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obtain grace, and find mercy to help him in every time of need." Acts of grace are emitted from this throne, indemnities, promifes, and proclamations of grace: "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters: and he that hath no money, let him come," &c. Heralds are fent abroad to proclaim the grace of God through Chrift to man, and to lift up their voice in the tops of the high places; a word of reconciliation is committed unto them; and they, as ambaffadors for Chrift, pray men, and the fons of men, to be reconciled unto God: "because Christ was made fin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God through him." The great ftore-houses of grace are opened; his righteousness and falvation brought near to every one's door in a difpenfed gofpel, with a voice from heaven, Come and welcome to Chrift, and all his fulness. He stands with the outstretched arms of redeeming love, crying, "Behold me, behold me! O how would I gather you, as the hen gathers her chickens under her wings!" O what is man that he is thus mindful of him!-But then, what work is he at with man after all this, in order to the effectual application of the purchased and exhibited falvation! The hammer of the law muft be applied, in order to break the rocky heart in pieces; the fallow ground muft be plowed up, to prepare it for the reception of the incorruptible feed of gofpel truth; the ftrong holds of Satan must be pulled down; the high imaginations of the heart levelled: Satan and proud self must be dethroned. The finner is dead, buried, and ftinking in the grave of fin; the "ftone must be rolled away from the fepulchre, and wonders must be fhewed unto the dead, the Spirit of life muft breathe upon the dry bones:" the finner is blind, and he must have his eyes opened: he is a prifoner, and his chains of captivity must be loofed; the obftinate iron finew of his will must be bended by the almighty power of God, and "he perfuaded and enabled to embrace Christ, and salvation through him, as he is freely offered in the gospel." The finner being thus tranflated from death to life, from darkness to God's marvellous light, in effectual calling, O what work doth the Lord make about the poor inconfiderable creature! how doth he heap favours and privileges, one after another, upon him! He betrothes the poor forlorn creature to himself, as if it had been a chafte virgin, makes it the bride, the Lamb's wife, and fays to it, Now, "thy Maker is thine Husband, the Lord of Hofts is his name," &c. He takes away the filthy rags, and clothes it with change of raiment, even the white linen of his own everlafting righteousness, and makes it to fing that fong, If. lxi. 10. "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my foul fhall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me

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with the garments of falvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels;" he takes the burden of all the debt it owed unto justice upon himfelf, and ftands between it and all charges that law and juftice had against it, enabling it to fay, "Who can lay any thing to my charge? it is God that juftifieth, who is he that condem neth? it is Chrift that died, yea, rather that is rifen again, who is even at the right-hand of God, who alfo maketh interceffion for us:" he becomes an everlasting father to the poor creature, and puts it among the children, making it an heir of God, and a joint heir with himself, and fays to it, "Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me, My Father," &c. He puts the beauty of his own holiness upon the foul, and makes it like "the king's daughter, all glorious within," like the embroideries of needle-work; he maketh it "like the wings of a dove, covered with filver, and her feathers with yellow gold:" he visits the foul frequently, and manifefts himself to it, fo as he does not manifest himself to the world; he waters it with the dew of his Spirit, like the vineyard of red wine: he breathes on it by his Spirit, makes the north and fouth wind to awake, come and blow on it, whereby the graces of the Spirit, like fo many fpices, are made to fend forth a pleasant fmell: he bears it company through fire and water, and never leaves it: he makes the man to dwell in the fecret of his prefence and under his fhadow, and as the mountains are round about Jerufalem, fo his attributes pitch their tents on every hand of it for its defence; he plants a guard of angels about his bride, for her honour and fafety, as a lifeguard, Heb. i. ult. and in a word, he "keeps it by his power through faith unto falvation; makes goodnefs and mercy to follow it ;" and at laft divides Jordan, and brings it home, under a guard of angels, to the promised land of glory, and prefents it before his Father "without fpot or wrinkle, or any fuch thing." And upon a review of all this that he doth before time, and in time, may we not justly cry out in a rapture of admiration, Lord, what is

man!

3. If we follow the Lord's way with men, from an eternity paft, through time, to an eternity to come, we shall see juft caufe to cry, what is man?-But here a vail lies between us and that glory and happiness that God has ordained and defigned for man in the world to come. And the things there ordained for man are fo great, that “ eye hath not feen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man to conceive, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him," 1 Cor. ii. 9. What thinkeft thou, believer, of being

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"for ever with the Lord," and of having " places among them that ftand by," and beholding the glory of God and of the Lamb? what thinkelt thou of coming in perfon to " Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerufalem" above, defcribed Rev. xxi. whofe "wall is of jafper, and the city itself of pure gold, like unto transparent glass; where there is no need of the fun or moon," or of these ordinances, word and facraments, and minifters, because the glory of the Lord doth lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof?" what thinkeft thou, believer, of coming to the "general affembly, and church of the first-born, which are written in heaven?" what thinkeft thou of joining an "innumerable company of angels, and the fpirits of juft men made perfect," who fing a new fong, crying, "Salvation to our God, and to the Lamb, for ever and ever." Rev, vii. 10. "Worthy is the Lamb that was flain, to receive power, and riches, and wifdom, and ftrength, and honour, and glory, and bleffing?" what thinkeft thou of coming to God the judge of all, as thy God and Father? what thinkest thou of coming to Jefus the Mediator of the new covenant; and of feeing him up "more darkly as thro' a glafs, but face to face, feeing him as he is, and beholding the glory that his Father hath given him?" what thinkell thou of fitting down at the table that fhall never be drawn, and of eating and drinking with him, and the ransomed company, in the kingdom of heaven? Matth. xxvi. 29. I will not drink henceforth" faid he, at the inftitution of the fupper, before he died, "of the fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.” What thinkeft thou of thefe new fcenes of glory, wifdom, power, holinefs, juftice, mercy, grace, and love, and faithfulness, that will be opening through eternity, in the immediate vision of God, and in the works of creation, providence, and redemption; every one of which will fill thy foul with a new rapture of wonder and praife? what thinkeft thou of fitting down with Chrift victorioutly upon his throne, as he alfo overcame, and is fet down with his Father upon his throne ? what thinkeft thou of poffeffing thefe thrones in glory, that became vacant by the apoftafy of the angels that fell? what thinkeft thou "of ruling the nations with a rod of iron? of binding their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron? yet this honour have all the faints," 1 Cor. vi. 2. "Do ye not know, that the faints shall judge the world ?" ver. 3. "Know ye not that we shall judge angels?" what thinkeft thou of eating of the hidden manna, and the fruits of that tree which grows in the midst of the paradife of God: which beareth welve manner of fruits every month, and whofe leaves are for

