V' THE WORKS JONATHAN^EDWARDS, D. D. LATE PRESIDENT OF UNION COLLEGE. MEMOIR OF HIS LIFE AND CHARACTER, TRYON EDWARDS IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL. II. ANDOVER: PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY ALLEN, MORRILL & WARD WELL. NEW YORK : DAYTON AND NEWMAN. PHILADELPHIA : HENRY PERKINS. BOSTON : CROCKER AND BREWSTER, GOULD, KENDALL AND LINCOLN, TAPPAN AND DENNET. HARTFORD : TYLER AND PORTER. 1842. Entered according to act of Congress, in the year 1842, by ALLEN, MORRILL AND WARDWELL, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Massachusetts. CONTENTS OF VOLUME II. SERMON I. ON THE ATONEMENT. Ephesians 1: 7. — In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace. . page 11 SERMON 11. On the same subject. ........ 23 SERMON III. On the same subject. ........ 38 SERMON IV. THE MANIFESTATION OF THE TRUTH, THE END OF PREACHING. 2 Corinthians 4: 2. — But have renounced the hidden things of dis- honesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully ; but by manifestation of the truth, commending our- selves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. . . 53 SERMON V. THE INJUSTICE AND IMPOLICY OF THE 9LAVE TRADE, AND OF SLAVERY. Matthew 7: 12. — Therefore all thhigs whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them : for this is the law and the projihets. ........ 75 SERMON VI. ALL DIVINE TRUTH PROFITABLE. Acts 20: 20. — And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you. 98 IV CONTENTS. SERMON VII. MARRIAGE OF A WIFe's SISTER CONSIDERED. Leviticus 18: 10.' — TJi on shall not uncover the nakedness of thy bro- ther's wife : it is thy brother's nakedness. .... 124 SERMON VIII. faith and a good conscience illustrated. 1 Timothy 1: 19. — Holding faith and a good conscience. . . 142 SERMON IX. DEPRAVITY THE SOURCE OF INFIDELITY. John 7: 17. — If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doc- trine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. . 161 SERMON X. GOD A REFUGE AND HELP. PsALM 46: 1. — God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. .......... 173 SERMON XI. the belief of CHRISTIANITY NECESSARY TO POLITICAL PROSPERITY. Psalm 144: 15. — Yea, happy is that people whose God is the Lord. 185 SERMON Xn. the duty of ministers TO PREACH THE TRUTH. John 18: 37. — To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. . . 210 SERMON XIIL THE minister's PARTING COUNSEL. 2 Corinthians 13: 2. — Finally, brethren, farewell : Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace ; and the God of love and peace shall be with you. ...... 224 SERMON XIV. submission to RULERS. Romans 13: 1, 2. — Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God : the powers that be are ordained CONTENTS. V of God. AVliosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God. ........ 238 SERMON XV. MERE REPENTANCE NO GROUND OF PARDON. Acts 3: 19. — Repent therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out 248 SERMON XVL CHRIST OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. 1 Corinthians 1: 30. — Of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us, — righteousness. ...... 258 SERMON XVn. CHRIST CRUCIFIED. 1 Corinthians 1: 23. — But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishness. . . 274 SERMON XVnL HOLDING fast OUR PROFESSION. Hebrews 4: 14. — Seeing then we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. . . . . . . . . . . 291 SERMON XIX. THE soul's immortality, AND FUTURE RETRIBUTION. 2 Timothy 1: 10. — Who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. .... 302 SERMON XX. FALSE REFUGES UNSAFE. Isaiah 28: 17. — And the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall ovei-flow the hiding-place. .... 323 SERMON XXI. the parting commendation. Acts 20: 32. — And now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. . VI CONTENTS. SERMON XXn. GOD THE AUTHOR OF ALL GOOD VOLITIONS AND ACTIONS. Philippians 2: 13. — It is God which worketh in you hoth to will and to do of his good pleasure. ....... 348 SERMON XXin. THE LAW NOT MADE VOID THROUGH FAITH. Romans 3: 31. — Do we then make void the law through faith ? God forbid : yea, we establish the law. ..... 361 SERMON XXIV. THE ACCEPTANCE AND SAFETY OF THE ELECT. Romans 8: 33. — Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect ? 378 SERMON XXV. GRACE EVIDENCED BY ITS FRUITS. Matthew 5: 15. — ^Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick ; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house 387 SERMON XXVL THE GLORY OF THE GOSPEL, 1 Timothy 1: 11. — The glorious gospel of the blessed God. . 401 SERMON XXVn. THE BROAD WAY. Matthew 7: 13. — Enter ye in at the strait gate ; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat. . . . . . . . 412 SERMON XXVm. universal salvation inconsistent with salvation by CHRIST. 1 Timothy 1: 15. — This is a faitliful saying, and worthy of all accep- tation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save suiners. , 428 SERMON XXIX. CHARITY THE VEIL OF SINS. 1 Peter 4: 8. — And above all things have fervent charity among your- selves ; for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. . . 447 CONTENTS. VII ARTICLES FROM THE THEOLOGICAL MAGAZINE. Merit of Virtue and Demerit of Sin. ..... 459 Modern Liberality 464 Tlie Divine Vengeance. ........ 465 i The Salvation of the Heathen. 465 Benevolence of God in inflicting Punishment. .... 466 Promise of the Holy Spirit. ....... 468 The Proof of the Moral Perfections of God, from the Light of Nature. 471 Immateriality of the human Soul. . . . . . . 497 y, '^ Free Agency and absolute Decree reconciled. .... 502 The Proof of God's moral Perfections, from Scripture. . . 505 )t The Doctrine of Election 508 ^ On moral Agency. . . . . . . . • • 512 Deistic Objections, with Answers. ...... 518 ' Of Sinning not after the similitude of Adam's Transgression. . 526 The Soul in the intermediate State. ...... 528 Short Comments on new Texts. ...... 533 ■^ What is the Foundation of moral obligation ? . . . . 538 Concerning the Warrant of the Sinner to believe in Christ. . 541 Of Self-Love 544 LvDEx 549 V SERMONS. '*Wr PHiX^UiUU'OH '^ THREE SERMONS NECESSITY OF THE ATONEMENT, AND ITS CONSISTENCY WITH FREE GRACE IN FORGIVENESS.* SERMON 1. Ephesians 1 : 7. — In whom ive have redemption through his blood, the. forgive'- ness of sins, according to the riches of his grace. The doctrine of the forgiveness of sins is a capital doctrine of the gospel. As it is much insisted on' by the other writers of the New Testament ; so it is above all, by the author of this epistle. In our text, he asserts that we are forgiven according to the riches of grace ; not merely in the exercise of grace, as the very term forgiveness implies, but in the exercise of the riches of grace ; importing that forgiveness is an act of the most free and abundant grace. Yet he also asserts that this gratuitous for- giveness is in consequence of a redemption by the blood of Christ. But how are these two parts of the proposition consis- tent ? If we be in the literal sense forgiven in consequence of a redemption, we are forgiven on account of the price of redemp- tion previously paid. How then can we be truly said to he for- given ; a word which implies the exercise of grace 7 and espe- cially how can we be said to be forgiven according to the riches of grace ? This is at least a seeming inconsistence. If our for- giveness be purchased, and the price of it be already paid, it seems to be a matter of debt, and not of grace. By this difficul- * Preached before His Excellency the Governor, and a large number of both Houses of the Legislature of tlie State of Connecticut, during their sessions at New Haven, in October, 1785, and published by request. 12 SERMONS ON THE ATONEMENT. ty some have been induced to reject the doctrine of Christ's re- demption, satisfaction, or atonement. Others, who have not been driven to that extremity by this difficulty, yet have been exceedingly perplexed and embarrassed. Of these last, I freely confess myself to have been one. Having from my youth devo- ted myself to the study of theoretic and practical theology, I have regarded this as one of the gordian knots in that science. How far what shall now be oflered towards a solution, ought to aftbrd satisfaction, is submitted to the judgment of my candid auditors. Our text naturally suggests these three inquiries : Are sinners forgiven tiirough the redemption or atonement of Jesus Christ only ? — What is the reason or ground of this mode of forgiveness ? — Is this mode of forgiveness consistent with grace, or according to the riches of grace ? Let us consider these in their order. I. Are ice forgiven through the redemption or atonement of Jesus Christ only 1 I say redemption or atonement, because, in my view, they mutually imply each other. That we ai'e forgiven through the atonement of Christ — and can be forgiven m.no other w^ay, the scriptures very clearly teach. For evidence as to the first of these particulars, I appeal to the following passages of scripture, which are indeed but a few of the many which exhibit the same truth. First, our text itself: "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace." Romans 3 : -24, " Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ." Acts 20: 28, '• To feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood." Hebrews 9: 1 2, '• By his own blood he en- tered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemp- tion for us." 1 Peter 1: 18, "Forasmuch as ye know, that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blem- ish and without spot." Ibid. 2: 24, " Who his ownself bare our sins, in his own body on the tree, that we being dead to sin, should live unto righteousness : by whose stripes ye were heal- ed." Isa. 53: 4, 5, 6, '• He hath borne our griefs, and cairied our sorrows — He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was up- on him, and with his stripes we are healed. The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." Ibid. v. 10, 11, 12, " Yet it plea- sed the Lord to bruise him ; he hath put him to grief; — when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed — He shall bear their iniquities. — And he bare the sins of many." SERMONS ON THE ATONEMENT. 13 The scriptures also teach the absolute necessity of the atone- ment of Christ, and that we can obtain forgiveness and salvation through that only. The sacrifices appointed to be made by the ancient Israelites, seem evidently to point to Christ ; and to show the necessity of the vicarious sacrifice of him, who is therefore said to be " our passover sacrificed for us ;" and to have " given himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God, for a sweet smelling savor ;" and '* now once in the end of the world, to have appeared, to put away sin, by the sacrifice of himself." 1 Cor. 5: 7. Eph. 5: 2. Heb. 9: 26. As the ancient Israelites could obtain pardon in no other way than by those sacrifices ; this teaches us that we can obtain it only by the sacrifice of Christ. Tiie positive declarations of the New Testament teach the same truth still more directly — as Luke 24: 25, 26, '•' O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken ! Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory ?" Verse 46, '' Thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day." Rom. 3: 25, 26, " Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness — that he might be just, and the justi- fier of him which believeth in Jesus." It seems that God could not have been just in justifying the believer, had not Christ been made a propitiation. John 3: 14, 15, '"As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the son of man be lifted up." Heb. 9; 22, '•' Without shedding of blood is no remission." 1 Cor. 3: 11, " Other foundation can no man lay, than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." Acts 4: 12, " Neither is there salvation in any other : for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." The necessity of the death and atonement of Christ sufficient- ly appears by the bare event of his death. If his death were not necessary, he died in vain. But we cannot suppose that either he or his father would have consented to his death, had it not been absolutely necessary. Even a man of common wisdom and good- ness, would not consent either to his own death or that of his son, but in a case of necessity, and in order to some important and val- uable end. Much less can we suppose, that either Christ Jesus the Son would have consented to his own death, or that the infi- nitely wise and good feather would have consented to the death of his only begotten ahd dearly beloved son, in whom his soul was well pleased, and who was full of grace and truth, the bright- ness of his own glory and the express image of his person, the chiefest among ten thousand and altogether lovely, if there had not been the most urgent necessity. Especially as this most ex- 2* 14 SERMONS ON THE ATONEMENT. cellent son so earnestly prayed to the father, to exempt him from death ; Matt. 20: 39, "O my father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me ! Nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." The son himself hath told us, John 11: 42, " That the father heareth him always ;" and therefore we may be sure, that if the condi- tion of his pathetic petition had taken place ; if it had been pos- sible, that the designs of God in the salvation of sinners should be accomplished, without the death of Christ, his prayer, in this instance, would have been answered, and he would have been ex- empted from death. And since he was not exempted, we have clear evidence, that his death was a matter of absolute necessity. The necessity of the atonement of Christ, is clearly taught also by the apostle. Gal. 2: 21, " If righteousness come by law, then Christ is dead in vain." It is to no purpose to pretend that the law, in this passage, means the ceremonial law ; because he tells us, chap. 3: 21, " That if there had been a law given, which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law." But the moral law was a law which had been given, and since no law which had been given could give life, it follows, that forgive- ness and life could not be by the moral law, any more than by the ceremonial, and that if they could, Christ is dead in vain. II. Our next inquiry is, what is the reason or ground of this mode of forgiveness? or why is an atonement necessary in or- der to the pardon of the sinner ? I answer, it is necessary on the same ground and for the same {reasons, as punishment would have been necessary, if there had •been no atonement made. The ground of both is the same. The question then comes to this : why would it have been ne- cessary, if no atonement had been made, that punishment should be inflicted on the transgressors of the divine law ? This, I sup- / pose, would have been necessary, to maintain the authority of I the divine law. If that be not maintained, but the law fall into contempt, the contempt will fall equally on the legislator himself; his authority will be despised, and his government weakened. And as the contempt shall increase, which may be expected to increase, in proportion to the neglect of executing the law ; the divine government will approach nearer and nearer to a dissolu- tion, till at length it will be totally annihilated. But when moral creatures are brought into existence, there must be a moral government. It cannot be reconciled with the wisdom and goodness of God to make intelligent creatures and leave them at random, without moral law and government. That there must be a moral government, is the dictate of reason from the nature of things. Besides the nature of things,-we have in SERMONS ON THE ATONEMENT. 15 the present instance /acf, to assist our reasoning. God hath in fact given a moral law and established a moral government over his intelligent creatures. So that we have clear proof, that infi- nite wisdom and goodness judged it to be necessary, to put intel- ligent creatures under moral law and government. But in order to a moral law, there must be a penalty ; otherwise it would be mere advice, but no law. In order to support the authority and vigor of this law, the penalty must be inflicted on transgres- sors. If a penalty be denounced indeed, but never inflicted ; the law becomes no law, as really as if no penalty had been annexed to it. As well might no law have been made or published, as a law have been published, with the most awful penalties, and these never be inflicted. Nay, in some respects it would be much bet- ter and more reconcilable with the divine perfections. It would be more consistent, and show that the legislator was not ignorant, either of his own want of power to carry a law into eflfect, or of the rights of his subjects, or of the boundaries between right and wrong. But to enact a law and not execute it, implies a weak- ness of some kind or other ; either an error of judgment, or a consciousness of a depraved design in making the law, or a want of power to carry it into effect, or some other defect. Therefore such a proceeding as this is dishonorable and contemptible ; and by it, both the law and legislator not only appear in a contempti- ble light, but Ideally ore contemptible. Hence, to execute the threatening of the divine law, is neces- sary to preserve the dignity and authority of the law, and of the author of it, and to the very existence of the divine moral gov- ernment. It is no impeachment of the divine power and wisdom, to say, that it is impossible for God himself to uphold his moral government, over intelligent creatures, when once his law hath fallen into contempt. He may indeed govern them by irresisti- ble force, as he governs the material world ; but he cannot gov- ern them by law, by rewards and punishments. If God maintain the authority of his law, by the infliction of the penalty, it will appear, that he acts consistently in the legis- lative and executive parts of his government. But if he were not to inflict the penalty, he would act and appear to act, an in- consistent part, or to be inconsistent with himself. If the author- ity of the divine law be supported by the punishment of trans- gressors, it will most powerfully tend to restrain all intelligent creatures from sin. But if the authority of the law be not sup- ported, it will rather encourage and invite to sin, than restrain from it. For these reasons, which are indeed all implied in supporting 16 SERMONS ON THE ATONEMENT. the dignity and authority of the divine law, it would have been necessary, had no atonement for sin been made, that the penalty of the law be inflicted on transgressors. If in this view of the matter, it should be said. Though for the reasons before mentioned, it is necessary that the penalty of the law, in many instances, or in most instances, be inflicted ; yet why is it necessary, that it should be inflicted in every instance ? Why could not the Deity, in a sovereign way, have forgiven at least some sinners without any atonement? Why could not the authority of the law have been sufficiently supported, without the punishment of every individual transgressor ? We find that such strictness is not necessary or even subservient to the public good, in human governments ; and why is it necessary in the di- vine ? To these inquiries I answer, by other inquiries. Why, on the supposition of no atonement, would it have been neces- sary, that the penalty of the law should be inflicted in any in- stance ? Why could not the Deity, in a sovereign way, without any atonement, have pardoned all mankind ? I presume it will be granted, for the reasons before assigned, that such a proceed- ing as this, would have been inconsistent with the dignity and authority of the divine law and government. And the same con- sequence in a degj'ee, follows from every instance of pardon in this mode. It is true the ends of human governments are tole- rably answered, though in some instances the guilty are suflfered to pass with impunity. But as imperfection attends all human affairs ; so it attends human governments in this very particular, that there are reasons of state which require, or the public good requires, that gross criminals, be in some instances, dismissed with impunity, and without atonement. Thus, because the gov- ernment of David was weak, and the sons of Zeruiah were too hard for him, Joab, a most atrocious murderer, could not, dur- ing the life of David, be brought to justice. In other instances, atrocious criminals are pardoned, in order to obtain information against others still more atrocious, and dangerous to the commu- nity. In many instances, the principals only in certain high crimes, are punished ; the rest being led away by artifice and misrepresentation, are not supposed to deserve punishment. And it is presumed, that in every instance, wherein it is really for the good of the community, to pardon a criminal, without proper sat- isfaction for his crime, it is because of either some weakness in the particular state of the government, under which the pardon is^ranted ; or some imperfection in the laws of that state, so that they are not adapted to the particular case ; or some other im- perfection such as is apt to attend all human aflfairs. But as not SERMONS ON THE ATONEMENT. 17 any of these is supposable in the divine government, there is no arguing conclusively, from pardons in human governments, to pardons in the divine. It may be added, that in every instance in human govern- ments, in which just laws are not strictly executed, the govern- ment is so far weakened ; and the character of the rulers either legislative or executive, suffers, either in point of ability or in point of integrity. If it be granted that the law is just, and con- demns sin to no greater punishment than it deserves, and if God were to pardon it without atonement, it would seem that he did not hate sin in every instance, nor treat it as being what it really is, infinitely vile. For these reasons it appears that it would have been neces- sary, provided no atonement had been made, that the penalty of the law should have been inflicted, even in every instance of dis- obedience ; and for the same reasons doubtless it was necessary, that if any sinners were to be pardoned, they should be pardoned only in consequence of an adequate atonement. The atonement is the substitute for the punishment threatened in the law ; and was designed to answer the same ends of supporting the author- ity of the law, the dignity of the divine moral government, and the consistency of the divine conduct in legislation and execution. By the atonement it appears that God is determined that his law shall be supported ; that it shall not be despised or transgressed with impunity ; and that it is an evil and a bitter thing to sin against God. The very idea of an atonement or satisfaction for sin, is some- thing which, to the purposes of supporting the authority of the divine law, and the dignity and consistency of the divine govern- ment, is equivalent to the punishment of the sinner, according to the literal threatening of the law. That which answers these purposes being done, whatever it be, atonement is made, and the way is prepared for the dispensation of pardon. In any such case, God can be just and yet thejustifier of the sinner. And that that which is sufficient to answer these purposes, has been done for us according to the gospel plan, I presume none can deny, who believe, that the eternal " word was made flesh, and dwelt among us," and that he the only begotten and well beloved son of God, " bare our sins in his own body on the tree," and '• gave himself a sacrifice to God for us." But perhaps some who may readily grant that what Christ hath done and suffered, is undoubtedly sufficient to atone for the sins of his people ; may also suppose that if God had seen fit so to or- der it, we might have made a sufficient atonement for our own 18 SERMONS ON THE ATONEMENT. sins. Or whether they beheve in the reahty and sufficiency of the atonement of Christ or not, they may suppose that we might have atoned, or even now may atone, for our own sins. This hypothesis therefore demands our attention. If we could have atoned, by any means, for our own sins, it must have been either by our repentance and reformation, or by enduring a punishment, less in degree or duration, than that which is threatened in the law as the wages of sin. No other way for us to atone for our own sins appears to be conceivable. But if we attend to the subject, we shall find that we can make no pro- per atonement in either of these ways. 1. We could not make atonement for our sins by repentance and reformation. Repentance and reformation are a mere return to our duty, which we ought never to have forsaken or intermit- ted. Suppose a soldier deserts the service into which he is en- listed, and at the most critical period not only forsakes his gen- eral and the cause of his country, but joins the enemy and exerts himself to his utmost in his cause, and in direct opposition to that of his country ; yet after twelve months spent in this manner, he repents and returns to his duty and his former service ; will this repentance and reformation atone for his desertion and rebellion ? Will his repentance and return, without punishment, support the authority of the law against desertion and rebellion, and deter others from the like conduct equally as the punishment of the de- linquent according to law ? It cannot be pretended. Such a treatment of the soldier would express no indignation or displea- sure of the general at the conduct of that soldier ; it would by no means convince the army or the world, that it was a most heinous crime to desert and join the standard of the enemy. Just so in the case under consideration. The language of forgiving sinners barely on their repentance is, that he who sins shall repent ; that the curse of the law is repentance ; that he who repents shall suf- fer, and that because he deserves no further punishment. But this would be so far from an effectual tendency to discourage and restrain from sin, that it would greatly encourage to the commis- sion and indulgence of it ; as all that sinners would have to fear, on this supposition, would be not the wrath of God, nor anything terrible, but repentance, the greatest blessing to which any man in this life can attain. If this were the condition of forgiving sinners, not only no measures would be taken to support the di- vine law, but none to vindicate the character of God himself, or to show that he acts a consistent part, and agreeably to his own law ; or that he is a friend to virtue and an enemy to vice. On the other hand, he would rather appear as a friend to sin and SERMONS ON THE ATONEMENT. 19 vice, or indifferent concerning them. What would you think of a prince who in a law against murder, should threaten it with a punishment properly severe ; yet should declare that none guilty of that crime and repenting should be punished ? or if he did not positively declare this, yet should in fact suffer all murderers who repented of their murders, to pass with impunity ? Undoubtedly you would conclude that he was either a very weak or a very wicked prince ; either that he was unable to protect his subjects, or that he had no real regard to their lives or safety, whether in their individual or collective capacity. 2. Neither could we make atonement by any sufferings short oi the full punishment of sin. Because the very idea of atone- ment is something done, which to the purpose of supporting the authority of the law, the dignity and consistency of divine gov- ernment and conduct, is fully equivalent to the curse of the law, and on the ground of which, the sinner may be saved from that curse. But no sufferings endured by the sinner himself, short of the curse of the law, can be to these purposes equivalent to that curse ; any more than a less number or quantity can be equal to a greater. Indeed a less degree or duration of suffering endured by Christ the Son of God, may, on account of the in- finite dignity and glory of his person, be an equivalent to the curse of the law endured by the sinner ; as it would be a far more striking demonstration of a king's displeasure, to inflict, in an ignominious manner, on the body of his own son, forty stripes save one ; than to punish some obscure subject with death. But when the person is the same, it is absurd to suppose that a less degree or duration of pain can be equal to a greater, or can equally strike terror into the minds of spectators, and make them fear and no more do any such wickedness. Besides ; if a less degree or duration of punishment, inflicted on the sinner, would answer all the purposes of supporting the authority of the divine law, etc. equally as that punishment which is threatened in the law ; it follows that the punishment which is threatened in the law is too great, is unjust, is cruel and oppres- sive ; which cannot be as long as God is a just being. Thus it clearly appears, that we could never have atoned for our own sins. If therefore atonement be made at all, it must be made by some other person ; and since as we before argued, Christ the son of God hath been appointed to this work, we may be sure, that it could be done by no other person of inferior dig- nity. It may be inquired of those who deny the necessity of the atonement of Christ, whether the mission, work and death of 20 SERMONS ON THE ATONEMENT. Christ were at all necessary in order to the salvation of sinners. If they grant that they were necessary, as they exhibit the strong- est motives to repentance ; I ask farther, could not God by any revelation or motives otherwise, whether externally or internally, exhibited, lead sinners to repentance ? We find he did in fact, without the mission, work and death of Christ, lead the saints of the Old Testament to repentance. And doubtless in the same way, he might have produced the same effect, on men of modern times. Why then doth the Scripture say, " Other foundation can no man lay, than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ ;" and, " neither is there salvation in any other ?" If it be said that these texts are true, as God hath seen fit to adopt and establish this mode of salvation ; it occurs at once, that then it may with equal truth be said, concerning those who were converted by the preaching of Paul ; other foundation could no man lay, for their salvation, than the apostle Paul. In this sense too every event which ever takes place, is equally necessary as the mission and death of Christ ; and it was in no other sense necessary, that Christ should be sent and die, than that a sparrow should fall, or not fall, to the ground. In short to say, that the mission and death of Christ were necessary, because God had made this con- stitution, is to resolve all into the sovereignty of God, and to con- fess that no reason of Christ's mission and death is assignable. Besides, if the mission, death and resurrection of Christ, and the knowledge of them, be, by divine constitution, made neces- sary to the salvation of sinners ; this will seem to be wholly in- consistent with the fundamental principle of the system of those who deny the atonement of Christ ; I mean the principle, that it is not reconcilable with the perfections of God, to refuse a par- don to any who repent. If bare repentance and reformation, be the ground of pardon, doubtless all who repent, though ever so ignorant of Christ, his death and resurrection, and of the motives to repentance therein exhibited, are entitled to pardon ; and if so, in what sense will the Socinians say, the mission and death of Christ are necessary to pardon ? Not surely as purchasing salvation for even those who are ignorant of them ; — this is ab- horrent to their whole system. Not as exhibiting the strongest motives to repentance ; because in the case now supposed, these motives are perfectly unknown. And they will not say, it is im- possible for any to repent who are ignorant of Christ.* * " It is certainlj' the doctrine of reason, as well as of the Old Testa- ment, that God is merciful to the penitent, and nothing is requisite to make men, in all situatioiis, the objects of his favor, but such moral conduct as he has made them capable of." — Priestly' s Corruptions of Christianity, Vol. I. p. 27a SERMONS ON THE ATONEMENT. 21 Again, how is it more consistent with the divine perfections, to confine pardon and salvation to the narrow Umits of those who know and are influenced by tlie motives to repentance, imphed in the death and resurrection of Christ ; than to the Umits of those who repent and depend on the atonement of Christ ? It may be further inquired of those gentlemen mentioned above, whether the pardon of the penitent, be according to the divine law, or according to the gospel. If it be a constitution of the law, that every penitent be pardoned, what then is the gospel 7 And wherein does the grace of the latter, exceed that of the former ? Besides, is it not strange, to suppose that bare law knows anything of repentance and of the promise o( pardon on repentance ? Surely such a law must be a very gracious law ; and a very gracious lata and a very gracious gospel seem to be very nearly one and the same thing. It has been commonly un- derstood that the divine law is the rule of justice. If so, and it be a provision of the law, that every penitent be acquitted from punishment ; then surely there is no grace at all in the acquittal of the penitent, as the gentlemen to whom I now refer pretend, there is none on the supposition of the satisfaction of Christ. Again ; if the law secure impunity to all penitents, then all the terror or punishment which the law threatens, is either repentance itself, or that wise and wholesome discipline which is necessary to lead to repentance ; these are the true and utmost curse of the law. But neither of these is any curse at all ; they are at least among the greatest blessings which can be bestowed on those who need them. But if it be granted that the bare law of God does not secure pardon to the penitent, but admits of his punish- ment, it will follow that the punishment of the penitent would be nothing opposed to justice. Surely God hath not made an un- just law. It also follows, that to punish the penitent would be not at all inconsistent with the divine perfections ; unless God hath made a law, which cannot with respect to the penitent, or a certain part of his subjects, be executed consistently with his own perfections. And if the punishment of the penitent, pro- vided no atonement had been made, would not be inconsistent with justice, or with the perfections of God, who will say, that the pardon of the penitent, on the sole footing of an atonement, is inconsistent with either ? If neither strict justice, nor the divine law founded on justice, nor the divine perfections, without an atonement, secure pardon to all who repent, what will become of the boasted argument of the Socinians, against the atonement, that God will certainly par- don and save, and that it is absurd and impious to suppose, that Vol. II. 3 22 SERMONS ON THE ATONEMENT. he will not pardon and save, all who repent ? Are the Socinians themselves certain, that God will not do that which eternal jus- tice, his own law, and his own perfections allow him to do ? The dilemma is this : eternal justice either requires that every penitent be pardoned in consequence of his repentance merely, or it does not. If it do require this,* it follows, that pardon is an act of justice and not of grace; therefore let the Socinians be forever silent on this head. It also follows, that repentance answers, satisfies, fulfils, the divine law, so that, in consequence of it, the law has no further demand on the sinner. It is there- fore either the complete righteousness of the law, or the complete curse of it ; for cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law to do them. It also follows, that sin is no moral evil. Doubtless that which deserves no pun- ishment, or token of the divine displeasure, is no moral evil. But the utmost that justice, on this hypothesis, requires of the sinner, is repentance, which is no token of the divine displeasure, but an inestimable blessing. It also follows, that as eternal jus- tice is no other than the eternal law of God, grace and truth, life and immortality came and were brought to light by Moses, since the law came by him ; that the law contains exceeding great and precious promises, which promises, however, exceed- ing great and precious as they are, are no more than assurances, that we shall not be injured. It follows in the last place that justice and grace, law and gospel, are perfectly synonymous terms. Or if the other part of the dilemma be taken, that eternal jus- tice does not require, that every penitent be pardoned ; who knows but that God may see fit, to suffer justice, in some in- stances, to take place ? Who will say that the other divine per- fections are utterly inconsistent with justice ? or that wisdom, goodness and justice cannot coexist in the same character ? or that the lawf of God is such that it cannot consistently with the divine character, be executed in any case with respect to the peni- tent, or with others any further than is needful to produce re- * If the penitent may not be punished, then the impenitent may not be, any further than to lead them to repentance, which is no punisliment but a blessing. But it is granted, on the present supposition that the law does admit of punishment which is not disciplinary and conducive to the good of the subject. f That law in which Paul delighted after the inward man ; which he declares to be holy, and just, and good ; to be glorious too, nay, in the ab- stract, glory, (Rom. vii. and 2 Cor. iii.) and which David pronounces to be -perfect, and more desirable than gold, yea, than much fine gold ; sweeter also than honey and the honey comb, Ps. xix. SERMONS ON THE ATONEMENT. 23 pentance, which is indeed no execution of it at all.* These would be bold assertions indeed ; let him who avows them, at the same time prove them. Indeed, he must either prove these as- sertions, or own that justice requires the pardon of every penitent, and abide the consequences ; or renounce the doctrine that the divine perfections require that every penitent be pardoned, with- out an atonement.f SERMON II Ephesians 1 : 7. — In tchom, we have redemption through his blood, the forgive' ness of sins, according to the riches of his grace. Having in the preceding discourse, given an answer to the two inquiries proposed concerning the necessity and the ground of the necessity of the atonement of Christ, I proceed to the third, which is, III. Are we, notwithstanding the redemption of Christ, for- given freely by grace 1 That we should be forgiven wholly through the redemption of Christ, and yet by free grace, hath, as I observed, appeared to many, an inconsistency, or a perplexing difficulty. In discours- ing on this question, I shall, 1. Mention several attempts which have been made to solve this difficulty. 2. I shall suggest some considerations which may possibly lead to the true solution. 1. I am to mention several modes, in which attempts have been made, to solve this difficulty. (1) Some allow that there is no exercise of grace in the bare pardon% or justification of the sinner ; that all the grace of the gospel consists in the gift of Christ ; in providing an atonement ; * The law knows nothing of penitence. Mere disciplinary punishment is no execution of law. The present supposition is, that the law does ad- mit of vindictive punishment. t " Arguments drawn from such considerations as those of the moral government of God, the nature of things, and the general plan of revela- tion, will not be put off to a future time. The whole compass and force of them is within our reach, and if the mind be imbiassed, they must, I think, determine our assent." — Con-uptions of Christianity, Vol. I. p. 278. \ Tlie^impropriety of expression, in speaking of pardon without grace, would neet^an apology, wei-e it not common in treatises on this subject. No more is^intended, than that^the sinner is acquitted or released, without grace. 24 SERMONS ON THE ATONEMENT. in the undertaking of Christ to make atonement, and in the actual making of it. And as the pardon of the sinner is founded on those gracious actions ; so that, in a more lax sense, is also said to be an act of grace. As to this account of the matter, I have to observe, that it is rather yielding to the objection, than answer- ing it. It is allowed, in this state of the matter, that the j)ardon of the sinner is properly no act of grace. But this seems not to be reconcilable with the plain declarations of scripture ; as in our text : In whom we have redemption through his blood, the for- giveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace. Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ, Rom. 3: 24. These and such like passages seem plainly to import, that pardon itself is an act of grace, and not merely that it is founded on other acts, which are acts of grace. Besides the very idea of pardon or forgiveness implies grace. So far only is any crime pardoned, as it is pardoned graciously. To pardon a crime on the footing of justice, in the proper sense of the wox6. justice, is a direct contradiction. Again ; it is not proper to say, that the pardon of the sinner is an act of grace, merely because it is founded on the gracious gift of Christ, and his gracious act in making atonement. It is not proper to say, that any act is an act of grace, merely because it is founded on another act, which is really an act of grace. As well we may say, that if a creditor, by a third person, furnish his debtor with money sufficient to discharge his debt, when the debtor has in this way, by a third person, paid the full debt, it is an act of grace in the creditor to give up the obligation. Whereas, who does not see that the furnishing of the money, and the giv- ing up of the obligation, are two distinct acts ; and however the former is indeed an act of grace ; yet the latter is no more an act of grace, than if the money had been paid to some other creditor, and he had given up an obligation for the same sum. If it be an act of grace in the creditor, to deliver up an obligation, for which he hath received the full sum, because the money paid was originally furnished by himself, then it would be consistent with justice in the creditor, to retain the obligation, after he has received the full sum for which it was given ; or to reject the money, and cast the creditor into prison, though he tenders pay- ment. But neither of these, I presume, will be pretended to be just. (2) Some have attempted to relieve the difficulty now under consideration, in this manner: They say. The pardon of the sin- ner is no act of grace to Christ, because he has paid the debt for the sinner ; but that it is an act of grace to the sinner, because SERMONS ON THE ATONEMENT. 25 the debt was paid, not by the sinner himself, but by Christ. Nor was Christ so much as delegated by the sinner to pay his debt. Concerning this I observe, in the Ji7'st place, That if the atone- ment of Christ be considered as the payment of a debt, the release of the sinner seems not to be an act of grace, although the pay- ment be made by Christ, and not by the sinner personally. Sup- pose any one of you, my auditors, owes a certain sum ; and he goes and pays the full sum himself personally. Doubtless all will agree, that the creditor, in this case, when he gives up the obli- gation, performs a mere act of justice, in which there is no grace at all. But in what respect would there have been more grace in giving up the obligation, if the money had been sent by a ser- vant, by a friend, or by any third person ? Here I am sensible an objection will arise to this effect : But we did not send the payment of our debt to God, by the hand of Christ as our friend ; we did not delegate him to make atonement for us ; he was gra- ciously appointed and given by God. To this I answer. That this objection places the whole grace of the gospel in providing the Savior, not in the pardon of sin. Besides, if by delegating Christ, be meant such a sincere consent and earnest desire, that Christ should make atonement for us, as a man may have, that his friend should discharge a debt in his behalf; without doubt every true christian, in this sense, delegates Christ to make atone- ment for his sins. Did not Abraham and all the saints who lived before the incarnation of Christ, and who were informed that atonement was to be made for them by Christ, sincerely consent to it, and earnestly desire it ? And though now Christ has actu- ally made atonement, yet every one who walks in the steps of the faith of Abraham, is the subject of the like sincere consent to the office and work of Christ, and the like earnest desire, that by his atonement, a reconciliation may be effected between God and himself. So that if Christ have, in the proper sense of the words, paid the debt for his people, his people do as truly send him to make this payment, as a man ever sends his friend to make pay- ment to his creditor, provided still, that the friend furnishes the money to be paid. Nor is anything wanting to make any man, or all men, in this sense, delegate Christ to make atonement for them, but the gift of repentance or a new heart. And if God had not prevented them by previously appointing Christ to the work of redemption, all mankind being brought to repentance, and being informed that Christ, on their consent and delegation, would make atonement for their sins, would freely have given their consent, and delega- ted him to the work. 3* 26 SERMONS ON THE ATONEMENT. But what if the people of Christ did not, in any sense, delegate him to this work ; would this cause the payment of their debt by Christ, to be at all more consistent with free grace in their dis- charge ? Suppose a man without any delegation, consent, or knowledge of his friend, pays the full demand of his creditor, it is manifest, that the creditor is obliged in justice to discharge the debtor, equally as if the agent had acted by delegation from the debtor. Or if we had in every sense delegated and commissioned Christ, still our pardon would be an act of grace, as still we should be treated more favorably than our personal characters deserve. Now to apply the whole of this to the subject before us : If Christ have, in the proper sense of the words, paid the debt which we owed to God, whether by a delegation from us or not ; there can be no more grace in our discharge, than if we had paid it our- selves. . But the fact is, that Christ has not, in the literal and proper sense, paid the debt for us. It is indeed true, that our deliverance is called a redemption, which refers to the deliverance of a priso- ner out of captivity, commonly effected by paying a certain sum as the price of his liberty. In the same strain, Christ is said to give himself a ransom for many, and christians are said to be bought with a price, etc. all which scripture expressions bring into view the payment of money, or the discharge of a debt. But it is to be remembered, that these are metaphorical expres- sions, and therefore not literally and exactly true. We had not deprived God of his property ; we had not robbed the treasury of heaven. God was possessed of as much property after the fall as before ; the universe and the fulness thereof still remained his. Therefore when Christ made satisfaction for us, he refunded no property. As none had been taken away, none needed to be re- funded. But we had rebelled against God, we had practically despised his law and authority, and it was necessary, that his au- thority should be supported, and that it should be made to appear, that sin shall not go without proper tokens of divine displeasure and abhorrence ; that God will maintain his law ; that his author- ity and government shall not be suffered to fall into contempt ; and that God is a friend to virtue and holiness, and an irreconci- lable enemy to transgression, sin and vice. These things were necessary to be made manifest, and the clear manifestation of these things, if we will use the term, was the debt which was due to God. This manifestation was made in the sufferings and death of Christ. But Christ did not, in the literal sense, pay the debt we owed to God ; if he had paid it, all grace would have been excluded from the pardon of the sinner. Therefore, SERMONS ON THE ATONEMENT. 2? (3) Others, seeing clearly that these solutions of the difficulty are not satisfactory, have said, that the atonement of Christ con- , sisted, not in the payment of a debt, but in the vindication of . the divine law and character ; that Christ made this vindication, by practically declaring the justice of the law, in his active obe- dience, and by submitting to the penalty of it, in his death ; that as what Christ did and suffered in the flesh, was a declaration of the rectitude of the divine law and character, so it was a declara- tion of the evil of sin ; and the greater the evil of sin appears to be, the greater the grace of pardon appears to be. Therefore the atonement of Christ is so far from diminishing the grace of par- don, that it magnifies it. The sum of this is, that since the atone- ment consists, not in the payment of a debt, but in the vindica- tion of the divine law and character ; therefore it is not at all op- posed to free grace in pardon. Concerning this stating of the matter, I beg leave to observe ; that if by a vindication of the divine law and character, be meant, proof given that the law of God is just, and that the di- vine character is good and irreproachable ; I can by no means suppose, that the atonement consisted in a vindication of the law and character of God. The law is no more proved to be just, and the character of God is no more proved to be good, by the perfect obedience and death of Christ, than the same things are proved by the perfect obedience of the angels, and by the tor- ments of the damned. But I shall have occasion to enlarge on this point by and by. Again ; if by vindication of the divine law and character, be meant, proof given that God is determined to support the author- ity of his law, and that he will not suffer it to fall into contempt ; that he will also support his own dignity, will act a consistent part in legislation and in the execution of his law, and will not be disobeyed with impunity, or without proper satisfaction ; I grant, that by Christ the divine law and character are vindica- ted ; so that God can now consistently with his own honor, and the authority of his law, forgive the sinner. But how does this make it appear that there is any grace in the pardon of the sin- ner, when Christ as his substitute, hath made full atonement for him, by vindicating the law and character of God ? What if the sinner himself, instead of Christ, had by obedience and suffer- ing, vindicated the law and character of God ; and in consequence had been released from further punishment ? Would his release in this case, have been by grace, or by justice 1 Doubtless by the latter and not by the former ; for " to him that worketh, is the reward reckoned, not of grace, but of debt," Rom. 4: 4. h:^*^- 'j*.' 28 SERMONS ON THE ATONEMENT. Therefore why is it not equally an act of justice, to release the sinner, in consequence of the same vindication made by Christ 1 Payment of debt equally precludes grace, when made by a third person, as when made by the debtor himself. And since the vindication of the divine law and character, made by the sinner himself, precludes grace from the release of the sinner ; why does not the same vindication as effectually preclude it when made by a third person ? Those authors who give us this solution of the difficulty under consideration, seem to suppose that it is a sufficient solution to say that the atonement consists, not in the payment of debt, but in the vindication of the divine law and character ; and what they say, seems to imply, that however or by whomsoever, that vindi- cation be made, whether by the sinner himself, or any other per- son, it is not at all opposed to the exercise of grace in the release of the sinner. Whereas it appears by the text just now quoted and by many others, that if that vindication were made by the sinner himself, it would shut out all grace from his release. And I presume this will be granted by those authors themselves, on a little reflection. To say otherwise, is to say, that though a sinner should endure the curse of the law, yet there would be grace in his subsequent release. It seems then that the grace of pardon depends, not barely on this, that the atonement consists in a vin- dication of the law and character of God ; but upon this partic- ular circumstance attending the vindication, that it be made by a third person. And if this circumstance will leave room for grace in the release of the sinner, why is there not as much grace in the release of the sinner, though the atonement of Christ be a payment of the sinner's debt ; since the payment is attended with the same important and decisive circumstance, that it is made by a third person ? Objection. But we could not vindicate the law and character of God ; therefore it is absurd to make the supposition, and to draw consequences from the supposition, that we had made such a vindication. Answer. It is no more absurd to make this sup- position, than it is to make the supposition, tiiat we had paid the debt to divine justice ; for we could no more do this than we could make the vindication in question. And if it follows from this circumstance, that we neither have vindicated nor could vin- dicate the divine character, that our release from condemnation is an act of grace ; why does it not also follow from the circum- stance, that we neither have paid nor could pay the debt to di- vine justice, that our release is an act of grace, even on the sup- position, that Christ has in the literal sense paid the debt for us ? SERMONS ON THE ATONEMENT. 29 Thus, not any of these modes of solving this grand difficulty, appears to be satisfactory. Even this last, which seemed to bid the fairest to afford satisfaction, fails. Therefore, 2. I shall suggest some considerations, which may possibly lead to the true solution. Tiie question before us, is, whether pardon tiirough the atonement of Christ be an act of justice or of grace. In order to a proper answer to this question, it is of pri- mary importance, that we have clear and determinate ideas affixed to the -words justice and grace. I find the word justice to be used in three distinct senses ; sometimes it means commutative justice, sometimes distributive justice, and sometimes what may be called general or public justice. Commutative justice respects property and matters of com- merce solely, and secures to every man his own property. To treat a man justly in this sense, is not to deprive him of his pro- perty, and whenever it falls into our hands, to restore it duly, or to make due payment of debts. In one word, commutative jus- tice is to violate no man's property. Distributive justice consists in properly rewarding virtue or good conduct, and punishing crimes or vicious conduct ; and it has respect to a man's personal moral character or conduct. To treat a man justly in this sense, is to treat him according to his personal character or conduct. Commutative justice in the recov- ery of debts, has no respect at all to the character or conduct of the debtor, but merely to the property of the creditor. Distribu- tive justice in the punishment of crimes, has no respect at all to the property of the criminal ; but merely to his personal conduct ; unless his property may, in some instances, enhance his crimes. General or public justice comprehends all moral goodness ; and though the word is often used in this sense, it is really an improper use of it. In this sense, whatever is right, is said to be just, or an act of justice ; and whatever is wrong or impro- per to be done, is said to be unjust, or an act of injustice. To practise justice in this sense, is to practise agreeably to the dic- tates of general benevolence, or to seek the glory of God and the good of the universe. And whenever the glory of God is neg- lected, it may be said, that God is injured or deprived of his right. Whenever the general good is neglected or impeded, the universe may be said to suffer an injury. For instance ; if Paul were now to be cast down from heaven, to suffisr the pains of hell, it would be wrong, as it would be inconsistent with God's cove- nant faithfulness, with the designed exhibition of his glorious grace, and with the good of the universe. In this sense, it would 30 SERMONS ON THE ATONEMENT. not be just. Yet in the sense of distributive justice, such a treatment of Paul would be perfectly just, as it would be no more than correspondent to his personal demerits. The term grace, comes now to be explained. Grace is ever so opposed to justice, that they mutually limit each other. Wherever grace begins, justice ends ; and wherever justice be- gins, grace ends. Grace as opposed to commutative justice is gratuitously to relinquish property or to forgive a man his debt. And commutative injustice is to demand more of a man, than the property of the claimant. Grace as opposed to justice in the distributive sense, is to treat a man more favorably or mild- ly, than is correspondent to his personal character or conduct. To treat him unjustly is to use him with greater severity, than is correspondent to his personal character. It is to be remem- bered, that in personal character I include punishment endured, as well as actions performed. When a man has broken any law, and has afterwards suffered the penalty of that law ; as he has, by the transgression, treated the law with contempt, so by suf- fering the penalty, he has supported the authority of it ; and the latter makes a part of his personal character, as he stands related to that law, as really as the former. With regard to the third kind of justice, as this is improperly called justice, as it comprehends all moral goodness, it is not at all opposed to grace ; but comprehends that, as well as every other virtue, as truth, faithfulness, meekness, forgiveness, pa- tience, prudence, temperance, fortitude, etc. All these are right and fit, and the contrary tempers or practices are wrong and injurious to God and the system ; and therefore in this sense of justice are unjust. And even grace itself, which is favor to the ill-deserving, so far as it is wise and proper to be exercised, makes but a part of this kind of justice. We proceed now to apply these explanations to the solution of the difficulty under consideration. The question is this : Is the pardon of the sinner through the atonement of Christ, an act of justice or of grace ? To which I answer, that with respect to commutative ']\is,\\ce, it is neither an act of justice nor of grace. Because commutative justice is not concerned in the affair. We neither owed money to the Deity, nor did Christ pay any on our behalf. His atonement is not a payment of our debt. If it had been, our discharge would have been an act of mere justice, and not of grace. To make the sinner also pay the debt, which had been already paid by Christ, would be manifestly inju- rious, oppressive, and beyond the bounds of commutative justice, the rule of which is, that every man retain and recover his own SERMONS ON THE ATONEMENT. 31 property, and that only. But a debt being paid, by whomsoever it be paid, the creditor has recovered his property, and therefore has a right to nothing further. If he extort, or attempt to extort, anything further, he proceeds beyond his right and is guilty of injustice. So that if Christ had paid the debt for the belie v^er, he would be discharged, not on the footing of grace, but of strict justiqe. With respect to distributive justice the discharge of the sin- ner is wholly an act of grace. This kind of justice has respect solely to the personal character and conduct of its object. And then is a man treated justly, when he is treated according to his personal moral character. If he be treated more favorably than is correspondent to his personal character, he is the object of grace. I say personal character ; for distributive justice has no respect to the character of a third person, or to anything which may be done or suffered by another person, than by him, who is the object of this justice, or who is on trial, to be reward- ed or punished. And with regard to the case now before us, what if Christ has made atonement for sin ? This atonement con- stitutes no part of the personal character of the sinner ; but his personal character is essentially the same, as it would have been, if Christ had made no atonement. As the sinner, in pardon, is treated, not only more favorably, but infinitely more favorably, than is correspondent to his personal character, his pardon is wholly an act of infinite grace. If it were, in the sense of dis- tributive justice, an act of justice, he would be injured, if a par- don were refused him. But as the case is, he would not be in- jured, though a pardon were refused him ; because he would not be treated more unfavorably than is correspondent to his personal character. Therefore, though it be true, that if a third person pay a debt, there would be no grace exercised by the creditor, in discharg- ing the debtor, yet when a third person atones for a crime, by suffering in the stead of a criminal, there is an entire grace in the discharge of the criminal, and distributive justice still allows him to be punished in his own person. The reason is, what I have mentioned already, that justice in punishing crimes, respects the personal character only of the criminal ; but in the payment of debts, it respects the recovery of property only. In the form- er case, it admits of any treatment which is according to his per- sonal character ; in the latter it admits of nothing beyond the re- covery of property. So that though Christ has made complete atonement for the sins of all his disciples, and they are justified wholly through his 32 SERMONS ON THE ATONEMENT. redemption ; yet they are justified wholly by grace. Because they personally have not made atonement for their sins, or suf- fered the curse of the law. Therefore they have no claim to a discharge on account of their own personal conduct and suffering. And if it is objected, that neither is a debtor discharged on ac- count of anything which he hath done personally, when he is discharged on the payment of his debt by a third person ; yet justice does not admit, that the creditor recover the debt again from the debtor himself ; why then does it admit, that a magis- trate inflict the punishment of a crime on the criminal himself, when atonement has been made by a substitute ? The answer is, that justice in the these two cases, is very different, and respects very different objects. In criminal causes, it respects the per- sonal conduct or character of the criminal, and admits of any treatment which is correspondent to that conduct. In civil causes, or matters of debt, it respects the restitution of property only, and this being made, it admits of no further demand. In the third sense of justice before explained, according to which anything is just, which is right and best to be done ; the pardon of the sinner is entirely an act oi justice. It is undoubt- edly most conducive to the divine glory, and general good of the created system, that every believer should be pardoned, and therefore, in the present sense of the word, it is an act of justice. The pardon of the sinner is equally an act of justice, if, as some suppose, he be pardoned not on account of the death of Christ, considered as an equivalent to the curse of the law de- nounced against the sinner ; but merely on account of the posi- tive obedience of Christ. If this be the mode and the condition of pardon established by God, doubtless pardon granted in this mode and on this condition, is most conducive to the divine glo- ry and the general good. Therefore it is, in the sense of justice now under consideration, an act of justice ; insomuch that if pardon were not granted in this mode, the divine glory would be tarnished, and the general good diminished, or the universe would suffer an injury. The same would be true, if God had in fact granted pardon, without any atonement, whether by suffering or obedience. We might have argued from that fact, that infinite wisdom saw it to be most conducive to the divine glory and the general good, to pardon without an atonement ; and of course that if pardon had not been granted in this way, both the divine glory and general good, would have been diminished, and injus- tice would have been done to the universe. In the same sense the gift of Christ, to be our savior, his undertaking to save us, and every other gift of God to his creatures, are acts of justice. SERMONS ON THE ATONEMENT. 