nia, as bannered ones,' that is, nas na, as bannered armies;'"armies with banners," Cant. vi. 10. When God gave the word, (it is a prophecy of the times of the gospel), great was the number of niwaan nikap: that like armies with banners, not for weapons, but for order and terror to the world, preached and published it. Such was the day that our apostle called the Hebrews to the consideration of. It was not long after the ascension of Christ, when the gifts of the Spirit were poured out on multitudes of all sorts, as was foretold, Acts ii. 16, 17, 18. "This is that which was spoken by the prophet, And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: and on my servants and on my handmaids I will pour out in those days of my Spirit, and they shall prophesy." The extent of the communication of the Spirit at that season, is emphatically expressed in those words, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh." As the act of pouring denotes abundance, freedom, largeness, plenty, so the object of all flesh, signifies the extent of it unto all sorts of persons. And you know how great and eminent were the gifts that were communicated unto many in those days, so that this work was every way complete. By this means the churches were many, whose work and duty it is to be Tuxos xas ideaiwμata ons aλndias, 1 Tim. iii. 15. the pillars of the truth, that is, to hold it up, and to hold it forth, Phil. ii. 16. When then there is any such season when in any proportion or similitude unto this dispensation, or in a way or manner any thing extraordinary, God is pleased to give or pour out of the gifts of his Spirit upon many, for the declaration and preaching of the word of truth, then doth he constitute such an especial day or season as that we are inquiring after.

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Secondly, When God is pleased to give signal providential warnings, to awaken and stir up men unto the consideration of and attendance unto his word and ordinances, this makes such a season to become a special day. For the end of extraordinary providences is to prepare men for the receiving of the word, or to warn them of impending judgments for the contempt of it. This remark did God put upon the season respected here by the apostle. For unto the mention of the pouring of the Spirit, that of signs and judgments is adjoined, Acts ii. 19, 20. "And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath, blood, and fire and vapour of smoke; the sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come." The things here spoken of, were those signs, prodigies and judgments which God shewed unto, and exercised the people

of the Jews withal, before the destruction of Jerusalem; even those foretold by our Lord Jesus Christ, Matt. xxiv. And they were all wrought during the time that they enjoyed the dispensation of the gospel before described. And what was the end of them? It was evidently to put a signal mark and note upon that day and season of grace which was then granted unto that people. For so it is added, ver. 21. "And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved." That is, that whosoever shall make use of these warnings, by signs and wonders and dreadful representations of approaching indignation and wrath, so as to attend unto the Word dispensed, by virtue of the plentiful effusion of the Spirit before mentioned, and yield obedience thereunto, (that is, make use of the day granted to them) he shall be saved, when others that are negligent, rebellious and disobedient, shall utterly perish.

Thirdly, When it is a season of the accomplishment of prophecies and promises for the effecting of some great work of God, in and on the outward state of the church as to its worship. The day the people had in the wilderness, was the time when the great promise given to Abraham 430 years before, was to have its typical accomplishment. Hereupon the outward state of the church was wholly to be altered; it was to be gathered from its dispersion in single families, into a national union, and to have new ordinances of worship erected in it. This made it a great day to the church. The day whereunto the application of these things is made by the apostle, was the season wherein God would make that great alteration in the whole worship of the church, by the last revelation of his mind and will in the Son. This was a day great and signal. So also when the time comes of the fulfilling of any especial prophecy or prediction for the reformation of the church, it constitutes such a season. Something of this nature seems to be expressed, Rev. xiv. 6-8. “" And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation and kindred and tongue and people; saying with a loud voice, Fear God and give glory to him, for the hour of his judgment is come: and there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of her fornication.” The time approaching wherein Babylon is to be destroyed, and the church to be redeemed from under her tyranny, as also to be freed from her pollution, and from drinking any more "of the cup of her fornication," which is the greatest change or alteration that the outward state of it is left obnoxious to in the world; the everlasting gospel is to be preached with such glory, beauty and efficacy, as if it were delivered from the midst

of heaven; and men have an especial day of repentance and turning to God given to them hereby. And thus is it also at sundry seasons, wherein the Lord Christ deals with his churches in one place or another, in a way of preludium or preparation to what shall ensue in his appointed time amongst them all.

These, and the like things, do constitute such a special season and day as that we inquire after; and whether such a day be not now on many places, need no great travel of mind or eminency of understanding to determine.

Secondly, It is declared in the proposition laid down, that such a day, such a season is diligently to be attended to and improved. And the reasons or grounds hereof are,

