PSAL. xvi. 9. My Flesh also shall rest in hope. TH Hefe Words were primarily intended of Chrift's Refurrection, Acts ii. 25, 30, 31. But they may very well be applyed alfo to the Refurrection of every true Chriftian; for his Flefh also shall rest in hope. 1. What ground have we to hope for the Refurrection of our Flesh in general ? 2. What ground hath a true Christian to hope for a joyful Refurrection? Because he will be fure to rife incorruptible, 1 Cor. xv. 52. 3. What must we do that we may be able to fay when we die, That our Flefh fhall reft in hope, viz. of so joyful a Refurrection? 1. Repent, Luke xiii. 3. 2. Believe in Chrift. 1. For the Pardon of thofe Sins you have repented of, Eph.i.s. 2. For Grace to forfake Sin for the future, and to obey God, John xv. 5. Phil. iv. 13 3. For God's Acceptance of what you do, 1 Pet. ii. 5. 4. To fave and bring you to Heaven, Heb. vii. 25. As iv. 12. PSALM PSALM Xviii. 23. I was alfo upright before him, I kept my Self from Iniquity. DOCTRINE I. WR God. Heb. . Dyon E fhould all endeavour to be upright before 1. Wherein doth our Uprightness confift? 2. The Sincerity of our Intentions, intend- 1. To please, 1 Thef. iv. 1. 2. To glorify God, I Cor. x. 31. 2. Hope, Pf. lxiv. 10. .Chald. Prou והויתי שלים בדחלתו. ,Fear .3 xiv. 2. 4. Joy, Pf. xxxii. 11. 5. Defire, Pf. xlii. 1. and lxxiii. 25. 4. The Equity of civil Actions. 5. The Piety of our whole Life and Conver fation. MOTIVES. 1. Herein confifteth our Likeness to GOD, 2. It's pleafing to GOD, Prov. xi. 20. 4. Confider the Promises made by GOD to 1. To bless them, Pf.cxii. 2. 2. To give them good things, Frov. xxviii. IO. 3. To with-hold no good from them, Pf. lxxxiv. 11. and xxxiv. 9, 10. 4. He will fhew them his Salvation, PS. 1.23. 5. To dwell in his Prefence, Pf. cxl. 13. II. We fhould also endeavour to keep our felves from our Iniquity. 1. What are we to understand by our Iniquities, or how may any Sin be termed ours? 1. GOD made Man upright, Ecclef. vii. 29. 2. Man made himself a Sinner. 3. Hence he is naturally inclined to Sin in general, more than to Holiness, Ecclef viii. Ir. 4. But there is fome Sin that every one of us is more particularly inclined to thau oothers, Heb. xii. 1. arifing either from, 1. Our Complexion. 2. Calling. 3. Condition. 4. Or Cuftom. 5. This Sin that we are thus particularly inclined to, we may well call our Sin. 2. How may we know it? 1. That Sin which thy Thoughts run most upon, that's thy Sin, as Ahab, 1 Reg. xxi. 14. 2. That Sin which thou intendeft principally, and endeavoureft most after. 3. That Sin which GOD hath plagued thee That Sin which thou haft oft prayed and 5. That fin which thou doft not love should be preached againft. 6. That fin that hinders thee most in holy Duties, is thy fin. 7. That fin which we are leaft fenfible of, is often the fin we are most inclined to. III. USE. Not to allow any one fin thus to have Dominion over us. How canft thou fay thou art gracious fo long as fin is allowed? " 1. This thy fin, if allowed in thee, is incon fiftent with true Grace. 1. In that, Sin and Grace are directly contrary to one another, 2 Cor. vi. 14. Mat. vi. 24. 2. In that, true Grace always fpreads it felf over the whole Man, i Theff. V. 23. 2. How canft thou fay GOD is thy Master, fo long as thou fuffereft fin to reign over thee? 3. This thy fin will be thy ruin, Rom. vi. 23. IV. MEANS. 1. Labour to find it out. 2. Confefs it to GOD, Pfal. li. 3. Pray against it, Pfal. xix. 12, 13, 2 Cor. xii. 8, 9. 4. Avoid the occafions of it. 5. Suppress the first Thoughts and Tempta tions to it. 6. Apply the Promises for the fubduing it, Fer. xxxi. 33. 7. Think frequently upon the account thou muft e'er long give for it. 8. Attend conftantly upon GOD's Word, PSA L. xxvii. 1. The Lord is my light, and my salvation, whom shall I fear? the Lord is the Strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid i 1. His Name. There are three Names of which is והוה and ארני אלמיס,GOD the effential Name of the chiefeft good, who being the Being of all Beings, is -is tran אלהים the Being יהוה called flated GOD, TN the Lord in small Letters, the Lord in Capital or great Letters. 2. His Nature, which is beft known by the Names himself hath given himself. Bafis, becaufe he is ארון from ארני .1 the Bafis and Foundation of all things, without whom the whole Univerfe would fall down into nothing, אהיה אשר אהיה and אהיה. 2. The Being of all Beings, not only the Bafis, but the very Being of them, without whom nothing can be, which therefore implies him to be the abfolute Perfection of all things, and 1 |