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Chriftian grows proportionably, in all the parts of the new man. Under the kindly influences of "the Sun of righteousness, believers

grow up as calves in the ftall, Mal. iv. 2. Ye would think it a monftruous growth, in thefe creatures, if ye faw their heads grow, and not their bodies, or if ye faw one leg grow, and another not: if all the parts do not grow proportionably. Ay, but fuch is the growth of many, in religion. They grow like rickety children, who have a big head, but a flender body: they get more knowledge into their heads, but no more holiness into their hearts and lives: They grow very hot outwardly, but very cold inwardly; like men in a fit of the ague. They are more taken up about the externals of religion, than formerly; yet as great ftrangers to the power of godlinefs as ever. If a garden is watered with the hand, fome of the plants will readily get much, fome little, and fome no water at all; and therefore fome wither, while others are coming forward: but after a fhower from / the clouds, all com forward together. In like manner all the graces of the Spirit grow proportionably, by the special influences of divine The branches ingrafted in Chrift, growing aright, do grow grace. in all the feveral ways of growth at once. They grow inward, growing into Chrift, (Eph. iv. 15.) uniting more closely with him and cleaving more firmly to him, as the head of influences, which is the fpring of all other true Chriftian-growth. They grow outward, in good works in their life and converfation. They not only, with Naphtali, give goodly words; but like Jofeph, they are fruitful boughs. They grow upward in heavenly-mindednefs, and contempt of the world; for their converfation is in heaven Philip. iii. 20. And finally, they grow downward in humility and felf-lothing. The branches of the largest growth in Christ, are in their own eyes, less than the leaft of all faints, Eph. iii. 8. The chief of finners, 1 Tim i 15. More brutish than any man, Prov. xxx, 2. They fee, they can do nothing, no not so much as to think any thing, as of themselves, 2 Cor iii. 5. that they deferve nothing, being not worthy of the leaft of all the " mercies fhewed unto them," "Gen. xxxii. 10. and that they are nothing, 2 Cor. xii. 2.

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A Sixth benefit is Fruitfulness. The branch ingrafted into Chrift, ` is not barren, but brings forth fruit, John xv. 5." He that abideth "in me, and I in him, the fame bringeth forth much fruit." For that very end are fouls married to Chrift, that they may bring forth "fruit unto God," Rom. vii 4. They may be branches in Christ, by profeffion, but not by real implantation, that are barren branches. Whofoever are united to Chrift, bring forth the fruits of gospel. obedience and true holiness. Faith is always followed with good works. The believer is not only come out of the grave of his natural state; but he has put off his grave clothes, namely, reigning lufts." in the which he walked fometime," like a ghoft: being dead while he "lived in them, Col iii 7, 8. For Chrift has faid of him as of Lazarus, "Loofe him, and let him go." And now that he has put on Chrift;

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he perfonates him (so to speak) as a beggar, in borrowed robes, represents a king on the ftage, walking as he alfo walked " Now "the fruit of the Spirit in him is in all goodness" Eph v 9 The fruits of holinefs will be found in the hearts, lips, and lives of thofe who are united to Chrit. The hidden man of the heart, is not only a temple built for God, and confecrated to him; but used and employed for him; where love, fear, truft, and all the other parts of unfeen. religion are exercised. Phil iii 3 For we are of the circumcifion, which worship God in the Spirit " The heart is no more the devil's common, where thoughts go free; for there even vain thoughts are hated, Pfal cxix 123 But it is God's inclafure, hedged about as a garden from him, Cant. iv 16 It is true, there are weeds of corruption there, because the ground is not yet perfectly healed: but the man, in the day of his new creation, is set to dress it, and keep it. A live-coal' from the altar has touched his ps, and they are purified, Pfal. xv 1,2, 3. Lord, who fhall abide in thy tabernacle? Who thall dwell in thy holy hill? He that fpeaketh the truth in his heart. "He that backbiteth not with his tongue nor taketh up a reproach "against his neighbour " There may be indeed a fimooth tongue where there is a falfe heart. The voice may be Jacob's, while the hands are Efuu's. But, If any man among you feem to be religious, "and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's "religion is vain," James i. 26 The power of godliness will rule over the tongue, though a world of iniquity. If one be a Galilean, his fpeech will bewray him. he'll not speak the language of Afhdod, but the language of Canaan. He will neither be dumb in religion; nor will his tongue walk at random, feeing to the double guard nature hath given the tongue, grace hath added a third: The fruits of holiness will be found in his outward converfation, for he hath clean hands, as well as a pure heart, Pfal. xxiv. 4. He is a godly man, and religionfly discharges the duties of the fift table of the law: he is a righteous man, and honestly performs the duties of the fecond table. In his converfation he is a good Chriftian, and a good neighbour too. He carries it towards God, as if men's eyes were upon him; and towards men, as believing God's eye to be upon him. These things which God hath joined, in his law, he dare not, in his practice, put afunder.

