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2. As faith takes direction from the rule, so in keeping of the covenant it directs us to the right end, that is, to the glory of God: we are of him, and live in him, and by faith we must live to him, and from him: "For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself: for whether we live, we live unto the Lord, and whether we die, we die unto the Lord, whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's," Rom. 14:7,8. Again," he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them," 2 Cor. 5:15. This God claims as his right and due, "Thou shalt glorify me," saith God; yes, saith faith, "I will glorify thee for ever." Ps. 50:15. and 86:12.

3. Faith in keeping the covenant shields the soul against all hindrances that it meets withal: as for instance, sometimes we are tempted on the right hand by the baits and allurements of the world, all these will I give thee, saith the world "if thou wilt be mine," Matt. 4:9. But then faith overcomes the world, by setting before us better things than these. Sometimes we are tempted on the left hand with crosses, afflictions, persecutions, and sufferings for the name of Christ, but then faith helps us to overcome, and makes us conquerors through Christ that loved us, by setting before us the end of our faith and patience. It is said of Jesus, That "for the joy that was set before him, he endured the cross, and despised the shame," Heb. 12:2.

4. Faith encourageth the soul, that the Lord will have a gracious respect unto its keeping covenant; "In every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him," Acts 10:35. Surely this is no small encouragement to well-doing, what would not a servant do, if he knew his Lord will take it in good part now? Now, faith assures the soul, there is not one prayer, one holy desire, or one good thought, or word which is spoken, or done to the glory of God, but God takes notice of it, and accepts it in good part,." Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another, and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him, for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name," Mal. 3:16.

5. Faith furnisheth the soul with strength and ability to keep the cov enant; by faith we get a power and strength of grace; as thus

1. By faith we look at Christ, as having all fulness of grace in himself: "It pleased the father, that in him should all fulness dwell," Col. 1:19. All others have but their measures, some more, some less, according to the measure of the gift of Christ, but Christ hath received the "Spirit, not by measure, but in fulness of it," John 3:34.

2. By faith we know, that whatever fulness of grace is in Christ, he had it not for himself only, but for us; "he received gifts for men," Psal. 68:18. said the Psalmist; not for himself merely, but for men; "of his fulness we receive grace for grace," saith John 1:16. His wisdom is to make us wise, his meekness is to make us meek, and his patience is to make us patient.

3. By faith we look at Christ, as faithful to distribute such grace unto us, as he received for us; "he is faithful in all the house of God," Heb.

3:2.

He is faithful in dispensing all the treasures of grace committed unto him for his church's good: he keeps nothing back, his faithfulness will not suffer him to keep that to himself which he hath received for us: hence, as the Psalmist saith, "He received gifts for men," Psal. 68:18. So the apostle renders it, "He gave gifts unto men," Eph. 4:8. As he receives, so he gives, being faithful in all that is committed to him.

4. By faith we seek God, and beg performance of his promises accord

ing to our need. Do we want wisdom, meekness, patience, or any other grace? faith carries us by prayer unto the fountain, and in this way it waits and expects to receive the grace we want. As the child by sucking the breast, draws forth milk for its own nourishment, and thereby it grows in strength; so do we by the prayer of faith suck from Christ, and from the promise of grace, and by that means derive strength to our inner man, to fulfil the covenant which we have made with God.

6. As faith strengthens us, so if at any times by occasion of temptation we fail in our covenant-keeping, faith recovers us, and restores us again to our former estate. I do not say the covenant can be broken betwixt God and us; we may offend God, and fail in the service of God, but till we refuse God, and leave God, and choose another master, lord, and husband besides God, there is no dissolution of the covenant of grace: now, this a true believer cannot do; he may fall, and fall often, yet he doth not fall, but he rises again, he may turn aside, but yet he turns again into the way of the covenant. What a sweet point is this, Christians! we may, and sometimes we do walk weakly in keeping of covenant, our feet slip, and we step aside out of God's path, yet faith brings us back again to God; it casts shame on our faces, that after all the grace showed us, we should so ill requite God: it reminds us of these promises, "Return unto me, and I will return unto you, Zech. 1:3. Ye have done all this wickedness, yet turn not aside from following the Lord.-For the Lord will not forsake his people for his great name's sake, because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his people," 1 Sam. 12:20.22. In the minding of these, and such other promises, faith doth encourage us to return unto God, to take words unto ourselves, and to plead the covenant of his grace towards us; this work of faith brought Peter back to Christ, whereas Judas, wanting this faith, lies down in desperate sorrow, never able to rise up, or to recover himself.

