something welfavoured but such a Conversation that is well lyned to speak so within with the imputed righteousness of Christ and much inherent Grace and Holiness and with outward self-denyed visible Splendor and glory Let your light saith the Lord Matth. 5. So shine before men c. Even as the glory of his body when he was transfigured on the Mount made his Clothes to shine So there is something of Grace within that makes the external actions and carriage of Believers to shine and words that will be very tasteless and sapless from others though for the matter good will have another sort of relâ—sh and weight from them and Prayer from their mouth will have another sort of refreshful sweetness 16ly A Gospel conversation takes in and calls for much joy in affliction and tribulation We rejoyce in tribulation saith the Apostle It will make the Christian take joyfully the spoiling of his goods as they did Heb. 10.34 It will make men come from the presence of Councils rejoycing that they are accounted worthy to suffer for the name of Christ as it did the Apostles Acts 5. last My brethren sayes James Count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations or tribulations It makes pleasant and heartsome bearing of Crosses from God and of injuries from men It makes the Christian stoop humbly and very low to these It will not suffer him to render evil for evil but will put him to do good for evil and it makes him do it on a Gospel ground and account because Christ frankly forgave the Christian ten thousand Talents of his debt he is ready to forgive an hundred pence of petty and inconsiderable injuries done against him 17ly A Gospel conversation is a sweet quiet peaceable well humoured Conversation it makes men and women good to live with It hath much love and pity to them that are without it 's a good neighbour it 's a great friend to unity and a great enemy to division it presses hard after standing fast in on Spirit .. 18ly A Gospel-conversation implyes a setled fixed condition that is not fleeting and wavering It suffers not Christians to be one thing to day and another thing to morrow very unbecoming the Gospel a Gospel-conversation will not suffer a man to be a temporizer or one that cometh and goeth with every turn of the tyde to be of any Party that is upmost but puts to stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made him free the Believers heart is fixed and his conversation is stable when it is as it becometh the Gospel 19ly It 's a bold Conversation that will scare at no tryal for Christ but will hazard and venture far ere it expose the Gospel to contempt and reproach Therefore it is said Philip. 1. In nothing being terrified by your adversaries It is very loth to do or to forbear any thing that may make the Gospel to be evil spoken of 20ly It is a Spiritual conversation or a walking in the Spirit as the word is Gal. 5. Walk in the spirit saith the Apostle And ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh and Vers 25. If we live in the Spirit let us walk in the Spirit It makes us to pray in the Spirit to praise in the Spirit and by assistance of the Spirit it puts upon endeavours to do every thing that is called for 21ly A Gospel conversation is a wrestling and fighting conversation striving and warring against temptations without and a body of death within a lazie secure whole-hearted conversation when a person is lying by and is not setting himself against nor purifieing himself from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit but at truce with corruption is not sure becoming the Gospel Hence the Apostle Rom. 7. hath such a combate with the remainder of indwelling corruption Sometimes complaining of sometimes Protesting against it and sometimes bitterly bemoaning and crying out under its captivating power There being in the Believer two contrary parties one of Grace and another of corrupt nature which are contrary one to another as it is Gal. 5.17 A Believer in a Gospel Conversation is like Jacobs and Esaus Strugling in the womb It is for this cause that Ephes 6. All the pieces of the Spirituall armour are particularly described and Christians as Christs souldiers commanded to put them on and to have a Gospel-conversation is to be improving all the pieces of that compleat Armour of God aright to their several ends These are things and such others that are particularly called for in a Gospel-walk and conversation and if we would take a litle view of them all together and gather the meaning of this use of Instruction from the exhortation Let your conversation be as it becometh the Gospel of Christ the Sum of it may be briefly given in these Four 1. To be exactly studying Holiness 2. To be denyed to our Holiness as Paul was Philip. 3. 