awaken his friends, to take revenge upon his enemies. This is furely one defign of the holy facrament to awaken your zeal against fin, which murdered the Lord of Glory. Laftly, Godly forrow for fin, will drive you to Chrift for help against fin; it will make you flee to Chrift for deliverance from an ill heart, as well as from the wrath that fin deferveth: hence the apostle cried, O wretched man that I am, who fhall deliver me from the body of this death? Rom. vii. 24.

ADVICE IX.

From HEB vi. 18. Who have fled for refuge, to lay hold upon the hope set before us.

We have here a two fold defcription of true believers, which come to one: 1. They are fuch as have fled to Chrift as the true city of refuge, to fhelter them from avenging juftice. 2. They are fuch as have by faith laid hold on Chrift fet before them in the gofpel promife, as their only hope of falvation.

Christ is our refuge city from the curfes of the law which hang over us, from the avenger of blood, divine juftice that purfues us, and from the devils which lie in wait for us. The cities of refuge under the law were fix, but under the gofpel we have one better than them all. Theirs only protected the body from the wrath of man, but ours doth protect both foul and body, from the wrath of an angry God. The way to it is made plain and patient, pillars are fet up, Chrift's ministers to direct finners in the way to it. In this bleffed city there is protection, inftruction, provifion, and fulness for all that flee to it. Here is all our hope of falvation, and it is in vain to hope for fafety any where elfe. Now, communicants, this bleffed hope is fet before you; come lay hold on it, and cleave faft to it. Now the city is fet on a hill, the way to it prepared, and the gates open: The gofpel trumpet is founded, and pro

clamation made, whofoever flies to the city, be his cafe what it will, fhall in no wife be caft out.

Under the law he that faw his danger, and fled to the city of refuge, did firmly believe there was fafety and fecurity for him by public authority in that priviledged place, if he could but get into it in time before the avenger of blood did overtake him: Therefore he earneftly defired to be once within the gates of it, and for that end, put forth his utmost vigour in running. He did not linger, halt, nor fit down by the way; nor would he turn afide to any crooked by-path that might lead him about, but kept the ftraight and nearest way to the city, as the pillars fet up directed him. No perfuafion of any man could make him look or flee to any other city, caftle, or hiding-place for fafety, but to the city authorifed by law. In like manner let every convinced finner, learn from this to flee to Jefus Chrift our fafety from wrath, as the only refuge appointed by God for him. Look, defire, and pant earnestly to be within the gates. O finner, run with fpeed, now the gates are wide open in the Word and in the facrament. Put forth your utmoft vigour, and escape for your life: Do not linger nor delay, but flee as one that fees juftice clofe at your heels. Avoid all other fhelters and by-ways for relief; away with carnal company, finful pleafures, worldly mirth or diverfions: Nay, take no fhelter in your own duties and performances; believe that none of these can screen or protect you from the fword of juftice; and that none elfe can, but he who is The Lord our righteoufnefs.

Of old, nothing could ftop the man when flying to the city of refuge: Had his wife and children hung about him, or his own heart fuggefted to him, will you leave your house, your garden, lands, relations, and many accommodations, and go to a strange city and fpend your days? He would have flung them all from him, and taken flight, faying to wife and children, better part with all things than part with my life; if you will not follow me, I must leave you all behind. So

let awakened fouls flee with speed and refolution to Jefus Chrift; fay to the world's profits, fins, pleasures, Satan's allurements, and whatever would tempt you to ftay behind, get you hence, away with every thing that would hinder me from Chrift. My Saviour and my foul are more precious to me than all the world; take all things from me and give me Chrift. How great was Jerome, one of the ancient fathers, his love to Chrift; how strong was his refolution, when he faid, "If my father was weeping on his knees before me, "my mother hanging about my neck behind me, my "brethren, fifters, and kinsfolk howling on every fide "to retain me from Chrift, I would caft my mother to "the ground, run over my father, and defpife all my "kindred, tread all under my feet, and run to Chrift."

O awakened foul, behold how Chrift difplays his love to thee in the facrament, he opens his wounds to be a refuge and hiding-place to thee, and calls aloud to thee to come and flee in thither, Turn ye, turn ye, why will де die? To whom will ye flee for help, when the avenger of blood is at your heels, if ye flee not to Christ the only refuge from wrath? Hills and mountains, feas and depths, heaven and earth, cannot hide thee from the ftorm, if Chrift do it not. Now you have a noble opportunity, while the clefts of Chrift's wounds stand open, and the bleffed hope fet before you in the facrament, and Chrift ftretching out his hand, and waiting to fee who will rife and flee to him. O to fee fouls rifing in flocks, and flying as doves to their windows: What a pleafing fight would this be.

