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"fore the throne, and before the Lamb," Rev. vii. 9. And, in my Father's houfe (faid our "Lord) are many manfions ;" and, as no heir shall want a manfion, fo, no manfion, in Chrift's Father's houfe, fhall want an heir, when the myftery of God is finished.

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What a diftinguishing mercy is it to us, that there is fuch a thing as a promife! that ever Jeho vah condefcended to fpeak words of grace to finners! He might have fupported the glory of his whole character, though finners had never heard any thing from the mouth of God, but words of terror and wrath. That, therefore, mount Sinai is changed into mount Zion, is a mercy, whereof we can never have too high thoughts; a mercy we can never enough admire, and for which we can never enough adore.

How fuitable this promife to our circumstances, as finners! The very grace we need is provided, laid up, and fecured there; and that grace is exhibit in fuch manner,-to fuch degree, that all our needs may be fupplied, all our plagues cured, and all our treasures filled. If we are ftraitned, it is not in God, but in ourfelves. The true eye-falve, the living balm, the mollifying ointment, are ftored up here; and if finners eyes are not opened, their hearts not quickened, nor their diseases healed, it is owing to a criminal neglect of this grace of God; by no means, to any defect in the promise itself.

When men are acquainted with the influence of this promife, in the refpects mentioned, their state is doubtless gracious, and their frame evangelical. And, though labouring under fuch uncertainty as

keeps

keeps you from concluding in the affirmative, yet, if you fee your need of promised grace, in order to your being exercised in the manner reprefented; fee there is nothing in yourselves that can be effectually conducive toward your feeing, fearing and trufting fee, that if the Lord, in a way of mercy, work it not in you, you must continue blind, dead, and unbelieving; that means and ordinances are ineffectual in themfelves; and that, unless the Promifer, by the grace of the promise, apprehend you, you can have no hope:-if you are well pleafed with the device of infinite wisdom and love; and pleafed particularly, that God work all your works in you, and for you, and bear the glory of the whole, in time and through eternity: if this plan appears with fuch beauty and luftre in your eye, that it, not only breeds admiration, commands your attention, and captivates your affections, but, makes you, with chearfulness, defire to be laid under obligations, and become everlasting debitors to grace, for all your falvation: if you find, that fuch views of the divine promifes are fo far from flackening your diligence, that they make you more anxiously concerned, to study the performance of duty,-perfuaded, that grace does not abound, to encourage your continuance in fin: if fuch views of the promife have more influence on your practice, than all the arguments arifing from the danger and condemnation of a natural fate: if you are fufpicious of yourselves, left, after having a promife of entering into God's reft, you should come fhort of it; and if you are deeply concerned, that the Lord would keep you from deceiving yourselves, and lying down in forrow: if these things are fo, it looks as if you were heirs of promife; and there is, thence, reafon to hope, that, following on to know the

Lord,

Lord, you shall find his goings forth for your falvation prepared as the morning.

Thofe, on the other hand, who are ftrangers to the exercifes mentioned, have no prefent, no fcriptural pretenfions to true religion. If ye were never fenfible of fpiritual blindness and deadnefs; never faw your need of this promife, with the grace contained in it; never prized thefe bleffings for their own worth, as well as their fuitablenefs to you, in your present fituation; if you were never concerned to feek them in the way, and by the means of the Lord's appointment; never found a willingness, through grace, to ly under obligations to him, for accomplishing his words of grace in your experience; never felt fo much of your natural darkness, as to recommend gofpel-light; fo much legal fear, as to recommend gofpel-liberty; nor fo much of an evil heart of unbelief, as to recommend the precious faith of God's elect: and, if you were never diffatisfied with yourselves, for the want of these things; then, without all peradventure, your hearts are unrenewed, your frames difevangelical, your state perishing, and your danger peculiar however easy, you have no spiritual ground for it; whatever peace you enjoy, it is not the peace of God, that paffeth all understanding; and your hopes for eternity are all fpurious and delufive. If others may have many hopeful and promifing like fymptoms, while at bottom they are naught, in a faving view; your pretenfions, in the want of these things, to faving acquaintance with the gofpel, must be ftill more unwarrantable and vain. Though nothing can excufe your former neglect of fo great a falvation; or justify your conduct in deceiving yourfelves; yet the cafe admits of a cure, the danger of reprieve, and your ftate

of

of a bleffed and faving change. This promise would lofe much of its beauty and emphasis, if that was not the cafe; for it refpects finners in general, and you, of confequence, among the rest.

Let, therefore, the love and grace of God, in the exhibition of fuch words of grace, have a conftraining influence upon you, especially, fince it is certain, that flighted mercy, provoked goodness, and defpifed patience, will, in the end, break out, into the more inexorable wrath. Behold, finners, Jehovah-Redeemer, in the gofpel, brings, offers, and exhibites his falvation to you. The sheet of covenant bleffings is thereby let down from heaven; and you are called to arife, take and eat. But, continuing to defpife the vifion, the fheet will be taken up, to be let down no more; one or another call, will be our Lord's farewel knock at the door of your hearts: in which event, we would not bear your reproof, at the bar of Jefus Chrift, for thoufands, nay, for myriads of worlds. Up, then, fhake off these guilty, thofe unhallowed slumbers; hearken, regard, obey, the heavenly call. Awake, awake, there is no time, no room, no reason for delay; the prefent moment flies from you, and the next may introduce the feal of your condemnation. Your duty, intereft and fafety, jointly urge your believing the promnife, that God the Saviour will make you fee, cause you fear, and enable you to trust in the Lord.

You should aim at believing it, because it is addreffed for that very purpose; because it is the only way in which you can put honour upon God, after all the difhonour you have done him; becaufe it is not left, as what you may, or may not do; "For this is God's commandment, (as well as his "promise

promife) that we fhould believe on the Name of "his Son Jefus Chrift;" John iii. 23. because the Lord, in the free tender of mercy, declares his willingness to fulfil the promife, in your experience; because all other methods for acquiring the exercises reprefented, than by virtue of the free promife, will be vain; and, because your not believing will iffue in your ruin, and leave your blood upon your own heads.

THE

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