Thus the branches of Chrift are full of good fruits. And thofe fruits are a clufter, of vital actions, whereof Jefus Chrift is the principle and end: the principle: for he lives in them, and the life they

live, is by the faith of the Son of God," Gal. i. 20. The end, for they live to him, and to them to live is Chrift, Philip 1.-21. The duties of religion are in the world, like fatherless children, in rags: fome will not take them in, because they never loved them nor their Father: fome take them in, because they may be ferviceable to them: but the faints take them in for their Father's fake; that is, for Chrift's fake; and they are lovely in their eyes, becaufe they are like him. O! whence is the new life of the faints! furely

it could never have been hammered out of the natural powers of their fouls, by the united force of all created power. In eternal barrennefs fhould their womb have been fhut up; but that being married to Chrift they "bring forth fruit unto God.' Rom. vii. 4.

If you ask me, How your nourishment, growth and fruitfulness may be forwarded? I offer thefe few advices. (1.) Make fure work, as to your knitting with the ftock, by faith unfeigned; and beware of, hypocrify: a branch that is not found at the heart, will certainly wither. The trees of the Lord's planting are trees of righteousness, Ifa. Ixi. 3. So when others fade, they bring forth fruit. Hypocrify is a difeale in the vitals of religion, which will confume all at length. It is a leak in the hip, that will certainly fink it. Sincerity of grace will make it lafting, be it never fo weak: as the smallest twig, that is found at the heart, will draw nourishment from the ftock, and grow, while the greatest bough that is rotten, can never recover, because it receives no nourifliment. (2) Labour to be stedfaft in the truths and way of God. An unfettled and wavering judgment is a great enemy to Chriftian growth and fruitfulness, as the Apof tle teaches, Eph. iv. 14, 15. “That we henceforth be no more "children, toffed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine. But fpeaking the truth' in love, may grow up untol "him in all things, which is the head, even Chrift." A rolling ftone gathers no fog, and a wavering judgment makes a fruitlefs life. Though a tree be never fo found, yet how can it grow, or be fruitful if ye be fill removing it out of one foil into another? (3.) Endeavour to cut off the fuckers, as gardeners do that their trees may thrive. These are unmortified lutts. Theretore "mor"tify your members that are upon the earth," Col. iii. 5. When the Ifraelites got meat to their lufts, they got leanness to their fouls., She that has many hungry children about her hand, and muft be ftill putting into their mouths, will have much ado to get a bit put into her own. They must refufe the craving of inordinate affections, who would have their fouls to profper. Laftly, Improve, for these ends, the ordinances of God. The courts of our God are the place, where the trees of righteoufnels flourish, Pfalm xcii. 13. The waters of the fanctuary are the means appointed of God, to caufe his people grow as willows by the water courfes. Therefore drink in with "defire the fincere, milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby, 1 Pet. ii. 2. Come to thele wells of falvation; not to look at them only, but to draw water out of them. The facrament of the Lord's fupper is in a special manner appointed for thefe ends. It is not only a folemn puplick profeffion, and a feal of our union and communion with Chrift; but it is a means of moft intimate. communion with him; and strengthens our union with him, our faith, love, repentance, and other graces, 1 Cor. x 26. "The cup of bleffing which we blefs, is it not the communion of the "blood of Chrift? The bread which we break, is it not the

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"communion of the body of Chrift?" And chap. xii. 13. "We "have been all made to drink into one fpirit." Give yourselves unto prayer; open your mouths wide, and he will fill them. By thefe means the branches in Chrift may be further nourished, grow up, and bring forth much fruit.

