give you the kingdom. Their Lord and head is already there, and has fent them down the earneft, pledge, and beginning of it, to affure them of their being at laft with him. Though it doth not yet appear what they fhall be; being now. the children of God, they are heirs too, heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jefus Christ. How little foever they have in hand, God is not ashamed to be called their God; having in the better world, abundantly provided for them, and now is keeping them by him, as fuch who in the fittest feafon, he will call up to the poffeffion of all things. In these refpects the people of God are with him, as a privilege.

2. This belongs to every one of the number, and at all times.

Though caft down, they are not caft off, nor ever fhall. After the Pfalmift had been fhaken and ftaggered, and almoft gone; after he was fenfible of a great deal of weakness and imperfection, and had too fadly discovered it (which he reflects upon with shame and forrow) yet he adds with adoring thankfulness, as the ground of his fupport, Nevertheless I am continually with thee. And the fame fenfe of heart belongs to every faint. As,

1. They are chofen by the fame eternal love, which fetched its motives from itself, in pitching upon any; and with the fame freedom marked out all that are here recovered by grace, in order to be carried up, in the appointed feason, to glory. Whatever difference there is among believers in other respects, there happiness fprings from the fame fountain; and they have this as a common ground of thanksgiving to God, every one of them

for

for themselves, viz. That from the beginning he hath chofen them to falvation, through fanctification of the Spirit, and the belief of the truth.

As, 2. They are all bought with the fame price: Not with corruptible things, as filver and gold, but with the precious blood of Chrift, as of a Lamb without blemish, and without spot, 1 Pet. i. 18, 19. And as ranfomed by him, and believing in him, they are entitled to the fame glorious privileges, the fruits of his blood, of which being and abiding with God, is one Chrift tells us he laid down his life for the fheep, John x. 15. for all of them, the leaft as well as the greatest ; the poor as well as the rich; in whatever age or place they fhould be born, or wherever their lot hould be caft. Chrift loved his Church, and gave himself for it, Eph. v. 25. Which the Apoftle applies to himself, Gal. ii. 20. Who loved me, and gave himself for me: Which may go round to every member of his myftical body, and with equal truth be affumed by every fincere, though weak believer; all having but one common Saviour, Who fuffered the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God: to a state of fafety, in abiding with God here, and of perfect bleffedness, in seeing him above. All were once afar off, and as many as are made nigh, are fo by the blood of Jefus, as ranfomed by him, and related to him. and the meaneft of this number, has no reafon to fink; being he is accepted of God, in the beloved, and for his fake continually with him:

As, 3. The people of God have all undergone the fame change, and fo by regeneration and adoption, are related to God as children. Of his own

2

will,

will, faith the Apostle, begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures, James i. 18. And to as many as receive an offered faviour, to them Power is given to become the fons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Who are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God, John i. 12, 13. Chrift is the Head of the family that is called out of the reft of the world, and appropriated to God. They are created anew in him, and for his fake admitted to the privileges of fons and daughters, by his father and theirs. And as it is upon this ground that any can be faid to have God prefent with him, as a father with a child; fo it is the common privilege of the whole houshold of faith: and from the highest to the lowest, all should join in the admiration, Behold, what manner of love the Father bath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the fons of God; and that as one of the number, I should be continually with him: But even fo, O Father, it seemeth good in thy fight.

As, 4. They are all inhabited by the fame Spirit. It was not to the Apostles alone, to whom the comfortable promife was made by our blessed Lord, a little before his departure; but to all his fincere followers, as diftinguished from the rest of the world. John. xiv. 16. I will pray the Father, and he fhall give you another Comforter, that be may abide with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it feeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him, for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. Where this Spirit hath made his entry into any

foul,

foul, favingly renewing and bringing it back to God, he there keeps poffeffion for him, to carry on by his ftay, the grace he first implanted. And as the temples of that Spirit, we are faid to dwell in God, and he in us, 1 John iii. 24. And though it be not equally clear to all, thus every faint may be faid to be with him.

As, 5. Their covenant relation to God is perfonal and particular, God is with every one of his people. When ready to fink, a child of God may read God's own words with application. Ezek. xvi. 3. I entered into a covenant with thee, faith the Lord God, and thou becameft mine.

As, 6. They have all an intereft in God's fpecial love, that which he bears to none in the world befides them; and as they are all heirs, one as well as another, to the kingdom he hath prepared above. We read of a favour which God beareth to his people; with which the Pfalmift prays to be remembered. Pf. cvi. 4. and into which every one of that number is taken. Pf v. 12. For thou, O Lord, wilt bless the righteous, with favour wilt thou compass him as with a fhield. They are all interested in Chrift, the first and great beloved, in whom the Father is always wellpleafed. And being justified by faith, have peace with God, through Jefus Chrift our Lord: by whom also they have access by faith into that grace wherein they ftand, Rom. v. 1, 2. And upon the fame ground, they are all entitled to the fame heaven, and fhall all at length meet there. The Apoftle puts the queftion as to fuch as were apt to be dejected in themselves, and defpifed by others. Jam. ii. 5. Hearken my beloved brethren,

VOL. II.

G

hath

hath not God chofen the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?

Such as love God and are beloved of him, his children of what ftature foever, are heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Jefus Chrift: And whatever be their condition at prefent, as tending to a far better world, they are all gracioufly with God, and God with them. They are fo at all times, or continually.

Here indeed the groans of faints lead us to diftinguish between the Privilege itself, and the Senfe of it. Many may be, and are still with God, though they could never fay this; or it may be have loft the evidence and comfort of it which once they had. In the other world none can be with God, but they must know it too; and knowing, they fhall be always filled with unutterable joy. But alas, how often is it otherwife in this ftate with them? How earneftly doth holy Job breathe forth his defires after God, as withdrawn? Job xxiii. 3. O that I knew where I might find him! that I might come even to his feat! And gain, Ver. 8, 9. Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: On the left-hand where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: He bideth himself on the righthand, that I cannot fee him. And he, upon this account, makes that affecting cry, Chap. xxix. 2. O that I were as in months past, when his candle Shined upon my head, and when the Almighty was yet with me. But now he laments it, as far otherwife with him. He had loft the comfortable sense of God's prefence, which once he had.

Our