and tendency, and have fuch concomitants, that they that climb them, muft come down humbly, otherwise they will fall down headlong. 6. Hence fee, that few are called effectually, because few have come down to entertain Chrift in their hearts and houses. They have no will to come from the tree they have climbed; they hold faft by the branches thereof. Many hold fo long by fome rotten branch, that they are in danger of letting Chrift go his way, and call no more, faying, My Spirit fhall no longer ftrive with them." But here is a mark of effectual calling, the foul is made gladly and haftily to come down to Chrift; down to his fchool, as a Prophet, to be taught of him; down to his altar, as a Prieft, to be accepted in him; down to his footftool, as a King, to be bleffed and ruled by him.-Why, fay you, muft we not come up to Chrift, and up to his terms? Nay, man you are far enough up already; you are for more terms than he is feeking of you. He feeks that you come down from all terms, conditions, and perfonal qualifications; to a renounciation of your all, which is nothing, and to an embracing of Chrift's all, which is all in all. The foul, in effectual calling, is made to come down from felf-love to felf-loathing; from felf. eftimation to felf-abhorrence; from felf will to God's will; from felf-eafe to an enduring of hardship, and a taking joyfully the fpoiling of our goods, by plunder, and the fpoiling of our names, by reproach and calumny down from felf-confidence to a renouncing of all confidence in the flesh, and a placing our confi. dence only in God: from felf.fulness and fufficiency to felf-emptiness, and contentment to be beggars at the door of grace's all-fufficiency, and daily travellers between creature-emptinefs and Chrift's fulness. Down from felf-righteoufnefs to a counting all our own righteousness but filthy rags. A fight of God, as fo glorious in holiness, that this attribute cannot be vindicated without a perfect obedience; and fo glorious in juftice, that this attribute cannot be fatisfied without a condign fatisfaction of infinite value; both which are only to be found in Chrift. This brings down all lofty lofty thoughts of felf-righteoufnefs, and makes the foul cry out, In the Lord only have I righteoufnefs." In a word, a day of effectual calling is a down coming day: the foul that was rich and increafed with goods, comes down to his fhop to buy his wares, his tried gold, his white raiment, his eye-falve. The foul that was climbing too high, comes down to fit under his fhadow, who is the tree of life; down to his pafture, who is the good fhepherd; down to his wine cellar, to be fed and feafted with him in his banquetting-houfe; down to his green bed of fellowship with him, in his pleasant fruits. 7. See hence how unkind it is to delay, when Christ is calling us to hafte and come down, and faying, "To-day, even to-day, I muft abide at thy houfe;" I would be in to thy heart: "Now is the accepted time." The prefent time is the time wherein God calls you to come down and work in his vineyard. When death comes, he will call you no more. The prefent time is the time wherein he is cafting open his door to all beggars, faying, To-day ye may be faved; if ye delay till to-morrow the door may be for ever fhut. The present day is the day wherein the judgments of God are begun; his judgments are in the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are to learn righteoufnefs. Come down, and own that ye are yet to learn the leffon of coming down, inftead of climbing up.-There are three things fhould be confidered by you that are lingering and putting off the time. (1.) Your delay hardens your heart: "Go thy way, faid Felix, I will hear thee at a more convenient time;" but that time never came. Time is not at your command. (2.) Your delay wearies God, and not man only; "I am weary with forbearing," faith God; and with waiting on this generation: "If it be a fmall thing to weary man, faith the prophet, will ye weary my God allo?" If you wear out his patience, you are undone for ever. (3.) Can you tell how long God will fpare you? Can you tell me that you will be out of your grave till this day eight days? Do you know what a day may bring forth? Then, this moment, hearken to his call, when he is faying, Hafle, hafte; Make hafte, and come down. 8. Hence fee the duty of all that hear the gofpel, namely, "To come down, and fit in the duft;" and to quit hold of all the branches by which they are hold. ing, that they may come and take hold of Chrift, the righteous Branch. Let me here exhort, excite, and direct you. [1] Let me exhort you to come down, and quit hold of all the branches wherein you confide. What branches? 2. Some hold to the branch of worldly confidences, minding only earthly things, and caft anchor there; making earth their heaven: but this world is like a floating ifland, fuch as fome we read of, where it is folly for failors to caft anchor, left the land fwim away with the fhip. Oh! dangerous trufting to floating and flying things. 