2. What we fhould do, viz. Be faithful; "Fear not, but be faithful:" From the connection between these two we may learn,

(1.) That flavish fear is to be checked and guarded against in evil times, because it has great influence to draw us from our duty. If we would be faithful, we need to be aware of faithlefs fears, Heb. xii. 12, 13. A frighted man is already halting, and may be foon turned out of the way. Satan makes men firft to fear, and then to be unfaithful: and hence faithlefs fear of trouble and danger, in the good way of the Lord, ufually ends in apoftafy. Therefore, we need to be aware of it as an enemy to all duty.

(2.) Learn, that in the discharge of our duty, and in the whole courfe of a Chriftian, there is no greater burden lies upon him, than juft to be in the way of duty. Thus Chrift here advertises his people, faying, There are fufferings coming upon you; but take you no other thought or care upon you, but only how to be faithful and upright; for, as to the troubles and fufferings, how they fhall be ordered to right ends, and what fhall be the kind, and measure, and degree, and length, or duration of them, trouble not your felves therewith, but leave all that to me: I will take the care and burden of all that; and I put no other burden upon you, but juft that you wait faithfully upon me, as he fays to the church of Thyatira here, ver, 24, 25. "I will put upon you no other burden; but that which you have already, hold faft till I come." We have nothing to fear, if we be but helped to be faithful: whatever we are ready to fear, it is God's part to take care of that, but it is our part to fludy what is our prefent duty. But, alas! we are ready to take God's part upon us, like the fons of Zeruiah, we are ready to take too much upon us, by our finful fears and cares about events and fufferings, and fo to affume a fovereignty to ourfelves. But, indeed, to fit down on his throne would foon undo us; the burden would foon break our backs: but God injoins us to be careful for nothing, but caft all our cares on him who careth for us, And we put ourfelves to much needlefs

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trouble, if we take the burden of care upon our own backs, which we ought to caft upon the Lord, and which alone belongs to him to bear: who allows us to take no other care, no other burden upon us, but how, through his grace, to be faithful in his fervice, and faithful unto death.

4tbly, The fourth general in the words is the encouragement, viz. I will give thee a crown of life. This is annexed efpecially to the duty of faithfulnefs in Chrift Jefus: it is annexed to it in a way of free grace, reign. ing through the righteoufnels of Chrift unto eternal life. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

In which words we have thefe four things obfervable, 1. The duty injoined, namely, to be faithful. 2. The term how long, viz. unto death. 3. The glo

rious iffue of this fidelity, namely, the crown of life. 4. The gracious conveyance of this crown, I WILL GIVE it thee; Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

I fhall endeavour a fhort explication of thefe in the profecution of the following doctrine.

OBSERV. That to thefe who are faithful unto death,
Christ is to give a crown of life.

The obfervation is much the fame with the words of the text; and, in fpeaking to it, I propofe to do only these three things.

I. To explain the propofition.

II. To confirm the truth of the doctrine.
III. To make application of the whole fubject.

I. We are to offer fomething for explication. And here are four things to be enquired into.

1. What it is to be faithful. ed in being faithful unto death. understand by the crown of life. giving it.

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2. What is import

3. What we are to 4. What by Chrift's

ift, What it is to be faithful? We find fidelity is a duty much commended in fcripture, and frequently called for at his people's hands; and it is of the free mercy of God that any are enabled to it. Paul fpeaks of himself, 1 Cor. vii. 25. as one that has obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful. It was the Lord's commendatlon of Mcfes, that he was faithful in all. his houfe, Numb. xii. 7. The perfection of this faithfulness was to be found, indeed, only in Chrift, who was faithful to him, who appointed him, Heb. iii. 2. even as Mofes, (a type of Chrift,) was faithful in all his houfe. I fhall mention four things required unto faithfuluefs.

