Kingdom of Glory, and the Beauties of Holiness, that you may feel Chrift's Yoke is eafy, and his Durthen is Light, and his Commandments are not grievous (e). And when Faith has excited you to hunger and thirst after Righteoufnefs;' Love, which is the End of Faith, will fill' and fatisfy you (f). Obferve how much God is honoured by the perfect Conformity of his Law to the Holiness of his Na ture. Every Believer fhould cordially love the Holinefs of God's Commands, because it is the Image of his own Holiness, and neceffary to his Honour, as he is the Governor of the World. When Paul confeffes himself to be fold under Sin,' and therefore as incapable of perfectly keeping the Law, as a fettered Prifoner is to walk at Liberty; yet he gives the Law this Honour, that it is holy and juft, and good,' and declares that he delighted in it,' and fain would perfectly obey it, if he could (g)-Remember that the End of divine Promises and Threats, Mercies and Judgments, is to engage us to obey divine Precepts. Here is a beautiful Harmony, and an infeparable Union. We muft obcy the Command, in Order to obtain the promised Bleffing; and we must believe the Promife, that we may be excited to obey the Precept.-Remember alfo that the End of Chrift's becoming a Mediator, is to procure our Obedience to God. He came to fave his People from their Sins;' and to call Sinners to Repentance. For this Purpofe the Son of God was manifefted, that he might deftroy the Works of the Devil. He gave himfelf for us, that he might redeem us from all Ini•quity, (e) Mat. xi. 30. 1 John v. 3. (f) Mat. v. 6. a peculiar People, Chrift came Judge therefore as quity, and purify unto himself zealous of good Works (h).' much to kill Sin, as to pardon it. of the Worth of Obedience by the Dignity of the Means. $4-Let Faith fee the certain and infearable Connection between Obedience and Judgment. It will much awaken the fluggish Soul to Duty, if Faith loudly tells it, Thou must be judged by the fame Word of God, which commands thee to watch and pray, and walk with God in Holiness. It will much tend to kill the Force of Temptation, if Faith loudly fays to the tempted Sinner, The Judge is at the Door, and thou must hear of this again, and review Sin when it will make a quite different Appearance. Let your Heart be fixed in a conftant Subjection to devine Autho rity. The deep, renewed Apprehenfions of the Majefty, Wisdom, and abfolute Authority of God, will make us perceive that all Things and Perfons mut give Place to him, and he to none; and will be a conftant Spring within us, to determine the Will in every Inftance to a ready Obedience.-Keep in Memory fome plain Texts of Scripture for particular Duties, and against particular Sins. As the Word of God is the Object and Rule of Faith, it fhould therefore be before the Eye of Faith, in Order that Faith may produce Obedience.--Make a wife and faithful Ufe of Scripture-Examples. The holy Actions of the Saints in Scripture, are Motives to us to obey the Laws of God. Therefore Paul exhorts, Be ye Followers of me, even as I allo am of Chrift. Be Followers of them, who thro' • Faith 6 (h) Mat. i. 21. Luke v. 32. 1 John iii. 8. Tit. i. 14. Faith and Patience inherit the Promifes (i).' For the fame Reason we muft avoid the evil Examples recorded in Scripture; fuch as Peter's Denial of Chrift, and all his Difciples forfaking him; Peter's and Barnabas's Diffimulation, and the falling out of Paul and Barnabas. Wherever we find ScriptureExamples particularly fuitable to our own Circumflances, we fhould especially be excited and comforted by them. Were David, Manaffeh, Peter, Paul, and others, upon their true Repentance, pardoned and accepted of God? we may conclude that he is ready to do fo to us upon our Repentance. Has God helped his People in their Diftreffes, and heard their Cries, and pitied them, tho' weak in Faith? We may hope he will do fo for us, if we have Recourfe to Faith and Prayer. $5. [11] Living by Faith on divine Promifes, is a more noble Operation of Faith, because the Gospel itself chiefly confifts in Promises; and it is a more neceffary Work of Faith, because our miserable State by the Apoftacy has made the Promises fo neceffary for our conftant ufe. And therefore,Confider every Promife of God as an Expreffion of his immutable, Counfel and Will. His Power, Wildom, and Goodne's conftitute his Veracity, and oblige him to fulfill his Promises. He freely made them, but he neceffarily performs them. God that cannot lie, promifed eternal Life before the World began. And willing more abundantly to fhew unto the Heirs of Promife the Immutability of his Counfel, confirmed it by an Oath; that by two immutable Things, in which it was impoffi ble ble for God to lie, we might have a ftrong "Confolation. Nor can Chrift deny himself, by being unfaithful to us (k).'- -Confider how God has laid the Foundation of his Promifes in the Death and Refurrection of Chrift. When it has coft Chrift fo dear to procure them, certainly God will not break them. Never can a Promise be broke, which is ratified in the Blood of the everlafting • Covenant (1).' The Law given by Mofes was · firm; but Chrift is the Mediator of a better Covenant, which was established upon better Promises. For all the Promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen ; that is, in him they are made, afferted, and ratified, and in him they fhall be fulfilled (m).Confider how much it is for God's own Pleasure to fulfill his Promifes. The Happiness will be our's; but it will be his everlasting Delight to fee his Creatures in their Perfection. If he was fo pleased, after creating them, to fee them all good,' as to appoint a Sabbath of Reft' for the Commemoration of it; how much more will it please him, to fee all restored by Jefus Chrift to that Perfection, to which Adam was but approaching, when he finned and fell. God will not mifs of his own Defign, nor lofe the everlafting Complacency of his Love. Confider alfo how much the World in general is benefited by a Belief of divine Promifes. Had Men nothing but temporal Motives to influence their Hearts and Lives, what a Hell would there be upon Earth? The Government of the World is much indebted to the Hopes and Fears of another Life, and cannot be otherwife, unless Man be turned into far worse than a Beast. And certainly thofe Promises cannot be false, which are fo neceffary to be believed. For the wife, holy, and powerful God, neither needs a Lye, nor can apply it to fuch eminent Service. On the contrary, it is manifeft that divine Promifes are perfectly fuitable to the Nature both of God and Man, as well as divine Precepts. $6.-Take Care rightly to underfland divine Promifes. Don't prefumptuously expect what God never promised, and thereby become false Prophets to yourselves and others. God has not promifed to gratify all your Inclinations, as to bodily Enjoyments. Moft Men would have nothing but Riches, Health, and Reputation. But your heavenly Fa⚫ther knoweth what you have Need of,' and therefore caft all your Care upon him (n).' God has not promised any Thing you ask, unlefs it agree, both with his promifing, and with his commanding Will. Nor has he promifed all you ask, tho' you ask it with ever fo confident an Expectation. He has not promised to all Chriftians the fame Degree of Grace; and therefore much lefs has he promised that all fhall have the fame Degree of common Gifts, And where God promifes the Thing itfel, he does not promife alfo that it fhall be given at any fet. Time, or in any particular Manner, or by any particular Inftrument. Some Promifes are more particular to a particular Age of the Church, and are not to be applied equally to every Age. Every pious Obfervation which former Saints have made, tho' (a) Mat. vi. 32. 1 Pet. v. 7. |