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SERMONS, 
 
 BY THE LATR 
 
 REV. HENRY MARTYN. B.D. 
 
LATE 
 
 ^ELT.cAV OY Sr .TOHN'S COLT.KOE, C'iiMniilDGE. 
 
 ,uid Clia])l;iiii to iJie lion: £• i. Compauv, 
 
 ^■IT JBENG/IL. 
 
 J-iMskedWmn'r.V.'ESTI.^rf Si^nioaer-; 
 
TWENTY 
 SERMONS 
 
 BY THE LATE 
 
 REV, HENRY MARTYN, B.D. 
 
 FELLOW OF ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE. CAMBRIDGE; 
 
 >\ND CHAPLAIN OF THE HON. THE EAST-INDIA COMPANY ON THE 
 
 BENGAL ESTABLISHMENT. 
 
 SECOND EDITION. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 SOLD BY L. B. SEELEY, FLEET STREET; AND 
 J. HATCIIARD AND SON, PICCADILLY. 
 
 1822. 
 
Pnnied by U. Walls, Crown C ourf, i'emple Bar. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 One only of the Sermons in this Volume — 
 the last, entitled "Christian India" — was 
 intended for publication, and was printed 
 during the Author's lifetime. The first ten 
 were preached on successive Sundays, at the 
 Old Church in Calcutta, in the latter end of 
 1810, just before his final departure from 
 Bengal. Those which follow have been 
 selected from a parcel of his Manuscript Ser- 
 mons in the possession of the Author's friends : 
 these were preached (as appears from their 
 superscriptions) at various periods of his 
 Ministry. 
 
 The Editors hope that the writings of one, 
 who so peculiarly devoted himself to the work 
 of God in this country, may be blessed to 
 the diffusion of those principles and the nurture 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 of those affections, by which alone Mis- 
 sionary Labours can be sustained. The love 
 of Christ constraineth us: because we thus 
 judge, that if one died for all, then were all 
 dead ; and that he died for ally that they which 
 live should not henceforth live unto themselves, 
 but unto him ivhich died for them, and rose 
 again (2 Cor. v. 14, 15). Animated by these 
 principles, Martyn pursued his course. May 
 a double portion of his spirit rest on all 
 who follow him in the same wide field of 
 labour ! 
 
 The desire to know how such a man 
 preached, is natural and unavoidable. It will 
 be here gratified, so far as respects the style 
 and usual strain of his compositions. His 
 manner in the pulpit was distinguished by a 
 holy solemnity, always suited to the high 
 message which he was delivering, and accon»- 
 panied by an unction which made its way 
 to the hearts of his audience. With this 
 was combined a fidelity, at once forcible by 
 its justice and intrepidity, and penetrating 
 by its affection. There was, in short, a power 
 of holy love and disinterested earnestness in 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 his addresses, which commended itself to every 
 mans cojiscience in the sight of God. 
 
 It is hoped that these Sermons will be 
 read with the indulgence usually granted to 
 posthumous works. Though they want the 
 fine polish which they might have received 
 from the Authors chaste and accurate pen, if 
 they had been revised by himself for publica- 
 tion, the Editors are persuaded that they 
 will be read with lively interest; and they 
 send forth this Volume, earnestly praying 
 that the Author, though dead, may yet hereby 
 speak with power to many ; and that the great 
 Head of the Church may graciously crown 
 the perusal of these Discourses with His 
 blessing. 
 
 lExtraeted from the Preface to the First Edition 
 printed at Calcutta.] 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 SERMON I. 
 
 THE ATONEMENT. HEB. IX. •-?.? 
 
 1 
 
 SERMON 11. 
 
 THE LOVE OF GOD IX THE GIFT OF HIS SOX. JOHX 
 
 III. 16 ' ^, 
 
 SERMON III. 
 
 THE REIGNS OF SIX AXD OF GRACE. ROM V 
 
 • . . 4.i 
 
 SERMON IV. 
 
 SCRIPTURE MORE PERSrASIVE THAX MIKACLEOL s 
 
 APPEARANCES. LIKE XVI. b^I . . _ (>j 
 
 SERMON \ . 
 
 THE DOOM OF THE MICKEP. PSAL. IX. 17 . . 7^ 
 
 SER3ION M. 
 
 THE DECEITFULNESS OF THE HEART. ..K 
 
 XVII. . 
 
 99 
 
( vi ) 
 SERMON VII. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 TRIBULATION THE WAY TO THE KINGDOM. ACTS 
 
 XIV. 22 in 
 
 SERMON VIII. 
 
 THE CHRISTIAN WALK. COLOS. IT. 6 .... 14 5 
 
 SERMON IX. 
 
 PAUL AND FELIX. ACTS XXIV. 25 165 
 
 SERMON X. 
 
 INVITATION OF THE SPIRIT AND THE BRIDE. REV. 
 
 xxiL 17 185 
 
 SERMON XL 
 
 THE NEW CREATURE. 2 COR. V. 17 .... 207 
 
 SERMON XII. 
 
 NATURE AND MEANS OF CONVERSION. ACTS 
 
 III. 26 229 
 
 SERMON XIII. 
 
 ST. Paul's description and salutation of 
 
 TRUE christians. 1 COR. 1 — 3 . . . 253 
 
 SERMON XIV. 
 
 THE PREACHING OF CHRIST CRUCIFIED. 1 COR. I. 
 
 23, 24 277 
 
( v» ) 
 
 SERMON XV. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 THE CHURCH A SPIRITUAL BUILDING. EPIIES. II. 
 
 W—22 303 
 
 SERMON XVI. 
 
 THE TREMBLING JAILER. ACTS, XVI. 29— 3 1 .327 
 
 SERMON XVII. 
 
 THE STATE OF NATURE. EPHES. II. 1 — 3 . . . 349 
 
 SERMON XVIII. 
 
 THE STATE OF GRACE. EPHES. II. 4 7 . . . 369 
 
 SERMON XIX. 
 
 Christ's grand commission to his apostles. 
 
 MATT. XXVIII. 18 — 20 ^391 
 
 SERMON XX. 
 
 christian INDIA. GALAT. VI. 10 413 
 
SERMON I. 
 
 ON THE ATONEMENT. 
 
 HEBREWS IX. 22. 
 
 Without shedding of blood is no remission, 
 
 1 HE" confession of mankind respecting their 
 need of forgiveness, though in most cases not 
 arising from such deep conviction as to lead 
 them to seek pardon, is, however, so general, 
 and the acknowledgment made so readily, 
 that instead of detaining you with proofs of our 
 universal sinfulness, we shall for the present 
 take it for granted. 
 
 The opinions of men on the way of obtain- 
 ing pardon, are far from being so agreeable to 
 each other, or to the truth. That great source 
 of ignorance, our fancied knowledge, is one 
 cause of their mistake ; and want of a thorough 
 persuasion of their guilt and danger, makes 
 them remiss in their inquiries about the way to 
 escape from it. Their natural depravity also 
 makes them averse to any consideration of a 
 
 B 
 
2 riRST SERMON. 
 
 religious nature ; and even when the scripts ke 
 is consulted for information on this subject, 
 men often bring their own notions and preju- 
 dices along with them. In this way, the doc- 
 trine of the Gospel appears obscure. 
 
 I. It shall be our endeavour to state the truth 
 as it is revealed, and we must begin with 
 REMOVING ERROR. 
 
 Without shedding of blood is no remission. — 
 Now as there are many modes of remission or 
 forgiveness passing current among Christians, 
 different from the one in the text, we must 
 examine their nature and prove their inefficacy. 
 
 1 . The first, and most general w ay is, that 
 '* God is merciful, and man weak ; there- 
 fore God will overlook his errors. This* 
 as might be expected, is the most favourite way 
 among men, because most agreeable to their 
 inclinations. 
 
 In the reasoning by which it is attempted to 
 be established, we allow the premises, but deny 
 the conclusion : we allow that God is merciful 
 and man weak ; but we deny that it follows 
 from thence that man must be saved. For 
 though God is merciful, and must necessarily 
 remain so, yet our salvation is not necessary 
 to the maintenance of hi> attribute of mercy : 
 
THE ATONEMENT. O 
 
 he would not lose this attribute were we all to 
 perish : if he would, why did he not when 
 he destroyed the angels that sinned ? No 
 mercy was shewn to them, yet we still say, 
 and say properly, that mercy is one of his 
 attributes. 
 
 It is allowed that man differs from the angels 
 in being weak ; but God did not create him 
 weak. God made man upright, in his own 
 image : his subsequent corruption is to be 
 ascribed to himself ; and can therefore impose 
 no obligation on God to alter his laws in order 
 to accommodate them to man's w^eakness. 
 
 If it be urged that the weakness in which we 
 are born is not owing to ourselves, we reply, 
 That weakness is not so great as to amount to a 
 NECESSITY of falling. What man can say w^th 
 truth, concerning any of the sins which he has 
 committed, that it was absolutely impossible 
 for him to have avoided it ? If he had avoided 
 the temptation, or armed his mind with consi- 
 deration — the fear of God and his judgements — 
 faith in his promises and help — whose con- 
 science does not tell him after the commission 
 of evil, that he is himself to blame, and not 
 his Maker? God, it is true, has given us pas- 
 sions ; but it is not the use of them that consti- 
 tutes sin, but the abuse of them : this abuse of 
 them is of ourselves, and therefore God is not 
 
4 FIRST SERMON. 
 
 chargeable with our sinful weakness ; conse- 
 quently no ar2:ument can be drawn from thence 
 that he Avill overlook it. If any one injure us 
 materially in our property or lionour, and, while 
 we are sufierinji; from the aiiiiTession, should 
 plead his weakness of resolution or the strength 
 of his inclination to do what he has done, we 
 should consider the excuse as inexcusable as 
 the crime ; and why we do not apply this rea- 
 soning to God, is, because Ave seldom think 
 how offensive sin is to him 
 
 Our weakness, therefore, is no excuse ; and 
 if God make laws for us, and denounce punish- 
 ments for the transgression and rewards for the 
 observance of them, he does only what every 
 wise Lawgiver on earth does, who, if he fulfil 
 his own threatenings, is not accused of want of 
 goodness. 
 
 It might be added, that the goodness of God 
 would be so far from being liable to any impu- 
 tation by our destruction, that it might probably 
 be an act of goodness to the rest of the crea- 
 tion, to PUNISH us: as a King, by putting to 
 death a number of his people, who are nuisances 
 to the rest by their ill conduct, consults thereby 
 the benefit of the whole community ; for the 
 rest are taught the evil and danger of transgres- 
 sion, and fear to offend. 
 
 If, after all, men persist in saying, that they 
 
THE ATONEMENT. O 
 
 can never believe that there is any hell, or that 
 God made us to be miserable, we answer, that 
 the same argument would go to prove that 
 there should be no suffering in this life 
 neither; for this world is as much under 
 God's government as the next : we must there- 
 fore say, upon those principles, " We shall 
 never find any misery in the world — God is 
 too merciful to allow it." But let us look at 
 the world — Is there no misery, no shame, no 
 poverty, no remorse, no disease ? yes, a huge 
 army of pains and sorrows over-nm the earth, 
 and are the consequences of men's sins — the 
 natural, appointed, and necessary consequences. 
 It cannot be said that these sufferings are 
 intended only to correct us, so as to make us 
 more careful in future ; for, in all instances 
 of CAPITAL punishments for crimes, this end 
 cannot be answered : when a man is brought 
 to the gallows, no one supposes that his 
 execution is intended to make him better. 
 And it must be observed, that these things take 
 place upon earth according to the appoint- 
 ment of God : for such instances of punish- 
 ments, where men are cut off for ever from 
 the community, are confessedly necessary for 
 the well-being -.^i" the whole, and are therefore 
 agreeable to the will of God. Our inference, 
 therefore, is, that, upon whatever principle 
 
6 
 
 I'HIST SERMON-. 
 
 God is supposed too mercifid to punish sin 
 hereafter, upon the same principle it must be 
 concluded, t'^rst lie is too merciful to puni-Ji it 
 here: which is contrary to fact. 
 
 But we vv^ere to specik of Forgiveness. We 
 have shewn that it is impossible to suppose 
 that God should not punish sin at all ; yet since 
 many who would allow that God will punish 
 some, that is, the most heinous transgressors, 
 yet suppose that the rest will be readily for- 
 given, we proceed one step further, and affirm, 
 that God never forgives any in the absolute 
 exercise of Mercy, independently of any other 
 consideration. For Mercy cannot be exer- 
 cised to the disparagement of his Truth. If 
 therefore he has spoken any thing which is of 
 such a nature that the exercise of mercy in 
 pardoning would be inconsistent with it, that 
 mode of exercising mercy cannot be admitted 
 as possible, because it would subject the Deity 
 to the imputation of falsehood. Now God has 
 said, either literally or virtually, that sin shall 
 not go unpunished : and reason, indeed, fur- 
 nishes us with the same truth ; for sin is the 
 transgression against some law, and there can 
 be no law without the sanction of punishment 
 annexed to transgression. If, therefore, after 
 this declaration of God, that sin shall meet 
 its punishment, sin, throsigh the exercise of 
 
THK ATOXlilMENT. / 
 
 God's mercy find no punishment, how shall 
 God be true ? 
 
 2. The next opinion to be noticed, is, that 
 " God will pardon us for the sake of 
 our repentance." 
 
 But if a debtor express his sorrow to the 
 creditor, for having contracted the debt, and 
 promise to incur no new debt with him here- 
 after, will the creditor be satisfied with this 
 declaration? the debtor's future good conduct 
 will be of no advantage to him : he requires 
 payment therefore; and, in default of pay- 
 ment, will imprison. Or if a criminal acknow- 
 ledge before a judge, his sorrow for his past 
 offences^ and promise amendment, will his 
 acknowledgments or his promises arrest the 
 arm of justice? by no means: the law must 
 take its course, or it may as well be abolished. 
 Now God is the Judge of the universe. He 
 sitteth upon his throne, judging right : if there- 
 fore every sinner, for the sake of his repent- 
 ance, must find pardon, disorder would as 
 necessarily be introduced into God's moral 
 government of the world, as it would be in 
 human governments from the same cause. 
 
 A due consideration of this truth would 
 tend to remove many erroneous imaginations. 
 A father, it is allowed, pardons his child out 
 of love to it, and a master his servant, on 
 
8 FIRST SERMON'. 
 
 account of his repentaii<?e : but God is not a 
 father or a master only, but a Judge and a 
 Governor. Now a poor and ignorant man, 
 brought before a judge, often wonders why he 
 might not as well be pardoned and liberated, 
 especially when conscious that he should be 
 careful to offend no more : these are his 
 thoughts, because he is too short-sighted to 
 look beyond himself; and to watch the dis- 
 tant consequences of indiscriminating lenity, 
 in its effects on the community at large. We, 
 in the same way, think it extremely easy, and 
 as certain as it is easy, that God should pardon 
 sinners for the sake of their repentance, be- 
 cause we consider only our own individual 
 case : but when it is considered that God is, 
 in the strictest sense, a Judge, as well as a 
 father or a master, it becomes a far greater dif- 
 ficulty than at first sight it appears, to believe 
 that he should pai'don men for their repent- 
 ance. In addition to what has been said, it 
 may be observed, that a judge's peculiar duties 
 are comparatively so indispensible, that a man 
 in. that situation, acting conscientiously, will 
 punish a servant, or even his own child, whom 
 he would have forgiven if acting only in the 
 capacity of a master or father. 
 
 The former considerations also of the truth 
 of God, may be again referred to, in evidence 
 
THE ATONEMENT. 9 
 
 against the supposition that Repentance and 
 Pardon are necessarily connected. It may 
 be asked, as before, if God's Law threatens 
 punishment for sin, and makes no provision 
 for repentance, which it does not any more 
 than human laws, how shall God be true if our 
 sins go unpunished ? 
 
 But here it will be asked, "Do not the Scrip- 
 tures themselves say, that if we repent, we 
 shall be saved ?" Yes, because repentance is 
 necessary to our accepting that way of pardon 
 which God has provided : but it can no where 
 be inferred from Scripture, that repentance is 
 the primary cause of our pardon, or that it is 
 of itself sufficient. 
 
 3. The third way of obtaining pardon for our 
 offences, which we notice, is "the way of 
 GOOD works." 
 
 The followers of this way suppose, that future 
 good works will make amends for past bad 
 ones — that money given for charity, will atone 
 for former extravagance — that attendance at 
 Church and Sacrament, will make up for past 
 profanations of Sabbaths — and that extraordi- 
 nary strictness in religious duties, will work out 
 the pardon of past remissness. This is the Po- 
 pish doctrine of Works of Supererogation. 
 
 But concerning these good works which Ave 
 do, it must be said, that they are either not 
 
10 
 
 FIRST 3 En MO N. 
 
 commanded of God, or they are : if they are 
 not, they are unlawful and unnecessary ; if 
 they are, they are absolutely necessary to be 
 done at every time in such a sense, that to omit 
 doing them is a sin. All the good works that 
 can possibly be done iu any hour, with all their 
 perfection and excellence, belong to that hour, 
 and, consequently, the merit of them cannot 
 be transferable, to supply the defects of another 
 hour : to attempt to do it, is but to cover one 
 part of the body with a garment which leaves 
 another part naked. 
 
 One of our Saviour's arguments is in point here : 
 Which of youhaving a servant plowing , or feeding 
 cattle^ will say unto him hy and bye ivhen he is 
 come from the fields Go and sit down to meat ; 
 and will not rather say unto him. Make ready 
 wherewith 1 may sup, and gird thyself and serve 
 me till I have eaten and drank ? After the ser- 
 vant has done his work in the field, the master 
 does not think himself obliged to shew him 
 particular kindness and indulgence, but gives 
 him other work ; and when he has finished that 
 too, doth he thank that servant our Saviour asks, 
 because he did the things that were commanded 
 him ? I trow not. So likewise ye, ivhen ye 
 shall have done all those things which are com- 
 manded you, say. We are unprofitable servants, 
 we have done that which was our duty to 
 
THE ATOXEMENT. 11 
 
 e?o(Luke xvii.7— 10) : that is, "Say," and there- 
 fore know, " that if you do every possible good 
 work, yon have done no more than God com- 
 manded you ; and have therefore brought no 
 profit to God, any more than a servant, who 
 does his appointed duty, brings any gain to his 
 master, or lays him under an obligation." 
 
 Upon the whole, then, it appears that neither 
 God's mercy, nor our repentance, nor our good 
 works, can be allowed to be the way of pardon 
 By these, there is no remission. 
 
 II. Yet since it is undeniable that sins may 
 be forgiven, we are compelled to adopt the only 
 supposition that remains. If it is indeed neces- 
 sary for the sake of the truth and justice of 
 God, that sin should be punished, and salva- 
 tion consists not in our suffering, it immediately 
 follows that SOME ONE MUST SUFFER FOR 
 US. There seems no possible way of recon- 
 ciling Mercy and Justice, Grace and Truth, 
 but this. 
 
 Yet, here again, when we search for an Atone- 
 ment, not for one sin, but for all the sins of all 
 the human race, Reason, not informed by Re- 
 velation, must despair of succeeding in its 
 search. For sin is an infinite evil : an offence 
 against a fellow-creature, an equal, a superior, 
 a king — or, again, against a friend, a brother, 
 
12 FIRST SERMON. 
 
 a lather — is, in every step, more aggravated ; 
 since the offence increases always in proportion 
 to the dignity of the person whom we offend, 
 and the obhgations which we are under to him. 
 Hence it must be concluded, that, since the dig- 
 nity of God is infinite, and the obligations which 
 we are under to him infinite, the wickedness of 
 sinners against him is also infinite : therefore if 
 we suffer for sin in hell, no finite time of suffer- 
 ing can be a sufficient punishment for sin : it 
 must be for an infinite time — for eternity. On 
 the other hand, if our sins are to be cancelled 
 by an atonement, that atonement must be of in- 
 finite value in order to be equivalent to the evil 
 of sin ; and if the atonement be a person, that 
 person must be of infinite dignity : but infinite 
 dignity belongs only to God. 
 
 In tiiis dilemma, the book of Revelation ap- 
 pears for our information and relief: and teaches 
 us that the Deity exists in Three Persons, all 
 equal ; and that the Second of these, in love 
 consented to become the atonement required, 
 and the Father accepted it. But as an atone- 
 ment for sin implied suffering for it, and the 
 Deity is incapable of suftering, not on account of 
 any imperfection, but of his absolute perfec- 
 tion, it was necessary that he should assume a 
 nature that was capable of suffering. This 
 might be the nature of angels or of men. It 
 
Tllr. AT0XE1\IF.NT 13 
 
 was more proper to assume the nature of men 
 than of angels, because the words Tkou shall 
 surely die respect the human nature : therefore 
 it was necessary that the nature which had 
 sinned should die. 
 
 From this time, then, preparation was made 
 for the coming of the Son of God into the 
 world ; and the promise of his incarnation from 
 the seed of the woman was given immediately 
 after the fall. 
 
 About this time, also, it appears that God, in 
 order to teach man in what way he would save 
 such, namely, not ivitliout shedding of blood, 
 instituted the observance of Sacrifices, it is 
 not, indeed, expressly said in the Book of 
 Genesis, that God commanded this rite ; but it 
 seems extremely evident : for Abel offered a 
 sacrifice, and was accepted in preference to 
 Cain : but, in the New Testament, it is said, that 
 by faith Abel offered a more excellent sacrifice 
 thariCain (Heb. xi. 4 ): now faith implies a 
 divine command ; for where there is no com- 
 mand of God, there is no place for the exercise 
 of faith. Even before Abel, it seems most 
 probable that Adam and Eve offered sacrifices 
 by the divine command : for it is said that 
 God made them, or prepared for them coats of 
 skins, and clothed them (Gen. iii. 21) : now as 
 animal food was not allowed mankind till after 
 
14 FIRST SERMON. 
 
 the Flood, it is not easy to say why these 
 animals should be killed, but in sacrifices ; and 
 God's clothing them was a lively figure of their 
 being clothed with the righteousness of Christ : 
 they obtained it not of themselves, it was God 
 that gave it to them ; to signify, that the 
 righteousness with which our naked souls are 
 clothed, is not our righteousness, but the 
 righteousness which is of God : and we may 
 also conceive that our first parents, who, when 
 naked, were clothed at the expense of life, 
 might be taught by this, that the covering of 
 the inward nakedness of the soul was to be at 
 the expense of the life and blood — that without 
 shedding of blood is no r^emissiou. 
 
 These remarks respecting sacrifices receive 
 not a little strength, from the consideration of 
 the acknowledged universality of the practice ; 
 from the sameness of the manner in which 
 the whole world offered these sacrifices ; 
 and from that merit and expiation which 
 were constantly supposed to be effected by 
 them. 
 
 The practice has been so general, that it is 
 probable, not a single people can be found 
 upon earth, among whom it has not prevailed 
 at one time or other. Nay, it is surprising to 
 observe how general was the custom of human 
 sacrifices, unnatural as it is : the ancient Egyp- 
 
thl: atone.mext. 
 
 Id 
 
 tians, Cretans, Arabians, Persians— the inha- 
 bitants of all the Greek and the Asiatic 
 Islands — the Romans — the people of Gaul 
 and Germany — all the inhabitants of the north, 
 of whatever denomination — the Scythians — 
 the various nations upon the Baltic — held it 
 as a fixed principle, that their happiness and 
 security could not be obtained, but at the 
 expense of the lives of others. These accounts 
 are handed down l)y a variety of authors 
 in different ages, many of whom were natives 
 of the countries which they describe : they 
 would not, therefore, have brought so foul an 
 imputation on the people in favour of whom 
 they were writing, nor could there be that con- 
 currence of testimony, were not the history in 
 general true. The practice we full well know 
 was prevalent in our own island in ancient times, 
 when the forests were stained with the gore of 
 men dying under the knife of the Druids. In 
 modern times, it is seen to prevail : it was found 
 in Mexico and Peru, and most parts of Ame- 
 rica : in Africa, it is still kept up in the inland 
 parts: and, in this Heathen Country, it has 
 been the custom, from time immemorial. There 
 are particular directions given in their Sacred 
 Books, for the ceremonies to be perform.ed at 
 the sacrifice of human victims : it is within ten 
 years, or less, that the sacrifice of children was 
 
10 FfUST SERMON", 
 
 prohibited by the Government ; and little doubt 
 can be entertained, that many are yearly sacri- 
 liced in the forests of Bengal. 
 
 The Manner of sacrificing animals, among 
 all nations, has also been very similar. Both 
 among the Jews, Greeks, and Romans, the 
 victim was to be without blemish or imperfec- 
 tion ; and, among the latter people, if the ani- 
 mal made any resistance, it was thought a bad 
 omen. If thought fit to be offered, they con- 
 fessed their sins over the victim, and then slaugh- 
 tered him. 
 
 Now human reason, even among the most 
 strenuous opponents of the Divine Institutions, 
 is allowed to be incapable of pointing out the 
 least natural fitness or congruity, between blood 
 and atonement — between killing God's crea- 
 tures, and receiving a pardon for the violation 
 of God's laws : yet this effect of sacrifices, 
 when properly offered, was the invariable opi- 
 nion of the Heathen. They had also a tradi- 
 tionary belief among them, tliat their animal 
 sacrifices were not only expiatory, but vica- 
 rious. Commutations, and substitutions, or 
 satisfactions, being so remote from, nay, con- 
 trary to any lesson that nature teaches, as they 
 confessedly are, it seems evident that they ori- 
 ginated in a primitive command of God ; though 
 certainly carried to a dreadful and unscriptural 
 
T"HE ATONEMEXT. 17 
 
 iength, when extended to human sacrifices: 
 and God has suffered the practice of sacrifice 
 in general to continue, perhaps, that the minds 
 of men may be accustomed to the idea of re- 
 mission through blood-shedding ; and thus be 
 more ready hereafter to receive the Gospel, the 
 preaching of which is to reveal the Great Sa- 
 crifice. 
 
 God continued to order all the affairs of pro- 
 vidence, in subservience to the same event. 
 All of these we cannot notice, only those 
 which are more particularly connected with the 
 text. 
 
 Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, were 
 regular and exact in their sacrifices; and in 
 that remarkable instance of Abraham being 
 called to offer up his son Isaac, a more clear 
 intimation of what God was about to do was 
 given, than had ever been given before. Here 
 a FATHER was seen offering an innocent son. 
 Moreover, the spot where the great event was 
 to take place was pointed out : peculiar and 
 repeated direction was given to Abraham to go 
 to that particular mountain, and no other ; and 
 a remark is made in that Chapter of Genesis 
 of a proverb that had arisen ** In the mount of 
 the Lord it shall be seen' (Gen. xxii. 14.) — 
 a tradition that would naturally lead men to 
 expect something remarkable to take place 
 
18 FIRST SERMON. 
 
 there. At last, God separated the family of 
 Abraham to be a peculiar people, to shew forth, 
 more fully than ever, what was intended to be 
 done. 
 
 There had been many typical events, before, 
 respecting Christ ; but now, instead of a few 
 and insulated notices, as the time approached 
 he gives a Law, full of nothing but various and 
 innumerable representations, by which that 
 nation was directed, every year, month, and 
 day, in their religious actions, and in their 
 conduct of themselves in their ecclesiastic and 
 civil affairs, to shew forth what was coming ; 
 one observance exhibiting one doctrine or be- 
 nefit — another, anotlier : so that the whole na- 
 tion, as it were, by their singular customs, were 
 preachers and prophets to the rest of the world. 
 It is true that the modern Jews and the igno- 
 rant ones of old, perceive nothing more than 
 the outside of their institutions : but it must 
 have occurred to every thinking person among 
 them, that mere ceremonies could not have 
 formed acceptable services to that God who is 
 a Spirit. There seems nothing in these minute 
 institutions, considered in themselves, that ap- 
 pears worthy of the appointment of that wise 
 and holy God whom the Jews knew, while the 
 rest of the world lay m darkness ; and, upon 
 any other hypothesis, it would be difficult, if 
 
THE ATONEMENT. 19 
 
 not impossible, to account for the particular 
 exactness required in these services, or for 
 Moses' being so strictly charged to make all 
 things according to the pattern exhibited in the 
 mount. 
 
 We might expect, among a people designed 
 by God for such purposes, very precise in- 
 junctions about the sacrifice; and, accord- 
 ingly, the Jewish Ritual is full of them — in 
 every part proclaiming, without shedding of 
 blood is no remission. In the first institution of 
 the system, at their coming out of Egypt, a 
 lamb was to be sacrificed by every family, and 
 the blood sprinkled upon the upper-lintels and 
 door-posts, that they might be saved from the 
 destroying angel; and when the institution 
 was complete, the command appeared to be 
 that every sin was to be expiated by blood, 
 every defilement to be cleansed by blood, every 
 sin of ignorance was to be atoned for by 
 Hood — God forgives no sin without blood : 
 hence, did he thus manifestly reveal the in- 
 tended way of salvation by blood. The Man- 
 ner, also, of the sacrifice among the Jews, 
 unfolded a great deal more of what was to 
 come, than the same rite among the Heathen ; 
 as we should, indeed, expect : the animal was 
 not to be a wild beast, or unclean one ; but 
 
20 FIRST SERMOK. 
 
 tame, eatable, sociable, valuable, male, and in 
 the prime of life : they were to be offered 
 voluntarily by the persons ; to signify, that, in 
 order to find acceptance through the great 
 atonement, we must depend cordially and sin- 
 cerely upon it: he who offered the sacrifice 
 was to lay his hands on it, confessing his sins ; 
 which imported his belief, that his sins were to 
 be forgiven by his transferring them to another : 
 after the death of the animal, the blood was 
 sprinkled round about the altar, and toward 
 the mercy-seat ; this marked the virtue of the 
 atonement, to satisfy God and open the way 
 to his mercy : the washing of the sacrifice was 
 to denote Christ's purity — the burning of it, his 
 sufferings — the holy fire consuming it, denoted 
 tlie wrath of God descending upon him. 
 
 In the various ceremonial defilements, con- 
 tracted by touching unclean animals or dead 
 bodies, or by leprosy or certain other diseases, 
 the rites prescribed denoted purification by 
 blood. Now, certainly, there is no obvious 
 connection between purification and blood : if 
 water had been used, it might have been said 
 that its natural efficacy in cleansing was adopt- 
 ed, as an emblem of that power which cleanses 
 the soul ; but why blood-shedding should be the 
 emblem of cleansing power, is unaccountable 
 
THE ATONEMENT. 
 
 21 
 
 on any hypothesis but this — that the death of 
 some great propitiation was to be the means 
 of purifying the soul from guilt and sin. 
 
 The carnal Jews saw but little of the mean- 
 ing of these things, as might be expected ; for, 
 in all ages, the bulk of men seldom look be- 
 yond the outside of things. God therefore, 
 in wonderful wisdom, makes use of their 
 blindness to speak still more plainly of the 
 thing intended. While they depended on 
 their outward observances he tells them. Every 
 beast of the forest is 7nine, and the cattle vpoti 
 it thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the 
 mountains, and the wild beasts of the field are 
 mine. If I ivere hungry, I would not tell thee; 
 for the ivorld is mine, and the fulness thereof 
 Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood 
 of goats? (Ps. 1. 10— 13). This should have 
 naturally led them to consider, that, if God 
 speaks so slightingly of the efficacy of merely 
 literal sacrifices, while yet they were so strictly 
 enjoined, it must have been their representing 
 power and meaning that constituted their use. 
 Again, an unknown person is introduced in 
 the Fortieth Psalm saying, Sacrifice and offer- 
 ing thou didst not desire: burnt-offeriyig and 
 sin-offering hast thou not required. Then said I, 
 Lo, I come ! in the volume of the Book it is. 
 writ ten of me. 
 
22 FIRST SERMON. 
 
 While the Law and the Psahiis were thus 
 gradually and harmoniously opening the way, 
 and preparing the minds of men for the great 
 blood-shedding, the Prophets' AVritings, from 
 age to age, kept pace with them, m unfolding 
 more and more of the designs of God. Isaiah, 
 at last, rapt in future times, sees Him as already 
 come ; and speaks of one who hath home our 
 griefs and carried our soi'rmvs; who was 
 wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our 
 iniquities; brought as a Lamb to the slaughter ; 
 for the transgression of my people was he stricken 
 (Is. liii. 4 — 8). Here is remission by the shed- 
 ding of blood ! After him, Daniel says, After 
 three-score a7id two weeks, Messiah shall be cut 
 off, hit not for himself (Dan. ix. 26). 
 
 More plain notices than these were scarcely 
 necessary ; and very few more w ere given till 
 the Desire of all Nations came ; who, after ful- 
 filling every prophecy, one after another, by 
 his birth, life, and miracles, finished the great 
 work for which preparation had been making 
 all along from the beginning of tlie world, by 
 the sacrifice of Himself on the Cross, where he 
 shed his blood, for us, and for many, for the 
 remission of sins^. The Jewish Ritual w^as now 
 no more necessary : it had done its work, and 
 was therefore abolished : and it is now more 
 than one thousand seven hundred years since 
 
THE ATONEMENT. 23 
 
 Temple and Sacrifices have ceased. The ge- 
 neral way of salvation preparing for all man- 
 kind, was published to all the world. 
 
 Thus the true way of pardon was opened, 
 when neither God's mercy, nor our repentance, 
 nor our good works could avail. Now God's 
 mercy can be exercised, without detriment to 
 his truth and holiness. He can be gracious and 
 kind to sinful man — yet he can be true — yet he 
 can be holy. Sin meets a dreadful punish- 
 ment — yet sinners are saved. God can be 
 merciful to us — yet his truth and holiness ap- 
 pear awfully displayed in the agonies of his 
 Son, for the expiating of our sins. 
 
 Having theiefore^ brethren^ boldness to enter 
 into the holiest by the blood of Jesus — Let us 
 draw near with a true hearty in full assuraiice of 
 faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil 
 conscience (Heb. x. 19. 22). If God, with such 
 care, such forethought, such preparation, has 
 been providing an Atonement for you, it cannot 
 be that he should disappoint hopes humbly 
 placed on that atonement ; and we are autho- 
 rised to say, that if any man in the world will 
 come for salvation from his sin in this way, he 
 shall find it— ^br the blood of Jesus Christ 
 cleanseth from all sin (1 John i. 7). On the 
 other hand, I leave it to yourselves to con- 
 
24 FIRST SERMON. 
 
 sider, whether, if after all that God has 
 been doing, not for himself, but for you — and 
 Christ, not for himself, but for you — you still do 
 not make it your business to use that atone- 
 ment for the purposes for which God has de- 
 signed it, by obtaining the pardon of your sins 
 and being deli\ ered from this present world, is it 
 likely that God will bear with such neglect? — 
 or listen to any other foolish and pretended 
 way of recommending yourselves to his favour ? 
 If you had never heard of all that he has been 
 doing for you, the case were different : but God 
 has now declared it to you. Brethren, if we 
 si)i icilfuUy after ive have received the knowledge 
 of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice 
 for sin, hut a certain fearful looking for of judg- 
 ment and fiery indignation which shall devour 
 the adversaries. He that despised Moses' law 
 died tvithout mercy, under two or three wit- 
 nesses : of how much ^orer punishment suppose 
 ye shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden 
 under foot the Son of God; and hath counted 
 the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanc- 
 tified, an unholy thing ; and luilh done despite 
 unto the Spirit of Grace! (Heb.x. 2(5—21^). 
 
 III. Many important REMARKS might be 
 made on the subject which we have been con- 
 
THE AXON EM EN f. 25 
 
 sidering, if time would permit us to enlarge: 
 but we can only observe, How irresistible 
 are the evidences, not of Christianity only, to 
 the confusion of Infidelity, but of that real and 
 scriptural account of it, by which it appears to 
 be the developing of a Plan of Salvation in the 
 way of Atonement ! 
 
 And since we have been tracing the works of 
 God in this affair from the beginning of things 
 to this day, it is natural to look forward to con- 
 sider its probable effects on the world to the 
 end of time. Surely when it is fairly unfolded 
 to the blind votaries of superstition, among 
 whom there are many, no doubt, in sincerity 
 groping for the true way, and are practising 
 austerities on their bodies and undergoing suf- 
 ferings for salvation, which the Son of God has 
 borne in his own body, they will perceive the 
 wonderful fitness and suitableness of the true 
 remedy to the necessities of sinful man. It is 
 not for us to say whether all will believe : but 
 the Gospel of the Kingdom must be preached 
 in all the world, for a testimony among all 
 nations, and then shall the end come. 
 
 But, whatever shall be its effect on others, let 
 us be careful, Dear Brethren, to secure an in- 
 terest for ourselves in this great Salvation ; 
 that when all nations shall be gathered before 
 
26 FIRST SERMON. 
 
 him, we may be numbered among the ransomed 
 of the Lord. Now, unto Him that loved usy 
 and ivashed us from our sins in his own bloody 
 and hath made us kings and priests unto God 
 and his Father, to Him be glory and dominion 
 for ever and ever, Amen ! 
 
SERMON II. 
 
 THE LOVE OF GOD IN THE GIFT 
 OF HIS SON. 
 
 JOHN iii. 16. 
 
 God so loved the world, that he gave his only- 
 begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him 
 should not perish, but have everlasting life. 
 
 When we wish to express strong feelings, 
 or excite particular attention, we are apt to 
 go for words to the extremities of time, space, 
 and being. Thus, when the Apostle John 
 would communicate to us the thought under 
 which his own mind laboured, namely, the 
 incalculable number of the remarkable things 
 Christ said and did, he expressed it by saying, 
 that if they were written every one, he sup- 
 posed the world itself could 7iot contain the 
 books that should be written. In the Book of 
 the Acts, Moses is described to have been in 
 his childhood beautiful to God, as it is in the 
 original ; the meaning of which is, as it is 
 rendered, exceedingly beautiful, "Whenever 
 
28 SECOND isEKMOX. 
 
 men are in transports of passion, they go, for 
 terms of endearment or expressions of anger, 
 beyond the little sphere in which their thoughts 
 circulate when their tempers are quiet: a 
 man furious with anger is never easy, nor 
 seems to have expressed the feelings of his 
 heart, till he has brought on something about 
 God, his soul, and the word wl/ich is used to 
 denote its everlasting misery: flinging about 
 firebrands and death, he seems, during the 
 existence of the paroxysm, to be endued with 
 supernatural strength : he is like those furious 
 spirits, of whom it is feigned, that they plucked 
 up mountains by the roots, and hurled them 
 at one another. It appears, then, that strong 
 feelings and vivid conceptions, are generally 
 efforts to reach beyond created being and 
 finite duration. It is natural therefore, con- 
 versely, that the same emotions should in their 
 turn be excited by the mention of all the great 
 things that belong to religion. 
 
 We make these observations, that our minds 
 may be duly prepared for the consideration of 
 this text; which, besides the important matter 
 contained in it, is remarkable for bringing into 
 notice such persons and things only, as are in 
 their nature at the very summit of being and of 
 thought. The persons introduced are God, and 
 Chriot, and the whole world, and none else — 
 
i'HE I.OVr OF COD IX THE GIFT OF HIS SON". 29 
 
 the subjects treated about, are endless happiness 
 and misery, and nothing less. 
 
 I. The first word that meets us, as we ap- 
 proach the text, is GO D ! 
 
 The name of God is heard by different men 
 differently. 
 
 The Heathen hears it, without any emotion 
 at all. He has been accustomed to attach the 
 idea to some inferior being, who surpasses 
 him in power, not in purity — to one who can 
 sport, and play, and sin. He has been used 
 to listen to songs, in which the praises of 
 his God and all manner of obscenity are mixed 
 lip together — at least, transitions are made from 
 one to another so readily, that the poor idolater 
 cannot suppose that they are very unsuitable to 
 each other. Of such a being s future judgment 
 for sin he cannot be afraid ; nor feel more at 
 hearing his name, than at hearing of any other 
 unimportant thing. 
 
 IVot so the man brought up in a Christian 
 Land. He may be a profane man ; and may call 
 npon the Almighty as often as he is surprised, 
 without thinking of God at all : he may hear 
 others do the same with equal indifference: 
 but, at the serious mention of the Sacred Name, 
 some awful thoughts will come over his mind: 
 and he will think of a mighty Being, who 
 
30 SECOND SERMON. 
 
 created him and can destroy him: his thoughts, 
 though indistinct, as they ever must be in all, 
 will correspond to the accounts which the 
 Scriptures give of his Majesty, as being the 
 first and the last — the only self-existent Creator 
 and Governor of all — dwelling in inaccessible 
 light, yet present every where, and knowing 
 every thing. Conceptions of a being of this 
 kind, allow nothing light and trifling to be 
 connected with them. Moreover, the most 
 thoughtless among us cannot help believing 
 God to be a holy being : they know, also, that 
 there is a judgment to come, and conscience 
 tells them they are not prepared for it: hence, 
 the mention of his name makes them uneasy, 
 and they will compose their minds and give 
 attention when something is said about God, 
 but they are prepared to hear something which 
 is sure to be disagreeable. Disagreeable or 
 not, it cannot be unimportant. 
 
 II. The sentence, therefore, having begun 
 with the name of God, let us go on to see what 
 else may be said in it. God so loved. Love! 
 Does God Zore/— can God love? This soft 
 affection is found among creatures ; and in exact 
 proportion to its extent and power, do peace and 
 harmony prevail : when we love, and are loved, 
 we are ourselves happy and make others so. But 
 
 .-^-^.j^^^^^i^ 
 
THE LOVE OF GOD IN THE GIFT OF HIS SON. 31 
 
 can it be said of God, that He loves? — of hiiir,. 
 whom you represent as a jealous God — a great 
 and dreadful God, who cast down the angels, 
 and reserves them in everlasting chains unto 
 the judgment of the great day, and will turn 
 the nations into hell if they forget him? Yes 
 though he has done these things, and must do 
 them again, yet he loves. You will wonder 
 how such opposite attributes, as love and un- 
 bending justice, can consist together; or else 
 will begin to suspect that the love of God, of 
 which we are speaking, is only the love which 
 he feels for those who are worthy of it. 
 
 III. Let us advance a step farther in the text, 
 and see: — God so loved the world — the wo? Id 
 of which St. John saith, that it lieth in wickedness. 
 
 No sign of worthiness appears here — We 
 were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, 
 serving divers lusts and -pleasures, living in 
 malice and envy, hateful and hating one another 
 (Tit. iii. 3.) ; that is, detestable ourseives, and 
 detesting one another: nothing amiable appears 
 yet. But, perhaps, they still retained some re- 
 spect for God, though they were so full of hatred 
 to one another: but the Lord looked down from 
 heaven, and behold, there ivasnone doing good, 
 no not one (Ps. xiv. 2, Z)— every imagination of the 
 thoughts of the heart was only evil continually 
 
32 SECOXD SERMON. 
 
 (Gen. vi. 5). It was not the mere infinnity of 
 nature that led men into such an extent of 
 depravity, but radical enmity in the heart. The 
 heart, in its natural state, is not merely an enemy 
 to religion, but enmity itself against God, being 
 made up of malice and ill-will, and spiteful 
 opposition to God for imposing the restraints 
 of his laws upon us and preparing a place 
 of punisliment : we accounted him unjust and 
 tyrannical : we would rather he were less holy, 
 and still more that he did not exist at all. 
 Now God, we are sure, must have been privy to 
 these thoughts : had we attempted it, we could 
 not have concealed them : his eye is fixed on 
 the heart : he knows, and ever has known, all 
 that is passing there ; is fully acquainted with 
 the malignity of every thought. But perhaps 
 God thinks more lightly of these things than we 
 w ould have it understood that he does ; and if he 
 had punished them, the punishment would not 
 have been very terrible : but you will notice 
 one expression of our text, that they should not 
 perish. The idea of perishing leaves no room 
 for that of recovery. Absolute ruin, then, 
 would have been the consequence, if justice 
 had taken its course. 
 
 Thus we need not go beyond our text, to 
 find proofs of our being unworthy of God's 
 love. When he undertook to introduce a new 
 
i riE LOVE OF GOD IX THE Gll-T OF HIS SOX. 83 
 
 dispensation whereby men might be saved, he 
 found tliem perishing. But, in the government 
 of a good and righteous God, no creature 
 could have perislied without deserving it. If 
 men deserved to perish, they could not be 
 M orthy of his love. 
 
 Possibly this thought may occur to some — 
 that men till so high a place in the universe, 
 that the preservation of them miglit be an 
 object of importance ; that perhaps God might 
 take measures for preventing their excision, in 
 order to preserve the integrity of his universal 
 empire. 
 
 But, alas ! the earth, with its grandeur, is 
 but a speck before God. Could then the 
 destruction of it, Avitli all its inhabitants, dimi- 
 nish ought of God's glory ? — would there not 
 remain multitudes enough of holy creatures, 
 yea of millions of worlds, to glorify him ? Or 
 if we were to suppose the whole universe, with 
 all its wonders, to be blotted out and brought 
 to nothing, would not He remain the same Great 
 God, infinitely happy in Himself alone? — could 
 he not, if he pleased, call forth another world 
 with the same ease as when he spake this into 
 being? But, in truth, so far is the salvation 
 of men from being necessary to God's glory, 
 that he would have been glorified by our 
 
 D 
 
S4 SECOND SERMON. 
 
 destruction: as our earth sunk in ruins, the 
 inhabitants of heaven might praise God, in the 
 same strains as those in which they will praise 
 him at the fall of his other enemies ; for thus 
 they will sing in heaven, at the final execution 
 of judgment — We give thee ihcmks, O Lord 
 God AhmgJity, which art, and ivast, and art to 
 come ; because thou hast taken to thee thy great 
 power, and hast reigned (Rev. xi. 17) — and 
 again they glorify him for the ruin of his ene- 
 mies — Great and marvellous are thy works. Lord 
 God Almighty ; just and true are thyivays, thou 
 King of saints (Rev. xv. 3). TIris might the 
 song of triumph be sung at the destruction of 
 the race of men. They might have sung as 
 we perished. Just and true are thy ways I 
 
 If then God was under no obligation to do 
 any thing for us, but, on the contrary, might 
 have justly left us to perish ; if he might in 
 righteous judgment have sent indignation and 
 wrath, trihidation and anguish, on every soul of 
 man (Rom. ii. 8, 9) because they were enemies 
 and rebels — there is no way of accountini^ 
 for his being willing to save us, but by saying, 
 that he chose that it should be so. It was mere 
 sovereign grace, that moved him to have com- 
 passion on us. He might ha\e left it undone 
 with perfect justice, propriety, and honour to 
 
THE LOVE 01 GOD IN THE GIFT OF HIS SON. 85 
 
 himself — that he has clone it at all, in any 
 manner, is an interposition nnexpected and 
 extraordinary. 
 
 IV. If it is an act of mercy that God should 
 suspend our punishment, what shall we say 
 then, when God hath so loved the ivorld as to 
 
 GIVE HIS ONLY-BEGOTTEN SON } 
 
 He loved us ; but could not resign his rights, 
 or put up with a partial fulfilment of his will ! 
 A Person must be found capable of bearing 
 the sins of men : and where v^as such an one, 
 but in the bosom of God himself? If God will 
 save sinners, he must give none otlier than His 
 Own Son ! His love to the world may be great, 
 but will it draw from him a gift like this ? 
 
 Take now thy son, said God to Abraham, 
 thine only son, whom thou lovest, and offer him 
 up there : this was the severity of the trial, that 
 Abraham w as to give up his only-beloved child. 
 We pretend not to define accurately the relation 
 which subsists between the Father and the 
 Son : so far we may be certain from these 
 names, that Christ is at least as dear to his 
 Father, as a child to an earthly parent. If this 
 be the case, can the Father give him ? Is there 
 any example of such generosity on earth, that 
 we may be encouraged to hope ? Was ever a 
 person known to give his fortune to another^ 
 
3(5 SLCOXD SEIIMO.V. 
 
 who had no claim upon him ; or to give the 
 life of one of his own chilfh'en, for the sake of 
 a friend ? much less would he do it for the sake 
 of a person indifferent to him — still less for 
 one V, ho had used him ill — still less if he was 
 still raging with enmity — least of all would he 
 give an only child, for such a person, in such 
 circumstances. To do any, the least of all 
 these things, w ould argue a most unaccountable 
 regard, when so many obstacles cannot prevent 
 its exercise. 
 
 But what ! can the felloiv of Jehovah (Zech. 
 xiii. 7) be given to man ? Shall He, who is 
 God, equal 's^ith the Father, God over all^ 
 blessed for ever — shall the Alpha and Omega, 
 the beginning and the ending, which is, and 
 which ivas, and is to come; shall he leave his 
 glory, and sojourn Avith mortals? Must the 
 Ancient of Days put on a mortal tabernacle ? 
 What fellowship hath light with darkness ? 
 what agreement between dust and glory? Will 
 the Father consent that one of the Persons of 
 the Blessed Trinity be thus debased ? " No !" 
 he might say, " if this be the only condition, 
 let them perish!" 
 
 But God so loved the tvorld, that he gave his 
 only-begotten Son. Herein is love, not that ive 
 loved God, hit that he loved us, and sent his Son 
 to he the propitiation for ovr sins, ( 1 John iv. 10). 
 
TIJE LOVE OF GOD IN THK GIFT OF 1113 Z0\'. 37 
 
 Herein is love, as if there were love in no- 
 thing else. May we not say, that to give us 
 a being among rational creatures — therein is 
 love ; to have our life carried on so many years 
 as a taper in the hands of providence — therein 
 is love ; to have food, and raiment, and kind 
 friends — therein is love ; to give us heaven — ' 
 therein is love ? No ! herein is love, that God 
 gave his Son. He gave him unasked for: man 
 would never have conceived such a request ; 
 or, if he had, he would not have dared to urge 
 it. God foresaw how His Son would be treated ; 
 yet he gave him, notwithstanding, to shame and 
 to spitting, to pain and to sorrow, to a suflering 
 life and disgraceful death; for so God loved the 
 world — SUCH anxiety, such desire, and concern 
 was there in the heart of God, for the salvation 
 of sinners ! 
 
 V. The further we advance in the text, the 
 more conspicuously will this truth appear. God 
 gave his Son, that whosoever believetb in him 
 
 SHOULD NOT PERISH. 
 
 The plan of salvation by Jesus Christ, is al- 
 together peculiar : in it men are considered as 
 all alike perishing — as well the virtuous as the 
 profligate ; because they have both broken that 
 Law which allows of no violation, and provides 
 no remedy. But, the Son of God having ap- 
 
58 SKCOND SElll^lON. 
 
 peared on the theatre of the world and suffei*ed 
 the penalty due to us, God sends forth thife 
 message into the world, and at this moment is 
 dehvering it to you, that he is willing to grant 
 pardon and bliss to the sinner, who comes to 
 him through Christ. Whosoever will venture 
 to rest the whole weight of his concerns for 
 eternity on this rock, shall find that it will not 
 fail him : whosoever, pursued by avenging jus- 
 tice, will flee to this city, shall be safe— yea, 
 if he be a murderer, he shall be safe : whoso- 
 ever believeth— it matters not what he has been, 
 only let him be convinced that he deserves 
 punishment, and plead the death of Christ— the 
 sentence of death shall be reversed, and a free 
 pardon granted— he shall not perish, as he 
 otherwise would have done— he shall not pe- 
 rish, though Satan would persuade him that he 
 will— he shall not perish, though his remaining 
 sinfulness threatens him every moment. He is 
 kept by the potver of God through faith (1 Pet. 
 i.,5), and therefore he shall 7iot perish. 
 
 The common objection of cavillers, here ob~ 
 trudes itself—" Is not this the dangerous doc- 
 trine of salvation by faith only ? ' Would to 
 God that they who thus idlj' speak would con- 
 ceiA'e rightly of their guilt, corruption, and dan- 
 ger! If they saw themselves on the brink of 
 EVERLASTiKG PEUDitioK, whefe they all are 
 
THE LOVE 0¥ CDD IX THE G I ET OE If IS :iO.V. 39* 
 
 by nature^ they would no longer think of their 
 Avoi'ks as meriting favour or purchasing- an in- 
 terest in Christ, but would cry, Save, Lord, or 
 I perish ! they would then see that if pardon 
 be not by faith only, they are lost. They sup- 
 pose we lay stress on faith, in contradistinction 
 to other good works ; whereas it is only an act of 
 the mind, whereby it gives up all hopes founded 
 on itself, and reposes on the mercy of God in 
 Christ. May the sinner after this live as he 
 will, or does he wish such a thing ? Perish the 
 thought ! There is such a w ord as Gratitude in 
 his vocabulary. Knowing why Christ came, it 
 is his business to become more holy from day to 
 day ; and for this purpose the Spirit of God is 
 given him. 
 
 But we are unwilling to pass the time 
 in answering objections. It is a disgrace to 
 human nature, that any should be found quar- 
 relhng with that way of salvation, which lias 
 originated solely in the transcending mercy of 
 God. Yet so it is: how many in the world 
 never understand or believe that it is the savor of 
 death unto death to them (2 Cor. ii. 16). Many 
 others there are, who have indeed no objections 
 to make, but lo\ e sin too well to forsake it for 
 Christ. Oh, think a moment of your abomi- 
 nable selfishness and base ingratitude ! If God 
 spared not his own Son but gave him up for 
 
40 SECON'D SERMON. 
 
 you, why should you refuse to resign any thing: 
 at the call of God ? 
 
 Let those who believe in Christ remember 
 that they are warranted to expect every real 
 blessing ; such as assurance of pardon, heavenly 
 mindedness, every thing consolatory, sanctify- 
 ing, and adorning: for he that sjmred not his 
 own Son, hut delivered him up for us all, hoiu 
 shall he not with him also freely give us all 
 things! (Rom. viii. 32). All is your's, for ye 
 are Christ's. If God has parted so freely with 
 that, which is so far dearer to him than any 
 thing else, how shall he deny you any thing 
 afterward ? if he has so freely given you the 
 greater mercies, how can you suppose he Mould 
 deny you the less ? And if he has given you 
 this gift w hen you were alienated from him, it 
 is not to be imagined that he w ill deny you any 
 inferior mercy w hen you are in a state of amity 
 with him. If when we ivere enemies, we ivere 
 reconciled to God hy the death of his Son, much 
 more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his 
 life (Rom. V. 10). 
 
 Oh what numerous, connected, well-secured, 
 precious, and everlasting blessings and joys 
 have we in our Lord Jesus Christ ! Let us 
 recur, with gratitude ever new, to the glorious 
 theme ; and take a view of it in its lengths, and 
 breadths, and depths, and heights — let us pro- 
 
THE LOVE OF GOD IN THE GIFT OF HIS S0\. 41 
 
 claim to all around, the glad, the glorious, the 
 joy-inspiring neus of a Saviour born — let us 
 blow the great trumpet, and make it known 
 among the nations that the year of Jubilee is 
 come. Come, ye sinners, draw near to the 
 fountain of living waters : drink, drink deep of 
 the sacred stream, drink in eternal life. When 
 millions of years shall have passed av» ay, your 
 joys will be but beginning ; and when millions 
 more shall have passed away, they shall be no 
 nearer ending. 
 
 Let us, then, join the choir of angels, and 
 adore, with songs of highest praise, the love 
 and mercy of our God. Let there be a new song 
 in our mouths and in our hearts, even praises 
 to our God. Let our meditation of him be sweet; 
 and let our souls, which he hath redeemed, 
 rejoice in God our only Lord. 
 
 While also we are rejoicing in the bounty of 
 God, let us delight to imitate it. God gave his 
 Son to them who had no claim : hesitate not to 
 give to those whose helpless penury is a claim 
 upon you. Give liberally, give cheerfully : so 
 all the Christmas Song will belong to you— you 
 will have a right to sing, not only Glory to 
 God in the highest, but Peace on earth, a?id 
 Good-tvill touard men ! 
 
SERMON III. 
 
 THE REIGNS OF SIN AND OF GRACE. 
 
 ROMANS \. 20, 21 . 
 
 Where sin abounded^ grace did much more 
 abound ; That as sin had reigned unto death, 
 even so might grace reign, through right- 
 eousness, unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our 
 Lord. 
 
 The subjects which St. Paul treats of in his 
 Epistles are so purely matters of Revelation, 
 and his mode of illustrating and confirming 
 them so much out of the beaten track, that 
 often it requires no common attention to dis- 
 cern his purpose, or to follow where he leads. 
 But, in this Chapter, his object is evident. 
 Whether we have strength of mind, or not, to 
 comprehend his reasoning, we may take the 
 conclusion to ourselves, and thank God : for 
 one more sweet and consolatory, was never yet 
 heard upon our earth. 
 
 Here let us observe, that inferiority to others 
 in intellect shall not be anv loss to us in eternitv. 
 
4J THIRD SERMON. 
 
 The pliilosoplier reasons about the rain, and 
 finds out the cause of it — another cannot reason 
 at all, but shares in the benefit notwithstanding. 
 In the study of Revelation, some are delighted 
 with a series of truths, the order and connec- 
 tion of which they see antl follow — others are 
 contented to be carried in the dark, knowing 
 that they shall aliglit at last on a place Avhere 
 they are sure of their ground. 
 
 In this Chapter, a comparison is instituted 
 between the miseries entailed on us by Adam, 
 and the benefits obtained through Christ. It 
 is shev, n that as death entered into the world 
 by sin, so it jmssed upon all men by sin : not 
 their own sin, indeed ; for though there was 
 such a thing as sin in the world from the time 
 of Adam till the giving of the Law by Moses, 
 it could not be imputed to the sinner while 
 there was no Law : for if there be no rule, 
 there can be no transgression of a rule — never- 
 theless death reigned ail that time, seizing all 
 as it did Adam. Now as death must be a 
 penalty due to sin, of vvhat sin was it the 
 punishment but of Adam's ? Correspondent to 
 all this is the salvation by Christ. As by one 
 'nums disobedience many were made sinners, so 
 by the obedience of one shall many be made 
 righteous. This is St. Paul's owti statement 
 of the doctrines of imputed sin and imputed 
 
THE RKItiN.S Of SIX AND OV GRACE. 45 
 
 righteousness. 77ie Law, he adds, entered, that 
 the offence might abound — tlie rule was given, 
 that the oblicjiiity of men's actions might ai)pear : 
 but where sin abounded, Grace did much more 
 abound; in order, that, as sin hath reigned 
 unto death, even so might grace reign, through 
 righteousness, unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ 
 our Lord. 
 
 I. Let us consider THE REIGN OF SIN ; and 
 then the Reign of Grace. 
 
 From the fall of Adam, we must date the 
 commencement of the Reign of Sin. The 
 instant it was admitted into the world, it 
 assumed sovereignty ; and, to such a dreadful 
 extent has it succeeded in establishing its em- 
 pire, that there is not a human being which 
 it does not claim as its subject, from the instant 
 of its birth. Nor are its claims disputed. All 
 yield themselves at first quietly to its govern- 
 ment; and the greater part are zealous in 
 supporting its cause, when any symptoms of 
 discontent appear in others. 
 
 This has been the state of things from age to 
 age. Men differ from one another, in country 
 and complexion, in civilization, temper, and 
 habit; but all have this prominent feature in 
 their character, that they are devoted to sin. 
 The most untutored have learned to do thfr 
 
46 THIRD SERMOX. 
 
 M ork of tlii.s master ; and the most correct have 
 not unlearned it. IMen quarrel and fight about 
 forms of government ; but they never attempt 
 to dispute tlie authority of sin. It is absolute 
 despotism, and yet the most high-spirited sub- 
 mit without a murmur. So firmly is its 
 authority fixed, tliat, while the institutions of 
 men have fallen into decay and their cities and 
 empires been sw ept aw ay, sin has not lost its 
 power and strength. Conquerors have risen 
 up and overturned governments ; but they 
 never shook the empire of sin. Philosophers 
 have professed to be disaffected — they wrote 
 and gave lectures — they collected followei*s, 
 and made a great shew of doing something for 
 men, of breaking their fetters and setting them 
 at liberty; yet nothing was done: and no won- 
 der, for there is no reason to believe that the 
 sages were warm in tlie cause. They were 
 more anxious to diminish its influence in the 
 world, than to eject it from their own hearts. 
 
 However wide-spreading the dominion of 
 sin may be, its power is as much felt by each 
 individual, as if it were all concentrated against 
 him. A servant stands more in awe of his 
 master than of the king of the country ; at 
 least he is more often reminded of his subjec- 
 tion to the one than to the other. Sin, there-- 
 fore, completes its tyranny by seizing, and 
 
THE UEI(;XS OF SIN AND OF GRACE. 47 
 
 possessing for its own use, every member of the 
 body, and every faculty of the soul, and makinij; 
 them serve and obey. Many times, in the next 
 Chapter, this is intimated : Ye were the servants 
 of sin : Ye have yielded your members servants to 
 unclcanness and to iniquity, unto iniquity. Again, 
 it appears from the twelfth verse, that sin 
 naturally reigns in our mortal body, and we 
 obey it. 
 
 It is to little purpose to urge the number of 
 benevolent actions which natural men do, as if 
 in some things they were not mider the influence 
 of sin, because it must be recollected that every 
 defect is sin. There is no standard of right 
 and wrong existing, but the Law of God, and 
 that requires perfection. Measured by that 
 rale, therefore, imperfection is sin. What is 
 there then, that we can do, or say, or think, in 
 which the power of this principle is not felt in 
 a greater or less degree; and if it maintain that 
 ascendancy in the heart, which it has by nature, 
 w hat can proceed from it but that which is sin- 
 ful? In that state, our motives and purposes, 
 our imaginations and desires, our words and 
 deeds, in short every thing that we do and 
 every thing that we say is all wrong, ail sinful, 
 wicked, and displeasing to God 
 
 To view the Reign of Sin in its true nature 
 and fullest extent, we must notice two other 
 
4Q 'IfimD 5£R.M0X. 
 
 words of the text : unto dccd/t — sin hath reigned 
 unio death. 
 
 We need not stay to notice ail the other 
 miseries brought on us by this tyrant — the havoc 
 and ruin, the devastation and desolation, v/hich 
 mark its way — the terror and dismay, the grief 
 and pain, which it occasions to individuals — 
 the curse, and vexation, and rebuke, the sword, 
 the blasting', and the mildew, which it brings 
 upon nations ; and the rest of human evils : for 
 there is not one which sin has not caused. Let 
 us think of Death : sin has caused the death of 
 the whole man — body and soul ! 
 
 Think of all the circumstances attending 
 death — with what an agonizing struggle often 
 the soul and body part — and how loathsome 
 the body instantly becomes, and frightful in 
 appearance — what sorrow and disorder it intro- 
 duces into families ; breaking the heart of the 
 widow, or sending forth helpless children into 
 the world — and you may see what Sin has done 
 for us ; for the body is dead because of sin only 
 It dies through the operation of natural causes ; 
 but its being liable to decay and death at all, 
 is the punishment of sin. 
 
 But if the death of the body were all the 
 niiscliief sin did us, it w ere small in the eyes of 
 some, to whom death is pi-eferable to life. But 
 the soul i? also naturnllv dead : for if when Avr 
 
THE REIGXSOF SIX AND OF CRACK. 49 
 
 see a human form having eyes and wseeing not, 
 ears and hearing not, feet and walking not, under- 
 standing nothing, feeling nothing, wepronounce 
 it a corpse ; we must surely say of that man, 
 who, endued with every faculty — reason, me- 
 mory, affection — neither knows God nor fears 
 him, nor loves him, that he is dead as it respects 
 God : and this is the Scripture representation — 
 we are all, by nature dead in trespasses and 
 sins. The evil of this state is, that he who is 
 spiritually dead, not only lives a life little 
 superior to the brutes in rationality and enjoy- 
 ment, but, after death, is fit only to be cast into 
 hell. To heaven he cannot go; for there, there 
 is only life and immortality ; and death of every 
 description is excluded. Besides, the wages 
 of sin is death : having, therefore, performed 
 the work of sin, he receives the wages, and 
 dies the Second Death. 
 
 II. But now man need not go all this lengtli 
 in misery. Great as the power of sin really is, 
 and irresistible as it may appear, man is not 
 left without an alternative : for God has set up 
 another kingdom in the world, in oppositi(m 
 to sin. It is now, therefore, THE REIGN OF 
 GRACE, of which we are, in the second place, 
 to speak. 
 
 For the estaldishment of this kingdon* in 
 
 K 
 
50 THIRD SERMON". 
 
 the world, measures were taken from the be- 
 ginning: indeed the plan was laid before all 
 time, ere sin began its usurpations ; ere there 
 existed a being to be the subject of its power. 
 Four thousand years it remained almost un- 
 known ; but, at last, the day of its glory came : 
 — the Son of God appeared upon earth, and a 
 New Era commenced : Satan, like lightening, 
 fell from heaven : Christ, by his Cross, spoiled 
 principalities and powers, and triumphed over 
 them. By his resurrection, he rose far above 
 all power, and might, and dominio7i, and every 
 7iame that is named, not only in this tvorld, but 
 also in that which is to come (Col. 1.21). From 
 this time the Empire of Grace began to be 
 known. No longer confined to the narrow 
 limits by which it was formerly bounded, it 
 spread to the right and left ; and nation after 
 nation fell within its domain. Now as this 
 kingdom is to stand for ever, for so has God 
 decreed, and all adverse states and authorities 
 shall be finally subdued or annihilated, it is 
 clear that if we can become subjects of this 
 kingdom we shall be secured from the general 
 ruin, but not else. To induce you, therefore, 
 to emigrate from your native land, to throw ofl' 
 I mean your allegiance to sin, w^e must en- 
 deavour to live some account of this king- 
 dom, in which we wish you to .become natu- 
 
THE REIGNS OF SIN AND OF GRACE. 51 
 
 ralized. It is enough to say that Grace is upon 
 the throne of it : Grace reigns, as you will soon 
 perceive, if you consider how things are con- 
 ducted in this kingdom. 
 
 The temper and disposition of a king is chiefly 
 to be discovered by the Measures of his reign, 
 and the Objects kept in view — the style of his 
 Proclamations— the Instruments and Ministers 
 employed — the State of those under his govern- 
 ment — the Wars engaged in : these things, and 
 others of the like nature, constitute the most 
 certain criteria. 
 
 1. Now the OBJECT uniformly kept in view, 
 in the Gospel Kingdom, is the happiness of its 
 subjects in the way of holiness : The Kingdom 
 of God is righteousness, and ])eace, and joy 
 in the Holy Ghost (Rom. xiv. 17). All the 
 MEASURES taken with us are calculated to 
 promote this end : whether affliction or pro- 
 sperity be appointed us, all things work together 
 for good, and bring forth the peaceable fruits 
 of righteousness. These are gracious pro- 
 ceedings. 
 
 2. Next, let us read some of the procla- 
 mations : — Ho ! every one that thirsfeth, come 
 ye to the waters; and he that hath no money, 
 come ye, buy and eat ; yea, corne, buy wine and 
 milk without money and without price. Hearken 
 diligently unto me, and eat ye that tvhich is good. 
 
52 THIHD Sr.Ri\IOX 
 
 (md let your soul deligh t itself in fatness Incline 
 your ear, and come unto fne : hear, and your sovJ. 
 shall live (Is.lv. 1 — 3) Come unto me all ye 
 that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give 
 you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of 
 me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye 
 shall find rest unto your souls : for my yoke is 
 easy, and my burden is light (Matt. xi. 28 — 30). 
 If a7iy man thirst, let him come unto me and 
 drink (John vii. 37). Him, that cometh to me, 
 I will in no wise cast out (John vi. 37)- be- 
 hold I stand at the door and knock: if any man 
 hear my voice and open the door, I will come in 
 to him, and ivill sup with him, and he with me 
 (Rev. iii. 20). / am Alpha and Omega, the 
 beginning and the end. I will give unto him 
 that is athirst of the fountain of the water of 
 life freely. Whosoever ivill, let him take the 
 IV ater of life freely (Rev. xxi. 6. xxii. 17). It is 
 riiace that reigns. Hear also how offenders 
 are addressed : Come novj arid let us reason toge- 
 ther, saith the Lord: though your sins be as 
 scarlet, they shall be as white as snow ; though 
 they be red like crimson, they shall be as ivool 
 (Is. i. 18). /, even I am he, that blotteth out 
 thy transgressions, for mine own sake, and will 
 not remember thy sins (Is. xliii. 25). 
 
 3. The TNSTiiUMENTs employed for enlarging 
 the Gospel Kino^flom, and keeping it in order, 
 
THE REIGNS OF SIN AND OF GRACE. 53 
 
 next deserve notice. They are such as over- 
 come the heart, by conviiicina, the judgment. 
 No force is to be used, but the force of per- 
 suasion. Expostulations, invitations, offers of 
 a free pardon, promises of everlasting love, 
 displays of the Glory of God and the excel- 
 lence of his ways, but, above all, calling men's 
 attention to the Cross, are the means to be 
 resorted to. Christ, as lifted up on the Cross, 
 will DRAAV all ynen to him. It must be Grace 
 that dictates these methods : they are not had 
 recourse to, for want of power : for He, whose 
 cause is pleaded, is able to compel — but he 
 chooses to persuade. He draws us with the 
 cords of a man, with hands of love (Hosea xi. 4). 
 
