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holinefs; for Chrift 'will not fit down where the covenant gets not the throne. When the free covenant comes, it makes Self go to the door, and bids pride be gone; `for holiness hath a charge never to lodge in the fame room with pride. When the covenant comes in, pride goes out; and when pride goes out, holiness comes in; for, He gives grace to the humble; and the molt fweetly humbling thing in all the world, is a view of the free covenant, where God gets all the glory, and Self nothing of it: nay, when the covenant comes, it makes Self think fhame of itself, and hide its face with blushes. In a word, when the covenant comes, it contains in its bofom all the furniture that is neceffary for making a man holy; and alfo, this covenant fhews to a man that much is forgiven him; and when much is forgiven him, he loves much.. And where there is much love, -there is true holiness, for the love of Chrift conftrains him; therefore, where this covenant never comes, holiness never grows; but when the covenant of grace in its freedom and fulnefs takes place with a foul, there holiness flourishes. Would you know wherefore there is fo much wickednefs, and fo little holinefs in Scotland, for all the talking of holinefs, as if the free difpenfation of gofpel-grace would marr it? The very reafon is, Little of this covenant is known; men keep fast hold of their fins, because they will not take hold of this covenant. Where there is nothing of this covenant, there is no holinefs; where little of this covenant, there is little holinefs; and where much of this covenant takes place, there is much holiness.

The new covenant brings in the new fong, ver. 10. "Sing unto the LORD a new fong ;" and the new fong is the new obedience; and the new obedience is the obedience of faith and love; and that obedience of faith and love is gospel-holinefs. O then, let the gofpel-covenant have room, or holinefs will never thrive and increase: take in the covenant, and it will make you fing; "Sing to the LORD a new fong and his praises to the ends of the earth; for he that offereth praife glorifieth God:" and the more you glorify God, the more will your holinefs be like that of the redeemed above, who are finging the new fong in the new Jerufalem. SERMON

SERMON VI.

The WORLD'S VERDICT of CHRIST

and his FOLLOWERS; or, the truly
Devout ridiculed and reproached by
the Profane.

ISAIAH viii. 18.

Behold, I and the children whom the Lord bath given me, are for figns and for wonders in Ifrael; from the Lord of bofts; which dwelleib in mount Zion.

THE
HE fubjects I have lately difcourfed upon, compar-
ed with this text, will hold forth to us a fourfold
verdict concerning Chrift, the glorious Redeemer of an
elect world. 1. The FATHER's verdict concerning him,
faying, "I have given him for a covenant of the people,
a light of the Gentiles."+ 2. The SPIRIT's verdict
concerning him, witneffing in his behalf; "He fhall tefti-
fy of me." 3. His own verdict of himfelf, faying, "I
and my Father are one." 4. The WORLD's verdict of
him and his followers, "Behold, I and the children whom
the Lord hath given me, are for figns and for wonders in
Ifrael."In the firft, the Father commends him to us
by his approbation; "I will give thee for a covenant of
the people." In the fecond, the Spirit commends him to
us by his atteftation; "He fhall teftify of me." In the
third, he commends himffelf to us by his proclamation;1
"I and my Father are one." But in the fourth, the
world difcommends and entertains him with deteftation;
"Behold, I and the children whom the Lord hath given
me, are for figns 'and for wonders in Ifrael."-Behold,
how the Father's gift is defp fed, though he gave him for
a covenant of the people! Behold, how the Spirit's tefti-

mony

* This fermon was delivered by our Author in his own church at Dunferm, line, Dec. 16. 1722.

See the preceding fermon.

These two latt tubjects have not yet appeared in print.

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mony is rejected, while he teftifies of Chrift! Behold, how his own declaration is neglected, fhewing that he and his Father are one! Behold, how unworthily this glorious one is entertained, by the generality who hear of him; even with prodigious marks of reproach and contempt upon him and all his children!

It might have been thought that Chrift and his friends fhould be better entertained, by the people of the world, feeing he is given of the Father to be the covenant of the people: yet the moft of people are fuch ftrangers to their true intereft, fuch apoftates from, and enemies to Chrift, that his best friends, are ready to meet with the greatelt oppofition, when they are moft employed in witneffing for him. But that he whom the Father hath given, for a covenant of the people, will fill have fome friends amongst the people to witnefs for him, is evident from that word; "He fhall testify of me; and ye alfo fhall bear witnefs." And furely they fhall have no reason to be afhamed of their teftimony concerning him, feeing he is fuch a glorious perfon, that he and his Father are one, in effence: and yet what treatment his witneffing friends are to expect, even in Ifrael, is declared in this text, by their glorious Leader; "Behold, I and the children whom the Lord hath given me, are for figns and for wonders in Ifrael."

