6. Srom t^e fei6rari? of (pxofmox ^iffiam Jgenrj? (Breen (jSequeat^e^ 61? ^im fo t^e &i6rarg of (Princeton t^eofogicaf ^eminarjp BX 9178 .E78 S4 1873 Erskine, Ralph, 1685-1752. Sermons S E R M 0 j!( S BY REV RALPH ERSKINE A. M. SELECTED FROM THE BRITISH EDITIONS OF 1777 AND 1821, WITH A PREFACE. BY THE RKV. STEPHEN H. TYNG, D.D SECTOR OF ST. GEORGE'S CHURCH, NEW YORK. 0 I u m £ ^ £ c 0 n b . 'jjlrace 6ewith all them who love f, he Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity.'' — Eph. vi. 24. OFFICE FOR THE SALE OF THE LEIGHTON PUBLICATIONS. AT THE DEPOSITORY OF THE PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL BOOK SOCIETY, OP PHILADELPHIA. 1225 SANSOM STREET. MDCCCLXXIII. "TAKE HEED UXTO THYSELF, AND U^"xO THE DOCTKINE; C0:N'TINUE IN THEM: FOR IX DOING THIS THOU SHALT BOTH SAVE THYSELF, AND THEM THAT HEAR THEE." I TIMOTHY iv.l6. CONTENTS VOL. II. Pag« SEEM ON XXII. THE MILLITANT'S SONG; or, the believer's exercise while here below, - 5 ^^ I will sine/ of mercy and judgment : unto thee 0 Lord, will I sing.'" — Psalm ci. 1. SEEM ON XXIII. THESWORDOF JUSTICE AWAKENED AGAINST GOD'S FELLOW, - - 54 " Awake, 0 sword against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts.^' Zech. xiii. 7. SEEM ON XXIV. THE HARMONY OF THE DIVINE ATTRIBUTES, displayed in the redemp- tion and salvation of sinners by Jesus Christ, - .... 117 ^' Mercy and truth are met together ; righteousness and peace have lissed each other.'' ^ — Psalm Ixxxv. 10. SEEMONS XX Y.— X XVIII. LAW-DEATH, GOSPEL-LIFE ; or, the death of legal righteousness, the life of gospel holiness, -------..-164 CSubstance of four sermons. J "/ through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.'" Gal. ii. 19. SEEMON XXIX. FAITHFULNESS UNTO DEATH, crowned with eternal life, - - - 253 ^' Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life."— Rev. ii. 10. SEEMONS XX X.— X XXI. THE BELIEVER'S INTERNAL WITNESS ; or, the certain evidence of true faith, 282 " He that bdieveth on the Son of God, hath th wifiies,^ in him- self." 1 John V. 10. IV CONTEXTS. SERMON XXXII. THE HAPPY HOUR OF CHRIST'S QUICKENING VOICE, - - - 322 " Verily, verily, I say unto you, The how is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.'' — John v. 25. SERMON XXXIII. THE MOUNTING CHRISTIAN; or, the Eagle-winge'l believer, - - - 352 " They shall mount up with wings as eagles." — Isaiah xl. 31. SERMON XXXIV. THE BEST SECURITY FOR THE BEST LIFE ; or, a life hid with Christ in God, 375 " Your life it, hid with Christ in God." — Col. iii. 3. SERMON XXXV. THE REPOSE AND REPAST OF FAITH, under the shady and fruitful tree of life, 410 ^^ I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste." — Song ii. 3. SERMON XXXVI. SELF-CONCEITED PROFESSORS DISSECTED, and foiind not washed from their impurity, - ..-..-... 447 " There is a generation that are pure in their oivn eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness." — Prov. xxx. 12. SERMONS X X'X V I I.— X XXIX. THE DUTY OF RECEIVING CHRIST, and walking in him, opened, - - 461 " As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him." — Col. ii. 6. OF THE KEY. EALPH ERSKOE, 1. M SEHMioisr XXII. The Militant's Song; OR; THE believer's EXERCISE WHILE HERE BELOW. [THANKSGIVING-DAY SERMON, JULY, 1723.] " I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, 0 LORD, icill 1 singT Psalm ci, 1. I HOPE, the subject I am here in providence directed to, will natively lead us, if the Lord bless it, to a suitable exercise upon a thanksgiving-day after a communion ; even with gratitude of soul to sing the praises of a God in Christ, and that whether we have met with a smile or a frown from heaven, or both, at this occasion. If any here have got a smile, or found him to be a smiling and a present God, they may sing of mercy ; if any here have got a frown, or found him to be a hiding God, they may sing of judg- ment ; or, if any here have got both a smile and a frown, they may sing of both, and say, " I will sing of mercy and judgment : unto thee, O Lord, will I sing." The words contain the psalmist's holy resolution to praise and glorify God for all his dispensations towards him, now that he was advanced to the kingdom of Israel : and in them you may shortly notice. The sweet work that is resolved upon, namely, to " sing." The sweet singer that thus resolves, namely, David ; " I will sing." The sweet subject of the song, namely, mercy and judgment. The [5] 6 THEMILITAXTSSONG. sweet object of tliis praise, and the manner in wliicli he would sing it ; " Unto THEE, 0 Lord, will I sing." The sweet work that is resolved upon, namely, to " sing." It is the work of heaven, and a very fit work after a communion, to sing a song of praise to God, in the manner which we may after- wards explain. The sweet singer ; " I will sing." The title of the psalm shews it was David's, the man after God's own heart; the man anointed by the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel ; for so he is called, 2 Sam. xxiii. 