On COLOSS.l:J6,27. But Thirdly, If it be thus precious, Hold it fajl, as Paut fpeal<s to Tlttu, 1 • 9 , Hotdfajl the F:uthjttl word. The word ftgnifies to hold againfl contrary pullmg it away, im>«ll'""· It a man would notftll the lnhmtanc" left him, much Jefs would he fufter it to be taken from him. Suppofe 1t be but a trifle, yer men in a cafe of right will fpend their E!lates to hold t..eir o"n, though the Suit will not bear its own charges. But when. you contend for the T 11tb cnce given, as the Apo!lle .1r~de exhorts, you labour to preferve not your own ou!y , but God's right. It is not about a trifle, but for that which Chrii\ once fpent his Blood; and it is the Faithfttl word, as the Apo!lle calls it, aCaufe that will Hick to you, and maintain it felf, b.e f~re to overcome; and not bear its own charges only, but brings aCrown Wtth tt, 2T•m+7,8. I have fought thegood Fight, I hizve kept the Faith, hencrforth a Crow11 is l.>id11pfor me. Chrill did Wttnefs fo be– fore Pomi:u p,Jatt, I Tim.6. And La!\ of all, If it be thus Rich aswell as Precious, let it dwell richfy ; 11 yo11, .,,,~;;,, as the word •s ( oloff.I6. Gtve tt not poor, but pch entertainmenr as you would do a rich Kinfman, who means to make you his Heir, and eftate yo~ in all his Riches, And to that end, Labour to grow rich in the knowledge of it, and fpeech of it, as 'Paut fpeaks I Cor. '·5'· Thatyou may 6e mriched in all knowledge, a11d iH aft utterance, or fPeech about ir, as men labour to know what they are worth, and love to talk of it, 2. B~ftow Riches of affura/lce on it, as Coloff. 2. 2, Thaty ot< may have tbe Riches of fulJ Affurmzce of tmder[lmuli11g; and James 2 . 5'· To 6e rich i11 Faith. Truft in him, a~ men that are rich ufe to do in their Riches, Prov. IO. I). A~d though thetr Rtches be uncertatn, and not able to do what they exgect, yet this is profitable for all things, having fo many rich Promifes made .or you to rely upon. ~. BeftowRiches of Obedience on it, endeavouring to grow rich in Good works, as the Apoftle fpeaks, r Tim. 6.8. Spend the mofi precious of your time and thoughts upon it, U S E S of that Doctrine, The Glory of the G 0 S PE L. Fir!\ for Trial, Whether a man hath favingly received it, or no? for if it be thus glorious, then they are !\ill blinded to deftruction that fee it nor in the glory of it. Thi' is the direct confequence of the Apoftle himfelf in 2 Cor.4.4• For he having difcourfed of that rich and excellent Glory which it reveals, then fays he, Thofe that have lived fo long under the preaching of it, are lofl, into whofe hearts the light of this glorious Gofpel harh not lhined. And certainly, faith he, The god Of thts World hnth 6/mtfedthetr eyes; that t<, the Devil, by varnilhing over the vain glittering Scheme and glofs of the things of this World, as he did to Chrifi, Matt.J,.8. Dazles them fo, thatthey fee no more glory in the things which the Gofpel reveals, than blind men do. The fault mu!\ cer– tainly be in mens Eyes; for this glorious GofPel, wherever it lhines, is as the Sun in it felf; it is PrmJUm vifi6ile. Blind men are never the better for the Sun, though they may have eyes to fee the things the Gofpel prG>pounds, yet not the glory , the worth and excel– lency of them, fo as to be intimately and deeply affected with them, as to be content to leave, Hou(e, Lmzds, Father, and Wife, for the Go(pels fake, as Chrift fpeaks , Mark ro. 29. that is, to enjoy thofe things you hear fpoken of in the Gofpel. And this is that, which Chrifl: exprefly out of lfaiah fpeaks of the blind Pha– ri[tes, to whom theGlory of Chrifl was preached in the Gofpel, .1ohn 12-40,41. For,fays he, Ifaiah feeing that his Glory fpoke this of them, Tb.zt Gud had hti11ded their eys, ~c. that thty {bould not fee; that is, not fee that Glory of Chr.fl as preached to them, fq as Jjazah faw it, and all Saints to be humbled and converted by it, M Examine 81
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