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 SEP.MONS. 
 
 WILLARD PRESTON, D,D„ 
 
 LATE PASTOR OF THE 
 
 INDEPENDENT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, 
 
 SAVANNAH, GEORGIA. 
 
 BT 
 
 SAMUEL K. TALMAGE, D.D., 
 
 PRESIDENT OF OOLETUORl'E UMVtRSITY. 
 
 IN TWO VOLUMES. 
 
 VOL. L 
 
 PHILADELPHIA: 
 
 II. COWPERTHWAIT k CO. 
 
 18 57. 
 
TO THE 
 
 IXDEPEiTDEXT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 
 
 AND CONGREGATION, 
 SAVANNAH, 
 
 f l]ts Stlutinn from tlji gistfltttsts 
 
 OF HIM 
 
 V/HO FOR NEARLY A QUARTER OF A CENTURY, 
 
 BROKE TO THEM THE BREAD OF LIFE, 
 
 IS RESPECTFCLLY AND AFFECTIOXATELT DEDICATED, 
 
 HIS SURVIVING FAMILY. 
 
EDITOR'S rHEFACE. 
 
 The wishes of an affectionate people, mourning the recent 
 loss of a faithful pastor, ■whos» connection with them had been 
 characterized by mutual and ever-increasing love and respect, 
 to the last hour of his life, cannot be regarded by his surviving 
 family otherwise than as authoritative commands. It is in 
 compliance 'with such wishes that these volumes of Sermons 
 have been compiled, and are now presented to the people of 
 their author's late charge, and to the public. 
 
 The difficulty of selecting from the very large collection of 
 manuscripts left by the deceased pastor, a limited number for 
 publication, has been greatly enhanced by the vast variety of 
 subjects treated of, and the uniform degree of excellence 
 which they present, as well as by the brevity of the time, the 
 longest allowed by circumstances for the completion of the 
 work. The editor can hardly indulge the hope that he has, in 
 all cases, made the best possible selection, or that the better 
 judgment of one more competent to the task would entirely 
 coincide with his own. Ilis anxiety on this score, however, is 
 in some measure reassured by the consciousness that he has 
 earnestly endeavored to discharge the trust committed to him 
 in a manner worthy of the author, and satisfactory to those 
 whose affectionate regard for him has prompted to the work. 
 
 One rule which has been observed in the compilation of the 
 Discourses contained in these volumes, has been to exclude all 
 
VI PREFACE. 
 
 such as were chiefly devoted to denominational or sectarian 
 subjects, of which there are indeed but few, and to present 
 only such as would be received by evangelical Christians, of 
 whatever name. It is believed that in them is preached, 
 clearly and fully, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That they are 
 eminently . practical in their bearing, and personal in their 
 application, those who sat under the preaching of their author 
 need not to be assured. 
 
 Asking indulgence for any imperfections which may be ap- 
 parent in the portion of the work for which he is responsible, 
 the editor commits the volumes to the church and congregation 
 who have requested their publication, in the sincere hope that 
 they may ever prove a pleasing memento of him who for so 
 many years ministered to them in the Gospel, and that the 
 revelations of eternity may show that their publication was 
 not in vain. 
 
 J. W. P. 
 
 March, 1857. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Biographical Sketch, 17 
 
 SERMON I. 
 Salvation through Christ Alone, 33 
 
 SERMON II. 
 The Atonement,, its Fulness and Sufficiency, 52 
 
 SERMON III. 
 The Sinners Part in the Work of Saving the Soul, ... 66 
 
 SERMON IV. 
 The Impenitent Sinner's Case Hopeless. His Prospects Considered, 82 
 
 SERMON V. 
 / The Great Resolve, 98 
 
 SERMON VI. 
 Resistance to the Holy Spirit, 113 
 
 SERMON VII. 
 The Difficulty of Securing the Salvation of the Soul, as a Motive 
 
 to Active and Earnest Effort, 127 
 
 SERMON VIII. 
 The Ruin of the Soul Effected by Neglect, 141 
 
 SERMON IX. 
 God's Desire for the Salvation of the Sinner's Soul leaves Him with- 
 out Plea or Excuse for its Loss, 155 
 
 SERMON X. 
 Bitter Disappointment the Djring Sinner's Doom, . .170 
 
 SERMON XL 
 Motives to Early Piety, 184 
 
Vlll CONTENTS. 
 
 SERMON XII. PAGE 
 
 The Glory of God manifested to the Inhabitants of Heaven by the 
 
 Plan of Human Salvation, 199 
 
 SERMON XIII. 
 
 Christ the Life of the Soul and the Restorer of its Glory, . . 214 
 
 SERMON XIV. 
 Heavenly Treasures, 229 
 
 SERMON XV. 
 
 Analogy between the Israelites' Journey to Canaan and the Chris- 
 tian's Journey to Heaven, ....... 249 
 
 SERMON XVI. 
 Depravity of Human Nature, . ^ 270 
 
 SERMON XVII. 
 The Eternal Dwelling-Place of Every Soul is adapted to its Moral 
 
 Character, 293 
 
 SERMON XVIII. 
 Faith, 310 
 
 SERMON XIX. 
 
 The Backslider Recovered and the Impenitent Converted, . . 323 
 
 SERMON XX. 
 Christian! Excellence, 352 
 
 SERMON XXI. 
 The Duty and Different Kinds of Prayer, 369 
 
 SERMON XXII. 
 The Cross of Christ, 402 
 
 SERMON XXIII. 
 The "Building of God, a House not made with Hands ;" — Various 
 
 Interpretations Reviewed, ....... 415 
 
 SERMON XXIV. 
 The Soul, as affected by the Death of the Body, .... 448 
 
 SERMON XXV. 
 The Great Victory, through Christ, 461 
 
SKETCH 
 
 LIFE or llEV. WILLARD PRESTON, D.D. 
 
 The subject of this memoir was born in Uxbridge, Massa- 
 chusetts, May 29, 1785. He was the youngest but one of a 
 family of six sons and six daughters. His father was a sub- 
 stantial farmer ; a man of strong, energetic mind, great up- 
 rightness and integrity of character, and of extensive useful- 
 ness in the community generally, and in the Church, of which 
 he was an officer for many years. His mother, whose maiden 
 name was Elizabeth Hart, was a lady of unusual sprightliness 
 of mind and sweetness of manner, joined to a cheerful and con- 
 sistent piety, which made her a universal favorite and the idol 
 of her family. Willard, the subject of this memoir, seems to 
 have inherited the strong logical mind of his father, and the 
 brilliant wit and playful humor of his mother, united with the 
 most exquisite sensitiveness and sensibility of temperament. 
 He was the pet child of his parents and the delight of his older 
 brothers and sisters. Though he was possessed of an ardent 
 and sanguine temper, his childhood Avas marked by docility 
 and unquestioning obedience to his parents and teachers, and 
 by a susceptibility to religious impressions which would almost 
 warrant the conclusion that his conversion took place at an 
 early period of life. If a childhood and youth of unsullied 
 purity, and a most conscientious observance of the Sabbath 
 and religious duties, are any ground for such a conclusion in 
 any case, it might surely be admitted in this instance. It was 
 not, however, till after the completion of his collegiate course 
 
 2 
 
18 SKETCH OF THE LIFE OF 
 
 that his convictions of duty became so clear and urgent as to 
 lead to an entire change of his pursuits and purposes of life. 
 At an early age he gave indications of superior intelligence 
 and intellect. His love of study and proficiency in the 
 branches then taught in village, schools, led his father to place 
 him under the tuition of Rev. Dr. Crane, the parish minister 
 of Northbridge, where his father then resided, preparatory to 
 giving him a collegiate education. His preceptor enjoyed a 
 Tvide popularity as a teacher of youth, and had the honor of 
 training some of the master minds, which within the last half 
 century have shone as bright luminaries in the Church. Among 
 these may be mentioned the Rev. Dr. Spring, of New York, and 
 the Rev. Dr. Hawes, of Hartford. 
 
 After due preparation, he entered Brown University, where 
 his course was marked by propriety of conduct, close applica- 
 tion to study, and the development of mind of no common 
 order. There, too, his passionate love of music was indulged and 
 cultivated, and by his fine voice and great skill on the violon- 
 cello, he became an important auxiliary to the college choir, 
 of which he was a leader. His love of music was never lost, 
 and was a source of enjoyment not only to himself, but to his 
 family and friends. 
 
 He graduated with one of the highest honors of his class, in 
 September, 1806, and with the restless energy and character- 
 istic promptness which ever urged him forward to the accom- 
 plishment of any purpose he had formed, he returned to his 
 father's house only to prepare to leave it, and enter at once 
 upon his professional studies. Law was the profession to 
 which he had looked forward and directed his preparatory 
 reading ; and the week after his graduation found him a 
 student in the office of the Hon. Sylvanus Backus, of Pomfret, 
 Connecticut, a gentleman distinguished for his great amiability 
 and urbanity, and none the less for his professional attain- 
 ments. 
 
 Here, while devoting himself with assiduity to the study of 
 this noble science, it is believed that the claims of a law, higher 
 and nobler, were set home on his conscience. His religious 
 
REV. WILLARD PRESTON, D.D. 10 
 
 impressions revived, and that all-important change ^vas effected 
 which led him to seek a profession more congenial to the 
 newly-awakened desires of his heart, and to devote himself to 
 the service of his God, in the work of the Gospel ministry. 
 
 Accordingly, in the spring of 1807, he left the office of Mr. 
 Backus, and went to New Brunswick, New Jersey, Avherc he 
 engaged as preceptor of a select school for young ladies. On 
 the 3d of May he made liis first public profession of religion, 
 and united with the Dutch Reformed Church, then under the 
 pastoral care of Rev. Ira Condit, D.D. With him he soon 
 after commenced the study of theology, preparatory to that 
 sacred work to which he believed he had been called by the 
 Spirit of all Truth, operating on his soul, and causing him to 
 prefer its solemn and self-denying labors to the honors and 
 emoluments which he might have hoped to win in the practice 
 of a secular profession. His studies Avere continued under the 
 direction of the Rev. Samuel Stearns, of Bedford, Massachu- 
 setts, and by him he was presented to the Andover Association 
 for licensure, and was accepted. 
 
 Ilis first labors in the ministry were in Hallowell, Maine, 
 where he produced a favorable impression, and was considered 
 a young man of extraordinary promise. The character of his 
 sermons from his earliest ministry Avas eminently evangelical 
 and sound in the faith ; but in his youth not so severely logical 
 as in later years. His earlier style was embellished Avith much 
 that Avas poetic, but never abounded in illustration. That 
 style, so popular at the present day, Avas then almost unknoAvn 
 in the sturdy school of Ncav England theology. The sim- 
 plicity, comprehensiveness, and unction of his public devo- 
 tional exercises, were very remarkable ; and he Avas once sur- 
 prised and humbled on being asked by an aged minister, for 
 Avhom he had preached, " What books of devotion he had 
 studied ?" 
 
 In the fall of 1808 he visited a sister residing in A'^ermont, 
 and Avas invited to supply the pulpit of the Calvinistic Con- 
 gregational Church, in Burlington, in that State, and to be- 
 come its pastor permanently. This proposition his feeble 
 
20 SKETCH OF THE LIFE OF 
 
 health compelled him to decline, and to seek a more genial 
 climate. 
 
 In the following summer he again visited New Jersey, re- 
 viving and strengthening the friendships formed while a resi- 
 dent of New Brunswick, some of which Avere of a strong and 
 tender nature, and were cherished through life. It is pleasant 
 to remember that he was permitted, in its last year, to revisit 
 those scenes and friends endeared by so many fond recol- 
 lections. 
 
 After preaching a few Sabbaths to destitute churches in 
 New Jersey, he extended his journey to Philadelphia, where 
 he preached under the auspices of the venerable Dr. Ashbel 
 Green, and was instructed and encouraged by his paternal 
 counsels and commendations. 
 
 The succeeding winter and year were spent in Virginia, in 
 the families of Hon. John Taliaferro and Hon. James M. 
 Garnet, as the tutor of the son and daughter of the latter, 
 statedly preaching in a church consecrated to Episcopal wor- 
 ship, and to an auditory composed of such as piety or courtesy 
 induced to attend the ministry of the youthful preacher. His 
 congregation, though numerically small, was intellectually such 
 as to tax to the utmost his mental and literary resources. This 
 Avill be readily conceded, when, in addition to those who have 
 been named, such men as Samuel L. Southard and John Ran- 
 dolph, of Roanoke, were sometimes of the number. Nor were 
 motives wanting to inspire a zeal for the spiritual good of his 
 hearers, Avhich, it is believed, were felt, and that many hum- 
 ble and teachable minds were fed with the pure milk of the 
 Word. 
 
 It was here, amid the fascinations of southern social life, 
 that he imbibed that love of the customs and characters of the 
 South which made him essentially a southern man, and fitted 
 him especially for the sphere to which the Providence of God 
 assigned his later years — a sphere so congenial to his early and 
 enduring prepossessions. 
 
 Soon after his return to New England, in 1811, he was uni- 
 ted in marriage, at Northbridge, Massachusetts, to Lucy 
 
REV. WILLARD RKESTOX, D.D. 21 
 
 Maria Baker, fourth daughter of Joseph Baker, M.D., of 
 Brooklyn, Connecticut, and Lucy Devotion, his wife, of Puri- 
 tan descent on tiie part of the father, and of Huguenot on that 
 of the mother. By this union he had nine chihlrcn, seven of 
 whom survive their lamented father. 
 
 A short time after his marriage he became the pastor of the 
 Congregational Church, in St. Alban's, Vermont. His ordi- 
 nation took place on the 8th of January, 1812. Here he con- 
 tinued till declining health, caused by the severity of the 
 climate, made a removal necessary to one more mild. His 
 pastoral relation to that devoted people was dissolved in Sep- 
 tember, 1815. The ties which bound him to them were of no 
 ordinary nature. They were his first love as a church, and 
 never was a church more worthy the love and gratitude of a 
 pastor. The strength of their attachment was show^n by their 
 desire to have the relation renewed ; two distinct invitations 
 having been given him again to become their pastor. But 
 though circumstances prevented his second settlement among 
 them, it was a source of great comfort and pleasure to him to 
 believe that the bond which united their hearts to his was 
 never broken. This was proved by many affecting incidents, 
 especially during his last visit to them in 1851, when he was 
 hailed with the liveliest demonstrations of love by those who 
 still survived, and by the children of those who had been called 
 from earth. With them he visited the graves of their parents 
 and loved ones, and mingled with theirs tears of affection to 
 the memory of those w^ho had been the dear friends of his 
 younger days, and with whom he had "taken sweet counsel 
 and walked to the house of God in company." It may be 
 proper to add, that such was the effect on the minds of the 
 people, by the removal of their pastor, that the last sermon he 
 delivered to them was apparently blessed by the Holy Spirit 
 to the conversion of many, and was followed by an interesting 
 revival. 
 
 In June following he received a call from the Pacific Con- 
 gregational Church, in Providence, 11. L, a small remnant of a 
 church which had been rent by doctrinal differences, the larger 
 
22 SKETCH OF THE LIFE OF 
 
 portion holding the Arminian faith, and forming what is now a 
 large and evangelical church in that city. His labors with 
 that people, though short, received tokens of the Divine appro- 
 bation, in an interesting revival, in which the students of the 
 University shared, — some of whom are now shining lights in 
 the Church, and honored instruments of diffusing the Gospel in 
 heathen lands. 
 
 He was dismissed from that church at his own request, in 
 1821, and in August of the next year was installed over the 
 Calvinistic Congregational Church in Burlington, Vt., the 
 same field to which he had been invited earlier in his ministry. 
 This relation, though mutually happy, was destined to be of 
 short duration. Their former pastor, the Rev. Daniel Haskell, 
 had been called to the Presidency of Vermont University, and 
 now, by a calamitous visitation of Providence, was rendered 
 incapable of discharging his official duties. The church was, 
 therefore, again called upon to resign their pastor to fill the 
 vacant office. Mr. Preston entered on the duties of the Presi- 
 dency in April, 1825. Shortly after his inauguration, the 
 great and good La Fayette assisted in laying the corner-stone 
 of a new college edifice, erected on the site of one consumed by 
 fire the year before, almost simultaneously with the first 
 appearance of the malady which deprived the institution of 
 the valuable services of Dr. Haskell. 
 
 Owing to adverse influences, chiefly groAving out of cases of 
 discipline, Mr. Preston resigned the office in 1826. President 
 Wheeler, in his " Historical Sketch" of his predecessors. Pre- 
 sidents of the University of Vermont, says : " Dr. Preston was 
 connected with the college for so short a time, that little can 
 be said respecting his actual or prospective influence. He was 
 a man remarkable for his gentlemanly and elegant bearing, of 
 simple, genial, and artistic tastes ; and in the discharge of his 
 public duties, secured, at once, the love and admiration of stu- 
 dents and of others." 
 
 In the fall of 1826, Mr. Preston removed to Philadelphia, 
 without any special charge, but supplying, as his health per- 
 mitted, vacant pulpits, and often assisting the venerable and 
 
REV. WILLARD PRESTON, D.D. 23 
 
 learned Dr. James P. Wilson, of the First Presbyterian Church, 
 whose declhiing health made such occasions of frequent occur- 
 rence, and sometimes for several successive Sabbaths. 
 
 In the -winter of 1828-29, the entire prostration of his health 
 induced him, -with the urgent recommendation of his physician 
 and other friends, to make trial of the climate of the South ; 
 and in [March, 1829, he sailed for Savannah, •where he arrived 
 on the 2d day of April. After a sojourn of only a few days, 
 making the acquaintance of several Christian gentlemen, and 
 particularly that of the then pastor and several of the elders of 
 the Independent Presbyterian Church, he left for the upper 
 portion of the State of Georgia. His letters were from his 
 friends in Virginia to gentlemen in Powelton, "where he spent 
 his first summer, and whose dry and balmy atmosphere had 
 a healing and renovating effect on his wasted health. He 
 preached as occasion presented, and also took charge of an 
 academy in that village. In the autumn of the same year, he 
 was invited to Milledgeville, to supply the pulpit of the Presby- 
 terian church, and assume the charge of a large academy for 
 both sexes. 
 
 Here, his family having joined him, he spent the year ; but 
 as it was not his purpose as yet to locate himself or to assume 
 permanent relations, he removed, at the close of the year 1830, 
 to Madison, Morgan County, where the double duties devolved 
 on him in the care of both a church and an academv. 
 
 In the fall of 1831, an invitation was given him to remove 
 to another field of labor in the same section of the State. But 
 the conditions on which his acceptance depended had not been 
 complied with, when he received from the Eldership of the 
 Independent Presbyterian Church in Savannah, an invitation 
 to visit them and preach, with a view to permanent settlement, 
 should there be mutual satisfaction. With this he complied, 
 and preached his first sermon before that people, December 25, 
 1831, and on the 14th of January following, received a unani- 
 mous call from the Session and Trustees to become their pastor. 
 
 This he accepted, and began his pastoral labors in Savannah, 
 in January, 1832. And here he entered into a field which he 
 
24 SKETCH OF THE LIFE OF 
 
 cultivated with unfaltering vigor and industry for nearly a 
 quarter of a century, comprising more than half of his minis- 
 terial life, and continuing until his earthly labors closed. 
 
 For this field he seems to have been peculiarly fitted and 
 prepared in the Providence of God, by his education, manners, 
 piety, experience, temperament, and habits of industry. He 
 at once addressed himself to the onerous labors before him, 
 ■with a zeal and earnestness which never relaxed, until his heart 
 ceased to beat ; carrying with him and increasing the confi- 
 dence and affection of his important charge from the beginning 
 to the very last day of his life, which was suddenly closed. 
 
 His charge was a laborious and responsible one, and his his- 
 tory illustrates strikingly the value of the faithful minister to 
 the Church and community, and the burden of car^s and 
 anxieties devolving on him. The infidel, who sneeringly ob- 
 jects to the bad political economy of supporting the Christian 
 ministry, as being consumers and not producers, would stand 
 rebuked, on a candid survey of the life of Dr. Preston. 
 
 His congregation was among the largest, most refined, and 
 intellectual, in the Southern States. His extended acquaint- 
 ance brought him into communion personally and by correspond- 
 ence, almost daily, with a large number of strangers, who sought 
 information and counsel on a great variety of subjects. None 
 except those intimately associated with a long-settled pastor, 
 can estimate the burden of calls and duties pressing on him 
 from a thousand sources. 
 
 His ordinary public labors consisted of three public services on 
 the Sabbath ; a weekly lecture ; and an almost invariable attend- 
 ance on a weekly congregational prayer meeting. These labors 
 were interrupted only by the omission, during the summer 
 season, of one of his Sabbath services : for he rarely accepted 
 of the summer vacation usually given by city churches to their 
 pastors. And such was his devotion to his people, that for 
 seven years consecutively at one time, he never left the city 
 except for some occasional ministerial call abroad. 
 
 Besides a laborious attention to parochial visiting, and admi- 
 nistering consolation to the afiiicted and sorrowing around him. 
 
REV. WILLARD PRESTON, D.D. 25 
 
 he was often called on to visit the sick-beds of stranf:;er inva- 
 lids, "who every winter resorted in crowds to the city from 
 abroad. So deeply Avas he affected with the situation of lonely 
 and afflicted strangers at the public and other boarding-houses, 
 that he is said often to have taken the rounds of the hotels, 
 to ascertain whether there Avere within any unfriended sick 
 stranorers needing reliffious counsels. Here he would be found 
 acting the good Samaritan, administering personally to their 
 physical wants, or interesting others in their cases, and direct- 
 ing the sufferer to the Great Physician of souls ; and many will 
 bless God through all eternity for those soothing and timely 
 visits. 
 
 In addition to giving full instruction to his enlightened con- 
 gregation, by his ordinary pulpit labors, he prepared and de- 
 livered, on different occasions, several courses of lectures on 
 special topics, greatly to their edification. A course of able 
 lectures on the Organization and Polity of the Christian Church, 
 especially interested and instructed his hearers, in which, whilst 
 opposing the views of other brethren, his manner was so gentle, 
 and his spirit so catholic, that none seemed to take offence ; 
 thus showing that controversy may be conducted in a Christian 
 manner that will not sunder or hinder the affections of Chris- 
 tian communities. One has said, " A man may innocently be 
 drawn into a religious controversy, but who has innocently 
 come out of it?" He, perhaps, came as near as any one ever 
 ,did to giving a satisfactory affirmative reply to the question. 
 
 He was firm in his religious views, and perfectly frank in 
 the avowal of them. But these opinions were held without dog- 
 matism, and uttered in a spirit of Christian charity, so that an 
 opponent would love the man, even where the argument failed 
 to carry conviction. 
 
 His manners were so winning and affectionate, that his pre- 
 sence was always hailed with delight by the old and young, the 
 exalted and the humble. He was ever accessible to the child 
 and the stranger, and all came to him without reserve, for he 
 had an open ear to the tale of suffering and distress. There 
 was an unusual blending of the dignity of the Christian gentle- 
 
23 SKETCH OF THE LIFE OF 
 
 man and minister with the native unaffected gentleness of the 
 child, in the character and manner of Dr. Preston, admirably 
 adapted to the calling of the Christian minister. He seemed 
 never to forget his high profession — never to forget that his 
 "work Avas to serve God and humanity. And hence, while he 
 could stoop to the lowliest, there was no compromitting of the 
 seemliness of his station. 
 
 There Avas a sublime exhibition of his Christian heroism, self- 
 denial, and benevolence, during the prevalence of yelh'W fever 
 in Savannah, in the summer of 1854. Disease and death were 
 abroad in their most appalling forms, mowing down the people. 
 The citizens who could leave were fleeing in all directions from 
 the remorseless scourge ; and his parishioners begging him for 
 their sake, and for that of his church and family, to flee with 
 them from the threatening danger. Like a faithful sentinel he 
 nobly stood by his post ; preferring to risk life rather than 
 desert the suffering and the dying. The soldier may brave the 
 sudden onset of the battle-field, sustained by a love of glory, 
 and maddened into fury by the cruelty of his foe ; but to fol- 
 low the philanthropist, even in old age, as he unselfishly threads 
 the streets and lanes of a city, under burning suns by day and 
 noxious damps by night, for weeks and months in succession, 
 amid revolting and heart-sickening scenes of disease and pain, 
 in order to do good to the souls and bodies of men ; watching 
 by the dying through long nights of suffering, and then follow- 
 ing them to their last resting-place, and returning to soothe 
 the bereaved survivor : this is to witness one of the very highest 
 achievements of valor. And such was the scene the aged pastor 
 encountered. In the mean time he was called on to close the 
 dying eyes of his eldest son — a gifted and accomplished scholar 
 — and to lie down himself in the fearful embraces of the for- 
 midable pestilence, and to struggle for days, in his old age, in 
 a doubtful issue between life and death. This is one chapter 
 of his pastoral experience. 
 
 A few extracts from his correspondence will furnish a glimpse 
 of his suftcrings and endurance during the memorable presence 
 of this pestilence, and show the man and the Christian minis- 
 
REV. WILLARD PRESTON, D.D. 27 
 
 tcr better than any Avords can describe. In his daily journal 
 to a loved one of his own household, he says, " Writing to you 
 so often and fully is a pleasure, though, indeed, a melancholy 
 one. It is my chief employment at night; and after the 
 fatigues of the day, it is a relief to recount to you its chief in- 
 cidents ; but the sorrow and astonishment with which you will 
 be overwhelmed in reading the sad record is a great drawback 
 on the satisfaction of telling you everything which affects me. 
 
 But, my dear , be not over-anxious; let us put our trust 
 
 in God, and possess our souls in peace. Pray, indeed, but do 
 not faint. I may take the epidemic and die, though I have 
 not as yet felt the slightest apprehension in visiting the sick 
 and the dying and attending funerals." "If the entreaties of 
 friends could have influenced me, I would long since have left 
 the city. But the still voice of duty has prevailed, and I trust 
 ivill jy^cvail, over that of friendship and the warmest earthly 
 affection. I may, indeed, be the next victim, but I have no 
 more fears than if unusual health prevailed. If I die, may it 
 be in the faithful discharge of my duty ; and it is my duty to 
 remain with the sick, the dying, and the afflicted. Your sym- 
 pathy in my labors and trials is most grateful, but I am chiefly 
 concerned how you will bear the terrible details, which have 
 become so familiar to me that I have almost ceased to be as- 
 tonished at anything. No more awful scenes, it seems to me, 
 can occur, than I have already witnessed. I have to-day been 
 so constantly engaged, and withal so distressed on account of 
 
 poor , that I hardly know what I wrote to you of this day's 
 
 occurrences, in the letter which I mailed this afternoon." " I 
 have visited to-day some twenty families, ministering in dif- 
 ferent ways to their necessities and comfort. I am often with 
 the sick and dying till long after midnight, and then return to 
 my solitary room for rest, but scarcely for repose. I am some- 
 times amazed at the scenes I have witnessed, and the part I 
 have borne in them. It is indeed a wonder unto many that I 
 and mine are yet spared, surrounded as we have been by some 
 of the most malignant cases, and as much exposed by contact 
 with them as it is possible to be." " I have struggled with 
 
 J^' 
 
28 SKETCH OF THE LIFE OF 
 
 those who were struggling with death, and when the fearful 
 contest was past, have closed the eyes and composed the limhs 
 of the poor victims ; and, with the assistance of a servant, 
 dressed the body for the grave, and have been one of the two 
 or three who have borne and committed it to its narrow house. 
 I have cheerfully borne separation from my famil}^, for the 
 reason that they are safe (as I trust) from the sight and ra- 
 vages of this awful pestilence. But yet I am well in body, 
 and all ours are yet spared. For which let us be sincerely 
 thankful, and let it silence all jowr excessive fears, and lead 
 you to put your trust in God." Such language and conduct 
 need no comment. They make their way at once to the heart. 
 The amount of his labors at this time is almost incredible. 
 His correspondence through the whole period of his greatest 
 labors was voluminous, not only with the members of his scat- 
 tered family, but with his people, dispersed in every part of the 
 country, all anxious for information that could be relied on; 
 and where he could not in person administer consolation to the 
 bereaved, his pen was employed in the mournful office. The 
 number of letters he wrote in those few weeks (more than a 
 hundred, and many of these containing two or more large 
 sheets, closely written) is truly astonishing, especial!}'- when 
 taken in connection with his engrossing labors and anxieties. 
 
 As a preacher. Dr. Preston's sermons were logical and argu- 
 mentative, rather than pathetic ; but they were strictly evan- 
 gelical in spirit. His divisions were natural and happy ; his 
 style, especially in advancing life, was almost severe in its sim- 
 plicity, but lucid as the light of day. He felt that the pulpit 
 was not the appropriate place to show oiFthe flowers of rhetoric, or 
 to please the imagination, any further than these ornaments can 
 be made ancillary to religious advancement. He felt that the 
 messenger from heaven had too serious a work before him, 
 simply to divert and amuse his hearers. 
 
 His topics for pulpit presentation were chosen from subjects 
 that led him to discuss great vital doctrines and practical 
 duties. He had no taste for strange texts to make the people 
 stare, or for odd and startling exhibitions to excite surprise 
 
REV. "WILLAKD PRESTON, D.D. 29 
 
 rather than to do good, lie had no liking for philological 
 abstractions, or for topics unsuited to the pulpit ; evils, •which 
 it is greatly to be feared, are eating out the very vitals of the 
 piety of many a church. lie did not encourage or gratify the 
 "itching ear," for he considered the Gospel message as de- 
 signed, not for diversion, but for the renovation of the heart 
 and the reformation of the life. In his night lectures he came 
 nearer to the heart, and fed the people of God Avith the richest 
 food of experimental piety. 
 
 His delivery was usually calm and unimpassioned. There 
 •was, ho-\vever, a subdued earnestness of manner that held the 
 attention of the hearer to the close. He rarely rose to a lofty 
 eloquence, yet never fell to a point -where he failed to interest 
 his audience. 
 
 His enunciation -was so deliberate and distinct, though •with 
 no great body of voice, that he made himself heard •with ease 
 by the most remote hearer in his large and capacious church ; 
 ■which building, we may remark by the "way, after all the 
 modern attempts at improvement in church architecture, is pro- 
 babl}^ in its interior, the most graceful, chaste, and imposing 
 structure in the nation, for Christian •worship. 
 
 Dr. Preston read the Scriptures and sacred hymns in public 
 ■worship, with great solemnity, dignity, and po^sver. He had a 
 happy and forcible manner in giving public notices from the 
 pulpit, — a strangely rare pulpit attainment, and yet one by no 
 means to be despised by those who would save their congrega- 
 tions from vexatious mistakes and perplexity. 
 
 He was peculiarly felicitous in improving providential occur- 
 rences, and his apt and appropriate funeral addresses were 
 often most affecting and impressive. In the house of mourning 
 and sorrow, his presence was that of a ministering angel, sooth- 
 ing, comforting, and instructing. His gentleness and sympa- 
 thy banished all reserve, and made the sufferer feel that a bro- 
 ther's heart was with him. 
 
 His private and social intercourse Avith the families of his 
 church, was of the most attractive and pleasing character. His 
 courteous and urbane manners, his cheerfulness, gentleness, and 
 
30 SKETCH OF THE LIFE OF 
 
 playful humor, made him the most delightful of companions. 
 All longed to see the " dear pastor," old and young, and in 
 his presence the brow of care relaxed, and the burdened heart 
 found relief. 
 
 His occasional preaching from home, was always a season of 
 interest to the community visited. He always left behind him, 
 on his return from these visits, a strong impression of his learn- 
 ing, piety, and ability as a preacher. He received the degree 
 of D.D. from the trustees of the State University of Georgia; 
 a mark of respect, which if always equally deserved would con- 
 stitute an honorable distinction as a just tribute to scholarly, 
 theological learning; but which unfortunately has lost its signi- 
 ficance in its indiscriminate distribution. 
 
 To sum up all. Dr. Preston was a man of rare gifts for the 
 pastoral office, and few men have been able to take so strong 
 and enduring a hold on the confidence and afi'ections of so large 
 a flock. 
 
 But the enjoyment of the labors of such a minister, like all 
 earthly blessings, is a boon given only for a season, and must 
 come to its close. 
 
 Subsequently to his recovery from the yellow fever, he was 
 left, for months, in a languid state. In compliance with the 
 importunities of his anxious flock, he travelled for a season. 
 His system rallied, and he was restored to his usual health. He 
 engaged again, with his wonted zeal, in his arduous labors. 
 
 On Sabbath, the 20th of April, 1856, he preached a solemn 
 discourse from the text, Isaiah 38 : 1, " Set thine house in 
 order: for thou shalt die, and not live." It was so earnest 
 and afl"ecting as to attract the special attention of many, and to 
 elicit the remark from a number, that he seemed to be giving 
 his parting counsels. On Saturday morning of that week 
 (26th) he rose apparently in strong health. After breakfast 
 he made some calls, and attended a meeting of the Georgia 
 Baptist State Convention, then in annual session in Savannah. 
 Late in the afternoon he entertained some visitors at his house, 
 in his usual cheerful manner. Shortly after they retired, he 
 was suddenly seized, about 7 o'clock P. m., with a paralysis of 
 
REV. WILLAKD ITvESTOX, D.D. .31 
 
 the heart, Avas carried to his bed, and, after a short and painful 
 struggle, expired, in the 71st year of his age. The veteran 
 Christian soldier laid down his bright and burnished armor, 
 and went to his rest. 
 
 The mournful intelligence, like an electrical shock, spread 
 rapidly through the community. The whole city were mourn- 
 ers. It seemed as if every family had lost a beloved inmate. 
 Many a manly face, unused to weeping, was bedewed witli tears. 
 
 The funeral Avas one of those touching, eloquent, and over- 
 whelming tributes, which royalty might envy; Avhich nothing 
 but solid worth ever draws forth — the spontaneous outburst of 
 grief, which honors a long life of earnest devotion to duty — the 
 unbought and priceless suffrage of veneration and love. 
 
 On Monday, the 28th, the Independent Presbyterian Church 
 "was the point that concentrated the hearts of all the citizens, for 
 all that was mortal of the old and beloved pastor lay coffined there, 
 amid the mourning crowd and the emblems of sorrow. They 
 "were about to carry aAvay forever to the cold grave a venerable 
 form, that had been seen for long years, moving along those 
 busy streets, and within those habitations, on errands of love 
 and mercy. The Baptist Convention, after passing touching 
 resolutions of sympathy and condolence Avith the bereaved 
 family and flock, had adjourned to do honor to the memory of 
 departed Avorth. The spacious house Avas croAvded to its utmost 
 capacity, whilst a vast throng was left Avithout. 
 
 A solemn and impressive discourse on the life and character 
 of the deceased, was delivered by the Rev. J. P. Tustin, of the 
 Baptist Church. 
 
 The following was the order of the funeral services. 
 
 The body being removed to the church at 3 o'clock, at- 
 tended by the family of the deceased, the members of the 
 Session, and trustees of the church, the services began at half- 
 past 3 o'clock, and Avere conducted in the following order, viz. : 
 
 1st. Prayer, by Rev. D. H. Porter, pastor of the First Pres- 
 byterian Church. 2d. Funeral hymn, read by Rev. C. B. King, 
 of the Presbyterian Church. 3d. Reading of the Scriptures, 
 by Rev. jNIr. Keys, of the Methodist Church of Savannah. 
 
32 . SKETCH OF THE LIFE, ETC. 
 
 4th. Hymn, read by Rev. Mr. Clarke, Rector of St. John's Epis- 
 copal Church, Savannah. 5th. Sermon, by Rev. J. P. Tustin, 
 of Charleston, late pastor of the Second Baptist Church of Sa- 
 vannah. 6th. Closing prayer, by Rev. Mr. Karn, pastor of 
 the Lutheran Church, Savannah. The services at the grave 
 were performed by Rev. C. W. Rogers, of the Presbyterian 
 Church. A suitable discourse was also delivered on a subse- 
 quent Sabbath, to the afflicted flock, by Rev. Mr. Rogers; and 
 a series of resolutions was signed at a meeting of the ministers, 
 representing nearly all the religious denominations in the city, 
 expressive of their profound sense of the irreparable loss to the 
 community, and of their strong appreciation of his superior 
 merits as a man, a Christian, and a pastor. 
 
 We cannot close this sketch more suitably than by quoting 
 the language of one of the Savannah journals of the day, giving 
 a summary estimate of the man. " In the character of Dr. 
 Preston we have a bright example of the devoted Christian and 
 faithful minister. His whole soul was absorbed with the care 
 of his flock, and there was no duty so arduous as to cause him 
 to shrink from its performance. In health he was their com- 
 panion and friend, in sickness a minister of consolation and 
 grace, in death a chief mourner of the departed, and a com- 
 forter of the bereaved. No pastor was ever more loved by his 
 people while living, and none more deeply regretted when 
 dead." 
 
^fnu0iis. 
 
 I. 
 
 SALVATION THROUGH CHRIST ALONE. 
 
 " Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name 
 under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.'" — Acts 4 : 12. 
 
 The whole context shows that these words refer to 
 the Lord Jesus Christ. And the doctrine which they 
 teach is, that his Gospel furnishes the only scheme of 
 salvation. It is therefore entirely exclusive in its cha- 
 racter and claims. Its precepts and doctrines, its 
 motives and sanctions, are peculiar to itself. It 
 admits no compromise with any other scheme, and 
 denounces a fearful anathema against him who shall 
 preach any other Gospel. " Though we, or an angel 
 from heaven," says Paul, '• preach any other Gospel 
 unto you than that which we have preached unto you, 
 let him be accursed." And so jealous was its divine 
 Author of its claims, that in closing the sacred canon 
 he has declared, " If any man shall add to, or take 
 from it, God shall add unto him the plagues which are 
 written in this book, and take away his part out of 
 
 3 
 
o4 SERMON' I. 
 
 the Book of Life." Such are the awful guards which 
 he has placed around his own scheme of salvation, as 
 contained in this sacred volume. 
 
 To show the justness of these high claims is the 
 object of this discourse. The arguments in the case 
 are indeed numerous. But we shall derive them from' 
 two general considerations. 
 
 I. That no other scheme has ever been devised or 
 suggested, which is not manifestly untenahJe, unsatis- 
 factory, and ahsurd. 
 
 II. That the Gospel scheme is, in all its provisions, 
 just such as to meet the necessities of men, and com- 
 mend itself to universal belief and acceptation. 
 
 The salvation of sinners is certainly not a self- 
 evident truth. It is not a matter of course. On the 
 contrary, all solid hope must rest on some principle 
 or provision, which is known and felt to be adapted 
 and adequate. Mankind must have something which 
 they call religion — something on which to place their 
 hopes for eternity ; and in their extremity, that some- 
 thing must have a solid foundation, or what they 
 regard as such, or they wall sink into despair. 
 
 Man has been denominated a religious being; and 
 in the sense above stated, he is so. 
 
 But the salvation of the Gospel, its nature, and its 
 claims, and the conditions on which it alone can be 
 secured, are such that its very proposal awakens oppo- 
 sition in the carnal mind of man, and wdien pressed 
 on his acceptance, calls forth his enmity. " For the 
 
SERMON T. 35 
 
 carnal mind is enmity against God." It is not ^von- 
 derful, therefore, that human ingenuity, thus prompted 
 by enmity, should have sought out many inventions, 
 and devised various schemes as substitutes for that of 
 the Gospel. Yet they may all be resolved into what 
 has been called natural religion, or the religion of rea- 
 son, in contradistinction from that of revelation. But 
 let us see how far that scheme can satisfy reason itself. 
 
 Here, at the very outset, we are met with a diffi- 
 culty, which, if not absolutely inextricable, we shall 
 at least find it hard to escape from. Is it a truth 
 that there is ii future and an eternal state of existence? 
 Is not death man's last end ? — the utter extinction of 
 his being ? Put out the light of revelation — banish all 
 that you have learned from this book — and then let 
 the question be propounded. Is there a future and an 
 eternal state of existence to man ? And how will you 
 answer that question ? Can unaided reason satisfac- 
 torily settle it ? Reason can find arguments enough 
 to support an affirmative answer when the fact is once 
 made knoAvn. But, without a revelation, could it have 
 ascertained that fact ? 
 
 We are acquainted with man only in a state of 
 ■union of soul and hodij. When we see death dissolving 
 that union, and, as his hand presses heavily on the 
 body, witness also its prostrating influence on the 
 mind, could we, without a revelation, be certain that 
 the soul survives the shock ? Would not reason itself 
 rather draw the conclusion that, at the death of the 
 
36 SERMON I. 
 
 body, the soul itself becomes extinct ? We think it 
 could not infer the contrary. And hence, the gloomy 
 doctrine of nihilism prevailed among the most en- 
 lightened of the ancient heathen philosophers. The 
 soul's immortality was no more than conjecture with 
 even Socrates. The martyrdom, as it has been called, 
 which he suffered, was not for maintaining that doc- 
 trine. He did advance the idea that there was, or 
 might be, but one Being entitled to the character of 
 supreme — a sentiment, indeed, which aimed a death- 
 blow at the Polytheism of the Grecian Empire ; and 
 for this he was condemned to drink the fatal hemlock. 
 And how sincere he was, or rather, how little confi- 
 dence he himself had in that opinion, appears from the 
 fact that after his condemnation, and just fis he was 
 placing the fatal poison to his lips, and of course had 
 nothing to fear or hope from his persecutors, he di- 
 rected his friends to do sacrifice in his behalf to one 
 of the heathen deities. 
 
 But suppose the immortality of the soul to be ren- 
 dered probable, or even certain, by the unaided effort 
 of reason, can reason tell us what the future state of 
 the soul will be? — whether happy or miserable? 
 Manifestly, reason can tell us nothing on this all- 
 important and most interesting point. Here her lips 
 are sealed ; her hand cannot lift the veil ; her eye 
 cannot penetrate it. 
 
 But will it be said that the character of God for- 
 bids a conclusion so sad ? But whence our hioivledge 
 
SERMON I. 37 
 
 of his character? Reason cannot establish the fact 
 of even the existence of a God. I say cannot, because 
 under the most favorable circumstances it never has 
 done it. It was the subject of the most prying and 
 untiring investigation for centuries. It was neces- 
 sarily involved in all the inquiries of ancient heathen 
 philosophers respecting " the Supreme Goody But 
 there is no proof — no Innt that one of them ever pre- 
 tended to have ascertained the fiict of the existence 
 of the true God. 
 
 But as the conjecture of one of them, to whom we 
 have already alluded, was certainly founded in fact, 
 although he still taught his pupils to adhere to the 
 polytheism of their nation, and (almost) at the mo- 
 ment of his death gave a lyractlcal denial of such a 
 belief, yet, as the conjecture was certainly founded in 
 fact, let it be conceded that this was an achievement 
 of reason, and the question which naturally arises is, 
 With what attributes would reason clothe the Supreme 
 Being ? And here it were enough to show what at- 
 tributes the wisest men, without a knowledge of reve- 
 lation, have ascribed to their divinities. Here, too, is 
 another perplexing fact, viz., that scarcely any two of 
 them were agreed as to the character of " their lords 
 many, and gods many." They ascribed to them a 
 great variety and diversity of attributes and qualities 
 — from the most partial favoritism, through all the 
 grades of licentiousness, to the most implacable ma- 
 levolence and revenge. No decent man in Christen- 
 
ob SERMON I. 
 
 dom can read the characters of their gods without the 
 deepest abhorrence. 
 
 But let it be still farther granted, that reason might 
 have ascertained and ascribed to the Supreme Being 
 the attributes of eternal existence, independence, 
 omnipotence, omnipresence, and omniscience. In this 
 case, the idea of an overruling Providence, too, might 
 have been suggested, although actually denied by 
 most of the ancient philosophers, and by none of 
 them agreed how extensive this superintendence was, 
 only that the higher order of the gods did not concern 
 themselves with the affairs of this world. But grant 
 all this, and now, manifestly, mankind must sustain im- 
 portant relations to such a Being — relations which must 
 give rise to most important and essential duties. But 
 what can reason teach us respecting these relations 
 and duties ? Certainly, that we are his creatures ; 
 that, as such, w^e are dependent beings ; that reve- 
 rence and gratitude are his due. But whether our 
 experience of good were to be ascribed to a superin- 
 tending Providence, or our own wisdom and sagacity, 
 might, without a revelation, be a question not easily 
 solved. 
 
 But what would be the language of reason under 
 the experience of evil ? Would it enjoin submission ? 
 If so, would that submission be voluntary or com- 
 pelled ? — cordial acquiescence or stoical indifference ? 
 The latter was the submission which heathen philoso- 
 phers taught. 
 
SERMON I. 39 
 
 It is also the dictate of reason that the Supreme 
 Being is to be worshipped. But in what shall that 
 worship consist? In mental — or corporeal acts — or 
 both? find how performed? Questions these, which 
 lie altogether beyond the province of reason to settle. 
 AYere it to direct the mode of worship, it would un- 
 doubtedly consist in great show, and pomp, and dis- 
 play — in splendid pageantry. If left to the sole guid- 
 ance of reason, mankind would take all their ideas of 
 propriety on this subject from the respect and honors 
 which are paid to heroes and other distinguished men; 
 only to a Supreme Being, the honors to be paid would 
 consist of supreme display and folly. And from what 
 ice know of the true God, by his own revelation, such 
 honors would be supremely displeasing. The truth is, 
 while it requires a special revelation to know, in a 
 thousand most important respects, what duties we 
 ought to perform, it requires it, in every instance, to 
 teach us the manner in which they can be acceptably 
 performed. 
 
 But more modern advocates of the sufficiency of 
 reason to prescribe a suitable and sufficient scheme of 
 salvation, have made repentance the sole ground of it. 
 
 But this presupposes the knowledge of two essen- 
 tially important things utterly beyond the compass of 
 human reason. The one is that the Supreme Being 
 is a God of mercy. For forgiveness of sin, even though 
 it were for the sake of a Mediator, is wholly an act of 
 mercy. 
 
40 SERMON I. 
 
 All our ideas of the government of God, independ- 
 ently of revelation, must be derived from human gov- 
 ernments, only that the former would be more per- 
 fect than the latter. All governments are founded 
 on laiD. But mercy is not known to JaiD. Justice is 
 the great distinguishing characteristic of law. The 
 exercise of mercy implies the suspension of Ja7J0, and 
 consequently of strict justice. Such an attribute is, 
 indeed, necessary in all human governments. But it 
 arises from their imperfection : the government of God, 
 therefore, would be one of far more rigid laws — 3^ea, 
 of exact and even justice. Hence reason might prove 
 God to be a Being of justice, but not of mercy. The 
 two attributes are in perfect conflict. They can only 
 be harmonized on the ground of a special provision, a 
 knowledge of which requires a special revelation. 
 
 What now becomes of the notion of repentance, as 
 ground of the sinner's hope ? So far as reason can go, 
 pardon, on the ground of repentance, supposing it to 
 exist, would be impossible. 
 
 This suggests the other thing necessary to be 
 known, viz. : that God icouJd pardon on repentance. 
 Till this were certain no motive to repent could exist. 
 But how was this to be known? For there is no 
 merit in repentance. It makes no amends for past 
 disobedience. Reason itself tells us this. Confess- 
 edly, this could only be known, as well as the grounds 
 of it, by special, express revelation. 
 
 Such, then, for we can dwell no lon.irer on this 
 
SERMON I. 41 
 
 point, are the devices and suggestions of reason, placed, 
 too, on far liigher ground than any achievement rea- 
 son has ever made on this subject. And, if such men 
 as Pythagoras, and Thales, and Socrates, and Plato, 
 Aristotle, and Cicero, names which stand for every- 
 thing great in genius and proud in reason, could pro- 
 duce nothing better than what they did produce, 
 vrhile directing the strongest efforts of their giant 
 minds to that single point, who will contend for the 
 sufficiency of human reason to furnish a safe or 
 adapted plan of salvation ? 
 
 But if we discard their notions as absurd, and adopt 
 those of Herbert, and Chubb, and Bolingbroke, and 
 Hume, and Voltaire, we are to remember, that while 
 they reject everything that is distinguishing in the 
 word of God, or are indebted to that Book for every 
 doctrine that Jias any foundation in truth, they place 
 all the hopes of mankind on the 772erit of repentance, 
 or the indiscriminate exercise of Divine mercy, to the 
 utter disregard of Divine justice. For " a God of such 
 mercy is a God unjust," a declaration as true as though 
 it fell from the lips of an inspired Apostle. 
 
 n. With adoring gratitude we turn to our second 
 train of argument : viz., that the scheme of the Gospel, 
 in all its provisions, commends itself to our fullest 
 belief, and most cordial acceptation. 
 
 1. It commends itself to our reason. It is true that 
 revelation contains doctrines and facts which reason 
 cannot comprehend, and so do nature and Providence. 
 
42 SERMON I. 
 
 Yet while the great plan of redemption, disclosed to 
 us in the Bible, is perfectly intelligible, reason more 
 than assents to it. It approves. A plan, the opera- 
 tions of which should be violative of justice, could 
 never receive the approbation of reason, even in the 
 individual who might be infinitely benefited by it. 
 Had God, for instance, pardoned the sinner whom his 
 law condemned to eternal death, without a satis- 
 faction for his violated laws, the very reason of the 
 pardoned sinner himself could not approve, must se- 
 cretly condemn the plan. However easy and common, 
 too, for men to call that reasonable and right, wdiich 
 promotes their individual interest, or falls in with their 
 selfish wishes, yet there is a sense of justice implanted 
 in the human soul which no interest can suppress, 
 though it might bribe to silence. 
 
 But the scheme of the Gospel secures and establishes 
 the justice of God on an immovable basis. Every law 
 of his throne is vindicated — yea, " magnified and made 
 honorable." Paul states this as the glory of the Gos- 
 pel scheme : " To declare his righteousness, that God 
 may be just, and the justifier of him that believeth." 
 God gave to man a law. The penalty of violating it 
 was eternal death. Man violated it, and incurred the 
 penalty. Had a free pardon been proclaimed without 
 a satisfaction to the claims of injured justice, what 
 w^ould have become of God's authority, and even 
 truth ? Justice would have been sacrificed ; and not 
 a being in all his universe would have respected his 
 
SERMON I. 43 
 
 autlioritj. But look at the provisions of the Gospel, 
 and a single glance at the Gross explains the whole — 
 removes every difficulty and every bar. Justice was 
 satisfied. And 0, how strikingly manifested ! Nor 
 mercy less so. The liveliest gratitude combines with 
 the deepest conviction of justice to exalt the authority 
 and character of God in the view of all the redeemed, 
 w^hile the lips of every reprobate man, or fallen 
 angel, are forever closed. Here justice and mercy, 
 righteousness and peace, unite and harmonize on prin- 
 ciples which reason must acknowledge and cannot but 
 approve. It is now consistent, and seen and felt to be 
 consistent with all the Divine perfections to save sin- 
 ners. And there appears to be no other conceivahle 
 plan which reason, in its candid exercise, could ap- 
 prove. 
 
 2. The beautiful harmony of its facts, and precepts, 
 and doctrines, which characterizes the whole Christian 
 scheme, commends it to the unwavering belief and 
 hearty acceptance of every man. The Bible has been 
 studied for eighteen hundred years to find a contradic- 
 tion in it, but not one has been detected. It has chal- 
 lenged every effort of genius and critical acumen ; and 
 every effort has been made, and those which have 
 been thought and proclaimed by infidelity to have 
 been found in it, have been triumphantly jDroved to 
 have originated in gross ignorance or malicious per- 
 verseness. Look at the character it gives of its Au- 
 thor, and the Author of all things. What a glorious 
 
44 SERMON I. 
 
 assemblage of perfections it ascribes to him ! If any 
 of his attributes might be supposed to conflict 
 with each other, they are his justice and mercy, in re- 
 gard to man's eternal destiny. But the provisions of 
 the Gospel have brought them into the sweetest har- 
 mony. Man's entire depravity is met by the Spirit's 
 omnipotent influence in the regeneration and sanctifi- 
 cation of the sinner's heart. In a word, all the exi- 
 gencies and miseries consequent on the fjill, are amply 
 met by the plan devised and revealed by God himself. 
 It tenders a free and a full salvation to all who will 
 accept it. 
 
 3. The salvation which the Gospel proffers is per- 
 fectly adapted to the condition of mankind. That 
 condition is one, naturally, of total alienation from 
 God ; of rebellion against his authority — in two words, 
 words never disconnected in their import, a state of 
 sin and misery. From this state, there is no other 
 name under heaven given among men wherel^y they 
 can be rescued, but the name of Jesus Christ ; no other 
 remedy which can reacli their case, but that which his 
 Gospel furnishes. The highest intellectual cultiva- 
 tion — the most earnest persuasions — the most solemn 
 appeals — all the promised joys of heaven, and all the 
 threatened miseries of perdition, aside from those in- 
 fluences of the Omnipotent Spirit which are secured 
 by no other scheme than that which this Sacred Book 
 contains, cannot subdue the sinner's heart. 
 
 This, therefore, is a provision which adapts it to 
 
SERMON I. 45 
 
 the condition, the state, the exigencies of every chiss, 
 and grade, and individual of our fallen race ; to the 
 rich and the poor, to the learned and the illiterate — 
 yea, the most degraded, as well as most exalted hy 
 tlieir endowments, or by any of the distinctions of hu- 
 man society. As the ampleness, the adaptedness, the 
 efficacy of this provision, or the necessities, the degra- 
 dation, and wretchedness of any portion of the human 
 family are concerned, these distinctions are not known. 
 All are placed on one level, as guilty and perishing 
 sinners. Sovereign grace alone creates that distinction 
 which secures the approbation of the holy God, or a 
 title to the glories of heaven. All who would secure 
 these blessings must take the humble posture of learn- 
 ers at the feet of Him who spake as never man spake. 
 They must come to Christ as little children — humble, 
 meek, and docile. The Gospel is designed to humble 
 the pride of man, and places all men on a level in re- 
 gard to salvation. " There is," as it has been ex- 
 pressed, " no royal way to the favor of God ; no mo- 
 narch saved, because he is a monarch ; no philosopher, 
 because he is a philosopher." The great, the wise, 
 the learned, the rich, have no pre-eminence in this 
 respect over the low, the ignorant, the unlearned, and 
 the poor. All who are saved must accept salvation 
 on the same terms, and enter into heaven by the same 
 strait and narrow way. 
 
 It is a peculiar excellence of the Gospel system, and 
 proves its adaptedness as a system of salvation, that 
 
46 SERMON" I. 
 
 all its great leading and essential doctrines are plain 
 and level with the understanding of the feeblest intel- 
 lect, addressing themselves to the same powers and 
 principles of the human mind. Had it been a cun- 
 ningly-devised fable, it surely had lacked this feature. 
 Compare with it the systems of heathen philosophers, 
 and especially those most highly prized when the New 
 Testament was written. None but the learned school- 
 men pretended to understand the principles on which 
 they were founded or the doctrines they inculcated. All 
 others, the great mass, must take them on trust. How 
 immeasurably different the Divine system of the Gos- 
 pel ! Its essential doctrines and truths all lie on the 
 very face of the Scriptures, so plain that, as the Pro- 
 phet Habakkuk expresses it, " He may run that read- 
 eth," and as Isaiah has it, " The wayfaring men, though 
 fools, shall not err therein." 
 
 But while thus adapted to such, it commends itself 
 to those of minds the most cultivated and enlarged. 
 Men with whom it were ridiculous vanity for most 
 infidels, in any age of the world, to pretend com- 
 parison ; men who have esteemed it their highest 
 honor, as it was their truest glory, to be the humble 
 and devoted disciples of Christ. It is the highest orna- 
 ment, as it constitutes the only real moral excellence 
 of all gra.des and ranks of intelligent beings, binding 
 them together in one holy and happy community, of 
 which the infinitely perfect God himself is their 
 Founder and their Father. 
 
SERMON I. 47 
 
 Again. The Gospel of Jesus Christ furnishes the 
 only ground of solid peace, the only source of rea.1 
 happiness in tliis life. It alone can calm and satisfy 
 the enlightened and tender conscience. This faculty 
 will operate in the breast of every man in -whom it is 
 not seared as witli a hot iron. It is not at the biddins: 
 of man to accuse or excuse. It acts independently in 
 the soul of man. It is God's Vicegerent, sitting in 
 judgment on his conduct, and the grand principles of 
 its judgment, the rules of its decisions, are the holy 
 laws of God revealed or inscribed on his very nature. 
 It will, despite of man's inclinations, take cognizance 
 of the moral actions of its subject. It convicts every 
 man of sin, and in most, at least, awakens a dread of 
 righteous retribution; and, I need not say, often throws 
 the sinner into the deepest agony. " The spirit of 
 a man will sustain his infirmity ; but a wounded spirit, 
 who can bear?" Now, whither shall such a man go to 
 obtain relief? In all the anguish of his soul, he raises 
 the cry, " What shall I do to be saved?" Would you 
 tell him consult the oracles of heathen philosophy ? 
 or the systems of more modern infidelity ? He will 
 turn from both with abhorrence. Will you bid him take 
 the light of nature for his guide? Follow the dictates 
 of his reason? And what do they teach him? Just 
 enough of God to increase his alarm, to deepen his 
 despair. If they have taught him one truth more 
 clearly than any other, it is, that God is an infinitely 
 holy being; a sin-hating God, and sits upon a throne 
 
48 SERMoy I. 
 
 of unbending justice. And if He take His own law 
 for his guide, that law is the very instrument of his 
 death. It is by its application to his heart and life 
 that he is cut off from all hope. They are the curses 
 incurred by its violations which crush him in the dust. 
 By the law is the knowledge of sin ; and hence, by the 
 law can no man living be justified. But adoring thanks 
 to God, there is deliverance from this state. His wis- 
 dom has devised a remedy, His grace made ample 
 provision. The Gospel of Jesus Christ announces to 
 us this remedy and provision, and tells us how we 
 may avail ourselves of them. There we find an ample 
 satisfaction to the claims of Divine justice, in the in- 
 finite atonement of the Son of God ; a full satisfaction 
 of its penal demands against him who believes in that 
 Son, and trusts alone in Him for salvation. Let him 
 raise the eye of faith to the Redeemer, and with a 
 confiding, affectionate, devoted, obedient heart, em- 
 brace Him as all his salvation, and all his desire ; his 
 alarms will instantly give place to calmness, his fears 
 to hope, a hope full of peace and joy. The troubled 
 conscience can find peace nowhere else, — there is salva- 
 tion in no other: "For there is none other name under 
 heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." 
 Pie can now look on God, not as before, his enemy ; 
 but as his Friend, his Father; and on the Son of God, 
 not as the avenger of His Father's insulted authority ; 
 but as his Redeemer from deserved destruction. Yea, 
 his brother, and tenderest sympathizer in all his sor- 
 rows and trials. 
 
SERMON I. 49 
 
 Once more, the Gospel of the Grace of God, furnishes 
 the only means by which the soul can be happy in 
 eternity. Our highest wisdom, then, consists in pre- 
 paring for that state. Our earthly existence is of 
 short continuance. Our future, eternal; and under 
 widely different circumstances from the present. We 
 shall be conversant with very different objects ; hold 
 intercourse with entirely different beings, and by 
 entirely different means and modes. 
 
 Our dispositions and tastes must be conformed to the 
 nature of those objects and beings to be happy in their 
 presence and society. We are going to a world where 
 these are immaterial and spiritual. And of the manner 
 of perception and intercourse, we only know that it is 
 totally different from that of this world. We need, there- 
 fore, a special preparation to be happy there. God is 
 the glorious being in the knowledge and immediate 
 presence of whom, every intelligent being in the uni- 
 verse must he either happy or miserable. Conformity 
 to him is bliss — non-conformity, misery. How su- 
 premely happy, or unutterably wretched, then, must 
 we be when death shall introduce us into his imme- 
 diate presence. The scheme which the sacred volume 
 reveals, teaches us how we may secure the one and 
 avoid the other. AVhat gratitude should swell our 
 hearts that we have been l^lessed Avith a knowledge of 
 it. And with what contempt turn away from every 
 other scheme as a substitute for it. It commends 
 itself, therefore, to every man as worthy of all accep- 
 
 4 
 
50 SER5I0N I. 
 
 tation, and the acceptation of all. It is the only 
 remedy for the miseries of the fall ; and thanks, ador- 
 ing, and eternal thanks to God, it is a sovereign one: 
 in all its features — all its provisions. Sovereign in its 
 origin, — it was the effect of God's self-prompting love; 
 sovereign in all the means of carrying it into accom- 
 plishment, — for " he worketh all things after the 
 counsel of his own will ;" sovereign in the efficiency 
 with which he clothes those means, — "for the preach- 
 ing of the Cross" (a word which stands for the whole 
 Gospel), "is the wisdom of God, and the power of God 
 unto salvation." 
 
 The Gospel of Christ is yet to sweep away every false 
 religion from the face of the earth — to crush all oppo- 
 sition — to demolish thrones and revolutionize govern- 
 ments, if need be, to plant the standard of the Cross in 
 every nation, on every shore, in every clime. Under 
 its all-subduing and sanctifying power, that epoch is 
 to open on the world, to which Isaiah's prophetic eye 
 was directed when he wrote, " Behold, saith the Lord 
 God, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set 
 up my standard to the people ; and they shall bring 
 thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be 
 carried upon their shoulders ; and kings shall be thy 
 nursing fiithers, and their queens thy nursing mothers. 
 They shall bow down to thee with their face towards 
 the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou 
 shalt know that I am the Lord." 
 
 But while no man can release himself from these 
 
SERMON I. 51 
 
 obligations, let us remember that the salvation here 
 proffered is especially matter of the deepest x^crsonal 
 concern to every one. It furnishes the only ground of 
 hope to any of us or of our guilty race. Here, no one 
 can assume the responsibility of another. No man 
 can repent, nor believe, nor obey for another. To 
 his own Master every' one must stand or fall. Hear 
 the words of the Saviour himself: ''He that believ- 
 eth shall be saved. He that believeth not shall be 
 damned." 
 
11. 
 
 THE ATONEMENT— ITS FULNESS AND 
 SUFFICIENCY. 
 
 " For thy name's sake, Lord, pardon mine iniquity, for it is great." 
 —Psalm 25 : 11. 
 
 It is not certain what place among the Psalms of 
 David, that properly holds, which contains the text; 
 as they evidently were not arranged in chronological 
 order. It would seem from the text itself, to have been 
 written after his sad fall, to which he refers directly in 
 the fifty-first Psalm, usually and appropriately styled 
 his penitential Psalm. This, however, affects not the 
 doctrine which the text inculcates, though it is well 
 calculated to give it additional force. Many a sinner 
 under conviction, who was not guilty of offences of 
 equal enormity as those which stained the character 
 of David, has offered the same prayer, and made the 
 same confession — adopting his very language: "0 
 Lord, pardon mine iniquity, for it is great." Ah, who 
 is the sinner among us, where is the individual Uvukj, 
 whose lips this language would not fitly become ? Let 
 the strictest moralist but see himself as God sees him, 
 let him have those views of his heart only which 
 
SERMON II. 53 
 
 Omniscience has, and no language were more appro- 
 priate : and many a moralist, wheij properly awakened, 
 with all sincerity and truth, has used it. Still there 
 are different degrees of wickedness. All are not 
 equally guilty. And we may admit, as teaching a 
 doctrine which is everywhere taught in the Scrip- 
 tures, and none of deeper interest is taught in them, 
 that David was, indeed, guilty of crimes of the hJach- 
 est enormity. 
 
 We have, then, in the text, three most important and 
 deeply interesting facts for our present consideration. 
 
 I. That the enormity of one's sins is, in itself, no bar 
 to salvation. 
 
 II. That this enormity may be acceptably pleaded 
 as an argument for their forgiveness : and 
 
 III. The ground of forgiveness in any case: 
 
 " For thy name's sake, Lord, pardon my iniquity, 
 for it is great." 
 
 I. The enormity of one's sin, is in itself, no bar to 
 salvation. 
 
 To establish this blessed fact requires no long argu- 
 ment. 
 
 1. No greater expiation — no richer ransom — no 
 atonement more efficacious — no substitute more glori- 
 ous, could be furnished, or possibly conceived, than has 
 been provided. God could provide nothing greater. 
 All his perfections, and especially those of his infinite 
 wisdom and power, have been brought into exercise to 
 accomplish what his infinite benevolence proposed. 
 
54 SERMON II. 
 
 Hence the work of salvation is styled " the power of 
 God, and the wisdom of God," yea, " the mighty power 
 of God." Hence it were a reflection on his character 
 to suppose that aiii/ siu of any creature can be, in itself, 
 too great to be forgiven. There are sins which God 
 never tvill forgive : nor will they ever be repented of. 
 And though they possess peculiar aggravations, yet it 
 is not on that ground that they are unpardonable. 
 This we must refer to his mere sovereignt}^ Nor 
 will the least sin be forgiven without repentance. 
 The only reason which the Scripture assigns why 
 fallen angels cannot be forgiven, or why they are not 
 saved is, that " Christ took not on him the nature 
 of angels r. And the grand reason why men are saved 
 is, that " he took on him the seed of Abraham." In 
 other words, human nature ; and in that nature made 
 an atonement for sin, as unlimited in its nature and 
 efficacy, as the nature of the God-man Mediator, is unli- 
 mited, i. e., infinite. On this ground, no sin, in itself, 
 can be a bar to salvation. The provision which has 
 been made exceeds oWx^ossihle enormity of sin. Hence 
 2. This is the express and repeated statement of God's 
 inspired word. Hear that word : " Though your sins be 
 as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow ; though they 
 be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." " Where 
 sin abounded" (or reached the highest degree of turpi- 
 tude), "grace did much more alound." The Apostle 
 here, uses a double superlative, as it were, to express 
 the excess of grace over the highest degree of sin. The 
 phraseology is singular and peculiar, and deserves the 
 
SFRvox ir. 55 
 
 deepest consideration. " Where sin ahounded, grace 
 did much more (djoimd." It is not possible to frame 
 language more full or decisive on the point now before 
 us. But to this we may add, 3. The invitations and 
 calls which issue from the word of God. These are 
 not restricted to any particular class of men, or any 
 particular description of character; to the young and 
 naturally amiable — to the moral, they are unrestricted 
 — universal. The offer of life is made to all men : " Unto 
 you, men, I call, and my voice (the voice of God's 
 mercy), is unto the sons of men." Equally unrestricted 
 is the following language : " 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." Language cannot 
 be more universal. But this is not all ; tlie very vilest 
 are singled out, over whom God even pours out the ten- 
 derest and most earnest expostulations and entreaties. 
 Towards Israel, at a time of their greatest idolatry and 
 abandonment to the most provoking sins, Jehovah 
 uses this language : " How shall I give thee up, 
 Ephraim? How shall I deliver thee, Israel? My 
 heart is turned within thee. My repentings are kin- 
 dled together. I will not execute the fierceness of 
 mine anger ; I will not return to destroy Ephraim ; 
 for I am God and not man." And this I remark, 
 4. Brings to our purpose another important fact, viz., 
 that the vilest have actually been redeemed. This 
 was true of multitudes over whom God poured forth 
 
56 SERMON II. 
 
 those pathetic expostulations, just recited. He did 
 not return in his anger to destroy them, but to melt 
 them to repentance, and to save them. This was in 
 repeated instances true of that people, and for succes- 
 sive generations. 
 
 What more abandoned wretches ever lived than 
 those were, or had been, of whom the Church at 
 Ephesus was composed ? They are characterized by 
 every mark of infamy. But " they were washed, they 
 were sanctified, they were justified in the name of the 
 Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." The same 
 was true of almost all the first Christian converts. 
 The first Church ever planted on the platform of the 
 Christian Dispensation, was extensively composed of 
 the very crucifiers of the Lord of life and glory — the 
 Church at Jerusalem. This awful crime, added to 
 lives of the most debasing wickedness, surely would 
 have excluded them from the iiossibility of salvation, 
 if anything could. From tribes, and communities, 
 and classes, we might descend to individuals ; from 
 Manasseh to Saul of Tarsus, and from Saul of Tarsus 
 to our own day, during which long period, and in every 
 age of it, there have been multitudes of the most pol- 
 luted and abandoned, plucked as brands from the 
 burning, and who have abundantly evinced the genu- 
 ineness of their conversion, by lives most exemplary 
 and devoted to the cause of Christ, and left the world 
 in triumph. 
 
 One tiling more. Precisely the same terms of salva- 
 
SERMON II. 57 
 
 tion are laid down for all, and the same promise of 
 eternal life made to every one who complies with 
 them. Repentance is no more insisted on, no more 
 necessary to the greatest than to the least sinner ; a 
 sinner of a hundred years, than the youth of a tenth 
 part of them. The necessity of faith in the Lord Jesus 
 Christ is the same to all : " Except ye repent, ye shall 
 all likewise perish ;" and " He that believeth not shall 
 be damned." When sin is repented of, and Christ is 
 believed in, the same absolute promise is made ; the 
 same blessings are secured. His " sins shall be blotted 
 out, he shall be saved." The multitude and magni- 
 tude of one's sins form no exception. Without the 
 exercise of repentance and faith, there is salvation in 
 no case ; with them, in no case condemnation. 
 
 But enough on our first point. We rest the truth 
 of it on what has been so briefly presented — that no 
 enormity or amount of sin, in itself, is a bar to salva- 
 tion ; and proceed to show — 
 
 II. That the greatness of one's sins may be accejDt- 
 ably pleaded as an argument for their forgiveness. 
 
 This is the plain and unqualified declaration in the 
 text, "0 Lord, pardon mine iniquity, /or it is greats 
 This language was not prompted merely by the natu- 
 ral conscience, quickened to the highest activity ; nor 
 was it the expression of utter despair — a mere excla- 
 mation that all was lost — that there was no hope in 
 his case — such as a Judas might utter. It was 
 prompted by, and penned under, the direct influence 
 
58 SERMON II. 
 
 of the Divine Spirit, and left on the inspired record 
 for the instruction and benefit of other great offenders. 
 In the case of David, we know it was a successful ar- 
 gument, and directly followed with pardon. Among 
 the reasons for the success of such an argument, we 
 may remark : 
 
 1. That when a great sinner is brought into a state 
 of conviction by the Spirit of God, all the energies of 
 the soul are roused to their highest exercise. His ex- 
 ercises may not be more sincere than those of a less 
 offender. But almost, if not quite, every sinner under 
 conviction tries every possible expedient to obtain re- 
 lief, and gather some hope, before he will cast himself 
 wholly and unreservedly on the sovereign mercy of 
 God in Jesus Christ. Multitudes, indeed, succeed in 
 obtaining relief, but, alas ! at the expense of their 
 souls' endless destruction. How many fall back on 
 their morality, with the consoling plea that they are 
 no worse, or that they are even better than others who 
 call themselves Christians, and either embrace a false 
 hope and practise the ordinary round of external du- 
 ties, or soon sink into deeper indifference ! But when 
 a great sinner is thrown into conviction, he has no 
 «uch resources of which to avail himself. He is cut 
 off from the plea of former morality ; he can institute 
 no favorable comparison between himself and others. 
 He is compelled to look only at himself, and as he 
 really is, and as he knows God's eye is upon him. He 
 must cry, and with the deepest bitterness and anguish 
 
SERMON II. 59 
 
 of soul, for mercy, or sink at once to utter despair. No 
 language is as appropriate, as natural, as "0 Lord, 
 pardon mine iniquity, for it is greats Such a state, 
 though one of mere conviction, is a peculiarly hopeful 
 one. Such a man may fall mto a state of despair ; 
 but he is not likely to relapse into a state of indiffer- 
 ence, or return to his former course of iniquity. Our 
 Saviour has given his judgment in such a case. The 
 Publican was one of that description, who could only 
 "smite upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to 
 me, a sinner;" and he was pardoned and "justified." 
 No man, indeed, can have too deep a sense of his 
 guiltiness before God. The language of the text befits 
 the lips of every one. But it is peculiarly fit for sin- 
 ners of enormous wickedness, and was intended to 
 assure such that the greatness of their iniquity, in- 
 stead of sinking them into utter despair, may even be 
 pleaded as a prevailing argument before the infinitely 
 holy God. But 
 
 2. God is peculiarly glorified in the forgiveness of 
 such. God is glorified by the manifestation of his cha- 
 racter, the display of his glorious attributes. There is 
 an inherent and a declarative glory of God. It is of 
 the latter we speak. It is this only which creatures 
 can experience or witness. And how is God thus glo- 
 rified, his perfections brought to view, when he par- 
 dons a bloody Manasseh, a f\xllen David, a denying 
 Peter, or a persecuting Saul of Tarsus ? He is glori- 
 fied in the exercise of his power. 0, how is his omni- 
 
60 SEKMON II. 
 
 potence displayed when he arrests the proud, self- 
 fortified infidel, and makes him feel there is an 
 infinitely wise God, who laughs at his infidelity; whose 
 ignorance, as Paul expresses it, is wiser than men; 
 that there is a Saviour, who is almighty to save or to 
 destroy ; an omnipotent Spirit, who has torn his re- 
 fuges of lies from him, and brought him to sit as a 
 little child at the feet of Jesus, now nourishing his 
 long-famished soul with the precious doctrines of his 
 cross, which he had spurned ! But this is only an ex- 
 ample of a single class. There are multitudes of others 
 as far from heaven and near to perdition as he, who 
 are converted and put among God's people. Was the 
 creation of the material universe a proof of God's 
 power, where there was nothing to resist ? How much 
 more so in the new creation of depraved man, where 
 the strongest opposition is made, but is overcome ! 
 But the display of power is not all ; yea, is less asto- 
 nishing than the manifestation of the mercy of God. 
 Mercy is favor shown to the ill-deserving. Power 
 and grace are combined in the mighty revolution and 
 renovation which regeneration effects. Two acts of 
 omnipotence are performed. The old nature is sub- 
 dued and a new nature produced. " Old things are 
 done away ; behold, all things are become new ;" while 
 the subject of this twofold operation experiences an 
 entire change of relations to God, from being an object 
 of God's just abhorrence to his having become an ob- 
 ject of his affection. It was in view of such displays 
 
SERMON ir. 61 
 
 of power and grace St. Paul exclaimed, " the depth 
 of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of 
 God ! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his 
 ways past finding out !" And this accords with uni- 
 versal observation. How much more deeply impressed 
 are men with the manifestation of God's power and 
 mercy, when they see one of the vilest of their fellow- 
 beings made a subject of sovereign grace, than when 
 the amiable and moral sinner becomes a convert ! It 
 is not, indeed, that God's essential glory is promoted 
 by the one more than by the other — and not at all by 
 either. For that can neither be increased nor dimi- 
 nished. It is infinite, like his own nature. But there 
 is a more glorious dlsjflcnj of all the hioicn attributes 
 • of Jehovah in the one case than in the other, in the 
 view of all beholders, in heaven itself as well as on 
 earth. There is a greater triumph of grace over jus- 
 tice. Not at the destruction of either, but the recon- 
 ciliation of both. It is this which exalts the work of 
 redemption above that of creation, and places it at the 
 very head of all the works of God. Was there not 
 peculiar joy in heaven, as well as Avith the persecuted, 
 bleeding Church on earth, think you, when the furious 
 Saul of Tarsus was prostrated to the ground by a voice 
 from heaven, and became a subdued and meek disciple 
 of Christ ? Surely there was a new and higher note 
 of praise to redeeming grace struck among all the in- 
 habitants of that world ! This leads me to remark— 
 3. Another reason why the greatness of one's sins 
 
62 SERMON II. 
 
 may be used as an argument with God is, that when 
 those who are guilty of them are converted, they more 
 actively glorify God than others. This, indeed, is not 
 the o-eason iDhy they are converted ; thai, in all cases, 
 must be referred to God's sovereign pleasure. But it 
 is the effect. For this, too, we have the authority of 
 our Saviour : " To ivliom much is forgiven, he lo'dl love 
 muchr We see this exemplified in the case of David, 
 and Peter, and Paul. It has often been seen and re- 
 marked of multitudes of others, who have been thus 
 snatched as brands. They seldom lose the deep im- 
 pressions of which they were the subjects in the season 
 of their convictions, and hence furnish the brightest 
 examples of humble and ardent piety and most devoted 
 labors in the service of Christ. Search the Bible 
 through, and you will find them of that description. 
 And the annals of the Church, since the days of the 
 Apostles, furnish no names as bright as those of the 
 same class. 
 
 But there is one more, and the principal reason ; one 
 which infinitely exalts the mercy and grace of God. 
 This is the gracious assurance that no man perishes 
 from any fatal necessity in his case. While this is a 
 clear inference from th(? nature and extent of the pro- 
 vision which God has actually made, he has added to 
 all this the express assurance, and in so many words, 
 that the very enormity of one's iniquity may be urged 
 as an argument for its pardon : '• Lord, j)ardon mine 
 iniquity, for it is great." Of this ground of encourage- 
 
SERMOX II. 63 
 
 ment for the vilest, multitudes have availed them- 
 selves, and are now in heaven, celebrating the riches 
 of grace, who otherwise had sunk down in despair and 
 perished forever. How many are there — perhaps, I 
 am addressing some — »who though they had not sinned 
 as Manasseh, or Saul of Tarsus, yet, from their over- 
 whelming convictions, had conceived it scarcely possi- 
 ble that they could be saved, have, from the example 
 of such, taken courage, and made their way to the 
 Saviour, and received forgiveness. Paul himself clearly 
 intimates, that this was one reason why God had mercy 
 on him, who regarded himself as the greatest, the 
 " chief of sinners^ " Howbeit, for this cause I ob- 
 tained mercy, that in me first (chiefly), or pre-emi- 
 nently, Jesus Christ might show forth all long-suffer- 
 ing, for a pattern, an example to them which should 
 hereafter believe on him to life everlasting;." Yet none 
 of these things are the true grounds of forgiveness in 
 any case. 
 