1. It is neceffary to make a man faithful that he have much faith in God; for, the fame word that is rendered faithful, is alfo rendered a believing man, John xx. 27. "Be not faithlefs but believing." It is the fame word with this in the text here, called faithful, Eph. i. 4. "To the faithful in Chrift Jefus ;" that is, to the believing people in Chrift Jefus: and indeed, with out faith in Chrift, there is no faithfulnefs to God. He that would be faithful in doing and fuffering, has great need of much faith in God.-See, to this purpose, 1 Tim. iv. 10. "For therefore we both labour and fuffer reproach, because we truft in the liv ing God." The doing and fuffering Chriftian, that is faithful both in his active and paffive obedience, is he that trufts in the living God. An unbeliever may have morality, but hath no fidelity; and hence is that fweet conjunction of holding faith, and a good confcience, 1 Tim. i. 19.--A good confcience will ftand on no other ground but that of true faith; and true faith will ly upon no other bed but a good confcience. Hence,

2. It is requisite to make a man faithful, that he has goodnefs; therefore, as faith and faithfulnefs are con joined, fo goodness and faithfulness; "Well done, thou good and faithful fervant," Mat. xxv. 21. And, I think, the goodnefs here refpects the ftate and condition; and faithfulness refpects the way and converfation: for, when God calls people to be judged, he first judges

every man according to his ftate, and then every man according to his work: they are first judged according to their ftate, whether they be good trees in Chrift, before they be judged according to their works, whe ther they have brought forth fruit: and, no doubt, if they be good as to their flate in Chrift, they will be faithful and fruitful, according to their measure. The procedure of the Judge at the last day, is, firft to judge men according to their ftate, before ever any word be faid about their works; for, the fheep are to be fet on the right-hand, and the goats on the left, before any fentence be paffed, or any verdict given about their actions that is, it is firft judged whether they be good or bad, in a good or bad fate, in the firft or fe. cond Adam, under the covenant of works or of grace; and, to the faithful in Chrift, their goodness will be proclaimed, becaufe of their union to Chrift; and their faithfulnefs will evidence it.

3. It is requifite to make a man faithful, that he has wifdom; Who then is a faithful and wife. fervant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his houfhold, to give them meat in due feafon? Bleffed is that fervant, whom his Lord when he cometh, fhall find fo doing," Matth. xxiv. 45,46. This is not only requifite in minifters, their difpenfing the bread of life; but alfo in people, that they be wife as ferpents, and harmlefs as doves; and we are to understand the times, and what Ifrael ought to do: this is the wifdom that is from above: and therefore, if any man lack this wisdom, let him afk it of God, for it muft come from the Lord immediately, James i. 7. "Confider what I fay, and the Lord give thee underftanding in all things," 2 Tim. ii. 7. The wife are the faithful.

4. It is requifite to make a man faithful, that he be trufty.And this truftiness has a refpect to three things, viz, both to what is fpoken by him, and what is committed to him, and to whom he is concerned with.

[1. To what is fpoken by him, or to what he fays. The trufly man, is one whofe words we may depend upon, and that verifies his words by his deeds; and,

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as in religion, the faithful man is he that makes good by his practice, what he fays by profeffion; and, on the contrary, they are unfaithful that are not as good as their word, like thefe, Titus i. 16. who profess that they know God, but in works deny him, being abominable, and difobedient, and unto every good work reprobate. Thus the apoftle Paul taxes the Galatians, that they were not fo good as their word, Gal. iv. 14, 15.

[2.] Trultinefs has a refpect to what is committed to a man. He is a trufty man that keeps that which is committed unto him, or what he is intrusted with; fo, in a fpiritual fenfe, he is a faithful man who keeps what God has intrufted him with.

Queft. What is that wherewith believers are intrufted, and wherein they must be faithful?

There are thefe four things I name.

(1) The truths of God, and the purity of religion; that is the common falvation the apoftle Jude speaks of, ver. 3. and that good thing the apoftle Paul speaks of, 2 Tim. i. 14. "And that good thing which was committed to thee, by the Holy Ghoft, which dwelleth in us. Ver. 13. Hold faft the form of found words which thou haft heard of nie, in faith and love, which is in Christ Jefus." This is a trust committed not only to minifters, but to all God's people; Phil. i. 27. "Stand ye fast in one fpirit, with one mind, ftriving together for the faith. of the gofpel." This is what our Lord fpeaks of to feveral of the feven churches here: "Hold fast till I come. Hold fast what thou haft, that no man take thy crown." This is one great thing, for which we must be accountable, and wherein we must be faithful.

(2.) To every Chriftian there is committed a certain measure of gifts and graces; to fome one talent, to fome two, to fome five, Matth. xxv. 15. Now, the man that is faithful, occupies with them to the utmoft; lays not up his talent in a napkin; and, thro grace, lets not the coal die out; but ftirs up the fire of his gifts and graces, as Paul exhorts Timothy; bý employing all to the glory of God, while he lives in this world.

(3.) To