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the law, and died in the room and stead of this remnant which the Father gave him. He did not obey the law, and satisfy justice for the whole world, or for all men, as Arminians talk; no; but he died for a select number. Hence he is said to lay down his life for his sheep," and not for the goats. And as his death, so his intercession is confined to this remnant, as is plain from John xvii. 9: "I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me, for they are thine."

3. This redeemed remnant are, in God's own time, sooner or later, under the ministry of gospel-ordinances, determined, by the power and efficacy of divine grace, to close with Christ, upon the call of the gospel, and to go in to the blessed contrivance of salvation and redemption through him he translates them, in a day of his power, "out of darkness 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 predestinate, them he also called."

4. God's remnant are a holy people. They are a set 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," Is. Ixiii. 18. Holiness is the design of their election; for " he hath predestinated us unto the adoption of children, that we should be holy, and without blame before him in love." Holiness is the design of their redemption by Christ Jesus: "He hath redeemed us from all iniquity, and purified unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works," Tit. ii. 14. Holiness is the design of their effectual calling: "For God hath not called us to uncleanness, but unto holiness; and he hath saved us, and called us with a holy calling." So that, I say, God's remnant are a holy remnant.

5. The number of this remnant is but small; there are but a few names in Sardis, that have not defiled their garments. Christ's flock is but a little flock. It is indeed a great flock, and an "innumerable multitude," abstractly considered: but considered comparatively, or when laid in the balance with the droves and multitudes of the wicked, it is but a little flock, and a small remnant. They are few that are elected; "for many are called, but few are chosen;" they are few that are redeemed;" it is only God's elect that are "bought with a price:" 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 seven thousand among all the thousands of Israel "that have not bowed the knee to Baal."

6. Although they be but few, yet in the worst of times God has always some 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, whose righteous soul was vexed with the abominations of the place; he has a remnant of mourners in Jerusalem, when the whole city was defiled with wickedness; he has his two witnesses to bear testimony to his truths, when "the whole world is wondering after the beast," and over-run with Antichristian darkness and idolatry.

7. Lastly, God has a special eye of favour and kindness on this remnant, in a sinful and declining time. He has "a mark set upon the men that sigh and cry for the abominations in Jerusalem;" his "eyes run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect towards him," &c. But this leads me to,

II. The second thing proposed, which was to show, that Christ has a high value for this remnant. They are the worthies of the world in his esteem, however they be disesteemed and undervalued by the world. This will appear from these following considerations:

1. Consider what an account he makes of them, when compared with the rest of the world. He values them so highly, that he will give whole nations and kingdoms of the wicked for their ransom: Isa. xliii. 4: "Ever since thou wast precious in my sight thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee; and I gave men for thee," &c.; that is, he will sacrifice whole nations and kingdoms of wicked men, before he be bereft of his little remnant. The scriptures are very full to this purpose. His remnant is the gold, the rest of the world are but dross: "Thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like. dross," Psal. cxix. 119: but "the precious sons of Zion are comparable to fine gold," Lam. iv. 2; not only gold, but fine gold, polished by the hand of the Spirit. Again, his little remnant is the wheat, but the rest of the world are the chaff; and "What is the chaff to the wheat, saith the Lord?" When he "comes with his fan in his hand, he will gather his wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn up with fire that is unquenchable," Matth. iii. 12. His little remnant is the good corn, but the wicked are the tares; and he will say to his reapers at the last 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 sheep, but the rest are the goats; and he will say to the sheep on his right hand, "Come, ye blessed;" but to the goats he will say, "Depart, ye cursed." His remnant are his vessels of honour, whom he sets by as plenishing to garnish "the house not made with hands;" but the wicked are vessels of wrath, whom he "will break in pieces as a potter's vessel," and cast into the furnace of his anger. Thus, I say, that they are worthy in

his esteem, is evident from the account he makes of them, when laid in the balance with others.

2. That this little remnant are worthy on Christ's account, will appear, if we consider the names and compellations that he gives them. He sometimes calls them his love, his dove, his undefiled, his Hephzibah, his Beulah, his Jedidiahs, the very darlings of his heart. He calls them sometimes his jewels: Mal. iii. 17: "They shall be mine, saith the Lord, in the day that I make up my jewels; and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him." He calls them the very apple of his eye, the most tender part of the body: and the eyelid of his special providence doth cover them. Yes, such is the value that he has for them, that he calls them himself, and speaks of them as if he and they were but one: "Saul, Saul," says the Lord, "why persecutest thou me?"

