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Why will you fight against him? you are not a match for him. "Who can harden himself againft God and profper?" Yea, the tribe of Gad, and the troops that are upon their fide, will gain the day against you, and all the legions of hell, ere all be done: therefore, O come, come and inlift yourselves with our Captain of salvation? He is a glorious and victorious Captain; he hath upon his vesture and thigh, this name written, "King of kings, and Lord of lords: the standard-bearer amongst ten thousands.” And, though you have been fighting against him all your days, to this very moment, by a loofe and profane wicked life of rebellion, yet he is content to take all comers, tho' they have been rebels ; for, "He received gifts for men, even for the rebellious:" he is obliged by his office to diftribute of these gifts amongst the rebellious, to engage them to come in to his camp and, this is the money that the Captain is offering you, to allure you to come out from amongst the troops and tribes of hell, and to come to him, and to his fide. O come, come to our Lord Jefus Chrift! and, I promife in his name, you fhall be as welcome as if you had never lifted up arms against him. Come, though you have no money; come without it; for he hath enough, he hath all fulness.. Come, though you have nothing, for he hath all. Come, though you have no arms, he hath armour to give you. Come, though you be not able to ftir, if you be but willing, he will take your hand and help you, faying, Come, give me your hand, for I am come to take you out of Satan's fervice and flavery, to be one of my foldiers henceforth. If enmity and unwillingness be ftill your darling that you hug, and you are refolved to go on in your rebellion, then his fword is drawn against you; "He will wound the head of the wicked, the hairy fcalp of him that goes on in his trefpaffes," and you perifh by your own choice. But, if enmity and unwillingness be your difeafe that you would have healed, your foes that you would have conquered, then come; come to him, and he will conquer your enmity, and make you a valiant foldier, a hearty volunteer, and more than a conqueror, at last.— The Lord effectually perfuade you.

(2.) Our

(2.) Our next exhortation is to you who have inlifted with this glorious Captain, and become his foldiers, defiring to fight under his banner, against the devil, the world, and the flesh: O Sirs, be encouraged to fight the good fight of faith. Be not difcouraged, poor believer, even though a troop of temptations and corruptions fhall overcome you, yet rife and fight again, by faith and prayer; for, "You fhall overcome at the laft." Be not difcouraged, you who honeftly efpoufe the cause of truth and reformation againft the errors and corruptions of the day, though troops of oppofition fhould arife from courts and judicatories, in greater fury than yet they have done; though the caufe may feem to be a loft caufe, and utterly defeat, yet the cause of truth is the conquering cause, and fhall overcome at laft. Though a corrupt church fhould inftigate the ftate against the witneffes for a reformation-intereft, and overcome them, and kill them, as it is faid of thefe, Rev. xi. 7. because their teftimony torments them that dwell upon the earth; -yet he that can give them power to prophecy in fackcloth, can, after three days and a half, make the Spirit of life enter into them, and make a living fucceffion of witneffes, to be as terrible to their enemies, as an army with banners. See the courage of Nehemiah, chap. iii. 17,

20. when building Jerufalem, and when Sanbalat and Tobiah laughed them to scorn, and despised them, and at the fame time inftigate the state against them, and reprefented them as enemies to the civil government, faying, "What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king," by difturbing the lieges? Nehemiah answers, "The king of heaven, he will profper us; therefore we his fervants will rife and build." Be not difcouraged from duty, you who are amongst the praying and wrestling remnant, even though a troop of foreign enemies fhould invade and overcome the land, and turn it into a field of blood, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein; though the devouring fword fhould be fent to avenge the quarrel of his covenant *; yet the

* It was formerly obferved, Vol. VI. p. 478. that this nation was, at this time, in open war with the courts of Spain and France.

mourn

mourning remnant fhall be fafe: though a troop fhould overcome them, yet they fhall overcome at laft.

Let me exhort you, O foldiers of Chrift, to put on your armour, and to look to heaven for skill to manage your arms.

