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Egypt." Nay,it is expresly said of a greater than him, that" for the joy that was set before him, he endured the cross and despised the shame," till he "sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Whence we may easily infer, how much more needful for us, is the view of that joy set before us, that we may endure whatever cross the wisdom of God lays upon us, and press on thro' holiness to glory.

11. But while we are reaching to this, as well as to that glorious liberty which is preparatory to it, we may be in danger of falling into another snare of the devil, wherein he labours to intangle the children of God. We may take too much thought for to-morrow, so as to neglect the improvement of to-day. We may so expect perfect love, as not to use that, which is already shed abroad in our hearts. There have not been wanting instances of those, who have greatly suffered hereby. They were so taken up with what they were to receive hereafter, as utterly to neglect what they had already received. expectation of baving five talents more, they buried their one talent in the earth. At least they did not improve it as they might have done, to the glory of God and the good of their own souls.

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12. Thus does the subtle adversary of God and man, endeavour to make void the council of God, by dividing the gospel against itself, and making one part of it overthrow the other: while the first work of God, in the soul is destroyed by the expectation of his perfect work. We have seen several of the ways wherein he attemtps this, by cutting off, as it were, the springs of holiness. But this he likewise does more directly, by making that blessed hope an occasion of unholy tempers.

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13. Thus, whenever our heart is eagerly a-thirst for all the great and precious promises, when we part after the fulness of God, as the hart after the water-brook, when our soul braeketh out in fervent desire, Why are his chariot-wheels so long a coming?" He will not neglect the opportunity, of tempting us to murmur against God. He will use all his wisdom and all his strength, if haply in an unguarded hour, we may be influenced to repine at our Lord, for thus delaying his

coming. At least, he will labour to excite some degree of fretfulness or impatience and perhaps of envy at those, whom we believe to have already attained the prize of our high calling. He well knows, that by giving way to any of these tempers, we are pulling down the very thing we would build up. By thus following after perfect holiness, we become more unholy than before. Yea, there is great danger that our last staté should be worse than the first like them of whom the apostle speaks, in those dreadful words, "It had been better they had never known the way of righteousness, than after they had known it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them."

14. And from hence he hopes to reap another advantage, even to bring up an evil report of the good way. He is sensible, how few are able to distinguish (and too many are not willing so to do) between the accidental abuse and the natural tendency of a doctrine. These therefore, will he continually blend together, with regard to the doctrine of Christian perfection: in order to prejudice the minds of unwary men against the glorious, promises of God. And how frequently, how generally I had almost said, 'how universally has he prevailed here-` in? For who is there that observes any of these accidental ill effects of this doctrine, and does not immediately. conclude, this is its natural tendency? And does not readily cry out, "See, these are the fruits (meaning the natural, necessary fruits) of such doctrine!" Not so. They are fruits which may accidentally spring from the abuse of a great and precious truth. But the abuse of this, or any other scriptural doctrine, does by no means destroy its use. Neither can the unfaithfulness of man,' perverting his right way, make the promise of God of no effect. No let God be true and every man a liar. The word of the Lord it shall stand. Faithful is he that hath promised: he also will do it. Let not us then be removed from the hope of the gospel. Rather let us observe, which was the second thing proposed, how we may retort these fiery darts of the wicked one: how we may rise the higher by what he intends for an occasion of our falling.

II. 1. And, first, Does Satan endeavour to damp your joy in the Lord, by the consideration of your sinfulness, 4 Ꭰ

No. XI.

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added to this, that without entire, universal holiness no man can see the Lord? You may cast back this dart upon his own head, while through the grace of God, the more you feel of your own vileness, the more you rejoice in confident hope, that all this shall be done away. While

you hold fast this hope, every evil temper you feel, though you hate it with a perfect hatred, may be a means, not of lessening your humble joy, but rather of increaing it. "This and this, may you say, shall likewise perish from the presence of the Lord. Like as the wax melteth at the fire, so shall this melt away before his face." By this means the greater that change is, which remains to be wrought in your soul, the more may you triumph in the Lord, and rejoice in the God of your salvation: who hath done so great things for you already, and will do so much greater things than these.

