THESE Words are ſpoken of Nicodemus, a Man of Honour and Authority among the Jews, and ſecretly a Diſciple of our Lord JESUS. The ſame came to JESUS by Night, to hear about his Soul, and the Myſteries of the Kingdom. 'Twas Nicodemus's Fault that he feared to profeſs CHRIST openly; that he choſe the Darkneſs to approach him undiſcovered: But it was his Happineſs that he came at all; and it was infinite Compaſſion in our Lord that he accepted the cowardly Viſit, and inſtructed the weak, but ſincere Diſciple. I ſhould be glad if the Arguments brought by ſome to vindicate Nicodemus from the Imputation of Cowardize in this Viſit, were of more Significance. The Words are big with Entertainment and Inſtruction: And from the various Hints which they afford us, I propoſe to give you an uſeful and brief Diſcourſe.

The ſame came to JESUS. The DOCTRINE is, That for us to come to JESUS CHRIST is our Intereſt and our Duty.

It is our Duty. So Nicodemus was convinced, when he made his ſerious Approach. He was convinced that he was the great Teacher come from GOD. And therefore he knew that he ought to wait upon him for Inſtruction and Wiſdom.

And as this was the Duty of Nicodemus in his Day, ſo it is no leſs ours at this Diſtance. We are under the ſame Obligations, and our Lord JESUS is ſtill the ſame Prophet and Teacher that he was then. Indeed we cannot go to CHRIST as Nicodemus did, and have the Pleaſure and the ſacred Curoſity to hear from his Lips the divine Language. He is now gone to his Father, and is no more viſible on Earth. But yet have we his Spirit to lead us into all Truth: and they are His Inſtructions, which the Spirit gives us. And we are equally obliged to repair to him now for this ſpiritual Inſtruction as Nicodemus of old. Joh. xvi. 7,—14. It is expedient for you that I go awny: For if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart I will ſend him unto you.—He ſhall receive of mine, and ſhall ſhew it unto you. CHRIST then ſpeaks as much to us by his Spirit, as if we ſaw his Face, and heard his Voice, as they did when he was upon Earth. And we are as much obliged to attend the gentle Whiſpers and obey them. In every divine Inſtitution we are to ſeek that we may find him.

And as this is our Duty, ſo it is our Intereſt too. Nicodemus found it ſo when he came deſirous to learn, and went home inſtructed, wiſe unto Salvation. Our Duty and our Intereſt are inſeperably linked together, by the Law of Nature, and the GOD of Heaven. Heaven and eternal Happineſs will be the future Reward of our Obedience to the divine Commands: Nor is this all, nor ſhall we wait ſo long for a Recompence; for they carry their own Wages in them, and IN keeping of them there is great Reward. The believing, humble Soul, that comes to JESUS CHRIST, ſhall find a bleſſed Peace and Satisfaction attending, and ſucceeding the ſacred Labour. A divine Eaſe, and Relief of Mind, will be the ſweet Conſequence of a Viſit to JESUS. Matth. xi. 28, 29. Come unto me all ye that Labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you Reſt — and ye ſhall find Reſt unto your Souls. This then is the Firſt Doctrine obſervable in the Words: and happy if we obey it.

The Exhortation here is, Let us come to JESUS CHRIST, as Nicodemus in the Text; and be incouraged by the Reception he found. Let us pray for the Holy Spirit to inſtruct us in the Myſteries of Godlineſs; and be afraid to grieve and ſin away his Influences. Whenever we find the bleſſed Spirit at work upon us, let us cheriſh the holy Thoughts, and labour to keep them alive in us. We muſt find a Time every Day for Retirement to pray for this, and the better to attend to it. If we ſeek him he will be found of us, but if we forſake him, he will caſt us off forever. He has ſaid, My Spirit ſhall not always ſtrive with Man. And woe to us if he depart from us. Nay, he has limited it to a certain Day; wherefore, To Day if ye will hear his Voice, harden not your Heart, leſt he ſwear in his Wrath ye ſhall not enter into his Reſt. Behold now is the accepted Time, behold now is the Day of Salvation. Eſcape for thy Life this Night, for to morrow thou ſhalt be ſlain. And now does the Saviour incourage our Labours, I love them that love me, and they that ſeek me early ſhall find me. Nicodemus went to CHRIST in Body; but we cannot. He is gone away above our aſpectable Skies: And where he is gone, thither we cannot come, till Death ſhall give us Wings to fly as the Eagles towards Heaven. But though we cannot approach in Perſon to his bodily Preſence, yet we can come to him as truly and as effectually as Nicodemus. Let us then do ſo, by Repentance, Faith, Prayer, and Meditation.