 4. Next, let us contemplate the subjects of 
 this Kingdom ; and it will soon appear, that 
 God is determined to shew, by them, the ex- 
 ceeding riches of his Grace, in his kindness 
 toward them, through Christ Jesus (Eph. ii. 7). 
 
 Many of them were deeply stained with guilt ; 
 drunkards, murderers — can these be saved ? — 
 it is the reign of Grace — they are washed — ^they 
 are sanctified— they are justified in the Name of 
 the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God ! 
 (I Cor. vi. 11). Absolved from guilt and con- 
 demnation, are they suffered to depart, as inno- 
 cent creatures, to begin their career anew ? No : 
 they would sin again, and their case would be 
 
54 THIRD .SERMON. 
 
 worse than before : he therefore keeps them as 
 Ills OAvn — yes, he makes them his own children ! 
 He hath predestinated us mito the adoption of 
 children, hy Jesus Christ, to himself, according 
 to the good pleasure of his will; to the praise of 
 the Glory of his Grace, tvherein he hath made us 
 accepted in the Beloved (Eph. i. 5, 6). More- 
 over, knowing the groveling disposition of their 
 minds by nature, he gives his Holy Spirit to 
 form their hearts anew, to raise their thoughts 
 to high and heavenly things, to educate and 
 discipline them for tliat state of glory for which 
 they are reserved : and because, in this state of 
 imperfect knowledge, they are in danger of 
 losing sight of their high birth and exalted des- 
 tiny, the Spirit bears witness with their spirit, 
 as often as it is necessary, that they are the 
 children of God : and since, notwithstanding 
 all that is done for them, they know not, as 
 they ought to know, what to pray for, the 
 Spirit speaks for them — making intercession 
 within them. Is there a rising apprehension 
 that these things shall not last — that time, which 
 brings all other things to an end, shall see these 
 blessings come to nothing? — dismiss your fears ! 
 tvhom he did predestinate, them he also called; 
 and whom he called, them he also justified; and 
 whom he justified, them he also glorified (Rom. 
 viii. 30). The gifts and calling of God are with- 
 
THE REIGNS OF SIN AND OF GRACE. 55 
 
 out repentance (Rom. xi. 29) : he will visit their 
 transgression with the rod, and their iniquity 
 with stripes: nevertheless, his loving- kindness 
 ivill he not utterly take from him^ nor suffer his 
 faithfulness to fail : It shall be established for 
 ever as the moon, and as a faithful ivitness in 
 heaven (Ps. Ixxxix. 32, 33, 37). in union with 
 this is the doctrine of the text. Grace must 
 reign ^mto eternal life. As sin never loosens 
 its hold upon its slaves, till it has ruined them 
 beyond remedy ; so grace never ceases to 
 attend us, till it has placed us beyond danger. 
 
 But here an objection must be met and 
 answered. 
 
 How is all this consistent with what we hear 
 of God's holiness and hatred of sin? It will 
 be thought a false, partial, and exaggerated 
 representation. The Kingdom of Grace, if not 
 visionary altogether, is far too agreeable to our 
 natural feelings — its existence is not credible. 
 
 We answer, from the text, that grace reigns, 
 through righteousness — consistently with right- 
 eousness — and by means of righteousness. How 
 is this effected ? by Jesus Christ our Lord! The 
 sacrifice of Christ reconciles all apparent incon- 
 sistencies, and brings to pass seeming impos- 
 sibilities. 
 
 For, by his having offered himself to bear the 
 punishment of our sins and God's accepting 
 
tlie substitution, it became possible for God to 
 exercise mercy without disparagement to his 
 justice. He could punish sin, and yet forgive 
 it. In this way, we may be as if we had never 
 sinned : no species of punishment being intended 
 for us, we are as free from condemnation, as if 
 Me had been always perfectly innocent, or as if 
 God were perfectly indifferent about sin and 
 would never punish it. On the other hand, 
 sin does not go unpunished, for (>jirist suffered 
 for it. 
 
 But it will be asked, " Is God's justice as 
 much satisfied by Christ's suffering for sin, as 
 if the whole human race had suffered for it?" 
 In answer to this, we refer to the divine nature 
 of Christ. If he be Divine, no assignable 
 number of creatures can equal him in value ; 
 and, consequently, the death of all creatures 
 can never be such a costly sacrifice to justice 
 as his deatli. 
 
 It will be asked whether it is analogous 
 to God's proceedings, that the guilty should 
 escape, and the innocent suffer for him. We 
 answer, that it is. Such things would occur 
 every day, if men were found as willing to 
 put themselves to trouble and sufi'ev for 
 others, as Christ shewed himself to be. In- 
 stances of voluntary suffering for others are 
 very rare, through the selfishness of men ; 
 
THE REIGNS OF SIN AND OF GRACE. 57 
 
 but it is easy to see, that there is nothing in the 
 constitution of things repugnant to the Gospel 
 System : no disorder would arise in the world, 
 were men as benevolent as Christ : on the 
 contrary, much of the misery, and perhaps 
 much of the sin of it, would be removed. The 
 objection supposes that the sinner and the 
 sufferer are perfectly distinct ; whereas Christ 
 and his people are one, by a very close and 
 perfect union : it may, therefore, be very con- 
 sistent with God's righteousness, to grant to 
 one undeserving class, on account of their 
 union to one who is deserving, those favours 
 which he would otherwise have withheld 
 from them. For the same reason, we need no 
 longer to be surprised, that all the benefits and 
 blessings, which we have ventured, from the 
 Word of God, to affirm, as belonging to the 
 subjects of the Kingdom of Grace, do indeed 
 belong to those that are one with Christ, by 
 faith : for if they are indeed in Christ and 
 Christ in them, all the reward that he has me- 
 rited for what he has done, in a relative capa- 
 city, may without hesitation be said to belong 
 to us, by that riglit which results from the 
 union. 
 
 U, after all, our jealousy for God's honour, 
 and regard for what we have been always 
 taught to consider as the first principle of reli- 
 
58 THIRD SERMON. 
 
 gion, the holiness of God, make us hesitate to 
 embrace a doctrine, which apparently relaxes 
 the obligations to holiness, it must be recol- 
 lected, that we have the same evidence for 
 the mysteries of redemption, as we have for 
 the divine holiness and a future judgment ; so 
 that no revealed truth has a claim to our belief, 
 superior to that which this has. We do not 
 perceive that the reasoning employed to shew 
 the reasonableness of this way of salvation is 
 altogether inconclusive — we do perceive, and 
 it is easy to shew, that the contrary doctrine, 
 which would give pardon without atonement, 
 is clogged with far more difficulties : but, wav- 
 ing all argument, we appeal to Scripture ; and 
 that, we are confident, will bear us out in every 
 particular. 
 
 Let then the glorious truth be opposed no 
 more ! Let it break down the barriers, which 
 ignorance and unbelief put before it ; and let it 
 have free course through the earth ! Let it be 
 heard — let it be known — by you, by all, that 
 Grace reigns ! Let it dwell in the mind, and be 
 fixed in the memory — and let it touch, with 
 transport, all the springs of Hfe ! Oh the tran- 
 sporting view which it gives us of the love of 
 God ! Why have we ever forgotten it ? God 
 is love ! Nothing now need keep us from bliss ! 
 Divine love hath removed far ofi' every obstacle 
 
THE REIGNS OF SIN AND OF GIIACE. 59 
 
 • — it has cleared the way for us all round- 
 let us go forth unto the liberty of the glory 
 of the Sons of God. Let sin no longer detain 
 us in darkness and misery. What though it 
 hath long reigned over us, and the hope of 
 emancipation has almost forsaken us — what 
 though the consciousness of guilt seem to forbid 
 your approaches to the Kingdom of God — re- 
 member that Grace reigns there. It seeks new 
 subjects, and the most unworthy are accepted. 
 It bids us to ask, and we shall receive ; to seek, 
 and we shall find ; to knock, and it shall be 
 opened unto us. 
 
 Are there any here who 2iVe fellow-citizens 
 of the saints^ and of the household of God ? — 
 and have they need to be reminded that Grace 
 reigns ? What mean your idle fears ? Give 
 them to the wind. They are not pleasing to 
 God, though they seem to arise from reverence 
 for his laws. It is this unbelief, this measuring 
 God by self, this keeping Christ and his Glory 
 in the back ground and letting self be promi- 
 nent, that tends to breed confusion in the 
 government of Grace. We conform most accu- 
 rately to the regulations of God's Kingdom, 
 when we believe, and trust, and hope against 
 hope, and rejoice with the joy of faith. Let 
 us have a stronger apprehension of the freeness 
 of God's Grace, and the little reason there is 
 
60 THIRD SEUMOX. 
 
 to doubt of our acceptance, and we shall take 
 more pleasure in tlie Lord : so the joy of the 
 Lord shall be our strength. 
 
 Finally, being happy ourselves in the King- 
 dom of Grace, let us look abroad and try to 
 make others so. Let us pray that the Saviour 
 may sway his sceptre over all the world. Let 
 us expect the day, when sin's ancient empire 
 shall be overturned, even in these realms, espe- 
 cially in this land, the focus of Heathenism, the 
 citadel of sin, w here it seems to have made its 
 last stand, and from which it will be last of all 
 expelled, if we may judge from appearances. 
 But at last it must yield ; for the decree is gone 
 forth, that to the Son of God is given Domi- 
 nion, and Glory, and a Kingdom, that all peo- 
 ple, nations, and kmguages should serve him,: 
 his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which 
 shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which 
 shall not be destroyed (Dan. vii. 14). Amen. 
 May his Kingdom come ! for worthy is the 
 Lamb that was slain, to receive Power, and 
 Riches, and Wisdom, and Strength, and Glory, 
 and Honour i and Blessing. 
 
SERMON IV. 
 
 SCRIPTURE MORE PERSUASIVE THAN 
 MIRACULOUS APPEARANCES. 
 
 LUKE XVI. 31 
 
 And he said unto him, Jf they hear not Moses 
 and the Prophets, neither will they be per- 
 suaded though one rose from the dead. 
 
 The parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus 
 conveys one of the most solemn warnings to 
 the gay and thoughtless, that is to be met 
 with in any part of Scripture. The descrip- 
 tions which it contains of the frightful end of a 
 life spent in thoughtlessness and sin, are awfully 
 calculated to rouse our attention, and force 
 upon our minds the reality of an Hereafter. 
 Happy is it for the rich and great, who hear 
 so seldom from their fellow-creatures the voice 
 of truth, that their Maker has given them such 
 plain and faithful admonitions of their peculiar 
 dangers. 
 
 Our Lord, fi'om the beginning of the Chapter, 
 had been speaking of the use and abuse of 
 
62 FOURTH SERMON. 
 
 wealth ; and of the impossibility of hating the 
 heart set, at the same time, upon God and upon 
 the world : No servant am serve tivo masters. 
 The Pharisees ridiculed him. After a mild 
 rebuke to them, he proceeds to confirm the 
 whole of what he had been saying, by the 
 parable : There teas a certain rich man which 
 was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared 
 sumptuously every day ; and there ivas a certain 
 beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his 
 gate, full of sores. 
 
 Let us consider, first, the different condi- 
 tions OF THESE MEN ON EARTH. 
 
 We are first introduced to a man of rank and 
 fortune, living in the fashionable and expensive 
 style of the day: — stately mansions — superb 
 clothing — splendid equipage — numerous atten- 
 dants — sumptuous entertainments — courting 
 friends — and flattering sycophants were, of 
 course, his portion and daily enjoyment: to 
 many in his day, he was an object of admiration 
 and envy ; and a better portion than his is 
 sought by very few, in any age : it appears that 
 he Avas a young man, as he left a father and five 
 brethren alive at the time of his death. The 
 POOR man was as destitute as a human being 
 could well be : he wanted the common neces- 
 saries of life : in addition to this, he was full 
 of disease and sores ; without medical aid to 
 
SCRIPTURE ABOVE MIRACLES. 63 
 
 cure them, or even a friendly hand to bind them 
 up ; so that the dogs came and licked them : 
 he was carried, because unable to walk ; and 
 as if no man cared what became of him, he 
 was Ikid or cast at the rich man's gate, to 
 gather a scanty and precarious subsistence from 
 the crumbs which fell from his table : thus, 
 destitute of food, of health, of friends — an out- 
 cast from society — he protracted a wretched 
 existence, till death relieved him from his 
 sorrows. 
 
 It will tend to reconcile us to the seeming 
 inequality of the situations in which they were 
 placed by Providence, if we survey their still 
 
 MORE DIFFERENT STATES IN THE INVISIBLE 
 WORLD. 
 
 The rich man died, and was buried. The 
 burial of the rich man only being mentioned) 
 it was probably intended to be signified that 
 his funeral was conducted with that magnifi- 
 cence which usually attends the burial of the 
 great. The rich tnan died, and was buried ; and 
 in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments. 
 Hell! does it not exist only in the fears of 
 fanatics ? Alas ! we need not doubt ; for here our 
 Saviour shews us one of our fellow-creatures, 
 who found himself there : he closed his eyes 
 in death, and when he opened them again he 
 was in flames ! Hear his piteous cry : Father 
 
64 FOURTH SKRMOy. 
 
 Abraham J have mercy upon me : I am tormented 
 in this flame. What a change had ensued ! To 
 pass from the warm precincts of life to the cold 
 chambers of the grave is appalling, even in 
 thought, to human nature: but, to exchange 
 the soft pillows of ease for a bed of fire — the 
 enjoyment of sumptuous banquets, for the want 
 of even so much as a drop of water to afford a 
 moment's ease — to find friends and acquain- 
 tances all gone, and himself left alone with 
 infernal fiends — what a transition for a votary 
 of the world ! no amusements, no employments, 
 no rest, no hope, but irremediable agony and 
 endless despair! Abraham replied to the rich 
 man s request, that the difference of the situa- 
 tions in which he and Lazarus were, was occa- 
 sioned by what had happened to them both on 
 earth : Remember, that thou, in thy lifetime, 
 receivedst thy good things. Remember ! Had 
 he remembered on earth, he would not have 
 been called to remember in hell. It is for want 
 of remembering that people perish. They must 
 not be reminded of death : such topics must be 
 carefully excluded from conversation, lest they 
 should induce melancholy. Thus they are 
 forgotten, till the remembrance returns in hell ! 
 Remember, that thou, in thy lifetime, receivedst 
 thy good things. He was not to blame for being 
 rich ; for wealth, honestly Jiained, is God's gift: 
 
SCRIPTURE ABOVE MIRACLES. 65 
 
 but he Milued those thhigs more than any 
 thing spiritual. He called them his good 
 things ! 
 
 Abraham, in answer to the Rich Man's request 
 that Lazarus might come to him, said, that there 
 was no passing from heaven to hell, or from 
 hell to heaven : If there had been, Abraham 
 would have prayed for him. Hence we may 
 learn that to pray for the dead is useless. God 
 has given us life as a time of probation and 
 trial ; and the Scripture always grounds its 
 exhortations to diligence on this, that the night 
 of death cometh, when no man can work (John 
 ix. 4) ; and that ivhatever our hand findeth to 
 do, ive should do it ivith our might ; for there is 
 no work, nor device, nor knoivledge, nor luisdom, 
 in the grave ichither we go (Eccl. ix. 10) ; aiid 
 that, at the Day of Judgment, we shall receive 
 according to the things done in the body, no 
 reference being made to the things which we 
 do or suffer in a separate state while our bodies 
 are lying in the grave 
 
 The Rich Man, finding his first request could 
 not be complied with, begged that Abraham 
 would send Lazarus to his father s house, and to 
 his five brethren, lest they also should come to 
 the same place of torment. This is remarkable. 
 While on earth, he only thought of his pleasure 
 or interest ; and did not think it worth his 
 
 F 
 
66. lOlKTH SKR-MOX. 
 
 while to be at much pains about his own soul, 
 and much less about those of others : but now he 
 is of another mind ; and is sensible that if his 
 brethren, who lived in the same neglect as he 
 did, knew what hell is, they would take more 
 care. Abraham saith unto him, They have 
 Moses and the Prophets — let them hear them: 
 they have already abundant warning — let them 
 make use of that. The Rich Man replies, Nay, 
 Father Abraham ; but if one ivent unto them 
 from the dead, they will repent: to which he 
 answered, If they hear not Moses and the Pro- 
 phets, neither will they be persuaded though 
 one rose from the dead. By Moses and the 
 Prophets is meant, the Old Testament. They 
 would not be persuaded: that is, to forsake 
 their sins and turn to God, though one rose 
 from the dead — though one should go either 
 from Heaven, where they see the torments of 
 the damned ; or from Hell, where they feel 
 them. 
 
 I. It is this point that we propose to illus- 
 trate—the WARNINGS OF GODS WORD ARE 
 MORE ADAPTED TO BRING SINNERS TO RE- 
 PENTANCE, THAN THE RISING OF ONE FROM 
 THE DEAD. 
 
 Sinners are disposed to think, that, if they 
 had ever seen hell, or had seen a person who 
 
SCRIPTURE ABOVK MIUACLES. 67 
 
 had felt it, they would forsake all their sins, and 
 do all that-titey could to escape it : but as they 
 are only told of it in the Bible, they often think 
 that it may be a mere delusion and fancy. But 
 sinful men know not what they would have. 
 They are fixedly averse to break off their sins 
 by righteousness : therefore, to excuse them- 
 selves, they object against the sufficiency of 
 their means. But God, who knows our nature 
 and circumstances, know s what is most adapted 
 to us : He, who made the faculties of our souls, 
 knows what will have the tendency to affect 
 them : in contriving and appointing the means 
 of our salvation, he chooses better for us than 
 w'e should ourselves. If a person were to rise 
 from the dead, and give a particular account 
 of w^hat he had seen, he would probably 
 frighten many who are not terrified by reading 
 the Bible : it would very much affect them, on 
 account of the novelty of the thing. Men are 
 apt to be much affected by strange things, and 
 to be much affrighted at spectres in the dark, 
 because they are unusual : but if they were as 
 common as preaching is, they w ould lose their 
 effect. On such an unusual occasion as the 
 rising of one from the dead, men might perhaps 
 reform their lives, and would never forget what 
 they had seen. But we are to consider which 
 would have the orveater tendency to awaken 
 r'2 
 
68 FOURTH SERMON- . 
 
 US, if both alike were new and unusual ; to be 
 warned by the great God himself, or by a man 
 coming from the invisible world. It is in this 
 view that we shall consider the matter, and we 
 shall shew what advantages the former mode 
 has above the latter. 
 
 1. God knows better thax departed 
 souls, what the punishment of sinners is. 
 
 He is everywhere present with his all-seeing 
 eye. He pervades all space. If I ascend up 
 into heaven, thou art there : if I make my bed 
 in hell, behold, thou art there ! (Ps. cxxxix. 8). 
 He is present there, where they feel the misery ; 
 and he sees into the innermost recesses of the 
 hearts of those miserable spirits — he sees all 
 the anguish there, for he upholds them in 
 being. They, and all their powers, are in his 
 hands. Besides, it is his wrath, which they 
 endure : he measures out to them their several 
 portions : his anger is that fire, in which they 
 are tormented. He, therefore, is certainly able 
 to give as clear and distinct an account of hell 
 as the miserable inhabitants of it. He too 
 alone knows what Eternity is. 
 
 2. We have the truth on surer grounds 
 through God's testimony, than from the testi- 
 mony of one rising from the dead. 
 
 In the latter case, Me should be uncertain 
 whether there were not some delusion. We know 
 
SCRIPTURE ABOVE MIRACLES. DV* 
 
 that it is impossible for God to lie, and that things 
 must be precisely as he declares them to us : 
 but if one should rise from the dead, we could 
 not be so sure that we were no way imposed 
 upon, and that he himself was not subject 
 to some delusion— we could not be so sure 
 that his account was not exaggerated. More- 
 over, such a one could not convince us that 
 WE should come to that place of torment, if 
 we did not repent and reform. And though 
 more witnesses than one should come, there 
 is no authority equal to that of God : there 
 is no testimony from the invisible world, so 
 indisputable and unquestionable as the divine 
 testimony. How could we know that they 
 had not come to deceive us? How could we 
 know upon what views they acted ? Whereas 
 we have the strongest ground of assurance 
 that the First Being, and Fountain of all being 
 and perfection, is nothing but light and truth 
 itself; and therefore he cannot deceive, or be 
 deceived. 
 
 3. The warnings of God's Word have the 
 advantage, on account of the greatness and 
 
 MAJESTY OF HIM WHO SPEAKS. 
 
 The declarations of those, who are great, 
 excellent, or honourable, have a more powerful 
 tendency to move the heart, than of those who 
 are not so. Things spoken by a king affecf 
 
7^ FOURTH SERMON. 
 
 more than the same things delivered by an equal. 
 But God is the King of Kings. Shall we be 
 unmoved, when the Universal Sovereign speaks? 
 Hear now : the Projjhet summons tlie whole 
 creation to attend when God speaks — Hear, 
 O heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the Lord 
 hath spoken ! (Is. i. 2.) 
 
 4. It more evidently shews the importance 
 of the affair, that God should immediately 
 CONCERN HIMSELF IN IT, than the coming of one 
 from the dead would do. 
 
 Those things in which Kings most immedi- 
 ately concern themselves, are commonly mat- 
 ters of the greatest importance : they leave 
 lesser concerns to their ministers and agents. 
 Now God, in all ages of the world, hath shewed 
 himself much concerned in this matter. How 
 abundantly hath he warned us in his Holy 
 Word ! — how earnest has he shewn himself in 
 it ! — how many arguments and expostulations 
 has he used, that we might avoid the way to 
 hell ! 
 
 5 . God's wai*ning us of a danger has a greater 
 tendency to influence us, because he is our 
 Judge. 
 
 The punishment is thatto which He condemns, 
 and which He inflicts. What he warns us against 
 is His own wrath and vengeance. He tells us 
 that if we go on in sin, He will destroy us. He 
 
SCRIPTURE ABOVE MIRACLES. 
 
 71 
 
 tells us so HIMSELF ; and this is certainly more 
 calculated to affect us, than to be told so by 
 another who is not to be our judge. 
 
 6. God is infinitely wise ; and knows better 
 
 HOW TO SPEAK PERSUASIVELY TO US than 
 
 one rising from the dead. 
 
 He perfectly knows our nature and state; 
 and knows how to adapt his instructions and 
 warnings to om- frame and circumstances in the 
 world. If one should come from the dead to 
 warn sinners, it may be that he would tell them 
 of Hell in a manner that would drive them to 
 despair, rather than excite them to strive for 
 salvation, in the diligent use of the means which 
 God has appointed. But God knows what 
 revelation we can bear; and what is the most 
 proper to do us good in this our infirm , dark, 
 and sinful state. It is good for us to be warned 
 and instructed by God, who knows best how 
 to do it. 
 
 II. Now since the rising of one from the 
 dead seems to us the most calculated of all 
 other methods to awaken us, and yet our 
 Saviour says, that even this would not have the 
 effect, where the testimonies of Moses and the 
 Prophets fail, it is a natural inference that 
 ALL OTHER METHODS THAT COULD BE 
 IMAGINED WOULD BE INEFFECXtjAL. 
 
72 FOURTH SKKMON. 
 
 Men think that if they saw some prophet 
 and his miracles, this would strongly impress 
 them. But how was it in those times in which 
 there were prophets? There has rarely been a 
 more degenerate age, than that in which Elijah 
 and Elisha lived: the people did not regard 
 their propliecies or miracles; but walked in 
 their own ways, and served their own Gods : 
 so that Elijah thought that there were none left 
 of the true worshippers of God. 
 
 Would it be sufficient if we could hear God, 
 therefore, actually speak from heaven? But, in 
 the time of Moses, they heard God speak out 
 of the midst of the lire, and saw Mount Sinai 
 covered with smoke and flame, and shaken to 
 its base. Did they all turn from their sins ? It 
 is true that they were very much affected at first i 
 but how hard-hearted and rebellious they soon 
 became! 
 
 Men are apt to suppose that if they had lived 
 in the time of Christ, and had seen and heard 
 him, and witnessed his miracles, they must 
 have been convinced, and would have obeyed 
 him : but what was the fact of men like the 
 Pharisees, who did see him? few were brought 
 to repentance, by all his discourses and mira- 
 cles — few were liis constant followers ! 
 
 The Scripture is full of instances to })rove, that, 
 if the Word of God will not awaken sinners. 
 
SCRIPTURE ABOVE MIRACLES. 73 
 
 nothing will. And we see enough in these days 
 to convince us of it. Men sometimes meet 
 with things by which we should think it impos- 
 sible that they should not be reformed, if we 
 did not see the fact. They sometimes hear 
 the warnings of dying men, who are expecting 
 to go to hell: they are affected for a while; 
 but the solemn warning does butjusttouch them, 
 and passes away. Sometimes they themselves 
 are laid upon a bed of sickness, and their lives 
 hang in doubt before them : they are brought 
 to the sides of the grave, and their hearts are 
 full of terror; yet, if they recover, they soon for- 
 get it, and return to the ways of folly and wick- 
 edness. Sometimes this is repeated — they are 
 taken sick again — are again in extreme danger — 
 their hearts are again full of terror — and many 
 promises and vows are made ; yet, on recovery, 
 they forget all, and again return to sin and 
 folly! Such things may convince us that where 
 the Word of God is not effectual, neither 
 sickness, nor any thing else, is likely to be so. 
 
 -III. Hence let us LEARN the dreadful 
 hardness of our hearts — that we are not more 
 moved and wrought upon, by the best means 
 which Infinite Wisdom could provide. 
 
 How few are there, who are effectually changed 
 by the Word of God ! They are very thinly sovvii-' 
 
74 FOURTH SERMON. 
 
 there is but here and there one! But how just 
 will God be in punishing the impenitent! For 
 he gives them the best means of reclaiming 
 them; and gives them abundant warning before 
 he punishes them. What could he have done 
 more than he has done? We cannot devise or 
 imagine a method, better than that which God 
 hath given us. How justly therefore are 
 ungodly men punished ! how inexcusable will 
 they be! 
 
 Let us be induced to improve those means, that 
 is, let us hear Moses and the Prophets, Christ 
 and the Apostles : let us be persuaded to study 
 the Scripture more; to read and hear it care- 
 fully; to consider it thoroughly; and daily 
 to walk according to its rule. 
 
 The danger of neglecting it, on any pretence, 
 cannot be more forcibly exhibited than by re- 
 curring to the circumstances of the narrative 
 before us. And it is well worth our while to in- 
 quire, in what we differ from the Rich Man. 
 We are not worse, we hope, than our neigh- 
 bours : we would not injure a fellow-creature 
 in the world : we believe in the Scriptures : 
 but might not the Rich Man have said the same 
 with perfect truth ? — yet he went to hell. He 
 was not charged by Abraham with defect in 
 any of his duties toward men — yet he went 
 to hell : why? because he was a lover of plea- 
 
SCIUPTUKE ABOVE MIRACLES. 75 
 
 sure, more than a lover of God — he loved the 
 world and the things of the world. He wished 
 to receive his good things in this life. He pre- 
 ferred the present to the future. He could 
 not sacrifice present enjoyments, in the expec- 
 tation of future rewards — he could not submit 
 to privations, though the necessities of his soul 
 required it — he could not undergo the difficul- 
 ties, or brook the self-denial, of a religious 
 life — he would not make himself miserable, 
 when he had the means of enjoyment in his 
 power — he kept up his religion perhaps by the 
 cursory performance of a few heartless duties; 
 but he would not suffer it to interfere with his 
 pleasures, or debar him from agreeable society 
 whether it consisted of persons fearing God 
 or otherwise. God would let him have his 
 choice — his Bible being neglected, God sent 
 him no other monitor. He ate, he drank, he 
 laughed, he played; but, while yet a young 
 man, he died and went to hell ! 
 
 Men and Brethren, can any thing open your 
 eyes if this does not? Can you not yet perceive 
 for whom our Saviour spoke the Parable? — 
 plainly, not for the wicked, but for those whose 
 chief concern is the body and this life. If 
 there be any doubt on this head, see it con- 
 firmed by our Saviour's own words : Woe unto 
 you that are full, for ye shall hunger (Luke vi. 25). 
 
76 FOIMITH S Ell MOV. 
 
 Graiiling that these \vords need not be taken 
 in their literal sense, there is something in 
 t!ic spirit of them that may shew us what 
 Cliristianity is. If the words mean any thing 
 at all, they certainly must mean that there is a 
 strictness, a severity, a self-denial, accompa- 
 nying the sincere profession of religion, utterly 
 inconsistent with the thoughtlessness, self-in- 
 dulgence, idleness, and dissipation prevalent 
 among all classes of people who call themselves 
 Christians. Suppose not because you are 
 not precisely in the circumstances of the Rich 
 Man, able to gratify an expensive and volup- 
 tuous taste, that his case is not yours ; for the 
 difference of outward circumstances, whether 
 of wealth or poverty, is nothing at all before 
 God. He looks on the heart. If you m'ish to 
 have your good things in this life, whether you 
 have tliem or not, and undervalue eternal glo- 
 ries, you will most certainly lose those glories. 
 
 Our Saviour, you will observe, has taken the 
 two extremes, of earthly felicity and of woe. 
 
 The instance of earthly felicity, was one who 
 was healthy, and rich, and young ; blest with 
 friends, respectable connections, a large for- 
 tune, and all that riches can bring of the com- 
 forts and elegancies of refined life. Tliis is a 
 case, the most in point of any that can be sup- 
 posed : for regal dignity is fpiile out of the 
 
SCUIPTI up: AliOVE MIIlACLr.S. i i 
 
 question; and the honours of the state are at- 
 tainable by so few, that they do not often enter 
 into tlie schemes wliich we form of eartldy bliss, 
 except j)erhaps in very early youth ; but the ad- 
 vantages and comforts expected to be derived 
 from riches, are so suited to the taste of all 
 men, and so probably within the reach of all 
 men, that the case supposed by our Saviour is 
 peculiarly apposite, as a general example. 
 
 The instance of the other man is, likewise, 
 almost an extreme case. Loathsome sickness, 
 and abject poverty, and friendless solitude, 
 conspired to set him at the lowest degree in 
 the usual scale of human misery. 
 
 Now if the state of Lazarus with piety, is to be 
 preferred to that of the Rich Man without it, in 
 these extreme cases, much more in all cases which 
 are likely to be ours, should not poverty, and 
 continual mortification, and sorrow, and death, 
 be preferred to pleasures which end in ruin ? For 
 whether we are in prosperity or adversity, we 
 are like the rich man and the beggar at his 
 door, alike hastening to the grave : the whole 
 of this life is but a dream : death will soon ter- 
 minate our joys and sorrows ; and our condi- 
 tion, in the future world, will depend entirely 
 on the manner in which we have lived in this 
 state of probation. 
 
 God has drawn aside for a moment the veil 
 
78 KOURTH SERMON. 
 
 of the invisible world, and shewn us what we 
 shall all be in a little time. Let us endeavour 
 to give these truths a reality in our minds. Let 
 us believe what will be the issue of a worldly 
 life. And let us live now as we shall wish we 
 had lived when our state is irreversibly fixed. 
 
SERMON V. 
 
 THE DOOM OF THE WICKED. 
 
 PSALM IX. 17. 
 
 The wicked shall he turned into hell, and all the 
 nations that forget God. 
 
 Men and Brethren, if religion were only a 
 cunningly-devised fable, if that Hell of which 
 you read in the Bible were only an invention of 
 crafty deceivers, you might despise their threat- 
 enings, and go on in sin. Moreover, if it were 
 only the drunkard, the murderer, the adul- 
 terer, the sabbath-breaker, or the common 
 swearer, that was to find his portion in hell, 
 then the sober and moral among you might 
 please themselves with the hope of escape. 
 But if the Almighty has himself thundered out 
 of heaven, and made known to all men, not 
 only that he hath prepared a place of torment 
 for the wicked, but that all who forget God 
 shall be turned into it, it behoveth every one 
 of ufito hear, believe, and tremble. 
 
iJO FIFTH SERMON. 
 
 Brethren, let the words of our text convince 
 you that the Word of God speaks plainly. 
 Certain vain and ignorant persons are shocked 
 at the coarseness of this subject; but you now 
 hear God speaking for himself. This, then, is 
 the threatening of Jehovah, which his justice 
 and truth engage him to execute, that the 
 wicked shall he turned into Jiell, and all the 
 nations that forget God. 
 
 At the very recital of these words, some of 
 you must be convinced that they are in danger: 
 their consciences must testify, that, if they die 
 as they are now living, they must perish. But 
 by far the greater number are saying to them- 
 selves, "Whatever others may be, I have no 
 reason to believe myself to be wicked, or that 
 I forget God." Now, my Brethren, you that 
 speak after this manner, may perhaps be 
 right; but it is possible you may be wrong. 
 If you are right, you need not fear to inquire 
 into your reasons for thinking so : if you are 
 wrong, it will be but a poor exchange to obtain 
 a false peace for a little while in this world, 
 at the expense of awakening from delusion in 
 the next. It is, therefore, far wiser to ascertain 
 the point. Let us then, for this purpose, first 
 inquire, who are the Persons described in the 
 text; and, in the second place, declare their 
 Final Doom. 
 
THK DOOJI OF THE WICKtD. Bl 
 
 1. We shall inquire, who are THE PERSONS 
 DESCRIBED IN THE TEXT. 
 
 We apprehend that the wicked, and all the 
 nations that forget God, are the same persons. 
 In the sight of God, all are wicked who forget 
 him : yet, in compliance with the usual sense 
 put upon these words, let us suppose two sorts 
 of persons spoken of — the wicked, those who 
 are openly immoral ; and the other, those who 
 are more decent in their conduct. 
 
 1 . The WICKED, or immoral, are those whose 
 sins carry the sentence of their condemnation 
 along with them. To call these sins into a 
 particular review, were unnecessary. Deeply 
 marked with the character of Hell, they pro- 
 claim to every beholder to what place they 
 are tending. Let it suffice to adduce certain 
 passages of Scripture, in which God has summed 
 up these workers of iniquity, in one complete 
 catalogue, and assigned one doom to them all. 
 Know ye not, that the unrighteous shall 7iot 
 inherit the kingdom of God ? Se not deceived ; 
 neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, 
 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor 
 revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the king- 
 dom of God (1 Cor. vi. 9, 10). Now the works 
 of the flesh are manifest, which are these : Adul- 
 tery , fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, ido- 
 latry, drvnkenitess, and such like: of the which 
 
 G 
 
82 FIFTH SERMOX. 
 
 / tell you before, as I have also told you in 
 time past, that they which do such things shall 
 not inherit the kingdom of God (Gal. v. 19,21). 
 Would there were none such in the present 
 assembly ! 
 
 2. Leaving these texts to their consideration, 
 we proceed to incjuire who they are that forget 
 God. 
 
 God hath commanded us to remember him in 
 ALL our ways. Not to do this, is to forget him. 
 
 "What then," you ask, " is it possible for any 
 man to be always thinking of God ? Is there 
 not a time for all things ? Is it not sufficient 
 that we think of him at proper seasons : such 
 as on the sabbath, or at morning or evening 
 prayer ?" No, Brethren ; it is not sufficient. 
 God says, My son, give me thy heart (Prov. xxiii. 
 26) — thine affections : love me, and you will 
 think of me. The good man may, through infir- 
 mity, lose sight of God ; but he always accounts 
 it a loss, and longs to regain it : but it is a sign 
 of WICKEDNESS if wc foTgct God, wilfuUy and 
 deliberately, in any part of our conduct. God 
 requires all the heart and all the life to be 
 devoted to his service. And, indeed, there is 
 as much reason why we should remember him 
 in ALL our ways, as in any one of them : if it 
 were lawful to forget him, that is, to have no 
 regard to his authority in on§ particular, it 
 
THL DOOM OF THE WICKED. 83 
 
 would be lawful also to forget him in another : 
 thus the rule of right would be left to every 
 man's own choice, and God would be no longer 
 the Governor of the World. 
 
 It is, therefore, trifling with Scripture to urge 
 that you do not forget God, merely from this 
 circumstance, that you sometimes think of 
 him; for you may now certainly perceive, if 
 God be wilfully excluded from any one of your 
 thoughts, you are so far wicked. 
 
 But we need not strain this point to prove 
 your guilt. It is easy to shew, concerning a 
 great part of you, that he is scarcely in any of 
 your thoughts : you forget his Laws — you forget 
 his Mercies — you forget his Presence. 
 
 (1) There are some who forget God, as a 
 Law-giver, to such a degree, that they never 
 inquire what laws he has given ; nay, disobey 
 those laws which they know. 
 
 Ask yourselves, whether you are not living 
 in the daily habit of seeking your own pleasure 
 — whether it be not your daily question, not 
 •' What is the will of God?" but " What is 
 MY will?" — not '* What does God command 
 me to do?" but " What do I think fit to dot 
 what will gratify the flesh, or secure most 
 pleasure to myself? what will promote my 
 honour or advance my interests in the world ?" 
 Are not these the considerations, that tacitly 
 G 2 
 
84 lirTH SF.RMOy. 
 
 suggest themselves; and these the principles, 
 that move us to action ? We do not ask whether 
 you run the road of dissipation, and are known 
 in the circles of fashion : perhaps many of 
 you have not the means of following your own 
 humour, and the bent of your own inclination, 
 except in a few instances. Do you not find, 
 that, whenever you have the means of enjoy- 
 ment, you immediately set about inquiring 
 how you may gratify yourself to the utmost? 
 When you have now and then leisure, do you 
 send up a petition to God, that he would 
 direct you to pass your time to his glory and 
 the good of your soul ? or do you not rather 
 waste your hours in idle conversation, and 
 employ them according to your own humour? 
 But is not this neglect of inquiring about His 
 will, a forgetfulness of God your Maker? 
 What must be said of that servant, who m ould 
 not take the trouble so much as to know his 
 master's will ? Indeed, A son honour eth his 
 father, and a servant his master : if then I be a 
 Father, where is miiie honour? and if I be a 
 Master, where is my fear? saith the Lord 
 of Hosts unto you (Mai. i. 6). 
 
 Further, Consider whether you do not through 
 forgetfulness of God, disobey those laws which 
 you know to be his. You call yourselves 
 Christians : there is probably, therefore, not one 
 
THE DOOM OF THE WICKED. 85 
 
 here who does not know that God has com- 
 manded all men, everywhere, to repent — to 
 be born again — to renounce the world and its 
 vanities — to crucify the flesh with its affections 
 and lusts — to be poor in spirit — to mourn for 
 sin — to hunger and thirst after righteousness— 
 to be pure in heart — to be constant and earnest 
 in prayer — to be laying- up treasures in hea- 
 ven — to enter in at the strait gate, and to walk 
 along the narrow way that leadeth unto life — and, 
 in fine, to be looking for the day of God, in all 
 holy conversation and godliness: and yet are 
 you not conscious that you do not put one of 
 these into practice, but that you live in the ha- 
 bitual neglect of some or all these duties, every 
 one of which you know God has commanded ? 
 
 (2) You forget God in another particular 
 namely, by forgetting his Mercies. 
 
 On this head let me ask you, whether you 
 acknowledge his mercies — whether you bow 
 your knees, in fervent and affectionate thanks- 
 giving, for having been blest with health ; for 
 having been fed by his bounty ; for mercies 
 personal, social. Do you confess that every 
 thing which you receiveat the hand of God is mere 
 mercy ? If he were to afflict you with disease 
 and strip you of all your comforts, would he give 
 you no more than yt)u deserve? If he were to 
 
B6 FIFTH SERMON. 
 
 condemn you to everlasting misery, would he 
 be just? Do you believe that you deserve it? 
 *' No," you say : '* w^hat have I done to deserve 
 it?" You think God would be unmerciful, if he 
 were to destroy you ! 
 
 And, above all, my Brethren, what think ye 
 of Christ, who is, according to Scripture, God's 
 unspeakable gift? Do you shew that you bear 
 due regard to God's mercy in sending Christ, 
 by believing in him, coming to him, casting 
 yourself upon him as a lost and ruined sinner ? 
 Have you ever devoted yourself to him — becom- 
 ing his disciple, esteeming his reproach, and 
 saying, in short, with a true heart, " Henceforth 
 I will not live unto myself?" (2 Cor. v. 15). Ask 
 yourselves whether you ever thought of Christ, 
 with real pleasure and genuine satisfaction of 
 heart. When you speak of him, or of God's 
 mercy in giving him, as you sometimes do in the 
 public prayers, is it not rather a forced or 
 thoughtless acknowledgment, than the grateful 
 tribute of a broken heart? Christ has said, He^ 
 that loveth father or inotJier more than 7ne, is 
 not ivorthy of me ; atid he, that loveth son or 
 (laughter more than me, is not ivorthy of me; and 
 he, tliat taketh not his cross and folloiceth after 
 'me, is tiot worthy of me (Matt. x. 37, 38). 
 Do yon thus love and obey him, counting all 
 
THE DOOM OP THE WICKED. 87 
 
 things but dung and dross to win him, and for- 
 saking all to follow him? Alas, my friends! 
 you know it is no such thing; and what is 
 worse, you do not even desire that it should be 
 so. You start at the thought of unceasing self- 
 denial ! You would think yourself miserable 
 in a life of godliness ! You seek your happiness, 
 not from God, but the world. You could, in 
 your own opinion, be as happy as you are, 
 if there were no God — no Saviour, I may say 
 to you, as our Lord to the Jews, Ye have not this 
 Love of God in you ! (John v. 42). 
 
 Thus you slight and neglect the rich mercies 
 of God, either by not counting the cost, or by 
 determining not to pay it; thus proving that alto- 
 gether you undervalue the blessing to be bought! 
 
 (3) Let us proceed to remark, in the third 
 place, that you forget God by forgetting his 
 Presence. 
 
 It is God's presence which made and upholds 
 the universe, and which directs every event of 
 our lives. It is this, therefore, that makes the 
 frame of Nature sacred, and hallows the vary- 
 ing turns of Providence. We do not ask 
 whether you admire the marks of his creating 
 finger, and trace his footsteps as they are seen 
 when he goes to and fro over the earth. Let us 
 come nearer home. God's eye pierces into our 
 hearts. All things are naked mid opened unto 
 
88 FIFTH SERMOiV. 
 
 the eyes of him, ivith ivhom ive have to do! (Heb. 
 iv. 13) — He knoweth our thoughts afar ojff: 
 (Ps. cxxxix. 2.) 
 
 Do you thus remember his awful presence? 
 Are you anxious that your hearts should be a 
 pure and living temple to his praise ? Do you 
 love to walk with God ; to cry to him, with holy 
 confidence, Search me, O God, and knoiv my 
 heart : try me, and know my thoughts ; and see 
 if there be any ivicked ivay in me ? (Ps. cxxxix. 
 23, 24). 
 
 On the contrary, do not you know that if you 
 were to profess to have any such secret com- 
 munion with God, you would lie to the Holy 
 Ghost, and would almost expect the fate of 
 Ananias ? Do you not know that you securely 
 indulge the lustful thought, and secret vanity, 
 and covetous desire of gain, and bitterness of 
 revenge and anger ; and freely give the reins to 
 those appetites, which the eye of man cannot 
 scrutinize ? God sees them, and sees them with 
 anger; but you are not concerned ! What you 
 would be ashamed and shocked for man to 
 know, that you commit before God without fear 
 and without remorse ! You say, in excuse, that 
 you are not aware of God's presence ; that you 
 forget that his eye is fixed upon you : but, by 
 so saying, you confess what we aimed at prov- 
 ing, namely, that you forget his presence. 
 
THE DOOM OK THE WICKED. B9 
 
 Thus, then, we have described a character, 
 not difficult to be drawn. Let not such persons 
 expect that they shall dwell with God : forget- 
 ting- his laws, they cannot join in the blessed 
 obedience of angels : forgetting his mercies, 
 they could not sing praises to the Lamb : for- 
 getting his presence, they shall be banished from 
 his presence for ever ! 
 
 But it is not a negative suffering only, which 
 they are to undergo; for we know him that hath 
 said. Vengeance is mine, I ivill repay, saith the 
 Lord (Rom. xii. 19) — They have paid me con- 
 tempt : I will repay them vengeance. 
 
 IL Hear, therefore, their FINAL DOOM— 7%e 
 wicked shall he turned into hell, and all the na- 
 tions that forget God ! 
 
 Men, in general, do not wish to hear this 
 place so much as mentioned, much less de- 
 scribed as the portion of the wicked : but it is 
 better to hear of it than to dwell in it ; and it 
 is by hearing of it, that we must be stirred up 
 to escape it. It is degrading to human nature, 
 that we must draw an argument from such a 
 source — that we must dip our shafts in the 
 lake that burnetii with fire. It is painful and 
 humiliating: to reflect that beings, capable of 
 being constrained by love, should require to 
 be driven by an iron scourge ! Hell is often 
 
90 FIFTH SEIlMOy 
 
 described by our Lord Jesus Christ. He was 
 too compassionate and serious to excite ground- 
 less terrors. As he said to his disciples, hi my 
 Father s house are many mansions, if it ivere not 
 so I ivould have told you (John xiv. 2) ; so we 
 may say of Hell : there, then, are many mansions, 
 if it were not so he would have told us. Hell 
 is often described by him as a place in which 
 both body and soul are tormented for ever. 
 To one of these descriptions we will refer you^ 
 In the Ninth Chapter of St. Mark's Gospel, 
 the eternity of torment is six times described ! 
 The file and the worm are such images of the 
 causes of suffering as are addressed to the 
 senses. Christ describes hell as a place of in- 
 conceivable torment and everlasting misery. 
 He describes it by saying, their fire is not 
 quenched. Fire, a dreadful element, is a scorch- 
 ing thing, and enters deep into the senses : yet 
 Hell is represented to be a lake of fire and brim- 
 stone (Rev. xix. 20). But if there were any pe- 
 riod set to their sufferings — if, after millions of 
 years, they were to be reduced to nothing, they 
 might bear it : but this is their misery, that it is 
 for ever ! Think how tedious is the motion of 
 time w hen you are in pain — how you wish the 
 hours away ! What must it be to suffer such 
 pain as will make every moment appear an age ? 
 and yet there must be an eternity of those ages! 
 
THE DOOM OF THE WICKED. 91 
 
 Our Lord also compares it to the gnawing of a 
 uann, which preys on the vitals : by which is 
 signified that anguish of spirit and remorse of 
 conscience which they must for ever feel, and 
 keen disappointment at having lost for ever past 
 opportunities : their tvorm dieth not. They have 
 fallen into the hands of the Living God : there- 
 fore, so long as He liveth, that is, for ever, so 
 long must they be subject to the execution of 
 his wrath ! These things are within the appre- 
 hension of all — it is a very plain thing of which 
 we speak. Whoever do go to a place of tor- 
 ment continue there for ever ! 
 
 This place will be the portion of them^ that 
 forget God. Here, foolish and ignorant men 
 scoff at eternal torments : they say, within them- 
 selves, of Sin — " Is it not a little thing? Will a 
 merciful God, who knows Our weakness, pu- 
 nish so dreadfully what we can scarcely help 
 doing?" But what says God ? *' Thott thought- 
 est that I was altogether such an one as thyself 
 (Ps. i. 21). Because thou didst smile at sin, 
 thou thoughtest I should do so too. Because 
 I forgave the sins of my penitent people, tliou 
 thoughtest I should forgive thine without repent- 
 ance." They will find that God was in earnest, 
 when he warned them to fke from the ivrath to 
 come (Matt. iii. 7)- He said to them on earth, 
 iff ye live after the flesh, ye shall die (Rom. 
 
92 FIITH SERMON. 
 
 viii. 13) : they did live after the fle^h ; hoping-, 
 no doubt, that God would not be true to his 
 word. But do not they find, now that they feel 
 the pains of hell get hold upon them, now that 
 they have actually died and are in hell, that God 
 is faithful? Though we believe not, but deny 
 him, yet he cannot deny himself. Believe it, 
 Brethren, God is not a 7)ian, that he should lie ; 
 neither the sou of man, that he should 7'epent. 
 Hath he said, and shall he not do it ? or hath he 
 spoken, and shall he not make it good? (Num. 
 xxiii. 19). 
 
 Some are so weak as to sappose that the 
 numbers Avho must perish, if all this be true, 
 will secure them against the threatened ven- 
 geance; or, at least, move the commiseration 
 of the Judge. But we read in the text, 
 that though they be whole nations, they 
 cannot withstand his almighty arm : however 
 numerous, or however strong, he can in a mo- 
 ment hurl the mightiest criminals into endless 
 ruin: thus he speaks by his Prophet — Hell 
 hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth 
 without measure: and their glory, and their 
 multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, 
 shall descend into it (Is. v. 14); and. As the fire 
 devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth 
 the chaff", so their root shall be as rottenness, 
 and their blossom shall go upas dust: becausB 
 
THK DOO^r OK THE WiCKF.D. 
 
 m 
 
 they have cast aivay the law of the Loid of 
 hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of 
 Israel (Is. v. 24). And Irath not this dreadful 
 threatening been fulfilled? hath not our Lord 
 told us of a rich man, who, in hell lifted up his 
 eyes, being' in torment ? it Avas not said that he 
 was sent thither for being a drunkard, or a 
 fornicator, or an extortioner: but he had 
 forgotten God. That narrative, I mean of 
 Dives and Lazarus, exhibits realities. Is 
 there such a place as hell? Does any one 
 descend into it, and find himself actually 
 there ? The rich man did ! 
 
 Let it, then, be established as an awful truth, 
 that they who wilfully neglect to obey any of 
 God's laws which they know, or who live 
 without Christ, that is, ignorant of him — do 
 not follow him in the regeneration, or who 
 indulge the secret sins of the heart, thus disre- 
 garding the divine presence, are those that 
 forget God, and shall be turned into hell. 
 
 Now pause awhile, and reflect! Some of 
 you perhaps by this time, instead of making a 
 wise resolve, have begun to wonder that so 
 heavy a judgment should be denounced merely 
 against Forgetfulness. 
 
 But look at the affairs of common life, and 
 be taught by them. Do not neglect, and want 
 of attention, and not looking about us to see 
 
94 FIFTH SF.RMON'. 
 
 what we have to do — do not any of these bring 
 upon us consequences, as ruinous to our 
 worldly business as any active misbehaviour? 
 It is an event of every day, that a man, by mere 
 laziness and inattention to his business, does 
 as certainly bring himself and family to poverty 
 and end his days in a goal, as if he were, in 
 wanton mischief, to set fire to his own house. 
 So it is also with the affairs of the soul : neg- 
 lect of that — forgetfulness of God, who only 
 can save it, will work his ruin, as surely as a 
 long and daring course of profligate wicked- 
 ness. 
 
 When any one has been recollecting the proper 
 proofs of a future state of rewards and punish- 
 ments, nothing methinks can give him so sensi- 
 ble an appreliension of punishment or such a 
 representation of it to the mind, as observing, 
 that, after the many disregarded checks, ad- 
 monitions, and warnings, which people meet 
 with in the ways of vice, folly, and extrava- 
 gance — warnings from their very nature, from 
 the examples of others, from the lesser incon- 
 veniences which they bring upon themselves, 
 from the instructions of wise and good men — 
 after these have been long despised, scorned, 
 ridiculed — after the chief bad consequences 
 (temporal consequences) of their follies have 
 been delayed for a great while — at length they 
 
THE DOOM OF THE WICKED. 95 
 
 break in irresistibly like an armed force: re- 
 pentance is too late to relieve, and can serve 
 only to aggravate their distress: the case is 
 become despei'ate ; and poverty and sickness, 
 remorse and anguish, infamy and death, the 
 effects of their own doings, overwhelm them 
 beyond possibility of remedy or escape. This 
 is an account of what is, in fact, the general 
 constitution of nature. 
 
 But is the Forgetfulness of God so light a 
 matter? Think what ingratitude, rebellion, and 
 atheism there is at the bottom of it ! Sirs, you 
 have a carnal mind, uhich is enmity against 
 God (Rom. viii. 7). Do not suppose that you 
 have but to make a slight effort, and you will 
 cease to forget him : it is your nature to forget 
 him : it is your nature to hate him : so that 
 nothing less than an entire change of heart and 
 nature, will ever deliver you from this state of 
 enmity. Our nature is not subject to the law of 
 God, neither indeed can be. They, that are in 
 the flesh, cannot please God (Rom. viii. 7, 8). 
 From this state, let the fearful menace in the 
 text persuade you to arise! Need we remind 
 you again of the dreadfulness of hell — of the 
 certainty that it shall overtake the impenitent 
 sinner? Enough has been said; and can any 
 of you be still so hardened, and such enemies 
 to vour souls, as still to cleave to sin? Will you 
 
95 MFTH SERMON. 
 
 still venture to continue any more in the hazard 
 of falling- into the hands of God? Alas! TVho 
 among us shall dwell ivith the devouring fire ? 
 Who amovig us shall divell with everlasting 
 burnings? (Is. xxxiii. 14). Can thine heart en- 
 dure, or can thine hands be strong, in the days 
 that 1 shall deal ivith thee ? I the Lord have 
 spoken it, and ivill do it! (Ezek. xxii. 14). 
 Observe, that men have dealt with sinners — 
 ministers have dealt with them — apostles, 
 prophets, and angels have dealt with them : 
 at last, God will take them in hand, and deal 
 with them! Though not so daring as to defy 
 God, yet, Brethren, in all probability you put 
 off repentance. Will you securely walk a little 
 longer along the brinks of the burning furnace 
 of the Almighty's fury? As the Lord liveth, 
 arid as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between 
 thee and death! (1 Sam. xx. 3). When you lie 
 down, you know not but you may be in it 
 before the morning; and when you rise, you 
 know not but God may say, Thou fool, this 
 night thy soul shall be required of thee! When 
 once the word is given to cut you down, the 
 business is o\e\\ You are cut ofl' from your 
 lying refuges and beloved sins— from the world 
 — from your friends — from the light — from 
 happiness— from hope, for ever ! Be wise then, 
 my friends, and reasonable: give neither sleep 
 
•4he doom of the wickkd. 97 
 
 to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids, till 
 you have resolved, on your knees before God, 
 to forget him no more. Go home and pray. 
 Do not dare to fly, as it were, in the face of your 
 Maker, by seeking your pleasure on his holy day * 
 but if you are alarmed at this subject, as well 
 you may be, go and pray to God that you may 
 forget him no more. It is high time to awake 
 out of sleep. It is high time to have done with 
 hesitation: time does not wait for you; nor 
 will God wait till you are pleased to turn. He 
 hath bent his bow, and made it ready : halt no 
 more between two opinions : hasten — tarry not 
 in all the plain, but flee from the wrath to 
 come. Pray for grace, without which you can 
 do nothing. Pray for the knowledge of Christ, 
 and of your own danger and helplessness 
 without which you cannot know what it is to 
 find refuge in him. It is not our design to 
 terrify, without pointing out the means of safety. 
 Let us then observe, that if it should have 
 pleased God to awaken any of you to a sense 
 of your danger, you should beware of betaking 
 yourselves to a refuge of lies. 
 
 But, through the mercy of God, many among 
 us have found repentance unto life — have fled 
 for refuge, to the hope set before them — have 
 seen their danger, and fled to Christ. Think 
 with yourselves what it is now to have escaped 
 
 H 
 
J)8 FIFTH SF,RMOX> 
 
 destruction; what it will be to hear at the Last 
 Day our acquittal, when it shall be said to 
 others, Depart from me, ye cursed, into ever- 
 lasting fire. Let the sense of the mercy of 
 God gild all the path of life. On the other 
 hand, since it is they who forget God that are 
 to bear the weight of his wrath, let us beware, 
 Brethren, how we forget him, through concern 
 about this world, or through unbelief, or 
 through sloth. Let us be punctual in all our 
 engagements with him. With earnest attention 
 and holy awe ought we to hear his voice, 
 cherish the sense of his presence, and perform 
 the duties of his worship. No covenant rela- 
 tion, or Gospel grace can render him less holy, 
 less jealous, or less majestic. Wherefore let us 
 have grace, whereby ice may serve God accep- 
 tably, with reverence and godly fear; for our 
 God is a C07isumingfire. 
 
SERMON VI. 
 
 THE DECEITFULNESSiOF THE HEART. 
 
 JEREMIAH XVII. Q. 
 
 The heart is deceitful above all things. 
 
 I. In what is here said concerning the deceit- 
 fulness of the human heart, it is supposed 
 that there are MANY OTHER THINGS IN THE 
 WORLD DECEITFUL: and very little experi- 
 ence is sufficient to convince us that the sup- 
 position is not without ground. 
 
 1. Men are deceivers. There is no man so 
 wary and cautious in his dealings with his 
 fellow-creatures, but he has found himself, at 
 one time or other, over-reached. In all mat- 
 ters of exchange, buying and selling, lending 
 money and paying it, labour and the remune- 
 ration for labour, there is generally a trial of 
 skill on each side, which shall get the better of 
 the other; and if their respective claims are 
 
100 SIXTH SERMON, 
 
 finally adjusted, and they come to a fair 
 agreement, it is rather because one is not an 
 overmatch for the other, than because they 
 msh that each should have his due. Fraud 
 is not confined to the lower orders of men: 
 great men also can be great deceivers: they 
 make promises, and excite expectations; and 
 when the time of fulfilment is come, it turns 
 out that they meant nothing. Such is the state 
 of things in society. The arm of brutal force 
 being tied up by law, men endeavour to satisfy 
 their greedy appetites by practising deceits. 
 
 2. There are other things in the world that 
 deceive, but not intentionally, such as riches, 
 and PLEASURE, and honour. They never pro- 
 mise any thing: but we will have it that they do. 
 We will give them a name, which, though they 
 disown it, we obstinately persist in giving : and 
 we continue calling them by their wrong 
 names, and reasoning from fictitious premises; 
 till, finding ourselves mistaken in the end, we 
 call them deceivers. 
 
 In this sense, Riches deceive. We imagine 
 that riches will do every thing for us ; and fancy 
 that he that has wealth equal to his wishes, is in 
 want of nothing. Yet riches can take to them- 
 selves ivhigs and fly away; and leave their 
 possessor with more wants than at first, and 
 less ability lo supply tliem. Or if they remain 
 
\ 
 
 THE DECEITFULNESS OF THE HEART. 101 
 
 with him, it is seldom seen that he is happier 
 than before, if so much so. Our desires multiply 
 with the means of gratifying them; so that 
 the rich man does not so much tai?;te new plea- 
 sures, as provide for new wants. 
 
 3. There are some things that deceive us, 
 which are neither in their nature fallacious, nor 
 such as we wish to be deceived about — things 
 in which we mistake through the defectiveness 
 of our judgment: for instance, the provi- 
 dence OF GOD. We expect that he will act in 
 some particular way, not considering that he may 
 have ends in view which are entirely unconnected 
 with us, or with any thing that we have heard : 
 so we often find that he acts quite otherwise 
 than we expected, and we are in consequence 
 deceived. 
 
 From a similar source, namely, our im.perfec- 
 tion, arise those frequent disappointments 
 which we meet with in our projects: our un- 
 wieldy schemes, in the course of time, come to 
 nothing, because, with all our sagacity, we know 
 nothing of the future. Hence also we form 
 erroneous opinions of others : we have thought 
 highly of some, whom we now know we are de- 
 ceived in: we have condemned others, whom 
 time has proved to be upright persons and out 
 best friends. So liable are we lo be imposed 
 upon by appearances! 
 
102 SIXIH .SER5lO\. 
 
 11. But let all outward things deceive us in 
 wliat form or to what extent they may, A 
 MAN'S OWN HEART OUTDOES THEM ALL IN 
 DUPLICITY. 
 
 1. The HEART IS ONE Of THE THINGS THE 
 LEAST KNOWN AMONG MEN. God haS glvCn 
 
 them some account of it, and they profess to 
 believe the Word of God without reservation ; 
 but they hesitate to give their assent to all 
 that is said against the Heart. The course of 
 things in the world corroborates the divine 
 testimony concerning our depravity: wicked- 
 ness generally prevails: general wickedness 
 can be only the aggregate of the wickedness 
 of each individual ; and each individual crime 
 must be owing to something within him : thus 
 legitimate reasoning conducts us to the depra- 
 vity of the heart. Yet men will not admit the 
 conclusion, though they acknowledge the pre- 
 mises; except, indeed, they can do it without 
 implicating themselves. Thus it is often re- 
 marked that such a man must have a bad heart 
 who could act in such a way; but they will not 
 allow that their own bad actions must be 
 owing to some evil in their hearts. 
 
 As men, in general, are ignorant of their 
 depravity, so each man is blind to his own 
 particular failings ; that is, to a paticular 
 propensity of the heart which seems its most 
 
THE DECEITFULNESS OF THE HEART. 103 
 
 prominent feature, and characterizes the man. 
 Other men can see when we are covetous, 
 but we cannot see it ourselves. 
 
 Sometimes, however, we do beheve what 
 men say of us ; and that is, when they flatter 
 us. At such times, the heart succeeds so com- 
 pletely in hiding our defects from us, that we 
 can believe any thing that is said in our praise. 
 There is reason to think, that each man is 
 naturally sunk into such a depth of absurdity 
 as to believe, after comparing himself with 
 others, and making allowances for the disad- 
 vantages attending his situation and circum- 
 stances, that the overplus of merit rests solely 
 with himself. 
 
 It is humiliating to find what a deficiency of 
 self-knowledge there is in others, who, of all 
 men in the world, ought to know themselves 
 best — those whom God, by his grace, hath 
 called to knowledge and virtue. 
 
 This self-deception appears in many of our 
 habits and opinions. We judge one anotlier 
 uncharitably; often unmercifully. Looking to 
 the right hand and to the left of the Church of 
 God, we observe how foolish is this, and how 
 wrong is that: not considering, that what 
 others do, they may do to the Lord, as well as Me 
 who leave it undone; and, that wliat tliey leave 
 undone, thev do it so to tlie Lord, as well afi 
 
104 SIXTH SERMON. 
 
 we who (Jo it (Rom. xiv. 6). We are not now 
 speaking of the sin of judging; but rather of the 
 deceitfulness of the heart, in not letting us see 
 the sinfulness of a censorious temper. We 
 acknowledge that we must not judge, lest we 
 be judged: yet we are always doing it — why? 
 because we are so abominably proud: there 
 is a secret belief that though it would be 
 wrong in others to judge, we are privileged 
 to do so, from ojir knowledge and general cor- 
 rectness. 
 
 The heart is never more deceitful, than in 
 the report which it gives of our progress in 
 Christian Virtues. 
 
 It tells us, for instance, that we have Zeal; 
 which zeal is often no other than bitterness 
 and ill temper. We are violent against the 
 misconduct of others ; not because they have 
 sinned against God, but because they trouble 
 and interfere with ourselves. We are zealous 
 for Christ, and the spread of his Gospel ; but 
 cannot rejoice if the work be not done by 
 ourselves and friends : nay, are often so 
 wicked as to wish the work may not be done 
 at all, if it cannot be done in our own way. 
 Now if our zeal is of this nature, it is 
 evidently pure worldliness. It is possible, nay, 
 it^s very easy, for our religious attachments to 
 bf come in time so confined, that we shall seek 
 
THE DECEITFULNKSS OF THE HEART. 105 
 
 the good of those of our own communion, with 
 no higher motive than men seek to aggrandize 
 their families and connections; and, conse- 
 quently, without any exercise of grace at all: 
 yet our hearts will be telling us all the while 
 that we are zealous for God. 
 
 We often think that we have Love, when we 
 have none. Tf ye love them which love you, 
 what thank have ye ? (Luke vi. 32). If we can 
 love those only who think with us, we do no 
 m,ore than every worldly man does : all friend- 
 ships are formed in this way : similarity of sen- 
 timents, in politics or literature, brings men 
 together — leaves no room for dissention — and is 
 a reciprocal acknowledgement of each other's 
 discernment. But Christian Love is quite 
 another thing: it needs not the impulse of 
 selfish motives, but feels the attractive influence 
 of the object: it cares not where that object 
 exists: if there be any thing truly lovely in 
 persons who even despise and ill [treat us, we 
 shall love it in spite of all: we shall open our 
 way to the pearl, in spite of the tenacity of the 
 shell. If this be Love, how little of it exists ! 
 yet all lay claim to it: they must therefore 
 deceive themselves. 
 
 There are other graces which we seem to 
 see in ourselves, and are mistaken. Religious 
 considerations sometimes appear so pleasant 
 
106 SIXTH SERMON'. 
 
 to US, that our hearts are full, and we speak 
 to all of the Happiness of Religion. This 
 we suppose nnist be Christian Experience — 
 this is the Joy and Peace promised to the saints : 
 which joy is more to be suspected than any 
 other. It is very often no more than the animal 
 spirits, elevated by something that pleases Self; 
 and merely taking a tinge, a slight colouring, from 
 religion. Rejoice in tribulation, with a sick 
 and dying body, destitute of friends, temporal 
 comforts, and all other aids to cheerfulness ; or 
 rejoice when your will is contradicted, and you 
 are put to great inconvenience — and we will 
 readily gTant that your joy is genuine: but, in 
 most other cases, it is very much to be 
 suspected. 
 
 The heart very often makes use of the 
 Bodily Constitutions of men, to impose upon 
 them. Many give themselves credit for being 
 humble and sober, because the constitution, 
 being naturally sedate, has no tendency to 
 lead them into excesses to which ardent tem- 
 pers are prone. Others impetuously carry all 
 before them, and despise the rest for want of 
 zeal ; whereas their ow n zeal is no more than 
 the heat of their blood. If we would take the 
 measure of our progress in those tempers lo 
 which our natural constitutions are most averse, 
 we should more justly appreciate our real cha- 
 
THE DECEITF UL\ ESS OF THE HEART. 107 
 
 meter. It is by pursuinj^ the opposite method, 
 that we fall into mistakes. 
 
 Thus are saints, as well as sinners, greatly 
 deceived in many important particulars. Now 
 no outward things practise fraud upon us. In 
 the creation of God, there is nothing which 
 is not subjected to rules, by virtue of which all 
 things continue as they were from the creation : 
 above all, God's Word remains the standard of 
 truth : yet we are constantly deceived. It is 
 evident, therefore, that there is a principle of 
 delusion within — the Heart must be a deceiver. 
 
 2. We have next to shew that the Heart is 
 deceitful above all thl\gs. 
 
 Powers of deceit may be estimated in various 
 ways; but chiefly, like other powers, by the 
 effects which they are able to produce 
 Deeper policy is necessary to defraud a man 
 of his estate, than to deprive him of his gar- 
 ment ; and deeper still, to change a dynasty 
 Now the heart, if left quietly to weave its own 
 web, will never leave off till it brings out 
 death : nothing less than tlie everlasting ruin 
 of both body and soul is the result of its ma- 
 chinations, if it be allowed to complete them. 
 Men exhaust their powers of invective against 
 the enemy of our nation, and stand aghast at 
 the unexampled success of his plans ; but they 
 have within their own breasts a f^e more insi- 
 
108 SIXTH SERMON. 
 
 (iious; one, whose scheme, if matured, will bring- 
 upon them far more extensive mischiefs. For 
 what can the craftiest politicians of this world 
 do, but alter somewhat of the form of things, 
 and vary what God intended should be varied ? 
 But the operations of the heart are connected 
 with the destinies of eternity : if it fail, the soul 
 may dwell with the angels, itself a companion 
 for them: if it succeed, the soul sinks to hell, 
 to be for ever with the devils. And all this it 
 does purely by fraud ! The potentates of the 
 earth find Power, either actually brought into 
 action or exhibited to intimidate, necessary to 
 the execution of their schemes ; but the heart 
 uses no instrument but Deceit. When the soul 
 is lost, it does not fall the victim of violence, 
 but goes as a willing subject. 
 
 If the heart did not practise its deceits to 
 the extent that it does, if it deceived us no more 
 than other things do, it deserves to be called 
 the Chief Deceiver, for being able to do before 
 our own eyes that for which others require 
 distance and concealment. It is certainly 
 more uncommon, when we mistake the cha- 
 racter of persons whom w^e live with, whom 
 we converse with from day to day, whom we 
 have known for years and observed in a great 
 variety of situations, than the character of 
 those who seldom come under our notices 
 
THE DECF.ITFULNESS OF THE HEART. 109 
 
 persons who can wear a mask in such circum- 
 stances, and not be discovered, are certainly 
 finished hypocrites. What then must we think 
 of the Heart, which we have always with us, 
 and may inspect when we please? The occur- 
 rence of outward events is not necessary in 
 order to put it into a new position, so as to 
 enable us to view it in a different aspect. We 
 can suppose cases ; and imaginary circum- 
 stances will be almost as true a list of the state 
 of the heart, as real. Thus we have abundant 
 means of discovering its bent and purposes : 
 yet, after all, it remains in a great measure 
 unknown. 
 
 The Word of God is given to us, to serve as 
 a rule to shew the heart's obliquities — a line to 
 fathom its depths — a clue to guide us through 
 its labyrinths — a fire to try its nature : yet it 
 remains unknown ! 
 
