ever stands in the zenith?" Where the eternal God is the soul's everlasting refuge, and underneath are his everlasting arms?" Deut. 33:27.

5. And if Christ love thus, how should we love again for such a love? Lord, what a sum of love are we indebted to thee? Is it possible that ever we should pay the debt? Can we love as high, as deep, as broad, as long as love itself, or as Christ himself? No, no, all we can do is but to love a little; and, Oh! that in the consideration of his love we could have a little in sincerity. Oh! that we were but able feelingly to say, Why, Lord, I love thee, I feel I love thee, even as I feel I love my friend, or as I feel I love myself. Such arguments of love have been laid before us, as that now I know no more; we have seen whole Christ cap-a-pee, we have heard of the loves of Christ from eternity to eternity, we have had a view of the everlasting gospel of Jesus Christ, wherein his love is represented to us as hot as death, or as the flames of God, and do we not yet love him? hath Christ all this while opened his breast and heart to us saying, Friends, doves, come in, and dwell in the holes of this rock? And do we search his breast? Do we turn our backs upon him, and requite his love with hatted? Surely this is more than sin; for what is sin but a transgression of the law? But this sin is both a transgression of the law and gospel. What! to spurn against the warm bowels of love? To spit on grace? To disdain him who is the white and ruddy, the fairest of heaven? Oh the aggravations of this sin, it is an heart of flint and adamant that spits at evangelic love! law love is love, but evangelic love is more than love; it is the gold, the flower of Christ's wheat, and of his finest love. Oh the many gospel passages of love that we have heard! Oh the sweet streams of love that we have followed, till now that we are come to a sea of love, to an heaven of love, to an infinite, eternal, everlasting love in heaven. I want words to express this love of Jesus, a sea of love is nothing, it hath a bottom; an heaven of love is nothing, it hath a brim; but infinite, eternal, everlasting love hath no bottom, no brim, no bounds, and do we not yet love him? Do we not yet feel the fire of love break forth? If not, it is time to turn our preaching into prayer, O thou who art the element or sun of love! come with thy power, let out one beam, one ray, one gleam of love upon my soul! shine hot upon my heart, cast my soul into a love trance, remember thy promise, To circumcise my heart, that I may love the Lord my God, with all my heart, and with all my soul, Deut. 30:6. Surely the great marriage of the Lamb is coming on, he will come, and welcome all his saints into his presence; he will bid them inherit the kingdom, and put them in possession of the inheritance; and then we can. not choose but love our Lord Jesus with all our hearts, and with all our souls; only begin we it here, let us now be sick of love, that we may then be well with love; let us now rub and chafe our hearts (our dead, cold hearts) before this fire, till we can say with Peter, "Why, Lord thou knowest all things, thou knowest that I love thee."

SECT. VII. Of joying in Jesus in that respect.

7. LET us joy in Jesus as carrying on the great work of our salvation for us in his second coming. Christ delights to have his people look upon him with delight; for a soul to be always under a spirit of bondage, and so to look upon Christ as a judge, a lion, or an offended God, it doth not please God; the Lord Jesus is tender of the joy of his saints, " Rejoice and be exceeding glad, (saith Christ) Matth. 6:12. Rejoice evermore, Thess. 5:16. Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, Rejoice,

Phil. 4:4. Let the righteous be glad, let them rejoice before God, yea, let them exceedingly rejoice," Psal. 68:3. All that Christ doeth to his saints tends to this joy, as the upshot or end of all: if he cast down, it is but to raise them up; if he humble, it is but to exalt; if he kill, it is but. to make alive; in every disposition still he hath a tender care to preserve their joy. This is the Benjamin about which Christ's bowels beat, Let my children suffer any thing, but nothing in their joy; I would have all that love my name to be joyful in me.

Oh! say some, but Christ's day is a terrible day; when Christ appears, he will make the heavens, and the earth, and hell to shake and tremble; "Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence; a fire shall devour be fore him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him," Psal. 50:3. True, but what is all this terror but an argument of thy Father's power and justice against sinners? If thou art Christ's, and hast thy part in him, not one jot of all this terror belongs to thee; "the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust to the day of judgment to be punished," 2 Pet. 2:9. He knows how to make the same day a terror to his foes, and a joy to his people; he ever intended it for the great distinguishing and separating day, wherein both joy and sorrow shall be manifested to the highest. "O then let the heavens rejoice, the sea, the earth, the floods, the hills, for the Lord cometh to judge the earth; with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity," Psal. 98:7,8,9. If you find it an hard thing to joy in Jesus, as in roference to his second coming, think of these motives.

1. Christ's coming is the Christian's encouragement, so Christ himself lays it down, "You shall see the Son of man coming in a cloud, with power and great glory; and when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh," Luke 21:27,28. The signs of bis coming are the hopes of your approaching introduction into glory; and what should you do then but prepare for your approaching with exceeding joy? Many evils do now surround you every where, Satan hath his snares, and the world its baits, and your own hearts are apt to betray you into your enemies' hands; but when Christ comes you shall have full deliverance, and perfect redemption: and therefore look up, and lift up your heads. The apostle speaks the very same encouragement, "The Lord himself descends from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we which are alive, and remain, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, -wherefore comfort one another with these words," 1 Thess.4:16,17,18. Christ's coming is a comfortable doctrine to all believers; and therefore all the elect that hear these words, should be comforted by them, "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people."