2. Some hold by the branch of carnal excufes, when invited to come down to the gofpel fupper with Chrift, Luke xiv. 18, 19, 20. "They all made excufe ;" and, among the reft, one faid, "I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them." Auguftine made thefe to represent the five fenfes, which men want to gratify, inftead of coming to Chrift; called a yoke, because we have them, as it were, in pairs; two eyes, for feeing; two ears, for hearing; two noftrils, for fmelling; two jaws, for tasting; and a two-fold feeling, outward and inward: and a yoke of oxen, because occupied about the earth, and earthly things: but, Come down, Zaccheus; "Come down from the top of Amana and Hermon ;" from thefe mountains of vanity. 3. Some hold to the branch of proud Self, fetting themselves above all others, and embracing even the doctrines of devils, fuch as that, of "Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats," 1 Tim. iv. 1,2,3. This, in a literal fenfe, is applicable to Papifls; but, in a spiritual fenfe, applicable to thofe, who fo far are forbidding marriage, as they are pretending to loose the marriage-relation between paftor and people; whom God God hath joined, they would put afunder by their pretended fentences of depofition and excommunication: and hence fo far commanding to abftain from meats, as to be discharging people to feed upon thefe green paftures, wherein their fouls have been formerly nourished *. If it be the doctrine of devils to forbid marriage, and command to abftain from meats, in a temporal and literal fenfe, how dangerous and deadly must the doctrine be, that doth fo, in a spiritual fenfe! However, fo it is, that these who are catched in fuch a fnare, after their credit is engaged, their pride holds them like a chain, and makes them afhamed to return and acknowledge their folly. But pride muft down, for it is abominable in the fight of God. I have read a pretty story, or a pretty fable," of an "angel and a hermit travelling together: the firft thing "they met with, on their way, was a flinking carrion; "at which the hermit ftopped his nofe, but the angel "fimiled; afterwards they faw a ftrumpet decking her"felf proudly and pompously, at which the hermit fmiled, and the angel ftopped his nofe." The moral teaches us, That nothing is more abominable to God, and his holy angels, than pride and vanity; and of all poide, none more hateful to God than religious pride: men's faying, "Stand by, for I am holier than you: these are a fioke in his nofe, a fire that burneth all the day,” Ifa. lxv. 5. 4. Some hold by the branch of human precepts and examples; their fear towards God is taught by the precepts of men, Ifaiah xxix. 13.; for which God there threatens to make the wisdom of their wife men to depart, and evanish into folly, ver. 14. When people make the precepts and examples of men, be they never fo good, their rule, their Bible, no wonder that they turn afide into crooked paths, and be led forth with the workers of iniquity. I mentioned fome heights formerly, that men attempt to climb in vain, and from which they muft come down: I do not here refume them. Alluding chiefly to the conduct of the feparating Brethren, formerly laid open, Vol. VII. 466,---480. 5. Some 5. Same, I may add, hold by the branch of their own good purpofes and refolutions; fome by the branch. of their own good duties and earnest prayers; but thefe confidences will fail you therefore, Come down, Zaccheus; come down to Chrift; "For many fhall feek to enter in, and fhall not be able," because they come not down to Chrift, and to the ftrait and narrow way: fo ftrait and narrow is the gate, that you cannot enter with the branch upon your back, whether the branch of fin and wickedness, or the branch of your legal fervices and righteoufnefs. 6. Some hold by the branch of their good affections: they have been fo and fo affected in hearing and communicating; they have fhed tears at ordinances fometimes, and wept abundantly; and therefore may they not expect that this will do them good, and render them the more acceptable to God? Nay, man, what a tender twig is that you are lippening to. You may be as joyfully affected at a comedy, or dreadfully affected with a tragedy: is there any religion in these affections? or any thing beyond nature? or any real mark of grace therein? Nay: Come down, Zaccheus, to the Jordan of the blood of Chrift, and wafh there, and not in the puddle of thy own tears, otherwife thou haft no part in Christ. Come down, and let him wash you, who fays, "If I wash thee not, thou haft no part in me." 7. Some, again, hold by the branch of their own home-bred faith, faying, "We believe as well as we "can; and may we not hold there?" Nay, nay: Come down, Zaccheus; the object of faith is the author of faith, and the all of faith; yea, the act of faith, whereof we are the subject acting, is an owning Christ to be all, itself to be nothing. The faith of God's operation quits its hold of all things; and of itself too; and throws itself into Chrift's arms, that he may take and keep hold of it. Finally, Some hold by the branch of legal hopes and expectations, faying, Why, if I cannot believe of myfelf, I will wait;" not doubting but this they can do fill fome twig of old Adam they will hold by. t VOL. IX. K But, |