SERM. us to the extreme and endless mifery of body and CXCIV. foul in another life.

Particularly, it fhould be an argument to us, "to glorify GOD in our bodies, and in our spirits;" and to use the members of the one, and the faculties of the other, as "inftruments of righteousness, "unto holiness." We fhould reverence ourselves, and take heed, not only how we defile our fouls by finful paffions, but how we dishonour our bodies by fenfual and brutish lufts; fince GOD hath defigned fo great an honour and happiness for both at the refurrection.

So often as we think of a bleffed refurrection to eternal life, and the happy confequences of it; the thoughts of fo glorious a reward fhould make us diligent and unwearied in the fervice of so good a master, and fo great a prince, who can and will prefer us to infinitely greater honours, than any that are to be had in this world. This inference the apostle makes from the doctrine of the refurrection, 1 Cor. xv. 58. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye "stedfaft and unmoveable, always abounding in the "work of the LORD; forafmuch as ye know that your labour shall not be in vain in the LORD."

Nay we may begin this bleffed ftate while we are upon earth, by "fettling our hearts and affections

upon the things that are above, and having our "converfations in heaven, from whence alfo we look "for a SAVIOUR, the LORD JESUS CHRIST; "who fhall change our vile bodies, that they may "be fafhioned like unto his glorious body, accord"ing to the working whereby he is able to fubdue "all things to himself."

" Now

"Now the GOD of peace, who brought again "from the dead our LORD JESUS CHRIST, "the great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood " of the everlasting covenant, make us perfect in "every good work to do his will, working in us

always that which is pleasing in his fight, through JESUS CHRIST; to whom be glory for ever." Amen.

SERMON CXCV.

The refurrection of our SAVIOUR CONfidered, as an argument for feeking things above.

COL. iii. I, 2.

If ye then be rifen with CHRIST, feek thofe things which are above, where CHRIST fitteth at the right hand of GoD. Set your affections on things above; not on things on the earth.

T

HE apostle in this epiftle (as his manner SERM. is in all the reft) having laid the doctrine cxcv. of the gospel for a foundation, and endeavoured to rectify fome errors, both in doctrine and practice, which the chriftians at Colofs were feduced into, by the guile and arts of falfe teachers and apoftles, as particularly "the worfhip of angels," and out of a pretence of "humility," addreffing themfelves to Gop by their mediation, which is the par

ticular

SERM. ticular scope and defign of this epiftle: the apostle, CXCV. I fay, having in the former part of it, endeavoured

to fet them right in this matter, and to eftablifh their minds, in the faith and doctrine of CHRIST; in the latter part of it, exhorts them to a converfation anfwerable to the doctrine of CHRIST, to a holy and heavenly life; at the beginning of this third chapter: "if ye then be rifen "with CHRIST, seek the things which are above, "where CHRIST fitteth at the right hand of "GOD. Set your affections on things above; not "on things on the earth,"

This inference is drawn from what he had faid at a good diftance before, namely, at the 12th verfe of the former chapter, being buried with "him in baptifm, wherein alfo ye are rifen with "him, through the faith of the operation of GOD, who hath raised him from the dead." "Being "buried with him in baptifm." For the full understanding of this expreffion, we must have recourse to that parallel text, Rom. vi. 3, 4, 5. which will explain to us the meaning of this phrafe. "Know ye not, that fo many of us as were bap"tized into JESUS CHRIST, were baptized into "his death? therefore we are buried with him by

baptifm into death, that like as CHRIST was "raised up from the dead by the glory of the "FATHER, even fo we alfo fhould walk in new"nefs of life. For if we have been planted toge"ther in the likeness of his death, we fhall be alfo "in the likenefs of his refurrection." Where we fee, that "to be baptized into the death and refur"rection of CHRIST," is to be baptized into the fimilitude and likeness of them; and the refem

blance

blance is this; that as CHRIST being dead was SER M. buried in the grave, and after some stay in it, that, cxcv.. is, for three days, he was raised again out of it, by the glorious power of GoD, to a new and heavenly life, being not long after taken up into heaven to live at the right hand of GoD; To chriftians, when they were baptized, were immerfed into the water three times, their bodies being covered all over with it; which is therefore called, our being "buried with him by baptifm into death ;" and after fome fhort ftay under water, were "raifed" or taken up again out of it, as if they had been "recovered to a new "life;" by all which was fpiritually fignified, our dying to fin, and being raised to a divine and heavenly life," through the faith of the operation of "GOD;" that is, by that divine and fupernatural power, which raifed up CHRIST from the dead. So that chriftians from thenceforth were "to reckon "themselves dead unto fin, but alive unto God, through JESUS CHRIST," as the apostle fpeaks, Rom. vi. 11.

Now upon this ground, that we are "buried "with CHRIST in baptifm, and rifen with him "to a new and heavenly life," the apoftle founds the exhortation in the text, "if ye then be rifen "with CHRIST, feek the things which are above, "where CHRIST fitteth at the right hand of "GOD. Set your affections on things above; not

on things on the earth." So that the words are an earnest exhortation to a divine life, and a fpiritual and heavenly converfation. In which there are two things to be confidered:

First, the duty we are exhorted to, which is heavenly-mindednefs. "Seek the things which are "above,"