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rial temple, "There shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down." The apoftle cuts off all other foundations besides Christ; 1 Cor. iii. 11. faying, "Another foundation can no man lay, than that which is laid, which is Christ;" and he did not speak ignorantly; for he saw, by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, that he was a wife master-builder, ver. 10. And therefore, we would be but mad builders, if we should teach you to build upon any other foundation; yea, or to build, as it were, upon any other foundation, by mixing any of our own rubbish with it, as if this were not a fufficient foundation. To daub with untempered mortar in this cafe, were enough to bring a curse upon any angel in heaven, let be any minister on earth: therefore, the apostle, speaking on this very fubject, says, " If we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel, let him be accursed." Cursed be the man or angel, that dare build a temple for God, upon any other ground than this blessed foundation.

Queft. How shall we know then, if the foundation of the spiritual temple be laid in us? That is, in short, if Chrift be formed in you, or not, and if you be built upon Christ as your foundation.

I offer you these scriptural marks for your trial.

1. If this foundation be laid, you have been humbled under a sense of your own fin and folly, in building your hope upon any other foundation, and thereby flighting this foundation. This is imported in the promise of the Spirit to convince of fin, especially of unbelief, John xvi. 8. " He shall reprove the world of fin, of righteousness, and of judgment; of fin, because they believe not in me:" that is, because they have not built upon me as the foundation. Now, has the Spirit of God ever convinced and humbled you, for your fin of unbelief in flighting the Son of God; and feeking to build on other foundations If you know nothing of this, it is to be feared, the foundation is not yet laid; but if you do, it is an evidence that God either hath begun, or is beginning the good work.

2. If this foundation be laid, then you have been made to quit your hold of all other foundations, and to give up with them; yea, to despise them as dung, in VOL. VII.

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comparison of this foundation: "What things were gain to me, favs Paul, these I counted lofs for Chrift," Phil. iii. 8. What things doth he speak of? Why, it is even his best things, his best righteousness; for he was, concerning the law, a Pharifee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; and concerning the righteoufness which is of the law, a blameless perfon: yet all this he counts lofs for Chrift. You will fay, "That was the " righteousness he had before his converfion; but doth " he not esteem better of his righteousness after his " converfion?" Nay, he puts that among the despicable dung too; "Yea, doubtless, and I count all things but lofs and dung, [or, dogs meat, as it is in the original] for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, that I may win him, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but the righteousness which is of God by faith, unto all, and upon all them that believe." Have you thus been made to quit the hold of all other foundations, and to defpise them as dung in comparison of this foundation? This says much for you.

3. Have you cordially and refolutely been made to lay the whole weight of your fouls and bodies, and all that concern them for time and eternity, and the whole weight of your falvation upon this foundation, and upon it only? This is the foul's echo to that call, Pfal. Iv. 22. "Caft thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall fustain thee." And to that, I Pet. v. 7. "Cast all your cares upon him, för he careth for you." This is the foul's motion to Christ for rest, Mat. xi. 28. "Come to me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you reft." Now, have you thus come, and found rest to your heart and confcience, by cafting all the burdens of your fin and guilt, all the cares of your salvation and eternal happiness upon this blessed foundation? Why then, your portion is provided, your everlasting felicity is fecured for ever; you may fay, truly, what the fool faid, vainly, "Soul, take thy rest, thou hast goods laid up not for many years only, but for all the ages of eternity." If all your burdens and cares be laid upon the foundation, what have you to care for?Why,

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Why, say you, should a foul that is come to Christ, have no more care about falvation? I answer, There is a sinful care of anxiety, doubts, and fears; this he ought no more to have: but there is a holy care of activity and diligence, to testify his gratitude to the God of his salvation; this he ought to have; both these you fee, Phil. iv. 6. "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and fupplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God." Therefore,

4. If this foundation be laid, then you will live upon the foundation, and have a real and constant communion with the foundation, by cleaving to it, and abiding in it; just as the stone of a building cleaves to, abides with, and, in a manner, lives upon the foundation. Now, do you live upon this living foundation, so as you cannot live without him? As Christ himself says, "Without me ye can do nothing;" or, 'Separate from ' me, the foundation, ye can do nothing. Hypocrites and legalists, and all that are not built upon this foundation, they can do all things themselves; they can read, and pray, and hear, and communicate, and what not: they think it is very easily done, and what should hinder them. Alas! they know not what it is to live upon the foundation; to lean upon and draw virtue from the foundation: but the believer finds it otherwise, even that he cannot live, he cannot move, he cannot act spiritually in any duty whatsoever, without spiritual communications of life, light, and strength: his life is hid with Christ in God; and so he lives, yet not he, but Christ liveth in him, and the life he lives is by the faith of the Son of God. Thus he lives in a constant dependence upon the foundation.