2. Christ our Saviour must be our Judge. The same Jesus that was born for us, and lived and died for us, will come at last to judge us; is not this comfortable? You that have heard all his transactions, can you ever forget the unweariedness of Christ's love, in his constant and continual actings for your souls? How long hath he been interceding for his saints? How long hath he been knocking at their hearts for entrance? It is above a thousand six hundred years that he hath been praying and knocking; and he resolves not to give over till all be his, till all the tribes in ones and two be over Jordan, and up with him in the heavenly Canaan. And if this be he that must be our judge, if he that loves our souls must judge

our souls, if he that hath a great interest and increase of joy in our salvation must pass our sentence, will not this work us into a rejoicing frame? 3. Christ's sentence is the Christian's acquittance; I may call it his general acquittance, from the beginning of the world to the end thereof. Hence some call this the day of the believer's full justification; they were before made just, and esteemed just; but now by a lively sentence they shall be pronounced just by Christ himself; now is the complete acquit tance, or the full absolution from all sin; now will Christ pardon and speak out his pardon once for all; now will he take his book (wherein all our sins, as so many debts or trespasses, are written) and he will cancel all: "Your sins shall be blotted out, (saith Peter,) when the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord," Acts 3:19. And is not this enough to cause our joy? When the Spirit witnessing with our spirits, doth but in part assure us of sins pardoned, is it not exceeding sweet? Oh but how sweet will be that sentence which will fully resolve the question, and leave no room of doubting any more forever? Consider, O my soul! the day is coming when the Judge of heaven and earth will acquit thee of all thy sins before all the world; it is a part of his business at that day, to glorify his justice and free grace in thy absolution. O! Christians, how may we comfort one another with these words?

4. Christ in the issue will lead us into glory. As the bridegroom after nuptials leads his bride to his own home, that there they may live together, and dwell together, so Christ our royal Bridegroom will lead us into the palace of his glory. And is not this joy of our Lord enough to cause our joy? Oh! what embraces of love, what shaking of hands, what welcomes shall we have into this city? There shall we see Christ in his garden, there shall we be set as a seal on Christ's arm, and as a seal upon his heart; there shall we be filled with his love, enlightened with his light, encircled in his arms, following his steps, praising his name, and admiring his glory; there shall we joy indeed; "for in thy presence there is fulness of joy, and at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore," Psal. 14:11. There is joy, and full joy, and fulness of joy; there are pleasures, and pleasures evermore, and pleasures evermore at God's right hand. O! the music of the sanctuary! O! the sinless and well tuned psalms! O! the songs of the high temple, without either temple or ordinances, as we have them here! Can we choose to joy at the thought of this joy above? If God would so dispense, that even now we might stand at the utmost door of heaven, and that God would strike up a window, and give us a spiritual eye, and heavenly heart, so that we could look in, and behold the throne, and the Lamb, and the troops of glorified ones clothed in white; would not this cheer up our hearts, and fill them with joy unspeakable and full of glory? Certainly this day will come, when Christ will not only bring us to the door, but through the gates unto the city; and then we shall see all these sights, and hear all the music made in heaven; how then should we but joy in the hope of the glory of God? O! methinks raised thoughts of our mansion in glory should make us swim through the deepest sea of troubles and afflictions, and never fear. Come then, O! my drowsy soul! and hearken to these motives: If yet thou seest not the sun itself appear, methinks that the twilight of a promise should revive thee, it is but a little while," and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry." It may be thou art reviled and persecuted here on earth, and what then? Hath not Christ bid thee to rejoice in afflictions? Is it not his word, That in this very case thou shouldst rejoice, and be exceeding glad?" Matth: 5:12. Is it not his

"

command, "Think it not strange concerning the fiery trials, but rather ejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings, that when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy?" 1 Pet. 4:13. We must rejoice now, that we may rejoice then; indeed our present joy is a taste of our future joy, and God would have us begin our heaven here on earth. Come then, come forth, O! my dull congealed heart! thou that spendest thy days in sorrow, and thy breath in sighing, that minglest thy bread with tears, and drinkest the tears that thou weepest: thou that prayest for joy, and waitest for joy, and longest for joy, and complainest for want of joy: O! the time is coming, when thou shalt have fulness of joy; the time is coming when the angels shall bring thee to Christ, and when Christ shall take thee by the hand, and lead thee into his purchased joy, and present thee unspotted before his Father, and give thee thy place about his throne; and dost thou not rejoice in this? Art thou not exceed. ingly raised in such a meditation as this? Surely if one drop of lively faith were but mixed with these motives, thou mightest carry an heaven within thee, and go on ever singing to thy grave: say then, Dost thou believe, or dost thou not believe? If thy faith be firm, how shouldst thou but rejoice? If thou rollest thyself on Christ, and on that promise, "I will see you again and your hearts shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you," John 16:22. How shouldst thou but rejoice, and be exceeding glad? If thou lookest upon the Holy Ghost, as designed by the Father and the Son, to bring joy and delight into thy soul, How shouldst thou but be filled with the water of life, with the oil of gladness, and with the new wine of the kingdom of God? O! the blessed workings of faith on such a subject as this! if once we are but justified by faith, and that we can act our faith on Christ's glorious coming, then it will follow, that we shall have peace with God, and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, and not only so, but we shall glory in tribulation also, Rom. 5:1,2,3.

