5© SERMONS upon the SE R M. VII. upon them. The words feem principally to intend as if his own Gifts and Abilities were given to them, to help bear a part ¡It the burden of the Government. Secondly, In point of Power ; they ha e no power to transfufè and put over their Righteoufnefs to another : As a man cannot divide and part his Life between him and another. But Chrift who liveth in us, and is fpiritually united to us, he can impart his Grace and Righteoufiefs. 2 Cor. 5. 21. He was made fin for as, who knew no fin, that we might be made the righteoufnefs of God in him. Gal. z. 20. The If thàt I live in.the flefb, Ilive by the Faith of the Son of God. Thirdly, If they could do fo, they have no Authority and Commiflìon'to do ir, as God bath given to Chrift ; yob. 3. 34, 35. For he whom God bath feat, fpeaketh the wards of God ; for God giveth not the Spirit by meafure unto him. The Father loveth the Son, and bath given all things into his hand. And Yoh. 17. z. As thou haft given him power over allflefb, that be lhould give Eternal Life to as many as thou bag given him. Such a difference there is between the Lord Jefus Chrilt and the Saints : He can give us of his Oyl, and will do it, will not deny thofe that feek it hum',ly and feafonably, and have enough himfelf ; as the precious Oyntment upon Aaron. lied and beard, ran down to the shorts of bis Garments, Pfal. 133. 2. fo doth Chrift the Head communicate his Gifts and Graces to all his Members. (2.) I do not hereby exclude the Benefit which we have by the Communion of the Saints in the Myftical Body of Chrift here in this World. The Members are mutually ufefull. to one another ; as 'tis laid Cod. 2. r9.--..From which all the Body by »lilts and bands, having nourifhment minifred, and knit together, increafeth with the .increafe of God. 'Tis from the Head, but knit together by Nerves, Veins and Ar- teries : The Apoftle faith, that every joynt fupplyeth fomething, Eph. 4. 16. we com- municate tò one another that ftrength and nourifhment which all receive by the Head. There is no Member but is of ufe, we have benefit from one anothers Gifts and Graces, or elfe we could not be ferviceable in the Body : But the Cafe in the Text is different, there foolilh Virgins had their former advantages, which they Ihould have improved, to have fupplyed them in the day of their Account. Now the wife could not help the feolifh, nor thé foolifh the wife :, But every man (hall be, judged according to what is within him. (3.) As to the keeping off of temporal judgments, the very Society and Neighbour- hood of the Godly may be a Means to refptt the wicked. yet-. 5. a. Run to and fro through the ftreets of Jerufalem, and fee now and know, and Peek in the broad places there of if you can find a man that executeth judgement, that feeketh'the truth, and I will par- don it. If they are not pardoned, they may be refpired for a time :, So the fentence againft Sodom, we read that if ten righteous perlons had been found therein, Gen. 18. 32. God would have (pared it. And God gave Paul the Lives of all them that failed in the Ship with him, for his fake : As to temporal things, God may flay the Judgment upon others for the Godlies fake, though not alwayes; for 'tis faid Ezek. r4. 14. Though Noah, Daniel,. and job flood before me, they fbould deliver but their own Souls by their own righteoufnefs. When the Decree was irrevocably paff, and their provocations grown to an infufferable height : So 'tis laid in the Jewifh Proverb, That two dry flicks may fet a green one on fire : To which Chrift is fup- pofed to allude, when he faith, if this be done to the green Tree, what (ball be done to the dry ? Well, but bating there Cafes, we Mall ndt be the better for others Righteoufnefs, and this is often preffed in Scripture : Hab. 2.4. The juft than live by his Faith ; by his own, not by another mans. Ezek. 18.20. The Soul that finneth it (bail die; the Son ¡ball not bear the iniquity of the Father, nor ¡hall the Father bear the iniquity of the Son : The righteoufnefs of the righteous /hall be upon him, and the wickednefs of the wicked (hall be upon him. That is, as to eternal Rewards and Pu- nifhments, every one is to be confidered according to their own perfonal Eflate: Every Tub !hall stand upon its own bottom, and every Soul (hall be dealt with according to its owrr capacity. So Rom. 14. 12. Every one of us fballgive an account of himfelf to God. We shall give an account of our own thoughts, words and alli- ons ; not lhufed together by the lump, and in grofi, but every one feverally One !hall not appear for another, as here we may appear by Proflor or Atturney ; nor the whole. Party and Profeffion for fingle perlons : But every one is to give an account of himfelf apart, man by man. So Gal. 6. 4, 5. Let every man approve his own work, and thenlball he have rejoycing in himfelf alone, and not in another, for every man (hall bear his own burden: We fhould every one look to his own allions, and our
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