3. To be especially taken up with those particular duties of living by Faith of exercising Repentance of aiming at and closely pursuing after Communion with God in Christ Jesus which is though a much abused duty and unworthily prostituted in the mouths of many a most precious both duty and priviledge exercising Hope Self-denyall c So that we may be in case warrantably to say with the Apostle 1 John 1.4 Truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ 4. To be much in the Exercise of all these heartsomely and chearfully and to be comforted and refreshed in doing duty and yet denyed to all our doing A Christian having a suitable Conversation to the Gospel Sees his ills and is humbled observes Gods goodness and Comforts himself and blesses God heartily for his goodness in respect of both and because there is hope of an outgate from all his evils and a day coming when he shall be finally and fully Redeemed from all his iniquities The Second Use Leads us to Regrate and Expostulat with hearers and Professors of the Gospel of this time Though this be the thing and the only thing that they are called to yet if we should go through and view the Conversation of the most part O! how very unsuitable and unbecoming is it to the Gospel even so very unsuitable that if our hearts were tender they would break and bleed within us to behold it but Alace it is a part of our unsuitableness that we cannot suitably lament it Litle zeal for God and sorrow for what dishonours him and reflects on the Profession of his Name are much gone from this generation Oh! whither shall we go into the City or Countrey to find a Conversation becoming the Gospel We cannot be without some conviction that we ought to be zealous for the glory of God and serious in the study of Holiness in all manner of Conversation that the Gospel be not reproached and blasphemed if we be so and if such a Conversation be a duty and a very reasonable duty
and of so great concernment that in a manner it was their one thing they had to do In comparison of which in a manner they had no other thing else to do whether he were Present or absent This in some respect is all that he requires of them And the Argument whereby he presseth it is that whether he come to them or not he may hear of their affairs And that he desires and expects whether he be at Liberty or in Prison and bonds that they will thus especially testifie their respect to him which would be more refreshing and acceptable to him then their Communicating to him in his affliction beyond all the rest of the Churches was and for which he commends them Chap. 4. And in the close of the verse he instanceth Two Particulars wherein he would have their Conversation suiting the Gospel or Two qualifications of a Gospel-Conversation and walk one is Unity that they stand fast in one Spirit Another is Purity in the Faith that with one mind they strive together for the Faith of the Gospel The First Qualification is joint and united stayedness and stedfastness that they be not fleeting and wavering to and fro easily disjointed and divided one from another as many light Professors are And the Second is that they be studious in and striving for the Purity of the Doctrine of Faith and serious in the Practice and exercise of Faith Desireable and excellent Qualifications of a Christian viz. Purity Solidity and seriousness in Religion We shall at this time speak of the exhortation Only let your Conversation be as becometh the Gospel of Christ Where by Conversation we understand the whole of a mans carriage and walk towards and before God and men and by the Gospel the whole Doctrine thereof as it respects Faith and manners or Practice but here more especially as it respects Faith in Chrâ—st both as it is opposed to Heathenisme and as it 's opposed to the Law or Covenant of Works To walk then as becometh the Gospel is to walk answerably and suitably to it and in the whole of their carriage and Depoâ—tment to make a manifest difference to appear betwixt themselves and all other Persons as they are dignified and as the Gospel requireth The point of Doctrine to which we would speak from these words and which lyeth obviously in them is That they who are Priviledged with the Gospel ought seriously to endeavour and to make it their great business to have their Conversation suitable to and becoming the same This is some way the one thing required of all the hearers of the Gospel of all that are Baptized in the name of Christ We need not stay on the Proof and reasons of it and the lesse that none will dare down-right to denie it and that the reasonâ— aâ—e so obvious There aâ—e three Uses of it that we would speak a little to The First is for instruction to teach us our dutie The Second is of Regraâ—e and expostulation that the Professors of the Gospel and of the Name of Christ should be so unlike and uâ—answerable to it The Third is of Exhortation to this so verie necessarie and so mucâ— called for a dutie as the Compend of all duties whicâ— we would presse and set home by some consideration drawn from the necessitie and advantage of it As for the First I think I may say that if ye had the Apostle Paul Preaching to you who have been Communicants yester-day this would be the great dutie which he would enforce upon you Only let your Conversation be as it becomes the Gospel of Christ Ye will readilie say what is that I confess it 's hard to tell it 's so verie Marrowie and comprehensive but it will be as hard to practise it and a great deal harder O that we were all Breathing and Pressing seriouslie and hard after it However we shall in the first Place and in the generall desire you to consider these few Scriptures that hold it out as namelie Luke 1.74 75. 2 Cor. 7.1 Tit. 2.10 11 12 1 Pet. 1.15 Philip. 