Deduct. 4. How conifortahle and sweet sloould the converses and communication of Christians be one with another, in this world I Christ is bringing them all to God through this vale of tears : they are now in the way to him ; all bound for heaven ; going home to God, their everlasting rest in glory : every day, every hour, every duty brings them nearer and nearer to their journey's end, Rom. xiii. 11. " Now (saith the apostle) is our salvation nearer than when " we believed.'1 O, what manner of heavenly communications and ravishing discourses should believers have with each other as they walk by the way ! O, what pleasant and delightful converse should they have with one another about the place and state whither Christ is bringing them, and where they shall shortly be ! What ravishing, transporting, transforming visions they shall have that day they are brought home to God ! How surprizingly glori- ous to them the sight of Jesus Christ will be, who died for them to bring them unto God ! how should such discourses as these, shorten and sweeten their passage through this Avorld, strengthen and encourage the dejected and feeble-minded, and exceedingly honour and adorn their profession ? Thus lived the believers of old, Heb. xi. 9, 10. " By faith he sojourned in the land of pro- " mise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac " and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise ; for he " looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and " maker is God." But, alas ! most Christians are either so entangled in the cares and troubles, or so ensnared by the delights and plea- sures which almost continually divert and take up their thoughts by the way, that there is but little room for any discourses of Christ and heaven, among many of them : but certainly this would be as much your interest as your duty. When the apostle had enter- tained the Thessalonians with a lovely discourse of their meeting the Lord in the air, and being ever with the Lord, lie charges it upon them as their great duty, to comfort one another with these words, 1 Thes. iv. IT, 18.
286 THE METHOD OF GRACE. SERM. XIX,
Deduct. 5. How unreasonable are the dejections of believers upon the account qf those troubles which theymeet with in this world I It is true, afflictions of all kinds do attend believers in their way to God ; through many tribulations we must enter into that kingdom. But what then? must we despond and droop under them as other men ? Surely no ; If afflictions be the way through which you must come to God, then never be discouraged at affliction ; troubles and afflictions are of excellent use, under the blessings of the Spirit, to further Christ's great design in bringing you to God. How often would you turn out of that way which leads to God, if he did not hedge up your way with thorns, Hos. ii. 6. Doubtless when you come home to God, you shall find you have been much beholden (it may be a great deal more) to your troubles than to your com- forts, for bringing you thither : however, the sweetness of the end will infinitely more than recompense the sorrows and troubles of the way : nor are they worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in you, Rom. viii. 18.
Deduct. 6. How much are all believers obliged, in point of interest, to follow Jesus Christ whithersoever he goes ! Thus are the saints described, Rev. xiv. 4. " These are they which follow the Lamb " whithersoever he goeth : these were redeemed from among " men, being the first-fruits unto God, and to the Lamb." If it be the design of Christ to bring us to God, then certainly it is our duty to follow Christ in all the paths of active and passive obe- dience through which he now leads us, as ever we expect to be brought home to God at last : " We are made partakers of Christ, u if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the ii end," Heb. iii. 14. If we have followed him through many sufferings and troubles, and shall turn away from him at last, we lose all that we have wrought and suffered in religion, and shall never reach home to God at last. The crown of life belongs only to them who are faithful to the death.
Deduct. 7. Let all that desire, or expect to come to God hereafter y come to Christ by faith now. There is no other way to the Father, but by Christ ; no other way to Christ but faith. How vain there- fore are the hopes and expectations of all unbelievers ? Be assured of this great truth, Death shall bring you to God as an avenging Judge, if Christ do not bring you now to God as a reconciled Father : without holiness no man shall see God : the door of hope is shut against all christless persons, John xiv. 6. " No man cometh " unto the Father but by me." O what a sweet voice cometh clown from heaven to your souls this day, saying, As ever you ex- pect or hope to come to God, and enjoy the blessing that is here, come unto Christ, obey his calls, give up yourselves to his conduct and government, and you shall certainly be brought to God ! As
£ERM. XX. THE METHOD OF GRACE. 287
sure as you shall now be brought to Jesus Christ by spiritual union, so sure shall you be brought to God in full fruition.
Blessed be God for Jesus Christ, the new and living way to the Father.
And thus I have finished the motives drawn from the titles and benefits of Christ, serving to enforce and quicken the great gospel- exhortation of coming to, and effectually applying the Lord Jesus Christ in the way of faith. O that the blessings of the Spirit might follow these calls, and fix these considerations as nails in sure places ! But seeing the great hindrance and obstruction to faith is the false opinion and persuasion of most unregenerate men, that they are already in Christ ; my next work therefore shall be, in a second use of conviction, to undeceive men in that matter ; and that, by shewing them the undoubted certainty of these two things :
First, That there is no coming ordinarily to Christ without the application of the law to our consciences, in a way of effectual con- viction.
Secondly, Nor by that neither, without the teachings of God, in the way of spiritual illumination. The first of these will be fully confirmed and opened in the following sermon.
The great usefulness of the Law or Word of God, in order to the Application of Christ.
For I was alive without the law once, but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.
A HE scope of the apostle in this epistle, and more particularly in this chapter, is to state the due use and excellency of the law, which he doth accordingly.
Fira&i By denying to it a power to justify us, which is the pecu- liar honour of Christ.
Secondly, By ascribing to it a power to convince us, and so pre- pare us for Christ *.
Neither attributing to it more honour than belongeth to it, nor yet detracting from it that honour and usefulness which God hath given it. It cannot make us righteous, but it can convince us that