tion, O Ifrael, thou hast destroyed thyself, but in me is thine help; he observed, that these words had been of wonderful use to him at a certain time, and had yielded him abundance of spiritual confolation and strength; as indeed in a few words are expreffed the deftruction and falvation, the ruin and recovery of men. And though his disorder increasing rendered him afterwards very little converfible, yet by broken expreffions, and various tokens and circumstances, he was judged to die comfortably; and no doubt but he is fallen afleep in Jefus, and will be one of those that he will bring with him. May you, his children that furvive him, tread in his fteps, and imitate him in every thing praife-worthy, civil, moral and religious; attend the means of grace, and may the Lord call you by it in his due time, that you may fear and ferve your father's God, and fill up his place in the world and church. I fhall close with a word or two by way of reflection on what has been faid.

Since there is a ranfom found and given, and God is gracious upon it, and has difplayed his grace in fuch a wonderful manner, this may be an encouragement to fenfible finners, who are depreffed with the guilt of fin, to hope in him; Let Ifrael hope in the Lord, for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption: this being the case, there is no room nor reason for despair : behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the fin of the world; look to a fin. bearing and fin-atoning Saviour; his blood cleanfes, and his righteousness juftifies from all fin, and his facrifice expiates all iniquity; and God for his fake forgives all trefpaffes. Hence true believers in Chrift have great reason to rejoice and be glad, who know the ransom-price is given for them, and they are delivered upon it from deserved wrath and ruin: these ransomed ones may come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads; and when faith is in exercise, and they have a comfortable view of their intereft in the redeemer; may say as the apostle did, we joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have received the atonement': fuch have reason to adore and admire diftinguishing grace, and to call upon their fouls, and all within them, to blefs the name of the Lord, for the forgiveness of their fins, the ransom of their fouls, and the redemption of their lives from deftruction; and the grace difplayed in all this, fhould teach and influence them to live foberly, righteously and godly, in this evil world.

The Mutual Gain of Christ and Chriftians in their Life and Death.

Occafioned by the Death of the Reverend JOSEPH STENNETT, D. D. Preached February 26, 1758.

PHILIPPIANS I. 21.

For to me to live is Chrift, and to die is Gain.

HIS epiftle, of which the words of my text are a part, was written by

THI

the apostle Paul, when a prifoner at Rome, to the church of Christ at Philippi. Philippi was a chief city of a part of Macedonia; or rather, a city of the first part of Macedonia, and a colony of the Romans, at the time of the writing of this epiftle. Hither the gospel was brought in a very wonderful and extraordinary manner. The apostle Paul, and thofe with him, intended to have gone elsewhere, but were over-ruled and directed by divine providence, to steer their course to this place; where their miniftry was fucceeded to the converfion of Lydia and her houshold, and of the jaylor and his; which two families, in all probability, laid the foundation of a gofpel-church-ftate in this city; on account of which it became more famous, than for its being rebuilt by Philip king of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great, from whence it had its name of Philippi; or for the battle fought near it, between Auguftus Cefar and Mark Anthony on one fide, and Brutus and Caffius on the other, when the latter were beaten by the former; or for the fountains of water, or the veins and mines of gold, with which it abounded, which formerly gave it the names of Crenides and Dathos, and fince Chryfopolis; by which name, or as vulgarly Grixopolis, it feems it is now called ". The church here was a well regulated one; it was in good order, and had its proper officers, bishops and deacons; one to take care of

So the words in Acts xvi. 12. may be rendered, as they are by Caftalio, if instead of πρώτη Tns. We read wewτns, and which verfion agrees with the hiftory of the place: for according to Livy, 1. 45. c. 29. Macedonia, when conquered by Paulus Æmilius, was divided into four parts, and the first part was between Strymon and Neffus; where Pomponius Mela, 1. 2. c. 9. places Philippi: and Jerom, De loc. Hebr. fol. 96. G. exprefsly fays, " Philippi is a city in the first part "of Macedonia ;" and it was not the chief city of that part, but Amphipolis, according to Livy in the place referred to; nor was it the first city the apostle and his friends came to, but Neapolis, as appears from ver. 11. though Photius, Ep. 247. fays, "Philippi was the metropolis of the province of Macedonia;" as perhaps it might be in his time. See Pierce's Synopf. Ep. Philip. p. 2, 3. b Vid. Zanchii Prolegomena in Epift. ad Philip.

its fpiritual, and the other of its temporal affairs. The members of it are defcribed as faints in Chrift Jefus; they were in Chrift, being chofen in him to be holy as well as happy; and who, being converted, had an open being in him; they were called with an holy calling, had principles of grace and holiness wrought in their hearts, and lived holy lives and converfations. The apoftle had a very great regard for them; he remembered them in his prayers, in which he gave thanks to God for their conftant fellowship in the gospel. He expreffes his strong confidence of the work of grace being begun in them, and of the performance of it until the day of Chrift; believing, in a judgment of charity, that they were partakers of the fame grace with himself. He declares the most strong and affectionate love to them, for the truth of which he appeals to God; and as an evidence of it prays for them, that they might increase in love, in fpiritual knowledge, judgment, and fenfe: that they might be able to difcern things that differ, and approve the most excellent; and that they might be upright and inoffenfive in their conversation, abounding in the fruits of righteousness through Christ, to the glory of God. And whereas he was now in prifon, he gives them an account of his bonds, and the usefulness of them; as that they were the means of spreading the gospel in many places, and even in Cefar's court, and of emboldening the minifters of it to preach it without the fear of man; though this they did from different principles, and with different views; fome of envy, ftrife, and contention, and infincerely, thinking to add to the apostle's afflictions; others of good-will and of love to him, to the truth, and to the fouls of men; knowing that he was fet for the defence of the gospel. However, whatever were their views, the apoftle declares it was, and ever would be,. matter of joy to him, that Chrift was preached; yea, he was perfuaded, that the ill defigned to him by fome, would be over-ruled for his good, through the prayers of the faints, and the supply of the Spirit; for he had a well-grounded hope, that Chrift would be magnified in his body, living and dying; feeing he knew, that should he live longer, it would be for the glory of Chrift, and the advancement of his intereft in the world; and should he die quickly, his death would be gain, both to Christ and himself; fince he should die for his fake, in the faith of him, and the profeffion of it, and should be for ever with him; for to me to live is Chrift, and to die is gain. These words may be confidered,