3. Consider the endeared relations they stand under to him; and from thence you will see, 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 husband;" 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 subjects.

4. They cannot but be worthy in his esteem, if you consider how much he values not only their persons, but whatever pertains to 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: "O, my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, let me hear thy voice; for it is sweet." 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 seen thy tears," saith the Lord to Hezekiah. He values their blood: Psal. cxvi. 15: "Precious in the sight of the Lord, is the death of his saints:" and they that shed their blood, "he will give them blood to drink."

5. Lastly, That they are worthy in his esteem, appears from what he does for them. He remembered them in their low estate, and set his love on them when they were wallowing in their blood. He has 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, such as silver and gold," &c. "He hath loved us and washed 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 passes 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 Jesus Christ." They have the interposition of an excellent Mediator, even Jesus 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 Jerusalem;" guarded with the "twenty thousand chariots of angels," Mahanaim, "the two hosts of God." They have an excellent store-house, even the "whole fulness of the Godhead dwelling bodily in Christ. They are clothed with excellent robes, even "the garments of salvation, and robes of righteousness." They are "heirs of an everlasting inheritance, that is incorruptible and undefiled; yea, heirs with God, and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ." And, to crown all, they have excellent security for all this; the word of God, his covenant, his oath, his blood, and the earnest of his Spirit. From all which it appears, what a high value he has for them, and how worthy they are in his account and reckoning.

III. The third thing proposed was, to inquire into what is imported in the remnant keeping their garments clean. And,

1. It imports, that God's remnant are clothed, or, that they have garments given them: they are not naked, like the rest of the world. And there is a two-fold garment with which God's remnant are arrayed; namely, a garment of imputed righteousness, and a garment of inherent holiness. By the first, all their iniquities are covered, and they screened from the curse and condemnation of the law, and the stroke of avenging justice. By the last, namely, the garment of inherent holiness, their souls are beautified and adorned, the image of God restored, and they, like "the King's daughter," made "all glorious within." And it is the last of these that is here principally intended.

2. It imports, that the garment which God gives his remnant is a pure and a cleanly robe; and therefore called white raiment, Rev. iii. 18; and fine linen, chap. xix. 8. Speaking of the bride, the Lamb's wife, it is said, that "to her was granted, that she should be arrayed in fine linen, pure and

white for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints." So that you see white is the livery with which Christ clothes his little remnant: and, Rev. vii. 9, they are said to be "clothed with white robes."

3. That sin is of a defiling and polluting nature. As mire and filth defile our garments, so does sin defile and pollute our souls, and render us vile and loathsome in the sight of God. Hence it is commonly called uncleanness; Zech. xiii. 1: "There is a fountain opened to the house of David, to take away sin and uncleanness." It is the abominable thing which God's soul doth hate, and is more loathsome in his sight, than the most detestable things in nature are to us.

4. That it may be the lot of the Lord's people to live and walk among a people, the generality of whom are polluting and defiling themselves; for this is the commendation of the remnant here, that though the body of this church was corrupted, yet they had not gone along with them. Thus it fared with Noah in the old world, and with Lot in Sodom; and the prophet Isaiah, (chap vi.) cries out, "I dwell in the midst of a people of polluted lips."

5. That even God's remnant are not without danger of defiling themselves with the sins and defections of their day. Sin comes gilded with such fair and plausible pretences, and backed with such powerful motives and arguments, that even some of God's own remnant are not only in danger, but some of them may be actually insnared and defiled therewith; and, no doubt, some that had the root of the matter in Sardis, were tainted with the corruptions of that church; as I doubt not but many in our own church, who have made very wide steps, are, notwithstanding, dear and near to God.

6. That foul garments are very unbecoming and unsuitable to God's remnant; for they that "name the name of Christ," and profess to be his friends and favourers, are bound to "depart from all iniquity." It brings up a reproach on religion, and makes "the name of God to be blasphemed," when any of God's remnant make a wrong step; as you see in the case of David: his murder and adultery opened the mouths of the wicked in his day, and made "the enemy to blaspheme." And I am sure it cannot but be bitter to any that belong to God, when, through their untenderness, "the way of God is evil spoken of."

7. A careful study of universal obedience to all known and commanded duties. God's remnant are of David's mind and principle; they have a respect to all God's commandments;" his law is the rule and standard of their walk; it is a "light unto their feet, and a lamp unto their paths:" and they are always breathing after more and more conformity to it, say