the Breaker comes up against them, for they are not on the Lord's fide.

Now to come to the queftion, what is imported in his coming up to them?

ft, It imports, that he has them and their cafe deeply at heart, that he is heartily engaged in their quarrel; otherwise how would he come up to them as a Breaker. Many that bear the name of fhepherds of the flock now a days they have the cafe of Chrift's theep, his little ones, fo little at heart, that they are very eafy what come of them, if they get patrons and the great ones of the world pleased. But however little account they make of them, and their rights and privileges, yet the great Shepherd has them fo near at heart, that he has declared, that it were better for fuch that "a millftone were hanged about their necks, and they caft into the midst of the fea, than that they fhould offend or hurt one of thefe little ones." At the coming up of the Breaker, the weight of this wo will be felt, however little account fome may make of it now, while they are tearing the flock of Chrift in pieces, and forcing them to fend up many a heavy complaint to heaven.

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2dly, His coming up to them implies, that their paffage is hard and difficult, that their way is lined with many hardships, enemies, and difficulties; otherwife why would he come up as Breaker to them? Some think that there is an allufion here to the cuftom of fending pioneers before the army, to level the way, and to make rough places plain, that the march of the army may not be retarded. Sirs, the way to heaven is an up-the-hill way; it is a thorny and rough way, where we may lay our account with many difficulties and trials: "In the world (fays Chrift) ye fhall have tribulation." It is not a peradventure, but a shall be. Rev. vii. 14

Thefe are they who came out of great tribulation." But here is your comfort, the Breaker has gone up before us; he has rolled the infuperable mountains of law and justice, fin and wrath, out of the way; and he has left nothing behind to impede our march to glory, but "a few light afflictions which are but for a moment," and fhall (through his over-ruling providence) "work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory."

3dly, His coming up to them implies his authority and right to rule and govern them, as a captain-general has power and authority in the army. I remember what the Lord faid unto Jofhua, chap. v. 14. when appearing in the form of a man. Joshua afks him, "Art thou for us, or for our adverfaries?" Nay, fays he, "But as Captain of the hoft of the Lord am I now come." So here, the Breaker is come up to

thems

them; it implies, that he is a head of government unto them, and fo it is implied in the close of the verse, their King shall pafs before them, and the Lord on the head of them. God has fet his Chrift as his " King upon his holy hill of Zion;" he hath given him to be " Head over all things to the church;" and his name is, The KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS: and accordingly they acknowledge his authority, faying, "The Lord is our King, the Lord is our Judge," &c.

4thly, It implies not only authority, but ftrength and ability to fupport it. The Breaker that goes up before them is the mighty, yea, the almighty God: his name is JEHOVAI that is on the head of them: he rides in the heavens by his great name JAH, for the help of his Ifrael, and in his excellency on the fky: This is he that "weighs the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance; who metes out the heavens with a fpan, and comprehendeth the duft of the earth in a measure." Oh! who is able to ftand before this mighty Breaker that is come up before them?

5thly, It implies their ignorance and inability to break up their own way. There are two things wherein believers are exceedingly defective, while on their journey towards Inmanuel's land.

1. They are ignorant of the way, as Thomas faid, John xiv. 5. "How can we know the way It is a way which lay hid in God, and which none was able to discover, unless Chrift had done it, The Breaker is that Lion of the tribe of Judah, that breaks open the seven seals of the book of God's councils anent our redemption He breaks the feals of the book doctrinally, by revealing the will of God, and bringing life and immortality to light and practically, by the powerful working of his Spirit, giving us an understanding to know him, that he is the way, the truth, and the life; and in this way, the wayfaring men, though fools, fhould walk and not err, when the Breaker goes up before them.

2. Inability is another thing incident to the faints while on their way. They want ftrength to walk in the way, when it is revealed. Well, but the Breaker goes up before them, and he "gives power to the faint, and increases ftrength to them that have no might."

6thly, The Breaker is gone up before them; it implies, that he has paved the road, and travelled the way before them, as their Leader and Commander. And there are three things efpecially, wherein Chrift goes before his people. ·

1. In obedience. 2. In fuffering. 3. In going through death into glory.

1. He goes before us in obedience, for he himself was made under the law. Although, as to his own person, he was above the law, being the great Lawgiver, yet he submitted to obey it: as a Surety, he submitted to obey it as a covenant; and as a pattern of holiness and obedience, he fubmitted to it as a rule. Hence he calls us to learn of him, and to take his yoke upon us, particularly the yoke of obedience unto the law? for, fays he, my "yoke is eafy, and my burden is light." A green yoke is galling and uneafy to the cattle, till it be well worn and ufed. Well, fays Chrift, The yoke of my law, I have made it easy, by using or wearing it before you, I have fulfilled it as a covenant, and obeyed it as a rule, that it may not be uneafy.'

2. He goes before us in fuffering. "Chrift (fays the apostle Peter) has fuffered for us, leaving us an example, that we fhould follow his fteps," 1 Pet. ii. 21. and chap. iv. 1. “Forafmuch as Chrift hath fuffered for us in the flesh, arm yourfelves likewife with the fame mind," viz. that ye may follow him in the fame road of fuffering. Hence alfo is that of the apostle, Heb. xii. 2. 3. "Looking unto Jefus the Author and Finisher of our faith; who, for the joy that was fet before him, endured the cross, defpifing the fhame. Confider him that endured fuch contradiction of finners against himself, left ye be wearied and faint in your minds."

