felf-defpair, felf-abhorrence, and felf-loathing; and who mourn at the abominations of a finful world, and at the dreadful infults that are hourly offered to the Majefty of Heaven. They fhall be comforted; their mourning fhall be turned into rejoicing; their fackcloth fhall be put off, and they fhall be girded with gladnefs: "Beauty fhall be given for afhes,, "the ail of joy for mourning, and the garment of "praife for the spirit of heavinefs."

The tenderness, the affection, the loyalty, of fuch a pious mourner, fhall be made manifeft; and a fenfe of everlasting love fhed abroad in the heart by the Spirit, fhall fatisfy fuch a foul of the approbation of Heaven. Enlargement of heart and unutterable love, faith in exercife and hope in vigour, heavenly. fmiles and pregnant promifes, immortal sensations and glorious profpects, inward feelings and diftant views, the operations of the Spirit and the coming of Titus, fhall all conspire together to make such a foul "drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his "misery no more.-Thine anger is turned away, "and thou comforteft me. His anger endureth "but a moment: in his favour is life; weeping

may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the "morning.-Bleffed are they that mourn, for they "fhall be comforted." That bleffed Spirit that convinces them of fin, fhall be their everlasting. Comforter,

Bleffed

Bleed are the meek. Not fuch as are naturally fo, or those whofe paflions are foon touched, and eafily moved, and upon which the empty orator plays his accurfed game: for fiefhly meeknefs, or native compaffion and pity, has nothing but flesh and blood in view, and is often attended with hatred to God; it favours not the things of God, but thofe that be of men. The Arminian may have this, while the worst of war against God is carried on in the heart, This is not what is meant in my text. "That which is born of the flesh, is flesh.-Cor"ruption cannot inherit incorruption." Natural affections are corrupt, and fo is all meeknefs that flows from them. Nor does this meeknefs confift in a few crocodile tears, fuch as Efau might pour forth, or fuch as thofe fhed who howled upon their beds, and yet affembled by troops in harlots houses. The meekness here meant is a fruit of the Spirit; and is produced under his operation, when he has convinced the finner, convicted him, brought him in guilty by the word of God, ftopped his mouth, and made him tremble. It is felt when the finner ceafes to kick, to murmur, to complain, to refift, and to rebel; when the heart is broken, and all human efforts are found to be ufelefs; when the finner's ftrength is all gone, and "he is ftill, and "knows that the Lord he is God;" when the foul is refigned, fubmiffive, and lies paffive, viewing the juftice of God, and confeffing the juftice of the fen

Stence i

tence; fenfible it can urge no plea in it's own behalf, nor make any reply against the expected execution. This is real meeknefs and quietude. Come life, come death, come heaven, or come hell, fuch a foul appears as if he should no more refift. The Saviour, who was meek and lowly-and of whom we are all to learn, exercised this grace in the highest, when he faid, "Not my will, but thine, be done." This is the last stage at which the awakened finner arrives before the bleffing comes. This brings him fenfibly into the way of life. "The meek will he guide in "judgment, the meek will he teach his way." With meekness the ingrafted word is received; and a meek and quiet fpirit, in the fight of God, is of great price. But this meeknefs is of the Spirit of God, (Gal. v. 23.) The fruit of the Spirit is meeknefs, temperance. This grace comes with the Spirit from the fulness of the Saviour, and is called his, 1 Cor. x. 1, I beseech you by the meekness of Christ. It is a grace exercifed toward him, under his hand, and in his caufe; and is always attended with felf-diflike, with lowliness of mind, and with quietude of heart. Bleffed are the meek

For they fhall inherit the earth. Not the prefent earth, as it now ftands, for this is given into the band of the wicked, (Job, ix, 24.)--but rather the new heaven, and the new earth, wherein dwelleth righteoufnefs, and no wickedness; or righteous men, no finners. This is the heavenly country that

and

Abraham

Abraham fought, the land which is very far off," where the King is to be feen in all his beauty.

Bleed are they which do bunger and thirst after righteoufnefs. The finner that hungers after righteoufnefs, is fenfible that he has none of his own; he is condemned on every hand for the want of righteoufnefs; if he reads the Law, it condemns him for his tranfgreffions; if he reads the Gofpel, he is condemned becaufe he cannot believe; if he looks to Confcience, it accufes him of unrighteoufnefs. He condemns himself in every thing he does; if he hears the word, he is condemned in the congregation of the righteous, and he knows and feels, that the unrighteous cannot enter the kingdom. The fentence of condemnation awakens a whole troop of terrors against him; and fervile fear, with a train of torments, attend him; Mofes, Satan, and Confcience, accufe him, and he has no righteoufnefs to answer for him. His nakedness, guilt, and shame, confound him; and the thoughts and terrible apprehenfions of appearing before God, angels, and faints, in fuch a predicament, in the great and terrible day, distract him. Thefe dreadful views, fenfations, and expectations, make him hunger, thirst, and pant, for righteoufnefs, as the chaced hart for the water-brook; for he knows he muft perish without it, and he cannot reft till he Has it. And bleffed are fuch hungry fouls, for they fhall moft furely

Be

Be filled. Not with their own righteousness-for human performances can never fatisfy the capacious defires of an immortal foul, which are kindled by the Spirit of judgment, and by the Spirit of burning for he cannot ftand before a divine law, without a divine righteoufnefs. "Man's iniqui"ties are infinite," (Job, xxii. 5.) "commit"ted against an infinite Being," (Pfalm cxlvii. 5.) and he that redeems and juftifies, muft be an infinite perfon. The Saviour's obedience to the Law, and not the finner's own, is that in which he must be found, if ever he appears righteous. The dignity of the perfon that obeyed in the finner's room, makes his obedience of infinite value. "He "thought it no robbery to be equal with God, yet " took on him the form of a servant, and became "obedient;" and by the obedience of this Holy One fhall many be made righteous: with this righteousness God is well pleased; this he accepted on our account; the Gospel reveals it as the righteoufnefs of God; God brings it near, and imputes it; Faith puts it on; and the Spirit lets us know it is done, and bears his witnefs to the glorious work. We are justified in the name of the Lord Jefus, and by the Spirit of our God. This righteousness, and only this, can fill the foul, as the text fays. When this change of raiment is put on, Satan fkulks off, filled with the furious rebukes of God, like a betrayed, malicious villain, as he is; Mofes, with his

B