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bellious man, he "makes reconciliation for iniquity," Dan. ix. 24. God was in Chrift reconciling the world unto himfelf, &c. "When we were enemies, we were reconciled unto God by the death of his Son." And O what a great matter is it to be restored to the favour and friendship of that glorious Majesty, to whofe wrath we were lying obnoxious, &c.

3dly, He is raifed up as a Surety, to pay the debt of a company of broken dyvers, and to bind himself under a bond to fatisfy juftice for their crimes, and that he fhould reduce them to obedience to their offended Lord. Hence he is called, Heb. vii. 25. "The Surety of a better teftament;" and as our Surety he fulfils the law which we had broken, as a covenant, both in its do and die, in our room and stead, and then engages he (by his Spirit) would write the law in their hearts, as a rule, and, by putting his Spirit within them, would caufe them to walk in God's ftatutes.

4thly, He is raifed up as a renowned Healer, a non-fuch Phylician, Exod. xv. "I am the Lord that healeth thee." Man, through fin, is become a leper from head to foot, full of wounds, bruifes, and putrefying fores, which renders him unfit for any good fervice, unfit for anfwering the ends of his creation, to glorify God, or to enjoy him for ever. Well, Chrift is raifed up for the recovery and health of difeafed fouls; he has opened up a medicinal well, Zech. xiii. 1. that washes from fin and from uncleannefs, and, whatever be your malady, we invite you to come to this well, and wash and be clean, like Naaman in the waters of Jordan; O he is all over virtue! his "leaves are for the healing of the nations." And in a particular manner, his commiflion carries him, to heal the broken in heart, and to bind up all their wounds.

5thly, He is raifed up as a Witness to tell the truth, or as a Prophet to reveal it. We have by the fall loft the knowledge of God, and of his truth, and any knowledge of the truth that remains with us by nature, it is detained in unrighteouf nefs. Well, Christ comes to make a revelation of God, and of the things of God unto us; that Chrift was raised up for this end, fee Deut. xviii. 18. "I will raife them up a Prophet like unto thee, from among their brethren, and will put my words in his mouth, and he thall (peak unto them all that I shall command him." But fee the awful certification that follows, ver. 19. "Whofoever will not hearken unto my words, that he fhall fpeak in my name, I will require it of him."

6thly, He is raifed up as a Leader unto the people. We have loft our way to heaven, and Satan was leading all mankind to hell blindfold. But Chrift came to fhew us the path of life, and to lead us into it, and, by his leading, he caufes the way

faring man to walk without erring, "I will bring the blind by a way they know not," &c.

7thly, He is railed up as a Commander unto the people, as the Captain of falvation, to fight our battles for us, and to head the armies of God's Ifrael in their way to glory: And, by his fkill and conduct, he makes them all conquerors, yea, more than conquerors, at the end of the day, &c.

I might tell you further, that he is raised up as the great High Prieft of our profeffion, that, by one offering, he might for ever perfect them that are fanctified," &c.: As our Advoeate with the Father, to plead our caufe, and to agent our bu finefs in heaven: As a Shepherd, to feed his church and people in the wilderness; "He fhall feed his flock like a fhepherd," &c. As a prince, to rule them by his word and spirit; he is the "Prince of peace, and of the increase of his government and peace there fhall be no end," &c.: As an everlasting Father, in whom the fatherlefs family of Adam find mercy, &c.: As a wonderful Counsellor, to give counsel in all dark and difficult cafes, &c.: As a Hufband and Bridegroom, to cherifh and comfort his church and people, and accordingly he betrothes her unto him for ever. But these things I do not infift upon. I haften forward to

VI. The fixth thing, which was the application of the doctrine, Is it fo that Chrift is a Plant of renown, raifed up by JEHOVAH?

Then, 1, See hence the iniquity and wickedness of these men, who study to derogate from the glory of this renowned Plant. The Arians would darken the renown of this bleffed Plant, by denying his fupreme Deity, and making him an inferior and dependent being; the Socinians, by denying he had any being before his actual incarnation; the Arminians, by denying his righteoufnefs, and by making the efficacy of his grace to depend upon the will of man and the power of depraved nature. O, Sirs, Chrift is not renowned in Scotland this day, either among minifters or profeffors, as he has fometimes been. "The Head-ftone of the corner is rejected," the Plant of renown is caft afide, by many minifters in the land; and he is rejected by all that do not really believe in him, &c.

2dly, See hence how to know a true and faithful minister of Chrift. Some at this day make it a queftion, whom they fhall hear, when there are fuch divifions, and fuch a flood of corrupt miniiters getting into a church. Why, Sirs, you may know a true minister of Chrift, he will have a smell of the Plant of renown about him; whether he be in the pulpit or out of it ;-whether Le be in a judicatory, or wherever he be,

his great bufinefs is to advance the glory of the Plant of renown, the smell and favour of his Mafter will be about him, which the true difciples of Chrift will difcern.

3dly, See hence whence it is that believers flock to gospel ordinances, where they can get them difpenfed by thefe that bear Chrift's commiffion to difpenfe them. Why, it is the fmell of the Plant of renown that draws them thither: hence it is, that his tabernacles are amiable, "and a day in his courts better than a thoufand;" why, his fcent perfuines these palaces of Zion, as with myrrh, aloes, and caffia, &c.

4thly, See hence why God the Father is called a Husbandman. Why, he is fo called with reference unto his raifing up this Plant of renown, John xv. 1. “I am the true Vine, and my Father is the Hufbandman," he raised him up as the root, and upheld him, and takes branches of the wild olive, and grafts them into him, and makes them fruitful, &c.

