witness, that you are true citizens of this city; and it is the daily trade thereof to be waiting at the door of the city, waiting at Wifdom's door-pofts, and coming boldly to the throne of grace, and living by faith on the Son of God. Think much of this, that ye are free men in the city, and reckon much upon the privileges that you enjoy, particularly that God fhould write upon you the name of the city of your God, which is the new Jerufalem, which cometh down out of heaven from your God, and write upon you his new name, Rev. iii. 12. Likewife reckon yourfelves dead indeed unto fin, and reckon yourfelves righteous in Chrift. It is true humility, not only to acknowledge your natural mifery and finfulness, but alfo to acknowledge your fpiritual privileges and mercies that you enjoy in Chrift. Again,

7. Are you citizens? Then make daily ufe of the river that makes glad the city of God. Be glad and rejoice in the Lord, whatever fad cafe or circumftance you are in. "O! fay you, is there any ground of

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joy and gladnefs for me, when I find myself fcorched "with the wrath of God, ready to burn me up?" Yea, let faith run to the river, and you will find that the ftreams thereof have a cooling and quenching virtue. We joy in God through Jefus Chrift, by whom we have received the atonement, and are faved from wrath through him." O! is there any ground of gladness when I "find nothing but pollution and filthinefs taking place "in me?" Yea, let faith run to the river, and you will find it hath a cleanfing virtue, to take away all pollution; "The blood of Chrift cleanfeth from all fin. I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye fhall be clean; from all your filthinefs, and from all your idols will Icleanfe you."

"O! is there any ground of gladnefs, when I am all "wounds and bruifes, all over-run with difeafes and "maladies?" Yea, let faith run to the river, and you will find the streams thereof have a healing virtue. Here are the healing waters of the fanctuary; I am the Lord that bealeth thee." O! is there any ground of joy and gladuefs, when I find myself dead in fin, having a “dead heart, a dead frame, nothing but the image of "death about me?" Yea, let faith run to the river,

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and

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and you will find the streams thereof have a quickening virtue; Ezek. xlvii. 9. “ Every thing fhall live whither -the river cometh: it is the water of life; he that believeth in me, tho' he were dead, yet fhall he live."-"O! "what ground of gladnefs, when my heart is fo hard "and ftupid like a rock, harder than an adamant ?” Yea, let faith run to the river, and you will find the water hath a foftening virtue; "God can, out of ftones, raise up children to Abraham," and take away the heart of ftone, melt the adamant." O! what ground of glad

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ness, when I find no fruit, nothing but the curfe of "barrennefs upon me?" Why, let faith run to the river; the ftreams are of a fructifying virtue, and you shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, bringing forth her fruit in its feafon.-"O! is there any ground "of joy when I find my ftrength gone, and that I have "no power for any duty? I am not able to move, nor to "look up." Yea, let faith run to the river; you will find the ftreams thereof have a ftrengthening virtue: you fhall be ftrengthened by the Spirit in the inner man, and when you are weak, you fhall then be ftrong; Pf. lxxxiv.5,6. "Bleffed is the man whofe ftrength is in thee; while the rain filleth the pools, they go from ftrength to ftrength, till they appear before the Lord in Zion."“ O! is "there any ground of joy or gladnefs for me, when I "find I cannot receive any confolation, when I am jufl in "the pit of trouble, and in the depth of defpondency?" Yea, let faith run to the river, and you will find the ftreams thereof have a refreshing virtue, a reftoring vir tue to restore your foul. The ftreams are of a gladden-. ing quality: whatever be the ground of fadnefs, here is everlafting ground of gladnefs: There is a river, the Streams whereof do make glad the city of God.

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fengers, fo this river lies open to all poor finners. It is not a fountain fealed, but the fountain opened that we proclaim among you; "Whofoever will, let him come." As all may drink at a river, and drink their fill, and it never be miffed, fo it is here; come with your empty veffels, ye that have nothing, no wit, no grace, ftrength, no righteousness, Chrift hath enough for himself, and enough for you; "Let him that is athirft come:-Ho, every one that thirfteth;" that is, every one that needs a drink; ho, every one that is ignorant, you need a drink of teaching and enlightening grace; Chrift is a Prophet to give that to you: ho, every one that is guilty, you need a drink of pardoning grace, and Chrift is a Prieft to give that to you: ho, every one that is under the power and dominion of fin and Satan, Chrift is a King to give liberating grace to

you.

