unbelief, as Ifrael did, who believed not in God, and trusted not in his falvation, Pfal. lxxviii. 22.; fo that you fee the promife is a door for entering into the Ark. O, do not fhut the door of faith upon yourselves, left God fhut it alfo, and swear in his wrath that ye fhall not enter into it, but be left to perish in the deluge, Pfal. xcv. 7.

Object. I ftill doubt if I have a right to close with the promife; I am afraid that I be but guilty of prefumption.' Anfw. It can never be prefumption to do what God commands you, "and this is his commandment, that we fhould believe in the name of his Son Jefus Chrift." And if the promise does not belong to you, and to all to whom it is revealed, as a ground of faith, it is impoffible to conceive, how it is that an unbeliever makes God a liar, John v. 1o. by disobeying it,' for no man is obliged to believe a promise that is not made to him.

6thly, Another door by which faith enters into the New Teftament Ark, is the Father's gift of Chrift unto mankind loft. There is fuch a gift of Chrift in the word as warrants any man that reads it, to receive, appropriate, and apply Christ and all his purchased salvation to himself in particular, and to rejoice in him as his own property, If. lv. 4. " Behold I have given him for a Witness unto the people, a Leader and Commander unto the people," If. xlii. 6. "I will give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles, chap. xlix. 6. "I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayeft be my falvation unto the end of the earth;" John iii. 16. "God fo loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him thould not perish but have everlafting life," John vi. 32. " My Father giveth you the true bread from heaven." If. ix. 6. "Unto us a child is born, unto us a fon is given." From thefe, and many other places, it appears, there is fuch an univerfal gift or grant of Chrift unto finners of mankind, as makes it lawful and warrantable for every one to receive, ufe, and apply him, for all the ends for which he is given; for wisdom, righteoufnefs, fanctification, and redemption. No man doubts of his right to take or receive a gift when it is held out to him, and he bidden take it; and we have a common proverb among us, Have or take will make a deaf man hear. It argues a very ftrange infatuation among men and women, that they should fo readily grafp at a gift of this world's good, and yet be back ward in receiving God's unfpeakable gift, that would make them up in time and through all eternity, If I had this house full of gold and filver to diftribute an fcatter among you, and

were

were calling every man and woman, young and old, to come and get as much as they want, i am fure there would be few or none in that cafe that would draw back, every one would be more forward than another, to receive or gather. Well, Sirs, why fo forward to receive worldly riches that take wings and fly away? and yet refufe to receive Chrift and his unfearchable riches which we are a fcattering among you in the difpenfation of the word! Here is the great gift of heaven, without money or price. Here is the gift of life," for he that hath the Son hath life," 1 John v. 12. Here is the gift of righteousness, that will entitle you to God, to heaven, and glory, and all the good of the covenant. Here is given gold tried in the fire, Rev. iii. 18. that moth and ruft cannot corrupt, Matth. vi. 20. Here is the best robe, Luke xv. 22. White raiment, Rev. iii. 18. Clothing that doth not wax old. Here is the merchandise of wisdom, that is better than the merchandife of filver, and her gain, which is better than fine gold, Prov. iii. 1. 4.

You particularly that are young children and bairns, you are perhaps longing for to-morrow, being the first Monday, and the first day of the new-year 1750, that you may go to your friends and acquaintance to afk your newyear's gift. I would give you my advice before it come,, and that is, that before ever you go to man or woman to afk any thing, go first to God, "who giveth liberally to all men, and upbraideth not," James i. 5. and afk your new-year's gift from him. Queft. What fhall we ask from him? will you put words in our mouth? Anfw. I will tell you what to fay and ask as your new-year's gift from God. Go to God, and fay, 'Lord give me grace to improve this new-year to thy glory, and my own eternal good and advantage, if thou fpare me, Lord, give me thyfelf, to be my God and portion for ever, for thou haft faid, I am the Lord thy God, Exod. xx. 2. Lord, give me Chrift, and let him be my Prophet, Priest, and King, Surety, Mediator, and Advocate. Lord, give me thy Spirit, for thou giveft thy Spirit to them that afk him, Luke xi. 19. Lord give me the new heart, and the new spirit, for thou haft promifed it, Ezek. xxxvi. Lord give me a heart to know thee, that thou art the Lord. Lord, put thy fear in my heart, that I may never depart from thee, Jer. xxxii. 40. Lord, forgive me all my fins, and lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from all evil, Luke xi. 4. efpecially from the evil of fin, which is the abominable thing which thy foul hates. Lord, teach me how to anfwer my chief end, how to glorify thee here, fo as I may enjoy thee eternally hereafter.'