5thly, See hence the regard that God hath for his church upon earth, as his own garden. Why, he plants this Tree of life in her, by which the became a new paradife. The tree of life that grew in the earthly paradife, which was the feal and facrament of the covenant of works, is long fince withered and gone; but the tree of life, in the new garden, of God's planting, of which even a finner may eat, and live for ever, will never wither. O let us admire God's way of grace! for it is full of wonder, in providing this renowned Plant, this new Tree of life, for us. His fruit is fo far from being forbidden, that it is God's great commandment to all finners, "to come and eat, and live," &c.

6thly, See hence the excellency of Christ, in his person, nature, offices, and appearances. Why, he is the Plant of renown. O Sirs, Chrift is fuch an excellent perfon, that he is the Renown of the family of heaven and earth; he is the Renown of his Father, for he is "the brightness of his glory." He is the Renown of earth, for by him the human nature is raised up to a higher glory than that of angels; for, even as Mediator, he "hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they." O fhould not every one of mankind finners be ready to ery, "Olet his name endure for ever, let his name be continued as long as the Sun; for men are bleffed in him: and O, bleffed be his glorious name for ever, and let the whole earth be filled with his glory?"

7thly, See what makes a land or a church pleafant, a Hephzibah or a Beulah unto the Lord. Why, it is the Plant of renown that makes any church or land delectable: If the Plant of renown and his intereft be thriving in a land or church, it VOL. III. makes

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makes her "beautiful for fituation, the joy of the whole earth," &c.

8thly, See when it is that a church lofes her beauty and glory, and makes defection. Why, it is when Chrift lofes his favour among her minifters and profeffors: And when this Plant of renown is rejected, God rejects that church, and gives her to the spoil. Sirs, Chrift has been long preached in Scotland, but folk have not entertained him by faith, and therefore the Lord, at this day, is threatening to take his Christ altogether away from among us.

9thly, See hence how a perfon may know whether matters be right or wrong, whether he be thriving and profpering in grace, or if he be decaying and going backward. Why, it is ay right with the foul, in whom and with whom Chrift is in the afcendant. Is the Plant of renown rifing or going back with you? If he be rifing, then, (1.) He will be raised up in your efteem, as with David, Pfal. Ixxiii. 25. and Paul, Philip. iii. 8. 9. (2.) In your affection and love, "Whom having not feen, we love," &c. "Lord (fays Peter), thou knowest all things, thou knoweft I love thee," &c. (3.) He will be raifed up in our meditation; every thought will be a captive to his obedience, and our "meditations of him will be sweet, and our fouls fatisfied as with marrow and fatnefs, when you remember him, and meditate upon him," &c. (4.) He will be raised up in your talk and walk, they will have a favour of the Plant of renown, and the chat and common talk of the world will be taftelefs, like the white of an egg, to you. But, O, a talking of Chrift, and of his truths, and of the concerns of his glory, will go well down with you. (5.) He will be raised up in your religious worship, both public and private, when you go to prayer, when you go to hear the word, or when you go to a communion table, nothing will pleafe but Chrift himfelf. "O that I knew where I might find him. One thing have I defired, and that will I feek after," &c. (6.) He will be raised up in your wishes and endeavours for the advancement of his kingdom and glory, in as far as your power can go. And whenever his caufe comes upon the field, or the cry is made, "Who is on the Lord's fide?" You will ay ftudy, in your fphere, to take that fide where you think Chrift ftands, and contend and witness for him, his truths, his ways, and worship, according to your power, &c.

10thly, May be by way of lamentation. If Christ be the Plant of renown, raifed up by his eternal Father, may it not be for matter of lamentation that the Plant of renown is in fo

little request among us at this day, aud that there is fuch a plucking away of the glory of this bleffed Plant. Some plucking away the glory of his fupreme Deity, as you were hearing, and studying to reduce him among the rank of created and dependent beings: Some plucking at his fovereignty and fupremacy, as the alone Head and King of his church; enacting laws inconfiftent with, and directly oppofite unto these laws that he has given in his word: Some plucking at the "liberty wherewith he has made his people free," by violent intrufions of minifters upon congregations, contrary to fcripture pattern, and the covenanted fworn principles of the church of Scotland, inferted in her books of difcipline.

O Sirs, if the Plant of renown were flourishing in the land, there would not be fo many unfavoury plants allowed to grow or come up in his vineyard, as there are at this day. The plant of Popifh idolatry is connived at, and on the grow ing hand, both through Scotland, England, and Ireland. The plant of prelacy, error, and fuperftition, tolerate, contrary to folemn covenant engagements, which the land lies under; the plant of unfound profeffors of divinity, poisoning our fountains of learning, and feminaries for the holy ministry; the plant of lax erroneous minifters and preachers, are growing up apace, and filling the land every day. The plant of old malignancy against the power of religion and a covenanted reformation is growing up, especially among a set of pretended Prefbyterians, falfely fo called. The plant of profanity is flourishing apace, men abandoning themfelves unto wickednefs, and giving themselves loofe reins in drinking, swearing, rioting, whoredom, drunkennefs, Sabbath-breaking, and all manner of abominations, burlesquing the fcriptures, ridiculing the worship of God, and breaking their profane jefts upon the facred things of God. The plant of ecclefiaftical tyranny, which feemed to be nipt a little thefe two years bygone, is fprouting again as faft as ever, notwithstanding the great cries of a pretended reformation that we heard among a great many minifters and profeffors in the established church; witnefs the proceedings of the lafl Affembly, in the cafe of Dennie and Traquair, and the entertainment of the petition of the parish of Stow. I fay, all thefe, and many other things that night be infifted upon, evidently declare that the Plant of renown is not raised up among us, but rather that his flavour and favour is gone away, in a great measure, from amongst magiftrates and minifters, from judicatories and affemblies for worship, and from among the generality of profeflors and inhabitants of the land. Yea, many come that length, that,

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