tion were kindled in your breasts, to partake them; fancying, possibly, that they are of this high and happy being, and leave all kings, a stick in their hands, a sceptre, and your pursuits to follow this, restless till you be their iron, chains of gold. This is a pleasin Christ: for solid, abiding rest, sure I am, ing madness for the time; yet who does not out of him there is none; and then being pity it that looks on? in him, remember where you are, and what Methinks I see one of this sort, when I you are. Walk in Christ, and live like him, see one evidently destitute of Christ, bearing as one with him indeed; let his thoughts himself big upon the fancy of his parts, and and desires be yours. What was his work birth, and riches, or stoutness, and, upon yea, what was his refreshment, his meat and any cross word, swelling against others, drink? To do his Father's will. Oh! when threatening high, and protesting they will be shall we find ourselves so minded, as the a-slaves to none; not knowing that, even while postle's word is, the same mind in us that was in Christ?

they speak thus, they are wretched caitiffs under the hardest and basest kind of slavery. Who of God is made unto us wisdom, &c. Inquire, my brethren, if ever you had a right Known unto God are all his works from and clear view of your natural misery; otherthe beginning. It was not an accidental, wise you are, it is likely, still in it; and though after-device in God, (for in him there can be you profess to believe in Christ, are not yet gone no such thing,) but was his great fore-out of yourselves to him; and, not knowing thought project, out of the ruins of man's first your great need of him, do certainly make estate, to raise a fairer and firmer fabric, little esteem and little use of him. You are new from the very foundation. And in the new full, and reign without him: all is well and foundation lies the model, and excellency, in quiet; but it is the strong man yet posand stability of the whole structure. This sessing the house, and keeping you captives is the choicest of all his works, wherein he as quiet as he can, that you look not out, or chiefly glories, his master-piece, which great cry for a deliverer. He is afraid of him, to angels admire; and this is it, Who of God is be dispossessed and turned out by him that made unto us wisdom, &c., and that is one is stronger, the mighty Redeemer that came letter of his name. He is called Wonderful out of Zion. Oh! that many amongst you who is here spoken of; so all is wonderful were crying to him, and waiting for him, to in this work. Wonderful, first, that he come unto you for your rescue. *should be made any thing; the Maker of all Made unto us wisdom, righteousness, things himself made something that before he sanctification, and redemption. To supply was not; then made to us-that he should and help all, he is our magazine, whither to be made any thing to our interest and advan-have recourse to: for this end replenished tage, who are a company of traitors; and with all the fulness of God, the very fulness made to us of God, the God against whom of the Godhead dwelling in him; the Spirit we rebelled, and continued naturally enemies. not given unto him by measure. He is fit The purpose was bred in the Father's own to be made our wisdom; the wisdom of the breast, to give out his Son from thence to re- Father, as here in this place the apostle latecover us, and bring us back. O! astonish-ly called him, the wisdom of God. In him ing depth of love! Then made unto us. are hid all the treasures of wisdom and What! What not? We made up in him, knowledge. They that find him, and come for ever rich and happy. He made all unto unto him, find it so; but the most look but us, all we need, or can desire; wisdom, on the superfice; they hear his name, and righteousness, sanctification, and redemp-know not what is under it.

tion. Without him we are undone, forlorn Righteousness. By fulfilling the whole caitiffs, masses of misery, as you say, having law, and all righteousness, Matt. iii. 15, and nothing neither in us nor on us; nothing yet suffering the rigour of it, as if he had but poverty and wretchedness, blindness and nakedness, altogether ignorant of the way to happiness, yea, ignorant of our very misery; a nest of fools, natural fools, children of folly, (as they that are renewed by and provided with this wisdom, are called children of wisdow,) guilty, filthy, condemned slaves.

transgressed it. No guile, no spot was found on him; he was holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, (white and ruddy,) and yet the greatest sinner by imputation; The Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all. And Psalm xl. 12, which is prophesied of him: Mine iniquities have taken hold on This is the goodly posture we are in, out me. He owns them as his, though not his ; of Christ; yet who resents it? How few and endured all that justice could require, can be brought to serious thoughts about entered and paid the debt, and is acquitted it! Nay, are not the most in the midst of and set free again, and exalted at the right this misery, yet full of high conceit of their hand of God. So it is evident that he is worth, wit, freedom, &c.? As frantic bedla- righteous, even in that representative and mites, lying naked and filthy in their chains, sponsional person he put on. yet dreaming they are great and wise persons, commanding and ordering all about