O, faith one, I cannot rife, my wings are clipt, my foul clogged, I cannot mount up. Anfw. If you cannot mount up as with eagle's wings, fee if you can run to Chrift, and kneel before him, like that young man, Mark x. 17. Object. I find myself fo burdened and heavy laden, that I cannot run. Anf. Then fhew a willingness to run to Chrift, and cry, Draw me, and I will run after thee ; even a defire to run will be accepted, as of those in Nehemiah i. 11. Object. But, faith

one, my heart is fo dead and fluggish, I have neither. ftrength nor will to run to Chrift. Anf. If you cannot run, then fee if you can but go towards him; for we read in Jeremiah ii. 2. those who went after him in the wilderness were accepted of him. Object. Alas, faith one, I am fo weak and feeble, I cannot go. Anf. Then endeavour to creep and move towards him as you can. Object. But I am fo lame and impotent, both in hands and feet, that I cannot creep or move. Anf. If you cannot move to Chrift, then look to Chrift, as the Ifraelites did when ftung with fiery ferpents. Chrift calls every feeble foul to do it, Ifa. xlv. 22. Look unto me, and be ye faved, all the ends of the earth; and would you have Chrift come any lower than a look! O look up to Jefus as lifted up upon the pole of the crofs, for all nations to behold him. Object. My eyes are dim, the crofs far off; Jerufalem, where it was fet

up, is out of fight. Anf. The pole of the gofpel, and of the facrament, on which Chrift is now lifted up, is near at hand; look up to him thereon, and be faved. Object. Saith one, I am fo burdened with guilt, I cannot lift mine eyes. Anf. Then lie low before him, like the humble publican, who was fo burdened, that he was afhained to lift up his eyes to heaven, and, under a deep fenfe of his vilenefs, cried, God be merciful to me a finner, and fo doing was accepted. In like manner humble yourfelves before a merciful Redeemer, and plead his promife, Matth. xi. 28. Truft his word for

eafe and reft to your burdened foul.

From Jonn iii. 14.

ADVICE X.

-Even so must the Son of man be lifted up.

THE lifting up of the brazen ferpent upon a pole, to heal ferpent-ftung Ifraelites, was a type of the lifting up of Chrift on the crofs, to heal convinced finners of their wounds by fin. As there was but one brazen ferpent for healing the whole camp of Ifrael, fo Christ rucified is the only remedy and Saviour for a loft

world. He must be lifted up; his dying on the cross was neceffary to fulfil his engagements from eternity to be our furety; he must be offered up as a facrifice to fatisfy divine juftice for the fins of men, feeing nothing elfe could do it. Though Chrift's engagement to fuffer for us, was entirely voluntary at firft, yet having once undertaken, it became neceffary for him to be lifted up.

And glory to him that would not go back from his word, however great his fufferings were.

Come then, O communicants, behold and confider, with fuitable thoughts and affections, your lifted up Jefus dying on the crofs. After he had borne the heavy crofs on his bleeding shoulders up mount Calvary, this crofs muft next bear him upon the top of the mount, being firft nailed to it, and lifted up with it. Come, fee how this was done: Behold the cross-tree laid down upon the ground, and the Lord Jefus ftript naked, laid on his back with hands and feet stretched out upon the tree, that they might take the measure of his body, and mark the holes for the nails! and lo, they take the measure longer than the truth, that they might both crucify and rack him at once, till his bones fhould go out of joint: So the cross was a rack as well as death. Our first parents stretched forth their guilty hands to take the forbidden fruit from the tree, therefore our glorious Saviour did willingly stretch forth his innocent hands to be nailed to the tree, to fatisfy for their guilt. Come fee four big nails driven into his hands and feet, the most finewy and fenfible parts of his body, and faftened to the tree; apply your ear, and hear the hideous found of the hammers knock in thefe nails! Oh, your fins were the hammers did it, mourn for them.

Come next and fee the Lord of Glory, when nailed faft to the tree, lifted up with it on high, and made to ftand upright to the view of all the world.

And then the foot of the tree let fall down with violence into the deep hole they had digged to fasten it, which fall did unfpeakably increase his torments, and rend the four