throne of thy heart? Chrift, or any of his rivals? If Chrift have the throne, you will treat felf, fin, the world, and every thing that would rival him, as ufurpers, and enemies; faying with David, "Do not I hate them that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?" Again, you heard, that this year the prodigal fon is brought home to his Father's house from the far country where he was flarving; and therefore I afk, Have you yet broken your Father's bread? have you in and by the word tafted that the Lord is gracious? have you been made to fay, " Thy word was found by me, and I did eat it, and it was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart?" If (o, then the year of thy redemption is come. Again, this year the guilty condemned criminal is vefted with a law biding righteoufnets; and therefore I afk, Have you laid afide your filthy rags, and pu: on your elder brother's robe? I mean, have you renounced your own righteousness as dung and lofs, and fubmitted to the righteoufnefs of God, faying, "In the Lord have I righteousness and ftrength, in him will I be justified, and will glory?"-Again, this year King Solomon is crowned and married; and therefore 1 afk, Halt thou by faith gone forth from fin, felf, and the world, and beheld him with the crown upon his head? Did his matchless glory captivate thy heart, so that thou waft made to fay, "I am the Lord's, and I will henceforth be called by his name?" Art thou refolved that from this time forth, through grace, thou wilt keep the bed of thy heart and foul for him, and that he shall lie as a bundle of myrrh between thy breasts?--Again, this year the poor bankrupt beggared finner finds the pearl of great price; and therefore I ask, If you have acted as the wife merchant, felling all, that you may cleave to him as your only riches, faying with Paul," Yea doubtless, I count all things but lofs, for the excellency of the knowledge of Chrift Jefus my Lord?" Do you efteem him, and the riches of grace that are in him? for "to you that believe he is precious.”—Again, this year the foul feals the record of God; and therefore I ask, How do you hold your claim to eternal life? Is God's grant of it, through Chrift in the covenant of grace and promife, your only charter? Can you rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, grounded on the bare word of God, as one that findeth great fpoils, faying, "This is all my falvation? God hath spoken in his holiness, I will rejoice ?"-Again, this year the foul enters into the holieft, upon a flate of fellowihip and communion with God; and therefore I afk, With whom is your fellowthip? Is it with the Father, and his Son Jefus Chrift? If fo, you will have no fellowship with the untruitful works of darknefs, you will be afraid of the leaft appear

ance

ance of fin, or temptation to it, left it separate between you and your God.-Again, this year the veffel of mercy that was like a brand in the fire, is pluckt out, and hung upon the nail faftened in a fure place; and therefore I afk, Where and on whom hangs the main ftrefs of thy falvation from fin, Satan, hell, and wrath? Doft thou lay the weight where God has laid it, even upon the foundation God has laid in Zion? Again, this year the foundation of a new temple is laid for God to dwell in; and therefore I ask, Art thou concerned to keep the temple pure from every thing that has a tendency to defile it?"The temple of God is holy; and if any man defile the temple of God, him fhall God deftroy." You will study to be holy in foul, body, and in all manner of converfation. Now, 1 fay, try by thefe, or the like queftions, whether or not the year of applied redemption be come.

And if fo, then I have a word of Exhortation to offer you. Is the year of thy redemption come? Then,

1. Be exhorted to remember the year of thy redemption, both the year in which it was purchased, and the year in which it was applied by the power of the eternal Spirit. The chil dren of Ifrael are frequently commanded to remember the year and day in which God brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, Deut. xvi. 1. "Obferve the month of Abib, and keep the paffover unto the Lord thy God: for in the month of Abib the Lord thy God brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt." Were they obliged to remember their typical and temporal redemption? and fhall not we much more remember the time of our fpiritual and real redemption? It is indeed a time. that is to be remembered through all generations of God's Ifrael.

2. Now, upon a thanksgiving day, celebrate the praises of your great Redeemer, who had the year of your redemption fo much at his heart: Jer. xxxi. 11-13. "The Lord redeemed Jacob, and ranfomed him from the hands of thofe that were tronger than he: therefore come and let us fing in the heights of Zion." I remember it is faid, If. xxiv. 16. "From the uttermoft parts of the earth have we heard fongs, even glory to the righteous; that is, unto Christ Jefus the righteous. It is, as I conceive, a promife of an echo that should be heard among the Gentile nations upon the publication of the year of redemption among them; echo of praife fhould be heard rebounding to heaven upon the utterance of this joyful found, which you have been hearing this day, and the days bygone. O therefore let fongs be heard among you from this wing of the earth, glory, glory, glory to Chrift Jefus the righteous. Glory to him, who though he be the mighty God, yet was