33 But it must be remembered, that this is an improper sense of the word justice, and is not at all opposed to grace, but implies it. For all those divine acts and gifts just mentioned, though in this sense they are acts of justice, yet are at the same time, acts of pu7'e grace. In this sense of justice, the word seems to be used by the apostle Paul, Rom. 3: 26, " To declare his righteousness, (or justice,) that he might he just and the justifier of him which be- lieveth in Jesus." That God might be just to himself and to the universe. Again in Psalm 85: 10, " Mercy and truth are met together, righteousness and peace have kissed each other." Righteousness, in the distributive sense, hath not kissed peace with respect to the sinner ; so far as it speaks anything, it calls for his punishment. But the public good, and the divine glory admit of peace with the sinner. In the same sense the word occurs in the version of the Psalms in common use among us, where it is said "justice is pleased and peace is given." Again in the catechism of the assembly of divines, where they say, " Christ offered up himself a sacrifice to satisfy diwme justice." Thus it appears, that the pardon of the sinner, in reference to distributive justice, which is the only proper sense of the word, with respect to this matter, is entirely an act of grace, and that, although he is pardoned wholly through the redemption of Jesus Christ. It is in the same sense an act of grace, as the gift of Christ, or any other most gracious act of God. Though the sinner is par- doned wholly through the redemption of Christ, yet his pardon is an act of pure grace, because in it he is treated inconceivably more favorably than is correspondent to his personal character. The pardon of the sinner, on this plan of the redemption or the atonement of Christ, is as entirely an act of grace, as if it had been granted on an atonement made, not by the sufferings of Christ, but merely by his active obedience. For if we suppose, that the atonement of Christ consists wholly in the obedience of Christ, not in his sufferings, in what sense would the pardon of the sinner be an act of grace, in which it is not an act of grace on the hypothesis concerning the atonement which hath been now stated ? Pardon is no more procured by the payment of the sinner's debt, in the one case, than in the other. If it be said that Christ's suffering the curse of the law is the payment of the debt ; I answer, this is no more a payment of the debt, than the obedience of Christ. If it be said that Christ's obedience only honors and magnifies the law ; I answer, No more is done by the sufferings of Chiist. It is true, that if the sinner be pardoned Vol. II. 4 34 SERMONS ON THE ATONEMENT. on account of Christ's obedience, he is treated more favorably than is correspondent to his personal character. But the same is true, if he be pardoned on account of Christ's sufferings. If it be said, that in the one case, Christ suffers, as the substitute of the sinner ; I answer, in the other case he obeys as the substi- tute of the sinner. In the one case, Christ has by his suffer- ings made it consistent with the general good, to pardon the sinner ; in the other case, he has made the same thing consistent with the general good, by his obedience. And if this circum- stance, that the pardon of the sinner is consistent with the gene- ral good, abolishes grace from his pardon in the one case, the same circumstance is productive of the same effect, in the other. The truth is, that in both cases, the whole grace of pardon con- sists in this, and this only, that the sinner is treated infinitely more favorably, than is correspondent to his personal character. Again ; according to this scheme of the atonement, the pardon of the sinner, is as wholly an act of grace, as if he had been par- doned without any atonement at all. If the sinner had been pardoned without any atonement, he would have been treated more favorably than is correspondent to his own character ; and so he is, when pardoned through the atonement of Christ. In the former case, he would be pardoned, without a payment of his debt ; so he is in the latter. If the measures taken by God, to secure the public good, those measures consisting neither in any personal doing or suffering of the sinner, nor in the payment of debt, be inconsistent with grace in the pardon of the sinner, in the one case ; doubtless whatever measures are taken by God, to secure the public good in the other case, are equally inconsistent with grace in pardon. And no man will pretend, that if God do pardon the sinner without an atonement, he will pardon him in a way which is inconsistent with the public good. In this view of the objection, either the bare circumstance that the pardon of the sinner is consistent with the public good, is that which abolishes the grace of pardon ; or it is the particular mode, in which the consistence of pardon and the public good, is brought about. If the bare circumstance of the consistence of pardon and the pub- lic good, be that which abolishes the grace of pardon ; then it seems, that in order that any pardon may be gracious, it must be inconsistent with the public good ; and therefore the pardon of the sinner without any atonement, being by the concession of the objector a gracious act, is inconsistent with the general good of the universe, and with the glory and perfections of God, and therefore can never be granted by God, as long as he is possessed of infinite perfection and goodness, whereby he is necessarily dispo- sed to seek the good of the universal system, or of his own kingdom. SERMONS ON THE ATONEMENT. 35 Or if it be said, that it is the particular mode, in which the consistence between pardon and the public good is brought about, which aboHshes the grace of pardon ; in this case it is incumbent on the objector, to point out what there is in the mode, which is opposed to grace in pardon. He cannot pretend, that in this mode, the debt of the sinner is paid, or that in repentance the sinner's personal character is so altered, that he now deserves no punishment. If this were the case, there would certainly be no grace in his pardon. It is no grace, and no pardon, not to pun- ish a man wlio deserves no punishment. If the objector were to hold, tiiat the personal character of the sinner is so altered by re- pentance, that he no longer deserves punishment, he would at once confute his own scheme of gracious pardon. Neither can it be pretended, by the advocates for pardon without atonement, that there is any grace in pardon, in any other view tiian this, that the sinner is treated more favorably, than is correspondent to his personal character. And pardon on such an atonement as Christ hath made, is, in the same view, an act of grace. So that if the true idea of grace, with respect to this subject be, a treatment of a sinner more favorable than is correspondent to his personal character ; the pardon of the sin- ner through the atonement of Christ, is an act oi pure grace. If this be not the true idea of grace, let a better be given, and I am willing to examine it ; and I presume that on the most thorough examination of the matter, it will be found, that there is as much grace in the pardon of the sinner, through the atonement of Christ, as without any atonement at all. Surely it will not be pleaded, that it is no act of grace to treat a sinner more favorably than is correspondent to his own personal character ; if such treatment be not more favorable than is correspondent to the personal chai- acter of some other man, or some other being ; and that it is no act of grace in a prince to pardon a criminal, from respect to the merits of the criminal's father ; or that if one nobleman had been the murderer of another, there would have been no grace exer- cised in the pardon of the former, from respect to the interces- sion of some powerful court. On every other hypothesis concerning the mode or condition of pardon, it must be allowed, that God dispenses pardon, from regard to some circumstance, or juncture of circumstances, which renders the pardon both consistent with the general good, and subservient to it ; and whatever this be, whether the death of Christ, or anything else, provided it be not the payment of money, and provided the personal character of the sinner be the same, it is equally consistent or inconsistent with grace in pardon. 36 SERMONS ON THE ATONEMENT. In short, the whole strength of this objection, in which the Sociiiians have so much triumphed, that complete atonement is inconsistent with grace in the pardon of the sinner, depends on the supposition, that the atonement of Christ consists in the lite- ral payment of a debt which we owed to God ; and this ground- less supposition being set aside, the objection itself appears equally groundless, and vanishes like dew before the sun. Whatever hypothesis we adopt concerning the pardon of the sinner, whether we suppose it to be granted on account of the death of Christ ; or on account of tiie obedience of Christ ; or absolutely without any atonement ; all will agree in this, that it is granted in such a way, or on such conditions only, as are consistent with the general good of the moral system, and from a regard to some event or circumstance, or junc- ture of circumstances, which causes pardon to be consistent with the general good. And that circumstance or juncture of circumstances, may as well be called the price of pardon, the ransom of the sinner, etc. as the death of Christ. And whereas it is objected, that if God grant a pardon from respect to the atonement of Christ, we are under no obligation to God for the grace of pardon ; I answer that whenever God grants a par- don, from respect to the circumstance or juncture of circum- stances before mentioned, it may as well be pleaded, that the sin- ner so pardoned, is under no obligations of gratitude to God, o?i account of his pardon ; for that it was granted from regard to the general good, or to that circumstance which rendered it con- sistent with the general good, and not from any gracious regard to Mm ; or that if he be under any obligation to God, it is to him as the author of that circumstance or juncture of circum- stances, which renders his pardon consistent with the general good, and not to him, as the dispenser of his pardon ; as it is ob- jected, that if, on the scheme of pardon through the atonement of Christ, we be under any obligation to God at all, it is merely on account of the provision of the atonement, and not on account of pardon itself. Perhaps some, unwilling to relinquish this objection, may say, Though it be true, that the pardon of the sinner, on account of the atonement of Christ, be a J'eal act of grace ; would it not have been an act of greater grace, to pardon absolutely, with- out an atonement ? This question is capable of a twofold con- struction. If the meaning be. Whether there would not have been more grace manifested towards the sinner, if his pardon had been granted without any atonement? I answer, by no means ; because to put the question in this sense, is the same as SERMONS ON THE ATONEMENT. 37 to ask, Whether the favor of pardon granted without an atone- ment, would not be greater in comparison with the sinner's per- sonal character, than it is when granted on account of the atone- ment of Christ, Or whether there would not have been a great- er distance between the good of pardon, and the demerit of the sinner's personal character, if his pardon had been granted without an atonement, than if it be granted on account of the atonement of Christ. But the good, the safety, the indemnity of pardon, or of deliverance from condemnation, is the very same, in whatever way it be granted, whether through an atonement or not, whether in a way of grace or in a way of debt, whether from a regard to the merits of Christ, or the merits of the sinner himself. Again, the personal character of the sinner is also the same, whether he be pardoned through an atonement or not. If his pardon be granted without an atonement, it makes not the demerit of his personal character and conduct the greater ; or if it be granted on account of the atonement of Christ, it makes not the demerit of his personal character the less. Therefore as the good of pardon is the same, in whatever way it be granted, and the personal character of the sinner pardoned is the same ; the distance between the good of pardon, and the demerit of the sinner's character is also the same, whether he be pardoned on account of the atonement of Christ, or absolutely, without any atonement. Of course the pardon of the sinner is not an act of greater grace to him personally, if granted without regard to any atonement, than if granted from regard to the atonement of Christ. But perhaps the meaning of the question stated above, is, Whether, if the sinner had been pardoned, without an atone- ment, it would not have exhibited greater grace, in the divine mind, or greater goodness in God ; and whether in this mode of pardon, greater good would not have accrued to the universe. The answer to this question, wholly depends on the necessity of an atonement, which I have endeavored briefly to show, in the preceding discourse. If an atonement be necessary to support the authority of the law and of the moral government of God, it is doubtless necessary to the public good of the moral system, or to the general good of the universe and to the divine glory. This being granted or established, the question just now stated, comes to this simply, whether it exhibits greater grace and goodness in the divine mind, and secures greater good to the universe, to par- don sin in such a mode, as is consistent with the general good of the universe ; or in such a mode as is inconsistent with that im- portant object ; — a question which no man, from regard to his own reputation, would choose to propose. 4* 38 SERMONS ON THE ATONEMENT. SERMON III. Ephesians 1 : 7. — In whotn tve have redemption through his blood, the forgive- ness of sins, according to the riches of his grace. Having in the preceding discourses, considered the particulars at first proposed, which were, That we can obtain forgiveness, in no otlier way, than through the redemption of Clirist — the reason or ground of this mode of forgiveness — and the consistency be- tween the complete atonement of Christ, and free grace in for- giveness ; the way is prepared for the following inferences and reflections. 1. If the atonement of Christ be a substitute for the punish- ment of the sinner according to the divine law, and be designed to support the authority of that law, equally as the punishment of hell ; then we may infer, that the atonement of Christ does not consist in showing, that the divine law is just. With regard to this, I venture to assert two things : That the obedience and death of Christ do not prove, that the divine law is just. That if they did prove this, still merely by that circumstance, they would make no atonement. (1) The obedience and death of Christ do not prove, that the divine law is a just law. The sufferings of Christ no more prove this, than the punishment of the damned proves it. The former are the substitute of the latter, and were designed for substance to prove and exhibit the same truths, and to answer the same ends. But who will say that the torments of the damned prove the justice of the divine law ? No more is this proved by the sufferings of Christ. If the justice of the divine law be called in question, the justice and moral perfection of God is of course equally called in question. This being the case, whatever he can do, whether by obedience or suffering, to testify the justice of the law, must be considered as the testimony of a party in his own cause ; and also as the testimony of a being whose integri- ty is as much disputed, as the justice of the law. It cannot therefore be received as proof in the case. The testimony of God, whether given in obedience or suffering, so long as his <;haracter is disputed, as it will be, so long as the justice of his law is disputed ; proves neither that the law is just, in I'eality, nor that it is so in his own estimation. A being of a disputed character may be supposed to testify, both contrary to reality, and contrary to his own knowledge. And as the character of SERMONS ON THE ATONEMENT. 89 the deity is disputed, by those who dispute the justice of the di- vine law ; so there is the same foundation to dispute the charac- ter and testimony of the Son of God. Therefore the obedience and death of Christ do not prove, that the divine law is just. (2) If the obedience and death of Christ did prove that the law is just ; still by this circumstance, they would make no atone- ment for sin. If it were a truth, that the obedience and death of Christ did prove the divine law to be just, and merely on that account made atonement, the ground of this truth would be, that whatever makes it manifest that the law is just, makes atone- ment. The essence of the atonement on this hypothesis, is placed in the manifestation of the justice of the divine law. Therefore this manifestation, however, or by whomsoever it be made, is an atonement. But as the law is really just, it was doubtless in the power of infinite wisdom to manifest the justice of it, to rational creatures, without either the obedience or the death of Christ, or of any other person. If it were not in the power of infinite wisdom to manifest the justice of the divine law, without the death of Christ ; then if Christ had not died, but all men had perished according to the law, it never would have ap- peared that the law is just. But bare attention to the law itself, to the reason, ground, and necessity of it, especially when this attention is excited, and the powers of the mind are aided, by even such a divine influence, as God does in fact sometimes give to men of the most depraved characters, is sufficient to con- vince of the justice of the law. But there can be no doubt that the sanctifying and savingly illuminating influences of the spirit of God, without the obedience and death of Christ, would con- vince any man of the justice of the law. We have no more rea- son to dispute this, than to dispute, whether the angels who kept their first estate, did believe the justice of the law, before they were informed of the incarnation and death of Christ. Accord- ing to this hypothesis therefore, all that was necessary to make atonement for mankind, was to communicate to them sanctifying grace, or to lead them to repentance ; and as to Christ, he is dead in vain. Besides ; if the obedience and death of Christ did ever so cred- ibly manifest the justice of the law, what atonement, what satis- faction for sin, would this make ? how would this support the authority of the law ? how would this make it appear, that the transgressor may expect the most awful consequences from his transgression ? or that transgression is infinitely abominable in the sight of God ? And how would the manifestation of the justice of the law, tend to restrain men from transgressing that law ? 40 SERMONS ON THE ATONEMENT. Whatever the effect of such manifestation might be on the minds of those innocent creatures, who have regard to justice or moral rectitude ; yet on the minds of those who are disposed to trans- gress, and have lost the proper sense of moral rectitude, the man- ifestation would have no effectual tendency to restrain them from transgression ; and therefore would in no degree answer the ends of the punishment threatened in the law, nor be any atonement for sin. Perhaps some may suppose, that what has now been asserted, that the death or atonement of Christ does not prove the justice of God and of his law, is inconsistent with what hath been re- peatedly suggested in the preceding discourses, that it is an end of the death or atonement of Christ, to manifest how hateful sin is to God. If the death of Christ manifest God's hatred of sin, it would seem that the same event must also manifest God's love of holiness and justice. In answer to this, I observe, that the death of Christ manifests God's hatred of sin and love of holiness, in the same sense as the damnation of the wicked manifests these, viz. on the supposition that the divine law is just and holy. If it be allowed that the divine law is just and holy, then everything done to support and execute that law, is a declaration in favor of ho- liness and against sin ; or a declaration of God's love of holiness and of his hatred of iniquity. Both the punishment of the dam- ned, and the death of Christ declare God's hatred of all trans- gressions of his law. And if that law be holy, to hate the trans- gressions of it, is to hate sin, and at the same time to love holi- ness. But if the law be not holy, no such consequence will fol- low ; it cannot, on that supposition, be inferred from the divine hatred of transgression, that God either hates sin, or loves holi- ness. 2. Again ; we may infer from the preceding doctrine, that the atonement of Christ does not consist essentially in his active or positive obedience. By atonement I mean that which, as a substitute for the punishment threatened in the law, supports the authority of that law, and the dignity of the divine government. But the obedience of Christ, even in the most trying circum- stances, without any tokens of the divine displeasure against the transgressors of the law, would never support the authority of the law, and the dignity of the divine government. It by no means makes it appear, that it is an evil and bitter thing to violate the law, and that the violation of it deserves, and may be expect- ed to be followed with most awful consequences to him, who dares to violate it. A familiar example may illustrate this matter. It is the rule or law of a certain family, that a particular child shall SERMONS ON THE ATONEMENT. 41 steadily attend the school kept in the neighborhood, and that if he absent himself for a day, without license, he shall feel the rod. However after some time the child being weary of observing this law, does absent himself, and spend the day in play. At night the father being informed of it, arraigns the child, finds him guilty, and prepares to inflict the punishment, which he had threatened. At this instant, the brother of the offending child intercedes, acknowledges the reasonableness of the law, which his brother hath transgressed, confesses that he deserves the pen- alty, but offers himself to make satisfaction for his brother's offence. Being interrogated by what means he expects to make satisfac- tion ; he answers. By going himself to school the next day. Now can any one suppose, that in this way the second child can make satisfaction for the offence of the first ? Or that if the father were to accept the proposal, he would find the authority of his law, and the government of his family supported with dignity ? Or that the offending child, or the other children of the family, would by this means be effectually deterred from future offences of the like nature ? And however trying the circumstances of going to school may be, if those circumstances be no token of the father's displeasure at the disobedient child's transgression ; still the going to school of the second child, w^ill not make the least satisfaction for the offence of the first.* ( ' ^ I venture to say further, That the atonement of Christ not only did not consist essentially in his active obedience, but that his active obedience was no part of his atonement properly so called, nor essential to it. The perfect obedience of Christ was doubt- less necessary to the due execution of his prophetical and kingly office ; in order to his intercession ; and also that the salvation of his disciples might be a reward of his obedience. But that it was necessary to support the authority of the divine law in the pardon of sinners, does not appear. If Christ himself could pos- sibly have been a sinner, and had first made satisfaction for his own sin ; it does not appear, but that afterward he might also sat- isfy for the sins of his people. If the pretender to the crown of Great Britain, should wage war against king George, in the course of the war should be taken, should be brought to trial, and be condemned to the block ; will any man say that the king of France, by becoming the substitute of the pretender, and suffering in his stead, could not make atonement for the pretender, so as effec- * Objection. The virtues of Christ's obedience to make atonement con- sists in this, that he undertook to obey in man's stead, when he was under no obligation so to do. Answer. Nor is the second child in the case stated above, under obligation to undertake to go to school for liis brother. ,, 42 SERMONS ON THE ATONEMENT. tually to support the authority of the British laws and government, and discourage all future groundless pretensions to the British crown ? Yet the king of France could plead no perfect obedience to the British laws. Even the sinner himself, but upon the sup- position of the infinite evil of sin, could by his own sufferings atone for his sins. Yet he could not exhibit a perfect obedience. Beside ; if the bare obedience of Christ have made atonement, why could not the repentance and perfect obedience of Christ's people themselves, have answered, instead of the obedience of Christ ? Doubtless if they had suffered the penalty of the divine law, it would have answered to support the authority of the law, and the vigor of the divine government, as really as" the death of Christ. And since the eternal sufferings of the people of Christ, would have answered the same end of supporting the authority of the law, as the sufferings of Christ ; why would not the eternal perfect repentance and obedience of the people of Christ, have answered the same end, as his obedience in their behalf? If it would, both the death and obedience of Christ as our substitute, are entirely in vain. If the elect had only been converted, and made perfectly and perseveringly obedient, it would have an- swered every purpose both of the death and obedience of Christ. Or if the obedience of Christ in the flesh were at all necessary, it was not necessary to support the authority of the law and gov- ernment of God ; but merely as it was most wise, that he should obey. It was necessary in the same sense only, as that the wind should, at this moment, blow from the north-east, and not from the south-west, or from any other quarter. If the mere active obedience of Christ could have made atone- ment for sin, it may be difficult to account for the punishment of any sinners. If obedience without any demonstration of divine displeasure at sin, will answer every purpose of the divine authori- ty and government, in some instances, why not in all instances? And if the obedience of sinners themselves will answer as really as that of Christ, why might not all men have been led by divine grace to repentance, and perfect subsequent obedience, and in that way been saved from the curse of the law ? Doubtless they might ; nor was there originally, nor is there now, without any consideration of the atonement of Christ, any other necessity of the punishment of any of mankind according to the law, than that which results from mere sovereign wisdom ; in which sense indeed it was necessary that Christ should be given to be the Sa- vior of sinners, that Paul should be saved, and that every other event should take place, just as it does take place.* * Nor could it be reconciled with justice, and so not with wisdom. If SERMONS ON THE ATONEMENT. 43 3. From our doctrine we also learn the great gain which ac- crues to the universe by the death of Christ. It hath been ob- jected to the idea of atonement now exhibited, that if the death of Christ be an equivalent to the curse of the law, which was to have been inflicted on all his people, then there is on the whole no gain, no advantage to the universe; that all that punishment from which christians are saved, hath been suifered by Christ, and therefore that there is just as much misery and no more hap- piness, than there would have been, had Christ not died. To this I answer: (1) That it is not true, that Christ endured an equal quantity of misery, to that which would have been endured by all his peo- ple, had they suffered the curse of the law. This was not neces- sary on account of the infinite dignity of his person. If a king were to condemn his son to lose an ear or a hand, it would doubt- less be esteemed by all his subjects, a proof of far greater displea- sure in the king, than if he should order some mean criminal to the gallows ; and it would tend more effectually to support the authority of the law, for the violation of which this punishment should be inflicted on the prince. (2) That if it were true, that Christ endured the very same quantity of misery, which was due to all his people ; still by his death an infinite gain accrues to the universe. For though the misery, on this supposition, is in both cases the same, and bal- ances itself; yet the positive happiness obtained by the death of Christ, infinitely exceeds that which was lost by Christ. As the eternal Logos was capable of neither enduring misery, nor losing happiness, all the happiness lost by the substitution of Christ, was barely that of the man Christ Jesus, during only thirty-three years ; or rather during the three last years of his life ; because it does not appear, but that during the rest of his life he was as hap- py as men in general, and enjoyed as much or more good, than he suffered evil. But the happiness gained by the substitution of Christ, is that of a great multitude, which no man can number, of all nations, kindreds, and people and tongues. Now if the happiness of one man for three years, or at most for thirty-three they, by perfect subsequent obedience had atoned for their sins, then to save them would be no more tlian to treat them according to their own characters ; and to insist on another mode of salvation, more expensive and complicated, cannot be reconciled with justice or wisdom. And punish- ment was not threatened in order to support the authority of the law, as that authority might as well have been supported by mere obedience ; and it might have been declared in the law, that if any should transgress they should be brought to perfect obedience and holiness ; and beyond this, no other threatening was necessary. 44 SERMONS ON THE ATONEMENT. years, be equal to that of an innumerable multitude throughout eternity, with the addition of the greater happiness, which Christ himself must enjoy now that he has brought so many sons to glory, beyond what he would have enjoyed, if all these had been plunged in inconceivable and endless misery ; then it may be justly said, on the present hypothesis, that by the substitution of Christ, no advantage is gained to the universe. But if the latter infinitely exceed the former, the gain to the universe, even on the supposition, that the sufferings of Christ were equal to those, to which all his people were exposed, is infinite. 4. I may also hence take occasion to oppose an opinion which appears to me erroneous ; which is. That the perfect obedience of Christ was in a great measure designed, to show us, that the divine law may be obeyed by men. It shows indeed, that it may be obeyed by a man in personal union with the divine na- ture. But how does this show, that it may be obeyed by a mere man ? If we should also allow, that it shows, that the law may be obeyed by a man born into the world in perfect innocence, and who is not a fallen creature ; yet how does this prove, that it may be obeyed by a fallen creature, dead in trespasses and sins ? It is an undoubted truth, that there is no inability in men to obey the law, except that which is of a moral nature, consisting in the disinclination or disaffection of their own hearts ; which does not in the least excuse them in their disobedience. But this is man- ifest by other considerations, than the perfect obedience of Christ ; if it were not, it would not be manifest at all. 5. Another remark which naturally offers itself in discoursing on this subject is, that Christ's obedience of the precepts of the law, without submitting to the curse, would by no means prove the justice of that curse. This is the idea of some : That God sent his Son into the world, to obey the precepts of the law, and that his mere obedience of these, proves the justice both of the precepts and of the penalty of the law. I have already given the reasons by which I am made to believe, that the obedience of Christ does not prove the precepts of the law to be just. But if it did prove the precepts to be just, it would not therefore prove the penalty too to be just. As tlie precept of any law may be just and reasonable, yet may be enforced by a penalty which is unjust and cruel ; so the proof that the precept is just, does not at all prove, but that the penalty may be unjust and cruel. In- deed as the penalty of any law is designed to support and enforce the precept of that law, so to prove the justice of the penalty, proves the justice of the precept ; because not the slightest pen- alty can be just, when applied to enforce an unjust precept. But SERMONS ON THE ATONEMENT. 45 this rule when inverted, doth not hold good. To prove the jus- tice of a precept, does by no means prove the justice of the pen- alty by which that precept is enforced. So that if Christ have proved the precepts of the divine law to be just, this by no means proves the justice of its penalty. On the other hand, if Christ came to prove the justice of the law, and all that he has done to this effect, have an immediate reference to the precepts only ; and if he have done notiiing to establish the justice of the penal part, considered by itself ; the aspect of the whole will be, that the penal part is unjustifiable, and that for this reason he did not pretend to justify it. 6. The subject which hath been under our consideration, also shows us, in what sense the sufferings of Christ were agreeable to God. It has been said, that it is incredible, that mei'e pain should be agreeable to a God of infinite goodness ; that there- fore the sufferings of Christ were agreeable to God only as a proof of the strength of the virtue of Christ, or of his disposition to obey the divine law. If by mere pain be meant pain abstracted from the obedience of Christ, I cannot see why it may not be agreeable to God. It certainly is, in the damned ; and for the same reason might have been, and doubtless was, in the case of our Lord. The father was pleased with the pains of his son, as they were necessary to support the authority of his law and gov- ernment, in the salvation of sinners. 7. Another reflection naturally suggested by this subject is, that in punishing some sinners according to the curse of the law, and in requiring an adequate atonement, in order to the salvation of others ; God acts, not from any contracted, selfish motives, but from the most noble benevolence and regard to the public good. It hath often and long since been made a matter of ob- jection to the doctrines of the future punishment of the wicked, and of the atonement of Christ ; that they represent the Deity as having regard merely to his own honor and dignity, and not to the good of his creatures, and therefore represent him as deficient in goodness. But can it be pretended to be a proof of goodness in God, to suffer his own law, which is the perfect rule of virtue, to fall into contempt ? However it might afford relief to some individuals, if God were to suffer his moral kingdom to be dis- solved ; can it be for the general good of the system of his crea- tures ? Is it not manifestly necessary to the general good of the created system, that God's moral kingdom be upholden ? and that therefore the authority of the divine law, and vigor of the divine government be maintained ? If so, then it is al- VoL.II. 5 46 SERMONS ON THE ATONEMENT. SO necessary to the general good, that punishments be inflicted on the disobedient and lawless ; or that they be pardoned in con- sequence only of a proper satisfaction or atonement. So that those very doctrines which of all are made matter of the most objection to the divine goodness or benevolence, are clear proofs of goodness, and are absolutely necessary to it. If a prince should either make no laws for the government of his subjects, or should never execute them, but should suffer all crimes to pass with impunity ; you would by no means esteem him a good prince, aiming at the good of his subjects ; you would not hesitate to pronounce him either very weak or very wicked. 8. In reflecting on this subject, we may also notice the rea- son, why so many, who profess to be advocates for the doctrine of atonement, yet place the atonement in that, in which it does by no means consist. The principal reason seems to be, that they have conceived, that the idea of Christ's having suffered an equivalent to the punishment, to which all his people were ex- posed, is inconsistent with grace in their pardon. But if I have properly stated the ideas of justice and grace, it appears that there is as much grace in the pardon of sinners on account of such an atonement as that just mentioned, as there would be on account of an atonement consisting in mere obedience ; or as there would be in pardon without any atonement at all. 9. Hence also we see, that the death of Christ in our stead, is not useless or in vain. The opposers of Christ's substitution and atonement, assert, that no good end is answered by the suf- ferings of an innocent, amiable, and virtuous person, in the stead of the guilty. But surely to support the authority of the law and of the moral government of God, is not a vain or unimportant end. It was not in vain that Zaleucus, having made a law, that all adulterers should have both their eyes put out, and his own son being the first who transgressed, put out one of his own eyes and one of his son's. Hereby he spared his son in part, and yet as effectually supported the authority of his law, as if it had been Uterally executed. Nor was it in vain, that during the late war, a soldier in the American army of a robust constitution, pitying his fellow-soldier of a slender constitution, who was condemned to receive a certain number of stripes, petitioned to be put in the place of the criminal, and actually received the stripes. For the authority of the martial law was effectually supported, and per- haps by this means, the life or future health and service of the criminal were preserved, and would otherwise have been lost. Neither was the death of Christ in the stead of sinners, any in- jury done to an innocent person. As well may we say, that Za- SEBMONS ON THE ATONEMENT. 47 leucus, or the soldier just mentioned, was injured ; or that a man is injured, when another man receives the money of him, which he vohintarily tenders in payment of the debt of a third person ; or that a man is injured by the surgeon, who takes off his leg to preserve his life, though the man himself consents, and desires him so to do. 10. Again ; we may observe in what sense justice and the di- vine law are satisfied by the death of Christ ; and in what sense the atonement of Christ is properly called a satisfaction. It is only the third kind of justice before mentioned, that is satisfied by Christ. No man, for the reasons already given, will pretend that commutative justice is satisfied by Christ ; for the contro- versy between God and the sinner is not concerning property. Nor is distributive justice satisfied. If it were, there would in- deed be no more grace in the discharge of the sinner, than there is in the discharge of a criminal, when he hath endured the full punishment, to which according to law, he hath been condemned. If distributive justice were satisfied, it would have no further claim on the sinner. And to punish him, when this kind of jus- tice has no claim upon him, is to treat him more unfavorably or severely than his personal character deserves. If distributive justice be satisfied, the penitent believer, considered in his own person, deserves even according to the strictness of the divine law, no punishment ; and that merely because he repents and believes ; and if so, repentance and faith satisfy the law, or are the curse of it, as I have already shown. If distributive justice be satisfied, it admits of no further punishment, and to punish the individual further, would be as positively unjust, as to con- tinue a man's punishment, after he hath endured the full penalty of any law. If distributive justice be satisfied by Christ, in the behalf of sinners, then the rule of distributive justice is not the personal character of a man, but the character of his friend, his advocate, or representative ; and any man has a right, on the footing of distributive justice, to be treated according to the character of his friend or representative. Therefore if a subject rebel against his sovereign, and procure a man of a most unex- ceptionable and amiable character, to represent him and plead his cause before his sovereign, he has a right on the footing of distributive justice, to be treated according to the character of his representative ; and if he be not thus treated, he suflTers an injury ; he is abused. On this principle, no prince or magistrate will have a right to punish, for any crime, a subject who can procure a man of a virtuous life, to represent him and plead his cause. But perhaps it will be said, that distributive justice is satisfied 48 SERMONS ON THE ATONEMENT. by the death of Christ, because he placed himself in our stead, and suffered in our room ; and that whenever a person thus sub- stitutes himself for another, and suffers the punisliment due to that other, that other hath a right to a discharge, as distributive justice is then satisfied. Now according to this objection, the true idea of distributive justice is, to treat a man according to the sufferings of his representative. And if according to the suffer- ings of his representative, why not according to the obedience of his representative. And this brings us just where we were ; that every man may in justice demand, to be treated according to the character of his representative ; which is absurd. Distributive justice therefore is not at all satisfied by the death of Christ. But general justice to the Deity and to the universe is satisfied. That is done by the death of Christ which supports the authority of the law, and renders it consistent with the glory of God and the good of the system, to pardon the sinner. In the same sense the laiv of God is satisfied by the death of Christ ; I mean as the divine glory and the general good, which are the great ends of the law, are secured. In this sense only is the atonement of Christ, properly called a satisfaction ; God is satisfied, as by it his glory and the good of his system are secured and promoted. Objection. But is not distributive justice displayed in the death of Christ? Ansiver. The question is ambiguous ; if the meaning be, Is not distributive justice satisfied ? I answer, for the reasons already given, in the negative. If the meaning be. Is there not an exhibition made in the death and sufferings of Christ, of the punishment to which the sinner is justly liable ? I answer in the affirmative ; distributive justice is, in this sense, displayed in the death of Christ. But it is no more displayed, than the punish- ment of the sinner is displayed, in the death of Christ. It may be proper here to notice the sense, in which justice admits of the salvation of sinners. It hath been said, that jus- tice admits of several things which it does not demand ; that it admits of the salvation of Paul, but does not demand it. And it would admit also of the damnation of Paul, but does not demand that. But in these instances the word justice is used in two very different senses, which ought to be carefully distinguished. When it is smd justice admits of the salvation of Paul, the third kind of justice before described, must be intended. The general good admits it ; neither the glory of God nor the good of the system, opposes it. But distributive justice, which requires every man to be treated according to his personal character, does not admit that Paul SERMONS ON THE ATONEMENT. 49 should be saved. So far as this kind of justice says anything concerning this matter, it demands that Paul be punished accord- ing to law. And if this justice be made the rule of proceeding in the case, Paul will inevitably be cast off. This kind of justice no more admits of the salvation of Paul than it admits of the sal- vation of Judas. But it is said, that "justice admits of the sal- vation of Paul, but does not demand it." Justice to the universe does demand it, as fully as admit of it, and the universe would suffer an injury, if he were not to be saved ; but justice to the universe, neither demands nor admits of the salvation of Judas. Whereas distributive justice to Paul personally, as much demands that he be not saved, as that Judas be not saved. But if we will make a distinction between what justice admits and what it demands, the true and only distinction seems to be this ; justice admits of anything which is not positively unjust ; of any favor however great or manifold ; whereas it demands nothing, but barely what is just, without the least favor, and which being refused, positive injustice would be done. Distribu- tive justice then admits of the salvation of Judas or of any other sinner ; as, surely, no injustice would be done Judas in his sal- vation ; but it demands not this, as it is a mere favor, or some- thing beyond the bounds of mere justice ; or it is no injury to Judas, that he is not saved. Neither does distributive justice de- mand the salvation of Paul. But public justice both admits and demands both the salvation of Paul and the damnation of Judas. On the other hand, it neither admits nor demands the damnation of Paul, nor the salvation of Judas. But distributive justice, (according to the present distinction between the meaning of the words admit, and demand,) though it admits both of the salva- tion and damnation of both Paul and Judas ; yet demands nei- ther the salvation nor damnation of one or the other. Or, to express the same thing in other words ; no injustice would be done either to Paul or Judas personally, if they were both saved or both damned. Distributive justice never demands the pun- ishment of any criminal, in any instance ; because no injury would be done him, if he were graciously pardoned. It demands only that a man be not punished being innocent ; or be not pun- ished beyond his demerit ; and that he be rewarded according to his positive merit. These observations may help us to understand a distinction, which to many has appeared groundless or perplexing ; I mean the distinction of the merit of condignity and merit of congru- ity. Merit of both these kinds refers to rewards only, and has 5* 50 SERMONS ON THE ATONEJnSNT. no reference to punishments ; and that is deserved by a merit of condignity which cannot be vvithholden without positive injury. That is deserved by a merit of congruity which is a proper ex- . pression of the sense which the person rewarding, has of the mo- ral excellency of the person rewarded ; which however may be withholden without positive injury. Of the former kind is the merit which every good and faithful citizen has, of protection in his person, liberty and property, and the merit of a laborer who has earned his wages. These cannot be withholden without pos- itive injury. Of the latter kind is the merit, which some emi- nently wise and virtuous citizens have, of distinguishing honors or marks of esteem. If these be withholden, the proper objects of them, may indeed be said to be neglected, but not positively injured. 11. This subject teaches also, in what sense God was under obligation to accept, on the behalf of the sinner, the mediation and atonement of Christ. It hath been said, that when Christ offered to make atonement for sinners, God was under the same obligation to accept the offer, as a creditor is to accept the pro- posal of any man, who offers to pay the debt of another. This is not true ; because in matters of property, all that a creditor hath a right to, is his property. This being offered him, by whomsoever the offer be made, he has the offer of his right ; and if he demand more, he exceeds his right ; and he has no more right to refuse to give up the obligation, on the offer of a third person to pay the debt, than to refuse the same, when the same offer is made by the debtor himself. All will own, that if a cred- itor were to refuse to receive payment, and give up the obliga- tion, when the debtor offers payment, it would be abusive and unjust ; and let any man assign a reason why it is not equally abusive and unjust, not to receive the payment, and to give up the obligation, when payment is offered by a third person. But it is quite otherwise in atoning for crimes, in which dis- tributive, not commutative justice is concerned. As the rule of distributive justice is the personal character of the person to be rewarded or punished, and not property ; if a magistrate refuse to accept any substitute, and insist on punishing the criminal himself, he treats him no otherwise, than according to his person- al character, and the criminal suffers no injustice or abuse. Nor is the magistrate under any obligation of distributive justice, or justice to the criminal himself, to accept a substitute. It is true, that the circumstances of the case may be such, that it may be most conducive to the public good, that the offered substitute be SERMONS ON THE ATONEMENT. 51 accepted ; in this case wisdom and goodness or public justice will require that it be accepted, and the criminal discharged. This leads me to observe, that it hath also been said that when Christ offered to become a substitute, and to make atonement for sinners, God was under no obligation to accept the proposal. This, I conceive, is as wide of the truth, as that he was under the same obligation to accept the proposal, as a creditor is to ac- cept the proposal of a third person to pay the debt of his friend. The truth is. The glory of God and the greatest good of the moral .: system, did require, that Christ should become a substitute for' sinners ; and that his offered substitution should be accepted by God. This was dictated and recommended by both wisdom and goodness. So far therefore as wisdom and goodness could infer an obligation on the father, to accept the substitution of his son, he was under obligation to accept it. But this obligation was only that of the third kind of justice before explained, a regard to the general good. 12. This subject further teaches us, that that constitution which requires an atonement, in order to the pardon of the sinner, is nothing arbitrary. That divine constitution which is wise and good, as being necessary to the good of the moral system, is not arbitrary. But if an atonement was necessary, in order to sup- port the authority of the divine law, and the honor, vigor and even existence of the divine moral government, while sinners are pardoned ; undoubtedly that constitution which requires an atone- ment, in order to the pardon of the sinner, is the dictate of wis- dom and goodness, and by no means, of an arbitrary spirit. 1.3. Hence we also learn in what sense the death of Christ renders God propitious to sinners. It does so only as it supports the authority of his law and government, and renders the pardon of sinners consistent with the good of the system, and the glory of God. Finally ; this subject teaches the groundlessness of that objec- tion to the doctrine of atonement, that it represents the Deity as inexorable. If to refuse to pardon sinners unless it be in a way which is consistent with the good of the moral system, is to be inexorable ; then that God will not pardon sinners without atone- ment, or in a way which is inconsistent with the authority of his law, and with the authority and even existence of his moral gov- ernment is indeed a proof, that God is inexorable. But if it be not an instance of inexorability, that God will not pardon sinners, unless it be in a way whicn is consistent with the good of the moral system, there is no ground to object to the doctrine of 52 SERMONS ON THE ATONEMENT. atonement, that it represents the Deity as inexorable. On the other hand, that God requires an atonement in order to pardon, is an instance and proof of truly divine goodness ; and if he were to pardon without an atonement, it would prove, that he is des- titute of goodness and regardless, not only of his own glory, but of the true happiness of the system of his moral creatures. SERMON IV. THE MANIFESTATION OF THE TRUTH, THE END OF PREACHING.* 2 Corinthians 4 : 2. — But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not tvalking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully ; but by man- ifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man^s conscience in the sight of God. In the preceding chapter the apostle is describing the excellen- cy of the gospel. He compares it with the law ; and though he allows that that was glorious, yet he asserts that the gospel ex- ceeds in glory. This is the glorious gospel which was committed to Paul and the other apostles. Hence he begins this chapter in the manner he does : " Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy we faint not." As if he had said, Since we have so glorious a gospel to preach, we faint not in preaching, defending, and propagating it ; but under all persecu- tions, we persevere in this work. Nor is that all ; but we have preached and propagated the gospel with integrity or honesty, not practising, in the prosecution of our ministry, any dishonest or shameful arts. The word rendered dishonesty, more proper- ly means shame ; and indeed all dishonest, crafty, deceitful arts, are truly shameful ; especially in a minister of the simple gospel. As the several expressions of dishonesty, craftiness, deceit, are but exegetical of each other, they need not be considered distinct- ly ; the sum of what is intended by them all is included in the hidden things of dishonesty or shame. — I shall therefore, I. Mention some of the hidden things of dishonesty probably intended in the text. n. Inquire what it is so to manifest the truth, as to commend ourselves to the consciences of men. III. Show that such manifestation of the truth is the proper and immediate end of preaching the gospel. * Preached November 5, 1783, at the ordination of the Reverend Mr. Timothy Dwight, to the pastoral office over the church in Greenfield ; and published at New Haven. 54 MANIFESTATION OF THE TRUTH, I. I am to mention some of the hidden things of dishonesty, probably intended by the apostle in our text. These comprehend all the deceitful, covert, underhand prac- tices, into which a minister may fall. 1. One of these hidden things of dishonesty is, to keep back a part at least of the truth, when it is necessary or profitable, that the whole, or that part, should be made known. This is sometimes done in order to avoid offence. The truth is often extremely unpopular ; or at least displeasing to a number. They find their own tempers and practices condemned by it, and their whole characters set in an odious point of light. This is hard to be borne. At the same time perhaps, they find all their fond hopes of the favor of the Deity in this life, and of eternal felicity in the life to come, shaken or totally overthrown ; and find them- selves left in a state of painful apprehension, or absolute despair, as to their eternal safety. This is a state so disagreeable and in- tolerable, that few men will be easy under that preaching, which is the occasion of it, or feel a friendly disposition toward the preacher. In these circumstances men will generally soon grow uneasy, and whatever professions of friendship they may have made, they will soon become his enemies, and at first perhaps secretly, afterwards openly, oppose him. But for a minister of the gospel to make any, and especially a considerable number of his hearers, and those perhaps the chief and most influential of his whole congregation, enemies to him- self, is extremely undesirable. He naturally wishes to live in perfect friendship with them all, and therefore to please them all. This is for his interest, as well as for his tranquillity. From these sources arises a very strong temptation to suppress, in his preaching, those truths of the gospel, which are unpopular, disa- greeable, or mortifying to the depraved hearts of mankind. Under the influence of this temptation, he may altogether omit to preach some doctrines, though he really believes them ; such as the doctrines of God's eternal, absolute and immutable de- crees ; of human depravity ; of the necessity of regenerating grace, and the divine sovereignty in the dispensation of that grace. Or if he do not totally suppress any truth ; if he declare a part of it only, he may as really teach error, as if he were directly to assert it. For example : if he preach in general terms the goodness or mercy of God, and explain not the nature and object of it, nor show that it consists in seeking and promoting the general good of the created system and his own glory ; not the good of every individual, wherein it is inconsistent with the general good ; if he say nothing of the holiness and justice of God, which are indeed THE END OF PREACHING. 55 but branches of the divine goodness, and which in a proper ex- planation of goodness, will naturally come into view ; I say, by discoursing in general terms of the goodness and mercy of God without descending to proper particulars, a minister will natural- ly make his hearers believe, that God by his goodness is seeking and will secure the eternal happiness of every individual of man- kind. By this mode of preaching, thousands have been brought into this belief; this is the rock on which multitudes have split. This seems to be the main pillar of deism ; the men of that class groundlessly concluding, that because God is indeed aiming at the good or happiness of his creatures, therefore he is aiming at the happiness, not merely of the system in general, but of every individual. Whereas it remains to be proved, that the greatest happiness of the created system implies the happiness of every individual ; and nothing is more evident, than that if God is aim- ing at the greatest happiness of every individual, he entirely fails of his end ; inasmuch as individuals, even in this life, are extreme- ly miserable. Again ; by dwelUng only on the sufficiency of gospel grace, and saying nothing of the conditions on which the promises of the gospel are suspended, a minister may impress on the minds of his hearers, the idea, that those promises are wholly uncondi- tional. By preaching up the necessity and efficacy of faith, with- out explaining the nature of it, the hearers may be led to think, that the justifying faith of the gospel is a mere assent of the un- derstanding, without any right temper of heart. By insisting abundantly on good works, the excellency and necessity of them, and leaving the matter thus ; people may conceive, that they may obtain justification by their own good works. These may serve as instances of error taught, not by direct and positive assertion ; but by a partial exhibition of the truth ; and they all belong to the hidden things of dishonesty, or to the handling of the word of God deceitfully. 2. To deliver the truth in general and equivocal terms, is a practice of dishonesty, similar to that just mentioned. This is one way of suppressing the truth. The most pungent and mor- tifying truths will be tolerable, if delivered in general terms. In this case, every man may understand and receive it, in a manner agreeable to his own taste or wishes. But should the preacher explain himself and descend to some particulars, he would no doubt offend some, and perhaps all his hearers. By the use of only general terms, the real truth is kept out of sight. Thus a man may preach, in general terms, the sovereignty of God, and say nothing but the truth on this subject ; yet his hearers shall 56 MANIFESTATION OF THE TRUTH. not know whether he mean a sovereignty over the natural, or over the moral world ; a sovereignty in ruling the sun, moon and stars, or in ruling the hearts of men. Or if the preacher speak expressly of God's sovereignty in the moral world, still it may not be clear, whether he intend merely a sovereignty in ruling the nations and kingdoms of the world, or in ruling individuals. Or again ; if he shall explain himself so far, that it shall appear, that he means a sovereignty over individuals, still it may be doubt- ful, whether he would teach a sovereignty which is absolute and efficacious, or .one that is merely suasive, and efficacious only so far as men will be drawn by arguments and motives. Again ; a preacher may say much of the depravity of the hu- man heart ; nay, may declare it to be universal, affecting every faculty of the human mind ; yet he may never teach that this depravity is entire and total, and his hearers may never know what his ideas are as to this point. He may say much of regen- eration, and of the grace of God in it ; yet it may never be dis- cernible by his preaching, whether he suppose it to be wrought by the immediate power and agency of God, or by light and mo- ral suasion. He may say much of justification by faith ; yet it may not be clear, whether he means, that we are justified by the gospel, the object of our faith and by the obedience of it ; or by the exercise of faith in Christ, and by his righteousness which is apprehended by faith. It may be equally uncertain, whether by justifying faith he mean a bare speculative assent of the under- standing, or such a view of the truth as implies a reconciliation of heart ; a belief that Christ died for me in particular, or a cordial belief and reception of Christ as a glorious and all sufficient Sa- vior, without any persuasion tliat I have already an interest in him. He may say much of love to God, and to Christ ; but it may not appear, whether this is to be exercised on interested or disinterested principles ; whether it must be a love of God's cha- racter, or only of his benefits. He may say much of repentance and the necessity of it ; yet it may be altogether uncertain, whether he would teach a repentance, which may be excited merely by a dread of punishment, or one which arises from a heart- felt sense of the vileness of sin. He may say much of holiness ; but leave it in the dark, whether true holiness consist in mere ex- ternal morality, or primarily in supreme love to God and univer- sal love to men, and secondarily in that general obedience which arises from his temper of love. Thus the whole system of divine truth may be misunderstood or perverted, by being exhibited in too general terms. This is general preaching, and is opposed to that which is particular THE END OF PREACHING. 