1. The sweet subject of the song, or the matter of it, namely, " mercy and judgment." God's work towards his people is checkered work ; a mixture of inerey and judgment : and when he exercises us with both, it is our duty to sing of both, and to be suitably affected with both ; whether our circumstances be joyful or sorrowful, still we must give glory to God ; and, in every thing give thanks : neither the laughter of a prosperous condition, nor the tears x)f an afflicted condition must put us out of tune for the sacred songs of praise. The sweet object of this praise, and the manner in which he re- solves to sing it, " Unto thee, O Lord, will I sing." It is in the most solemn manner that he addresses the Lord Jehovah, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and dedicates his song to the praise of a God in Christ ; " Unto thee, 0 Lord, will I sing." But I refer the further explication to the prosecution of a doctrine from the words. Observ. That, as the people of God hath both mercy and judg- ment in their lot in this world ; so, from both they may have matter of a song of praise unto God. They have occasion in this world to sing both of mercy and judgment. "We find the psalmist frequently singing both of mercy and judgment ; as Psalm xxx. 6 — 9, Psalm xlii. 7, 11. You have an elegant description of the lot of God's people, while here, as consisting both of mercy and judgment, and so affording occasion to sing of both, 2 Cor. vi. 8, 9, 10 ; where you will see the blink and the shower ; the mercies and judgments that are in their lot ; how God hath set the one over against the other ; By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report, etc. Thus they have occasion to sing botli of mercies and crosses, while they find the I>ord supporting them under trials, and rememxbering mercy in the midst of wrath, and making all things work together for good to taern; 'I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee. 0 Lord, THE militant's SONG. 7 will I siug." The Chaldee paraphrase of this text is remarkable, and suitable to the doctrine I have raised from it, namely, it is as if the psalmist had said, " If thou bestowed mercies upon me : or if thou bringest any judgment upon me ; before thee, 0 Lord, will I sing my hymn for all." The method I propose, for prosecuting this doctrine, through divine aid, is the following, I. I would speak a little of the mercies that the people of God meet with ; and what it is in these that affords them matter of a song of praise. II. I would speak a little of the judgments they are tristed with; and what it is iu judgment that may be matter of a song of praise to God. III. What this .singing imports; and how we are to sing of mercy and judgment : where we may notice what is imported in the psalmist's resolution, and the manner of expressing it ; "I will sing of mercy and judgment ; unto thee, O Lord, will I sing." IV. Why it is so ordered of the Lord, that his people are made to sing, both of mercy, and of judgment. V. Draw some inferences for the application. I. I am first to speak a little of mercy, of which they ought to sing ; and here I would shew, What this mercy is ; and. What it is in mercy that may be matter of a song, or afford ground of singing. What this mercy is. Mercy, in God, signifies a propensity or readiness of mind to help and succour such as are in misery : and it carries in it an intense desire, as God says of Ephraim, " My bowels are troubled for him ; I will surely have mercy upon him," Jer. xxxi. 20. God, to accommodate himself to our capacity, speaks after the manner of man, ascribing human affections to himself. I might here speak of the general mercy of God towards all, both just and unjust : for, " The Lord is good to all : and his tender mercies are over all his works," Psal. cxlv. 9. He makes his sun to shine, and his rain to fall upon good and bad : and all should sing of his mercy, if it were no more but for life, and health, and strength from him. There are some common gifts that all men have from him, and some common graces that some have more than others ; but I speak especially of special mercies ; and indeed there are of these, that the visible church hath, besides the rest of the world, even the wicked among them; and, if they could, they 8 THE militant's SONG. should sing of these mercies ; such as, their hearing the gospel, and the joyful sound ; their getting the offer of Christ, and salva- tion through him: but I speak mainly of the special mercies, that bear the stamp of his everlasting love towards his chosen and hidden ones : mercy bred in Grod's breast from all