Thus our Lord epi

fummarily love to God and man. tomifes or fums them up, Matth. xxii. 37, 38, 39, 40. On thefe two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. Every ftep in this way, is taken under the influence of love, and fweetned by love.

2. It is a peaceable way. Luk. i. 79. To guide our feet into the way of peace. Prov. iii. 17. All her paths are peace.In this way they have peace with God. He is reconciled to them, and has a fpecial favour and friendfhip for them. Job. xiv. 23. if a man love me, he will keep my words, and my father will love him.

Again, in this way, they have peace of confcience. Pfal. cxix. 165. Great peace have they which love thy law, and nothing fball offend them. Great quiet of mind, is to be found in the way of righteoufnels. Ifai. xxxii. 171⁄2 The work of righteoufnefs fhall be peace, and the effect of righteoufnefs, quietness and affurance for ever.

3. It is a Jafe way. It gives fafety to them that are in it. Thus, there is fafety against wandring. Ifa. xxxv. 3. It fhall be called the way of holiness.---The wayfaring men, though fools, fhall not err therein. Thofe that are fet out in this way, though never fo weak and fimple, fhall not wander out of it, fo as to mifs of eternal life. Again, there is fafety against burt. In this way, nothing fhall do them any real harm. Pfal. cxix. 165. Nothing fball offend them. In this way, they are under the guardianship of holy angels. Pfal xci. 11. He shall givé his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. Yea, the power of God is engaged for their prefervation. I Pet. i. 5. Who through faith unto falvation. God will carry them fafe to heaven, notwithstanding all the malice and rage of men and devils. 1 Tim. iv. 17, 18. I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion, and the Lord fhall deliver me from every evil work, and will preferve me unto his heavenly kingdom.

4. It is the best way. way, Fer. vi. 16. Ask way, and walk therein.

one kept by the power of God

It is faid exprefly to be a good for the old paths, where is the good And it is not only a good way, P 2

but

but also the best way. In this way, there is the best company. It is the way of good men, Prov. ii. 20. And thefe are the most excellent men in the world, Pfal. xvi. 3.Again, this way leads to the best place. It is the way to heaven. Matth. vii. 14. The narrow way leadeth unto life. It leads to heaven, which is a better place than this world, Heb. xi. 16. Again, this way brings to the enjoyment of the best good, even God. Gen. v. 24. Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him, i. e. to himself in heaven.

Some things may be added by way of Direction.

Direct. 1. Let us be fenfible of our own inability to guide ourselves. We have not, naturally, skill and wifdom, to difcern the way in which we fhould walk and if left to follow our own counfel and judgment, we should do as they did, Ifai. vi. 29. Call evil good, and good evil : put darkness for light, and light for darkness; bitter for Sweet, and fweet for bitter. We shall embrace error,

rather than truth; and take the way to hell, to be the way to heaven. And when the way of truth and holinefs is made known to us, and understood by us, we cannot as of ourselves get into the way, and walk therein; but shall fhun it, or foon leave it, fhall miftake our way or turn out of it. The wifeft and beft of men will fubfcribe to that acknowledgment, Jer. x. 23. O Lord, I know, the way of man is not in himself it is not in man that walketh, to direct his steps. This unskilfulness and impotency of our's, we must be duly fenfible of; otherwife we fhall never accept of Chrift for our Leader, and refign up ourselves to his conduct. The proud Pharifees, who conceited they had light and fight enough of their own, fcorned to go to Chrift for direction in the way to life.

Direct 2. Study the word and example of Jefus Chrift. His word, is our rule; and his life, is our pattern. Chrifl's guidance of us, is always according to these. He leads us into a conformity to his own holy will, and holy life. He makes us to order our converfation according to his word, and to walk even as he himself

walked.

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walked. If therefore we would be guided by Jefus Chrift, we must labour to be more and more acquainted with his revealed will, and his holy walk. It is in vain to expect the conduct of Chrift, and yet remain willingly ignorant of that, according to which our lives are to be fquared. Nay, it is impoffible for us to be led on in the right wav, if we know it not. We should then labour to grow in the knowledge of Jefus Chrift and his will, defiring to be more and more conformed thereunto; then are we in the way of Chrift's leading us.