 The Word of God puts us on our guard 
 against the deceiver: it has given it a stigma, 
 that we may learn it: it mentions some of its 
 wiles ; holds up, as warnings, persons who 
 have been duped ; and roundly asserts that 
 he that trusteih his oivii heart is a fool (Prov. 
 xxviii. 26). Other deceivers, if they found the 
 ground thus pre-occupied and measures taken 
 for their reception, would despair of attempting 
 any thing with success ; but the heart sports in 
 
110 SIXTH SF.KMON. 
 
 its own (ieceivinj^s : it lays its plots at leisure, 
 and is confident of escaping detection. Surely 
 in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird 
 (Prov. i. \7). The silly animal sees what is 
 doing, yet flies as soon as possible into danger. 
 Thus it is with man. He seems bereft of 
 reason when the heart exerts its influence: so 
 superior is its skill and ingenuity, and so irre- 
 sistible its fascinations. 
 
 It is still more extraordinary, that, after we 
 ourselves have had trial of the falsehood and 
 treachery of our own hearts, as well as been 
 warned of what others have suffered in this 
 way, we should still listen with credulity to its 
 tales. In other cases, when any one has im- 
 posed upon us and is detected, we have done 
 with him ; or, if future intercourse be necessary, 
 we take care to remember what sort of person 
 we have to deal with. But the heart may de- 
 ceive as often as it will, and we still continue 
 to trust it. 
 
 Sometimes, however, we determine, in good 
 earnest, to examine the heart: we are resolved 
 to call it to account — to remain in ignorance no 
 longer. We begin; not many minutes pass 
 before we find ourselves thinking of something 
 else, as remote from what was to be the sub- 
 ject of our thoughts, as the East is from the 
 West : with such quickness and dexterity does 
 
THE DECETTFUL^NESS OF THE HEART. Ill 
 
 the heart produce something to amuse us, wlien 
 we are seriously proceeding to business ! We 
 recollect ourselves, and go back to the work : 
 the heart now begins to recommend delay : the 
 proposed examination will take up time, and 
 requires leisure : if we are in the city, we must 
 wait till we are in the country : if surrounded 
 by friends, we must stay till left more to our- 
 selves : books must be read, and judicious 
 friends consulted: no serious evil, it is con- 
 ceived, will result from thus deferring the work 
 for a season ; for time will be adding to our 
 knowledge, and we shall be more capacitated 
 for a work of this nature. 
 
 The heart has all the deceitfulness of a trades- 
 man whose affairs are involved ; and for the same 
 reason : it knows that if its true state be once 
 known, its credit and influence are gone. The 
 tradesman, whose affairs are in confuKion, is 
 averse to nothing so much as balancing accounts 
 and settling them : he will have a thousand rea- 
 sons to produce, why it had better not be done 
 just now : certain accounts must be called in — 
 letters written — such and such persons seen 
 before the thing can be done; and, all the 
 while, he has no intention of bringing matters 
 to an issue — he is merely gaining time : if one 
 look into his books, there appears nothing but 
 
112 
 
 SIXTH SEllMO^. 
 
 confusion — things omitted that ought to have 
 been set down, and things standing that ought to 
 have been crossed. Thus, when we take a first 
 view of the heart, all is chaos and disorder: it 
 is a thing unfolding itself, wheel within wheel : 
 it is a wilderness, which we know not how to 
 get through, or where to enter : we know not 
 what to think of our own thoughts and our own 
 tempers — what is nature, and what is grace — 
 what sins are unto death, and what are merely in- 
 firmities : we are at a loss to conduct the process 
 of self-examination ; and the utmost that we are 
 able to do in general is, to ascertain a few facts 
 respecting our state, without being able to come 
 at a comprehensive view of it; and all this be- 
 cause the heart throws into the back ground 
 what ought to be seen, and presents only the un- 
 meaning features; and whatever exhibition it 
 makes, its object is to misrepresent. 
 
 It will be thought, by some, that the heart 
 cannot be thus deceitful, when Divine Grace 
 has changed it. In proportion to our grace^ 
 no doubt, will be our sincerity and self-know- 
 ledge : but St. Paul had such conviction of the 
 deceitfulness of his heart, that, in that place 
 where he warns us against judging others, he 
 tells us, he could not so much as take upon 
 him to judge himself; for though he was con.- 
 
THE DECEITFULXESS OF THE HEART. IIS 
 
 scious of no allowed sin, there might be many 
 things in his heart of which he knew nothing 
 (1 Cor. iv. 3,4). 
 
 III. During this discussion it must have been 
 a thought^ suggesting itself continually to you, 
 that the heart is under Satanic influence. This 
 is to be inferred, not from the deceitfulness of 
 the heart, but from its always exercising its 
 powers to such a mischievous purpose. It is 
 almost a necessary supposition, that an exter- 
 nal agent must be concerned — one who perverts 
 all the faculties of the soul to effect its final ruin. 
 Let this, then, be the First Inference from 
 the text, that we have from experience, some 
 strong evidences of the scripture doctrine of 
 Satanic agency. 
 
 The next Reflection that we suggest to the 
 believer is, that he may now understand why 
 Christ is of God, made unto us wisdom (1 Cor. 
 i, 30). For how impossible is it to conceive that 
 creatures, so miserably apt to be deluded as we 
 are, should ever be able to extricate ourselves 
 from the snares laid for us by the combined wis- 
 dom and wickedness of the devil and the world, 
 with a breast more treacherous than either, were 
 we not led aright, hj some invisible hand! 
 Christ, blessed be his name, is an overmatch for 
 she heart: though it were furnished with all the 
 I 
 
J 14 SIXTH SERMON. 
 
 engines of hell, he can defeat its stratagems and 
 traverse its plans; and he will do so for his 
 
 people he will deliver us out of the horrible 
 
 pit and the miry clay, and set our feet upon a 
 rock, and establish our goings (Ps. xl. 2). He 
 has given us his Spirit to be a Spirit of wisdom 
 —a Spirit which enables us to descend into the 
 depths of the heart, and leads us into some of its 
 darkest caverns— a Spirit, which, by revealing 
 Jesus, makes us no longer afraid to look at our- 
 selves, or to confess before God our secret 
 wickedness. In this way the heart becomes 
 known and purified : it is renewed in its nature, 
 and becomes the abode of sincerity and truth. 
 Christ, therefore, and his promised Spirit, is 
 the remedy of every evil which we proclaim to 
 jnen — to you, who, without Him, will fall a prey 
 to your own wicked and deceitful hearts. 
 Those gangrenes are eating their way ; and will 
 continue to gain ground, till the whole mass is 
 overspread and becomes ripe for destruction. 
 Oh, then, think of your danger! What though 
 you turn away from the sight of your heart, doth 
 not God know it? He that planted the ear, 
 shall he not hear? he that formed the eye, shall he 
 not see? (Ps. xciv. 9). The Lord knoweth the 
 thoughts of men ; and however pure and im- 
 maculate your lives may be, he will call you into 
 judgment for th€ sin of your hearts. Learn, then, 
 
THE DECEITFULNESS OF THE HEART. 115 
 
 where true religion must begin. Mortify the 
 desires of your heart — oppose its inclinations — 
 thwart its purposes : above all, pray against its 
 deceits, and yield it up entirely to Christ. 
 Under his care it Mill become honest, upright, 
 pure ; and be changed from a flattering foe to a 
 wise and faithful monitor. 
 
 I 2 
 
SERMON VII. 
 
 TRIBULATION THE WAY TO THE 
 KINGDOM. 
 
 ACTS XIV. 22. 
 
 We must, through much tribitlation, enter inio 
 the king-dom of God. 
 
 In comparing the state of the childreu of God 
 with that of the ungodly, with a view of ascer- 
 taining which of them suffer most in the world, 
 no account must be taken of the common 
 calamities which are incident to mortality, 
 such as sickness, poverty, and death, for these 
 fall to their lot equally. Those sufferings 
 alone are to he noticed, which are peculiar to 
 each. 
 
 The sufferings peculiar to the ungodly are 
 those, which are occasioned by the aninter- 
 rupted prevalence of sin in the heart; un- 
 subdued pride, love of the world, inordinate 
 selfishness : these create perpetual disappoint- 
 ments and restless anxiety. The sufferings 
 peculiar to the godly are those, which owe 
 
118 SEVENTH SERMON. 
 
 their origin to the remains of sin in them : self- 
 will, intent upon its object, encounters the 
 Spirit of God : and because we strive where 
 we ought to yield, a heart-rending conflict 
 ensues ; a conflict by so much the more diffi- 
 cult to be borne, as the feelings of the heart 
 after conversion possess greater sensibility 
 than before : to these are to be added the 
 trials which they meet with from Satan and a 
 persecuting world. 
 
 We do not question which, upon the whole, 
 are the most happy in this world, because the 
 Scripture has decided that there isnopeaceto the 
 wicked ; whereas Godliness hath the promise of 
 the life that now is, as well as of that which is to 
 come{\ Tim. iv. 8): and the reason is, that the 
 righteous have something within to counter- 
 balance their afflictions and convert them into 
 benefits ; while the unrighteous have nothing 
 correspondent to this, under their calamities : 
 there is, therefore, no question about this. 
 
 But if the afflictions that befal the righteous 
 and the wicked be compared, without taking 
 into account the resources which they may 
 respectively have, it will be perhaps difficult to 
 decide which suffer most. Nor, indeed, is a 
 decision necessary : for no man, anxious for 
 salvation, would think of suspending his judg- 
 ment upon the determination of this question ; 
 
TRIBULATION THE WAY TO THE KINGDOM. 119 
 
 but rather judge that the Kingdom of Heaven 
 must be entered at all events, whether more or 
 less of tribulation is to be encountered in the 
 way to it. 
 
 When therefore the Apostle exhorted the 
 persecuted disciples to bear in mind, that through 
 much tribulation they should enter into the 
 kingdom, he did not thereby intimate that 
 a godly life was necessarily attended with 
 more trouble upon the whole than a wicked 
 one; for we rather change our troubles than 
 increase them: but only meant to forewarn 
 them of what was to be expected, lest the trials 
 attending their Christian Profession should 
 offend them ; that though they were the fa- 
 vourites of God and under his government, they 
 should nevertheless meet with much tribu- 
 lation. 
 
 I. We will endeavour, with the Divine 
 Blessing, to shew the truth of the Apostle's 
 words, or that NECESSITY of which he speaks ; 
 and then point out the Grounds of that ne- 
 cessity. 
 
 That those who are saved musty through much 
 tribulation^ enter into the kingdom^ appears 
 evident from these considerations— that, from 
 matter of fact, it always has been so — from the 
 nature of our circumstances, it is likely it should 
 
l*2C) SIViMH S£KMON. 
 
 be >t^ — iind, iroin the appoiiituient of God, ii 
 caiuioi be otherwise. 
 
 1. From MATTER OF FACT it appears to have 
 been ;dways so. 
 
 As the history of mankind, m general, is 
 justly observed to be only the catalo^ie of their 
 crimes^, so the history of the people of God is 
 a narrative of their sufferings for righteousness* 
 sake. 
 
 Abel, the first saint that died, brought upon 
 himself a violent death, only by offering an 
 acceptable sacrifice. Though the piety of ]N oah 
 proved his preservation, yet, during the long 
 period of one hundred and tiventy years, while 
 the Ark wtis building in obedience to God, 
 he was no doubt exposed to the severest trials 
 of his laith and patience, amidst the ridicule of 
 such a vast majority of contemptuous sinners. 
 Abraham, the firiend of God, was called to 
 many sacrifices painfiil to human nature : to be 
 obliged, as he was at the beginning, to abandon 
 his home, and go forth he knew not whither, 
 is a trial which we shall best appreciate 
 by placing ourselves in similar circumstances ; 
 ami by ctmceiving oursdres called to abandon 
 a spi>t, to which we are attached by every 
 tender tie. to go to sojourn in a foreign land : 
 yel, eT«i in Qmaan. be was not suffiered to 
 enjoy those comforts of a p^manent establisli- 
 
THIBULATION TM£ WAT TO THE KINGDOM. 121 
 
 ment, which next to irrandeur we are so apt 
 to idolize : when we con.sider these things, and 
 think of that deepest wound to hLs feeling, 
 the command to ofler up his Son, it is to be 
 concluded, that, with all his riches and 
 prosperity, he found the days of the yean< 
 of his pil^maj^e to be full of trouble. Lot, 
 his nephew, was long subject to another trial, 
 very distressing to a good man : his righteous 
 soul was vexed from day to day l>y the filthy 
 conversation of the w icked, among whom he 
 dwelt. The sufferinirs, which all these holy 
 men underwent, w ere such as they w ould have 
 escaped, had they not been saints — such as they 
 might have eluded, had they chosen to disobey 
 God. Thus also Joseph, for his purity and in- 
 tegrity, incmred disgrace, imprisonment, and 
 almost death. Job, for the trial of his upright- 
 ness, was subjected to the dreadtiil scourges of 
 Satan ; and suffered the loss of his property, 
 family, health of body, and peace of mind, all 
 at once. And because Moses chose to endure 
 affliction with the people of God rather than en- 
 joy the pleasures of sin, affliction he did endure! 
 for, partly from the murmurs of the stiff-necked 
 people and the care of govemincr them, and 
 partly from the displeasure of God testified 
 against his passionate words which would have 
 passed unnoticed had he not been an eminent 
 
122 SEVENTH SERMON. 
 
 saint, he must have found his passage through 
 the world as toilsome as his pilgrimage through 
 the wilderness. And what shall I more say, 
 for the time would fail me to tell of David, and 
 Samuel, and of the Prophets ; who, if they were 
 eminent examples of faith, were also of tribula- 
 tion, and the trial of faith. 
 
 The people of God were frequently the ob- 
 jects of persecution, in the times immediately 
 preceding the coming of Christ. Such were the 
 persecutions by Antiochus Epiphanes, when 
 thousands were murdered, because they would 
 not forsake the Law of God. Others had trial 
 of cruel mockings and scourging, yea moreover of 
 bonds and imprisonment. They ivere stoned: 
 they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain 
 with the sword : they wandered about in sheep 
 skins and goat skins ; being destitute, afflicted, 
 tormented: they wandered in deserts and in moun- 
 tains, and in dens and caves of the earth (Heb. 
 xi. 36—38). 
 
 Nor were the saints of the New Testament 
 Dispensation exempt from suffering. Could not 
 St. Paul, when he spoke the words of the Text, 
 testify the truth of it from his own painful expe- 
 rience, who was in stripes above measure — in 
 prisons frequent, indeaths oft — scourged, stoned, 
 shipwrecked — in journeying often, in perils of 
 7vaters, in weariness andpainfulness, in watchings 
 
TRIBULATION THE WAY TO THE KINGDOM. 12«$ 
 
 often^ in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in 
 cold and nakedness ? (2 Cor. xi. 23 — 27.) 
 
 Such were the lives of the Apostles ! of whom 
 every one but John was taken off by a violent 
 death : and the Christians, spoken of and writ- 
 ten to in the New Testament, were evidently 
 partakers of their tribulation. Scarcely is there 
 a single Epistle, in which affliction is not sup- 
 posed or expressed. And St. Peter tells the 
 elect strangers, that their case was not singular — 
 Knowing that the same afflictions are accom- 
 plished i?i your brethren that are in the tvorld,, 
 (1 Pet. V. 9). So St. John: / John, who also 
 am your brother and companion in tribidation, 
 and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ 
 (Rev. i. 9). 
 
 With respect to the Christian Believers in 
 after ages, wherever the secular historian notices 
 them the Church comes forward to view, al- 
 most always, in a suffering condition. Where- 
 ever the experience of a private saint happens 
 to be communicated to us, he appears as a sub- 
 ject of sorrows ; and, though there were times 
 when the Visible Church enjoyed the sunshine 
 of temporal prosperity, yet even then the true 
 followers of Christ were, in all probability, no 
 strangers to secret sorrows : for, as we proceed 
 to notice in the next place, 
 
 2. It is likely, from the nature of ouk 
 
124 ,S£V£NTH SUflMON. 
 
 CONDITION IN THIS WOULD, that all should, 
 through much tribulation, enter into the king- 
 dom. 
 
 The mere theoretical moralist, who descants 
 on the happiness of the good man as if he were 
 an angel, not taking into consideration the cor- 
 ruption of human nature, will describe him as 
 too elevated in his views to be endangered by 
 the body — too amiable in his conduct, to be 
 persecuted by his fellow-creatures — too firm in 
 his resolutions, to yield to Satan. But the real 
 condition of the Christian in the world, is suffi- 
 cient to prove that picture to be drawn by fancy : 
 because, though pure, so far as he is renewed 
 in the spirit of his mind, he finds another law in 
 his members warring against the law of his mind: 
 and, again, though holy in all his conduct, he is 
 among creatures who have no taste for holiness : 
 and, though he is finally victorious over Satan, 
 he is often worsted in the interim. 
 
 It is no more than likely, then, that, from his 
 flesh, or the corrupted part of his nature, the 
 child of God should go through much tribula- 
 tion : it is likely that he should, at times, be the 
 subjectof evil tempers; and that he should be 
 betrayed into rash and passionate language, and 
 be guilty of unbecoming selfishness, instead of 
 observing what is lovely and of good report — 
 that he should be at times careless and irreve- 
 
TRIBULATION THE WAT TO THE KINGDOM. 125 
 
 rent in prayer — find strong reluctance to spiri- 
 tual duties and the keeping of his heart with 
 diligence — that he should, through fear or care- 
 lessness, be betrayed into a sinful conformity 
 to the world, or dissimulate before them — that 
 he should be apt to be impatient in sickness, 
 distress of circumstances, loss of friends, or 
 other common calamities of life — that there 
 should be times when he would fear that he 
 had lost all happiness, by having renounced 
 the world — and what is worse, after all these 
 things that he should remain, for a considerable 
 time, hard-hearted and unfeeling at the recol- 
 lection of them. 
 
 This is tribulation ! for sin, in its nature and 
 consequences, is grievous to the children of 
 God ; but especially that sin which exists in 
 themselves. When they remember how their 
 sin casts a veil over the light of God's counte- 
 nance, grieves the Holy Spirit, and cnicifies 
 the Son of God — how it sometimes brings a 
 reproach upon their holy faith, and an occasion 
 to the enemies to blaspheme — how it defiles 
 their souls, and checks their advances in the 
 divine life — their reflections upon their own 
 sinfulness are accompanied with the keenest 
 remorse. Or, if they should find themselves 
 convinced of sin, yet incapable of sorrowing 
 for it after a godly sort — which is often the 
 
126 SEVENTH SDKMON. 
 
 case, as the effect of sin is to harden the heart-^ 
 then is their anguish extreme: for the chief 
 rehef to a good man, after the commission of 
 evil, is to be able to weep and mourn — to loath 
 and abhor himself before God, with a broken 
 and contrite spirit. 
 
 These are some of the severest trials which 
 we feel, because all these originate from our- 
 selves — ourselves are to blame: and, from that 
 consideration, arises the remorse of a self- 
 accusing conscience. 
 
 But other trials are to be expected from the 
 world, who are enemies to God on account of 
 his holiness, and will therefore be so to his 
 people on the same account. Is it then to be 
 wondered at, Christian Brethren, that the world 
 which lieth in wickedness should contribute 
 to our tribulation ? No : Marvel not, saith St. 
 John, if the ivorld hate you: you have no 
 reason to be surprised at it. If we testify of 
 the world that its works are evil, and they are 
 so ignorant as not to see the sterling excellency 
 of a godly character, and have naturally such 
 bad dispositions as we are taught that all men 
 have by nature, can we expect aught else from 
 them but dislike and contempt ? May we 
 not naturally suppose that they will, at times, 
 give vent to their dislike of Christian serious- 
 ness, by the satirical smile or disdainfid sneer? 
 
TRIBULATION THE WAY TO THK KINGDOM. 1.27 
 
 •^that they should watch our words and actions, 
 to ensnare us, and misrepresent the most 
 innocent of them ? — that they should carp 
 and slander, and speak evil of our good, and 
 magnify our infirmities with cruel pleasure ? 
 You know how they treated our Lord with all 
 his amiableness and wisdom — what may not 
 be expected, after this ? Nay, is it not rather 
 a wonder, that the enemies of the Church of 
 Christ in different countries, when in possession 
 of secular power, should be so mild and mode- 
 rate as they are ? It were far more probable 
 that the faggot should be flaming at the stake 
 all day, and the axe of the executioner ever 
 reeking with the blood of the saints. We are, 
 therefore, not to think it strange concerning 
 the fiery trial that is to ti-y us, as though some 
 strange thing happened unto us (\ Pet. iv. 12); 
 but to regard it as a natural and necessary con- 
 sequence of existing causes, that we should 
 enter into the kingdom through much tribula- 
 tion from the world. 
 
 Again, when we consider the power and 
 purposes of Satan — how he cruelly labours for 
 the ruin of men, and will maliciously harass 
 those whom he cannot destroy — how he had 
 skill sufficient to deceive our first parents in 
 their innocence, and madness enough to tempt 
 the immaculate Son of God — «ay, Tempted 
 
128 Sf:V£XTH SERMON. 
 
 Brethren, was it to be expected, that he should 
 let any of you pass unmolested through your 
 course ? Is he too busy in practising upon 
 others, to have leisure to attend to you ? or .does 
 he account your soul too worthless to repay 
 his pains ? None of these things can be. It 
 is, therefore, fully to be expected, that there 
 should be certain moments in a believer's life 
 when Satan is at hand. It shall be, that the 
 tempter stands by us when we pray, and sup- 
 plies plentiful occasions of distraction, and 
 helps us to exchange a word with every passing 
 thought. Now that this invisible enemy is to 
 be seen by the eye of faith, we may know 
 whence it is that the heart is startled at the 
 blasphemous thought which it finds constantly 
 recurring, and why it trembles to pray lest it 
 should involuntarily think of some monstrous 
 wickedness ; for these are fiery darts which 
 may be looked for from so foul a foe. From 
 the same source we may expect to be 
 harassed with hard thoughts of God, difficulty 
 in believing his promises, and all the perplex- 
 ing train of doubts, and fears, and groundless 
 suspicions. 
 
 Wherefore, f^-om the united consideration of 
 all these things, we may infer that there is a 
 high probability of our entering into the King- 
 dom of God through much tribulation. 
 
TRTBTTLATTOX' THE WAY TO THE KTXGDOM. 129 
 
 .*). But, lastly, from the purpose of oop, 
 we are to understand tliat it must be so. 
 
 Whatever the reason may be, God has cer- 
 tainly determined that his people shall suffer 
 in this world. / will leave in the fnidst of thee 
 an afflicted and poor people, said the Lord to 
 Jerusalem (Zeph. iii. 12). Whether their aiBic- 
 tions come immediately from his hand, or 
 throug^h the instrumentality of others, it is imma- 
 terial : for God is not taken by surprise by 
 any thing that happens to his people; and 
 therefore if he gives them warning of any thing 
 that shall befal them, that shall befal them 
 because he has forewarned them. Hence all 
 that our Saviour predicts concerning the suffer- 
 ings of his people, is a proof of what is God's 
 determination respecting them. And what did 
 he say on this subject ? I?i the world ye shall 
 have trihulation. Jf they have persecuted me, 
 they will also persecute you. Paul was to be told 
 on his conversion, not how great things he must 
 DO, but how great things he must suffer for 
 Christ's sake (Acts ix. 16). Neither did the 
 Apostles hesitate to tell the people what would 
 be the inevitable consequence of being be- 
 lievers : All that will live godly in Christ 
 Jesus shall suffer persecution (2 Tim. iii. 12). 
 And, accordingly, when the Thessalonians had 
 actual experience of the truth of these predie- 
 
130 SEVENTH SEllMOX. 
 
 tions, he exhorts them not to be moved by these, 
 afflictions; for yourselves know that we are 
 appointed thereunto : for, verily, when we were 
 with you, ive told you before that we should suffer 
 tribidation ; even as it came to pass, and ye 
 know (1 Thess. iii. 3, 4). 
 
 Affliction, then, is our necessary portion; 
 and is the badge by which, next to the blood of 
 Christ, saints are known in heaven. What are 
 these which are arrayed in white robes? and 
 whence came they ? A7id I said unto him, Sir, 
 thou knowest ; arid he said to me. These are they 
 which came out of great tribulation, and have 
 washed their robes and made them white in the 
 blood of the Lamb (Rev. vii. 13, 14). 
 
 Let us, therefore, be aware, that, as affliction 
 Cometh not forth of the dust, so it is a settled 
 affair in the counsels of God, that tribulation, 
 in one form or other, shall be the lot of his 
 people : not, however, that their lives shall be 
 spangled over with brilliant occurrences, the 
 retrospect of which might flatter their pride; 
 but attended with such circumstances as, though 
 not interesting in the narrative, are very pain- 
 ful in experience. 
 
 II. Respecting the Reasons of this appoint- 
 ment, we have no right to expect any informa- 
 tion : for, to every impatient question this answer 
 
TRIBULATION THE WAY TO THE KINGDOM. 
 
 131 
 
 may be given — Nay, hut O man, who art thou 
 that repliest against God! and much more, 
 " Nay, but O sinner, &c." Be still, and know 
 that I am God. God's sovereignty is sufficient 
 to silence all objections. Man, as a creature 
 has no right to complain — man, as a sinner, in 
 disgrace, should shut his mouth for ever. 
 
 Yet, since God hath first spoken and opened 
 his mind, we may proceed, from Scripture, 
 humbly to inquire, in the second place, into 
 the REASONABLENESS of this appointment. 
 
 1 . Here letus remark, in the first place, that no 
 harm shall ever come to us from tribulation. It 
 shall never separate us from the love of Christ : 
 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ ? shall 
 tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or 
 nakedness, or peril, or sword/ Nay, in all these 
 things we are more than conquerors! (Rom.viii. 35, 
 37). Again, the Lord doth not permit or appoint 
 our afflictions, because he takes pleasure in them ; 
 for Me doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the 
 children of men(J^^v[i. iii. 33) : nay, so far from this, 
 St. James, after bidding us take the Prophets as 
 an example of suffering affliction, adds, Ye have 
 seen the end of the l^ord — under what character 
 the Lord appears at last — how benign his aspect, 
 when the clouds break, and we discover his pur- 
 pose — that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender 
 77?/?rrj/ (James V. 11). For our further satisfac- 
 
132 
 
 SEVENTH SE7iMON. 
 
 tion it is told us, God is faithful, who ivill not 
 suffer you to he tempted above that ye are able 
 (1 Cor. X. 13): the same truth is expressed in 
 Isaiah, 27th chap. 8th verse, In measure, ivhen 
 it shooteth forth, thou ivilt debate with it : he 
 stuyeth his rough uifid, in the day of the east 
 wind — he does not permit them ordinarily to 
 blow together. And what is better still, he has 
 given U8 a Saviour to sympathize with us in all 
 our distress and tribulation which we endure : 
 thus it is said of the Israelites of old, In all 
 their affliction he was afflicted, and the arigel 
 
 of his presence saved them a7id carried them 
 
 all the days of old (Is. Ixiii. 9). The same kind 
 friend is our's : for ive have not a High Priest, 
 which cannot pe touched, ivith the feeling of our 
 infirmities, hut was in all points tempted like as 
 we are (Heb. iv. 15). 
 
 But still the question is not answered, " Why 
 doth God afflict his people?" 
 
 We answer, that it is chiefly to make them 
 holy — to restore that image, which we lost in 
 Adam; and so to make us meet to be partakers 
 of the inheritance of the saints in light. *' But 
 why cannot this end be accomplished without 
 affliction ? Why might it not be attained in 
 the way of prosperity and innocent pleasure ?" 
 to this ^^'e must say, that the Spirit of God is 
 certainly not confined to any particular means 
 
TRIBULATION THE WAY TO THE KINGDOM. 133 
 
 in the execution of his designs ; and might, 
 therefore, if he pleased, make worldly pro- 
 sperity the instrument of our sanctitication : but 
 he chooses to make his dispensations of grace 
 analogous, in a certain degree, to his opera- 
 tions in nature : hence, because affliction has a 
 natural tendency to improve our behaviour — as 
 it often takes from the proud man some of his 
 pride, as it did Nebuchadnezzar's; and from 
 the worldly-minded some of his love of the 
 world ; and teaches the hard-hearted pity and 
 compassion, without, however, changing tlie 
 heart — the Spirit of God is pleased to employ 
 affliction as an instrument in his great work. 
 This may tend to reconcile the children of God 
 to the mode of treatment, in general, which in 
 employed toward them. 
 
 Let us therefore consider, by a reference to 
 their own experience, how the proposed end is 
 actually attained by it. 
 
 1. One of the first benefits derived to us from 
 sanctified affliction, is a submissive spirit: 
 Ti'ibulaiion ivorkelk patience. 
 
 The pride and arrogance of our hearts, and 
 their stubborn contradiction to the will ofG(»d, 
 are little known to us in prosperity: while 
 things continue to smile wpon us, and the train of 
 events of each day is for the most part agreeable, 
 our rebellious disposition lies quiet : we suppose 
 
lo4 SEVENTH <LUMON'. 
 
 ourselves plea^sed >villi God. because his Pro- 
 \idenoe is such as pleases us. But, ^vheu we 
 are brought under the stroke of real atiiiction, 
 and become subjects of those dispensations 
 which are not only in some respects mipleasant 
 but are wholly contradictory to our tlesh and 
 such as no contri^ ances will enable us to alle- 
 viate, the latent selt-will begins to stir, and the 
 soul will be tome with ragin«- discontent, till we 
 make up our mind to submit. 
 
 A really atRictive dispensation, which is in- 
 tended for our good, is that, m which there are 
 little or no •.counterbalancing pleasures — tliat, 
 from which there appears no outlet, or a very 
 distant one: for. in such cases, the only way left 
 for the sold to tind peace in is, to lie do^vn in 
 quietness. As. in the taming of a wild beast, his 
 strugiiles only bring upon him greater force 
 and harder usage, but, when he yields, he is left 
 to rest ; so, while the soul is under the discipline 
 of God. its shortest way to peace, according to 
 the constitution of things, is to submit to the 
 treatment which Gx)d sees necessary. 
 
 Submission like this is an exercise, and 
 therefore an improvement, of a submissive spirit; 
 when we are patient, not from the hope of a 
 speedy deliverance, or because we have dis- 
 covered some alleviating circumstances, but 
 from the consideration that God has appointed 
 
TRIBULATION' THE MAY TO THE KINDOM. 135 
 
 it. Affliction, by being accompanied with such 
 circumstances as to leave us no alternative 
 but to be patient or else miserable, has a most 
 powerful tendency, through the agency of the 
 Spirit, to reduce our rebellious tempers to a 
 disposition w liich becomes creatures : and the 
 acquisition of such a temper we suppose indis- 
 pensably necessary for one, who is to enter into 
 the kingdom of heaven. 
 
 This, then, is one use of tribulation — to make 
 us come down from the place of God to that 
 of creatures — to sink our haughty spirits into 
 profound self-abasement upon earth; that, in 
 heaven, we may have no will left, but to do the 
 will of God. 
 
 2. Another use of tribulation is to make us 
 
 HEAVENLY MIXDED. 
 
 Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of 
 God; neither will the carnal mind find aught 
 to gratify it in heaven. It is a spiritual place, 
 and its enjoyments are fitted for pure spirits. 
 We must, therefore, acquire a taste for spiritual 
 pleasures, before we can be fit for the kingdom 
 of God. This taste cannot be formed, unless 
 we meditate on them with frequency and 
 affection: we cannot meditate on them, till 
 we cease to idolize earthly things : and this, 
 alas! it is to be feared, we shall not cease to 
 do, till the world is embittered to us, in some 
 way or other. But when we have learned, by 
 
136 SEVENTH SEKMOX. 
 
 luoumful experience, the vanity of the crea- 
 ture, then the soul, which has been quickened 
 with Christ by regeneration and raised up with 
 him to sit in heavenly places, launches far away 
 in coirtemplation of tlie glories of another 
 world. Oh, how ardent its faith! — liow strong 
 and vivid its desires! — how does it breathe after 
 God, and struggle to escape from the entangle- 
 ments of time and sense, that it may breathe a 
 pmer air and hold communion with God! Oh, 
 that I had tvings like a dove, says the perse- 
 cuted Psalmist, then ivonld I Jiee away and be 
 at rest. 
 
 "■ Since it pleases God,"' the afflicted saint 
 will say, " to make it a thorny path to me, 
 and my way to lie through a howling wilder- 
 ness — since he hath made my dearest enjoy- 
 ments short-lived, and caused my fondest 
 schemes to end in disappointment — since the 
 friends, and connections, and situation, and 
 circumstances, which I looked forward to in 
 earlier life, as desirable above all things, have 
 rather proved occasions of sorrow — since the 
 selfishness of some, the ingratitude of others, 
 and the persecuting dispositions of the ungodly 
 world, added to my inward trials and tempta- 
 tions, leave me but little comfort in this life — 
 henceforth 1 will live for another world : from 
 the hiira>5sing- vexations Ihut assail me, I will 
 fke to the bosom of Him, who will IfC to me as 
 
TRIBLLAIION Tlli: WAY TO THE KlXC^DOiM. 137 
 
 a hiding-place from the windy and a covert from 
 the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place; 
 as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land 
 (Is. xxxii. 2). Blessed be God, that he has 
 left so little on earth to encham my affections— 
 that he has said to me, by all these afflictions, 
 Arise, fur this is not thy rest: henceforth, there- 
 fore, I desire to live as a stranger and pilgrim upon 
 earth, looking at something beyond the present 
 scene : my heart and affections shall dwell with 
 Christ, in fairer worlds on high : there the 
 wicked cease from troubling, there the weary be 
 at rest" (Job iii. 17). 
 
 Thus is devotion purified— hope enlivened — 
 faith made more active — and all the affections 
 more spiritual, by means of sanctified affliction. 
 There is a spirituality, an unction, a divine 
 power pei*vading the prayers and conversation 
 of a suffering saint, which mere knowledge 
 or sound understanding, brilliancy of imagina- 
 tion or enthusiastic raptures, may imitate, but 
 cannot express. 
 
 3. Tribulation has a yet further use, in 
 
 STRENGTHENING OUR SPIRITUAL KNOWLEDGE 
 
 OF Christ. 
 
 Union to Christ, and communion with him, 
 are the main stamina of the soul — the secret 
 springs of that life, the continuance of which 
 appears to most men so unaccountable. He is 
 
138 SEVENTH SEKI\10N. 
 
 made unto us wisdom, and righteousness j and 
 sane tijicat ion, and redemption (iCor. i. 30); 
 and in him we are to walk, rooted and grounded 
 in him. Union to him we receive at our spiri- 
 tual birth ; but that communion with him and 
 dependance on his grace, which ought to result 
 from the union which subsists, we are slow to 
 understand, and still more so to practise : we 
 grope in the dark, seeking something to help us 
 forward in the way of holiness ; and take up with 
 such as may come to hand, instead of abiding 
 steadily in Christ. Hence, whatever has a ten- 
 dency to keep Him before our minds, is of the 
 highest importance to us. 
 
 Affliction may do this : for, as a person 
 will naturally take great interest in those suffer- 
 ings of others which correspond to his own, and 
 the books which describe these and the persons 
 who have felt them will possess a particular in- 
 terest in his view ; so the disciple of Christ will 
 be disposed to look to his Master, and consider 
 his example. In his life (for he was a Man of 
 sorroivs and acquainted with grief) the suffering 
 Christian will find something analogous to his 
 own case : for in all things he was made like 
 unto his brethren — in all points he was tempted 
 like as we are, yet without sin (Heb. ii. 1/ ; iv. 1 5). 
 And though we may urge that our Lord could 
 have had no conflict with sin, which may be per- 
 
TRIBULATION THE WAY TO THE KINGDOM. 139 
 
 haps our severest trial ; yet lie determined to 
 have the nearest experience of that too, which 
 a spotless being could have — namely, by sub- 
 mitting- to the temptations of Satan, by which 
 means he became acquainted with our trials 
 arising'from corruption ; for the suggestions of 
 corruption and those of Satan are scarcely to 
 be distinguished by the most discriminating 
 judgments. 
 
 Finding, then, in Christ's sufferings, a coun- 
 terpart of our own, we shall love to contem- 
 plate Him, and remark His conduct. His resig- 
 nation and self-denial ; and thus shall gradually 
 acquire a similarity of sentiment, and a union 
 of heart with the Blessed Jesus. Such consi- 
 deration of the sufferings of Christ is itself an 
 act of a life of faith upon him ; but one exer- 
 cise of it leads to another. While our suffer- 
 ings keep Jesus and his sufferings in our view, 
 we shall not be so apt to forget the nature and 
 object of those sufferings of his: we shall re- 
 joice to think that it was out of love to ourselves 
 that he died for us — that as a reward for all he 
 underwent as our surety, he has received an 
 unmeasurable fulness of the Spirit for his peo- 
 ple, especially his afflicted ones, who most need 
 it : hence, we shall cast our souls with all their 
 misery upon him — trust to his tender care for 
 watching by us, while we are refining in the fur- 
 
140 SEVJ^NTH SERMON. 
 
 nace of affliction — and expect to receive grace 
 to help us in every time of need. 
 
 Let it not be forgotten, on the other hand, 
 that the suffering condition of his people is, of 
 itself, a sufficient reason for Christ's looking 
 down upon them with peculiar regard: even 
 before they call, he answers — gives them pa- 
 tience — and comes, of his own accord, to bless 
 them with extraordinary manifestations of his 
 presence. As the sufferings of Christ abound in 
 us, so our consolalion also aboundeth by Christ. 
 As ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye 
 be also of the consolation (2 Cor. i. 5, 7)- 
 
 Upon the whole, then, it is certain that a state 
 of tribulation improves our spiritual knowledge 
 of o.ur Lord Jesus Christ, by inducing an ap- 
 plication to his grace, and by drawing down 
 communications from his fulness. 
 
 Probably the experience of many of my 
 hearers will suggest many other uses of afflic- 
 tion ; but, with the three before-mentioned, we 
 shall close, as considering them the most com- 
 prehensive and important. 
 
 in. Let us, before we conclude, ADDRESS 
 the different persons who compose this as- 
 sembly. 
 
 Afflicted Brethren ! is it a sad necessity 
 imposed upon us, that we must, through much 
 
TUIEULATTOX TllF. WAY 10 THE KINGDOM. 141 
 
 tribulation^ enter into the kingdom ? O no ! it* 
 such 1)0 its precious effects, let us not be startled 
 at aftiiction ; nor provoke God to listen to our 
 prayers for its premature removal. Be patient, 
 therefore : and while nature pours out her com- 
 plaints, use no undue method of being- rid of 
 your trouble ; but be more anxious for the ac- 
 complishment of the purposes of affliction, than 
 for the removal of it. Is it too much to require 
 you to rejoice in it ? the patient, who is assured 
 of cure, does not act properly, who only resigns 
 himself to the physician sullenly : he should do 
 it with alacrity and joy; and thus you are ex- 
 horted by the Apostles to glory in tribulation 
 (Rom. V. 3) ; to be strengthened with all might 
 according to his glorious power, unto all patience 
 and long-suffering, with joyfulness (Col. i. 11); 
 to count it all joy tvhen ye fall into divers 
 temptations (James i. 2) ; to glory in infirmities 
 (2 Cor. xii. 5) ; for unto you it is given, on the 
 behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but 
 also to suffer for his sake (Phil. i. 29). It is a 
 high privilege to believe in him ; but how much 
 more to suffer for him ? 
 
 After all the false dimensions which an exag- 
 gerating fancy, disordered by fear, will assign 
 to our troubles, how small are they ! — small 
 indeed, for creatures escaped from hell ! For 
 the sufferings of this present time are not worthy 
 
142 SEVENTH SERMON. 
 
 to he compared ivilh the glory which shall he 
 revealed in us! (Rom. viii. 18). And our light 
 ajffliction^ which is hut for a 7noment, worketh 
 
 for us a far 7nore exceeding and eternal weight 
 
 ^of Glory (2 Cor. iv. 17). 
 
 Because it has been said that tribulation is 
 unavoidable, let not the inexperienced chris- 
 tian be discouraged, at being, in a great mea- 
 sure, a stranger to such trouble, as if his exemp- 
 tion were a proof of unsoundness ; for God, in 
 wisdom, permits us to be tried in proportion to 
 our strength. Beware, therefore, of courting 
 persecution, lest the cross which you bring upon 
 yourself, you should be obliged to bear yourself: 
 by and hy^ trihulation or persecution will arise 
 because of the word (Mat. xiii. 21). 
 
 For the careless part of my audience, this 
 subject will possess little interest. They will 
 say that this is to dress religion in a black attire, 
 which she never meant to wear — that what they 
 have heard has been probably dictated by mis- 
 anthropic spleen, and written with a pen dipt 
 deep in melancholy. They resolve, if they 
 have any religion, that it shall be such as 
 shall leave them in full possession of the plea- 
 sures of this world, for that is the amiable reli- 
 gion of our Saviour ! But what says Christ ? 
 Woe unto you that are full ! for ye shall hunger. 
 Woe unto yon that laugh norr f for ye shall wonrn 
 
TRIBULATION THE WAY TO THE KINGDOM. 143 
 
 mid weep. Woe unto you, when all meii shall 
 speak well of you ! for so did their fathers to the 
 false prophets(Juuke\'\. 25, 26). Your exemption, 
 therefore, from spiritual trouble, is a privilege 
 by no means enviable. Not to mention the 
 emptiness of carnal pleasure, let ma ask, what 
 are the reflections of persons on their death- 
 bed? are they pleased at having declined the 
 cross ; and lived in vanity, and the favour of the 
 world ? No : they reflect, how much better it 
 would have been to have fought bravely the 
 battles of God ; and, through the blood of op- 
 posing enemies, to have waded to a throne on 
 high. Then consider the matter, Brethren. Sit 
 down, and count the cost. Choose rather, 
 through grace, to suffer tribulation with the 
 people of God. Won by the love of Christ in 
 suftering for you, be not unwilling to suffer a 
 little for Him : so, when the sorrows of the 
 world are beginning, yours shall end : when, 
 with all the nations that forget God, they shall 
 be turned into hell, you shall join the redeemed 
 of the Lord, who sliall return and come to 
 Zion, with everlasting joy upon their heads : 
 having passed through your tribulation, you 
 shall see it no more : you shall obtain joy and 
 gladness ; and sorrow and sighing shall flee 
 awav. 
 
SERMON VIIL 
 
 THE CHRISTIAN WALK. 
 
 COLOSSIANS ii. 5. 
 
 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the 
 Lord, so ivalk ye in him. 
 
 The way in which a Christian Believer must 
 walk in his passage through this world to the 
 next, is a way which we are by no means apt 
 to observe, or disposed to adhere to. It is new 
 and singular in its nature : it cannot be identi- 
 fied with any other : in consequence of which, 
 the wise, who would walk in it, must begin 
 where the foolish do ; and proceed, step by step, 
 in ground constantly new ; seeing nothing which 
 past experience had made familiar to them. It 
 requires, moreover, such vigilance and atten- 
 tion, such spiritual and elevated affections, such 
 exercise of the inward faculties, and, withal, 
 such simplicity, that we are too ignorant, too 
 indolent, and too proud to discover this way 
 of Christian Sanctification, and then to keep 
 in it. 
 
 . L 
 
146 EIGHTH SERMON. 
 
 Hence, the saints and brethren at Colosse, 
 though well spoken of, upon the whole, for their 
 faith in Christ Jesus and their love in the Spirit, 
 needed an exhortation on that head. They 
 had been corrupted in some degree, or were in 
 danger of becoming so, by the introduction of 
 outward observances, or human methods of 
 sanctilication, instead of the simple way of 
 living by faith in Christ. Their learned Hea- 
 then neighbours, drawing them into disputes on 
 some difficult points, might make them ashamed 
 of Christ Crucified ; or, more probably, teach- 
 ers, newly converted from Heathenism, might, 
 through their imperfect views of the glory of 
 the Gospel, attempt to garnish their doctrine 
 with maxims and sentiments concerning mora- 
 lity, such as were most in vogue among the 
 Heathen Literati at the time. There are cer- 
 tain men, who, because they possess somewhat 
 more learning than others, think, when they 
 become converts to the Gospel, that they are 
 great acquisitions to the cause : they officiously 
 extend the shield of their learning over their 
 more unlearned brethren, and try to prove 
 where others believe: but, while they think 
 they promote the cause, they generally spoil 
 what they touch. Therefore they are thus cau- 
 tioned : — Setvare lest any man spoil you^ through 
 philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of 
 
THE CHRISTIAN WALK- 147 
 
 meny after the rudiments of the. world, and not 
 after Christ (v. 8). Every part of true religion 
 may be learnt new from the Bil^le. The Word 
 of God, though it lends aid to other books, 
 receives it from none. 
 
 Similar caution was added respecting those 
 teachers among them that Judaized, or added 
 Jewish observances to Christianity, with the 
 desire of making their obedience complete. 
 Ye are complete in him, they are told (v. 10). 
 Let no man therefore judge or condemn 3/0?/ m 
 meat or drink, or in respect of a holy day(y. 16). 
 Let no man agitate your minds by charging you 
 with neglects in these external observances : 
 they were once necessary, but these are a sha- 
 dow of things to come, but the body is Christ : 
 therefore penances, fasts, and austerities, which 
 are so valuable in the sight of the Heathens and 
 form so large a part of corrupt Christianity, are 
 now done away. 
 
 These were the prohibitions given them. The 
 command and positive rule, laid down for their 
 consistent walk and effectual sanctification, is 
 to be seen in the text: As ye have received 
 Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him. 
 
 Here are two important sentences — one dis- 
 covering the beginning, the other the progress, 
 of the Christian Life — one the gate, the other 
 the way in which it opens. 
 l2 
 
148 F.TGIITH SFRMON. 
 
 The beginning of all true religion is, receiv- 
 ing CHRIST JESUS. Not merely receiving his 
 baptism or his name, but the Lord himself. 
 The receiving of Christ is essential : where 
 Christ is not fonnd our religion is only a name. 
 
 Is it asked, " What is meant by receiving 
 Christ?' It is to receive him as God's un- 
 speakable GIFT — provided by the love of the 
 Father, before the foundation of the world ; 
 and bestowed freely on us sinful men, without 
 regard to our deserts. It is to receive him 
 as our atoning sacrifice and justifying righteous- 
 ness — cordially accepting him as of God, made 
 unto us wisdom, and righteousness, a?id sanctiji- 
 cation, and redemption — coming to him, as the 
 foundation laid by God — believing in him, as 
 the ap [jointed Saviour — and making him the 
 ground of our hope of acceptance with God, 
 to the exclusion of all other hopes. It is also, 
 to receive him as our lord, whose commands 
 ALONE are to be obeyed : this may be the chief 
 import of the words ; for they may be trans- 
 lated. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus 
 to be your Lord, so walk ye i?i him : where the 
 reception is real, or the faith genuine, there will 
 accompany it humility, love, devotedness : there- 
 fore to say that we receive Christ Jesus the Lord, 
 is to say, that we receive him with the conscious- 
 ness that we are sinners, perishing under the 
 
THE CHRISTFAX WALK. 
 
 149 
 
 wrath of God : as a dyinj^ man receives the la^t 
 medicine that restores his life, or ns a drowning 
 man seizes the kind hand that saves him, with 
 hke joy and love we receive God the Saviour, 
 and gratitude consecrates to him the rest of 
 life. 
 
 This is the beginning of our new course to- 
 ward heaven — the stretching of our wings to- 
 ward the skies : and thrice liappy are ye. Chil- 
 dren of God, who have become such through 
 Christ Jesus. It is our continuance in this way, 
 that we are to consider from this text. As ye 
 have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye 
 in him. 
 
 To walk in Christ is :- 
 
 I. To CONTINUE TO APPLY HIS BLOOD for 
 the cleansing of our consciences from guilt. 
 
 It is a common experience of the children of 
 God, but especially of those who are begin- 
 ning their Christian Life, that, when they fall 
 into sin or feel their hearts averse to duty, a con- 
 sciousness of guilt arises, which destroys their 
 peace, and proves a grievous hindrance to them. 
 The fear of being under the displeasure of God 
 alienates their affections from him, and makes 
 them unwilling to pray ; and, therefore, religion 
 no longer affords them pleasure : they become 
 dissatisfied with its restraints ; and thus, while 
 
150 EIGHTH SERMON. 
 
 they are waiting for a better disposition and 
 state of mind with which they may come with 
 acceptance before God, unbelief is gaining 
 gromid, and imperceptibly causing them to de- 
 part farther and farther from God. 
 
 This is, because they lose sight of the Blood 
 of Christ; or make not that use of it which it is 
 tlieir privilege to do : for Christ is the appointed 
 means, not only of our obtaining reconciliation 
 with God at first, but of securing his favour and 
 walking with him in love. Through him we 
 have access by faith, into this grace wherein we 
 stand (Rom. v. 2). Such is the everlasting 
 efficacy of his blood, that it was necessary that 
 he should shed it but once : and now once, in the 
 end of the ivorld, hath he appeared to put away 
 sin, by the sacrifice of himself (Heb. ix. 26) : but, 
 by that one oblation, he obtained eternal 
 redemption for us ; and by that one offering, 
 has perfected for ever them that are sanctified 
 (Heb. ix. 12 ; x. 14). His blood is called a foun- 
 tain opened for sin and for uncleanness, to sig- 
 nify, that as a fountain sends forth fresh streams 
 for daily and hourly purification, so the blood of 
 Christ is intended for the continual application 
 of sinners to it. 
 
 The purpose of these constant applications 
 to the Blood of Christ, is not indeed altogether 
 the same ab that of our first act of coming to him : 
 
THE CHRISTIAN WALK. 151 
 
 for that was to obtain the favour of God, and 
 the repeal of the curse which had c^one out 
 ag:ainst us ; whereas these daily repeated acts of 
 faith on his blood are more as memorials 
 before God, and chiefly for the preservation of 
 our own peace : thus our Lord said to Peter, 
 He, that is ivashed, needeth not save to wash his 
 feet, but is clean every whit (John xiii. 10). It is 
 also described as a way or road to God; by 
 which we may learn, that it is not like the 
 drawbridge which is taken up after you have 
 passed over, but it remains fixed and open to 
 all like the king's highway. 
 
 It is one of his attributes, Jesus Christ, the 
 same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever (Heb. 
 xiii. 8). Besides the perpetual value which the 
 blood of Christ hath in the sight of God, he is 
 himself pleading the merit of it at his Father's 
 throne; and, on the ground of that, makes 
 unceasing intercession for his people. We are, 
 therefore, encouraged to come boldly to the 
 throne of grace, seeing he ever liveth to make 
 intercession for us; and to draw near with a true 
 heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts 
 sprinkled from an evil conscience (Heb. x. 22). 
 
 Let us, then, be careful, Dear Brethren, when 
 we fall into sin, never to remain at a distance 
 from God, in a sullen and slavish despondency, 
 as we are apt to do ; for conscious guilt will 
 
152 £IGHTU Si^RMON. 
 
 never remedy itself, but rather revive the an- 
 cient enmity against God. On the contrary, 
 though our guilt be dark and threatening, and 
 corruptions rage, let us, in spite of ourselves, 
 flee, without a moment's delay, to the Lord 
 Jesus Christ. What else can we do? Lord^ to 
 ivhom shall ive go? Thou hast the ivords of 
 eternal life — Without me, ye can do nothing 
 (John vi. 68 ; xv. 5). Think not that ye will be 
 rejected for all your iniquities : his death and 
 inteicession secure your pardon. 
 
 II. To walk in Christ, is TO LIVE IN DEPEN- 
 DANCE ON HIS GRACE. 
 
 It hath PLEASED the Father, that in him 
 should all fiduess dwell (Col. i. 19); and it is 
 also his pleasure, that the spiritual life of his 
 children should be maintained, by receiving 
 out of that fulness, grace for grace. 
 
 But we are slow to learn the practical use of 
 these privileges, as is evident from the {general 
 unsteadiness of our walk. Tottering in our 
 steps, and wandering in our course, are evident 
 signs that we lean too little on the arm of 
 another. The surprise and confusion which 
 we are thrown into on the unexpected arrival 
 of some trial, are proofs that we walk too much 
 {11 dependance on our own wisdom, without 
 f'oiisidenng ourselves as under the guidance 
 
THE CHKISriAN WALK. l5o 
 
 of another. If the Prophet's servant had seen 
 the chariots of tire round about the mountain 
 he would not have been so terrilied. And this 
 is more evident still, from tiiat solicitude and 
 anxiety, those fears, suspicions, and surmises, 
 about things to come, both temporal and spi- 
 ritual, which form so large a part of our woes. 
 
 Now it is our duty and our privilege to feel, 
 and to be in the habit of feeling, that we have 
 no wisdom nor strength of our own; but are in 
 such a state of weakness, that, if left to our- 
 selves, we sink quickly to sin and hell. We 
 should never suppose that we are alone, steer- 
 ing our own way across the ocean of life ; but 
 keep it always in mind, that the Lord is at the 
 helm. 
 
 Nor should these thoughts consist of the 
 mere general assent of the mind to the truth of 
 God's assisting the righteous ; but they should 
 be the convictions of faith in that new Covenant 
 of Grace, which provides the great Mediator 
 to be to us in the stead of our own wisdom and 
 strength. 
 
 To walk in Christ, is to remember always 
 that we have thus, in the person of Christ, all 
 the powers of the Godhead and all the sym- 
 pathies of the Manhood interested about us 
 and attached to us ; that Christ being with us 
 as God, it is the miinite strength of the Almighty 
 
154 EIGHTH SERMON. 
 
 that defends — unerring wisdom that guides — 
 and everlasting love that comforts us ; that, as 
 Man, we have in him one that is experimentally 
 acquainted with our sorrows, trials, and tempta- 
 tions, and disposed to sympathize with us. 
 
 To walk in Christ is so to acknowledge him 
 in these relations, as to place an unbounded 
 confidence in him. If it be the pressure of 
 present affliction, whether temporal or spiritual, 
 that is our trial, we should assure ourselves that 
 it is permitted or appointed by Him — regidated 
 by Him in its duration and degree; and that it 
 shall eventually forward our sanctification ; 
 and that, in the mean time, grace shall be given 
 us to bear it patiently. If future difficulties 
 foreseen, anxiety about our being faithful in 
 such and such circumstances, be the cause of 
 distress — and our creative fancy is ever invent- 
 ing something or other to terrify us — all such 
 disquieting fears are to be removed by leaving 
 these difficulties with Christ; as the sheep 
 looks to the shepherd for food, the wife to the 
 husband for protection. 
 
 How happy the life thus spent in dependance 
 on Jesus! As the little child enjoys itself 
 without a thought in its mind about its main- 
 tenance, for it knows that this is its parent's 
 care, so is it the believer's privilege to enjoy a 
 perfect serenity by simply trusting to his Divine 
 
THE CHRISTIAN WALK. If55 
 
 Lord : Be careful for nothing ; but, in every 
 thing, by prayer and supplication, with thanks- 
 giving, let your requests be made known unto 
 God ; and the peace of God, which passeth all 
 nndersta7iding, shall keep your hearts and minds 
 through Christ Jesus (Phil. iv. 6, 7). 
 ■ It is this life of faith that is spoken of in 
 the Canticles, when the Church is described as 
 going: up from the wilderness leaning on her 
 beloved ; and this was the life of the holy Paul, 
 and the secret cause of his eminence in holi- 
 iiess : / live, yet riot I, but Christ liveth in me ; 
 and the life which I now live in the flesh. Hive 
 by the faith of the Son of God (Gal. ii.20). 
 And not only in general, but he mentions parti- 
 cular instances of his life of faith : at the time 
 of his praying for the removal of the thorn in 
 the flesh, when he was assured by the Lord 
 Jesus that His grace was sufficient for him, he 
 cordially receives the dispensation on these 
 terms, and adds. Most gladly, therefore, will I 
 rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of 
 Christ may rest upon me (2 Cor. xii. 9). When 
 he stood before the lion at Rome, he saw by 
 faith the Lord sta,nding by him strengthening 
 }iim. 
 
 The holy Apostle was well acquainted with 
 this divine life ; and it is a just occasion of 
 grief and humiliation that we are such strangers 
 
156 EIGHTH SKKMON. 
 
 to it. Pride and carelessness are the principal 
 reasons of our having-, in general, no more than 
 a faint glimmering of it. We know not our 
 corruption — we forget our weakness — our lips 
 confess that we are wretched, and miserable, 
 and poor and blind, and naked ; but our 
 hearts are, notwithstanding, at the same time, 
 as the hearts of those who say that they are 
 rich and increased in goods and have need of 
 nothing. Hence we encounter temptations or 
 other difficulties in our own strength ; and if, 
 by God's grace, we are conquerors, we feel 
 self-complacency. But, in general, the tenour 
 of our walk is careless : so that the hours and 
 days are spent without exertion to keep our 
 hearts in a spiritual frame ; and therefore it is 
 no wonder if the heart, left to take its own 
 course, should seldom feel the necessity of 
 seeking help from Christ. Hence self-knowledge 
 and diligence must be exercised, in order to our 
 understanding rightly that part of the life of 
 faith, which consists in our dependance upon 
 his grace. 
 
 ni. To walk in Christ, is TO FOLLOW HIS 
 EXAMPLE. Whom he did foreknow, he also did 
 predestinate to be conformed to the image of his 
 Son (Rom. viii. 29). 
 
 Conformity to the example of Christ is, 
 
THE CHRISTIAN WALK. 157 
 
 indeed, only another word for spotless per- 
 fection ; but it is confessedly a great help 
 toward the attainment of perfection to be fur- 
 nished, not only with written directions, but 
 with a pattern by which to form ourselves: 
 for if, at any time, doubts arise whether we are 
 indeed following- the prescribed rules, our con- 
 duct may be brought to the test by observing 
 if it correspond to the pattern : for instance, i^ 
 a person should be disposed to argue for public 
 amusements, though they are not expressly for- 
 bidden, it is immediately decided by asking 
 whether the Saviour would go to enjoy himself 
 in such scenes of vanity and dissipation. A 
 reference to the pattern has also this advantage 
 attending it, that it enables us more easily to 
 preserve a due proportion and harmony between 
 the respective pai'ts of the copy : for instance, 
 persons are often actuated with what they sup- 
 pose a laudable zeal, and know not their own 
 spirit, till, on comparing themselves with their 
 Lord, they discover that their zeal is not in pro- 
 portion to their love and humility. 
 
 Thus Christ's holy life affords facilities for 
 the general adjustment of our own ; and every 
 particular also of his offices, walk, and conver- 
 sation, exemphfies every particular of our own. 
 
 Thus we may learn from Him that which is 
 
158 EIGHTH SEKMON. 
 
 the beginning of all sincere obedience, namely, 
 a renunciation of our own will : as it is written. 
 We ought 7iot to please ourselves, but evert/ one 
 to please his neighbour for his good to edifi- 
 cation, for even Christ pleased not himself (Rom. 
 XV. 1—3). 
 
 The mortification of sin may also be learnt 
 from his pattern, as St. Peter teaches : Foras- 
 much then as Christ hath suffered for us in the 
 flesh, arm yourselves likeivise with the same mijid 
 (1 Peter iv. 1): that is, do you also crucify the 
 flesh with its affections and lusts. 
 
 Humility is best learnt from considering 
 Christ. Let nothing be done through strife or 
 vain-glory. Let this mind be in you, which was 
 also in Christ Jesus : who, being iti the form qf 
 God, thought it not robbery to be equal with 
 God: but made himself of fio reputation, and 
 took upon him the form of a servant, and was 
 mxide in the likeness of men ; and being found in 
 fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and be- 
 came obedient unto death, even the death of the 
 cro5* (Phil. ii. 3,5—8). 
 
 Mutual Forbearance, and readiness to receive 
 one another, notwithstanding our faults, is en- 
 joined after the example of Christ. Receive ye 
 one another as Christ also received us, to the glory 
 of God (Rom. XV. 7). Forbearing one another. 
 
THE CHRISTIAN WALK. 
 
 159 
 
 and forgiving one another, if any imm have a 
 quarrel against any; even as Christ forgave you, 
 so also do ye (Col. hi. 13). 
 
 The temper of ' Love, in general, is to be 
 like him. Walk in love, as Christ also hath 
 loved us, and hath given himself for us an 
 offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet- 
 smelling savour (Eph. v. 2). Hereby perceive 
 we the love of God, because he laid down his 
 life for us ; and ive ought also to lay down our 
 lives for the brethren (1 John iii. 16). If we 
 suffer unjustly from them who are without, we 
 are taught to look to Chi'ist, who did no sin, 
 neither tvas guile found in his mouth ; who, when 
 he was reviled, reviled not again ; when he suf- 
 fered, he threatened not, but committed himself to 
 him thatjudgeth righteously (1 Peter ii. 22, 23). 
 
 IV. Lastly, to walk in Christ, is to walk IN 
 FELLOWSHIP WITH HIM. We have fellowship 
 with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ 
 (1 John i. 3). 
 
 The former particulars of our duty mentioned 
 were, that we are to apply to him as Sinners ; 
 depend upon him as Helpless ; imitate him as 
 his Followers ; and, here we add, to hold com- 
 munion with him as his Friends : for so he per- 
 mits us to speak — Henceforth I call you not ser- 
 vants, but friends (John xv. 15). It is an exclu- 
 
160 KIGHTII SFRMOX. 
 
 sive friendship, conrtned to his believing' people: 
 the world knows liim not, nor he them : there- 
 fore he said to his disciples, Yet a Utile while 
 and the world seeth me no more, hut ye see me 
 (John xiv. 19): he manifests himself to us as 
 he does not unto tlie world. It is a familiar 
 friendship : for, Behold I stand at the door and 
 knock: if any nmn hear my voice and open the 
 door, I will come in to him and will sup with him, 
 and he with me (Rev. iii. 20). 
 
 For the preservation of this holy intimacy in 
 its strength and purity on our parts, we must 
 beware of inward pollution ; for it is only the 
 pure in heart that shall see God. It is not the sin- 
 ful act only, but the sinful thought indulged, that 
 will cause the Lord to withdraw his presence. 
 
 And, in general, the rules for the mainte- 
 nance of human friendship are applicable here ; 
 such as avoiding of occasions of offence, and 
 seeking to please. A friend will take it un- 
 kindly, if we do not speak in his defence when 
 any thing is said to his disadvantage ; nay, even 
 if we do not speak in his praise, when any 
 benefit would result to his cause. An estrange- 
 ment of affection will ensue, if we do not visit 
 him; and take pains too, if necessary, to find 
 him: so except we seek the Lord in prayer, 
 and persevere till we reach his presence, we 
 shall be seldom blest with the liaht of his 
 
THE CHRISTIAN WALK. 161 
 
 countenance. Nothing mars our peace and 
 engenders slavish fear so much, as carelessness 
 and infrequency in prayer. 
 
 Having spoken thus much in explanation, let 
 us now endeavour to APPLY the subject more 
 particularly by addressing, 
 
 1. Those who are WALKING, NOT in Christ, 
 BUT sin; and have not, it is to be presumed^ 
 received Christ Jesus the Lord : for he, that 
 truly nameth the name of Christ, departeth from 
 iniquity. 
 
 As ye have, therefore, not received Christ 
 J^sus the Lord, our business with you is to be- 
 seech you to receive him. He has offered him- 
 self to you in times past, and you did not re- 
 ceive him ; yet, though justly offended, he 
 renews the offer. He offers to wash you from 
 your sins in his blood — to clothe you with his 
 righteousness — to deliver you from your sins — 
 to purify your hearts — to give you peace with 
 God and your own conscience; and, hereafter, 
 an immortal crown. He asks not that you buy 
 these blessings at the price of your works, or 
 with any price ; but to receive them as already 
 purchased, and bestowed freely on the chief of 
 sinners. Therefore to-day, while it is called to- 
 day, harden not your hearts ; for your to-moiTOW 
 may never come. Trifle not with God : make 
 not light of his invitation : but lest you never 
 
 M 
 
102 EIGHTH SERMON". 
 
 hear it agian, receive it while you hear it — be- 
 fore you die to hear it no more ! Receive Christ 
 without delay; and receive him as he offers 
 himself — as a Saviour from sin, as well as a 
 Saviour from punishment. Think not that 
 you can receive his commands, and yet neglect 
 his atonement ; nor, on the other hand, that you 
 can be delivered from punishment, and yet dis- 
 obey him. Therefore be contented to part with 
 every thing, that you may find him the com- 
 plete Saviour ; and be prepared to receive, along 
 with him, contempt, persecution,*^ and sorrow. 
 Let the world go : give it up in every form that 
 it assumes — whether the lust of the flesh, or the 
 lust of the eyes, or the pride of life — forsake its 
 vanities, its covetousness, its vain and ungodly 
 company : do any thing, and lose every thing 
 if necessary, if you may but receive the Lord 
 Jesus Christ. 
 
 2. Let us, who tiiist that we have received 
 HIM AND ARE WALKING IN HIM, be reminded, 
 by what we have heard, of the necessity of 
 making this more a point of duty ; or rather to 
 make all duties a part of this, and to take shame 
 to ourselves that we have neglected it so much 
 in time past; and, in future, measure our 
 growth in grace by our knowledge of the Lord 
 and Saviour .Jesus Christ. As a further en- 
 couragement, let us assure ourselves, that, if we 
 
THE CHRISTIAN' WALK. ' 163 
 
 tljus keep him in view, his attention to us wili 
 be reciprocal. He that in liis love and pity re- 
 deemed us, will bear us and carry us all the 
 way through the wilderness, as the kind shep- 
 herd carries the lambs in his bosom, and gently 
 leads those that are with young. He will bring 
 us all on our way, in such a manner, that we 
 shall finally reach the fold above. There, we 
 shall have no more need to walk in Christ by faith 
 and love, but by love only : for they that walk 
 IN him here, shall walk with him hereafter ; 
 and He, that led them through the wilderness, 
 will lead them to the joys in Heaven. The 
 Lamb, which is in the midst of the throne shall 
 feed them, and shall lead them to living fountains 
 of waters. The tabernacle of God shall be with 
 men, and he will dwell tvith them. God himself 
 shall be in the midst of them, and be their God. 
 
 m2 
 
SERMON IX. 
 
 PAUL AND FELIX. 
 
 ACTS XXIV, 25. 
 
 And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, 
 and judgment to come, Felix trembled; and 
 answered, Go thy way for this time : when 1 
 have a convenient season I will call for thee. 
 
 1 HE occasion of St. Paul's being brought be- 
 fore Felix, was, the impossibility of obtaining 
 justice for him from the Jews. It is remarkable, 
 that, wherever he travelled, he always found 
 his worst enemies among them ; and the kind 
 treatment, which he had often experienced from 
 Heathen strangers, he would in vain expect 
 from his countrymen. Whence arises this pro- 
 pensity in men, that, when there are many 
 things in which they agree, they should hate 
 for the things in which they differ, more than 
 they do when they have nothing in common ? 
 Perhaps it is because, in the latter case, there 
 js no coUision \ or, if there be, better temper 
 
166 NINTH SERMON. 
 
 and consciousness of superiority (for all secretly 
 claim superiority to all till there be a trial of 
 strength) make us placid. The Jews would 
 have heard with unconcern of the conversion of 
 the Heathen Nations to Christianity ; but when 
 Paul, once a distinguished ornament of their 
 religion, became opposed to them, they fore- 
 saw all that was to be dreaded from his talents, 
 and hated because they feared. 
 
 On St. PauFs arrival at Jerusalem, where 
 once he had been caressed, he soon found that 
 which every man must expect to find from his 
 former friends on becoming a Christian. St. 
 Paul had not been long there before he was dis- 
 covered ; and immediately the whole city was 
 in an uproar. They dragged him out of the 
 temple, and intended to kill him, whenLysias, 
 the Roman Officer commanding at Jerusalem, 
 came with a large detachment and rescued him, 
 bound him with two chains, and ordered him 
 into the fort. When he arrived at the top of 
 the steps leading to the Castle, St. Paul asked 
 permission to address the people ; which was 
 granted : he then gave them the narrative of 
 his marvellous conversion, and told them how 
 the Lord himself had commanded him to go 
 and preach to the Gentiles. They heard him 
 patiently to this word ; and then raised a cla- 
 mour again, and threw dust in the air. Upon 
 
PAUL AND FELIX. 
 