eternity, where- by he made choice of some of the fallen mass of mankind in Christ, who is the channel wherein this mercy does flow in various streams : and I shall mention a few of these, for there would be no end of speaking, to mention all that might be said, or yet to enlarge upon all that may be mentioned. There is the mercy of Grod, in sending Christ to be the Saviour. We find the angels singing of this mercy, Luke ii. 11, 14, saying, " Unto you is born this day, in the city of David a Saviour ;" " Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, and good-will, toward men." Good- will and mercy towards man, because there is peace on earth, and reconciliation through Christ, who brings m glory to God in the highest ; " God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life," John iii. 16. It is indeed a so without a such ; a love without a parallel : here mercy shines. There is mercy in the death of Christ ; see how the four and twenty elders sing of this mercy ; " Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by tliy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation ; and hast made us to our God kings and priests :" and the angels join issue with them, to the number of "ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands. Saying, with a loud voice. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing," Rev. v. 9 — 12. There is a mercy that he shews, in raising of Christ from death, and in raising and quickening us together with him. We find the apostle singing of this mercy ; "But God who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ," " and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus," Eph. ii. 4, 5. If Christ must die, he must conquer death, that his people may be more than conquerors in him over death ; both spiritual death, whereby we are under the power of sin ; and legal death, whereby we were under the guilt of sin, and sentence of the law. In opposition to both these, the life of regeneration, and the life of justification is connected with this merciful quickening THE militant's SONG. 9 together with Christ ; as you see, Coh ii. 13. " You, being dead ia your sins and tlie uncircumuision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses." O how does the psalmist sing of this mercy ! " Bless the Lord, O my soul," — " who forgiveth all thine iniquities ; who healeth all thy diseases," Psalm ciii. 2, 3. Th^e is mercy that he shews, in cleansing the soul from the filth of sin, as well as the guilt thereof, till it be washed and made quite clean at last. See how the saints do sweetly sing of this mercy. Rev. i. 5, 7, where I think they sing both of pardoning and purifying mercy ; " To him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood," "To him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen." There is mercy that he shews, in adopting such heirs of hell by nature, to be the children of God by grace : and you may see how believers sing of this mercy ; " Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God." 1 John iii. 1. He makes them his children, and gives them the Spirit of adoption ; Because ye are sons, he hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying Abba, Father. He gives them the mark and seal of his children, even the Spirit as a Spirit of prayer, and as a Spirit of faith, and a Spirit of love, working the love of God in our hearts, who are by natm-e enemies : and, O what mercy is here ! There is mercy that he shews, in conferring the high dignity of priesthood and royalty upon them; see how they sing of this mercy ; " To him that loved us,"^^ — " and hath made us kings and priests unto God, and his Father" [ or, to God, even his Father ; ] to him be glory, Eev. i. 5, 6. Kings unto God, how ? Even to fight for him against sin, Satan, and the world, and conquer all our enemies in his name. Priests unto God, how ? Even to offer spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ ; to offer our prayers und praises, souls and bodies to him, on our altar, Jesus Christ. Thus they are made kings and priests ; and therefore called a royal priesthood : a priesthood of kings, or a kingdom of priests. There is mercy that he shews his people, in abiding and standing by them in all difficulties, so as nothing shall ever be able to sepa- rate them from the favour of their God. See how sweetly the apostle Paul sings of this mercy ; " Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword ?" — Nay, " I am persuaded. 10 THE militant's SONG. that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord," Eom. viii. 35 — 39. But though neither death, nor life, nor angels do it, yet may not sin separate me from the mercy and love of God ? Indeed it may separate, so as to make a fearful desertion, but never so as to make a final separation ; for, His mercy endm-es forever : and he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. He will visit tLeir iniquity with the rod, — but his loving-kindness will he not take away. My mercy will I keep with him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him, Psal. Ixxxix. 