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his Service, have the most of his Fulness communicated to them. The Way then of fincere, univerfal, diligent Obedience to Jefus Chrift, is a Way to enjoy the Manifestations and gracious Prefence of Jefus Christ. Job. xiv. 21, 23. He that hath my Commandments, and keepeth them, be it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me, fhall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifeft myself unto him. If a Man love me, he will keep my Words: and my Father will love bim, and we will come unto him, and make our Abode with him. Christ in all his Fulness will reveal himself to fuch as keep his Words, and will dwell with them in all his Fulness. He will not come to them empty-handed, nor will he dwell with them at their Charges: but he will bring with him the best and most plentiful Entertainment for them. He will fay to them as to his Spouse, Cant. v. 1. Eat, O Friends, drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved. He will confer upon them thofe Graces and Comforts of his holy Spirit, which fhall ftrengthen and refresh them during their Pilgrimage in this World, and raise their Defires of being with him in the heavenly World. As ever then we would have much of Chrift's Fulnefs let out to us, be we careful to keep all his Commandments alway unto the end. In fuch a Courfe of conftant. Obedience to him, we may confidently truft in him for full Supplies of all needed Grace. But if we are careless about obeying him, we do but in vain hope for Mercy, Grace, and Glory, from that Fulnefs thereof which is in him. Serve the Lord then in Sincerity, and that fhall be verified on you. Pfal. lxxxiv. 11. The Lord God is a Sun and Shield: The Lord will give Grace and Glory, and no good Thing will be withold from them that walk uprightly.

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The Unreasonablenefs of labouring for Things that cannot fatisfy.

DISCOURSE III.

ISAI. LV. 2.

Wherefore do ye Spend your money for that which is not bread? and your la bour for that which fatisfieth not ?--

N the foregoing verfe, our Lord invited. fuch as thirst after bleffedness, to come to bim, that they might be made partakers thereof. In this verfe, he chides men for their feeking happiness in other objects, che which were not capable of affording it to them, or bringing them to the enjoyment of it.-In the words obferve,

1. The thing they are charged with, viz. Spending their money for that which is not bread, and their labour for that which fatisfieth not. - By money and labour, we are to understand, that cost and pains which men are at for the obtaining a thing. By that which is not bread, is meant, that which is not foul food, which will not promote the true life of the foul. By that which satisfieth

not,

not, is meant, that which affords no real fatisfaction to the foul. So that they are here charged with an eager purfuit of thofe things, which are no folid or foul-fatisfying goods; which will not caufe their fouls to live, nor give them full fatisfaction of their defires. What thefe things are, will prefently be shown..

2. An expoftulation, or demand of them, why they fo do. Wherefore Spend ye your money for that which is not bread ? and your labour for that which fatisfieth not? Chrift treats them as reafonable creatures, demanding a reason of them for their thus doing. And this carries in it, a denial of their having any good reafon for what they do. The courfe they take for attaining happiness is altogether irrational.

Docr. Thofe at most unreasonably, who lay out their labour on fuch things as cannot afford true life or fatisfaction to their fouls.Here two Propofitions.

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PROP. I. Some there be who lay out their labour on things which cannot afford true life or fatisfaction to their fouls. Many there are, who thus do, who are most industrious and laborious in the purfuit of those things which cannot fecure the life of their fouls, nor adminifter real fatisfaction to them. Now, the perfons who thus do, may be reduced to two forts, viz. worldlyminded perfons, and felf-righteous perfons; all these spend their labour for that which is not bread, and which fatisfieth not.

[1.] Worldly-minded perfons. Such as mind earthly things, and fet their affections on things below. Thefe do spend their strength and labour for the good things of this world, which cannot afford life or fatisfaction to their fouls. This may be more diftinctly and fully explained and confirmed under thefe two heads.

1. The good things of this world cannot afford true life or fatisfaction to the fouls of men.

2. Some however do lay out their labour for these things.

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1. The good things of this world cannot afford true life or fatisfaction to the fouls of men. They cannot give fpiritual life, nor yield fatisfaction to men's fouls. There is an utter infufficiency in them unto these great ends. Indeed, earthly-minded men may take great complacency in the things of this world, and imagine them a fufficient portion, to conftitute an happiness for their fouls, as he did in Luk. xii. 19. I will say to my Joul, Thou baft much goods laid up for many years; take tbine eafe, eat, drink and be merry. He expected happinefs out of thefe earthly enjoyments; and looked upon them not only as goods for the body, but also for the foul Such things as his whole man might live upon, and find fatisfaction in. But they are far from being life-giving and fatisfying good things to the fouls of men. For,

1. They cannot of themfelves preferve bodily life, or render it comfortable, much less the life of the foul.---It is true, that by a conftitution of nature, God has ordained these things for the fupport and comfort of bodily life in this world. And human life has fuch a fecondary dependence thereon, as that it cannot ordinarily fubfift without them. Hence bread and water, which are put for all outward bodily comforts, are called the Stay and staff. Ifai. iii. 1. They are the fupports of life. Yet however, they are fo, only by the bleffing of God upon them. Matth. iv. 4. Man fhall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. They are infufficient, of themfelves, to uphold life, or make it eafy and comfortable. Luk. xii. 15Man's life confifteth not in the abundance of the things which he poffeffeth. Neither the comfort, fafety, nor continuance of his life, depend upon or are fecured by thefe things.For thofe that have most of this world, muft die,as well as thofe that have leaft of it. The rich man died, as well as poor Lazarus. Luk. xvi. 22. The greatest affluence of worldly good things, is no fecurity against death. Men cannot by their wealth fave others

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or themselves from the ftroke of death. Pfal. xlix. 6, 7,9, 14. They that truft in their wealth, and boast themfelves in the multitude of their riches, none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him, that he should still live for ever, and not fee corruption. Like fbeep, they are laid in the grave, death fball feed on them.And as the rich muft die as well as the poor, fo they may die as foon as the poor. As riches cannot keep off death, fo neither can they lengthen out life. They cannot prolong the days of men on earth, or procure for them a longer leafe of life, than others. As many cafualties await the richeft, as the pooreft, whereby they may as foon be brought to their end. The number of their months may be cut off in the inidft. Job xxi. 21. The good things then of this world cannot of themfelves preferve life; nor can they of themselves make life comfortable while it does laft. For thofe that have moft of this world, do not always live the most comfortable Lives. They are no more exempted from difeafes, pains, weakne fles, cares and fears,

than others.

From the whole then it appears, that this world's good things cannot of themselves preferve bodily life, and make it comfortable. And if they cannot do this, much less can they preferve the life of the foul, and adminifter comfort to that. That which is infufficient to give life and happiness to the body, is most certainly infufficient to give life and happinefs to the foul, which is a far more noble and excellent being.

2. The things of this world are deftitute of thofe properties, which are effential to the giving life and fatisfaction to the foul. It must be acknowledged, that the things of this world are good things. When God had made this world and all that is in it, he faid of it all, that it was very good. Gen. i. 31. And the apostle fays, that every creature of God is good. 1 Tim. iv. 4. They are good in themfelves, being the good creatures of God; the effects of his power, and fruits of his goodnefs. And as they are good in themselves, fo they are

good

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