the

the healing of the nations?" what thinkeft thou of entering into thefe ivory palaces of glory, with joy and triumph, on every fide, the houfe of many mansions, the houfe of Chrift's Father, whofe builder and maker is God?" thou shalt be fatisfied then, to the full, with the fatnefs of his houfe, and drink of the rivers of his pleasures. What thinkeft thou of beco-. ming a pillar in the temple of God, where thou shalt go no more out, and having Christ's name, his Father's name, and the name of the city of our God written on thee for ever? what thinkeft thou of being for ever freed and delivered of all thefe burdens under which thou groaneft? of all these fiery darts whereby thou art now haraffed? of all thefe oppreffing fears and challenges? of all thefe tears, forrows, and afflic tions, which make thee to go through the world, with a bowed down back, hanging thy "harp upon the willows?" what thinkeft thou of thefe eternal things, that are shortly to be poffeffed? of an eternal God, an eternal life, an eternal light, eternal love, eternal reft, eternal vifion and fruition, eternal likeness and conformity to the Lord, that are abiding thee? what thinkeft thou of the "crown of glory that fadeth not away?" what thinkeft thou of "a kingdom that shall never be moved an inheritance that is incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away?" what thinkeft thou of having thefe twilight blinks of glory through the vail, turned into an eternal day of glory? for there the Sun of righteousness shall never fet, never, never be eclipfed. O Sirs, all this, and ten thousand, thousand, thousand times more than I can tell you, is prepared for you on the other fide of death: and after all, have we not reason to fing and fay, as in the text, Lord, what is man that thou takeft knowledge of him? or what the fon of man, that thou makeft fuch account of him?

IV. The fourth thing in the method was, to fhew, That it is truly wonderful and furprifing, that God, the great God, bould have fuch a regard to man, that he should take fuch knowledge, and make fuch great account of him.

I need not stay upon this, after what has been fid; only in a few words. (1.) 'Tis furprising, if we confider God's infinite and amazing greatnefs and glory. Oh ! who can think or fpeak of him in a fuitable manner? He that thews fuch a regard to man, is "the high and lofty One that inhabits eternity, and dwells in the high and holy place, to which no man can approach: he that dwells in light that is inacceffible, and full of glory." He whofe "throne is high and lifted up," above all the thrones of heaven and earth: He before whom

angels

angels and archangels are ftanding, with their "faces and their feet covered with their wings," crying," Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God of hofts :" he who " ftretched out the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth :" he who "weighs the mountains in fcales, and the hills in a balance, takes up the waters of the ocean in the hollow of his hand, and doth whatsoever he pleaseth in the armies of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth." O! is it not furprising and wonderful, that this great and infinite Jehovah, who hath all being, life, light, glory, and perfection, inherent in himself, and stood in no need of man nor angels, that he should take fuch knowledge of man, or the son of man? Lord, What is man?

(2.) It is furprifing, if we confider what man is, what a poor inconfiderable, contemptible creature he is, both as a creature, and as a finner, of which I fpake in the entry upon the first head, in answer to that queftion, What is man? &c.

(3.) It is furprising and wonderful, because it cannot be conceived or expreffed, it runs beyond all thought and all words; "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive," of the kindness and condefcenfion of God to man: fo much is clearly imported in the pfalmift's way of fpeaking, of the goodness of God in the text; Lord, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him? Hence are these or the like expreffions of wonder and amazement, "How excellent is thy loving-kindness, O God! How great is thy goodness which thou haft laid up for them that fear thee? Oh the heighth, the depth, and breadth, and length, of the love of God, which paffeth knowledge!" These expreffions, they are juft a pofing and putting our finite minds to an eternal stand: and therefore we mult itop, for what can we fay more?

V. The fifth thing was the Application. And because I have been all along practical in the doctrinal part, therefore I fhall conclude with a few inferences.

1/t, See hence the folly of all fuch as are taken up in admiring any created excellency, either to be found in themfeves, or others of the human race, without running up to the fountain head, an infinite God, from whom all being, beauty, glory, and excellency doth flow. The fpirit of God fpeaks of it as a piece of brutith folly, for man to look at the creature, withou tracing it and all its excellency to God, as its oxiginal: Pfl. xciv. 8. "Understand, ye brutish among the people; and, ye fools, when will ye be wife? he that planted the ear, thall he not hear? he that formed the ey, fhall he not fee ?" ver. 10. "He that teacheth man knowledge," fhall not he know? Thefe are questions that

may

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