That you may not apprehend we mistake the fcope of the words; it may be here afked, "Of whom doth the prophet here fpeak? of himfelf, or of another?" We anfwer, He fpeaks both of himself and of another. That he fpeaks of himself, is evident from the context, which you may view at your leifure: and that he speaks of another alfo, is evident from Heb. ii. 13. where this very text is cited, and applied to Chrift; "Behold, I and the children whom thou haft given me." So that here the prophet is the type, and CHRIST the Antitype: therefore, hence it is evident, that in difcourfing upon this fubject, I will not deviate from the fcope, while I apply it either to Chrift, or his fervants and friends: and while I confider it either as the language of the prophet, the type, fpeaking of himself, and his children, converted by his means and inftrumentality; and fo

may

may be applied to all the faithful ambaffadors of Chrift, and their converts; or, as it is the language of CHRIST, the Antitype, fpeaking of himfelf, and of all his friends and followers, who, of his own will, are begotten and regenerated by the word of grace: Behold, I, and the children whom the Lord hath given me, are for figns and for wonders in Ifrael"

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The scope of this, and feveral following chapters, is to fhow the great deftruction that was fhortly to be brought upon the kingdom of Ifrael, by the king of Affyria, for their fins. In thefe times of public calamity threatened and impendent, the prophet comforts the people of God, ver. II. with the fame comfort, wherewith himfelf had been comforted of God; "For the Lord fpake thus to me, with a strong hand, and inftructed me, that I should not walk in the way of this people." Where we may remark, 1. That there is a pronenefs in men to walk in the way of the people they live amongft, tho' it be not a good way: the best of men are prone hereto. 2. Thofe whom God loves and owns, he will enable them to fwim against the ftream of common corruption, tho' they fhould be called fingular. In thefe times of diftrefs, the Lord alfo cautions his people, by the prophet, againft all finful fears, ver. 12. "Say you not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people fhall fay, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid." Be not affociate with them nor afraid of their confederacy. When the church's enemies have finful confederacies on foot, the church's friends fhould watch against the finful fears of thefe confederacies. And efpecially, it concerns us, in time of trouble, to watch against all fuch fears as put us upon any indirect courses for our own fecurity; or any finsul fhiits to fhun the crofs.-He next advises them to a religious fear, ver. 13. "Sanctify the Lord of hofts himself, and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread." The believing fear of God is a fpecial prefervative against the dif quiet and fear of man: and they that truly fear God, fhall not need to fear any evil; for, He fhall be for a fan&tuary to them, though to others he will be a ftone of flumbling, over which they will fall to ruin, ver. 14, 15. They who are helped to keep up the fear of God, and keep VOL. I.

R

down

down the fear of man, will find God to be their refuge; while the wicked, and all their confederates, though hand join in hand, fhall not go unpunished, but ftumble and fall into defpair and ruin.-In ver. 16. we have the unpeakable privilege which the people of God enjoy, in having the oracles f God intrufled to them; the fcripture, as a TESTIMONY, to direct our faith; and a Law, to direct our practice: it is God's proclamation, under the broad feal of heaven; it is the good thing committed to them that are difciples.-In ver. 17. we have the ufe, the good ufe we are to make of this privilege: and this we are taught by the prophet's own practice and refolution; he embraced the law and the teftimony, and had the comfort of it, amidst all the difcouragements he met with. What counfel God had given, ver. 12. the prophet here follows, ver. 17. "I will wait upon the · Lord, that hideth his face from the houfe of Jacob, and I will look for him." God was frowning upon his people; and then the prophet was waiting and looking. When God is hiding his face, and threatening to come in a way of judgment, even then his people fhould be attending upon him, and expecting his return, in a way of mercy and thofe that wait upon od, by faith and prayer, may look for him with hope and joy.

But now, while the prophet was taking this courfe, it was judged to be an imprudent and ridiculous thing in him; he and his difciples, amongst whom the law and telimony was fealed, were fcoffed and mocked, contémined and reproached for it; "Behold, I and the children whom the Lord hath given me are for figns aud wonders in Ifrael." Where, for a fhort divifion, you may obferve thefe fix following things.

1. The note of admiration or lamentation, BEпOLD!" The prophet admires that godlinefs fhould be fo ftrange: or, he laments the fin of that age, that piety and religion fhuld be fuch a ftrange thing among them.

2 We have the party that is here derided, contemned, and wondered at; "I and the children whom the Lord hath given me :" the prophet and his difciples, ninifters and their converts, Chrift and his friends.

3. Obferve the mark of reproach and derifion put upon

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