57 and plain. As men are naturally inclined to understand divine truth in a manner agreeable to their own wishes ; there is on that account the greater danger, that error will be received instead of truth, and therefore the greater necessity that the preacher be most plain and particular. 3. To coincide, in preaching or discipline, with the groundless prejudices of the people, with regard to things important, is another hidden thing of dishonesty, and an instance of walking in crafti- ness and handling the word of God deceitfully. A man who midertakes to preach the gospel, may have no principles at all, or at most, none but such as he may be willing to give up, in or- der to serve his interest. Therefore, if it be most for his interest to be silent as to any particular subject of doctrine or discipline, he ivill be silent ; or concealing his own belief, he will preach according to that of his hearers. No class of men are under so strong temptation to sacrifice their own sentiments to others, as ministers of the gospel ; especially because in general they are so dependent on their people. It is generally disagreeable to a man to be singular and to oppose his neighbors, though he be entirely independent of them. But if he be dependent on them for his daily subsistence, then to oppose them, and openly to avow sen- timents by which they are offended, and perhaps condemned in their moral conduct, or spiritual estate ; this is often too much for frail human nature. Yet this must be done by a minister of the gospel, if he will regard either his duty, his honor, or a consistency of character. Can we pretend it is our duty to give up evangelical truth, on which the salvation of the souls of men depends, or to keep it out of sight, and to preach the contrary errors, which may lead them to eternal death, in order that we may maintain friendship with them, and thus procure our daily bread ? Is this acceptable to God ? Will it stand the scrutiny of him, whose eyes are as a flame of fire ? Is this fulfilling the contract which we have made with men ? They on their part contract to support us, not that we may humor and flatter them, with regard to their spiritual concerns ; not that we may preach errors to them, even although those errors may be adopted by themselves ; but that we may preach the real truths of the gospel. And if we do not honestly preach the truth, according to our knowledge and understanding ; I see not but that we practise the hidden things of dishonesty, grossly violate the contract into which we have entered, and on that very account are justly amenable to them, at the common human tribunals. 4. Nearly allied to the foregoing particular, is preaching or Vol. II. 6 58 MANIFESTATION OF THE TRUTH, undertaking the ministry, for the sake of the salary or the living. Though a minister preach the truth, and preach it fully and clearly, descending to proper particulars ; yet he may do all chiefly for the sake of the temporal reward. It is at least to be suspected, that some undertake the ministry from this motive. But what trifling is this with sacred things I It is wholly per- verting the institution of the evangelical ministry. Doubtless they who preach the gospel, have a right to live of the gospel, and to enter on this business with this expectation. But this is very different from entering on it chiefly from the motive of ob- taining a living. Whatever some may do in fact, I presume no man would choose professedly to undertake the work of the min- istry solely or chiefly, that he may procure a living. But why would not any man choose to profess and avow this motive ? Un- doubtedly because he knows that it is low and mercenary, unwor- thy of the ministerial character, not agreeable to the mind of the Great Author of this and all other institutions of the gospel, nor to the understanding of men in general, particularly of those who are committed to his charge in his ministerial office. Therefore to act from this principle, in this instance, is to practise the hid- den things of dishonesty. 5. If we neglect to inquire, to study and to search diligently after the truth, this is another hidden thing of dishonesty. This neglect sometimes takes place through indolence, and inconsid- eration ; sometimes through design. (1) Through indolence and inconsideration. To indulge in- dolence and inconsideration in such important matters as those which relate to the ministry of the gospel, certainly belongs to the hidden things of dishonesty and shame. For us, who have taken upon ourselves this sacred office, to be inattentive to truth, inconsiderate with regard to the worth and importance of it, or indolent in our researches after it, is not to act an honest, and reputable, but a dishonest and shameful part. Ministers of the gospel are to be ensamples to their flocks in general, and in the virtues of industry, and a diligent employment of their time, as well as in all other virtues. Shall a day-laborer, who is indolent in his work, or careless as to the manner in which he performs it, lose all character and employment? Shall a tradesman, be for the same reason entirely neglected and discarded ? Yet shall a minister of the gospel, who has so many more, and greater, and stronger motives and obligations to exert himself, and to be dili- gent in his work, be indolent, careless and devoted to his ease ? No, let no such character be known among us. A man of this character defrauds the people among whom he is called to be THE END OF PREACHING. 59 a minister, not of their property, but of divine truth, the sincere milk of the word, the bread of life ; he defrauds himself of the reward of a faithful servant ; he defrauds God of that service which is his indispensable due ; he violates numerous express precepts of holy writ, and his own solemn vows ; he brings re- proach on the cause of Christ, and gives occasion to the adver- sary to blaspheme. (2) Sometimes, ministers may neglect to study and search out the truth, through design. They choose to be ignorant of many important doctrines, as when a controversy happens to arise concerning those doctrines, their ignorance affords them an easy plea to avoid all conversation on the subjects, and conse- quently all the offence, which they might give by taking a de- cided part on either side of the question. As they are able to say that they are ignorant of the subject, they are easily excused from giving their opinion, they offend no party, and obtain no ill name. But is not this a hidden practice of dishonesty ? Is it honest, is it honorable in a christian minister, thus voluntarily to remain ignorant of important christian truth ? When the truth labors, to stand by, and do nothing in support of it ? and this only that he may sail easily and quietly down the stream of human life ; and be wafted along by the fresh gales of popular applause ? No, such a practice belongs to the hidden things of dishonesty and shame. There are also hidden things of dishonesty in discipline, as well as in preaching ; as when a minister neglects to preach on the subject of church discipline, to explain the nature of it, to incul- cate the duty and importance of it ; when he connives at the faults of gross offenders ; when he always excuses himself from this disagreeable and mortifying service. True, it is most desi- rable, both in respect of the minister's influence and usefulness among his people, and in respect of his comfort and leisure for his ministerial studies ; that some of the brethren bring forward matters of discipline, by taking the previous steps and by making proper complaint to the church. But what if others neglect their duty in this particular ? Is this matter therefore to be neglected by the minister too? I think not. The case may happen, in which it may be his duty to step forward, and to exhibit an ex- ample in every part of christian discipline. And so again, it is a hidden practice of dishonesty, for a minister, in a case of disci- pline, to flatter the accused brother, by conversation or conduct, and to make him believe, that he himself acts only of necessity in the execution of his office ; that others force him on, and that the discipline hath been begun and carried on contrary to his 60 MANIFESTATION OF THE TRUTH, mind, though he may be fully convinced that the accused is justly liable to discipline in the case. These are some of the hidden things of dishonesty to which ministers of the gospel are liable. The temptation to these is very great, arising from the consideration of their ease, profit and subsistence. Yet Christ requires them to take up the cross and follow him. What if Christ himself had acted on these princi- ples of his ease and convenience ? Or what if his apostles after him, and his ministers in all ages, had adopted this line of con- duct ? Or what if they should now universally adopt it ? It is manifest it would soon end in the general disorder and confusion of the church, and the general prevalence of error and irreligion. II. I am, as was proposed, to consider what it is so to man- ifest the truth, as to commend ourselves to the consciences of men. It is to manifest the truth in such a manner as to obtain the testimony of the consciences of those, to whom we speak, in fa- vor of the truth that we deliver. The word here translated commending, might well have been rendered presenting. The apostles presented the truth, or presented themselves in the mani- festation of the truth, or with the light of truth shining around them, to the consciences of their hearers ; and thus obtained the testimony of their consciences in favor of the truth which they preached. For the consciences of men rightly informed, ever bear a faithful testimony to the truth. The conscience is the principle in human nature, by which the true preacher of the gospel may take the most advantageous hold of sinners. He cannot by any manifestation of the truth, convert, or lead them to real repentance ; but he may gain the assent and testimony of their consciences in favor of the truth, and against themselves as sinners. To this end the truth must be manifested fully and clearly ; one truth as well as another ; and all truths in their pro- per connection and dependence on each other. All divine truth properly apprehended, is suited to touch the conscience ; and in order to this effect, it needs only to be manifested and seen. But some modes of manifesting the truth, are more advantageous than others. As, 1. The most perspicuous mode of manifestation is always the best. Though the truth be obscurely manifested, it may be real- ly manifested. But when obscurely manifested, it is in no mea- sure so likely to affect the conscience. The more clear the ex- hibition we make of it is, the more likely is it, to be attended with its proper effect ; the more shall we commend ourselves to the consciences of our hearers. THE END or PREACHING. 61 2. To manifest the truth in an engaging, inviting manner, is often of a happy tendency to touch the conscience. The more the truth is exhibited in an engaging and inviting manner, the more will it naturally draw the attention ; and the more the at- tention is drawn to the truth, the greater advantage will it have to take hold of the conscience. As the truth cannot affect the conscience at all, unless it is known or comes into view ; so in proportion as it more engages the attention, it comes the more thoroughly into view ; and consequently, for the same reason, that the truth, when known at all, is more likely to affect the conscience, than when it is not known, so the more thoroughly it is known and attended to, the greater is the probability that the conscience will be affected by it. This shows the use and importance of a thorough application of the powers of eloquence, and all the address of oratory. The minister of the gospel may make a very advantageous use of the most lively descriptions, the strongest expressions, the boldest figures, the greatest zeal, and all the beauty and force of pronunciation and gesture. But it must be remembered, that it is here taken for granted, that by all these arts of oratory, the attention of the hearers is attracted to the truth, and not to the speaker, or to his ingenuity and address. The difference between these two cases, is very great and manifest. If the attention is excited and fixed upon the truth itself, the aforesaid arts of oratory are employed to ex- cellent purpose, and commend the truth to the conscience. But if they are employed only to draw the attention to the preacher, and cause the hearers to admire him ; they are employed to no good purpose at all ; nay, to bad purpose, as they tend to divert the attention from the truth itself, and therefore do hurt instead of good. 3. In order to the most advantageous manifestation of the truth, we shall dwell most on those subjects which are the most important. Though every truth is a real truth ; yet every truth is not of equal importance. That the Jews who crucified our Lord, stripped him of his own clothes, and put a scarlet robe on him ; and that they platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, are real truths ; yet these are not of equal importance with the death of Christ, and the atonement made thereby for the sins of mankind ; or with the proclamation of pardon and salva- tion through faith in Christ. Now in preaching the gospel, we should dwell on each truth according to its importance and prac- tical influence. 4. It is very advantageous, in preaching, to describe the hu- man heart, and its affections, according to real life. For as face 6* 62 MANIFESTATION OF THE TRUTH, answers to face in water, so doth the heart of man to man. In this mode of procedure, the preacher, though ignorant of the real characters and tempers of particular persons, will often hit them most exactly ; so that they shall think, that of design, and from a knowledge of their case, he hath adapted his discourse with a particular reference to them. A thorough knowledge of human nature in general, and of his own heart in particular, is exceedingly useful and necessary for every minister of the gospel. 5. It is also useful and of a direct tendency to touch the con- science, to lead men, in a view of the truth, to a particular ex- amination of themselves. This often has a wonderful and most happy effect. 6. It is sometimes useful to exhibit the truth in parabolical repj'esentations, as the prophet did to David, when he would con- vict him of his sin in the matter of Uriah. Such representations will often be justly applied by the hearers to themselves. Some times, however, it is useful and necessary for the minister to ap- ply them, as the prophet did to David, saying, " Thou art the man." III. Such a manifestation of the truth as tends to affect the conscience, is the proper and immediate end of preaching the gospel. If this is not the proper and immediate end of preaching, what is ? Doubtless the chief and ultimate end is the salva- tion of men, in a way that is subservient to the divine glory. But how is this to be effected ? Not surely by pleasing and amusing mankind ; nor by flattering and deceiving them ; but by instruc- tion and persuasion. Men are to be taught the way to heaven, and to be persuaded by all rational and scriptural arguments to walk in it. They are to be both instructed and persuaded by a manifestation of the truth. Nor is it enough to furnish men's minds with mere speculative knowledge ; the truth should be taught in a practical view, as it relates to practice and leads to it. The truth really exhibited, will naturally commend itself to the conscience, so far as to gain its assent to duty, and its dissent from sin ; to make it approve of what is right, and condemn what is wrong. So far therefore it both leads to a right practice, and restrains from a wrong one ; and thus happily subserves the chief and ultimate end of preaching. Indeed we are not to expect that the truth alone, without a divine influence, will convert the soul ; yet as it will awaken the conscience, and these awakenings and convictions ordinarily pre- cede conversion, and render it more probable, that the subject of them will attain to the true grace of God ; in this sense, the faith- THE END OF PREACHING. 63 fal exhibition of the truth happily tends to the great end of preach- ing, which is the salvation of souls in the way before mentioned. The same manifestation of the truth tends also to the edifica- tion of saints in faith and holiness. It tends to convince them wherein they have heretofore sinned and come short of their duty ; points out to them their duty in future ; and persuades them to avoid sin and practise holiness. In both these respects it tends to their edification. It is by a faithful exhibition of the truth, that sinners are to be awakened and led to repentance, and saints are to be edified and quickened ; and so the salvation of men is to be effected. If the advancement of true religion in the world, is an end, and a great end of preaching (and I presume none will deny that it is) this end is to be obtained, only so far as the truth is ex- hibited. True religion is wholly built on the truth, and on a knowledge of it ; and any affections of a religious nature, are only so far genuine and virtuous, as they are built on a view of the truth. Whatever affections are not built on the truth, and are not exercised in the view of it, are either directly opposed to true religion, or are mere wild enthusiasm. Having thus pointed out some of the things of dishonesty in- tended in the text — having shown what it is so to manifest the truth as to commend ourselves to the consciences of men — and also that such a manifestation of the truth is the proper and im- mediate end of preaching the gospel — I now proceed to apply this subject, in particular addresses, first to the pastor elect, then to the church and congregation in this place. I. To the pastor elect. My dear Sir, — Permit me to address you, on this solemn occa- sion, with fidelity, with plainness, and with that tenderness which is the natural effect of consanguinity and long friendship ; and may I do it in the genuine exercise of christian brotherly love ! You are now to be set apart to a very solemn and important work ; the most solemn that can be undertaken in the world. Fidelity and honesty in this work, are peremptorily required of you. You have heard in what manner the apostles executed this work. They renounced the hidden things of dishonesty ; did not walk in craftiness, nor handle the word of God deceitfully ; but by manifestation of the truth commended themselves to every man's conscience, in the sight of God. Go thou and do likewise. Approve yourself honest and faithful, first in your personal con- cerns of a spiritual nature, and then in every part of your minis- terial work. In the first place, be honest, careful and vigilant in your own 64 MANIFESTATION OF THE TRUTH, spiritual concerns. The apostle argues, that if a minister neglect the moral concerns of his own house, he will also neglect those of the church. With equal truth may we argue, that if a man neglect the spiritual concerns of his own soul, he will neglect those of his flock, the people of his charge. Be careful therefore to keep your own vineyard ; thus will you become the better prepared, to be a keeper of the vineyards of your mother'' s chil- dren ; and without the former, you will in no measure be prepared for the latter. Take heed that you maintain a close walk with God ; which primarily consists in an habitual sense of his existence, perfection, glory, constant presence with you, and observation of you in all your conduct, especially in your ministerial work ; and in a sense of your own accountableness to him. Maintain a constant watch over your own spirit ; " keep thy heart with all diligence, as out of it are the issues of life." Observe its affections, tem- pers, motives, and ends, both in your religious and your moral conduct. Be frequent and steady in your private devotions, and thus live near to God. Prayer is said to be the very breath of the christian ; live by the use of this breath. Accustom yourself to the employment of the glorified saints, before you join them ; thus will your conversation be in heaven, while you tabernacle in the flesh. Follow the example of the great apostle, in this respect, as well as others, " that without ceasing you make mention " of the people of your charge " always in your prayers." Be careful not only to keep a conscience void of offence towards God, but also towards men. Beware of the error into which too many run, who quiet their consciences, in a neglect of the duties of one table, on a pretence of extraordinary attention to those of the other. Cultivate a spirit of benevolence to all men, and even to your enemies ; seeking their good, both spiritual and temporal. This is that love of our enemies, which is a peculiar duty of the gospel. Love, in its genuine exercises towards God and towards men, is the very spirit of the gospel, and the sum total of all that is required in it. So far as you have this spirit, you have re- ceived of the fulness of Christ, and grace for grace ; and in im- bibing and cultivating this spirit, you will reduce the gospel to practice, and exhibit an example to others of the truths and du- ties, which you inculcate on them in your preaching. But this is not all ; you are not only to be thus faithful in your private spiritual concerns, as a christian ; but also in every part of your ministerial work ; in your studies and researches after the truth — in communicating it to your people — in your common conduct. First, be honest and faithful in your researches after truth. THE END OF PREACHING. 6S This part of your work will require your utmost attention and all the time which you can spare from other necessary duties. The knowledge of the truth is absolutely necessary for a minister of the gospel. It cannot however be known in any competent de- gree, but by close and persevering study. The more you know it, the greater advantage will you have for doing good. It is endless, and can never be exhausted. The darkness or obscu- rity resting on the truth is very great ; and every one, especially every minister of the gospel, is bound to exert himself to dispel the darkness and bring the truth to light. If every one were to exert himself to this end, doubtless great and rapid would be the increase of light and knowledge. Improvement is by no means at an end ; and those men err exceedingly, who lament that they live in this late period of the world, wherein improvement and science have been anticipated, and there is no room left for further discoveries. There is abun- dant room for discovery and improvement in every science, especially in theology. If all truth be already discovered, whence arises that endless variety of sentiments, and the extreme diffi- culty of settling controversies on theological subjects ? These facts certainly prove, that all do not embrace the truth ; and if some few are possessed of it in the general, yet of these few per- haps no two can be produced, who do not differ in their appre- hensions and representations of some important doctrines. If therefore improvement in theology be at an end, it is brought to an end, not by a number of divines ; for a number cannot be found, who agree among themselves ; but it is brought to an end by some highly favored individual, who knows more than all the world beside. But who or where is this man ? Will any one undertake to point him out, or pretend to be the man himself? Or can it be pretended concerning any man, that he knows the truth fully and perfectly ? That he intermixes with it no error ? That he is master of all, or of the best arguments in support of it ; or of all the best answers to gainsayers ? If not, it cannot be pre- tended that improvement is carried to its utmost pitch, even by any individual. As God is infinite, he is not, and cannot be per- fectly known by men, or even by angels. They and the saints in glory are constantly studying and improving in knowledge. Theological subjects are the things which they desire to look into. They will carry on their improvements to eternity ; yet will never have exhausted the truth. Much more is there room for the ut- most improvements, which we can make in this life. For our encouragement, we may reflect, that every discovery of truth paves the way for still further discoveries. 66 MANIFESTATION OF THE TRUTH, Though the canon of scripture is complete, and we are to ex- pect no further revelations ; yet many new truths will break forth from the word of God, which although now contained in it, for want of attention and comparing spiritual things with spiritual, are not yet seen. Further discoveries even in moral and divine subjects, are also to be expected from the candid disquisitions of unbiassed reason. If ministers of the gospel would be faithful and diligent in their studies and researches after truth, there is not the least reason to doubt, but that great improvements would be the consequence ; and instead of having occasion lo lament, that we live at too late a period of the world, we might find mat- ter of conviction, that we live at too early a period, to be under the best advantages to discover the truth. For the more truth there is already discovered, the greater is the advantage for still further discoveries. With regard to you, dear sir, as I know you to be fond of science and improvement, and to prefer theology to all other sci- ences ; let me beseech you to apply yourself vigorously, steadily and perseveringly to the study of this science. In this ample field let loose your whole genius, and employ your utmost abil- ities. Here is room enough, and objects sufficiently grand, vari- ous, entertaining and important. Suffer not yourself to be em- barrassed with other business. That ministers in general are embarrassed with other business, is one chief cause and indeed is a necessary cause of their neglect of study ; and of the little improvement made by them. For this embarrassment with other business, they plead necessity, arising from their scanty subsis- tence. But as you are much better provided for than most of us, you will not be able to avail yourself of this plea. Therefore let this people reap the proper fruits of the generous support they have given you ; that they may never repent of what they have done in this matter. And let others see the beneficial conse- quences of this generosity, and be induced to imitate the exam- ple, that they also may derive the same advantages, from the like conduct. It has been said, that ministers are the most indolent set of men in the world ; that therefore there is no encouragement to give them a larger support ; that they will only spend it in luxu- ry, still neglecting their studies and other ministerial duties to as great a degree as ever ; that as soon as they have acquired a habit of preaching, or preparing their sermons, they throw to- gether something hastily and loosely, just so as to fill up the time of three quarters of an hour on the sabbath ; and that this is the utmost object of their care or wishes ; that hence there is a per- THE END OP PREACHING. 6^ petual, tasteless, and tiresome sameness in all their preaching ; so that when you have heard two or three of their sermons, you have heard the whole that they ever preach, and can obtain no further instruction. By all means prevent this complaint as to yourself, or confute the charge by a constant diligence in your studies. Be not content with bare preparations for the sabbath ; take care to prepare well ; bring beaten oil into the sanctuary. Begin your preparations seasonably every week, that you may not be necessitated to hurry them over for want of time. Preach on a variety of subjects ; on all the important subjects of the law and the gospel. These will afford a great variety indeed. If you study, your preaching will naturally comprehend a variety of subjects, and these handled in a manner proper to each subject. On the other hand, if you neglect your studies, it will as naturally run into the same track, as wheel-carriages on the high-way. The temptations to indolence in ministerial studies are such, that they are too powerful for many ; let me forewarn you, that unless you summon up your utmost resolution, there will be danger, that they will be too powerful for you. We who are employed in the ministry have not all the same motives to industry, as men of other professions, who make gains in proportion as they exert themselves in their business. Where- as a minister's salary is fixed, and if he perform his work barely in such a manner as to be on good terms with his people, his support is the same as if he were ever so laborious or industrious. Yet there are other motives sufficient to excite us to industry, and those such as ought to influence us much more, than the prospect of gain. I mean the considerations of improvement in divine knowledge and grace ; of diffusing the truths of the gospel ; of being instrumental in the salvation of immortal souls ; and of glorifying our heavenly Father. Let these have their full weight on you, dear sir, and prosecute your whole work under the im- pression of them. Over and above your preparations for the sabbath, take care to be constantly increasing your stock of knowledge, by reading, by reflection, by conversation, and by epistolary correspondence on the most important subjects, with men of thought and litera- ture. This last mentioned source of improvement, though gen- erally neglected, certainly promises a great increase of know- ledge. In this way you may possess yourself, in a very short space of time, of the knowledge which has cost others, perhaps years of reading and reflection. In the prosecution of your studies, attend to all subjects ; not to all equally, but to every one according to its importance and 68 MANIFESTATION OP THE TRUTH, usefulness. Decline not proper attention to any subject, because it is unpopular. However unpopular, it may be a most important and essential truth. Nay, from the very depravity of the human heart, we may expect, that the most excellent truths of the gos- pel will be unpopular. Decline not proper attention to any sub- ject, because it is abstruse or hard to be understood. Everything at present unknown, so far as it is unknown, is necessarily hard to be understood. So that if you study nothing which is abstruse, you will study nothing but what you perfectly know ; and surely you need not study that, because you know it already. The fa- vorite maxim of some, to study plain subjects only, will most di- rectly put an end to all study and all improvement. In order to such a prosecution of your studies as I have now recommended, it is necessary that you be very careful to waste no part of your time. And let me recommend to you method in your studies, and in the employment of your time. The advan- tages of this are great and manifold. Again ; be honest and faithful in communicating the truth to the people of your charge. There are three ways in which you will be called to communicate the truth — ^preaching — conversa- tion— and discipline. Be honest and faithful in preaching the truth. Preach to the consciences of your hearers. Deliver not mere moral harangues, calculated only to please the ear, to afford entertainment for three quarters of an hour, or to flatter the pride of your hearers, their inordinate self-love, or their other principles of depravity. Let your sermons be fraught with the very essence of the law and of the gospel. Hold forth to your hearers their relation to God, and the duties resulting from that relation ; their state by nature, and what their state must be by grace. Point out to them the con- sequence of continuing in a state of nature, and of entering on a state of grace. Thus preach both the terrors of the law, and the consolations of the gospel. Bear full testimony to the truth ; de- clare all the counsel of God ; keep back nothing that can be pro- fitable to your hearers. Declare it plainly, and without intermix- ture of error. Declare it however unpopular it may be. You are to expect, as I Jiave already observed, that it will be unpop- ular, since it is opposed to the carnal hearts of mankind ; since it condemns them to eternal death, and cuts off all their false hopes of future felicity. The gospel faithfully preached takes away the gods of natural men, and what have they more ? Therefore you must expect to be opposed, for the same reason that men op- pose a robber who would deprive them of their property, or an assassin, who would stab them to the heart. Yet forbear not on THE END OF PREACHING. 69 that account to declare all the counsel of God. Declare it, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear. Thus you will at least deliver your own soul. And the best defence against opposition, is to commend yourself to the consciences of your hearers. So far as you shall do this, they will not dare to op- pose you. Exhibit the truth honestly in private conversation, as well as in preaching. Besides visiting the sick, visit your people in gen- eral, as you may have opportunity, and cheerfully receive visits from them ; not merely for ceremony, or for common civility and friendship ; but especially for religious conversation and improve- ment. Free conversation on religious subjects is by no means to be omitted. This mode of communicating the truth hath many advantages above preaching. It is more free and familiar ; it gives opportunity to state and clear up doubts and objections ; to enter into the particular feelings of those with whom you con- verse ; and to adapt your discourse to their several capacities. Seize these advantages and use them to the best purposes. Adapt your conversation to the respective cases of your people ; to their security, their conviction, their sanctification, their darkness, their joy, their despondence, their hopes. Converse with young peo- ple, and even with children, concerning their spiritual interests. The prospect of benefiting them by such conversation is common- ly more promising, than of benefiting those of more advanced age ; and they are the hope of the flock. Take heed that you never flatter. This will often be the ob- ject of the wishes of those with whom you converse, whether sick or well. They will wish to be comforted, when there is no ground for comfort ; especially when death approaches ; and surrounding friends may join their importunity to the wishes of the dying man. The temptation to comfort in this case, even without foundation, will be exceedingly strong. Beware that you be not carried away with it. Sew pillows under the arm-holes of none ; never daub with untempered mortar. Christian discipline is another mode of exhibiting the truth, and though in itself disagreeable, is of divine institution, and is absolutely enjoined. What are the several steps of admonition, confession and excommunication, but so many different exhibi- tions of the truth ? Honesty and fidelity are equally necessary in this part of your work, as in any other ; and the temptation, to a violation of those virtues are equally great and powerful, if not more so. It will therefore be necessary, that you " set your face like a flint," in order to withstand those temptations, and the opposition, that you must expect to meet with in this affair. Vol. II. 7 70 MANIFESTATION OF THE TRUTH, Finally, be honest and faithful in your common conduct. The scarcity of really honest men, has been long since observed and lamented by the wise man, in that interrogation, A faithful man who can find? The virtues of honesty, justice and fidelity are in these degenerate days almost extinguished, at least from this part of the earth. Now you are called to be an example to this flock, of these and all other virtues. Let it be known that the church in Greenfield has a really honest minister. Strangely in- consistent indeed is the character of the man, who is honest in ministerial duties and services, but not in his common conduct. Such a character however may exist, though it is to be presumed but rarely ; more rarely than the opposite character of one, who is honest and faithful in the common affairs of life, but not in ministerial services. For motives to such extensive honesty, let me suggest, in the first place. That otherwise you are of course guilty of fraud. There is no medium between these two. And to defraud your people in your ministerial la^)ors, is much worse, than to defraud them of their property. They may lose their property, and yet be happy, at least in the future world. But to defraud them in your ministerial labors, may be the occasion of their eternal ruin. If therefore you should wrong them out of thousands of their pro- perty, however abominable the crime would be, it might be a less injury to them, than if you should wrong them in your ministe- rial work. The good you may do to mankind, and particularly to the kingdom of God in the world, is another powerful motive, to ex- cite you to fidelity. What consideration can be more gratifying to a benevolent mind, than that of doing good to mankind, con- tributing to their eternal salvation, and giving glory to God by promoting the interests and ends of his kingdom, constituted on the principles of the most noble and general benevolence ? By a faithful discharge of your duty, you may save the souls of many, which being plucked as brands out of the fire, and made the heirs of eternal happiness, will be trophies of your victorious fidelity. The consequences to yourself, on the one hand and on the other, are presented to you, as additional motives to fidelity in your work. You are set as a watchman to this people ; you are to warn them of their danger, and of every threatening foe. If you do not warn them according to truth, their blood will be re- quired at your hands. But if you do faithfully warn them, though they die in their sins, yet you shall have delivered your soul. Nay, you shall not merely have delivered your soul, so as at last to stand in your lot ; but you shall receive the rewards of a faith- THE END OF PREACHING. 71 ful servant. Having been faithful over a few things, you shall be made ruler over many things, and shall enter into the joy of your Lord. II. It is now time, that I turn the address to the church and society in this place. Men, brethren, and fathers, — We congratulate you on the events of this day. You are now to have a minister set over you in the order of the gospel. We congratulate you on your gene- ral and firm union in this affair ; on your apparent just sense of the worth and importance of the stated ministration of the divine word and ordinances among you ; on your readiness to support the ministry and your willingness to expend of your worldly sub- stance for this end. By your former punctuality in fulfilling your ministerial contracts, it appears, you are not only forward to say, but also to do. It is common for the preacher on such occasions as the present, to press the duty of supporting the ministry. But your liberal engagements in the present instance, and your for- mer punctuality in fulfilling your engagements, forbid me to say a word on that head. Only persist in the same line of conduct which you have hitherto pursued, and you will acquire honor to yourselves, will be examples to others, and will put it out of the power of your minister to plead necessity of applying himself to secular business, in the neglect of his ministerial work. Permit me, to turn your attention to other matters. You have heard what has been said to your pastor elect. What think you of it ? Do you not wish that he may be truly honest and faith- ful, and that in all the forementioned respects ? Do you not wish that he may forever renounce the hidden things of dishon- esty, not walk in craftiness, nor handle the word of God deceit- fully ; but that by manifestation of the truth he may commend himself to the conscience of every one of you in the sight of God ? Without waiting for your answer, I presume it would be in the affirmative. Then oppose not his honesty ; encourage it ; do nothing to discourage it. When he tells you the truth, as to doc- trines, as to discipline, as to practice ; when he lays open the hu- man heart, exhibits your native depravity, your state of ruin in yourselves, your inability to recover yourselves, your dependence on God and his grace ; and yet holds forth your obligation to comply with the whole law and the whole gospel ; your obligation to repent, to do no more so wickedly, to be reconciled to God through Christ ; when he informs you, that you must have an interest in Christ, and that all your righteousnesses, in the matter of justification, are but as filthy rags ; that notwithstanding them, God has a right forever to cast you off ; that you entirely deserve 72 MANIFESTATION OF THE TRUTH, it ; when he presses upon you particular duties, as the duty of prayer in the closet and in the family, or the duty of divine pub- lic worship ; or the duties of justice, fidelity and beneficence to men ; when he points out to you the contrary sins and sets them in their proper glaring colors ; when in any of these instances he commends himself in such a manner to your consciences, that with a painful sense of guilt, you are obliged to assent to the truth ; yet be not angry with him for these things ; remember that herein, he is acting the part of an honest and faithful minis- ter. Although these exhibitions of truth are painful, yet submit to them, be patient under them ; they are necessary ; your wound must be probed to the bottom ; this is for your good ; it is conducive to your healing. Therefore oppose not the necessary operation. Surely you would not choose that your diseases should be healed slightly. You cannot choose that your minister should preach to you flatteries and lies, or any smooth things which are contrary to the truth, saying peace, peace, when there is no peace for you. Possibly some of you, who are now much pleased with the pas- tor elect ; when you shall have understood him more thoroughly ; when you shall have seen how his preaching condemns you, re- strains you in the indulgence of your favorite appetites, your ava- rice, your sensuality, your inordinate self-love, and other sinful biases ; and how it cuts off" all your fond but groundless hopes of future peace and safety ; will then be highly disgusted, and of friends become bitter enemies. If this shall be the case in any instances ; remember that I now forewarn you of it. And also remember, how unkind, how inconsistent it is to desire an honest minister, and then to persecute him because he is honest ! because he honestly tells you the truth ! If it is the duty of your pastor to preach the truth faithfully ; it is equally your duty to receive it, to hear it attentively, to ac- quiesce in it, to obey it. You are now settling a minister of the gospel, in order that you may become christians and be edified in the most holy faith. But neither of these is possible, unless at the same time you are honest men. It is not only necessary that your minister in his character be honest, but that you also be honest, honest to God, to your own souls, and to your fellow men. In the first place render unto God, the things that are God's. Render him your hearts, in a sincere and supreme love, and a cordial faith in his Son Jesus Christ. This temper of course will express itself in all outward obedience. Again, render unto men, the things that are theirs. The tendency of real religion is to make men in THE END OF PREACHING. 73 every respect better ; not only better with regard to God and his worship, but better with regard to one another ; more kind and beneficent ; more tender hearted and obliging ; better neigh- bors ; better husbands and wives ; better parents and children ; better in all relations ; and of course more honest and faithful. As it is opposed to all sin, it cannot but be opposed to the sin of injustice or dishonesty. It requires us to provide things honest in the sight of all men ; to render unto all their dues ; to owe no man anything, but love. This virtue is indeed neglected by some who pretend to be the subjects of true religion. They will pray abundantly, attend all meetings for social worship, both in season and out of season ; talk of religion without end ; profess in the most ostentatious manner, love to God, and all other religious affections. For thus to pray, talk and profess, is easy and cheap. But to practise honesty, often costs solid substance. For this reason they hve in the neglect of it. But in vain will you pretend to real religion, without the manifest effects of it in an honest life. Without an honest life you are no christians ; without this, you can never reach the heavenly state. " Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God ?" It is a charge commonly brought against professors of Chris- tianity, that they are no more honest, and in many instances less honest, than other men. This is a scandalous charge ; and if it be true, professors are a scandalous set of men. Let this never be true of any of you who are members of the church in this place. Walk worthy of the holy vocation with which you are called, as in other respects, so in practising universal honesty. Nor is it enough that you yourselves practise honesty, and suf- fer your minister to do the same. You are bound positively to encourage and assist him. He will need your assistance particu- larly in the discipline of the church. In this difficult affair you ought not to throw the whole burden on him. You ought as far as may be, to relieve him, to vindicate him in the discharge of his duty, and to take the burden on yourselves. Especially are you constantly to pray for him. Even the great apostle Paul, in his epistles repeatedly desires those to whom he wrote, to pray for him and the other apostles ; " brethren pray for us," is an ex- pression familiar to him. Therefore in all your approaches to the throne of grace, remember your minister. " And now, brethren, we commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them that are sanctified." May you have peace and be edified. May you long enjoy the pastor who 7* 74 MANIFESTATION OF THE TRUTH, ETC. is now to be set over you in the Lord. May he be a burning and a shining hght, and may you continue to rejoice in his light. May this church ever approve itself to be a true church of our Lord Jesus Christ, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and ter- rible as an army with banners. May every one of your souls be a temple of the Holy Ghost, in which God shall dwell and walk ; till you all shall come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the mea- sure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. And may Christ sanctify and cleanse this church, with the washing of water, by the word, that he may present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing. SERMON V. THE INJUSTICE AND IMPOLICY OF THE SLAVE TRADE, AND OF SLAVERY.* Matthew 7 : 12. — Therefore all things ivhatsoever ye would, that men should do to you, do ye even so to them ; for this is the law and. the prophets. This precept of our divine Lord hath always been admired as most excellent ; and doubtless with the greatest reason. Yet it needs some explanation. It is not surely to be understood in the most unlimited sense, implying that because a prince expects and wishes for obedience from his subjects, he is obliged to obey them ; that because parents wish their children to submit to their government, therefore they are to submit to the government of their children ; or that because some men wish that others would concur and assist them to the gratification of their unlawful de- sires, therefore they also are to gratify the unlawful desires of others. But whatever we are conscious that we should, in an exchange of circumstances, wish, and are persuaded that we might reasonably wish, that others would do to us ; that we are bound to do to them. This is the general rule given us in the text ; and a very extensive rule it is, reaching to all our actions ; and is particularly useful to direct our conduct toward inferiors, and those whom we have in our power. I have therefore thought it a proper foundation for the discourse, which by the Society for the promotion of Freedom, and for the Relief of Persons un^ lawfully holden in Bondage, I have the honor to be appointed to deliver, on the present occasion. This divine maxim is most properly applicable to the slave trade, and to the slavery of the Africans. Let us then make the application. Should we be willing, that the Africans or any other nation should purchase us, our wives and children, transport us into Africa and there sell us into perpetual and absolute slavery? * Preached before the Connecticut Society for the promotion of Free- dom, and for the Rehef of Persons unlawfully holden in Bondage, at their Annual Meeting in New-Haven, Sept. 15, 1791, and published by request. 76 INJUSTICE AND IMPOLICY OP THE Should we be willing, that they by large bribes and offers of a gainful traffic should entice our neighbors to kidnap and sell us to them, and that they should hold in perpetual and cruel bondage, not only ourselves, but our posterity through all generations ? Yet why is it not as right for them to treat us in this manner, as it is for us to treat them in the same manner ? Their color indeed is different from ours. But does this give us a right to enslave them ? The nations from Germany to Guinea have complexions of every shade from the fairest white to a jetty black ; and if a black complexion subject a nation or an individual to slavery, where shall slavery begin, or where shall it end ? I propose to mention a few reasons against the right of the slave trade — and then to consider the principal arguments, which I have ever heard urged in favor of it. What will be said against the slave trade will generally be equally applicable to slavery it- self; and if conclusive against the former, will be equally so against the latter. As to the slave trade, I conceive it to be unjust in itself — abominable on account of the cruel manner in which it is con- ducted— and totally wrong on account of the impolicy of it, or its destructive tendency to the moral and political interests of any country. I. It is unjust in itself. It is unjust in the same sense, and for the same reason, that it is, to steal, to rob, or to murder. It is a principle, the truth of which hath in this country been generally, if not universally ac- knowledged, ever since the commencement of the late war, that all men are ho7'n equally free. If this be true, the Africans are by nature equally entitled to freedom as we are ; and therefore we have no more right to enslave, or to afford aid to enslave them, than they have to do the same to us. They have the same right to their freedom, which they have to their property or to their lives. Therefore to enslave them is as really and in the same sense wrong, as to steal from them, or to rob or murder them. There are indeed cases in which men may justly be deprived of their hberty and reduced to slavery, as there are cases in which they may be justly deprived of their lives. But they can justly be deprived of neither, unless they have by their own voluntary conduct forfeited it. Therefore still the right to liberty stands on the same basis with the right to life. And that the Africans have done something whereby they have forfeited their liberty must appear, before we can justly deprive them of it ; as it must appear, that they have done something whereby they have forfeited their lives, before we may justly deprive them of these. SLAVE TRADE, AND OF SLAVERY. 77 II. The slave trade is wicked and abominable on account of the cruel manner in which it is carried on. Beside the stealing or kidnapping of men, women and children, in the first instance, and the instigation of others to this abomi- nable practice ; the inhuman manner in which they are transport- ed to America, and in which they are treated on their passage and in their subsequent slavery, is such as ought forever to deter every man from acting any part in this business, who has any re- gard to justice or humanity. They are crowded so closely into the holds and between the decks of vessels, that they have scarce- ly room to lie down, and sometimes not room to sit up in an erect posture ; the men at the same time fastened together with irons by two and two ; and all this in the most sultry climate. The consequence of the whole is, that the most dangerous and fatal diseases are soon bred among them, whereby vast numbers of those exported from Africa perish in the voyage ; while others in dread of that slavery which is before them, and in distress and despair from the loss of their parents, their children, their hus- bands, their wives, all their dear connections, and their dear na- tive country itself, starve themselves to death or plunge themselves into the ocean. Those who attempt in the former of those ways to escape from their persecutors, are tortured by live coals applied to their mouths. Those who attempt an escape in the latter and fail, are equally tortured by the most cruel beating, or otherwise as their persecutors please. If any of them make an attempt, as they sometimes do, to recover their liberty, some, and as the cir- cumstances may be, many, are put to immediate death. Others beaten, bruised, cut and mangled in a most inhuman and shock- ing manner, are in this situation exhibited to the rest, to terrify them from the like attempt in future ; and some are delivered up to every species of torment, whether by the application of the whip, or of any other instrument, even of fire itself, as the inge- nuity of the ship-master and of his crew is able to suggest or their situation will admit ; and these torments are purposely con- tinued for several days, before death is permitted to afford relief to these objects of vengeance.* By these means, according to the common computation, twen- ty-five thousand, which is a fourth part of those who are exported from Africa, and by the concession of all, twenty thousand, an- nually perish, before they arrive at the places of their destination in America. * If any doubt these statements, they are requested to peruse Clarkson's History of the Abolition of the slave trade. This trade is at present carried on in all its horrors. 78 INJUSTICE AND IMPOLICY OF THE But this is by no means the end of the sufferings of this un- happy people. Bred up in a country spontaneously yielding the necessaries and conveniences of savage life, they have never been accustomed to labor ; of course they are but ill prepared to go through the fatigue and drudgery to which they are doomed in their state of slavery. Therefore partly by this cause, pardy by the scantiness and badness of their food, and partly from dejec- tion of spirits, mortification and despair, another twenty-five thousand die in the seasoning, as it is called, i. e. within two years after their arrival in America. This I say is the common computation. Or if we will in this particular be as favorable to the trade as in the estimate of the number which perishes on the passage, we may reckon the number which dies in the seasoning to be twenty thousand. So that of the hundred tliousand an- nually exported from Africa to America, fifty thousand, as it is commonly computed, or on the most favorable estimate, forty thousand, die before they are seasoned to the country. Nor is this all. The cruel sufferings of these pitiable beings are not yet at an end. Thenceforward they have to drag out a miserable fife in absolute slavery, entirely at the disposal of their masters, by whom not only every venial fault, every mere inad- vertence or mistake, but even real virtues, are liable to be con- strued into the most atrocious crimes, and punished as such, ac- cording to their caprice or rage, while they are intoxicated some- times witii strong drink, sometimes with passion. By these masters they are supplied with barely enough to keep them from starving, as the whole expense laid out on a slave for food, clothing and medicine is commonly computed on an ave- rage at thirty shillings sterling annually. At the same time they are kept at hard labor from five o'clock in the morning, till nine at night, excepting time to eat twice during the day. And they are constantly under the watchful eye of overseers and negro- drivers more tyrannical and cruel than even their masters them- selves. From these drivers, for every imagined, as well as real neglect or want of exertion, they receive the lash, the smack of which is all day long in the ears of those who are on the planta- tion or in the vicinity ; and it is used with such dexterity and se- verity, as not only to lacerate the skin, but to tear out small por- tions of the flesh at ahnost every stroke. This is the general treatment of the slaves.* But many indi- viduals suffer still more severely. Many are knocked down ; some * This declaration is not at the present time true ; at least as respects our own country. Instances of cruelty, undoubtedly, do occur, but it is believed receive no countenance from public opinion. — Ed. SLAVE TRADE, AND OF SLAVERY. 79 have their eyes beaten out ; some have an arm or a leg broken, or chopped off; and many for a very small or for no crime at all, have been beaten to death merely to gratify the fury of an en- raged master or overseer. Nor ought we on this occasion to overlook the wars among the nations of Africa excited by the trade, or the destruction attend- ant on those wars. Not to mention the destruction of property, the burning of towns and villages, etc. it has been determined by reasonable computation, that there are annually exported from Africa to the various parts of America, one hundred thousand slaves, as was before observed ; that of these, six thousand are captives of war ; that in the wars in which these are taken, ten persons of the victors and vanquished are killed, to one taken ; that therefore the taking of the six thousand captives is attended with the slaughter of sixty thousand of their countrymen. Now does not justice, does not humanity shrink from the idea, that in order to procure one slave to gratify our avarice, we should put to death ten human beings ? Or that in order to increase our property, and that only in some small degree, we should carry on a trade, or even connive at it, to support which sixty thousand of our own species are slain in war ? These sixty thousand, added to the forty thousand who perish on the passage and in the seasoning, gives us an hundred thou- sand who are annually destroyed by the trade ; and the whole advantage gained by this amazing destruction of human lives is sixty thousand slaves. For you will recollect, that the whole number exported from Africa is an hundred thousand ; that of these forty thousand die on the passage and in the seasoning, and sixty thousand are destroyed in the wars. Therefore while one hundred and sixty thousand are killed in the wars and are ex- ported from Africa, but sixty thousand are added to the stock of slaves. Now when we consider all this ; when we consider the mise- ries which this unhappy people suffer in their wars, in their cap- tivity, in their voyage to America, and during a wretched life of \J cruel slavery ; and especially when w^e consider the annual de- struction of an hundred thousand lives in the manner before men- tioned ; who can hesitate to declare this trade and the consequent slavery to be contrary to every principle of justice and humanity, of the law of nature and of the law of God. III. This trade and this slavery ai'e utterly ivrong on the ground of their impolicy. In a variety of respects they are ex- ceedingly hurtful to the state which tolerates them. 1. They are hurtful, as they deprave the morals of the people. 80 INJUSTICE AND IMPOLICY OF THE The incessant and inhuman cruehies practised in the trade and in the subsequent slavery, necessarily tend to harden the human heart against the tender feelings of humanity in the masters of vessels, in the sailors, in the factors, in the proprietors of the slaves, in their children, in the overseers, in the slaves themselves, and in all who habitually see those cruelties. Now the eradica- tion or even the diminution of compassion, tenderness and hu- manity, is certainly a great depravation of heart, and must be followed with correspondent depravity of manners. And mea- sures which lead to such depravity of heart and manners, cannot but be extremely hurtful to the state, and consequently are ex- tremely impolitic. 2. The trade is impolitic as it is so destructive of the lives of seamen. The ingenious Mr. Clarkson hath in a very satisfactory manner made it appear, that in the slave trade alone Great Britain loses annually about nineteen hundred seamen ; and that this loss is more than double the loss annually sustained by that country in all her other trade taken together. And doubtless we lose as many as Great Britain in proportion to the number of seamen whom we employ in this trade. Now can it be politic to carry on a trade which is so destructive of that useful part of our citi- zens, our seamen ? 3. African slavery is exceedingly impolitic, as it discourages industry. Nothing is more essential to the political prosperity of any state, than industry in the citizens. But in proportion as slaves are multiplied, every kind of labor becomes ignominious ; and in fact, in those of the United States, in which slaves are the most numerous, gentlemen and ladies of any fashion disdain to employ themselves in business, which in other states is consistent with the dignity of the first families and first offices. In a coun- try filled with negro slaves, labor belongs to them only, and a white man is despised in proportion as he applies to it. Now how destructive to industry in all of the lowest and middle class of citizens, such a situation and the prevalence of such ideas will be, you can easily conceive. The consequence is, that some will nearly starve, others will betake themselves to the most dishonest practices, to obtain the means of living. As slavery produces indolence in the white people, so it pro- duces all those vices which are naturally connected with it ; such as intemperance, lewdness and prodigality. These vices enfee- ble both the body and the mind, and unfit men for any vigorous exertions and employments either external or mental. And those who are unfit for such exertions, are already a very degenerate race ; degenerate, not only in a moral, but a natural sense. SLAVE TRADE, AND OF SLAVERY. 