5. If this foundation be laid, then you will not only live upon, but live to this foundation. Christ is said to die for us, "That they which live, should not henceforth live to themselves, but to him that died for them, and rose again," 2 Cor. v. 15. Before a man be united to this foundation, he lives to himself; self is at the top and bottom of all his best duties and performances: but whatever remainders of felf is with the believer, yet the power and do. minion of self is so farbroken in him, that his felf-love, felfaims,

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SER. CVII. aims, and felf-ends are his burden; and to live to the honour and glory of a God in Chrift, is the chief end he defires always to fet before him. In a word,

6. If the foundation of the spiritual temple be laid, then the Spirit of the foundation will be in you: for, "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his; but, he that is joined to the Lord is one Spirit:" and this Spirit within the man is sometimes a witnessing, and fealing, and comforting Spirit; and also a cleanfing, purifying, and fanctifying Spirit, leading forth the believer habitually to spiritual thoughts and meditations; and to a spiritual walk and conversation.-Now, these marks, I am fure, will stand the trial of the word of God; and, therefore, search and try yourselves thereby, whether the foundation of the spiritual temple be laid or

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Use 3. The next use shall be for exhortation. Omitting all that might be faid by way of terror, to all these in whom the foundation is not laid; being under the curse from the day that they were conceived in fin, and brought forth in iniquity; yea, from the day that you fell in Adam; from that day you are cursed of God: omitting also, what might be faid by way of comfort to believers in whom the foundation is laid, they being actually blessed from the moment of their union to the Son of God, from this day and for ever they are blessed: omitting these, I shall close with a word of exhortation to those two forts, viz. unbelievers and believers. And,

1st, To all unbelievers, as the most part are, that are strangers to this laying of the foundation of the temple. My exhortation is, O be restless till the foundation of the temple be laid, as you would not be laid under the heavy curfe of God to all eternity, and for ever deprived of his bleffing. And in order to the laying of this foundation of the temple, know, that the work is God's; for, "Not by power, nor by might, but by his Spirit," is the founda. tion laid; and therefore, cry for the Spirit of God, to be poured out upon you, and under his influence, follow these four means, which I shall direct you to.

1. Count

I. Count the cost of the whole building, before you begin to lay the foundation; " Which of you, intending to build a tower, says Christ, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have fufficient to finish it? Lett, haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, faying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish it," Luke xiv. 28, -30. Some believe too foon, by a temporary faith, without ever counting the cost. This work must be done with deliberation; not that you need to deliberate whether it should be done or not; but there needs mature deliberation that it be right done. Many do rafhly take up a profeffion of religion, and fo comes of them; for, in an evil day, they make defection, give up with all religion, and overturn the foundations that feemed to be laid; and no wonder, for the true foundation was never rightly laid. The Lord determines all his own fo to count the cost, that they must have Chrift, cost what it will; and refolve to cleave to him though it should cost them the loss of their friends, and means, and lives to the bargain.

2. Look to this same Spirit, to help you to dig deep, till you come to the rock. All that lay the foundation right are acquaint with digging deep. There are these four things you should dig deep into.

(1.) Dig deep to see your natural condition: Oh! was you never afraid for yourself, man, as being under the curse of God? Was you never afraid for the wrath of God, and the threatenings of the law? Was you never afraid for the converfion you was born with, and for the faith and hope you have had all your days, as if you had been born a convert? That converfion will carry you to hell if you get no more; for, you were born an enemy to God, a slave of Satan, and an heir of hell. Oh! dig to fee your state of fin and misery by nature, otherwise you will build upon a fandy foundation.

(2.) Alfo, dig deep to see your heart-plagues: and fure I am, you will find it to be deceitful above all things, and defperately wicked. If you faw yourself, you would never say, I hope I have a good heart to God; as I have heard

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