 III. To show what that ground is, is the last 
 topic of this discourse. And this I have time merely 
 to state. Nor is more necessary, since the text itself 
 has expressed it in terms which cannot be misunder- 
 stood : " For thy names sahe, Lord, pardon mine 
 iniquity." While the greatness of the iniquity, and a 
 deep consciousness of it, was the most powerful of all 
 reasons why David should apply for pardon, he was 
 well aware that pardon could not be granted for those 
 reasons. But at once referred that act to God himself. 
 
64 SERMON II. 
 
 No conditions which God might prescribe — neither the 
 sinner's repentance nor his faith — could divest God of 
 his sovereign right and sole prerogative, to exercise 
 his pardoning mercy. And until the sinner himself 
 feels this, he has not reached that point of surrender 
 and submission to God which insures his acceptance, 
 and secures eternal life. A word or two, and I will close. 
 How worthy of all acceptation, and the acceptation 
 of all, then, is the salvation which God in Christ has 
 provided for dying sinners. A salvation as adequate, 
 and as freely offered to the vilest as to the least offender : 
 the salvation of the one as consistent with all the per- 
 fections of God as of the other. And what is even 
 7nore, those perfections even more gloriously displayed 
 in the salvation of the former than of the latter. 
 
 While eternal life is thus freely offered, and under 
 circumstances of encouragement to the vilest — who 
 amongst us will dare to reject its offer ? There is not 
 only infinite folly in refusing it, but infinite rashness 
 and temerity in not, with all the heart, embracing it. 
 0, what an aggravation will it be, even in hell itself, 
 to the mere moralist, to the naturally amiable youth, 
 only who rest their hopes on their morality and amia- 
 bility, and finally perish, as perish they must, if they 
 be lost, to see in the last day, as see they then will, 
 multitudes from the classes of the vilest of our race, 
 on the right hand of the Judge, while they will be 
 found on the left. So said that Judge himself of just 
 such characters, while he tabernacled in flesh: "Verily, 
 
SERMON II. 65 
 
 I say unto j'oii, that the 7)?<&//ca??5 and harlots go into 
 the kingdom of God before you," or, rather than you. 
 Who can conceive the anguish of soul with which such 
 will go away to perdition, while they will see multi- 
 tudes of those who like the once polluted, but washed 
 and sanctified Ephesians, ascend with the Ptedeemer 
 to the world of glory, and hear their song, " Unto him 
 that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own 
 blood." Ah, that very sight, that very song, will of itself 
 make a dreadful hell ! And can any of you consent 
 
 ^Yill any of you dare to be of that wretched number ? 
 
 If not, repent to-day ! Repent noio! For, remember, 
 that though the vilest will be saved on repentance — 
 the least offender — even the offender in one point only, 
 if that were possible, will perish without it. But 
 think not that outward ads of enormity alone consti- 
 tute the greatest vileness in the sight of God. There 
 can, at least, be no greater provocation of God's wrath, 
 than to remain unmoved and unsubdued, year after 
 year, and under the sound of the Gospel. No greater 
 sin than coolly to reject Christ and his salvation. This 
 it is to array oneself among his crucifiers. God only 
 knows how many among us are now of that unhappy 
 number. But a few days, at longest, will decide. 
 
III. 
 
 THE SINNER'S PART IN THE WORK OF 
 SAVING THE SOUL. 
 
 " Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling : for it is God 
 which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." — Philip- 
 PiAXS, 2 : 12, 13. 
 
 This passage has a most important practical, as well 
 as a no less important doctrinal meaning and bearing. 
 Indeed, the doctrinal and practical are most intimately 
 and essentially connected. Right views — especially of 
 the great, fundamental truths of the Gospel, the charac- 
 ter of God, the condition of men, the relations between 
 them, and of the plan of salvation, the means and mode 
 of obtaining and securing it — are indispensable to all 
 right affections ; and hotli right views and right affec- 
 tions are equally indispensable to acceptable obedience, 
 or a proper course of conduct. The former, indeed, may 
 exist without the latter; but the latter cannot exist 
 without the former — that is, there may be right views 
 without right affections or true obedience. But there 
 can be neither right affections nor true obedience with- 
 out right views, or correct doctrinal belief. . 
 
 In the text, the Apostle has not only presented these 
 
SEKMOX III. 67 
 
 things in the closest connection, but he has assigned 
 the doctrine of man's absohite dependence on God as 
 the only ground of encouragement or hope — the all- 
 efficient cause which secures the accomplishment of 
 the great work which is commanded, viz., the salva- 
 tion of the soul. " Work out your own salvation with 
 fear and trembling : for it is God which worketh in 
 you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." Here 
 the ground of encouragement — the cause which secures 
 the performance of this work, and consequently the 
 strongest reason or motive to undertake it is, that 
 God worketh in us both to will and to do, — enables us 
 to perform it. And it is not sufficiently considered 
 that, feeling this dependence on God, this is a work in 
 which it is his ^' (jood pleasure" his delight, to put 
 forth his own almighty agency to secure this happy 
 result. Such is unquestionably the meaning and bear- 
 ing of these important words in the text. They do 
 not express his sovereignty merely, although it is an 
 act, indeed, of sovereign grace, which he may exert or 
 withhold as he pleases ; but it is his pleasure to exert 
 it. And Paul assigns this as the reason why one should 
 exert himself to work out his own salvation. "Work 
 out your own salvation with fear and trembling : for 
 it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do 
 of his good pleasure." It is not God who icills for 
 the sinner, or does for the sinner; but he inclines and 
 influences the sinner himself to ivill and to do. That 
 an objection should ever be started to this position, this 
 
68 SERMON III. 
 
 infinitely kind and condescending interposition of God, 
 — the putting forth of his own agency over the per- 
 verse will of man, bringing all his energies to this 
 mighty work, — is, indeed, the strangest of all the sug- 
 gestions of a depraved heart, and may well complete 
 the proof of its entire depravity. It is, at best, a mere 
 apology for doing nothing for one's self. And cer- 
 tainly, he who dishelieves his entire and absolute de- 
 pendence on God, and the necessity of Jiis agency to 
 influence him to will and to do, " in order to the 
 working out of his own salvation," ought to put forth 
 all his poicers to accomplish that work himself; for, 
 confessedly, it is the most important work in which an 
 immortal soul can be employed. What is important, 
 if not the salvation of the soul — if not to avoid endless 
 misery and secure endless happiness, the one or the 
 other of which is certain ? 
 
 The following are the general topics of this dis- 
 course : 
 
 I. The duty of working out our own salvation. 
 a "Work out your own salvation." 
 
 1. This duty arises from God's most exivess com- 
 mands, and is as binding as God's authority can make 
 it. It is addressed to us in our individual capacity : 
 "Work out your own salvation." The same command 
 is given in various forms of expression : " Cast away 
 from you all your transgressions, and make you a new 
 heart and a new spirit. Turn yourselves and live. 
 Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgres- 
 
SERMON III. 69 
 
 sions, so iniquity shall not be your ruin. Strive to 
 enter in at the strait gate." These are mere speci- 
 mens. No command can be expressed in plainer lan- 
 guage ; and I need not say that a command issuing 
 from proper authority (and this comes from God him- 
 self) implies a duty, and a duty as binding as the au- 
 thority is great. 
 
 2. It is a duty, because it involves a man's highest 
 interest. There are no interests which it is not one's 
 duty to sacrifice when they come in competition, or at 
 all interfere with that of the soul's salvation — worldly 
 possessions, comforts, friends, and life itself. There is 
 nothing in which men have, and feel that they have, a 
 deeper interest than in these things. And all these 
 are to be cheerfully given up if they stand in the w^ay 
 of their salvation. So has the Saviour most expressly 
 decided. 
 
 In the case of the rich young nobleman, Christ made 
 the clieerfid ahandonment of all his worldly possessions 
 the very condition of securing treasure in heaven, and 
 of being his disciple. " Go, and sell that thou hast, 
 and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in 
 heaven ; and come and follow me. But he went away 
 sorrowful, for he had great possessions." 
 
 " Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that 
 he hath, he cannot be my disciple ;" that is, of course, 
 when this is required, there must be the disposition to 
 do it. The Saviour sums up all in the following 
 strong and remarkable terms : "If any man come to 
 
70 SERMON III. 
 
 me and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and 
 children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own 
 life also, he cannot be my disciple." That is, loves 
 any of these things more than he loves Christ ; or is 
 not willing to part with all these for heaven. No man, 
 surely, has a right to throw away or needlessly expose 
 his life. There is nothing which he will not readily part 
 with to save it, of a worldly nature. And yet he 
 ought cheerfully to part with it to save his soul. For 
 it is infinitely more valuable. Its salvation is one's 
 highest conceivable interest. Hence, 3. The work of 
 salvation is ones oion. " Work out your own salva- 
 tion." Others, in various ways, may aid us in this 
 work, but others cannot accomplish it for us. They 
 may entreat and beseech us — they may pray for us — 
 may feel and express the deepest anxiety and concern 
 for us. But all their entreaties, and prayers, and tears, 
 and efforts, will be in vain, unless we, with all our 
 hearts and energies, engage in it ourselves. They 
 cannot repent for us — nor believe for us — nor obey for 
 us — any more than be saved for us. They cannot 
 change our hearts. Many, no doubt are depending on , 
 others; millions, indeed, on what they suppose, be- 
 cause taught to believe it, to be the siuylus merit of 
 others, beyond what is necessary to secure their own 
 salvation. Vain, and infinitely worse than vain reli- 
 ance. But there are others besides the dupes of Ro- 
 manism, who, at least, are, to no small extent, depend- 
 ing on others for salvation. Many a child is thus de- 
 
SERMON III. 71 
 
 pending on the piety of his parents. Vain dependence 
 that. It is ichoUij a i^crsonal concern ; and, therefore, 
 every one's first and highest duty. 
 
 4. Without one's own highest efforts the soul will be 
 lost. There is nothing so easy as to lose one's soul. 
 One has only to follow his strongest inclinations — the 
 impulse of his wholly depraved nature — the strongest 
 current of his feelings, and the horrid work of his 
 eternal ruin is accomplished. He has but to remain 
 indifferent to the subject, not to say violently opposed to 
 it, and the soul is lost. Even more than this — without 
 the strongest efforts to save the soul, and it is eternally 
 lost ! Such is everywhere the plain representation of 
 the holy Book. Hear Christ himself: "Wide is the 
 gate, and hroad is the way which leadeth to destruc- 
 tion, and many there be which go in thereat. But 
 strait is the gate, and narrow is the way which lead- 
 eth unto life, and few there be that find it." " Strive 
 to enter in at the strait gate : for many, I say unto you, 
 will sceh to enter in, and shall not be able." " The 
 kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent 
 take it by force ;" that is, the strongest effort is re- 
 quired to enter the kingdom of heaven. And the 
 careless, indifferent, thoughtless sinner, is as certain to 
 lose his soul as the infidel, and most violent opposer. 
 Ah, the facilities to eternal death are many and great. 
 No effort is required to render perdition certain. The 
 labor — the effort — the struggle is to prevent it. There 
 is found the conflict — the ten thousand difficulties — 
 
72 SERMON III. 
 
 the warfare. The whole course of the sinner is to be 
 reversed. He must hate what he supremely loved ; 
 and love what, with all his heart, he hated. He must 
 hate his sins, and love God and holiness. ' And hate 
 sin because he loves God. This will require him to 
 cut off a rigid hand, and pluck out a right eye. He 
 must lay aside every weight, and the sin that most 
 easily besets him ; break up the most confirmed habits, 
 and form their opposites ; abandon the society of wicked 
 associates; avoid, as far as possible, places and scenes 
 of temptation, and carnal gratification. This has been 
 the course of all who are entitled to the character of 
 followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. Such, too, has been 
 the commencement of that course, or Divine assistance 
 cannot be expected — will not be granted. 
 
 What then is a duty — if not to work out one's own 
 salvation ? What duty may not be safely neglected, if 
 that of saving one's soul may be neglected ? The word, 
 duty, has no meaning, if men are not most solemnly 
 bound to put forth their utmost efforts to avoid eter- 
 nal death, and secure eternal life. 
 
 II. Another general topic of remark is, that the ac- 
 complishment of this great and all-important work is 
 placed within the reach of us all. This necessarily 
 follows from the fact just established, that it is the 
 solemn duty of us all to work out our own salvation. 
 Nor is the truth of this statement abated, nor its force 
 at all weakened, by the fact of its greatness or its diffi- 
 culties. It is, indeed, the mightiest enterprise ever pro- 
 
SERMON III. 73 
 
 posed to man. It is beset with difficulties and obstacles 
 to which no other is subjected. And yet the feeblest 
 have successfully accomplished it. Indeed, such com- 
 pose the vast majority of those who have obtained the 
 prize, and secured eternal life. The child has done it, 
 while the man of giant powers has failed — the most 
 iUiterate has succeeded, while the philosopher has 
 come short and perished. And this is just the repre- 
 sentation of the Bible. Hear the Apostle Paul : " Ye 
 see your calling, brethren, how that not many Avise men 
 after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are 
 called ; but God hath chosen the foolish things of the 
 world to confound the wise ; and God hath chosen the 
 weak things of the world to confound the things which 
 are mighty : and base things of the world, and things 
 which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things 
 which are not, to bring to nought things that are, that 
 no flesh should glory in his presence." The reason of 
 this, the Apostle had just previously assigned. " We 
 preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumhling- 
 block, and unto the Greeks foolishness : but unto them 
 that are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the 
 power of God and the wisdom of God; because the 
 foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weak- 
 ness of God is stronger than men." In the text, 
 too, he has given the reason why any succeed in work- 
 ing out their own salvation. " Work out your own 
 salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God 
 which worketh in you both to will and to do of his 
 
74 
 
 SERMON III. 
 
 good pleasure." This is the only ground of encour- 
 agement for any of our fallen race — the only founda- 
 tion of hope that any soul is to be saved. And, surely, 
 it is ground sufficient. 
 
 When we reflect on our depravity — the enmity of 
 the natural heart to God and to holiness — our utter 
 aversion to the very plan and only method of our salva- 
 tion, and consequently our helplessness ; what higher, 
 what other encouragement could we have or wish, 
 than the blessed assurance that God worketh in us 
 both to will and to do of his good pleasure ? Why 
 object to that only and all-sufficient aid ? Who will over- 
 come the sinner's indisposition — who change his will, 
 if not God ? The sinner himself will not do it. This 
 were an absurdity. If left to himself he must inevita- 
 bly perish. For there is no truth better supported by 
 universal observation and experience, than that which 
 the Saviour uttered when he said, " Ye loill not come 
 unto me, that ye might have life." The work, then, is 
 a feasible one. If God undertake it, it must be accom- 
 plished. There are difficulties which men cannot over- 
 come. But it should be borne in mind, that this ne- 
 cessary influence of his, is not the ivorh itself. It is 
 essential to its accomplishment ; but it is not the per- 
 formance itself. It is not God acting in the sinner's 
 stead. It is not his toilling for us. It is the mans 
 oicn loill and his own act. But God influences him 
 both to will and to do, of his good pleasure. This is 
 the practical import of our text, and the great leading 
 
SERMON III. 75 
 
 thought in it. The command is directly addressed to 
 the absolutely dependent creature : " Work out your 
 own salvation with fear and trembling ;" and as sin- 
 ners would not do that — as they would not change 
 tlieir own hearts — as they are utterly opposed to the 
 whole work, the AjDostle immediately adds, for their 
 encouragement and only hope : " For it is God which 
 Avorketh in you, both to will and to do of his good 
 pleasure." He can do it; and do it consistently with 
 the freest exercise of all their powers. They shall cJioose 
 to do it. They shall ici/l it. The work is theirs : but 
 " God worketh in them both to will and to do, of his 
 good pleasure." And they will and act as freely as 
 though all were self-orig mated, and no foreign influence 
 exerted. 
 
 III. A most important practical topic here presents 
 itself We propound it in the form of a question : for 
 in that form it often presents itself to the mind of a 
 serious inquirer, who desires to know what he must do 
 to be saved. This question is, How shall one work out 
 his own salvation ? How shall he begin this mighty 
 work ? The text answers this question. It refers to 
 the very starting-point. It gives the onlf/ satisfactory 
 answer. 
 
 But before I make this application of the text to the 
 particular point, there are a few things to be premised. 
 
 It is implied that the inquiry here made is honestly 
 made : is put in good faith : is seriously propounded. 
 
 It implies, moreover, a disposition and a purpose to 
 
76 SERMON III. 
 
 pursue the proper course when discovered. The salva- 
 tion of the soul is regarded as a most important matter. 
 There is the conviction, though it may not be as deep 
 as it should be, that the soul is exposed to danger — is 
 liable to be lost; that its salvation must be secured in 
 time, or never secured : and that its eternal destiny 
 may any moment be unchangeably fixed. Every ra- 
 tional, reflecting being must necessarily come to these 
 conclusions, though they may be very coolly drawn. 
 This requires no special Divine influence. The exer- 
 cise of those powers of mind with which the Creator 
 has endowed men, if directed to this subject, and which 
 they can be as well as to any other, is sufficient for 
 this. They can go even beyond this. They can so 
 far impress these admitted truths, these rational con- 
 victions on their minds, as to awaken some feeling — 
 some sense of danger. They can do this in regard to 
 their immortal souls, as well as to their dying bodies — 
 their eternal, as to their temporal concerns. It were, 
 indeed, but reasonable to feel far more deeply in 
 regard to the former than to the latter. Serious re- 
 flection may produce even concern and anxiety. This 
 process is not only natural but easy. But this falls 
 short, promising as it may be, of what is requisite to 
 authorize any strong expectation of final success. 
 There are few of any candor or reflection under the 
 light of the Gospel, who are not often the subjects of 
 such impressions, but who give no evidence of evange- 
 lical repentance, and who do not themselves believe 
 
SERMOX III. 77 
 
 tliat tbcy are Christians. But many arc not satisfied 
 -with such a condition; and though the subjects of in- 
 creased conviction, and not unfrequently to a painful 
 degree, still desire to feel more deeply. They are not 
 satisfied with slight convictions. And it is often desi- 
 rable and necessary that they should be deepened. It 
 is not that there is anything holy in the pains of a 
 wounded spirit. It is not that God takes any pleasure 
 in them ; or that they awaken his compassion or pity 
 to higher degrees. But because, without a painful 
 conviction of the odious nature, and immense evil of 
 sin, we shall not hate and renounce it : and without a 
 deep and painful conviction of our lost and perishing 
 condition, we shall not apply to Christ, and cast our- 
 selves wholly upon him for pardon and salvation. 
 And short of this there is no salvation for us. This is 
 the necessary and all-important point to be gained. 
 That reached, and there is the evidence that the good 
 work is begun : the proof that one has begun to ^^ work 
 out his own salvation," and the proof, too, that it is 
 under the influence of " God who worketh in him both 
 to will and to do of his good pleasure." The turning- 
 point, therefore, is an unreserved surrender to God, 
 from a thorough conviction of utter helplessness and 
 hopelessness, short of such a surrender. But to reach 
 that spot — that turning-point is the difficulty. For, 
 no sooner is that reached, than one of two things must 
 necessarily follow : either despair, or a cheerful yield- 
 ing up of all to the Lord Jesus Christ. 
 
78 SERMON' HI. 
 
 But the question returns, and is the very question 
 which ahnost every serious inquirer puts, How is that 
 spot to be reached, where, from a conviction of utter 
 hopelessness and helplessness, the sinner surrenders to 
 Christ, and with all cheerfulness and eagerness reposes 
 itself in the arms of sovereign mercy ? There is but 
 one way, and that is by the application of God's holy 
 law to tlie heart and life. " By the law is the know- 
 ledge of sin." This was Paul's course. He found it a 
 way of death and terror ; for by it he was slain. He 
 found himself cut off from all hope. It filled him with 
 alarm. He saw and felt that by that law he was con- 
 demned. He was filled with fear, and he trembled. 
 The course is the same now, and is prescribed by his 
 inspired pen in the text, " Work out your own salva- 
 tion with fear and trembling." 
 
 Let, then, the awakened or thoughtful sinner, or 
 any individual who honestly desires to know his true 
 condition and his prospects for eternity, and to know 
 what he must do to be saved, carefully examine the 
 law of God. Let him take his stand at the foot of the 
 Mount whence, from its blazing tops, it issued from 
 the mouth of the Almighty and Holy Lawgiver. Let 
 him attentively read the awful comments of that Law- 
 giver scattered throughout his inspired Statute Book, 
 to learn its reasonableness, its holiness, its goodness, 
 its perfect adaptedness to secure man's best good and 
 highest happiness ; its spirituality, laying its claims 
 and asserting its demands on the very springs of all 
 
SERMON III. 79 
 
 moral actions; not limited, as all human laws neces- 
 sarily must be, to outward acts, to overt violations, 
 but reaching to every thought, desire, and feeling; 
 demanding absolute perfection, — and then honestly 
 and impartially compare his heart and life with that 
 standard. This done, let him turn to its awful sanc- 
 tion, its terrible penalties, the eternal punishment de- 
 nounced for each and every violation, in thought and 
 feeling, and word and deed, — and he that does not 
 fear and tremble, deserves not the character of a serious 
 and reflecting person. 
 
 ! who can stand the test, or bear the scrutiny ? 
 What heart but must quake? Who indulge the slight- 
 est hope at the bar of justice — the justice of the in- 
 finitely holy God ? And who, in such a condition, 
 could consent to remain a moment in it, when he hears 
 the glad news, the heart-cheering tidings, that provision 
 has been made to relieve the justly-condemned sinner 
 from the penalties of God's violated laws, and raise the 
 soul to purity and peace, and, ultimately, to endless 
 happiness ? When, feeling himself cut off from every 
 other resource, from everj' other help and hope, he 
 casts himself on that provision, submits to God, trusts 
 alone in Jesus Christ, — tJien, and not till then, has he 
 begun to work out his ow^i salvation. All other work 
 is but adding to the desperateness of his condition ; is 
 increasing the weight of his condemnation ; is as sinful 
 as it will prove in vain. It is distrusting the Saviour; 
 it is rejecting his proffered mercy ; it is refusing to ac- 
 cept his assistance ; it is questioning the sincerity of 
 
80 SERMON III. 
 
 his invitations, the truth of his declarations, the effi- 
 cacy of his blood, the merit of his death. And how 
 are these views of the perfect holiness of God's law, its 
 inviolable justice, and the sinner's desert, set forth by 
 the Saviour, when he offered himself a sacrifice to its 
 demands, in the sinner's stead, on the cross ! How 
 must his death deepen our impressions of the exceed- 
 ing sinfulness of sin, and the righteousness of the sin- 
 ner's doom to eternal misery ! Nor, indeed, less con- 
 spicuous the compassion, the mercy and love of God 
 and the Lord Jesus Christ; the willingness — yea, desire, 
 that sinners would avail themselves of it, and be saved. 
 
 And I trust there are some here who are disposed 
 to avail themselves of it ; who, feeling their sinfulness 
 and just condemnation, and their utter helplessness, 
 are willing to take GocVs metliod to secure the salvation 
 of their souls; to commit them to the Saviour. If 
 their convictions are deep enough to show them and 
 make them feel the peril of their condition, and that 
 all their help and hope are in Christ, let them delay 
 no longer to place themselves in his hands — to yield 
 all to him. If their impressions are not deep enough, 
 he will deepen them. Their painful doubts he will 
 banish ; their fears will give place to confidence ; their 
 trembling to calmness and peace. " God will work in 
 them both to n^ill and to do of his good pleasure." All 
 their impressions before that step is taken, and which 
 they desire to have deepened, will only deepen their 
 despair, and be all imavailing agony. 
 
 The end of mere conviction is to show the sinner 
 
SERMON III. SI 
 
 his real state and condition, his helplessness and hop.3- 
 lessness, and constrain him to throw himself on Divine 
 mercy, and yield all into the hands of the Saviour. 
 But this the sinner will not see and feel until the law 
 of God is applied in all its extent, and spirituality, and 
 terrible denunciations. He must hear its curses, and 
 feel that he is justly exposed to experience them, or he 
 will never listen to the sweet accents of mercy ; he 
 must be cut off from all hope in himself, or he will 
 not rest it alone on Christ. This is the office of the 
 law and the end of conviction. 
 
 And now, although I have had special reference to a 
 particular class of my hearers in most of the foregoing 
 remarks, they are appropriately addressed to all. All 
 have an equal concern in the great object proposed. 
 All must be brought to this state, or there is no salva- 
 tion for them. As rational and accountable beings, 
 and free moral agents, you are all most reasonably 
 commanded to "work out your own salvation with 
 fear and trembling." 
 
 The possession of these endowments makes you the 
 proper subjects of this command ; and it surely is no 
 abatement of its appropriateness or its force, that 
 " having eyes you see not, and having ears you hear 
 not," but an aggravation of your guilt. With all the 
 authority, therefore, and in the name of Ilim who 
 holds the eternal destiny of the soul in his hands, I 
 reiterate the command in the text, " Worlc out your 
 own salvation with fear and trembling." 
 
 6 
 
IV. 
 
 THE IMPENITENT SINNER'S CASE HOPE- 
 LESS—HIS PROSPECTS CONSIDERED. 
 
 ".Having no hope." — Ephesians 2:12. 
 
 The Apostle is here addressing the Ephesian Chris- 
 tians with reference to their former, unconverted state. 
 True, that state was one of gross heathenism. But 
 the truth of the declaration admits no abatement from 
 that circumstance ; nor from any external circum- 
 stances in which sinners may be placed. Indeed, 
 their total ignorance of Christ and his Gospel was 
 rather a p«??ia^io«. than an aggrai'cdion of their guilt 
 and peril. At least, the weight of condemnation is 
 increased in proportion to the light possessed but re- 
 sisted ; the means of salvation enjoyed yet abused. 
 This is abundantly established by the express word of 
 God, and accords with the decision of reason — results, 
 mdeed, from the whole moral nature of man. 
 
 But these points are not involved in the declaration 
 of the text. It is a broad declaration, under which is 
 embraced the impenitent of all classes and conditions. 
 It is true of every impenitent sinner, every individual 
 
SERMON IV. 83 
 
 who is not a true Christian, that he has no hope — and 
 that, too, in the very sense in which the Apostle meant 
 to be understood when referring the Ephesian Chris- 
 tians to their former unconverted condition. 
 
 The following inquiries present the order of remarks 
 to be submitted : 
 
 I. What is meant by the Apostle by having no 
 hope ? 
 
 II. TT7//y are the impenitent without hope? And 
 
 III. What are their prospects while they remain 
 impenitent ? 
 
 These are questions of great simplicity. Their an- 
 swers shall be equally so. 
 
 I. What is meant by the Apostle by having no 
 hope ? 
 
 He surely did not mean that those Ephesians, when 
 in their unconverted state, had no purpose, no expec- 
 tation of future happiness ? Their very idolatry proved 
 the contrary. All their rites and ceremonies were in- 
 tended to secure the favor of their idol gods, on whom 
 they supposed, though vainly, their eternal well-being 
 depended. This was their object, and it inspired them 
 with hope. Nor is it otherwise with any other sinner, 
 however vile, who believes or fears, or has any appre- 
 hension of a future state of existence, and especially 
 one of reward and punishment, an instinct interwoven 
 in man's very nature. 
 
 In the broad, unqualified meaning of the term, eVery 
 
84 SERMOX lY. 
 
 man hopes to be liappy in eternity. The absence of 
 all hope, in this sense, and on this subject, were utter 
 desjjair — despair which could not be concealed nor dis- 
 guised. It would be depicted on the very countenance 
 of every sinner. The Apostle, then, did not mean 
 this : universal experience would contradict him. The 
 Scriptures speak of different kinds of hope. There is 
 the hope of the hypocrite, which shall perish — a hope 
 that is as the spider's web; and there is the hope wdiich 
 maketh not ashamed, which is as an anchor to the 
 soul, both sure and steadfast, entering into that within 
 the veil — which takes hold of heaven itself with a firm 
 and unyielding grasp. Such a hope is sustained by 
 appropriate, relevant, and solid evidence. Its basis is 
 God's truth, seen and felt, in its sanctifying power. In 
 a word, it rests on the experience of regenerating grace. 
 All other hope is mere presumption. Christ has ex- 
 pressly said, " Except a man be born again, born of the 
 Spirit, he cannot see the kingdom of God;" "Without 
 holiness, no man shall see the Lord ;" i. e., in peace — 
 cannot be saved. Holiness is the effect and fruit of 
 regeneration. Now, where this fruit is not produced 
 and seen, there is no true hope of salvation : there 
 is no qualification for heaven. Where, then, is the 
 ground of expectation — of hope? This is what is 
 meant by "having no hope." And I need not say 
 this is utterly inconsistent with impenite^ice, however 
 accompanied with much that is amiable and naturally 
 lovely or praiseworthy among men, or even externally 
 
SERMON IV. 85 
 
 conformed to God's own requirements. There is often 
 much of all this where there is no true holiness, and 
 consequently, no valid hope of eternal life. But 
 
 II. Why are the impenitent without hope ? I an- 
 swer, because : 
 
 1. They are under condemnation. This is the con- 
 dition, by nature, of all the human race. With a just 
 and holy God, this is necessarily consequent on sin ; 
 and the whole world lieth in sin and wickedness. 
 There is but one way by which this just condemnation 
 can be lifted from the soul, by which the sinner can 
 be recovered from this state ; and that way is fiiith in 
 Jesus Christ. So has he expressly taught : '• He that 
 believeth on him is not condemned ; but he that be- 
 lieveth not is condemned already, because he hath not 
 believed in the name of the only begotten Son of 
 God ;" " He that heareth my word, and believeth on 
 him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not 
 come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto 
 life." 
 
 I need not say that a state of condemnation ex- 
 cludes all solid hope, while that condemnation exists. 
 True, indeed, this is not always so under human go- 
 vernments. A pardoning power exists, and is often 
 exercised towards a criminal justly condemned to 
 death ; and all hope of such' clemency is seldom ex- 
 tinguished till the moment of execution. But this 
 arises from the imperfection of all human institutions. 
 Such an interposition is a suspension of justice — an 
 
86 SERMON IV. 
 
 essential ingredient in a perfect government such as 
 God's. This is a good reason why an impenitent sin- 
 ner has no hope. He is under law, and the language 
 of the law is, " Cursed is every one that continueth 
 not in all things written therein." 
 
 2. We might add, as a distinct consideration, al- 
 though implied in what has already been said, that 
 God has expressly declared that there is no hope for 
 an impenitent sinner, while he remains impenitent. 
 The text is such a declaration : " Having no hope." 
 As already shown, these words are of universal applica- 
 tion to sinners, while impenitent. And I need only 
 remark farther, under this head, that a valid hope is 
 everywhere spoken of in this Book, as a fruit of God's 
 special grace. The passages are too numerous, and 
 must be too familiar with every reader of the Bible, 
 on this point, to require particular reference. 
 
 3. This is the experience of all who become Chris- 
 tians. There is, invariably, an abandonment of every 
 other hope of salvation than that which is founded on 
 Christ alone, evidenced by a cordial belief in him, and 
 reliance on his merits. Every man who seriously be- 
 lieves in a future state of existence, and expects or 
 fears to meet his Maker in judgment, has placed his 
 hope of receiving his approbation on some ground or 
 other: some on their morality — their good works — - 
 the correctness of their views — their professions and 
 external observances : others even on their compara- 
 tive freedom from vices and the grosser sins — and 
 
SERMON IV. 87 
 
 others still, on the indiscrhninatc and universal exer- 
 cise of Divine mercy. But whatever the ground on 
 which they have placed their hopes, the true convert 
 abandons them all. Regenerating grace sweeps them 
 all away. They are often the last things that are 
 yielded. And there is nothing, perhaps, even with 
 the true Christian, to which he so tenaciously clings, 
 as some merit of his own ; something in or of himself 
 wdiich affords some plea of recommendation to the 
 Divine favor. This is that legal spirit, as it is called, 
 which, with multitudes, at least, seems to require 
 grace and death combined to extinguish. 
 
 Again, there is no hope, because there is no qualiji- 
 catlon for heaven. It were, indeed, no kindness — no 
 favor to the impenitent sinner to admit him to that 
 holy place. The hosannahs of the glorified would fill 
 him w^ith ineffable agony. The full displays of the 
 Divine excellence would only act on his unrestrained 
 enmity. Sin must be hated before holiness can be 
 loved. It is, therefore, no arbitrary determination, 
 that " without holiness no man shall see the Lord." 
 It is not an arbitrary requirement or condition, " Ye 
 must be born again : for except a man be born 
 again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." This is 
 an essential prerequisite to the enjoyment of heaven. 
 There is no happiness or even satisfaction on earth, 
 where there is no congeniality of feeling with the cir- 
 cumstances in which one is placed. But in a world 
 where all resources are cut off — where the glories of 
 
88 SERMON IV. 
 
 God ill one full and ceaseless blaze pour forth upon the 
 soul — if the soul is not fitted to receive them, there 
 can be only misery. 
 
 III. AVhat are the i^rospeds of sinners "while impeni- 
 tent, who have no hope, and shall die so ? In answer- 
 ing this inquiry, let us pass beyond the limits of this 
 life — the consolation and support of a Christian hope 
 under the trials and perplexities incident to our pre- 
 sent state, and even in the last conflict, when that 
 alone can sustain the spirit just entering the world of 
 spirits. In this world the vilest are seldom cut off 
 from all resources. Utter despair seldom commences 
 here. The world can sometimes drown when it can- 
 not satisfy. It has power to harden and stupify. 
 There is the quiet of a seared conscience. But let us 
 pass to the period when all these resources will fail — 
 when the absorbing or benumbing influence of the ob- 
 jects of sense and time shall cease. That period at 
 farthest is the moment of death. Though all then. is 
 solemn and awful reality, yet so far as revelation has 
 made the disclosure, and announced the doom of the 
 finally impenitent, Ave may even now, in prospect, 
 contemplate that doom as certain. To that point let 
 us now send our thoughts. 
 
 1. They will forever be excluded from heaven. 
 And were this all, what a doom ! AYhat is heaven? 
 We can here know, indeed, but little of it. We know, 
 however, that it is the only world of happiness. What- 
 ever of God's works shall remain, as places of resi- 
 
SERMON IV. 89 
 
 deuce for holy beings, whether of our race or any 
 other, when tliis earth is melted, and these visible 
 heavens shall have passed away, if remain they will, 
 they are but so many mansions in God's house, pre- 
 pared for those who love and serve him. All will 
 constitute but one world of happiness. Not a portion 
 of it, however, will a finally impenitent sinner ever 
 enter. He possesses no qualifications for such a place 
 — no taste for its joys. He could join in no song that 
 is there sung. How could he see Him, of whom he 
 here disliked to hear ? How adore Him whom here he 
 set at nought ? All the sources and occasions of rap- 
 ture to the Redeemer would but increase his misery. 
 And yet there is no other place of happiness in all the 
 universe of God. No other world, where, as here, any 
 object — any employment can be found to minister to 
 his depraved desires — to take his thoughts off from 
 himself 0, what a loss is the loss of heaven! "What 
 a condition for an immortal soul, furnished with every 
 capacity for endless and ever-increasing happiness ! I 
 repeat, were exclusion from heaven all — what a condi- 
 tion — what a doom for such a being, of such powers 
 and capacities — and once, once of such prospects — such 
 opportunities — such means — yea, such facilities for the 
 possession and enjoyment of heaven ! Here, too, in 
 this connection, a new train of thought will spring up 
 to induce their misery — their foolish and criminal mis- 
 improvement and abuse of the means once possessed, 
 of securing that unspeakable happiness from which 
 
90 SERMON IV. 
 
 they are forever debarred. The thought, how near 
 the kingdom of God came to them, and they refused to 
 enter in. 
 
 2. They will be forever seimraied from all their 
 j)ioiis friends. Piety is not always a bar to the exer- 
 cise of the warmest natural affections of sinners toward 
 those who possess it. It is not piety itself, however, 
 which calls forth their love to their pious relatives and 
 friends. This, for its own sake, is no recommendation 
 with one who is himself destitute of piety. Alas, how 
 often has it proved the occasion of bitter feelings and 
 violent opposition ! Ah, how often has the declaration 
 of our Saviour been verified, " A man's foes are they 
 of his own house !" Yet, these instances are compara- 
 tively few. Various causes may contribute to a favor- 
 able effect on irreligious friends. It has not unfre- 
 quently been their boast even, that their relatives were 
 devoted Christians. Many a parent has made this 
 boast of his children, and many a husband of his wife. 
 Men who are destitute of religion cannot but see, and 
 multitudes have the honesty and frankness to acknow- 
 ledge, ihQ improvement of moral character which reli- 
 gion produces in their Christian relatives ; for true 
 religion never fails to produce this effect. It makes 
 its possessor better in all the relations of life. A thou- 
 sand restraints, too, operate to repress even the natural 
 enmity of the heart towards God, his religion, and his 
 friends. 
 
 And here it ought not to pass without notice, that 
 
SERMON IV. 91 
 
 the friendsliip of the world, even though it be enmity 
 with God, is often, ay, too often, conciliated by the 
 too ready yielding of Christians to the maxims, and 
 customs, and fasJiions, and follies of the world. While 
 some, alas ! may indulge in these things from their own 
 too great fondness for them, the irrepressible prompt- 
 ings of their own hearts, others err from a mistaken 
 judgment and a desire of exerting a greater and better 
 influence over their irreligious friends. But let it be 
 remembered that Christians gain nothing by such com- 
 promises, nor the cause which they profess to espouse. 
 No, not even in the estimation of the votaries or 
 friends of the world. There is no gain, surely, where 
 God's favor is forfeited, and the Saviour and the Spirit 
 grieved. For " the friendship of the world is enmity 
 with God ;" " For all that is in the world, the lust of 
 the flesh, and the lust of the eye, and the pride of life, 
 is not of the Father." 
 
 But to return from this digression — if, indeed, it be 
 one. Whatever the ground or the degree of attach- 
 ment and affection between a believer and an unbe- 
 liever, death dissolves every such bond, and is the 
 moment when commences an endless separation. 
 They will meet, indeed, at the general judgment. 
 3Ieet did I say ? Yes, all will be tJiere, of every gene- 
 ration and every kindred. Friends and enemies, of 
 each other and of God, will be there. But call you 
 that a 7neeting of friends of each other, but divided into 
 friends and enemies of God, on earth ? Hear what the 
 
92 ^ SERMON lY. 
 
 Judge himself has said with reference to it: "When 
 the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the 
 holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the 
 throne of his glory : and before him shall be gathered 
 all nations ; and he shall separate them one from 
 another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the 
 goats : and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, 
 but the goats on the left." Again I ask, call you that 
 a mect'uKj of those who w^ere friends and kindred, of 
 every tie of endearment here, but here belonged to the 
 different classes of friends and enemies of God ? Tliey 
 W'ill, indeed, see each other; but it will be ^ final Jooh! 
 The one will ascend to heaven, into which none who 
 die impenitent can ever enter. 
 
 3. They will not only be forever separated from all 
 holy beings, but constitute one company of every 
 grade, every depth of sin and wickedness. Hear two 
 sentences from this Book, which establish both these 
 points of separation from all holy beings, and asso- 
 ciating together of all the wicked : " And there shall 
 in no wise enter into it (the place of all the holy, or 
 heaven) anything that defileth, neither whatsoever 
 worketh abomination, or maketh a lie ; but i\\Qy which 
 are written in the Lamb's book of life ;" " But the 
 fearful and unbelieving, and the abominable, and 
 murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and 
 idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the 
 lake which burneth with fire and brimstone ; which is 
 the second death." "And icliosoever was not found 
 
SER.VOX IV. 93 
 
 written in the book of life was cast into the hike of 
 fire." 
 
 What a company ! "What chasses of offenders ! What 
 a catalogue of crimes ! Multitudes of them were asso- 
 ciates here, and called each other friend ; but they 
 will be enemies — yea, mutual fiends — in that world. 
 
 But they will not all bo of the classes above named. 
 It is not the grosser vices and crimes only which lead 
 to banishment from God, and consignment to that 
 world of woe. There is but one v/ay to avoid the 
 same awful doom. Impenitence — whatever may be 
 the external deportment, natural amiability, the civil 
 and social virtues, the keenness and the delicacy of 
 the natural sensibilities — impenitence abandons to the 
 same doom. " Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise 
 perish." The rich and amiable young nobleman who 
 refused obedience to the Saviour's command, to sell 
 all he had and give to the poor, was as unfit for 
 heaven and as sure to perish (persisting in that dis- 
 obedience) as the most abandoned sinner. Ah, many 
 publicans and harlots shall enter into the kingdom of 
 heaven, — not, indeed, in that character, but like the 
 once vile Ephesians, ^' washed, and sanctified, and 
 justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by 
 the Spirit of God," — while many a strict moralist will 
 be excluded ! The existence or the absence of repent- 
 ance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, 
 will decide the future and eternal destiny of the soul. 
 On these terms the vilest have been, and will be, par- 
 
94 SERMON IV. 
 
 donecl, and sanctified, and justified, and glorified. 
 Without compliance with them, the amiable and 
 moral will perish. "Without holiness, no man shall 
 see the Lord." And the hearts of all, by nature, are 
 equally destitute of holiness ; and yet, how carefully, 
 and very properly, and commendahJij is the society 
 of the former description of persons shunned by those 
 of the latter! However groundless and unjustifiable 
 many of those distinctions in society are, which have 
 their origin in pride, here is a commendable distinc- 
 tion. The virtuous ought to shun the society of the 
 vicious, save only to reform them and promote their 
 eternal welfare ; and this is not social intercourse. But 
 how surpassing strange that the moral, the amiable, 
 the naturally lovely, the refined, the cultivated, and 
 even delicately sensitive, who yet have no genuine 
 religion, are themselves impenitent, unbelieving, indif- 
 ferent, and supremely devoted to sin in other forms — 
 the votaries of the world, in its gains, or honors, or 
 pleasures ! And what numbers of this description can 
 everywhere be found in all their sins ! 0, how incon- 
 sistent, as well as surpassingly strange, that they can 
 ever think of that vast congregation of all who leave 
 the world impenitent, embracing all of every class, 
 of those whose character I have just read to you from 
 God's own word, whose very presence they would shun 
 as pestilence itself, and not be appalled and over- 
 whelmed at the thought that tlicy yet may, and with- 
 out becoming Christians must, make a part of that 
 
SERMON IV. 95 
 
 horrid compan}^, that congregation of fallen spirits and 
 abandoned wretches of our race, in the same deep, 
 dark pit of endless despair ! For the Judge himself 
 has, beforehand, told us the very sentence he will pro- 
 nounce on all the impenitent in the last day: "Depart 
 from me, 3'e cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for 
 the dcr'd and his aitrjchr 0, if there is a motive to 
 repentance which can move the impenitent of this 
 congregation, need we search farther for it? I press 
 it especially on those who possess many qualities which 
 claim and receive the respect and approbation of men, 
 but are destitute of those which fit the soul for com- 
 panionship with the redeemed in heaven. 
 
 Once more. Those who leave the world in sin, will 
 continue to sin forever. Sin and misery are indissolu- 
 bly connected in this world — connected, at least, as 
 cause and effect, and as certainly if not as closely as 
 any other cause and effect in the physical world. But 
 when all restraints shall be removed — when every 
 gratification will be denied to the strongest desires and 
 impulses of the heart, and sin is seen and felt in its 
 nature and consequences, as it will be when the light 
 of eternity shall present it, sin, then, will be misery 
 itself It will be the fire which kindles remorse as 
 never felt on earth. The remorse of a Judas, when 
 brought to a full conviction of his awful crime in the 
 betrayal of the Son of God, were but a spark compared 
 with the full blaze which will enwrap the lost soul. 
 Conscious enmity to the holy God, is of itself a hell. 
 
96 SEinioN IV. 
 
 In this world that consciousness slumbers. God is 
 even forgotten by the sinner. His authority is tram- 
 pled under foot. His law in its purity and holiness is 
 a nullity. Not so in the coming world. Neither God, 
 clothed in all his authority, nor his law, thundering 
 forth its tremendous curses, will, for an instant, be out 
 of mind. His piercing looli will kindle unwonted 
 agonies in the soul. 0, what a condition must that be 
 to a soul that might have swelled with the love of 
 God, instead of being filled with his wrath ! to a soul 
 that might have forever been drinking in the unfad- 
 ino; glories of the infinite Godhead ! Notes of praise 
 instead of blasphemies might have been that soul's 
 happy employment forever. But unrepented sin in 
 this world doomed it to ceaseless sin in that. But 
 misery must be coexistent with sinning. There can 
 then be no cessation of misery to him who leaves the 
 world in sin, even were all the sins com.mitted here 
 abated and blotted out. 
 
 Such, then, are the prospects before those who have 
 no hope, and who shall leave the world with their sins 
 unpardoned ; and, unpardoned, because unrepented 
 of They are, indeed, fearful; and yet I fear, that 
 that self-application will be wanting, which gives to 
 truth its power, and leaves the heart and even con- 
 science unaffected. 0, that I could make an appeal 
 which should arouse every sinner from his slumber. 
 I beseech you give this subject your earliest, your 
 most sober consideration. Another hour's delay may 
 
SERMON IV. 07 
 
 be fatal. God says, to-day — yea, "Nmc is the accepted 
 time." Dream not of safety for a moment, while unre- 
 conciled to God. Lie down in penitence before the 
 Cross. Go to that Being whose love and mercy the 
 very youngest here have already too long abused. 
 Ay, this day might date a heaven begun, to know 
 no end : would, to every repentant soul, secure unut- 
 terable glories at death to be multiplying as the ages 
 of eternity rolled on. 
 
V. 
 
 THE GREAT RESOLVE. 
 
 " And if I perish, I perish." — Esther 4:16. 
 
 This is the language of almost expiring hope. It 
 is, at least, expressive of a determination to make a 
 last effort. It implies the hazard and imminent peril 
 of that which is viewed as of the highest importance. 
 No slight occasion could prompt its utterance. Yet 
 such an emergency is of no uncommon occurrence. Men 
 are not seldom reduced to straits when only one hope 
 of relief remains, and that a trembling one ; when only 
 one effort seems to promise success^ and that of doubt- 
 ful issue. 
 
 And these were the circumstances in which that in- 
 dividual was placed who uttered the words of my text : 
 they were the words of Esther the Queen, the wife of 
 Ahasuerus, King of Persia, and uttered on an occasion 
 of most painful interest to her and her nation ; for she 
 was a Jewess : but this was not known to Ahasuerus 
 at the time she became his wife. The circumstances 
 in wdiich she was placed, here referred to, were briefly 
 these : 
 
 There was in Shushan, the palace, a certain Jew, 
 
SERMON V. 99 
 
 whose name was Mordecai, in what capacity we are 
 not informed. But he was the cousin of Esther, the 
 Queen. Indeed, he was much more than tliat; for 
 her father and mother being dead, Mordecai took her 
 to his own house, and brought her up as his own 
 daughter. Of this fact, however, the King was evi- 
 dently ignorant. Nor did he know the nation or 
 rehgion of his wife. 
 
 There was also another man, who had been raised to 
 high honor at that court, whose name was Haman ; 
 and because he did not receive those marks of respect 
 from Mordecai to which he felt himself entitled, he 
 sought to revenge himself on him by inducing the 
 King, by most false and foul means, to issue a decree 
 for the destruction of all the Jews within his exten- 
 sive dominions. The day was fixed for carrying that 
 cruel edict into execution throughout his one hundred 
 and twenty-seven provinces, and all the necessary ar- 
 rangements were made for that purpose. That day 
 was near at hand. Of all these proceedings was Esther 
 ignorant, till informed by her kinsman Mordecai, 
 through one of her attendants. To avert this cala- 
 mity, an immediate repeal of the decree was indis- 
 pensable, for the Jews had no means of defending 
 themselves. 
 
 But who had sufficient influence with the King to 
 procure its repeal ? To whom could they look with 
 as much confidence or any hope of success as to 
 the Queen ? And yet when applied to, to intercede 
 
100 SERMOX V. 
 
 with the King in behalf of the Jews, her reply was 
 the following : " All the King's servants, and the peo- 
 ple of the King's provinces, do know, that whosoever, 
 whether man or woman, shall come unto the King, into 
 the inner court, who is not called, there is one law of 
 his to put him to death, except such to whom the 
 King shall hold out the golden sceptre, that he may 
 live. But / have not been called to come unto the 
 King tliese thirty dai/s." 
 
 Mordecai returned for answer : " Think not with 
 thyself, that thou shalt escape in the King's house 
 more than all the Jews. If thou altogether boldest 
 thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement 
 and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place, 
 but thou and thy father's house sball be destroyed : 
 and who knoweth whether thou art come to the king- 
 dom for such a time as this ?" 
 
 Esther could but die in either case. She then gives 
 the following proper direction, and utters the firm re- 
 solve contained in the text : " Go, gather together all 
 the Jews that are in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and 
 neither eat nor drink three days, night or day. I also 
 and my maidens will fast likewise ; and so will I go 
 in unto the King, which is not according to the law ; 
 and if I perish, I perish." 
 
 The subsequent part of this most interesting narra- 
 tive contains the happy result. He in whose hand are 
 the hearts of kings heard the supplications of his peo- 
 ple, made the Queen a successful intercessor in their 
 
SERMOX V. 101 
 
 behalf with the despotic and cruel Ahasucrus. The 
 bloody decree was revoked ; Hainan, the instigator of 
 it, was executed on the very gallows which he had 
 caused to be erected for Mordecai, and Mordecai ex- 
 alted to the highest honors in the kingdom. It is 
 scarcely possible to make even a synopsis of this 
 touching narrative. But we have given enough of it 
 for my present purpose. 
 
 " If I perish, I perish," is language, and contains a 
 resolve, not less appropriate and essential, as multi- 
 tudes are concerned, than in the case of her who 
 first uttered it. Let us make this application of the 
 text : 
 
 I. The firm resolve which it expresses is often ap- 
 propriate to the professed people of God, and in cases 
 which do not involve the extremity of life and death, 
 a resolve, as firm and unyielding as would be required 
 to suffer martyrdom. There are duties ofttimes to be 
 performed, sacrifices to be made, and temptations to be 
 resisted ; self-denials to be practised, crosses to be taken 
 up, and many evil influences to be withstood, which 
 require the most unyielding determination on the part 
 of Christians. It was to his disciples the Saviour said, 
 " If thy right eye offend thee" (cause thee to offend 
 or lay a stumbling-block before others), "pluck it out, 
 and cast it from thee. And if thy right hand offend 
 thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee ; for it is profit- 
 able for thee that one of thy members should perish, 
 
102 SERMON" V. 
 
 and not thy whole body should bo cast into hell." 
 There are sins, therefore, to be avoided, and to which 
 Christians are exposed, that are as dear to the partially 
 sanctified heart as these members of the body ; and to 
 sacrifice or rid one's self of these, is scarcely less than 
 martyrdom itself. 
 
 The Apostle, too, exhorts : " Let us lay aside every 
 weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and 
 let us run with patience the race set before us, looking 
 unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who, 
 for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, 
 despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand 
 of God. For, consider him that endured such contra- 
 diction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied 
 and faint in your minds." " Ye have not yet resisted 
 unto blood, striving against sin." 
 
 All this is applicable to Christians, and implies or 
 enjoins the avoidance or removal of everything which 
 is not in accordance with all the precepts and examples 
 of the Saviour, and with the high aim and persevering 
 efforts to obtain the crown of life. These hindrances 
 are different with different individuals, depending on 
 different natural dispositions, on attachments and 
 habits formed previously to becoming Christians; these 
 will often return with power on different conditions in 
 life, different pursuits and relationships. These give 
 rise to different temptations. We cannot now enter 
 into particulars, but each may readily ascertain the 
 points of peculiar exposedness. And each will find, 
 
SERMON V. 103 
 
 on proper reflection, that to resist and to pursue the 
 only proper course, the firmest resolution and constant 
 application for grace are indispensable, even in cases 
 which do not involve life and death. But life and 
 death are involved here ; if not to the Christian whom 
 God will renew to repentance, yet to others, life and 
 death in the highest sense. For sinners will be en- 
 couraged and emboldened in their impenitence and 
 sin, by all the failures of Christian professors to live 
 up to their professions. Example exerts a more power- 
 ful influence than precept, living than professing; 
 and where these are ever seen in conflict or opposition, 
 the former will be followed. What solemn responsi- 
 bility, therefore, attaches to the Christian profession ! 
 But it is chiefly to a different class, I purposed to 
 apply the text, " If I perish, I perish." 
 
 11. It applies with immense force to sinners. It is 
 the starting-point with every sinner who secures his 
 salvation ; the life, the endless happiness, or the 
 death, the eternal misery of the immortal soul, is in- 
 volved ; and this, depending on the resolution, or the 
 absence of it, expressed in the text. Who ever reached 
 heaven ? Who ever became a Christian, that did not 
 take this stand ? 
 
 It is demanded from the very nature of the case. 
 Man, by nature, is utterly opposed to that course 
 which God has prescribed to obtain eternal life. He 
 is sold under sin. This he cherishes in some of its 
 thousand forms, with all his heart. Holiness is his 
 
104 SERMON V. 
 
 aversion. But "without holiness no man can see the 
 Lord." What then but the most firm and unwaver- 
 ing purpose and determination can induce him to 
 burst those bonds which hold him in his captivity to 
 sin and Satan? What to arouse and direct all his 
 energies to resist it? No man ever accomplished any 
 object of importance without a strong purpose, a pur- 
 pose bearing some proportion to the importance of that 
 object. Hence the strong expressions in which the 
 salvation of the soul is urged. " Strive to enter in at 
 the strait gate." The strength of the term strive 
 is shown by contrasting it with the term seeh. " For 
 many, I say unto you, shall seeh to enter in, and shall 
 not be able." No word expresses stronger effort. 
 " The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the 
 violent take it by force." The allusion is to the 
 earnestness with which a fortified city is stormed. 
 " Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteous- 
 ness;" first in a superlative sense, i. e., supremely. 
 This, too, we find exemplified in numerous instances 
 of successful endeavor, as recorded in this book. The 
 prodigal son expressed and followed the highest pur- 
 pose of his soul when he said, " I will arise and go to 
 my fiither ;" '' And he arose and came to his fiither." 
 But an appeal to every Christian will supersede the 
 necessity of quoting particular instances. Every 
 Christian, and every true convert, though constrained 
 to acknowledge and lament the feebleness of his re- 
 solves, their frequent violations, yet knows also that 
 
SERMON V. 105 
 
 they were the strongest ere he entertained a solid 
 hope of heaven : that he devoted his highest energies 
 to the attainment of that end. 
 
 This is most reasonable, for what object is as im- 
 portant? What are all other interests compared with 
 this ? " What shall it profit a man if he gain the 
 whole world and lose his own soul ?" What is this 
 world to an inhabitant of eternity? "He brought 
 nothing into this world, and it is certain he can carry 
 nothing out." As the only alternative, therefore, is to 
 save or to lose the soul — of being eternally happy or 
 eternally miserable — what is reasonable if not the 
 highest resolve and the most devoted energies to secure 
 the one and avoid the other ? Everything which 
 affects the interests, the well-being of man is in- 
 volved. 
 
 But there is one class to whom we would specially 
 apply the test. It is to those, who, instead of being 
 unconcerned are deeply anxious ; who put forth many 
 efforts to secure salvation, but not succeeding, they 
 are discouraged. This state of mind docs not always 
 prove that they are not pursuing the right course. 
 The manifestations of Divine mercy are sometimes 
 deferred to prove their sincerity — to test their per- 
 severance. There are not a few instances of this 
 course of the Divine dealings, towards those who ap- 
 plied to the Saviour for his blessing, recorded in the 
 New Testament. In some cases, ho made as though 
 he did not hear their importunities. In others, he 
 
106 SERMON V. 
 
 appeared even to throw difficulties and obstacles in 
 their way. In other instances there was delay. The 
 object was to test their sincerity, to try their faith, to 
 put their perseverance to the proof. This proved, 
 not for his information, but for their own benefit, he 
 never turned such aside, never rejected their suit. 
 This is his more common, I might, perhaps, say his 
 uniform course. Pardon follows the instant of repen- 
 tance, and justification the instant of faith in Christ. 
 
 But peace does not instantaneously follow these 
 exercises. There is a state of painful conviction and 
 doubt, through which every true convert passes, of 
 longer or shorter duration. But whatever may be the 
 cause of discouragement, whether it be on the part of 
 the Saviour, for the trial of their faith and persever- 
 ance, or for some criminal deficiency on their part, 
 some lurking spirit of self-righteousness, some notion 
 of merit, some reservation, or, whatever may be the 
 cause, the firm resolve expressed in the text is the 
 only course that can insure success. " If I perish, I 
 perish." Perish the sinner must, who, in view of 
 every obstacle and discouragement, does not adopt this 
 as his resolve. Instances are not uncommon — not un- 
 likely the experience of some present furnish them — 
 of deep anxiety and pain, bordering on despair, and 
 the unhappy subject is in utter doubt what to do — 
 whether to give up all for lost, even the loss of the 
 soul. Some have taken that decision, and gone back 
 to the world, and whose last state became worse than 
 
SERMON V. 107 
 
 their first, and finally perished, as we have reason to 
 believe. Ah, that was an hour of awful peril, and is 
 so to all in similar circumstances. The only safe step, 
 the only step of possible safety, is pointed out in my 
 text, " If I perish, I perish." On this decision, this 
 resolve, is depending the salvation of the soul. This 
 not taken, there is no evidence of the Spirit's saving 
 influence in any of the previous exercises. The sinner 
 has been the subject only of his awakening and con- 
 victing power, and left there, he must perish. Nor 
 is there, in truth, any real cause of discouragement 
 to one placed in the most painful circumstances. 
 These only the more powerfully urge to an entire 
 surrender of himself to the Saviour, with the resolve, 
 " If I perish, I perish." None who took this stand 
 ever perished. Men make resolves, and firm resolves, 
 with infinitely less prospect of success, and in things 
 of infinitely less importance. This was the case with 
 the individual whose words furnish my text. There 
 was, in her case, scarcely a ray of hope. A solemn 
 edict or decree had gone forth, and it was a funda- 
 mental principle in the Persian government that no 
 law could be repealed. No substitute for it could be 
 accepted. No one could even approach the King when 
 in the " inner court," where it would seem he spent 
 most of his time, on the penalty of death, " except to 
 such to whom the king should hold out the golden 
 sceptre." This law or regulation had no respect to 
 persons or rank. It was the same law for the Queen 
 
108 SERMON y. 
 
 as for the meanest of the subjects. Nor had she any 
 more reason to think the king would hold out to her 
 the golden sceptre than to another, in whose presence 
 she had not been for thirty days. Besides, he was a 
 cruel despot. God's laws, indeed, are irrepealable. 
 "Till heaven and earth shall pass, one jot or one tittle 
 shall in nowise pass from the law till all be fulfilled." 
 But the Divine government admitted the doctrine of 
 substitution. It allowed another, of suitable quali- 
 fications, to take the place of the actual transgressor. 
 Jesus Christ possessed those qualifications. He took 
 the sinner's place, suffered the penalty which the 
 sinner incurred, and thus satisfied Divine justice in 
 regard to every believer in Christ. Hence the Apostle 
 thus writes, " But now the righteousness of God with- 
 out the law is manifested ; even the righteousness of 
 God, which is by fiuth of Jesus Christ, unto all, and 
 upon all them that believe ; for there is no difference." 
 Instead of a law, therefore, which forbids the sinner's 
 approach to God, to an Almighty Saviour, every 
 necessary provision has been made to encourage his 
 approach to him. He has issued the most pressing in- 
 vitations. He has arrayed before him the most com- 
 manding motives. He has required him, by all the 
 weight of his Divine authority, to come to him and 
 receive eternal life at his hands. God has, moreover, 
 expressly, and under all the solemnities of an oath, 
 declared his unwillingness that any sinner should 
 perish. " As I live," saith the Lord, " I have no 
 
SERMON y. 109 
 
 pleasure in the death of the wicked, but tliat the 
 wicked turn from his way and live : turn ye, turn ye, 
 from your evil ways, for why will ye die ?" 
 
 The sceptre which God holds out to the sinner who 
 would approach it, is a sceptre of pity and infinite 
 mercy. It is a token, not of mere ijermission to ap- 
 proach, but o{ earnest imporhmity to approach — not a 
 mere pledge against death, but an assurance of life eter- 
 nal. It is an emblem of Almighty power, not to 
 destroy, but to save; and save to the uttermost all 
 who come to God by Jesus Christ. Where, then, is 
 the cause of despondency or discouragement ? It is 
 not on the Saviour's part, but on the sinner's part. 
 There is something which he withholds, some reserva- 
 tion, some idol he cannot abandon, some sin he cannot 
 relinquish. And while this exists he cannot be saved. 
 God will not accept a divided heart. Indeed, a divided 
 heart there cannot be, as he is concerned. He has the 
 wliole, or none at all. " No man can serve two mas- 
 ters; for either he will love the one and hate the 
 other, or hold to the one and despise the other. He 
 that is not for me is against me ; and he that gather- 
 eth not with me scattereth abroad." There is not 
 one moment of neutrality. Every one is unceasingly 
 engaged in what is inseparably connected with his 
 eternal destiny. 
 
 Our subject is well calculated to bring every sinner 
 to immediate decision. The utmost danger is involved 
 in an hour's delay. Its magnitude and imminence do 
 
110 SERMON V. 
 
 not arise wholly from their constant liability to have 
 their term of probation closed ; nor even from the fact 
 that life or death must be the final issue ; but the 
 aggravated condenniation consequent on the rejection 
 of a salvation so fully, so freely, so urgently pressed on 
 the sinner's acceptance. Were not every obstacle, on 
 God's part, entirely removed ; were there any ground 
 of question whether the highest efforts of the sinner 
 would be successful or not ; any doubt whether forgive- 
 ness followed sincere repentance, or justification faith 
 in Christ, even perdition itself were less intolerable 
 than it will be, to one wdio knows wdiat an infinite 
 provision has been made, and how earnestly it is 
 pressed on the sinner's acceptance by God himself. 
 Not only has every sinner been made 'welcome to eter- 
 nal life, but every conceivable motive presented to en- 
 gage him to secure it. What, then, must be the doom 
 of him who perishes, as we must perish, if perish we 
 do, with all our knowledge of what has been done to 
 save us? 
 
 And must it be that any of you will perish ? 
 
 take, at least, take the subject into serious con- 
 sideration. Examine it as a matter of infinite moment. 
 Dismiss it not, with the promise of attending to it at 
 a future time. Why should an interest of such im- 
 portance be put off* for a single hour? What time, 
 should years be before you, can be more favorable than 
 the present? Why hazard the salvation of tlie im- 
 mortal soul another moment? While God is as ready 
 
SERMON V. Ill 
 
 now as he ever will be, your unwillingness will in- 
 crease on every postponement of this mighty subject, 
 till you may become wholly indifferent. You have 
 not to make your suit to a despot. There is no un- 
 certainty as to the issue, the favorable issue, the 
 happy and glorious issue of an earnest application to 
 Him who holds your eternal destiny in his hands. 
 Resolve to make the issue. I beseech you, by the 
 infinite mercy of God — the tender pity and compassion 
 of the Son of God, and all his agonies to save sinners, 
 make your application to-day — and make it at the 
 very worst, even from the borders of despair, were 
 that the unhappy condition of any one here, with 
 the fixed, unyielding determination, " If I perish, I 
 perish." This resolve must be made, or the soul must 
 perish. There is no other alternative. It may be 
 made at once. It may be made now in your seats — 
 no formality is required to make it. It is not made 
 to man. It is no committal before men. It is not a 
 jDroraise to man. No man has a right to exact or im- 
 pose such a promise. The resolve is made to God. 
 It is made by the heart, and with the whole heart. 
 In a word, it is an unconditional, unreserved sur- 
 render of the heart to God, in obedience to his own 
 command, " My son, give me thy heart." 
 
 This implies the consecration of all else to God ; all 
 he has and all he is. I repeat, it may be done by 
 every anxious, self-despairing sinner, now in his seat 
 in the house of God. Yes, better done now than at 
 
112 SERMON V. 
 
 an hour's postponement. The Saviour will never be 
 more ready to receive the sinner's submission than 
 oiow. He now waits for this ; the Spirit now urges to 
 this. Numerous successful examples encourage to this. 
 There is no salvation short of the act of the heart's 
 surrender to God ; and there may be none to any sin- 
 ner who shall leave this house without it. The Spirit, 
 farther grieved, may take his final departure. This 
 moment he is gently whispering, if not powerfully urg- 
 ing every sinner here, to go, with all the burden of his 
 guilt, in all his helplessness and hopelessness, from 
 every other source of relief, to the Saviour. He is 
 more than holding out a sceptre of mercy — he is 
 stretching forth an almighty arm to take you and 
 draw you to himself. If you turn away from him, it 
 may be but this once he may even take back the offer 
 of life, withdraw his Spirit, and leave you to your own 
 chosen way to perish. 
 
VI. 
 
 RESISTANCE TO THE HOLY SPIRIT. 
 
 ' Ye do always resist the Holy Ghost." — Acts 7 : 51. 
 
 <' Vr 
 
 Tins is one of the most awful charges that were 
 ever brought against any sinner. None involves more 
 tremendous consequences. Mankind sustain a peculiar 
 relation to the Holy Spirit. He, too, sustains a peculiar 
 relation to the other Persons of the adorable Godhead 
 in the great scheme and work of human salvation. 
 "Without his agency, nothing wliich the Father ever 
 proposed or the Son ever performed, would be of any 
 avail to one of our race. Each Person has his appro- 
 priate, essential work to perform. In some respects, 
 the Spirit sustains ^ peculiarly prominent loositlon. To 
 him a singular sacredness is attached ; a peculiar 
 solemnity is associated with his very name. Hear 
 what the Saviour said: "Wherefore I say unto you, 
 all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven 
 unto men ; but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost 
 shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever 
 speaketh a word against the Son of Man, it shall be 
 forgiven him ; but whosoever speaketh against the 
 
 8 
 
114- SERMOX VI. 
 
 Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him. neither in 
 this world nor in the world to come." This is " the 
 sin unto death." Indeed, God seems to have inspired 
 the very nature of man with special awe towards the 
 Holy Ghost ; for from the lips of the most profane 
 wretch we seldom hear that sacred name pronounced. 
 The charge contained in the text, it should be re- 
 marked, constanthj lies against the sinner who has 
 not yielded to the influences of the Holy Spirit: "Ye 
 do always resist the Holy Ghost." Nor was it brought 
 against those only who may have committed crimes of 
 a peculiarly aggravated nature : " Ye do always resist 
 the Holy Ghost ; as your fathers did, so do ye." 
 Stephen, who uttered the words of the text, had no 
 particular reference to the crime of putting the Saviour 
 to death, although this was true of at least some of 
 them ; nor of their murderous intention to put himself 
 to death. He refers back even to the days of Moses 
 and all the prophets. Neither the language of the 
 charg6, nor the character of those against whom it 
 was brought, necessarily implied the crime of the un- 
 pardonable sin. Against one of them, we know it did 
 not. Saul of Tarsus was one of them, and he became 
 the eminent Apostle Paul ; and the character' which 
 Stephen gave of them all, is equally applicable to all 
 impenitent sinners who live under the light of the 
 Gospel: "Ye stiff-necked, and uncircumcised in heart 
 and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost ; as your 
 fathers did, so do ye." I need not say that these 
 
SER^rON VI. 115 
 
 terms are often employed as descriptive of sinners 
 generally. 
 
 My object, therefore, in this discourse, is not to 
 show certain aggravated cases of guilt, to which the 
 sin of resisting the Holy Ghost attaches, but to state 
 some particulars in which it is equally true, and to 
 whtch the text equally applies, but of which the sinner 
 has, perhaps, no suspicion — particulars in regard to 
 which he may be wholly unaware that he is guilty of 
 the crime of resisting the Holy Ghost. We shall pass 
 over, therefore, those high offences of the unpardonable 
 sin, the murder of the Son of God, the persecution of 
 the saints unto the death, and all those instances of 
 notorious wickedness of which none of you may be 
 guilty. I shall address myself to any and to every 
 impenitent sinner, whatever his age, whatever the 
 peculiar traits of his character, and show wherein this 
 weighty charge lies against him. But let me premise 
 one thing, — that ever since the death of Christ, the 
 whole work of saving the soul is devolved on the Holy 
 Spirit. The Saviour finished his work when he ex- 
 pired on the Cross. It was his own declaration. In 
 the expiring moment he cried, " It is finished !" and 
 bowed his head and gave up the ghost. What re- 
 mains in the application of his work belongs to the 
 Spirit. His resurrection was the mere seal of the 
 Divine approbation, and a pledge of the salvation of 
 all who sleep or die in him. His intercessions are 
 carried into efiect only by the Spirit: see the 16th 
 
116 SERMON VI. 
 
 chapter of John. First, then, indifference to the means 
 of salvation is resistance to the Holy Spirit. Those 
 means owe their origin to him. They are all com- 
 prised in those truths which he inspired. This book 
 contains them all. The Spirit employs no others. 
 The Apostles employed no others. Paul most ex- 
 plicitly declared that it was by the Gospel sinrters 
 were begotten again. He expressly excludes every- 
 thing else. " Though w^e, or an angel from heaven, 
 preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we 
 have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we 
 said before, so say I now again. If any man preach 
 any other Gospel unto you than that ye have received, 
 let him be accursed." Resistance of the Spirit does 
 not always imply direct, active opposition. Our Sa- 
 viour said to his disciples, " He that heareth you 
 heareth me, and he that despiseth you, despiseth 
 me, and him that sent me." There is always some 
 degree of contempt when there is indifference, espe- 
 cially to what is of infinite concern to man, and called 
 forth the highest energies of the Eternal Spirit to secure 
 to man. And this is just the case with both man and 
 the Holy Spirit. We are apt to ascribe, I apprehend, 
 less concern, less engagedness, and less solicitude to 
 the Spirit, in regard to the salvation of sinners, than 
 to either of the other Divine persons — that the Holy 
 Spirit, in performing his part of the great work of re- 
 demption makes, if I may use the word, a less sacri- 
 fice, receives fewer provocations, than either the Father 
 
SERMON VI. 117 
 
 or the Son, and especially the Son. Wc can easily 
 conceive the tender yearnings of the Father's heart, 
 in giving up his Son to such deep humiliation, such 
 sufferings, and to such a death, and of the Son in thus 
 voluntarily taking the sinner's place, and enduring 
 Avhat he did. But a moment's proper reflection will 
 show us the error and the injustice of such a discrimi- 
 nation and distinction. Their perfect unity and equa- 
 lity at once forbid such a supposition. Their feelings 
 on this, and on everything else, are necessarily the 
 same in nature, and infinite in degree. Their re- 
 spective works are indeed different — the Father ac- 
 complished his when the whole arrangement of the 
 mighty plan was made — the Son accomplished his, 
 in everything absolutely essential, when he made an 
 all-sufficient atonement, and himself exclaimed, " It is 
 finished," and in his prayer to his Father said, " I 
 have accomplished the work thou gavest me to do ; 
 and now. Father, come I unto thee." Not so the 
 Spirit. His work will not be accomplished till the 
 last heart is regenerated and sanctified, and the soul is 
 wdiolly fitted for heaven. It is his office-work to apply 
 the whole provision that has been made — to secure to 
 the Son the full promise of the Father, that his people 
 shall be willing in the day of his power, and that he 
 shall see of the travail of his soul and be satisfied. 
 And meets he with no opposition in his work ? How 
 hard the heart on which he must operate, how obsti- 
 nate the will, how corrupt the sinner's whole nature, 
 
118 SERMON VI. 
 
 how blind, how opposed to his highest interests, to 
 secure which so much has been done and suffered. 
 How hard to awaken him to a sense of his danger. 
 How often are his gentlest influences repelled, his 
 kindest invitations utterly slighted — for the record of 
 every invitation, every expostulation, every warning, 
 every entreaty which this Sacred Book contains, was 
 by his own inspiring influence. " All Scripture Avas 
 given by inspiration of God, — holy men spake as they 
 were moved by the Holy Ghost." Hence we are told 
 of his being vexed — of his being grieved. Even his 
 own people, at times, quench his tenderest and gentlest 
 influences. Alas ! what provocations do sinners give 
 him ! 
 
 Now, to be indifferent to all these, to be utterly re- 
 gardless of what has cost Heaven so much, and of 
 what the Spirit has done and is constantly doing; can 
 such a state be properly characterized by any softer 
 name than that of resistance? There are different 
 degrees of resistance, and which mark different de- 
 grees of guilt, according to the scantiness or abundance 
 of the means possessed, and the urgency with which 
 they are enforced. It is no slight offence to reject, or 
 not comply with the very first offer of life. Repeated 
 rejection is an increased aggravation. But 
 
 2. We have been supposing much less than what 
 actually and necessarily exists under the light of the 
 Gospel. Entire indifference cannot exist under such 
 circumstances. Our Saviour has declared every man 
 
SERMON VI. 119 
 
 to be against him, who is not for him ; and that every 
 man who does not gather with him, scatters abroad. 
 If this is true of all mankind, most emphatically is it 
 true of those who have the light of the Gospel. The 
 Spirit's agency is much more extensive, as well as 
 particular, than is generally suspected. His influence 
 is concerned in every serious thought, as well as pain- 
 fully awakened feeling. It is not the deeply con- 
 victed sinner only that is the subject of it, but he that 
 ever thinks seriously of his condition and his prospects 
 for eternity. Conscience never utters its voice but 
 under the Spirit's influence. In this sense, at least, 
 he strives with all men. But how much more power- 
 fully with those who possess his revealed truth, and 
 that truth daily enforced by the events of Providence, 
 against the voice of which he can neither close his 
 ears, nor wholly steel his heart. There is not a sin- 
 ner on earth thus situated, with whom the Holy Spirit 
 does not daily strive. And when serious thoughts and 
 reflections are dismissed or suppressed because of the 
 pain they give, when they are not cherished as that 
 on which the salvation of the soul may be depending, 
 then is the crime of resisting the Holy Ghost com- 
 mitted. And yet, what multitudes suspect it not ! 
 How even unconscious of that offence is the generality 
 of the impenitent ! How little, or never think, that 
 these are the kind and gentle monitions of the Spirit ; 
 and hence, if ever they expect to be saved, they are 
 waiting to experience his overwhelming power, and 
 
120 SERMON VI. 
 
 till they experience that, excuse themselves for re- 
 maining as they are. This is the very reason why 
 most of those who are saved, are thrown into a state 
 of agonizing conviction. This becomes necessary to 
 break up this delusion. The sinner will remain under 
 its influence without this painful process. David has 
 well described their state in the following words : 
 " They are like the deaf adder, that stoppeth her ear; 
 which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, 
 charming never so wisely." The Holy Spirit would 
 woo the sinner to repentance; but he will not hearken 
 to his gentle whispers. 
 
 3. A rational conviction of the great truths of the 
 Gospel, while there is no hearty approbation and 
 practical manifestation of them, is an advanced stage 
 of resistance of the Spirit, but may exist with little or 
 no suspicion of that offence. There is no necessary 
 connection between the knowledge and the love of the 
 truth. They are as distinct as the intellect and the 
 heart. Truth, when clearly discovered, has an in- 
 herent power over the former. It is impossible not 
 to believe that of which we have clear evidence. But 
 it has no such power over the heart. Here, a foreign 
 influence is absolutely necessary. This is too obvious 
 to require illustration. It comes within the constant 
 experience of every man. The sinner believes there 
 is a just and holy, sin-hating and sin-punishing God, 
 "svhile he would infinitely rather believe there were 
 either no God, or a God of all mercy. He believes 
 
SERMON VI. 121 
 
 there is a hell, while, with all his heart, he wishes 
 there were only a heaven, or what he would desire 
 heaven to be. Such a conflict between an enlightened 
 understanding and the heart — between an informed 
 conscience and deferred inclination, is as common as 
 mere speculative believers. Yet to withhold the heart, 
 to reject and disobey under such circumstances, in op- 
 position to rational conviction, is an aggravated state 
 of resistance. It is pronouncing sentence against one- 
 self And yet whole multitudes are in that condition, 
 and scarcely have a suspicion that they are offering 
 direct resistance to the Holy Spirit. He operates upon 
 and through the understanding, as well as directly on 
 the conscience and the heart. Enlightenment pre-^ 
 cedes sanctification. 
 
 Ignorance of the truth, while the means of in- 
 formation are within one's reach, is a great sin. But 
 a knowledge and conviction of it, and of its impor- 
 tance, without a heart to love and practise it, is a 
 much greater one, and argues a much stronger resist- 
 ance of that Divine Agent, who is the author of both. 
 Yet how little concern is manifested by such! On the 
 contrary, it often serves only to increase self security, 
 and gives rise to. a false hope. But this is resistance 
 of the Holy Spirit. 
 
