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3. It is sure, because it is his ordinary and usual way of coming to his people, in answer to their prayers, that he would rend the heavens and come down, and that the mountains may flow down at his presence, Isa Ixiv. 1. See how it was answered, ver. 3. "When thou didst terrible things, that we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains flowed down at thy presence." It is his way to bring them to difficulties, and then to bring them out: "Thou broughtest us into the net: thou hast laid affliction on our loins; thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire, and through water, but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place." Psal. lxvi. 11, 12.

4. It is sure, from the encouragements he gives us, for checking all our unbelieving fears, lest the mountains never be overleaped ; " Why are ye fearful, Oye of little faith? Fear not, only believe." And again, "Fear not, for I am with thee, Isa. xli. 10, 11. Behold, all they that are incensed against thee, shall be ashamed and confounded." And again, ver. 13, 14, 15. " Fear not, I will help thee. Fear not, worm Jacob, and ye men of Is rael; I will help thee, saith the Lord, and thy Redeemer the holy One of Israel. Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth; thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and make the hills as chaff.

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5. It is sure, from the strong desire that he hath created in his people after his presence, that he will come over all impediments. Where he creates a desire, he will give satisfaction to it; for, "He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry with good things. Their cry is, "O how long, how long wilt thou hide thy face? As the hart panteth after the water-brooks, so panteth my soul after God, the living God," Psal. xlii. 1, 2. The hart is of a dry constitution, and hath a great thirst, especially after it hath been hunted upon the hills; such is the spiritual constitution of God's children, especially after being hotly pursued by the fury of men and devils. O how do they pant for a drink! and he that gives them a drought, will give them a drink, and not let them starve; When the Ce

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poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue fails for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them," Isa. xli. 17.

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6. It is sure, from the experience the Lord's people have of his coming, that when he comes, it is always leaping on the mountains, and skipping on the hills of sin and guilt in his way, and over the mountains of difficulties: all his remarkable approaches, are ordinarily experienced to be, when they are brought low, and, as it were, buried below the mountains of distance and distress; then he knows their souls in adversities; Ι was brought low, and he helped me;" and these experiences work hope of his coming again, and encourage their faith of his delivering them out of the depths; hence says the Psalmist," Thou which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, wilt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up from the depths of the earth; thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side, Psal. lxxi. 20, 21.-Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me, and thy right-hand shall save me," Psal. cxxxviii. 6.

7. It is sure and certain, from the office of the promised Spirit. It is the office of the Holy Ghost, to discover the mountains of sin and guilt, and unbelief, that stand betwixt Christ and us, "When he is come, says Christ, he shall convince the world of sin, because they believe not in me," John xvi. 8, 9. It is his office also, to discover Christ to be the roe and the young hart, leaping on the mountains, and skipping on the hills: for, it is his work to testify of Christ, and glorify him. Yea, it is the work of the Spirit of God, to remove the mountains and plain them; "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts; who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel, thou shalt become a plain," Zech. iv. 6.

8. It is sure, that when he hath a mind to come, no intervening mountain or hill shall be able to hinder him, because he is the power of God, and to him, as Mediator, all power in heaven and earth is given. He is able to save to the uttermost, and to level the highest mountain. Whenever he comes leaping and skip

ping on the mountains and hills, he makes them leap and skip like rams and lambs, Psal. cxiv. 4. Yea, the touch of his feet upon the mountains, makes them evanish like smoke, as it is said, Psal. civ. 32. "He toucheth the hills, and they smoke.”—So much for the doctrinal part. I go on now,

V. To the fifth head proposed, namely, The application. Is it so, That however strange and wonderful it be, yet it is sure and certain, that when Christ hath a mind to come graciously to his people, no mountains of difficulty in the way, will be able to hinder him? Then, hence see,

