they are fo likewife, of moft of those which are called christians: and among them, of those also, which are here prefent: infomuch, that if Christ was with us, as he was then with the Jews, he might truly fay the fame words over again here. But why do I make it a question, whether he be here or no? when he himself faith, Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am Iin the midst of them, Matt. xviii. 20. I doubt not but here is that number at least met together in his name; and therefore am confident, that he is as really with us now in this place, as Ire was among the Jews when he firit fpake thefe words. And though we cannot fee him any other way than by an eye of faith, yet we may hear him repeat them over again by his unworthy fervant, faying to you that are here prefent, ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.

A fharp faying indeed! enough to cut us all to the heart with fear, leaft we fhould be in the number of thofe whom our Lord here means: for if we be, and ftill continue to be fo, we shall be loft and undone for ever. And therefore it is as much as our lives are worth, to understand his meaning in these words aright, and what he here teacheth us; that we may be able to pass a right judgment upon ourfelves, and know what will become of us at the laft-day. For which purpose we fhall, by his affiftance, confider. Firt. What he means by life.

Secondly.

Secondly. That this life is to be had only in

him.

Thirdly. That none can have it of him, unless they go to him for it.

Fourthly. That nevertheless, men generally will not go to Chrift, no, not for life itself: Ye will not, faith he, come to me that ye might bave life.

First therefore, as the word death, in holy fcripture, is put for all evil, fo is life for all that is good to mankind: See I have fet before thee, faid God to Mofes, this day, life and good, and death, and evil, Deut. xxx. 15. And feeing the happiness which God hath prepared for his people in the other world, confifteth in the full enjoyment of all that is good for them; therefore it is called life, and eternal life, because it shall laft for ever. Now this is that which our Lord hear means by life; for he is here convincing the Jews that he was the Meffiah, the Son of God, and Saviour of the world: this he proves from the teftimony his Father had given of him, from what St. John the Baptift had faid concerning him, from the works that he himself had done amongst them; and, laftly, from the fcriptures of the Old Teftament, which they themfelves received and owned to be the word of God: Search the fcriptures, faith he, for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they which tefiify of me, vcr. 39. And then he

adds,

adds, And ye will not come unto me, that ye might have life. As if he had faid, ye believe the feriptures to be given by infpiration of God, to direct you in the way to eternal life, and therefore ye expect to find there how to obtain it and if ye fearch the fcriptures, ye may there dee, that they teftify of me, that I am the Chrift, the Son of God, by whom alone ye can have eternal life; and yet for all that, ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. From whence it is plain, that by life he means that eternal life before 1poken of: which though it be perfected only in the other world, it is begun in this. At our new birth, when a man is truly regenerated, or born again of God, and made his child by adoption and grace, then the Holy Spirit of God is breathed into him, and becomes the principle of eternal life in him: by which means he fhall not only have it hereafter, but he already bath everlasting life, John. vi. 47, 54 He is already palled from death to life, chap. v. 24. and fo hath not only a right and title to it, but he bath eternal life abiding in him, 1 John. iii. 15. The feeds of it are already fown in his heart, which grow up infenfibly till they bring. forth fruit to perfection; till the foul at laft is refined and exalted to the higheft degree of purity and perfection that it is capable of in the other world.

THERE all that have this life, live in perpetual reft and felicity: for their fpirits are there

made

made perfect, equal in all refpects to the holy angels themfelves. All the power and faculties of their fouls being reduced to fo exact and excellent a temper, fuch as they were at firft made of, that they are never difturbed or discompofed at any thing that God hath made or doth, but are extremely refreshed and delighted with it. For there they clearly fee the infinite wisdom, and power, and goodness of God fhining forth in all his works; fo that every thing that God hath made, affords them matter of extraordinary joy and pleature: yea, fo far as creatures are capable of it, they fee the Creator himself face to face, I Cor. xiii. 12. and have the light of his countenance fhining continually about them, upon them, and in them; whereby their bleffed fouls are filled with all true joy and pleasure, as much as it is poffible for them to hold. And at the laft day, their bodies alfo fhall be fashioned like to the glorious body of Chrift himself, Phil. iii. 21. So that from that time forward, they fball fhine forth as the fun, in the kingdom of their Father, Matt. xiii. 43. What a glorious, what a happy life is this, thus to live continually in perfect cafe and quiet in our minds, in peace and plenty of all things we can defire, in the bleffed company of faints and angels, in the fpecial love and favour of Almighty God, and in all the blifs, and honcur, and glory, that he who made us can confer upon us, and that too, not only for fome ages, but for ever and ever,? This is that lie,

that

that eternal life which our Lord here speaks of, and supposeth that we may all have it if we will; but faith, men will not come unto him for it: Ye will not come to me, that ye might bave life.

WHERE we may obferve, Secondly, that this life is to be had in Chrift Jefus, and in him only. This he himself here plainly implies, and the holy fcriptures all along declare: For this is the record, that God hath given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son, John. v. II. In this was manifefted the love of God towards us, Becaufe God hath fent his only-begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him, chap. iv, 9. He himself faith, That he giveth eternal life to as many as the Father bath given him John. xvii. 2. So that none ever had life, but by him: but by him any man may have it, who is therefore called life itself, John. xiv. 6. Col. iii, 4. and eternal life, John. v. 20. All things relating to it being founded in him, as the fole author, root, origin, and foundation of it. It is he that purchased life for us: it is he that hath promifed it to us: it is he that prepares it for us, and us for it: and it is he that, after all, bestows it upon us. My beep, faith he, know my voice, and I know them, and they fullow me; and I give unto them eternal life, and they hall never perifb, neither shall any pluck them out of my hands, John. x. 28.

To make this as clear as I can, we may ob