 4. A delay to secure salvation, founded on a present 
 resolution of timely repentance, is still an advanced 
 stage of resistance of the Holy Spirit. The very reso- 
 Jation implies a conviction of danger, and of the abso- 
 
122 SERMON VI. 
 
 lute necessity of religion in order to avoid it. But 
 whence that conviction of danger, and of that neces- 
 sity? It implies some alarm. But who produced it? 
 It is the Spirit. The sinner is dead in trespasses and 
 sins. It is the Spirit that quickeneth : he alarms, or 
 the sinner would remain in all his self-security, blind 
 to his character and his true condition. It requires 
 some just views of his true state and future prospects 
 even to drive one to form a resolution seasonably to 
 attend to the great subject of his salvation. This is 
 the very condition in which most sinners are who live 
 under the light of the Gospel. Perhaps, we scarcely 
 need make an exception, if they ever have moments 
 of serious reflection. Why those resolutions, but to 
 lessen apprehension — to allay or prevent alarm? And 
 is not that resisting the Holy Ghost ? Is it not daring 
 presumption ? Are not such calculations on continued 
 life, and more favorable opportunities, and stronger in- 
 fluences of the Spirit, made amid a thousand contin- 
 gencies ? 
 
 The cause of postponement is dislike to the subject 
 itself; sin is preferred to holiness, and this world to 
 heaven. 
 
 No sinner ever delayed this important work under 
 the pretence or plea of a more favorable coming oppor- 
 tunity, with any real belief or sincere desire that any 
 such opportunity will ever come. He never really ex- 
 pects it ; he knows, indeed, that if spared to old age, 
 which probably he does expect, he will lose, if not his 
 
SERMON VI. 123 
 
 relish yet his caimcity, for enjoying this world, and that 
 religion alone can furnish a substitute, or that, without 
 it, he must be miserable here as well as hereafter. It 
 is this, and this only, that ever influenced an impeni- 
 tent sinner to defer his salvation, or ever prompted 
 the resolution to attend to it at some future time. A 
 moment's serious, candid reflection, would convince 
 every delaying sinner of the most daring insincerity of 
 all his pleas for postponing the subject, and that his 
 present resolves are awful presumptions. Consider, 
 then, how the Holy Spirit must regard such a one. 
 AYhat has he said in the Book of his inspiration? 
 "Choose ye this day whom ye will serve. Today, if 
 ye will hear his voice. Note is the accepted time, 
 behold, noio is the day of salvation." 
 
 Let these instances suffice, in which men are liable 
 to the charge contained in the text, of resisting the 
 Holy Ghost, but under which they are insensible to 
 the awful flict. There are, it is true, cases of a more 
 aggravated character — cases of a more direct and pow- 
 erful influence of the Spirit, producing deep and pain- 
 ful convictions of guilt and danger, and which have 
 called forth a more direct and daring resistance. But 
 it has not fallen within the object of this discourse to 
 consider such cases, but such only as fall under the 
 same charge, but of which sinners are unconscious, 
 and the peril of which is, for that very reason, no less 
 imminent. In regard to a subject of such immense 
 and unspeakable importance as the salvation of the 
 
124 SERMON VI. 
 
 soul, there is no danger so great as where none is sus- 
 pected. Nor in the cases which have been stated is 
 there the mere absence of suspected danger, but there 
 is the helief that all danger has been provided against. 
 All men place confidence in their own resolutions, and 
 on no subject is their confidence more unwavering 
 than the resolution o^ seasonable preparation for death 
 and eternity. It falls in with all the cherished in- 
 clinations of the natural heart. On no other subject 
 do men so easily deceive themselves ; nor, where the 
 means of salvation are possessed, where men hear the 
 Gospel preached, are as many souls lost in any other 
 way, or all other ways, as in this. The sinner's inten- 
 tions to repent at some future time and be prepared 
 for heaven, only tend to endless ruin. 
 
 And now let me make, or ask each to make for him- 
 self, the proper practical application of this subject. 
 The salvation of how many souls among us may be 
 depending on this, God only knows. May we not ex- 
 press the fear that there are not a few among us, and 
 regular attendants too on the public means of grace, 
 who are in the condition we have attempted to de- 
 scribe — who are in imminent peril, with little or no 
 suspicion of danger, either through entire indifference 
 to the subject or the fondly cherished belief that they 
 have provided against its occurrence ? 
 
 But against such, if such are here, the awful charge 
 contained in my text lies with fearful weight : "Ye do 
 always resist the Holy Ghost." No sinner, while still 
 
SEKMOX VI. 125 
 
 Ill's probation is continued and lie is blessed with the 
 means of his salvation, can be placed on more perilous 
 ground. On the agency, the influence of the Holy 
 Spirit, is depending the salvation of every soul. He 
 must quicken it, or it will remain dead in trespasses 
 and sins. He must regenerate it, or it can never see the 
 kingdom of God : " Except a man be born of the Spirit, 
 he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." What im- 
 penitent sinner among us would not be startled at the 
 thought, if it could once enter his heart with the force 
 of an undoubted truth, that the awful charge of resist- 
 ing the Spirit of God really lies against him? We 
 have endeavored, dear friends, to show that it is so, 
 even in those cases in which the sinner himself least 
 suspects it ; we have endeavored to convince you of 
 this most awful and fearful fact — to tear from you this 
 most fatal of all delusions. It is, and always has been, 
 the most successful of all the artifices of the great Ad- 
 versary of souls. Around every careless, thoughtless, 
 or not deeply awakened sinner, he has spread this 
 fatal net, and while he continues thus, he holds him in 
 its meshes. 
 
 But there is an Omnipotent arm extended towards 
 you for your deliverance. »Seize that arm ; listen to 
 the voice which urges you to this. That voice is not 
 silent to-day. The Holy Spirit is, at least, addressing 
 you in gentle whispers. Close not the ear against 
 them ; yield to his tender, persuasive invitations. 
 Leave not this house, where he has again brought 
 
126 SERMON- YI. 
 
 and once more met you, till yon have thrown open 
 your heart to him, and entreated his entire possession 
 of it. If one serious thought on the subject of your 
 salvation has been awakened while sitting here, remem- 
 ber, it has been by the influence of the Holy Spirit. 
 Cherish it; dread nothing so much as to suppress or 
 oppose it. 
 
 And here, remember one thing, that the object of 
 the Holy Spirit, in all his influences and operations on 
 the sinner, is to bring him to Christ. There is salva- 
 tion in no other ; " for there is none other name under 
 heaven given among men whereby we must be saved." 
 Short of entire and hearty surrender to him, the soul 
 is forever lost. 
 
VII. 
 
 « 
 
 THE DIFFICULTY OF SECURING THE 
 SALVATION OF THE SOUL, 
 
 AS A MOTIVE TO ACTIVE AND EARNEST EFFORT. 
 
 " The kingdom of heaven sufForeth violence, and the violent take it by 
 • force." — Matthew 11 : 12. 
 
 One of the most common and fatal of all delusions 
 that ever seized the human mind, is the notion that 
 nothing is of easier attainment than eternal life. To 
 what but to this impression can be ascribed that self- 
 security which characterizes all classes of impenitent 
 sinners, and even among those who make no preten- 
 sion to a single qualification for heaven, and yet pro- 
 fess to believe the absolute necessity of such qualifica- 
 tion before death strikes his blow ? It is not peculiar 
 to the young, but common to all ages — not more gene- 
 ral among those who possess not, than those who 
 enjoy all the means of salvation. Hence the universal 
 disposition to defer and delay the most important 
 work ever proposed, dreaming it enough to utter one 
 cry for mercy just as the soul is entering on its eternal 
 state. But how is this vain notion corrected and re- 
 
128 ser:\ion- yii. 
 
 proved by the Saviour himself in the text — what 
 stronger language, what more forcible figure could be 
 used than he here employs to express and set forth 
 the ardor of feeling, the strength of purpose, and even 
 violence of effort, necessary to secure the momentous 
 object.? " The kingdom of heaven sujBfereth violence, 
 and the violent take it by force." Heaven is here 
 represented as a citadel, a strongly fortified place, 
 which can only be taken by storm. The figure is un- 
 meaning, unless the same unyielding energy is implied 
 in the one case as in the other. That declaration was 
 made by the Saviour in reference to what was actually 
 occurring at the time he made it, viz., that ext'ensive 
 and wonderful attention to religion of which John the 
 Baptist was the instrument — wdien, as it is ex- 
 pressed, " there went out to him, Jerusalem, and all 
 Judea, and all the region round about Jordan, and 
 were baptized of him, confessing their sins." Those 
 immense multitudes evidently laid aside everything 
 else to attend on the means of their salvation. And 
 let it be borne in mind, in opposition and solemn re- 
 proof of the views and sentiments of multitudes in 
 our own day, that the Saviour, instead of a hint of 
 any excess of engagedness on their part, pronounced 
 his approbation of their conduct, and even solemnly 
 enforced the absolute necessity of the same earnest- 
 ness on all who would enter into the kingdom of 
 heaven, by the very figure which he employed to il- 
 lustrate it. " From the days of John the Baptist until 
 
SERMON VII. 129 
 
 iiOAV, the kingdom of heaven sufifereth violence, and the 
 violent take it by force." And is there not the same 
 necessity of equal earnestness and unyielding deter- 
 mination noio as tlien? Are the difficulties fewer or 
 less formidable in our day than in the time of the 
 Saviour's forerunner, or when he himself was on earth ? 
 Let us examine this point, that we may be properly 
 convinced, and be the better prepared to appreciate 
 those difficulties, and to feel the force of the motives 
 which they address to us. 
 
 1. There is the same depravity — the same opposition 
 of the human heart to overcome now as ever — there 
 is the same pride of heart to be disarmed, in order to 
 the admission and operation of holiness — the same 
 love of self and of sin to be subdued. God and his 
 service are no more objects of the sinner's choice at 
 this age of the world, than at any period since the 
 fall. It is as true now as it ever was, that '-the heart 
 of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil," and 
 that the "carnal mind is enmity with God, is not 
 subject to the law of God, neither, indeed, can be." 
 The same necessity of the new birth, as when Christ 
 declared to Nicodemus, "Except a man be born again, 
 he cannot see the kingdom of God." Man, by nature, 
 is supremely selfish ; and this renders him the de- 
 termined enemy of God. His pride rises up in fixed 
 opposition to the claims of his Maker. It feeds and 
 swells on what should be renounced and crucified. 
 Hence, that unbelief which locks up the soul against 
 
 9 
 
130 SERMON VII. 
 
 all proper perception of eternal things, and bars against 
 all proper conviction of sin, and guilt, and even 
 danger. Hence, rebellion and resistance, at every 
 point of demanded subjection and obedience to God. 
 And hence, too, the whole progeny of depraved pro- 
 pensities, passions, and appetites, which proceed from 
 the unsanctified heart. Heaven cannot be obtained — 
 the soul cannot be saved,' where the thoughts are 
 seldom or never on God, and where, instead of his 
 having a throne in the heart, that heart is filled with 
 spiritual enemies. True, there is more light and 
 knowledge of divine things than at many other ages 
 of the world. But ignorance is not man's worst con- 
 dition — light is not the cure of his depravity. Un- 
 sanctified knowledge only acts with increased force 
 on the enmity of the natural heart. The most en- 
 lightened are not the most easily won to the love of 
 the truth. '' The world by wisdom knew not God." 
 The wisdom of men is foolishness with God. Hence 
 " not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, 
 not many noble are called ; but God hath chosen the 
 foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and 
 weak things of the world to confound the things 
 which are mighty." The Church of Christ has indeed 
 numbered some of the most eminent and learned, in 
 every age of the world, among her converts and 
 members. But they have been comparatively few. 
 Nor had it been any disparagement of the Christian 
 religion, had there never been one of that standing. 
 
SERMON VII. 131 
 
 It is the chief glory of the Gospel plan of salvation, 
 that it is equally adapted to the condition and wants 
 of all classes of the human race, while the souls of 
 all are of equal value in God's sight, and equally ob- 
 jects of Divine commiseration, and of the Redeemer's 
 interposition. There is, therefore, nothing in the 
 natural state of the human heart, the entireiiess and 
 inveteracy of human depravity, the pride of man, 
 his supreme regard of the idol, self, which does not 
 interpose as strong obstacles in the way of his salva- 
 tion, which does not demand the same earnestness and 
 persevering determination to secure it, as when Christ 
 pronounced the words of the text. The language and 
 the figure are as appropriate now as then, or any other 
 age of the world. "The kingdom of heaven suffereth 
 violence, and the violent take it by force." Nor have 
 we any reason to believe that any one now or here- 
 after ever will become a subject of it, who does not put 
 forth the same firm and indomitable and persevering 
 exertions. 
 
 2. There is another source of difficulty in the way 
 of salvation, little, indeed, suspected, or even believed, 
 but for that reason the more formidable. It proceeds 
 from a foreign influence, operating both on the inner 
 man and the objects around him, as incentives and 
 lures adapted to the sinner's state and tastes. The 
 Apostle thus describes it: "We wrestle not against 
 flesh and blood, but against principalities, against 
 powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this 
 world." 
 
132 SERMON yir. 
 
 These are different terms to denote the same ma- 
 lignant, powerful, and ever-vigilant enemy of God and 
 man. Their unceasing and untiring object is to de- 
 stroy the souls of men ; their influence is secret, and, 
 of course, unsuspected, but not the less real ; they have 
 access to the heart ; they know all the avenues to that 
 fountain of iniquity ; they know how to present tempta- 
 tions adapted to its ruling desires and predominant 
 propensities, and how to touch every spring of action. 
 Those enemies to the souls of our fallen race have not 
 yet been bound with chains ; they are still permitted 
 to roam abroad, seeking whom they may devour; they 
 still vex the saints, and, if it were possible, would 
 fatally deceive the elect. If we are ignorant of the 
 mode, we know the ejfects of their operations. Their 
 object with the sinner is to keep him in all his self- 
 security ; to fortify him against the force of God's 
 truth ; to prevent all alarm, or if alarmed, to quiet 
 his fears ; if convicted of his sin and danger, to quench 
 his convictions; to throw around him temptations, 
 drawn from some alluring objects adapted to his go- 
 verning taste — the ruling passion of his heart — or else 
 suggest some false ground of hope, the denial of funda- 
 mental and essential truths, some false and fatal form 
 of religion. Or, if all these fail, then drive the sinner 
 to despair. 
 
 And, alas, how often does he accomplish his object ! 
 How often does he lead the sinner captive at his will, 
 even while the sinner is unconscious of his influence ! 
 
SERMON VII. 133 
 
 All his suggestions fall in with the natural promptings 
 of the depraved heart; so thut foreign influence is not 
 even suspected by the sinner. But it is as real as his 
 existence ; and 7ie is the most under his power who 
 denies or doubts its existence or its agency. But 
 
 3. These are not all the difliculties in the way of the 
 soul's salvation. The world in which we live furnishes 
 them in every variety of form. In itself, the world is 
 (jood. When it came from the hand of its Maker, he 
 pronounced it vcr?/ good. It has undergone no change 
 since, which to a holy race would make it otherwise. 
 All its evils have been introduced by sin — sin alone 
 has marred it ; and all the evils which that monster 
 has introduced, would still leave it comparatively a 
 Paradise to a holy race of beings. Creation and Pro- 
 vidence still afford most instructive lessons to man of 
 its Framer and Governor. There is still enouorh to 
 command the most delightful exercise of all his pow- 
 ers, and joyfully absorb all the affections of a right 
 heart. If there are evils without, to a good man, as 
 unquestionably there are, yet with a heart conformed 
 to God, all these evils would issue in good, and the 
 original curse become a blessing. 
 
 But the cause of all evil still exists and operates. 
 It operates in the e)itlre man, and this creates the diffi- 
 culties which the world throws around him, and makes 
 heaven to him a fortified city, Avhich he is required 
 to take as by storm. And these difficulties are 
 numerous and immense — as numerous as the objects 
 
134 SERMON VII. 
 
 which claim attention and attachment. These capti- 
 vate the heart ; receive its supreme love. Thus the 
 world becomes a mighty pantheon — a vast storehouse 
 of idols, furnished with various images suited to the 
 various ruling propensities of their worshippers. As a 
 gra7id ivJioIe, it constitutes a supreme deiti/, and in the 
 general classification of its objects and pursuits presents, 
 as one has expressed it, a powerful " trinity," viz., 
 " Honor, wealth, and pleasure." 
 
 But what said the Saviour in regard to each of these 
 classes in this grand division of idolaters? To the 
 first : " How can ye believe, which receive honor one 
 of another, and seek not that honor which cometh from 
 God only ?" To the second : " It is easier for a camel 
 to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man 
 to enter into the kingdom of heaven." To the third : 
 *' That which fell among thorns are they which when 
 they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares, 
 and riches, and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit 
 to perfection." Does not this language, and we often 
 meet with it in similar though somewhat varied forms, 
 teach us that the world throws immense difficulties in 
 the way of the sinner's salvation ? 
 
 Is not each of these objects, when supremely pur- 
 sued, as one or the other necessarily is, with every 
 impenitent sinner, as much an idol as a statue before 
 which one kneels and professedly pays his worship? 
 Idolatry is the supreme love of any being or object 
 but God only. " No man can serve two masters — 
 
SERMON VII. 135 
 
 ye cannot serve God and mammon." Heaven cannot 
 be secured where the thoughts and affections are 
 supremely on the world and the things of the world. 
 This point we shall not be required to argue. For 
 such a man has no taste, no qualification for the em- 
 ployments of heaven. On the contrary, every view of 
 God's glory, and every note of praise from the re- 
 deemed, would fill him with unutterable agony. Is 
 then the language of the Saviour, who knew better 
 than any being who ever trod our earth, too strong, or 
 the figure too bold, when he declared, " The kingdom 
 of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it 
 by force ?" But, 
 
 Again, though only extending the field of observa- 
 tion on this subject, the difiiculties in the way of sal- 
 vation are even greater and more formidable now, 
 than when the Saviour uttered the words of the text. 
 And they arise from the different conditions of man- 
 kind, and different states of society, as existing then 
 and existing 7iow, especially in civilized and evan- 
 gelized countries. True, " as in water face answereth 
 to face, so the heart of man to man." The natural state 
 of every human heart is that of entire alienation from 
 God, and will remain so till sovereign grace renew it. 
 " That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that 
 which is born of the spirit is spirit," and till this 
 change takes place, depravity reigns. But depravity 
 may take a deeper hold on some than on others, may- 
 be under less or more restraints ; and this may depend 
 
136 SERMON" VII. 
 
 on a thousand things which are external to us, and 
 certainly in no small degree on the state of society — 
 its enlightenment, its customs and fashions, its pre- 
 vailing pursuits and temptations, and predominant 
 vices. The most enlightened and highly cultivated 
 state is not always the most favorable. It should be 
 so ; but facts do not warrant the conclusion that it is 
 so. It was not so in the da^^s of the Apostles. Wit- 
 ness their labors and the results, among the learned of 
 Kome and Athens, compared with their labors and 
 success in Galilee and Samaria, and in other less en- 
 lightened portions of the world. 
 
 It was this fact which led Paul to exclaim, " that 
 not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, 
 not many noble, are called ; but God hath chosen the 
 foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and 
 God hath chosen the weak things of the world to con- 
 found the things which are mighty, and base things 
 of the world and things that are despised hath God 
 chosen, yea, and things that are not, to bring to nought 
 things which are, that no flesli slioidd glory in his 
 presence." 
 
 The refinements of the world often give rise to re- 
 finements in sin ; and, what indeed is not less true, so 
 far depress the standard of morals as to license the 
 grossest vices. All sins have a common nature, and 
 one sin leads to and adds encouragement to another. 
 Some sins, indeed, are peculiarily sociable in their 
 nature ; such, for instance, as intemperance and pro- 
 
SERMON VII. 137 
 
 fanity, Sabbath-breaking and lewdness; so that where 
 we find the one we may confidently expect to find the 
 other. Surely these crimes are not peculiar to a state 
 of ignorance and heathenism ! Would that they were ! 
 IIow often is it that among the most enlightened and 
 most abundantly supplied with the means of grace, tlie 
 Gospel, to a most alarming degree, seems only to harden 
 the heart and sear the very conscience — in a word, to . 
 be a " savor of death unto death !" The causes may 
 be various ; but the state of society embraces and gives 
 rise to not a few of them. What are boastingly termed 
 its refinements and cultivation, are often mighty bar- 
 riers and hindrances to the salvation of the soul ; 
 immense difficulties in the way to heaven. They with- 
 hold, as with a mighty hand, the heart from God. It 
 becomes far more difiicult to break asunder those bonds 
 which exist among associates, and tear one's self away 
 from scenes and companions, whose whole influence is 
 in direct opposition to that of the Gospel. Drowned 
 in pleasure, they are well-nigh certain to be drowned 
 in perdition. 
 
 It is no easy thing to resist the destructive influ- 
 ence of the more sober cares, the more reputable em- 
 ployments of the world ; but how much more so the 
 captivating, dissipating allurements of the world ! It 
 is difficult, when once drawn into the vortex of crimi- 
 nal pleasures, to extricate one's self. All, nothing but 
 Omnipotent grace can effect release and escape ! But it 
 is equally true, that that grace will never be imparted 
 
138 SERMON VII. 
 
 while the sinner puts forth no effort. The voice of 
 God is, " Come out and be ye separate, and touch not 
 the unclean thing, and I will receive you." And is 
 not the salvation of the immortal soul worth an effort 
 to comply with that most reasonable demand ? What 
 a warfare are even the children of God often obliged 
 to encounter in regard to many things which the re- 
 ^ fined world around them calls not only civil, but essential 
 to good society ! And if they run not with them to 
 the same excesses, they are reproached, and their 
 names cast out as evil. But where is the hope for 
 those who utterly discard the solemnly binding obliga- 
 tions of religion, and throw up the reins to sensual 
 passions and appetites? 
 
 I have but a few remarks to make in closing this 
 discourse. Its appeal is to the unconverted, and, at 
 best, utterly careless. I ask, then, dear hearers, may 
 everything and anything receive your supreme regard, 
 and command all the energies of soul and body, while 
 the salvation of the soul lies neglected ? Why is it 
 more unreasonable to be in earnest to save the immor- 
 tal soul, to secure eternal happiness, when compelled 
 to leave this world, than to gather riches, attain to 
 honors, or indulge in worldly pleasures ? And yet, by 
 multitudes, how are all attempts to produce engaged- 
 ness in the highest concerns of the soul, its unchange- 
 able, endless destiny, resisted, and often frowned down, 
 and even laughed doicn ! 
 
 And yet this mighty object must become the all- 
 
SERMON VII. 139 
 
 absorbing one — must command supreme attention, or, 
 as my text was the solemn utterance of Him who came 
 to save the soul, this mighty object will never be se- 
 cured. A few serious, and even sincere wishes, occa- 
 sional resolves, or some fitful efforts, will not secure it.* 
 God has said : " Ye shall seek me and find me, when 
 ye search for me with all the lieartT And short of 
 this, the promise will never be realized. This is the , 
 starting-point. There is no step towards heaven but 
 from this point. 
 
 Why will you not anticipate that solemn hour when 
 nothing else will be regarded of the least concern ? 
 When the whole world, with all its wealth, and honors, 
 and pleasures, will appear a mere bauble — a painted 
 bauble, to cheat you of endless bliss? That hour is 
 not distant, when he who comes to it in his sins will 
 see his folly and his guilt in a light which no language 
 can express. Is there a sinner here who will thus 
 rush upon the scenes of that hour, and to the awful 
 doom which awaits the soul in eternity? Can any 
 one here consent to come to an impenitent death-bed ? 
 to lie and languish with a conscience then quickened 
 to the highest degree of sensibility, with all the sins of 
 his past life gathered into a moment, and all his then 
 deep consciousness of his guilt but a faint foretaste of 
 the wretchedness soon and eternally to overwhelm 
 him ? 
 
 Believe it not that this is fancy. Unnumbered 
 spirits, could they be released from hell and suffered 
 
140 SERMON VII. 
 
 to come back to our world to give their testimony, 
 would confirm its truth. Will any of you add to their 
 numbers ? Shall this be the dying testimony — this the 
 miserable end of one in this assembly ? 
 ' One hour's delay to make the salvation of the soul 
 the supreme concern, and you may be left to give this 
 testimony and swell that number. A disregard of 
 this day's privileges and opportunity to repent and 
 secure eternal life, may lead to all these consequences. 
 The decree may go forth, "Let him alone — he is joined 
 to his idols !" 
 
VIII. 
 
 THE RUIN OF THE SOUL EFFECTED BY 
 NEGLECT. 
 
 " How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation ?" — Heb. 2 : 8. 
 
 This is a question in form only ; often the strongest 
 mode of affirming the truth. There is not a passage 
 in all this book which implies more, or more important 
 truths than the text announces. The salvation to 
 which it refers, embraces all that God in His three- 
 fold personality has done, to provide for the endless 
 happiness of man ; involving the eternal misery of all 
 who fail to secure the blessings proposed, including 
 the mode which he has prescribed, in which alone 
 those blessings can be obtained, or that misery avoided. 
 And wdiat facts or truths are as deeply interesting to 
 man as these ? In these respects alone, it may well 
 be pronounced a " great salvation^ Great, as heaven 
 is desirable, or hell dreadful. But it assumes a still 
 higher character, when we call to mind what it cost 
 to make the provision. The gift, the incarnation, 
 and the death of God's own and equal Son. It is 
 with direct reference to this, the Apostle introduces 
 the text, and which is set forth in the preceding chap- 
 
142 SERMON VIII. 
 
 ter to that which contains the text. " Therefore we 
 ought to give the more earnest heed to the things 
 which we have heard, lest at any time we should let 
 them slip ; for how shall we escape if we neglect so 
 great salvation ?" And did not innumerable facts 
 establish the contrary, we could hardly have con- 
 ceived it possible, that an individual of our fallen race, 
 who ever heard the Gospel preached, could be found 
 to reject or neglect the salvation which it proffers. 
 The depraved ingenuity of man has, indeed, devised 
 many schemes as substitutes for that of the Gospel, 
 but they are all refuges of lies ; while still greater 
 numbers appear to be satisfied with their prospects for 
 eternity, on the simple ground that they manifest no 
 hostility or opposition to the plan of salvation which 
 the Gospel proclaims. 
 
 While the text addresses a solemn admonition to 
 all who, by any means, or in any way, ftiil of this 
 salvation, it makes its appeal more especially to the 
 latter class — to the careless, and indifferent, and negli- 
 gent. Were it necessary to describe this class, it may 
 be done in few words. They are those on whom divine 
 truth makes no sensible or salutary impression ; who 
 remain still the same in all their self-security. The 
 writer of the text has described them in a subsequent 
 chapter : " The word preached did not profit them, 
 not being mixed with faith in them that heard it." 
 They did not so believe it as to produce any good 
 effect on their hearts and lives. It is to such now 
 
SERMOx viir. Its 
 
 I address the sentiment of the text, " How shall you 
 escape, if you neglect so great salvation ?" That 
 sentiment is, — simple neglect abandons the soul to 
 eternal ruin. 
 
 I propose to establish the truth of this sentiment, 
 
 I. By the obvious teachings of Scripture. II. From 
 the nature of the salvation which the Gospel proposes. 
 
 I. No other possible construction can be put, as it 
 seems to me, on the text. Not a word is said, in con- 
 nection with it, of violent resistance, or of substituting 
 any other mode. Having stated that a " great salva- 
 tion" had been effected and proclaimed by God's equal 
 Son, and which engaged all the angels in heaven to 
 minister to man's interest in it, the Apostle adds, 
 "Plow shall we escape, if we neglect so great salva- 
 tion ?" Violent opposition unquestionably aggravates 
 the guilt of the individual who fails to secure its 
 blessings, but neglect through indifference will as cer- 
 tainly end in the ruin of the soul. This is as certain 
 as that the neglect of food Avill as effectually be the 
 death of the body, as though one, should lay violent 
 hands on himself, or as he who neglects to sow his 
 seed will have no crop. 
 
 Our Saviour has most forciblv taucrht this truth in 
 the parable of the talents, in his reproof and condem- 
 nation of the servant who received the one talent, but 
 who had made no improvement of it. "His Lord said 
 unto him. Thou wicked, slothful servant ! Take the 
 talent from him, and cast ye the unprofitable servant 
 
144 SERMON y:ii. 
 
 into outer darkness; there shall be weephig and gnasli- 
 ing of teeth." Men are intrusted with nothing more 
 valuable than the privileges of the (jospel; no talents 
 more important, no possessions to which they will be 
 held to a stricter account, than the means of grace, and 
 the opportunities of their salvation ; and neglect is a 
 forfeiture of all the blessings which they were in- 
 tended to secure. This truth, moreover, is taught and 
 enforced by the urgency with which the salvation of 
 the soul is pressed upon us. I scarcely need say to 
 you that the salvation of the soul is everywhere set 
 forth in this book as the great work of men — that for 
 which God gave him his existence, unless, by his per- 
 version, he himself renders that existence an eternal 
 curse to himself; that for which God has blessed us 
 with all the necessary means of saving our souls. 
 What, then, can mark a higher offence against God, 
 or against one's own soul, than to neglect them all? 
 It implies a recklessness in regard to one's own highest 
 interests, and a contempt of God and all he has done 
 to save men, Avhich can hardly be surpassed. 
 
 But not to dwell longer on a point so plain, I re- 
 mark, 
 
 II. That this position is sustained by just views of 
 the nature of Gospel salvation. "What is this salva- 
 tion ? What does it propose ? What is it as expe- 
 rienced here and enjoyed hereafter in heaven ? In its 
 beginning, its progress, and its consummation ? For it 
 has its beginning in this world. It is not a mere 
 
SERMON VIII. 145 
 
 negative good — mere exemption from the penalties of 
 God's violated lav/s — mere freedom from punishment. 
 Were it possible to experience this, and this only, this 
 were not Gospel salvation. The salvation which God 
 has provided, and which he offers to us, is " redemption 
 from the bondage of sin and liability to eternal death, 
 and the conferring of everlasting Jiappiness." Sin, then, 
 must not only be pardoned, but its power subdued ; its 
 bondage must be broken, and the soul be freed from 
 its controlling influence. Sin must not reign in our 
 mortal bodies ; its dominion must be crushed. Is that 
 consistent with indifference ? — with neglect ? Is it a 
 small achievement ? Where is, or when lived the in- 
 dividual of our fallen race, who, of himself, ever accom- 
 plished this mighty work ? Never lived the Christian 
 who took that honor to himself They all speak the 
 same language on this point, however much they may 
 differ on other points ; their grateful exclamation, 
 without a dissenting voice, is : " By the grace of God, 
 I am what I am." The feeling of self-impotence is the 
 very first hopeful or favorable indication in the case of 
 any sinner. What, previously to this, is the moral 
 condition of sinners ? They are, indeed, of different 
 grades ; and while all wax worse and worse, till they 
 become new creatures in Christ, some attain to the 
 stature of giants in iniquity. But what are they, or 
 rather, what is unsanctified human nature as a mass ? 
 The Scriptures are full and explicit on this point : 
 " Every imagination of the thoughts of his heart is 
 
 10 
 
146 SERMON VIII. 
 
 only evil continually;" "The imagination of man's 
 heart is evil from his youth ;" "What is man that he 
 ■should be clean, who drinketh iniquity like water?" 
 " The Lord looked down from heaven upon the chil- 
 dren of men, to see if there were any that did under- 
 stand and seek God." And what was the result? 
 " They are all gone aside ; they are altogether become 
 filth V ; there is none that doeth good ; no, not one." 
 
 Let us go back to an earlier date in the existence of 
 each and every human being : " Behold, I was shapen 
 in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me." 
 " The wicked are estranged from the womb, speaking 
 lies." " Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child." 
 " The heart of the sons of men is full of iniquity." 
 " That which is born of the flesh is flesh." Hence, the 
 Saviour's own argument for the new birth : " Except 
 a man be born of the Spirit, he cannot see the kingdom 
 of God." Paul says to the Ephesian Christians, " Ye 
 were by nature children of wrath, even as others." 
 But I need not quote farther. The above, however, 
 are mere specimens of what the Bible is full. Such is 
 human nature as a whole ; such are its attributes, as 
 every human being advances in life, till sovereign 
 grace renews his nature, restores the efiliced moral 
 image of his Maker, and breathes new life into his 
 soul, or he is left to go on and perish. Here is the 
 very necessity of Divine interposition. I repeat, this 
 felt as it should be, and as by every true convert it is 
 felt, is the first favorable indication of such Divine in- 
 
SERMON yiir. 147 
 
 terposition. This is the low spot into which every 
 sinner here must be brought that ever rises to heaven. 
 
 And can all this consist with indifference ? — with 
 neglect? Is it nothing to repent? — to hate what is 
 supremely loved, and the converse ? Even the best 
 Christian finds it no easy task to resist the sinful im- 
 pulses of his partially sanctified heart. With all his 
 means, and habitually cherished influences of the 
 Spirit, and practice of earnest prayer to God, he 
 makes but little progress, slow advances in prepara- 
 tion for salvation, full and perfected in heaven. And 
 can the negligent sinner expect that salvation ? Has 
 he not the same enemies to encounter, to conquer ? — 
 the same depraved impulses to resist and suppress ? — 
 the same " old man" to crucify ? Has the soldier of 
 Christ no battles to fight ? — his follower, no race to 
 run ? 
 
 The Apostle Paul presents this subject in two dis- 
 tinct, yet necessarily connected points of view, in 
 which let us for a moment consider i^. In his Epistle 
 to the Ephesians, he writes : " That ye put off concern- 
 ing the former conversation, the old man, which is cor- 
 rupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed 
 in the spirit of your mind ; and that ye put on the 
 new man, which after God is created in righteousness 
 and true holiness." 
 
 Here, then, are some things to be renounced, to be 
 laid aside, to be " put off." These things embrace all 
 the peculiar characteristics of an unrenewed man ; all 
 
148 SERMON" VIII. 
 
 wrong desires, passions, and purposes ; every sinful 
 habit of speech and conduct. Sins as dear as the right 
 hand or right eye are cheerfully to be sacrificed, aban- 
 doned. This suppressing, subjugating, crucifj-ing pro- 
 cess neglected, and there is no salvation for the soul. 
 This, need I say, is no easy task. 
 
 But this is only one view of the subject, as the 
 Apostle has presented it. The opposites of what is 
 peculiar to an unrenewed state are to be substituted in 
 their place : " the new man must be put on f supreme 
 love of God must take the place of supreme love of the 
 world; and even enmity against God, "for the carnal 
 mind is enmity against God ;" rebellion must yield to 
 obedience; selfishness, as a governing principle, to 
 God's glory ; the pleasures of sin, in all its forms, to 
 the approbation of God. Perfect salvation in heaven 
 can consist only with a perfect renovation of the whole 
 moral man : " That ye be renewed in the spirit of 
 your mind, and that ye put on the new man, which 
 after God" {i. e.,Jike to God), "is created in righteous- 
 ness and true holiness." 
 
 The contrast between these two states of nature and 
 grace, as drawn by the pen of inspiration, and as ac- 
 tually seen in the lives of true Christians, is so great, 
 that the latter are called " new creatures," " created 
 anew in Christ Jesus ;" become such by a new birth, 
 have new desires, new principles of action, new sources 
 of joy. Yet all this is only partially true of those 
 most eminent for piety in this life. How infinitely 
 
SERMON YIII. 149 
 
 more striking the difference between the redeemed in 
 heaven and the unrenewed in this world ! In that 
 world all is perfect holiness ; the conflict between sin 
 and grace is forever ended ; love supreme and intense 
 unceasingly swells the hearts of all its inhabitants. 
 
 Now, tills is the salvation which the Gospel proposes, 
 and which by every consideration that can be presumed 
 to influence a rational being, and especially one of our 
 race, for whom it has been provided, is urged on the 
 acceptance of every one who ever listened to its mes- 
 sages ; and to render this available, the Divine Author 
 of it has appointed the only means by which it can be 
 secured. It is by these means that it is commenced 
 in this life and perfected in the next. How, then, can 
 the sinner escape the fearful penalties of God's violated 
 law, which is eternal death, in the neglect of those 
 means ? Were God, by a mere act of his sovereignty, 
 to remit those penalties, what preparation would that 
 be for the enjoyment of a heaven of perfect holiness ? 
 How could the soul be happy in heaven ? A mere act 
 of pardon would be no qualification for the actual em- 
 ployments of that world. It is true, that in the 
 economy of grace, pardon involves everything else 
 that is necessary. God never pardons without re- 
 pentance; and the grace which produces repentance 
 is, at the same time, sanctifying; nor is it ever with- 
 holden till the soul is wholly fitted for heaven : " For 
 he that hath begun a good work will carry it on until 
 the day of Jesus Christ." 
 
150 SERMON VIII. 
 
 Mere pardon, however, were at most but a negative 
 qualification for heaven. The Apostle, as we have 
 seen, carries this point much farther. It is not enough 
 to "put off" what he terms "the old man, with his cor- 
 rupt deeds" — that is, in few words, to suppress and 
 extirpate all the sinful propensities and practices of 
 his corrupt nature, or natural state ; but " the new 
 man" must be " put on ;" the sinner must be renewed 
 in the spirit of his mind ; there must be positive holi- 
 ness. The distinction is obvious, although God has 
 been pleased inseparably to connect them ; so that 
 where there is the one, there will also be the other. 
 It is to cease one course and pursue a directly opposite 
 course. 
 
 Whatever view we take of salvation, it is an im- 
 mensely difficult work to accomplish — a work in oppo- 
 sition to which the whole nature of man is arrayed. 
 It falls in with none of the principles of the natural 
 man ; and the longer it is deferred, the more strength 
 they acquire : " The whole soul," as one expresses it, 
 " gravitates toward the earth, and it is as unnatural 
 for it to rise to God, as it is for the body to ascend to 
 heaven." There are difficulties in the salvation of the 
 soul to be overcome greater than ever beset any other 
 work. Every figure employed in the Bible to set it 
 forth shows this : such as running, wrestling, figliting, 
 agonizing. 
 
 And how are all these difhculties to be overcome ? 
 No man ever conquered them, though by Omnipotent 
 
SERMON VIII. 151 
 
 grace, without strong, determined, and persevering 
 effort. What, then, let me ask, is likely to be the 
 end of those among us who are putting forth no such 
 effort ? We address you now, not as violent opposers 
 of your salvation, but simply as neglecters of it; for, 
 probably, there is not one here who does not 'expect to 
 be saved, and that, too, not by any plan or method of 
 his own, as different from that which the Gospel pre- 
 scribes, but in the way which the Gospel does point 
 out. None of you, probably, are quarrelling with God's 
 method to save sinners. It were, indeed, more hope- 
 ful if you Avere ; it would, at least, show interest in 
 the subject. The state of indifference which simple 
 neglect shows, is the most hopeless of all states. No- 
 thing but a resurrection power can arouse such. It 
 argues a self-security from which one will not be likely 
 to awake, but slumber on, dreaming perhaps of heaven, 
 till he awake in eternity. What multitudes are thrown 
 on the bed of their last sickness in that state, and then 
 feel no apprehensions in regard to their eternal condi- 
 tion till the symptoms of death are thick upon them, 
 and are then left in hopeless agony, or a presumptuous 
 confidence in God's mercy ! 
 
 Far more souls perish from neglect of the means of 
 their salvation, with the intention of finally securing 
 it, than from all other causes. Nothing like this lulls 
 the soul to so deep a sleep. 
 
 And is not this the very condition of far the greater 
 portion of the impenitent ? What else can shield 
 
152 SERMON VJII. 
 
 against the arrows of conviction under the constant 
 sound of the Gospel ? And yet, what a gross self- 
 deception ! There is not, in itself, a more alarming 
 condition than that in which no alarm is felt. It is 
 God's method to alarm the sinner whom he means to 
 save. Mit to feel no alarm, no special anxiety, in the 
 possession of all the means of salvation under the con- 
 stant proclamation of the Gospel, argues a state of pe- 
 culiar hopelessness. 
 
 The charge of neglecting the great salvation does 
 not lie against the man only who never places himself 
 under the influence of any of the means of grace 
 which God has appointed — the man Avho never reads 
 the Bible, never visits the house of jDrayer, and pays 
 no respect to the Sabbath. One of the most fearful 
 charges which the Saviour brought against sinners 
 was, that the kingdom of heaven had come nigJi to 
 them, while yet they refused to enter in. Just in pro- 
 portion to the abundance of the means of salvation, 
 while unimproved, will be the sinner's doom. The 
 more we know of the greatness of that salvation 
 which God has provided for our guilty race, and yet 
 neglect it, the more guilt we contract, and the more 
 weighty will be our condemnation. Of that we are 
 fully informed. We have learned flxr more than the 
 simple fact of God's willingness to save men. He has 
 told us Jioiu this has been accomplished, at what an 
 immense price the provision has been made ; he has 
 taught us every step in the whole process by which 
 
SERMON YIII. 153 
 
 man's redemption has been wrought out ; he has given 
 us his own judgment of the infinite importance of that 
 work, the immense vahie of the thing to be redeemed, 
 the immortal soul of man. 
 
 It is an infinitely great salvation, as God himself 
 has been concerned in it. Nothing less than the gift 
 and sacrifice, by a most cruel death, of his only Son. 
 But the object, as man is concerned, was a great one, 
 — redemption of the soul from eternal death, and be- 
 stowing eternal happiness. 0, how deep must be the 
 stuj)idity and guilt of the man who feels not the force 
 of such considerations ! " How shall he escape, if he 
 neglect such a salvation ?" 
 
 But it must be secured soon, or never. Should not 
 God take back the offer till the dying hour, that is not 
 very distant, and much nearer than you now imagine. 
 0, is not one day, or even hour, too much to lose, and 
 especially with those who have already lost many 
 years ? Nor is the hazard scarcely less with the 
 youngest. There is the same native depravity in 
 every natural heart to be subdued ; the same God to 
 love; the same salvation, and on the same terms, to 
 secure : and the first step, in the case of any one, is to 
 see his danger, feel his guilt and his helplessness, and 
 cast himself on the sovereign grace of God. Take God's 
 law for your instructor, and you cannot fail to see your 
 danger ; take his Gospel for your guide, and you can- 
 not mistake the only course of safety. There is, in- 
 deed, no need that one should perish. "He that spared 
 
154 SERMON VIII. 
 
 not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all," is 
 still on a throne of mercy. There is nothing in the 
 way of the salvation of any one who will go to the 
 Saviour with a penitent heart. It is his own promise : 
 "Him that cometh unto me, I will in no wnse cast out." 
 There is the same pity in his heart that brought him 
 to our world, and carried him to the cross ; he has 
 even spared you to this hour to make you another 
 offer of eternal life. Death, at farthest, will close every 
 opportunity; and death may come at any hour. 
 
IX. 
 
 GOD'S DESIRE FOR THE SALVATION OF 
 
 THE SINNER'S SOUL 
 
 LEAVES IIIM WITHOUT PLEA OR EXCUSE FOR ITS LOSS. 
 
 "How shall I give tliee up, Epliraim? How shall I deliver thee, Israel? 
 How shall I make thee as Admah ? How shall I set thee^ as Zeljoim ? 
 Mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together." — 
 HosEA 11:8. 
 
 This is strange language for the Infinite Majesty of 
 heaven and earth to use towards guilty, rebellious 
 men. Nor were they sumers of an ordinary character 
 only. They had been selected out from the rest of 
 mankind, and distinguished by many and very great 
 privileges. They had been the objects of special 
 Divine regard, from the very origin of their nation. 
 "When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and 
 called my son out of Egypt. I taught Ephraim also to 
 go, taking them by their arms. I drew them with 
 cords of a man, with bands of love; and I was to them 
 as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I 
 laid meat unto them." Such were God's kind deal- 
 ings towards them. But intermingled with this state- 
 ment, the same prophet has written of them, " They 
 
156 SERMON IX. 
 
 sacrificed unto Baalim, and burned incense to graven 
 images; they knew not that I healed them." "He 
 shall not return into the land of Egypt, but the As- 
 syrian shall be his king, and the sword shall abide in 
 his cities, and shall consume his branches, and devour 
 them because of their counsels. My people are bent 
 to backsliding from me." 
 
 Such, briefly, had been God's dealings towards that 
 highly favored and distinguished people. Such, too, 
 had been their more than ungrateful returns ; the 
 goodness of God they consumed upon their lusts, while 
 his forbearance but the more emboldened them in their 
 rebellion. And yet, in view of all this abuse, God 
 addresses them in the language of the most earnest 
 expostulation. "How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? 
 How shall I deliver thee, Israel. How shall I make 
 thee as Admah ? How shall I set thee as Zeboim ? 
 Mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are 
 kindled together." We repeat, what strange language 
 for Jehovah to utter towards that ungratefid, rebel- 
 lious nation ! 
 
 Let us consider a moment the strong expressions 
 which the prophet, or, rather, God himself, employs in 
 the text, by which we shall be more deeply convinced 
 of God's judgment of the wickedness of the Israelites, 
 and more deeply impressed, not only with his com- 
 passion and benevolence, but of the deep yearnings 
 and tenderest workings of his heart. " How shall I 
 give thee up, Ephraim?" Ephraim was the name of 
 
SEKAIOX IX. 157 
 
 a single tribe, but often, and in this place, stands for 
 the ten tribes of the Hebrew nation. "How shall I 
 deliver thee, Israel ?" This was not only a name of 
 equally extensive meaning, but as expressive of pecu- 
 liar favor and honor. It literally signifies "A prince 
 of God," and was given of the Almighty to Jacob, 
 when he wrestled with the angel of his presence, 
 that is, undoubtedly, the Messiah, in an assumed 
 human form, and prevailed. This language of the 
 text was used, probably, to remind the nation of the 
 Israelites to what special honor and privileges they 
 had been exalted ; but how proportionally low they 
 had fallen by their sins, and consequently, how daring 
 were their provocations. And yet, notwithstanding all 
 this, how tenderly the Almighty addresses them : " How 
 shall I give thee up? How shall I deliver thee?" Nor 
 did even this fully express God's displeasure, and their 
 inexpressible deserts. For he still adds, "How shall I 
 make thee as Admah ? How shall I set thee as 
 Zeboim ?" These were two of the four cities of the 
 plain which, for the extreme wickedness of their in- 
 habitants, were consumed by fire from heaven. The 
 force of the Divine expostulation is, " How shall I 
 abandon you to utter destruction, as those cities were?" 
 Nor does all this reach the climax of God's commise- 
 ration and pity, or, perhaps more properly, the pro- 
 found depths of his compassion. He still adds, " My 
 heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled 
 together." What language of greater intensity, ex- 
 
158 SERMON IX. 
 
 pressive of deeper feeling, could be employed ? Such 
 language, when applied to a human being, is under- 
 stood only by the one who utters it. I need not say 
 to some of you, at least, that so intense, so over- 
 whelming are the feelings of the heart, that no words 
 can express them, and utterance can only be given in 
 sighs and groans. But here is the Infinite God, w^ho 
 is immutable to all outward circumstances which can 
 occur in his entire universe, infinitely self-possessed, in. 
 the possession of every possible perfection, yet pouring 
 forth the intensest feelings of liis infinite heart, in the 
 strange language of even kindling repentance, over the 
 misery and wretchedness of his sinful creatures. " Mine 
 heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled 
 together. Plow shall I give thee up ? How shall I 
 deliver thee ? How can I abandon thee to utter de- 
 struction, though most richly deserved, as Admah and 
 Zeboim, Sodom and Gomorrah, the Cities of the Plain?" 
 But this is not the only instance in which the 
 Almighty expresses himself in similar terms of com- 
 passion and earnest expostulation, both in the Old 
 Testament and the New. In the former we read, 
 " Wisdom crieth without, she uttereth her voice in the 
 streets : she crieth in the chief place of commerce, in 
 the openings of the gates; in the city she uttereth her 
 words, saying. How long, ye simple ones, will ye love 
 simplicity, and the scorners delight in their scorning, 
 and the fools hate knowledge ?" " Turn you, at my re- 
 proof Behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, 
 
SERMON IX. 159 
 
 and I will make known my words unto you." " 0, that 
 thou liadst hearkened to my commandments ; tlien 
 hadst thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness 
 as the waves of the sea." "Say unto them, As I live, 
 saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of 
 the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and 
 live ; turn ye, turn ye, from your evil ways and live, 
 for why will ye die ?" " Hear ye now what the Lord 
 saith : Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and 
 let the hills hear thy voice. Hear ye, mountains, 
 the Lord's controversy, and ye strong foundations of 
 the earth ; for the Lord hath a controversy Avith his 
 people, and he will plead with Israel." " 0, my people, 
 what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I 
 wearied thee ? Testify against me." " Come, now, 
 let us reason together, 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 wool." "0, that there were such a heart in 
 them, that they would fear me, and keep all my 
 commandments, always, that it might be well with 
 them and with their children forever. that they 
 were wise, that they understood this, that they would 
 consider their latter end." Such are mere speci- 
 mens taken from the Old Testament. Let us look 
 a moment into the New. " Come unto me, all ye 
 that labor and are heavily laden, and I M'ill give you 
 rest." " Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, 
 for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find 
 
160 SERMON IX. 
 
 rest unto your souls, for my yoke is easy, and my 
 burden is light." " In the last day, that great day of 
 the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man 
 thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. Come, for all 
 things are now ready." "Behold, I stand at the door 
 and knock. If any man hear my voice, and open the 
 door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and 
 he with me." "And when he was come near, he beheld 
 the city and wept over it, saying. If thou hadst known, 
 even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which 
 belong unto thy peace, but now they are hidden from 
 thine eyes." "For God so loved the world, that he gave 
 his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, 
 should not perish, but have everlasting life." " For God 
 sent not his Son into the world, to condemn the world, 
 but that the world, through him, might be saved." 
 
 But where shall I end in quoting similar passages ? 
 Invitations, exhortations, admonitions, expostulations, 
 and entreaties, run through the whole New Testament. 
 "What, indeed, is the Gospel itself but a system of good 
 news, a Divine arrangement for saving lost sinners ? 
 For what else did the Son of God leave the bosom of 
 his Father, and come to our world ? take our nature, 
 and die on the cross ? He himself has told us that he 
 " came to seek and to save that which was lost." He 
 came to raise sinners of our race to far higher bliss 
 than the first pair enjoyed in Paradise ; to make the 
 apostasy, and consequent redemption, the occasion of 
 joys and glories which otherwise would never have 
 
SERMON IX. 161 
 
 been known ; to bring to view Divine attributes which 
 would forever have been concealed, but whose displays 
 constitute the bliss of heaven. 
 
 I come now to the principal object of this discourse, 
 wdiicli is to wrest from sinners every possible ground 
 of excuse or plea for not at once becoming Christians. 
 We will not, indeed, descend to the more frivolous and 
 trifling excuses which are not seldom made ; for no 
 man of any pretension to seriousness or sober reflection 
 ever placed any confidence in or real weight on them. 
 Such, for instance, as that they have no time to attend 
 to the momentous concerns of their souls. This is a 
 plea, indeed, whicb is often made ; but no man of any 
 sober reflection, no man who believes or for one mo- 
 ment thinks that he has a soul to save, or to be lost; 
 who believes that there is a heaven to be gained or a 
 hell to be avoided, ever placed the least confidence in 
 that plea. The man who makes it, hnoics that he is 
 trifling; one sober reflection, one thought of death 
 and of a hereafter, will flash the conviction of its false- 
 hood on the conscience ; he does not believe his own 
 statement. Argument with such a man is wholly un- 
 called for, and he may be left to his own conscience. 
 He knows, if he believes a particle of God's word, that 
 this life is not the principal period of his existence, 
 and that God gave him his being to prepare for eter- 
 nity ; and, moreover, that no temporal concerns ought 
 for a moment to interfere with preparation for an eter- 
 
 11 
 
162 SERMON IX. 
 
 nity of happiness, or the avoidance of endless misery. 
 Such a plea is not entitled to the character of even a 
 delusion ; it is prompted wholly from utter dislike to 
 what is necessary, in order to such preparation — in 
 other words, to religion itself. He that makes this 
 plea knows that he is adding another sin to the long 
 catalogue of sins which lie uncancelled against him, 
 and that it is made only to put from his mind the un- 
 welcome subject of religion. 
 
 Near akin to this plea is another oftener still made, 
 which is, that " there is time enough yet." To some, 
 this may seem more reasonable, or partake more of the 
 nature of a delusion than the plea just considered. 
 To the healthy, the strong, and the young, it may 
 appear to possess some force. After all, it is a gross 
 delusion. It is a plea for continued impenitence, and 
 what all who make it know is used, to keep the con- 
 science quiet in the practice of sinful indulgences. No 
 one that makes it believes it to be safe. The daily 
 providences of God, uttered in tones which they can- 
 not but hear, and their import feel, show them, that 
 there is no safety in it, and that it is made only to 
 continue in sin. It carries this conviction on the very 
 face of it. Besides, those who are guilty of it are 
 seldom as bold as Felix of old, openly to avow it. It 
 is a concealed rather than a public plea. Few who 
 indulge it have the presumption and the daring to 
 avow it. Even the secret feeling is one of the highest 
 provocations which can be offered to God, who alone 
 
SERMON IX. 1G3 
 
 knows how long the life of any of his creatures will be 
 continued on earth, or when and under what circum- 
 stances it will be ended. And surely the proofs of its 
 uncertainty, in regard to all ages and circumstances, 
 are too frequent to pass altogether unheeded. Such 
 constant and often loud admonitions, must sometimes, 
 at least, produce in the minds of the most thoughtless 
 the conviction of the fearful hazard of deferring the 
 momentous concerns of eternity to an uncertain future, 
 even if it were for a single day. An hour's delay has 
 in unnumbered instances proved fatal to the soul. 
 
 But there are other pleas which possess a higher 
 character, and though utterly unfounded, are yet urged 
 with deep sincerity. One of this nature is an over- 
 whelming conviction of their sinfulness before God — 
 that their sins, in a word, are too great to permit them 
 even to hope forgiveness. Undoubtedly, multitudes 
 have this painful conviction, and therefore settle down 
 in honest despair. And this would be the case with 
 every child of God, but that he graciously lightens the 
 burden of their guilt, or relieves them of a proper or 
 full sense of it. For, a full perception of the nature 
 of sin, or a full consciousness of their own guilt, in the 
 sight of the infinitely holy God, would sink any soul 
 to utter despair. Perhaps there is no greater source 
 of misery to the finally lost, than a full sense of their 
 sin and guilt. The tortures of conscience, when all 
 restraints are withdrawn, and it is left to its actings, 
 may be, emphatically, "the worm that never dies," 
 
164 SERMON IX. 
 
 and its gnawings the fire " Avhich can never be 
 quenched." "The spirit of a man will sustain his 
 infirmity, but a wounded spirit who can bear ?" But 
 this side the world of woe, where is there occasion of 
 such utter hopelessness ? True, no man can measure 
 his own sinfulness and guilt. The Infinite God alone 
 can do this. But can any man measure the com- 
 passion and mercy of God ? And yet he has said, by 
 an inspired Apostle, " where sin abounded, grace did 
 much more abound." Who can measure the efficacy 
 of the blood of God's only and equal Son ? And yet 
 the same Apostle tells us that he died for sinners. 
 And another inspired Apostle tells us that " the blood 
 of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin." This is a 
 groundless plea, an utterly unauthorized — yea, most 
 injurious conception. It is itself a sin of mighty 
 magnitude. It impeaches the truth of God. For it is 
 in direct opposition and contradiction to the whole 
 current of his word. To foreclose this plea, to show 
 in advance the groundlessness of this apprehension or 
 conception, we largely, though very limitedly, quoted 
 God's own declaration, by his own mouth, by the mouth 
 of his Son, and by his inspired Prophets and Apostles, 
 in the former part of this discourse. Surely, we need 
 not repeat, nor add to them. You can hardly open 
 the Bible, or cast an eye on any page of it, but you 
 find similar declarations, and individual illustrations 
 of their truth, in the renewal and salvation of sinners 
 of the vilest character. No, my hearers, if there are 
 
SERMON IX. 1G5 
 
 any sucli despairing souls in this assembly, on account 
 of their conviction of the greatness of their sins, the 
 only just ground of despair in relation to their salva- 
 tion is, to despair of doing anything of themselves to 
 merit that salvation, or to lay God under obligations 
 to save them. This no man can do. Sin has reduced 
 all our race to equal helplessness, and, in themselves, 
 utter hopelessness. There is but one position for all 
 to take, one course for all to pursue. That position is 
 the lowest possible posture before the cross of Christ, 
 the footstool of sovereign mercy— that course is deep 
 and sincere repentance, and a cheerful, hearty sur- 
 render of all to God. This done, and though your 
 sins may be as mountains in point of magnitude, and 
 in numbers as the atoms of the material universe, your 
 salvation is as certain as that God's word is true, or as 
 though you were already a glorified spirit. The belief 
 or suspicion of the contrary is a suggestion of the ad- 
 versary, addressed to groundless fears, — a real rejec- 
 tion, a virtual contempt of all God's proffered mercy, 
 a charge of the inefficacy of the blood of Jesus Christ. 
 And if you perish, it will be through a rejection of the 
 salvation he so dearly purchased. Emphatically, you 
 will be your own destroyer. 
 
 There is another plea, similar to the one just 
 considered, but peculiar in some respects, and espe- 
 cially as proceeding from a distinct class. That class 
 are the aged, and their apprehensions or fears arise 
 from the reflection of a long life of sin, while a 
 
166 SERMON IX. 
 
 remnant only — and that short at longest — of life re- 
 mains. Truly, this is an unhappy case ; the reflection 
 must be painful. And painful, too, as the remark is, 
 the case of such is well-nigh a forlorn one ! Indeed, it 
 is not often that such are brought to repentance. The 
 class of youth furnishes . vastly the larger number of 
 converts. Almost the great body of the Church, in 
 every age, has been, and is, composed of those who 
 came into it when young. And yet, let me say, their 
 numbers are few, compared to the multitudes of the 
 same class who prefer to run the awful risk of defer- 
 ring the salvation of their souls to a later period of life, 
 though the delay has cost, to countless numbers of 
 them, endless perdition. They never saw the days of 
 which they fondly but vainly dreamed, when they were 
 young ; they were cut off in childhood or riper youth ; 
 they neglected the calls of mercy then, and in their 
 still early years were forever lost ! Yet many were 
 spared, and spared to old age, but to whom the "con- 
 venient season" never came, and remained, and remain 
 still, in all their impenitence; and the sad reflection 
 is, most of them will probably die in their sins. Not, 
 indeed, that there is not mercy enough to save them ; 
 not that God is not as willing and as ready to save 
 them as to save the youth. God has excepted no class 
 from his proffered salvation. He that repents shall be 
 forgiven ; he that believes shall be saved. The condi- 
 tions are the same to all ; and he that complies with 
 them, whatever his years, however numerous and ag- 
 
SERMON IX. 167 
 
 gravated his sins, the blood of Christ is sufficient to 
 wash them all away. 
 
 Yet the doubt of this with the advanced in years, 
 who have not secured their salvation, is no uncommon 
 douht. The despair of such is no uncommon occur- 
 rence. It is to those who deeply feel this painful 
 doubt, this subject makes a solemn and earnest appeal. 
 Such have no reason to despair, if they apply to the 
 proper source for the solution of their doubts. God is 
 as willing to receive them as others who have sinned 
 less. Every hindrance to salvation, on his part, has 
 been removed. The atonement of his Son is as suffi- 
 cient for their salvation as for the salvation of the 
 youngest or most amiable or lovely by nature. The 
 wicked Manasseh, it is believed, though he had grown 
 old in sins and crimes of the deepest dj^e, was saved, 
 while the amiable young nobleman, it is equally be- 
 lieved, was left to his morality, and perished. 
 
 It is true, that there are greater difficulties in the 
 way of aged sinners than that of the young. The 
 Spirit of God operates according to the established 
 laws of the human mind. Sin is necessarily harden- 
 ing and hlinding ; every transgression of God's law 
 will leave its impress on the soul; and the more nu- 
 merous one's sins, the more deep that impress, the 
 more difficult to arouse the sensibilities of the soul ; 
 the conscience becomes less sensitive ; it is more diffi- 
 cult for Divine truths to find access to the heart; 
 
168 SERMON IX. 
 
 habits are less easily, and therefore less likely, to be 
 broken up and overcome. 
 
 It is with reference to such that the prophet Jere- 
 miah cries, " Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or 
 the leopard his spots ? then may ye also do good, that 
 are accustomed to do evil." It requires, indeed, the 
 most resolute determination, the highest effort of the 
 whole soul, from the very necessity of the case. But 
 there is no occasion for despair, no necessity to give 
 up all for lost ; the invitations of the Gospel are equally 
 addressed to them as to others. Never too late to put 
 up the plea, if it go up from the heart, " God be mer- 
 ciful to me, a sinner." Allow me, in a few closing 
 words, to make an appeal to the dear youths before 
 me, who have not already " chosen that good part 
 which shall never be taken from them." Dear young 
 friends, need you be reminded that every future step 
 in a life of impenitence is hurrying you on to that 
 stage in life when the prospect of your salvation will 
 become less and less promising ? that every hour's 
 delay to become Christians is an additional hazard of 
 your immortal souls ? that sin and sinful habits will 
 have the same hardening effect on you, that they 
 never fail to have on the impenitent in old age ? And 
 this on the slender supposition, that you will reach 
 that age. Not all of you will reach old age. The 
 youngest in this assembly may be the first to be fol- 
 lowed to the grave. This were no marvel. And if 
 but one, who shall that one be ? Ah, which of you. 
 
SERMON IX. 169 
 
 now in all jour thoughtlessness and unpreparednoss, 
 may thus soon be hurried into eternity ? Heed the 
 solemn admonition of your Maker, with -which I will 
 close: "Remember now thy Creator in the days of 
 thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years 
 draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in 
 them." 
 
X. 
 
 BITTER DISAPPOINTMENT THE DYING 
 SINNER'S DOOM. 
 
 "When a wicked man dietli, his expectation shall perish."' — Proy. 11:7. 
 
 It is not possible to conceive of a rational immortal 
 being, whose thoughts are not often busied with the 
 future, and who is not indulging in expectation of 
 some kind in reference to it. Such a capacity, and 
 such an exercise of it, are essential to a human soul. 
 This constitutes the vast difference between man and 
 all created beings heJoio him. This principle in 
 human nature we see illustrated through the whole 
 course of every man's life. He is ever the subject of 
 desires or fears — constantly indulging expectations, 
 pleasing or otherwise. These expectations may be 
 less or more limited, as to the period in which they 
 are to be realized, and be promoted by various 
 objects, or ends of pursuit ; while with every man, 
 and at every moment of his conscious existence, there 
 is a supreme, all-governing one. With some, the 
 supreme good and all-governing object is the acquisi- 
 tion of wealth ; with others, honors ; with a third 
 class, worldly pleasures, in some of their thousand 
 
SERMON X. 171 
 
 forms; dl of which, of course, are limited to this life. 
 The object desired may, indeed, lie beyond the period 
 of our present existence ; but at the termination of 
 this, that object will be realized, or utter and endless 
 disappointment ensue. This latter alternative, the pen 
 of inspiration has written against every one w4iom 
 death overtakes in his impenitence. 
 
 Let me have the attention of all, wdiose hopes for 
 the future have not the warrant of God's truth, -while 
 I state some, at least, of the expectations of such, in 
 regard to this all-important subject. 
 
 1. I may remark, that the wicked, in the absence 
 of the visible means of their death, never view that 
 event so near at hand as to awaken alarm, or demand 
 immediate preparation to meet it. Indeed, it is com- 
 monly, if not universally true of such, that when the 
 infallible symptoms of its near approach are thick 
 upon them, they are either insensible, or dreaming of 
 recovery, until utter despair settles on the soul. 
 
 That there is hope of the soul while there is the life of 
 the bod}^, is a remark, however common w^th men, for 
 which God's word furnishes no warrant, but much to 
 refute it. Indeed, there is no warrant for a moment's 
 delay, in the case of any sinner. " I have called, and 
 ye refused," may any moment forever settle the sinner's 
 doom. 
 
 Death is viewed by every sinner who still continues 
 in his sins, as at too remote a distance to awaken 
 alarm, or call for instant preparation. Were this true 
 
172 SERMON X. 
 
 only of the youth in all the bloom of health, or the 
 man in all his vigor and strength, this thought might, 
 perhaps, lose something of its Aveight ; although who 
 sees aught but awful presumption, even in such ? For 
 whose life is secure any moment ? But the presump- 
 tion is not peculiar to such. Indeed, of the former 
 class, the great body of Christians has in every age 
 been composed. But the sinner far down the vale of 
 years is as unapprehensive as the youth ; yea, and pro- 
 bably more so. To him, even, there is time enough 
 yet. And thus he feels, till he finds the cold hand of 
 death pressing hard upon him ! 0, when he dies, how 
 has his expectation forever perished ! How the recol- 
 lection of his misspent years and awful presumption, 
 that death was always viewed by him at a distance, 
 and his fearful forebodings of the future mingle to- 
 gether, to fill his soul with anguish and horror ! Ah, 
 is there one here with such a sad prospect before him, 
 let me fall down, as at your feet, and beseech you to 
 avert that doom by instant repentance. Nor is there 
 an impenitent sinner here, whatever his age, or flatter- 
 ing prospects for years to come, to whom the same 
 warning and entreating voice is not appropriately ad- 
 dressed. This is one of the most common and fatal 
 delusions which all sinners cherish. But death will 
 banish it, and the expectation to which it gives rise 
 shall perish. 
 
 2. Another but sim.ilar delusion, and not less fatal, 
 is, that coming opportunities will be more favorable 
 
SERMON- X. 173 
 
 than present ones, or the individual himself will be in 
 a more fit state to attend to this great concern. We 
 read, indeed, of but one who avowed this as the reason 
 for deferring this important subject to a future time; 
 and to that man, if the account which has been given 
 of him be true, that time never caitie. But men may 
 act on that false notion, without avowing it. Every 
 delaying sinner, if a reflecting one, does act on it, al- 
 though every serious reflection should correct it. There 
 can be no question that this is the secret reason with 
 every impenitent person present, why he has remained 
 and still remains impenitent and unconcerned. The 
 work of saving the soul is looked upon as a work to 
 which the sinner must be compelled ; that it is the last 
 resort of a soul driven or cut off from all other re- 
 sources, or disqualified for all other employments ; and 
 having experienced the vanity of earthly pursuits, 
 either through satiety or disappointments, tired of the 
 bustle, or wearied of the cares of life, they flatter them- 
 selves that they will be ready to let go their grasp on 
 the world, or the infirmities of age will relax it ; they 
 will then feel the importance of providing a substitute 
 for these things, will feel less reluctance to repent, and 
 be more susceptible of serious and tender impressions. 
 The facts, of which they vainly think they shall feel 
 the full force, that they cannot live much longer, that 
 death is rapidly hastening on, that eternitj', with all 
 its solemn and awful realities, is near, will attract all 
 
174 SERMON X. 
 
 their thoughts, and make repentance comparatively 
 easy. Ah ! what views such have of the great end of 
 their existence — for what purpose God gave them their 
 being, and placed them on this earth — and has made 
 such an amazing sacrifice, the sacrifice of his own Son, 
 to make provision Tor their salvation ! But none of 
 these expectations will they ever realize. We do not 
 say that none of this description will ever be saved ; 
 but we do say that none of these things will ever make 
 repentance easier. 0, no ; it will increase its difficul- 
 ties and its agonies a thousandfold. This is one of the 
 artifices of the adversary to destroy the souls of men. 
 Not the word of God only, but experience and observa- 
 tion show such expectations to be utterly .groundless 
 and delusive. Think how many are suddenly sent 
 into eternity by a blow ! And a still greater number, 
 probably, are — from the moment they are seized with 
 fatal sickness — racked with pains, which disqualify for 
 serious, fixed thought, or which deprive of reason ! 
 
 Moreover, who does not know that repentance de- 
 ferred serves only to harden the heart, to increase the 
 relish for sin, and render, of course, the sinner the 
 more averse to repent of and abandon it? — a work 
 never easy, under the most favorable circumstances, 
 and even in the youngest sinner. And to all these 
 questions, which furnish their own answers, we add, 
 what is reasonably to be expected from continued in- 
 difference to the constantly repeated calls of mercy, 
 
SERMON X. 175 
 
 the often loud admonitions of Providence, continued 
 resistance of the Holy Spirit, and persevering rejection 
 of Christ and his salvation? Is there not peculiar 
 fearfulness in such multiplied provocations? such abuse 
 of God's forbearance — such insults to his mercy? 
 Surely, expectations of more favorable ojDportunities 
 than the present must perish. Scarcely is a sinner, 
 under such circumstances, brought to his death-bed, 
 who does not, if not bereaved of reason, add his dying 
 testimony to the folly as well as sin of deferred re- 
 pentance, under the vain expectation of a future more 
 favorable opportunity of securing his salvation. 
 
 3. Sinners who thus trifle with their immortal in- 
 terests, expect to entertain the same flattering and 
 consoling views of themselves, and be supported by 
 them, in their dying hour, that they entertain while 
 that event is viewed at a distance. It is no easy 
 matter for the most considerate and reflecting Chris- 
 tian, whose daily conversation is in heaven, so to 
 familiarize himself with the scenes of the dying hour, 
 as to meet it without surprise, and without expe- 
 riencing much which will be new and unexpected, oft- 
 times much to overwhelm him. And surely no sinner 
 ever anticipated the strange views and feelings with 
 which he will come to that trying hour. These he 
 chooses to keep out of sight as long as possible. Self- 
 flattery, if we believe God's word, is characteristic of 
 the sinner. " The transgression of the wicked, saith 
 within my heart, that there is no fear of God before 
 
176 SERMON X. 
 
 his ej'es ; for he flattereth himself in his own eyes, 
 until his iniquity be found to be hateful." They do 
 not pretend that they have not broken God's holy law. 
 They admit that they have sinned in various ways. 
 But in ways equally various and satisfactory to them- 
 selves, they can palliate their sins. 
 
 One view especially will the sinner take in the 
 dying hour which he never had before, — that will 
 be a look into his own heart. That deep, dark 
 sink of depravity will be thrown open to his clearest 
 view. Such a view as will strip it of all its dis- 
 guises — expose all its principles of action in all his 
 life. He will there see and feel that all his sup- 
 posed benevolence was unmixed selfishness ; that his 
 sacrifices for what he had ascribed to the interest of 
 morality and religion, were extorted by the demands 
 of natural conscience — the fear of wrath — the hope of 
 profit — the gratification of a kindly disposition — or, 
 at best, the promptings of a natural sympathy j that 
 not an act of his life was the fruit of a sincere love of 
 God — not one originated in faith in Christ — not a 
 throb of genuine repentance ever beat in his heart, 
 nor a tear of godly sorrow ever fell from his eyes. 
 Such is the heart in its un sanctified state. Such is 
 every one who has not been born again. And such 
 will be their own conviction and judgment of it, and 
 of themselves. All the expectation they had pre- 
 viously indulged will perish in death. Hence, 
 
 4. The wicked expect to regard the scenes of the 
 
SERMON S. 1 
 
 t I 
 
 dying hour, when that comes, with much of the indif- 
 ference with Avhich they look forward to them while 
 viewed at a distance. All their ideas on that subject 
 are vague and indefinite. They do not make it matter 
 of serious inquiry. What must be the condition of 
 one in that hour, who is deeply conscious of no interest 
 in Christ — no Divine hand to support — no solid hope 
 of eternal life ? At a distance, they view death as a 
 trifle. For a mere trifle multitudes throw life away. 
 In prospect, death has no terrors. They expect none 
 when it comes. But the hand of death will banish 
 these expectations. It is the hour, too, into which is 
 crowded one's whole history. The past seems all pre- 
 sent, while the future presents its awful realities as 
 never before. Expectations, once so fondly cherished, 
 all vanish, to give place to tormenting forebodings. 
 Indifference yields to the most agonizing intensity of 
 thought and feeling. Nothing — no, nothing to sup- 
 port hope from all the past. Nothing to kindle it 
 from the future. Christ is the only foundation of solid, 
 unshaken hope ; and foith alone plants the soul on 
 that foundation. But they have not believed in 
 Christ ; and how can they hope ? They have trusted 
 to themselves that they were righteous ; and what title 
 have they to that which another has purchased, while 
 the very condition by which that title is conveyed, is 
 not complied with? They had depended on their 
 own nerves to encounter that last enemy, and look 
 unappalled at the opening scenes of a near eternity. 
 
 12 
 
178 SER>rox X. 
 
 But how does their strength hecome perfect weakness 
 in the Last conflict ? Ah, life itself had been a dream. 
 But now they awake. How are these expectations 
 swept away as with a whirlwind. So reads this sacred 
 book : " Their destruction conieth as a whirlwind. 
 They have sown the wind : they shall reap the whirl- 
 wind. Behold the whirlwind of the Lord goeth forth 
 w^ith fury, a continuing whirlwind. It shall fall with 
 pain upon the head of the wicked." 
 
 Once more. The confidence of sinners in their false 
 refuges shall perish when they die. 
 
 It is not easy, nor is it common, for sinners to live 
 under the clear light of the Gospel and habitually 
 listen to its sounds, and not have something which 
 they call religion, and on which to place their hopes 
 for the future. No reflecting person can be placed in 
 such circumstances, without seasons of serious thought- 
 fulness. And it is not improbable that every sinner 
 whose attention can be had to the solemn truths of 
 God's word in his house, is sometimes made deej)ly 
 and pungently to feel the danger of his condition. 
 With beings who ever think of the immortality of 
 their existence, it is difficult to believe otherwise, 
 however little they ordinarily think of their eternal 
 destiny. 
 
 But while such eagerly seize any opportunity which 
 presents, to wipe off the serious impressions which may 
 have been made on their consciences under the preach- 
 ing of God's word, there are others of a more habitual 
 
SERMON X. 170 
 
 seriousness and tlioughtfulness, who must have some- 
 thing on which they can, at all times, rest a hope of 
 salvation — some plausible scheme as a substitute for 
 that of the Gospel : they cannot be satisfied with no- 
 tions wliich are altogether vague and indefinite. This 
 is the oriixin of those false schemes and"refu2;es of 
 lies" which the ingenuity of men has invented. Hence, 
 that scheme which makes God a Being of such indis- 
 criminate mercy, wholly overlooking his justice, that 
 he will suffer none eternally to perish, but will save 
 all. 
 
 Another such scheme, but closely allied to that just 
 stated, is, that sin is not so great an evil as to require 
 the incarnate Son of God to die to make an atonement 
 for it ; but that the martyrdom of a mere man for the 
 purpose of merely recommending and enforcing the 
 truth, is all-sufficient. 
 
 A third scheme is, that the ills and sufferings of the 
 present life is an ample punishment for the sins which 
 men here commit, notwithstanding inspired truth tells 
 us that the wicked, even those who contemn the Most 
 High, are not in trouble as other men, and even as the 
 righteous are. 
 
 Another scheme is, that there is a place in the other 
 world where sinners will be sent for a season to be 
 purified, and then be admitted to heaven. 
 
 These, and like false schemes, are embraced by mul- 
 titudes, and on them they place their hope of eternal 
 life. These are they, who, in the language of inspira- 
 
180 SERMON X. 
 
 tion, ''have made lies their refuge, and under falsehood 
 have hid themselves." But it is added : " The hail 
 shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters 
 shall overflow their hiding-place." 0, how will the 
 expectations of all such as cling to these flxlse grounds 
 of hope, till death cuts them off, eternally perish ! Hear 
 the fearful declarations of Jehovah : " These things 
 hast thou done, and I kept silence. Thou thonghtest 
 that I was altogether such a one as thyself; but I will 
 reprove thee, and set them in order before thee," "Con- 
 sider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, 
 and there be none to deliver." " The wicked shall be 
 turned into hell : they shall be destroyed, and that 
 without remedy." " They shall eat of the fruit of their 
 own ways, and be filled with their own devices." " The 
 wdcked are reserved to the day of destruction." "Ex- 
 cept ye repent, ye shall all jDcrish." " He that believeth 
 not shall be damned." "Who shall be punished with 
 everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord 
 and from the glory of his power." 
 
 Who in the hearing of these awful declarations can 
 doubt the truth of my text, "When a wicked man 
 dieth, his expectation shall perish ?" Nor is the ap- 
 plication of it restricted to any particular class of sin- 
 ners ; it embraces all the impenitent. 
 
 And now, what improvement shall be made of this 
 most fearful subject ? Or has it no bearing on any of 
 us ? Are there none here who are quieting themselves 
 with those vain expectations, which, if not previously 
 
SERMON X. 181 
 
 relinquished, shall perish in the trying hour of death ? 
 Are not some of you at ease in your sins, under the 
 belief that your death is a remote event ? 0, how often 
 do you see that presumption rebuked ! And where is 
 yoxir security against what has so often occurred to 
 others? In what is it found? Health does not fur- 
 nish it; youth does not furnish it; exemption from 
 visible dangers does not furnish it. Absolute uncer- 
 taintj' attends on every step ; multitudes take the last, 
 ere they are aware of it. 
 
