Tenthty, Suppose you were at the judgment-seat of God, where you must shortly stand, and saw the terrors of the Lord in that day ; the sheep divided from the goats ; the sentences of absolu- tion and condemnation passed, by the great and awful Judge, upon the righteous and wicked : would not Christ be then desirable in your eves ? As ever you expect to stand with comfort at that bar, let Christ be the desire and choice of your souls now. Fifth use for direction. Do these, or any other considerations, put thee upon this en- quiry ; how shall I get my desires kindled and enflamed towards Christ ? Alas ! my heart is cold and dead, not a serious desire stirring in it after Christ. To such I shall offer the following di- rections.
Direct. 1. Redeem some time every day for meditation ; get out of the noise and clamour of the world, Psal. iv. 4. and seri- ouslv bethink yourselves how the present state of your soul stands, and how it is like to go with you for ever : here all sound conver- sion begins, Psal. lxix. 59.
Direct. 2. Consider seriously of that lamentable state, in which you came into the world ; children of wrath by nature, under the curse and condemnation of the law : so that either your state must be changed, or you inevitably damned, John iii. 3.
Direct. 3. Consider the way and course you have taken since you came into the world, proceeding from iniquity to iniquity. What command of God have you not violated a thousand times over ? What sin is committed in the world, that you are not one way or other guilty of before God ? How many secret sins upon your score, unknown to the most intimate friend you have in the World ? Either this guilt must be separated from your souls, or your souls from God to all eternity.
Direct. 4. Think upon the severe wrath of God due to every sin ; " The wages of sin is death," Rom. vi. 23. And how into- lerable the fulness of that wrath must be when a few drops sprinkled upon the conscience in this world, are so insupportable, that hath made some to chuse strangling rather than life ; and yet this wrath must abide for ever upon you, if you get not interest in Jesus Christ, John iii. 36.
Direct. 5. Ponder well the happy state and condition they are in who have obtained pardon and peace by Jesus Christ, Psal. xxxii. 12. And seeing the grace of God is free, and you are set under
THE METHOD OF GRACE. 235
the means thereof; why may not you be as capable thereof as others ?
Direct 6. Seriously consider the great uncertainty of your time, and preciousness of the opportunities of salvation, never to be recovered, when they are once past, John ix. 4. Jet this provoke you to lay hold upon those golden seasons whilst they are yet with you ; that you may not bewail your folly and madness, when they are out of your reach.
Direct. 7. Associate yourselves with serious Christians ; get into their acquaintance, and beg their assistance ; beseech them to pray for you ; and see that you rest not here, but be frequently upon vour knees, begging of the Lord a new heart, and a new state.
In conclusion of the whole, let me beseech and beg all the peo- ple of God, as upon my knees, to take heed, and beware, lest by the carelessness and scandal of their lives they quench the weak desires beginning to kindle in the hearts of others. You know what the law of God awards for striking a woman with child, so that her fruit go from her, Exod. xxi. 22, 23. O shed not soul-blood, by stifling the hopeful desires of any after Christ.
Blessed be God for Jesus Christ, the desire of all nations.
*■ -9 &-.■+-•?*' "V.T ♦ t.
Containing the fifth Motive to apply Christ, drawn from another excellent Title of Christ.
Which none of 'the princes of this world have known, for had they known him, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
AN this chapter the apostle discourses to the Corinthians, of the excellency of his ministry, both to obviate the contempt which some cast upon it for want of human ornaments, and to give the greater authority unto it among all : and whereas the spiritual sim- plicity of his ministry laid it under the contempt of some, he re- moves that several ways, by shewing them,
First, That it was not suitable to the design and end of his mi- nistry, his aim being " to know nothing among them, save Jesus " Christ, and him crucified,"" ver. 1, 2.
Secondly, Neither was it for the advantage of their souls ; it might indeed tickle their fancies, but could be no solid foundation to their faith and comfort, ver. 4, 5.
236 THE METHOD OF GRACE. SEIiM. XIV,
Thirdly, Though his discourses seemed jejune and dry to carnal hearers, yet they had a depth and excellency in them, which spiritual and judicious Christians saw and acknowledged, ver. 6, 7.
Fourthly, Therefore this excellent wisdom which he preached far transcended all the natural wisdom of this world ; yea, the most raised and improved understandings of those that were most re- nowned and admired in that age for wisdom, ver. 8. " which none " of the princes of this world knew.1'
In which words we have,
1. A negative proposition.
2. The proof of the proposition.
First, A negative proposition : None of the princes of this world knew that spiritual wisdom which he taught. By princes of this world, or rather, principes seculi, the princes of that age, he means, as Cameron well notes, the learned Rabbies, Scribes, and Pha- risees, renowned for wisdom and learning among them ; and ho- noured upon that account as so many princes : but he adds a dimi- nutive term, which darkens all their glory : They are but the prin- ces of this world, utterly unacquainted with the wisdom of the other world. To which he adds,
Secondly, A clear and full proof; " For had they known it, they *' would not have crucified the Lord of glory." In which words we find one of Christ's glorious and royal titles, The Lord of glory : upon which title will be my present discourse. The words being fitly rendered, and nothing of ambiguity in them, they give us this observation,
Doct. That Christ crucified is the Lord of glory.