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but he that believeth not, fhall be damned." He that believeth, cannot mifs falvation; for, it is in the hand of. Christ, to give to all comers; he that believeth not, cannot escape damnation; for, “How fhall we escape, if we reject fo great a falvation?" fo great a Saviour, who hath all things in his hand? It is established in heaven, and it ftands now upon the honour of God to fave all believers in Chrift, and to damn all unbelievers. Only, as God gets more honour, and greater fatisfaction in your falvation, through Chrift, in a way of believing in him, than he can get in your damnation, if you remain in your unbelief; therefore, though you had no regard to your falvation or damnation, there is fomething here, of infinitely greater worth than your eternal life, or eternal damnation, that fhould move you to this glorious Jefus for all things; and that is, for the fake of the eternal honour and glory of God and Chrift; for, the Father hath put honour upon the Son, by giving all things into his hand. As you cannot put more honour upon Chrift, so you cannot put more honour upon his Father that crowned him with this honour, than by putting all things you have ado in his hand, and coming to him for all things you ftand in need of. Chrift is glorified in fuch; for, they are his glory; yea, his crown of glory, Ifa. Ixii. 3. When you come to him and make ufe of this treasure that the Father hath put in his hand, you join with his Father in putting a crown of glory on his head.

4. Confider, for motive to look to this Jefus, that it is not poffible, O finner, that all things are given into Chrift's hand, and yet you have no concern in it, fince all is given to him that he may give it out to you. Why has he received the Spirit above meafure? He tells you himself, Ifa. Ixi. 1. "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he hath anointed me:" Why, even to preach good tidings to the meek and to proclaim liberty to the captives. His Father alfo tells you, Ifa. xlii. 1. "I have put my Spirit upon him, and he fhall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles;" that is, give light and understanding, life and falvation to the Gentiles. Why hath our Lord Jefus received gifts, even the gift of all things? See Pfal. Ixviii.

18. compared with Eph. iv. 8. "He hath received gifts for men." But, fay you, I am a poor rebel. Well, it is even for the rebellious. So, not only are all things in Chrift's hand communicatively, as I faid before, but all things are given him for this very end, that they may be communicated for the benefit of finners. When Chrift fays, Mat. xxviii. 10. "All power is given to me in heaven and in earth," he immediately adds, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations:" As if he had faid, Why have I received all power in heaven and in earth, but for this end, that I may be able to fave and relieve poor finners, and therefore, "Go ye, and teach all nations," and tell them where their help lies. Say not, then, you have no concern, O finner; it is because the Father hath given all things into his hand, that therefore he fays to us, in your behalf, "Go preach the gospel to every creature;" every finner, though they have finned themselves into monfters; finned themselves into devils; yet, if they be creatures, preach the gofpel to them: tell them I have life, and falvation, and all things in my hand for them; "Whofoever will, let him come." Put not away this grace of God from you thro' unbelief, faying, It cannot be for me: yea, it is for you; "To you is the word of this falvation fent." Let faith fay, It is for me, for me, that all things were given into Chrift's hand. No, fays unbelief, and the devil together, it is for the elect and not for me. O finner, let not the devil cheat you about the object of faith; tho' indeed, "The election only fhall obtain ;" yet the thing you are called first to believe, is not what is for you in the purpose of God, but what is for you in the promife of God, and in the offer of this gofpel; and if you take what is for you here, you are fafe in spite of all the devils of hell. Therefore let your heart fay, O! here is life and falvation, and all things in Chrift's hand held out in this gospel for me; " and even fo I take it as offered to me.' If it were not for you, we could not preach the gofpel to every one here; but, in his great name, I preach it to every creature that hears me, that the Father hath given all things into Chrift's hand for you; and, therefore, take him to you, and all things with him.

