"116 SERMONS upon Serm, i 3, (2.) For the Principle, Chrift muft be honoured. You mutt make him the Princi- ple of your Obedience to God. Yououft make ufe of Chrift, not only in point of - Acceptance, but Afitftance. Phil. 4.13. I can do all things through Chrift, that ftrength- neth me. Gal. 2.20. Neverthelefi I live, yet not I, but Chrift liveth.in me, and the Life which Ilive in the Flefb, I live by the Faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himfelf for me. He will be honoured by dependance, as the cauCe of all our Spiritual Being. Whatever we have, Life, Senfe, and Motion, it is derived from him our Head, to us his Members. You rob him of his chief Glory, if you do not depend upon him, and make him the Principle and Head of every vital Influence. (3.) For the End ; you muft make his Intereft the great End of your Lives, Phil. I. 21. 'E,t4.41 v, xe,csòs, For me to live, is Chrift : He would not have Life for any other end, but tO advance Chrif, all is done with a pure eye to him. Rom. 14. 7, R. For no Man liveth to himfelf, and no Man dieth to himfelf. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord-; or whether we die, we die unto the Lord ; whether therefore we live or die, we are the Lord's. A Regenerate Man, muft not live as his own Man, but as the Lord's, as one that is wholly given up to Chrift, not wedded to his own Intereft, but altogether for Chrifc s Glory. (4.) The Motive mutt be Gratitude to Chrifc, all muff be done for Chrift's fake : 2 Cor. 5. 14. For the Love of Chrifl conflraineth me. God's Love in Chris should be the great fwayingMotive ; Shall I not do fomething for him that died for me ? Chris is exceedingly honoured, when there are fudh kind of Arguings and Workings in the Heart. 3. We muft glorify Chrift in our Enjoyments. When we think of our Title to any thing, think, this I have by Gift,be it Juflification,Sanllification, Glorification,Com- fort of the Creatures. Whatever Privilege we look upon as ours, we muff fee Chrift in it. I Cor. 3. 22, 23. Ill are yours, Sand ye are Chrifl's, and Chrift is God's. All Mercies fwim to us in his Blood, he purchafed them of God, and conveyed them to us, that we might be fenfible that we have all in and by Chrift. He did not only pur- chafe them, but began to us in every Privilege ; Chrift fire had them, and then we he was elefted, juflified, fan lified, rofe again by Covenant, afcended, and was glo- rifted; in all there things, Chrift would thew himfelf to be the Heir of all things : He was the Elder Brother, and had the preheminence as the Heir : He would poffefs, and then make the Teflament. It is true, in the Comforts of the World, Chrift poffeffed little, but he had a Right and Title, which he hath made over to us. To declare his Right, the Creatures, one time or another, did him Homage ; the Angels miniftred to him, the Devils confeffed him 5 the Winds and Seas were at his beck, a Fith payed him Tribute. Well then, look .upon Chrift in every Enjoyment ; he was the Purchafer, and he was the firfl Heir and "Poffeffor. 4. We glorify Chrift, by doing and fuffering for the advancement of his Intereft and Kingdom. Never were there filch a zealous parcel of Men, as in the first days of the Gospel, they feemed to fome as if they were even mad for Chrift; 2 Cor. 5.13. For whether we be beides our films, it it to God ; much in Spirit, much in Labours, . much in Afhittions. Primitive Zeal is much decayed ; many are like the Carbuncle, if you loók upon it afar off, you would think it all on Fire, but touch it, and it is Key-cold. Religion is turned into a meer prattle and talk, few mind the Intere& of Christ. A Chri tan fhould be always deviling how he may lay forth himfelf for Chrift, for the advancement of his Ordinances, inlargement of his Kingdom; and to this end we should neither (pare Body nor Eftate, nor Life it felt. You should honour him with your Subflance ; Prov. 3.9. Honour the Lord with thy Subjlance, and with the frfl Fruits of all thy Increafe ; it is but a Tribute to the King of the Church. Now Miracles are ceafed, God will propagate the Gospel by the bounty of thofe that have tatted the lweetnefs of it ; if the Lord bath need of it, why Ihould we flick at any thing. Honour him with your Relation ; as a Magiflrate, Magistrates mull improve the Intereft of Chrift, by difcountenancing Error ; they who reign by Christ, musk reign for him ; fee if God doth not reckon with Ga/lids. As a Merchant, honour himwith thy Traffick, to promote Religion by Trade. Deut. 33. 18, 19. And of Ze- bulun he Paid, Rejoice Zebulun in thy going out ; and Iffachar in thy Tents. They fball call the People unto the Mountain, there ¡ball they offer Sacrifices of Righteoufnefs: for they ¡ha flick of the Abundance of the Seas, and of Treafure hid in the Land. Every Affair thould be call into the Mould of Religion, or we do not a/t as Christians. yefuits and Pdpifis will rife up in judgment againft us. So in your private Sphere, do fome- thing
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