in the likeness of his death," Rom. 6:5. The word (omoiomati,) is of a passive signification, importing not only a being like, but a being made like, and that by a power and virtue out of ourselves, so the apostle else. where interprets, "That I may know him,-and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death," Phil. 3:10. not conforming myself, but being made conformable, by a power out of myself. Quest. But how then is the power of mortification attributed to men? As "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth," Col. 3:5.-" And they which are Christ's have crucified the flesh," Gal. 5:24. Answ. I Answer, There is a twofold mortification, the one habitual, the other practical; the former consists in a change of the heart, turning the bent and inclination of the heart from all manner of sin. Now, this is the only and immediate work of the Spirit of grace, breathing and working where it will; the latter consists in the exercise or putting forth of that inward grace, in the acting of that principle, in resisting temptations, in suppressing inordinate lusts, in watching against sinful and inordinate acts. Now, this is the work of a regenerate person, himself co-operating with the Spirit of God, as a rational instrument with the principal agent: and therefore the apostle joins both together, "If ye, through the Spirit, do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live," Rom.

8:13.

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4. It is an impelling or a moving cause, as all objects are; for objects have an attractive power. Achan saw the wedge of gold, and then coveted it; David saw Bethsheba, and then desired her. As the brazen serpent

did heal those who were bitten by the fiery serpent, Tanquam objectum fidei, merely by being looked upon, so Christ crucified doth heal sin, beget grace, encourage to sufferings, by being looked upon with the eyes of faith, "Wherefore, seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us; and let us run with patience the race that is set before us; looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith," Heb. 12:1,2. The apostle was to encourage the Hebrews to hold on the well-begun profession of faith in Christ; and to that purpose, he sets before them two sights to keep them from fainting, 1. "A cloud of witnesses," the saints in heaven; on which cloud, when he had stayed their eyes a while, and made them fit for a clearer object, he scatters the cloud, and presents "the Sun of righteousness," Christ himself; and he wills them (aphora,) to turn their eyes from it to him, "Looking unto Jesus," q. d. this sight is enough to make you run the race, and not to faint; why Jesus is gone before you, and will you not follow him? O look unto Jesus, and the very sight of him will draw you after him; Christ crucified hath an attractive power, "And I, if I be lifted up will draw all men to me," John 12:32. Thus of the causes of our conformity; we see how it is wrought.

3. For the last query, what are the means of this conformity as on our part? I answer.

1. Go to the cross of Jesus Christ. It is not all our purposes, resolutions, promises, vows, covenants, endeavors without this, that will effect our conformity to Christ in his sufferings and death; no, no, this conformity is a fruit and effect of the death of Christ: and therefore, whosoever would have this work wrought in him, let him first have recourse to Christ's cross; O! go we more immediately to the cross of Jesus.

2. Look up to him that hangs upon it, contemplate the death of Jesus Christ, consider seriously, and sadly his bitter, shameful, painful suffer. ings: much hath been said, only here draw it in unto some epitome; as,

1. Consider who he was. 2. What he suffered. 8. Why he suffered. 4. For whom he suffered. 5. For what end he suffered. 6. With what mind he suffered: every one of these will make some discoveries either of his graces, or of his gracious actings in our behalf: and who can tell how far this very look may work on us to change us, and transform us unto the very image of Jesus Christ?

3. Let us humbly bewail our defect, exorbitancy, irregularity, and inconformity either to the graces, sufferings, or death of Christ. As thus, "Lo here the profound humility, wonderful patience, fervent love, abundant mercy, admirable meekness, constant obedience of Jesus Christ! lo here the tortures, torments, agonies, conflicts, extreme sufferings of Christ for the spiritual immortal good of the precious souls of his redeemed ones! lo here the death of Christ, see how he bowed the head, and gave up the ghost! why these are the particulars to which I should conform; but, oh alas! what a wide, vast, utter difference, distance, disproportion is there betwixt me and them: Christ in his sufferings shined with graces; his graces appeared in his sufferings like so many stars in a bright winter's night, but how dim are the faint, weak graces in my soul? Christ, in bis sufferings, endured much for me, I know not how much. By thine unknown sorrows and sufferings felt by thee, but not distinctly known to us (said the ancient fathers of the Greek church in their liturgy) have mercy upon us, and save us; his sorrows and sufferings were so great that some think it dangerous to define them: but how poor how little are my sufferings for Jesus Christ? I have not yet resisted unto blood; and if I had, what were this in comparison of his extreme sufferings? Christ in his sufferings died, his passive obedience was unto death, even to the death of the cross; he hung on the cross till he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost," He died unto sin once," Rom. 6:10. But alas! how do I live in that for which he died? To this day my sin hath not given up the ghost; to this day the death of Christ is not the death of my sin; O! my sin is not yet crucified, the heart blood of my sin is not yet let out; Oh! wo is me! how unanswerable am I to Christ in all these respects.

