not think that you do this in Sincerity, unless the choiceft Affections of your Heart are engaged to him. To you who believe be is precious (1). And is he become so to you? Doth the Dignity of his Perfon command, and his gracious Condefcenfion constrain your Love? Is it a Pleasure for you to think of him in his Life, his Death, his Glory; and is his Name delightful to you? Doth it grieve you to see him daily despised of Men; and are you rejoiced in the Profpects of that illuftrious Day, when he shall be revealed from Heaven, with his mighty Angels, in flaming Fire taking Vengeance on his Father's Enemies and his own; when he shall come to be glorified in his Saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (m)? Do you reproach yourfelf with your Sins, and mourn, when you confider how they have pierced him? Do you regard yourself, and all you have, as his Property, the Purchase of his Blood? And are you ready to part with any thing for him? If you have not been called to it already, are you willing to fuffer for his Name's Sake? Can you be content to part with your worldly Friendfhips, Respect, Character, Interefts, for him? Do you count all thefe Things Dung, in comparison of Christ? In Sincerity can you make a faithful Answer to all thefe Things? Then confider farther, () 1 Pet. ii, 7. (m) 1 Theff. i. 7, 8, 10. E 5 Secondly, Secondly, You are come to Christ, that he may deliver you from the Power which Sin bath bad over you, leading you into a new and heavenly Course of Life. And what? Hath he done this for you? Are you made free from Sin, and become the Servant of Righteoufnefs (n)? Hath no outward Sin Dominion over you? And are you actually at war with all that Sin which you find in your Heart; not obeying it in the Lufts thereof (0)? If you commit Sin; if but one Sin (as far as you can fee) reigns over you in Heart or Life; you are not born of God (p). And are you become a Servant to God, are you heartily about your Father's Business? Do you exercife yourself to have a Confcience void of Offence towards God and towards Man (q)? Have you your Fruit unto Holiness, intent upon everlasting Life, as the End and Scope of all your Purfuits? All your Pretenfions of coming to Chrift, unless this be the Iffue, are vain For how reasonably doth he infift, Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the Things which I fay (r)? You overset the very defign of his coming, which was to turn Men from Darkness to Light, from the Power of Satan unto God (s)? You do him the greatest Difhonor, making him the Minister of Sin. Nor can you have the leaft Title to Faith, which (2) Rom. vi. 18. (0) Rom. vi. 12. (9) Acts xxiv. 16. (s) Acts xvi. 18. entereth entereth into that within the Vail, whither the Forerunner is for us entered (t), feeing you mind earthly Things, and take up with prefent Gratifications.But if, in this Point alfo, you have a comfortable Anfwer from your own Conscience, I have only to fuggest this farther Inquiry. Thirdly, You are come to Chrift, for the Direction of his Word and Spirit. And from the one, by the Operation of the other of thefe, do you this Day know affuredly, and rest satisfied therein, that there is none other Name under Heaven given among Men whereby we must be faved (u), but only the Name of our Lord Jefus Chrift? Confequently, do you make Chrift's Words (the Holy Scriptures) the Guide of your Feet? Do you not difpute, either to believe, or to do, any thing, which you find in them? Do you bring your Principles and your Conduct, to the Law and to the Teftimony, to be fifted and proved? And is this done with a certain Singleness of Eye, meekly defiring to know what the Will of the Lord is, without regarding your own Reasonings, Interefts, or Inclinations! Alfo, do you use a becoming Diligence in hearing and fearching the Scriptures; and in Prayer, that Chrift would open your Understanding, that you may understand them? And is your Diligence herein fuch as may reason(t) Heb. vi. 19, 20. (u) A&ts iv. 12. ably ably convince you, that you believe the Scriptures only can make you wife unto Salvation, and that you defire to learn from them all the Counsel of God concerning you?—If otherwise, you cannot be a Disciple of Chrift; and whatever Knowledge you may have picked up, your Religion is of your own making? nor, however exactly you may think, of Jefus Chrift, have you ever found in yourfelf a real Want of the faving Merit of his Death and Righteoufnefs, and of the fanctifying Influences of his Grace and Spirit. You may fee now, that Faith in Jefus Chrift is no notional Thing, that it doth not consist in your merely giving your Afsent to any, or all of the Truths concerning him. If you are a real Believer in him, there is a daily Communication and Intercourfe between the Savior and you. Continually fenfible of your Wants, your Sinfulness, your Weaknefs, your Ignorance, you come to him; not as to one, concerning whom you believe that he lived, and died, and went away into Heaven, fo many Years ago, and with whom you have no immediate Bufinefs to tranfact: But as to a living Mediator and Interceffor; under whofe Feet God hath put all Things, and given him to be Head over all Things to the Church (x). And he on his Part as continually, with a provident Care, (x) Eph. i. 22. and and ready Hand, minifters to you the Supply of your Needs; fo that you may truly fay, you live by him. Thus you come to him; thus you receive out of his Fulness. This your coming to him, is the Faith in him he expects; this your receiving, is the Proof that it is fo. O labor to enlarge the bleffed Fellowship! And to this End, let the Foundation upon which this Intercourse stands, be laid yet deeper in you. Be fenfible of the Bleffings which attend you in it. First, SEE that the Foundation upon which this Intercourfe ftands, be laid yet deeper in you. In this View, I. LABOR to discover more evidently, how loft and undone you are in yourself. Remember and fearch out more effectually your old Iniquities, and fee how a perverted Heart turned you afide. Confider more attentively, how imperfect you now are, and far from that Righteousness of Heart and Life, which the unfpotted Law of God requires at your Hands; how little you could fay for yourself, were GOD to try you upon your own Defervings. Though no Sin hath Dominion, yet see how much of it remains within you; how the Flesh lufteth against the Spirit, fo that you cannot do the Things that you would (y). Confider alfo the Worthlessnefs of your Holy Things, your best Perfor(y) Gal. v. 17. mances. |