made

made of a woman, took on him my nature, that he might become my kinfman, and have the right of my redemption. Glory to him, who, though he be the great Lawgiver, was made under the law, that I might not fink under the curfe and condemnation of it for ever. Glory to him, who laid the foundation of the house of mercy, which fhall be built up for ever, and has brought me within the walls thereof, and given me a name and place there, even an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. Glory to him that has rent the vail of the temple from to top to bottom, fo that I fee now there is no impediment on God's part to hinder my accefs unto God and glory. Glory to that righteous one, who is, become the Lord my righteousness, having magnified the law, and made it honourable, and the Lord is well pleafed for his righteousness sake. Glory to him that has finished tranfgreffion, and made an end of fin; and it is so much ended, that it fhall never have power to condemn me; he " condemned fin in the fleth: and therefore there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jefus." Glory to the great Redeemer, that has confirmed the covenant, and made it fure with his own blood, so that the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed, but his covenant of peace fhall never depart. Glory to him, that entered the territories of death, the king of terrors, and came forth again like a renowned conqueror, carrying the keys of hell and death in his hand. Glory to him that has quenched the flames of wrath with his own blood, that would have confumed me for ever, and that through him God is a God of peace, and he is declared to be fo by the refurrection of Christ Jefus from the dead; fo that I can now take up that song, If. xii. 1. 2. "Though thou waft angry with me, yet thine anger is turned away, and thou haft comforted me. The Lord is become my falvation," &c. O glory to the righteous one, who as he was delivered for my offences, fo he is risen again for my juftification, and I am discharged of my debt in him; he being justified, I am acquitted, and can fay," Who can lay any thing to my charge?" O glory to Chrift Jefus the righteous, that because he lives, I fhall live alfo and "though worms fhall destroy this body, yet in my flesh fhall I fee God." O glory to him that is afcended to heaven as my forerunner, and to be an advocate for me with his Father and my Father, with his God and my God, and I look for him to come the fecond time without fin to my everlasting falvation. Thus, I fay, let these or the like fongs be fent up as an echo of praise from thir uttermoft parts of the earth. And to quicken you unto this exercife, confider,

1

ft, It is commanded and required of you, as a due debt for VOL. II.

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his.

his kindness to you," Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous: and fhout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart."

2dly, It is commended as a fuitable and agreeable exercise; "Praife is comely for the upright:" Pfal. xcii. 1. 2. "It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to fing praifes unto thy name, O Moft High; to fhew forth thy loving-kindnefs in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night."

3dly, This is the very defign of your formation, efpecially as one of the redeemed of the Lord: "This people have I form ed for myself, that they may fhew forth my praife."

4thly, The more you fing his praises, the more occafion you fhall have to fing: the thankful beggar is beft ferved; and the thankful believer shall be made fat, and have his mouth more and more filled with the good of God's chofen.

5thly, This will be your occupation for ever in the land of praise that is above, to fing the praises of the great Redeemer, as you fee, Rev. v. 9. 10. And therefore you should even be lifping out the fong of praise in a strange land.

6thly, It is for the honour of your Redeemer, that you cele. brate his praifes: "Whofo offereth praife, glorifieth me," fays the Lord, Pfal. 1. 23. This is all the revenue that he receives either from the church militant or triumphant, Pfal. Ìxy. 1. "Praife waiteth for thee, O God, in Zion." And fure if you be among the number of the redeemed, you will not deny or with-hold the Redeemer's tribute.

Queft. How fhall we praife him?

Anfw. 1. O praise him by believing in him and on him. Abraham the father of the faithful glorified him by believing, fo fhould all the feed of Abraham: "He ftaggered not at the promife through unbelief; but was ftrong in the faith, giving glory to God." It is for the honour of your Redeemer that you give credit to his word of promife, and that you truft and credit him with all your concerns, in time and through eternity.

2. Praise him by thinking much upon him: "While I was mufing the fire burned; then fpake I with my lips." When the heart indites a good matter concerning him, the tongue will be as the pen of a ready writer. O, fays David, "My meditation of him fhall be fweet, and I will be glad in the Lord." And let your thoughts of him be high and raised thoughts, faying, "Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none in all the earth that I defire befides thee."

3. O praife your Redeemer, by commending him unto others, and by studying to make his name to be remembered for ever. This was the practice of the fpoufe and bride of Chrift, Pfal. xlv. 17. and Cant. v. 10. You can do him no

greater

greater honour, than to make the favour of him known in all places, and in all companies where you have occafion to appear.

4. O praife him by a fingle regard unto his preceptive, and a holy fubmiffion unto his providential will. When he manifefts his commanding will, be ready to run his errands, and do whatsoever he commands you; and when he brings you under affliction, lay yourselves at his feet, and fay, " Here am I, let him do to me as he fees meet."

5. Praife him by a stedfaft and refolute owning him and his truths, his ways, his ordinances, his worship, in this day of blafphemy against him, contending earnestly for the faith delivered to the faints; and in your fphere, tellify against every thing that has a tendency to bring a reflection upon his glory.

6. Praise him by inviting others to join with you in celebrating his praife. O, will the foul fay, I am under fuch a burden of obligations to him, that I would even invite the whole creation, angels and men, sun, moon, and stars, to join iffue with me, in helping me to lift up his great and glorious name: "O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together." This was frequently David's practice, Pfal. ciii. 20-22. and Pfal. cxlviii. throughout to the end.

I conclude at present with a word of exhortation unto all in general. O Sirs, what fhall I tell you, the year of jubilee, the year of release and redemption is come; and I tell you that it is even come to you, to every foul hearing me, I pro claim the acceptable year of the Lord, as well as the day of vengeance from our God against all that will not embrace it. We come in the name of the Lord of hofts to proclaim a purchafed redemption to every one of you; "That God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trefpaffes unto them." O let this joyful found be received, let this acceptable year of the Lord be accepted of you by faith, and let your foul fay, "O bleffed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord to fave us."

I told you in the doctrinal part what great and glorious things are done for finners in the year of exhibit or revealed redemption; improve the day, the year of your merciful

vifitation.

1. In this year light is arifen to you who were fitting under Pagan, Popith, and Prelatical darkness, even the light of a gofpel-revelation. And therefore let me exhort and befeech you to beware of continuing under the power of darkness, beware of continuing ignorant and blind, as to the knowledge of that Redeemer, that life and immortality that is brought to light

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