^' 
 
 »»-- 
 
 
 
J^JJ ^'^- 
 
t; 
 
THE 
 
 AMERICAN PREACHER; 
 
 Q R A 
 COLLECTION of SERMONS 
 
 FROM SOME OF THE 
 
 MOSTEMINENT PREACHERS, 
 
 NOW LIVING 
 
 IN THE UNlTETirSTATES, 
 
 OF 
 
 DIFFERENT DENOMINATIONS 
 
 IN THE 
 
 CHRISTIAN CHURCH^ 
 
 VOLUME IV: 
 
 NEW-HAVEN: Printed 
 
 BY ABEL MORSE, for the Editors, who 
 
 HOLD THE Privilege of CoPY-RiGinv 
 
 M,DCC,XCIII^ 
 
PRE FACE of Vol. I. 
 
 TO THOSE who have feen the plan and cir- 
 cular letter lent abroad for the execution 
 of this work, little information will be necefT- 
 ary; but for the information of thofe who 
 have not feen them, it may not be improper, 
 or out of place, to fay— that the following were 
 the objects in view, and thofe which were pub- 
 lifted as the foundation and intention of the 
 work. 
 
 ^^ I. To hrlnir into public view many excel- 
 lent difcourfes now in manufcript, promifing 
 great benefit to the interells of religion. 
 
 ^^11. To unite in one work fome of the beft 
 performances of the day, as a fpecimen of the 
 pulpit talents of the time. 
 
 *^'II1. By uniting the feveral moft important 
 religious denominations in one work, to open 
 the door for the more exteniive excrcife of 
 Christian Charity among Chritian Bre- 
 thren. 
 
 '*^I V. To afford Chriftian families a compendi- 
 um of Chriftian inlhnidtion. 
 
 *'V. To prevent the farther importation of 
 printed {.ermons, by encouraging the publica - 
 ■''>'i3of our own roimtry/' 
 
i'. PRE F A C E. 
 
 Such were the real, and, we trull, juftifiable 
 reafons, by which the public were invited to en- 
 courage, the plan. 
 
 Beside the influence the plan itfelf might 
 ' be fuppofed to claim, it was fu{)ported by the 
 following recommendation. 
 
 **Having duly confideredthe plan of the Ame- 
 ^*Ri c A N Pre A CH E R, 7idw q^credforthe approbation 
 ^ ^ if the public , we take the liberty (f fignifying our 
 "concurrence in thefdme; ?iot doubting but it may 
 ^*"d'cU execute the objedts it propofes, 
 
 William Livingston, Govenor cf the State 
 
 of Ncw'jerfy, 
 Geop.ge Clinton, Governor of the State of 
 
 New- York. 
 William Samuel Johnson, Preftdent of 
 
 Columbia Collrge, and one of the Senators of 
 
 the United States. 
 Eli as Boudinot, X. X. JJ, Member of 
 
 Congyefs/' 
 
 , The fuccefs of the plan and circular letter 
 is fufficiently tcftified by the exiftence . of the 
 work in its prelent form, as well as by the re- 
 fpe^lable lill of iubcribers who have lupport- 
 ed it. 
 
 It is not pretended that all the preachers of 
 i. e pofpei in the United States, who are juft- 
 ;y ^fifitled to diftindion, both for the purity 
 
preface; V 
 
 of their do6lrines and elegance in ilyle, are 
 among the number of thofe who have lupport- 
 ed this work : but we believe, that thole who 
 appear in the following pages, will be pronoun- 
 ced to have well fupported the caufe they were 
 fo indulgent as to undertake. 
 
 Such has been the reception of our plan in 
 the prefent inilance, that we feel ourlelves 
 juftified in announcing to the public, a fourth 
 VOLUME ; and in a word, a succession of vo- 
 lumes, fo long as the prefent difpolition to en- 
 courage the work Ihall continue. 
 
 In fupport ot this plan, we plead an inclina- 
 tion more fully to execute the objects ju ft now 
 recited, as giving origin to the work ; *and we 
 add a defire, 
 
 I. To form fuch a colledion of difcourfes, 
 as may amount to a fyftem of Chriftian fliith 
 and pracStice. 
 
 II, By this fyftem to raife an oppofition to 
 error and herefy of every kind. 
 
 III.Tq dire6t the prefent prevailing dilpofiti- 
 on to liberality in matters of religion, into a 
 proper channel ; and open the door for Chrii- 
 tian communion upon principles acknowledg 
 
 ED and UNDERSTOOD. 
 
 IV. To lay a foundation for the univerfal a- 
 
vi r R L • C E. 
 
 greement oi the Chriftian churchj when tht. 
 high pi ofpe6ts of fv-JturUy fnall be unfolded. 
 
 i •. ,- ; 
 W r p r e t c n ; -. ■ i ■ l to a f pir i t o f p r o phe c y ; but 
 find a willingnels to hazard a conje6ture, that^ 
 under tlie fupreme and fuperintending provi- 
 dence of God, fonie fuch Imall beginnings or 
 dawnings of light nuiy, eventually, be conlid- 
 eredas announcing the approach of Meridian 
 Day. 
 
 We are not backward to fay^ that fuch re- 
 ligious, union and influence as this work labors 
 to acconipliih, will add no imall dignity and 
 
 SUPPORT to the VULITICAL INTERESTS of OUl' 
 
 country. To the influence of law, it will add 
 the energy ofconfciencc and moral duty ; to 
 the fubjeet, it will adminifLer fafety and pro- 
 tection from the encroachments of arbitrary 
 powci - d to ail under its influence, will (lied 
 the richcil of civil and social bleilings/'^ 
 
 '^ '' A tranfient view of thole flakes and kingdoms., 
 ^'ivhichhive n^,i(ie tlie nioit (IrikiDg figure in the hiftory 
 ^orthe uDrlri, and .vvluth have been nvjft renowned for 
 *'the fditify of their goverafnenr, will convince us, thatf 
 *'rcligi(»n was by them alwa^'^sconfidcrcd as a matter of 
 ''rrreat import tnce t<j Civil Sociktv. 
 
 '*The grcatcil politicans and moll celebrated Icgifla- 
 ^'tors of aniic]uity depended muchontliis, lo give fanc- 
 '^tion to tiieir laws, and make them operate with vigour 
 and iaciliry.^* 
 
 '*v i.. ;;; '> i<: • . -j^ i ^ ^^Y regulating and compoiing the 
 '^pafHons, eniighrcniilg and oxaiting the mind, anJ pu- 
 *'rir"ying and meliorating the Iieart, conduces, in a high 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 Vii 
 
 With the dcpeft veperation, we dedicate 
 our labors, and thofe of our brethren, to the 
 GOOD PROVDENCE of Almighty God,. and to 
 the PATRONAGE of the PIOUS of every denom- 
 ination, into whofe foands this work may tome ; 
 trufting that thofe who favor it, will, in the 
 perufal, find their attention amply rewarded; 
 and, in the end, enjoy the high profpe6l:s it 
 permits them to entertain. 
 
 We return our grateful acknowledgments 
 to thofe Reverend Gentlemen who have 
 contributed to the execution of this work thus 
 far — not doubtiug, thm Uic contem'platioh of 
 
 '^'degree, lo the peace and well being of fecial life : It 
 ''makes good men — from thence tke tranfiticn is eafy 
 ''and natural to regular citizens and obedient fubjeds. 
 ''Wheie private virtue cannot be fpund, it is in vaiia to 
 **Iook for public : and laws are of little efficacy without 
 <'good example.'* 
 
 Governor PattersoK'S anfvjerto tj e cofi^iratuluhry 
 addrefs of the Prejhytery of Ncw-Et^vnfvyick, 
 
 ''Another important confequence of this difcovery, is, 
 ^'an enlarged liberality of fentiment among men. The 
 "liberality to which I refer, is difcernible in the fpirit 
 ^'of religious toleration, which fpreads like a flood over 
 **the face of the earth. This toleration, when it he- 
 "comes univerfal, cannot but accomplifii matters of the 
 '^higheft importance to the world. Truth and reafon 
 "will then burft with irrefiflible energy from the dark 
 "clouds of fuperftition and bigony- — difpel the mift of 
 "error and abfurdity, and bring the^GREAT famtly of 
 *'THE WORLD to an uniformity of religious belief and 
 worihip." 
 
 Alferd : Ontheprogrefsofintcfnr.chks^frres- 
 dotriy and good govcrninen!. 
 
Vlll 
 
 P R E F A C K, 
 
 having added fomething to the fupport of the 
 great truths of the gofpel— of having adminif- 
 t€red inftru6tion t© the ignorant, warning to 
 the impious, and edification to the faints — but 
 above all, the contemplation of having laid a 
 foundation for the progrefs, unity and perfec- 
 tion of the kingdom of the Redeemer, will af- 
 ford higher reward for their fervices, than it is 
 in our power to give. 
 
 In behalf of the interefts of this work^ 
 fubfcribe, 
 
 to the caufe of truth, a friend> 
 and to the public, 
 a devoted fervant— 
 
 DAVID Austin* 
 
 Elizabeth-Towii^ 
 Jan. I, 179* 
 
njT i f M T ti - . g'a tt. -fc > tT i T" i Viwri i tBrt » rian i i >«,ii» 
 
 CONTENTS, 
 
 SERMON LXL 
 
 The Nature of faving Faith, 
 
 By Robert Smith^ D. D.Paftor of a Prefby- 
 terian Congregation^ Pequea, Pennfylvania. 
 
 II. Pet. i. I. — To them that have obtained like 
 frecious faith with iis^ P^ge 9 
 
 SERMON LXIL 
 
 The Excellency of faving Faith . 
 
 By the fame, 
 
 II. Pet. i. I.— T(9 them that have obtained like pre- 
 cious faith with us, 
 
 I. John, iii. 23. And this is his commandment^ 
 that wefhotdd believe on the name of his Son Jcfus 
 Chri/l. 4.3 
 
 SERMON LXIIL • 
 
 V Practical Ufei; frdm the Nature and Excellen- 
 cy of fa vi n g Fa i tli . 
 
 By the fame. 
 
 The Subject continued, 6"^ 
 
X* CONTENTS. 
 
 SERMON. LXIV. 
 
 The Chriftian Religion attefted by the Spirit 
 of Prophecy, 
 
 By Theodore Hinsdale, A. M. Paftorofa 
 Congregational Church in Windfor, Con- 
 ne<5ticut. 
 
 Revelation of St. John, xix. lo. I am thy fel- 
 low ferjant, and of thy brethren, who have the tcfii- 
 mony of Jefus : woffhip God : for the tefimojiy 
 of Jefiis is the spirit of prophecy. 93 
 
 SERMON LXV. 
 
 The Subject continued. 
 
 By the fame 119 
 
 SERMON LXVI. 
 
 The Efficacy of the Gofpel above all worldly 
 
 Wifdom. 
 
 By Samuel Langdon, D. D. Minifter of a 
 Congregational Church, Haniptonfalls, New* 
 Hamplhire. 
 
 I. Cor. i. 21. For after that in the wifdom of 
 God, the world by wifdom knew not God, it ple'afed 
 God by the foolifJmcfs of preaching tofave them that 
 fnlieve, 
 
 ^37 
 
CONTENTS. xi 
 
 SERMON LXVII. 
 
 The Bufinefs of Life, and Hope in Death. 
 
 By the fame. 
 
 A6ls, xiii. 36. For David, after he hadfervcd 
 his own generation by the will of God, fell onflecp, 
 and was laid unto his fathers, andfaw corruption. 
 
 16 f) 
 SERMON LXVIII. 
 
 The divine Government Matter of univerfal 
 
 Joy- 
 By Charles Backus, A. M. Paftor of a Con- 
 gregational Churchy Somers^ Connedicut. 
 
 Pfalm, xcvii. i . The Lord reigneth,. let the earth 
 rejoice ; let the multitude ofiflcs be glad thereof 
 
 SERMON LXIX. 
 
 Human Depravity the Source of Infidelity. 
 
 By Jonathan Edwards, D. D. Pafior of the 
 fecond Congregational Church, New-Haven, 
 Connecticut. 
 
 John, vii. 17. If any man will do his willjjeflxill 
 know of the doBrine, whether it be of God, or whc* 
 ther Ifpcak of myfelf 1 1 5 
 
KH CONTENT S, 
 SERMON LXX. 
 
 The Chriftian Hope. 
 
 By Achilles Mansfield, A. M. Paftor of 
 a Congregational Chyrch at Killingworth^Con- 
 iic6i:icut. 
 
 ^oin. V. 4. And Hope maheth not q/ha?ned—2 ^y 
 
 SERMON LXXL 
 
 Family Prayer- 
 
 By Samuel Spring, A. M. Paftor of a Con- 
 gregational Church at Newbury -Port, Mafla- 
 
 chaletts. 
 
 Gen. viii. 2 1 . Ajid ibe Lord fmclled afwect favour- 
 
 S E R M O N LXXIL 
 
 The Subjtf6t continued. 
 
 By the fame. 267 
 
 SERMON LXXIIL 
 
 On the Chans^c of the Sabbath. 
 
 By MosEs Mather, D. D. Paftorof a Church 
 of Chrjlt in Stanford, Cojinc6iicut. 
 
C O N T E N T &\ 
 
 xiu 
 
 Hebrews, x. 24, 25. And let us confider one 
 another to provoke unto love and to good works ; 
 not forfaking the ajfemhling of our/elves together, as 
 the manner offome is ; but exhorting one another : 
 Andfo much the more^ as ye fee the day approach-- 
 ing, 281 
 
 SERMON LXXIV, 
 
 The Subje6l continued. 
 
 By the fame. 299 
 
 V 
 
 I 
 
 SERMON LXXV. 
 
 Chrift the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. 
 
 ByNATHAN Perkins, A. M. Pallor of a Con- 
 gregational Church, Hartford, Connecticut. 
 
 John, xiv. 6. ]lsvs faith unto him, lam the way, 
 and the truth, and the life : No man cometh unto the 
 Father, hut by me, 323 
 
 SERMON LXXVI. 
 
 The Subject continued. 
 
 By the fame. 344 
 
 SERMON LXXVIL 
 
 (Sod's Sovereignty in conferring Means iind 
 
 Grace, 
 
XIV 
 
 CON T E N T S. 
 
 By Nathan Kerr, A. M, Minifter of the 
 firft Prelby terian Church, in Gofhen, State 
 
 of Ncw-Yorlk. 
 
 Romans, ix 2 r . Hath not the potter power 0- 
 ver the clay, of the fame lump to make one vefjel un* 
 to honoTy and another tinto dipyonor f 35^ 
 
SERMON LXI. 
 
 THE NATURE of SAVING FAITH. 
 
 B Y 
 
 ROBERT SMITH, D. D. 
 
 Pajlor of a Frejhyterian Congregation, Peqi/^a, 
 Penfylvania 
 
 mamaaasasaESxmmm 
 
 II. Pet. I I. 
 
 ^-To them that have obtained like precious faith 
 with us, 
 
 IN the facred oracles five obje6ls, efpccial-- 
 ly, are called precious. The Holy- 
 Ghost faith, the redemption of the foul is 
 precious (a) The blood of christ, the price 
 of our redemption, is precious blood ( b ) 
 Christ, the glorious ransomer, is preci- 
 ous to his ranfomed people (c) The promis- 
 es of the gofpcl, in which he is exhibited to 
 Vol IV B 
 
 (aPfa.xWin, 8 J (/; i Pgt. i. 9.) (cI Pet. ii. -. 
 
 i{^ 
 
10 SMITH. 
 
 us, are great and precious promifes ( d ) And, 
 in our text. Faith, which taketh hold of the 
 promife of'Mfe in Chrift Jefus, is called ^re- 
 
 eious faith. 
 
 That is accounted precious which is of aa 
 excellent quality, efpecially, if it be rare. — 
 Gold is prefered to brafs, moral virtue to 
 gold; but the faith of God's ele6t ( which is 
 the theme of our text ) infinitely furpafseth 
 thtfe, and every acquifition below the fun. 
 It is a rare jew^el indeed; fox who hath believ 
 ed our report ? to whom is the arm of the Lord 
 rcvmled ? (e) And, in its operations and ef- 
 fects, it is moil execllent, as, we doubt not, will 
 appear in the fequel of thefe xiiicourfes. 
 
 What tends farther to raife the value of fav- 
 ing faith in our efteem, is^ ( i ) the manner in 
 which we are made partakers of it, namely by 
 the gracious and fovereign difpofal of heaven. 
 ^ctxoi.<ri, which our tranflation renders obtain- 
 ed, fignifies to get or obtain a thing by lot. 
 But the ordering of a lot is the fole prerogative 
 of Jehovah, who giveth the prize to whomfo- 
 ever he will. Sofiith is 7iot of ourfelves : it 
 is the gift of God. (f) The peculiar donation 
 of heaven . ( 2 ) That the weakeil real believ- 
 ers Jliare the bleffing together with the llrong- 
 eft Apoltles themfelves, greatly magnifieth 
 
 {d II Pet, i. 4.) {e JfM, liij. i.) {f Eph ii- 8.) 
 
SMITH, II 
 
 our idea of it's worth — To them that have ob- 
 tained like precious faith with ns. The faith 
 of believers in common may not be equal to 
 that of Apoilles in degree ; yet, as well in it's 
 origin, objects, caufe^ and effects, as in the na- 
 ture of it's operations, it is the very fame with 
 theirs. It is the glory of chriftianity, that 
 God revealeth the mylleries of the kingdom to 
 babes and fucklings, while they sire hid from 
 the wife and prudent ; (g) and diftributes to the 
 weakeft babe in Chrift a fliare with Prophets 
 and Apoftles in the communion of grace. — 
 That which we havefeen and heard declare we 
 unto you, that ye may have fellowfhip with us : 
 and truly our fellowfhip is with the Father, and 
 zvlth his Son Jefus Chrijl, (hjf 
 
 Do6l. Saving faith is a moll exoellent dona- 
 tion of heaven to all who become partakers of 
 it. In treating this fubje6t, I fhall, 
 
 I. Explain the nature of faving fiiith. 
 
 IT-. lilullrate the excellency of it. 
 
 III. Apply the whole in fome pra6lical ufes . 
 
 I. I am to explain the nature of'fr.ving 
 faith. 
 
 The proper idea of faith, is a credit given t9 
 
 {g Matt. xi. 25.) (hi John i. 3.) 
 
12 SMITH. 
 
 teftimony^ grounded upon the veracity of the 
 witnefs ; which luppofeth as well a truft in the 
 perlon fpeaking, as a belief of his word. In 
 this, faith difFereth from every other fpecies 
 of evidence. Agreeably to this general idea 
 of it, we obfervc, that faving faith confifts in 
 the credit the heart yieldeth to the tellimony 
 of Chrift, and its truji in him for falvation. 
 Some good divines have obferved, that^^Svher- 
 ^'^ever faving faith is mentioned in the new 
 ^^teilament, it generally, if not always, iigni- 
 ^'fieth trufl in a perion^ as well as the belief of 
 ^'a do6lrine." 
 
 First, faving faith confifts in the credit the 
 heart yieldeth to the teftiiiiony of Jefus, ^'^thb 
 
 AMEN, THE FAITHFUL AND TRUE W' ITNESS. " 
 
 Thisisfometimes called the mind's perfuafion 
 of, fonietimes its afTcnt to, the truth of divine 
 teftimony. This tcftimony we have deliver- 
 ed to us in the law and the gofpel, each of 
 which is neccfiary to be believed in order to 
 ialvation. By thefe the fpirit ofChrift re- 
 vealeth to our hearts the glory and will of 
 God, which are the general obje6ts of faith. 
 By the gofpel, particularly, Chrift is revealed 
 to us in his mediatorial chara6ters, or, the 
 glory of Godihining in his face, i. e. in his 
 perfon and mediation, which is the peculiar 
 and dirc6t obje6t of faving faith ;— more elpe- 
 fially Chrift as a prieft, is the immediate ob- 
 
SMITH. 13 
 
 jea of faith, as juftifiing. Faith in it's gene- 
 ral as well as its more fpecific nature, will 
 necellarily come into the defcription to be 
 given of it, notwithftanding, we have it chief- 
 ly in view, to give as brief a defcription of it's 
 operations and efFeas, with the pradical ini- 
 provement, as may be confiilent with per- 
 Ipicuity and profit. ^ 
 
 In faving faith the heart yields it's afTent 
 to the. divine law as holy, juft, and good. 
 By this glafs tlie Holy Spirit reflects, as it 
 were, rays of the majefty, purity, andjuftice 
 of God, upon the iinner's confcience. In the 
 light thereof he reads the righteous claims of 
 Jehovah upon him ;— the llri61nefs of the de- 
 mands of the law ; the depravity of his nature 
 and praaice, with his utter inability to raife 
 himfelf from the ruins of his fallen Hate. He 
 tries to pay the law it's due ; but in vain. He 
 iinds his heart averfe to the duties it requires, 
 and prone to the evils it forbids. —Then he tries 
 to foften and clenfe his hard and polluted heart, 
 that he may offer to God a more acceptable fer- 
 vice; but in vain. The ftone within him 
 will neither break, nor melt; and the more 
 he endeavours to wafli himielf, the deeper his 
 ftain appears.— No way of relieYnow appears 
 for hirn, but Chrift. Not daring, however, 
 to venture to apply to the Saviour, in all his 
 guilt and pollution, he tries to prepare hin> 
 
14 S M I T H. 
 
 felf for. Chrift, by working fonie good difpofl- 
 tions-in^his heart. This he alfo finds to be 
 vai(i. For could. one penitent ligh^ one ho- 
 ly defiire;, one n-^eltlnginipreffioji of love favc 
 himji h^ .cannot comniandj it. Now he is lliut 
 up to the necellity of coming as a totally ru- 
 ined and helplefs iinner ; therefore at the 
 call of the gofpel^ guilty and unworthy as he 
 is, he attempts to take hold of Chrill. But, 
 alas I The hand is withered, he has no pow- 
 er to ilvetch it out. --He can as ioon tear ftrong 
 mountains from their roots, or create a world, 
 as root out his unbelief, aiid create faith in 
 liis dead and barren heart. Hence, at laft, 
 falling at the feet of his Judge and .his Savi- 
 our., he cries, Lordy be merciful to im a fmner I 
 A. poor, worthlefs, helplefs, undone fmner ! 
 This is true convi6lion of fin, oj a faith of the 
 law: wrought in the . heart.by the fpirit and 
 word of God. 
 
 That fuch a failh of tlie iaw i:> necefiary to 
 a true faitX.of.the gofpcl, orin other words, 
 that a convi^^ion cS i^r\ is nec^ffary to induce 
 us to. ficD lo C. or falvation, is evident 
 
 from m?^y,expr.efs tejiimonies of fcripture. -- 
 Fo: . .■ '^ laiv is the bwwledge of Jin . { i ) 
 
 I was alive zviMiit th^ faw pnce ; but when the 
 comma7uImcnt ca?ne,Jinxevived, and I died" (k) 
 I through the law am dead Jo the law, that 1 
 
 (i Row. iii. 20. ^ h. . '• " i. 9.) 
 
SMITH. j^ 
 
 might live unto God. (I) Tlie operations of 
 faith with the images by which they are iliuft- 
 rated, clearly evince the truth, of this doc- 
 trine. It is dclcribed by flying to Chrift for 
 refuge, whidh fuppofes a fenfe of danger. 
 It receiveth him in all his offices, which fup- 
 pofes a fenfe of the need of him in alibis mc- 
 jdiatorial characters. The fame truth alfo 
 iliines wi-th ir re li liable evidence from the great 
 defigns of redemption by Chrift, which were 
 to ftain the pride of man, and magnify free 
 ,grace ;~to humble the linner, and exalt the 
 faviour. That mercy might have a tri*mxph 
 in thefaved iiriner'sbofom. he is Hung with 
 a fenfe of his fin and guilt, and-made to glo- 
 ry only in the Lord. 
 
 One thing here merits your fpecial notice, 
 namely,*' ''although they that are regenerate 
 ^^''and believe in Chrift, be delivered from the 
 '*^moral law as a covenant of works, fo as there- 
 ''by they are neither juftified nor condemn- 
 ^^ed; yet It is of general ufe, common to 
 *^^*^them with all men, to inform them of the 
 ^^holy nature and will of God, and of their 
 **^^duty, binding them to walk accordingly, to 
 ^*^convince them of their difability to keep it; 
 '^and of the finful pollution of their^ature, 
 *^^hearts, aiid lives, and thereby help them to 
 "ix clearer fight of the need they have cS 
 
 (J CaL ii. 19.) 
 
i6 ' SMITH. 
 
 ^'Chrill, and of the perfe6tion of hif obedi- 
 ence/'(w^ 
 
 The law is of perpetual ufc to believers, 
 not only as a rule of life^ but to keep awake 
 in their hearts a fenfe of their need of Chrift, 
 in every relpe6t_, and for every thing. They 
 cannot indeed be convinced that they are in 
 a iiate of condemnation^ though they may 
 greatly fear it; (for the fpirit of God is not the 
 author of contradi6lions) but they Ihall be 
 taught^ more and more, the iinfulnefs of 
 their nature, with the abfolute neceffity of the 
 blooci and grace of Chrift, to purge the guilt 
 and ftain of their corruptions ; and the more 
 they become acquainted with God and their 
 own hearts, the more fully will they be con- 
 vinced of this, and the more deeply abaled 
 under a fenfe of their own unworthinefs. 
 The moft holy men are ever the moft hum- 
 ble, have the deepeft fenfe of the depravity 
 of their nature, and make the fulleft confeflion 
 of their lin and guilt. This is moft evident in 
 the cafe of Job, David, Ifaiah, Jeremiah, and 
 Paul. (71) Believing views of God humble 
 them in the duft, pour the filth of their 
 corruption before their eyes, make them re- 
 ject all their own righteoufnefs as filthy rags, 
 
 (vt IV. M. C- Chat, quefl's. 95. 6" 97.) n Job. xl. 4. 
 6- xlii. ij,6. Pfa. cxxx. 3 Jfa. vi. ^ 64. 6. Jer. xvii. 
 9. Phi, iii. 8. Row. vii. 18; 24.^ 
 
SMITH. 
 
 17 
 
 and groan for deliverance from the remains 
 of fin, as a moft olfenlive body of death. ^' 
 
 But what more efpecially ckiims your no- 
 tice, is the credit which, in believing, the heart 
 yields to the teflimony of the gofpel ; the fub- 
 Itance of which is glad tidings of falvation 
 through Chrifl, to whomfoever of our fallen 
 race Ihall believe in his name. — The believing 
 foul accepts it as a faithful faying, ajid worthy 
 of all acceptation, that Chrifl Jefiis came into the 
 world to five finners,( ) the chief of fiUJiers ! 
 AndGod fo loved the world, that he gave his only 
 
 *By thefe, with many other iriflances which might be 
 adduced from the word of God, their fallacy plainly 
 appears, who aflert the perfection of grace in this life, 
 and tell us they live without fin. If we /ay we have no 
 Jin, (faith the apoftle) we deceive ourfelves, and the 
 truth is not in us, I John, i. 6. Such prof ffors de- 
 ceive themfelves indeed, and plainly manifeft their 
 ignorance of God and his law, of their own hearts, of 
 the nature of fin, and what it is that confcitutes aper- 
 feclion in grace. To evade the force of the argument 
 againft them, from Pjj^^l's complaint of the body of 
 death, Rom. vii. 24. lome of them tell us, the apo^ile 
 fpake this of himfelf in a fiat e %f unregeneracy^ or in a 
 fate merely of convtflion. Had they any jult difcern- 
 ment, or were they difpofed to learn, they might be ea- 
 lily convinced of their error from the context. We 
 hear Paul«leclaring in the 22d verfe, I delight tni he 
 law of God after the inward man. Is this the temper 
 
 of an unregenerate man ? or of one in a mere fta^e of 
 
 ( ^ / Tim. I. K.) 
 Vol. IV. C 
 
i8 SMITH. 
 
 begotten foil, that whojoever believeth on him,Jh6uld 
 not perlJJj, but have everlafiing life, (p ) Whofoe*^ 
 ver believeth, even the guiltieft of the guilty, 
 and the vileft of the vile ! For it pleafed the 
 Father, that in himfhould allfullnefs dwell, that 
 ofhisfulnefs we might receive, and grace for grace ^ 
 (q) This gracious publication invites your at- 
 tention to t\ie power, mercy, and faithfulnefs of 
 Chrift, the precious obje6ls as well as grounds 
 of evangelical faith ; to which we fhall add, the 
 light or evidence by which thefe glorious ob- 
 je6ts are difcerned. 
 
 I . In believing the foul is perfuaded of the 
 power of Chrift to fave it, guilty and wretched 
 as it is ; for God hath laid ^elp upon one that is 
 mighty to fave ; (r) One who is able to fave them 
 to the iittermqjl, all that come unto God by him, fee- 
 ing he everliveth to make intercejfion for the7n,(s) 
 
 convi(5lion ? The law of fm in hi? members, the body 
 of fin and death, the thorn in his flefli, even after he 
 had been in the third heaven, all unite to give Paul 
 the moft full conviction of hi$ imperfection. He was 
 no per.ectionift in principle, though a Itrong one in 
 defire--A^o^, fays hCy as though Phad already attained, 
 either were already perfe6i — But this one thing I dOy 
 forgetting thofe things which are behind, and reaching 
 forth unto thofe things which are before, I prefs towcrd 
 the mark for the prize of the high calliiig of Cod in Chriji 
 Jefus. Phi], iU, 13, 14. 
 
 (p John Hi. 16.) (q Col i. 19, John i. 16.) (r Pfa. 
 Ixxxix. 19. Jfa. Ixiii, i.) (j" Heb» vii, 25.) 
 
SMITH. 
 
 19 
 
 JFears are apt to rife in the heart of a con- 
 vinced linher, that Chrift cannot, conliflently 
 with his glory, pardon him ; becaufe he has fo 
 often clofed his heart and ears againfl: the moil 
 alluring motives and prefTing calls to turn 
 and live. But no fooner is he enlightened in 
 the all-fullicient fullnefs of Emmanuel, than 
 he perceives an infinite virtue in his blood and 
 grace to purge out guilt of the higheft aggra- 
 vations, and fins of the deepell dye. Now he 
 fully believes that the righteoufnefs and aton- 
 ing blood of the Saviour have completely an- 
 fwered the demands of a broken law,-fatisfi» 
 ed the claims of juftice, quenched the flame of 
 incenfed wrath, glorified God in the higheft, 
 and procured heaven for the moft heinous of- 
 fenders, with all the influences of grace to 
 prepare them for it. Therefore in Chrift he 
 finds a remedy for all his maladies, and a rich 
 fupply for all his wants— Pardon for his guilt; 
 cleanfing for his pollution; liberty for his 
 bondage ; cloathing for his nakednefs ; fight 
 for his blindnefs ; ftrength for his weaknefs ; 
 riches for his poverty ; comfort for his for- 
 row ; the bread of life for his hunger ; and 
 the water of life, for his thirfty foul. — And all 
 this for the praife of infinitely rich grace ! 
 How do thefe views of a Saviour raife his fink- 
 ing foul, and become to it as life from the- 
 dead I 
 
20 SMITH. 
 
 ?.. In faving faith the foul gives full cre- 
 dit to this great gofpel truth, that the mercy 
 of Chrift is equal to his power to fave. Never 
 will a convinced fmner take fancluary under 
 the crofs, until he believes that Chrift is as 
 willing as able to fave him, and God is well 
 pleafed for his righteoufnefs' fake. It is a 
 property of nature to rife againlt, and be 
 averfe from, an enemy viewed as irreconcilea- 
 ble. But no fooner does an inclination to 
 kindnefs and reconciliation appear in him, 
 than it melts the heart and begets confidence. 
 This is evident in the linner's cafe. The 
 more liopelefs he is, the more hardened his 
 heart grows. — The deeper his convi6lions, 
 the more lively his corruptions; at leaft, 
 he percieves them more fenfibly . JVhcji the 
 commandment came, fin revived, and I died, (t) 
 
 So great a fenfe of guilt feiz;eth the trem- 
 bling confcicnce of the convinced fmner, that 
 he fears if God couW, coniiftcntly with his 
 honour, forgive him ; yet he will not ; be- 
 caufe his fms have been committed againft 
 lo much light, fo many mercies, warnings, 
 calls to repentance, ftrivings of the Spirit, re- 
 proofs of confciencc, and refolutions to a- 
 mend. Such a link of every abomination 
 docs his'heart appear, andfo odious his crimes^ 
 
 (/ Rom. v'li, 9.) 
 
SMITH. 21 
 
 that he thinks hell itfelf can fcarcely ex- 
 ceed his bafenefs. It is eafier for him to be- 
 lieve that any iinner lipon earth may be laved, 
 than himlelf. What increafeth his fears, is, 
 that inftead of an humble and penitent frame 
 under his convi6tions, as he hoped and ftrove 
 for, his infenliblity, his enmity, and other 
 plagues of his heart gather ftrength. In this 
 condition, fome have found their hearts rif- 
 ing againll the heavens. Some have funk 
 down into the very borders of defpair; 
 and it is common for convinced finners to fly 
 from the prefence of infinite holinefs, as fugi- 
 tive Adam, when he ran to hide himfelf from 
 the face of his maker among the trees of the 
 garden. But no fooner does the diilrefled 
 finner really believe in his heart, that God's 
 tender mercies are over all his works, (ii) and 
 mercy rejoiceth agaiiift judgment ; ^z;) no fooner 
 does he believe this, than the chains of his cap- 
 tivity drop off, unbelief, the head of his body 
 of death, dies, and all his other corruptions, 
 which ^received ftrength and nourifhment 
 therefrom, w^eakenand die with it — his heart 
 of ftone is melted, his enmity broken, and 
 his ioul is reconciled to the crofs and fceptre 
 of Chrift.* 
 
 If thefe obfervations be true, and both fcripture 
 {u Pfa. cxlv. 9.) {v Jam. ii 13.) 
 
22 SMITH. 
 
 The Holy Spirit gives to believers thofe 
 Ipiritu al views of mercy and grace in the Sa- 
 viour, by revealing to their hearts the excel- 
 lency of his adorable characters; — the gracious 
 defigns of redemption; — the love of the fa- 
 ther in fending his Son, and the love of the 
 Son in coming to die for finners ; — the riches 
 and freedom of goipel promifes and over- 
 tures; — or by impreliing them with his earn- 
 eft and tender entreaties and expoftulations 
 with them to hear and live. By all, or by 
 any of thefe, or by whatfoever word of the 
 gofpel he pleafeth, Chrift reveals to inquiring 
 fouls his tender mercy and grace to fa ve the 
 worft of finners, and draws them into a cor- 
 dial union with himfelf^ 
 
 I have been the more particular here, be- 
 caufe fome honeft chrillians perplex them- 
 felves, and queftion their own fincerity, if 
 
 and experience evince the truth of them, how abfurd 
 thentheir notion, who aflert, that the flames of hell 
 will produce penitence in the hearts of the damned, up- 
 on which God willdifcharge them from their prifon. 
 Were this dodrine true, hell would long fincc have 
 been cleared of it's inhabitants. A fmiilar error are 
 they guilty of, who tell us, that if God makes ufe of 
 means at all in the change of a foul, it is the law ex- 
 clufive of the gofpel. This plainly manifeffcs their ig- 
 norance of the holy fcriptures, of the nature of fm, of 
 the human heart, and the manner of divine operations 
 upon it. 
 
SMITH. 23 
 
 they may not have obtained their iirfl relief 
 in the fame manner others have obtained 
 their's, and from the very fame words. The 
 queftions are not^ in what manner, or by what 
 word of the golpel have you been delivered 
 from the fpirit of bondage ? Whether by a 
 particular promife applied to your hearts, or 
 by a fpiritual defcription or view of gofpel 
 truths, in general, powerfully imprefTed on 
 them ? Kut the queftions are, what has been 
 the nature of your views of divine objects, 
 and what their efFe6ts upon your fouls ? 
 
 3. In believing the heart fully confides 
 in the faithfulnefs of Chrift to perform his 
 promife of eternal life to all thofe who believe 
 on him. The truth of the promife, founded 
 upon the faithfulnefs of the promifer, is a glo- 
 rious obje6l of credit. Truth and mercy are 
 ever celebrated in the fongs of believers, and 
 
 infeparably united as grounds of their truft. 
 
 / willfing of the mercies of the Lord forever ; with 
 my month will I make known thy faithfulnefs to all 
 generations. For Ihavefaid mercy f hall be built 
 up forever : thy faithfulnefs floalt thou eftabliflo in 
 the very heavens, (w) The promifes originated 
 in mercy, and fliall be fulfilled in faithfulnefs. 
 What eternal love hath fpoken, eternal truth will 
 hind. And O ! what relief to the convin- 
 
 (ly Pfa. Ixxxix r. 2.) 
 
24 SMITH. 
 
 ced iinner to behold rich mercy united with 
 invariable truth inviting him to fly into the 
 arms of a powerful Saviour ! 
 
 The felicitous inquirer for falvation feeks 
 the firmeft grounds to go upon in believing. 
 Here he finds it — The word of him who can- 
 not lie I The whole gofpel may, in a general 
 fenfe, be viewed as one large proi^iife given 
 as our warrant to believe. All it's invitati- 
 ons, offers, calls, and every motive offered to 
 perfuade us to lay hold of eternal life, not on- 
 ly make a tender of mercy, but imply a prom-^ 
 # iie to thofe who fhall accept the offer. But 
 more fpecifically and directly, the exprefs 
 promifes, or thole parts of fcripture deliver- 
 ed in a promiflbry form, fanctioned by the 
 oath of God, and enforced with his command 
 to*^believe, afford us the ftrongeit warrant to 
 appropriate Chrift and the whoje of his lalva- 
 tion to our own fouls. 
 
 His promifes I fay, as well the more gene- 
 ral and abfolute promifes^ of grace, as the 
 more fpecial and chara6leriftic . Convinced 
 fmners often find great relief and clear di- 
 re6tions from the more general, or abfolute 
 promifes; fuch as the pardon of lin ior God's 
 OWN name's fake, {x) of cleanfing from all 
 our //7^/)/;uyi^-of giving ^ new heart, and tak- 
 
 (x Jfa. xliii 25. 
 
SMITH. 2j 
 
 ing away the Jloney heart, (y) For although 
 they may not plead an intereft in the bleflings 
 contained in them as iheir own a6lual right, 
 becaufe they have never embraced the ofier ; 
 yetasthelepromifesmanifeftJehovah'swining 
 nefs to bellow mercies, and contain a iree 
 and generous offer of them, tb.ey afford the 
 ffrongeft encouragement to apply, and the 
 firmeit ground to plead for, the promiied fa- 
 vours. Perfuaded of this, the diflrelTed fm- 
 ner arifeth from his finking difcourage- 
 ments, and ventures to approach a gracious 
 and fin-pardoning Saviour, pleading his own 
 word. Lord, do as thou halifaid. Here is the 
 very heart, the hard and filthy heart ! Melt 
 it with thy love, and cleanfe it with thy grace ! 
 According to thy word, pardmi mine iniquity^ 
 for it is great, (z) Let a trembling iinrhr 
 live, O- Lord, and I will forever praife thee. 
 Let rich grace forever fiiine in the falvation 
 of ^wretch fo unworthy, and lo hell deferv* 
 ing 1 
 
 The fpecial and chara61erifiic prcmifes af- 
 ford the affli6ted foul the molt pointed and 
 peculiar encouragements to apply to Chrifl 
 lor relief— Such as thefe : come v?ito me at ye 
 that are heavv laden, and I will give ycu reji (a) 
 
 VOL IV. D 
 
 (V Ezek. xxxvi. 25. 26.) (z P/a, :<xv, iu}(a Math. ii. 
 :;8.) 
 
26 SMITH. 
 
 Him that comeih. I "will iti no wife caji out, (b) 
 For they not only hold up the rich grace of 
 God to weary and heavy laden finners, and in- 
 vite them to Chrift for it ; but they give them 
 the llrongeft fecurity that they fliall be ac- 
 c^pteJj and find reft, upon their conjing. 
 From any, or from ail theie, Chrift perfuadeth 
 diftreiTed fouls of his faithfulnefs to preform 
 his word, and excites their truft in him for fal- 
 vation. 
 
 4. For the farther illuftration of this fub- 
 jedt, I Ihall briefly take notice of the light or 
 evidence by which true believers difcern, and 
 yield their aillect to, the truths of the gofpel. 
 Now this is wholly fupernatural. — lor Cod, 
 'who coMmanded the I'ght tojlnne cvt of darknefs^ 
 hath Jl:ined in our hearts, to gwethelghtofthe 
 knowledge of the glory of God in iheface cfjefus 
 Chrift^ (c) That power only wliich produced 
 natural light, and no exertion of natiral abil- 
 ities in the fubjedl of it, nor mere moraHua- 
 fion, can prcdut e this fpiritual light in the 
 foul. The gofpel is a glafs by which the Ho- 
 ly Spirit reliects the divine glories upon our 
 hearts, as they (liine in the tace of our Lord 
 Jefus Chrift ; therelore it is our duty to pay 
 acaretul attenton to every mftru6ion of it; 
 for by motives divine power operateth up- 
 on our fouls as moral agents. But every 
 
 (b John. VI, 37.) [cWCor. iv. 6.) 
 
SMITH. 2 
 
 niotive and every mean will prove mefre6lu»« 
 al, until that energy which at firft caiifed 
 light to (hine out of darknefs, rends the vail 
 from our darkened hearts, and reveals Chriil 
 in them. 1 heir opinion is wholly unfounded, 
 who fuppofe there is no ditFerence between 
 the allent of real and that of mere nominal be- 
 lievers^ and that refting in Chriil is the only 
 elFential act of faith. The full credit given by 
 the heart to the teftimony of the Spirit in his 
 word is peculiar to faving faith ; there is there- 
 fore an eOential difference between this an4 
 the allent of mere common profeflbrs. This 
 difference chiefly confiits in three things. 
 
 I. The tranfcendent glories of faith's ob* 
 jed^ are truly dircerned by the one; the other 
 has only fome dark ineffe^tuil notices of them. 
 The dilFerencc is as real and as great, as that 
 of feeing an object and hearing of it only. I 
 may hear of lomething at a diftance, which 
 I never faw, and may not doubt the truth of 
 the account given of it ; but if I fee the thing 
 itfelf, my perceptions of it will be quite chan- 
 ged. So by a general faith of the gofpel, I 
 may accept the report of it as true, without 
 being fenfible of any doubt as to the reality 
 of it; yet never perceive the nature nor 
 the tranfcendent glories of the obje<5ls it ex- 
 hibits. In faving faith there is a juft difcern- 
 ment of the nature and fuperior beauties of the 
 
t8 SMITH. 
 
 obje6t itfelf. To the true believer Chrift ap* 
 pears as the pearl of great price ("^ jindeedj for 
 which he is willing to part with every thing 
 below the Sun. But to the believer in name 
 only, he is as a root out of dry ground, that has 
 nofor?n nor comelinefs, ?w beauty that we fhould 
 dejire htm. (e) (2.) The objeds of fa th are 
 moft agreeable to the faculties and condition 
 of true believers. In them they perceive 
 every thing for their entertainment and prof- 
 it—A gracious fcheme in which God is glori- 
 fied in the higheft, and finners laved to the 
 uttennoft— Promifes originating in mercy, 
 and fulfilled in truth— An all-iufficient and 
 gracious Saviour, in whom there is every 
 thing fuited to his defires and deplorable cir- 
 cumftances. Thefe are objedts of his de- 
 lightful contemplation, upon which his faith 
 feeds as hidden manna. But graceiefs pro- 
 feflbrs have reliflies of a very different na- 
 ture; for they only mind (fcivour) the things 
 of thefefj. (e) {2,') They differ widely in the 
 etlecls they have upon the mmds of their re- 
 fpective fubjecfs. The impreffions the ob- 
 je6ts of faith make upon the mind of tempo- 
 rary believers, are fls a morning cloud, and as 
 the early deiv it goeth away, (/) leaving their 
 hearts flill unchanged, cold, dead, blind, car- 
 nal and unbelieving. But lincere believers, 
 
 (d Math. xiii. 46 J [e <fa, liii. a-) {e Rom. viii. 5?) 
 (fHof vi. 4.) 
 
S M I T H. 29 
 
 xvltb open face, beholding as in a glafs the glory 
 of the Lord, are changed into the fame wi-^ 
 age from glory to glory, by thefpirit of the Lord, 
 (g) The fpirit of the Lord^ reflecung upon 
 their fouls, by the glafs of the gofpel, rays 
 of the divine glories, fhining and fweetly 
 harmonizing in the perfon and mediation of 
 Chrift, tranfforms them into the image 
 of the glory relde^ted, and draws them into 
 a lalling and comfortable reft in the Saviour. 
 
 t. 
 
 II. I fliall proceed now to exp^ain the 
 nature o{ trujl m Chrift, the fecond confti- 
 tuent of favmg faith. No fooner does the 
 foul fully perceive how fuitable and well qual- 
 ified Chrift is to fave ruined iinners, than it 
 trufts in him for it's own faivation. * Ths a6t 
 of faith is called a receiving Chrift, embracing 
 him, accepting him, coming to him, leaning 
 upon him, and refting on him for faivation. 
 This truft or reft of the foul in Chrift confifts 
 in two a61s, approbation and acquiefcence. 
 
 * Were T to treat this point fcientifically, as fomeaf- 
 feft to treat all thur fubjeds, even the moft pradlical, 
 I would fay, that the full credit we give to the tefti- 
 mony of Chrift, is the primary mode of faving faith, 
 which conftitutes it's very effence; and trnft or reft 
 in him, it's fecondary eflential mode^necelTari'ly arifing 
 from the primary. From the fame fource do repen- 
 tance, love, defire, and all the raligiousafFedionsflow. 
 
 (^11 Cor. til iZ.) 
 
30 SMITH. 
 
 I . It implies a hearty approbation of the 
 fcheme of redemption in the blood of Chrift, 
 as originating from, and infinitely worthy of, 
 the wifdorn, mercy, and love of God. O the 
 depth of the riches both of the wi/dom and know^ 
 ledge of God y dilplayed in the falvation of lin- 
 ners by Chrift! is the language of a believing 
 heart— It chearfully receives, and gives ail 
 the praiie to, rich and free grace. Not unto us, 
 O Lord, net unto us, but to thy name give glory, 
 for thymnercy, and for thy truth ' j fake . (h) Were 
 it left to the believer s own choice, he would 
 choofe no other method of falvation. None 
 but what flows from rich mercy and exalts the 
 Saviour, fuits either his wretched ftate, or his 
 wifl:es. Had he ten thcufand fouls, he would 
 venture them all upon Chrift. Had he ten 
 thoufand hearts, they lliould all be giuen to 
 
 They, therefore, wholly miflake th? qu^ftion, and ail 
 the r wrangling d fpiites apon it have no proper ob- 
 jeft, who contend for repentance going before fairh. 
 If they mean a legal rrpentance, or convi(5tion of fin, 
 this wfe own is necefTary to faving faith ; yet even 
 this is the effedt of a general belief of divine teftimo 
 ny. But if they mean a genuine gofpel repentance, 
 (and no other repentance properly deferves that name, 
 or fliould come into the queftion,) this it is evident, is 
 the fruit of a believing view of Chrift, and cannot be 
 n\-\tecedent to it ; for the Saviour himfelf teltifieth, 
 th^V Pjallloikup'mme ivhom ihey have pierced, And they 
 JJmll mourn for kim, 
 
 (h Pfa. cxv. 2.) 
 
S M I T H. 
 
 a^ 
 
 him* Had he ten thoufand tongues^ they 
 Ihould all be employed in his praife . And all 
 too little 1 all infinitely beneaths his praife, 
 his glory, or his worth. 
 
 2. Truft in Chrift more fpecifically confifts 
 in the hearty acquiefcenve of the foul in him 
 for falvation. It*s leading exercife is, a reft 
 in his propitiation for pardon, and then, being 
 accepted in the beloved for grace, for glory, 
 and for every mercy. He is all in all — all 
 things to all believers. Content that he do 
 all the work, and have all the praife, they em- 
 brace him and his whole falvation, with all 
 their hearts, conmiitting themlelves wholly 
 to him, foul, and body, as his trufi, and to be 
 employed wholly at his pleaiure. In this ndl 
 of truft, they return to him, and to God in 
 him, as their foul's everlafting reft ; and, ac- 
 cording to his gracious promife, find reft to 
 their weary fouls. Retiini unto thy refl, O my 
 foul y for the Lord hath dealt bount fully zvith thee, 
 (i) exprefseth the exercife of a foul reft ing in 
 Chrift. With a joy which the world knoweth 
 not of, they feed, as on hidden manna, upon 
 fuch precious v/ords of grace as thofe; / have 
 fatiated the weary foidy and I have rcplenifb-ed e- 
 very forrowf id foul, (k) Hence iome inteligent 
 and very fpiritual divines have deicribed faith, 
 
 (iPfa, cxvi. 7.) (k Jer, xxx). 25} 
 
3i SMITH. 
 
 as a well pleafednefs with Chrift andfalvation 
 through him. A well plealednefs it is indeed, 
 an entire fatiffa<Stion in Chrift and the fruits 
 of his mediation-- /y^^ down under his fad ow 
 with great delight, and his fruit xvasfweetunto my 
 tqfle. (I) 
 
 In order to a more full and diftin61: per- 
 ception of the nature of truft in Chr.ft, let it 
 be obferved, that ive receive and reft vpon him 
 alone for falvat ion , as he is offered unto us in the 
 gqfpel. (m) Faith is the very echo of the 
 foul to the gofpel oWer—fo we preached, and 
 foye believed, (n) In like manner as we de- 
 livered unto you the teftimony of Chrift, ye 
 received it, and refted upon him for falvation* 
 
 I. The gofpel offers Chrift fully in all his 
 offices, for wifdoni, r.'gbieounefs, fanctificati'* 
 on and redemption. And faith correfpond- 
 ing fully v/ith the offer, accepteth him 
 as the only remedy for ignorance, guilt, ila- 
 very and every milery to which fm hath fub- 
 je6ted a fallen world. Beholding, his iulnefs, 
 the foul replies. In the Lord have I righteouf 
 7iefsand ftrcngth. (o) Not only juftifying righ- 
 teoufnefs, but grace and ftrength for every 
 duty, and every gracious exercife. The gra- 
 cious heart thirfts as well for holinefs and 
 
 (IC^ftt. ii. 3.) (7n W f. Con, Qtt^ft, 86. ) (n IL C%r. 
 •XV, II.) [^oJfa xlv. 24.) 
 
SMITH. 
 
 33 
 
 iiiftrudtion^ as for pardon ; as well for deliver- 
 ance from fin^ as from wrath ; and in one word, 
 for every bleiling the Saviour has to beftow. 
 But hypocritical profeflbrs, like the harlot, 
 would divide the Saviour ; — would take pardon 
 from him^ without holinefs; — lalvation from 
 hell, without qualifications for heaven. Nay, 
 nothing do they more difrelifh than holinefs and 
 communion with Chrift ; JFithoiit ivhich no man 
 JJjallfee the Lord. 
 
 2. The gofpel offers Chrift iivdue order, — 
 Chrift himfelf firft, and then his gifts. It invit- 
 eth us to come to him, and promifeth reft upon 
 our coming. To as many as received h i m to^ them 
 f^avc he power to become the 'fons of God, even to 
 them that believe on his fiame. (p) Chrift himfelf 
 is the immediate obje6l of a believers truft ahd 
 affedionsj the fecondary object is the promife of 
 being heirs of God, and joint heirs of the inhe- 
 ritance with him. He is high in their efteem 
 above every created object, the chief ainong ten 
 thoufand, and altogether lovely, (q) Whereas ^he 
 hypocritical profeflbr looks totheblefiingonly, 
 but neglects the difpenfer of it— Snatcheth at 
 the promife, but reje6teth the promifer — Gives 
 Chrift his hand, but with-holds his heart. 
 
 , 3. The gofpel offers Chrift and all the blcflings 
 of his pur chafe , freely, ivith out money and ivith out 
 price: (r) and faith, difclaiming all goodncfs 
 
 (pJohn.L \2.) {qCant.i, 10. 16.) (r Ifa. Iv. U 
 
 Rev. xxii ]"■/.) 
 Vnl IV. ' E 
 
34 SMITH. 
 
 wrought in or done by the creature, as a ground 
 of truft, in whole or in part, dependeth lolely up- 
 on the righteoufnefs and grace of Chrift for par- 
 don and complete falvation — Yea, doubtlefs.and I 
 count all things but lofs,for the excellencyof theknow- 
 ledge qfChriji Jefus my Lord, for whom I bavefuffer" 
 ed the Iqfs of all things, and do count them but dung 
 that I may win Cbri/l, and be found in him, nothavmg 
 mine own ngbteoufnefs, which is of the law, but that 
 which IS through the faith of Chrift, the righte- 
 nefs which is of God by faith, (s) Here itise- 
 videntthe Apoftle rejedleth all his own righ- 
 teoufnefs of every kind, both inward frames, 
 and outward duties, as lofs and dung y—as fit- 
 tbyvags. Iiiflead of trulling any thing in him- 
 felf or done by him, as righteoufnefs, or as 
 giving him a right to believe, or hope for accep- 
 tance tlirough Chrift, the true believer fees that 
 Ills beO; dtities and frames are fo deeply ftained 
 Vith fin and felf, that he wonders God had not 
 mingled Ms blood with his facrifices. — He is per- 
 fuiided that his tears ,his repentance, his prayers, 
 and every duty, all need wafliing in the blood of 
 Chrilt,, as well as his perfon — therefore he 
 comes to him as poor, ivr etched, miferable, blind 
 aad naked '^ — for Gold tried in the fire, that he may 
 be rich', for white rainwit, that he may be cloathed; 
 and for; eyi^-folve, that he may./i'^; (t) taking his 
 encouragement to believe from the gracious 
 call of the gofpel, only— and they who expe6l 
 falvation upon any other terms, bewray their 
 ignorance of the Gofpel, and deceive their 
 
 own fouls. 
 
 {s Phil, lit, 8. 9.) {t Rom- Hi* 17. 18.) 
 
SMITH. 
 
 3S 
 
 The only ground of real truft in Chriil fliines 
 with bright evidence in the faith of Abraham, 
 the father and example of the faithful in believ- 
 ing, who agaM hope believed in hope, that he might 
 become the father of many nations; according to 
 ihsit word which was fpoken, fo fhall thy feed be, 
 A?id being not weak in faith, he confidered not his 
 own body now dead, being about an hundred years 
 old, neither yet the deadncfs of Sarah* s womb, He 
 Jlaggered not at the pronufe through unbelief; but 
 was firong in faith, giving glory to God : and heing 
 fully perfuaded that what he had promifed, he was 
 alfoable to perform, (u) His faith, laying hold 
 on the naked word of pronufe, rofe fuperior 
 to every objection of reafon from the ftrong- 
 ell natural impediments. In like manner his 
 fpiritual feed, neither trufling their own righ- 
 teoufnefs in any (liape, nor kept ofFby difcou- 
 ragement from the deadnefs and barrennefs 
 of their own unbelieving hearts, take hold 
 of the word of promife, and plead to it. Lord do 
 as thou hajifaid. (v) 
 
 But the falfe profelTor builds on a very dif- 
 ferent foundation — He trufts as his righteouf- 
 nefs, his convidions, his repentance, his frames, 
 and his duties performed with fome ferioufnefs— 
 or he hopes thefe will recommend him to Chrift, 
 that on account of them, the righteoufnefs of 
 Chrift may recommend him to the favour of God. 
 Thus he makes a laviour of his religious exercif- 
 cs, fubftituting them inftead of the righteouinefs 
 
 {u Rem, IV, 18, 19. 20, 21.) (vll Sam. vii, 25.) 
 
36 S M 1 TH. 
 
 of Chrift; or uniting them with his righteoul'- 
 nefsj as the ground of his pardon and acceptance 
 with Qod, lie divides his falvation between him- 
 felf and the Saviour. Miftaking the defign of 
 fuch promifes as this ; come unto me all ye that 
 labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you 
 rejl, (iv) he conne6ts the promife of reft, with 
 his diitrefs, not with coming to Chrift ; whereas 
 the promife is to be connected with believing, 
 or coming to Chrift^ not with his diftrefs as a 
 condition either of his right to the blefiing, or his 
 right to come for t; and his diftrelsful cafe is 
 mentioned^ to point him out as it were, by name, 
 and invite him to come to Chrift for a free fal- 
 vation. As though our Lord had laid, ye labour- 
 ing and fm-fick fouls, who can find reft no where, 
 come unto me, and I will eaie you of all your 
 burdens, and give reft to your weary fouls. 
 But miftaking the delign of the offer, as we have 
 obferved, the decieved finner takes hold of the 
 promife, not of the Saviour ;~appropriates, the 
 blefling, not becaufe it is freely offered, but 
 . becaufe he has fomc thing to offer for it. This 
 is a fubtle deceit of the heart, a fine fpun thread 
 of felf righteoufnefs, with which m.any decieve 
 themfelvcs, ei'pccially in fealons of common a- 
 wakenings. Upon this liidden rock they dafh 
 to pieces, juft when they feem to be arriving to 
 the haven of reft. Thefe are the fital miftakes, 
 I doubt notof toomapy zealots in our day. I 
 fliall conclude this dilcourfe with a fewbrief 
 obfervationy. 
 
SMITH 37 
 
 I . What ground of lamentation is it, and 
 how furprifing, that the far greateft partof thofe 
 who profefs the name of Chrift, and the fcrip- 
 tures to be his word, have, notwithftanding, fo 
 little of him i^ their religion, and are fuch 
 ilrangers to the doctrine of faith in his blood, 
 for falvation. Chrill is the fubftance of both 
 the old teftament, and the new — Hisato.nement, 
 with the nature and neceiiity of faith in a cru- 
 cified Saviour, are leading do6lrines of re- 
 velation, and none are more frequently held 
 up to view in the oracles of God. Is it not 
 then amazing, that thofe do6lrines, frequent- 
 ly taught as they are, and important as they 
 are, fiiould be treated by multitudes, as mere 
 idle and ufelefs tales of the day ? — And that ma- 
 ny who are blefTed with favourable advantages 
 for jnitruelion, and pay a refpe6t to the gofpel, 
 in profelTion ; yet, in practice, do ftill go about 
 ta eflablifh their own light eoiifnejs, and will not 
 {\xhrmt thanfelves to the righteoiifnefs of God. (x) 
 Outward rites ofworfhip, either of man's devil- 
 ing or God's appointing, duties, frames of the 
 mind, or ^ny deception whatfoever, will qui- 
 et their confciences, without the fprinkling of 
 the blood of Chrift ! How ftrong muft their 
 deception be ! How fubtle the operations of 
 legal pride in their deceived fouls ! How deep- 
 ly rooted their unbelief! How thick the veil 
 of ignorance that clouds their carnal and blind- 
 ed hearts. 
 
 (.V Bom, X, 3.) 
 
38 SMITH. 
 
 2 . From what hath been faid^ many profefs- 
 ors of religion might be eafily convinced, did 
 they yield to the evidence of it, that they have 
 not the true faith of the gofpel, but are ftill held 
 in the chains of unbelief and condenmation ! 
 For he that believeth not is condemned alra* 
 dy, {y) They who reft in a general belief that 
 Chrift is the Son of God, and Saviour of the 
 world- without a fcnfe of their need of him 
 and without a particular application of him, 
 to their own fouls, have never embraced the 
 Saviour, by a living faith— They who reft in a 
 general blmd notion of mercy without refpe6t 
 unto juftice, neither believe his juftice nor his 
 mercy; but are under the curfe of the woe 
 denounced rgainft them that are at eafe in Zion (z) 
 and fetling on their lees, fay in their heart, the Lord 
 will not do good nor will he do evil (a) They 
 who feed upon empty fcientific fpeculations, 
 without fcriptural difcoveries of his glory, and 
 all whoy^^ no beauty in him that we Jhauld defire 
 him, have never fed upon him, as hidden man- 
 na, nor had the arm of the Lord revealed to them, 
 {bj The fervants of fin, either of heart or life, 
 are under the power of unbelief; for it is the 
 promife of Chrift to the faithful, thatfinfhall not 
 have dominion over them, (c) All who reft in any 
 thing fliort of Chrift for falvation, have noin- 
 tereftin the Saviour— On a forced, or furious 
 zeal, for certain opinions, or for a fe6t that 
 might have obtained fome character for purity 
 
 (y John. lit. i8.) (z Amos. vi. i,) (^ Zeph, L 12) 
 (b Ifa, I'm, I. 2.) {c Rom, vi. 14. 
 
SMITH 
 
 39 
 
 and zeal — On the piety of anceftors ; we have 
 jibraham to our father {d) on the outward pri- 
 vileges of their Church, as the boaftful Jews of 
 old, who cried, the temple of the Lord, the temple 
 of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, are thefe \e) 
 or thofe who reft on their outward duties and 
 fanctity, as the felf-righteous Pharifee ; God I 
 thank thee that I am not as other men, extortioners, 
 unjiift, adulterers, or even as this publican; Ifafi twice 
 in the week, and pay tithes of all that Ipoffefs (/*) 
 Thofe who put their band, to the plough, and look 
 lack, are not fit for the kingdom of heaven, {g) 
 but clearly nianifeft that there is in them an 
 evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living 
 God. {h) Thefe feem to tegin in the Spirit, 
 but end in the flefii ; and it is happened to them 
 accordidg to the true proverb, the dog is turned to 
 bis own vomit again, and the fow that was ivajhed 
 to her wallowing in the mire, [i) Of all the clafles 
 of unbelievers thefe fink deepeft into the gulph 
 of apoftacy ; and, of all others fome of them be- 
 come the moft ungenerous and bitter enimies 
 to chriftianity. Moft dangerous, indeed, and 
 deplorable is their cafe;/(9r the earth which drink- 
 itb in the ram that cometh oft upon it ;'-but bearetb 
 thorns and briers, is rejedled, and nigh unto curfing; 
 whofe end is to be burned, {k) Thefe various cha- 
 racters, and each of you who have never expe- 
 rienced the operations of a living faith, are yet 
 in unbelief, and fhall die in yourjins, (/) unlefs 
 
 {d John. viii. 39.^ (^ Jcr. vii. 4.) {fluke, xviii. n. 
 12.) (g Luke. ix. 62 ) (h Feb. iii. 12,) (/ il Pet. ii. 22.) 
 (k Hcb. vi, 7. 8.) {I John, viii. 24. ^ 
 
40 SMITH. 
 
 youfpeedily apply for pardon to that blood, 
 which you have profanely trodden under foot» 
 
 3. I moft earneftly beleech unbelievers, ofe- 
 very defcription, to acknowledge your charac- 
 ter fully and freely. Admit the conviction of 
 your guilt and danger, fall at the feet of mercy, 
 and beg for the lite of your fouls. By all the 
 terrors of perilliing, by all the joys of falvation, 
 and by all the regard you Ihould pay to the hap- 
 pinefs of your never dying fouls, I intreat yon 
 to deceive yourfelves no longer, but awake 
 from your fatal fecurity, & flee from the wrath 
 to cm-ne unto the Lord Jefus Chrift, as your 
 only fafety. Many have a teftimony in their 
 confcience, that they are in a ftate of fin and 
 awful condemnation, who, neverthelets, do not 
 fully own their guilt to their Judge and Savi- 
 our but with infidel Jews, in our Saviour's day, 
 quench the convidion, and would gain the time, 
 by Hill requiring further figns of what they al- 
 ready have fufficient evidence, did they not clofe 
 the r eyes againft the light. Their averlion to 
 the pangs of conviction, and the felf-deiTying ex- 
 erciies necelTary to their relief, are the reafons 
 of their foul-ruining delay, untill a more' con- 
 venient fcafon. Sad infatution ! Dangerous, 
 awfully dangerous condu6t. Which are hard- 
 eft, the momentary pangs of convi^ion now,.©r 
 the pahis of //>^ worm thatjkill never die, and0fc 
 fire thatjhall never be quenched. And if you re- 
 folve to enter thorouglily upon the work at a- 
 ny time, is it not better to do it foon than at a 
 
^ SMITH. 41 
 
 late period. How do 3/ou knov/ whether ye 
 «fliall ever fee the time you hope will be a more 
 convenient feafon ? An hour's delay may coll 
 you an eternity of iufferings. Or if ye were 
 certain of the time to come^ will repentance -be 
 lefs bitter, or fm the more eaiiiy fubdued^ the 
 longer it is in acquiring ftrength. For God's 
 fake, for your precious fouls' fake, I intreat 
 you to im^prove the prefent moment, let not 
 the prefent opportunity flip. New is the accep- 
 ted tunc, now the day of falvatmi. (?n) Therefore 
 to day if ye will hear his voice, harden 7iotyour hearts. 
 Now, and not hereafter ; to day, and not to- 
 morrow, is ever the language of fcripture calls 
 —Molt carefully, therefore, improve the day 
 of life, while it lafts — Improve the day of grace, 
 while it fhines upon you ; leil your fun fet in 
 everlafting darkriefs. 
 
 '^Seize the kind promife while it waits, 
 
 '''And march to Zicns heavenly gates; 
 
 ''Believe and take the prcmif'd reft, 
 
 ''Obey and be forever blcft." 
 VOL. IV. F 
 
 {m 11 Cor. vi. 2.) 
 
*- 
 
f „ 
 
 SERMON LXIL 
 
 THE EXCELLENCY of SAVING FAITH. 
 
 B Y 
 
 ROBERT SMITH, D. D. 
 
 Fqflor of a Prejbyterian Congregation, Pequca, 
 Pennfylvaiiia, 
 
 II Pet, i, 1. 
 
 —1^0 them that have obtained like precious faith 
 
 with lis, 
 
 I John, iii. 23. 
 
 And this is his commandment, that wefJwuJd believe 
 on the name of his Son Jefus Chrifl, 
 
 The apoftle, having treated of obedience to 
 the commands of God, as an evidence of 
 our being heard and accepted of him, left we 
 ihould be deceived in a matter of fo great im- 
 portance, informs us in our text of the nature 
 of that obedience, which is an evidence of our 
 being accepted; It is the obedience of faith. — 
 This is his commandment, t/jut we Jhould believe on 
 
44 
 
 S M 1 T H 
 
 the n^fni .qf bi'$ Son ijefus Chrijl. Faith itfelf is 
 an obedience to a divine command ; and all 
 that obedience \yhich iiows from taith^ and that 
 only^ will prove our iincerity. No mere out- 
 ward forms whatfoever will conftitute a real 
 character of grace. This is his commandment^ 
 as though it. were the only Command^ it being 
 the chriilian compend of all the commandments. 
 The- excellency of the grace and duty of faith is 
 the great obje it exhibited in thefe words — Of the 
 grace and duty of faith, we fay ; for as it is be- 
 ftowed, it is a grace ; as commandedj it is our 
 duty. The excellency of it appears from it's 
 being, as it were, a fummary of all the other 
 comm.ands ; as well a^ from it's immediate ob- 
 J.eci:, the name of the Lord Jisus Christ; or 
 his perfon and mediation, and whatfoeyer as 
 mediator he makes himfelf known by. On 
 thefe accounts it is an invaluable gift of heaven 
 to all that have obtained this precious favour 
 of the Lord. 
 
 n. I proceed, irr the fecond plaiie^ to illuflrate 
 the excellency of faving faith. 
 
 I . The fuperior excellency of faving faith ap- 
 pears from it's being the mean ofinterefting us 
 in Chrift, and all the blefnngs of his purchafe. 
 Through faith we are acquitted of an*obligati- 
 on to eternal punifliment, and receive a firm ti- 
 tle to all <^he bleiFrngs of grace and everlafting 
 glory— Tbenf ore being }Uj}if.£d by faith, we have 
 
 A>-,vrc';/6 (7p7. fhr.^uir'^ nuv Lord T'/)/c ChriM 
 
SMITH. 45 
 
 ^ywhom alfo we have accefs by faith into this grate 
 wherein wejland, and rejoice in hope of the glory of 
 God. (a) By faith we become heirs of God and 
 joint heirs with Chrift ; forye are all the children 
 of God by faith in Chriji Jefus; (b) All the ends 
 -of the earth are invited to look unto Chrift, and 
 befavcd, (c) But faith is the eye that beholds 
 his fuinefs, and the glory of the precious blelF- 
 ings contained in the promife. Chrift is ten- 
 dered to us as the gift of God, and eternal life 
 in him ; and faith is the hand that takes hold of 
 the gift and appropriates it to ourfelves. (d) 
 God has fo conftituted the new covenant plan of 
 life, that the moment we are united to Chrift 
 by faith, we are freed from the curfe of the 
 broken law, and received as favourites and chil- 
 dren of his family. O believers ! could I, in 
 law threatnings let hell and deftru6lion naked 
 before youreyes ; could I let you hear the groans, 
 and fee the flames, from which you are faved 
 through faith — Could I in gofpel promifes lay 
 open the third heaven, to let you hear the Hal- 
 leluias, and fee the fliining ranks, with which 
 you fliall fliortly mingle--Or could I difclofe to 
 you the uniearchable riches of Chrift, and all 
 the fearchlefs treafures of grace and glory, to 
 which by faith you have received an indefeafi- 
 ble title— Each of your hearts muft cry out with 
 wonder and praife; How precious is the gift I 
 have received of the Lord ! O ye expectants 
 
 (a Ram. v, i. 2.) (b Ceil. iii. 26.) {c Jfa. xlv. 22.) (^ 
 J JoJm. V. II. Juhn iv. I2; 14. 6" i. I2» Rev» Xxii. ly. 
 rompared.) 
 
46" SMITH. 
 
 of glory ! fee that ye live as the heirs of fuch 
 bleliings. 
 
 2 . The excellency of faith appears from the 
 glory of it's object, Gcd m Chnft reconciling the 
 world unto hmifeif—Ov the glory of God, Ihin- 
 ing in the face of Jefus Chril, {e) is it's pre- 
 cious obje(i:t. I doubt not of the propriety and 
 necellity of means to give adifplay of the divine 
 perfections to intelligent creature?. For the invi- 
 fible things of God from the creation of the world 
 are clearly feen, being underwood by the things that are 
 7nade, even his eternal power and Godhead, (f) 
 And wliofocver are wife to obferve the good 
 and righteous a6ts of providence, even they Jhall 
 underjland ike loving -kindnefs of the Lord, [g) 
 But redemption is the maiter-piece of all the 
 divine workmanfliip. In this plan of peace and 
 good will to mtn, glory to God m the higheft {h) 
 is proclaimed with loudeft accents^ And not 
 only is the glory of God in the higheft illufta- 
 ted by this laving plan; but from it arifcth, 
 in the higheft degree, the happinefs of rational 
 creatures— Not the happinefs of men only, 
 but even of h6ly angels themfelves, who need- 
 ed not a Saviour, becaufe they never had 
 tranfgrelled. For the knowledge and enjoy- 
 ment of God are necellary to happinefs. The 
 more of his glory is known, the fuller the en- 
 joyment of him : And the more full the enjoy- 
 ment, the greater muft be the happinefs rciult- 
 
 {e II Cor. V. TO. ^-iv, 6.) {f Rom. i. 20) {g Tfet. cvii,- 
 43.} (^ /.«/<€. ii. 14.) 
 
SMITH. 47 
 
 ing from it. But in Chrift all the moral perfeift- 
 ionsof Jehovah harmonize, and are moll cieuriy 
 difplayed. In the groans of an expiring Sa- 
 viour, inflexible juftice fliines with infinitely 
 brighter and (Ironger evidence, than in ail the 
 flames of Sinai, or the more terriblt; flames of 
 Tophet. Eternal love flows Itrongeft and 
 fweeteft in his blood : Herein is love, 7wi that ctv^ 
 loved bini, but that he loved us, andfent bis Son to 
 be the propitiati07i for our fins, (i) And where 
 would mercy have had a medium of difcovery^ 
 had it not been for the defpifed crofs of Chrift ?-- 
 Mercy, which is over all his works. (^^/ And is 
 not Chrifl: crucified emphatically called the pow- 
 er of God and the wifdomof God, (I) for the fal- 
 vation of all who believe in him ? Law and 
 juftice required fatisfadion, not only adequate 
 to the infinite malignity of fin, and the infinite 
 claims of juftice upon the flnner; but that this 
 fatisfaflion be made in the fame nature in which 
 the offence had been given. An angelic offer- 
 ing would not be accepted for a human olTence. 
 But were it accepted, and united with the fa- 
 crifice of all the human race, the offering would 
 have been infinitely beneath the claims of jufi- 
 ice^ The whole race of men, with all the angel - 
 ic hoft, muft have funk down under the guilt 
 of fin into everlafting perdition. But all Ihefe 
 claims are fully anlwered by the facrificc of 
 Chrift. For the infinite dignity of the divine 
 nature ftamped an infinite worth on what he 
 did and fufFered in his human nature, on account 
 
 {iljohft.iv. 10.) (^Pfa, cxlv. 9.) (//<:«r, i. -4.) 
 
