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You fee it is no other than the great God that raised up this Plant: I find the great Jehovah glorying in his skill and wifdom, in the railing up of this Plant for the use of the church, Pfal. lxxxix. 19. Says the Lord, "I have laid help upon one that is mighty, I have exalted one chofen out of the people. I have raifed up David my fervant; with my holy oil have I anointed him :" He juft glories in it, that he had raised up this glorious Plant of renown.

I will tell you a few things with reference to the raifing up of this bleffed Plant

1ft, He was raised up in the counfel of God's peace from eternity. The Trinity fat in council anent the upbringing of him, "The counsel of peace was between them both," Zech. vi. 13. The Father and the Son agreed upon it, that, in the fulness of time, the Son fhould come into the world. But then, again,

2dly, He was raifed up in the firft promife to Adam and Eve. Until this Plant was difcovered to them, they were like to run distracted. And indeed, Sirs, if Chriftless finners faw where they were, and the wrath of God that is hanging over their heads, they would be ready to run diftracted, till a revelation of Christ was made to them. All the promises, all the prophecies, all the types, and all the doctrines of the Old Teftament, were the gradual fpringings of this Plant. But it was under ground, until,

3dly, His actua' manifeftation in the flesh, when, in the fulness of time, he appeared: "In the fulness of time, God fent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of fons." And then, again,

4tly, his plant was raifed up, even in his death. He was cut off from the land of the living, yet even then he was raifed up, even in his very death; when this Plant was cut down on Mount Calvary, his fcent and favour ran to the utmolt ends of the earth. And what is it but the doctrine of the crofs of Chrift, that catches finners unto this very day? Thefe minifiers must be the devil's minifters, and not the minifters of Chrift, who, infread of preaching a crucified Chrift, entertain their hearers with harangues of Heathen morality, flourishes of rhetoric, the doctrines of felf-love as the principles of religious actions, and the like fluff. Will ever thefe feed the foul, or convert a foul to Chrift? Such ways of preaching may tickle the ear and pleafe the fancy, but can never be the power of God to falvation. I fay, it was the doctrine of the crofs of Chrift that fubdued the nations, and that had be the method of winning fouls to Chrift to the end of the world. "God forbid (fays Paul) that I fhould glory,

fave in the crofs of our Lord Jefus Chrift, by whom the worldis crucified to me, and I unto the world." And, writing to the Corinthians, he says, "I defire to know nothing among you but Jefus Chrift, and him crucified;" and that will be the way of every faithful minifter of Christ. But then, again,

But

5thly, This plant was raifed up in his refurrection from the dead. For in his refurrection from the dead he was "declared to be the Son of God with power, by the Spirit of holinefs." By the upfpringing of this Plant after it was cut down, our hopes began to fpring up again: And, Sirs, if this Plant had not fprung up again, our hopes had perifhed for ever. "bleffed be the God and Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, which, according to his abundant mercy, hath begotten us again unto a lively hope," by the upforinging of this Plant of renown, after he was cut down. A living Christ, Sirs, is no fmall matter, a living Redeemer, our life is juft bound up in this Plant of renown; because I live, ye fhall live alfo. But then, again,

6thly, This Plant of renown was raifed up higher in his afcenfion into heaven, when he was fet " down on the right-hand of the Majefty on high," after he had, by himself, purged our fins: This Plant of renown, though he be preached unto us Gentiles in the church militant; yet he is now in perfon received up into glory, 1 Tim. iii. and is up above in the church. triumphant, he is gone up with a fhout. O let us fing praifes to the Plant of renown, for he is gone up on high as our Head, as our God, as our great High Prieft, in the higher houfe.

And then, 7thly, He is raifed up likewife in the revelation of the everlasting gofpel. And thus we are endeavouring to raife him up in the word and facrament this day, as "Mofes lifted up the ferpent in the wildernefs," John iii. 14. fo we are endeavouring to lift up the Plant of renown, "That whofoever believeth in him fhould not perith, but have everlafling life," John iii. 16. O Sirs! I bring this Plant of renown to you, I offer him to every one of your hands, and fay, Will you have him! O will you take this Plant, and fpread his favour among you? He is the Father's elect and delight, and fhall not all this company fay, It is he in whom my foul delighteth? And O, that every one of this company were faying it from the favoury fenfe of it upon their hearts! O carry him away with you, carry him in your hearts and foreheads, and let ail the world know he is yours, 66 My beloved is mine, and I am

his."

But then, again further, 8thly, This Plant of renotun is raifed up in the day of the church's reformation. When the fallen tabernacle of David is reared up, then this Plant appears gla

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rious and beautiful. It is for the honour of Christ that the church be reformed. Alas! we heard a noise of great refor. mation of late; but where is it? or what doth it amount to? What is there done for Chrift? Is there any plant plucked up that he hath not planted? Are any intruders upon Chriftian congregations by prefentations, or tham calls, turned out? Is there any thing done with erroneous profeffors of divinity, when error is running through the land? O! there are few to ftand up for the truth this day, when fuch perfons are let go without a rebuke; yea, without fo much as a protest taken by them, who, I am perfuaded, are lovers of Chrift. Alas! it appears there is little courage for Chrift, to whom we owe our all: 1 fay, this Plant of renown is raised up in the church's reformation; may it not be faid, "This is Zion whom no man feeketh after?" Civil and ecclefiaftic authority are ftudying to bear down Chrift, but this Plant will be up upon them, let them tread upon him in his members as they will: His fupreme Deity and fovereignty in his church will yet appear; for his Father hath faid, "Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool."