3 20. More Particularlie from other Scriptures ye may take it up in these or if we read and consider the Gospel aright we will find these Five things in it which require a walk suitable or a walk with respect to them and such a walk becomes the Gospel 1. In the Substance of it Our blessed Lord Jesus is as it were the Text on whom the Gospel is a notable Commentarie and what he did and how he suffered is proposed as a fair Copie for us to write after in all things wherein he is set forth to us as a pattern for our Imitation 2. That from whence the Gospel comes and which gives it it's rise even the Love of the Father and of the Son and of the Holie Ghost in whose blessed breast it bred and To walk as it becomes the Gospel is to walk suitablie to that love 3. To walk as becomes the Gospel is to walk suitablie to the great offers of it and to the Promises contained in it The exceeding great and Precious Promises whereby we are made Partakers of the Divine nature To walk suitablie to all the excellent things the sublimelie Spirituall and divine things Promised 4. It is to walk suitablie to the Commands and directions of the Gospel in reference to all duties having therefore saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 7.1 These Promises let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and Spirit perfecting Holiness in the fear of God 5. It is to walk answerablie to the obligations which the Gospel lays on us and to the consolations that flow from it to us If then we would walk as becomes the Gospel of Christ we must have a due respect unto all these If it should be enquired what is it to have a respect to these in our walk We answer it supposeth and includeth these things 1. A likeness and conformitie that what is called for in the matter of dutie or offered in the Promise we studie to be like it We all saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 3 18. Beholding as in a Glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2. Our suffering none of these things to ly by us unimproved our endevouring to make the right use of them to suffer none of the Promises relating to Justification Sanctification or any other Spiritual priviledge and benefit to be useless but to be laying due weight on each of them and more especiallie to be making right use of Christ the Mediator in whom all the Promises are yea and amen for certainlie they neither walk as it becomes the Gospel nor are worthie of it who make not use of him to be making right use of the Ordinances word and Sacraments and of all appointed means of edification Publick Privat and secret and to be making right use of the comforts of the Gospel
wâ—nderfully condescending words Hosea 3.3 Thou shalt not be for another man So will I also be for thee The Lord hath Believers under a peculiar tye to him and he hath tyed himself Peculiarly to them so that if we may speak thus neither of them is Master of themselves The Lord Jesus doth some way account himself not to be master of himself he is so engaged to them to be theirs and for them and cannot but be answerable to his engagemenâ— and they are oblidged to be no more Masters of themselves but to be absolutlie and altogether at his disposing Thirdly this union is made up by mutuall consent of Parties and the consent must be willing His consent comes in his Word He says from thence Behold I stand at the door and knock if any man will hear my voice and open the door I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me I come as if he had said in my Goâ—pel to woo and if any will consent to take me on the terms on which I offer my self I will be theirs The souls consent is given by Faith in his word which is called John 1.12 receiving of him and is relative to the offer The offer is indeed backed and quickned by the Spirit without which it would never be received yet notwithstanding that which our faith lays hold on is not the Spirit but the word quickened by the spirit Fourthly consider here the effects that follow immediatly and instantly on this Marriage union Christ with all that is his becomes ours and we with all that is ours become his our debt is imputed to him he is lyable to it and must pay iâ— and provide for us and be our head and Husband and his righteousness the Purchase of his Death and sufferings viz. Justification Sanct ficaâ—ion his Spirit Grace and Glory and every good thing that he hath become ours and at length the Bride is taken into the Kings ivory Palaces The Second Observation was that this is a most honouâ—able Noble and excellenâ— Marriage the like whereo never was nor never sh ll be from Adam to he end of the Wo ld it 's with the Kings Son with the Prince of the Kings of the earth the Heir of all things the brightness of the Fathers glory the express Image of his person who was before all things and by whom all things consist O! is there any match like this Is there any so great and so Noble as He Is there anâ— in this world whom ye can marry that is so rich as He They that Marry Him shall inherit all things Rev. 21.7 We may clear it a litle further from five or Six Particulars in the Text. 1. It 's an excellent and honourable Marriage in respect of the Bridegroom who is as hath â—een hinted The Kings Son who hath not another natural Son He is he only begotten of the Father there is not another Mediator He is the Fathers equall and fellow So that if if we may put an if to it the Father be great and glorious so is He for He is God the same God equal with the Father in Power and Glory the wonderful Counseller the mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of Peace Secondly this Marriage is excellent and honourable in respect of the Brides Father in Law so to speak He is