2. Secondly, the more vehemently he assaults your peace with that suggestion, "God is holy, you are unholy. You are immensely distant from that holiness, without which you cannot see God: how then can you be in the favour of God: How can you fancy you are justified?" Take the more earnest heed to hold fast, that, Not by works of righteousness which I have done. I am found in him: I am accepted in the beloved; not having my own righteousness (as the cause either in whole or in part of our justification before God) but that which is by faith in Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. O bind this about your neck: write it upon the table of thy heart. Wear it as a bracelet upon thy arm, as frontlets between thine eyes: I am justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ. Value and esteem more and more that precious truth, By grace we are saved through faith. Admire more and more the free grace of God, in so loving the world. as to give his only Son, that whosoever believeth on him might not perish, but have everlasting life. So shall the sense of the sinfulness you feel on the one hand, and of the holiness you expect, on the other, both contribute to establish your peace, and to make it flow as a river. So shall that peace flow on with an even stream, in spite of all those mountains of ungodliness, which shall become a plain in the day when the Lord cometh, to take full possession of your heart. Neither will sickness or pain, or the ap

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proach of death, occasion any doubt or fear. You know a day, an hour, a moment, with God is as a thousand years. He cannot be streightened for time wherein tỏ work whatever remains to be done in your soul. And God's time is always the best time. Therefore be thou careful for nothing. Only make thy request known unto him, and that not with doubt or fear, but thanksgiving: as being previously assured, he cannot withold from thee any manner of thing that is good.

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3. Thirdly, the more you are tempted to give up your shield, to cast away your faith, your confidence in his love, so much the more take heed that you hold fast that, whereunto you have attained. So much the more labour to stir up the gift of God which is in you. Never let that slip, I have an alvocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous and the life I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Be this thy glory and crown of rejoicing. And see that no one take thy crown. Hold that fast, I know that my redeemer liveth, and shall stand at the latter day, upon the earth. And I now have redemption in his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. Thus, being filled with all peace and joy in believing, press on, in the peace and joy of faith, to the renewal of thy whole soul, in the image of him that created thee. Mean while cry continually to God, that thou mayst see that prize of thy high calling, not as Satan represents it, in a horrid dreadful shape, but in its genuine native beauty: not as something that must be, or thou wilt go to hell, but as what may be, to lead thee to heaven. Look upon it as the most desirable gift, which is in all the stores of the rich mercies of God. Beholding it in the true point of light, thou wilt hunger after it more and more: thý whole soul will be athirst for God, and for this glorious conformity to his likeness. And having received a good hope of this, and strong consolation through grace, thou wilt no more be weary or faint in thy mind, but wilt føllow on till thou attainest.

4. In the same power of faith, press on to glory. Indeed this is the same prospect still. God hath joined from the beginning, pardon, holiness, heaven. And why should man put them asunder? O beware of this. Let not one link of the golden chain be broken. God for Christ's

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Christ's sake hath forgiven me. He is now renewing me in his own image. Shortly he will make me meet for himself, and take me to stand before his face. I whom he hath justified thro' the blood of his Son, being throughly sanctified by his Spirit, shall quickly ascend to the "New Jerusalem, the city of the living God." Yet a little. while and I shall "come to the general assembly and church of the first-born, and to God the judge of all, and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant." How soon will these shadows flee away, and the day of eternity dawn upon me! How soon shall I drink of " the river of the water of life, going out of the throne of God and of the Lamb? There all his servants shall praise him, and shall see his face, and his name shall be upon their foreheads. And no night shall be there and they have no need of a candle or the light of the sun. For the Lord God enlighteneth them, and they shall reign for ever and ever."

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5. And if you thus taste of the good word, and the powers of the world to come, you will not murmur against God, because you are not yet meet for the inheritance of the saints in light. Instead of repining at your not being wholly delivered, you will praise God for thus far delivering you. You will magnify God for what he hath done, and take it as an earnest of what he will do. You will not fret against him, because you are not yet renewed, but bless him because you shall be; and because now is your salvation from all sin, nearer than when you first believed. Instead of uselessly tormenting yourself because the time is not fully come, you will calmly and quietly wait for it, knowing that it will come, and will not tarry. You may therefore the more chearfully endure as yet, the burden of sin that still remains in you, because it will not always remain. Yet a little while and it shall be clean gone. Only "tarry thou the Lord's leisure: be strong, and he shall comfort thy heart, and put thou thy trust in the Lord."

6. And if you see any who appear (so far as man can judge, but God alone searcheth the hearts) to be already partakers of their hope, already made perfect in love far from envying the grace of God in them, let it rejoice and comfort your heart. Glorify God for their

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