Now, I fay, go to God in the morning of the new-year's day,

and

and feek thefe and the like things from him, as your newyear's gift. And to encourage you to be in earnest, confider, (1.) Thefe foul gifts are far better than any thing your friends can give you. (2.) Your God is liberal, and more ready to give than you are to afk. John xvi. 24. " Hitherto (fays Chrift), ye have asked nothing in my name, afk, and ye fhall receive." Your heavenly Father has a full hand and a free heart, Matth. vii. 7. “ Ask, and it fhall be given you; seek, and ye fhall find; knock, and it fhall be opened unto you." (3.) The Lord loves young children to be about his hand, Pfal. xxxiv. 2. "Come, ye children, hearken unto me, I will teach you the fear of the Lord," Prov. viii. 17. "I love them that love me, and these that seek me early shall find me." (4.) God's newyear's gift will make you up for all your days, yea, for all eternity; and what he gives of faving grace, he will never take it, back again, "for the gifts and calling of God are without repentance," Rom. xi. 29. Only be importunate with the Lord, and do not take a nay-fay; fay as Jacob, Gen. xxxii. 26. "Lord, I will not let thee go, except thou blefs me; and whatever you afk of God, feek it all for Chrift's fake; for, fays Chrift, John xiv. 14." If ye fhall afk any thing in my name, I will do it;" and though you get not what you afk at first, yet be not dif couraged, but go again, and again, and again unto him. If you get not your new-year's gift the first day, go again the next day, and the next day, and continue in prayer, and ye fhall find the Lord; for he has faid, Jer. xxix. 12. 13. "Then fhall ye call upon me, and ye fhall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you, and ye fhall feek me, and ye fhall find me, when ye fhall fearch for me with all your heart," and with all your foul.

Now, before we part, I have a word to fay to you that are old people, and of a riper age.

The first day or first week of the new-year, I understand ufes to be very ill spent in eating and drinking, and that perhaps to excefs. I would give you that caveat or warning that Chrift gives to all that profefs his name, Luke xxi. 34. "Take heed, left at any time your hearts be overcharged with furfeiting and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day (the day of death and judgement) come upon you unawares." It is a bad requital to God for his goodnefs thefe bygone years, to begin the next year with an abufing yourfelves, and abufing the good creatures of God with any manner of excefs; and therefore, let your moderation appear in all things, for the Lord at hand, Philip. iv. 5.

HEB. xi. 7.-By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not feen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark, to the faving of his house.

THE FOURTH SERMON ON THIS TEXT.

WE

E read, Deut. xxvii. 11. 12. and downwards, of two great mountains, viz. Mount Ebal, and Mount Gerizzim; the one was a mount of curfing, and the other of bleffing. Upon these two mountains God fets a two-fold throne; upon Mount Ebal he places a throne of justice, and on the other a throne of grace. From Mount Ebal there is an eruption of woes and curfes against all mankind, which, like the deluge, overfpreads the face of the whole earth, "for all have finned and come short of the glory of God," Rom. iii. 23. and therefore the wrath of God, like the fwelling deluge, purfues them whereever they go, until they fly to the mount of bleffings, Mount Gerizzim, or Mount Zion, where ftands the covenant of grace, the New Teftament Ark, Jefus Chrift, from which there comes a cry to the poor finner, that knows not what to do to be faved from the curfe of the law, and the wrath of the Lawgiver, "Turn ye to your strong holds," Zech. ix. 12. enter into the Ark; and whofoever doth fo," shall not perish, but have everlafting life," John iii. 16.

I have been effaying to caft up the doors of the New Testament Ark, that poor law condemned, juftice condemned, and confcience condemned finners may take the benefit of it, and be faved from the deluge. I have named and caft open fix of them. (1.) The door of the revelation of Chrift in the word, for he is revealed that finners may believe in him and be faved. (2.) The door of the incarnation, whereby God becomes our Kinsman in the perfon of his Son, that we may take hold of the fkirt of him that was a Jew, Zech. viii. 23. and go with him and be faved. (3.) The door of his perfect obedience to the law, in the room of the first Adam, whereby the title to eternal life, which was loft by the difobedience of the first Adam, is again recovered; and thus he has power to give eternal life to whom he will, as we fee he himself declares, John v. 21, 22. (4.) The door of his fatisfaction, whereby the hand-writing of the curfe that was against us, and contrary to us,

1

(

It

to b

name of majesty, power, and greatneis, be firft prefented to humble, and abafe the foul in its own eyes; yet fee what a glorious train of amiable names do follow it, in order to revive the heart of the humble, and the fpirit of the contrite pae; "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful," &c. It is pleafat to obferve how every one of his relative names do answer the foul's cafe and neceflity.

A, MERCIFUL. The cafe of the poor foul is such, that it lying out, Oh! I am wretched and miferable beyond Apredion or conception: I am indeed a pitiful obje&: 1 La brought low by my fin in Adam, and in my own per**; Pial, Ivix. 2. "I fink in deep mire, where there is no I know and believe indeed, that Jehovah, the

ng and almighty God, is able to help and deliver me: b. what fays that to me, fince I do not know but his alnghy arm may exert itself in my deftruction as readily as mylvatlon? Well, to this the Lord anfwers, in that ken, "I am the Lord God, MERCIFUL."If thou be miable, I am merciful as well as ftrong: juftice is my ftrange work, my shange act, If. xxviii. 21. but I delight in mercy, My bowels are turned within me, and my re kacags ate kindled together," Hof. xi. 8. until I get a ven my metey? Pray, Sirs, what is mercy? but a strong cat and inclration in God to do good to and help a faser Midery is the very proper object and fubiect

the g therei

at ha

my doth work; and therefore, O miferable fin text my mercy flowing cut through the blood of But a third title is the name,

May the poor guilty and convinced anch • Lon on of the woft miferable creatures upen earth use of ad grace, of all goodness; I have no qua H coma d me to a God of merer. Well bet

Jon Gracious. I do not feek any grace aleations, in the dinner, to commend him I would have tre poor, blind, naked, miferabi a cooie to get, and not to give, to come and get red he, white ti ment, eye-faive, Rev. l. 1 3. TLS 3, 1, and all grace and goodvets from me, r

dar money, and without price." repentance, love, Sum Lty, •brukennus at

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obtain mercy,

1 at the hand of