But to proceed to another main Branch of the Text: The ſame came to JESUS by Night. The DOCTRINE is, No Seaſon is improper or unſuitable for our ſolemn Approach to JESUS CHRIST. Our Lord accepted and rewarded the Viſit of Nicodemus, though he choſe the Night to befriend his Cowardiſe, and came in the unſeaſonable Hours of Darkneſs. Tired and ſpent as our LORD was won't to be with the Affairs of the Day, he ſent not the feeble Diſciple from him, but redeemed Time from his natural Reſt, to diſcourſe with, enlighten and inſtruct him. That we may reap the Benefit of this Paſſage in ſacred Record, I have formed this Doctrine for you, That at every Seaſon we are welcome to our LORD JESUS.

1. There is no Seaſon improper for us in which to believe on JESUS CHRIST: that is, to come to him by Faith. Faith in JESUS CHRIST is the great Doctrine of the Goſpel. And as it is to be preached to all Nations; to all Men, in every Place, ſo at every Seaſon too: In Seaſon, and out of Seaſon And the Practice is like the preaching: it ſhould be univerſal in Time, Place and Perſon. The youngeſt is not too young for this, nor the eldeſt too old. The firſt Eſſay at Underſtanding and Will ſhould be employed in believing on CHRIST, and the Acts ſhould be continued and repeated to the lateſt Gaſp of Breath. Thoſe who have never yet ſavingly complied with the Offers of the Goſpel, are obliged to do it now: So long as you have an Inclination to do it, you may ſafely conclude the Seaſon for it is not over. In every various Circumſtance of Life: In the Sunſhine of Proſperity, or in the Gloom of Affliction, like Nicodemus in the Night, Faith in JESUS CHRIST is your Duty, and ſhould be your Practice.

2. There is no Seaſon improper for us in which to come to CHRIST by Repentance. The Diſcourſe between Nicodemus and our bleſſed Saviour in the Night, turned upon Repentance and Converſion. They were the myſterious Doctrines of Regeneration which were the Subject of Debate between our LORD and the young Diſciple. It naturally, methinks, leads our Thoughts to this, that the moſt improper Seaſon is ſtill proper for our Concern about Repentance and the New-Birth. This beſure was the Sentiment of the Pſalmiſt, when he thought that the Night was better improved in devoting himſelf to GOD, than in the ſoft Refreſhment of Slumber and Sleep. Pſal. cxxxii. 4. I will not give Sleep to my Eyes, nor Slumber to my Eye-lids, till I find out a Place for the LORD, an Habitation for the mighty GOD of Jacob. 'Tis dangerous delaying one Night.

3. There is no Seaſon improper in which to come to CHRIST by Prayer. Prayer is a coming to GOD, and to CHRIST who is GOD. 'Tis called a drawing near to him; and a ſeaking him; and coming before him. They that be far from thee ſhall periſh: But it is good for me to DRAW NEAR to GOD. O that I knew where I might FIND HIM, that I could COME NEAR even to his Seat, I would order my Cauſe before him, and fill my Mouth with Arguments. Let my Prayer COME BEFORE thee as Incenſe, and the lifting up of my Hands as the Evening Sacrifice And as Prayer is a coming to CHRIST, and to GOD the Father by him, ſo this Way of ſacred Acceſs is never impertinent or unſeaſonable. We are commanded to pray without ceaſing: To pray always with all Prayer. We are incouraged that the Ears of the LORD are always open to our Prayer; and that the Prayer of the upright is his Delight. Even in the darkeſt Times we are allowed to pray. Nay the darker the Seaſon, the more neceſſary the Prayer. Is any afflicted? Let him pray. Nicodemus in the Darkneſs of the Night; and Jonah in the Darkneſs of his Affliction, and in the Belly of Hell, may both alike approach to GOD. — WATCH and pray.

4. There is no Seaſon improper for us in which to come to CHRIST by Meditation. In our Thoughts we may travel from Earth to Heaven in a Moment. Our Souls may approach to CHRIST, in the Twinkling of an Eye. We have no need, like Nicodemus, to wait for the Night for this: But a thouſand Times every Day we may lift our Thoughts to Heaven. So was the Law of GOD ſweet, to the devout Pſalmiſt; and his Meditation all the Day. Night as well as Day, this was his dear and happy Employment. In it does he meditate Day and Night. So Iſaac went out to meditate in the Field at Even Tide. Thro' the dark and ſolitary Hours of the Night, holy Contemplation may find us ſweet Employment. Pſal. lxiii. 5, 6. My Soul ſhall be ſatisfied— when I remember thee on my Bed, and meditate on the in the Night Watches. Not Nicodemus himſelf ſitting at the Feet of JESUS, might conceive diviner Satisfaction! The Believer converſing with his LORD in holy Contemplations, amidſt the Shades and Darkneſs, has Light ariſing in his Darkneſs. He may triumph in the Glooms and the Solitude, and raiſe his Songs in the Night.

