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God, and our redemption by his blood, the future refurrection of the dead, &c.---Thefe are truths which exceed our comprehenfion. We cannot fully conceive how these things can be. Hereupon we may be apt to have prejudices arife against them in our mind, fo as to call the truth of them into queftion, and to disbe lieve them. But we fhould take heed of unbelief on this account. For things may be certainly true, though we cannot fathom them with our fhallow understandings. And it is the height of folly and pride, to imagine that nothing can be true, but what we can perfectly comprehend. Though therefore the mysteries revealed by Chrift are incomprehenfible by us, yet they are to be received as undoubted truths; and that becaufe of the infallibility of him who reveals them to us. He is the faithful and true witnefs, who cannot lie, or utter any thing that is falfe. What therefore he reveals, we are to yield a firm aflent 'unto, because of his teftimony which is unerring and truly divine. For nothing.can give us greater certainty of the truth of any thing, than the teftimony of Jefus Chrift. faith the Lord, is the fureft foundation for faith.

Thus

2. Be not prejudiced against the commands of Chrift, because of their strictnefs. Certain it is, that the commands of Chrift are very ftrict and holy. They give not the least allowance to any fin, though never fo feemingly pleafing and profitable. They require exact purity in heart and life. They call to the practice of duties, which are very contrary to flesh and blood. They require us to forgive injuries, to thofe that have wronged us; to blefs them that curfe us; to pray for them that despitefully ufe us, and abufe us; to deny ourfelves, and take up his crofs and follow him, if called thereunto. Of these things we may be apt to say, They are hard fayings, who can hear them? And hereupon may be tempted to caft them off and neglect them. But we fhould beware of entertaining any fuch hard thoughts of the commands of Chrift, which are all holy, juft, and good. Though they are ftrict, and

difficult

difficult to us, through the corruption of our hearts, yet through his grace enabling us, we may fo chearfully obey them, as to find his yoke eafy, and his burden light; and to fay from happy experience, that none of his commands are grievous. And though the gate that we are to enter into, be firait, and the way that we are to walk in, be narrow, yet it leadeth to eternal life. (Matth. vii. 14.) The way of his commandments is the way to beaven; and that will make amends for all the labour and pains we are at, in obedience to him. An eternity of bleffedness will fully recompenfe us, for all the difficulties we meet with, in the way thereunto. In the end, we fhall, to our everlasting joy, find it to be fo. Thus for the first Direction.

Direct. 2. Let us pray to God, to give us an heart to attend and hearken unto Jefus Chrift. Such an heart is the gift of God alone. Deut. xxix. 4. The Lord hath not given you an beart to perceive, and eyes to fee, and ears to hear, unto this day. 'Tis God, that opens men's understandings, fo as to understand what is spoken to them. Luk. xxiv. 45. 'Tis God, that opens their hearts, fo as to receive the truth, in the belief and love of it. Act. xvi. 14. 'Tis God, that caufes men to walk in his ftatutes, and to keep his judgments and do them. Ezek. xxxvi. 27. If then we would have an ear attentive to the voice of Chrift, an understanding enlightned in the knowledge of his ways, and a flexible will to yield fubjection to his commands, let us be earneft in prayer to God for it. Thefe things many want, because they do not ask them of God, and wait upon him in prayer for them. Let us then be much in prayer to God, for an opened ear and heart, to entertain the words of the Lord fpoken to us. It was David's repeated prayer to God, Pfal. cxix. 18. Open thou mixe eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.

. 33, 34, 35. Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy ftatutes, and I fhall keep it to the end. Give me understanding, and I fball keep thy law, yea, I fhall. obferve it with my whole beart. Make me to go in the path of thy commandments.

Incline

Incline my heart unto thy teftimonies. Thus earnest is he in prayer to God, that he may be enlightned, inftructed, inclined, and enabled to walk in the way of God, fet before him in his word. And in this way of fervent prayer, he gained much spiritual wisdom and strength: whereby he became eminent in his obedience to God, fo as to have that teftimony of his being a man after God's heart, that fulfilled all his will. Act. xiii. 22. If therefore we are defirous to know, believe, and do, the things that are spoken to us by Jefus Chrift, let us apply ourfelves to God in prayer, as the way for the attaining our defires. Prov. ii. 3, 4, 5. If thou crieft after knowledge, and lifteft up thy voice for understanding; if thou Jeekeft her as filver, and fearcheft for her as for hid treafures; then fhalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord giveth wifdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.

Coming to GOD, and bearing Him, the way for Men's Souls to live.

DISCOURSE IV.

GYOGYAGYOGYD

ISAI. LV. 3.

Incline your Ear, and come unto Me Hear, and your Soul fall live.--

SSS N the two preceeding verfes, our Lord Jefus, I Chrift invited finners to come unto him, and to hearken unto him. In this verfe, God the Fa

ther makes the fame invitation unto finners. Such a change of perfons is very frequent and ufual in the writings of the prophets. And though their distinct perfonal names be not exprefly mentioned, yet they may be known by the things that are spoken. Thus, it is plain from the following context, that it is God the Father, who here fpeaks. For 'tis he, that makes an everlafting covenant with men, in Chrift the redeemer. And tis he, that fpeaks concerning Chrift, in ver. 4. Behold, I bave given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people. 'Tis he, alfo that fpeaks to Chrift, in ver. 5. Bebold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest mat, &c. So that 'tis God the Father, who here joins with

his Son Jefus Chrift, in inviting finners to hearken and come to him; and this very confiftently. For the Father and he are one; their effence and will, one and the fame. So that the call of one is the call of both. Joh. xiv. 10. Believeft thou not, that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I fpeak unto you, I Speak not of my Self: but the Father, who dwelleth in me.--He did not speak of his own head, or without the Father; but the words he fpake were both his and the Father's who was in him. And hence Chrift fays, He that heareth me, or defpifeth me, beareth or defpifeth him that fent me. Luk. x. 16.

In the words of the text, we may obferve two things.

1. The duty which God calls finners unto; and that is double, to incline their ear and hear, and to come unto bim.---To incline their ear and bear, is the fame with hearkening diligently in the foregoing verfe, which was there fpoken to, and the lefs needs here to be infifted on. By coming to God, is meant, a returning to him as our chief good and happiness, our fovereign Lord, and our last end. And this fuppofes our distance and departure from God. Both of thefe are expreffed in Fer. iii. 22. Return, ye backfliding children, and I will heal your backflidings. Behold we come unto thee,; for thou art the Lord our God.

2. An encouraging promife; and your foul ball live. The bleffing promifed is life; and the best fort of life too, even, the life of the foul, which is the most excellent part of man.

DocT. I. All men naturally are at a diftance from GOD. This is a truth implied in God's calling upon them to come to him; for this intimates to us, that men are departed, and gone away from GOD. The first apoftacy has caft mankind into a distance from God; and while they continue in the ftate of nature, they

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