 167 
 
 this, the oiiicer, who brouglit him in, unable 
 to comprehend from St. Paul's speech what 
 crime he was accused of, for there was no aim 
 at exculpation, evidently suspected that the 
 Apostle intended to divert the attention of the 
 people to other subjects ; for he was proceed- 
 ing to examine him himself by torture, till in- 
 formed that he was a Roman Citizen. The next 
 day he convened the Council of the Jews, and 
 sent Paul down to them ; but, as soon as he 
 began to speak, there was such an uproar, that 
 Lysias was again obliged to send his troops to 
 bring him away. The Jews, irritated probably 
 that they had suffered him to escape twice, 
 bound themselves, to the number of forty and 
 more, under a great oath, that they would nei- 
 ther eat nor drink till they had killed him : in- 
 formed of their intention, Lysias sent him 
 away that night with a strong military escort to 
 Cesarea, a town on the sea coast, the usual resi- 
 dence of the governor. Thus it came to pass, 
 in the determination of God, that one Roman 
 Chief after another heard the Gospel. The 
 Governor at that time was Felix, who, having 
 ordered the accusers to attend and heard what 
 both sides had to say, declined deciding between 
 them till he saw Lysias. Here the matter was 
 dropped for some time. Paul continued a pri- 
 soner at Cesarea, and the cause was not brought 
 
168 NINTH SERMON. 
 
 forward again for two years. It was while his 
 affairs were in this state of uncertainty, that 
 Paul and Felix had that meeting in private, the 
 result of which, as described in the text, sug- 
 gests so many solemn reflections. 
 
 Paul reasoned of righteousness, temperance^ 
 and judgment to come ; and Felix trembled. 
 Such is the superiority, which poverty, with 
 integrity, possesses over guilty grandeur. The 
 judge trembles before his own prisoner ! 
 
 St. Paul, amidst all the vicissitudes of his 
 earthly lot, never lost sight of his high calling ; 
 nor was ever unprepared to speak on the sub- 
 jects that lay next to his heart — the things of 
 another world. Even at this period, when his 
 fate seemed to hang in suspense, his mind was 
 calm and his conduct unembarrassed. His spi- 
 rit, absorbed in his work, and contemplating 
 his high reward, rose superior to this world. 
 Hence, instead of endeavouring to conciliate 
 favour, he chose a theme, though he knew it 
 would be far from pleasing. But the season 
 was favourable, and might never return : he 
 therefore gave him advice that might save his 
 souL 
 
 I. Knowing that we have to do with a holy 
 and righteous God, upon whom depends our 
 everlasting destiny ; a Judge, who acj^now- 
 
PAUL AND FELIX. 169 
 
 ledges no distinction in men but that of right- 
 eousness and unrighteousness, he began to 
 speak, and calmly to reason of that RIGHT- 
 EOUSNESS without which there is no salvation 
 He would explain its nature — lay down a rule 
 to measure it — argue for its necessity — and 
 point out its end. 
 
 Righteousness, he would tell him, is a con- 
 formity to the will of God. How long has the 
 light of Revelation shone upon the world ; and 
 yet, in the place of this obvious definition, 
 others, almost heathenish, are continually sub- 
 stituted ! The discharge of duty in the social 
 and civil relations of life, is considered as the 
 object of all religious systems ; and, provided 
 the end be attained, it is thought needless to 
 raise objections about the way. This may be 
 morality, but it is not religion. It comports 
 very well with a system of Atheism ; because if 
 no future state is to be expected, we must be 
 satisfied if we can but see happiness and good 
 order in this : but it can never be held in con- 
 sistency with the Revelation which we profess 
 to admit : in that, to love God ivith all our heart, 
 is declared to be the first and great com- 
 mandment. 
 
 Duties to God form a distinct and separate 
 part of the code of laws, given to us for tho 
 regulation of our conduct : so that we are no 
 
170 NINTH SERMON. 
 
 longer left at liberty to suppose, that when we 
 have satisfied one another, God is satisfied too. 
 And the reason is evident enough. We are pre- 
 paring for another state of existence, where the 
 relations of parents and children, husband and 
 wife, will be known no more. We shall be 
 brought into a nearer relation to God himself; 
 and, for that, some appropriate discipline is 
 necessai7 here. 
 
 On these points Felix needed information. 
 
 St. Paul would, therefore, tell the Roman, 
 that valour was not necessarily virtue, nor humi- 
 lity meanness ; that a romantic friendship was 
 often passion, not duty ; and patriotism but a 
 small part of Christian Love. He would warn 
 him against measuring the virtue of an act by 
 its apparent expediency : and, instead of ad- 
 mitting that a practice held in general esteem 
 was estimable, to be cautious of admiring what 
 men admire, since many things are highly 
 esteemed among men which are abomination in 
 the sight of God; but, in all things, to consider 
 it his duty, henceforward, to ascertain the will 
 of God and make that his rule. It is neglect 
 of the Scriptures that makes men, calling them- 
 selves Christians, not only live Heathen lives, 
 but defend their unsound practices by princi- 
 ples still more unsound ; and make such gross 
 inistakes in what they profess to know, as on 
 
PAUL AND FEtlX. 171 
 
 any other subject they would blush to be de- 
 tected in. 
 
 Having told him what Morality was not, St. 
 Paul might proceed to rectify his views of Re- 
 ligion ; and would tell this benighted idolater, 
 that religion was something more than spec- 
 tacles and processions, sacrifices and festivities- — 
 truths, which, in another form, those need to 
 be reminded of, who put the external Church 
 for the real ; and think that nothing has been 
 left undone,when the Church has been attended* 
 and the Sacrament has been received. He 
 would let him know that God was a Spirit, who 
 must be worshipped in spirit and in truth — in 
 secret, as with the multitude ; and that the pre- 
 paration of the heart was noticed by him, rather 
 than the construction of the prayer, or the repe- 
 tition of it ; that as we are here in this world in 
 a state of preparation for another, where, if fit, 
 we shall dwell with God,, holy tempers and 
 holy habits must be forn>^d here by communion 
 with God, in persevering prayer, and never- 
 ceasing supplies of his Holy Spirit. 
 
 We cannot conceive that St. Paul, while 
 speaking of righteousness, would omit intimat- 
 ing to Felix, as far as he was able to hear it, 
 something of those deep truths respecting the 
 righteousness of Christ, which it pleased God 
 so fully to unfold to him, and on which he 
 
172 NINTH SERMON. 
 
 expatiates so largely in his writings, and which 
 he seems to have conceived more fully and lived 
 and acted upon and rejoiced in more habitually 
 than any other human creature. It was impos- 
 sible, therefore, that Paul would let him remain 
 ignorant of Christ : indeed the context expressly 
 proves that Felix heard him concerning the faith 
 of Christ. He would by no means let him sup- 
 pose, that the life of devotion which he preached 
 to him was to be the purchase of heaven ; but 
 would make him know that the Son of God, 
 having in mercy come down to fulfil all right- 
 eousness as the surety for sinners and suffered 
 the penalty due to their sins, they who believe 
 become entitled to the reward of eternal life. 
 New and strange would appear to Felix a sys- 
 tem from which human merit was excluded. 
 Alas ! that it should remain incomprehensible 
 to many among ourselves, who are zealous for 
 morality against those doctrines, the ultimate 
 effect of which is to promote morality ! 
 
 II. If, however, any one be really so deluded 
 as to think that the orthodoxy of his creed will 
 atone for the irregularities of his life, let him 
 observe, that the Apostle reasoned also of 
 TEMPERANCE, or self-denial. 
 
 The opposition of our nature to the will of 
 God, is the foundation of the duty of self-denial. 
 
PAUL AND tLLlX. 
 
 173 
 
 We are bom in sin — we delight in sin : we must 
 be torn from sin, or we shall never leave it. 
 The leading agent in the work of self-denial, 
 is the Spirit of God ; and the man in whom he 
 works will be temperate in all things — he will 
 restrain his passion and his pride. 
 
 To be meek and lowly as the Lord — to be 
 poor and patient in spirit — to forgive injuries — 
 to abhor himself for his iniquities, is the duty 
 of the highest as well as the lowest of men ; a 
 duty incumbent upon the soldier as well as 
 others : and public opinion or practice cannot 
 alter God's Word. 
 
 All love of human praise, or vain glorious 
 self-complacency, on the possession of honours, 
 or the distinctions of talents or opulence, birth 
 or beauty, or any other quahty natural or ac- 
 quired, must be mortified and crushed, as ut- 
 terly irreconcilable with that self-abhorrence 
 which lies so deep in the nature of repentance 
 and humility. 
 
 To check all impurity of heart is also a ne- 
 cessary part of temperance. Whatever there- 
 fore has a tendency to inflame the passions, in 
 look, reading, or imagination. Christian purity 
 requires us to avoid ; much more, therefore, all 
 that may pollute our bodies, which we are 
 taught to consider as sacred, the temples of the 
 Holy Ghost. 
 
174 NINTH SERMON. 
 
 Worldly-mindedness is another species of in- 
 temperance ; less suspected tlian bodily excess, 
 but more destructive. It is the sin of riper 
 years ; a propensity, which time, instead of 
 weakening as it does many other inclinations, 
 has a tendency to strengthen. To them who 
 are enslaved by this principle, death as it comes 
 nearer appears more indistinct : more provision 
 must be made for the way, as the way grows 
 shorter : and, while they are anxious to hoard 
 up for a future day, they cannot act upon the 
 same principle and provide for a future state. 
 As worldly-mindedness is the sin of the more 
 advanced in life, to whom is committed the ma- 
 nagement of this world's affairs, because they 
 possess most of the little wisdom that is in the 
 world, to declaim against their system will ap- 
 pear to them puerile : yet as it is evident that sin 
 is not necessary to conduct the affairs of sinful 
 men (for how does God govern the world ?) the 
 fancied necessity of the system of the world 
 exists only in their own excessive selfishness, 
 or the obstinacy of their ignorance. But if it 
 be so that falsehood, flattery, dissimulation, 
 forming connections with the powerful to up- 
 hold our state or aggrandize our families, are of 
 such indispensable necessity in maintaining our 
 station, a good man will abandon his : he will 
 lay down the instruments of iniquity and fetire, 
 
PAUL AND FELIX. 
 
 175 
 
 choosing rather to lose a good place than a good 
 conscience. 
 
 St. Paul, while reasoning of Righteousness 
 and Temperance, would sometimes lower the 
 lofty tone which became the herald of God, and 
 try to win where he had failed to intimidate. 
 He would display the excellency of the Chris- 
 tian Character, whether considered in its con- 
 nection with this world or its expectations in 
 the next; and would bid him remark what 
 various and valuable qualities are united in his 
 person — what a constellation of glories com- 
 pose his crown — how elevated his sentiments 
 — how noble his conduct — how high his destiny 
 — and how peaceful his end! He would con- 
 trast the pleasures of the world with those of 
 religion: the world flattering, but false, and its 
 friendship ruinous — religion faithful in its pro- 
 mises, though severe in its requisitions, awful in 
 aspect, but in reality benign : the pleasure of sin 
 unsatisfying, degrading, and at last disgusting ; 
 accompanied with guilt and followed by remorse 
 — how different from the calm delights of a 
 good conscience! how superior the satisfaction 
 to be found in wisdom's ways ! Keep sound wis- 
 dom: it shall be life unto thy soul, and grace to 
 thy neck. Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, 
 and thy foot shall not stumble: when thou liest 
 down, thou shalt not he afraid: yea, than shalt 
 
176 NINTH SERMON. 
 
 lie down and thy sleep shall be sweet (Prov. iii. 
 21—24). 
 
 111. At last, the sacred teacher, drawing to a 
 close, would begin to enforce his admonitions 
 with the dread sanctions of ETERNITY. 
 
 As it is appointed unto men once to die, hut 
 after this the judgment (Heb. ix. 27), the time 
 is approaching to every man, when he must 
 leave the world, and go to give up his account 
 to God. 
 
 It will then be inquired, not what was the 
 state of things, their facilities or possibilities, 
 or the standard of morality at the time he 
 lived: for there is but one standard admitted, 
 which is the Word of God — the word that I 
 have spoken to you, the same shall judge you in 
 the last day (John xii. 48); and according to 
 that, the judgment will proceed. 
 
 It will be inquired, whether he kept the com- 
 mandments of God and the faith of Jesus — 
 whether he considered himself as a servant, 
 accountable to God for the use which he made 
 of the things committed to him ; or as his own 
 master, subject to no control but his own will. 
 Every act of self-gratification, reference not 
 being had to the will of God, all application of 
 our means of doing good to selfish purposes, 
 will be condemned as treachery and fraud. 
 
PAUL AND FELTX. 177 
 
 Then, too, those acts of criminality, \vhich 
 had escaped the notice of men, or were beyond 
 their cognizance — secret iniquity, and habitual 
 neglects, and wilful ignorance; disregard of 
 God's public ordinances ; and omission of the 
 secret duties of prayer, reading the Scripture, 
 self-examination, and watchfulness, unconcern 
 about the soul, and Him who alone can save 
 it, the Lord Jesus Christ — will appear in their 
 true colours. No degree of criminality was 
 attached to these on earth: they were, in no 
 respect, prejudicial to men's interest or honour : 
 but, there, they will be considered as the pre- 
 ludes to final reprobation. 
 
 Then there is no reprieve, and no pardon : 
 the wicked shall be turned iiito helU cind all the 
 nations that forget God! (Ps. ix. 17.) Though 
 they had succeeded in rising above the fear of 
 hell, they will not be above suffering it. God 
 will then signally confound the wisdom of the 
 wise ; and will shew man what he ought to have 
 been aware of, that, in this first stage of his 
 existence, he is a mere child in wisdom, and 
 in power a worm — a worm which God will 
 crush, if it is not submissive. 
 
 But there, whatever lessons they learn, they 
 learn too late; for their punishment is not 
 chastisement, but an everlasting evidence of 
 God's truth and holiness. There, as the Judge 
 
liiinself hath told us, tlieir worm dieth not, and 
 the fire is not quenched (Mark ix. 44). They 
 are bound iu everlastiu;!;' chains, and the smoke, 
 of their torment ascendeth ujj for ever and ever 
 (Rev. xiv. 11). 
 
 I^elia; trembled/ He was convinced in his 
 conscience, that, if he died as he lived, he 
 should })erish. But did his alarm lead him 
 to repentance? No. 
 
 Now what were the sins that maintained 
 such a fatal ascendency over him, that though 
 he knew that they would ruin him, he could 
 not emancipate himself from their hold ? The 
 context informs us. 
 
 1 . He lived in illicit intercourse with a woman, 
 a native of the country. Drusilla, a Jewess, 
 though called his wife, could not, properly 
 speaking, be so, because it appears that she 
 was the wife of another man. This woman 
 was one weight about his neck. He knew that 
 to be saved he must part w ith her, but to this he 
 could not consent : like Herod, who, after hear- 
 ing John preach, would do many other things, 
 but not give up Herodias. Felix too would 
 be most averse to make that sacrifice, which of 
 all others w^as most necessary. Now, though 
 Felix might have reflected, that all politic as 
 well as good men would have deemed him unfit 
 for the situation which he held, or for any other 
 
PAUL AND FELIX, 1T9 
 
 place of trust, while he was in danger of being 
 influenced by a native of the country, and 
 though it was very easy for one of his rank to 
 form a virtuous and honourable union with a 
 Roman Lady, neither of these considerations 
 had any weight with him. Sinners must make 
 to themselves crooked ways, though it has been 
 long known that they w^ho walk in them shall 
 not know peace: the very same happiness 
 which they expect in sin, they might have as 
 certainly, and often more readily, by adhering 
 to duty. 
 
 2. The other predominant sin of Felix, was 
 the love of money ; a principle, of itself, sufli- 
 ciently powerful to produce every species of 
 evil. He hoped that money would have been 
 given him of Paul, that he might loose him: 
 ivherefore he sent for him the oftener, and com- 
 mitned with him (Acts xxiv. 26). Thus it ap- 
 pears that he was a corrupt judge. Placed by 
 his country on the seat of judgment, that he 
 might judge justly and truly, this man took 
 advantage of his distance from the Senate and 
 the Emperor, to betray his trust, and for a bribe 
 to turn aside the poor from his right. One so 
 lost to every sense of probity and honour, so 
 deaf to all the remonstrances of reason and 
 conscience, as to descend to practices as infa- 
 mous as thev are immoral, must have been little 
 
180 NINTTH SERMON. 
 
 prepared for receiving the pure precepts of the 
 (xospel. He retained, however, sufficient re- 
 spect for the sacred character of his prisoner, to 
 promise that he would hear him again the first 
 opportunity. Possibly he might, at the time, 
 have made resolutions to reform, when he 
 should have lived a little longer in the enjoy- 
 ment of his pleasures. But, however this be, it 
 IS evident that his religious impressions soon 
 wore off: for, at the end of two years, we find 
 him still engaged in his worldly schemes ; and, 
 that no means might be left untried for pro- 
 moting his interest, endeavouring to ingratiate 
 Iiimself with the Jews, though Paul was to 
 suffer by his complaisance to them. Felix was 
 willing to have served Paul, but Paul could not 
 requite him : Paul had no money and no 
 friends. Felix therefore, in the true spirit of a 
 man of this world, looked favourably on that 
 side, where there were connections, and some- 
 thing to be gained. He made his court to the 
 wicked Chief Priests, and left St. Paul in 
 prison. 
 
 Thus ends the Scripture History of Felix : 
 and here we leave him. Alas ! the folly of 
 ;siiiners, with all their worldly wisdom ! Is it not 
 folly, for the sake of a perishing world, to destroy 
 an immortal soul I for a momentary gratifica- 
 tion of tlie senses to plunge into everlasting 
 
PAUL AND FELIX. 181 
 
 tire ? For let us be sure, that if there be indeed 
 an eternal difference by the nature of things 
 between righteousness and unrighteousness, 
 God, in that judgment to come, of which we 
 have been hearing, will also make a difference 
 between the righteous and the wicked. If your 
 worldliness will consist with this prospect, well : 
 still let it be a sound, ever meeting you amidst 
 the din of the world, that there is a judgment 
 to come I Rejoice, O young 7nan, in thy youth, 
 and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy 
 youth.... but know thou, that for all these things 
 God ivill bring thee into judgment (Keel. xi.9). 
 Forsake the God who made you, and despise 
 the rock of salvation — still, to Him belongeth 
 vengeance, and recompense. If he wliet his 
 glittering sword and his hand take hold on 
 judgment, he will render vengeance to his 
 enemies, and reward them that hate him: he 
 Will heap mischiefs upon them, and his arrows 
 will be drunk with their blood : a fire will be 
 kindled in his anger, and shall burn to the lowest 
 hell ; which shall consume the earth with her 
 increase, and set on fire the foundations of 
 the mountains. Oh, that men were wise, 
 that they understood this, that they would 
 consider their latter end ! — that they would 
 consider that they have a latter end ! that 
 how many soever the days they give to pleasure, 
 
Ig2 NINTH SERMON. 
 
 how high soever they climb in power and 
 grandeur, how happy soever they may be in 
 their friends and possessions, there is an end 
 to all, not far distant. When that is come, 
 how comfortless must be the state of the soul 
 that has nothing else to look to ! This is one 
 reason why God in his mercy calls us away 
 from earth, and would loosen our attachment 
 to all things here, that we may set our affections 
 on things above. 
 
 As we may be permitted to hope that some 
 among us tremble at the thought of a Future 
 Judgment, we entreat them not to stifle their 
 convictions, nor increase their danger by pro- 
 crastination. Say not to your faithfid monitor, 
 your own conscience. Go thy way for this time: 
 u'hen IJmve a more convenient season I will call 
 for thee. Hear conscience! What more con- 
 venient season than the present — when you 
 have been excited, summoned, reasoned with'! 
 will you put it off to your death-bed ? Alas ! 
 the soul has enough to do, then, to support the 
 weight of a dying body ; which, after being so 
 long the abode, the instrument, the companion 
 of the soul, becomes a burden to it which it 
 cannot sustain. Besides, will you give the 
 best of your time to Satan, and leave only the 
 remnant to God? — God hath not dealt thus 
 with vou, who 2;ave his Beloved Son for you. 
 
PAUL AND FELIX. 
 
 183 
 
 Will you put ofl' the necessary work till the 
 next Lord's Day?~how do you know that 
 this week's affairs will not dissipate your 
 serious thoughts, and converse with the world 
 weaken your resolutions ? Trifle not with 
 God: TO-DAY if ye trill hear his voice, irhile it 
 is called to-day, harden not your hearts. He 
 is free in the dispensations of his ^race, and 
 may withhold to-morrow what he grants 
 to-day. Therefore, ivhaisoever thy handjindeth 
 to do, do it with thy might ; for there is no 
 v'ork, nor device, nor knoivlcdge, nor wisdom, in 
 the grave, whither thou goest (Eccl. ix. 10). 
 Nay, even in this world procrastination may be 
 an evil not to be remedied : for wisdom thus 
 speaks — Hecause 1 have called, and ye refused; 
 I have stretched out my ha?id, and no man re- 
 garded ; but ye have set at nought all my counsel, 
 and would none of my reproof; I also will laugh 
 at your calamity, I will mock when your fear 
 cometh ; ichen your fear comet h as desolation, 
 and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind ; 
 when distress and anguish come upon you : then 
 shall they call upon me, but I will not answer ; 
 they shall seek me early but they shall not find 
 me (Prov. i. 24 — 28). Though true penitents 
 find mercy at the eleventh hour, many pray on 
 their death-beds who are never heard : many 
 cry for mercy, and never obtain it. 
 
4'84 NINTH SERMON. 
 
 JNovv therefore, Men and Brethren, while 
 you have life, and health, and strength ; while 
 your sun is not yet gone down, nor the grave 
 yawning for you beneath ; before time begin his 
 ravages, and disease sap your vitals — ascend 
 your watch-tower — contemplate the prospect — 
 stretch your thought inward — and determine 
 what the end shall be. You are, in one sense, 
 the arbiters of your own destiny ! God has 
 opened the way to Himself, by the mediation of 
 his Son, and by the offers of his Spirit. Through 
 the Son, you may be forgiven — through the 
 Spirit, sanctified. A feast is spread, to which 
 you are invited ; a river of life, of which you may 
 drink ; a crown of glory, which is your ap- 
 pointed reward ! May God fix your hearts for 
 glory, honour, and immortality, through Jesus 
 Christ our Lord ! 
 
SERMON X. 
 
 INVITATION OF THE SPIRIT AND THE 
 BRIDE. 
 
 llEVELATIOlSr XXll. 17. 
 
 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come ; and let 
 him that heareth say. Come ; and let him that 
 is athirst, come ; and ivhosoever ivill, let him- 
 take the water of life freely. 
 
 1 HE words of a dying man have usually some- 
 thing in them which powerfully awakens the 
 attention and fixes itself deeply in the memory : 
 it is not the intrinsic excellence of the words, 
 which causes the peculiar impression ; but the 
 circumstances of their being the last. We 
 have also a sorrowful pleasure in remembering 
 them : whether it is that they recal to the mind 
 that solemnity of feeling with which we heard 
 them, or whether it is that we are led by them 
 into a train of meditations on tlie shortness of life 
 and the things of this world all hastening to 
 their end, it is certainly observable, that those 
 words of a friend are remembered with most 
 interest, which were spoken last. 
 
186 TENTH SEUMON, 
 
 Hence there appears a more than common 
 tenderness, in the parting address of onr Lord 
 to his disciples, and his prayer in their pre- 
 sence. It is this, also, that adds a most affecting 
 solemnity to all the Book of Revelation, and 
 especially to the last Chapter of it: for the 
 declaration of our Lord Jesus Christ which is 
 contained in it is not only deeply important, as 
 proceeding from the invisible world, and warn- 
 ing us of our approaching entrance into it ; but 
 still more so, from being the last which is left 
 on record for the instruction of mankind. Be- 
 hold, he says a few verses before the iexi, I 
 come quiclihj; and my reward is with me, to give 
 ever?/ man according- as his work shall be. I am 
 Alpha and Omega, the beg inning and the end, 
 the first ajid the last. Blessed are they that do 
 his commandments, that they may have right to 
 the tree of life, and may enter in through the 
 gates into the city. IJesus have sent mine angel 
 to testify unto yon these things in the churches. 
 I am the root and the offspring of David, and 
 the bright andpior7iing star. And the Spirit and 
 the bride say. Come; and let him that heareth 
 say. Come; and let him that is athirst, come; 
 and whosoever will, let him take the water of 
 life freely. 
 
 These words contain three thing.? — a decla- 
 KATiox ; an ixjunction ; and an invitatiok:« 
 
INVITATION OF THE SPIRIT Sc THE BRIDE. 187 
 
 I. A DECLARATION. Christ declares that 
 he hears t/ie Spirit and the bride say. Come. 
 
 For the explanation of these terms, Spirit and 
 Bride, we may refer you to the ninth and tentli 
 verses of the preceding Chapter ; where it is 
 said, There came unto me one of the seven an- 
 gels and talked IV ith me, saying, Come hither: 
 
 I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife : and 
 he carried me away in the spirit .... and shewed 
 me that great city, the holy Jerusalem. Under 
 the emblem, therefore, of a Bride, as we see in 
 the text, are represented all who are citizens of 
 the Heavenly Jerusalem, whether they have en- 
 tered in through the gates into the city, or are 
 travelling along the narrow way which will 
 lead them to it. 
 
 The near and intimate relation whicli subsists 
 between a bride and her husband, is used by 
 the Spirit of God to convey an idea of the union 
 to and communion with Christ which believers 
 enjoy — of the true love of Christ to his church, 
 and of its dependence upon him. Once they 
 were attached to the Law, expecting to be jus- 
 tified by their works : in this state, they brought 
 forth no fruit unto God ; but they are become 
 dead to the Laiv by the body of Christ, that they 
 should be married to another, even to him who is 
 raised from the dead, that they should bring 
 forth J nut unto God (Rom. vii. 4). 
 
 We should observe in these word.^, '.vhi^'h are 
 
188 TENTH SERMON. 
 
 taken from the Epistles, that the same allusion 
 is made to a Bride in the Song of Solomon and 
 in the Forty- fifth Psalm. 
 
 The Spirit and the bride sai/, Come. 
 
 By tliis we are to understand, either that the 
 Holy Ghost calls on the Son of God to come to 
 judgment ; or else, that, by his influence in the 
 hearts of his people, he awakens their inward 
 powers to long for his Second Coming. 
 
 The latter inteipretation is confirmed by the 
 Eighth Chapter to the Romans, ver. 26, where it 
 is said, We kiioiv not ivhut we should pray for 
 as ive ought ; hut the Spirit itself maketh inter- 
 cession in us, or speaks for us ; and He, that 
 searcheth the hearts, knoweth what is the mind 
 of the Spirit : and here he declares what the 
 Spirit is saying in the hearts of his people. An 
 instance of this silent eloquence, unnoticed by 
 men but acknowledged by God, may be ob- 
 served in the Fourteenth Chapter of Exodus, 
 verse 15 : The Lord said unto Moses, Where- 
 fore criest thou unto me ? Moses had said 
 nothing, but the voice of his heart was so loud 
 and powerful, that it ascended to the distant 
 heavens, and was heard at the throne of God. 
 It is a language of the same sort that the Lord 
 heareth from the bride ; and the import of it, 
 according to his declaration, is, that he would 
 hasten his Second Coming. 
 
 1. Now as a bride desire> the comTng of the 
 
1?<VITATI0N OF THE SPIRIT & THE BRIDE. 189 
 
 bridegroom, because her former bonds of union 
 to her natural relations are dissolved, or at least 
 weakened, and her affections are now trans- 
 ferred to her husband, from similar motives the 
 people of God desire the coming- of the Lord. 
 Once they were dear to the world, and the 
 world to them : born with a natural attachment 
 to it, they were confirmed in their love of, by 
 increasing intimacy with it ; the company of 
 worldly people seemed indispensably necessary 
 to their happiness; and tlie exclusion from 
 their society as painful, as for one member of 
 a family to be separated from its wonted inter- 
 course with the rest. But, having now tasted 
 that the Lord is gracious, their affections are 
 transferred to Him : they have experienced 
 the sweetness of diviner joys; and there- 
 fore the world can no more charm them as 
 it once did : they survey its enjoyments Avith 
 indifference ; because those enjoyments are 
 chiefly animal, and not suitable to that new 
 and superior nature which they have received ; 
 and because they consider that if they were 
 valuable in themselves, their duration is short : 
 for the fashion of this world passeth away : it 
 IS passing away — it is receding from our eyes, 
 while we look at it — it is disengaging itself from 
 our hold, while we grasp it. They not only dis- 
 relish and disregard the world, but they fear 
 
190 TEXTH SERMON. 
 
 to enjoy it : they trust the x'Vpostle for drawino- 
 up a faithful inventory of all that is in it — all 
 that is in the icorld is the lust of the flesh, the 
 lust of the eyes, and t lie pride of life ; for none 
 of which they would endanger their souls. She 
 is the Mystic Babylon that makes the nations of 
 the earth drunk with the wine of her fornica- 
 tion, and therefore they tremble so much as to 
 taste the intoxicating draught. 
 
 From scenes so transient and enjoyments so 
 dangerous, they have turned, by the power of 
 God, to seek their happiness in the Saviour : 
 they prefer to live and dwell with Christ ; be- 
 cause he is a better friend than the world, or 
 any friend in it. They now say with the Apo- 
 stle, to me to live is Christ (Phil. i. 21) : all that 
 which other men call life, their business and 
 pleasures, their hoj^es and fears, joys and sor- 
 rows, the motives which excite and the maxims 
 which direct them, are all centered in Christ : 
 therefore, having nothing to engage them, to 
 die is gain. 
 
 Hence the Saints long for the appearing of 
 the Lord, because they love him and not the 
 things of the world ; as the bride desires the 
 coming of the bridegroom, because her affec- 
 tions are transferred from all others to him. 
 
 2. The coming of the bridegroom is looked 
 forward to as the beginning of that happiness 
 
iWlTATION 01- THE SPIRIT & THE BRIDE. 191 
 
 to tlie bride for which she iias been preparing: 
 so the appearing- of the Lord Jesus is ardently 
 expected by the saints, in proportion to their 
 heaverdy-mindedness, as the era of their deli- 
 verance from misery and the commencement of 
 their perfect enjoyment. 
 
 In this life they are subject, not only to the 
 common calamities incident to men, but to 
 many, more grievous, which happen to them as 
 Christians. They enter into the kingdom through 
 much tribulation. They must bear with long- 
 continued persecution, in patience possessing 
 their souls. The fiery darts of Satan often 
 pierce deeply into their spirits ; and the deceit- 
 fulness of their hearts is often leading them to 
 the verge of ruin. Moreover, the perverse op- 
 position of the will to that which is good, or the 
 deadness with which they prosecute that work 
 to which they have no opposition, makes them 
 often long for the termination of their warfare, 
 of their danger, of their sin. 
 
 Their happiness will then be complete ; they 
 will have risen triumphant over the grave ; the 
 body purified from disease, and the soul from 
 sin — their own will, and that of all that are 
 saved, swallowed up in the divine will — the 
 mysteries of Providence cleared up — and the 
 wonders of grace displayed in full — no occasion 
 left for sighing at the wickedness of others — 
 
192 TENTH SERMON. 
 
 but men again endued with the temper of a 
 creature, and God universally glorified : above 
 all, they will be near Him whom their soul 
 loveth, and sit down to he for ever with the 
 Lord. 
 
 Is it a wonder, then, that the saints should 
 long for the restitution of all things ? — that they 
 should be looking for and hasting unto the 
 coming of the day of God ? (2 Pet. iii. 12). Nay, 
 that they should be sometimes even saying, 
 Why is his chariot so lottg in coming? why 
 tarry the w'heels of his chariot ? 
 
 The Spirit and the bride say, Come. Such, 
 you will see is the language of the Spirit 
 and the bride, by collecting into one prayer 
 a few of the scattered petitions of the Saints ; — 
 Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out 
 of Zion ! (Ps. xiv. 7)- My soul panteth after 
 theSy O God ! When shall I come and appear 
 before God? (Ps. xlii. 1, 2). And I said. 
 Oh that I had wings like a dove ! for then, 
 would I fly away, and he at rest ; lo, then 
 would I wander far off, and remain in the 
 wilderness. I ivould hasten my escape from 
 the windy storm and tempest (Ps. Iv. 6 — 8). Oh 
 send out thy light and thy truth f let them lead 
 me: let them bring me unto thy holy hill and to 
 thy tabernacles (Ps. xliii. 3). As for me, I will 
 behold thy face in righteousness : I shall he satis- 
 
INVITATION OF THE SPriilT <Sc THE BRIDE. 19*> 
 
 fied when 1 awake with thy likeness (Ps. xvii. 15). 
 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fat- 
 ness of thy house ; and thou shalt make them 
 drink of the river of thy pleasures : for with thee 
 is the fountain of life (Ps. xxxvi. 8, 9). Thou 
 wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is 
 fulness of joy (Ps. xvi. 11). 
 
 Such is the lanj^iiage of the Samts, expressing 
 an ardour, which to the world is unaccount- 
 able ; and appears to most professing Christians 
 so exalted, tliat they do not even attempt to 
 attain to it. 
 
 II. Let us attend, therefore, in the next place, 
 to the authoritative INJUNCTION of our Lord. 
 Let him that heareth say. Come. Let him, to 
 whom the Gospel is preached, unite with the 
 Spirit and the Bride in their supplication, and 
 say, Come. 
 
 But can men, in general, pray for the disso- 
 lution of the world when the fibres of their 
 hearts are so closely wound round it? Can 
 they desire a new heaven and a new earth, 
 wherein diveUeth righteousness, when they love 
 the old earth so well, though there dwelleth un- 
 righteousness ? Can they serenely wait for the 
 Judgment to be set, when their conscience even 
 now anticipates their condemnation ; or for the 
 Books to be opened, where there is no hope 
 o 
 
194 TENTH SERMON 
 
 that their name is written in the Book of Life ? 
 Can the voice of Christ be desirable to them, 
 Avhenthey knoAv too well that he will only open 
 his mouth to say unto them, Depart from me ? 
 
 No : w^e must confess it to be impossible for 
 men to pray for his advent, who are unprepared 
 to receive him. Nevertheless the command is 
 irrevocable. It must, therefore, admit of this 
 interpretation — '* Let him that heareth learn to 
 desire my coming." 
 
 But how shall a polluted sinner be fit to be a 
 bride for the Lamb ? He possesses indeed a 
 certain sort of righteousness, but he finds it is 
 said concerning it, that all our righteousnesses 
 are asjilthy rags — making him more loathsome 
 than if he were naked ; or, to speak plainly, 
 the sinner is guilty and corrupted. But, for the 
 removal of his guilt and his restoration to the 
 favour of God, there is a righteousness pro- 
 vided for him — something for which God will 
 accept him; pardoning his sins, and dealing 
 with him as a righteous person, subject to no 
 condemnation — and that is, the righteousness 
 wrought out by Chiist's perfect fulfilment of 
 the Law in our stead. 
 
 This righteousness is often compared to a 
 garment — to signify that it is no more a part of 
 any thing in ourselves than a garment is any 
 part of the body ; but that, as a garment hides 
 
INVITATION OFTHE SPIRIT &THE BRIDE. 195 
 
 all the defects of the body which it covers, so 
 the righteousness of Christ veils all our past 
 sins from the eye of God, in such a sense that 
 we need fear no condemnation on account of 
 them. Thus St. John saw a company of the 
 Blessed clothed in ivhite linen; which was 
 explained to mean the righteousness of the 
 saints. Again, it is said, the righteousness of 
 God without the law is 7nanifested ....ivhich is 
 hy faith of Jesus Christ, unto all and upon all 
 them that believe (Rom. iii. 21, 22): unto all as 
 a gift, and upon all as a garment. And the 
 ancient Prophet had such a clear understanding 
 of the nature of this righteousness as covering 
 our unrighteousness, that he rejoices in the view 
 of it — I will greatly rejoice in the Lord: my 
 soul shall be joyful in my God :for he hath clothed 
 me tvith the garments of salvation, he hath 
 covered me with the robe of 7'ighteousness ; as a 
 bridegroom decketh himself ivith ornaments, 
 mid as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels 
 (Is.lxi. 10). 
 
 The first &tep, then, toward the requisite pre- 
 paration is, for us sinners to be invested with 
 the robe of righteousness by faith, that is, by 
 simply accepting Christ as of God, made unto 
 us ivisdom and righteousness. This is the wed- 
 ding garment, necessary for those who shall be 
 admitted to the marriage supper of tiie Lamb, 
 o 2 
 
196 TENTH SEKMOK. 
 
 The consequence of being without the wed- 
 ding garment is evident from the parable: 
 When the King came in to see the guests^ he 
 saw there a man which had not on a wedding 
 garment : and he saith unto him, Friend, how 
 camest thou in hither, not havirig a wedding gar- 
 ment ! And he was speechless. Then said the 
 King to the servants, JBind him hand and foot, 
 and take him away, and cast him into outer dark- 
 ness : there shall he iveeping and gnashing of 
 ^ee^A(Mat. xxii. 11 — 13). The King did not 
 require that they should come to his house fur- 
 nished with a garment, for then he would not 
 have sent out to gather tliem from the high- 
 ways : but, surely, when the King had himself 
 provided a wardrobe, what less could they do 
 than make themselves fit for his presence ? So 
 they, who would not be ashamed before the 
 Lord at his coming, must apply for his Spirit 
 to cleanse them from all their impurity : for we 
 may be sure that we shall never carry into hea- 
 ven any thing tliat defileth. 
 
 These things are necessary to prepare us for 
 the coming of the Lord : but that awful event 
 cannot be the object of our desire, till we have 
 received the full assurance of hope ; the gift 
 indeed of the Spirit, which is to be obtained by 
 us in the way of diligence according to the ex- 
 hortation of the Apostle — We desire that every 
 
INVITATION OF TH E SPIRIT & TH E BRIDE. 197 
 
 one of you do sheiv the same diligence, to the jull 
 assurmice of hope unto tlie end (Heh. vi. II). 
 Let us also be permitted to remind our dear 
 brethren in the Lord, that, without a spirit of 
 watchfuhiess and prayer, by which we may 
 grow in indifference to the world and in daily 
 enjoyment of Christ's presence, we cannot with 
 unreserved affection unite in the supplication of 
 the bride. 
 
 This, then, is the injunction of the Lord— 
 " Let him that heareth say. Come. Let him 
 learn that he is wretched, and miserable, and 
 poor, and Mind, and naked, and let him come 
 unto me as of God made unto him wisdom, and 
 righteousness, and sanctijication, and redemption. 
 Let him buy of me white raiment, that he may be 
 clothed, and t/mt the shame of his tiakedness may 
 not appear. Let him ask of me the influences of 
 my Spirit to renew him, and be the subject of 
 that Spirit's never-ceasing operations. Let him 
 not be contented to go on in uncertainty, whe- 
 ther heaven or hell await him; but let him 
 plead with me for the witness of the Spirit, 
 which is a privilege that I have promised, and 
 which he therefore ought neither to neglect 
 to ask for, nor hesitate to receive. And, 
 finally, let him so live in the contemplation of 
 my glory, and labour to maintain such inwatd 
 enjoyment of my presence, as to be excited by 
 
198 TENTH SERMON. 
 
 the foretaste to long- for the consummation 
 of it." 
 
 Such is the positive injunction of our Lord 
 Jesus Christ, to every one that heareth — an in- 
 junction, with which we are in general so far 
 from being able to comply, that we need every 
 encouragement to induce us to attempt it. 
 
 III. He therefore adds, A gracious INVITA- 
 TION: Let him that is athirst, come; and who- 
 soever tvill, let him take the tenter of life 
 freely. 
 
 By the water of life is signified a . glorious 
 immortality. As in the Garden of Eden, the 
 Tree of Life was a sign or pledge of happiness 
 to Adam, if he had continued in innocency ; so 
 the ivater of life, flowing througii the paradise 
 in heaven, is an emblem of that eternal glory 
 which Christ, the Second Adam, has secured 
 for all who believe. This seems to be the mean- 
 ing of the figure, as used in the Revelation. In 
 other parts of Scripture it may represent more 
 directly those gracious influences of the Spirit, 
 which prepare us for glory, and are a foretaste 
 of it ; as in the Seventh Chapter of St. John, 
 ver. 39, the living water is thus interpreted — 
 this spake he of the Spirit. In whichever sense 
 it be taken, it is indifterent, for Grace and Glory 
 mean the same in kind. 
 
INVITATION Oi< THE SPIIilT & THE BRIDE. 199 
 
 It is manifest that whatever can be conceived 
 necessary to carry on and consummate the hap- 
 piness of man, beginning with pardon and end- 
 ing with giory, must be looked for amidst the 
 streams of the water of life. Is he a sinner 
 who must for ever remain a stranger to peace 
 except pardon be offered ? — then the Lord offers 
 pardon, when he offers the water of life ; for, 
 without pardon, no promise, no assurance, can 
 give him life. Is his heart polluted, and are his 
 efforts to obtain deliverance feeble and unsuc- 
 cessful ? — then the w aters of life shall flow, in 
 purifying streams, through his heart ; imparting, 
 as they go, a vigour which the world, and the 
 flesh, and the devil can never withstand. Is 
 he a spirit immaterial, incapable of real enjoy- 
 ment from earthly substances ? — then the water 
 of life, proceeding out of the throne of God 
 and of the Lamb, is to be taken as the emblem 
 of God the Spirit, who proceedeth from the 
 Father and the Son, and carries life and enjoy- 
 ment to our spirit, by giving us the knowledge 
 of God and Christ : for this is life eternal, to 
 know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ 
 tvhom thou hast sent (John xvii. 3). Is man an 
 immortal spirit ? — then once more we have re- 
 course to the water, and remark that it is the 
 water of life: the happiness of the soul which 
 drinks it, shall know neither intermission nor 
 
200 TENTH SERMOK. 
 
 end ; for new waters are incessantly poured 
 forth from the fountain, and in one unbroken 
 stream roll on for ever and ever. 
 
 But to whom is the Invitation made? To him 
 that is athirst — L,et him that is athirst, come. 
 So also he spake by his Prophet — Ho / eve?^ one 
 that thitsteih come ye to the ivaters (Is.lv. 1): a 
 parched traveller, it might be supposed, would 
 very well be satisfied at finding no condition 
 required of him but that thirst, which the 
 waters are calculated to quench; yet, because we 
 have an evil heart of unbelief, which would per- 
 suade us that we neither hunger nor thirst after 
 righteousness, therefore it is added by our 
 Lord, Whosoever ivill, let him take the water of 
 life: surely there is no one, who is at all anxious 
 for his salvation, who can assert that he is not 
 WILLING to have the water of life; but if he be 
 only wi LLi N G, he may come and receive it : yea, 
 whosoever he be that willeth, though his repen- 
 tance bear no more proportion to his sins than 
 one tear to the ocean, and though his faith be 
 only as a grain of mustard seed — though his 
 conscience be blackened with aggravated guilt, 
 and his heart be foul w ith inveterate pollution — 
 he may come. Lastly, when the trembling pe- 
 titioner is drawing near the fountain, and about 
 to ask the price at which the water is dispensed, 
 he is answered -'Take the irafrrof' fife f reefy. 
 
INVITATtON OF THE SPIRIT Sc THE BRIDE. 201 
 
 —Behold, it lies open to all! Do you take it 
 freely ; and whosoever ivill, let him take it freely : 
 it was dearly purchased, but the price is paid: 
 now, therefore, it cannot be bought by you; or 
 if you will buy it, it must be without money and 
 without price— He that hath no money, come ye, 
 buy and eat: yea, come buy wine and milk, ivith- 
 out money and ivithout price.'' 
 
 Let these things suffice for the eludication 
 of the three several parts of the text. 
 
 We must add, in CONCLUSION, an obser- 
 vation or two on each of them. 
 
 1. On the first, which is Christ's declara- 
 tion of the desire of his bride for him to come 
 to judgment, let us remember that he will hear 
 her speedily. 
 
 Let us recollect, as often as the years come 
 to their close, that we are one year nearer to 
 that day; and that as surely as we have reached 
 the end of one year, we shall also witness the 
 end of time. Behold, he cometh ivith clouds, 
 and every eye sJmll see him (Rev. i. 7). The Son 
 of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy 
 angels with him (Matt. xxv.31). Then shall 
 appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven: 
 and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, 
 and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the 
 clouds of heaven, with power and great glory 
 (Matt. xxiv. :30\ Behold, I come quickly „..Re, 
 
202 TENTH SERMON. 
 
 tvhich teslifieth these tilings, sailh, Surely I 
 come quickly (Rev. xxii. 7, 12, 20). Beloved, 
 be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is 
 with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thou- 
 sand years as one day (2 Pet. iii. 8). But as 
 the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming 
 of the Son of Man be: for as in the days that 
 ivere before the flood, they ivere eati?ig and 
 drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, 
 until the day that Noah entered into the ark^ 
 and knew not till the flood came and took them 
 all away ; so shall also the coming of the Son of 
 Man be (Matt. xxiv. 37—39). It will therefore 
 be glorious — certain — sudden. Then the kings 
 qfthe earth, and thegreatmeti, and the richQnen,a7id 
 the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every 
 bond-man, and every free-man, will hide themselves 
 in the dens and in the rocks of the ^nouniains; and 
 say to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and 
 hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the 
 throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for 
 the great day of his ivrath is come (Rev. vi. 15 — 
 17). Let all who are unprepared believe these 
 things and awake. You are swiftly, though 
 silently, floating down the stream of time. The 
 years are passing away, and you have as yet 
 done nothing. If time waited for you, and 
 death would delay his approach till you were 
 prepared for him, you would have something 
 
INVITATION OF THE SPIRIT & THE BRIDE. 203 
 
 to justify yoiirnegligence ; but neither time nor 
 death will wait, till your half-formed purposes 
 of amendment are completed. Think now, at 
 the end of the year, to what little purpose you 
 have lived hitherto, and bless God that he hath 
 spared you so long. If it please him that you 
 should enter upon another year, be prepared to 
 begin it with new purposes and new views, 
 that you may be able to say, at the beginning 
 of such a year, / thought on my ivcn/Sy arid 
 turned my feet unto thy testimonies: I made haste, 
 and delayed not to keejj thy commandments (Ps. 
 cxix. 59, 60). 
 
 2. From the consideration of the injunction 
 of our Lord, that all, and especially his people, 
 should not only be looking for, but hasting to 
 his coming, let us reason with our unbelieving 
 hearts, and rouse them to ardour, that we may 
 really long for his appearance. 
 
 Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? said 
 Christ to Peter: so might he say, "Thou, that 
 scarcely ever thinkest with delight on the great 
 day when I shall call thee to my presence, art 
 thou sure that thou lovest me?" Let us look into 
 our hearts. Is it the fear of death, that throws 
 a shade over our brightening prospects? Do 
 the waters of Jordan, through which we must 
 pass to the promised land, chill our ardour ? 
 Thanks he to God, which giveth us the victory 
 
204 TENTH SERMON. 
 
 ihrouiih our Lord Jtsus Christ ; \\\\o hath 
 himself risen, the pledge and pattern of the 
 resurrection of Christians. Is there a doubt 
 about our acceptance ? theli let us confirm our 
 hopes by presentinii* to our minds the perfect 
 freeness and the unbounded fulness of the pro- 
 mises, God's faithfulness in his word, and Clu'ist's 
 unchang:eableness. Is a want of preparation 
 urged by you as a reason for being unable to 
 lona: tor his comine; ? remember, that thouofh 
 indeed none are in themselves meet for the 
 inheritance, yet in Christ your right to it is as 
 certain now as it ever can be. Let us then 
 be stirred up to be more alive io the certainty 
 of these eternal realities — to leave the world 
 behind us — to tread as on the verge of eternity; 
 waiting for the happy moment that shall bring 
 us into the presence of our Saviour and Lord. 
 
 3. Lastly, in reference to the invitation, 
 let us once more turn to the careless, and ask, 
 How long will ye harden your hearts ? Will ye 
 still be deaf alike to hear, whether God calls to 
 you out of the whirlwind, or speaks to you in 
 the softer breath of mercy ? Has God thundered, 
 and will you not take warning? or shall the 
 Saviour invite, and you will not hearken? 
 The approach to the tree of life was guarded 
 by the sword oi the flaming Cherubim ; but 
 to the water of life Christ himself stands ready 
 
INVITATION OF THE SPITIT&THL BRIDE. !SUO 
 
 to conduct you — but, die without Him, and 
 you are excluded for ever. VVliat may be your 
 determination, it is not for me to predict ; but 
 whether ye will hear or whether ye will forbear, 
 say not now, say not at the Last Day, that you 
 might not have received the water of life freely. 
 I pray God to prepare your hearts by his grace, 
 that, with the residue of Christ's people, you 
 may be able to say, when he proclaims his 
 coming, Amen ! even so, come Lord Jesus ! 
 
SERMON XI 
 
 THE NEW CREATURE. 
 
 2 CORINTH. V. 17. 
 
 If any mmi be in Christ, he is a new creatyfte : 
 old things are passed aivay ; hehold, all things 
 are become new. 
 
 X HERE are few subjects so imperfectly under- 
 stood by Christians, as the doctrines of their 
 own religion. Other branches of science are 
 cultivated with care ; and the want of a certain 
 degree of acquaintance with them is supposed 
 to argue a defect, either of education or of 
 intellect : but ignorance of the Bible is attended 
 with no disgrace. 
 
 Were we now in the predicament of our 
 forefathers, who were deban-ed the free use of 
 Scripture by the obstacles of a foreign lan- 
 guage, such ignomnce would excite less 
 surprise ; but, happily, the period of Romish 
 Bigotry is past — the Sacred Volume is now 
 accessible — and the small degree of litergi- 
 ture necessary for understanding it has 
 
208 ELEVENTH SERMON'. 
 
 descended to the lowest classes of society. It 
 mij^ht, therefore, be reasonably expected of us 
 all, that we should be not merely acquainted 
 with the facts recorded in Scripture, but be able 
 to discern the distinguishing features of that 
 Way of Salvation which is pointed out in it. 
 
 The want of such discriminating knowledge 
 of the peculiar nature of the Gospel, leaves us 
 exposed — either to the attacks of unbelievers, 
 who would challenge us to shew what greater 
 evidence there is for believing this religion to 
 be of God than another ; or to the still greater 
 danger of self-deceit. Hence it is of impor- 
 tance that we set before you, from the words 
 of the text, first, the state of a real chris- 
 tian; secondly, the evidence of his being 
 
 IN THAT state. 
 
 I. The STATE OF A REAL CHRISTIAN, or his 
 situation m reference to God, is thus expressed 
 by the Apostle — he is in Christ. 
 
 To be a Christian is not, to have been born 
 in a Christian country and of Christian parents, 
 to have received the sacramental ordinances of 
 Baptism and the Lord's Supper, and to live a 
 moral and honest life, but it is to be in Christ ; 
 the strength and peculiarity of which expres- 
 sion suggests the idea of a state, very different 
 in nature and importance from the mere 
 
THE NEW CREATURE. 209 
 
 external possession of Christian privileg^es, or 
 the performance of relative duties. 
 
 To illustrate the meaning of this expression, 
 let us contrast it with our state as we are in 
 Adam ; partaking of his guilt, and inheriting 
 his corruption. God, in his covenant engage- 
 ments with Adam, treated with him as with the 
 head and representative of mankind. Adam 
 fell, and with him fell the whole human race ; 
 every individual, as he comes into the world, 
 being now considered by God as involved in 
 the first transgression. Hence the natural con- 
 dition of men, whether their lives be more or 
 less stained with actual wickedness, is a state 
 of guilt, as well as depravity, at its very begin- 
 ning. We are hy nature the children of wrath 
 (Eph. ii. 3). Such is our state in Adam. In 
 this state all of us remain, who have not turned 
 unto God from the world. 
 
 To be in Christ is to be related to him in the 
 same sen^e, as we were said to be related to 
 Adam ; and the blessings flowing from the 
 former relation correspond to the miseries of 
 the latter: for, as those that are in Adam are 
 considered by God as partakers of his guilt, 
 independently of any disobedience of their own ; 
 so those that are in Christ are regarded by God 
 as partaking of Christ's merit and possessed of 
 a justifying righteousness in him, independently 
 
210 ELEVENTH SERMON. 
 
 of any previous obedience of their own : and, 
 again, as those that are in Adam receive from 
 him at their natural birth an entire depravity of 
 nature ; so those that are in Christ receive from 
 him the renovation of their nature. Over those 
 that are in Adam, the anger of an offended God 
 is continually suspended ; and will fall on 
 them with overwhelming weight, if they die 
 michanged. On those that are in Christ, the 
 blessings of a gracious God rest perpetually : 
 his protecting providence, his Spirit influencing, 
 his tenderest compassion and love, are secured 
 to them for time and for eternity : he looks 
 upon them as free from guilt, innocent in 
 Christ's innocence, and righteous in Christ's 
 righteousness ; and will give them the reward 
 of His merits when they die. 
 
 Those who do not attend to the Scripture 
 account of this subject, are more accustomed to 
 consider God as dealing immediately with our- 
 selves than as in Adam. It will be of use, 
 therefore, to contrast our state in Christ with 
 what may be called the being in ourselves. 
 
 In whatever degree we depend on our own 
 works for recommending us to the divine 
 favour, or imagine the ability to be holy is 
 originally in ourselves, in that degree a Mediator 
 becomes unnecessary for us. We transact our 
 own afiairs with God : we stand on our own 
 
THE NEW CREATURE. 211 
 
 foundation ; and God deals with \is accordingly. 
 He beholds us under that law of works which 
 requires perfect obedience ; and when once we 
 fail of absolute perfection, passes sentence on 
 us as condemned criminals. Alas! how sad 
 and pitiable is the condition of natural men ! 
 chiefly pitiable because they know not their 
 case : For whoso&ver shall keep the whole law^ 
 and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all 
 (James ii. 10). One act of dishonesty brands a 
 man a thief ; and one transgression of the divine 
 law exposes to its condemning sentence, though 
 men will not believe this. 
 
 ; The state of those who have fled from this 
 danger to be found in Christ, is to be con- 
 trasted with the former, in this particular — that 
 God no longer deals with them immediately in 
 their own persons. The whole method of his 
 proceedings toward them is changed: he re- 
 gards them in a new light — adopts and adheres 
 to a new system respecting them. He always 
 thinks of them as in Christ — overlooks what 
 they are in themselves : all that he gives to 
 them, all that he receives from them, is through 
 Christ ; who is now the sole channel of grace, 
 and the repository of spiritual blessings. Once 
 he looked to them for merit — now he looks for 
 it in Christ : once he remembered their sins — 
 but he has now forgotten them : formerly every 
 p2 
 
212 ELF.VKXTFI SF.HMOX. 
 
 blessing was suspended npon tlie performance 
 of conditions — but now all is freely given or 
 freely promised, and every promise not left con- 
 ditional but made and secured in Christ. 
 There is no longer any uncertainty hanging 
 over those that are in Christ, whether at the 
 end of life they shall be accepted ov rejected: 
 for, already, are they pardoned and justified — 
 already, are they made the children of God by 
 adoption — already, they are at peace, and have 
 everlasting life. If Christ is worthy, then are 
 they worthy. Did the Son of God fulfil the 
 Law in their stead, and thus obtain righteous- 
 ness? — then they also are perfectly righteous in 
 the righteousness of Christ. Was he filled 
 with the Spirit? — then shall they also receive 
 the anointings of the Holy One. Did he rise 
 from the grave, and ascend to his glory ? — then 
 they shall rise and dwell with him in heavenly 
 places, and walk with him in white, and sit with 
 him on his throne, and reign with him for ever 
 and ever. 
 
 The peculiar term in Christ is borrowed 
 from, one or other of the following circum- 
 stances. Cities of refuge were appointed 
 among the Jews with this design, that he who 
 had been guilty of manslaughter might escape 
 to one of them and be safe. These cities are 
 emblems of the Saviour. ^Yhoever, conscious 
 
THE NEW CREATIJIIE. 
 
 213 
 
 of his desert of eternal death, flees with broken- 
 ness of heart to him, is in Chi'ist safe from the 
 punishment of all his past iniquities. Again, 
 as a sheep in a fold, so is a sinner in Christ 
 (John x) : it is not the manner of a good shep- 
 herd to cast off every untractable sheep, and 
 send it astray in the wilderness ; but to bear 
 with it, and correct it, and feed it with the rest: 
 so those that are in Christ are not cast off from 
 God for their sins of infirmity, but made to 
 cease from them — not given u\) to the power 
 of Satan, but strengthened to conflict with 
 him, and brought safely from this and every 
 other danger to their everlasting inheritance 
 in the skies. This, the attentive hearer will 
 observe, is the Christian Doctrine of Justifica- 
 tion by Faith in Christ. 
 
 Our text points out the consequences 
 flowing from this doctrine, and completely 
 obviates all the objections that are raised 
 against it as unfriendly to morality. The 
 Scriptures provide sufficient for sinners in 
 Christ, through faith. Faith brings them into 
 a state of friendship and favour with God, but 
 does not then leave them to themselves: the 
 Holy Spirit is then vouchsafed to be a Sanctifier 
 and Comforter, and to prepare the justified soul 
 for communion with the Holy God. 
 
 As it may possibly be an inquiry in your 
 
214 ELEVENTH SERMOX. 
 
 minds whether you be m Christ, many of you 
 having scarcely a reason for believing that you 
 are, and yet unwilling to believe that you are 
 not, we must attempt the determining of this 
 critical question by considerhig, 
 
 II. What are the proper EVIDENCES of our 
 having made the transition from ourselves to 
 Christ. If any man he in Christ, then he is a neiv 
 creature: old things are passed awai/; behold^ all 
 things are become neiv. 
 
 Here is a twofold evidence: there has been 
 a Divine Operation upon him, and an Univer- 
 sal Change in him. 
 
 1. There is a divine operation upon him: 
 for he is a 7i€iv creature; or, as it is in the Origi- 
 nal, a netv creation. 
 
 Creation is the w ork of God : He only can call 
 into being that which had no previous existence, 
 and bid that be which before was not. Reli- 
 gion in the heart is not the effect of our own 
 reason acting by itself, or the consequence of 
 moral persuasion ; but it is a work wrought by 
 the immediate supernatural power of God the 
 Holy Ghost. We call it supernatural, be- 
 cause it is not one of those effects which God 
 works upon all in the natural course of things, 
 nor does it resemble God's natural gifts be- 
 stowed equally upon all; but it is peculiar to 
 
THL SL^V CREATURE. 215 
 
 those that are in Christ, and takes place on their 
 union to him. A new heart will I give you, and 
 a new spirit will I put within you, is the promise 
 of God by Ezekiel: and I will take away the 
 stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you 
 a heart of flesh: and I will put my Spirit within 
 you, and cause you to walk in my statutes; and ye 
 shall keep my judgments and do them (Ezek. 
 xxxvi. 26, 27) : here the necessity of a new heart, 
 and of the exertion of Divine power to produce 
 it, are expressed in the plainest terms. In other 
 passages, the same truth is conveyed with equal 
 plainness: St. Paul, addressing the Ephe- 
 sians, compares the power of God, in making us 
 new creatures, to that whereby he raises the 
 dead : You hath he quickened, who tvere dead 
 in trespasses and sins; and, in the Second Epi- 
 , stle to the Corinthians, it is likened to that act of 
 creation which brought light out of the original 
 darkness : God, who commanded the light to 
 shine out of darkness, Jiath shined into our 
 hearts. 
 
 These passages furnish us with an incontro- 
 vertible truth — that there is a certain period in 
 the life of every sincere Christian, at which he 
 becomes the subject of an inward change, the 
 effect of the power of God : not that it can be 
 known by any momentary feeling, when the 
 hand of God is upon us, as the inspired Prophets 
 
210 ELEVENTH SEUMOX. 
 
 could know ; but the reality of such a change 
 is certainly capable of being ascertained. It 
 began perhaps in fear: it Avas attended with 
 faint resolutions to amend ; and then, by various 
 steps, it ended in a cordial application to Christ, 
 and an unreserved self-dedication to God. 
 Yet all this, perhaps, took place by impercepti- 
 ble degrees, \yhen the morning succeeds the 
 night, light and darkness are blended in con- 
 tinually different proportions, so that we cannot 
 say when night is ended and the day begins. 
 
 It is scarcely necessary to be observed, that 
 no change takes place in the original consti- 
 tution" of our minds, by our becoming new 
 creatures : no new faculty is introduced into 
 the soul, nor mental power superadded; but a 
 new turn and direction is given to the passions 
 which we already possess. 
 
 2. This will be more apparent, if we consider 
 that UNIVERSAL CHANGE, which ensues in the 
 heart and life. If any man be in Christ, old 
 things are passed aiuay ; behold, all things are 
 become new. 
 
 The change in the conduct is, in most cases, 
 remarkable. Observe how all the grosser 
 habits of evil are cast off, and are succeeded 
 by opposite virtues: if the man has been dis- 
 honest, he becomes upright ; if a drunkard, 
 he becomes tcm_perate — the sensualist grows 
 
THI. NEW CUKATURE 
 
 217 
 
 chaste— the chuii liberal— the proud man hum- 
 ble—the vain man modest— the backbiter cha- 
 ritable—and the malicious, envious and deceit- 
 ful, kind, generous, and sincere. 
 
 There is a change of conduct toward God. 
 Once the man presumed to pass the Sabbath as 
 he pleased— to sanctify or profane it, to be 
 absent from the house of prayer or to visit it, 
 as most suited his convenience or inclination ; 
 but now he cautiously excludes both business 
 and amusement from it, and dedicates the 
 whole to holy exercises : he will not occasion 
 others, even Heathens, to violate the Sabbatli 
 by giving them secular employments which 
 are unnecessary, because God's commands 
 are equally binding on them as on us ; and, 
 therefore, we are enjoined to give rest on that 
 day to the stranger that is ivithin our gates 
 (Exod.xx. 10). Once he could live without 
 secret prayer, or satisfy his conscience with the 
 dull repetition of a form ; but he now regards 
 prayer as one of the most important employ- 
 ments of life. The Word of God heretofore 
 lay neglected ; but, henceforth, it is daily pe- 
 rused for the purposes of spiritual instruction. 
 
 His views of himself are become new. He 
 will not now be heard speaking of the goodness 
 of his heart, or justifying his defects, or pre- 
 suming upon his comparative innocence for 
 
218 ELEVENTH SERMON. 
 
 recommending him to God ; but, with deep 
 yelf-abasement, acknowledging his desert of 
 God's wrath, yet resting his steady hopes on 
 the atonement of Jesus Christ. 
 
 With respect to the World and its pleasures, 
 he has done with them: without retiring from 
 his station in society or the duties attending 
 it, he withdraws from that pursuit of riches 
 and distinction in which others place their 
 happiness ; and he will never willingly counte- 
 nance the dissipation of the world, by his own 
 presence and example. On the earth it is his 
 profession to be a stranger and pilgrim: his 
 heart is in a better country : his affections are 
 set on things above, and his treasure deposited 
 there; and, when obliged to mix with the 
 world, it is his purpose and prayer to be kept 
 unspotted from it ; to grow in holiness, looking 
 for and hastening to the coming of the great 
 day of God. 
 
 Let us observe his Relative Conduct. To the 
 man who is in Christ a new creature, the. govern- 
 ment of his temper becomes an object of 
 serious attention; for, according to his new 
 views, all disorders of the temper must be con- 
 sidered as arising from pride, prejudice, or 
 discontent, and therefore unbecoming a Chris- 
 tian : he therefore labours to be poor in spirit, 
 meek, forgiving; patiently bearing with the 
 
THE NEW CREATURE. 219 
 
 perverseness and obstinacy of those with whom 
 he has to deal, and he will really love and pray 
 for those who injure or speak evil of him. In 
 conversation with others, the man who is in 
 Christ a new creature will never think of 
 defiling- his lips with an indecent allusion, 
 though veiled in ambiguity ; because he knows 
 it is equally detestable to God, and more dan- 
 gerous to men than the open language of 
 impurity — on the contrary, he hath so learned 
 Christ, as to be pure in heart ; and will, therefore, 
 seldom fail to testify his abhorrence of any 
 thing of this nature : he defends the ways of 
 the righteous, and shews a decided preference 
 for their company ; yet, even with the world, 
 he is not morose, or forbidding* — he is serious, 
 but not severe — pitying sinners, but not de- 
 spising them — an opposer of all sin, but espe- 
 cially of his own. With respect to what he has 
 in his own power, he does not conceive himself 
 at liberty to use his time, fortune, or influence, 
 as may suit his humour ; but, bearing in mind 
 that he is not a master but a steward of these 
 things, he prepares for the strict account of his 
 stewardship, which he must give at the end of 
 life before the tribunal of God : his fortune, 
 therefore, will not be spent in vanity, while 
 there are any poor in the world who have a claim 
 upon him by their misery, or any ignorant 
 
220 " ELEVKNTJl SERMON. 
 
 whose spiritual benefit may be any way pro- 
 moted by a proper application of pecuniary 
 aid : nor will his time be devoted to excess of 
 business, nor trifled away in unnecessary amuse- 
 ments ; but he will employ all in the way that 
 shall appear most to conduce to the glory of 
 God and the benefit of mankind. 
 
 Such a conduct Mill undoubtedly subject 
 him to the charge of singularity and precise- 
 ness ; but, unconcerned at the opinions of men, 
 he determines neither to be guided by the cus- 
 toms nor maxims of the world, but simply to 
 follow the Word of God as an all-sufficient rule 
 of life. In short, if any man be in Christ, he is 
 altogether another man — old things are passed 
 away ; beholdy all things are become new. 
 
 Still there may appear to some to be nothing 
 extraordinary in all this — nothing but what any 
 man may accomplish by his own efforts. 
 
 We should consider, therefore, the Change 
 of Heart or Inward Disposition, which pre- 
 serves the alteration visible in the life. A fiew 
 heart will I give you, said God, in a passage 
 before referred to. To the same eftect are St. 
 Paul's words — Put off* the old man, which is 
 corrupt according to the deceitful lusts ; and be 
 renewed in the spirit of your 7nind (Eph. iv. 22, 
 23); and, again, Be 7iot conformed to this 
 world; but be ye transformed, by the renewing of 
 
THE NEW CHEATURE. 221 
 
 your mind (Rom. xii. 2). Here is a certain 
 change spoken of, perfectly distinct from a 
 reformation of life, however extensive that 
 reformation may be — such a change of the 
 heart, as presupposes its evil condition ; and 
 that, though we retain our natural faculties, the 
 heart is in the most abject, corrupted, and 
 forlorn condition, with all the passions affecting 
 objects which are either false or dangerous. 
 This is it, which renders a new creation neces- 
 sary : there must be a new disposition of the 
 heart : the bent of the will, the direction of the 
 passions, the habitual principles, motives, and 
 ends, must be different from what they were 
 before : the taste and inclination must be 
 different — the whole state and nature, in short, 
 different. 
 
 Here is the work of God ! man cannot reach 
 the soul : but it is upon the soul that God's new 
 creating influence is principally exerted ; and 
 the result forms a wide line of discrimination, 
 between a divine work upon the soul and mere 
 human efforts. The moving principle of the 
 new-created soul, in all that it does in a moral 
 point of view, has no longer a regard to cha- 
 racter, or the advancement of temporal in- 
 terests ; nor even the fear of hell merely, and 
 hope of heaven, though it is very powerfully 
 influenced by these ; for all these are no more 
 
222 ELEVENTH SEIIMON. 
 
 than the motives which naturally impel every 
 man to action, and may exist vt^here the heart 
 is in its native unregenerate state: but its 
 moving principle is Love — the love of God, 
 which an unregenerated man never felt. 
 
 The love of Christ constraineth us, says St. 
 Paul (2 Cor. v. 14). We serve God, not as 
 slaves, but as children ; our motive is the love 
 which we bear to him, and our end his glory. 
 We would not be as persons who are, so to 
 speak, making a hard bargain, and avIio would 
 know the precise quantity of virtue necessary 
 for salvation ; but we wish to serve him with 
 the full flow of affection — to offer up to him 
 hearts glowing with gratitude and love — and 
 to have body, soul, and spirit unreservedly 
 dedicated to his service. 
 
 There is also in the renewed heart a love to 
 holiness, which was once the object of its dis- 
 like. This attachment to holiness is not, there- 
 fore, merely as it is necessary to salvation ; but 
 because it suits our renewed taste. It is, there- 
 fore, superior to all legal considerations. If, 
 on a sudden, we should discover that there is 
 no place of punishment or reward, our pursuit 
 of holiness would not be given up ; because, 
 through the renovation of our minds, it is from 
 choice and deliberate preference that we would 
 be holy. We act, not from a calculation of loss 
 
THE NEW CREATURE. 223 
 
 and gain resulting from the practice of holiness, 
 but from a real liking to the thing itself. 
 
 In conformity to the same principle, we 
 inquire not, how far we may indulge ourselves, 
 nor determine to have every thing respecting 
 right and wrong proved to a demonstration, 
 that we may advance to the very limits of 
 what is lawful; but we stand at a distance, and 
 abstain as carefully from temptation as from 
 sin itself : thus the hatred of sin implanted in 
 our new nature discovers itself by leading us to 
 avoid all that may lead to it. 
 
 All this forms a manifest distinction between 
 regeneration and outward reformation, because 
 it proves the disposition to be altered. Natural 
 men may be conceived to do outwardly all that 
 the purest saints can perform ; but what man 
 loves God and holiness from seeing them to be 
 intrinsically amiable, or hates sin from feeling 
 it to be essentially detestable, except the man 
 in whose heart the Spirit has begun to draw the 
 lineaments of the divine image ? 
 