28, 32, 33. There is mercy that he shews, in giving many merciful experi- ences of his goodness and mercy following them all the days of their life; such as the pslamist sings of, Psalm xxiii. 6. It is true, the leading mercy of all, is God himself, Christ himself, the Spirit himself; one God in three Persons, is their God; made over to them in that word, I "will be your God. Here is the fountain -mercy of all mercies, of which they may sing, saying, This God is our God for ever and ever, and will be our guide, even unto death. And indeed to sing of mercy, is to sing of a merciful God : but as we know the nature of the fountain by the sweetness of the streams, so we may take a view of some more of these streams, under the notion of merciful experiences ; and I name these following, by which a song of mercy may be excited. There are some merciful intimations and communications, that they sometimes get, to make thefti sing of mercy. Sometimes he intimates his love, saying, I have loved thee with an everlasting love. Sometimes he intimates pardon, saying, I, even I am he, that blotteth out thy trsnsgressions, and will remember thy sins no more : Sometimes he intimates acceptance, saying, O man, greatl}^ beloved ; and the intimation sets them a wondering and l^raising : Sometimes he communicates his mind and his secrets to them, The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and he will shew unto them his covenant : Sometimes the secrets of his providence ; he will tell them what he hath a mind to do with themselves, and what he hath a mind to do with such a friend, and such a child, and such a land or church : Shall I hide from Abra ham that which I do? Sometimes he communicates himself to them, saying, I am thy God, I am thy shield ; Fear not, for I am with thee : Sometimes such intimations and communications are given, as make all their bones to say, "Wlio is like unto thee ? THE militant's song. 11 There are merciful visits after desertion, and after backsliding, that they sometimes get to make them sing of mercy, when they have been heaping up mountains of sin and provocation betwixt him and them ; yet, after all, he hath come and given them occa- sion to say, " The voice of my beloved ! behold he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills," Cant. ii. 8. The voice of my Beloved ! O an exceeding sweet and powerful voice ! It had a sound of heaven ; I thought the mountains would have kept him away, but I heard the sound of his feet upon the mountains, that made my heart warm toward him again; I had departed from him by an evil heart of unbelief, and I thought he would never return ; but, O he restored my soul, and helped me anew to wrestle with him : We found him in Bethel, and there he spake with us. There are merciful accomplishments of promises, that thej sometimes get, to make them sing of mercy. The Lord sometimes lets in a promise with life and power, and gives them a word on which he causes them to hope. It may be he will give them a promise for themselves, and it may be a promise for their children ; such as that, I will be thy God, and the God of thy seed ; and sometimes a promise for the church ; such as that, Upon all the glory there shall be a defence ; and sometimes he gives a wonder- ful accomplishment of promises, like that of Hezekiah ; What shall I say ? he hath both spoken, and himself hath done it : He hath come to my soul, and made me see that he is as good as his word ; and that faithfulness is the girdle of his loins. There is a merciful grant of all their desires, that they sometimes get to make them sing of mercy. As the desire of their soul is towards him, and the remembrance of his name ; so he satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry with good things ; and gives them sometimes a Christ in their arms, who is all their salvation, and all their desire : Delight thyself in the Lord, and he will give thee the desire of thy heart. Some have got their desires satisfied abundantly, now and then; they have got ail that they could desire with respect to temporal mercies; all that they could desire with respect to spiritual mercies; yea, all that they could desire within time, till they get an armfull of him before the throne. There is a merciful instruction and illumination, tliat they some- times get, to make them sing of mercy ; The path of the just is as the shining light, shining more and more unto the perfect day. And therefore he gives them to learn some lesson more and more ; some gospel-lesson, and