 Are you expecting opportunities more favorable 
 than you now enjoy for securing salvation ? If so, 
 what are they? We have been viewing the sinner in 
 a variety of states, and the more common conditions 
 in which they come to their death. Sure I am, you 
 would not select either of them, as more favorable to 
 prepare to meet your final Judge, than that in which 
 you now are. Were you permitted to choose the cir- 
 cumstances in which, as imiienitent sinners, you would 
 come to that hour, what would you have them bo, as 
 preferable to those in which 3'Ou are now placed ? 
 Would you have them more alarming? This were to 
 choose an impossihilit y . It were to choose against 
 your very strongest inclination; for you are fixed 
 against being alarmed. Moreover, a voice from heaven 
 — a messenger from the dead, could not utter language 
 more solemnly impressive than the word of God pro- 
 claims. And if cries for mercy would be louder on 
 the death-bed than now in health, Avill the God of 
 
182 SEEMON X. 
 
 mere}" be more ready to hear them, when all His calls 
 through your whole life have been unheeded ? In a 
 word, are any of you expecting to be sustained in your 
 last hour by any of those pleas or refuges by which 
 you now quiet your consciences? Can you find a 
 warrant for this in the word of God ? And what if 
 some, yea, multitudes, have come to their dying hour 
 in all their stupidity, in all their vain expectations, 
 and been sustained to the last moment by a false hope, 
 has not God said, that moment past, and all these ex- 
 pectations and hopes "shall perish" — yea, be "driven 
 away as by a whirlwind ?" And would any of you 
 thus leave the world ? Is sin so supremely pleasing 
 now, that you are willing to risk its final consequences ? 
 Take care, if this be now your disposition, lest that 
 sliall be your wretched doom ! And why run hazards 
 and incur perils which will become more and more 
 imminent and multiplied, every moment that repent- 
 ance is deferred ? That essential work, need, I assure 
 you, will not become more easy the longer it is de- 
 layed. Nor will the apprehensions which the d} ing 
 hour may awaken, or even the opening scenes of an 
 awful eternity produce, make you more willing to 
 engage in it. They would fill with remorse and drive 
 to despair, rather than provoke to godly repentance. 
 
 Let me then, earnestly and aflectionatelj^, beseech 
 every sinner here, to defer repentance no longer. In- 
 finitely too precious is the immortal soul — too near 
 and too solemn the realities of eternity, to hazard its 
 
SERMON X. 183 
 
 salvation another hour. Now God is bending, as it 
 "were, from his throne of mercy, with the kindest in- 
 vitations and entreaties. His voice is, "Why will you 
 die ?" '' 0, that ye would hearken unto me ! 0, that ye 
 were wise, that ye understood this, that ye would 
 consider your latter end." The Saviour, too, adds his 
 entreaties : " Come unto me." " The Spirit and the 
 Bride say, Come — come and take of the water of life 
 freely." Listen again, ye dying sinners : " Behold, 
 now is the accepted time, behold now is the day of 
 salvation. To-day, if ye will hear his voice, harden not 
 your hearts." 
 
XI. 
 MOTIVES TO EARLY PIETY. 
 
 " Young men likewise exhort to be soljer-mindecL" — Titus 2 : 6. 
 
 The Christian religion is adapted and addresses 
 itself to all the relations, ages, and conditions of man- 
 kind. It overlooks none of them, either as it regards 
 their present or future state of existence. Such is the 
 connection, however, between those states, that the 
 one is preparatory to the other. Nor does it leave any 
 of the duties which are appropriate to those relations, 
 ages, and conditions, to be inferred from mere general 
 or natural principles, or deductions of reason ; but, 
 eminently practical in its character, it explicitly states 
 and solemnly enforces them. No small portion of 
 God's inspired word is taken up in this department of 
 the Christian system. It entered largely into the 
 teachings of Christ, its Divine Author, while the 
 Apostles who wrote devoted whole chapters to it. Of 
 this character is the chapter from which the text is 
 taken, and indeed the greater part of the whole 
 Epistle. To state them all, would be to transcribe the 
 Epistle itself. In this discourse, however, we are con- 
 
SERMON XI. 185 
 
 cerned exclusively with a single class. "Young men 
 likewise exhort to be sober-minded." And I scarcely 
 need say, that there is not a more important class 
 embraced in the human family, nor one to which a 
 higher responsibility is attached. Much, very much, 
 depends on their early training, even the first stages 
 of youth and childhood. But whatever that may 
 have been, though it will exert an influence over all 
 after-life, yet they have now reached an age when they 
 are addressed by motives peculiar to their age and 
 standing, and unless insensible to all moral obligations, 
 will feel a responsibility never felt by them before. 
 They form the grand connecting link, if I may so term 
 it, between the two great portions of the human 
 family, the rapidly disappearing, and no less rapidly 
 advancing generation. It is a transition state from 
 the one to the other — a stage in life when the thought- 
 less unconcern and levities of the one are exchanged 
 for more serious aims and graver duties — in a word, 
 when the child is laid aside for the man. The essen- 
 tial preparation for this is expressed by a single word 
 in the text, — that of sober-mindedness : " Young men 
 likewise exhort to be sober-minded." 
 
 The text suggests two points for our consideration : 
 
 I. What is here implied in being sohcr-mimJcd ? 
 
 II. State the reasons on which the exhortation is 
 formed. 
 
 I. The original word, which in the text is translated 
 " sober-minded," is one of extensive meaning, and of 
 
186 SERMON XI. 
 
 various applications as used in the New Testament. 
 As it lias reference to the mind, and literally means to 
 be of sound mind, it will, of course, admit of various 
 applications, as the mind is properly exercised in re- 
 gard to any subject. Hence, it is rendered, " in his 
 right mind;" that is, restored to the full possession 
 and exercise of his reason, with reference to the man 
 out of whom the Saviour cast a legion of foul spirits 
 or devils. "To think soberly;" "Accordingly as God 
 hath dealt to every man the measure of faith;" "Whe- 
 ther we be beside ourselves, it is to God, or Avhether 
 we be sober, it is for your cause." (Paul to the Corin- 
 thians.) Thus, also, Peter: "Be ye sober, and watch 
 unto prayer." Elsewhere it is rendered, literally, 
 " to be of sound mind," where it is connected with the 
 love of God. 
 
 These examples show, not merely the exercise of 
 the faculty of reason, but a morally proper state of the 
 mind, including all its faculties, — the intellectual and 
 the moral. It implies the conquest of all sinful pas- 
 sions and appetites. In a word, a proper self-govern- 
 ment, under the controlling influence of religion. It is 
 at the period of life when such an influence is emi- 
 nently needed. There are special reasons, therefore, 
 why that class of the human family should be singled 
 out and made the object of the direct attention of in- 
 spiration, and of special exhortation and warning. It 
 is then that the passions and appetites are the strong- 
 est, and require peculiar restraints. The ordeal is a 
 
SERMON XI. 1S7 
 
 severe one to those ayIio pass tlirougli that ago ; the 
 danger imminent to all the most important interests 
 both of time and eternity. 
 
 But not to anticipate what may come more properly 
 under the next general topic of this discourse, I only 
 add here, that sober-mindedness, or "to be of sound 
 mind," is everywhere in the Scriptures associated with, 
 or rather, is the foundation of all the virtues and excel- 
 lences of a moral and religious character — as, to be 
 grave, honest, temperate; sound in fiiith, in charity, in 
 patience, in doctrine ; showing uncorruptness or purity 
 in heart and life ; gravity, sincerity, sound speech, that 
 cannot be condemned, that he that is of the contrary 
 part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of 
 you. All these qualities and excellences stand in the 
 closest connection with the text. 
 
 As you have seen also in the passages just quoted, 
 it is to be what St. Paul, in the same connection, 
 exhorted his young Christian friend, to whom he ad- 
 dressed this epistle, " his own son in the faith," Titus, 
 to be, " a pattern of good works." I need not say, it 
 is all that is denoted by being a true Christian. Or, 
 as another Apostle expresses it, when addressing the 
 same class, " I have written unto you, young men, be- 
 cause ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in 
 you, and ye have overcome the wicked one." We 
 were 
 
 11. To state the reasons on which the exhortation 
 
188 SERMON xr. 
 
 in the text is founded, — " Young men exhort to be 
 sober-minded." 
 
 1. The first reason which I assign is, that it is the most 
 critical period of human Hfe ; the most critical stage 
 of one's earthly existence. It is the period, as already 
 hinted, when the natural, human passions are the 
 strongest ; a period when, under such strong impulses, 
 it becomes, with multitudes at least, first matter of 
 debate with themselves, and then of wrong decision, 
 whether they shall not throw off the restraints under 
 which they have been placed in their childhood, even 
 those restraints which have been imposed by a reli- 
 gious and pious education. The first breathings of 
 freedom are peculiarly animating and exciting. And 
 they readily argue themselves into the belief, that 
 there is something manly in throwing off the restraints 
 of parental authority — in forgetting, as far as possible, 
 the instructions of a pious father, and even the prayers 
 of a pious mother. All this, with multitudes at 
 least, where the previous training of their childhood, 
 their religious education, has not been accompanied 
 with the saving influences of God's Spirit. How often 
 we see this in almost, if not quite, every community : 
 the most salutary restraints thrown off; the most 
 pious instructions forgotten or disregarded; the prayers 
 taught in childhood omitted, and none substituted 
 in place of them. God's word laid aside; his name 
 and his sacred day, profaned ; his house of prayer, 
 but occasionally, perhaps very seldom, or never 
 
SERMON XI. 189 
 
 visited. The practice of all these things requires 
 no gpeeial training, although unhappily in many a 
 family all these things are taught, if not by pre- 
 cept, by example, and by numerous examples all 
 around them, of those Avho, alas ! have made the trial, 
 and it is to be feared, in most instances, made ship- 
 wreck of their souls! These things are the inevitable 
 consequences of the strong impulses of the natural 
 heart of every one left to their j^romptings. But the 
 hazard is great, the danger imminent, at the period 
 referred to, or the class addressed in the text, and fur- 
 nishes a j)owerful reason for the Apostle's exhortation 
 contained in it. 
 
 We may, in this connection, remark, that at that 
 period of life, many new objects of attraction present 
 themselves; new pursuits open up before them, to 
 solicit their choice ; new temptations surround them, 
 whose power, of course, is proportioned to the ardor of 
 their feelings. And nothing but firmly established 
 religious principles will prompt to a right or safe 
 direction, or retain one in that direction. "Without 
 these, man may, indeed, prosper in worldly things, 
 and even in opposition to these, but such prosperity 
 will ultimately prove no blessing. Eead the 73d 
 Psalm, to know the sad result. But we must dismiss 
 this topic, and remark : 
 
 2. A powerful reason to enforce the exhortation in 
 the text, is found in the responsibility resting on 
 young men, with reference to the graver duties, both 
 
190 SERMON XI. 
 
 civil and ecclesiastical, which are soon to be devolved 
 upon them. On no class of our race does such a 
 weight of responsibiUty rest, except on those who now 
 discharge those duties, but who are soon to give place 
 to their successors. They are just stepping into the 
 places, so soon to be vacated by those who now oc- 
 cupy them. They are soon to fill the offices of civil 
 government, from the highest to the lowest. And 
 although religion may be no test, or the possession of 
 true piety not an indispensable qualification for office, 
 yet, without the pervading influence which Chris- 
 tianity sanctions or demands, no government can 
 prove a lasting benefit. Its proper rights will neither 
 be exercised nor enjoyed. 
 
 But this is not the only important department of 
 active life, into which young men are just being in- 
 troduced. And although a vast majority of them 
 decline the honor and the privilege, yet, . of their 
 number, small as the minority of that class may be, 
 are those who are to be the ministers of the Gospel, 
 and constitute at least a portion of the membership of 
 the Church. It is God's own appointment, "by the 
 foolishness of preaching" (foolishness in the estimation 
 of multitudes), "but the wisdom of God, to save them 
 that believe." 
 
 This appointment has been observed ever since there 
 has been a Gospel to be preached and believed, and will 
 be, till this world has been converted to God, and all 
 the subjects of his saving grace received to heaven. 
 
SERMON XI. 191 
 
 There must, then, and there will he, preachers of that 
 Gospel; and the places of those who nou- preach it 
 must and will, on their vacating them, he filled from 
 the class of young men. But though few, compara- 
 tively, will fdl those offices in the civil government or 
 in the Church, yet there is scarcely a less weight of 
 responsihility resting upon them in another point of 
 view. They are to give tone and character to society 
 in generah Fidelity in the discharge of the various 
 social duties is as important as official fidelity ; the 
 latter is fruitless where the former is wanting. No 
 greater support can be given, either to civil govern- 
 ment or the Christian ministry, than, in the proper 
 state of society, the faithful discharge of all incumbent 
 duties. 
 
 Here is a field which all may occupy and cultivate, 
 male and female; and none are under greater, if even 
 as great obligations, to properly occupy and cultivate 
 it, as that class who must, necessarily, soon enter 
 upon it. 
 
 What the state of society shall be ; what, under her 
 Great Head, the state of the Church shall be in its 
 ministerial or more private relationships, eminently de- 
 pends on the class of young men. They have it in the 
 sphere of their influence to revolutionize, if not physi- 
 cally yet morally, the character of society, and of put- 
 ting a most happy and commanding aspect on the very 
 Church of Christ. There might be dens of vice and 
 sinks of pollution patronized by older ones in iniquity; 
 
192 SERMON XI. 
 
 but the young men could break them all up; they 
 could close every avenue and bar every gate, which, 
 in the significant and emphatic language of inspiration, 
 " is the way to hell, going down to the chamber of (the 
 second) death." They need no other authority, no 
 other laws, no other weapons, than this sacred Book 
 affords and enjoins ; need no other influence than the 
 spirit which the Gospel breathes, the course of life 
 God's word prescribes. 
 
 Who, then, can measure or estimate the solemn 
 responsibility which rests upon that class of the hu- 
 man family? It cannot be measured; it cannot be 
 computed. It is as weighty as all the consequences 
 which flow from it — that is, from joroperly regarding 
 or from disregarding that responsibility; and these 
 consequences are not limited to time, but extend them- 
 selves into eternity. They will be seen and felt in 
 being the means of souls saved or of souls lost. Such 
 is the solemn responsibility which rests on every 
 young man — a responsibility which he cannot throw 
 ofi-. 
 
 3. One other reason only, to enforce the exhortation 
 stated in the text : " Young men exhort to be sober- 
 minded ;" in other words, as we have seen the term 
 to mean, to become Christians, that reason is, that 
 though death comes to all classes, and all ages, from 
 infancv to extreme old a2;e, he comes to the class 
 addressed in the text under peculiarly unfavorable cir- 
 cumstances. Unless previously pious, it finds them 
 
SERMON xr. 103 
 
 in a condition and under inliuences most unpropitious, 
 most unfavorable for securing their salvation. While 
 from their very condition, as we have already de- 
 scribed it — and we need not restate it — they are lay- 
 ing plans for their future course ; or else, in the ardor 
 of their feelings, already pursuing what only serves to 
 divert their attention from serious things; and they, of 
 all others, as a class, are indulging the strongest expec- 
 tations of many years to come. 
 
 Do we do injustice to that class, as a distinct class, 
 when we express the belief that their condition is pe- 
 culiarly hazardous, and that, generally speaking, there 
 is less ground to hope their conversion than either in 
 earlier or even in later life ? What do facts teach ? 
 Look through the churches generally, and how few of 
 that class are members ! There are, indeed, many 
 pleasing exceptions ; many young men of j^romise to 
 take the place of their flithers when removed from the 
 world ; not a few who promise far greater usefulness 
 in the Church than multitudes who entered it before 
 them have put forth. 
 
 Bat their numbers must be vastly multiplied before 
 the world's conversion. The heat and burden of the 
 day will not belong to those wdio, late in life, enter 
 the Lord's vineyard. But we speak comparatively, 
 the number of such is small, Christendom over. But 
 recurring to the thought, which was above introduced, 
 death comes as often, however unexpectedly, and often 
 as suddenly, to them as to others. Not unfrequently, 
 
 13 
 
194 SERMON XI. 
 
 indeed, he seems to select out such, as his victims, 
 hurling his fatal darts rather at them than at others. 
 To bring the subject home to ourselves. See the truth 
 of this statement fearfully sustained in his desolating 
 march through this city the past season.* Look care- 
 fully over the dark roll which contains the names and 
 the ages of those whom he suddenly hurried to their 
 graves. What a vast proportion of them were youths 
 — were young men ! Some just set out in active life, 
 and others preparing for its employments. The sad 
 exclamation was common, as one after another in rapid 
 succession, and even in groups, were smitten with the 
 devouring pestilence, and hurriedly sent to their last, 
 long home. 
 
 How many young men are of the number ! This 
 was the exclamation of all ! As I have stood by 
 the dying beds of some of them, and seen the violence 
 with which their disease was hastening them to life's 
 last moment, and witnessed their unconscious struggles 
 with the king of terrors, and reflected, that if not pre- 
 viously prepared to meet God, their final Judge, in 
 peace, they must enter his awful presence in all their 
 sins, 0, how have my thoughts been directed to you, 
 my young friends, some of whom then were, and are 
 still I fear, all without God and without hope in the 
 world ! How often has the duty forced itself upon 
 me, if spared myself, of specially addressing this impor- 
 
 * The summer and autumn of 1S54, when the city of Savannah was 
 visited by yellow fever. 
 
SERMON XI. ♦ 195 
 
 tant part of my charge on the momentous interest 
 of their eternity ! The oiDportunity has been granted 
 mc, and with all the faithfulness, earnestness, and 
 affection I would address you, did I know it were my 
 last to speak, and your last to hear, I now call upon 
 you to secure your eternal salvation. I would 
 merge every other motive, your temporal usefulness, 
 and temporal happiness, in this one, — your eternal sal- 
 vation. This, indeed, embraces all others. Nothing 
 that is foreign from this all-important work — nothing 
 which is not included in this, is worth living for. 
 Without this, existence were no blessing — were a 
 curse, an infinite curse — an eternal curse. With this, 
 all that can ennoble, and dignify, and exalt, in a world 
 of endless bliss, and ever-increasing glory, will be your 
 portion. 
 
 What had been your prospects — what your state, 
 had you been in the place of the dying and the dead ? 
 And I persuade myself that you, who may have wit- 
 nessed similar scenes, or received the intelligence from 
 other sources, have had similar thoughts, and, perhaps, 
 made the like inquiry. And was it a transient 
 thought ? was it a momentary inquiry ? Has this 
 been the only effect produced ? Was the great end, 
 or purpose of God, in thus coming so near to you, and 
 though sparing 3^ou, took from you so many of your 
 neighbors, your familiar acquaintances, and even 
 some of your intimate associates, your daily com- 
 panions — has, I ask, a momentary seriousness been the 
 
196 . SERMON 51. 
 
 only effect produced on your minds ? Are not those 
 scenes which, as they were passing, you felt to be full 
 of solemn warning to you, equally so, as you recall 
 them? Is not their present condition in eternity, 
 whatever that may be, as solemnly admonitory, as 
 affectingly impressive, as when you first, in thought, 
 followed their departing spirits into the world of 
 spirits ? Not all the calls, and warnings, and entrea- 
 ties, which come to us, even from human beings, 
 are limited to this world. It is not from the death-bed 
 they utter their last. They utter them from the eter- 
 nal world to which their immortal spirits have gone. 
 They send them forth from the bar of the great Judge, 
 and before which the soul as it leaves the body is 
 arraigned, and where they have already stood — they 
 come from their unchangeably fixed abodes, whether of 
 bliss or woe. And if the latter, their language to you, 
 if you are yet in your sins, is that of the rich man in 
 hell, to Abraham, — that he would send Lazarus to 
 his father's house, to his five surviving brethren, to 
 testify unto them, that they come not to the same 
 place of torment. Calls from the one place or from 
 the other will continue to come from the spirits of 
 departed friends, till we receive the call to follow 
 them. I know of no calls from human beings as 
 solemn, as affecting as these. If there is anything, 
 save the direct influence of the omnipotent Spirit, if 
 anything within the whole circle of means, equally 
 solemn and affecting, or which conveys louder calls to 
 
SERMON xr. 197 
 
 the impenitent, to prepare for the eternity to which 
 they are hastening, for the solemnities of the judgment 
 in which they must soon be concerned, or the retribu- 
 tions of eternity which they must soon reaUze, I know 
 not from what quarter they can come. And all these 
 are addressed to you, "young men," and to you, in 
 louder tones than to any other class of my hearers, espe- 
 cially in the view of the past. Will you turn a deaf ear 
 to them ? Shall they be uttered in vain? What would 
 you not do for your friends, your dearest relatives; 
 what, that they now need to relieve from their trou- 
 bles, and add to their comfort, so far as you could do it ? 
 What sacrifices would you not make ? And will you 
 not spare them the pain, the indescribable anguish, of 
 leaving to them no hope for you when your spirits are 
 summoned into the world of spirits ? Would you add 
 to the overwhelming sorrow of their temporal loss in 
 your death, the far-keener anguish of no well-grounded 
 assurance or hope against your own eternal loss. 
 
 However long you may be spared, and though you 
 should survive all your now pious friends, yet when- 
 ever death comes to you, he will tear asunder many 
 strong and tender ties — many a heart will be made to 
 bleed. But spare them from the bitter pangs of an 
 impenitent death-bed ! Leave them the consolation — 
 the richest, the only consolation you can leave them — 
 that their loss is your eternal gain ! This, with God's 
 blessing, 3'ou can do ; and that blessing lie is ready to 
 bestow, and only waits for you to receive it. He has 
 
198 SERMON XI. 
 
 waited thus from your childhood. Will you still weary 
 his patience, till, alas ! his patience is wearied out ; till 
 his mercy, now so freely proffered, is, in his own fear- 
 ful language, " clean gone forever ?" If not, then re- 
 pent to-day — repent now. An hour, a moment, is too 
 much to lose in all the uncertainty of life — in the fear- 
 ful danger of exhausting Divine forbearance — in the 
 absolute certainty of augmenting your guilt, and, if 
 you die impenitent, of a more weighty condemnation ! 
 If delayed to this hour, begin the all-important work 
 to-day. Let this day witness to its commencement — 
 in avoiding every violation of it — in perusing God's 
 sacred word — in bowing before his mercy-seat — in 
 penitence sincere — in submission entire. Let this day 
 bear testimony to the beginning of a work which shall 
 be consummated when your immortal spirits pass from 
 earth to heaven ! 
 
XII. 
 
 THE GLORY OF GOD MANIFESTED TO THE 
 INHABITANTS OF HEAVEN 
 
 BY THE TLAN OF HUMAN SALVATION. 
 
 "To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly 
 places might be known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God." — 
 Eput:siANS 3:10. 
 
 The Divine glory is the highest motive by which an 
 intelligent being can be influenced. It is the only one 
 which is worthy of God himself. By this he has been 
 governed in all his purposes and works : this moved 
 him to create the world. For his pleasure all things 
 are and were created. His great, supreme object, in 
 all his plans and operations, is to manifest himself, to 
 display his perfections to the view of his rational 
 creation. 
 
 Among the various ways by which he has chosen 
 thus to manifest himself, stands first and chief the 
 work of man's redemption : " To the intent, that unto 
 principalities and powers in heavenly places might be 
 known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God." 
 By " principalities and powers in heavenly places," are 
 
200 SERMON XII. 
 
 undoubtedly to be understood the different ranks or 
 orders of angels in heaven; and by the "manifold 
 wisdom of God," the various ways in which he dis- 
 plays his wisdom — hi other words, the whole assem- 
 blage of his perfections. God, in the manifestation of 
 himself, is the Great Luminary of the moral universe, 
 and the chief glory of heaven. Whatever brings Him 
 to view must be the source of the highest joy to all 
 who bear his moral image. 
 
 My object in this discourse is to present for our con- 
 templation some of the Divine perfections, as exhibited 
 in the salvation of men. And 
 
 1. The love of God, or more particularly, his love as 
 directed towards sinners. Love is, indeed, his nature ; 
 and in that abstract sense, it is not properly to be 
 classed among his attributes. It is the foundation of 
 them all. All his attributes are only different modi- 
 fications of his love. But love, when directed towards 
 objects which deserve only displeasure and lorath, is, 
 at least, a peculiar feeling, or modification of love. It 
 exists only in the heart of God and those to whom he 
 imparts it. 
 
 " Love your enemies," is the hardest lesson for even 
 Christians to learn and practise. And nothing short of 
 omnipotent grace could cause them to do it. But the 
 highest degree of it ever reached by any Christian in 
 his present state of imperfection, bears indeed but a 
 faint resemblance to the love of Him, " who so loved 
 the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that 
 
SERMON XII. 201 
 
 whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but 
 have everlasting life." On this most extraordinary 
 fact, Paul thus speaks : " For when we were yet with- 
 out strength, in due time, Christ died for the ungodly. 
 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die. Yet 
 peradventure for a good man some would even dare 
 to die. But God commendeth his love towards us in 
 that, while we were ^et sinners, Christ died for us." 
 This peculiar attribute in the Divine nature, therefore, 
 the foundation, the great moving principle in the work 
 of redemption, may well' be a subject of distinct and 
 adoring contemplation, in the manifestation which 
 God makes of himself by the Church. Without this, 
 there had been no Church ; no redemption of a soul of 
 our fallen race. 
 
 2. The infinite wisdom of God is exhibited in this 
 work. For although the phrase, " manifold wisdom 
 of God," as we have defined it, embraces all the attri- 
 butes of God which are brought to view " by the 
 Church," yet it may be regarded as a distant attribute 
 of the Divine mind. " Wisdom is the choice of the 
 best means to accomplish the best end." In the pre- 
 sent case, that end was the salvation of sinners under 
 sentence of eternal death. Here were difficulties to 
 be removed, infinitely beyond our highest conceptions 
 of any feasible plan of efiecting their removal, until 
 disclosed by the plan which God adopted. God is 
 perfectly holy, and must therefore perfectly hate sin. 
 The threatening had gone forth, " The soul that sinneth, 
 
202 SERMON" XII. 
 
 shall die." How then could the sinner live ? God 
 could not call his omnipotence to his aid, and by a 
 sovereign act make the sinner holy, and thus happy. 
 His character as a moral Governor forbade this. His 
 truth was involved. Ah, what but Infinite Wisdom 
 could have devised a plan to reconcile justice and mercy, 
 so that the one might be maintained, and maintained 
 to the adoring admiration of the whole intelligent 
 universe, and the other exercised to the eternal salva- 
 tion of the sinner ? But God's plan has completely 
 reconciled these conflicting attributes. This has been 
 done by the only begotten Son of God taking our 
 nature into union with his divine, and in it " dying, 
 the just for the unjust." What like this could show 
 God's regard for his justice and truth ? And where 
 now is the bar to the consistent exercise of his mercy 
 towards the sinner ? The death of Christ redeems 
 him. His blood cleanseth from all sin. Thus Paul : 
 "Much more, being justified by his blood, we shall be 
 saved from wrath through him. For if, when we 
 were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death 
 of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be 
 saved by his life." Hence 
 
 3. Only by the plan which God has devised could 
 his mercy have been manifested or known ; certainly, 
 one of the brightest of his attributes. Principalities and 
 powers in heaven had probably been forever without 
 the knowledge of it, unless God had interposed in 
 behalf of fallen angels, or some other fallen race. 
 
SERMON XII. 203 
 
 But he has not stopped at the mere prodaination of 
 the phiii, in making it consistent for him to make the 
 offer of eternal Ufe. Not one of our race would have 
 been saved had that been all. But when exercised in 
 the actual salvation of the sinner, how is this attribute 
 magnified ! But 
 
 4. This requires the display of other Divine attri- 
 butes, especially the power of God. For the display 
 of this attribute, as well as of his wisdom, we are 
 usually pointed, it is true, to the works of creation ; 
 and they do, indeed, afford demonstrations of God's 
 omnipotence and wisdom. But expressing ourselves, 
 after the manner of men, there is a higher energy put 
 forth in the regeneration of a sinner, in turning the 
 whole current of his affections, than in his first creation, 
 or the creation of the material universe. It is, indeed, 
 a creation — a moral creation — but it is not the less a 
 creation because moral. And so is it denominated in 
 the Scriptures : " If any man be in Christ, he is a new 
 creature." " Created anew in Christ Jesus." The 
 fact that it is both moral and voluntary, in such a 
 being as the sinner is, only renders the change pro- 
 duced a still more striking exhibition of Divine power. 
 For he is willing, only as he is made willing by that 
 power. " Thy people shall be willing in the day of 
 thy power." This was the language of God, the 
 Father, to his Son, and contains the only certainty 
 that he "should see of the travail of his soul, and be 
 satisfied." Listen to the following language, as ex- 
 
204 SERMON XII. 
 
 pressing the energy required in effecting the all-essen- 
 tial change, and of preparing the soul for heavenly 
 glory. " That ye may know the exceeding greatness 
 of his power to usward, who believe according to the 
 working of his mighty power." What more remark- 
 able and striking instance of this "mighty power of 
 God, the exceeding greatness of his power," has ever 
 "been known, than was manifested in the conversion of 
 a Saul of Tarsus ! 
 
 But there have been like Sauls in every age sub- 
 dued by the omnipotent grace of God. Nor is less re- 
 quired, in the new creation of any sinner. The like 
 resistance to the offer of eternal life is found in the 
 heart of every impenitent sinner. Why is it that so 
 many amlahle sinners, and even lovely youths, are 
 found, in every congregation, refusing the offer of 
 eternal life, which is pressed on their acceptance from 
 Sabbath to Sabbath, multitudes of whom have re- 
 mained in all that amiability and loveliness through 
 life, and perished ? And when such are brought to re- 
 pentance, we hear tliein, not less than when the sturdiest 
 sinner is subdued, ascribing their change to the same 
 omnipotent grace of God. 
 
 And what seems still stranger, nothing short of the 
 same Almighty power is required to preserve the true 
 convert, and every Christian, from failing of eternal 
 life. To this, their final perseverance is expressly 
 ascribed : " Who are kept by the power of God unto 
 salvation." What but God's powerful arm has pre- 
 
SER>fOX XTI. 205 
 
 served the dear-bou2:lit Church of Christ from utter 
 extinction ? 
 
 Ever since her existence began, she has had to con- 
 tend against vigihmt and powerful enemies, and often 
 been the object of the most violent attacks from the 
 combined forces of two worlds : " For we wrestle not 
 against flesh and blood, but against principalities, 
 against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of' 
 this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." 
 Not more, nor more astonishing miracles were ever 
 wrought, nor more wonderful displays of Omnipotence 
 ever witnessed, than in behalf of the Church. Indeed, 
 it was only for her the most stupendous miracles were 
 ever wrought, or rather, to display His own perfections 
 by means of the Church, through her, as a mirror, to 
 reflect His own glory to the view of "principalities and 
 powers in heavenly places." But 
 
 A'jain. And without descending to farther particu- 
 lars, all else may be comprised in the general terms, 
 that "by the Church, God shows that all the glory in 
 the sinner's salvation is exclusively his own." To this 
 conclusion we are driven, whatever view we take of it. 
 If we look for its origin, we see his glory there ; we 
 see it in every purpose, every design ; in the plan 
 adopted, and in every step of its progress ; in the gift 
 of his only begotten Son; that Son's voluntary sacrifice 
 of himself; in all he did and all he suffered ; in the 
 descent and operations of the Holy Spirit ; in the con- 
 viction, conversion, sanctification, and perseverance of 
 
206 SERMON XII. 
 
 the renewed sinner — the existence, protection, and de- 
 fence of the Church. All was intended to bring his 
 own glorious character to view, to make " known his 
 manifold wisdom." That a single purpose of mercy 
 was entertained towards our race, or was proclaimed 
 to our world and carried into effect; that a Church 
 was gathered and still exists, and will yet triumph in 
 all the earth, and be raised at length to a state of 
 endless glory in heaven ; — all, all was for his own 
 glory, and will constitute all her glory. Hence, he 
 will save all, whose salvation will contribute to this 
 great end : just those individuals, and under just those 
 circumstances, which will most contribute to that end ; 
 and only leave those to go on in sin, their own chosen 
 way, to perish, whose wrath shall praise him : " For 
 the wrath of man shall praise God ; the remainder of 
 wrath he will restrain." 
 
 Nothing is clearer, from all God does, than that he 
 is a Sovereign — not, indeed, what that term often is 
 made to denote among men, with which we associate 
 the character of an arbitrary rider, a tyrant; — infinitely 
 far from this is God as a Sovereign. His sovereignty 
 is directed by infinite wisdom and perfect holiness. 
 With God is no partiality, no respect of persons. Paul 
 has expressed it in close connection with our text : 
 acting " according to his good pleasure, which he 
 hath purposed in himself, who worketh all things 
 after the counsel of his own will." Here it is im- 
 plied that he always acts from the best of reasons : 
 
SERMON XII. 207 
 
 "after the counsel of his own will." Ilis own in- 
 finite perfections are his counsellors; that is, he acts 
 agreeably to the united dictates of all his perfections, 
 without assigning his reasons to his creatures. 
 
 This is seen in all his works of creation ; in making 
 this world as he has and not otherwise — in making us 
 men and not angels. Nor seen less in his providences, 
 in arranging all the circumstances of his creatures, 
 and directing all events that occur. In all these, who 
 has been his counsellor, out of himself? Still more 
 manifest, if possible, is the exercise of his sovereignty 
 in relation to his Church. It is concerned in every 
 instance of conversion, and even conviction ; for this 
 is the work of his Spirit, the sovereignty of whose 
 operations is expressed by the " wind which bloweth 
 where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, 
 but canst not tell whence it cometh, and w hither it 
 goeth : so is every one that is born of the Spirit." 
 "We often see this strikingly manifested in the selec- 
 tion of the subjects of his saving operations; in the 
 one taken, and the other left. We cannot ascribe it 
 to external circumstances and advantages. Not all of 
 the same advantages become converts. Or, to render 
 the case still more striking, and to us, unaccountable, 
 but which often occurs, those who have enjoyed few 
 external advantages, have become converts and devoted 
 Christians, while others, blessed with every privilege, 
 Christian education, pious parentage, and religious 
 advantages, have remained careless and unconcerned. 
 
208 SERMON- XII. 
 
 We cannot even ascribe it to difference of natural dis- 
 position. For converts are not always made from the 
 class of the most amiable and naturally lovely. Such 
 are often passed by, and tlie most abandoned some- 
 times brought into the kingdom of Christ. Witness 
 the amiable young ruler, as proof in the one case, and 
 the abandoned prodigal son in the other. Who can 
 assign the reasons of this distinction ? Nor is the 
 sovereignty of God less manifest in the subsequent 
 course of the child of God, or the dispensations of 
 Divine Providence towards him. What sad reverses, 
 not seldom, is he made to experience ! True, we are 
 assured that " all things shall work together for good 
 to them that love God j" and we often see the happy 
 effects of afflictions and trials. But why is this the 
 lot of some and not of others ? Of this man, rather 
 than of that? Who can assign a reason, or make any 
 other reply than the Son himself made in a case not 
 less mysterious ? " Even so. Father, for so it seemeth 
 good in thy sight." Or with Paul : " Who worketh 
 all things after the counsel of his own will." Little 
 of the glory of God, by the manifestations of his mani- 
 fold wisdom, is discovered to his creatures in this 
 world. Mere glimpses, compared with what it will be 
 hereafter. It requires, not merely fuller disclosures 
 of the Divine glory, but a more enlarged capacity than 
 is reached in this life. Faith must give place to 
 vision. And especially is this true in regard to the 
 Divine sovereignty. We see this in the present state, 
 
SERMON XII. 209 
 
 chicfl}', and in connection with inspired declarations, 
 wholly' by its effects. We see the different manner 
 in which he conducts towards his creatures, and even 
 his own children, while we are expressly told that 
 " he worketh all things according to the counsel of his 
 own will." But he does not assign the reasons of his 
 conduct; which enters into the very idea of his sove- 
 reignty. Not acting without reasons, or the best of 
 rea°sons; but concealing the reasons from us. But it 
 will not always be so. Hereafter he will disclose the 
 reasons of all he did to his people, and perhaps, to all 
 his creatures. What is mysterious to them here, will 
 all be cleared up hereafter. They will not only be 
 satisfied, but be filled with the most adoring admiration 
 at the disclosure. God's sovereignty, which now is so 
 often a stumbling-block to some of his own people, and 
 still oftener awakens the displeasure of sinners, will 
 then appear his crowning glory, for it will bring all 
 his perfections to view. We shall see the bearing of 
 them all on his conduct. 
 
 Nor will the happiness arising from this view or 
 God be confined to men. It is, indeed, a glorious 
 thought, that the salvation of sinners of our race has, 
 and will forever have, an important bearing on count- 
 less myriads of intelligent beings, of every rank and 
 order r and that their happiness will be inconceivably 
 enhanced by all the operations of redeeming love. 
 What scope is here given to the most enlarged bene- 
 volence, " to the intent, that now unto the princi- 
 
 14 
 
210 SERMON" xir. 
 
 palities and powers in heavenly places, might be 
 known by the Church, yea, by every Christian, the 
 manifold wisdom of God." And if there are other 
 ■worlds inhabited by intelligent beings, who can tell 
 what influence the redemption of man will have on 
 them, in unfolding to their view attributes and per- 
 fections of the infinite God, of which, without the 
 mirror of redemption, they might have been forever 
 ignorant ! One object there will be in heaven which 
 will forever attract all eyes, that would not have 
 existed but for the redemption of man ; in other words, 
 the existence of the Church, that is, the man Christ 
 Jesus. 
 
 We may presume that his human nature will exist 
 there, distinct from the Divine, or the second person of 
 the Godhead. We have some reason for supposing this, 
 from what St. Paul sa^^s in regard to the end, or con- 
 summation of all things in the last day : " Then cometh 
 the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom 
 to God, even the Father ; when he shall have put down 
 all rule, and all authority, and power ; for he must 
 reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The 
 last enemy that shall b5 destro^^ed is death ; for he 
 hath put all enemies under his feet. And when all 
 things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the /Son 
 also himself be subject unto him that put all things 
 under him, that God may be all in all." 
 
 Jesus Christ is called Son, and Son of God, not with 
 reference to his Divine nature, but on account of his 
 
SERMON xir. 211 
 
 Divine nature taking human nature into union with 
 it. Thus we read, with reference to his Divine con- 
 ception : "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and 
 the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee ; 
 therefore, also, that holy thing which shall be born 
 of thee, shall be called the Son of God'' When, 
 therefore, it is said by Paul, " Then shall the Son also 
 himself be subject unto him that put all things under 
 him, that God may be all in all," that is, God, Father, 
 Son, and Holy Ghost, I suppose the union between 
 the Divine and human natures of Jesus Christ, as it 
 existed here, will be dissolved; and yet the whole 
 Godhead will shine forth gloriously through the Man 
 Christ Jesus, and will then be an object of universal 
 attraction and most exulting admiration, though not 
 of supreme w^orship. At present, they are united, as 
 they were on earth ; for he has not yet given up his 
 mediatorial kingdom, and will not, till the final con- 
 summation of all things. He has not ceased to dis- 
 charge the office of Mediator, and will not, till every 
 heir of heaven is confirmed in glory. But of this w^e 
 have no certain information, and submit it only as a 
 probable suggestion. 
 
 I close this discourse with the following reflections : 
 1. The Christian religion claims for itself the most 
 cordial and grateful reception of every man. This is 
 true, from whatever point of view it is contemplated. 
 Not only is it the only scheme which saves the soul 
 from eternal death, but the only scheme which exalts 
 
212 SERMON" XII. 
 
 human nature to the highest degree of perfection and 
 glory. What state can be conceived so glorious as to 
 be the medium through which the Infinite God displays 
 all his perfections ? This display of the Great God 
 attracts the attention of all the holy in heaven, that 
 of principalities and powers, and constitutes their 
 highest happiness. Angels direct all their mighty 
 energies to the investigation of the work of man's 
 redemption. Their joy at the repentance of sinners 
 is not the mere gratification of their benevolence in 
 the sinner's eternal happiness, but arises chiefly from 
 the manifestation of the Divine perfections whicl\, is 
 made in the salvation of a single soul. Some new ex- 
 hibition of " the manifold wisdom of God" is made in 
 every such instance, in some peculiar circumstances 
 attending each. 
 
 And is it nothing to be the occasion of this — not 
 merely of their joy, but of thus being the medium of 
 reflecting the Divine glory? If worthy of them as 
 spectators, can it be less worthy of men as the subjects 
 of it ? They are holy and happy independently of us. 
 Not so with us : our eternal happiness is involved. 
 Nor is this all. There is an awful alternative — that 
 alternative eternal death ! If these considerations will 
 not move the sinner, what will ? 
 
 2. What a solemn responsibility rests on every Chris- 
 tian ! And 0, how little realized by most ! In the 
 light in which our subject has considered him, how 
 must the hopes of multitudes of professors tremble, lest 
 
SERMON- XH. 213 
 
 they should be found, at last, to have borne the sacred 
 name of Christ, without ever manifesting his glory ! 
 Every conversion is intended to manifest the glory of 
 God to all his intelligent universe. Every sound con- 
 version does manifest it. 
 
 What a solemn point of inquiry with every profess- 
 ing Christian among us is here presented ! 0, how 
 little, at best, is God's glory the motive even, in the 
 daily life, and it may be, in the professed worship, of 
 many who call themselves Christians! But God is 
 still on a throne of grace. There is not only forgive- 
 ness with him, that he may be feared, but in him are 
 all the treasures of wisdom to guide, and grace to sanc- 
 tify and fit the soul for heaven. Let his children 
 apply to these treasures for all they need, and sinners 
 resort to that overflowing fountain for all tliey need to 
 prepare them for the same eternal, happy destiny ! 
 
XIIT, 
 
 CHRIST, THE LIFE OF THE SGUL AND THE 
 RESTORER OF ITS GLORY. 
 
 " When Clirlst, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear 
 with him in glory." — CoL. 3 : 4. 
 
 When our Saviour left the world, he gave assurance 
 that he would return. At the moment of ascending 
 from the Mount of Olives, two angels declared to his 
 disciples, who witnessed the scene, that " this same 
 Jesus who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so 
 come in like manner, as ye have seen him go into 
 heaven." He himself often declared the same while 
 he was yet in the world. And he only delays his 
 second coming, because, " the restitution of all things 
 which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy 
 prophets, since the world began," has not yet been 
 effected. In other words, because all his purposes 
 respecting his kingdom on earth, have not yet been 
 accomplished. The period, however, is hastening; in- 
 dications of its nearer and nearer approach are daily 
 multiplying. Ere long we believe he will come, and 
 bring to a close the whole economy of human redemp- 
 
SERMON XIII. 215 
 
 tion, and settle all things for eternity. This is that 
 appearing of the Saviour intimated in the text. 
 
 He is, indeed, said to come, in other and different 
 senses. But this is his coming on the last day of 
 time, and to close all time ; to raise the dead ; to 
 change the then living ; and to gather angels and men 
 at his bar for the final judgment. " For the Son of man 
 shall come in his glory, and 'all the holy angels -with 
 him : then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory ; 
 and before him shall be gathered all nations; and he 
 shall separate them, one from another, as a shepherd 
 divideth his sheep from the goats." " And these shall 
 go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous 
 into life eternal." This august event is placed before 
 the Christians at Colosse, by the Apostles, as contain- 
 ing the all-commanding motive to their perseverance 
 in their heavenward course ; and the glories of it, as 
 furnishing the richest source of consolation and en- 
 couragement under all their trials and difficulties. 
 Nor has the subject lost any of its solemnity or im- 
 portance. " When Christ, who is our life, shall 
 appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory." 
 
 I. Let us inquire into the meaning of the phrase, 
 " Christ, our life." 
 
 IL Consider some of the glories of the saints, at his 
 second appearing. If we consider the phrase, " Christ, 
 our life," in the utmost extent of its meaning, and with- 
 out regard to its particular application in the text and 
 context, it would embrace the following facts, viz. 
 
216 SERMON XIII. 
 
 that he is the great Source of all life — the Author of 
 our existence — its Preserver in the present and the 
 coming world, as well as of spiritual life, and all the 
 happiness which is experienced either here or here- 
 after. For all these are truths, plainly and abundantly 
 taught in the word of God. But the Apostle did not 
 here intend to give this latitude to its meaning. He 
 evidently did not mean 'to include under the terms, 
 all that those terms are capable of expressing. The 
 declaration that " Christ is our life," conveys a very dif- 
 ferent idea from the declaration that he is the Author 
 of our existence as appears most clearly from the 
 preceding context. Tlie Apostle was addressing 
 Christians in the cliarader of Christians ; those who 
 had already risen with Christ, whom we exhorted 
 to seek those things which were above, where Christ 
 sitteth on the right hand of God, and to set their 
 affections on things above, and not on things on the 
 earth. This is true only of Christians. No others 
 can be said to be already risen with Christ. More- 
 over, they are addressed as being " dead," although 
 they were still alive. The word dead, is of course 
 not to be understood literally, as denoting a dissolu- 
 tion of the body ; nor even spiritually, as applied to 
 the unrenewed sinner : " dead in trespasses and sins." 
 Nor are these the only senses in which the word 
 " dead," is used. It is applied to Christians, as dead, 
 not in sin, but to sin ; to its reigning power. " How 
 shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein ?" 
 
SERMON XIII. 217 
 
 As dead to the world ; to its controlling influence. 
 " God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of 
 our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified 
 to me, and I unto the world." And again, dead to 
 the rites, and ceremonies, and institutions of the 
 Mosaic dispensation. " Wherefore if ye be dead with 
 Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though 
 living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances ?" 
 And dead to the law, i. e., to its finally condemning 
 sentence. " For I, through the law, am dead to the 
 law, that I might live unto God." Now, while these 
 expressions are not applicable to any but Christians, 
 and as Christ is equally the author of the existence of 
 saints and sinners, and of all things, the phrase, 
 " Christ our life," implies a peculiar relationship be- 
 tween him and his redeemed people. Such, as that 
 the terms, death and life, will properly apply to them 
 at the same time. And Paul so applies them to the 
 Colossian Christians in the verse next preceding the 
 text. " For ye are dead, and your life is hid with 
 Christ in God." 
 
 There is then a peculiar sense in which the phrase, 
 " Christ our life," is used in the text, as contradistin- 
 guished from the instances above-named. And we 
 were 
 
 I. To inquire what that sense is. 
 
 1. It denotes that Christ is the sole author of 
 spiritual life in contradistinction from spiritual death. 
 Natural life and its continuance is the mere effect of 
 
218 SERMON XIII. 
 
 an tact of Divine sovereignty. This was produced 
 when God breathed into man the breath of life, and 
 he became a living soul. Immortality was stamped 
 on the soul, as well after as before the fall. But 
 the fall utterly extinguished all spiritual life. It 
 entirely effaced the holy, moral image of God. 
 And every human being would forever have remained 
 dead in sin, but for the Lord Jesus Christ. To effect 
 a change in regard to this awful state, and eternal 
 destiny of the sinner, rendered indispensable all that 
 he has done and suffered ; his assumption of our 
 nature ; his labors, sufferings, and death ; his humilia- 
 tion in the sepulchre ; his resurrection, ascension, and 
 intercessions ; his purchase of the Spirit in his regene- 
 rating and sanctifying influences, and his regal admi- 
 nistration, as Head over all things to the Church. 
 For all these things, Christians are primarily and 
 eminently indebted to Christ. They would have re- 
 mained dead in sin during this life, to suffer the mise- 
 ries of the second death forever, but for the interposi- 
 tion of the Son of God. This entirely changed the 
 relations between him and them ; or rather, created a 
 neiu relationship, superadded to those of Creator and 
 Preserver, or such as exist between him and the rest 
 of mankind, generally : namely, that of Mediator, 
 and his redeemed subjects. Here, then, in a peculiar 
 and emphatic sense, " Christ is their life." He has 
 raised them from the death of sin. He has by the 
 Spirit whom he sent into the world, infused a new 
 principle of vitality into them; so new, so different 
 
SERMON XITI. 219 
 
 from tliat which influenced them before, that it is 
 called a new hlrtlt — a new cretdion. And this great 
 change is expressly referred to Christ — " created anew 
 in Christ Jesus." Nor, 
 
 2. Is this a temporary state of existence, but 
 abiding. The relationship which is thus created is 
 indissoluble. No power short of that which produced 
 it, can destroy it; and this he has bound himself by 
 every possible assurance never to do. " 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, through him that loved us. 
 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor 
 angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things pre- 
 sent, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor 
 any other creature, shall be able to separate us from 
 the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord." 
 
 If Christians are indebted to Christ for the com- 
 mencement of this life, they are not less indebted to 
 him for its continuance. It is on no other ground 
 than his own promise, that any Christian can expect 
 to reach the kingdom of heaven. There is nothing 
 in that new life itself which secures the continuance of 
 its efforts, an hour or a moment. Nothing in the act 
 of regeneration itself, or the first spiritual breath, or 
 moral pulsation of the new-born soul, that insures con- 
 tinued holiness. The Christian rests all his hope of 
 final salvation on the gracious declaration, and pro- 
 
220 SERMON- xiir. 
 
 mise that " he who hath begun the good work will 
 perform it, until the day of Jesus Christ," — forever. Is 
 he not then, most emphatically, and in the highest 
 sense, the Christian's life ? 
 
 3. Christ is the life of Christians, as the source and 
 author of all true enjoyment in this world. Happiness 
 is often denoted by the term life ; and when this hap- 
 piness flows from the possession of spiritual life, it is 
 the highest sense in which the term applies to a mor- 
 tal : " To be spiritually-minded is life and peace ;" 
 "The kingdom of God is righteousness, and peace, 
 and joy, in the Holy Ghost;" "These things," said 
 our Saviour, " have I spoken unto you, that my joy 
 might remain in you, and that your joy might be 
 full." This is the highest happiness which Christians 
 can know on earth. To have the joy of Christ has 
 caused the highest exultation under the keenest tor- 
 tures of the body. How Paul triumphed in his almost 
 unequalled sufferings ! How have martyrs exulted 
 amid the flames that slowly consumed their bodies ! 
 How have tens of thousands of Christians been in 
 ecstasies Avhile all the agonies of death were upon 
 them ! And what Christian would exchange the con- 
 solations, the calm peace, the serenity of cheerful sub- 
 mission in his afflictions and various trials, for all the 
 pleasures which this world can afford ? 
 
 Thus far we have limited our remarks to the Chris- 
 tian's present state of existence — to what Christ is to 
 him in this life. Let us now send our thoughts into 
 
SERMON XIII. 221 
 
 tlie future. Let us look beyond the grave. "We ^vill 
 lift tlio veil. We have seen how Christ is the life of 
 Christians liere — how is he their life hereafter ? 
 
 4. Christ is the author of their eternal life, not 
 their immortality merely in all the peculiar senses, and 
 to the hhjliest jyossihle degree, in which he is their life 
 in this world. He has assured them of their conti- 
 nued happy existence during the sleep of their bodies 
 in the grave. All that he taught of the intermediate 
 state between death and the resurrection, proves this. 
 I might refer you to numerous examples and declara- 
 tions. But I rest it on one express assurance of 
 Christ. The day before his death, he said to his 
 disciples, " Because / live, ye shall live also." This 
 declaration had no particular reference to his oxen or 
 to ilielr resurrection, or to any future period, implying 
 a previous cessation of existence, but to his conti- 
 nued existence, and consequently their continued exis- 
 tence. Death would lay his body in the sepulchre ; 
 but he would still live, in the highest sense, and as 
 the glorious Author of all Life, and Mediator for all 
 his disciples. Their bodies, too, must go down to the 
 grave ; but their life, as his was not, should not be 
 suspended or intermitted for an instant. Nor does the 
 word " live," simply mean continued existence, as syno- 
 nymous with immortality. They needed no addi- 
 tional assurance of that. The kind object of the 
 Saviour was to console them in view of his death, and 
 his being taken from them. They were about to 
 
222 SERMON XIII. 
 
 lose their spiritual Head. They feared more for 
 their sj^lrltual life, than for their natural life. Jesus 
 assures them that that is safe — safe after their bodies 
 are laid in the dust. " Because I live, ye shall live 
 also." This exactly met the exigency of their case. 
 But this declaration or assurance was by no means 
 limited either to their remaining life after their 
 Saviour should leave them, or their intermediate 
 state; but no less certainly secured their eternal, 
 happy existence in heaven. They would live as the 
 confirmed objects of his everlasting favor and un- 
 changeable love ; live as the purchase of his death ; 
 live in glory ; yea, live and reign with him, as kings 
 and priests unto God forever. The spiritual life 
 begun here, should issue in, and be consummated by, 
 life eternal. Here is a distinct sense in which Christ 
 is the life of Christians. It is indeed true, that the 
 ivicked shall live, during the slumbers of tlteir bodies 
 in the grave, and live forever. But ah, how different 
 their life ! Their life is the soul's death ; their sjjiritual 
 death ends in death eternal. But on what different 
 ground is their continued life placed ? It has no con- 
 nection with the life of the Saviour, only as the 
 author and upholder of their being. No. injustice 
 were done to them, no violation of any covenant en- 
 gagement ; for they sustain no such relation, or kind 
 promise made to them, if after their resurrection, to 
 prove his victory over the last enemy, death, he 
 should at once strike them out of existence, annilii- 
 latiqg both soul and body. 
 
SERMON' XHI. 223 
 
 Once more. Christ is the life of Christians as the 
 restorer of their bodies from the grave. This indeed 
 is not essential to their happiness ; for thej- are 
 happy in their disembodied state. Yet the resurrec- 
 tion of their bodies will be a great blessing ; and no 
 doubt, greatly augment their happiness. It is not, 
 however, so important in itself, as in its connections 
 and bearings. The truth of the whole Christian sys- 
 tem depended on the resurrection of the body. Here 
 is seen its essential importance. Hence, the Apostles 
 went forth, everywhere " preaching, through Jesus, 
 the resurrection from the dead." It was the founda- 
 tion of all hope and faith. The Saviour rested the 
 credibility of his mission upon the flict of his resurrec- 
 tion. As that were true or false, he was willing that 
 his claims to Messiahship should be admitted or 
 denied. He did rise, and forever established those 
 claims. Had he not risen, that had been demonstra- 
 tion that he was a deceiver. Had he been an im- 
 postor, he could not have risen ; for that had been a 
 Divine sanction of the imposture, an idea most abhor- 
 rent. But the just inference from his resurrection is 
 that of all his true followers. On this connection 
 Paul based his triumphant argument in the fifteenth 
 chapter of his first Epistle to the Corinthians. 
 
 Still, the body's resurrection is important in itself. 
 It is a source of high satisfaction to every Christian. 
 The body is an endeared companion of the immortal 
 spirit : its consignment to the grave, and even tempo- 
 
224 SERMON SIII. 
 
 rary lodgment there, is a painful reflection. The grave 
 is a dark and gloomy receptacle. We shrink back at 
 the thought of lying down in it; we shudder to see 
 our friends and relatives placed in it, even though they 
 died in Christ. But the rich consolation is, that they 
 are not forever to lie there. Joy beams from the as- 
 surance of a resurrection. But for this fondly-chorished 
 belief, what tenfold gloom would hover around the 
 tomb, even though the disembodied spirit might be 
 happy as, and like the angels in heaven, who are un- 
 clothed spirits ! But Christ has poured light into the 
 grave, and made it the sweet resting-place of all his 
 followers. He will watch all their scattered dust, and 
 at the appointed day will collect and raise it; for 
 Christ, to the Christian, is " the Resurrection and the 
 Life." True, all others will be raised ; but the resur- 
 rection of the wicked is a mere act of Clirist's holy and 
 omnipotent sovereignty. It is no part of the purchase 
 of his death. He did not die and rise again to secure 
 their resurrection. It will be no blessing to come forth 
 from their graves : they will be raised to show the 
 Saviour's universal and complete dominion to conquer 
 death, the last enemy, and him that hath the power 
 of death, i. e., the devil, and that soul and body may 
 share in retribution for the sins, which in their connec- 
 tion, they committed. 
 
 Thus is Christ, in every important, and in the most 
 emphatic sense, tlie Christians life. We proceed 
 
 II. To consider some of the glories of the saints at 
 
SERMON XIII. 21:5 
 
 the Saviour's second appearance: "When Christ, who 
 is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with 
 him in gJoryT AVe have, indeed, anticipated a little 
 the order of events ; but there are important items con- 
 nected with them for distinct consideration. And 
 
 1. When Christ comes a second time, the spirits of 
 all who have slept in him will accompany him. " When 
 Christ shall appear," says the text, " then shall ye also 
 appear ivith Idin" "For if we believe that Jesus died 
 and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus 
 will God bring with liimT " Behold, the Lord cometh, 
 with ten thousand of his saints^ " At the coming of our 
 Lord Jesus Christ, ^vith all his saints" Happy as they 
 had been in their disembodied state, in heaven, yet 
 this Mill be a new scene, and glorious as new. We 
 may suppose that when Christ shall come to raise the 
 dead and judge the world, he himself will put on new 
 splendors and glories, such as he had not disclosed even 
 in heaven. The language in which he describes the 
 scene j ustifies, and even suggests this thought : " For 
 the Son of Man shall come in his own glory, and in 
 his Father's, and of the holy angels." " Then shall 
 they see the Son of Man coming in great power and 
 glory." " The Lord himself shall descend from heaven, 
 with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with 
 the trump of God." 
 
 And will not this new exhibition of the majesty and 
 glory of Christ, in the character of Judge of quick and 
 dead, inspire both saints and angels with new, and 
 
 15 
 
226 SERMON XIII. 
 
 hitherto unfelt, raptures ? The Saviour has described 
 the happiness of the redeemed, as produced by behold- 
 ing his glory: "Father, I will that they also whom 
 thou hast given me, be with me where I am, that they 
 may behold my glory." And every new discovery will 
 awaken higher degrees of admiration and call forth 
 louder hosannahs. The scene must be most enraptur- 
 ing : the Judge in his own cjlory and the glory of the 
 Father, attended by all the holy angels, and the count- 
 less millions of justified spirits made perfect! What 
 a glorious spectacle 1 What new honor will invest 
 every heir of heaven's eternal and unfading glories ! 
 Verily, " when Christ, who is our life, shall appear," 
 well might the Apostle say to Christians, " then shall 
 ye also appear with him in glory." 
 
 2. Consider the ohject of Christ's descent to earth. 
 He will come to awake the bodies of the dead, most of 
 them from a long sleep in their graves. What a 
 scene will present itself at the blast of the resurrec- 
 tion trumpet ! What a bursting of graves, and tombs, 
 and sepulchres ! What a heaving of seas and oceans, 
 which have embosomed unnumbered multitudes ! What 
 a breaking up of the surface of the whole earth ! 
 
 But of these scenes the saints who accompany the 
 Judge will not be mere spectators. They will deeply 
 share in them. They will come to receive their own 
 bodies. And with what intense interest will they 
 hover over the places of their deposit, and watch for 
 their rising forms ! In heaven they had seen, and 
 
SERMON XIII. 227 
 
 with delight had gazed on the glorious pattern accord- 
 ing to which their bodies should be fiishioned. They 
 had there beheld the Saviour's body, resplendent, 
 beyond the sun when he sbineth in his strength, and 
 that is the glorious model of their own. how differ- 
 ent from what they were when they were laid in the 
 grave ! How is corruption changed to incorruption, 
 and loathsome deformity to the most resplendent 
 beauty ! With what raptures will each receive his 
 own body ! Never more to be separated — eternal, fit 
 companions. And then they ascend in clouds more 
 glorious than that which overshadowed the trans- 
 ported three on the Mount of Transfiguration. Nor is 
 their joy yet full ; there are other scenes of deep and 
 thrilling interest. For, 
 
 3. A vast multitude is yet to join them, and be- 
 come their eternal associates. So has inspiration 
 taught us : " For the Lord himself shall descend from 
 heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, 
 and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ 
 shall rise first, then we which are alive and remain 
 shall be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an 
 eye, and shall be caught up with them, to meet the 
 Lord in the air." Christian benevolence rejoices at 
 every addition made to the ranks of the redeemod. 
 What affords higher joy to Christians on earth than to 
 see multitudes added to their number ! The last day 
 will find the earth full of inhabitants. The long and 
 happy period of the millennium, when holiness shall 
 
228 " SERMON xin. 
 
 universally prevail, will have just been brought to a 
 close. For although after this Satan shall be loosed 
 out of prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations, 
 and gather Gog and Magog together to battle, to 
 compass the camp of the saints, and the beloved city," 
 yet scarcely will their forces be marshalled, and ",/?y-e 
 shall come down from God out of heaven, and shall 
 devour them." All who remain will be holy unto the 
 Lord. In an instant, these will all be changed from 
 mortal to immortal, and join the vast multitudes just 
 raised from their graves. What shouts will rend the 
 air when this mighty and glorified throng shall be 
 added to those millions of happy beings who have just 
 received their new, immortal bodies ! But neither yet 
 are their joys raised to the highest pitch. 
 
 4. They are now to stand before the universal 
 Judge, whose great white throne is erected in the air, 
 around which are gathered all nations, with all the 
 hosts of angels, sinless and apostate. But they do 
 not stand there in terrors ; the judgment, so fearful to 
 the guilty, will bring no terrors to the righteous. 
 That will be the day of their public acquittal — the 
 day of their highest triumph, when they will be con- 
 firmed in holiness and happiness. " He that is holy, 
 let him be holy still; and he that is righteous, let 
 him be righteous still." The wicked sentenced — the 
 judgment scenes closed — the earth in flames — these 
 heavens blotted out, — the saints mount upward to 
 the heaven of heavens, led by their glorious Redeemer, 
 
SERMON XIII. 229 
 
 and enter the kingdom prepared for them from the 
 foundation of the world ; there they shall " live and 
 reign, kings and priests unto God, even the Father, 
 forever and ever." There we must take our leave of 
 them. Vie can go no farther. God has revealed no 
 more to us of that happy world. AVhat the redeemed 
 will become in the revolving ages of eternity, "it doth 
 not yet appear." 
 
 And what more is needed ? What more can the 
 Christian wish to raise his hope, or urge him on to 
 final unwavering perseverance ? What more to lift him, 
 in his warmest affections, far above the objects of 
 sense and time, and the low and sordid transcient 
 pleasures and pursuits of this world ? What more to 
 sustain and comfort him in his various trials and 
 afflictions? Where is the darkness of the grave itself, 
 when looked into by light, beaming from a revealed 
 heaven ? Dwell not. Christian, on what you now are, 
 save it be to mourn over your remaining depravity, 
 your unspeakable unworthiness of the honors and 
 glories which await you in the coming world ; save it 
 be to deepen the conviction of your obligations to 
 your Saviour; to kindle your love to him, to holier 
 and higher degree, and to labor more faithfully to 
 promote his kingdom in the world. Let the glory 
 hereafter to be revealed be the all-absorbing object, 
 for it involves the glory of Jehovah himself 
 
 Think, if you are faithful unto the end — and that 
 end is near — where you 7ioiv stand, just on the verge 
 of those ineffible glories at which we have barely 
 
230 SERMON XIII. 
 
 hinted. Soon you will be laid in the grave ! But 
 Christ has made that grave a place of sweet repose to 
 the Christian. It is the land of silence, but not of 
 for get fulness. There is One who will remember it ; One 
 who will constantly watch over it, and all the precious 
 dust of his children that sleep in it. Your own re- 
 leased spirit, too, even if not permitted often to visit 
 it, will one day be guided to the spot, when He, who 
 is " the Resurrection and the Life," shall come a second 
 time, you and all the disembodied saints accompanying 
 him, to open the graves of all who have slept in him ; 
 and you shall receive your own body adorned with im- 
 mortal beauty ! Think, Christian, of those eternal 
 realities, and let the thought moderate your worldly 
 desires. A little while, and how will this world then 
 appear to you ! A little while, and this world will 
 not be ; for its very elements shall melt away ! Nor 
 will it ever receive another thought, except as the 
 place where the Saviour labored, and bled, and died, 
 to redeem lost sinners, and where you received your 
 existence, and were made an heir of glory. Its riches, 
 and honors, and pleasures, which now you too ardently 
 covet ; and your trials, too, under which you so often 
 groan and repine, will all be forgotten. The inhabitants 
 of heaven have no thoughts to bestow on these things. 
 To the impenitent and unbelieving I have made no 
 application of our subject, and I shall make none. We 
 leave it to them to make it for themselves, and close 
 with commending our whole subject to God for his 
 blessing. 
 
XIV. 
 
 HEAVENLY TREASURES. 
 
 " Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust 
 do corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal ; but lay up for your- 
 selves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and 
 where thieves do not break through nor steal."' — Mattuew 6 : 19, 20. 
 
 The history of mankind in general lias been a 
 history of supreme devotedness to this world. The 
 limited period of their earthly existence, with here 
 and there an exception, has bounded their pursuits, 
 their desires, and their hopes. Striking and solemn 
 events have daily reminded them that this world is 
 not their final home, nor place of long continuance; 
 yet temporal things have engrossed and absorbed their 
 hearts. Their cry has been, " Who will show us any 
 earthly good ?" " What shall we eat, and what shall we 
 drink, and wherewithal shall we be clothed ?" wholly 
 forgetful or unmindful of the immortality and final 
 destiny of their souls. Or, if they ever send their 
 thoughts beyond the grave, appalled at the gloom 
 with which it is shrouded, they soon recall them. 
 They look forward to no inheritance in heaven, when 
 called to relinquish their possessions on earth. 
 
232 SERMON XIV. 
 
 Alas, all tJievr treasures lie within the narrow circle 
 of this life ! But these must fiiil them, or they must 
 leave them. Nor will they ease them of a single pain, 
 in the hour of separation. This is the folly which our 
 Saviour reproves in the former verse of our text ; and 
 while he would dissuade from laying up treasures ex- 
 clusively on the earth, or placing our affections inordi- 
 nately upon them, he kindly directs to a substitute, 
 which secures an infinite remuneration for every sacri- 
 fice made to obtain it : " Lay not up for yourselves 
 treasures upon earth, where moth and rust do corrupt, 
 and where thieves break through and steal; but lay 
 up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither 
 moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not 
 break through nor steal." 
 
 Shall we consider this a command, for it comes with 
 all the authority of the infinite God ? — then our obliga- 
 tion to obey is obvious. Shall we regard it as good 
 advice merely, and it certainly comes from One who 
 knows the value of the soul, and what estimate to 
 place on all worlds ? — ihen it will be easy to show that 
 to disregard it is the deepest folly, and to observe and 
 follow it our highest wisdom. Our task, then, is an 
 easy one, for our object will be to show, — 
 
 I. The folly of the one course. And 
 
 II. The wisdom of the other. 
 
 Little is required to be said in explanation of the 
 text. Treasures on earth and treasures in heaven are 
 here presented in contrast ; and the one or the other 
 
SERMON XIV. 2j3 
 
 as an object of supreme desire. And the proposition 
 virtually is, that Ave make our election of the one or 
 the other as a supreme good. To icldcU will we give 
 the preference? They are here to be regarded as 
 man's chief inheritance, and the one to the exclusion 
 of the other. They are not necessarily inconsistent 
 with each other. A man may have much of this 
 world's good, and yet have treasures in heaven. On 
 the ground of tliis compatibility, our Saviour himself 
 has said, " Make to yourselves friends of the mammon 
 of unrighteousness, that when ye fail, they may re- 
 ceive you into everlasting habitations." A rare case, 
 indeed, yet not impossible ; for, with reference to this 
 very point, the difficulty with which a rich man shall 
 enter into the kingdom of heaven, the same Divine 
 lips assure us that "with God all things are possible." 
 The subject being thus understood, I proceed to show : 
 
 I. The folly of laying up treasures, exclusively, on 
 earth. And this will appear from a very few and 
 simple considerations : 
 
 1 . From their uncertainty. Earthly possessions are 
 uncertain treasures ; the history of the world in this 
 respect is a history of constant changes ; a continual 
 succession, as almost every individual is concerned, of 
 gains and losses, successes and disappointments. AVhat- 
 ever the worldly good one may have acquired, he holds 
 it by a most uncertain tenure. Wealth is constantly 
 changing hands. " Riches take to themselves wings 
 and fly away." The most ample possessions seldom 
 
Zd4 SERMON XIV. 
 
 descend undiminished, or unimpaired, to the third 
 generation. Often not even to the second. Alas, the 
 wealthy proprietor himself is not unfrequently reduced 
 to poverty ; and the splendid palace exchanged for the 
 humblest cottage ; the sumptuous living for the coarsest 
 fare — splendid equipage for a simple staff. Honors are 
 still more unstable and fleeting. If aspirants succeed, 
 their success is usually a preparatory step to deeper 
 disappointment. If they rise high, it is often that 
 their fall may be rendered but the more conspicuous. 
 And these remarks are equally applicable to every- 
 thing of an earthly nature. Change and uncertainty 
 are common to them all. 
 
 2. Earthly possessions, even were they certain in 
 their continuance, are unsatisfying in their very nature. 
 If it be objected that none are entitled to be heard on 
 this point, but such as have made the experiment, 
 that only the rich and the honorable are competent 
 here to give their testimony, then we will refer you 
 to such. There once lived the man whose judgment in 
 both these respects was the result of experience ; and 
 whose judgment has been confirmed as a matter and 
 record of revelation. Solomon attained to and held 
 the highest honors for forty years. Daring the same 
 period he possessed unbounded wealth. While no in- 
 dividual ever possessed more of either, or of anything 
 which the human heart ever coveted, no other indivi- 
 dual in these respects ever experienced fewer reverses. 
 He held all, both riches and honors, till the hand of 
 
SERMON XIV. 235 
 
 death tore liim from them. And hear him pronounce 
 bis judgment. "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity and 
 vexation of spirit." But Solomon's testimony stands 
 not alone. It is sustained by the unanimous voice, we 
 hazard nothing in saying, of all who ever swayed a 
 sceptre, or wore a crown. And to these, if they would 
 utter the sincere convictions of their own hearts, we 
 might add all who have rolled in wealth, or revelled 
 in luxury, since the world began. Let them speak 
 from their thrones, and their palaces, and their ban- 
 queting halls, and on this point we should hear but 
 one voice. The universal verdict would be, " Earth 
 and its treasures are unsatisfying^ The truth is, this 
 world was never intended to afford a satisfying portion 
 to such a being as man is. It has, indeed, its sources of 
 enjoyment; and these sources are numerous and rich, 
 and should awaken our liveliest gratitude to the bene- 
 ficent Author of them. But even these are adapted to 
 his lower rather than his higher nature; his animal 
 than his spiritual constitution. Earth is too narrow in 
 its limits for the range of an immortal mind ; too gross 
 in its objects, too sordid in its pursuits, to satisfy the 
 craving of the soul. If the}^ were once better adapted 
 to each other — if earth was once a fitter residence for 
 man, it was not merely on account of the objects which 
 it contained, but the Divine glory and beauty which 
 they reflected, and the deep impress of the holy image 
 of God in man, which qualified him to apprehend and 
 appreciate, and relish that beauty and glory. But 
 
236 SERMON XIV. 
 
 both have undergone a sad change — especially man. 
 Such a change as has brought the objects of earth and 
 heaven into a wide contrast, and unceasing conflict, 
 and made the pursuits of the one perilous to those of 
 the other. But 
 
 3. The possessions of this world must fail us, or we 
 must be torn from them. The connection must be 
 dissolved. And it is of short and uncertain continu- 
 ance. Then were this world eternal, and were it 
 all our own, what would be its value to us, when we 
 are removed from it ? What to us were tried gold that 
 should never tarnish, and mines and mountains of 
 silver, which are exhaustless, when once we become 
 spirits in eternity ? " We brought nothing into this 
 world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out of 
 it." Even the body which we so much love, and love 
 to cherish, to decorate, and to pamper, and cling to with 
 so much tenacity, with so strong a grasp, must be relin- 
 quished, resigned, and thrown aside, nor one of its 
 ornaments, nor one of its grace,-^, natural or artificial, 
 will accompany the spirit to its i'liture place of resi- 
 dence. One moment after death, they will all be to 
 us as though they had never been ; or we had no con- 
 nection with or knowledge of them, save only the 
 moral traces they leave upon the soul. 
 
 But earth and its treasures are not eternal. They 
 will outlive us — they will abide after our connection 
 with them shall have been dissolved. But they will 
 not abide forever. A period is fixed to their exist- 
 
SERMON XIV. 237 
 
 ence. They are not merely to undergo a change ; to 
 be renovated, have those beauties and glories re- 
 stored to them which sin marred, and God, on man's 
 account, blotted out; but they are to perish ; be con- 
 sumed and annihilated, at the second coming of the 
 Son of God. " For the day of the Lord will come as 
 a thief in the night, in the which the heavens shall 
 pass away w^ith a great noise, and the elements shall 
 melt with fervent heat, the earth also, and the works 
 that are therein, shall be burned up." AVe shall all be- 
 hold this grand catastrophe — the funeral of this world 
 — this material universe. But it will be with other 
 eyes. Standing as we then shall, either on the battle- 
 ments of heaven, or the verge of hell, and beholding 
 this world on fire, what folly can exceed that of hav- 
 ing made the treasures of this world the object of 
 supreme pursuit or desire ! the folly of having taxed 
 every energy and directed every effort to gather 
 earthly treasures, to the exclusion of a heavenly in- 
 heritance ! And when bereft of all, the once devoted 
 worldling is still an immortal unsatisfied being. Nor 
 will it then be as is now sometimes the case, that the 
 recollection and review of past success and eminence 
 will afibrd satisfaction. For men may fall from the 
 very summit of honor, may sink from wealth to 
 poverty, and after the first moments of disappoint- 
 ment and mortification, still derive satisfaction from a 
 recollection of their former greatness. How often 
 have we witnessed the sparkling of joy, the proud 
 
238 SERMON XIV. 
 
 self-complacency of the now reduced and impover- 
 ished man, while recounting his former wealth, or 
 recalling the honors which once clustered around his 
 brow, but which have faded and fallen. But not so 
 hereafter. Crowns, and sceptres, and riches, though 
 worn, and wielded, and enjoyed, down to the last 
 moment of life, will then be regarded as very little 
 things — the mere toys of kings and misers : yes, and 
 infinitely worse than such; for while they were the 
 objects of supreme regard, they cheated the immortal 
 soul of its once attainable eternal inheritance. Nor 
 are these negative qualities all. For we remark on 
 this topic. 
 
 Once more. That supreme devotedness to earthly 
 treasures disqualifies for a heavenly inheritance. It 
 perverts all the powers of the soul, and gives a dis- 
 taste for all the objects and employments which 
 heaven affords. It is entirely inconsistent \vith the 
 exercise and practice of holiness. This is in accord- 
 ance with the experience and oft-repeated declarations 
 of Christians. For Christians often suffer the world 
 to exert a supreme control and influence over them. 
 Then it is that their spiritual comfort is destroyed. 
 Then it is that they forget God, cast off fear, and 
 restrain prayer, and neglect other important duties, or 
 preserve the mere form, while they feel not the power 
 of godliness. Their affections become alienated from 
 God, and diverted from spiritual and heavenly 
 objects. They lose sight of their high and holy dis- 
 
SERMON XIV. 239 
 
 tinction. And their conversation is, of course, Avith- 
 drawn from heaven. Christians have always found 
 the world to be their greatest enemy. And this is 
 agreeable to the reiterated declarations of God's word. 
 Against nothing did our Saviour utter more frequent 
 or solemn cautions than against the influence of the 
 world. Hear him : " The cares of this world, and the 
 deceitfulness of riches, and the lust of other things, 
 entering in, choke the word, and it becometh un- 
 fruitful." The world assails every source, and ad- 
 dresses itself, in some form of temptation or other, to 
 every remaining corruption of the Christian's heart. 
 Whenever it gains the ascendency, grace dies. "The 
 lust of the eye, and the pride of life is not of the 
 Father, but of the world." But if this be its deaden- 
 ing influence over the Christian, if it ever bring the' 
 child of God so far under its control, as utterly to 
 suppress, for the time, the operations of grace, and 
 draw ofi" his heart from God, and duty, and holiness, 
 and heaven, what must be its influence over the sin- 
 ner, with whom it is not merely supreme at times, 
 but supreme at all times ? — the sinner, who knows no 
 other good ? — who seeks no other good ? wdio desires 
 no other good ? All whose treasures, and, of course, 
 his affections, are laid up, and centred here ? " For 
 where a man's treasure is, there will his heart be 
 also." What feeling, what qualification has such a 
 man for a state of holiness — for a heavenly inherit- 
 ance ? We appeal to the candid sinner himself. We 
 
 <^ 
 
240 SERMON XIV. 
 
 ask the worldling, if every object and every employ- 
 ment of heaven, so far as he has any just, speculative 
 views of that world, is not repulsive ? How can it be 
 otherwise ? Our Saviour tells us that the supreme 
 love of Mammon involves the hatred of God; that 
 service to the one, is rebellion against the other. 
 Could, then, the devotee of Mammon be happy in the 
 presence of an unloved — yea, hated God ? Could 
 the uninterrupted and supreme love and service of 
 the world, be a qualification for the ceaseless and 
 ardent service of Jehovah ? No sinner believes this. 
 Every reflecting sinner admits the necessity of a change. 
 Either earth is now a fair type of heaven, or the 
 heart must be changed in order to enjoy heaven; 
 the former he does not believe ; the latter, however 
 much he may dislil^e, he cannot disbelieve. These 
 few plain and simple considerations are sufficient to 
 prove the truth of our first position : that it is folly, 
 and even madness, in an immortal being, to lay up 
 treasures, exclusively, on earth, or to regard them as 
 an object of supreme desire ; uncertain, unsatisfying, 
 perishable even with the using, they must ultimately 
 fail us, or we be torn away from them — will, at a future 
 fixed period, be blotted from existence, and utterly dis- 
 qualify for the enjoj-ment of a heavenly inheritance. 
 0, if this be not folly, tell us where folly can be 
 found ! We proceed, 
 
 II. To show the wisdom of laying up treasures in 
 heaven. 
 
SERMOxV XIV. 241 
 
 If it be asked, what constitute these treasures, as 
 here possessed ? we answer, Whatever prepares the 
 soul for future and eternal happiness. They embrace 
 that knowledge and love of God, and those exercises 
 and acts of holiness, which adapt the moral character 
 to the state and employments of heaven. Of what the 
 eternal inheritance of the saints is in all its richness 
 and fulness, as actually possessed by the glorified, we 
 here indeed know, and can know, but little. Who 
 can tell us what it is to be an heir of God and a joint 
 heir with Christ. " For eye hath not seen, nor ear 
 heard, neither have entered into the heart of man 
 the things which God hath prepared for them that 
 love him." But we know something of their nature 
 and properties ; and remark, 
 
 1. That they are imperishable, "where neither 
 moth nor rust doth corrupt." If then we speak of 
 wealth, the treasures of heaven are "durable riches." 
 If of dainties which nourish and never cloy, they are 
 " meat which endureth unto eternal life ;" living bread 
 and living waters, which issue from the throne of the 
 Most High. If of honors, they are crowns which 
 never tarnish : the honor of descent from God, and of 
 being kings and priests unto God, yea the honor of 
 sitting with Christ on a throne of glory. If of 
 pleasures, "at God's right hand are pleasures forever- 
 more." In a word, "an inheritance incorruptible, 
 iindefiled, and which fadeth not away, eternal ift the 
 heavens." If then the stamp of immortality on that 
 
 16 
 
242 SERMON XIV. 
 
 which is supremely excellent in itself, is a considera- 
 tion of weight, the wisdom of laying up treasures in 
 heaven is apparent. 
 