Sanctification. Christ is a living spring of that; anointed above his fellows. In him

is no mixture of any iniquity. The Holy Ghost descended on the apostles in the shape of fire there was somewhat to be purged in them; they were to be quickened and enabled by it for their calling. But in him, as a dove, there was no need of cleansing or purging out any thing; that was a symbol of the spotless purity of his nature, and of the fulness of the Spirit dwelling in him.

ed to be so, and we warranted, yea, invited and intreated to receive him as such. But he is effectually made to be this to us, to me, by believing, brought home and applied of God, and faith wrought in the heart to enter. tain and unite to him; it closes the bargain, and makes him ours. Now, in that he is made unto us, not of ourselves, but God, for that is his gift and work: we cannot believe any more than we can fulfil the whole law; and though men think it a com. mon and easy thing to accept of so sweet an offer at so cheap a rate, nothing being re

And redemption. Christ is mighty to save, and having a right to save-a kinsman, a brother; and as he hath bought freedom for sinners, will put them in possession of it, will effect and complete it. All that are inquired but to receive him, yet this is a thing him are really delivered from the power of sin and death, and shall, ere long, be perfectly and fully so; they shall be lifted up above them, no longer to be molested with any remainders of either, or with fear of them, or so much as any grief for them. And that day is called the day of redemption, to which we are before-hand made sure, and sealed by the Spirit.

that naturally all refuse. No man comes, (says he,) except the Father draw him. Though men be beseeched to come, yet the most will not come unto me, that they may have life. To as many as received him, he gave the privilege to become the sons of God; and yet, for all that, many did not receive him; yea, as there it is expressed, He came to his own, but his own received him not. They that were nearest to him in natural relation and interest, yet refused him, for the most part, and attained not this blessed, spiritual interest in him unto life.

We cannot then doubt of his fitness and fulness to be these, and these for us; but withal, we must know that he is designed so to be made unto us, and came, and did, and suffered all for this purpose; and having It should be considered, my brethren, done, returned, and now lives, to be these to Christ is daily held out, and none are excluded us. It is his place and office, and so his de- or excepted; all are invited, be they what they light; he loves to be put upon the perfor-will, that have need of him, and use for him; mance of this, to be their wisdom and righ- and yet, who is persuaded? Oh! Who hath teousness, made of God to us. It is agreed betwixt the Father and him that he be so he is the wisdom of God, and made of God our wisdom. Wonderful! that the same that is his own wisdom, and no less, he would make ours. And now, in a sense of all our ignorances and follies, it becomes us to go to him, to apply ourselves to him, and apply him to us. He is called our head, and so most fitly, for it is the place of all our wisdom; that lies in our head; and all the rest, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. If he be righteousness in himself, and holy, and victor over his enemies, and set free from wrath and death, then are we so too in him; for he is ours, and so ours, that we become what he is, are inrighted to all he hath, and endowed with all his goods; though poor and base in ourselves, yet married to him: that is the title. We are made rich, and noble, and free; we are righteous and holy, because he is. The wife shines with the rays of her husband. All debts and pleas are taken off, he stands betwixt us and all hazard, and in him we stand acquitted and justified before God.

believed our report? One hath his farm, another his oxen, each some engagement or another. Men are not at leisure for Christ. Why, you think, may be, you have received him. If it be so, you are happy. Be not deluded. Have you received him? Do you find him then living and ruling within you? Are your eyes upon him? Do you wait on him, early and late, to see what his will is? Is your soul glad in him? Can you, in distress, sickness, or poverty, clasp him, and find him sweet, and allay all with this thought, "However things go with me, yet Christ is in me ?" Doth your heart cleave to him? Certainly, if he be in you, it will be thus; or, at least, your most earnest desire will be, that it may be thus.

Men will not believe how hard a matter it is to believe the fulness and sufficiency of Jesus Christ, till they be put to it in earnest to make use of him, and then they find it : when sin and death are set before their view, and discovered in their native horridness unto the soul, when a man is driven to that, What shall I do to be saved? then, then is the time to know what notion he hath of Christ. That which makes up the match, and ties And as the difficulty lies in this, in the first the knot of this union, is faith. He is made awakening of the conscience from sin, so, in of God unto us wisdom, righteousness, &c.; after-times of temptation and apprehension tendered and held out as all these, in the of wrath, when upon some newly-added guil. Fromise of the gospel; not only declared to tiness, or a new sight of the old, in a fright. be really furnished and fit so to be, but offer-ful manner, sin revives, and the soul dies,

* Uxor fulget radiis mariti.