48 SMITH. 
 
 of it's union with the divine nature in his facred 
 perfon. Now law and juflice triumph in the 
 falvatioh of guilty linners by the propitiation of 
 Chrift : For hereby they receive more honour 
 than they could receive by the fufferings of all 
 the creatures to eternity ! A llroke of wifdom 
 this infinitely out-reaching every conjecture of 
 created intelligences ! All their proje6ts^ during 
 eternal ages, to fatisfy juftice and fave the iin- 
 ner, would have perilhed in the very embryo ! 
 This great myftery of godlinefs, God manifell- 
 ed in the flefli, to atone divine jullice, and fave 
 the guilty iinner , ftrikes all the angels of glory 
 into everlafting aftonifliment, while they fall at 
 the leet ofthe God-man adoring and, with angelic 
 raptures look into the myileries of redemption 
 in his blood. fVhich things the angels dejhe to 
 look into. (?h) Mylleries, at which faith humbly 
 bows and adores ! --Faith which feeth hun who 
 is invifible, (n) and by which alone we can be- 
 hold Emmanuel's glories, and the glories of fal- 
 vation purchafed by his blood ; as we fliall more 
 fully fee in the next particular. When Peter 
 confeflTed to his Lord, Thou art Chrift, the Son of 
 the living God, his Saviour replies, Blejfedart thou 
 Simon Barjo?ia :forfle[h andMood hath ?iot reveal- 
 ed it unto thee, hut ?ny Father which is in heaven, (o) 
 From a heart impregnated with a fenie of this 
 bleOTednels, no doubt Peter in our text hails all 
 who had obtained like precious faith with him- 
 felf and his fellow-difciples. 
 
 (m/ Pet, i. 12. ) (n HibyyCu 27.) (0 Math, xvi. 17.) 
 
S M I T H. 4.;^ 
 
 3, We learn the luperior excellency of faith 
 from the ftrength and brightnefs of it's evidence. 
 The power of fiiith is the moft noble poiTelled by 
 mortals^ .and it's evidence the brighteft this 
 flde eternal vifion ; unleis we (hould except in- 
 fpiration. The evidence of fenfe onl^y reaches 
 to material objcffs,, and the evidence of reafon 
 is confined within the limits oi the falleh crea- 
 ture's power ; but faith fees him who is inviftbl'C, 
 and IS the evidence of things not fecn. (p) not 
 feen either by tire eye of fenfe, or reafon. 
 It penetrates into the invifibilities of the o- 
 ther world. ■■Exiyyj'^' rendered evidence, fignifies 
 a clear convidive proof, or demonftratiion. 
 Inviffble glories appear evident to the eye of 
 ftiith, and are more imprelTive than any obje(5ls 
 which daily offer to our fight : For it perceiveth 
 them by a fpiritual light; --a light immediately 
 infufed into the foul by his almighty power, who 
 commanded the light tofinneoutofdarknefs. (q) 
 The fpiritual man judgeth (or difcovereth) all 
 things. ( ;) • Inftrufted from on high, by the pow- 
 er of the Holy Ghoft, he hath a Iplrituai dif- 
 cernment of, and relilli for, the tranlcendent 
 g-lory of divine objeds. 
 
 But the natural man receiveth not the things of 
 ihefpirit of God ; for they are fooliflmefs nnto him ; 
 neither can he know them, hecaife they are fpiritually 
 difcerncd ; (s) and no unrenewed man hath a, 
 fpiritual eye to difcern them. Thedo6irinc of 
 Vol.Ti. IV. G 
 
 fp HeK:^. i; 27.) (q II Cor. iv. 6\) fr I Cv. fi. 14.) 
 
 ' •■ ii. 14.7 
 
JO S M I T IL 
 
 the crofs of Chrift is foolipnefs to the learned 
 Greek, and a flurnblwg bicck to the felt righteous 
 Jew. (t) Was the natural man pofieiled otail 
 thelubliniity ot a Longinus and a Homer, all 
 the power of a Dtmoithenes and a Cicero, 
 all the wifdom ofaboion and Lycurg':;s, and 
 With ail thephilofophy and improved knowledge 
 of a Soc rates and a Plato ; ail this notw ithlt^nd- 
 ing, without a prmciple of faith, thelullimemyf- 
 ter esof the gofpel will be foolilhnefs unto him. 
 Yea^ did he unite with all thefe advantages the 
 Itudy oftLe oracles of God; yet, as to unbe- 
 lieving Jewifh rabbles, who knew not the Lord 
 of Glory, [u) the gofpel would be a hidden myf- 
 tery to him, and the preaching of the crofs a 
 ftumbling block. 
 
 But why need we run back to heathen philof- 
 ophers and jewifli do<!^tors ? 1 he whole tribe of 
 inndels, in this and the preceding aLes,(fome 
 of whom were men of the moll acute and im- 
 proved genius,) are ftriking exan pies of this 
 meiancholly truth. And niany who reject the 
 name infidel, fon^.e of them by their corrupt o- 
 pinions, everlive of the gofpel of Chrift ; fonie 
 by their vile practices; and others by their a- 
 veriion to the power of godlinefs, proclaim to 
 the world that they have dark and unbelieving 
 hearts. Oh! fin has an awfully blinding and 
 hardening tendency. Therelbre are finners 
 called children rfdarknefs, and Satan's territories 
 <ikn\gdom of darknefs. 
 
 (t I Cor. i. 2j.; {u I Cor, ii. SJ 
 
SMITH. 51 
 
 But it is the glory of chriflianity, that while 
 the niylteries of the gofpel are hid from the wife 
 and prudent, they are revealed unto babes, (v) 
 The weakeil child of grace knows more oi God, 
 of Chrill, of the fcheme of falvation and opera- 
 tions of Grace, than the moft inftru^ted and rul- 
 tivated finners. He may not be as aV.le as they 
 to reafon upon thole topics; but he lees tiieir 
 attractive beauties, feels their power, and re- 
 lilhes the comforts of them, which they do not. 
 He may not be able to trace the operations of 
 nature in their caufes and eiTeds ; yet he lees 
 more of, and is more affected with, the divine 
 glories ihiiiing through a fpire of grafs, a fingle 
 flower, or a drop of cold water, than the grace- 
 lefs philofopher can perceive in all the ftupen- 
 dous works of God, and by the alnilance of all 
 his tubes and glailes. For even through faith -we 
 widerliand that the worlds were framed by the power 
 of God, (w) and fee more of his powxr and glo- 
 ry in their frame, than all the efforts of feeble 
 reafon can diicern. Let faith behold the glory 
 of God in the face of Chrift, aiid the heart will 
 be prepared to read his glory in all the works of 
 his hands. 
 
 4. The excellency of faith appears with ilrik- 
 ing evidence from it's power and 'njiv^nce to 
 brmg heaven down to earth, (fo to fpcak,) and 
 give us a prefent tafte of the bleilednels to be 
 enjoyed there ; for it is thefubflance of things, 
 hoped for. {x) It gives them a prefent fubfiftence 
 
 {v Mat. xi. 25.) {w Heb. yj. 3.) (x Hth. xi. i. ) 
 
52 S M I T H. 
 
 in the heart. Faith receives, and is itfelf,^;; 
 carneji of our inheritance , the jirjl fruit s of fhefpirit 
 of glory. An earnell being part of the promife 
 given in hand, to enfure the whole, is of the very- 
 lame kind of the thing itfelf for which it is pledg- 
 ed. Like the .believing fpies of old, the faith of 
 true believers brings down fome clufters of the 
 iieavenly Canaan, by the delicious tafte of which 
 their fouls give a good report of the proniifed 
 land, and become earneft to Uke polieilionofit. 
 It bears no more proportion, indeed, to the 
 iiappinefs of heaven, than a drop to the ocean, 
 or a.iingie ray to the whole body of light in the 
 iun; norfo much. Yet as a ray isofthefame 
 nature-with the fun, and a drop with the ocean; 
 io iaith and it's fruits are of the fame nature of 
 heaven itfelf. Grace is glory begun, and glo- 
 ry is grace perfedted. 
 
 A brief view of the delcription given of hea- 
 ven in the word of God, with the nature and ef- 
 fci^ts of faving faith, may ferve toilluftrate this 
 fubjedl more fully. Heaven is defcribcd as a 
 Hate of pexfe6l rell, (y) and perfe6l holinefs {z) 
 There the lervants oi^ ChriH fee bis face ;-Aec 
 him face to face, (a) and there isfulnefs of joy, and 
 pleafure for^evcrmore. (b) But faith, as wc have 
 ieen, not only receives tiie at'cdunt of it's orf- 
 jc(5t from teftimony, but (by the operations of 
 tlie Hply Ghoft) 'through thnt teftimony fees 
 
 i5.c!^xxi. 27.) {a F<rj.xxi, 4. / Cor. xiii. 12.) {h P/^^ 
 XV i. 16 
 
SMITH. 53 
 
 tjie object itfelf, beholdsit's glory.* It produceth 
 fweet 1 elt & comfort in the foul, (c) purificth 
 the heart, (t^) and worketh by love, (e) and believ- 
 ing in Ckrijl, ive rejoice with joy iinfpeakaMe , and 
 full of glory, if) Viewing the glory of it's obje<!;^ 
 
 (c MaU xiv 28. Pfa, cyiyi,' y.- Cant. ii. -^J (/iJ^s, 
 XV. o.) {eCai. V. 6.) ff J Pet. i. 8.) 
 
 * The difference between immediate vifion, and feeing 
 the objed by faith, feems to confifl principally, if not 
 wholly,, in the mode of difcovery, and the denrree of their 
 efFecTts refpectiveWupon the mind. Here we are as well 
 encumbered with fieih, as weakened by fm, and view the 
 ob'iefts through mediums of fenfe. 'i'he gofpel and vi- 
 fible ordinances are glaifes through wjuch we view the 
 glory of God, and by which the Hofy Spirit reflec'^s the 
 image of that glory upon our minds. But in heaven 
 there will be no need of a glafs ; aglafn would only ob- 
 fcure the vifion ; as to look at the fun through a glals 
 would v/eaken and difturb rather than afiid the fjghr. 
 Ifiji&aven we fhall fee the glory of God with evidence 
 as bright and powerful as a frame^drengthened with im- 
 mortality and enlightened with vilion can fee and enjoy 
 the infinitely glorious objed. By immediate vifion I 
 do not ni'jan, that the glorified faints will never behold 
 the glory of God through any of his works. New 
 worlds and new wonders may forever arife, through 
 which he will manifelt his glory to them. Nor would I 
 be underftopd to mean, that they fhall look, or that it is 
 polTible^or any creature to look, direcllv into the divine 
 elTence, without any medium of difcovery. How that 
 may be, I cannot tell. However, if they fhall behold 
 his glory thrdUgh means, the means, as well as the ca- 
 pacity for happinefs, v. ili be ivited to that ftate of per- 
 feftion. But when this mcrraK^all put on immortality, 
 and this corruption incorniption, fhe ufe of figures to 
 ftrikc the fenies fhall have for ever ceafed. . Nor ihnll 
 the faints in glory, as in the prefent flare, atta-in to the. 
 knowledge of God by weak and tedious dedudions 
 
54 SMITH. 
 
 with the grounds of truft given by a promifing 
 Saviour, the foul is irreiiftibly, but Iweetiy 
 drawn to a fatisfying reft in him. Blefled pre- 
 lude of heaven ! And viewing this glory, they 
 love it, tlieir hearts are delighted with it. But 
 love to God is the purity of a foul, and joy the 
 triumph of love. Ti.e one will ever be in pro- 
 portion to the other. O believers, would you 
 live free from the bitter reproaches of confci- 
 ence, and enjoy a heaven upon earth, be much 
 in, the exercife of taith. By this you may tra- 
 vel through the promifes, and pluck a flower 
 here and a flower there, from which you Ihall 
 fuck the fweets of celeftial blelTednefs. 
 
 5. The excellency of faith is derived from it's 
 being the fpring of fpiritual liie, the moving prin- 
 ciple of all the other graces and holy affe(!:tions*" 
 The life wbicb I live in tbefe/Jj, I live by tbe faith 
 rf ibe Son of God, wbo loved me, and gave buhfelf^ 
 for me. (g) Faith zvorketh by love, as we have feen; 
 for the faith of being loved begets love to it*s 
 ohjecl. JVe love bim, becanfc hefirji loved us. (h) 
 
 this fountain of light ^ ill pour, with fulleft evidence, 
 the inexpreilibly bright b;;a!ns of his glory into their 
 fouls^ as the funi^is rays upon the earth, wliether dire^l- 
 ly from tlic divine elTence, or through his works. Their 
 knowledge will be intuitive, without the lealt degree of 
 cbfcurity. 
 
 ^' There arethcfc thrte fifter graces, /ly//^, hope,cI}arl- 
 
 ty ; hut the greo.ttjt r>f ihtj'e. IS charity . I Cor. xiii. i^. 
 
 Charily or chriftian love, is the greatefl in point of du- 
 
 {g Gal. ii. 20.) ('; I John, iv. j«.) 
 
S M I TH. 55 
 
 It produceth true repentance ; they Jl:all look 
 upon me whom they have pierced, and mourn for 
 htm. (i) To believe that Chrilt was pierced by 
 and for our iins, opens the lluices of godly for- 
 row, and lays the fou: low at his feet; andtruft- 
 ing the mercy and truth of his proniife, believ- 
 ers are encouraged to look to the living head 
 for gracious intluences, to quicken them to 
 theexerLife of every grace and chriftian vir- 
 tue, by which they are gradually ailimulatedto 
 and prepared for glory. 
 
 My chriftian brethren, the more you learn 
 the fpiritual art of living upon Chriil by faith 
 for Itrength, and for the whole of your fanctifi- 
 cation, as well as pardon, the ealier will your 
 journey to heaven be, and the greater Ipeed 
 will you make in your way. You make little 
 progrefs in your way, perhaps, by frequently 
 difputing whether you are in it ; and your com- 
 plaints of darknefs and deadnefs remain, be- 
 caufe you do not come immediately to the 
 fountain for light and life. You examine your- 
 felves, and ufe many means to quicken your 
 fouls unto the a6ls of fpiritual life. All this 
 is your duty. But the exercife of faith, the 
 ilioft noble means of all, being too much neg- 
 
 rarioi ; for faith (lull h? turned into vifion, hope into 
 fruition, while love ih^ll eternally enjoy the rewards ot 
 victory. I^ut in this life fa th takes the lead; for as 
 well love itfelf, as all the other graces, flow from it, as a 
 fpring, and will be in flrength in proportion ^-o ^•'"^ 
 ftrength ai faith. 
 
 (f. Zac* xii. 10./ 
 
5^ SMITH. 
 
 Ie(5Ted, your complaints continue, and they will 
 continue until you apply to Chrift by a prefent 
 direct a6t of faith. This would change your 
 night into day, and your deadnefs into life. By 
 this you will obtain light to difcern clearly what 
 Chrill has done for your fouls, and enjoy the 
 comforts of it. And by this you will obtain 
 victory over the body of death, and a growing 
 conformity to our Lord and Saviour Jefus 
 Chrift. 
 
 6. Faith is, moft excellent as it is an a&ive 
 principle of all holy obedience. For this is his 
 commandment, that ivejhould believe on the name 
 of his Son Jefus Chrijl. It is a compend of all 
 chriftian duties, and the life and fpring of them 
 all. Viewing the excellency of the divine law, 
 efpecially as made honourable by the obedience 
 of Chrift, believers delight in it after the inward 
 man, (/?) and are fully reconciled to it as an 
 eternal rule of righteoufnefs. Love is the fulfil- 
 ling of the law, (I) and their faith worketh by 
 /ai;<?;--lupreme love to God, [m) and love one 
 io a7iother,ashegave lis conwiandment. [n) Their 
 obedience is the willing offering of love ;--not 
 forced, but free ;--not of conftraint, but with a 
 ready mind. The end of their obedience is the 
 glory of God, who is honoured by the fruits of 
 it ; and the powerful motive to it, the Saviour's 
 love. For the love of Chrijl confiraineth us. {o) 
 And viewing the perfection of his righteoufnefs 
 
 {h Ro^ '2.) (J Row. xiii. lo.) (m Math, x. 37.) (n 
 
 J^ J*h^- ]■)('> ^i Coi\ V. 14.) 
 
SMITH. '57 
 
 and grace, they reft in him for the acceptance 
 of their ferv ices as well as of their perfons, and 
 ftrength for the performance of them. In the 
 Lord hai'-e I righteousnefs and ftrength, (p) is the 
 Chriftian's motto. / will go on in the ftrength of 
 the Lord God, making mention of thy righteousnefs, 
 iven of thine only , {q) is his firm refolution. In 
 the ftrength of the Lord, or by influences of 
 grace derived from him for the difcharge of du- 
 ty, making mention of his righteoulnefs as 
 the only ground of their acceptance in the per- 
 formance of it. / believed, faid David, therefore 
 have Ifpoken. (r) PFe alfo believe, iaidFcul, and 
 therefore fpeak. ( s) Then do minifters preach 
 with perfuafive power and influence, v/hen they 
 are under the powerful influence of faith; 
 and hearers, receiving the word as a meilagc 
 fent from God, drink it in, and feed upon it, as 
 hidden manna. Sweet are thy words unto my tafle, 
 (t) By faith both preachers and hearers endite 
 good matter in all their religious diAies. This 
 di6lates prayer andpraife in their hearts before 
 they come upon their tongue. This makes one 
 preacher differ from another, one hearer differ 
 from another, and the fame perfon to differ 
 from himfelf, at different tim.es. When his 
 faith is not in exercife, he is languid, cold and 
 without fpiritual adivity, in the performance 
 of duty ; b|it when faith is awake he feels, and 
 others feel with him, life and vigour in all his 
 religious duties. 
 VOL. IV. H 
 
 (p Ifa. xlv. 24.) [q'Pf^- Ixxi. \(i.) (; Pfa .... . 10) 
 (s II Cor. iv. 3.} {t Pfa. cxix. 103.) 
 
58 S M I T H. 
 
 What has been faid on this point at once 
 teacheth the nature of holy obedience, and the 
 neceility of faith to produce it. The princi- 
 ples, motives and ends of fach obedience are all 
 evangelical. How different, how widely diff- 
 erent from this is the formal, the dead and iel- 
 fifii obedience of carnarprofelTors ! O believ- 
 ers ! do you thirll for life and communion 
 Avith God in duty ? to that end try to have foith 
 in lively exercife in your fouls. This will make 
 Chrift's yoke lit eafy upon you^ and his burden 
 light. This gives fuch ftrength and enlargment 
 to the heart, that, though the youths ^fl?all faint 
 and be -weary, and the young men JImU utt erly fall,- - 
 they thativait upon the Lord (hall renew thelrjirength ; 
 theyjhall mount up on wings as eagles, they Jhall 
 run, and not he weary, thcyJJoall ivalk, and not 
 faint, (u) 
 
 7. Faith is the mod e^^e6iua\ aniidote againft 
 temptation! to (in from the devil, the world, or 
 thetiefh. Purifying the heart, it produceth in 
 it an habitual reliQi for holinefs, and a fixed 
 oppofition to the lufts of the flelh and of the 
 mind. And the more this principle is culti- 
 vated by believers, the greater their vi6lories 
 over iin, and the more difpofed will they be to 
 fight the good fi'ght of faith ^ until they v/in the 
 eternal crown . And this is the zndqjpi that over- 
 Cometh the world, even our faith, (v) While faith \ 
 views invifible glories, neither the pleafures 
 nor the fuffefings of the prelent time appear 
 
 (u /fa, xl. 30, 31.) {v I John. v. 4.} 
 
SMITH. 59 
 
 # 
 
 wcTfthy to be compared with the glory which 
 fhall be revealed in iis. Neither Ihali the chil- 
 ling damps ofadverfity fmk you into dcfpon- 
 dency, nor the empty puif of profperity fwell 
 your minds, while you keep the promife and 
 faithful promifer in view. Faitli v;ill perceive 
 in the world nothing but the lufi cfthejiejh, ihe 
 hijl of the eye, and the pride of life — all it's prolits 
 uncertain ; ail it's pleafures bewitching ; all it's 
 honours empty bubbles, eafily broken by every 
 blail ; and all it's applauie an infe6tious breath, 
 apt to corrupt wherever it imites. And the 
 apoftle afcribes a peculiar influence to the pov/- 
 er of faith, to repel the attacks of our grand 
 adverfary. Above all taking thejhield offaitb, 
 U'herezvith yejballbe able to quench all the f cry darts 
 of the wicked, {iv) Thefe darts are, in general, 
 the temptations of Satan, that wicked one ; 
 but more efpecially blafphemy and defpair in- 
 jected into the he^rt—QciW^d fiery darts in allu- 
 fion to the pra6lice of fome barbarous nations, 
 who dipped the points of their arrcAVs or darts 
 in poifon, that they might inflame the flefli, 
 and more certainly, do execution. Thefe le- 
 cret darts of the malicious fee, inflamed v.-ith 
 the venom of Jiell, create fear and tormenting 
 anguifh in the confcience. But no fconer does 
 faith get a clear viev/ of tlie faithfulnefs and 
 mercy of an all-fufflcient Saviour, than the af- 
 .fli6led combatant rifes vidorious, and Satan, as 
 ^a vanquifhed foe, flies the flcld. Believers! 
 always hold up your fhield, and learn more and 
 
 (« Epl\ vi. i6.) 
 
6o SMITH. 
 
 more the due ufe of it, that with fafety and grea- 
 ter eale you niay make your way to the crown^ 
 through an oppoling crowd of fnares and pow- 
 erful enemies. 
 
 8. In the laft place, faith brings into the 
 louls of believers the noblefl confolation sind fifp- 
 port under all the forrows and trials of the pre- 
 fent life. The apoftle Peter, fpeaking of the 
 joy of believers in the falvation to which they 
 are kept through faith, adds, though now for a 
 fcafon [if need be) ye are in heavinefs through mani- 
 fold temptations. That the trial of your faith, heing 
 viiich more precious than of gold that perifJoeth, 
 though it be tried with fire, nrght he found untopraife, 
 and honour, and glory at the appearing of Chri/i. 
 ^ x) God choofeth and refineth his people in the 
 1 urnace of affli6lion ; their affli6lions try their 
 faith, and their faith fupports them under the 
 trial. By faith yio{^^ forfook ^gypt, not fearing 
 the wrath of the king : for he endured as feeing him 
 who is invijlble. {y) By faith many of the wor- 
 thies endured cruel mockings,fcourgings, bonds and 
 imprifonments- -ivere ftoned ,.fawn afunder, tempted, 
 Jlain With thefivord ;--wandered about infJoeepfliins, 
 and goatfkms, being defiitute, affiicted, torme?ited; 
 —wandered in dejarts, and in mountains, and in 
 caves and den s of the earth. ( z ) 
 
 Accountingr their lot hard, we even at this 
 day feel a fympathy v/ith martyrs of old, who 
 endured trials fo fevere. If taken;* however, 
 upon the large Icale, it will be found, that God 
 Vi^as peculiarly kind to them. For the Son of 
 
 (v //V/. i.6, 7') (yilcb.y^- 27.) {zHch' xi-36;37, 38.) 
 
SMITH. 6i 
 
 God walked with them in the midft of the fur- 
 nace -; many of them fung in the fire, and fome 
 of them have declared, that the flames were to 
 them as a bed .of rofes, 'fhe joy of the Lord 
 was their fir ength, and they experienced the truth 
 of that promife their faith built upon. As thy days, 
 fo Jhall thy Jirefigth be., (a) I doubt not but the 
 glories of the reward which their faith looked to 
 ;ind' tailed, poured fuch confolation into their 
 hearts as quenched their pain, and was a pre- 
 fent reward for their fufferjngs. But if we look 
 into heaven, what diftinguiflied glory fliall we 
 fee on the martyr's crown ! What fuperlative 
 blellednefs poured into their glorified fouls ! 
 For a well inftru6led witnefs to this truth faith. 
 Our light affliction, which is but for a moinent, work- 
 ethfor us afar more exceeding and eternal weight of 
 glory, (b) Nothing can exceed the ftrength and 
 glory of this beautiful climax. Human lan- 
 guage cannot rife higher. Every Hep of it 
 throws ftrength and glory forward upon the 
 fucceding ftep. Not only far more, but far 
 vaovQ. exceeding; nor only far more exceeding, 
 but an eternal weight of glory fhall arifc out of the 
 afflication of the faints; and the weight of the 
 glory fliall be proportioned to the weight of 
 their affliclions, and the degree of faith's im 
 provment of them. 
 
 In our d^y the faith of believers has not tri- 
 als of fo fevere a kind as the antients had to en- 
 counter, which may be a reafon why it does not 
 
 [a Dent, xxxiii. 25.) (b II Car. iv. 17. 
 
62 S M I T H. 
 
 commonly fhine with fuch diftinguifhcd bright- 
 nefs as theirs. Yet every one will have his tri- 
 als of various kinds^ and faith is a bleiled mean 
 of fupporting him under them all. Is he pain- 
 ed in body or in mind? Faith fixes upon the 
 fare word of promife for relief, and looks for- 
 ward to the glorious period, when God Jhall 
 ivipe awoiy all fears fioni their eyes, {c) Does he 
 bear reproach? In patience he pOiTelleth his 
 foul, in the belief that Chriil efteems him , and 
 in due time will make his righteoufnefs Ihine 
 a;s the noon day. Do houfes, lands, or any 
 worldly poflellion fail? Faith looks to the 
 purchafed inheritance that fadeth not away, 
 2.ndi feeds upon the firlt fruits of it. Do near 
 and dear relations die ? Faith fays, your bell 
 friend is in heaven, Chriil your elder brother, 
 yourhufband, your Saviour, and your God, 
 who, as Elkanah faid to Hannah, is not only bet- 
 ter to you than ten fons ; but infinitely better 
 than all creature comforts. 
 
 Believers I abound in the exercife of be- 
 lieving the promifes, and refting in Chrift for 
 tiie performance of them; then iliall your af- 
 fiiiStions lit lighter upon you, and thofe bitter 
 waters ihall be changed into fweetnefs. Then 
 fliall you experience the truth of his promife 
 v/ho cannot lie, that all things (even their fliarp- 
 eft trials) work together for good totmrn that love 
 God. (d) Then though ycu walk through the 
 water and lire of affliction, it's flood Hiall not 
 
 — .'^ (a Ron. viii. -8.) ^ 
 
SMITH, 63 
 
 overflow ypu^ nor it's flame kindle upon you. 
 (e) And then fl]all you fay with patient Job, 
 M k^f't ? Jhall we receive good at the hand of God^ 
 an4fiall we 7iot receive evU? -"The Lord gave, and 
 the Lord hath take?i away ; bleffed be the name of 
 the Lord, (/) On the whole. 
 
 Is faith aniean of intereftingus.in Chrift and 
 all the bleliings of hi^ purchale ? Is it's objedl 
 rnoft glorious^ and it's evidence moft bright ? 
 Does it give to the foul an earneil of heaven ? 
 Is it a fpring of fpiritual life ? a principle of 
 all holy obedience ? the beft antidote againft 
 temptations ? and the nobleft fupport and com- 
 fort under affli(^ion ? How rich then is your 
 treafury, who have obtained this precious gift 
 from the Lord. Although you were ftripped 
 of every earthly polTeiiion, and, as a poor La- 
 zarus, picked up crumbs at the foot of a rich 
 man's table ; you are, notwithilanding, rich. 
 Chrift fays to you, as to poor Sardis, I k?ww thy 
 poverty ; but thou art rich, rich in faith- -par- 
 takers of the foul enriching grace of God, 
 heirs of glory ! rich inheritance ! what is it s 
 price ? Or what can equal it ? No mention jkall 
 be made of coral or of pearl : The price of it is above, 
 rubies — The Topaz of Ethiopia f hall not equal it, 
 iieither fidahl it be valued with pure gold. The fruit 
 thereof is betm" than gold, yea than fine gold ; a:id 
 the revejiue thereof than choice, ftlver. All the things 
 thou canfl dejirc are not to be cojnparcd ivith it. (g) 
 
 {f ^fa. xliii. 2.) {fjfiif. ii. 10. 6-i, 11.) (r Job, xxviii. 
 18, 19. PrQV. iii. 15. <dr viii. 16.) 
 
64 SMITH. 
 
 Believers^ of whatfoever condition in life 
 you arCj high or low, rich or poor, you have 
 infinite reafon to praife God for the diftinguifh- 
 ing favour. Faith is not of yourfelveSy it is the 
 gift of God. (h) May your hearts, imprelfed with 
 a fenfe of the riches and freedom of grace, unite 
 in Paul's grateful, but humble profeliion. By the 
 grace of God I a??i what I am. {i) Ye have been 
 pluckt as brands from everlafting burning, and 
 in the dillributions of grace a moll precious 
 and foul- enriching lot hath fallen unto you. 
 That Reverend man of God, Mr Thomas 
 Bradbury, was in youth as a wild afTe's colt ; 
 but after he was converted and in the miniflry, 
 when he vv^ould fee any profane debauchee ftrol- 
 ling through the ilreets of London, he ufed to 
 fay> with tears and great tendernefs. There goes 
 poor Tom Bradbury, had it not been for the 
 grace of God. So each of you, the very bell 
 of you, may fay. Of all rakes I had been the 
 moll brutifli and vile, had it not been for the 
 grace of God. O grace ! infinitely rich and 
 free grace, eternity can never exhauft it s 
 praife. 
 
 (/? Eph. ii. 8.) (z / Cor. xv. lo.) 
 
SERMON LXIIL' 
 
 PR ACTIO A L U S ES 
 FROM THE NATURE AND EXCEl 
 LENCY OF SAVING FAITH. 
 
 ROBERT SMTiH, D. D. 
 
 P(jfior of .1 Prefhytenan Churchy Pcquea, PcnnJylvanlA, 
 
 II Pd. i. I. 
 
 --7;, : ■. ' ■.. i:hfabicd like /m-,--^.'/- 
 
 •ith T^s — 
 
 I John, iii. 25. 
 
 Jtui iji^ /i /.>/-^ lOinniandmcnt, ibat'cvcjhoidd bcliivr 
 "• '^-^ rame of ^^'"^ Si^?' 7c^''^ Cbrij}, 
 
 leaving ill the preceding diicourfcii cxplaiu- 
 iTjLcd the nature and excellency oFfavimi 
 faith, and made a few pradlical rcflc6llons, 1 
 iU'occed to a move full imprnvrnif^nt of tlio ^ " 
 
 I. I befeech } ou^ brethren, moft Avioiiflyai'K! 
 ':erately to cviY/^/^/w^ -.c'/jf^/Z)^/' V(' ':e fjii:\ 
 
 -our ownfdvt'sr hnoxv yr V' 
 
66* SMITH 
 
 bow that Chrifl is in you, except ye be reprobates 
 (a) It is a matter of the greateft moment, and 
 ihould be attended to with the greateft care. 
 A deception here will be of everlaftingandmoft 
 terrible confequence to your fouls. To affift 
 you in this important duty, to what hath alrea- 
 dy been luggefted in illuftrating the doctrine we 
 fliall add the following chara6lers of a living 
 faith.''' 
 
 I. If ye be indeed in the faith, your faith 
 hath an influence upon all your religious duties, 
 as Abel's who offered a more acceptable facri- 
 fice than Cain, as having refpe6t to the atoning 
 facrifice of Chrift. (b) You fall at Jehovah's 
 feet humble and felf emptied, as nothing, and 
 lefs than nothing, before him who piitfetb ?w tnifi 
 in his faints, and chargeth his angels zvitb folly. 
 Your only confidence in approaching a holy 
 God, is the throne fprinkled with the blood of 
 the lamb, and his gracious invitation to draw 
 near to it for mercy and grace. Your only 
 truft for the acceptance of your fervices, as 
 well as your perfons, is the righteoufnefs of 
 Chriil, and in his ilrength alone you attempt e- 
 very duty. Senfible of your infufliciency f or 
 
 (a 2 Ccr. xiii. ^.j (/; [{c^. xi. 4. Cen. iv. 4.) 
 
 * The marks of hhh wc have taken from the characflers 
 of the worthies recorded in the facred pages, as well be- 
 caufc they were of the cloud of witnefl'cs whofe faith is 
 lifld up for our example; as becaufe in them v.ehave the 
 moll: lively pi^Tuure cf tlic native operations and effects 
 af laving faiih. 
 
S M I T H. 67 
 
 any fpiritual exercife. and encouraged by the 
 promife of his grace, you look up to him tor the 
 gracious aids of the holy fpirit. In duties per- 
 formed from fuch a fpiritual principle, petitions 
 are put up withdefire for the bleffingsrequefted; 
 fins confeded with forrow for them ; and mer- 
 cies acknowledged with thankful hearts. Ve* 
 ry different from this is the facriiice of ungodly 
 worfliippers. They pray without delire; con- 
 fefs without forrow; and offer praife on a 
 thoughtlefs tongue. Nay, their hearts are op- 
 pofed to the anfwer of their own prayers, ex- 
 cept it be for temporal favours, or merely to be 
 laved from wrath ; as Auguftine's in the days 
 of his unregeneracy, when he prayed to, be 
 made challe, his heart faying ''Not yet. Lord, 
 ''not yet/' O ye mockers of God ! who expe6i: 
 favours for your polluted fervices, can fuch h}*- 
 pocritical fuits fucceed with him ? Will hypoc- 
 rify and lies procure his favour ? Is it any won- 
 der if God caft the dung of your facriiice in 
 your face, faying, IVho hath required this at your- 
 bands f 
 
 2. Your faith, like Enoch's, will appear in a 
 life of communion and holy walking with God. 
 (c) By believing views of his amiable glories 
 lliiningin the face of Chrift, your fouls are drawn 
 to him in holy^%ffe6tions, correfpondent to his 
 divine glories, in which the life of communion 
 with God confifts. And, impreffed with a fenfe 
 of his immediate prefertce and univerfal provi- 
 
 {c Heh. xi. 5.^ Gen. v. 2Z.) 
 
6. S M I T H. 
 
 clentc,. you walk before liim to all weiVpleai • 
 jtig, as always in his light: Your converlc 
 is ill heaven, from v/hence you look for the 
 vioiir ; and yoiir" foals t.hirfl for Gott>, the iiv- 
 ijig God. But gracclefs profeflbrs, allena- cd 
 iVomthe life of God^ are llrangers to thofe u.- 
 yout breathings of a pious heart. 
 
 >. 1 our ftiiLii, ris i\Octii Zy v*-' y Nviii l>j.v.. i .. . ^ 
 ill an holy fear of God. This is frequently I.'i. ! 
 down in the word of God as a character of i\\': 
 faithful. . Not tfie fear of a- ilave, who c 
 cireads GiDrreclioi, ot the fottifh foiil->har'J 
 
 cnlng defpair o^ the fearful^'-and- viihelicvitig, 
 fiail have their part in the lake that burneth wifi' 
 li'id brinijlone^ unlefs they lliall fpeeclily obtain 
 lepentance unto life: ' But fuch an awe 'oi' 
 theniajefty, righteoufnefs and goodncfs of tl ? 
 Lord, {c) as will make you tremble at hiii 
 judgments, while you confide in his mercy, an(' 
 het.ike yourleives to Chrifc for iafcLy from tin 
 delurjre of deierved wrath. The fear of the re- 
 
 o 
 
 probate drives him from the Saviour, and tor- 
 ]::cnts hisloiil wi-th horror and dread of God as 
 an riven'ging judge. This eoniifls v.ith the 
 povver and love of fin rciffnin.^ in the hicart . 
 h\-\ ^he pious foul dreads linning more than fuf- 
 rcririg, and lays, v.ith faithful Jofcphj Hcc 
 I'^ni: I do this great zvickcclnefs, and ^ againfiC 
 << ) His' fear, as in the dutiful child, oper: 
 ::s well i;; love and iioly obedience to his Goci 
 
S M I rT II. 
 
 give him any olfence in thought, in word, or, in 
 deed. 
 
 4. Your faith, as Abraham's, (j ) ..... be pro 
 duclive of fclf denial;, and a ready obedience to 
 (lie divine commands, even thofe that are mofc 
 dirJicult and crofs to flefli and blood. Tr lifting 
 the power, mercy and truth of a promifing God, 
 lie left his own country and kindred at the call 
 of heaven, and fojourned in a lAnd of Itran^cr:; 
 and enemies; and (which was uiil more tryirg 
 to nature) he attempted at the comn^and of 
 God to offer his beloved liaacin facrificc. — 
 IfaacI the fon of prcmife, the fon of his old 
 age, the only Ion ot his beloved Sarah ; accmrai- 
 ing that God v:as able to raifc bmi up from the dead, 
 from ivbence alfo be received b'lm in a figure.- If ye 
 ;. re ChriiVs^ many facriiices have you made for 
 ^Ms name's fake. — Huibands, wafcs^, parents, chii ^ 
 ^\"':^i"», brotliers, lifters, houfes, lands; yea, and 
 :Ietermined to part with your own lives. 
 ' than deny his name and religion, (g) Nci 
 :hat piety gives a difrelifii ibr lawful enjoy- 
 I- .':nts, or leiTens our aflecliQi^s for, much IciV. 
 ::::kcs us bitter again fl, our relatives. 
 tlier fweetens them to us by the lawful ciijov- 
 iircnt of them ; and excites our gratitude ior 
 
 iKin, as the undclervcd gifts of heaven to us., 
 i doubt not -.but Adam loved his Eve with a 
 .nahifold purer and flrouger (lame before, 1'*' • 
 
 ver he did after his fall. Bat frrace will ri 
 
^o SMI T H. 
 
 your hearts fay, Tbcfe are not my'gods. Giving 
 Chrift the throne in your hearts, it will difpofe 
 you to leave earth, with all its enjoyments, or 
 yeiidthem up at his call. Yes! it will caufe 
 you to pluck out a right eye, and cut off a right hand, 
 for bis fake; {h)\. e. not only to part with allure- 
 ments of the world, but with lins as dear and 
 as pleafant to you as thofe members of the bo- 
 dy. V/hat have I to do any more with idols ? {i) 
 fpeaks the refolution of a truly penitent 
 and believing heart. 
 
 But the mere nominal or temporary believer 
 is Hill wedded to his lufts and carnal pleafures, 
 and by repeatedly turning a deaf ear to the calls 
 and warnings of heaven, is in danger of having 
 the fearful, but juft fentence pronounced againfl 
 him, Epbraim is joined to his idols, let him alone, (k) 
 Freely would he embrace houfes, lands, and 
 carnal enjoyments as his only portion, did he 
 not fear the wrath of God. Take the fe from 
 hini, and his heart cries with Micah, 7^e have 
 taken away my gods^ and what have I ?noref (l^ 
 But to the iincerci^ believer thefe are all tafte- 
 Icfs without the Lord. Nay, heaven itlelf would 
 be emptincfs to him, fliould he not find his Sa- 
 viour there. To he with Chriji, which is far 
 better, (m) is a leading rcafon of his dciire to 
 be abfent from tlie body. Whom have I in hea- 
 ven but thee} and there is none upon earth I defirc 
 
 [h Ma>k. i::. 4:;; 47.) (/ Huf xiv. 8.) {k Hof iv. 
 i-T.) (/ ]J Ki?:(r.^ V. I'S.) (:-; Phi. i. 2?.) 
 
SMITH. ^ 71 
 
 btfide thee, {n) is the native breatliing of a gra- 
 cious ioul, 
 
 5. Belie vers, when it is juft and necefTary, chuic 
 a lot with the dcfpifed and afflicted people of 
 God before any earthly pomp and riches. By 
 faith Mofesrefufed to be called the So?i of Fbaraob's 
 daughter; chiffng rather to fuffcr ajjlicilon with the 
 ■people of God, than to enjoy the pleqfures of Jin for a 
 feafon ; e/leeming the reproach of Cbrifl greater riches 
 than the treafiires in Egypt. {0) All the power 
 and wealth, the honours and pleafures of the 
 world are empty bubbles, palling (liadov/s, in 
 their cftee.m, compared with the unfearchable 
 riches and honours of Chrift, Communion 
 with him o?ie day in his courts is to them better 
 than a thoufand {p) {pent in all the tents of van- 
 ity and fin. The faints of whatever condition 
 or degree, they efteem as the excellent of the earth, 
 in whom is all their delight. {q) His cauie they 
 fet before any worldly or private intereft ; If 
 I forget thee, O Jerufaleni ! let my right band 
 forget her cunning. If I do not remember thee, let my 
 tongue cleave to the roof of my moufh ; if I prefer not 
 Jerufaleni before^ my chief joy. (r) Chrifl's people 
 are their people, his intereft theirs, and what 
 gives a wound to it, toucheth the apple of their 
 eye. The Humbles and fills of religious pro- 
 fcllbrs, and the unavoidable weakncfs and mfir- 
 mities of the rigtcous, are their diftrels, be- 
 caufe a wicked world take occafion from thence 
 
 {n Pfa. Ixxiii. 25..) {0 FIcb. x*. 24, 25, a6.) fp Pfn, 
 ^Kxxiv. 10.) {q PfH' ^'vi. '?.) {rPfa. cxxxvi"'. 5, 6.y' 
 
■r S M 1 T H. 
 
 to reproach the caufe of Chrift, and make 'thciu- 
 eafy in their linning. But they rejoice 
 orojperity of Zion ; they long, they pray 
 
 iOY . I revival of religion in churches, and the 
 
 ipread of the gafpcl in poAver throughout the 
 
 -■ ^- ' ^ earth. 
 
 \ .,.:.; uiiferent from this is the charac^ter 
 c.i iaitiilefs profeifors, however fober fome of 
 th'cirj raay^appear before men.' They choofe re- 
 v/hen fiie treads in her filver ilippers; 
 unwilling to take up their crofs, and 
 jw the lamb zvbithcifoever he goeth, in good re - 
 adHn bad, Ablaft of perfecution would 
 ■']!ow' multitudes of thofe hypocrites off 
 Mil Chriil^alnd turn them to be bitter cue- 
 uiiasXo his caufe. Give to fome of tlicni titles^ 
 honours,, pleafur.es arid riches, with an empty 
 5?arade of language or plauiiblc elocution in the 
 Mni.if ; give to others of them,, though it were 
 .. beggab-ly portion of this world, with dull 
 }na]lty% fiivnfey diilcrtations^ or dry fpecula- 
 . •"•'da:»'lCy unintelligible and fpurious novel- 
 rnilpit/ and they may continue to 
 :d of religious profefiions. But 
 ' viiinot intereft thenifelves about the pow~ 
 
 rgdiinefs, except it be in oppofition to it. 
 ■ ' " od they dcteft ; fpiritual and 
 iiiicus, efpccially niinifters, are' apt 
 oiiic objcd^s of their jealouiy, their fneer, 
 • ^ ,^. ^" 'laiit rcDroaclie& : and the more 
 
 •(•IS-V 
 
S M I T H. 73 
 
 and judgment may be fo ftrong as to fupprefa 
 their vifible oppoiition. Inftead of being griev- 
 ed, they watch with an eagle's eye for the acci- 
 dental ilips, or unavoidable infirmities of pious 
 people, and magnify their pimples into blotches, 
 as a cover to their own offenfive fores; not con- 
 lidering thsrt their /pots are 7wt the /pais of Cod's 
 people. And, if they cannot get viiible blemifiies 
 to hold up, they will, with diabolical malice and 
 fubtlety, twill and turn every word and adion 
 into every fliape in order to makefome. Like 
 their predeceflbrs of old, they clothe the faints 
 in bear ikins, and then hunt them with dogs. 
 Inftead of laying it to heart, as an evidence of 
 God's controverfy with the church, when the 
 righteous, efpecially able and faithful minifters, 
 are taken from the earth, thofe hypocrites re- 
 joice, as though the day would be all their own, 
 'thefe troublers of Ifrael being removed out of 
 the way. This is the temper efpecially of un- 
 godly clergymen. 
 
 6. In the laft place, afteady perfeverance and 
 progrefs in piety are among the beft evidences 
 offaving faith. The hearty friends of Chrift 
 go from firengtb tojlrcngth, fill they appear before 
 GodinZion. {s) Of the patriarchs the apoiUe 
 lays. If they had been inindful of that country from 
 whence they came out, they might have had opportu- 
 nity to have returned ; hut now they dr/ire a bet- 
 ter country, that is an heavenly. (/) A lively 
 Vol. IV. K 
 
 (i- Ppdni. K-vxiv. 7.) (; y^y -:i. i", 16.) 
 
74 SMI TH. 
 
 emblem this of the chara6ler of the godly in all 
 ages and places of the world, who, as Paul,/or- 
 getling thofe things which are beh:nd, and reaching 
 forth unto thofe things which are before, prefs towards 
 the mark for the prize of the high callirg of God 
 which is in Chrijl Jefus. (ii) Their backfliding^ 
 and returns again to God they will have, their 
 winters and their fummers, their nights as well 
 as their days. Yet, in general, the path of the 
 juft IS as thefbining light, tbatfbineth more and more 
 tinto the perfect day . [w] And the exprefs tefti- 
 mony of Chrift himfelt is. Every branch in me 
 that b ear eth fruit, he piirgcth it, that it may bring 
 forth moi-e fruit, [x) They may not always feel 
 the lame lenlible alFedlions, as at their firft ac- 
 quaintance with Chriit; yet their views of di- 
 vine objeds will be more fpiritual and diftin6t, 
 their faith more fteady, their love more folid, 
 their humility Tnore deeply rooted, and their 
 obedience more uniform. Their life is a life 
 cffiith on the Son of God, and by repeated atis 
 ot faith they grow in grace, and in the know- 
 ledge cfour Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrifl. 
 
 But they who ftop in their courfe, or turn 
 back, have never fet their foot upon the narrow 
 way which leadeth unto life. And they who 
 think they have religion enough, or content 
 themfelves with juft as much of it as they fup- 
 pofe will barely take them to heaven, or fave 
 
 {u PhU. iii. 13, 14J (lu Prov. iv. i8.) {x John. 
 
 XV. 2.) 
 
SMITH. 75 
 
 them from hell, have never as yet had a tafte 
 of the pleaiures of piety. For there is every 
 motive in faith's object and the experience of 
 grace, to excite thofe who have obtained it, to 
 prefs lor a more fu I enjoyment of it's comforts. 
 Many who have all the vilible marks of believ- 
 ers in Chrifl, know no more of religious im- 
 preilions upon their minds, than thole they felt 
 many years fince. — To them they are obliged 
 to recur back, in order to fupport their falfe 
 hope. Or, perhaps, to this end they try to work 
 up in their fouls impreflions iimilar to thofe 
 they felt when they firit made an attempt to fet 
 out in religion; and there they reft, though their 
 impreflions quickly die away, without leaving a- 
 ny lalting change upon their minds. Dange- 
 rous deception ! 
 
 II . Is faith a moft excellent gift ? Then let 
 thofe of you who have obtained it, learn ^-^our 
 advantages and obligations to make a due im- 
 provement of the talent God has gracioully put 
 into your hand. He hath beftowed on you an ho- 
 ly principle, the exercife of which will produce 
 a gradual alFmiilation to himlelf, & meetnei's 
 for heaven ; and, for thofe very purpofes, hath 
 promifed the influences of his holy fpirit. You 
 ought therefore to endeavour moft carefully to 
 have your faith invigorated and ftrengthened. 
 In order to this be conftant in the exercife of 
 faith ; for every habit grows by repeated ads. 
 Be diligent in your attendance on ail the means 
 of grace for the cultivation of faith. For the 
 
76 S M I T H 
 
 harJ of the diligent makcth rich, (y) Pray earneft- 
 ly, as the apcltlcs did^. Lord, incrcafe our faith. (z) 
 Get clear and dirtin6l views of the nature and 
 defign of the plan of falvation, with the nat;ire, 
 extent and freedom of gofpel promifes ; as well 
 thofe made to Chrift in your name, as thofe 
 made to you for his fake. 
 
 For motives to excite you to thofe improv- 
 ing excrcifes, confider that a ftrong faith gives 
 glorv to God, and will enable you to live be- 
 coming your high calling. It will filence your 
 unbelieving fears, and produce for you ftrength 
 in Vv-eaknefs, light in darknefs, comfort in for- 
 ro'vv, and relief in all your frraits. It will make 
 your journey to Zion eafy, and {mooth all the 
 ru^^cd ileps of vour wav, Qpen for you a com- 
 for table palTage throvgh the valley of the foadoiv 
 cf death, {a) and a joyful eritrance into eternal life, 
 lb) And this will enable you with liumblc 
 boldnefs to approach the divine throne for mer- 
 cy and grace to help you in every thne of need. 
 
 To plead for purchafed mercies upon the 
 fircngth of a promiic is a moll uleful exercile 
 of taith for promoting t]ic fpiritual life, aud ob- 
 taining all the j)rccious fruits and comforts of 
 it. Did time allow, I would point out the ufc- 
 fulncfs, and give directions for tiie exercile of 
 faith in every circumftance in which you can be 
 ])iaccd, and to obtain every mercy you crave 
 
 {y Pf'^w M. 4.) {z Luhr. xvii. 5.) {a Pfi, xxlii. 4.) 
 /;•/:/■' > // 7/-'. iv. 7, g.j 
 
SMITH. 77 
 
 for time or eternity, for yourlelves or others, 
 
 for individuals or for the church in general. 
 
 There is not a fingle cafe with refpecl to which 
 
 your prayers are required, but there is fome- 
 
 thing in the promifes fuited to it, which you 
 
 ought to hold up as a plea in prayer. To il- 
 
 luftrate this in a few inftances only. Do you 
 
 want pardon for backiliding, and the cure of a 
 
 backfliding temper ? Plead that gracious prom- 
 
 ife, / Vinll heal theh- backjliding, I will love them 
 
 freely, (c) Do you lament that your fouls are 
 
 as the barren heath in the defart, which dees not 
 
 fee when good cometh ? Plead this and fuch like 
 
 words of grace ; Their foidfJ.mll be as a watered 
 
 gardeji. (d) Do you feel your need of ftrength 
 
 for duty and warfare ? Hold up to Chrift his 
 
 own precious word. My grace is fi/fficient for thee . 
 
 (e) Do you long to fee the profperity ofZicn, 
 
 and rejoice in her joy ? Ple^d the gracious 
 
 promiles of Zion's God to make her a crown of 
 
 glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem 
 
 in the hand of our God ; (f) To be as the dew to 
 
 Ifrael, to make him revive as the corn, grow as the 
 
 lily, and cqfl forth his roots as Lebanon. {g)\w. 
 
 thisloul-quickening exercife, faith, looking to 
 
 the mercy from which the promife originated, 
 
 and the truth engaged for the perforniance of 
 
 it, is ftrcngtheiied to take hold of the Saviour, 
 
 laying, I will not let thee go, except ihoublefs me. 
 
 (h) Such a wreftling Jacob Vv'ill be a prevailing 
 
 Ifrael. 
 
 (c Hof, xiv. 4 J [d Jcr. r.xxi. 12.) (r JI C^.r,i6\, 9.) 
 (ftfa, Ixii. 3.) {g Hrf, xiv. 5, y.J {h Ccri. xxxii. iG.) 
 
78 SMITH. 
 
 Some of you, perhaps, are faying/^ I fear I 
 ''have no right to plecid the promiles. Had I 
 ''tefider aild ipiritual atte :iions, or a.Turance of 
 *'n\y perfonal intereftiii Chrift, I might ventuie 
 ''to reit m him> and plead the promiies of his 
 ''grace. But, alas! my heart is lo dark and 
 "coid, and ftupid, I dare not, I cannot ap- 
 "proach him with confidence." Your fears, 
 brethren, indicate that you labour under nii^- 
 takies injurious to your comfort and progrefs 
 in piety. You wiih to know how good you 
 are, and look for fp:ritual atFe6tions, or afiiir- 
 ance of adual interell in Chrilt, as your war- 
 rant, at lead in part, to apply to him for par- 
 don and grace. But he will let you fee how 
 bad you are, and make you come felf emptied 
 to the fountain of free grace for all your fup- 
 plies. Your hehtation about your right to come, 
 becaufe of your want of powerful fpiritual af- 
 fedions, is a dreg of that pride and unbelief, 
 which at firft held you off from a clofure with 
 Chrift, until you fhould be better prepared to 
 apply to him. You Ihould come immediately 
 to him for thofe affedions, which you wifh for 
 as your encouragement or warrant to come. 
 It will be ufeful for you to take notice of the 
 diftindion between an a6lual right in 'the blef- 
 fingsof the promife, and a right to come to 
 Chrift for them ; between the grounds of truft, 
 and an aflurance of actual intereft in him. Af- 
 furance of a6tual intereil is founded, in part, up- 
 on p'ousfexercifes of the heart as evidencesof a 
 gracious flatc, the agreement of which with the 
 
SMITH. 79 
 
 marks of true piety laid down in the wcrd of 
 God is cleared and confirmed by the witnefs of 
 the fpirit. But the fole ground of truft in Chrift 
 for pardon and grace is the full and free tender 
 thereof in the oilers and proniiles of the golpel. 
 Therefore if you cannot afcertain your actual 
 intereft in thei'e ; yet you may be allured they 
 give you a right or warrant to* apply for the 
 blellings contained in them. Thereibre if you 
 cannot come as a faint, come at the call of the 
 gofpel as a linner, as one of Adam's needy and 
 ruined family. The judicious and ipiritual 
 Do^for Owen obferves, that * 'the grounds and 
 ^'eifential a61:s of faith are always the fame." 
 In evelry fuccceding 3.61, as well as in it's firft 
 a6l, you mult come to Chrift for grace and fal- 
 vation as guilty, unworthy and helplels linners, 
 upon the encouragement of gofpel overtures 
 only, without refpe6l to any goodnefs that is in 
 you, or done by you, as giving you a right to 
 the bleffings of the prcmile, or to apply for 
 them. And as long as you attempt to come 
 upon any other footing, fo long will you be dif- 
 appointed, fo long will your preplexing doubts 
 and fears remain. 
 
 A prefent dire61: a6l of faith, upon the en- 
 couragement of the gofpel offer alone, is the 
 Avay of fafety, and the only way of relief from 
 all your complaints. . This will make what was 
 darknefs beiore fliine with evidence as noon 
 day. And without this in vain will you look for 
 fpiritual affedions, or aflurance of perfonal in- 
 
8o SMI T H. 
 
 tereft in Chrift and his falvation. 
 
 III. Is it the command of God to believe on 
 the name of his Son Jefus Chrift ? and is the 
 grace of believing his unmerited gift ? what a 
 precious door of hope does this open to the con- 
 vinced linner, who is folicitoufly enquiring, 
 Whatjljall I ddto befavcd? The anfwer is rea- 
 dy ; Believe on the Lord Jefus Chriji, and thou 
 JJmU bejhved. {k) Here you have the encou- 
 ragement of a command withapromife. The 
 command is much ; for it makes it your duty 
 to believe^, and fecures you againft a charge of 
 prefumption ibr atte^mpting your duty. A pro- 
 mife united with the command much more; for 
 it fecures the blelfing, when by grace you fliall 
 have complied with the order. Believe, and 
 THOU SHALT BE SAVED. Enter in at this 
 door, take hold of this hope, and you Ihall have 
 inheritance with apoilles themfelves, in the 
 fame manner they obtained it, and upon the 
 very iamc grounda. 
 
 Perhaps fonie affli6fed foul may be faying 
 ^'What grounds have I to expc6l that the Lord 
 *^would make me welcome ? Although he be 
 *^*able and willing to lave other penitent and 
 '^^tender hearted iinners, I fear he will never 
 *'fave me, my heart is fo vile, my pra6lice has 
 '^bcen fo bafe, and my lins fo heinous, being 
 '''committed againft much light and love, many 
 
 (/i JcYs, xvi. 31.^ 
 
S M I -BH. 8r 
 
 '''flrivings of the holy Spirit with my conicicnce, 
 '*^and many calls of grace repeatedly retried. 
 '^What lliaii I do ? If I knew that my name wiis 
 '^written in the lamb's book of life ; or if I had 
 ^^2L broken heart and tender affections^ I would 
 '*^venture to believe on Chrift. But how can I 
 *^'truft that he will receive me, hardened as I 
 **^am_, filthy as I am, guilty, uncommonly guil- 
 ^*ty, as I am ? ah, my heart is harder than ad- 
 ^^amant, viler, if poffible, than hell itfelf!" Pi- 
 tiable cafe indeed, but not defpcrate. Your 
 cbje^lions, hov/ever, arife from fome miilakes 
 dilhonouring to Chrift, and injurious to your 
 own fouls. ( 1 ) You place the decre(^ of God as 
 a bar in the way of your duty, and wiflifor the 
 knov/ledge of your ele(^l:ion as your encourage- 
 ment to believe ; whereas faith is the way to 
 allure a foul of it's calling and elecPcion. Was 
 there but one elec'^ veflel upon earth, it is 
 your duty to believe at the divine command, 
 and prove by your faith that you are that one. 
 You refufe to obey the revealed will of God, 
 which makes it your duty to believe in the murjc 
 of his Son, unlefs he will difclofe iinto you his 
 fecret counfel. This is rebellion, and a bold 
 invafion of jeiiovah's right. For fccrct things 
 belong unto the Lord our God ; but revealed unto us, 
 and to our children, (I) By all the regard you 
 owe to his authority and your own falvation, I 
 beicech you to invade the divine perogative no 
 longer, nor refufe the mercy fo gracioudy ten- 
 Vol. IV. L 
 
 n 
 
82 SMITH. 
 
 dered to you. (2) You look for encourage- 
 ment to believe, in part at leaft, from your- 
 felves, and not wholly from the Lord. You 
 feek for religious frames as your recommenda- 
 tion to Chrift ; whereas you Ihould come to him 
 witliout money and without price. You muil 
 come to him juft as you are, or never come at 
 all— come as hard hearted, polluted, guilty and 
 helplefs linners, upon the encouragement of 
 free grace only. But you try to warn your- 
 felves, that you may come to the fountain to 
 be waflied more clean—to heal yourfelves, in 
 part, and then come to a phylician to perfedl 
 the cure. ("3) This implies afecret diftruft of 
 the power and grace ofChriilto fave linners 
 fo guilty and vile as you are, unlefs you do 
 fomethingto leiTen the aggravations, and dimin- 
 ifh the ftrength of your iins. I aili you, bre- 
 thren. Is Chrift an imperfe6l >Saviour .? Can he 
 only fave linners of a fmaller lize ? Is the ef- 
 iicacy of his blood and grace limited ? Do they 
 need the aid of your obedience and merit ? Is 
 he a lyar, and his word a lie ? All thefe blafphe- 
 mies your unbelieving hearts impute to the 
 Lord. To fay you are willing to be faved by 
 Chrift, but he is unwilling to fave you, isafian- 
 der thrown out againft the heavens— Yes, it is 
 a lie ! For he that believeth not the record God 
 gave of bis fan, hath 7nade him a lyar. (m) And 
 this is his record, that Chrift is able and willing 
 to fave the chief of linners. Te ivijl not come 
 
 {m I John y V. 10.) 
 
S M I T K. S 
 
 J 
 
 unto me, that ye might have life, {n) is the teili- 
 mony of the bleiled Jefus himfelf. Hoxi) often, 
 fays he, would I have gathered thy children toge- 
 ther, as a hen gathereth her chickens nnder her wings, 
 and ye would not. (o) Thefe, with niany other 
 divine teftimonies, charge the Unwillingnefs 
 wholly to the finner's account. Chrifl is wil- 
 ling to fave you ; but you are unwilling to be 
 faved by him on his own terms. The enmity 
 of your hearts againft God and the fcheme of 
 falvatipn by Chrift is the fole caufe of your 
 non-compliance with the calls of the gofpel. 
 
 Ceafe then to caft ftumbling blocks in your 
 own way. The command of God to finners 
 without exception to believe, is a fufficient war- 
 riint for you to go upon, and there is every 
 motive in the glorious obje6l of faith held up to 
 
 you, THE NAME OF HIS SON JESUS CHRIST, tO 
 
 excite your truft in him. He is Emmanuel, 
 God in our nature ; therefore complete in of- 
 fice -chara^lers, and there is an infinite virtue in 
 each of them for your falvation. In hitn dwell- 
 eth all thefullnefs of the Godhead bodily ; {p)xor he 
 is the hoRD,the Lord God, mere fid and gracious, 
 long fiiffering , and abundant in goodnefs and truth, 
 forgiving iniquity, tranfgreffwns, and fin, and that 
 will by no means clear the guilty, (q) This is his 
 name; for God's ;z(2w^ is in him. (r) Are you 
 mod wretched and miferable ? He is mod mer- 
 ciful I And his mercy reacheth down to the 
 
 {njohn.v. lo.) (o Mat. xxili. 37.) (p C<t!. li'i. 9) 
 {q Exo. xxxiv. 6) (r Exo<'!. xxiii. 21.) 
 
84 S M I T H* 
 
 very border of hell, to raife up objects of its e- 
 ternal praiie. Ai e you moil undeferving and 
 hell-delerving ? He is nioft gracious ! and his 
 grace waits not for the creature's goodnefs^ 
 but bellows it, and infinitely rifes above all the 
 deferts of fin. For zvbere fin abounded, grace 
 did much more abound, {s) Have you long with- 
 ftood all the calls of grace, and all the perfua- 
 fives of redeeming love ? He is long suffer- 
 ing ! his calls continue until the eleventh hour, 
 and till the laO: moment of that liour. In the 
 fame hour he raifed the penitent thief from the 
 crofs to the crown. Has your life been a fcene 
 of countlefs and moll bafe abominations ? eve- 
 ry aclion, every word, and every thought 
 a polluted ftrcam ! He is abundant in good- 
 ness : Inliitely great in goodnefs, and infinite-* 
 ly good in greatneCs^lHis pardoning love and 
 g-oodnefs is an ocean without a bottom, a fea 
 without a fliorc. It purgecj a Magdalene of 
 feven devils, and formed her into a fhiningllar 
 of glory. It waflied the blood of perfecution 
 out of Saul's guilty conlcieflce, and changed him 
 from aperfecuting Saul iiito a preaching Paul. 
 It has laved millions of Adam's ruined family ; 
 and is it not fufficient for the faivation of one 
 pcrilhingfinner ? Were you chargeable with the 
 guilt, and ini'e6lcd with the ftain, of the whole 
 fallen race, the blood and grace of Chrift are 
 iafinitcly more powerful to fave, than all this 
 would be to deRroy you. And he who is a- 
 r.T;\'nANT IN tt^t'tt:, ]i;>-- i^lv^dn-rrl ]-it'-: f'v.fhrnl 
 
SMITH, 85 
 
 word, that if ye be obedient to the call of grace, 
 
 though your fins be asfcarkt, theyfimll be -white as 
 fnow ; the they be red like crimfon, they JIjClU be as' 
 wool, (t) He invites him that willeth, to take 
 thewater of life freely, {u) Do you wantfalvati- 
 on ? come and take it as the gift of God. How 
 extenllve that generous call^ Look unto vie, and 
 he yefaved, all the ends of the earth ? {w) If ye be 
 in the earth at all, this gracious invitation takes 
 you in. Do not then caft yourfelves out by 
 unbelief. He counfels you to buy of him gold 
 tried in the fire, white raiment, and eyefalve. {x) 
 Did tl^is wonderful counfellor ever give wrong 
 advice ? He intreats you to be reconaled to God, 
 (y) Shall the heavens come down to you in fup- 
 plications ? and will not you cry to the hea- 
 vens, and truft an in treating Saviour for 
 grace? — It is his own gracious promise, H/;;j 
 that Cometh, I will in no wife cafi out, {z) Shall 
 THE A ME'N, the faithful and true wit?tefs,he ex- 
 pofed to the difadvantage of man, to lay, and 
 not to do ; to promife, and not perform ? Unbe- 
 lief fays, he will caft you out ; the promife fays, 
 he will not call you out. Satan fays, he will 
 caft you out ; Chrift fays. Him that cometh to me, 
 I will in no wife caji out. Now which is to be 
 credited, unbelief, or the promife ? — Satan, or 
 Chrift ? and his promife he has fealed with 
 his OATH, that by (thefe) two immutable things, 
 in which it ivas impojjlble for God to lie, we 
 might have a firong confolation, who have fed 
 
 (t Jfa. i. 18.) {u Rev. xxii. 17.) {w //^, xlv. 22.) 
 \x Rev, 'ill. 18.) {yll Cor. v. -20.) {z jQ'nn, 6. 37.) 
 
8$ S MI T H. 
 
 for refuge to lay hold on the hopefet before us, (a) 
 Here you have the promife of Jehovah, fan 61- 
 ioned by his eternal oath, to excite you to flee 
 to Chrift for refuge from the purfuitof aveng- 
 ing jullice. As I live faith the Lord, I have no 
 pleafiirein the death of the wicked; but that the 
 wicked turn from his way and live, (b) As 
 though Jehovah had faid, I pledge my eternal 
 life upon it, I forfeit all the glories of Godhead, 
 if ye fail of eternal life, who turn to me by faith 
 and repentance. Search all the records of 
 earth and heaven, and will you, can you, find 
 lecurity equal to this ? 
 
 Let unbelief then hide its head, and never 
 more utter its reproaches againll the God of 
 truth and grace. I befeech you by all the tears 
 and blood of the fon of God, by all his glorious 
 characters, by all his gracious offers, by all his 
 preffing calls, by all his alluring invitations, 
 by all his moving intreaties, by all his tender 
 mercies, by all his redeeming love, and by all 
 the ftrength of his promife, confirmed with his 
 almighty oath ;— by all thefe I befeech, I obteft, 
 I adjure you, in his great name, no longer to 
 refufe the tenders of rich grace ; but give glo- 
 ry to God by believing the record he hath given 
 of his fon, and embrace him as vour Saviour 
 with all your heart. 
 
 It may be, fomc of you are faying, Thcfc 
 faHek. 6. iS.) [b Ezek, 3:.. ji.) 
 
SMITH. 87 
 
 mefTages of peace and love are joyful tidings in- 
 deed ; but^ alas ! my ftupid heart will not re- 
 ceive them. Ah ! this heart, this hard, this 
 unbelieving heart J Ten thoufand worlds for 
 an heart cordially difpofedto embrace Chrift as 
 my Lord and my Saviour ! O ye qfflldled, tojjed 
 with tcmpejf and not cotnforted ; lay your hearts 
 at the foot of the crofs, and fee if pardoning 
 blood and love will not melt and foften them. 
 Earneilly and inceflantly plead the promife of 
 the holy^ fpirit, to create in you a new heart, and 
 take the heart of ft one out ofyotirjiefjj. O Lord ! 
 heal me, and Ifiall be healed ; turn me, and I pall 
 be turned. Beware of fufFering your convi6lions 
 to die, left, like Ephraim, ye be unwife fons, tar- 
 ry mg long in the dangerous place of the breaking 
 forth of children. Steadily perlevere in im- 
 portunate fuits, until ye obtain the bleffing. 
 
 Grace, indeed, is fovereign, and nothing 
 done by the creature can deferve it. This you 
 muft know and acknowledge. At the fame 
 time, continue to plead the riches and freedom 
 ©fit, with humble hope in divine mercy. To 
 this end were all the examples and overtures 
 of It exhibited in the gofpel. Did you ever 
 read, is there any record in the facred oracles 
 of one fpurned from the feet of mercy, who 
 would abide by her door poft's, and would 
 not go without a bleiling ? Did not the publican, 
 pleading mercy, go to his houfe jjjftijied rather 
 than the other ^ {c) rather than the felf-righte- 
 
 (c Luke, xviii. i, '4.) 
 
88 SMITH. 
 
 ous pharilce ? When Ephraini, bemoaninp* 
 himfelf, and ftruggling with a perverfe heart, as 
 a bullock unaccuftomed to the yoke, prayed^ Turn 
 tbou me, and I fhall be turned -^ the Lord anfwers. 
 Is Ephraim my dear Jon ? Is he a plea/ant child f 
 For fince the day that Ifpahe agamji bim, I do 
 earnejlly remember him ftill : therefore my bowels 
 are troubled for himy I will furely have mercy upon 
 bim, faith the Lord, (d) And when the perilTiing, 
 felf-condemned prodigal refolved to confefs 
 his guilt, and plead grace, the father of mer- 
 cies, /aw him a great way off', and had compaJfioUy 
 ar.d ran, and fell on his neck, and kijfed him. {e) 
 Did you follow the allufion here, you might 
 (fo to fpeak) fee the quick eye of mercy dif- 
 cerning the iirft movements of a returning 
 linner towards God, the fwift feet of mercy run- 
 ning to meet him, the kind arms of mercy ex- 
 tended to receive him, a kifs of mercy to hail 
 him, and feal a fenfe of pardoning love upon his 
 heart. May the' Lord increafe your fenfe of 
 the need of mercy, excite your hope of it, aid 
 your wreftling for it, and receive you with the 
 like diilinguifiiing marks of favour and love. 
 
 IV. In the lait place, from the nature and 
 excellency of the grace and duty of faith, let 
 unbelievers learn their guilt, their danger, their 
 remedy, and their duty. Faith is a moll ex- 
 cellent grace ; unbelief, therefore, wiiich is it's 
 direct oppofite, muft be a moft heinous fin. 
 When Chrill promifeth the holy fpirit to co7i* 
 
 (d Jtr.y.y^\. i8; lo .) {c Luke . y>.v , 17; 20.} 
 
SMITH. %<^ 
 
 vince the world of fin, he adds, with peculiar cm- 
 phalis. Of fin, becaiifc they believe not in me ; (f) 
 as though it were, as indeed it is, the bafeft, 
 the molt dangerous crime. Of all others, it is 
 a fin ot the higheft aggravation. For v/hile o- 
 ther iins ftrike at the law of God, this ftrikcs 
 more immediately at the grace of the gofpel : 
 It denieth all the perfedioris of God, efpecial- 
 ly his mercy and tr^ith': Itrefufeth Chrilt the 
 honour of your falvation : It contemneth his 
 threatnings, difcreditethhis promifes, reje6^eth 
 his grace, flighteth his love, infulteth his pangs, 
 and, with infidel Jev/s, cries, Crucfy him, cruci- 
 fy him. It opens his clofed wounds, and makes 
 them bleed afrefli ! What a difmal tragedy is 
 a6ted over again, in all our congregations, e- 
 very fabbath, and every facrament I every un- 
 believer coming with the dagger concealed in 
 his heart, to thruft into the heart of the Lord 
 of glory ! The privacy of the enemy renders 
 it the more dangerous to the foul. It lies 
 deeply concealed in the heart under many 
 niafks; and is therefore the laft foe difcover- 
 ed by the convinced linner. But when difco- 
 vered, how horrid does the monfter appear ! 
 It addeth malignity to all his other crimes; for 
 it not only pierceth the Saviour in a peculiar 
 fenfe ; but bindeth all his other fins fail upon 
 him, and puts an aggravation into all the pains 
 due for fin. If ye believe not that lam he, ye f mil 
 die in your fins, (g) He that belicvcth not,f:all :i>..f 
 Vol- ' IV. ^ M 
 
 (f John. xvj. g.^j (^r John, viii, 24 } 
 
90 ' SMITH 
 
 fee life; but the zvratb of God abidetb on him. (h) 
 And He that bcUcveth 7iotfJ.mll be damned, (i) is 
 the tellimony of the holy Gholl himfell. 
 
