for joy or grief, shame or glory. If the soul can see light in the countenance of Christ, it hath joy, glory, and heaven, as full as it can hold; if nothing but darkness, it hath nothing but grief. As ye believe, so is your heaven or hell.

With a note of admiration, I will conclude this point. Christians, admire love that makes two heavens for such as are worthy of none. Is it not enough that power works gloriously above, but must it work so here too? "I am not worthy, that thou_ shouldst come under my roof," said the centurion, and yet Christ was not then in his glorious state, Matt. viii. 8. That Christ in state, in glory, should come under such a roof, such a rotten roof, as ours here is! That light should arise in darkness, impressed the psalmist much. That glorious light should arise in a poor dark soul, glorious power in a poor, overborne, sinful soul, should wonderfully affect us, and set us to holy admiration ! "If a man die, shall he live again?" said Job. Thus much took him. How much more then should this, If a man live, shall he live again? If a man have a heaven here, shall he have another hereafter. If a man have glory here, shall he have glory again? Shall he have glory upon glory-be clothed upon? Shall he pass from glory to glory by the Spirit and power of God?

Christians, what a King of glory do we wait upon! Power works gloriously in a house not made with hands; yea, and in a house made with hands, with earthen hands, and earthen feet. Power works gloriously in earth, forms an earthen vessel unto glory, forms glory unto it, in it; puts glory in the earthen vessel, and then puts the earthen vessel into glory. The queen's daughter is all glorious,

indeed glorious within, without; glorious hereafter, yea, glorious here. It lies upon you, christians, admirably to speak and talk of these things. "They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power," Psa. cxlv. 11. Yea, not only admire it, but draw comfort from it, according to all your fears and distresses. What can ye want, which glorious power" cannot help you to? What is it that heaven cannot make up? Extract the sweetness of this honey-comb yourselves, I only can put it into hand. Time calls me away. your

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SERMON VIII.

COLOSSIANS 1. 11.

-UNTO ALL PATIENCE.

You have a hint here, what is the state of a christian in this world, a state that needs a bearing, a very bearing frame of heart-patience, all patience,-if there be any thing more than this, and beyond this in long-suffering, it needs this too. "Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness."

I take these two latter expressions to be synonymous, or very near it; the one explaining the other. All patience is long-suffering with joy; long-suffering with joy is all patience. What difference they have, I think, is as it is felt inwardly, or manifested outwardly; and so I shall prosecute them. All patience denotes the habit; long-suffering with joy

denotes the exercise. The one denotes the grace of patience as it exists; the other, in its use; in its highest use, as the other notes it, in its fullest and strongest habit; for long suffering with joy, is patience in its highest and furthest use. Varying and redoubling of expression is to reach things thoroughly, and to hold them out most effectually. It will be our best way, therefore, I judge, to go after the Holy Ghost step by step, word for word; in this way we shall tread surest, and be likely to find most, touching the nature of this needful grace of patience.

First, therefore, of patience, then of " all patience" something shall be said, as God shall give assistance. Patience is a holy behaviour in affliction; it is a virtue exercised in adversities; a grace that keeps man gracious in all conditions; good in a bad condition; holy against all disadvantages of holinesses, within or without. Man is a creature full of wants since his fall, and as full of disquiet, and this turns all wants into sins and miseries. He is a creature beside the rule, and his punishment for this, keeps him beside the rule through disquiet, and so renders man totally miserable; miserable without any felicity, or hope of felicity. This is the gall of bitterness, which patience takes away.

Patience takes away the sin of misery; the misery of misery; the afflicting strength of misery; the sting and teeth of every affliction; the malignity of every cup of trembling: the unhappiness of every sad condition, and makes a felicity in misery. It is a rectitude of mind under a cross and crooked condition: a heart moving by the word of God, when whipt by the hand of God. It is Jonah praying in the whale's belly. It is heaven

made by divine art, in the belly of hell: this is patience.

The man

Patience is a soul enjoying itself in every condition, when nothing else can give enjoyment. There is more truth in the understanding, than power of truth in the heart; therefore man though very knowing, is yet very unruly, when all suits not to his will. Hence it is that the soul can hardly enjoy itself, when it cannot enjoy all it would. Dispossession of the creature, makes dispossession of the soul. Man in want, is distracted; not master of his mind, because not master of what he desires. The man is no man, because not such a man. hath nothing, because not such a thing. Let me have this or that, or let me die. Let me not have my soul, if I may not have this or that which my soul desires. This is vanity, grown up to maturity and turned into vexation of spirit, which patience Patience is a soul still enjoying itself, when it has nothing else. "In your patience possess ye your souls," Luke xxi. 19. Patience helps a man to his soul again; that is to the enjoyment of his soul, and of himself, when all is gone. A christian is one that is the same in sanctity, in the greatest poverty, as in the greatest prosperity: the same in all holy and sweet frame of spirit in the greatest affliction, as in the greatest advancement. It blesses God giving, and does the like, when taking away. It has all, having God, when Esau is coming to take all. "I have all," said Jacob, when in a very sad condition.

icures.

Patience is an even sea in all winds; a serene soul in all weathers. A thread even spun, with every wheel of providence. It is a soul above extremes; neither in excess; nor in defect; neither over

sensible, nor under sensible of any affliction: neither without tears, nor without hope: neither murmuring, nor presuming: neither despising chastisement, nor fainting when corrected. Affected with all, cast down with nothing; quiet when tossed, very quiet while extremely tossed; expecting salvation from God, when none can be had from man. Patience is not stupidity: an insensibility of soul under God's hand is a block, a stone, a Nabal, not a patient man. Patience is not a mute drooping, a sullen, silent, soul-sinking, and consuming under adversity; this is despair; this is soul vitality spent ; the marrow of the bones dried up. Patience is a virtue between these two extremes; a soul sensible of one hand upon him, and of another under him; a soul sensible of a rod and a staff; and so very quiet and very comfortable in a very low condition; having nothing, and yet possessing all things :"—this is patience.

66 as

Patience is a divine power, a holy, subjugating power working in the soul, deadening all afflictions. God may say what he will, do what he will; and a patient soul charges God with nothing. If a reasonable creature be called dog, used like a dog, yet patience will not let this dog bark, nor flee out; but calls him Lord who calls her dog; "She said, Truth, Lord, the dogs eat of the crumbs," &c. Matt. xv. 27. Patience gives sweet language for sour, to God and man; being reviled, reviles not again; being defamed, entreats. God has the day in a patient soul. He may use his tongue or his hand how he will; a patient heart is dumb, and answers not again. Passion saith, I do well to be angry; but patience saith, I do well to lay my hand on my mouth; I have spoken once, but I will speak no