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an hundred-fold advantage? Mark x. 29. So that none need be frightned at religion, for the loffes that attend it, whilst Christ and heaven are gained by it: they that count religion their lofs, have their portion in this life.

Infer. 5. How fecurely is the faints inheritance fettled upon them, feeing they are in common with Jefus Chrift? Chrift and his faints are joint heirs, and the inheritance cannot be alienated, but by his confent; he muft lofe his interest, if you lose yours. Indeed, Adam's inheritance was by a fingle title, and moreover, it was in his own hand, and fo he might, (as indeed he foon did) diveft himfelf and his pofterity of it; but it is not fo betwixt Chrift and believers, we are fecured in our inheritance by Christ our co-heir, who will never alienate it: and therefore it was truly obferved by the father, Foelicior Job in fterquilinio, quam Adamus in paradifo: Job was happier upon the dunghill, than Adam was in paradife. The covenant of grace is certainly the best tenure; as it hath the best mercies, fo it gives the fulleft fecurity to enjoy them.

Infer. 6. How rich and full is Jefus Chrift, who communicates abundantly to all the faints, and yet hath infinitely still more in hirnfelf, than hath ever been received by them all.

Take all the faith of Abraham, all the meeknefs of Mofes, all the patience of Job, all the wifdom of Solomon, all the zeal of David, all the induftry of Paul, and all the tender-heartedness of Jofiah; add to this, all the grace that is poured, (tho' in leffer measure), into all the elect veffels in the world, yet ftill it is far short of that which remains in Chrift; "He is anointed with the "oil of gladnefs above his fellows :" And in all things he hath, and must ever have the pre-eminence. There are many thoufand ftars glittering above your heads, and one ftar differs from another star in glory, yet there is more light and glory in one fun, than in the many thousand stars. Grace beautifies the children of men exceedingly, but ftill that is true of Chrift, Pfal. xlv. 2. "Thou art fairer than the children of men, grace is poured into

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thy lips." For all grace is fecondarily, and derivatively in the faints, but it is primitively and originally in Chrift, John v. 16. Grace is imperfect and defective in them, but in him it is in its most abfolute perfection and fulnefs, Col. i. 19. In the faints it is mixed with abundance of corruption, but in Chrift it is altogether unmixed, and exclufive of its oppofite, Heb. vii. 26. So that as the Heathen faid of moral virtue, I may much more say of Chrift, That were he to be seen with mortal eyes, he would compel love and admiration from all men, for "he is altogether lovely," Cant. v. 16.

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SERM. VIII. Infer. 7. What delight, and fingular advantage must needs be in the communion of the jaints, who have communion with 'Jefus Chrift in all his graces and benefits.

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"That which we have feen and heard, declare we unto you, "that ye alfo may have fellowthip with us: And truly our fel lowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jefus Christ," 1 John i. 3. O it is fweet to have fellowship with those that bave fellowship with God in Jefus Chrift. Chrift hath communicated to the faints, varieties of graces, in different measures and degrees; and as they all receive from Chrift the fountain, to it is tweet and most delightful to be improving themselves by fpiritual communion one with another: Yea, for that end one is furnished with one grace more eminently than another, that the weak may be affifted by the ftrong, as a modern divine * well obferves. Athanafius was prudent, and active, Bafil of an heavenly, fweet temper, Chryfoftome laborious, without affectation, Ambrofe refolved, and grave, Luther couragious, and Calvin acute, and judicious. Thus every one hath his proper gift from Chrift, the fountain of gifts and graces, 1 Cor. vii. 7. One hath quickness of parts, another folidity of judg ment, but not ready and prefential; one is zealous, but ungrounded; another well principled, but timerous; one is wary, and prudent; another open and plain; one is trembling, and melting; another chearful and joyous; one muft impart his light, another his heat: The eye, the knowing man, cannot fay to the hand, the active man, I have no need of thee. And O how fweet would it be, if gifts, graces, and experiences were frequently, and humbly imparted! But idle notions, earthIv-mindednefs, felf-interefts, and want of more communion with Chrift, have, almoft, deftroyed the comfort of Chriftian fel lowship every where in the world.

Infer. 8. In a word, those only have ground to claim interest in Chrift, who do really participate of his graces, and in whom are found the effects and fruits of their union and communion

with him.

If you have interest in Christ, you have communion in his graces and benefits; and if you have fuch communion, it will appear in your maintaining daily actual communion with God in 'duties; whereby will be produced,

First, The increafe of your fanctification, by fresh participations from the fountain; as cloth which is often dipt into the fat receives the deeper dye, and livelier tincture; fo will your

*Mr. Turfhel.

fouls by affiduous communion with God. It will also be dif cerned,

Secondly, In your deeper humiliation, and spiritual fense of your own vileness: The more any man partakes of God, and is acquainted with him, and affimilated to him, the more base and vile in his own fight he still grows, Job xlii. 5, 6. Ifa. vi. 5.

Thirdly, It will appear in your more vehement longings after the full enjoyment of God in heaven, 1 Pet. i. 8. and Rom. viii. 23. You that have the first fruits, will groan within yourselves after the full harveft, and fatisfying fruition; you will not be fo taken with things below, as to be content with the best lot on earth for your everlasting portion, O! if thefe communicated drops be fo fweet, what is there in Chrift the fountain?

And thus I have opened the method of grace in bringing home Chrift and his benefits to God's elect by union, in order to communion with him.

