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SERMON V.

PSALM XCVII. 11.

II.

Light is fown for the righteous, and glad nefs for the upright in Heart.

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N these words we have a cordial fent from heaven, for the relief of thofe that are mourning in their way thither.

A feed-time is here fuppofed, which how fore rowful foever, fhall be followed with a joyful harveft: Light is fown for the Righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. With reference to which words four things are obvious to confideration.

I. What is forn, viz. Light and Gladness.
II. For whom.

III. Where.

IV. The feafon for reaping.

And when we have spoken to thefe, way will be open to the application.

I. What is faid to be fown, is light and glad ness, that is, light or gladnefs; both words denoting the fame thing. As darkness and trouble, fo light and gladnefs are ufed in fcripture as terms equivalent: And they shall look unto

i

the

the earth; and behold, trouble and darkness, Ifa.

viii. 22.

Trouble, like darkness, is difconfolate and frightful; but gladness is fitly reprefented by light, Unto the upright, there arifeth light in darkness, i. e. comfort in their affliction and distress, PS. cxii. 4.

Thus the Jews in Efther's time, being delivered from impending destruction, bad light, and gladness, and joy.

This light and gladnefs, is faid to be fown, i. e. to be prepared, reserved and safely laid up, as feed-corn committed with care and caution to the prepared earth, in order to an after-harveft.

The figurative term, taken from fowing feed, plainly imports,

1. That the joy defigned for the righteous, is, as to the fulness of it, yet future as reaping is not immediately to follow fowing, nor the harvest to be expected, as foon as the corn is cast into the ground, but to be patiently waited for.

2. That how little foever of this appears at prefent; nay, though it feems to be buried, like corn under the clods, it fhall fpring forth, grow up, and ripen to a bleffed harvest. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious feed, which he commits to the ground with great concern about the event, fhall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his heaves with him. Thus they that fow in tears, fhall reap with joy, Pfalm cxxvi. 5. Light and gladness have a pleafing found, in which every one is defirous to

fhare.

share. The feed is precious, and the fruit or product fhall be anfwerable. Light is fown, that fhall rife up to glory; gladness, that shall iffue in fulness of joy.

The bleffing intended under either term, carries with it its own commendation. Its excellency is above the need or help of words to fet it off: as who would go about to paint a funbeam, or can attempt it, without taking off from its luftre? Light, what more beautiful? Gladnefs, what more defireable? Who would not reach the felicity these are chosen to denote? But they are to be prepared for it, who would be made happy in the poffeffion of the feed fown, and be made regular expectants of the blissful harveft.

As therefore light is fown, and gladness laid go on to confider,

up: I

II. For whom they are laid up.

And here the character of the perfons is twofold,

1. The righteous. And,

2. The upright in heart.

1. They for whom light is fown, are the righteous.

Upon the mention of this, that paffage of the Apostle is apt to meet us, where he fays, It is written, There is none righteous, no not one, Rom. iii. IO. And fo it may be asked, To what purpose, is light fown for perfons not to be found? For clearing our way, let it be remembered, That all men are now in a fallen ftate. God made the first man after his own image, in integrity or righteousness, which was his ho

nour:

nour: but he did not long retain it, or abide in the state wherein he was made. The law that was given him to keep, he foon broke, and fo loft his innocence; and instead of it, being himfelf finful, devolved guilt and pollution upon all his offspring. Hereupon there is none righteous, fo as to be innocent or finlefs, no not one. are conceived and born in iniquity, and fo are finners by nature, tranfgreffors from the womb. And as to practice, There is not a just man upon earth that doth good, and finneth not. Neverthelefs, every believer may be faid to be righteous, as found in Chrift, and conformed to him.

All

(1.) As found in Chrift, who is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. This is a doctrine that could only be known by revelation; and there it is fet in the clearest light. When the first Adam had finned, and involved his pofterity in guilt and death, it pleased God to fet up his Son, as a fecond Adam; that as by the offence of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even fo by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men to justification of life, Rom. v. 18.

This is the contrivance of wisdom and grace, worthy of God, and only proper to him, That as by one man's difobedience many were made finners: fo by the obedience of one, shall many be made righteous, Rom. v. 18, 19. They that believe, are of God, in and through Chrift; and have him made unto them of God, that righteoufness in which they may ftand before God; the great thing which the guilty need. Such an High Prieft became us, who was holy, harm

lefs,

lefs, undefiled and separate from finners; who, yet God made to be fin for us, who knew no fin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him, 2 Cor. v. 21.

Moreover,

(2.) Believers are righteous, as conformed to Chrift. If any man be in Chrift, he is a new creature. All of this number are renewed in the spirit of their mind, and fo have put off the old man, and put on the new, which after God is created in righteousness and true holinefs, Eph. iv. 24. In them the power of fin is broken, though they are not entirely free from all its remains; and being united to Christ, and led by his Spirit, they endeavour to walk, as he alfo walked. And thus, He that doth righteousnefs, is righteous, 1 John iii. 7.

2. They are alfo ftiled, the upright in heart. This is the fame with being righteous: thofe who are renewed and fanctified by the Spirit of God, and that have a principle of grace within, are enabled to walk in holiness and righteousness before him. Uprightness of life is not excluded; but fuch as God has fet apart for himself, may be spoken of, as upright in beart, And for these ends,

(1.) To denote that the heart comes under God's all-feeing eye: for all things are naked and open to him, with whom we have to do. This he declares, Jer. xvii. 10. I the Lord Jearch the heart, I try the reins, even to give to every man according to his ways.

(2.) That every man is in God's account, as his heart is. They only are reckoned upright

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