' And the last shall be first.' The last, such as are backward as to any affection to heavenly things, yea, afar off as to any profession or sense of religion ; these shall in time to come show themselves more forward than others who were in Christ before them ; prove glorious christians at the last: it may be so.
Now here are ' first ' and ' last.' God doth not call all his elect at once, but some sooner, some later. Andrew and Peter were fii'st called, and then Philip. Some called j^oung ; as Timothy, 2 Tim. iii. 15. Some in elder age, Obadiah feared God from his youth, 1 Kings xviii.
SERMON UPON MATTHEW XIX. 30. 49
12 ; Lj'dia and the jailer in middle age, Acts xvi. ; Manasseh about sixty years of age, near on his death, 2 Chron. xxxiii. 19. tise 3. Let us not despair of any.
1. Judge of nothing before the time. They may be called that are afar off: John x. 16, ' Other sheep have I.' Christ knoweth the elect, looketh upon himself engaged to bring them in. We know them not, but Christ knoweth them.
2. As soon as you are called, mind your work : Col. i. 6, ' Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world, and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you since the day ye have heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth.'
3. These last shall be first. Many late converted ones grow eminent in grace, for these reasons —
[1.] Those that have been great sinners love much, because much was forgiven to them : Luke vii. 47, ' Her sins, which are many, are forgiven her ; for she loved much : but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.' It was long ere they would hearken to God and regard his offers ; therefore now they bestir themselves the more.
[2.] They live in a constant admiration of grace ; whereas others may bear up themselves too much upon their own worth : James iv. 6, ' Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.'
[3.] Because they recompense their long delay by their after dili- gence: Eph. V. 16, 'Redeeming the time;' as travellers that set out late ride the faster : 1 Peter iv. 3, * For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness and excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abomi- nable idolatries ; ' 2 Sam. xix. 11, they that were last in bringing back the king to his house, were most zealous for his interest afterwards.
[4.] They look upon themselves obliged to do as much for God as they did for Satan : Eom. vi. 19, ' For as you have yielded your mem- bers servants to uncleanness, and to iniquity unto iniquity, even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.' Therefore those that have been grievous sinners, when God toucheth their hearts, prove eminent saints and seek to excel in righteousness and holiness.
Use 1. You that are converted late should double your diligence. As you have been instances of the corrupt vigour of nature, so also of the sacred power of grace : or if recovered out of some eminent fall, as Peter, John xxi. 15, Peter had been boasting before, that if all men forsook him, yet he would not forsake him. Now Christ puts the question to Peter, John xxi. 15, ' Simon Peter, lovest thou me more than these ? ' He expecteth not only love, but comparatively more love ; not only to check his making comparisons, but also to show that those that are recovered by grace from grievous errors should be more eminent in love to Christ. The renewed sense of pardoning mercy should sharpen their affections to Christ, and we should show more unfeigned zeal.
Use 2. Do not upbraid others with past sins, when they are after- wards more forward and earnest in the ways of God. We should not rake in that filth which God hath covered. Many a choice instrument of God's glory hath been recovered out of Satan's clutches.
VOL. XXII. D
UPON 1 JOHN I. 7.
And the blood of Jesus Ghrist his Son cleanseth us from all sin. —
1 John i. 7.
In the context the apostle speaketh of communion with God. Now communion with God we cannot have till we he reconciled to him by Christ, and none can he looked upon as reconciled to him by Christ, but those that endeavour conformity to God in purity and holiness ; for the manner of speech is hypothetical and continual : ' K we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and tlie blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.' In the words observe —
1. A privilege or benefit ; to be cleansed from all sin.
2. The extent, ' From all sin.' Original, actual, small, great, omis- sions and commissions, past sins, present infirmities.
3. The meritorious cause of it, ' The blood of Jesus Christ.'
4. The subject to which it is applied, or the parties interested ; they that ' walk in the light, as he is in the light.'