 2. The treasures of heaven are not only imperishable 
 in their nature, but they are laid up in a place of 
 perfect security. " Where thieves do not break 
 through nor steal." Into heaven none but the per- 
 fectly holy enter. Of course there will be none to 
 despoil the saint of his treasures. There is no wicked 
 hand to purloin, nor defile with its polluting touch. 
 Its gates are barred by an omnipotent hand. 
 
 3. Saints in heaven will not, for a moment, be 
 separated from their inheritance. They cannot alienate 
 their possessions; they cannot be deprived of them. 
 Sin only could produce a separation. But God has 
 confirmed them in holiness. There will be no sus- 
 pension, no diminution of their enjoyment. " There 
 shall be no night there, and they need no candle, 
 neither light of the sun, for the Lord God giveth them 
 light, and they shall reign forever and ever." 
 
 4. The treasures of heaven are adapted to man's 
 better part, to the immortal soul ; and that soul bear- 
 ing the restored, perfect image of God. As the soul is 
 more valued than the body, so the treasures of heaven 
 are more valuable than those of earth. The latter, 
 unless wholly consecrated to God, can only feed the 
 appetite, delight the senses, pamper the body, in- 
 flate 'the pride, and please the fancy. But while the 
 soul may be miserably poor, in the midst of the richest 
 
SERMON XIV. 243 
 
 profusion of earthly good, <and th.at which is nourish- 
 ment to the body, prove fatal poison to the soul, the 
 saint carries none of these attributes of his carnal 
 nature with him to heaven. "Flesh and blood cannot 
 inherit the kingdom of God." " This corruptible must 
 put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on im- 
 mortality." The happiness of heaven will eminently 
 consist in the knowledge and love of God. And for 
 new attainments and degrees in these, the glorified 
 spirit will be perfectly fitted. These constitute the 
 highest happiness of Christians, in the present imper- 
 fect state. To know God here, limited as that know- 
 ledge is, is the beginning of eternal life. " This is 
 life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true 
 God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou has sent." God has 
 made but limited discoveries or revelations of himself 
 to his creatures, in this world. Enough only to 
 awaken the strongest desire to know him more per- 
 fectly. Nor could mortals endure a sight of him in 
 his heavenly glory. Mortal eyes are too feeble to 
 behold the glory of God and the splendor of heaven. 
 For this they must receive spiritual bodies ; to see as 
 they are seen, the saints must have other eyes than 
 those of sense. " There are celestial bodies and bodies 
 terrestrial. But the glory of the celestial is one, and 
 the glory of the terrestrial is another j" -perfectly and 
 infinitely different. 
 
 Once more. While the treasures of heaven are 
 adapted to the nature of the soul, they are adequate 
 
244 SERMOX XIV. 
 
 to its enlarged and constantly enlarging capacities and 
 desires. 
 
 Progression is essential to continued happiness. Mere 
 repetition will tire, will cloy. At least, this is true so 
 far as we can judge from what we now know of the 
 principles of human nature. I know not why this 
 should not be true of spiritual enjoyments. It seems 
 to be a law of our spiritual nature, equally operative 
 in an embodied and a disembodied state, and which no 
 sanctifying power of Divine grace can annul or affect. 
 In regard to spiritual enjoyment, the soul is not at all 
 dependent on the body. When Paul was caught up 
 to the third heavens, his discoveries filled him with 
 inexpressible ecstasy ; yet, he tells us, whether he was 
 in the body or out of the body, he could not say. We 
 are not, therefore, necessarily to infer that even in that 
 hour of high and ineffable enjoyment, his soul actually 
 left the body for a single moment. And we have often 
 had proof that the exercises of the mental faculties de- 
 pend not at all on the state of the body. Thousands 
 of Christians, on the dying bed, have had the most en- 
 larged conceptions of Divine things, and experienced 
 enjoyment altogether new to them, even when all the 
 functions of the body had ceased. 
 
 We adduce these cases to show, that in regard to 
 the happiness of the soul, it is safe and legitimate to 
 argue from the present to the future ; and if so, gradual 
 increase, constant advancement, is essential to eternal 
 perfect happiness. The notions which some seem to 
 
SERMON XIV. 245 
 
 entertain of the heavenly state are, to me at least, en- 
 tirely inconsistent with a state of perfect happiness ; 
 for many appear to imagine that the capacities of the 
 soul, on its entrance into heaven, are enlarged to their 
 utmost extent, never afterwards, during the cease- 
 less ages of eternity, to he surpassed ; that the capacity 
 of an infant spirit is not outmeasured by that of the 
 most mature saint, or even seraph ; and, of course, that 
 there is no progression, no increase, no advancement, 
 from glory to glory ; that the sum of enjoyment is as 
 great the first moment as at any subsequent lapse of 
 ages. This, to me, is inconsistent with all rational 
 views of a state of perfect bliss. It is contrary to all 
 the analogies to which we have referred, and, in my 
 judgment, to the very nature of the soul, and to all 
 the known laws by which the human mind is regu- 
 lated. On the contrary, therefore, we believe that 
 heaven is a place and state of eternal advancement ; 
 that the faculties of the soul will, by new acquisitions 
 of knowledge, be gradually but rapidly expanding; and 
 that, consequently, the sum of its happiness will be 
 eternally swelling. And our present argument is, that 
 the holy and immense treasures of heaven are adapted 
 in their nature, and adequate in their amount, to all 
 the enlarged and eternally enlarging capacities and 
 desires of the immortal soul. These treasures are ex- 
 haustless ; they centre in, they proceed from, the in- 
 finite God. 0, what a state, my brethren, must that 
 be, where the infinite Jehovah is constantly unfolding 
 
246 SERMON XIV. 
 
 new glories; where the soul is no less constantly 
 making new discoveries, is filled with new wonders, 
 and drinking in new pleasures ! To what a degree of 
 dignity, of knowledge, of bliss, and glory, will every 
 soul that enters heaven attain ! 
 
 Look, look upon that little infant — just now strug- 
 gling into life, and now struggling in the last agonies 
 of death ! Its lately inspired soul is worth ten thou- 
 sand worlds like this. It bears the stamp of a price- 
 less value. In the mysteries of Divine Providence, it 
 breaks away from its little frail tenement, to shine, 
 with powers enlarged, in glory. This, on its very en- 
 trance into heaven ! Yet this is its first degree — the 
 incipient step to endless advancement in knowledge 
 and in bliss. Think of it, ye bereaved, mourning pa- 
 rents, for you know how to appreciate the delightful 
 thought ; ye who have followed the little lump of clay 
 it left for you to bedew with your tears, and deposit in 
 the dust, think that while you were performing those 
 offices of tender, bleeding affection, how its spirit 
 mounted aloft! What new wonders it had already 
 traced in the infinite Godhead ; to what new degrees 
 of knowledge and happiness it had attained, even be- 
 fore the removal of its precious remains to the land of 
 silence ; — yes, even while it lay encoflfined in the dying 
 chamber, or enwrapt in the winding-sheet, or scarcely 
 cold in the embrace of death ! 
 
 Think of it, weeping parents, of an infant spirit gone 
 to heaven before you, and hushed be your sighs, and 
 
SERMON XIV. 247 
 
 wipe away your tears ! However limited its faculties 
 here were, they are destined to surpass what those of 
 Gabriel now are. Nor will they ever reach a bound, 
 either in knowledge or bliss, they will not pass. 
 
 0, what an infinite value, then, is enstamped on the 
 immortal soul ! And, my hearers, each of us has such 
 a soul ; and it may be saved. It is destined to exist 
 forever ; and it may exist in the ever-increasing enjoy- 
 ment of eternal glory. What a prize, then, is placed 
 before us ! How worthy of every effort to secure it ! 
 What sacrifice too great to obtain it ! 
 
 And now, let me ask in conclusion, shall the absorb- 
 ing cares, the eager pursuits of this world prevent 
 securing all this infinite and eternal good ? A world 
 which is to be forever blotted from existence. Shall 
 the small pittance of it, either of honors, or riches, or 
 pleasures, which a few years at longest, of supreme 
 and successful devotedness to it may secure — -pret-e^i^ ? 
 Who of you will be guilty of such folly and madness, 
 as to place that miserable pittance in successful 
 competition with the honors, the riches, the splendors, 
 the ineffable and unfading glories of heaven ? Alas, 
 the collected crowns, and diadems, and sceptres, and 
 revenues of kingdoms, what are they ! Yea, and ten 
 thousand worlds like this ; or as many, and as rich, 
 and as beautiful, as Omnipotence itself could bring 
 into being, but under the decree of final annihilation, 
 what were they ! If they stood between you and heaven, 
 their sacrifice were infinite wisdom. Who would re- 
 
248 SERMON XIV. 
 
 gret it, as he gazed on a world on fire — himself secure 
 in heaven? And yet, for what trifles are countless 
 millions of our race bartering away that heaven ! Bar- 
 tering, in the sense that heaven is attainable — barter- 
 ing it for a few baubles ! a few gilded toys ! a little 
 glittering dust! a puff of human praise ! a short round 
 of giddy and sordid pleasures ! 
 
 And are these little and transient possessions, these 
 momentary pleasures, the terms on which they make 
 the sacrifice ? And when all these are over and gone 
 forever, is the mere recollection of the short-lived pos- 
 session to be the remuneration for a heaven lost ! Ay, 
 and the boon for a hell secured ! 
 
 We object to no man's possession of all that he can 
 honestly acquire of this world's treasures — reminding 
 him of the claims which God and benevolence have 
 upon it. But that is dishonestly acquired, be it 
 much or be it little, which robs the soul of salvation; 
 the poor man who yields to the absorbing influence of 
 the world, is as certainly lost as the rich man. 
 
 But we have done. I have feebly placed the 
 treasures of earth and heaven in contrast before you. 
 If we will prefer the former, it is with a full know- 
 ledge of the consequences. The folly, the guilt, and 
 the ruin which follow are all our own, and of our own 
 procuring, while God is clear, and will be glorified in 
 our eternal destruction. 
 
XV. 
 
 ANALOGY BETWEEN THE 
 
 ISRAELITES' JOURNEY TO CANAAN, AND 
 THE CHRISTIAN'S JOURNEY TO HEAVEN. 
 
 "They wandered in the wilderness in a solitai-y way: they found no city 
 to dwell in ; hungry and thirsty their soul fainted in them. Then they 
 cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their dis- 
 tresses. And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a 
 city of habitation." — Psalm 107 : 4-7. 
 
 In this passage the Psahnist alludes to the journey- 
 ings of the Israelites from Egypt to Canaan. The dis- 
 tance between the place of their departure and that of 
 their destination was very short. But they were 
 forty years in accomplishing their journey. They 
 wandered in the wilderness. Their course was ex- 
 ceedingly erratic, solitary, difficult, and arduous. They 
 often murmured, and were thrown into perplexities 
 and distresses. They often sought to return to the 
 country which they had left, resuming the practices 
 and customs which they had professed most solemnly 
 to renounce and abandon. But their way was hedged 
 up, and they were plunged into new difficulties and 
 trials. Sometimes they appeared desirous of settling 
 down short of the country of their destined rest. But 
 
250 SERMON xy. 
 
 they found no city to dwell in. They were left to the 
 pains of hunger and thirst, and their soul fainted in 
 them. But their distresses, though the consequence 
 of their iniquities, were not visited upon them, merely 
 as a punishment, but as disciplhiari/ and as correc- 
 tives. God had only their best good in view. He 
 thereby showed them the sin and folly of self-depend- 
 ence and distrust of his wisdom and goodness, and 
 how soon and certainly they would be destroyed if 
 left to their own control and guidance. Hence, in 
 their troubles, they cried unto the Lord ; and he mer- 
 cifully heard them, and delivered them out of their dis- 
 tresses, and led them forth by the right way, that they 
 might go to a city of habitation ; a place of permanent 
 abode and rest and blessings, which God had prepared 
 for them. 
 
 These remarks are a mere commentary on the text, 
 which furnishes a history of the main points of the 
 forty years' experience of the Israelites in the wilder- 
 ness, from Egypt to Canaan. And what Christian can 
 fail to see how close and striking the points of coinci- 
 dence between their experience and that of the people 
 of God now, and in every generation, in his dealings to- 
 wards them, and their course from this world to the king- 
 dom of heaven, the place which God has prepared for 
 their eternal abode ! Inspired writers themselves have 
 often referred to the one, to illustrate the other. A 
 principal reason for this is, that true religion is emi- 
 nently practical. While it is founded on those great 
 
SERMON XV. 251 
 
 principles which are laid, and which produce a renovat- 
 ing effect on the heart, they are designed to exert a con- 
 trolling influence over the life. It does not consist in 
 a system of doctrines, to be believed only ; in a creed, 
 however correct. Such a system or creed is, indeed, 
 necessary — is absolutely essential, whether in a formal 
 manner expressed or not. No man's conduct is likely 
 to be better than his belief, nor will be correct in the 
 belief of essentially erroneous sentiments. Correct 
 evangelical views of Divine truth, however, will be in- 
 volved in the course which I have prescribed to myself 
 in the remarks to be submitted. 
 
 My object will be to trace the parallel, or points of 
 agreement between the two courses which we have 
 intimated. 
 
 I. As the Israelites took their departure from a 
 land of bondage, so have Christians come out from 
 the world, a state, though of a dijBferent kind, yet one 
 of no less severe bondage. No bondage is worse than 
 bondage to sin. It is the bondage of man's immortal 
 part, — bondage of the soul. It is the being led cap- 
 tive to the will of the great adversary of God and of 
 man, of the glory of the one, and the highest interests 
 of the other. Sin has blighted a world, which origin- 
 ally reflected only the glorious perfections of its 
 Maker; has changed its whole aspect; turned all its 
 loveliness, not indeed into physical deformity, but 
 into objects and sources of temptation, which subjects 
 the soul to the worst kind of servitude, — to moral 
 
252 SERMON XV. 
 
 deformity and endless ruin. On its account, God 
 cursed the very ground. And what was originally 
 created for an abode of the purest freedom and happi- 
 ness, became a thorny wilderness — a world of sickness, 
 sorrow, pain, and death. Provision has indeed been 
 made for man's redemption from such a state ; ample 
 atonement for his sin has been made, by the greatest 
 sacrifice which heaven itself could furnish ; and there 
 are yet to be new heavens and a new earth wherein 
 dwelleth righteousness ; and to this high and happy 
 destiny those will be exalted who here bear God's re- 
 stored moral image. Hence the command, " Come 
 out from the world, and be ye separate." Break 
 aw^ay from this bondage to sin. Renounce the prin- 
 ciples, customs, and fashions of this world. And 
 true Christians have obeyed this Divine injunction. 
 They have been liberated from this bondage, and set 
 their faces towards the heavenly Canaan. This is no 
 less a reality to them than the Exodus was to the 
 children of Israel. They have themselves viewed it 
 as a step of no less importance — of the highest impor- 
 tance. They have equally professed to turn their 
 faces from all the tempting objects, and all the crush- 
 ing restraints, and cruel servitude of their former foes, 
 and their former experience. They commenced, too, 
 their course with like resolutions to persevere in it to 
 the end. 
 
 In the commencement of their respective courses, 
 there is a fact of deep solemnity, which publicly 
 
SERMOX XV. 2-")3 
 
 marked their fir.st step, which ought not to pass un- 
 noticed. That first step with both was taken under 
 all the solemnities of a special Divine ordinance, both 
 designed to direct the mind and the eye of faith to 
 the same object, and both solemnly binding to the 
 same glorious Being. With the one, it was the Pass- 
 over — with the other, the Sacramental Supper. Both 
 had special regard to Christ, the Messiah. With the 
 one, as yet to come. With the other, as already 
 come. The look was only in different directions, but 
 it was to the same object. Under thesp solemnities, 
 they both set their faces towards Canaan, and that 
 infinitely better world, of which Canaan was but a 
 type ; and probably felt, as they then resolved, that 
 their course would always be onward. For, without 
 such a purpose and feeling, with proper dependence 
 on Divine grace, the evidence would be wanting of 
 even sincerity in the profession which is made,' if even 
 this were all. But 
 
 II. There is another and sadder point of coincidence 
 between those Israelites and Christians generally. 
 
 The former soon began to wander. Scarcely had 
 they reached their first station or encampment at the 
 edge of the wilderness, before their murmurings com- 
 menced. On the very first appearance of danger, they 
 desponded, their faith failed, and they said to Moses, 
 " Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou 
 taken us away to die in the wilderness ? Wherefore 
 hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of 
 
254 SERMON XV. 
 
 Egypt ? It had been better for us to have served the 
 Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness." 
 And notwithstanding a signal act of Providence in 
 their behalf, they had scarcely sung their first song of 
 triumph over their enemies, when they again gave 
 proofs of sad defection. The faithfulness and goodness 
 of God so soon lost all their influence over them. 
 
 It is indeed true, that the parallel between them 
 and Christians generally does not hold, in all these 
 points of view ; it is to be borne in mind, that they 
 were not all Israel that were of Israel. Probably few 
 of them had real faith, while the chief objects at which 
 they looked, and by which they were influenced, were 
 temporal blessings. In these particulars, the points 
 of agreement would be seen only between them and 
 hypocrites, or the self-deceived ; yet their conduct can- 
 not fail to remind us of a lamentable fact, scarcely 
 less common and censurable, viz., the readiness with 
 which Christians, true converts, leave their first love, 
 the influence which the world exerts over them, their 
 return to practices which they once, and very properly, 
 regarded as inconsistent with Christian character and 
 the Christian profession. There may be an abatement 
 of the mere ardor or fervor of love where real love is 
 not diminished, but in fact has become a steadier and 
 firmer principle of Christian action or conduct. This 
 is seen in many a growing Christian, in many a mature 
 Christian, compared with his appearance at and soon 
 after the period of his conversion. There are also 
 
SERMON XV. 255 
 
 numerous instances where what at first had the ap- 
 pearance of ardent love was only the excitement of 
 animal feelings. This of course will soon subside ; but 
 unhappily, too many such are unwisely and incautiously 
 received into the Church, often to their own great 
 injury and injury of the Church. But abating both 
 these classes, it is too true, generally, that real 
 Christians are often found in a state of sad declension. 
 Like the Israelites, many of whom we have reason to 
 believe were truly pious, they wander in a solitary 
 way ; not merely an unfrequented way, but a discon- 
 solate way, and which affords no comfort or real en- 
 joyment. It has particular respect to the state of the 
 mind. And how perfectly descriptive is this of the 
 true Christian, when fallen into a state of declension. 
 He may not neglect the observance of the external 
 duties of religion. But they are performed in a list- 
 less, cold, and formal manner. Prayer is lip-service, 
 rather than that of the heart. Nor is it unlikely, 
 that in such a state, even external duties are often 
 omitted. It is not that the mind itself is less occupied, 
 but too much engrossed with other things. And when 
 the hours of reflection come, as come they will to a 
 real, but delinquent child of God, I need not say, 
 there can be little or no enjoyment, and that the way 
 of such a man is solitary, gloomy, sad, cheerless. 
 
 III. There is a more lamentable point of coincidence, 
 though but an advanced stage of delinquency to that 
 just considered. The Israelites often looked back to 
 
256 SERMON XV. 
 
 the country which they had left with strong desire to 
 return to it, though, at the time of their departure, 
 they rejoiced to turn their backs upon it forever. 
 And though not permitted to do that, they wished to 
 settle down in a city short of the place of their desti- 
 nation. This was not merely as a place of residence ; 
 but implied a desire of those practices, customs, and 
 enjoyments of a worldly nature, which they had on 
 their departure renounced ; and though they found no 
 such place to dwell in, yet it showed the worldly state 
 of their minds and hearts. How like the same is the 
 course of multitudes, perhaps at times, of most Chris- 
 tians ! The particular objects may not be the same ; 
 yet there is the same disregard of God's authority and 
 of their own vows ; the same selfishness, which is the 
 source and essence of all sin. When they come out 
 from the world, and by profession, publicly separate 
 themselves from the world, it is w^ith a strong purpose 
 and resolve to return no more to its sinful practices. 
 
 But soon their firmness is shaken. Their desires 
 and purposes are not dismissed at once, but only 
 relaxed. They commence a compromise with their 
 consciences. At length they yield some important 
 point, with scarcely a suspicion that they have made 
 any sacrifice of religious principle, or that they have 
 entered on forbidden ground. Or, should such a sus- 
 picion arise, some excuse or palliation is ready at 
 hand. Like the Israelites in the last stage of their 
 rebellion against God, they have not actually molten 
 
SER>fON XV. 2ol 
 
 or formed an image before wliicli to fall down and 
 worship, saying, "These are our gods;" but they 
 have their idols. Mammon, which embraces every- 
 thing but the true God, has supplanted him in the 
 affections of their hearts. Their cares multiply, and 
 become more pressing in their demands, and of course 
 more absorbing. Religious duties are crowded out of 
 their place : God's word, less frequently and less care- 
 fully read, or wholly deferred to the leisure of the 
 Sabbath. The closet for secret jDrayer and commu- 
 nion wilh him who seeth in secret, is less often visited. 
 The family altar, if ever erected, is prostrated : God's 
 holy day less strictly observed, one of the most deci- 
 sive marks of a church in declension. 
 
 If the express, authoritative command of God to 
 keep holy the Sabbath day is not strictly observed, 
 we may rest assured, there is little else which God 
 approves or accepts. And that command, let it be 
 borne in mind, is not violated only by the transaction 
 of the ordinary business of the world, or making ar- 
 rangements for it, or by journeying ; but no less so 
 by social visits ; by walks for pleasure and recrea- 
 tion; by light reading; by sleeping away its sacred 
 hours. It is indeed a day of rest, but only fi'om 
 secular employments. God has kindly appointed it 
 to attend to the high concerns of the soul, with more 
 entire freedom from worldly cares. It seems to be 
 too prevalent an opinion, at least, general practice 
 would presume the existence of such an opinion, and 
 
 17 
 
258 SERMON XV. 
 
 even settled belief, that only the time actually spent 
 in the house of God is holy time. And with multi- 
 tudes who are found regularly in the sanctuary on 
 the Sabbath, and not a few professed Christians, that 
 is scarcely more than one hour of that day ! 
 
 But to dwell no longer on this single mark of de- 
 clining. The Israelites, notwithstanding they sought 
 a city to dwell in, a place of worldly enjoyment, found 
 none. But not limiting this fact to what was literally 
 true in their case, it suggests what is no less true, as 
 applied to Christians, that they can find no satisfying 
 portion on earth. This world can afford no such 
 possession. For every purpose of a fair experiment 
 some have had enough of riches, enjoyed enough of 
 honors, and tasted deep enough of pleasures, to make 
 of this world a heaven, if heaven on earth could be 
 formed. As the Psalmist expresses it : " They have 
 more than heart could wish." They have no appre- 
 hension as to the validity and permanence of their 
 titles to wdiat they possess : for " their inward thought 
 is, that their houses shall continue forever, and their 
 dwelling-places to all generations : they call their 
 lands after their own names." Of all these things, 
 'and of all that can be gathered or extracted from this 
 world, the wisest man who ever lived, has pronounced 
 all vanity and vexation of spirit. If it be true, as 
 has been sometimes asserted, that the wicked would 
 be willing to accept of what this world could afford, 
 as their eternal portion, their choice is founded on an 
 
■SERM(3N XV. 250 
 
 entire ignorance of what heaven is, on an entire desti- 
 tution of what qualifies one for the enjoyment of that 
 world, or which is not less likely, on their reasonable 
 apprehensions of what awaits them when called to 
 leave this world. Expressed in few and plainer 
 terms, it is a choice of this world as an eternal portion, 
 in preference to a world of endless despair, or a 
 reasonable dread of it. 
 
 But one thing is certain, namely, that the renewing 
 grace of God has awakened desires in the soul which 
 the possession of all this world could never satisfy. 
 God alone can do this. And the more he is known 
 and loved, the less are all things else desired. We 
 often see a practical test of this truth in the entire 
 contentment, and cheerful and even joyful resignation 
 of the man of deep poverty and severe affliction, over 
 one in different and opposite circumstances, though 
 himself a Christian. St. Paul was an eminent 
 example of this, who "gloried in infirmities, in re- 
 proaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, 
 for Christ's sake ; for when I am weak, then am I 
 strong." 
 
 With the individual who has been born again (to 
 return to the particular point under consideration), 
 however grievously he may sin, he can never have 
 the same relish for any sinful pursuits or acts, as before 
 his experience of that change. If he have, there is 
 strong evidence of self-deception in the belief that he 
 has passed from death unto life. His conscience can- 
 
260 SERMON XV. 
 
 not be seared, nor its voice wholly silenced. This is 
 what the Apostle John meant, when he wrote, " Who- 
 soever is born of God doth not commit sin ; for his 
 seed remaineth in him, and he cannot sin, because he 
 is born of God." This does not mean that he is i^er- 
 fect. For he had just before said, " If we say we have 
 no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in 
 us." Nor does it mean only, that he will not be left 
 so to sin as finally to perish. But with this, it im- 
 plies also the fact, that he that is born of God will 
 never be left to sin with that relish, that satisfaction, 
 as before. There will be a thorn concealed in every 
 sinful pleasure. 
 
 Whatever may be the charms of this world to sin- 
 ners, its glory will be obscured to the child of God. A 
 world that sin has marred, and God on its account has 
 cursed, can never afford real satisfaction to one on 
 whom the Divine image has been reimpressed. 
 
 There is that in the new" constitution of the Chris- 
 tian, which the gracious presence of God only can 
 satisfy. He will, indeed, wander, but he cannot be 
 happy in his wanderings. God will shoot his arrows 
 at him, and the wounds will rankle, till he resorts to 
 the Cross for renewed application of the Saviour's 
 blood. Here is found a characteristic difference be- 
 tween a real Christian and a false professor. The false 
 professor has never come out from the world, save by 
 an empty profession. He has never lost his relish for 
 the sinful pursuits and pleasures of the w^orld. It is 
 
SERMON XV. 261 
 
 not so with the individual who has been born again. 
 Here is a decisive test and easily applied. 
 
 Let us now show God's dealings towards his people : 
 I. He withholds his judgments till his mercies prove 
 unavailing. This is apparent to every careful exami- 
 nation of his conduct towards his ancient people ; and 
 there is, perhaps, no exception to this course of his 
 treatment, either of individuals, of the Church, or 
 indeed of nations. Blessings are first promised and 
 bestowed, and abused, before judgments are sent. This 
 is so evident, that I need not spend time to prove it. 
 God himself has declared that "judgment is his strange 
 work." This is so in two respects. It is rare, com- 
 pared with the mercies and blessings bestowed : and 
 never sent but from absolute necessity. He himself 
 tells us, " He does not willingly afflict and grieve the 
 children of men." He tells us that he is love, that is 
 his nature. And though justice is but a modification 
 of his love, yet that is exercised in acts of punishment, 
 of calamities and judgments, only when the direct ex- 
 ercise of his love fails to produce its proper and appro- 
 priate effects. This was the only reason why angels 
 were banished from heaven. The only reason why 
 the incorrigible and finally impenitent are sent to hell, 
 or any of our race experience calamities and afflictions. 
 Even in this most awful doom, God declares, with an 
 oath, that he takes no pleasure. "As I live, saith the 
 Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, 
 but that he turn from his evil ways and live." And 
 
262 SERMON XV. 
 
 in all the tenderness of the most impassioned entreaty 
 cries, " Turn ye, turn ye, why will ye die ?" 
 
 Language similar to this is not uncommon in the 
 Bible, as coming from the lips of Jehovah: "0, that 
 they were wise, that they understood this, that they 
 would consider their latter end ! How shall I give 
 thee up, Ephraim ? How shall I deliver thee, Israel ? 
 how shall I make thee as Admah ? how shall I set 
 thee as Zeboim?" — that is, consume them as those 
 abandoned cities of the plain were consumed : " Mine 
 heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled 
 together." And when their provocations had reached 
 the utmost pitch of daring : " The Lord saith. Because 
 they have forsaken my law, which I set before them, 
 and have not obeyed my voice, neither walked therein, 
 but have walked after the imaginations of their own 
 heart ; therefore, thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God 
 of Israel, Behold, I will feed them, even this people, 
 with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink ; 
 and I will send a sword after them, till I have con- 
 sumed them." In regard to individuals, their course, 
 and God's conduct towards them, I refer you to the 
 latter part of the first chapter of Proverbs. 
 
 But it should be borne in mind, that the Divine 
 anger is in proportion to the intensity of the Divine 
 love, when slighted and abused. No anguish, there- 
 fore, is so keen as when that love is turned to holy 
 indignation. Hence, that most appalling description 
 of the wretchedness of those whose condition is por- 
 
SERMON XV. 2G3 
 
 traycd in the closing verses of the sixth chapter of 
 Revelations : " Fall on ns, 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 wrath is come, 
 and who shall be able to stand?" "Wrath of the 
 Lamb !" terms most incongruous, and, apparently, con- 
 tradictory. An emblem of all that is mild and gentle, 
 and often applied to the Saviour; but all that mildness 
 and gentleness giving place to all that is withering, 
 crushing, and consuming ! 
 
 IL There is a limit, beyond which the sins of God's 
 people will not be suffered to go. When they reach 
 that limit, he will interpose by severe judgments. 
 This is true of individuals, of nations, and of his 
 Church. Thus, of the Amorites of old, it was said : 
 *•' Their iniquity is not yet full;" and they were still 
 spared. So, also, our Saviour to the Scribes and Phari- 
 sees : " Fill ye up the measure of your fathers," — 
 meaning those who killed the prophets. And this is 
 seen in the wdiole history of God's dealings towards 
 his ancient people. He bears long, but will not bear 
 always. His own honor, and faithfulness to them, 
 forbid it. The text furnishes an illustration : The 
 Israelites were afflicted with hunger and thirst. We 
 often find them suffering these and other severe cahi- 
 mities during their journeyings ; but neither these nor 
 other calamities were sent upon them till their mur- 
 murings and rebellion had reached the highest point 
 of provocation. This is seen throughout their entire 
 
264 SERMON XV. 
 
 history. These judgments were generally without in- 
 stigation. Thousands, and even tens of thousands, 
 were cut oif from the land of the living by a sudden 
 blow, either by pestilence or the direct hand of God. 
 We are now, however, speaking of those who are 
 really, and not by profession merely or external rela- 
 tion, the people of God ; for false professors have no 
 assurance of recovery from their wanderings, or state 
 of distance from God, more than any other class of 
 sinners. Indeed, the prospect is far less that they 
 will ever be reclaimed. The severest judgments are 
 usually lost upon them. In their case, God has not 
 covenanted to make his judgments the means of bring- 
 ing them to repentance ; nor do they, in point of fact, 
 generally have that effect. This is seen in all in- 
 stances, perhaps without exception, where God has 
 sent the desolating pestilence. Where have you ever 
 known, not a revival of religion, in the common ac- 
 ceptation of that phrase, but even any special attention 
 to the subject of religion, even where hundreds have 
 been daily hurried into eternity, and for many weeks, 
 and even months ? We have yet to hear of the first 
 instance, either of false professors in the Church, or of 
 impenitent sinners out of it; and but too seldom of 
 any proper effect being produced on the real children 
 of God, when fallen into a state of deep slumber or 
 deep declension. Hence, I remark : 
 
 III. That where judgments are sent on the true 
 people of God for their sins, whatever those sins may 
 
SERMON XV. 265 
 
 be, Avlietlier gross neglect of duty, or the commission 
 of high offences, or too deep engagedness in the affairs 
 'of the world, whether of a public or of a private nature, 
 those judgments will be continued, and in increasing 
 severity, till a salutary effect is produced. God said 
 to Samuel, " Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at 
 which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall 
 tingle. In that day I will perform against Eli all 
 things which I have spoken concerning his house : 
 when I begin I will also make an end." What was 
 thus threatened against, and executed upon, a single 
 branch of his people, finds a general illustration in 
 the history of his people as a body, in all ages of the 
 Church. Where that history has been written with 
 the pen of inspiration, I know not of a single ex- 
 ception. I need refer you only to those chapters of it, 
 which record the forty years' journeyings of the 
 Israelites through the wilderness. Mercies never 
 follow judgments when once they are sent, until those 
 judgments have produced the effect w^hich they were 
 intended to produce. This position also finds an evi- 
 dence and an illustration of its truth in the experience 
 of individual Christians. Take the case of a child of 
 God under the more ordinary afflictions of bereave- 
 ment of near and dear relatives. We do not, indeed, 
 class these under the head of Divine judgments. 
 Usually, they are not so. Nor are they sent in anger, 
 but often with a view to the higher improvement of 
 those who are thus afflicted. Yet when this effect is 
 
266 SERMON XV. 
 
 not produced, God will not lift his heavy hand from 
 the sufferer ; but increase its weight by actually send- 
 ing, or fearfully threatening still heavier blows, till 
 murmurings have ceased, and given place to uncom- 
 plaining and cordial submission. And this will be the 
 effect on every real Christian, after the first paroxysms 
 of grief are over, and the mind is settled down to a 
 state of calm and sober reflection. Where this is not 
 the result, but it is left for time, or deeper and more 
 engrossing engagements in the business or pleasures of 
 the world to wear off, or banish one's sorrows, the 
 evidence is strong that he has no well-founded title to 
 the character of a real Christian. And this will soon 
 be seen, as generally it is seen, in deeper hardness, 
 and moral insensibility. Neither judgments nor any 
 kind of afflictions are ever sent in vain, that is, without 
 producing some effect. If the effect is not salutary, it 
 will be injurious. If the heart is not softened, it will 
 be hardened. St. Paul, speaking of the Gospel, as 
 preached by him, utters a universal truth, when he 
 says, " For we are unto God a sweet savor of Christ 
 in them that are saved, and in them that are lost. To 
 the one we are the savor of death unto death ; and to 
 the other the savor of life unto life." Peter too, speak- 
 ing of Christ, as the sum and substance of the Gospel, 
 uttered the same solemn truth, when he said, " Unto 
 you which believe he is precious; but unto them which 
 be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, 
 the same is made the head of the corner, and a stone 
 
SERMON XV. 267 
 
 of stumbling, and a rock of olTencG to tliem -which 
 stumble at the word, being disobedient; whereunto 
 also they were appointed." But 
 
 IV. There is another truth, of no less extensive 
 application in the same circumstances, as in the case 
 of the distressed Israelites, namely, that when " they 
 cried unto the Lord in their trouble, he delivered them 
 out of their distresses." And what truth more cheering 
 than this ? Here too is seen the benevolence of God 
 in his dealings towards his creatures. And we may 
 add, in nothing is more clearly seen human depravity 
 in all its depth and blackness ! God would win men 
 to his favor and to everlasting happiness by his good- 
 ness and mercies. But when these fail to produce 
 their legitimate effects, instead of abandoning them to 
 endless ruin, he still holds them back ; hedges up the 
 way of his own people, but for which theywould rush 
 on to perdition, as well as usually arrests and reclaims 
 sinners by the same process. And as he led forth the 
 children of Israel by the right way, that they might 
 go to a city of habitation, so he leads his people now, by 
 the only effectual means, to heaven, the city of the 
 redeemed and glorified. 
 
 It is the right way, because it is the only effectual 
 way. Left to himself, and not a Christian would ever 
 reach the kingdom of heaven. He would turn his 
 back at its very door, did he stand on its threshold. 
 Bather, he would never make any approach to that 
 
268 SERMON XV. 
 
 world. Such is the human heart, even when partially 
 sanctified. 
 
 The practical lessons suggested by this discourse 
 are so obvious, they scarcely require a distinct state- 
 ment. I will, however, state a few of them. 
 
 1. They furnish a test of Christian character. Few 
 of us have been exempt from trials more or less severe, 
 and some drunken deeply of the cup of sorrow. Their 
 effects furnish the test to which I allude. The inquiry 
 of each of us who profess to be the children of God is, 
 what have those effects been ? 
 
 2. It is a question, certainly, of no less interest or 
 pertinence, how the vows we voluntarily assumed on 
 the public consecration of ourselves to Jehovah have 
 been kept : whether, in the sense intended, and then 
 solemnly expressed, we " came out from the world," 
 and have since "kept ourselves unspotted from the 
 world ;" and what, in all these respects, is our present 
 position ? And let it be borne in mind, that an un- 
 willingness or neglect actually to make this inquiry, 
 with a sincere and earnest desire to ascertain this 
 point, is itself proof that it will not bear examination. 
 
 3. Another point of inquiry is, whether we can rea- 
 sonably expect God's blessing, or still more reasonably 
 apprehend his frowns and judgments. Those judg- 
 ments are extensively abroad in the land, and if the 
 distant sound of them do not arouse and reclaim us 
 from our slumbers and wanderings from God, then, 
 when they shall actually come, we may expect no 
 
SERMOX XV. 269 
 
 mitigation. For when he begins he will also make an 
 end, and that end will be fearfully desolating. The 
 great principles of the Divine government are the same 
 in every age. They are unvarying. Like conduct on 
 the part of his people will be met with like conduct on 
 his part. 
 
 Finally. It is a point of deep and solemn inquiry 
 wdth all who are yet uninterested in the salvation of 
 Christ, whether God's mercies have, through their 
 abuse of them, become so far exhausted as to be fol- 
 lowed by his judgments. We have seen that, ordina- 
 rily, at least, there is such a point in God's treatment 
 towards them. He would first win sinners by his 
 mercy. Judgment is his strange work, and is not sent 
 till mercy fails to produce its proper effect. But even 
 this is not the most alarming consideration. For God 
 often sends his judgments as the first and only efiectual 
 means of awakening sinners to a sense of their condi- 
 tion, and thus drive them to the Saviour. The most 
 hopeless of all conditions is that of utter unconcern : 
 when neither the wooing love, nor the threatened 
 wrath of Jehovah afiects them. When unmoved they 
 can hear the thunders of Sinai, and the melting accents 
 of Calvary. When that point is reached, then is it 
 that they are given over to judicial blindness of mind 
 and hardness of heart. Whether any among us have 
 reached that state, to remain in his unconcernedness 
 till aroused to all the awful realities of endless perdi- 
 tion, a short time at longest will decide. 
 
XVL 
 DEPRAVITY OF HUMAN NATURE. 
 
 " I perceive that thou ai't in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of 
 iniquity." — Acts 8 : 23. 
 
 These words were addressed by the Apostle Peter 
 to Simon Magus, or Simon the Sorcerer, who is repre- 
 sented in this chapter as exerting a very powerful 
 influence over the public mind, by his magical per- 
 formances. On the ]3reaching of Philip to the inhabi- 
 tants of Samaria, multitudes of whom were savingly 
 converted, this individual also professed his belief of 
 the Gospel, and was baptized; and beholding the 
 miracles and signs which were done, became deeply 
 interested, whether sincerely, or pretendedly, is not 
 expressly stated, although the result soon showed, not 
 only his great ignorance of the Christian religion, but 
 the deep corruption of his heart. Philip, though 
 endowed with the power of working miracles, had 
 neither the gift of discerning spirits, nor the power 
 of conferring the Holy Spirit in his extraordinary 
 operations, which was communicated only to and by 
 the Apostles. They, hearing of the work of grace in 
 
SERMON XVI. 271 
 
 Samaria, sent Peter and John thither ; " who, when 
 they were come down, prayed for them, that they 
 might receive the Holy Ghost. Then laid they their 
 hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. 
 And when Simon saw that through laying on of 
 the Apostles' hands, the Holy Ghost was given, he 
 offered them money, saying, Give me also this power, 
 that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the 
 Holy Ghost. Peter said unto him, Thy money perish 
 with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of 
 God may be purchased with money. Thou hast 
 neither part nor lot in this matter : for thy heart is 
 not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore 
 of this thy wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the 
 thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee. For I 
 perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in 
 the bond of iniquity." 
 
 In this closing sentence, which I have selected as 
 my text, there are suggested the two following 
 general topics. 
 
 I. The wretched state of the human heart by 
 nature. And 
 
 II. The great difficulty of deliverance from that 
 state. 
 
 It will be my object to show and illustrate these 
 two f icts. 
 
 I. The wretched state of the human heart by 
 nature. 
 
 The text, it is true, was directly applied to Simon, 
 
272 SERMON XVI. 
 
 whose condition had been pieviously described, as 
 above briefly stated. We do not present him as a 
 fair example of all who are in a state of nature. 
 Although there are many who have surpassed even 
 him, as men judge of comparative guilt, and probably 
 in the judgment of heaven. Allowance may be made 
 for gross ignorance. We have little or no certain 
 knowledge of him beyond what is related of him in 
 this chapter; and we are not authorized to go beyond 
 this record. It was indeed a daring presumption, and 
 even a species of blasphemy, to attempt to purchase the 
 power of the Holy Ghost to work miracles. This in 
 no small degree may be ascribed to his ignorance; 
 and upon the reproof which he received from the 
 Apostle, he manifested some sensibility of conscience, 
 though it may be ascribed to a wrong motive : " Pray 
 ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things 
 which ye have spoken come upon me." What those 
 things were we are not told, more than that his 
 wickedness was great ; that he had no part nor lot in 
 this matter, that is, in the salvation of the Gospel; 
 and that his heart was not right in the sight of God. 
 Probably, also, he recalled the preaching of Pliilip on 
 the denunciations of God's displeasure and wrath 
 against impenitent sinners in the future world. But 
 the truth is, that his case is only a fuller development 
 of certain traits or principles which may be inherent 
 in every unsanctified heart, and which lie dormant, 
 only because circumstances are not favorable to call 
 
SERMON XVL 273 
 
 them forth : that it is only the manifestation of one 
 phase of the natural heart, and no worse in the sight 
 of the heart-searching God than he sees in every im- 
 penitent sinner. With God the heart is the man, 
 though different degrees of guilt may attach to dif- 
 ferent actions, not because they are more displeasing 
 to God, but because of more injurious consequences to 
 others. There are numerous offences, in regard to the 
 comparative guilt of which, it is not easy for man to 
 decide, whether limited in their consequences to the 
 offender himself, or extending to others : or even be- 
 tween the two classes of private and public offences. 
 What greater offence than to tread under foot the 
 Son of God, and put him to open shame, and count 
 the blood wherewith he is sanctified an unholy thing, 
 and do despite to the Spirit of Grace ! 
 
 But the consequences of this are one's own. He 
 that does this, sins against his own soul. And the 
 Apostle Paul charges the guilt of all this upon those 
 who reject the Lord Jesus Christ and his salvation, 
 when offered to them. Did the sin of Simon Magus 
 exceed this ? He, indeed, acted out his sin, while the 
 sin of rejecting Christ may be confined to the heart. 
 Ah, how many sin thus quietly ! Overt action is not 
 essential to the deepest hostility. If restraints are 
 thrown around one which prevent a public outbreak, 
 the real crime may be the same in the sight of God. 
 Our Saviour has designated heart-sins by the same terms 
 as the sins of life : see examples of it in the fifth chap- 
 
 18 
 
274 SERMON XVI. 
 
 t9r of Matthew. Because the blow of the murderer is 
 interrupted, or his intended victim eludes it, is he not 
 a murderer in the view of heaven ? 
 
 Again, selfishness is the essence of all sin. It is the 
 worst kind of idolatry. It is in all its aspects directly 
 opposed to God in his whole nature, character, and 
 authority. It shows itself in a variety of ways, ac- 
 cording to the ruling passions of men : it is more 
 obvious in some than in others. But the form of 
 it is of little consequence in the sight of God. In 
 this consisted the essence of Simon's sin. Even if we 
 ascribe to him the worst motives, their whole force 
 and power over him originated in his ambition and 
 avarice. He had lost his influence among the people, 
 by the preaching of Philip ; his reputation as " the 
 mighty power of God," as they had regarded him, 
 was gone, and the hope of gain was gone with it. 
 It was natural to wish to regain his former stand- 
 ing. Suppose him a consummate hypocrite, and which 
 certainly does not appear from the narrative itself, 
 might not the same thing have been true of any other 
 impenitent man, placed in his circumstances ? Is not 
 then his case a fair example of what the unsanctified 
 heart of any other man is capable of? 0, how often 
 has the religion of Jesus Christ been prostituted to the 
 vilest purposes, been the covering of deep and dark 
 iniquities, and made the means of accomplishing ends 
 which were purely selfish ! Because human nature is 
 acted out, it is no worse than God sees it in the un- 
 sanctified heart. 
 
SERMON XVI. 275 
 
 But let us leave the developments of human nature 
 in its unsanctified state, as it is manifested by indivi- 
 duals, and see how God has described it in his holy 
 word. And I remark, 
 
 1. That the most appalling description which is 
 given of human nature is, not as it is exhibited by 
 individuals, but as a mass. Individuals are never re- 
 ferred to, except as illustrating certain traits or proper- 
 ties of it. This, I think, might readily be shown on 
 an examination of each case, as we have already seen 
 in the one before us. Listen, then, to the following 
 inspired declarations, which I have selected from the 
 Bible as mere specimens : " God looked down from 
 heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were 
 any that did understand, that seek God. Every one 
 of them is gone back, they all together become filthy : 
 there is none that doetli good; no, not one." "He 
 fashioneth their hearts alike." "As in water, face an- 
 swereth face, so the heart of man to man." "What 
 is man, that he should be clean !" " Tiie wicked are 
 estranged from the womb." " That which is born of 
 the flesh is flesh." "And we are by nature the chil- 
 dren of wrath." " Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, 
 and in sin did my mother conceive me." " For I know 
 that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good 
 thing." " So, then, they that are in the flesh cannot 
 please God." " The natural man receiveth not the 
 things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness 
 unto him, neither can he know them, because they 
 
276 SERMON XVI. 
 
 are spiritually discerned." "Dead in trespasses and 
 sins." " The heart of the sons of men is full of evil, 
 and madness is in their heart while they live, and 
 after that they go to the dead." "Haters of God." 
 " Because the carnal mind is enmity against God ; for 
 it is not subject to the law of God, neither, indeed, can 
 be." To these might be added unnumbered passages, 
 of precisely the same import, all of which are descrip- 
 tive of human nature, as a mass; as it universally 
 exists in the human family ; as it respects every indi- 
 vidual of our race, unsanctified by the grace of God. 
 And can more decisive language be employed to ex- 
 press the entireness of the moral depravity of hu- 
 man nature ? 
 
 It does not, indeed, follow from this, that all are 
 equally guilty ; but it does prove the universaUiy of 
 human depravity, not only as to the entire race, but 
 as to every moral attribute of each individual of it. 
 Hence, 
 
 2. Every moral excellence, every quality or property 
 which enters into the character of a child of God, or a 
 real Christian, is expressly denied to all, in their natu- 
 ral state. They have not the love of God in them ; 
 they have no true faith in Christ ; their sorrow for sin, 
 where it exists at all, is the sorrow of the world, which 
 leads to death ; they are without God in the world ; 
 they have no discernment of spiritual things, no spirit 
 of true obedience ; they mind not spiritual things ; they 
 walk not after the spirit, but after the flesh. Now, all 
 
SERMON xvr. 277 
 
 these negations are repeatedly applied to those who are 
 in a state of nature ; and various other forms of ex- 
 pression, which I need not recite, which deny each and 
 all those properties to every natural man, or every hu- 
 man being as he comes into the world, or shows a 
 moral character, are often so employed and applied in 
 the Scriptures. They are not applied to individuals 
 of a peculiar grade of wickedness, to the vilest sort, 
 though sometimes more particularly to such, to illus- 
 trate certain characteristics, but they are descriptive 
 of human nature as a mass — of all mankind in their 
 natural state. 
 
 3. The same point is established by the fact, that 
 where any of those exercises which are denied to the 
 impenitent, or of which they are destitute — such as 
 love to God, repentance of sin, faith in Christ, and true 
 obedience — are experienced and manifested, in any 
 degree, the individual who is the subject of them is a 
 child of God, is a true disciple of Christ, is a new crea- 
 ture, has been regenerated — in a word, is a Christian. 
 No one can doubt that these exercises are experienced, 
 these fruits of the Spirit are enjoyed and manifested 
 by different Christians, in different degrees. The love 
 of God is stronger, more intense, in some than in 
 others, evidenced by corresponding acts and conduct, 
 as in our Saviour's remarks respecting the female who 
 washed his feet with tears, ^nd wiped them with the 
 hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed 
 them "with precious ointment. See another example 
 
278 SERMON XVI. 
 
 of a certain creditor, who had two debtors, in the same 
 chapter (Luke 7). Some, also, have stronger faith 
 and deeper repentance, evidenced by a more careful 
 avoidance of even the appearance of evil, and more ac- 
 tive devotedness. And this is true of every Christian 
 grace. But it is the nature of these exercises, and not 
 the degree of them, that decides the fact of the new 
 birth — that constitutes one a Christian. 
 
 Our present point is not, what constitutes these ex- 
 ercises, but the ftict that their existence in any degree 
 proves regeneration. If this be so, then previously to 
 that act of sovereign grace, there is no holiness or 
 moral goodness in mankind. I remark, 
 
 4. There is that in the natural heart which, in the 
 removal of all restraints and the presentation of adapt- 
 ed motives, is capable of any sin or crime that the 
 sinner can commit. This may seem a hard, and even 
 unjust charge. But how can such a conclusion be 
 avoided, if the description which God has given of 
 fallen human nature, as a mass, as we have seen from 
 the declarations of his word, and some of them from 
 his own lips, be a just description? If it be true that 
 ''Hhe carnal mind" (and by carnal is simply meant 
 natural mind or heart), "is enmity against God ;" if 
 ^' the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, even to 
 madness ;" and if it be true that " all hearts are fa- 
 shioned alike, and as in water face answereth to face, 
 so the heart of man to man," — to requote but a few 
 of the passages already recited, and those a mere speci- 
 
SERMON XVI. 279 
 
 men of what the Bible contains, — I repeat the question, 
 How can the statement here made be gainsaid? There 
 is no point in regard to which mankind generally err 
 more egregiously than in the estimate or judgment 
 which they form of human nature in its unsanctified 
 state, even with those who profess to believe its total de- 
 pravity. The truth is, they do not see it as God sees it, 
 nor as the redeemed in heaven see it, nor as lost spirits 
 see and know it. Men this side of those worlds, see it 
 under a thousand restraints — restraints imposed by edu- 
 cation, society, human authority, self-interest ; others, 
 by providential acts^ and various other causes and in- 
 fluences, which will readily suggest themselves to you. 
 It is these restraints and influences, and not a purer or 
 better original nature, which accounts for such differ- 
 ences as are observed among different members of 
 society. To these, the amiability of the amiable, the 
 morality of the moral, is to be ascribed. Mere moral- 
 ity has respect only to human conduct, to what is ex- 
 ternal or outward. And I scarcely need say that that 
 furnishes a very imperfect and uncertain test of the 
 real state of the heart. 
 
 How often, alas, is a solemn j)rofession of religion, 
 prostituted as a covering to conceal a corrupt state of 
 the heart, and even to prevent suspicion of the grossest 
 vices committed in secret ? Strip off these coverings — 
 relieve from these restraints — let the heart be exposed 
 in its own native state, and seen as Omniscience sees- 
 it, how think you would it then appear, even to 
 
280 SERMON XVI. 
 
 one's self as well as to others ? The restraints which 
 are imposed on the natural heart, and which prevent 
 the outbreaking of its depravity, alters not its real 
 state. The heart of Simon Magus was the same in 
 the sight of God, after the solemn profession of his 
 faith, and receiving baptism as an outward token of 
 its sincerity, as it was before. It was equally true of 
 him, at those different periods, that he had no part 
 nor lot in the matter, i. e. of salvation. Equally 
 true that his heart was not right in the sight of God, 
 and equally true before, as after his exposure, that he 
 was " in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of 
 iniquity." But the adapted, the governing, the all- 
 powerful motive to bring out his heart had not been 
 presented, till the moment Peter uttered those denun- 
 ciations against him. Not till then, had Peter the 
 evidence of his true condition : nor till then, did he 
 " perceive that he was in the gall of bitterness and 
 bond of iniquity." Till then, Peter had been deceived 
 in respect to his condition, and the probability is, that 
 Simon himself was deceived. There is no evidence 
 that he intended to impose on Philip and Peter, 
 when he professed his belief in the truths which he 
 had heard, and was baptized. That he had, for a 
 little season, abandoned his course of life, and pro- 
 fessed a change of views and feelings, changed not, 
 altered not his heart. It only showed itself And 
 does his case, in its main features, stand alone in our 
 world ? No other man may ever have been guilty of 
 
SERMON XVI. 281 
 
 attempting to purchase with money, the power of the 
 Holy Ghost, to perform miracles. 
 
 But that, I apprehend, is not the greatest crime ever 
 committed, daring as that was. It surely does not 
 surpass the actually claiming the exercise of that 
 Divine prerogative, in working miracles, and thus im- 
 posing on millions to their eternal destruction, but 
 which was not true in the case of Simon. But sup- 
 pose the worst ; consider him a consummate hypocrite ; 
 ascribe to him the worst motives that have been 
 ascribed to him, which were, under the cover and 
 cloak of religion, to regain his lost influence over 
 the people, by which he bewitched, more properly 
 astonished them, and thereby amass wealth, — in a 
 word, his ambition and avarice ; is that a strange 
 thing in this wicked world ? Have not the same prin- 
 ciples or passions existed and operated, to an equal 
 degree? Have there been no hypocrites since his 
 day ? While there have been, and still are the same 
 passions controlling men, and to an equal degree as in 
 the case of Simon, are there not other passions equally 
 vile in God's sight, and even more degrading in man's 
 estimation, and which are cherished and gratified, and 
 that too under the very garb of the Christian profes- 
 sion, as a disguise ? Are ambition and avarice greater 
 offences than these ? 
 
 God said, by his prophet Jeremiah (3d chap.), to 
 a whole nation, and by no means the worst portion 
 of the human family, "Behold, thou hast spoken and 
 
282 SERMON XVI. 
 
 done evil things, as thou couldst." This does not 
 mean that they committed all the crimes of which 
 they were capable. But that they sinned as they 
 were able, under the restraints, and checks, and guards, 
 which God in his sovereign mercy threw around 
 them. Elsewhere he tells us, he restrains the wrath 
 of man. And is that any proof of the innocence of 
 those whom he thus restrains, or that they are by 
 nature less depraved, than those from whom all re- 
 straints are withheld, and who are left to act out their 
 depravity ? Ay, thanks to his name, for his restrain- 
 ing hand ! Were it withheld, the most amiable and 
 moral would become fiends, and this whole world 
 a precinct of the vi^orld of endless woe ! 
 
 There is one argum.ent more, farther to show God's 
 view and judgment of all the unsanctified as a body, 
 which should not be omitted, viz. : He has made but 
 one world where all the finally impenitent will 
 mingle together, and dwell forever. Whatever dif- 
 ference there may be in degrees of guilt, whatever 
 difi^erence in actual suffering, there will be none as to 
 the place or ^vorld in which their sufferings will be 
 endured. There will be none as to the duration of 
 their sufferings. That world is not divided into 
 separate and different apartments. It is everywhere 
 spoken of as the same place — and their punishment 
 declared to be eternal. Read the sentence of the 
 final Judge, as he himself will pronounce it, recorded 
 in the twenty-fifth of Matthew, and then turn to 
 
SERMON XVI. 283 
 
 the last chapter but one in this inspired volume, and 
 at the eighth verse, and see who are to be the eter- 
 nal inmates of that place of woe ! There, every re- 
 straint will be taken off — every heart act itself out. 
 Pluman nature, as it is, is there seen. Not indeed 
 in its present power to injure others — though the 
 lost be mutual tormentors of one another. Who, 
 think 3^ou, can there distinguish between the hearts 
 of those Tvretched beings, however they may have 
 apparently, and in our view, differed in this world? 
 And again, think you that that world will contain 
 none who here enjoyed the reputation of strict 
 morality and even amiability ? To what place must 
 those go, who, discarding the Son of God as the only 
 "name given under heaven among men wherebj^ they 
 can be saved," have depended, some of them, on the 
 indiscriminate mercy of God; others, like the" young 
 nobleman, on their exemption from the grosser vices ; 
 others on their own morality, and other expedients, 
 while utterly regardless of the salvation the Gospel 
 proclaims? Where must those forever dwell, those 
 amiable lovers of pleasure more than of God, who 
 die thus ? None of these classes, living and dying 
 thus, have a single qualification for heaven, and the 
 gates of that holy and happy place will be forever 
 barred against them. Where in eternity, and in all 
 the regions of space, have we any knowledge or 
 hint of more than one other place, where those who 
 are excluded from heaven, must forever dwell ? No, 
 
284 SERMON XVI. 
 
 there is but one other place. And is God unjust in 
 sending the most amiable but impenitent sinner to 
 the same place as him who has thrown up the reins 
 on all the vile passions of his depraved nature, and 
 only sought their gratification ? 
 
 Ah, he who searches and looks upon the heart, and 
 judges, not according to the outward appearance, sees 
 but little difference in human, natural hearts; and 
 the same place is the fit abode for them all. Sure I 
 am that the amiable part of my audience who yet 
 reject the offer of eternal life, think seldom or never 
 of these things. Nothing farther need be said to 
 show the wretched state of the human heart by 
 nature. And I proceed to consider the other general 
 topic. 
 
 II. The great difficulty of deliverance, or more 
 pj-operly, of actually being delivered, from that state, 
 " I perceive that thou art in the bond of iniquity." 
 There is no stronger bond than this, " the bond of 
 iniquity," though it be a silken cord. But let us 
 inquire in what its great strength consists. This Vi^ill 
 show the difficulty of deliverance from the bondage to 
 which it subjects. 
 
 1. It is the natural state of man. However men 
 may speculate on the subject, whatever philosophy 
 or theory they may adopt to explain the fact, or 
 whether it explains it or not, a f\ict it is that human 
 nature is totally depraved — depraved since the fall 
 of the first human pair, in its very sources. The 
 
SERMON XVI. 285 
 
 Scriptures already quoted, and they might be greatly 
 multiplied, show corruption at the fountain head. 
 
 Whether we can tell the period, or the first instant 
 of actual sin or not, the first moral exercise, and all 
 succeeding moral exercises are sinful, unless, and until 
 the heart is changed by sovereign grace, and there is a 
 previous foundation for a result so uniform and so uni- 
 versal, and that foundation is the entire corruption of 
 the whole mass of human nature. There never has 
 been an exception since the fall, save the pure and 
 spotless Babe of Bethlehem. Any philosophy devised 
 to show the contrary is a philosophy falsely so called. 
 As is the fountain, so are its streams — and every 
 stream has shown that fountain corrupt. But let us 
 look at human nature a step in advance from its mere 
 origin, to a state of individual responsihility ; and I 
 remark, 
 
 2. That every sinful act is altogether voluntary. 
 Men sin from choice. An action which is compelled is 
 not a sinful action, however injurious it might be in 
 its consequences. The performer of it is only an in- 
 strument in the hand of another, who is the real and 
 responsible agent, both in the judgment of God and of 
 one's own conscience. But with the nature of sin we 
 have nothing to do, in the present discourse, but of its 
 power and dominion over men, by which they are held 
 in bondage. And what bondage so strong and abso- 
 lute as a willing bondage, a cherished bondage? To sin, 
 falls in with the whole moral nature of man. It is 
 
286 SERMON XVI. 
 
 itself liis moral nature. This is God's own account : 
 *' God saw that every imagination of the thoughts of his 
 heart Was only evil continually." " The whole head is 
 sick, and the whole heart faint." " From the sole of 
 the foot even unto the head, there is no soundness ; 
 but wounds, and bruises, and putrefying sores." 
 
 This is a description of the moral nature of man. 
 So far as the actions of the physical man are of a moral 
 nature, they are only sin. Hence we are told that 
 " the ploughing of the wicked is sin, and the sacrifice 
 of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord." 
 
 To show farther the predominant and all-dominant 
 power of sin in the unrenewed sinner, let it be re- 
 marked, that it is in direct opposition to both his 
 reason and his conscience, when allowed to speak. In 
 every case where the question of sin, or in regard to 
 any desire, purpose, word, or act, the question arises, 
 whether it is sinful or not — both reason and conscience 
 are on the side of God and his law. Sin is, therefore, 
 the violation of both these faculties, as well as of the 
 Divine law. Conscience, indeed, is the law of God to 
 those who have not his written word. " For when the 
 Gentiles (says Paul), which have not the law {i. e., 
 God's written law), do by nature the things contained 
 in the law, these having not the (written) law, are a 
 law unto themselves, which show the work of the law 
 written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing 
 witness, and their thoughts the meanwhile accusing, or 
 else excusin^r." 
 
SERMON XVI. 287 
 
 I ask, then, ^vliat can be stronger than that tide of 
 the whole moral nature of man, which in every move- 
 ment of it is in direct opposition to his own reason, his 
 conscience, and his Maker? What stronger hond than 
 that which sin fabricates? Is the language which 
 Peter applied to Simon, too strong when applied to 
 every unrenewed sinner, — " Thou art in the gall of bit- 
 terness, and in the bond of iniquity ?" 
 
 But once more. Let us advance, now, from the 
 period of individual responsibility to the onward course 
 of the impenitent sinner. What was first chosen, 
 loved, and cherished, for its own sake, is still chosen, 
 loved, and cherished, with increased aviditj-, till another 
 power is superinduced ; that of habit. The stream, as it 
 first proceeds from a corrupt fountain, carrying with it 
 all its own deleterious properties, to and through what 
 I have termed the first stage of individual responsi- 
 bility, soon divides itself into numerous branches, down 
 which different individuals take their different direc- 
 tions, either from an impulse of nature, or the force of 
 circumstances. Hence the various objects of supreme 
 desire, and supreme pursuit. These desires gather 
 strength from the fact, that all things are made to 
 contribute to the accomplishment or attainment of 
 those objects. Hence avarice, or an inordinate desire 
 of the riches of the world ; hence ambition, the covet- 
 ing of the honors of the world ; and hence the nume- 
 rous forms of the pleasures of the world. What is 
 simply supreme, or holds the place of preference over 
 
288 SEEMON XVI. 
 
 all other objects, soon becomes all-absorbing. Hence 
 the force or power of habit, which has been termed a 
 second nature. How strong this twofold bond becomes, 
 hear the Prophet Jeremiah : " Can the Ethiopian 
 change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may 
 ye learn to do well that are accustomed to do evil." 
 Hear a greater than a prophet : " It is easier for a 
 camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a 
 rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven." " How 
 can ye believe which receive honor one of another, and 
 seek not the honor that cometh from God only ?" 
 And the Apostle Paul classes the " lovers of pleasure, 
 more (or rather), than lovers of God," among the most 
 hopeless of our race. 
 
 But without limiting our remarks to any particular 
 department or course of sin, " the gall of bitterness" 
 is increasing, and the " bond of iniquity" tightening, 
 every hour of continued impenitence. The heart 
 must necessarily grow harder, and the conscience less 
 tender and faithful, the longer sin, in any of its thou- 
 sand forms, is indulged. 
 
 ' Our present discourse suggests, among many others, 
 the following reflections. 
 
 1. How immeasurably below a proper estimate of 
 the nature and demerit of sin, do our views of it fall? 
 What mortal has but slight conceptions of his own 
 guilt? Short of absolutely despairing of the mercy 
 of God, it is not possible to have too abasing views of 
 ourselves. On this subject there can be no exaggera- 
 
SERMON XYI. 289 
 
 tion. The picture of the human heart cannot be 
 painted in colors too dark. God has said, sin is " the 
 thing which his soul hateth." Yes, he hates it with all 
 the energy, all the strength of his own infinite nature. 
 It is the only thing that he does hate — the only thing 
 he does not love ; regarded as distinct and separate 
 from the beings who commit it. What slight concep- 
 tions we have of the great doctrine which stands out 
 in dreadful prominence on every page of the inspired 
 Book, — the entire depravity of the human heart ! Its na- 
 ture, its workings, its terrible effects are seen recorded 
 everywhere ; from over the gateway of the abandoned 
 and desolated garden of Eden ; in the clouds which 
 poured their inundating floods over the whole earth ; 
 in characters of consumino: Ii2:htnin2;s over the cities 
 of the plain ; but, above all, over the Cross on Calvary, 
 when the -beloved Son of God expired ! The pit of 
 eternal despair shows not the malignity, the cruelty, 
 the awful effects of sin, and God's displeasure at it, 
 as it was exhibited in that scene. And but for God's 
 restraining power, earth were now a hell, and all its 
 inhabitants fit companions of fallen angels. Who can 
 wonder that he should make its punishment eternal ! 
 
 2. How wonderful the mercy of God, which has 
 interposed in behalf of such a race; that did not suffer 
 the plainest justice to take its course; that lifted the 
 curse of his violated law from the head of the guilty 
 offender, and laid it with all its crushing weight on 
 the innocent head of his beloved Son ! Yes, that 
 
 19 
 
290 SERMON XVI. 
 
 infinitely beloved Son must leave the bosom of his 
 Father, become a man of sorrows, and die like the 
 vilest malefactor on the Roman cross ! All this, or 
 not one sin could be pardoned ; not a child of Adam 
 could be saved. " God so loved the world" — ah, who 
 understands the full force of that little word "so," 
 " so loved /" None but He in whose heart it beat. It 
 is the fit theme of endless anthems from the tongues 
 of all the redeemed of our race. But, alas, how 
 faintly sung on earth ! What cause, brethren, have 
 we for the deepest humiliation and self-loathing, and 
 for sending up from that posture, adoring thanks to 
 Him who, notwithstanding all our unworthiness, bears 
 with us, and permits us to hope eternal life ? 
 
 3. The hope that another sinner among us, or else- 
 where, will be brought to repentance, rests alone on 
 the sovereign mercy of God. This is as true of the 
 most amiable, as of the most hardened transgressor. 
 For there is, in every human being, a heart which 
 omnipotent grace alone can subdue. 
 
 No child of God ever made himself so ; ever origi- 
 nated his own new birth — ever caused his own new 
 creation. Our Saviour expressly said of all who 
 become the sons of God, that they " are born not of 
 blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of 
 man, but of God." The Spirit of God breathes the 
 breath of spiritual and eternal life into the souls of 
 the dead in trespasses and sins, — not less certainly 
 than he breathed the breath of life into the lifeless 
 
SERMON XVI. 291 
 
 form of Adam's dust, when lie became a living soul, 
 in every instance of a spiritual resurrection. 
 
 It must be so, if the natural heart is what it has 
 been shown to be. " The carnal mind is enmity against 
 God, is not subject to the law of God — neither, indeed, 
 can be." No, enmity cannot originate love. The diffi- 
 culty is altogether of a moral nature, — the opposition 
 of the heart, the bondage of iniquity, the supreme 
 love of sin ; and if this does not cover the sinner him- 
 self with the deepest guilt, then there is no sin, no 
 guilt in all God's universe. His sovereign, omnipotent 
 grace, is the sinner's only grouAd of hope, his only re- 
 medy. And, let me add. 
 
 Lastly. That to feel this — to feel one's utterly lost, 
 self-ruined condition — is the sinner's only safety. To 
 be utterly cut off from all hope in and of one's self, is 
 the first motion towards casting one's self on Jesus 
 Christ. It is the proper office of reason to discover 
 danger ; and it always does this, when this life is ex- 
 posed to peril or danger : and it often requires but an 
 instant to make the discovery ; and where safety de- 
 pends at all on one's own effort, that effort is instantly 
 made. And cannot the sinner do as much as this when 
 his soul is in peril, and all that is required as a first 
 step, and that a step of absolute safety, is to throw 
 himself into the arms of the Omnipotent Saviour, — 
 those arms outstretched to receive him ? If, through 
 the fixed opposition of his heart, he cannot make it a 
 neio heart, can he not ask the Saviour to do it? His 
 
292 SERMON XVI. 
 
 reason, if he believes God's word, tells him, that as he 
 is, he must perish ; and both reason and conscience tell 
 him, in spite of all his self-love and endeavors to be- 
 lieve the contrary, that as he is, he deserves to perish. 
 And with all this light, and under this united convic- 
 tion of reason and conscience, can he not ask, and 
 earnestly ask, the omnipotent and infinitely merciful 
 Saviour, to take the great work of his salvation into 
 His own hands ? Let the sinner do this, and commit 
 the mighty work of his salvation to His hands, who 
 gives the assurance of His own word, " Him that 
 cometh unto me, I will' in no wise cast out." 
 
XVII. 
 
 THE ETERNAL DWELLING-PLACE OF 
 EVERY SOUL 
 
 IS ADAPTED TO ITS MORAL CHARACTER. 
 " That lie might go to his own place." — Acts 1 : 25. 
 
 The individual whose final destiny is here declared 
 was Judas Iscariot, who betrayed his Lord and Master; 
 and as applied to him, the words unquestionably de- 
 note the place of eternal misery. Judas was guilty of a 
 crime which, in point of enormity, was never equalled 
 by that of any other being. If the murder of a fellow- 
 being stands at the head of crimes on the criminal list 
 of human governments, and cries to heaven for ven- 
 geance on the perpetrator of it, what guilt must be 
 attached to him who betrayed and delivered to cruci- 
 fixion the Saviour of the world, the Lord of life and 
 glory ! Against the man who should do this, the Son 
 of God himself had denounced a most fearful woe : 
 "Woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is be- 
 trayed. It had been better if that man had not been 
 born, or that a millstone were hanged about his neck, 
 
294 SERMON XYII. 
 
 and he were buried in the depth of the sea." That 
 the expressions, " his own place," apply to Judas, is 
 obvious from the connection in which they stand in 
 the whole context : " And they prayed, and said, Thou, 
 Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, show whe- 
 ther of these two" (that is, Barsabas or Matthias) "thou 
 hast chosen, that he may take part of this ministry 
 and apostleship, from which Judas, by transgression, 
 fell, that he might go to his own place." The gram- 
 matical and obvious construction of the passage applies 
 the words to Judas, and they could in no proper sense 
 refer to Matthias, until, at least, he had been desig- 
 nated, by the lot which was cast, to fill the place which 
 had been vacated in the apostleship by the death of 
 Judas, and that lot was not cast till after this declara- 
 tion was made. 
 
 The design of those who place this strained and un- 
 natural construction on the text, is to show that the 
 words " his own place" do not relate to eternity, but 
 to office, to place in the apostleship, and therefore de- 
 cide nothing in relation to the eternal condition of 
 Judas; for if they do refer to Judas, as he was already 
 dead, they must necessarily refer to him in eternity : 
 and no one could ever imagine that by ''his own 
 place," heaven was intended. Covered with all the 
 dreadful guilt of having caused the Saviour's death, 
 and of taking his own life, he rushes into eternity, and 
 sinks into the pit of damned spirits. His character 
 fitted him for that place : it was "his own place." 
 
SERMON XVII. 295 
 
 But if this was true of Juda?, it is equally true of 
 every sinner who leaves the world impenitent. Nor 
 is it less true of Christians than of sinners, that when 
 they die they also go to their own place. Their places 
 of final and eternal destination are indeed widely 
 different ; as different as heaven from hell. But they 
 are fitted for those different places. The sentiment, 
 therefore, which we derive from the text is this : The 
 moral character and the eternal dwelling-place of every 
 one of our race, are fitted or adapted to each other. 
 It is fit and right that Christians at death should go 
 to heaven. And it is fit and right that sinners at 
 death should go to hell. 
 
 My object in this discourse will be to establish and 
 illustrate the truth of these positions. And 
 
 1. The general course of the Divine administration in 
 this world, in relation to these different classes and cha- 
 racters, furnishes evidence of no little weight. God's 
 providences have afforded striking marks of discrimina- 
 tion between them. It was exhibited in the case of 
 Noah and his family, in whom alone any piety was 
 found in the old world, and all the rest were utterly 
 destroyed by the flood. The same discrimination was 
 manifested in the destruction of the cities of the plain, 
 when Lot and some of his family were rescued, and 
 the rest consumed by fire from heaven. Just pre- 
 viously to this awful judgment, and with direct refe- 
 rence to it, this principle in the government of God 
 was expressly recognized, in the interview and con- 
 
296 SERMON XVII. 
 
 ference which Abraham was privileged to hold with 
 Jehovah himself. "And Jehovah said, Because the cry 
 of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin 
 is very grievous, I will go down now, and see whether 
 they have done altogether according to the cry of it, 
 which is come unto me; and if not I will know. 
 And Abraham drew near and said, Wilt thou also 
 destroy the righteous with the wicked ? That be far 
 from thee to do after this manner, to slay the right- 
 eous with the wicked ; and that the righteous should 
 be as the wicked, that be far from thee. Shall not the 
 Judge of all the earth do right?" And, T^ithout 
 quoting farther examples, I may refer you, with entire 
 confidence, to the whole history of God's dealings 
 towards our world, for the truth of this position in 
 relation to the general administration of his govern- 
 ment. In this qualified sense, this is true of nations 
 and of individuals. While " blessed is the nation 
 whose God is the Lord," — "the nation and kingdom 
 that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those 
 nations shall be utterly wasted." " I know that it 
 shall be well with them that fear God, — but it shall 
 not be well with the wicked." This is the great prin- 
 ciple in the administration of God's government over 
 this world. True, there are many exceptions, and we 
 find them stated in close connection with the principle 
 above laid down, and which our own observation will 
 abundantly prove. Thus we read in words immedi- 
 ately following those last quoted : "There is a vanity 
 
SERMON XYII. 297 
 
 •which is clone upon the earth; that there be just men 
 unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the 
 wicked. Again, there be wicked men, to whom it 
 happeneth according to the work of the righteous." 
 These exceptions, however, only estabhsh the general 
 principle, while these exceptions are limited to this life. 
 Beside, they are often more apparent than real. The 
 sorest calamities are often mercies in disguise, while 
 the favors of Providence often conceal the heaviest 
 judgments. It was thus with those two different in- 
 dividuals, whose cases are stated as, perhaps, the 
 widest extremes ever experienced on -earth, to show 
 this very fact, — I mean Lazarus and the rich man; of 
 the former of whom it is said, he here had his evil 
 things ; and of the latter, he had in this world his good 
 things. They were thus fitted for still wider, but 
 reversed extremes in eternity. Nor was there any 
 violation of the great fundamental principle of right 
 and justice in either of those cases; nor is there in 
 those of any other subjects of God's moral govern- 
 ment. 
 
 There is not a principle or truth more frequently 
 asserted in all the word of God, nor one, perhaps, more 
 clearly manifested by his providences, than the holy 
 rectitude of his administration. We have but exceed- 
 ingly limited and imperfect, and often most mistaken 
 conceptions of it. Many of the ways of God are in- 
 volved in obscurity and utter darkness — they are unfa- 
 thomable mysteries. David expressed the absolute 
 
298 SERMON XVII. 
 
 perfection of the one, and the impenetrable obscurity 
 of the other, when he exclaimed, " Clouds and dark- 
 ness are round about him, righteousness and judgment 
 are the habitation (or establishment) of his throne." 
 We must wait for the light of eternity to clear up all 
 the difficulties, which to us are so great, mysterious, 
 and often overwhelming; when that which we know 
 not now, we shall know hereafter. I remark, 
 
 2. That this view of the subject is sustained by nu- 
 merous promises and threatenings of God, scattered 
 everywhere throughout his word. These are so nume- 
 rous, they meet the eye so constantly, as it falls on 
 almost every page of the sacred volume, both in regard 
 to nations and individuals, that I need not take up 
 your time by giving even a specimen of them. 
 