* Η πίστις ισοποιεί

it is struck dead with the terrors of the law; is the greatest point of wisdom, Jesus then, to keep thy hold, and find another life Christ is alone, and is all. And the more in Christ, the law and justice satisfied, and firmly a soul eyes Christ, and loses all other so the conscience quieted in him, this is in-knowledge, and itself in contemplating him, deed to believe. the more truly wise and heavenly it is. It is a thing of huge difficulty to bring And effectively he is our wisdom. All men to a sense of their natural misery, to see our right knowledge of him and belief in him that they have need of a Saviour, and to look flows from himself, is derived from him, and out for one; but then, being brought to that, sent into our souls. His Spirit is conveyed it is no less, if not more difficult, to persuade into ours; a beam of himself, as of the sun. them that Christ is he; that, as they have This Sun of righteousness is not seen but by need of him, so they need no more, he being his own light; so that every soul that is made able and sufficient for them. All the waver-wise unto salvation, that is brought to appreings and fears of misbelieving minds do hend Christ, to cleave to him, and repose on spring from dark and narrow apprehensions him, it is by an emission of divine light of Jesus Christ. All the doubt is not of from himself, which shews him, and leads their interest, as they imagine; they who unto him. And so we know God in him. say so, and think it is so, do not perceive There is no right knowledge of the Father the bottom and root of their own malady. but in the Son; God dwelling in the man They say, they do no whit doubt but that Christ, will be found or known no where he is able enough, and his righteousness else; and they which consider and worship large enough; but all the doubt is, if he God out of Christ, do not know or worship belong to me. Now, I say, this doubt arises the true God, but a false notion and fancy of from a defect and doubt of the former, their own.

wherein you suspect it not. Why doubtest The Shechinah, the habitation of the Mathou that he belongs to thee? Dost thou fly jesty, is Jesus Christ; there he dwells as to him, as lost and undone in thyself? Dost between the cherubim over the mercy-seat. thou renounce all that can be called thine, To apprehend God so, is to love him, and and seek thy life in him? Then he is thine. trust in him all our life, to hope to find favour He came to seek and to save that which was and bliss with him; this is the only wise lost. Oh! but I find so much, not only knowledge of him: now this alone is in former, but still daily renewed and increas- Christ, and from him. He contains this reing guiltiness. Why, is he a sufficient Sa- presentation of God, and gives his own light viour, or, is he not? If thou dost say, he is to see it; so that a Christian's desire would not, then it is manifest that here lies the be, in relation to Jesus Christ, that of David defect and mistake. If thou sayest, he is, to the temple, as a figure of him, "One then hast thou answered all thy objections of thing have I desired of him, and that will I that kind; much guiltiness, much or little, seek after, that I may dwell in the house of old or new, neither helps nor hinders, as to the Lord;" that I may get in to Christ, to thy interest in him, and salvation by him. know God there, "to behold the beauty of And for dispelling these mists, nothing can the Lord." There we see beauty indeed, be more effectual than the letting in of these the Father's glory, and so, as our Father, gospel beams, the clear expressions of his reconciled to us, we see him merciful and riches and fulness in the Scriptures, and emi-gracious. And as to behold, so still to innently this, made of God, wisdom, righteous-quire in his temple, to advance in the knowness, sanctification, &c. ledge of God, studying him in Christ; to Wisdom. Both objectively and effective-admire what we see, and seek still to see ly. Objectively, I mean all our wisdom to more and to know that this knowledge of be in the right knowledge and apprehension God, as we have it in Christ, is from him. of him; and this suits to the apostle's pre- He reveals the Father; he came from his sent discourse. The Jews would have a sign, bosom for that purpose. We cannot believe and the Gentiles wisdom; but we preach on him, cannot come near God through him, Christ: so chap. ii. 2. I determined to but as he lets forth of his light, to conduct know nothing, save Christ crucified. He and lead us in, yea, powerfully to draw in, was learnedly bred, and knew many things for his light does so. Now, knowing and besides; much of nature, and much of the apprehending him by his own light, his law; but all this was to him out-of-date, Spirit, the apostle clears it, that this is our useless stuff; it was as if he never had heard wisdom, by those rich titles added; accordof, nor known any thing else but Jesus Christ. ing to which we find him to us, when we reWe may know other things; but this, and ceive from him that wisdom, by which we this alone, is our wisdom, to know him, and apprehend him aright, and lay hold on him, him crucified; particularly we may have then made unto us righteousness, sanctificaknowledge of the law, and by it the know- tion, and redemption.

