Hcadll~ Ejiablijhm~nt. 251 Every true Chrifi:ian is a temple to God. If yt look for facrifices they are not wanting there ; they offer the facri– jice of praije, and the~.?o good; 'With fuch J!zcrijice.J God iJ 'Well pleajtd, Heb. vm. I 5, 16. \Chnfl b1mfelf 1s th~ . altar that fanftifies the gift, ver. 10. But what comes· of , the lkins and dung pf their facrifi~es ? They are carried a– way without the camp If we look for incenfe, it is ther~ too. The graces of the Spirit are found in !heir hearts.: an<:! the fpirit of a crucified Chrifi, fires them and puts tbern in exercife ; likeas the fire was brought from~ the altar of burnt-offf!ring, to fet the incenfe on fl.ame : then,they mount heaven -ward, like pillau offmoke, Cant. iii. 6. But the befi: p-f incenfe wjll leave afhes behiod it: yes, Indeed ; but a$ ·the prieft took away the afh.es of the inc5!nfe in a golden , difh, and threw them out; fo our great high-priefl takes away the afhe.s and refufe of all the iain~s i~cvices., by hi• .mediation oo their behalf, ; · · An eighth ben~lit flowi ng from union with ChrHl, is 6· fiablifhment. The Chrifiian <.annot fall away, ~ut mu.fi per· fevere unw the end, John x. 28. Tht)' jha/1 never perifh, \ 7Jetther /hall any n~an pluck thmz ou.,t ofmy hand; Indeed if a branch do not knit with t!1 e Hock, it will fall away when fuaki.ng winds arife : but the branch knit to the flock fiands fafi, whatever wind blows . Sometimes a fionny wind of temptation blows from hell, and tolfeth the branches in Chrifl: the true l'ine : bla their union with him, is their f~curity ; moved ~hey may be, but removed they never can .~e. The Lord 'Will 'With the temptation alfo n;.' k.e a way - to efcqpe, 1 Cor. :x. I~· Calms are never of any coming· ance : there is almofi always- fome wind blowing; and there– fote bral)ches a1e rarely altogether at reft. But foinetimes ;viol.t;I)t. winds arife, .whi<.h threaten to rend ,them from off their :!lock. Even fo it is with faints ; they are daily put lO it, to keep tt;eir ground againfl temptalion : but fame– times the wind irom hell rifetn fo high, and bloweth fo furi - - ,ouily, that it makes even top ' btanches to fweep the grou.nd: yet being knit to Chrifl: their Rock, they get up again, in. fpite .of the moll violent efforts of rhe prince of tht: power ofthe-air; Pfal. xciv. 18. !Jihen I (aidmyfootjlippeth, thy me re)'~ 0 Lord•. held n:e up. But the Chrifiian improves by . -th s tnal ; and 1s fo far from bd.og damaged, that he is be~ nefited
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