merable, faith David, They are more than the hairs of my head, Pfal. xl. 12.

Alas! one of thy fins were enough to fink thee into hell for ever; what advantage doth Dives reap reap in hell, of all the delicate banquets he had on earth? Oh, think of that time, wherein you fhall be afraid of nothing but your wickedness, and glory in nothing but your holinefs. Sin is like a ferpent in the bofom, that is ftinging; or like a thief in the closet, that is ftealing; like poifon in the ftomach; or like a fword in the bowels, that is killing. Some are in hell already, for the fame fin thou liveft in, and if thou live and die without Chrift, thou fhalt e'er long be with them; therefore I fay, make your peace with God.

6. Confider, there is more bitterness following upon fins ending, than ever there were sweetnefs flowing from fins actings; you that fee nothing but well in its commiffion, will fuffer nothing but woe in its conclufion. It is better to forgo the pleasure of fin, than to undergo the pain of it: You that fin for your profit, will never profit by your fins; he that doth the works of fin, fhall never reap the joys of heaven; fin is both fhameful and wicked; it damneth men in this world, and that which is to come: It's like Judas, that firft falutes us, but at last betrays us; or like Delia, to fmile in our faces, and betrays us in our enemies hands. Oh, fin

ners,

ners, think of this, and part with your fins, that you may meet with your Saviour, and make your peace with him.

7. Confider the heavy judgments that hang over your heads; you lye open to all the judgments in this life, and that which is to come. Oh you finners, the day is hasting upon you, wherein you will have mifery without mercy, forrow without fuccour, pain without eafe, punishment without pity, and torment without end, unlefs repentance do prevent, 2 Thef. i. 7. The Lord Jefus fhall be revealed from heaven, with his mighty Angels in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jefus Chrift, who shall be punished with everlasting deftruction, from the the prefence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power: Oh let the hearing of this, prevent the feeling of it, poor finners.

Oh

8. And lastly, if none of the former arguments, or confiderations prevail with you to make your peace with the Prince of peace, yet let this one I beseech you, and that is the readiness and willingness of God to give Christ, and he to give himself to you. finners, is God willing to give his fon, and are you not willing to receive him? Confider the willingness of God, Behold I ftand at the door and knock, if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in unto him, and will fup with him.

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Mark, finners, here behold I ftand; who? I that have heaven, and a crown to give, I that have all joys to give, and myfelf; do ftand and knock; ferioufly confider this poor finners? Who is it that ftands at the door of your hearts and knocks? Why, it is the King of faints, the Prince of peace, the mighty God, and will you not open to him? What are you unwilling to be faved, to go to heaven, and be happy for ever? What are you unwilling to be delivered from fatan, fin, and from the flames of hell? If you be willing, then make your peace. with God, for he is willing to open heaven to you, if be but willing to open your hearts to him; he is willing to fave you, if you be willing to be faved; he is willing to give you Chrift, if you be willing to receive him: And therefore poor fouls, let these confiderations provoke you to go for life, to the Lord of life, to go for peace to the Prince of peace, to go for grace to the God of grace Were men fo diligent to do their beft, God is so diligent, he would forgive the worst.

you

SERMON VIII.

SERMON VIII.

The ELECT PRECIOUS.

CANT. v. 16. He is altogether Lovely. Doctrine, Jefus Chrift is Infinitely and Superlatively Lovely.

WHO can be weary of preaching, hear

ing, reading or learning Chrift, who

is fo precious and lovely? Mahomet is the Turks love, Mofes is the Jews love, but Chrift is a believer's love.

I fhall now make fome entrance upon Chrift's fixth famous title, The Elect Precious; this you have in 1 Pet. ii. 6.

From this excellent title, I fhall lay down two propofitions.

Doct. 1. That Jefus Chrift the Mediator, is God the Father Elect. I pray mark, firs, there is a three-fold elect of God.

1. The elect Jefus Chrift, Ifa. xlii. 1. Behold my fervant, my elect, faith the father, fpeaking of Chrift.

2. The elect Angels, in 1 Tim. v. 21. I charge thee before God, and our Lord Jefus Chrift, and the elect Angels.

3. The elect faints, and for this, fee Col. iii. 12. Put on therefore as the elect of God, holy and beloved. bowels of mercy. But alas! Q what

what are the elect Angels, or elect faints, to the Elect precious? It is only bleffed Jefus that is the elect precious. But I fhall not stand upon this point, but proceed to the

fecond.

Doct. 2. And that is this, That a crucified and glorified Chrift, is very precious to all believing faints.

In handling of this point, I shall shew you five things.

1. That he is precious. 2. He is most precious. 3. He is all precious. 4. He is always precious. 5. And why he is fo.

1. That he is precious. Jefus Chrift is precious three ways, to God, Angels and faints.

1. To God the father; and this will appear by what God the father hath faid himfelf of his fon, Ifa. xlii. 1. My elect in whom my foul delighteth. Here you fee Christians, what God faid of Chrift; the foul of God, delights in the son of God. So again, Mat. iii. 17. This is my beloved fon, in whom I am well pleafed.

Oh, how precious is Chrift to God the father! The Lord Jefus, though he was a man of forrow, yet he was not a man of fin; he had correction, but no corruption; he that was a way to others. never went out of the way himself. Jefus Christ must needs be precious to the father, because he never difpleafed him in any thing, John