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the want of tafte for the work of heaven; and confequently, the want of intereft in that better world? In that unhappy ftate, though you could fecure a pafs through the gates into the city, heaven and glory would afford no more happiness to you, than palaces to fwine, whofe groveling element is the mire. But you are not in the way to heaven, you are by no means candidates for glory. Others may, numbers will, be promoted to the work of praife, in the higher houfe with the ranfomed tribes; but you, dying in your irregeneracy, shall be debarred, excommunicate, and expelled, as reprobate fouls. You will, indeed, fee the glorious Man with his company, but fhall not mingle with them; you will fee the pearly port of Emmanuel's land, but fhall not fet foot upon it? you will fee the crowns of the redeemed, but shall not wear any of them; you will fee the Father put this new fong in their mouths, but shall not enjoy the least smile of his countenance. Think then, O think, how galling and tormenting fuch circumstances must prove, how painful and distreffing fuch fights. Though no pofitive punishment was in referve, would you not, in fuch things, feel the pains of hell, and groan under the weight of damnation? The defign, however, of fcripture, in fuch representations, is not to introduce defpair, or torment before the time; but only to give the alarm, in order to your recovery ere it be too late; for there is hope in Ifrael concerning this thing; it is at leaft poffible, that this new fong may be put into your mouths. Though thefe mouths, made for praife, have been employed as inftruments of unrighteoufnefs, in curfing, fwearing, lying, foolish talking, and finful jefting; employed in defamation, calumny and reproach, and in every thing below the man,-unworthy the Chriftian; yet God

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is willing to be reconciled, to put you among the children, to hold fellowship with you, to fill your mouths with fongs of falvation, to give you grace and glory, and, in every refpect, to do you all faving good, in the way of his appointment, through Jefus Chrift, to the praife of his grace. Seek him in that channel, implore him for that purpose, and wait upon him, by the means, duties and ordinances of his own inftitution, as you would with not to be caft off;-and hope he will not put you to fhame.

CHA P. II.

Of the Redeemer's triumph over the hearts of finners upon earth. "Many fhall fee it, and Shall "fear; and fall truft in the Lord."

SEC T. I.

HE fubjects of this promife are men in ge

Tneral, not angels, nor devils. Angels have

nothing in their circumftances, known to us, that renders fuch promifes needful; and the ftate of devils puts them abfolutely beyond the reach of the promife, and renders them incapable of intereft in any word of grace. Befides, as this promife has a particular relation to Jefus Chrift, those, of whose nature he partook, can only be confidered as the fubjects of it. Though, in the application of the bleffings promifed, it is more reftricted: yet, in the revelation and exhibition of the promise itself, the warrant to believe is fo unreferved, that mankind finners in general, may, and should confider themfelves as interested in it: "The promife (faid the "apoftle, to a promifcuous multitude) is unto you. "and to your children, and to all that are afar

" off;

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off; even to as many as the Lord our God fhall call," Acts ii. 39. It is impoffible to imagine, how a perfon's putting away the promises from himself, as what he has no right to intermeddle with, can be reconciled with his fuitably attending to that remarkable declaration of grace.

But the fubjects of this promise are elect men in particular. The oppofition of carnal minds to the doctrine of election is fuch, that at prefent one labours under confiderable difadvantage, to infinuate any thing in favour of it. But as it is a fcriptural doctrine, a part of the council of heaven, an article of the Chriftian faith; though counted fools for efpoufing, we fhould never be ashamed of it. Did not David fpeak of elect men, when he faid, "Blessed is the man whom thou chufest and "caufeft to approach unto thee?" Pfal. lxv. 4. did not Malachi fpeak of elect men, when by him the Lord faid, "Yet I loved Jacob, and "hated Efau?" Mal. i. 2, 3. did not Paul to the Romans fpeak of elect men, when he faid, "Whom God did foreknow, he alfo did prede

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finate?" Rom. viii. 29. to the Corinthians did he not fpeak of them, when he faid, "God hath "chofen the foolish things of the world; God "hath chofen the weak things of the world, the "bafe things of the world; and things that are

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despised hath God chofen; yea, and the things that are not?" Cor. i. 28. and did he not to the Ephefians likewise speak of elect men, when be faid, "Being predeftinated according to the pur"pofe of him who worketh all things after the "council of his own will?" Eph. i. 11. But why fpeak of David, the prophets or apostles? behoia, a greater than either, a greater than all, bears teftimony to this doctrine: our Lord himfelf tpoke of elect men, when he faid, "All that the Father

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“giveth me, shall come to me," John vi. 37. And again, I pray for them; I pray not for the world, but for them which thou haft given me," John xvii. 5. Upon thefe and fuch like grounds, the doctrine of election may be confidered as fcriptural and, on that fuppofition, elect finners are, in particular, the fubjects of this promife; as it is not only exhibit, warranting them, in common with their fellow finners, to believe and improve it for the ends of infinite wifdom and grace; but, as they fhail eventually be brought under the influence of the promife, be made partakers of promifed grace, and inherit the promifed falvation. It is for their iakes, and theirs alone, that ever the promise was exhibited; it is owing to them, that ever finners, in general, were bleft with the common tender of mercy; and as foon as they are brought in, as foon as the end of the promife, as to them, is reached, other finners will, at once, but for ever, be deprived of that exalted privilege. Other finners may take hold of the promife; nothing in the external difpenfation of the gofpel hinders their doing fo: but clect finners fhall take hold of the promise; rather, the grace of the promife ball take hold of them.

SECT. II.

One bleffing here promifed is, "They fhall fee "it." If we confider this part of the promise, as it is rendered in the paffage under view, the particle it must have a refpect to what went before; and the meaning will be, that finners fhall fee what the Father hath done to Chrift as Man-Mediator, in "inclining to him and hearing his cry; bringing "him up out of the horrible pit and miry clay; "fetting his feet upon a rock, eftablishing his goings,

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ings, and putting a new fong in his mouth;" that the eyes of their understandings fhall be enlightened for that purpofe in other words, that the grace of faith, refpecting Chrift, as once dead, now alive, once humbled, now exalted, fhall be produced, and promoted in them, exercised and practiled by them. But the particle it, being only a fupplement, the phrafe literally is, "They "fhall fee;" which is peculiarly pithy, emphatical and comprehenfive. It fays, in the strongest terms, that, in a fpiritual view, finners are, by nature blind; and that, until put under the influence of this promife, they fee not. Whence, in the language of infpiration, the unconverted ftate is frequently reprefented as a ftate of darkness; "For ye were (fays the apoftle, to the believers

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at Ephefus) fometimes darkness," Eph. v. 8. not only in the dark, but darknefs itself. Whatever men know, however bright their talents, pregnant their genius, accurate their obfervations, curious their difquifitions, extenfive their reading, and univerfal their learning; as long as they are unconverted, they are confidered, in the eye of the holy Ghoft, as not feeing, and, in that state, incapable of it. But,

This part of the promise refpects a positive change to be produced in the finners understanding, the leading, and most noble power of the mind; the avenue through which all fpiritual light, faving discoveries, diftinguishing knowlege, enter; evident from the repeated teftimony of inspiration: "The commandment of the Lord is pure (fays "the Pfalmift) enlightening the eyes," Plal. xix. 8. fpeaking of the Gentles, our Lord faid unto the apoftle, "I fend thee now, to open their eyes, and turn them from darkness to light," Acts xxvi. 18. And, as a neceffary pre requifite to men's having

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