But then I might tell you, 9thly, That this Plant of renown will be raised up at his fecond coming: And, O Sirs, this Plant of renown will then appear in different views, and in different lights! To the faints he will appear in glory, they will lift up their heads and fing: But as for the wicked world, they will fee him all in red flames, ready to deftroy and devour them: behold, he will come in the clouds, and every eye fhall fee him; they that have pierced him by error; they that have pierced him by robbing and fpoiling his people of the privileges wherewith he hath made them free; these that spoil them of their valuable privileges which he has bought for them with his blood, they will howl and cry in that day; they who pierced him, and all kindreds of the earth fhall wail because of him."

And then, Laftly, This Plant of renown will be raifed up in the fongs of the redeemed through endless eternity. The work of all the ranfomed in glory will be to raife up the glory of this Plant of renown in the highest hallelujahs: "Worthy is the Lamb that was flain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and bleffing, to cndlefs evermore." Every bird in every bush will there fing of the glory and beauty of the Plant of renown, and he will draw all the millions and myriads that are the inhabitants of the higher houfe after him; they will be continually highly praifing him. Thus you fee Chrift is a Plant of renown, and what way he is railed up.

IV. The

IV. The fourth thing I propofed was, for whom is it that this Plant is raifed up?

O, may fome poor thing fay, was he ever raifed up for me? I tell you, Sirs, he was never raifed up for the fallen angels; "For he took not on him the nature of angels, but he took on him the feed of Abraham." Our nature was highly ho noured at first, but it foon funk below the beast that perisheth. But the fecond Adam took our nature upon him, and he hath raised it to a higher dignity than the very angels; for to which of the angels did this honour appertain to be united to the eternal Son of God? So that I fay, that this Plant of renown is raised up for mankind finners, not for angel-kind finners, and every mankind finner that hears tell of him, fhould lay claim to him, as in If. ix. 6. And I advise every one of you man kind finners to apply it; "Unto us a Son is given, unto us this Child is born, and the government fhall be upon his fhoulder: And his name fhall be called Wonderful, Counfellor, The Mighty God, The everlafting Father, The Prince of Peace;" to us he is given; unto us he is born. I remember the angel, at the birth of Chrift, told the thepherds, "I bring you good tidings of great joy, which fhall be to all people; for unto you (finners, not unto us) is born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Chrift the Lord."" O Sirs, let all this company receive it as glad tidings of great joy; for I tell you, that this Plant of renown is raifed up for you, if you have but a heart for to ufe him. As the firmament is for you, you will open your eyes, fo the Sun of righteoufnefs is for you, if you will open your hearts to him: for the Lord's fake do not refufe him, or else it will not be telling you; you will rue it to eternity. But, fay fome, are you telling us, that Christ was raised up for all mankind? That is not what I fay; but I fay, that Chrift was revealed to all mankind: I abstract from fecret things. Our duty is to go and "preach the gofpel to every creature" therefore, according to our commiffion, we bring this Plant of renown to every creature, whether young or old, every rational creature here; we command you (as you will anfwer at the bar of the great God, as you will anfwer at the day of judgement), that you receive this Plant of renown. For the Lord's fake do not refufe him; for this is the condemnation, that this Plant is brought into the world, and the world will not receive him. Let not the devil nor an unbelieving heart knock off your hands from embracing and receiving him, as offered in this gofpel we are. preaching. The devil and an unbelieving heart will tell you, your fins are so many, and you have run on fuch a courfe of fin, that he cannot belong unto you; but the very thing makes

if

you

you need Chrift is, because you are great finners. Any of you that needs this Plant of renown, I invite you not only to take him home in your hands, in your Bibles; but, for the Lord's fake, take him home into your hearts, and let him lie there all night between your breafts, faying, "This God is our God for ever and ever, and will be our guide even unto death." If you have got this Plant of renown, you will at death just go unto God with a fhout, with a song, and fay, O death, I defy thee; "O death, where is thy fting? O grave, where is thy victory?" what harm canft thou do to me? "For to me to live is Chrift, and to die is gain," gain for endless evermore, because I will win to the immediate enjoyment of God, and abide for ever under the refreshing fhadow of this Plant of renown.

N. B. I thought to have gone through what I defigned on this fubject, but time and ftrength will not allow; I fhall rather return afterwards, if there be occasion for it.

The Lord blefs his word.

EZEK. xxxiv. 29. And I will raife up for them a Plant f Renoren.

THE THIRD SERMON ON THIS TEXT.

V. THE fifth thing is, Why is he raifed up, or for what ends and ufes is this Plant of renown raifed up by

JEHOVAH?

Anf. 1ft, He is raifed up as a Redeemer to fet the captives of the mighty at liberty. It was a pofing question, that would have filenced all mankind, which we have, If. xlix. 24. "Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered?" Well, Chrift being raifed up for this very end, folves the hard queftion, in the words immediately following, ver. 25. "Thus faith the Lord, even the captives of the mighty fhall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible fhall be delivered." And if you afk, How doth he this? You have an answer to it, Heb. ii. 14. Col. ii. 14. &c.

2dly, He is raised up as a Mediator of the new covenant, to make peace between an offended God, and offending re bellious

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