 One or two instances may be added, to 
 illustrate the change that has taken place in the 
 new-created heart. 
 
 Persons of strict and serious pieif a¥e eften 
 asked, why they abstain from most of the 
 amusements to which the world are so attached ; 
 and they are called upon to shew the harm of 
 
224 F.LEVF.X^TH SERMON. 
 
 them. Without undertaking to prove the un- 
 lawfulness of these amusements, the Christian 
 can always reply, Wheti I was a child, I spake 
 as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as 
 a child ; but, when I became a man, I put aivay 
 childish things (1 Cor. xiii. 11): he once found 
 his pleasure in such things, and was very un- 
 willing to be deprived of them ; but, since he 
 has become a new creature, he has lost all 
 taste and relish for them, and can now be 
 satisfied only with divine and spiritual enjoy- 
 ments. 
 
 Another circumstance worthy of observation, 
 is the manner in which we treat the sins of 
 others. There are sins, which, in the opinion 
 of some, are less injurious to society than others; 
 such as intoxication and impurity. A natural 
 man, hearing of instances of these in others, not 
 thinking or caring what view God has of these 
 things,willeithermake a matter of mirth of them, 
 or at least smile at what he hears of this nature, 
 as if it rather amused than grieved him : thus, 
 with an outward conduct, correct possibly and 
 unblamable, he betrays the wickedness and 
 unregeneration of his heart, by smiling at that 
 at which God frowns. The really good man, 
 besides possessing a quick sensibility for God's 
 honour, is endued with a similarity of sentiment 
 with the Deity ; and can, therefore, take no 
 
THE NEW CREATURE. 225 
 
 pleasurein that which offends God, and subjects 
 his fellow- creatures to everlasting misery. 
 
 Examine, then, your ownselves, Brethren — 
 prove your ownselves. Review the text, and 
 ask, Are we new creatures ? If the question 
 appear strange to you — if the whole idea of the 
 thing seem novel ; or, as it is to some, ludi- 
 crous — you need not reply : you have mani- 
 festly not experienced the new creation. On 
 what then do you ground your hopes of salva- 
 tion ? You say that you discharge your relative 
 duties — doing as you would be done by — giving 
 to all their due — that you are no extortioner, no 
 adulterer, no slanderer — having failings, but 
 not worse in general than others : but all this 
 is of no consequence in the present inquiry : 
 therefore the question recurs. Are we new crea- 
 tures? What though you are kind parents, 
 dutiful children, faithful friends, charitable 
 neighbours, honourable in mercantile concerns, 
 in short entirely correct in all social and rela- 
 tive duties ; nay, that you wait upon God in 
 public and private, and are regular at his house 
 and table — of what use will it all be in the mat- 
 ter of your salvation, if there be not something- 
 more, if there be not a new creation of your 
 hearts ? In Christ Jesus, says St. Paid, neither 
 
220 ELEVENTH SERMON. 
 
 circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircmtici- 
 sion, but a 7iew creature (Gal. vi. 15). 
 
 Neither is the necessity of this change to be 
 found in the Epistles alone, of the obscurity of 
 which some are pleased to complain who have 
 no inclination to study them: our Saviour Christ 
 himself set forth the same things with equal 
 strictness, when he said to Nicodemus, Except 
 a man he horn again ^ he cannot see the kingdom 
 of God : and, 31arvel not that I saiduiito thee^ 
 Ye 7nnst be horn again (John iii. 3, 7). 
 
 And where is this change to be wrought on 
 us except on this side the grave ? Death cannot 
 itself alter the habitual temper, nor will God 
 exert his power on the soul which has lost the 
 opportunities which were offered in this world ! 
 Where the tree falleth, there it shall he (Eccl. 
 xi. 3). He, that is unjust, let him he unjust still: 
 he, which is filthy, let him he filthy still (Rev. 
 xxii. 11). If a man die, not born again, let 
 him not expect to rise a new creature from the 
 grave. 
 
 Then be persuaded of your danger, my Dear 
 Brethren. Awake from delusion, and turn 
 your thoughts inw ard. Deceive not yourselves, 
 with supposing that morality is holiness, or that 
 a reformation in the life is equivalent to a divine 
 transformation of the heart, li vou would fol- 
 
THE NEW CKEATUKE. 22T 
 
 low the saints of God, you must with them enter 
 in at the strait gate and walk the narrow road, 
 and experience with them the heart-renewing 
 energies of the Holy Ghost. Let not the plea- 
 sures of the world tempt you to defer the con- 
 sideration of this to another season : for it may 
 be, that, on your death-bed, this passage shall re- 
 cur ; and you will then regret that you had not 
 earlier yielded to the convictions which it must 
 have produced. 
 
 If any, with reasonable alarm, are inquiring 
 what is to be done, the answer is — Believe m the 
 Lord Jesus Christ ; for, since the new creation 
 of the soul is the effect of our being in Christ, 
 the first step in the way of salvation is to apply 
 to him : and happy is it for us, that to warrant 
 us to expect his grace no previous merit is ne- 
 cessary. The way is open — the gift is free — 
 the invitation is couched in terms of unbounded 
 fulness. Wait not till your hearts are better ; 
 but apply at once to the Saviour, and you shall 
 be created in Christ Jesus unto good worhsy 
 which God hath before ordained that you should 
 walk in them. As the scion, engrafted on the 
 stock, receives sap from it, and then brings 
 forth fruit ; so you, by your union with Christ, 
 shall be holy in heart and life. 
 
 There are not wanting, in this assembly, some 
 who have pondered this portion of the Word of 
 q2 
 
228 ELtVKNTH SERMON. 
 
 God — have been actually giving themselves to 
 seek of God the new creation of their hearts — ■ 
 and have, in consequence, become partakers of 
 a divine nature. Let them not be discouraged, 
 if they find not such evident appearances of a 
 change as they desire : for though the renovat- 
 ing energy extends universally through all the 
 faculties, and the change is proportionate 
 through this life ; yet there will remain, to the 
 end of life, much of the original corruption, 
 which will indeed be a source of disquiet in 
 proportion to its activity, but need not, while 
 opposed, be an occasion of serious alarm, be- 
 cause the image of God thus drawn anew on 
 the soul shall never again be defaced — this se- 
 cond image restored in Christ, being superior 
 to that lost in Adam, in this respect ; that, 
 whereas the former exhibited the colours more 
 bright and orient, this shall prove them more 
 lasting and durable. In future days, a new 
 scene will be unfolded, which will be more 
 congenial to our renewed nature ; for He, that 
 sitteth upon the throne, saith, Behold, I make all 
 things new: new employments — new thoughts 
 ; — a new society — joys ever varying and ever 
 new — shall engage the new created soul, and 
 give new scope to its renovated powers, .when 
 this world and all that belongs to it shall have 
 passed away. 
 
SERMON XII 
 
 NATURE AND MEANS OF CONVERSION. 
 
 ACTS, 111. 25. 
 
 God having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to 
 bless you, in turning away every one of you 
 from his iniquities, 
 
 The demands of God upon a sinner for a holy 
 life and a change of heart, can never be agree- 
 able subjects of reflection to the majority of 
 hearers. Preferring, as they do, those views of 
 religion which are compatible with self-indul- 
 gence, the requisition of a stricter godliness, 
 though enforced by the power of eternal sanc- 
 tions, will be heard continually with increasing 
 pain. Yet the case is too urgent to admit of 
 our qualifying any of the commandments of God, 
 or of withdrawing divine truth because it is of- 
 fensive ; for, whether we will hear or whether we 
 will forbear, the Word of God remains un- 
 changeably the same. Except ye repeiit yc shall 
 
230 TWELFTH SERMON. 
 
 aU perish (Luke xiii. 3). However, the Scrip- 
 tures having described the happiness of conver- 
 sion as well as the difficultyof it, we gladly follow 
 where they lead ; and will, therefore, do our 
 endeavour to prove, that, according to the state- 
 ment of the text, it is a blessing to be turned 
 away every one of us from our iniquities. 
 
 But let us, first, offer some preparatory 
 REMARKS on fiiis passagc. 
 
 And, first, there can be no reasonable objec- 
 tion to the use of the word conversion, and to 
 speaking of converted and unconverted persons, 
 in reference to Baptized Christians : for we find 
 that the word (that is, one literally synonymous 
 to it, as any will know m ho are acquainted with 
 the language from which the word Conversion 
 is borrowed) is used in the text by St. Peter, 
 while he is addressing, not the professors of a 
 false religion, to whom the word is by some 
 confined, but those whom in the previous verse 
 he stiles, children of tJie covenant which God 
 made with their fathers. The same privileged 
 persons, in a former part of this Sermon also, 
 lie thus calls upon, Repent ye and be converted 
 (v. 19). If Jews, in possession of the seal of 
 the first Covenant of God, had need to be con- 
 verted from their iniquities, no reason can be 
 assigned why persons who have the seal of the 
 Second Covenan^t may not have need to be con- 
 
NATURE AND MEANS OF CONVERSION. 231 
 
 verted from theirs. We are not restricted to the 
 use of a particular word, when the thing in- 
 tended may be so variously expressed : but it is 
 right that none should deceive themselves, 
 by fancying the word unconverted does not 
 belong to them, because they are Christians 
 nominally. 
 
 For, secondly, this conversion from iniquities 
 is not that reformation of life which human 
 efforts can produce, the necessity of which is 
 not disputed ; but it is really a divine myste- 
 rious renovation of our inward nature : for the 
 word expressing it is active in its signification— 
 he will turn away every one of you from his ini- 
 quities. The agent is also brought into view, 
 Christ, or God operating by a risen Saviour — 
 God having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to 
 bless you, in turning away every one of you from 
 his iniquities. 
 
 Let it be next observed from the text, that 
 conversion has to do with more persons than 
 the immoral ; unless St. Peter was so uncha- 
 ritable as to brand with the stigma of immo- 
 rality the M hole of his audience, many of whom 
 were undoubtedly like St. Paul, who was, 
 touching the I'ighteousness which is in the law, 
 blameless (perhaps St. Paul was among them) ; 
 or \\ere like the Pharisee in the parable, whO' 
 
232 Wi:LFTH SERMON. 
 
 was no adulterer, unjust, extortioner, but fasted 
 twice in the week, and gave alms of all that he 
 possessed : yet St. Peter calls on all to be con- 
 verted. 
 
 Under the shelter of the Apostle's authority, 
 then, we may be permitted to address the great 
 mass of Christian Hearers, as persons who 
 have need to be turned away every one from his 
 iniquities — to suppose that every man, till 
 changed by grace, has his iniquity, his favourite 
 system of pleasure, between which and his 
 heart a separation must be made before he can 
 see life, li shall not be a course of dissipation 
 or of gross sensuality, but a life the most com- 
 mon, consisting of business and amusement 
 combined ; adopted by him because it suits his 
 interest or inclinations, and persisted in whether 
 it accords with the will of God or not. 
 
 To shew that a conversion from such courses, 
 apparently so harmless, to a life of strict 
 
 HOLINESS AIsiD SIMPLE OBEDIENCE IS A REAL 
 
 BLESSING, is one part of our present object: 
 afterward it will be made to appear, how this 
 blessing is communicated by Christ's resur- 
 rection. 
 
 I. A CONVERSION FROM SIN TO HOLINESS IS 
 THE ^APPINESS OF MAN. He will bless you. 
 
N'ATUllE AND MEANS OF CONVEnsjON. 23S 
 
 in turning away every one of you from his ini- 
 quities. While then we continue in iniquity, 
 there is no happiness. 
 
 This is true, there are many sins in which 
 there is no pleasure at all. it cannot be 
 alleged, without great absurdity, that there is 
 any pleasure annexed to the sin of profaneness, 
 ridiculing religion, censuring God's laws, words, 
 or works — no one having ever pretended, that 
 these things had any tendency to promote his 
 health or increase his estate : to wrong others 
 in their reputation by slander, or to disturb their 
 peace by contention, has no proper tendency 
 to promote our own honour or peace, but the 
 contrary. 
 
 Yet, if there be some sins in which there is 
 pleasure, it must be said that there is no plea- 
 sure in nature peculiar to sin ; that is, which 
 may not be had in the way of duty : for what 
 are commonly called unlawful pleasures are 
 nothing else but pleasures, in themselves lawful 
 and useful, but procured by means which God 
 forbids, or carried beyond the limits which God 
 assigns. It is this unlawfulness in obtaining, 
 or excess in using, that constitutes sin ; but 
 this unlawfulness or excess has no pleasure 
 peculiarly annexed to it. 
 
 We are not presently surprised by some new 
 enjoyment, when we go beyond God's laws : on 
 
234 TWELFTH SERMON. 
 
 the contrary, that very excess which constitutes 
 sinfuhiess is the source of unhappiness: sinful- 
 ness and unhappiness begin together: for it is 
 the immoderate love of temporal enjoyments, 
 that gives birth, first, to impatience in desiring 
 them, which impatience is pain ; and, then, to 
 that labour and toil in pursuing them which is 
 so painful : it is the immoderate love of them, 
 which makes the possession to be attended with 
 such painful anxiety : immoderate love over- 
 rates expected pleasure ; whence, the expec- 
 tation being made greater than the enjoyment, 
 disappointment ensues. Again, whatever plea- 
 sures decay, and at last disappear, will be a 
 source of vexation in proportion to the love 
 which we bear them ; but losses and decay 
 being unavoidable in the present state of things, 
 excessive attachment to them must infallibly 
 terminate in vexation. 
 
 Thus, by outstepping the strict commands of 
 God, we turn natural and lawful enjoyments 
 into an occasion of pain, by entangling ourselves 
 in a train of perplexities, impatience, super- 
 fluous toil, anxiety, loathing, and grief. 
 
 It may be added, that a departure from God's 
 restraints is not only in general thus fruitful in 
 misery, but that each sinful temper has a way of 
 punishing itself. Pride makes every affront a 
 torment: envv hinders a man from relishins: 
 
NATURE AND MEANS OF CONVERSION. 235 
 
 his own enjoyments, till he sees his neighbour's 
 misery: sensuality brings down the tone of 
 general sentiment to a level with brutality, and 
 degrades us to the misery of self-contempt : 
 self-indulgence, in the way of indolence, stu- 
 pifies the powers of body and mind, and super- 
 induces insuflerable fatigue. While men enter- 
 tain such plagues and evils, how can they be 
 happy ? It is of little importance to your peace 
 tliat all is right without, when all is so wrong 
 within. In the midst of magnificent buildings, 
 sumptuous feasts, gay clothing, and all the other 
 fantastic pageantry that he can desire, the slave 
 of sin is still a miserable creature. 
 
 Were there no pain attending these sinful 
 pleasures, yet their insignificance is obviously 
 imsuitable to the soul, which in nature is spi- 
 ritual and immortal; for they are short and 
 coarse. They are short, because life is short 
 and uncertain ; and the pleasures of life are still 
 more uncertain than life itself: though we were 
 ever so sure of life, that cannot secure us the 
 pleasurable enjoyments of it ; for they are liable 
 to a thousand dangers, which all the precau- 
 tions that human prudence can suggest, are not 
 always capable of preventing : so that the 
 pleasures of sin are what we are sure to part 
 with at death, and not sure to retain till then. 
 The sinful pleasures of life are coarse also. 
 
256 J W'tLFTH S>:KM0X. 
 
 being: chiefly those of the bodily senses, which 
 any creatures can enjoy who are endued with 
 senses : now to limit the sonl to the enjoyments 
 of brutes cannot, it should be thought, be 
 advancing it far toward its blissful elevation in 
 the scale of being : if, on the other hand, our 
 pleasures arise from the gratification of pride, 
 vanity, love of grandeur, and such things, this 
 only assimilates us to the fallen spirits, \vho to 
 the love of pre-eminence owed their ruin. 
 
 Excessive attachment to the creature is folly ; 
 and therefore cannot, in the nature of things, 
 be the way of happiness. There is no folly in 
 valuing creatures, l^ut in overvaluing them ; 
 but we, not satisfied with giving them their 
 true worth, feign an imaginary one. If all our 
 desires bore a true proportion to their objects, 
 there would be no inequality ; and, conse- 
 quently, no sin : but we break that proportion, 
 by supposing a kind of all-sufficiency in crea- 
 tures, which is a most chimerical imagination 
 and the great cause of all our mistakes ; for, on 
 this question, there is no occasion of demur, 
 the thing being plain, that He only can give us 
 happiness who gave us being. 
 
 We have not enlarged on the more obvious 
 miseries of a sinful life : we have not looked at 
 the worldly man in his sick chamber, nor ob- 
 served his dejection and discontent, his unwil- 
 
NATURE AXD MEANS OF CONVERSION. .237 
 
 lingness to hear or read the Word of God, or 
 to be told of death : nor have we noticed the 
 shame, remorse, and sense of guilt that are the 
 concomitants of iniquity; or the dissatisfaction 
 constantly in the minds of those who will not 
 live after the commandments of God ; or the 
 dreadful fears and confounding forethought of 
 judgment and eternity, which will some times 
 be so importunate, as to force their way through 
 all the amusements and diversions that are made 
 use of to keep them out. 
 
 The dying thoughts of the man of the world 
 will be here recollected with advantage : for, 
 after all that is said about unnecessary strict- 
 ness, where was the man yet found when he 
 came to die, who did not wish that he had been 
 more strict, and that he had rather erred on the 
 side of self-denial than of sin ? 
 
 Let us next see that there is not only no trou- 
 ble peculiar to the duties of a holy walk ; but 
 that really these duties, in their own nature, 
 have no tendency to trouble at all. Faith and 
 reliance on Christ, do not cause such shameful 
 disappointments, as commonly come of reliance 
 on the world and the flesh. To be heavenly- 
 minded does not injure our health or peace, as 
 worldly-mindedness does. Temperance does 
 not lead to diseases, nor industry to poverty, 
 nor humility to contention, nor honesty to 
 
238 TWELFTH SERMON'. 
 
 sliame. MeeKness and poverty of spirit do not 
 make us pine as envy does. 
 
 If we consider the nature and design of holi- 
 ness, it appears to be not merely a preparation 
 for happiness, but an ingredient in it : for it is 
 a progressive return to that state of delight en- 
 joyed by Adam before his fall ; and it is an 
 imitation of the disposition and employments 
 of angels, and of others who are already 
 supremely happy in heaven. 
 
 Faith in Christ, the fundamental exercise of 
 a Christian Mind, has for its object the gladdest 
 tidings that can be conceived. Love of God 
 contemplates infinite excellency, and lays hold 
 on all-sufficiency. The gracious Love of our 
 Neighbour is so delightful, that those pleasures 
 of society which wicked men enjoy are founded 
 on the resemblance of it. Humility, and dis- 
 engagement of mind from the world, give such 
 serenity and tranquillity to the spirit as are 
 inestimable. To which may be added, that 
 the well-grounded hope of eternal life, if duly 
 impressed, is a greater present pleasure than 
 any worldly enjoyment whatsoever. 
 
 It is to be considered, also, that, by the pro- 
 mises of the Covenant of Grace, God has 
 engaged to give, not only future happiness, but 
 present peace — pardon of sin — strength to per- 
 form duty — acceptance of it — communion with 
 
NATURE AND MEANS OF CONVERSION. 239 
 
 himself — comfort under aflliction — returns of 
 prayer — and, finally, what comprises all other 
 blessings, that he will make all things work 
 together for our good, and let nothing separate 
 us I'rom his love. 
 
 Against our general assertion, Repentance 
 may be objected, as being a very unhappy 
 thing. It cannot be denied, that both sorrow 
 for sin and mortifying of corruption have some 
 trouble and uneasiness in them : but that pain 
 is neither the native fruit of duty or obedience, 
 because had mankind continued in their duty 
 there would have been no occasion for repent- 
 ance ; nor is the trouble attending it peculiar 
 to it, for impenitent sinners have inward agony- 
 arising from impenitence, and conscience 
 causes them more uneasiness than the deepest 
 humility can give a believer's penitence. Faith- 
 less remorse was far more painful to Judas, than 
 godly sorrow was to Peter ; as the event testi- 
 fied. There are some kinds of sorrow, which 
 human nature takes pleasure in : and, surely, 
 the noblest and most rational melancholy in the 
 world, is melancholy for those unworthy actions 
 by which we have lost the chief perfection of 
 our nature, the image of God — by which we 
 have made such unbecoming returns to his 
 kindness, and forfeited his inestimable favour 
 and friendship : such sorrow as this has a sub- 
 
240 TWELFTH SF.ilMON. 
 
 lime pleasure in it, since it is an exercise of 
 love to God ; and is also, if evangelical, joined 
 with a hope in God's mercy through the r i rits 
 of his Son. Again, self-denial or mortification 
 of corruption is not peculiar to duty : a wielded 
 man oftentimes cannot gratify one corruption 
 without mortifying another ; for sinful desires 
 are full of contradictions and inconsistencies, 
 and can seldom or never be all gratified 
 together. 
 
 But the Word of God must give the authorita- 
 tive declaration of the happiness of true god- 
 liness. That tells us that the ways of wisdom 
 are tvays of pleasantness, and all her paths are 
 peace (ProY.in. 17) — that Christ's yoke is easy, 
 and his burden light (Matt. xi. 29)— that g-lad- 
 ness is soirn for the righteous (Ps. xcvii. 11) — 
 that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace 
 (Gal. V. 22). The very command of God is, 
 Rejoice evermore (1 Thess. v. 16) — the joy of 
 faith is a joy unspeakable and full of glory 
 (1 Pet. i. 8). The peace which God gives is per- 
 fect peace — peace thatpasseth all understanding ! 
 (Phil. iv. 7). Both the Prophets and Apostles 
 employed the most beautiful images of nature to 
 paint the greatness of these joys : as when they 
 speak of the oil of joy — the garments of praise — 
 the budding and blossoming of the rose — the 
 time of the singing of birds — the joy of ban- 
 
NATURE AND MEANS OF CONVERSION 
 
 241 
 
 quets and marriage-ieasts — the light of the 
 morning- when the sun riseth, even a morning- 
 without clouds — the springing of the grass after 
 rain : the lifeless part join in the triumphs of 
 God's people — the mountains and hills break 
 forth before them into singing, and all the trees of 
 the field clap their hands— the skies drop down 
 from above, and the earth brings forth right- 
 eousness ; and many other bright images are 
 there, whose scope is to shew that godliness 
 hath ihejjromise of the life that now is, as well as 
 of that u'hich is to come (1 Tim. iv. 8). 
 
 Then let not a false impression remain upon 
 our minds. Let not Satan's devices be believed ; 
 who, to serve his own purposes, would veil the 
 fair form of religion in a mantle so dark. Let 
 us see that true holiness is nothing worse than 
 sound sense — reason unobscured — true philo- 
 sophy—and nature acting according to its ge- 
 nuine original constitution, and approaching 
 to primeval purity ; a state of order to which the 
 universe shall be reduced at the restoration of 
 all things. 
 
 IL If you will believe that Holiness and 
 Happiness are one, but krlow not the w^ay to 
 attain either, we have now to say that no doubt 
 or error need remain, because God has himself 
 appointed the way. GOD HAVING RAISED UP 
 
 R 
 
242 TU'ELFTH SERMON. 
 
 HIS SON JESUS, sent him to UessijoUy in turning 
 away every one of you from his iniquities. 
 
 He has instituted a way, who is a God of 
 grace, wisdom, and power. Why then should 
 we seek happiness in another way ? Surely, if 
 there be any method of happiness appointed by 
 God, THAT must lead to the attainment of the 
 proposed end — not only effectually, but most 
 delightfully : for the plan of God having origi- 
 nated from the free suggestions of his own love, 
 the same love would induce him to make the 
 means as agreeable to us as the nature of the 
 case would admit. His method, too, must 
 have all its parts disposed in the best order for 
 leading us to happiness : so that, though some 
 of his arrangements may be to us apparently 
 confused, and others unnecessary ; yet reason 
 must convince us, that seeming defects are to 
 be ascribed to our own ignorance, while abso- 
 lute perfection is to be predicted of the works 
 of God. We may doubt, for instance, whether 
 an instrument, apparently so inefficient as Faith 
 in Christ, will lead us to holiness : but it is the 
 means appointed by God, and he engages to 
 make it effectual to lead us to purity and joy. 
 
 Why then, my Brethren, seek your happiness 
 from the gratification of your carnal wishes — 
 why from the world, or from Satan — God having 
 raisec! up his Son, for tlie purpose of blessing 
 
KATUIIE A\'D MKAXS OF COXVF.IIS ION. 243 
 
 you ? Jesus is sent to bless you — why strive to 
 gather comfort from self-complacent contem- 
 plation of your own goodness ? It is not the 
 method of God, and will therefore be unavail- 
 ing. He has scut his Sou to bless you, hy turn- 
 ing away your hearts from iniquity. 
 
 What this means, it surely behoves us to in- 
 quire. It will surely be our wisdom, as it isj 
 our duty, to set ourselves to study this method 
 of grace, and endeavour to understand it. 
 
 The Resurrection of Christ was the consum- 
 mation of that work of his which he undertook 
 for sinners : for them, as their Surety, he 
 obeyed the Law perfectly, which they could not 
 do ; and, for them, he suffered the punishment 
 which was due to their sins. Now, as tlie libe- 
 ration of one who is surety for another proves 
 the debt to be paid and the creditor satisfied, so 
 the deliverance of Jesus Christ from the prison 
 of the grave is the evidence of God's having no 
 further demands on a believing sinner for his past 
 debts : henceforth, a blessing is communicated 
 • — a person is sent charged with blessings: 
 henceforth, Christ, not by his power only, as a 
 Divine Person, is sent to bless us, but as a Risen 
 Saviour. It is in consequence of the comple- 
 tion of that work, by which he obtained merit 
 for us, that he is qualified to bless us. 
 
 Sf^nU therefore, by the Father, behold, Chn#t 
 
244 TWELFTH SERMON. 
 
 comes ! The Prince of Peace !— the great Be- 
 nefactor of Mankind ! — the promised Deliverer 
 comes to ns at the present hour ! He comes to 
 bless us, not to lay upon us an iron yoke. His 
 Gospel is not a system of restrictions to make 
 us unhappy : he has nothing to gain by depriv- 
 ing us of earthly comforts : it will add nothing 
 to his happiness to see us miserable. His 
 design is to call us, not to misanthropic gloom, 
 but godly sorrow — to deaden none of the 
 energies of the mind, but to recover them from 
 confusion — not to check the flow of joy, but to 
 confine it to its proper channel — to restrain 
 none of its legitimate operations, but to reduce 
 them to order — not to debase the mind by 
 superstitious fears or slavish anxieties, but to 
 ennoble, elevate, and refine it. 
 
 But observe, he can do all these things only 
 by turning us aivay from our iniquities. If we 
 would be partakers of Christ's joys, and receive 
 the peace which flows from the religion of 
 Christ, we must submit to his discipline: a 
 patient, who will obey in part only the prescrip- 
 tion, and that part which happens to be most 
 agreeable, will not reasonably expect to derive 
 much benefit from it. It is necessary, then, that 
 you should unreservedly resign yourselves into 
 his hands, and consent to forego the dearest 
 gratifications at his command. 
 
NATURE AND MEANS OF CONVERSION. 245 
 
 This premised, let iis say that He comes with 
 ability to save all, of every name and every 
 character. 
 
 He comes to the gay and dissipated ; and 
 sees, with pity, how from youth to age they 
 pursue the wild career of vanity and folly — 
 how, in the crow d of the world, they try to 
 lose themselves, and to shun reflection on their 
 latter end — how, in a round of visits, engaged 
 in from mere idleness, or from a desii-e of pre- 
 serving connections with the great, or from fear 
 of singularity, they waste their time, that pre- 
 cious moment, which, when longest, is short 
 enough to prepare for the eternal home. He 
 inspects them more narrowly ; and sees the 
 envy, hatred, pride, and lust, which lurk beneath 
 the polished exterior : he sees them, however, 
 panting after happiness ; and that, he offers 
 them, in words like these — How long, ye simple 
 ones, will ye love simplicity ? and the scorners 
 delight ill their scorning ? and fools hate knoiv- 
 ledge ? Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will 
 pour out my Spirit unto you ; Iivill make known 
 my words unto you (Prov. i. 22, 23). 
 
 Accept the proposal. Brethren — even all 
 among us who are living in conformity to the 
 world, forgetful of God. Be persuaded, at 
 least, to try whether, by the powerful conver- 
 sion which the Son of God can work in you. 
 
246 JWELhTH SERMON. 
 
 and the subsequent life of serious piety to which 
 he can lead you, there is not real pleasure to be 
 found — not such pleasure as that of religion, is 
 generally conceived to be — not a dim gleam of 
 comfort resembling tiie melancholy satisfaction 
 of an invalid raised from sickness ; but a lively 
 joy, the vivid animation of rich delight, some- 
 times rising into transport. There is no faculty 
 or passion of the mind, which may not be as 
 ardently excited and called out to as high 
 endeavour and generous exertion, by what it 
 sees and enjoys of divine things, as by the im- 
 pressions wliich it receives from what St. Paul 
 calls, with a high contempt, the beggarly ele- 
 ments of this world (Gal. iv. 9) : it should be 
 supposed, indeed, far more so ; as the iiame 
 is brighter, the more pure the air is in which it 
 burns. 
 
 Religion, therefore, cramps none of the 
 mental energies : on the contrary, the ease and 
 celerity with which the renewed soul acts in 
 the ways of God, evidences the machine to be 
 returning to order, indeed, ^vhat reason can 
 possibly be assigned, why even the lively cheer 
 of youth should not lind exercise in activity for 
 a Creator, and love toward a dying Saviour? — 
 why a pure and peaceful mind should not be a? 
 pleasurable as a vain defiled heart ? — a growing: 
 meetness for heaven, as productive of satisfac- 
 
NATURE AND MEANS OF CONVERSION. 24T 
 
 lion as rising into consequence and wealth I — 
 and the favour of God, as gratifying as the 
 smiles of a deceitful world ? 
 
 With respect to the pleasures of the world, 
 some are to be given up, and others may be re- 
 tained ; but let us remember, that we are not to 
 choose for ourselves which we will resign, but to 
 leave it entirely to him . We must withhold no- 
 thing from him. Our first business is, to dismiss 
 every notion of our having aright to any pleasua-e. 
 It isour's to stand in an expecting posture, ready 
 to renounce the world instantly at his command. 
 This belongs to us as creatures and sinners : 
 as creatures, we are to have no will but God's 
 ■ — as sinners, we are to feel ourselves unworthy 
 of any pleasure, in this life or the next. If it 
 be his word to you to withdraw from the com- 
 pany of those who prove too plainly that they 
 are of the world, you must leave them at once: 
 Come out from among them, and he separate 
 (2 Cor. vi. 17). If he require us to devote more 
 time to prayer and the study of the Scriptures 
 than is consistent with the success of our busi- 
 ness or with our inclinations in other respects, 
 yet let us make the decision on the side of self- 
 denial : without frequently cutting off the right 
 hand and plucking out the right eye, no 
 advances are made toward the kingdom of 
 heaven. After all the sacrifice? whicli vve may 
 
2-18 TWELFTH SERMON. 
 
 be required to make — and many painful ones 
 there will be — yet after all, what is it which he 
 requires us to part with, but that which is the 
 source of our misery? He wishes only to 
 mortify and eradicate the poisoned part, before 
 the whole frame sinks under the power of the 
 venom — to awaken us from a lethargy, which 
 would end in death — to pluck the viper from 
 our bosom, which we are cherishing to our 
 ruin. 
 
 Next he is sent to bless the self-righteous 
 part of mankind. It is true that he came, not to 
 call the rigJdeoiis, hut sinriei's to repentance. 
 But, possibly, we may not be as righteous in his 
 sight as we are in our own : nay, he scarcely 
 sees a case more dangerous, than that of a man 
 wise in his own eyes ; who fancies, tiiat, after 
 all that is said about faith and regeneration and 
 other unintelligible mysteries, he has no reason 
 to be afraid. Jesus Christ pities such self- 
 deceiving persons, though they have no pity on 
 themselves. If they cannot answer this ques- 
 tion to tlieir consciences, whether Christ has 
 turned avv ay their hearts from their iniquities — 
 and ignorance of the meaning of this question 
 is itself an alarming answer to it — they have yet 
 to be convertetl : they must be turned from the 
 iniquities of their pride, the iniquities of their 
 ohstiiiar y, the iniquities of their impenitence, 
 
NATURE AND MEANS OF CONVERSION. 249 
 
 the iniquity of their impiety in choosing their 
 own way to life instead of the humiliating path 
 of the Gospel. Be turned from these, and you 
 will be blessed indeed ! — your cold duties will 
 begin to glow with life — your obedience will be 
 animated by a new principle — your hopes, rest- 
 ing on a more steady foundation than your own 
 works, will be firm and strong. What though 
 it be late in life with some of you, it is never too 
 late to transfer one's dependence from sand to 
 rock ; and if, through indolence or fear of ridi- 
 cule, it be not done, and you yet suppose that 
 God will save you in your own way because 
 you have long supposed it to be the right one, 
 it is a mistake. 
 
 To the IMMORAL, PROFLIGATE, and ABAN- 
 DONED, Christ is sent to bless them, m turning 
 them away from iniquity. The subjects whom 
 he takes in hand can be such as iniquity cleaves 
 to : for all are supposed, in the text, to be turned 
 away from it by him ; and could not, therefore, 
 be previously converted. Let this be an encou- 
 ragement to you. Brethren, to approach the 
 Saviour. Approach him in all the ways of his 
 appointment — in secret prayer — in the ministry 
 of his Word — in the sacrament of his body and 
 blood. Whatever you may have been in past 
 times, yet if you would at this moment resolve 
 to yield yourselves to him and determine " to 
 
250 TWELFTH SERMON. 
 
 lead a new life, following the commandments 
 of God, and walking from lienceforth in his 
 holy ways," you may " draw near;" and re- 
 ceive, not only a confirmation of your resolu- 
 tions, but a pledge of your pardon. Let not 
 conscience make you linger, nor fondly dream 
 of fitness ; for ail the fitness which he requires 
 is, that you feel your need of him. There is 
 no case of guilt, or obduracy, or depravity, be- 
 yond the reach of his all-sufficiency : he both 
 CAN turn the heart from the love of sin, and 
 WILL do it. He is exalted as a Prince and a 
 Saviour, to give repentance unto Israel. Think 
 how happy the change to you, to be delivered 
 from the dominion of the fear of death and 
 apprehensions of God's wrath ! — to pass from 
 all these to progressive holiness and peace ! 
 Lastly, he is sent to bless with continued 
 
 BLESSINGS, THOSE AVHO HAVE BEGUN TO TURN 
 
 FROM INIQUITY. Tliougli wc continuc not in 
 any deliberate habit of sin, yet, alas ! there is 
 much unrighteousness in our hearts ; and guilt, 
 with its concomitant sorrow, attends us stilL 
 For our deliverance from both, the Lord has 
 commanded us to meet, from time to time, for 
 the purpose of remembering, in a more lively 
 manner, by the help of outward symbols, his 
 dying love. Let us then, at this time, renew 
 «f>ur application to him for pardon, and that he 
 
KATUUE AND MEANS OI- CONVLUSJ ()\. 251 
 
 may be pleased to bestow on us the spiritual 
 comfort that comes from the right receiving of 
 this Holy Sacrament: above all, praying that 
 he would turn us away from unrighteousness, 
 let us submit to every dispensation, however 
 painful, which he sees necessary for this end. 
 Let us not be surprised at affliction, the fruit of 
 which is to take aAvay sin : for if the issue of our 
 trials be conversion from iniquities, troubles are 
 only promoting his gracious purposes. Let us 
 learn, then, to accept kindly the dispensations 
 of our Saviour and Lord, whereby he expels 
 sin and folly from our hearts. Let us under- 
 stand and believe, that there is most happiness 
 in that heart in which there is least sin ; and that 
 he is then blessing us most, when he is taking 
 measures for delivering us from it : therefore let 
 us be submissive and thankful. The tvork of 
 righteous7iess shall be peace, and the effect of 
 righteousness quietness and assurance for ever ! 
 
SERMON XIII. 
 
 ST. PAUL'S DESCRIPTION AND SALUTA- 
 TION OF TRUE CHRISTIANS. 
 
 1 CORINTHIANS, I. 1 3. 
 
 Paul, called to be an Apostle of Jesus Christ 
 through the tvill of God, and Sosthenes our 
 brother, unto the Church of God which is at 
 Corinth, to them that are saiictified in Christ 
 Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in 
 everyplace call upon the name of Jesus Christ 
 our Lord, both their s and ours: Grace be 
 unto you and peace, from God our Father, and 
 from the Lord Jesus Christ. 
 
 Had man retained the innocence in which 
 God created him, the inhabitants of the world 
 would have been all united in the bonds of 
 charity : each would have found in his fellow- 
 creature an aflectionate friend. Men of dif- 
 ferent countries would have scarcely needed 
 an introduction to one another's acquaintance ; 
 and the meeting of strangers with one another 
 would have been an occasion of mutual delight. 
 
254 THIRTEENTH SEHMON^. 
 
 But, alas! sin has changed the face of thmgs! 
 Such is the condition of mankind, that an un- 
 reserved communication with them is become 
 impossible. Whatever romantic notions we 
 may have entertained at the out-set of life, a 
 very short acquaintance with the world is 
 suflicient to convince us of the necessity of 
 reserve : for, amidst the general duplicity and 
 inordinate selfishness of men, we are liable, 
 without being in some degree upon our guard, 
 to become the dupes of treachery. So long, 
 therefore, as men continue to act upon a 
 principle of selfishness, mutual suspicion must 
 ever check the flow of reciprocal affection. 
 
 But, if there be a people united by ties which 
 are independent of worldly considerations, 
 their communication with one another will be 
 cordial. Such are the people who compose 
 the Church of God. By having one faith, one 
 hope, one baptism, one God and Father of 
 all, but especially by having one Lord Jesus 
 Christ (Eph. iv. 4 — 6), by whom and in whom 
 they are ail united, they can address one another 
 as friends wherever they meet ; and can, more- 
 over, enjoy the communion of distant spirits, 
 though they meet not at all. 
 
 Thus St. Paul, in his Epistle to the Colos- 
 sians, speaks of the great conflict in prayer 
 which he had for them, and for as many as hav^e 
 
THL TttUZ CHHtSTK-iN. 255 
 
 not seen my face in the flesh (Col. ii. 1). With 
 the same enlarged afiection, he sends that 
 salutation which the text contains — not to 
 the Corinthians only, who were a church 
 planted by his own hand ; but to all those, who 
 in any place called upon the Name of the 
 Lord Jesus. 
 
 In discoursing from these words, we propose 
 to consider, 
 
 I. The Apostle's DESCRIPTION OF TRUE 
 CHRISTIANS ; and, then, his Salutation of them. 
 
 The followers of Christ have the most honour- 
 able appellations assigned them in the Word of 
 God. They are called the excellent of the 
 earth — lights in the world — a chosen gene- 
 ration — a royal priesthood — a holy nation — a 
 peculiar people. They are likened to a well- 
 watered garden — to a fountain of waters — to a 
 lily among thorns — to the palm-tree — and to 
 the cedar in Lebanon, They are related to 
 God as his habitation and temple — his flock — 
 his jewels and treasure — his beloved — his 
 friends and children — his heritage and portion. 
 
 But the light in which they are represented in 
 this place exhibits them in their highest dig- 
 nity, viz. as subjects of the appropriate opera- 
 tions of all the Persons of the Sacred Trinity 
 They are called, saved, sanctifikd — called 
 
256 THJRTEEKTH SERMON. 
 
 by the Father, saved in the Son, and sanctified 
 by the Spirit. 
 
 1. They are called of god the father : for 
 the name given to them in the text, the Church 
 of God, signifies, according to the Original, a 
 body of persons called out from the rest of man- 
 kind: and such are Christians, if they deserve 
 the name. They are called to separate from an 
 ungodly w^orld, not only by the voice of God 
 speaking in general terms by the Scriptures ; 
 but they are called by the voice of the Spirit in 
 their hearts. 
 
 That some are thus vi^rought upon rather than 
 others, and obey the call to come out from the 
 world, is not to be ascribed to their superior 
 merit, and their better inclination recommend- 
 ing them to God : the Scriptures declare that it 
 is not of him that ivilleth, nor of him that run- 
 neth, but of God that sheiveth mercy (Rom. 
 ix. 16) ; that tve are created in Christ Jesus 
 unto good works, which God hath before or- 
 dained that we should walk in them (Eph. ii. 1 0) ; 
 and that it is God which worketh in us, both to 
 will and to do, of his good pleasure (Phil. ii. 13). 
 Whatever there is good, therefore, in his people^ 
 is God's ovtrn gift and w^ork. 
 
 Moreover, God hath from thebeginning chosen 
 us to salvation (2 Thess. ii. 13) ; and that this was 
 not because the merit of the objects was fore- 
 
TliF, TRUE CHRISTIAN-. 257 
 
 seen, is clear from Eph. chap. i. ver. 4, He hath 
 chosen us in him before the foundation of the 
 world, that we should he holy and icithoiU blame 
 before him in love; and from Rom. chap, viii.* 
 ver. 29, Whom he did foreknow, he also did 
 predestinate to be conformed to the image of his 
 Son. Holmess is an effect, not a cause. 
 
 Ahuighty God acts according to the purpose 
 of his own will, without thinking fit to render an 
 account of it to his creatures : and though this 
 act of his sovereignty is unquestionably consis- 
 tent with his other attributes ; yet, as that con- 
 sistency is not revealed to us, we must rest 
 satisfied with the general reflection, that the 
 Judge of all the earth will do right (Gen. 
 xviii. 25). 
 
 All that can be stated positively on this sub- 
 ject is, that, ill the Covenant of Redemption, 
 it is the prerogative of the Father to give 
 whom he will to Christ : for thus said our 
 Lord, No ma7i can come unto me except the Fa- 
 ther, tvhicli hath se?it me, draw him (John vi. 44) ; 
 and, in his last prayer, recorded by St. John, he 
 speaks of his people as given to him by the Fa- 
 ther — I pray for them : I pray not for the world, 
 but for them which thou hast^iven me; for they 
 are thine (John xvii. 9). 
 
 How high and awfully grand are the desti- 
 nies of a holy soul ! Known to the Ancient of 
 s 
 
258 THIRTEENTH SF.R]\[ON. 
 
 Days before all time and loved with an ever- 
 lasting love, he is brought through every dan- 
 ger in this world to the enjoyment of eternal 
 glory ! How frequently should the Church of 
 God be meditating on these things, and pon- 
 dering the weight and excellency of them in 
 their minds : for, to quote an Article of our 
 Church, " To godly persons, and such as feel 
 in themselves the working of the Spirit of Christ, 
 mortifying the works of the flesh and their 
 earthly members, and drawing up their minds 
 to high and heavenly things, the godly conside- 
 ration of our predestination and election in 
 Christ is full of sweet, pleasant, and unspeak- 
 able comfort*." 
 
 2. The Christian is further to be considered 
 as SAVED IN THE son; or, in the language of 
 the text, in Christ Jesus. 
 
 This our Saviour lays down as evidence of 
 our election : Every mariy said he, ivliich hath 
 heard and learned of the Father, cometh u7ito me 
 (John vi. 45 .) Every heaven-instructedChristian, 
 convinced that he is ignorant, guilty, polluted, 
 and enslaved, applies to Christ that he msiy of God 
 be made to him ivisdom, and righteousness, and 
 sanctificaiion, and redemptio7i (1 Cor. i. 30). He 
 feels himself authorised to do this, because God 
 hath set forth his Son to he a propitiatiouy 
 
 • Seventeeath Article of the Church of England. 
 
THE THUE CHRISTIAN. 259 
 
 through faith in his blood (Rom. iii. 25) : and he 
 is encouraged to it by the gracious invitations 
 of Christ himself — Come unto me, all ye that 
 labour and are heavy laden (Matt. xi. 28) — Him^ 
 that Cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out 
 (John vi. 37) — and, Whosoever will, let him, 
 come; without money and without price (Rev. 
 xxii. 17. Is.lv. 1). From this period, he be- 
 gins to date a new era of his life; for, by 
 renouncing all confidence in himself and desir- 
 ing the righteousness which is of God by faith, 
 he makes that critical transition, which carries 
 him from death unto life: having come to 
 God by Christ, he is regarded by God as 
 in Christ: his former sins are remembered no 
 more: God is satisfied with the atonement of 
 Christ for them: a justifying righteousness is no 
 more required of him, because Christ's right- 
 eousness is imputed to him, by faith ; and the 
 rewards of heaven, though merited only by 
 Christ, are bestowed on the believer becaus^lie 
 is in Christ. 
 
 How safe, how peaceable, how happy, how 
 honourable to be thus in Christ! What are the 
 feelings of those, who, after being in danger of 
 shipwreck, have reached a hospitable shore? 
 how does their late danger enhance their enjoy- 
 ment of safety ! Thus the man, who hath set his 
 s2 
 
260 THIRTEENTH SERMON". 
 
 foot on the Rock of Ages, may rejoice in hig 
 escape from danger, and in the assurance of his 
 everlasting safety. The agitations of this tem- 
 pestuous world and the tumults of a troubled 
 conscience he has now escaped, and can smile 
 at the angry billows breaking far beneath him. 
 Now he lifts high his song of triumph — The 
 Loi'dis my rock, and my fortress, and my deli- 
 verer: my God, my strength, m ivhom 1 will trust ; 
 my hucMer^ and the horn of my salvation, and my 
 high tower (Ps. xviii. 2). Now he sends his 
 challenge through the creation — Who shall 
 separate me from the love of Christ? shall 
 tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, 
 or nakedness, or peril, or sword? nay, in all these 
 things we are more than conquerors through 
 him that loved us (Rom. viii. 35, 37)^ Such 
 is the safe and honourable situation of be- 
 lievers : and such the happiness resulting from 
 their privileges ; receiving a further addi- 
 tion from that sanctification of nature, which 
 they receive from the influences of the Holy 
 Ghost. 
 
 3. This is the third point which we were to 
 consider: holiness is that to which they are 
 led, both by the love of the Father and by their 
 union to the Son. This is the connection 
 observable in the text. Called to what ? not 
 
THE TRUE CHRISTIAN. 261 
 
 only to be saints in Christ Jesus, but sanctified 
 in Christ Jesus. 
 
 Concerning the necessity of holinesss, no 
 humble Christian will pretend to raise doubts, 
 since it is so expressly declared, that ivithout 
 holiness no man shall see tlie Lord (Heb. xii. 14) ; 
 though some, who affect to be advocates of 
 grace, have fallen into the Antinomian heresy, 
 professing to knoiv God, but in ivories denying 
 him. We suppose that none of you have fallen 
 into this delusion ; yet it is necessary to have 
 it constantly inculcated upon our minds, that 
 God, who hath called us to obtain salvation 
 through our Lord Jesus Christ, hath also called 
 us to be holy, in order to be meet to he par- 
 takers of the inheritance of the saints in light 
 (Col.i. 12). 
 
 If he has appointed to us the end, he has also 
 appointed to us the means of attaining that end. 
 Is it said that he hath saved us ^ not at all ascord^ 
 iiig to our works, but according to his own 
 purpose and grace, ivhich was given us in Christ 
 Jesus before the world began ? — it is in the same 
 verse asserted that he hath saved us, and called 
 us ivith a holy calling (2 Tim. i. 9). Are we 
 described sm partakers of the heavenly calling? — 
 immediately before is our corresponding title, 
 holy brethren (Heb. iii. i). Are ihevQ given unto 
 lis exceeding gn^rU and precious promises ?-^kyr 
 
262 THIRTEENTH SERMON. 
 
 what purpose ? that hy these we might he par- 
 takers of a divine natm^e, and escape the corrup- 
 tion that is in the world (2 Pet. i. 4). 
 
 These passages illustrate that part of the text 
 for which they were adduced ; because they 
 prove that there is an inseparable connection 
 in God's purpose of bestowing holiness and 
 salvation. 
 
 It must not, however, be imagined that holi- 
 ness is a condition to be performed on our 
 parts, for this were to make the Gospel a cove- 
 nant of works. Holiness is the gift of God to 
 us, not for a price paid by us to God ; and it 
 holds such a distinguished rank among the 
 other benefits conferred on us, as members of 
 Christ, that it is taken for the sum of evange- 
 lical blessings : as in that part of St. Peter's 
 Sermon, God having raised up his Son Jesus, 
 sent him to bless you, in turning aivay every one 
 of y oil from his iniquities (Acts iii. 26). 
 
 The immediate agent employed in this blessed 
 work is the Holy Ghost — Elect according to the 
 foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanc- 
 tification of the Spirit, unto obedience (iPet.i. 2). 
 Yet are his influences derived from such sources 
 and regulated by such a standard, that we must 
 still be said to be sanctified in Christ Jesus: for 
 as the Holy Spirit is given to us primarily only 
 f«ur th." worthiness of Christ, so on his account 
 
THE TRUE CHRISTIAN. 263 
 
 the sacred gift is continued to us ; for while 
 we do so much to grieve the Holy Spirit of 
 God, why does the divine influence still de- 
 scend to us in a never-ceasing stream, but 
 because the intercession of Christ is the source 
 that supplies it ? The manner also of the agency 
 of the Holy Spirit in our sanctification is, to 
 lead us continually to Christ — to bring his words 
 to our remembrance — to exhibit the pattern of 
 his life — to teach us to renounce all confidence 
 in our own wisdom, and depend altogether on 
 his grace — to recall to our minds our obligations 
 to live unto him who died for us ; our baptismal 
 engagements to die with him, and to rise with 
 him to newness of life ; to have the world cru- 
 cified to us, and ourselves to the world, by vir- 
 tue of his Cross ; and, in fine, as we have re- 
 ceived Christ Jesus the Lord, so to walk in him. 
 This completes the Apostle's Description of 
 the Christian Character; and what need be 
 added to shew its excellency and dignity? 
 His name engraved in the Book of Life — his 
 interests united inseparably with those of the 
 Son of God — and his bosom the abode of that 
 august inhabitant the Holy Ghost — the Man of 
 God stands at an immeasurable distance from 
 whatever is admirable on earth. If an indi- 
 vidual possesses such excellency, how admi- 
 rable the society composed of such members ! 
 
264 THIRTEENTH SERMON. 
 
 God rejoices over them with joy, and joys over 
 them with singing-. Well, therefore, may even 
 an inspired Apostle delight to address his Sa- 
 lutation to them — Paul, called to be au Apostle 
 of Jesus Christ, to the Church ivhich is at Co- 
 rinth, Grace unto you, and peace from God the 
 Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 
 
 II. This SALUTATION we were, in the second 
 place, to consider. 
 
 The forms of salutation current among 
 men have little meaning, either with those 
 who give or those who receive them ; yet is the 
 neglect of them by no means unimportant: for, 
 in a world so generally defective in principle, 
 they are necessary to the maintenance of mutual 
 civility ; and, in many cases, an acknowledg- 
 ment due to superiority of rank ; and are, con- 
 sequently, by no means to be discountenanced 
 by Christians as bordering upon insincerity. 
 In the mouth of Christians, they neither are nor 
 need be insincere; for religion ennobles and 
 sanctifies the common occurrences of life, in- 
 fuses a new spirit into lifeless forms, and makes 
 the daily routine of things an exercise of exalted 
 virtue. 
 
 Salutations are expressive of a wish ; and the 
 wish, expressed in the customary forms of 
 them, is for the health or prosperity of those to 
 
THE TUUE CHRISTIAN. 
 
 265 
 
 whom they are given. As the usual form among 
 the Greeks was that word which is translated 
 Grace, and that among the Jews was Peace, 
 both these are adopted by St. Paul ; who ele- 
 vates their signification to spiritual things, and 
 expresses by them his desire for the promotion 
 of the best interests of Christian People : Grace 
 be unto you, and Peace ! He wished not for the 
 increase of their Wealth ; for that is often a 
 snare to the possessor, and increases the diffi- 
 culty of entering the kingdom of heaven : he 
 wished them not Honour; which has a ten- 
 dency to promote that self-complacency which 
 we ought to detest, and opposes that self-degra- 
 dation which the Christian loves : not even for 
 their Health and Long Life does he express a 
 wash ; because his mind was engaged with de- 
 sires for their spiritual prosperity and immortal 
 happiness. In short, he seems to have over- 
 looked most of those things which appear de- 
 sirable to the worldly, because, in general, they 
 are not suitable lo those who are called saints. 
 On the contrary, with peculiar propriety, after 
 his description of their character, he desires for 
 them what was appropriate to that character : 
 he wishes them whatever, as saints, they need — 
 whatever, as saints, they desire. 
 1. He wishes for them GRACE. 
 Grace is that which they Need. Th0ugh 
 
266 THIRTEENTH SERMON. 
 
 their nam e be saints — that is, holy ; though they be 
 a holy people, in comparison of the world around 
 them and of their former selves ; yet is their holi- 
 ness incomplete. The divine change wrought in 
 them extends over all the faculties, but is perfect 
 in none of them : this is St. Paul's testimony of 
 himself in Romans, ch. vii, which contains amap 
 of his own heart. Sanctification is, therefore, a 
 progressive work ; and such is the difficulty at- 
 tending the prosecution of it, that the natural 
 powers of man are utterly insufficient to over- 
 come them: Without me, says our Lord, ye can 
 do nothing (John xv. 5). We need, therefore, 
 Grace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus 
 Christ ; and that onlyis-it,^which, secretly and 
 invisibly infused into the heart, feeds the flame 
 of piety, and enables us to maintain a walk in 
 any degree consistent with our profession and 
 principles. Our need of grace can, however, 
 be known only by experience: who, for in- 
 stance, but those who are assured of it from 
 their own feelings, would believe, that, after we 
 are sanctified and set apart from the world by 
 God and made to differ from it in temper and 
 pursuits, the mere reflection on the shortness 
 of its duration, the intrinsic meanness of its 
 pleasures, our speedy departure from it, and 
 past experience of its insignificancy, are not 
 sufficient to overcome every temptation to love 
 
THE TUUE CHRISTIAN, 267 
 
 It? It appears, however, by fact, that the will 
 is too stubborn to be bent by such conside- 
 rations ; and therefore the Scripture, though it 
 does not overlook such natural reflections, 
 leads us ultimately to Grace, as that which gives 
 to other motives their persuasive power : it asks 
 this question, W/to is he that overcometh the 
 world ! — the philosopher, who can analyse its 
 nature ? no : he can despise it, and yet remain 
 a slave to it — the moralist, who can descant on 
 its vanity? — ^the poor man, who is debarred 
 from enjoying it? no: this is the victory that 
 overcometh the ivorld, even our faith (1 John v. 
 4, 5): but faith is a heaven-descended principle, 
 the gift of God, and not the native energy of the 
 mind. If, then, to preserve the soul in its sanc- 
 tity, Grace be necessary in those easy cases, 
 where reason and experience co-operate in its 
 favour, how shall the feeble spirit of man 
 wrestle, unassisted, against the powerful legions 
 of hell ? He cannot, as the Scriptures declare, 
 unless he put on the whole armour of God — gird 
 truth upon his loins, take righteousness for his 
 breastplate, peace for his sandals, salvation 
 for his helmet, and the Word of God for his 
 sword (Eph. vi. 1 1 — 17) : but all these are wea- 
 pons tempered in heaven, and provided for him 
 out of the armoury of God : they are diversi- 
 fied forms of operations of grace, whereby 
 
2(38 THIRTEENTH SERMON. 
 
 God empowers his servants to maiutain their 
 conflicts. 
 
 Thus it appears, how the Needfuhiess of 
 grace shews the suitableness of the Apostle's 
 wish. 
 
 The Desirableness of j^race to the saints 
 exhibits the propriety of liis salutation in an- 
 other particular. He met their wishes, and told 
 of a gratifying subject, when he spoke of their 
 increase of grace : for, in consequence of that 
 renovation of taste wrought in them from above, 
 the children of God have a real affection to ho- 
 liness, find in it the sweetest enjoyment, and 
 press after it with unconquerable ardour: One 
 thing- I do, says St. V^xA— forgetting those 
 things luhich are behind, and reaching forth unto 
 those things which are hefore, I press toward the 
 mark, for the prize of the high calling of God in 
 Christ Jcsm (Fhil. iii, 13,14). They love all the 
 means of grace; all those employments which are 
 constituted by God to be the channels of thiS de- 
 sired influence : thus the Psalmist, speaking of 
 public worship — One thing have I desired of the 
 I^ord; that will I seek after, that I may dwell 
 in the house of the Xo;y/(Ps. xxvii. 4) ; and of 
 the Scriptures he says — Oh how Hove thy L,aiv! 
 it is my meditation all the day (Ps. cxix. 97) : and 
 if there be a train of thought which has at any 
 time led their minds to a frame of devotion. 
 
THE TRUE CHinSTIAN". 260 
 
 they endeavour to recal those reflections, that 
 they may again enjoy those devotional feelings 
 which they would constantly retain. If it were, 
 therefore, proposed to the choice of a saint, as 
 it was to Solomon, what he would request, all 
 his desires would be concentrated in this, " that 
 he might receive more grace." And not only 
 is grace itself so desirable to him, but the man- 
 ner in which he is to obtain it, according to the 
 economy of redemption, is pleasing to him : it 
 accords with his inclination, rather to receive 
 occasional supplies from God the Father and 
 our Lord Jesus Christ, than to possess resources 
 in himself: he is contented to have no resource 
 of grace, but to be dependant on God through 
 Christ. 
 
 2. Let us apply the same remarks to the other 
 pnrt of the Apostolic Salutation: peace, as 
 well as Grace, is a proper subject of a Christian 
 Wish ; because it is both necessary and de- 
 sirable. 
 
 Peace with God and with conscience is that 
 blissful enjoyment which we receive by being 
 in Christ: for, heins; justified hy faith, we have 
 •peace ri'ith God, through our Lord Jesus Christ 
 (Rom. V. ]): and it is a peace to which every 
 other man is a stranger ; for there is no peace 
 saith my God, to the wicked {Is. Ivii. 2 1 ). 
 
 But, besides this peace, there is a certain 
 
270 THIRTEENTH SERMON. 
 
 tranquillity and evenness of mind, which, 
 however favourable to our sanctification, we 
 find it exceedingly difficult to preserve amidst 
 the confusion of this life. It is our aim and 
 purpose to regard this world with the eye of a 
 stranger — to pass on without seeking a rest 
 below — to feel indifferent where others are inte- 
 rested — and, while we discharge our duties in 
 life with diligence, to reflect continually that 
 the world and all the things of it are passing 
 away: but, alas! how seldom do we adhere 
 to our purpose with steadiness — how often do 
 we stop to look around us, where we ought to 
 be pursuing our way — how often lend an ear to 
 trifling conversation or trifling thoughts — how 
 often are we carried away by the stream of 
 general example, and suffer our worldly concerns 
 to engross our minds ; nay, are disposed to 
 justify our anxiety ! Thus the peace of our 
 minds is disturbed, and the consequences are 
 highly injurious to our spiritual interests : for 
 when there is little heavenly-mindedness, self- 
 recollection, and serenity, a Christian Temper 
 is maintained with difficulty : we cannot, as we 
 are commanded, be prepared for every good 
 word and work ; nor, indeed, be in any respect 
 qualified to adorn the doctrine of God our 
 Saviour. 
 That this peace, so necessary, so desirable, and 
 
THK TRUE CHRISTIAN. 271 
 
 yet SO difficult to be preserved, is the gift of 
 God, and, therefore, properly the subject of a 
 wish or prayer, is sufficiently evident from nu- 
 merous passages of Scripture : The peace of 
 God, ivhich passeth all understanding, shall keep 
 your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus 
 (Phil. iv. 7). Thou tvilt keep him in perfect 
 peace, whose mind is stayed on thee (Is. xxvi. 3). 
 The Lord of peace himself give you peace always 
 by all means (2 Thess. iii. 16). 
 
 Nothing more appearing necessary for the 
 elucidation of the text, it w^ill be useful to re- 
 consider the two points which have been dis- 
 cussed : first, by applying to ourselves the De- 
 scription given of the Christian ; secondly, by 
 adopting the Apostle's Salutation. 
 
 1 . Inquire, Brethren, into the state of religion 
 in your hearts ; and if you would form a correct 
 estimate, apply the apostle's description of 
 
 THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER TO YOUR OWN. It 
 
 is not to be expected that your's will corre- 
 spond to it in every particular; but is there a 
 resemblance? — are the same characteristic 
 lineaments to be discerned in each? 
 
 If, to refer to the particulars before insisted 
 on, we inquire concerning our election of the 
 Father, let us ask if we have chosen Him for 
 our portion : if so, it proves that we are chosen 
 
272 THIRTEENTH SERMON. 
 
 by him ; this being the Scripture mode of 
 arguing, JVe love him, because he first loved us 
 (1 John iv. 19). The Book of Life need not 
 be opened to us, for our names are there. 
 
 In the next place, what are our views of the 
 Son of God ? It were easy to say that we de- 
 pend on his merits : many Nominal Christians 
 may say as much, understanding neither what 
 they say nor whereof they affirm : they receive 
 the Christian doctrine of atonement ; partly be- 
 cause they have no reason to object to it; and 
 partly because, in their views of it, it supplies 
 their defects, or, in other words, countenances 
 sin. We shall act more justly by inquiring 
 whether that moment has yet occurred, when, 
 sensible of our desert of God's wrath and dam- 
 nation, we have actually fled for refuge to Christ: 
 if so, happy are ye ; t/ie Spirit of glory and of 
 God resteth upon you — if otherwise, no Christian 
 Profession, no external correctness of conduct, 
 will compensate for the want of a vital union to 
 Christ. 
 
 Lastly, adverting to the remaining part of the 
 Apostle's description, are we sanctified in Christ 
 Jesus ? For the solution of this question, let 
 your spirit and conversation be inspected ; for 
 a test more unequivocal cannot be applied : 
 a tree is known by its fruits ; and the fruit of the 
 Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentle- 
 
rin: nu'r: chutstiak. 
 
 ^TS 
 
 ftesSy goodness, faith, meekness, temperance (Gal. 
 V. 22, 23). You will observe, in this circle of 
 Christian Virtues, something more than ho- 
 nesty, harmlessness, or any negative virtue. 
 You will perceive that those who are sanctified 
 in Christ Jesus, will bear some resemblance at 
 least to the divine original, in all the various 
 excellencies which adorned His character. May 
 we then see in you the image of our Lord Jesus 
 Christ? — his devotion, self-denial, and pro- 
 found humility ? Is the increase of holiness 
 your daily pursuit? Do you lament when your 
 efforts for obtaining it are defeated? Then, 
 however weak your faith or feeble your endea- 
 vours, you are led by the Spirit, and are un- 
 doubtedly the sons of God. Would that each 
 of us would faithfully apply the Scripture Cri- 
 terion to himself ; and learn to adjust his cha- 
 racter to the pattern laid down for a Christian 
 in the Word of God ! Then should we adopt 
 THE APOSTOLIC SALUTATION without hesitation. 
 Yet still shall it be lawful for us to wish Grace 
 and Peace to every individual of the present 
 assembly. 
 
 After a long absence from the House of God 
 at home*, visiting only those shores where 
 Christian Idolatry substitutes the crucifix for 
 
 • This was the first Sermon preached by the Author at the 
 Missioa Church, Calcutta, shortly after his arrival in India, 
 
274 TIlIUTEEXTIl SEUMOX. 
 
 the doctrine of the cross, I desire, on this oc- 
 casion, to acknowledge with ^^ratitude the 
 good providence of God, who hath permitted 
 me to behold a congregation of Christians — a 
 Christian Congregation of my countrymen in 
 this distant land. Humbly do I implore the 
 divine blessing on you all! O my Brethren, 
 may you ever enjoy that peace which the reli- 
 gion that you profess is calculated to aftbrd ; 
 and be the means of diffusing light and joy 
 throughout this benighted region ! Situated 
 as you are, in the midst of the enemies of 
 Christ, amidst idolaters of every description, 
 you are justly regarded by the Christian World 
 as occupying the most arduous and responsible 
 situation in it. IN ay, even the Saviour himself 
 may be conceived to be more attentively ob- 
 serving your conduct, in which his honour is so 
 deeply interested. By you the surrounding 
 nations can take a nearer view of Christianity, 
 and inspect its nature more narrowly ; and the 
 multitudes of all religions who are collected 
 in this place, will be carrying into all parts of 
 the world, what they see and hear in the fol- 
 lowers of Christ. Oh, let not that Holy Name 
 be blasphemed through any inconsistency of 
 yours : let not pride or luxury be observable in 
 the disciples of Him, who was meek and loicly 
 w heart. Let them see in the lives of Chris- 
 
THE TRUE CHRISTIAN', 
 
 275 
 
 tians -what Christianity itself is ; and, if they 
 will not embrace the Gospel, let them be con- 
 strained to admire the professors of it. To this 
 your country calls you. To descant on the 
 public virtues of the British Inhabitants of 
 India, would be foreign to our purpose : their 
 established character needs not my feeble 
 eulogy ; but great indeed will be the honour 
 which you will reflect on your country, if you 
 prove by your lives, that Britain is not less 
 pious than she is magnanimous and brave. 
 
 Permit me thus far to have applied the Apo- 
 stle's Salutation to yourselves ; and now, in 
 conclusion, let us unite with St. Paul in wishing 
 grace and peace to all, that in every place call 
 upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both 
 theirs and ours. Let every heart expand 
 with divine benevolence. Let imagination trans- 
 port us from shore to shore : let us think, how, 
 with sacred ardour, they bend before the 
 Universal Lord — their hearts acknowledge Avith 
 ours a kindred affection — though their names 
 be different, yet their Lord and ours is one — 
 though they differ from us in nation, or rank, oi* 
 colour, yet in this they resemble us, that they 
 call upon the Name of the Lord Jesus — is he 
 ours ? he is theirs also. Then let us, with cor- 
 dial and comprehensive charity, embrace them 
 all ! Let us heartily wish all the assemblies of 
 
 T 1 
 
276 THIRTEENTH SERMON. 
 
 Zion gmce and peace. And if, in this mental 
 circuit, our thoughts veer to our Native Land, 
 and fond memory recall those beloved scenes 
 which imagination paints in colours perhaps 
 more pleasing than true, let her assemblies of 
 faithful Christians engage our more fervent 
 prayers : thus shall our local attachments be 
 elevated into an exercise of spiritual affection, 
 and call do\\ii a rich efHision of blessings on 
 ourselves and them. 
 
 Thus let us live in this heavenly temper 
 toward all around ; and, while we delight to 
 find new objects of our love, let faithful hope 
 realize that glorious day, when, in a larger 
 sense, the prophecy of God by Zephaniah 
 (chap. iii. ver. 9, 10) shall be fulfilled. 1 luill 
 turn to the people a j^uf'e language, that they 
 may all call upon the name of the Lord, to 
 serve him icith one consent. From beyond the 
 rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, even the 
 daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine 
 offering. 
 
SERMON XIV. 
 
 THE PREACHING OF CHRIST CRUCIFIED. 
 
 1 CORINTH. I. 23, 24. 
 
 We preach Christ Crucified; unto the Jews a 
 stumbling block ; and unto the Greeks foolish- 
 ness; but unto them which are called^ both 
 Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God 
 and the wisdom of God. 
 
 If at any time God is pleased to make a reve- 
 lation of his will to mankind, and to point out 
 a way of salvation to them which is entirely 
 new, it is evident that we can be in no respect 
 judges before hand, what kind of revelation is 
 to be expected, or what sort of truths are likely 
 to be contained in it. We cannot so much as 
 conjecture about these things ^vith any appear- 
 ance of probability ; but must wait in patient 
 expectation, till the revelation is actually made : 
 because the nature and necessities of man 
 may require a treatment which we are not at 
 
278 rouRiKtxTH sa;kmon. 
 
 all aware of. Gods maimer of governing Uie 
 imiverse, of which we form but a very small 
 part, may be utterly beyond the range and 
 reach of our highest apprehension 
 
 Hence, w^hen we examine a revelation pur- 
 porting to be from God and inquire into the 
 way of salvation pointed out in it, our minds 
 must be made up to difficulties, and be con- 
 tented to remain ignorant on many points which 
 we hoped would have been revealed. When 
 once we are satisfied with the external evi- 
 dences of its truth, it is incumbent on us to 
 inquire what is the revealed will of God ; not 
 what it ought to be, or might have been. 
 It becomes us to ask for instruction with humi- 
 lity, and to receive it w ith reverence. If men 
 will not conduct their inquiries in this spirit of 
 diffidence, but, under the influence of prema- 
 ture opinions, will presume to dictate, instead 
 of submitting to be taught, God does not 
 accommodate himself to the prejudices of 
 proud men, nor will he new-model his 
 scheme to make it more agreeable to their 
 views. As he first sent forth his Scriptures to 
 mankind with a certain degree of evidence and 
 no more, so he has left them : if men neglect 
 them, on whatever plausible pretext, let them 
 do it at their peril. Once he has sent forth his 
 Word. With the majesty of God he declares, 
 
THE PHEACIHXC OF C H III ST CRUCI !• I ED. 279 
 
 He, that helieveth and is baptized, shall he 
 saved ; hut he, that helieveth not, shall he damned 
 (Mark xvi. 16). It is, therefore, not to be ex- 
 pected, that God will enlighten the eyes of a 
 captious scrutinizer of his ti-uths ; but will 
 rather, in conformity to the principles of his 
 wise and righteous government, leave them in 
 darkness. If they look into the ark of God, 
 like the Bethshemites, with unhallowed eyes 
 and captious scrutiny, they will meet with a 
 similar fate. God will not suffer any to trifle 
 with his holy things. Their rashness will be 
 death to them. Yet do unreasonable men per- 
 sist in trying and examining the Gospel, by 
 preconceived opinions — some judging of it 
 according to the opinions imbibed in infancy ; 
 others approving of it no farther tiian it will 
 countenance self-indulgence ; and, according 
 as the preached Gospel shall answer these con- 
 ditions or not, determining to receive or re- 
 ject it. 
 