 3. Express declarations of God's word show that the 
 whole of his administration over this world is ordered 
 with direct reference to the eternal destiny of all its in- 
 habitants. A state of probation has been granted for 
 no other purpose. The sun continues to rise and set, 
 seasons to revolve, and generations of men to succeed 
 one another, with this view only. And when the last 
 generation shall have come, and have become fitted 
 for their eternal state, this world will be brought to a 
 close. With this view God proclaims his mercy, and 
 utters forth his wrath, grants space for repentance to 
 any, and continues all till prepared for their final un- 
 changeable state : for this depends not on number of 
 years, or any particular term or duration of time. He 
 
SERMON XVII. 299 
 
 takes none till fitted for an unalterable, endless state, 
 happy or miserable. 
 
 This is the object of all the means of grace whicli 
 God has appointed ; all the talents which he has com- 
 mitted to men, accompanied with the charge to occupy 
 till he come and call them to an account. It is the 
 object of the judgment itself, when he will give to 
 every one according as his work shall be ; and the 
 whole account of the scenes of that day is closed with 
 the solemn declaration, " These shall go away into 
 everlasting punishment; but the righteous into life 
 eternal." 
 
 One sentence, however, directly to this point, must 
 settle the question. " What if God, willing to show his 
 wrath, and to make his power known, endureth with 
 much long-suffering the vessels of wrath, filled to de- 
 struction ; and that he might make known the riches 
 of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had before 
 prepared unto glory." 
 
 A second general argument may be drawn from the 
 difference of views and feelings and conduct which 
 characterize the righteous and the wicked, and distin- 
 guish them from each other ; and which show their 
 adaptedness to, and fitness for, widely different states 
 and conditions in eternity; the one for a world of 
 glory, the other for a world of misery. 
 
 This is true of saints in heaven not only, or those 
 who have already passed to the world of woe, but it is 
 true of those of these difierent classes, in this world. 
 
300 SERMON XVII. 
 
 Nor should the line be drawn between those who pro- 
 fess, and those who do not profess to be Christians, as 
 indicating the proper division. For in all cases, surely, 
 this would not be correct. We speak of true Chris- 
 tians, those who really bear the image of Christ, and 
 those who are destitute of it. There is that in each 
 which fits him for a widely different eternal destiny — 
 the one for a world of holiness, the other for a world 
 of misery. If heaven is a place of holiness, and Chris- 
 tians entertain views, possess feelings, and have formed 
 habits which adapt them to a state of holiness, is it not 
 right and fit that they should be received to heaven ? 
 Is not heaven their own place ? We know, indeed, 
 that God has promised this, and Christians may, with 
 unwavering confidence, rely on his promise. But there 
 is in the very nature of the case, a manifest propriety 
 and fitness in rewarding them with eternal life, al- 
 though the reward is all of grace. God only rewards 
 what his grace alone produced. 
 
 Indeed, is there not happiness, pure and exalted, in 
 proportion to one's conformity to the character of 
 God? Does not holiness necessarily produce happi- 
 ness ? Can a holy being be otherwise than happy ? 
 As low and imperfect as the holy exercises of Chris- 
 tians are, in their present state, it is the source of all 
 the real happiness they know. Nothing but sin can 
 be a cause of misery. 
 
 On the other hand, where, I ask, is it fit and proper, 
 not to say just merely, that those who possess no 
 
SERMON XVII. 301 
 
 congeniality of feeling — no conformity of heart to 
 God — no taste for the employments of heaven, should 
 spend their eternity? Should they also dwell forever 
 in heaven ? Is not their own place a widely different 
 one ? Are they not fitted to destruction ; not by any 
 arbitrary act of their Maker, but by their own choice 
 — their own voluntary course of life ? Are they not 
 preparing themselves to lie down in everlasting sor- 
 rows ? Does it require anything out of themselves to 
 produce misery? Do not their own bosoms contain 
 the worm that never dies, and material to feed the 
 fire which cannot be quenched ? Let them only be 
 deprived of their idols, and death forever destroys 
 every idol, and they could not but be miserable in 
 any part of God's dominions. Heaven itself, if ad- 
 mitted there, were a hell. Every object which 
 heaven contains would occasion agonies. Every song 
 of the redeemed would grate upon their ears, and the 
 ineffable glories of God and of the Lamb awaken their 
 bitterest enmity. Ah, hell with all its torments is 
 the impenitent sinner's own place. And if he die im- 
 penitent, for that alone will he be fitted. 
 
 But let us take a closer inspection of these different 
 characters, and particularly notice some of the dis- 
 tinguishing characteristics of each as taught us in the 
 Scriptures. And 
 
 1. Christians love God supremely. This is the 
 first and great commandment, " Thou shalt love the 
 Lord thy God with all thy heart, and Avith all thy 
 
302 SERMON XVII. 
 
 soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy 
 strength." This is not merely what is right, what 
 the infinite perfections and moral excellence of 
 Jehovah deserve, and entitle him to, but what is 
 essential to salvation. It was the Saviour's answer to 
 one who put to him the question, " What shall I do 
 to inherit eternal life ?" 
 
 Supreme love to God is one of the first and most 
 distinguishing affections of the new-born soul. In 
 this eminently consists the restored Divine image. 
 Where, then, is it fit that those who love God thus 
 should go after death, but to the glorious object of 
 their supreme affection, whose image they bear — 
 whose character they resemble ? 
 
 But the impenitent are destitute of this affection, and 
 therefore wholly unlike God. They are represented as 
 not having the love of God in them — as lovers of them- 
 selves more than of God — as loving the creature more, 
 or rather than the Creator, who is blessed forevermore. 
 Where, then, is it fit, as well as just, that they should 
 go at death ? What, in the language of the text, is 
 their own place ? What destiny is meet and proper 
 for them ? 
 
 2. Christians habitually consult the pleasure of 
 God, as the only proper standard of moral conduct. 
 They study to know his will, that they may conform 
 to it. The very first question they put on their 
 conversion to him, or which rises in their hearts, is, 
 "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" And as 
 
SERMON XVII. 
 
 they know, tliey obey — imperfectly indeed. But 
 this is their aim, and becomes their habit. They 
 obey from the heart. Their highest happiness springs 
 from obedience, hearty and cheerful. So far from 
 being constrained or reluctant, their greatest self- 
 sacrifices afford them their highest satisfaction and 
 pleasure. And these they make, not with a view to 
 a larne remuneration as their chief motive. Not as 
 painful penances or purchases ; — they bring their own 
 reward with them. Not to obtain heaven on the 
 ground of any merit, but from love of obedience. 
 Love of God is the prompting impulse. Now, where 
 ought such to go when called away from earth ? 
 Ought — not on the score of any claim in, and of 
 themselves, but on the ground of propriety, of fitness ? 
 Where, but heaven? To what other place is their 
 moral character adapted ? To what other objects and 
 employments than such as heaven affords, have their 
 moral tastes and habits been formed ? Such a being 
 could not be otherwise than happy in any part of 
 God's universe. 
 
 But the impenitent have no such aims — have 
 formed no such habits — have cultivated no such 
 tastes— have no such desires — derive their happiness 
 from no such sources. Without any reference to 
 different classes of sinners (for there are different 
 classes of them, and different degrees of active 
 depravity among different individuals), the Bible uses 
 the following language respecting them: "The wicked, 
 
304 , SERMON XVII. 
 
 through the pride of his countenance, will not seek 
 after God. God is not in all his thoughts" — mean- 
 ing, they have no proper regard for God. " Depart 
 from me; for I desire not the knowledge of thy 
 ways." " We will not have this man to reign over 
 us." " Away with him." "Would there be any 
 benevolence even in placing them where they must 
 forever live under the full display of the perfections 
 of the Being towards whom they have such feelings ? 
 
 I might state many other properties which distin- 
 guish Christians from impenitent sinners. It would 
 be manifest from everything which tends to form a 
 character for eternity, or make up the account to be 
 rendered at the final judgment. But enough has been 
 stated, I think, to establish and illustrate the point 
 which has been before us; and the honest judgment 
 of every individual present must, I think, concede its 
 truth. We cheerfully make the appeal to you all. 
 Judge for yourselves. 
 
 Our discourse suggests several reflections, which, in 
 themselves at least, are of no ordinary interest, and 
 demand our most serious attention. And 
 
 1. God saves all whom, in the nature of things, it is 
 possible to save. He receives every soul to heaven at 
 death, who possesses any qualifications, down to that 
 moment, for that world, and to whom it were any 
 favor to admit there. Those whom he excludes from 
 heaven could not be happy if admitted to heaven. 
 They are fitted to none of its employments ; their love 
 
SERMON XVII. 305 
 
 and practice of !<in through life have utterly disquali- 
 fied them for all that heaven affords. How could those 
 who have no love for God he happy where he displays 
 his glories in all their infinite fulness? How could 
 they take pleasure iu the immediate presence, and 
 under all the Divine manifestations of the Redeemer, 
 whom through life they have rejected ? — whose salva- 
 tion they have slighted and refused ? How could they 
 join in the new song which is sung in heaven, when 
 they have never learned nor lisped the first note of 
 praise for redeeming grace ? No, heaven is not their 
 oicu place. 
 
 They have not one qualification for heaven. What 
 happiness, what favor to Judas, to have gone to 
 heaven, when, after betraying his Lord, he closed his 
 guilty and miserable life by an act of self-violence? 
 All are not equally guilty with Judas ; but every sin- 
 ner who remains impenitent till death, is equally dis- 
 qualified for heaven. It is, then, no just ground of 
 complaint that the finally wicked are not saved. It 
 is impossible to save them. God's infinite henecolence 
 itself forbids it; there were no mercy in it. Throw 
 open to them the gates of heaven, and not one icould 
 enter in. And what ground of complaint is there that 
 they do not possess the necessary qualifications for 
 heaven ? Will sinners complain that they have their 
 choice, that they are treated as rational creatures and 
 free moral agents ? Compulsion, not freedom surely, 
 were ground of complaint: "xVnd ye will not come 
 
 20 
 
306 SERMON XVII. 
 
 unto me, said Christ, that ye might have eternal life." 
 This their way is their folly, their sin, not their mis- 
 fortune. No, the mouth of every sinner will be 
 stopped, as he makes his way, at death, to the world 
 of endless despair : it is his own place. He has no 
 qualification for heaven, and therefore cannot enter 
 that world. 
 
 2. Our subject teaches and enforces the absolute 
 necessity of a thorough change of heart in order to 
 salvation. We have seen that the sinner, in his natu- 
 ral state, possesses no qualification for the happiness of 
 heaven. That happiness springs from holiness, of which 
 the unrenewed sinner is entirely destitute. There is 
 not an object, or being, or employment, in that world, 
 which can afford him any pleasure ; but they would be 
 sources of unmixed pain. The necessary preparation 
 primarily and essentially depends on the state of the 
 heart. The heart, by nature, is corrupt : " it is de- 
 ceitful above all things, and desperately wicked." The 
 heart, then, must be changed. Without this, there 
 can be no happiness, which proceeds from holiness. 
 So true, so emphatically true, are the words of our 
 Saviour to Nicodemus, and equally appropriate to 
 every human being : " Except a man be born again, 
 he cannot see the kingdom of God." 
 
 The simple meaning is, that heaven is a place of 
 such purity and holiness, that without a radical, tho- 
 rough change of heart, there is no qualification for 
 partaking of its bliss. Surely, then, such a prerequi- 
 
SERMON XVII. 307 
 
 site is not only an essential one, but is, indeed, no just 
 occasion of surprise. " Marvel not," said our Saviour 
 to Nicoderaus, " that I said unto thee, ye must be born 
 again." He repeats, and explains, " Except a man be 
 born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into 
 the kingdom of God. For that which is born of the 
 flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is 
 spirit." There is a new nature : " Old things are 
 done away, behold all things are become new." New 
 views of God — new affections towards him — new de- 
 sires — new joys. For " the fruit of the Spirit is love, 
 joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 
 meekness, temperance. And they that are Christ's 
 have crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts." 
 
 No, there is no marvel in this. The contrary might 
 well awaken, and fill with astonishment. And is an 
 entire surrender of the heart to God (for that is all 
 that is demanded) a hard condition? Ah, ought not 
 every sinner leap for joy at the privilege ? 
 
 3. Our subject furnishes a test of moral character, 
 as God judges of character — a sure index, to every one 
 of us, to our future eternal condition, if we die as we 
 are. It shows to us all, whether we are fair candi- 
 dates for eternal happiness, or eternal misery. AVe 
 have only to ascertain whether our views and feelings 
 and course of life are adapted to, or in accordance with 
 what we have revealed to us of the heavenly world. 
 "Whether we have that love to God now, which the 
 fuller and more glorious manifestations which he makes 
 
308 SERMON XVII. 
 
 of himself in heaven, will raise to proportional degrees 
 of ardor, and our highest desire now is to love him 
 more. In one word, whether increasing holiness, even 
 unto perfection, is now our strongest desire, our high- 
 est aim, shown to be such by our habitual conduct. 
 Whoever can truly affirm this, will not fail of eternal 
 life. Heaven is his own place — heaven will be his 
 eternal home. However yet imperfect, he has that 
 which will be kept by the power of God unto salva- 
 tion; that which adapts him to the objects and employ- 
 ments of heaven, will insure perfect sanctification and 
 eternal salvation. But if we are destitute of these es- 
 sential qualities, our present course, our present pros- 
 pect is towards a widely different destination ; and if 
 we remain thus till our state of probation closes, the 
 place of Judas — the place of misery without end, will 
 also be our own place. For it is not the highest enor- 
 mity or aggravation of guilt that insures such a doom, 
 but utter unpreparedness and disqualification for a dif- 
 ferent destiny. Momentous considerations, therefore, 
 press the immediate decision of the point on which our 
 eternity is depending. Every one of us has now a 
 decided moral character ; and there is that in our cha- 
 racter which lays a foundation for endless happiness 
 ore endless misery. Every consideration which can be 
 supposed to influence a rational immortal being, in our 
 state and condition, presses an honest and an imme- 
 diate decision on the point here presented. An hour's 
 delay may prove fatal to some who al-e now utterly 
 
'sermon xyii. 309 
 
 unprepared for heaven. An hour's delay will cer- 
 tainly increase the peril of all who are still without 
 an interest in the salvation of Christ. And why 
 should there be the delay of an hour, or of a mo- 
 ment, in regard to a subject big with such conse- 
 quences? God is ever ready to pardon on the first 
 sigh of a broken heart, and to heal that heart on the 
 first look of fiiith to Christ. 0, that every sinner 
 would heave that sigh — would take that look ! 
 
XVIII. 
 FAITH. 
 
 "Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness." — 
 
 Romans 4 : 3. 
 
 No term, to a Christian audience, is more familiar ; 
 no doctrine, to any of our race, more important ; and 
 few subjects, to most real Christians, less distinctly 
 and definitely understood, than faith. Scarcely a sub- 
 ject, however, in the whole circle of revealed truths, 
 has been more frequently or extensively discussed, 
 either in sermons from the pulpit, or volumes from 
 the press. " The controversy," said a late eminent 
 divine, " began in the days of the Apostles, and has 
 continued ever since ;" this alone shows the high im- 
 portance which is attached to it, in the great scheme 
 of salvation, by all who profess to believe that God 
 has revealed such a scheme. Beside, what can be 
 more deeply interesting to mankind, than the sinner's 
 justification before God? Unless justified, no one of 
 our race can be saved. 
 
 It is a happy circumstance that an experimental 
 acquaintance with Divine truth does not depend on 
 
SERMON XVIII. 311 
 
 unerringly correct views ; that the power of a saving 
 faith may be felt, even though not understood in all 
 its bearings and relations. For multitudes enjoy the 
 former, who have neither the ability, nor the opportu- 
 nity, nor the means for the latter. For this was the 
 condition of all the saints of old. " They," says the 
 Apostle, "having obtained a good report through 
 faith, received not the promise ; God having provided 
 some better thing for us, that they without us should 
 not be made perfect." They had the promises, we see 
 their accomplishment. And where can we find exam- 
 ples of a more powerful, unwavering, self-sacrificing 
 faith, than among them ? Read the long catalogue, 
 as furnished in the eleventh of the Hebrews, and we 
 need search no farther. They have never been sur- 
 passed for the power of faith, even since the clearer 
 light of the Gospel dispensation. No better method, 
 therefore, can be pursued, in order to ascertain what 
 that faith is, by which the sinner is justified, than by 
 selecting some prominent Scripture example, in which 
 it was best manifested and illustrated. Such an ex- 
 ample must necessarily embrace all the essential cha- 
 racteristics of faith, having received the direct testi- 
 mony of God himself. Such an example is that of 
 Abraham. He so eminently exemplified that faith 
 which is the great fundamental principle of human 
 salvation, that he is styled the " Father of all them 
 that believe." And on this very account he is re- 
 peatedly referred to in the Scriptures. Him we have 
 
312 SERMON XVIII. 
 
 selected as furnishing the most striking and instruc- 
 tive example of justifying, saving faith, which our 
 world ever beheld. " Abraham believed God, and it" 
 (that is, his faith) " was counted unto him for righteous- 
 ness." What, then, was that faith which Abraham 
 exercised ? For what his faith was, in all essential 
 respects, evangelical, saving faith now is. " Know, 
 therefore," saj^s Paul, " that they which are of faith, 
 are the children of Abraham." What, then, were the 
 characteristics of Abraham's faith ? And I remark, 
 
 1. Implicit belief in the naked word of God. It 
 was to him enough that God made his will known, to 
 command his entire confidence. The proof of this is 
 seen in his whole history, by which he obtained the 
 distinguished appellation of the " father of all them 
 that believe." One of the most striking instances of 
 this is recorded in the fifteenth chapter of Genesis, 
 often referred to by the Apostle Paul. It respected 
 an heir and a numerous posterity, under the most un- 
 promising, and to human appearances, impossible cir- 
 cumstances. As the Apostle expresses it, " Who 
 against hope, believed in hope." There is not a hint 
 of incredulity ; rather, as Paul adds, " He staggered 
 not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was 
 strong in faith, giving glory to God ; being fully per- 
 suaded that what God had promised, he was able also 
 to perform. And, therefore, it was imputed to him 
 for righteousness. Now, it was not written for his 
 sake alone, that it was imputed to him ; but for us, 
 
SERMON XVIII. 313 
 
 also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on 
 him that raised up Jesus, our Lord, from the dead." 
 He knew it was God who spake, in whom he had 
 entire confidence. And he believed in the Lord, and 
 it was counted unto him for righteousness. 
 
 2. Abraham unhesitatingly obeyed God. This point 
 is no less evident and striking from his whole history, 
 than his implicit and unwavering belief in God's word. 
 Indeed, his obedience necessarily resulted from his 
 faith. There are, however, two most remarkable in- 
 stances of his obedience, which should be recalled, 
 though familiar to you all. The first is thus stated : 
 " By faith, Abraham, when he was called to go out 
 into a place which he should after receive for an in- 
 heritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing 
 whither he went." The original command is recorded 
 in Genesis (twelfth chapter), and runs thus: ^' The 
 Lord said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, 
 and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, 
 unto a land that I will show thee. So Abram departed, 
 as the Lord had spoken unto him." This, surely, 
 was no light trial. It would have been an alleviation 
 had he known the place of his destination; it would 
 have relieved his friends from much distress, and thus 
 have abated much of his own on their account. He 
 had, no doubt, to encounter the derision of his neigh- 
 bors, as well as the remonstrances and expostulations 
 of his relatives and friends. AVhatever might have 
 been his apprehensions in prospect of his removal, the 
 
314 SERMON XVIII. 
 
 result showed the endurance of many hardships and 
 trials during a journey of more than three hundred 
 miles, through a vast and perilous wilderness. But 
 he knew the command came from God ; and this was 
 enough to insure his ready obedience. 
 
 But many years after this, Abraham's faith and 
 obedience were put to a far severer test. I need not 
 attempt to portray it, had I the power and the time. 
 I will relate it only in the simple language of inspira- 
 tion : " By faith, Abraham, when he was tried, offered 
 up Isaac ; and he that had received the promises, 
 offered up his only begotten son." The command was 
 given under every circumstance calculated to awaken 
 the deepest feeling, the keenest pain of a father's heart : 
 " Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou 
 lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah, and offer 
 him there for a burnt-offering, upon one of the moun- 
 tains which I will tell thee of." 
 
 How many and powerful objections might have 
 arisen, and would have arisen and been urged, in 
 one of less faith and less confidence in God than 
 Abraham felt and exercised ! But not an intimation 
 of wavering on his part. He immediately prepared to 
 comply with the Divine command. The sequel is 
 familiar to you all. 
 
 3. Another most important item in the faith of 
 Abraham, respected the Being Avho was the particular 
 object of it. This was He, most clearly, who appeared 
 to him, whose word he believed, and whose commands 
 
SERMON XVIII. 315 
 
 he obeyed. The inspired record is : " The Lord" 
 (i. c, Jehovah) " said unto Abraham." Again : 
 "After these things, the Lord (Jehovah) came unto 
 Abraham, saying," &c. 
 
 But who was meant by Jehovah? Not God the 
 Father ; for our Saviour himself has expressly told us, 
 " No man hath seen God (the Father) at any time : 
 the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the 
 Father, he hath declared him." This, the Son, or se- 
 cond Person in the Godhead, often did, in the days of 
 Abraham, and the Patriarchs and the Prophets, in an 
 assumed human form for that purpose, as in the days 
 of his actual incarnation. This fact is easily estab- 
 lished from an examination of numerous instances re- 
 corded in the Old Testament. As a single example — 
 for we have not time to refer to more — the man who 
 wrestled with Jacob, and over whom Jacob was per- 
 mitted to prevail, is expressly called God : "And Jacob 
 called the place Peniel ; for I have seen God face to 
 face." And yet Jesus said, " No man hath seen God 
 at any time," — meaning his Father. The one infinite 
 God said also to Moses, " Thou canst not see my face ; 
 for there shall no man see me and live." But St. 
 Paul has settled this point, referring to the Israelites in 
 the wilderness: "Neither let us tempt Christ, as some 
 of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.** 
 
 The passage to which Paul refers reads thus : " And 
 the people spake against God and against Moses, Where- 
 fore have ye brought us up out of Egypt, to die in the 
 
316 SERMON XVIII. 
 
 wilderness ? And the Lord (Jehovah) sent fiery ser- 
 pents among the people, and they bit the people ;. and 
 much people of Israel died." This God, this Jehovah, 
 Paul expressly tells us, was Christ. That Abraham 
 and all the saints of old looked forward to a great 
 sacrifice to be offered at some future period of the 
 world, is evident from all the sacrifices appointed and 
 offered in their day, as mere types of that future great 
 sacrifice. It is absolutely incredible that their faith 
 centred in, and terminated upon, the victims themselves 
 which were sacrificed. Only as types, was there any 
 congruity, any appropriateness, between their blood 
 and the pardon of sin. So Paul tells us: "For it is 
 ■not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should 
 take away sins." It was Abel's faith, looking through 
 the bleeding " firstling of his flock" to the great sacri- 
 fice of the Lamb of God, which rendered his offering 
 " more excellent than that of Cain, by which he ob- 
 tained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of 
 his gifts." 
 
 But if this were true of those saints, much more may 
 we infer it of Abraham, who saw in his own son a most 
 signal type of the suffering Son of God. The only dif- 
 ference between those ancient saints and us is, they 
 had the promises of which we have the fulfilment — 
 they look forward to a Saviour to come, we back to a 
 Saviour who has come. Besides, in full confirmation 
 of the correctness of these views, the Saviour himself 
 said to the Jews : " Your father Abraham rejoiced to 
 
SERMON XYIII. 317 
 
 see my day ; and he saw it and was glad." He saw it 
 only as foretold to him, and as the promise of God re- 
 vealed the glorious fact. " Now to Abraham and his 
 seed were the promises made. He saith not, and to 
 seeds, as of many, but as of one ; and to thy seed, which 
 is Christ." Thus Abraham's faith centred in and 
 rested on Christ. 
 
 Thus much for the faith of Abraham ; a faith which 
 procured his justification before God, as God himself 
 has declared; of course, embracing all the essential 
 characteristics of that exercise or grace, that faith 
 which obtained for him the high character of being 
 " the father of all them that believe," and which St. 
 Paul so often held up to view, as furnishing all the • 
 marks or properties of that faith, by which sinners are 
 now justified and saved. That faith of Abraham has 
 been embraced under the three heads which we have 
 made the topics of our remarks thus far. 
 
 Let us now see, as briefly as possible, if they do not 
 include all that is required by evangelical faith, or the 
 faith which the New Testament demands in order to 
 salvation. 
 
 1. Then, evangelical faith requires that we believe 
 in God, without distinction of persons. "He that 
 cometh to God, must believe that he is, and that he is 
 the rewarder of them that diligently seek him." And 
 thus we read, " The jailer rejoiced, believing in God." 
 My text says, " Abraham believed in God, and it was 
 counted unto him for righteousness." 
 
318 SERMON XVIII. 
 
 2. Evangelical faith has special respect to Christ 
 as its object. "He that believeth on the Son hath 
 everlasting life." We have abundantly seen that Abra- 
 ham's faith was on the Being who appeared to him, 
 who was Christ, and that all his sacrifices pointed for 
 their efficacy to the great sacrifice to come, which was 
 Christ. 
 
 3. Evangelical faith requires us to believe in Christ, 
 in all his offices, as Prophet, Priest, and King. As 
 a Prophet, we read : " Then said Jesus," to those Jews 
 who believed on him, " if ye continue in my word, ye 
 are my disciples indeed." "Lord," said Peter, "to 
 whom shall we go, but to thee ? Thou hast the words 
 
 • of eternal life." As a Priest : " Whom God hath set 
 forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood." 
 As a King : " I know in whom I have believed, and 
 that he is able to keep that which I have committed 
 unto him against that day." Abraham believed in him 
 in all these offices. He believed in all the promises 
 which he made to him, and all the directions which 
 he gave him. He looked forward, as we have seen, to 
 a great sacrifice, typified by that of Isaac. He obeyed 
 him, as having all authority, and a right to command 
 him, and with a readiness which was never surpassed. 
 Here was a full practical acknowledgment of his faith 
 in him in all his offices, as Prophet, and Priest, and 
 King ; although he was probably ignorant that he dis- 
 tinctly sustained those threefold relations. He believed 
 all that they embraced. 
 
SERMON XVIII. 319 
 
 4. Evangelical faith is belief with the heart. "With 
 the heart man believeth unto righteousness. If thou 
 believest with all thine heart," said Philip to the 
 Eunuch, " thou raajest be baptized." Need I say that 
 Abraham's belief was with the heart? Could any- 
 thing short of that have influenced him to such ready, 
 unhesitating, and prompt obedience? 
 
 Once more, and in few words, does evangelical faith 
 include, as essential to it, as entering into its very 
 existence, though in itself a distinct emotion, unlimited 
 confidence, and trust in, and supreme love towards God 
 and Jesus Christ — equally ready to do his will as to 
 receive or rely on the Divine promises? But in all 
 these respects who is, or when lived the man that more 
 eminently displayed all these attribute^, or more sig- 
 nally exemplified all these moral qualities, than he, 
 who, as an example, is " the father of all them that 
 believe ?" 
 
 AVhat more striking examples of faith can be col- 
 lected from all ages of the world, even since the 
 advent of Him who is, and always was, the great 
 and glorious object of it, — since what was once pre- 
 diction, has become fulfilment, what once was naked 
 promise, is now full accomplishment, since the Great 
 Antitype of all types has come and performed the 
 work which wms given him to do? What more 
 striking examples of faith can be gathered from the 
 whole believing part of our world, than is found in 
 the eleventh chapter of Hebrews ? And yet as their 
 
320 SERMON XVIII. 
 
 justification was concerned, all were influenced by 
 the same simple principle, — foith. Nothing else is 
 there named in regard to any of them. " By faith" 
 this was done, "by faith" that was endured. The 
 faith of Abraham was the faith of them all : is the 
 faith of every true Christian now : that alone by 
 which any soul is saved. We are apt to imagine that 
 those heroes possessed, either physically or spiritually, 
 something far beyond what is now attainable — some- 
 thing to which faith is now utterly inadequate, and 
 whatsis now not to be expected of Christians. Alas, 
 how far from the truth is this fixncy ! 
 
 True, we behold few or no such specimens of sturdy, 
 uncompromising, self-sacrificing faith. But the spirit 
 of it, where it really exists, is the same as dwelt in 
 the bosom, and showed itself in the life of Abraham. 
 What less, or rather, what other can one have, and 
 have it at all ? Can there be faith where God's naked 
 word is not believed ? Can there be faith where 
 there is refusal, or even hesitation to obey him? Can 
 there be true faith where the object of it is degraded 
 to a creature ? Where his word is not searched for 
 his instructions, regarded as the great Prophet ? 
 Where his atoning blood is not wholly relied upon, as 
 the great High Priest, for pardon ? Where his autho- 
 rity, as King, is not most cordially and obediently 
 respected ? — But I need not repeat all the properties 
 which characterized the faith of Abraham, which 
 exercise in its nature every one must have who is 
 
SERMON XYIII. 321 
 
 ever justified and saved. Which trait, or item, or 
 article could be taken from his creed, and not mar — 
 not utterly destroy the whole system? Faith — true 
 evangelic faith — is one consistent, harmonious whole. 
 It may be analyzed — examined in its parts — but 
 nothing omitted, nothing abated, as a non-essential. 
 It must all be there — or there is nothing. The only 
 proper antagonism of evangelical faith is infidelity. 
 In this view, there is no real difference between un- 
 belief and disbelief. Our Saviour settled that point 
 by one of the most solemn declarations which ever 
 fell from his sacred lips, — "He that believeth shall 
 be saved ; and he that believeth not shall be damned." 
 
 We have seen, in the example that has been 
 before us, what true fiiitli is. We have, in the case 
 of Abraham, its nature and its operations — how it 
 believed and obeyed — to what it prompted in the 
 departments of labor, self-sacrifice, and suffering — the 
 confidence it reposed in God — the affection it felt 
 towards him — and the support it afforded him in all 
 his trials — the joy it kindled at every look towards the 
 great sacrifice, though seen at a distance. Is this our 
 faith ? — not as to degree — but this its nature — its 
 spirit — its consistency — its promptings — the combined 
 harmony of its parts — its concentration on Christ ? 
 
 For there is "one faith," says an Apostle, as well as 
 " one Lord, and one baptism." It has one spirit ; the 
 tide of it should rise higher, and beat stronger, and be 
 more unwavering in the hearts of Christians now, 
 
 21 
 
322 SERMON XVIII. 
 
 than in the hearts of saints of old, inasmuch as now it 
 looks back on what is history, while theirs rested on 
 prediction and promises. Christ has come — has per- 
 sonally taught — has died, and gone to heaven to com- 
 plete the work of redemption. But though we shall 
 not surpass them, let us follow hard on in the steps 
 which marked their course. 
 
 One word from the lips of Christ himself to those 
 who have not the faith which saves, — " He that 
 believeth not, is condemned already, because he hath 
 not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of 
 God." 
 
XIX. 
 
 THE BACKSLIDER RECOVERED, AND THE 
 IMPENITENT CONVERTED. 
 
 "I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear; but now mine eye 
 seeth Thee ; wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ushes." — Job 
 42 : 5, G. 
 
 This was the acknowledfifment and humble confes- 
 sion of Job to his Maker. It is the language of every 
 individual, when brought to see and realize his true con- 
 dition in the sight of God, whether the wandering, but 
 reclaimed Christian, or the sinner, whose eyes and 
 heart the Spirit of God has opened and renewed. The 
 individual who uttered the text was an eminently 
 pious man, before the time to which it refers. A 
 more excellent character is given of no one, in all the 
 Bible. God himself said of him, " There is none like 
 him in all the earth ; a perfect and upright man, one 
 that feareth God, and escheweth evil." From that 
 day he became a deeply afflicted man. And during 
 the period of his severe trials, though mentioned in 
 terms of the highest commendation by the Prophet 
 Ezekiel, and set forth as an example of patience by 
 
324 SERMON XIX. 
 
 the Apostle James, he often manifested great and 
 sinful infirmity ; less the result, however, of his ex- 
 treme sufferings, though he sometimes uttered himself 
 in unjustifiable complaints, than of the uncharitable 
 and unjust charges of his mistaken friends and offi- 
 cious counsellors. They warmly contended, and he 
 as earnestly controverted the position, that God here 
 dealt with his creatures according to their moral- 
 character ; that to no inconsiderable extent the pye- 
 sent is a state of retribution ; and, consequently, that 
 severe afflictions prove the sufferer to be either a self- 
 deceiver, or a hypocrite. The dispute became warm, 
 with no prospect of its termination, till God himself 
 interposed, and showed both parties their error, and 
 convinced them of their mutual offences. It was at 
 that Divine manifestation that Job exclaimed, '• I 
 have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear, but 
 nftw mine eye seeth Thee ; wherefore I abhor myself, 
 and repent in dust and ashes." Here then is a plain 
 distinction expressed between " hearing with the ear," 
 and " seeing with the eye ;" and a plain statement of 
 the consequences resulting from the latter. And, as 
 already remarked, the declaration is equally applicable 
 to the lapsed Christian and the converted sinner, at 
 the moment they are brought to realize their true 
 condition, and are recovered and restored to the Divine 
 favor. 
 
 My object will be briefly to describe these different 
 states, as applicable to these different characters. 
 
SERMON XIX. 325 
 
 I. In regard to the Christian. Deep and criminal 
 imperfection attaches to every child of God. There 
 is no absolute perfection on earth. That which was 
 ascribed to Job, by his Maker, was relative, and not 
 absolute. None then on earth could be compared to 
 him. It was a perfection consisting in the complete- 
 ness or consistency of his religious character, as a 
 whole ; his uniform and equal observance of all the 
 duties which were demanded of him: a sense in which 
 the term 2)er/ect is often and properly used. But, even 
 yet, he was chargeable with much sin. Of this he 
 became deeply sensible, and poured forth the most 
 sincere and genuine repentance. Previousl}^ to this, 
 however, he was a good man. He lost not his stand- 
 ing in the covenant of grace. But he lost the deepness 
 of his impressions. He at no time renounced, or at- 
 tempted to renounce his allegiance to his Maker ; but 
 he labored under many wrong impressions. He had 
 mistaken views as well as his three counsellors. God, 
 too, had a special design in withdrawing from him 
 much of his wonted influence, and leaving him to 
 the buffetings, and temptations, and onsets of the 
 adversary, to whom great power was for a special 
 purpose permitted. During this period it was that 
 he "heard of God only by the hearing of the ear." 
 But we do not now take Ms views and impressions, 
 as our only guide to our present remarks. The decla- 
 ration is still applicable to most Christians, in a variety 
 of respects, and in many, very different from those 
 
326 SERMON XIX. 
 
 which characterized the condition of Job. Givins; 
 the words, therefore, a less restricted Latitude, as but 
 too often applicable to Christians, I observe, 
 
 1. They are descriptive of their state, when they 
 have lost the vividness of their impressions of God 
 and the Saviour, and divine and eternal things. These 
 impressions are not utterly erased from their minds. 
 There may not be entire forgetfulness of these things. 
 Never a day may pass, however absorbed by the things 
 of the world, during which they think not of God, 
 and Christ, and eternity. This is probably true of all 
 sober and sedate sinners. Yet their impressions are 
 slight and inconstant. They take no deep hold on 
 the mind, and make a still slighter impression on the 
 heart; and consequently manifest little or nothing of 
 it in their life. Their outward course is little, if at 
 all, distinguished from that of the world. 
 
 While their impressions from these infinitely impor- 
 tant objects are thus slight and feeble, they " hear oi 
 God only by the hearing of the ear." In this state 
 they read and hear his word, visit the house of 
 prayer, and notice the events of Providence. Their 
 hopes, of course, are languid and feeble. They do 
 not abandon them, though they scarcely stop to in- 
 quire whether well or ill founded. They are not mise- 
 rable, but they have little enjoyment. There is the 
 impression of a great remove from God; a mighty 
 distance between them and the throne of grace, even 
 while the knee is bent in prayer. God's word is 
 
SERMON XIX. 327 
 
 almost a sealed book. Divine Providence pours bless- 
 ings into their laps, and strews every step of their 
 path with favors. They know, indeed, from whose 
 hand they come. Yet their feeling of dependence is 
 slight, and their acknowledged indebtedness awakens 
 but feeble emotions. They pursue the familiar round 
 of duties — but feel little engagedness in their perform- 
 ance. Divine promises afford little encouragement. 
 Divine threatenings excite little alarm. Ah, such, 
 and at such times, '•' hear of God only by the hearing 
 of the ear," while the very sound of his voice seems 
 distant and low. They have lost the vividness of 
 their impressions of God, and Christ, and eternal 
 things. Of God, as their Maker, Preserver, and Bene- 
 factor. Of Christ, as their bleeding Saviour, and ap- 
 pointed Judge ; and of eternity, as the world of end- 
 less retribution. But — 
 
 2. They have lost their impression of their obligation 
 to be perfect Christians. By -perfect, I do not here 
 mean sinless; though it is certainly true that the most 
 solemn obligations are upon us to be thus perfect. 
 And no Christian is, at least, ripening for heaven, 
 while he does not aim at the attainment of that state. 
 I use the word in the sense in which God pronounced 
 Job a perfect man ; in the sense of completeness ; or 
 an equal regard to all requirements — although, in 
 respect to that eminent man, it denoted, not merely 
 completeness, or universal consistency, but superior 
 and high attainments. Job, probably, if not certainly, 
 
328 SERMON XIX. 
 
 lost that standing, during the period to which he 
 refers in the text, and which caused hiin to say, " I 
 have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear." And 
 this may well be said of every Christian, who has 
 become inconstant in the performance of religious 
 duties; or who, habitually, or frequently, omits any 
 one of them. It is the same authority that enjoins 
 them all. 
 
 And that authority is disregarded in the neglect, 
 or allowed omissions of one of them. The spirit of 
 God's law is one and the same ; and therefore it is, 
 that he who " offends in one point is guilty of all." 
 God speaks in every command. His voice is as dis- 
 tinct as when he spake with Moses on the Mount. 
 But it reaches only the outward ear of him who 
 disobeys, in any case of duty. In every command, 
 God addresses himself to the heart, since from the 
 heart all acceptable obedience proceeds. He, there- 
 fore, who allows himself in the neglect of any known 
 duty, is at best, only in the state in which he hears 
 of God b}^ the hearing of the ear, for his heart is 
 not properly affected. This is the condition of the 
 Christian who neglects secret prayer; family prayer, if 
 the heiid of a family ; or the habitual reading of the 
 Scriptures, or public worship, or any other duties 
 which devolve upon him, as a consistent Christian; 
 or negligently and carelessly performs them. That 
 Christian " hears of God only by the hearing of the 
 ear." That he attempts to perform any duty, in 
 
SERMON XIX. 329 
 
 however cold and formal a manner, is evidence of 
 some regard for his obligations. They are felt, how- 
 ever, but slightly. 
 
 3. The Christian who is in the state which we are 
 describing, has very slight impressions of his responsi- 
 bility as an active laborer and devoted servant of the 
 Lord Jesus Christ. Our past remarks have regarded 
 him rather in his private capacity, or at most, in 
 some of his more limited social relations. But the 
 duties tlience arising are not all that God requires of 
 him. In making him his child, he has constituted 
 him a public servant. By the faithful labors of his 
 friends his kingdom is to be built up in the world. 
 This was one of the conditions of a covenant relation 
 to God. One of the petitions which is expressly or 
 impliedly to enter into every prayer, whether in the 
 closet or at the family altar, is, "Father, thy king- 
 dom come." This implies, when properly or ac- 
 ceptably offered, active engagedness to advance that 
 kingdom ; a readiness to employ personal service, per- 
 sonal influence, and possessions, as a conscientious 
 regard to religious obligations, ardent love to the 
 Redeemer, and deep anxiety for the souls of his 
 fellow-b6ings, shall dictate. He that fails to do 
 this, has but slight impressions of his responsibility 
 and obligations as a servant of Christ. And all the 
 solemn injunctions of God's word and his favoring 
 providences are so far unheeded by him, that in tliem 
 he only hears of God by the hearing of the ear. 
 
330 SERMON XIX. 
 
 The state thus briefly and generally described, in 
 which, perhaps, all Christians are sometimes found, 
 and most Christians too habitually, is not indeed their 
 worst state. For there is implied in it a general, 
 though infinitely too slight a recognition of God, and 
 of their relations and accountability to him; and some 
 conviction of their obligations to him and to their 
 Saviour, as the hope of their own salvation is con- 
 cerned, and of what duty demands of them in behalf 
 of others. There may be, for a time, a deeper forgetful- 
 ness of God, a deeper declension and a sounder sleep. 
 The spirit of the world, if not indeed a worse spirit, 
 may for a season become so powerful as to paralyze all 
 the energies of the Christian; and he becomes equally 
 unconcerned for his own immortal interests and those 
 of others. It must, however, be for a little season 
 only ; for otherwise it must destroy all hope, at least 
 for him, and his hope for himself be that only of the 
 hypocrite. Nor is such the state intended by the text; 
 for such a man were deaf, instead of "hearing by even 
 the hearing of the ear." It were spiritual death, and 
 not mere declension. Such a state bears no analogy 
 to that in which Job was, for we have no evidence 
 that lie was ever thus stupid. But this state will con- 
 tinue, till, with hira, those who are in it are led to ex- 
 claim, " But now mine eye seeth Thee." This intro- 
 duces to us an entirely different state of things in 
 regard to the Christian. 
 
 Let us briefly look at the manner, the nature, and 
 
SERMON XIX. 331 
 
 some of the causes and effects of the change here indi- 
 cated. And, 
 
 1. It is often as suddenly wrought as in the regene- 
 ration of the sinner. This was evidently the case 
 wdth Job. Down to the very moment of uttering the 
 exclamation of the text, no perceptible change, or 
 indication of a change, is noticeable. He was as re- 
 pining, and as warmly engaged in justifying himself 
 against the charges of his friends, as at any previous 
 time. But light suddenly broke into his mind, and 
 grace into his heart ; and he exclaims, " I have heard 
 of Thee by the hearing of the ear, but noio mine eye 
 seeth Thee." The circumstances may be different in 
 different Christians; but the change in them from their 
 slight impressions of God and the Saviour, and eternal 
 things, of their obligations, and their responsibilities, 
 their declension, worldly-mindedness, and deadness to 
 a proper conviction and apprehension of their criminal 
 defectiveness, may be, and usually is, as sudden in 
 their case, as it was in his. 
 
 Christians are not long waking out of the sleep 
 into which they have fallen. Their convictions are 
 deep, usually, from the first. And if they experience 
 a painful course of conviction, it is more commonly 
 the case that it follows, rather than precedes their 
 renewal. Unlike, in most cases, the course of sinners 
 who are brought to repentance, they do not attempt 
 to return to God by reforming in a few respects ; by 
 returning to the performance of some duties, while they 
 
332 SERMON XIX. 
 
 neglect others. If they are Christians indeed, though 
 fallen or backslidden ones, such partial reformation 
 can afford them no satisfaction. They must and 
 will break off from every false and evil way, and 
 resume every duty they have neglected, and engage 
 in them all with a new spirit and a new relish. 
 
 2. The change which is produced in Christians on 
 their renewed repentance and recovery from a state 
 of declension and sleep, is often as great and as diffi- 
 cult to be effected, as the regeneration and repentance 
 of the sinner. It is, indeed, a common remark that 
 it is more so. We speak not of the power which is 
 necessary, in either case. For nothing short of the 
 omnipotent grace of God can efiect it in either. But 
 Christians, when in a state of declension, are scarcely 
 distinguishable from the rest of the world. They 
 show as much eagerness in their worldly pursuits, and 
 manifest as little anxiety for the interest of the Re- 
 deemer's kingdom, in the repentance and salvation of 
 sinners. Not unfrequently, a long course of painful 
 providences, as means, becomes necessary to awaken 
 them. The case of Job, indeed, affords but in part 
 an illustration of this remark. His afflictions, though 
 just, were not sent on him as judgments, or punish- 
 ments; they were not intended as means to renew him 
 again to repentance, and bring him back from his 
 departures from God. God pronounced him to be an 
 eminently pious man, at the very time of sending his 
 afflictions. 
 
SERMON XIX. 333 
 
 But God had a special design in sending them. He 
 chose thus to magnify his grace, and to show its power, 
 and sustaining and preserving efficacy, to his great 
 adversary, and for the encouragement and consolation 
 of his people in after generations. And from no 
 record of his dealings may Christians derive more 
 benefit than from them. But the test seemed some- 
 times too severe, and he yielded to the impulses of a 
 remaining sinful nature; and hence, became the pro- 
 voking cause of many of his trials. And this, no 
 doubt, was the reason of their long continuance. The 
 same course of proceedings is often witnessed, and 
 often necessary still. It is the course God has always 
 pursued, as the whole history of his dealings in every 
 age shows. Christians are not afflicted because they 
 are Christians. Many seem to imagine that it is a 
 mere arbitrary appointment, that "through much tri- 
 bulation they must enter into the kingdom of heaven;" 
 and some have undertaken to explain what thej^ re- 
 garded as mysterious, the necessity of such a course, 
 as a proper preparation for the happiness of heaven, 
 on the principle of contrast. But they overlook the 
 real cause. There may be, and is, not a little that 
 appears mysterious, in the great and peculiar suffer- 
 ings which are sometimes sent on the most pious and 
 devoted; while those destitute of their eminent quali- 
 ties, pass on smoothly through the world. But in the 
 case of the former, God may have the same reasons, 
 in their severe trials and sufferings, which influenced 
 
334 SERMON XIX. 
 
 him in the case of Job, — to magnify his grace, and to 
 show its sufficiency under all circumstances. But it 
 is not sufficiently considered, that while such suffer 
 justly, and even far less than they deserve, judgments 
 and afflictions are the necessary means of keeping 
 most Christians from fatal wanderings. The sins, too, 
 of Christians are peculiarly aggravated. They not 
 only sin against the light and the love which are dis- 
 played before their eyes, the proofs of which are every- 
 where around them, but against light, love, and grace 
 experienced. Light has shined into their minds ; love 
 has been shed abroad in their hearts ; grace has been 
 given to subdue their enmity ; " they have tasted the 
 heavenly gift, and been made partakers of the Holy 
 Ghost, and the good word of God, and the powers of 
 the world to come." They have known the bitterness 
 and yet happy consequences of repentance; and placed 
 themselves voluntq,rily, and cheerfully, and gratefully, 
 under the most solemn obligations. To decline from 
 such a state, to fall from such a height into forgetful- 
 ness, lukewarmness, and sleep, mark an offence of deep 
 aggravation. 
 
 It is, however, no doubt often the case, that this 
 effect is produced without any visible or perceptible 
 means. God sometimes manifests himself directly to 
 a backslidden Christian. Light suddenly bursts upon 
 his mind ; painful convictions are instantly awakened 
 in the conscience. The heart at once breaks. He is 
 overwhelmed with a sense of his ingratitude, and 
 
SERMON XIX. 335 
 
 forget fulness, and broken resolutions, and disregarded 
 vows. Pie suddenly starts, as from a sleep. Such 
 suddenness evidently appears to have marked the 
 change in Job, when he exclaimed, " I have heard 
 of Thee by the "hearing of the ear, but now mine eye 
 seeth Thee." He had been, as it were, in a state of 
 delirium. No doubt his extreme sufferings and un- 
 equalled trials contributed much to produce that 
 state, yet he had not been altogether innocent. Nay, 
 he had deeply offended, and attempted a self-justifi- 
 cation which was an offence to his Maker. The 
 moment God said to him, " Shall he that contendeth 
 with the Almighty instruct him ? He that reproveth 
 God, let him answer it." Job exclaims, " Behold, I 
 am vile ; what shall I answer thee ! I will lay my 
 hand upon my mouth — I will proceed no farther. 
 I have uttered that I understood not : things too 
 wonderful for me, which I know not." "I have 
 heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear." His views 
 had been obscured. He had lost the deepness and 
 vividness of his impressions of God and divine things. 
 He instantly awakes from that state, and adds, 
 "But now mine eye seeth Thee." How similar to 
 this has been the experience of many a child of God ! 
 Their previous condition may have been very dif- 
 ferent from his ; but the change no less great, sudden, 
 overwhelming, and entire. Is it not indeed the case 
 with every unfaithful and wandering Christian, when 
 brought to see and realize his true condition ? With 
 
336 SERMON XIX. 
 
 every Christian who has become lukewarm, and is 
 revived ? Strange, that what has been invariably true 
 for two thousand years, yea, ever since God had a 
 covenant people, should be brought as an objection to 
 a work ! For it is their suddenness which has been 
 objected to in revivals of religion. And yet they 
 must be sudden, so far as the Church or Christians 
 are concerned, if they are ever revived. This may 
 or may not be the case in the conversion of sinners. 
 Hence, frequently, and more commonly, few are con- 
 verted at the same time. The work is often conti- 
 nued months, while every day may w^itness to the 
 conversion of some. 
 
 And so is it more frequently, and almost always 
 the case, that sinners continue for days, and some- 
 times for weeks, in a state of gradually deepening 
 conviction, before the heart yields, and the sinner 
 submits. But this is seldom, if ever, the case, with 
 a Christian who has become remiss, but is brought to 
 see his condition. There is yet something within 
 him which answers to the first note of alarm. A 
 spark of grace, which revives at the first touch of the 
 Spirit of God. 
 
 His former experience, if a real child of God, has 
 prepared him for a rededication to God, and imme- 
 diate return to duty. He has no apologies, no 
 excuses to plead. Excuses and apologies among 
 Christians are peculiar to a state of apathy and de- 
 clension. It is then they attempt to excuse and even 
 
SEKMOxV XIX. 337 
 
 justify themselves for their neglect of duty, their de- 
 votedness to the world, and their indulgence in that, 
 whatever it may be, which, is inconsistent with their 
 Christian character, and solemn professions. Not a 
 sentence of the kind, I may safely affirm, ever escapes 
 their lips, not a feeling of the kind exists in their 
 hearts, from the moment that the Spirit of God 
 renews his impression on their hearts, or specially 
 calls up their attention to their condition. They are 
 only astonished that they could ever have lost the 
 impressions they once had. They marvel, as well 
 they may, that they could have fallen into sleep ; 
 and are filled with wonder and gratitude to God, that 
 he did not suffer them to sleep on and perish, and 
 cannot help feeling, if not exclaiming, in the very 
 language of Job, " I have heard of Thee by the 
 hearing of the ear ; but now mine eye seetli Thee ;" 
 and like him too, " abhor themselves, and repent in 
 dust and ashes." 
 
 Thus have I attempted, though generally and im- 
 perfectly, to describe the difference clearly indicated 
 in the two clauses of the text, and to briefly illustrate 
 their applicability to Christians. 
 
 In describing the state of the sinner, as rej)resented 
 " by the hearing of the ear," I remark, 
 
 1. That what is expressed by this phrase is uni- 
 versally true. There is no human being, possessed 
 of the ordinary faculties of such a being, who has 
 
 22 
 
338 SERMON XIX. 
 
 not this mode of knowing God. The Creator has 
 furnished abundant evidence of his existence, and 
 of at least some of his perfections, which are level 
 with the lowest exercise of the rational faculties. 
 Man has been styled a religious being, as his most dis- 
 tinguishing characteristic. By this it is not meant, 
 indeed, that he possesses by nature any holy prin- 
 ciple, but that he is not only capable of becoming a 
 holy being, but that there is that naturally in him 
 which leads him to recognize a Supreme Being. 
 
 There are many, indeed, and some, perhaps, are to 
 be found in Christianized countries, who do not know 
 him by the name of God, or any of his usual names, 
 and who are utterly ignorant of his true character. 
 But it is to be questioned if there is, or ever was, one 
 of ordinary understanding, who was utterly ignorant 
 of the existence of a Supreme Being. It is not true 
 in the very darkest regions of heathenism. The ex- 
 istence of idolatry, which is universal, where the true 
 God is not worshipped, demonstrably proves this. On 
 this ground St. Paul declared, " Because that which 
 may be known of God, is manifest in them. For the 
 invisible things of him, from the creation of the world, 
 are clearly seen, being understood by the things that 
 are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so 
 that they are without excuse." The language, how- 
 ever, of creation and providence (for both these means 
 of knowing God are included in the above declara- 
 tion), though the most imperfect that can be possessed. 
 
SERMON XIX. 339 
 
 yet leaves every man without excuse who does not 
 even glorify or worship God, as God. And the sole 
 reason assigned is, not destitution of all knowledge, 
 but the corruption of the heart. " Because that when 
 they knew God, they glorified him not as God ; but 
 became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish 
 heart was darkened." This, however, may be termed 
 the very lowest, or most imperfect means or manner 
 of hearing of God " by the hearing of the ear." 
 
 2. The means of a knowledge of God rise an impor- 
 tant degree higher, when we take into the axjcount 
 the faculty of conscience. On this faculty God has 
 impressed a clearer apprehension of himself, both of 
 his existence and his nature, than on that of the under- 
 standing, or any other faculty. Conscience is the 
 power which convicts of sin and guilt. But sin and 
 guilt presuppose the existence of a law, either of a 
 written law, or of a law of nature ; they presuppose a 
 standard, the nature of which is holy. But there 
 are millions of our race who have not the written 
 
 4 
 
 law, while there is not one who has no consciousness 
 of sin and guilt. And this is the view which the 
 Apostle Paul gives us of the conscience, as affording 
 a knowledge of the nature and character of God. 
 " For when the Gentiles, which have not the law 
 (the written law), do, by nature, the things contained 
 in the law, these having not the law, are a law unto 
 themselves; which show the work of the law written 
 in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness. 
 
340 SERMON XIX. 
 
 and their thoughts the meanwhile accusing or else 
 excusing one another." 
 
 This greatly increases the inexcusableness of the 
 individual who does not obey the dictates of his con- 
 science, in at least abstaining from what awakens in 
 him a conviction of sin and guilt. It is the voice of 
 God within him. But God may speak louder than 
 in the above instance, and yet his voice prove equally 
 ineffectual. For 
 
 3. The sinner may be instructed in the doctrines of 
 Divine revelation ; his belief may embrace the whole 
 circle of religious truths, and that belief have every 
 mark of entire sincerity ; he may have the most un- 
 hesitating belief of the existence of God, and of all 
 the peculiar and infinite perfections of his nature ; 
 the distinct and peculiar character and offices of the 
 Son of God, and of the Holy Spirit ; the fall of man ; 
 his innate and entire depravity ; the necessity of re- 
 generation ; a future state of rewards and punish- 
 ments, of eternal duration ; the binding force of the 
 Divine law, and the absolute necessity of personal, 
 experimental religion. All this may be without 
 rational doubt, yet all this may consist with an im- 
 peniten£ and unsubmissive heart, and consequently, 
 be no more than " hearing of God with the hearing of 
 the ear." 
 
 4. The voice of God may be still more audible. 
 The conscience may be awakened to a higher degree 
 than to produce a mere consciousness of guilt, and an 
 
SERMON XIX. d4i 
 
 apprehension of unsafety. There may be the most 
 pungent convictions ; and these convictions may only 
 excite a spirit of more determined rebellion. If not, 
 then is there no blasphemy in perdition. But, our Sa- 
 viour has told us of some who saw and knew, but the^ 
 more strongly to dislike and resist. " They have 
 both seen and hated both me and my Father." 
 Surely there is nothing improbable, or uncommon, in 
 being entirely convinced of what we entirely dislike. 
 
 Again, God has spoken still louder, nor spoken al- 
 together in vain — for external reformation has been 
 the effect. Those courses and acts which produce the 
 pain will be avoided. But mere external reformation 
 is not the ground of hope : surely, it is not better 
 ground than the amiableness and unexceptionable 
 morality of those who were never otherwise than 
 amiable and moral: and yet this was declared al- 
 together untenable in the case of the young nobleman, 
 and equally so, in the case of every other one. And 
 we remark. 
 
 Once more. That all these outward calls and in- 
 ward admonitions may be enforced by solemn and 
 awakening providences. God often reveals himself most 
 clearly in his providences. His goodness is seen and felt, 
 and cannot but be acknowledged ; they aiford incon- 
 testable proofs of his benevolence. Divine justice is often 
 strikingly displayed in them. Often does God show his 
 hatred of sin, and his approbation of virtue, in his 
 dealings towards his creatures. These often possess a 
 
342 SERMON XIX. 
 
 judicial character, and they are sometimes evidently 
 retributive. The iniquities of men are often visited 
 upon themselves. Divine providences are sometimes 
 of a very alarming and instructive character ; they 
 .speak with an impressive and powerful eloquence ; 
 seldom do they fail to produce some effect ; they 
 either force to submission, or provoke to new acts of 
 rebellion : the latter is but too often the effect. But 
 in every instance, where the providences of God are 
 unaccompanied with a saving influence, all the know- 
 ledge derived from them is only " by the hearing of 
 the ear ;" they strike the senses, carry conviction to 
 the understanding, wake up alarm in the conscience, 
 and produce a partial and temporary reformation. 
 But, if this be all, they still leave the heart unsub- 
 dued, and the sinner without hope. There have been 
 many who have thus been taught — have thus lived — 
 and thus died ; and we fear there are multitudes of 
 others, who are following on in the same course, to 
 experience the same end. 
 
 Then all the instructions afforded by creation, by 
 the conscience, by the written law, and the published 
 Gospel, with the additional instructions and powerful 
 enforcements of providences of every variety, and even 
 the awakening, and sometimes deeply convicting influ- 
 ence of the Holy Spirit, — these, all these, amount to 
 no more than hearing " by the hearing of the ear." 
 This is mere light without saving grace; while the full 
 blaze of eternity can convert no soul. What, then, 
 
SERMON XIX. 343 
 
 is it to see God ? Or what is implied by the words, 
 "But now mine eye seetli Thee?" 
 
 In order to present the subject clearly to view, it 
 becomes necessary to state what it does not imply. 
 
 1. It does not imply, necessarily, a change of one's, 
 views, or belief in regard to the great and essential 
 doctrines and truths of the Bible. These may already 
 be correct. Many an impenitent sinner has as correct 
 views of Gospel truth, as the best-instructed Christian, 
 Information, even perfect knowledge, may exist with- 
 out any holiness. St. Paul has expressly decided this 
 case. "Though I have all knowledge and all faith, and 
 have not charity or love, I am nothing." Knowledge 
 and belief, then, can consist with unrepented sin, and 
 even endless blasphemies. 
 
 2. Nor does it imply any new means of grace. 
 These were fixed from eternity, and were all an- 
 nounced when the volume of inspiration was closed. 
 Nor is it agreeable to the experience of the converted 
 themselves, that their conversion is attributable to 
 
 , any neiv means ; or that their attention was first 
 arrested by any uncommon truth. Before even a sen- 
 tence of the New Testament was written, our Saviour 
 most explicitly taught the sufficiency of the nveans or 
 the truths contained in the Old Testament. " They 
 have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them. If 
 they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will 
 they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead." 
 
344 SERMON XIX. 
 
 Besides millions had possessed no other, and were 
 then in heaven. 
 
 3. The expression, "mine eye seeth Thee," does 
 not imply any supernatural or strange appearances, 
 as objects of sight. Imagination, indeed, has had not 
 a little to do in awakening attention to the interests 
 of the soul, and creating alarm in view of one's eter- 
 nity. Dreams even have produced the same effect. 
 It is perfectly consistent with the character of God to 
 employ any faculty of the mind, as a channel through 
 which to operate or to convey truth to the mind or 
 heart of the sinner. But nothing as to any saving 
 influence can be inferred from the mode of operation. 
 We must look to other effects, and other fruits, for 
 anything decisive. 
 
 Once more. Nor do the expressions imply a pun- 
 gency or a degree of painful conviction, of which no 
 impenitent sinner is ever the subject. Painful convic- 
 tions of sin, and of one's desert, these indeed are, and 
 must be, where there are any just conceptions of the 
 nature of sin, or of one's true condition. It is impos- 
 sible to place any proper value on the bloody sacrifice 
 of Christ, or his amazing condescension in coming into 
 our world to redeem lost sinners, without having them. 
 But the convictions of the merely awakened sinner 
 are often more painful, where they do not than where 
 they do end in conversion. The sinner is sometimes 
 abandoned to despair, from which he never recovers, 
 
SERMON XIX. 345 
 
 while the convert is sustained by hope ; the one con- 
 tinues to resist, while the other submits. We are to 
 place no confidence, therefore, in the mere painfulness 
 of one's convictions. We are prepared now to show 
 what they do imply. 
 
 As in the case of the backslidden, but recovered 
 Christian, a great, essential, and sudden change takes 
 place. There may be, and more commonly there is, a 
 previous process or preparation, which is gradual, and 
 of longer or shorter continuance; which is seldom, if 
 ever, the case with the Christian who is brought to a 
 real conviction of his true condition. Sinners some- 
 times remain a long time in a state of conviction. 
 But there is a precise moment when conversion 
 occurs. There must be a point where the soul ceases 
 to travel from God, and turns towards him. The 
 subject himself may not be able distinctly to mark 
 it. It may be days, and weeks, and even months, 
 before he has any comfortable satisfaction on the 
 point, or before he is free from painful anxiety. But 
 the representations of the new birth are such in 
 the Bible, and the doctrine of the unrenewed man's 
 entire moral depravity is so abundantly established, 
 that the change denoted by regeneration must be 
 sudden, must be instantaneous ; while the same 
 account affords no less evidence and assurance of the 
 greatness of the change which has passed upon the 
 converted sinner. If, therefore, we judge wholly 
 from the nature of the case, as taught in the word of 
 
346 SERMON XIX. 
 
 God, we can arrive at no other conclusion. But it is 
 not left to be inferred from the mere declarations of 
 the Bible, or to be deduced from a course of reason- 
 ing. There is something of an experimental nature, 
 something in matter of experience, which proves the 
 greatness of the change, as well as its reality. For 
 
 1. There is a calmness, succeeding a state of alarm 
 and agitation, which is new and peculiar. True, this 
 is not decisive in itself. And were this all, it would 
 amount to but slender evidence. For the subject 
 himself, oftener than otherwise, suspects it and 
 regards it only as evidence that his religious impres- 
 sions are fast subsiding, and even that the Spirit of 
 God has forsaken him. This may indeed be the 
 case ; yet this is often the genuine effect of the Spirit's 
 own agency — the fruit of his special sanctifying in- 
 fluence. But when it awakens apprehensions of the 
 Spirit's departure, and leads to more earnest prayer, 
 greater watchfulness, and a more unreserved dedica- 
 tion of one's self to God, then there is more than "the 
 hearing of the ear." The subject can say, though 
 the vision may be exceedingly imperfect and obscure, 
 " Now mine eye seeth Thee." It may be as "through 
 a glass, darkly;" it may be in the sense or degree in 
 which the man whose sight the Saviour restored, 
 said, " I see men as trees walking." Or the state 
 which Paul describes, when he exhorted, that " they 
 should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after 
 him, and find him." When this is the nature and 
 
SERMON XIX. 347 
 
 tendency of that calmness which pervades the newly 
 regenerated heart, then is it true, though it be with 
 hesitation and doubt, he can say, " Now mine eye 
 seeth Thee." 
 
 2. There is a feeling of submission which is new. 
 And where this accompanies that calmness of which 
 we have just been speaking, the evidence of renewing 
 grace is greatly strengthened. There are, indeed, 
 different kinds, as well as different degrees, of sub- 
 mission : from peaceful to joyous; from merely uncom- 
 plaining to the most entire; from unresisting to 
 cordial. There is a submission which may be termed 
 the submission of indifference. The sinner becomes 
 wearied in his strivings; and hence gives over 
 exertion, and settles down into indifference. There 
 is, too, a submission, which I would call the submis- 
 sion of despair : when the subject of it seems to feel 
 and say, " I may be saved, or I may be lost. I can do 
 no more than I have done, and leave it with God to 
 save or destroy." The submission of the regenerate 
 sinner, however, is widely different from both. It 
 arises from no feeling of indifference. He is never 
 more alive to his immortal interests. It is infinitely 
 removed from that which arises from the feeling that 
 he has done all he can to save his soul, and can do 
 no more. It is not on his doing all, or doing any- 
 thing, that he relies. He does not cease to do, nor 
 cease to do all he can. But his doing, if so I may 
 speak, is to let God do all — to throw himself, as it 
 
348 SERMON XIX. 
 
 were, into the arms of his Saviour, who claims the 
 glory of doing all, from the very first provision of his 
 mercy to the consummation of his grace ; from the/ 
 first awakening of his Spirit to his perfect sanctifica- 
 tion. While such an one accepts the punishment of 
 his iniquity, his supreme aim is cheerfully to suffer, 
 and devotedly to do the will of his Redeemer. This 
 is a new and peculiar feeling. That individual can 
 say, "Now mine eye seeth Thee." 
 
 3. He sees God in the glorious harmony of his plan 
 of salvation. On the broad ground of a Divine atone- 
 ment, which to him is the only conceivable ground of 
 hope, he not only believes, but sees how God can be 
 just, and the justifier of him that believeth. He sees 
 the ground as well as necessity of the Spirit's rege- 
 nerating operations on a totally depraved heart. His 
 heart can solve, if his reason cannot, that great, and 
 to so many, most perplexing difficulty, of man's entire 
 dependence on God, and the perfect freedom of his own 
 actions. And that the eternal decrees of Jehovah are 
 all accomplished by the very freedom of the creature's 
 actions; hy the believer's perseverance unto eternal 
 life, and the sinner's abandonment to endless death. 
 A glorious consistency runs through the whole 
 scheme of redemption. God is seen, save in heaven, 
 more clearly, more gloriously, in nothing, than in the 
 beautiful harmony of the whole system of redeeming 
 grace. 
 
 The converted sinner perceives this harmony, and 
 
SERMON XIX. 349 
 
 exclaims — '* Now, now, mine eye seetli Thee." God 
 is love, and truth reflects that love ; and perceiving 
 and loving the truth, he sees and loves its Author. 
 This principle runs through all the government of 
 God. Hence, he recognizes God in all the events of 
 his providence ; he sees him in his mercies, and in his 
 judgments. This principle applies to all circumstances 
 and all conditions. I leave its further application to 
 yourselves, and close the subject with two or three 
 reflections. 
 
 1. Every one of us may easily perceive which part 
 of our text applies to himself : whether it is true of 
 him only that he has heard of God by the hearing of 
 the ear, or can say, " Mine eye seeth him." AVere we 
 heathens, the former were true of us ; how true then 
 to the enlightened, the informed, the Gospel-in- 
 structed sinner ! How often have we, even the little 
 children of this congregation, heard of God " by the 
 hearing of the ear." We learned his name and much 
 of his character almost in our infancy, and have been 
 learning something, yea much, from his word, and his 
 providences, during our life thus far. And to all the out- 
 ward calls, which the great God has been constantly 
 addressing to us, he has added the whispers of his Spirit. 
 But with all these we may perish. This is no more than 
 hearing with the ear. We must see God ; see him as 
 he manifests himself by his Spirit to the heart ; see him 
 as he stamps the Saviour's image there ; see him in his 
 clearly apprehended loveliness ; see him in the beauty 
 
350 SERMON XIX. 
 
 of his holiness. And have Ave all thus seen him ? A 
 more important point of inquiry cannot be presented. 
 Our eternal destiny depends on it. If there be doubt, 
 and we dismiss it before it be solved, satisfactorily 
 and happily solved, we do it at our peril. 
 
 2. The various sources whence we derive our know- 
 ledge of God, if after all we perish, will be just so 
 many sources of misery to us in eternity. We can 
 never lose any of it. We shall carry it with us to his 
 bar. If a heathen must wake up with surprise in 
 eternity, with what fearfalness must enlightened sin- 
 ners appear there ! Provocations increase with abused 
 knowledge. 0, what a doom thus awaits sinners 
 among us, who shall leave the world in all their im- 
 penitence! In their constantly increasing knowledge 
 of God, how are they " treasuring up wrath against 
 the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous 
 judgment of God T' 
 
 3. It is a natural reflection from our subject, that if 
 God appear so terrible to the sinner when he only 
 manifests himself, as it were, to his senses, as he often 
 does by his providences, what must it be to behold 
 him face to face ? Even the Christian often trembles 
 when he thinks of that interview with the great God. 
 Nothing but the hope of his approving smiles can sus- 
 tain him. Seraphim and cherubim veil their fiices in 
 his presence. How the glorious presence of the lovely 
 and the loving Saviour, on the Mount of Transfigura- 
 tion, overpowered Peter, James, and John ! Ah, what 
 
SERMON XIX. 351 
 
 then must be the effect of his presence on the sumer ! 
 AVhen clothed in flesh, and in a form like themselves, 
 how his enemies fell to the ground by one look from 
 him in the Garden ! Still more terrible was his rtp- 
 pearance to Saul of Tarsus, on his way to Damascus. 
 And in awful language we hear it described, as he 
 will appear in the last day, to those who leave the 
 •world without a saving interest in him. " Rocks, 
 mountains, ftill 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 wrath is come, and 
 who sliall be able to stand ?" And yet, sinner, you 
 must meet him ! And have you never seriously 
 thought how you shall meet him ? And can any sin- 
 ner seriously think of it and not tremble? The solemn 
 interview is approaching. The hour hastens when 
 you shall see him face to face. Nothing but perfect 
 holiness can stand before him. It is because Chris- 
 tians shall be perfectly holy that they will see him 
 with joy ; but that holiness must begin here. Begun 
 here, it will be consummated at death. Let me then 
 call on every sinner to repent, and repent now ; for 
 a little delay may prevent it forever. 
 
XX. 
 
 CHRISTIAN EXCELLENCE. 
 
 "An old disciple."— Acts 21 : 16. 
 
 This high commendation was passed on Mnason, of 
 Cyprus. The verse which contains it furnishes all 
 the information Inspiration has given of this vene- 
 rable man. Nor can language be framed to express a 
 hisjher character than the words which head this dis- 
 course describe. "An old disciple." Mnason was 
 not venerable for his years merely ; but his numerous 
 years were crowned with solid piety. He was not 
 only an old man, but " an old disciple ;" an aged 
 Christian ; or, as the original signifies, a disciple from 
 the beginning. His name denotes a "seeker," or 
 "exhorter;" and reference is made to a term which is 
 translated, " taught from youth." Mnason, then, had 
 not only lived long, but he had long been a scholar in 
 the school of Christ. While a youth, too, he enlisted 
 under his Saviour, as the Captain of his salvation. 
 Some suppose he was one of the seventy disciples, or 
 among the first converts at Cyprus; though, at this 
 time, he was a citizen of Jerusalem, as appears from 
 
SERMON XX. 353 
 
 bis kindly tendering to the Apostle the hospitalities 
 of his house, while he should remain in that city. 
 Whether these conjectures are well or ill-founded, one 
 thing is certain : he had, for many years, been en- 
 gaged in the service of his Lord and Master. And 
 instead of becoming wearied in it, he grew more faith- 
 ful, more diligent, and more warmly attached to the 
 cause Avhich he had espoused. This appears, from the 
 very circumstances under which this honorable men- 
 tion is made of him, by the inspired penman of the 
 text. Paul the Apostle, on his way, it seems, from 
 Miletus to Jerusalem, stopped and tarried some days 
 at Coesarea. Here a prophet, named Agabus, met 
 him, and delivered to him a message from the Holy 
 Ghost. This prophet took Paul's girdle, and binding 
 his own hands and feet, said, " Thus saitli the Holy 
 Ghost ; so shall the Jews, at Jerusalem, bind the man 
 that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the 
 hands of the Gentiles." Thus predicting the dangers 
 and trials which awaited the Apostle at Jerusalem. 
 But nothing could relax his purpose. All their 
 attempts to dissuade him from it were unavailing. 
 No threatening dangers could repress or damp the 
 zeal and ardor of his pious soul. He panted to dis- 
 play the honors and the glory of his Redeemer's cross 
 on the very spot where it had been crimsoned with 
 his precious blood, and to plant it with his own hand 
 among his crucifiers. And when no arguments could 
 prevail on him to abandon his object, his friends 
 
 23 
 
354 ^ SERMON XX. 
 
 assented, saying, " The will of the Lord be done." 
 Many of them, however, would accompany him, and, 
 among them, one Mnason, of Cyprus, an old disciple, 
 with whom he should lodge. Though borne down 
 under the weight of years, he wished to share with 
 the Apostle the dangers and perils of his visit to Jeru- 
 salem. The testimony of so many years of fidelity to 
 Christ, and attachment to his cause, he was ready to 
 close and consummate with this benevolent proffer of 
 his hospitalities, his influence, and efforts to aid the 
 Apostle in the great objects of his heavenly commis- 
 sion. In this he acted from the impulse of ardent 
 piety, furnishing the highest evidence, that, as he 
 grew in years, he grew also in grace. Such was this 
 man of God. Such was Mnason, of Cyprus, an old 
 disciple — venerable man ! His history, indeed, is told 
 in two words. Yet words, how expressive, how full 
 of import, how full of praise ! Words which embrace, 
 in their application to Mnason, everything amiable 
 and lovely in youth ; decisive and ardent in man- 
 hood; firm, dignified in old age. The same words are 
 his epitaph. Who that values posthumous praise, 
 and especially regards a reputation for eternity, would 
 not prefer them, as the record of his history, to the 
 volumes of panegyric that are written of the greatest 
 heroes and statesmen that ever lived ! More durable 
 than all the inscriptions on marble or brass — written, 
 too, by the pen of Inspiration, on the pages of life, — a 
 
SERMON XX. 355 
 
 fair transcript of the same record in the book of God's 
 everlasting remembrance. 
 
 With such an example before us, I purpose to 
 sketch, though it be but faintly, the mere outlines of 
 the character of an old disciple, and enforce its prac- 
 tical influence on this assembly. 
 
 I. The foundation of this character must be laid in 
 early life. In youth, the heart must experience the 
 renovating power of grace, and the soul l)e espoused 
 to Christ. It is, indeed, true, that distinction of Chris- 
 tian character does not wholly depend on the number 
 of years a person is a Christian ; especially, if we 
 judge from the examples of those who have received 
 that character; for we sometimes find that those who 
 enter the school of Christ in later life, far surpass 
 many that were at least supposed to be Christians 
 from their youth. This difference, however, may 
 generally be ascribed to the greater diligence, the 
 higher endowments, or more favorable advantages of 
 the former. But, notwithstanding this difference, it 
 does not follow that such would not have attained to 
 higher distinction, in the Christian life, had they been 
 pious from their youth. 
 
 Nor does it prove that without early piety, how- 
 ever rapid their progress, they are entitled to the 
 honorable character of old disciples. Christianity is 
 not a secret, by which a person arrives at perfection, 
 or even distinction, at once. The period will, indeed, 
 never come, in eternity, that the saint will reach a 
 
356 SERMON XX. 
 
 degree of perfection beyond which he cannot advance. 
 Heaven is a state of eternal progression in know- 
 ledge; and, consequently, in amount of happiness. 
 Nor can any one set bounds to the Christian's pro- 
 gress, while he remains in this world, though imper- 
 fection will cleave to him. The character of an old 
 disciple must then be laid, the seeds of grace must be 
 sow;n in the heart, in tender youth. A habit of piety 
 must be formed, or no one, could his life equal that 
 of Methuselah, would be entitled to the distinguished 
 character of an old disciple : and unless this habit be 
 formed in youth, it probably will never be formed. 
 It surely will not be so firm and unyielding. We all 
 know how deeply rooted are habits of vice. A chief 
 reason is, we are early the subjects and votaries of it. 
 These habits are not easily destroyed. 
 
 It is difficult, humanly speaking, for grace itself to 
 supplant them. They must be prevented ; and this 
 requires early piety. The aifections must early begin 
 to flow in a right channel. The pursuit of heaven 
 must be commenced in youth. 
 
 II. An old disciple is immovably fixed in the great 
 doctrines of the Gospel. This we might expect from 
 his long tuition in the school of Christ. He has not 
 enjoyed the best instructions, and yet made no pro- 
 gress. Christ teacheth as never man taught. He 
 never had a true disciple whom he did not improve. 
 Nor can a Christian long remain stationary. If a 
 person make no advances, he is only increasing the 
 
SERMON XX. 357 
 
 eviclencG that lie is not a true disciple. The best 
 evidence that a person is a Christian is gradual pro- 
 gress in holiness. Without this, his pretensions, how- 
 ever high, are vain and Gmpty. Besides, it is the 
 peculiar property of Christian doctrines that they 
 exert an experimental intluence. Divine truth is the 
 instrument of sanctification ; and the more one expe- 
 riences of the power of Divine truth, the more firmly 
 rooted and grounded will he be in the doctrines of the 
 Gospel. Hence, saith the Apostle, " Be not carried 
 about with divers and strange doctrines, for it is a 
 good thing that the heart be established with grace." 
 
