of it fhall fill the world, as the waters cover the sea, and all the oppofers of it fhall be turned into everlasting darkness. Wherefore let Chriftians gird up the loins of their mind, be fober, and hope to the end, for the grace which is to be brought unto them at the revelation of Jefus Chrift; and be always ready to give an answer to every man that afketh them the reafon of the hope that is in them, with meeknefs and fear.

There is a fpecial reafon for a careful, courageous practice of this apoftolic direction, at this day, which is the time in which the fixth vial is poured out, predicted Revelation fixteenth chapter, when the fpirits of devils are allowed to go forth to the inhabitants of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of the great day of God Almighty. Thefe evil fpirits are now among us, and have great influence on the minds of men, in the uncommon, rapid fpread of infidelity, and all manner of error and vice. Chriftians therefore now have a loud and special call to watch and be fober, to vindicate the truth, and honour Chrift and his caufe in all poffible ways. Let them hear and obey the words of Chrift, which he fpake with particular reference to this time: "Behold, I come as a thief. Bleffed is he that watch. eth and keepeth his garments, left he walk naked, and they fee his fhame."

SERMON

Sermon III.

WRITTEN IN THE YEAR 1767.

On Chriftian Friendship, as it fubfifts between Chrift and Believers, and between Believers themselves.

Cant. v. 16. This is my beloved, and this is my friend.

F

RIENDSHIP affords the highest and most sweet enjoyment that is to be had in this life, or that rational creatures are capable of. Yea, it is in fome fenfe the only fource of real enjoyment and happiness; fo that to be perfectly without this, in every kind and degree of it, is to be wholly deftitute of all true enjoyment and comfort. This gives pleasure and fweetness to all other enjoyments, and without this they all fade, and become infipid and worthlefs; yea, every thing will be rather a burden, and worse than nothing: whereas, this will give a degree of enjoyment and pleasure, when ftripped of every other good; fo that he who is in circumstances to exercife and enjoy friendship is in a degree happy, let his fituation and condition otherwise be what it may and it is impoffible he fhould be perfectly miferable, so long as he is within reach of this fweet, this heaven-born cordial.

It is probable that the moft voluptuous fenfualist that lives would in a great meafure lofe his high relifh for the pleasures he is fo eagerly pursuing, and all his fweets would be turned into bitterness, if he fhould feel himself perfectly, and in every fense, friendless: for none can be found, however funk and fordid their minds have become by vice, who have no fort of taste for friendship; though it may be, on the whole, a very corrupt tafte. To be fure, if any fuch may be found, they feem to be funk, in this refpect, below the brutal creation; for it is obferved that among them there is an appearance of love

of

of society, and at least a resemblance of love and friend fhip.

However loft to all true friendship mankind in general are, yet a defire of the esteem and love of others is found in every breaft, and is as effential to man as a defire of happinefs; and therefore cannot be rooted out, but by deftroying his natural powers, by which he will ceafe to be man.

Hence it is that no inconfiderable part of the future mifery of the wicked will confift in feeling themselves perfectly friendlefs, and the objects of the hatred and contempt of all intelligent existence in the univerfe, while they find themselves in every refpect in the most wretched, deplorable circumftances, and have a moft keen averfion to being hated and contemned, and a strong defire of the love and efteem of others.

As real or difinterested benevolence is effential to true friendship, we have reafon to think there are but few inftances of it in this degenerate, selfish world; and where it does take place in any degree, it is in a very low and imperfect one; fo that what many in all ages have been convinced of and afferted from long experience, may be relied upon as a certain truth, that this is a friendless world. However, there is a fort of friendship, which is at bottom a merely selfish thing, being founded only in felf-love, or which is the refult of what may be called instinct, or natural affection; which is very common, and in many inftances rifes very high, and anfwers many valuable purposes to mankind in this prefent state, it being many ways of great service to mankind, as it prevents many evils that would otherwise take place, and promotes the good of fociety, and often gives a degree of pleasure and enjoyment. But, fo far as true virtue or holinefs takes place, a foundation is laid for a different kind of friendship, which is immenfely higher, more noble and excellent, and confifts in exercises and enjoyments which furpass those of all other friendships, more than the exercifes and enjoyments of improved

reafon

reafon excel thofe of a brute, or the brightness of the meridian fun, that of the meanest glow-worm.

And God has, in his adorable wifdom and goodness, contrived and provided that this friendship fhould be exercised and enjoyed in the highest perfection, being raised to the greateft poffible heights, attended with the best and most advantageous circumftances.

The fcripture leads us to conceive of the Deity as enjoying infinitely the most exalted and glorious friendship and fociety in himself, for which there is a foundation in the incomprehenfible manner of his fubfiftence in the three perfons of the adorable Trinity. Here eternal love and friendship takes place and flourishes to an infinite. degree, in an infinitely the moft perfect and glorious fociety, the ELOHIM, the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. And the fociety and friendship for which men are formed by holiness, without which they cannot be perfectly happy, may be confidered as an imitation and image of of this, by which they are made in the likeness of God, and partake with him in the fame kind of happiness, which he enjoys to an infinite degree. And, in order that men might partake with him in the exercife and enjoyment of love and friendship to the highest degree and the greatest advantage, God has not only laid a plan to promote and effect the higheft and moft perfect love and friendship towards each other in the moft exalted and happy fociety forever; but has fo contrived, that they fhall be brought into the nearest and most intimate union and friendly intercourfe with himself, by which they fhall in fome fenfe, yea, to a great degree, be united to the Eternal and most Glorious, divine Society, and partake of the fame river of enjoyment and pleasure, which proceeds from the throne of God and the Lamb, in a peculiar and eminent fenfe.

To effect this in the best manner and to the greatest advantage, the invifible God, who eternally dwelt in the high and holy place, infinitely beyond the comprehenfion and reach of a creature, muft come down, and make himself visible, that he might be the head, the life and

H

foul

foul of a vifible and moft glorious fociety. This has been done in the incarnation of the Son of God, by which the greatest purposes of God's moral kingdom are answered in the higheft poffible degree, and all happy intelligences, efpecially the redeemed from among men, are brought into a near union with God, and are under fpecial advantages to receive communications from him, and enjoy his love and friendship in a manner and degree which could not have been in any other way. This is the mutual love and friendship spoken of in the text, which takes place between the incarnate Son of God, the divine Redeemer of loft men, and his church or spouse, or every one of the redeemed.

He is in a peculiar and diftinguifhed fenfe the friend of the redeemed; and he is the beloved of their foul in a fenfe and degree in which no other perfon is, or can be: and hence there is a mutual love and friendship between them, which is beyond comparison the most intimate, intenfe, fweet and exalted of any thing of the kind between any other friends and lovers, unfpeakably furpaffing all other friendships in nature and degree, attended with the higheft, moft noble, tranfporting, foulravishing enjoyment and delight, that can poffibly exist, or be conceived of.

This union of hearts, this mutual love and friendship between Chrift the Redeemer and Saviour, and believers in him, or the redeemed, is reprefented in fcripture by the inclination and affection between the two fexes of which mankind confift, under the influence of which they mutually feek and come into a peculiar union and intimacy with each other, in which they may enjoy each other, and be happy in the exercife of mutual love and friendship. It is reprefented by the fweet love and affection between the bridegroom and his bride, and the mutual love and friendship, and folemn engagements, by which the huíband and his fpoufe are united, and become one, and are happy in each other. And this fimilitude is, beyond doubt, moft wifely and properly chofen, by which to represent this fpiritual union

and