ledge of sin; but in relation to our standing Righteousness. This doubtless is meant before God and so our happiness, which of the righteousness by which we are justified

ours.

upon us.

a

This misunderstanding of that method is the cause of much of that darkness and discomfort, and withal of that deadness and defect of graces, that many persons go drooping under, who will not take this way, the only straight and sure way of life and comfort. Now,

before God. And he is made this to us: first, he must be thy righteousness, before applied by faith, his righteousness becomes thou find him thy sanctification. Simply, That exchange made, our sins are as a guilty sinner thou must fly to him for laid over upon him, and his obedience put shelter; and then, being come in, thou shalt This the great glad-tidings, that be furnished, out of his fulness, with grace we are made righteous by Christ. It is not for grace. As a poor man pursued by the righteousness wrought by us, but given to justicery, flying to a strong castle for safety, us, and put upon us. This carnal reason and being in it, finds it a rich palace, and cannot apprehend, and being proud, therefore all his wants supplied there. rejects and argues against it; says, How can this thing be? But faith closes with it, and without either doing or suffering, the sinner is acquitted and justified, and stands as guiltless of breach, yea, as having fulfilled the whole law. And happy they that thus fasten upon this righteousness: they may lift up their Sanctification. He is to us not only as faces with gladness and boldness before God; whereas the most industrious, self-saving a perfect pattern, but as a powerful principle. justiciary, though in other men's eyes and It is really the Spirit of Christ in a believer, his own, possibly for the present, he makes that crucifies the world, and purges out sin, a glistering show, yet according to the law, and forms the soul to his likeness. It is imhe shall be covered with shame, and con- possible to be holy, not being in him; and founded in his folly and guiltiness. But being truly in him, it is as impossible not to faith triumphs over self-worthiness, and sin, be holy. Our pothering and turmoiling withand death, and the law, shrouding the soul out him, makes us lose our labour; and in under the mantle of Jesus Christ; and there this point, indeed, little wit makes much it is safe. All accusations fall off, having labour. no where to fasten, unless some blemish could Redemption. Sin is often prevailing, even be found in that righteousness in which faith in believers; and therewithal discomforts hath wrapt itself. This is the very spring of solid peace, and fills the soul with peace and joy. But still men would have something within themselves to make out the matter, as if this robe needed any such piecing; and not finding what they desire, thence disquiet and unsettlement of mind arises.

and doubts arising, as it cannot otherwise choose. Oh how do they groan and sigh as captives still to the law of sin and death! Well, there is in our Lord Jesus help for that too: he is redemption, that is, the complement and fulness of deliverance, the price he paid once for all; now he goes on to work True it is, that this faith purifies the heart, that deliverance by conquest that he bought and works holiness, and all graces flow from by ransom. It is going on, even when we it but in this work of justifying the sinner feel it not; and within a little while it shell it is alone, and cannot admit any mixture. be perfected, and we shall see all the host of As Luther's resemblance is, "Faith is as our enemies that pursued us, as Israel saw the bride with Christ in the bed-chamber the Egyptians, lie dead upon the shore. alone; but when she cometh forth, hath the Courage! that day is coming. And all this, attendance and train of other graces with that he that glories, may glory in the Lord, her." This well understood, the soul that is it not reasonable? No self-glorying; the believes on Jesus Christ, will not let go, for more faith, the less still of that. A believer all deficiency in itself; and yet so resting on is nothing in himself: all is Christ's; Christ him, will not be slothful nor regardless of is his all. That treasurer who, being called any duty of holiness: yea, this is the way to to an account, because that out of nothing abound in all the fruits of the Spirit, first, he had enriched himself suddenly, many to have that wisdom from him, rightly to thought he would have been puzzlęd with it; apprehend and apply him as our righteous- but he, without being much moved, next ness, and then shall we find all furniture of morning came before the king in an old suit grace in him; he will likewise be sanctifica- that he wore before he got that office, and tion. Say not, "Unless I find some mea-said, "Sir, this suit on my back is mine, sure of sanctification, what right have I to but all the rest is thine." So our old suit is apply him as my righteousness ?" This ours, all the rest Christ's, and he allows it inverts the order, and prejudges thee of both. well. And in the full and pure glory that Thou must first, without finding, yea, or ascends to God in this work, are we to reseeking any thing in thyself but misery joice, more than in the work itself, as our and guiltiness, lay hold on him as thy righ. salvation. There is an hunible kind of boastteousness; or else thou shalt never find sanc-ing that becomes a Christian: My soul shall tification by any other endeavour or pursuit. glory, or make her boast in God, says David, He it is that is made sanctification to us, all the day long. What was I before I met of him we seck it in vain. Now, with Christ, thinks a believer, and "w what