And to aſſiſt our Meditations in the Night, ſee how full of Subjects the holy Scriptures appear, to cultivate and adorn the Work. How many wonderful Tranſactions have happened in this Seaſon, to diſtinguiſh the Shades and render the Night glorious. Should we, like Abaſuerus, linger through the Night without the Comfort of a Slumber, we have nobler Records than of Media and Perſia to entertain and delight our Thoughts. Let us reflect back upon the ſacred Pages on ſuch Scenes as theſe, as the Night ſlowly ſlides away, and the Morning forgets to dawn. So let us, like Nicodemus, pay a Viſit to our LORD by Night. This is the beſt Way not to poſſeſs Nights of Vanity, when it may be weariſome Nights are appointed unto us. Why need we ſay, Would GOD it were Morning! In Evening Time it ſhall be Light. The Night ſhall be Light round about me, and the Darkneſs ſhall ſhine as the Day.

What a glorious Night was it when our Father Iſrael ſeized the ſtrugling Angel, and wreſted the Bleſſing from his Graſp?

How ſolemn and memorable was the Night, in the Mixture of Salvation and Ruin, which inſtituted the ancient Paſſover? GOD marched through the Darkneſs; and the Peſtilence ſtalked before him: Round about all the Firſt-born gave a Gaſp, and ſtretched out Breathleſs: While the Deſtroyer ſaw the Blood upon the ſprinkled Door-Poſts, & ſmiled and paſſed over: A Night much to be remembred throughout all Generations.

How illuſtrious was the fatal Night, which poured the Red-Sea upon the Armies of Egypt, and landed Iſrael on the oppoſite Shore. With what a terrible Magnificence might you then have ſeen the Shekinah blaze through the Ranks of Iſrael, and confound Pharaoh with its tremendious Gloom? Before, the Waves broke, divided, and fled away in haſte, to open a Path for the favourite People: Behind, they toſt, and foam'd, and roar'd; they watched the Signal from the Rod of Moſes, and ruſh'd thundring down.

'Twas in the Night that the Angel was commiſſioned againſt the Hoſt of Aſſyria. He flaſh'd out ſwift as a Ray of Light, ſilent as a lambent Flame, but refiſtleſs and diſtructive as the feather'd Lightning. An hundred and fourſcore and five Thouſand Souls were lick'd up in a Moment; and the Field look'd pale with Corpſes. What a diſmal Night did the whole World lie in, till the Goſpel ſpread its Light, and the Day-Star aroſe. They ſat in Darkneſs and ſaw no Light. O the wondrous Night that gave the Saviour to the periſhing Earth! O the Glories of that illuſtrious Hour! 'Twas to you, ye admiring Shepherds, that the heavenly Meſſenger brought the joyful Tydings! They were watching their Flocks in the Night, when, all on a ſudden, a Light broke from Heaven round the Mountains, and the Voice of Gabriel proclaimed the Saviour born. Then was heard the Muſick of Paradiſe tuneful round the Sky; and Glory to GOD in the Higheſt, trembled on a Million of Strings.

'Twas on the fatal Night (—that ſame Night in which he was betrayed—) that he ſat retired in the upper Chamber with the Twelve, and inſtituted for us the ſacred Supper, the dear Memorials of his dying Love.

A few dark Hours after you might have ſeen him lie in his bitter Agony, bleeding on the Ground, praying and weeping, with the Cup of trembling in his Hand: The dear JESUS, who had ſpent ſo many Nights in Prayer to GOD!

'Twas the ſame execrable Night (but bleſſed Hours for us) that they came to ſeize him with Lanthorns and Torches; and poured upon him Indignities and Torments.

The next Day there was a miraculous Night while there was Darkneſs over the whole Land, and the mourning Skies were hung in black at the Anguiſh of his Crucifixion.

The Night after, he lay, a pale, bloody Corps, among the awful Manſions of the dead. And what a proper Meditation does this naturally lead us to, on our own Death and Grave?