4. Let us quicken, provoke, and rouse up our souls to this conformity: let us set before them exciting arguments, ex. gr. The greatest glory that a Christian can attain to in this world, is to have a resemblance and likeness to Jesus Christ. Again, the more like we are to Christ, the more we are in the love of God, and the better he is pleased with us; it was his voice concerning his Son, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased;" and for his sake, if we were but like him, he is also well pleased with us. Again, a likeness or resemblance of Christ is that which keeps Christ alive in the world; as we say of a child that is like bis father, "This man cannot die so long as his son is alive;" so we may say of Christians who resemble Christ, that so long as they are in the world Christ cannot die; he lives in them, and he is no otherwise alive in this nether world, than in the hearts of gracious Christians, that carry the picture and resemblance of him. Again, a likeness to Christ in his death, will cause a likeness to Christ in his glory. If we have been planted "together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection," Rom. 6:5. As it is betwixt the graft and the stock, the graft seeming dead with the stock in the winter, it revives with it in the spring; after the winter's death it partakes of the spring's resurrection: so is it betwixt Christ and us, if with Christ we die to sin, we shall with Christ be raised to glory; being conformed to

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him in his death, we shall be also in his resurrection. Thus let us quicken and provoke our souls to this conformity.

5. Let us pray to God, that he will make us conformable to Jesus Christ. Is it grace we want? let us beg of him, that of that fulness that is in Christ, we may, in our measure, receive grace for grace. Is it pa. Lop tience, or joy in sufferings that we want? Let us beg of him, that as he' hath promised, he will send us the Comforter, that so we may follow Christ cheerfully from his cross to his crown, from earth to heaven. Is it mor tification our souls pant after? This indeed makes us most like to Christ in his sufferings and death; why then pray we for this mortfication?

But how should we pray? I answer, 1. Let us plainly acknowledge, and heartily bemoan ourselves in God's bosom for our sins, our abominable sins. 2. Let us confess our weakness, feebleness, and inability in ourselves to subdue our sins. "We have no might (may we say) against this great company that come against us; neither know we what to do, but our eyes are upon thee," 2 Chron. 20:12. 3. Let us put up our request, begging help from heaven; let us cry to God that virtue may come out of Christ's death to mortify our lusts, to heal our natures, to staunch our bloody issues; and that the spirit may come in to help us in these works, "For by the Spirit do we mortify the deeds of the body," Rom. 8:13. 4. Let us press God with the merits of Christ, and with his promises through Christ, for he hath said, "Sin shall not have dominion over us, for we are not under the law, but under grace," Rom. 6:14. and Paul experienced it, "The law of the Spirit of life in Christ, hath freed me from the law of sin and death," Rom. 8:2. 5. Let us praise God, and thank God for the help already received, if we find that we have gotten more ability to oppose the lusts of the flesh, that we are seldom overtaken with any breaking forth of it, that we have been able to withstand some notable temptations to it, that the force of it in us is in any measure abated, that indeed and in truth virtue is gone out of the death of Christ; O then return we praises to God, let us triumph in God, let us lead our captivity captive, and sing new songs of praises unto God, and even ride in triumph over our corruptions, boasting ourselves in God, and setting up our banners in the name of the most High, and offering up humble and hearty thanks to our Father for the death of Christ, and for the merit, virtue and efficacy of it derived unto us, and bestowed upon us!