81 They are contemptible too, and will soon be despised even by their negroes themselves. Slavery tends to lewdness not only as it produces indolence, but as it affords abundant opportunity for that wickedness with- out either the danger and difficulty of an attack on the virtue of a woman of chastity, or of the danger of a connection with one of ill fame. And we learn the too frequent influence and effect of such a situation, not only from common fame, but from the multitude of mulattoes in countries where slaves are very numerous. Slavery has a most direct tendency to haughtiness also, and a domineering spirit and conduct in the proprietors of the slaves, in their children, and in all who have the control of them. A man who has been bred up in domineering over negroes, can scarcely avoid contracting such a habit of haughtiness and domination, as will express itself in his general treatment of mankind, whether in his private capacity, or in any office civil or military with which he may be vested. Despotism in economics naturally leads to despotism in politics, and domestic slavery in a free gov- ernment is a perfect solecism in human affairs. How baneful all these tendencies and effects of slavery must be to the public good, and especially to the public good of such a free country as ours, I need not inform you. 4. In the same proportion as industry and labor are discour- aged, is population discouraged and prevented. This is an- other respect in which slavery is exceedingly impolitic. That pop- ulation is prevented in proportion as industry is discouraged, is, I conceive, so plain that nothing needs to be said to illustrate it. Mankind in general will enter into matrimony as soon as they ^'^•)ssess the means of supporting a family. But the great body of any people have no other way of supporting themselves or a fam- ily, than by their own labor. Of course as labor is discouraged, matrimony is discouraged and population is prevented. But the impolicy of whatever produces these effects will be acknowledged by all. The wealth, strength and glory of a state depend on the number of its virtuous citizens ; and a state without citizens is at least as great an absurdity, as a king without subjects. 5. The impolicy of slavery still further appears from this, that it weakens the state, and in proportion to the degree in which it exists, exposes it to become an easy conquest. The increase of free citizens is an increase of the strength of the state. But not so with regard to the increase of slaves. They not only add no- thing to the strength of the state, but actually diminish it in pro- 'yortion to their number. Every slave is naturally an enemy to VoL.]^ 8 82 INJUSTICE AND IMPOLICY OF THE the state in which he is holden in slavery, and wants nothing but \ / an opportunity to assist in its overthrow. And an enemy within a state, is much more dangerous than one without it. These observations concerning the prevention of population and weakening the state, are supported by facts which have fall- en within our own observation. That the southern states, in which slaves are so numerous, are in no measure so populous, ac- cording to the extent of territory, as the northern, is a fact of universal notoriety ; and that during the late war, the southern states found themselves greatly weakened by their slaves, and therefore were so easily overrun by the British army, is equally notorious. From the view we have now taken of this subject, we scruple not to infer, that to carry on the slave trade and to introduce slaves into our country, is not only to be guilty of injustice, rob- bery and cruelty toward our fellow men ; but it is to inju.^e our- selves and our country ; and therefore it is altogether unjustifi- able, wicked and abominable. Having thus considered the injustice and ruinous tendency of the slave trade, I proceed to attend to the principal arguments urged in favor of it. 1. It is said that the Africans are the posterity of Ham, the son Noah ; that Canaan one of Ham's sons, was cursed by Noah to be a servant of servants ; that by Canaan we are to understand Ham's posterity in general ; that as his posterity are devoted by God to slavery, we have a right to enslave them. This is the argument ; to w^hich I answer : It is indeed generally thought that Ham peopled Africa ; but that the curse on Canaan extended to all the posterity of Ham is a mere imagination. The only reason given for it is, that Ca- naan was only one of Ham's sons ; and that it seems reasonable, that the curse of Ham's conduct should fall on all his posteri- ty, if on any. But this argument is insufficient. We might as clearly argue, that the judgments denounced on the house of David, on account of his sin in the matter of Uriah, must equally fall on all his posterity. Yet we know, that many of them lived and died in great prosperity. So in every case in which judg- ments are predicted concerning any nation or family. It is allowed in this argument, that the curse was to fall on the posterity of Ham, and not immediately on Ham himself; if otherwise, it is nothing to the purpose of the slave trade, or of any slaves now in existence. It being allowed then, that this curse was to fall on Ham's posterity, he who had a right to curse the whole of that posterity, had the same right to curse a part of SLAVE TRADE, AND OF SLAVERY. 83 it only, and the posterity of Canaan equally as any other part ; and a curse on Hatn's posterity in the line of Canaan was as real a curse on Hani himself, as a curse on all his posterity would have been. Tlierefore we have no ground to believe, that this curse re- spected any others, than the posterity of Canaan, who lived in the land of Canaan, which is well known to be remote from Af- rica. We have a particular account, that all the sons of Canaan settled in the land of Canaan ; as may be seen in Gen. 10: 15 — 20, " And Canaan begat Sidon his first-born, and Heth, and the Jebusite, and the Emorite, and the Girgasite, and the Ilivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite, and the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite ; and afterward were the families of the Ca- iiaanites spread abroad. And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon, as thou comest to Gerar, unto Gaza ; as thou goest unto Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, even unto La- shah." Nor have we account that any of their posterity except the Carthaginians afterward removed to any part of Africa ; and none will pretend that these peopled Africa in general ; especial- ly considering, that they were subdued, destroyed and so far ex- tirpated by the Romans. This curse then of the posterity of Canaan, had no reference to the inhabitants of Guinea, or of Africa in general ; but was ful- filled partly in Joshua's time, in the reduction and servitude of the Canaanites, and especially of the Gibeonites ; partly by what the Phenicians suffered from the Chaldeans, Persians and Greeks ; and finally by what the Carthaginians suffered from the P^-omans. Therefore this curse gives us no right to enslave the Africans, as we do by the slave trade, because it has no respect to the Af- ricans whom we enslave. Nor if it had respected them, would it have given any such right ; because it was not an institution of slavery, but a mere prophecy of it. And from this prophecy we have no more ground to infer the right of slavery, than we have from the prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem by Ne- buchadnezzar, or by the Romans, to infer their right respectively to destroy it in the manner they did ; or from other prophecies to infer the right of Judas to betray his master, or of the Jews to crucify him. 2. The right of slavery is inferred from the instance of Abra- ham, who had servants born in his house and bought with his money. But it is by no means certain, that these were slaves, as our negroes are. If they were, it is unaccountable, that he went out at the head of an army of them to fight his enemies. No West-India [)lanter would easily be induced to venture himself in such a situation. It is far more probable, that similar to some of 84 INJUSTICE AND IMPOLICY OF THE the vassals under the feudal constitution, the servants of Abra- ham were only in a good measure dependent on him, and pro- tected by him. But if they were to all intents and purposes slaves, Abraham's holding of them will no more prove the right of slavery, than his going in to Hagar, will prove it right for any man to indulge in criminal intercourse with his domestic. 3. From the divine permission given the Israelites to buy servants of the nations round about them, it is argued, that we have a right to buy the Africans and hold them in slavery. See Lev. 25: 44 — 47, " Both thy bondmen and thy bondmaids, which thou shalt have, shall be of the heathen that are round about you ; of them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids. Moreover, of the children of the strangers that do sojourn among you, of them shall ye buy, and of their families, that are with you, which they begat in your land ; and they shall be your possession. And ye shall take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them for a possession ; they shall be your bondmen forever ; but over your brethren the children of Israel ye shall not rule one over another with rigor." But if this be at all to the purpose, it is a permission to every nation under heaven to buy slaves of the nations round about them ; to us, to buy of our Indian neighbors ; to them, to buy of us ; to the French, to buy of the English, and to the English to buy of the French ; and so through the world. If then this argument be valid, every man has an entire right to engage in this trade, and to buy and sell any other man of another nation, and any other man of another nation has an entire right to buy and sell him. Thus according to this construction, Ave have in Lev. 25: 43, etc. an institution of a universal slave trade, by which every man may not only become a merchant, but may rightfully become the merchandise itself of this trade, and may be bought and sold like a beast. Now this consequence will be given up as absurd, and therefore also the construction of scripture from which it follows, must be given up. Yet it is presumed, that there is no avoiding that construction or the absurdity flowing from it, but by admitting, that this permis- sion to the Israelites to buy slaves has no respect to us, but was in the same manner peculiar to them, as the permission and command to subdue, destroy and extirpate the whole Canaanitish nation ; and therefore no more gives countenance to African sla- very, than the command to extirpate the Canaanites, gives coun- tenance to the extirpation of any nation in these days, by a uni- versal slaughter of men and women, young men and ma dens, infants and sucklings. (4) It is further pleaded, that there were slaves in the times of the apostles ; that they did not forbid the holding of those SLAVE TRADE, AND OF SLAVERY. 85 slaves, but gave directions to servants, doubtless referring to the servants of that day, to obey their masters, and count them wor- thy of all honor. To this the answer is, that the apostles teach the general du- ties of servants who are righteously in the state of servitude, as many are or may be, by hire, by indenture, and by judgment of a civil court. But they do not say, whether the servants in gen- eral of that day were justly holden in slavery or not. In like manner they lay down the general rules of obedience to civil magistrates, without deciding concerning the characters of the magistrates of the Roman empire in the reign of Nero. And as the apostle Paul requires masters to give their servants that which is just and equal (Col. 4 : 1), so if any were enslaved unjustly, of course he in this text requires of the masters of such, to give them their freedom. Thus the apostles treat the slavery of that day in the same manner that they treat the civil government ; and say nothing more in favor of the former, than they say in fa- vor of the latter. Besides, this argument from the slavery prevailing in the days of the apostles, if it prove anything, proves too much, and so confutes itself. It proves, that we may enslave all captives taken in war, of any nation, and in any the most unjust war, such as the wars of the Romans, which were generally undertaken from the motives of ambition or avarice. On the ground of this ar- gument we had a right to enslave the prisoners, whom we, during the late war, took from the British army ; and they had the same right to enslave those whom they took from us ; and so with re- spect to all other nations. 5. It is strongly urged, that the negroes brought from Africa are all captives of war, and therefore are justly bought and holden in slavery. This is a principal argument always urged by the advocates for slavery ; and in a solemn debate on this subject, it hath been strongly insisted on, very lately in the British parlia- ment. Therefore it requires our particular attention. Captives in a war just on their part, cannot be justly ensla- ved ; nor is this pretended. Therefore the captives who may be justly enslaved, must be taken in a war unjust on their part. But even on the supposition, that captives in such a war may be justly enslaved, it will not follow, that we can justly carry on the slave trade, as it is commonly carried on from the African coast. In this trade any slaves are purchased, who are onered for sale whether justly or unjustly enslaved. No inquiry is made whether they were captives in any war ; much less, whether they were captivated in a war unjust on their part. 86 INJUSTICE AND IMPOLICY OF THE By the most authentic accounts, it appears, that the wars in general in Africa are excited by the prospect of gain from the sale of the captives of the war. Therefore those taken by the assailants in such wars, cannot be justly enslaved. Beside these, many are kidnapped by those of the neighboring nations ; some by their own neighbors ; and some by their king or his agents ; others for debt or some trifling crime are condemned to perpetual slavery. But none of these are justly enslaved. And the traders make no inquiry concerning the mode or occasion of their first enslavement. They buy all that are offered, provided they like them and the price. So that the plea, that the African slaves are captives in war, is entirely insufficient to justify the slave trade as now carried on. But this is not all ; if it were ever so true, that all the negroes exported from Africa were captives in war, and that they were taken in a war unjust on their part ; still they could not be justly enslaved. We have no right to enslave a private foe in a state of nature, after he is conquered. Suppose in a state of nature one man rises against another and endeavors to kill him ; in this case the person assaulted has no right to kill the assailant, unless it be necessary to preserve his own life. But in wars between nations, one nation may no doubt secure itself against another, by other means than the slavery of its captives. If a nation be victorious in the war, it may exact some towns or a district of country, by way of caution ; or it may impose a fine to deter from future in- juries. If the nation be not victorious, it will do no good to en- slave the captives whom it has taken. It will provoke the victors, and foolishly excite vengeance which cannot be repelled. Or if neither nation be decidedly victorious, to enslave the cap- tives on either side can answer no good purpose, but must at least occasion the enslaving of the citizens of the other nation, who are now, or in future may be in a state of captivity. Such a practice therefore necessarily tends to evil and not good. Besides ; captives in war are generally common soldiers or com- mon citizens ; and they are generally ignorant of the true cause or causes of the war, and are by their superiors made to believe, that the war is entirely just on their part. Or if this be not the case, they may by force be compelled to serve in a war which they know to be unjust. In either of these cases they do not de- serve to be condemned to perpetual slavery. To inflict perpet- ual slavery on these private soldiers and citizens is manifestly not to do, as we would wish that men should do to us. If we were taken in a war unjust on our part, we should not think it right to be condemned to perpetual slavery. No more right is it for us SLAVE TRADE, AND OF SLAVERY. 87 to condemn and hold in perpetual slavery others, who are in the same situation. 6. It is argued, that as the Africans in their own country, previously to the purchase of them by the African traders, are captives in war ; if they were not bought up by those traders, they would be put to death ; that therefore to purchase them and to subject them to slavery instead of death, is an act of mercy not only lawful, but meritorious. If the case were indeed so as is now represented, the purchase of the negroes would be no more meritorious, than the act of a man, who, if we were taken by the Algerines, should purchase us out of that slavery. This would indeed be an act of benevo- lence, if the purchaser should set us at liberty. But it is no act of benevolence to buy a man out of one state into another no bet- ter. Nay, the act of ransoming a man from death gives no right to the ransomer to commit a crime or an act of injustice to the person ransomed. The person ransomed is doubtless obligated according to his ability to satisfy the ransomer for his expense and trouble. Yet the ransomer has no more right to enslave the other, than the man who saves the life of another who was about to be killed by a robber or an assassin, has a right to enslave him. The liberty of a man for life is a far greater good, than the pro- perty paid for a negro on the African coast. And to deprive a man of an immensely greater good, in order to recover one im- mensely less, is an immense injury and crime. 7. As to the pretence, that to prohibit or lay aside this trade, would be hurtful to our commerce ; it is sufficient to ask, whether on the supposition, that it were advantageous to the commerce of Great Britain to send her ships to these states, and transport us into perpetual slavery in the West Indies, it would be right that she should go into that trade. 8. That to prohibit the slave trade would infringe on the pro- perty of those, who have expended large sums to carry on that trade, or of those who wish to purchase the slaves for their plan- tations, hath also been urged as an argument in favor of the trade. But the same argument would prove, that if the skins and teeth of the negroes were as valuable articles of commerce as furs and elephant's teeth, and a merchant were to lay out his property in this commerce, he ought by no means to be obstructed therein. 9. But others will carry on the trade, if we do not. So others will rob, steal and murder, if we do not. 10. It is said, that some men are intended by nature to be slaves. If this mean, that the author of nature has given some men a license, to enslave others ; this is denied and proof is de- 88 INJUSTICE AND IMPOLICY OF THE manded. If it mean, that God hath made some of capacities in- ferior to otliers, and that the last have a right to enslave the first ; this argument will prove, that some of the citizens of every coun- try, have a right to enslave other citizens of the same country ; nay, that some have a right to enslave their ovv'n brothers and sis- ters. But if this argument mean, that God in his providence suffers some men to be enslaved, and that this proves, that from the beginning he intended they should be enslaved, and made them with this intention ; the answer is, that in like manner he suffers some men to be murdered, and in this sense, he intended and made them to be murdered. Yet no man in his senses will hence argue the lawfulness of murder. 11. It is further pretended, that no other men, than negroes, can endure labor in the hot climates of the West Indies and the southern states. But does this appear to be fact ? In all other climates, the laboring people are the most healthy. And I con- fess I have not yet seen evidence, but that those who have been accustomed to labor and are inured to those climates, can bear labor there also. However, taking for granted the fact asserted in this objection, does it follow, that the inhabitants of those coun- tries have a right to enslave the Africans to labor for them ? No more surely than from the circumstance, that you are feeble and cannot labor, it follows, that you have a right to enslave your ro- bust neighbor. As in all other cases, the feeble and those who choose not to labor, and yet wish to have their lands cultivated, are necessitated to hire the robust to labor for them ; so no rea- son can be given, why the inhabitants of hot climates, should not either perform their own labor, or hire those who can perform it, whether negroes or others. If our traders went to the coast of Africa to murder the inhab- itants, or to rob them of their property, all would own that such murderous or piratical practices are wicked and abominable. Now it is as really wicked to rob a man of his liberty, as to rob him of his life ; and it is much more wicked, than to rob him of his pro- perty. All men agree to condemn highway robbery. And the slave trade is as much a greater wickedness than highway rob- bery, as liberty is more valuable than property. How strange is it then, that in the same nation highway robbery should be pun- ished with death, and the slave trade be encouraged by national authority. We all dread political slavery, or subjection to the arbitrary power of a king or of any man or men not deriving their author- ity from the people. Yet such a state is inconceivably preferable to the slavery of the negroes. Suppose that in the late war we SLAVE TRADE, AND SLAVERY. 89 had been subdued by Great Britain ; we should have been taxed vvitliout our consent. But these taxes would have amounted to but a small part of our property. Whereas the negroes are de- prived of all their property ; no part of their earnings is their own ; the whole is their masters. In a conquered state we should have been at liberty to dispose of ourselves and of our property in most cases, as we should choose. We should have been free to live in this or that town or place ; in any part of the country, or to remove out of the country ; to apply to this or that busi- ness ; to labor or not ; and excepting a sufficiency for the taxes, to dispose of the fruit of our labor to our own benefit, or that of our children, or of any other person. But the unhappy negroes in slavery can do none of these things. They must do what they are commanded, and as much as they are commanded, on pain of the lasii. They must live where they are placed, and must con- fine themselves to that spot, on pain of death. So that Great Britain in her late attempt to enslave America, committed a very small crime indeed in comparison with the crime of those who enslave the Africans. The arguments which have been urged against the slave trade, are with little variation applicable to the holding of slaves. He who holds a slave, continues to deprive him of that liberty, which was taken from him on the coast of Africa. And if it were wrong to deprive him of it in tiie first instance, why not in the second ? If this be true, no man hath a better right to retain his negro in slavery, than he had to take him from his native African shores. And every man who cannot show, that his negro hath by his vo- luntary conduct forfeited his liberty, is obligated immediately to manumit him. Undoubtedly we should think so, were we holden in the same slavery in which the negroes are ; and our text re- quires us to do to others, as we would that they should do to us. To hold a slave, who has a right to his liberty, is not only a real crime, but a very great one. Many good christians have won- dered how Abraham, the father of the faithful, could take Hagar to his bed ; and how Sarah, celebrated as an holy woman, could consent to this transaction ; also how David and Solomon could have so many wives and concubines, and yet be real saints. Let such inquire how it is possible, that our fathers and men now alive, universally reputed pious, should hold negro slaves, and yet be the subjects of real piety ; and whether to reduce a man, who hath the same right to liberty as any other man, to a state of absolute slavery, or to hold him in that state, be not as great a crime as concubinage or ornication ? I presume it will not be denied, that to commit theft or robbery every day of a man's life, 90 INJUSTICE AND IMPOLICY OF THE is as great a sin as to commit fornication in one instance. But to steal a man or to rob him of his liberty is a greater sin, than to steal his property, or to take it by violence. And to hold a man in a state of slavery, who has a right to his liberty, is to be every day guilty of robbing him of his liberty, or of manstealing. The consequence is inevitable, that other things being the same, to hold a negro slave, unless he have forfeited his liberty, is a greater sin in the sight of God, than concubinage or fornication. Does this conclusion seem strange to any of you ? Let me en- treat you to weigh it candidly before you reject it. You will not deny, that liberty is more valuable than property ; and that it is a greater sin to deprive a man of his whole liberty during life, than to deprive him of his whole property ; or that man-stealing is a greater crime than robbery. Nor will you deny, that to hold in slavery a man ^vho was stolen, is substantially the same crime as to steal him. These principles being undeniable, I leave it to yourselves to draw the plain and necessary consequence. And if your consciences shall, in spite of all opposition, tell you, that while you hold your negroes in slavery, you do wrong, exceed- ingly wrong ; that you do not, as you would that men should do to you ; that you commit r,n in the sight of God ; that you daily violate the plain rights of mankind, and that in a higher degree, than if you committed theft or robbery ; let me beseech you not to stifle this conviction, but attend to it and act accordingly, lest you add to your former guilt, that of sinning against the light of truth, and of your own consciences. To convince yourselves, that your information being the same, to hold a negro slave is a greater sin than fornication, theft or rob- bery, you need only bring the matter home to yourselves. I am wilhng to appeal to your own consciences, whether you would not judge it to be a greater sin for a man to hold you or your child during life in such slavery, as that of the negroes, than for him to indulge in one instance of licentious conduct or in one in- stance to steal or rob. Let conscience speak, and I will submit to its decision. This question seems to be clearly decided by revelation. Ex. 21: 16, " He that stealeth a man and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death." Thus death is, by the divine express declaration, the punishment due to the crime of man-stealing. But death is not the punishment de- clared by God to be due to fornication, theft or robbery in com- mon cases. Therefore we have the divine authority to assert, that man-stealing is a greater crime than fornication, theft, or robbery. Now to hold in slavery a man who has a right to lib- SLAVE TRADE, AND SLAVERY. 91 erty, is substantially the same crime as to deprive him of his lib- erty. And to deprive of liberty and reduce to slavery, a man who has a right to liberty, is man-stealing. For it is immaterial whether he be taken and reduced to slavery clandestinely or by open violence. Therefore if the negroes have a right to liberty, to hold them in slavery is man-stealing, which we have seen is, by God himself, declared to be a greater crime than fornication, theft or robbery. Perhaps, though this truth be clearly demonstrable both from reason and revelation, you scarcely dare receive it, because it seems to bear hardly on the characters of our pious fathers, who held slaves. But they did it ignorantly and in unbelief of the truth ; as Abraham, Jacob, David and Solomon were ignorant that po- lygamy or concubinage was wrong. As to domestic slavery our fathers lived in a time of ignorance which God ivinked at ; but now he commandeth all men everywhere to repent of this wick- edness, and to break off this sin by righteousness, and this in- iquity by shelving mercy to the poor, if it may be a lengthen- ing out of their tranquillity. You therefore to whom the present blaze of light as to this subject has reached, cannot sin at so cheap a rate as our fathers. But methinks I hear some say, I have bought my negro ; T have paid a large sum for him ; I cannot lose this sum, and therefore I cannot manumit him. Alas ! this is hitting the nail on the head. This brings into view the true cause which makes it so difficult to convince men of what is right in this case. You re- collect the story of Amaziah's hiring an hundred thousand men of Israel, for an hundred talents, to assist him against the Edom- ites ; and that when by the word of the Lord, he was forbidden to take those hired men with him to the war, he cried out, " But what shall we do for the hundred talents, which I have given to the army of Israel ?" In this case, the answer of God was, " The Lord is able to give thee much more than this." To apply this to the subject before us, God is able to give thee much more than thou shalt lose by manumitting thy slave. You may plead that you use your slave well ; you are not cruel to him, but feed and clothe him comfortably, etc. Still every day you rob him of a most valuable and important right. And a highwayman, who robs a man of his money in the most easy and complaisant manner, is still a robber ; and murder may be effected in a manner the least cruel and tormenting ; still it is murder. Having now taken that view of our subject, which vv'as pro- posed, we may in reflection see abundant reason to acquiesce in 92 INJUSTICE AND IMPOLICY OF THE the institution of this society. If the slave trade be unjust, and as gross a violation of the rights of mankind, as M^ould be, if the Africans should transport us into perpetual slavery in Africa, then to unite our influence against it, is a duty which we owe to man- kind, to ourselves and to God too. It is but doing as we would that men should do to us. Nor is it enough that we have form- ed the society ; we must do the duties of it. The first of these is to put an end to the slave trade. The second is to relieve those who, contrary to the laws of tiie country, are holden in bondage. Another is to defend those in their remaining legal and natural rights, who are by law holden in bondage. Another and not the least important object of this society, I conceive to be, to increase and disperse the light of truth with respect to the subject of African slavery, and so prepare the way for its total abolition. For until men in general are convinced of the injustice of the trade and of the slavery itself, comparatively lit- tle can be done to effect the most important purposes of the in- stitution. It is not to be doubted, that the trade is even now carried on from this state. Vessels are from time to time fitted out for the coast of Africa, to transport the negroes to the West Indies and other parts. Nor will an end be put to this trade, without vigi- lance and strenuous exertion on the part of this society, or other friends of humanity, nor without a patient enduring of the oppo- sition and odium of all who are concerned in it, of their friends and of all who are of the opinion that it is justifiable. Among these we are doubtless to reckon some of large property and con- siderable influence. And if the laws and customs of the country equally allowed of it, many, and perhaps as many as now plead for the right of the African slave trade, would plead for the right of kidnapping us, the citizens of the United States, and of selling us into perpetual slavery. If then we dare not incur the dis- pleasure of such men, we may as well dissolve the society, and leave the slave trade to be carried on, and the negroes to be kid- napped, and though free in this state, to be sold into perpetual slavery in distant parts, at the pleasure of any man, who wishes to make gain by such abominable practices. Though we must expect opposition, yet if we be steady and persevering, we need not fear, that we shall fail of success. The advantages, which the cause has already gained, are many and great. Thirty years ago, scarcely a man in this country thought either the slave trade or the slavery of negroes to be wrong. But now how many and able advocates in private life, in our legislatures, in Congress, have appeared and have openly and ir- SLAVE TRADE, AND OF SLAVERY. 93 refiagably pleaded the rights of humanity in this as well as other instances ? Nay, tlie great body of the people from New Hamp- shire to Virginia inclusively, have obtained such light, that in all those states the further importation of slaves is prohibited by law. And in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, slavery is totally abolished. Nor is the light concerning this subject confined to America. It hath appeared with great clearness in France, and produced remarkable effects in the National Assembly. It hath also shone in bright beams in Great Britain. It flashes with splendor in the writings of Clarkson and in the proceedings of several societies formed to abolish the slave trade. Nor hath it been possible to shut it out of the British parliament. This light is still increas- ing, and in time will effect a total revolution. And if we judge of the future by the past, within fifty years from this time, it will be as shameful for a man to hold a negro slave, as to be guilty of common robbery or theft. But it is our duty to remove the ob- stacles which intercept the rays of this light, that it may reach not only public bodies, but every individual. And when it shall have obtained a general spread, shall have dispelled all darkness, and slavery shall be no more ; it will be an honor to be recorded in history, as a society which was formed, and which exerted it- self with vigor and fidelity, to bring about an event so necessary and conducive to the interests of humanity and virtue, to the support of the rights and to the advancement of the happiness of mankind. APPENDIX. Some objections to the doctrine of the preceding sermon, have been mentioned to the author, since the delivery of it. Of these it may be proper to take some notice. 1. The slaves are in a better situation than that in which they were in their own country ; especially as they have opportunity to know the Christian religion and to secure the saving blessings of it. Therefore it is not an injury, but a benefit to bring them into this country, even though their importation be accompanied and followed with slavery. It is also said, that the situation of many negroes under their masters is much better, than it would be, were they free in this country ; that they are much better fed and clothed, and are much more happy ; that therefore to hold them in slavery is so far from a crime, that it is a meritorious act. Vol. II. 19 94 INJUSTICE AND IMPOLICY OF THE With regard to these pleas, it is to be observed, that every man hath a right to judge concerning his own happiness, and to choose the means of obtaining or promoting it ; and to deprive him of this right is the very injury of which we complain ; it is to enslave him. Because we judge, that the negroes are more happy in this country, in a state of slavery, than in the enjoyment of liberty in Africa, we have no more right to enslave them and bring them into this country, than we have to enslave any of our neighbors, who we judge would be more happy under our control, than they are at present under their own. Let us make the case our own. Should we believe, that we were justly treated, if the Africans should carry us into perpetual slavery in Africa, on the ground that they judged, that we should be more happy in that state, than in our present situation ? As to the opportunity which the negroes in this country are said to have, to become acquainted with Christianity ; this with respect to many is granted ; but what follows from it ? It would be ridiculous to pretend, that this is the motive on which they act who import them, or they who buy and hold them in slavery. Or if this were the motive, it would not sanctify either the trade or the slavery. We are not at liberty to do evil, that good may come ; to commit a crime more aggravated than theft or robbery, that we may make a proselyte to Christianity. Neither our Lord Jesus Christ, nor any of his apostles, has taught us this mode of propagating the faith. 2. It is said that the doctrine of the preceding sermon imputes that as a crime to individuals, which is owing to the state of so- ciety. This is granted; and what follows? It is owing to the state of society, that our neighbors, the Indians, roast their cap- tives ; and does it hence follow, that such conduct is not to be imputed to the individual agents as a crime ? It is owing to the state of society in Popish countries, that thousands worship the beast and his image ; and is that worship therefore not to be im- puted as a crime to those, who render it ? Read the Revelation of St. John. The state of society is such, that drunkenness and adultery are very common in some countries ; but will it follow, that those vices are innocent in those countries ? 3. If I be ever so willing to manumit my slave, I cannot do it without being holden to maintain him, when he shall be sick or shall be' old and decrepit. Therefore I have a right to hold him as a slave. The same argument will prove, that you have a right to enslave your children or your parents ; as you are equally holden to maintain them in sickness and in decrepit old age. The argument implies, that in order to secure the money, which SLAVE TRADE, AND OF SLAA-^ERY. 93 you are afraid the laws of your country will some time or other oblige you to pay ; it is right for you to rob a free man of his liberty or be guilty of man-stealing. On the ground of this argu- ment every town or parish obligated by law, to maintain its help- less poor, has a right to sell into perpetual slavery all the peo- ple, who may probably or even possibly occasion a public ex- pense. 4. After all, it is not safe to manumit the negroes ; they would cut our throats ; they would endanger the peace and government of the state. Or at least they would be so idle, that they would not provide themselves with necessaries ; of course they must Uve by thievery and plundering. This objection requires a different answer, as it respects the northern, and as it respects the southern states. As it respects the northern, in which slaves are so few, there is not the least foundation to imagine, that they would combine or make insur- rection against the government ; or that they would attempt to murder their masters. They are much more likely to kill their masters, in order to obtain their liberty, or to revenge the abuse they receive, while it is still continued, than to do it after the abuse hath ceased, and they are restored to their liberty. In this case, they w'ould from a sense of gratitude, or at least from a conviction of the justice of their masters, feel a-strong attachment, instead of a murderous disposition. Nor is there the least danger, but that by a proper vigilance of the selectmen, and by a strict execution of the laws now exist- ing, the negroes might in a tolerable degree be kept from idleness and pilfering. All this hath been verified by experiment. In Massachusetts, all the negroes in the commonwealth were by their new constitu- tion liberated in a day ; and none of the ill consequences objected followed either to the commonwealth or to individuals. With regard to the southern states, the case is different. The negroes in some parts of those states are a great majority of the whole, and therefore the evils objected would, in case of a general nianumission at once, be more likely to take place. But in the first place there is no prospect, that the conviction of the truth exhibited in the preceding discourse, will at once, take place in the minds of all the holders of slaves. The utmost that can be expected, is that it will take place gradually in one after another, and that of course the slaves will be gradually manumitted. There- fore the evils of a general manumission at once, are dreaded without reason. If in any state the slaves should be manumitted in considerable 96 INJUSTICE AND IMPOLICY OF THE numbers at once, or so that the number of free negroes should become large ; various measures might be concerted to prevent the evils feared. One I beg leave to propose : Tiiat overseers of the free negroes be appointed from among themselves, who shall be empowered to inspect the morals and management of the rest, and report to proper authority those who are vicious, idle or incapable of managing their own affairs, and that such author- ity dispose of them under proper masters for a year or other term, as is done, perhaps in all the states, with regard to the poor white people in like manner vicious, idle or incapable of management. Such black overseers would naturally be ambitious to discharge the duties of their office ; they would in many respects have much more influence than white men with their countrymen ; and other negroes looking forward to the same honorable distinc- tion, would endeavor to deserve it by their improvement and good conduct. But after all, this whole objection, if it were ever so entirely founded on truth ; if the freed negroes would probably rise against their masters, or combine against government ; rests on the same ground, as the apology of the robber, who murders the man whom he has robbed. Says the robber to himself, I have robbed this man, and now if I let him go he will kill me, or he will complain to authority and I shall be apprehended and hung. I must there- fore kill him. There is no other way of safety for me. The coincidence between this reasoning and that of the objection un- der consideration, must be manifest to all. And if this reasoning of the robber be inconclusive ; if the robber have no right on that ground to kill the man whom he hath robbed ; neither have the slave holders any more right to continue to hold their slaves. If the robber ought to spare the life of the man robbed, take his own chance and esteem himself happy if he can escape justice ; so the slave holders ought immediately to let their slaves go free, treat them with the utmost kindness, by such treatment endeavor to pacify them with respect to past injuries, and esteem them- selves happy, if they can compromise the matter in this manner. In all countries in which the slaves are a majority of the in- habitants, the masters lie in a great measure at the mercy of the slaves, and may most rationally expect sooner or later, to be cut off, or driven out by the slaves, or to be reduced to the same level and to be mingled with them into one common mass. This I think is by ancient and modern events demonstrated to be the natural and necessary course of human affairs. The hewers of wood and drawers of water among the Israelites, the Helots among the Lacedemonians, the slaves among the Romans, the SLAVE TRADE, AND SLAVERY. 97 villains and vassals in most of the kingdoms of Europe under the feudal system, have long since mixed with the common mass of the people, and shared the common privileges and honors of their respective countries. And in the French West-Indies the Mu- lattoes and free negroes are already become so numerous and powerful a body, as to be allowed by the National Assembly to enjoy the common rights and honors of free men. These facts plainly show, what the whites in the West-Indies and the South- ern States are to expect concerning their posterity, that in time it will infallibly be amalgamated with the slave population, or else they must quit the country to the Africans whom they have hith- erto holden in bondage. 9* SERMON VI. ALL DIVL\E TRUTH PROFITABLE * Acts 20 : 20. — And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you. These words are a part of the farewell discourse of Paul, to the elders of the church at Ephesus. In his journey to Jerusa- lem, he sent for them to Miletus. When they met him there, he appealed to them as to the manner in which he had executed the ministry among them ; that he had been with them at all times, serving the Lord with all humility, and with many temp- tations ; that in his preaching he had kept back nothing which was profitable to them, but had declared to them all the counsel of God. Thus by comparing one part of the context with an- other, we learn that all the counsel of God is profitable and may be preached profitably to the hearers. The counsel of God is the revealed will or truth of God. Therefore our text taken with the context, aflfords this doctrine : That all divine ti'uth may he profitably preached to mankind in general. Doubtless the church at Ephesus was made up chiefly of com- mon men, men of common abilities, and of no more than com- mon literary improvement ; and if Paul preached all the counsel of God profitably to them, without doubt the same may be done with like profit to mankind in general, provided they be in like manner disposed to make a profitable use of it. I shall consider this doctrine with regard to several particular divine truths, espe- cially those, which some imagine cannot be profitably preached to people in general. 1. The divine existence and character and the 'mode of the divine subsistence, so far as it is revealed in scripture. That it is profitable to preach the existence of the one only living and true God, and to preach his attributes of infinite power, know- ledge, wisdom, holiness, justice, goodness and truth, it is presu- * Preached at Hamden, Jan. 11, 1792, at the ordination of the Rev. Dan Bradley, to the pastoral chai'ge of the first church in Whitestown, N. Y. Publislied at New Haven, ALL DIVINE TRUTH PROFITABLE. 99 med none will deny. The more clearly his character and attri- butes are exhibited, the more clearly will be seen the object and foundation of all piety ; and the stronger will be the motive to the inward emotions and to the external practice of piety. Therefore such preaching must be profitable. Nor is the preach- ing of the mode of the divine subsistence revealed in scripture, incapable of affording profit ; otherwise why was it revealed ? The scripture tells us " There are three that bear record in hea- ven ; the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost ; and these three are one ;" that the Son or '' the Word was in the begin- ning, was with God and was God ;" that " he is the true God and eternal life ;" that " he is in the form of God and counts it no robbery to be equal with God ;" and therefore all divine names, attributes and works are ascribed, and divine worship is rendered to him, equally as to the Father. These things argue that he is equally God, as the Father. When our Lord claimed to be the Son of God, and said that he and his Father were one, the Jews certainly understood him to claim real divinity, or to '• make himself God." Therefore they took up stones to stone him as a blasphemer ; and this sup- posed blasphemy was the ground of the charge on which they condemned him and besought Pilate that he might be crucified; see Matt. 26: 63. John 19: 7. Undoubtedly he was a blasphe- mer, if being a mere man, he claimed to be God and equal with him. In exalting himself to an equality with God, he degraded God to a level with himself. Now that every blasphemer should suflfer death was expressly ordained by the law of God delivered by Moses, and by that law the Jews were bound. Therefore if Jesus were not truly God and equal with the Father, he was just- ly crucified, either as a blasphemer, if he claimed and meant to claim, real divinity ; or because he foolishly and obstinately neg- lected to explain himself, if he did not mean to claim real divini- ty, when it was manifest that his adversaries understood him to claim it. That the Holy Ghost also is truly God, appears, as he is ex- pressly called God ; as we are baptized, and the evangelical bene- diction is pronounced, equally in his name, as in the name of the Father and of the Son ; as he is one of the three that bear record in heaven, which three are declared to be one ; and as divine W'orks are ascribed to him. These three are not only all divine and equal ; but in opposi- tion to the ancient and exploded doctrine of Sabellianism, they are three distinct persons, and not merely three characters of the same person. Any man may sustain and act in three characters ; 100 ALL DIVINE TRUTH PROFITABLE. and according to this account of the divine subsistence, there is no more a Trinity in God, than there is or may be in every man. It is said that " God so loved the world, that he gave his only be- gotten Son," etc. ; that " God sent his Son into the world, that the world through him might be saved ;" and Christ says, " I must work the works of him that sent me." And of him it is said, " Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee." And that Christ is often called God's Son, his servant, his messenger, his angel, his shepherd, his fellow, etc. I need not inform you. In like manner the Father is said to give and to send the Holy Ghost. But it is absurd to say a person sends himself, is a Son to himself, begat himself, is a servant, a messenger, an angel, a shepherd, a fellow to himself. " In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, the same was in the beginning with God.'' But how trifling would it be to say, that a man is with himself! Suppose a man sustains the three characters of a merchant, a justice of the quorum and a colonel of the militia ; would it be proper to say, that the merchant sent the justice to court to try a cause ? or that the merchant and the justice sent the colonel to review his regiment ? or that the justice and the colonel sent the merchant to purchase goods ? As to the plea, that a man cannot act in three characters at the same time, but that God can ; it affords no relief to the diffi- culty. The difficulty is, that this scheme admits of no other Trinity in God, than is or may be in any man, and that on this hypothesis, the Deity as to a Trinity, or triplicity of subsistence, is not distinguished from man. The answer now given is that God is distinguished from man, in that he acts in three charac- ters at the same time, which man cannot do. But this gives no satisfaction ; for no mere man can do three things at once in the same character, and he is as capable of doing three things at once in three different characters, as he is of doing three things at once in the same character ; and the Deity is no more distin- guished from man in his ability to do three things at once in three characters, than in his ability to do three things at once in one and the same character. Besides ; the plea now under con- sideration supposes the Trinity to consist, not as the Sabellian scheme supposes, in the three characters which God sustains ; for if the sustaining of three characters constituted the Trinity, any man is or may be a trinity ; but it supposes it to consist in the divine ability to do at once three things belonging to three different characters or offices ; which is to place the Trinity in the ability to do three things at once. For he who can do any ALL DIVINE TRUTH PROFITABLE. 101 three things at once, can doubtless as easily at once do three things in three different characters, as at once do three things in one'^and the same character. But this makes the Trinity and tlie divine omnipotence to be one and the same thing. Now that the doctrine of the Trinity is profitable will appear, if we consider how necessary the knowledge of it is to the un- derstanding of the gospel, or the scheme of redemption by Jesus Christ. We cannot understand this scheme unless we know who the Savior is. Nor can we rationally and with comfort and sat- isfaction believe and trust in him, unless we know his sufficiency as a Savior ; his sufficiency in power to subdue our corruptions, to sanctify our souls, to conquer satan and all our spiritual foes and to uphold us to the end ; his sufficiency in wisdom to disap- point the devices of om- grand adversary and of all men who are employed in his service, and to make us wise unto salvation ; his sufficiency in goodness and grace to forgive our sins, to watch over us continually for our preservation, to intercede for us with the Father, and to dispense to us grace to help in time of need ; and the sufficiency of his merit and the price of his redemption, or his propitiatory sacrifice, to atone for all our sins, and to pro- cure our acceptance with the Father. Now, if he be a divine person his sufficiency in these and all other respects appears at once. But if he were not a divine person, might we not doubt, yea positively deny his sufficiency ? How should a finite price redeem us from an endless or infinite punishment ? How should a finite atonement satisfy for crimes deserving a punishment without end ? If Christ were a mere creature, we might well dis- believe either the scriptural doctrine of endless punishment, or the sufficiency of the Redeemer. No wonder therefore, that those who disbelieve the divinity of Christ, do generally, if not universally, disbelieve the endless misery of those who die im- penitent. 2. The doctrine of the divine decrees which teaches that God hath foreordained whatsoever cometh to pass, is a profitable doc- trine. It would seem unaccountable that God should build such a vast structure, as that of the created universe, and not fix the scheme of it in his own mind, before he began ; but should enter upon it without design, without plan, without system. How could this be reconciled with even human wisdom ; much more with divine, which is infinite ? If a human architect, about to build should collect materials of various kinds and dimensions ; but should collect them without design and without determining their proper uses and applications ; we should all agree to con- demn him either for his ignorance or his negligence. 102 ALL DIVINE TRUTH PROFITABLE. Thus we conceive concerning all human works ; and thus we conceive concerning all the divine works throughout the material and irrational creation. And the only reason why we do not agree to conceive in like manner concerning the works of God in the rational creation, is the idea, that if God were to determine beforehand all events in this part of his kingdom, it would be in- consistent with the liberty of rational creatures. If by liberty be meant freedom from all certainty or certain and fixed futurity of the state and actions of rational creatures ; I grant that the divine decrees are utterly inconsistent with hberty. But such a freedom from certainty is perfect uncertainty, contingence or chance ; and that an action may in this sense be free, it must be uncaused and happen by pure contingence. To say, that it is not uncaused, but caused by the rational creature himself, whose action it is, aflfords no satisfaction ; because, in the first place, if it be so, it must be caused by an antecedent action, and for the same reason that antecedent action must be caused by another action antece- dent to that, and so on in an infinite series ; which is absurd. In the second place, to cause our own actions will contribute nothing toward liberty, unless we cause them freely, that is, in the sense now under consideration, contingently and by pure chance. To cause them any otherwise, is to cause them under an established certainty or moral necessity. But what advantage it affords toward liberty, to cause our own actions by pure contingence, more than to become the subjects of them by pure contingence without our own causality, seems hard to be conceived. Indeed as to liberty and accountableness, they appear to be one and the same thing. And no wonder this scheme of liberty is inconsis- tent with the divine decrees ; for it is equally inconsistent with any Providence in the moral world, with any wise divine govern- ment of rational creatures, with any final cause of their creation, and implies that they are equally delivered up to chance, as Epi- curus' atoms were in their eternal floating in the infinite inane. But if giving up this idea of liberty, we mean by that word, not a freedom from all certainty and causality from without, but a freedom from all involuntary necessity and restraint ;* divine decrees are not at all inconsistent with liberty. Thus Judas chose to betray his Lord, and by the very term he chose it vol- untarily ; it was an act of his will, and in it he was free from all involuntary necessity ; of course he was free in that act ; for this is the definition of freedom now given. And surely a divine de- cree, that he should act voluntarily and without an involuntary * By involuntary necessity and restraint I mean a necessity aiid restraint to which the will is or may be opposed. ALL DIVINE TRUTH PROFITABLE. 103 necessity, did not bring it to pass, that he acted involuntarily and under the influence of an involuntary necessity. He was also free to have not betrayed his Lord, and to have chosen not to betray him, as he voluntarily omitted this choice, and was under no involuntary restraint from it. The Jews did not receive the gospel ; yet they were free to receive it, as they voluntarily reject- ed it, and were free from all involuntary restraint from receiving it ; for this is the very definition of liberty in case of omission of an action. And the divine decree, that they should be free from this restraint, did not bring it to pass that they should not be free from it, or subject them to it, which it must do, to be at all in- consistent with their liberty. The divine decrees are so far from opposing or destroying hu- man liberty, that they secure it ; as they make it certain that a man will act or not act voluntarily and without any involuntary ne- cessity or restraint, so they make it certain, that he will be free. Some profess to believe firmly both absolute decrees and hu- man liberty ; and at the same time profess not to be able to see their consistence. The cause of this apparent inconsistence must doubtless be, that such persons entertain the erroneous idea of lib- erty, that it consists in contingence. Only let them define to themselves liberty, and they will be able to resolve their own doubts. If they mean by it a liberty of contingence or chance, there is, as was before observed, a perfect inconsistence between human liberty and divine decrees. But if they mean by it free- dom from involuntary necessity and restraint, there is not the least inconsistence. If any one should say, that this 5reedom from involuntary ne- cessity and restraint does not contain the whole of human liberty, because beasts possess it as they act spontaneously, yet they have not liberty ; I beg leave to ask such a person, what right he has to say, that beasts have not liberty, even on the supposition, that liberty implies contingence and self-determination ? How does it appear, but that they act as much by chance as men do, and produce one act of will in their own mind by another, as really as men do ? It is true, they are not accountable creatures ; but this is because they have not sufficient intelligence or reason ; and does not appear to be owing to the want of either contingence or self-determination ; or rather of contingence alone ; because self-determination will not imply any degree of that liberty which I am opposing, unless it be exercised with perfect contingence. This doctrine of the divine decrees is profitable, as it shows us God's supremacy and sovereignty, and our entire dependence ; as it teaches us, that nothing comes to pass which is not wisely ]04 ALL DIVINE TRUTH PROFITABLE. permitted and ordered ; and that God will finally bring all things to a happy issue ; since otherwise he would not have decreed them. This doctrine also happily tends to reconcile us to the dispensations of Providence, and to make us patient and content ed under all its allotments. Surely we ought to be contented, since everything takes place according to the wise, holy, good and perfect decree of God. 3. That there is a universal providence of God naturally fol- lows from the divine decrees. This is but the execution of God's decrees. That the divine providence extends to every the most minute event, the scriptures teach, in that they assure us that " a sparrow falleth not to the ground, without our heavenly Father, and that the very hairs of our heads are all numbered." This view of providence is useful, as it brings God constantly into our view. The events of providence are the language of the Deity to us. All prosperous events teach us his goodness and call for our gratitude. All adverse events are chastisements for our sins, and call for our humiliation. Thus the proper use of divine providence is, to live as seeing him who is invisible. This doctrine as well as the divine decrees, tends to reconcile us to all events which befall us. As the judge of all the earth will do right, so every event of his providence is perfectly right, as or- dered by him ; and as connected with the whole system, it is the best that possibly could take place ; and the whole system of creation and providence taken together is the best possible. Otherwise how shall we reconcile it with the perfections of God ? If God have chosen a meaner system instead of a more excellent one, it seems it must have been owing to a defect of power, of wisdom, or of goodness. 4. That we are fallen creatures, totally depraved by nature, is a clear and useful doctrine of scripture. The scripture assures us, that " every imagination of the thoughts of man's heart is only evil continually ;" that by nature men are " dead in trespasses and sins ;" that " there is none that seeketh after God ;" and that " there is no fear of God before their eyes." Surely if we had any principle of moral goodness in us by nature, it would dispose us to seek after God at least. And if we have no fear of God, we can have no moral goodness, for the fear of the Lord is the first beginning of wisdom. The same is evident from reason also. Every man in every moral act either loves God supremely or loves some other object supremely. If any man love God supremely, he is entitled to the promises of the gospel and of eternal life. But it is not pre- tended by those who deny the total depravity of human nature, ALL DIVINE TRUTH PROFITABLE. 