SECT. VIII. Of calling on Jesus in that respect.

8. LET us call on Jesus, as carrying on our soul's salvation, at his se cond coming; this contains prayer, and praise.

1. Let us pray for the coming of Christ; this was the constant prayer of the church, "Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly: the Spirit and the bride say, come," Rev. 22:17. Well knows the bride that the day of Christ's coming is her wedding day, her coronation day, the day of presenting her unto his Father; and therefore, no wonder if she pray for the hastening of it, "Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like to a roe, or a young hart," Sol. Song 8:14. Thy kingdom come. Many prayers are in the bowels of this, as that Christ, when he comes, may bid us welcome, and give us a place on his throne, on his right hand, and pronounce us blessed, and take us to himself, to live with him in eternal glory, &c. But I mention only this general, and let each soul expatiate on the rest.

2. Let us praise him for his coming, and for all his actings at his coming. Our engagements to Christ, even for this transaction, is so great, that we can never extol his name; at that day the books shall be opened, and why not the book of our engagements to Jesus Christ? If it must be opened, I can surely tell you it is written full; the page and margin, both within and without, is written full; it is a huge book of many volumes; O then let our hearts be full of praises! let us join with those blessed elders that fell down before the Lamb, and sang, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing," Rev. 5:12. Yea, let us join with all

those creatures in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and in the sea, whom John heard, saying, "Blessing, honor, glory, and power be unto him that sitteth on the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever." Amen, v. 13.

SECT. IX. Of conforming to Jesus in that respect.

9. LET us conform to Jesus as coming again to judge the world. Looking to Jesus contains this; when the apostle would persuade Christians to patience under the cross, he lays down first the cloud of witnesses, all the martyrs of the Church of Christ; and secondly, Jesus Christ himself, as of more virtue and power than all the rest; the martyrs suffered much, but Christ endured more than they all; and therefore, saith the apostle, "Look unto Jesus," Heb. 12:2. Surely he is the best exemplar, the chief pattern, to whom, in all his transactions, we may, in some way or other, conform.

But how should we conform to Christ in this respect? I answer,

1. Christ will, in his time, prepare for judgment; oh let us, at all times prepare for his judging of us; doth it not concern us to prepare for him, as well as it concerns him to prepare for us? If Christ come, and find us careless, negligent, and unprepared, what will become of us? The very thought of Christ's sudden coming to judgment, might well put us into a waiting, watching posture, that we might be still in readiness: it cannot be long, and alas, what is a little time when it is gone! How quickly shall we be in another world, and our souls receive their particular judgments; and so wait till our bodies be raised, and judged to the same condition, or salvation? It is not an hundred years, in all likelihood, till every soul of us shall be in heaven or hell; it may be within a year, or two, or ten, or thereabouts, the greatest part of this congregation will be in heaven or hell; and I beseech you, what is a year, or two, or ten? What is an hundred, or a thousand years to the days of eternity? How speedily is this gone? and how endless is that time, or eternity that is to come? Is it not high time then to prepare our lamps, to trim our souls, to watch, and fast, and pray, and meditate, and to remember, that for all our deeds, good or evil, God will bring us to judgment? Herein is our conformity to Christ's coming; before he comes he prepares for us, Oh let us, against his coming, prepare for him.

that day, let us do spiritually on this day.

2. Christ at his coming, will summon all his saints to arise, to ascend, and to come to him in the clouds; Olet us summon our souls to arise, to ascend, and to go to Christ in the heavens. What Christ will do really at It was the prodigal's saying, I will arise, and go to my father, and say unto him," Luke 15:18. We are naturally sluggish, we lie in a bed of sin and security; and we are loath to arise, to ascend, and to go to God. Oh then, let us call upon our own souls! "Awake, awake, Deborah! Why art thou so heavy, O my soul?" Let us stir up our spirits, consciences, wills, affections, every day: let us wind them up as a man doth his watch, that it may be in a continual motion. Alas, alas! we had need to be continually stirring up the gifts and graces that are in us; it is the Lord's pleasure that we should daily come to him; he would have us on the wing of prayer, and on the wing of meditation, and on the wing of faith; he would have us to be still arising, ascending, and mounting up in divine contemplation to his Majesty; and is it not our duty, and the saints' disposition to be thus? "Wheresoever the dead carcass is, thither will the eagles resort," Matth.

21:26.

If Christ be in heaven, where should we be, but in heaven with