ON' THE GLORY OF CHRIST. 91 this abounds in them, so as to give them strength and ` Having laid the foundation of this illustrious testi- vigour in the exercise of grace, to keep them from de- cays and withering, they are said to be fat, which in the scripture- phrase is strong and healthy. (2.) That they flourish in the greenness (as the word is) and verdure of profession; for vigorous gracewill produce a flourishing profession. (3.) That they still bring forth fruit in all duties of holy obedience. All these are promised unto them even in old age. Even trees when they grow old (the palm and thece- dar) are apt to lose of their juice and verdure; and men in old age are subject unto all sorts of decays, both outward and inward. It is a rare thing to see aman in old age naturally vigorous, healthy and strong; and would it not be more rare to see any spiritually so at the same season! But this is here promised unto-be- lievers as an especial grace and privilege, beyond what can be represented in the growth- or fruit-bearing of plants and trees. The grace intended is, that when believers are under all sorts of bodily and natural decays, and, it may be, have been overtaken with spiritual decays also, there is provision made in the covenant to render them fat, flou- rishing, and fruitful, vigorous in the power of internal grace, and flourishing in the expression ofit in all duties ofobedience, which is that which we now inquire after. Blessed be God for this good word of his grace, that he bath given us such encouragement against all the decays and temptations of old age which wehave to con- flict withal. And the psalmist in the next words declares the greatness of this privilege: to shew that the Lord is up- right; he is my rock, there is no unrighteousness in him. Consider the oppositions that lie against the flourishing of believers in old age, the difficulties of it, the tempta- tions that must beconquered, theactings of the mind a- bove its natural abilities which are decayed, the weari- ness that is apt to befit us in a long spiritual conflict, the cries of the flesh to be spared, and we shall see it to be an evidence of the faithfulness, power, and righteous- ness of God in covenant; nothing else could produce this mighty effect. So the prophet treating of the same promise, Hos. xiv. 4 -8. closeth his discourse with that blessed remark, ver. 9. Spiritual wisdom will make us to see that the faithfulness and power of God are exert- ed in this work of preserving believers flourishing and fruitful unto the end. mony, I shall farther declare and confirm mÿ intention, so to make way for the application of the truth under consideration, unto this case; manifesting, that the way whereby we maybe made partakers of'this grace, is by a steady view of the glory of Christ, as proposed untous in the gospel. There is a latter spring in the year; a spring in au- tumn:- it is indeed for the most part but faint and weak, yet it is such as the husbandman cannot spare. And it is an evident sign of barren ground, when it doth not put forth afresh towards the end. of the year. God, the good husbandman, looks for the,same from us, especial- ly if we had a summer's drought in spiritual decays; as the Psalmist complains, Psal. xxxii. 4. Had we not had a latter spring the last year, the land had greatly suffered under the drought of the summer. And if we have had such, a drought in the course of our profession by spiritual decays, as God, the-good husbandman, looks for a latter spring in us, even in old age, in the vigor- ous acting of grace and fruitful obedience; so without it we can neither have peace norjoy inour own souls. If a man, therefore, bathmade a great appearance of reli- gion in his former or younger days, and when he is growing into age becomes dead, cold, worldly, selfish; ifhe have no fresh springs of spiritual life in him, it is an evidence that he has a barren heart, that was never really fruitful to God- I know that many stand in need of being excited by such warning, unto a diligent consi. deration oftheir state and condition. It is true that the latter spring doth not bring forth the same fruit with the former. There is no more re- quired in it, but that the ground evidence itselfto be in good heart, and to put forth that which is proper unto the season. It may be, such graces as were active and vigorous in men at their first conversion unto God, as were carried in a stream of warm natural affections, may not so eminently abound in the latter spring ofold age; but those which are proper for the season, as, namely, spirituality, heavenly-mindedness, weanedness from the world, readiness for the cross and death are necessary, even in old age, to evidence that we have a living principle ofgrace, and to shew thereby that God is upright, he is our rock, and that there is no unright- eousness in him. What is further to be insisted on, shall be reduced unto these four heads:
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