the King God the Father Son and holy Ghost have all a hand in it and the Believer married to Christ is Daughter in law to the great God ingrafted some way into the same stock allayed with the same family 2 Cor. 6.18 I will be a Father to you and ye shall be my Sons and Daughters sayeth the Lord Almighty Thirdly it's excellent and honourable in respect of the Preparation made for it There was never such a wedding Feast the dinner is prepared the oxen and Faâ—lings killed but you will say what is all that Even Jesus Christ himself He is that Bread indeed that drink indeed the feast of fat things and of wines on the lees well refined the Bridegroom is to say so the chief dish that the Believer feeds and lives upon for ever and the Spirituall blessings and benefits that are gotten in him and from him are as so many dishes of this feast such as righteousness Pardon of sin Peace and friendship with God the Spirit Adoption Sanctification joy in the holy Ghost grace and Glory the hope of a Croum in those mansions that are in his Fathers House of a seat with him at his Table and on his Throne even a share in his whole Purchase and is not that a feast Fourthly its Honourable and excellent in respect of its most noble rise viz. From all eternity in the bosome of the Father it bred to say so in the Kings breast before the foundation of the World was laid the Covenant of Redemption was then concluded and the contract of marriage there drawn and the blessed Project of it then laid down Sacrifices and Offerings thou didst not desire saith the Mediator Psal 40. Mine ears host thou opened burnt offerings nor sin offerings thou hast not required Then said I lo I come in the Volume of thy Book it is written of me I delight to do thy will O my God The Father gives so many to the Son to be redeemed of whom he willingly readily and cheerfully accepts and offers to satisfie for them which in due time he doth Fifthly its excellent and honourable in this respect That there was never such a concurrence of so many and so great things to commend and further a marriage as there is in this Such as the making of the World men and Angels the incarnation of Christ or his coming into the World his Preaching and working of Miracles for confirmation of his doctrine his suffering and dying rising and ascending his giving Ministers and their gifts and to make up the Marriage union the Spirit from Heaven coming along with the word and working faith in the Soul by which bonds Christ the Believer are joined together Christ by his Spirit apprehending the Believer the beliver apprehending Christ by Faith was there ever a marriage contract or union bound up betwixt two such vastly and infinitly distant Parties was there ever such honour and riches attending and following a match such righteousness remission of sin Adoption Peace with God joy of the Holy Ghost the Spirit holiness in the beginning and gradual advances of it fellowship and walking with God the White stone the new Name the Throne the Crown Grace and Glory every thing that is good for the Bride here and Glory in Heaven In a word Jesus Christ and all the benefits of his Purchase were there ever such easie termes and conditions It 's only come to the Wedding when the King comes a wooing let him be welcomed with your hearts consent when he sayes I am content to marrie you let your heaâ—ts say Amen Lord Jesus I am content to
whereof there is through Christ a verie large and liberal allowance on Christians 3. It includes our delighting our selves in the Gospel our endeavouring to be cheerfull to be cheered and made glad by the good things in it A heartless drooping discouraged life and walk is verie unbecoming the Gospel of Christ We may in a word briefly sum up a Christians Conversation as becometh the Gospel in these Three 1. That he shine in his Conversation so as he may adorne the Gospel 2. That he improve by the exercise of Faith the Promises of it 3. That he endeavour to live on the comforts of it and to live in the hope and expectation of the comfort refreshing from the Presence of the Lord and the fulness of joyes therein that are coming some-what of all these Three is couched in those Words Acts. 9.31 Then the Churches had rest and were edified and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost were multiplied They walked in the fear of God in respect of their Practice and in respect of their Faith they walked in the comfort of the Holy Ghost and they were Edified grew and increased not only in respect of their number but as to their Spiritual state and stature And thus the Peace of God which passâ—th understanding guarded their minds and hearts through Christ Jesus Or ye may look on the Gospel as calling for these Two things in our external and visible conversation 1. That none get any occasion by our walk to reproach the Gospel that none may have it on any just ground given by us to say take up such a professor of the Gospel O! What prejudice to the profession of the Gospel is done this way by the untender walk of many of it's Professors 2. It is to walk so as our Carriage may be a Commendation to the Gospel an Ornament to the Profession of it that not only reproachers may be ashamed who falsly accuse our good Conversation but by beholding of it they may be made to glorifie God that we may shine as lights by our blameless walk so holding forth the word of Life being practicall Preachers