 Of this latter description were the unbelievers 
 of old : they required in the new religion cer- 
 tain things as indispensable ; and when their 
 expectations were disappointed they had done 
 with it. Thus says St. Paul, in the preceding 
 text. The Jeics require a sign, and the Greeks 
 seek after wisdom, when they ought to have re- 
 quired nothing but the evidences of its truths ; 
 hnitve preach Christ Crucified — a subject which 
 
280 FOURTEENTH SERMON. 
 
 they neither expected nor relished: therefore 
 the one found it a stumbling-block, and the 
 other foolishness. 
 
 In the words first read to you, there are 
 three things to be considered. First, The sub- 
 ject of the Apostle's preaching ; secondly, the 
 
 DIFFERENT MODES OF ITS RECEPTION amOnST 
 
 men; thirdly, the true light in which it is 
 
 TO BE RECEIVED. 
 
 I. The SUBJECT of the Apostle*s preaching, 
 was Christ Crucified: which is, in brief, this 
 proposition — That Jesus, who was crucified, is 
 the Saviour of the World ; or, more fully, the 
 doctrine embraces all that respects the origin 
 and scheme of salvation. 
 
 Man having subjected himself to the curse of 
 God, no way of deliverance was found but by 
 the divine interposition in his favour. The Fa- 
 ther, in mere mercy, sent his Son into the 
 world ; and He undertook to save them, in the 
 only way in which it was practicable, namely, 
 by substituting himself in their stead : the Law 
 of God required perfect obedience — he there- 
 fore answered the demands of the Law, and 
 fulfilled it in their stead : their past sins required 
 punishment — he therefore suffered it in his own 
 person. With this work God declares himself 
 satisfied, and accepts liim as a propitiation for 
 the sins of the world— rhatj Rn' whicli he is 
 
THE PREACHING OF CHRIST CRUCIFIED. 281 
 
 willing to be propitious to men, to pardon and 
 take them into favour, to give them the spirit of 
 hohness, and at last to exalt them to his glory. 
 
 Moreover, the way in which men can be in- 
 terested in his death and receive the benefits 
 flowing from it, is not by palliating their sins, 
 or thinking themselves excusable, but by faith, 
 and by faith only; casting themselves upon 
 God as sinners, inexcusable and deserving of 
 hell. If, renouncing all hope in themselves, 
 they will thus come to Christ, they shall be jus- 
 tified freely by His grace — their hearts delivered 
 from their attachment to sin — and they brought, 
 without fail, to everlasting happiness. 
 
 We preach Christ, says St. Paul. This is 
 not, indeed, to be invariably dwelling on the 
 way of salvation by him ; for men would by 
 habit cease to have their attention engaged, and 
 thus the end of preaching would be defeated ; 
 but it is to make it the main subject of our dis- 
 courses — it is to be ever seeking to lead sinners 
 to Christ. 
 
 To accomplish this end, various means may 
 appear necessary. The minds of men may 
 require certain preparation, for want of which 
 the Gospel would be unintelhgible. 
 
 The Heathen Auditors at Athens needed 
 St. Paul to explain to them the unity and spi- 
 rituality of God and his providence, together 
 
282 FOUKTEENTM SJ::RM0X. 
 
 with the certainty of a future state of rewards 
 and punishments. And probably, in address- 
 ing the Jews, he endeavoured to convince them 
 of their condemnation by their own law : he 
 would point to their own sacrifices ; and hence 
 argiic the necessity of some better sacrifice to 
 take away sin. He would alw ays give so much 
 previous instruction, as the circumstances of 
 the case seemed to require. Asa w ise master- 
 builder, who designs to raise an edifice on a 
 particular spot, surveys the ground, removes 
 other buildings with which it is encumbered, 
 and clears aw ay as many obstructions as pos- 
 sible, that then he may lay a good foundation ; 
 so the Minister of the Gospel will be gradually 
 seeking to edify the souls of men on Christ the 
 true foundation, and yet make use of all the 
 variety of methods which the topics of religion 
 or the feelings of men will supply. 
 
 But though the Way of Salvation by Christ 
 need not be constantly the preacher's theme, 
 yet occasionally, and from time to time, men 
 must be called to the single consideration of 
 Christ Crucified. This is the sun that warms 
 and enlightens the system of revealed truth : 
 in the direct beamings of this sun, we must 
 sometimes be placed, as w^ell as have the genial 
 light of it diflused around us. 
 
 Whenever we profess to confine ourselve;? to 
 
THE PUEACHIMaOK CHRIST CRUCl FIED. 283 
 
 this doctrine formally and exclusively, we then 
 preach Christ Crucified ; by representing him 
 to mankind as the only Saviour, and the all- 
 sufficient Saviour. 
 
 As the ONLY Saviour, we teach, that it is 
 not permitted men to choose their own religion, 
 or to cast up a high-way for themselves whereby 
 to arrive at heaven, or to work out a righteous- 
 ness of their own to recommend them; but that 
 Christ alone is t]ie way, and the truth, and the 
 life (John xvi. 6) — that ot her foundation can no 
 ma?i lay than that is laid, ichich is Jesus Christ 
 (1 Cor. iii. 11) — that there is none other name 
 under heaven given amo7ig men, whereby we must 
 he saved, but only the name of Jesus Christ 
 (Acts iv. 12). 
 
 We proclaim him also the all-sufficient 
 Saviour. In his ofters of salvation, we declare 
 that he requires no previous qualification ; but, 
 equally regardless of the antecedent morality 
 or immorality of the subjects, he commands 
 them to receive, and not to purchase — ojflfers 
 salvation freely to those who see themselves 
 perishing, and promises to give all the holiness 
 of heart which is necessary to fit them for 
 heaven ; and, then, that he is able to save to 
 the utmost — fully qualified to begin, carry on, 
 and complete the happiness and holiness of 
 jpvery believer. 
 
284 FOURTEENTH SERMON. 
 
 These doctrines relating to Clnist were 
 uniformly insisted on by St. Paul and all tlie 
 first preachers of the Gospel. Thus we read 
 that Philip ivent down to the city of Samaria^ 
 and preached Christ u?ito them (Acts viii. 5) ; 
 and when he was explaining the Scriptures to 
 the Eunuch he preached unto him Jesus (Acts 
 viii. 35). Notwithstanding the opposition which 
 they had to encounter in doing it, the other 
 Apostles daily in the temple, and in every house, 
 ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ (Acts 
 V. 42). St. Paul, on his conversion, straight- 
 way preached Christ in the synagogues (Acts 
 ix. 20) : and he determined to know nothing, 
 but Jesus Christ, a7id him, crucified (1 Cor.ii. 2) ; 
 nor to GLORY in any thing, but the cross of our 
 Lord Jesus Christ (Gal. vi. 14). There were 
 some who preached Christ of contention, not 
 sincerely^ yet, says the Apostle, tvhether in pre- 
 tence or in truth, Christ is preached; and I 
 therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice (Phil. 
 i. 16, 18): he never repented of having laid too 
 great stress on this doctrine ; for we hear him 
 reminding the Ephesians at the time he was 
 taking leave of them, that he had testified to 
 them repentance toward God, and faith toivard 
 our Lord Jesus Christ (Acts xx. 21). 
 
 In all after-ages, even to the present moment, 
 the men who are chosen of God to be his wit- 
 
THE PREACHING OF CHRIST CTlUCIFIED. 285 
 
 nesses on earth, treading in the steps of the 
 Apostles of old, have persisted in proclaiming 
 the glories of their Lord. They take their 
 place at a distance, as being servants, from a 
 wish to remain unnoticed, that the single un- 
 divided attention of mankind may be fixed on 
 the Master whom they serve. They preach not 
 themselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord. They 
 are equally cautious about leading their hearers 
 into error, by confounding the grace of God 
 and the law of works, or by setting forth such 
 principles of morality as the Heathen Sages 
 might have taught ; and give themselves up to 
 the study of those divine mysteries which are 
 known only by Revelation, that from them they 
 may learn how to build up your souls on that 
 foundation, which will stand the test of the 
 Judgment Day. 
 
 Moreover, when they preach Christ Cruci- 
 fied, as they find it revealed, they are not 
 concerned about making the doctrine appear 
 more reasonable, so as to approve it to the 
 learned, nor to state it so as to leave no room 
 for objections ; but as the Scriptures have left 
 it, so they take it up. They do not gild over 
 the Cross, or invest it with gaudy trappings, or 
 allure men to it by deceitful panegyrics ; but 
 they take their stand at the foot of the blood- 
 stained tree, and proclaim, in tliose words 
 
280 FOURTEEXTH SEllMON. 
 
 which were written on the Cross — Jesus of 
 Nazareth, the King of the Jeivs ! Thus the 
 Apostles preached. 
 
 II. What RECEPTION this preaching met 
 with in the world comes next under our consi- 
 deration. 
 
 1. To the JEWS, it was a stumbling block. 
 
 The Jews had been accustomed to displays 
 of supernatural glory. The promulgation of the 
 Law at Mount Sinai was accompanied with all 
 that splendid train of circumstances, which most 
 powerfully strikes the outward senses. Hence 
 the Jews, when they heard of the pretensions 
 of our Lord, sought of him a sign from heaven, 
 saying. Master, ive ivould see asignfrom thee — a 
 sign from heaven (Matt. xii. 38. ; xvi. 1). So 
 those who came to hear St. Paul preach in the 
 synagogues, expected he would ground his doc- 
 trines on a fact of such extraordinary glory, that 
 the very description of it should delight and 
 astonish them : but when they found that a man 
 put to death by their countrymen was the foun- 
 dation of this new religion, which was to super- 
 sede the whole system of the Jewish Ritual, 
 they rejected it without hesitation. Thus the 
 Person of Christ was a stumhling-hlock to the 
 Jeivs, because deficient in external glory. 
 
 Equally offensive to them was the Doctrine 
 
THE PREACHING OF CHRIST CRUCIFIED. 287 
 
 of the Gospel, because it was directly subversive 
 of all their self-righteous confidence. They 
 were by the Apostles told that God was no re- 
 specter of persons — that, before Him, their 
 mouths must be stopped — that they were as 
 guilty as the rest of men; and must be saved, if 
 they were saved at all, not because they were 
 the children of Abraham, or weie strict in cere- 
 monial observances and in works of morality, 
 but only by faith in that person whom they had 
 put to death. They found, moreover, that the 
 Gospel is proposed equally to the moral and 
 immoral — making no difterence between them, 
 but reducing them to a level ; offering to Scribes 
 and Pharisees salvation on the same terms as to 
 Publicans and Sinners. Every part of such a 
 statement was calculated to provoke their indig- 
 nation. To renounce their own righteousness, 
 and thus to be brought on a level with the ac- 
 cursed Gentiles, was what they never would hear 
 of without rage. National and personal pride, 
 prejudices imbibed in infancy and inveterate by 
 time, all revolted against such humiliating doc- 
 trines. They stumbled, according to the pro- 
 phecy of Isaiah and the predictions of Simeon : 
 He was for a stone of stumbling, and for a rock 
 of offence (Is. viii. 14): he was set for the fall of 
 many in Israel (Lukeii. 34). Though he visited 
 them as the day-spring from on high — though 
 
288 FOURTEENTH SERMON. 
 
 }ie rose as the morning- star, and shone as the 
 sun in his strength, to guide their feet and shine 
 on their path to heaven — they took offence at 
 him. In consequence, the Gospel remained 
 more than darkness to them : it became as a 
 stumhling-hlock in their way, to which when 
 they came they stumbled, and fell over it head- 
 long into eternal perdition. 
 
 2. The Gospel met with no better reception 
 among the greeks, who rejected it from causes 
 which correspond to those which influenced 
 the Jews. As the Jews sought after a sign, 
 so the Greeks sought after ivisdom ; and as the 
 Jews were proud with self-righteousness, so 
 the Greeks were filled with conceit of their 
 learning. They sought after wisdom. 
 
 Every branch of human leaVning was, at this 
 time, in the highest state of cultivation ; but the 
 favourite study was that of the science of 
 Morality: to that they directed particularly 
 their attention, in order to discover some method 
 of checking the progress of profligacy : they in- 
 quired into the difference of virtue and vice, as 
 to the happiness of man : they formed systems 
 of morality according to their various views, de- 
 fended them by learned arguments, and were 
 zealous of making proselytes to their sentiments. 
 Hence, on the appearance of the Preachers of 
 the Gospel, the Philosophers expected from men 
 
THE PREACHING OF CHRIST CRUCIFIED. 289 
 
 setting out to be the instructors of the world, 
 profound learning — a laboured investigation of 
 truth and morals — refined arguments and inge- 
 nious deductions — something which might en- 
 tertain cultivated minds, and lay the foundation 
 for new improvements in theoretic wisdom. 
 These things tiiey sought, but they found them 
 not. They heard the Sermons of St. Paul; but 
 there was nought, in the matter or manner 
 of them, that satisfied their literary thirst: they 
 received no increase to their ideas, by his doc- 
 trines ; nor did they find any exercise of their 
 powers of reasoning, by his manner of stating 
 them. On the contrary, the simple preaching 
 of Christ Crucijied, with the expectation of re- 
 forming mankind by it, appeared to these phi- 
 losophers highly foolish and absurd ; inso- 
 much that they openly expressed their contempt 
 of the Apostles, and treated the doctrines of 
 Jesus and the resurrection with ridicule (Acts 
 xvii. 18). 
 
 But besides the foolishness of the doctrine in 
 their views of it, the pride and conceit of their 
 hearts interposed another obstacle to their 
 receiving it. The Gospel was neither preached 
 by learned men ; neither did it require learning 
 or education to comprehend it. Besides, no 
 homage was paid to their own superior abili- 
 ties, but they were addressed by ihe Apostle, 
 u 
 
290 fourtilenth sermon. 
 
 with the same plainness as the illiterate vulgar. 
 This treatment was too humiliating for the wise 
 men to brook : they would not condescend to sit 
 at the feet of fishermen, along with those whom 
 they despised. Had the preachers been w illing 
 to pay them deference and allow them to be in 
 need of no further instruction, they would have 
 been better pleased; but the Apostle com- 
 manded them to unlearn all their errors, to lay 
 by their proud prejudices, to become fools, that 
 they might be wise; and warned them, that, 
 unless they were born again, unless they were 
 converted and became as little children, they 
 would certainly, with the most low and igno- 
 rant, lie down in everlasting burnings. Such a 
 system as this, which made no difference be- 
 tween the wise and unwise, was vehemently op- 
 posed by all the feelings of their proud hearts. 
 
 3. In the midst of this crowd of unbehevers, 
 there was found a poor and despised people, 
 
 BOTH OF JEWS AND GREEKS, TO WHOM THE 
 GOSPEL CAME IN POWER AND THE HOLY GHOST. 
 
 For after that, in the ivisdom of God, the world 
 hy wisdom knew not God; that is, after God had 
 in his wisdom suffered men to make the ex- 
 periment for several ages, whether human wis- 
 dom could bring men to the knowledge of God, 
 and let them see by facts that it was impossible, 
 then by the foolishness of preaching he saved 
 
THE PREACHING OF CHRIST CRUCIFIED. 291 
 
 them that believe : to them, Christ Crucified 
 was the Power of God, and the Wisdom ojGod—' 
 
 III. And that, as we are in the last place 
 to shew you, is the TRUE LIGHT IN WHICH 
 IT IS TO BE VIEWED. 
 
 1. It is the POWER of God. 
 
 Power is estimated by the effects which it 
 produces: one power is greater than another, 
 if it produce greater effects than another, or the 
 same effects by less means. 
 
 Now to wave all other considerations that 
 display the Power of God as it operates in the 
 Gospel, the single fact of a sinner s conversion 
 by the doctrine of the cross is sufficient to 
 establish this point. 
 
 For observe the state and condition of an 
 obstinate sinner. He has given the reigns to 
 appetite, and has been long running the career 
 of wickedness: he goes on, deaf to the admo- 
 nitions and intreaties of friends, and the warn- 
 ings of conscience ; and, regardless of conse- 
 quences, is scarcely restrained, by the terrors of 
 an ignominious death, from perpetrating the 
 blackest crimes : the joys of heaven have no 
 power to attract his desires, nor can the threat- 
 enings of eternal punishment deter him from 
 6in : he continues his course of self-indulgence ; 
 and becomes headstrong — intractable — out- 
 u2 
 
FOURTEENTH SERMON. 
 
 rageous: all human means having failed to 
 reclaim him, he is generally given up as irre- 
 coverably vicious. In the course of a short 
 time, the very same person may be seen walk- 
 ing soberly, righteously, and godly ; not par- 
 tially reformed, but following universal holiness : 
 holding communion with that God whose very 
 name he hated, delighting in that society which 
 once he despised, he lives the ornament of human 
 nature, and dies with a hope full of immortality. 
 What was it, we ask, that changed him ? did 
 the angel Gabriel lead him in a vision to the 
 empyreal heaven, and overpower his corrup- 
 tions by a torrent of divine glory ? or was a 
 spirit of darkness sent to conduct him to the 
 confines of hell, that the nearer sight of the livid 
 flame might startle his soul, and force him from 
 his sins? No! these arguments, or others as 
 strong, had been tried in vain : legal hopes never 
 yet made the heart yield : No! the man, whose 
 change we are accounting for, once heard that 
 faithful sai/mg, That Christ Jesus came into the 
 world to save siimers — that the Son of God him- 
 self had died for the chief of sinners — that now 
 pardon for the past was offered freely, and 
 grace for the future stored up for the penitent : 
 this strikes his attention and wins his heart, and 
 a gleam of returning hope begins to steal 
 through his breast : " If this great salvation be 
 
THE PREACHING OF CHRIST CRUCIFIED. 298 
 
 for any," he will argue, " then why not for me? 
 If Christ was crucified for me, then I may hope, 
 that, for his sake, God will surely receive me. 1 
 will believe that the Mood of Jesus Christ 
 cleajiseth from all sin ;" he ventures to apply 
 for pardon ; and, almost to his own surprise, 
 his conscience enjoys peace within ! the inward 
 change begins by the renovating influences of 
 the Holy Ghost ; and the same person, who was 
 before in tlie image of Satan, is made by his in- 
 ward purity to resemble the Holy One ! 
 
 An instance like this, is not a solitary trophy 
 of the victories of the preached Gospel. When 
 first the sword of the Spirit was grasped by a 
 mortal hand, three thousand fell before it ; and 
 wherever in the world it is wielded by the ser- 
 vants of God, it marks its way by the conquest 
 of all whom it strikes. Many of you can add 
 your testimony, from the course of your own 
 experience: you can say, it is the doctrine of 
 Christ crucified that encouraged you at first to 
 set out in the ways of religion — it is that wherein 
 the power of God is daily manifested to your souls. 
 
 Then, if 1 ask any of you for a specimen of 
 divine power, lead me not to the heights above, 
 or the depths beneath— bid me not admire that 
 word, which stays the proud waves of the sea 
 and forbids it to pass the appohited bounds — 
 -shew me not the strength of that arm, which 
 
294 FOURTEENTH SERMON. 
 
 took up the vast orbs of heaven, and hurled 
 them along- the fields of space ; but let us 
 ascend Mount Calvary together, and direct our 
 eyes to Him that is hanging on the cross — for 
 there alone is to be seen, according to God's 
 own declaration, ivhat is the exceeding great- 
 ness of his poiver — there, God has exhibited, 
 not a partial exertion of his power, but as it is 
 energetically expressed here, Christ is the 
 Poiver of God. In Christ, all the diversified 
 operations of divine power are concentrated 
 and brought to a point. 
 
 2. Christ is also the wisdom of God : for, in 
 Christ, God hath attained the two great ends of 
 all that he does (if they may be called two), 
 namely, his omti glory and our happiness. 
 
 Wisdom, you will observe, appears to most 
 advantage in cases of difficulty. When she 
 steers her way clear through many a perplexing 
 difficulty, and at last arrives at her destined end 
 without any untoward or disorderly accident, 
 then she appears in her proper character and 
 native excellence. 
 
 To perceive the wisdom of God in Christ, we 
 ought to bear in mind the difficulty of attain- 
 ing the end proposed ; which was the glory of 
 God and our happiness. If men were an up- 
 right rare, all would be easy : those who con- 
 tinued perfect would ascend to heaven, and 
 
THE PREACHING OF CHRIST CRUCIFIED. 295 
 
 those who sinned wonld descend to hell. But 
 how man, after being' a sinner, could be made 
 happy here and hereafter, was a problem of no 
 small difficulty. If God had pardoned siimers 
 by an act of sovereign power, his truth would 
 have been impeached ; for he would then give 
 life to whom he had before denounced death : 
 neither could justice have been exercised ; and 
 thus, an appearance of weakness would attach 
 to the character of God. If, on the contrary, 
 he had offered no pardon, he would have been 
 just and true indeed : his mercy and love would 
 have had no scope for exercise. But, in Christ 
 Jesus, mercy and truth, formerly irreconcilable, 
 are met together in a friendly manner — right- 
 eousfiess and peace, God's righteousness and our 
 peace, have kissed each other ( Ps. Ixxxv. 10). 
 
 By his dying on the cross in the stead of sin- 
 ners, there was a way opened for the exercise of 
 all God's attributes. For as Christ undertook 
 to be accountable to God for all our sins, God 
 in punishing Christ punished our sin : thus he 
 displayed his justice. Moreover, since that 
 person who became our Surety was not one of 
 ourselves or an angel, but his own Son, who 
 was dear to him, here his mercy and love are 
 discovered. 
 
 And not only do the divine attributes find 
 
296 FOURTEENTH SERMON. 
 
 scope for exercise in Christ's death without in- 
 terfering, but they throw light on one another. 
 Men would perhaps have regarded their par- 
 don as no great exertion of mercy in God or 
 ground of gratitude in themselves, did they not 
 see the severity of God's justice as sustained by 
 an innocent person, wdiich would otherwise 
 have fallen on themselves ; neither would they 
 believe how inviolable was his truth, if he had 
 not shewn that he would rather part with his 
 own Son, than sully his truth to accomplish 
 the salvation of sinners. 
 
 And from this we are led to observe, that 
 each attribute is, in the highest degree, set off 
 and glorified by its opposite. They are not 
 forcibly reconciled together, nor do they merely 
 harmonize ; but they all put honour one upon 
 another. One does not rise by the depression 
 of the other ; but they all rise together. The 
 more we see of the glory of one attribute, the 
 more we shall see of every other. Wliile God's 
 hand lies heavy on his Son, justice assumes its 
 dignity ; but mercy likewise rejoices : as the 
 strokes of his wrath are redoubled, justice 
 wears a look of more awful grandeur; but 
 mercy smiles with increased sweetness : and 
 when ail the idals of Avrath are poured forth 
 on Christ and justice triumphs in complete 
 
TIIK PREACHING OF CHHIST CRUCIFIED. 297 
 
 majesty, mercy rises with equal progress and 
 beams forth from her countenance miutterable 
 glory. 
 
 The more we contemplate the mystery of Re- 
 demption, the more we shall see it a master- 
 piece of Divine Wisdom; and the more sincerely 
 shall we join the exclamation of St. Panl, O the 
 depth of the riches y both of the ivisdom and know- 
 ledge of God ! (Rom. xi. 33). Human intellect 
 conld not conceive a plan more wondrous in 
 wisdom to be possible: nay, it is a subject of 
 astonishment to angelic minds ; for God has 
 designed that noiv unto the 2)nnci2)aUties and 
 powers in heavenly places might he made knoivn, 
 by the church, the ma?iifold wisdom of God. 
 How justly, therefore, does the Apostle add, 
 Howbeit tve speak ivisdom among them that are 
 perfect: yet not the wisdom of this ivorld, nor 
 of the jrrincesofthis world that come to nought : 
 but zee speak the ivisdom of God in a mystery, 
 even the hidden wisdom ivhich God ordained be- 
 fore the world unto our glory (1 Cor. ii. 6, 7). 
 
 In CONCLUSION, we notice the Misery of 
 those who resist the call of the Gospel. 
 
 There is, in every congregation, a large pro- 
 portion of Jews and Greeks. 
 
 There are persons who resemble the Jews in 
 self-rig^hteousness ; who, after hearing the doc- 
 
298 FOURTEEXTH SERMON. 
 
 trines of grace insisted on for years, yet see no 
 occasion at all for changing the ground of their 
 hopes. They seek righteousness not by faiths 
 but as it ivere by the icorks of the law : for they 
 stumble at that stumbling-stone (Rom. ix. 32) ; 
 or, perhaps after going a little way in the pro- 
 fession of the Gospel, they take oflence at the 
 rigour of the practice which we require, as if 
 the Gospel did not enjoin it. This is a hard 
 saying, they complain : icho can hear it ? (John 
 vi.60) — and thus resemble those w ho first made 
 the complaint, who icent back and walked no 
 more with him (v. 66). 
 
 Others come to carp and to criticise. While 
 heretics who deny the Lord that bought them, 
 open infidels, professed atheists, grossly wicked 
 men, are considered as intitled to candour, 
 liberality, and respect, they are pleased to 
 make serious professors of the Gospel exclu- 
 sively objects of contempt, and set down their 
 discourses on the mysteries of faith as idle and 
 senseless jargon. Alas ! how miserably dark 
 and perverse must they be who think thus of 
 that Gospel, which unites all the power and 
 wisdom of God in it. After God has arranged 
 all the parts of his plan, so as to make it the 
 best which in his wisdom could be devised for 
 the restoration of man, how pitiable their stu- 
 pidity and ignorance to whom it is foolishness I 
 
THE PREACHING OF CHRIST CRUCIFIED. 299 
 
 And, let us add, how miserable will be their 
 end ! because they not only are condemned 
 already and the wrath of God abideth on them, 
 but they incur tenfold danger : they not only 
 remain without a remedy to their maladies, but 
 have the guilt of rejecting it when offered to 
 them. This is their danger, that there is always 
 a stumbling-block in the way : the further they 
 go, the nearer are they to their fall. They are 
 always exposed to sudden, unexpected destruc- 
 tion. They cannot foresee, one moment, whe- 
 ther they shall stand or fall the next ; and when 
 they do fall, they fall at once without warning. 
 Their feet shall slide in due time. Just shame 
 is it to the sons of men, that he whose delight it 
 was to do them good, and who so loved them 
 as to shed his blood for them, should have so 
 many in the world to despise and reject his 
 offers ; but thus is the Ancient Scripture ful- 
 filled — The natural man receiveth not the things 
 of the Spirit of God (1 Cor. ii. 14). 
 
 Tremble at your state, all ye, that, from 
 self-righteousness, or pride, or unwillingness 
 to follow him in the regeneration, disregard 
 Christ! Nothing keeps you one moment 
 from perdition, but the mere sovereign plea^ 
 sure of God. Yet, suppose not that we 
 take pleasure in contradicting your natural 
 sentiments on religion, or in giving pain 
 
^00 FOURTEENTH SERMO^^ 
 
 by forcing offensive truths upon your atten- 
 tion — no ! as the ministers of joy and peace, 
 we rise up at the command of God, to 
 preach Christ Cmcified to you all. He died for 
 his bitterest enemies : therefore though ye have 
 been Jews or Greeks, self-righteous, ignorant, 
 or profane — though ye have presumed to call 
 his truths in question, treated the Bible with 
 contempt, or even chosen to prefer an Idol to 
 the Saviour — yet return, at length, before you 
 die, and God is willing to forgive you. 
 
 How happy is the condition of those who 
 obey the call of the Gospel ! Their hope 
 being placed on that way of salvation which 
 is the power and wisdom of God, on what a 
 broad, firm basis doth it rest! Heaven and 
 earth may pass away, though much of the 
 power and wisdom of God was employed in 
 erecting that fabric ; but the power and wisdom 
 themselves of God, must be cut off from his 
 immutable essence, and pass away, before one 
 tittle of your hope can fail. Then rejoice, ye 
 Children of Wisdom, by whom she is justified. 
 Happy are your eyes for they see, and your ears 
 for they hear; and the things which God 
 hath hidden from the v. ise and prudent, he hath 
 revealed unto you. Ye were righteous in 
 your own esteem; but ye count all tJmigs but 
 loss for the excellencij of the knoivledgc of 
 
THE PREACHING OF CHRIST CRUCIFIED. 301 
 
 Christ Jesus our Lord. Then be not ashamed 
 of the Gospel of Christ, which is the power of 
 God unto salvation unto every one that helieveth; 
 but contmue to display its efficacy by the 
 holiness of your lives, and live rejoicing in hope 
 of the glory of God. 
 
SERMON XV. 
 
 THE CHURCH A SPIRITUAL BUILDING. 
 
 EPHES. II. 19 22. 
 
 Now, therefore, ye are no more strangers and 
 foreigners, hut fellow- citizens with the saints, 
 and of the household of God; and are built 
 upon the foundation of the Apostles and Pro- 
 phets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief 
 corner-stone ; in whom all the building fitly 
 framed together groweth unto a holy temple 
 in the Lord: in whom ye also are huilded 
 together for an habitation of God through the 
 Spirit. 
 
 " Happy are the men who can look back 
 on their former lives, and, after comparing 
 their past experience with the present, find 
 snbstantial reasons for believing that they are 
 passed from death unto Life." Lifted up though 
 they be, as the needy from the dunghill, and 
 set among princes, they are not unwilling to 
 be reminded of their mean original. On the 
 contrary, forasmuch as the remembrance of 
 
304 FIFTEENTH SERMOX. 
 
 it magnifies the riches of God's grace and 
 endears the dying love of the Saviour, they 
 find, on considering the blessed change, that 
 their meditation of it may be sweet. When, 
 therefore, the Apostle reminds his Ephesian 
 Converts of their former misery, he is not 
 to be considered as aiming so much to produce 
 humiliation, as to awaken affection: he gives 
 a clear and express representation of what 
 Christ had done for them : they had been, as 
 all the Gentiles were, without Christ, without 
 God, without hope ; but now they were made 
 nigh by the blood of Christ. Now therefore, 
 he adds, ye, Gentiles, are no more strangers and 
 foreigners, but felloic-citizens with the saints, 
 and of the household of God; and are built 
 upon the foundation of the A.posiles and Pro- 
 phets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief 
 corner-stone. 
 
 In these words, the society of true-bolievers 
 is compared to a great building. To preserve 
 this idea of the text distinct in our minds, it 
 will be necessary to remember that tlie Church 
 of God is sometimes compared to the human 
 body, the head of which is Christ — sometimes, 
 to a family over which he presides — sometimes, 
 to a city — at other times, to Mount Zion; but, 
 here, to a single building, wliich rests on Jesus 
 Christ as its foundation. 
 
THE CHURCH A SPIRITUAL BUILDING. 305 
 
 In conformity to the Apostle's idea, we must 
 call your attention, first, to the materials ; 
 secondly, to the foundation ; and, thirdly, 
 to the building itself, 
 
 I. The MATERIALS, 
 
 Every stone, which is taken to construct a 
 building, however it may have been polished 
 by the hand of the workmen, was once rough 
 and unsightly, and buried in the bowels of the 
 eartli : and ere yet we were called out to take 
 our place in the building of God, that was our 
 condition. This is the resemblance found for 
 us by Isaiah — Look unto the rock tvhence ye are 
 hewn, and to the hole of the pit ichence ye are 
 digged (chap. li. 1) — there we once lay. As 
 the rude stone not only belongs to the quarry, 
 but forms a part of it ; so we were not only 
 connected witli the world, but ourselves con- 
 stituted the v/orld : so that when the saints 
 were warned against the company and conver- 
 sation of the world, we were some of the per- 
 sons intended — we were those enemies of God 
 whose acquaintance would contaminate them. 
 
 We could not have extricated ourselves from 
 the world, any more than a stone can start from 
 its parent rock without the application of ex- 
 ternal force : we were so closely rivetted, as to 
 baffle the strength of all but of Him who is 
 
 X 
 
306 FIFTEENTH SERMON. 
 
 mighty to save. He only was able to force us 
 and the world asunder. 
 
 Thus we lay with the world, m the same 
 darkness ; like the rock buried beneath the 
 surface of the earth : no ray of heaven illumined 
 us ; but, year after year rolled away, and left 
 us the same dark, inactive, unformed mass. 
 
 While that state of things continued, we 
 could manifestly not be applied either for use 
 or ornament in the Chiu-ch of God. Till every 
 stone be cut and smoothed, they cannot be 
 made to fit one another in a building : so we 
 were unsuitable to the saints who compose the 
 Church, and incapable of lasting union with 
 them. 
 
 Indeed, so far from desiring union with them, 
 we felt indifference and dislike to them: we 
 were, as the text declares, entirely strangers 
 and foreigners among them. A person who 
 comes as a stranger into a family, can be sup- 
 posed to know nothing of its regulations and 
 economy, nor participate the affection that sub- 
 sists between the different branches of it : if he 
 discourse with them, it is with cold and distant 
 reserve, on subjects which are uninteresting to 
 both ; and the reason is, that they know little 
 about one another, and the persons whom they 
 love and the things in which they have been 
 conversant are altogether different. Thus we 
 
THE CHURCH A SPIRITUAL BUILDING 
 
 307 
 
 were strangers to the household of God. We 
 knew, indeed, of them as of a company of per- 
 sons who were distinguished by the superior 
 strictness of their lives ; but never conceived 
 that they formed one family, because we saw 
 not the bond of union, nor perceived the Head 
 under whom they were united : still less could 
 we believe that it was a happy family, when 
 their pursuits and employments were so dif- 
 ferent from our own. In short, we were 
 strangers to the communion of saints. 
 
 And not only so, but Ave were foreigners. 
 We had as little to do with the kingdom of 
 God, as men in general have to do in a foreign 
 country. We spoke another language ; we 
 were not governed by its laws : we did not 
 acknowledge its sovereign: we submitted to 
 none of its restrictions, and enjoyed none of its 
 privileges : we were aliens from the common- 
 wealth of Israel. 
 
 But now, if we have become the sei*vants of 
 God, we are no more strangers and foreigners, 
 hut fellow-citizens tvith the saints : we are come 
 unto Mount Zion, the city of the Living God. 
 " Once our guilt and corruption formed an in- 
 surmountable barrier; but now having found 
 Christ who is the only way to the Father, we 
 have entered through the gates into the city, 
 and become denizens of that city where light, 
 x2 
 
308 Fifteenth seraion. 
 
 aiitl beauty, and grandeur, and safety, and plea- 
 sure, meet together." We are partakers with 
 the saints of the presence of their sovereign, 
 participate the safety which they find in his 
 protection, and share the happiness which they 
 enjoy under his government. Do their eyes 
 behold the King in his beauty ? — we also have 
 access to his palace. Is there a river, the 
 streams whereof make glad the city of God ? — 
 we also have tasted of the stream, and dw ell in 
 peaceful freedom on its banks. This is the 
 happy state in which we are now in the king- 
 dom of grace, before we ascend to the kingdom 
 of glory. 
 
 But we are not only fellow-citizens of the 
 saints, yve vcce of the household of God : we com- 
 pose a part of his family, as well as live the 
 subjects of his kingdom. It were a great ho- 
 nour to be like the Gibeonites, only drawers of 
 water to that house, to which king David 
 thought it so desirable to be a door-keeper. 
 But, Belovedi now are we the sons of God! 
 What manner of love is this, says St. John, that 
 we should be called the sons of God J ( 1 John iii. 1) 
 yet so it is ! If we have received Christ, to us 
 hath he given power, or privilege, to become the 
 Sons of God (John i. 12). Though we were 
 not by natural birth the children of God, we 
 have received a second nature — have been 
 
THE CHURCH A SPIRITUAL BUILDING. 309 
 
 brought out from the world — have entered into 
 his house — have been adopted, and become 
 the sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty. 
 We have been introduced to all the rights of 
 children ; that is, we are made heirs of God 
 and joint-heirs with Christ : under Him, we all 
 live — children of the same family — keeping the 
 unity of the spirit in the bond of peace — taught 
 of God and led by his Spirit ; and, forasmuch 
 as it is promised. All thy children shall be taught 
 of the Lord, and great shall be the peace of thy 
 children (Is. liv. 13), so we enjoy the peace of 
 Ood in our own hearts, and among one another. 
 Notwithstanding a few partial and temporary 
 disorders i\\ our intercourse with one another, 
 we can aver that the whole Church of God, like 
 a happy family, is preserved in harmony and 
 order : we form one body : we are animated by 
 one Spirit : we .have one hope, one faith, one 
 Lord : we love as brethren, united under Christ 
 as our elder brother, and under one God and 
 Father of all, who is above all, and through all, 
 and in us all. 
 
 Now on comparing this our happy condition 
 with our former, when we wandered to and fro 
 as sons of the stranger ; on considering what a 
 change we have undergone in temper, disposi- 
 tion, and external state; on contrasting our 
 condition in times past, with that which we 
 
310 FIFTEENTH SERMON. 
 
 now enjoy in the Church of God — we know no 
 similitude more aptly representing us in both 
 these conditions, than that contained in the 
 text. We were as stones once lying in the 
 earth ; but are now taken out and polished for 
 a glorious building. 
 
 II. We are next to consider the FOUNDATION 
 which supports the building formed from these 
 materials — Ye are built upori the foundation of 
 the Apostles and Prophets, Jesns Christ himself 
 being the chief corner-stone. 
 
 The Church is not built upon the Apostles 
 and Prophets in their personal capacity. It 
 is not to be supposed that these men were, in 
 their own persons, able to sustain the weight of 
 the Church of God : for ivho is Paul, and who 
 is Apollos, but 7ninisters by whom ye believed^ 
 (1 Cor. iii. 5). Was Paul crucified for you? or 
 were ye baptized in the name of Paid? (ICor. 
 i. 13). Paul planted and Apollos ivatered; but 
 neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he 
 that ivatereth (1 Cor. iii. 6, 7). There was no 
 merit in the Apostles, which could serve for a 
 foundation of hope to the sinner; for Peter 
 confessed that he was a sinful man, and Paul 
 that he was the chief of sinners : and though 
 some may answer us that St. Peter had the 
 keys of the kingdom of heaven given to him, it 
 
THE CHURCH A SPIRITUAL BUILDING. 311 
 
 does not appear that he was commissioned to 
 hold them longer than while he was upon earth; 
 for our Saviour's words are, Whatsoever thou 
 shalt bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven; 
 and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earthy shall 
 be loosed in heaven (Mmii. x\'\. 19). It cannot 
 be said then that Peter, or any of the Apostles 
 are, in their own persons, the support of the 
 Church: and, indeed, how should they be? 
 Behold! he jmtteth no trust in his servants; 
 and his angels he charged with folly: how much 
 less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose 
 foundation is in the dust! (Job iv. 18, 19). 
 Nevertheless, the Scriptures have not hesitated 
 to use, elsewhere, the same sort of language 
 as in the passage before us: Christ said of 
 Peter that on this rock he ivoidd build his 
 Church (Matt. xvi. 1 8) ; alluding to the honour 
 which he designed for Peter, namely, that he 
 should be the first to preach the Gospel to the 
 Jews, and the first also to preach it to the Gen- 
 tiles: in the same manner it is said in the 
 Revelation, that the wall of the city had twelve 
 foundations, and in them the names of the twelve 
 Apostles of the Larnb (Rev. xxi. 14). So, in 
 the text, the Apostles and Prophets are de- 
 scribed as forming part of the fomidation with 
 Christ. 
 
 But the true, and indeed the only sense, in 
 
312 FIFTEENTH SERMOK. 
 
 which mere men can be said to bear part witi? 
 Christ in the foundation of this spiritual build- 
 ing, is this — that they are in&pired by God to 
 speak with such authority, that we may depend 
 upon their word with as much confidence as 
 upon the words which Christ himself spake. 
 Such were the Apostles antl Prophets: they 
 spake as they were moved hy the Holy Ghost; 
 and their words, therefore, may be as fully be- 
 lieved and trusted in, in matters of highest im- 
 portance, as any of the sayings of Christ re- 
 corded by the Evangelists. The prophecies of 
 Isaiah, or the Epistles of St. Paul, are of pre- 
 cisely the same authority in directing our faith 
 and regulating our practice, as Christ's Charge 
 to his Disciples or his Sermon on the Mount. 
 In this sense, Christ, and the Prophets, and the 
 Apostles, were, in some sort, equally the foun- 
 dation of the Church ; because they all declared 
 from God, that system of Divine Truth upon 
 which our faith and hope may rest. So far are 
 we built upon the foundation of the Apostles 
 and Prophets, for we have believed their tes- 
 timony. AVhat Christ, and the Prophets, and 
 Apostles revealed, of the different parts of the 
 plan of salvation, we have believed ; and have 
 placed our hopes upon the truth of what they 
 have spoken. 
 
 Then how great are the privileges of believers ! 
 
THE CHURCH A SPIRITUAL BUILDING. 313 
 
 — ill this view only, how great are they! — even 
 in this simple particular, that we are built upon 
 such a foundation as the one here described. 
 For look round the habitable globe, and ob- 
 serve how many millions among the Heathen, 
 In the present day and in former ages, never 
 heard of the Apostles and Prophets, or one 
 word of their testimony ; and how few even of 
 those to whom the Gospel is preached ever be- 
 lieve or obey it: infidels abound in Christian 
 Lands, who account the whole a cunningly- 
 devised fable : to many, God hath sent a strong 
 delusion that they should believe a lie — to few, 
 hath he given repentance to the acknowledg- 
 ment of the truth : the greater number of No- 
 minal Christians go through the world, and die, 
 without ever understanding or inquiring about 
 those important truths, which it is such a pri- 
 vilege to know. But ye are, many of you, a 
 peculiar people : the word of truth has not only 
 sounded upon your ears, but God has given you 
 grace to attend to it, and to find it the Gospel 
 of your salvation. 
 
 But that which is the chief excellency of 
 our state is, that we not only depend upon the 
 Word as revealing Jesus Christ, but by so 
 doing we depend upon Jesus Christ as revealed 
 in the Word : we are built upon that foundation, 
 of which Jesus Christ himself is the chief 
 
314 FIFTEENTH SERMON. 
 
 corner-stone, not Jesus Christ's Word. He is the 
 foundation of his Church in his own Person, and 
 not by his Word only which he spake. He is 
 HIMSELF the chief corner-stone: he not only 
 declared the way of God in truth, but was him- 
 self the way and the truth. In this capacity he 
 stands alone, and bears up the pile of the spi- 
 ritual building by his own strength. 
 
 Jesus Christ is the elect and precious corner- 
 stone which God hath laid in Zion: though he 
 is one which the builders rejected, he is laid 
 for this purpose, that every trembling sinner 
 who feels his own weakness and inability to 
 stand alone before God, either on the score of 
 merit or innate holiness, may come to it, and 
 let all the weight of his salvation rest entirely 
 upon it. He is permitted to depend upon the 
 merits of Christ for his pardon and acceptance 
 with God, and may expect to find in him all 
 necessary grace and strength. He^ that be- 
 lieveth in him, shall not be confounded. To him 
 many have come, for he is a tried stone, and 
 are builded together ; and find him to be, not 
 only the ground for their security, but also, as 
 the corner-stone is in a building, the bond of 
 their union. To him ye have come, and on him 
 are ye built. 
 
 Then consider how peculiar is your privilege, 
 Beloved, in this respect. Though it is contained 
 
THE CHURCH A SPIRITUAL BUILDING. 315 
 
 in the Scriptures that other foundation can no 
 man lay, than that is laid, ivhich is Jesus Christ 
 (I Cor. iii. 11); that is, no foundation on which 
 we can safely be built except him : yet mankind 
 are ever rearing their respective superstructures 
 on a different foundation : some build upon the 
 presumptuous hopes of God's mercy; expecting 
 to see the Lord without holiness : others are 
 raising a fair fabric on the ground of their own 
 righteousness: others are pleasing themselves 
 with a motley building, which they have raised 
 on two foundations, Christ and their own works : 
 all which may stand for a while, and make a 
 fair shew during the momentary calm of God's 
 forbearance; but will instantly crumble into 
 dust, when his breath shall blow upon them. 
 Now where so many are wrong and so few are 
 right, how happy your lot to be in the latter 
 number, by having found the true foundation ! 
 How great is your privilege, who have been 
 taught to perceive that stone to be precious, 
 which to others is a stone of stumbling, and a 
 rock of offence ; even to them which stumble at 
 the word, being disobedient I (1 Pet. ii. 8). 
 
 III. How glorious is now your condition 
 upon this foundation, will appear when we 
 consider, in the third place, the edifice or 
 BUILDING itself. — In whom the whole building 
 
316 FIFTEENTH SERMON. 
 
 fitly framed together groweth mito a holy temple 
 in the Lord. 
 
 The model of the glorious edifice has existed 
 from everlasting, in the mind of its great Archi- 
 tect ; and, in conformity to that model, the 
 building rises, 
 
 1. Let us, first, observe the building, as the 
 
 WORK GOES ON. 
 
 In that part of it which is already to be seen, 
 observe ho\N fitly each stone is suited to its 
 place. As in the members of the human body, 
 if they ivere all one member, ivhere were the 
 body ? so in this building, if all the stones were 
 equal in size, polish, and shape, where were the 
 building ? But now it is so ordered, that some 
 shall form the broad base of a pillar, others the 
 long shafts, others the ornamented capital : an- 
 other shall be of use to turn an arch, another be 
 a key-stone : this shall be found in the cornice, 
 and another in the ceiling : but they all have 
 their use, in their respective places ; and other 
 arrangements would destroy the beauty and 
 symmetry of the building. Those lively atones, 
 which are intended rather for strength than orna- 
 ment, need not so much polishing ; while others, 
 which are designed for a conspicuous part in 
 the building, suffer the strokes of God's heavy 
 hand, and have their roughnesses worn away by 
 afliliction, because they are to become the 
 
THE CHURCH A SPIUITUAL BUILDING. 317 
 
 polished comers of the temple. Thus unto 
 every one of us is given grace according to the 
 measure of the gift of Christ. He gave some to 
 be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, 
 evangelists ; and some, pastors and teachers : for 
 the perfecting of the saints, for the ivork of the 
 ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ 
 (Eph. iv.7, 11,12). 
 
 2. Having now vsurveyed the contrivance and 
 arrangement of the parts of the spiritual build- 
 ing, mark next its gradual growth. 
 
 From the day that the first stone was laid in 
 the superstructure at the conversion of our first 
 parents, another and another has been added, 
 and the building has been rising from generation 
 to generation. Persons of all ages, sexes, and 
 conditions, have been taken from the world, and 
 fitted one to another in it. Young and old, rich 
 and poor, have been added to the Church, in 
 every different age ; and though the work goes 
 on with different degrees of rapidity at different 
 times, God is always employed in it. 
 
 At the present moment, it is still rising : some 
 stones are under the workmen's hand- — others 
 are fixed in their places in the Church. At this 
 day, more than in ancient times, men of all 
 nations and kindreds and people and tongues, 
 English, Americans, Danes, Africans, Hin- 
 doos, Hottentots, Mohawks — millions, who have 
 never seen one another in the flesh, are vet 
 
318 FIFTEENTH SERMON. 
 
 built up together, and united in one corner- 
 stone, the Lord Jesus Christ! Behold, these 
 shall come from far ; and lo, these from the north 
 and from the west, and these from the land of 
 Sinim (Is. xlix. 12). 
 
 Thus it goes on, steadily indeed, but silently : 
 for like that temple which was the type of it, 
 there is neither hammer, nor axe, nor any tool of 
 iron heard in the house while it is in building 
 (1 Kings vi. 7). The kingdom of God cometh 
 not with observation ; and so, though the build- 
 ing of this Temple is God's one great concern, 
 and that for which he sufters the earth to stand 
 and keeps the wheels of providence in motion, 
 it makes little noise in the world : very few of 
 mankind ever hear there is such a building 
 going on. 
 
 But He, tliat hath built his stones in the 
 heaven, worketh in it hitherto, and will 
 work to the end of time ; and, in future ages, 
 out of thousands yet unborn, will increase the 
 greatness of the structure. The zeal of the 
 Lord of Hosts will do this, though its progress is 
 slow at present. He, the Lord, ivill hasten it in 
 its time. Swiftly shall it rise, and rear its ma- 
 jestic height to the praise of the glory of his 
 grace, while the happy workmen shall gladly 
 pursue their labour; till, at last, they shall 
 bring forth the head-stone thereof with shoutings, 
 crying, Grace, Grace, tinto it ! (Zech. iv. 7). 
 
THE CHURCH A SPIRITUAL BUILDING. 319 
 
 3. In order to derscribe our privileges still 
 further, according to the design of the Holy 
 Spirit in the text, let us anticipate the 
 
 FINISHING OF THE TEMPLE. 
 
 Suppose, then, the period arrived, when the 
 scaffolding is struck down and the rubbish 
 moved away : that is, suppose this earth which 
 was the stage for its erection, now removed 
 from beneath it, and the wicked, the refuse of 
 mankind, cast far away out of sight. Conceive 
 ^hat you see nothing but the building. Lo ! it 
 stands high in view, for the admiration of the 
 surrounding universe. Walk about Zion, and 
 go round about her: tell the towers thereof: 
 fiiark ye well her bidwarks: consider her pa- 
 laces — that ye may tell it to the generation follow- 
 ing (Ps. xlviii.12,13). What is her foundation? 
 The rock of ages ! Who is her inhabitant ? — 
 her inhabitant is God! Not a flaw, not a 
 blemish is to be seen: every stone is in its 
 proper place ; and all contributing to the beauty 
 of the whole ! No want of symmetry in the 
 general outline and plan — nothing imperfect in 
 the execution of each part. Behold it stands 
 an eternal monument, to the glory of God, of 
 his power, and wisdom, and grace! It is all 
 bright and glorious, wherever you take your 
 view of it — radiating in every part with the 
 beamings of divine glory! Her light is like 
 
320 FIFTEENTH SERMON. 
 
 unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper! 
 It is a Temple of souls ! every stone is a living 
 soul, a blood-bought spirit! Every one is a 
 chosen warrior, who has fought his battle in his 
 days, and has conquered ! They have come 
 out of great tribulation to be stones for this 
 building ! Affliction gave them their polish ; 
 and the cement which unites them is love ! 
 
 But while we admire its beauty, let not the 
 suspicion arise, that any thing should happen to 
 mar its form or impair its glory. Earthly 
 fabrics have, indeed, every thing to fear from 
 the effects of inclement skies : for they must 
 all, in their turn, become like those ancient 
 cities, where thorns come up in the palaces; 
 nettles and brambles in the fortresses thereof — 
 where the mouldering arches and half-remain- 
 ing walls shew the devastating hand of time. 
 But our Zion hath nought to fear from time, for 
 time ceases when her glory begins : and though 
 she must be exposed to the storm and beating 
 of the rain, during the dark watches of the night; 
 yet when the morning of the resurrection 
 Cometh, it will be as clear sunshine after rain, 
 even a morning without clouds (2 Sam xxiii. 4). 
 As she shall suffer by no natural causes of dis- 
 solution, so neither shall she fall by hostile 
 violence. It was truly said by Christ to those 
 who spoke of the Temple at Jerusalem, how it 
 
THK CHUIICH A SPIRITUAL BUILDING. 321 
 
 was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, that 
 the day should come upon her when one stone 
 should not be left upon another, which should 
 not be thrown down : but it shall not be so 
 with our spiritual temple. Even now we may 
 ask, Why do the heathen rage, and the j^cople 
 imagine a vain thing ? Even now we may look 
 at her foundation and ask, 
 
 *' What shall shake thy sure repose ?" 
 Resting' on him, she mocks the assaults of 
 besiegers, even in her weakness : but when the 
 day of her perfection is come, the very sound of 
 the shoutings of her enemies can be heard no 
 more. Satan and his agents must first break 
 through their chains of darkness, ere they can 
 again plant their engines against her. In 
 righteousness slmlt thou be established : thou 
 shalt be far from oppression, for thou shalt not 
 fear ; and from terror, for it shall not come near 
 thee (Is. liv. 14). 
 
 And now let us CLOSE our subject, in which 
 we have set before you the privileges which 
 belong to true believers ; while we have consi- 
 dered the Materials of the edifice, the Founda- 
 tion, and the Building itself. 
 
 1 . The persons whom we have been imme- 
 diately addressing are the people of God : but 
 as it is hardly to be belie\'€d that you are all of 
 
 Y 
 
322 FIFTEENTH SERMON. 
 
 this number, let us, in the first part of our appli- 
 cation, make an inquiry. 
 
 And, here, the question should not be, Have 
 you ceased to associate with the world, and 
 written down your name among those who 
 profess to be living for another world ? but, Are 
 you really a fellow- citizen with the saints ?— 
 not merely connected with them in their pas- 
 sage through this world, but owned by the king 
 of the country whither they are travelling ? Do 
 you shew that you are not mindftd of the 
 country from whence you say you are come 
 out ? — that you are not seeking it again, nor 
 entangling yourself with its affairs ? — that you 
 are looking for a city which hath foundations ; 
 a better country, that is, a heavenly one? 
 There is much greater reason for supposing 
 yourselves fellow- citizens with sinners, if you 
 are like them in your spirit, than there is for 
 supposing yourselves fellow-citizens with the 
 saints, because at other times you are like them. 
 
 It is further to be asked. Are you of the 
 household of God ? — are you the sons of God ? 
 If it be asked, " How can this be known ?" we 
 reply, in the words of St. Paul, As many as are 
 led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of 
 God(Jiom. viii. 14). Are you changed from 
 glory to glory, as by that Spirit ? Do you, con- 
 scious of your high birth and inheritance of 
 
THE CHURCH A SPIRITUAL BUILDING. 323 
 
 glory, disdain to be conformed to the children 
 of darkness ? and, shewing no desire after this 
 world nor inordinate concern about it, are you 
 spiritually minded, and influenced by spiritual 
 motives ? 
 
 Again, have ye not only received Christ Jesus 
 the Lord as the foundation of your hopes, but 
 do ye so walk in him, rooted and grounded in 
 him, established in the faith? Is your life a 
 life of faith in him ? Do you look to him for 
 grace and strength to perform every duty ? Do 
 you seek real communion with him in secret, 
 and are you grieved if he is absent? Do you 
 strive to set the Lord always before you, and 
 to frame and fashion your lives after his exam- 
 ple? Are your souls emblems of the great 
 temple of the Church — a holy temple in the 
 Lord — habitations of God through the Spirit? 
 
 2. If these evidences of your being built up 
 in Christ be in the general wanting, you must 
 be considered as belonging to those strangers 
 and foreigners with whom we are about, in the 
 second place, to remonstrate. 
 
 The edifice, which you have heard de- 
 scribed, is not a castle in the air: it hath an 
 existence more real far than any that you see : 
 and, what is more, every man that is saved 
 must come and be built upon it. All others will 
 y2 
 
324 FIFTEENTH SERMOX. 
 
 be swept away as rubbish with tlie besom of 
 destruction, and be burnt up with the earth in 
 which they lie. Brethren, do not the glories of 
 the edifice kindle some little desire to belong 
 to it ? Then come and prepare for it ! You are 
 not, like the rock in the quarry, free from blame 
 if you are never separated from the earth ; for 
 nothing is wanting but your own consent- Be 
 willing, then, to leave your natural state : put 
 yourselves into the hands of the workman, that 
 he may in any wise fit you for some place in the 
 building. If it be not done here, it cannot be 
 hereafter: for when the temple is finished, 
 another stone cannot be inserted without 
 destroying its beauty and strength, or building 
 it all anew. 
 
 3. Lastly, let us congratulate those whom 
 we can address in the Apostle's own words; 
 those who, however weak and fearful, are 
 making it the business of their lives to be edified 
 in the Church of Christ. 
 
 Though you are afllicted with fightings with- 
 out and fears within, and in heaviness through 
 manifold temptations, these things are only pre- 
 paring you for your place in the building : the 
 more the stone suffers the strokes of the chisel 
 and the hammer, the finer will be its polish : the 
 more you are afflicted, the more conspicuous 
 
THE CHURCH A SPIRITUAL BUILDING. 325 
 
 your place in the building ; and far more ex- 
 ceeding will be your glory. Happy, thrice 
 happy are ye, Sons of God! — loved with an 
 everlasting love — brought into being precisely 
 at the time when the building had reached your 
 destined place — separated from the world by a 
 strong hand and stretched-out arm — and fixed 
 immoveably in your place where you are to 
 shine for ever and ever. Who ! O luho is like 
 unto thee, O people saved by the JLord ? The eter- 
 nal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the ever- 
 lasting arms. Israel shall divell in safety alone : 
 his heavens shall drop down deiv. Happy art 
 thou, O Israel ! who is like unto thee ! O people, 
 saved by the Lord! (Deut. xxxiii. 27 — 29). 
 
 Admire the displayed perfections — the ful- 
 filled promises — the endearing relations of the 
 Most High ! Awake ! and utter the Song of 
 Moses and of the Lamb. Since the Lord hath 
 brought us through fire and water to a goodly 
 heritage— since he hath brought us out of a 
 fearful pit, and out of the miry clay, and with 
 tender care and unceasing love builds us up in 
 his holy temple — let us believe his mighty works 
 and sing his praise ! Let there be a new song 
 in our hearts and in our mouth, even praises to 
 our God ! Let our meditation of these things be 
 sweet; and let our souls, which he hath re- 
 
326 FIFTEENTH SERMON. 
 
 deemed, rejoice in God our only Lord ! 
 Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who 
 only doeth ivoiidrous things ; and blessed be his 
 glorious name for ever ; and let the ivhole earth 
 be filled with his glory ! Amen, and Amen. 
 
SERMON XVI. 
 
 THE TREMBLING JAILER. 
 
 ACTS Xvi. 29 31. 
 
 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and 
 came trembling, and fell doivn before Paul 
 and Silas ; and brought them out, and said, 
 Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they 
 said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and 
 thou shall be saved. 
 
 If there were any subject of religion in which 
 it were pai'donable for us to amuse you with 
 speculations, or if there were any truths con- 
 nected with your spiritual interests to which 
 you might reasonably be inattentive ; yet cer- 
 tain it is, that the truth contained in the words 
 which we have read to you is not one of them. 
 For here we find a question proposed of such 
 awful magnitude, that, in comparison of it, all 
 other inquiries sink into insignificance. It is 
 not here asked, as in a case of great doubtful- 
 ness and uncertainty, What is the will of God 
 and the path of duty ? It is not inquired, What 
 
328 SIXTEKNTH SEUMOX. 
 
 is the precise nature of salvation ? or, What the 
 extent of man's power to obtain it? but simply 
 that great critical question, with which all 
 others of a religious nature are more or less con- 
 nected, What muit I do to be saved? 
 
 Not to anticipate any future observations 
 which we may make on the importance of this 
 question, let it be sufficient to observe, that if 
 there be in man a si)iritual part which survives 
 his body — if there be a God who shall call 
 that spirit into judgment — if there be, to say 
 the least, a possibility of its being consigned to 
 misery — then it becomes us, as reasonable 
 men, to regard the subject of our text as en- 
 titled to our most attentive meditation. 
 
 The words naturally lead us to consider, 
 first, the jailer's question; and, secondly, 
 the apostle's ans-svek. 
 
 I. The circumstances which led to this 
 QUESTION are related in the foregoing context. 
 
 Paul and Silas were now at Philippi, a city 
 of Macedonia: not the chief city, for that was 
 Thessalonica; but the first which they would 
 meet with in their way from Neapolis. Here 
 they soon met with persecution; occasioned 
 chiefly by Paul's having cast out a spirit of 
 divination from a damsel, who brought her 
 masters much gain by soothsaying. The mas- 
 ters, enraged at their loss, excited the popular 
 
THE TREMBLING JAILEli. 
 
 520 
 
 clamour against the Apostles: arid the magis- 
 trates rent off their clothes, and commanded to 
 beat them. And when they had laid many stripes 
 upon them, they cast them into priso?i, charging 
 the jailer to keep them safely; ivho, having 
 received such a charge, thrust them into the 
 inner prison, and made their feet fast in the 
 stocks (vv. 22—24). 
 
 From this narrative it should seem that the 
 jailer himself was a persecutor, as well as the 
 instrument of persecuting malice; for the ex- 
 pressions of thrusting them, and into the inrier 
 prison, and of making their ieetfast in the 
 stocks, make it very probable that much un- 
 necessary severity was used. 
 
 But no bodily suffering could deprive them 
 of their inward enjoyments: these strangers 
 intermeddled not with their joy ; for when men 
 have wreaked all their fury on the body, after 
 that they have nothing that they can do. 
 Neither the thick wall nor bolted gates could 
 hinder the passage of the heavenly dove to 
 them : they received the visits of the Comforter ; 
 and found God their Maker, who giveth songs 
 in the night. At midnight, when most of their 
 fellow-creatures were taking their repose, these 
 Holy Apostles were prevented, by the pain of 
 their lacerated flesh, the uneasy position of 
 their bodies, and probably by the noisomeness 
 
 * 
 
330 SIXTEENTH SERMON. 
 
 of the place, from enjoying sleep or rest. But 
 how did they pass away the dark watches of 
 the night? — not in sighs, but in songs ; imitating 
 therein the example of David, who, when he 
 was overwhelmed with trouble, could say, in 
 the confidence of hope, hi the night, his song 
 shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of 
 my life (Ps. xlii. 8). At midnight Paul and Silas 
 prayed, and sang praises unto God — rejoicing, 
 with the rest of the Apostles, that they were 
 counted worthy to suffer shame for the Name of 
 Jesus. It had not often happened that the 
 Songs of Zion were heard within the precints of 
 a Heathen Prison; and the novelty of the sound 
 seems to have excited no small surprise in the 
 rest of the prisoners, for it is particularly men- 
 tioned that the prisoners heard them. 
 
 The prison now exhibited a most striking as- 
 semblage of remarkable circumstances. The 
 stillness of the hour, the silent attention of the 
 prisoners in their respective cells, the cheerful 
 notes of divine melody in a place where the 
 walls had hitherto echoed only with groans, 
 must have presented a very solemn scene. 
 
 The Jailer, who was soon to become a very 
 prominent person in the history, was now fast 
 asleep. While the song of thanksgiving was thus 
 ascending from the dungeon, there was one 
 above who heard not their praises only, but 
 
THE TREMBLING JAILER. 331 
 
 listened to the voice of their cry ; and now He 
 was about to make bare his holy arm, and to 
 cause the lighting dow n of it to be seen — now 
 God w as about to say to his enemies, Touch not 
 mine anointed, arid do my prophets no harm 
 (Ps. cv. 1 5). Suddenly the earth shook beneath 
 the foundations of the prison — the walls of the 
 fabric tottered, as about to tumble into ruins — 
 the ground trembled at the touch of the Al- 
 mighty's finger — the massy gates flew open, of 
 their own accord, before God — and the bands 
 of the prisoners no longer retained their hold in 
 his presence. By this time, the Jailer was roused 
 from his sleep : but seems to have felt as yet 
 no fear with respect to his eternal salvation ; for, 
 on seeing the prison doors open, he instantly 
 seized his sword, and was about to plunge into 
 eternity — a sufficient proof that he was unpre- 
 pared to go into it. Paul and Silas alone stood 
 undisturbed. This awful display of Divine 
 Power did not terrify them, because they knew 
 that the God of Nature was their friend . Seemg 
 the rash act which the man was about to per- 
 petrate, Paul cried out, with a loud voice, as- 
 suring him that none of them had escaped. 
 Then it was that he seems to have been con- 
 vinced that these were servants of the Most 
 High God; and the thoughts of the future judg- 
 ment which they had been preaching, and the 
 
332 SIXTEENTH SERMON. 
 
 consciousness of his own sins, crowded at once 
 upon his mind. Tlieti he called for a lig/ti, and 
 sprajig i?i, a?id came Iremblitig. 
 
 The question of the Jailer seems to express 
 three things, in each of which we shall endea- 
 vour to point out what is your duty, and shall 
 exhort you to it. It expresses, first, a desire 
 to be informed on the way of salvation ; 
 secondly, a determination to comply with the 
 conditions ; and, thirdly, an ea rn estness suited 
 to the importance of the case. 
 
 1. You should seek to be informed about 
 
 the WAV OF SALVATION. 
 
 That men do not generally make such in- 
 quiry is a melancholy fact, which we shall not 
 have much difficulty in proving ; for, wherever 
 we have occasion to observe the crowd of men, 
 they may be seen ranging through the world, 
 as bees from flower to flower, examining busily 
 into the state and nature of things, in quest of 
 gain and science, while this question alone is 
 forgotten : and the reason is, that they are not 
 aware of their ignorance in this matter. They 
 suppose, almost universally, that it is only to 
 turn away from evil courses to a life of some- 
 vvhat greater strictness, and salvation is secured ; 
 and, with these vague, confused, indistinct no- 
 tions, they remain satisfied. If they be reminded 
 of the justice of God requiring an atonement 
 
THE TREMBLING JAILER. S33 
 
 for past sin, as well as the necessity of abstain- 
 ing from sin in future, and of the necessity of 
 regeneration, and other tilings of this nature — 
 if the diti^iculties lying in the way of a sinner's 
 justification be stated to them ; and the appa- 
 rent obstacles pointed out, whether arising from 
 God or ourselves — they have no curiosity to 
 know more of the truth ; but, if pressed to a 
 conviction, decline all further prosecution of 
 tlie subject. We beseech you to have done 
 with this perverse continuing in ignorance — 
 that even if you are determined to remain in 
 sin for some time longer (for that, in fact, is 
 the case), you may at least have an understand- 
 ing of the way of salvation — that, at some future 
 time, when God's terrors are more powerfully 
 in your mind, you may be at no loss to know 
 what steps are to be taken, or what course to be 
 followed in order to be saved. 
 
 Prudence, then, dictates the necessity which 
 lies on all men, of at least making the simple 
 inquiry in the text : yet prudence seems to be 
 entirely disregarded. The Philosopher who 
 professes to be engaged in the investigation of 
 truth, or the Scholar who can discover new 
 beauties in- the pages of heathen classical lite- 
 rature by his powers of criticism, are disposed 
 to leave this question to the consideration of 
 vulgar minds : the Tradesman has no time for 
 
334 SIXTEENTH SERMON. 
 
 acquainting himself accurately with the way of 
 salvation ; but leaves it to the Clergy, whose 
 business it is to consider it : the Poor Man ex- 
 cuses himself from learning the way to be saved, 
 because he has never been taught to read, or 
 has no faculties or opportunity for learning. 
 But to these and all other persons, we offer the 
 forementioned arguments of prudence : for the 
 time will come to the Scholar, when his read- 
 ing must be at an end and his books put up ; 
 and then his taste and his learning and refine- 
 ment will but poorly supply the want of the 
 knowledge of the way of salvation : the time is 
 coming to the Tradesman, when his accounts 
 must close and his speculations be over ; and 
 then it will be of little consequence for him to 
 know how a fortune is to be raised, if he does 
 not know how the soul may be saved : and, to 
 the Poor Man, the hour is hastening, when he 
 will find it very hard to understand the nature 
 of that Gospel, of which he learnt nothing in 
 the course of his former life. 
 
 This, then, is plainly a duty incumbent on us 
 as rational creatures, to make ourselves ac- 
 quainted with the way in which men are to be 
 saved. 
 
 2. Having now considered the Jailer's ques- 
 tion in one point of view, namely, as containing 
 an Inquiry into the Way of Salvation, we pro- 
 
THE TREMBLING JAILER. 335 
 
 ceed to shew from it, in the second place, that 
 there must be a determination to comply 
 
 WITH the conditions OF SALVATION. 
 
 It is possible, nay it is very common, for 
 men to dispute, and with no small earnestness, 
 on certain questions which are called religious, 
 but which have no sort of reference to them- 
 selves : for instance, they inquire, whether any 
 of the Heathen can be saved, and in what man- 
 ner ; but not whether they themselves are in a 
 state of salvation : such was the question asked 
 by the disciples of Christ — Lord, are there many 
 that be saved? But how much more wisely did 
 the Jailer ask. What must I do to he saved ? 
 
