God as holy and pure as ever it was at its creation. Again, when the question is put, where is that perfect, perfonal, and finless obedience they owe to my holy law, which was the condition of life, according to the tenor of my covenant I made with them? why the gufpel-lamp will let you fee God's. Anointed as your Surety, anfwering, i have fulfilled all righteousness that the law required in their room; I was made finfor them, that they might be made the righteousness of God in me; I am the end of the law for righteousness unto every one that believeth in me; I have magnified the law, and made it honourable, and the righteoufnefs of the law is fulfilled by imputation, in all that come unto me by faith. Again, when the question is put; What fatisfaction will the guilty finner give unto my juftice? God's Anointed anfwers, I was wounded for their tranfgreffions, I was bruifed for their iniquities, the chaftifement of their peace was upon me; I was made a curfe for them, the juft fuffered for the unjust, to bring them unto God; I bore their fins in my own body on the tree, and therefore justice cannot have recourfe upon them. Thus you fee how the gofpel-lamp difcovers a way of relief for the poor finner ftanding condenined at the bar of the holy law, how this anfwers all thefe queftions, to which, all finite understandings, whether among men or angels, were utterly unanfwerable. 4thly, Having thus viewed how things ftand in the light of the law, and in the light of the gofpei-lamp, confider deliberately where you will take up your ftanding before God's tribunal, and for an awful eternity; whether will you t ke your hazard to answer God to thefe queftions in your own perfon, by prefenting to him the works of righteoufnefs that you have done, for the fatisfaction of his juftice? or will you quit and renounce all the fe as filthy rags, and betake yourselves to God's Anointed, as "the Lord your righteoufnefs," faying, "In him alone will I be juftified, and in him will I glory? I am fure, if you have any uptaking of God in his infinite tremendous holiness and juftice, any uptaking of the holiness, equity, perfection, and extent of the law; any uptaking of your own loft, wretched, and miferable condition; any value for your precious fouls, that are condemned already by the law; any view of God's Anointed in the light of the gospel-lamp, you will not be long in determining the matter, what foundation you will venture upon. Oh, will the foul fay, with Paul, "Yea, doubtlefs, I count all things but lofs, for the excellency of the knowledge of Chrift Jefus my Lord; for whom I am ready to fuffer the lofs of all things, and do count them but dung that I may win Chrift, and be found in him, not 2 having having mine own righteoufnefs, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Chrift, the righteoufnefs which is of God by faith." This is juft the language of faith submitting unto the righteoufnefs of God's anointed Saviour and Surety. The foul juft finks itfelf, and all its own works and righteoufnefs, into nothing, and states itself before God in Christ, and fays, "Behold, O God, my fhield, and look upon the face of thine Anointed," Pfal. Ixxxiv. 9. It is in this way that the foul clofes with Chrift, and is interefted favingly in him ; and it is in this way that the infinite power of God is exerted and put forth, when he fulfils the work of faith with power. 5thly, In regard the gofpel-lamp difcovers Chrift not only asan atoning Prieft, but alfo as a teaching Prophet, and a ruling and a governing King, therefore at the fame time that we submit unto his righteoufnefs for juftification, we must take care to fubmit to the whole will of God revealed by him, fetting to the feal to all the promifes of God, as yea, and amen in him, yea to the whole of the gofpel revelation; fubmitting alfo at the fame time to the Law as in the hand of a Mediator, and faying, "The law is holy, and the commandment holy, and juft, and good;" thou haft delivered me out of the hand of mine enemies, therefore rule thou over me. Thus the man gets the law written in his heart, the kingdom of God is fet up within him, and every thought brought into captivity unto the obedience of Chrift, God's Anointed. So much for advice how to improve the gospel-lamp, in order to your fharing falvation by God's Anointed. I conclude with a word of advice to believers, who through the light of the gofpel-lamp, and the power of God accompanying it, have been determined to come by a true faith unto God's Anointed, for all the ends of his mediation. 1. O blefs God for his Anointed, and for the lamp he has ordained for his Anointed; and that he ever made the lamp difcover his glory to your fouls, and to drop down the oil of his Spirit upon you. All is of grace: "By grace are ye faved, through faith; and that not of yourfelves: it is the gift of God: not of works, left any man should boaft." And therefore, O celebrate the praises of that God, whofe name is gracious, faying, "Not unto us, not unto us, but unto thy name be the glory." 2. Has the gofpel-lamp led you unto God's Anointed? Then abide in him, and with him; fays Chrift to his difciples, "Abide in me, and I in you," John xv. 4. Abide in him by a life of faith, and let his Spirit abide in you, without grieving. his Spirit, or quenching his operations and motions. It is not VOL. III. F enough, enough, that ye have once believed, but you must live in him, and upon him, by faith. "The life, I live (fays holy Paul), is by faith upon the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me," Gal. ii. 20. It is in this way of a continual coming unto Chrift, that we are "built up a fpiritual houfe, an holy priesthood, to offer up fpiritual facrifices unto God, acceptable through Jefus Chrift. It is in this way that the life of grace is maintained, until it iffue in a life of glory. Faith is always receiving out of his fulness, grace for grace; and thus we are anointed as with fresh oil, and wax ftronger and stronger, till we come to appear before God in the heavenly Zion, where we fhall receive the end of our faith and hope, the falvation of our fouls. 