gospel- mystery, that they were in the dark about : and one great lesson that he teaches them is, even the 12 THE militant's SONG. difference betwixt the law and the gospel ; he teaches them, that the law is holy, just, and good ; and how the gospel crowns the law in all these respects : he teaches, that the law is holy in its com- mands, commanding perfect holiness, perfect obedience ; and how the gospel shews where this perfect obedience is to be had, even in Christ, in whom they have not only strength to answer it as a rule of duty in part, but perfect righteousness to answer it as a cove- nant of works completely : he teaches them, that the law is just in its threatening^ the threatening of eternal death ; and how the gos- pel shews where this threatening has vented itself, even in demand- ing and getting complete satisfaction from Christ the Surety ; and therefore may the soul say, Well is me, for the shower of wrath is over my head, and hath lighted upon the head of my Cautioner ! He teaches them, that the law is good in its promises, nariiely, its promise of eternal life to perfect personal obedience: but withal he teaches them by the gospel, how they hold their title to life, only in Christ, to whose perfect obedience now all the promises are made, and in whom all the promises are Yea and Amen. O what a mercy is it to learn these lessons in a saving way ; To you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God : he hath hid these things from the wise and prudent, and revealed them to babes ; even so. Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight. There are merciful sensible enjoyments, which they sometimes get, to make them sing of mercy : sometimes they get sensible sights of his glory, and that in a way of believing ; Said I not > unto thee, If thou wouldst believe, thou shouldst see the glory of God ? O says the man, I found faith to be the hardest thing in the world, and yet he made me find it to be the easiest thing in the world, when he carried me on the wings of the Spirit of faith ; and by faith I saw his glory, and the glory of God in the face of Jesus. When I speak of sensible sight, do not mistake me; for I know that faith and sight, or faith and sense, differ in several respects, which I am not now to open ; and yet faith brings in a kind of sense, it being the evidence of things not seen, and the substance of things hoped for; and therefore, by a sensible sight, I mean, the spiritual sense of seeing by faith, and seeing clearly; for sometimes the man gets a sight of Christ, as clearly as if he saw him with his bodily eyes : O, says the man, I have seen his fullness and sufficiency ; I see his fitness and suitableness for me ; I see his worthiness and excellency in himself. O none but Christ, none but Christ ; as once a martyr, standing at a post, and having matches kindled upon him, and the flames about his finger-ends, he clapped his hands together, and cried, None but Christ, none but Christ. THE militant's SONG. 13 Some men tliey get sensible tastes of his goodness ; I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. O how sweetly did I feed upon the apple-tree, and plucked off the apples that grew upon this tree, the apple of imputed right- eousness, the apple of imparted grace, the apple of peace, the apple of pardon, tlie apple of assurance, the apple of joy, the apple of contentment, the apple of love, the apple of liberty ! 0 the sweet fruit, the sweet apples that grow upon this tree of life I I sat down under his shadow with great delight, &c. Sometimes they get a sensible hearing of his voice : like that in the Song, "It is the voice of my Beloved that knocketh," Song V. 2. He knocketh by his voice, saying. Open to me my s-ister, my spouse. O sweet was his voice, when he said to me, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee ! How sweet was his voice, when he said. Be of good cheer, thy sins are forgiven thee ! when he said a word like that of the angels. Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favor with God ! Did not my heart burn within me, when he talked with me by the way ? In such a word, and at such a sacrament, and such an ordinance, and such a duty ? Never man spake like this man. It was the voice of a God that I heard ; for it was with such a glance of glory, as set my heart all in a flame .of fire. Sometimes they get a sensible smell of his ointments. 