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suffer, I beseech you, one thing more; suffer yourselves to be made happy and blessed. Suffer yourselves to be "turned away every one from your iniquities;" turn away from them, not merely for a while, but seek to be endued with that power from on high, which shall uphold your goings in the paths of righteousness, peace, and pleasantness, as long as you live. Not only in the apostles' days, but now also, Christ is able to save and make happy all who will come unto God by him. (Heb. vii. 25.) By thus coming you shall be eternally redeemed from all evil.

"For, as I live, Jehovah saith,

I have no pleasure in your death;
Why will ye die? Behold, my will
Is but that men should cease from ill,
Be turn'd from all iniquity,
And live for ever blest with me.

"Consider it, poor child of fear;

Thou art not left to black despair;
Strong consolation, health and grace,
God here reveals to meet thy case;
Trust in his oath; to live begin;
Only lament and loathe thy sin."

6. Notes of a Sermon on Matthew xi. 2, &c. preached at Herbrechtingen, on the third Sunday in Advent, 1741.

The incomparable greatness of the Lord Jesus Christ, as it shines forth,

I. From his works.

II. From the pre-eminent excellence of his forerunner, John the Baptist.

I. His works are numerous-wonderful-public-" full of grace,”—accordant with the prophecies of the Old Testament.

From all these shine forth his greatness. He is, "He that should come;" the Son of God; the Lamb of God; the Saviour of the world; the express image of the Father.

Application. What is to be done by us? Let the kingdom of heaven suffer violence from our repentance, conversion, faith. (Ver. 12-20.) Become of the number of Wisdom's children, (Ver. 19.) Come unto Jesus. (Ver. 28.) Present thyself before him in all thy poverty and necessities. Be not offended in him. (Ver. 6.) Let all thou hearest of him go to thy heart, whether thou hast found thy spirit much or little affected hitherto. Go thy way, and let "the works" of a Christian be "seen" in thee, and be "heard of" as thine.

II. John, the forerunner of the Lord Jesus, (ver. 9,) was a "great" man, a prophet, yea, and more than a prophet; yet was it his part to yield to and make way for Christ. This he did, gladly and willingly. How great must Christ himself be! Set a high esteem on virtues and gifts of grace, but set a much higher value on Christ himself. Every thing points to him. Be not a mere looker on, or an admirer of him; give thyself up to him, quite and entirely. To exhort you so to do, is my office and my joy, even as it was John's to exhort his disciples to the same effect. (Comp. 2 Cor. iv. 5.) O that I, "in" THIS "same hour," might be able to prevail with you! O that I might be able to persuade you to make a blessed use of the approaching commemoration of Christ's coming into the world!

7. Notes of a Sermon on Luke ii. 33-40, preached at Denkendorf, on the Sunday after Christmas day, 1713.

We have this day before us a portion of the gospel which especially addresses itself to children. I would, therefore, take pains to speak very simply and intelligibly; and I earnestly request all my young friends present, to attend to what I may have to say about our blessed Saviour, Jesus Christ; because I am to speak in his name.

Doctrine. "The holy childhood of Jesus is a pattern for pious children and young persons to imitate. It is likewise an example for us all."

Our Lord Jesus Christ, as the Son of God, had no need to grow or increase in any good quality, for he was divinely perfect as well as pure and without spot; but it is concerning him as man, that we here read, (ver. 40.) " he grew and waxed strong in spirit." As man it was that he prayed, held intercourse and communion with God; was characterized by the virtues of perfect purity, simplicity, integrity, modesty, obedience, wisdom; and that the grace of God was upon him. He grew up unknown to the world, but manifest to his heavenly Father; and he abode, meanwhile, in retirement, working with his own hands, (like other poor persons.) For our sakes he "sanctified himself" (John xvi. 19.) from the very first, even before he was twelve years old. During all this time he was gathering and laying up treasure, out of which he afterwards brought forth such abundant good. Come, then, dear children, and learn from his example. It is not enough to grow in years, though even this is the gift of God, and no work of our

own; we likewise must " wax strong in spirit" as we advance in age. How beautiful is it, when we are not always mere beginners, but can say, "For such a length of time I have lived in Christ!" But many have never even begun thus to live. Many children are wicked. They swear; tell falsehoods; steal; give themselves to excess in eating and drinking; are immodest in their language and behaviour; are fond of idleness; lead an unruly life; hate what is good; go after bad companions, deceiving and being deceived. All such are the very opposite to what Christ was. They "grow," but it is in sin and wickedness. They "wax strong," but it is only in the flesh. They are "filled," but it is with deceit. They have "grace and favour," but it is with the children of this world, and not with "God." You, however, must not live so, my dear children! Think upon the example of Christ, and upon his love to children. Think of the angels, who watch over you. Commune with your own hearts and be still; "learn obedience;" shun bad companions. Learn to love the word of God, and prayer. O never imagine for a moment that these things are of no such great consequence: it is a precious thing for young people to be pious; and precious are their prayers and thanksgivings! Think only what a beautiful crown of honour, still verdant and blooming for ever, belongs to Jacob, Joseph, Samuel, Solomon, Josiah, from their youthful days. You are, at present, in the spring season of your life ; how beautiful, if you are adorned with the hopeful blossoms of righteousness! And now is the time when you will find it much easier to give yourselves up to Jesus, than if you wait till by and by. Your hearts are not yet filled with so many vanities and cares as they are likely to be, if you delay to enter into close friendship with your Saviour; besides, you have not, at present, so much opposition from the world around you. Blessed is that person who, early in life, makes his calling and election sure. (2 Pet. i. 10.) But this often proves a hard matter in riper years; nay, even in youth a person may heap up wrath against himself. (Ps. xxv. 7; Job xiii. 26.) Think of the sad examples of Ham, Ishmael, Esau, and others.

Perhaps you think you have not power to make your calling and election sure, because you are born in sin. Or, you think you have not yet resolution or understanding enough; or, perhaps, you think you have time enough yet. Vain is every excuse of this sort. The grace of Christ can overcome and remove all such difficulties, however many or great you may

imagine them. How much time you may yet have, I do not know, neither do you; but this I know, that none of you have a moment to lose.

What I here say to children, applies equally to parents and instructors. It is for you to encourage your children in following these exhortations, by teaching and admonishing them, by setting them good examples, by avoiding every thing that may prove to them an occasion of stumbling, &c.

Finally, my beloved brethren! we must all be willing to become as children over again. (Matt. xviii. 3.) Let no one be ashamed to acknowledge that there is still need for him to

grow.

8. Notes of a Sermon on Luke ii. 41, &c. preached at Denkendorf, on the first Sunday after Epiphany, 1738.

"The pattern of a holy family; Jesus, Mary, Joseph." I. The pious parents

1. go up to the feast of the Passover every year, and take, as early as possible, their child with them ;

2. are accounted worthy of a trial and temptation ;

3. suffer anxiety together about the child Jesus.

II. The holy Son

1. feels with his parents a sacred delight in the festival;2. exhibits many peculiarly excellent graces, and displays a mind and conduct eminently worthy the imitation of children and young persons.

9. Notes of a Sermon on Matt. xx. 1, preached at Denkendorf, on Septuagesima Sunday, 1739.

Introduction. 1 Cor. ix. 24, 26. There are many who do not press at all toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus; there are many who run, but as uncertainly; there are some who so run that they may obtain.

Subject. The frame of mind in a Christian who is sensible of his real state and condition.

I. Such a Christian is earnest and diligent for himself. II. Affectionate towards others. III. Humble towards God.

I. He is disposed to serve God. Follows the call of God without delay; fully satisfied that left to himself he must be wretched. (Eph. ii. 12.) Achieves his work with patience; bears

the heat and burden of the day, till the evening arrives; troubles not himself with things beside his "purpose;" but devotes all his power and strength to the Lord. (2 Tim. ii. 4; iii. 10.)

II. (1.) Self-righteousness carries envy with it. It cannot bear that any should stand upon an equal footing with itself. The Jews were of this character. Something of the kind appears in Peter's questions: ("Lord, and what shall this man do?" or, "What shall we have therefore?")

(2.) Faith produces benevolence and love. (1 John ii. 9—11; Rom. ix. 3. 1 Cor. xii. 26.) He that hath not these is no true believer, but a stranger to God.

III. (1.) Compliance, true-heartedness, and believing confidence, go before;

(2.) Humble obedience and subjection, with no praise arrogated to self, follow after. (Luke xvii. 10.)

He who examines himself by these marks of a christian spirit, will easily ascertain whether he is proceeding in the right

way.

10. Notes of a Sermon on Luke viii. 4, &c., preached at Denkendorf, on Sexagesima Sunday, 1714.

We have lately discoursed on the benefit of faith. All of us are professed believers, and are apt to think we are really in the faith. God, indeed, is willing to awaken true and lively faith within us all; nevertheless, “all have not faith.” (2 Thess. iii. 2.) Let us, therefore, examine ourselves whether we be in the faith; let us prove our own selves. Such an examination is an important one, and deserves our very best attention.

Subject. "There are three hindrances of true faith :"

I. Inadvertency;
II. Inconstancy;

III. Worldly mindedness.

I. True faith cometh by the word of God, which we must embrace with the heart as well as with the understanding. See here the necessity of attention, prayer, and faithfulness. Where there is inattention, faith is hindered; but inattention is often in those who hear; to say nothing of those who hear not, or forsake the assembling of themselves together; or who sleep when they should be hearing, or who suffer themselves to be thinking of other things when the word is addressed to them, &c. Without attention, the soul continues empty, uninformed, rude, and

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