1. That gospel grace is surmounting grace, and herein we may learn the difference betwixt the law and the gospel. The law, as a broken covenant of works, shews nothing but mountains of sin, and guilt, and wrath betwixt God and us; for, " By the law is the knowledge of sin;" but the gospel shews Christ to be the nimble roe, and the young hart, skipping on the mountains, and leaping on the hills. The law shews the mountains and hills to be impassable, and insuperable by us, or by men, or angels: the gospel shews how easily they are surmountable by grace, and the great leaps that grace makes; O the strange leaps that Christ hath made, and does make! such as, his leaping from heaven to earth, in his incarnation and humiliation! from earth to heaven, in his ascension and exaltation from thence down again, in the communications of his promised Spirit! and just from mountain to mountain, in the operations of his grace, coming over all impediments in his way. In a word, the law shews the mountains to be before us, and in our way betwixt God and us; but the gospel shews the mountains and hills all left behind Christ's back: or, if they seem to remain intervening betwixt him and us, the gospel shews Christ coming leaping and skipping upon them, and making nothing of them.

2. Hence we may see, what is Christ's business, even when he is not present with his people; yet he is coming again to them. When he removes from his people, it is in that posture, wherein he went from his disciples,

with his face towards them: "I go away, but I will come again," John xiv. 3. His name is the Comer; and, "Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord," Psal. cxviii. 26. When he goes, he is on his way to return; and all that he doth, in his real or seeming absence, is in order to his coming. And, indeed, we ought to construct well of Christ in his absence; for, though he be not present, he is coming: and though he be not always seen upon the top of the mountains, yet when he is out of sight, he is but down to the valley; and when he comes in sight again, he is pleased to tell where he was, Song vi. 11. "I went down to the garden of nuts, to see the fruits of the valley, and to see whether the vine flourished, and the pomegranates budded;" q. d. I was on my way, but only down in the valley; nor was I idle there, but observing what fruits were produced in my absence: and it was to try your behaviour, and make preparation for another visit. O but this should learn us, to beware of misapprehensions of him, and jealousy of his kindness when he is away, and out of sight! and to remember, that though these difficulties be insuperable to us, he can soon get over them. Amidst darkness and distress, we should learn the prophet's language, Micah vii. 8. "Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy; when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light

unto me."

3. Hence see, that the love of Christ, which we are to commemorate this day, is a strong love, that levels mountains, be they never so strong and high; that is active love, that comes leaping over all the fiery mountains of God's wrath, due for our sin, and over all the fearful mountains of sin and guilt, that we have reared up betwixt him and us. O! the freedom of the grace of God in Christ, that cannot be stopped in its course by any lets or hinderances! If we be allowed any sweet communion with him on this occasion, whatever enjoyment or allowances we attain to, it must be wholly attributed to his condescension and his activity, and not to our diligence and activity; "Not unto us, not unto us, but unto his name be the glory," Psal. cxv. 1. If

you get a sight of the King's face, and if God be not a terror to you, but your hope in the day of evil, and your help, and comfort, and support, in such a day of absence and anger, it comes not from thy activity, but from the activity of Christ, in coming to bestow his purchased blessings, and overleaping all the mountains and hills in his way. To be crying down ourselves, and crying up his active grace and pains in all enjoyments, is the way to have them blessed, and increased, and continued.

4. Hence see, with what wonder and admiration we should entertain the activity of the love of Christ. Hi eoming is wonderful, and much more coming in such a manner. His presence was a wonder to the wisest man; "Will God in very deed dwell with man on earth!" Will the infinitely wise God come down to a company of fools? a holy God to a carnal wretch? the Creator to a bit of clay? But will he come in such a manner, with such celerity, dispatch, and delight, leaping and skipping over all the mountains in his way? O how should we entertain his coming and overcoming kindness with wonder and admiration, as the bride here doth, "Behold, he cometh, leaping on the mountains, and skipping on the hills!" What a great iniquity were it, to entertain this kindness in a coldrife and careless way; David, when he got a proof of divine love, sat down, and wondered, saying, "Who am I, and what is my Father's house, that thou hast brought me hitherto ?"

5. Hence see, how contrary, the way of Christ is to the way of men in this world. Men will not come over motes and atoms; but Christ comes over mountains. Men will not come over the least affront or injury, real or supposed, that is done to them; but Christ comes over mountains of injuries and affronts done to him. Men's work is to cast up mountains in the way betwixt God and men, and also between man and man, to hinder their fellowship with one-another; but it is Christ's work to cast down such mountains, or to come leaping over them.

Some are, and have been, for some time by-gone, strangely occupied in raising up mountains of ungodly

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