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thofe in his visible church in fo equitable proportion one to another. Is is true, he is a fovereign, and does not give to all advantages alike. In this as well as other refpects, to fome he gives ten talents, to others five, and to others one. But then he requires from noneany more than in proportion to their talents. And befides that, in relation to the ftate of the church from one age to another, there' may be obferved a remarkable balancing of advantages and disadvantages:, of which the cafe before us is one inftance, the ftate of thofe who faw Chrift in the flesh, and of those who have not feen him.

2. We may fee the neceffity of divine gracein order to faving faith in every age of the church. During Chrift's miniftry, and fince alfo, the Golpe is to "fome a favour of life unto life," and to others" of death unto death" and in both periods, faith is to be confidered as "the gift of God," Eph. ii. 8. When the Gospel was effectual to produce faving faith in the primitive times, it was "the power of God unto falvation," Rom. i. 16.

mighty through God;" and fo it is ftill. And therefore, while we are confidering the.. excellencies of Gofpel-difcoveries in themfelves, and the evidences given us of their truth, we fhould earneftly apply to God for his grace to form our minds to a faith un'feigned, a faith of the operation of God; and through the whole courfe of the chriftian-life, which is animated by faith, we should make our daily prayer, "Lord increase our faith," Buke xvii. 5.

3. We may collect the usefulness of a standing miniftry in the church. Since Chrift has left the world, and was a preacher of his Gofpel in perfon only for a few years and to one country; it was fit that there fhould be fome in every age and in all places, as far as may be to preach the Gofpel to every creature.

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How fhall men call on him, whom they have not believed? and how fhall they believe in him, of whom they have not heard? and how fhall they hear without a preacher ?" Rom. x. 14. For this purpose the apostles were first employed to propagate the Gospel; but they did not leave the matter there, but appointed "elders (ftanding prefbyters) to be ordained in every city," Tit. i. 5. And Paul enjoins Timothy 2 Tim. ii. 2. "The things which thou haft heard of me among many witneffes the fame commit thou to faithful men, who fhall be able to teach others alfo." fhould be faid, that the need of fuch is now fuperfeded by the Gofpel's being committed to writing: I anfwer; the writings of the New Teftament appoint this farther provifion, as in the place juft mentioned, and therefore for certain do not fuperfede it. All our doctrine indeed must be tried by the written word; and we are not "lords of mens faith: but helpers of their joy ;" and nothing which we ;' can deliver hath any authority, farther than we can fupport it by evidence from the Scriptures. But the bufinefs of minifters is to help you to understand the Scriptures, and to reprefent to your confciences the truths contained there. If there were no fuch provifion, I

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believe religion would be at a far lower ebb in the world than it is. It is God's appointed and ufual way for bringing men to the o bedience of faith, and for the perfecting of the faints, to inftruct, admonish and exhort men by men like themselves, who have the fame everlafting interefts to mind, and need the fame Saviour as they do.

4. We have reafon to be content with the circumstances of that age of the world, wherein our lot is caft. We are favoured with fufi. ficient advantages, and are encouraged to ap ply for the fame grace to make them effectual And indeed the condition we are in, that we fee not the Saviour in whom we believe, is. entirely of a piece with the reft of a Chriftian's ftate in this world. The main objects of our attention and. concern, as Chriftians, are things invifible," We walk by faith and not by fight," 2 Cor. v. 7. We"look not at the things which are feen, but at the things which are not feen," chap. iv. 18. Our chief concern is with an invifible God, Heb. xi. 27. The principal benefits we have to value are fpiritual bleffings, Eph. i. 3, and the inheritance we are born to is out of fight. It is fuitable therefore to all the reft, that our Redeemer fhould be fo too. This is a circumftance which may greatly contribute to promote one principal branch of the chriftian* difpofition, to afpire after a heavenly country, when we must confider our dear Saviour as already there "at the right hand of God," Col. iii. 1. It facilitates to a Chriftian the work of dying, to think that his death is not

a removal from his Lord, but going to him."

5. Let us be very folicitous, that under our many advantages, and by the help of that grace fo ready to be bestowed, we may "believe to the faving of our fouls." That every part of the teftimony which God hath borne to his Son, be readily entertained by us; and that we receive and appropriate him to ourselves for all the ufes and purposes for which he is offered in the Gofpel.

6. Let our faith in him be allowed its pro per practical influence upon the whole chrif tian temper and life. More immediately upon thofe holy difpofitions towards Chrift himfelf, of which the text speaks; love to him, and joy in him. If our faith thus work, by* love, and work us up to the genuine joy of living Chriftians, this cannot fail to animate the whole of the divine life.

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Whom, having not feen, ye love: In whom, though now ye fee him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glorys

THE HE practical regards we owe to the Lord. Jefus himself, make an eminent and diftinguishing part of the chriftian temper of which regards these words may be understood S 2

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as a fummary. How fhould Chriftians fland affected to their mafter? Juft as these antient Chriftians in the text were affected towards him. Their firft concern fhould be, that they may have a genuine, a firm and lively faith in him; fo they had, whom St. Peter celebrates, though they had never feen him in the flesh,.. any more than we. Then their faith in him kindled in their breafts a holy and ftrong af fection to him and upon the foundation of faith and love, they were able to rise up to an triumphant joy in him."

The first of thefe, faith in him, has been the fubject of a former discourse. This is to be employed in the fecond branch.

II. Love to Chrift, as the fruit of faith in him, though he is unfeen, is a necessary part of the christian difpofition.. It is fo neceffa-

ry, that on the one hand, all thofe that are deftitute of it lie under a dreadful curfe; a curse pronounced by an apoftie under the fpirit of infpiration, 1 Cor. xvi. 22. "If any man love not our Lord Jefus Chrift, let him be anathema maran-atha;" accurfed, till.. the Lord comes. And on the other hand, all who are truly of this difpofition, are en- couraged by the apoftle's benediction to ex-pect all the fruits of divine favour, Eph. vi.. "Grace be with all them who love our Lord Jefus Ghrift in fincerity."

24.

In the prosecution of this, I shall shew, 1ft,`. the grounds of a Chriftian's affection to. Christ. 2dly, The characters of it. And, 3dly, The ways in which it is to be expreffed.

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