O my soul, art thou acquainted with these acts of faith, enabling thee in some good measure to keep covenant with God? then is there a sweet conformity betwixt thee and Jesus.

3. God in Christ hath highly honored us: as we are his people; so we through Christ should honor him highly, as he is our God: this is the main end of the covenant, and I shall end with this. O my soul, be like to God, bear the image and resemblance of God thy Father in this respect; he hath humbled himself to advance thee; O then humble thyself to advance him, endeavor every way to exalt his name.

We are all willing to be in covenant with God, that we may set up ourselves, that we may sit upon thrones, and possess a kingdom; but we must think especially of setting up the Lord upon his throne; "Ascribe greatness to our God," saith Moses, Deut. 32:3. Make it a name, and a praise unto him. That he hath vouchsafed to make us his people, and to take us unto covenant with himself; honor him as he is God, but honor him more abundantly as he is our God: who shall honor him if his people will not? The world knows him not. "The wicked will not seek after God, God is not in all his thoughts," Psal. 10:4. And shall God have no honor? Shall he that stretched out the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth, and formed man upon it, have no glory? O yes! the Lord himself answers, "This people have I formed for myself, they shall show forth my praise," Isa. 43:21. Surely God will have praise from his own people, whom he hath taken to himself, "He will be glorified in all these that come near unto him," Lev. 10:3.

But how should we honor God? I answer,-

1. We must set him up as chief and highest in our esteem: kings account not themselves honored, if they be not set above other men, and hence God's people have used such expressions concerning God, as do single him forth beyond the comparison of all creatures: Thus Moses, "Who is like unto thee amongst the gods? Who is like unto thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?" Exod. 15:11. Thus David, Thou art great, O Lord God, for there is none like thee, neither is there any God besides thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears, 2 Sam. 7:22. Thus Solomon, "Lord God of Israel, there is no God like thee in heaven above, or in the earth beneath, who keepest cov enant and mercy with thy servants." 1 Kings 8:23. Thus Micah," Who is a God like unto thee, which passest by the transgressions of the remnant of thine heritage?" Micah 7:18. And thus should we rise up in our thoughts and apprehensions of God, until we come to an holy ecstasy and admiration of God.

2. We must count it our blessedness and highest dignity to be a people in covenant with God; are we honorable?; yet esteem this as our greatest honor, that God is our God; are we low and despised in the world? yet count this honor enough, that God hath lifted us up to be his people. Christians, if when we are counted as things of nought, we can quiet ourselves in this, that "God is our God," if when we are persecuted, imprisoned, distressed, we can say, with Jacob, "I have enough, because the Lord hath mercy on me, and hath taken me into covenant with him;" surely then we do bear witness of God before heaven and earth, that he is better to us than corn, or wine, or oil, or whatsoever this world affords.

3. We must lie under the authority of every word of God, and we must conform ourselves to the example of God; that is, we must labor to become followers of God, and imitate his virtues: it is a part of that honor which children owe to their parents, to obey their commands, and to imitate their godly example; we cannot honor God more, than when we are "humbled at his feet to receive his word," Deut. 33:3. Than when we renounce the manners of the world, to become his " followers as dear children," Eph. 5:1. O think of this! for then we conform indeed; then are we "holy as he is holy, and pure as he is pure;" and then how should this but tend to the honor and glory of our God?

Thus far we have looked on Jesus, as our Jesus in that dark time be fore his coming in the flesh; our next work is to look on Jesus, carrying on the great work of man's salvation in his first coming or incarnation.

21

LOOKING UNTO JESUS,

IN HIS BIRTII.

THE FOURTH BOOK.

CHAPTER I.

SECTION I.

OF THE TIDINGS OF CHRIST.

Let us now go even to Bethlehem, and see this Thing.—Luke 2:15.

In this period, as in the former, we shall first lay down the object; and, secondly, direct you how to look unto it.

The object is Jesus, carrying on the work of man's salvation in his first coming in the flesh, until his coming again. But because in this long period we have many transactions, which we cannot with conveniency despatch together, we shall therefore break it into smaller pieces, and present this object, Jesus Christ, 1..In his birth. 2. In his life. 3. In his death. 4. In his resurrection. 5. In his ascension, session at God's right hand, and mission of his holy Spirit. 6. In his intercession for his saints, in which business he now is, and will be employed till his second coming to judgment.