 Selfishness, in all other cases, is one of the 
 most remarkable traits in the character of 
 fallen man : it is obtruded upon our notice in 
 all the dealings which we have with one an- 
 other. Every question is interesting exactly in 
 that degree in which it affects ourselves : this 
 question, alone, we prefer to hear discussed in 
 a general and abstracted manner; and the 
 reason is this, that if this question come near to 
 ourselves, we are afraid of certain painful con- 
 ditions. But this was not the mind of the 
 Jailer. When he asked. What must / do ? he 
 foresaw that the answer, with all its conse- 
 quences, belonged to himself as much as the 
 question did ; nevertheless he did not hesitate 
 
336 SIXTEENTH SERMON-. 
 
 to put the question in this form to one-, who, he 
 knew, would keep back none of the truth. 
 Brethren, why should you speak or think of 
 these things only in a general way ? why not 
 apply your knowledge to a practical purpose ? 
 why not turn the edge of your arguments upon 
 yourselves ? Do you suppose that God loves 
 you in the crowd of mankind, because you 
 love yourself in it? and when you die will you 
 not die alone ? Then inquire, in simplicity and 
 integrity of heart, as one who is alone with God, 
 What must / do ? and thus shew your readiness 
 to comply with the conditions. 
 
 Another proof of the sincerity and willing- 
 ness of the Jailer to submit to any duty that 
 might be imposed upon him was this — that he 
 asked. What must I do? He therefore sup- 
 posed there was something for him to do ; and, 
 at the same time, his question proves that he 
 resolved to do it. In the same manner do you 
 ask the question: desire not to be told that 
 you need only to believe this or that particular 
 doctrine, and that then you may go away pri- 
 vileged by your orthodox creed and enjoy the 
 world : seek not for allowances to be made to 
 you on the score of your habits of self-indul- 
 gence ; but stand ready, with the arm of re- 
 solution uplifted, to cut off the right hand, 
 instantly, as God demands it. Do not desire 
 
THE TREMBLING JAILER. 337 
 
 that the narrow way should be filled up, or the 
 strait gate shut, and another path more smooth 
 and flowery should be found for yon, other than 
 the saints have trodden: but rather consider 
 with yourselves, that Christ has said, Whosoever 
 he be, that for saketh not all that he hath, he 
 cannot be my disciple (Luke xiv. 33). Reason 
 the case thus with yourselves — What shall it 
 profit a man, if he shall gain the whole worlds 
 and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give 
 in exchange for his soull (Matt. viii. 36, 37). 
 
 3. Having thus confirmed your resolutions, 
 by sound argument and reasoning founded on 
 ScriptureTruth, then say, with calm deliberation 
 and firmness, " Only let it be made kno\\Ti to 
 me what is to be done for salvation ; and that, 
 if helped from above, will / do." 
 
 Observe the earnestness of the Jailer. See 
 how it is marked in every gesture. He sprang 
 in — and came trembling — and fell down. See 
 also how it is heard in every word of his 
 quick, short, rapid question — Sirs ! what must 
 I do to be saved? He flew as if the earth- 
 quake had caused the ground to cleave asunder 
 behind him — so clearly did he perceive his 
 danger. 
 
 Must I tell you that you ought to be 
 earnest? — you, men of reason, men of sense! 
 Carelessness in the business of salvation ! what 
 
S38 
 
 SIXTEENTH SERMON. 
 
 is it? — it is not folly, but madness! — it is not 
 sleep : it is death ! 
 
 To describe the earnestness with which this 
 question should be asked, is beyond the power 
 of words : but— to compare great things with 
 small — look at the trembling wretch, who, 
 having lost his footing on firm ground, is falling^ 
 lower and lower, the sandy earth giving way 
 under his feet, and he catching at every tuft of 
 grass in his way, yet just reaching the edge of 
 the precipice whence he will Ml headlong into 
 the roaring gulph below ! Or watch the man, 
 who, having been shipwrecked on a stormy 
 ocean, has more than once sunk beneath the 
 wave, but is now sinking to rise no more ! hear 
 him cry. What shall I do to be saved ? 
 
 And do we ask for Motives to be earnest in 
 religion, where there is every thing to call forth 
 all the enero;ies of the soul ? — where the ar^u- 
 ments, like the wheels of God's chariot, are 
 so high that they are dreadful ? — where the 
 motives to impel to action or to affect the pas- 
 sions, are so clear, so full, so strong, as to' 
 stretch every faculty of the soul to a painful 
 extent, and make it ready to burst its tenement 
 and soar away ? 
 
 The weapons, which God has permitted his 
 messengers to take from the armoury of heaven, 
 lire endued with such unknown but awful 
 
THE TREMBLING JAILER. S39 
 
 power, that they may well tremble when they 
 use them. They have to do, not with the body 
 of man, but the mind, the immortal spirit ; and 
 their instruments of action are suitable : they 
 wield a sw ord which is quick and powerful^ 
 and sharper than any two-edged sivord, piercing 
 even to the dividing asunder of soid and spirit 
 (Heb. iv. 12). Happiness or misery, in life, in 
 death, and at the resurrection, are among* the 
 smaller motives which we can use to excite to 
 earnestness : we may speak to you of an 
 infinite and eternal God, who commands you 
 to be earnest : we can point to glory everlasting 
 as the reward, and an eternal hell as the punish- 
 ment. But these topics we forbear to enlarge 
 upon, but rather leave it to yourselves to con- 
 sider what force they ought to have to rouse 
 you and me to earnestness. 
 
 II. We shall, therefore, now pass on from 
 the Jailer's Question to the Apostle's ANSWER. 
 
 Notwithstanding its simplicity, a great variety 
 of answers have been given to the question in 
 all ages. What shall I do to be saved? 
 
 Some say, " Do? — do nothing :" this would 
 hardly satisfy the Jailer, or any one else who 
 felt himself an accountable creature. 
 
 Others say, " Do ? — do every thing : fear 
 God and keep his commandments :" this would 
 2 1 
 
340 SIXTEENTH SERMON. 
 
 be but an unsatisfying* direction to any one who 
 was conscious of past sin, which needed 
 pardon ; and who was also but too certain that 
 he should still continue to offend God and 
 break his commandments — besides that he 
 reads, Sy the works of the law shall nofiesh be 
 justified (Gal. ii. 16). 
 
 A third description of persons would reply 
 to the inquiring penitent in this manner — "■ You 
 have been baptized, and believe, too, the truth 
 of Christianity and the divinity of Christ; now 
 you must take care to live in the exercise of 
 good works." What possible relief could this 
 give to his mind ? He might be told, indeed, 
 that, if he continued obedient, his past sins 
 would be forgiven ; that is, they shall be for- 
 given at the last day : but this, of course, could 
 afford no present peace. His next concern, 
 therefore, would be, to inquire about these 
 good works, by which he was to obtain pardon : 
 he would naturally ask, how much were neces- 
 sary for this purpose : if they answer, " Do as 
 much as you are able," then, if this be true, if 
 none can be saved but those who do as much 
 as they are able, all mankind must perish ; for 
 no one does as much as he is able. They will 
 then explain themselves, by calling it a sincere, 
 though imperfect obedience : to this we observe, 
 that, since the degree of necessary obedience 
 
THE TREMBLING JAILER. 
 
 341 
 
 IS not defined, it follows, that, in a large body 
 of baptized persons— as, for instance, all the 
 people of Christendom — there \vill be all pos- 
 sible degrees of obedience ; and, consequently, 
 wherever the line be drawTi between the right- 
 eous and the wicked, there can be but the 
 least possible difference between the worst 
 of the righteous and the best of the wicked ; 
 whereas, in Scripture, the terms applied to the 
 persons on either side of the line are. Light 
 and Darkness, Life and Death, &c : and, in 
 the eteraal state, there is a great gulf fixed 
 between them ; and they go on, (diverging farther 
 and farther from one another. Yet this System 
 of Divinity, so contradictory to Scripture, is the 
 favourite of the present day ; and is adopted by 
 most who are strangers to their guilt and corrup- 
 tion, and therefore confound Law and Gospel. 
 In opposition to all these errors, we glory in 
 saying with the Apostle, to every one who 
 knows any thing of the spirit of the trembling 
 Jailer, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and 
 thou shall he saved. 
 
 But, here, to prevent mistakes and anticipate 
 objections, we must observe, that different an- 
 swers have been given to this same question 
 in other parts of the New Testament : and the 
 reason of this is obvious ; for the answers were 
 suited to the different states of those to whom 
 
342 SIXTKENTH blLRMO.V. 
 
 they vrere given. Thus, when the publicans 
 and soldiers asked John the Baptist what they 
 w^ere to do, he told them to leave off their 
 iniquitous practices : for, in that dim dawn of 
 the Gospel Day, it was as much as they could 
 bear ; and if they w ere sincere and follow ed 
 his injunctions, they would then be prepared 
 for further instructions. When the rich young 
 man asked our Saviour what good thing he 
 must do to inherit eternal life, he w as told, If 
 thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandmefits 
 (Matt. xix. 17). If thou wilt enter into life, the 
 first thing to be done is, to keep the command- 
 ments, as far as you know them. AVlien you 
 shew the sincerity of your heart by serving 
 God according to your knowledge, you shall 
 then receive further insight into the way of 
 salvation. 
 
 It is evident, also, that the disciples them- 
 selves did not preach the way of salvation by 
 Christ's blood during his life-time, because 
 they did not fully understand it themselves ; 
 but only said. Repent ye, for the kingdom of 
 heaven is at hand. But, at this time, the Go- 
 spel was clearly understood, and the Jailer was 
 in a state of mind to receive the whole light ..of 
 it ; and, therefore, St. Paul said to him. Believe 
 on ike Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shall be 
 mved. 
 
THE TREMBLING JAILER. 343 
 
 St. Paul, who spake the Word of the Lord 
 to him, would tell him, that his fears were well 
 founded; lor that he was condemned by the 
 law of conscience, and with all the rest of the 
 world was guilty before God. He would, 
 moreover, tell him tliat God, though One. 
 existed in Three Persons, the Second of whom, 
 the Son of God, had just appeared in the liesh, 
 according to prophecy, and voluntarily suflered 
 death for our sins, and had risen from the grave, 
 proving his divine mission ; that now, therefore, 
 God had declared that he would freely pardon 
 and save all those, who, convinced of their 
 guilt and willing to turn away from sin, would 
 plead the merits of this Saviour, and depend 
 entirely upon him for salvation. 
 
 This Gospel we preach to you. The efficacy 
 of Christ's atonement extends throughout all 
 a2:es. You, therefore, v.ho are asking:, in the 
 same mind as that of the Jailer, w hat you must 
 do to be saved, hear the glad tidings of the 
 Gospel — Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and 
 thou shall be saved. Believe God's testimony 
 concerning him, rest upon him simply for 
 pardon and peace, and you shall be saved. He, 
 tliat believeth on me, shall not come into con- 
 demnation, hut is passed from death unto life 
 (John V. 24}. IS It had been said that you shall 
 be pardoned, it were much more than carnal 
 
344 SIXTEENTH SERMON. 
 
 reasoiiers would be willing- to allow ; because 
 they hold that a life spent in good works is 
 necessary before we can be pardoned. But 
 more than pardon is promised : it is said, thou 
 shalt he saved — thou shalt not only be instantly 
 pardoned on believing, but shalt receive from 
 Christ his Spirit, to save thee from the power 
 of sin and the danger of a corrupt heart, which 
 would infallibly lead thee again to ruin ; but 
 which that Spirit shall so influence as that thou 
 shalt never, never fall away : for this is the 
 nature of the everlasting covenant, in which 
 God hath promised, / will not turn mvayfrom 
 them to do them good; hut I will put my fear in 
 their hearts, that they shall 7iot depart from 
 me (Jer. xxxii. 40). 
 
 Having now come to the close of our subject, 
 we shall CONCLUDE with addressing three de- 
 scriptions of persons : first, those who know 
 nothing of this salvation ; secondly, those who 
 suppose that they know it, but are yet in igno- 
 rance ; and, lastly, those who know it indeed. 
 
 1. To those WHO know nothing of these 
 
 THINGS. 
 
 The Jailer was awakened from his sleep by 
 an earthquake ; and was compelled, by the 
 terrors of God, to cry out, in the agony of a 
 troubled spirit, What must I do ? Would that 
 
THE TilEMBLlNG JAILER. 345 
 
 I were able to raise such a storm of terror, as 
 effectually to alarm you ! but we can only fore- 
 warn you of what will come to pass. Most of 
 you, I fear, will go away, somewhat impressed 
 perhaps with our subject ; but, looking forward 
 with satisfaction to the business of to-morrow 
 or the pleasures of the next day, will expel the 
 momentary gloom from your thoughts : but be 
 assured concerning our words, that to-morrow, 
 and the next day, and every day, as it brings 
 you nearer to eternity, increases the awfulness 
 of the warnings of God, though delivered by 
 weak men ; till, in the world to come, they shall 
 be heard repeated by the voice of God 
 Almighty, and fulfilled to your perdition. Then 
 take heed. Men and Brethren, how ye hear ! 
 and believe us when we say, that if you neglect 
 to cry for mercy now, you may expect, on your 
 death-bed, when your fear cometh as desolation^ 
 and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind, 
 when distress and anguish cometh upon you, that 
 Christ will say of you, Now they call upon me, 
 but I will not answer : they seek me early, hut 
 they shall not Jind me (Prov. i. 27, 28). While 
 you are yet in this world, the Lord Jesus is 
 invested in the glory of grace; and mercy and 
 peace are the attendants of his throne : still he 
 continues to hold out his right hand to sinners, 
 till he shall lift it up to heaven and swear that 
 
346 SIXTEENTH SERMOX. 
 
 time shall be no more : then, not the ground 
 shall tremble, or a single building be shaken, 
 but the foundations of the round world shall 
 be discovered : when its flaming walls shall 
 gi^ e way at his rebuke, the pillars of the uni- 
 verse shall totter to their basis, and the whole 
 sink into universal ruin : then you will cry, 
 What shall I do P but there will he no answer — 
 you will call to the rocks to fall on you, but 
 they will not hear. Then stir up yourselves to 
 the belief of these things, and flee from the 
 wrath to come. 
 
 2. Let us address those WHO suppose that 
 
 THEV BELIEVE IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, BUT 
 ARE MISTAKEN. 
 
 To you, it appears an easy thing to believe ; 
 and yet your faith, such as it is, gives you but 
 little pleasure, little profit. And the reason is, 
 that you have never repented . A las ! how many 
 professors of the Gospel are deceived in this 
 particular! having continually heard that sal- 
 vation is by faith, they adopt this doctrine as 
 their own ; but their hearts were never broken — 
 they never fled, as for their life, to Jesus Christ : 
 and though they thus profess to rest upon him, 
 their lives are as unfruitful as their hearts are 
 hard: they are sometimes assaulted with fears, 
 which they have learnt to call unbelief; but 
 they are only tli^e misgivings of Tonscience. 
 
THE TKEMBLINO JAILER. 347 
 
 warning them that they are building- upon tlie 
 sand. To you, then, we preach St. Peter's 
 words, rather than St. Paul's, wliich he used in 
 addressing a people very differently disposed 
 from the Jailer — Repent ye, and be converted, 
 that your sins vnay be blotted out (Acts iii. ID). 
 We would not presume to say these things, if 
 they tended to discourage any of you ; but we 
 e.xhort you to begin again, and enter in at the 
 strait gate. 
 
 3. We address, lastly, those who knom^ in 
 
 TRUTH THE SALVATION OF JESUS CHRIST. 
 
 It is said in the context, that the keeper of 
 the prison rejoiced, believing in God, even that 
 very night — he rejoiced before it was day. 
 This would be called enthusiasm, by some who 
 give that name to all professed assurance of 
 pardon. It is not often that assurance is ob- 
 tained so soon: but we may tell you, that, if 
 you have now believed, you shall be saved — 
 you are saved — Rejoice, therefore, iti hope of 
 the glory of God. Soon shall the Spirit witness 
 with your spirit, that you are the children of 
 God. Ere long you shall know what it is to 
 be saved ! when, amidst the wreck of a shat- 
 tered world, and the dissolution of all things, 
 you shall, like Paul and Silas in the earthquake, 
 stand unmoved at the danger, and rise superior 
 to the ruin. 
 
SERMON XVII. 
 
 THE STATE OF NATURE. 
 
 EPHESIANS, II. 1 — 3. 
 
 And you hath he quickened, who ivere dead in 
 trespasses and sins ; wherein in time past ye 
 walked according to the course of this worlds 
 according to the prince of the power of the 
 air, the spirit that now worketh in the children 
 of disobedience : among whom also we all had 
 our conversation in times past, in the lusts of 
 our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and 
 of the mind ; and were by nature the children 
 of wrath, even as others. 
 
 In order to preserve in our minds a constant 
 remembrance of our union to Christ and de- 
 pendance upon him, it has pleased the Holy 
 Ghost, in the Scriptures, to represent the prin- 
 cipal operations of grace in the heart, in terms 
 which correspond to the different parts of 
 Christ's work and sufferings upon earth. Thus 
 our deliverance from sin is called, in the 
 
350 SEVENTEENTH SERMON. 
 
 Epistle to the Colossians, the circumcision of 
 Christ — a putting off of the body of the sins of 
 the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ (Col. 
 ii. 11). In a similar manner, accordinj^ toother 
 passages (Col. ii. and Rom. vi), we are buried 
 with him in his baptism — crucified with him, or 
 die with him in his death — rise with him in his 
 resurrection — and sit with him in heaven ; that 
 is, we undergo in our hearts a change similar 
 and equal to that which took place in Christ's 
 bodily condition, when, after a death and burial 
 upon earth, he ascended to another world. 
 
 This is one sense of those numerous pas- 
 sages of the New Testament, in which we are 
 joined with Christ in the several parts of his 
 covenant transactions ; but is by no means the 
 most important sense. The principal signifi- 
 cation of them is undoubtedly this, that we 
 are spiritually circumcised, crucified, buried, 
 risen from sin unto righteousness, by virtue and 
 power derived from his meritorious crucifixion 
 and resurrection. 
 
 We cannot, at this time, examime all the pas- 
 sages at length ; but it will be proper for us to 
 observe the one which introduces the text. 
 
 In the preceding Chapter, St. Paul prays 
 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the 
 Father of glory, may give you the spirit of wis- 
 dom and revelation in the knoivledge of him .... 
 
THE STATE OF NATURE. 
 
 351 
 
 according to the working of his mighty power y 
 which he ivroiight in Christ, when he raised him 
 from the dead. The rest of the Chapter may be 
 considered as only the continuation of this idea, 
 or a digression : He hath raised him from the 
 dead — arid you, too, ivho ivere dead in trespasses 
 and sins : for the words, hath he quickened, are 
 not in the Original. The terms of this propo- 
 sition are brought together in the 5th verse, 
 where the same idea is represented — eveji when 
 we were dead in sins, he hath quickened us toge- 
 ther with Christ. 
 
 The words contain a delineation of the 
 STATE OF man: first, as it is by nature; 
 secondly, as it is by practice. 
 
 1 . Ye were dead in trespasses and sins. We are, 
 in our natural state, compared to the dead. 
 
 Let us contemplate that mournful residue of 
 human nature, a dead body. Among the 
 useful lessons to be read from it, there is one 
 not to be forgotten — that it is a picture of the 
 natural condition of the human soul. This body 
 has eyes, and feet, and the organs of a body ; 
 but it neither sees, nor hears, nor acts, nor 
 speaks : though it is furnished with the proper 
 instruments of action and of suffering, it wants 
 the vital principle to make those instruments 
 perform their functions. 
 
 So is the soul of m?Ti. 
 
352 SEVENTEENTH SERMON. 
 
 It comes into the world endued with all those 
 faculties which are comprehended under the 
 names of understanding, memory, and affec- 
 tions: man has an Understanding, that can 
 soar to unknown heights in science, and fathom 
 the deepest mysteries of nature — powers of rea- 
 soning, which can penetrate the most secret re- 
 cesses of knowledge, and develope the greatest 
 intricacies — comprehension of mind to embrace, 
 at once, an almost endless variety of important 
 subjects : he is possessed of a Memory, which 
 can preserve the record of past experience, and 
 former acquisitions in knowledge, to an extent 
 of which we know not the limits : man has a 
 Heart too — a heart that can flame with love, or 
 rankle with hatred — that can burn with anger, 
 or smile with complacency — a heart which can 
 be elevated with hope, or depressed with fear — 
 exulting with joy, or agonized with sorrow. 
 When all these passions and powers of the soul 
 are called into exercise, by those occasions which 
 were intended by God to excite them, it is in its 
 right state — it lives : this will be allowed ; but 
 how does it appear that we are dead ? Can any 
 one be at a loss to know what those occasions 
 are? What is the appropriate object of all 
 the faculties of the soul? can any one doubt 
 whether the proper and peculiar employment 
 of the Understanding be not to meditate on the 
 
THE STATE OF NATURE. 
 
 353 
 
 glories of that God, whose power and goodness 
 called us into being and gave us a reasonable 
 soul ? — whether it is not appropriately exercised 
 when it adores, in the works of the creation, 
 the hand of the great Architect ; or when it 
 refers every event of providence to the imme- 
 diate agency of that wise Governor, who sits at 
 the helm ? Avill any one hesitate to allow that 
 every passion of the soul should point to God? — 
 whether we should not love him most, who is 
 indeed the most amiable ; and fear him most, 
 who is the most terrible in his anger? — whether 
 we ought not to hate that most, which most he 
 hates ; and rejoice in that most, which most he 
 approves? — and whether, though we may ad- 
 mire, love, fear, and rejoice in certain created 
 things, we are not in all seasons to have all our 
 thoughts ultimately converging to God? That 
 this is the reasonable condition of the soul and 
 these its appropriate employments, is perfectly 
 obvious to any one who will reflect that God is, 
 in fact, the All in All of the universe — that 
 nothing exists without him — that nothing is good 
 or beautiful without him — that nothing can give 
 us pleasure without his agency : he pervades 
 the universe — he surrounds it — he upholds it — 
 he fills it ! it is all his own : he does every thing 
 in it. Is the human soul, then, designed to do 
 any thing but for God ? the Scripture, however, 
 
 A A 
 
354 SEVEXTEENTH SERMON. 
 
 sumniariiy coiifiims the conclusions of our rea- 
 son ; for it says, the Lord hath niade all things 
 for himself. But does the soul of man naturally 
 thus embrace the Deity, as the only suitable 
 object of his Affections ? do we not know that 
 God is in none of his thoughts, instead of being 
 in all of them ? he has passions, indeed, and the 
 sensibility of them is sometimes vivid ; but the 
 exercise of them is invariably confined to the 
 things of this world, and never voluntarily and 
 naturally ascends to God : set the Deity before 
 him as an amiable, faithful, and gracious Being — 
 such an exhibition excites no emotion in his 
 breast — no love, no joy, no confidence: array 
 Jehovah in his terrors before the sinner — he 
 will shrink, but he does not relent — he fears 
 punishment, but he does not fear God : change 
 the theme, and tell him of the wonders of re- 
 deeming love — here is employment for his 
 Understanding to trace the wisdom of God in 
 the plan of redemption, and scope for the exer- 
 cise of his Affections in the consideration of the 
 love of Christ and his own interest in it — but 
 no ! nothing of this sort can gain his attention — 
 it possesses no interest for him — he is deaf to 
 the voice of the charmer, charm he never so 
 wisely : strike what string you will, there is no 
 chord in his heart that sounds in unison. What 
 must we say of the state of that soul ? — that it 
 
THE STATE 01 NATURE. 355 
 
 is dead; for it performs no one function of 
 spiritual life : all in it is torpid — inanimate — 
 dead ! There is a further propriety in calimg- the 
 natural state of the soul by the name of death : 
 there is in the dead body no power to return to 
 life ; neither is there in the soul any ability to 
 attain to spiritual life, or the exercise of holy 
 affections toward God : nay, more — there is no 
 Will to this end — a paralytic person may have 
 no power to use his limbs, but he may possess 
 the desire — whereas a dead person has not even 
 the desire — ^so the natural soul has no will to 
 live again unto God. There is in the dead 
 body no spark of life, which time or care may 
 fan into a flame : it will remain a corpse : 
 nothing but the power of God can raise it from 
 the dead. In like manner there is in the natural 
 man no latent principle of spiritual life : with- 
 out a Divine Intercessor, he must ever remain 
 as he is : no good education, or good resolu- 
 tions, as they are called, will ever make him a 
 good man, except there be a superadded prin- 
 ciple from above — a change wrought in him by 
 an Eternal Agent — life put into him by the 
 Spirit of God. He is, however, not so dead, 
 but there is an ability to commit sin ; and, 
 therefore, he is said to be dead in trespasses and 
 sins : it is a life full of dead acts — a sort of dying 
 life — a living death — a life which is all death. 
 
 A A 2 
 
356 SEVENTEENTH SERMON. 
 
 This is the moral state of man. 
 
 No less awfully sad and dangerous in his 
 JUDICIAL state. 
 
 By his Moral state, we mean the state of his 
 heart, as it respects right or wrong ; by his 
 Judicial, his state before God, considered as 
 innocejit or guilty. 
 
 He is born guilty — he is a child of wrath. 
 Antecedently to our works, or even moral 
 agency, even in infancy, we are under the 
 wrath of God. The account to be given of 
 this doctrine, as we hold it, is this — that God 
 dealt with Adam in a collective capacity, as the 
 father of mankind ; and when he became guilty, 
 all his descendants became guilty likewise. 
 
 This being a matter of pure revelation, in 
 which reason supplies us with few explanations, 
 our only concern is to produce one or two of 
 those passages of Scripture on which the truth 
 is established. The text is immediately in 
 point : for, that the Apostle might not be sup- 
 posed to call the Ephesians children ofivrath, 
 on account of their being Gentiles, he includes 
 himself and every Christian Brother in the 
 number; for he writes thus — Among ivhom we 
 all had our conversation in times past, and 
 were by nature the children of wrath, even as 
 others. But the fullest explication of this truth 
 will be found in Romans, ch. v. verses 12 — 14 : 
 
THE STATE OF NATURE. 357 
 
 there the Apostle's argument seems to be, that, 
 before the giving of the Law from Mount Sinai, 
 there could be no transgression of that law ; if, 
 therefore, there be any instance of punishment, 
 the sufferers must have been considered as guilty 
 by some other law: but there are instances of 
 suffering, namely, the death of infants : now no 
 innocent person can suffer in an upright part of 
 God's government, therefore these infants are 
 considered as guilty; but their guilt could not have 
 arisen from themselves, for they never commit- 
 ted any sin ; and therefore it is the guilt of Adam 
 imputed to them: in the succeeding verses, 
 where St. Paul draws the line between what was 
 lost in Adam and gained in Christ, he asserts 
 the imputation of Adam's sin repeatedly — 
 through the offeyice of one tnany are dead — the 
 judgment was by one to our condemnation — by 
 one mans offence death reigned by one — by the 
 offence of one judgment come upon all men to con- 
 demnation — by one mans disobedienx^e many were 
 made sinners (Rom. v. 15 — 19). 
 
 Think of this. Brethren. What will it avail 
 that you are harmless in your lives, while you 
 still remain in that state of spiritual death in 
 which you were born? If you know nothing of 
 a transition from death unto life, a change of 
 your hearts from sin unto hohness, you are not 
 yet risen from the dead — you cannot see the 
 kingdom of God. 
 
358 SEVENTEENTH SERMON. 
 
 And what are yovir reflections on the other 
 passage of this text; that we are children of 
 wrath? Do you believe that that wrath will one 
 day be revealed ? and that those, who neglect 
 the appointed method of restoration, shall find 
 that God spoke a dreadful truth, when he pro- 
 nounced the primeval curse upon Adam? 
 Take instruction of your duty, and warning of 
 your danger, from one word of Scripture — He, 
 that helieveth on the Son, hath everlasting life; 
 but he that helieveth not the Son, shall not see life, 
 but the ivrath of God ahideth on him (John iii.36.) 
 
 II. From this view of the natural condition 
 of mankind, let us proceed to consider, in the 
 second place, the PRACTICE to which it leads. 
 
 Ye walked according to the course of this 
 ivorld: that is not, "ye were murderers, thieves, 
 adulterers ;" for this can hardly be said to be 
 the course of this world, at least we hope not: 
 the greater number are rather outwardly decent ; 
 so that the course of this world is rather a course 
 of outward decorum, than inconsistent with it. 
 
 The natural man, on his entrance into life, 
 finds by far the greater part of mankind like- 
 minded with himself ; and so, first in his heart, 
 and then in his practice, he joins the gay world 
 of thoughtless people; and, mingling with the 
 throng, he henceforth becomes one of their 
 number. God has marked out onr course for 
 
THE STATE OF NATURE. 359 
 
 him to run in his passage through the earth, and 
 the world takes another : but he fears the world 
 more than he fears God, and he loves the people 
 of the world better than he loves God ; and, 
 therefore, he deliberately makes choice of the 
 ways of the world. 
 
 We said deliberately — for there is in some, 
 indeed, great ignorance of the consequence of 
 joining with the world, though not sufficient to 
 excuse them : but, in general, in the beginning 
 of life, it is not without some checks of con- 
 science, arising from perhaps a pious education 
 or other causes, that he yields himself to the 
 current of general example, and is carried dowTi 
 the stream. 
 
 Henceforward he adopts the same system as 
 the people of the world: he conforms to their 
 customs and manners, is guided by their rules, 
 and receives their maxims as his own. All 
 that neglect of religion which is visible in the 
 world, is to be seen in him. That contempt of 
 them that fear God, which is found so generally 
 in mankind, he also feels or aftects to feel. 
 That giddy pursuit of trifles, fondness for 
 amusements, thirst of riches or honours, which 
 mark the people of the world, form a part of 
 his character: he places all his happiness in 
 bodily comfort or some fancied possession in 
 this life, and live:^ as if he w ere never to die. 
 
3(50 SEVENTEENTH SERMON. 
 
 Alas! how little does he reflect, or those 
 with whom he is joined, on their misery and 
 danger ! This their ivay is their folly, says the 
 Psalmist : like sheep they are laid in the grave : 
 death shall feed on them; and the upright shall 
 have dominion over them in the morning ; and 
 their beauty shall consume in the grave (Ps. xlix. 
 13, 14). They think not that God hath said of 
 them, that all that is in the ivorld, the lust of 
 the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of 
 life, is not of the Father, but is of the world 
 (1 John ii, 16). So entirely wrong, and hostile 
 to God, is the course of this world, that even the 
 friendship of the world is enmity against God. 
 
 And the course of this world, where does it 
 end ? — the broad road, where does it terminate? 
 With all the advantage of numbers on their 
 side, with which they fill and throng the broad 
 road, that road can never be any other than 
 what Christ has declared it to be — the one 
 which leadeth to destruction. Why should 
 any of us, and particularly the Young, be fasci- 
 nated by the pleasures which the world seem 
 to enjoy, or be deceived by their numbers, 
 when hell hath enlarged herself and opened her 
 mouth ivithout measure; and their glory, and 
 their multitude, and their pomp, and he that re- 
 joiceth, shall descend into it ? (Is. v. 14). 
 
 \i I hey would see ^«till more the wretchedness 
 
THE STATE OF NATURE. 361 
 
 of their state, let them hear what master they 
 are serving-. They walk according to the course 
 of this world, according to the prince of the 
 power of the air, the spirit that noiv worketh in 
 the children of disobedietice. St. Paul couples 
 these two courses together, as being synoni- 
 mous ; or, at least, as explanatory one of the 
 other. They, who walk according to the world, 
 walk according to Satan. Now when men 
 confess that they are walking according to the 
 world — which they will sometimes very openly 
 acknowledge, by saying that they do as others 
 do, that they cannot break with the world, that 
 they have their interests in mind and must 
 therefore not make themselves offensive by their 
 singularity — they think not that they are saying 
 this, in fact, that they cannot disobey Satan 
 whom so many serve — they cannot quarrel with 
 his servants — they cannot run the risk of losing 
 the wages which they hope to receive from him. 
 Such language openly expressed, or even such 
 thoughts springing up in the mind, would 
 startle the wickedest of men : yet such is the 
 language of the carnal heart, as interpreted by 
 the Word of God. 
 
 A wise enemy is not unwilling to have his 
 power and resources undervalued and ridiculed, 
 by one whom he hopes to make his prey ; and 
 therefore Satan, though he is the prince of the 
 
362 SEVENTEENTH SERMOX. 
 
 powei^ of the air — the head of that legion of 
 spirits, whom the Jews supposed to inhabit the 
 air, and to be more powerful than the rest — 
 though he is repeatedly called by Christ the 
 prince of this tvorld (John xii. 3 1 . xiv.30. xvi. 1 1), 
 and, by an Apostle, the God of this world 
 (2 Cor. iv. 4) — not, indeed, by any other right 
 tlian that of usurpation, though he is a great 
 sj^irit, and one that actually is now working in 
 the children of disobedience ; that is, upon the 
 Gentile Idolaters, whom he makes to perform 
 their adorations to himself: yet he is well con- 
 tented to hear his existence denied by enlight- 
 ened men, and all the account of his agency 
 ridiculed as tales invented to frighten children. 
 
 The humble Christian sees sufficient in the 
 Scriptures to put him upon his guard against 
 Satan, and is thankful that he is warned of the 
 existence of such a foe ; without which revela- 
 tion, he would be at a loss to divine the origin 
 of peculiar thoughts that unaccountably rise up 
 in his mind. 
 
 There is a roaring lion going about seeking 
 whom he may devour ; and his name is Satan, 
 our adversary : and those are under his in- 
 fluences, who, least of all men, suspect it. They 
 are deceived by him, who are so besotted by 
 iove of the world or attachment to their self- 
 righteous doings, (hat, while they deny not (he 
 
THE STATE OF NATURE. e}68 
 
 Gospel, they perceive not the suitableness and 
 glory of it : for it is thus written, The god of 
 this luorld hath Minded the minds of them which 
 believe 7iot, lest the light of the glorious Gospel 
 of' Christ, ivho is the image of God, should shine 
 unto them (2 Cor. iv. 4). They are of the Devil, 
 who live in the practice of any known sin, or 
 neglect of any known duty: for. Ye are of your 
 father the devil ; and the lusts of your father ye 
 will do : he, that committeth sin, is of the devil 
 (1 John iii. 8) — he is of the devil, or according 
 to the prince of the power of the air — he acts 
 from the suggestions of Satan, and in confor- 
 mity to his wishes — he does that which pleases 
 the evil spirit, that which promotes his plans 
 and enlarges his kingdom — he does that whicli 
 is after the example of Satan, which will bring 
 him to dwell with the devil and his angels. 
 
 Are there no such characters, think you, 
 current in the world ? — no such in the present 
 assembly ? They may know themselves by this 
 infallible mark, that they fulfil the desires of 
 the flesh and of the mind: by this you see that 
 those who please Satan, are identified with 
 those who please themselves. 
 
 *' Are we then always to deny ourselves ? — • 
 does virtue consist in always acting contrary to 
 our own desires?" No : it is possible that duty 
 and inclination may coincide ; especially in 
 
364 SEVENTEENTH SERMON. 
 
 those who have been long in the ways of God. 
 But it is evident that the natural inclinations 
 will always be either contrary to the law of 
 God, or exceed the limits assigned by it ; for 
 the heart, where those desires find their origin, 
 is totally depraved and corrupt: hence it is, 
 that to fulfil the desires of the fleshly mind is 
 sinful : thus speaks St. Paul, The carnal mind^ 
 that is, our natural disposition, is enmity against 
 God (Rom. viii. 7) ; and, therefore, to fulfil the 
 desires of the flesh and of the mind, is an act 
 of enmity against God. Yet it is undeniably the 
 practice of mankind, to please themselves : 
 though they sometimes forego their immediate 
 self-gratifications for the sake of future advan- 
 tages, yet they will not by any means renounce 
 what they suppose to be their temporal inte- 
 rests for the sake of God : they consider them- 
 selves as entirely at liberty to follow their incli- 
 nations as far as public opinions, or the laws 
 of the land, or their own unenlightened con- 
 sciences will countenance them ; but they know 
 nothing of acting from the simple motive of pleas- 
 ing God. Hence, a natural man will apply his 
 money to such purposes of luxury or sin, as may 
 seem productive of most pleasure to himself : his 
 time shall be squandered away in amusements, 
 or such employments as are agreeable to him- 
 self: the language of their hearts is this, " Who 
 
THE STATE OF NATURE. 365 
 
 is Lord over us ? — if we choose to spend what 
 is our own in this or that manner, who is to 
 take upon himself to call us to account for it ?" 
 Thus they forget that God is that Being, alone, 
 in the universe, that must be pleased — that His 
 will must be done on earth, as it is in heaven — 
 that to consult our own inclinations instead of 
 His commands, is an act of daring rebellion 
 against the Sovereign of the Universe — and that 
 all we do for God as a sort of compensation to 
 him, while our hearts are in this state, is rejected 
 by him with scorn. Israel is an empti/ vine : he 
 bringeth forth fruit unto himself (Hos. x. 1). 
 
 Let a reflection or two on this subject CON- 
 CLUDE our discussion upon it. 
 
 How dreadful is the nature of sin ! Adam 
 sinned but once ; yet that one offence was an 
 offence against the commands of God : and 
 God will have us to see, in the natural conse- 
 quences of sin, how exceedingly dreadful is its 
 nature ; for from that one offence has flowed 
 that torrent of spiritual, temporal, and eternal 
 misery, which has deluged the world. Not to 
 mention that it has filled the body with disease 
 and the soul with sorrow, let it be recollected, 
 that it has caused the countless millions of his 
 posterity to come into the world dead to all the 
 purposes of their creation, and under the curse 
 
366 SJiVENTEtNTH SERMON. 
 
 and wrath of Almighty God ! and then, in con- 
 sequence, living as might be expected ; serving 
 the world, the devil, and the flesh ; given up by 
 God to a reprobate mind ; filled with all unright- 
 eousness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, 
 murder y debate, deceit, malignity ; haters of God, 
 despiteful, proud (Rom. i. 28 — 30) — yea, that 
 this life of sin belongs to all natural men without 
 any exception ; for even an Apostle includes 
 himself in the number, We ourselves also were 
 sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving 
 divers lasts and pleasures, living in malice afid 
 envy, hateful, and hating one another (Titus 
 iii. 3) — that nothing was found of sufficient effi- 
 cacy to deliver men from this condition, but the 
 blood and agony of God's own Son — and that 
 those who reject this, do, by following the 
 natural course of things, thereby plunge them- 
 selves into everlasting perdition. 
 
 Oh, who would not tremble at the commis- 
 sion of that, which is thus surcharged with 
 infinite mischiefs and woes ! Who would not 
 fear to disobey that holy Lord God, who, for 
 one offence of man, does in justice bring down 
 such awful marks of His wrath on him and his 
 posterity ! 
 
 Since, however, his love and mercy have pro- 
 vided a way of recovery, how important it is, 
 that we should both begin to seek our salvation, 
 
THE STATE OF NATURE. S67 
 
 and should seek it in the right way ! Let us be- 
 ware of imagining that it is only becoming a 
 little more strict in our duties : there must be a 
 very powerful and universal change on the 
 heart and sentiments, resembling a resurrection 
 from the dead, or else the Scriptures aver a vain 
 exaggeration. 
 
 Again, if you ever begin this great work, take 
 those words of the text as a test and criterion 
 of your state, namely, the walking according to 
 the course of this world. Though your not 
 walking in that course will not necessarily 
 prove your sincerity, the walking according to 
 the course of this world will certainly evidence 
 your insincerity: for this passage will then 
 identify you with those who are dead in sins ; 
 who are fulfilling the desires of the flesh and 
 of the mind, and continue the children of 
 wrath. 
 
 Let me, then, once more warn you all, that to 
 be like the generality of men is to be in a state 
 of death, a state in which ruin is silently work- 
 ing ; and that whenever the time may be that 
 you shall serve God, or in whatever place, you 
 will begin to differ widely from the people 
 around you. Singularity is unavoidable; and 
 if it be a cross, it must be taken up. Happy 
 and holy is he, who hath part in this spiritual 
 
368 SEVENTEENTH SERMON. 
 
 resurrection ! no more a slave to custom and 
 public opinion, he begins to act for himself 
 according to the dictates of reason and religion, 
 and rises into the glorious liberty of the chil- 
 dren of God ! 
 
SERMON XVIII. 
 
 THE STATE OF GRACE. 
 
 EPHES. II. 4 — 7- 
 
 God^ who is rich in mercy, for his great love 
 'wherewith lie loved us, even ivhen we were dead 
 in sins, hath quickened us together tvith Christ, 
 (by grace ye are saved ;) and hath raised us 
 up together, and made us sit together in hea- 
 venly places m Christ Jesus : that, in the ages 
 to come, he might shew the exceeding riches of 
 his grace, in his kindness toward us through 
 Christ Jesus. 
 
 In the dispensation of mercy which God has 
 made for the recovery of mankind, it appears, 
 according to his revelation of it, that though 
 each of the Persons of the Blessed Trinity has 
 been graciously pleased to undertake a distinct 
 and separate part in it, yet all of them are 
 equally glorified by the execution of the plan. 
 The love displayed in it is the love of each Per- 
 
 B B 
 
370 EIGHTEENTH SERMON. 
 
 son of the Godhead, and the success of it m 
 the conversion of a sinner redounds to the ever- 
 lasting glory of them all. 
 
 Hence, when we behold the Father maintain- 
 ing the rights of tlie Deity and the strictness 
 of his laws, and wearing an aspect of severe 
 justice, we are not to imagine that he was drawn 
 with reluctance to be gracious, or that the 
 salvation of sinners was extorted from him ; 
 for it was owing to the great love of the Father, 
 that the Son was given to be the Saviour of 
 the world : God so loved the ivorldy that he gave 
 his only-hegotien Son (Johniii. 16); and God^ 
 who is rich in mercy, for his great love where- 
 with he loved us, even ivhen ive ivere dead in sins, 
 hath quickened us together ivith Christ. 
 
 We shall endeavour, from these words, to 
 shew, first, the nature of that salvation 
 
 WHICH GOD WORKS IN US ; llCXt, THE ORIGINAL 
 
 SOURCE OF it; and, lastly, the final end or 
 
 PURPOSE OF IT. 
 
 I. The NATURE of that salvation which God 
 works in us. 
 
 Having on the preceding Sabbath shewn, 
 from the former words of this Chapter, into 
 what state we had brought ourselves, let us now 
 see what God has done for us. 
 
 1 . Let us not suppose that fhe great salvation 
 
THE STATE OF GRACE. S71 
 
 which is wrought in the people of God is a 
 name, or a profession, an external w ashing ; or 
 that it consists in saying Lord, Lord; or in 
 being free from vice— or, on the other hand, in 
 pronouncing the ** shibboleth" of a party ; or 
 in having clear views of the way of grace : but 
 
 it is A RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD. You 
 
 hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses 
 and sms. God, when we were dead in sins, hath 
 quickened us together with Christ, and raised us 
 up together. It is, therefore, a great and happy 
 change ! and if it is described as experienced 
 by all, the description of it is addressed to all ,• 
 for what God hath done for any, he is wiUing 
 to do for all. 
 
 The change of heart, of which we must 
 sooner or later be the subjects if we would 
 enter into the kingdom, is likened, we see, to 
 A RISING OF THE DEAD. Touchcd by the 
 finger of God, the soul awakes from its sleep, 
 quits its grave of sin and death, and rises into 
 life and liberty — spiritual objects assume a 
 new appearance— the names of eternal things 
 sound differently — and a new world seems 
 unfolding to the view. The God, whom the 
 world forget, and whose judgments are far 
 above out of their sight, is revealed unto us : 
 we look up, and behold: for the lirst time, 
 we practically acknowledge his existence, by 
 
 B B 2 
 
372 EIGHTEENTH SERMON. 
 
 seeing that he is one to be feared and lovetL 
 The Saviour of Sinners, whom the world think 
 of no more than if he had never come to die 
 for them, we acknowledge and embrace as a 
 friend ; and his salvation is all our hope and all 
 .our desire. We are awakened to see that 
 heaven and hell are no dream — that religion, 
 which teaches how to escape the one and 
 obtain the other, is something to be thought of 
 — that the offers of the Gospel must be seized 
 with eagerness; for that the world is passing 
 swiftly away, time is carrying us down the 
 stream, and an unknown eternity is at liand ! 
 Thus we are quickened into the reasonable life 
 of seeing things as they are ; and not carried 
 out into wild fancies about unreal things. 
 
 When one born blind receives his sight, the 
 visible creation seems to have just started into 
 being, all is so new ; and yet all things are so 
 as they were from the beginning — the change 
 is in him : so when the soul is quickened into 
 spiritual life, we see, and see with wonder, a 
 meaning and force and power in divine things, 
 as if they were all just discovered to mankind ; 
 whereas we cannot but acknowledge that the 
 same objects were presented to us before. But 
 the fact is, that, till we were quickened by 
 God, we had no sense that could be suitably 
 affected by eternal tilings. They were spread 
 
THE STATE OF GUACE. 
 
 373 
 
 abroad before us, but we looked at them, as at 
 a picture which is looked at a few minutes and 
 then forgotten : they had no hold upon us 
 — they made no impression — they scarcely 
 appeared real — and sometimes we doubted 
 whether they had any existence. But we are 
 now quickened to feel those things to be true, 
 which before we only thought to be so. 
 
 Tliis capability of being influenced by invi- 
 sible things is immediately followed by suitable 
 action. Life discovers itself by motion and 
 activity ; and, accordingly, as soon as God has 
 quickened the soul and raised it from the 
 dead, it begins to move and act for God. We 
 were very active before ; but it was in the 
 service of sin and Satan. We did nothing for 
 God ; but now, raised up by his mercy, we 
 devote ourselves entirely to him : we desir© 
 to live, breathe, speak, move, and act only for 
 him : our time, money, all, are given to him. 
 The sanctifying agency of God the Spirit 
 within us, is that which our eye is daily fixed 
 upon : the extension of God's kingdom without 
 us, is a constant and delightful subject of our 
 thoughts and prayers : the expectation of the 
 day when we shall be with God is kept in view. 
 In short, by this spiritual resurrection, a new 
 turn is given to our characters : our lives and 
 tempers, our hopes and fears, our favourite 
 
374 EIGHTEENTH SERMON. 
 
 company and subjects of conversation, our 
 employment and recreations, the regulation of 
 our families and education of children — all 
 shew that the new life into which we are 
 quickened, is truly a resurrection by divine 
 power, because it is a life of activity for God. 
 
 He hath quickened us together with Christ, 
 and raised us up together. It is througli the 
 death and resurrection of the Blessed Son of 
 God in our nature, that there is now a free 
 scope for the exercise of the Father's mercy ; 
 60 that when we are dead in sins, he can, 
 consistently with his attributes of justice and 
 truth, raise us from our sinful state : for Christ 
 having died for our sins and risen again for our 
 justification, and thus having completed the 
 whole work, he obtained the fulness of the 
 Spirit, who should work the mighty change in 
 the hearts of sinners. And that Holy Agent 
 always likens our conversion to the death and 
 resurrection of Chrfst, from which it originates : 
 Like as Christ was raised up from the dead by 
 the glory of the Father, even so we also should 
 walk in newness of Ufa: for if we have been 
 planted together in the likeness of his death, we 
 shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection. 
 Jf ive be dead tcith Christ, we believe that 
 we shall also live with him : knoiving that 
 Christ, being raised from the dead, dieth no 
 
THE STATE OF GRACE. 375 
 
 more; death hath no more dominion over him 
 (Rom. vi. 4, 3, 8,9). 
 
 2. These expressions lead our minds to re 
 fleet on another benefit which we receive in 
 Christ, referred to also in the text, which it 
 were well for us if we retained more steadily in 
 view: that is, the glorious resurrection of 
 THE BODY at the Last Day, as well as the spiri- 
 tual resurrection of the soul ; for i/ the Sjnrit 
 of him that raised up Jesus fram the dead divell 
 in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead 
 shall also quicken your jnortal bodies by his Spirit 
 that diceUcth in you (Rom. viii. 1 1), It is He, 
 ulio shall change our vile body, that it may be 
 
 fashioned like unto his glorious body (Phil, 
 iii. 2 1 ). / cim the resurrection and the life, saith 
 the Lord : he, that believcth in me, though he 
 were dead, yet shall he live ; and whosoever liveth 
 and believeth in me shall never die. Believest 
 thou this ? (John xi. 25, 2fi). It is a fearful 
 question whicli nature asks — " What shall be- 
 come of me when I go hence ? and what shall 
 become of this bodily frame in the„ final wreck 
 of elements?" Christ silences all fears : This is 
 the Father s ivill which hath sent me, that, of all 
 ivhich he hath given me, I should lose nothing ; 
 but shoidd raise it up again at the Last Day 
 (John vi. 39) — manifestly referring to the body 
 
 3. Let us prolong our views • and romider. 
 
376 EIGHTEENTH SERMOPf. 
 
 that, besides this spiritual and literal resurrec- 
 tion accomplished in the saints through Christ, 
 there is a mystical and a literal ascension with 
 him into heaven : He hath made us sit together 
 in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. 
 
 The soul of a believer is already in heaven, 
 by faith and contemplation. Heavenly-mind- 
 edness is a rare and precious grace — the privi- 
 lege of all saints ; but found, in its purity, with 
 iew. It is to disregard the world, and the 
 things of it — to be comparatively unconcerned 
 about our lot in it, whether prosperous or ad- 
 verse—to look on heaven as our home — to have 
 a tastp for its joys, and sometimes a prelibation 
 or foretaste of them — in line, to fulfil such scrip- 
 tural directions as these. Lay up for yourselves 
 treasures in heaven ; for ivhere your treasure isy 
 there will your heart be also. Our conversation 
 is in heaven ; from whence also ive look for the 
 Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. Jf ye be risen 
 with Christ, seek those things ivhich are above, 
 where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God: 
 set your affection on things above, not on things 
 on the earth (Matt. vi. 20, 2K Phil. iji. 20. Col. 
 iii. 1,2). 
 
 Happy is tlie man who is living in these 
 
 delightful exercises ! Walking in the light even 
 
 as God is in the light.; surely he shall enjoy 
 
 fellowship with the Father and with his ^on 
 
THE STATE 01- GRACE. 377 
 
 Jesus Christ (1 John i. 7). A holy calm shall be 
 diffused over his breast, and all heaven descend 
 into his soul, while he Avalks in secret with 
 God : through Christ, we have access to the 
 Father by the Spirit. But joys like these re- 
 quire a diligent keeping of the heart, and the 
 Spirit must have witnessed with our spirits tiiat 
 we are the children of God : yet if we do not 
 participate them, it is not in God, bvit in us ; 
 for he hath begotten us again unto a lively hope^ 
 by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the 
 dead {\VetA.?>). 
 
 It is his will that we should sit in heavenly 
 places now ; and, hereafter, when our life of 
 faith on earth is closed, it is determined by our 
 God that the portals ol" heaven shall be thrown 
 open to us, and we shall enter and sit down 
 with Christ. Having ivashcd our robes, and 
 made them white in the blood of the Lamb, we 
 shall be before the throne of God, and serve him 
 day and night in his temple (Rev. vii. 14, 15). 
 The fight fought, the course finished, the work 
 wrought — we go to sit down with Christ, and 
 enjoy a perpetual rest, a sabbath of heavenly 
 joys. Having followed him in the regenera- 
 tion, even the Lamb whithersoever he goeth, it 
 is the corresponding recompense of grace tliat 
 we sit down with him on his throne. In hea- 
 yenly places is a seat prepared for the saints — 
 
378 EIGHTEENTH SERMON. 
 
 Ill mansions of light, where the King of Kings 
 sits for ever enthroned ; and there we shall 
 behold his glory ! Father, I ivill that they also, 
 whom thou hast given me, be ivith me ivhere I 
 am ; that they may behold my glory, which thou 
 hast given me (John xvii. 24). 
 
 II. The possession of so much hapi)iness on 
 earth and so much glory in heaven presup- 
 poses, perhaps, a pow erfully meritorious claim 
 in ourselves upon the favour of God who hath 
 been so bounteous. How far this surmise is 
 from being agreeable to truth will be seen, 
 while we investigate the original and MOVING 
 CAUSE of God's gracious proceedings. The 
 Lord looked down from heaven upon the children 
 of men, to see if there were any that did under- 
 stand and seek God ; but they are all gone aside: 
 there is none that doeth good, 7io not one (Ps. 
 xiv. 2, 3). He saw their state and pitied it. 
 He saw them sunk in the deepest abyss of 
 misery, while they themselves were unconscious 
 of it ; and hurrying with mad precipitance to 
 eternal woes, while they themselves laughed at 
 the ruin which was ripening for them. His 
 bowels of compassion were moved, because he 
 foresaw that they must fall a sacrifice to his 
 justice, unless some one interposed to screen 
 and rescue Ihcm ; and, none bcmg adequate to 
 
THE STATE Oi GHACE. 379 
 
 this work but his Own Son, God, who is rich in 
 inercy.for his great love wherewith he loved us, 
 spared not even Him, but gave him up for 
 us all. 
 
 In those who were thus the objects of his 
 compassion, there was no manner of cause 
 existing why aught should be done for them. 
 It is impossible to assign any one circumstance 
 in the condition of man, that made him more 
 the deserving subject of a Saviour's dispensa- 
 tion than the fallen angels. There is a total 
 absence of all worthiness and of all extenuat- 
 ing considerations in his case; and, on the 
 other hand, an absolute fitness between his 
 demerit and the eternal misery connected with 
 it. The sufferings of a fellow-creature excite 
 our compassion, often because they have arisen 
 from casualty, or have been occasioned by the 
 misconduct of others ; but there is nothing 
 resembling this in the case of mankind before 
 God. They only cat of the fruit of their own 
 way, and are filled tvith their own devices (Prov, 
 i. 31). There was no desire in man for obtain- 
 ing mercy ; for the state of his mind is thus 
 expressed, dead in trespasses arid sins — insen- 
 sible, ignorant, and unconcerned whether God 
 even made a revelation of himself or no. 
 
 Man was, however, not so inanimate, but he 
 could be active m sin : his life is a life spent in 
 
380 EIGHTEENTH SERMON. 
 
 sin. Was it to be expected that the Sovereign 
 of the Universe should be favourable to persons, 
 who added to the guilt of inactivity the provo- 
 cation of active rebellion? Was God obliged 
 to it, on the score of his own happiness or glory? 
 Must he not for ever dwell embosomed in re- 
 pose, unchangeably happy in his own per- 
 fections ; whether the universe of creatures 
 contimie as he created them, or chuse to de- 
 stroy their happiness by sin ? W ould aught 
 be subtracted from his glory, if the world had 
 perished ? or rather, if it had so perished, while 
 the earth with her guilty millions sank in the 
 flame would not the great archangels have 
 praised God and said, Who shall not fear thee, 
 O Lord, and glorify thy 7iame ? for thou only 
 art holy (Rev. xv. 4). And could he not call 
 forth another universe into being, with the same 
 ease as he created this, if the mean and polluted 
 earth had been consigned to its fate ? Truly 
 he could. 
 
 Then what name shall we give to tliat attri- 
 bute of our God, which moved him to commis- 
 serate and save? It is not Goodness, but 
 mercy. Goodness may be exercised toward the 
 innocent, but Mercy respects only the guilty. 
 Goodness is conformable to the established 
 laws of the universe, and a well-known and 
 acknowledged attribute of God ; but Mercv, 
 
TFIE STATE OF GRACE. 381 
 
 Mercy like lliis, is a departure from regulated 
 laws, in order to produce a phenomenon of 
 love : it is an interruption of natural conse- 
 quences : it is a reversion of the current of 
 things, to bring forth to the world a miracle : 
 or, rather, it should be called goodness passing- 
 its usual limits ; the excess, the exuberance, the 
 overflowings of love — love prolonged and ex- 
 tended to a boundless infinity and eternity — 
 love expanded to a breadth, and length, and 
 depth, and height, which leave us unable to 
 follow it ! 
 
 It would be desirable to illustrate the nature 
 of Grace, by adducing an instance of it among 
 men, if such instances existed ; but they do 
 not — at least so as to afford an adequate repre- 
 sentation of the grace of God in the recovery of 
 the world. If a king, out of pure goodness of 
 heart, and not from fear or selfish motives, 
 should give free pardon to a traitor who had 
 sought his life, and not only so but heap favours 
 and honours upon him ; and, in order to this, 
 should give one of his own family to be dis- 
 graced and executed in his place — this might, 
 perhaps, shadow forth faintly what God has 
 done for us. For herein is to be seen the sin- 
 gularity of God's mercy, that whereas, perad- 
 venture^for a good 7nan some would even dare to 
 die (and well is this premised with peradveu" 
 
3B2 EIGHTEEMTH SEKMON. 
 
 ture) God commendeth his love to us, in that, 
 while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us 
 (Rom. V. r, 8). 
 
 If, from the general contemplation of the 
 divine proceedings toward man, we descend to 
 our individual experience of his grace upon our 
 hearts, all of us, who have received it in truth, 
 unanimously concur in this confession — *' It 
 was because God is rich in mercy, that he 
 quickened us together with Christ:" for we 
 may ask of ourselves, " Did self, uncontrolled 
 from above, ever make one movement toward 
 God, and not always from him? Even when 
 the shades of darkness began to disperse, and 
 God, by means of our consciences, had a hold 
 upon our fears, were we not still strongly reluc- 
 tant to our duty? Why are we saved, and 
 others left to perish? Why are we distin- 
 guished from relatives similar to us in dispo- 
 sition — from the world, equal to us in good- 
 ness — from the spirits in prison, inferior to us, 
 many of them, in guilt ? Shall we basely arro- 
 gate the praise that does not belong to us ? 
 Shall we take the glory from God and give it 
 to ourselves ?" No, no ! Not unto us, O Lord, 
 not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for 
 thy mercy and for thy truth'' s sake (Ps. cxv. I). 
 Speak not in thine heart, saying. For my right- 
 eousness the Lord hath brought me in to possess 
 
THE STATE OF GRACE. 38S 
 
 this laud not for thy righteousness^ or for the 
 
 uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to pos- 
 sess the land (Deut. ix. 4, 5). Who maketh thee 
 to differ from another? andivhat hast thou that 
 thou didst not receive? (1 Cor. iv. 7). You will 
 not fail to acknowledge, Brethren in Christ, 
 that it is all of God. Only through the tender 
 mercy of our God, the day-spring from on high 
 hath visited us. 
 
 And observe how the rapid parenthesis of 
 the Apostle, in the text, is interposed to con- 
 firm what is asserted in the beginning of the 
 sentence : as if it were not sufficient to have 
 said, that God, who is rich in mercy, for his 
 great love wherewith he loved us, even when we 
 were dead in sins, hath quickened us together 
 tvith Christ ; he suddenly suspends his words, 
 and adds, by grace ye are saved— " Whatever 
 else I am about to say, remember this, that by 
 grace ye are saved! If you hear the way of sal- 
 vation enlarged upon, remember it comes to 
 this, by grace are ye saved ! If precepts are in- 
 culcated, or dangers laid open, or rewards 
 promised, or trials experienced, let not this be 
 forgotten, that by grace ye are saved r Though 
 we be holy, then, even as the Apostles, we 
 must join them in saying. We believe, that, 
 through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, we 
 shall be saved, even as they, the Gentiles (Acts 
 
S81 ETGHTEENTH SERMON". 
 
 XV. 7) — that we must be justified freely by his 
 grace, through the redemption that is in Christ 
 Jesus (Rom. iii. 24) — that heing justified by his 
 grace, we shall be made heirs, according to tlie 
 hope of eternal life (Tit. iii. 7). 
 
 III. If there are any who withhold their con- 
 sent to this, they should beware of defeating, 
 according to their ability, the FINAL END which 
 we said God proposed in the work of salvation, 
 which is his own glory. He hath raised us up 
 together, and made us sit together in heavenly 
 places, that, in the ages to come he might shew 
 the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness 
 toward us through Christ Jesus. 
 
 If the kindness of God toward us is designed 
 to display, as it is with peculiar glory, the ex- 
 ceeding riches of the grace of an unfathomable 
 Deity through all the ages to come, even 
 through all the ages of eternity, there must be 
 something, I should suppose, either inexplica- 
 bly grand in the work of God itself, or some- 
 thing inconceivably desperate in the state of 
 man, the subject of it, so as far to exceed the 
 grasp of a created mind. 
 
 ** God hath quickened us," says St. Paul : 
 that is, " you Ephesians" — who were iniquitous 
 even to a proverb ; indeed, like the Heathen 
 now, as bad as they could be — ** and me a Jew, 
 
THE STATE OF GRACE. 3B5 
 
 of irreproachable cliaracter" — both equally 
 needed conversion we see : " He hath con- 
 verted us both, that, in after- ages, he might 
 shew to the world ; first by my example, that 
 there is not a heart so hardened in pride and 
 self-righteou«ness that the riches of God's grace 
 cannot pardon and humble it" — Hear his own 
 confession, This is a faithful saying, and ivor- 
 thy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came 
 into the ivorlcl to save sinners: of tvhoni I atn 
 chief Howbeitfor this cause I obtained mercy, 
 that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth 
 all long-suffering, for a pattern to them ivhich 
 should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting 
 (1 Tim. i. 15, 16) — " and you, Micked Ephe- 
 sians, hath he converted, and committed the 
 account of it to writing, and left it upon re- 
 cord, and handed it down to posterity, that 
 sinners, in all after-ages may sec, and know, and 
 consider, and understand together, that the hand 
 of the Lord hath done this, and the Holy One 
 of Israel hath created it.'' (Is. xli. 20). 
 
 God wills that sinners of the deepest stain 
 should be told of this, and should be encou- 
 raged to hope and pray for conversion and for- 
 giveness : therefore, there is not a creature liv- 
 ing, not even the long-forsaken and degraded 
 Heathen, for whom there is not in the heart of 
 c c 
 
386 ETGHTEEiVTIl SEUMON.. 
 
 God an inexhaustible depth of riches of kind- 
 ness and love. 
 
 Oh, who is a God like unto thee, that par don- 
 eth iniquity, and passeth hy the transgression of 
 the remnant of his heritage! (Micah vii. 18). Let 
 this be our song ! Let the Lord see that we sin- 
 ners in these latter ages have, according to his 
 intention, seen the exceeding riches of his 
 grace, and do ardently long to praise him. 
 Thou, O Lord, art a Godfullofcmnpassion, and 
 gracious ; long-suffering, and plenteous in mercy 
 and truth (Ps. Ixxxvi. 15). Let us stand with 
 Moses and listen, while the Lord descends in 
 the cloud and proclaims his name — The Lord, 
 the Lord God, merciftd and gracious, long-suf- 
 fering, and ahundant in goodness and truth, 
 keeping mercy for thousands, forgivifig iniquity 
 and transgression and sin (Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7). 
 
 This will be the burden of our song in an- 
 other world ; for, in the ages which are to 
 come, when time shall be no longer, God has 
 designed to shew the exceeding riches of his 
 grace. The place which is reserved for us in 
 heaven might have been filled with new orders 
 of angels: but God has willed that the vault of 
 heaven should resound with the Hallelujahs of 
 redeemed souls — souls once lost, but now 
 found ; once dead, but now quickened ; perish- 
 
THE STATE OF GUACE. 387 
 
 ing, but now saved ; he has shewn to the 
 universe examples of his goodness in all his 
 other proceedings — his works of providence 
 and creation : but now, to delight the minds of 
 his angels and unfold more of his perfections, 
 he will open to them more of the mysteries of 
 his boundless love, by letting them see how the 
 power of his mercy and love, operating by his 
 Son Christ, can elevate souls from the dregs of 
 sin, the abyss of guilt, to be equal to the angels 
 — how it can make them worthy, in the wor- 
 thiness of Jesus, and meet, by the in-dwelling 
 of the Spirit, to partake of the inheritance of 
 angels ; nay, even to sit down with the Son of 
 God on his throne. 
 
 This display of Love will be the theme of 
 endless contemplation and endless praise ; and 
 the Angels, who never stained their robes, and 
 Sinners, who have washed them white in the 
 blood of the Lamb, shall, with one heart and 
 one song of admiration and gratitude, join in 
 casting their crowns before the throne, and 
 saying. Worthy is the Lamb ! Salvation to our 
 God ivhich sitteth upon the throne^ and unto the 
 Lamb! (Rev. v. 12. vii.lO). 
 
 Amidst all our joys, one might almost think 
 that one of the first reflections which we shall 
 make on our arrival there will be — " What 
 c c 2 
 
38B EIGHTEENTH SERMON. 
 
 degrading thoughts have we hitherto entertained 
 of this God of Love!" 
 
 Let this be a concluding reflection, subjoined 
 to what we have been saying — ' ' What a low 
 and mean opinion do we habitually maintain of 
 the Blessed God !" We have been hearing what 
 God hath done for us, in quickening and raising 
 us with Christ to hope and holiness, to faith 
 and enjoyment, and that, in the most honoura- 
 ble and safe manner, in Christ — that when 
 there was no call for all this from any thing in 
 ourselves, he found a sufficient motive in his 
 own divine tenderness and love — that he has 
 determined that our salvation shall be so purely 
 of grace and so full of glory, that men and 
 angels shall be wrapt in everlasting astonish- 
 ment at love so great ! We have tried to say 
 something on these things ; but, as men un- 
 inspired must ever do, we spoil what we touch 
 of God and his Love : yet still, under all the 
 disadvantages in which it comes to us, is it not 
 unaccountable that the Love of God should 
 excite so little corresponding love in our hearts? 
 How cold are we, at this moment! but yet, 
 at other times, how proud and indifferent ! 
 Brethren, if it be unbelief that checks the flow 
 of affection, strive by all means against it. 
 Be not slotJyul, but sheiv all diligence to the full 
 
THE STATE OF GRACE. 389 
 
 assurance of hope unto the end (Heb. vi. 11, 12). 
 From this and other subjects, gather comfort 
 and confidence. If there be the least spiritual 
 life in you, it came not thither by accident, but 
 by the love wherewith he loved you— ^or his 
 great love ivhereivith he loved you. 
 
 If the pure minds of the saints need to be 
 thus stirred up by way of remembrance, what 
 shall be said to the heedless part of the 
 world, who, because they hear of a just and 
 holy God, think of him with suspicion and 
 dislike ? O riohteous Father ! said Christ, the 
 world hath twt known thee (John xvii. 25). 
 He, who came from the Father and was in 
 the world, seems, in the close of his Farewell 
 Prayer, to have summed up his reflections on 
 mankind in these words — O righteous Father ! 
 the world hath not known thee. Did they but 
 know thee, they could not but love thee ! All, 
 then, that is asked of you is this. Learn to think 
 rightly of God : your views of all things will 
 then be rectified : you will acquaint yourselves 
 with him, and be at peace. 
 
SERMON XIX. 
 
 CHRIST'S GRAND COMxMlSSION TO HIS 
 APOSTLES. 
 
 MATTHEW, XXVI 1 1. J 8 — 20. 
 
 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, 
 All poiver is given unto me in heaven and in 
 earth. Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations ; 
 baptizing them in the name of the Father, 
 and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 
 teaching them to observe all things whatsoever 
 I have commanded you : and, lo, I am with 
 you alway, even unto the end of the world. 
 
 It is a favourite maxim with the world, that, 
 provided we be punctual in fulfilling the moral 
 duties of life, it is a matter of comparative in- 
 difference what doctrines we believe. Some 
 hold that the more mysterious articles of faith 
 are purely speculative. 
 
 Others, indeed, there are, laying claim to the 
 name of Christ, who take upon themselves to 
 deny them absolutely ; and assert openly, that 
 
392 NINETEENTH SERMON. 
 
 they may be received or rejected at pleasure. 
 *' Notions, so contrary to reason," they say, 
 " are nowhere to be found in Scripture: they 
 are only parts of a visionary system, raised by 
 the superstition of the dark ages." But, of 
 these, we take no notice at present : to heretical 
 errors of this sort, we reserve our reply for a 
 future part of our subject. 
 
 For the present, we rather wish to notice 
 those^persons, who will not undertake, indeed, 
 to disprove the doctrine of the Trinity ; yet 
 think it of no importance whether it be be- 
 lieved : and, while they will not undertake to 
 decide whether it be true or false, they imagine 
 that, even on supposition of its truth, it need 
 not be insisted on as absolutely necessary to be 
 believed; that is, in other words, they hope, 
 that if God should really appear at the Last 
 Day subsisting in more Persons than one, the 
 mistaken Unitarian shall yet find a gracious 
 introduction to each of those two other Sacred 
 Persons, whose worship he scoffed at and 
 whose existence he denied. Let the impossi- 
 bility of such a supposition be one argument 
 for proving, that if the doctrine of the Trinity 
 be true, it is not an indifferent matter whether 
 we believe it. het us judge of this matter in a 
 parallel instance. 
 