In the Night, how eaſy may be the Tranſition of Thoughts, to that long Darkneſs between us and the Reſurrection: That refreſhing Sleep in the Duſt, which CHRIST has conſecrated for us, and will raiſe us from. A Land of Darkneſs, as Darkneſs it ſelf, whoſe Light is as Darkneſs. But O bleſſed Dawn after the long Darkneſs! The Meditation may tranſport us; and like Paul and Silas, we may raiſe our Voice of Harmony and Praiſe in all the Terrors of the hideous Night. Are there not twelve Hours in a Day, let us work while the Day laſts, for the Night cometh wherein no Man can work.

But to draw toward a Cloſe. Let us often redeem our Hours in the Night, to meditate upon that diſmal, glorious Hour, when our LORD ſhall come again. Behold he cometh as a Thief in the Night. At Midnight will the Cry be heard; and a general Horror run through every human Breaſt. Now ſhall the Shades ſcatter away, and the Heavens glitter with an unknown Glory. O tremendious Night! O awful Shades and Darkneſs, diſpell'd by devouring Fire, and purſued by dazling Deſtruction! And who can ſay when this ſolemn Scene of Things muſt come on? Perhaps this Night; perhaps all on a ſudden the Judge may break in upon the ſecure World. Watch therefore, for ye know not the Day, nor the Hour; whether at Even, or at Midnight, or at the Cock-crowing, or in the Morning.

But, to add no more: In the Night, how naturally may we transfer our Thot's to the Place of Darkneſs: The Hell prepared for wicked Men and devils. Here is a Night without any Hope of a Morning to end it; or a ſingle Ray of Light to refreſh it. A Night conſiſting of Darkneſs and Fire: But as the Fire affords them no Light, the Darkneſs allows them no Reſt. And as the Volume of Revelation affords us Matter for Contemplation in the Night, ſo alſo does the Volume of Nature.

See the dark Earth and the duſky Skies, brightened by Star-light, or ſilver'd over by Moonſhine: And when ye ſee the blue Ether; the Stars twinkle at a Diſtance; and the Moon, the fair Empreſs of the ſilent Shades, ſerenely gleeming, reflect inward and ſay, LORD, when I behold the Heavens, the Work of thy Fingers, the Moon and the Stars which thou haſt ordained; what is Man, that thou art mindful of him? and the Son of Man that thou viſitſt him?

Think too on the kind Providence that preſerves you every Night. The Peſtilence may walk in Darkneſs innocently by me, and I am not afraid of the Terror by Night. I lie down in Peace & ſleep: I awake, for the LORD ſuſtained me. His holy Miniſters attend my Curtains and guard my Slumbers. There ſtood by me this Night, the Angel of GOD whoſe I am, and whom I ſerve.

It were eaſy, you ſee, to enlarge; and to add many other pertinent Topicks for Meditation in the dark Hours, by which, like Nicodemus, we might come to JESUS by Night: But here I ſhall ſtop.

I might add a third Doctrine. That Fear in a good Cauſe is a diſhononourable Thing. 'Twas Nicodemus's Weakneſs that he came to our LORD by Night. He was afraid of the Jews, and aſhamed of Reproach and Perſecution: and it is recorded to all Generations, as a Blemiſh upon the good Man's Character. We learn by it not to be like him in this: Never to be aſhamed in a good Cauſe, or afraid to profeſs it openly. Though we are not to be oſtentatious in Religion, yet we are never to be aſhamed of it. We muſt let our Light ſhine before others. There is a happy Medium betwixt Impudence and Baſhfulneſs: and as they are both ill-breeding in civil Life, ſo they are both deteſtible in Religion. But I ſhall not enlarge here. I could not have done Juſtice to my Text without hinting at this; I have done it the rather, becauſe this is a Crime too common, eſpecially among young People, to be aſhamed in Matters of Religion. Things that are moſt worthy and honourable they perform with a moſt awkward Air, and are willing to put the amiable Name of Modeſty upon this ungraceful Bluſh. Modeſty, it is true, is very charming: but a Shame in Matters of Religion, is daſtardly and clowniſh, and far from this fine and delicate Temper. There is as much Difference between Modeſty and Baſhfulneſs as between Courage and Frenzy. Fortitude the Virtue of an Angel; Raſhneſs the Rage of a Brute. How mean is it for a Perſon, educated in a Chriſtian Land, to be aſham'd to pray in a Family, or aſk a Bleſſing at a Table; aſhamed of what my Brother!— to acknowledge thy Maker! So that while a hypocrital Showyneſs is to be avoided, yet on the other Hand we are to remember, that our LORD has ſaid, He that is aſhamed of me & of my Words before Men, of him will I be aſhamed before my Father who is in Heaven. Nicodemus was changed from this coward Temper, uponhis underſtanding what the New-Birth meant: And went afterward and boldly honoured the dead Body of JESUS. Joh. xix. 39.