and o

am I? And, upon that thought, wonders | upon that, presents his supplication. The

and loves. But most of the wonder is yet to come; for he conceives but little what we shall be.

SERMON VI.

JEREMIAH X. 23, 24.

O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. O Lord, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing."

IT cannot be expressed what an advantage a heart acquainted with God hath, in all the revolutions and changes of the world, when it turns unto Him, and gives vent to its griefs and desires into his bosem, and so finds

ease.

position he lays, to make a double benefit of it in order to his petition. It is both a sure ground for himself to stand on, and a fit argument to move God by. Thus it is, and thus he intends and uses it, at once to support his own faith, and work on the goodness of God by it. Besides the fitness of the truth itself for both these ends, we find some print of both, in the very way of expressing it, O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself, &c. so expressing both his own persuasion of the truth of it, I know, and representing it to God, as a fit truth to urge his suit by, O Lord, I know.

Observe. A great part of the strength and art of prayer lies in this, first to have the mind furnished with fit conceptions of God, and established in the firm persuasions of them; in that is much of the strength of prayer: then fitly to call up, and use these conceptions and persuasions, for our own supporting and prevailing with God; in that lies the art of it.

We possibly do think that we do sufficiThis the prophet does here: after the ently believe both the goodness and power of denouncing of a heavy judgment, he turns God, especially his power, none suspecting towards Him from whom he brought that himself of the least doubt of it; yet our permessage, to entreat for them to whom he plexing doubts and fears, our feeble staggerbrought it. After a very sad close of his ings in faith and prayer, upon particular sermon, he adds this short but very sweet pressing difficulties, discover evidently a deprayer; presents himself and speaks in that fect here, though still we will not own it: style, as representing the whole people, Cor- And, alas! how little faculty have we in the rect me, O Lord; makes their calamity, as most needful times, to rest on his strength, it were, all his own; bears their person, and and to stir up ourselves, to stir him up by presents his petition for them in his own prayer, to do for us; holding firm to that name. The prophets, though they could great point of his absolute sovereignty and not but applaud and approve the justice of power over all things, and holding it up to God that sent them, in the harshest news him, entreating him by it to appear and they brought; yet withal could not be in- work for us: "Lord, it is in thy hand; that sensible of the miseries of his people and I know, and that is enough for me thy so we find them mixing pathetical complaints and prayers for them, with the predictions of judgment against them.

:

good-will I dare trust" (for there is implied a secret confidence of that). "This contents me, that thou hast full power of the business." That is the thing here the prophet fixes on-"O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself."

Obs. And thus are all his faithful ministers affected towards his church. The Lord himself is pleased to express a kind of regret, sometimes in the punishing of them; as the "As there is in us no power to turn off the tender-hearted father feels the lashes he lays judgment determined, all our wit and strength on, though highly deserved by the stubborn- can do nothing to that; so we are sure there ness of his children. Hos. xi. 8. "How shall is no power in our enemies to do any thing, I give thee up, Ephraim? How shall I de- either beyond or beside thy appointment, in liver thee, Israel? How shall I make thee the execution of it; and upon this, Lord, as Admah? How shall I set thee as Ze- we come to supplicate thee for mitigation. boim? Mine heart is turned within me, my With men it often falls out, either in just repentings are kindled together." So it well punishments, or unjust oppressions, that the becomes his servants to be thus affected, ministers and under officers do exceed their when they deliver sad news to his people, to commission, and overdo their business; yea, return [praying for them: thus going, as sometimes add little less of their own, than angels betwixt heaven and earth, beseeching all that comes to which is appointed to them; the people to return unto God, and beseeching God to return to his people, and spare them.

The prophet, in this prayer, first premises a position suiting his purpose; and then,

but with thee, O Lord, it is not so. As our enemies cannot stir of themselves without order from thee; and as thy commissions are always all just, so thou seest to the performance, art present at it, which often men