Thanks be to God for Jefus Chrift.

SERMON IX.

Containing the first general Ufe of Exhortation, inviting all Men to apply JESUS CHRIST.

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MATTH. xi. 28. Come unto me, all ye that labour, and are heas vy laden, and I will give you reft.

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HE impetration of our redemption by Jefus Chrift, being finished in the first part, and the way and means by which Chrift is applied to finners in the foregoing part of this treatise; I am now orderly come to the general use of the whole; which in the first place fhall be by way of exhortation, to invite and perfuade all men to come to Chrift; who in all the former fermons, hath been reprefented in his garments of falvation, red in his apparel, prepared and offered to finners as their all-fufficient and only remedy: And in the following fermons will be reprefented in his perfumed garments coming out of his ivory palaces, Pfalm xlv. 8. to allure and draw all men

unto him.

For a general head to this ufe, which will be large, I have chofen this fcripture, "Come unto me all ye that labour, and

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are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

These words are the voice of our Lord Jefus Chrift himself, in which there is a vital, ravishing found: It is your mercy to have fuch a joyful found in your ears this day. And in them I will confider their dependance, parts, and scope.

As to their dependance, it is manifeft they have an immediate relation to the foregoing verfe, wherein Christ opens his com miffion, and declares the fulness of this authority and faving power, and the impoffibility of coming to God any other way. "All things are delivered to me of my Father, and no man "knoweth the Son but the Father: Neither knoweth any man "the Father fave the Son, and he to whomfoever the Son will " reveal him,” ver. 27.

This 28th verfe is brought in proleptically to obviate the dif couragements of any poor, convinced, and humbled foul, who might thus object: Lord, I am fully fatisfied of the fulness of thy faving power, but greatly doubt whether ever I shall have the benefit thereof; for I fee fo much fin and guilt in myself, fo great vileness and utter unworthinefs, that I am overweighed, and even fink under the burden of it: My foul is difcouraged because of fin. This objection is prevented in the words of my text, "Come unto me all ye that labour, and are heavy la"den," q. d. Let not the fense of your fin and mifery drive you from your only remedy: Be your fins never fo many, and the fenfe and burden of them never so heavy, yet, for all that, Come unto me: You are the perfons whom I invite and call. I came not to call the righteous, but finners to repentance. In the words, three things are especially remarkable. 1. The foul's fpiritual distress and burthen: Weary and hea

vy laden.

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2. Its invitation to Chrift under that burthen: Come unto me. 3. Its encouragement to that great duty : I will give you reft. First, The foul's fpiritual distress and burthen, expreffed in two very emphatical words *, οι κοπιώντες και πεφορτισμένοι. "that labour and are heavy laden." The word which we tran

"Ye

* Oi xoTIWYTES, i. e. They who labour even to fainting and tiring, for this Greek word to no differs by this emphasis from the word move, which fignifies only in general to labour. Pifcator on the place, explains it thus, Ye who feel the burden of your fins, and yet do not fink under the weight thereof. Chryfoftome expounds it of those who are burdened with the legal rites and ceremo nies; but we understand it in general, of all those who being preffed with the burden of their fins, and the fenfe of the malignity of their corrupt natures. do ftrive with all their might to throw off this de pravity, and to obtain righteoufnefs. Mufculus on the place,

flate labour, fignifies a labouring even to faintnefs and tiring, to the consumption and waste of the fpirits; and the other word fignifies fuch a preffure by a burthen that is too heavy to be borne, that we do even fink down under it.

There is fome difference among expofitors about the quality of this burthen. Chryfoftome, and fome others after him, expound it of the burthen of the legal rites and ceremonies, which was a heavy burthen indeed, fuch as neither they, nor their fathers, could bear. Under the talk and burthen of these legal obfervances, they did fweat and toil to obtain a righteousness to justify them before God, and all in vain; and this is a pious fense: But others expound it of the burthen of fin in general; the corruption of nature, and evils of practice, which fouls are convinced have brought them under the curfe, and will bring them to hell, and therefore labour, and ftrive, all that in them lies, by repentance, and reformation, to clear themfelves from it but all in vain, whilft they ftrive in their own strength. Such are they that are here called to come to Chrift, which is the fecond thing; namely,

Secondly, The invitation of burthened fouls to Chrift: "Come unto me all ye that labour, and are heavy laden: Come "unto me," i. e. believe in me, lean and reft your burthened fouls upon me. I am able to ease all your burthens; in me is that righteousness and peace which you feek in vain in all the legal rites and ceremonies; or in your repentance, reformations, and duties; but it will give you no eafe, it will be no benefit to you except you come unto me. Faith is often expressed under this notion, fee John vi. 37. and John vii. 37. and it is to be further noted, that [all] burthened fouls are invited to come, "All ye that labour." Whatever your fin or guilt have been, whatever your fears or difcouragements are, yet come, (i. e.) believe in me.

Thirdly, Here is the encouragement Christ gives to this duty, And I will give you reft: avaжavoa vuas. *I will refresh you, I will give you reft from your labour, your confciences shall be pacified, your heart at reft and quiet in that pardon, peace, and favour of God, which I will procure for you by my death. But here it must be heedfully noted, that this promife of reft in Chrift is not made to men fimply, as they are finners, nor yet as they are burthened, and heavy laden finners, but as they come to Chrift; i. e. as they are believers. For let a man break

* Why doft thou feek that where thou canst not find it? I am he only that can help thee. Muf. on the place.

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