into his marvellous light, and into the kingdom of his dear Son; not one of this elected remnant, but shall in due time be brought home; for whom he did predeftinate, them be alfo called. Fourth, God's remnant are a holy people, they are a fet of men that study to keep clean garments; they study to purify themselves from all filthiness of the flesh and Spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord; and therefore called, the people of his holiness, Ifai. Ixiii. 18. Holinefs is the defign of their election, for he hath predeftinated us unto the adoption of children, that we should be holy, and without blame before him in love. Holiness is the defign of their redemption by Chrift Jefus, Tit. ii. 14. He hath redeemed us from all iniquity, and purified unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Holiness is the defign of their effectual calling: For God hath not called us to uncleanness, but unto holiness; and he hath faved us, and called us with a holy calling: So that God's remnant is a holy remnant. Fifth, The number of this remnant is but fmall, there are but a few names in Sardis that have not defiled their garments. Chrift's flock is but a little flock: It is indeed a great flock, and an innumerable multitude, abftractly confidered; but, confidered comparatively, or when laid in the balance with the droves and multitudes of the wicked, it is but a little flock and a fmall remnant: They are few that are elected, for many are called, but few are chofen: They are few that are redeemed, it is only God's elect that are bought with aprice: They are few that are effectually called, for, to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? Few that hold out in the time of temptation, but feven thoufand among all the thousands of Ifrael, that have not bowed the knee to Baal. Sixth, Altho' they be but few, yet in the

worst

worft of times God has always fome of this remnant, who cleave to him and his way, even when all about them are corrupting their ways. He had a Lot in Sodom, whofe righteous foul was vexed with the abominations of the place; he has a remnant of mourners in Jerufalem, when the whole city was defiled with wickedness; he has his two witnesses. to bear teftimony unto his Truths, when the whole world is wondring after the beast, and over-run with antichriftian darkness and idolatry. Seventh, God has a special eye of favour and kindness on this remnant, in a finful and declining time; he has a mark fet upon the men that sigh and groan for the abominations in Jerufalem, his eyes run to and fro through the whole earth, to fhew himself ftrong in the behalf of them, &c. But this leads me to

The fecond Thing propofed, which was to fhew, that Chrift has a high value for this remnant; they are the worthies of the world in his esteem, however they be difefteemed and under-valued by the world. This will appear from thefe following confiderations, (1.) Confider what an account he makes of them, when compared with the rest of the world; he values them fo highly, that he will give whole nations and kingdoms of the wicked for their ranfom, Ifai. xlv. 3, 4. Ever fince thou wast precious in my fight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee, and I gave men for thee, &c. that is, he will facrifice whole nations and kingdoms of wicked men, before he be bereft of his little remnant, The fcriptures are very full to this purpofe; his remnant is the gold, the reft of the world are but drofs, thou putteft away all the wicked of the earth like drofs, Pfal. cxix. 119. But the precious fons of Zion are comparable to fine gold, Lam. iv. 2. Not only gold, but fine gold, polished by the hand of the Spirit. A

B 4

gain,

gain, his little remnant are the wheat, but the rest of the world are the chaff; and what is the chaff to the wheat, faith the Lord? When he comes with his fan in his hand, he will gather his wheat into bis garner, but the chaff he will burn up with fire that is unquenchable, Matth. iii. 12.

His little rem

nant is the good corn, but the wicked are the tares; and he will fay to his reapers at the laft judgment, gather the tares together, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the good corn into my barn. His remnant are his fheep, but the rest are the goats; and he will fay to the sheep on his right hand, Come, ye bleffed; but to the goats he will say, Depart, ye curfed. His remnant are his veffels of honour, whom he referves as furniture to adorn the house not made with hands; but the wicked are veffels of wrath, whom he will break in pieces as a potter's veffel, and caft into the furnace of his anger. Thus, I fay, that they are worthy in his efteem, is evident from the account he makes of them when laid in the balance with others. (2.) That this little remnant is worthy in Chrift's account, will appear, if we confider the names and appellations that he gives them : He fometimes calls them his Love, his Dove, his Undefiled, his Hepsibab, his Bulah, his fedidiahs, the very darlings of his heart; he calls them fometimes his fervels, Mal. iii. 17. They fhall be mine, faith the Lord, in the day that I make up my jewels; and, I will fpare them as a man spareth his own fon that ferves him. He calls them the very apple of his eye, the moft tender part of the body, and the eye-lid of his fpecial providence doth cover them: Yea, fuch is the value that he has for them, that he calls them himfelf, and fpeaks of them as if he and they were but one. Saul, Saul, fays the Lord, why perfecuteft

thou

thou me? (3.) Confider the endeared relations they ftand under unto him, and from thence you will fee that they cannot but be worthy in his esteem: There is a legal, a moral, and a mystical union between him and them; he is their head, and they are his members; he is the root, and they are the branches that grow upon him; he is the husband, and they are his spouse and bride, thy Maker is thy bufband; he is their father, and they are his children; he is their elder brother, and they are his younger brethren; he is heir of all things, and he makes them joint-heirs with himself of his heavenly kingdom; he is their advocate, and they are his clients; he is their king, and they are his fubjects. (4.) They cannot but be worthy in his esteem, if ye confider how much he values, not only their persons, but whatever pertains unto them: He values their names, I have a few names in Sardis; he keeps them among the records of heaven, and has them written in the lamb's book of life. He values their prayers, Cant. ii. 14. my dove that art in the

clefts of the rock! let me hear thy voice, for it is fweet; the prayers of the wicked are like the howling of dogs to him, but the prayers of the upright remnant are his delight: He values their tears, and puts them into his bottle; he, as it were, gathers every drop from their eyes, I have heard thy prayers, I have feen thy tears, faith the Lord to Hezekiah; he values their blood, Pfal. cxvi. 15. Precious in the fight of the Lord is the death of his faints; and they that hed their blood, he will give them blood to drink. (5.) That they are worthy in his efteem, appears from what he does for them: He remembred them in their low eftate, and fet his love on them, when they were wallowing in their blood; he bas loved them with an everlasting love, an unalterable

love, with an ardent love; his love to them is Strong as death; he has redeemed them with his blood; for we are not redeemed by corruptible things, fuch as filver and gold, &c. He hath loved us, and wash'd us with his own blood, Rev. i. 5. He confers many excellent privileges upon them; they have an excellent pardon, it being full, final and irrevocable, Heb. viii. 12. they have an excellent peace, which paffes all understanding; an excellent joy, being unspeakable, and full of glory; excellent food, they eat of the hidden manna; have access to an excellent throne with boldness, Heb. iv. 16. They have excellent communion, even fellowship with the Father, and with his Son Jefus Chrift; they have the interpofition of an excellent Mediator, even Jefus the mediator of the new covenant; they have an excellent guard attending them; they are guarded with the divine attributes, even as the mountains are about Jerufalem; guarded with the twenty thousand chariots of angels; Mahanaim, the hoft of God, is about them; they have an excellent ftore-house, even the whole fulness of the Godbead dwelling bodily in Chrift; they are cloathed with excellent robes, even the garments of falvation, and robes of righteousness: They are heirs of an everlasting inheritance, that is incorruptible and undefiled: yea, heirs of God and joint-beirs with Jefus Chrift. And to crown all, they have excellent fecurity for all this, the word of God, his covenant, his oath, his blood, and the earneft of his fpirit. From all which it appears, what an high value he has for them, and how worthy they are in his account.

The third thing propofed was, to enquire what is imported in the remnant their keeping their garments clean: And, (1.) It imports, that God's remnant are clothed, or that they have garments given

them;