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truly believe on JESUS CHRIST, you shall receive the quickening Spirit promifed in the text, and be restored to the glorious liberties of the fons of GOD; I fay, if you believe on JESUS CHRIST. "For by faith we are faved; it is not of works, left any one fhould boaft." And, however fome men may say, there is a fitnefs required in the creature, and that we must have a righteoufness of our own, before we can lay hold on the righteoufnefs of CHRIST; yet, if we believe the scripture, falvation is the free gift of God, in CHRIST JESUS our LORD; and whofoever believeth on him with his whole heart, though his foul be as black as hell itfelf, fhall receive the gift of the Holy Ghoft. Behold then, I ftand up, and cry out in this great day of the feaft, let every one that thirfteth come unto JESUS CHRIST and drink. "He that believeth on him, out of his belly fhall flow (not only streams or rivulets, but whole) rivers of living water." This I speak of the Spirit, which they that believe on JESUS fhall certainly receive. For JESUS CHRIST is the fame yesterday, to-day, and for ever; he is the way, the truth, the refurrection, and the life; "whofoever believeth on him, though he were dead, yet fhall he live." There is no refpect of persons with JESUS CHRIST; high and low, rich and poor, one with another, may come to him with an bumble confidence, if they draw near by faith; from him we may all receive grace upon grace; for JESUS CHRISTOS full of grace and truth, and ready to fave to the uttermoft, all that by a true faith turn unto him. Indeed, the poor generally receive the gospel, and "God has chosen the poor in this world, rich in faith." But though not many mighty, not many noble are called; and though it be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God, yet, even to you that are rich, do I now freely offer falvation, by JESUS CHRIST, if you will renounce yourselves, and come to JESUS CHRIST as poor finners; I fay, as poor finners; for the "poor in fpirit" are only fo bleffed, as to have a right to the kingdom of God. And JESUS CHRIST calls none to him, but those who thirst after his righteousness, and feel themselves weary, and heavy laden with the burden of their fins. JESUS CHRIST justifies the ungodly; he came not to call the righteous, but finners to repentance.

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Do not then fay you are unworthy; for this is a faithful and true faying, and worthy of all men to be received, "that JESUS CHRIST came into the world to fave finners;" and if you are the chief of finners, if you feel yourselves fuch, verily JESUS CHRIST came into the world chiefly to fave you. When Jo feph was called out of the prison-house to Pharoah's court, we are told, that he ftaid fome time to prepare himself; but do you come with all your prifon cloaths about you; come poor, and miferable, and blind, and naked, as you are, and GOD the Father fhall receive you with open arms, as was the returning prodigal. He fhall cover your nakedness with the best robe of his dear Son's righteousness, fhall feal you with the fignet of his Spirit, and feed you with the fatted calf, even with the comforts of the Holy Ghoft. O, let there then be joy in heaven over fome of you, as believing; let me not go back to my Master, and say, LORD, they will not believe my report. Harden no longer your hearts, but open them wide, and let the King of glory enter in; believe me, I am willing to go to pri fon or death for you; but I am not willing to go to heaven without you. The love of JESUS CHRIST Conftrains me to lift up my voice like a trumpet. My heart is now full; out of the abundance of the love which I have for your precious and immortal fouls, my mouth now speaketh; and I could now not only continue my discourse until midnight, but I could fpeak until I could speak no more. And why fhould I despair of any? no, I can defpair of no one, when I confider JESUS CHRIST has had mercy on such a wretch as I am; but the free grace of CHRIST prevented me; he faw me in my blood, he paffed by me, and faid unto me, Live; and the fame grace which was fufficient for me, is fufficient for you also behold, the fame bleffed Spirit is ready to breathe on all your dry bones, if you will believe on JESUS CHRIST, whom GOD has fent; indeed, you can never believe on, or ferve a better master, one that is more mighty, or more willing to fave; I can fay, the LORD CHRIST is gracious, his yoke is eafy, his burden exceeding light; after you have served him many years, like the fervants under the law, was he willing to difcharge you, you would fay, we love our Mafter, and will not go from him. Come then, my guilty brethren, come and believe on the LORD that bought you with his precious blood; look up by faith,