 Awful condemnation ! The punifliment of 
 Tyre and Sidon, of Sodom and Gomorrah, 
 Ihall be light compared with yours, O ye neg- 
 lecters of the great falvation, purchaled V/ith 
 the blood of God ! If ye remain in unbelief, ye 
 fhall fink down in Tophet's burning gulph, far 
 below the vileft Sodomite. With the weight 
 of iaw-curfes, you fliall link under the much 
 heavier weight of the gofpel fcm6lion, damna- 
 tion FOR UNBELIEF ! Fearful fentcncc ! Wrath 
 aggravated to the higheft by rejeaing the only 
 begotten fon of God, the richeil gift of ever- 
 lafting love! For if be that defpifed Mofes' law died 
 without mercy, of how muchforcrpunilldment, fuppofe 
 ye, flxill be be accounted worthy y who bath trodden 
 underfoot the fon of God, and bath counted the blood 
 of the covenant wherewifb he was f unci- fied , an nn- 
 bdy thing. "^ Dreadful, iiiexpreliibly dreadful 
 will be the enquiry after blood, the flighted 
 blood of the Son of God I 
 
 ('> John 'ii. 36.) (z Mark xvi. 16 •) 
 
 * Heb. X. '28, 29- Some hive adduced this text in 
 fupport of their miicriptural doctrine of the faints' falling 
 totjlly ,and finally from grace. Others have been at 
 much pains to adapt it to the cDmmon fanftification of 
 trrarelcfs profelTors, from which many fall away. But 
 the fenfe of the words will appear very natural and eafy 
 by a due attention to the fcope of the apolUe's argument 
 in the context, and throughout the epillle. For, as the 
 
SMITH. 91 
 
 Hear this^ ye Chrift* defpifers, and tremble. 
 That blelTed name, in which you are conimiincl- 
 ed to believe, proclaims joy to trne believers, 
 and opens a blefied door of relief to convinced 
 linners ; but it fpeaketh terror to all who con- 
 tinue in impenitence and unbelief, ile is the 
 Lord God, merciful a?id gracious ; but be will by 
 no means clear the guilty. Beivare of him, (iaith 
 his Father^) and obey his voice, for he will not for* 
 give your tranfgreff}ons,for my name is in him. (k) 
 My juftice as well as mercy is in him. Thefe 
 always unite in perfe6t harmony. Mercy will 
 not pardon the iinner to the prejudice of juftice; 
 and juftice neceHarily exa6leth punifhment of 
 impenitent offenders. If, therefore, ye would 
 be faved, ye niuft yield obedience to thegolpel 
 
 fk Exod. xxiii. 21.) 
 
 learned and judicious doclors, Owen and Guv SE, ob. 
 ferve, the blood of the roiwnant luhet ewith he was fan^I'ifi- 
 edy rather relates to Chriil, who was confecrated to his 
 prieltly oiHee by his own blood, than to him -luho counted 
 the blood of the covenant cm unholy thing : for the fon of 
 God is the immediate antecedent, and the apoitle's de- 
 fign was to aggravate thchn of apoftates,froina conlid- 
 eration of tt)e worth and dignity of the pcrfon they flight- 
 ed and abufed. And as the father is faid 4:o have fancli- 
 fied Chrift, or fet him apart to his mcdiaroral office, and 
 Chriftto have findified or dedicated and fet apart h'm- 
 felf to itby hi^ death, (John x. 36. & xvii. 10.) fo he 
 vvas fmclifiedto hisprielHy office in heaven, bv th" blood 
 " of the new covenant, anfwerable to the fandtification of 
 Aaron and his fons to tfie high priefthood for the 
 fervice of the fandluary, by the blood of ilie Mo- 
 faic covenant, Lev. viii. 30. And the Ichcme of this e- 
 piifle for comparing Chrift and the high prieft under the 
 law naturally leadeth us to this fenfe. 
 
92 S M I T H. 
 
 call, by accepting the offer of falvation through 
 Chriil:. His blood is the only propitiation for 
 iin, and it is all-fufficient to fave the vvorll: of 
 you: Fortbe blood of Je/usCbri/i cleanfeth its from 
 all Jin. (/) And linners, without exception, are 
 commanded to believe in his name. Mercy 
 reacheth down to you in the hand of a promife^ 
 pardon bought and fealed with the blood of Je- 
 fu& ! 
 
 Kifs then, O guilty finner ! kifs the Jon, lefi 
 he be angry, and ye pen/Jjfrvfn the way. (m) This 
 blood fpeaketh better things than that of Abel. {?i) 
 Abels blood cried for vengeance ; Chriil 's blood 
 fpeaks peace and good will to rebel men. But 
 tfyc refiife him that fpeaketh from heaven, prefently 
 the peace fpeaking voice of the lamb, will 
 change into the rage of the lion of the tribe of 
 Judah, roaring for his prey ! Hafte then, bre- 
 thren, and Vv'ithout delay iiee to Chrift as your 
 0!i]y refuge from the ilorm of impending wrath. 
 May the Lord of his infinite mercy convince 
 you of your need of the Saviour, and by the al- 
 mighty power of grace perfuade your relu<51:ant 
 hearts to believe in the name of his ion Jefus 
 Chrift. Amen. 
 
 ill John, I. 7.) (mPfu.xy. nj {nHeb. >;ii.24.) 
 
SERMON LXIV. 
 
 The christian RELIGION 
 
 attejled by the 
 SPIRIT OF PROPHECY.* 
 
 BY 
 
 THEODORE HINSDALE, A, M- 
 
 Pqfior of a Coigregational Church in JVindfor^ 
 Connedicutt, 
 
 Revelation cfSt, John, xix. lo. 
 
 — / am thyfelloiv/erva?it, and of thy brethren, who 
 have the teftimony of Jefus : worfhip God : for the 
 te/limony of Jefus is thefpirit of prophecy. 
 
 We may not imagine that the Father of 
 our fpirits requires us to receive the 
 Chriftian religion without fufficient evidence 
 of its divine origin; nor, on the other hand, 
 that it can be rejected by any perfon, to whom 
 it is thus offered, but at his utmoft peril. 
 
 * This fermon was preached at New Haven, Septem- 
 ber ir, 1792, by appointment of the general associ« 
 ATiON of the State of Connefticut, 
 
94 HINSDALE. 
 
 This con fi deration is of the rioft ferious im- 
 portance ; and, at a time like the prefent, when 
 infidelity is ftruggling for reputation and domi« 
 nion, pleads loudly with the miniilers of Chnft, 
 to call the attention of their hearers to the fol- 
 emn atleftations, which authenticate the reli- 
 gion of the bible. 
 
 If we take for granted the fuperlative excel- 
 lence of the Chriftian fyfiem, which recommends 
 itfelf to every confcience as worthy of God, and 
 conducive to the perfection and felicity of men^ 
 the chief external proofs of it's divine original 
 refult from miracles and prophecy. 
 
 The former of thefe having been difcufled 
 by a reverend brother, who has gonebefore me 
 in this le6ture,, it is propofed, on the prefent 
 occaiion;, to attempt an illuftration of the latter. 
 
 We learn from the mouth of a holy angel, 
 what a mighty ftrefs is laid in heaven, and ought 
 to be laid in earth, on fcripture prophecy, as 
 the ftandingtcllimony, which the divmc Father 
 gives to his holy Son Jefus ; & of confequence, 
 to that religion which bears his name. For it 
 is a holy aii<i:el who declares in the text. The 
 iefUmoiiy of Jefus is fhefpirit of prophecy; that fame 
 angel, ao doubt, to whom Jefus Chrift commit- 
 ted the revelations contained in this book, to 
 Jlxw tobisfervojiis tKwgs which mufljhortly /:ome lo 
 pafs, and by V/hom he frnt io figmfythem to his 
 J e want John. 
 
HINSDALE 
 
 95 
 
 This miniftring fpirit firft raifes in the mind 
 of the apoftle a tide of grief and allonifliment, 
 by a vifion of the horrid Roman anti-chrift ; 
 and then an extacy of joy, by a difplay of the 
 hallelujahs, which should refound in heaven on 
 occalion of his fall and ruin. The holy apoftle 
 fo far forgets himfelf in his rapture^ as to offer 
 him an a6t of religious adoiation. I fell at bis 
 feet to worfJnp him. The humble feraph refuf- 
 es the offer with thefe words, See thou do it not. 
 And the reafon follows: For I am thy fdlais) 
 fervant, and of thy brethren, who have the tejlimony 
 of JefiiS"for the tefiimony of Jefus is the fpirit of 
 prophecy. 
 
 That this declaration and teftimony may have 
 their full efFe(5t^ it is defigned, as divine grace 
 Ihall enable, 
 
 I. To make fome remarks on the fpirit of pro- 
 phecy, 
 
 II. Obferve the fmgular propriety with which 
 it is called tho. tefiimony of Jefus. 
 
 III. Exhibit the evidence by which it proves 
 to us the divine authority of the Chriftian re- 
 ligion. 
 
 I. I am to make fome remarks on the fpirit 
 of prophecy. 
 
 The word prophecy in the text is taken in it's 
 ftri^l and moft proper fenfe, for the vncrring 
 
95 Hinsdale: 
 
 forepght and prcdiclion of future ev ents. In thift 
 lenfe it niuft be confidered to be the peculiar 
 prerogative of the omnifcient God,andof thofe 
 who are commiffioned by him. As fuch he is 
 pleafed to challenge it, when he fays, / aryt 
 God, and there is none elfe, I am God and there is 
 none like me, declaring the end from the beginnings 
 and from ancient times the things which are not yet 
 done. 
 
 The prophets of God have accordingly with 
 one conlent utterly difclaimed all ability in 
 themfelves to remove the vail from future 
 events, and profefled to fpeak in the facred 
 name neither more nor lefs than was imparted 
 to them by the holy Spirit. When Pharaoh 
 fays to Jofeph, / have heard of thee that thou canjl 
 iinderjland a dream to interpret it ; It is not in me, 
 he replies, it is not in me : God floall give Fhara- 
 oh an anfwer. God hathfJjeived to Pharaoh what 
 he is about to do. And when on a fimilar occa- 
 fion the king of Babylon enquires of Daniel, 
 Art thou able to make known to me the dream and 
 the interpretation? what is his anfwer ? Thefecret 
 which the king hath demanded, the wife 7nen cannot 
 fldcw unto the king; but there is a God in heaven who 
 revealethfecrets, and ?nakcth known to the king what 
 fjjall be in the latter day. But as for me, thisfecret 
 is not revealed to ?nefor any wifdom which I have 
 more than any living. 
 
 Nothing can be more folemn than the man- 
 ner in which the divine prerogative thus chal- 
 
HINSDALE. r.'r 
 
 leiiged by the most-high, and confefled by hh 
 prophets, is reprefented to St John in his ie- 
 cond vifion recorded in the book of Revelation. 
 He firft hears a voice, as of a trumpet, iaying. 
 Come up hither y and IivillJJjew thee things which mujl 
 be hereafter. Then he has a vilion of God the 
 Creator, on a glorious throne furrounded; by 
 the heavenly holt ; having in his right hand a 
 fealed book, in which were written the divine 
 counfels refpefting future events. He then 
 hears a voice of a mighty angelic herald, pi'o- 
 claiming a challenge to the v/hole creation, lay- 
 ing. Who is worthy to open the book, and loofe the 
 feals thereof. The refult is. No oni in heaven^ 
 7wr on earth J nor under the earth, is found able to a- 
 pen the book, nor to look therein. All ftandlilent 
 and aghaft, as coniciouily infufficient tor the 
 arduous attempt. I wept mz/6^/), lays the apofllc ; 
 bccaufe none were found worthy to open and read the 
 book, nor to look thereon. At length he is con 7 
 joled by one of the elders who faith to him. 
 Weep not : Behold, the Lion cf the tribe ofjudab 
 hath prevailed to open the^bcok, and loofe itsfevcn 
 feals. And immediately he beholds in the midit 
 of the throne, a Lamb as he had beenf.ain ; and be 
 came and took the book out cf the hand of Him who 
 fat on the throne ; and proceeds to open the fccils 
 one by one, and difciole tliGiv profound contents. 
 
 Thus doth the fcript.ure afcribe the certain 
 forefiglit and predi6tion of future ayents to 
 God only : And do not the common fpnfe and ex<« 
 pcrience of mankind fublcribc to tliis decilion r 
 Vol. IV. N 
 
58 HINSDALE. 
 
 Some future events, indeed, fo depend on 
 the known laws of nature, that whoever i« ac- 
 quainted with thofe laws, may be as certain 
 that they will exift, as he is that the courfe of 
 nature will continue the fame. Of luch events, 
 however, the Spirit of prophecy pretends not 
 to inform us; nor of any others, of Vv^hich we 
 may obtani a fatisfa6fory knowledge by other 
 means. It dwells chiefly on fuch events as imme- 
 diately depend on the free actions ofGod, orof 
 men, or of both conjointly. To foretel with cer- 
 tainty ///r/j events requires that we be perfe6l;y 
 acquainted with the fecret purpofes and defigns 
 of all thofe Free agents, on whom thofe events de- 
 pend. And wnerc is the man on earth who dares 
 profels this knowledge ? Or if any could be fo ar- 
 rogant as to profefs it, who would believe him ? 
 
 Let the trial be made. — Here is a man who 
 ])rofeires, from his own xertain knowledge, 
 VvitViout any information from heaven, to fore- 
 tclHuture events. He tells a venerable man 
 of an hundred years old, and his conlort of 
 ninety, who have lived together from their 
 youth without illue, that they fliallyet be fruit- 
 ful ; and within one year iliall have a fon, who 
 fliallbe a father of many nations, and of many 
 kings — that their poflerity (hall be numerous as 
 the ll:ars of heaven, and lliall fall under oppref- 
 iions for four hundred years in a Itrange land — 
 that then God will intcrpofe in a remarkable 
 manner, deltroy their opprefibrs, and bring 
 them from under their hand with great riches; 
 
H I N S D A L E. 
 
 99 
 
 difpoffefs feven powerful nations of a fertile 
 country, and give it them for a poiTeillon ; and 
 that, two thoufand years after, one fhall be 
 born of a branch of their pofterity, v/ho fhall 
 be a great blefling and benefactor, not only to 
 his brethren, but to all nations of the earth. 
 Can the fmalleft credit be given to fuch a pre- 
 diction, in the circuniftanccs fuggefled ? All 
 men willanfwerin the negative. Why ?--Be- 
 caule ail believe, that no man can know fuch 
 events before they come to pafs, but by revela- 
 tion from HIM who knoweth all things. And 
 tho angels are vaftly fuperior to us in nature 
 and knowledge ; yet, to the forelight oifuch fu- 
 ture events as depend on the free volitions of 
 God, and, under Him, on other free agents, 
 they are as incompetent as we, unlefs they 
 were omnifcieot. For zvho knoweth the things 
 of a man, but thefpirit of man, which is in him ? c- 
 venfo, and much more, the things of God knoweth no 
 one, but the Spirit of God. But the Spirit reveal- 
 eth all things, even the deep things of God, 
 
 Doth any wiflito remind us, that the ancient 
 heathen nations had their oracles and diviners, 
 who profefsed to foretel things to come; and 
 that fome of their' predictions were jullified b}^ 
 the event ? Our anfwer is. It is true, they had 
 them ; but the ipirit of prophecy claims no al- 
 liance with them. Divination is the counter- 
 fiet of prophecy, even as falfe ligns and lying 
 wonders are of true miracles. It fecms to 
 have begun >vith the defe6lion of the fons of 
 
100 HINSDALE. 
 
 ^ loah from tlie true religion, and to ha^e kept 
 •1 it. thro all idolatrous nations, utitil 
 the days of Clmft. It was undoubtedly a de- 
 vice of Satan to defeat the dcfign of true pro- 
 phecy, and fupport falfe worfhip. It was a-fo 
 employed by the lordly tyrants of the gentile 
 nationR, as an engine of ftate, to procure a 
 blind fubmiuion from their enfiaved fubje6ts. 
 V\^e find diviners in Egypt as early asthe'time3 
 •<)f Jofeph ; tho'none of them was able to inter- 
 pret the dream of Pharaoh. 
 
 Balak, tlie king of IMoab, attempted in vain 
 to employ divination agalnft ifrael, and expref- 
 fed the high veneration in which he held it, 
 when h.e fiiid to Balaam , I Irnozv that be ivhoju thou 
 hlejjcfl, is hlejfed, and he zvbom thou curfejl is curjed. 
 At the fame time, it was held in like veneration 
 nmong the devoted nations of Canaan. For 
 tbcfc nations, fays JSTclcs to ifrael, which thou 
 jhalt'pclJc.fs, bcarkncd unto obfcrocrs of times, and 
 vnto diviners ; but as for thee the Lord thy God 
 bath notfuffl'red thee Jo to do. 
 
 But, ar; in many oiher mftances, fo particu- 
 larly in t]m, tljat which was highly rffcejficd a- 
 vwn.g men, is on ahojuinatioh to the Lord. That 
 holy onmifcioit Being, to whom all the deceit 
 and wickeduefs of this infernal plot for the ru- 
 in of ionls was naked and open, thus expreflefh 
 his mind to his people. IVhcn thou comejl into 
 the imd^ which the Lord thy God giveih thee, thou 
 Jhalt ncilcarntodo after the abominations of th{/: 
 
H I N S D A L E. loi 
 
 nations. ThereJJ.mil not be found ainong yoii any 
 that ufeth divination, or an ohfej-ver of times, or an 
 enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a confidter 
 with familiar /pints, or a wizard, or a ?iecroman- 
 cer ; for all that do thefe things are an abomination 
 tiuto the Lord thy God ; and becaufe of thefe abomina- 
 tions the Lord thy God doth drive them outfro?n before 
 thee — But, as for thee, the Lord thy God hath not 
 fujfered theefo to do. 
 
 It is worthy of a particular notice, that it is 
 in immediate connection with this, and in per- 
 fe<^t contrail with the whole catalogue of impof- 
 tors recited above, and to prevent the fliadow 
 of a plea for confulting or hearkening to any of 
 them, that the promife of Chrift, the great Pro- 
 phet, is introduced, a mandate given out to all 
 men to hearken to hmi, and an awful curfe 
 denounced on him who fliall prefume to fpeak 
 a word in God's name, which He hath not com- 
 manded him to fpeak. See Deut. xviii. 9; 22. 
 
 Need we, then, wonder that the better in- 
 formed among the heathen themfelves explod- 
 ed ail pretenlions to divination, as unworthy ei- 
 ther ot eiteem or belief? Cicero, the celebrat- 
 ed Roman orator and philofopher, is an exam- 
 ple. When in one book, and under a feigned 
 (•haradler, he had colle(5led what could be faid 
 i^ favour ot divination; in another he confutes 
 it all, and fliov/s plainly that he had the whole 
 afFa-ir in the utmoft contempt. When lii^ged 
 with this plea in favour of diviners, that many of 
 theni often gave out true prcdiciio''- Iv^ replir:;, 
 
102 H I N S D A L £• 
 
 ''Will you then compell me to give my belief 
 ''to mere fables ? — I will grant there is as much 
 ''amufement in them as you pleafe : But cer- 
 ''tainly we ought not to give authority or taith 
 ''to mere fi6tions. And ipeaking ofthedivin- 
 crs of Mars and Apollo; '*Nor do I think 
 "them worthy of any credit. Part of their re- 
 ''fponfes are manifeft iidlions, and a part are 
 "uttered raihly at adventure. Nor were they 
 '^ever approved, (I fay not, by any man offa- 
 ^'gacity ; but) by any man of common lenfe.^ 
 
 Supported by fuch authorities both divine 
 and human, we hefitate not to affirm, that the 
 refpoiifes given by the heathen oracles and di 
 viners were no real prophecies ; nor any thing 
 better than mere human conje6luresand abom- 
 inable delufions. Nor could any thing have 
 maintained their reputation fo long, but the 
 grofs ignorance and fuperftition of the people, 
 duped by the craft of their deceivers ; who ufed 
 to conllrudt their predictions info artful a man- 
 ner, as to admit of an eafy accommodation to 
 the event, whatever it might be. 
 
 It is accordingly a notorious fa<5t, that as 
 
 "^ At miilti fape vera vaticinati. Nnm igitur meco- 
 gis etiam fabulis credere ?^ quae deleflationis habeant 
 quantum voles. Aucloritatcni; quidem, niillam debe- 
 i'ir:s ncc fidem commentitiis rebus adjungcre. Ncc 
 Martis varibus, nee Appollinis opertis credendum cx- 
 iflimo ; quorum pariim ticta aperre, partim cfTutitaie- 
 mere, rinnquani ne mcdiocri cuiquam, non raodoprudei'- 
 ti probnta lunt.-Cic. de divin. lib. IJ. fed. 113. 
 
HINSDALE. 103 
 
 foon as the evangelical light had lliined upon 
 the benighted heathen, thefe birds of dai knefs 
 were put to flight. The moft renowned hea- 
 then temples were fhut, and their oracles fo 
 eiFe6lually lilenced, that they have not lince 
 dared to open their mouths ; leaving it, as the 
 indifputable prerogative of Jehovah, and thofe 
 who are commiffioned by him, to forefee and 
 foretell future events. 
 
 On this ground it is farther obferved ; When 
 any one, in the name of God, predicts a ftiture 
 event, and it comes to pafs, if but in a fingle 
 inflance, it affords a ftrong prefumption that he 
 fpakeby divine infpiration. The proof would 
 be perfe6l, were it not for the poflibility that 
 fome wicked impoltor may prefume, in Gods 
 name, to give ©ut a bold conjedlure, v/hich, for 
 the trial of his people, God may permit to be 
 luccefsful ; as he permitted the magicians to 
 imitate fome of the miracles of Mofes. But 
 whenever the circumftances of the predi6tion 
 and accomplifliment avefucb, as to be evidently 
 above all rational conje6lure, or lucky contin- 
 gence, nothing certainly can be a llronger 
 proof of a perfon's acting by divine conmiificn, 
 andfpeaking by divine infpiration. The fcrip- 
 ture confiders it as fuch, when it exprefsly af- 
 ligns it as the capital teft of difcrimination be- 
 tween a true andfalfe prophet. For thus it is 
 written, on the one hand, When a prophet 
 fpcaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing fallow 
 not J nor come to pafs, that is the ihino- i^jhich the 
 
I04 HINSDALE. 
 
 Lord hath notfpoken ; but the prophet hafhfpoken 
 it prefumptuoif/ly. A?id thus on the other hand ; 
 I'he prophet who prophefteth of peace, when the word 
 of the prophet fhall come to pafs, then fhall it bs 
 liuoivn that the Lord ijath truly fent him. 
 
 Now if the accomplidiment of a prophecy, 
 in bnt a fingle inilance, may be fo decilive a 
 proof of divine infpiration, what ihall we fay, 
 ■when the inllances are next to innumerable of e- 
 vents molt circumftantially foretold- -S?/cZ? e- 
 vents as at the time when they were foretold, 
 were, to human view, the moil unlikely ever 
 to have come into exiitence, which yet were 
 paricularly foretold in one age, and moft ex- 
 actly fuifiU'ed many ages alter ? All this is fo 
 wonderfully true with regard to a multitude of 
 fcripture prophecies, that infidels themfelves 
 have unwittingly contelied it, when they 
 have ailed ged, tho in direct oppolition to the 
 clcarell: evidence of th^e contrary, that they were 
 written after the events. 
 
 Indulge me but a lingle remark more. — 
 
 The teftimony arifmg from the Spirit of pro- 
 phecy \s moft excellently adapted, even beyond 
 that of miracles themfelves, to confirm a writ^ 
 ten Jlanding revelation. Miracles were the 
 great proofs to thole who faw them performed ; 
 prophecies are the great proofs to thofe who fee 
 them fuliilled. /Some of thefe latter were of 
 things whivh fliortly came to pafs. By far the 
 
HINSDALE. lo; 
 
 greater part, and thofe of greateft importance, 
 were of things not to come into event until 
 after many days, or ages ; in the latter days, 
 or not until the time of the end. Accordingly 
 ^mce miracles have ceafed, as well as before, pro- 
 phecies have been fulfilling from age -to age; 
 arid the more propliecies are fulfilled, the more 
 and more confirmations we have of the truth ot 
 revelation. 
 
 In this, my brethren, we are iingularly happy 
 above even the -prophets themfeives ; fmce 
 what to them was only matter oi faith, is fiovJ 
 to us a matter offa& and otjight, Bleffed are 
 cur eyes, for they fee the things which many prophets 
 defired to fee, but could not fee them\ 
 
 Thus far we have confidered the Spirit of 
 prophecy as the teftimony of God to his own 
 word. We are nov/, 
 
 II. To obferve thefingular propriety with 
 which it is called the tejlimony of Jefus, 
 
 Were we to underltand the phrafe as import- 
 ing the teftimony which Jefus ^/WZ?, we muft 
 confefs in it a ftri(5l propriety. For in ail the 
 revelations which Jehovah hath made to men, 
 the Melfiaii has been, in all ages, the great pro- 
 phet. This Lion of the tribe of'Judah--ihis Lamb, 
 who is in the ?nid/i of the living creatures, and of the 
 elders^ and he alone, oi\ill in heaven, or in earth, 
 or under the earth, is found worthv to fuhe the booh 
 Vol. ' IV. O 
 
io6 HINSDALE. 
 
 of prophecy out pf the hand of hlmwho fttteth on 
 the throne, to open its feals, and difclofe the le- 
 crets therein written. And the communica- 
 tions of thofe fecrets which he has beeii pleafed 
 to make, have been juft what St John calls that 
 whlcl> was made tohm.— The revelations of Jefus 
 Chrijl, which God gave unto him, tojhew unto his 
 fervants. A part of thofe communications, both 
 before and after his incarnation, he made im- 
 mediately by himfelf ; and a part by angelic 
 and human prophets and apoftles, who are there- 
 fore /^'//^^it'-y^rrwz/^ and brethren, as haying the 
 tejiimony of Jejiis. Thefe were his mouth, and 
 [pake only as the Spirit of Chrifi, which was in 
 them, didfgnfy, ■' 
 
 Were we further to confidcr the acco?npUfJjment 
 of prophecy as a part of the teftimony, this al- 
 fo belongs to Chrift as the great minifter of 
 providence, to whom is given, of the Father, 
 all authority both in heaven and on earth. 
 
 But the t'.xt feems rather to fpeak of tlie 
 Spirit of prophecy as the teftimony which Jefus 
 receivcth. Let us attend to it in this fenfe, as 
 it reipe6ts the times both before and after his 
 incarnation. 
 
 In all ages fmcc the fall, Chrifi is the only 
 Mediator. At no time could the hope of fiilva- 
 tion for linners be fafely built on any other; 
 In all times before his incarnation it was there- 
 fore ncccniiry, th/at the faith and expectation 
 
HINSDALE. 107 
 
 of mankind Ihould be directed to his coming. 
 Accordingly, until that period, it was the great 
 office and end of the Spirit of prophecy to Ipcak 
 of him ; to tejiify before-hand the fuffering of Chriji, 
 and the glory which fJjoidd follow . 
 
 What a tranfport of joy and wonder does it 
 niinifter to the pious mind^ to contemplate that 
 compleat image of the great Son of righteoul- 
 nefs, which before his riling had been refiedted 
 oh the darkned world by the Spirit of prophe- 
 cy ! — To obferve it beginning in a fmgle trait or 
 two, drawn by a fingle beam of light! — Then 
 after the lapfe of ages, receiving another, and 
 another, until at length the outlines are form- 
 ed ! — And thence forward more rapidly filling 
 upwith one point of refemblance after another, 
 as the dawn flione more and more toward tlic 
 perfe6l day — Until at laft the finiHied portrait 
 has become a perfe6l likenefs of the great o- 
 riginal ; — incapable of an application to any o- 
 ther Being in the univerfe of God, but to Him, 
 
 who is A CHILD B0RN--A SON GIVEN, ON WHOSE 
 SHOULDER IS THE GO V E R N M E N T — WHOSE 
 
 NAME IS, Wonderful, Counsellor, The 
 MIGHTY God, The everlasting Father, 
 The Prince of Peace ! 
 
 Thus, my brethren, thus was the fpirit of 
 prophecy the teflimony of Jefus before he came 
 in the flefh. And fince he is come, the punc- 
 tual accomplifliment in him of all the prophe- 
 cies of the Mefliah, hath pointed him out to 
 
io8 H I N S D A L K. 
 
 thofe who law him^ to us^ and to all the world, 
 as the A^'ERY One J cfidwm Mofes in the law and 
 the prophets did xvrite, The Messiah a nd Sa - 
 
 VIOUR OF THE WORLD. 
 
 To this teftimony among others^ how often 
 did Jefus appeal ? Thefon of man goeth, as it is 
 written of him ? Search the fcriptiires; for fhefe are 
 they zvhich icfify of me. This day is this fcripturc 
 fulfilled in your ears. Thefe are the words, which I 
 Jpake unto you zvhile I was yet with you, that all 
 things muft be fulfilled, which arewHten in the law 
 of Mofes, a fid in the prophets, and in the pfalms 
 concerning me. And beginning at Mofes ajid all 
 the prophets, he expounded to them, in all the fcrip- 
 fures, the things concerning himfelf; aiidfaid, Thus 
 it IS written, and thus it behoved Chrifl tofuffer, and 
 io rife again the Hhird day. 
 
 To the fame teftimony did the apoitles ever 
 appeal in all their lermons and epifties ; and ef- 
 ])ccially when addrelling the Jews, who ack-^ 
 nowledged the prophetic wTitings. 
 
 And to tilt lame teiliinony ir^ the appeal now 
 folemnlyniade, hefore the prcfent generation, 
 and all the world, for the proof that Jksus is 
 THE Christ; and that the religion which he 
 1 aught is from heaven. 
 
 Only with attention let men compare the 
 prophetic image with the great original ; let 
 ihcm compare with candor and diligence, and 
 
HINSDALE. 109 
 
 the proof is invincible — convi6lion inevitables^ 
 fatista6tion compleat. For what is thegenuine 
 hiftory of Jeius, as delivered in the writings of 
 the evangelifts and iipolUes, but a perfect com- 
 ment on the prophecies refpe6ling the Meifi- 
 ah ?— 
 
 Here, with joy, we recognize the promifcd 
 
 feed of the woman, the feed of Abraham, of jvdah 
 and of David ; and the great prophet like unto 
 MofeSy who fhould [peak all the words of Jeho- 
 vah ; — The priefi after the order of Melch fed ek, 
 who was to make his fold an offering for fin : — The 
 anointed of the Lord, on whom his fpirit refts^ 
 tliat he may preach to the meek, releafe the prif on- 
 er, and bind up the broken-hearted. 
 
 Here, we admire the child to be born of a vir- 
 gin--in the town of Bethleheni"to be called im- 
 MANUEL ; who was to grow up before the Lord 
 as a tender ^ plant , as a root out of a dry ground. 
 With fuprize we find him coming precifely at 
 the time when the fccptre w^as departing //w;/- 
 Judah — ^juft before the latter temple was de- 
 itroyed, and juli: at the end of the feventy weeks 
 of Daniel. We confels in him the perfe6l 
 plenitude of grace and v/ifdom, as anointed 
 v/ith the oil ofgladnefs above his fellows — full of 
 the Spirit cfwrfdoni, of counfel, of might, and the 
 fear of the Lord, who fhould not /hive nor cry, nor 
 caufehis voice to be heard in the fircets. We con- 
 fefs in him the peculiar works afligned by the 
 fpirit of prophecy to \he Mcfliah, by whom the 
 
no HINSDALE. 
 
 eyes of the blind were to be opened^ the ears 
 of the deaf unftopped, the lame man to leap as 
 an hart, and the tongue of the dumb to fmg. 
 
 But we farther behold in Jefus, what was too 
 llrange to be believed before he came; what few 
 or none ever believed, tho' it had been abun- 
 dantly foretold, until by the event it was ex- 
 plained and fealed- -We behold him defpifed and 
 rejeBed of men, a man of f arrow, and acquainted 
 with grief. He is fold for thirty pieces of fil- 
 ver — The (Iiephcrd isfmitten, and the iheep 
 are Icattcred — Tho' hq had done no violence, 
 he was taken as a prifoncr to judgment — When 
 oppreifed and afflicted, he opened not his 
 mouth--They pierce his hands & his feet--They 
 gape upon him with their mouth, and wag their 
 heads — He looketh for fome to take pity, and 
 there is none; for comforters, and he findeth 
 none — In his thirft they gave him vinegar and 
 gall to drink — He cries out in his agony. My 
 God, my Gcd, zvhy hajl thou forfaken me ! He was 
 numb ere d with the iranfgre[Jbrs — He made his foul 
 an oiTerinj; — He was cut off from the land of the 
 Uving-'Thcy parted his garments, and ca/i' lots for 
 te tTy?//;r.-^-Ncvcrthelefs, becaufe he had done 
 710' violence, neither ivas deceit found in his mouth, 
 he maketh his grave wit!) the rich in his death. 
 But God leave th not h^5 holy One among the 
 dead — He lays tolrim. Sit thou on my right hand, 
 until I make thine enemies thyfoot-JIool And be- 
 hold, one lilic the Son of man, crneth in the clouds 
 ff heaven, and ccmeth to the Ancient of days, and 
 
HINSDALE. Ill 
 
 tbey bring him near before him ; and there is given 
 him dominion, and glory , and a kingdom; that all 
 people, nations and languages JJjould feroe him. 
 His dominion is an everlqflmg dominion, and his 
 kingdom that which Jhall never be dejlroyed. 
 
 Such abundant proof refults from the Spirit 
 in the ancient prophets^ that Jefus is the Chrift, 
 But no notice hath yet been taken of the ac- 
 complilhment of to own predictions. So capital 
 a branch of the argument mult not be forgot- 
 ten, tho' to do it juftice would require a vol- 
 ume. 
 
 The Mefiiah was to be a great prophet. Je- 
 fus not only was the fubje61: of prophecy, but 
 was himfelf an illullrious prophet. The pro- 
 vidence of God hath attefted,, and ftill attefts 
 him 3.S fitch ^ by a pun6tual accomplifhment of all 
 his predictions. 
 
 How often did Jefus foretell his own deaths 
 with the manner and ciixumllancesof it, juftas 
 they afterward happened, and are related by 
 thofe who were witnefTes of the whole tranfac- 
 tion ?— That he fhould be delivered to the chief 
 priefts, and to the fcribes; that they fliould con- 
 demn him to death, and deliver him to the Gen- 
 tiles ;— that they lliould mock and fcourge, and 
 fpit upon, and crucify him. —that he lliould be 
 betrayed by Judas Ifcariot, one of the twelve; 
 that the reft (liould be olTended that very night 
 becaufe of hi*ii : and, notwithftandinir their r>ro- 
 
112 HINSDALE. 
 
 tcftations to the contrary, fliould forfake him 
 and flee :— And, particularly, that Peter, who 
 was more confident than the reft, before 
 the cock crew twice, fliould deny him thrice. 
 
 Wonderful it is, that he uttered thefe pre--, 
 dictions to the very perions who v +-. "^jI'^I 
 them, and with tolemn and repea. .... ,tv.ijiwiii- 
 tions to avoid the very crimes which he fore- 
 told they would commit. To Judas himielf 
 he beforehand denounced the doom, which 
 Jliould follow his treafon ; and to tlie reft re- 
 peated the admonitions, TFatch and pray, that ys 
 enter jioi into temptation. Had he not feen that 
 in them, which none but God coiddkt, furely 
 he would either not have given out fuch pre- 
 di6lions, or not have urged his difciples with 
 fuch inducements to defeat them.— 
 
 Jefus foretold alfo his own rcfurre<5lion, and 
 that he would appear to his difciples in Galilee. 
 Here is an inftance which hath no parallel. 
 What impollor would have dared to venture 
 on fuch a prediction ? Had Jefus been an im- 
 pollor, the event would have dete6ted him, and 
 blailed all his deligns. For however common 
 it is for men once to die, a refurre6tion from 
 the dead is confelFedly the work of none but 
 God ; and fuch a work as, from his known 
 truth and goodnefs, we have the utmoft afTur- 
 ance he would never perform, to lan6lion a 
 deceiver. But Jefus, knowing who he was, 
 and whence lie came, confidentlv grave out 
 
HINSDALE. 113 
 
 his predi6lion, and relied the whole proof of 
 his preteniions on the event. And evident 
 it is, that his adverfaries joined iflue with hini 
 on this fingle point. For the morning after 
 his crucifixion, they come to Pilate, faying. 
 Sir, we remember that that deceiver /aid while he was 
 yet alive y after three days I will nfe again ; com- 
 mand therefore that the fepidchre be made Jure until 
 the third day, le!i his difciples come by night, andjkal 
 him away ; andfo the lajl errorpall be worfe than 
 thefir(i. Can any mortal conceive it pofhble 
 for Deity himfelf to have given a more niani- 
 feft decilion in favour of Jefus, or a more de- 
 monllrative proof of all his preteniions, than 
 he then gave, when, in exa(5^ agreement with 
 his prediction, on the third day he loofed the 
 bands of deaths and brought ogam from the dead our 
 Lord Jefus Chrtfl, and prcfented him alive af'er his 
 pq/fwn, by many infallible proofs, to be fcen by his 
 difciples for forty days, and to fpeak to them the 
 things concerning the kingdom of heaven f— 
 
 Jefus foretold to his apoftles, that the holy 
 Gholt lljould come upon them, and that they 
 lliould receive power fi'om on high to ipeak with 
 new tongues, and work miracles. liow won- 
 derfully did this predi6lion begin to be accom- 
 plillied on the feaft of Pentecoll, when they 
 were filled with the holy G holt, and ber^an to 
 fpeak with other tongues, and immediately af- 
 ter to perform fucli mighty works as their 
 Lord had done before them } 
 
 He foretold the perfecution-:: and fulFcrlngs 
 Vol. IV P 
 
114 HINSDALE. 
 
 his apoftles (liould undergo, and particularly 
 the manner of that death by which Peter, in 
 his old age, fliould glorify God ; and that John 
 fnouid furvive the deftruction of Jerufalem. 
 
 He iiUo foretold that his apollles fiiould be 
 his witnefses, not only in Judea, but to the ut- 
 ternioft parts of the earth: That the kingdom 
 pf heaven fliould be taken from the Jews, and 
 given to the Gentiles, who fiiould bring forth 
 its fruits : That the number of his difciples 
 fliould wonderfully increafe from the fmalleft 
 beginnings, as the feed groweth up to a large 
 tree ; and as a little leaven leaveneth the whole 
 lump : And that his church fliould be fo found- 
 ed on a rock, that againll it the gates of hell 
 fliOuld not prevail. 
 
 It is well known how exa6tly thefe prophe- 
 cies have been accompliflied; the moft of the 
 things predicted in them., when predided, were 
 contrary to all human probablity; impohible 
 to be forefeen by human lagacity, or effected 
 by human power. Efpecially that which re- 
 lates to the wonderful progrefs of the gofpel 
 and church of Chrift, from the fmallell begin- 
 nings, by tlie weakeft inftruments, and notwith- 
 ftanding all oppofition. What events can be 
 imagined more improbable, or with men 
 more nipollible, than that twelve peafants, def- 
 tituteof all worldly advantages, without pow- 
 er, without riches, interell, policy, learning 
 or eloquence, fliould propagate, and give pre- 
 \'alcnce to, a religion which difclaims allfecular 
 
HINSDALE. 115 
 
 m,otives, and that in oppofition to the ftroogeii: 
 prejudices, and reigning powers of Jews and 
 Gentiles ? yet fuch was the predidion of lefus ; 
 and fuch the marvellous event ! 
 
 I cannot difmifs this part of our fubje6t, but 
 with an earneft requell to every hearer to ob- 
 ferve the exa6t correfpondence between our 
 Lord's prediction of the deftru6tioti of Jerufa- 
 lem, and that remarkable hiftory, which fo mi- 
 nutely records the events in which that predic- 
 tion was accompliflied. How minutely partic- 
 ular is the predi<5tion ? It notes the figns which 
 were to precede, the circumllances which fliould 
 attend and follow, that horrible devaftation, and 
 limits the time within which it iliould be made. 
 What iingle circumflance of that predi61ion, 
 minute as it is, may not be read in the hiftory 
 which relates that memorable event. We are 
 at a lofs which moil to admire, the omnifcience of 
 the Saviour, or the providence of God in so 
 exadlly verifying his predi<5iion. The inter- 
 pqtfiion of providence is not lefs confpicuous in 
 its care to preferve the evidence of the events, 
 than in bringing to pafs the events themfelves. 
 For the principal author, who has recorded 
 thofe events, was a Jew, a prieft, and an eye,- 
 witnefs, being prefent, and ading an impor- 
 tant part in the fcene which he defcribes; con- 
 verfant alike with both Jews and Romans ; and, 
 in point of literature and information as well 
 as integrity, the beft furniflied, perhaps, of a- 
 ny man of that age to give the account.-- 
 
iiG HINSDALE. 
 
 In a word, as Vefpafian and Titus were raif- 
 ed up and prelervedtoaccomplifii our S;j.viour's 
 prediiiion; fo was Jolephus to exhibit to the 
 world the evidence of that accon.piilhment. 
 Ke v as leveral times relcued from imminent 
 defcruition. His hiltory^ having been examin- 
 ed and approved by Vefpafian and Titus, and o- 
 ther principal actors on both fides, was pub- 
 lished, and has beerf' tranfmitted to us intire.-- 
 And tho' it is certain the author defigned no- 
 thmg lej's, yet if he had defigned nothing more, 
 his hiftory could not have been a better com- 
 ment on the predi6tion of Jefus, concerning 
 the deflru6lion of Jerufaiem. But had hiftory 
 been filent, the ruins of the city and temple, 
 the defolation of Judea, and the difperfion of 
 the Jews, which are flill to be feen, would have 
 tell i 'led to all men, as they now do, the fignal 
 accornplilliment pf that predi6lion. 
 
 What the defign of Jefus was in all his proph c- 
 cies we learn from his own words-- Now I tell you 
 before it come, that when it is conie to pcifs, ye ??iay 
 believe that I am be. Divine providence, in their 
 completion, hath alfo a tongue, and a voice, 
 which fpcaketh plainly. It is the voice of wif- 
 dom, which flie putteth forth in the chief place 
 oftleconcourfe-, V?ito you, O ?ne}i, I call, and my 
 voice IS to the fans of men. Tlio' it be a fliU, /mall 
 voice, and for that reafon little regarded by ma- 
 ny ; yet it is majeftic and folcmn as the rolling 
 of the fplieres, or as that which breaketh the 
 cedars of Lebanon. What doth it fpeak ? '^I am 
 
HINSDALE. 117 
 
 ''Jehovah : I have confirmed the words of my 
 '^meiTenger, that ye may know that I have 
 **fent Him. "--The very fame which came from 
 the excellent glory ; This is my beloved Son, in 
 whom I am well pleafed. hear ye him. 
 
 In view and review of all thofe things, muft 
 not all men fee and confefs the Angular pro- 
 priety with which the angelic witnefs pronoun- 
 ces. The tejiimony of Jefus is the Spirit of prophe- 
 cy ?— Who can forbear to exclaim with St Tho- 
 mas, when he had feen in his mailer's hands 
 the prints of the nails, and was bidden to thruft 
 his hand into his fide. My Lord and my 
 God ?- 
 
SERMON LXV. 
 
 The christian RELIGION 
 attejled by the 
 SPIRIT OF PROPHECY. 
 
 BY 
 
 THEPDORE HINSDALE, A. M. 
 
 Pq/lor of a Congregational Church in JVindfor^ 
 
 Connecticut, 
 
 Revelation of St, John, xix. i o. 
 
 ^"i am thy fellow fervant J and of thy brethren, who 
 have the teflimony of Jefus: wor/hip God : for the 
 tejlimony of Jefus is thefpirit of prophecy. 
 
 Having made fome remarks on the fpirit of 
 prophecy, and obferved the lingular pro- 
 priety with which it is called the Testimony 
 OF Jesus; it remains, 
 
 III. That I more fully exhibit the evidence, by 
 which the Spirit of prophecy proves to us the 
 divine authority of the Chriftian religion. 
 
 In a remark already made, it has in effeft 
 been proved, that whenever God, in the events 
 of his providence, fulfilleth a prophecy, which 
 has been given out in his name, it is meant, on 
 his part, and therefore to be received by us, as 
 his teftimony that the perfon who fpake or 
 
I20 HINSDALE. 
 
 wrote the prediclio.n, is cornn-iiCione^^ h-^r V|ni 
 as his prophet. The. teftimon^ ' 
 tendeth to all things fpokeii or v : 
 
 peiTon in the name of God. it . 
 ture of a royal feal, which ftamps -i. f- 
 
 lion of an embaflador; and hath the. 5jj: a 
 
 command to ail men, to give full evidence to 
 all communications, which that perfon hath 
 made, or fliall make, in the name of l»i.s royal 
 mailer. And this, in faft, is the ftylebf God's 
 commiffion to his prophet. / will put my yc eras 
 in his mouth, and heJJjall /peak all that I command 
 him ; and whofoever JJjall 7iot hearken unto my word, 
 which hejhall /peaky I will require it cf hm.— 
 Therefore, when we find in thofe facred books, 
 which have come to us in Gods name, andpro- 
 fefs to reveal to us his whole mind, innumerable 
 prophecies of things to come ; and that a great 
 number of thefe hath been, in ages paft, exa6l- 
 ly fulfilled, and others are at the prefent day 
 fulfilling before our eyes, it certainly behoves 
 us to confider thcfe accomplilhments as fo 
 many divine teftimonies, that thofe writings 
 are, what they claim to be, his own oracles; 
 and that the religion, which they teach, is from 
 
 HEAVEN. 
 
 How mighty a confirmation, then, have the 
 ancient prophetic writ ngs received from the 
 exa6l accompliflmient of fuch a multitude of 
 predi6lions in Jefus Chrift ? In a review of 
 what was faid relative to this point under the 
 preceding head of difcourle, with what grow- 
 
H I NiS D A L E. 12 i 
 
 ing afTurance may we fay, in the words of 
 St. Peter, TP^e have the word of prophecy more 
 Jure, 
 
 And while, with fuch irrefiflible force of e- 
 vidence, the fpirit of prophecy hath proved Je- 
 fus to be the Meffiah, by the accomplifliment, 
 both of all thofe ancient prophecies and his own, 
 it juft as forcibly confirms whatfoever he 
 taught in the days of his flefh, and therefore all 
 the leading principles of that religion which 
 bfears his name, and rells on him as its foun- 
 dation. 
 
 From Jefus thus fealed by the holy Father as 
 the great prophet, the faithful and true 
 WITNESS, arifes a new and additional confir- 
 mation of the books o{ both teflaments : Of the 
 former, by his repeated appeals to them as the 
 oracles of God ; and of the latter, from his ex- 
 prefs appointment of his apolUes to be his wit- 
 nefTcs to the world, and his promife to them, 
 for that purpofe, of the unerring guidance of 
 his Spirit. 
 
 Here let it be remembered, that the apoftles 
 and evangelifts, who were employed to write 
 the books of the new teftament, befide their 
 other lupprnatural powers, were moft, if 
 not all of them, endued with the gift of pro- 
 phecy ; and particularly, four of them, viz 
 St. Paul, John, Peter, and Jude^ who wrote all 
 the books of the new teftament, exce'^t 
 Vol. IV. Q 
 
123 HINSDALE. 
 
 five, have left on record prophecies of their 
 own, which have received, or are 7iotv receiv-' 
 ing, their accomplifliment. Thus thefe facred 
 writers, and the books which bear their names, 
 in addition to all the other proofs of their di- 
 vine authority, are fealed by the teftimony of 
 Jefus.-- 
 
 In the mean time, each teftament has re- 
 ceived a continual and growing confirmation, 
 from the accomplifliment of a vail multitue of 
 prophecies rcfpe6ting other things in the con- 
 dition of the church and of the world. 
 
 Here opens an unbounded field, on which 
 at prefent want of time forbids to enter. 
 Permit me, my brethren, * only to remind 
 you of a prophetic fcene opened in each tefta- 
 ment; the one, two thoufand five hundred 
 years ago by Daniel in the dream of the 
 king of Babylon, and repeated in the vifion of 
 the beaits ; the other, one thoufand feven hun- 
 dred' years ago by St. John in his Revelation. 
 Each in a different manner, but both in per- 
 fedt agreement, exhibit not a fingle event--not 
 the ts ents of an age--but an orderly and accu- 
 rate epitome of the hiftory ot the church and 
 world, from its own time to the prefent, and 
 from the prefent to the confummation of all 
 thmgs. Let thefe prophetic fcenes be examined 
 by allthe light ofdivine and human hiftory. The 
 more you will examine and compare, the more 
 you will believe and wonder. 
 
HINSDALE. 12 
 
 t> 
 
 The paft ages of thefe prophecies are not 
 buried in darknefs, like thofe which went be- 
 fore them. ^*^Their events are the fubjeft," as 
 one*well obferves/'of the moll celebrated pens, 
 *^'both of former and latter ages. Thefe hif- 
 '*^tories are the belt written and the nioft read 
 *^ofany. They are the ftudy of the learned, 
 '''and the amufement of the polite. We learn 
 ^'themwhen youngs and forget them not when 
 ''we are old, while very little is known of other 
 ''times and nations.'' 
 
 We cannot lay too much llrefs on the argu- 
 ment from the accomplifliment of prophecy.— 
 It is impoffible we fliould be mifled by it, unlefs 
 wx will put out our own eyes. Prophecy is 
 like the rod of Mofes : It works wonders to 
 prove and eftablifh the true religion ; but de- 
 vours all impoftors which come in its way. In 
 the hand of a true prophet it is the rod of God, 
 which fmiteth the rock, and bringeth forth 
 the waters of life. But a pretence to it in 
 the hand of an impoftor (and a pretence is all an 
 impoftor can have) is a fword; and he zvho 
 takcth the fwprdyjball penjh with thcjword. 
 
 We have^obferved the fate of the pretenders 
 to propl;ecy among the ancient heathen.-- 
 How they melted away at the prefence of the 
 fun of righteoufnefs, the great prophet. Since 
 that day no prudent impoftor has dared to take 
 np this^fword. Among nations wholly uncn- 
 
 *Newton on Prnpherv. 
 
124 HINSDALE. 
 
 lightened and favage, fome mayj perhaps, he 
 found, who pretend to prophecy. Among 
 ^hriftian nations a few wild fanatics have given 
 out predictions ; but the event hath uniformly 
 blown them up, and expofed their delufions. 
 But which of the more crafty and projecting 
 impoftors has dared to rifk his reputation^ and 
 his caufe, on the event of a prediction ?--Ma- 
 homet indeed called himfelf a prophet ; but we 
 do not find that he ventured on prophecy. 
 The roman pontiffs, thro' a long fuccellion of a- 
 ges, have been grafping at every advantage, 
 which the moil; profound policy could fuggeft, 
 to give credit, prevalence and permanence 
 to their corruptions. But when have they 
 pretended to the fpirit of prophecy ? i . They 
 have long pretended to miracles, and made 
 the power of working them one mark of their 
 church. Mahomet pretended to have wrought 
 f^iveral. It is comparatively eafy to obtain 
 credit to fuch pretences. But whatreafon can 
 be given that they have not claimed the gift of 
 prophecy ? Is it not this, and only this ? they 
 could not find how they could get any advan- 
 txige by it, and they durlt not run the rifk of 
 that detection and de(lru6tion, which muft have 
 been the certain confequence of events not an- 
 Iwering their predictions. 
 
 I therefore repeat it, there is no danger of 
 being mified by oiir argument, by daylight, 
 and with our eyes open. Mere pretences to 
 j)i'op]iccy can never obtain credit but in the 
 
HINSDALE. 125 
 
 dark.— The true fpirit of prophecy loves the 
 light. The more you will put it to the tell by 
 the lights the more you will admire and adore 
 him^ who revealeth the deep andfecret things; and 
 the more readily believe in your heart, and 
 confefs with yourmouth_, t\\3itt\\^ prophecy caine 
 not of old time by the will of man ; but holy men 
 fpake as they were moved by the holy Ghojl. 
 
 But why fo confident ? — Some cannot bear 
 the light. It ftares them too itrongly in the 
 face. They turn their backs, and complain, 
 '^The correfpondence between the predications 
 and events is fo perfe61:, that the predictions 
 mull have been forged, and written after the 
 events.'' 
 
 To fuch diftrefs is infidelity reduced. Here 
 is the laft refuge of a deiperate caufe. — For in 
 this very plea there is a confedion, which, if 
 the plea fail, muft confound the cauie forever* 
 
 May we be permitted to a(k thefe obje6lors, 
 Where ? when ? by whom were thofe predic- 
 tions forged ? Ye cannot, ye pretend not to 
 tell. Why then is it alledged ? Becaufe it 
 feemeth to you incredible, that events fliould 
 be fo .accurately defcribed before they exifl. 
 Is it then incredible that divine omnifcience 
 fliould dcfcribe events to come as perte61:ly, as 
 human hiftory can events which /^^z'^ come to pafs ? 
 Ye muft recede from the objG6lion, or believe 
 Jiothing but what ye fee with your own eyes 
 
126 H I N S D A L E, 
 
 For the books which contain thefe prophecies 
 are now in the hands of millions in two quart- 
 ers of the globe. All of them have been read 
 in public weekly aflemblies for feventeen hun- 
 dred, and hioft of them for more than two 
 thoufand years. They have been tranflated in- 
 to many languages, and difperfed into many 
 countries. They have I)een quoted and com- 
 mented upon by writers ancient and modern ; 
 by Jewifli, Chriftian and infidel authors, whofe 
 books, or facraments have come down to our 
 times. Yet will ye pretend they have been 
 forged and impofed upon the world by a fraud i 
 
 Thofe v/ho have written againft revelation 
 aiFe6l the honour of knowing more, and feeing 
 farther, than others. But doth it not betray 
 an ignorance altogether unworthy of a liberal 
 mind, and a free inquiry, to alTert things with- 
 out the ihadow of a proof.? Doth it not be- 
 fpeakfomethingeven worfe than ignorance, to 
 aifert and adhere to aiTertions, which are con- 
 fronted by the united voice of all ancient hift- 
 ory facred and profane .? 
 
 But fmce you have fo little faith in ancient 
 hlftory, what if the appeal be made to your fen- 
 fes ? — To the prcfent condition of the world, 
 and to monuments and events fo recent as to 
 preclude a poflibility that the prophecies, which 
 are fulfilled in them, fliould have been written 
 ciftc.r the events ? The appeal hath been made 
 
H I N S 1? A L E. 127 
 
 in the face of the world, and by an able pen* 
 your obje(5tion h^s been fairly taken up by the. 
 ropts; and the caufe of infidelity left without a 
 cloak to cover its weaknefs. 
 
 Be pleafe^ to ppe,n your eyes, and obferve 
 howexadly the late and prefent condition of 
 the delcendants of Noah anfwers their deftiny 
 pronounced by him. Behold the fons of Ja- 
 phet enlarged^ and ruling in Europe and Ameri- 
 ca ; and, ever iince the calling of the Gentiles, 
 dwelling ifi the tents of Stem; while the curfe of. 
 llavery to this day refts on the po/ierify of Ham, 
 
 Take notice of the wandering Arabians—See 
 how the deftiny of the fons of Ilhmael, fore- 
 told by an angel, is anfwered in them. 
 Have they not been midtiplicd exceedijigly ^ and be- 
 conie a great nation^ Is not their Jjand againji 
 every man, and every mans hand againjl them f 
 And yet,to the jull aftonifliment of all the world, 
 after all the mighty attempts which have been 
 made tocruflithem as common enemies of man- 
 kind, do they not ftill dwell as a free people in 
 the prefence of all their brethren ? 
 
 Of Amalek it was faid by Mofes, His remem- 
 brance fhall utterly be put out from under heaven ; 
 and of the houfe of Efau, by another prophet, 
 that it fl\ould be cut off forever. And where do 
 you find on earth a fingle defcendant of either 
 
 Bp. Newton, 
 
128 Hinsdale; 
 
 of thofe flocks, though once fuch great nations ? 
 But you fee the fons of Jacob exifting at the 
 prefent day, precifely in that condition which by 
 all the prophets, was predi6led of them. Be- 
 hold ! how they are punifhed for reje6ling their 
 great prophet — Scattered among the heathen, among 
 all nations, from one end of the earth to the other ! 
 opprejjed ayidfpoiled evermore — made a proverb, and 
 a by-word, and an afionijhment among the nations; 
 while thofe, who at one time and another have 
 been their enemies and conquerors/ have long 
 lince been brought to their deftined ruin. 
 
 Where are now thofe renowned cities, Ni- 
 neveh, Babylon and Tyre, whofe delolation was 
 fo often denounced by the prophets ? What 
 is now the condition of Jerulalem and Judea ? 
 Are they not trodden dozvn of the Gentiles, and 
 likely to be ftill trodden down, until the times 
 that the Gentilesfhall befullfilled ? How remarkably 
 do the a6tions and ftate of the Turks, who have 
 fo long trodden them down, agree to what was 
 predicted of them ? Hcfiall come with horfc- 
 men and many flnps, and fJoall overflow a?id pafs o- 
 ver. HcJImU enter into the glorious land, and ma- 
 ny countries JJjall be overthrown. Do ye not find 
 it even fo ? And tliat he hath ftretched out 
 lus hand over the land of Egypt, with the Ly- 
 bians at his flcps, while the Arabians ftill efcape 
 out of his hand. 
 
 Hath not the ftate of Egypt, for many pafl 
 ages, beenjuft as was foretold ?— a ^fl/^ and the 
 
HINSDALE. 12^ 
 
 bafell of kingdoms y without a ruler of her own, 
 and wafted byjirangers, 
 
 Obferve the fourth kingdom of Daniers vifion 
 broken into ten. Behold, that v/onderful pow- 
 er > diverfe from the fir ft ^ which hath arifen up a- 
 niong them, with a look more ft out than his fellows, 
 and a mouth fpeaking great things, e\en great words 
 againfl the Mqft-High —TYidit pow-er, which wear- 
 etb out the faints of the Mo ft- High, and changeth 
 times and laws. Behold him cajiing down the 
 truth to the ground ; forbidding to marry, and com- 
 mandmg to g^bftainfrom meats. Yea, behold him 
 fitting in the temple, the church of God, andflocw- 
 ing himfelf that he is God ; whoie coming is with 
 Jigns and lying wonders. And remember, that 
 the ieat of this horrid tyrannical power is that 
 great city, which ftandeth onfeven mountains, and 
 which, in the days of the prophecy, reigned over 
 all the kings of the earth. In fine. 
 
 You fee the church of God at this day fub- 
 iifting in the world.— The fame church, which 
 before Chrift was continued in the feed of Abra- 
 ham; and which, at, and after his coming, took 
 that new form, which Daniel iliw under the 
 name of the kingdom of heaven, and hath 
 ever iince fubfifted amongft the Gentiles. You 
 know the prefervation and final prevalence of 
 this fociety, together with the hoftile attempts 
 and final ruin of all her enemies, have been 
 predi<5fed by all the prophets from Mofes to St. 
 John. Now when ye fee this very church in pre- 
 Vol. IV, R 
 
I30 HINSDALE. 
 
 Jent exiflence and enlargment, after all the at-^ 
 tempts w hich have been made, in all manner 
 of ways, and thro' a longfucceilion of a^es, ior 
 her deftrudion ; and notwithftanding Ihe has all 
 the feeds of diffblution in herfelf, has often been 
 extremely feeble, and in the hand of her ene- 
 mies^ and at the point of death.— When you fee 
 this, you behold an event, which, tho' perfectly 
 correfponding to hundreds of fcripture-prophe- 
 cies and promifes, is yet unparalleled in the 
 HISTORY OF THE w^ORLD. /Suffer mc to repeat. 
 
 It is UNPARALLELED IN THE HISTORY OF THE 
 
 W0RLD--The moft unlikely event when it was 
 foretold, ever to have exiftcd ;--and which, in- 
 deed, never could have exijled, but by the mar-vellous 
 providence of God, defeating the influence of iiatural 
 caiifes, that he might fulfil the defigns of his 
 mercy ;— that he might confirm the words of his 
 fervants, tnd perform the counfelofhisineffengers; 
 and at tiie lame time, that he might f ruff rate th^ 
 tokens of the liars; and make diviners mad, and clofe 
 the mouth of infidels in Perpetual Silence. 
 Thus is the Spirit of prophecy the teftimony of 
 Jehovah to the facred fciuptures as His Own 
 Oracles, and to Jefus as the Chrift ; and of 
 conicqucnce, to the Chriftian religion as di- 
 \- 1 N E . 
 
 And what, my brethren, is the conclufion of 
 the whole ? Is it not plainly this? That the 
 religion of the bible, which tcrxhcth all men to 
 believe, love, obey and worfhip the o?ie true 
 Gou, through the one Alediator, the man Chrijl Je- 
 fus, is the only true religion r"— That the works and 
 
HINSDALE. 131 
 
 fulFerings affigned to the Mefliah on earth are 
 lininied?--That when the gofpel, which bring- 
 eth the glad tidings, and calleth us and all men 
 to repent, believe, obey and be faved, fliall have 
 finiflied its courfe, the lame Jclus, whom God 
 the Father hath thus fealed, and received up to 
 glory, Ihall come again, to raife the dead and 
 change the living, and render to both according 
 to their works? In the mean time, that we 
 and ail men are candidates for the immortal 
 honors and rewards of the heavenly kingdom, 
 or the never-enaing iorrows of damnation^ ac- 
 cording as we 720x1^ obey or difobey that awful 
 mandate, which once came from th.^ excellent 
 glory. Hear Ye Him. Should not the ua- 
 Ihaken truth, importance and excelJency of this 
 reiigion animate the minifters of Chrift, not only 
 firmly to believe and practile it themlelves ; 
 but with unwearied diligence and conilancy to 
 publiih it to the world ? Supported by Jucb e- 
 vidence, what realon have they to tremble be- 
 fore unbelievers, or to be aihamed of the gof- 
 pei of Chrift ? Let us not be at all difmayed 
 or diicouraged, that there are fo many who be- 
 lieve not our report. So furely as Jef)'s is the 
 Chrilt, his gofpel will finally triumph over all 
 infidelity. And is it not a glory worthy oui* 
 highelt ambition, to contribute all we can, tho' 
 it were but a mite, to advance yi/cZ? a triumph ? 
 We are ready to fay, we labour in vain ; yet, 
 if we labour faithfully, let us remember, Oia- 
 ivork is with the Lord ; and in due time xveJJjall 
 rciip, if -we faint not. 
 
1-32 HINSDALE. 
 
 Let 4ir who have believed the teflimony of 
 Jefus, and built all their hope of falvation on 
 the foundation of the apoftles & prophets, rejoice 
 in the confolation which may be taken from the 
 preceding dilcourfe. Be allured, Oye believ- 
 ers. This is the true grace of God in which you 
 Jland. Ye are building on a rock, againft which 
 the gates of hell/hall not prevail. Only v/alk Wor- 
 thy of the gofpel, and add to your faith thofe 
 other moft excellent virtues which it recom- 
 mends, and you fnali never fall ; for fo an en- 
 trance fhall be minijhed to you abundantly info the 
 everlajling kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jefus 
 Chrili.— 
 
 Have any to this time neglected to examine 
 the evidences of the Chriftian relioion ? Have 
 any foundv^d their faith on tradition ? Hath 
 the belief of any -been fiaggered by the cavils 
 of iniidelity ? ■ They ^re now moft earneftly in- 
 vited to attend with care and candor to the ar- 
 gument, which hath juft been exhibited. And 
 not to that only, but to that in its due connedt- 
 ion with all the reft. For tho' this by it- 
 felf is conclulive and unanfwerable, it is ftill 
 but one of a cloud of witneiscs, which all give 
 in their united tcftimony, to authenticate the 
 ] cliy/ion of J el us. 
 
 Be in treated \\\en to examine them with care. 
 k is a matter of infinite and evcrlafting impo^- 
 t;siice to vou , as well as others. If Jcius be 
 <!)eChrift, if the gofpel be from God, you are 
 
H IN S D A L E. 133 
 
 happy or wretched forever according as you 
 embrace or rejeft its molt gracious oiFers. For 
 fuch are the deciiive words of Chrift himfelf, 
 wljich his minifters may not fupprefs ; He that 
 believethjhall befaved : but he that believetb not,Jhall 
 be da?nned. 
 
 But let none reft in a cold afTent. Uat faith 
 only will fave the foul_, which embraceth Chrift 
 as a whole Saviour, and the gofpel truth in the 
 love of it: That faith which transformeth 
 the foul into the image of Chrift, and reduceth 
 the life into a real conformity to his command- 
 ments. 
 
 Finally, my brethren, have we feen the fcrip- 
 tures fealed by paft events ? Let it exalt our 
 faith into a full afllirance, that all the prophe- 
 cies which remain, and particularly thofe which 
 fpeak of Jcfus' future glory, fhall receive, in due 
 time, their perfeft accomplifliment. 
 
 With joy we behold Chrift reigning, while with 
 grief we obferve it is as yet in the midflofhis 
 enemies. As yet he finds but little faith on 
 earth. Among even thofe who call him Lord, 
 how many believe not ? The gloomy fliades 
 of heathenifh darknefs overfpread many na- 
 tions* The mipofture of Mahomet ftill ftretch- 
 cth out its cruel hand over many countries. 
 The Jews abide ftill in their unbelief The 
 man of fin is ftill in power. The witneffes 
 yet prophecy in fackcloth. 
 
134 H I N S D A L E. 
 
 But blefTed be God, he hath opened to our 
 faith brighter pro^pe6ts, and a more glorious or- 
 der of things. When infidelity and dilcord, a- 
 mong thofe who are called by his nanie^ fliall 
 ceaie, then there fliall be one Lord, and his name 
 one ; and he will give to them one heart and one 
 way, that they may fear Him forever,— -when idol 
 gods fijall perifJj from the earth, and from under the 
 heavens. — when the lung of the north, who hath 
 planted h:.s tabernacle in the glorious holy mountain, 
 Jhall come to his end, and none JJmU help him." 
 lichen the Lord fjall confume that wicked 0?ie with 
 the Spirit of his mouth, and the bright nefs of his com-* 
 ing— when the vail fhall be taken from the hearts 
 of the Jews^ and they fliall return unto the Lord. 
 Then fliall commence the glorious era, 
 when the kingdoms of this world floall become the 
 Lord's ; and be given to the faints of the Mqfl High, 
 and they fliall live and reign with Chrijl a thoiifand 
 years. 
 
 This GRAND ERA Is approaching with a fpeed 
 rapidastheflight of time. The ?iight isfarfpent, 
 the day is at hand. In this profpecl, with what 
 ardor fliould we pray. Thy Kingdom come ? 
 And tho' we may not live to fee that glorious 
 day of the Son of Man upon earth, God will 
 haften his work. And if we fliall die watching 
 and praying for the coming of the Lord, we 
 fliall be found cf him in peace at lafl, and have a 
 part in the perfccl light, perfect love a/id con- 
 iummate joys of heaven ; with wliichthe prefent 
 \Vorki, in its vcrv belt elhUc, is not w^orthv to 
 
HINSDALE. 13^ 
 
 be compared. For if we believe that Jefus died 
 and arofe, even Jo them aljb whojleep in Jefus, God 
 will bring witb him. NorfJoall thofe who live and 
 remain until the coming of the Lord, prevent thofe 
 who are afleep. For the Lord himfelffhall defcend 
 from heaven with afhout, with the voice of the arch- 
 angel , and With the trump of God ; and the dead in. 
 Chrt/ifhall rife firfl. Thenfhall thofe, who are ^- 
 live and remain, be caught up together with them to 
 meet the Lord in the air ; andfofhall we ever be witb 
 the Lord, 
 
 Wherefore, my brethren ^ Jet us comfort one ano- 
 ther with tbefe words. 
 
SERMON LXVL 
 
 The efficacy of THE GOSPEL , 
 ABOVE ALL WORLDLY WISDOM, 
 
 JBY 
 
 SAMUEL LANGDON, D. D. 
 
 Minifler of a Congregatioiial Churchy Hamptonfalls^ 
 
 New-HampJIdire . 
 
 / Cor, i. 2 1, ' 
 
 For after that in the wifdom of God, the ivorld by 
 wifdom knew not God, it pleafed God by thefoolifJo- 
 nefs ofpreachi?ig tofave them that believe. 
 
 By the preaching of the apoftle Paul, a fa-* 
 mous church had been formed at Corinth, 
 one of the molt tiourifhing cities of ancient 
 Greece;, very conveniently fituated for trade, 
 and even vying with Athens in arts and learn- 
 ing. That church was abundantly furnifhed 
 with the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit, and 
 enriched with the graces of Cjiriftianity ; but 
 was foon divided into parties, by* paying. more 
 regard to the different gifts of thofe who had 
 preached among them, than to the plain, eilen- 
 tial do6lrines and duties of the gofpel. In this 
 Vol, IV S 
 
138 L A N G D O N. 
 
 refpe6l they retained too much of the fpirit of 
 their philofophers, who made themfelves heads 
 of different fe6ls, and led their difciples, ranged 
 into diftin6t parties, to carry on continual dif- 
 putes and contentions againft each other. This 
 was far from being agreeable to the defign and 
 fpirit of the gofpel ; which plainly taught them 
 to trufi: in one only Saviour the Lord Jelus 
 Chrift, learn his holy dodrines, do whatever he 
 has commanded, and love one another as bre- 
 thren of the fame family. Nor had Paul given 
 them the leall occalion of breaking into parties : 
 For he had not called them to look to him as 
 their faviour,nor baptized them, as his diiciples, 
 in his own name : Nay, fo far was he from dif- 
 covering any fuch defign, that he had confidered 
 it as a matter of little importance, compared 
 with his great work of preaching the gofpel, 
 whether he baptized converts with his own 
 hands, or left this to be done by the evangelifts 
 who accompanied him in his travels ; and it 
 gave him no fmall fitisfa(5lion, confide ring the 
 prefent diipolition of the Corinthians, to refle(5l 
 that he himfelf had baptized but two lingle per- 
 fons and one houlhold of that whole church. 
 And as to his preaching, they had much lefs 
 reafon to fuppofe he was aiming to gain applaufe, 
 and forni a party for himfelf, like their cele- 
 brated piiilolophers : For his preaching was not 
 alfededly embelliflied with the enticing charms 
 of eloquence, or recommended by a fhow of 
 deep learning and curious reafoning, which 
 would have been inconfillent with the efficacy 
 
•L A N G D O N. . 139 
 
 'of the plain do6lrine of a crucified Saviour; 
 but, dire6lly contrary to the well known man- 
 ner of philofophers and the prevailing tafte of 
 the world, he had with the greatefl iimplicity 
 preached the crofs ofChrl(i, tho' it appeared to 
 the wife men of the world the mod foolifli me- 
 thod which could be taken to gain profelytes, 
 and teach men religion and virtue. Here 
 therefore the apoftle begins to triumph over 
 the wifdom of the world, with an evident allu- 
 lion to thofe remarkable words of Ifaiah ; Be- 
 hold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work amoJig 
 this people, even a marvellous zvork & a wonder I for 
 the vutfdom of their wife 7ncn [hall per fh, and the un- 
 der/landing of their prudent tJienfJjall be hid.-- Thine 
 heart Jhall meditate terror : Where is the fcribe ^ 
 where is the receiver f where is he that counted the. 
 towers ? From thefe text s the apoftle borrows 
 his exultation over all that wifdom which the 
 Greeks admired and were feeking after ; and 
 thus exclaims. Whore is the wife ? where is the 
 fcribe? where is the difputer of this world? hath 
 not God madefoolijh the wifdom of this world ? Im- 
 mediately after this our text follows, to jullify 
 the exultation. For the apoftle affirms it to 
 be afurprizing evidence of the wifdom of the di- 
 vine government, thatGod permitted the world 
 lirft of all to try the utmoft force of their own 
 wifdom, in order to find the knowledge of the 
 tru^e God, and the way to happinefs ; and when, 
 after a complete experiment, their continual ef- 
 forts tailed of thofe important ends, that he him- 
 felf took a method quite different from all the 
 
140 L A N G D O N, 
 
 vain reafonings of philofophers, and which they 
 treated with the greateft contempt, as foolifh- 
 nef^^ to enhghten, reform and fave mankind ; 
 yiz^ by the preaching of Chrifl crucified. 
 
 Therefore^ my prefent defign is to give feme 
 particular illuftration of the fentiments con- 
 tained in the text, by endeavouring to lliew^ 
 
 I. That the wifdom of God was confpicuoufly 
 manifefted in permitting the world, for many 
 ages before the gofpel, to feek the knowledge 
 of hiniielf and the way to happinefs, by trying 
 the utmoft ftrength of human wifdom ; the re- 
 fult of which experiment was, that mankind 
 were never able, in this way, to gain the true 
 knowledge of Gpd, or fave themfelves from 
 the deltru^tive power of fm. 
 
