ver answer it to him, but must be filled with the greatest confufion in the day of his appearing.

3. How many foever revolt from Christ, fincere believers will, and ought to cleave to him still: and they own they have the greatest reafon to do fo :

(1.) To repair, as much as in them lies, the dishonour cast upon him, and his ways, by such as leave him, and to witness for him, that he never gave any a just occafion to do fo.

(2.) To shew that their choice of Christ and faith in him, is not built on what others say of him, but upon what they have seen and found in him, and heard and received from him. This is the reason Peter gives in the name of the rest, why they could not admit the thought of a change, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou baft the words of eternal life.

APPLICATION.

1. How defireable is a special relation to Christ, as all fuch shall be kept by him thro' faith unto falvation!

2. Let such as make a fair profession of Chrift in such a day of defection as ours, look upon themselves concerned to double their watch. And let me say to you all,

1. Look to the ground on which your profeffion is taken up. 2. Confider the danger and misery of going away, and tremble at the thought.

3. Beg of God to keep you, and pray as those

that know the treachery of your own hearts, that unless you are kept by a better power than your own, you are loft.

Lastly, Keep that eternal life in view of which Christ hath the words; and then meet every difficulty, and bear every trial, as those that know that the sufferings of the present life are not worthy to be compared with the glory to be revealed.

:

SER

SERMON XVII.

JOHN XII. 20, 21.

And there were certain Greeks among them, that
came up to worship at the feast :
The fame came therefore to Philip, which was of
Bethfaida of Galilee, and defired him, faying,
Sir, we would fee Jefus.

HE Greeks or Gentiles here spoken of, are supposed to have dwelt about Tyre and Sidon, near enough to the Galileans to have converse with them; and fo might be acquainted with Philip, who was of Bethfaida of Galilee, to whom they applied, as in the text, Sir, we would fee Fefus.

With what defign they defired this, whether only to gratify their curiofity, or for better ends, is not faid: but the passage may give rise to what may be of use to ourselves.

Accordingly, Two enquiries may be made upon our reading it. I. By whom among ourselves these same words of defire may be uttered, We would fee fe

1

wishers, that may utter and repeat them after these Greeks?

I. By whom among ourselves these same words may be uttered?

Now, three forts may thus express themselves, We would fee Jejus.

1. Such as are yet strangers to him, and who after this may continue so, and live and die in fin and unbelief, may utter them. Many may fay, We would fee Jejus, and yet never feek heartily to get an interest in him: they would have a Saviour, but will perish rather than accept him like one: they would go to heaven, and would seemingly bid fair for it at first; but after they see the difficulty of the way, they will rather stop where they are, and at last sink into eternal perdition, than enter into it, and patiently walk through it. Hence our Lord exhorts to strive to enter in at the ftrait gate; adding, by way of motive, for many, I say unto you, will Seek to enter in, and shall not be able, Luke xiii.

24.

2. You may take the persons speaking thus to be such, who, tho' yet out of Christ, are under the Spirit's preparatory work to lead them to a vital union and fellowship with him: such into whose souls the Spirit is come as a convincer, in order to their converfion; opening their eyes and hearts so far, by the affecting difcoveries of fin and mifery, as to make them cry out for a fight of Chrift, as a dying man for a physician, a condemned man for a pardon, or a drowning man for a plank, by which he may escape being

VOL. II.

Y

ing swallowed up by the tempestuous and swelling ocean.

This was the cafe of Peter's hearers, Atts ii. 37. They, when pricked at their hearts, said unto him, and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? And this was the cafe of the awakened jailor, Acts xvi. 30. When he came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, and faid, Sirs, what must I do to be faved?

The impreffions made on both these, issued well: for of the effects of the first, it is said, The fame day there were added unto them, i. e. the church, about three thousand fouls: and the latter, the jailor, having faith in Christ preached to him as the way to falvation, was made a monument of mercy, and was baptized, and all his, Straightway. The weary and heavy laden Christ calls to him for their obtaining ease and rest; and such as these, under a lively sense of their need of him, we may conceive of, as uttering themselves as in the text, We would fee Jesus.

3. Those may thus speak who are already made partakers of Christ, and stand in a special relation to him. True believers have not yet apprehended concerning Christ all that they defire, and are encouraged to expect : but as to what is wanting, they depend upon him for receiving it. The life they live in the flesh, they live by the faith of the Son of God; and the heaven they are waiting for, is a place where they are to be present with him, where he is : and as going up towards it, they find frequent occafion to join in this defire, We would fee Jefus.

This