by our convincing and edifieing carriage in our severall Capacities Callings Stations and Relations that they who are not won by the word may be won to the love of Christ and of Holiness by our examplary conversation and by the humble tender and conscientious discharge of the duties of those callings and relations the Husband being kind and the wife Tractable Child and Servant obedient c. Excellent directions to this purpose are given by the Apostles and particularly by Paul and Peter in their Epistles More Particularly which yet will be but somewhat generall We may consider the Gospel 1. As it holds forth and calls for Holiness and so for a Holy and Gospel-becoming Conversation And 2. We would take a view of the nature of this Holiness First The Gospel calls for Holiness in a sixfold extent a failing or defect in any of which makes a Conversation in so far to be unbecoming the Gospel 1. It calls for Holiness in respect of all sorts of duties be ye Holy saith Peter 1 Pet. 1.15 in all manner of Conversation as God is Holy in Prosperitie and Adversity in Religious in Morall and in Natural Actions for it is written be ye Holy for I am Holy 2. It is extended universally to all Particular and individuall duties and actions of all those sorts it reacheth all manner of Conversation The Divinely inspired Scriptures instruct the man of God how he may be made Perfect in every good work as it is 2 Tim. 3. And a failing in thought word or deed is unbecoming the Gospel 3. It is extended in respect of the subject viz. the whole man and Presseth that he be Sanctified throughout So 1 Thess 5.23 The Apostle Prays the God of peace Sanctifie you wholly and I pray God your whole Spirit Soul and Body be Preserved blameless And 2 Cor. 7.1 It puts to cleanse from all filth of the Flesh and Spirit It requires that the Judgements be keeped sound and that no error or untruth be admitted by it that the Mind be sober and free from any sinfull distemper that the affections be Sanctifiedly regular and that they debord not That the will be straight and brought up to the straight rule of obedience and that the Conscience be keeped tender that it be neither darkned nor impure That the members of the Body be yeelded as instruments unto righteousness 4. It is extended to holiness in respect of all capacities Callings Stations and Relations of Husbands and Wives of Masters and Servants of Parents and Children as the Apostle Paul Heartily and frequently doth in his Epistles namely Col. 3. and 4. Eph. 5. and 6. Tit. 2. Where he presses it upon Servants by this Argument That the Doctrine of God may be adorned and on wives by this that the Doct ine of God may not be blasphemed and on all thus That the grace of God hath appeared in the Gospel for that very end 5. It 's extended in respect of all times and Places 1 Cor. 15. ult We are Commanded alwayes to abound in the work of the Lord in the whole tract of our conversation at home and abroad in secret and publick in prosperity and adversitie 6. It 's extended to and requireth Perfect Holiness Holiness at the highest pitch So Matth. 5. Be ye perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect And 1 Pet. â—1 15 Be ye Holy in all manner of Conversation as God that calleth you is Holy to be at exact Holiness even to have it perfect in respect of degree in our designe desire and endeavour To be Purifieing our selves even as He is pure as it is 1 John 3.3 Having Him for our Pattern If any should here Object And say to look on the Gospel thus as carving out a Christians duty and walk so very exactly in this extent and at this pitch makes it appear to be very strict and to differ litle or nothing from the Law for what more doth that call for So that this Doctrine seems to be legal I Answer This Objection seems to Imply a great mistake for the difference betwixt the Law and the Gospel is not so much if at all in this that the Law requires more then the Gospel but that it requires what it calls for on another Certification The Law and the Gospel agree in these Three 1. The Gospel requires Holiness in as large an extent as the Law so that whatever is a sin against the Law is also a sin against the Gospel For Christ came not to aboliâ—h but to fulfill the Law 2. It requires Holiness at the same Pitch or in the same degree for the Gospel commands us to be holy as God is Holy and to be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect It dispenseth with no sin nor with any degree of any sin nor with the
care ye for Remission of sins Or care ye for the enjoying of God If ye do then sure it is unspeakably of your concernment to consider and close with the call offer of this Gospel And if there be any of you that have loved your Idols and after them will go I would desire you in soberness to say to it will ye prefer any Idol to Christ the Creature to the Creator the temporal finfull being of your body to the Eternall well-being of both Soul and Body If ye will then be sure that this Conviction in your Judgement and Conscience will go along with such a cursed Resolution that Christ and Heaven were the absolutly best Bargain The Third Use Serves to Cheer and Solace sinners that have betaken themselves to Christ O All ye who are glad to hear tell of such a Saviour and whose heart is even now content to take him to Renounce all Idolâ— for his sake We have First Remission of sins Noâ— only to offer but even to proclaim