Direct. 3. Cherifh the gracious motions of the Spirit of Chrift. Our Lord is withdrawn from his church on earth, as to his bodily prefence. But the want of this is made up, by the prefence of his holy Spirit with them. By this bleffed Spirit he does all that for them, which he did when bodily prefent with them. By his Spirit, he particularly leads them into the ways of truth and holiness, and upholds them therein to the end. We should therefore give a ready entertainment, to all the operations of the holy Spirit upon our fouls. If he lets light into our minds, difcovering fin and duty, we fhould thankfully entertain it. If be quickens us unto duty, gives us any enlargement of heart in it, carries us comfortably through it, we fhould welcome fuch experiences, withal afcribing praife to the Spirit of grace. This will be the way to have further experience of his powerful, bleffed influences.

Direct. 4. Let us be earnest in prayer to Jefus Chri for his guidance of us. The gate is ftrait, and the way is narrow, which leads to heaven; there is great danger of mistaking it, and there is much difficulty and oppofition in it. And if the Lord do not afford us his special direction and affiftance, we fhall never find, nor choose, nor walk, nor hold out in, the way that leads to eternal life. We had then need to be frequent and fervent in prayer to Jefus Chrift, that he would take us by the hand, and lead us through this evil world, in fafety, unto glory. One of the best of men, even the man after God's own heart, faw his need of divine guidance, and often

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often befought God in prayer for it. And let the petitions, which in this cafe he put up to God, be ours alfo. Pfal. xxv. 4, 5. Shew me thy ways, O Lord, teach me thy paths: lead me in thy truth, and teach me. Pfal. cxix. 133. Order my steps in thy word. And cxxxix. 23, 24. Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts. And fee if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Thus for the fecond doctrine.

DocT. III. Jefus Chrift is given of God to be a Commander to the people. This is the third title here attributed to Chrift; which has a fpecial reference to his kingly office, exercifed in his ftate of exaltation. For explication,---

Queft. 1. What is implied in Chrift's being a commander to the people ?

Anfw. 1. His giving laws to them. As a commander, he has a legislative power belonging to him. fai, xxxiii. 22. The Lord is our law giver. He has full right and authority to ordain laws, and enjoin obedience untol them. Matth. xxviii. 19, 20. Go ye therefore and teach all nations,teaching them to obferve all things what foever I have commanded you. His commands are univerfally binding, fo as that all men are bound in confcience to obferve them. Thefe commands of his, are contained in the holy fcriptures, which are the word of Chrift, Col. iii. 16. The bleffed Bible, is the ftatute-book of that great King, comprifing in it all the laws and ordinances of his kingdom.

Anfw. 2. His exercifing a governing providence over them. As a commander of the people, he actually bears rule over them. Ifai. ix. 6. The government fhall be upon bis fhoulder. The management of providence is com-mitted to him. Pfal. xxii. 28. The kingdom is the Lord's, and he is governor among the nations. The whole world is under his government, but more especially the church and people of God. He governs both his friends and his foes, but in a very different way and manner. To inftance here briefly... (1.) He

(1) He governs his enemies, in a way of power. Tho' they do oppofe him, yet he has them under his powerful command. Pfal. cx. 2. Rule thou in the midst of thing enemies. He fo rules among them, as to overpower them, limit and reftrain them. Pfal. lxxvi. 10. Surely the wrath of man fhall praise thee, and the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain. He will fuffer no more of their wrath and rage to break forth, than what he will over-rule for his own glory. He fets bounds to their wrath, beyond which it cannot pafs. And as he restrains them at his pleafure, fo he can, and will, by his power. deftroy them. Pfal. ii. 9. Thou shalt break them with a red of iron, and dafb them in pieces like a potter's veffel.

(2.) He governs his people, in a way of grace. His government over them, is moft gracious and favourable. He protects and defends them from ruin and deftruction by fatan and his inftruments. Ifai. xxvii. 3. I the Lord do keep it, I will water it every moment; left any burt it, I will keep it night and day. He orders and dif pofes all things, even their greatest afflictions and perfecutions, one way or other for their good, Rom. viii. 28. He pours out his holy Spirit upon them, whereby they are difpofed and ftrengthned to ferve him, and work out their own falvation. Ats. ii. 33. Being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghoft, be batb fhed forth this which ye now fee and bear.Thus for the fecond answer.

Anfw. 3. His difpenfing rewards to them. As he is a commander, he has a difpenfative power belonging to him. The difpenfation of all things is in his hands. So that he has power, not only to make laws, but also to see them executed, according as men are found obedient or difobedient thereunto. He is fuch a commander, as has the power of life and death lodged with him. He is a lawgiver that is able to fave or deStroy, Jam. iv. 7. Accordingly he is ordained to be the judge of all men. Ats. xvii. 31. He hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness,