Christ,” by which the man sees him to be indeed what the gospel represents hirn to be, a non-such and incomparable Saviour; one who is the man of God's right hand," Psal. Ixxx. 17: “ the Man that is God's fellow," Zech. xiii. 7; and there

T fore mighty to save, &c.

5thly, This flight of the soul to Christ implies the soul's hearty approbation of Christ, and of the way of salvation through Christ, as an ordinance of God calculated for his glory, as well as for his own safety and happiness. O, says the man, “ It is, indeed, a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” I see this method of salvation through the new and living way to be every way worthy of the wisdom of God, and calculated for the manifestation of the glory of his holiness, justice, sovereignty, faithfulness, and every other attribute of God, that was [obscured] by the sin of man: therefore the man approves of it with his soul, and blesses God that ever found out such a device.

6thly, This flight has in it a strong and ardent desire to be at this Saviour, and to be found in him. 60 that I knew where I might find him!” O to be washed with his blood, clothed with his righteousness, sanctified by his Spirit ! " Yea, doubtless," says Paul, “ I count all things but loss, that I may win Christ, and be found in him.”

7thly, It implies a hope of winning him, and of being sheltered and saved in him; for, if there be no hope of safety, the man will never flee, and this hope is founded upon the design of the incarnation, &c. the design of the revelation of him in the word, &c. the gracious grant made of him in the word, &c. the free promise of life and pardon through him, &c. the calls, and offers, and commands of God to come to him, and the redemption that others have met with.

8thly, A resting and trusting in him, and in him alone, for righteousness, life, peace, pardon, and salvation, to himself in particular. The man does not simply believe that Christ is a Saviour, and that salvation is to be had in him for the elect, or

for believers, but he believes in him and on him for his own salvation, Acts xv. 11: “ We believe," or we are persuaded, “ that, through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved even as they.” We find faith or trust in scripture commonly expressed in words of approbation and application. The man looks upon Christ as given and offered by God in the gospel; and he says, with Thomas, “ My Lord, and my God'," or with Paul, “ He loved me, and gave himself

, for me; he is our Lord Jesus Christ.” He looks to the God and Father of Christ, and says, “ He is my God, and my Father, and the Rock of my salvation," &c. He looks to the

covenant of grace and promise sealed with a Redeemer's blood, and cries with David, "This is all my salvation;" that he has (in Christ, made or established) "with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure." I own, indeed, that this applying faith is not alike strong in all believers, or yet alike strong in the self same believer at all times; for sad experience makes it evident, that the confidence of faith may be sadly shaken and staggered through unbelief, temptation, and desertion, as to cry out sometimes, "Is his mercy clean gone? Hath God forgotten to be gracious; I am cast out of his sight." But then it should be remembered, that although these fits, fears, and staggerings, be in the believer, they are not in the faith, yea, his faith is opposite to these doubts and fears, and is still fighting against them, "Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Fear not, only believe." And in as far as faith gets the mastery over these doubts and fears, so far will we have of this confidence, as to his own particular claim. Let faith get up its head, and it will speak its own particular leed, [Its specific language, or proper and native dialect.] Abba, Father, doubtless thou art our Father, and our Redeemer, and thy name is from everlasting." Thus you see what this flight is.

66

66

the verse immediately preceding my text; and likewise, chap. liv. 1: “Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear, break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate, than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord.” O what a cloud of saints have gone away to heaven since the gospel came to be preached among the Gentiles? And what a cloud of them have gone to heaven out of Scotland, since about two hundred years after the death of Christ, when the gospel came first to be preached among us? It is a sad matter that there should be so few in this generation, in comparison of what was in former days, when the Spirit was poured out from on high! though, blessed be God, there is a pretty good number, though few, few, in respect of those that are posting to hell.

2. They fly as a cloud. It may signify the unanimity of these converts; they take all one way, like a cloud Aying along the heavens; they are all joined to one Head Christ Jesus; they are all knit together in one bond of Christian love; they are all actuated by the same Spirit of God and of glory resting on them; they are all clothed with the same robes of imputed and inherent righteousness; they have all one character, they are all heirs of the same inheritance, and they all travel in the same road, the “strait and narrow way that leads unto everlasting life.”

3. The cloud flies upon the wings of the wind, and what quarter soever the wind carries them, thither do they go. So, all believers are actuated, moved, and carried on in their course, by the wind of the influences of the Spirit. When the wind blows, then the clouds accelerate their motion. Just so is it with the believer: If the Spirit be suspended, they lie like a ship wind-bound, they cannot move; but whenever the gale of the heavenly wind blows, then they run the way of God's commandments; hence is that prayer of the spouse, Cant. iv. 16, “Awake, O north wind, and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out.” It was by a gust of this heavenly wind, that the church was made to cry, “ Ere ever I was aware, my soul made me as the chariots of Amminadib."