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It is the first invitation to come to Jefus that you have got by our hand, and in all probability it will be the laft; and it may be now or never: fhall this offer then be flighted? Say not you will not be welcome; O! try it yea, he will be glad of you, and rejice in you, whatever you have hitherto been and what is Chrift faying? O come without delay: come to me, whatever you have been: you that have been a drunkard, you that have been a fwearer, you that have been a whoremonger or adulterer, you that have been a Sabbath-breaker, you that have been an incarnate devil, here is a Saviour come to fave you from your fins, an incarnate God come to fave incarnate devils. O! here is a mystery of love, that he is content to take a finner at the clofe of his days, and even when he hath been giving the flower of his time to his id ls, and the ftrength of his heart unto vanity. O! the myllery of the love of Chrift, that he is content to take you at the laft, and at the worst; to take you when your idols have forfaken you, and when you can do no better. O! come to the river; "Whofoever will, let him come.." Why come you here, if you come not to Chrift? May I fay, "What came ye out to the wildernefs to fee, or to hear?" Many have come to fatisfy their curiofity, to fee and hear

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two strangers*; is that all? Wo is me! you have seen nothing, if you have not got a fight of Chrift in this gofpel: you have heard nothing, if you have not heard the voice of Chrift. Some will go away, perhaps, pleafed with the fermons they have heard; but, O Sirs, what a matter of moon-fhine is that? Are we come this length only to please your ears? I think we have loft our errand, if we have win no heart to Chrift here: we think we have loft all our pains, if we have not win a foul to Chrift here, nor made the favour of his name more known: but if henceforth fome ftranger to Chrift be fet a feek. ing of him, fome. enemies be made friends, fome mockers be turned to mourners, fome graceless perfons, and families among you, were turned to praying ones, and praying perfons were turned to wrestling ones; if these that have only a form of prayer, and a form of godlinefs, were turned to the power of godlinefs; if defpifers of Chrift, and of the gofpel, were turned to believers in Chrift, and followers of the Lamb, we fhould think our pains well beftowed, and our travel well recompenfed, tho' it had been a hundred miles farther.

May thefe that are ftrangers and aliens to the commonwealth of Ifrael, become true citizens of the city of God; and may all the citizens take home this text with them, and rejoice in this firm word of God, that though the world fhould run into confufion and diforder; though matters fhould appear never fo difmal and defperate, though the enemies of the church, the people, the city of God, whether they be within, or without the walls, fhould roar like the ocean, and go to the utmoft bounds. of fury, yet, There is a river, the streams whereof do make glad the city of God.

*The Rev. Mr. FISHER, late minifter at Glasgow, accompanied our Author in this embaffy to the South, and preached on these words, Their rock is not as our Rock, enemies themselves being judges. It was the first time they had been in these bounds preaching.

SERMON

SERMON

The Giving Love of CHRIST, and the Receiving
Property of Faith.*

CX.

A

GAL. ii. 20.

I am crucified with Chrift: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Chrift liveth in me: and the life which I now live

in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, wha

loved me, and gave bimfelf for me.

THI

HIS text is like a ftately tree, with fo many branches. We may call it a tree of life, and a tree of love. You will find life is the heart of the tree, and love is the root of it. The life of Chrift is the heart, and the love of Chrift is the root of the tree. There is a wonderful fence about this tree; it feems to be fenced about, as it were, with death, the death of Chrift, which we are about to commemorate. The text begins and ends with it, as that which infures to the believer both this life and this love. How is the believer infured of this life of Chrift? Why, fays he, I am crucified with Chrift: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Chrift liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God.-And how is he infured and affured of this love of Chrift? Why, He loved me, and gave himself for me..