 The old disciple, therefore, can have no doubt of 
 the truth of those doctrines, whose sanctifying power 
 he has felt on his heart. God has established an indis- 
 soluble connection between Christian practice, thus 
 induced, and this confidence. " If any man," said our 
 Saviour, '* will do his will, he shall know of the 
 doctrine, whether it be of God." Divine truth, re- 
 ceived in the heart, makes an indelible impression. 
 It is fixed — it is permanent. It constitutes the prin- 
 ciple of moral action ; and a person who has felt its 
 power would as soon cease to act as an intelligent 
 agent, as to doubt the eternal truth of the great 
 doctrines of the Gospel. He would as soon doubt his 
 existence, or the existence of God. The old disciple, 
 therefore, is not liable to revolution in his religious 
 sentiments. He stands like a centre pillar in a build- 
 ing, equally supporting all its parts. While he views 
 
358 SERMON XX. 
 
 the commotions of the religious world, and the con- 
 tentions of varying sects and denominations, produced 
 by contradictory opinions, his faith remains fixed. It 
 is this confidence that gives him courage in death. 
 For he knows in whom he has believed. It is this 
 which affords him fortitude in the day of persecution; 
 which robs the rack and the flames of their terrific 
 power. It is this which has led, with cheerfulness, 
 thousands of holy martyrs to the scaffold and the stake. 
 III. Another trait in the character of an old dis- 
 ciple is his uniform zeal in the cause of Christ. Zeal 
 is essential to Christian discipleship, even in its lowest 
 degree. He is not a Christian who never feels 
 engaged in that cause which cost the agonies and 
 precious blood of the Son of God to establish it in our 
 ■world. Nor are we without illustrious examples of 
 ardent zeal for Christ among his young disciples. 
 But it is not common to find among them a uniform 
 zeal. It often rises high, and soon expends itself. 
 The young Christian, though he sometimes soar above 
 the clouds, is often seen grovelling in the dust. He 
 falls as low at one time, as he rises high at another. 
 His zeal often arises from an impression suddenly 
 made by a single truth, or some unusual providence, 
 or he knows not how. Often, it is the effect of animal 
 excitement, seldom unmixed with it. But not so 
 with the old disciple. He is not elevated to-day, and 
 proportionally depressed to-morrow. To say the 
 least, the extremes of his feelings are not so wide. 
 
SERMON XX. 359 
 
 His zeal is unmixed with the fervor of animal feeling. 
 That fervor is already expended. Nor does it arise 
 from an impression made by a single truth : for he 
 feels equally attached to all the truths of the Gospel ; 
 nor from some unusual providence, for he is prepared 
 for any. From his doctrinal knowledge spring all 
 his religious affections. And his steady persuasion 
 of the truth and importance of all the Christian doc- 
 trines, gives uniformity to the exercise of his affec- 
 tions. It is because the power of the Gospel is not 
 always felt, that stupidity ever seizes the Christian. 
 It is because faith is not always unwavering, that 
 zeal is not always uniform. 
 
 The old disciple has formed a habit of feeling, as 
 well as of acting. Aware that an intemperate zeal, a 
 zeal not according to knowledge, will do injury in pro- 
 portion to the excellency of the cause in which it is 
 excited, he keeps a constant watch over his affections. 
 The discipline which he has established is exercised 
 over every spring of moral action. Hence, he is a 
 stranger to frenz}-, is removed from superstition. His 
 course is an even one. His religious life is marked 
 with few inequalities. His Christian graces grow to- 
 gether, and uniform zeal is the result. 
 
 IV. The life of an old disciple furnishes the best 
 exemplification of the Christian religion. "We have 
 seen in him the Christian graces shining with a steady 
 lustre. Whatever his outward circumstances, whether 
 prosperous or adverse, he lives the religion which he 
 
360 SERMON XX. 
 
 professes. If prospered, lie is humbly thankful ; if 
 afflicted, he bows iu silent submission. On him the 
 flatteries of the world have lost their influence : its 
 frowns as little aflect him. He will not often be be- 
 guiled, nor driven from the known path of duty. 
 Like Mnason of Cyprus, he thinks but little of the 
 danojers and trials which await him in the dischar2:e 
 of duty. He does not run uncalled, into danger. He 
 courts not the honors of martyrdom. But he is ready 
 to die in this best of causes. Death, in such a cause, 
 he regards as glorious victory. He is willing to go 
 up to Jerusalem, or elsewhere, where he can aid the 
 mission of an Apostle, or contribute to the spread of 
 the Gospel. Having long served by the standard of 
 the Saviour's cross, he is willing, he rejoices in the 
 privilege, to aid the heralds of its doctrines, to plant it 
 among its enemies. His uniform zeal prompts to uni- 
 form efibrts. His love of Christ and the glorious in- 
 terests of his kingdom, is the spring of all his charities 
 and benevolent wishes. These last are not fruitless. 
 If silver and gold he have none, such as he has he 
 gives. He gives his personal exertions, he gives the 
 whole weight of his influence, and what is more than 
 the distribution of the wealth of kingdoms, he gives 
 his prayers. And a mite from his penury, cast into 
 the treasury, of the Lord, is more, in heaven's account, 
 than all the abundance of the rich. 
 
 But his public services do not excuse him from his 
 more private duties, — they exert a mutual influence. 
 
SERMON XX. 3G1 
 
 He loves the Holy Word. The Sabbath is his delight. 
 He loves to sit in the place "where God's honor dwell- 
 eth. He feeds on the ordinances of the Gospel, and 
 renews his strength. And could you daily visit his 
 closet, you would daily find him there. This is the 
 place of rest to his soul ; the consecrated place of the 
 sweetest communion with his God and Redeemer. 
 There is the spot where he opens his heart — recounts 
 his mercies, and melts in gratitude — tells his wants to 
 One able to relieve, and who has covenanted to " with- 
 hold no good thing from them that walk uprightly," 
 and is supplied by an invisible, but all-powerful hand. 
 But no grace shines more conspicuously in an old 
 disciple than that of humility. It is this, rather than any 
 other, which marks the Christian's growth in grace. 
 He that does not grow in humility, makes no advance 
 in holiness. As this can arise only from a sense of 
 unworthiness, and as unworthiness can only be seen 
 by the light of holiness, this grace must shine with 
 peculiar lustre in the old disciple. But for a full dis- 
 play of the Christian graces, see him when languish- 
 hig on the bed of sickness. How patient under his suf- 
 ferings ! He knows that the hand which appoints the 
 rod of his afflictions, is the hand of his heavenly 
 Father. He remembers the sufferings of Him who 
 shed his blood for the redemption of sinners, and 
 forgets his own. He recalls the words of his Saviour, 
 when about to drain the bitter cup of his agonies, 
 " Not my will, but thine be done," and bows in silent 
 
362 SERMON XX. 
 
 submission. He may not be in ecstasy in the hour of 
 death ; but his faith is invigorated — his hope gathers 
 strength — his prospects grow brighter. Some clouds 
 may hover around his mind, only the better to prepare 
 him to enjoy the brightness of day. This is indeed 
 the hour which tries his soul, and puts all his Chris- 
 tian graces to the test. The apartment where the 
 good man is expiring, and especially where the old 
 disciple is yielding up his spirit into the bosom of his 
 Saviour, is the place where the most important and 
 impressive instructions are imparted. Every beholder 
 is carried, as if bej^ond the mere confines of the two 
 worlds. He forgets, for the moment, that he is an in- 
 habitant of earth. His attention is drawn away from 
 temporal objects, and fixed on eternal scenes. He 
 seems to view the spirit as it is breaking away from 
 its prison of clay, and while passing along the valley 
 of death, and follows it, as it soars aloft, on angels' 
 wrings, to regions far distant and unknown. It passes 
 the portals of the kingdom of glory, and there the be- 
 holder takes his leave. There too we must now take 
 our leave of our old disciple. Our concern is yet with 
 the living ; and, in the application of our subject, with 
 this congregation. 
 
 1. An old disciple is one of the greatest blessings, 
 his life, one of the richest treasures, and his death one 
 of the sorest afflictions to the Church. Nothing in 
 this lower world is so much the object of God's delight. 
 God loves, indeed, with special affection, all who bear 
 
SERMON- XX. 3G3 
 
 the image of liis Son. But he loves more ardently 
 those that are the nearest conformed to his will. He 
 must, then, love most ardently the old disciple, who, 
 through numerous years, has heen rapidly growing in 
 grace, and ripening for the kingdom of heaven. In 
 proportion to this affection, are the favors and blessings 
 he bestows; not always of a temporal, but always of a 
 spiritual nature. He, too, who lives the nearest to 
 God, has the greatest interest at the throne of grace. 
 
 This interest is chiefly exerted in behalf of the 
 Church. The Church, therefore, will share more 
 largely in spiritual blessings. The influence of an 
 old disciple will be exerted in a variety of ways. 
 By example. The example of such a one is a living 
 preacher of the Gospel — active, persuasive, and im- 
 pressive. By counsel. The counsels of an old disci- 
 ple are a rich treasure. Taught of God, his knowledge 
 is derived from the fountain of light. I hold it as a 
 maxim, that not the most learned, but the most pious 
 man, can afford the best counsel on spiritual subjects. 
 Bat especially hy liis prayers. Unw^avering fliith 
 alwa3'^s insures a blessing. What a blessing, then, is 
 an old disciple to the Church ! The weight of his 
 character, the value of his counsels, the influence of 
 his example, and the prevalence of his prayers^ 
 abating other personal exertions in the best of causes, 
 cannot be fully known, till disclosed at the judgment 
 day. How great a loss, then, to the Church, and even 
 to the world, is the death of an old disciple ! His 
 
364 SERMON XX. 
 
 prayers have a universal influence. They are often 
 answered to the good of different nations and distant 
 ages. Death puts an end to his prayers. They are 
 in remembrance before God, yet they have ceased to 
 ascend. The lips which uttered them are forever 
 sealed. What a loss ! 
 
 2. The character which we have been contemplat- 
 ing, presents an example worthy of the most assidu- 
 ous and persevering imitation. By possessing the 
 character of an old disciple, our highest honor, our 
 usefulness, and best interest are promoted. God loves 
 him with peculiar affection ; for he best reflects the 
 glory of his image. He will do more good in the 
 world, and thereby secure a large inheritance in 
 heaven. He will leave the richest bequest to 
 bereaved friends. When dead, he will continue to 
 speak, and blessings will descend, in answer to his 
 prayers, while his body sleeps in the grave. Each of 
 these considerations furnishes motives of the most 
 commanding character. But to attain to the charac- 
 ter and standing of an old disciple is the peculiar pri- 
 vilege of the young. Nor, indeed, of all the young, 
 for the young die. Often the plant which just begins 
 to shoot is cropped by the frost of death. Not every 
 promising blade is spared to bear the fruit of ripened 
 grain. In the war with death, there is no discharge ; 
 nor is there order in his arrests. Yet, without piety 
 in youth, none can become old disciples. They may 
 be Christians, and ripen fast for heaven. But the dis- 
 
SERMON XX. 365 
 
 tinguislicd cliaracter of an old disciple belongs only to 
 one whose years from early jouth to old age mark a 
 gi'adual and advancing progress in holiness, in know- 
 ledge, and heavenly-mindedness. 
 
 It cannot have escaped your reflection, that there 
 are few in this congregation who are entitled to the 
 character of old disciples. But I trust I see some. 
 Some who, in early life, became converts to Christ, 
 who are immovably fixed in their belief of the great 
 and distinguished doctrines of the Gospel, and have 
 experienced their sanctifying power on their hearts; 
 who have been gradually advancing in Divine know- 
 ledge, and in holiness; who have a uniform and ardent 
 zeal for God, springing from its proper source, and by 
 whom the Christian religion is beneficially and happily 
 exemplified ; whose prayers are unceasing, and whose 
 strongest efforts are always commanded by the great 
 interests of the Redeemer's kingdom. 
 
 I trust I see others, too, who are fast ripening into 
 that enviable character, and of whom, should they be 
 permitted a long experience, the honorable mention 
 may one day be made, " Behold an old disciple !" 
 
 But are there not others, who, on the contrary, 
 though far advanced in life, are yet so far from possess- 
 ing that character, that they are not even Christians ? 
 Instead of being immovably fixed in their views of 
 even the fundamental doctrines of the Gospel, are yet 
 in doubt what to believe. Instead of having made 
 great progress in the Divine life, have not yet been 
 
366 SERMON" XX. 
 
 born again. In a word, instead of being old disciples, 
 are not even babes in Christ ? How much have such 
 lost, even though they should be saved at last ! How 
 much good have they failed to do ! How many gems in 
 their crown of glory have they neglected to secure ! 
 But this is not all. We have ventured on the sup- 
 j)osition, that they will be Christians before they die ; 
 that although they cannot be old disciples, they will 
 be disciples in their old age. But this is not certain. 
 Is it even probable? Is not the conversion of an aged 
 person a rare occurrence ? Few, comparatively, are 
 ever converted who are impenitent at five-and-forty. 
 What, then, is the prospect of some in this congrega- 
 tion ? It is not too late to become Christians ; but 
 their efforts must be strong. It will rec[uire them to 
 put forth all the energies of their souls. 
 
 It will soon be too late to make a successful effort. 
 Their destiny will soon be fixed. Need arguments be 
 used with such to engage them, without an hour's 
 delay, to secure their salvation ? That hour, misspent, 
 may be big with consequences — may produce results 
 whose mischief to the soul can never be repaired, 
 never arrested. My hearers, it is too late to trifle 
 with eternal things. But what is it to trifle with 
 everything serious and solemn, if not to feel indif- 
 ferent about the salvation of the soul ? This is 
 trifling with God, with Christ, with the Holy Spirit, 
 with the scenes of the Judgment, and the awful re- 
 tributions of eternity. What, then, shall persuade 
 
SERMON XX. 3G7 
 
 such to become in earnest to secure their salvation? 
 Will tears do it ? They shall How. AVill prayers do 
 it ? They shall not cease to ascend. Will entreaties 
 do it? I would lay me at your feet and beseech you. 
 Ah ! infinitely more than this has already been done. 
 Jesus Christ laid down his life to do it ; and as from 
 the cross, to-day, bids you secure salvation. 
 
 But, when we behold so many youths in this 
 assembly, many of whom making, probabl}-, no 
 serious pretensions to an interest in Christ, and look 
 forward to their more advanced years, hope and fear 
 alternate prevail. 
 
 A few years more will decide whether you will or 
 will not be old disciples. A few years more of im- 
 penitence, and you cannot possess that most venerable 
 and enviable character, even though you should 
 become Christians. Alas, every year, and every 
 day, you continue impenitent, is rendering your salva- 
 tion the more unlikely. I beseech the youth of this 
 congregation to consider the privileges they now 
 enjoy, and if impenitent, yet abuse ; the hopeful pros- 
 pects before them, and yet the awful hazards they 
 are running. That they are now enjoying the coun- 
 sels and the prayers of, I trust and believe, some old 
 disciples, such as have the greatest interest with God, 
 in their behalf. But this advantage, my young 
 friends, you cannot long enjoy. These old disciples 
 will soon have closed their pilgrimage. Some of you, 
 perhaps, are the children of these aged Christians. 
 
368 SERMON XX. 
 
 And can the thought be endured, that their coun- 
 sels, anxiety, and their prayers shall cease, and you 
 derive no benefit from them ? Ah ! what nameless 
 agonies will wring your hearts when you are called 
 to follow them ! To you, too, the day of grace will 
 soon be over. Justice stands ready to ascend the 
 throne, and dash forever from your lips tlie cup of 
 salvation, which has been so often presented you. 
 Time will soon have sped its hours with you. Why, 
 then, should that gaiety and thoughtlessness possess 
 so many charms, which a faithful recollection will 
 one day arraign before you, to enhance your guilt and 
 deepen your woes ? What pleasure has sin, which 
 your better judgment and your conscience do not bid 
 you abandon, for the joys of salvation? 
 
 Think seriously, before you take another step in 
 the road to ruin. Think seasonably, before a sudden 
 or a premature death shall hand you over to the judg- 
 ment. 
 
XXI. 
 
 THE DUTY AND DIFFERENT KINDS OF 
 PRAYER. 
 
 "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watch- 
 ing thereunto with all j)crsevcrance and supplication." — Eru. G : 18. 
 
 These words are found in immediate connection 
 with the description of a Christian soldier. They are, 
 indeed, a part of that description, and express an es- 
 sential requisite to his complete equipment. The 
 reasons why the Apostle employs a military figure to 
 represent a Christian soldier, are too obvious to require 
 explanation. They arise, indeed, not from the nature 
 of the warfare engaged in, or the weapons which are 
 used, the object to be secured, or the motives which in- 
 fluence to the contest ; but from the relations to the 
 Supreme Commander — the necessity of the strictest 
 discipline — of the most exact and ready obedience, 
 and many personal qualities essential to success and to 
 victory. In these respects, I scarcely need remark, 
 that the points of coincidence are obvious and strik- 
 ing, and it is sufficient merely to suggest them. 
 
 The duty enjoined in the text is not less a dictate 
 of natural religion, or reason, than a plain command 
 
 24 
 
370 SERMON XXI. 
 
 of Divine revelation. Every believer in the existence of 
 God must admit the propriety and obligation of pay- 
 ing him divine worship, of which prayer is an indis- 
 pensable and most essential act. Even deists readily 
 concede this. Nor is it any longer matter of discus- 
 sion, or question, whether an omniscient, infinitely 
 benevolent, and immutable Being can be influenced 
 and moved by the prayers of his dependent creatures. 
 This subject, as well as many others, has at different 
 periods of the world been the theme of laborious dis- 
 cussion among theological writers, not from any doubt 
 in the minds of Christians, but to refute the objections 
 and silence the cavils of infidels ; just as volume on 
 volume has been written to prove there is a God, that 
 the Saviour rose from the grave, that there will be a 
 resurrection of all the dead, a judgment, and a future 
 state of endless existence ; and a multitude of other 
 topics, now systematically denied by no one whose 
 opinions can have any influence to unsettle the faith 
 of the weakest Christian, or the belief of any reflect- 
 ing mind. These are points of unprofitable discussion, 
 because uncalled for, in all Christendom, and especially 
 in a Christian congregation. 
 
 Not, however, of this character is the duty enjoined 
 in the text; a duty of practical bearing, of the highest 
 essential importance at all times. " Praying always 
 with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and 
 watching thereunto with all perseverance and suppli- 
 cation for all saints." . This is the most comprehensive, 
 
SERMON XXI. • 371 
 
 or rather extensive summary of the duty of prayer, 
 found in the Bible ; and supplies us with the follow- 
 ing distinct topics of remark, which we will briefly 
 consider as we proceed to state them. And, 
 
 I. Prayer is of perpetual obligation, and is never to 
 be intermitted. Its incessantly binding obligation 
 results from the absolute unceasing dependence and 
 necessities of all our race. There is not a moment 
 when either ceases. " In God we live, and move, and 
 have our being ;" and " every good gift, and every per- 
 fect gift Cometh down from the Father of lights." 
 God, moreover, has peremptorily commanded uninter- 
 mitted prayer. " Pray without ceasing." "Continuing 
 intent in prayer." "Praying always, and watching 
 thereunto with all perseverance." This, indeed, is 
 said to be impossible ; and, therefore, these directions 
 require to be understood in a qualified sense. But the 
 danger lies in giving too extensive a latitude to our 
 qualifications. 
 
 These injunctions, it is true, are not to be under- 
 stood in an absolutely literal sense, as to the parti- 
 cular mode, occasion, or act of prayer. But neither 
 are they to be qualified by the term hahitual, as left 
 to each to attach his own meaning to that term, and 
 often a very vague meaning. For, with many, this 
 means every Sabbath only ; perhaps, with some, only 
 on every communion-occasion, or in seasons of afilic- 
 tion, or when the pressing cares or inviting pleasures 
 of the world do not plead for exception, or disqualify 
 
372 . SERMON XXI. 
 
 for the performance of the duty. These are regarded 
 by some as the necessary exceptions, and praying at 
 such stated seasons, or the occurrence of certain occa- 
 sions, as the habit. But these are mere apologies, to 
 quiet the conscience, while they cheat the soul of grace 
 and heaven. Such should remember that their excep- 
 tions to the performance of the duty of prayer, is the 
 habit, and its performance the exceptions. There are, 
 indeed, occasions when some kinds of prayer must 
 necessarily be omitted, and the omission is, of course, 
 no offence — no sin. But it should be borne in mind 
 that the injunctions above cited, and all others simi- 
 larly expressed, have no reference to any particular 
 kind of prayer. The most essential part of accept- 
 able prayer are not words, but a right state of the 
 heart. It eminently consists in proper desires. The 
 lifting up of these to God in holy aspirations, is offer- 
 ing prayer which he hears, acknowledges, and will 
 answer. This, surely, may be so far unceasing, as to 
 admit but few exceptions. Thought is instantaneous. 
 Consciousness of the need of God's aid and blessing 
 may be unceasing. No business, no employment need 
 interrupt it. No business, no employment should in- 
 terrupt it. The heart may, and always should be, 
 in a fit state to commune with God. It is wrong 
 when it is not so. Sin is the only interruption. If 
 there ever be a moment when God's assistance and 
 blessing are not required, that is the moment when 
 this kind of prayer may be intermitted. He has 
 
SERMON XXI. 373 
 
 never created a necessity, for which he has not pro- 
 vided a remedy. But he has told us that if \vc ask 
 not, we receive not. These remarks may suffice on 
 the perpetual obligation of unintermitted prayer, in 
 its most general sense, and as constituting the most 
 essential requisite in all acceptable prayer,— a heart 
 always prepared to offer prayer in any of its modes or 
 kinds, as enjoined in the Bible. Hence, 
 
 II. We are led to consider these different modes 
 or kinds. " Praying with all prayer and supplication." 
 The word all here is not meant to express the earnest- 
 ness merely with which prayer should be offered, but 
 denotes the various kinds of prayer commanded. 
 These are, more particularly, and in regard to their 
 stated performance, three ; and, in respect to their 
 appropriate seasons, of the same binding obligation as 
 that of the spirit of prayer. The first of these is 
 secret prayer, or personal communion with God in 
 secret, or some retired place, for that purpose. Our 
 Saviour has expressed the duty and manner of this 
 kind of prayer thus : " But thou, when thou prayest, 
 enter into thy closet ; and when thou hast shut thy 
 door, pray to thy Father, which is in secret ; and thy 
 Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee 
 openly." The allusion here by "closet," was to the 
 retired place or apartment, which every pious Jew 
 had in his dwelling, expressly appropriated to private 
 devotion. The word, however, is elsewhere rendered 
 " a secret chamber." The place, however, is not im- 
 
374 SERMON XXI. 
 
 portant. And the word itself signifies any retired 
 place. The object is, to be removed from every- 
 thing that would distract our thoughts, or be an inter- 
 ruption. There, too, without any embarrassment, or 
 with the utmost freedom and fulness, the whole heart 
 may be laid open to God, under the deepest and most 
 solemn impression, that the unseen Being to whom 
 we pray, sees and perfectly knows all our thoughts? 
 desires, and feelings. " Pray to thy Father, which 
 seeth in secret," with all the confidence of a child. 
 
 While the formal part of this duty is not liable to 
 the charge of ostentation, or the suspicion of hypo- 
 crisy, there is in the duty itself every motive to the 
 utmost ingenuousness, openness, fulness, and freeness 
 of confession and communion with the oumiscient 
 God and kindest Father. How different from the 
 requirements of a confessional, where the whole heart 
 must be laid open to a priest, on the pretended penalty 
 of being accursed of God for the least concealment ! 
 The very duty of secret prayer disproves all the 
 blasphemous pretensions of the Papal confessional. 
 
 The benefits which result from the practice of 
 secret prayer are numerous and important. It is the 
 life of religion in the soul. It exerts an influence on 
 the whole character. And to a discerning mind, it 
 will not be difficult to arrive at a just conclusion 
 whether a professing Christian faithfully performs or 
 neglects this duty. It will tell on the whole life. 
 This, too, is a duty which may always, and under 
 
SERMON xxr. 375 
 
 all circumstances, be performed. For, however de- 
 sirable it is to have appropriate places and stated 
 seasons for practising this duty, and nothing but 
 absolute necessity should prevent the practice, yet the 
 formality of retirement is not, in such cases, expressly 
 essential to the acceptable performance of this duty. 
 God looketh upon the heart, and the heart may send 
 up its secret aspirations to God in all places, at all 
 times, and in the midst of all engagements. Besides, 
 there are times, and frequent occasions, when the 
 pious heart feels urgently drawn towards God, and 
 when formal retirement were impossible. This is too 
 plain to every Christian to require particulars. All 
 these instances may properly come under the distinct 
 denomination of secret prayer, or private devotion. 
 
 It has, indeed, been said, that stated formal retire- 
 ment for secret prayer w^as not expressly enjoined by 
 our. Saviour as a duty. And so, also, it has been 
 said, that Jesus of Nazareth was an impostor, and the 
 Bible a book of fictions and impositions. But not the 
 former, any more than the latter, ever came from 
 Christian lips. Duties are not always enjoined by 
 express commands. Obligations of the most binding 
 nature are often otherwise created. The very 
 strongest are sometimes such as arise from what is 
 necessarily implied. The very form of expression 
 used by the Saviour, "Thou, when thou prayest, 
 enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy 
 door, pray unto thy Father, which is in secret^** 
 
376 SERMON XXI. 
 
 necessarily implied the duty. The practice was 
 already universal among the pious Jews. Our 
 Saviour directed the manner of performing it, and 
 urged the proper motives to its performance, and 
 benefits resulting from a proper observance of it. 
 Obligation could not be more strongly expressed than 
 it was expressed by those words. The same was 
 taught by the parable of the importunate widow. 
 We need not, however, spend time to prove the duty 
 of formal, secret prayer. The unanimous voice and 
 universal practice of all true Christians, in every age, 
 repel'the objection as of no force and of infidel origin. 
 Another kind of stated prayer, and of the same 
 binding obligation, under the necessary appropriate 
 relations and circumstances, i^ family prayer. '• Pray- 
 ing with all prayer," clearly implies different kinds of 
 prayer. And the nature of the case would, of itself, 
 point out family prayer as peculiarly appropriate. 
 Nor is it an objection of the least possible weight that 
 it is nowhere expressly commanded. Prayer, in its 
 most general sense, or rather in any particular mode 
 or occasion, as distinct from any other act of worship, 
 is not expressly enjoined. It unquestionably com- 
 menced with the creation of man. How, is a ques- 
 tion of no importance ; but very probably by Divine 
 appointment, intimation, or natural impulse in the 
 pious heart of Adam in his perfect state, and its con- 
 tinuance urged by a thousand pressing arguments and 
 motives after his fall. It hence became universal, by 
 
SERMON XXI. 3 / / 
 
 education, in the ftimilies of the pious, and by tradi- 
 tion among all the heathen. For it has always made 
 a part of heathen worship. It has been, and still is, 
 an essential and most prominent part of idolatry. In 
 regard to family prayer, the point now under conside- 
 ration, we find clear examples of it, and peculiar ex- 
 pressions, and acts, from an early period, and through 
 all time. What less can be made of the morning and 
 evening sacrifice, which all the families of Israel 
 offered to the Lord ? These were family, as well as 
 public sacrifices. We cannot reasonably expect more 
 express examples of a practice which had been 
 universal from the beginning of time among the 
 pious. Yet clear intimations of it incidentally appear, 
 as in the case of Abraham, and Joshua, and Job, and 
 several others. We find a fearful denunciation 
 against those families that neglect this social worship, 
 classing them with the heathen themselves. " Pour 
 out thy fury upon the heathen, that know thee not, 
 and upon the families that call not on thy name." 
 
 In the New Testament, we frequently read of pious 
 households, or families, and where worship was held. 
 We read of Paul's conducting this worship in the 
 house of Lydia, during which a spirit of divination 
 was cast out of a damsel present. 
 
 It has been remarked, and with convincing force, that 
 the model of prayer which our Lord gave, after the 
 manner of which we are directed to pray, is of this 
 character; intended for family, rather than public 
 
378 SERMON XXI. 
 
 worship. It is a social prayer. As a model, after the 
 manner of which, and as to the substance of it, it may 
 properly be used by an individual, and by an assem- 
 bly of worshippers. If we regard it as a form of prayer 
 to be repeated in its exact words, it clearly was in- 
 tended for family worship, and more especially for 
 morning devotion. It was not intended for an indi- 
 vidual, evidently from the social manner or plural 
 number which is used, " Our Father," and which is 
 continued throughout. It was not intended for public 
 worship, in the church, because it directs us to ask 
 " day by day" our " daily bread," or as Matthew ex- 
 presses it, " Give us this day our daily bread," the 
 very day on which the prayer was offered ; and 
 churches do not, and cannot, assemble every day to 
 offer it. It was, therefore, evidently intended as a 
 general direction for morning family worship, but 
 suitable, as a model, for evening, changing the petition 
 *^ Give us this day our daily bread," into thanks for 
 having received it, as well as every other blessing. 
 
 An eminent divine remarks, on the social character 
 of this prayer, " What a live coal is applied to devo- 
 tion, when the solitary my Father, and my God, is 
 changed into the social our Father, and owr God !" 
 And another, not less distinguished, adds : " How de- 
 lightful, how interesting, how animating, how encour- 
 aging, to every amiable and virtuous emotion, for the 
 pair, thus united, to be able to say, and actually to say, 
 Behold, here are we, and the children whom thou hast 
 
SERMON XXI. orJ 
 
 given us !" It were enough, however, to render 
 family worship obligatory on parents and heads of 
 families that the most important benefits result from 
 it. It is so obviously the dictate of reason and pro- 
 priety, of a due sense of dependence on and obligation 
 to God; and the best interests of both parents and 
 children and domestics, that it was really unnecessary 
 that God should, in so many words, command it. 
 And this is probably the reason why, instead of an 
 explicit injunction, the duty was left to tradition, im- 
 plication, and example, often the strongest method of 
 inculcating and enforcing a duty ; and hence, it has 
 been the practice of all Christians and saints of old, 
 carefully, statedly, and punctually to observe it. 
 
 As this duty is so liable to be neglected, is so fre- 
 quently and extensively, we have reason to believe, 
 neglected by parents professing to be Christians, we 
 will present a few considerations, more distinctly, as 
 furnishing motives to its faithful performance. 
 
 The effect of family prayer on the parents them- 
 selves is most happy. Its direct influence on them 
 is to enliven their own Christian graces. It deepens 
 their sense of obligation and responsibility. It kindles 
 piety to higher degrees, when those unite in worship 
 who are bound to each other by strong natural ties ; 
 having the same interests, the same desires, and the 
 same hopes. Blessings, too, which are common to all 
 the members of the household, and equally needed by 
 all, are the subjects of petition. This community of 
 
380 SERMON XXI. 
 
 interests cannot fail to exalt and enliven piety, where 
 it exists at all. A desire for the best good, the 
 spiritual welfare, the eternal salvation of others, will 
 kindle desire for our own immortal interests, to 
 higher degrees. It therefore acts as beneficially on 
 parents as on their children. They cannot but feel 
 more intensely when worshipping at the family altar, 
 than when engaged in the like exercise alone. The 
 very presence of those so closely united to us, and for 
 whose welfare we feel so deeply, will add importance 
 to our petitions, and increase every devotional feeling. 
 And what creates and throws around parents so many 
 salutary and happy influences, affecting their own 
 life, their example, their consistency, as occupying 
 the station, and discharging the duties of priests in 
 their families ? They cannot but feel this influence. 
 It must make them more circumspect, more cautious, 
 more careful that their life is in accordance with their 
 supplication and their devotions : that their efforts 
 second their petitions : that they do not contradict by 
 practice what they urge by their prayers. And few 
 parents but need these guards, these powerful influ- 
 ences, erected by close and constant observers. More- 
 over, the very word of God will be likely to be 
 neglected even by parents themselves, who neglect 
 family worship. They will, at least, feel a double 
 obligation to attend to that word. Excuses will be 
 often found for its neglect, where family worship is 
 not habitually and punctually practised. The chil- 
 
SERMON XXI. 381 
 
 dren will certainly neglect it ; and neglect of the Bible 
 in early life, will be exceedingly likely to grow to 
 utter indifference, if not contempt, in advanced life. 
 If religion is not cultivated in the family, and in the 
 childhood of its members, it will be likely to receive 
 little attention elsewhere. Ordinarily, public worship 
 will have but little influence. Distaste for the latter 
 is usually produced by the neglect of the former. 
 Hence, 
 
 The benefit to children and other members of the 
 household cannot be too highly estimated. The fami- 
 lies of the pious are, of course, the first and most im- 
 portant schools for the reiigious education of its 
 younger members. There they receive the first ele- 
 ments of such an education. And what lessons so 
 important to begin with, as well as to continue, as 
 those which are taught in the regular, orderly, and 
 constant performance of family worship? Eeverence 
 is early inspired and cultivated for the sacred word of 
 God. The youngest member soon learns to regard it 
 as the very voice of God; and the prayer that is 
 offered as directly speaking to that great invisible 
 Being. And though it be first from the principle of 
 imitation that the formal act of worship is produced, 
 and which is almost from the earliest infiincj', it soon 
 grows into the feeling of reverence, both for God and 
 his word. This feeling, if properly cultivated, seldom 
 loses its influence. But this will not be without the 
 uniform habit of family worship. There can, of 
 
382 SERMON XXI. 
 
 course, be no such act as imitation, when there is no 
 example — nothing to imitate. Family worship, there- 
 fore, is indispensable to early religious education. 
 And what is equally conducive to the proper regula- 
 tion of a family, as the constant maintenance of family 
 worship ? What produces such a spirit of subordina- 
 tion throughout a household, as the acknowledged de- 
 pendence of its head on that infinite. Supreme Being, 
 to whom all are subject ? When it is seen that those 
 whom these children are required to obey, show their 
 own obligation to him whom they acknowledge as 
 their Sovereign, and daily regard as entitled to their 
 obedience and service. Here, too, the principle of 
 imitation exerts a powerful and happy influence. 
 When children witness subordination to a higher 
 authority in their parents, they readily feel and cheer- 
 fully yield subordination to parental authority. Divine 
 authority then combines with parental, to give it force; 
 salutary restraints are more cheerfully and readily 
 submitted to ; motives to obedience are clothed with 
 greater power. And what should be specially re- 
 marked, such parents as habitually practise the duty 
 of family worship will receive the Divine blessing. 
 The blessing promised to Abraham, in a similar case, 
 will be experienced by those who follow his ex- 
 ample. 
 
 As to the frequency and stated periods of perform- 
 ing this duty, I scarcely need remark, that propriety 
 and reason itself point out the beginning and the close 
 
SERMON XXI. 383 
 
 of each day. The reasons are too obvious to require 
 a statement of them. 
 
 I mention a third kind, which is pithlic prayer. 
 This has always made an essential and no small part 
 of public worship. Without it, there probably would 
 be no public w^orship, and hence the Sabbath itself 
 would be wholly neglected, would pass without any 
 recognition of its sacredness. And whatever it might 
 be to a few individuals, and they would probably be 
 few indeed, the community would forget their depend- 
 ence on God, if not his very existence be blotted from 
 the memory. Every command of God, therefore, to 
 keep holy the Sabbath-day ; every divine requisition 
 on a community to worship God at all; every precept 
 and binding example to assemble on the Sabbath, or 
 to assemble together for worship every instance of 
 commendation on a nation for its virtue, and denun- 
 ciation of judgments for its vices and wickedness, and 
 the uniform and universal practice of all God's people, 
 from the earliest to the present age, — all furnish so 
 many arguments and motives to assemble together to 
 offer to God the united homage of their hearts : all 
 give it the sanction and the force of a positive ordi- 
 nance and command of Almighty God. Communities 
 are as dependent on God as individuals. And their 
 prosperity is placed on the same conditions. 
 
 All the advantages which spring from private 
 prayer, and family prayer especially, may arise to a 
 community from public prayer. Communities are 
 
384 SERMON XXI. 
 
 but larger families. Intercession is an important part 
 of every kind of prayer. A Christian seldom prays 
 for himself without making others the subject of his 
 prayer. Examples of this are too numerous to be 
 recited or particularly referred to, while express com- 
 mands are not few, to pray in behalf of rulers and 
 nations. " I exhort, therefore," says Paul, "that first of 
 all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of 
 thanks be made for all men, for kings, and for all that 
 are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peace- 
 able life, in all godliness and honesty. For this is 
 good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour." 
 
 Again. Prayer on s])Gcial occasions. Examples 
 of this are numerous. Under the old dispensation, 
 what is now regarded and observed as occasional only, 
 was made a stated season of prayer, equally as those 
 which we have already considered. There were 
 seasons of fasting, which God expressly commanded, 
 and for which purpose he designated and appointed a 
 particular day. 
 
 The acts of worship on such occasions consisted 
 chiefly in prayer — in the confession of individual and 
 public sins. And although our Saviour neither ex- 
 pressly ratified that appointment, nor made a new one, 
 yet he sanctioned the observance, by the clearest impli- 
 cation. He said, " But thou, when thou fastest, anoint 
 thy head and wash thy face, that thou appear not unto 
 men to fast, but unto thy Father, which is in secret; 
 and thy Father which seeth in secret, shall reward 
 
SEKMON XXI. 385 
 
 thee openly." That is, avoid the ostentatious parade 
 and display of the Pharisees. It was proper to observe 
 such occasions, and they have been observed ever 
 since. The visitation or apprehension of special 
 judgments furnish occasions for special prayer, that 
 they may be removed or averted. Such seasons too 
 were observed by God's ancient people, and have been 
 in every age of the Church. They have been ap- 
 pointed, and properly, by national authority. Populous 
 Nineveh was, by that means, saved from utter destruc- 
 tion, and the whole Hebrew nation, in more than one 
 instance. Nor have they lost their efficacy, since God 
 has often heard the united supplications of a people, 
 and removed or withheld his afflicting hand. 
 
 The same remarks apply to occasions of thanksgiv- 
 ing. Like fasts, they were divinely appointed. Their 
 propriety and binding obligation have lost none of 
 their force by lapse of time. 
 
 I add, once more : Prayer for special blessings, and 
 particularly for spiritual blessings, or, in other words, 
 the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on a Church and 
 congregation. 
 
 The importance and indispensable necessity of this, 
 are not left to be inferred from reason and a proper 
 sen*e of dependence on God. These indeed solemnly 
 enforce the duty. They are special blessings, and 
 should be specially sought. It ought to be enough, 
 that they may be obtained by the most earnest impor- 
 tunity. It is a privilege which should be most grate- 
 
 25 
 
386 SEKMON" XXI. 
 
 fully improved. God has no richer blessings to bestow 
 on apostate men, than the converting and sanctifying 
 influences of his Holy Spirit ; than adding to the 
 number of those who shall be saved, and training 
 souls for the kingdom of heaven. Ought not, then 
 such blessings to be objects of special prayer and 
 earnest importunity ? Bat this duty, so reasonable in 
 itself, and to which a proper sense of dependence on 
 God and all the impulses of the new heart so power- 
 fully prompt, is not left on this ground. God has ex- 
 pressly connected this blessing with special prayer, 
 leading of course to special effort. With direct refer- 
 ence to this very blessing, the promise of the Holy 
 Spirit to revive his ancient Church, God expressly 
 said : " I will yet for this be inquired of by the house 
 of Israel, to do it for them." The whole history of 
 God's dealings towards that people shows, that a con- 
 dition or preparation on their part, in every instance, 
 preceded the bestowment of special spiritual blessings. 
 This point is forcibly illustrated in the following pas- 
 sage from the pen of the Prophet Malachi, at a time than 
 when the people of Israel were never in a state of deeper 
 or more daring rebellion against God, and which only 
 showed the greater necessity of repentance and refor- 
 mation : " Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, 
 that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me 
 herewith, saith the Lord of hosts ; if I will not open 
 you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a bless- 
 ing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." 
 
SERMON XXI. 387 
 
 What was then literally meant by bringing all the 
 tithes into the storehouse, now means, in the proper 
 application of this direction and command, a return to 
 the faithful performance of all religious duties, and to 
 that more spiritual service, which was denoted by the 
 offering of sacrifices and other gifts. Such a return is 
 indispensable to the experience of the blessings of the 
 Holy Spirit. 
 
 The bestowment of these blessings is sometimes de- 
 noted by God's return to his people ; but the condi- 
 tion is, " Return ye, every one, from his evil way, 
 and make your ways and your doings good." " The 
 Lord is with you while ye be with him, and if ye seek 
 him he will be found of you ; but, if ye forsake him, 
 he will forsake you." And when they, in their trouble, 
 did turn unto the Lord God of Israel, he was found of 
 them ; and all Judah rejoiced at the oath, i. e., the 
 covenant they had entered into, to seek the Lord God ; 
 " for they had sworn, with all their heart, and sought 
 him with their whole desire, and he was found of 
 them." 
 
 But we need not refer you to particular instances. 
 It has, in all ages of the Church, been the establi^^hed 
 method of the Divine conduct towards her ; the earnest 
 prayer," Lord, revive thy work," has always preceded 
 such a work. Under the new or Gospel dispensation, 
 this is a prominent fact. How was it, just preceding 
 that wonderful and glorious display of Divine power 
 and grace, on the day of Pentecost? Cast your 
 
388 SERMON XXI. 
 
 thoughts back a moment to that period. It is full of 
 instruction and encouragement on this point. Fix 
 your eyes on the Apostles and the Christians associated 
 with them, that first Christian Church, and the only 
 proper model of all others. Their example combines all 
 the force of the Divine precepts, while it furnishes 
 proofs of the fulfilment of all God's promises on this 
 subject. Follow them to the place of their constant 
 resort, and you learn their object. But let me relate 
 it in the words of the inspired narrator himself. 
 "Then returned they unto Jerusalem, from the mount 
 called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem, a Sabbath 
 day's journey ; and when they were come in, they went 
 up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and 
 James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, 
 Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alpheus, 
 and Simeon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James. 
 These all continued with one accord in prayer and 
 supplication, with the Avonien, and Mary the mother 
 of Jesus, and with his brethren." Here, let it be 
 remarked, that this was not a special occasion. True, 
 they had just parted from their best friend to see him 
 no more on earth. Jesus had just ascended to the 
 risht hand of God in heaven. This afflictive event 
 gave energy and earnestness to their prayers. But 
 this was not the occasion of their assembling together 
 for prayer. It was a place of resort for this purpose 
 before that. The place was already familiar to them. 
 It was probably the very chamber, or large upper 
 
SERMON XXI. 389 
 
 room, where the Saviour met the Apostles and insti- 
 tuted the holy Sacrament of the Supper ; and where, 
 with equal probability, he had often met with them 
 and his other disciples after his resurrection. The 
 words "where abode," in the account just read, show 
 that they were in the constant habit of meeting there 
 for prayer ; for it could not mean that they all lived 
 there. Their number, being not less than one hun- 
 dred and twenty, renders such a supposition absurd. 
 But they were in the constant practice of meeting 
 there for prayer. It was the prayer-room of that 
 infant Christian Church, and where the male and 
 female members were in the constant practice of meet- 
 ing for social worship. " These all continued with 
 one accord in prayer and supplication." 
 
 And this fact is mentioned in the closest connection 
 with that ever-memorable outpouring of the Spirit to 
 which we have referred. '• And when the day of Pen- 
 tecost was fully come, they were all, with one accord, 
 in one place," or in that place, or tlie place, i. e., the 
 place before referred to, which is the more literal 
 rendering. Besides, they were all there, without 
 any note of distinction between the Apostles and the 
 rest of the disciples. Nor would any of them be 
 absent on the occasion of so important a feast as Pen- 
 tecost. And what was the result ? It is immediately 
 stated. "And suddenly there came a sound from 
 heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all 
 the house where they were sitting." True, there was 
 
390 SERMON XXI. 
 
 much that was miraculous in the scenes of that day. 
 But that affects not the point now under considera- 
 tion, which is the connection which God has been 
 pleased to establish between earnest, believing prayer, 
 and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. That promise 
 is as full and explicit now, as it was tlien. It is also 
 true, that they were led to expect a wonderful manifes- 
 tation of God's Spirit. There was, however, no hint, 
 so far as we can find, that the day of Pentecost was 
 to be the season of it. And have not Christians now, 
 the same ground of encouragement — the same promise? 
 " Ask, and ye shall receive ; seek, and ye shall find," 
 even the Holy Spirit. " For God is more willing to give 
 his Holy Spirit to them that ask him, than earthly 
 parents are to give good gifts to their children." " There- 
 fore, I say unto you," said the Saviour, " what things 
 soever ye desire, w^hen ye pray, believe that ye receive 
 them, and ye shall have them." This expresses strong 
 faith indeed. But is not the promise of God sufficient 
 ground of such faith ? Not only is there no efficient 
 faith where there is not this expectation, and even 
 assurance, but anything less than this, is direct distrust 
 of the promise of God. 
 
 Here, then, we have all the requisites, all the assu- 
 rances, and all the encouragements to such a glorious 
 work of grace as is denoted by the outpouring of the 
 Spirit, for such a work among us. The same prepara- 
 tion would secure the same happy results, to every 
 Church and people, as was experienced on the day of 
 
SERMON XXI. 391 
 
 Pentecost, abating what was miraculous on that occa- 
 sion ; the same quickening, regenerating, and sanctify- 
 ing influences of the Holy Spirit. 
 
 That preparation is prayer — the prayer of faith, 
 earnest prayer — prayer that involves strong expecta- 
 tion — an expectation which prompts, and is essential 
 to, every appropriate and proper effort — combined, 
 united effort- — continuing or perseverance in prajer 
 and supplication. And finally, the prayer of the 
 whole house of Israel; of all the disciples, solemnly 
 associated together as a Church ; men and women, as 
 in the first Christian Church, at Jerusalem. Such a 
 state, and such a course, never did fail to bring down 
 the special blessings of God's Holy Spirit on a Church 
 and people ; and never will fail. For a failure would 
 falsify the most direct and explicit promises contained 
 in the sacred Book. 
 
 It now remains to apply our subject to practical 
 purposes. 
 
 1. The individual who never or seldom prays, is 
 not a Christian. He lacks the most decisive evidence, 
 and that evidence without which it is impossible 
 there should be any other. Prayer is the first breath- 
 ing of a regenerated soul. Earnest importunity, at 
 least, usually, if not always, precedes that all-essential 
 change. It is impossible for a sinner to have any 
 proper conviction of his true condition, without call- 
 ing earnestly on God to have mercy on him ; and no 
 less impossible, that he should experience his mercy, 
 
392 SERMON XXI. 
 
 and not habitually pray. If we place it on the 
 ground of a Divine command, there is not a plainer 
 or more oft-repeated one in the Bible. But this is 
 not the only ground. All the impulses of a renewed 
 heart prompt to it. A child can no more live and 
 grow without its appropriate nourishment, than the 
 new-born soul without that grace which prayer alone 
 can procure. " Behold, he prayeth," marked the 
 time of Paul's conversion. And no soul ever w^as 
 converted that did not breathe forth his humble prayers 
 to God. It is as unreasonable to believe the contrary, 
 as it is unscriptural and contradictory to uniform and 
 universal experience. 
 
 Nor is this evidence necessary only to prove the fact 
 of true conversion. It is no less essential to establish 
 the fact of a renewed state in all after-life. It is not only 
 essential to growth in grace, but to the very existence of 
 the principle of grace. How can it be otherwise ? What 
 an absurdity, what a self-contradiction, that a Chris- 
 tian should live in the neglect, or only occasional em- 
 ployment, of the only means of communication between 
 God and his own soul ! The only means of obtaining 
 every needed blessing ! For prayer is the only mode 
 of such communication, the only means of obtaining 
 the Divine blessing. Hence, who is that man who 
 the word of God declares, " will not delight himself in 
 the Almighty, and who will not always call upon 
 God ?" It is he whom that word brands a hypocrite. 
 Secret prayer, especially, comes not within the view 
 
SERMON XXI. 303 
 
 of his fellow-men ; and, destitute of real piety, such acts 
 of devotion have no charms fi)r him. He has no taste 
 for such an employment. He may be forced to take 
 the attitude of prayer, during some season of special 
 affliction ; but, taking no delight in that exercise, he will 
 discontinue it, as soon as God's chastising hand is 
 lifted from him, or an accusing conscience is silenced. 
 These remarks are made with a more particular re- 
 ference to private or secret prayer. But so far as the 
 obligation is regarded, they apply with equal appropri- 
 ateness, and equal force, to every kind of prayer, in 
 its appropriate season, relations, and circumstances ; to 
 family prayer, and public prayer, and prayer on parti- 
 cular occasions, and special prayer for special blessings. 
 These are all enforced with the same weight of Divine 
 authority ; are of the same perpetual obligation. 
 There are the same reasons, the same urgent demands, 
 for the discharge of these duties, as it respects the 
 procurement of Divine blessings, as in the case of pri- 
 vate or secret prayer. Indeed, so flir as the number 
 of dependent beings and needy subjects is of conside- 
 ration, social prayer, fixmily or public, is enforced by 
 additional and superior reasons, over that of private 
 prayer, inasmuch as there are more to be benefited, 
 each of whose necessity is as pressing, as that of any in- 
 dividual. In a family, for instance, the interests of all 
 its members are the same ; the blessings which are 
 needed, are the same ; and prayer is the only ap- 
 pointed mode or means of obtaining them. The bless- 
 
394 SERMON XXI. 
 
 ings needed and asked for, in family prayer, are of the 
 highest and most important nature. 
 
 They are not merely temporal prosperity, worldly 
 good; — though all these come from God, but which 
 we often see prayerless and ungodly families possess 
 and enjoy, and which might lead some to conclude, 
 that prayer has little or nothing to do with such 
 things ; forgetting, that the " using of the world as not 
 abusing it," is of infinitely greater importance than 
 the largest possessions ; and that " the favor of God is 
 life, and his loving kindness is better than life ;" 
 better than the possession of all the world ; — but they 
 are blessings, which, while they overlook not the in- 
 terests of this world, and are, indeed, essential to their 
 highest enjoyment and best use and improvement, 
 have a supreme relation to eternity, — another state of 
 existence, when removed from this ; another world, 
 when called forever away from this. Are these bless- 
 ings likely to be secured by a prayerless family ? likely 
 to be possessed by the members of a household where 
 family worship is neglected ? Where the morning and 
 the evening sacrifice is not regularly and habitually 
 offered ? These questions require no distinct or formal 
 answer. They contain their own answer. What Chris- 
 tian parent, or head or master of a family or house- 
 hold, can forego the privilege, not to say disregard the 
 solemn obligation, of family prayer ? Similar remarks 
 are equally appropriate to all other prayer, in the dif- 
 ference of peculiar relations and circumstances only. 
 
SERMON XXI. 395 
 
 But I have no time to make and apply them ; and 
 observe, 
 
 2. Nothing which is not absolutely unavoidable, 
 should be allowed to interfere with the performance of 
 the duty, or duties, which have been the prominent 
 subjects of discourse to-day. As it respects the spirit 
 of prayer, or a state of heart prepared or favorable for 
 that exercise, nothing, at any time, should be allowed 
 to suppress it, or disqualify for it. To allow the con- 
 trary, would be to justify or excuse sin. For nothing 
 but sin can prevent communion with God, or dis- 
 qualify for the exercise of prayer. No lawful business 
 — no lawful mode of transacting it — no innocent em- 
 ployment — no providences of God, can unfit the soul 
 for prayer. As it regards, therefore, the spirit of 
 prayer, or a right state of heart for prayer, the com- 
 mands, " to pray always," to " pray without ceasing," 
 and, " in everything let your requests be made known 
 to God," are to be understood in their literal and most 
 unqualified sense. Such a spirit, such a preparation 
 of heart, can only be prevented by a wrong spirit, a 
 wrong state of heart ; only positive sin can prevent. 
 This, I presume, is obvious, and will be admitted by 
 every one. 
 
 In regard to all other kinds of prayer — prayer 
 which requires an external or oral expression, or 
 observance of a particular season or place, — necessary 
 interruptions may often occur. The stated worship 
 of the closet, so far as the formal act is concerned, 
 
396 SERMON XXI. 
 
 cannot always he performed. Family, social, and 
 public worship cannot always be observed, as the 
 proper seasons return. But the only justifiable cause 
 is the demand of some paramount or absolute neces- 
 sity arising from some other cause. None of the 
 ordinary claims of the world, its usual occupations? 
 however lawful in themselves, much less its pleasures, 
 or moral indisposition, can furnish a valid excuse. 
 As it respects the prayers of the sanctuary, or the 
 public w^orship of God on the Sabbath, other solemn 
 commands, and no less solemn interdicts, come in, to 
 enforce compliance. Non-attendance on public wor- 
 ship, when God's house is open for it and stern neces- 
 sity does not prevent, is a violation, not of one, but of 
 many obligations. Attendance on particular occa- 
 sions is not now placed on the same ground as for- 
 merly, when it was matter of positive injunction, as 
 the fast and feast days of the Jews. But our 
 Saviour, as w^e have seen, gave his sanction, and, by 
 fair implication, even enjoined, especially the former, 
 leaving the particular season to the indications of Pro- 
 vidence, and the dictates of sound piety. This affects 
 not the nature or obligation of the duty. In like 
 manner, social prayer, by members of the Church, is 
 not enjoined by any express command, in so many 
 words. But if the example of primitive Christians, of 
 the first organized Christian Church, and even of 
 Christ himself and his Apostles, furnish a rule which 
 binds Christians to its observance now, — and I think 
 
SERMON XXI. o07 
 
 no Christian will question it — tlien are such meetings 
 of binding obligation, when attendance is practicable. 
 
 And here let us pause to indulge one reflection, 
 which should awaken the liveliest gratitude, and 
 kindle the gracious affections of every Christian. 
 And it is this. In all those kinds of prayer, which 
 require the observance of particular times and places, 
 when necessity prevents such observance, God is 
 pleased to accept the spirit of prayer — the silent 
 breathings — the holy aspirations of the heart. How 
 cheering, how animating, how does it enliven devo- 
 tion, when a little company only is permitted to meet 
 for worship in the house of God, or in the prayer- 
 room, to be assured, that while others are absent by 
 unavoidable necessity, they are present in spirit ! 
 Though their persons are absent, their hearts are 
 there. The presence of large numbers is animating, 
 even though ignorant of the spirit they bring with 
 them. But how much more so the confident persua- 
 sion, that multitudes of hearts are present, mingling 
 their prayers and praises before the same mercy-seat ! 
 
 I remark once more. The course appears a plain 
 one to obtain the special blessings of the Holy Spirit. 
 This implies an earnest desire for those blessings, as 
 of the highest importance. And surely there can be 
 none of greater importance than those which are 
 denoted by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Such 
 a desire leads to strong expectation of those blessings ; 
 such a strength of faith as prompts the Christian who 
 
398 s SERMON XXI. 
 
 prays for them to believe that he receives them, ac- 
 cording to the direction and assurance which our 
 Saviour gave to his disciples. "Therefore I say unto 
 you, what things soever ye desire when ye pray, 
 believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. 
 All things whatever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, 
 ye shall receive." All that is required is simple reli- 
 ance on his promises. And without this, who ought 
 to expect to receive any Divine favor, much less the 
 greatest blessing God has to bestow on sinful men ? 
 Anything short of implicit, unwavering reliance on 
 God's promises is distrust, which is one of the greatest 
 affronts that can be given him. The faith required, 
 too, must be so strong as to lead to appropriate effort. 
 And when did such a condition of God's people, such 
 a state of the Church, ever fail of success ? How many 
 instances are there of such a degree of success as filled 
 the supplicants themselves, as well as all beholders, 
 with absolute astonishment ! We have more than the 
 naked promises of God. Those promises have had 
 the most ample accomplishment, in every age of the 
 Church, ever since there was a Church. The glorious 
 scenes of Pentecost are but a single example. Equally 
 astonishing ones soon followed that day, and they 
 have never ceased to occur, whenever and wherever 
 the Church has been prepared for them. God chal- 
 lenges a trial of the truth of his promises on this point : 
 " Prove me now herewith, if I will not open you the 
 windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing that 
 
SERMON XXI. 399 
 
 there shall not be room enough to receive it," The 
 truth of the same promise has been repeatedly 
 demonstrated since, as often as the Church has been 
 prepared to receive the promised blessing — as often as 
 special prayer has been made for it. God loves to 
 have the truth of his promises thus put to the test. 
 He loves to prove to his people that he is more ready 
 to give his Holy Spirit to them who ask, than earthly 
 parents are to give good things to their children. 
 And when they speak often one to another, on subjects 
 relating to his kingdom, the conversion of sinners, and 
 the advancement of his cause, he loves to .listen, and 
 to record it in his book of remembrance. Even while 
 they are yet speaking, he will hear. 
 
 One reflection, and I close. How many souls may 
 now be on the very verge of eternal ruin, whose salvation 
 under God may be depending on the fervent effectual 
 prayers of this Church, while the Spirit of God is 
 ready to kindle such prayer in the heart of every 
 Christian who shall earnestly and believingly look to 
 him for it ! What a Pentecostal season might be 
 before us ! What joy might soon be awakened in 
 every Christian's heart ! what joy resound through all 
 our dwellings ! yea, what joy among the very angels 
 of God, at the conversion of multitudes of sinners 
 among us ! 
 
 Brethren, it is a question of life and death — the eter- 
 nal salvation, or endless destruction of a large portion of 
 
400 SERMON XXI. 
 
 this congregatioiij which now demands our most solemn 
 attention. How painful the reflection, that many with 
 whom we may have been intimately associated ; who, 
 for years, came with us to this house of God, may 
 already have gone to perdition, through our own 
 neglect, our apathy, our coldness, our want of faith in 
 the power of prayer ; and hence, distrust of the truth 
 of God in the promises and assurances of his word. 
 And shall others perish through the same neglect and 
 want of concern in their behalf? Can we endure the 
 thought of meeting them in the last day, and, as 
 they receive their doom, and turn away from the bar 
 of the eternal Judge, see them casting their e3^es on 
 us, and saying, "We perish forever, because it was our 
 lot to live among those who cared not for our souls ?" 
 Verily, they will have no excuse, but oh, what a 
 solemn rebuke of our neglect ! If God will require 
 the blood of souls that perish through an unfaithful 
 ministry, will Christians be guiltless, if sinners are 
 lost through their remissness, if they neglect those 
 means which God put in their hands to save them ? It 
 is not the mere publication of Divine truth that saves 
 sinners. That truth must be made the power of God, 
 must produce a regenerating and sanctifying effect; 
 and this is in answer to the believing, persevering 
 prayer of his people. Let us, then, my beloved breth- 
 ren, ye disciples of Christ, take this subject into more 
 serious consideration than it has commanded for years 
 
SERMON XXI. 
 
 401 
 
 past. Our prayers must soon cease to ascend. Our 
 lips soon be sealed in death. But to-day we may offer 
 them ; and we may lodge prayers in heaven, which 
 will not only bring down the richest blessings on our 
 own souls, and the souls of others still within the 
 reach of mercy, but which will be answered long after 
 we have gone down to our graves. 
 
 26 
 
XXII. 
 
 THE CROSS OF CHRIST. 
 
 A COMMUNION DISCOURSE. 
 
 "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus 
 Christ."— Gal. 6 : 14. 
 
 I HAVE selected these words, as the theme of dis- 
 course this morning, independently of the immediate 
 connection in which they stand, or the particular sen- 
 timent which the Apostle was inculcating in the pas- 
 sage in which they occur. The Cross of Christ. 
 
 This phrase is one of most affecting import, of most 
 extensive meaning, of most important instruction. 
 Literally, the cross was an instrument of the most 
 ignominious, long-protracted, aggravated torture, unto 
 death. The suffering of the cross was the punishment, 
 among the Romans, of slaves and the vilest criminals. 
 It was a part of the sentence against those condemned 
 to suffer this mode of death, that they should carry 
 the cross on which they were to die, to the place of 
 execution. Thus, our Saviour was compelled to bear 
 his cross up to Calvary. The suffering is often pro- 
 
SERMON XXII. 403 
 
 tracted for days; usually to two or three. In the case 
 of our Saviour, it was of unusually short continuance, 
 during, probably, about three hours only. But as the 
 object of his agonies was effected, not by their duration, 
 but rather their extremity, and as he had power to lay 
 down his life, and power to take it again, and no man, 
 as he himself had said, could take it from him, so 
 when all was accomplished for which he came to our 
 world, he yielded up his life ; or as one of the Evange- 
 lists most significantly and appropriately expresses it, 
 in the true meaning of the original, " he dismissed his 
 spirit." 
 
 But the term cross, has another and different mean- 
 ing, though naturally derived from its literal one. 
 While it shows the manner of the Saviour's death, it 
 stands for all the infinitely important consequences 
 which flowed from that event. It is only another 
 word to express the whole Gospel ; the entire plan of 
 human salvation. Every purpose of mercy, from eter- 
 nity, with all the^ gradually unfolding plan of our re- 
 demption, during the former dispensation of types and 
 shadows, centred in the cross, in the death of the 
 Lord Jesus Christ ; while all hope to our dying race 
 beamed forth from " the cross of Christ." Around 
 that cross we, my brethren, assemble this morning, to 
 behold by the eye, not of fancy, but of faith, some of 
 its wonders, and contemplate some of its blessings. 
 And as the all-attractive object, it is proper, and 
 
404 SERMON XXII. 
 
 peculiarly appropriate to the occasion now before us, 
 to direct our thoughts 
 
 1. To the suffering Son of God, as he hung bleeding 
 on the cross. To recall his death, not merely in its re- 
 sults, but its agonies, is certainly one object of the 
 sacramental ordinance of the Supper. 
 
 Hence, the broken bread and the poured-out wine, 
 the appointed emblems of his broken body and his 
 shed blood. "For, as often as ye eat this bread, 
 and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death, till 
 he come." Besides, the ' design of his death, and 
 the nature, and especially the enforcement of the 
 glorious doctrines and facts proceeding from that 
 event, in an eminent degree depend on the severity 
 of his agonies, and our deepened impressions of them. 
 For although it was not the amount or degree of 
 suffering in which the atonement consisted, but the 
 blood that was shed, yet the intensity of the Saviour's 
 agonies cannot fail to deepen our impressions of the 
 wonderful love of God, in giving his only begotten 
 and dearly beloved Son to die for us ; the exceeding 
 sinfulness of sin and demerit of the sinner ; the inflexi- 
 bility of God's justice, in rendering such a sacrifice 
 necessary, in order to the sinner's pardon ; and 
 although Christ's humanity only could suffer, while 
 his Deity was at the same instant infinitely happy 
 and glorious, yet we can easily conceive that the 
 matchless diirnitv of his character, the intense sensi- 
 bility of his immaculate holiness, and the ignominious 
 
SERMON XXII. 405 
 
 as well as cruel mode of his death, qualified him to 
 endure a degree of suffering, which no mere man ever 
 did, or ever can experience, to whatever tortures his 
 body might be subjected. But bodily suffering was 
 not all, w\as not the bitterest ingredient in the cup 
 which he drank ; his mental agony far exceeded this. 
 No mind can conceive his anguish, as he cried, 
 " My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death." 
 Amazing, too, must have been the torture occasioned 
 by the nails which fastened his extremities to the 
 wood, by which his whole w^eight was sustained, and 
 of the spear which penetrated to his heart ; but 
 this (we cannot, indeed, call it light) we may call 
 less, far less, than the anguish he felt, when his infi- 
 nitely affectionate Father hid his face from him, 
 which forced the cry, " My God, my God, why hast 
 thou forsaken me !" Yes, brethren, to recall and pon- 
 der upon this spectacle of agony, is one object of the 
 ordinance before us. We meet here to see re-enacted, 
 so far as the symbols which the great Sufferer himself 
 appointed can do it, the shameful, the cruel, the in- 
 tensest agonies of the Lord Jesus Christ. Kindly 
 did he spare his disciples, w^ith the exception of the 
 beloved John, the pain of witnessing his sufferings on 
 the cross ; and even John was included, when he said 
 to them in the garden, as Judas the traitor approached 
 him, " If ye seek me, let these, my disciples, go their 
 way." They, indeed, are said to have forsaken him, but 
 they had his permission. Yet John's love was stronger 
 
406 SERMON XXlt. 
 
 than death ; either the endurance of his own, or the 
 witness of his Lord's ; and he went with him to the 
 Judgment Hall, and thence to the hloody scene on 
 Calvary. 
 
 Nor do we marvel that " all the people that came 
 together to that sight, beholding the things which 
 were done, smote their breasts and returned." Nor 
 that '' all his acquaintance, and the women that fol- 
 lowed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these 
 things." But far greater the wonder, that those who 
 live under the full instructions of the Gospel, who 
 even believe that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the 
 Highest, and that he died that sinners might be saved, 
 and that without the shedding of his blood there 
 is no remission of sin, and are still impenitent, can 
 yet contemplate that scene unmoved, as though it con- 
 cerned them not. To multitudes, alas, this probably 
 seems an unmeaning ceremony. Yet, on what it repre- 
 sents, hangs the possibility even of the salvation of any 
 soul. The Saviour graciously instituted this ordinance, 
 that even his disciples might have special opportuni- 
 ties of bringing the subject of his death more dis- 
 tinctly to their view; for even they might, if not 
 utterly forget it, but too seldom recall it, and fail to 
 experience its happy influence on their hearts and 
 lives. The object is not merely to awaken sympathy 
 with the sufferings of the Saviour. It is impossible 
 for a heart that is not dead to all sensibility not to 
 sympathize. And it should deeply sympathize. A 
 
SERMON XXII. 407 
 
 heart that does not sympathize, does not love, cannot 
 grieve, nor feel any other proper emotion. But it 
 does not expend itself in tears. 
 
 2. The cross of Christ furnishes a spiritual mirror, 
 in which all the features in the great work of salva- 
 tion are distinctly presented to view. The sacrifice of 
 Christ brings to view the counsels of the eternal God- 
 head. It is the result of a wisdom which can be re- 
 ferred to no other source. With this direct reference, 
 the Apostle terms it the wisdom of God, even the 
 hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world, 
 unto our glory. And the wisdom of the plan has en- 
 gaged the most prying researches of the angels, ever 
 since it was proclaimed. And however the preach- 
 ing of the cross may appear foolishness to them that 
 perish, yet to them which are saved, it is the wisdom 
 of God, and the power of God. The cross of Christ 
 displays the love of God. to the most intense degree. 
 For what can exceed the love which could lead to such 
 a sacrifice, to make the salvation of sinners possible ? 
 Could it burn more ardently than when it bore the Son 
 of God to the cross, on which to die so cruelly, and yet 
 so cheerfully ? 
 
 It shows ns, too, that nothing less than such a 
 mighty sacrifice could have availed to lay the founda- 
 tion of the sinner's pardon. Nothing short of the 
 death of Christ, God's only Son, could have made a 
 sufficient atonement. For any excess of sufiering 
 would have impeached the very justice of God, and 
 
408 SERMON XXII. 
 
 even his love for his only Son. It was love which 
 successfully opposed the exactions of justice towards 
 the sinner, the full weight of which fell on the in- 
 nocent head of the Kansom. "For, scarcely for a 
 righteous man will one die ; yet, peradventure, for a 
 good man, some would even dare to die. But God 
 commendeth his love towards us, in that while we 
 were yet sinners, Christ died for us." " God so loved 
 the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that 
 whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but 
 have everlasting life." Truly, God laid open his very 
 heart, when his Son bled on the cross. We can 
 hardly conceive of higher proof of love in the Father, 
 than to give up his Son to such suffering; merely 
 witnessing it, while, at the same time, he poured a 
 full flood of consolation into his bleeding heart. And 
 yet higher proof than this was exhibited in that 
 awful hour. Previously to this, an angel was per- 
 mitted to descend from heaven to strengthen him in 
 his dreadful conflict in the Garden. But in his last 
 more dreadful agonies, he was not only denied that 
 aid, but even his tender and affectionate Father, in 
 whose bosom he had lain, hid his face from him. 
 Even that greatest pang of all could not be spared 
 him. And what was that but another proof of love 
 to man ? For without that pang, he could not have 
 been redeemed. The price would have lacked an 
 adequate value. 
 
 And here we see what sin is, and what the sinner 
 
SERMON XXII. 409 
 
 deserves. Oh, how erroneous a judgment we form, 
 how infinitely short of the truth our estimate of sin ! 
 Here we see it in its odiousness ; in its damning con- 
 sequences. The Son of God must tread the wine- 
 press of the wrath of God alone ; yes, alone ; for his 
 Father must withdraw from him. We could not 
 have more convincing, certainly not stronger proof of 
 the odious nature and tremendous consequences of sin, 
 or the sinner's desert, were we to visit the regions of 
 the lost. Hell itself can furnish no evidence more 
 powerful, might I not say, equally powerful, as the 
 cross of Christ. And must we actually experience 
 the miseries of that world, before we will feel its 
 force, and repent of it ? Is there a sinner here, who 
 will not be convinced by the argument here pre- 
 sented? With the erroneous views and slight im- 
 pressions which the impenitent have of the nature 
 and character of sin, how can they account for the 
 deep humiliation and amazing sufferings of the 
 Saviour? What must they think, even, of the con- 
 duct of his Father towards him? Do they ever 
 reflect, with candor, on the greatness of the sacrifice 
 which was made, when Christ died on the cross, the 
 amazing agonies he endured, and seriously inquire the 
 necessity of such suiferings ? And what other conclu- 
 sions can they draw, than that sin is an infinite evil, 
 and justly exposes to a most fearful and endless pun- 
 ishment ? 
 
 But it is to Christians that the subject and the occa- 
 
410 SERMON SXII. 
 
 sion now make their appeal. And if we are entitled to 
 that character, we have seen something of the evil of 
 sin in our own hearts and lives, and tasted something 
 of its bitterness, in the accusations of an awakened 
 conscience, and deep conviction of just exposedness to 
 the endless wrath of the sin-hating and sin-punishing 
 God. And how should a view of the cross, to-day, 
 deepen such impressions on our hearts ? To rekindle 
 repentance is one of the objects of this ordinance. 
 The very faith that is necessary to discern the Lord's 
 bod}^, cannot fail to produce this effect. Nor can there 
 be any improvement of Christian character where this 
 effect is not produced. Hence, 
 
 3. The cross of Christ comprises all the means of 
 grace, and the most powerful motives to employ them. 
 These means are the truths of the Gospel. Neither are 
 sinners convicted or converted, nor Christians sancti- 
 fied, but by means of Divine truth. And from the 
 cross of Christ all these, as we have seen, emanate and 
 shine forth w^ith peculiar splendor. The law of God, 
 which is the grand instrument of awakening, convict- 
 ing, and converting sinners, is exhibited and enforced 
 with a power far more irresistible than is seen in its 
 written characters — in its read precepts. On the cross 
 it is written in characters of blood. It is there shown 
 in all its strictness and inviolability. We there have 
 an example of its holiness and condemning power, 
 and its awful consequences, exhibited nowhere else. 
 We see its dreadful penalty enforced on the holy 
 
SERMON XXII. 411 
 
 Saviour, God's own Son, as the sinner's substitute. He 
 bore its curses, as those curses are not seen, even in 
 the Avorld of woe. He experienced a despair when, at 
 the hiding of his Father's face, he uttered those heart- 
 penetrating words, just at the moment of yielding up 
 his spirit, expressive of an agony, exceeding the despair- 
 ing wailings of the lost, " Elol, Eloi, lama sahadhanl, 
 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me !" Ah, 
 sinner, that was only the law carried into full effect. 
 That the penalty of its violation. The very law which 
 you have so often violated ; the penalty which you 
 have as often incurred. 
 
 What should break and melt the sinner's heart if 
 not such a view ? No other means has ever been more 
 frequently blessed to the conviction of the sinner than 
 the solemn scenes of a communion occasion. And 
 hard indeed must be the heart which will not yield 
 itself to the Saviour, at such an exhibition of compas- 
 sion and love towards sinners, when they see the 
 blow fall on him which was their due, but which he 
 so readily and cheerfully received in their behalf 
 
 For its happy influence on Christians, and as a 
 means of sanctification and groAvtli in grace, I need 
 only to appeal to their own experience. If this can- 
 not testify in their favor, by producing a greater 
 weanedness from the world, a more active piety, a 
 marked advance in holy living, the inference is strong, 
 that their attendance on such occasions as this, has 
 been without the wedding-garment. 
 
412 SERMON XXII. 
 
 Once more. The cross of Christ furnishes a perfect 
 example to Christians, amid the various trials to which 
 they may here be subjected. He indeed is their pat- 
 tern in all things. He had not those causes of conflict 
 which Christians often find the severest, — that warfare 
 between corrupt nature and grace, which so often mars 
 the peace of the Christian, and which ends only with 
 life itself. For he was holy, harmless, undefiled, and 
 separate from sinners. He knew no sin ; guile was not 
 found in his mouth. Yet he was the subject of all the 
 innocent infirmities of human nature. His whole life 
 was a life of trial. He was an object of the most 
 wanton persecutions which ever stained the annals of 
 the world, even while an infant in the cradle, and 
 which, in the hope of including him, resulted in the 
 bloody death of children of two years old and under, 
 throughout the province of the infamous Herod. And 
 his wdiole life, in this respect, is affectingly told in one 
 short sentence, "A man of sorrows and acquainted 
 with grief." " Yet, he was as one that was dumb." 
 " He opened not his mouth," in the language of com- 
 plaint or repining. And it is in express allusion to 
 the agonies of his cross, that both he and his inspired 
 Apostles often enforced submission, in every trial which 
 should fall to the lot of Christians ; as well as that he 
 should be their example, amid all the difficulties and 
 dangers to which a profession of his name might expose 
 them. Our Saviour often said, that "whosoever would 
 come after him, must take up his cross and follow 
 
SERMON XXI r. 413 
 
 him. He must deny himself, and take up his cross ;" 
 must readily submit to all the afliictions and sufferings 
 which might befall him in the service of God, even to 
 death itself. The Saviour's course, and the Saviour's 
 end, must be his guide and example, however difficult 
 the duties to be performed, or painful the sufferings to 
 be endured. 
 
 This was eminently exhibited by him, during the 
 hours of his last sufferings. The cross now stands for 
 all the shame, the trials, and severest sufferings 
 which can befall the Christian. And from the cross, 
 through the ordinance which is about to be adminis- 
 tered, every lesson necessary for us to know is given, 
 and enforced by the most solemn and affecting scene 
 which men or angels ever witnessed. And this is the 
 scene which is now to pass in review before the eye of 
 faith, in the ordinance before us. In more improving, 
 as well as affecting circumstances, we cannot be 
 placed, till faith give way to open vision. Hither let 
 us bring all our burdens, and especially all our sins, 
 to be confessed anew, and anew repented of; all our 
 worklliness to be crucified ; all our weak resolutions to 
 be confirmed ; our trials and sorrows, and learn how 
 to bear them. We are here to renew our covenant 
 vows; to reconsecrate ourselves to our Lord and 
 Master ; to recall, as far as possible, the instances in 
 which we have broken them, and pour out the tears 
 of sincere penitence. Our own guilt constituted no 
 small part of the awful load which bore so heavily on 
 
414 SERMON XXII. 
 
 his holy soul, when, under the awful pressure, he 
 yielded it up. And every sin we commit is virtually 
 crucifying him afresh, and putting him to open shame. 
 It is to reproach him before the world, when openly 
 committed ; and grieving him, if concealed in the 
 heart. 
 
 Let us remember, too, that we are in covenant with 
 each other; that we have engaged to seek and pro- 
 mote, as far as possible, the spiritual good of each 
 other; to abstain from what grieves and offends a 
 brother or sister ; to recommend, by a godly life and 
 conversation, to those without, the religion we profess. 
 
 With such views, and feelings, and resolutions, and 
 the eye of faith steadily fixed on the Saviour in his 
 agonies, let us gather around the cross. 
 
 It was while breaking the bread, and pouring out 
 the cup, he said, " This is my body, which is broken 
 for you ; this is my blood." And, " as often as ye eat 
 this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's 
 death." It is, indeed, love which we celebrate ; but it 
 is dying love. Come, then, for all things are now 
 ready. 
 
XXIII. 
 
 THE "BUILDING OF GOD, A HOUSE NOT 
 MADE WITH HANDS." 
 
 VARIOUS INTERPRETATIONS REVIEWED. 
 
 "For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, 
 we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the 
 heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with 
 our house which is from heaven ; if so be that being clothed we shall not 
 be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being bur- 
 dened : not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mor- 
 tality might be swallowed up of life." — 2 Cor. 5 : 1-4. 
 
 The precise ideas designed to be inculcated by the 
 words now read, are confessedly involved in much ob- 
 scurity ; and yet, from the manner in which the 
 Apostle introduces the subject, one would be led to 
 expect the announcement of truths' generally known 
 and well understood. " For we know," &c. Little light 
 is thrown upon the passage by the preceding or follow- 
 ing context. It is, indeed, obvious, that the Apostle 
 has direct reference to those eternal scenes, which 
 await the souls of the righteous after their departure 
 from this world, and their immediate admittance into 
 the presence of Christ ; hence, he adds, in the conclusion 
 of this subject, " Therefore, we are always confident, 
 
416 SERMON XXIII. 
 
 knowing that whilst we are at home in the body, we 
 are absent from the Lord. We are confident, I say, 
 and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to 
 be present with the Lord." The general design of 
 the Apostle, in the text, is obvious : it was to en- 
 courage and comfort Christians in their severe trials 
 and afflictions, to which he refers in the closing part 
 of the preceding chapter ; but this removes none of 
 the difficulties which seem to be thrown about this 
 passage ; the most embarrassing of which are the fol- 
 lowing. What is meant by " a building of God, a 
 house not made with hands?" What by its being 
 " eternal in the heavens ?" and at the same time, 
 " from heaven ?" What by " being clothed upon with 
 that building or house ?" And lastly, when does all 
 this take place ? To all these questions, different 
 answers have been given, by distinguished commen- 
 tators, both ancient and modern. The subject is con- 
 fessedly one of deep interest. Many, it is true, have 
 indulged in much idle speculation. Where the Scrip- 
 tures are silent, it becomes us to be so. Yet no one 
 subject is more frequently brought to view in them 
 than the one now introduced to our consideration. Nor 
 is there a subject which has a more direct bearing on 
 the hopes, the prospects, and the character of the Chris- 
 tian. It is not enough to believe, merely that a state of 
 future and eternal happiness and glory awaits all who 
 have an interest in Christ; when it is possible to have 
 clear and distinct views, as to particulars connected 
 
SERMON XXIII. 417 
 
 with that subject ; though to prepare for such a state, 
 is, or should be, the supreme object or chief aim of 
 every man. 
 