 II. That the method which God was pi eafed 
 afterward to take, tho' quite difFerentfrom that 
 wnfdom which the world ilill admires, and is in- 
 clined to feek after, and which appears in their 
 viey^/foolffhnefsy is a moft glorious difplay of his 
 wifdom, and moft eifedual to anfwer the im- 
 portant purpofes of bringing men to the know* 
 Itidge of himfcif, delivering them from the pow- 
 er of fin, and making them forever happy ; viz, 
 by this puhlic univerfal proclamation, — That 
 Chrift crucified was the Son of God and the /Sa- 
 viour of mankind; and that the belief of this 
 proclamation is the principal thing neceffary in 
 ovdQv to our being faved, Hei"e I have taken 
 
L A N G D O N, 141 
 
 the liberty to fubftitute the word proclamation 
 inftead of preaching ; becaufe the latter is too 
 weak to exprefs the full force of the original 
 word K«6^7.ie<«e'roc^ whlch propcrly fignifies that 
 which is pubjiihed by the voice of a crier, or in 
 other words, the proclamation made^ 
 
 I. I am to fhew, that the wifdom of God was 
 confpicuoufly manifefted in permitting the 
 world, for many ages before the gofpel, to feek 
 the knowledge of himlelf and the way to hap- 
 pinefs, by trying the utmoll ftrength of human 
 wifdom ; the refult of which experiment was, 
 that mankind were never able, in this way, to 
 gain the knowledge of the true God, or fave 
 themfelves from the deftrudive power of fin. 
 A fimilar experiment had been made long be- 
 fore by king Solomon, under divine direction, 
 with all the advantages of wifdom, riches and 
 honor, whether man could find any good which 
 might give him full fatisfadion in the prefent 
 world ; and, to fave all others the trouble and 
 difappointment of trying the fame experiment 
 under far inferior advantages, he gave his full 
 teftimony that all things under the fun are va- 
 nity. And knowing how much men were in- 
 clined to think their own wifdom fufficient to 
 teach them all things relating to religion and 
 good morals, v/ithout any revelation from hea- 
 ven, God faw it beft to have an experiment rnade 
 in this refpe6t alfo, before he fent his Son to be 
 the liglit of the world ; and when the gofpel 
 came, it moft evidently appeared that fuch a 
 
14^ L A N G D O N. 
 
 revelation was abfolutely necefTary for the 
 world. 
 
 But it has been made an obje6lion againft di- 
 vine revel^tion^ that if it is fo necelTary and im- 
 portant to the worlds it is unaccountable that 
 it fhould be fo long confined to one nation, ot 
 the perfe6lion of it poltponed tor fo many ages, 
 while all the nations were left rn ignorance ; 
 that it ought to have been made known, in the 
 moll complete manner, from the earlieft ages, 
 publiflied univerfally, and, by the fpecial pro- 
 vidence of God, continued every where, and 
 thro' all generations. 
 
 To this objeftion it is a fufficient anfwer. 
 That the divine government cannot be directed 
 by human reafon. For men are not competent 
 judges of the beft order of the univerfe, or the 
 moft proper methods of bringing moral agents, 
 when blinded and vitiated, to the right exer- 
 cife of their rational powers, and due fub- 
 je6lion to the laws of tlieir Maker. An infin- 
 ite mind has an unlimited view of all things at 
 once, fees all caufes and efFe6ls, and can de- 
 termine, without the leaft error, what rules of 
 proceedmg are moft fuitable to make his wif- 
 dom, power, jullice, goodnefsand mercy known 
 to men, and ail intelligent beings: Nor does 
 Jic govern moral agents in an arbitrary, defpo- 
 tic manner. Therefore, when we are fure 
 that he has really proceeded in this or that way 
 in his moral government, we ought to be fully 
 
]L A N G D O N. 
 
 43 
 
 fatisfied that it is right, becaufe God hath done 
 it, whatever obje<5lions might otherwife arife in 
 our minds. We may be ready to imagine the 
 infinite goodnefs of God would have led him to 
 place man at firft in an immutable Hate of wif- 
 dom, innocence and happinefs ; but we have 
 moft melancholly proof that it was not fo. We 
 might as well fuppofe man ought to have been 
 made with greater pei-fedlion in all his powers, 
 and continued forever infallible in his reafon- 
 ings, and fecure from all error in condu6t. Or 
 let our proud fancies have full fcope, and we 
 may wonder man was not made with higher 
 powers, and had not equal rank with angels in 
 the fcale of beings. But wx know that God 
 made him to fill his proper place, in creation ; 
 that he was made upright, furnifhed with fuffi- 
 cient capacities to fecure his own happinefs; but 
 liable, as a free agent, to mifimprove the favours 
 of heaven ; and that all the folly and mifery to 
 which he is fubjefted, muft be attributed to his 
 own difregard to his Creator's will. Men may 
 think they reafon well from the benevolence of 
 the Deity, efpecially fince the firft promifeofa 
 Saviour, when they conclude his defign was to 
 make every individual of mankind happy, with- 
 out propofing any farther conditions; but the 
 revelation of mercy in the golpel plainly limits 
 it to fuch as hearken to this revelation, believe 
 it, and comply with the defign of it by turning 
 fromfin to righteoufnefs. And fince the rea- 
 foning fiiculties of man fall fo far fliort of thofe 
 attainments in knowledge and good morals.. 
 
144 L A N G D O N. 
 
 which feem to be moft fuitable to our nature^ 
 and conducive to our happinefs,fomemay think 
 it hardly reconcileable with the idea of the in- 
 finite goodnefs of God, that the greater part of 
 mankind (hould be left, thro' a long fucceilion 
 of ages, in fuch grofs ignorance and barbarity 
 as degrades them almoft to the rank of fagacious 
 brute animals. The great God, acting in 
 a fovereign manner, according to his own g<;jpd- 
 nels and boundlefs power, without regard to a- 
 ny rules of wildom in his government, might 
 have given equal ftrength of mind to every in- 
 dividual of mankind, and equal advantages of 
 improvement. He might, from the very firft, 
 have taught them the whole extent of fcience, 
 and all the arts and accommodations of focial 
 and civil life, and opened to their view every 
 thing relating to the glory and felicity of the 
 world to come. But God's thoughts are not 
 as our thoughts, nor his ways as ours. He go- 
 verns the univerfe, not by conftant immediate 
 exertions of power; but by certain laws or rules 
 of proceeding which his wifdom hath eftabliflied, 
 all fuited to the natures and fituations of- the 
 .variety of creatures ; and by thefe laws all 
 things go on in conftant order, and his vaft de- 
 figns in the creation are accomplifhed. Juft fo 
 in the government of the moral world, God pro- 
 ceeds by certain rules of wifdom, adapted to the 
 powers and| lituations of rational beings, fo that 
 they may be led to the proper exercife of their 
 own faculties, while he richly beftows on them 
 the blefiings of his goodnefs and grace. He 
 
L A N G D O N. 14- 
 
 does not lavifli on men fpccial favor.v: ,, Vvhilc 
 they are quite infenfible of their value ; but re- 
 quires them to know their own waivts, that. 
 they may joyfully and thankfully receive the' 
 tokens of his goodnefs and mercy. 
 
 God fuffered ignorance, idolatry and wick- 
 edncfs to prevail for many ages in the world, 
 that the effe&s of man's apojlacy might become mojl 
 apparent, and that all might fee and feci the 
 ncccjjity offome remedy for fuch iiniverfal corruption 
 and mifery. As all manner of vice prevailed 
 more and m.ore \vithoutJ30unds, to the difgracc 
 of human nature, and the great detriment of fo- 
 ciety, the fev/. who remained more virtuous 
 than the reft, at length began to fee the necell- 
 ity of giving fonfe check to the licentious reign 
 of immorality, and cultivating the principles* of 
 natural religion and virtue. This induced their 
 wife men to bend their ftudies this way ; to en- 
 quire into the great' difference between virtue 
 and vice as to the happinefs of man ; to form 
 fyftems of morality according to their various 
 views, defend them by learned arguments, and 
 endeavour with great zeal to make profc^lytes 
 to their lentiments. Thus moral philofophy 
 began in Greece feven or eight hundred years 
 before the coming of Chriit :— and it grew nr^re 
 and more into efteem. It was the favorite ftu- 
 dy and unwearied labor of the moft learned 
 men; and they wrote many things admirably 
 well. But their fyftems were vciy dilFerent, 
 and often quite contradi(!^ory to each other : 
 VoT. TV. ' T 
 
146 L A N G D O N. 
 
 Each contended for his own hypothefis, and dif- 
 puted againft all the reft : Each boafted of his 
 own wifdom, and the number of his followers. 
 But after all their great labors and improve- 
 ments, their wifdom had very little effe6l on 
 the bulk of the people, to reclaim them from 
 endlefs fuperftitions and vices. Nay_, idolatry 
 and vice prevailed more and more as learning 
 increafed, and roie to the greateft height a- 
 mong the multitude when human wifdom gain- 
 ed its fummit. 
 
 The antient philofophers, after all their en- 
 quiries, were never able to difcoverand repre- 
 fent clearly the unity, the fpirituality, and the 
 eflential characters of the eternal God, free from 
 all unworthy conceptions of him; to point out 
 that pure and rational worfhip which his nature 
 requires, without mixture of fuperftition ; to 
 afRire men that forgivenefs of fms is confiftent 
 with his moral government; and give full evi- 
 dence of the rewards of virtue and the punifli- 
 mcnt of vice in a future ftate ofexiftcnce By 
 their utmoft wifdom they were n«ver able to 
 difpollefs their temples of the innumerable gods 
 worlhipped by the vulgar, nor free their own 
 minds from the prevailing fuperftitions. They 
 realoned well on the principal branches of vir- 
 tue; but tliey did not teach pure and perfe6l 
 3norality. In their fyftems they allowed the 
 pra(^\ice of lomc great vices, and countenanced 
 them in others by their own condu6l ; and not- 
 withftanding their reaionings in favour ofvir- 
 
L A N G D O N. 147 
 
 tue, very few among the multitude were per- 
 fuaded to comply with their labored inftru6t- 
 ions. 
 
 By the law naturally imprelTed on their minds, 
 men are confcious of the good or evil of their 
 adtionSj at lealt as far as rehites to the preient 
 life. They know it is criminal to Ileal', abufe 
 one another, commit adultery or murder, or 
 counteract any of the laws and rules without 
 which men cannot live fafely and comfortably 
 in fociety and neighbourhood. They are rea- 
 dy to complain of injuries which they receive, 
 and in their refentments charge one another 
 with many faults ; and in their more fober 
 tho'ts they have a general view of the principal 
 branches of locial virtue. They have alfo fome 
 apprehenfions of the anger of God, or the gods 
 whom they worfhip, for the offences which they 
 commit, and the neceffity of appealing them by 
 iuch offerings and rites of worfhip as they im- 
 magine molt acceptable. But their pallions and 
 appetites, lufts and evil habits, prove top flrong 
 tor reafon and confcience, and ftill prompt 
 them on to all kinds of wickedneis. When 
 men have contracted ftrong habits of vice, all 
 attempts to perfuade them out of their courfc 
 by the molt learned reafonings will be in vain. 
 You may urge, with unwearied .addrefs, the 
 beauty of virtue, and the deformity of vice; 
 the high fatisfa6tion in doing well, and the pain- 
 ful reflections on immoral conduCt ; the advan- 
 tages of honefty, fobriety, chaltity &c, and the 
 
148 L A N G D O N. 
 
 many inconveniences, forfbws and fufFerings, 
 which men bring on themlelves by going on in. 
 vicious courfes; but you will not prevail with 
 17^ en, captivated by their own lulls, by mere 
 " : — s, to renounce their way of life, and 
 .. . c« a ic»ry to thofe ftrong inclinations which 
 ix'dhrd them the higheft pleafure. There mult 
 be fomcthing to itrike the mind with fotce fu- 
 Dcrior to the violence of the paflionsand fenfu- 
 al inclmations, before men will hearken to the 
 Hill voice of re^fon and confcience, and forfake 
 the ways of fm. There mull be fome power- 
 ful alarm to the mind; fome extraordinary 
 terrors difplayed in full view ; fome glorious 
 hopes and profpe6ls preicnted; fome wonder- 
 ful news communicated, vi^hich will roufe the 
 attention, and atFe6l all the powers of the foul. 
 Thus the carnal and lenfual images may be o- 
 verpowcred, which continually haunt the mind, 
 and hold the government of all the nobler fac- 
 ulties. But fuch methods are beyond the 
 fphere of mere philofophy. 
 
 Nov/ was it not a wonderful evidence of the 
 wifdomofGod, that he fliould permit this great 
 experiment to be made. Whether human wifdom 
 could recover a w orld of rational beings from 
 a moft unhappy ftate of ignorance and aliena- 
 tion from God, to the knowledge of him, and 
 a condu6t fuitable to the dignity of man's na- 
 ture, and necellhry for his happinefs ? If no 
 fuch experiment had been made before the gof- 
 })cl was publiflied, the wife men of the world 
 
L A N G D O N, 149 
 
 would not eafily have been perfuaded, but that 
 reafon and learr^ing might have been effeftual, 
 without fuch a revelation from heaven to en- 
 lighten and retbrm mankind. To this very 
 day many are glorying in the fufliciency of rea- 
 fon. alone for all the purpofes of religion and 
 morality,, carry on the experiment ftill, and 
 reje<5l: revelation as quite unnecelfary. But 
 after all the trials which they have been re- 
 peatedly making,* with many improvements on 
 the antient philofophy, borrowed from that ve- 
 ry revelation which they defpife, they cannot 
 yet agree among themfelves in their feveral 
 fyilem.s of infidelity, and have had no better luc- 
 cels in reforming the world than their heathen 
 predecelfors. The force of the molt rational 
 arguments, and all the charms of eloquence 
 were tried for many ages, and human nature 
 inuft have been pronounced irrecoverable from 
 it's inveterate diforders, if God had not taken 
 the work into his own hands, and in an extra- 
 ordinary way, adapted to the ftate of mankind, 
 ihewn his power by the proclamation of a Sa- 
 viour. What this method is, io efficacious a- 
 bovc all human wildom, is the fecond thing 
 which our text calls us to coniider. 
 
 II. The method which God has been pleafed 
 to take, tho' quite different from that wifdom 
 which the world flill admires, and is inclined to 
 feek after, and which in their view appears fool- 
 ifliuefs, is a moil glorious difplay of his wifdom, 
 and moft effe6lual to anfwer the great purpofes 
 
i^o L A N Cf D N, 
 
 of bringing men to the knowledge of himfelf, 
 delivering them from the power of fin, and 
 making them forever happy, viz,--By this pub- 
 lic univerfal proclamation, *^'That Chrift Cruci- 
 iied is the Son of God, and the Savior of man- 
 kind ; and that the belief of this proclamation 
 is the principal thing necelfary in order to our 
 eternal faivation." 
 
 I have obferved, that in order to overcome 
 the power which lin has ov/er mankind, there 
 
 niuil be fometbing to roufe and alarm the mi?id ; 
 fome extraordinary terrors difplayed ; fame glorious 
 hopes prcjcnted to vieiv ; fome wonderful news com- 
 municated, fuificient to overpower the carnal and 
 fenfual images which continually haunt the mind, 
 and hold the government of the nobler facul- 
 ties. 
 
 Now this very method God in his infinite 
 wildom has taken, to conquer the fouls of fin- 
 ners, and bring them under his righteous go- 
 vernment. After all the learning of the world 
 had been employed, with all pollible advantag- 
 es, to reafon mankind out ot the pra6lice of 
 vice, and teach them virtue and pure religion, 
 without any great effe6l; God took the work 
 into his own hands, and, in a way which human 
 wifdom could never have thought of, awakned 
 the attention of mankind, prefented things fpi- 
 j'itual and eternal in the cleareft view, tending 
 to fill their minds with wonder, terror, hope and 
 Joy. And this was by fending out a proclamati- 
 
L A N G D O N. 151 
 
 on through the world. — That Jefas of Naza- 
 reth, who was crucified by the Jews, was his 
 owB'-. Son, and the appointed Saviour of the 
 world ; that he rofe from the dead, afcended 
 into heaverT, and will appear again with divine 
 glory and majefty at the end of the world, to 
 judge all mankind, receive the righteous into 
 heavenly glory, and punifh all wicked men in 
 flames of eternal fire. 
 
 The proclamation confifted of one principal 
 fa6l, viz,That Jefus, who fuffered- on the crols, 
 was rifen from the grave, and gone up into 
 heaven. For if this fa6l was true, then the 
 whole character which Chrift afTumed was true, 
 as attefted by many aftonifliing miracles; his 
 doctrines were from God, and to be received 
 with full credit ; his commands are to be obey- 
 ed with entire fubje6lion to his authority ; and 
 the exceeding great & precious promifes which 
 he has made will moft certainly be performed. 
 
 Nothing could appear more foolifli to the 
 wife men of the world, than to hear of a num- 
 ber of illiterate perfons going every where to 
 reform mankind, only by publifhing a procla- 
 mation of a certain fa6t; a fa6l which they im- 
 agined in itfelf to be very incredible, and which 
 they did not coniider in all it's connections ; a 
 fa6f accompanied with the moft fliameful cir- 
 cumftances, however extraordinary. To pro- 
 claim a man who had been accufed, tried, con- 
 demned and crucified as a notorious malefa(51or^ 
 
152 L A N G D O N. 
 
 -to be a faviour for mankind, when he could not 
 fave himfelf; to declare him to have rifen 
 from the grave by his own power, when he ap- 
 peared to be but a man, and that of the loweft 
 rank and chara6ler ; and to depend on this proc- 
 lamation to oppofe the current opinions and 
 pra(5tices of the world, appeared to philofophers 
 fuperlative folly. Wliat they expe6led from 
 men fetting out to be great inftru6i:ors of the 
 world, was, profound learning, a labored invef- 
 tigation of truth and morals, line drawn argu- 
 ments and ingenious dedu6lions, which might 
 entertain highly cultivated minds, and lay the 
 foundation for new improvements in theoretic 
 wifdom. But to fee poor illiterate fifhermen 
 going about every where only to publifli this 
 ftrange ftory, That a criminal, whom the Jews 
 crucified, rofe again after he was dead, was in 
 their view molt ridiculous ; nor could they con- 
 cieve what great and good effc^l it could have 
 on mankind. But notwithftanding the con- 
 temptuous opinion which the philofophers en- 
 tertained of the proclamation of a crucified Sa- 
 viour, it was moil eire6tual to the great pur- 
 pofes of bringing men to the knowledge of the 
 true God, delivering them from their fins, and 
 making them forever happy. 
 
 Let us confider this proclamation in connex- 
 ion with the chara6tcrs which Chrift claimed, 
 when he preached and wrought miracles among 
 the Jews, and the do6lrincs he taught. What 
 could be more wonderful and alarming ? What 
 
L A N G D O N. i^s 
 
 greater news couM be brought to men, than 
 that the Son of God, by whom he made the 
 world, came down from the Father m an hu- 
 man form, was a partner in ourhelh and blood, 
 converfed familiarly v/ith men, declared liis 
 Father's will, and died tor the ialvation of lin- 
 ners ? What can be more alarming or encou- 
 riiging than to know, that he came to warn 
 finners to efcape from the wrath to come on 
 all the ungodly at the end of the world; to 
 call all men every where to repent, return to 
 God, and live a fober, righteous and godly life 
 according to his Father's wall ; to aflure them, 
 that God is full of compallion and gracious, 
 willing to forgive ail the trefpahes of repent- 
 ing linners, and receive them fully into favour 
 as children ofhis family ; and that he will fup- 
 ply all their neceifities while in this worlds fup- 
 port them under every affliction, comfort them 
 with his prefence when they walk thro'the dark 
 lliades of death, raife them at the lafi: day from 
 the grave, and bring them into a new and glo- 
 rious world of everlafting light, joy and felicity ?, 
 That man muft be very much unacquainted with 
 hinifelf and with human nature, who does net 
 know that a melFenger, fent from heaven in the 
 open view of the world on fuch an important 
 errand, would arreft the attention of all man- 
 kind, and have a fur prizing efledl on every fac- 
 ulty of the foul, if, in the midil of the great- 
 eft corruptions of the world, fome angel ihould 
 n\ake his appearance in the upper regions, 
 clothed with all the radiance of an heavcnlv fpi- 
 Vol. IV. U 
 
154 LANG DO N. 
 
 rit, and viiible every where; and, with a voice 
 like thunder, ihould proclaim the anger of the 
 great God againft all wicked men, aflure them 
 that the molt awful deftru(5lion from the Al- 
 mighty is coming fpeedily upon them, exhort 
 them to repentance, promife them divine m.er- 
 cy, teach them that obedience which God re- 
 quires, inform them ofall the glory of the hea- 
 venly world from which he came, and that all 
 good men fliall he admitted there, when the 
 earth and all the works therein fliall be burnt up, 
 and the wicked caft into the lake of fire ; Would 
 this furprizing appearance have no more efFe6t 
 than calm reaforiing on the fame truths ? Sure- 
 ly all the fenles would be ftruck with awe and 
 amazement, as well as man's rational nature 
 wrought upon ; and we might expect lome 
 remarkable change in the fentiments and mo- 
 rals of mankind. 
 
 But the gofpcl contains fomething f^u' more 
 
 wonderful, tho' not fo evident and alarming to 
 
 the fenfes, viz, That the eternal invilible God 
 
 was manifefled in our flefiily natures, in the per- 
 
 fon of one who is fuperior to all the angels of 
 
 ' heaven, and declared to be the only begotten a?id 
 
 beloved Soji of the Father- -That he is the fame 
 
 perfon, whole voice was heard in the beginning 
 
 of the creation conunanding all things into ex- 
 
 1 fie nee, who is the image of the invifible God, in 
 
 whom the brightnejs of his glory Jlnnes ; who was 
 
 horn before every creature ; by whom and for whom 
 
 ■ill things were created , that arc in heaven, and that 
 
L A N G D O N. 155 
 
 are in the earth, vifthle and invijible, whether they be 
 thrones, or dominlo?is, or principalities, or powers ; 
 who is he/ore all things, and by whom all things 
 conjifl. So Paul gives the glorious rhara6ter 
 of Jefus Chrift in the firft chapter of his epiftle 
 to the Coloffians, and again farther illuftrates 
 it in the beginning of his epiftle to the Hebrews : 
 And the beginning of John's gofpel gives the 
 fame high chara6ter, which may be much bet- 
 ter underftood by the plain language of the in- 
 fpired writings, than by any metaphylical jar- 
 gon of fome antient creeds, or of more modern 
 Icliolaftic divines- The gofpel declares, that 
 this wonderful perfon ivths madeflejh, and in hu- 
 man nature familiarly converfed with men, 
 preached right eoiffnefs in the molt perfect!; view of 
 his Father's law and government, tellified a- 
 gainft the evil works of the world, called all 
 men every where to repent, and fear that God who 
 is able, not only to kill the body, but to deftroy both 
 foul and body in hell. He made a full revela- 
 tion of the future refurreBicn of the dead, the 
 great folemnities of the day of judgment , "when 
 he himfelf will fit as' judge in his Father^s glo- 
 ry, the happinefs which the righteous will then 
 obtain in the heavenly world, and the dreadful 
 fentcnce v/hich will be executed on the wiclced,- 
 Departfvom me, ye ciirfed, into everlafiing fire, pre- 
 pared for the devil and his angels. He confirm- 
 ed his chara6ler and do6lrine by allonifliing 
 miracles; by healing ^/Z ?na?mer ofdifeafcs, com- 
 manding winds and feas into obedience at his 
 pleafurc, and raftng dead bodies to life, cqfting 
 
15^ L A N G D O N. * 
 
 out devils, and other evidences of almighty pow- 
 er. This fame divine perfon, tho' he was the 
 glorious Lord cf all,, call contempt on all the 
 wealth a id fplendor of this worlds and fubmit- 
 ted to poverty and conftant labour and travel : 
 Yov he went about doing good, and endured hun- 
 ger, and thirl and wearinefs^ that he might work 
 t\\Q: zvorks of his Father who Jent him into t)ie 
 world. And when he had iinidied the meiiage he 
 was to deliver, he meekly lurrendered hinilelf 
 into the hands of his malicious enemies, and 
 humbLed hiinlelf to death, even the ignominious 
 death of the crofs, that he might make a perfect 
 atonem.ent for fin by the iacrifice of himfelf. 
 But he gave the n^oft complete proof that he 
 was indeed the Son of God, as he had all along 
 declared himfelf to be, by riftng to life again from 
 tlie grave, /Z)^ third day, as he had told his difciples 
 before his crucifixion ; and then, having /(?/'/^r- 
 iy days together flocwed himfelf alive after his paffion, 
 hy majiy infallible proofs, and farther inftrudted 
 his difciples in the things pertaining to the kingdom 
 of God, by afccnding into heaven in a cloud '\i\ 
 th.e plain view of iiis difciples, with a teftimony 
 of angels that he will come again in lihe manner as 
 PC afcended. 
 
 
 
 All this taken together is the moft wonder- 
 ful , news that was ever proclaimed to mankind, 
 in the proclamation, the divine character of Je- 
 ius Chrift, his heavenly doctrines, his mira u- 
 lous v/orks, his aftonilhing humiliation and fuf- 
 ferii^HQ foj- the fake of finful men, and the glo-^ 
 
L A N G D O N. 157 
 
 ry to which he is nowexalted as the head of the 
 church, Lord over all things, and the appoint- 
 ed judge ot the woriJ, are ciofely corneOed; 
 and ii, m this connexion, men pay due attenti- 
 on to it, it is luihcient to awaken and reiorm 
 an ignjraat and vicious world. 
 
 By this revekition all the charaders of the 
 inviiible God are clearly maniieHed. We have 
 full evidence of his exiitence, the perfect purity 
 of his nature, his moral government, his abhor- 
 rence of the wickednels of mankind, and his de- 
 light in mercy as tar as may be confiilent with 
 wddoni and juftice. We are taught to fear, 
 and love and obey him. We are c'eterred 
 from In by the 'declaration of future deltru6ti- 
 on from the Almighty ; and are encouraged to 
 repentance ahd a life of godlinefs and virtue, by 
 the promife of pardoning mercy, the energy of 
 the Spirit of God, ?.nd a glorious immortality in 
 heaven. Our minds are enlightened with hea- 
 venly truth, and our hearts fubjedted to the au- 
 thority of the Son of God. Inftead offuperfti-' 
 tion, we are taught that worfliip which is a- 
 greeable to the fpiritual nature of the fupreme 
 Being; and inftead of former ignorance, we 
 arc brought to fee clearly every thing which 
 relates to right condud^ and our happinefs in 
 this world and the future. In this revelation 
 we have a moft perfed fyftem of divine truth 
 and moral righteoufnefs, far more excellent 
 than the befl inlh u(5lions of the moll celebrated 
 philofophers, and beyond comparifon more powr 
 crful on the mind. 
 
i^-B L A N G D O N. 
 
 The power of this gofpel was evident imme- 
 diately after the lirft publication, in opening the 
 eyes of multitudes who had been ignorant of the 
 true God, and devoted to the fervice of idols, 
 and turniyig them from darknefs to light, and from 
 the power of Satan unto God, fo that they receiv- 
 ed remijfion of fins, were cleanfed from the defile- 
 ments of vice, became holy, and obtained a title 
 to the glorious inheritance of thefaiiits. It con- 
 quered ftrong prejudices, call down all proud 
 imaginations and reafonings, which exalted them-- 
 felves againfl the knowledge of God, and brought 
 into captivity every thought to the obedience of Chrifi, 
 It prevailed more and more, notwithftanding 
 the violent oppofition made by the powers of 
 the world; and numerous converts became 
 worOiippers of the true God, and obedient to 
 his will. And notwithflanding the gradual a- 
 batement of that attention due to the gof- 
 pel, which might naturally be expected from 
 length of time, and the great corruptions which 
 infeniibly have been mixed with original Chrif- 
 tianity, the proclamation continues to have 
 great eifc6t from age to age, on all who heark- 
 en to it, and is the power of God to the falvation 
 of every one who believes. 
 
 What proc iajjiation from heaven, how^ won- 
 derful, important and powerful foevcr, can 
 have any ciFcc^t, nnlels it is believed ? If we do 
 not believe it, our calc is the lame as if we had 
 never heard it. But our l^elief of that won- 
 derful meflage, brought from heaven by the Son 
 
L A N G D O N. 159 
 
 of God, muft be anfwerable to the important 
 defign of it : For according to our faith, fo is 
 the efFe6t. If our belief of the glorious gofpel 
 is weak and doubtful, and we are infenfible of 
 our fins, and of the danger of everlafting de- 
 Urudion, the news of pardon and falvation will 
 be received with dull indifference. A procla- 
 mation, publilhed every where by the higheft 
 authority, muft certainly demand very folemn 
 attention. The contents of it cannot be mat- 
 ters of fmall moment; it muft be defigned to 
 gain full credit, and to anfwer fome great pur- 
 pofe. In the very nature of it, the accom- 
 plifliment of the end propofed muft depend on 
 its being well known, underftood, and fully be- 
 lieved ; and for this reafon the new teftament 
 every where requires faith as the firft and 
 great thing neceflary in order to falvation. 
 There is not the leaft hint in the proclamation, 
 that it will fave men whether they believe it 
 or not ; but it worketh efFdually in them that 
 believe it with all the heart. 
 
 The knowledge of the glorious chara6lers of 
 Jefus as the Son of God, the Creator, Lord, and 
 heir of all things, who came into the world as 
 the only Redeemer and Saviour of men, and of- 
 fered himfclf on the crofs as an atoning facri- 
 fice for our fins, fliining clearly into the mind, 
 difpels the darknefs, prefcnts to the foul new 
 objeds of love, fear, hope and joy. It brings 
 Ipiritual & eternal things into clear view, and 
 turns men from all their Iiifts and evil courf- 
 
i6o L A N G D O N. 
 
 es^ to live foherly, righteovjly and godly in the pre- 
 fent world: And this is the beginning of that 
 falvation which will be perfected in heaven. 
 
 And now I beg leave to mention two or 
 three plain inferences from what has been faid, 
 and conclude with an addrefs to miniflers and 
 chriftian profeflbrs. 
 
 Inf. I. If the original proclamation of the 
 gofpel, publilhed through the world by the apof- 
 tles, contained in it foniething fo alarming as 
 that the Son of God came from heaven with a 
 furprizing meliage of mercy, and that l.edied 
 on the crofs for our iins, and is now rifen and 
 glorified at his Father's right ban i in heaven^ 
 exalted far above all principality, and power^ 
 and might, and dominion, and every name that 
 is named, not only in this world, but alfo in 
 that which is to come. — If thisiurprizing proc- 
 lamation was what produced a moft extraordi- 
 nary change in the moral ftate of the world, 
 which could not be effe6ied by all the learned 
 labours of the wifeft men for many centuries 
 before ; how can they be thought to preach the 
 true goipel, who degrade the charader of Je- 
 fus Chiiit to that ot a meer man, and deprive 
 him of that glory which he had with the Father 
 before the world, or angels, or men exifted ? 
 They may allow him to be a greater prophet 
 than all who came before him ; to have deliv- 
 ei*ed a more perfect iyftem of morals than a- 
 ny before taught ; to. have pradiled his own 
 
L A N G D O N. i6i 
 
 precepts in the moft exemplary manner ; to 
 have confirmed his dodrine by the molt alton- 
 illiing miracles; and to have died as a dilliii- 
 guiihed martyr for truth and rightcoufricls. 
 But all this tails far fliort of that proclamation 
 which the apoftles publilhed Concerning him, 
 and would not have produced fuch immediate 
 and marvellous effe6i:s. The character ot iut h 
 an extraordinary man might excite fomc admi- 
 ration, and lead the wife men of the world, to 
 enquire into the fyftem of morals which he de- 
 livered, compare it with their own, and re- 
 ceive it as a great improvement in philoiophy ; 
 But it would not overpower the mind with the 
 irreiiftible authority of a meflcnger fent directly 
 from heaven, God's agent and reprefentative, 
 whom he has employed in all his works, by 
 whom God himfelf fpeaks to men. The apoftles 
 moft certainly proclaimed, that God, who at 
 fundry t'unes, and in divers manners /pake unto the 
 fathers by the prophets, hath in thefe la/f daysfpoken 
 wito us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir rf 
 all things, by whom alfo he tnade the ivorlds. This 
 was what arrefted the attention of mankind. 
 Take away this exalted character of Jefus, and 
 the peculiar glory and power of the gofpel is 
 gone. 
 
 Inf. 2. They who- define the gofpel only as 
 a moft complete fyftem of morality delivered 
 by Chriftj and preach it only in this view, are 
 trying over again the fame experiment made 
 by the antient philofophers, viz, to perfuado 
 Vol. IV. X 
 
i62 L A N G D O N. 
 
 and reform men by rational arguments, and 
 inftruct them in the virtues of focial life. Some 
 minifters in the Chriftian church, to avoid the 
 fneers of deifts at the peculiar doctrines of 
 Chrifiianity, and their contempt of the clergy, 
 have feemed willing to compromife matters 
 with them on thefe terms ; viz, that if they 
 will agree to treat the clergy with decency, 
 and confent to be hearers^ they will engage not 
 to offend their ears with any difagreeable doct- 
 rines, but entertain them merely with lec- 
 tures on moral virtues. But however fuch 
 may flatter themfelves that they are minifters 
 of Chrift, they have really given up the true 
 gofpel, and very far advanced to the lide of it s 
 adverfaries. 
 
 Inf. 3. When we hear great complaint, 
 that vice is prevailing more and more in Chrift- 
 ian countries, we may conclude, either that the 
 gofpel is not generally proclaimed in the orig- 
 inal grandeur of it's dodrines, with proper zeal 
 and conftancy ; or that the hearers confider it 
 as fomething worn out with age, have grown 
 dull of hearing, and by long withftanding the 
 moft powerful means of converfion & falvation, 
 are at length given up, in the righteous judgmeiit 
 of God, to bardnefs of heart, and blindnefs of mind, 
 to ircafure up wrath againfi the day of wrath, and 
 revelation of the righteous judgment of God. It is 
 to be hoped the former is not generally the 
 caule of prevailing wickednefs at this day in our 
 own land, however it may be in fome other na- 
 
L A N G D O K 1^3 
 
 -tions. And fince there are flill good numbers 
 bf ferious Chriftians, difperfed thro' all our 
 towns and parilhes, who appear willing to 
 hearken to the word of Chrill, and obey his 
 commands, we have reafon to hope God will 
 not wholly forfake us; but revive his work in 
 thefe declining years, and again awaken all or- 
 ders and ages to attend to the news of falvation 
 by his Son Chrilt Jefus our Lord. 
 
 I will now fay a word or two to my fellow 
 labourers in the gofpel.^ Permit me to remind 
 my felt and you of the important work to which 
 we are called, and the hope we have of good 
 fuccefs, if we faithfully preach Chrift Jefus the 
 Lord. We are ilill to continue that fame proc- 
 lamation, which was at lirll: publifhed by the 
 apollles ; viz, that God hath exalted that fame 
 Jefus, who was crucified, to the hiuheft hon- 
 ors of heaven, and that he was anointed of God 
 to be the prophet, priefl and king of his church, 
 according to the fcriptures of the antient pro- 
 phets, and the wonderful atteftations from hea- 
 ven to his divine and mediatorial charaders. 
 We muft conftantly affirm that he is the Cre- 
 ator and Lord of all, and that he is the only Sa- 
 viour from lin and future wrath. We muft de- 
 clare that when God beheld the whole world ly- 
 ing in wickednefs, and {lri6t juftice demanded 
 the dellruction of the whole human race ; when 
 all the wifdoni of man could not difcover any way 
 of deliverance, or reclaim mankind from their 
 
 *This ferrnon ivas preached before an affociat'ion of nitmjl- 
 frs Viet at Greenland^ in the vicinity of Portfinoutb, New- 
 Harnpjhire, May the o, 1792. 
 
i(;4 ^I. A N G D O N: 
 
 woful ilate of ignorance and alienation from 
 him, he fo loved the world that he gave his only be^ 
 gotten Scm, that ivhofoever helieveth i?t himjhould 
 7wt perii'h, but have everlafting life ; that he now 
 commands all men every where to repent, plead the 
 virtue of the great facrifice ottered on the crofs 
 for a free pardon, and heartily commit them- 
 ielves to the care and government of the glori- 
 ous Saviour, that they may be conducted in the 
 way of holinefs by his word and Spirit to ever- 
 lafting happinefs. We muft declare that the 
 Lord Jefus, having fuffered on the crofs for our 
 fins, arofe again from the dead, afcended into 
 heaven, liveth Ibrever to make intercellion 
 for us, and will come again at the laft day in 
 the glory of the Father, with his holy angels, 
 to judge the world, deftroy his enemies, and re- 
 ceive his taithful difcip]es into his eternal hea- 
 venly kingdom. We muft repeatedly and con- 
 ftantly proclaim the glorious chara(5^ers of the 
 Saviour, and infift on his high authority, and 
 by this call men to repentance and newnefs 
 of life. We muft teach Chriftians to obey their 
 Lord's commands, and follow his perfect exam- 
 ple, and -jarge them, in confequence af their 
 j'aith, to all manner of holy converlation and 
 godlineis. Le^s take heed of preaching mo- 
 rality like mere phikfophers ; but command 
 and cxhortr Chriftians by the Lord Jefus, 
 that tiiey walk worthy of their holy vocation, 
 and be fruitful ifi every good work, looking 
 lor his le^ond coming, that they may be found 
 of him without I'pot and blamelefs. And let us 
 depend on God to^nake his gofpel the power- 
 
L A N G D O N. 165 
 
 ful means of faving the fouls of our hearers. 
 We have no reafon for difcouragement, while 
 we preach the original gofpel faithfully. We 
 fliall be unto God a Jweet favour of Chrifl in them 
 that arefave4, a?id in them that perifh. His word 
 will not return unto him void, but will accompliOi 
 the great delign of faving all that believe it; 
 or make manitjeft the divine juftice in the con- 
 demnation of thofe who refufe to hearken to 
 the gracious mellage which he has lent by his 
 beloved Son. Let us preach Chrift, once cru- 
 cified, and now glorified, as the apoftlcs did, and 
 God will give us fome ieals of our miniftry to 
 crown us with joy at the laft day. 
 
 I will conclude with a brief addrefs, as a min- 
 ifter of Chrift, to all Chriftian profefibrs. 
 
 We proclaim in your ears, that God hath 
 fent his >Son into the world that we may live 
 through him. AH have finned, and become 
 guilty of high offences againfl the King of hea- 
 ven, and the laws of his government. The 
 liearts of men are full of evil, and the vices of 
 the world openly Ihew the oppofition of man- 
 kind to the holy nature and declared will of 
 God ; and he might juflly have fent his Son with 
 *n mefTage of wrath, to declare his determina- 
 tion to bring fpeedy deilruction upon all the 
 inhabitants of the earth. Your own conlcien- 
 ces' teftify, that you have ferved divers lufts and 
 vanitie'=;, and liave tranfgreiied ngainft the pre- 
 cepts of wifdom and righteoufnel s. The wrath 
 
i66 L A N G i) O >J. 
 
 of God is revealed from heaven againft all un- 
 godlinefs and unrighteoufnefs of men, who hold 
 the truth in unrighteoufnefs; and unlefs you 
 repent, you mull certainly perifli. But God is 
 willing to pardon and fave you, and is recon- 
 cilmg the world to himfelf in Jelus Chrift, the 
 Mediator of the new covenant. He hath not 
 fpared his own Son, but delivered him up to 
 death for our otfences, and raifed hmi again 
 for our juftification. Juflice and mercy are 
 magnified together. He has given the full- 
 eft teftimony againft fin in the fufFerings of his 
 well beloved Son, when onr iniquities were laid 
 upon him ; and promifed remiilion of fins for 
 his fake to all that truft in the facrifice which 
 he has offered. He calls you to confefs your 
 fins with godly forrow, renounce them, and be- 
 come fervants of righteoufnefs, and have your 
 fruit unto holinefs, that the end may be eternal 
 life. See that you relufe not to hearken to 
 the glorious medenger fent from heaven. Be- 
 lieve and obey the gofpel of Chrift, and you 
 will be delivered from wrath, and obtain eternal 
 falvation in heaven. But how can you.elcape, if 
 you negle6t and defpife a Saviour of fuch an 
 exalted character, and go on ftill in your evil 
 ways .(^ Turn ye. turn ye, why will ye die? If 
 any of you have believed the gofpel with all 
 the heart, depart from all iniquity, manifeft 
 your faith by obferving all things whatioever 
 Chrift has commanded. He is your glorious 
 king, and you mull honour and obey him : His 
 government is wife and juft, and all hs iervants 
 
L A N G D O N. 1^7 
 
 efteem themfelves happy in their abfolute fub- 
 jedtion to him. Never perluade yourfelves you 
 have attained to the faith required, unlefs the 
 great defign of the gofpel proclamation is an- 
 fwered. You are called^to attend to it, that 
 you may be faved from* your fins, and live un- 
 to God ; and this is the efFedl of that faith which 
 faves men. You are called to glory and vir- 
 tue ; to feek glory, honour, and immortality 
 by patient continuance in well doing : and the 
 more you abound in every good work, fo much 
 the firmer will your alTurance be that you fhall 
 never fall, but have an entrance adminiftered 
 abundantly into the everlafting kingdom of 
 ourLord andSaviour Jefus Chrift. 
 
 God grant that Chrift's minillers and people 
 may be acknowledged by him at his appearing, 
 and rejoice together in his prefence forever* 
 Amen» 
 
%l 
 
SERMON LXVII. 
 
 THE BUSINESS of LIFE, and HOPE in 
 
 DEATH.* 
 
 EY 
 
 SAMUEL LANGDON, D. D. 
 
 Minijler of a Congregational Church, Hamptonfalh, 
 New Hampjhire. 
 
 AiJts xiii. 3^. 
 
 For David, after he hadfervedhls own generation 
 by the will of God, fell on^fleep, and was laid imto 
 his fathers y and faw corruption. 
 
 p 
 
 aul, that eminent apoftle of Jefus Chrift, 
 having an opportunity ofpreaching the gof- 
 pel at Antioch in Pifidia, :n a fynagogue of the 
 Jews, reafons from the fcriptures, and by feve- 
 ral remarkable paliages clearly proves, that 
 God had raifcd up a Saviour, Jefus, the prom- 
 ifed fon of David ; and declares that after his 
 
 * Thisfennon was preached at HamptoiifalI>, }an iiy 
 1786 ; being the Lord's day iollowing after the'funenJ 
 of Mf,shech Weark Efq. J'lelidcin uf ibe Statr of 
 N e:\v-Hanipili ire, wl-iolV charadcr was i'lfertrd but now ■ 
 is omitted; as tlie fubjed is dcligacil for more genpra^ liff*. 
 Vol. IV. Y 
 
1 73 L A N G D O N. 
 
 crucifixion by the malice of the jewifli elders, 
 God had railed him from the dead, and fent the 
 word of falvafion both to Jews and Gentiles, 
 promifi ng to all believers juftification unto life 
 eternal. 
 
 In the courfe of his argument he takes par* 
 tlcular notice of two or three remarkable paflT- 
 ;iges in the old teftament, which plainly fpeak 
 of the Melhas. His firft quotation is from 
 the fecond pialm ; where the eternal Father, 
 jpcaking of the McIFias, fays. Thou art my Son, 
 ibis day have I begotten thee : This he brings as 
 plainly implying the high dignity of God's a- 
 nointed above all creatures, and alfo his endlefs 
 life, or fure recovery from death and the grave 
 to fupcreminent glory in God's prefence. He 
 then produces another palTage from Ifa. Iv. 3. 
 Avherc God fays by the prophet, Incl'meyour ear, 
 and come vnto me ; hear, and your foul fjatl live; 
 and Iivill mahean cverlqfting covenant ivith you, e- 
 ven the fure mercies oj David; and then goes 
 on to defcribe the Meilias as a leader and com- 
 mander of the people fent from heaven. This 
 text the apoltle mentions as implying, that the 
 Mcllias was to be a perfon on whom all man- 
 kind might depend, even to the end of the world, 
 jbr the enjoyment ofall bleflings, and unerring 
 condu6t in the way to eternal happinefs ; which 
 could net be true, if that great perfon was to 
 l)e a mere man, liable, equally with earthly 
 monarchs, to be ftript of all dignity and autho- 
 rity ])y death. Then lalily, he refers his hear- 
 
;L A N G D O N. 171 
 
 ers to thofe words in the fixtcenth Pfalm^ ror 
 thou wilt not leave my foul in hell, neither wUt ibou 
 Suffer thine Holy One to fee corruption. As this 
 text was generally undcrltood by the jewilh 
 Rabbles of that day to have rcfpc6t to the Mel- 
 iias, the apoftle prelTes it upon them_, as evi- 
 dently implying that he was to fuficr death ; 
 but that he fliould not fee corruption,, but be 
 railed from the grave by the divine power, in 
 a manner which fhould diitinguifli him from all 
 other men. And to prevent every evafion of 
 this capital argument, he particularly proves 
 that David could not be fuppofed to fpcak thcfe 
 things of himfelf; becaufc if he had reference 
 to his own exemption from the corruption of 
 the grave, and his reftoration from the Hate of 
 the dead, what he faid was plainly proved falfc 
 by the event : For however great and good a 
 man he was, and however favoured by heaven, 
 he was not in any refpe6t exempted from the 
 common law of mortality ; but having been a 
 fervant to the will of God in his own generati- 
 on, he fell afleep in death, was buried ni the le- 
 pulchre of hie fathers, and like them cor- 
 a'upted in the grave without a releafe. There- 
 fore the apoftle's inference was undeniably jull, 
 that thefe words arc not applicable to any other 
 perfon than that Jefus, wlio was railed from 
 the dead by divine power, before he had Icen 
 corruption, of which fa 61: all the apoftlcs were 
 appointed to be fpecial witnelles. 
 
 :^ 7'hc defign and connexion of our text appears 
 
1^2 L A N G D O N, 
 
 by what has been obferved : But I fhall not 
 coniider it in an argumentative view. The 
 liniple affirmation of what was plainly verified 
 in David, is fufficient to afford us very ufeful 
 inftrudlions as to the life and death of the moll 
 eminent men. While they live, they ferve 
 their own generation by the will of God ; or, as 
 the greek may as well be tranllated, they min- 
 ifter to the will of God in their own generati- 
 on ; and then fall afleep in death, are laid unto 
 their fathers, and fee corruption. If we attend 
 to the text, and digeft it well on our thoughts, 
 it teaches us our duty in life ; our true hon- 
 our and happmefs ; v/hat forms a great and good 
 character meriting univerfal efteem ; how lim- 
 ited our time of fervice in this world ; and 
 what realon we have to rejoice that the gofpel 
 foftens down the terrifying idea of death, by 
 the alTurance of a refurredion of the dead ; 
 that notwithftanding the moft eminent fervants 
 of God mull fee corruption, they only fall a- 
 fleep, to awake at the ialt day, and live forever 
 with Chrift. 
 
 » 
 
 I. We may obferve in our text, what is our 
 duty in iite, viz, to ferve our own generation 
 by the wi 1 of God ; or, in another conftruc- 
 tion of the words, to minifter to the will of 
 God in our own generation ; and that this is 
 our true honor, as great a chara6fer as we can 
 aim at. 
 
 Every man has fome part of fervice to per- 
 
L,A N G D O N. 175: 
 
 form for the benefit of the world in his own 
 day. God, who originally fixed the conltitu-- 
 tion and order of things, requires every man 
 to a£t in fubierviency to the general plan, and 
 do every duty for which he is qualified, and 
 which arifes from our various fituations, con- 
 ne6tions and fubordinations in life. 
 
 Whether we pay regard to God the univer- 
 fal Kin^r^ and perform the work v/hich we have 
 to do in the world as his fervants, with rever- 
 ence of his authority, and a defire of his appro- 
 bation ; or from no other views than to pro- 
 vide for our own comfort and pleafure, and fe- 
 cure the advantages of focial intercourfe with 
 mankind : we find it necefiary to be employed 
 in one way or another, and cannot pafs thro' 
 life wholly una(5f:ive. 
 
 There are indeed fome perfons who feem to 
 have come into the world for almoft no fervice„ 
 They fpend their days in folly and idlenefs, 
 make no good improvement of the pov/ers of 
 body or mind, pay little attention to their own 
 intereft in any refpe(5t, and, after having made 
 their appearance among mankind for a time, 
 juft to fill up an empty place, die unlamented, 
 and are immediately forgotten, as if they had 
 never been. But he that, in the loweft Situa- 
 tion of life, contributes tlie fmalleft part to 
 the general bufinefs of the world, to the utmoft 
 of his talents and opportunities, fo far minifters 
 to the will of God, and anfwers the purpofesof 
 his prefent cxiftence. 
 
174 L A N G D O N. 
 
 The world in general is continually in a6lion, 
 engaged in a vaft diverfity of labors and defigns ; 
 in providing thenecellaries of life, purfuing con- 
 veniences, or luxurious and pleafurable grati- 
 fications, cultivating the ground^ carrying on 
 manufadures and mechanical arts, and mana- 
 ging the various branches of commerce ; or in- 
 riching their nunds with treafures of knowledge, 
 and tracing the boundlefs openings of fcience; 
 or engaging in the many public offices neceffa- 
 ry for the welfare of civil and religious fociety, 
 and managing the arduous affairs of kingdoms. 
 
 It is impofTiblc for multitudes to live toge- 
 ther in fafety and comfort without the form & 
 order of civil fociety. The providence of God 
 points out the necelTlty of government ; the 
 world in general is fenfible of it ; and tho' ty- 
 ranny oiten ufurps the place of rational autho- 
 rity, yet men willingly fubmit to the heaviell 
 yoke, rather than fuffer the.miferable confe- 
 quences of anarchy by the dilTolution of govern- 
 ment. But when civil fociety is formed on 
 rational principles, plainly tending to promote 
 the happinefs of the whole body, it refembles 
 the order which takes place among the angels 
 of hqaven, and the fupreme government of the 
 King of kings ; and every man who fills a 
 ftation of eminence in fuch a government, and 
 difcharges the duties of it wifely and iaithfully, 
 merits high efteem and honor. Civil rulers, 
 in exalted ftations, who ufe their autliority for 
 a icnor io evil doers, and an encouragement to 
 
L A N G D O N. 175 
 
 ibem that do well, art as gods to their fellow 
 men; and, to excel in comnnunicating the 
 bleffings of good government to the multitudes 
 of mankind, deferves far greater renown than 
 that of mighty heroes, whofe only glory was 
 that they deluged the earth in blood, and tri- 
 umphed in the diftrelTes of their fellow mor> 
 tals. 
 
 The military man performs a necefTary and 
 honorable part, and mull rife high in the ef- 
 teem of his country, when he employs hi3 mar- 
 tial courage and Ikill to defend it from unpro- 
 voked hoftile invalions and depredations. So 
 long as the lulls of men are warring ^yithin 
 them, and breaking thro* all reftraints, nations, 
 as well as individuals, will commence enemies 
 to each other, and from time to time fill the 
 world with the din of arms. No nation can be 
 fecure of uninterrupted peace ; and to be al- 
 ways prepared to repel invaders, is the furefl 
 way to keep all enemies at a diftancc. There- 
 fore the virtues ot a great general, whofe mar- 
 tial ardor is infpired by love to his country, 
 dire6led by fuperior wifdom and prudence, and 
 tempered with all the^feelings of humanity and 
 principles of jullice, cannot fail to place him in 
 a very exalted point of view, both to his coun- 
 try and the world : For he ferves his genera- 
 tion in matters of great concern, in detcnding 
 liberty, property, and life, while he cxpofcth 
 himfelf to every hardfliip and danger ; and his 
 officers and foldicrs claim lome Ihare ip his 
 
J76 L A N G D O >T. 
 
 honor, as far as they copy the fame chara6^fers. 
 Who can rival the dignity of a WASHING- 
 TON, whofe patriotifm was completely difin- 
 terefted, and in whom all excellencies united to 
 fave thefe american States ? 
 
 The minifters of juflice alfo, and all fubordir 
 nate officers of civil fociety, who alTift in pro- 
 'motingthe important ends of government, and 
 extend it's falutary influence through all par- 
 ticular bodies and orders of people, are fixed by- 
 divine providence in their feveral polls of fer- 
 vice, that they may accomplifli the will of God, 
 and do good in their generation by fecuring 
 the peace and order of the world. 
 
 Likewife men of fuperior learning, who car- 
 ry arts andfciences to greater perfection among 
 mankind, and enrich the world with new difco- 
 veries, and all the uleful improvements of geni- 
 us; whether they are employed in the inftruc- 
 tion of youth, or as divines, phylicians, or law- 
 yers, do great fervice in their generation, when 
 they direct their learning to the glory of God, 
 and the benefit of men. 
 
 The merchant fervc's his generation agree- 
 ably to the wi,l of God, by the prudent, honeft, 
 and indullrious management ot that commerce 
 which encourages agriculture and all kinds of 
 labor, and fupplies us with every comfort and 
 convenience of life. 
 
 Tradfemcn of almoft every fort, who dili- 
 
L A N G D O N, 17 
 
 / / 
 
 gently, and honeftly puifuc their feveTal occu 
 pations, are likewile to Lc conlidered oS miiiir 
 tring to the divine will, by promoting ihc 
 \viie de(igns of his good providence in their dny . 
 Their various callings are neceiikfy -Ibr (!<.■ 
 general benelit of the world, and liC, Wh. ' 
 infinite wifdom orders all the aflairs of in^n, 
 hath appointed them to thefo different employ- 
 ments. 
 
 The fame maybe faid of thofe whofe bufinefs 
 is on the feas, who hazard their lives to main- 
 tain an intercourle among the nations, or by 
 the toils of the iifliery bring in the wealth of 
 the ocean ; and likewife offuchas by daily la- 
 bor on the land procure their necedary i'ap])ort, 
 and aflift in the bufinefs of the world. All thefc 
 arc uieful in their generation. No man is to 
 be defpiied who acts his part wx^ll, and improves 
 his natural pov/ers in that way which provi- 
 dence has pointed out to liim, tho' in the low- 
 eft fervices of the great family. 
 
 Tlie hufljandm.an, however his enploymcnt 
 may be defpifed by men of pride and picalurc, 
 is doing that work for which man was origiiiiul|i- 
 ly deiigned. Adam was fen t into the garden of 
 Ivden to drefs and keep it, and wa&- command- 
 ed to replenilh the earth and fubduc it. ' Oct 
 of the ground God caufes every tiding to grow 
 which is nccelfciry for food, and liatli made in\ 
 irien dependent on the increafe of t".'.9 field : 
 It is the fu])port ofkinj-s, as well as the iov/er 
 Vol. IV. '}] 
 
1 78 L A N G D O N. 
 
 Tanks of men; and without the continual la- 
 bors of the farmer, all muft foon perifh under 
 the curfe pronounced on the earth in confe- 
 quence of the entrance oflin. Far the greater 
 part of men are called to this primitive employ- 
 ment; and it might greatly increafe the happi- 
 nefsofthe nations, if multitudes, who are now 
 bufy only i n miniftring to the moft foolifli and 
 pernicious luxuries of the world, could be indu- 
 ced to quit their bufy idlcnefs for the ufeful 
 employjncnt of tilling the ground, which, in 
 it's very nature, is free from temptations to 
 vice, and friendly to virtue and religion. 
 Therefore let not the farmer be afhamed of 
 his employment, or envy the inhabitants of po- 
 pulous cities, as living an cafier life, and enjoy- 
 ing more pleafure ; but be content with the 
 bleflings with v/hich God rewards his labors, 
 and thankful that he hath every thing necefla- 
 ry for his comfort, and power to contribute 
 his part towards the expences of fociety, and 
 the liipport of the world. 
 
 While we ferve our generation in any fuch 
 ways as have been mentioned, we are minift- 
 ving to the will of God, as fervants under him 
 to do what he, who governs all things,hath made 
 neceflary for the general order and benefit of 
 mankind. The divine will hath appointed, and 
 continually regulates, the frame and all the 
 movements of the univerfe ; evei*y relation 
 and connexion of human affairs ; and every part 
 which is proper to be aded among- the many 
 
L A N G D O N. 179 
 
 millions who inhabit this globe ; and every 
 thing is 'balanced fo as may bell concur with the 
 great ends of his univerfal empire : Nor can 
 thefe ends be defeated by the weaknefs or wick- 
 ednefsofmen; but his wifdom, goodnefs and 
 juftice will be manifefted in the final illue of 
 things. 
 
 But if we confider our relation to another 
 world, and would hope for a reward hereafter 
 for all our fervice in the prefent world, we muft 
 govern our condu6l, even in the common con- 
 cerns of life, by a religious regard to God, and 
 a lincere habitual defire to do every thing a- 
 greeable to his will. All Chriftians ought to 
 obferve that apoftolic dire6fion : Whether there- 
 fore ye eat , or drink, or whatfoever ye do, do all to 
 the glory of God. We belong to Chrift, and 
 mull be devoted to his fervice, who hath re- 
 deemed us by his own mofl precious blood ; and, 
 aiming to know the whole compais of our duty 
 in life, we muft attend, not only to the more 
 immediate exerciies of godlinefs, but to every 
 part of that work to which we are called in 
 common life^ according to our feveral flations 
 and capacities. Whether our talents are more 
 or lefs, they muft be faithfully improved. He 
 that hath but one, muft not neglect it ; and he 
 to whom God hath given greater abilities, and 
 who is called to more difficult and diftinguilhing 
 fervices, muft not decline the labor, but do his 
 work with a6livity and patienc'e ; not merely 
 Avith a view of gaining human applaufe, but 
 
8o L A N G D O It 
 
 i6o 
 
 -that he may have his mailer's approbation, wheit 
 he is- called to give -an account of himfelf to 
 God. 
 
 This v/as the great honor of David and Solo- 
 mon, that they were obedient to God's will, 
 and fought his glory. This adds peculiar luf- 
 tre to the character of luch as are in elevated 
 ftations. The fear of God gives the great and 
 good man a6livity, firmnels of mind, courage 
 in the grcatefc difficulties, and patience and per- 
 feverance in the mod arduous labors; and 
 raifes him equally above the flatteries andcen- 
 lures of the world : By this even our common 
 employments become acts of religion ; and dili- 
 gence and fidelity, even in the loweft bufinefs of 
 this life, will fecure the rewards oi" the future 
 world. 
 
 What has been faid prepares the way for the 
 farther intlru^tions contained in the text ; 
 therefore I lliall now lay before you a fecond 
 obfervation, viz. 
 
 II. That we have a very limited time offer- 
 vice in this world, and i^iufl: loon be gathered 
 to our fatlicrs, and lee corruption in the 
 grave. 
 
 The inhabitants of tliis earth remain the fame 
 but a Ihort ipace of time; they are continued 
 by a conftant fucceflion of generations. Ojir, 
 generation p'lffeib aivay, fays the royal preacher^ 
 
L A N G D O N. i8f 
 
 and another generation Cometh ] but the earth abid- 
 .eth forever. There are now hundreds of milli- 
 ons of men living on this globe, all biiiily em- 
 ployed, and as thoughtleis of any change as if 
 their relidence were fix'd here forever. Yet it 
 is evident, by repeated oblervations on the 
 numbers of deaths and births in populous plac- 
 es, that, taking one with another, the life of man 
 is iinilli 'd in about forty years, and that the 
 whole number of the inhabitants is changed in 
 that fhort period, & a new generation appears on 
 the ftage. We ourielves, who have by divine 
 goodnefs continued in the bulinels of the world 
 forty or fifty years, may plainly obferve in the 
 places which we have known, how the fathers 
 are generally gone> and a young multitude is 
 rifen up in their room. Yet the alfairs ot the 
 world keep their courie ; as foon as one man is 
 called OiTfrom his ftation bv death, another 
 takes his place, and all the deligns of providence 
 and grace are carried on by a fucceflioai of in- 
 ilruments. 
 
 Therefore men can only ferve God in their 
 own generation. They are called to work in 
 their own day, until the night of death comes, 
 when their labor is over. David was railed to 
 the throne, to complete the ccnqueft of the C;- 
 nemiesof Ifrael, perfect the government which 
 God had eftabliflied among them, and prepare 
 the rich materials for a magnificent temple, 
 that the name of Jehovah might be univcrially 
 known and glorified among tb.e Gentiles, 
 
i82 L A N G D O N. 
 
 Great was the work which he accomplifhed, 
 and he had the honor of being a remarkable 
 type and progenitor of the expe6led ^Saviour 
 of Ifrael : But his day at length was finifhed : 
 Tho* he reigned forty years^ and was conftant- 
 ly active in war and government, yet nature 
 could not hold out longer, and he yielded his 
 crown with all it's cares to his fon, and fell a- 
 ileep in death. The fame period of years fin- 
 ifiied the glory of Solomon's reign, bro't on 
 an unhappy change in the kingdom, and made 
 way for a feries of national calamities. Thus 
 all the following kings a6ted their feveral parts ; 
 feme well, many of them very wickedly ; and di- 
 ed, feme V, ith honor, after having done many 
 worthy things; others, with infamy, having 
 been guilty of the greateft crimes, and leaders in 
 the corruption of religion. The antient pro- 
 phets were ient^ one after another, as melfen- 
 gers oiGcdtohis people; and when they had 
 finifhed their teftimony, were called away by 
 death. And the'apoftles of our Lord Jefus in 
 a few years accompliflied their miniftry, and 
 left the churches to be taken care of and con- 
 tinued thro' all future ages by a fucceflion of 
 pallors. Thus we fee all focieties going on^ 
 continually, all offices in kingdoms and ftates 
 changing from hand to hand, as death puts an 
 end tothefervice of one, arid then of another. 
 None are lufFered to continue long, either in 
 pnblic or private life. 
 
 Thatfcntence, Dii/l. thou art, and unto duji 
 
L A N G D O N. 183 
 
 Jhalt thou return, extends to every defcendant 
 from Adam, high and low, rich and poor. The 
 empire of death is univerfal ; it has a commif- 
 jfion againft the wife, the noble, and^ mighty, as 
 ^yell as againft the lower dalles of men, often 
 arrefts them in an unexpected hour, in the midft 
 of flattering fchemes and opening profpedts, 
 and lays them in the duft. 
 
 Human life once had a long period of many 
 hundred years ; but it gave encouragement to 
 an univerfal fpread of wickednefs, which, ia 
 . righteous jtidgment, God punifhed by deilroy- 
 ing the world with a flood. Therefore when 
 the earth was reftored, and proper time allow- 
 ed for repeopling it, the great Lord of all re- 
 duced the life of man to the prefent contracted 
 mealure. And now the days of our years are 
 three/core years and ten y and if by reafon of/lrengtb 
 they be fovif core years, yet is their Jlrengtb labor and 
 forrow ; for it is foon cut off, and we fiee away. 
 But even of this fliort courfe of years we have 
 no aflurance. Very few continue to fuch ad- 
 vanced age ; our bodies are fubje6ted to a mul- 
 titude of fatal difeafes, which at the earlieft 
 years may finifli our life. Neither are we fe- 
 cure a day or a moment from fome fudden at- 
 tack of our grand enemy, which, without warn- 
 ing, may join us with the congregation of the 
 dead. 
 
 When we look back, how foon have we run 
 thro* our early youth 1 How fpeedily have we 
 
i84 L A N G D O N. 
 
 pafs'd along to thirty, forty, or fifty years f 
 And how very (liort does all our paft life ap- 
 pear ! We comprehend the whole of it in one 
 glance of thq't ; it is as yefterday when it is paft, 
 or the dream ot a night, or a tale that is told. 
 And if we look forward, and number our re- 
 maining days with wiidom, ive fliall fum up the 
 account in the lame conciie manner, and be 
 ready to join heartily with the pfalmill, and fay. 
 My days are an band-breadth, and mine age as no- 
 thing before thee ; verily every man at his beji eflatis 
 m altogether vanity. 
 
 When our minds and hands are engaged in 
 bufinefs which we are earneft to finilh, time 
 pafles away fwifter than we are aware. We 
 find it is gone before the work is acccomplifli- 
 ed,' and fee the neceliity of improving every 
 moment. Jull fo, if our hearts are intent upon 
 ferving God and our generation, we ihall think 
 life very Ihort, and fee the necefTity of doing 
 with our might whatever our hands find to do. 
 Our day will foon be over. It highly concerns 
 us to make the belt improvement of life, that 
 we may not loie the reward of good fervants. 
 It requires much time, at firft, to furnilli our- 
 ielves for any diftinguifliing fervices. Know- 
 lege is acquired by continual ftudy, obfervation 
 and experience. We can fcarcely perform 
 great things, until we have advanced to tlie 
 niidfi ot life ; and then, as foon as we feel fomc 
 ftrength ot mind to difchargc the duties of more 
 important ftations^ the fymptoms of natural 
 
L A N G D O N. iQ 
 
 lifejhall appear, then fljall we al/o appear unib bun 
 in glory, and live forever with the Lord. Let iis 
 blefs the God and Father of our Lord Jeiiis 
 Chrilt, who, of his abundant mercy, hath begot- 
 ten us again to a lively hope, thro* the refiirreaion 
 of Jefus Chrijlfroni the dead, to an inheritance in-^ 
 corruptible, and iindefiled, and which fadeth not a- 
 way, referjed in heaven for believers, who are kept 
 by the power of God for that flilvation, which 
 is made ready to be revealed at the end of the 
 world. Let this hope be our comfort in the 
 near views of our own death, and when we 
 mourn for our deceafed Chriftian friends. , 
 
 Vol. IV Bb 
 
SERMON LXVIII. 
 
 THE DIVINE GOVERNMENT MATTER 
 OF UNIVERSAL JOY. 
 
 BY 
 
 CHARLES BACKUS, A. . M. 
 
 Pq/ior of a Congregational Church, Somers, 
 Conne&iciit. 
 
 Pfalm, xcvii. i. 
 
 The Lord reignefh, let the earth rejoice ; let the 
 multitude of ijles be glad thereof. 
 
 Thefe words are part of a defcription of the 
 awful and glorious Majefly of Jehovah, 
 and call upon mankind to rejoice in hisuniver- 
 fal dominion. Clouds and darknefs are round a- 
 bout him : Righteoufncfs and judgment are the hab- 
 itation of his throne. Aflregoeth before him, a?id 
 burneth up his enemies round about. His li^J)t- 
 nings enlightened the world : The earth faw and 
 trembled. The hills melted like wax at the prefence 
 (fthe Lord, at the prefence of the Lord of the whole 
 earth. The heavens declare his righteoif/wf^, and 
 hit the people fee his glorv. 
 
1^6 ' BACKUS 
 
 llje earth, and the multitude of ijles, are proba- 
 bly uled by the Pfalmift for the two general 
 divifions of the inhabitants of the world, Jews 
 and Gentiles. The earth is fometimes ufed in 
 a limited fenfe in the facred writings. I lies 
 is an appellation frequently given in the old 
 teftament to the Gentiles, or to the nations 
 who did not defcend from Abraham. Haiah 
 writes, when prophelying of Chrilt and the ex- 
 tent of his kingdom, Hejhall not fail, nor be dif- 
 c our aged, till he have fet judgment in the earth ; 
 and the ifles fhall wait for his law. In looking 
 back to the origin of nations, in Genifis xth. 
 we find that the ifles of the Gentiles were firft in- 
 habited by the defcendants of Japhet; who re- 
 mained in paganifh darknefs for many hundred 
 years after the Pfalmift 's time. Enlightened 
 by the ipirit of infpiration, he looked forward 
 to the day when the lamp of divine truth would 
 be carried beyond the bounds of Canaan, and 
 calls not only upon the people who now enjoy- 
 ed revelation, but alio upon the multitude of 
 nations who (hould hereafter be vifited with the 
 day fprin^ from on high, to be glad and rejoice in 
 the univerfal and gracious dominion of the on- 
 ly true God. 
 
 Let us at this time confider the divine go- 
 vernnient, and the caufes of rejoicing which it 
 altbrds. 
 
 In confidering God's -government of the 
 v.'orid, we are led, 
 
BACKUS. 197 
 
 r. To acknowledge his right" as its Author. 
 It is irnpoiiible to account lor the exiftence of 
 creatures, without having recourfe to an uncre- 
 ated, eternal, independent Spirit as the caufe, 
 who muft poilefs the higlieft perfe6lion. The 
 Lord he is God, It is he zvho hath made lis, and not 
 we ourfelves. He created the heavens and the 
 earth, and all the variety of inhabitants which 
 people the air, the earth, or the lea. His 
 right to govern the world muft be original 
 and unalienable. The earth is the Lords, and the 
 fidlnefs thereof ; the world and they that dwell therein. 
 
 n. God alone can uphqld creatures in being. 
 All the power which they can poffefs, mull be 
 wholly derived from their Author. There can 
 be but one Being in the univerfe who is inde- 
 pendent. This Being muft be God : He will 
 not give his glory to another. Could creatures 
 fupport themfelvesin exiftence, they would be- 
 come independent, would ceafe to be under the 
 divine government, and might overthrow it, or 
 at leaft prevent the accomplifl:iment of it's de- 
 i\gn?^. To afcribe independence to creatures, 
 would be as abfurd as to predicate of them a 
 duration which has no beginning. 
 
 The infpired writers are abundant in I'cpre- 
 fenting thcabfolute dependence of all creatures 
 on God. When the apoftle Paul, in the 
 >4vii. of A6^s, is reproving the fuperftition of 
 the Athenians, and fliowing their ignorance in 
 worfliipping the unknown God, he calls their at- 
 
198 BACKUS. 
 
 tention to the only true Deity, the Creator of 
 all things. He goes on to infer the obligation 
 of all to ieek the Lord, from reafons which 
 they might find in their own poets, drawn from 
 the light of nature, and conformable to the 
 doclrine revealed from heaven. For in him we 
 live, and move, and have our being. 
 
 III. The government of God is univerfal. 
 He hathjhiit up thejea with doors-- And faid hi- 
 ihertojhalt thou come, but no further, and herejhall 
 thy proud waves be flayed. He commandeth the 
 morning, and caufeth the day fpring to know his 
 place. He hath made the fun to rule by day, and 
 the. moon and Jiars to ride by night. The Lord 
 hath his way in the whirlwind and in thejtorm, and 
 the clouds arc the dujlofhisfeet. He is the father 
 ff the rain, and he ^begetteth the drops of dew. 
 He Wat e ret h the hills from his chambers ; the earth 
 IS fatisfed ivith the fruit of his works. He caufeth 
 thcgrafs to grow for the cattle, and herb for thefer^ 
 vice of man, that he may bring forth food out of the 
 earth. The eyes of all creatures wait en God ; and 
 he giveth the^i their meat in duefeafon. 
 
 The divine government extends to man ; and 
 that not merely as a clafs of creatures, but to 
 each individual of the race. To fay, as lome 
 have, that divine providence mult be general, 
 and not particular, is to involve ourlelves in 
 ini'uperable ditlicuities, and tends to plunge us 
 into t!ie depths of infidelity. The friends of 
 this creed muft be obliged to tell when any 
 
BACKUS. 
 
 99 
 
 number or combination of men becomes large 
 enough to attra6l the attention of the fupreme 
 Ruler. But where will they find the fcale 
 marked with fuch nice gradations, as to an- 
 fwer their defign ? Again, if we can argue 
 at all from the things which are made, concern- 
 ing him who created them, we muft admit that 
 there is uniformity of defign amidft all the end- 
 lefs variety of his works. The phrafe, "The 
 beauties of nature," can have no meaning on ti- 
 ny other plan. Hence the conclufion is obvi- 
 ous, that general providence muft be made up 
 of particular things, or events : And therefore 
 a denial of a particular providence, will go to 
 the denial that God governs the world. 
 
 When we look on the page of infpiration, we 
 find the divine government extending to the 
 fmalleft concerns of man, and at the fame time 
 embracing all the affairs and changes of nations. 
 Chrift, in comforting the hearts of his difciples 
 againft the malice of their enemies, reminds 
 them of the particular providence of their 
 great Preferver. , Are not two fparrows fold for 
 a farthing? and one bfthemjhall not fall' on the 
 ground without your Father. But the very hairs of 
 your head are all numbered. Fear ye not there- 
 fore, ye are of more value than many fpar rows. The 
 rife and fall of individuals and empires depend 
 on the fovereign pleafure of the Almighty. 
 The Mofl'High ruleth in the kingdom of men ^ and 
 giveth it to whomfoever he ivilL Promotion com- 
 ctb neither from the eafl^ nor from the wcjl^ nor from 
 
200 BACKUS. 
 
 thefouth : But God is the Judge ; he puttetb down 
 one, andfettetb up another. 
 
 We may go up to an higher order of intelli- 
 gences, and behold angels minillring before the 
 throne of God. The chariots of God are twenty 
 thoiifand, even thoufands of angels. The Lord is a- 
 mong ihetn, as in Sinai, in the holy place. Thefe 
 holy beings are fervants to execute the purpo- 
 fes of divine providence and grace. They are 
 all ?ni?iiflring fpirits, fe?it forth to miniflerfor them 
 whofhall be heirs offalvation. 
 
 The angels who rebelled, and were call out 
 of heaven, are not removed from the univerfe, 
 nor have they efcaped from the eye of omni- 
 fcience, or the arm of the Almighty. The an- 
 gels who kept jiot their fir/l ejiate, but left their own 
 habitation y he bath refervcd in ever la/ling chains un- 
 der darknefs, unto the judgment of the great day. 
 The dominion of Jehovah extends to all events, 
 to all creatures,, and to all worlds--heaven, earth 
 and hell. 
 
 IV. All fecond caufes are under the direc- 
 tion and control of the Moil High. This is a 
 necefTary confequence of the abfolute depend- 
 ence of the whole creation on its Author, and 
 the univerfal extent of the divine government. 
 
