iiá SERMONS upon Serrri,a3, 6. By taking fome folemn time to meditate of and admire the excellency of his Perfon, and the fulnefs of his Redemption. In Heaven this will be our great Work, there they pralle the Lamb for ever -more. Rev. 4. to, t 1. The four and twenty Elders fall down before him that ft on the Throne, and worfhip him that liveth for ever and ever, and raft their Crowns before the Throne, Paying, Thou art worthy, 0 Lord, to receive Honour, and Glory, and Power : for thou haft created all things, and for thy pleafere they are and were created. They donot flight their glorious Work. All the Glory they have, is Gods meer Bounty ; they hold it by Grace, and magnify it by Grace. So, Rev. 1.8. The four Beafis, and foer and twenty Elders, fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them, Harps, and golden Dials full of Odours, which are the Prayers of the Saints. There is the Employment of the Church Militant and Triumphant. Harps, which are In- ftruments of Praife, belong to Souls already glorified ; as Vials fell of Odours, belong to Believers on Earth. The Earth is the true place of Prayer, as in Heaven we thall be employed in Eternal Thankfgivings.. All the Church is yielding Homage to Chrift ; It is the Study of Saints; EpheC. s. 16. I ceafe not to give Than 1s fur you. It was Paul's confiant pra &ice, he breathed nothing but Chrift ; 1 Cor. 2.2. I determined to know nothing among you, fave Jefes Chrift, and him crucified., Our Thoughts of Chrift fhould be fweet to us; we fhould have ravilhing apprehenfìons of him from day to day, ravishing thy Heart with the excellency of Chrift. ZJfe 3. Is Confolation to them that delire to glorify Chrift. It is a fingular Prop in your Prayers, in every Addrefs, you have an Intere(t in Father and Son : They are mine, faith the Lord, I loved them with an everlafting Love ; They are mine, faith Chrift, I redeemed them with an everlafting Redemption : And will not God provide for his own ? and Chrift for his own ? Can he that bath the Father and Son, mifcarry and doubt of Audience ? You have the Father, who is the Original Fountain of Blef- fing; and you have Christ, who is the Golden Pipe and Conveyance. But efpecially in your lati Addrefs, when you lie on your Death -Bed ; you know Chrilïs own Plea, John 17. 4, 5. Father, .1 have glorified thee upon Earth, I bave fnifbed the Work that thou haft given me to do. And now, Father, glorify thou me with thy jelf, with the Glory that I had with thee before the World war. It is a fweet Evidence ; What doth God look for from the Creature, but Glory ? Objetsion a. But you will fay, I cannot glorify Chrift in my Addreffes to God, and cannot come with an Affurance becoming his Purchafe. I Anfwer ; t. When we cannot apply, let us difclaim. Lord ! we come not in our own Names, our own Worth and Delia, which is none at all ; we come in the Merits of Chrift, we know there is no other Name under Heaven. Hofea 14. 3. In thee the Fatherlefs 1 isdeth :Mercy; that is, every Perlon that wanteth a Guide, Relief, and Support. Though we cannot fay, Father, yet we can fay, we are Fatherlefs, we have none to help us. 2. If we cannot (peak of the,Love that he beareth to us for Chrifl's fake, yet let us plead the Love that he beareth to him. Chrifl's Name is very dear and precious in Heaven, being Gods beloved Son : Lord, for the Love that thou bearelt to Chrift ! We are his Clients, though we cannot fay we are his Members. Though I cannot fay, Thou art mine, yet t may lay, He is thine, a Mediator of thy letting up. God might have refufed us, if Chrift had not Letters Patents from Heaven, and his Commiffion under the Broad -Seal of God ; John 6. 27. Him bath God the Father frilled. Lord ! he is thy own authorifed Mediator. Mofes was refufed, that interpofed of his own ac- cord, Exod. 32.3?, 33. I have nothing to bring thee, but a Mediator of thine own. It is a prevailing Argument. Objets. 2. Alas ! there is little that I do for God, my Station is private : Thole in the Magiftracy and Miniflry, that are in an eminent Sphere of Ahhivity, they may glo- rify Chrift, they do his Work uponEarth ; but what do I do ? I Anfwer ; I. God will be glorified by every Man in his Way and Place : John 17. 4. Father, I have glorified thee upon Earth, I have finijied the Work that thou haft given me to do. We mull not fpeak of our Rank, Chrift is glorified by thy diligence and Fairhfulnefs in thy private Place, a Man Servant, or a Maid - Servant. 1 Cor. 7.22. He that is cal- led in the Lord, being a Servant, is the Lord's Free -man being redeemed from the thral. dom of Satan, and fervitude of Sin, he doth glorify Chrift. Titus 2. 9, 10- Exhort Servants
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