 And when subjects rehating to our eternal destina- 
 tion are presented in revelation, circumstantially and 
 with a degree of particularity and minuteness, it is our 
 duty and privilege to give them all the consideration 
 of which we are capable. Nor can the full force of 
 the motives of the Gospel be felt without such consi- 
 deration. Such is the subject introduced by the words 
 read as my text. 
 
 In respect to the different constructions which have 
 been placed on the text, perhaps a jDroper examina- 
 tion of them will show, that while each contains some 
 error, there may be much truth in them all. Our 
 notice of each, however, must be brief. But if a spirit 
 of inquiry be awakened, the exercise, we trust, will 
 not be without profit. 
 
 The first interpretation we shall notice, is the follow- 
 ing : that by this " building of God, an house not made 
 with hands," the reference is to the resurrection-body of 
 the saint. And that the period to which the Apostle 
 refers is, of course, the last day. And by its being 
 from heaven, and eternal in the heavens, is denoted 
 only, that it is the immediate production of God, who is 
 in heaven \ and the immortality of the renovated body, 
 and its eternal residence in heaven. This is the opinion 
 of many commentators, and probably the more gene- 
 rally received one. This construction is clearly liajjle 
 
 27 
 
418 SERMON XXIII. 
 
 to very great, and to my mind, unanswerable objections. 
 The declaration, " We know that if our earthly house 
 of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building 
 of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the 
 heavens," evidently forbids a reference to scenes so 
 distant after death as the resurrection. Hence, some, 
 who have adopted this construction, suppose that the 
 Apostle believed that the resurrection, and the end of 
 all temporal things, were at hand. This inference, 
 indeed, would be natural, and almost irresistible, on 
 the supposition that the text refers to the resurrection- 
 body. For it seems plainly to imply something that 
 is to take place immediately at death. " For we 
 know that if (or ivhen, as the Greek particle may be 
 rendered, and often is), when our earthly house of this 
 tabernacle," i. e., this body, made of the earth, "were 
 dissolved," i. e., dies, " we have" not shall have, ages 
 hence, at the resurrection, but we have " a building of 
 God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the 
 heavens." Beside, the earnest desire here expressed, 
 "earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house, 
 which is from heaven, so that w^e shall not be found 
 naked," shows that the thing desired was expected to 
 take place at the moment of death. Moreover, with 
 what propriety, or truth even, can it be said, that the 
 resurrection-body is in heaven, or from heaven ? And 
 yet this is expressly affirmed, by the Apostle, in the 
 text. " For in this," this body, " we groan, earnestly 
 desiring to be clothed upon with our house, which is 
 
SERMON xxiri. 419 
 
 from heaven." "A building of God, an house not 
 made with hands, eternal in the heavens." The re- 
 surrection-body comes, of course, from the grave. 
 " All that are in the graves shall hear the voice of 
 the Son of man, and shall come forth." Again, how 
 could the Apostle add, in immediate connection with 
 the text, "that whilst we are at home in the body, we 
 are absent from the Lord ; and willing rather to be 
 absent from the body, to be present with the Lord ?" 
 The connection requires us to refer the whole that is 
 affirmed, to the same time. 
 
 Hence also some, who supposed the passage referred 
 to the resurrection, have inferred from it that there is 
 no intermediate stage of activity and consciousness, but 
 that the resurrection is the first thing of w-hich the 
 soul is sensible after the dissolution of the body. And 
 so far as this passage is concerned, if this construction 
 were correct, there is certainly force in the argument ; 
 though no point is more fully established, than that 
 the soul is in a state of high activity between death 
 and the resurrection. If there is any reference to the 
 resurrection, it is found in the words, " that mortality 
 might be swallowed up of life." These expressions, it 
 is true, are similar to those which the same Apostle 
 used in addressing the same Church, in a former letter, 
 when expressly treating of the resurrection of the body, 
 viz., " Death is swallowed up in victory." Admitting 
 that these words have reference to the resurrection, 
 the reference is only incidental. It clearly was not 
 
420 SERMON XXIII. 
 
 the leading idea of the text. And even in case of 
 such reference, the Apostle had not allusion to the 
 time of the resurrection, but only to the happiness 
 which that event will cause to Christians, which led 
 him to express a desire that if it might be, if it were 
 consistent, he might not die at all, might not put off 
 this body, but be at once invested with immortality ; 
 probably as Enoch and Elijah were, and as those will 
 be who shall be alive on the earth at the second com- 
 in2; of the Lord Jesus Christ. So I understand the ex- 
 pressions, " Not for that we would be unclothed, but 
 clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up 
 of life." The mind of Paul evidently dwelt much on 
 that state when the Christian, both as to his soul and 
 body, should " be delivered from the bondage of cor- 
 ruption, into the glorious liberty of the children of 
 God." The idea of being disembodied was evidently 
 painful to him. He did not wish to be unclothed, or 
 to lay aside the body. In itself considered, this is a 
 painful event. Not as the mere agonies of dying are 
 concerned, but as being unclothed, being without a 
 body, being found a naked spirit. From all these 
 considerations, and many others which time forbids us 
 to mention, and which appear to me, at least, perfectly 
 conclusive, I feel compelled to reject this interpreta- 
 tion. 
 
 A second interpretation of the passage under con- 
 sideration is this : that it relates merely to the state of 
 blessedness which the saints possess in the kingdom of 
 
SERMON XXIII. 
 
 421 
 
 glory ; and tlicat, so f\ir as the figurative language wliicli 
 the Apostle employs has any special appropriateness, 
 as, "to be clothed upon with our house from heaven," 
 or ".building of God, an house not made with hands, 
 eternal in the heavens," it is all intended only to 
 denote that the image of God, which was effaced by 
 the apostasy, is fully and perfectly restored ; a destitu- 
 tion of this image being a state of nakedness. 
 
 This is unquestionably a true representation, in 
 very general terms, it must be admitted, of that state. 
 It is certainly a state of blessedness, far surpassing 
 the most elevated and enlarged conception of mortals. 
 The image of God, which was entirely effaced by the 
 iiili, is fully and perfectly restored to the soul of the 
 Christian at death. That image is of a moral nature, 
 and consists in holiness, and is the soul's qualification 
 for the enjoyment of heaven. For " without holiness, 
 no man can see the Lord," i. e., enjoy his presence. 
 But if this be the meaning of the Apostle, in the text, 
 he certainly employed very strange language, and 
 very strange figures, to express it. It is certainly the 
 only instance in which the image of God is denoted 
 by a building, or a house. Nor can it be truly or 
 intelligibly said, that the image of God is in heaven, 
 ready to be enstamped, or to use the figurative expres- 
 sion of the Apostle, in the text, to be clothed upon 
 the soul of the Christian at death ; for he is speaking 
 of what takes place after death, when the earthly 
 house of this tabernacle is dissolved ; /. e., when this 
 
422 SERMON XXIII. 
 
 body dies. That image is impressed on the soul, 
 faintly, it is true, in this life, or never. At death, 
 that image is only rendered perfect. The soul of the 
 saint is perfectly holy. The Christian bears the same 
 image, in its nature, however, in his present, that he 
 does in his future state. But the phrases, "earthly 
 house of this tabernacle," and " building of God, an 
 house not made with hands," express things entirely 
 different in their very nature. But the construction 
 now under consideration, makes them to denote 
 things the very same in their nature, but differing 
 only in degree. Believing that no inspired writer ever 
 used language so loosely, to say the least, nor ever 
 employed figures to which no appropriate meaning 
 can be attached, we are equally compelled to reject 
 this as the true interpretation of the text ; although, 
 as denoting a state of blessedness to the spirits of de- 
 parted saints, the representation, expressed in general 
 terms, is certainly true. We reject this construction 
 only as not the one intended by the Apostle in the 
 text. 
 
 The third interpretation of this passage is as fol- 
 lows. That, at death, the souls of Christians are 
 invested with what is termed a celestial vehicle, like 
 the shekinah, or visible glory in which our Saviour 
 and Moses and Elias appeared on the Mount of 
 Transfiguration. And that this is that " building of 
 God, an house not made with hands," with which the 
 souls of saints are clothed upon, so as that they are 
 
SERMON XXIII. 423 
 
 not found naked. This is said to have been the 
 opinion of all the most eminent theological writers; 
 and it is still the opinion of many modern commenta- 
 tors. Nor do any, so far as I am aware, who reject 
 this opinion, pretend to adduce any direct argument 
 against it from the Scriptures. For departed souls 
 may still be regarded as spirits, although thus 
 invested. The fact that they are divested of their 
 mortal bodies, does not prove that they may not be 
 invested with a spiritual body ; for there is a spiritual 
 body, as well as a natural body, although the Apostle 
 applies these terms to the resurrection-body. The 
 arguments by which this view is maintained, are 
 these : 
 
 First, reason and analogy. That which is finite, must 
 have limit. Limit implies form. Again, heaven is a 
 place, and not a mere state of existence. Its inhabi- 
 tants must have a visible appearance, or form, in 
 order to sustain relationship to place. Still again, 
 heaven is a place of society ; society of the purest 
 and happiest kind. But we have no conception of so- 
 ciety, or social intercourse, distinct from the views 
 above expressed ; nor even the possibility of different 
 beings recognizing each other, but through the 
 medium of some external appearance. Now to all 
 this it may be rej)lied : " Ye do err, not knowing the 
 power of God." God is able to accomplish all these 
 objects, to enable pure spirits to recognize each other, 
 and enjoy the purest society, without any external 
 
424 SERMON XXIII. 
 
 medium of communication : in other words, without 
 clothing spirits with bodies ; that is, in a way totally dif- 
 ferent from, and wholly beyond, any conceptions of 
 which mortals are capable. It must be granted, however, 
 that what God is able to do, is no argument on the 
 present point ; for he does not do all he is able to do. 
 
 A second argument has been derived from the fact 
 of the frequent appearance of angels, and especially 
 that of Moses, with a visible form : " The body of 
 Moses, we are expressly told, was buried by God, in a 
 valley, in the land of Moab, over against Beth-peor ;" 
 yet he appeared on the Mount of Transfiguration, 
 with Christ, and conversed with him. But this argu- 
 ment is not conclusive. For it may be replied, that 
 his appearance on that occasion was for a particular 
 purpose, and for which a visible form was important 
 and necessary ; and God may have given him that 
 form, on that occasion only, as angels assumed bodies 
 on special errands to men. A special purpose was 
 answered by rendering him the object of vision to 
 Peter, James, and John, the only witnesses of that 
 scene. The venerable Dr. Watts seems, however, to 
 place no small confidence in the argument. And also, 
 that there are certainly three immortal bodies now in 
 heaven, those of the Saviour, Enoch, and Elijah, is a 
 consideration of some weight, that all the now glori- 
 fied have bodies similar to that in which Moses ap- 
 peared. 
 
 A third argument is derived from certain expres- 
 
SERMON XXIII. 425 
 
 sions and representations found in the Scriptures. 
 The text is a prominent passage. It is strongly con- 
 tended, that no intelligible meaning can be attached 
 to the language which the Apostle here employs, but 
 on the supposition that this construction is the correct 
 one. The language is, indeed, highly figurative. 
 And it is contended, that the figures are all Jewish ; 
 having reference to the tabernacle, the outward cover- 
 ing of the Ark of the Covenant, which on every re- 
 moval was taken down, but which still left the ark 
 surrounded with its own curtains : the inference, 
 therefore, is, that as the ark, when the tabernacle was 
 taken down, still was surrounded with its curtains, so 
 the soul has some covering, at the dissolution of the 
 body, and which is to continue till this tabernacle is 
 rebuilt, or the body is raised, at the last day. 
 
 This might be regarded, however, a better argument 
 in proof of the immortality of the soul, than the view 
 it is designed to support. Moreover, this argument is 
 made to depend on the word which is translated " taher- 
 nacle;' whereas, the original word means also, a tent, 
 and is the very word which the Greek writers used to 
 denote the tent of soldiers. And certainly, this body 
 may, with as much propriety, be termed a tent as a 
 tabernacle. But this admitted, and the above applica- 
 tion of the figure is at once set aside. Beside, the 
 Apostle tells us that this building of God, this house 
 not made with hands, is eternal in the heavens, and is 
 from heaven; to which expressions no intelligible 
 
426 SERMON XXIII. 
 
 meaning can be attached, on the ground of this strict 
 application of the figure. Nor on this sujDposition 
 can a more intelligible meaning be given to the last 
 verse of the text, viz. : " Not that we would be un- 
 clothed," i. e., die, "but clothed upon, that mortality 
 might be swallowed up of life." Mortality can only be 
 predicated of the body. The soul is immortal. But, 
 according to the above construction, the meaning of 
 this verse would be, that this body might not only not 
 die, but be at once covered or clothed upon with this 
 building of God, this house from heaven ; which is not 
 mere jargon, but absurdity itself. Still it is not im- 
 possible, nor improbable, that the souls of Christians, 
 in their intermediate state, have a substance and form, 
 as Moses had, and that this form is the exact repre- 
 sentation of the body dropped at death, surrounded 
 by or emitting a visible glory ; or of the raised body, 
 which will be the same body, in all essential respects ; 
 and that it is the medium of recognition by each other; 
 a body or covering, or by whatever name it may be 
 called, adapted to the enlarged powers, the increased 
 activity, and the new and happy employments of the 
 justified made perfect. Nor are these views inconsis- 
 tent with the other interpretations of this passage. 
 We only maintain that this is not the leading senti- 
 ment of the text. 
 
 It only remains that we consider the fourth and 
 last principal interpretation, which it seems possible to 
 be given to our text, viz., that by this " building of 
 
SERMON XXIII. 427 
 
 God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the 
 heavens," is denoted the place of happiness to which 
 the souls of the righteous are received at death, 
 whether embracing the views last expressed or not ; 
 for the last construction does not militate at all against 
 the one now given. The place at which the souls of 
 Christians go at death, is denoted by a variety of terms 
 or expressions. It is called Paradise, as when our 
 Saviour said to the penitent thief on the cross, " To-day 
 shalt thou- be with me in Paradise." It is called 
 Abraham's bosom, as in the account of Lazarus, "And 
 was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom." It 
 is called " mansions," as when our Saviour said to his 
 disciples, " In my Father's house are many mansions." 
 It is called " a city," or rather is typified by a city, to 
 which Abraham, by faith, looked. As where the 
 Apostle says of him, "He looked for a city which 
 hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." 
 It is called " New Jerusalem :" " The city of my God, 
 which is New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of 
 heaven from my God." " And he carried me away in 
 the spirit," said John, " to a great and high mountain, 
 and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, 
 descending out of heaven from God." It is also called 
 heaven, as where it is said, "Elijah went up by a whirl- 
 wind into heaven." All these names and expressions 
 undoubtedly denote the same place, viz., the place 
 where the souls of the redeemed go at death, and dwell 
 till the morning of the resurrection. 
 
428 SERMON XXIII. 
 
 For each name, as you have perceived from the 
 quotations above given, is mentioned in express refer- 
 ence to the fact, that the phice denoted by such name 
 is the dweUing-place of departed happy souls. Unless, 
 therefore, the souls of the righteous go to different 
 places, the same place is denoted by all the above 
 names and terms of designation. But they are every- 
 where represented as constituting one family, one 
 general assembly, one company, and as being where 
 Christ is. But whether this place be heaven itself, or 
 a different place, has been a subject of much diversity 
 of opinion. Most, if not all the Fathers, believed that 
 Paradise is not heaven itself, or that place where God 
 most fully displays his glorious perfections and cha- 
 racter. This was the belief of Polycarp, the disciple 
 of St. John. His words are, " Paul and the rest of the 
 Apostles are in the place appointed for them, with the 
 Lord," meaning Paradise. And yet, from the account 
 given of the visions of St. John, it would seem that 
 heaven itself was the place of their dwelling between 
 death and the final judgment. 
 
 Irenseus, a disciple of Polycarp, says, " Not only in 
 heaven, but in Paradise also, our Saviour shall be seen 
 as men are worthy to behold him." Justin Martyr, a 
 contemporary of IrenaBus, says, " The souls of the just 
 go to Paradise, and converse there with Christ by 
 vision." And we have the assurance of one exten- 
 sively acquainted with the writings of the Fathers, 
 that "according to all antiquity, the souls of pious men," 
 
SERMOX XXIII. 429 
 
 during the time of their bodies' sleep in the grave, 
 "are in the phace appointed for them, with the Lord, in 
 Paradise, where they enjoy the sight and conversation 
 of their Saviour, by way of vision." Yet from a com- 
 parison of two passages in the writings of St. Paul, in 
 immediate connection with each other, Paradise and 
 the third heavens, evidently denote the same place. 
 Indeed, the two passages are a mere repetition of the 
 same idea. Speaking of himself he says, " I knew a 
 man in Christ, and such an one caught up to the 
 third heaven." Again, " I knew such a man, and how 
 that he was caught up into Paradise, and heard un- 
 speakable words." If one and the same event is meant 
 in both these declarations, of which there seems to be 
 no doubt, then Paradise and the third heavens must 
 denote the same place. Or perhaps the latter includes 
 the former. And this belief seems to be w^arranted, if 
 not fully confirmed, by the declaration of our Saviour 
 to his disciples, " In my Father s house are many 
 mansions ;" the term " house," is obviously used in a 
 more extensive sense than the term " mansions," and 
 the former includes the latter. By some, the word 
 house, in this passage, is supposed to denote the uni- 
 verse. 
 
 The resemblance between these words of the 
 Saviour and those of the text is most striking: the 
 term "house," in the latter, being used in a more 
 limited sense, than which nothing is more common in 
 the Scriptures. Let us present them both together. 
 
430 SERMON XXIII. 
 
 " In my Father's house are many mansions." " We 
 have a buildmg of God, an house not made with 
 hands, eternal in the heavens." The terms "build- 
 ing" and " house," in the text, answering to the term 
 "mansions," in the Saviour's declaration. And the 
 term "house," in the passage from our Saviour, 
 answering to the term " heavens," in the text. Both 
 passages evidently refer to the same place ; and they 
 both refer to the same event ; i. e., to the admittance 
 of the souls of the righteous, at death, to a place of 
 happiness in heaven, denoted by these different terms. 
 Well may they be affirmed to be eternal in the hea- 
 vens, being embraced in that heaven, prepared for them 
 from the foundation of the world. Nor with less pro- 
 priety may this building, this house, these mansions, 
 be said to be from heaven, agreeably to the declara- 
 tion of our Saviour, " I go to prepare a place for you ; 
 and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come 
 again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, 
 there ye may be also." And even still more so, if we 
 compare the phrase " house from heaven" with the 
 phrase " New Jerusalem," denoting the same place, 
 " which cometh down out of heaven, from my God." 
 Thus appropriately answering to the description in 
 the text, as designating the same place. "Earnestly 
 desiring to be clothed upon with our house, which is 
 from heaven." It is proper, however, to observe, that 
 the language of the text is highly figurative; and, 
 therefore, we are not to subject it to a literal inter- 
 
SERMON XXIII. 431 
 
 pretation. Yet, all such language has a definite 
 meaning. And after all the attention we have been 
 able to give to this confessedly most important and 
 interesting passage of Scripture, we feel a full and 
 unwavering confidence, that the last of the four inter- 
 pretations which have been under consideration, is 
 the correct one, and the one intended by the Apostle ; 
 while it, of course, expresses a state of great, and, to 
 mortals, inconceivable happiness, a happiness caused 
 by a vision of the Redeemer's glory, though probably 
 not so fully displayed, or not so fully perceived, as 
 after the resurrection, when, we are given to under- 
 stand, that the felicity of the redeemed will be greatly 
 increased. The last, and which we deem the true 
 interpretation, therefore, includes and implies the 
 second. Nor is it inconsistent, in any important 
 respects, with the third interpretation, viz., that the 
 souls of Christians, at death, are invested with what 
 has been termed a celestial vehicle, or an external, 
 visible glory. The language of the text may be sup- 
 posed as at least intimating, if not implying, this, 
 but by no means to be restricted to this, nor as the 
 principal truth or fact taught in the text. But that 
 the Apostle had any reference to the resurrection, 
 save it be a mere glance, as the final consummation of 
 the saint's felicity, when mortality will be swallowed 
 up of life, I cannot bring myself to admit. The whole 
 may be presented, as I understand the passage, in the 
 following sentence. 
 
432 SERMON XXIII. 
 
 The souls of Christians at death, invested, probably, 
 with an eternal visible appearance, like that of Moses 
 on the Mount of Transfiguration, go directly to heaven, 
 or those eternal mansions in heaven which the Saviour 
 has prepared for them, or that " building of God, an 
 house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens," 
 where they enjoy the presence of their Saviour, and 
 the society of holy angels and each other, until the 
 trump of God shall announce the morning of the re- 
 surrection J when, accompanying the Son of God in his 
 second coming to judge the world in righteousness, 
 they shall come and take again their earthly house of 
 this tabernacle, rebuilt, immortalized, and fashioned 
 according to the glorious body of the Lord Jesus Christ ; 
 and after the scenes of that great last day, enter into 
 that kingdom which was prepared for them from the 
 foundation of the world, where they shall forever 
 dwell, under an increased and eternally increasing dis- 
 play and ever-increasing perception and growing ad- 
 miration of the infinite glories of the eternal Godhead, 
 — Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. 
 
 1. Death is unspeakable gain to the Christian. The 
 Apostle draws this very inference from the subject. 
 " Therefore, we are always confident, knowing that 
 whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent 
 from the Lord. We are confident and willing rather 
 to be absent from the body, and to be present with 
 the Lord,"— " which is far better." The child of 
 God can suffer only in this life. And, though his 
 
SERMON SXIII. 433 
 
 sufferings may here be severe, death terminates them 
 all. I)ut it is not to a state of negative good only to 
 "which death introduces him. The blow which puts 
 an end to his troubles here, ushers his soul into the 
 midst of ineffable joys. There is no intermediate 
 state of slumber or inactivity to the immortal spirit. No 
 sooner is his earthly house of this tabernacle dissolved, 
 than the soul is, in the language of the text, " clothed* 
 upon with its building of God, a house not made with 
 hands, eternal in the heavens ;" or enters those man- 
 sions which the Saviour has prepared for those who 
 die in him. This is, indeed, the concurrent testimony 
 of the Scriptures on this subject. No point is more 
 fully established. But it follows, necessarily, from 
 every correct view which can be taken of the pas- 
 sage under consideration. Nor is it even pretended, 
 by those who deny such a state of high and holy 
 activity and enjoyment, between death and the resur- 
 rection, that the Scriptures even intimate to the con- 
 trary, so far, at least, as I have seen. They regard it 
 as a conjecture, founded on the consideration that the 
 slumber, or, more properly, the temporary annihila- 
 tion of the soul, would, of course, render it uncon- 
 scious of loss. And the argument, if argument it 
 can be called, is, that as the soul is not sensible or 
 conscious of any loss, so there is no loss. On this 
 ground, the absolute and eternal annihilation of the 
 soul would be no loss. Of the fallacy of such talk- 
 ing or writing, for we cannot call it reasoning, we 
 
 28 
 
434 SERMON XXIII. 
 
 need not stop to convince a child. There remains a rest 
 to the people of God ; there are joys for evermore, at 
 his right hand; and this rest, these joys, commence at 
 death. The mind of no mortal can conceive them, 
 even in their incipient state. But they will be for- 
 ever increasing. And, perhaps, the redeemed in their 
 intermediate state will as little comprehend the in- 
 creased glories which await them at the resurrection. 
 What improvement ought Christians now to make of 
 considerations like these ? How glowing should be 
 their gratitude to God, who has made them heirs to 
 such an inheritance ! How should they attest the sin- 
 cerity of their gratitude, by habitual and universal 
 obedience to his commands, and unremitted devoted- 
 ness to the interests of his kingdom ! How should 
 they sustain and cheer them under all their disappoint- 
 ments, trials, and sufferings ! How arrest and sup- 
 press all inordinate attachment to the perishable and 
 transitory things of this world, and engage them faith- 
 fully to labor, " that whether present or absent, they 
 may be accepted of him," as well as submissively and 
 patiently endure whatever their heavenly Father and 
 Redeemer " may lay upon them !" After a few more 
 days of toil or suffering, or both, in their heavenward 
 course, they will be called to dismiss these corruptible 
 bodies, till the blessed morning when " mortality itself 
 shall be * swallowed up of life." In the meantime, 
 their souls, invested, it may be, in all probability, if not 
 certainty, with an external visible glory, are received 
 
SERMON XXIII. 435 
 
 to those mansions which their Saviour has prepared 
 for them. " Them will God hring with him, when he 
 shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the 
 voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; 
 and the dead, in Christ, shall rise first." 
 
 2. Our subject, to Christians, is well calculated to 
 divest death of many of its natural terrors, and com- 
 fort survivors, at the death of pious relatives and 
 friends. Christians whose faith and hope are strong, 
 are sometimes afraid to die. Nor is it the mere pains 
 of dissolution which they dread. There is another 
 cause of dread beside a separation of this body, and 
 its commitment to the gloomy grave. It is the start- 
 ling, and, I confess, awful thought, of becoming a naked 
 spirit. It is a common, and probably a universal sen- 
 timent or feeling, with those at least who contemplate 
 it with seriousness. The soul, indeed, is not depen- 
 dent on the body for its existence or its happiness. 
 But it still is unwilling to relinquish the idea of being 
 embodied. It desires not to be unclothed. Nor is 
 this dread or unwillingness scarcely less in regard to 
 the departed souls of our kindred and friends. It is 
 neither weakness, nor superstition, nor want of faith 
 which occasions it. The idea of being a naked spirit 
 was abhorrent to the feelings of the Apostle. Such is 
 the idea which some of the most eminent divines have 
 attached to his words, " Earnestly desiring to be clothed 
 upon with our house from heaven ; if so be that being 
 clothed, we shall not be found naked." 
 
436 SERMON 5XIII. 
 
 And although we cannot admit this to be the princi- 
 pal thought, it is not inconsistent with the leading 
 sentiment of the Apostle, while it is rendered more 
 than probable by many strong intimations. The ground 
 of this opinion, as a Bible truth, is strong enough, to 
 say the least, to warrant the belief and derive from it 
 that consolation which it is calculated to afford. We 
 know not, indeed, what it is. But we do know, in the 
 case of Moses (to whom we have more than once re- 
 ferred), it distinguished him both from our Saviour, 
 whose body was transfigured, and from Elijah, who 
 never died, but was translated. Nor can it be proved 
 from Scripture or reason, that the same is not true of 
 all who die in the Lord. Those who have lost their 
 children, for whose salvation they hope, pious friends 
 will know how to appreciate a reflection such as this : 
 who, though their earthly house of this tabernacle has 
 been dissolved, are still the objects of distinct con- 
 templation, although invested with a glory surpassing 
 their conception. They may also look forward to a 
 period, not indeed as distant, when with similar glory 
 they will join them in" the same building of God, and 
 shall recognize each other as on earth, heirs together 
 of the grace of life. Scarcely is there a sentiment 
 which furnishes Christian mourners, in relation to 
 their deceased pious friends, with a richer source of 
 consolation. How must it assuage their grief in the 
 parting moment; how dissipate the gloom which 
 would otherwise hang over the grave ; how diminish 
 
SERMON XXIII. 437 
 
 the dread of their approaching dissolution ! Yea, with 
 what cheerfuhiess may they Lay aside these bodies, to 
 enter thus into their " house not made with hands, 
 eternal in the heavens !" 
 
 That state is, indeed, very different from the pre- 
 sent one. Still, all the representations of that world, 
 and especially of its inhabitants, are in perfect accord- 
 ance with the views here expressed. Read the visions 
 of St. John, when called up to heaven. He tells us, 
 he "beheld a great multitude which no man could 
 number, of all nations, and kindred, and peoples, and 
 tongues, standing before the throne, and before the 
 Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palms in their 
 hands," &c. On the Apostle's asking Avho these were, 
 the answer was, " These are they who came out of great 
 tribulation, and have washed their robes and made 
 them white in the blood of the Lamb ; therefore are 
 they before the throne of God, and serve him day and 
 night in his temple ; and he that sitteth on the throne 
 shall dwell among them. And they shall hunger no 
 more, neither thirst any more. The Lamb which is in 
 the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall 
 lead them unto living fountains of waters ; and God 
 shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." Much of 
 this language is figurative, but it is descriptive of 
 scenes long antecedent to the resurrection. It is a 
 description of those who once dwelt on this earth, but 
 at their death went to those mansions which their 
 Saviour had prepared for them. We have authority 
 
438 SERMON XXIII. 
 
 for saying that John saw things as they were to be. 
 It was no fancy. It was a representation of what ivas 
 to he, if not of what actually ivas. The inhabitants of 
 that happy world were objects of distinct perception to 
 the Apostle. They surely will not be less so to those 
 happy beings themselves. While they had distinct 
 forms, they were the forms of men; souls invested with 
 a visible glory. Surely there is no sacrifice in laying 
 aside these bodies, reasonable as may be the strong 
 attachment to them, to be clothed thus, during the 
 comparatively short period of dismissing them, and of 
 receiving them again, fashioned according to the glo- 
 rious body of Christ. 
 
 3. Our subject shows us the folly and sin of undue 
 attachment to this world, and especially, of too much 
 concern and attention to this perishable body. All 
 the real importance which this whole world possesses, 
 as each individual is concerned, is derived from the 
 consideration, that it brings God more distinctly into 
 view ', displays many of his perfections ; furnishes con- 
 stant motives to gratitude, love, submission, and 
 obedience, and is well adapted to mankind, as candi- 
 dates for an endless existence beyond the grave. All 
 its absorbing interests, its captivating charms proceed, 
 not from anything in it really worthy of the affection 
 or desire of an immortal being, in itself considered, 
 but from a sinful conformity of taste and disposition 
 on our part. It is not the decision of sober judgment 
 in any man. It is the estimate of depraved, wild, un- 
 
SERMON XXIII. 439 
 
 governable passion — that passion wliich makes of gold 
 a god ; which estimates self according to the distinc- 
 tion of a vain imagination ; and prefers the gaze and 
 admiration of men, to the favor and approbation of 
 God. Nor would this passion receive even a check, 
 but for the assurance that this whole world is destined 
 to destruction; and more especially, that our residence 
 in it is of short and most uncertain duration. 
 
 Where, then, is greater folly seen, especially, than 
 in supreme attention to this frail and perishing body, 
 in its present corruptible state ? That body, so soon to 
 be laid aside ; so soon to be pressed by the clods of 
 the valley ; and the more it is pampered, only becomes 
 the richer food for worms. Think of its origin ! It came 
 from the earth. It was made of the dust. An earthly 
 house — a mere tabernacle — a temporary tent — sub- 
 jected to innumerable accidents — the subject of pain 
 and disease. Think of its end, its final end, as it now 
 exists ! " For flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom 
 of God." Death returns it to the earth. These are facts, 
 solemn facts, which God, its Maker and Disposer, has 
 taught us; and which, so far as we are now capable of 
 tracing or applying them, we daily find confirmed. 
 And is such an origin, such an end, calculated to 
 exalt these bodies in our estimation ? These are, in- 
 deed, painful reflections. Such a doom, of such a com- 
 panion, must be painful. But it is unavoidable. No so- 
 licitude, no caution, no skill can secure against it. " Our 
 earthly house of this tabernacle" must " be dissolved." 
 
440 SERMON XXIII. 
 
 It is not, however, for the sake of producing pain 
 that these reflections are made. Nor are we disposed 
 to use degrading terms, as applied to this noble work- 
 manship of a Divine hand. It is worthy of our care. 
 It is deserving our attention. There is propriety in 
 this, and religion demands it. There is a natural at- 
 tachment to the body ; an attachment, innocent and 
 virtuous. With the Christian, it is the temple of the 
 Holy Ghost. But that attachment, that attention 
 may be excessive ; and then it is sinful. 
 
 Here we would impose a check. Nor is this check 
 found in the destiny of this body only. AYhile its 
 Maker has, as it were, pointed with one finger to the 
 grave, as its final end, in its present constitution, he 
 has with the other directed us to a more noble dwell- 
 ing, — a habitation adapted to the immortal soul, when 
 freed from all moral corruption, suited to the vastly 
 increased energies of its faculties, in a place where the 
 present body cannot enter — could not exist. Though 
 divested of this body, the soul of the saint will not be 
 found naked. The blow of death will crush this tene- 
 ment in the dust; this earthly house w^ill be dissolved, 
 laid aside, because unadapted to such a tenant. But 
 it has "a building of God, a house not made with 
 hands, eternal in the heavens ;" and though this 
 denotes the dwelling-place of all who die in Christ, in 
 the intermediate state of their existence they are 
 where Christ is, and behold his glory ; are objects of 
 distinct mutual perception and recognition. They 
 
SERMON XXIII. 441 
 
 occupy place, move in space, and are surrounded with 
 a glory and a splendor of which we now have no con- 
 ception ; — rich remuneration for the loss of this pained, 
 decaying, corruptible body. 
 
 Our present subject, as we understand it, points 
 us no farther ; nor is more needed to furnish us with 
 the most powerful motives to arrest or prevent inordi- 
 nate attachment to this world, or excessive attention 
 to these frail and dying bodies. Yet, the views which 
 other portions of Revelations afford us, do not termi- 
 nate here. They stop not at death's door, nor death's 
 immediate consequences. These, indeed, were deemed 
 sufficient by the Apostle to sustain and comfort, and 
 animate and urge to the greatest diligence and entire 
 devotedness to the cause of Christ. And these ob- 
 tained, all that can be desired is secured. Yet we 
 may send our thoughts forward to a later period ; the 
 period when Christ will come a second time, and 
 bring with him all those who shall have slept in him ; 
 when the bodies which were committed to the grave, 
 in all essential respects the same, shall be raised, 
 modelled after the glorious body of the Saviour. 
 
 4. The subject under consideration to-day, reminds 
 Christians how near they are to those scenes which 
 will soon employ all their thoughts ; near, not to 
 death only, but to the glorious consequences which 
 immediately follow the event. Our object in this re- 
 flection is not to cast a gloom over the mind ; it is not 
 to present death arrayed in terrors, and speak of the 
 
442 SERMON XSIII. 
 
 tender ties his hand dissolves. Death, indeed, must be 
 passed. There is no other entrance upon the inheritance 
 of saints in hght. These bodies must be dismissed, be- 
 fore we enter the house from heaven. Two only have 
 gone there without dying. No others may expect trans- 
 lation. All others must die, save that last generation 
 that shall be found alive when it shall be announced 
 " time shall be no more ;" and they shall be changed, — 
 a change equivalent to both death and the resurrection. 
 But we would now have Christians for a moment forget 
 that narrow passage through which they must, indeed, 
 pass to glory, and reflect how near they this moment 
 may be to all that fulness of joy which the immediate, 
 unclouded presence of Christ, the interview and inter- 
 course with friends who have gone before them to 
 that place, and the society of all the just now made 
 perfect, afford. To all this, every Christian in this 
 assembly may be very near. And is it difficult to fix 
 our thoughts there ? On objects and scenes almost 
 within sight; which, at least, the eye of faith can be- 
 hold and survey ? And does not the view kindle to 
 higher degrees the spirit of devotion in our hearts? 
 Weaken, if not for the time destroy, attachment to 
 earthly things ? Perhaps, too, there is no stronger or 
 more decisive test of the character of our hopes. If faith 
 is not strong enough to sustain us in such contempla- 
 tions, is it not a doubtful point, whether we have faith 
 at all ? Or if, in such a prospect, a desire is not awak- 
 ened to be " absent from the body and to be present 
 
SERMON XXIII. 443 
 
 with the Lord," must we not doubt our interest in 
 him, and preparation for that world of glory? Chris- 
 tians surely can have no near and distnict views of 
 that world, and have no foretaste of its joys. Faith 
 can never view the Saviour, in all the beauties and 
 splendor of his glorified state, without exciting a 
 strong, a supreme desire to be where he is, and see 
 him as he is. It is such views too that assimilate to 
 his likeness. This it is " with open face, to behold, 
 as in a glass, the glory of the Lord, and be changed 
 into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by 
 the Spirit of the Lord." And when these objects of 
 faitli are withdrawn, or rather our views of them are 
 arrested, as often they are, still if we have derived 
 any benefit from them, in other words, if we have 
 had any views of faith, they cannot fiiil to exert a 
 happy influence over us. The effect will be seen and 
 felt in less attachment to the world ; in increasing 
 heavenly-mindedness ; greater firmness of Christian 
 principle; a more faithful discharge of religious duties; 
 a livelier interest in whatever is calculated to promote 
 the cause of Christ. This it is to " grow in grace and 
 in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus 
 Christ." This also it is, as these views are habitual, 
 " to have our conversation in heaven ; from wlience 
 also, we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, 
 who shall change our vile body, that it may be 
 fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the 
 working whereby he is able even to subdue all things 
 
444 SERMON XXIII. 
 
 unto himself." It is well often to make these things 
 objects of distinct contemplation. It is only .when we 
 are thus engaged, that any real desire for heavenly 
 objects or heavenly employments is kindled in the 
 soul. Nor is there any difficulty, even in the midst 
 of our worldly engagements, in bringing these things 
 within our view : the thought, that if we are Chris- 
 tians, we are near to them in all their reality, cannot 
 fail to do so. Such is the condition of every Chris- 
 tian present. There is but a thin veil between him 
 and the glories of that world. The hand of death re- 
 moves that veil ; and between any of us and death, 
 there is but a step. 
 
 As a source of motives, none furnishes more nu- 
 merous or more powerful ones to constant watch- 
 fulness, greater activity, and more entire and untiring 
 devotedness, than the subject which has been under 
 consideration to-day. None is more frequently or 
 urgently presented and enforced by the inspired 
 writers, and especially by the great Apostle to the Gen- 
 tiles. Nor can any stronger or more impressive motives 
 be conceived, till we see as it were our very graves 
 opening to receive these bodies ; or begin to experience 
 the realities of that world whose interesting scenes 
 have been the subjects of our contemplations. What 
 Christian can slumber on in deathlike inactivity, or 
 suffer himself to be engrossed and absorbed in the 
 perishable, transitory, and unsatisfying enterprises and 
 pursuits of earth, so near to that state of unspeakable 
 
SERMON XXIII. 445 
 
 glory, to which his soul will be introduced? How 
 lightly should this world sit to him, who has such 
 prospects, and who is just about to realize infinitely 
 more than eye hath seen, or ear heard, or the heart of 
 mortal can conceive ! How constantly should the eye 
 of faith be directed towards those eternal scenes, which 
 he is so soon to see with open vision ! How habitually 
 should his thoughts and his conversation be in 
 heaven, and his hands be employed in promoting 
 those immortal interests, which ere long he can no 
 more aid. Let us work while the day lasteth, for 
 the night cometh when no man can work. What we 
 do, must be done quickly. 
 
 But alas, these are the prospects of a part only of 
 this congregation ! Our discourse is addressed exclu- 
 sively to the hopes of Christians. But surely, Chris- 
 tians are not the only ones who should feel a deep and 
 solemn interest in it. AVhatever concerns them is, in 
 truth, matter of no less concern to others. The all- 
 decisive point in their existence is no less near to 
 sinners. Their earthly house of this tabernacle must 
 with the same certainty be dissolved. But at that 
 moment, sinners have no " building of God, an house 
 not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." They 
 must be unclothed, but not clothed upon. At the 
 moment of death, they will experience all the terrors 
 of appearing naked spirits, in the presence of their 
 great Judge. To them, too, there is no intermediate 
 state of unconsciousness and inactivity. Like the 
 
446 SERMON XXIII. 
 
 rich man, when they die, they will lift up their eyes, 
 which denotes the keenest conviction of their eternally 
 lost condition, in Hades, being in torments. Whatever 
 place that word denotes or designates in the universe 
 of God, it is one of misery. What may be the instru- 
 ments or means of agony to such beings, out of them- 
 selves, we know not. We only know the fact of their 
 awful condition, from the fearful language which in- 
 spiration employs to describe it. Nor will they always 
 remain unclothed spirits. The same day, on the 
 morning of which the bodies of the saints shall arise, 
 their bodies too shall come forth. "All that are in 
 the graves shall hear the voice of the Son of man and 
 come forth." "I saw," says John, "the dead, small and 
 great, stand before God ; and the books were opened, 
 and another book was opened; and the dead were 
 judged out of those things which were written in the 
 books, according to their works ; and the sea gave up 
 the dead which were in it; and death and hell 
 (or Hades), delivered up the dead which were in 
 them, and they were judged, every man according to 
 their works; and death and hell (places for their 
 inhabitants) were cast into the lake of fire : this is 
 the second death." "And whosoever was not found 
 written in the book of life, was cast into the lake of 
 fire." Yes, the souls of the wicked shall be brought 
 from their intermediate place of torment, and their 
 bodies shall be raised. But with what bodies will 
 they come forth? Let the Bible answer. "They 
 
SERMON XXIII. 447 
 
 shall be raised to shame and everlasting contempt." 
 " They shall come forth," saith Christ, " to the resurrec- 
 tion of damnation." The application which those who 
 have no saving interest in Christ should make of the 
 discourse of to-day is, in all respects, the exact reverse 
 of that which is appropriate to Christians. "^Ve need 
 not recapitulate to show its bearing on such. The 
 motives which were addressed to Christians to sustain 
 and encourage and cheer them, are no less weighty 
 to awaken and lead the sinners to repentance. Nor 
 are they less appropriate ; for if the endless glories of 
 heaven, as motives, are suited to the former, the in- 
 terminable woes of the latter are equally suited to the 
 latter. 
 
 And as the Christian may, at any moment, enter 
 upon the one, so may the sinner any moment begin 
 to experience the other. That God will be pleased to 
 accompany these considerations with his own irresistible 
 influence, let us pray. 
 
XXIY. 
 
 THE SOUL, AS AFFECTED BY THE DEATH 
 OF THE BODY. 
 
 " Man dietli and wasteth away ; yea, man giveth up the ghost, and 
 •where is he ?" — Job 14 : 10. 
 
 The phrase, "man dietli and wasteth away," can 
 apply only to his mortal part; particularly to his body. 
 For that only can " die and waste away." The 
 phrase, "man giveth up the ghost," may denote the act 
 of yielding up the soul, or the process of dying. The 
 last clause, " where is he ?" respects man as an immor- 
 tal being; referring, especially, to his immaterial or 
 spiritual part. By way of proof, or illustration, I need 
 spend no time on the declaratory part of the text, 
 that " man dieth and wasteth away ;" that " he giveth 
 up the ghost." No proof beyond observation and the 
 past history of a hundred generations can make it 
 more certain; though no fact is more frequently de- 
 clared in Divine revelation, while none, certainly, is 
 more important. This great change will pass on all 
 of us, and on all that shall live after us, down to that 
 last generation, who, instead of dying, will be "' changed, 
 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye." This great 
 
SERMON XXIV. 
 
 440 
 
 change, however, is not confined to the body. It must 
 necessarily affect the spirit. It ushers it into a new 
 state of existence. It becomes at once conversant with 
 new beings, new objects, new scenes. 
 
 When death has laid his hand on man, we know 
 what becomes of the body. It is laid in the grave, 
 there to waste away and be resolved into its original 
 dust. But death does not extinguish the spirit. That 
 is indestructible, imperishable, immortal. But where 
 is it ? What is it ? In reply, I answer, 
 
 1. So far as personal identity or moral character 
 is concerned, man is the same after, as before the 
 body's death; the same rational, thinking being. 
 Whatever the place or- mode of his existence, the men- 
 tal faculties are not destroyed. He has memory to 
 recall the past; reason adapted to all its appropriate 
 operations; conscience to judge, to approve, or con- 
 demn ; while his consciousness tells him that he has 
 always been the same individual person, through all 
 the various stages of his existence. Indeed, instead 
 of being impaired, we have every reason to believe 
 that all his mental powers will be vastly expanded 
 and invigorated, when released from the restraints of 
 the body. True, the reverse might be the conclusion 
 of the senses. But we are not left to the, testimony 
 of the senses, or the conclusions of reason. God hmi- 
 self has condescended to instruct us on this momentous 
 subject. He has placed the doctrines of the soul's 
 
 29 
 
450 SERMON XXIY. 
 
 immortalit}' and its activity after death on the firmest 
 ground. 
 
 Nor is there less full or less clear evidence, that 
 death produces no essential change of moral character. 
 At that hour, the plain declaration of God's word is, 
 "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he 
 that is filthy, let him be filthy still ; and he that is 
 righteous, let him be righteous still ; and he that is 
 holy, let him be holy still." Probation is limited to 
 this life. " Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it 
 with thy might ; for there is no work, nor device, nor 
 knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou 
 goest." "After death, comes the judgment." Indeed, 
 the whole plan of salvation is evidently founded on 
 the fact, that eternal life must be secured in this world, 
 or never secured. All the motives to immediate 
 repentance ; all the solemn admonitions on the uncer- 
 tainty of this life, and remonstrances against delay, 
 are drawn from that fact ; while there is not a hint in 
 all the Bible, that an offer of salvation was ever made, 
 or ever will be made, to a departed spirit. 
 
 It is then the same being that wakes up in eternity, 
 who at death leaves this world ; possessing the same 
 powers or mental faculties, though vastly expanded, 
 and sustaining the same moral character. Hence, 
 
 2. The soul when it leaves the body passes to an 
 unalterably fixed condition. There is no reason why 
 it should not be so, if the character is wholly formed 
 in this life, as we have seen that it is. 
 
SERMON XXIV. 451 
 
 With all the writers on this subject who believe 
 the soul to be immortal, there has been, as clearly 
 there can be, but one possible conjecture in opposition 
 to this statement. And that is, that between the 
 events of the death and the resurrection of the body, 
 the soul lies in a dormant state ; a state in which all 
 its powers are suspended. And what is this but a 
 state of annihilation ? It is utterly inconsistent with 
 the idea of the soul's immortality ; which means, not 
 only the everlasting existence of the soul, or eternal 
 duration, but its continued, uninterrupted existence. 
 Moreover, the very language is unintelligible. What 
 is the soul, when all its faculties cease their exercise ? 
 So far at least as we can form any idea of the soul, 
 it consists of its various faculties. If it cannot think, 
 nor will, nor remember, nor reason, nor know, it is 
 nothing — it is annihilated. These are its essential 
 attributes ; without them, we can form no idea what- 
 ever of the soul. If it exist again, it is, therefore, a 
 new existence. This view, I scarcely need say, is 
 entirely inconsistent with the teachings of the in- 
 spired volume. 
 
 We have abundant information respecting the soul 
 after, and immediately after, it leaves the body ; both 
 in regard to the righteous and the wicked. The para- 
 ble of the rich man and Lazarus is conclusive. The 
 declaration of the Saviour to the Sadducees, who 
 denied the existence of the soul after death, confirms 
 the same fact : " God is not the God of the dead, but 
 
452 SERMON XXIV. 
 
 of the living ;" and hence, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, 
 to whom the reference was made, were still living 
 beings, though their bodies had been slumbering many- 
 centuries in their graves. 
 
 Thus we have seen that man, as to his better part, 
 will continue to exist after death has crushed his body 
 into the dust, in the exercise of all its mental powers ; 
 that his moral character will then be unalterably 
 formed ; his condition unchangeably fixed ; no change 
 but either that of mounting upward, in enlarged 
 knowledge and augmented happiness ; or, under the 
 weight of accumulating guilt, sinking lower and lower 
 in the pit of endless woe, 
 
 3. But where is he ? Where, as to place, as well as 
 condition ? for the one necessarily implies the other. I 
 answer, in one of two places, for there is not a third ; 
 and these are fitted to the only two essentially differ- 
 ent characters of men, or they to them, as formed in 
 this life, and completed at death. In Scripture, they 
 are each called by different names : as, Abraham's 
 bosom. Paradise, Mansions, Heaven, Tophet, Prison, 
 Outer-darkness, Hell, and perhaps some others. 
 
 Nor is there any foundation for the notion that the 
 souls of all, both renewed and unrenewed, go to one 
 place at death, and there remain till the resurrection 
 and judgment ; which place they understand by the 
 word Paradise. But St. Paul tells us that Paradise is 
 only another name for Heaven ; and even the third 
 Heavens, which the Jews always regarded as denoting 
 
SERMON XXIV. 453 
 
 the place of endless and ineffable bliss. In his second 
 Epistle to the Corinthians, twelfth chapter, he writes : 
 " I knew a man in Christ, above fourteen years ago, 
 whether in the body or out of the body I cannot tell, 
 God knoweth; such a one caught up to the third hea- 
 vens. And I knew such a man, whether in the body or 
 out of the body I cannot tell, God knoweth ; how that 
 he was caught up into Paradise, and heard unspeakable 
 words, which it is not lawful (or possible) for a man 
 to utter." Here Paul evidently means the same place 
 by " the third heavens" and " Paradise ;" and no less 
 plainly as a place of supreme felicity. He was there 
 relating, too, his own experience. He was himself 
 that man in Christ who was thus favored, though it 
 occasioned the thorn in his flesh, " lest he should be 
 exalted above measure, through the abundance of the 
 revelations." 
 
 It is certain, from Christ's own words, that Christians 
 at death go where he is, to those mansions which he 
 had prepared for them, and w^liere they should behold 
 his glory, and see him as he is. But he ascended to 
 " the right hand of the throne of the majesty in the 
 heavens." That saints at death go there, the Apos- 
 tle writes to the Thessalonians. " For if we believe 
 that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also 
 which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For 
 the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a 
 shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the 
 trump of God." " Therefore, we are always confident, 
 
454 SERMON xxiy. 
 
 knowing that whilst we are at home in the boclj, we 
 are absent from the Lord. We are confident, I say, 
 and w^illing rather to be absent from the body, and to 
 be present with the Lord." Let me refer you to a 
 familiar portion of our Saviour's instruction when on 
 earth. " And it came to pass that the beggar died, 
 and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom. 
 The rich man also died, and was buried, and in hell 
 he lifted up his eyes, being in torments." The resur- 
 rection had not arrived ; that generation had not passed 
 away. He was not referring to what was at some 
 future period to be, but stating what already was. 
 For, hear that rich man in his last urgent petition : 
 " I pray thee, send Lazarus to my father's house, for I 
 have five brethren, that he may testify unto them, lest 
 they also come into this place of torment." 
 
 Everything is here represented as occurring imme- 
 diately after death. The joy of the one and the 
 misery of the other, at once followed that event. The 
 whole is clear. It seems to defy ingenuity to place 
 a different plausible construction on that representa- 
 tion. 
 
 No doubt, the happiness of the righteous and the 
 misery of the wipked will be greatly enhanced at the 
 resurrection. Nor will this cease to be the case at any 
 period of their existence. The righteous will eternally 
 be soaring aloft toward the infinite God, and the 
 wicked forever sinking lower and lower in the pit of 
 woe ! 
 
SERMON XXIV. 455 
 
 One thought more of deep interest is suggested by 
 the question, " AVhere is he ?" It is evidently, how- 
 ever, in sense and meaning, an exclamation rather 
 than a mere inquiry. And it is this thought I 
 wish to present. It is as much as to exclaim, 
 "Alas, where is he !" While it conveys the idea, that 
 the event of death, the exit of the soul out of the 
 body, is the most important, most deeply interesting, 
 and deeply solemn moment of our existence, it con- 
 veys the idea of surprise and doubt — surprise at the 
 vastness, the entireness of the change which then in- 
 stantly passes upon one, and doubt, while that change 
 is passing, what objects and scenes are in a moment 
 more to present themselves to the clear and open 
 vision of the immortal spirit ! And in numberless in- 
 stances, awful doubt whither it is going, what is to be 
 its final and endless destiny ! Is it possible to con- 
 ceive of a moment of deeper solemnity ? It may be, 
 and it probably is the case, that every departing soul 
 is freed from all doubt, as to its having or not having 
 a saving interest in the Lord Jesus Christ, before the 
 last moment comes. We have the best evidence that 
 this is true of many a Christian in the dying hour. 
 Long previously, and down to the expiring moment, 
 they have expressed a joy, a confidence, an earnest 
 of heaven, which they had never before experienced. 
 The very countenance bore testimony to the truthful- 
 ness of their declarations. It was inconceivable that 
 they could be deceived. And though all Christians 
 
456 SERMON XXIV. 
 
 are not thus highly favored and blest, yet he that is a 
 present help in every time of need, Avill not be absent 
 from a child of his in the moment of his greatest ex- 
 tremity. Ofttimes, indeed, there is much darkness, 
 many doubts in the last hours of the sincere believer. 
 But ere the soul takes its flight, it is more than pro- 
 bable that the Saviour visits him with the smiles of 
 his countenance, and goes with him through the valley 
 of death, or sends his angels to convey him to heaven. 
 Yet to the best-prepared Christian for the event, there 
 is much, yea, everything most deeply to affect him, to 
 fill him with surprise and wonder. He can have 
 no conception of the greatness of the change to pass 
 upon him, till he experiences it. What can he know 
 of the mode of his existence when he has laid aside 
 this body? By what means he shall hold intercourse 
 with others like himself — with angels — with the 
 Saviour, whom he will see face to face ? 
 
 Every Christian must wake up with surprise in 
 eternity. " Where is he ?" Where am I ? In a new 
 world ! Himself, almost a new being ! Everything new 
 around him, and within him, save that grace, of which, 
 in a low degree, he was here the subject, and the 
 feeble views of faith which that grace enabled him in 
 some favored moments to have. But now wholly 
 sanctified, what a change! Such we may readily 
 suppose were the reflections of Job when he exclaimed, 
 •' Man givetli up the ghost, and where is he !" But if 
 it be thus with the Christian most eminent for his 
 
SERMON XXIV. 457 
 
 piety, who habitually lives in view of that world 
 which he is soon to enter, and like Job, is waiting for 
 the change before him, what must it be to the ordi- 
 nary Christian ; the doubting and doubtful Christian ; 
 the unfaithful, oft-offending, too worldly-minded Chris- 
 tian ? What surjDrise will seize the soul as it enters 
 eternity ! 
 
 But numerous as these instances may be, they are 
 few compared with the multitudes who come to that 
 hour in utter thoughtlessness of what awaits them 
 when that hour is past ! Who have never made the 
 scenes of eternity the subject of serious contemplation, 
 or even any at all. When sucli a one is called from 
 time into eternity, how natural, how irrepressible the 
 thought at least, " Where is he ?" Where is the im- 
 mortal spirit that has fled? What are the scenes 
 upon which it has entered, even before the lifeless 
 body is conveyed to its grave, there to waste away, 
 till the announcement of the resurrection awake it 
 from its slumbers. 
 
 It is not the prerogative of man, indeed, to pronounce 
 on the eternal destiny of any soul. But the wicked 
 die. And dying thus, if there is truth in God's book, 
 they are forever lost ! They wake up, where the Judge 
 of all himself said the rich, impenitent man did, when 
 he died. Some may be found, even among such, who 
 are sustained with a false hope to the expiring moment. 
 Others disbelieve a hell, and even deny the immor- 
 tality of the soul. Others comfort themselves with 
 
458 SERMON XXIV. 
 
 the delusive notion of a universal salvation, and that 
 the best have no advantage over the worst. Others 
 again place their dependence on their morality and 
 their almsdeeds. Still others come to that hour with 
 consciences seared as with a hot iron, in utter insensi- 
 bility ; while others are cut off with a stroke, and have 
 not a moment for reflection, or are bereft of reason ; 
 millions, too, are wickedly made to believe in the 
 efficacy of masses, or at worst, the purifying fires of 
 an imaginary purgatory. What multitudes come to 
 their death in these various ways ! What, what 
 must be their surprise when they wake up in the 
 other world; when they see all their hopes forever 
 dashed; their vain expectations driven away -like the 
 chaff before the wind ! Yes, in all these ways, men 
 come to their death-hour. Nor are they exclusively 
 from heathen lands. Ah, gladly would they exchange 
 conditions with the vilest who lived and died without 
 the Gospel. But they will come from Christianized 
 nations; from Gospel-enlightened assemblies; from the 
 very sanctuaries of God ! where the sound of the 
 Gospel had often saluted their ears, and the offer of 
 life had often been pressed on their acceptance. They 
 will carry with them all their knowledge of the great 
 plan of salvation which they here acquired, and the 
 clearest recollection of their opportunities for securing 
 an interest in it, into eternity, and to the bar of God. 
 We, my hearers, are approaching that solemn hour, 
 in which the destiny of man, as recorded in the text, 
 
SERMON XXIV. 459 
 
 ■will be our destiny and doom. We shall die, and our 
 bodies waste away in the grave, till the voice of the 
 Son of God shall open every grave. The same pro- 
 cess of dying which those who have gone before us 
 have gone through, we will go through. And by 
 some at least of those who shall attend our funeral, 
 while standing around our encoffined remains, will the 
 question be mentally put, or the thought silently pass 
 the mind, " Where is he ?" 
 
 Shall it be a question of a doubtful nature? of doubt- 
 ful answer ? We have all of us, sometimes, been pre- 
 sent on such an occasion, when we felt authorized to 
 repeat over the grave of the deceased, that divinely 
 inspired eulogium, " Blessed are the dead which die in 
 the Lord, from henceforth; yea, saith the Spirit, that 
 they may rest from their labors ; and their works do 
 follow them." But, alas, how often is it otherwise ! 
 How often, at least, are we compelled to feel- a painful 
 doubt, with regard to the eternal destiny of the de- 
 parted spirit! In life they gave no evidence of an 
 interest in Christ. They came to their last sickness 
 in all their indifference, and passed into the dark 
 valley without a ray of hope ! My hearers, how 
 shall that question be answered over our lifeless 
 bodies? "Where is he?" It is a solemn question. 
 It is a pertinent question. And, though no response 
 will come from the eternal world, yet it is a question 
 of solemn, practical bearing on the living. AVere it 
 an idle one, it had never found a place in the in- 
 
460 SERMON XXIV. 
 
 spired Book. But we need not that proof of its prac- 
 tical pertinence. It brings to our view the solemn 
 realities of that eternal world, to which we are rapidly 
 hastening, and which we shall soon enter. It reminds 
 us of the preceding scenes of our own dying hour, and 
 when those scenes are over, of our souls' immediate 
 entrance on their changeless, eternal state. And 
 whence, if not from these solemn considerations, shall 
 we derive motives to prepare us for the one, and for 
 the other ? Our existence was given us, and our lives 
 have been spared to this hour, to prepare, on leaving 
 this, to enter a better world ; to prepare for a heavenly 
 world. For this, the present opportunity is afforded us. 
 For no other kind purpose have we been spared to see 
 this day; and, rightly improved, this would be secured 
 beyond the possibility of failure. 
 
XXV. 
 THE GREAT VICTORY THROUGH CHRIST. 
 
 " death, where is thy sting ? * grave, where is thy victory ? The sting 
 of death is siu ; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God who 
 giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." — 1 Cor. 15 : 55-57. 
 
 It is impossible for the human mind, at least in its 
 present state, to conceive loftier thoughts, or human 
 language to express them in more exalted strains, than 
 are set forth in the words which I have just read. 
 Wider extremes cannot be imagined, of all that is ter- 
 rible and all that is joyous. They are the extremes 
 of sin and holiness ; of death and life ; of corruption 
 and immortality; of hell, and of heaven. And more 
 striking imagery by which to paint them, is not 
 furnished in either world. The infinite Spirit alone 
 could have suggested or dictated it. And if we would 
 be instructed and profited by it, we must resign our- 
 selves to serious, devout, and solemn contemplation. 
 
 We must go back to the death of Abel, the first 
 of our race that died, and think over the countless 
 millions who have bowed to his stroke ; the victims 
 that are now falling before his onward march; the 
 
462 SERMON XXV. 
 
 multitudes who are yet to be born, that they may die ; 
 the gathering of the last generation to their graves. 
 And then, on that last closing point of time, listen to 
 the voice which will call them all to life again, and 
 behold them rising from their beds of dust, and espe- 
 cially that redeemed throng that slept in Jesus, exult- 
 ingly singing as tbey ascend, " death, where is thy 
 sting ? grave, where is thy victory ? The stfng of 
 death is sin ; and the strength of sin is the law. But 
 thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through 
 our Lord Jesus Christ." These are the first notes of 
 the new song to be sung in heaven. We, as well as 
 others, however, are mortal, and must die. But we, 
 too, shall rise again, and shall swell the number of 
 those who sing this triumphant song of victory over 
 death and the grave, or of those whose lips will be 
 sealed, or opened only to utter the wailings of the eter- 
 nally lost ! 
 
 My object will be to present some of these points 
 for our consideration, in the order, however, of a con- 
 nected series. 
 
 1. The striking appropriateness of the figure here 
 employed, to describe the nature and consequences of 
 sin. Sin is here compared to the stroke of a venom- 
 ous serpent, whose poison is fatal. AVhen once in- 
 fused, it soon penetrates the whole system. Its direct 
 tendency and constant progress is to a fatal termina- 
 tion. So sin is a deadlj^ poison. It affects the Avhole 
 man, moral and physical. It is constantly advancing 
 
SERMON XXV. 463 
 
 towards a flital termination. The weight of disease is 
 constantly increasing, till it becomes insupportable. 
 Sin is a poison Avhich infects every source of worldly 
 enjoyment. There is no earthly comfort which it does 
 not aflect. It extorts every groan that is uttered; 
 causes every sigh that is heaved ; draws every tear 
 that is shed ; inflicts every pain that is felt. All the 
 bodily ills, the mental agonies, the various trials 
 and afflictions of our race, come of this subtle, this 
 deadly poison. These things, in greater or less seve- 
 rity, are common to the righteous and the wicked. 
 Sin introduced a threefold death : natural, spiritual, 
 and eternal. The seeds of each are implanted in all 
 at the earliest stage of human existence. The symp- 
 toms of the body's dissolution cluster around the 
 youngest infant, and develope a fatal termination at 
 every age. There is a pang at every instance of dis- 
 solution, even though the subject of it is unconscious 
 of everything but of simple existence. But his 
 ravages are not confined to such. No age, no pros- 
 pects can plead' exemption. When viewed at the 
 greatest distance that any dare to place him, death is 
 a fearful foe ; and every style of approach discloses 
 new terrors. Indeed, he can never properly be re- 
 garded at a distance. He walks by the side of every 
 living being. The whole life may be considered 
 as a struggle with him. He watches at every 
 step to hurl a fatal dart. " There is no man that 
 hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit ; neither 
 
464 SERMON" XXV. 
 
 hath he power in the day of death ; and there is no 
 discharge in that war." But what though multitudes 
 are raised up from the bed of sickness, or have seldom 
 or never been laid there, yet, in this dying world, 
 they have often seen Death fix his image on others. 
 They have felt, too, the blow by which the strong and 
 tender ties have been cut asunder. Who has has not 
 sometimes found himself at the bedside of a dying 
 friend, and among the mourners that slowly and 
 sadly followed that friend to his last, long home ? 
 These are but a few of the effects of sin, as limited to 
 a small portion of one's own history. And is there 
 no sting in them ? Is it in human nature to be 
 utterly indifferent to them? It may not produce 
 agony in all. It may not deprive of food and rest ; 
 yet, how often has it done so. It may not arrest or 
 moderate their eagerness for the world, its pursuits, 
 or its pleasures. It may increase that eagerness. 
 They may seek relief in new engagedness. But mo- 
 ments of seriousness must sometimes come. They 
 must be moments of pain. But there is another 
 death, of which this death of the body cannot fail to 
 remind them. It is the death of sin, or rather in sin ; 
 a state of guiltiness before God. 
 
 This may not always, may indeed be seldom re- 
 ahzed. For it is a state of blindness, as well as of 
 guiltiness. Yet it may be oftener felt than we see 
 the evidence of it in others, or the sinner be willing to 
 acknowledge it in himself There is a monitor in the 
 
SERMON XXV. 
 
 465 
 
 breast of every man that forbids undisturbed repose. 
 Conscience ^vill act, ^vill accuse, and condemn, in spite 
 of inclination, and every art to lull it to sleep. It is 
 a foreboder of evil to the sinner. It will accuse 
 where it cannot excuse. Its accusations often produce 
 agonies with which no pains of the body can com- 
 pare. '• The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity, 
 but a wounded spirit who can bear ?" But this death 
 is connected with a death still more awful, — a death, 
 the worst forebodings of which are far more than re- 
 alized. It is the second death. Ah, is there no sting, 
 no agonies, in the gnawings of that worm that never 
 dies ? No pains in the burning of quenchless fires ? 
 This is the doom of all who live and die in sin. Yes, 
 the sting of all these deaths is sin. 
 
 How appropriate, how apt, how expressive the 
 simile which the Apostle has employed, — " The sting 
 of death is sin." But for that poison, earth had all 
 been a paradise. No death, no pain, not an ill had 
 been known. 
 
 Look back upon the desolations which for six 
 thousand years have been visited on our world : the 
 nameless individual evils and public calamities ; the 
 pains of sickness ; the bereavements of death ; the 
 agonies of a wounded spirit; and then look down 
 through the avenue which revelation has opened, into 
 the pit of eternal despair ; — all, all the legitimate fruits 
 and results of sin, and say, has it no sting ? 
 
 2. A second topic of remark furnished us in the 
 
 30 
 
466 SERMON XXV. 
 
 text is, the cause of such mighty power in sin to over- 
 whelm and crush the immortal soul. " The spirit of 
 a man will sustain his infirmities." There is often, at 
 least, a vigor, a resolution of mind, which shrinks not 
 at the most cruel tortures which can be inflicted on 
 the body ; which can brave death in its most terrific 
 forms. It has often challenged ingenuity to invent 
 cruelties which could overpower the mind of the 
 sufferer. And yet the sting of sin has unnerved the 
 stoutest hero, and completely prostrated all his ener- 
 gies. What gives it this mighty power? Paul tells 
 us in the text, " The strength of sin is the law." The 
 law of God is the simple instrument by which this is 
 effected. One incident in the history of that Apostle 
 furnishes proof and illustration of this fact ; and the 
 experience of multitudes abundantly confirms its truth. 
 Read the seventh chapter of his Epistle to the 
 Romans. " I had not known sin, but by the law. 
 But sin taking occasion by the commandment, wrought 
 in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the 
 law sin was dead. For I was alive without the law 
 once ; but when the commandment came, sin revived, 
 and I died." 
 
 The law of God is perfectly adapted to the moral 
 nature of man. It and the conscience were made for 
 each other. No physical law is more absolute and 
 exacting than the moral law of God. Even the com- 
 paratively slight impression of it on the nature of 
 man, in the absence of all knowledge of its written 
 
SERMON XXV. 467 
 
 form, lias a power which can deprive of all peace ; 
 will at least operate either to accuse or excuse. So 
 teaches the same Apostle, and the experience of every 
 heathen attests the truth of what he taught. "For 
 when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by 
 nature the things contained in the law, these having 
 not the law (i. e. in its written form), are a law unto 
 themselves ; which show the work of the law written 
 in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, 
 and their thoughts the meanwhile accusing, or else 
 excusing one another." 
 
 The law, therefore, is the instrument of conviction. 
 While it points out what is right, it condemns what is 
 wrong. And when the Spirit of God applies it to the 
 sinner's conscience, it cannot but produce agonies. It 
 is the law that conveys to the sinner the anger of 
 God, and shows him how justly it is deserved. And 
 who can stand against Jehovah's anger, even when 
 kindled but a little ? The application of the Divine 
 law to the conscience of the sinner, will just as cer- 
 tainly, and as naturally, produce torment, as the ap- 
 plication of fire to the naked body will produce pain. 
 Hence, the element of fire, and its action on material 
 substances, are often employed to set forth the power 
 of conviction, or the agony that is produced by the 
 anger of God, through the application of his law, both 
 in this world, and that w'hich is to come. For what- 
 ever else may be added, the law of God will be an in- 
 strumcnt of torment to the finally lost in eternity. It 
 
468 SERMON XXV. 
 
 is the fire and the hammer to break in pieces the 
 heart of stone in the bosom of the sinner, often, at 
 least, in this life. God, too, is a consuming fire, espe- 
 cially to lost souls. " They shall be tormented in the 
 lake which burnetii with fire and brimstone." " Where 
 the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." 
 
 A perfect application of the Divine law requires a 
 perfect recollection and knowledge of one's whole moral 
 history. This is not had in the present state of ex- 
 istence. But a few, comparatively, of one's sins are 
 remembered in this life, and those chiefly of the most 
 glaring character. Hence, conviction, when experi- 
 enced at all, is first produced in view of some more 
 aggravated violation of God's law. It deepens as the 
 heart is laid open to view. And there never is that 
 conviction which is connected with conversion, till 
 that source and sink of iniquity is exposed to view. 
 Then it is that the truth of God's word is realized, that 
 "the heart is deceitful above all things, and despe- 
 rately wicked, and that every imagination of the 
 thoughts of the heart is only evil continually." While 
 the law reveals to the sinner his heart as well as his 
 life, it comes armed with the most awful curses. 
 These curses are not denounced ao;ainst the whole of 
 one's life, as though the aggregate of one's sins only 
 deserved them, but against each sin, considered 
 separately. Each sin is felt to deserve eternal death. 
 The language of the law is, " Cursed is every one that 
 continueth not in all things written in the book of the 
 
SERMON XXV. 469 
 
 law to do them." " He that ofTends in one point is 
 guilty of all," i. e., exposes himself to all the curses of 
 the law, broken in all its precepts, or not observed in 
 all its requirements. Ah, what immense strength do 
 all these considerations add to sin — to its clear and 
 full disclosures by the law of God ! Who can stand 
 under such a weight as this ? The consciousness of a 
 single sin sometimes crushes the sinner into the dust. 
 How overwhelming when all the sins of heart and 
 life, like so many mountains, press upon his soul! 
 And this is the work of the law. The law gives to sin 
 its strength, — " For where there is no law, there is no 
 sin." What truer, or more awful declarations can be 
 found in all the word of God, than that " the sting of 
 death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law !" But, 
 
 3. Our text announces to us a triumphant and 
 glorious victory over sin, death, and the grave. " 
 death, where is thy sting ? grave, where is thy 
 victory ? Thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory, 
 through our Lord Jesus Christ." Here is both a chal- 
 lenge and a shout of triumph. The one expresses a 
 confidence of success far beyond what any but a Chris- 
 tian ever felt ; the other points us to the ground of 
 that confidence, the " Lord Jesus Christ." It was, in- 
 deed, the exulting language of one of the " chiefest of 
 the Apostles." Yet it is language, bold and confident 
 as it is, which the weakest babe in Christ may utter as 
 his own. There are two leading thoughts presented. 
 
 1. The completeness of the victory. It is victory 
 
470 SEEMON XXY. 
 
 over the sting of death, and victory over the grave. 
 They may be regarded as distinct and separate ene- 
 mies, and yet combining their power to hold in sub- 
 jection a common victim. The whole conception is 
 one of unsurpassed sublimity, and the representation, 
 by words and imagery, of no less unsurpassed sim- 
 plicity and grandeur. But the leading thoughts are 
 level with the capacity of a child. Let me state a 
 few of them. 
 
 The chief, the most deadly sting of sin, may be at 
 once extracted. All its dreaded consequences, it is 
 true, cannot be prevented nor arrested. It has, for 
 instance, doomed the body to the grave ; and to this 
 decree every living man must bow. But not only 
 may all its ravages, its fatal effects on the soul, be for- 
 ever arrested when its poison has worked the body's 
 death, but even that fatal blow to the body may be 
 turned to the soul's happiness and eternal deliverance 
 from every evil. The very hand that unlocks the 
 grave for the body, may unlock also the gate of Para- 
 dise to the immortal soul. All this is effected by the 
 sinner's repentance. Pardon restores to favor, and 
 the favor of God cannot fail to give peace. " The law 
 of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made us free 
 from the law of sin and death." The deepest sting of 
 sin consists in the sentence of condemnation. Freedom 
 from that is effected by repentance. " For there is no 
 condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, who 
 walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit." This, 
 
SERMON XXV. 471 
 
 however, is but the foretaste of that joy which follows 
 perfect sanctification. 
 
 2. This victory over sin includes eternal exemption 
 from all the curses of a broken law. Here the poison 
 of sin strikes deeper than to sting the body and send 
 it to the grave. It infuses itself into the soul. The 
 soul as well as the body became subject to death. 
 " The soul that sinneth shall die." It, therefore, fell 
 under the curse of a violated law. This curse is 
 raised from the soul of every believer. " There is, there- 
 fore, now no condemnation to them that are in Christ 
 Jesus." " They have passed from death unto life." 
 " He that believeth on him shall not be condemned." 
 " For what the law could not do, in that it was weak 
 through the flesh, God, sending his own Son in the 
 likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in 
 the flesh, that the righteousness of the law might be 
 fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after 
 the Spirit." In other words, what the law could not do 
 (and it could not free the soul from its own sentence of 
 condemnation), Jesus Christ has accomplished, in be- 
 half of every believer in him. This entire acquittal, 
 however, does not take place in this life, so as to re- 
 lieve from all consciousness of the law's condemnation. 
 This is reserved to the hour of death, and to be pub- 
 licly announced at the judgment. But there is the 
 certainty of it to every true believer in Jesus Christ. 
 He shall never come into condemnation. He hath 
 passed from death to life. 
 
472 SERMON XXV. 
 
 3. But there is a still more glorious victory over 
 sin which every Christian will achieve. The victory 
 over sin is complete when it has sent the body to the 
 grave. For the believer at death ceaseth from sin. 
 Death on him has struck his last blow ; and by it has 
 eternally emancipated the soul from its power. 
 Death, indeed, hands over to the grave. But the 
 grave itself shall be conquered. It shall restore every 
 trophy which it had ever gathered. The grave is 
 conquered by the resurrection; It is the believer's 
 last enemy ; and this is reserved for the last day of 
 time. It is the closing scene of this world. All that 
 are in their graves shall hear the voice of the Son of 
 God, and come forth. " The trumpet shall sound, 
 and the dead in Christ shall rise first." What a day 
 of triumph will that be to Christians, to all who slept 
 the sleep of death in him ! 
 
 And here is suggested, as already intimated, a 
 second leading thought, viz., through whom this vic- 
 tory over sin and death and the grave is achieved. 
 This is the Lord Jesus Christ. " Thanks be to God 
 who giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus 
 Christ." It is by Christ that death, in its threefold 
 form, is deprived of his sting : through him the death 
 of the body is bereft of its terrors. The believer may 
 walk through the valley of the shadow of death, and 
 fear no evil. The Great Conqueror himself goes with 
 him. The body itself is but an appendage of the person. 
 It is not essential to his existence or his hapjpiness. 
 
SERMON XXV. 473 
 
 Moreover, it is laid aside for a season only, to be 
 called back to life, clothed with all the splendors of 
 its glorious pattern. 
 
 Christ, too, by his atonement, has extracted the 
 poison which gives to death its worst sting. It procures 
 the pardon of sin. For this he became incarnate, and 
 died on the cross. " In whom we have redemption, 
 through his blood, even the forgiveness of sin." He, 
 too, has become the resurrection and the life. As he 
 rose, so shall all they that sleep in him, and come 
 forth, in bodies fashioned like to his own glorious 
 body. What a complete and perfect victory is that ! 
 
 And now, what is the practical bearing of our whole 
 subject ? For here is wrapped up all the benefit to us, 
 of this, or any other point of revelation. And what 
 other can possess greater weight to the Christian ? In 
 what circumstances can he be placed, and not perceive 
 and feel its adaptedness ? We cannot, at this time, 
 trace it in its various bearings on the Christian's pre- 
 sent state. But how should it arouse the sleeping 
 Christian? How admonish the slothful Christian? 
 How cheer the afflicted Christian? How should it 
 dry up the tears of the bereaved, mourning Christian ? 
 How support and comfort the dying Christian ? How 
 does it enforce all the obligations which are due to the 
 Son of God, by whom all these various and endless 
 blessings are secured and freely bestowed ? But has 
 it no bearing on a different class ? Have sinners no 
 interest in it ? To them the sting of death remains, 
 
 31 
 
474 SERMOX 5XV. 
 
 in all its unalleviated force, while tbey remain impeni- 
 tent ; and if impenitent till the death of the body, 
 the last link of hope, that sting increasing in agony 
 as the ages of eternity roll on. Death will be forever 
 deepening his terrors on both body and soul. For though 
 their bodies, too, will be raised from the grave, it will 
 be " to shame and everlasting contempt ;" and " both 
 soul and body be cast into hell, where the worm dieth 
 not, and the fire is not quenched." Seasonable repent- 
 ance, or all this is the only alternative. Glories and 
 terrors, beyond the mind of mortal to conceive, here 
 combine to enforce this all-essential condition. Repent- 
 ance, or this threefold death, in all its awful aggrava- 
 tions. 
 
 END OF VOL. I. 
 
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