We are accursed by the We are hard-hearted; his

impatient; he was railed at. law; he was upon the tree. heart was pierced. We are careless; he had strong cries and agonies.

Particularly, envy of priests, covetousness of Judas, fear of Pilate, condescension of the multitude, in submitting to priests and elders; Matthew xxvii. 20; backbiting and slander, lies and wrong construction of wit

nesses.

III. Christ is the prince of life.

"The way,

"The resurrection and the life." John xi. the truth, and the life." John xiv. 6. "In him is the water of life." Rev. xxii.

"He that hath the Son hath

life." 1 John v. "I am come that they might have life," &c. John x. "Ye will not come to me," &c. John v. 40. "I live not, but Christ lives in me." Gal. ii.

Christ our life. He is the Giver and Preserver of spiritual and animal life. "He breathed the breath of lives," upholds it, will restore it.

INFERENCES.-1. Aggravation of.

that of life.

Killed a prince:

2. Condescension of Christ, and the worth of his death. He is the prince of life, and life itself.

3. Certainty of his resurrection, and power to raise the dead.

APPLICATION.-Desire no more the murderer. Pursue him in public and secret. Plot against him, day and night. Find, bind, drag. Not only bind, spit, strike, crucify, but kill and pierce Delilah through the heart. Repent, as David. Psalm li. 6. Wash in the blood.

1. Sinners.-Dread.

2. Mourners.-Rejoice.

Jesus lives and pardons.

Thirst. Begin at Jerusalem. Luke xxiv. 47.

OUTLINE V.

John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.— Acts i. 5.

INTRODUCTION.-Last words of our Lord. Dispensation of John: baptized with water, not in.

I. Use of John's water.-Baptism.

1. A sign of universal pollution, from the womb.-Repentance.

2. Acknowledgment of guilt, and need of pardon.

3. Acknowledgment of corruption, and need of holi

ness.

4. Profession of thirst after refreshing comfort.

5. Profession of helplessness.-None baptized themselves.

6. Profession of cleansing the outside.

II. Insufficiency of John's baptism.

1. Material water cannot cleanse the soul.

2. It is not saving,-witness Simon Magus. shall be baptized," &c.

3. The water flows off, dries

ficial.

"You

up;

the effect super

4. The testimony of John himself: "I indeed."

5. The declaration of Christ in the text.

III. General necessity of the baptism of the Holy Ghost.

1. All tainted with original sin,—must be born again. 2. All guilty, must be pardoned. Acts ii. and x. 3. All unholy,-must be sanctified. viii.

Catechism. Rom.

4. The corruption is spiritual and deep. Fire refines. 5. All are miserable, and need the Comforter and king

dom.

6. All helpless and Christless till then. &c.

"If any man,"

7. All are unfit for heaven and bliss, without love, melting, uniting.

8. Particular necessity for ministers :-To preach the

word with power.-To bear up under troubles and persecutions. To be directed into all truth, and to testify of

Jesus, though not to work

tongues.

IV. When?

"Not many days hence."

miracles and speak with

When prepared with

prayer and faith, united in one accord and tried.—The day is not fixed, that we may expect daily and yet not faint.

APPLICATION.-1. Unconverted.-Rest in no baptism, but that of the Holy Ghost and fire. Water baptism will condemn you alone.

2. John's disciples.-Promised, the thing promised, the time. O continue praying with one accord!

3. Believers. You want fresh baptism, till the Holy Ghost, which is grace, fill your soul.

OUTLINE VI.

Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy. 15 beautiful garments, O Jerusalem.-Isaiah lii. 1.

I. A DESCRIPTION of Zion and Jerusalem..

1. Asleep in the dust.

2. Without strength.

3. Naked.

4. Captives.-Bands on the neck. Ver. 2.

5. A thoroughfare for the uncircumcised and unclean. 6. Sold by themselves for nought.

II. The first command.

66

Awake, awake!"-Deep sleep is a great danger. Open the eyes of thy understanding. Dream no mor Be no more idle. Hear, rise, shake thyself from the dust, from the sleep of sin, ignorance, death. Awake by the trumpet of Sinai, the groans of Calvary, those of dying neighbours, the last trumpet; or now by the gospel trum pet.-Awake to-night, and sin not." Shake off thy sin," &c..

66

III. The second command.

"Put on thy strength."-Put on Christ, who is the 'mighty God." Isaiah xlv. 24; John xv.; Rom. v. 6. "The Lord will be the strength of Israel." Joel iii. 16. "Strength made perfect when weak." Rom. viii. 3; 2 Cor. xii. 9. Wait, renew their strength. Isaiah xl. 31. Samson." Tell me wherein thy strength lieth." Believe in the Lord, thy strength. Lay hold on it. Thy Jesus gave himself, was weak for us. Use thy strength in shaking, rising, fighting, believing, praying, pulling down strongholds; break thy bonds.

IV. The third command.

"Put on thy beautiful garments:" innocency, righte ousness, true holiness. Joshua and (his) filthy garments. Zech. iii. 4.-Robe of the elder brother, Esau.-Best robe for the prodigal.-Beautiful in the eyes of the law, of God, of men, of angels. Put on Christ, the Lord thy righteousness. Tear not that garment. Walk in white. Stand with the redeemed, with robes washed in the blood. Go to court. Go work for thy God. Be clothed with humility. Patch not the old garment. Obtain the weddinggarment. Spread thy garment in the way.-Dyed garment from Bozrah. Isaiah lxi. 10.

APPLICATION.-1. The ungodly.-Awake, before hell awakes you.-God will put on his strength.-You cannot withstand him: naked you are before an all-infinite power.

2. Mourners.-Christ your strength, righteousness, is very near.-Put him on.-See Jesus naked, fainting, dying, rising, &c.-The sword awoke the Shepherd, &c.

OUTLINE VII.

Then hath God also to the gentiles granted repentance unto life.-Acts xi. 18.

INTRODUCTION.-There are dreadful mistakes about the fundamentals. Few are converted: few penitents: why?

I. What that repentance is which is not unto life? 1. Repentance in words."I have sinned."-Saul. 1 Sam. xv. 24.

2. General, not particular; not every sin.

3. Particular, not universal; merely one sin

4. Afraid of sin's shame, pain, and punishment: not of sin itself.

5. When any excuses are made; mouth stopped.

6. When in a fit of affliction only.--Judas.

7. When no reform, or a partial one, follows.

8. When life, pardon, and the Spirit are not obtained. II. What is repentance unto life?

1. Abstaining from all known sin.

2. Practising all known duties.-Cornelius. Acts x. 3. Inquiring after the way and people of God.

4. Listening for life, till we are baptized with the Holy Ghost, and can magnify God.

5. Till we obtain life, a pardon, Christ, and the Spirit. This repentance is hearty, universal, particular, lasting, uniform, transforming.

III. By whom and to whom it is granted.

1. By Jesus Christ, who is exalted to give it. It is not our gift. No repentance in Adam and Eve before the promise. Gen. iii. 15. It is granted. It is a favour, not a judgment.

2. "To the gentiles also."-Ignorant and wicked, excommunicated from Christ and the gospel. Not to the Jews only.

APPLICATION.-1. You who are openly impenitent, consider your state, sin, law, curse, God, death, judgment, hell. There is no repentance in death.

2. You that deceive yourselves with false repentance,O let God by this text convince you!

3. Seekers of true repentance. Behold Jesus.

4. Penitents.-Magnify God, and bring forth fruits meet for repentance.