eft church, and the ftricteft party, and the most zealous of that party, and to be blameless, to be, as we faid, a prefbyterian, and the ftricteft, is duty, and our honour too but yet we are to have no confidence in this; but we are to rejoice in Chrift Jefus. If confcience challenge, we are to flee to the blood of Chrift, and fprinkle con fcience by that. If we be carried to the bar of God, and there accufed; all that is laid to our charge Chrift muft anfwer for it. If the law require perfect obedience, Chrift has fulfilled all righteoufnefs, and is made of God righteousness to them that believe, and this is our joy. If confcience accufe and lay a great charge against us, Chrift has died, and this is our joy. If any be fo bold as to condemn the believer, God has justified him, while he raised Christ from the dead, as being fully fatisfied with what he paid on the account of finners. And, in a word, where-ever we are straitned, there is ftill found ground of for row in ourselves, but joy in the Lord Chrift, in whom believing we rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. Now, if ye mean to ferve the Lord, ye muft, upon the faid terms, be reconciled to him; ye must have no confidence in the flesh; ye muft rejoice in Chrift Jefus.

3. He will admit you to be his fervants upon thefe terms, that ye comply with all his commands. Ye must take up his cross, hate father and mother, (that is, reject them with disdain, when they come in competition with him.) Ye muft cut off the right-hand, pluck out the right-eye. But ye will fay, this is hard. I anfwer, No mafter will admit a fervant, but fuch as will obey him, and that these things are not really hard, is plain, if we confider, (1.) That all these things he will have us to

part

part with, are prejudicial to us: if we muft hate father and mother, it is only when they come in betwixt Christ and us; and we are bid cut off the right-hand, pluck out the right-eye, when they offend, and offend fo, that we must part with heaven, if we keep them.

(2.) We are only bid do these things, when the very doing of that which feems prejudicial to us, turns hugely to our advantage; for if we part with any thing for Chrift, we are to expect a vaft income, even to an hundred fold in this life, and life eternal after it. And further, this will appear both reasonable and eafy, if we confider the

4. Condition on which God will admit us to ferve him, and that is, that we do his work up. on his own expence. If we go in God's way, we must go in the ftrength of the Lord. If we need, we must come boldly to the throne of grace for grace; and, in a word, if we mean to ferve him acceptably with reverence and godly fear, we must have grace to do it, Heb. xii. 28. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom that cannot be moved, let us have grace whereby we may ferve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. We must do all in the name of Chrift, and that is in his strength; for the apostle elsewhere tells us, That he could do all things through Chrift strengthening him. And Chrift tells alfo his difciples, that they can do nothing without him; and fure I am, this is a very fair condition, for it makes the hardest work eafy; it is all one to call a man with his prefent ftrength to a work eafy to him, or to call him to a work far above it, and increase his ftrength in proportion to his work. And thus it is in this cafe, the ftrength of God's people is ftill kept equal to, if not above their work.

Part III. 5. He will admit you to his fervice, but ye muft wear his livery, and that in general is holinefs; for holiness becomes the Lord's house for ever; but more particularly humility. We are bid be clothed with humility, Pet. v. 5. The feraphs have wings to cover their feet and their face, that is, a clothing of humility in a fenfe of God's glory, and their own imperfection; and we must wear the fame garb, we muft not glory in ourselves, or our ornaments, but let him that glories glory only in the Lord.

6. He will admit you to his fervice: but then ye muft ferve him for ever. He will have his fervants to be for him for ever, and not for another, and when all things are as we would wish about his fervice, fure we have reafon to fay, that we love our master, and we love his fervice, and we will not part, but every one of us fay, I and my feed, I and my houfe, and all that will take my advice, Shall ferve the Lord for ever. Upon these terms the Lord will accept you.

IV. Will ye fay, What work will he fet us to? We cannot tell you all the particulars; and fuch as are engaging in fervice do not expect this; but I will tell you all that ye can defire about it.

1. It is eafy work, in that forecited Matth. xi. 29. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find reft unto your fouls. For my yoke is eafy, and my burden light. The fervice of fin is labour, and toil, and a heavy load; fo in the 28th ver. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden. The fervice of Chrift is eafy, and in it his people find reft; a work that is a reft muft be very fweet, and fuch is the Lord's work. Would God we could make you understand that sweet repofe and

bleffed

blessed rest there is in the service of God! O how engaging would it be !

2. It is a pleafant work. Wifdom's ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths peace, Prov. iii. 17. And in keeping God's commands, as well as for keeping them, there is great reward, Pfal.

xix. II.

3. It is honourable. All the works that the Lord commands, as well as thefe which he does, are honourable and glorious, Pfal. cxi. 3.

4. It is profitable. Godliness is truly great gain; it is profitable for all things; it has the promife of the life that now is, and that which is to come. If he call us to any piece of fervice, all the profit comes ftill to our account. If he call us to fuffer, then our light afflictions, that are but for a moment, work for us a far more exceed ing and eternal weight of glory, 2 Cor. iv. 17. And, in a word, the man that is righteous is profitable to himself, Job xxii. 2. But,

V. Whom fhall we have with us in this work? This is a very confiderable point, and of great concern, because fervants are not alone in the work, and very much of their comfort depends. upon their fellow-fervants. Now, as to this, all is encouraging. For,

1. The glorious Mediator is not afhamed to ferve the Lord. Behold my fervant, whom I upbold; mine elect, in whom my foul delighteth, Ifa. xlii. 1.

2. Angels join in ferving the Lord; hence the angel took occafion to prevent John's worshipping of him, Rev. xix. 10. See thou do it not : I am thy fellow-fervant, and of thy brethren that bave the teftimony of Jefus.

3. The faints, the excellent ones of the earth,

are

are joined in this work. All the general affembly and church of the first-born, whose names are written in heaven: so that we fee, as the work is pleafing, fo the fociety is very engaging.

VI. But if ye fay, What reward may we look for? I answer, though there were no reward, what is faid is enough: but yet we fay,

1. There is a reward, Pfalm xix. 11. And he that comes to God muft believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently feek him, Heb. xi. 6.

2. This is a fure reward, Tit. i. 2. In hope of eternal life, which God that cannot lie promifed before the world was.

3. It is a durable reward, it is eternal, and we receive a kingdom that cannot be fhaken, who ferve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear, Heb. xii. 28.

4. So great a reward it is, that eye has not feen, ear has not heard, it has not entered into the heart of man to conceive, 1 Cor. ii. 9. In keeping them there is great reward, Pfal. xix. 11. Upon the whole we conclude, that whatever ye can defire, ye have here, for your encouragement, a master great, good, and faithful; fufficient fecurity of acceptance, the terms reasonable, the work defirable, the company incomparable, and the reward great and inviting.

But may fome fay, "We fear the precifenefs "of the way, ye oblige us to an intolerable ftrict"nefs and rigoroufnefs in our walk." We anfwer,

1. The way of God is indeed ftrict, and we can make no allowance for you to indulge any luft, not fo much as to bow in the houfe of Rim

mon.