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5. Confider, that Chrift, having got all things put in his hand, for the behoof of finners, it is not poffible that he will keep all clofe in his hand, and give out nothing. No, no; it ftands upon his honour as Mediator; it ftands upon his credit as he is the church's treasurer, and the Father's truftee, to give out of that treasure of grace and fulness, that is given to him, for our behalf: he would not be faithful unto his truft if he fhould give out none of that treasure to poor finners; but, who can charge him with unfaithfulnefs? What mouth, but that of curfed unbelief, will charge him thus? When unbelief fays, Oh! he will give out nothing to me: What is the meaning of it? It is in effect a faying, He is not fo faithful to his truft, as that I can expect he will give out any thing to the like of me. Alas! beware of blafphemy: let faith rather step in and fay, I hope he will give out of his fulness to me, because his name is Faithful and true. And if you can believe his truth and faithfulness pledged in the promise, as the Father's Truftee for finners, and that with particular application to yourself, then his faithfulness is engaged unto you, believer, in particular. But here is a door of faith and hope even for finners that are yet unbelievers, that there is a glorious and fweet neceffity lying upon Chrift, to give out of his grace and fulness to finners of mankind; and why not to you? He must give out of his grace to make his people willing in a day of his power, and bring them to himfelf; "Other sheep I have which are not of this fold, [namely, Gentiles as well as Jews,] them I muft bring; and they shall hear my voice," John x. 16. We are told, John iv. 4. "He must needs go through Samaria: why, for what end? It was even to give out of his grace to a poor harlot, a vile finful woman there: Even fo, I hope he muft, needs go through Dunfermline, this day, to give out of that ftore the Father hath given him, for the fake of poor vile finners here.' Was there a bleffed neceffity for his fuffering at Jerufalem? Yea, there was; Luke xxiv. 26. “ Ought not Chrift to have fuffered these things, and to enter into his glory?" Even fo, there is a bleffed neceffity for his ap plying the virtue of his death and fufferings, by pouring

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out of his Spirit, and communicating of his grace for that end.

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6. Confider, that tho' Chrift be exalted to this honour and majefty, of having all things given into his hand, yet it is not pofiible that therefore he fhould be proud, and lordly, and difdainful, fo as not to regard the cafe of poor finners; for, the quite contrary is the truth, namely, because he is thus honoured, therefore he humbles himfelf. Some may think, 'Oh! when Chrifi is exalted to fuch fupreme dignity, as that all things are in his hand, furely he will reckon it below him to regard fuch a finner as I am; and ftoop fo low as to wash fuch a leper as I am.' Alas! Sirs, think not fo; for he declares the contrary; read his mind on this with wonder and admiration, John xiii. 3,—8. “ Jefus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God, he rifeth from fupper, and laid afide his garments, and took a towel and girded himself: After that he poured water into a bafon, and began to wafh his difciples feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. Then cometh he to Simon Peter; and Peter faith unto him, Lord, doft thou wash my feet? Jefus anfwered and faid unto him, What I do thou knoweft not now, but thou fhalt know hereafter. Peter faith unto him, Thou fhalt never wafh my feet. Jefus anfwered him, If I wafh thee not, thou haft no part in me.” What was the reafon, then, that Chrift ftooped down to wash his difciples feet? Even because he knew the Father had given all things into his hand. Was he therefore proud? No; he was therefore humble. Poor finful men, that have nothing, are moft proud; but the God-man, who hath all things, is most humble, and floops to our infirmities, because he is clothed with infinite excellency. His excellency as Mediator, is the caufe of his humility; and his humility prompts his excellency to be good to finners. O wonderful, humble Saviour! There is a twofold humiliation of Chrift; First, He humbled himfelf to come down into our nature, and fhed his blood for us. Secondly, Being exalted, he humbles himself to come

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down into our hearts, our filthy hearts, and wash them in his blood. In the former, he humbled himself, that God might exalt him; in the latter, God exalts him that he might humble himfelf. He is exalted for this very end to pardon and purge guilty and polluted finners, A&s v. 31. It is no difparagement to his exalted state, for him to ftoop down and wafh your feet, and wash your heart: "Him hath God exalted, a Prine and Saviour, to give répentance to Ifrael, and remiffion of fins:" This is the way he washes, by giving pardon and repentance. For as high and honourable as he is, he thinks it his honour to give out grace. Wo is me, that he is not employed, fince he thinks it his honour to wash you! It is not below him; he does not think he will be difhonoured or affronted, no: he knows that the lower he ftoops, the higher will he be honoured in the hearts of his people. I appeal to all believing hearts; the lower that he condefcends to you, to wash your filthy hearts, O! did not your hearts exalt him the more, and wonder at his glory? Do you think the lefs of him? I fuppofe not. I am fure you think the more, and the higher of him. O! finner, then, do not think he is too high to look down towards you; the higher he is, the lower doth he stoop; and therefore the higher you conceive he is, the more hope you may conceive of his pity and favour towards you; and the more you fee is given into his hand, the more do you expect to get out of his hand; faith has the more footing.So much for the motives.

Sixthly, The next thing propofed, in order to the regulating and fquaring of our faith, according to the gofpel-rule, was to offer fome Directions. And,

1. Be convinced, that, as all things are in his hand, fo faith itself is in his hand to give; for he is the author of it, Heb. xii. 2. And know, that nothing, but the power of God, can effectually work faith. The gofpel muft come, not in word only, but in power, and in the Holy Ghoft, 1 Thef. i. 5. Seek not for faith, then, out of your own bowels; for, Faith cometh by bearing; Why, the gospel that you hear, is the power of God to

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