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Hath Christ too died in vain, and may we come to life in our own sufficiency, when it cost so dear to glorify God's holiness, and to save our souls ? Alas, the pride of man must be brought low. We must come down before the footstool of a holy God, and thankfully receive that favour at the hands of a Redeemer, which we are utterly unworthy of ourselves.

Mean time let none forget that God loveth righteousness, as much as he hateth iniquity; that he is more highly pleased with his Son our Jesus, than he can be displeased at us, and therefore that we shall but injure his holiness if we distrust his mercies in not coming under the protection of him in whom he is well pleased. Wherefore, believing souls cannot too much consider their own impurity and the perfect righteousness and obedience of Christ, to the end that both they may see more abundantly their want of this Redeemer, and may also be more confirmed in his sufficiency, with a pure and holy God on their behalf. This will both humble and embolden them in all their approaches to the divine majesty, and keep them in that temper of reverence, humility and watchfulness, which becomes our condition and our circumstances.

3. The holiness of God ought greatly to alarm the impenitent sinner, who seems to have no care how he may stand before this holy Lord God. "The Lord is righteous in all his ways and holy in all his works," saith David; he cannot depart from the holiness of his nature in his doings, nor any more cease from hating sin than from being God. And if so thou art hated of God, O sinner, and all the declarations of his abhorrence at sin are levelled at thee. Thou liv

est daily hated of God; his displeasure rests upon thee day and night; wherever thou art, however employed, he cannot endure thee. He hath set a mark upon thee, and his curse is hovering over thee. In very deed dost thou not think he hates thee? What otherwise canst thou think, while thou art hugging to thy breast, that only thing he abhors, and to which he can never be reconciled, unless he forget that holiness of his which is the life and glory of his divinity? And will God ever change; if not, wilt thou ever see his face, or escape his vengeance unless thou repent? Alas, my brother, he tarrieth a little moment for the sake of his beloved Son, he waits a little for thee. But how soon will he declare his hatred of sin to thee in another manner than thou hast yet known? Death is drawing near, methinks I see him creeping up to thee, he his ready to lay his cold hand upon thee. Dost thou not see him, miserable man? Dost thou not feel him shaking thy crazy body to ashes? Where is he hurrying thee away? Stay thou king of terrors: mercy thou holy God! Yet a little moment; this sinner is unready, he is not washed nor cleansed. O spare him a little, delay to execute the terrible separation of his soul from thy presence and favour for ever! Thou knowest that thus dying he must perish, perish in a destruction suitable to the jealousy of a holy God! But sinful man, should God spare thee a thousand years, thou must repent and believe the gospel, else after all he can never be reconciled to thee. O that thou wouldest be wise, that thou wouldest consider this one thing, that God is not less holy because there are many sinners in earth and hell.

4. The holiness of God should stir us all up to seek and improve holiness in ourselves. We are naturally without it, and without it we can never see a holy God, yet the gospel is designed to minister it unto us. The blood of Christ invites and his righteousness encourages us to it, while also his word and Spirit will teach and work it in us. And this is the end of all, that he may purify to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works. Christians, this is your business upon earth, to be conformed to the holy God. See that ye be found so doing, having the purity of God, and his hatred of sin, so manifestly revealed in the law and the gospel, continually before your eyes. Seek that this work in you a growing hatred of sin and love of the blessed God. Mortify your lusts, die to sin daily, cherish every gracious disposition in your souls, by prayer, meditation, and every means whereby ye may derive down upon you the sanctifying influences of the blessed spirit. Nor be discouraged because ye are much defiled. Go to Jesus, he will present you in his righteousness, he knoweth whereof you are made. He will stand by you, and save yoú, till he present you to himself without spot. Only see that you faint not, for this is your trial, it is for your life. "Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God, our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen."

SERMON X.

THE ETERNITY OF GOD.

From everlasting to everlasting thou art God: Ps. xc, 2.

CAN we by searching find out God? Can we find out the Almighty to perfection? Such knowledge is too wonderful for us. It is as high as heaven; what can we do? Deeper than hell, what can we know? Yet we may, we must, stand still and consider the wondrous works of God. We must weigh with attention what he hath revealed of himself-the unchangeableness of his truth, the thunder of his power, the fearfulness of his purity. We must put every faculty of the soul to the stretch, in search of that eternity of his, which is from everlasting to everlasting. Some other of God's perfections we have discoursed upon as occasion was given, and I mean now to speak of his eternity, and to make improvements from it.

Concerning the eternity of God, I will mention these three points, in order to our gaining some apprehension of it.

I. What we mean by eternity.

II. That God is eternal.

III. That he is so in his nature.

I. What we mean by eternity. Eternity is opposed to time. Now time is nothing else but a succession of

moments, and were this succession carried out to any degree, to thousands and millions of ages, yet the whole were but time still, whereas eternity knows no such succession; there is no saying it was or will be with regard to eternity. We cannot well comprehend what eternity is; we can easily comprehend what it is not. It hath no beginning, no end; succession is not the measure of it. Time grows older, eternity doth not. Since the beginning, the world is grown six thousand years older; eternity hath advanced nothing, for eternity hath no relation to time. It is like a rock in the sea which hath no connection with the tides which pass along by it, but stands unchangeable in itself, insensible as I may say of the succession of waters which roll by its side. Eternity bears no relation to, and feels nothing of the successions of hours, and days, and years, which measure out time, but is stedfast, immoveable, unchangeable, without beginning, end, or succession.

God

II. God is eternal. Time is not the measure of God's existence. It cannot be said of him that he hath beginning or shall have end, or that there is any succession with him. He is the rock of ages which pass along, finding and leaving him the same. hath no beginning-" before the day was I am he.” Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever he had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting, he is God. To suppose God had any beginning, were to make him dependant upon some other which gave him that being that before he had not; it is to make him a creature. Whereas, "his goings forth have been from of old from everlasting." God

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