more than the men of the world taste or know when their corn and wine, and oil are most increased, Pf. iv. 7, to have it firmly fettled in their hearts, that wherefoever they are, the eyes of God are upon them, and an angelic guard is appointed for their fafety and protection. Pf. xxxii. 8. xxxiv. 7.

Again third, What abundant cause of joy muft it yield, to think, that yet a little while, a few truggles more, and I fhall bid a final farewel to perishable things; I fhall gain the wished for port, and enter into that joy that my Lord has purchaf,ed and referves, and into the reft that remains for the people of God, Heb. iv. 9. Then I fhall no longer fee him whom my foul longeth for through a glass darkly, but I shall fee him face to face, I fhall fee the king in his beauty, and the land that is afar off. And lastly, how must it rejoice the heart of a believer, to be affured that whatever shall befall him in his paffage through this world, is an incident appointed, and numbered amongst all other means ordained to fecure him an intereft in the world to come; hence is the affurance of his heart, with bleffed Paul, I am perfuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things prefent, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate me from the the love of God which is in Chrift Jefus our Lord. Rom. viii. 38, 39.

Obfervation 2d. From what has been laid down of the state of a believer, it is justly and reasonably to be expected, he should be the most holy man, feeing he has motives, encouragements, helps, and affiftances, that others have not. remembrance of mercies already vouchafed,

The

fhould

fhould be a continua! and powerful excitement to gratitude, love and obedience; becaufe grace has abounded fhall we continue to fin that it may abound? God forbid. Go in peace, faid our Lord to the woman taken in adultery, and fin no more; let not my kindness and clemency towards thee be an encouragement to repeat thy wickedness, but rather let a fenfe of my goodness lead thee to repentance for thy former follies.

It is peculiar to the believer to have the fear of God in his heart, and the defign of this is, that he may not depart from God, nor fin against him; he has been made to know the bitterness of fin, and can never forget the gall and the wormwood; therefore fhould often call to mind his wretched itate when fovereign grace firft found him; how he was then like the wretched infant fpoken of by Ezekiel the prophet; and that mercy which was fo abundant toward him, fhould leave him deeply fenfible of his obligations to love and adore his great and gracious deliverer. Has God fo eminently diftinguished him by his grace that he is an adopted fon, and an heir of eternal glory? The remembrance of this, fhould infpire his foul with a holy emulation to walk as one whofe expectations are wholly on things above; this is required by the apoftle to the Coloffians in thofe words, if ye then be rifen with Christ, Jet your affections on things above, ch. iii, 1. They who have had in time paft fuch views and expectations, have both with their lips and in their lives confeffed that they were but pilgrims here below, and were seeking a better country. Heb. xi. 13, 14, and truly, faid the fame apoftle, our converfation is in heaven.

It is true, believers in common with other men, have the world, the flesh, and the devil, militating against them; but then herein lies their fuperior and distinguished advantage, they have a power engaged on their fide, infinitely fuperior to all that can oppofe them, for as the bills ftand round about Jerusalem, even fo doth the Lord ftand round about his people. Pl. cxxv. 2. Here is their defence; and it is the Lord that worketh in them to will and do of his good pleasure, here is their fpiritual strength.

Laftly, It may be obferved, that a believer muft needs be the most happy man; seeing he is delivered from what must always imbitter the fweeteft cups of an unbeliever, and mingle with his pureft pleafures ingredients more distasteful than that of gall and wormwood. I mean, the frequent clamours and accufations of a guilty confcience, the difquieting apprehenfions of an offended God, the fear of death, and the awful judgment of God, together with the endless woes prepared for the ungodly. The believer no longer fubjected to these fears, he runs with chearfulness in the ways of God's commandments, and experiences wisdom's ways to be ways of pleasantness, and all ber paths to be the paths of peace. Others may fometimes conceive of him, as one that is a stranger to pleasure, and hurries on a tedious life without enjoying it; whereas on the contrary, those very things they esteem fo defirable, and in which they make the pleasure of life to confift, are the very things that he rejoices and finds it his greatest happiness to be delivered from. The believer finds the truth of what infpiration has recorded, that godliness is profitable both for this life, and for

that.

that to come; and finds himself happy in what the Lord has done for him already, and happy in expectation of greater and more perfect felicity to be enjoyed hereafter.

I fhall need fay little, I prefume, by way of application; one principal ufe I would have you make on what has been spoken, and that is, feriously, and immediately to enquire whether you have obtained this precious faith; it must be allowed I think by all of you who have attended to the ufe and excellency thereof, that it is a bleffing much to be defired, yea more than gold, or much fine gold:

Without faith you will never be able to lift up your heads in the great day of the Lord, Jefus the judge will condemn the unbelievers, with all the liars and the abominable to everlasting banishment from God and the glory of his power, and fuch must have their portion, and a dreadful portion it will be, in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone, Rev. xxi, 8, Examine yourselves therefore, whether ye be in the faith, prove your own felves: know ye not your own felves that Jefus Chrift is in you except ye be reprobates, 2 Cor. xiii.

5.

SERMON IX.

2 PETER

i. I.

Simon Peter a fervant and an apoftle of Jefus Chrift, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us, through the righteousness of God, and our Saviour Jefus Chrift.

F this precious faith in my text, I have spoken pretty largely in my former difcourfe from thefe words; fo that time constrained me to poftpone what remained in the latter part of my text untill a more seasonable opportunity; and as kind providence has now favoured me with that opportunity, I thankfully embrace it, and pray that the good God would make it a profitable one both for you and me. I fhould not have called your attention fo clofely, and detained you fo long in describing the preciousness of faith, but that I know man's natural pride is with so much difficulty brought to stoop and seek falvation thereby; that every other means must be tried, and every expedient fifted in order that man may have fomewhat to afcribe to himself.

Man