had never been born? And that they might be turned into stocks and ftones? But alas! all their wishes will do them no good: Chri will fay to them then, Depart ye curf ed into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels, Mat. xxv. 41, 42, 43.

I shall no proceed to explain how the Lamb's followers may be known from the beast's.

1. They are in the fpirit of the Lamb, (Rom. viii. 9, 16.) and by that spirit they are led and taught, a fpirit of holiness, meeknels, love, and a true humble and faithful fpirit. God calls his people, the dearly beloved of his foul, (Jer. xii. 7) his glory, portion, friends and children; but the beaft calls them feditious deceivers, deluders, blafphemers, fools and mad-men, as if they were not worthy to have a being amongit men.

2. The Lamb's followers may be known from the beast's, by their keeping the commandments of God, and the faith of Jefus, Rev. xiv. 12. Here is the patience of the faints; here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. They hear his voice, profefs his worship, and obey his doctrine; they abhore Antichrift, they follow not the beast, nor receive his mark, but keep their beautiful garments of golpel innocency. They are alfo more afflicted with the churches heavinefs, than B b

they

they are affected with their own happiness. The King /aid, why is thy countenance fad? &c. Neh. ii. 2. How can Sion's fons be rejoicing, when their mother is mourning? Tho' they were the Jews defolation, yet they were Jeremiah's lamentation. How can fuch rejoice in her ftanding, that do not mourn for her falling? When the churches adverfaries make long furrows upon her back, we fhould caft in the feed of tears. Remember them that are in bonds, &c. Heb. xin. 3.

3. The Lamb's followers are likewife known by their love and fufferings for Chrift, they chufe the worft of forrows, before they will commit the leaft of fins; for thy fake we are killed all the day long, and accounted as sheep for the flaughter, Pfalm. xliv. Rom. viii. 36. How fhall we land at the heaven of reft, if we are not toffed upon the sea of trouble? A believer fhould live above the love of life, and the fear of death. Though we canot live without afflictions, yet let us live above them. None are fo welcome to that spiritual Canaan, as thofe that fwim to it through the red fea of their own blood. Oh, how precious, how glorious, how lovely, and fweet is Jefus Chrift to believers! They admire the glory of his perfon, and the beauty of his holiness.

Now by this you may know the Lamb's followers from the beaft's.

1. For examination; Oh, beloved, examine and try yourfelves. what is it you mind? What is it you feek? What is it you do? Do you follow the Lamb in his commands, teachings, appointments, and in his examples, thro fufferings and reproaches? have you forfaken all and followed him? Mat. xvi. 24. Have you taken up his cross and denied yourselves? Mat. xvi. 24. Have you learned of him to be meek and lowly? Mat. xi. 29. Have you vifited and cloathed his Members? Mat. xxv. 36. Have you kiffed the fon and made your peace with him? O beloved, are you new creatures? Are you in Chrift? Are you in faith? Know ye not, if Christ be not in you, ye are reprobates? 2. Cor. xiii. 5.

O! let me exhort and befeech you, for your immortal fouls fake, to come out of Babylon, from the company of wicked men, that you may not be defiled: O come away to Jefus Chrift, Arife my love and come away, Cant. i 10. Oh, finners he calls you to come to him, will you not go? We must forfake fin, and embrace virtue; put off the old man, and put on the new; we must have repentance and mortification, a dying unto fin, and a living unto righteousness; from the love of earthly things to the defire of heavenly; that we may live in Chrift, as he lives in the Father. Surely, beloved, that is a bleffed and glorious life.- Amen. SERMON

SERMON XII.

WATCH & PRAY.

MARK xiv. 38.

Watch and Pray, left you enter into
Temptation.

S Chrift is the churches friend, so fatan is her enemy; he makes war against the remnant of his feed, which keeps the commandments of God, and have the teftimony of Jefus, Rev. xii. 17.

The devil envieth our happiness, and leeks our ruin by tempting us, 1 Cor. v. 7. O beloved! he is the great deceiver of nations and fouls: the great enemy of all mankind, who goeth about like a roaring lion, feeking whom he may devour, 1 Pet. v. 8. But now here is the churches happiness, that Chrift is her friend, Cant. v. 16. O! the Lord Jefus hath a great love for us, and therefore he counfels us, in the words of the text, to watch and pray, left we enter into temptation. These are the words of our Lord Jefus to his difciples, they having. been flumbering and fleeping, when Chrift had commanded them to watch. They

contain

contain, a fuppofition of their entering into temptation, upon which Chrilt grounds a mandatory exhortation, fhewing them the way to avoid it, in these words, watch and pray, &c. Hence we may raife these two points of doctrine:

1. That a child of God is attended with temptation. (2.) That the only way to avoid the evil temptation, is to watch and pray.

For the first of thefe, we may obferve this method: 1. Of the temper. 2. Of the temp tation. 3. Of the manner of their working, with reafons why they have fo much power.

We have four several tempers in feripture. God tempting man, i. e. trying and proving him, as in Deut. viii. 2. Thus God tempted Abraham, Gen. xxii. 1. which is interpreted, Heb. xi. 17. By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Ifaac, &c. this tempting is not to evil, nor for our hurt; but God tempts upon thefe accounts;

For the trial of his people's fear and faith; he proves them in fomething that is near and dear unto them; perhaps, deprives them of fome fpecial neceffary mercy, to fee whether they can truft him, and believe in the want of it; whether they can live by faith upon the God of mercies, when they are gone, as it is written, The juft fhall live by faith, Heb. ii. 17.

Again, the Lord tempts for the proof of their obedience: and thus the Lord fpeaks

to