0 ! his name has a smell of heaven ; for, because of the savour of his good ointment, his name was an ointment poured forth, O ! his gar- ments had a smell of heaven ; all his garments smell of aloes, myrrh, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces. The garment of his righteousness had a smell ; it is a sacrifice of a sweet smelling savour ; and the perfume thereof puts away the stinking smell of sin : the garment of his graces had a smell, when the Spirit breathed upon them, and the north and south wind awakened, the spices sent forth a pleasant smell ; when the Spirit warmed my cold heart in duties, and fire from heaven kindled the sacrifice, then it mounted up to heaven, like a pillar of smoke, per- fumed with myrrh and frankincense, and all the powders ol the merchant. Sometimes they get a sensible feeling of his power ; they have felt a sweet power coming along with the word, the sacrament, the prayer, the duty, that hath set a lawful captive at liberty, and loosed their bands; Truly I am thy servant, thou hast loosed my bands, Psal. cxvi. 16. O says the man. At such a time I am quit of the band of fear, I am quit of the band of unbelief, I am quit of the 14 THE militant's SONG- band of doubts, I am quit of the band of corruption ; a power liatli come, and knocked off my fetters : I felt his hand passing through the hole of the door of my heart, and my bowels were moved for him ; he said to me, as it were to unbelieving Thomas, Eeach hither thy hand, and put it into the hole of my side, and let my wounds silence all your faithless fears, discouragements, and jealousies ; and I was obliged to cry out. My Lord, and my God. I thought he took me, as it were, by the hand, as he did Peter upon the water, ready to sink, saying, 0 why didst thou doubt ? He shed abroad his love upon my heart so sweetly, that I could doubt no more. I could have been content that the valley of vision had been my burial-place, and that I had never gone back to the world again ; for his love ravished my heart, and struck the bottom out of all my doubts and fears : I got all my backslidings healed ; I got all my prayers answered ; I got my burdens eased ; I got grace to pour out my soul into his bosom ; I got grace to bring all my corruptions to him, to be dashed to pieces ; I got grace to creep into his heart, and hide myself in his wounds ; I got grace to cast all my burdens over upon him, and my heart was lightened ; and my soul was more eased and pleased, than if I had been a crowned emperor of all the kingdoms of the world. — These are some of the merciful experiences that sometimes they will get, to make them sing of mercy. I might have mentioned many more to this purpose, both of ordinary and extraordinary mercies ; but I go on. To the second question here proposed. What it is tN" mercy that affords ground of singing? The freeness and undeservedness of the mercy, makes them sing of mercy: when the man deserves hell, and the just sentence of the law to be past against him, mercy comes and takes hold of him. What is the cause of mercy ? Tliere is nothing in man to merit it but misery; which is indeed the occasion that God takes, to manifest his mercy through Christ ; but yet misery can not be the cause of mercy ; for neither merit nor misery can be considered here to have any casual influence, it is just absolute sovereignty ; It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that run- neth, but of God that sheweth mercy. Sovereign mercy is a thing that can neither be obtained by any good, nor hindered by any evil about us ; he gives no account of his dealings : "I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy." He loves, and we shall be loved: let all our high imnginations and proud reasonings strike sail to the sovereignty of free grace. O shall I not sing of mercy, THE militant's SONG. 15 tliat wlien I deserved a liell, I got a heaven ! I deserved eternal death, and I got a sweet view of eternal life ! This accents the praises. 0 what am I, — that thou hast brouglit me hitherto ? The unexpectedness of the mercy, makes them sing of mercy ; O ! when I was expecting a frown, I got a smile ; when I was ex- pecting nothing but wrath, I got a glance of love ; instead of a stroke of vengeance, I got a view of glory. Hezekiah got a mes- sage of death, and was looking for it, when he got the news of life, and it made him sing of mercy, Isaiah xxxviii. 15. The mercy of God is surprising mercy; some have gone disconsolate and cast down to an ordinance, and ere ever they were aware, their souls nave got something, which hath caused them to cry, O ! is this the manner of man, 0 Lord ? Some have gone to a closet, or a field, or a barn, or perhaps to a dike-side, with little or no expectation ; but behold they have been surprised with an armfull of heaven : perhaps at such a sermon, they have been surprised with a word of love on the back of deep humiliation, or desertion : a word, like a live-coal, hath been cast in, and set their breast on fire, and their heart in a flame. The seasonableness of the mercy; makes them sing of mercy ; for, he comes with grace to help in time of need ; I was brought low, and he helped me ; I was brought