105 that any man in a natural state loves God supremely, or is en- titled to the promises of eternal life. Their scheme is, that man- kind by nature are the subjects of a defective kind of virtue, and that in this very respect it is defective, that they do not love God supremely, but to some inferior degree only, preferring other things before him ; and that when any are brought to love God supremely, they are regenerate. Now if these things be so ; if man do not by nature love God supremely ; of course in all his moral acts he loves some other object or objects supremely. But to love other objects supremely, and to set them in our esteem and affections above the Deity is positive sin. This is the sin of the selfish man, the worldling, the miser, the drunkard, the debauchee, etc. And if all men by nature, in all their moral acts, love other objects more than God ; then all their moral acts are positively sinful, and all men are by nature totally depraved. Thus this doctrine is clearly taught both by scripture and reason. The distinction which some endeavor to make in this case be- tween negative and positive sin, pleading that though all the moral acts of the unregenerate are negatively sinful, since they do not love God supremely as they ought ; yet all their moral acts are not positively sinful ; appears to be groundless. For whoever does not love God supremely is guilty not only of neg- ative sin in not loving God supremely, but of positive sin in actu- ally loving some other object supremely, and in preference to the Deity. And if we say, that this is a negative sin only, we might as well say that the drunkard commits negative sin only, in his supreme love of his cups. The plea is, that the unregenerate do not love the objects of time and sense too much, but love God too little ; and that if they loved God enough, their love to the ob- jects of time and sense would do no harm, and would be no sin. But this same reasoning will equally prove, that the drunkard is guilty of no positive sin. For if he loved God supremely, his love to his cups would do no harm and would be no sin ; be- cause he would restrain his appetite within due bounds, and in- dulge it no further than is consistent with God's will and subser- vient to his glory. The bare involuntary appetite for strong drink is neither sin nor virtue, any more than the bare appetite for food ; but the voluntary indulgence of it is a positive voluntary act ; and in the drunkard, as he loves strong drink supremely, is a sinful act ; and consequently is a positive sin. Now if the drunkard were to become the subject of supreme love to God, he would no longer be a drunkard, and would no longer love strong drink supremely, but would govern his appetite by the divine law. Therefore now his love or appetite for strong drink is no sin Vol. II. 10 106 ALL DIVINE TRUTH PROFITABLE. truly, and the reason is that he does not now exercise this love nor indulge this appetite as he did before, and from the nature of the case, it is impossible he should ; as now he is supposed to be a very different man and to love God supremely. His involuntary appetite or craving after strong drink may for a time remain for substance the same as before ; but it is absurd and contradictory to suppose that he should indulge it, as he did before. So far as he does thus indulge it, he does not love God supremely. Now all the moral acts of the unregenerate, as in them they equally prefer other objects before God, are as really positive acts and positively sinful too, as the drunkard's voluntary love of strong drink, and his consent to indulge his appetite. And as the latter is without dispute a positive sin, so are the former. When it is said, that the unregenerate do not love the things of the world too much ; but love God too little ; if the meaning be, that they do not love those things too much, provided they loved and sought them in a manner agreeable to the will of God and in subserviency to his glory ; this is granted. But to love the world thus, is to love God supremely ; and to say, that the unregenerate do not love God, with a supreme affection which is too strong, when it is granted on all hands, that they do not love him supremely at all, is mere trifling. If the meaning be, that the unregenerate do not love the things of the world with too strong a direct and ultimate affection, making a supreme good of them ; this is not true. This love of the things of the world is the same with the supreme love of them ; and they cer- tainly do love them supremely. Every man must have some su- preme object ; and in this case, there is no medium between God and the creature. And those who do not love God supremely, of course love the creature supremely ; and all supreme love of the creature is too strong ; as this kind of love of the creature ought not to be indulged or exercised at all. It is said that the unregenerate do not love the world more than the regenerate do. But this is not true, if by loving the world be meant setting their hearts upon it, placing their happi- ness in it, depending on it, or in one word loving it supremely. If the meaning of the expression be, that the unregenerate do not take more pleasure in the enjoyment of the good things of life, than the regenerate do ; this may be true ; and there is no sin in taking pleasure in the enjoyments of the world, provided it be according to the will of God. Nor is the doctrine of total depravity less useful than it is true. It is certainly useful, that we know our real state and characters. They that are whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. AH, DIVINE TRUTH PROFITABLE. 107 The first step toward a remedy, is the investigation of our dis- ease. A knowledge of our depravity prepares the way for con- viction, humiliation, repentance, faith in the Mediator, and other christian graces. But if we misconceive concerning our own characters, the mistake may be fatal. 5. The strictness and terrors of the divine law are important, and the teaching of them profitable. So strict is the divine law, that it allows of no sin in external action, in word or in thought ; and so terrible as to threaten an endless punishment for every violation. This is indeed dreadful ; yet if it be a reality, it is most necessary to be known, and the knowledge of it may be most profitable. The greater the danger, the more necessary is the knowledge of it, and the stronger the motive to escape. 6. That there is salvation for mankind through Christ, and through him only, is a most important and profitable doctrine. The scriptures abundantly teach both these particulars. " Christ came to seek and to save them that were lost." " Through his name whosoever believeth in him, shall receive remission of sins." " He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved ; but he that believeth not, shall be damned." " Other foundation can no man lay, than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." " There is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Thus there is provided by infinite grace an all-suffi- cient Savior, who is every way able to save to the uttermost, all who come to him ; and at the same time we are shut up to the faith of Christ. I am sensible, that many have flattered themselves, that they may obtain pardon on the ground of their bare repentance, with- out an atonement. But this is directly contrary, not only to scrip- ture, but to reason too. The voice of scripture we have in the text just now quoted ; and the voice of reason coincides with that of scripture. If the penitent transgressor be released from pun- ishment on his repentance, he is released either on the footing of justice or of grace. If on the footing oi justice, there is no par- don in the case, and it is absurd to talk of it. And on this hy- pothesis repentance is either the complete righteousness required by the law transgressed, or it is the complete penalty of it. If it were the complete righteousness, it would preclude all transgres- sion ; which is contrary to the supposition and the very nature of the case, which implies that there is a transgression of the law. It would also preclude itself, as repentance cannot have any foun- dation without trangression. Nor is repentance the complete penalty of the law. That is a curse ; but repentance is a bless- ing. That is an evil on the whole ; something which on the 108 ALL DIVINE TRUTH PROFITABLE. whole is no advantage, but a disadvantage to the subject ; where- as repentance is on the whole no evil, no disadvantage to the sub- ject, but an inconceivable advantage. Therefore it is not the curse of the law ; and the penitent is without an atonement ; li- able to that curse, and cannot be released from it on the footing of justice. If the penitent be by justice entitled'to impunity, it will follow, that transgression or sin is no moral evil. Moral evil deserves some punishment which is a real evil. But as has been observed, repentance is no real evil, but a good, a benefit, a privilege ; and if transgression deserve nothing but repentance, it deserves no real evil, and no real punishment ; but a privilege, a benefit in- stead of a punishment ; and therefore is no moral evil. Moral evil is hateful in itself, or on account of its native tendency. It therefore deserves to be hated, and may justly be hated by God in every instance of its existence ; and this just hatred of it may justly be manifested in both words and actions ; and such mani- festation of hatred by God is punishment. But if transgression do not in every instance deserve this manifestation of divine ha- tred, it does not deserve the hatred itself, and therefore is not a moral evil. Perhaps it may be objected, that transgression does not indeed deserve any manifestation of divine hatred after repentance, though it do deserve it before repentance. To this I answer ; that if transgression deserve before repentance both hatred and the manifestation of it, and do not deserve it after repentance ; it must be because repentance is the full punishment of it, and all the evil which it deserves. Yet this, as we have just seen, cannot be true, as repentance is on the whole no real evil at all, but a very great benefit ; and if this be what transgression de- serves, it deserves a reward and not a punishment, and therefore is rather a moral good than a moral evil.* Moral evil is an in- fringement on the good of the divine system ; that public good therefore requires reparation or security against future infringe- ment of the like kind, whether by the transgressor or others. This is due to the public. But repentance makes no reparation ; it gives no such security. If it did, it would be a full satisfac- tion for transgression, and would be all the punishment which it deserves, or would be the penalty and curse of the divine law. But tiiis will not be pretended. And as repentance is no repara- tion or satisfaction for damage done to the public good, if the public good require no reparation after repentance, it requires none before ; and this proves that no damage hath been done to * A virtue, a meritorious act, instead of a vice or crime. ALL DIVINE TRUTH PROFITABLE. 109 the public, or no moral evil hath been committed by the trans- gression of the law. Or if the penitent transgressor be supposed to be released from punishment on the footing of grace, this cannot be admitted by even the infinite goodness and grace of God, unless it be consis- tent with the general good of his kingdom, which is the universe. But on the present supposition of the release of the penitent on the footing of grace, he does not deserve release, but justly de- serves punishment. Yet he does not deserve punishment, unless the general good require it. For when there is no atonement made, no man deserves any further punishment, than is necessa- ry to the general good. Therefore if the penitent do on the foot- ing of justice deserve punishment, the general good requires that he be punished. But if it require this, it does not and cannot at the same time require or admit that he be pardoned. So that on either supposition, there can be no pardon dispensed on bare repentance. If justice require that it be dispensed on this ground, it is improperly called pardon ; there neither is nor can be any pardon in the case ; and sin or transgression on this supposition deserves no punishment, and therefore is no moral evil. If goodness require that pardon be dispensed on bare re- pentance ; the general good requires the same. If the general good require the pardon of the penitent on the bare ground of his repentance, he does not deserve punishment, and there can be no pardon in his release. From the same supposition it fol- lows, that transgression is no moral evil. Surely that is no mo- ral evil, which deserves no punishment, and which the general good does not require should be punished. Therefore as long as the transgression of the law of God is a moral evil, so long the transgressor cannot be released from punishment on the ground of his repentance only. If these observations be just, do they not afford us conclusive arguments against the essential part of both the Socinian and Deistic system ? Both these systems rest on the foundation, that divine goodness requires the pardon of the transgressor in conse- quence of his bare repentance. If this foundation be removed, both these systems will inevitably fall to the ground. Thus we see the necessity and usefulness of the evangelical doctrine of forgiveness through an atonement. It is necessary to our comfort, and even to any hope ; as otherwise we should be in a state of absolute desperation. But what an all-sufficient and glorious foundation of hope is there laid for us in the atone- ment of Jesus Christ ! The doctrine of the atonement therefore is useful to raise our hope, to lead us to repentance, to fix our 10* 110 ALL, DIVINE TRUTH PROFITABLE. faith, to inspire us with gratitude, and to enhven within us every christian grace. 7. Regeneration is another very profitable doctrine of the gos- pel. This doctrine implies that by nature we are destitute of all spiritual good ; that all holiness in man is produced by a special and supernatural influence of the Divine Spirit ; and that there is no natural or stated connection between any exercises, doings or strivings of the natural man and true holiness. As to particular modes of explaining this doctrine, wise and good men have differed. Some hold that a new principle or pro- pensity may be implanted in the heart long before any holy emo- tions or affections take place ; some, that affections begin imme- diately in consequence of the implantation of the new principle ; some that there is properly no new principle created ; but that the Holy Spirit immediately produces holy aflections in regenera- tion, and, thenceforward produces them in a stated manner ac- cording to a divine constitution. But these speculations seem not to be essential to the doctrine. If we hold that in regenera- tion a special, and supernatural influence of the Holy Ghost pro- duces holy acts, emotions or affections in the heart ; and that this influence once given is given statedly, producing according to a divinely established order the like holy acts ; this seems to be the substance of this important doctrine. Regeneration properly means the divine agency put forth to produce the new creature. Under the operation of this agency the subject is passive. Sometimes however the word regenera- tion is used to include the turning of the man from sin to holiness, which is more properly called conversion ; and in this the man is active. In regeneration used in the large sense, the subject is both passive and active ; passive as he is the subject of the divine operation, and active in the effect of this operation, which is an actual turning from sin to God and his service. Much has been said concerning regeneration hy light, and by moral suasion. If they who use this language mean no more, than that men are not regenerated in paganism, and so without the light and motives of the gospel ; and that under the gospel they are commonly regenerated in consequence of attention to the gospel and of awakening and conviction in view of the truths and motives of it ; and that the regenerate turn from sin to God in view of those truths and motives, though not by them as the efficient cause ; I shall not oppose them, though I think their phraseology in many instances leads to a different understanding. In the sense now explained, we may understand the following texts, " Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth ;" ALL DIVINE TRUTH PROFITABLE. Ill " Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible, by the word of God, which hveth and abideth forever ;" " I have be- gotten you through the gospel," etc. But if they mean, that by the motives of the gospel sinners are persuaded to repent and return to God ; and that no special or supernatural influence is used to this effect ; this implies a denial of the entire depravity of human nature, and that the human heart is by nature well disposed to duty, and that all that is wanting to regeneration is proper information. Or if the advocates for regeneration by light mean, that a su- pernatural and merely intellectual light, not consisting in holy af- fection nor implying it, is first let into the mind, and that then this' light changes the heart ; this implies, that men by nature have not sufficient capacity or faculty of understanding to know their duty ; and that therefore their natural intellect must be su- pernaturally increased ; and that as soon as this is increased, they see their duty, and their hearts at once comply with it. This also, you see, implies a denial of entire depravity, and supposes that the human heart is by nature inclined to receive and comply with the truth, but is hindered by an insurmountable weakness of the intellect, a weakness not depending on the will. And is this indeed so ? Is the mathematician rendered by regeneration more capable of diving deeply into the abyss of mathematics ? the philosopher, of tracing the influence of the various principles and powers of matter and motion ? or the politician, of under- standing the interests of his own and foreign nations ? This will not be pretended. Yet this would necessarily be the case, if in regeneration there were an increase of the natural faculty of in- tellect. The opposite sentiment to this of regeneration by light is that of regeneration by the immediate influence of the Holy Spirit. This is abundantly taught in scripture, " As many as received him^ to them gave he power to become the sons of God ; even to them that believe on his name ; which were born not of blood, nor of the will of flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." " That which is born of the flesh is flesh ; and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit." The objection to this idea of regeneration by immediate divine influence is, that it is inconsistent with our liberty ; and that this influence is a physical influence, implying an irresistible necessi- ty. The answer to this objection is, that if by liberty be meant a freedom from all certainty and certain causality, or which is the same, a liberty of contingence ; it is granted, that this idea of re- generation is totally inconsistent with liberty. And this idea of 1 12 ALL DIVINE TRUTH PROFITABLE. liberty must be meant by those who make this objection, if they mean anything to the purpose. Self-determination, of which they say so much, implies no liberty inconsistent with an imme- diate and efficacious influence of the Spirit, unless it be exerci- sed contingently. Self-determinate acts produced by a necessa- ry causality, may, as to liberty, be as well produced by the im- mediate influence of the Spirit, as by any other necessary causal- ity, even though it were the causality of the mind itself. But if by liberty be meant freedom from all involuntary necessity and restraint, there is no inconsistence between regeneration by the immediate influence of the Spirit and human liberty. Because in regeneration the man is made " willing in the day of God's power." Besides ; regeneration by immediate influence of the Spirit is no more inconsistent with human liberty, in any sense of the term, than regeneration by moral suasion. If regeneration be effected by moral suasion, it is effected by moral motives ; and under the influence of those motives the man is passive, as pas- sive as under the influence of the divine Spirit ; and the causal influence of those motives by which regeneration is effected, is as necessary, irresistible, indefeasible and unfrustrable, as the im- mediate influence of the Spirit, when that regenerates. For no greater power or influence of the Spirit is supposed or pleaded for, than is requisite and sufficient to the effect ; and that influ- ence of motives which is requisite and entirely sufficient to the effect, is supposed in regeneration by moral suasion. Where then is there more liberty in the one case than in the other ? The influence of moral suasion is supposed to be the real cause of re- generation, and therefore to be sufficient and effectual to the pro- duction of it. To say, that the influence of moral suasion is not the real and effectual cause of regeneration, is to give up the doctrine of regeneration by moral suasion. As to what is said concerning a physical influence in regen- eration, if by this be intended the immediate influence of the di- vine Spirit, we avow it ; and it appears to be no more inconsis- tent with liberty, in any sense of the term, than what is called the moral influence of moral suasion. Nor is the distinction be- tween a physical and moral influence, if the latter be effectual, of any use or importance in this subject, so far as liberty is con- cerned ; and a physical influence, so far from being inconsistent with human liberty, absolutely secures and establishes it, if by liberty we mean spontaneity and freedom from involuntary ne- cessity and restraint ; or, which comes to the same, unless by liberty we mean absolute contingence. ALL DIVINE TRUTH PROFITABLE. 113 That the doctrine of regeneration is profitable, is manifest, as it is so instructive, teaching us what we are by nature and what we must be by divine grace ; as it is so practical and experimen- tal ; and as it so happily tends to awaken the sinner, to animate the saint, to humble all and lead all to self-examination. 8. That it is the indispensable duty of unregenerate sinners immediately to repent and comply with the gospel, is also a pro- fitable doctrine. You are sensible, brethren, that some deny this. They plead, that sinners are in themselves unable to repent and comply with the gospel ; that therefore it is not their duty ; and that in their unregenerate state they are bound in duty to use the means of grace only. But nothing is plainer from the scriptures, than that it is the immediate duty of sinners to repent and be- lieve on Christ. The language of scripture is, " Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand ;" " Repent, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out ;" " This is his commandment, that ye should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ." And the sum of Paul's preaching was " repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." The same is plain from reason too. If repentance be not a du- ty, impenitence is no sin ; and if impenitence be no sin, neither is any affection of heart or want of afliection ; such as unbelief, enmity against God, selfishness, malice, etc. And if no affection of heart be sinful, neither is any external action proceeding from such affection. Thus this hypothesis will shut all sin out of the world. As to the inability of the sinner to repent and believe saving- ly, it is wholly of the moral kind ; it is voluntary, and of course his will is not at all opposed to it, nor will be opposed to it, while it remains and so far as it remains. For as soon and as far as the will opposes this inability, the inability itself ceases. Inas- much therefore as this inability consists wholly in an indisposi- tion or unwillingness to repent and comply with the gospel, it is no excuse for impenitence and unbelief, any more than the un- willingness of the drunkard to forsake his cups, is an excuse for his intemperance ; or the unwillingness of the indolent to labor, is an excuse for their idleness. This doctrine is exceedingly profitable, as it so immediately tends to conviction, which is the ordinary antecedent of conver- sion. Indeed it seems to be absolutely necessary to conviction and to repentance. For how can a man be, according to truth, convinced of the sin of impenitence, and repent of that sin if it be no sin at all ? If repentance be not the duty of the unregen- erate, no man regenerate or unregenerate can consistently with 114 ALL DIVINE TRUTH PROFITABLE. truth repent of the impenitence, unbehef, alienation of heart from Christ, enmity against God, selfishness, or want of true love to men, of which he is or ever was the subject while unregenerate. How stupifying and hardening therefore is the doctrine, which teaches that it is not the duty of the unregenerate to repent im- mediately with repentance unto life and cordially to comply with the gospel ? Although then the means of grace be useful and important ; yet to preach up those only ; or to preach so that the hearers receive the idea, that the use of means is the whole duty to which they are now obligated ; is to take the most direct way to settle them down in security, and to prevent conviction, con- version, repentance and reconciliation to God. 9. Justification hy faith alone is a most important and profit- able doctrine. What relates to justification by our own repen- tance and good works has been already considered. I shall now endeavor to state the proper idea of justification. (1) It is not the bestowment of personal righteousness. This is sanctification, which is begun in regeneration and thencefor- ward progressively carried on. (2) It is not declaring the believer to be just, or to stand right with respect to the divine law. Some have expressed them- selves thus on this important subject ; but surely without due consideration. For God can never declare a man to be just, un- less he be in reality just ; nor can he ever declare him to stand right with respect to the divine law unless he do in fact stand right with respect to it. And if he be just and do stand right with respect to the law, he may be justified on the footing of the law ; and there is no need of the gospel or of the grace or the atonement of it, to his justification. (3) It is not reckoning, considering, or viewing the believer as just or standing right with the law, or as having a legal right to justification. The believer is indeed not only acquitted from condemnation, but entitled to the favor of God and eternal life in glory. But he is not thus acquitted, etc. as standing right with the law, but as a sinner, a trangressor of the law, and therefore is acquitted entirely on the ground of free grace through the atone- ment ; which is a ground totally different from that of the law and its righteousness. Neither does God reckon, consider or view any man as being what he really is not ; unless by those words be meant, not any mental acts of God, but mere external conduct and treatment. (4) Justification positively consists in treating the believer in many important respects, as though he were just, and had in fact never transgressed the law. He is as effectually acquitted from ALL DIVINE TRUTH PROFITABLE. 115 the condemnation of the law, and entitled to the favor of God here and hereafter, as if he had always perfectly obeyed the law. Thus lie is treated as a just person ; as if he stood right with the law, and as if he had the complete righteousness of it, by his own per- sonal obedience ; but all this is wholly for tiie sake of Christ and his atonement. This is justification, and the whole of it. This is the imputation of righteousness to the believer. This is the imputation to him of the righteousness of Christ. Tiiat this is an important, profitable and comforting doctrine, it is presumed none among us will deny. 10. That we are accountable to God is another profitable doc- trine. Nothing is more clear from scripture than this. "He hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in right- eousness ;" and the whole process of that day is described. The objection to this doctrine is, How can we be accountable, if we be dependent ? If all good actions proceed from a divine influ- ence, and all evil actions from original depravity ? If we act not independently and from ourselves ? or if we do not cause our own actions both external and mental ? To this I answer : If by causing our own mental actions be meant any more than that we are the subjects of them, it must be meant that we cause them by an antecedent act. But for the same reason, we are not accountable for that antecedent act, unless we cause that too by an act still preceding that ; and so on till we come to the first act of which we ever were the subjects. And of this we cannot be the cause ; for by the supposition it is the first act, and therefore it is absurd to suppose that we should have put forth a prior act, by which to cause it. Now if we be not ac- countable for that first act, as not having caused it ourselves, we are not accountable for any one of the subsequent series. For this which we cause not, causes all the rest. They all depend on that cause which operates independently of us ; and therefore on the ground of this objection, we are no more accountable for any of them, than we are for those acts which proceed from a divine influence or from original depravity. Besides ; if we cause our own volitions, we doubtless cause them freely and not necessarily ; otherwise we may as well not cause them at all. But the word fi'eely in this connection, if it be at all to the pur- pose, must be used in opposition to a real and absolute certainty, and must mean contingently and by mere chance. But to cause our own volitions by pure contingence is no more favorable to accountableness, than to become the subjects of them by im- mediate contingence, without any antecedent and contingent ex- ertion of our own. And why we should be more accountable 116 ALL DIVINE TRUTH PROFITABLE. for actions arising from pure contingence, than for those which are produced in us by some external cause or motive, is hard to be conceived. It is certain by the very terms that we are no more the causes of the former than of the latter. The plain dictate of reason is, that we are accountable when- ever we deserve praise or blame ; and that we do deserve praise or blame, whenever we exercise tempers or have volitions either good or evil, benevolent or malicious, kind or selfish ; and this without any inquiry whether those volitions happened by pure contingence, or proceeded from some cause whether within or without the mind. Thus I have endeavored to illustrate our doctrine, that all di- vine truth may be profitably preached to mankind, by a particu- lar consideration of some of the most important divine truths ; especially those truths, the preaching of which many are apt to think is not profitable. And if these be profitable, we may safely conclude the same concerning all other divine truths. If this doctrine be true, we see how groundless the idea of some is, who imagine that there are certain doctrines in scripture which are not to be preached, and cannot be preached with profit to the hearers. If this were fact, then Paul, whose preach- ing was so profitable, did not preach those doctrines. Yet he tells us, that he declared all the counsel of God. And as his preaching was under the influence of inspiration, we may be sure that this kept him from everything unprofitable. Having thus finished what was proposed in the doctrinal part of our discourse, we proceed to the usual addresses, to the pastor elect, and to the church or its representatives present. I. To the pastor elect. My dear Sir, — You are now entering on a most weighty, ex- tensive, and useful employment. May you undertake it from right motives, and discharge it with success and acceptance by your master and your judge. That you may thus discharge it, you must be and approve yourself to be a real christian, a pru- dent man and a man of knowledge in the line of your profession. 1. You must be and approve yourself to be, a real christian. To maintain your character in this respect, you must live Chris- tianity, live in the exercise of the graces of Christianity and in the practice of the external duties of it. Be careful to cultivate more and more divine grace in your own soul. Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Your growth in grace will show itself, not affectedly, but naturally, easily and beautifully. Thus you will acquiVr^ in a greater and greater degree the confidence of your people. Thus will your ALL DIVINE TRUTH PROFITABLE. 117 light shine before men, and your face like that of Moses, appear with a divine lustre. In this way you will practically, as well as verbally, inculcate the same life and temper on others, which they observe in you ; and you will be free to assist them in all their spiritual concerns. To tliis end let me recommend it to you, to be ever ready to converse with your people most freely on spiritual subjects. Never shun religious conversation, if the time and place properly admit of it. If you should shun it on proper occasions, your people may become jealous of you, that you are not a real friend to experimental religion. Hence you will both lose character with them, and lose an opportunity of doing them good. Some christians are fond of relating their own experience. Let me advise you to hear them with patience. It will afford you an opportunity by judicious remarks to correct their mistakes and to assist their future progress in the christian life. Some may wish to know your experience ; and I conceive it is advisable in proper time and place to indulge their wish. It may be useful to them and useful to you. At the same time it will cut off occasion from any who might otherwise take occasion, to censure you as either destitute of christian experience or unfriendly to it. 2. Be wise, prudent and circumspect in the whole of your conduct ; in all your common conduct, and in all your ministerial work. I need not stand to repeat the particular maxims of com- mon, of christian, and of ministerial prudence. They are nume- rous. Many of them, I dare say, have already occurred to you in the course of your own experience and observation. Others will continually occur as you proceed in hfe. 3. You must be a man of knowledge in the line of your pro- fession. You have heard how the apostle declared all the coun- sel of God. You have also heard what hath been said to show, that all this counsel may be preached with profit to people in general. If you wish to follow the apostle's example in preach- ing, you must endeavor to inform yourself concerning the whole counsel of God ; otherwise you cannot preach it. I doubt not but that your improvement has been according to your time and opportunities. But you are as yet young, and must necessarily fall short of the knowledge, not only of all divine truth, but of that portion of it, to which by proper application you may easily attain. Your life is to be a life of study and inquiry after the truth. This is necessary to the discharge of your duty, to your usefulness, and to your reputation as a minister. A minister un- informed in theology and the subjects which immediately relate to it, is justly despised, and must expect to lose all influence. Vol. II. 11 118 ALL BI VINE TKUTH PROFITABLE. That you may attain to a thorough knowledge of the system of christian truths, search the scriptures daily, and avail yourself of all other means of knoAvledge within your reach. Instead of this, your proper business, suffer not worldly cares to engross your time and attention. This is too common even among ministers, and from your situation in a new settlement you will be under strong temptation to fall into so common an error. Let me be- seech you to be on your guard against it. And there will be no necessity of your falling into this error, if your people discharge their duty. Never at least in this country was it so necessary as at the present time, that ministers be well skilled in the whole system of christian theology ; and that for these three reasons ; that the country was never so knowing ; that there were never so many heresies and erroneous opinions in the country ; and that irreli- gion and profaneness never prevailed in it to so great a degree. The more knowing your people are, the more knowledge must you have, to be able to preach to their instruction and edification ; and you must preach to their instruction and edification, or you will fall into contempt. You are now to be a settled minister, statedly preaching in one place. And to preach for a series of years in one place, so as to maintain a character, is known by ex- perience to be vastly more difficult than to preach with reputation here and there, in various parts of the country. It is also found by abundant experience, to be vastly more difficult to preserve the esteem of a people after settlement, than to obtain their es- teem when preaching as a candidate for settlement. The reason of both is manifest ; they require vastly more knowledge and solid worth. A man of very little knowledge may put that know- ledge into a few sermons, and so far his preaching may be ac- ceptable and useful. But when his stock of knowledge is ex- hausted, if he go on to preach, he must either preach without ideas, or he must exhibit the same ideas over again. In either case he must fall into contempt. In these days of free inquiry questions will be proposed to ministers, and you must expect that they will be proposed to you. At the same time it will be expected that you be able either to answer them, or at least to say more toward an answer than any of your people. If once the idea prevail, that any of your peo- ple know more in divinity, than their minister, your character will labor. Therefore you must be superior to them all ; you must be able to instruct them all. In this case you will so far acquire and maintain an influence. The more prevalent heresies or erroneous opinions in religion ALL DIVINE TRUTH PROFITABLE. 119 are, the more knowledge is necessary for ministers, that they may be able to confute those errors and to stop the mouths of gain- sayers. And the more prevalent profaneness and irreligion are, the more knowledge, wisdom and prudence does it require to op- pose the torrent, to point out properly the ruin and wickedness of those vices, and to recommend and enforce the contrary virtues. As there never was so great necessity of knowledge in minis- ters ; so for the reasons already mentioned, there never was so great danger of ministers falling into contempt, as at the present day. Tiie more knowing the people are, the more able are they to discern the deficiency of their ministers ; the more irreligious and profane they are, the more will they be disposed to expose their deficiency ; and the more erroneous sentiments prevail, the more in number are those who will endeavor by exposing the ig- norance or defects of ministers, to diminish their influence, to es- tai)lish their own, and to increase their .party. Therefore minis- ters must live by solid merit, as some men expect to go to heaven ; by real goodness of heart and life, by faithfulness in their work, and by eminence in knowledge. That you, dear sir, be really a good man, and a good and re- spectable minister, is peculiarly necessary and important, as you are going into the new settlements, and are the first minister of our denomination in all that part of the country. You are to be established in a new world, and are to plant the gospel there ; take heed how you plant it. Sow the field with good seed only. Much depends on you with respect to the people of your own particular charge ; much with respect to neigboring settlements ; and not only of the present but future generations. If you sow the good seed of the word, the good effects of it will doubtless ap- pear, not only among your own people, but those of other settle- ments in the vicinity ; and those effects may extend themselves to generations yet unborn. But if you sow tares, the consequence may be ruin not only to many individuals, but to that new coun- try in general, and that ruin may reach to the latest posterity. By your situation you have an opportunity not only of building up your own church on the true plan of the gospel, but of form- ing other churches all around you. That new country, like a child or youth, may be compared to a tender twig, capable of be- ing bent into any form. It is your part to form it. Take heed how you form it. Take heed what sentiments you preach, what practice and what discipline you introduce. Beware of receding from the truth in any of these. It is much more easy to begin right, than to correct an error ; it is much more easy to relax, than to tighten the bands once relaxed. ]20 ALL DIVINE TRUTH PROFITABLE. You will have great opportunity of doing good not only by forming churches, but by introducing ministers. Take care what ministers or candidates for the ministry you introduce. Recom- mend no man suddenly ; '• lay hands suddenly on no man." En- courage neighboring settlements to form themselves into churches and societies, and to settle ministers, and that seasonably, before they shall have grown lax and shall have lost the good habits in which they have been educated. For this purpose cultivate an acquaintance with them ; and by every christian and ministerial kind office in your power deserve their friendship and their con- fidence. Very few ministers in the United States are placed in a sphere of so great usefulness, as that in which you are placed ; few are called to such strenuous exertions. Let this not discourage but animate you. Such a situation is a talent for which you are ac- countable, and which you are obligated faithfully to improve. " Occupy till your Lord shall come." Some of the good conse- quences of the faithful discharge of your duty have been already mentioned. Consider on the other hand the consequences of your unfaithfulness ; the consequence even in this life to yourself, to your reputation and to your own feelings, especially unless your conscience shall be stupid ; consider the consequence to your friends and to all who wish well for Zion, what pain your unfaithfulness must give them, and among others, to us who set you apart to this solemn work. But especially consider the eter- nal consequences to yourself and to the people of your charge, and how you will be able to appear before your master and judge and render an account of your stewardship. Let all these con- siderations unite to make you faithful unto death ; and then when the chief shepherd shall appear, you shall receive a crown of glory, that fadeth not away. IL lam to address myself to the representatives of the church and society of TVhitestoivn, to whom I shall speak, as if they were the whole body which they represent. Dear Christian Brethren, — We congratulate you on this solemn and joyful occasion. You are the first of all that new country, who have formed yourselves into a regular church and society. In so doing you have shown a becoming attention and zeal for religion. It appears that you have not forgotten the good old paths, in which from your youth you have been taught to walk. Some are no sooner settled in the wilderness, than they lay aside all public and social worship and all religion. Your conduct is a proper and beautiful contrast to theirs. You have seasonably exerted yourselves to establish religion among you. ALL DIVINE TRUTH PKOFITABLE. 121 This is much to your honor. You will have the praise of it from men ; and no doubt your conduct is approved by God according to the sincerity of your motives. You have exhibited a proper example to others. May they be provoked to emulation, and fol- low your good example, as you have followed the precepts of Christ. Brethren, hitherto you have run well ; let no man hinder you in future. The race is not ended ; it is but just begun. What will signify all your attention and exertion to settle a minister, if you shall not hear and comply with the gospel which he shall preach ? You have heard the word of exhortation to him faithfully to sow the good seed of the word. Be you ready to receive it. Be you like the good ground which brought forth fruit, some thirty, some sixty, and some an hundred fold. " Hear and your souls shall live, and God will make with you an everlasting covenant, even the sure mercies of David." You have heard the exhortation to your pastor elect, to give himself wholly to the ministry. His compliance with this exhortation will depend much on you. If you shall provide for his comfortable support, and then he shall not be faithful in his studies and ministerial labors ; you will have discharged your duty and delivered your own souls ; and you will thus render him in- excusable in his neglect. In this case all friends to religion will join in justifying you and condemning him. Nay, they would justify you in seeking a dissolution of your connection with such an unfaithful pastor. But if on the other hand, through an ill applied parsimony, you shall withhold from him a comfortable support ; you will ne- cessitate him either to leave you and go to others who shall be more disposed to receive and support the gospel, or to neglect his proper work as a minister, in order to provide for himself and his household. The consequence will be, that he will not be able to preach to your edification, by bringing out of his treasures things new and old. Now what an ill judged parsimony is this ! to save a small pittance of your property, and starve your souls ! I plead not, that you make him rich ; but I do plead, that you support him, to the end that he may apply himself wholly to his ministerial work, for your benefit and your honor. It will be an honor to you to have a good, able, instructive, edifying minister, a man of distinction for knowledge in divinity and for learning in general ; and one who shall be discerned to be such wherever he preaches. Now, give your pastor a comfortable support ; and 122 ALL DIVINE TRUTH PROFITABLE. we hope he will be such a minister. On the other hand, you will be ashamed to have it thought, and that by good judges, that your minister is a poor preacher ; that his sermons are dry, bar- ren, uninstructive, and that little or no good is to be obtained from them. But if you shall withhold his support, you will put yourselves in the most direct course to have such a minister. As you are the first church formed and established in those new settlements, much depends on you as to other churches. It will be in your power to set an example of strict or lax senti- ments, discipline and practice, and to introduce customs and establish precedents, which may last for ages. Therefore take good heed to your conduct, both as individual christians, and as a church ; and " walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise." Beware of several things in particular. 1. Beware of a lax observance of the christian sabbath. From some circumstances, which I need not mention, you will be under strong temptation to this. Therefore be careful both yourselves to avoid, and to restrain your children and domestics from every thing inconsistent with the strict observance of that holy day. 2. Beware of the neglect of public worship. The same circum- stances which will tempt you to profane the sabbath, will in like manner tempt you to be negligent of pubHc worship. Let me entreat you to be on your guard against their influence. 3. Beware of the neglect of family worship. Resolve with Joshua, that as for you and your houses, you will serve the Lord. And that you may induce every member of your households to serve the Lord personally, set them an example of serving him, in maintaining family worship, as well as in other ways. 4. Beware of the neglect of a religious education of your chil- dren. These hints admit of much enlargement, but the time is elapsed. Be you, brethren, exemplary in these and all other christian duties. This will conduce much to your own peace, comfort and edification ; to the comfort and encouragement of your minister ; to your own honor, and to the glory of your Creator and Redeemer. Thus may you be a true and glorious church, " fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners." "From you may the word of the Lord sound out" into all the adjacent parts, " and in every place may your faith to God-ward be spread abroad." May that whole country, which so lately was a " wilderness and a solitary place be glad for you ; and may the desert rejoice and blossom as the rose." " Now may the God of peace that brought again from the dead ALL DIVINE TRUTH PROFITABLE. 123 our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ ; to whom be glory for ever and ever, amen." SERMON VII. THE MARRIAGE OF A WIFE'S SISTER CONSIDERED.* Leviticus 18 : 16. — Thou shall not uncover the nakedness of thy brother's wife : it is thy brother's nakedness. Some of this respectable auditory may be surprised to hear these words read, as a foundation for a discourse, on the present occasion. For the information and reUef of such, it is proper to be mentioned, that I am requested by the General Association, to deliver a discourse at this time, on the following question : " Whether it be lawful for a man to marry his former wife's sis- ter." In a discourse on this subject, my learned auditors will expect nothing of that kind of entertainment, which might be given in a discourse on some other subject. They will see, that T am shut out from all the flowers of rhetoric, all flights of imagination and all addresses to the passions. Yet our subject is truly interesting, because it is practical, not only as any man may have occasion to consider whether it be lawful for him to marry his wife's sister ; but as we may all be called to consider the case and to act upon it too, with respect to a christian brother. If any of our chris- tian brethren, the members of our churches, shall marry his wife's sister, it will aflfect us immediately, nor shall we be at liberty to act as indifferent spectators. Either we must justify the act, and continue him in our christian fellowship ; and in this case we ought to have substantial reason for our conduct ; or we must condemn it, must remonstrate against it, and as the case may be, must renounce christian fellowship with the offender. Thus every man, every professing christian, every church, and espe- cially every minister of the gospel, is deeply interested in the question which is now to come under consideration. And much more so at the present day, than at any former period since the * Preached in the chapel of Yale College, on the evening after the Com- mencement, Sept. 12, 1792 ; being the Anniversary Concio ad Clerunu— Published at New Haven. MARRIAGE OF A WIFe's SISTER. 125 settlement of this country ; because at no former period have there been so many instances of such marriages. Nay, even the state itself is concerned in this question. If the marriage of a , / wife's sister be lawful, it is the duty of our legislators to repeal V the existing law against it. If on the other hand, it be unlawful, / if it be forbidden in the word of God, and at the same time be / of a tendency manifestly hurtful to good morals and to good pol- icy ; no christian or wise legislator, viewing the matter in these lights, will lift his hand for the repeal of that law. Thus, though the subject of our present discourse may appear, at first view, to be dry and uninteresting ; yet in its consequences, and in its influence on human affairs, it is of vast importance and to a high degree interesting. In this view, therefore, the preacher hopes for the candid and patient attention of this learned auditory, while, in compliance with the request of the General Association, he shall I. Mention some arguments to show, that it is not lawful for a man to marry his former wife's sister. II. Mention the objections to those arguments, and the an- swers which may be made to them. I. / am to mention some arguments to show the unlawful- ness of marrying a former' wife's sister. In this part of my discourse I must necessarily be very brief; because the subject is in its nature very limited. 1. The principal argument is drawn from our text itself, and from that parallel text in the twentieth chapter of this same book and the 21st verse. The words of the text are, " Thou shall not uncover the nakedness of thy brother's wife : it is thy brother's nakedness." The words of the 21st verse of the 20th chapter are, " And if a man shall take his brother's wife, it is an unclean thing ; he hath uncovered his brother's nakedness ; they shall be childless." In these texts there is a direct, positive and repeat- ed prohibition of marriage between those who stand in the same relation to each other, as a man and his wife's sister. When a man marries his wife's sister, the same man marries two sisters. And when a man marries his brother's widow, the same woman marries two brothers. And as the relation between a man and his wife's sister is the same as between a woman and her hus- band's brother ; it seems naturally to follow, that since it is un- lawful for a man to marry his brother's wife, it is also unlawful for a woman to marry her sister's husband ; or which is the same thing, for a man to marry his wife's sister. And it seems diffi- cult to conceive a reason, why it is not as unlawful for a man to marry two sisters, as it is for a woman to marry two brothers. 126 MARRIAGE OF A WIFe's SISTER. This is the allowed manner of arguing with respect to all the other relations mentioned in these chapters. When marriage is forbidden between any two relatives, we argue that the prohibi- tion extends to all those who stand in the same relation to each other. For instance, a man is forbidden to marry his son's daugh- ter or his daughter's daughter. Therefore we infer, that a wo- man also is forbidden to marry her son's son, or her daughter's son, though it be not expressly mentioned ; and so in all other instances. 2. Beside this argument from scripture, it is said, that reason coincides in this case with revelation. Some of the principal reasons, why the intermarriage of brothers and sisters, parents and children is forbidden, are, first, that if such marriages were indulged, friendly society and the kind offices, which are the nat- ural consequence of affinity, would be more contracted, and fam- ilies of opulence and honor would clan together and keep them- selves much more separate from the rest of the community. Such clans would tend to excite jealousy in each other and in the citizens in general, and thus a foundation would be laid for civil alienations, discord, tumults and bloodshed. Secondly, That between near relations there are inconceivably more opportunities to carry on criminal conversation, than between other persons. For these two reasons, it is supposed, that it pleased God utterly to forbid all connections by marriage or by carnal intercourse, between near relations. But these reasons are as forcible against marrying a wife's sister as against most of the other marriages al- lowed on all hands to be forbidden in scripture. I am not insensible, that there are several objections urged against this doctrine and particularly against the construction, which has been now given of those texts in the 18th and 20th chapters of Leviticus ; and those objections require a particular and candid attention. Therefore we proceed now II. To consider those objections and the answers, which have been or may be made to them. 1. It is objected, that the texts in the 18th and 20th chapters of Leviticus say nothing concerning a wife's sister, and that we have no right to extend their meaning beyond what they express- ly mention ; that Moses has expressly forbidden all that he meant to forbid, and has not left it to us to argue out from a parallelism of cases or similarity of relations, what he meant to forbid and what not ; that since Moses has forbidden to marry a brother's wife, that is doubtless unlawful ; but since he has not expressly forbidden to marry a wife's sister, that remains as lawful as any other marriage ; and that all penal laws which concern life, limb MARRIAGE OF A WIPe's SISTER. 127 or the safety of the soul are to be taken according to the express letter of those laws. This is the objection ; and the answer is, that if it prove anything, it proves too much, and so proves no- thing. The principle on which the objection is built, is this, that whatever marriage is not expressly forbidden by Moses, he leaves open and free to all, and virtually declares it to be lawful, not- withstanding anything which he has said against the marriage of those who stand in the same relation. But this principle implies consequences, which none of those w^ho urge the objection will avow. It implies, that it is lawful for a woman to marry her grandson, though it is expressly forbidden that a man marry his grand daughter ; that it is lawful for a man to marry his mother's brother's wife, though he may not marry his father's brother's wife ; that it is lawful for a woman to marry her father's sister's or mother's sister's husband, though it is not lawful for a man to marry his father's brother's wife ; that it is lawful for a woman to marry her husband's grandson, though not for a man to marry his wife's grand daughter. But since no man will allow, that the several marriages now mentioned are lawful, though not expressly forbidden by Moses ; and since all allow, that they are virtually forbidden, inasmuch as marriage between those who stand in the same relation is ex- pressly forbidden ; therefore to be consistent, we must allow, that the marriage of a wife's sister is unlawful and is virtually forbidden, in that we are expressly forbidden to marry a bro- ther's wife. And the rule that all penal laws are to be construed literally fails in these and a thousand other instances. I shall mention one, the law against man-stealing in Ex. 21: 16, " He that steal- eth a man and selleth him, shall surely be put to death." No one will say, that this, because it is a penal law, is to be taken literally to respect the stealing of a inan only, and not to include the stealing of a woman or a child ; that the stealing and selling of a man shall be punished with death, but the stealing and sell- ing of a woman or a child shall expose to no punishment. 2, Another objection to what has been advanced on those texts of scripture, is, that they prohibit a certain connection with a brother's ivife, but not the marriage of a brother's widow ; that they mean to prevent adultery with a brother's wife ; that this is the sense and drift of the chapters in general ; that God not only forbade adultery in the seventh commandment, but in these chap- ters meant to give pointed cautions against adultery between those who are nearly related ; that this must be the meaning of the 16th verse of the 18th chapter, is argued from this, that the naked- 128 ness of thy brother's wife is said to be thy brother's nakedness, which it is said imphes, that he was yet ahve ; for if he were dead, it could not be said to be his nakedness. To this it is answered, If these chapters in Leviticus prohibit adultery and fornication only, there is in all the scriptures no pro- hibition of incestuous marriages ; nor are any marriages whatever incestuous in the estimate of scripture. For in no texts are they more plainly forbidden than in these chapters ; and if these chap- ters be construed to mean adultery and fornication only, the like construction may, with at least as great plausibility, be put on every text relating to the subject in the whole bible ; nor, upon the ground of this objection, shall we be able to prove from scrip- ture, that it is unlawful for a man to marry his own sister, his own daughter or his own mother. As to the plea that these texts mention a brother's wife, but not a brother's widow ; and that therefore they do not prohibit the marriage of a brother's widow ; on the ground of this plea, we have in these chapters and in all the scripture, no prohibition of marrying our father's widows, our uncle's widows, etc. The only prohibition is not to marry a father's wife, and an uncle's wife, and no mention is made, in this case, of a father's or un- cle's widow. Besides ; in the language of the Old Testament, a widow is very commonly called a wife. Thus Judah after the death of his son Er, said to his second son Onan, " go in unto thy bro- ther's ivife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother," Gen. 38: 8. " If brethren dwell together and one of them die and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry without, unto a stranger," Deut. 25: 5. " Thou must buy it also of Ruth, the Moabitess, the wife of the dead,^' Ruth 4: 5. " Moreover Ruth, the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife," verse 10. As to the argument in favor of the construction which I now oppose, drawn from this, that the nakedness of thy brother's wife is said to be thy brother's nakedness ; there is nothing peculiar in the expression as used with reference to a brother's wife. It is applied to several of the other relations mentioned in these chap- ters ; as to thy father's wife, and her nakedness is said to be thy father's nakedness. Yet it is not hence argued to be lawful to marry a father's widow. To enforce the objection now under consideration, it is further said, that to uncover nakedness is not the usual phrase to signify marriage or the free intercourse between married persons. How- ever, the phrase seems to be of very general import, comprehend- MARRIAGE OF A WIFe's SISTER. 129 ing familiar commerce in general between those of opposite sexes, whether married or not. Therefore in the 20th chapter, which is manifestly a repetition of this, the phrase generally used instead of uncovering nakedness, is lying with. Thus it is said, " The man that lieth ivith his father's wife, hath uncovered his father's nakedness.'' "If a man lie with his daughter in law," — "If a man lie with his uncle's wife," etc. Therefore to uncover the nakedness of a person and to lie with a person of the opposite sex, are manifestly, in the language of scripture, expressions of the same meaning. And to lie with, is in scripture as familiarly applied to the intercourse between married persons, as between others. See 2 Sam. 11: 11, " And Uriah said unto David, The ark and Israel and Judah abide in tents, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are encamped in the open fields ; shall I then go into mine house, to eat and to drink and to lie with my ivife V It is further to be observed, that in the 20th chapter what re- lates to a brother's wife is still differently expressed. See the 21st verse, " If a man shall take his brother's wife, it is an un- clean thing." The word take here used is cbmmonly used to ex- press the receiving of a woman in marriage ; as in the following passages ; Gen. 34: 9, " And make ye marriages with us, and give your daughters unto us, and take our daughters unto you ;" and verse 16, " Then will we give our daughters unto you, and we will take your daughters to us, and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people." Deut. 25: 5, " If brethren dwell together, and one of them die and have no child — her husband's brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife." The word in the original in all these places is the same which is used in the 21st verse of the 20th chapter of Leviticus. And by these authorities it appears, that not only to take to wife signifies mar- riage, but absolutely to take a woman signifies the same. Therefore to take a brother's wife is the proper expression to denote the contract of marriage with her. But we are as express- ly forbidden to take a brother's wife, as we are to uncover her nakedness. 