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ed in, and brought home to glory, then the Lord pulls down the hedges, and lays his vineyard of a visible church waste and defolate, and forbids the clouds to rain any more upon it. And doth not this fay, that they are the ftrength or ftay of a church or land?

3. The holy feed is the ftrength of a land, or its fupport, as they employ their moyen at a throne of grace on behalf of a people among whom they dwell, that God may not deftroy them. Thus Mofes interpofed with God for Ifrael, Pfal. cvi. 23. Abraham interpofes for Abimelech and his house, Gen. xx. 17.; and Samuel for the children of Ifrael, 1 Sam. xii. 23. "God forbid that I fhould fin against the Lord, in ceafing to pray for you." James tells us, that "the effectual fervent prayer of the righteous availeth much." Sirs, if there were not a remnant of wrestlers in our Ifrael, the flood-gates of fiery wrath would very foon be opened against the generation.

4. They are the ftrength of a land, in as much as they are inftruments to check the progress of fin and defection among a people, by teftifying against it. When a flood of fin and backfliding is running down, God's remnant, his holy feed, rife up and bear witnefs for the Lord by their walk, by their teftimony, or fufferings; and this way top the progrefs of fin, which would pull down divine judgements upon a land. Indeed the wicked inhabitants of a land do not fee this, they do not confider it, and therefore they do their utmost to rid themselves of thofe that disturb their finful quiet; but whether they think of it or not, yet it is a certain truth, that God's remnant, by checking the progrefs of fin, they prevent thefe judgements which would certainly break out to the ruin of a finful people. And thus they are the strength and support of a land.

5. The holy feed are the ftrength and fupport of a land in this refpect, that, through their zeal for God and his caufe, God's anger is fometimes diverted from a wrath-deferving people. Thus we are told, that "Phinehas stood up, and executed judgement; and fo the plague of God was ftayed," Pfal. cvi. 30. And, Numb. xxv. 11. fays the Lord there, "Phinehas hath turned my wrath away from the children of Ifrael (while he was zealous for my fake among them), that I confumed them not." And, ver. 13. he is faid by his zeal to make atonement for them by that act Not that any thing done by a fine ful man could really expiate the guilt of fin; but his killing of Zimri and Cozbi was a fulfilling of the law, that required fuch criminals to be put to death; and a public vindication of the holiness and equity of God, whereby public wrath was di

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verted. Jofiah's zeal, in reforming and deftroying idolatry, whereby the land was fo univerfally defiled, had great influ ence in keeping off the judgements of God from the land while he lived. So by Joshua's zeal in the affair of Achan, the anger of the Lord was turned away from the camp of Ifrael. Thus you fee, that God's holy feed are the strength and support of a land..

VI. The last thing in the method was the Application. And the firft ufe fhall be of Information.

1. From this doctrine we may easily guefs when this world is to come to an end; or when a land or nation is near unto deftruction. Why, when the holy feed of the Mediator Chrift are gathered out of the world, then the end is come, the fubftance of the world is gone out of it, and therefore it must be committed to the flames. Or, when God's remnant are worn out of a land, and there remains nothing but briers and thorns, it is nigh unto a curfe, and its end is to be burned.

2. See hence, that the world are much mistaken about the truly godly, and quite out of their measures when they despise or perfecute them. Why, they are the fubftance of the land, and who but fools will endeavour to throw away and deftroy their strength and substance? when they do fo, they are just like a company of madmen pulling down the pillars of a house, and bringing it down about their ears. And upon this very account the Lord fays, Hof. ix. 7. "The prophets are fools, and the fpiritual men are mad." Why, what was their madnefs and folly? They perfecuted, oppofed, and enfnared the holy feed that was among them; and therefore it is added, ver. 8. "The prophet is the fnare of a fowler in all his ways." They that defpife, flight, or opprefs God's people in a land, however contemptible as to outward circumftances, they flight their own mercy.

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3. See hence, that the truly godly are no enemies either to church or ftate, though frequently they be thus branded. Ahab tells the prophet that he troubled Ifrael. The Jews faid of the apoftles, they turned the world upfide down, and they were counted the off-fcourings of all things, and the filth of the earth. It is true indeed, the holy feed of Christ, whatever they are, they are the innocent occafions of divisions and diftractions, and fo was Chrift himfelf, Matth. x. 34. 35. "Think not that I am come to fend peace on earth; I came not to fend peace, but a fword. For I am come to fet a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against the mother-in-law."

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And yet, for all that, neither Christ or his feed, though they be the innocent occafions, yet they are not at all the cause of these broils, divifions, and confufions, which fall out in the world, and in the visible church; no, not at all; the proper caufes of thefe evils are the lufts and corruptions of men, which rise and swell against the truth of Chrift, and the holinefs of his members. Chrift and his holy feed, are no more to be blamed for divifions, and confufions, and perfecutions, that arife, than the poor fheep are to be blamed for increasing the wolves, or the dove for provoking the hawk to pursue it. The quarrels of the ungodly corrupt world with the holy feed of Christ, are but like that of Cain with Abel," he flew his brother, because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous," John iii. 12.

4. If the holy feed be the ftrength and stay of a nation; then hence I infer, that the ungodly crew, the feed of the old ferpent, are the weakness of a nation, and the real cause of its ruin; it is they that pull down the vengeance of God upon a land. It is true indeed, the provocations of fons and daughters go near his heart; "You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities." But God will foon agree again with his own children, after he has chastised them, he will take them in his arms, and fay, as he did to Ephraim, "He is my dear son, he is a pleafant child: for fince I fpake against him, I do earnestly remember him ftill therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will furely have mercy upon him, faith the Lord." But, Sirs, "God is angry with the wicked every day: There is no peace, faith my God, to the wicked. The wrath of God abides upon them ;" and therefore they must be the weakness of a land or church, because they are continually pulling down the wrath of God upon it; being "curfed in their basket and ftore, in the city and field."