1. Fortify your weakeft fide with the ftrongest guard, by watching, efpecially, against the fin that eafily befets

us.

2. "Endure hardnefs as a good foldier of Chrift." The foldier is not well trained for war, that cannot endure the hardship of coarfe entertainment, or an ill made bed; how fhall he watch all night, and fight all day? Again,

3. Let me exhort you to keep your eye upon the Captain-general, that hath already overcome all your enemies; enter yourfelves heir to his victories; "Be flrong in the Lord," and in the firength that is in him, in the grace that is in him. And,

4. Fight much upon your knees, like the Christians, that prayed down thunder and lightening upon their enemies. Luther calls prayer, Chriftianorum bombardo; The gunshot and artillery of the Chriftians.' Again,

5. Keep clofe to the Captain and his bands; do not disjoin the conquering tribe, the tribe of Gad, that you may be fealed as conquerors at last; for, Of the tribe of Gad were fealed twelve thoufand among the reft, Rev. vii. 5.

6. Be not difpirited with the foils you may get, and enemies you may meet with. You may have troops of them defeating you; but, O rife and take courage; for, what can hearten a foldier more, than to be fure he fhall overcome at laft? Fight, therefore, in the faith of the final victory: never lay down your arms, nor give over praying, believing, trufting, hoping, waiting, watching, and warring, though you fhould be foiled and defeat a thousand times; the Captain's honour is engaged that you fhall overcome at laft. Set the troops of heaven against the troops of hell. Know, that it is Michael and his angels, that fight against the dragon and his angels; therefore, whatever blows and overthrows

throws you may meet with at first, whatever battles you may lofe, yet remember what is coming at laft. Be not furprised, if, after a communion, a troop overcome you; lo, he hath warned you it fhall be fo; but, he hath made victory as fure; "These things have I fpoken unto you, that you fhould not be offended. They fhall put you out of the fynagogues; yea, the time cometh, that whofoever killeth you, will think that he doth God fervice. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father nor me; but these things have I told you, that when the time fhall come, ye may remember that I told you of them," John xvi. 1,-4. Be ftrong in the faith of everlasting triumph in heaven over all your enemies, when the palm of victory will be put in your hands, and the crown of victory on your head. Lay your account with being conquered here; for, a troop fhall overcome you: and perhaps too foon after this folemnity, you may be foiled by your furrounding foes within and without. But, O believer, rife and fight in the faith of complete victory at laft: your Captain's name is "JEHOVAH-NISSI, the Lord your banner:" And therefore, O believer! your name at the loweft fhall be, Gad, a troop fhall overcome you, but you fhall overcome at laft.

VOL. VII.

+ X

SERMON

SERMON

CXX.

CHRIST, THE TRUE MOSES,

SENT TO

Deliver his true ISRAEL, from their spiritual EGYPT. *

ACTS vii. 3.

I have feen, I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt; and I have heard their groaning, and am come down to deliver them. And now come, I will fend thee into Egypt.

THE temporal deliverance which God gave his church out of their Egyptian bondage, was typical of the fpiritual deliverance of his people in after-ages, from whatever spiritual bondage they are under. The text now read, fhews God's pity and mercy towards his people, after they had been for many years in a pitiful cafe, and under grievous oppreffions. And there are these five particulars I would obferve in the words. 1. The defignation of the people, who were pitied of the Lord, My people. 2. The grievous cafe and distress they were in. It is called their affliction in Egypt. 3. The carriage and behaviour of these people under their diftrefs, they groaned. 4. How the Lord fhewed his pity to them, namely, both by seeing their calamity; I bave SEEN, I have feen it: and by hearing alfo; I bave

* This difcourfe was delivered at Crofs-hill, near Glasgow, Oct. '11. 1741. immediately after the Admiffion of the Rev. Mr. James Fisher, late minifter of the gofpel at Glafgow.

HEARD

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