3. A further objection is, that this law in Leviticus is merely ceremonial or peculiar to the Israelitish polity, and has no more respect to us, than the laws forbidding the making of garments of diverse kinds of materials, and the sowing of a field with di- verse kinds of seed. Ans. 1 . The prohibition of marrying a brother's wife no more appears to be merely ceremonial, than any of the other prohibi- tions in these chapters, and no reason can be given, why it should Vol. IL 12 130 MARRIAGE OF A WIFe's SISTER. be understood to be merely ceremonial, which will not hold good with respect to many of the others. Yet it will not be pretend- ed that either all the other prohibitions in these chapters, or even those which respect persons between whom there is no relation by blood, are merely ceremonial, and of no obligation upon us. Thus this objection like most of the rest, if it proves anything, proves too much, and so proves nothing. Ans. 2. After the enumeration of the various prohibited mar- riages, it is added, in the 24th and 25th verses of the 18th chap- ter, " Defile not you yourselves in any of these things ; for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you ; and the land is defiled ; therefore I do visit the iniquity upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants." And verse 27th, " For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled." The like words occur in the 23d verse of the 20th chapter, " And ye shall not walk in the manners of the nation, which I cast out before you ; for they committed all these things, and therefore I abhorred them." By all these incestuous marriages tlie Canaanites were defiled. But they w'ere never under the ceremonial law. There- fore all these marriages were violations of the moral law ; other- wise the Canaanites would not have been defiled by them. This I conceive determines these marriages to be not mere ceremonial sins. That all the prohibitions in these chapters do not respect men in general, and that some of them are ceremonial, is argued from the 19th verse of the 18th chapter, " Also thou shalt not approach unto a woman, to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is apart for her uncleanness." But it is by no means agreed, that this prohibition is merely ceremonial. It is the general opinion of commentators, that it respects men in general, as may be seen in Pool's Synopsis, where the reasons also for their opinion may be seen. And it is said, that even the aborigines of this country cautiously abstain from women during their periodical indispo- sition. But supposing this prohibition of the 19th verse just quoted merely ceremonial, it will not follow, that also the prohibition of the marriage in question is ceremonial. A variety of marriages of those who are akin by both consanguinity and affinity, are prohibited in these chapters. One of these prohibitions is said to be merely ceremonial ; and the reason given for this conclusion is, that a certain other transaction, not a marriage, nor peculiar to those who are akin, is forbidden in the same chapter ; and this last prohibition is now supposed to be ceremonial. But who does MARRIAGE OF A WIFE S SISTER. 131 not see, that this reasoning is very inconclusive ? The reasoning is this : The prohibition of intercourse, at certain times, between persons of the different sexes, whether related or not, is a cere- monial prohibition ; therefore the prohibition of the marriage of a brother's wife is a ceremonial prohibition. Indeed if the prohibition of this intercourse be a ceremonial prohibition, it will follow, that the universal terms, all these things, and all these abominations, used in the 24th and 27th verses of the 18th chapter, do not mean an absolute and unlimited univer- sality. But if this were granted, how would it appear, that they are to be so limited, as to exclude the marriage of a brother's wife ? Surely some substantial reason should be given for this particular limitation, allowing at the same time, that the prohibi- tions of marriages in general in this chapter are not ceremonial. 4. There is no relation by blood between a man and his wife's sister ; therefore it is said to be lawful for him to marry her. Answer. This objection takes it for granted, that it is lawful for any person to marry any other person with whom he has no re- lation by blood. If so, he may marry his brother's wife his father's wife, his uncle's wife, his wife's daughter, his son's wife, etc. all which marriages are expressly forbidden in these chapters in Le- viticus. On the other hand, there is a real relation by blood be- tween cousin germans ; yet marriage between them is not forbid- den. On the whole therefore, this objection supposes that the lawfulness or unlawfulness of particular marriages is not to be determined by the scriptures. The truth is, that without the scriptures we should know but very little concerning this subject, or with whom we might lawfully, and with whom we might not lawfully marry. We must therefore be guided in this, as well as in many other things, by the scriptures ; and they forbid mar- riage not only between many who are related by blood ; but be- tween many who are not thus related, and between a man and his brother's wife, or his wife's sister, as well as others. And in consequence of the divine prohibition, marriages of the latter de- scription are as really and totally unlawful as those of the former. 5. Another objection is, that to marry a brother's wife, and consequently a wife's sister, is not unlawful per se, or unlawful in its own nature ; nor is there any immorality in it. For what is immoral and unlawful per se, can never be licensed even by God himself. God himself cannot overturn the foundations of morality and moral obligation. This would be for him to deny himself. But he has licensed, and in a certain case has expressly commanded the marrying of a brother's wife, as Deut. 25: 5, " If brethren dwell together, and one of them die and have no child ; 132 MARRIAGE OF A WIFe's SISTER. the wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger : her husband's brother shall go in unto her and take her to him to wife." Therefore the prohibitions of marrying a brother's wife in Lev. xviii. and xx, must be merely ceremonial and do not ex- tend to us. In answer to this it may be observed, that what is meant by immoral and unlawful in its own nature, or unlawful per se, needs to be explained. If by those phrases be meant an action which is in such a sense immoral and unlawful, that God cannot consistently with his holy perfections license it ; it is granted that for a man to marry his wife's sister is not immoral or unlawful per se. But if by those expressions be meant an action, which without a divine license, and in the common course of providence, would be unlawful ; then marriage with a wife's sister is immoral and unlawful per se ; yet it may become lawful by a divine li- cense or command. I beg leave to ask the objector. Is it immoral for brothers and sisters to intermarry ? Is it immoral for a holy prophet of God to marry a common prostitute ? Is it immoral to offer human sacrifice ? Is it immoral for one nation, which has received and is threatened with no injury from another, to make war on that other, to subdue, kill, enslave or exterminate the whole, men, women and children, and to possess their country ? If these be immoral, as they doubtless are without a divine license, and in the common course of providence ; then God may license what be- fore such license was immoral, and may by license and command render that lawful and duty, which otherwise would have been unlawful, immoral and wicked. God commanded the brothers and sisters of Adam's family to intermarry ; yet all grant, that it is unlawful for brothers and sisters to intermarry in succeeding ages, without a divine command and under the ordinary dispensations of divine providence. And if such marriage may be rendered lawful by some extraordinary dispen- sation of providence, doubtless it may be rendered equally lawful by the express command of God. God commanded the prophet Hosea to marry a common prostitute ; Hos. 1: 2, 3, " The Lord said to Hosea, Go take thee a wife of whoredoms — So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, which conceived and bare him a son." Though human sacrifices in general, and par- ticularly the offering of our own children in sacrifice, is in ordinary cases grossly immoral ; yet God licensed it, yea, by express com- mand enjoined it upon Abraham, and thus made it not only law- ful, but his indispensable duty, to offer up in sacrifice his only son Isaac. MARRIAGE OF A WIFe's SISTER. 133 If it be said in this case, that though God gave this command, yet he afterwards reversed it by the voice of the angel, so that Isaac was not really sacrificed ; I answer, this alters not the case as to the present argument. For God can no more command actions, which were neither lawful before, nor are capable of being rendered lawful by such command, than he can continue to command them. For instance, he can no more command a man maliciously to blaspheme the holy name of God, than he can continue to command it. He can no more command a man to indulge malevolence toward his neighbor, than he can continue to command it. God commanded the Israelites to extirpate the Canaanites, and utterly destroy them ; as Deut. 7: 2, " And when the Lord thy God shall deliver them before thee ; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them, thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor show mercy unto them." Chap. 20; 16, " Of the cities of these people which the Lord thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save nothing alive that breatheth ; but thou shalt utterly destroy them." Now it would doubtless be a very great immorali- ty, if any nation without a divine command and warrant, should treat in this manner any other nation. And it would have been the same immorality in the Israelites themselves, if they had not had a divine warrant for their proceeding. But with this divine warrant and command, it not only became lawful for them, but became their indispensable duty. I might further adduce the in- stance of the destruction of the Amalekites by Saul, which you well remember. By all these instances it appears, that what would otherwise be entirely unlawful, yet by a divine command may become both lawful and an absolute duty. So that though the marriage of a brother's wife be in itself as unlawful and immoral, as the mar- riage of an own sister, as the offering of human sacrifices, or as the total destruction of one nation by another, when the former hath given no provocation to the latter ; yet God may license it, command it, and thus render it lawful and duty. Thus the ob- jection against the immorality of marrying a brother's wife and a wife's sister falls to the ground. The truth is, that God may license and command any action, which does not imply a wicked heart, and is not inconsistent with the good of the intelligent system. He who is the author of men's lives and to whom they have forfeited them, has a right to take them away at any time, and by any causes or means, as he shall see fit. He has a right to make any man the executioner of any other man, and may command him to put that other to 12* 134 MARRIAGE OF A WIFe's SISTER. death. He hath a right to take any man's wife from him and give her to his brother, while her former husband is yet Uving ; and certainly he has a right to do the same after he is dead. And the taking of her to wife by the second brother might be so far from implying a wicked heart or any wickedness at all, that it might be as sincere an act of virtue and piety, as the act of Abra- ham in ofTering up Isaac. This whole objection depends on a false principle, which is this, that moral duty and obligation are always the same and ab- solutely invariable. But this principle is manifestly false, unless it be properly explained and limited. There are indeed some hu- man actions, which are invariably obligatory and cannot become sinful. Such as sincere and supreme love to God, sincere be- nevolence to men. and all those external and internal actions, which necessarily imply these. On the other hand, there are some human actions which are invariably and necessarily sinful, and cannot become lawful in any case whatever, and which God himself cannot consistently with his own perfections hcense ; such as enmity against God, malice toward men, supreme self- love, and all those actions external and internal which necessa- rily involve these. But the marrying of a brother's wife, when commanded by God, no more necessarily involves enmity against God, malice toward men, or supreme self-love, than they were involved in Abraham's offering up Isaac. With regard to the license and command of God to marry a brother's wife, in Deut. 25; 5, it is to be observed that it by no means repeals the general law against marrying a brother's wife delivered in Lev. xviii. and xx. It is a permission given in a par- ticular case only, viz. when a man died childless. It is therefore a mere exception to the general law, and not a repeal of it. But an exception to a general rule always confirms the rule in all cases, beside that which is excepted. For instance, the exception made to the general law in Num. 27: 8, " And tiiou shalt speak unto the children of Israel saying. If a man die, and have no son, then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass unto his daughter." This by no means implies that the inheritance was to pass to the daughter in general, or in any other case, than that which is here specified ; but manifestly implies, that in all other cases, it was to pass to the son or sons. Just so as to the law under consider- ation. As the general law is, that a man shall not marry his brother's wife, the exception that if a man should die childless, his brother under that dispensation and in that nation, in which it was necessary to keep every family as far as might be from be- MARRIAGE OF A WIFe's SISTER. 135 coming extinct, should take his brother's wife and raise up seed to his brother, no more repeals the general law, than the excep- tion with regard to the descent of estates before mentioned, re- peals the general law on that head. Perhaps it may be needless to add that as the necessity of keeping up every family distinct, which was the reason of the exception to the law against marrying a brother's wife, does not now exist among us Gentiles ; so the exception itself does no longer exist, and the general law is left to operate in its utmost extent. 6. Another objection is, that there is in the 18th verse of the 18th chapter, an implicit permission to marry a wife's sister. " Neither shalt thou take a wife to her sister, to vex her, to un- cover her nakedness, besides the other in her life time." Though this forbids to marry a wife's sister during the life of the wife ; yet it implicitly gives a license for such marriage after her death. The first answer to this is, that this text cannot mean to pro- hibit the marryingof a wife's sister, during the life of the wife, and implicitly to permit such a marriage after the death of the wife ; because this would be an implicit permission to marry any other woman during the life of the first wife. It is plain, that a prohi- bition to marry a wife's sister during the life of the first wife, is an implicit permission to marry any other woman during the life of the first wife, which is a permission and licensing of polygamy. Therefore, if this be the sense of the text in question, polygamy was lawful under the old testament. Yet it is plain by the prophet Malachi, by our Lord, and by the apostle Paul, that po- lygamy was unlawful under the old testament. The passage in Malachi to which I refer, is chap. 2: 13 — 16, " He regardeth not the offering any more, or receiveth it with good will at your hand. Yet ye say, wherefore ? Because the Lord hath been witness be- tween thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously. Yet she is thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant. And did he not make one ? Yet had he the resi- due of the spirit. And wherefore one ? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth." In this passage all are forbidden to deal treacherously with the wives of their youth. And what was meant by dealing treacherously with them, is explained in these words, " And did he not make onel i. e. one woman for one man. '' Yet he had the residue of the spirit," and was abundantly able to have created more women for one man, if it had been lawful and best for him to have more. And "wherefore" did he make but "one" woman? "That he might seek a godly seed ;" i. e. because monogamy, or the hav- 136 MARRIAGE OF A WIFe's SISTER. ing- but one wife, is subservient to godliness, and polygamy is hurtful to it. Thus does this prophet clearly decide against the lawfulness of polygamy under the old testament. The testimony of our Savior on this head is not less express and pertinent ; it is in Matt. 19: 4 — 7, " Have you not read, that he which made them at the beginning, made them male and fe- male ? And said, for this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife ; and they twain shall be one flesh. Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh." They twain, not they three or four, were to be one flesh ; and a man was to leave father and mother and cleave to his wife, not to his wives. And this was the design and institution of God yrom the beginning, under the old testament as well as the new. The apostle Paul also quotes the same words from Gen. 2: 24, and construes them in the same sense, as you may see in Eph. 5: 31, "For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined to his wife, and they two shall be one flesh." Thus clearly it appears, that polygamy was unlawful even un- der the old testament, and consequently that there is no license for it given in Lev. 18: 18, as there is, if that text be understood to refer to a natural sister. The second answer to this objection is, that from a careful at- tention to the original it does not appear, that by the word trans- lated sister in this verse, is meant natural sister, but some reasons to the contrary may be given. The same Hebrew phrase, n'i^N ?in'nN-Vi<. , here translated a wife to her sister, is found in eight other instances only in the whole Hebrew Bible ; in none of which it is applied to a natural sister, but in every one of them, it is applied to inanimate substances. Thus it is used twice in Exod. 26: 3, " The five curtains shall be coupled together one to another, and other five curtains, shall be coupled one to another." The literal translation of the Hebrew is this, ' The five curtains shall be coupled a icoman to her sister, and five curtains shall be coupled a woman to her sister.^' The same phrase occurs in the 5th verse of the same chapter; "That the loops may take hold one of another. The literal translation of the Hebrew is, " The loops receiving a woman to her sister.'' Again in the 6th verse ; " And couple the curtains together ; " in the Hebrew, " And couple the curtains a woman to her sister." So verse 17th ; " Two tenons shall there be in one board set in order one against another ;" in the Hebrew, " set in order a woman to her sister." Ezek. 1: 9, "Their v^^ings were joined one to another;" in the Hebrew, " Their wings were joined a woman to her sister." Verse 23d of the same chapter, " And under the firmament were their wings straight, one toward another ; " in the Hebrew, MARRIAGE OF A WIFe's SISTER. 137 " were straight a woman to her sister." Chap. 3: 13, " I heard also the noise of the wings of the hving creatures, that touched one another ;" in the Hebrew, " that touched a woman to her sister." On the authority of Buxtorf's Concordance to the Hebrew Bi- ble I assert, that these eight are the only instances of the use of this phrase in the whole Hebrew Bible, beside Lev. 18: 18. And since in all these it is applied to inanimate substances, which cannot in the literal sense be sisters to each other, I submit it to my learned auditors, how far this is an argument, that in our text too it does not mean a natural sister. If it shall be determined that in our text it does not mean a natural sister, the sense of the phrase will be the same which it bears in all other places, and the translation will also be the same ; thus " a wife to another shalt thou not take, to vex her, to uncover her nakedness, besides the other in her life time." The reason assigned for the prohibition of this marriage, what- ever it be, seems to extend equally to the marrying of any other woman as to the marrying of a wife's sister. The reason is, that it will be a source of vexation to the former wife. But it does not appear, that women in general would be more vexed, to have their own sister received to the same bed with themselves, than to have any other woman introduced to the same place. 7. It is said, that supposing the marriage of a wife's sister is forbidden in Lev. xviii. and xx ; yet those are the laws of Moses only ; and the laws of Moses no more concern us, than the laws of Solon or Lycurgus. Ansiver. The laws of Moses are the laws of God ; and they respected either the Israelites only, or men in general. Now that the law against marrying a brother's wife and a wife's sister respects us and men in general, is a doc- trine for which I contend, and the reasons in support of that doc- trine have been given, and are submitted to my auditors. And to say that the laws of God respecting us and our conduct, no more concern us, than the laws of Solon and Lycurgus, must be very extraordinary in any who believe the divine existence. 8. It is pleaded, that the case of marrying a wife's sister is very different from that of marrying a brother's widow ; that there are very few, if any, instances in which a man marries or wishes to marry his brother's widow. But the instances of men who marry or wish to marry their wives' sisters are very numer- ous ; which shows, that the feelings of human nature are very different in the different cases ; that the minds of men in general revolt from the idea of marrying a brother's widow, but not at all from the idea of marrying a wife's sister, and that therefore we cannot justly argue from the one of these cases to the other. 138 MARRIAGE OF A WIFe's SISTER. To this it may be answered, that it is no proper matter of won- der, that men do not so frequently marry or wish to marry, their brothers' widows, as their wives' sisters ; for they do not so gen- erally choose to marry any widows, as they do maidens. It may be presumed, that as many instances may be produced, in which men have wished to marry their brother's widows, as can be pro- duced in which they have wished to marry their wives' sisters who were widows. If women were at liberty to make overtures toward marriage, we might expect as many instances of such overtures made to husbands' brothers as are now made to wives' sisters ; which would showj that human nature no more revolts from the idea of marrying a brother's widow, than from that of marrying a wife's sister. 9. It is further pleaded, that since the violations of both the law of Moses and the law of the state, are become so frequent, and yet the offenders are not prosecuted ; this shows, that the general sense of mankind is against the law and justifies the mar- riages. Answer. It is not allowed that this consequence follows from the premises. Other laws, which all allow to be good, are very frequently broken, and yet the offenders are, according to their number, much more rarely piosecuted, than the offenders against the law in question ; for instance, the law against drunkenness. To commence prosecutor or complainer, is an invidious task, and therefore men will rarely undertake it, though they frequently see crimes committed, which they utterly abominate. 10. Another argument in favor of the marriage which I op- pose, is that no person is so suitable to come into the place of a deceased wife, or is so likely to be kind to her motherless chil- dren, as her own sister. But if the word of God have forbidden this marriage, we are bound to obey that, rather than to act on our own ideas of suitableness in the case. This argument there- fore, like several of the forementioned, takes for granted the main point in dispute, that this marriage is not forbidden in scripture. If it were ever so true, that the sister of a deceased wife is more likely, than any person not related, to take a kind care of the children of him who has lost his wife, this alone would not justi- fy him in marrying that sister. For the man's own sister might be still more likely to take a kind care of his children. Yet it would not be hence inferred, that he has a right to marry his own sister. To reply, that this is forbidden in scripture, is to say no more than we say with regard to the marriage of a wife's sister. So that the whole question is not, who is most likely to be kind to the motherless children, but what is the law of God? Besides ; it is by no means a conceded point, that the sister of MARRIAGE OF A WIFe's SISTER. 139 a deceased woman, married to her husband, is more hkely than another person to be kind to her children. It is said that or- phans have been more frequently ill-treated and murdered by un- cles and aunts, than by any other persons. 11. It is urged. That it is the design of these chapters in Le- viticus to preserve the natural dignity of the several relations of mankind, and not to suffer such marriages to be contracted, as are inconsistent with the natural superiority which some persons have, in consequence of the relation in which they naturally stand to others. But there is no such natural superiority of a wife's sister, to her sister's husband. Therefore marriage be- tween them is lawful. Ansiver. Neither is there any natural su- periority of a brother's wife to her husband's brother. Yet her marriage with him is expressly forbidden. There is no more of a natural superiority in a father's brother's wife to her husband's nephew, than there is in a mother's brother's wife to her hus- band's nephew. Yet marriage in the former case is expressly forbidden, but not in the latter. 12. It is also objected, that the Jewish Robbies admit the law- fulness of marrying a wife's sister. But who made them an au- thority ? They have no further means to know what is lawful in this case, than we have. We have the scriptures as well as they. Besides ; the Rabbies are those among the Jews who hold the obligation of their traditions, or oral law, those very traditions, which our Lord so severely condemned. But the Caraites, a sect of the Jews who hold the obligation of the written law only, in opposition to those vain and wicked traditions, deny the lawful- ness of this marriage ; as did also the ancient Grecians, Romans and Arabians. 13. In favor of repealing the law of the state against marrying a wife's sister it is urged, that since the marriage in question is allowed in the neighboring states the law of this state against it answers no good purpose. Whoever wishes to contract such a marriage, will go into one of the adjoining states and be mar- ried. But the main question is, whether the marriage in ques- tion be a lawful marriage ; whether it be right in the sight of God, and be subservient to good morals and good policy. If not, however other states may countenance it, this state is by no means at liberty to do the same. Equally trifling and more humiliating is it, to bring the repeal of the laws of the adjacent states against marrying a wife's sister, as an authority that we ought to do the same. If none of the good citizens of this state be capable of understanding and judg- ing of this subject ; it seems advisable and necessary to import 140 MARRIAGE OF A WIFe's SISTER. some men of understanding and learning, who shall be able to judge for us. If after weighing the arguments in favor of the doctrine for which I plead, together with the objections and the answers to them, any should remain doubtful and undetermined concerning the question ; it is certainly advisable to be on the safe side. A man commits no crime in marrying some other person beside his wife's sister ; but whether he will not commit a real crime, a real violation of the divine law, in marrying his wife's sister, is at least a very disputable point. Prudence therefore plainly points out to him what part to act. And considering, that we are required to abstain from all appearance of evil, who can with a good conscience willingly go as near the verge of evil as pos- sible, and yet not come within it ? In another point of view is it expedient for a man to marry his wife's sister ? By such a marriage he would deeply grieve and wound the most of his christian brethren. And willingly to do this, is to feel and to act very differently from the apostle Paul, who would not eat meat so long as the world should stand, if thereby he should of- fend his christian brethren. Thus I have taken a brief survey of the subject assigned me by the General Association. And whether or not I have given satisfaction to my learned and respectable hearers, I hope they will with candor receive my well meant attempt. I have briefly stated the evidence from scripture and reason, that the marriage in question is unlawful, and have carefully at- tended to the objections to the doctrine ; and it is humbly con- ceived, that the result of our inquiry is, that this marriage is as plainly and fully forbidden by God, as several other marriages, which we all acknowledge to be forbidden ; as the marriage of a grandson, the marriage of a mother's brother's wife, and the mar- riage of a husband's grandson, etc. To be consistent therefore we seem to be necessitated, either to hold that these marriages are not forbidden, or to acknowledge that the marriage of a wife's sister is forbidden. In these times of revolution and innovation, some seem dis- posed to innovate in everything, religious and moral, as well as political ; to throw by old practices and old opinions, without in- quiring whether they be well or ill founded ; and to change merely for the sake of change ; or rather under the pretence of liberty, originality and improvement, to throw off all restraint in morals and religion. This surely cannot be reconciled with scrip- ture or reason ; with good sense or with common prudence. Though some among other changes and revolutions are al- MARRIAGE OF A WIFe's SISTER. 141 ready prepared, and are endeavoring to effect one with respect to the subject which has now been under consideration ; yet it is to be hoped, that our legislators, our churches, and the ministers of the gospel will not proceed to any innovation in this case, without proper deliberation ; that they will carefully consult the voice of reason, and consider how far the general practice of mar- rying wives' sisters will conduce to the preservation of the purity of the morals of the people, how far it will extend or limit those social connections between diflferent families, which cement soci- ety, promote improvement, friendship and kind offices among the diflerent constituent parts of the community ; how far it will tend to keep particular families by themselves, and unconnected with their fellow citizens, and how far this will tend to promote nar- rowness, selfishness, mutual jealousy and enmity among fellow citizens, and aristocracy and civil broils in the state. The lower classes of mankind are naturally jealous and envious toward the great and affluent. But will not the practice of mar- rying wives' sisters naturally tend to keep the great and the af- fluent unconnected with the rest ? And whether that especially in a republican government, like our own, can be subservient to the public good, and whether it will not naturally tend to aris- tocracy, I leave every one to determine. But above all, it is to be hoped, that before any innovation is made in this matter, all concerned, and especially our legislators, our churches and the ministers, will carefully consult the voice of scripture, and the revealed will of God. To the law and to the testimony ; if we speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in us. And if there it shall be found, that the marriage in question is by plain implication forbidden in the same manner as several other marriages, as the marriage of a grandson, the marriage of a mother's brother's wife, the marriage of a hus- band's grandson, etc. which we all acknowledge to be forbidden ; the consequence is plain, that ministers, churches and all indi- vidual members of our churches are bound to unite their influ- ence against a growing evil. Our legislators, also, are bound in their capacity to uphold the truth, and to be deaf to the frequent solicitations of innovators, praying for the repeal of a wholesome law of the state, founded on the word of God. Vol. II. 13 SERMON VIII. FAITH AND A GOOD CONSCIENCE ILLUSTRATED.* ] TiMOTHT 1 : 19. — Holding faith and a good conscience. These words are closely connected in sense with the preced- ing, which are these : " This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou mightest war a good warfare." Then follows the text, " Holding faith and a good conscience." Timothy was a young man introduced into the ministry by Paul his spiritual father, who charged him, in the execution of his ministry, to war a good war- fare, holding faith and a good conscience ; to fight valiantly as a good soldier of Jesus Christ, having and retaining, under all trials and temptations, the true faith of the gospel, and a good con- science ; which he could do in no other way, than by faithfully discharging the various duties of the ministry. Our text therefore naturally suggests two subjects of inquiry. I. What is the true faith of the gospel ? II. What is to be done by a minister of the gospel that he may hold a good conscience ? I. What is the true faith of the gospel 7 By the true faith is intended that which is saving or justifying, or which is accounted for righteousness to all those who are the subjects of it. It is a matter of great importance that we have just ideas of that faith, which is the necessary prerequisite and absolute condition of our justification. I hope therefore this nu- merous auditory will afford their patient attention, while we en- deavor to investigate the nature of this cardinal christian grace. It is manifest, that by justifying faith, the scripture always means such a faith as implies, or is certainly connected with, a compliance with the gospel. By compliance with the gospel I mean an obedience to the precepts of it, those which relate to the temper and affections of the heart, as well as those which relate * Preached at the ordination of the Reverend William Brown, to the pas- toral office of the first church in Glastenbury, on the 27th of June, 1792, and printed at the request of the hearers. FAITH AND A GOOD CONSCIENCE. 143 to the external actions of life. Those which relate to the affec- tions of the heart, are those which require reconciliation to God, sincere and supreme love to Him, repentance of sin, reconciliation to the gospel, and especially to Christ, the great subject of the gospel, and sincere love to our fellow men. No man complies with the gospel, whatever his external conduct may be, with- out these gracious affections. And these will naturally lead to external compliance, both in a conscientious attendance on the institutions of divine worship, and in a conscientious observance of the duties of a strict morality, in justice, truth, fidelity and beneficence. That by true and saving faith, the gospel means such a faith, as either implies in its very nature, or infers as a necessary con- sequence, such a compliance with the gospel as has been now described, is manifest from various considerations. Any other faith, than that which implies, or is connected with compliance with the gospel, is called a dead faith, and is condemned as not saving. James 2: 14, "What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man have faith, and have not works? Can faith save him?" Plainly importing, as you see, that a faith which does not imply, or is not connected with good works, is unprofitable and not sav- ing. See also the 17th verse of the same chapter, "Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone." Obedience to the gospel is constantly spoken of as necessary to salvation, and those who disobey it are constantly said not to be entitled to sal- vation, but to be exposed to damnation. As Matt. 8: 26, Every one that heareth the sayings of Christ, and doeth them not, is likened unto a foolish man who built his house upon the sand, and it fell with a great catastrophe. But he that heareth the sayings of Christ and doeth them, is likened to a wise man, that built upon a rock ; so that his house stood, and he obtained the end of his labor in building it. James 1: 23, " If any man be a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his face in a glass. For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty and continueth there- in, he being not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed." John 8: 31, " If ye continue in my word then are ye my disciples indeed." Chap. 15: 14, " Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." Now he that has saving faith is blessed with a sure title to salvation. But no man is thus blessed, but he who continueth in the law of liberty and is a doer of the work which it prescribes. Therefore 144 FAITH AND A GOOD CONSCIENCE. between saving faith and the doing of this work, there is an es- tabhshed connection. Those who have saving faith, are Christ's real friends and his disciples indeed. But none are entitled to these characters, but those who continue in Christ's word and do whatsoever he hath commanded. Therefore saving faith and compliance with the gospel are infallibly connected. The same truth appears from this, that love to God, love to Christ, repentance of sin, universal love to mankind, and love to the brethren are throughout the gospel, represented as absolutely necessary to salvation. Rom. 8: 7, " The carnal mind is enmity against God." But " to be carnally minded is death ;" and only " to be spiritually minded is life and peace ;" " and they that are in the flesh, cannot please God." " If any man love not our Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema maranatha." " Repent ye therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out." " Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." John 2: 9, 10, "He that saith, he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother, abideth in the light." Chap. 3: 14, 15, "We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren ; he that lov- eth not his brother, abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother, is a murderer ; and ye know that no murderer hath eter- nal life abiding in him." 1 Cor. 13: 1 — 4, " Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gifts of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could re- move mountains, and have not charity ; I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity ; it profiteth me nothing." These are a few of the scriptural testimonies to the absolute necessity of cordial compliance with, the gospel, in order to an inheritance of the saving blessings of it. But saving faith is ab- solutely connected with those blessings. It follows therefore, that saving or justifying faith either involves in its very nature, or is indissolubly connected with a cordial compliance with the gospel, in heart and life. If this then be an established principle, our next inquiry will be. What kind of faith is that, which either involves, or is cer- tainly connected with, a cordial compliance with the gospel. To this inquiry I answer, that a mere intellectual, speculative or doctrinal assent to the gospel is not certainly connected with a cordial compliance with the gospel. This is evident from sev- FAITH AND A GOOD CONSCIENCE. 145 eral considerations. First, from this, that this kind of faith exists in perfection in the devils and damned. James 2: 19, " Tiioa behevest that there is one God ; thou dost well ; the devils also believe and tremble." If it be said, that we cannot argue from the case of the devils, as they are in a reprobate state, whereas we are in a state of probation ; and though belief in the devils is not followed with reconciliation, it may be followed with that ef- fect in us, who are in a state of probation ; to this, I reply, that belief in the reprobate will produce all the effect, which it will produce in men who are in a state of probation, except that which arises from the prospect of the favor of God, and which is there- fore the fruit of our natural self-love. But love to God and Christ from the motives of mere self-love, were it to ever so great a degree to follow from doctrinal faith, would be no true and saving com- pliance with the gospel. " If ye love those that love you, what thank have ye ? Do not even the publicans the same ?" If ye follow Christ merely because of the loaves, how are ye better than the unbelieving Jews ? Besides, the very argument of the apostle James in the text just cited from him, is, that if we have no other faith than the devils have, we have no evidence of a title to salvation. It is as if the apostle had said. Thou believest, that there is one God ; so far is Avell ; yet this is no proof that thy faith is saving ; because the devils have the same faith, w^hich is a full proof that thy faith is essentially defective. But on the principle of the objection, an answer to this reasoning of the apostle would have been at hand. The answer is this : but if the devils have the same faith which I have, this is no proof, but that my faith is genuine and saving. For they are not in a state of probation. Therefore that faith, which is not saving to them now, would be saving to them, were they in such a state as I am in ; and it is no objection to the gen- uineness of my faith, or to its sure connection with salvation, that the devils have the same. Thus unless we allow, that the apos- tle under inspiration argues inconclusively ; we must believe, that the faith of devils, or a merely speculative and doctrinal faith, has no certain connection with a real and saving compliance with the gospel. If a merely speculative faith have a natural tendency to compli- ance with the gospel, or be certainly connected with compliance, what is the dead faith of which the scriptures speak ? On this prin- ciple it will follow, that there is no such thing as a dead faith which is without saving profit ; of which however the scripture makes ex- press mention. If speculative faith be certainly connected with compliance with the gospel, all who have it will certainly be saved, 13* 146 TAITH AND A GOOD CONSCIENCE. and it naturally tends to this compliance. And if it naturally tend to this compliance, it is a lively, operative faith, a faith which worketh by love. If so, what is a dead faith ? If it should be said, that a speculative faith, in some low degree, is a dead faith ; but in a higher degree, it worketh by love, the answer is easy ; that if this be the general nature of a speculative faith, it will in all its various degrees more or less work by love. It will in its lowest degree have the same tendency in kind, as in its highest ; and will actually be followed with something of the same effect ; and that according to the degree of it ; as genuine and sincere love to God, in its lowest exercises, tends to the proper effects of love, and actually produces those effects according to the mea- sure of the love itself. Not even the lowest degree of this love can be called a dead love. So if the nature of speculative faith were of the like tendency to a compliance with the gospel, none of its exercises could be called a dead faith. If mere speculative faith, in which is involved no emotion of the heart or will, be the saving faith of the gospel, saving faith is not of a moral nature, the exercise of it is not a duty, and the omission of it or unbelief, is no sin ; and it is as absurd to exhort a man to believe, as to ex- hort a blind man to see the sun ; as absurd to threaten him for unbelief, as to threaten a deaf man for not hearing the sound of a trumpet ; as absurd to praise and reward a man for believing, as to praise and reward him for feeling the warmth of a summer's day ; and as absurd to blame and punish a man for unbelief, as to blame and punish an idiot for not seeing the truth of a mathe- matical theorem. Yet nothing is plainer in the scripture, than that mankind are constantly exhorted to believe ; are threatened for unbelief ; are entitled by faith to the reward of eternal life ; and unbelief is properly called the damning sin. These things it is conceived clearly demonstrate, that the saving faith of the gospel is a moral act, an exercise or emotion of the heart or will, and not of the in- tellect only. If it should be still thought, that a speculative faith, if raised to a proper degree, will lead the subject to a cordial compliance with the gospel ; without repeating what has been already said, that on that supposition it will according to the degree of it, have the same effect even in the smallest exercises ; that faith is not a moral act, nor a proper matter of exhortation, command and re- ward ; nor unbelief a proper matter of dehortation, threatening and punishment ; it may be further observed, that on that supposition legeneration is no change in the heart or temper, but wholly a change in the intellect, or it consists in a new revelation ; conse- FAITH ANB A GOOD CONSCIENCE. 147 quBntly a man to whom that change or that revelation is not given, is no more blamable for not beheving, than they to whom the sacraments of the New Testament have not been made known, are to be blamed for not observing them. The unbeliever in this case is the proper object of pity, but not of reprehension. Further, the principle which I am opposing, implies, that the heart of man is not naturally depraved ; because as soon as the increase of the capacity or the new revelation is given to the in- tellect, the heart immediately receives the truth and complies with it. The heart, therefore, is previously and naturally dis- posed aright, and so is not depraved ; or at least not so depraved, but that as soon as the requisite increase of capacity or the reve- lation is given to the intellect, the heart immediately and readily complies ; which is directly contrary to all that the scriptures teach us concerning the entire depravity of the human heart by nature. If man, as soon as sufficient knowledge or light is communi- cated to him, cheerfully receive and comply with it, he is un- doubtedly previously disposed to comply with it. And he that is disposed to comply with the light of truth, is not surely totally depraved, but has a heart friendly to the truth ; and that is a good heart, and not a heart totally dead in trespasses and sins. He who is disposed to comply with the light of truth, as it appears, is already disposed to act according to the best of his knowledge ; or, to express it in familiar language, he is disposed to do as well as he knows how to do. And what more can be required of any man than this ? Such a man is so far from being totally de- praved, as the scripture teaches us that mankind arc by nature, that he is totally disposed to act and live aright ; or in other words, he is totally sanctified ; and he needs only to have the capacity and knowledge of an archangel, and he will be as holy. These are some of the considerations, which seem to prove, that a mere speculative faith neither involves nor is certainly connected with a cordial compliance with the gospel, and there- fore cannot be justifying and saving faith. But if beside the assent of the understanding to the truth of the gospel, we take into our idea of faith the consent of the heart or will ; such a faith does involve or is certainly connected with a cordial compliance with the gospel. He who cordially consents to the scheme of the gospel, re- joices in it ; and he who rejoices in that scheme rejoices in Jesus Christ, the great subject of the scheme. He who rejoices in Christ, will rejoice in God, and love him sincerely and supremely. He who loves God, will love his law, and love to obey it. He 148 FAITH AND A GOOD CONSCIENCE, who loves the law, will abhor every violation of it, his own viola- tions of it in particular, and will repent in dust and ashes. He who loves God and is benevolently disposed to the interest of his kingdom, will be benevolent to all intelligent creatures, so far as is consistent with the prosperity of God's kingdom ; and there- fore will sincerely love his fellow men in general, and particularly those who appear to be friends to the same kingdom of God and to be the subjects of it. He who is the subject of these inward graces, will of course go into an external conduct correspondent to them. Thus will he who is the subject of that faith which contains a consent of heart, as well as an assent of the under- standing to the truth, naturally and certainly yield a cordial com- pliance with the gospel. This then must be that faith which the scriptures consider as justifying and saving ; as they certainly do always consider sav- ing faith as involving, or inferring as a certain consequence, a cordial compliance with the gospel. Concerning this faith and the nature of it, several further in- quiries occur, which I beg leave now to propose and consider. 1. It is inquired, Why is this complex exercise, implying both an assent of the understanding and a consent of the will, called by the name of faith 1 Or why must we understand the word faith which occurs so often in scripture, in this complex sense ? Should we not rather understand it in the common sense of the word, as meaning a bare assent of the understanding to testi- mony ? Why should we understand it in an unusual sense ? To all this I answer, that some of the reasons why we must in this sense understand the word faith so often repeated in scripture, have been already given, and they need not be repeat- ed. It may however be further observed, that a bare assent to the gospel could not properly be made the condition of justifica- tion and salvation, as it does not at all prepare a man for heaven or for pardon, justification or any of the special blessings of the christian. To be prepared for heaven a man ought to be of an holy heart ; otherwise he cannot take pleasure in the displays of the divine holiness there exhibited ; or in the holy inhabitants, or in the holy employments and holy pleasures of that holy world. To be prepared for a grateful acknowledgment of the infinite goodness and grace of God, in bestowing on him heaven, or par- don and his special favor here, a man must be fully sensible of his own unworthiness, demerit and sinfulness, must be a real peni- tent and in genuine repentance must comply with the gospel. There would manifestly be an impropriety in granting these bless- FAITH AND A GOOD CONSCIENCE. 149 ings to a man not duly sensible of the infinite grace of God in the bestovvment of them, or of his own dependence on that grace. Therefore there is a sufficient reason why something further than mere speculative faith is made the condition of pardon and sal- vation. And since tlie scriptures use the word faith to express that complex condition of pardon, this is to be sure a sufficient reason why we also should use it in the same sense. Every autlior has a perfect right to use words in his own sense, provided he does but explain or give notice of that sense. And since the writers of scripture have sufficiently shown us, that by faith they mean such abelief of the gospel, as is certainly connect- ed with a compliance, and that this implies a cordial consent to the truth believed ; therefore they have acted with no impropri- ety in using the word faith so as to include a cordial consent. Nor is this a very uncommon use of the word. We often say, that a man does not believe a report or an information when he does not act agreeably to it. As if a man were informed that his house was on fire, and yet he should not exert himself to ex- tinguish the flames or to escape ; if a sick man were informed of a remedy for his disease of easy acquisition and sure or most pro- bable success, and yet he should neglect it ; if a child were taught by his parents a sure and feasible way to prosperity, hon- or and happiness in life, and the child in practice should wholly disregard it ; we should naturally in all these and many other cases say, that these persons respectively did not believe the in- formation given them. No wonder therefore, that the scriptures say concerning those who act not agreeably to the information given in the gospel, that they believe it not. 2. It is also inquired. Why did not the scripture make use of some other word of more determinate meaning, and which should without a particular explanation, express the complex act of the mind, which is the condition of justification ? To this it may be answered, that there does not appear to be any word of more de- terminate signification, which could have been used in this case. Suppose the word receive had been substituted in lieu of faith, still we must have explained in what sense Christ or the gospel is to be received ; whether with a mere speculative assent or with a cordial complacency ; or if in complacency, whether that complacency must be directed immediately to Christ and the gospel themselves, or to the benefits merely, which we expect to derive from them. Or if the word love had been the word, there would have been the same ambiguity concerning the nature and ground of the love, as was just now mentioned concerning the word receive. If this act had been expressed by the word trust 15b FAITH AND A GOOD CONSCIENCE. Still we should have had to inquire, in what sense we are to trust in Christ, whether as a sovereign, claiming and exercising the right to have mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will to harden ; or whether we are to trust him in a belief, that we are the objects of his favor and not otherwise. Or if the word obe- dience or compliance had been chosen instead of faith ; still there are different senses in which Christ may be obeyed, or the gos- pel complied with. This obedience may be external or internal ; may proceed from the motive of mere self-love or from sincere and direct complacency in the truth. 3. Is justifying faith an appropriating act 1 And does the christian in faith believe, that Christ is his Savior, that he is con- verted and will be saved ? If by appropriation, be meant choos- ing Christ as our Savior, wishing to be saved by and through him, and in no other way, entirely approving and acquiescing in the method of salvation proposed in the gospel, and hoping to be saved in this way ; doubtless all this is or may be contained in justifying faith. From the view of Christ's sufficiency to save, the believer may hope that he may be saved by him, though he do not at present believe that he is interested in him. But if by appropriation be meant a belief that we are now interested in Christ, it is by no means an essential part of saving faith. Such an appropriation is not by any means necessarily connected with a cordial compliance with the gospel. A man may have, and many have had, this appropriation to a very high degree, and yet have lived in gross immorality. A man may have this appropri- ation, and yet not be pleased with the character of Christ only so far as he conceives or hopes, that he has derived, or is about to derive some benefit from him. He may still be greatly displeased with the holiness of Christ, and with his determination to punish sin and sinners continuing in sin. He may be displeased with the sovereignty of Christ and of his grace. He may be equally dis- pleased with the gospel, the duties, the terms, and the conditions of it. He will therefore not receive either Christ or the gospel with any proper and direct complacency. In like manner he may be wholly without any compliance with the gospel in sincere and supreme love to God, in a cheerful submission to him and to his sovereign grace in sincere repentance of sin. Whatever repen- tance and love he has, may be wholly the fruit of self-love. So with respect to love to mankind and every other affection. Therefore as this appropriation is by no means certainly connect- ed with a compliance with the gospel, it cannot be saving faith. 4. Does saving faith imply either a belief, that Christ died for him in particular, who is the subject of the faith, or a belief that FAITH AND A GOOD CONSCIENCE. 151 he died for all men in such a sense at least, that he has made atonement for all ? It is said by some that there is no founda- tion for me to exercise faith in Christ, but one or other of these ; a belief that Christ died for me in particular, and made atone- ment for my sins in particular ; or a belief that he hath made sufficient atonement for all mankind ; that if I believe that he died for me in particular, I have a foundation on which to trust in him. Or if I believe that he hath made an atonement suffi- cient for all men, I still have a foundation on which I may trust in him for salvation ; but that beside these two there is no other foundation for faith or trust in him ; that therefore all those who believe, that Christ hath made atonement for the sins of the elect only, must have the appropriating faith, or a faith which consists in believing that Christ died for them in particular. Concerning all this I beg leave to observe, that if by saving faith we mean a trust or reliance on Christ in the persuasion, that he will save us, it must imply either a belief that he died for us in particular, or a belief that he died, and hath made atonement for all men. But if by saving faith we mean, as I conceive that we ought to mean, a firm belief of the report and doctrine of the gospel, and a firm belief of the character, offices, and sufficiency of Jesus Christ as a Savior, and a cordial complacency in him, and a willing acquiescence in the way of salvation through him ; saving faith may exist in a man, who believes neither that Christ died for him in particular, nor that he has made atonement suf- ficient for all men. 5. Very similar to the last mentioned, is the following inquiry : Does the first exercise of saving faith imply a trust in Christ for salvation ? The answer wholly depends on the meaning of the expression trust in Christ for salvation. If by that expression be meant a confidence that Christ will save us in particular ; I answer, that this is not the first exercise of saving faith. But if by trusting in Christ be meant a belief that Christ is the only Savior ; that he is all-sufficient as a Savior ; that he is able to save us and all who believe in him ; that we depend on him for salvation, if ever we are to be saved, and that we wish to be saved in no other way, entirely approving the way which is through him ; as all this may be contained in the first act of saving faith, so trusting in Christ for salvation in this sense, is or may be the first act of faith. 6. Does saving faith lead to a compliance with the gospel ? Is it the cause of that compliance which consists in sincere and su- preme love to Christ, and to the Father, genuine repentance of sin, love of mankind, etc. ? To this I answer, faith itself as it 152 FAITH AND A GOOD CONSCIENCE. has been now explained, is at least in part a compliance with the gospel. To receive Christ with cordial complacency, is so far to comply with the gospel. But this act is not the cause of itself. It contains in its nature sincere love to Christ and to the whole Deity ; therefore it cannot be the cause of the first act of love to God or to Christ. So, as faith contains in its very nature the es- sence of a general compliance of heart with the gospel, it cannot be the cause of that compliance. To be the cause, it must be distinct from it, and so distinct from all cordial complacency in the gospel. But that faith which is distinct from complacency, is a mere speculative faith and therefore is not certainly connected with a saving compliance with the gospel. So that let our idea of faith be what it may, it is not the cause of compliance with the gospel. If faith imply a cordial consent to the truth, it can- not be the cause of compliance but involves it, so far as relates to the heart. If faith be a mere assent of the understanding, it cannot be the cause of compliance, as there is no certain connec- tion between the one and the other. Speculative faith can work on those principles only, which are in the heart, but can never produce new principles or new tastes. Speculative faith con- cerning the utility of honey and its subserviency to health, will never produce a taste for honey in a man who has no taste for it. If a man had no sense of honor or of shame ; no information and belief concerning the use and necessity of that principle so com- mon to men, would produce it in him. Nor if a parent were without the principle of natural affection, would any speculative belief concerning it. Or information concerning his child, produce the yearnings and desires of an affectionate parent. But where- ever the principle exists, it is easy to excite its proper emotions. So where a principle of benevolence to intelligent being, of love to God and to holiness exists, it is easy to draw it forth into its proper exercises. But where no such principle exists, it is impossible to create the principle or to excite the exercises of love to God and holiness by mere speculative faith. Many sinners who have no doubt concerning the facts and doctrines of the gospel, yea, who have strong conviction of their own sin and danger in the view of those doctrines ; yet pretend not to be, and in fact are not reconciled to the gospel, so as cor- dially to comply with it, and perhaps show this by their subse- quent lives. Were it otherwise, did mere speculative faith com- municate a new heart, there would be no need of the influence of the divine spirit, unless it were to increase the faculty of intel- lect or to impress or reveal a new idea in it, which would be to produce an effect not of a moral nature, for being without which FAITH AND A GOOD CONSCIENCE. 