5. If the truly godly be the fubftance of a land; hence I infer the excellency of Chrift, who is the fubftance of that fubftance. All the excellency that is in the faints is derived from him; he is their light, their life, their firength, their wisdom, righteousness, fanctification, and redemption; and, in one word, he is all in all unto them; and therefore he himself must be exceeding precious, above all thought, expreffion, and imagi nation. O let all our adoration and admiration terminate upon him, faying with those, Rev. v. 12. " Worthy is the Lamb that was flain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and ftrength, and honour, and glory, and bleffing."

6. Are the holy feed the fubftance of the land? fee hence, what vaft odds there is between God's judgement, and the

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judgement of our affembly now-a-days. Why, by our way of acting now in judicatories, the substance of the land is caft out, and the very fcum and trash taken into its room. Lords and lairds are now, by church-authority, made the fubftance, and almost the fole power of electing the ministers of the gofpel lodged in them; while the poor godly man, though "rich in faith, and an heir of the kingdom," is laid afide. According to the rules of electing minifters now-a-days, Chrift, in his ftate of humiliation, could have had no intereft in electing or appointing officers in his own house, because he had no worldly heritage; as he himself declares, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nefts, but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head," Luke ix. 58.

The fecond use of this doctrine may be of Trial. O Sirs! are you among the holy feed, which are the fubftance of our land? Our Jacob is very low at this day; we are like a tree or oak, whofe leaves are caft, that appear to have but little life; but bleffed be God, I hope the fubftance is in it. There is here and there a branch, a fprouting twig or branch, which fays there is some life in the root, or ftem; although, alas! there are many withered branches that will be lopt off with the ax and pruning knife that is in the Lord's hand; yet I fay, there is a holy feed that fall be the fubftance thereof. And I will give you a few marks whereby you may try whether you be among the number, yea or not.

1. then, The holy feed, which are the fubftance of the land, they have the feed of God abiding in them, that is ay making war with fin: 1 John iii. 9. " Whofoever is born of God, doth not commit fin; for his feed remaineth in him: and he cannot fin, because he is born of God." By the feed of God we are to understand the grace of God, or the new nature, a principle of fpiritual life, by reafon of which he cannot fin, as others do; he doth not go down the tide of corruption, either within him or without, as others do; no, but he stands against the ftream, he is ay making war with fin, whether it be within him or without him: "The flesh lufteth against the Spirit, and the Sprit againft the flesh." Wherever the grace of God meets with fin, it enters the lifts with it. Try by this whether you be the holy feed that are the fubftance of it. "What wilt thou fee in the Shulamite? as it were the company of two armies."

2. The holy feed they are a people that glory in Chrift, and in him alone: If. xlv. 25. “In the Lord fhall all the feed of Ifrael be juftified, and fhall glory." He is " the glory of his people Ifrael" they look on Chrift as the crown and ornament of the human nature, by whom it is raifed unto a high

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er dignity than ever it was at its first creation, when adorned with all the glories of 'innocency. Oh! will the believer fay, though I have nothing elfe to glory and boast of, yet foul fhall make her boast in the Lord: Who is God, fave the Lord? and who is a rock, fave our God? Their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themfelves being judges." You will glory in his wifdom, under a fenfe of your own folly; glory in his ftrength, under a sense of your own weakness; glory in his righteousness, under a sense of your own guilt; glory in his life, under a fenfe of your own deadness; yea, the very death and crofs of Chrift will be your ornament: "God forbid (fays Paul), that I should glory" in any thing, " fave in the cross of our Lord Jefus Chrift."

3. The holy feed, which are the substance and stay of a land, are a mourning feed; they "fow in tears; and the remnant of Jacob fhall be as the doves in the valley, every one mourning for his' own iniquity." Hence called, "the mourners in Zion, that figh and cry, for all the abominations done in the midft thereof." Sirs, iniquity is come to a great height; all ranks have corrupted, and are corrupting their ways more. and more; a flood of defection is running; men are setting up their authority against the authority of God in his word. Now, can you fay with David, "I beheld tranfgreffors, and was grieved: Rivers of waters run down mine eyes; because they keep not thy law?"

4. The holy feed are a praying and wrestling remnant : Pfal. xxiv. 6. "This is the generation of them that seek him, that feek thy face, O Jacob. Selah." God is their Father, and the Spirit of adoption within them is ay fending them many an errand to a throne of grace, "crying, Abba, Father," hear and help; and in every thing they study by prayer and fupplication to make their requests known unto him. Oh, Sirs, there are but few wrestling Jacobs in our day!

5. The holy feed are a people that have the cause of Chrift much at heart; and their hearts are up and down as the cause of Chrift is ftated. They prefer Jerufalem unto their chief joy; and therefore, when it goes ill with the intereft of Christ, they " hang their harps upon the willows, and weep when they remember Zion :" and if the cause of Christ be maintained or flourish, their hearts do rejoice, and they "fing in the heights of Zion ;" and they are ay ready to lend a lift to Chrift's interest.

Ufe third, of Confolation and Encouragement unto the Lord's remnant in this evil day. This is the day of Jacob's trouble in the land, a day of treading down, and of perplexity by

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