A feventh benfit is, The acceptance of their fruits of holiness before the Lord. Though they be very imperfect they are accepted, because they favour of Chrift the bleed ftock, which the branches grow upon; while the fruits, of others are rejected of God, Gen. ii. 4, 5. And the Lord had refpect unto Abel, and to his offering: But unto Cain and his offering he had not refpect." Compare Heb. xi. 3. By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent "facrifice than Cain." O how defective are the faints duties in the eye of the law! The believer himfelf efpies many faults in his belt performances; yet the Lord graciously receives them. There is no grace planted in the heart, but there is a weed of corruption hard by its fide, while the faints are in this lower world. Their very fincerity is not without mixture of diffimulation or hypocrify, Gal. ii. 13. Hence there are defects in the exercife of every grace; in the performance of every duty: depraved nature always drops fomething to ftain their best works. There is fill a mixture of darkness with their cleareft light. Yet this does not mar their acceptance, Cant. vi. 10. "Who is the that looketh forth as the "morning? or as the dawning?" Behold how Chrift's fpoufe is efteemed and accepted of her Lord, even when the looks forth as the morning. whofe beauty is mixed with the blackness of the night! When the morning was looking out, as, the word is, Judges xix. 26. in the dawning of the day, as we read it. So the very dawning of grace, and good-will to Chrift, grace peeping out from under a mals of darknefs in believers, is pleafant and acceptable to him, as the break of day is to the weary traveller. Though the remains of unbelief make their hand of faith to shake and tremble; yet the Lord is fo well pleafed with it, that he employs it to carry away pardons and fupplies of grace, from the throne of grace, and the fountain of grace. His faith was effectual, who cried out, and "faid with tears, Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief," Mark ix. 24. Tho' the remains of fenfual affections make the flame of their love weak and fmoaky; he turns his eyes from the fmoak, and beholds the flame, how fair it is, Cant. iv. 10. "How fair is thy love, my filter, my fpoufe! The fmell of their under garments of inherent holiness, as imperfect as it is, is like the fmell "of Lebanon," ver. 11. and that becaufe they are covered with their elder brother's clothes, which make the fons of God to

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fmell as a field which the Lord hath bleffed." Their good works are accepted: their cups of cold water given to a difciple, in the name of a difciple, fhall not want a reward, Tho' they cannot offer for the tabernacle, gold filver, and brefs, and onyx-stone, let

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them come forward with what they have; if it were but goats hair, it fhall not be rejected; if it were but rams fkins, they fhall be kindly accepted; for they are dyed red, dipt by faith in the Mediator's blood, and fo prefented unto God. A very ordinary work done in faith, and from faith, if it were but the building of a wall about the holy city, is a great work, Neh. vi. 3. If it were but the beftowing of a box of ointment on Chrift, it shall never be forgotten, Matth. xxvi. 13. Even "a cup of cold water only given to one of “Chrift's lit le ones, in the name of a difciple, fhall be rewarded," Matth. x. 42. Nay, not a good word for Chrift, fhall drop from their mouths but it shall be regiftred in God's book of remembrance, Mal. iii. 16. Nor fhall a tear drop from their eyes for him, but, he will put it in his bottle, Pfal. lvi. 8. Their will is accepted for the deed: their forrow for the want of will, for the will itself, 2 Cor. viii. 12. "For if there be firft a willing mind, it is accept"ed according to that a man hath, and not according to that he "hath not." Their groanings, when they cannot well word their defires, are heard in heaven; the meaning of these groans is well known there, and they will be returned like the dove with an olive branch of peace in her mouth. See Rom. viii. 26, 27. Their mites are better than other mens talents. Their lifping and broken fentences are more pleasant to their Father in heaven, than the most fluent and flourishing fpeeches of thofe that are not in Chrift. Their voice is fweet, even when they are afhamed it thould be heard; their countenance is comely even when they blush, and draw a vail over it, Cant. ii. 14. The Mediator takes their petitions, blots out fome parts, rectifies others, and then prefents them to the Father, in confequence whereof they pafs in the court of heaven.

Every true Chriftian is a temple to God. If ye look for facrifices, they are not wanting there; they offer the facrifice of praife, and they "do good; with fuch facrifices God is well pleafed," Heb. xiii. 15, 16. Chrift himself is the altar that fanctifies the gift, ver. 10. But what comes of the fkins and dung of their facrifices? They are carried away without the camp. If we look for incenfe, it is there too. The graces of the Spirit are found in their hearts: and the Spirit of a crucified Chrift, fires them and puts them in exercife; likeas the fire was brought from the altar of burnt-offering, to fet the incenfe on flame: then they mount heaven-ward, like pillars of fmoke, Cant. iii. 6. But the beft of incense will leave athes behind it: yes indeed; but as the priest took away the ashes of the incenfe in a golden difh, and threw them out; fo our great High-prieft takes away the afhes and refufe of all the faints fervices, by his mediation in their behalf.

An Eighth benefit flowing from unien with Chrift is Establishment. The Chriftian cannot fall away, but mult perfevere unto the end, John x. 28. "They fhall never perish, neither fhall any man pluck them out of my hand." Indeed if a branch do not knit with the

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