6. Let us frequently return to our looking up unto Jesus Christ, to our believing in Christ as he was lifted up: How we are to manage our faith, to draw down the virtue of Christ's death into our souls, I have discovered before; and let us now be in the practice of those rules; certainly there is a conveyance of an healing, strengthening, quickening virtue, flowing into the soul in the time of its viewing, eyeing, contemplating, reflecting upon Christ crucified, Christ lifted up; and this comes from the secret presence of God, blessing this our looking upon Christ, as the ordinance by which he hath appointed to make an effectual impression upon the heart. It is not for us curiously to inquire how this should be: "principles (we say) are not to be proved;" save only God hath said it, and experience hath found it out, that when faith is occasioned to act on any suitable sacred object, God by his Spirit, doth not fail to answer; in such a case he fills the soul with comfort, blessing, virtue: he returns upon the soul, by, from, and through the actings of faith, whatsoever by it is looked for. Indeed none knoweth this but he that feels it, and none feels this that knoweth how to express it; as there is somewhat in the fire, heat,

warmth and light, which no painter can express: and as there is somewhat in the face, heat, warmth, and life, which no limner can set forth, so there is somewhat flowing into the soul, while it is acting faith on the death of Christ, which for the rise or manner of its working, is beyond what tongue can speak, or pen can write, or pencil can delineate. Come then, if we would have grace, endure afflictions, die to sin, grow in our mortification, let us again, and again return to our duty of looking unto Jesus, or believing in Jesus as he was lifted up.

And yet, when all is done, let us not think that sin will die or cease in us altogether, for that is an higher perfection than this life will bear; only in the use of the means, and through God's blessing we may expect thus far that sin shall not reign, it shall not wear a crown, it shall not sit in the throne, it shall hold no parliaments, it shall give no laws within us; we shall not serve it, but we shall die to the dominion of it by virtue of this death of Jesus Christ. And this grant he who died for us. Amen, Amen.

Thus far we have looked on Jesus, as our Jesus, in his sufferings and death. Our next work is to look on Jesus, carrying on the great work of our salvation, during the time of his resurrection, and abode upon earth, until his ascension, or taking up to heaven.

John 20:1-19. "The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre," &c.

John 20:19,20. "The same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus, and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you; and when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side."

John 20:26,27,28. "And after eight days again, his disciples were within, and Thomas with them; then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you; then saith he to Thomas, reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands, and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side, and be not faithless, but believing: and Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord, and my God."

John 21:1-15. "After these things, Jesus shewed himself again to his disciples, at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself," &c.

Heb. 12:2 Matth. 28:6. 2 Tim. 2:7,8. "Looking unto Jesus the beginner and finisher of our faith. He is not here, for he is risen,--Come, see the place where the Lord lay.-Consider what I say, and the Lord give thee understanding in all things: remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel."

Rev. 1:17,18. "And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead, and he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, fear not; I am the first and the last; I am he that liveth, and was dead, and behold I am alive for ev. ermore." Amen.

LOOKING UNTO JESUS,

IN HIS RESURRECTION.

THE FOURTH BOOK. PART IV.

CHAPTER I.

SECTION I.

OF THE TIME OF CHRIST'S RESURRECTION.

He is risen. Come see the place where the Lord lay. Matth. 28:6:

Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead. 2 Tim. 2:8.

THE Sun that went down in a ruddy cloud, is risen again with glorious beams of light. In this piece as in the former, we shall first lay down the object, and then give directions how to look upon it.

The object is Jesus carrying on the work of man's salvation in his resurrection; and during the time of his abode upon earth after his resurrection. Now, in all the transactions of this time, I shall only take notice of these two things. 1. Of his resurrection. 2. Of his apparition; for, first, he rose, and secondly, he shews himself that he was risen; in the first is the position, in the second is the proof.

1. For the position, the scripture tells us, That he rose again the third day. In this point, I shall observe these particulars. 1. When he arose. 2. Why he arose. 3. How he arose.

1. When he arose; it was the third day after his crucifying, "As Jo nas was three days and three nights together in the whale's belly, so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth," Matth 12:40. This was the time he had appointed, and this was the time appropriated to Christ, and marked out for him in the calendar of the pro phets: Of all those whom God raised from the dead to life, there is not one that was raised on the third day but Jesus Christ; some rose before, and some after; the son of the Shunamite, the son of the widow of Sarep ta, the daughter of Jairus, he of Nain, and some others rose before; Lazarus, and the saints that arose from the dust when Christ rose, stayed longer in the grave; but Christ takes the third day, which discovers him to be the Messiah; Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day, Luke 24:46. Had he rose sooner, a doubt might have been of his dying, and had he lain longer, a doubt might have been of his rising: he would rise no sooner, because in some diseases, as in the apoplexy, or such like, examples are given of such, as seeming to be dead, have indeed revived; and he would indeed lie no longer in his grave, because in all dead carcasses, and especially in a wounded body, putrefaction and corruption begin the third day, this may be gathered from hte story of Lazarus in the gospel, where Jesus commanding the