First, For the transactions of "Jesus in his birth," some things we must propound before, and some things after his birth; so that we shall continue this period till the time of John's baptism, or the exercise of his ministry upon earth. Now in all the transactions of this time, we shall specially handle these, 1. The tidings of Christ. 2. The conception of Christ. 3. The duplicity of natures in Christ. 4. The real distinction in that duplicity. 5. The wonderful union notwithstanding that distinction. 6. The birth of Christ. 7. Some consequents after his birth, whilst yet a child of twelve years old.

The first passage in relation to his birth, "is the tidings of Christ;" this appears, Luke 1:26,27. &c. "And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God," &c. I shall a little insist on some of these words. 1. The messenger was an angel; man was too mean to carry the news of the conception of God: never any business was conceived in heaven, that did so much concern the earth as the conception of the God of heaven in a womb of earth: no less therefore than an angel was worthy to bear these tidings, and never angel received a greater honor than of this embassage. Angels have been sent to divers, as to Gideon, Manoah, David, Daniel, Elijah, Zachariah, &c. And then the angel honored the message, but here is a message that doth honor the angel; he was highly glorious before, but this added to his glory. Indeed the incarnation of God could

CHAP. I.

LOOKING UNTO JESUS.

have no less a reporter than the angel of God; when God intended to begin his gospel, he would first visit the world with his augel, before he would visit the world with his Son; his angel must come in the form of man, before his Son must come in the nature of man.

"Luke 1:28. 2. This angel salutes the virgin, "Hail, thou that art highly favored: The Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women,' Many men and women have been and are the spiritual temples of God, but never was any the material temple of God, but only Mary, and therefore"blessed art thou amongst women;" and yet we cannot say, that she was so blessed in bearing Christ, as she was in believing in Christ; her bearing indeed was more miraculous, but her believing was more benefi cial to her soul: that was her privilege, but this was her happiness. Chris tians! if we believe in Christ, and if we obey the word of Christ, we are "Whosoever shall do the will of my Father which the mothers of Christ. is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother," Matth. 12:50. Every renewed heart is another Mary, a spiritual sanctuary of the Lord Jesus. It was the woman's acclamation, "Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps that gave thee suck," Luke 11:27. True, said Christ, but that blessing extends only to one; I will tell you how many are blessyea, rather blessed are they that hear God's word ed, and rather blessed; " and keep it," verse 28. Blessed are they that so incarnate the written word, by doing it, as the blessed virgin gave flesh to the eternal word by bearing it; those that hear and keep God's word, are they that "travail in birth again until Christ be formed in them," Gal. 4:19. Hearing, they receive the immortal seed of the word, by a firm purpose of doing they conceive, by a longing desire they quicken, by an earnest endeavor they tra vail, and when the work is wrought, then have they incarnate the word, In this respect was Mary blessed; and I and Christ is formed in them. make no question but in this respect also the angel calls her blessed, and Elizabeth calls her blessed, and Simeon calls her blessed, and she calls herself blessed, and all generations call her blessed, and God himself calls and makes her blessed; yea, as Paul said, "cometh this blessedness on So cometh this blessedness on the the circumcision only?" Rom. 4:9.

virgin only? No, even "blessed are the poor in Spirit, blessed are they that mourn, and blessed are the meek, and blessed are they whose sins are not imputed," Matth. 5:3,4,5. Psal. 32:2. Even these hath God blessed with spiritual blessings in heavenly places, and these shall Christ entertain with a "Come, ye blessed of my Father."

She might well 3. This virgin is "troubled at this salute," Luke 1:29. be troubled; For, 1. If it had been but a man that had come in so suddenly, when she expected none; or so secretly, when she had no other company; or so strangely, the doors being properly shut: she had cause to be troubled: how much more, when the shining glory of the angel so heightened the astonishment? 2. Her sex was more subject to fear: if Zachary was amazed with the sight of this angel, how much more the virgin? We flatter ourselves how well we could endure such visions, but there is difference betwixt our faith and our senses; to apprehend here the presence of God by faith, this goes down sweetly; but should a glorious angel appear among us, it would amaze us all. But for this the angel comforts her, "Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favor with God," verse 30. The troubles of holy minds ever end in peace. or comfort; joy was the errand of the angel, and not terror; and therefore suddenly he revives her spirit with a cheerful excitation, Fear not, q. d. "Let those fear who know they are in displeasure, or know not they are gracious; thine

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