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§. 5. EASTER-DAY.

O Bleffed day! which brought glad tidings of great joy, our Savior's fecond birth-day to a more glorious life! who is become the first fruits of those that flept! 1 Cor. 15. 20. and has brought life and immortality to light! 2. Tim. 1, 10. And gave us affured hope in God, that it fhall be to us according to Jefus his Word. Why do we dream thus about these things? let us awake and ftir up in our felves the most piercing belief and fenfe of 'em. Our Savior is rifen, and calls unto us with a mighty voice, faying, I am He that liveth and was dead; and behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. Rev. 1. 18. Need there any more words to perfuade usto go and rejoyce in his love, which made Him give Him felf to dy for us? and in the love of God which accepted of his oblation, and rewarded his fufferings with a glorious Refurrection to an endless life? And in that Power, Might, and Majefty wherewith He is crown'd? So that at the Name of Jefus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth. Phil. 2. 10. It is too little to fay, that we will go and thank Him at his holy Feaft, forwhat He has done for us, for what we hope He will ftill do: We will go and offer our felves abfolutely to Him: We will make a Vow of love to Him, and Charity to all the World: We will triumph in his praife; and glory in the fervice of the Prince of Life: We will dedicate our felves to be everlasting monuments both of his Death, and of his Refurrection from the dead. We will fo Remember his Death, as to dy our felves to fin: and fo Remember his Refurrection, as to rife again to walk before Him, in Newness of Life; and his Dying no more, fo that Sin fball not have dominion over us, nor reign in our mortal bodies, that we should obey it in the lufts thereof. Rom. 6. 14 12. His Humility fhall be remembred fo, as to kill our Pride; and his Charity fo, as to kill our Covetousness. We will Remember his Pains fo, as to mortify all inordinate defires of Pleasure; and his Patience fo, as to fubdue our Anger, Paffion, and Peevishnefs; his Love to his enemies fhall make us forgive others, and do good to those who do evil to us; and his abfolute obedience make us take up our Crofs, and be obedient to the very Death.

and

Do

Do we not already begin to feel the remembrance of his free-giving Himfelt for us, animate us to a chearfulness, and forwardness in well doing? Does not his full Truft in God, when He laid down his life, that He fhould receive it again, raife in us a ftrong confidence in his Almighty Word Is not the Power He hath over Hell and Death, of mighty force to incourage our Hopes, and make us victorious over all our Enemies? How do our hearts beat within our breafts? what thoughts and paffions do they travell withal? Do they not begin to fend up admiring thoughts towards Heaven where Jefus (is? Do they not burn with ftrong defires? are they not ready to burft forth into the highest expreffions of love and joy? Are we not inraged against all thofe fins which murthered the Lord of Life? are they not all condemn'd to be crucified and flain? Do we not refolve to live like thofe that believe in Jefus, and profefs themselves to be his faithful followers? we muft then think, when we go to celebrate the memory of his Death, that Jefus ftands in the midst of us, as He did among his Difciples when He was newly rifen from the grave, faying, Deace be unto you. S. John 20. 19. Eat, O my friends; rejoyce and be exceeding glad: As the Father bath loved Me, fo have I loved you continue ye in my love, S. John 15. 9. Behold here the fenfible figns and feals of my love. By these I give my self to you, as once I gave my felf for you. By these tokens I convey to you all that I have. I make over to you that Inheritance which I have purchased by my Bloud; and that is eternal life in the Heavenly places: for I am The first and the last, which was dead, and is alive. Rev. 2.8. Amen Lord Jefus, live, live for ever: Who haft faid, S. John 14. 19. Because I live, ye fhall live alfo. Thou knoweft how to pity us, becaufe Thou art He who was dead: and Thou wilt never cease to pity us, and help us; we lanowing that Chrift being raised from the dead, dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over Him. Rom. 6. 9. Becauíe Thou waft tempted in all things like unto us, and waft dead; Thou art fenfible of our Infirmities, and able to fuccour us in all the trials of life and death. And becaufe Thou liveft, Thou canst make thy death become powerful and effectual to us: Thou canst make good all thy own promifes, and put us in poffeffion of the purchafed Inheritance. Blessed be the God, and Father

ر

Part I. Father of our Lord Jefus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy, bath begotten us again unto a lively hope, by the refurrection of Jefus Chrift from the dead. I. S. Pet. 1. 3. Death is swallowed up in victory. O death where is thy fting? O grande, where is thy villary 2:1 Cor. 15.545 55. Thanks be to God Who hath not apported us to wrath; bat to obtain falvation by our Lord Jelus Chrift. Who died for us, that whether we make or fleep, we fhould live together with Him! * Thes. 5. 9, 19. Knowing that He which raifed up the Lord Jefus fball raise up us also by Jefus. 2 Cor. 4. 14. And shall prefent us faultlefs before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. Jude 24.

§. 6. ASCENSION-day, or Sunday.