 Second caufes are of two kinds, natural and 
 moral. It does not appear that perpetuity 
 was defigned for any part of the natural world; 
 
L A'N G D O N. \^c; 
 
 decay begin to come on ; and before v c 'an 
 proceed far in the greater labors of life for tlie 
 glory of God and the good of mankind,, old age 
 with all it's infirmities weakens' ^ur powers^ 
 and haltens us to the end. of our work. 
 
 Where are all our fathers, who a few years 
 ago werebufy as we are in all the afiairsof the 
 world ?— They are gone I The dujl is returned, to 
 theidiift, as it was; andthefpint to God who gave 
 it. They reft in their graves/and at the re- 
 furredion v/ill recie"^e the due reward of their 
 labors. And our bodies mull fliortly bie jkid 
 with them, and their whole curious form and 
 texture futfer a diirolution. The grave is the 
 hpiife appointed for all living. In a fliort time 
 we all fliall bfi lodged in that dark abode, Let 
 us frequently (^ntertirin thefe fober thot's, and 
 refolve to improve the fliort day of lire vvith 
 th;e greateil diligence, that we may finifii well 
 the work now ailigned us ; and io be ready to 
 depart, and die in the joyful hope of an admiili- 
 on into the glorious fociety o-f heaven, and of 
 obtaining the honor and felicity of God's eter- 
 nal kingdom. 
 
 For our comfort under juft apprehenfions oi 
 the ihort time to which our fervices^are limit- 
 ed, we will now attend to the lall head of in- 
 ftruction deduced from the text, viz. 
 
 III. '1 huL V.e luive i^^uuii i..^, i*^r"~ 
 
 ^oipel foftens dov. n the drc^'^'' "^ ' • 
 Vol. IV. Aa 
 
iS6 L A N G D O N. 
 
 by alluring us of the refurre6tion of the dead ; 
 that the' the moft eminent fervants of God muft 
 i'ee corruption, yet it may with propriety be 
 affirmed, that they only fall afleep, to awake a- 
 jrain at the lall day, and live tor-ever with 
 Chrift. 
 
 If death were the total deftruction of man, 
 of his nobler part together with his bodily 
 frame, and no prcfpecl of a future life had been 
 opened to us, no words cou'd be fufricient to 
 pcrfuade us to conlider it in a friendly view, and 
 baniih our dread. To beings who are contin- 
 ually extending their defires and hopes, and 
 cannot be fatisiied with the prefent moment of 
 enjoyment,, but alv/ays conne61: it with the tho't 
 of it's continuance, and anticipations of good 
 things yet to come, it mufl be ihocking to con- 
 lider, that the Vvhole of life is but a delufive 
 dream, which will foon, and mayiuddenly, end 
 in abiolute non-exiilence, without leaving the 
 leaft trace behind ; nor would the diOieartening 
 idea admit of any palliation. Yet it feems e- 
 vident from the icriptural account of the prim- 
 itive ftate, and the condition on which life and 
 happlneis depended, that the threatening of 
 death implied the total deftruction of the firfl 
 ])air, and in them the whole intended race. 
 We have reaion to fuppofe this would have 
 been really the elicct of the fentence pronounc- 
 ed upon man after he had fmned, that it would 
 immediately have reduced him to non-exif- 
 tence, if Jcfus the Son of God, the fcccnd 
 
L A N G D O N. 187 
 
 Adam,had not been conftltutcd a new head of the 
 human race ; who in the fulnefs of tifnc aiiuni- 
 ed our flefli and blood, and humbled himfeifby 
 fuffering death, that he might obtain a com- 
 plete triumph over this formidable enemy of 
 our iiature, by his refurreclion from tl\e dead^ 
 and give us an alfurance of final deliverance 
 from it's power. What idea cou'd Adam have 
 of death, but what he would naturally conceive 
 from the death of any infe6t which might be 
 crulhed under his feet ? He mull fuppofe there 
 was an end of it's exiftence, and that to hira 
 death would be the fame. He could know no- 
 thing of a refurre6tion ; for this comes by Chrift, 
 the new head of mankind, astheapoftle plainly 
 affirms, I Cor. .15:. 21,22. Forfniccbymaii 
 came death, by man came alfo the refurreclion of the 
 dead. For as in Adam all die, evenfo in Cbriji 
 fhall all be made alive. But if Adam could know 
 nothing of the refurre6tion, he cou'd entertain 
 no expectation of exiftence in a future ftatc ; 
 for this hope is introduced folely by the refur- 
 rection of Chriil, and depends on the certainty 
 of the refurredion of our bodies, in confc- 
 quence of a promife given by our Lord Jefus, 
 agreeably to the fame apofile's argum.ent from 
 the twelfth to the twentieth verfe of the fore- 
 mentioned chapter. All our hope of eternal 
 life in another world is grounded upon tl^.c ex- 
 prels promife of the gofpel, according \o th^, 
 repeated declarations of the new tcftament. — 
 That eternal life is the free gift of God by jefus Clmf. 
 '^^That we have received the future inheritance 
 
i88 L A N G D O N* 
 
 ''by prq;iiife' — And '''that the gofpel contains 
 •'the record of this gift proinifed only in Chrift.' 
 Therefore he that hath the Son, or fmcerely 
 believes on him, hath life ; and he that believ- 
 eth not on the Son of Gpd, hath no claim to 
 the promife of eternal happinefs. Life and 
 immortality are bro't to light by the gofpel, 
 after the more obfcure revelation of them un- 
 der theold teftament. No^y we depend not on 
 the uncertain conje6lures of our own minds, or 
 dark hints. dven from which we mufc make re- 
 mote dedu6tions, or the plaufible reafonings ot 
 philofophers on the prefent ftate of things in- 
 troduced by the Mediator's reign. All fuch 
 arguments for a future life would be incpnclu- 
 iive, ifw^e hadnot an exprefs revelation to 
 confirm our belief of it. We accordingly find 
 tlic greatcft philofophers of antient times, after 
 ifiey liave produced the ftrongelt: arguments 
 which reafon cou'dfuggeft in favour of an hap- 
 ]^y exiftencein another world, yet difcovering 
 iome remaining doubts which they could not 
 vv'holly remove. Therefore every man who 
 l«ts himfelf to oppofe the revelation given from 
 heaven, mufc at the fame time renounce the 
 only poiitive evidence of a future life, and de- 
 ftroy the foundation of man's higheii; hope and' 
 comfort. 
 
 h\ confequencc of what the Mediator has 
 done and fuffered for us, fmccre believers are 
 reltored from the ruins of human nature, to 
 tlie hope of a more glorious Ihite of happineis 
 
LA N G D O N. 189 
 
 than that From which Adam fell. We look not 
 fotan earthly paradile again, but an heavenly ; 
 and tho' we futKer in the prcient world, com- 
 plain of vanity in all enjoyments, and muft be 
 bro't down to the duft in confequence pf the 
 original fentence againft fin; yet we fhall be 
 recovered fEom the corruption of the grave, 
 receive pure and fpiritual bodies at the refur- 
 rection, and be in every refpe6l fitted for the 
 life of angels. 
 
 In this view of the refurrection, death bears 
 the refemblance oijlecp, and may well be called 
 b}^ tlie fame name. The fleep is long indeed; 
 but it has a certain period, and we fhall awake 
 again with new life and vigour. Death has but 
 a limited power over our bodies, and cannot 
 deftroy the fpiritual part of our nature. When 
 the dull returns to the dufl as it was, the fpirit 
 goes to God who gave it. The old habitation 
 is taken down, that it may be framed anew, 
 and appeal" in greater perl^6lion ; and the foul 
 Vv^ill re-enter, with heavenly tranfport, and 
 find it made ready for endlefs and mofl refined 
 enjoyments. 
 
 When our Lord Jefus had afiured Martha 
 
 that her brother Lazarus fliould rife again, and 
 
 declared himfelf ta be the refurre(51:ion and the 
 
 life, he affirms, that whqfoever llveth and believ- 
 
 b 0)1 bhUy flmlt never die. According to the 
 
 nimon notion of death, this is not verified in 
 ia;-: ; for believers die as other men : But when 
 
190 L A N tJ D ON. 
 
 death is confidered, not as the end of our ex- 
 iitence, but as a fleep, in order to a more per- 
 fect renovation of our nature & a refurrejftion 
 to eternal life, there is great propriety in what 
 our Lord affirms, that -whofocver believeth on 
 him, pall never die. It was in this view that he 
 laid to his difciples, Our friend < Lazqf us Jleepetb; 
 hut I go that I may awake him out ofjleep. And 
 on this depends the propriety of that frequent 
 phrafe in the old teftament, Hejlept with bis fa- 
 tiers ; and the almoft invariable ufe of the word 
 feep inltead of death thro' all the new teftament. 
 
 Have we not therefore abundant reafon to 
 rejoice, that death is thus really difarmed of 
 it's greateil terrors; that we are aiTured it 
 will not be utter deftru6lion, that it will 
 be only as the reft of a night; and that, 
 when the glorious morning comes, we fliall a- 
 wakc w^th delightful rapture, and find all for- 
 rows paft away, and uninterrupted heavenly 
 pleafures fucceeding. This glorious hope we 
 have by the fecond Man, the Lord from hea- 
 ven, who hath aboliflied death, and bro't life 
 and immortality into the cleared view of faith 
 by the gofpel. Surely our hearts muft be filled 
 with gratitude to the God and Father of our 
 Lord Jcfus Chrilt, that by appointing fo glori- 
 ous a Mediator at the head of the human race, 
 indcad of fallen Adam, he hath mercifully de- 
 livered us from that total deftru6lion with 
 which death threatened human nature, and af- 
 fured all wlio heartily embrace the promifes of 
 the new covenant, that they Hiall rile from the 
 
L A N G D O N. 191 
 
 grave, as from a bed of deep, at the laft day, 
 and live for ever in an heavenly paradife. 
 
 We have been led by our text to confide r 
 the various fervices to which God calls us in 
 tms world, according to the ranks and Itations 
 in which HWhas placed us^ and the abilities and 
 opportunities which he has given ; and that it 
 is our honor to do the work afligned us with di- 
 ligence and fidelity, knowing that we ferve the 
 Lord Chrift. By this let all Chriftians be quick- 
 ened to perform their proper part of duty in 
 their generation. Let none think themfelves 
 fo much below notice iji the world, or the part 
 which they can perform fo infignificant, as to 
 be carelels of their dutv. The meanelt ler- 
 vant in God's great family is under his notice, 
 and will receive a reward according to his la- 
 bor. All are capable of doing fomething to 
 promote the common good of the world and of 
 the church, and ihould have regard to the pre- 
 fent conftitution and order of the whole ; and if 
 they difcharge their duty, as his fervants, agree- 
 ably to his will, he 'will finally grant them a glo- 
 rious immortality in heaven. But if he has 
 given us greater capacities, advantages and op- 
 portunities than other«f let us remember that 
 he expe6ls we fliould diftinguifh ourfelves by 
 being more remarkably uleful in our generati- 
 on ; and that that is our honor among men, 
 and will give us a more joyful hope of exalted 
 hippinels in the future v.orM. 
 
193 L A N G D O N. 
 
 You have attended to the thought, that we 
 can only ferve our own generation ; that the 
 time of our ferviccis fhort ; and that we muft 
 foon ileep with our fathers in the grave. There- 
 fore be diligent in bulinefs, fervent in fpiiyt, 
 ferving the Lord. Wbatfoever thy hand find eih 
 to do, for God, or man, or thine. pWn foul, do 
 it with thy might ; for there is no work, 7ior device, 
 nor knowledge, nor wifdom in the grave whither 
 thou goe/i. Let a fliort life be filled with the 
 bell employment. Prize every paffihg mo- 
 ment ; and hold on in well doing to the end, 
 with conftant prayer and watchfulnefs. Blejf- 
 ed is thaifervant, whom his Lord zvhen he cometh^ 
 JJm tlfind Jo doing . 
 
 You have heard what a different idea of 
 death is given us by o\ir Lord Jefus, from that 
 which was implied in the original fentence pro- 
 nounced on man for {in ; that it no longer con- 
 . tains in it the horror of anabfolute defl:ru6lion 
 of human nature, but may be viewed as a ty- 
 rant»difarmed and fubdued, whofe captives are 
 fct free, and advanced to higher felicity by 
 what they have fufFered from him. Tho' we die, 
 it is^only like falling ^flcep; for we ihall live 
 again. Therefore let us not fear to allow 
 death fome entertainment in our tho'ts ; it will 
 make us wifer and more. diligent, and fortify 
 our minds to meet it. Our day will fliortly be 
 ended. We fliall be wearied with labor, and . 
 . mull fall afleep, and reft till the glorious morn- 
 ing of til e rcfurrcction : ])nt when he who is our 
 
BACKUS. . 201 
 
 The changes^ wafte and decay, to be difccrned 
 ^s far as difcoverics have gone, forbid the idei. 
 Undefigning, periihing matter can have no e-^ 
 nergy withui itlelf ; but mult necedarily be un- 
 der the dire6tioh of the Creator. The more at- 
 tentively we examine the laws of nature, the 
 more evident it appears that their powers of 
 action are wholly derived from tiie fird caule. 
 Hence Chancellor Bacon very juftly obfcrvcs, 
 '*That aiittle orluperficial knowledge may in- 
 *'clinc the mind of man to atheilm ; but aiur- 
 '*^ther proceeding therein doth bring the mind 
 /'back again to religion. For in the en- 
 '^trance of philofophy, when the fecond caufes 
 '^wliich are next unto the fenfes, do offer them 
 *^'felves to the mind of man, if it dwell and ftay 
 ''there, it may induce fome obligation of the 
 ''firft caufe ; but when a man palleth on further, 
 ''and feeth the dependence of caules, and the ' 
 ''works of providence, then, according to the 
 "allegory of the poets, lie >vill eafily believe 
 "that the highelt link of nature's .chain muft be 
 "tied to the foot of Jupiter's chair." We muft 
 rebel againft the cleareft light, if we do not 
 join with this great mailer of fcience in im- 
 proving the allufion borrowed from pagan fa- 
 ble, for the purpoie of engaging 'our attention 
 to the agency of the only true God, conllant- 
 ly operating in his own world. A devout man 
 cannot withhold confelling th.e power of a pre- 
 lent God, difplayed through nature, when 
 he contemplates the appearances in the flues, 
 the earth and the ocean. Is if poilible that 
 Vol. IV. Cc 
 
202 BACKUS. 
 
 lifelefs clay can maintain fuch order ? If one 
 can be found who is ftupid enough to indulge 
 fuch thoughts, let him take reproof, and learn 
 wifdom, from the grafs and the lily of the field,, 
 and from the growth^ changes, death and re- 
 furredion of flies and worms. 
 
 In tracing the operation of fecond caufes of 
 the fuoralkind, whatever fcheme of moral agen- 
 cy we adopt, we are driven back to the firft 
 caufe, to account for all the powers of adiion 
 in rational creatures. Faffing all controver- 
 iies on this intricate fubje6t, two things are ve- 
 ry plain. One is, that our dependence on God 
 muft be perfe6l ; the other is, that no violence 
 can be offered to' cur volitions. We are fur- 
 niflied with indifputable arguments|to prove 
 thefir/i ; and of the Iq/l we have full and irrefift- 
 ible evidence, when we recur to the operati- 
 ons of our own minds. 
 
 'The fcriptures are full of inftances, which 
 iliow that the hearts of all men are in the hand of the 
 Lord, and that, as the rivers of water, he tiirneth 
 them ivhitherfoever he ivilL 
 
 That the Spirit of God can breathe on the 
 heart, and fupport piety and integrity amidft 
 an overflowing deluge of wickedncfs, is plain 
 from the inflances of Noah, Abraham, Lot and 
 others. Divine wildom and grace are confpic- 
 uous in forming per Ions for high and impor- 
 tant llations^to which theirthoughts never turn • 
 
B A:Q^K US. 203 
 
 ccl, till providence, in its myfterious courfe, raif- 
 ed them to the eminence for which they were 
 born. In the. moll illullrious mortal ehara6ters, 
 Avhich are handed down to us in (acred hiftory, we 
 may plainly difcern early traits, which laid a 
 foundation for influence, for enterprize, and en- 
 countering difficulties with fortitude. Genius 
 is not created by the renovation of the heart ; 
 nor is it buried by infpiration. We find a great 
 diverfity of gifts among the prophets ^ndapof- 
 tles. Paul was formed by the God of nature 
 for intenfe application to lludy and bulinefs. 
 By the former, he was fitted to diftinguifli truth 
 from error ; and by the latter, to encounter 
 perils by lea and land, perils from pretended 
 friends and open enemies, and from the learned 
 and unlearned. From the day when Jefus ap- 
 peared to him on the road to Damaicus, and 
 the fcales fell from his eyes, he commenced an 
 apoftle and minifter of Chrift, and labored more 
 abundantly than all the other apoflles in the 
 propagation and defence of Chriftianity. 
 
 While illuftratingthe divine government, in 
 dire6ling and controlling fepond caufes of the 
 moral kind, we may not pafs in filence inftan- 
 ces, in which idolaters and wicked men have 
 been made inftrumentsof good to the church of 
 God. 
 
 Was not the hand of God confpicuous in pret 
 " ferving the important life of Mofes in his in- 
 ^ fancy, by the daughter of Pharaoh ? She 
 
^04 B A C K U 5. 
 
 with her maidens were walking on the banks of 
 the river, where flie happened to fpy the ark a- 
 mong the flags, which contained the future fe' 
 viour of his nation. She fends her maid to 
 fetch the little cheft, which had excited her cu- 
 riolity. We tremble for the precious treafure, 
 while on its way to the daughter of a monarch, 
 who had hardened his heart againll parental 
 feelings, and had doomed to inftant death every 
 male child born among the Hebrews. We fear, 
 that in a few moments Mofes will be thrown 
 into the river, to drown with the other infants 
 of his nation. The ark is brought— it is open- 
 ed- -the babe weeps — his artlefs tears plead for 
 him — the young princefs of Egypt has compaf- 
 fjon on the helplefs, perilhing infant, commits 
 liim to a nurfe, adopted him as her fon, and 
 gave him an education in that court which he 
 w\is one day to deftroy. 
 
 God called Cyrus, though Cyrus knew him 
 not, to fubduc nations, and overthrow Baby- 
 lon ; to make way tor the return of the Jews 
 to their own land, after a long captivity of fe- 
 venty years. He let them go without price 
 or reward. He encouraged their return, and 
 the rebuilding of their city and temple, by a 
 generous proclamation, by reftoring the vef- 
 fcls of the houfe of the Lord captured by Neb- 
 uchadnezzar, and by treafures colle6led from 
 his own people. 
 
 In the reign of Ahafuerus, a plot was laid 
 
BACKUS. 205 
 
 to cut off, in one day, the Jews who were dif- 
 perfed throughout the vaft empire of Per- 
 fia. Before the day came for the cruel trage- 
 dy to be acied, the flumbers of the monarch 
 were difturbed — On a certain night deep de- 
 pared from his eyes. For his anmfement inhis 
 wakeful hours, he called his fervants to his 
 bedfide^ and commanded them to read ^a por- 
 tion of the chronicles of the realm. The read 
 cr, under unknown influence from Him who 
 hath the hearts of all men in his hand, opened 
 on a pafTage which narrated a confpiracy form- 
 ed againll the king\s life, and wliich had been 
 cruflied by the difcovery of Mordecai the Jew, 
 the great patron of his nation. Mordecai was 
 the man who provoked Haman, the prime min- 
 iiler of Ahafuerus, to procure the bloody de- 
 cree, which was defigned foon to be executed 
 on all the Jews in the kingdom. The king en- 
 quired whether any honor had been done to 
 Mordecai for his fidelity. On hearing that he 
 had not been rewarded, he calls upon Human 
 to prefcribe a mode of conferring honor on a 
 favorite. This proud man, ignorant of his 
 royal mailer's defign, and fluflied with the im- 
 aginary profpe(5l of blazoning his own glory, 
 pointed out a mode, which comprized a dif- 
 play of all the pomp which would charm a fa- 
 vourite in an eafrern court. To his unspeaka- 
 ble confufion, he was dire6ted to be the minif- 
 ter who fliould confer fuch honor on Morde- 
 cai. This event was an important incident in 
 the train of events, which brought ruin on Ha- 
 
2o6 BACKUS, 
 
 man, and faved the people of God from deftruc- 
 tion. 
 
 Often has the wrath of man been made to 
 praife God, while the inftrument was intent on 
 gratifying his own pride and malevolence. The 
 Chriftian can never forget the bloody fcene dif- 
 played'bn mount Calvary, where Herod, Pon- 
 tius Pilate, with the Gentiles and people of 
 Ifrael, were the perpetrators of a deed, which 
 caufed the fun in the firmament to hide his face, 
 and all nature to utter a groan. Yet on this 
 event depends the ranfom of the fouls of men. 
 
 Having made a few obfervations on the di- 
 vine government, let us proceed in the fecond 
 place, to confider the caufes oi rejoicing which 
 it affords. Thefe are comprized under two 
 general heads — the benevolence of its defign, 
 and the certainty of its accomplifliment. 
 
 We cannot doubt the perfe6tion of the pre- 
 fent fyftein, when we confider the boundlefs 
 knowledge, wifdom and goodncls of its Author. 
 Evil had not been fnfFered to exift, had its per- 
 million been incorififtent with the wifdom and 
 benevolence of the Deity, or the fullefl difplay 
 of his moral prrfcclion;*. Thefe conftitute the 
 ulory of the Moft High, and render hun an ob- 
 ject infinitely defcrving the love, homage and 
 contidepce Qt all the intelligent creation. The 
 pcrfecVions of God ai e d'rlplaycd in harmony ; 
 
BACKUS. 207 
 
 and ^ the .infinitude of knowledge and power 
 which he poireiTeth, is employed in doing good. 
 The Lord is good to all ; and his tender mercies are 
 overall his zvorks. When we confider. the cha- 
 racter of the God of love as opened in his word, 
 we are fure that his condu6t is governed by an 
 ultimate regard to the higheft felicity and glo- 
 ry of his moral kingdom ; whether he pardon 
 tranfgreffors, or make them feel his wratii in 
 the prefent world, or exclude them from hap- 
 pinefs in the next. 
 
 God hath chofen to difplay his attributes in 
 the face of Jefus Chrift, who is-the brightmfs of 
 his glory, and the exprefs linage of his perfon, 
 Glorioufly did the divine chara6ler fliine, when 
 Chrift was condemning fin in the flefli, and un- 
 folding the charms of infinite love/ by his dif- 
 courfes, his obedience, his agony, and by pour- 
 ing out his foul imto death. The fame glorious 
 purpofe is advanced by his refurre6lion and al 
 cenfion. He is featcd at the right hand of tlie 
 Father, and is exalted/^r above all principality and 
 power yand might, and dominion, and every Jiamcibat 
 is named, not only in this world , but alfo in that which 
 is to come. And God hath put all things under bis 
 feet, and gave him to be the head overall things to the 
 church, which is his body, the fulnefs of hivi that 
 filleth all in all. Hence alfo the apoftle Paul, 
 fpeaking of the final vi^ory of all believers 
 through Chrill their head, declares this to be 
 the way in which God is glorified : For all things 
 are for your fakes, that the abundant grace might. 
 
2o8 BACKUS. 
 
 through the thank/giving of?na?iy, redound to the 
 glory of God. 
 
 It is very obvious from the current of fcrip- 
 ture, that this world ftands as a theatre for the 
 difplay of redeeming love, and that the whole 
 of its government is made fubfervient to the 
 good of the church. If an empire rife or fall, 
 the change is defigned, in fome way or other, to 
 plead the caufe of Zion. The ten kings, which 
 John in a vifion faw riling up to fupport Anti- 
 chrift, for a time g'^ve their power and ftrength 
 unto the beaft ; till at length the period comes 
 when their friendfliip is turned into hatred, 
 and they deftroy the domination, which they 
 had lent their wealth and their arms to eftab- 
 lifh and aggrandize in paft ages. Thefe things 
 take place to inflidl full vengeance on thofe who 
 corrupt the gofpel, and to manifeft divine mer- 
 cy to thofe who keep their garments undefil- 
 ed. The policy and power of the ten kings are 
 made to praife God, inaccomplifhingthe defigns 
 of his love. For, as John writes, God hath put 
 in their hearts to fidfil his willy and to agree, and 
 give their kingdom unto the beqfi, until the words of 
 God f jail be fulfilled. 
 
 On every furvcy of the defign of God's gov- 
 ernment, we tind it terminatmg in the fullcil 
 display of the excellencies of the divine mind, 
 and opening the only fource of real happinels 
 toman. Though none by learchingcan hnd 
 out the Almighty unto perfection ; yet all 
 
BACKUS. 209 
 
 may be convinced, that right eoufnefs and judg- 
 ment are the habitdtion of bis throne; aud tliat 
 none who put their truft in hini ihall be con- 
 founded. This leads me to oblerve. 
 
 That the benevolent defign of God's govern- 
 ment will be accomplilhed. Moral goodnefs 
 mufc involve faithfulnefs : They are often ex- 
 prefsly united in tiie proclamations which Jc-- 
 hovah maketh of his great name, and in tlie 
 thankfgivings which are offered to him in tlic 
 facred volume. The Lord is good, his mcrcv is 
 everlajling ; and his truth endureth to all generations . 
 His dominion is accompanied with boundlefs 
 knowledge and almighty power. Great is our 
 Lord, and of great pozver ; his under/landing is in- 
 finite. He hath declared, Aly counfelfljalljtand, 
 and I ivill do all my pleafure. If our hearts be 
 warmed with the love of God, we cannot re- 
 frain from rejoicing in his government under 
 all its appearances. It proclaims "^/(^r)' to God 
 in the highsft, and good will towards men : It i'j 
 promoted by all events in providence ; and 
 will fill its enemies with contulion, and its 
 friends with joy, in the day when all creatures 
 Ihall appear at the bar of God, and his righteous 
 judgment ihall be revealed before the allem- 
 bled worlds. 
 
 I M P R O V E M E N T. 
 
 I. It appears from the fabjcfl or this dif- 
 courfe, that the plan of the divine government 
 Vol, IV. D d 
 
BACKUS. 
 
 mull be unchangeable. Whei'e is thefe room 
 for change ? God cannot ceafe to be the Au- 
 thor or iupporter of his own world. All crea- 
 tures derived their exiftence from him, and muft 
 depend on hinifor its continuance : All fecond 
 caufes mult remain forever under hisdire6lion 
 and control. No caufe can be devifed, to ef- 
 fc(5t the leali change in the plan of divine ope- 
 ration. Men of the moft extenfive. capacities 
 and information may fee juft reafon to vary 
 their pin'pofes and the courfe of their condu6l, 
 'from the errors of pall life, and from the dif- 
 clofure of events which had been concealed 
 I'rom the eye of human wifdom. But the 
 mind of Jehovah can admit of no obfcurity or 
 enlargement. Who hath been his coitnfellor f 
 ills knowledge is intuition, and vail as imm- 
 cnftty : No thought can be withholden from 
 him, and he can do every thing which is poifi- 
 blc : His goodnefs is infinite, and is involved 
 in all his counfels. With the Father of lights 
 there . ariahlenefs, neither Jhadow of turning, 
 
 'i/>-' counfel' of the Lord ^(iandeth forever , and the 
 ihoi/ghts of his heart to all generations^ 
 
 '■'■'•• lay infer the great evil of murmur- 
 iug under the dealings of our heavenly Father. 
 We mult, be ftrangers to our own hearts, not 
 \o dif'.xrn that we have a llrong propenfity to 
 . bel ag'ainft the will of God, when the events 
 . liis providence proceed in a courfe which 
 n^ilitates againft the attainment of the glory of 
 ;.i;!^: world. How criminal muft all complaints 
 
B A C K U S. 
 
 jjgainft the condu6l of the Moil High appear, 
 \rhen we consider his right and ability to go- 
 vern, and the benevolence which guides all his 
 ' Iminiilrations ? The language of murmur im- 
 peaches the wifdom, juftice and goodnefs of 
 God. Who art thou O man ! who expdflulatell 
 with the Sovereign of the world I Shall the thing 
 formed fay to him that formed it, ivhy hqfl thou made 
 me thus ^ Shall not God do what he v/ill witli 
 his own ? Hearken to the voice of Him who lit- 
 eth on the throne of the univerfe : Be still, 
 ANDJCN0W THAT I AM GcD. The Moft High 
 is conftantly holding up before the intelligent 
 creation the infinite excellencies of his nature, 
 and is proclaiming the riches of his love 
 throughout his vaft dominions. Every devout 
 man muft adopt the language of holy David : 
 O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name-in all 
 the earth ! who hafifet thy glory above the heavens. 
 
 3. On a review of the extent, ability "and end 
 of God's government, his church may derive 
 confolation in the darkeft feafons. If, like the 
 bufh which Mofes faw at Horeb, fhe be in the 
 midft of devouring flames, fhe fliall not be con- 
 fumed. Faithful is the Holy One of Ifrael. 
 He hath promifed, I will never leave thee, nor for- 
 fake thee. Nothing can defeat the purpofes ot 
 infinite wifdom , rectitude and goodnefs ; but all 
 things are governed in fubordination to the d- 
 vine plan. Job believed in this dodrine, an(t 
 his heart was comforted from it, when all his 
 children were flain, and his whole fubftanre was 
 
SI3 BACKUS 
 
 deftroycd, in one day, by the fword^ by fire 
 from heaven, and the fury of the tempeft. In 
 this day of mourning, he gave glory to God, 
 and rejoiced in his government, faying, The 
 .Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away ; blejfed 
 be the name of the Lord. 
 
 In this world we behold the diftrefs of nations, 
 and the church threatened by the luke- 
 warmneis of her friends, and the malice of her 
 enemies ; but let us check all anxiety, by call- 
 ing to mind that the Lord reigneth, and that he 
 is'the refuge and Itrengih ot his people. He 
 will bring good outof evil, light out of darknefs^ 
 and order out of confufion. The righteous en- 
 dure auii6tion but for a fliort time : They will 
 not long behold the trium])hs of the wicked ; 
 but will foon rife to dominion, and /Z?/;/^/<9r/Z) as 
 the fun m the kingdom of their Father. If we be 
 reconciled to tlie government of God, we need 
 not iear the power and n^alice of wicked men 
 and devils. All things -will becojne ours, whether 
 the world, or Ife, or aeath, or things prefent, or 
 things io co7ne. Ye children of forrow ! repair 
 to tne fountain of wifdom, power and grace, 
 breathe the fpirit oi' fubmiirion and praile, and 
 dry up your tears. 
 
 To conclude •. Our fubjed fiiows, that offering 
 praife to God isafublime and glorious employ- 
 ment. It hath for its objects the perledtions 
 ol' Jehovah, and the works of his hand. We 
 cannot contemplate fuch tliemes with juft af- 
 
BACKUS. 213 
 
 fe(5lions, without joining in the ftrains of the 
 fweet finger of Ifrael ; Blcfs the Lord, O my foul, 
 O Lord my God, thou art very great; thou a^t 
 clothed with honor and 7naje[ly. Meditations on 
 the wonders of providence, and the myfteries 
 of the kingdom of God, will often lead us to 
 break out in the pious and reverent exclamation 
 of the apoftle Paul ; O the depth of the riches both 
 of the wifdom and biow ledge of God ! how unfearch- 
 able are his judgments, and his ways pqfl finding 
 cut! All the Ions of fcience, did they a6t wife- 
 ly, would become true Chriftians. The gofpel 
 alone holds out fubftantial reafons for the im- 
 provement of the mind, by the field which ito- 
 pcns, and the crown which it promifes to the 
 faithful. Happy! thrice happy glorified faints 
 and holy angels, who are ftudents forever in the 
 wonderful works of God ! Praife can never 
 faulter on their tongues, in the world of light 
 and joy. To the world of love and praife let 
 us all afpire. God grant, of his infinite mer- 
 cy, that we all may be fitted for that ftate, 
 where fljall be no more death, neither forrow, 7ior 
 crying, neither ^floall there be any more pain; and 
 may mingle our voices with the heavenly 
 choirs, //3'//?^^^ Alleluia! for the Lord God omnip- 
 ^fentreigneih. Amen. 
 
•s 
 
SERMON LXIX. 
 
 HUMAN DEPRAVITY THE SCOURGE 
 OF INFIDELITY. 
 
 BY 
 
 JONATHAN EDWARDS, D. D- 
 
 Pqflor of the fecond Congregational Church, New- 
 Haven^^ Connedticut. 
 
 John, vii, 17 
 
 Jf any maji will do his will, hejloall know qfibc 
 do&rine, whether it be of God, or whether ifpeak 
 
 Our Lord taught as one having authority, and 
 not as thefcribes. Even his enemies were 
 compelled to admire his abilities and his doc« 
 trine. Seethe 14. & 15. th verfes of our con- 
 text : Now about the midfi oftljefeaft, Jefm went 
 up into the temple and taught. And the Jews 
 marvelled, faying, How knoweth this inan Utters, 
 having ?ievcr learned ? It was marvellous to tliem^ 
 that t\ man who had had no advantage of edu- 
 cation, who was a carpenter's fon^ and was 
 himfelf a carpenter, and of courfe could not 
 have had much advantage of converfatioa with 
 
21^ EDWARDS. 
 
 men of karning, even after he had arrived at 
 mature age, Ihould be able to teach fo excel- 
 lently, and to exhibit a ly Hem of morals and 
 theology fuperior to all that had been taught, 
 not only by the Scribes and Pharifees, but even 
 by Moles and the prophets. 
 
 The folution which our Lord gave to this 
 queflion, is, that he received his docl:rine from 
 God. See verfe i6th. Jefu? anfwered them, 
 and fiiid. My doctrine is not mine, but his that fent 
 me. If this were fad, no wonder his dodrine 
 was fo excellent, and that he exhibited it in 
 fuch an extraordinary mianner. At the lame 
 time that our Lord thus profeiTed to be a teach- 
 er fent from God, he informed them how they 
 might know whether he were right in this pre- 
 tention : viz. by a willingnefs to obey God. 
 If any ??ian ivill do his will, hefiall know of the doc- 
 trine, whether it be of God, as I fay ; or whether I 
 fpeak of my f elf , as you imagine. 
 
 And doubtlefs what our Lord faid on this 
 head to the Jews, is equally true concerning 
 us oi* any other men in thefe days. If any 
 man be willing to do the will of God, or if he 
 be fincerely difpofcd to obedience, or to piety 
 toward God and to true virtue toward men, 
 he Ihall know wliether the go! pel be a revela- 
 tion from God, or a mere human invention; 
 and no man will be an infidel, unlefs he be of a 
 depraved heart. Tins is manifellly the doc- 
 trine of our text; and to illuftrate it I purpofe. 
 
EDWARDS. 
 
 M. 1 
 
 J.': To conlider more particularly the import 
 of thefe words, IJ^any man will do bis unit, 
 
 • i- 
 
 II. To conlider the evidence of the confe- 
 quence thence drawn. That if any man he fuicere- 
 ly difpofcd to piety and virtue, he fliall know 
 whether the gofpel be indeed a revelation 
 from God. 
 
 I. I am to conlid'er the import of thcfe words. 
 If any man ivill do his will. 
 
 It is manifeft by the preceding verfe, that 
 the will of God is intended. The words imme- 
 diately preceding are. My doclrine is net mine 
 but his that fent me. Then follow the words 
 of the text : Jf any man -will do his will &c, 
 that is, the will of the eternal Father, who 
 fent Chrill. Now to do his will is to be really 
 aud fincerely obedient to him, in the various' 
 duties of piety and true virtue. I {iiyjincerely 
 obedient; For no other obedience than that 
 which is lincere, is worthy of the name of obe- 
 dience, or is confidered as any obedience at all 
 by him who looketh on the heart, and by that 
 determines the actions and characters of men ; 
 and not as we do, by the mere outward appear- 
 ance or verbal profeffion. That real and cor- 
 dial fmcerity of obedience is here intended, is 
 evident, not only by the very nature of the 
 cafe^ as no other is any obedience at all ; but 
 by the form of expreliion in the original : «/ ^'f 
 ^o-.Jfany man bs ivilling to do bis j.vill. So 
 Vol. IV, Ee 
 
210 EDWARDS, 
 
 that our Lord plainly meant a fincere and wil- 
 ling obedience, in which thG.ivill and heart are 
 engaged, and not thajL^hich is external and vi- 
 fible only. 
 
 The parts of tliis obedience are two ; the firic 
 refpecting God ; the fccond our fellow crea- 
 tures. The iirft is piety or gocilinefs, the o* 
 ther is morality. Godlinefs is compliance with 
 the firil and chief command of the divine law_, 
 Thoufiali love the- Lord thy God with all thy heart, 
 with all Ihyfirength, and with all thy mind ; and 
 from this fupreme love to God, to attend on 
 all ordinances of his worflnp. Therefore this 
 attendance rauft not be rendered relu6tantly, 
 as if it were a burden, a tafK necefTary indeed 
 to be performed, but difagreeable and weari- 
 fome : But it mull be rendered cheerfully and 
 willingly, with fatisfatSiion and delight. Indeed 
 it wiii be rendered in this manner, if, according 
 to the text, we be willing to do his will; or if 
 Ave comply with the iirli: and chief command be- 
 fore recited. 
 
 "i'hc other branch of obedience refpects our 
 , fellow creatures, and includes all the duties of 
 morality ; as benevolence, jullicc, truth, faith- 
 fulnefs and beneficence. The foundation of all 
 thefe duties is that cordial love or benevolence 
 required in the following diviiie conmiand; 
 Thcnjhalt love thy neighbour as thyfelf; which our 
 Lord tells us is the fecond, and like unto thr 
 jirft. All the ibrcnientioncd duties of morali 
 
i; D AV A R D S. 219 
 
 ly muft be performed from the f^imc :: .:.;i^ 
 mind, as tbe duties of piety. It is by no mcaivs 
 enough, that they arc performed externa ily 
 from the motives of I'ear^qf human laws, judg- 
 ments, and executions ; or of fliame and regard 
 to our reputation. They may be thus performed, 
 and yet by no means be performed willingly, aa 
 our text requires ; but with great relu(!:{;ance; 
 with no pleafure inthofe duties themlclves, but 
 with real difguit at them. Then only Oiali we 
 perform them willingly, wlien we perform them 
 from that love to our neighbour, whicli is cor~ 
 refpondent to the love which we bear to our- 
 felves. Then only fhall we have a talle or re- 
 lifii for thole virtues, or for the real beauty of 
 them. 
 
 Thus we fee what it is to be wilUne; to do the 
 will of God : It is to have a heart to the prac- 
 tice of fincere piety and true virtue : Or in o- 
 ther words, to love God fupremely, and man- 
 kind lincerely, or with direct and proper bene- 
 volence. 
 
 II. I proceed to fliov/, that he who v^ of v.\:.. 
 charatSter, ftiall know whether the gofpel be in- 
 deed a revelation from God. This I con- 
 ceive to be evident by both fcripture and rcaicn. 
 
 I. By fcripture. Our text feems to l^c very- 
 clear and pertinent to the prefent purpofe. 
 The qucllion between our Saviour and the Jews 
 Avas. Whether he were a teaclier fcnt from 
 
220 EDWARD S. 
 
 * 
 
 God. He affirmed it: They denied it. And 
 in the text he afferts^ that if they had a heart 
 to ohey God, they would know whether his 
 preteniion were well-founded, or whether his 
 doc^trine, which is the Gofpel, were really from 
 God. This text alone, therefore, if there were 
 no other text in the Bible in favour of our doc- 
 trine, is a full proof of the truth of it. One 
 divine aifertion of any dodrihe is a fufficient 
 proof. If one be not fufficient, neither is any 
 greater number. 
 
 But this is by no means the only text which 
 fupports this do6lrine. The general current 
 offcripture implies, and many particular texts 
 exprefsly allert, that the blindnefs, darknefs 
 and unbelief of mankind are wholly of the mo- 
 ral kind, voluntary, and the refult of depravi- 
 ty of heart. I fnall mention fome of them. 
 John. V. 40. Te will not come tmto me, that ye 
 might have life. Ye will not ; the original is 
 more explicit and detterminate, «y ^tx»-ri,ye are 
 uot willing to come to me.- But this unwilling- 
 ncfs is aliigned by our Lord as the reafon of 
 the unbehef of the Jews. And are we not to 
 believe that unbelief in modern times proceeds 
 from the fanhe caufe from which it proceeded 
 anciently? II. Theif. ii. 10. Them thai perijlj, be- 
 cavjhthey received not the -love of the truth, that 
 ihey ni'ght befaved. In other pallages the Scrip- 
 ture abundantly teaches that they who believe 
 not ,f}mll perifJj, flndl be damned, are condemned at- 
 trady &c. And this text affigns the reafon why 
 
EDWARDS. 221 
 
 they periih; viz. That they have not the 
 1.0 VE of the truth. But all who are cordially 
 diipofed to piety and virtue, or to real obedi- 
 ence to the will of God, do loye the truth. 
 Therefore they will not perifli^ but will believe 
 the gofpel,and be iaved. Again, (verfe 12.) 
 That they might be damned^ who believed tiot the 
 truth, bid had pleajure iji nnrighteoiifnefs. This 
 text (liows, that no man will be damned, unlefs 
 he have pleafiire in unrighteoiifnefs. But all un- 
 believers will be damned. The conlequence 
 is plain, that all unbelievers have pleafure in 
 unrighteoufnefs. The reafon why the heathen 
 world were given over to a reprobate mind, 
 was, that they did not like to retain God in their 
 knowledge. And alienation is the only afligna- 
 Lie reafon, that when they knew God, they glorifi- 
 ed him not as God ; but became vain in their imag- 
 inationSy and their foolijh heart was darkened. The 
 apoftle Peter afligns the fame thing, as the rea- 
 fon of the unbelief of the fcofFers, who fiiould 
 come in the lall days, and fhouid difbelieve the 
 fecond coming of Chriil, faying, JVhere is the 
 promife of his coming ? The realon which he af- 
 ligns, is, a willing ignorance of the agency of 
 God in creation and providence. But to be 
 willingly ignorant of the molt remarkable works 
 of God, in which he has moll remarkably ex- 
 hibited himfelf anid his infinitely glorious per- 
 ,fe(5tions, argues a fpirit of impiety. Now we 
 have received, not the fpirit of the zvorld, but thefpi- 
 nt which is of God ; that we might know the things 
 tKot are freely given us of God, This text inplies. 
 
222 EDWARD S. 
 
 that li >ve be undci^ the government of a \verld- 
 ly ipitit, ve cannot know the golpel, and the 
 truths itcontains; and therefore cannot truly 
 believe them. Tbefecrei of the Lord is zvith them 
 that fear him. If tlierefore any have not the fe- 
 cret of the Lord, as no inildcl has, it muft be 
 becaufc he does not fear God. I.John ii. 20, 
 Te have an imBionfrcm the holy One and know all 
 things. But the anointing which ye have received, 
 ahidcih in you; and ye need not that any jnan teach 
 you; hut as the fame anointing teachetb you of all 
 things,' and is truth, and is no lie ; and even as it 
 hath taught you, yefjjall abide in him. It is man- 
 ifell, that this anointing or undion means fome 
 kind of inftrudion or teaching. But it cannot 
 mean the common infer u6lion' in do6trinalkno\v- 
 ledo'c ; bccaufe it is faid that the former abides 
 in thofe to Vvhom it is given, and that they need 
 not any further inftra6\ion, and that they who 
 enjoy the inftru61ion wiiich is by this anointing, 
 Ihail abide in Chrift. But none of thefe things 
 can be truly faid concerning mere common 
 dodrinal inflru61ion ; nor concerning the mi- 
 raculous teaching of inlpii'ation, which was en- 
 joyed in the days of the apoftles. Judas was 
 thus taught; yet he needed further teaching, 
 and he did not abide in Chrifl:. This anointing 
 therefore muft mean that teaching, which is by 
 the fan6tifying influences of the holy Spirit. 
 They who have this teaching, know all things, 
 therefore they will know whether the gofpel be 
 a divine revelation : And if any man know not 
 this, it muft be through the want ol fan61iiica- 
 
EDWARDS. Z23 
 
 tion^ or an obedient heart. If ye continue in my 
 word'—ye fljall know the truth, Thefe v/ords are 
 ot the fame import with our text, and very 
 limilar in the form of cxprellion. To continue 
 in Chrift's word, is to be obedient to him ; and 
 fuch Ihall know the truth ; of courfe they will 
 know whether the gofpel be true. Te beiievs 
 not, becaufe yc arc not of my fljcep. To be the 
 fheep of Chrift is to be obedient to his laws and 
 commandments, as the iiock is governed by the 
 fhepherd : And the reafon why the Jews be- 
 lieved not the gofpel, was, that they were not 
 obedient to his laws. The fear of the Lord is the 
 beginning of wifdom ; a good underftanding have all 
 they that do his commandments. IVifdoin, in the 
 language of fcripture, always implies a belief 
 of the fcriptures. The fame is obfervable of 
 good iinderflanding . Thofe who reje6l the fcrip- 
 tures or the golpel, are lo far from being ever 
 in fcripture reprefented to be 'pofleiTed of v/if- 
 dom, or a good underftanding, that they are e- 
 very where called fools, and are faid to be blind ^ 
 darkened, knowing nothing as they ought. All 
 thofe therefore vv^ho poUefs wifdom or a good 
 underftanding, believe the fcriptures. The 
 fource of this wifdom and belief is the fear of 
 the Lord; and the' fcurcc of infidelity mufl 
 be the want of that fear. Bat that fear in- 
 volves a fpirit of true piety and virtue, and 
 without it there can be no true piety or vir- 
 tue. Having the underftanding darkened,'^ hein^r 
 alienated from the life cf God through the igrtO ranee 
 ibai IS in ih-w, J-i^raiffr nf the //''>v';/-A^. '-...,. - . 
 
224 EDWARDS, 
 
 or as it is rendered in the margin hardnefs, and 
 Blight be more ftridly rendered calloiifiiefs, of 
 their hearts. The ignorance and unbelief there- 
 fore of mankind with refpect to divine fubie6ts 
 is becaufe of the hardnefs or depravity of their 
 hc<ixts.'- If our go/pel be hid, it is hid to them that 
 are loll ; in whom the God of this world hath blind- 
 ed the minds of them which believe 7iot,lefi the light 
 of the glorious gofpel ofChriJl, who is the image of 
 God fhould fhine unto them. ^ Who the God of 
 this world is, is manifeftfroni John, xii. 30. Now 
 is the jiidgmeiit of this world : now is the prince of 
 this world cqjl out. Chap. xiv. 31. The prince 
 of this world cometh, and hath nothing in 77ie. A* 
 gainjl the rulers of the darknefs of this world. The 
 God of this world then is Satan, the great ene- 
 my of mankind : and all to whom the gofpel is 
 hid, and all who believe it not, are under the 
 influence of the God of this world, blinding their 
 minds ; and this blinding influence is the caufe 
 why they fee not the light of the glorious gof- 
 pel and believe it not. But this malicious be- 
 ing can have no fuch blinding influence on any 
 man, only fo fiir as he is depraved, and is un- 
 der the influence of his depravity. Therefore 
 the whole of that blindnefs, which induces or 
 implies infldelity, is built on the foundation of 
 depravity of heart. And this is the condemnati^ 
 on, that light is come into the world, and men have 
 loved darknefs rather than light, becaufe their deeds 
 were evil. The light here intended is the light 
 of tlie gofpel ; and the reafon here given, why 
 men did not love nnd receive this light, is, that 
 
E D W A. R D 
 
 o 
 
 their deeds Ijucre evil. JVberefore it is contained 
 in thefcripture. Behold I lay in Zion a chief corn- 
 er [tone, eleB, previous ; and: he that believeth on bun 
 Jhall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which 
 ■ believe, he is precious ; but unto them which be dis- 
 obedient, theftone ivhich the builders' difcil lowed 
 the fame is made the head of the corner^ and a [ione 
 ofjhwiblingy and a rock of offence ^ even tot" them 
 which flumble at the wordy being difobedient. . No- 
 thing is more evident^ tlian, that difobedience is 
 here reprefented to be the caufe of Humbling 
 atthev/ord, I, John iv. 6. Hethat knowetb 
 God hearetb us ; he that is not of God, bearetb not 
 us. Hearing the apolUes implies a belief ot 
 them. Therefore this text allerts^ that he 
 that knoweth God, believeth the apoilolic doc- 
 trine ; and that he that knoweth not God, and 
 adhereth not to his caufe, believeth not tliat 
 do(^rine ; and the former is given as the rea- 
 fon of the latter. 
 
 Thus we fee how clearly and abundantly 
 the fcriptures teach, that infidelity is the ef- 
 ^(i(^ of a depraved -lieart and life, and that a fpi- 
 :t of real piety and virtue will forever pre- 
 vent or abolifli it. Therefore, 
 
 2. I am to confider how far the voice of 
 j'eafon coincides with the voice of Scripture. 
 If the gofpel be a revelation from God, there 
 is doubtlefs evidence of it. It would be abiurd 
 to imagine that God has taken care to give a re- 
 vchiHon of his v;ill to mankind. ■'-^■^ '- -' ^ "-^r 
 V<>r IV. Ff 
 
226 E D V/ A R D S. 
 
 taken care that there fliould be evidence fuffi- 
 cient to fatisfy the rational, the attentive and 
 candid, that it is indeed a revelation. A reve- 
 lation fo circumftanced conld anfwer no pur- 
 pofe of a revelation, nor could it be reafonably 
 cxpe6ted that it fliould be received and regard- 
 ed, at all as a revelation. Nay, in fact it 
 would be no revelation from God to mankind, 
 becaufc it would exhibit nothing as coming 
 from God. If a kind prince fiiould make known 
 his will to his fubje6ts, but in fuch a manner 
 that there fliould be no credible evidence 
 that it was his will, as they could not in this 
 cafe know that it was his will, io they would be 
 juft as ignorant of what his will really was, as 
 they were before, or as if the exhibition fup- 
 pofed had come from another prince, or from 
 any other perfon. If therefore the^ofjiel be 
 from God, and were defigned to be received 
 as fuch, there is undoubtedly evidence that it is 
 from God_, fuch evidence as a rational^ atten- - 
 tive and candid inquirer will fee ; and all 
 who have a fpirit of piety and true virtue will 
 be candid and attentive to divine truth, and 
 to every thing which with any probability or 
 plaufibility claims to be divine truth; and their 
 candour and attention will be proportioned to 
 their piety and virtue. All fuch therefore 
 will fee the real evidence that the gofpel is 
 from God, and will receive it accordingly. And 
 if any fee not that evidence, it muft be owing ^ 
 to the want of candour and attention, and there- 
 fore to the want of piety and virtue* 
 
EDWARDS. 227 
 
 If it fliould be faid, a man may be induced by 
 prepoileffion of education, by enthulialm or 
 blind zeal, to receive a falfe lyftem for truta, 
 contrary to evidence, or at lealt without evi- 
 dence ; and that in this cafe he is not govern- 
 ed by a perverfe bias ; 
 
 I anfwer, nothing but fome perverfe bias, 
 feme party attachment, fome criminal indor 
 lenceor prepoirellion, can make a man io enthu- 
 lialHt , fo full of groundlefs zeal and fo attached 
 to the ways and habits of his education, as to be 
 blinded to real evidence exhibited^ or to 
 imagine that he fees evidence which has no ex- 
 iftence.^ 
 
 *Wlience arifes entliufiafm ? Not furely from a prin- 
 ciple of true virtue and piety. There will be perfect 
 piety and virtue in heaven, but no enthufiafm, no vihon- 
 aries. An3 doubtlefs if a man were completely fancti- 
 lied in this world, it would preferve or deliver him from 
 all enthufiafm. If fo, then enthufiafm will, other things 
 being the fame, be diminilhed in any man in proportion 
 to the degree of his virtue and piety. If honefty, virtue 
 and piety would not preferve all men of common capa- 
 cities from enthufiafm, then God has laid fome men of 
 common capacities under a neceifiiy which depends not 
 on their wills, but is a natural, evincible neceffity, of 
 rejecting true religion, and embracing enthufiafm : And 
 then thefe confequences will follow ; that they are un- 
 der no obligation to be truly religious ; that enthufialm 
 or falfe religion in them is no fin or fault ; that true re- 
 ligion, as oppofed to enthufiafm, is as to them no duty; 
 and that enthufiafm in them is as true and genuine reli- 
 gion as any^ and confequentiy is not enthufiafm. On 
 the whole therefore we are obliged to come to this 
 conclufion, that all religious enthuhafm, and all vifionary 
 fehemes of religio n, do and muft arife from depravity. 
 
 N. B. The noie in this page was by the author in- 
 tended to be printed as part of the text. 
 
228 EDWARDS. 
 
 Thus, the truth of our dcnSlrine^ that if any 
 niian be porieiled of a proper fpirit of piety and 
 true virtue, he fhall know whether the gofpel 
 be a revelation from God, or a mere human 
 ii^vention, appears not only to be confirmed 
 by fcripture, but necedarily to follow from the 
 piaineit dictates pt reafon and comnion fenfe,-- 
 
 If this do61rine be true, and if the gofpel be 
 a revelation from God, or a fyftem of truth, 
 all who believe it not are blinded by fome per- 
 verle bias, or by a depraved heart, and they 
 are not willing to do the will of God. No. o- 
 ther realon can be aiiigned for their unbelief. 
 They may be challenged -taaffign any other. 
 On the other hand; if the gofpel, be not a rev- 
 elation from God, as there neither is nor can 
 be evidence, that it is from him ; all who be- 
 lieve it as from him, are therein a6tuated by 
 fome perverfe bias, or by an unwillingnefs to 
 do the will of God. On this fuppofition all who 
 have ever believed the gofpel, the primitive 
 Chriftians, thp apoflles^ even Paul himlelf, who 
 iuftered the lols of all things that he might win 
 Chrift, either did not at all believe the gofpel, 
 and were the vileft impoftors, or they believed 
 the goipel from a fpirit of difobedience to the 
 divine, will. Nay, the fame is true of Jefus 
 Chrill himlelf. Either tlicrcfore Paul, Peter 
 and John, nay Jefus himfelf, if they were not 
 dci gning impoftors, believed as they did from 
 ci fpirit cf dilobedicnce to the divine will ; or 
 from thcfiime fpirit Shy ftcfbury, Bolingbrokc 
 
EDWARDS. 229 
 
 cTiid Hume believed as they did. There is no 
 medium in this cafe. And who, it is molt like- 
 ly, were influenced by a fpirit of difobedience 
 and impiety, let every one judge, who is ac- 
 quainted with their reipc(5tive writings. Let 
 every fuch perfon judge> whether a fpirit of 
 obedience, or of piety and virtue, breaths moll 
 in the writings of Paul,. Peter and John, and 
 in the difcourfes of Jefus Chrift ; or in the wri- 
 tings of Shaftefbury Bolingbroke and Hume. 
 The iirft of thefe lail mentioned authors holds, 
 that ridicule is the tell of truth. He ironical- 
 ly declares, *^that when the fupreme civil pow- 
 ers have given their fan^lion to a religious re- 
 cord or pious writ, it becomes immoral and 
 protane in any one to deny or difpute the di- 
 vineauthority of the lead line orfyllable con- 
 tained in it"; and reprefents the fcripture 
 dodrinfe of rewards and punifliments as mean, 
 felfifli, mercinary, and hurtful to the intereft of 
 virtue. He applies his own avowed teft of 
 truth to the fcripture^ and endeavours to ridi- 
 cule the Ipirit of prophecy ; and implicitly 
 ;ccufcs our Saviour of being actuated by ambi- 
 tion and a p^rfecuting fpirit. He places the 
 obligation to virtue in its conducivenefs to our 
 prefent happinefs ; and feems to erect fuch a 
 ^cheme of virtue as is independent on religion 
 and deltitute of proper regard to God. Boling- 
 broke denies a providence extending to indi- 
 viduals ; holds that modefty and challity have 
 no foundation in nature, and arc owing to hu- 
 man vanitv; that man is no more than a fu- 
 
2SQ EDWARDS, 
 
 perior anin^al, whofe views are confined to 
 this prelent iitc, and tias no reafonable profpe6l 
 of exitting in a future ilate ; is not accountable, 
 and has no moral ienfe or feeling naturally im- 
 planted in him; that his fuprenie end is his 
 own pleafure in this life, &c. The other wri- 
 ter Hume, denies that we can argue the ex- 
 iftence of an intelligent caufe of all things from 
 the exiftence .of the world ; denies that we 
 have any evidence of moral perfection in God, 
 any evidence of a providence, or a future Hate 
 of rewards and punifhment; reckons mortifi- 
 cation, feifdenial and humility among the monk- 
 illi virtues, and pride among the real virtues; 
 denies the diilincliion between natural endow- 
 ments or talents, whether mental or corporeal, 
 and moral virtues ; and holds that mental ca- 
 pacity, llrength of memory, wit, cleanlinels 
 and bodily ftrength are as real virtues as juft- 
 ice, chaftity and benevolence. Now, I fay let 
 any man of tolerable underftanding and candour 
 judge, wliether thofe who embraced and taught 
 inch theological and moral principles as thefe, 
 were moll likely to have been blinded to truth 
 by alpirit of impiety and diiobedience ; or he 
 who <ieUvered the sermon on the Mount, 
 and thofe \/ho wrote the gospels, and other 
 books of the New Testament.— 
 
 I have now fininiOied what was propofed 
 from our text; and therefore fhalf clofc the 
 difcourfe with fome inferences. 
 
EDWARDS. ixt 
 
 O 
 
 1. Our fubje6l teaches us, that if the gofpel 
 be true, there is no necefllty that any man be 
 ^n iniidel. Iniidelity is not neceflkry, but vo- 
 luntary. Men are infidels, becaufe they are 
 willingly ignorant of the truth, and fliut their 
 eyes againft it. Doubtlefs all depravity of heart 
 is voluntary ; and that, on the fuppolition that 
 the gofpel is true, is the real caufe of all infi- 
 delity. This is indeed a do6trine grating to 
 the pride of unbelievers ; yet it is the doctrine 
 offcripture, and the do(?trine of reafon too; 
 nor, as has been alTerted, can they themfelves 
 fupport any other theory with refpe6l to this 
 fubje6l. They can, on the fuppolition now 
 made, give no other account of their unbelief, 
 which will bear examination. In vain will any 
 of them pretend to be a6ted upon mechanically 
 in this cafe ; that what they fee, they fee, and 
 cannot but fee ; And what the y do not fee, 
 they cannot fee, and therefore are not to be 
 blamed : that men can no more think alike, 
 than they can look alike. The truth is what 
 they do not fee, as to this fubje(51:, they might 
 and would fee, were it not for the depravity of 
 their hearts ; and therefore for that blindnefs 
 they are moft juftly to be blamed and condemned. 
 
 2. This fubje6i: teaches us, not only that no 
 man is under a neceflity to dijhelicve chriftianity, 
 but that no man is under a neceirity to be in 
 doubt or uncertainty whether chriftianity be true 
 orfalfe. There is a plain and fure way to the 
 folution of all fuch doubts, and every man may 
 
z^z E D W A R D S, 
 
 in that way obtain a full fatisfa6lion concerning 
 the truth. If Chriftianity be true, he may ob- 
 tain full evidence of it : If it be falle, he may 
 obtain full evidence of that. All that is necef- 
 fary to this, is, that he be willing to do the ivill 
 of God. Therefore to be in a ftate of uncer- 
 tainty in this cafe, to halt between two opin- 
 ions, is utterly inexcufable ; equally fo as dif- 
 obedience itfelf. 
 
 Yet is not this the cafe with many ? They 
 profefs to be inquiring whether Chriftianity be 
 true or not. They are not fatisfied; they 
 want further time to weigh the evidence, the 
 arguments in favour of Chriftianity and the ob- 
 je<5lions againft it. But though fuch men may 
 flatter themfelves that they are a6ting a very 
 rational and commendable part; the truth is, 
 that they betray the wickcdnefs of their hearts, 
 and their unwillingnefs to do the will of God. 
 For, as on the iuppolition that Chriftianity is 
 true, they who poiitively difbelieve its truth, 
 hereby prove that they are under the influence 
 of a difobedient fpirit ; fo in the cafe which is 
 now before us, they who are unfettled and halt 
 i)etween the truth and falfliood of Chriftianity, 
 prove that they are under the influence of the 
 fame I'pirit. Were they difpofed to obedience, 
 they would foon come to a determination, and 
 fee the evidence which cxifts, either that Chrif- 
 tianity is true, or that it is falfe. 
 
 3. Hence we fee the reafon why unbelief is 
 
J£ D W A R D S. 
 
 '33 
 
 every where in fcripture reprefented as a fin, 
 and is threateiaed with fevere punifliment ; as 
 it is in fuch pafFages as thefe. He that believeth 
 and is baptized JJoal I befaved ; but he that believeth 
 not.Jljall be damned. He that believeth on him is 
 not condemned : but he that believeth not, is con- 
 demned already ; becaiifc he hath not believed on the 
 name of the only begotten Son of God. This is the 
 ivork of God, that ye believe on him, whom he hath 
 fent, J^his is his commandment that wejhoidd be- 
 lieve on the name of his Son jefus Chrifl. So in 
 numberlefs other texts. Now it hath been 
 made an obje6i:ion to Chriftianity, that it re- 
 q.uires mankind to believe it; that it conflant- 
 ]y exhorts to faith as a duty, and diirbadcs from 
 unbehef as a lin, and condemns it to theiever- 
 ell puniflmient. It hath been pleaded, that 
 this is abfurd ; equally fo as to condemn and 
 punifli a man for not feeing the light of tiie fun ; 
 or to exhort him to believe a theorem in ge- 
 ometry. But this is a grofs mifreprefentation, 
 unlefs it be fuppofed that the man fees not the 
 light of the fun and the truth of the geometrical 
 theorem, becaufe he voluntarily fiuits or blinds 
 his eyes againft the former, and will not pro- 
 perly attend to the latter. The condemnation 
 of linners is, that light is come into the world, and 
 they love darknefs rather than light ; and that bc-- 
 caiife their deeds are evil. Surely as a difobedi- 
 cnt fpirit is fin, and as fuch to be warned again ll ; 
 fo is that unbelief which is the refult of it. As 
 an obedient Ipirit is a duty, and as lucii is witii 
 
 rood reaton to be inculcated ; io is that ii\\\:^ 
 
 Vol. IV, C7g 
 
i -4 EDWARD S, 
 
 which depends on it. As an unwillingnefs to 
 do the* will of Goddeferves puniihment, if any- 
 thing doth ; fo does that unbelief which is the 
 effe6t of it. Thefe obfervations are equally 
 true, whether by faith we mean a belief of 
 Chriftianity, in oppofition to deifm ; or that cor- 
 dial receiving of Chrifl^, to which the promife of 
 lalvation is made. 
 
 4- 
 
 Hence alfo we learn the true fourceof 
 alldifputes concerning any of the efTential doc-' 
 trines of Chriftianity . It mull: be fome deprav- 
 ed principle. The fame realbning holds good 
 liere, as with regard to Chriftianity itfelf. We 
 can no more fuppofe that God would leave the 
 effential dodrines of a revelation without evi- 
 dence that they are really do6lrines of truth, 
 than that he would leave the revelatign in gen- 
 eral without inch evidence. And if there be 
 fuch evidence/ not to lee it muft proceed from 
 fome depraved principle. No other caufe of 
 unbelief in this cafe can be ailigned. I know 
 it hath often beenfaid to be owing to different 
 modes of education, different inftruction, afToci- 
 ations of ideas and habits of thinking &c, that 
 fome chriftians do not believe all the elfential 
 do(51rines of Chriftianity. But if any or all thefe 
 caufes influence them to reje6t any ellential 
 do6irine of Chriftianity, of the truth of which 
 there is real and fufficient evidence, they muft: 
 ftill produce this effed by rendering them un- 
 jcandid and inattentive to the evidence ; and 
 this want of candour and attention is depravity. 
 
EDWARDS, 233- 
 
 If therefore we be duly attentive and candid, 
 we fhall fee this evidence, fhall be eftablifned in 
 the belief of the do(^trines, and fliall iurmount 
 our doubts. If our hearts be not eflabliflied 
 by faith, but be driven about v/ith every wind 
 of doctrine y and craftinefs of men ivhereby they lie in 
 wait to deceive; it nmft be owing to fome want 
 of attention or want of candour, or, in the lan- 
 guage of the text, to unwillingnefs to do the will 
 of God.: And if all profciled Chriltians were free 
 from all depravity of heart, they would be a- 
 greed in all the eflentials of Chriftianity. 
 
 5. Let us adore the goodnefs of God, that 
 he hath put the evidence of Chriftianity and of 
 the eflential do6lrines of it thus within*the reach 
 of every good man. This evidence is within 
 the reach not only of the learned, but of the 
 unlearned ; not only of the wife and great men 
 of this world, but of all who are willing to do 
 the will of God. , Therefore we have not to 
 inquire, who fliall afcend into heaven or dcfcend 
 into tlie deep, to bring us evidence of the truth 
 of the gofpel : But the evidence is nigh us, and 
 will be received by all, if it be not flmt out by 
 the depravity of their hearts.— For if any man 
 will do his will, he fhall know of the doctrine, whe- 
 ther it he of God, or whether itbe a n^er^hnn^'ni 
 invention. 
 
S E R M Q N LXX. 
 
 THE CHRISTIAN HOPE. 
 
 BY 
 
 ACHILLES MANSFIELD, A. M. 
 
 Pajiorofa Congregaiional Church at Killing fio or th, 
 Connedlicut, 
 
 ' Horn, V. 5. 
 And Hope maketh not ajhamed — 
 
 Hope is a paflion peculiar to a ftate of pro- 
 bation and trial : There will be no place 
 for it in that future world to which we are 
 haflening. There the faith of the righteous 
 will be fwallowed up in vifion, and their hope 
 in enjoyment ; and there the wicked will be 
 fhut out in outer darknefs, where light and 
 hope fhall never come. But in this prefent 
 ftate of imperfe6lion and fufferings, hope is ne- 
 ceiTary to every probationer for immortality. 
 Were it now fecluded from human enjoyment, 
 it would convert mankind into furies, and our 
 world would become as gloomy as the regions 
 ofdefpair. Without this there would be lit- 
 tle or nothing, either to ftimulatc the mind to 
 the difcharge of the duties of the prefent life, 
 or to prepare for a better. 
 
13S MANSFIELD. 
 
 Therefore this pafTioL is kindly impkftied in 
 the human mind by the great Creator. Apd* 
 it pervades the whole world. It palpitates in 
 every breaft. Methinks there is no affli6lion 
 fo finiihed, no clouds fo dark^ as to be impene- 
 trable to its cheering beams. It not only ftim- 
 iilates the victorious warrior, but eales the 
 chains of the dungeon captive. It fweetens 
 the cup of profperity, and keeps the heart 
 from finking under the weight of adverfity. It 
 enters into the abodes of diftrefs, and cheers 
 the difconfolate with the profpe6l of days of 
 Iit>ht, peace and comfort, more than according 
 to the days wherein they have feen affli6lion. 
 
 Though hope animates all, yet all are far 
 from having the fame-hope. There is an hope 
 that will difappoint its votaries, and terminate 
 in confulipn and fliame. .. J^nd there is an hope 
 t^iat ?mheth not aJJjamedf which will more than 
 anfwe ^xpedtatioiiis, and lead to honor,* 
 
 gloiyaiiU immortality. Therefox'e I fliail en- 
 deavour to iiiufir^te;, 
 
 I. 'j^\:c ,LvU...^ ^j ii^.^L ui,.j.c fpoken of in the text; 
 and .^^' '/' ^'"' ''y^CfUrnry: rf it^ as it maketh not aJJoam- 
 cd. 
 
 I. \Vc are to illuftrate the nature of that 
 ■ hope Ipoken of in the words before us. 
 
 Hope in general, as was obferved above, is 
 of univerfal influence. It operates in anal- 
 
MANSFIELD. 239 
 
 nioft infinite variety of ways, and takes ciidor- 
 €ftt denominations^ agreeably to the different 
 principles and objects of its operation. That 
 hope wliich fpends itfelf inunediately upon 
 worldly obje6ts/is denominated a woi'ldly hope ; 
 and it may be lawful or fmtiil according to the 
 meafure of our dependence upon it. 
 
 When we feek the objects of time and fenfe 
 as the fupreme and ultimate gced, and place 
 our highellexpe<5tation%of happinefsupon tiieni, 
 this is a carnal and linful hope, and involves iii 
 its nature the aggravated guilt of downright i- 
 do4atfy. In perfons of this defcription, the 
 love of the world is the predominating princi, 
 pie, and whatever comes in the way of this^ they 
 will have the audacity to facrifice, whether it 
 be the love and the duty which they owe to 
 their Maker, or to their fellow creatures. But 
 even a worldly hope becomes harmlefs and in- 
 offenlive, when exercifed in due fubordination 
 to higher interefts and concerns, and is doubt- 
 lefs allowable. He that cultivates the earth, and 
 cafts his feed into the foftened ridges, iiiould 
 do both in hope. We may hope for inccefs in 
 all our lawful fecular occupations. But thefe 
 things are not uppermoft in the heart and af- 
 fe6tions of the truly good man. They are not 
 the obje6ts upon which he reds his higheft 
 expe<5tations and dependance. He feeks them 
 only as affording fuftenance, in this Itate of 
 pafTage to higher enjoyments and a n:ore 
 glorious country, 
 
240 MANSFIELD. 
 
 Hope when limited to the fphere of religiojt 
 is called reiigioas hope. This again is divided 
 into two branches^ the hope of the hypocrite, 
 and that of the true Chriftian. The fon?ier is 
 reared upon relation to father Abraham, felf- 
 righteoufnefs, or fome of the rituals of religion, 
 as was that of the Pharifees, and hath no e§e6l 
 in iiibduing corruption, and purifying the 
 heart : Therefore it muft terminate in difap- 
 pcintmcnt and lorrow. But the latter, in joys 
 unrpcakable and full of, glory. The latte?' is 
 fpoken of by our apoflle, of which only it can 
 be predicated, that it mahcth not aJJoamed, This 
 hope hr.tii for its object that weight of glory, 
 tliat great falvation, which is freely tendered 
 to all in the gofpel through Jefus Chriii, and 
 which is iirnily proniifed to all that believe 
 in him. It fixes upon the enjoyment of the 
 divine prefcnce and favor, as the fupreme and 
 unbounded good of man. --Therefore it is faid 
 by St. Peter, that our hope is in God ; i. e. as 
 the ultimate obje(5l of it. Chrift is called our 
 hope, as it is only by him that the fountain of 
 God's grace and mercy is fet open to us, and 
 as he hath not only revealed the great and pre- 
 cious promifes of the gofpel, the foundation of 
 hope; but rendered them yea, and amen, in- 
 his own blood. Had it not been for his inter- 
 ]iOlition, no beam of light or hope had ever 
 dawned upon the kviman eye. 
 
 Further, we are faid to abound in hope through 
 the poivcr of the Holy Ghoji, as it is by his divine 
 
MANSFIELD, 241 
 
 agency, that this virtue is prodL],ced and cherifli- 
 ed in the heart. This he does by perfu^di-ig the 
 mind of the power and laithfuhiefs of God, the 
 fure accomplilhment of his proniifes, and by 
 raifmg it above anxious doubtings and diltract- 
 ing defpair. Thus he adiniuircers/i^r^/i^:!^ confo- 
 lation to tbem who have fled for refuge, to lay bold 
 upon the hope fet before them in the g of he I. 
 
 The pillars upon whi^rthis grace isfupport- 
 edare^ the promiles, the inmiortality, tlvd truth 
 and almighty power of God. J^Ian may be- 
 tray the truft we repofe in him : But God is 
 true, and will neither deceive our faith, nor dif- 
 appoint bur hope. He is almighty, and upon 
 this foundation the apoftle built his aiilirancc 
 of hope. For I know, faith he, whom' I have be- 
 lieved, and I am perfiiaded that he is able to keep 
 that which I have coinniitted unto hi?n agairft that 
 day. Chriflian hope always prefuppofes faith 
 in the divine promifes. We cannot rationally 
 hope for any thing in which we do not believe. 
 But we proceed, 
 
 II. • To illuftrate the excellency of this hope, 
 as it maheth not ajbamed. 
 
 The fuperior excellencies of it to every o- 
 ther hope will appear from various conlidc ra- 
 tions. 
 
