evidence that Chrift is not their Lord, by croffing their light and confciences for a trifle; whereas if Christ were the Lord of their light and consciences, they would die in his cause rather than put out his candle which he hath kindled in their breast.-Again, if you have received him as a Lord, you will fo walk in him as to make him the Lord of your wills, he having made you willing in the day of power: whatever remaining enmity or rebellion of will take place, yet your habitual defire will be to have your will in fubjection to his will, whether preceptive or providential, without fighting against his precept, or fretting againft his providence; at least every fighting and fretting thought will be matter of exercife to you, while your foul's defire will be to have a due fubjection to his precept, and fubmiffion to his providence. The reft of the world give evidence that Christ is not their Lord, because they are fuch as carry as if they were lords of their own wills; their wills were never fubdued.-Again, if Chrift be received as a Lord, you will fo walk in him as to make him the Lord of your comforts and enjoyments in a world, fo as to bless him when he gives or takes, faying, " It is the Lord that giveth, the Lord that taketh, bleffed be the name of the Lord." Take worldly comforts away from a man that never took Christ for his Lord, he will cry, "O ye have taken away my gods, and what have I more?" But the - believer will fay, even with refpect to fpiritual, as well as outward comforts, "It is the Lord, let him do what feemeth good to him:" If he himself be my Lord, let him difpofe of me and mine as he will.-If you have received Christ as your Lord, then fo walk in him as to make him Lord of your graces, who gives grace, and the exercife of it, as he pleases; and fo your defire will be to be ftrong, not in yourselves, or your own grace, but ftrong in the grace that is in Chrift, saying, if you want any grace in exercife, O! he is the Prince exalted by the right hand of God, to give it, and therefore to him will I look for it; or if you have any grace, O! it is not of me, it is by grace I am what I am.-You will own him alfo as the Lord of your duties, and the Lord of ordinances, that only can put a blefling in their for your good;

good; and as the Lord your righteoufnefs, in whom alone you can have acceptance; and the Lord your ftrength, from whom alone you can have affistance: they that perform all their duties in their natural strength, and fo think to have acceptance of God, and favour with him upon their doing fo, they both put themselves in the room of the Lord their strength, and their duties in the room of the Lord their righteousness. In a word, if you have received Chrift as the Lord, you will walk in him, by making him the Lord of your faith.The falfe apoftles made Mofes the lord of their faith and obedience equal with Chrift; and therefore they joined the Mofaical ceremonies with the doctrine of Chrift; but the Coloffians had received Chrift Jefus the Lord, and fo they are called to walk in him as they had received him. Some make the church Lord of their faith; they believe as the church believes, or as this or that man believes, which fhews that Chrift is not their Lord. Some make the devil the Lord of their faith, they believe the devil rather than the God of truth, and the devil, the Father of lies, learns them to believe a lie : fee 2 Thef. ii. 11, 12. Some make their reason the lord of their faith, they believe no more than their carnal reason can digeft. But the true believer makes Chrift the Lord of his faith; and the veracity of Chrift the ground of it, and the doctrine of Chrift the rule of it: It is true, the devil, and the believer's remaining unbelief, wage war against his faith, and feek to be lords of his faith; and it is a fhame that the believer, in the day of battle, should yield to any other lord, and let his faith, hope, and confidence fall to the ground : It is a marvellous fault in believers to call the love of God, and the truth of God in queftion upon every occafion by unbelief. Faith is the believer's fhield, and hope his helmet, Eph. vi. 16. Now, would they not be very foolish who would wear their fhield and helmet when there is no war nor ftir; and as foon as ever they fee an adversary coming, or a battle beginning, then to caft away their fhield and helmet, and to do fo ufually? Why, even fo it is with many, perhaps, true believers; they will talk of their faith and hope in a time of pro

sperity

fperity and ease, when all is in peace, and no feeming war from heaven or hell; then they wear their fhield and helmet: but when war comes, when affliction comes, and temptation comes, then they childifhly caft away both their faith and hope, both their fhield and helmet; and till their fenfe and reafon be fatisfied, they will not be perfuaded. Oh! how difhonouring is this to the Lord, whom ye have taken to be the Lord of your faith, the Captain of your falvation. To walk in Chrift as ye have received him for a Lord, is to make him the Lord of your faith, in fpite of the devil and the world, who feek to lord it over you and your faith.-Finally, if you have received him as your Lord, you will fo walk in him, as to make him the Lord of your obedience.— Others by obeying the devil, by obeying their lufts and idols, and by obeying the finful commandments of men, fhow that Chrift is not the Lord of their obedience.But, believer, if you walk in Chrift, as you have received him, you give evidence that he is the Lord whom you obey and ferve; faying, with Jofhua, "As for me and my houfe, we will ferve the Lord." And then, let it be the language of your life and converfation before the world, that Chrift is your Lord. If you would judge of yourselves that Christ is your Lord, it is even to be tried by your fubjection to him, and his fubduing of fin in you. The higher the Sun of righteousness is rifen, the fhorter will the fhadows of your fin and corruption be. If the world judge of your receiving of Chrift, as a Lord, and of your faith, they will judge it by your walk and converfation, and by your works, as I faid before, upon the fecond head.

