AS they miniftred to the Lord, and fafted, the Holy Ghoft faid, Separate me Barnabas and Saul, for the Work whereunto I have called them, Acts xiii. 2. We, who were once Sinners of the Gentiles, and now by the divine Goodness are brought to the Knowledge of the Gofpel, have abundant Reafon to be thankful that infpired Meffengers were sent to teach it, being separated to that Purpose by the direct Appointment of the Holy Spirit. --- Leave us not, we befeech Thee, deftitute of thy manifold Gifts, nor yet of Grace to use them alway to thy Honour and Glory, through Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen. AND Death and Hell were caft into the Lake of Fire: This is the second Death, Rev. xx. 14. ས Let us adoré before-hand Jefus Chrift victorious over all his Enemies; and hope to partake in his Triumph. --- Death and Mifery, together with Sin, which brought them forth, fhall be banished for ever into Hell, with the Devils and the Damned, af ter the laft Judgement. Eternal Life fhall be the Inheritance of the Children of God. The fecond Death, which is eternal Damnation, fhall be the difmal Portion of the Reprobate for ever. What is the first Death, which only feparates the Soul from the Body for a Time, in Comparison with the fecond, which feparates its Soul from its God to all Eternity? There is no Medium, we fhall be to all Eternity, either in the Bofom of God with the Lamb, or in the Lake of Fire with the Dragon. We fhall be with him for ever, whose Example we shall have followed. Happy he, whom Chrift fhall find Watching to fee Him come, Him, the Judge of all Mankind Shall bear triumphant home. Who can answer to his Word? Which of you dares meet his Day! Rife, and come to Judgment.-LORD, We rife, and come away. FOR we know, that if our earthly House of this Tabernacle were diffolved, we have a Building of God, an House not made with Hands, eternal in the Heavens, 2 Cor. v. I. We know we believe, we preach this; but we think too seldom of it, and we make ftill lefs Ufe thereof, in order to difengage our Affections from the Love of our Bodies. Grant, O my God, that I may always look upon this Body as a Houfe of Clay, which is continually ready to fall: and do thou attract my Soul towards thyfelf; Thou, who art willing to be its Country, its Heaven, and its House to all Eternity. Faith lives upon his Word; There is a House not made with Hands, We walk by Faith of Joys to come, We're absent from the Lord. FOR the Son of Man is come to feek and to fave that which was loft, Luke xix. 10. These are comfortable Words for Sinners: How much foever they are gone aftray, let them not defpair, fince no lefs a Perfon than God is come to feek them. --- What Progrefs foever Believers have made, let them not imagine that they have no longer any Occafion of being fought. They have ftill their Wanderings as well as others, and carry in their own Hearts an evil Principle, which would lead them out of the Way. Lord, feek in me That' which is gone aftray; fave That which is loft; and preferve That which Thou haft already found. To fave the Loft he came ; The Loft was all Mankind; Do now Salvation find, And publish it the World around That Grace doth more than Sin abound. DEarly beloved, I befeech you as Strangers and Pilgrims, abftain from fleshly Lufts, which war against the Soul, 1 Pet. ii. 11. The World is a foreign Land to a Chriftian. He ought to live in it as a Traveller, without Affection for it, without Design of fettling therein; with Prudence, Temperance, Love, and Defire of his native Country. --- A Man who paffes through a strange Country, ftops only to inform himself of the fhorteft Way Home, continues his Journey inceffantly whilft it is Day, and takes no more than neceffary Food and Reft. This is an Emblem of a Chriftian paffing through this World in his Way to Heaven. Come, deareft Lord! my Soul's Defire, |