 I . From the incomparable excellency ofuts 
 objects. The increafe of corn and wine, the en- 
 Vol. IV Hh 
 
242 MANSFIELD, 
 
 joyments and treafures of thisperiOiing world, 
 form the objects of worldly hopes : But the 
 Chriilian hope hath in view a treafure that en • 
 dureth unto eternal life ; which eye hath not 
 feen, nor ear heard, and which never entered 
 into the mind of man to conceive. Yea^ it 
 looks up to the throne of Jehovah^ and feeksa 
 ])iace in his favour and love as the /up re me good. 
 And i$ there any thing that will bear a conipa 
 rifon with this ? Are th^^^^ ^"7 among the an- 
 gels, or among the fonsof the mighty, who may 
 be compared to God ? ^Behold, he looketh un- 
 to the fun. and it fliineth not 1 The heavens 
 are not clean in his light, and angels are charg- 
 'able with comparative folly. Is there any- 
 worldly honor or inheritance, that will admit 
 of any comparifon with being made the fons 
 and heirs of God through Jefus Chrift ? So ex- 
 alted andfo divine' are the objedts otour hope. 
 Surely then it maketh not afliamed. 
 
 The fupereminence of it will alfo appear, 
 when we contemplate the ft ability of it's foun- 
 dation. How very precarious and uncertain 
 is the foundation of all worldly hopes.? Long 
 iince this world hath received from the mouth 
 of infpiration that humiliating motto. Vanity of 
 vanities, all is vanity. And experience Ihews 
 that the fafhion of it palFctli away : Therefore 
 all thofe hopes and joys which reft upon it, 
 mud be delufivc and tranfient. 
 
 To appearance how well founded were the 
 
MANSFIELD, 243 
 
 liopes of the eailern monarch, who flild, h 
 
 not this great Babylon that I have buiU? Thev 
 
 were founded upon the bafis of a mighty and 
 
 vaft empire ; and yet, alas, a few days taught 
 
 him, that their foundation was in the liUid. 
 
 The mighty empires of the world are fo far 
 
 from aflbrding an unfailing foundation to our 
 
 iimbitious hopes, that they are continually fub- 
 
 jeft to change themfelves^ and muft foon be 
 
 fwept away before the hand of time. Many 
 
 places, which once '>vere honored with tlie 
 
 throne of kings and the feat of empire, are now 
 
 Itripped of every veilige of ancient glory, and 
 
 become places tor fhepherds to pitch theh-^ 
 
 tents. Thus pafs all glories beneath the fun. 
 
 Are we buoyed up with the hopes of world- 
 ly riches or honor ? The former reft on a ba- 
 lls which fire may confume, or thieves deftroy ; 
 and the latter, on the breath of popular applauie^ 
 than which nothing can be more uncertain — an 
 airy foundation indeed I And as certainly as a- 
 ny place their chief dependance upon it, it will 
 break under theri like a ipidcr's web, and their 
 towering hopes will fall upon them in over- 
 whelming delpair. 
 
 But perhaps, my hearers, you are ready to 
 felicitate yourfelves, that your higheft hopes reft 
 on far different foundations ; on a beloved con> 
 panion, a dear child, perhaps an only fon ; or 
 •'. friend that fticketh clofer than a brother. A- 
 . u^ ! thefe are but a precarious foundation of 
 
244 MANSFIELD, 
 
 hope. Before we are aware^ they may fall vic> 
 thus to the laft enemy^and leave us to mourn, 
 with Racliel, for our children, or our friends, 
 refufing to be comforted becaufe they are not* 
 But the Chriftian hope is built upon a foundati- 
 on whicli no llorms can fliake, no length of 
 time can weaken. It cannot be overthrown, 
 either by life or death, powers or pr'mdpalities, 
 things prefent or things to come. Yea, though 
 heaven and earth fliall pafs away, this fhall en- 
 dure. This is the only hope that can be our 
 fupport in a dying hour. In that hour, a well 
 grounded hope is worth ten thoufand worlds, 
 and would infinitely more than compeniate the 
 toils of a whole age in its acquifition. 
 
 But remember, O fmner ! all thy groundlefs 
 prefumptions and worldly hopes (liall then leave 
 thee. The hope of the Ungodly Jha II peri/h . You 
 may now be promifing yourielf, that you have 
 goods laid up in Rore for many years. 'But 
 what will all that avail, when thy loul fliall be 
 required of thee ? It will fervconly to render 
 lliy fall into the regions of defpair the deeper 
 apd the itiore dreadful. But on the other hand, 
 Mark the perfeB man, and behold the upright ; for 
 the end of that man is peace. He hath that hope 
 in death, which, having call anchor upon the 
 immortal fhore, becomes both fure and ftcdfali, 
 and enables him not only with a calm fortitude 
 to meet the lad enemy, but to hang out the 
 cnfigns of vi<^l:ory and triumph ; faying, O death, 
 ivbcre is thyjlmg ! O grave, where is ^''>^' -^i^orv f 
 
MANSFIELD. 245 
 
 The purifying nature of the hope of the gof- 
 pel will alfo fliew that it is a glorious hope^ an^ 
 niaketh not ailiamed. All the obje6ts of it are 
 pure and holy. Its fir 11 and fupreme obj e6l 
 is, a Being of immaculate purity. Holy, holy, 
 holy, is the Lord God Almighty, So heaven, 
 which terminates all our defires^ is a region 
 where hoiinefs reigns univerfal. Nothing that 
 defiles, or that works abomination, fliall ever 
 pafs through the gates into that city. Now he 
 that is begotten again unto a lively hope of 
 this glorious inheritance, by the refurrecStion of 
 Jefus Chrilt from the dead, muft purify himfelf 
 even as he is pure. 
 
 ^ 
 
 Dire6lly the reverie is the efFe6l of worldly 
 hopes, when they predominate in the heart. 
 How often do we fee them breaking over all 
 the reftri6lions ofreafon and revelation? The 
 afpiring tyrant, who hath a throne in view, 
 will not helitate to plunge the fatal dagger in- 
 to the breafts of all that may Hand in his way. 
 Deaf to all the calls of humanity, Abimelech 
 flew three fcore and ten perfons of his father's 
 houfe, upon one ftone, that he might be left in 
 the quiet enjoyment of a throne, polfelled by 
 ufurpation, cruelty and opprcifion. Far too 
 many initances of this nature might be adduced 
 from facred and profane hiftory. 
 
 And if we turn an eye upon the man given 
 to tlie love of gain, whofe god is the world; 
 what injuftice, overreaching, fraud and dupli- 
 city mark his ftcp.^ ? 
 
2^6 MANSFIELD. 
 
 Again, the vile ftralagems to accomplilli the 
 deligns of thoie who are lovers of pleafure 
 more than of God, are difplayed by Solomon 
 in inimitable colors. 
 
 Now all thefe Itreams of human depravity 
 are powerfully checked and controled by that 
 facred virtue that is the fubjecl of difcourfe. 
 Hear what faith the apoftle. For the grace of 
 God that bringethfalvation hath appeared to all men ; 
 ':'Mcbing lis that denying ungodlinefs and worldly 
 lulls', we fhoiild live foberly, right eoiijly, and god lily in 
 th:s prejcnt world ; looking for that hleffed hope, and 
 the glorious appearing of the great God^ and our 
 Saviour Jefus Chnft, 
 
 Once more, the hope of the gofpel maketh 
 not aflianied, as in f tuition it more than anfwers 
 our 7no/l exalted expectations. The dell re of hap- 
 pinefs is what puts all the hopes of mankind 
 into motion. And as worldly hopes lead de- 
 luded mortals to feek for happinefs where it ne- 
 ver can be found, they always terminate in 
 difappointmGTjt and fliame. In queft of happi- 
 nefs, king Solomon exhaulled all the foui'ces of 
 fublunary joys, whether of an intellect! ual or 
 fiefhly nature. He gave his heart to fearcb out 
 by wifdom, concerning all things that are done un- 
 der heaven. He builthoufes, planted vineyards and 
 orchards, had great poffe/pons, gathered Jilver and 
 gold, and the peculiar treafure of kings and of thr 
 provinces^ had men-fingers and women fingers, and 
 the delights of the fans of men. He gave an un- 
 
MANSFIELD, 247 
 
 bounded licence to fleflily defires^and withheld 
 not his heart from any joy. In theie^ broken 
 cifterns he faught for liVing waters. But alas ! 
 he fought the living among the dead. In the 
 review of his follies, in what pathetic terms 
 does he ekprefs his difappointment and fliame ? 
 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had 
 wrought y and behold, all was vanity and vexation 
 of fpint, and there was no profit under the fun. 
 Tliat it fliould be thus with worldly hopes, when 
 they have our chief dependance, is very obvi- 
 ous ; as there is nothing in this vifible* world 
 that matches the nature of the foul^ that can 
 fill its vaft capacities, or anfwer its unbound- 
 ed defires. 
 
 But the hope of the ' gofpel leads to the 
 fource and fountain of all good, which corre- 
 fponds to the nature of the foul^ and like it is 
 fpiritual, inexhauftible and eternal. Here every 
 defire is anfwered, and every capacity is filled 
 with joy. Well might the Pfalmift lay. In thy 
 prefence isfulnefs of joy ; at thy right hand there 
 are pleafures for ever more. 
 
 I fliall now clofe with a few reflection 
 
 s. 
 
 I. As the hope of the gofpel is of a purifying 
 nature, it is worthy of obfervation that in every 
 view perfonal holincfs isiecured upon the gofpel 
 plan. Chrill came into .the world to dellroy 
 the works of the devil, td redeem us from all 
 iniquity, and to purify unto himfelf a peculiar 
 
348 MANSFIELD, 
 
 people, zealous of good works. And until this 
 end of his incarnation be accomplifhed in the 
 heart, there* can be no rational hope of an in- 
 tereft in him. For any to fuppofe that they 
 may indulge in fin all their days, and yet Hand 
 fair candidates for the kingdom of heaven, is a 
 delulion, than which none can be more fatal, 
 with which the god of this world blinds the minds 
 of the children of difobedience. Believe me, 
 firs ; Chrift Jefus formed in you is your only 
 hope of glory. Unlets you partake of his Spi- 
 rit, and in your meafure difplay thofe fublime 
 virtues which (hone forth from him like fo ma- 
 ny fun beams in unclouded glories ; unlefs you 
 are humble, holy, chaile, juft, lovers of God and 
 of holinefs, your hopes are unfounded, and 
 more dangerous than real defpair. They will 
 ferve only to fi:rengthen your carnal iecurity, 
 and render your final ruin the more certain and 
 dreadful. However high they may now rife, on 
 whatever fuppofed experiences they may reft, 
 they will furely break upon you one day in 
 tormenting defpair. 
 
 2. The animating hopes which are fet before 
 us in the gofpcl, fliould call fojth our Alleluias 
 and praifes to redeeming love> through all the 
 ages of time. For a moment let us look back 
 into far diftant antiquity, and meditate what was 
 the dreadful condition to which miferable man 
 was reduced by his apoitacy from God. Above, 
 was the Iword of divine wrath; within, the lafli- 
 es of a guilty confcience, and darknefs and 
 
MANSFIELD. 
 
 249 
 
 defpair all around. But behold, from the 
 gathering tempeft abeam of light breaks in up- 
 on his altonifhed view. The feed of the woman 
 fhall bruife theferpcnfs bead. H ence man became 
 a prifoner of hope, who might have remained 
 for ever a prifoner of defpair. Is it a pleafant 
 and de rable thing to behold the light ? then 
 let our hearts afccnd in praifes to the fountain 
 from whence it iiows. 
 
 3. As we are all candidates for the celeftial 
 Canaan, and hope finally to go over and fee 
 the good land that is beyond Jordan, that 
 goodly mountain, and Lebanon, it is our duty 
 to examine our hope, whether it be evangel- 
 ical. What are its objecl:s ? Is it our heart's 
 defire rather to fccure the love and friendfliip 
 of heaven, than the friendfliip of the world? 
 to appear virtuous and holy 1n the fight of 
 God, rather than rich, honorable and great in 
 the light of men ? Is it built upon a foundation, 
 which no change of fortune can overthrow? 
 which fhall ftand fecure, when the heavens fliall 
 pafs away with a noife, and the elements melt 
 with fervent heat ? Does our hope work by 
 love, and purify the heart ? Does it prompt us 
 to feek for happinefs ultimately in him whole 
 favour is life, and whofe loving kindnefs is bet- 
 ter than life } Then may we have confidence 
 in Chrift, and not be alhamed before him at his 
 coming. 
 
 r 
 
 4. Let me entreat you earnellly to feek for a 
 Vol, IV. li 
 
:35o MANSFIELD, 
 
 well grounded, evangelical hope. The great 
 importance ot this hope will appear, ii we con-' 
 lider, that for the introduction of it among n»en; 
 the Son of God allumed our nature, d ed for 
 our lins, and rofe again for our juftification : 
 For the encouragement ot it the gates ofgof-. 
 pel grace and mercy Hand open to us night and 
 day : And upon the acquifition of it our peace 
 of mind cilentially depends. May we there- 
 fore fcek it asfilver, andfearchfcr it as for bid 
 treafures. 
 
 Hope, in general, is a moft foothing com- 
 panion in this changing world. Without it no 
 iituation in life can be delireable, and with it 
 none can be infupportable. This is one of the 
 nTildeft of all the pailions. Like a gentle ftream, 
 it tiows in a calm, unruffled courle ; but when 
 once obftruiled, it riles and foams, and fpreads 
 ruin and dellrudion all around. Of all the 
 pailions difappointcd hope is the moft painful. 
 How awful then muft be the iinal cataftrophe 
 of the ungodly, wiien all hope fliall be taken a- 
 way, and fucceeded by the biacknefs of defpair 
 for ever and ever. Defpair eternal ! O fear- 
 ful and alarming found I This is a fire that is 
 inextinguilhable, and a worm that never dies. 
 Now as we would avoid its tormenting pangs, 
 let us fee to it tlrat our hope be that ofthegof- 
 pcl, which maketh not alhamed. If we be pof- 
 ielied of that, we fhall find it a pleafant com- 
 panion through all the vicilTitudes of time. It 
 will attend us in death, and adminifter a cup of 
 
MANSFIELD. 2jr 
 
 confblation in that hour, which this world can 
 neither give, nor take away. It will accom- 
 pany us to the gates of the new Jeruiaiem, 
 where faith friall be fwallowed up in vilion, and 
 hope in full enjoyment. 
 
 And art thou, O my foul, the fubje61: of this 
 glorious hope ! Then great is thy reward. 
 The inventory of thy treafure is what no tongue 
 can defcribe, no imagination conceive. What 
 is thy petition ? and what is thy requeft ? and 
 it fliail be granted, to the half of the Redeem- 
 er's kingdom : Yea, to the whole of it ; for all 
 things are thine; for thou art Chrilt's, and 
 Chriit is God*s. Amen. 
 
SERMON LXXI. 
 
 FAMILY PRAYER. 
 
 BY 
 
 SAMUEL SPRING, A. M. 
 
 Pq/lor of a Congregational Church at Newbury ^Port, 
 Majfacbufetts, 
 
 Gene/is, viii. 21. 
 And the Lordfmelled a fwcet favour-^ 
 
 As Noah was one of the bellmen both in the 
 old world and the new, io it is probable 
 that he made the laft family prayer in the old 
 world and the iir^ in the new. For he built 
 the arkof fafety for his trembling family before 
 the flood, and the altar of devotion for his joy- 
 ful family after the flood. As God approved 
 the arkof falvation which was made according 
 to his diredion ; fo he both approved the altar 
 of devotion, and the firft family ofl^ering which 
 was made upon it. For the great Benefador 
 and Preferver of men is always pleafed to fee 
 family worfliip fucceed family danger and fal- 
 vation. 
 
254 SPRING, 
 
 That building the firfl altar upon the new 
 world and making burnt offerings upon it were 
 fiuiiily aclions, no one will difpute who candid- 
 ly and ini martially examines the connexion, 
 Fji* immediately upon the exit of Noah and his 
 fatnily from the ark, the infpired hiftorianjays, 
 And Noah built an altar unto the Lord, and took 
 cf' every clean heal, and every clean fowl, and offer* 
 cd burnt offerings upon the altars and the lord 
 s^^eLled a sweet i^avour. The do(5lrine 
 therefore obvioufly contained in the text is 
 
 this^ GOD IS pleased WITH FAMILY WORSHIP, 
 
 In //j/5 difcourfe I fliall treat of the duty of 
 fami y prayer; and in the next improve the 
 fubjed by ieveral inferences. For though 
 f imily worfiiip is as neceflary now as it was in 
 tlie morning of the world, yet it is by many 
 fa^niiies, even in a land of gofpel light, both 
 negle(!;ted andlhamefuily defpifed. 
 
 I. That family prayer is a duty, is evident 
 from the example of the moft devout and reli- 
 gioi.is men in every period of the church. 
 Gcod men not only love private and public de- 
 votion, but they alfo love family devotion. 
 There is nothing more grateful to religious 
 parents than humbly bending the knee in a fo- 
 cial manner before God with their children. 
 For the bonds of the moft tender affection im- 
 pel therji to confider their children as members 
 or their own bodies. It is impoifible for pious 
 parents to live without praying for tlieir chil- 
 
SPRING. 255 
 
 dreti ; and as they love to pray for them, they 
 love to pray with them as opporttmity prefents. 
 What enlightened parents on earth do not love 
 to begin and end every day with iamily prayer ? 
 I am fenhble that there are fome parents who 
 call themfelves Chriilians, and yet live in the 
 conftant neglecSt of this duty. But I chailen^^e 
 the world to furnifh an inftance of parents who 
 are unitbrm examples in other refpeds^ and 
 yet live in the negle^ of family prayer. For 
 thofe parents and heads of families who have 
 be^n the moil fliining examples of good works, 
 have alfo diftinguifhed themfelves by their [tri6t 
 and devout attention to family prayer. Fam- 
 ily prayer is in fa(5l a leading, principal fea- 
 ture in the face of every diftinguiflied Chrift- 
 ian. To difpute this we muft difcard the moH 
 valuable part of church hiilory^ and the lives 
 of the beft Chriitians. v 
 
 Were it necelTary in a cafe fo obvious, we 
 have liberty to recur to the example of Noah, 
 who at leaving the ark immediately built an al- 
 tar for family devotion upon the new world. 
 We have liberty alfo to mention the pious 
 example of Job, who made a fimiily facrifice for 
 his fons at the clofe of their feftival, fearing 
 that they had in fome inllanccs offended God, 
 We have authority alfo to improve an exam- 
 ple of Jofliua. For when he faid to the houfe 
 of Ifrael ; Choofe ye this^ day ivhojn ye willferz'e; 
 but cis for me and my house, "vce will Jerje the 
 Lord ; who but the Heeled infidel will deny that 
 
2^6 SPRING. 
 
 Jofliua maintained family devotion ? David U 
 another bright example. For after fpending 
 the day in public folemnities, when all the peo* 
 pic returned every man to his hotife, he returned 
 with a devout heart to hlefs his houfe. This id 
 a royal example, and is worthy of royal imita- 
 tion. P'or the king upon his knees in family 
 prayer is more honourable than the king up- 
 on his throne. Like jewels, kings fliine the 
 brighteft in the duft, at the feet of their Maker. 
 But as it is needlefs to have recourfe to the 
 bible to prove that the fun fliines, and that 
 we have liberty to fee it, we (hall only remark 
 further, that the Saviour of the world, the 
 Father of the mod exemplary family that ever 
 lived on earth, not only taught his children to 
 pray always ; but frequently called them to 
 join with him in family and locial prayer. If, 
 therefore, the example of the mo(t judicious 
 and pious menin every period of the church ; if 
 the example of good men under the guidance 
 of the Holy Ghoft ; if the excmiple of Chrift 
 and his holy and devout fimiily, will authorize 
 the pra6tice, the duty of family prayer is obvi* 
 ous. But 
 
 II, That family prayer is a duty, is evident 
 from the neglect and contempt with which it is 
 treated by profligate, wicked men. That prof- 
 li^rate men, who are deflitute of religion and 
 conviction both, negle6tfemily prayer, is need- 
 lefs to prove ; for it is an obvious fa(5t. Wicked 
 men arc oppofed to family prayer, becauie it 
 
SPRING. 257 
 
 is a holy exercile, and, like all other religious 
 exerciles, affords them no delight. They are 
 to every good work reprobate. The exerciles 
 of their hearts are all wrong. They are not 
 only deftitute of moral goodnefs, but they are 
 full of moral evil. Sinners invariably choofe 
 what God has forbidden. Like loft men, they 
 always at heart take the wrong way. Hence 
 fays the fcripture ; Tbcy arc all gone out of the 
 XV ay — the way of peace they have not knoivn ; there 
 is no fear of God before their eyes. Since there- 
 fore there is no moral a6lion which is neither 
 holynor linful ; lince there is no moral medium 
 between virtue and vice, when we fee family 
 prayer negle(51:ed and defpifed by proiiigcitc 
 men, whofe external conduit correfponds with 
 the depravity of their hearts, we are obliged to 
 conclude tliat family prayer is a duty. For ii'it 
 Were not a duty, fuch characters w ould not dc- 
 fpifeit. It is as certain that wicked men, who 
 a<5l openly according to the dictates of their 
 hearts, will defpife every duty, as that good 
 men, v/hile acting in chara61cr under the guid- 
 ance of the divine Spirit, will hate every iin. 
 For the hearts o\^ good and wifcked men are dia- 
 metrically pppofed to each other. When we 
 therefore know what a good man, acting in 
 character, approve*, we alio know what a wick- 
 ed man diiapproves; and when we know what 
 a wicked man loves andefteems, wc alfo know 
 what a good man hates and abhors ; confequently 
 afcertain the nature of duty In proportion- 
 to the flagrant neglect with which fami-y prayer^ 
 Vol. IV. Kk 
 
258 SPRING. 
 
 as well as the Lord's fupper, is treated by prof- 
 ligates, we are furnifhed with incontellible e- 
 vidence that it is a duty. For thofe moral ac- 
 tions which wicked men hate, are certainly 
 right; becauie they hate, every thing that is 
 right, and love every thing that is wrong. In 
 a word, we have juft as much evidence that 
 family prayer is a duty, feeing it is negle61ed by 
 wicked, abandoned chara6ters, as we have that 
 darknefs and light, holinefs and iin, are oppo- 
 iites. The evidence therefore of this duty 
 ^3 not only a hundred but a thoufand fold. But 
 alas ! how folemn the thought, and how alarm- 
 ing the confideration, that the duty of fam- 
 ily prayer flial] be proved and urged upon us 
 in confequence of the negle6t of it by thoufands, 
 who Itand upon the verge of ruin ! 
 
 III. The happy fruits and confeqiiences of fa- 
 mily prayer obviouOy prove that it is a du- 
 
 ,ty. For what food can be given to the hun- 
 gry, what drink can be given to the thirfty, and 
 what cordial can beadminifteredtothofe whoare 
 
 . iaint, better calculated to aniwer the benevo- 
 lent purpoie of providence, than family prayer 
 is to ieafon on the minds of children and ier- 
 vants, of the old and young, through the houfe } 
 The happy fruits and elfe(!:ts^of family devotion 
 are lo numerous and obvious, that the leaft hint 
 refpecting them will authorize the argument. 
 Morning and evening feafons of family devo- 
 tion are the moft prohtabie and precious fea- 
 (ons which the day prcfcnts. By family devo- 
 
SPRING. 
 
 259 
 
 tion, properly regulated and condu6iedj every 
 perlon in the houie is taught to receive the bi- 
 ble, that endlefsfource of heavenly inftruction ; 
 and by hearing a fuitable portion of the fcrip- 
 tures read every day, the memories of the a- 
 ged are refreflied, and the opening, teachable 
 minds of children are infenfibly imprelied with 
 divine truths which are necelFary to lalvation. 
 Family worfhip is a domejlic Bethel. It is to 
 pubiick worlhip what bloUbms are to ripe 
 fruit. Who can teach his children to adopt 
 a fuitable form of words in prayer, better than 
 by praying frequently and properly before 
 them ? What has a more direct tendency to 
 enforce the neceflity and importance of fecret 
 prayer, than for the father or minifter of the 
 houfe to pray lolenmly and devoutly before 
 his children, night and morning, that the Spi- 
 rit of God may attend them, not only in the 
 duties of the family, but alio in the duties of 
 thfe clofet ? When children frequently hear 
 their pious father earneflly beg God to give 
 them new hearts, and to forgive their fins, for 
 the fake of Chrift, their tender minds, according 
 to the courfe of providende, are more or lefs 
 imprefied with the importance of praying for 
 themfelves. While the father devoutly ad- 
 dredes the throne of grace in family prayer, 
 he fows the feeds of convi<5lion round his houfe. 
 There are infiances of this nature properly au- 
 thenticated. Many of the children o^ God, 
 v/hile relating the courfe of the divine opera- 
 tions on their confciences and hearts, gratetui' 
 
26o SPRING. 
 
 ly refer to the early leafons oi family wor- 
 ihip. 
 
 In actdition to ti\Q^e i^^^i^py confequences of 
 fcimily worihip, "we iuive reafon to beiieve that 
 God has Irequentiy anlwerecl thelamily requefl 
 of parents in the conviction and converlion of 
 their children. For parents are never under 
 more happy advantages to approach the throne 
 of grace, nnd to intercede with God for their 
 children, than in the time of family \vorihip_, 
 when they are kneeling with tliem before their 
 Tvlaker. If parents ever devote their children 
 to God, they do it in fan^ily prayer. For v»hat 
 Chriftian parent can wait on God in family 
 prayer, encircled with his tender children, and 
 not ardently delire the lalvation of tlicir fouls ? 
 Let the argument, if you pleafe, be impartially 
 examined by praying parents, and I prelume 
 their grateful experience will teftify, that fami- 
 ly prayer is moft happily calculated to prepare 
 them to dedicate their children to God, and to 
 train the in up in the nurture and admonition 
 of the Lord. For, as prcvloufiy rem.arked, 
 thofe parents who have excelled in family 
 ])rayer, have alfo generally excelled in all other 
 parental duties. Praying for jaithfulnels has 
 a moll dirc6t tendency to make parents faith- 
 ful. For who can iincerelv af»v God for .q-race 
 to enable him totrain up liis children for Chrifl, 
 and yet flagrantly neglect i\W\t precious and 
 immortal ioul?. ? 
 
SPRING. 26\ 
 
 Other lovely effeds of fannly prayer, as it 
 refpects children, are obvious even to the pub- 
 lick eye. For no children are fo lealonably 
 acquainted with the nature, defign and exten- 
 iive advantages ot public worfliip, as thofe who 
 are acquainted with the foleninities of family 
 worlhip. The children of a domeftic fan6tua- 
 ry early learn how to behave in the houfe of 
 God, and in what light they ought to view the 
 minifters of the goipel, and the, holy ordinances 
 which they adminifter. For,' as in theinftance 
 of Noah and his houfe, family worfliip is pub- 
 lic w^orfliip in miniature. Every father is, by 
 the ordination of heaven, the minifler of his own 
 houfe ; and ought regularly and uniformly 
 to adminifter all the domeilick ordinances. 
 
 . In a word, family worfliip is the nurfery of 
 religion, and every feafon of family w^orfliip is 
 the feed time of falvation ; and where it^is main- 
 tained with the moll regularity and devotion 
 we reafonably expert the mod ripe fruit. For 
 the Tix)ft fiourifliing and fruitful trees in the 
 warden of the Lord were taken from the blelled 
 nurfery of family worfliip. 
 
 IV. That family prayer is a duty, is evident 
 from the evil confequences which attend the 
 negic6l of it. The courie of providence is u- 
 niibrm fiotli in the natural and moral world. 
 That zz'hicb iSydone, is that ivhicb JJjall be done ; and 
 tbere. is no neiv ibing under tbefun. As thofe men 
 therefore, who neglect to fow and plant, to eat 
 
2^2 SPRING. 
 
 and drink, to read the bible and hear the gol- 
 pel, have nothing to expect but a full harveft 
 of bitter and mortal fruits ; lo thofe parents 
 who neglect family worlhip, expofe and even 
 fubjCLit ttiemfelvesand their children to innume- 
 rable temptations and evils. Are children 
 taught to read the bible, and to treat it as the 
 word of lile, by leeing their parents negledt it ? 
 Are chiidren taught to pray always, agreeably 
 to the ,uiH:ru<^tions of Chrift, by never hearmg 
 their parents pray at all r Are they taught^ by 
 the conftant neglect of family prayer, the duty 
 of fecret and public prayer ? In a word, were 
 children ever taught to pray by parents who 
 never pray with them ? Will parental negledl 
 inculcate filial duty ? It is needlefs to anlwer. 
 Hence, as prayerlefs parents are always unfaith- 
 ful, it is generally the cale that they have 
 thoughtlefs children, whofe minds are deftitute 
 of conviction, aud whofe lives are full of 
 youthful vanities and irregularities, which 
 threaten the deftru6tion of their fouls. 
 
 Thefe remarks, refpe6ting the evil fruits of 
 neglecting' family prayer, by no means imply 
 that all children are regular who attend to the 
 folemnities of family devotion. For there are 
 many who maintain nothing but the bare form of 
 family prayer : And there are others, who, tho' 
 they pray in faith, yet, like Eli and David, are 
 unfaithful in fome refpe6ts, and do not reftrain 
 their children. The argument neither fuppof- 
 es that all the children of praying parents arc 
 
SPRING. 2(^3 
 
 even the fubjeds of convi(5lion, nor that all the 
 children of prayerlefs parents are deftitute of re- 
 ligion. For God is a fovereign in the opera- 
 tions of his Spirit : And tho' good Jofiah was the 
 fon oi: wicked Anion, and tho' wicked Abialom 
 was the fon of holy David ; yet the hiftory of 
 man is full evidence that children are infenii- 
 bly influenced by the example of their parents. 
 Hence the moil thoughtlefs, the n^oft llupid and 
 vicious part of mankind^ are generally the chil- 
 dren of parents who have neglec^ted the great 
 duty of family prayer. As family worfhip, re- 
 gularly and devoutly performed, is a check up- 
 on every youthful extravagance and vice ; fo the 
 negle6l of it opens that door of temptation, which 
 proves fatal to thoufands of young perfons. 
 Satan loves to reiide in thofe families where 
 he is notdifturbed wdththe folemnity of morn- 
 ing and evening devotion. Fc^r his influence 
 with families, as well as with individuals, is al- 
 w^ays proportionate to the prayerlefs fpl^rit which 
 obtains. When the adverlary has influence 
 fufticient to prevent family prayer, it is eafy 
 to prevent fecret prayer, and all other religi- 
 ous duties. For that houfe which is deftitute 
 of prayer, is deftitute of religion, and full of fin. 
 Though a houfe of prayer is not free from fin ; 
 yet a houfe which is deftitute of prayer, is defti- 
 tute of religion. 
 
 V. That ^mily prayer is a^luty, is evident 
 from the nature and defign of focial duties. 
 As there are duties which pertain to kingdoms;^ 
 
.2(^4 SPRING. 
 
 Rates and towns, to churches and individuals, 
 io there are duties which, in a peculiar manner, 
 pertain to families. It is evidently the duty 
 of parents and children to live together in the 
 fame houfe, to labor together to promote the 
 intereft of the family, to eat and drink toge- 
 ther at the fame common table, to rejoice to- 
 gether in profperity, and to mourn together 
 in adverfity : And who can reafonably deny that 
 it is their duty to pray together ? For what is 
 the defign of focial prayer, if part of the fame 
 moral whole, if members oF the fame family, 
 who are all made one by the moll interefting 
 and endearing bonds of natural and domeftic 
 atfe6lion, and by the reception of common ben- 
 efits and mercies, fhall not be one in family 
 prayer ? It is certainly as eafy to prove that 
 parents and children ought to pray together 
 in a focial manner, as it is to prove that they 
 ought to eat, and drink and live together. For 
 funnily mercies call for family thankfgiving and 
 praife. Bat let the reafonableneis of family 
 prayer be examined before the following cafe. 
 Is it not the duty of a father to pray for his 
 child v/ho is dangeroufly fick, when the child de- 
 fire the prayer of his father, as well as the prayer 
 ot his minifter ? The aVifwer is obvious. But 
 fliall he pray for his fick child before the/amily ?- 
 or direct the family to leave the : hamber ? It is 
 evident in this tender cafe, that he ought to lift 
 up holy hands before his family. - But further, 
 if God gracioufly hear his prayer, and reflore 
 the child to health, fhall he, at the grateful re- 
 ^uefl of the child, give tl^::nks before his familv ? 
 
SPRING. 2^3' 
 
 Every one is impetled to fay, let the father/ 
 with the common mouth of his gratetiil faniiiy, 
 give thanks to God, before the folemn circit?, 
 for the merciful reftoration of the child. This 
 is all natural and eafy. But this eitabliflies the 
 duty of family prayer. For this is not only fo- 
 cial prayer, but itis family prayer. Ihus ail 
 religious parents conduct in limilar caufes^ 
 They love to unite with their families in alkihg 
 God for all needful blellings; and v/hen they 
 receive mercies, either of a ipiritual or tempo- 
 ral nature, they love to join with them in giving 
 thanks. This was evidently the practice of 
 Noah. For as foon as he and his faraily had 
 efcaped the univerfal deluge, which deirroyed 
 all the reft of the human race, he built an altar 
 for focial worfhip, and gave thanks, to God for 
 his profperous voyage acrois the vait and awful 
 deep, from the old world to the new. 
 
 To eftabliOi the duty of fiimily prayer we have 
 authority to improve every inilance of focial 
 prayer mentioned in fcripture. For if it was 
 proper for Mofes, Samuel, Solomon and the 
 prophets to unite with the church and family 
 of God in prayer, for needed mercies add blel- 
 fings, it is equally proper tor parents and chil- 
 dren to be focially ^engaged in acklrelling the 
 throne of grace. Family worlhip is as proper 
 in every houfe, as it is upon a delolate illand, 
 where a family i$ unfortunately lodged. For as 
 the body is one, and hath many meUibers; and 
 all the members of that one body, being many, 
 Vol. IV, LI 
 
266 S P R I N G. 
 
 are one body, fo alfo is Chrift ; and fo ought pa- 
 rents and children to be in every family. E- 
 very boufe ought to be a Bethel,, every fa- 
 ther a private minifter^ and every family a- 
 domeftic church. 
 
 VI. The duty of family prayer is obvious 
 from the import of feveral texts of fcripture. 
 Men are taught to pray always, with all prayer 
 andfupplication. But to pray always with all 
 prayer and fupplication is not only to pray at all 
 times, but in every Itate, conditon and relation 
 of life. The inftru6tion therefore points at 
 the duty of family prayer, as well asfecret and 
 publick prayer. For families, as well as indi- 
 vidiuals and churches, have common mercies, 
 wants and iins, which loudly call for focial grat- 
 itude, prayer and confeliion. Than this, no- 
 thing can be more obvious. Hence all prayer 
 includes family prayer. Again, while the a- 
 poftle inculcates the duty of hufbands and 
 wives living together as heirs of the grace of 
 life, he affigns this reafon for it, that their prayer 
 be not hindered. W^^therefore conclude, that 
 he urges the neceliity of focial duties with par- 
 ticular reference to the duty of focial and fa- 
 mily prayer. For hufbands and wives cannot 
 harmonize in family prayfejr, if they do not har- 
 monize in the particular d'utjcs of conjugal life. 
 To pray together as Chriftinns, we mult live 
 togctlicr as Chriftians. 
 
SERMON LXXIL 
 
 FAMILY PRAYER. 
 
 BY 
 
 SAMUEL SPRING, A. M. 
 
 Pajlorof a Congregational Church, Newbury- Port, 
 
 MaJJcichufetts, 
 
 GenefiSy viii. 21. 
 And the Lord fmelled a fweetfavoitr^-* 
 
 1m provement. 
 
 I. If family worfliip is one of the leading 
 features of the Chriftian character, we infer 
 that thofe perfons who think themfelves Chrif- 
 tians, and yet live in the^ilfe^lofit, are defti- 
 tute of religion, and thoflrcp^sof ftrong delu- 
 fion. For Chrill fays; ^Thm are ye my friends, if 
 ye do wbatfoever I command you ; and if ye love me, 
 ye will keep my commandments. As faith without 
 works is dead, ever/ man's faith is proportion- 
 ate to his obe^cncc. He therefore who 
 thinks himfelf /Chriftian, while he lives in the 
 Gonftant neglj^ of one of the cardinal duties 
 of the gofpel, does but dream about religion. 
 For Chriitians cordially love and faithfully 
 
26b S P R I N G. 
 
 practife all the duties of the gofpel. For it is 
 obedience to Chriii oniy, v hich confututes a 
 Chriitiaii. if the courfe of things were altered 
 and revericd, corrupt trees would bear good 
 fr Liic, corrupt fountains would afford pure 
 ftreams, good hearts would bring forth bad 
 things, and Chriltians would be manifeft by the 
 neglect and contempt of duty. But the divine 
 coriuitutioq is not reverfible. The laws of the 
 natural and moral worlds are unalterably fixed. 
 Hence, as a good tree always bears good fruit, 
 and as a pure fountain iilways affords a pure 
 ilreani ; f > (^.hriit, tiie author of nature and all 
 her laws, fays, ji good man, out of the good trea- 
 fun' (f his hi'urt, brnigeth forth good things. For 
 07ft of ibe abiaidance if the heart the fnouth fpeak- 
 dh. When we therefore . fee a man living in 
 the violation of tlie fixth command^ we cannot 
 call iiim a Chnftian : When we fee another liv- 
 ing in the violation of the eighth command, we 
 cannot call him a Chriftian : When we fee a 
 t.jid living in the violation of all the laws of 
 the fabbath, cha]:^Mtt|||Hll not permit us to call 
 j'iim a Chriftian : 'J^^Krben we fee others neg- 
 ieci and defpife feoH^i^d family prayer, we 
 have no more grounJ^^k think they are Chrif- 
 t'ans, thtin v/e have tl^Bink they arc angels. 
 For bv tbcir frints, Ciij^Bfeys, yc (hall know 
 ihcm. The confequencdUBbvious, that thole 
 mon who efteem themfelves ChriHians, while 
 tliev comrantly neglet^i: family prayer, which 
 is one of the principal duties or the golpel, are 
 the fubjects of llrcng and d-nngerous delufion 
 
SPRING. 2^9 
 
 We ought, in cafes of this interefting nature 
 to the fouls of men, to let the fubje6t fpeak its 
 own native language, agreeably to the fpirit of 
 infpiration. For guilt will fooner or later 
 {ting and pierce the fubjeds of fuch fatal deluii:- 
 on. Mult we not fay that a man is grosfly de- 
 luded, who thinks himfelf poflelledof fli ininga- 
 bilities, when he is r»iifed in the fcale of being 
 but juft above the level of ideots ? Do we not 
 think another deluded, who eftimates himfelf a 
 man of fortune, while he is clothed with the 
 rags and fubjecled to all the diftrefs of poverty ? 
 W hen we fee another, who values himfelf up- 
 on his fuperior knowledge, while he is deftitute 
 of common information and grofsly ignorant, 
 do we not fay that he is ftrangely deluded ? And 
 does reafon, does Chrift, and will the day of 
 judgment, call him a Chriftian, who lives in the 
 conftant neglecl of family prayer ? No, my 
 friends, he is the fubje(5t of delulion : He is the 
 lubjedt of deep and ftrong delulion; for he be- 
 lieves a lie ! and will inevitably be loft, except 
 he fpeedily repent and beg for mercy. For as 
 a manfoweth, fofliallhe reap. He who fows 
 the feeds of delulion and deception, mufr reap 
 an anlwerable harveft. For the judge of all 
 the earth will do right. 
 
 n. If family worfliip is the nurfery of reli- 
 gion, which furniflies the garden of the Lord 
 with the moft flour idling and fruitful trees, we 
 infer the exceeding great wickednefs of parents 
 who negle6t it. The bell method we can a- 
 
270 SPRING. 
 
 dopt to furvey the guilt of men, is to afcertain 
 the evils, as far as poilible, which are iniepa- 
 rabJy coiVne<!:tecl with their difobedience. The 
 man who commits a fault which injures him- 
 ■felf, is guilty ^f wronging his own foul. He 
 who performs ''an a6tion which is injurious to o- 
 thers, is proportipnably guilty. How exceed- 
 ingly guilty then are parents who neglect fa- 
 mily prayer ? For than family devotion, pro- 
 perly regulated, no practice can be adopted 
 which has a more direct tendency to promote 
 thebeft intereft of families, and the higheft 
 proiperity of the church. It tends to unite 
 the hearts of parents and children to each o- 
 ther, to invigorate the hearts of thofe who de- 
 voutly pray, and to ieafon and folflfcpnize the 
 minds of all others. In a word iince family 
 devotion tends to mfike good hearts better, and 
 to make bad hearts good; lince it tends to 
 build up the church, and the negle6l of it tends' 
 to deftroy the church, andconfequently the louls 
 of thoufands, it is eaiy to-lee that thofe pa- 
 rents who negle(5l it, are incomparably guilty. 
 Every one lees that a minifler is very guilty 
 indeed, who*, by neglecting his duty, is chargea 
 ble with the blood of but one foul : And are not 
 parents guili^% who, by negle6ting domeftic fo- 
 lenmitics, train up their children for Satan and 
 deftruction, rather than for Chrift and heaven ? 
 Who, without fublime pleafure, can think of the 
 blelling conferred on children in confequence 
 of the united prayers of devout parents ? And 
 who can think of the evils brought upon children 
 
SPRING. 271 
 
 by prayerlefs parents^ without a bleeding, pain- 
 ful heart? But, as the influence of exanlple is 
 is powerful and exteniive^ let us trace it lor a 
 moment in reference to pofterity. For the 
 fubject is the moft interelting. According to 
 the courfe of providence, all thole children 
 who are made the fubje<^l:s of grace, m conle- 
 quence of family prayer, will be Ihining exam- 
 ples themfelves in the fame branch ot duty. 
 The next generation will, according to the di- 
 vine conllitution, tread in the fame blelTed 
 fteps, and fo on from generation to generation, 
 from generation to generation. For God has 
 promiied his mercy to thoufands of generations 
 of them that love him and keep his command- 
 ments, ifbraham was a blelling to Ifaac, and 
 Ifaac to Jacob, and Jacob to Jofeph, and Jofeph 
 was a blelhng to millions. Agreeably to this 
 gracious courie of providence, the family blef- 
 fing has obvioufly defended, in many inftances, 
 from father to fon, even fince the days ot in- 
 fpiration were brought to a period. There 
 are inftances of pious children, who grate- 
 fully repeat the hiftory of their religious pa- 
 rents and grand parents, and even of de- 
 vout anceftors more remote. As Timothy 
 was the child of the child of tJiecHiLD of 
 God; fo, to the honour of divine grace, 
 there are fome pious children, even at this 
 day of great delulion, who can modeftly and 
 juftly fpeak of the pious line of their fami- 
 lies. What religious heart docs not glow with 
 delight, to hear a pious child fpeak cf the de* 
 
zjz S P R I N G. 
 
 vout prayers and pious example of his parents 
 and grand parents ? For in this connexion we 
 fee the bleiling defcending from tlie parent to 
 the child. But it we turn the tables, and trace 
 tlie influence of example, which is fet by irre- 
 ligious, prayerlefs parents, we fliall find it ex- 
 ceedingly fatal, not only to children, but to 
 children's children, unto the ±ird and fourth 
 generation. The hiftory of the family of Ham, 
 Amnion, Moab, Jeroboam, Ahab, and many 
 others, are but lively pictures of the righteous 
 coui^fe of providence refpe6ting the families 
 that call not on the name of the Lord. The 
 bible, and even the whole volume of time, is 
 full of inftances of the moft pernicious and fa- 
 tal eireds of the bad examples of parents. The 
 biindnefs, the ignorance, the brutality and i- 
 dolatry, of all the heathen tribes and nations, 
 are but the natural fruits and concequenfes of 
 the impious examples of the parents of the hea- 
 then world. The evil which is brought upon 
 families, tribes, nations, and upon the world, 
 in confequence of the prayerlefs, irreligious 
 example of parents, is infinite. For many 
 families of children, and not only fo, 
 but many nations, are no doubt going ra- 
 pidly to deftru6fon in confequence of this 
 fatal negle6l of their parents. How inex- 
 prelFibly wicked then are parents, who, 
 though they live in the blaze of the gofpel 
 light, fee and read the deftru61:ive confequences 
 of parental negle6f, yet live in the conftant 
 negle(5l of family devotion 1 Prayerlefs parents 
 
S ? R I N G. 273 
 
 varc not only going to de{lru<5lion thenifelves, 
 and carrying their children with them; but 
 they are leading generations ot men down to 
 cndlefa burnings. And what mutt be their 
 doom, who are guilty of the blood of their chil- 
 dren and childrens children, whom they are 
 bound to lead, by pious examples, into tlie path 
 of life P Attend a moment to the lolemn con- 
 lequences of reprobated children riling up in 
 judgment againfc their parents, and charging 
 them with the lofs of their fouls ! Who can en- 
 dure the thought of the dreadful fc en e ? But 
 this will, no doubt, be the faft. For, though 
 vain and thoughtlefs children boaft of indul- 
 gent parents, becaufe their jovial evenings are 
 not interrupted by f^imily prayer ; though 
 they now congratulate each other that they are 
 not perplexed with the authority and influence 
 of ftri6t, religious parents ; yet, alas ! alas ! 
 the day, the dreadful day is coming, when Ions 
 and daughters will rife up, and accuie their pa- 
 rents for their indulgence and negligences. For 
 childhood and youth are vanity : And parents 
 cannot adopt a more ready method to ruin the 
 fouls of their children, than to fet them the 
 prayerlefs example, and permit them to in- 
 dulge their vain and forbidden deOres. Pa- 
 rents therefore, who do not love the fouls of 
 their children now, muft expe6t that their chil- 
 dren will hate and defpife them in thejudgment 
 of the great day. If parents will not blefs 
 their children, now in family devotion, they 
 muft expe(51: to be curfed by their children at 
 Vol, IV. Mm 
 
274 SPRING. 
 
 the bar of God. Let prayerlefs parents put 
 the queftion : Are we willing to ftand before 
 the tribunal of God ia judgment with our chil- 
 dren, with whom we never flood in prayer at 
 the throne of grace ? Are we willing to hear 
 the voice of our children teftifying againll us 
 before the Judge of all the earth, becaufe they 
 never heard our voice in family devotion ? O 
 prayerlefs parents ! make peace fpeedily with 
 the confciences of your children in family de- 
 votion and every other parental duty. For 
 the time of probation is fliort, and the great 
 Judge of the quick and the dead is at the door / 
 And you will not only meet the defpairing 
 eyes and dreadful reproaches of ruired chil- 
 dren ; but you mull meet the great God, cloth- 
 ed with infinite majelly, to execute the piir- 
 pofes of vindictive juftice. Before him you 
 muft Hand ; by him you mull be examined 
 and judged, and, without fpeedy repentance, 
 condemned anc^baniflied from all good to all e- 
 viL Under the infinite burden of your guilt, 
 and the infinite^ infinite weight of almighty 
 wrath, you mull lie forever and ever. For 
 what evil can you fuffer which is greater than 
 the fin of negle6lingand defpifing family prayer ? 
 Can thine heart endure, or can thy hand be 
 flronp-, in the great and* terrible day of the 
 Lord.? Pray then now, and without fainting, 
 for yourfelves and children. For children 
 are the heritage of the Lord; the fruit of the 
 womb is his reward. But 
 
SPRINT,, 27^ 
 
 3. The fubjedl fliews us that children of de- 
 vout parents are under fingular obligations to 
 devote themfelves to God. For they are train- 
 ed up in the way they iliould go : They are 
 taught every day to read and confiilt the bi- 
 ble. Every day they are carried to God, in 
 the arms of prayer, for a bleiling ; and not on- 
 ly prefented with the bell: example, but with a 
 happy opportunity to anticipate the focial en- 
 joyment of heaven. The children of devout 
 and faithful parents are under the befl advan- 
 tages to grow in grace, and ripen for immortal 
 glory : For they live at the threfliold ofheaven* 
 Though lome children of religious parents fel- 
 ' dom think of their lingular advantages, yet 
 thofe who love Chrift, and realize their privi- 
 ligesj are full of grateful and humble afcripti- 
 ons to God, that he has given them Chriftian 
 parents, and call their lots within the circle of 
 family devotion. The lambs of Chrid's flock, 
 who, like Timothy, are from the cradle taught 
 to read the holy fcriptures, and the duty of 
 focial prayer, tremble at the danger ot living 
 in prayerlefs, gracelefs families* Their tender, 
 devout hearts frequently bleed, while only 
 thinking of the little heathens who never faw 
 the bible ; and alfo when they lee the rudenefs 
 and ignorance of other children, who never 
 heard the voice of a parent in prayer. The 
 children of family devotion therefore will ne- 
 ver be too thankful, that they were neither 
 born in a family o^ rude nor civilized heathens. 
 For nothing but the mere fovereign grace of 
 
2^6 S P R I N G. 
 
 God makes the difTercnce between the advan- 
 tages of the young heathens, and the advantag- 
 es of the children of devout, Chriftian parents. 
 Cod is not obliged to grant the leaft privileges 
 to any of the talJen race, becaule u e all deferve 
 Jiis eternal wrath. Since therefore he has not on- 
 ly given (onie of you all other gofpel privileges ; 
 but has alfo given you the privilege of family* 
 devotion with your faithful parents, your ob- 
 lif^ations to love Chrift are exceedingly great. 
 The children of praying parents are exalted to 
 heaven in point of privileges. To them much 
 is given, and of them much will be required » 
 Therefore, 
 
 4. We infer from the fubjecl, that the 
 prayerlefs children of devout, praying parents 
 are exceedingly wicked. For though their 
 tender mothers have, hundreds of times, bath- 
 ed their infant cheeks wath the tears of fervent 
 prayer; and though they have been, thouiands 
 of times, taught to pray, by devout example, 
 yet they negled: their duty. Children of this 
 defcription arenot only guilty, like others who 
 never heard a family prayer, but they are ex- 
 ceedingly and aggravatedly guilty. For guilt 
 is always more or lefs ttggravated in propor- 
 tion to the light and advantages which are reje6l- 
 edandabufed. It will therefore be more tole- 
 rable, \\\ the day of judgment, for the children 
 of the lavage, and tor the children of Sodom, 
 than for you who arc the prayerlefs children 
 of devout parents. The children of the hea- 
 tlic;i will rife up againft you and condemn you. 
 
SPRING. ::77 
 
 And what have fuch gracelefs children to ex- 
 pe6t, but that their tender parents, who have 
 frequently wept over them and prayed for 
 them, will be called, in the day of judgment, 
 to condemn them ? Now you refufe to join 
 with them in prayer, though they invite you 
 with bleeding hearts ; but then they will refufe 
 to join with you, or even to hear your doleful 
 cries. When diftrefs and anguifli fliall come 
 upon you, then your praying father and mo- 
 ther will forfake you, and treat you with the 
 deepeft abhorrence. No longer then mifim- 
 prove your opportunity for focial prayer with 
 your parents : But arife, O children, and call 
 upon your God, that you perifli not. For 
 how, with a prayerlefs fpirit, can you meet your 
 praying parents at the tribunal of God? How 
 can you endure the thought, that all their fer- 
 vent prayers for the laivation of your fouls will 
 only ferve to make your damnation the more in- 
 tolerable ? For if you die in your lins, the pray- 
 ers of your parents, which you now forget, will 
 be remembered with bittcrnefs and anguifh in 
 the flames of hell. For praying breath will never 
 be fpent in vain. If you wall not let the prayers 
 of your parents be anfwered in your falvation, 
 th^y mull; be anfwered in your deftrucl:ion. 
 Every prayer will be anfwered. Pray then for 
 yourielves, and the prayers of your parents 
 will be anlweredin your falvation : But if you 
 reluie to pray, God will anfwer their prayers, 
 even In your deftruclion. For the will of the 
 Lord be done, is the Alpha and Omega of eve- 
 ry acceptable prayer. But 
 
278 S P R I N G. 
 
 V. We infer from the fubje(5l our great ob- 
 ligation to pray for the heathens, and all the 
 families in the earth who do not call upon the 
 name of the Lord. How many millions of ig* 
 . norant, prayerkls fouls are there in the heathen 
 world ! The heathens are as numerous as the 
 fands, and as ignorant of God as the beafts of 
 the field. And (hall not Chrillian parents and 
 children remember them in prayer ? Can you 
 hear of the vail multitudes of ignorant Africans, 
 who are every year moft wickedly torn from 
 the bofom of their native land, and brought and 
 fold in the common market, and driven about 
 by monfters of cruelty Jike mere cattle, arid not 
 pray. for the gofpel liberty of their precious 
 fouls ? As the deftru6lion of the poor is their 
 poverty, fo the daitru6tion of the poor blacks 
 is their ignorance. If Africa were blefled with 
 the light of the gofpel, the flave-trade muftceafe. 
 For it is their ignorance which expofes them to 
 the cruelty of the unrighteous part of the in- 
 formed world. But has not God promifcd that 
 Chrill flmll have the heathen for his inheritance, 
 and the uttermoft parts of the earth for his pof- 
 feliion ? And fhall we not pray fervently for 
 the glorious period when the fun of righteoul- 
 nefs fliall rife with healing in his wings, and 
 difpel all the moral darknels which broods over 
 the pagan world? What Chriftian family will 
 not pray for the converfion of pagan parents, 
 that they may pray for 'their children ? Is it 
 not defirable that the thoufands of heathen pa- 
 rents Ihall be enlightened with faving grace. 
 
SPRING. 279 
 
 and fee their children become Chriftians, and 
 flouriih like living plants round their tables ? O 
 God, how long, how long before the prelent 
 ignorant Ethiopia fliall Itretch forth her with- 
 ered hand to Chrift tlie King of glory ? Let us 
 then, while attending to the duty and advantage 
 of family prayer, think of the poor blacks in Af» 
 rica and America, and of all the gracelels fami- 
 lies of the earth, and pray that their fuuls may 
 be wafhed in the blood of the Lamb, and clothed 
 with the garments of falvation. For the time 
 is at hand, and blefled are thofe families whofe 
 fervent, effectual prayers fliall haften it. For 
 they that be wife fhall lliinc as the brightnefs 
 of the firmament for ever and ever. 
 
 To conclude, let me afk you, my hearers, whe- 
 ther you maintain family prayer. The quef- 
 lion is not, whether you maintain the form of 
 prayer : For tho* prayer, like all other duties, has 
 a form and method, yet God who heareth prayer 
 looketh on the heart, and accepts no man who 
 does not Worfliip him in fpirit and in truth. Are 
 your prayers fuch as God requires, and will apr^ 
 prove in the judgment of the great day? If 
 you who are parents, have the fpirit of prayer 
 in your families, you have the prefence of God, 
 and it is probable, if you pray without fainting, 
 that your children will be bleffed : But if you 
 have not the fpirit of prayer, you are deflitutc of 
 the prefence of God, and it is probable that 
 your children will, be curfed. For when God 
 pours out his wrath upon nations which call 
 not upon his name, he does not fpare gracelefs 
 
i8o S P R I N G, 
 
 families. Like David then, after the public fo^- 
 lemnities of the day, let us return and blefs 
 our houfes. Like Noah, let us this evening 
 make our family offering, and the Lord will 
 fmell a fweet favour, and for the fake of Jefus 
 Chrift grant us his blefling. For this is the confix 
 dence which we have in him, thatifw&ajk any thing 
 according to his will, he heareth us. 
 
;*-'• 
 
 SERMON LXXIir. 
 
 ON THE CHANGE of THE SABBATH. 
 
 ' BY 
 
 MOSES MATHER, D. D. 
 
 Faflor of a Church of Chri/l in Stanford^ 
 Conne&lciit, 
 
 Heb, X. 24_, 25. 
 
 And let us confider o?te another to provoke unto 
 love and to good works^; not forfaking the affcni- 
 blingof ourfelves together, as the manner of fonieis ; 
 but exhorting one another : And fo much the tnorc, 
 tLS ye fee the day approaching, 
 
 THE apoltle, having fliown the all-fufficicncy 
 of the facrifice of Chrift, who by one olf- 
 cring hath perfe Bed forever them that arefanBiji- 
 ed, proceeds to obferve upon it, that we have 
 holdnefs to enter into the holiefl by the blood of Ji-- 
 fus. That is, we have free admittance into 
 heaven it felf by the blood of C^hrifr. And if 
 fo, then iurely './e may have free liberty, by 
 the fame blood, to draw near to God now in the 
 feveral exercifes of religious worihip,with a true 
 heart, in full aflurance of faith : Elpecially feeing; 
 v/e have fuch an high prieft over the houfe of 
 God, (the church) as the Lord Jefus Chriltis. 
 Vol; IV. ' N n 
 
282 M A T H E r: 
 
 And upon this reprefentation he predicates this 
 exhortation in the text. Let us confider one a- 
 nother to provoke unto love and to good works ; 
 not forfaking the ajjembling of oiirfelves together ^ 
 as the manner (ffome is ; but exhorting one another : 
 Andfo much the more, as ye fee the day approach- 
 ing. 
 
 The dcrtru6tion of the temple and the na- 
 tion of the Jews were then drawing neat; and 
 the apoftie here alludes to it, and improves it 
 as an argument to excite them to the greater 
 dih'gence in at<?ending upon the exercifes of 
 Chriftian worflaip; left their negle6l in that 
 matter fliouid be a leading ftep toward their 
 falling away from the Chriftian faith, and turn- 
 ing back to judaifm ; in which cafe they would 
 become fnarers in the calamities that were 
 coming upon that peopl(3. 
 
 We may more particularly here obferve, 
 
 1. That Chriftians, in the days of the apof- 
 tlesy pra6tiled meeting together for the purpofe 
 of rehgious wordiip. It was not only their 
 pra6tice, but it was a duty enjoined upon them 
 in our text by an apoftolic command. 
 
 2. Our liberty of drawing near to God in 
 rehgious worfiiip is a privilege purchafed for us 
 by the blood of Chrift ; as appears from the 
 conne6lionof the text with the preceding ver- 
 fcs, as before obferved, and is therefore a pri- 
 vilege highly to be prized. 
 
MATHER. 283 
 
 3. The practice of holding public alTemblies 
 for the pnrpofe of performing the feveral ex- 
 ercifes of Chriitian worfhip appears very ne- 
 celTary and ivfeful for promoting religion in 
 ourlelves and others. For it is by fo doing 
 that we are to provoke one a?iother to love and to 
 good works, 
 
 4. Although it is a very criminal pra6tice 
 to neg:e6t public worfhip ; yet we here fee 'it 
 is nothing new. It was the manner of fome 
 in the apoftles' days^ as well as at this day; 
 which fhows how little we regard the great lal- 
 vation offered in the gofpel. 
 
 5 We may obferve from what follows the 
 text, that a negle6l of public worfliip is a lead- 
 ing ftep to a moft dangerous and fatal apoftacy 
 from the Chriftian faith, and the pradice of all 
 true religion. For (faith the apoftle) if we fin 
 wilfully after that we have received the knowledge 
 of the truth, there rcmaineth no more facrifice for fin ; 
 hut a certain fearful looking for of jiidgfiicnt, and 
 fiery indignation, which floall devour the adverfarics. 
 
 But what I am chiefly to offer from thefe 
 words will be included under the following 
 heads. 
 
 I. I fliall lliow what times of affembling were 
 obferved by believers in the apoftlcs* days, to 
 which our text refers. 
 
z84 MATHER. 
 
 IT. Show the grounds and reafons of thefe 
 times of affenibling which were obferved at that 
 day. * 
 
 III. Show the purpofesfor which thefe times 
 of alFernbling for religious worfliip were obferv- 
 ed. 
 
 IV. Show the duty and importance of our 
 colitinuing in the lan^ie pradice, together with 
 the danger of negle61ing this duty. 
 
 I. I fiiall fliow what times of affembling were 
 obferved by believers in the apoilles' days^ to 
 which our text refers. 
 
 It is evident that from and continually after 
 the refurre6tion of our Lord Jefus Chrilt from 
 the* dead, the difciples made it their pra6lice to 
 meet together for religious worfliip upon the 
 firit day of the week, which was the day on 
 which Chrifl arofc from the dead. And they 
 not only pra61ifed it themfelves ; but led all 
 the cluirches which they planted and formed, 
 ipto the fame obfervation. We find that our 
 Lord, on the day that he rofe from the dead, 
 appeared to his difciples. John, xx. 19. Thai 
 the fame day at evening, being the firfl day of the 
 ivreh, ti'hen the doors ivereflmt, where the dfciples 
 zvere ajfernbled for fear of the Jews, came Jefus 
 and Rood in the 7nidft, and faith unto them. Peace 
 be unio you. And in the 26 verfe, we are told, 
 that after eight days, (that is, the firft day of 
 
MATHER. 285 
 
 the next week) again his difciples were within, 
 apd Thomas, with them. Then came Jefiis, the 
 doors being fliut, and ftood in the midft, and laid. 
 Peace be unto you. We read alfo in A6ls, ii. i . 
 When the day o[ Pentccofi was fully cane, they 
 were all with one accord in one place. The day of 
 Pentecoft was, according to the law of Moles, 
 the day after the leventh fabbath from the palT- 
 over, which was therefore the firfl day of the 
 week. And Chrift has put honor upon the firft 
 day of the week, not only by riling from the 
 -dead upon it; but alfo by chooling repeatedly 
 to appear to his difciples on that day ; on that 
 day to pour down upon his apoftles the holy 
 Ghoft in his miraculous gifts and powers. And 
 thus the firft day of the week became diltin- 
 guiflied from other days, and was known among 
 Chrillians by being called. The Lords Day. 
 It was on this day the apoftle John received the 
 Revelations. Revel, i. 10- I was in the spirit 
 on the Lord's Day. It was on this day the 
 Chriftians held their religious afTemblies for the 
 purpofe of gofpel-worfhip. See A6ls xx. 7. 
 A7id upon thejirfl day of the week, when tJje difciples 
 came together to break bread, Paul preached vnto 
 them. Although the apoftle hadbeen there lixdays 
 before, yet the difciples did not come together 
 till the firft day of the week, which is here re- 
 prelented as the ufual time for them to come 
 together to break bread ; that is, to receive the 
 lacramcnt of the Lord's fupper. 
 
 3o likewife we find the apoftle gives dirc(5li- 
 
z%6 MAT HER. 
 
 on to the clmrch at Corinth, to have a contri- 
 bution for the poor upon thefirfi day of the week; 
 becauie on that day the church would aflemble. 
 And the fame orders were given to the churches 
 of Galatia. Now concern'mg the coUeciion for the 
 Qiints, as I have given orders to the churches of Ga- 
 latia, cvenfo do ye. Upon the fir ft' day of the week, 
 let every one of you lay by him in [tore, as God hath 
 profpcred him, that there be no gather i?ig when I 
 come. 
 
 And to this evidence from the facred fcrip- 
 ture we may alfo add the teftimony of the mod 
 ancient writers of the Chriftian church, who, 
 with one voice, teftify that Chriitians made it 
 their prac5lice to allemble together for the pur- 
 pofe of religious worfliip, upon the flr/l day of the 
 week. 
 
 Indeed, we find that the apoftle Paul made 
 it his practice to go into the fynagogue of the 
 Jews on the fabbath day ; that is, the 
 JewiOi fabbath ; taking that opportunity 
 to preach the gofpel to them. But that affords 
 no evidence that he taught fuch as were con- 
 verted to the Chriftian faith to obferve any o- 
 ther than the fxrft day of tlic week as the Chrifti- 
 an' fabbath. And no other rcafon can be af- 
 iigned why or how the firft day of the week 
 cam,e to be lo univerially obferved by Chriftians, 
 as the day of alfembling together for the pur- 
 pofc of attending upon the exercifes of religi- 
 ous worlhip, and continually after the days of 
 the apoftles, bxit only the dire6tionof the apol- 
 
MATHER. 287 
 
 ties fo to do. All therefoi^ that is neceiTary 
 to our determining whether the firft day of the 
 week is to be obferved as the Chriftian fabbath, 
 is to inquire whether the apoftles were veRed 
 with fufficlent authority for the appointment 
 of this day for that purpofe. 
 
 II. I fhall therefore proceed to fliow the 
 grounds and reafons of thefe times of afiem- 
 bling for religious worfliip^ which were obferv- 
 ed in the primitive church. 
 
 As the obfervation of the firft day of the 
 week as the Chriftian fabbath principally de - 
 pends upon the precepts and example of the a- 
 poftles ; I fhall effay to fliow how great the au- 
 thority was, that Chrift vefted them within his 
 church, in a few obfervations. 
 
 I . The apoftles were appointed to bear wit- 
 nefs for Chrift to the world. Chrift 's appear- 
 ing in our nature, his holy life, his fufferings, 
 death, refurredion from the dead, and his af- 
 ceniion into heaven, are very important fads, 
 which need to be known, and well attefted to 
 the world. And the apoftles were well prepar- 
 ed for teftifying to the truth and certainty of 
 thefe things. For they were his conftant fol- 
 lowers ; they faw his miracles by which he 
 proved himfelf to be the Son of God; they faw 
 his fufferings and death ; and he was feen of 
 them forty days after his refurredion. To 
 whom alfo he Jheived himfelf alive after his pajfwn, 
 
288 M A T H E R, 
 
 hy many infallible proofs^ being feen of them fort') 
 days, and /peaking of the things pertaining to the 
 kingdom of God, And they were eye-witnelTes 
 of his afcenfion ; for while they beheld, he was 
 taken tip, and a cloud received him out of their Jight. 
 And it was the end for which Chriit appointed 
 them, that they fhould be witneifes to the truth 
 of thefe things. And ye alfofhall bear witneCs, 
 hecaufe ye have been with me from the beginnings 
 And again, at the time of his alcenfion, Chrift 
 tells them, Tefljall be witnefjes unto 7he, both in 
 Jerufalem, a?id in all Judea, and in Samaria, and 
 unto the uttermofi part of the earth, 
 
 2. The apoftles were fent by Chrift to pub- 
 lifh his gofpel, and to fet up his church among 
 all nations. This is the command which he 
 gave them when he afcended; Go, teach allna" 
 tions, baptizing them in the natne of the Father, and 
 of the Son, and of the holy Ghqjl : Teaching them t(9 
 obferjc all things whatfoever I have commanded 
 you : And lo, I am with you ahvay, even unto the 
 end of the world. They were to declare the 
 whole counfel of God, to lay open the way of 
 life, and to preach unto all men repentance 
 toward God, and faith toward the Lord Jefus 
 Chrift. They were to make difciples, gather 
 churches, fet up gofpcl-worfliip in them, and 
 prefcribe rules for the regulation and govern- 
 ment of the church. And tliey were fitted 
 and inftru6ted in this work by Chrift himielf^ 
 not only before his fuffe rings, but alfo after his 
 refurredlion, being feen o\^ them forty days. 
 
MAT HER. 289 
 
 fpeaking unto them of the things pertaining to 
 the kingdom of God. 
 
 3. The apoftles were further qualified for 
 their work by the infallible guidance of the 
 holy Ghoft. Our Lord gave many promifes 
 to his apoftles,, of the influence of the holy Spi* 
 rit, to furnifh them for the v/ork for which he 
 defigned them. See John^ xiv. 16, 17. I will 
 pray the Father, and he Jhall give you another Com-- 
 forter, that he may abide with you forever ; even the 
 Spirit (f truth, whom the world cannot receive. 
 So alfo the 26th. verfe of that chapter. But 
 the Comforter,^ which is the holy Ghqfl, whom the 
 Father will fend in my tiame, he floall teach you all 
 things, and bring all things to your remembrance what- 
 foever Ihavefaid imto you. To the fame purpofe 
 alfo in John xvi. 13, 14. Howbeit, when be 
 the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all 
 truth : For hefJoall notfpeak ofhimfelf; but what- 
 foever hefhall hear, thatfhall hef^cak : And he will 
 fjjew you things to come, HefJoall glorify jne : For 
 hefhall receive of mine, and foallfheiv it unto you. 
 Now thefe, and many other fuch like prom- 
 ifes which might be mentioned, which our Lord 
 gave to his apoftles, do plainly fliow that they 
 were as efFedlually fecured from error, and 
 rendered as infallible in their teaching, guidinp- 
 and dire6ling mankind, as if Chrift himlelf had 
 been always with them, to tell them what to 
 do, and teach. And as our Lord had given 
 them fo many gracious and large promifes of 
 the Spirit, after he fhould depart from them; 
 Vol. IV. O o 
 
290 MAT H E R. 
 
 fo when he afcended up into heaven, he told 
 them not to proceed upon their work, till thefe 
 |>romifes Ihould be fulfilled unto them. And 
 behold, I fend the promife of my Father upon you ; 
 but tarry ye in the city ofjerufalem until ye be endu- 
 ed with power frojn on high. And purfuant to 
 this promife, we find that upon the day of Pen- 
 tecoft this promife was fulfilled by the delcend- 
 ing of the holy Spirit upon them, according to 
 the many promifes which Chrift had given them. 
 When we confider how greatly the world of 
 mankind were interefled in the apoftles' faith- 
 fully difcharging the trull, and performing the 
 work which Chrift had committed to them ; it 
 lliows how fuitable it was, that they fliould be 
 thus fitted for it by the gifts of the holy Ghoft ; 
 who fliould teach them all things, and bring all 
 things to their remembrance, which Chrift had 
 fpoken to them, and fliould lead them into all 
 truth ; that thereby the world might be fur- 
 niflied with a true and infallible account of the 
 way to life by Jefus Chrift. How fully then 
 ought the example, as well as the inftru6lions, 
 of fuch divinely authorized and furniflied teach- 
 ers to be received and obferved by mankind ? 
 
 4. We have alfo the teftimony of Godhim- 
 felf fet as a feal to the do6lrines and inftru<5ti- 
 ons of thefe divine teachers, in the various mi- 
 racleswhich God wrought by them. Thajtmi- 
 raculous power given to the apoftles, to work 
 all forts of miracles, fuch as reftoring tiie maim- 
 ed, healing the fick, cafting out devils, ftriking 
 
MATHER. 291 
 
 fome dead with a word, and calling others back 
 
 again to life from the dead, of which various 
 
 kinds of miracles we have an account of their 
 
 working; this miraculous power, I fay, thus 
 
 conferred on them, together with power to 
 
 confer the gifts of the holy Ghofc upon others, 
 
 by the laying on of their hvands ; are all to be 
 
 regarded as a divine feal fet to their miniftry ; 
 
 to lead mankind to reverence, regard and 
 
 hearken unto them, and receive all things what- 
 
 foever they taught, as melTengers fent from 
 
 God upon this defign. And that the apoftles 
 
 might, with quicker difpatch and greater clear- 
 
 nefs and certainty, make difciples among all 
 
 nations, and teach them to obferve all things 
 
 whatfoever Chrift had commanded them, they 
 
 were, by the defcentof the holy Ghoft upon 
 
 them, enabled to fpeak with other tongues ; 
 
 that is, to fpeak all languages, of which they 
 
 had before no knowledge,with equal eafe, plain- 
 
 nefs and exa6tnefs, as they could the language in 
 
 which they had been educated. 
 
 Now what greater authority can any one be 
 veiled with ? Or who can more juftly challenge 
 regard and obedience from mankind to all 
 their do61rines, inftru6lions and examples, than 
 perfons thus authorifed, and thus owned of 
 God ? And who can juftify or cxcufe himfclf in 
 negle6ling to regard and obey them ? To which 
 agrees the admonition of the apoftle in Heb. 
 ii. 3, 4. Howjhall we efcape, if xvc iiegleclfo great 
 falvation ; -which at jirjl began to befpoken by the 
 
Iji 
 
 MATHER. 
 
 Lord himjelf, and ivas afterward confirmed unto us 
 by ihem that heard him ; Godalfo hearing them wit- 
 lufiy both ivitbftgns and wonders, and with divers 
 piiraclesy and gifts cf the holy Ghojl^ according to 
 his own will, 
 
 ^.. As fuch divinely authorifed peiTons juft- 
 ly might, so we find they really did, challenge 
 obedience from mankind to their precepts and 
 examples. They required mankind to believe 
 and receive the doctrines which they taught, 
 not as tlie words of man ; but (as they were in 
 truth) the word of God. As they were com- 
 miflionedby Chrift to teach mankind all things 
 whatfpever he had commanded them ; and as 
 they were furniflied with all fuch gifts and pow- 
 er by the Spirit, as were needful both to fet 
 forth and confirm the great do^rines of the 
 gospel; therefore we find they challenge regard 
 to their do(5^rines, as being of divine authority. 
 To this purpose are the words of the apoflle. 
 If any man think hi mf elf to be a prophet, or fpiri- 
 tital, let him acknowledge that the things which I 
 write are the coinmajidments of the Lord. So like- 
 wife the apoille John fcts forth, that an agree- 
 ment or disagreement with his dodrines was 
 to be the rule, by which we may judge of truth 
 and error ; and obedience or difobedience to 
 his do6lrines is the tell of a good or a bad man. 
 
