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that worketh in you, both to will and to do, of his good pleafure," Phil. ii. 13. And, indeed, if the willing power and the doing power were not of God, you could have no heart or hope in the ufe of the means: but, because it is of him, therefore up and be doing. Thus, the witneffing work for Reformation at this day, it must be of God; for, it is he that buildeth the temple, and fhall bear the glory: therefore we fhould put to our hand and build with hope. Thus, if believing work and communicating work were not of God, we would have no ground of hope this day: but, that All things are of God, is the greatest encouragement. As the work is of God, we are to ftand ftill and fee the falvation of God, as was faid to Ifrael at the Red-fea: and therefore, in point of means, we are to speak to ourselves, and to the people, that they go forward. Though there were a Red-sea in the way, and infuperable difficulties to furmount, let us go forward and fee the work of God, the falvation of God in Chrift Jefus.

5. Hence fee an evidence of faith, by which we may try and examine ourselves, before we go to the Lord's table. One fure mark may be as probative and evidential as twenty. Try then if your faith be founded upon, the faving knowledge of this, that All things are of God. Do you know, that all things relating to the new covenant, and the new creation, are of God? This is fuch a point of faving knowledge, that it is obferved in Chrift's prayer to the Father, as a high attainment and a special character of his people; John xvii. 7. "Now, they have known, that all things whatfoever thou haft given me, are of thee:" q. d. They are otherwife taught than the blafphemous Jews, who thought of my perfon, that I was but a man, the carpenter's fon; and, of my miraculous works, that they were of the devil, as if I had been in compact with him: but, "They have known, that all things whatsoever thou haft given me are of thee:" that they are neither of men nor of devils, but of God.

Now, examine if ever you have got this view, namely, the knowledge and faith of this, that Chrift is whol ly the Chrift of God; that his commiffion and authority is of God, he being fent of the Father: that all his

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offices and powers are of God: that all the gifts of the Spirit, all his graces and comforts, which God gave him without measure, were all from God, contrived by his wisdom, appointed by his will, and defigned by his grace, for his own glory, in our falvation.

What gives you fatisfaction in believing and relying upon Ghrift? Is it that fure and good bottom, that all that Chrift is and hath, is of God; that all that he hath faid, is of Ged; that all that he hath done, is of God; that all that he is doing, is of God; that all that he will do, is of God; that his whole mediation, and all his mediatorial actings are of God; and that therefore you may well venture your foul and falvation upon him? Hath this given confidence to your faith of juftification, through his righteoufnefs, because it is the righteoufnefs of God; and to your faith of fanctification, through his grace, because it is the grace of God; and to your faith of wafhing in his blood, becaufe it the blood of God? This is true faith indeed, built upon the foundation of God's laying in Zion.

Do you know and believe, that all things whatsoever the Father gave to Christ, are of God ftill; that not only they were of God's giving, but are ftill the things of God? This is what the Spirit fhows, when he comes to glorify Chrift; "He fhall glorify me; for he fhall receive of mine, and fhall fhew it unto you. All things that the Father hath, are mine: therefore faid I, that he fhall take of mine, and fhall fhew it unto you," John xvi. 14, 15. All things that the Father hath are his, and all fpiritual bleffings are given by the Father to the Son for us, and the Son intrufts the Spirit to convey them to us, and fo to glorify Christ, by fhewing that all his things are of the Father. And, as it is remarkable here how Chrift gives his Father the glory of all things that are given him, declaring that they are of God; fo, the true and faving knowledge of Chrift leads the foul natively to God, and to give God the glory of all things that Chrift hath. And, indeed, the knowledge of Chrift would not fave us, if it did not lead us to the knowledge of God himfelf: therefore, fays Chrift, as Mediator, "I am the way," not the end; "No man cometh to the

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Father but by me." You must not terminate the knowledge of Chrift, in Chrift himfelf, but ufe it as a medium and way to bring you to the Father; for, "By him we believe in God, who raised him from the dead, and gave him glory, that our faith and hope might be in God," 1 Pet. i. 21.; for, All things are of God. And hence the faith of Chrift, which is beyond all miftake and delufion, is fuch a faith of Chrift as terminates in God, in the enjoyment of God, in the love of God, the fear of God, the worship and fervice of God, the honour and glory of God in Chrift. Thus by your faith of this doctrine,

6. Hence fee an open door of faith and hope to finners and faints. I am come to tell you this day, that as all things you have already, as creatures, are of God, as a creating God; your life is of God, your breath is of God, your being is of God, in whom you live, and move, and have your being: fo all things you want and need to have, as new creatures, are of God, as a redeeming God, a promifing and giving God, in Chrift Jefus. God hath fet up a ladder between heaven and earth, between him and us. Chrift, the God-man, is the true Jacob's ladder, by which we may afcend up to God. By the gofpel of God, this ladder is difcovered to you: and now this day, God is fhewing himself at the top of the ladder, proclaiming that all things are of him, and faying, Behold, I make all things new.