2dly, I come, as I propofed, to obferve all the manifold particulars comprehended under, and deduceable from, thefe generals in the text; and in all these we may further view the proportion that our walk fhould bear to our faith objectively confidered. Now, these generals in the text comprehend all the particular capacities wherein he is held forth in the gofpel; and to name all thefe, at prefent, were impracticable: we offer but fome of them for inftances, and yet fhall endeavour, through grace, not altogether to fcrimp or fcroof over

the

the matter, that we may hold forth this Lord Jefus Christ as a full Saviour, anfwering all the cafes that any poor finner can be brought into.

Now, you know, that Chrift is to be received as he is offered in the gofpel, according to your Catechism, which fays, "That faith in Jefus Chrift, is a receiving and refting upon him alone for falvation, as he is offered "in the gofpel :" The receiving relates to an offering; and he is to be received as he is offered, and then walked in as he is received. The question then is, How is he offered in the gofpel, or in what capacity, that we may know further how he is to be received, that fo being. thus received, he may be thus walked in? Well, his being offered as a CHRIST, a JESUS, a LORD, as I have fhewed already, comprehends these following particulars; and while we are telling you in what capacity Chrift is offered, O look to the Lord to give you grace to receive him as he is offered; that having received him in these capacities, you may walk in him.

1. Chrift Jefus the Lord is offered in the gospel in the capacity of a Prophet and Teacher, that being thus received ye may fo walk in him. Is there any poor, blind, ignorant fouls here, that know nothing of God, or Christ, or the covenant of grace? Behold, Chrift is offered to you in the capacity of a Prophet that hath compaffion on the ignorant, faying, "Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart," Matth. xi. 29. Never will you learn till you be bound and entered to Chrift; for, "Who teacheth like him?" Job xxxvi. 22. Ministers may preach, but they cannot give you a capacity to learn; but Chrift can give you a heart to know, as well as an ear to hear; for he gives eyes to the blind, ears to the deaf, and understanding to the fimple. What is the reason that there is fo much preaching, and fo little fpiritual profiting, and fpiritual life? It is even because Christ, the great Prophet, is fo little with us, 2 Kings iv. 31. There was neither voice nor hearing by the prophet's staff, until the prophet came and stretched himself upon the dead child: even fo it is here, the staff of a preached word does not the bufinefs, till the great Prophet come. Now, have you entered yourselves to be

his fcholars? Have you received him as a Prophet? Then, fo walk in him by daily improvement of him in that capacity, to enlighten your underflanding, faying, Lord, I have heard by the hearing of the ear, but little have mine eyes feen of thee: I have been long in Chrift's fchool, but made little proficiency: O come and teach me to profit! let my eyes be opened, that, in the ordinances of thy inftitution, I may fee the glory of God, the vileness of fin, the beauty of Chrift, and the excellency of his righteoufnefs.--Thus having received him as a Prophet, fo walk ye in him, by coming always for more and more inftruction from him.

2. Chrift Jefus the Lord is offered in the gofpel in the capacity of a Prieft, that being thus received ye may fo walk in him. How fweet is this offer of Chrift to all poor things that are wrestling with the guilt of fin, and the debt they owe to the juftice of God! for it is only in Chrift that God is well-pleafed even in him, "Whom God hath fet forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness, that he might be juft, and the juftifier of them that believe in Jefus." They that believe in Jefus, the propitiation, have gotten all their debt paid; and God's honefty and fidelity is fuch, that he will never crave the debt over again. Chrift is offered as a Prieft for reconciliation, and a Priest for interceffion. They that take hold of Chrift as a Prieft, they have nothing ado in heaven but they are fure to have it done; for, there he makes continual interceffion for us. Are you fo vexed with temptations that you cannot get a compofed thought in duty? Here is refreshment from the prefence of the Lord, even a Friend in heaven, who never gives over to make interceflion. Now, have you received Christ as a Priest? Then, fo walk in him, by daily improving him, his fatisfaction and interceffion, as the ground of your peace with God, pardon of fin, and acceptance in every perform

ance.

3. Chrift Jefus the Lord is offered in the gofpel in the capacity of a King and a Captain, that being thus received, ye may fo walk in him. Behold! he is held forth as a King, to fubdue, by his power; to conquer, VOL. III. † F

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