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and fee him whom you have pierced; behold him bleeding, panting, dying! behold him with arms ftretched out ready to receive you all; cry unto him as the penitent thief did, Lord, remember us now thou art in thy kingdom, and he fhall fay to your fouls, fhortly fhall you be with me in paradife. For thofe whom CHRIST justifies, them he also glorifies, even with that glory which he enjoyed with the Father, before the world began. Do not fay, I have bought a piece of ground, and must needs go fee it; or I have bought a yoke of oxen, and muft needs go prove them; or I have married a wife, I am engaged in an eager purfuit after the luft of the eye, and the pride of life, and therefore cannot come. Do not fear having your name caft out as evil, or being accounted a fool for CHRIST's fake; yet a little while, and you fhall fhine like the stars in the firmament for ever. Only believe, and JESUS CHRIST fhall be to you wisdom, righteousness, fanctification, and eternal redemption; your bodies shall be fashioned like unto his glorious body, and your fouls be partakers of all the fulness of Gop.

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SERMON XXXIX.

The Refurrection of Lazarus.

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JOHN xi. 43, 44.

And when he had thus spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus come forth. And be that was dead, came forth, bound band and foot with grave-cloaths: and bis face was bound about with a napkin. JESUS faith unto them, Loofe him, and let him go.

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HEN JESUS CHRIST, the eternal Word, was pleafed to make all things by the word of his power, his laft works were the best. When he looked back upon, and beheld the firft products of his almighty power, he pronounced them "good," but when that laft, that lovely creature man, was formed, he pronounced them very good." So, the fame JESUS, when he came to tabernacle among us, and to begin and carry on a new and fecond creation, though all his works were miracles of wonder, and manifefted forth the glory of his eternal Godhead, yet the nearer he came to the end of his public miniftrations, the greater and more noble did the miracles which he wrought appear. The resurrection of Lazarus, that is to be the fubject of the following difcourse, I think, is a fufficient proof of this. To an eye of fenfe, it feems to be one of the greatest, if not the very greatest miracle of all which our blefied LORD performed. When our Saviour bid John's disciples go and tell their Master what things they had seen and heard, he commands them to inform him, that by his divine power "the dead were raised;" alluding no doubt to the Ruler's daughter, who was raised immediately after her decease; and the Widow's fon, who at the command of JESUS, rofe out of his coffin, as they were carrying his corpfe to the burial. Thefe were pregnant

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proofs, that Jesus was indeed the Meffiah that was to come into the world. But his raifing of Lazarus from the dead, after he had Jain four days dead, and faw corruption, is still, ifapoffible, a greater miracle; and confequently a stronger proof of his being the Anointed, the CHRIST of God. The evangelift John is very particular in giving us an account of this miracle; even fo particular, as to spend a whole chapter in relating the circumftances which preceded, attended, and followed after it. And as he was undoubtedly directed herein by the all-wife, unerring Spirit of GOD, does it not point out unto us, that this miracle, with all its refpective circumftances, calls for our particular and moft ferious meditation? It appears to me in this light; and therefore, as the LORD fhall be pleased to affift, I fhall go back to the beginning of this chapter, follow the evangelift step by step, and confider the particulars of this wonderous miracle, make fome practical obfervations as I go along, and conclude with fome fuitable inftructions and exhortations, which will naturally arise from the body of the discourse.

བ་ ་

StedThe evangelift in the firft verfe, makes mention of the fickness of Lazarus. Now, a certain man mas fick, named Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary, and her fifter Martha." Some think these fifters were very wealthy, fo as to own good part of the town, or, as the original word seems to imply, the village... But then it is probable the evangelist would have faid the town of Lazarus, eftates usually defcending, as with us, in the male line: it means therefore no more, than that Martha and Mary lived in Bethany. The Holy Ghost pointing out to us hereby, that nothing makes a town so worthy of a gracious foul's remark or esteem, as its having many of GoD's dear children for its inhabitants. Bethany, though a little place, is more famous because it was the town of Martha and Mary, than if Alexander had fought in it one of his greatest battles. Both these women loved Jesus in fincerity, and were as good as they were great. But Mary, though the younger fifter, feems to be the most eminent: for the evangelift in the fecond verfe, speaks of her in na very diftinguishing manner. "It was that Mary, (that never-to-be-forgotten Mary) which anointed the LORD with pintment fexpenfive as it was) and wiped his feet, (after the

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