Here is an open door of faith and hope to you, man, woman, who are deftitute of all things, and by nature curfed in the want of all things, becaufe of your want of God, of whom all things are. Here you may fee not only the foundation of all the good things you need and want, that are of God; but alfo the channel through which, and the reafon why you may hope and expect to have them; because all things are of him, as a reconciled God in Chrift. If you look upon God as an enemy, you will expect no good thing from him: and, indeed, the firft look that a finner brought to Chrift, gets of God, is of God in the law, as a fin-revenging God. And, aş you are a finner and tranfgreffor of God's laws, you are doomed to death and wrath, and have nothing to

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look for from God, but deftruction and damnation. But, if you fee this, and be crying out, What fhall I do to be faved," who am fuch a vile and guilty finner beyond all finners? Then view him in the gospel glafs, upon the top of the ladder of mercy, on a throne of grace, as reconciled by Jefus Chrift to you. You, by your fin, have provoked him; but Chrift, by his righteousness, hath reconciled him to you; and the word of reconciliation is committed unto us, and we must execute our commiffion, by preaching the gospel to every creature, and proclaiming him to be a reconciled God in Chrift to you, O finner: and, O Sirs, if this moment you could believe that God is in Chrift, reconciling the world to himfelf, and reconciling you to himself, you would no longer, d abt, that he is ready to give you all things that you want. Life and pardon, grace and glory, and all good things are of God, and ready to be given to you upon the price paid for them by the Son of God. You cannot think, perhaps, that there is any thing to be expected from God for such a sinner as you are: but think again, whether any thing, yea, all things good and great, may be expected from God, becaufe of fuch a righteoufnefs as Chrift's is, and because of fuch a Beloved as Chrift is, and such a love as the Father bears to him: for all things relating to the new creation, and the new covenant in Chrift Jefus, are exhibited to you, in the gospel, only in him.

Here then is good news and glad tidings to all people that hear this gofpel, that all things, relating to the new heaven and the new earth, are of God.-Good news to the hardened, unconvinced finner; conviction is of God, who promifeth to fend his Spirit to convince the world of fin. Good news to you that are not yet regenerated; regeneration is of God, who, of his own will begets us, by the word of truth. O Sirs, caft yourselves down at the footstool of fovereign grace, reigning thro' the righte oufnefs of Chrift to eternal life.-Here is good news to you, guilty finner; juftification is of God in Chrift: He is the God that juftifies the ungodly, and hath fet forth Chrift to be the propitiation thro' faith in his blood. Here is good news to the polluted finner; purification

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and fanctification is of God in Chrift: "The God of peace can fanctify you wholly. I am the Lord that fanctifieth you.”—Good news to miferable wretched finners; redemption is of God in Chrift, who of God is made to you wifdom, righteousness, fanctification, and redemption.Good news to the weak and impotent foul, that can do nothing for power and ability is of God in Chrift, who fays, "He giveth power to the faint, and to him that hath no might he increaseth ftrength."-Good news to the weary and reflefs; foul-reft is of God in Chrift, who fays, "Come to me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you reft."-Good news to the unbelieving foul, plagued with an evil heart of unbelief, that faith is of God; it is the gift of God in Chrift, who is the author and finisher of it.-Good news to the impenitent and hard-hearted finner, that fees the flony heart will not break; the new heart, and the heart of flesh is of God; the penitent heart is of God, who exalted Chrift to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance to Ifrael, and remiffion of fins. Here is good news to the foul diseased and over-run with all fpiritual maladies; health and healing is of God in Chrift, whofe name is JEHOVAH-ROPHI, "I am the Lord that healeth thee."-Good news to the black deformed foul, all blackened, as it were, with the fioke of hell; beauty is of God, who fays, "Though ye have lien among the pots, ye fhall be as the wings of a dove, covered over with filver, and her feathers with yellow gold."-Good news are here to the tempted foul, toffed with the horrid fuggeftions of Satan; the way to efcape is of God in Chrift, the God of peace that shall bruife Satan under your feet.-Good news to the harraffed, diflressed, and oppreffed foul, fighing under fome heavy burden; relief is of God, who is a refuge for the oppreffed, a refuge in time of trouble: your time of need is his time of pity, who is the burden-bearer; "Cafl thy burden on the Lord, and he will fuftain thee."

Let the difconfolate conceive hope in him; for confolation is of God; he is the God of all confolation.-Let the poor and needy conceive hope; for your fufficiency is of God; your fupply is of God.-Let the naked and flarving foul conceive hope; for food and raiment is of

God,

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