ì16 SERMONS upon Semi. XLVII. is in the world thrcagh lull. Their ways are direíted and ordered, Pfal. 1 r 9. r. Blef'd are the undefiled in the way , who walk ingthe lam of the Lord. Arid for the future they have eternal life, r John 2. 25. And this is the promife he hnth promifed us, even eternal life. Now thefe are bleffings the world cannot deprive us of and they are the fruits of diftinguithing love: but worldly things which are, fitbje& to the will and power of our enemies, are not ; Ecclef. 9. 1, 2. Love nor hatred cannot be known by theft things all things come alike to all. There have efcaped the greaten milèry, and are intitledto the greateft happinefs mankind is capable of. 2. Their value and elleem of it, above all worldly felicities, Pfal. 4. 6, 7. Many fay, who will flieee us any good? Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us, 7 'Sou hafi put gladnefi into my heart, more than in the time that their corn and wine increafed. Yea, above life its fell, Pfal. 63. 3. Thy loviocgkindnefs is better than life. They were willing to renounce all to get it and therefore they are willing to renounce all to keep it, Phil. 3. 7,8. What things were gain to me, 1 counted lofi for Chrill; yea doubtlefi, and 1 count all things but loft. He had counted, and did count; to thew that he had not repented of his choice. Man is changeable and fickle, highly conceited, for one thing to day, and another to morrow ; but the Apofle faw no caufe to recede trom his choice, he continued (till of the fame opinion. We often affe& novelties; are tranfported when we firft change our profeffion, and repent at leafure. Now if he were to do it again, he would freely do it, fuppofing it to be gainful. But now to have the favour of God, and to be like him, how valuable a bleffing is it ? None are true Chrifians but thole that are like minded; that value his favour above all things : for otherwife, Cod is loved with the refpe& of an underling, and fo cannot have the affe &ion from us that is due to the chiefett good, Prat. 73. 25. Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I d f re befides thee. 3. That nothing can feparate us from the fruition of his love. This will be heft teen from the grounds, T. The immutability of Gods love to the ele&. His elehive love maketh not only our vocation effeb ual, butt our junification and glorification alto, Rom. 8. 3o. He will not ceafe to love us, nor can off the care of our falvation, till he bath brought it to its final period. 2. The infinite merit of Chrift. 'Tis in the text, The love of God which is in Chrifi lefas our Lord. His. free-love is carried on to us in that way; for the fruits of his eternal love we cannot obtain but by Jefus Chrift. Now his merit is an everlaffing me- rit : he went not to Heaven, till he had obtained eternal Redemption for us, Heb. 9. 12. A purchafe that (hall ever nand in force. 3. The unchangeable Covenant, and the promifes of God which irreverfibly make over this right to us,2 Cor. t.ao. For all the promifes of God are in him yea, and amen.And Heb. 6.18. That by two immutable things, in which it was impoffible for God to lie, we might have lïrong confolation. Surely this fhould give us a strong confolation, that we have the word of the eternal God for it, That if we run for refuge, and nick there, nothing thall defeat our right. 4. The union of a believer with Chrift, as a member of his body, and fo belonging to his care and prote&íon. For the Lord Chrift is a Saviour to all thofe to whom he is truly an head, Eph. 5. 23. Chrifl is the head of the Church, and the Saviour of the body. 'Therefore every living member of the myfical body is Cafe; nothing (hall diffolve or break that bleffed union that is between Chrift and believers. 5. The Almighty power of God and Chrift, r Pet. 1. 5. re are kept Èy the power of God through faith to falvation. Heaven is kept for them, and they are kept for Heaven. Chrift bath promifed his Almighty Power for the fafety of believers. As it was he, and not we,that purchafed our falvation; fo it is Chrift and not we, that mull have the keep- ing of the purchafed benefits ; and he faith,that none (ball pluck them out of his hands, and out of the Fathershands,7obn 10.28, 29. This is the great fecurity of the Fold, that they are under the power of fo careful, and fo able a Shepherd. This Almighty power of God and Chrift, doth mightily fortifie us againft all temptations we meet with in the way to Heaven. 6. This right accrueth to believers by virtue of their interell in Chrift, t Cor. 3.22, 23. Ad things are yours, whether Paul, or Apollo:, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things prefent, or to come; allure yours, and you are Chrifis, and Chrifl is Gods. All things are theirs wherein they are concerned, if not in poffef(ton, yet in redu &ion or final
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