purpose to invite us to heaven, and to direct us the way thither: "Come to me," saith he, "all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matt. xi. 29. For "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoover believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John iii. 16. Whence we may observe that there is no exception made against any person whatsoever, nor, by consequence, against any of us. It is the will, yea, and command of God too, that we all turn from our evil way and live, and that every soul amongst us walk in that narrow way that leads to eternal bliss; and therefore, if any of us do 'perish, "Our blood will be upon our own heads, our destruction is from ourselves." Hos. xiii. 9. For it is nothing but the perverseness of our hearts that can keep any soul of us out of heaven, however difficult it is to come thither.-BEVERidge. |