Thus I have finiſhed the Doctrinal handling of the Words. I ſhall now conclude with a brief Improvement of the Second Doctrine.

Is it as we have heard? Did Nicodemus come to JESUS by Night? And does it preach to us our Duty to approach to our LORD at every Seaſon? Let us then receive the Word of Exhortation, & practice the Duty. Let us wait upon the bleſſed Saviour Day and Night, and his Praiſe be continually in our Mouth. In our darkeſt Hours let this refreſh us, and brighten all the Shades: In every Affliction, and every Temptation, and every Darkneſs; in every Day, and the Gloom of every Night. Let us uſe ourſelves to the noble Comfort; and ſo learn Expertneſs in it. Let us furniſh our Minds with innumerable Subjects pertinent for Contemplation in every Kind of Darkneſs. And let us repair to CHRIST as the Sun of Righteouſneſs: A Light unto the Gentiles, and the Glory of his People Iſrael.

This, I hope, has been your intent at this Seaſon. CHRIST has met you in this Diſcourſe: and like Nicodemus, you have come to him by Night: O may you go away enlightned & renewed as he did. Happy will this Night then be, memorable & bleſſed; and with Joy will you look back upon it through the Ages of eternal Day.

But, my Brethren, if you refuſe and rebel, at your own Peril be it. Better had you not come hither this Night, than going away, continue Strangers to CHRIST. The golden Opportunities will become a Curſe: and the higher your preſent Privileges are the deeper will be your future Fall: Even from this Sermon you'll ſink but the lower into Ruin. So while Paul continued his Speech till Midnight, the ſleepy Eutychus fell headlong from the third Loſt, and was taken up dead, Act. xx. 8, 9. From ſucceeding Days and Nights here upon Earth, you muſt quickly be baniſhed to perpetual Night; to Blackneſs of Darkneſs for ever: The outer Darkneſs, where is weeping and wailing and gnaſhiug of Teeth. And in Chains under Darkneſs, you'll be reſerved to the Judgment of the great Day. This muſt be your Condition quickly: How quickly you cannot ſay. The Day goeth away, the Shadows of the Evening are ſtretched out. Thon Fool, this Night may thy Soul be required of thee.

On the other Hand: If you will indeed be perſwaded truly to come to CHRIST, you will find the moſt bleſſed Succeſs & Joy. At preſent you'll come to him in the Night: The Darkneſs of this World: But in a little Time the dark Minutes will all be over and endleſs Light will dawn. Weeping may endure for a Night, but Joy cometh in the Morning. You'll leave the Darkneſs of Earth for the Inheritance of the Saints in Light. For truly, Light is ſown for the Righteous, and Joy for the upright in Heart. The Night is far ſpent, the Day is at Hand. There you'll ſet in eternal Sunſhine, without a Night, and without a Cloud. 'Tis true, you muſt walk thro' the Valley of the Shadow of Death to arrive at this: But all on a ſudden the Day will break and the Shadows flee away, the Shadow of Death will be turned into the Light of the Morning. Angels ſhall convey your Souls to Paradiſe, the fair Regions of Everlaſting Day.

And anon your Body ſhall aſcend glittering from the Grave: and tho' it is ſown in Diſhonour, it ſhall be raiſed in Glory. You'll ſing over your ſleeping, but quickning Duſt, Ariſe and ſhine, for thy Light is come, and the Glory of the LORD is riſen upon thee. Then ſhall you ſhine as the Brightneſs of the Firnament, and as the Stars for ever and ever. O how different this magnificent Glory, from the Gloom of the preſent World! Here we need the Moon and Stars to brighten the Shades; and the Sun itſelf ſhines at a Diſtance, and with Intermiſſions, and through Clouds. And to ſupply his abſent Beams we have Recourſe to the little Arts of Lamps and Candles. But of that World we read, Rev. xxii. 5. xxi. 23, 24, 25. There ſhall be no Night there, and they need no Candle, neither the Moon to ſhine in it; neither the Light of the Sun: For the LORD GOD giveth them Light, and the Glory of GOD did lighten it, and the LAMB is the Light thereof. And the Nations of them which are ſaved, ſhall walk in the Light of it.