4. This Plant was raised up even in his death and resurrection, by which he was declared to be the Son of God with power, by the spirit of holiness. And,
Lastly, This Plant of Renown will be raised up in the songs of the redeemed through endless eternity. Thus you see, Christ is a Plant of Renown, and what way he is raised up.
The next thing I proposed was, for whom is it that this Plant is raised up? O! may some poor thing say, Was he ever raised up for me? I tell you, sirs, he was never raised up for the fallen angels; “For he took not on him the nature of angels, but he took on him the seed of Abraham.” Our nature was highly honoured at first, but it soon sunk below the beast that perisheth; but the second Adam took our nature upon him, and raised it to a higher dignity than the very angels; for to which of the angels did this honour appertain, to be united to the eternal Son of God? So that, I say, this Plant of Renown is raised up for mankind-sinners, not for angel-kind sinners; and every mankind-sinner that hears tell of him, they should lay claim to him, as in Isaiah, ix. 6, “To us a Son is given, to us this Child is born; and the government shall be upon his shoulder: And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.” To us he is given, unto us he is born.
I thought to have gone through what I designed on this subject, but time will not allow. The Lord bless his word.
A DYING CHRISTIAN’S PRAYER.
“Receive my spirit,” was the prayer of Stephen to Jesus Christ, to receive his departing soul; and, brethren, I think you will feel in a dying hour, that your departing soul needs a Divine Saviour. You have one in Jesus Christ. You may call upon him then, even as now. His ear will not be heavy, though yours may, when death is sealing up your faculties. His eye will not have lost its power of gazing affectionately on you, when yours is becoming dim and closed. His hand will not be shortened, in the hour when yours will have become tremulous and feeble. But lift up the hand, the heart, the eye, the soul, in prayer to him then, and you will find him a very near and present help in that your time of trouble.
Brethren, a Christian should die praying. Other men die in different ways, according to their character and temper. Julius Cesar died adjusting his robes, that he might fall gracefully. Voltaire, with mingled imprecations and supplications; Paine, with shrieks of agonizing remorse. Multitudes die with sullenness, some with blasphemies faltering on their tongue. But, brethren, the humble Christian would die praying. Well says the poet:
“Prayer is the Christian’s vital breath,
The Christian’s native air;