 JVe are of God; he that knoweth God heareth us : 
 He that is not of God heareth not ys • 
 Hereby know we the Spirit of truth, a?id the fpirit 
 qf error. Yea, fo great Hrefs doth the apoftle 
 lay upon this matter, that he makes it a term 
 
MATHER. 
 
 93 
 
 of communion to the churches, and requires, 
 Jf any man obey not our word by this epi/ile, note 
 that man, and have no company with him, that he 
 may be ajhamed^ 
 
 And as the apoftles infift upon it, that intire 
 faith and credit fliould be given to their word 
 and do(5lrines ; fo they likewife propofe them- 
 felves as an example to mankind. To this 
 purpofe are the apoftle's words in Philip, iii. 1 7. 
 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark 
 them which walk fo, as ye have us for an example. 
 So again, II. TheiT. ii. 15. Therefore, brethren, 
 fiand fajl, and hold the traditions which ye have been 
 taught, whether by word or our epiftle. And we 
 find in a particular inilance, that the apoftle al- 
 ledgeth it as a fufficient decifion of the cafe, 
 that the churches of Chrift, formed by the a- 
 poftles, had not been led into fuch cuftoms. But 
 if any man feem to be contentious, we have no fuch 
 cufiom, neither the churches of God. He com- 
 mends the Corinthians for their fteadily adher- 
 ing to the traditions he had given them. Now 
 I praife you, brethren, that ye remember me in all 
 things, and keep the ordinances as I delivered them 
 to you. Yea, he declares thofe cuftoms, into 
 the obfervation of which he had led the church- 
 es, to be of fuch weight and moment, that he 
 requires the churches to feparate fuch from 
 their communion as fiiould walk contrary there 
 to. Now we command you, brethren, in the name 
 of our Lord Jefus Chri/l, that ye withdraw.yourfelves 
 from every brother that walketh dif orderly, and not 
 after the tradition which he received of us. 
 
^94 
 
 MATHER. 
 
 Thus we fee how great the trull was^ which 
 Chrift committed to his apoftles ; of what great 
 confequence it was to mankind that they fhould 
 fully and faithfully difcharge that truft ; and 
 alfo how well and fully Chrift furniflied them 
 for this work, by the gifts and profnifed influ- 
 ences of the holy Spirit, and power of working 
 miracles in teftimony of their divine miffion and 
 do6lrines ; that fo intire credit fhould be given 
 to all they taught in Chrift's name, whether by 
 precept or example. What reverence and re- 
 gard then is due from us to the do6lrines and 
 writings of thefe melTengers of Chrift ? 
 
 *There are many other arguments and rea- 
 fons which might be urged in proof of the truth 
 and divine original of the writings of the apoftles, 
 which they delivered to the churches : But from 
 what has been now offered, it appears that these 
 writings carry a fufficient evidence with them, 
 to recommend them to our high efteem and 
 regard, and to fet their authority far above all 
 pretenders to the fpirit in our days, who bring 
 with them no other evidence of their having 
 the fpirit, than only their own bare word. 
 
 Indeed, it has been obje<5led by fome againft 
 the authority of the writings of the apoftles, 
 that Paul ufeth fomeexpreflions, which appear 
 as if he himself was doubtful about his having 
 the Spirit to teach him tlie truth in lomc par- 
 ticulars. The moft plaulible text alledged to 
 this purpofe, is, I. Cor. vii. 40. where the a- 
 
MATHER, 
 
 29 
 
 poftle faith, I think I have the .fpirit of God, In 
 that chapter the apoftle is treating of the duty 
 of marriage ; where, from the conlideration 
 of the various fufferings to which Chriflians 
 were exposed in that day, he fums up the mat- 
 ter in this form, He that marrieth, dotb well; 
 and be that marrietb not, doth better. That is, 
 he leaves them at liberty, that every one might 
 Sidi in that matter difcretionally. If they mar- 
 ried, they muft expe6l to meet with greater 
 trials in that day of fufFering, than if they con- 
 tinued in iingle life. Therefore he efteemed 
 fuch as continued fingle, to be, in that refpe6t, 
 more happy perfons; to which he adds, / 
 think I have the fpirit of God, I thittk, that is, I 
 appear to^bave. The word I think, in the orig- 
 inal, fignifies, to prove, or confir^n opinion, as 
 well as to think ; and it would be more agreea- 
 ble to the original, if that fentence had been 
 tran dated, I appear to have the fpirit of God. It 
 is evident this muft be the meaning of this fen- 
 tence in this place ; becaufe in this fame epis- 
 tle. Chap, xiv. 37. he alferts, i/'fl/z^; ;?/fl?z think 
 himfelf a prophet, orfpiritnal, let him acknowledge 
 that the things which I write, are the cof?imandme?its 
 of the Lord, And thefe two places compared 
 together, fliow it to be a very injudicious in- 
 terpretation of the firft, to take it in luch a 
 fense as reprefents the apoftle to be in any 
 doubt whether he had the guidance of the fpirit 
 in that matter. 
 
 Upon the whole, then, it appears that all 
 
296: MATHER. 
 
 the writings of the apoftles are to be received 
 as divinely true, and regarded as the command- 
 ments of the Lord; becaufe therein they teach 
 us, according to their commiflion, to obferve 
 all things whatfoever Chrift had commanded 
 them. 
 
 And it is efpecially evident, that what they 
 taught by example is to be regarded, as well as 
 what they taught by precept. We are therein to 
 confider them as a6ling according to the com- 
 mandment which they received from Chrift. 
 And of how much authority this ihould be ef- 
 teemed, with refpe6l to the religious obfer- 
 vation of the day upon which Chrift arofe from 
 the dead, which was the firft day of the week, 
 is eafily feen. The religious obfervation of 
 this day, was the uniform pra6tice of the apof- 
 tles, and the churches under their guidance and 
 infpe6tion. 
 
 Inafmuch therefore as the apoftles taught 
 the primitive Chriftians to allemble together 
 for the purpofe of religious worfliip, and led 
 them into the pra6lice of obferving the firft 
 day of the week, as the fet time for thefe af- 
 lemblings • their example herein is afufticient 
 warrant and foundation for our obferving this 
 day as the Chriftian fabbath. And as the com- 
 mand given us in the text,**not to negled the 
 ''allembling of ourlelves together, as theman- 
 ''ncr of fonie is," has a manifeft reference to 
 thefe fct times of public worlhip, into the ob- 
 
 fer- 
 
MATHER. 297 
 
 fervation of which the apoftles had led the 
 churches ; confidered in this view, we have as 
 fufficient foundation to a6l upon in this matter, 
 as we have in many other branches of the du- 
 ty of Chriftian life. If there was nothing more 
 to be offered for the religious obiervation of 
 the firfl day of the week, as the Chrillian lab- 
 bath, we need be at no lofs to find out our duty. 
 If it is an error to obferve the firll day of the 
 week, as the Chrillian fabbath, it is wh.at v/c 
 are led into by following the example of Lhofe 
 whom Chrift appointed to be the firll builders 
 of his church; a pra6lice built upon the foun- 
 dation of the apoftles and prophets, Jefus Ghrid 
 himfelf beinsf the chief corner Hone. 
 
 o 
 
 'There are many other arguments which 
 may be brought in proof of the duty ofobferv- 
 inga fabbath, and that the firfl day of the week is 
 the day to be obferved as the fcibbath under 
 the gofpel difpenfation, befide what has been 
 now urged from the example of the apoftles; 
 fome ofthefel will mention in the next dil- 
 courfe. 
 
 Vol. IV. Pp 
 
SERMON LXXIV. 
 
 ON THE CHANGE of THE SABBATH. 
 
 BY 
 
 MOSES MATHER, D. D. 
 
 Pa/lor of a Church ofChrift in Stanford, 
 Conne&icut, 
 
 Heb, X. 24, 35;, 
 
 And let us conftder one another to provoke unto 
 
 love and to good works; notforfaking the ajjem- 
 
 *bling of oiirfelves together, as the 7nanner offome is ; 
 
 but exhorting one another : Andfo much the more, 
 
 as ye fee the day approaching, 
 
 HAVING, in the foregoing difcourfe, confide 
 ered fome of the arguments in lupport of 
 the obfervingof thefirflday of the week as the 
 Chriftian fabbath, which arife from the example 
 of the apoftles; I now proceed to fiipportjthe in- 
 ilitution by arguments which may be brought 
 fi'om different fources — 
 
 I. The great and wonderful works of God 
 feem plainly to call for this duty from us. The 
 work of creation is a great and a wonderful 
 work, that is worthy of a thankful re mem- 
 
00 M A T H E R. 
 
 brancc. And God's taking fix days for the 
 pcribrniance of it^ and re ft in g on the feventh^ 
 feems defigned to point out^ by example, that 
 it is our duty to work fix days,and to reft on the 
 feventh. For it was equal with almighty power 
 to have made the world in one dayasinfix. iBut 
 asinfinite vvifdoni fa,w that a feventh part of time 
 was a fuitable proportion for the children of 
 .men to obferve as an holy reft^ therefore it 
 feems that God ipent fix days in the creation 
 of the world/ and refted on the leventh, to 
 teach us^ by his own example, how much of our 
 time we fhould keep as an holy reft ; all which 
 feems to be exprefibd in the fourth command, 
 ^'Remember the labbath-day,to keep it" holy. 
 Six 4ays hialt thou labour, and do all thy work ; 
 but the feventh day is the fabbath of the Lord 
 thy God ; in it thou ihait not do any work,thou, 
 nor thyfon,nor thy daughter, thy man-fervant, 
 nor thy maid-fervant, nor thy cattle, nor thy 
 ftr-anger that is within thy gates : for in fix 
 days the Lord made heaven and earth, the fea, 
 and ail that in them is, and refted the feventh 
 day: Whcrctforc the' Lord blejfed the fabbath -day, 
 and hallo-wed ?i. It ieems tjo he one fpecial de- 
 iian of the fab^^ath at firft, that it fliould be a , 
 day of thankful rcmem-brance of the work of 
 creation. 
 
 So like wife the dcljvercnce of the children of 
 1 irael out ot'the land of Egypt v as a great and 
 remarkable deliverance, woilhy of a thankful re 
 membrarce. And as it was in thankful remem» 
 
MATHER. 301 
 
 brance of the work of creation that God at firft 
 appointedthe iabbath ; fo his fpecial appointment 
 of a fabbath to the children of Ifraelwas to be in 
 thankful remembrance of their deliverance out 
 of Egypt, as well as of the creation ; as appears 
 from the form in which Mofes repeats the fourth 
 command in Dut. v. 12. &c. Keep the fabbath 
 day tofandlify it, as the Lord thy God hath com- 
 manded thee. Six daysjhalt thou labour, and do 
 all thy work ; but thefeventb day is the fabbath of 
 the Lord thy God ; in it thoufhalt not do any work, 
 thou nor thyfon, nor thy daughter, nor thy man-fer- 
 vant, nor thy maid-fervant , nor thitie ox, nor thine 
 afs, nor any of thy cattle, nor thyftranger that is 
 within thy gates ; that thy man-fervant and 
 thy maid-fervant may rejl as well as thou. 
 And remember that thou wafl afervant in the land 
 of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee 
 out thence through a mighty hafid, and by a Jiretched 
 out arm : Therefore the Lord thy God commanded 
 thee to keep thefabbath-day. Here Mbfes repre- 
 fents the deliverance of the children of Ifrael 
 out of Egypt as the reafon of their obferving 
 . the fabbath, even as the fourth command re- 
 prefents the work of creation as a reafon of 
 obferving the feventh day as the fabbath at firll. 
 
 ■ Again, the work of redemption is a much more 
 glorious work than either the work of creation, 
 or the deliverance of the children of Ifrael out 
 of Egypt, and much more worthy of a thank- 
 ful remembrance. As God's refcing on the 
 feventh day from the work of creation pointed 
 
302 H A T H E R; 
 
 . out which day fliould be the fabbath, while the 
 fpecial defign of it was a commemoration of 
 the work of creation ; and as the day on which 
 the children of Ilrael came out of Egypt was 
 appointed unto them as the fabbath, while one 
 fpeciai defign of it was to commemorate that 
 deliverance ; fo Chr ill's finiihing the work of 
 redemption, in his riling from the dead on the 
 firft day of the week, with equal evidence points 
 out which day of the feven ftiould be the fabr 
 bath under the gospel-difpenfation, while the 
 more fpecial'defign of it is to commemorate 
 the work of redemption. 
 
 Thus it appears that the great and wonder- 
 ful works of God call for the obfervation of a 
 fabbath, and plainly point out the firft day of 
 the week as the day for this purpofe. 
 
 To this it may be obie6led, that the fourth 
 commandment expresfly points out the feventh 
 day as the sabbath ; and that we have no fuf- 
 licient proof of the change of the day from the 
 feventh to the firil. 
 
 In anfwer to this it muft be obferved, that 
 the aboliihing of the feventh day labbath, and 
 the inftitution of the firft day fabbath, are 
 two diftindt things. As to the nature of time, 
 there is nothing in one day more tRan another, 
 why one day fliould be kept lioiy rather than 
 another. And the general law and rcajon of 
 a fabbath may be binding, and of laliing iorcc. 
 
MATHER, 303 
 
 although theparticular fet time Ihould be chang- 
 ed. Thus, if the fabbath be changed from the 
 feventh to the firft day, this change is not in- 
 conliftent with, but as well anfwers the general 
 law and reafon of a fabbath, as if there was no 
 fuch change. 
 
 As to the abolifhing of the feventh-day fab- 
 bath, I fhall mention a few texts. Gal. iv. 
 10, II. Te obferve days, and months, and times, 
 and years ; lam afraid of you, left I have befwwed 
 upon you labor in vain. If we read the whole 
 cpiftle, we fhall fee that the danger to which 
 thefe Chriftians were expofed, was their fub- 
 mitting to the law of Mofes, and taking upon 
 them the obfervation of the rites and cerema- 
 niesofthat aboliflied difpenfation. And this 
 evidently fhows that the obferving of days, and 
 months, and times, and years, which the apof- 
 tle blames them for, was the Mofaical ap- 
 pointments of fabbatical days, new moons, and 
 fabbatical years. Col. ii. 16, ij. Let 710 man 
 judge you in meat or in drink, or in refpeB if an 
 holy day, or of the new moon, or of the fabbath days ; 
 ^ which are afhadow of things to come, but the body 
 is ofChrifl, Here the apoftle joins the feventh- 
 day fabbath with the jewifli meats and drinks, 
 and declares their fabbaths, as well as their 
 laws about clean and unclean meats, to be a 
 Ihadow of things to come. And therefore he 
 tells them, that their not obferving thefe days, 
 as well as their not obferving thefe di(tin6f ions 
 about meat and drink, was no matter of ccn- 
 
304 M A T H E R. 
 
 lure or condemnation. The apoftle again de^ 
 dares the obfervation ofthe (eventh-day hhr 
 bath to be a matter of the fame indifFerenee>as 
 to obferve the legal diftindlion betweea meats 
 clean and unclean, in Rom. xiv. 5, 6. One man 
 efleemeth one day above another, a7ioiher e^$emetb 
 every day alike. Let every man be fully perfuaded 
 in his own inind. He that regardeth the iay^re^ 
 gardeth it unto the Lord,; and he that rega/detd 
 not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard iL 
 He that eatethy eateth to the Lord, for he givetk 
 God thanks ; and he that eateth not, to the Lord 
 he eateth ?iot, and giveth God thanks. It is ma- 
 nifeft that in all thefe texts^ the apoftle putteth 
 the feventh-day fabbath upon the fame footing 
 as the other ceremonies of the legal difpenfa- 
 tion were. Conlequently^ the one can be no 
 more binding upon us under the gofpel-difpen- 
 fation than the other. And therefore the 
 jewifli fabbath is as much repealed as the o- 
 ther jewiHi rites. 
 
 I am fenfible^ thefe texts have been alledged 
 by fome^ to fliew that no particular day is to be 
 obferved under the gofpel. But fuch a fenf& 
 cannot be put upon them without manifeft vi- 
 olence. For it is evident, that in all thefe 
 places, the apoftle is fpeaking only of the jew- 
 ifli days : For the days fpoken of are conned- 
 ed with other jewilh rites : Therefore they 
 afford no argument againft the Chriftian lab- 
 bath ; which day was not called a -fabbath at 
 that time, but was diftinouiflied from other 
 
M A T H E R. 30^ 
 
 days by being called The Lord's day. See- 
 ing therefore the jewifli fabbath isfo expresfly 
 abolifhed in fo many facred texts, and the iirft- 
 day fabbath lo plainly eflabliihed by the apof- 
 tolic example, it is afufiicient evidence ot the 
 change of the fabbath. 
 
 That the day of the fabbath was changed 
 by Mofes, when he brought the children of If- 
 rael out of Egypt, is very probable. For al- 
 though it is faid, that the feventh day was ap-^ 
 pointed the fabbath at the creation, and man- 
 kind were thereby led to divide their days by 
 feven; yet, as the world fell into idolatry, 
 and loil the knowledge of the true God, io 
 with it they loll the knowledge of the true end 
 and defign of the ftibbath, which v/as at fir ft 
 appointed in remembrance of God's making the 
 world. And as mankind fell into idolatry, and 
 worfhipped the hoft of heaven, the fun, moon 
 and ftars ; fo they confecrated the feven days 
 of the week to the feveral planets and deities 
 which they worlliippe*d ; one to the fun, ano^ 
 ther to the moon, &c. — from whence the names 
 funday, monday, &c. did originally arile. And 
 as from the beginning mankind were trained 
 up to have a fpecial regard for the day which 
 at firft was appointed as the fabbath ; lo when 
 they fell into idolatry, and confecrated the day?* 
 of the we9k to their feveral deities, it is moft 
 reafonable to fuppofe " they confecrated that 
 day, for which they had been taught to have a 
 fpecial regard, to the brighteft luminary of the 
 Vol. IV. Oq 
 
3o6 *^I A T H E R. 
 
 heavens.'the fun ; the next to the moon • and the 
 reft to their other deities, according to their 
 apprehended dignity. And what much ftrength- 
 ens the probability of this opinion, is, that all 
 nations have gone into this pra(5^ice ; and all 
 have pitched upon the fame day as facred to 
 the fun. There is nothing in the courfe of na- 
 ture to lead mankind to divide the days by fe- 
 ven ; but the declination of the fun, and the 
 changes of the moon, might teach them the di- 
 vifion of years and months. There is no rea- 
 fon can be aillgned for the unanimous confent 
 of all nations to divide the days by feven, but 
 only tradition, handed down from the beginning, 
 to have a fpecial regard for one day in feven. 
 And therefore they conie crated the day for 
 which they were thus taught to have a fpecial 
 regard, to the brighteft of the hofts of heaven, 
 into the worfhip of which they had fallen, in 
 ftead of the true God. 
 
 Admitting this to be the cafe, it is evident 
 that the jewiili fabbath was not the fame day 
 as the original fabbath was, but the day be- 
 fore it. And then it follows, that the change 
 of the fabbath under the gofpel, from the feventh 
 to the iitft day, has brought it to the day of its 
 original inftitution. For it is the firft day of 
 the week as it is now called, which the heathen 
 had confecrated to the fun. 
 
 And what ftrengthens the probability of the 
 change of the lixbbath by Mofes, when he 
 
MATHER. 307 
 
 brought the children of Ifrael: out of Egypt, is 
 the account we have of their beginning to ob- 
 ferve the fabbath, * together with the form in 
 which Mofes repeats to them the fourth com- 
 mandment. It was upon the fifteenth day of 
 the third month of that year, according to the 
 common computation, that the children of 
 Ifrael came out of Egypt. And God ordered 
 Mofes, upon that account, to change the be- 
 ginning of the year, and call it the firfc month. 
 Exod. xii. And we have no account of their 
 obferving any fabbath, till they came to the 
 wildernefs of Sin, which was upon the fifteenth 
 day of the fecond month, jufta month from 
 their coming out oi Egypt. And then the 
 people murmured for want of bread : At which 
 time God began to rain manna for them, and 
 ordered that they fliould gather it iix days ; 
 and that on the lixth day they fliould gather 
 enough for two days ; but on the feventh day 
 from that time, and fo forward, there fliould 
 be no manna ; but it fliould be obferved as the 
 fabbath. (It feems as if the children of Ilrael, 
 in the time of their bondage in Egypt, which 
 lafted one or two hundred years, had, in a man- 
 ner, loft the knowledge of the fabbath, and did 
 not obferve any till it was renewed by Moles 
 at this time.) And if they numbered their 
 months by weeks, that is four weeks to a month, 
 which it is moft probable they did, (which oc- 
 cafioned them to have an intercalary month in 
 their years) then the twenty fecond day of the 
 month, which is the iirft fabbath they obferved. 
 
3o8 M A T H E R- 
 
 that we have any account of, fhows, that the 
 day which they obferved as the fabbath? 
 was the day upon which they came forth out of 
 the land of Egypt. So that^ as the beginning 
 of the year^ fo was alfo the day of their fabbath, 
 changed in remembrance of that deliverance. 
 To which agrees that form in which Mofes 
 repeats the fourth command in Deut. v. which 
 is^ that becaufe God had redeemed them out 
 of the land of Egypt, therefore he commanded 
 them to keep the fabbath day. 
 
 Froii. the things which have been mentioned, 
 it appears highly probable, that as the begin- 
 ning of the year was changed upon this account ; 
 fo aifo was the day of their fabbath ; that by 
 the obfervation of their fabbath they might, 
 not only be reminded of their deliverance out 
 of Egypt, and their being taken to be the cove- 
 nant-people of God ; but alfo might be there- 
 by further guarded, leparated and diftinguiihed 
 from the heathen nations. This would be a 
 means to perferve them from falling into idol- 
 atry, a vice to which the children of Ifrael 
 were very much addi6ted. 
 
 Although the reafons mentioned do not a- 
 mount to a full proof that tlie fabbath was 
 chcUiged by Mofes; yet they render it highly 
 probable ; and therefore quite uncertain which 
 day was the original fabbath ; whether it was 
 tlic jewifh inbbath, or the Chriftian fabbath. 
 But as the greatcft probability lies on the iidc 
 
MATHER. 309 
 
 of its being changed, therefore we have good 
 reafon to luppofe the firft day of the week, 
 which is the Chriftian fabbath, is the fame day 
 of the feven as was appointed at firft to be ob- 
 ferved as a fabbath. 
 
 2. There are fonie ftrong intimations that 
 the day of the fabbath fliould be changed under 
 the gofpel-difpenfation in the prophecies of the 
 old teftament. Particularly, Pfalm. xcv. 7. 
 To day, if ye will hear his voice, harden not yoilr 
 hearts. This pafTage will appear a plain inti- 
 mation of the change of the fabbath, if we at- 
 tend to the explanation of it, given by an in- 
 fpired apbftle, in Heb. iv. 4, ^, 7, 8, 9. For 
 he /pake in a certain place of thefeventh day on this 
 wife. And God did reft thefeventh day from all his 
 works. And in this place again, Ifthcyfloall enter 
 into my re/l. — Again he liiniteth a certain day, fay- 
 ing to David, To day, after fo long a time ; as 
 it is f aid. To day, if ye will hear his voice hard- 
 en not your hearts. For if Jefus (Jofhua) had 
 given them reft, then would he not afterward have 
 fpohen of another day. There remameth therefore 
 a reft to the people of God ; or, as it is rendered in 
 the margin i akceping cf a fabbath to the people of God ^ 
 A fabbath is intended, not only in remembrance 
 of the great works of God, from which it takes 
 it's rife ; but alfo as a pledge of a better reft. 
 The apoftle is here proving that there is a hea- 
 venly reft to be entered into,in the future ftate, 
 by the people of God. And as a pledge of it, 
 Ve here faith, /Z?^/*^ remaineth a keeping of a fab- 
 
3IO MAT HER, 
 
 hatb to the people of God. And this^ he faith, is 
 another day, than that which was the fabbath 
 in David's time. 
 
 Another intimation of the change of the 
 labbath we have in Pfalm cxviii. 22,23, 24. 
 The fi one which the builders refufed, is become the 
 headjlone of the corner. This is the Lord' s doings 
 it is marvellous in our eyes. This is the day which 
 the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad 
 in it. That this is a prophecy concerning 
 Chriit is evident from many places in the new 
 teftament, where it is applied tb him. And it 
 is here foretold, that the day when Chrift be* 
 came the head Hone of the corner, is the day 
 which the Lord hath made. The day which 
 the Lord hath made fignifies the day that he 
 hath confecrated, or fet apart. And it is equal- 
 ly evident, that it was by Chrift 's rifing from 
 the dead, that he became the head ftone of the 
 corner ; that is, the foundation of his church. 
 This is a day to be oblerved with joy and glad- 
 nefs; We will rejoice and be glad in it; which 
 properly defcribes the bufinefs of a fabbath, 
 which is a day of religious joy and gladnefs. 
 Here the grand event which was to be the oc- 
 caiion of the change of the fabbath, is pointed 
 out; and the day on which this event fliould 
 take place, is the day which the Lord hath 
 :-nade to lie remembered with religious joy and 
 j;]adncis. 
 
 ^ The ^luthoritv of Chriil over the fabbath^ 
 
< MATHER, 3IS 
 
 his putting fpecial honour upon the firfl day of 
 the weeki and appropriating it to himfclf as his 
 day by way of diftindion from oth^ (^^iys, 
 ilrongly evidenceth the duty of oblerving this 
 day holy to the Lord. All power in heaven 
 and in earth is committed to the Lord Jefus 
 Chrift, who is made head over all things to his 
 church, whofe authority therefore to prefcribe 
 a fabbath to his people is indisputable. He is 
 veiled with fufficient authority to aboliffi the 
 feventh-day fabbath, and appoint another 
 day ; which power our Lord afTerts, Luke, vi. 
 5. And he /aid unto them, that the Son of man is 
 Lord alfo of the fabbath day. And we accord- 
 ingly find, He has put his name upon another 
 day, Rev. i. 10. I was in thefpiriton the Lord's 
 day. Which is a title by which the firft day 
 of the week w^as then and has been ever fince 
 known. Chrift has put fpecial honor up- 
 on this day, not only by putting his name 
 upon it ; but alio becaufe on it he arofe from 
 the dead ; and on this day he repeatedly man- 
 ifefted himfelf to hisdifciples after his rcfurrec- 
 tion from the dead; %nd upon this day, in a 
 moft wonderful manner, fent to his difciples 
 the promife of the Father, in the plentiful ef- 
 fufion of the holy Spirit ; upon which account 
 we have reafon to fay. This is the day which 
 the Lord hath made ; we will rejoice and he 
 glad in it. 
 
 Now the evidence of the change of the fab- 
 bath, which has been exhibited, fliows that the 
 
312 
 
 MATHER. 
 
 church of Chrifl has not a6led without fufficienfc 
 reafon, in obferving the iirft day of the week 
 as the fabbath under the gofpel-difpenfation* 
 This has been the pra6lice of the church from 
 the apofdes' days to this time. Such therefore 
 who deny that the apoftles eftabliflied the ob- 
 fervation of the iirft day of the week as the 
 fabbath, ought in all reafon to fhew how^ and 
 when the change of the fabbath was made in 
 the church. Surely fuch a change of the fab- 
 bath from the feventh day to the iirft could ne- 
 ver be brought about, and introduced into all 
 the churches, in fuch a ftill and iilent manner, 
 as not to be taken notice of by any of the 
 Chriftian writers in all ages of the church. If 
 one or two churches had corrupted themfelves 
 in this matter, yet furely fome would have 
 continued faithful, to bear teftimony againft 
 fuch corruption. But that all the churches, 
 in all parts of the world, iliould agree in fuch 
 a change, and fliould bring it about without 
 raifmg any difpute, is a fuppolition fo extrava- 
 <]cant as to be altogrether ridiculous. 
 
 But fome fay (becaufe they can fay nothing bet- 
 ter) that this change of the fabbath was brought 
 about by the authority of the Pope. And all 
 they can oiFer in proof of this aflertion is, that 
 they find the firft day of the week mentioned 
 among the days prefcribed by popiih decrees, 
 to be obferved by the church. But if the 
 iirft day of the week had been obferved from 
 the beginning, it muft of courfe be included 
 
MATHER, 31 J 
 
 in the number of days prefcribed by popiOi de- 
 crees : So that this is no evidence at all in the 
 cafe. But if the change of the day was made 
 by the authority of the Pope, in popiih coun- 
 tries, how came it to take place in other parts 
 of the world, where the popes authority ne- 
 ver extended r 
 
 But to aicribe the change of the day to the 
 authority of the pope, is dating the matter 
 a great deal too late ; becaufe Chriilian writers 
 plentifully declare the obfervation of the firft: 
 day of the week long before the pope of Rome 
 was called the head, or univerfal billiop of the 
 church ; or even before the popifli corruption 
 had arifen to any conlidcrble heighth in the 
 world. Add to this, the firft day of the week 
 has had the fandion of civil authority, as the 
 Tabbath, ever fince the civil rulers embraced 
 the Chriftian faith. Conftantine, the firft ChriRi' 
 an Emperor, put the fan6iion of civil authority 
 upon this day. And it has ever fince, in all 
 Cliriitian countries, had the fan(5lion of civil 
 pov/ers, as thefabbath. 
 
 IH. Proceed we now, agreeably to our 
 iniRDpropofition^tofliowthcpurpofesfor wiiic:i 
 thefeleafons of public worlhip arc to be obfcrv 
 
 The naincsARBATir figniiics a rcfi. It there - 
 fore rcquiics that we rclt, or ceaic from la- 
 bor, and the ordinary employments of thi- 
 life. In the iV-'^r^'i '"c.^.imr''':! ^^'^ "'''* '''''Miir- 
 VoL. IV. R r 
 
314 MAT HER. 
 
 ed, Six days Poalt thou lab or, and do all thy work ; 
 but ihefeventh day is the fabbath of the Lord thy 
 God ; in it thoujhalt not do any work. We are 
 to lay afide all our worldly concerns, and free 
 our minds, as well as our hands, from the em- 
 ployments of this life. Much more then 
 ought we to ceafe from pleafures anddiverfions* 
 If we obferve the day, we mufl obferve it to 
 the Lord. The fabbath is a day fet apart for 
 religious purpofes, and ought to be fpent in the 
 public and private exercifes of God's wor- 
 Ihip. 
 
 I . The fabbath is to be obferved as a day 
 of thankfgiving. This was one defign of the 
 appointment of the fabbath at firft, that> it 
 fliould be a memorial of the work of creation. 
 That great work of God, by which he gave be- 
 ing to the world, and to all things in it, and 
 framed all things in their beauty, order and 
 ufefulnefs, juftly chaljengeth our gratitude to 
 the author of all being and bleiTednefs. There- 
 fore when God had finiflied the work of cre- 
 ation in fix days, he relied on the fcventh, and 
 hallowed it as a day holy to himfelf, that it 
 might be obferved by the children of men as a 
 thankful memoriiil of that great work. * 
 
 This alfo was manifcftly one defign of the 
 Cibbath, as it was appointed to the children of 
 ifracl, that it fliould be obferved as a day of 
 thankfgiving ; that it fhould be unto them,not 
 or^v as a memorial of the work of creation ; 
 
MATHER. 3X^ 
 
 but alfo of their deliverance from Egyptian 
 bondage. This feems plain from the words. 
 Dent. V. i^. And remember that tbouwa/l afer- 
 vant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy 
 God brought thee out thence, through a mighty 
 hand, and by a Jlretched-oui arm ; therefore the 
 Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the fab- 
 bath-day^ 
 
 The fame view of the fabbath^ as a day of 
 thankfgiving, is Itill to be retained under the 
 gofpel. The work of redemption by J el us 
 Chrift is a Very great and glorious work, far 
 exceeding in glory the work of creation , and 
 the deliverance of the children of Ilrael from 
 Egypt ; and is therefore much more worthy 
 of our molt thankful remembrance. As the 
 day of the fabbath feems to have been changed 
 by Mofes from that day which was the feventh 
 from the creation, and fixed upon that day on 
 v/hich tlie children of Ifrael came out of Egypt, 
 that it might be to them a day of thankfgiving 
 in commemoration of that deliverance ; fo the 
 change of the day, under the gofpel dif- 
 penfation, from that which was obierved by 
 the church of the Jews, to that on which our 
 Saviour finifhed his fufferings, in his riling from 
 the dead, intimates tons, that the more fpc- 
 cial defign of the fabbath is to be a day of thankf- 
 giving for the work of redemption. 
 
 Hence then it is one part of dufy on the 
 fabbath to furvey thefe glorious works of God 
 
.^iG M A T H E R. 
 
 tj • 
 
 m creatipn, providence and grace ; efpecially 
 the glorious work of redemption by Jefus 
 Chrift, in all its parts; and lb to view and 
 nieditate upon thefe things, as that our hearts 
 may be affected with a ienfe of the glory of 
 God^and a grateful trame enkindled in us tb 
 the author of our being, and fountain of all 
 our comforts. 
 
 2. The fabbath is to be obferved as a me- 
 morial of cur obligation and covenant relation 
 to God. The appointment of a fabbath at lirfc, 
 in remembrance of the work of creation, was 
 to admonifii mankind that God was the author 
 of their being, and remind them of their obli- 
 gation to him as inch. And had mankind been 
 careful to remember the fabbath day and keep 
 it holy, according to the manifeft intention of 
 its appointment, it would have had a dire6l 
 tendency to have preferved the knowledge of 
 the true God and of their obligation to him, 
 and would have been a fpecial means to have 
 preferved them from idolatry. So likewife 
 the appointment of a fabbath to the children of 
 liraei was to ferve as a iliemorial of their co- 
 venant-relation and obligations to the true 
 God; as is expresfly declared, Exod. xxxi. 13. 
 Verily my fabbalh Jball ye keep : For it is ajgji 
 he tureen me and you ibrougbout your generations ; 
 thai I am tbc Lord il^at doth fantiify you. The 
 iabhath under the gofpcl is alfo to fefve the 
 Inme ipecial ])urpofe. It is to be regarded as 
 a (irxn of the covenant between God and us. 
 
MATHER. 317 
 
 Jt is appointed as a memorial of that great 
 work of redemption, in which Chrift hath pur- 
 chafed us to himfelf, and redeemed us to God 
 with the price of his own blood. It becomes 
 us therefore to keep the fabbath day in thank- 
 ful remembrance of that glorious work ; that 
 areturn of the fabbath may revive in our minds 
 a folemn remembrance of the price of our 
 redemption, and the facred bonds of the cove- 
 nant of our God which are upon us, 
 
 3.- Another purpofe of the appointment of 
 the fabbath is, that it lliould be the fet time for 
 us tp attend upon, and unite in, the feveral ex- 
 ercifes of public worfliip. It is expreslly re- 
 quired of us in the tcxt,'^not to forfake the af- 
 ^"^lembling of ourlelves together." It is a mat- 
 ter of public honour due to God, and an open 
 acknowledgement of Chrift as our Saviour ; 
 that Ms people fliotild aflemble themfelves to- 
 gether on that day, on which the Lord has re- 
 corded his name, to pay theii- joint honour to 
 him, attend upon his inftitutions, and the feve- 
 ral parts of his worfliip. It was to this pur- 
 pofe the children of Ifrael were commanded to 
 keep the fabbath day. Upon this day they 
 were required to have an holy convocation. 
 And we find that their pra6lice was according 
 to this precept. For to this end they built 
 their fynagogues, or houfcs of public worfliip, 
 where they reforted on their iabbaths for re- 
 ligious purpofes, as is mentioned. Ads, xv. 2 r . 
 For Mofes of old tunc hath in every cityy them that 
 
3i8 Mather: 
 
 preach him ; being read in the fynagogues every fah- 
 bath day. And it has been already fhown, that 
 the gofpel-fabbath, the firft day of the week, 
 was oblerved by the apoftles and firil Chriftian 
 Churches as the day to aifemble for the pur- 
 pofe of public worlhip. We ought therefore 
 to efteem the fabbath, not as a day to be fpent 
 in (loth and idlenefs at home ; but as a day on 
 which we are to ailemble with the people of 
 God, to unite in the feveral exercifesof gofpel- 
 worfhip. 
 
 4. Another defign of the fabbath is^ to be a 
 lign and pledge to the people of God of ever- 
 lafting reft in the future ftate. Whatever 
 may be faid of the fabbath appointed to Adaifi 
 in paradile, as to its being a pledge of an hea- 
 venly reft, this was evidently the cale of 
 t\\Q fabbath appointed to the children of If- 
 rael. The covenant God made with thatpeo- 
 ple included a promife of a temporal reft in the 
 land of Canaan, as well as a future reft in hea- 
 ven. A"^ ^s ^^ fabbath was to be to them a 
 memorial of that covenant, fo it was likewifc 
 a pledge of the bleflings promifed in it, pro- 
 vided they were obedient to it. Hence the 
 ])rophet Ifaiah urged the fantStification of the 
 fabbath as a method to fecure the continuance 
 <^r God's prote(51:ion over them in the land which 
 l^.c had given as an heritage to Jacob. Ifa. Iviii. 
 I ^^ 14. IJ'ibou turn away thy foot from the fab 
 hath, front doing thy pleafure on iny holy day; 
 -nd call the fabbath a delight , the holy of the 
 
MATHER. 
 
 319 
 
 Lordy honourable ; and JJoalt honour hhn, ?iot 
 doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own plea- 
 Jure, nor /peaking thine 'own words ; thenjbalt thou 
 delight thyfelf in the Lord ; and I will caufe thee 
 to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed 
 thee with the heritage of Jacob, thy father : For the 
 mouth of the Lord hathfpokcn it. 
 
 So likewife the fabbath under the gofpel is 
 a fign and pledge to true believers of everiaft- 
 ing reft in the future ftate. Thus the apollle 
 points out the fabbath, in all the appointments 
 of it^as a fign and pledge of future and heaven- 
 ly reft, in Heb, iv. In this chapter he refers 
 to the original fabbath at the creation of the 
 world, to the fabbath of the Jews, and to the 
 Chriftian fabbath ; fliewing that they all were 
 to be confidered as pointing to, or pledges of,a 
 future heavenly reft. 
 
 IV. It remains to fhew the duty and im- 
 portance of our keeping holy to God theChrif- 
 tian or firft day fabbath ; together with the 
 danger of negledting it. 
 
 The feveral purpofes which have been men- 
 tioned, for which the keeping a ftibbath has 
 been enjoined upon mankind, may be confidered 
 as lo many arguments to enforce the practice of 
 this duty upon us. 
 
 Creating goodnefs, providential mercies, 
 and above all the glorious difplays of re- 
 
320 M A T H E R. 
 
 deeming grace by Jefus Chrift, lay us under 
 llrong obligations, in point of gratitude, to 
 pra^life this duty. This is the appointed way 
 for us to exprefs our thankfulnefs to God for 
 all his benefits towards us. How criminal 
 then, how bafe, and how ungrateful muft it be 
 in us, to treat the fabbath, or the facred privi- 
 lege of God's worlliip, on that day to be at- 
 tended, with carelelTnefs and neglecSt ! And as 
 it is very bafe and criminal in us, fo it muft 
 be very olfenfive and provoking in the fight 
 of God. 
 
 Or if we view the fabbath as a fign and token 
 of our covenant relation to, and intereft in 
 God, our treating of it with carelefTnefs and 
 negle6l muft appear to be a breach of covenant, 
 a pra6tical renouncing of our covenant-interefl 
 in God, and a forfeiture of all covenant-privi- 
 leges and bleilings. Or on the other hand; if 
 we delire to fecure to ourfelves a covenant-in- 
 tereftin God, or the privileges and;bleffings of 
 the covenant, a due fan<Sl:itication of the fab- 
 bath muft be carefully attended to. 
 
 When we like wife coniider the fabbath as 
 the appointed time to attend and unite in the 
 fcveral exercifes of public worfhip, our obli- 
 gations to carefully oblerve it, v/iii appear in a 
 ftrong light. Chrift has fet up his church as 
 his viiible kingdom among men ; has required 
 us to join ourfelves to it; has appointed vari- 
 ous exercifes of religious worOiip, by which he 
 
MA T H E R, 321 
 
 performs the part of a Mediator among men, 
 to bring them to be reconciled to God; and 
 by which he imparts to them the influence of 
 the holy Spirit andbleilings of redeeming grace, 
 and makes then) p:irtakers of his favingtulnefs. 
 That we are to view the religious exercifes 
 prefcribei to the church, as that by v/hich the 
 Lord Jefus Chrili:, in his mediatorial office, ap* 
 plies to mankind, to reconcile them to God, is 
 evident from the apoftle's reprefentation of a 
 preached goipel, which is one of thefe religious 
 exercifes. II. Cor. v. 20. Nozv then wc are 
 cmhdffadors for Chri^, as though God did be fee ch you 
 by us ; we pray you in Chrijl s flead , bg ye reconcil' 
 ed to God, if therefore we diiVegard the lab- 
 bath, and turn our back upon the public exer- 
 cifes of gofpel worfliip, we therein turn our 
 back upon Chrift, and thruft ourfelves away 
 from his mediation. Ard if, by fuch conduct, 
 we will not fufFer Chrift to apply his mediation 
 to us in his church in this world, we cannot 
 cxpe6t he will apply to God for us, as our ad- 
 vocate with the Father. For this is what he 
 hath alTured us in this cafe. PVhofoever there- 
 fore fnall confefs me before men y him will I alfocon- 
 fefs bforc my Father which is in heaven. But 
 Tjuhofoever fioall denv me before men, him will I alio 
 deny before my Father wlT.ch is in heaven. And if 
 we exclude ourfelves from the mediation of 
 Chriil, what is there remaini:ig for us to 
 hope in ? 
 
 A due ^andification of the fabbath will have 
 Vol. IV. Ss 
 
322 M A T H E R. 
 
 a great influence upon us, and an happy ten-. 
 dency to promote the practice of religion ii> 
 the various parts of it. But decays in reli* 
 gion, and even a total apoftacy from the Chrifv 
 tian faith, commonly begin by ilacknefs, care* 
 leflnefs and negUgence in fandifying the fab- 
 bath, and treating the public exerciles of 
 God's worlliip with coldnefs and indifference. 
 But if we mean to receive real benefit from 
 the fabbath and fabbath-privileges, we mull 
 not content ourf^lves with an outward atten- 
 dance upon them ; but mult take heed to draw 
 near to God in them with a true heart. 
 
 The fan6lification of the fabbath is not on- 
 ly the way to promote religion in ourfelves, 
 but alfo in our fellow men. The upholding 
 public worfhip among a people has a ten- 
 dency to call their attention to divine things, 
 to fpread the knowledge of the golpel, and 
 to enlarge and advance the kingdom of the 
 Redeemer, in the converfion of finners, and 
 the edification of believers. How powerfully 
 then do all^ thefe conliderations enforce the 
 practice of this duty upon us ? I fliall 
 therefore clofe my fubje(5t^ by repeating 
 the exhortation in the text. Let vs confider 
 one another to provoke vtito love and to good 
 works ; not for/a king tbcajfembling of oiirf elves to-- 
 gether, as the vianner offome is ; but exhorting 
 one^anothcr : Atidfomuch the more, as ye fee tbs 
 day approaching. 
 
.SERMON LXXV, 
 
 CHRIST the WAY, and the TRUTH, 
 and the LIFE. 
 
 BY 
 
 NATHAN PERKINS, A. M. 
 
 Pq/ior of a Congregational Church in Hartford j 
 ConneBicut, 
 
 Johnj xiv, 5. 
 
 yESUS faith unto him, lam the way, and the 
 truth, and the hfe : No man cometh unto the 
 FATHER but by me. 
 
 THE whole defign of religion is to point out 
 the road to real happinels, and to put man- 
 kind in polTeflion of it ; to engage them to a 
 life of piety and morality in this world, and to 
 train them up for a fulnefs of glory and per- 
 fe6tion of peace in that which is to come. 
 Viewed in its true light therefore, feparated 
 from all abufes, fuperftition on the one hand, 
 and enthufiafm on the other, it has the nioft 
 benign influence on the welfare of civil focie- 
 ty, and is the moft promotive of the belt inter- 
 cft of the human race. The evils which have 
 
324 PERKINS, 
 
 flawed from a pcrfecuting fpirit, and the wars 
 commenced, and the blood Ihed by nations in 
 religious quarrels are not the native efject, 
 but the horrid abufes of religion. 1 he belt 
 things on earth are liable to be perverted by 
 the corrupt pafiions and ignorance of man. 
 The candid mind of philofophy, that forms a 
 juft eftmiate of human life, when contempla- 
 ting moral fubje6ts, will attribitte tlie cvi!s 
 which it beholds to the true caufe. So far is the 
 fpirit of true religion trom being a difad vantage 
 to, or increaiing the miferies of, fociety, as 
 fome fuperficial, half-thinking men have af- 
 firmed, that its whole fyftem of duties and 
 doctrines directly tends, and is wifely caici! la- 
 ted, to mitigate every wo, taioften every for- 
 Tovv, to inipire every rational joy, and to dif- 
 fule over tne world humanity and benevolence ; 
 to purity and refine, to tnnoble and exait hu- 
 man nature and human happipels. Confe- 
 -quentiy , one of tlie mcft inteiefling queliiona 
 wnich can be propofed on the fubject of religion, 
 }s, how iliall we fecure to ourleives its blef- 
 lings ? or what is the way for us acceptably to 
 ferve God in time, and to be fitted tor the en- 
 joyment of him in eternity ? This grand qnef- 
 tlon is latisfacforily anfwered by our Saviour 
 in the words now read, jcfus faith imto hnriy I 
 am the WO:}' y and the iruih, and the tife : No man. 
 com^tb unto the Father but by mc. 
 
 He begins his difcourfe with his difcip!es, by 
 conloling their hearts with the thoughts and 
 
PERKINS, 32J 
 
 hopes of heaven. Let not your heart be troubled; 
 ye beUe-Oe in God, believe aljo in me. In my Fa'* 
 tber 5 boujC are many manfions ; if it were notfo, I 
 woui.d:have told you ; I go to prepare a place for 
 you ; and if I go and prepare a place for 
 you, I Will came again, and receive you unto my/eif, 
 that where I am, there ye may\ be alfo. And wbi" 
 iber I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas 
 faith unto him. Lord, we know not whither thou, 
 goet, and how can we know the way? Then conie 
 in the voids of the text. 'Jefus faith unto him, I 
 am the way, and the truth, and the life : No man 
 Cometh unto the FATHER but by ME. 
 
 I. It is propofed, in the fequel, to Ihow how 
 Chrift is the way, and the trutii, and tlie 
 life. And, 
 
 II. To point out the impoITibility of our 
 obtaining acceptance with God but by him. 
 
 . I. In what refpedl our Saviour is the way, 
 the triith, and tlie life is what is intended, firil^ 
 to be conlidered and illuftrated. 
 
 He declares to his difciples in general, and 
 to Thomas in particular, that he is the way 
 to happinefs for all mankind. For he mull be 
 the way, and the truth, and the life to one as 
 much as to another ; becaufe all the world c- 
 qually need his guidance, inftru<51ion and a- 
 tonemcnt. His gofpel is as neceflkry for one 
 as for another, and no man can obtain the fa- 
 vour of God, or reach the peaceful abodes of 
 
32^ PERKINS, 
 
 ablefTed immortality,, but by him. When 
 Chrkft fays he is the way, how are we to urt-i 
 fleritiind him ? What ideas does he intend to 
 tonvty to his difciples of himfelf? I AM 
 THE WAY. 
 
 He is the way of accefs to God in prayer 
 and other a6is of homage, — of pardon for the 
 guilty, -'-of juftification and peace with God^— 
 of the expiation of fin,— and of happinefo. 
 
 He is the way of accefs to God in prayer 
 and other acls of homage. W^ can acceptably 
 ferveGod only through the mediation andinter- 
 ceflion of his Son. As fallen creatures, we are 
 in ourfelves utterly unworthy to approach the 
 divine throne, or to come before a holy and fin- 
 hating God. He is of purer eyes than to be- 
 hold fin, or the linner, but with deteftation. 
 He hates with perfe6t abhorrence all the work' 
 ers of iniquity. His wrath, indeed, is reveal- 
 ed from heaven againft all ungodlinels and un- 
 righteoufnefs of men. No SL6t, either of im- 
 piety or injuftice, can be concealed from his 
 knowledge, or efcape his refentment. An in- 
 hocerit "and perfectly holy creature, who had 
 never loft his re6titude, or offended his Creator, 
 would in his own name dire6lly addrefs him- 
 felf, without any Mediator, to the all- wife and 
 fovereign Lord of nature. But a fallen and 
 guilty creature, who- has loft the favour and 
 offended the Majefty of heaven and earth by 
 innumerable fms, cannot draw near to him in 
 
PERKINS. 3^1 
 
 his ov/n mme. He, on the other hand, is al-» 
 ^together unworthy fo much as to lift his voke> 
 to the eternal throne for mercy, and can 
 have no alTurance of a gracious audience and 
 ajcceptance. 
 
 The anxious inquiry of conlcienceis, Wheri^. 
 with Jhall I come before the Lord, or bow myfelf 
 kef ore the high God ? Jhall I come before him with 
 hurnt-^offerings, with calves of a year old? xvillibc 
 i^ord be pleafcd with tbonfands of rams, or with tai 
 tboufand of rivers of oil? Jhall I give myfirflboru 
 
 for my traufgreffion ? tbefriat of my body for the 
 
 [fin of my foul? 
 
 This anxious inquiry may be fatisfadorily 
 anfwered. All fuch expenlive and painful ex-^ 
 pedients are utterly unavailable. Jefus Chriil 
 is the appointed medium of worfiiip, is the on* 
 ly way of accefs to the Father. In him our 
 prayers, our praifes, our gratitude, and con- 
 feiiion of tin may be accepted. He is all-wor- 
 thy, though we be infinitely unworthy. With 
 him the Father isever well-pleafed, though he 
 cannot look upon us out of him, but with ab- 
 horrence. His merits are infinite, and his in* 
 tei'celhons all-powerful. For through him we 
 both have accefs by one Spirit ttntothe Father. 
 Xhere is one God, and one Mediator between 
 God and man. He is the only medium of aC' 
 cefs to HIM who is the hearer of prayer, and 
 fountain of grace. No other is appointed or, 
 permitted. Our perfons and frrvices, our 
 
328 P E R K I N §: 
 
 thankfgivings, and all our religious duties and 
 ordinary conduct can be acceptable only in the 
 name of Chrift. And wbatfoever ye do in word 
 or deed, do all m the name of the Lord Jefus Chril, 
 giving thanks to God and the Father by him. Onr 
 Lord gracioufly promdes all his followers, that 
 the Father will always hear them in his name, 
 and beftow upon them every needed blelling. 
 A'ld what foever ye pall ajh in my name, that will I 
 do, that the Father may be glorified m the Son. If 
 yefjall ajk any thing m my name^ I will do it. 
 
 And there is an abfolute promife that all our 
 prayers, which flow from faith as the principle, 
 which are aimed at the divine glory as the end, 
 and which are guided by the word as the rule, 
 Hiall be anfwered. Therefore I fay unto you. what 
 things foever ye deftre when ye pray, believe that ye 
 receive them, and yefhall have them: He ever ac is 
 in the capacity of an intercelTorat the the right 
 hand of the Majefty on high. And another an- 
 gel came and flood at the altar, having a golden cen- 
 fer\ and there was given unto him much incenfe, 
 that he (Iwuld offer it, with the prayers ofallfa-nts, 
 vpon the golden altar, which was before the throne^ 
 All our religious duties, prayer, praife and o- 
 ther aCls of homage can afcend to the throne 
 of the univerfe with acceptance only in the 
 name of Chrill. He is, then, the way of accefs 
 to the Father, and no man can come unto 
 God but by him. Having therefore, brethren, 
 boldnefs to enter into the holiefl by the blood of 
 Jefus, by a new and living way which he hath con- 
 
PERKINS. 
 
 3^9 
 
 Jecratedfor us through the veil, that is to fay, his 
 Jlejh, And having a high priejl over the hcufe of 
 God, let us draw near with a true hearty mfull 
 affurance of faith, having our hearts fprinkled from 
 an evil confcience, and xur bodies wafhcd with pure 
 water. 
 
 2, Jefus Chriftis alfo the way of pardon for 
 the guilty. The very idea of pardon always 
 prefappofes guilt. An innocent being needs 
 no torgivenefs. He who has never offended 
 in thoughtj word^ or deed, can have no guilt to 
 be v/afhed away by a pardon. But linful crea- 
 tures Hand in perifhing need of a remiflion 
 of all their tranfgrefllons. And this can be 
 had only in the Mediator. We have no me- 
 rit of our own to |)urchafe the forgivenefs of 
 fin. Though, as tranfgreflbrsj we Hand in ab- 
 folute need of a pardon, tho' we muft finally and 
 forever periOi without it; yet we cannot have 
 it from ourfelves. Can we rely on our own 
 good deeds, on our own virtues for pardon, or 
 on the juftice of the Deity, or the mere clemen- 
 cy of his nature ? Some have carried their no- 
 tions of human merit fo high, as to take to it 
 alone for introduction to the favour of God, and 
 admiflion into glory, when they Ihall bid adieu 
 to this mortal fcene. I remember to have 
 heard, that a very noted infidel of our own 
 country was wont to exprefs himfelf with regard 
 to acceptance with his Maker, on this wife ; 
 '*l would rather, fays he, loofe heaven, and 
 ^'incur damnation ; I would rather mils ot the 
 
 Vol. IV. Tt 
 
J 
 
 330 PERKINS. 
 
 ''favor of the Deity^ than not merit it by my 
 *'own virtues. If my dignity/if my merit 
 **^will not procure for me a feat in the maniions 
 ^'of blifs, then farewel happinefs. I will ac- 
 **^cept of happinefs only as the fruit of my own 
 *^*^good deeds.'' The humble Chriftian fhuddersat 
 fuch language and fentiments. He feels his 
 utter unworthinefs of eternal life, or a pardon. 
 He has no merit to plead; no virtue of w^hicli 
 toboaft. The more he fees of the fpotlels pu- 
 rity of the divine nature, and unlimited extent 
 of the divine law, the lower is his opinion of 
 the pretended merit of man. He feels that 
 nothing he ever has done, or ever can doj^ can 
 procure the forgiving pity of God. Not on 
 works, but grace, doth he rely. If his ini- 
 quities v/ere to be ftri611y marked againft him^ 
 he is confcioushe could not anfwer for one 
 m a thoufand of them, and therefore pleads 
 that God would not enter into judgment with 
 him ; for in his fight no flefli living could be juil- 
 ified. He feels that Chrifl is the way of pardon. 
 Jn whom we have redemption through his blood, e- 
 veil the forgivenefs of fins. Through his blood all 
 our tranfgreflions may be done away, fo that 
 they fliall neither rife up in this world to our 
 Ihame and confufion of face, nor in the world 
 to come to our utter and final condemnation. 
 
 How ardently do good men defire to be 
 freed from the guilt of fin, and penalty of a 
 righteous, but violated law. Have mercy on ?ne, 
 O Lord, according to thy loivig-kindjiefs ; accor- 
 
PERKINS. 331 
 
 ding to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out 
 my tranfgrcjfwns ; zvajlome throughly from mine i- 
 fiiquityi and cleanfe me from my Jin, Again, in the 
 words of the fame pious faint, who was deepiy 
 alfe6ted with a fight and fenfe of the number 
 and henioufnefs of his fins. Hide thy fac" from 
 my fins, and blot out all mifie iniquities. Ail who 
 are burdened with a fenfe of the number and 
 greatnefs of their follies and fins, cannot but 
 prize forgivenefs from a holy God. Blejfed is 
 he whofe tranfgreffion is forgiven, whofefin is, cover- 
 ed^ Bleffed is the man to whom the Lord impu- 
 ieth not iniquity, 
 
 3. Further, our Saviour is the way like- 
 wife of j unification and peace with God. Our 
 jufl:ification before God is a point peculiarly in-' 
 terefting to all mankind, and equally concerns 
 all of every age and condition. It confifls of 
 two parts, acquittance from guilt, and a title 
 to life. It is an a6l of God's free grace, viiere- 
 by we are liberated from the penalty of a bro- 
 ken law, and accepted as righteous in his fight, 
 only on account of the righteoufnefs of a Me- 
 diator. When a finner is convinced of his fin, 
 of his loft and undone condition by nature, and 
 is brought to believe in the mediation, and to 
 accept of the atonement of the Son of God, ac-- 
 cording to the covenant of grace, or method c i 
 life conftituted in the gofpel, a juftifyng a6t is 
 pafled upon him by his Maker in heaven ; he is 
 declared to belong to his kingdom, and no long- 
 er liable to bear the penalty of a broken law. 
 
-;2 PERKINS, 
 
 Juftification literally fignifies judging one to 
 be juft. A man is laid to juftify himfelf, when 
 he aflerts liis innocence^ or denies that he has 
 been to blame in any inftance. We juftify a- 
 n other, wlien we appear on his behalf, and un- 
 clertake his vindication. Among the Jews, 
 this was a, law-phrafe, or was ufed in reference 
 to their courts of juftice. If there be a co?itro- 
 verfy behveen men, audi hey come into judgment that 
 ibe judges may judge them, then they Jhall juflify the 
 righteous, and condemn the wicked. The word 
 jfw,/2/^y was borrowed from courts of juflice, and 
 applied to the cafe of mankind in regard to the 
 fentence of the lupreme Judge; and in order 
 to have its primary meaning duly preferved, 
 when ufed with reipe6l to the juftification of 
 fallen man before a holy and juit God, it muit 
 imply an acquittance from fm, as expofing to 
 eternal death, and the grant of a fure title to 
 evcrlafting life. And we are juftified in the 
 mmie, as well as pardoned through the blood, of 
 Jefus Chrift. As we are fanciitied by his Spi- 
 rit, fo we are juRifled by his Tighteoufnefs. 
 Pardon, juftification, fandification, and peace 
 with God all fro toeether. Thefe invaluable 
 bleliings all flow to us, as well as every other fa 
 vour, whether temporal or fpiritual, through 
 a Mediator, ylndjuchwerefomeofyou; but ye 
 are wajhedy but ye arcfanciified, but ye are juftified, 
 in the na?ne of the Lord Jrjus,a7id by. the Spirit of 
 our God. Here juftification and fan<5lification 
 arc fpokeh of as coming to us in the name of 
 a r \^' '^n-^^r *-' Paul is moil full and clear 
 
PERKINS. 333 
 
 on this great fubje6l, thcit Chrift is the way of 
 juflification. Being juflijicd freely by. his grace, 
 through the redemption that is in Jefiis Chrifl, whom 
 God hath fet forth to be a propitiation through faith 
 in his blcod, to declare his^-ighteovfnefs for the re- 
 viiffion of fins that are pqfl, through the forbearance 
 of God, that he might bejufl, and the jujiifier of him 
 that believeth in Jefus, That Chrill is the way 
 of juflification and acceptance with God is moft 
 clearly exprelTed in the following words. Be it 
 known unto you, therefore, ?nen and brethren, that 
 through this man is preached unto you the forgive- 
 nefs of fins ; and by him all that believe are juft fled 
 from all things, from which they could fiot be jufli- 
 fled by the law of Mofes, 
 
 We have peace as well as juflification by 
 him. Therefore being jullified by faith, we 
 have peace with God, through our Lord Jeius 
 Chrift. He is the way of peace, as he is our 
 peace-maker ; as he Reconciles us to God ; as 
 he appeafes the divine anger towards us; and 
 gives us his own peace. For he is our peace, 
 who hath made both one, and hath broken down the 
 middle ivall of partition between vs. He preach- 
 es the doctrines of peace. He opens the coun- 
 fels of eternal peace. By him we have peace 
 and joy in believing. Feace I leave with you, 
 my peace I give unto you ; not as the world giveth, 
 give Imitoyou, He is the way of juftification, 
 acceptance and peace with God, as it is by iiim 
 all thefe rich and invaluable blefiings come to 
 0.. In him our perfons are jufliHedj our fer- 
 
334 p E R K r ir s. 
 
 vices accepted^ and our peace eftabliflied, Hc 
 is THE Lord our righteousness, 
 
 4. Again, our Saviour is the way of the ex- 
 piation of (in. Sin niuft be expiated, or fa- 
 vour can never be extended, with conliftence, 
 to the tranfgreiror. It is of fo odious and vile 
 a nature, and fo ruinous in its confequences, 
 that the finner can never be liberated from its 
 guilt, till full and ample fatisfadion be made 
 to the jufiice and holinefs of God. The rights 
 of the Godhead muft be fecured. As the rul- 
 er of the univerfe, he mult "fee that virtue is 
 countenanced through all his extenfive domin- 
 ions ; that vice is frowned upon ; that his laws 
 and government are maintained ; and that re- 
 bellion is efFedtually difcouraged. For him, 
 in his re6toral charader, to do any thing by 
 which it might appear to the intelligent crea* 
 tion that he did not hate iniquity and love 
 righteoufnefs to an infinite degree, would be an 
 injury to the public good, the glory of the u- 
 nlverfe. We may f^iirly conclude, therefore, 
 that he will take the wifefl and heft pofTible 
 meafures to convince the intelle6lual fyftem, 
 that none can infult his government, oppofe 
 his authority, or trample under foot his laws, 
 with impunity. As the fovereign Lord of na- 
 ture, he is the revenger of evil ; and his cle- 
 mency can nevfer be exercifed, in any cafe 
 whatever, ir} a manner which is incompatible 
 with the riglits of juftice. But when his law, , 
 which is holy, juil and good, is magnified, and 
 
PERKINS, 
 
 335 
 
 made honourable ; when the awful dignity of 
 his government is fully vindicated; when the 
 infinite glories of his character are moftfignal- 
 ly difplayed, and his facred authority openly 
 manifejftedj then fin is expiated, a pardon may 
 be extended, and a holy God left at liberty to 
 fave and blefs. By the blood of a crucified Sa- 
 viour, the law, character, perfection, govern- 
 ment and authority of the Deity are all vindi- 
 cated and honoured ; and conlequently fin is 
 expiated. All is done that was requifite to 
 be done in order for mercy divine to flow down 
 upon a guilty world. When John the fore- 
 runner of Chrift faw him, he fpeaks of him 
 as the expiaton of fin in the following manner^ 
 pointing his difciples to him : The next day, 
 Johnfeefh Jefiis conmg unto him, and faith, Behold 
 the Lamb of God, which taketh away the fin of the 
 world. How did he take it away? Not by ex- 
 pelling it from the fyftem ; for we flill behold 
 Us ravages in the moral world. Not by 
 changing its nature ; for its nature is always 
 the fame ; and its inherent turpitude can ne- 
 ver be diminfhed, and our Lord's fuflerings, 
 manifold and exquifite, as they were, altered 
 not the nature of things; but he took away the 
 fin of the world by making an atonement, or do- 
 ing what laid a Sufficient foundation for God, 
 in the character of the righteous Lord of hea- 
 ven and earth, to extend pardon, peace and 
 falvation, in a manner compatible with the 
 facred claims of juftice, to all penitents ; or, 
 in the languge of infpirution, that God niight 
 
33^ PERKINS. 
 
 bejufl, and yet the jiifiifier of him that heliev- 
 eth ill Jefiis. The Redeemer of man died and 
 fulfered what was neceffary to be done and 
 fulFered, in order that repentance and remifli- 
 on of fins might be confiflently preached to all 
 nations, and offered to all finners. He left 
 no part of the work, which was affigned him, 
 undone. He completely performed the will 
 of the Father. He did not fail in one fingle 
 point. Accordingly, he fays, in his tender and 
 pathetic addrefe to the Father ; / have glorified 
 thee on earth : J have finiJJjed the work which thou 
 gavejl nie to do. And when we go forward, and 
 view the aftonifliing Icene of his crucifixion, 
 which caufed the fun m the firmament to hide 
 his face, and all nature to utter a groan, we 
 find that he did not expire, till he could fay. 
 It is finished. The will of God was fin- 
 ished ; the falvation of man was finished; 
 the jewifli difpenfation of rites and forms was 
 finished. All was finished that was in the 
 eternal counfels of the parent of men and an- 
 gels to be done, in regard to the way of life 
 for loit men, dead in trefpafies and fins. All 
 was finifhed which the Saviour had undertaken 
 to perform. 
 
 How full is the fcripture of this idea, that 
 Jefus Chrift has made an atonement for human 
 guilt ? The few following palTages will be par- 
 ticularly cited, out of many more that might be 
 adduced with equal propriety. But if ive walk 
 in the light, as he is in the light, wc have fellowjhip 
 
PERKINS. v^7 
 
 jj 
 
 Cfie witb another, and the blood of Jefus Chrijlhis 
 Son cleanfeth us from allfm. It has a purifying 
 and cleanfing power. It wafhes away the deep- 
 eft ftaiii of guilt; cleanfeth us from all fin. A- 
 gain J he is the propitiation for our fins, andiiot for 
 ours only, hut alfofor the (ins of the whole world. 
 His propitiation is infinitely full. It has afuf- 
 ficiency of merit for the pardon of all fin, and 
 bears tbe fame afpe61: on the fins of all, without 
 any exception. We may not limit the merits 
 of the precious blood of the Son of God. Un- 
 to him that loved us, and zvafhed jisfrom our Jin s 
 in his own blood, and hath made us kings andpricjls 
 unto God and his Father, to him be glory and dO" 
 minion forever and ever. We are told, that he 
 tailed death for every man ; that is, he has, by hi-: 
 lufferings and death, procured pardon and 
 peace for every one without exception, who 
 will comply v/ith the terms upon which pardon 
 and peace are offered. Thele terms are failii 
 and repentance. The gofpel points out a way 
 for all, and offers mercy to all who will accept. 
 No one is excluded. An honorable door of 
 falvation is opened to all. And none who are 
 difpofed to enter, will be excluded. JVcfee Je- 
 fus, zvho was made a little lower than the angels, for 
 ihefuffering of death crowned with glory and honor, 
 that he by the grace of God Jhould tqfle death for e- 
 very man. In thefe words we find no limita- 
 tion or exception. The gates of the celeilial 
 paradife will be barred againlt none, on account 
 of a deficiency of merit in him, who Gained the 
 crofs on mount Calvary with h'-s 1^^;^^- '•<> ^ -o- 
 Vol. IV. Uu 
 
^:^S PERKINS. 
 
 cure falvation for loft man. There is no want 
 of readinefs on the part of Deity, or of merit 
 on the part of the Redeemer. Man alone, if 
 he pcriih, muft to all eternity bear the blame 
 of his own deftru6lion. God has an ear to 
 hear, and an arm to fave. Jefus Chrift has an 
 infinite fulneis of merit. The true reafon 
 why finners mifs of falvation is afligned in. 
 thefe words : Te ivill 7iot come unto me, that yc 
 might have life. 
 
 The apoftle to the Hebrews declares, that 
 as the blood of the jewifli facrifices availed to 
 purify the ^.e^a, fo the blood of Chrift avails to 
 expiate lin, or to purify the confcience. For 
 if the blood of bulls and goats, and the ajhes of an 
 heifer fprinkliiig the v7iclean,fanBifieth to the pu- 
 rifying of thejieflj, how much morefloall the blood 
 of Chrift, who through the eternal Spirit offered 
 himfelf without fpot unto God, purge your con- 
 J'ciencefrojn dead works to ferve the living God. 
 
 5. And laftly, Jeius Chrift is the way of 
 true happinefs, in oppofition to all the falfe 
 fchenies of happinefs, which mankind have 
 ftruck out for themfelves. The firft and 
 ilrongeft delire of nature is after happinefs. 
 All ligh after, all wifh for^ all purfue the dear 
 objecl. The high and low ranks of life equal- 
 ly feek it, though in different ways. The 
 young and old are ardent in their enquiries af- 
 ter it. The. learned and unlearned are reft- 
 lesfly engaged in the fearch. 
 
PERKINS. 
 
 339 
 
 But it is a refledtion that forces itfelf upon 
 the contemplative mind^ when furveying the 
 human race in general, looking back on the 
 paft ages of the world, and among the various 
 nations that people the globe, that the moft 
 have been unfuccefsful in their endeavours af- 
 ter the attainment of the wiflied-for objecSt. 
 They have erred wide fronl the mark. Wil- 
 dom here failed. The higheft philofophy of 
 the wifeft heathen was here confounded, and 
 had innumerable falfe notions of happinefs, but 
 none the true. It would be no fmall labor c- 
 ven to enumerate their widely differing and 
 contradi6tory notions of the Ch i e f g o o d . And 
 it would give us pain, as it would be a full 
 proof of the weaknefs of human reafon, 
 and folly of human purfuits. The 
 world by wifdom knew not God. JVhcrs is the 
 wife ? Where is thefcribe ? -whox is the difpiiter of 
 this world? Hath not God made fooli/h the wifdom 
 of this world ? For after that in the wifdom of God^ 
 the world by wifdom knew not God, it pleafcd God 
 by thefooltfJjnefs of preaching tofave them that he^ 
 lieve. For the Jews require ajign, and the Greek r> 
 feek after wifdom. But we preach Chrifl crucified, 
 unto the Jews aflumbling-block , and unto the Greeks 
 fooliflmefs ; but unto them which are called, ho lb 
 Jews and Greeks, Chrifl the power of God , and the 
 wifdom of God. He is then the only way oi 
 true happinefs, of fpiritual wifdom. It. is no 
 where elle to be found. But where Jhall wfdom 
 be foimd ? and where is the place of undei [land- 
 ing ? Man knoweth ?iot the price thereof; neither 
 is it found in the land of the living. The depth 
 
34c» ' P K R K i N S. 
 
 jaitb, Jtisruot in me : And the fia faith. It is not 
 in me. It cannot begotten for gold ; neither fhall 
 ' } ti.:cighed for the price thereof. It cannot 
 ::cd with the gold ofOphir, with the precious 
 cnyx crfapphire. The gold and the cryjial can?iot 
 equal it; dnd the exchange of it fhall not be for jew- 
 tls (f fine gold. No mention Jhall be made hf co- 
 ral or of pearls : For the price of uifdom is above 
 rubies. The Topaz of Ethiopia flja II not equal it; 
 neither fhall it be valued with pure geld. Whence 
 then Cometh wifdcm ?' a?id where is the place of un* 
 derilandi.ng ?, Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all 
 living y ana kept clofefrom the fowls of the air f De-^ 
 Jlructwn and death fay, TP e have heard the fame 
 thereof with our ears . God underftandeth the way 
 thereof, and he knovoeth the place thereof. The 
 way of true wiidom or happinels is in Chrift. 
 Of God he is made unto us wifdom^ as well as 
 righteoufnels^ fan 61 ifi cation and redemption. 
 In him is our happinefs; happinefs here and 
 hereafter, — in both worlds. As from him we 
 liave help, llrength, righteoufnefs, forgivenefs 
 ;;nd peace ; fo in him is true happinefs. In him 
 .ire hid all tl^e tr^afures of wifdom and know- 
 ledge, and all the eflential ingredients of felicity. 
 The bcau.ty of holinefs is its tendency to hap- 
 l^inels ; and no religion can be of any fervice 
 lan, or be genuine, or can claim a celeftial 
 rigin, but what lays a certain foundation for 
 blelledncfs, but what tends to-make its votaries 
 nhcrently good, and to lead them to the pof- 
 jclllon 6t a lubftanti.*! good, a permanent blifs. 
 *".Mikindin general,, j^nd efpecially half-think- 
 
PERKINS. 
 
 34t 
 
 ing and conceited philofophers, are prone to 
 place all religion in external rituals^ in fome- 
 thing which is wholly foreign to its nature. 
 Its ve^y genius is to make us virtuous and hap- 
 py, to blefs man on earth, and etalt him to 
 glory >after death. Well may we fay then to 
 Chriil, as the difciple did in the days of his 
 Jlefh, Lord, to whomjhoidd we go? for thou hajl 
 the'words of eternallife. No thing, no perfon 
 under the fun,. ho nor the collection of all to- 
 gether, can give any folid, fatisfa6lory happi- 
 nefs to any child of man. The world itfelf, 
 the gay, giddy, thoughtlefs world allow this 
 unawares, while they acknowledge, nay vehe- 
 mently maintain, no man upon earth is content- 
 ed. Difcontent fills all the ftations of life from 
 the highell to the loweft. Where is the man 
 who is contented with his lot ? And if no man 
 on earth be contented, it is certain no man is 
 happy. For whatever ftation we fill, difcon- 
 tent is incompatible with happinefs. Not only 
 the giddy, but the thinking part of the world 
 allow, that no man is contented. The melan- 
 choly proof of which we fee on every fide, in 
 high and low, rich and poor. And generally 
 the more any know, or higher their minds and 
 manners are poliflicd, the greater will be their 
 difcontent. **They know with more diftin6tion 
 to complain, and have fuperior fenfe in feeling 
 paito." It is true, indeed, every one has fome 
 fancied fcheme of blifs, which pleafes for an 
 hour or day ; in which he hopes to be happy ; 
 but though 
 
34^ PERKINS. 
 
