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Turn then, turn away your eyes from beholding these vanities, and seek, mind, regard, prefer, and pursue the things above. To induce you to do so, I hasten to speak,

III. Of the end of a Christian course, When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall we also appear with him in glory.

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Here let us observe, that Jesus Christ, by whom believers have a life of grace, and from whom they expect a life of glory, shall certainly appear, yea, and have a very glorious appearance. He shall be glorious in his person, glorious in his authority, glorious in his attendants. "I beheld, (says Daniel) till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of Days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him sand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him." St. John beheld him in vision, and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood, and before his face the heavens departed as a scroll, when it is rolled together. As to his attendants, it is said, "The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven in flaming fire with ten thousand of his saints. As to his authority and power, it shall be the greatest of which it is possible to conceive; from the foot of his throne issue the thunders which rend the universe, and the lightnings that set it on fire. In his hand he bears the destinies of men and of angels:

at the sound of his voice, which is as the sound of many waters, the righteous and the wicked are separated, and he deals out to each the irreversible decrees of his justice, according to their deserts. Then, O then shall the Christians, crucified by profession and practice, appear, in full glory, with Christ, their husband and friend. O what glorious company, what full delight! O that I could represent to you the triumphs of that day, when God shall bring with him his sainst who have died in the Lord, to judge the world; and when those who remain, and are alive, shall be caught up in the air to meet the Lord at his coming, and so be ever with the Lord. Fain would I speak something more fully of that glory, so as to fill all the soul with longing desire to partake of it. I however will only say, it shall be a blessedness conferred by the Almighty, suitable to desires implanted by himself.

I would inquire, first, are you risen with Christ, having been crucified with him to the world and sin? Let us not be content with partial views of this subject: we may know. Are we setting our affections on things above? Do we daily meditate on the joys of heaven, and the society of the blessed; and do wę long to be there? If so, let us rejoice in the promise.

SERMON XVI.

All that the Father giveth me, shall come to me, and him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out. John vi. 37.

IN this verse, and the context, our Lord instructed the Jews who heard him, and all into whose hands this book shall fall, in the great doctrines of salvation; which he makes the result of God's grace in calling, drawing, and teaching by his Spirit, and man's co-operation with divine grace, by endeavouring to come to Christ, and the all-powerful love with which Christ receives and entertains those who come to him. Man is represented as entirely helpless, by nature: utterly unable either to feel his disease, or to see his cure- "No man can come unto me, except the Father, which hath sent me, draw him." But how is a man drawn? God shows him his wants, enlightens his mind, and gives him to feel himself a lost sinner; and this he effects by his word and Spirit. "It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God." Every man, therefore, that hath heard and hath learned of the Father cometh unto, me. By the Father's drawing men, we are to understand his supplying whatever influence of his grace and Spirit are necessary to impress on men's

minds the evidences of his Son's mission. Unless God thus draw, no man will ever come to Christ, or believe on him. Settle this well in your minds, and at the same time, recollect that the passage doth not say, except the Father drag him, but, except the Father draw him. God saves no man, as a stock or stone, but as a reasonable being, and a free agent. Those who come at the call of God, are represented in the text, as given to Christ, because it is through his blood alone they can be saved. God, by his Spirit, convincing of sin, righteousness, and judgment, those who acknowledge their iniquity and their need of salvation, gives or refers them to Christ; that is, he points them to Christ, as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. It is likely that our Lord may here also refer to a prediction in the 2d Psalm; “Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for an inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for a possession:" that is, thou shalt be Lord or owner of them, and they, as a possession, shall be subject to thy power, laws, and authority. Having thus shown the manner in which we are enlightened, and the co-operation required on our part, he proceeds to give the reviving assurance, that where a penitent soul approaches him, hungering for the bread of life, and thirsting for the water of salva- . tion; whatever his fears may be, he will by no means send him away empty.

In the further illustration of this subject, I design,

I. To show, what we are to understand by coming to Christ; and,

II. Encourage you to attempt it, by the certain success with which your efforts shall be crowned.

I. And, first, I shall attempt to show what we are to understand by coming to Christ.

To come to Christ, is the same with resorting to him as our declared Master, acknowledging ourselves his disciples, and believing his doctrines. It is applying to him for that salvation, of which he alone is the Author, and of which, we, by the drawings and enlightenings of the Father, by the Spirit, feel ourselves to be in need. To be a little more particular-Coming to Christ for help, imports, first, a knowledge that we stand in need of help. "The whole need not a physician, but they that be sick." Never shall we come to Christ, till we feel that we have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. Never shall we come to Christ, till we feel condemned by the law of God, and sensible that the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all unrighteousness. For until we have such a knowledge of our disease, as to convince us that the help of creatures is vain, we never shall come to Christ. None come to Christ, till all other refuges fail them, and till they find that all other physicians are of no value.

Coming to Christ, imports, secondly, the confiding the work of our salvation into his hands, and giving him employment in his saving offices, looking on him as able, willing, and ready to save.

"I give up every plea beside,

Lord, I'm condemn'd, but Christ has died."

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