153 we are not blamable, and after becoming the subjects of which, we are no way morally better, than we were before. This would be not only regeneration by a physical operation, but it would be a regeneration, which would produce a physical effect, as much physical as would be the effect of changing the Ethiopian's skin or of adding a cubit to our stature. But this, as has been shown, is no change of heart ; nor is it certainly connected with a change of heart ; and if it were certainly connected with such a change, that change would be effected by mere moral suasion and not by any influence of the Spirit immediately on the heart or will. The increase of the faculty of intellect and the revelation or exhibition of any merely intellectual idea, can influence the heart by moral suasion only. 7. Does not justifying faith consist in a sight or view of the spiritual glory of the gospel, or in that assent to the divine origi- nal of the gospel, which immediately results from the view of its spiritual glory ? And is not this view of spiritual glory or this spiritual light distinct from the exercise or complacency of the heart ? Is it not antecedent to it and the immediate cause of it? This appears to be the idea of some ; and they allow that this light is supernatural, and the effect of the immediate influence of the Spirit of God. To this I answer : If this light be distinct from all exercises of the heart, there is no morality, no grace, no reli- gion in it, more than in seeing the light of the sun ; nor are we while destitute of this spiritual light, more obligated to have it, than the blind man is to see the light of the sun ; nor is he who has it, any more praiseworthy, than he who having his eyes open sees the light of the sun. In short, the observations in general, which have been made concerning mere speculative faith, are true with regard to this spiritual light, which is supposed to be without all exercise of heart, and therefore is in reality nothing else but specu- lative faith, or speculative knowledge. For what is speculative knowledge, but knowledge in the intellect merely, not involving any emotions of the heart or affections ? And such this spiritual light, of which I am speaking, is supposed and described to be. As mere speculative faith cannot produce a new heart or holy love ; so neither can spiritual light, if it be distinct from all emo- tion of heart, any more than speculation will produce natural af- fection or compassion, in him who is wholly destitute of the prin- ciples of those emotions. And if this spiritual light did produce holy love, it would produce it by mere moral suasion, as it could in no other way operate on the mind at all. This would exclude all influence of the Spirit on the heart in regeneration and what- ever influence of the Spirit is admitted on this hypothesis, must Vol. II. 14 154 FAITH AND A GOOD CONSCIENCE. be on the bare intellect, in enlarging its capacity, or in commu- nicating a new revelation. If it be said, that there is no new capacity given to the mind, nor new revelation communicated, but a view of the beauty and glory of old truths long since known ; still if this glory be dis- cerned by mere intellect, as it is, provided it be distinct from all emotion of heart ; why is it not as much a new revelation as if some new truth were made known ? I beg leave further to observe, that the sight or apprehension of beauty or glory of any kind, is not prior to the love of that beauty, nor is distinct from it. We do not first see the beauty of a picture or of a countenance, and then become pleased with it. But the very sight of the beauty carries in it complacency. Nor is there anything else in complacency in a beautiful picture than the sight of its beauty. So with regard to beauty and glory in general. 8. Is faith the first exercise of grace in the regenerate soul ? -4^1- swer. If by faith we mean a mere speculative assent, it is nei- ther the first nor the last exercise of grace, because it is no exer- cise of grace at all. It is no more an exercise of grace than the devils are the subjects of, while they believe and tremble. But if by faith we mean a cordial belief of the truth, implying a con- sent of the will to the gospel and complacency in Christ, this may or may not be the first exercise of grace. It implies regeneration and a new heart, or a new bias of the will. This new heart once given may exercise itself variously as objects are presented to view. Sometimes the first object coming into the view of the renewed soul may be Christ and his spiritual glory ; of course the new creature will exert itself in love to him and in cordially re- ceiving him in his glorious character as a Savior. In other in- stances, the Deity in general may be the first object occurring to the view of the regenerate soul. In this case the first exercise of grace will be love to God. In some instances sin may be the first object ; then the first exercise of grace will be repentance. But the most natural order of the exercise of the several graces seems to be, love to God ; submission to his law ; and in view of the righteousness and amiableness of the law, an abhorrence and repentance of sin, which is the violation and practical contempt of the law ; in abhorrence of sin and in a desire to be delivered from it and the consequences of it, an acceptance of Christ as the deliverer, or Savior. Objection. How can we love God unless we believe in him ? But to believe in God is faith ; therefore faith is before love and the foundation of it. FAITH AND A GOOD CONSCIENCE. 155 Answer. We must distinguish between belief in general and faitli in Christ as the Savior, which is justifying faith. It is un- doubtedly true, that we cannot love God unless we believe that he exists. But a bare belief in the divine existence is not justify- ing faith. So that this objection proves not, that justifying faith is before any other exercise of grace. It only proves, that some belief concerning the object of any affection, is necessary to the exercise of that affection ; which is not inconsistent with anything which has been advanced. 9. What is the cause of faith ? Why does one man believe and not another ? Answer. The same as is the cause of any other grace. God changes the heart ; then the man is prepared for the exercise of any grace, as truth and proper objects are presented ; and for the exercise of faith as well as other graces. Thus faith is the gift of God. 10. Is faith a duty to which we are reasonably and morally obligated 1 It is said, that faith depends on evidence ; that when evidence is presented, wc must beheve and cannot withhold our assent ; but when it is not presented, we cannot believe ; how then can faith be a matter of obligation ? Answer. If faith were a mere speculative assent of the intel- lect, this reasoning would be conclusive. In that case we should believe as evidence appeared, and could not, though ever so can- did, believe without evidence. Nor should we be blamable un- less evidence were shut out by our prejudice. But faith is a cor- dial belief of the truth. This depends not merely on real evi- dence, but on the temper of the heart. Therefore faith is as much a duty as love to God, love to Christ, repentance of sin, etc. and it is a duty for the same reason tliat either of those is a duty. And for the same reason unbelief is a great sin. 11. But how can it be the duty of a man to believe, when he is dependent on God for faith and faith is his gift ? Answer. Doubtless it is the gift of God in the same sense as any grace is. Still it is a duty. So love to God ; repentance of sin ; love to mankind ; the true and sincere practice of justice, truth and beneficence, are all his gifts. Yet all these are duties of in- dispensable obligation. Just so is faith in Christ. If we be not in duty obligated to the exercise and practice of the several forementioned graces and virtues ; we are not obligated to anything, but what is agreeable to our own corrupt principles and biases ; which is absurd and what no man will avow or vin- dicate. The objection which we are considering is built on the ground, 156 FAITH AND A GOOD CONSCIENCE. that nothing is our duty, with respect to which we are dependent on God. But if this be true, nothing at all is our duty, as we are dependent with respect to everything, and are independent in nothing. The saints are dependent on God for grace to enable them to persevere and to make proficiency in christian grace ; and all men, as they live and move and have their being in God, are dependent on him for power to perform the most common actions of life. Yet no man will pretend, that saints are not in- dispensably obligated to persevere and to grow in grace ; or that any man is not obligated to live in the practice of kindness and good neighborhood to all around him. 12. But how is a man in duty bound to believe, when God hath not decreed that he shall believe, but has decreed to leave him without the gift of faith ? Answer. Notwithstanding any divine decree, it is our duty to believe for the same reason as it is our duty to do anything else, which God has not decreed to give us an inclination to do ; for instance to read tlie scriptures, to pray, to worship God in any form, to pay our just debts, to speak the truth, etc. If any man neglect any of these duties, this very neglect proves, that God did not decree to influence him to perform the duty neglected, but did decree to permit the neglect of it. " For God decrees what- soever cometh to pass." Yet no man will hence argue, that the man who neglects those duties, commits no sin in that neglect. It was the indispensable duty of Joseph's brethren to love and to treat him with brotherly kindness. Yet they hated him, con- spired against him and sold him into Egypt. And it appears by the event, that all this was agreeable to the divine decree ; nor did this decree in the least dissolve their obligation to him. It was the duty of Judas, to have loved, reverenced and cleaved to his Lord. Yet he hated and betrayed him, and this is proved both by the event, and by the express declaration of scripture, to be agreeable to the divine decree. But this decree did not in the least release Judas from his obligation to his Lord. God's decrees are not the rule of our duty ; if they were, we could not know the rule of our duty before we acted, unless there were a prophecy of the event ; and it would be impossible, that there should be any sin in the universe, as God decrees whatso- ever comes to pass. 1.3. But does not this doctrine, that faith is a duty, /avor self- righteousness 1 Does it not aflbrd some ground of self-applause to the sinner, to think that he is justified by faith ; that faith is a duty, a good work, an amiable christian grace ; and that there- fore, he is justified by his good work, by doing his duty in part FAITH AND A GOOD CONSCIENCE. 157 at least ? Answer. If by " justification by good works" be meant justification before and without all good works or exercises of grace ; no doubt every believer is justified by good works, and we are so far from denying or evading the charge, that we avow and defend it as evangelical truth. Without faith it is impossible to please God. Those therefore who have faith do please him. But they that are in the flesh cannot please him. Therefore in order to please God, we must not be in the flesh, but in the spirit, and must be sanctified and of course exercise the true grace of God. If any man love not our Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema maranatha, i. e. let him be under the curse, and therefore while witliout the love of Christ, he is under the curse ; and of course cannot be in a state of justification. " There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit." By this it appears, that while we walk after the flesh and until we begin to walk after the spirit, and to exercise the graces of the spirit, we are under condemna- tion. " To be carnally minded is death ; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." Therefore we can have no spiritual life or peace with God, and of course cannot be justified, till we are spiritually minded. But if by justification by good works, be meant a justification which is obtained on the ground of any merit, satisfaction or atonement implied in our good work or made by it ; this I utter- ly reprobate, and deny that it is implied in anything that has been said. 14. Does not this doctrine, that faith is the duty of all men, overthrow the doctrine of the total depravity of human nature. If the exercise of faith and other grace be the indispensable duty of all men, will it not follow, that there is some good principle in mankind ; some principle from which the exercise of grace may flow ? Answer. This by no means follows. Though it be the duty of all men to believe, they may not be disposed to do this duty. Though it is undoubtedly the duty of the saints to grow in grace, and to persevere in hohness to the end of life ; yet with- out special grace they will not either persevere or grow in grace. II. We come now to consider, What is to he done by a min- ister of the gospel, that he may hold a good conscience 1 As I have enlarged so much on the first head of my discourse, I must not dwell on this, but in general very summarily observe ; that he must be faithful to his own soul, and maintain the con- stant exercise of divine grace, and close converse with God ; he must be faithful to his charge as a minister ; faithful in his stu- dies ; in preaching the word ; in his private dealings with the 14* 158 FAITH AND A GOOD CONSCIENCE. souls of men, and that according to their characters, whether saints or sinners ; whether in heahh or in sickness and on a dying bed ; whether secure or awakened ; whether moral or immoral. He must be faithful as a ruler in the house of God, and faithfully dispense the discipline which Christ has instituted ; and must do it prudently, yet firmly ; with entire benevolence, yet without fa- vor or affection, or respect to the persons of men. He must not only conscientiously do what he believes himself bound to do ; but he must take care to inform his conscience aright ; for in this, as well as in all other cases, we arc bound to judge according to truth ; and we judge at our peril. But passing by the many things which might be said under this head, I shall relieve your patience by proceeding immediately to close the discourse by an address, — 1. To the pastor elect. 2. To the church and society in this town. I. To the pastor elect. My young friend and fellow-laborer, — As the true and saving faith of our Lord Jesus Christ is so cardinal a subject of the gospel, on which Christ and the apostles have so much insist- ed, I thought it not unsuitable to the present occasion, to bring it somewhat largely into view, to explain it according to my abil- ity and to consider the principal difficulties which have been rais- ed concerning it. After the example of your divine Lord, you are to preach, " He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved ; and he that believeth not shall be damned." " He that believeth on the Son, hath everlasting life ; but he that believeth not the Son, shall not see life ; but the wrath of God abideth on him." After the example of the apostles you are to preach, " Be- lieve on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." " This is his commandment that ye believe on the name of his Son Je- sus Christ." The nature of this faith I have attempted to explain. This is the faith which you are to preach. You are not only to preach the necessity of faith in general ; but you are to explain the nature of true faith ; you are to distinguish it from several things which are called faith ; from a mere speculative faith ; from an appropriating faith ; from a mere confidence of our own good estate ; from everything called by the name of faith which is not certainly connected with a compliance with the gospel. A mere speculaUve faith is no duty, and can with no propriety be made the matter of exhortation. Nor is the appropriating faith a duty, unless we have evidence of our interest in Christ. But what evidence of this can there be by any other medium, than that of sanctification ? Point out in your sermons the dan- ger of a false faith, and warn your people against delusion on FAITH AND A GOOB CONSCIENCE.* 159 that head. The danger is great. Thousands have been deluded and thousands probably will be deluded in this particular. And perhaps as many have been and will be deluded by one as by the other of the kinds of false faith just nnentioncd. If people have something more than a mere speculative faith, and together with their faith, have emotions of love ; lead them to" inquire of what kind their love is ; whether it be selfish or be- nevolent and disinterested. Together with this faith, preach those doctrines and those du- ties which are immediately connected with it ; such as the new birth, conversion, repentance unto life, supreme love to God, real and direct benevolence to mankind, the divine efficacious grace and the sovereignty of it, the saints' perseverance, and endless re- wards and punishments. Preach the dependence of man on God for faith as well as for grace in general ; yet preach the duty of faith, even the duty of all men to whom the gospel is preached, to repent and believe the gospel, and that no man hath a right to procrastinate this duty at all. Preach also the fruits of faith, the external conduct naturally flowing from it, and the external marks of its genuineness. Thus you will preach experimentally, practically, usefully, and with the divine blessing successfully. Thus having this faith in your own soul, and thus preaching it to others, you will comply with our text and '' hold faith and a good conscience." Thus you will " be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up by the loords o? faith and of sound doctrine." II. I shall in very few words address myself to the church and society in this town. Men, brethren, and fathers, — You also have heard what has been said concerning the distinguishing nature of saving faith. And if it be the duty of your pastor to preach this faith ; it is your duty to exercise it, and to receive the truth, not only with a speculative assent, but with a cordial consent. Faith is a duty equally incumbent on you, as repentance, love to God, love to men, or any moral virtue. Therefore while any of you continue in unbelief you continue in sin ; and you are to expect that your pastor acting faithfully will reprove you for this, as well as for any other sin of which you may be guilty ; that he will do what in him lies to convince you of it ; and that by a clear exhibition of the necessity of faith, of the reasonableness of it, of the requi- sition of it by God, of the awful consequences of unbelief, and of the blessed consequences of true faith, he will urge you to a compliance with the calls in the gospel, to the exercise of faith and that immediately without any further delay. 160' FAITH AND A GOOD CONSCIENCE. Labor to get right ideas of saving faith. Examine those which you may have hitherto entertained ; examine whether they imply any more than a speculative assent ; or at most an appropriation. As your pastor shall make these distinctions, apply them to your- selves in close examination. Take heed that you amuse not yourselves with a false faith and false hope. Just ideas of the true faith of Jesus Christ, and a careful exam- ination of yourselves with respect to it, will happily, not only tend to preserve you from fatal delusion ; but will tend to your growth in grace. The clear knowledge of the truth is the great means appointed by God of growth in grace. And the knowledge of the truth in such a capital article as that of the christian faith, is nearly connected with the knowledge of almost every important evangelical truth. It implies a knowledge of the gospel in gene- ral, and particularly a knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ ; and therefore most directly tends to general christian ed- ification. We sincerely congratulate you on the events of this day ; that with so much peace and unanimity you have obtained the reset- tlement of the gospel ministry among you. Cultivate purity and peace among yourselves. " The wisdom which is from above is first pure, then peaceable." And may there ever subsist the most cordial peace between you and your pastor. Such large societies as you are, are more apt to fall out by the ivay, than those which are smaller ; and perhaps they are more apt to deviate from purity. Let me therefore be- seech you to be on your guard in both these respects. Your pas- tor is young and comparatively inexperienced ; therefore you are not to expect so much from him on that account. It will be your duty, in the arduous work to which he is called, to assist him by your prayers, by your kind advice, by your influence, and by all the ways in your power. Thus while he is laboring for your spiritual good, you will be laboring for the same important object. Thus may you be -long happy together, fellow-laborers, though in different capacities in the same common cause. And having happily and successfully united your labors here, may you in due time be received unitedly to partake of the blessed fruits of your respective labors, in the kingdom of perfect peace and glory, where you shall respectively " rest from your labors and your works shall follow you." SERMON IX DEPRAVITY THE SOURCE OF INFIDELITY.* Jonx 7: 17. — If nny man will do his will, he shall know oflhc doctrine, ivheiher it be of God, or whether I speak of myself Our Lord '• taught as one having authority, and not as the scribes." Even liis enemies were compelled to admire his abili- ties and his doctrine. See the context : " Now about the midst of the feast, Jesus went up into the temple and taught. And the Jews marvelled, saying. How knoweth this man letters, having never learned ?" It was marvellous to them, that a man who had had no advantages of education, who was a carpenter's son, and was himself a carpenter, and of course could not have had much advantage of conversation with men of learning, even after he had arrived at mature age, should be able to teach so excellently, and to exhibit a system of morals and theology superior to all that had been taught, not only by the Scribes and Pharisees, but even by Moses and the prophets. The solution which our Lord gave to their question, is, that he received his doctrine from God. He answered them, and said, " My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me." This being the fact, it was no wonder his doctrine was so excellent, and that he exhibited it in such an extraordinary manner. At the same time that our Lord thus professed to be a teacher sent from God, he informed them how they might know whether he were right in this pretension, viz. by a willingness to obey God. " If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God," as I say ; " or whether I speak of myself," as you imagine. And doubtless what our Lord said on this head to the Jews, is equally true concerning us or any other men in these days. If any man be willing to do the will of God, if he be sincerely dis- posed to obedience, or to piety toward God and to true virtue toward men, he shall know whether the gospel be a revelation from God, or a mere human invention ; and no man will be an * Originally published in the 4th Vol. of the American Preacher, 1793. 162 DEPRAVITY THE SOURCE infidel, unless he be of a depraved heart. This is manifestly the doctrine of our text ; and to illustrate it I purpose, I. To consider more particularly the import of these words, " If any man will do his will." II. To consider the evidence of the consequence thence drawn, That if any man be sincerely disposed to piety and virtue, he shall know whether the gospel be indeed a revelation from God. I. / am to consider the import of these words, " If any man will do his will.'' It is manifest by the preceding verse, that the will of God is intended. The words immediately preceding are, " My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me." Then follow the words of the text : " If any man will do his will," etc. that is, the will of the eternal Father, who sent Christ. Now to do his will is to be really and sincerely obedient to him, in the various duties of pi- ety and true virtue. I say sincerely obedient ; for no other obe- dience than that which is sincere, is worthy the name of obedi- ence, or is considered as any obedience at all by him who look- eth on the heart, and thus determines the actions and characters of men ; and not as we do, by the mere outward appearance or verbal profession. That real and cordial sincerity of obedience is here intended, is evident, not only by the very nature of the case, as no other is any obedience at all ; but by the form of expression in the original : lai^ rig &ihj., If any man he tvilling to do his will. So that our Lord plainly meant a sincere and willing obedience, in which the will and heart are engaged, and not that which is external and visible only. The parts of this obedience are two ; the first respecting God, the second our fellow creatures. The first is piety or godliness, the other is morality. Godliness is compliance with the first and chief command of the divine law, " Tiiou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind ;" and from this supreme love to God, to attend on all or- dinances of his worship. Therefore this attendance must not be rendered reluctantly, as if it were a burden, a task necessary in- deed to be performed, but disagreeable and wearisome; but it must be rendered ciieerfully and willingly, with satisfaction and delight. Indeed it will be rendered in this manner, if, according to the text, we be tvilling to do his will ; or if we comply with the first and chief command before recited. The other branch of obedience respects our fellow creatures, and includes all the duties of morality ; as benevolence, justice, truth, faithfulness and beneficence. The foundation of all these duties is that cordial love or benevolence required in the follow- OF INFIDELITY. 163 ing divine command, " Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself ;" which our Lord tells us is the second, and like unto the first. All the forementioned duties of morality must be performed from the same willing mind, as the duties of piety. It is by no means enough, that they are performed externally from the motives of fear of human laws, judgments, and executions ; or of shame, and regard to our reputation. They may be thus performed, and yet by no means be performed willingly, as our text requires ; but with great reluctance, with no pleasure in the duties them- selves, but with real disgust at them. Then only shall we per- form them willingly, when we perform them from that love to our neighbor, which is correspondent to the love which we bear to ourselves. Then only shall we have a taste or rehsh for those virtues, or for the real beauty of them. Thus we see w^hat it is to be willing to do the will of God. It is to have a heart to the practice of sincere piety and true virtue ; or in other words, to love God supremely, and mankind sincerely, or with direct and proper benevolence. 11. I proceed to show, that he who is of this character^ shall know whether the gospel he indeed a revelation from God. This I conceive to be evident by both scripture and reason. 1. By scripture. Our text seems to be very clear and perti- nent to the present purpose. The question between our Savior and the Jevv's was, whether he were a teacher sent from God. He affirmed it ; they denied it. And in the text he asserts, that if they had a heart to obey God, they would know whether his pretension were well founded, or whether his doctrine, which is the gospel, were really from God. This text alone, therefore, if there were no other text in the bible in favor of our doctrine, is a full proof of the truth of it. One divine assertion of any doc- trine is a sufficient proof. If one be not sufficient, neither is any greater number. But this is by no means the only text which supports this doc- trine. The general current of scripture implies, and many par- ticular texts expressly assert, that the .blindness, darkness and un- belief of mankind are wholly of the moral kind, voluntary, and the result of depravity of heart. I shall mention some of them. John 5: 40, " Ye will not come unto me, that ye might have life." Ye will not ; the original is more explicit and determinate, ov ■di'litf, ye are not icilling to come to me. But this unwilling- ness is assigned by our Lord as the reason of the unbelief of the Jews. And are we not to believe that unbelief in modern times proceeds from the same cause from which it proceeded an- ciently ? 2 Thess. 2: 10, " Them that perish, because they re- 164 DEPRAVITY THE SOURCE ceived not the love of the truth, tliat they might be saved." In other passages the scripture abundantly teaches that they " who beheve not, shall perish, shall be damned, are condemned al- ready," etc. And this text assigns the reason why they perish ; viz. that they have not the love of the truth. But all who are cordially disposed to piety and virtue, or to real obedience to the will of God, do love the truth. Therefore they will not perish, but will believe the gospel and be saved. Again, ver. 12, " That they might be damned, who believed not the truth, but had pleas- ure in unrighteousness." This text shows, that no man will be damned, unless he have " pleasure in unrighteousness." But all unbelievers will be damned. The consequence is plain, that all unbelievers have pleasure in unrighteousness. The reason why the heathen world were given over to a reprobate mind, was, that " they did not like to retain God in their knowledge." And alienation is the only assignable reason, that " when they knew God, they glorified him not as God ; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened." The apos- tle Peter assigns the same thing, as the reason of the unbelief of the scoffers, who should come in the last days, and should disbe- lieve the second coming of Christ, " saying, Where is the promise of his coming ?" The reason which he assigns, is, a willing ig- norance of the agency of God in creation and providence. But to be willingly ignorant of the most remarkable works of God, in which he has most remarkably exhibited himself and his infinitely glorious perfections, argues a spirit of impiety. " Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God ; that we might know the things that are freely given us of God." This text implies, that if we be under the government of a worldly spirit, we cannot know the gospel, and the truths it con- tains, and therefore cannot truly believe them. " The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him." If therefore any have not the secret of the Lord, as no infidel has, it must be because he does not fear God. 1 John 2: 20, " Ye have an unction from the Holy One and know all things. But the anointing whicli ye have received, abideth in you ; and ye need not that any man teach you ; but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie ; and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him." It is manifest, that this anointing or unction means some kind of instruction or teaching. But it cannot mean common instruction in doctrinal knowledge ; because it is said that the former abides in those to whom it is given, and that they need not any further instruction, and that they who enjoy the in- struction which is by this anointing, shall abide in Christ. But or INFIDELITY. 165 none of these things can be truly said concerning mere common doctrinal instruction ; nor concerning the miraculous teaching of inspiration, which was enjoyed in the days of the apostles, Judas was thus taught ; yet he needed further teaching, and he did not abide in Christ. Tliis anointing therefore must mean that teach- ing, which is by the sanctifying influences of the Holy Spirit. They who have this teaching, know all things, therefore they will know whether the gospel be a divine revelation. And if any man know not this, it must be through the want of sanctification, or an obedient heart. " If ye continue in my word — ye shall know the truth." These words are of the same import with our text, and very similar in the form of expression. To continue in Christ's word, is to be obedient to him ; and those who are so shall know the truth ; of course they will know whether the gos- pel be true. " Ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep." To be the sheep of Christ is to be obedient to his laws and com- mandments, as the flock is governed by the shepherd. And the reason why the Jews believed not the gospel, was, that they were not obedient to his laws. " The fear of the Lord is the begin- ning of wisdom ; a good understanding have all they that do his commandments." Wisdom, as the word is here used, always im- plies a belief of the scriptures. The same is observable of good understanding. Those who reject the scriptures or the gospel, are so far from being ever in scripture represented to be pos- sessed of wisdom, or a good understanding, that they are every- where called fools, and are said to be blind, darkened, knowing nothing as they ought. All those therefore who possess wisdom or a good understanding, believe the scriptures. The source of this wisdom and belief is the fear of the Lord ; and the source of infidelity must be the want of that fear. But that fear involves a spirit of true piety and virtue, and without it there can be no true piety or virtue. " Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness [Uoj^oniv, or as it is rendered in the margin hardness, and might be more strictly rendered callous- ness,] of their heart." The ignorance and unbelief therefore of mankind with respect to divine subjects are because of the hard- ness or depravity of their hearts. " If our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost ; in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God should shine unto them." Who the god of this world is, is manifest from John 12: 31, " Now is the judgment of this world ; now is the prince of this world cast out;" and 14: 30, " The prince of this world cometh, and VoL.IL 15 166 DEPRAVITV THE SOURCE hath nothing in me. Against the rulers of the darkness of this world." The god of this world then is Satan, the great enemy of mankind ; and all to whom the gospel is hid, and all who believe it not, are. under the influence of the god of this world, blinding their minds ; and this blinding influence is the cause why they see not the light of the glorious gospel and believe it not. But this malicious being can have no such blinding influence on any man, only so far as he is depraved, and is under the influ- ence of his depravity. Therefore the whole of that blindness, which induces or implies infidelity, is built on the foundation of depravity of heart. " And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men have loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." The light here intended is the light of the gospel ; and the reason here given, why men did not love and receive this light, is, that their deeds were evil. " Wherefore it is contained in the scripture. Behold I lay in Zion a chief corner-stone, elect, precious ; and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore 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 of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient." Nothing is more evident, than, that disobedience is here represented to be the cause of stumbling at the word. 1 John 4: 6, " He that knoweth God heareth us ; he that is not of God, heareth not us." Hearing the apostles implies a belief of them. Therefore this text asserts, that he that knoweth God, believeth the apostolic doctrine ; and that he that knoweth not God, and adhereth not to his cause, believeth not that doctrine ; and the former is given as the reason of the latter. Thus we see how clearly and abundantly the scriptures teach, that infidelity is the eflfect of a depraved heart and life, and that a spirit of real piety and virtue will forever prevent or abolish it. But 2. I am to consider how far the voice of I'eason coincides with the voice of scripture. If the gospel be a revelation from God, there is doubtless evidence of it. It would be absurd to imagine that God has taken care to give a revelation of his will to man- kind, and yet has not taken care that there should be evidence sufficient to satisfy the rational, the attentive and candid, that it is indeed a revelation. A revelation so circumstanced could an- swer no purpose of a revelation, nor could it be reasonably ex- pected that it should be received and regarded, at all, as a reve- lation. Nay, in fact it would be no revelation from God to man- OF INFIDELITY. 167 kind, because it would exhibit nothing as conning from God. If a kind prince should make known his will to his subjects, but in such a manner that there should be no credible evidence that it was his will, as they could not in this case know that it was his will, so they would be just as ignorant of what his will really was, as they were before, or as if the exhibition supposed had come from another prince, or from any other person. If therefore the gospel be from God, and were designed to be received as such, there is undoubtedly evidence that it is from God ; such evi- dence as a rational, attentive and candid inquirer will see ; and all who have a spirit of piety and true virtue will be candid and attentive to divine truth, and to everything which with any prob- ability or plausibility claims to be divine truth ; and their can- dor and attention will be proportioned to their piety and virtue. All such therefore will see tiie real evidence that the gospel is from God and will receive it accordingly. And if any see not that evidence, it must be owing to the want of candor and at- tention, and therefore to the want of piety and virtue. , If it should be said, a man may be induced by prepossession of education, by enthusiasm or blind zeal, to receive a false sys- tem for truth, contrary to evidence, or at least without evidence ; and that in this case he is not governed by a peverse bias : — I answer, nothing but some perverse bias, some party attach- ment, some criminal indolence or prepossession, can make a man so enthusiastic, so full of groundless zeal and so attached to the ways and habits of his education, as to be blinded to real evi- dence exhibited, or to imagine that he sees evidence which has no existence. Whence arises enthusiasm ? Not surely from a principle of true virtue and piety. There will be perfect piety and virtue in heaven, but no enthusiasm, no visionaries. And doubtless if a man were completely sanctified in this world, it would preserve or deliver him from all enthusiasm. If so, then enthusiasm will, other things being the same, be diminished in any man in proportion to the degree of his virtue and piety. If honesty, virtue and piety would not preserve all men of common capacities from enthusiasm, then God has laid some men of com- mon capacities under a necessity which depends not on their wills, but is a natural, evincible necessity, of rejecting true reli- gion, and embracing enthusiasm. And then these consequences will follow ; that they are under no obligation to be truly reli- gious ; that enthusiasm or false religion in them is no sin or fault ; that true religion, as opposed to enthusiasm, is as to them no duty ; and that enthusiasm in them is as true and genuine re- ligion as any, and consequently is not enthusiasm. On the whole 168 DEPRAVITY THE SOURCE therefore, we are obliged to come to this conchision, that all reli- gious enthusiasm, and all visionary schemes of religion, do and must arise from depravity. Thus, the truth of our doctrine, that if any man be possessed of a proper spirit of piety and true virtue, he shall know whether the gospel be a revelation from God, or a mere human invention, appears not only to be confirmed by scripture, but necessarily to follow from the plainest dictates of reason and common sense. If this doctrine be true, and if the gospel be a revelation from God, or a system of truth, all who believe it not are blinded by some perverse bias, or by a depraved heart, and they are not wil- ling to do the will of God. No other reason can be assigned for their unbelief. They may be challenged to assign any other. On the other hand, if the gospel be not a revelation from God, as there neither is nor can be evidence, that it is from him ; all who believe it as from him, are therein actuated by some per- verse bias, or by an unwillingness to do the will of God. On this supposition all who have ever believed the gospel, the prim- itive Christians, the apostles, even Paul himself, who suffered the loss of all things that he might win Christ, either did not at all believe the gospel, and were the vilest impostors, or they be- lieved the gospel from a spirit of disobedience to the divine will. Nay, the same is true of Jesus Christ himself. Either therefore Paul, Peter and John, nay, Jesus himself, if they were not design- ing impostors, believed as they did from a spirit of disobedience to the divine will ; or from the same spirit Shaftesbury, Bolingbroke and Hume believed as they did. There is no medium in this case. And who, it is most likely, were influenced by a spirit of disobedience and impiety, let every one judge, who is acquainted with their respective writings. Let every such person judge, whether a spirit of obedience, or of piety and virtue, breathes most in tiie writings of Paul, Peter and John, and in the discourses of Jesus Christ ; or in the writings of Shaftesbury, Bolingbroke and Hume. The first of these last mentioned authors holds, that ridicule is the test of truth. He ironically declares, " that when the supreme civil powers have given their sanction to a religious record or pious writ, it becomes immoral and profane in any one to deny or dispute the divine authority of the least line or sylla- ble contained in it ;" and represents the scripture doctrine of re- wards and punishments as mean, selfish, mercenary, and hurtful to the interest of virtue. He applies his own avowed test of truth to the scripture, and endeavors to ridicule the spirit of pro- phecy ; and explicitly accuses our Savior of being actuated by ambition and a persecuting spirit. He places the obligation to OF INFIDELITY. 169 virtue in its conduciveness to our present happiness ; and seems to erect such a scheme of virtue as is independent of religion and destitute of proper regard to God. Bolingbroke denies a provi- dence extending to individuals ; holds that modesty and chastity have no foundation in nature, and are owing to human vanity ; that man is no more than a superior animal, whose views are confined to this present life, and who has no reasonable prospect of existing in a future state ; who is not accountable, and has no moral sense or feeling naturally implanted in him ; and whose supreme end is his own pleasure in this life, etc. The other writer, Hume, denies that we can argue the existence of an in- telligent cause of all things from the existence of the world ; de- nies that we have any evidence of moral perfection in God, any evidence of a providence, or of a future state of rewards and pun- ishment ; reckons mortification, self-denial and humility among the monkish virtues, and pride among the real virtues ; denies the distinction between natural endowments or talents, whether mental or corporeal, and moral virtues ; and holds that mental capacity, strength of memory, wit, cleanliness and bodily strength are as real virtues as justice, chastity and benevolence. Now, I say let any man of tolerable understanding and candor judge, whether those who embraced and taught such theological and moral principles as these, were most likely to have been blinded to truth by a spirit of impiety and disobedience ; or he who de- livered the Sermon on the Mount, and those who wrote the Gos- pels, and other books of the New Testament. I have now finished what was proposed from our text, and therefore shall close the discourse with some inferences. 1. Our subject teaches us, that if the gospel be true, there is no necessity that any man be an infidel. Infidelity is not neces- sary, but voluntary. Men are infidels, because they are willingly ignorant of the truth, and shut their eyes against it. Doubtless all depravity of heart is voluntary ; and that, on the supposition that the gospel is true, is the real cause of all infidelity. This is indeed a doctrine grating to the pride of unbelievers ; yet it is the doctrine of scripture, and the doctrine of reason too ; nor, as has been asserted, can they themselves support any other theory with respect to this subject. They can, on the supposition now made, give no other account of their unbelief, which will bear examina- tion. In vain will any of them pretend to be acted upon me- chanically in this case ; that what they see, they see, and cannot but see ; and what they do not see, they cannot see, and there- fore are not to be blamed ; that men can no more think alike, than they can look alike. The truth is, that what they do not 15* 170 DEPRAVITY THE SOURCE see, as to this subject, they might and would see, were it not for the depravity of their hearts ; and therefore for that blindness they are most justly to be blamed and condemned. 2. This subject teaches us, not only that no man is under a ne- cessity to disbelieve Christianity, but that no man is under a ne- cessity to be in doubt or uncertainty whether Christianity be true or false. There is a plain and sure way to the solution of all such doubts, and every man may in that way obtain a full satis- faction concerning the truth. If Christianity be true, he may ob- tain full evidence of it ; if it be false, he may obtain full evidence of that. All that is necessary to this, is, that he be willing to do the will of God. Therefore to be in a state of uncertainty in this case, to halt between two opinions, is utterly inexcusable ; equally so as disobedience itself. Yet is not this the case with many ? They profess to be in- quiring whether Christianity be true or not. They are not satis- fied ; they want further time to weigh the evidence, the argu- ments in favor of Christianity and the objections against it. But though such men may flatter themselves that they are acting a very rational and commendable part ; the truth is, that they be- tray the wickedness of their hearts, and their unwillingness to do the will of God. For, as on the supposition that Christianity is true, they who positively disbelieve its truth, hereby prove that they are under the influence of a disobedient spirit ; so in the case which is now before us, they who are unsettled and halt be- tween the truth and falsehood of Christianity, prove that they are under the influence of the same spirit. Were they disposed to obedience, they would soon come to a determination, and see the evidence which exists, either that Christianity is true, or that it is false. 3. Hence we see the reason why unbelief is every where in scripture represented as a sin, and is threatened with severe pun- ishment ; as it is in such passages as these : " He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved ; but he that believeth not, shall be damned. He that believeth on him is not condemned : but he that believeth not, is condemned already ; because he hath not believed on the name of the only begotten Son of God. This is the work of God, that ye believe on him, whom he hath sent. This is his commandment that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ." So in numberless other texts. Now it hath been made an objection to Christianity, that it requires man- kind to believe it ; that it constantly exhorts to faith as a duty, and dissuades from unbelief as a sin, and condemns it to the se- verest punishment. It hath been pleaded, that this is absurd ; OP INFIDELITY. 171 equally so as to condemn and punish a man for not seeing the light of the sun ; or as to exhort him to believe a theorem in geom- etry. But this is a gross misrepresentation, unless it be supposed that the man sees not the light of the sun and the truth of the geometrical theorem, because he voluntarily shuts or blinds his eyes against the former, and will not properly attend to the lat- ter. The condemnation of sinners is, " that light is come into the world, and they love darkness rather than light ;" and that "because their deeds are evil." Surely as a disobedient spirit is sin, and as such to be warned against; so is that unbelief which is the result of it. As an obedient spirit is a duty, and as such is with good reason to be inculcated ; so is that faith which depends on it. As an unwillingness to do the will of God de- serves punishment, if anything doth ; so does that unbelief which is the efTect of it. These observations are equally true, whether by faith we mean a belief of Christianity, in opposition to deism ; or that cordial receiving of Christ, to which the promise of salva- tion is made. 4. Hence also we learn the true source of all disputes concern- ing any of the essential doctrines of Christianity. It must be some depraved principle. The same reasoning holds good here, as with regard to Christianity itself. We can no more suppose that God would leave the essential doctrines of a revelation with- out evidence that they are really doctrines of truth, than that he would leave the revelation in general without such evidence. And if there be such evidence, not to see it must proceed from some depraved principle. No other cause of unbelief in this case can be assigned. I know it hath often been said to be owing to different modes of education, different instruction, associations of ideas and habits of thinking, etc. that some christians do not be- lieve all the essential doctrines of Christianity. But if any or all these causes influence them to reject any essential doctrine of Christianity, of the truth of which there is real and sufficient evi- dence, they must still produce this effect by rendering them un- candid and inattentive to the evidence ; and this want of candor and attention is depravity. If therefore we be duly attentive and candid, we shall see this evidence ; shall be established in the be- lief of the doctrines, and shall surmount our doubts. If our hearts be not established by faith, but are driven about with every " wind of doctrine, and craftiness of men whereby they lie in wait to de- ceive," it must be owing to some want of attention or want of candor, or, in the language of the text, to unwillingness to do the will of God. And if all professed Christians were free from all depravity of heart, they would be agreed in all the essentials of Christianity. 172 DEPRAVITY THE SOURCE OF INFIDELITY. 5. Let us adore the goodness of God, that he hath put the evi- dence of Christianity and of the essential doctrines of it thus with- in the reach of every good man. This evidence is within the reach not only of the learned, but of the unlearned ; not only of the wise and great men of this world, but of all who are willing to do the will of God. Therefore we have not to inquire, who shall ascend into heaven or descend into the deep, to bring us evidence of the truth of the gospel. But the evidence is nigh us, and will be received by all, if it be not shut out by the depravity of their hearts. For " if any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God," or whether it be a mere human invention. SERMON X. GOD A REFUGE AND HELP.* Psalm 46: 1. — God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Man is always dependent and therefore always wants help and strength. But he especially wants these in a time of trouble. A time of trouble is often, if not always a time of danger ; and in danger we want a refuge, a place to which we may flee and be safe. Even in prosperity we are dependent, and want help, strength and refuge ; but at such a time we are not apt to be so sensible of our wants. In trouble a sense of them is wont to be lively and strong, and to carry full conviction to the mind. Now our text informs us where we may obtain that strength and help, and where we may find that refuge, which is so necessary in trouble. " God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." As our text plainly implies, that we are liable to trouble, there- fore I shall I. Mention some of the troubles to which we are most liable. II. Consider in what respects God is our refuge and strength. III. Show that he is a very present help in trouble. I. / am to mention some of the troubles to which mankind are most liable. These are of several kinds. 1. We are liable to personal troubles, such as pain, sickness and death. " By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sin- ned." And with death came all that train of evils which attend it and lead to it. We are liable to disappointments in our ex- pectations ; to disappointments in business ; to losses of proper- ty ; and to poverty with all its attendant evils. There is no de- pendence on any possessions in life. The most affluent often lose their property, and are reduced to the greatest want. We are * Preached at the funeral of the Hon, Roger Sherman, senator of the United States of America, who died the 23d of July, 1793. Published at New Haven. 174 GOD A REFUGE AND HELP. liable to the loss of our reputation, and this not only in conse- quence of ill conduct, but by the mere malice of others. Even the holy apostles and primitive christians could not be safe from the reproaches of their enemies. 1 Cor. 4: 12, 13, " Being reviled, we bless ; being persecuted, we sutler it ; being defamed, we en- treat ; we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscour- ing of all things unto this day." 2. We are liable to bereavement of our friends and relatives. Our happiness in this world often very much depends on them. When they are taken away, we of course lose all that happiness which we derived from them. Besides, the loss of them is gen- erally attended with a positive affliction which is peculiar and pungent. To separate some of the nearest connections of life is like separating soul and body, or tearing man from himself. Yet there is no discharge in this war. 3. We are liable to public calamities, such as drought, famine, wars, internal broils and commotions. Some of those calamities are severely felt at this very time, by several of the nations of the world. But happy are we that we are free from them. Another public calamity to which we and all men are liable, is the loss of wise and faithful magistrates. And this is a very great calamity. A faithful man, who can find 1 When we have found him and found him in the office of a principal magistrate, we ought highly to prize him, and when he is taken from us, to consider it as a great frown of divine providence. 4. We are liable to spiritual troubles, as well as temporal. As sinners, we are already the subjects of that which is the source of all other evils. And in consequence of sin and depravity in general we are liable to various temptations, temptations from our own corruptions, temptations from the world and from our grand adversary. We are liable to spiritual desertions, to the hiding of the light of God's countenance, to the just withholding of such measures of divine grace as we need for our christian com- fort and edification ; nay, to the accusations of a guilty con- science, to fear of divine wrath, to spiritual darkness and even to despondency. Also we are liable to trouble which respects the church of God in general. Is there a general opposition to the cause of Christ ? a general persecution ? or a perversion or rejec- tion of his truth more or less general ? These must affect every christian, and be a sore trial to him. In proportion as the cause of Christianity is promoted and prospers, every real christian is happy ; in proportion as it is opposed and obstructed, it is a trou- ble and an affliction to him. These are some of the kinds of trouble both temporal and spi- GOD A REFUGE AND HELP. 175 ritual, to which we are most Hable. In these we need a refuge, we need strength and help ; and our text directs us where we may find them. Therefore I am, II. To consider in what respect God is our refuge and strength. A refuge is a shelter from any danger or distress. A person exposed to an enemy may flee to a fortress. In this case the fortress is his refuge. Exposed to a storm he may flee to his house, and then he makes his house a refuge. Now God is a refuge or a defence to all who will flee to him, whatever their danger, dis- tress or trouble be. He is their strength too. Those who are weak, need strength ; those who are exposed, need a refuge. But we are both weak and exposed. As creatures we are weak originally and necessarily ; and are rendered much more weak by sin and depravity. Also we are exposed to innumerable foes, and to be overwhelmed by innumerable evils. Therefore we need a refuge. But God offers himself to us both as our strength and refuge. In all our troubles and dangers we may safely apply to him, and if we apply sincerely, we shall find refuge and strength. He will protect us from all the evil which is not for our good, and will overrule that for our good, which he permits to come upon us. He will strengthen us by his grace immediately com- municated. Thus he strengthened Paul under his trials, and as- sured him that his grace was sufficient for him ; and through Christ strengthening him he could do all things. Beside the immediate influence of the divine grace and spirit, God is also wont to strengthen by his truth. Here it may be proper to inquire, what considerations or views of God and divine truth have a happy tendency to support and strengthen christians under the trials of life. 1. The consideration that God reigns universally, and that he orders all their afflictions, happily tends to support and strength- en them. His kingdom ruleth over all and his disposal extendeth to all events whatsoever ; not only to those which we acknow- ledge to be important, such as the rise and fall of kingdoms and empires, etc. ; but to those which we are apt to think are most unimportant and trifling. For the former depend on the latter. The selling of Joseph into Egypt, the consequent preservation of the family of Jacob and the fulfilment of God's covenant with Abraham, all depended on the seemingly trifling occurrences of a boy's dream, and of his father's making for him a coat of divers colors. And even the crucifixion of our Lord and the redemp- tion of mankind depended on the giving of a sop to one of the disciples. Therefore there is no foundation, for the infidel objec- 176 GOD A REFUGE AND HELP. tion to a universal providence, that some events are too small and trifling to be the objects of divine attention. The scriptures as- sure us, that though two sparrows are of such small value as to be sold for a farthing, yet not one of them falleth to the ground without our heavenly Father ; and that the very hairs of our heads are all numbered by him. Some readily grant a universal divine disposal as to natural events, but deny it with respect to the free actions of moral agents, as they imagine such a disposal to be inconsistent with the free- dom of those actions. If the freedom of those actions consist in contingence, or in the circumstance that they are not caused by any thing external to the mind ; undoubtedly a disposal of providence extending to those actions would be inconsistent with their free- dom. But if the freedom of those actions consist in their volun- tariness, and if a man be free to anything with respect to which he is not under either a compulsion or restraint to which his will on the whole is opposed, or may be supposed to be opposed ; then there is not the least inconsistence between human liberty and a universal and overruling agency of God in all events what- soever. As God is perfect, all his works must be perfect, and his provi- dence is direcjted by perfect wisdom and goodness. Therefore all that he does, or permits to take place, is, considered as a dis- pensation of providence, perfectly wise, just and good. The Judge of all the earth will and must do right. He cannot err. This under the greatest afflictions is a most strengthening and supporting consideration. 2. The consideration that God requires submission and pa- tience under all afflictions is of the same happy tendency. As was observed under the preceding particular, the Judge of all the earth cannot do otherwise than right ; therefore he requires nothing which is not right and reasonable. This requirement is not only authoritative and in that view must be complied with ; but we ought to comply with it, in consideration of the reasonable- ness and fitness of it ; so that in instances of affliction which are the most dark and mysterious, we may implicitly believe that sub- mission and acquiescence are no more than our reasonable ser- vice, since God requires them. This consideration tend ; to strengthen against impatience and murmuring, and against faint- ing in the day of adversity. 3. That all our afflictions will subserve the divine glory and the general good of the created system, is also supporting and strengthening to every pious and benevolent mind. The declar- ative glory of God and the good of the created system mutually GOD A REFUGE AND HELP. ' 177 imply each other and are one and the same thing. When good is promoted in the creation, God is glorified ; and when God is glorified, good is promoted in the creation. But the greatest good of the created system no more implies the happiness of every individual, than the greatest good of the state implies the happi- ness of every citizen. And as it was the original design of God to glorify himself and to promote the happiness of the creation, to the highest possible degree ; so he hath chosen a plan or system of the universe, of all others in the best possible manner adapted to these ends. To imagine the contrary, would be an impeachment of his goodness, and would imply that he was, by some principle opposed to good- ness, kept back from communicating that good, which he could easily have communicated. I know it has been objected, that on the supposition, that God has adopted the best possible system of the universe, he hath ex- hausted his own infinite goodness ; which it is said, is an ab- surdity, because infinite goodness is by the terms inexhaustible. But is infinite goodness any more inexhaustible, than any attri- bute of God ? All his attributes are equally infinite, as his good- ness ; for instance his truth or his wisdom. Yet it will not be denied, that he exhausts his truth in all his communications with his creatures, and speaks as truly as it is possible for him to speak ; or that he exhausts his wisdom in all his conduct, and acts as wisely as it is possible he should act. Therefore there is no absurdity in supposing, that God acted as wisely as it is pos- sible he should act, in choosing this particular system of the uni- verse, and that he exhausted his infinite wisdom in this, as well as in every other instance of his conduct. But how could he have acted in the wisest possible manner if he did not choose the best possible system ? Does wisdom ever dictate anything incon- sistent with goodness ? or are infinite wisdom and infinite good- ness opposed to each other ? If the system which God hath in fact adopted be the wisest and best possible, doubtless every part and every event in this system is in the best manner calculated to subserve the ends of infinite wisdom and goodness. Not that all things and events have this tendency in their own nature. No, many of them have a diametrically opposite tendency. Still under the overruhng hand of God they are made to subserve the best purposes. This then is one great comfort which the christian has under all hre afflictions. Though he suffers, he suffers not in vain. His sufferings answer most important and benevolent purposes. God is thereby glorified and the happiness of the creation is pro- VoL. II. 16 178 GOD A KEFUGE AND HELP. moted. And nothing can be more comforting and supporting than this, to every benevolent soul. 4. The consideration that our afflictions will, unless we mis- improve them, subserve our own personal good too, is of the same strengthening tendency. If we improve our afflictions aright, we shall be humbled under them, shall repent of our sins, M'hich are the procuring cause of all divine chastisements, and shall give glory to God. And if we do thus, it will prove, that we are reconciled to God and are of those who love God. But we know that all things work together for good to them that love God. Therefore their afflictions, as they respect them personally, are not in vain. Their present light afflictions, which are but for a moment, work out for them a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. In this view, how can they, even from regard to their own per- sonal interest, wish their afflictions had not come upon them ? Would they wish their final happiness to be diminished ? Would they wish their own best interest to be in a less degree promoted ? Beside these general observations concerning all afflictions, there are particular considerations adapted to support under par- ticular afflictions. 