First, Because God expects it. He expects that our applications unto him in a way of obedience, should answer his unto us in a way of care and tenderness. That when he is earnest in his dealings with us, we should be diligent in our observance of him. Every circumstance that he adds unto his ordinary dispensations, is to have its weight with us, and in such a day they are many. See Isa. v. 1. " See Isa. v. 1." My well beloved hath a vineyard in a horn of a son of oil," planted in a fat and fruitful soil, (that is, furnished with all possible means to render it fruitful.) And "he fenced it, (protected it by his providence from the incursion of enemies) and gathered out the stones thereof, (removed out of it whatever was noxious and hurtful; it may be the gods of wood and stone in an especial manner out of the land) and planted it with the choicest vine, (in its order, ordinances and institutions of worship) and built a tower in the midst of it," that is, for its defence; namely, the strong city of Jerusalem in the midst of the land, which was built as a city that is compact together, all as one great tower, "whither the tribes went up, the tribes of the Lord, unto the testimony of Israel," Psal. cxxii. 3, 4. “And also made a wine-press therein; (the temple and altar continually running with the blood of sacrifices.) And he looked that it should bring forth grapes." His expectations answer his care and dispensations towards his church. That is the meaning of the word p", he looked, he expected. Expectation properly is a thing future and uncertain. So is nothing unto God. Being therefore ascribed unto him, it only signifies what is just and equal, and what in such cases ought to be, such a vineyard ought to bring forth grapes answerable unto all the acts of God's care and grace towards it. And we may see in that place what is the end of frustrating such an expectation. Such are the dealings of God with churches and persons in the day we have described, and an expectation of such fruit is it accompanied withal.

Secondly, Such a day is the season that is allotted unto us

for especial work, for especial duty. Some singular work is the end and design of such a singular season. So the apostle informs us, 2 Pet. iii. 11. "Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness." The supposition in the words, concerning the dissolution of all these things, is an intimation of such a day as we have described from one circumstance of it, namely, the impending judgments of God, then threatened to the church and state of the Jews, which was now expiring. And the inference that he makes from that supposition, is unto a peculiar holiness and godliness. That this at such a time is intended, is a thing so evident, that he refers it to the judgment of them to whom he wrote. "What manner of persons ought we to be?" Judge in yourselves, and act accordingly. Great light, great holiness, great reformation in hearts, houses, churches, are expected and required in such a day. All the advantages of this season are to have their use and improvement, or we lose the end of it. Every thing that concurs to the constitution of such a day, hath advantages in it to promote special work in us, and if we answer them not, our time for it is irrecoverably lost, which will be bitterness in the end.

Thirdly, Every such day is a day of great trials. The Lord Christ comes in it with his fan in his hand, to sift and try the corn; to what end is declared, Matt. iii. 12. "His fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." The fan of Christ is his word, in and by the preaching whereof, he separates the precious from the vile, the wheat from the chaff. He comes into his floor, the church, where there is a mixture of corn and chaff, he sifts and winnows them by his word and Spirit, so discarding and casting off light, empty and fruitless professors. Such a day is described by Daniel, chap. xii. 10. "Many shall be purified and made white and tried, but the wicked shall do wickedly, and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand." Many, that is, of the saints shall be purified, an", purged, made clean from such spots, stains or defilements, as in their affection or conversation they had contracted: and made white," an, shall be whitened in their profession; it shall be rendered more eminent, conspicuous and glorious: and "tried," 17, as in a furnace, that it may appear what metal they are of. Thus shall it be with believers; so shall they be exercised in their spirits, and so approved. But wicked and false professors shall be discovered, and so far hardened, that they shall go on, and grow high in their wickedness, unto their utter destruction. So it fell out on the day of his coming in the flesh, and so it was foretold, Mal. iii. 1-3. The whole

people jointly desired his coming, but when he came, few of them could abide it or stand before it. He came to try them and purify them, whereon many of them being found mere. dross were cast off and rejected: Christ in such a day tries all sorts of persons, whereby some are approved, and some have an end put to their profession, their hypocrisy being discovered. And it therefore concerns us heedfully to regard such a season; for,

Fourthly, Unto whom such a day is lost, they also themselves are lost. It is God's last dealing with them. If this be neglected, if this be despised, he hath done with them. He says unto them in it, "This is the acceptable time, this is the day of salvation." If this day pass over, night will come, wherein men cannot work. So speaks our Saviour concerning Jerusalem which then enjoyed that day, and was utterly losing it, Luke xix. 41, 42. "And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace, but now they are hid from thine eyes." Both the things and words and manner of expression declare the greatness of the matter in hand. So doth the action of our Saviour," he wept," which is but once more recorded of him in the gospel, John xi. 35. And the word here used, wλavos, denotes a weeping with lamentation. The consideration of what he was speaking to, moved his holy, tender, merciful heart unto the deepest commiseration. He did it also for our example and imitation, that we might know how deplorable and miserable a thing it is for a people, a city, a person, to withstand or lose their day of grace. And the words here used also are of the like importance, "If thou hadst known, even thou:" the reduplication is very emphatical, thou, even thou.' Thou ancient city, thou city of David, thou seat of the temple and all the worship of God, thou ancient habitation of the church, "if thou hadst known ;" and there is a wish or a desire included in the supposition which is otherwise elliptical; "if thou hadst known;" Oh that thou hadst known;, is sometimes well rendered by utinam. And again it is added, "at least in this thy day." They had enjoyed many lesser days of grace, and many before in the messages and dealings of the prophets, as our Saviour minds them in that great parable, Matt xxi. 33-36. These they despised, persecuted and rejected, and so lost the season of their preaching, but these were lesser days and not decretory of their state and condition. Another day they were to have, which he calls "this their day" the day so long foretold and determined by Daniel the prophet; where in the Son of God was to come, and was now come amongst them; and what did he treat with them about? "The things