ven, as hitherto thou haft done, to prepare for an everlasting hell.

Confider what you are called to fet about, and by whom, and upon what encouragment, namely, to work out your falvation, as God is ready to work in you to will and to do of his good pleasure. Shake off all indifference, cherish the motions of his fpirit, and work out your falvation with fear and trembling; left time be gone, and your day over before your work be done. After all that you have done to haften your destruction, how reasonable is your utmost diligence to fly from the wrath to come, and get into the way of life? And what reafon have you to adore the patience and goodness of God, that has fpared you so long, and continued you in a state of hope. Be ashamed of the eagerness of finners to destroy their fouls; and henceforward, be as earnest and diligent for the falvation of yours. For Direction,

1. Set out under a perfuafion of the neceffity of falvation, and also of your utmost endeavours to make it fure. Salvation is neceffary to all that have immortal fouls; and this is not to be had without looking after it.

2. Get as clear apprehenfions as poffible of the falvation you are to work out, as comprehending a deliverance from all evil, and the poffeffion of allthat is defireable; as a falvation which is to be crowned with eternal glory and under such a view, what labour can be thought too great to make it fure.

3. In working out your falvation, depend upon a higher power than your own, and by earnest cries to heaven, fhew you expect all your help from thence. We deceive ourfelves if we think

we

we have strength fufficient for our own recovery. But though we have not, our cafe is nevertheless hopeful, it being God that worketh in us to will and to do: and his help, in the way of our duty, we are encouraged to expect. No father upon earth is more ready to give bread bread to his craving child, than the God of all grace to give his holy spirit to them that afk him. Let your longing eyes be turned towards him, faying, when fhall the happy feafon come, when God will breathe upon my foul, and by light and influence from heaven, bring me into the way to it? And under convictions impreffed, pray they may be kept alive, and carried on to a thorough change.

And having your falvation begun in grace, continue your defires and pursuits after the perfection of all in glory. To excite to this,

pro

Confider the nature of your work that it is greffive. If you do not go forward working out your falvation, you are in danger of declining and going back.

Frequently call yourselves to account, to fee what progress you make. And when And when your advances are not proportionable to your time and helps, expoftulate the matter with yourselves thus, can I do no more for God and my foul? Can I move no fafter, when the wrath to come is that from which I am endeavouring an escape, and heaven is before me, as what I am running for?

And tho' the work is difficult, remember the time of working and labouring is short, but your reft fure, near and everlasting.

Be faithful to the death: and when dying, trust in Chrift your mafter under God the Father, to fulfil his promife, I will give thee a crown of life, a crown that fadeth not away.

SER

SERMON XXII.

REVEL. III. 1.

I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou liveft, and art dead.

T is the church of Sardis, which is here directly spoken to ; but what is faid to her, may belong to other churches, and to many particular members that are forward profeffors in them, Thou haft a name that thou liveft, and art dead. In the words are confiderable, 1. The Speaker.

2. What is faid by him.

1. The Speaker, who is defcribed in the former part of the verfe, Thefe things faith he that hath the feven Spirits of God, and the feven stars. These words fet forth Jefus Chrift, the Lord and head of the church, and fpeak his fitnefs and furniture for his office and work. He hath the feven spirits of God, which is commonly understood of the Holy Ghoft, who though but one, hath plenty and various gifts and graces, which are here defcribed by the number feven. And fuitable to this defcription of the fpirit, St. John tells us, Ch. iv. 5. he faw an emblem of it. There were feven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the feven Spirits of God. And, as he was to write to the Jeven Afian churches, in each of which the fpirit

was

was to correct what was found amifs, and communicate the grace wanted, Chrift had that spirit in a fufficiency for every one of them; that they might look to no other, nor despair when looking to him.

It pleased the Father, that in him fhould all fulnefs dwell: to denote which, he is here faid to have the feven spirits of God, and John iii. 34.That God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. Whatever gifts or graces of the Holy Ghost are neceffary to the fanctification, comfort and perfection of his people, all these Chrift hath to beftow: he hath the feven fpirits of God..

Befides this, it is added, ke hath the feven ftars. By ftars are meant the minifters of the churches; and the seven stars here, have reference to the minifters of the feven churches, to which St. John is now ordered to write. And Chrift is represented in the midst of the feven golden candlesticks, Chap. i. 13. and as having feven ftars in his right hand, ver. 16; which he explains himself, ver. 20. The Seven Stars are the angels (or minifters) of the feven churches: and the feven candlesticks which thou faweft, are the feven churches.

Some will have the feven churches and what is faid of them, to be understood of the feveral states of the christian church to the end of the world. However this is to be understood, Chrift's concern for the ministers of his churches is plainly denoted: fuch as answer their character, belong to him, and he is ready to own it: he hath the feven spirits of God, and the feven ftars. How amiable a defcription is this of Chrift, and with what fatisfaction may our thoughts dwell upon it! Has he the Holy Ghost in his various gifts and VOL. II. E e graces,

graces, and this to bestow as a communicate head? We may be hence affured, that juftice is fatisfied by what Chrift hath done and suffered. Nothing can be a greater evidence of this, than his having the spirit to bestow: that spirit which we had forfeited by fin, and grieved away; that spirit that we were unworthy of, and for our own fakes could no more expect. How precious is that blood Christ shed for us, as the fruit of which, he has the Holy Ghost in all his gifts and graces to give out to us!

Again, fuch as are loft and would be healed and faved, are hence directed to look only to Chrift, as there is falvation in no other. There is no falvation without the grace of the Spirit: and the fulness of this dwells in Chrift, who is head over all things to the church.

Again, as Chrift has the Spirit in all his graces and gifts, what relief may this yield his members under their fad complaints by reafon of remaining corruption, weakness and imperfection! It is not yet with them throughout as they could with: they are groaning under a body of death, and longing for deliverance: they want greater enlargedness in prayer, ftrength to duty, victory over temptations, patience under fuffering: they would fain be more conformed to Chrift now, and fo, better prepared to be with him above. And amidst all this, with what comfort may they look unto Jefus, as having the Spirit of God in the fulleft manner to bestow, to rectify what is amifs, fupply what is wanting, perfect what he has begun, and fafely guide them to all the bleffedness he has promifed, and is preparing for them! Under this character,

2