to heart; estrangement from God being contrary to the ends of creation and redemption, and if continued in, will issue in an eternal separation from him.

2. Are gracious souls, when acting like themselves, continually with God? How much do they forget their character, who would be accounted such, and yet are seldom with him, if ever?

Cannot some of you remember the time when your meditation of God was sweet, your defires after him ardent, your applications to him frequent? Is it so still: or is it far otherwise? How unreasonable is the change? Is not God the same? Should he not be the same to you? How much have you suffered by that estrangement ? Remember from whence thou art fallen, and repent, Rev. ii. 5.

3. How defireable is the condition of a gracious foul, who is continually with God? How safe, how comfortable, how happy?

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SERMON V.

PSALM XCVII. II.

Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in Heart.

N these words we have a cordial fent from of those that are mourn

Theater, for the relief

ing in their way thither.

A feed-time is here supposed, which how fore rowful foever, shall be followed with a joyful harvest: 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 soon, viz. Light and Gladness.
II. For whom.

III. Where.

IV. The feafon for reaping.

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

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

the

the earth; and behold, trouble and darkness, Ifa. viii. 22.

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

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

This light and gladness, 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 designed 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 caft into the ground, but to be patiently waited for.

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

1

share. The feed is precious, and the fruit or product shall be answerable. Light is sown, that shall rise up to glory; gladness, that shall issue 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 sunbeam, or can attempt it, without taking off from its lustre? Light, what more beautiful? Gladness, 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 possession of the feed sown, and be made regular expectants of the blissful harvest.

As therefore light is sown, and gladness laid up: I go on to confider,

II. For whom they are laid up.

And here the character of the persons is twofold,

1. The righteous. And,

2. The upright in heart.

1. They for whom light is sown, are the

righteous.

Upon the mention of this, that passage of the Apostle is apt to meet us, where he says, It is written, There is none righteous, no not one, Rom. iii. 10. And so 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 state. God made the first man after his own image, in integrity or righteousness, which was his ho

All

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 himself sinful, devolved guilt and pollution upon all his offspring. Hereupon there is none righteous, so as to be innocent or finless, no not one. are conceived and born in iniquity, and so are sinners by nature, transgressors from the womb. And as to practice, There is not a just man upon earth that doth good, and finneth not. Nevertheless, every believer may be faid to be righteous, as found in Christ, and conformed to him.

(1.) As found in Christ, 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 set in the clearest light. When the first Adam had finned, and involved his pofterity in guilt and death, it pleased God to set up his Son, as a second Adam; that as by the offence of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so 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 disobedience 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 righteousness in which they may stand before God; the great thing which the guilty need. Such an

High Prieft became us, who was holy, harm