IV.

LECT. for of judgment and fiery indignation, which fhall devour the adverfaries. If he who deSpifed Mofes' law died without mercy, of how much forer punishment shall they be thought worthy, who do this defpite to the Spirit of grace,* by neglecting the great atonement that was made by Chrift himself for the fins of the world? It is a fearful thing to fall into the bands of the living God, † and be made an example of divine vengeance: and what else can they expect, who refuse to accept of the facrifice of Chrift, by which alone the fiery indignation of God can be turned away from their own perfons? No words are fufficient to exprefs their danger: O that they could fee it themselves, and would confider of it, and not truft to fuch frivolous excufes as will ftand them in no ftead in the day of visitation!

To encourage us in our Chriftian warfare, the Apostle fets before us at large the examples of the Saints of old, who were all faved by leading a life of faith:

*

Chap. x. 26. &c.

+ Chap. x. 31.

See Chap. xi. of this Epistle.

enduring

IV.

enduring every trial, and conquering every LECT. enemy, on this great principle. There never was any other way of falvation from the beginning of the world, but this way of faith. All the Saints of God who found acceptance with him, depended upon his word and promise for such things as they could not fee; and either forfook the pleasures of the world, or contradicted its errors, and endured its reproaches, for his fake. We may plead the business of life, and the cares of life; but they had their bufinefs and their cares as well as we; yet they loved God, and made it their first care to be faved. The race we are to run may have its difficulties: indeed, if it is a race, it cannot be without them: but we are encompassed with a cloud of witnesses,* all testifying that this RACE may be run, and the prize obtained; because they did actually perform it, and are entitled to the crown of victory. What hinders us from doing the fame; but that we are retarded by fome weight, which we are not careful to diveft ourselves of and lay afide? We * Chap. xii. 1.

IV.

LECT. do not strive against that fin, whatever it may be, which moft eafily befets us, and is never to be fubdued but by faith, and prayer, and felf-denial; faith in better things than this world can bestow; and prayer for that grace which may affift us in doing what our ftrength will never accomplish.

Great is the influence which the example of God's faithful fervants will have upon our minds, if we meditate upon it. They were men of like paffions with ourfelves, and were not without their weakneffes: Sin put on the fame deceitful appearance to them as to us: and they had the fcorn of an overbearing world to refift, as we have now. Their example,

while it inftru&ts, will animate and en

courage us. But greater than all is the
example of our blefled Saviour himself:
therefore we are directed to look unto Jefus
the author and finisher of our faith, who for
the joy that was fet before him endured the
cross, defpifing the shame, and is fet down at
the right hand of God.* What are the
* Chap. xii. 2.

troubles

compared LECT.

troubles we are accustomed to,
with the agonies of the cross? What is
the contempt of filly empty people, who
call themselves the world, compared with
the difgrace of hanging naked as a male-
factor before a multitude, who mocked at
the punishment as a proof that he who
fuffered it was an impoftor? Nothing was
ever fo full of apparent difgrace, as the
character of Jefus Chrift at his paffion.
How diftreffing, and almost diftracting is
it, to be innocent,' and yet feem to be
guilty? This is a piercing trial to an
honeft mind. To affect to be great when
we are mean, and powerful when we are
weak, expofes us to the fcorn of every
enemy; and this the enemies of Chrift
laid to his charge, and gratified themselves
with every
malicious expreffion that could
add to the apparent infamy of his fuffer-
ings. Yet all this fhame he patiently en-
dured, for the joy that was fet before him.
This we are to confider under all our trials.
God does not lay upon us any grief or
chaftening, for its own fake; but to cor-
rect our minds, and give us a title to that

IV.

LECT. joy, which shall be the reward of patient

IV.

if

fuffering. Thus we shall not be weary and
faint in our minds. I grant it is a fevere
trial to mortal man, to deserve good and
receive evil; but to this we are all called,
as the followers of a crucified Saviour.
The Son of God was made perfect through
Sufferings; and if God is our father, we
must expect that he will chaften us;
he does not, then are we baftards and not
fons *. Baftards are often forfaken by their
parents, and left to grow up without cor-
rection; confequently to be brought by
the tendency of their unreformed nature
to mifery and deftruction: but no Chrif
tian would wish for such a privilege: he
judges it far better to fuffer in hope, than
to be at his eafe, as one whom God hath
neglected,

From the description given of the Church as a fpiritual fociety, the Chriftian is to learn the dignity of his own character, and to conduct himself in a manner fuitable to his ftation. He feems outwardly like