3. Put honour on God's Anointed, for this is the will of him that fent him, "that ali men fhould honour the Son, as they honour the Father." We are commanded to honour our earthly parents, because they are the inftruments of our na tural being in this world; but how much more fhould the feed of Chrift put honour on him as their everlasting Father, who is the author of their fpiritual being in the world of grace here, and the world of glory hereafter?" For we are his workmanship, created in Chrift Jefus unto good works." Query, How fhall we put honour on God's Anointed? 1ft, By employing and trufting him in all his faving offices. to which he is anointed, and cafting all our cares upon him. God the Father, who anointed him, has made him both his own and our great Trustee. He has entrufted him with all the concerns of his glory, and he requires us to truft him with all the concerns of our falvation; and therefore "trust in him as the Lord JEHOVAH, for with him is everlasting. ftrength." 2dly, Put honour upon him by putting away all his rivals, every thing that would ufurp his room. There are many false Chrifts in the heart of man. Sometimes the law as a covenant ufurps his room, by felf-righteoufnefs. Sometimes carnal reafon ufurps his room, by bringing the mysteries of the gofpel, revealed by him, unto its bar. Sometimes the world ufurps his room, by flealing away the heart from him. Sometimes the vile idol of felf ufurps his room, by preferring our own ends unto his glory. Sometimes we are ready to put created grace in his room, by living more upon created grace, than the grace that is in Jefus Chrift, and are not content with a life hid with Chrift in God, unlefs we find our life in our hand. These, and many other falfe Chrifts, ufurp the room of the Chrift of God. Now, I fay, if we would honour God's Anointed, Anointed, let him have the principal room in our hearts, and lay all these under his feet, that he may tread them down, and he alone be exalted. 3dly, Put honour upon him, by imitating him both as to the temper of his mind, and tenor of his walk. "Let the fame mind be in you, which was alfo in Chrift Jefus. Be ye holy as he who hath called you is holy." He hath left us an example, that we should follow his steps; and therefore "let us Tun our race, looking unto Jefus," &c. 4thly, Be frequently crying for new drops of the oil of the Spirit from God's Anointed; for the feven Spirits which are fent unto all the faints on earth, flow from the Lamb, as it were flain, in the midft of the throne. It is his promife, "If I go away, I will fend him." O cry that he may come like the rushing of a mighty wind upon your own fouls, and upon the dry bones in our valley of vifion, and upon all the churches. 5thly, When you get any drops of the oil from God's Anointed, ftudy to be dropping of your oil into the empty veffels that you will find every where round about you. And this you are to do, by fpreading the light of the gofpel-lamp as far as you can, and by fpeaking to the praifes of God's Anointed. When the heart endites a good matter concerning God's Anointed, your tongue will be like the pen of a ready writer, to proclaim his praifes. The woman of Samaria, whenever the came to know God's Anointed, and to get the oil of his Spirit, the runs to her neighbours, faying, "Come, fee a man that has told me all things that ever I did is not this the Christ?" John iv. 29. i. e. the anointed One of God. And thus others are drawn to Chrift, through the fmell of Chrift's ointment upon her. 6thly, Study by all means to preferve the lamp of the everlafting gofpel in fafety and purity among us, against all that are attempting to rob and fpoil us of fuch an unfpeakable mercy; for if the lamp of the gofpel go, God's Anointed will go with it; he will not manifelt himfelf by any lamp of man's devifing or forming, but only by the light of the lamp that God has ordained for him, viz. the gofpel in the purity and fimplicity of it. And therefore be aware of following any pretended lamp-bearers, who preach another gefpel, and bring out a trange light, not lighted at the Sun of Righteoufnefs, but by fome wild-fire of man's imagination. "Try the fpirits whether they be of God." Try them by "the law and teftimony; for if they fpeak not according to thefe things, it is becaufe there is no light in them." 7thly, If you would preferve the gospel-lamp, and put ho nour nour upon God's Anointed, ftudy to be his witneffes, and to bear teftimony for him, and for his covenanted doctrine, worfhip, and government in the land, as founded upon the revelation of the word. Many injuries are done to God's Anointed, both by church and ftate in our day. Oh take up his caufe and quarrel, and confefs him before men, as ever you expect that he should confefs you before his Father, and the holy angels, at the day of his appearing. Laftly, If trouble and perfecution come on the land for Chrift's fake, and for the gospel, be ready to feal your testimony for him with your blood, like thofe who loved not their lives unto the death, and took joyfully the fpoiling of their goods" for his fake. Study to fay with Paul, "I am ready not to be bound only, but to die for the name, truth, and testimony of the Lord Jefus." THE ANGEL'S SEAL, SET UPON GOD'S FAITHFUL BLOWING IN THE CHURCH MILITANT. BEING THE SUBSTANCE OF THREE SERMONS, PREACHED IN THE NEW CHURCH OF BRISTO, AT EDINBURGH, AT, AND AFTER THE CELEBRATION OF THE SACRAMENT OF THE LORD'S SUPPER THERE, OCTOBER 10. 11. and 17. 1742. REV. vii. 1. 2. 3.-And after these things, I faw four angels Standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the fea, nor on any tree. And Ifaw another Angel, afcending from the east, having the feal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the carth and the fea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the fea, nor the trees, till we have fealed the fervants of our God in their foreheads. T is agreeed amongst the generality of interpreters whom I read, there is a prediction of fome awful fpiritual judge. ments to fall upon the visible church, together with the care that |