to the brink of ruin, and the border of despair, when mercy stept in for my relief and comfort ; when I was at the lowest extremity, he stept in, and made it the sweetest time that ever I saw ; He brought me out of the horrible pit, and set my feet upon a rock, and put a new song in my mouth, even praises unto our Grod. He pitied us in our low estate, for his mercy endureth for ever. The greatness and riches of the mercy, makes tliem sing, saying, " O how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee ; which thou hast wi'ought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men !" Psalm xxxi. 19. We read of the riches of his mercy ; the exceeding riches of his grace ; his people sometimes meet with exceeding rich favour ; such as not only ex- ceeds their worth infinitely, but even exceeds their sense, exceeds their thoughts, exceeds their words, exceeds their desires, exceeds their prayers, exceeds their praises, exceeds all that they can ask or think ; and this makes them sing. We read of his abundant mer- cy ; it is abundant in respect of its fountain ; for his mercy is his nature, and must be infinite : it is abundant in respect of its streams, as it is let out abundantly towards the object thereof: it is abundantly great in respect of its various kinds, temporal mercy, 16 THE militant's SOXG. spiritual mercy, eternal mercy ; temporal mercy makes tliem sing, and say, I am less tlian tlie least of all thy mercies ; spiritual mer- cy makes them sing, and say, He hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus ; eternal mercy makes them sing and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. O how abundant are they in their kinds, outward and inward mercies ! Outward mercies are abundant : O the mercy that attended my birth, education, the place of my situation in the world, so as to be brought under the drop of the gospel ; my preservation from in- numerable dangers; my protection, my provision; he hath fed me all my life long. Inward mercies are abundant ; the mercy that appeared in my being awakened, convinced, humbled, converted, confirmed, comforted, called, justified, adopted, sanctified. O what ground of singing of mercy ! It is great and abundant in respect of the qualities of it : O what matter of singing might be gathered out of the views of mercy, as it is preventing mercy, sparing mer- cy, condescending mercy, covering mercy, tender mercy, waiting mercy, constraining mercy, restraining mercy, restoring mercy, following mercy! Even when I fled away from mercy, mercy and goodness followed me. But the bare mentioning of all would be impracticable ; O the greatness of the mercy of which they may sing ! O the greatness of the Author of it, a great God ! If we be sived, what does he get ? if we be damned, what does he lose? yet he shews mercy. O the greatness of the object of it ! it is ex- tended towards the chief of sinners. 0 the greatness of the effects of it ! Hereby great sins are pardoned, great blessings are con- ferred, great wrath is averted, and great salvation is obtained : O ! how can they but sing of mercy ! O the greatness of the attend- ants and companions of it ! It makes them sing, not only when they notice that mercy, but the contents concomitants of it, and what comes along with it : how sweetly will the soul sing, when it can say, I not only got such a mercy, but I saw God in it, and Christ in it, and the Spirit in it, and heaven in it, and glory in it ! 0 ! how sweet, when they consider this favour hath a necessary connection with heaven ! it is a foretaste of what I shall enjoy for ever : it is connected with God's everlasting love. And hence. Not only the greatness, but the sweetness of the mercy makes them sing. And there are two things, among many others, that make it sweet to them, namely, the excellency of the mercy itself, and then their relation to it. On the one hand, the excellency of the mercy ; How excellent is thy loving kindness, 0 Lord ! Thy THE militant's SONG. 17 favour is better than life. His moutli is most sweet, says the church : The words of his mouth are sweeter than honey, or the honey- comb. On the other hand, their relation to the mercy, contributes to the sweetness of it ; the more of faith's application, the more sweet. • O says faith, there is a promise, and it is mine ; there is a pardon, and it is mine ; there is a robe of righteousness, and it is mine ; there is a crown of glory and it is mine ; there is a God and he is mine ; all is mine, because Christ is mine. 0 then he sings of mercy. But, To name no more, The sureness and firmness of the mercy makes them sing; they are called "the sure mercies of David," Isa. Iv. 3. The Septuagint renders it as the apostle does. Acts xiii, 34; ra 6v' tliere the mercy is not mixed with any judgment, nor the j