4. They fly as a cloud. It says, that there is much of the sovereignty of God, and of the irresistibility of his grace, in the flight of a sinner to Christ. The clouds are said to be God's chariots, and God's chariot cannot be stopped or hindered in its motion. Who can hinder the motion of the cloud along the heavens ? No, not all the powers of hell and earth can hinder it. So the work of divine grace in bringing a sin

32

66

VOL. III.

ner out of a state of nature into grace, is the fruit of adorable sovereignty, and he will go on with his work, let devils and men rage, and corruption within do their utmost to mar and hinder his procedure. "I will take away the stony heart, and I will give thee a heart of flesh. And who hath resisted his will?" His own arm, that brought about salvation, in a way of purchase, until he could say, "It is finished," will also carry it on in a way of powerful application; "Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power: all that the Father giveth me, shall come to me." The work cannot be [prevented] which he takes in hand, for the Lord "is a rock, and his work is perfect."

5. Who are these that fly as a cloud? It implies, that God's work of grace is of a secret and mysterious nature. It is usual in scripture to express dark and mysterious dispensations by a cloud," clouds and darkness were round about him," that is, his dispensations were mysterious. So here, Who are these that fly as a cloud? that is, it is wonderful and mysterious to see how the Lord brings the sinner to take a flight to Christ by faith; God's way in this is "a great deep" that cannot be searched out: Hence is that [saying] of Christ to Nicodemus, John iii. 8: "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth," &c.

6. The clouds are exhaled out of the earth by the heat of the sun, and raised up above the earth, and mount up towards heaven. Just so, by the warm influences of divine grace, (which are the beams of the Sun of righteousness) the sinner who is lying in "the horrible pit, and in a miry clay," and licking up the dust of the earth, is elevated and raised to God and heaven-ward, and made to seek things that are above, Is. xl. 31: "They mount with wings as eagles:" Heb. xi. 14: "They seek a better country, that is, a heavenly."

7. The clouds, when raised up by the heat of the sun, are kept up by the mighty power of God. So, believers being brought into a state of grace, are kept in it "by the power of God, through faith unto salvation." It is he who preserves them in that state; hence believers are called "the preserved in Christ Jesus." And as the clouds are in the hand of the Lord, so are all his saints, Deut. xxxiii. 3: "All his saints are in thy hand;" John x. 28: "No man shall pluck them out of my hand;" ver. 29: “ My Father, who gave them me, is greater than all, and none is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand," &c.

8. Although the clouds have a lowering and dark aspect to the eye, yet, they have a blessing in them; they sift down

a

rain upon the earth, which contributes to its fèrtility. So God's work of grace on the soul, although it have a dark aspect at the beginning, yet there is a blessing in it in the event; a blessing to the soul when it is landed in Christ; and believers, however ill the world like them, yet they are a blessing to the world, and contribute to its preservation and fruitfulness. The clouds, you know, pour down rain upon the earth: so believers wherever they come, study to drop the knowledge of Christ; for the lips of the righteous feed ma. ny: hence is that [declaration] of the prophet, Micah v. 7,: 6 The remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people, as a dew from the Lord, as the showers upon the

grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men.' And thus you see why they are said to fly as a cloud.

2dly, They are said to fly as doves to their windows. Take the similitude in the following particulars :

1. The dove, you know, is a timorous creature, it is easily frightened. So, believers are timorous of sin, timorous of offending the majesty of God; and therefore they are commonly described to be such as fear the name of the Lord. They are afraid of Satan, that “ roaring lion," as the doves are afraid of the birds of prey, which would devour and tear them; they are afraid of the snares of the world, and occasions of sin; and therefore they hate the very “ garments spotted by the flesh."

2. The wings of the dove are its only weapons; it cannot fight; and therefore it flies from the enemy to its windows. So the flight of faith to Christ is the only safety of a believer. Hence they are said to fly " for refuge to the hope set before

“ them." And when the poor believer is tossed with the tempests of affliction, temptation, desertion, persecution, and the workings of a body of sin and death, he is ready to say with David, Psal. Iv. 6, “O that I had wings like a dove, for then would I fly away and be at rest."

3. The wings of the dove are very beautiful; they are said to be covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold." So the flight of faith to Christ is pleasant and delightful to Christ. He declares himself to be just ravished with it, Cant. iv. 9: - Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse, thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck.” When the disciples returned from preaching the gospel among the cities of Israel, and told Christ of many that believed, it is said, he rejoiced in Spirit. It is the pleasure of Christ's heart to have sinners flocking in under the shadow of his wings, and there is joy in heaven, when but one soul flies to him by faith.

a