 Persons, from a mistaken charitv, would 
 
Christ's commission to his apostles. 393 
 
 fain have us persuaded that Socinianism and 
 Atheism are venial errors ; but we have the same 
 reason for believing' that Paganism and Idolatry 
 are excusable. The same argument for proving 
 that the worship of many Gods is hateful to 
 Jehovah, will also prove that the worship of 
 God in one Person is equally so : and that if the 
 former is I dolatry, the latter is Atheism. How- 
 ever, we know how the Scripture decides on 
 the subject of idolatry, notwithstanding the 
 palliations advanced by enlightened moderns. 
 Looking round to observe the different religions 
 that prevail in the world, we see each worship- 
 per performing his adorations in his own way — 
 one offering his sacrifice to Jehovah, another to 
 the statue of Jupiter — one prostrating himself 
 to the sun, and another to the devil. 
 
 Now the reflections, which the Man of Rea- 
 son makes, are — *' All these men are, in reality, 
 worshipping the same true God : they do not, 
 indeed, exactly discern the proper object of 
 their worship ; but this is for want of better 
 information: so far as they are sincere, they are 
 all adoring the same Supreme Being, whether 
 they call him Jehovah, Jove, or Lord." 
 
 Thus far Reason ! but what says the Scrip- 
 ture ? — That to mistake the person whom we 
 worship is a fatal mistake — that idolatry is not 
 a venial error, but a cursed abomination which 
 
394 NINETEENTH SERMON. 
 
 involves the subjects of it in eAeila«ting perdi- 
 tion. Cursed be the man that makelh any graven 
 or molten image (Dent, xxvii. 15). In this 
 instance, you see, human reasoning and Scrip- 
 ture are at variance. 
 
 We may thus argue from what we have said : 
 If there be one true God, then the idolater, 
 who does not worship him as such, perishes for 
 not doing it. Now I ask, if there be three Per- 
 sons in the Godhead, each claiming divine 
 worship, why shall not the Unitarian, for the 
 same reason, perish under Atheism ? Why shall 
 he not perish for only worshipping One Person 
 in the Trinity, when he ought to have worship- 
 ped Three ? He may not, peradventure, see 
 the doctrine in Scripture ; but so many do not 
 see the Gospel itself to be true : but what then, 
 are they excused for not behevingit? Hear! 
 He, that helieveth not, shall be damned (Mark 
 xvi. 16). These all perish; not because they 
 had a defect in their understandings or their 
 reasoning powers, but because of their proud 
 hearts : they would not submit their reason to 
 the Word of God, though convinced of the 
 divinity of that Word. 
 
 We are not now proving the doctrine in ques- 
 tion ; but we beseech you to remember, that, if 
 the doctrhie of tlie Trinity be true, it is at the 
 peril of our souls if we disbelieve it. One of 
 
Christ's commission to his apostles. 395 
 
 the direct evidences of this doctrine is found in 
 a part of our text; and this we shall notice, in 
 its proper place. 
 
 The words tirst read to you are the Fare- 
 well Charge of Christ to his Disciples, before he 
 ascended into heaven . 
 
 We shall consider therein, tirst, Christ's 
 COMMAND to them; and, secondly, their en- 
 couragement TO OBEY IT. 
 
 1. Christ's COMMAND : (ro ye and teach all 
 nations ; baptizing them in the Name of the 
 Father, and of the Son, arid of the Holy Ghost: 
 teaching them to observe all things ivhatsoever J 
 have commanded you . 
 
 1. Formerly, during his life-time, while his 
 work was yet confined, his commission to the 
 Twelve was couched in this form : Go not into 
 the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the 
 Samaritans enter ye not ; but go rather to the 
 lost sheep of the House of Israel (Matt. x. 5, 6). 
 
 But Jesus had now died, not for that nation 
 only, but that also he should gather together in 
 ofie, the children of God that were scattered 
 abroad (John xi. 52). 
 
 Now, therefore, tlie glorious hour was ar- 
 rived, in the counsels of God, when Christ was 
 to be given as a covenani to the people, to be 
 God's salvation to the ends of (he earth. The 
 
396 NINETEENTH SERMON. 
 
 middle wall of partition between Jew and Gen- 
 tile was broken down : they who were afar off, 
 were to be made nigh by the blood of Christ : 
 peace was to be preached to them that were 
 afar off, as well as to them that were nigh, that, 
 through him, both might have access by one 
 Spirit unto the Father. Now was the dawn of 
 the Gospel-day, when the Gentiles should he 
 fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and par- 
 takers of his promise in Christ hy the Gospel 
 (Eph. iii. 6). Now must the promises be ful- 
 filled, which declared that Christ should see of 
 the travail of his soul and be satisfied : therefore 
 he liad poured out his soul unto death (Is. liii 
 11, 12). Now, instead of the thorn must come 
 up the fir-tree, and instead of the briar must come 
 up the myrtle-tree (Is. Iv. 13;) and the time 
 must begin, when the earth shall be full of the 
 knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the 
 sea (Is. xi. 9. Hab. ii. 14). 
 
 Go ye, and teach all nations, was the 
 command. 
 
 He does not specify the particulars of what 
 they were to teach ; but blessed was the mes- 
 sage, which they had to deliver. It was our 
 Lord's manner to be reserved on those topics 
 which reflected honour on himself: even on the 
 subject of his precious death, he never enlarged 
 much : little more than that he should give his 
 
Christ's commission to his apostles. 397 
 
 life a raftsmn for many (Matt. xx. 28). Greater 
 love hath no man than this, that a man lay down 
 his life for his friends (John xv. 13). Instead of 
 descanting at length on the particular subjects 
 on which they were to preach, he rather chose 
 to leave it to their own feelings: and they, no 
 doubt, as sinners saved by grace, would not 
 wait to be informed on what theme they were 
 to dwell, nor be slow to deliver their mes- 
 sage. They were to tarry at Jerusalem, indeed, 
 for the promise of the Father — the gift of 
 tongues from the Spirit : but they would not, 
 like Jonah, flee from the presence of the Lord, 
 when they had received his message ; nor, like 
 Moses, say, lam not eloquent, hut slow of speech, 
 and of a slow tongue (Exod. iv. 10) — for who 
 could fail to be eloquent on a subject so sweet, 
 on a theme so divine ! No : they would say> 
 having tasted that the Lord is gracious, " We 
 have to preach among the Gentiles the unsearch- 
 able riches of Christ. Does he command us to 
 go and teach all nations ? We will go and 
 teach them that faithful saying, and worthy of 
 all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the 
 world to save sinners (1 Tim. i. 15) — that God 
 so loved the world, that he gave his only-begot- 
 ten Son, that tvhosoever believeth in him should 
 not perish, but have eveiiasting life (John iii. 16) 
 —that the Son of man came to seek and to save 
 
?398 NINETEENTH SERMON. 
 
 that which was lost (Luke xix. 10); and that 
 all might come unto him to have Hfe, being jus- 
 tified freely by his grace through faith in Christ 
 Jesus. Go ye, and teach all nations : Let the 
 great trumpet be blown, that many may come 
 who were ready to perish. 
 Teach all nations — 
 
 " Let all the nations know 
 
 To earth's remotest bound, 
 The year of Jubilee is come — " 
 
 — that now the price of redemption is paid 
 down, the ransomed sinners may return home. 
 The command was obeyed : as the angel 
 flew through the midst of heaven, having the 
 Everlasting Gospel to preach — and well he 
 might fly upon such an errand — so each of 
 these honoured servants of the Lord winged 
 his way through the earth, one in one direction 
 and another in another, proclaiming vvherever 
 they went the Gospel of the Grace of God. 
 Parthians, and 3Iedes, and Elarnites, and the 
 dwellers in Mesopotamia — Cretes and Arahians, 
 heard them speak iii their own totigues the won- 
 derful works of God. Happy is it for us, that 
 the stream of life thus opened by Christ, and 
 permitted by him to have free course through 
 the earth, has flowed even to the shores of India! 
 Bless the Lord Jesus Christ, all ye his saints, 
 that he ever g^ve this commission to his dis- 
 ciples, and gave them grace to obey it. Here 
 
Christ's commission to his apostles. 399 
 
 we are, actual and living monuments of the 
 power of the Gospel : we have drunk of the 
 tide of love contained in it, and find it to be 
 indeed the Gospel of our Salvation. Had not 
 the feet of him that brought good tidings 
 appeared on the mountains of our island, 
 publishing salvation and peace, we had per- 
 haps at this moment been viewing with savage 
 delight a dying fellow-creature, bleeding be- 
 neath the knife of the murderous Druid; 
 whereas, behold us inclosed within the man- 
 sions of our God ! On this spot, where perhaps 
 nothing once was heard but the howling of the 
 wolf, and the groans of men more miserable 
 than they; behold walls, sacred to Jehovah, 
 which ring with the choral symphonies of 
 heaven-born saints. 
 
 2. Let us take the next thing in our text; and 
 observe the form of initiation, with which 
 the Apostles were to admit converts into the 
 Christian communion. Go ye, and teach all 
 nations ; baptizing them in the Name of the 
 Father^ and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. 
 
 It is a delusion, not unknown in the present 
 day, that some pretend to abrogate all forms, as 
 inconsistent with the spiritual nature of Chris- 
 tianity ; and, accordingly, the two sacraments, 
 Baptism and the Lord's Supper, are dismissed 
 from their ritual. But here you see baptism is 
 
400 NINETEENTH SERMON. 
 
 no invention of priests, no ceremony of human 
 institution ; but derived from an authority which 
 none can dispute. We do not say that it is any 
 more than " an outward and visible sign of an 
 inward and spiritual grace ;" but no one, who 
 has any regard to Christ, would dare to think 
 slightly of an ordinance so expressly enjoined 
 by him. 
 
 The Form of Baptism is in the Name of the 
 Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost ; 
 where you observe Three distinct Persons. 
 Whatever be the exact import of this form, this 
 is certain, that the Father and the Son and the 
 Holy Ghost are equally interested in it. Ac- 
 cording to some, it means, " Let your authority 
 for baptizing and introducing to Christ's Church 
 be the Name of the Father, and of the Son, 
 and of the Holy Ghost :" others, explaining it 
 as it is in the Original, say that baptizing into 
 the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of 
 the Holy Ghost, means that the baptized per- 
 sons are thereby dedicated to Father, Son, and 
 Holy Ghost. Whichever of these senses is the 
 right one, or if there be any other sense more 
 properly to be affixed to the words, it amounts 
 to the same thing — the Father, Son, and Holy 
 Ghost are equally and similarly the objects. 
 If the Minister's commission to baptize, be the 
 authority of the Father, it is also the authority 
 
Christ's comjiissio.v to his apostles. 401 
 
 of the Son, and the authority of the Holy Ghost : 
 if the person is dedicated to the Father as God, 
 he is also dedicated to the Son as God, and to 
 the Holy Ghost as God. How the Son and 
 Holy Ghost should have precisely the same 
 right to every creature as the Father, and yet 
 not be equal to him, is impossible to describe 
 without blasphemy. If the Three Persons are 
 not equal, why is there no inequality pointed 
 out in the text? God hates idolatry, and we 
 are prone to it ; yet here is a text directly tend- 
 ing to mislead us into it, if the Three Persons 
 are not equal. Yet these Three are One : for 
 we are baptized, not into the names, but into 
 the NAME — these Three Persons have Imt One 
 Name. I am JeJwvah, saith the Holy One: 
 that is my name (Is. xlii. 8). 
 
 3. The concluding part of our Lord's Charge 
 
 is for THE REGULATING AND GOVERNING OV 
 
 HIS CHURCH in all ages. Before, we had a 
 Form: here, then, is Discipline — Teaching 
 them to observe all things whatsoever I have 
 commanded you. 
 
 A Church without discipline is in a state of 
 no great purity : it has departed from the an- 
 cient institutions of our Lord: and it is an 
 unfavourable symptom of the present times, 
 that the spirit of insubordination so pervades 
 all species of characters, religious and irreligious, 
 
 D D 
 
402 NINETEENTH SlLl'.MOX. 
 
 that Christian Churches are infected with it. 
 The ministerial reproof in private, though ad- 
 ministered with the utmost humility and lenity, 
 is received with surprise, and often rejected 
 with disdain. But when the Saviour com- 
 manded his disciples to teach men all things 
 whatsoever he taught them, did not his com- 
 mission extend to private admonition ? did he 
 not design, that they should exhort and rebuke 
 with authority ? w as not Titus to rebuke ivith 
 all authority ? (Tit. ii. 15). 
 
 Teaching them to observe u'hatsoever I have 
 commanded you. Observe this. Brethren : what- 
 ever Christ commanded his disciples at first, 
 that does he enjoin to you. When we come 
 to the people of the w^orld w ho call themselves 
 Christians, and remind them of some self-deny- 
 ing precepts of the Gospel not to be found 
 in their lives — when we ask them, "Do you 
 know, that, according to Christ, JExcept a 
 man be born again he camiot see the kingdom of 
 God?'' Their reply, in general, is, that that 
 was only meant for the Heathens of those 
 times ; and it is a convenient artifice to w hich 
 they have often recourse, in order to shift the 
 burden of different duties and the necessity of 
 an inward change from themselves. But here 
 we learn, that all that was delivered to the 
 disciples is extended to us. 
 
Christ's commission to his apostles. 403 
 
 Christ unfolded the will of God to a chosen 
 few, that they might go abroad and explain it 
 to the rest of us. " What ye hear in the ear, 
 that preach ye upon the house-tops (Matt. x. 27). 
 Have ye heard from mc, that ye are to be no 
 more of tiie world, than I am of the wvild? 
 — then go and tell them likew^ise, that tlie 
 friendship of the world is enmity luith God. 
 Have I told you, that ye are to confess me 
 before men ? — go and tell them to come out 
 from among the world and be separate, and go 
 forth without the camp bearing my reproach. 
 Have I said, Ye must be born again of 
 the Spirit? — let them know, that if any man 
 be in Christ, he is a new creature. Have I 
 commanded you to watch? — let them be 
 warned, that what I say unto you I say unto ally 
 Watch ! Whatsoever I have commanded you, 
 teach them to observe." 
 
 Think, Brethren, if the Lord Jesus had 
 deferred the time of his coming to the present, 
 would not he speak in the same manner to the 
 present generation as to those of old ? — would 
 he alter his tone ? — would he lower his stand- 
 ard ? — would he countenance the present 
 worldliness, and the dissipation of this city ? — 
 w^ould not he bear testimony against all ranks 
 of people ? — would not he cry aloud, Except ye 
 repent, ye shall all perish ? (Luke xiii. 3). What 
 
 D D 2 
 
404 N I V KT E K N T M S F, R MO N . 
 
 would your conduct be as a Church, ifhchim- 
 t^elf were present teaching and commanding 
 you ? what Avould be your heavenly-mindedness^ 
 strictness and punctuality in duty, and careful- 
 ness to tread wherever you observe the footsteps 
 of your Lord? — such, precisely, ought to be your 
 state now ; for nothing- did he give his disciples, 
 which can be applied to you, that was not 
 intended for you. 
 
 Thus we have set before you the particulars 
 of our Lord's Charge to the Apostles. 
 
 IL Let us now see what ENCOURAGExMENT 
 he ofiered them for the fulfilment of it. 
 
 He might have concluded that they needed 
 no Encouragement. He might have said to one 
 of them, " Peter! much has been forgiven thee : 
 therefore, if thou lovest much, thou wilt not 
 hesitate to feed my sheep." Simon, son ofJonas^ 
 lovest thou me? He saith wito liim, Yea, Lord; 
 thou knoirest that I love thee. He saith tinfo 
 him. Feed my sheep (John xxi. 16). But, not 
 leaving it to their gratitude, he encourages them 
 in a two-fold manner; by the De(^laration of his 
 Power, and by the Promise of his Presence. 
 
 1. All pouer is given iinto me in heaven and 
 in earth. 
 
 To Christ, in liis Divine character, no power 
 e^uhl be given ; because all {)ovv^r iss neces- 
 
chuist's commission to his apostles. 405 
 
 warily his, and has been so from eternity : but, 
 in consequence of his undertaking to become 
 the Servant of the Father for our salvation, 
 appropriate language is used concerning him. 
 Thus he speaks of himself as inferior to the 
 Father; and the glory to uhich he ascended, as 
 the reward of his labours: thus St. Paul s])eaks, 
 in the Epistle to the j^hilippians, chap, ii, that 
 Christ took upon him the form of a servant, and 
 became obedient unto death, even the death of the 
 cross: wherej'ore God also hath highhi exalted 
 him, and given him a name luhich is above every 
 name, that at the name of Jesus everi/ Imee should 
 bote: and that every tongue should confess that Je- 
 sus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 
 V/hen Christ thus spoke of that power which 
 was given him as Mediator, this was a stronger 
 ground of encouragement than a mere decla- 
 ration of Divine Power: for this signified, that, 
 as Mediator and capable of receiving any thing, 
 he was the Head and Representative of his 
 Church, and had received this power expressly 
 for his Church. As he had died to purchase a 
 Church to himself, so he had power given him 
 to order the whole system of things for the bene- 
 fit of that Church. So that the Revolutions of 
 Empires are only some of the inf^Tiormovements 
 of the system, whereby Christ is graciously work- 
 ing in providence the redt-inption of his pecrplo. 
 
400 NINETEENTH SEUMON. 
 
 How animating must this assurance have been 
 to the Apostles ! How cheerfully might they 
 go forth to teach all nations, when they knew 
 that the Lord whom they served was Lord of all 
 the sons of men! According to Daniel's pro- 
 phecy, there was given him dominion, cnid glory, 
 and a kingdom^ that all people, nations, and lan- 
 guages should serve him (Dan. vii. 14). 
 
 How suitable was our Lord's mandate ! " All 
 poiver is given unto me ; therefore, go, penetrate 
 the recesses of the wilderness, and teach your 
 degraded fellow-creatures. Behold, Igiveunto 
 you poiver to tread on serpents and scorpions. 
 Fear not to enter the crowded cities of men, 
 and preach the kingdom of God. They shall 
 bring you before kings and riders for my sake; but 
 fear not: I tvill give you a mouth and luisdom, 
 tvhich all your advet'saries shall not be able to 
 gainsay nor resist. I send you as sheep in the 
 midst ofivolves; but fear not the power of earth 
 and hell, for all things are delivered into my 
 hand : You shall be troubled on every side, yet 
 not distressed ; perplexed, but not in despair ; 
 persecuted, but not forsaken ; cast down, but not 
 destroyed.'" 
 
 And has not Christ, in all ages, with a strong 
 hand and a stretched-out arm, fought for his 
 Church, and brought it hitheilo? How has he 
 actually interfered for the deliverance of his 
 
Christ's coMMissiox to nis apostles. 407 
 
 servants ! Why need we mention Peter, whom 
 an angel, sent from the Lord, liberated when 
 bound to two soldiers; or Paul, who was de- 
 livered from the persecuting- malice of those 
 Jews who bound themselves by a great oath to 
 kill him ? You yourselves, if you belong to 
 Christ, will recollect numberless instances in 
 which the Lord Jesus has interposed for your 
 deliverance, from strong temptations of Satan, 
 and the opposition of enemies — instances which 
 prove that all things are delivered into his hands J 
 that he, whom you serve, is one who is mighty to 
 save (Is.lxiii. 1). 
 
 2. The other ground of encouragement is 
 contained in the remaining words of the text: — • 
 Lo ! I am with you cUwayy even unto the end of 
 the world. 
 
 This expression, to the end of the worlds shews 
 that Christ was addressing not them only, but all 
 tvho should hereafter believe on him through their 
 word. '* Though you are divided into sects and 
 parties," says Christ, '* I am with you all. I 
 love you, though you have too little love one 
 toward another." 
 
 God signified his presence with his Church, 
 of old, by various external emblems ; such as the 
 pillar of cloud and fire,the shechinah, the mercy- 
 seat, &c. These visible representations are, 
 of course, removed from the Christian Church, 
 
408 MNETEliNTli 8KRMON. 
 
 according to its more spiritual institutions ; but 
 the name of the city is still Jehovah ShammaJi — - 
 The Lord is there (Ezek. xlviii. 35). Though 
 Christ left us for awhile to carry on our salvation 
 for us in heaven, yet he might say, with St. Paul, 
 Though I am absent in body, yet am I present 
 with you in spirit, lie walks in the midst of his 
 seven golden candlesticks. He holds the stars 
 in his right hand ; and as easily as any one can 
 lift up his liand to his eyes, and turn it in any 
 direction so as to see all that is in it, so can the 
 Lord examine and weigli the spirits of men. 
 Therefore let all the Churches know, and let all 
 pf this Church know, that Christ is He that 
 searcheth the hearts and trieth the reins of the 
 children of men. 
 
 But lie is with us likewise for good : Fear 
 not, for I am ivith thee. How marvellously 
 did he shew himself iu visible glory to Stephen, 
 Availing to receive the soul of the holy martyr ! 
 Whenever Paul was in any great strait, imme- 
 diately Christ was at hand : Fear not Paul, 
 thou must he brought before Ccesar (Acts xxvii. 
 24) — or, JBe not afraid, for 1 am ivith thee 
 (Acts xviii. 10) — or, My grace is sufficient for 
 thee${*l Cor. xii. 9). 
 
 Christ is a friend indeed : for when all others 
 fiee from us, He is then nearest to us. Thus 
 St. Paul 'r»ays, that, when he came before Nero, 
 
Christ's commission to his apostles. 40U 
 
 all men forsook him ; but the Lord stood with 
 7iie, and strengthened mc; and so we may gene- 
 rally say, in tlie words of the Psalmist, Jn the 
 muUitiidc of my ihovghts ivithui r.i-j thy comforts 
 delight my soid (Psal. xciv. 19). His comforts 
 are at hand when most they are needed : Lo ! 
 I am icith yoit alway. Earthly friends, like 
 8ummer-flies, flit round us iii the sun-shine of 
 prosperity ; but who will be found to cheer 
 our spirits in the cloudy and dark day but the 
 Lord Jesus Christ? I am with you alway — not 
 only in health and prosperity, to guard you 
 from attachment to this world ; but I am with 
 you when you struggle with adversity, poverty, 
 sickness, persecution, temptations, trials of 
 every kind. I am with you in life, to guard 
 you from danger: I am with you in death, to 
 give you the victory. 
 
 What an encouragement must this be to the 
 trembling disciples ! They might be bold to 
 speak the Word without fear, and to endure all 
 things for the Word of God and the testimony 
 oi Jesus, if He, who has all power in his hands, 
 had promised to exert all that power for their 
 protection. 
 
 Let us now conclude with two or three 
 REFLECTIONS. 
 
 There ha& been, of late ^ ears, in the reli^'ious 
 
410 NINETEENTH SERMON. 
 
 world, a great diffusion of public spirit ; I 
 mean, a desire of imparting the blessings of 
 the Gospel to other nations. This idea is 
 rather beyond the comprehension of the people 
 of the world : they think it is Enthusiasm, pur- 
 suing its object. Christianity, indeed, is good ; 
 but they would rather leave it to spread by the 
 gradual increase of civilization. But let none 
 of these reflections deter us from assisting, 
 according to our capacity, in the w ork of evan- 
 gelizing the world, while Christ's command is 
 so clear and his promise so strong. Though 
 many difficulties oppose the propagation of the 
 Gospel, yet these words encourage us to hope 
 that it shall be universally known — that the 
 gates of hell shall never prevail against the 
 Church — that the ^eed, small as a mustard 
 seed, shall become a great tree — that the ship, 
 though tossed with tempests and weathering 
 many a storm, shall be guided by its pilot 
 safely into port — that the spiritual building, 
 though apparently hindered in its progress, 
 si) all rise at last glorious from the ruins of the 
 world . 
 
 Let us next reflect, How insignificant are all 
 the concerns of this world in the sight of Christ ! 
 and they ought to be so to us. He says, Go ye 
 into all nations and preach. But they might 
 say, Have not we families to provide for, and 
 
CHRIST'li COMMISSION TO HIS APOSTLES. 411 
 
 friends to consult ? Must not Peter any more 
 cast his nets for a livelihood, or Matthew sit at 
 the receipt of custom ? llie fact is, that Christ 
 considered their ease and comfort in this world 
 asameretriile ; and designs to teach you thereby, 
 that to embrace the Gospel and obey it is your 
 great business. He says to them, Go throuj^h 
 the world, while your short life lasts, and pre- 
 pare men for that eternal world which is close 
 upon them. One thing- is needful, and that is, 
 not the business of this world, but of the next. 
 This w^orld is a mere nothing, except as in re- 
 ference to eternity. It is only a pageant pass- 
 ing by — a rivulet trickling into the boundless 
 ocean — a school to educate us for an eternal 
 existence — a hospital in v» hich we are to recover 
 from disease. May God teach my unconverted 
 hearers this truth, that they may so number 
 their days, that they may. apply their hearts 
 unto wisdom ! They dream of lasting enjoy- 
 ments on this side the grave, and of happiness 
 beyond it ; but let them collect the true state 
 of their case from the text. You neither observe 
 all things whatsoever Christ hath commanded, 
 as the text speaks, nor is it your intention so to 
 do : you would think it a very miserable state 
 of restriction to be obliged to it : you are there- 
 fore not of his Church. If you are not of his 
 Church, all this power in his hand.* ir^ not for 
 
412 NINETEENTH 8ERMOW. 
 
 you, but AGAINST you. That arm, which ^asps 
 the thunderbolt and wields all the powers of 
 the universe, will come down with dreadful 
 weight on your heads, except you repent. He 
 holds the keys of death and hell : one to open 
 the gate through which the soul passes from the 
 body; the other, to open that gate which trans- 
 mits the soul into hell. He holds these keys 
 — and, to-night or to-morrow, he may open 
 them for you ! Now, therefore, turn to Him as a 
 Saviour, througli the influences of the Spirit ; so 
 will you be added to Ivis Church, interested in 
 his promises, and enjoy with the rest of his 
 gaints a happy eternity. 
 
SERMON XX. 
 
 CHRISTIAN INDIA. 
 
 GALATIANS, VI. 10. 
 
 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good 
 unto all men, especially unto them who are of 
 the household of faith. 
 
 It is somewhat discouraging to observe, how 
 many of our best efforts for the benefit of man- 
 kind prove ineffectual. Money is given away 
 in alms, and the object of our charity is after- 
 wards found to have been not a proper one : 
 institutions are set on foot for the instruction of 
 the poor, many of whom use their knowledge 
 to a mischievous purpose : measures are taken 
 for the propagation of the Gospel, yet many of 
 the schemes come to nothing. 
 
 What then? Are we to sit still, and not act, 
 till we are sure of all the success that we wish 
 for? Let us look at the husbandman : he scat- 
 ters the seed : some falls by the way-side, and 
 the birds eat it — some, where there is not earth 
 enough, and when it groMs u|.% is scorched. 
 
414 TWtXTIETH SF.UMOX. 
 
 and withers— some among- thonis, which spring- 
 up and choke it: a part onlj' falls into good 
 ground ; and, of that part, it is but a small 
 quantity that brings forth a hundred-fold : yet, 
 in the hope of a harvest of some kind, he works 
 on. So let us work — acting to the best of our 
 judgment, and putting forth our strength; be- 
 cause, whatever be the success of our plans in 
 this world, we shall not lose our reward in the 
 next. 
 
 It is upon the certainty of a future reward, 
 that St. Paul grounds the exhortation of the 
 text : In due season ive shall leap, if we faint 
 not : therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do 
 good unto all men. 
 
 This is the duty which we must first incul- 
 cate : next in order, though not in importance, 
 is the duty of paying particular attention to the 
 Household of Faitli. 
 
 I. Of the DUTY OF DOING GOOD UNTO ALL 
 MEN, -we have heard a great deal more than 
 enough of late years, under the name of Philan- 
 thropy, or universal benevolence. 
 
 There is certainly something imposing in the 
 idea of an ardent charity, which, disdaining the 
 narroAv limits of personal relation, is impatient 
 to have its energies felt at the extremities of the 
 system. But the misfortune is, that it is but an 
 
CHRISTIAN INDIA. 
 
 415 
 
 idea, the nature of tliings presenting an insur- 
 mountable barrier to its ever being realized in 
 practice : for the world is evidently so consti- 
 tuted, that we cannot act upon things remote, 
 except through the medium of that which is^ 
 near : indeed, it is impossible to conceive, how 
 any being of limited powers can act imme- 
 diately upon any thing but that which is con- 
 tiguous to it : our experience, at least, is 
 entirely against the probability of the existence 
 of such a ]3ower ; every thing that we see being 
 a system, each part of which can act only upon 
 its neighbour. In the human frame, in the 
 body politic, in the material world, effects are 
 for the most part produced by a process : an 
 impulse is given to one part, which is commu- 
 nicated to the rest in succession, and then 
 comes out the result. And though this mode 
 of operation appears tedious to those who can- 
 not keep more than one end in viev*^ at the same 
 moment, it is wisely appointed by God ; for, in 
 this way, all the parts of his vast system come 
 into use in their turn, and nothing is so insig- 
 nificant as that it may be dispensed with. 
 
 Such, then, being the constitution of things, 
 it is trifling to talk about doing good to all 
 men, if the nearer relations in which we stand 
 to others are overlooked : and if such be all 
 that is meant by Pliilanthropy, it is worse than 
 
410 TWENTIETH SERMO^f. 
 
 Bigotry. The Bigot does do good in his little 
 circle ; but the Philanthrophist, by attempting 
 too much, does nothing. 
 
 From these observations it will be seen how 
 properly the Apostle has qualified the precept 
 of universal beneficence. As we have oppor- 
 tunify, let us do good unto all men. With 
 equal accuracy is the great Christian Precept 
 expressed — Love thy neighbour as thyself; 
 since it directs to that which is really practi- 
 cable in the theory of universal benevolence, 
 and to no more. For who is our neis:hhour ? 
 every one that comes within the sphere of our 
 action, our observation, our knowledge : all 
 beyond are as tliough they were not. If there 
 be any thing of which we form no idea, we 
 cannot be affected with love or hatred to it. 
 
 It may be here allowed us to remark, that 
 human systems of morality, constructed on a 
 plan apparently more large and liberal than 
 that of the Gospel, deserve very little attention ; 
 for what is really to the purpose in them, was 
 found in the Gospel, long before : all the rest 
 is most probably crude, imposed only upon 
 inexperience; and is so far from arguing any 
 superiority of mind, that the love of such 
 theories rather proves a mediocrity of intellec- 
 tual power : for all extremes, while they have a 
 grandeur which captivates, are simple ; on 
 
CHRISTIAN INDIA. 417 
 
 which account minds of a narrow span com- 
 prehend tlicm easily. Hence it is, that the 
 yonng- and weak are pleased with romances, 
 where the coincidences are exact and the 
 events extravagant. Hence, also> arise many 
 of those stru,i»gles in states, which keep the 
 workl in perpetual agitation : for the com- 
 monalty, who will neither reason themselves 
 nor profit by the experience of others, are ever 
 hurrying to extremes : dissatisfied with monar- 
 chical government, they rush at once to anar- 
 chy : w eary of this, they go all the way back 
 again to slavery. Thus weak man is like the 
 restless ocean, w hich is but for a moment at 
 its proper level ; or like the tremulous needle, 
 Avhich requires time and a steady hand, before 
 it lies true. The same species of imbecility 
 is apparent in all our intercourse with one 
 another : disliking one or two parts of a 
 person's character, we condemn him altogether 
 ^for the sake of as many good qualities, we 
 bestow upon him unqualified praise. 
 
 To avoid extremes, is the part of wisdom. 
 A child can lay his hand on the ends of things, 
 but to find the middle requires reasoning. 
 The wise will check the precipitation of the 
 foolish — will except against sweeping changes 
 — and, considering that nothing on earth is so 
 bad but there is some good in it, and nothing 
 
418 TWENTIETH SERMON. 
 
 human so good but it has something bad in it^ 
 will perceive, that to destroy a whole system 
 because some parts are out of order, is the 
 way to leave us no good at all ; and that to 
 construct new ones, without noticing the pos- 
 sibilities of things and the state of imperfection 
 in which we are, is only to waste time and 
 make room for disappointment. 
 
 Happy are we in the possession of that Book 
 of Wisdom, which marks its superiority to 
 the flimsy productions of visionaries, by adapt- 
 ing itself to the circumstances of real life, and 
 pointing out a certain and intelligible method 
 of attaining perfection. 
 
 Let that precept of it, which, though some- 
 what resembling the inapplicable rule of 
 theorists, differs widely from it in reality, be 
 now attended to. 
 
 Do good unto all men. Let your charity 
 begin at home, but do not let it end there. 
 Do good to your family and connections ; and, 
 if you please, to your party : but, after that, 
 look abroad. Look at the universal Church, 
 and, forgetting its divisions, be a Catholic 
 Christian — look at your country, and be a 
 patriot — look at the nations of the earth, and 
 be a philanthropist. 
 
 Against the possibility of assisting any but 
 their friends, some will plead their penury: 
 
CHillSTIAN INDIA. 419 
 
 the stream of their bounty is too scantily 
 supplied to flow beyond the limits of their 
 own ground. Be it so. May it refresh and 
 fertilize all within! God neither requires im- 
 possibilities, nor loves disorder. On the con- 
 trary, he would have us adhere to his own 
 arrangements ; and, if we cannot do all that 
 we would, is satisfied if we do all that we can. 
 
 To those who really have no opportunity, we 
 do not speak — to the rest, we do. Your wealth 
 is itself an opportunity ; and unless, from the 
 desire of aggrandizing your families, you prefer 
 to let it accumulate at home, you have it in 
 your power to bless many around you : you 
 may conti'ibute to the support of Hospitals, 
 Schools, and other Benevolent Institutions 
 here or at home, making the selection in favour 
 of those which promise to be most extensively 
 useful. 
 
 But it may be right to suggest to all, that, as 
 the happiness of man is more connected with 
 the state of his mind than his body, you may, 
 by seasonable advice and consolation, do infi- 
 nitely more to make him happy, than by im- 
 proving his temporal circumstances. Hence 
 those, to whom age and experience have given 
 wisdom, should notice the young and unpro- 
 tected ; especially those, who, on their first 
 arrival in this country, find themselves without 
 
 E E 2 
 
420 TWENTIETH SKRMON. 
 
 a guide. Persons who have many dependants 
 or whose influence over others is extensive,* 
 and those who live in the neighbourhood of 
 large bodies of men or are in the way of meet- 
 ing with a variety of persons, and those who 
 have knowledge of different languages or might 
 easily acquire them, should remember that 
 they perform an acceptable service to God and 
 man, if they make use of their opportunities by 
 communicating religious knowledge. Let them> 
 know that he which converteth the sinner from 
 the error of his ivay, shall save a soul from deaths 
 and shall hide a midtitude of sins (James v. 20). 
 They that he ivise shall shine as the brightness 
 of the firmament ; and they that turn many to 
 righteousness, as the stars for ever and ever (Dan. 
 xii. 3). 
 
 Animated by the promise of these high 
 rewards, let us be instant in season and out of 
 season, with benevolent assiduity ; watching 
 for opportunities of doing good ; and exercising 
 our minds in considering, in what way our 
 means may be employed with the best effect. 
 
 The intelligent Christian will perceive the 
 advantage which accrues from the combination 
 of strength, and will gladly embrace the op- 
 portunity of acting in conjunction with others : 
 for the power of Associated Bodies is incal- 
 culably greater, than the aggregate of the 
 
CHRISTIAN INDIA. 
 
 421 
 
 powers of the component parts ; because wis- 
 dom and strength are l>rous>ht together in them. 
 
 On this ground, we recommend your becom- 
 ing members of some of the various Asso- 
 ciations for benevolent purposes, by which the 
 commencement of the Nineteenth Century is 
 distinguished. Among these, the British and 
 Foreign Bible Society undoubtedly holds the 
 most distinguished place; whether we consider 
 the simplicity of the means which it uses, or the 
 grandeur of its object. 
 
 The reasons which exist for such a Society, 
 the specific object which it embraces, and the 
 principles by which its operations are directed, 
 will be best explained by their own Adver- 
 tisement: — 
 
 *'The reasons which call for such an Institu- 
 tion, chiefly refer to the prevalence of ignorance, 
 superstition, and idolatry, over so large a por- 
 tion of the world — the limited nature of the 
 respectable Societies now in existence, and their 
 acknowledged insufficiency to supply the de- 
 mand for Bibles in the United Kingdom and 
 Foreign Countries — and the recent attempts, 
 which have been made on the part of Infidelity, 
 to discredit the evidence, vilify the character, 
 and destroy the influence of Christianity. 7'he 
 exclusive object of this Society is, to diftuse the 
 knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, by cir- 
 
422 TWENTIETH SEIiMON. 
 
 culating them in the different languages through- 
 out Great Britain and Ireland; and, also, ac- 
 cording to the extent of its funds, by promoting 
 the printing of tliem in foreign languages and the 
 distribution of them in foreign countries. The 
 principles upon which this undertaking will be 
 conducted, are as comprehensive as the nature 
 of the object suggests that they should be: in 
 the execution of the plan, it is proposed to em- 
 brace the common support of Christians at 
 large; and to invite the concurrence of persons 
 of every description, who profess to regard the 
 Scripture as the proper standard of faith." 
 
 In this statement, there are two things to 
 which it will be proper to call your attention. 
 
 The first is, that the exclusive object of the 
 Society is, to promote the Circulation of the 
 Scriptures: they neither disperse Religious 
 Tracts, nor are connected with any Missionary 
 Society : their only wish is to put the Sacred 
 Text within the reach of every human being. 
 You may be assured, that they will not depart 
 from this rule, because the very existence of the 
 Society depends upon their adherence to it. 
 The certainty that nothing will be given but the 
 Bible, and that without note or comment, is the 
 only principle upon which Christians of all de- 
 nominations will unite in it, or could do so legiti- 
 mately. 
 
CHRISTIAN INDIA. 
 
 428 
 
 You will observe, secondly, that they profess 
 to BEGIN with their native country; and to 
 PROCEED, as their funds shall admit, to the dis- 
 tribution of the Scriptures in foreign lands. 
 
 The friends of the Bible Society in India, 
 acting upon the same principle, have endea- 
 voured to ascertain the order of the respective 
 claims of the various classes of persons in India — 
 claims arising from their relation to us, or their 
 own wants. 
 
 The European Regiments, now in the country, 
 having been already supplied with the English 
 Scriptures, it became a duty to consider to 
 whom next they should direct their attention. 
 
 This point was soon determined, and they 
 feel no doubt, that the British Pubhc in India 
 will entirely agree with them, in considering the 
 state of the Native Christians, as requiring 
 immediate attention. 
 
 Their present object being of considerable 
 magnitude, they feel themselves justified in re- 
 questing assistance; and, from a view of its 
 obvious propriety, they have no hesitation in 
 believing, that their countrymen will cordially 
 co-operate with them in the execution of their 
 plan. 
 
 Let me be allowed to exhort you to this good 
 work, while I prosecute my subject. 
 
424 TWENTIETH SEUMOX. 
 
 II. We are commanded to do good unto all 
 men, but especially to them who are of the 
 HOUSEHOLD OF FAITH. 
 
 We should, indeed, be always superior to 
 those petty prejudices and partialities, which 
 confine and cramp the energies of many ; and 
 should imitate the grace of Him, who maketh 
 his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and 
 sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 
 (Matt. V. 45). 
 
 But we shall also be following the method of 
 his grace, by doing good, more especially, to the 
 Household of Faith. The Lord is good to all, 
 and his tender mercies are over all his works 
 (Ps. cxlv. 9); but, The Lord loveth the gates of 
 Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob (Ps. 
 Ixxxvii. 2). And so ought we. The Household 
 of Faith should be our peculiar care. 
 
 The consideration of this duty we proposed 
 to make the second part of our subject. 
 
 The household of faith means all those, who 
 believe in our Lord Jesus Christ, and are bap- 
 tized in his name. All these are one ; united to 
 one another in him, as the Lord hath said, I in 
 them and thou in me, that they may he made perfect 
 in one (John xvii. 23). Li this their united 
 capacity, they are often compared to a Body, 
 of which Christ is the Head ; sometimes to a 
 
CHRISTIAN INDIA, 
 
 425 
 
 Building, of which he is the Foundation ; but, 
 here, to a Family, of which God is the Father. 
 The last representation was the most ap- 
 propriate in this place ; for, because we are 
 naturally disposed to benefit our own families, 
 it was proper to remind us that all believers 
 in Christ are a part of the same family as our- 
 selves. The account which we have of this 
 family in the Word of God is, that they were 
 once strangers and foreigners^ but are now 
 become the children of God hy faith in Christ 
 Jesus. They receive the Spirit of adoption, 
 and are led by him; and, being children they 
 are heirs, heirs cf God and joint-heirs with 
 Christ (Ephes. ii. 19. Gal. iii. 26. Rom. viii. 
 14—17). 
 
 The individuals which compose the family 
 are connected with one another, by bonds 
 more indissoluble far than the tie of consan- 
 guinity. In earthly families, the father dies, 
 and the children separate ; and they are seldom 
 cordially united, though they live together : 
 they neither form one body, nor are animated 
 by one spirit, nor pursue the same ends, nor 
 correspond in taste and inclination, nor serve 
 the same master ; but, choosing each a different 
 profession, they leave their home as fast as 
 opportunities are afforded them, and at last 
 seem almost to forget that thov ever lived under 
 
426 TWENTIETH SEllMON. 
 
 the same roof. Not so the Family of Faith : 
 there, there is one body and one spirit ; as they 
 are called also in one hope of their callirig ; one 
 Lord, 07ie faith, one baptism, one God and 
 Father of all, ivho is above all, and through all, 
 and in them all (Eph. iv. 4 — 6) : bomicl thus 
 together by every tie, are we not affectionately 
 exclaiming with the Psalmist, Peace be within 
 thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces ! 
 For my brethren and companions' sakes, I 
 will now say. Peace be ivithin thee? (Psal. 
 cxxii. 7, 8). 
 
 We will take it for granted that this is the 
 sentiment of your hearts. 
 
 Only two things, therefore, remain to be 
 considered : first, Where is this family to be 
 found? and, secondly, What can be done for 
 them ? 
 
 The first question we have already answered : 
 you need not go out of India to look for the 
 family : they dwell in the land, and are natives 
 of it: and the only favour which we ask for 
 them is, the present of a bible. 
 
 The Native Christians of India may be ar- 
 ranged, according to their languages, in four 
 divisions : — 
 
 1. The PORTUGUESE, of whom there are 
 about 50,000. 
 
 On the Malabar Coast alone, there are 
 
CHRISTIAN INDIA. 427 
 
 36,000 ;* at Calcutta, 7000 ; in Ceylon, 5000. 
 Besides these, there are settlements of Por- 
 tuguese all along- the coast, from Madras to 
 Cape Comorin ; and families of them are to be 
 found in all the principal towns on the Ganges 
 and Jumna. They are more or less mixed 
 with the Natives; and their language has, in 
 consequence, lost much of its purity : but there 
 is no reason to believe that the Version of the 
 Scriptures, in the pure Portuguese, would not 
 be perfectly intelligible and highly acceptable 
 to them. Copies of the Portuguese Scriptures 
 could be procured immediately from England : 
 and they might be put into circulation without 
 difficulty ; because here, as well as in Europe, 
 the Roman Catholic Priests are no longer 
 averse to the translation and dispersion of the 
 Scriptures. t 
 
 * Adam's Religious World Displayed, Vol. i. p. 211. 
 + Extract of a Letter from Dr. John, dated Tranqucbar, 15th 
 November, 1809 : — " The Portuguese Old and New Testament 
 would be most acceptable, and a blessing, not only to Porlu. 
 guese Protestants, but also to many Roman-Catholic Padres 
 and Christians, at Madras, St. Thome, Sadras, Pondicherry, 
 Cuddalore, Porto Novo, Tranquebar, Tanjore, Manaar, 
 Ceylon, and in short at all the other chief places, as far as Goa 
 and Bombay. Many of the Roman Catholics are not so averse 
 to the reading of the Bible as before, and many even request 
 them from us." To which I add, that Antonio, a Roman- 
 Catholic Missionary, at Boglepoor, on the Ganges, has trans- 
 lated the Gospels and the Acts into the dialect of the people of 
 that district. Sebastiani, late a Mit-sionary in Persia, has 
 almost finished a Version of the New Testament, in Persian. 
 
42B TW'EXTIETII SEilMoy. 
 
 2. The next class of Christians to be noticed 
 are those of tanjoue, who were converted to 
 the Christian Faith, chiefly by the labours of 
 Swartz. 
 
 They are in mimber about 12,000, and speak 
 tlie Tamul. A Version of the Scriptures, in 
 this language, was made lon;^ ago by Fabricius, 
 one of the Danish Missionaries, wlio devoted 
 his whole life to the work.* 
 
 These people are all Protestants : every one 
 of them can read the Bible+ : and their desire 
 
 * The excellence of his Version, is thus attested:— 
 Extract of a Letter from the Rev. Marniaduke Thompson, 
 Madras. " In answer to your question, ' Did Fabricius trans- 
 late and print the Old Testament, or any part of it?' I am 
 happy to tell you, (considcrinj; his univer'ally acknowledged 
 talents, as a Tamul Scholar) he translated the wnoLE. The 
 translation was executed with the greatest care. Mr. Fabricius, 
 having carefully prepared his translation, sent it, sheet by sheet, 
 to the ?Jissionaries at Cuddalore, Gericke and Hutteman, for 
 examination and correction : from them, it passed to the Danish 
 Missionaries, who were then numerous, and of most respectable 
 talents; and, from them, to the Native Translator to the Da- 
 nish Government; and then returned, with their notes, correc- 
 tions, &c. to Mr. Fabricius, by whom it was completely revised 
 and sent to Tranquebar to be printed, under the especial care 
 of two Missionaries, of whom Dr. Rottler was one ; and they 
 spared, he tells me, no pains to have it executed most correctly, 
 which it is generally thought to be. Dr. John writes me, that 
 the late Mr. Fabricius was, in respect of the Tamul Language, 
 superior to his coteinporary brethren, especially in writing, in 
 which he was engaged at home, the greatest part of his life* 
 Fiilii ifiiis died at the age of 80." 
 
 ■i I?r. B'iichanar/^ Letters from the Coast. 
 
CHRISTIAN INDIA. 429 
 
 to be more fully supplied witli tlic Scriptures, 
 appears from a Letter sent by the IMissioiiaries 
 who superintend them.* 
 
 Lnst year, at (he present season, these eir- 
 cumstances were stated to you; and, with a 
 
 * Extract of a Letter from Messrs. Kohloff and llorsl to Mr. 
 Brown: — "With the most lively emotion of Joy and gratitude, 
 wc adore the Ioviii<:f-kindnossand mercy of our dear Lord, who 
 hath dispo'^ed the rcspcctfd Bible Society to afford us thei^ 
 benign assistance for diffusing the divine light of the Holy 
 Scriptures, among so many thousand souls, who are perishing 
 for lack of knowled^je. May the Lord crown the pious designs 
 of that worthy Society with the most ample success, and Ihcni- 
 selvcs with righteousness, life, and glory everlasting ! 
 
 " We are in the utmost want of Tamul Biblc-s ; and likewise 
 of Portuguese, though not to the same extent. 
 
 " Tiie number of Native Protestants belonging to the Tan- 
 jore TNIission alone, including the Tiimcvelly District, amounts 
 nearly to twelve thousand ; none of whom (the Native Teachers 
 excepted) has any Old Testament, and not one in two or three 
 hundred has even the New Testament. Almost all the men, 
 particularly to the south of Tanjore, know how to read, and are 
 very eager after books. If only every tenth person amont; 
 them had a copy of the Holy Scriptures, we should soon see the 
 Word of Christ dwelling in them richly in all wisdom, and his 
 saving knowledge spread among their Heathen and Popish 
 Neighbours. 
 
 " Our Portuguese Chrisli^ns are likewise in great want of 
 Bibles. 
 
 " The Madras edition of the Tamul New Testament ought 
 to be our standard, it being the work of that unparalleled 
 Tamul Scholar and Poet, Mr. Fabricius; whose diction is 
 much more classical and elegant than that of the Tranquebar 
 Translators, though their translation is faithful enoi:gh. Mr. 
 Fabriciuoi was likewise an excellent Portuguese Scholar and 
 Poet." 
 
430 TWENTIETH SEUMON. 
 
 readiness and affection which will long be 
 remembered, you came forward at once to 
 assist your brethren. The donations of a few 
 individuals were deemed sufficient to supply 
 their immediate wants ; but we are persuaded 
 that still greater exertions would have been 
 made, had the occasion required them. I am 
 now authorised to inform you, that 600 Old 
 Testaments, 400 New, and 300 Psalters, in 
 Tamul; 200 Old Testaments, 150 New, and 
 500 Psalters, in Portuguese — have been pur- 
 chased and distributed.* 
 
 That we may be able to render them further 
 assistance and anticipate their future wants, a 
 new edition of the Scriptures in Tamul should 
 be instantly prepared, and for this nothing is 
 
 * The receipt of these is thus acknowledged by the TVfis- 
 sionaries, Kohloff and Horst, (in a Letter dated Tanjore, 21st 
 April, 1810), with the most fervent gratitude: — "We, and 
 those among our Christians that have been apprised of it, 
 acknowledge and revere the pious solicitude of your worthy 
 Committee, for the spiritual welfare of our flocks and for the 
 conversion of the Gentiles on the coast, which hath prompted 
 you so liberally to dispense unto those poor Natives the in- 
 valuable treasures of the Word of God. Rest assured. Worthy 
 Sir, that this generous contribution for relieving the spiritual 
 wants of the Tamulers, hitherto unparalleled among the Eu- 
 ropean Gentlemen in India, will be amply repaid by the ac- 
 quisition of many souls to the Kingdom of Christ; and by the 
 heavenly joy which the pious and liberal contributors will feel, 
 when so many saints brought to Jesus by the Divine Word of 
 Salvation, distributed to them by your Committee, shall hail 
 them and you as the authors of their everlasting bliss." 
 
CHRISTIAN INDIA. 
 
 431 
 
 wanting but funds. There are Tamul presses 
 at Tranquebar and Vepery, and persons to 
 superintend them. 
 
 3. The third class of Christians are those 
 who speak the malayalim, or Malabar. 
 
 These are, first, the Roman Catholics, in 
 number 150,000 ; composed partly of converts 
 from Heathenism, and partly of proselytes from 
 the Syrian church ! * 
 
 And, secondly, the Syrians, who retain their 
 ancient Form of Worship. No estimate has 
 been made of their population, but the number 
 of their Churches is ascertained to be fifty-five. 
 There are then, perhaps, not fewer than 200,000 
 Christians who use the Malabar Language.f A 
 Translation of the Scriptures into it was under- 
 taken, four years ago, by their Bishop, assisted 
 by some of his Clergy ; and it is presumed, 
 that the work is going on.:}; The Four Gospels 
 are in the Press, at Bombay ; and nearly printed 
 ofF.§ Syriac being formerly spoken by these 
 
 * Adam's Religious World Displayed, Vol. I. p. 211. 
 
 + Rev. Dr. Buchanan's Letters from the Coast. 
 
 '^ In Cordiner's Description of Ceylon, page 156, it is said, 
 that all the New, and great part of the Old Testament, in Mala- 
 bar, were printed and published by the Dutch Clergy, at Co- 
 lumbo : but by the Malabar is probably meant the Taniul. 
 
 ^ The Four Gospels were submitted to the judgment of Dr. 
 Robert Drumraond, of the Presidency of Bombay, Author of 
 the Malabar Grammar ; who reported that he considered it to 
 be a faithful version of the Sacred Original, and intelligible to 
 the common people. 
 
432 TWENTIETH SERMON. 
 
 mountaineers, their Liturgy and Scriptures are 
 in that hmguage. " The Priests occasionally 
 expound the Scriptures in the Malayalim to the 
 people ; but this good custom, like many others, 
 is gradually falling into disuse. Some of the 
 people understand the Syrian PrayeVs, but the 
 Syrian Language is not used in common dis- 
 course. Some of the Elders of the Church 
 were asked, whether they were willing to diffuse 
 the Malayalim Scriptures, if they were aided 
 in the expense : * We are most willing,' they 
 said : one of them added, ' The truth is, that in 
 former times, ail our people understood the 
 Syriac ; but, in the lapse of ages, the language 
 of the country superseded it : a Malayalim 
 Translation ought certainly to have been made, 
 before now; but we have had, in later times, 
 neither learned men nor competent means : our 
 Three Colleges have been destroyed: and, 
 being often left witliout a Bishop, Ruler, or 
 Representative, we have suffered, from time to 
 time, from the exactions of the Rajah's Minis- 
 ters : nothing could have saved us, but the 
 peaceful demeanor and Christian conduct of our 
 people : as to your proposal of circulating the 
 Scriptures in the vernacular tongue, all the 
 Fathers of our Church will unite with me in 
 declaring, that we will most cheerfully do it, if 
 we have the means to effect so good a work.' 
 One of the Elders stepped forward, and said, 
 
CHRISTIAN INDIA. 
 
 433 
 
 * To convince you of our earnest desire to have 
 the Bible in the Malayalim Tongue, 1 need only 
 mention, that I have lately translated the Go- 
 spel of St. Matthew, for the benefit of my own 
 children: it is often borrowed by the other 
 families : it is not in fine language, but the 
 people love to read it.' It was then proposed 
 to them, that a standard translation of the 
 Malayalim should be prepared and sent to each 
 of the Fifty-five Churches, on condition that 
 each Church should multiply the copies and 
 circulate them among the people : ' We accept 
 your offer,' said the Priests, ' with thankfulness.' 
 One, in particular, said, ' I engage for the 
 heads of families in this parish, that every man 
 who can write, will be happy to make a copy of 
 the Scriptures for his own family.' "* 
 
 It was before mentioned, that 150,000 Ro- 
 man-Catholic Christians use the same language ; 
 to which it may be here added, that the 
 Romish Bishop, the Vicar Apostolic of the 
 Pope in India, has consented to tlie circu- 
 lation of the Scriptures throughout his Dio- 
 cese; so that there are upward of 200,000 per- 
 sons who are ready to receive the Malayalim 
 -Bible. 
 
 4. We come now to the fourth and last 
 class of Native Christians, the Cingalese. 
 
 * Rev. Dr. Buchanan's Letters from the Coast. 
 F F 
 
434 TWENTIETH SERMON. 
 
 In the Island of Ceylon, in the year 1 80 1 , the 
 number of Native Schools amounted to one 
 hundred and seventy ; and the number of 
 Native Protestant Christians exceeded 1^2,000. 
 The Christians professing' the religion of the 
 Church of Rome, are supposed to be still more 
 numerous.* 
 
 No part of India offers such encourage- 
 ments to attempts at moral improvement, as 
 Ceylon. t 
 
 The New Testament has been translated into 
 Cingalese, and printed at Columbo at the 
 charge of Government, for the purpose of sup- 
 
 * At Columbo, the highest ranks of Natives profess Chris- 
 tianity ; and such of them, as have received the benefit of a good 
 education, are more conscientious and resj-.eclalle than their 
 Heathen Neighbours. Cordinev's Deiscriptir,n of Cei^lon. 
 
 t The state of religion in Cej Ion is \ery dltFercnl fromthat of 
 any country on the Continent of India. Here, the ancient form 
 of worship is almost totally forgotten; and the ii.habilaiits li\e 
 in uninvtru ted ignorance, perfectly free both from prejudice 
 and bigotry. They have so long wandered in darkness, that 
 they gladly follow the least glimmerings of light. The first 
 openings of religious knowledge are received by them with 
 transport; and they look up with adoration, to any person who 
 bestows pains in endeavouring to leach them. The arguments, 
 therefore, which have been advanced against attcmptiisg to 
 introduce Chrisljanity amongst the more polished natioi.s of the 
 East, are entirely void, when applied totlie unculli\aled people 
 of this Island. There is no doubt, that if ever the Goxernment 
 of England pay attention to this subject, the Religion of Christ 
 will become as clearly understood and as well priiclised in Cey- 
 lon, as in anv part of the King's dominions. Ihid. 
 
CHIUSTIA.V ISDJA. 435 
 
 plying the Natives professing- Christianity. 
 For this information, the Bible Society, from 
 whose Icist Report we have obtained it, profess 
 themselves indebted to Sir Alexander John- 
 stone, late Chief Justice in that Island ; and, 
 in consequence of his representation, they have 
 determined to appropriate as nmch as can be 
 spared from the expenses necessarily attending 
 the execution of their vast plans, to promote 
 the circulation of the Cingalese Scriptures. 
 
 But must this be suffered? Do we not 
 blush at the offers of assistance from home, 
 w here funds are raised with such difficulty, not 
 for want of good-will in the people but from 
 the unexampled pressure of the times ; and 
 where also ail that is raised may be employed 
 with such effect, in benefiting the other three 
 quarters of the globe? Asia must be our 
 care ; or, if not Asia, INDIA at least must look 
 to none but us. Honour calls, as well as duty : 
 your reputation for liberality requires, that you 
 render their assistance unnecessary. Let us 
 make haste, then, and anticipate their supplies ; 
 and thus prove to our friends and the world, 
 that the Mother Country need never be ashamed 
 of her sons in India. 
 
 What a splendid spectacle does she pre- 
 sent! Standing firm amidst the overthrow of 
 the nations, and spreading wide the shadow of 
 
436 TWENTIETH SERMON. 
 
 her wings for the protection of all, she finds 
 herself at leisure, amidst the tumult of war, to 
 form benevolent projects for the best interests 
 of mankind. Her Generals and Admirals 
 have caused the thunder of her power to be 
 heard throughout the earth : now her Ministers 
 of Keligion perform their part ; and endeavour 
 to fulfil the high destinies of heaven in favour of 
 their country. They called on their fellow- 
 citizens to cheer the desponding nations, with 
 the Book of the Promises of Eternal Life ; and 
 thus afford them that consolation from the 
 prospect of a happier world, which they have 
 little expectation of finding amidst the disasters 
 and calamities of this. The summons was 
 obeyed. As fast as the nature of the under- 
 taking became understood, and was perceived 
 to be clearly distinct from all party business 
 and visionary project, great numbers, of all 
 ranks in society and of all persuasions in reli- 
 gion, joined, with one heart and one soul, and 
 ])egan to impart freely to all men that which, 
 next to the Saviour, is God's best gift to man. 
 
 The example first set by a few has produced, 
 as you will perceive by their Report, a holy 
 emulation through the land. Auxiliary Soci- 
 eties are forming from town to town, to take 
 charge of their respective vicinities, and to 
 aid the Parent Institution. It is now time that 
 
CHRISTIAN INDIA. 43T 
 
 WE should step forward. Shall every town and 
 hamlet in England engage in the glorious 
 cause, and the mighty empire of India do no- 
 thing ? Will not our wealth and dignity be our 
 disgrace, if we do not employ it for God and 
 our fellow -creatures ? What plan could l)e pro- 
 posed, so little open to objections, and so 
 becoming our national character and religion — 
 so simple and practicable, yet so extensively 
 beneficial— as that of giving' the Word of God 
 to the Christian Part of our Native Subjects? 
 Nothing of a questionable shape has been 
 brought before you : we contend for nothing, 
 the propriety of which can be disputed. We 
 call you to the discharge of an acknowledged 
 duty— the duty of being charitable to Chris- 
 tians. There are, as you have seen, no less 
 than 900,000 Christians close at hand. Many 
 of them are relapsing fast to idolatry, and are 
 already indeed little better than Heathens:* 
 
 * At Aughoor, near Trichinopoly, there is a union of Romish 
 Ceremonies and Pagan Superstitions. They have their rutt, or 
 car. I examined the rutt. It is built in the usual manner, with 
 their cables to pull it; only that, instead of the Hindoo De- 
 vices, it has got Hell and the Devils on the lower part, Heaven 
 and the Blessed in the higher, and, above all, the Pope and 
 Cardinals ! The Priest is so ignorant, that he did not seem 
 conscious of any impropriety in having the rutt. I asked him 
 how many thousands of Christians attended the festival : he 
 said generally about 10,000, which number corresponds with the 
 Report of the Collector of the District. 
 
 At Manaar, I embarked in an open boat for Ramisseram. 
 
 A storm 
 
438 TWENTIETH SKRMO^T. 
 
 yet they are for ever broken off from their 
 parent stock : they have left then- castes : they 
 cannot be received back a.'jjain, and have none 
 to whom they can look but us. Are we then to 
 cast them back ? — or, which is nearly the same> 
 to continue to neglect them ? — and thus exhibit, 
 as we have too long done, to their Heathen and 
 Mahomedan Neighbours, a dreadful specimen 
 of what Christianity would do for them; for, of 
 all the Christians whom they see, they must 
 observe, that the greater number know nothing 
 about their religion, and that those who have 
 light have no love. It was truly said by St. 
 Paul concerning him who on any pretence 
 did not provide for his own, and especially for 
 them of his own house, that he had denied the 
 faith, and is ivorse than an infidel (I Tim. v. 8). 
 Truly, if we provide not for these, we shall be 
 "worse than the Mahomedans, who consider 
 
 A storm arose, and I went onshore al a fishing village, situated 
 near the north-west extremity of ihe island ISIanaar. They were 
 all Romish Christians, and I slept in their Church. The Priest 
 •was absent, and his Catechist had never heard that there was such 
 a book as the Bible. My own boatmen were Christians, but 
 had never heard of the Bible. 
 
 The rult is attached to the Church of Tutycorin, as at Au^- 
 boor. The Priest told me he walked before it in procession. la 
 the Hindoo Temples it is usual to ring bells and strike gongs, the 
 moment the idol is unveiled. In analogy to this, bells are rung 
 and drums beat at Tutycorin when tho Virgin Mary is unveiled. 
 — fley. Tir. Budianan"* Lelleri from the Coast. 
 
CHRISTIAN INDIA. 439 
 
 their proselytes as entitled to their regard : we 
 shall be reversing the Christian Rule; and, 
 instead of loving' our enemies, shall he hating; 
 our friends. 
 
 Permit us to plead their cause : we beg that 
 you will love and help them, as branches of 
 your own family. 
 
 Mention not their meanness : it is yours to 
 raise them* from degradation. Despise not 
 their inferiority, nor reproach them for their 
 errors : they cannot get a bible to read: had 
 they been blessed with your advantages, they 
 would have been perhaps more worthy of your 
 respect. It has been said, with too much 
 truth, that they scarcely deserve the name of 
 Christians : how is it possible that it should be 
 otherwise, witliout the Bible ; when it is con- 
 sidered how little oral instruction they receive ! 
 If the Jews, with all the care that was taken 
 of them, and the discipline to which they were 
 subjected, could not escape the contagion to 
 which their situation exposed them, is it to be 
 expected that these poor people, whom any 
 man may trample on, should ? Can the un- 
 enlightened and uninformed be proof against 
 the sediTCtions of idolatry ? The ridiculous 
 ceremonies of the Heathen Worship, the tawdry 
 splendor of their exhibitions, their songsand their 
 flowers and their festivities, though exciting in 
 
440 TAVENTIETH SERMON. 
 
 US only aversion and disgust, have a mighty 
 importance in the mind of a feeble Indian ; and 
 always will have, till the tone of sentiment be 
 raised. The Bible would elevate his views : 
 and there seems no other way of doing it ; for 
 it must be recollected, that these persons have 
 no books, as we have, to supply, in some mea- 
 sure, the want of the Bible — books interspersed 
 with passages of Scripture, pointing out the 
 way to eternal life. 
 
 " But have not they teachers?" you will ask. 
 Yes, here and there one is to be found ; but 
 the nutnber hardly deserves notice, when the 
 wants of the people are considered. And how 
 can Europe continue to send Missionaries to a 
 population continually increasing? Besides, 
 Missionaries have done their work : it was for 
 them to bring the Gospel to Hindoostan, and 
 they did it. It is now time for the converts to 
 have their Ministers and Pastors of themselves. 
 But men can never become qualified for the Mi- 
 nistry, without studying the Bible. On the other 
 hand, there is every reason to believe, that, if 
 they had fi'ee access to the Scriptures, some 
 would be soon found competent to teach others. 
 It has always been so in every country : they 
 were first called and directed by the Mis- 
 sionary ; and, after a little time, went on by 
 themselves. If the Indians have not yet done 
 
CHRISTIAN INDIA. 441 
 
 SO, it is because of tlieir peculiar circumstances : 
 the former possessors of the country have been 
 generally their enemies : their degradation pa- 
 ralyzes them. Do you make a great eftbrt, 
 and lift them but a little, and you will soon find 
 that tliey will awake dind put on tlieir strength: 
 they will shake themselves from the dust and 
 arise (Is. lii. 1,2): they will advance rapidly in 
 knowledge, and go on without your aid.* 
 Should we, however, be deceived in our hope 
 of seeing them organized, and regular Pastors 
 administering the Holy Ordinances, it is at all 
 events impossible to believe, that the people, 
 with the Scripture in their possession, would 
 long remain in their present deplorable con- 
 dition : they would read it in their houses : 
 they would teach it their children : they would 
 talk of it in the way ; and men who can do 
 this, have ceased to be contemptible. 
 
 Come then. Beloved Brethren: begin the 
 year well. Before many more returns of the 
 present day, you will, many of you, have left 
 the country: if this opportunity be neglected, 
 you will not perhaps have the satisfaction of 
 recollecting, that you ever did any thing for the 
 good of India. You must also reflect, and it is 
 
 * This, however, ;is dubious. Swartz and Gericke, as well 
 as the Roman-Catholic Priests, were of opinion, that European 
 Teachers would be always necessary. 
 
442 TWENTIETH SERMOHT. 
 
 a proper reflection for the beginning of the 
 year, that death will soon put a period to your 
 opportunities : your wealth will soon he of no 
 use to you: therefore, while life lasts, make it 
 the instrument of happiness to thousands. 
 
 There is no room for apprehension that you 
 will excite a commotion. The persons for whom 
 we plead call our Lord theirs, and hold his 
 Word in the same veneration as we do. They 
 will not eye with suspicion the Sacred Volume; 
 but seize it with delight, as a book which they 
 have often longed to see. 
 
 The undertaking, in which we ru*ge you to 
 engage, has nothing in the nature of it, at which 
 any one can reasonably demur. The means of 
 accomplishing the desired purpose are unex- 
 ceptionable: the success is certain; for God 
 himself hath declared concerning the word 
 which goeth forth out of his mouth, that it shall 
 not return void: it shall accomplish that which I 
 please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto 
 I sent it (is. Iv. 1 1). The frame of heaven may 
 pass away — much more then the schemes of 
 men : but my ivords, said Christ, shall not pass 
 aivay (Matt. xxiv. 35). 
 
 You may also be assured of their gratitude 
 and attachment. Even now, though they are 
 kept at. such a distance from us that they, 
 girarcelv darf rn]l u? F»rethrf'n, it is a secret 
 
CHRISTIAN INDIA. 443 
 
 satisfaction to them, that their Governors are 
 Christians: how desirable that the attachment 
 of these harmless people should be made of 
 importance !* But this is a topic which it is not 
 our province to enlar-je upon: we rather exhort 
 you to be instrumental in saving souls. While 
 we are preaching, they are perishing: therefore, 
 lose no time. 
 
 Let us reflect a moment upon the unhappy 
 state of those who live without a Bible, but 
 especially of those who die without one. Ima- 
 gine the sad situation of a sick or dying Chris- 
 tian, who has just heard enough of eternity to 
 be afraid of death, and not enough of a Saviour 
 to look beyond it with hope : he cannot call for 
 a Bible to look for something to support him, 
 or ask his wife or child to read him a con- 
 solatory chapter: the Bible, alas! is a treasure, 
 which they never had the happiness to pos- 
 sess. Oh pity their distress You, who have 
 
 *Therewasan insurrection of the Nayrs ill Travancore, in the 
 year 1806, against the Rajah. Three baltaiionsof his Nayr Body 
 Guards rexolted, and sought to kill the British Kesidenl; and the 
 Kajah and the present Minister, Co ougI M., fled to Cochin. The 
 Rajah called the Christian Fishermen from the coast, to defend 
 him aj^ainst the Nayrs. They assembled at Travandram, in 
 immense numbers, each man armed with a short bludgeon. Tlie 
 bowmen from the hills afpeared, at the same time, in the Rajah's 
 behalf; and the Nayrs laid down their arms and fled. About 
 fifty of the ringleaders were seized and hanged. Dr. Bttchavan^$ 
 Let ler« from the Coasi. 
 
444 TWENTIETH SERMON. 
 
 hearts to feel for the miseries of your fellow- 
 creatures — you, who have discernment to see, 
 that a wounded spirit is far more agonizing than 
 any earth-begotten woes — you, who know that 
 you too must one day die — Oh give unto him, 
 what may comfort him in a dying hour ! The 
 Lord who loves our brethren, who gave his life 
 for them and for you, who gave you the Bible 
 before them, and now wills that they should 
 receive it from you — He will reward you. 
 They cannot recompense you ; but you shall be 
 recompensed at the resurrection of the just. The 
 King Himself will say to you, Inasmuch as ye 
 have done it unto one of the least of these my 
 brethren^ ye have done it unto me. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 PtllNTED BY R. WATTS, CROWN COl'RT, TEMPLE BAR. 
 

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