2d. Some want it in act, do not revive upon themselves the remem- brance of the blessed hope, or keep their hearts in heaven as much as they should do, because they lose their taste, or sufi'er it to be interrupted and deadened by worldly cares and voluptuous living. When the heart runneth out inordinately after secular ends and contentments, our affec- tions are estranged from heavenly things. Alas ! we presently find the inconvenience ; we lose our taste of the powers of the world to come ; so also by negligence and carelessness. Now, a good christian should always stand with his loins girt and lamp burning, looking for his master's coming ; the pledge and earnest of eternal life which we have received is of more worth and value than all the pleasures and content- ments of the world, and should not be lost for trifles. We did rejoice at our first entrance on Christianity in these hopes, now we must keep this firm to the end : Heb. iii. G, ' If we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end ;' and ver, 14, ' If we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end.' Often draw up your hearts from things transitory to things eternal and heavenly.
Use 3, Direction to us in the Lord's Suftper, We come to this duty to bind ourselves to two things :
[1.] To have our fruit to holiness, as those who are free from sin, and are become his by covenant with him. Here we resume and ratify the vow made in baptism, and so we are (1.) to arraign, accuse, and judge ourselves for our former neglect, that we have made no more progress in purifying our souls, and fitting ourselves for the eternal estate ; (2.) to beg pardon of God, with promises of greater diligence for the future ;
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(3.) to implore the special aid and assistance of God's Spirit for the better performance of what we promise ; (4.) we are to obtain it by the means of Christ's sacrifice and intercession, ' who by one offering hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified/ Heb. x. 14 ; there needeth no other sacrifice. If we thus humbly apply ourselves to God, and desire again to bind our bond, the duty will be comfortable to us.
[2.] Our second general work is to revive afresh the hopes of eternal life, and to get our taste and relishes of that blessed estate renewed and confirmed upon our hearts, that we may be fortified against the troubles of the world, and inconveniences of our pilgrimage, that we may not only be encouraged to do well, but to suffer evil with patience. That this duty is a pledge of heaven appeareth by Christ's words : Mat. xxvi. 29, *I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.' It is an ante- past of that blessed and eternal feast, ' when we shall sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven,' Mat. viii. 11. And the end of both sacraments is to prepare us for sufferings : Mat. xx. 22, 23, ' Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with ? They say unto him, We are able. And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with.' These terms show that the sacraments imply a preparation for suffer- ings; for there seemeth to be a plain allusion to both sacraments, drinking of his cup, and being baptized with his baptism. Now counterballasting our troubles with our hopes begets the true spirit of christian courage and fortitude : Rom. viii. 18, ' For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory that shall be revealed in us ;' 2 Cor. iv. 17, 'For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.' Therefore here is your work ; mind it, and God will bless you.
SERMON XXIV.
For the loages of sin is death : hut the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. — Rom. VI. 23.
These words are the conclusion, confirming all that the apostle had said before in this argument, and more especially explaining those two clauses, that the end of sin is death, and the end of holiness is eternal life. It is so, but with this difference, the one as wages deserved, the other as a mere free gift : death follows sin by justice, but eternal life follows holiness by free favour. Both branches deserve to be considered by us conjunctly and apart.
1. Conjunctly, and there we shall see wherein they agree, and wherein they disagree.
[1.] Wherein they agree.
(1.) They agree in respect of their duration and continuance, the death and the life are both endless: Mat. xxv. 46, 'These shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal,'