WHO SHALL ENJOY THIS REST. 69 thou heartily groan under the insupportable weight of both ? Hast thou renounced all thy own righte- ousness? Hast thou turned thy idols out of thy heart, so that the creature hath no more the sovereignty, but is now a servant to God and Christ ? Dost thou accept of Christ as thy only Saviour, and expect thy justification, recovery, and glory, from him alone ? Are his laws the most powerful commanders of thy life and soul ! Do they ordinarily prevail against the commands of the flesh, and against the greatest in- terest of thy credit, profit, pleasure, or life ? Has Christ the highest room in thy heart and affections, so that, though thou canst not love him as thou wouldst, yet nothing else is loved so much ? --Hast thou to this end made a hearty covenant with him, and delivered up thyself to him ? Is it thy utmost care and watchful endeavour, that thou mayest be found faithful in this covenant; and though thou fall into sin, yet wouldst not renounce thy bar- gain, nor change thy Lord, nor give up thyself to any other government for all the world ?If this be truly the case, thou art one of the people of God in my text ? and as sure as the promise of God is true, this blessed rest remains for thee. Only see thou abide in Christ,(a) and endure to the end;(b) for if any man draw back, his soul shall have no pleasure in him.(c) But if no such work be found within thee ; whatever thy deceived heart may think, or how strong soever thy false hopes may be ; thou wilt find to thy cost, except thorough conversion prevent it, that the rest of the saints belongs not to thee. O that thou wert wise, that thou wouldst understand this, that thou wouldst consider thy latter end ! "(d) that yet while thy soul is in thy body, and a price in thy hand,(e) and opportunity and hope before thee, thine ears may be open and thy heart yield to the persuasions of God, that so thou mightest rest among (a) John xv. 4. (b) Matt. xxiv. 13. (cl) Deut. xxxii. 29. (c) Hebf x. 38. (e) Prov. xvii. 16.
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