AH! how duskish are our thoughts in these houfes of clay! how dull our affections under this load of flesh! Out Savior is in Heaven crown'd with glory and honor. Heb. 2.9. He it is that afcended up far above all heavens. Eph.4. 10. Dha is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels, and authori ies, and powers being made fubject unto Him. S. Peter 3 22. And we can scarce caft a look thither, but are inftantly pull'd down to this Earth again. Bleffed be his goodness Who has left us a lively image of Himself to help our infirmities; to reprefent his dying and departure out of this world; and to be a pledge likewife unto us that we fhall one day afcend up to Heaven; And fo fhall we ever be with the Lord. 1. Thes, 4. 17.0 blessed news! the hope of it fills us with joy already, and raises us a little toward that high and holy place where Jefus dwells. We will go and bleis the Father of mercies for his great charity towards us; that He would accept of an Offering for Sins and that He would be fatisfied without demanding of us the Debt; that He would grant new and eafy con'ditions of Salvation for us thro' the Bloud of his Son; and feal a gracious Covenant in that fame precious Bloud, We will go and testify our love to Him, even by our joy that He is gone unto the Father; and hath triumphed over his enemies, after He had overcome 'em, and Spoiled Principali ties and Powers, Col. 2:15. He led captivity captives and gave giftunto men. Epb. 4. 8. Having received of the Father the promife of the Holy Ghost. Art. 2. 33. and is fet down at the right hand of the throne of God. Heb. 12. 2. Melis Lord of all Act. 10. 36.

God

God faith, Let all the angels of God worthip Him. Heb. 1.6.e continueth ever, and bathan unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore He is able alfo to fave them to the uttermoft, that come unto God by Him, feeing He ever liveth to make interceffion for them. For fuch an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, Separate from finner's, and made higher than the heavens. ch. 7. 24, 25, 26. Fronthenceforth expecting till his enemies be made bis footftool. We having boldness to enter into the holiest by the bloud of Jefus.ch. 1o. 13, 19. hither the forerunner is for us entred, even Jefus. 1. 6. 1o. I go to prepare a place for you, lays He. And will come again, and receive you unto my felf, that where fam, there ye may be alfo. S. John. 14. 2, 3. But ho shall afcend into the bill of the LORD? and who shall ftand, abis holy place? He that has clean hands and a pure heart; who hath not lift up his foul unto vanity, nor fworn deceitfully. He shall receive the bleffing from the LORD, and righteousness from the Godofhis Salvation. Pfal. 24, 3, 4, 5. We will go then and offer Him our hearts, that they may be formed to his likeness; ho didno fin, neither was guile found in his mouth. 1 S. Pet. 2. 22. We will go and fubmit our felves to Him as the Lord of all: and renew our Covenant of Love and friendship with Him. We will vow again that we will fight valiantly under his banner (who is the captain of our Salvation, and made perfect thro' fufferings, Heb. 2. 10.) against the Flesh, the World,and the devil. We will be faithful to Him unto Death; and no fufferings fhall deter us from following the Prince of Life. For we doubt not but the Sacrifice He made was most acceptable to God, and that Dhen He had by Himself purged our fins, He fat down on the right hand of the Majefty on high. Heb. 1. 3. and will help and fuccour all his faithful followers, and fend forth his Angels to minifter unto us, and will bring us to Glory and reward us with a Crown of life. Olet us lift up our felves when we come to the Table of the Lord; and now, if ever, liften to the Prieft of God, when he calls, faying, Lift up your hearts, now is the season above all others, to anfwer With the whole Quire of pious fouls in that joyful voice, De lift them up unto the Lord. Let us rear our felves aloft, and look beyond thefe shadows, and fix our eyes on the fplendor of that Majesty wherewith our Savior fhines; and think we hear Him calling unto the whole company of Believers, faying, Come, come my beloved, for whom I died, come and dwell With me. Itis filmy will and defire that you may be with me

where

Part. I. where I am; and that you may behold my Glory which my Fath er hath given me. S. John 17. 24. Come on therefore, Whith er I am gone, ye know, and the way ye know, ch. 14. 4. Tread upon all the glittering temptations of the Country where you are, as dirt and dung.in compare with the Kingdom which I will give you. Make hafte unto Me, and let nothing hinder you; for I expect you, and long, when you are meet for it. to fee you. The Travel of my foul will not be fatisfied, till you be with me. Why do we Linger? why do we look after any thing fo much as this eternal life? why fhould we be discouraged or faint in our Minds? This Lord of Glory came to his Throne out of as low a condition as we can poffibly be in. He was once à fervant,the meaneft of fervants: He humbled Himfelf to be fubject to the baleft Ufage, and to fuffer the greatest defpite and publick reproach. Let us be affured then that He will not defpife the pooreft wretch, now that He is in his glorious ftate, And let us not think it ftrange if we be defpifed and reproach'd for righteousness fake; For S. Peter fays in his Epiftle, ch. 4, v. 13. Hejopce. in as much as ye are partakers of Christ's fufferings; that when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad alfo with exceeding joy.

S. 7. APRIL.

AMONG the innumerable fwarms of people that are upon the face of the earth, how few there are that know the great Love of God in Chrift Jefus our Lord! Among thofe few that know it, alas, how fmall a number are there that remember it, and celebrate it conftantly with thofe praifes and thankful acknowledgments which it eternally deferves !O what a grace is this, that we are partakers of, that we fhould be made fellow-citizens with the faints, and of the houshold of God. Eph. 2. 19. That we should be of the num. ber to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Chrift in us, the hope of glory. Col. 1. 27. We are infinitely indebted to the Divine goodness, which inclines our hearts also to go and commemorate this love in the afsembly of his faints who all like a fpiritual building fitly framed together, grow unto an holy temple in the Lord. Eph, 2. 21. There the Lord's . Name is continually praised. There He delights to dwell, and has chofen them for his habitation, There is the voice of joy and gladness; and there he showers, down the bleffings

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