 Hope blooms eternal in the human breail, 
 Man never is, but always to be bleft— He 
 is walking in a vain Ihow^ which.wili foon van- 
 ifli away. So that univerfal experience, both of 
 our own and that of all our acquaintance and 
 friends, clearly proves that, as God made our 
 hearts for hinifelf, fo they cannot reft till they 
 reft in him; that till we acq aint ourfelves with 
 him, we cannot be at peace. As a icorner of 
 the wifdom of God feeketh wifdom and findeth 
 it not, fo a fcorner of happinefs in God feek- 
 eth happinefs> but findeth it not. All on earth 
 is empty and fading. Nought below the fun can 
 open to us the treafures of real and durable 
 blifs. In Jefus Chrift alone is real blefTednefs 
 to be found. He is the way of happinefs for 
 a ruined world. 
 
SERMON LXXVI. 
 
 The preceding fubje(5t continued 
 
 JohrijXiy, 6. 
 
 JESUS faith unto him, I am the way, and the 
 truth, and the life: No man cometb unto the 
 FATHER but by me. 
 
 IN difcourfing upon thefe words, what was 
 propofed, in dependance on divine help, was 
 to Ihew how Jefus Chrift is the way, and the 
 truth and the life. And then point out the 
 impoffibilty of obtaining acceptance with God 
 but by him. We have already attempted to 
 ihow in what refpeds he is the way. I am, 
 favshe, the way. 
 
 II. We proceed to confider in what refpe(5ts he 
 is THE TRUTH, and THE LIFE, the other two 
 points included under the firft divifion of the 
 fubje(5t. 
 
 He is the truth, in oppofition to the types 
 and fhadows of the jewifh difpenlation ; in op- 
 pofition to all falfe do6trines and religions ; and 
 as he revealed the only true fyllem of faith 
 and pra6lice. 
 
 I. He is THE TRUTH, in oppofition to the 
 
^44' P £ R K I N S. 
 
 types and fhadows of the jewifh difpenlktion. 
 That difpenfation, in its very ftrufture, was 
 wholly typical. Upon the very -face of it was 
 written^ in charaders legible to every difcern- 
 ing eye, imperfe6lion. Its frame was only 
 temporary, not deligned either for a perpetu- 
 al duration, or an univerfal extenfion. It was, 
 indeed, wifely contrived by its Author, the 
 true God, who never does any thing in vain, 
 to effect the purpofes he had in view, to pre- 
 pare the way for, and to introduce in due fea- 
 fon, a more complete and full manifellation of 
 his infinite love and rich grace. One peculiar 
 nation was to be called out, and diftinguiilied 
 from all the reft of the world. They- were 
 hedged and fenced in by a fyilem of laws and 
 ordinances, both civil and facred, which would 
 always keep them a diftin6l people from the 
 reft of mankind; and by them was the know- 
 ledge of the true God and his worfliip to be com- 
 municated to other nations, at different times. 
 Abraham the fon of Terah, who lived at Ur, a 
 city in Chaldea, was the perfon upon whom the 
 divine wifdom fixed to be the head and founder 
 of this favourite jiation. Accordingly, in the 
 feventy fifth year 6f his age, and in the year 
 of the world two thoufand-twenty and two, 
 God appeared to him, and commanded him to 
 leave his country, and his kindred, and his 
 father^'s houfe, and prepare to go into the land 
 which God fliould fhow him ; at the fame time 
 promifing to make him a great nation, to blefs 
 him, and to make his name great; and more- 
 
PERKINS* 345^ 
 
 over, that in him all the faniilies of the earth 
 IhoLild be blelFed, that is, from him. the Meliiah 
 fhould defcend. After the lapfe of many years, 
 at the time appointed m the decrees of the fu- 
 preme Being, Mofes is raifed up to be the lead- 
 er of the opprelFed Ilraclites from Egyptian 
 bondage, and made the infLTurnent of revealing 
 to them the fyfteni of their laws and ordinances, 
 civil and facred. Hence the jewifh difpenfati- 
 on is frequently called the Molaic oeconoiny. 
 This was well fitted to accomplifh all its own 
 purpofes. All its fyftem looked forward to the 
 Melfiah. He is the fubftance of the antient 
 types and fhadows of the legal difpenfation. 
 All the offerings, facrifices, purifications,wafh- 
 ings and other ceremonies under the law, were 
 only to prepare the way for our Saviour to 
 come in the flefh ; to introduce the Chriftian 
 difpeniation ; and to prefigure the gofpeL 
 Chrift is the fubftance, they were the fhadow. 
 He is the truth, they were only types. For 
 the law having only afjadow of good things to come, 
 and not the very image of the things, can never, with 
 thofe facrifices which they offered year by year con- 
 iimially, make the comers thereunto perfedi. For 
 then would they not have ccafed to be offered^ becaufc 
 that the -u^orjhippers once purged fhoiild have had 
 no more confcience of fin. But in thofe facrifice$ 
 there is a remembrance agai?i made of fin every year. 
 For it IS not poffible that the blood of bulls and 
 goats fhould take away fins. Therefore, when he 
 comethinto the world, he faith, Sacrifice and offerificr 
 thou wouldfl not ; but a body hafl thou prepared mc^ 
 Vol. IV, Xx 
 
34^; PERKINS.. 
 
 In bumf offcr'mgs andfacrificesforfm thou hajl had 
 nopleafiire. Then /aid I, Lo, I comeijn the vo* 
 lume of the book it is written of me) to do thy will, 
 O God. Above when he /aid. Sacrifice and offerings 
 and burnt of erings for fin thou woiildfl not, neither 
 hadjl pleafure therein, which are offered by the law, 
 Thenfaid he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God; 
 he iaketh away the iirst: that he tnay eflablifh the 
 SECOND. Thus it appears that the legal was 
 wholly fuperfeded by the Chriftian difpenfation; 
 and that Jefus Chrift is the truths in oppofition 
 to, and diltin6tion from, all the types and flia- 
 dows of the Mofaic fyftem. 
 
 ^ He is the trvith, in oppofition to all falfe 
 do6lrines and religions. He ftiles himfelf the 
 true and faithful witnefs. The law was by 
 Mofcs,but grace and truth came byJefus Chrift. 
 And unto the angel of the church of Laodicea, 
 write thefe things, faith the Amen, the true 
 and faithful witnefs, the beginning of the crea- 
 tion of Godl He was the faithful witnefs for 
 God, and to man. John his harbinger teftified 
 of him, under the metaphor of the true lighf^. 
 That was the true light, which lighteth every 
 man that cometh into the world. The true 
 light in the moral world, in diflindion from all 
 falfe lights and impoftors, which have, in vari- 
 ous ages and countries, rifen up and deceived 
 many, to the difgrace of human nature and re- 
 proach" of religion. 
 
 He is the truth, in oppofition to all error. 
 
PERKINS. 
 
 347 
 
 delufion^ falle religions, and falfe modes of wor- 
 ihip and idolatries among mankind. All idols 
 and idolatries are called in fcripture van- 
 ity and a lie. But Jefus of Nazareth is the 
 truth. 
 
 Error and impofture, in all ages, have over- 
 fpread the world, and obftru^ted human liberty 
 and human happinefs^as dark and gloomy clouds, 
 overcafting the Iky, fhut out the pleaiant and 
 cheering beams of the natural fun, the parent 
 of the light and pauce of day. How uiany 
 falfe religions have there been ? and how nmch 
 fuperftition blended with truth ! painful (ight 
 to the eye of benevolence, and the loathing of 
 rational philofophy ! What daring impollors, 
 in one age and another, have arifen to lead a* 
 Way the unwary and ignorant, and to eftablifh 
 themfelves in power and riches ! Nay, how 
 many in the Chriftian world have pretended to 
 extraordinary light and communications with 
 the inviiible world, to vifions and impulfes ; and 
 fay, lo ! here ; and lo, there is ' truth ! In dif- 
 tindion, therefore, from all error and impof- 
 ture, falfe modes of worfliip, idolatry and fu- 
 perftition, is our Saviour the truth. 
 
 And as he was the the true witnefsof theFa- 
 ther, fo he always declared his mind and will 
 plainly and clearly, without difguife or fraud- 
 ful deligns. He always fpoke the truth. He 
 always a6led according to the truth. He ne- 
 ver, in his fermons and inftru6lions, counfels, 
 warnings and do6lrincs, departed from tlie 
 ruth, — And further. 
 
348 PERKINS, 
 
 3. He is the truth, as he revealed the only 
 true lyltcTii of taith and practice. He receiv- 
 ed his conimuilon trom the God of truth, and 
 ever conducted agreeable to its tenor, without 
 going beyond or tailing Ihort of it. To have 
 exceeJed it,- would have been prefumption. 
 To have left any part of it unfinilhed, would 
 have betrayed uniaithtulnefs. It was his meat 
 and drmk to do his Father^s will, to. which he 
 was all attention and obedience. The do(!:trine» 
 which he taught were precifely what God 
 would have revealed. 1 he ordinances which 
 he iniiituted were exa6lly what he was order- 
 ed to ellabliih. The modes of worfliip which 
 he enjouied were, not only fuch as reafon appro 
 bates, but fuch as he was authorifed to appoint. 
 He came not to do his own willj but the will of 
 II I M that fent him. Accordingly, he that 
 receiveth him, receiveth the Father that 
 fent him. Whofoever denieth the Son, 
 the fame hath not the Father. Every de- 
 parture, confequently, either from his doc- 
 trines or ordinances, or v/ay of worfliip, is. a 
 departure, from God. His defign in coming 
 into the world, among other important objeds, 
 was to be a light to it ; to teach the way of life 
 in truth :--to call mankind off from all idols 
 and idol-worfliip ; and to bring them bade to 
 truth and duty, from which they had widely 
 it rayed ; to reflore the worfiiip of the one on- 
 ly hving and true God. Long had the world 
 been buried in idolatry and ignorance, in dark- 
 riefs and fuperlHtion. They were loft in a 
 labyrinth of eri'or. They were wandering in 
 a wildcrncfs of delufion and falfc religions. 
 
PERKINS. 
 
 349 
 
 He came therefore as a light to lighten the 
 Gentiles and the glory of the people of Ifrael ; 
 to give knowledge of falvation unto his people 
 by the remiffion of their fins through the ten- 
 der mercy of our God ; whereby the day-fpring 
 from on high hath vilited us ; to give light to 
 them that lit in darknefs and in the fiiadow of 
 death ; to guide our feet into the way of peace. 
 He came to proclaim peace on earthy good will 
 to men, and glory to God in the higheft ; to re- 
 veal the whole counfel of heaven, the mind and 
 will of theDeity ; to tell us what to believe and 
 how to live. His religion may be thus con- 
 ciiely chara(5lerifed, the fcience of truth and 
 duty ; the art of living virtuoullv in time, and 
 happy in eternity. He is the only infallible 
 guide. Under his teachings we need not fear 
 delufion. In his fchool is the fublimell philo- 
 fophy ; in his life is feen the fweeteft philan- 
 thropy ; from his gofpel arifes the purell joy. 
 No other guide is perte<^l:ly lafe, becaufe liable 
 to err ; if liable to err, of courfe liable to be- 
 wilder and millead us. No man or body of 
 men, however pious and learned, can be an in- 
 fallible guide to fouls beclouded with darknefs, 
 and ftraying in the paths of folly and error. 
 Alas ! poor blinded man, corrupted by pallions, 
 feduced by interefi, loving to wander ! In a Re- 
 deemer mayeft thou, O wretched man, im- 
 plicitly confide. Look to him, there, in that 
 blelfed teacher come from God, is no error ; no 
 falie do6trine ; no ufelefs ceremonies. With 
 , him thou needefl not fear impofition. He is the 
 
350 PERKINS, 
 
 only fafe and infallible guide to felicity. H<! 
 has unequivocally told thee, what to believe 
 and how to live, and revealed the only true iyl- 
 tem of faith and practice. 
 
 Thc-e remains but one particular more to be 
 eluciaaied, uader this head of difcourfe, and 
 that is, to enquire in what refpeft Jefus Chnft 
 is *htJM^ We have ieen how he is the way, 
 and tne truth. We are now to enquire how 
 he- is the Ixk.Jefusfatth unto him, I am the ffay, 
 and the Truib, and the Life. 
 
 Ana he may, in a remote though proper 
 
 fenfe be denominated the life, as he has hfe in 
 
 himfelf, and imparts to all the living. As God, 
 
 clothed with all the divine attributes, he has 
 
 life in and of himfelf. For as the FaHnr hath 
 
 life in him/df, fo hatb he given to the Son to have 
 
 life in himfelf. He inhabits eternity ; is the 
 
 King of kmgs and Lor4 of lords; dwelleth m 
 
 light unapproachable and full of glory. As he 
 
 is God we received from him our natural lite, 
 
 rational exiilence, with all its variety of rich 
 
 bleffmffs. In him we live and move. He 
 
 ^ives to all life, and breath, and being, and all 
 
 thinjrs His omnipotent arnvftretched out the 
 
 heavens over our heads, as a curtain ;eftab- 
 
 liflied the earth ; fixed the fun in the firma- 
 
 irenf bid the moon to iliine ; and ipread a- 
 
 round in gay profufion, the beauties of nature. 
 
 Is not' this an orthodox creed } Is it placing 
 
 our Redeemer on an eminence too lotty and 
 
PERKINS. 3^1 
 
 magnificent ? What faith the fcripture, the on- 
 ly rule of faith and pradice with rational Chrif. 
 tians I Thus we read ; /// the beginning was the 
 word,& the word was with God, & the word was God, 
 The fame zvas in the beginning witb God, All things 
 were madebyhlm ; and without him was not anything 
 made that was made. In him was Fife^ and the life 
 was the light of men. 
 
 He has life therefore in himfelf originally 
 and independently ; and gives to all life and 
 breath, and being, and all things, and of courfe 
 may fitly be called life. 
 
 In a flill higher and more exalted fenfe is he 
 the life, as he purchafed by his atoning blood, 
 and bellows by his purifying grace, fpiritual 
 life. The natural life >yhich we enjoy is deri- 
 ved from him as God ; and the life of grace 
 which believers have is immediately from his 
 Spirit. For the Spirit of Chrift dwells in all be^ 
 lievers. He is then the believer's life in a di- 
 rea and glorious fenfe. He lives in them by 
 his grace and Spirit; not only procures for 
 them the blefling of a rational exigence, but the 
 far fuperior blefling of fpiritual life. / am cruci- 
 fied with Chrijiy may every believer fay, after 
 the example of the apoftle, and in the fame 
 fenfe precifely; ncverihekfs I live ; yet not I, but 
 Cbriji liveth in me ; and the Ife that I now live in 
 the fiejh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, 
 who loved me, and gave himfdf for me, Jefus 
 Chrift is therefore moft eminently the believ- 
 er'slife. He is the fountain of it; It ^oy^^^ 
 
352 
 
 PERKINS. 
 
 from him: It is maintained by him, as the? 
 branches are maintained by the nutritive juice 
 oi- the vine; For, according to his own beautiful 
 fimiie, h^ is the vine, and believers the branch- 
 es. It is increafed by him: For wherever a 
 good work of grace is begun, it will not be left, 
 but be carried on from one degree to another, 
 till it reach perfection. And when death ar- 
 rives in ail its awful glooms and folemn fliades, 
 it will be confumma'ted by him in life eternaU 
 Jf'Se thai be rifen with Chrift (this is the very rea- 
 foning of St. Paul) feek thofe things which are a- 
 bove, where Chrifl fitteth on the right hand of God^ 
 Set your affecfion on things above y 7iot on thuigs on 
 the earth. Foryeaie dead, and your hfe is hid 
 with Chriji in God. V/hen Chrift who is our lifi 
 fhall appear, thenjhall ye alfo appear with hirn in 
 glory. He, in brief, is the believer's life in re- 
 generation, in juftification, in progreifive fanc- 
 titication, and in glorification. By his dying 
 merits he bought lite for believers. By hi& 
 living example he marked out the path of life. 
 By his righteoufnefs he intitles them to ever- 
 laitin? life. By his Spirit he nouriflies up the 
 lilb of faith. And, as the final Judge, he will 
 lliy unto them. Come ye blefied of my Father, 
 inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the 
 foundation of the world. Further, 
 
 He may be denominated with great propri 
 ety the life, as after tlie wafres and gloom* 
 of death he will raife all to life again. It is 
 appointed for all men once to die. The debt 
 
PERKINS. 353 
 
 of nature mufl be paid. The decree is pad, 
 the dreadful fentence hath gone forth, Diijl we 
 are, and untodiiji we mujl return : And Oh, how 
 often is it fulfilled before our eyes! Man, poor 
 frail man, goeth to his long hoitie, and the 
 mourners go about the ftreets. Around us 
 we every where behold a bufy multitude : Rel- 
 iefs and uneafy in their prefent fituation, they 
 are incefTantly employed in accomplifhing a 
 change of it; and, as ioonas their wifli is ful- 
 filled, we difcern by their behaviour that they 
 areas dilTatisfied as they were before. When 
 they expe6ted to have found a paradife, they 
 find a defart. And after all the vain fliow of 
 life has paffed, death clofes the awful fcene. 
 There k not only no dillin6tion in, but no ex- 
 emption from, the grave. There mingle pcr- 
 fons of every age and character, of every rank 
 and condition in life, the young and the old, 
 the poor and the rich, the gay and the grave, 
 the renowned and the ignorant. The fmiling 
 infant, the blooming youth, and the hoary head 
 mull all do homage to the king of terrors. Our 
 friends who have gone before us to the folitary 
 manlions of the dead, walked about in their 
 day as we do now on the earth, enjoyed, their 
 friends, beheld the light of the fun, and were 
 forming defigns of future days. — But now to 
 them all is finally clofed. To them no more 
 fliall the feafons return, or tlie funarile. Ko 
 more fhall they hear the voice of mirth, or be- 
 hold the face of man. They are fwept from 
 the world, as though they had never "been. 
 Vol. IV. Yy 
 
354 
 
 PERKINS. 
 
 They are carried away with a flood ; the wind has 
 pajjed over thcmy atid they are gone. What defo- 
 lations has death made of the human race ! 
 How are all paft generations gathered into one 
 lonely abode ! Muft not our hearts be deeply 
 afFe6ted with this awful lot of man ! But when 
 we open the inlpired volume, another world 
 difclofes itfelf to view; our faith finds a refur- 
 re61ion there; we are taught that this is notour 
 final ftate; and that at the end of the world^when 
 the heavens fliall pafs away with agreat noife, 
 and the elements melt with fervent heat, man 
 fliail come forth from the chambers of putrifac- 
 tion and duft. The whole human race, both 
 the righteous and the wicked, ihall, the fecond 
 time, have life from the Son of Man. For the 
 Lord himfelf fhall defcend from heaven with a 
 fhout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with 
 the trump of God; and the dead in Chrift fhall 
 rife firft. Behold he cometh with clouds; and 
 every eye fhall fee him, and they alfo which 
 peirced him ; and all kindreds of the earth fhall 
 wail becaufe of him. The bending heavens 
 and burning world will proclaim his advent. 
 And his almighty voice fliall found through all 
 the regions of the dead, and the countlefs mil- 
 lions of the human race fliall ftart into life^ but 
 for purpofes infinitely diverfe. Marvel not at 
 this , for the hour is coming, in the which all that 
 are in their graves JJmll hear his voice, and fliall come 
 forth ; they that have done good, to the refnrredlion 
 oflfe ; atid they that have done evil, to the refurrec- 
 tion of damnation. The lea Ihall give up the 
 
PERKINS. 
 
 35:5: 
 
 dead which are in it: And death and hell fliall 
 deliver up the dead which are in them. Again, 
 Jefus faith unto her, I am the refurrediion and the 
 life. That all mankind ihall have a relurrec- 
 tion from the dead is mod evident from the 
 following pallkges of inlpired truth : But now is 
 Chrifl rifeiiy and become thefirfl-fruits of them that 
 Jlept. For ftnce by man came death, by man alfo 
 came the refurreciion of the dead. For as in Adam 
 all die^ even fo in Chrijljhall all be made alive. And 
 futher on ; So it is written, Fhefirjl man Adam was 
 made a living foul, the laft yidam was made a quick- 
 ening fpirit. Howbeit that was 7iot firfi which is 
 fpiritual, but that which is natural, and afterwards 
 that which is fpiritual. Thefirff. man is of the earth, 
 earthy; the fecojid man is the Lord from heaven. 
 As is the earthy, fuch are they alfo that are earthy ; 
 and as is the heavenly , fuch are they alfo that are 
 heavenly. Now this I fay, brethren, thatfafJ) and 
 blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God ; neither 
 doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I 
 fhew you a myjlery : wefball not allflecp, but we 
 fjjall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling 
 of an eye, at the Iqfi trump, (for the trumpet f jail 
 found) and the dead foall be raifcd incorruptible, 
 and wejball be chaiiged. For this carruptible mujl 
 put on incorruption, a7td this mortal mujl put on 
 ifnmortality. So when this corruption fxiU have 
 put on i ncorruption, and this mortal foall have put 
 on immortallity, thenfhall be brought to pafs the 
 faying that is written, Death isfwallowcd up in vic- 
 tory. O death, where is thyjling ! O grave, where 
 is thyvi&oryl Becaufe our Saviour will raife all 
 
35^ ? E R K r N S. 
 
 the human race from the dead, he is faid to be 
 the plague of death and deftruelion of the grave. 
 The calling- up the body from its ruins in death 
 is an article no where to be found in nature's 
 creed. The moft enlightened in the pagan 
 world did not even think of or hope for it. 
 When the body was depofited in the^uft, they 
 bid a fmal and eternal farewel to it. The 
 Chriftian religion alone enables us to look 
 through the waftes and glooms of death, with 
 the pleafing hopes of a refurredion of the bo- 
 dy ; and it will be railed in fuch a manner too, 
 as to be not only a fit and commodious, but 
 iplendid manfion for the reiidence of the im- 
 mortal foul. So alfo is the refitrreMio7i of the dead. 
 It is fown in corruption , it is raifed in incorruptio?i : 
 It is fown in difljonor, itjs rafed in glory : It is 
 foivn in weaknefs, it is rafed in power :. It is fown 
 (I natural body, it is raifed afpiritual body. 
 
 Again :, Jefus Ghrift may fitly be called thi 
 life, as he gave his life a ranfom for all. He 
 laid down his life for the children of men. He 
 became obedient unto death, even the death of 
 the crofs. He condefccnded to take upon him 
 our nature, to live in obfcurity, to undergo pov- 
 erty, Ihame and reproach,and to expire in ago- 
 nies lor us. Man had finned, had forfeited life 
 and the favour of God, became expofed to death 
 temporal and eternal : And no way could he 
 be reilored to the loft image and forfeited fa- 
 vour ol God, be reicued from the ruins of the 
 grave, and railed to life eternal, but by the 
 I^on of God undergoing for him the pains of 
 
P E R K I N S, 357 
 
 death. No arm fliort of the divine could af- 
 ford relief. And fuch was his grace, fuch his 
 benevolence, fuch his pity for linning, guil- 
 ty, dying men, that Jefus Chrift condelcended 
 to lay down his own life tofave him. He gave 
 bimfelf a ranfom'for all, I am, fays he, the good 
 Jhepherd ; the good Jhepherd giveth his Life for the 
 JJoeep, He died that we might live. He left 
 his :»hrone of glory and tabernacled in clay, ex- 
 changed the hofannahs of angels for the re- 
 proaches of linners, a crown of glory for a 
 crown of thorns, and the form of God for 
 that of a fervant, in order to redeem fallen lin- 
 ners. Who being in the form of God, thought it 
 not robbery to be equal with God ; but fnade himfelf 
 of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a 
 fervant, and was made in the likenefs of men; and 
 being found infafhion as aman^ he humbled himfelf, 
 and became obedient unto death, even the death of 
 the crofs. Wherefore God hath highly exalted 
 him, and given him a name, which is above every, 
 name ; that at the name of Jefus every kneeflooidd 
 how ; of things in heaven, and things in earth, and 
 things under the earth, and that every tongue floould 
 €onfefs that Jefus Chrifl is Lord, to the glory of God 
 the Father. He became poor that we might be 
 rich ; rich in Chriltian graces here, and heaven- 
 ly glories hereafter. For ye Imow the grace of our 
 Lord Jefus Chrift, that though he was rich, yet for 
 your fakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty 
 might be rich, ' 
 
 Lafily, Jefus Chrift is the life, as he will be- 
 
355 P E R K I N S, 
 
 ftow, at the conciufion of the prefent fcene of 
 things, eternal life on all his difciples. This 
 is life eternal, to know God and Jefus Chrift, 
 whom he hath fent. And this is the promife 
 that he hath promifed us, even life eternaL He 
 is called the true God^ and life eternaL This 
 is the true God and Ufe eternal, W hen his friends 
 and followers ihail leave this world; when the 
 places that now know them fhall know them no 
 more ; K\ hen they Ihall cometo walk through the 
 Valley of the ihadow of death ; when their proba- 
 tion-ftate fhall be terminated, and time and the 
 things of time be no more as to them, then he 
 will recejve them, to the joys and glories of his 
 kingdom, that they may be where he is, and 
 behold his glory, — will admit them to partici- 
 pate of all the fublime felicities of eternal life, 
 -But the righteous fliall g©^ into life eternal. 
 .After pronouncing the blefled fentence of ap. 
 probation, as the fmal and univerfal Judge, he 
 will retgn in life forever and ever with them, 
 in that world where all tears fliall be wiped a- 
 way ; where forrow and iighing fhall never en- 
 ter ; where all the foul fhall feel, fliall be per- 
 fect blifs; where all k fliall exprefs, fhall be per- 
 fect praife; where love divine fhall fill every 
 heart, and hofannas exalted employ every 
 tongue tlirough the ceafelefs revolution of e- 
 ternal ages. 
 
 II. The other branch of the fubjc6t was t o 
 point out the impoifibilty of obtaining accept- 
 ance with God, but by Chrift. No man cometh 
 
r E R K I N S. 
 
 359 
 
 unto the Father, but by me. As we have dwelt lo 
 long on the iirft divifion of our fubje61:, to a- 
 void repetition a few words only need be faid 
 on this. 
 
 Jefus Chrift then is the only way to the Fa- 
 ther, to pardon, to peace, and to glory. He 
 came to feek and fave that which was loft. 
 Man loft to God, in one fenfe, and loft to hap- 
 pinefs, wanted a way opened for his return to 
 God ; reftoration to his image, and re-inftate- 
 mentin his favour; to be renewed andjuftifi- 
 ed ; to be reconciled to God, and to have God 
 reconciled to him ; and to have a friendly in- 
 tercourfe commenced. This is done by the 
 Saviour. And mankind can truly know, ac- 
 ceptally worfliip, and rightly ferve thefupreme 
 Being, or finally fee his face, and enjoy his 
 prefence, only by him. A mediatory falvation, 
 a propitiatory facrifice, an atonement for fin 
 is of abfolute neceflity. The divine nature 
 muft be placated, the divine law honored, di- 
 vine juftice fatisfied, and divine holinefs difplay- 
 ed. We cannot come to the Father, but by 
 the Son. He muft be our mediator to intro- 
 duce us to the throne of grace, and his Father's 
 favorable regards. He muft mediate and plead 
 for us, be our advocate and patron, hope and 
 dependance. And this is the record, taht God hath 
 given to us eternal life ; and this life is in his Son. 
 He that hath the Son hath life ; and he that hath not 
 the Son hath not Ife. Whofoever denieth the Son^ 
 the fame hath not the Father, Neither is there 
 
^6o P E R K I N S. 
 
 Jalvation in any other ; for there is non6 other name 
 iinder heaven given among men whereby we mujf h 
 
 Javed.' Other foundation can no man lay, than that 
 is laidy even Jefiis Chrijl, 
 
 This is a do6lrine of the higheit poffible mo- 
 ment in itfelf, and efpecially feafonable in the 
 prefent day, when fo many are calling off 
 ftri6l and pure religion, are recurring back 
 to NATURE^s LIGHT, boaftiug that it alone is 
 adequate, denying the Lord that bought them, 
 and deluding and llattering themfelves with the 
 idea, that there is no need of a Saviour to ex- 
 piate fm, and open the way to heaven and its 
 felicity. Whatever high notions of the digni- 
 ty of man and of human merit any may be dif - 
 pofi^d to entertain, to whatever vain refuges 
 men may refort, whatever contempt they may 
 aiFe6l to caft on the gofpel and a mediatory in- 
 terpofition, it is an eternal truth, that no reli- 
 gion can be acceptable to the Deity, which 
 doth not embrace the atonement of his Son. 
 No man cometh nnto the Father, but by ?ne. He 
 is the only ark of fafety. He is the only foun- 
 dation of hope laid in Zion, upon which we may 
 reft our eternal all. He is the fole depend- 
 ance of loft man. Out of him there is no help, 
 no hope, no remedy for the guilty. Pardon, 
 faivation, peace and acceptance with the fu- 
 preme Being out of him it is impollible to ob- 
 tain. He is the way, the truth, and the life : 
 No man cometh unto the Father, but by him. 
 He is the help of the hclplefs, the hope of the 
 
PERKINS. 35t 
 
 hopelefs, the health ot the fick, the ftrength of 
 the weak^ the riches of the poor, the peace of 
 the difquieted, the comfort of the afflicted, the 
 light of thofe that fit in darknefs, the compan- 
 ion of the difconlolate, the friend of the frieiid- 
 lefs, the way of the bewildered, the wifdom of 
 the ignoratit, the righteoufnefs of the guilty, 
 the fan<5lification of the unholy, the redemption 
 of the wretched, and, to fay all in a word^ the 
 falvation of the loll. 
 
 In the review of this pleafing fubje6l, can we 
 refufe to admire the riches of a Saviour's con- 
 defcenfion and grace ? We know not how to 
 think or fpeak worthily upon fo delightful and 
 beautiful a fubjeft. Could we fpeak with the 
 tongue of men and angels, in ftrains of celeftial 
 eloquence, the half of its praifes would be Hill 
 unfpoken. All is llupendous humiliation, from 
 his Father's throne to the accurled tree. All 
 is aftonifhing exaltation, from the forrow of 
 dea;tb, and the tomb of Jofeph of Ariuiathea, to 
 the joys of heaven, and the riglit hand of tlie 
 Majefty on high. All his inniienle progrels of 
 condefcenfion and love was for us. *'Ilis myf- 
 '•"terious incarnation unites and endears us to 
 '^God ; his natural birth procures our regcncra- 
 ^'tion ; his unfpotted life rellores^us to a blilf- 
 ''ful immortality ; his bitter agonies give uc ' 
 "calm rcpofe ; his bloody fwcat waflies away 
 '""our ma'nifold pollutions; liis deep wound dif- 
 '■^tils tiie balfom whicli heals our dii orders ; 
 ''hisperfe6t obedience is our i\vi\ title to tMul 
 Voi. IV. 7.7. 
 
352 PERKINS. 
 
 "'lefs felicity ; his full atonement purchales our 
 *^^free juftification ; his cruel death is the fpriftg 
 ^'of immortal life; his grave tlie gate of hea- 
 ^*^ven; his refarre(5lion the pledge of glory; 
 ^'hisafcenfion the triumph of our fouls; his fit- 
 ^'ting at the right hand of the Majefty on high 
 ^^the earnell of our future coronation and exalt- 
 ^'ed felicity; and his prevailing interceffion 
 *^*the mexhauftible fountain of all our bleffrngs/' 
 What grace ! what benevolence ! what mer- 
 cy infinite, incomprehenfible, unparallelled in 
 all the records of eternity, are difplayed in the 
 redemption of a ruined world by a Saviour ? 
 Well might he fay of himfelf, / am the -way^ 
 and the truth, and the life : No man cometh unto 
 the Father y but by me. 
 
 The whole difcourfe will be clofedby a fhort 
 exhortation to all that hear me; to repair to 
 the Son of God for help and hope. Children 
 of men, hear the voice of mercy and redeem- 
 ing love. This day you have had fet before 
 you Chriit Jefus the Lord as the way, the truth, 
 and the life. No do61;rine can be more impor- 
 tant; no fubjetSt can be more interefting. 
 Hear then the glad tidings of falvation and 
 pardon. Behold him who is the way of life; 
 the only path to eternal felicity ; the wonder 
 of angels; the joy of all heaven; the refuge 
 of poor, peri filing mortals. O I fly to this 
 Saviour. Hear his fweet voice. Receive his of- 
 fered grace. Be convinced of your need of- 
 help, and rcfort to him for pardon and peace, 
 
PERKINS. 363 
 
 asi.your teaching prophet, atoning prieft and 
 ruling king, the almighty friend of man. 
 Then will your lives, ill your relpe<5live placeig 
 and ftations, be ufeful ; your death, whe never 
 it fliallcome, peaceful ; your account at the en- 
 lightened tribunal joyful ; and your eternity 
 blefled. 
 
SERMON LXXVIL 
 
 GOD'S SOVEREIGNTY inCONFERRING 
 MEANS and GRACE, 
 
 BY 
 
 NATHAN KERR, A. M. 
 
 Minijler cfthefirji Prejbyterian Church, in Gqfljcn, 
 State of New-York, 
 
 Rom. ix. 2 1, 
 
 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the 
 fame lump to make one vejfel unto honor, and another 
 unto dijijonor ^ 
 
 ST. Paul had plainly afferted, and largely- 
 proved, in this epiftlc, that juftification and 
 falvation were only to be obtained by faith in 
 Chrift, and not by the law. In the beginning 
 of this chapter he exprefleth his great and ten- 
 der concern for thejewifh nation, who fo gen- 
 erally rejeded Chrift. / fay the truth in Chrift^ 
 I lie not, my co.ifcience alfo bearing me witnefs in 
 the holy Ghqjl, thai I have great heavinefs and con- 
 iinualforrow in my heart. For I could wijh that my- 
 Jelf were accurfed from Chn/l for niy brethren, my 
 kinfmen according to the Jiejh : Who are Ifrael- 
 
2^i^e K E R R. 
 
 lies'^ to whom pertaineth the adoption y and the glo- 
 ry y and the covenants, and the giving of the law^ 
 and thefervice of God, and the promifes. 
 
 Here it is obfervable, that among many great 
 favors confered upon that people, he mentions 
 the promifes. The promifes were made to A- 
 braham and his feed, called afterwards the Ifra- 
 el of God. The great fundamental promife 
 was, / will be a God to thee, and to thy feed after 
 ibee. 
 
 St Paul, as he intended and did largely treat 
 of the reje61ion of the Jews, and calling of the 
 Gentiles to be the people of God, gives a dif- 
 tini5l anfwer to fundry obje6lions that might 
 be made to the divine conduct and faithfulnefs 
 in this matter. 
 
 Firft, With refpen^ to the promifes, and par- 
 ticularly the great one before mentioned, I 
 will be a God to ihee^ and to thy feed after thee. It 
 might be objected. This proinife was not fulfil- 
 led, for great numbers of them had periflied ; 
 and if the Jews were to be rejeded, many more 
 would perifli. 
 
 To this the apoflle fays, they were not to 
 conceive the wordof Godhadtaken no efFe6t,or 
 that God was unfaithful. For they are not all 
 Ifrael, which are of Ifracl ; neiihrr hecaife they are of 
 the feed of Abraham, are they all children. 
 
KERR. 3^7 
 
 Thus he teacheth, what is alfo plainly aiTert- 
 ed in other parts of holy writ, viz. That tbey 
 arc of the feed of Abraham, in the mod im- 
 portant lenfe, who are made partakers of A- 
 braham's faith, and that thefe, and thefe only, 
 are intituled to the iaving, fpiritual bleflings 
 promifed to Abraham and to his ieed : To thefe 
 God has proanifed to be their God in the higheft 
 lenfe. This bleffing God hath not promifed 
 to all the natural offspring of Abraham ; but 
 that he would give them the land of Canaan, 
 the divine oracles and inftitutions, and own 
 them asfuftaining a covenant relation to him, fo 
 long as they walked in his ways, and obferved 
 his commandments to do them. 
 
 That God's promife doth take effect St. Paul 
 proves, not only by faying. They are not all Jf- 
 rael that are of Ifrael ; butaiTerts, In Ifaacfiall 
 thy feed be called. 
 
 He farther illuftrates the matter by intro- 
 ducing the affair of Rebecca, who had conceiv- 
 ed by Ifaac. For the childreti being not yet born, 
 neither having done any good or evil^ that the pur- 
 pofe of God according to eleBicn might fla?id, not 
 of works, but of him that callcth, it was faid mito 
 her. The elder floall ferve the younger ; as it is writ- 
 ten, Jacob have I loved, but EJau have I hated. 
 
 Thus the apoftle reconciles the difriculty 
 that arifeth from a confideration of the rejeo 
 tion of the unbelieving Jews, aud the word of 
 promife. 
 
368 KERR. 
 
 I. By explaining the true meaning of the 
 promife ; viz : That it was not made, in the 
 higheft fpiritual lenfe, to all the natural feed ; 
 but only to thofe who fliouldbe the feed of A- 
 braham by faith. 
 
 II. By alferting and proving the abfolute 
 fovereignty of God, in difpofing of the children 
 of men ; and at the fame time, anfwers a cavil 
 againft the do6lrhie exprelfed in the X4th verfe 
 and on : IVhat fjjall we fay then ? Is there nnrigh" 
 teoyfnefs zvith God f God forbid. For be faith to 
 Mofes, I will have mercy on whom I will have mer- 
 cy, and I will have compaffion on whom I will have 
 compel ffion. So then it is not of him that willeth, 
 nor of him that runneth; but (f God that Jheweth 
 mercy. 
 
 This he illuflrates alfo by the inftance of 
 Pharaoh. For the fcripture faith tmto Pharaohy 
 Even for this fame piirpofe have I raifed thee i{p,that 
 Imightfieiv my power in thee,, and that my name 
 might be declared throughout all. the earth. God 
 had determined to withhold his grace from Pha- 
 raoh, and to allow, or permit him to take the 
 courfe to which his proud, llubborn heart 
 prompted him. 
 
 /Vll the children of men are plunged alike 
 i%itc) a ftate ot fm and miiery, equally under 
 guilt by the apoltacy, and expofed to wrath. 
 CTod in a love reign way picks out fome of 
 the fallen, apoltatizcd race, and makes them 
 
K E R R. 3^9 
 
 Vefiels of grace and glory. The apoftle's ar- 
 gument is, there is no unrighteoufnefs in God's 
 proceeding thus. Then in the 19th. verfe he 
 introduceth another obje<5^or. Thou wilt fay 
 then unto Jne, JVby doth he yet Jind fault f JVbo 
 hath refifled his will? To which he anfwers, 
 iSlay hut, O man, who art thou that replieft againfl 
 God f Shall the thing formed fay unto him that for- 
 med it. Why hafi thou made me thus ? Haib not 
 the potter power over the clay, of the fame lump to 
 make one vefjel unto honor, and another to diJJsojiosf 
 Thus the apoftle alTerts God's right, as the {o- 
 vereign owner and ruler of the world, to bcftov/ 
 fpe.cial flivors on fome, which he withholds from 
 others of the fame defcripti6n. 
 
 In difcouriing from thefe words, I propofe 
 to (how, 
 
 I. That all mankind, Jews and Gentiles, 
 are in a ftate of fin and guilt, expofed to wrath^ 
 and fo are juftly as abfolutely at the dilpofal 
 of God, both with refpe6l to his giving them 
 external means, and befcowing on t\\Q.m fpecial 
 grace, as the clay is at the difpofal of the pot- 
 ter. 
 
 II. Shall briefly confider the principal ii.i;.iii.4 
 which God, here reprelented by the potter, 
 ufeth, in forming fome to be velTcls nntc* 
 jionor. 
 
 III. Conclude with foiue improvement. 
 
 A {\ a 
 
j>jo K E R R» 
 
 I. That all mankind, Jews and Gentiles, are 
 in a ftate offm and guilt, expofedto wrath, and 
 foare jullly as abiblutely at the difpofal ot God, 
 both with reiped to his giving them external 
 means/ and bellowing on them fpecial grace, aa 
 the clay is at the difpofal of the potter, will ap- 
 pear from the following confiderations, 
 
 I. That God made Adam in his own image, 
 a free voluntary agent, capable of Handing, 
 but liable to fall ; and that he was placed as the 
 public head or reprefentative of his pofterity : 
 That God gave him a law, as a rule of his obe- 
 dience, annexing death to him, and his pgjlerky, 
 as the penalty. That we take great care, and 
 have our ideas of this matter regulated by the 
 holy fcriptures, and fo be prepared to conient 
 to the truth of it ; and acknowledge humbly, 
 that in Adam we finned and died, is' of great 
 importance. That we be able alfo to fee and ack 
 nowledge that Adam was to blame for hislin, and 
 that there is juftice and propriety in imputing 
 it to us. That it is a juH; and glorious thing in 
 God to determine, that the poilerity of Adam 
 ihould, becaufe of their connection with him, 
 come into the world devoid of the holy moral 
 image of God ; and, inftead thereof, have fuch 
 iin indwelling, permanent, powerful propenfity 
 to iin, as willcetainly lead them to eternal ru- 
 in, unlefs it be counteracted by means and divine 
 
 1 
 
 grace 
 
 Thefe are indeed fome of the leading truths 
 
KERR. 3^1 
 
 of divine revelation. And we acknowlede-e 
 there are iome difficulties involved in the al- 
 fertion, thatGod hath foreordained wha,tfoever 
 comes to pals, and yet that Adam was in fuch 
 a fenfe a free agent as conftitutedhim a prop- 
 er fLibje<5l of praife and blame. Adam, having 
 received his exiftence from another, conmm- 
 nicates the idsa of his being very inferior to 
 his Creator, who is abfolutely perfe<^^ and un- 
 changeable. God faw proper, in his infinite wif- 
 dom, to place in the icale of being fiich a cre- 
 ture as man, endowed^ as he was, with certain 
 degrees of wiiat may be called natural and mo- 
 ral excellency" or ability. An independent, 
 felf-fufficient, almighty creature cannot exift. 
 Great degrees of dependency on God, theCre- 
 ator and Preferver of all things, are infepara- 
 ble from creatures, both with refpe^t to the 
 exiftenee and exercife of every kind of power. 
 
 Some have afTerted, that there is in the hu- 
 man will a felf determining power, or that the 
 human will is free, and that this was neceilkry 
 to conftitute man a moral agent, or render him 
 a proper fubje(5l of blame or praife. Others 
 deny this, in the fenfe in which it is aflerted, 
 and affirm it improper to fay at all, the human 
 will is free ; but that man is free to do what he 
 wills ; or is a voluntary freeagent, at liberty to 
 a6tor not a6t, according to the didates of his wiJI. 
 It is alfo aflerted, that human volitions are to 
 be ranked among effe&s, which are produced by 
 caufcs foreign to them, and fo conclude, that 
 
37- 
 
 K E R R- 
 
 the will is determined by fome extrinfic caufe, 
 that is, by Ibmething without, or cliftin(^l: from, 
 itfeir. Thus,, in the chain of caufes that pro- 
 duce effe6ls5 they-run up to the firft caufe of 
 all thingvS, which is God ; and exculpate the e- 
 ver-bleifed and holy God from blame, in intro- 
 ducing, by a neceifary conne6lion of caufes and 
 events, Ithe iirll linful human volition, by fay> 
 ing, that the iinfulnefs of it, and of every one 
 elfe, lies, not in its caufe, but in its nature. 
 Therefore, though the volitions and actions of 
 a moral •agent are nece-frary, with 'that kind 
 of necellity which exifts between moral caufes 
 and effeds, yet they may be blameable and 
 praife- worthy. 
 
 This aflair mayalfo^be reprefented by faying, 
 that God placed Adam as the public head and 
 rcprefentative of his pofterity, with fuch abili- 
 ties as it pleafed God to give him, conftantly 
 however dependent upon his Maker, in every 
 poilibleView; andfthat it pleafed God,in his in- 
 finite wiidom, to withold fromhimthat divine in- 
 fluence which was neceliary to his continuance 
 • in his holy fiate, and that immediately being 
 left, he fell. 
 
 Others fay, that God made man in liis own 
 image, capable to iiand and liable to fall; that 
 God permitted his faifjand overruled it in a wife 
 and powerful man-ner, fo that he has brought 
 i^vccit good out of great evil. 
 
KERR. 373 
 
 The Chriftian world are very fenlible that 
 the introdu6tion of fin is a matter of great 
 niyftery, and that clouds and darknefs hang o- 
 ver it. I fhall at prefent fay nothing more 
 concerning it : — Nor Ih all I attempt to illuf- 
 trate the wifdom, jiiltice and goodnefs of the 
 divine conftitution, which placed Adam as the 
 foederal head of his pofterity. Let it fuffice to 
 fay it was do?iehy the infinitely wife, holy, juft 
 and merciful God, the glorious head of the u- 
 niverfe. And Jhall not the Jtldge of all the earth 
 do right ^ Let it fuffice alio to fay, that Adam 
 thus placed did fin ; was truly and really to 
 blame for his fin; and that his pofterity finned 
 and died in him. So that it is afa6l, an awful 
 and lamentable truth, that we have been Jhap^n 
 in iniquity, and conceived in Jin ; — are difpoled, as 
 foon as capable of moral exertions, to do evil, 
 and averfe from that which is holy and good. 
 
 The old teftament, no doubt, teacheth, that 
 Adam's pofterity were included with him in 
 the covenant God entered into with him, and 
 the denunciation of the threatning, as appears 
 from the curfe upon the ground, which was to 
 be inhabited by his pofterity, and by the effe6ts 
 which foon took place in confequence of the 
 fall. But the new teftament, which explains 
 much of the old, throws great light on this 
 matter, and aflerts, that by one tnanjin entered 
 into the world, and death by Jin ; and fo^lcath pajf- 
 ed upon all men, for that all have Jin ned. 
 
374 KERR. 
 
 But to make the matter Hill more clear, and 
 leave no room to fappofe that none lufFered 
 the penaltyof death, but thofe who were guiltyof 
 aduai lin againll aknown law, the apoftle adds. 
 For until the law, that is, before the giving the 
 written law by Mofes, fin was vi the world : 
 but fm is ?iot imputed where there is 7io law: And 
 farther adds. That death, which was the penalty, 
 reigned from Adamto Mofcs, even over them thathad 
 notfnned after the fimilitude of Adam's tranfgref 
 fion.Thcit is, death, the wages of fin, was fuffered 
 by infants, who had not, as Adam had, actually 
 broken a known law. This one man, by 
 whom fin entered, was Adam. For Paul fays^ 
 I . Cor. 15.22. Li Adam all die, 
 
 II. It will appear that all mankind, Jews 
 and Gentiles, are in a Hate of fin and guilt, and 
 io are juilly expofed to wrath, from a confide- 
 ration of the univerfal wickednefs of mankind, 
 which I fiiall not now take time to defcribe. 
 
 III. From the holy oi'acles of God.— Of the 
 
 old world it was faid, that every imagination of 
 the thoughts of majis heart was only evil continual^ 
 ly. In .another place, The imagination of man s 
 heart is evil from his youth. Very remarkable 
 is that pallhge in Job. What is man, that he 
 fculd be dean ? And he that is born of a woman, 
 that hefjould. be righteous ^ Behold, he putteth no 
 inifl in his faints ; yen, the heavens are not clean in 
 
KERR, 37^ 
 
 bisjtghf. How much more aborninable and jiltby 
 is ma?i, which drinkeih iniquity like water f The 
 Pfalmift lays. Behold, I wasfmpen in iniquity ; 
 and in fin did my mother conceive me. Jeremiah 
 declares. The heart is deceitful above all things, and 
 defpcrately ivicked , who can knoivitf Our Lord 
 fays, Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, inurder 
 &c, as out of their native fountain. The 
 fame truth is taught by bur Saviour, when he 
 affirms. Except a man be born again, he can- 
 not fee the kifigdoni of God. And when the au- 
 thor of our text is proving that j unification 
 cannot be obtained by the deeds of the law, 
 but by faith in Chrifl, he fhows, that both Jews 
 and Gentiles were under fin, though the lat- 
 ter had not the written law ; That all had dene 
 wickedly ; — there is none righteous^ no fwt one ; yea, 
 there is 7ione that doeth good, no not one. 
 
 Thus it appears, that all mankind, Jews and 
 Gentiles, are in a ftate of fin and guilt. We 
 have finned in our reprefentative, and all, 
 who have obtained a capacity for perfonal, ac- 
 tual fin, have broken God's law. Now if the 
 law is good, -the penalty proper, and if all have 
 broken it, then all are jullly obnoxious to 
 punifimient, and nothing, but an a6t of grace, 
 can prevent the execution of the fentence. 
 The law declares the Imner fliall die. 
 
 True, and a glorious truth it is, that Chrilt 
 our Mediator has perfec^tly kept tlie divine 
 law; died the death of the croTs : ' inifen 
 
y^6 K E R R;. 
 
 from the dead ; has afcended into heaven ; and 
 is there clothed with authority^ with full pow- 
 er, as the great executor of the divine purpofes> 
 to give eternal life to men. — But to whom ? To 
 all men ? No. Chrift teacheth us what to be'-^ * 
 lieve concerning this. Juft before his fuflf-. 
 ering, he lift up his eyes to heaven, and faid. 
 Father, the hour is come ; glorify thy Soti, that thy 
 Son alfo may glorify thee: As thou hajl given him. 
 power over alljleflj, that hefJjoulcl give eternal life 
 to as many as thou haft given him. Agreeably to 
 thisvve are told in the Ads, That when Paul 
 and Barnabas were reje6led by the Jews, they 
 turned to the Gentiles, and informed them. 
 That Chrift wasfetto be a light of the Gentiles, 
 thai hefhoiild he for falvation to the ends of the 
 earth : And when the Gentiles heard this, they were 
 glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: And as 
 many as were ordai?ied to eternal life, believed. Be- 
 lievers in Chriil are frequently fpoken of as 
 thofe who were under the law, were dead in fin, 
 and under the curfe ; but they are wajhed zvith the 
 waddng of regeneration, they are renewed by the 
 holy Ghoft. Repentance is given to them, faith 
 is given, according to the divine, eternal pur- 
 pofc which he purpofed in Chrift before the 
 world began. 
 
 We do not know, nor can we know, who 
 thcfe veilels unto honor arc, until ,they are 
 called and fandifyed, bring forth fruits meet 
 ■■ov repentance, and fo by an holy life and con- 
 veriation catile their light to Ihine in the world. 
 
KERR, 
 
 377 
 
 This effe&util calling, thhzmjhing of regeneration, 
 and renewing of the holy Ghqft, is not. of him that 
 ivilleth, nor of him that runneth ; but of God that 
 fJoeweth mercy. Agreeably to this^ John, fpeak- 
 ing of them who had power to become thefons of 
 God, adds, Who were born, not of blood, nor of the 
 tvill of man, but of God, 
 
 Seeing then that all have finned in Adam, 
 that all, who have been capable of a6tual fin, 
 have tranfgrefled, and fo are juftly dead in law; 
 and God is not bound by any promife to fhow 
 mercy to all, and none deferve it ; feeing alfo 
 that God gives his written law and other means 
 only to fome nations; and by his Son gives 
 fpiritual and eternal life only to a part where 
 his gofpel is : Therefore we may conclude, 
 that men are as abfolutely at the difpofal of 
 the great Jehovah, both with refpe6l to grant- 
 ing the external means, and the bellowment of 
 fpecial, fandifying grace, as the clay is at the 
 difpofal of the potter, who can, and does, with 
 great propriety, take parts of the fame large 
 lump, and make veffels to diiierent ufes. 
 
 We now proceed to iho: fecond head, which 
 is briefly to mention fome of the principal means, 
 which God, here reprefentedby the potter, uf- 
 etl^in forming lome to be vej]els unto honor. 
 
 JefusChrift hath been from eternity defign- 
 cd of God a Mediator between God and man. 
 By him God made the world. By him fnmrr^ 
 Vol. iV. Bbb 
 
578 KERR. 
 
 of Adam's race are enlightened, redeemecJ, 
 f^nclified, and faved from wrath. Chrift has 
 gracioufly interfered in the chara6lers of pro- 
 phetj prieft and king. As a Prophet, he has 
 given men much inftru6tion. In ancient times, 
 before his incarnation, he appeared as the an- 
 gel of the covenant, and gave falutary and ne- 
 cefiary ini!ru6lions. By the influence of the 
 holy Spirit, which is the Spirit of Chrift, wc 
 have the holy fcripturc, that infallibly v/ritten 
 guide, which giveth true information refpe^l- 
 ing our apoftacy, and the ijiethod of recovery. 
 In due time Chrift afflimed the body God 
 prepared ; came into the world, a light to 
 lighten the nations ; and invited thofe that la- 
 bored, and were heavy laden, to come unto 
 him that they might find rcjl to their fouls. As 
 a PRIEST, he, once for dl, made a fufficient, a 
 full and fatisfa6lory facrifice of himfclf to God 
 for the fins of thofe whom God had given him, 
 and is afcended into heaven, there to make 
 continual intercefTion for thofe who are difpof- 
 ed and enabled to come unto God by him. As 
 a KING, he is, according to antient promife, ex- 
 alted upon God's holy hill of Zion;— thrones, 
 dominions and principalities aremadefubje61: to 
 him. All power in heaven and on earth is given 
 into his hand, that he may give eternal life to as 
 many as the Father has given him. We are 
 alfo told that he has the keys of hell and of 
 death. So that he is ruling in lieaven^ earth and 
 hell ; in the hearts of his people , and over all 
 
KERR, 379 
 
 his and their enemies. As the great head of 
 his chufch> Chrift hath inftituted ordinances to 
 be obferved by it; baptifm as the door of ad- 
 miflion ; the Lord's fupper for commemoration^ 
 inrtru6lion, growth in knowledge and grace ; 
 which ordinances are ;God's covenants ot pro- 
 mife ; * in which he promifeth ilill to be a 
 God to his people, and calls upon them to ac- 
 cept of offered mercy. 
 
 Father, before Chrift's afcenfion, he, airur- 
 ing his apoftles of his authority for the purpofc, 
 faid. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptiz- 
 ing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, 
 and of the holy Ghofl ; teaching them to ohferve all 
 things whatfoever I have commanded you ; and lo, 
 I am with you alway, even to the end of the world. 
 They went according to thofediredions ; they 
 taught, baptized J planted churches^ watered 
 them, governed them, and ordained others al- 
 fo to teach, to preach, to adminfter ordinances 
 and govern, in conjun6lion with fuch other rul- 
 ers as the new teftament calls govcrnmcfits, or 
 governors, who did not labor in the word and 
 do(5lrihe. 
 
 Here it is worthy of obfervation, the apof- 
 tles carefully give the character of a gof pel- 
 bifliop, and dire6t thofe they had ordained to lay 
 hands luddenly on no man. Even the deacons 
 
 ■*^ Vide Doclor Guife on Eph : ii. 12, with his note. 
 •With bim I agree in calling the ordinances of the gofpcl 
 God's covenants of promile. 
 
380 K E'R R.' 
 
 ??;?//? Jirjl be proved Thus we are taught, 
 that thofe to whom the power of ordination 
 is ct>mmitted, niuft carefully examine as to the 
 prerequilite qualifications for teaching, preach- 
 ing and governing in the church of God. 
 
 « 
 
 I fiiall here alfo mention the divine provi- 
 Jences, which are admirably calculated to re- 
 prove and inilrucl men. thefe By often are 
 the ways of linners hedged in, as with thorns, 
 and they are not allowed to proceed in that 
 profperity with which the human heart is moft 
 picaled ; and by them frequently are the peo- 
 ple of God much benefited. Before I was of- 
 fiBed^ I went qflray ; but now I have learned to 
 keep thy law. 
 
 1 Ihall conclude this he^^d by ob- 
 ferving, that the cooperations of the Spirit are 
 eiTeritially necefikry^andtherefore Chriilprom- 
 iied, John 16:8 &c. that after his afcenfion 
 he would fend the Spirit, to reprove the world of 
 ^In, and of righieovjnefs, and of jndgerne?it ; and 
 be f:all guide you into all truth, and he fJjall glorify 
 we ; for he Jhall receive of 7nine, and f hall Jheiv it 
 unto ycv. Thefe are fome of the principal 
 means which God, here reprefented by a potter, 
 uieth in forming velfels unto honor. 
 
 I nov/ proceed to an improvement of the 
 iiv.jecc. 
 
 Here I am naturally led,firff., to addrefs you, 
 dciVr nnd Rcvd brethren, '' in the gofpel of 
 
 i Ilis fermon was fiifl nreached before" a jaumber or . 
 
KERR. 3Sr 
 
 our Lord Jefus. What has been faid offers to 
 our mipds the great importance of the ofBce 
 and work in which we are engaged. We are 
 taught to confider mankind in a Itate of fin and 
 guilt, expofed to the wrath of an almighty and 
 Koly God; that Chrift is, by a variety of means, 
 and by our inftrumentality, forming veflels to 
 honor out of the great corrupt mafs. This is 
 an alarming thought, viz : That all thofe who 
 are not by the word, providences, gofpel and 
 Spirit of Chrift, formed unto honor, ar vedels 
 unto difhonor. Nothing more is neceilary to 
 form men to an extreme of wickedneis, than for 
 God to withhold from them his grace. Thus, 
 I fuppofey God hardened Pharaoh's heart ; thus 
 God fends ftrong delufions to fome, that they 
 may believe a lie, and be damned. If we are 
 to judge that none are coming to honor, but 
 fuch as are, by the forming influence of means 
 and divine efHcacious grace, conformed unto 
 the divine image, then how few vefiels unto 
 honor in our day ? Secret things belong unto 
 the Lord ; his revealed will is the rule by which 
 we are to deport ourfeJves in the golpel min- 
 iftry. It is pofTible we may be glorious in the 
 eyes of our Lord, though very unfuccelsful. 
 We know not whom, among thofe who have not 
 given evidence of fan6tification, he hath chof- 
 en or ordained to eternal life ; but our bufinefs 
 is, knowing the terror of the Lord, to pcrfuade men 
 to be reconciled to God ; to reprove, rebuke and 
 exhort zvith all long fi{jfering and dodtrin^. As 
 srood ftewards of the myftcries of God, we are 
 
382 K E R R. 
 
 to endeavor rightly to divide the word of truth. 
 We are to hold up to the view of our fellow 
 men the ftri6lnefs, the fpirituality and unchang- 
 eablenefs of God's law, carefully to defcribe the 
 depravity of the human heart, and the danger 
 of the ways of fin. We are to fearch out all 
 the lurking places of difguifed hypocrites, and 
 inform them, that nothing Ihort of holinels of 
 heart, true repentance, an humble dependence 
 upon, and^ choice of Chrift, the Lord our righ- 
 tcoufneis, will anfwer. No doubt it will be 
 highly proper to dwell much upon the excel- 
 lency, glory and all-fufficiency of Chrift, and 
 of the great atonement he has made. We 
 will alfo do well frequently to recolle6t what 
 Chrift faid to the primitive minillers of his re- 
 ligion. Without me ye can do nothing, Paul may 
 ■plant, a7id A polios water, but Godgiveththe increafe. 
 Our time to a6l as inftruments for Chrift in 
 this world is fliort, we are dying daily ; there- 
 fore, to do whatfoever our hands find todowith 
 our might, will furely be pnoper. 
 
 Secondly, Let all fuch as have fcriptural rea- 
 fon to believe that divine grace hath been al- 
 ready, in lome degree, communicated, be 
 thankful; becaufe you entertain hope that 
 God is forming you into the divine like 
 iiefs, and preparing you for eternal honor. 
 Let fuch review the corrupt lump from 
 which they were taken, What maketh any 
 cf vou to diller from oll)ers- more wicked in 
 
KERR- 383 
 
 pra^lice ? Is it not that you have had means, 
 and the transforming, fandifying grace of 
 God ? By the grace of God ^ I am what lam^ faid 
 theapoftle 
 
 3. I fliallfay a few words to thofe who are yet in 
 their fins, unregenerate, and poflibly more un 
 likely, by appearance, to be formed unto honor 
 than formerly. You have heard in this dif- 
 courfe, that God made man in his , own holy 
 image, that Adam was placed as a public head, 
 that in him we linned and died ; that all have 
 linned, and confequently that all be at the 
 mercy, at the difpofal of God. The blelled 
 God fhows by his conduct that he conliders 
 this the cafe. He has taken church privileges 
 from the Jews, and given them to the Gentiles ; 
 he gives his grace to fome, and withholds it 
 from others. His reafons for this condu6t 
 are above us. It will nioft certainly be dan- 
 gerous to reft fatisfied in the belief of fuch 
 principles, and continue difpofed to make fuch 
 obje6lions to the dodrines held to view in this 
 dilcourfe, as are prevalent in the world. 
 
 The objedion. Why doth he yet find fauli ? is 
 ftill in the hearts and mouths of men. Why 
 fhould he not find fault ? Did not God make 
 man upright ? Has he not fought out many 
 inventions ? Was not Adam to blame for hii 
 fin ? Were you not reprefented in Adam ? Is 
 not fin imputed to you ? And have you not 
 fiwned in your own proper perfons ? And ar^ 
 
384 K E R R, 
 
 you not to blame ? Molt certainly. If yea 
 are^ you ought to confels guilty, and throw 
 yourfelves upon the mercy of God. 
 
 But It may be queried. If God has given to 
 Chrift a certain number 07ily, and the others 
 are not chofen to- life, and God does not in- 
 tend to communicate his grace to them ; then 
 how are they to blame, and how can the fince- 
 rity of God be vindicated in making offers to 
 the multitude? Here it mull be remembered, 
 that God is infinitely wife ; that his ways and 
 thoughts are far above ours ; that he calleth thofe 
 things which be 7iot, as though they ivere. That 
 infLru(51ions, invitations, remonltrances &c. &c. 
 are defigned as means, by the all-wife God, 
 for forming his cholen ones to glory. The 
 wicked are to blame for not loving God fu- 
 premely ; for their not loving his holy law; 
 for their loving andchufing lin. Their rejec- 
 tion ot Chrift is to be confidered, not as their firll 
 fin ; but as the higheft manifeftation of the de- 
 |)ravity and ftubbornnefs, yea, the rebellion Of 
 tne heart. 
 
 Let it be confidered, that all the inability fin- 
 ners are under is a want of dvfpofttion, not a 
 natural inability, or a want of power to do that 
 which they have a heart or difpoiition to per- 
 form. Men are able to love what pieafeth 
 them, what is agreeable to them. Are we 
 not to blame for our oppoiition to the great 
 God and his laws ? Are we not to blame, in 
 
K E R R. 
 
 that we do not love and approve oF^hat, wliicli 
 every juftj holy and excellent being in the iini- 
 verfe approves of? And in that we approve oi" 
 what is abhorred by every wife., holy, jull and 
 excellent being ? 
 
 With regard to the fincerity of God in mak- 
 ing overtures to the multitude, jet what has 
 been laid in the preceding part of tlie difcourfe 
 be recoIle6ted; viz. That God made man up- 
 right, and he has, through his ov/n default, 
 loft a holy difpoiition ; that all men are jaftly 
 condemned by the law ; and that the oilers of 
 mercy are free, undeferved grace. Let it ba 
 remembered alfo, that God hath thought pro- 
 per to give thofe, whom he hath ordained to 
 eternal life, their exiftence in different ages, in 
 different countries and places ; and, as the great 
 and wife difpofer of all things, he has fixed up- 
 on rert^iin means, which he defigns to render 
 effectual for the eternal liilvation of his chofen 
 ones. It is to be obferved too, that the pro- 
 phets of old called upon a whole nation to whicii 
 they were fent. Chrift preached to promilcu- 
 ous multitudes : The apollles were direOled to 
 teach all nations, and hold up the terms offal- 
 vation: Chirft's minifters now are to infitatc 
 them. Where is the inlincerity of this ? is 
 there any injury offered to men, when th.cy 
 have propoials of mercy and pardon made 
 to them, who ftand in fo much need of 
 both ? efpecially when the r^aion of non-ac- 
 ceptance is their ownblameabie oppofition t^> 
 Vol. IV. C c c 
 
38(J K E R R» 
 
 God, his law and holinefs, and their approbation 
 or choice of fin. And let it be remembered 
 too, and we muil infill upoji it, that there are 
 no promifes of regenerating grace and eternal 
 falvation made to the doi/igs of unregenerate 
 nren. The promifes of lalvation are only made 
 to believers, fo that God is not chargeable with 
 any breachofpromife made to them. Chrift ex- 
 prelsly fays. Many Jhall feek to enter in, andjhall 
 n'ot be able ; that is, in the way in which they 
 leek. 
 
 Indeed, there are promifes that God will pour 
 out of his Spirit abundantly, and that he will 
 wafli with clean water, and give the new heart; 
 Tetfor all this I will be enquired of by the houfe of 
 Ifrael to do it for them. But who are the houfe 
 oflfrael, that lliall thus wreftle with'God in 
 prayer and prevail? Not the unfan6lified, the 
 unbelieving and unholy, I fuppufe , but the 
 true fpiritual Hrael of God ; yea, all who are 
 the children of Abraham, by being made par- 
 takers of his faith. ThefeGod itirrefli up to fearch 
 after him with all their hearts, when in mercy 
 he intendeth to pour out of his promifed Spirit, 
 to convince and _ to fandify ; while others are 
 indulging their natural pfopenfities, and per- 
 haps very thoughtlefs of God and of eternal 
 things. 
 
 We will fuppofe now, a finner finally and 
 irretrievably loft, and enduring the wrath of 
 GofI, and taking a retrofpedive veiw ofhis 
 
KERR. 3S7 
 
 paft fituation and circumftances, and of his pre- 
 lent Hate. I conceive his remarks would be 
 as follows : '^ I was once on earth for a fhort 
 fpace ; I waa taught my days there would be 
 few ; I was diredted to ^attend to my fpiritual 
 and eternal intereft ; I was informed that A- 
 dam reprefented me and all his pofterity ; that 
 he broke the law under which he was placed ;. 
 that his fin was imputed to me^ fo that I was 
 guilty; that when I became capable of moral 
 a(5lIon, 1 was difpofedto evil. I did live in the 
 love and pra6lice of fin againft God, contrary 
 to the di<^lates of my confcience. ^ Chrift did 
 come into the world, did keep the law of God 
 perfedly, died in the room offinners of Adam's 
 race ; he arofe, and had power to give repen- 
 tance, pardon of fin, and eternal life. All this 
 and much more of his ability and willingnefs 
 to fave 1 heard, and was very inattentive and 
 unconcerned. My heart fought after the 
 then prefent enjoyments : I did not love the 
 terms on which falvation was offered : I could 
 not brook ofat God fliould be a fovereign,and, 
 in the fituation I w^as, fave or damn me as it 
 pleafed him. I never did feel a difpofition from 
 my heart to come down fo low as to acknow- 
 ledge that I really and juftly meritted hell; 
 and therefore, in all my endeavors to feck fa- 
 vor, I fecretly thought that God would be im- 
 properly fevere, if 1 perifiied finally. I Vvas 
 told that fecret things belonged to the Lord ; 
 and that his revealed will it was my duty to o- 
 bey. I did not know but I might liave obtian^ 
 
**' »^ o 
 
 K £ R R, 
 
 ed mercy; but I did not like the terms, nor 
 did I, agreeably' ta thetii, earneftly ar.d perfe- 
 vcringly feek'\ Pvage, defpair,and every im- 
 proper temper, I fuppofe;, would in fuch a mind 
 prevail. 
 
 But to return ; I think there are fully fufficient 
 Teafons why fanners of Adam's race ihould be 
 eternally punillied^even if Chrift had never been 
 promifed. Surely then, though Chrift hath 
 thought proper to publifli the terms of falvation 
 to the promifcuous multitude, thoCe to whom 
 propofals or offers, of pardon and mercy are 
 made, are not injured or affronted, feeing they 
 really are guilty, and need pardon : Efpecially 
 if we add to all this, that God deals with men 
 as reafonable creatures^ and gives much infor- 
 mation> mapy rebukes, counfeis, v/arnings and 
 remonilrances, and that, in the prefent frate of 
 things, the wicked are much benefited by 
 Chrift's kingdom, and the inilru<5iions, ordinan-* 
 
 ces and government of it. ^ 
 
 As to the reprefentation frequently made of 
 a prince binding a numher of men with ftrong 
 chains, in a prifon, and then calUng upon them 
 
 01 
 
 (ine out, oflering rewards, &c. it is zm- 
 fair andunjiffL For all the chains,-with which 
 iinncrs are bound, are of their own making 
 rmd putting on, and confift pnly in the difpoli- 
 •jion nv choice of their own hearts. We are 
 to blame primarily and principally for our love 
 of lin, and averfion trom God and his law. The. 
 
KERR. 389 
 
 wore we have of this, the more we are toblame* 
 Therefore Tinners are fo often exhorted to 
 turn from fin^ and turn to God, 
 
 Another obje6lion frequently made to this 
 fcheme of doftrine, is. That Chrijt is the propi- 
 tiation for our fins, a?id not for ours only, hut alfo 
 for the fins of the whole world, I. John ii. 2* 
 To which I anfwer, the apoftles of Chrift v/ere 
 Jews. The Jews had been directed to keep 
 , themfelves feparate from the Gentiles. To 
 the Jews the promife of the Mefliah had been 
 in a particular manner dire6led, and they had 
 no idea that the other nations were to be be- 
 nefited by Chrift, as abundantly appears in ho- 
 ly writ. When the apoftles obtained convic- 
 tion that the bleflings of the gofpel were com- 
 municated to other nations equally with them- 
 felves, they break out in afionilhrnent. Then 
 hath God alfo to the Gentiles granted repentance un- 
 to hf el And He is not only a propitiation for our 
 fins, but for the fins of the whole zvorld. I. John, 
 ii.2. Every body knows that the univerfal terms 
 all the world, all men, 8cc. can, in fundry 
 places, only mean great numbers,, and fo are 
 ufed in a refi:ri6tive fenfe. 
 
 What fhould we do then, the finner 
 v/ill lay ? I anfwer : life every poffible 
 mean to obtain juft ideas of God, of his law, of 
 yonrfclves, your fin, your guilt ; of Chrift and 
 bis rightcoiifnefs, of heaven and of hell. At- 
 tend carefully ; By the law is the knoivledge of 
 fn. Faith Cometh by hearing. Liften then to the gof 
 \)v\. Wc have no idea that God ever reo-cn- 
 erates a perfon, while utterly ignorant of all 
 
3SO K E R Re 
 
 cifed, where there is no knowledge. Therefore 
 the careful ufq of means is neceffary, and is 
 calculated to remove a barr out of the way of 
 your falvation. 
 
 Attending then to thefe truths that refpe^t 
 your eternal falvation^ come, how before a ho- 
 ly and merciful God; confefs the truth; lie 
 in the dull, and cry with the anxiety which the 
 nature of the cafe requires; Lord, for Chrift's 
 fake, be merciful to me a lihner jullly con- 
 deaiined, 
 
 God, ki the exerciie of grace in a fovereign 
 WSLJ, is giving the means to fome, which he 
 "Withholds from others, and conferring effica- 
 cious grace upon fome, which he withholds 
 from others of the fame defcription. By 
 means, and by grace conferred, veflels are 
 formed ur.to honor. Let your prayer be. 
 Lord, without thy grace I fnall be aveifel unto 
 diHionor. 
 
 Finally, let all remember, that as Jtojie by 
 fearcbhig can find out the Almighty unto perfect io7i, 
 fo we are very incompetent to know and 
 judge of all the reafonsefthe divine condu6t in 
 many cafe^. To folve clearly all the diiiicui- 
 ties that may be ftated concerning the foreordin- 
 ations of heaven, and the liberty of moral a- 
 gents, is no eafy taUi. Clearly to fee into the 
 rcafons v.'hy God hath left fome nations in 
 great ignorance, while others enjoy great 
 light and m^ans, and why fomc are formed 
 
KERR, 391 
 
 veflels unto honor, and others left to be veff- 
 els unto diflionor^is not for us weak, fhort-fight- 
 edj imperfect mortals. Chrift hath taught us mo- 
 defty here. Tthapk thee, O Father^ that thou hq^ 
 hidden thejc thlng^^from the wife and prudent, ani 
 hajl revealed them unto babes : ^EVejifo^ Fat her, far 
 fo it feemed good in thy fight. And the apoftie 
 fays, O the depth of the riches, both of the wifdom 
 and knowledge of Gnd I How iinfearchable are hit 
 hidgments, and his ways pqft finding otit I For wb9 
 hath known the^ mind of the Lord ^ Or who baib 
 been bis counfellor^ 
 
 The end of the FOURTH VOLUME 
 
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