whereof you are ftrictly obliged to live not unto yourselves, but to him that bought you; to glorify your Redeemer, both with your bodies and fpirits, which are his. He fays, concerning you, "This people have I formed "for myself, to fhow forth my praife." He calls the world to take knowledge of you, as the perfons by whom he expects to be honoured. "Ye are a chofen generation, a royal priest

hood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; "that ye should show forth the praises of him "who hath called you out of darkness into "his marvellous light.-I befeech you, there"fore, by the mercies of God, that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with "long fuffering, forbearing one another in

love. Adding to your faith, virtue; and to "virtue, knowledge; and to knowledge, tem66 perance; and to temperance, patience; and to patience, godlinefs; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, charity"-abounding in all those fruits of righteousness, which are through Jesus Christ, to the praise and glory of God; shining as lights in the midst of a perverse and a crook

ed

દ

ed generation; holding forth the word of life. After this manner improve the help and life you have received, in your attendance upon this precious means of grace, "Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are ho"neft, whatsoever things are juft, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if "there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. And let your light fo fhine before men, that they may fee

your good works, and glorify your Father "which is in Heaven."

Amen.

72

SERMON V.

JOHN, xvi. 26, 27.

At that day ye fhall afk in my name: And I Jay not unto you that I will pray the Father for you; for the Father himself loveth you, becaufe ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.

TH

HESE words fpake Jesus to support the drooping fpirits of his difciples. We are told, in the 6th verfe," that forrow had "filled their hearts." Although they did not fully understand the intimations he had given them of his approaching fufferings and death, although their warm affection for him made them flow to believe an event fo contrary to their expectations and defires; yet the manner in which he had been speaking to them for fome time páft, and the unufual tendernefs which had of late appeared in his difcourfes to them, left them no room to doubt,

that

that fome fore and heavy trial was at hand. Jefus perceiving their grief, begins to tell them more plainly of his departure from them; but at the fame time gives them fuch good reasons for it as could not fail to quiet their minds, and to convince them that his leaving them, instead of being a difafter, was every way neceffary for their best interests and happiness. “It is expedient for you," fays he, in the 7th verfe," that I go away; "for if I go not away, the Comforter will

not come unto you; but if I depart, I will "fend him unto you." As if he had said, The work given me to do is not yet finished; I must yet fuffer more, before I can reign; but after my exaltation, to which my death is a previous and neceffary step, I will fend forth the Comforter, who fhall fully fupply my place, and make up to you for my bodily abfence. What though you shall no more hear inftruction from thefe lips, you fhall have a teacher within you, even the Spirit of Truth, who shall guide you into all truth. Whilst I am yet with you, you have indeed ready access to me, for counsel and direction, in every case of hazard and perplexity; and perhaps

perhaps you fear, that when I am taken from you, you shall want a friend to apply to; but know and rejoice, that I go to my Father who is greater than I; to him you shall have free accefs for my fake; and whatever ye fhall ask in my name, he shall give it unto you. If I have befriended you so much in my present humble condition, what may you not expect from me when I am exalted at my Father's right hand.

It is this laft ground of comfort which our Saviour enlarges upon in the verses now under confideration; and the design of them is to confirm his difciples in the belief of this, that whatever suitable prayer they shall offer up to the Father in his name, they may affuredly expect a gracious answer. The argument he ufes for this purpose is very conclufive, and is no where else in Scripture, that I know of, expreffed with the fame degree of energy and force. "I fay not unto you that I will pray "the Father for you, for the Father himself "loveth you." That is, My Father is fo fully fatisfied with my undertaking for the redemption of the world, and my fufferings and obedience are fo meritorious and accept

able