its sap from thence. Depend on him for life, light, strength, and all spiritual benefits. "I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God." For this cause, in the mystical union strength is united to weakness, life to death, and heaven to earth: that weakness, death, and earth, may mount up on borrowed wings. Depend on him for temporal benefits also: "Give us this day our daily bread." If we have trusted him with our eternal concerns, let us be ashamed to distrust him in the matter of our provision in the world.

Lastly, Be of a meek disposition, and a uniting temper with the fellow-members of Christ's body, as being united to the meek Jesus, the blessed centre of union. There is a prophecy to this purpose concerning the kingdom of Christ: "The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid." It is an allusion to the beasts in Noah's ark. The beasts of prey, that were wont to kill and devour others, when once they came into the ark, lay down in peace with them: the lamb was in no hazard by the wolf there, nor the kid by the leopard. There was a beautiful accomplishment of it in the primitive church: "And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul." And this prevails in all the members of Christ, according to the measure of the grace of God in them. Oh! it is sad to see Christ's lilies as thorns in one another's sides; and Christ's lambs devouring one another like lions: yet it must be remembered, that sin is no proper cement for the members of Christ, though Herod and Pontius Pilate may be made friends that way. The apostle's

rule is plain: "Follow peace with all men, and holiness." To follow peace no further than our humour, credit, and such like things will allow us, it is too short to pursue it further than holiness, that is, conformity to the divine will, allows us, is too far. Peace is precious, yet it may be bought too dear : wherefore we must rather want it than purchase it at the expense of truth or holiness. But otherwise it cannot be over-dear bought, and it will always be precious in the eyes of the sons of peace.

II. And now, sinners, what shall I say to you? I have given you some view of the privileges of those in the state of grace: ye have seen them afar off; but, alas! they are not yours, because ye are not Christ's. The sinfulness of an unregenerate

state is yours; and the misery of it is yours also: but ye have neither part nor lot in this matter. The guilt of all your sins lies upon you; ye have no part in the righteousness of Christ. There is no peace to you, no peace with God, no true peace of conscience; for ye have no saving interest in the great Peace-maker. Ye are none of God's family: the adoption we spoke of belongs not to you. Ye have no part in the Spirit of sanctification; and, in one word, ye have no "inheritance among them that are sanctified." All I can say to you in this matter, is, that the case is not desperate; they may yet be yours: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." Heaven is proposing a union with earth still, and the gates of the city of refuge are not yet closed;-O! that we could compel you to come in.

STATE IV.

THE ETERNAL STATE; OR, STATE OF CONSUM

MATE HAPPINESS OR MISERY.

HEAD I.

OF DEATH.

JOB XXX. 23.

"For I know that thou wilt bring me to death, and to the house appointed for all living."

I COME now to discourse of man's eternal state, into which he enters by death. Of this entrance, Job takes a solemn serious view, in the words of the text, which contain a general truth, and a particular application of it. The general truth is supposed; namely, that all men must, by death, remove out of this world: they must die. But whither must they go? They must go to the house appointed for all living to the grave, that darksome, gloomy, solitary house in the land of forgetfulness. Wheresoever the body is laid up till the resurrection, thither, as to a dwelling-house, death brings us home. While we are in the body, we are but in a lodging-house. When we come to our grave, we come to our home, our long home. Man's life is a stream, running into death's devouring deeps. They who now live

in palaces, must quit them, and go home to this house; and they who have not where to lay their heads, shall thus have a house at length. It is appointed for all, by him whose counsel shall stand. This appointment cannot be shifted; it is a law which mortals cannot transgress. Job's application of this general truth to himself, is expressed in these words: "I know that thou wilt bring me to death," &c. He knew that he behooved to meet with death; that his soul and body behooved to part; that God, who had made the declaration, would certainly see it kept. Sometimes Job was inviting death to come to him, and carry him home to his house; yea, he was in hazard of running to it before the time: "My soul chooseth strangling and death, rather than my life." But here he considers God would bring him to it; yea, bring him back to it, as the word imports. Job knew this, he had laid his account with it, and was looking for it.

DOCTRINE-All must die.

Although this doctrine be confirmed by the experience of all former generations, ever since Abel entered into the house appointed for all living, and though the living know that they shall die; yet it is needful to discourse of the certainty of death, that it may be impressed on the mind, and duly considered.

Wherefore consider, first, There is an unalterable statute of death under which men are concluded: "It is appointed unto men once to die." It is laid up for them, and cannot miss it, seeing God has designed and reserved it for them. There is no

peradventure in it: "We must needs die." Though some men will not hear of death, yet every man must see death. Death is a champion all must grapple with we must enter the lists with it, and it will have the mastery: "There is no man that hath power over the spirit, to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death." They indeed who are found alive at Christ's coming, "shall all be changed." But that change will be equivalent to death, will answer the purpose of it. All other persons must

go the common road, the way of all flesh. Secondly, Let us consult daily observation. Every man "seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and brutish person." There is room enough on this earth for us, notwithstanding of the multitudes that were upon it before us they are gone to make room for us, as we must depart to leave room for others. It is long since death began to transport men into another world, and vast multitudes are gone thither already; yet death is carrying off new inhabitants daily, to the house appointed for all living. Who could ever hear the grave say, It is enough? Long has it been getting, but still it asketh: "One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever." Death is an inexorable, irresistible messenger, who cannot be diverted from executing his orders by the force of the mighty, the bribes of the rich, nor the entreaties of the poor. It doth not reverence the hoary head, nor pity the harmless babe. The bold and daring cannot outbrave it; nor can the faint-hearted obtain a discharge in this war. Thirdly, The human body consists of perishing principles: "Dust thou art, and unto dust