I. As one propofition, and be read, for Chrift is gain to me in life and in death; as they are in the margin of our Bible, and by fome interpreters of great hote. According to this verfion of the words, Chrift is the fubjec with

Ego autem Chriftum in utroque membro orationis facio fubjectum, ut tam in vita, quam in morte, lucrum effe prædicetur, Calvin in loc. Sic Beza & Gomarus.

with respect to both parts, and the attribute is gain; and this he was to the apostle, both living and dying.

II. As two propofitions, the fubjects of which are life and death; and the respective predicates (brift and gain; and which partition of them is more agreeable to our verfion; I fhall confider them in each view.

I. The words may be confidered as expreffive of the gain that Christ was, or would be to the apostle, both living and dying; and this is not to be limited and reftrained to him as an apostle, who as fuch received his commiffion from Chrift; had gifts and grace from him, qualifying him for that office; and by whom he was made successful in it, and profitable to the fouls of men; and whereby he gained much credit and reputation among the churches of Chrift: but is to be understood of him as a believer in Chrift, in common with others; and it is true even of the meaneft faint, that Chrift is his gain in life and in death. I' ufe the words, believer and faint; for Chrift is not gain to graceless perfons, nor is he esteemed as fuch by them; they fee no excellency in him, to distinguish him from another beloved; nor any comelinefs in him, wherefore he should be defired by them; nor can they imagine that any profit or advantage will arife unto them by profeffing and ferving him; or that any gain will accrue to them by attending his word, worship, and ordinances; but, on the contrary, that they would be lofers in their character or substance; and therefore, like the Gergesenes, defire he would depart from them: especially it cannot be thought that Chrift fhould be gainful to those that ftrip him of his proper deity; count his blood as common, or no other than that of a common man; despise and reject his righteousness, and deny his facrifice, fatisfaction and atonement; and. are self-sufficient to be their own faviours: but he is gain to them that believe in him, and is fo accounted by them; for to them he is precious: he is fo to them who have a fpecial and spiritual knowledge of him; who have an underStanding given them, or the eyes of their understandings are opened and enlightened. by the Spirit of God, to know him that is true; that he is the true God, truly and properly God, and in whom is eternal life; and that they are in him that is true; are interested in him, and share in all the bleffings of grace by him; who have fuch knowledge of him, of the glories of his perfon, and the riches of his grace, as that it is the beginning, pledge, and earnest of eternal life; and which knowledge, and the object known, are preferred by them to every thing else, and all things are reckoned but lofs in comparison thereof; and therefore are defirous of knowing more of him, of his perfon, office and grace; being willing to fuffer the lofs of all things, that they may win or gain him, and a greater degree of knowledge

knowledge of him. Chrift is gain, and reckoned gain to fuch who fee him, and believe in him; who fee the worth and value of him; the fulness of grace in him; the fuitableness of him to loft finners; and who, as poor perishing creatures without him, go to him, and venture their fouls on him, trufting in him, who lay hold upon him by faith as the Lord their righteousness, their only Redeemer and Saviour; who lean and rely upon him alone for falvation; commit their all into his hands, and expect all from him, grace here, and glory hereafter; and who not only have an interest in him, but are fatisfied of it, that he is theirs, and they are his; their Lord and their God, who has loved them, and given himself for them; to fuch as these Christ must be gain, and he is so esteemed by them.

First, Chrift is their gain in life: he is their to war, every thing to them, "their "all in all," he is every thing to them they want, and all they need they find in him. He is their wisdom, righteousness, fanctification, and redemption; their wisdom, to guide and direct them; their righteousness, to justify them, and render them acceptable to God; their fan&tification, to make them meet for eternal glory and happiness; and their redemption, to deliver and fave them from all their enemies, fin, Satan, and the world. He is their life, to quicken them, and to enable them to perform all the acts of spiritual life, and to entitle them to an eternal one; he is their light to enlighten them, and in whofe light they view with pleasure all divine objects; he is their food they live upon, and by which they are nourished to everlafting life; and he is their raiment with which they are clothed; he is the fource and fpring of all their folid joy, peace, and comfort; and through an interest in him they have a right to all things pertaining to life and godliness; all are theirs, Chrift being theirs; and therefore they must be great gainers by him. And how great their gain is, will appear by the following particulars.

1. He himself, his perfon, being theirs, he must be gain, and gain enough unto them; there being none among the fons of God in heaven to be compared to him, nor any among the mighty men on earth to be defired befides him. He is the chiefest among ten thousand'; among ten thousand angels, or among ten thousand faints; being "the brightness of his Father's glory, and the express image of his perfon;" he is the one and only Mediator between God and man, through whom they have access unto God, and in whom they have acceptance with him; he is their prophet, to teach and inftruct them in all divine things; their priest, to make atonement for their fins, and interceffion for their fouls; their king, to rule and govern, protect and defend them: he stands in, and fills up all relations to them; is their indulgent father, loving husband, kind brother,