XIV. of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light; whoS ER M. has delivered us from the Power of Darkness, and has tranflated us into the Kingdom of the Son of his Love, Col.i. 12, 13. And so much the more should we be thankful for this Goodnefs, as it was undeferved and unexpected. For he was found of us that fought him not, he was made manifeft to us that afked not after him, Rom. x. 20. Well therefore may we join with Simeon in his Song, Lord, now letteft thou thy Servant depart in Peace, according to thy Word. For mine Eyes have feen thy Salvation; which thou hast prepared before the Face of all People: A Light to lighten the Gentiles, as well as the Glory of thy People Ifrael, Luke ii. 29—32. We are now all adopted as Sons, and Children of the Kingdom, equally with those that are converted out of Ifrael. There is neither few nor Greek, there is neither Bond nor Free, there is neither Male nor Female; For ye are all one in Chrift Jefus. And if ye be Chrift's, then are ye Abraham's Seed, and Heirs according to the Promife, Gal. iii. 28, 29. So that now in Chrift Jefus, ye who were fometime afar off, are made nigh by the Blood of Chrift. For he is our Peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle Wall of Par SER M. tition between us, Ephef. ii. 13, 14. And XIV. came and preached Peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For by him we both have an Access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more Strangers and Foreigners, but FellowCitizens with the Saints, and of the Houfhold of God, ver. 17-19. And if God has thus honoured us to a Degree equal with what he has fhewn to his beft beloved and most favoured People; what Returns of Duty, Obedience and Love does his Kindness exact again from us? If he has chofen and separated us, who were Gentiles, from the rest of the Gentiles, it certainly muft lye upon us to separate ourselves from the Manner and Way in which those who are Gentiles fill do walk. Or if in the Time past of your Life, even though ye were Chriftians, ye have wrought the Will of the Gentiles, walking in Lafcivioufnefs, Lufts, Excefs of Wine, Revellings, Banquetings, and abominable Idolatries, 1 Pet. iv. 3. If thus you have done in your paft Time of Life, as St. Peter fays, let that fuffice you: And for the Time to come, let me with St. Paul fay and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the Vanity of XIV. their Mind, having their Understanding Dark- SER M. ned, being alienated from the Life of God, through the Ignorance that is in them, because of the Blindness of their Heart: Who being paft feeling, have given themselves over unto Lafcivioufnefs, to work all Uncleanness with Greediness. But ye have not fo learned Chrift; if fo be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him (i. e. if you have heard him preached to you, and been inftructed concerning him) as the Truth is in Jefus: That ye put off concerning the former Converfation, the Old Man which is corrupt according to the deceitful Lufts, and be renewed in the Spirit of your Mind; and that ye put on the New Man, which after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness, Ephef. iv. 17-24. Let me in the Words of the fame Apostle, in another Place, beseech you, Brethren, and exhort you, by the Lord Jefus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk, fo ye would abound more and more, 1 Theff. iv. 1. And if you do not, how is it that you express your Gratitude to God, for fingling you out almost from amongst the rest of the Heathen World to reveal himself to you ? Which is another Confideration that should excite you to devote yourselves wholly to him. For SERM. XIV. For the Nations, now Chriftian, are not only called and admitted into the Church before the Jews, but before much the greater Part of the Nations of the World, which still remain in their ancient Heathenifm, Darkness and Idolatry. For it is calculated that if the World were distributed into thirty Parts; nineteen of those Parts are ftill Infidels or Unbelievers; Nations to whom the Light of the Gospel never yet extended; but fuch as live in as much Ignorance and Barbarism now, as ever they did before Christ's coming. And in this State it is to be feared the Bulk of them will remain, till Chrift fhall manifeft himself again, from Heaven; when the Jews fhall first look up for Mercy to him whom they pierced, Zech. xii. 10. and knowing him, fhall cry out, as he has told them they will, Bleffed is He that cometh in the Name of the Lord, Mat. xxiii. 39. And then shall the great Body of the Gentiles receive him, and all unite in acknowledging and adoring him : For this is certainly the Sense of St. PaulIf the Fall of Ifrael be the Riches of the World, and the Diminishing of them the Riches of the Gentiles; how much more their Fulness? Rom. xi. 12. If the cafting away of them be the reconciling of the World; what shall the receiv ing of them be, but Life from the Dead? SER M. ver. 15. But But to come nearer home; to make the Application ftill clofer to us of this Nation in particular; how much ought we in an especial Manner to blefs and adore the good Providence of God for the almoft fingular Bleffings he has bestowed upon us. For the Law that went forth of Zion, and the Word of the Lord from Jerufalem, Micah iv. 2. Even hither has it reached, to this Corner of the Earth, fo far remote from the Parts where the Light of it broke out at firft; and that whilft in Nations, much nearer to it's Source, not a Glimpse of it as yet was ever seen. here it fhone almost from the Time it was firft difplayed: And here, God be thanked, it fhines ftill; our Candlestick still remains in it's Place; though God has long fince removed those of the once glorious Churches of the Eaft, where Christianity once fhone in it's greatest Splendor, but where it is now swallowed up and fuppreffed by Turkish Darkness. For though eleven Parts of the World, i. e. eleven out of thirty, are turned, it is true, from downright Heathenism, and worship the only true God; yet fix of those eleven Parts are Turks and Mahometans, who prefer an Impoftor XIV. |