freely to you Hâ—â— that believes is past from death to life and shall not comâ— into condemnation There is no Condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh buâ— after the Spirit as it is Rom. 8.1 If ye say what wilâ— become of the sins that we are now under the guilt of I answer they shall be freely forgiven in those dayeâ— and at that time saith the Lord by the Prophet Jeremy Chap. 50.20 The Iniquity of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none and the sins of Judah and they shall not be found for I will Pardon them whom I reserve When all the books shall be cast open there shall be nothing found to Charge upon a Believing Elect It 's God that justifieth who shall condemn sin as Pardoned to you it was to Abraham and to David and Heaven is made as sure to you as it was to them who are now in it ye have the same Surety the same Saviour the same Covenant Secondly What Promise would ye have I know ye need many but is â—here any of all the Promises that is not in the Covenant Yea ye have the Covenant and Christ both for He is given for a Covenant to you All things are yours as it is 1 Cor. 3. Whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or Life or Death or things present or things to come all are yours and ye are Christs Ye have a title and right to all the Promises and may comfort your selves in the assured hope of the Performance of them O! That many were in capacity to receive this consolation Thirdly There may be a wearisome time here and who knows what tryals and Scatterings may overtake you What times may go over you ere ye get another Communion It were best then that ye who seriously mind to cleave to Christ and his Covenant were making for them and therefore lay up this Consolation O Believers Comfort your selves in this Blessed bargain ye have Christ and Remission of sins take the Sacrament as a Seal thereof There is a day coming when ye will drink it new in the Kingdom of Heaven O cheer your selves in the hope of it and for the time in this Resemblance of it when ye see a poor man personating our Lord Jesus Christ and by his warrant offering him to you The day is coming when there shall be no Resemblance no Temple no Ministers no Ordinances no Sacrament but ye shal drink of that new wine the grapes whereof grow on Christ Jesus the Tree of Life in the midst of the Paradise of God Even the wine of the Consolation of Glory that will keep you in a continuall Holy Ravishment when all fears shall be wiped away and ye shall have fully Satisfying Blessedness in the Immediat vision and fruition of God And since it is so Let the joy of the Lord be your strength There shall not a Believer come to the Lords Table this day but there is a day coming when he and she shall drink it new without interruption Eternally in the Kingdome of Heaven Father saith Christ John 17. I will that these whom thou hast given me may be with me where I am to Behold my Glory and again the Glory which thou gavest me I have given them and saith he Revel 3.12 I will write upon him my new Name and the Name of the City of my God c. That is the Communication and Participation of the Glory of the head as the Members are Capable Labour O Labour to have your Appetits Sharpened and your longing desires quickened to taste of this new wine It will be fresh strong and sweet there And seeing the Lord allows you such consolation take it and take the Sacrament as a Pledge of it and think with thy self O Believer in Christ what shall I sinfull and unworthy I ere long sit with Christ at his Table in Glory and is this a signe and Representation of it under a vail What manner of Person ought I to be in all Holy Conversation and Godliness ought I not to love him much and to continue with him in all his Tentations The Kingdom will Superabundantly make up all The very fiâ—st draught of this new Wine will make sighing and Soâ—row for ever to flee away Let your Souls be comforted in what ye have and in the expectation of what is coming There are great things coming ye have a Rich and liberall a free and frank bestower and notably good Security Come therefore all of you to the due use-making of the Covenant and of the Sacrament in reference to this end And the Lord himself that calls you enable you to come aright that it may be a closed Sealed and confirmed bargain betwixt him and you this day that ye may have ground to say This is the day which the Lord hath made we will be glad and rejoyce in it A Thanks-giving Sermon after the Communion the last that ever the Author Preached on such an occasion at Glasgow On Matth. 26. Vers 29. But I say unto you I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the Vine untill that day when I drink it new with you in my Fathers Kingdom SERMON II. OUr Blessed Lord Jesus is now near taking leave of his Apostles and preparing them for the storm they were to meet with and for the consolation of them and of all his followers to the end of the World He instituteth this Ordinance of the Communion to be His Love-token in His absence that all his People might be confident of his respect to them as well as to those then Present and that all of them might thereby be put and kept in the Remembrance of him till his coming again He hath given them a Massie and marrowy Sum of the Gospel in the words immediatly Preceeding This Cup saith he is my Blood of the New Testament shed for the Remission of the sins of many To