3. The Breaker comes up before us through death, and by entering into glory as our Forerunner. Death, the king of terrors, fometimes looks with fuch an awful aspect, that the very thoughts of its approaching, is enough to overwhelm us with fear and terror; and the apostle tells us of fome," who, through fear of death, are all their lifetime subject to bondage." Well, but how may a poor foul be delivered from the fear of death? Why, here is the antidote; the Breaker has come up before us, through the valley of the fhadow of death; he has broken the ftrength, and pulled out the fting of that formidable all-conquering monarch, by his death and refurrection from the dead. He has fhewed us, that death is not the end of our course, but a paflage into a happy immortality. Hence he promifes, that whofoever believes in him, "though he were dead, yet fhall he live." And again, he shall not fo be devoured of death and the grave, but " he will raise him up at the last day." Thus the apoftle argues at large, 1 Cor. xv. 12-21. Chrift has gone before us through death, ver. 20. and become the "firft fruits of them that fleep." Had Chrift paffed into heaven before he died, as Enoch and Elias, we had wanted the great pledge and evidence of a future immortality,

tality. But Chrift, as the great Captain of our falvation, he fuffered, he died, and then entered into his glory; to aflure us, that in this road we are to follow him, that we may be with him.

7thly, The Breaker is come up before them; it implies his routing and difcomfiting all thefe enemies that stood in the way of our falvation.

The principal enemies the believer has to grapple with are thefe, 1. Satan; 2. Sin; 3. The world; and, 4. death. Now, the Breaker, by going up before us, routed and broke the ftrength of all these enemies.

1. As for Satan, he has bruifed his head, and through death deftroyed him.

2. As for the world, he has vanquished both its fmiling and frowning things: "Be of good comfort (fays he), I have overcome the world."

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3. As for fin, he has "finished tranfgreffion, and made an end of fin and condemned fin in the flesh." By his facrifice on the cross, he condemned it as an arch-traitor against heaven.

4. As for death, he entered the territories of the grave, and fpoiled it of its power and strength: "O death, I will be thy plague; O grave, I will be thy deftruction." These enemies made an attempt upon the Son of God, but they were all foiled in the enterprize: The Breaker that went up before us has broken and shattered them, fo that we have no cause to fear them. We fee by what Chrift hath done, that these enemies are not invincible; that their power is not incontroulable; they were conquered by him as our Head and Reprefentative in our caufe and quarrel; and therefore we may, by faith, take up and divide the fpoils, faying, "Thanks be unto God, which always caufe thus to triumph in Chrift;" for what was done by the Head, in his own person, shall shortly be done in all the members.

But further, I fay, that Chrift, by his engaging with these enemies, has quite maimed and difarmed them, and taken away their right to hurt any of his friends and followers. By the breach of the covenant of works, thefe enemies have a law-right over all the children of men: the curfe of the broken law gave Satan a law-right to rule, the world to vex, fin to enflave, death to deftroy us, and give us up to hell: All this was contained in that "hand-writing which was against us, and contrary to us." But now, I fay, Chrift upon the cross tore and cancelled that hand-writing, by fatisfying juftice, and becoming a curfe for us; and ever fince, the devil has no

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law-right to tempt or moleft; the world has no law-right to trouble or moleft; fin has no legal dominion, nor death any right to fting or frighten any member of Christ. The inroads that thefe enemies make upon the believer, they are nothing elfe, if duly confidered, but illegal invafions and ufurpations; and a believer in Chrift, viewing the death and fatisfaction of Chrift, whereby he cancelled that hand-writing, whenever any of these enemies attack him, he may warrantably look them in the face, and fay, Where is your warrant in law to trouble or moleft me? Your law-right fell to the ground, when my Head and Surety tore the hand-writing that was against me. And you know, whatever power or ftrength an enemy may have, yet it weakens and difpirits him exceedingly when his law-right is challenged, and he cannot fhew it; because, in this cafe, his actions are but vicious intromiffions, and he may be treated as a thief and robber. So then, learn to deal with your enemies upon a law-ground, upon the footing of the death and fatisfaction of Jefus Chrift, this would both infpire you with courage in your refiftance, and difpirit them in their attacks.

8thly, The Breaker is gone up before them; it implies, the way to heaven is patent, and that there is no legal bar or impediment to stop or hinder their paffage to the land of glory, whither the Breaker is gone up. Chrift has come up to us, as a Surety and Reprefentative, and by his obedience to the death, has given complete fatisfaction to the law and justice of God, and fo has cleared the way of all legal impediments, arifing from the breach of the firft covenant. Hence it is, that believers, through the death and refurrection of Christ, are put in a capacity to challenge all adverfaries and accufa tions, faying, as Rom. viii. 33. 34. "Who fhall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that juftifieth, who is he that condemneth? It is Chrift that died, yea rather that is rifen again, who is even at the right-hand of God, who al fo maketh interceflion for us:" As if the apoftle had faid, The Breaker is come up before us; and therefore, what have we to fear from hell or earth, if the great Judge be fatisfied?

9thly, The Breaker is come up before them; it implies, that whatever dangers, or difficulties, or oppofition, be in their way, yet they are in abfolute fafety under his conduct. When their King paffeth before them, and JEHOVAH on the head of them, what have they to fear? For when he arifeth, all their enemies are fcattered. Hence it is, that the Lord fo frequently checks the unbelieving fears of his people, upon the account of thefe dangers and enemies they are threatened with in their way, If. xli. 10. "Fear thou not, for I am with thee,