1 . Under personal afflictions. If we be visited with sickness, God is able to heal us, and he will, if it be best ; if it be most for his glory, and our good. Do we meet with losses ? God who gave us all we have or ever have had, has a perfect right to take it all from us, and at such time and in such manner as he pleases. And if God deprive us of temporal good things, still he has pro- vided for us eternal good things, even durable riches and right- eousness ; he offers these to us, freely, without money and with- out price. Though we suffer shame and obloquy here, we may inherit divine honors hereafter ; we may be made kings and priests unto God, and inherit a crown of glory which shall not fade away. Though we lose our present lives, we may secure eternal life, a life of complete happiness and inconceivable glory. 2. Under bereavements he can more than make up the loss by his special grace. Also he can raise up other friends who shall be equally benevolent, as those whom he hath taken away. Or he can provide for us and protect us by his special providence. When father and mother forsake us, he can take us up. He styles himself " a father of the fatherless and a judge of widows." He can take care of them in every situation in life, and provide for them in all their variety of circumstances ; he can make even their losses to work together for their good ; so that while they are deprived of their dearest and most important friends and rela- GOD A KEFUGE AND HELP. 179 lives, they may be made rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom. Thus all their afflictions may issue in their unspeakable gain. Such losses teach those who are the subjects of them, to trust not in the creature, but in the Creator. They tend to draw off their affections from sublunary enjoyments and objects ; to show them the vanity of all hopes from them and dependence on them ; and to excite them to seek another and a better portion. De- prived of their parent, their friend, their guardian, they have strong motives set before them to seek a better friend, a more bountiful benefactor, a more able protector, and a more excel- lent father. When our friends or relatives are removed by death, it strongly reminds us of our own death. When they are gone into the eternal world, this naturally leads us to think more of that world, and to realize that we ourselves must shortly go thither, and that therefore we ought to prepare. 3. When we are under public frowns and calamities, we ought to remember, that God reigns over nations as well as over indi- viduals ; that we may as safely leave our national, as our private concerns with him ; and that with respect to these and all other things we ought to make him our refuge and our strength. 4. Under spiritual troubles our obligation to have recourse to God for help is, if possible, still greater, than when we are under troubles of any other kind. For our dependence on him in this case is more immediate and more manifest than in any other. Who but he can heal the broken spirit, can forgive sins, can sanctify the soul or can save from eternal perdition ? And he is abundantly and infinitely able and is ready to grant these spiritual and inesti- mable blessings to those who truly apply to him for them. III. It was proposed to show, that he is a very present help in trouble. He is always immediately present with us both as to time and place. We cannot escape from his presence. He therefore is always at hand to receive our applications, to hear our prayers, and to afford us help. This is certainly a very great advantage. Help at a very great distance either of time or place is not to be compared to that which is present. Before it shall arrive, we may be wholly overwhelmed and ruined. Thus I have briefly considered the several subjects, which seemed naturally to arise from our text ; I am now to apply these general observations to the present mournful occasion. The pre- sent is a time of trouble and affliction. The death of that emi- nent and excellent man, whose remains are now to be laid in the dust, is a source of affliction in several respects ; it is so to his family, to all his friends, to the church of which he was a mem- 180 GOD A REFUGE AND HELP. her, to this city, to the State and to the United States. In this death they have all sustained a loss. That we may rightly estimate this loss, and be properly hum- bled under the divine chastisement, let us take a brief survey of his life and character. He was born at Newtown in Massachusetts, April 19, 1721. He was the son of Mr. William Sherman, the son of Joseph Sherman Esq., the son of Capt. John Sherman, who came from Dedham in England to Watertown in Massachusetts, about the year 1635. He was not favored with a public education or even with a private tutor. His superior improvements arose from his superior genius, from his thirst for knowledge and from his per- sonal exertions and indefatigable industry in the pursuit of it.* By these he attained to a very considerable share of knowledge in general, particularly in his own native language, in logic, geo- graphy, mathematics, the general principles of philosophy, history, theology and above all in law and politics. These last were his favorite studies, and in these he excelled. If he in this manner attained to the same improvements and capacity of usefulness, to which others attain not without the greatest advantages of edu- cation, how far would he have outstripped them, had he been favored with their advantages ? His father died when he was but nineteen years old, and from that time the care of his mother, who lived to a great age, and the education of a numerous family of brothers and sisters, were devolved on him. In this part of his life filial piety to a parent at length worn out by age both as to body and mind ; and fra- ternal affection to his brothers and sisters now in a good measure dependent on him, appeared in an unusual degree. Though cramped in his own education, he assisted by advancements of his own property, two of his brethren to a liberal education. Before he was twenty-one, he made a public profession of reli- gion, which he adorned through life. He came to this then Colony of Connecticut and settled at New Milford in June, 1743, being then twenty-two years of age ; and at the age of twenty-eight was married to Miss Elizabeth Hartwell of Stoughton in Massachusetts, by whom he had seven children, two of whom died young at New Milford, and two since he resided in this town. His wife died in October, 1760. At New Milford he was much respected by his fellow citizens * Hence with great propriety the poet speaking of the declaration of independence by Congress, in which Mr. Sherman acted a distinguished part, says, The self-taught Sherman urged his reasons clear. — Humphre7js' Poems. GOD A REFUGE AND HELP. 181 and much employed in public business. In 1745, within two years of his removal into the Colony, and when he was of the age of twenty-four, he was appointed a surveyor of lands for the county in which he resided ; which is a proof of his early im- provement in mathematical knowledge. Although he was not educated a lawyer, yet by his abilities and application he had acquired such knowledge in the law, and such a reputation as a counsellor, that he was persuaded by his friends to come forward to the bar, and was accordingly admit- ted an attorney at law, in December, 1754. The next year he was appointed a justice of the peace and was chosen by the free- men of the town to represent them in the legislature, as he was generally thenceforward, during his continuance at New Milford. Also he sustained the office of a deacon in the church in that town. He continued to practise the law with reputation, till May, 1759, when he was appointed a justice of the court of common pleas for the county. He removed to this town in the year 1761. Having lost his wife, as was before observed, he was in May, 1763, married to Miss Rebecca Prescot of Danvers in Massachusetts, by whom he had eight children, seven of whom are now living. After his removal to this town, he was made a justice of the peace for the county of New Haven, frequently representing the town in the legislature, and in 1765 was appointed one of the justices of the court of common pleas for this county. He was for many years the treasurer of the college in this city, and re- ceived an honorary degree of Master of Arts. In 1766 he was by the voice of the freemen of the Colony at large, chosen an Assistant, and in the same year was appointed a Judge of the Superior Court. This last office he sustained for twenty-three years, and the office of an Assistant for nineteen years ; after which the law was enacted rendering the two offices incompatible and he chose to continue in the office of a Judge. He was a member of the first Congress in 1774 ; he was pre- sent and signed the glorious act of Independence in 1776 ; and invariably continued a member of Congress, from the first Con- gress till his death, whenever the law requiring a rotation in the representation admitted it. In the time of the war he was a member of the Governor's Council of safety of this State. About the close of the late war, the legislature of this State re- solved, that the laws of the State should be revised and amend- ed ; and Mr. Sherman was one of a committee of two, to whom 16* 182 GOD A REFUGE AND HELP. this service was assigned ; their proceedings being subject to cor- rection by the legislature itself ; and he performed this arduous service with great approbation. In 1787 he was appointed by the State a delegate to the Gen- eral Convention to form the federal constitution of the United States ; and he acted a conspicuous part in that business. In the convention of this State to deliberate concerning that constitution, he had great influence toward the adoption of it by this State. On the general adoption and ratification of the constitution, he was elected a representative of the State in Congress. As this office was incompatible with the office of a Judge, he then resigned the latter and sustained the former till the year 1791, at which time a vacancy for this State happening in the Senate of the United States, he was elected to fill it ; and in thi.s office he continued till his death. On repeating thus briefly the history of this eminent and excel- lent man, it is worthy of remark, that though he sustained so many diflisrent offices in civil government, to all which he was promoted by the free election of his fellow citizens, and in most of which he could not, without a new election, continue longer than a year ; and in the rest, except one, he could not, without a new election, continue longer than two, three or four years ; and although for all these offices there were, as there always are in popular governments, many competitors at every election ; yet our deceased friend was never removed from any one of them, but by promotion or by act of legislature requiring a rotation, or rendering the offices incompatible with each other. Nor with the restriction just mentioned, did he ever lose his election to any office, to which he had been once elected, excepting his election as a representative of the town in the legislature of the State ; which office we all know, is almost constantly shifting. This shows to how great a degree and how invariably he possessed the confidence of his fellow citizens. They found by experience, that both his abilities and his integrity merited their confidence. Beside this brief history, perhaps some further account of Mr. Sherman will on this occasion be expected. I need not inform you, that his person was tall, unusually erect and well proportioned, and his countenance agreeable and manly. His abilities were remarkable, not brilliant, but solid, penetrating and capable of deep and long investigation. In such investiga- tion he was greatly assisted by his patient and unremitting appli- cation and perseverance. While others weary of a short atten- tion to business, were relaxing themselves in thoughtless inatten- tion or dissipation, he was employed in prosecuting the same GOD A REFUGE AND HELP. 183 business, either by revolving it in his mind and ripening his own thoughts upon it, or in conferring with others. It has been observed, that he had a taste for general improve- ment and did actually improve himself in science in general. He could with reputation to himself and improvement to others con- verse on the most important subjects of theology. I confess my- self to have been often entertained, and in the general'course of my long and intimate acquaintance with him, to have been much improved by his observations on the principal subjects of doctri- nal and practical divinity. But his proper line was politics. For usefulness and excellence in this line, he was qualified not only by his acute discernment and sound judgment, but especially by his knowledge of human nature. He had a happy talent of judging what was feasible and what was not feasible, or what men would bear, and what they would not bear in government. And he had a rare talent of pru- dence, or of timing and adapting his measures to the attainment of his end. By this talent, by his perseverance and his indefati- gable application, together with his general good sense and known integrity, he seldom failed of carrying any point in government wiiich he undertook and which he esteemed important to the public good. His abilities and success as a politician were suc- cessively proved in the legislature of this State and in Congress ; and his great and merited influence in both those bodies, has been, I believe, universally acknowledged. As he was always industrious, he was always ready to discharge the various duties of his various offices. In the discharge of those duties, as well as in the more private offices of friendship, he was firm and might be depended on. That he was generous and ready to communicate, I can testi- fy from my own experience. He was ready to bear his part of the expense of those designs, public and private, which he es- teemed useful ; and he was given to hospitality. As he was a professor of religion, so he was not ashamed to be- friend it, to appear openly on the Lord's side, or to avow and defend the peculiar doctrines of grace. He was exemplary in attending all the institutions of the gospel, in the practice of vir- tue in general and in showing himself friendly to all good men. Therefore in his death, virtue, religion and good men have sus- tained the loss of a sincere, an able and a bold friend, a friend who was in an elevated situation, and who was therefore by his coun- tenance and support able to afford them the more effectual aid. In private life, though he was naturally reserved and of few words, yet in conversation on matters of importance, he was free 184 GOD A RElTUGE AND HELP. and communicative. With all his elevation and all his honors, he was not at all lifted up, but appeared perfectly unmoved. In the private relations of husband, father, friend, etc. he was entirely kind, affectionate, faithful and constant. In short, whether we consider him in public or private life ; whether we consider him as a politician or a christian, he was a great and a good man. The words of David concerning Abner may with great truth be applied on this occasion : " Know ye not, that there is a great man fallen this day in Israel ?" To have sustained so many and so important public offices, and to have uniformly sustained them with honor and reputation ; to have maintained an amiable character in every private rela- tion ; to have been an ornament to Christianity and to have died in a good old age, in the full possession of all his honors, and of his powers both of body and mind, is a very rare attainment, and a very happy juncture of circumstances. From this brief survey of the character of this our excellent friend, we see our loss and how great are the tokens of divine displeasure, which we suffer this day. The loss is great to our whole country, the United States, for he was still capable of em- inent usefulness. It is great to this State ; it is great to this city, of which he was the first magistrate ; it is still greater to this church and society, of which he was so amiable, eminent and useful a member ; but it is greatest of all to his family. Yet there are not wanting motives of consolation in all these cases. God lives and reigns ; let us make him our refuge and our strength, he is able to help us in all our trouble. He is able to take care of the United States, of this State, of this city, of this church and society and of the bereaved family. The direc- tion of God himself is, "Leave your fatherless children, I will preserve them alive, and let your widows trust in me." The death of this our friend may be designed in mercy to his chil- dren ; it may be designed to lead them to think more of death and the eternal world, and more of the necessity of preparation for death, and to excite them actually to prepare, by choosing God for their father and by making him their refuge and strength. Thus their present loss, though great, may be the happy means of their unspeakable gain. Also it may lead the widow to rely more on her Creator. May not only the bereaved widow and children make such an improvement of this afflictive dispensation, but may we all do the same ; that when death shall overtake us, as it will very soon, we may have God for our father and friend, to conduct us safe through the valley of the shadow of death and afterward to re- ceive us to glory. SERMON XI THE BELIEF OF CHRISTIANITY NECESSARY TO POLITICAL PROSPERITY.* Psalm 144 : 15. — Yea, happy is that people whose God is the Lord. In this passage of sacred scripture, that people is pronounced happy, whose God is the Lord. But what is the meaning of the expression, " whose God is the Lord ?" or when may it be truly said, that the God of any people is the Lord ? The answer is, when they believe, worship and obey the Lord or Jehovah, as the only true God, and that according to his revealed will. The Lord was the God of the Israelites, when they complied with the dispensation, under which they lived ; and he is our God, when we cordially believe and comply with the gospel. If we do so, the text pronounces us happy ; and it plainly implies, that we cannot be happy on any condition short of this. Therefore the subject, which I beg leave to propose from our text for present consideration, is this. The necessity of a belief of Christianity by the citizens of this state, in order to our public and political prosperity. This proposition is plainly implied in the text. For if that people only be happy or prosperous, whose God is the Lord ; and if to believe and comply with Christianity be implied in hav- ing the Lord for our God ; it follows, that the belief of Chris- tianity by the citizens of this state, is necessary to our political prosperity. Political prosperity requires the general practice of a strict mo- rality. But this cannot be so well secured by any other means, as by a belief of Christianity. Motives of a religious kind ap- pear to be necessary to restrain men from vice and immorality. Civil pains and penalties alone are by no means sufficient to this end ; nor are civil honors and rewards sufficient encouragements to the practice of virtue in general. The civil magistrate does * Preached before his Excellency, Samuel Huntington, LL. D., Govern- or, and the honorable the General Assembly of the state of Connecticut, May 8th, 1794, and printed at their request. 186 BELIEF OF CHRISTIANITY not pretend to reward virtue in general according to its moral ex- cellency. He does indeed reward some particular acts of virtue, which are highly beneficial to the public. But the many virtues of private life pass without any other reward from him than the bare protection, which is afforded in common to the persons who practise those virtues, and to all who are free from gross crimes. Nor does the magistrate pretend to punish vice in general. He does undertake to punish those gross vices, which consist in the violations of the perfect rights of men, and in those cases on- ly, in which the violations are both manifest and are manifestly proved before a proper tribunal. But all violations of even these rights which are perpetrated in private, or which, though perpe- trated publicly, are not legally proved, pass entirely free from civil pains and penalties. The same is true of all violations of the imperfect rights, as they are called, which are violated by in- gratitude, selfishness, neglect of kind offices, etc. Yet these vices are in their consequences, often as hurtful to the public good as injustice, fraud or robbery ; and indeed the former are the source of the latter. Now to restrain from vices of this lat- ter description, from all vices practised in private, and from vice in general, nothing is so useful as a full belief of a final judgment, and of a subsequent state of rewards and punishments, in which all sin not renounced by sincere repentance, shall be punished, and every man shall receive according to that which he does in the body, whether it be good or evil. Let us suppose a citizen restrained from vice by the fear of civil penalties only. Such a person will feel himself under no obligation to pay either public or private debts, unless he expects legal judgment and execution ; and under no obligation to speak the truth, unless he fears a prosecution for fraud or defamation. He will feel himself at liberty to live in idleness, profusion, in- temperance and lust, and to take every advantage consistent with law, to defraud and oppress his fellow citizens. He will requite no kind offices, as he has no motive to gratitude. He will have no motive to the greater part of his duty to his own children, and in a thousand instances may neglect them, when he is bound by the strictest moral obligation, to assist and do them good. He may indulge himself in passion and ill nature, in contention and violence, so far as not to expose himself to the law ; and of course will take no pains to preserve peace among his neigh- bors ; but will rather, as his humor happens to be, foment by words and actions, animosities, law-suits and contentions in every form. Ever complaining under the mildest and justest govern- ment, he will in numberless ways oppose measures, and espe- NECESSARY TO POLITICAL PROSPERITY. 187 cially expenses, subservient and necessary to the public good ; and will excite and spread discontent among others. Now is this a good citizen ? What if the whole state consisted of such citi- zens ? Could it enjoy political prosperity ? The best and perhaps the only remedy for such diseases, is a full belief of the divine universal providence, of the accountable- ness of all men to God for all their conduct, and of a future equal retribution. Some religion then, and some belief of a future state is neces- sary to our political prosperity. But what religion shall we adopt ? and what system concerning a future state is most useful to the state ? It is not possible to introduce and give a general spread through the state, to Mohammedanism or paganism ; and it would be a work of time and of great difficulty, to lead the citizens in general into the belief of deism or what is called the philosophi- cal religion. Therefore we seem necessitated to have recourse to Christianity ; and this is most excellently adapted to the ends of restraining men from vice and promoting that general practice of strict morality, which is so essential to the political prosperity of any people. It is adapted to these ends by its precepts ; by the moral character of the author of those precepts ; by his ab- solute supremacy and sovereignty ; by the motives of reward and punishment with which those precepts are enforced ; by the facts which it relates, and by the examples which it exhibits. It is enforced not by the bare authority of our feeble reason, but by the authority of our Creator, our Judge, and our all-perfect God. It depends not on the obscure investigations, subtile refinements and uncertain conclusions of human intellect ; but on the omni- science, the veracity, the justice, the goodness and the will of God. And thus it is excellently adapted to the principles and feelings which are common to human nature, and which exist in the weakest and most ignorant, as well as the most intelligent and learned. A man who cannot follow the shortest and most easy chain of reasoning on the nature of things and the tendency of human actions, and who will not from such reasoning feel iiis obligation to virtue in general or to particular virtues, will at once feel the force of the positive and authoritative declarations and requisitions of the Almighty ; and where is the man, learned or unlearned, of weak or strong powers, who does not see and feel the difference between the advice and directions of some learned and acute philosopher, and thus sciith the Lord 1 Above all, the motives arising from the doctrines of the final judgment and a future state, lay an inconceivably greater restraint on the depravity of human nature, than anything that is or can be sug- gested by the philosophical religion. 188 BELIEF OF CHRISTIANITY Let us compare this religion with Christianity in a few parti- culars, which immediately relate to our present subject. It is a maxim of infidelity to follow nature. Now to follow her, is to follow all the appetites and passions of which we are naturally the subjects ; and this will lead to all kinds of vice. But it is a maxim of Christianity, to follow the divine law, the precepts of the gospel and the example of Christ ; and whether these lead to vice or virtue, I need not inform you. Another maxim of infidelity is, that man was made for his own happiness ; that is, that every man was made for his own indi- vidual happiness. This then is to be the supreme object of eve- ry man ; and this object is to be pursued, as infidels themselves teach, by gratifying his natural appetites and passions, which brings us just wliere we were before, to all vice and wickedness. And if an infidel deny his appetites and passions, he must be governed by other motives than any which his system of morali- ty suggests. But Christianity teaches, that we were created for an end, which so far as we pursue, we cannot fail of sincere pie- ty and strict morality. Infidels are divided into two classes, those who deny a future state of existence, and those who allow such a state. The form- er deny all moral government of God, and that we are at all ac- countable to him ; and some of the most noted among them de- ny any evidence of his moral perfections. Now it is manifest, that according to this system mankind can be under no restraint from vice, by the consideration of a future state of rewards and punishments, or by the consideration of their accountableness to God, or of his commands or prohibitions. Nor does this system admit of any motives derived from these sources, to the practice of virtue. Yet these motives, with respect to mankind in the gross, are the most powerful. The authors and abettors of this system seem to rely on a sense of honor, as the great motive to virtue and restraint from vice. And what is this sense of honor 1 If it be a sense of shame in doing wrong, and a sense of the hon- orableness of doing right, it is a mere sense or knowledge of right and wrong ; and this so far as it is founded on truth, is un- doubtedly a proper rule of conduct, and a man who is disposed to virtue, will practise according to this rule. But how are men in general, without the aid of revelation, to attain, in all cases, to the knowledge of right and wrong, of virtue and vice ? It is manifest by abundant experience both ancient and modern, that mere human reason is insufficient for this. If by this sense of honor be meant, as I imagine is generally meant, a sense of our own supposed personal dignity, a pride NECESSARY TO POLITICAL PROSPERITY. 189 naturally arising from this sense, and a disposition to resent and revenge everything which is grating to our pride ; this in many cases is so far from a motive to virtue and restraint from vice, that it is itself a vice. Let this sense of honor be ever so well limited and explained, it cannot be a motive to virtue and a re- straint from vice to all men ; because it does not reach and can- not influence all men. How many are there in every nation and country, who have very little sense of their own dignity, and very little elevation of soul in a consciousness of it ? How many are there, who in a prospect of gain, would not scruple to betray their friends, to steal their neighbor's property or to betray their country ? It is manifest therefore, that this philosophical religion, could it be generally introduced and established among us, would be a very great political evil, as it would weaken and even annihilate those motives to virtue and restraints from vice, which are most powerful on the minds of men in general. Besides ; this system so far as it denies the evidence of the moral perfections of God, not only cuts off the motives to virtue, drawn from a future state and from those divine perfections ; but even suggests motives to vice. If it be a matter of uncertainty, whether God be a friend to virtue or a friend to vice, it may be, that we shall please him most by an unrestrained indulgence of vice, and by the practice of virtue shall provoke his malice and vengeance. Nay, if it be a matter of uncertainty, whether the Deity be a benevolent or malicious being, we can have no cer- tainty, but that he will give us an existence in a future state, on purpose to gratify his malevolence in our everlasting torment. And to be consistent, the advocates for the system now under consideration should not say a word against the christian doctrine of endless punishment, on the ground of its supposed injustice or opposition to grace and mercy ; because they acknowledge, that they know not, that God is just, gracious or merciful. Thus this scheme, which was invented to avoid the fears of future punishment, defeats itself; and while it attempts to de- liver us from a just punishment, leaves us exposed to any punish- ment ever so unjust, cruel and malicious. As to that kind of infidelity, which allows the divine moral perfections and a future state of rewards and punishment ; though this is more plausible than the former ; yet the motives to virtue and restraints from vice, which it affords, are not to be compared with those of the gospel. Agreeably to the gospel all men are to be rewarded according to their works done in the body, whether they be good or evil. Some are to be beaten with few stripes. Vol. II. 17 190 BELIEF OF CHRISTIANITF some with many stripes, according to their several aggravations of guilt. But in the future punishment vi^hich infidels admit, there is nothing vindictive, nothing therefore which is intended to support law and government. The only punishment which they admit, is that which is designed for the good of the person punished ;* and therefore as soon as the person punished repents, he is released. Now it is manifest on the slightest reflection, that the motive to avoid sin and vice on this plan, is exceedingly diminished from what it is on the plan of the gospel. On the plan of the gospel the motive is endless misery, proportioned in degree to the demerit of the person punished. On the infidel plan it is a merciful chastise- ment, which is to continue no longer than till the subject shall repent. And as every sinner will naturally flatter himself, that he shall repent as soon as he shall find his punishment to be intol- erable ; so all the punishment, which on this plan he will expect, is one that shall continue but for a moment, after it shall iiave become extreme or intolerable. And whether this momentary extreme punishment be an equal restraint on vice, as the endless misery threatened in the gospel, let every man judge. It is plain, that in a comparative view it is as nothing. Therefore as even this, the most plausible scheme of infidelity, cuts the sinews of morality and opens the flood-gates of vice ; the prevalence of it in our state would be a very great political evil. If we take the pains to compare Christianity with ancient pa- ganism, we shall find, that the former has, even in a political view, the like advantage over the latter, which it has over infi- delity. If in the account, which I shall now give of the pagan religion, some things shall be mentioned, which will be grating to those of the most delicate feelings ; I think I shall be entitled to the pardon of my hearers, as otherwise it will be impossible for me to do justice to this important subject. Paganism, though it taught a future punishment of wicked men of certain descriptions ; yet indulged and even encouraged vice in a variety of ways. It taught that there were many gods, some male and some female ; some comparatively good, others exceedingly evil ; but all and even the chief god, on many occa- sions, acting a most wicked part and indulging the vilest lusts. Some of their female deities were deceased women of most aban- doned characters. Jupiter, whom they called the father of gods and men, was himself the son of Saturn who according to some, was king of Crete ; according to others, was Ham, the son of Noah ; according to others, was Adam ; but on every hypothesis was a mere man. This man, the ancient heathens believed, had * See Blount and Tyndal. NECESSARY TO POLITICAL PROSPERITY. 191 a number of children, and was wont to devour them as soon as they were born ; but Jupiter was saved by an artifice of his mother. He, grown to maturity, rebelled against his father, who till then was supposed to be the supreme God, drove him from his throne, and seized his authority and dominions. When Jupi- ter had by these means raised himself to the place of supreme deity, he was wont to transform himself into various visible shapes, to facilitate his designs of criminal intercourse with women here on earth. Now how destructive of the interests of virtue and morality must necessarily have been these ideas of the gods ; and especially these ideas of the character and conduct of the su- preme god, Jupiter the greatest and the best ! In like manner destructive to morality must have been almost all their other ideas of their gods ; as of their animosities and contentions among themselves ; of their intrigues and lusts ; and the vicious and most abominable practices by which, in many in- stances, they were worshipped. The goddess Venus was openly worshipped by whoredom ;* and the feasts called Saturnalia and Bacchanalia were celebrated by the practice of every lewdness and debauchery. The vices of drunkenness and whoredom in these cases were accounted, instead of moral evils, the highest acts of virtue and piety. Now as all these ideas and practices tended to a general de- pravity of morals ; so their effects abundantly appeared in the vicious lives of the heathen world. I am well aware, that it has been said, that Christianity has de- praved the morals of mankind ; that vice is far more predomi- nant among christians, than ever it was among the ancient hea- thens ; and that therefore we may justly conclude, that Chris- tianity is less subservient to virtue and a moral life, than pagan- ism. This has been urged as an argument against the divine original and the truth of Christianity ; and may be urged as an argument against the good policy of encouraging and supporting it in any state. The consideration of this objection then is per- tinent and necessary to the discussion of the subject now be- fore us. In answer to this objection I beg leave to observe in the first place, that if vice ivere more predominant in christian nations, than it was among the heathens, it would not certainly follow, that this increase of vice is the effect of Christianity. Christianity prevails in civilized nations only ; and in such nations there is * Every woman among some nations was obliged, at least once in her life, to prostitute herself to any person, even the greatest stranger, who would accept her favor. This was done in honor to Venus. 192 BELIEF OF CHRISTIANITY much more opportunity for many vices and much more tempta- tion to them, than among those who are not civihzed. Nay, in civihzed nations only, is there a possibility of the prevalence of many vices. In proportion as civilization is promoted, the wants of men are increased. Their food, their drink, their apparel and the education of their children, must be more expensive, and more expense is in every respect required to their living in fashion among their neighbors. And in proportion to the increase of their wants, the temptation to covetousness, extortion, oppression, de- ceit and fraud, is increased. Again, in proportion as civilization is promoted, the means of luxury of every kind are increased, and with the means, the temptations to luxury and luxury itself are increased. No wonder a savage, who wishes for nothing more than what he may take '"i hunting and fishing, and who has fur- nished himself with th s, does not steal, rob or extort his neigh- bor's property ; no wonder he attempts not to obtain it by false- hood or fraud. Nor is it any wonder, that living on such a low and scanty diet as he generally does, he is very rarely guilty of a rape, of adultery or other lewdness. Nor ought it to be matter of wonder, that all these vices are far more prevalent in civilized nations, than among barbarians. But the prevalence of these vices in such nations, is not owing to Christianity, but to civili- zation and its usual attendants. They were at least as prevalent among the ancient Greeks and Romans, as they are among us. Persecution does not usually obtain among heathen, because either they have no religion themselves to instigate them to persecution ; or there is no religion different from their own, to be the object of their persecution ; or if there be a different religion, it makes no opposition to that which they have chosen, and therefore their re- ligious zeal is not excited against it. This affords an answer to an objection to Christianity much in- sisted on by some, that the heathens do not persecute ; but that christians do most virulently persecute even one another ; and therefore that Christianity makes men worse instead of better. The answer to this objection is, that the different religious senti- ments and forms of worship among the ancient heathens did not in general oppose each other. They rather justified each other, as the heathens maintained an intercommunity of gods and reli- gions. Though every nation had its own gods and religion ; yet whenever the individuals went into another nation, they joined in the worship of the gods and in the observance of the rites of the nation in which they then were. Therefore there was no oppor- tunity for persecution. But the nature of Christianity is very dif- ferent. It condemns and opposes all other religions as false and NECESSARY TO POLITICAL PROSPERITY. 193 ruinous. Therefore as it touches the pride of those whom it con- demns, it provokes opposition and the persecution of itself, merely because it tells the truth. And the professors of Christianity too, by a misguided zeal, have been often led into the spirit and prac- tice of persecution. Now this persecution of Christianity by those of other religions, is not the effect of Christianity, but of opposition to it ; and the persecuting spirit which has appeared in some christians, is not the effect of Christianity, but of the abuse and perversion of it ; and for neither of these is Christianity itself answerable. The best institution in the world may be opposed and persecuted ; and the best institution in the world may be abused and perverted. But Christianity never gave any just occasion for either the perse- cution or perversion of itself. Besides, the charge of persecution may justly be retorted. For no sooner did Christianity make its appearance in the world, than it was violently opposed and virulently persecuted, by those very heathens, who in the objection now before us are said not to have been guilty of persecution. And as long as they had the power in their hands, this opposition was continued or repeated, under various Roman emperors, for ten successive and bloody persecu- tions, in which thousands and hundreds of thousands were mar- tyred in various ways, the most malicious and cruel. Nay, the heathens showed a disposition to persecute not only christians, but one another, whenever there was opportunity. No sooner did Socrates oppose the religion and polytheism of his countrymen, than they began a persecution of him, which ended in his death. And Cambyses, the Persian monarch, in contempt of the Egyptian god Apis, not only stabbed him with his dagger, but ordered the priests of Apis to be severely whipped, and all the inhabitants of Memphis to be slain, who should be found re- joicing on the occasion of the appearance of that god.* These things demonstrate, that the ancient heathens did possess an high degree of the spirit of persecution, and not only toward the chris- tians, but toward one another. The like spirit hath been mani- fested by heathens of modern times. Passing other instances, I shall mention one which took place in our own country. By the exertions of our ancestors, the first European settlers of this coun- try, a considerable number of the aborigines were converted to the christian faith. The pagan Indians were displeased with this, banished from their society all the converts, and when they could do it with safety, put them to death, and would have massacred * Prideaux's Connection. 17* 194 BELIEF OF CHRISTIANITY them all, had they not been restrained by the fear of our ances- tors. The facts concerning Socrates and Cambyses, furnish an an- swer to that part of the objection under consideration, which urges that christians persecute not only heathens, but one an- other ; whereas heathens did not persecute one another. It ap- pears by the facts just mentioned, that heathens have persecuted one another. Besides, the same reason is to be assigned for chris- tians persecuting one another, as for the heathens persecuting christians. The protestants say, that the religion of the papists is fundamentally wrong ; on the other hand, the papists assert the same concerning the protestants. Thus by a mutual renun- ciation, condemnations and excommunications of each other, the false zeal of these and other different sects among christians is kindled into persecution, on the same grounds on which persecu- tion is begun and carried on, between christians and heathens. But by reason of the forementioned intercommunity of gods and religions among the ancient heathens, these grounds of persecu- tion did not exist among them in general, though in some cases they did both exist and produce their usual fruits. Let us now more directly attend to the charge brought against Christianity, that vice is more prevalent among christians, than it was among the ancient heathens. Christians indeed have no virtue to be the ground of boasting ; on the other hand they have great reason to be ashamed and humbled on account of their vices and their depravity of man- ners. Still I maintain, that open vice is not so prevalent in christian nations, as it was among the ancient heathens. Let us compare those ancient heathens, of whom we know the most and who were the most improved and polite, with the christians of whom we know the most ; the ancient Greeks and Romans with the citizens of the United States. Here it is to be observed, that we labor under great disadvan- tage. We know our own country and its predominant vices, both public and private. Li order to this we need but open our eyes and look around us. We have not the same advantage to know the ancients. We are entirely dependent on history for information concerning them and their vices ; and this generally relates the public transactions of nations only, as their wars and treaties, their laws and public judgments ; but is mostly si- lent concerning the morals and private lives of individuals or of the people considered collectively ; and so far as we are ignorant of the ancients we have no right to charge them with vice. How- ever, with all this disadvantage, I fear not to proceed to the com- parison. Necessary to political prosperity. 195 Let us then institute the comparison with respect to the prin- cipal moral virtues, as temperance, chastity, truth, justice and hu- manity. 1. As to temperance; though this was reckoned among the virtues by the pagan moral writers, yet it is plain from their wri- ters in general, that drunkenness was exceedingly common among them, and among all ranks, among magistrates, philosophers and priests, as well as others. Their priests in some of their religious feasts were always intoxicated. Even Cato, though a Stoic phi- losopher, one of their strictest moralists and a principal magis- trate, was remarkably addicted to this vice. So was Zeno, the founder of the sect of the Stoics ; and Chrysippus, another Stoic philosopher died in consequence of excessive drinking at a sacri- fice. The character of their principal magistrates, priests and philosophers, does not appear to have suffered much, if at all, by this vice. It must therefore have been considered by the people, as a very venial fault, if any at all. Indeed this is evident by all their writers. But how it is esteemed among us, and what would be the effect of it on the reputation of our principal magistrates and divines, I need not inform you. 2. As to chastity, it is manifest from the whole current of pa- gan writers, that they considered fornication as no crime, and therefore ran into it without reserve. Not only is this observable of Homer's heroes, but even the modest Virgil's pious Eneas, who was meant to be a perfect character, had an amour with Dido, without the least shame or sense of indecency. Simple fornication was not only commonly practised without restraint, but was allowed by all their philosophers, and was positively en- couraged by some of them.* Many of the customs of the Greeks and Romans promoted lewdness. The manner of the appear- ance of women in some of their public exercises, was such as di- rectly tended to that vice ; and the ideas of the lawfulness and expediency of a community of wives so far prevailed and had such an influence on practice, as not only implied the violation of chastity, but had a most baleful general tendency with respect * " None of the philosopliers ever represented simple fornication, espe- cially on the part of the man, as any vice at all. Cato commended a young man for frequenting the public stews ; and Cicero expressly speaks of it, as a thing that was never found fault with." — Priesth/s Institutes. All that was enjoined by Epictetus, who of all the philosophers, is perha})s the most celebrated for his strict maxims of morality, was, "that people should abstain from fornication before marriage as far as they could ; and that if they did not abstain, they should use it lawfully, and not be severe in rep- rehending those who did not abstain." Enchiridion, Chap. 47. 196 BELIEF OF CHRISTIANITY to that virtue.* Though it is hardly credible, yet unnatural vices had too much the sanction of some legislators and philosophers, and were countenanced by many of them. Xenophon informs us, that the sin of Sodom was encouraged by the public laws of several of the states of Greece. It was more especially so among the Cretans, in order to prevent too great an increase of the peo- ple. Solon, one of the seven wise men of Greece, and the cele- brated lawgiver of Athens, forbade this practice to slaves, which necessarily conveys the idea of his thinking it fit for free men only. According to Cicero, the Greek philosophers not only generally practised, but even gloried in this vice ; and Plutarch informs us, that many parents would not suffer their children to keep the company of those philosophers, who pretended to be fond of them. Diogenes was remarkable for indulging himself in the most abom- inable practices openly, and without a sense of shame ; affecting, according to the maxim of the Cynics, to live according to na- ture.f These unnatural vices were increased in a most astonish- ing manner, about the time of the promulgation of Christianity. Seneca says, that in his time they were " practised openly and without shame at Rome." These accounts given by heathen writers, fully justify the charges thrown out on this head against the heathens, by the writers of the New Testament, especially by the apostle Paul, in his first chapter to the Romans ; though to christians the inspired writers need no authority, but do of themselves sufficiently prove the amazing depravity of the heathen world in this respect. 3. Truth is a moral virtue, the obligation and necessity of which are perhaps as evident as those of any virtue whatever. Yet the Stoic philosophers taught that lying was lawful, when- ever it was profitable ; and Plato allowed, that a man may lie, who knows how to do it at a proper time. 4. Let us inquire how far justice was maintained and prac- * " At Sparta, young women appeared naked in the public exercises ; and when married women had no children, their husbands were encour- aged to consent to a free intercourse between them and other men ; a cus- tom which Plutarch vindicates. This was also agreeable to the doctrine of the Stoics ; and it is well known, that that rigid Stoic, Cato of Utica, consented to such an intercourse between his own wife and his friend Hortensius. Plato in his book of laws, recommends a community of wo- men ; and he advises that soldiers be not restrained with respect to any kind of sinful indulgence, even the most unnatural species of it, when they are on an expedition. — Priestly. t Does not the forementioned deistic maxim of following nature, directly lead to the same abominable practices ? NECESSARY TO POLITICAL PROSPERITY. 197 tised among the ancients. I now mean justice in matters of property. For that kind of justice which is opposed to oppres- sion and cruelty will come into view, when we shall consider the humanity of the ancients. It is well known to have been a max- im at Sparta, that probity and everything else was to be sacri- ficed to the good of the state. Tiie Spartans encouraged their children to steal, but punished those who were taken in the act, as not being dexterous in the business. " We may judge of the state of Greece, with respect to the kind of justice of which we are now speaking, from that passage in a dialogue of Xenophon, in which he himiorously shows the advantages of poverty and the incoveniences of riches ; and by what Tacitus says, that the temples were full of debtors and criminals, as churches and monasteries used formerly to be in Popish countries. Rome and the neighborhood of it, in the most interesting period of its his- tory, viz. in the time of Cicero, abounded with robbers. Sallust says, that Cataline's army was much augmented by the accession of highwaymen about Rome. Cicero observed, that had Milo killed Clodius by night, it might have been imagined, that he had been killed by highwaymen, and that the frequency of such ac- cidents would have favored the supposition, though he had with him thirty slaves completely armed and accustomed to blood and danger. By the law of the twelve tables, possession for two years formed a prescription for land, and of one year for movables ; an evident mark of frequent violences, when such a law was ne- cessary to secure a title to property."* How different our situ- ation is from this, and how much more secure our persons and property are, I need not mention in this auditory. 5. We proceed now to inquire how far the ancient heathens practised the duties of humanity, and how far they violated those duties by outrage, oppression and cruelty. The Stoics condem- ned all compassion. No wonder then that they imbibed and practised inhumanity. Some philosophers, particularly Demo- critus recommended revenge ; and Plato owns that forgiveness of injuries was contrary to the general doctrine of the philosophers. These ideas seem perfectly to coincide with those among the moderns, who are the great advocates for a sense of honor. And how far these ideas are consistent with scripture, with reason or with humanity, I leave you to judge. It was common with the Romans to make war on other na- tions for the end of enlarging their own dominions, and aggran- dizing their empire. Generally they had no better motive to their wars than this. But what is such a war, but a complica- * Priestley's letters on general policy. 198 BELIEF OF CHRISTIANITY tion of downright robbery, cruelty and murder ? They practised equal injustice in the manner in which they carried on their wars. They enslaved their captives or put them to death in cold blood, as they pleased. Their triumphs were most oppressive and cruel. The conquered kings and generals, loaded with chains, were driven into the city, and to the capitol before their conquerors, and were followed by mimicks and buffoons, who in- sulted over their misfortunes. When they arrived at the forum, they were led back to prison and there strangled ; and this under the pretence of taking full revenge of their enemies. What bet- ter is this, than the treatment which our savage Indians give their captives ? The treatment which they gave those captives whose lives they spared, was correspondent to this cruelty toward those whom they put to death. As has been observed, they absolutely enslaved them ; and by law, slaves were considered not as men, but as mere things, the mere property of their masters, and were treated, punished, and put to death at any time and in any man- ner, as their masters pleased, whether by beating, starving, tor- ture, or otherwise. " The Spartans having conquered a neigh- boring nation, the Helots, enslaved them, frequently butchered them in cold blood, and applauded their youths, when they killed them by surprise." " The Romans were not ashamed to suffer their old and useless slaves, when worn out in their service, to starve on an island in the Tyber, as was their common practice. Vidius Pollio used to throw his slaves, who had disobliged him, into his fish ponds, to be preyed upon by his mullets." And though to our shame, to the shame of humanity and the scandal of Christianity, a slavery and a treatment of slaves similar to what existed among the Romans, exist and are tolerated in some parts of America ; yet this scandal cannot be thrown on Christendom in general. Such a slavery did indeed once generally obtain in Europe ; but the benevolent and humane spirit of the gospel and the principles of justice taught there, have long since generally abolished it from that quarter of the world. The proscriptions and assassinations, which were so common among the ancients, are a further proof of their injustice, vio- lence and inhumanity. It is well known that during the con- tests of Marius and Sylla, and during the triumvirate of Octavia- nus, Anthony and Lepidus, nothing was more common than to advertise a certain price for any man's or any number of men's heads ; which was no other than hiring any cut-throat, and even a man's own domestics, to murder him and bring in his head. In this way the best men of Rome were murdered, and among NECESSARY TO POLITICAL PROSPERITY. 199 the rest, Cicero the great orator, philosopher and ornament of Rome. Amidst all the vices justly imputable to christians, they are not guilty of such barbarity and outrage as this. Such is the salutary influence of Christianity, that even kings, who among the ancients no sooner fell into the hands of their rivals or oppo- sers, than they were assassinated, are now not put to death with- out a formal trial ; which is a clear demonstration among many others, of our improvement in civilization and humanity, beyond anything which existed among the most enlightened heathens. Another instance of the barbarity and inhumanity of the an- cients, is their treatment of their children. " The ancient Roman laws gave the father a power of life and death over his children, upon this principle, that he who gave, had also the power to take away. And a son could not acquire any property of his own du- ring the life of his father ; but all his acquisitions belonged to his father, or at least the profits, for life."* Thus children, during the life of their fathers, were perfect slaves, and in a worse con- dition than the slaves in this state ; for the master in this state has not the power of life and death over his slaves. Nor were these mere speculations of the Romans ; but their practice was correspondent. Hence the custom of exposing children ; that is, of laying them, as soon as born, in the streets, on the banks of rivers, or in other frequented places, and unless some compas- sionate person should take them up and provide for them, leav- ing them there to perish and to be devoured by dogs. The mo- tive to this horrid practice was, that the parents might be free from the trouble and expense of their education. Both Plato and Aristotle say, that there should be laws to prevent the education of weak children. Accordingly among the other Greeks, beside the Thebans, when a child was born, it was laid on the ground, and if the father designed to educate it, he immediately took it up. But if he forebore to do this, the child was carried away and exposed. The Lacedemonians indeed had a different cus- tom ; for with them all new born children were brought before certain triers, who w^ere some of the gravest men in their own tribes, by whom the infants were carefully viewed ; and if they were found lusty and well favored, they gave orders for their ed- ucation ; but if weakly and deformed, they ordered them to be cast into a deep cavern in the earth, near the mountain Taygetus, as thinking it neither for the good of the children nor for the pub- lic interest, that defective children should be brought up. It was the unhappy fate of daughters especially to be thus treated, as re- * Blackstone. 200 BELIEF OF CHRISTIANITY quiring more charges to educate and settle them in the world than sons. In several nations, not only infants, but also the aged and the infirm, were exposed and left to perish. Another horrid inhumanity, prevalent among the ancient hea- thens, was the practice of sacrificing captives and slaves at the funerals of the dead. Thus Achilles sacrificed twelve young Tro- jans to the manes of Patroclus ; and Eneas sent captives to Evan- der, to be sacrificed at the funeral of Pallas. This was first prac- tised M'ith respect to persons of great eminence only, but at length it was done at the funerals of all persons of property, and became a necessary part of the ceremony. Another practice as horrid as any I have mentioned, was that of exhibiting gladiators, trained to fencing and the use of the sword, spear, etc., on purpose that they might fight and kill one another on the stage, for the mere entertainment of the spectators, as some people now bait bulls and set dogs to fighting. " These poor wretches were made to swear they would fight unto death ; and if they failed of this, they were put to death by fire or sword, clubs, whips, or the like."* " Those who have not attended to history, are apt to imagine, that the exhibition of gladiators was a rare thing, and that when it happened, a few pairs only were engaged. But it was far otherwise. Under the Roman empe- rors this inhuman entertainment cost innumerable lives. Caesar when Edile, gave three hundred and twenty gladiators. Gordian in the time of his Edileship, exhibited twelve entertainments, that is, one in each month. In some of these were five hundred cham- pions, and in none of them less than one hundred and fifty. Taking it at a medium, he must have exhibited at the very least, three thousand. Titus exhibited these cruel shows for an hun- dred days together. The good and moderate Trajan continued these spectacles for an hundred and twenty-three days ; and in that time gave ten thousand. When we consider how many dif- ferent ranks of people gave these entertainments, Ediles, Pretors, Questors, Consuls, Emperors and Priests, besides private persons at funerals (which became so common a practice, that it was an article in a last will) we must be convinced, that the numbers were vast. What adds to the inhumanity of this custom, is, that it was designed for a gay entertainment and was attended as such. This horrible custom grew to such an extravagance, that it was found necessary to moderate it by law, in the time of the heathen Emperors. Constantino first prohibited it altogether. But so * Chamber's Dictionary. NECESSARY TO POLITICAL PROSPERITY. 201 violent was the taste for it, that it crept in again. The Emperor Honorius entirely suppressed it." I shall take notice of only one more vice of the ancient hea- thens, that is suicide. This was recommended by many philoso- phers, as an heroic act of virtue, and was practised by some of the highest fame, as by Zeno the founder of the sect of the Stoics, by Cato of Utica, and by Brutus. No wonder if under such in- structors and such examples, suicide was very common among the ancients. Beside the wickedness of this in the sight of God, the ruinous tendency of it in a political view is manifest on the slightest reflection. By this one vice not only any man may de- prive the state of his aid and throw his family and dependents on the public ; but the most important citizens, by throwing away their own lives in the most important and critical moment, may greatly endanger and entirely overthrow the commonwealth. What if our Washington, or the most wise and influential mem- bers of our Congress, had destroyed themselves in the most crit- ical periods of the late war ? From this brief survey of the vices of the ancient heathens, I leave my hearers to judge how well founded the objection against Christianity is, that it has depraved the morals of mankind. I have now finished the observations which I intended, on the subject proposed, which was, The necessity of a belief of Chris- tianity by the citizens of this state, in order to our public and po- litical prosperity. In subserviency to this general design I have endeavored to show, that some religion is necessary to our politi- cal prosperity ; that no other religion than the christian, can be generally received and established in this country ; and that if some other religion could be established among us, it would by no means be so useful in a political view, as the christian. I have endeavored to illustrate the last observation by a comparison of Christianity with the philosophical religion of infidelity and with ancient paganism. I now beg leave to make two or three infer- ences from what has been said. 1. If Christianity be more useful than any other religion, even for political purposes, we may presume that it is still more use- ful for the other purposes, which are indeed its immediate objects, piety and true virtue, and peace and comfort in them. The great foundations of religion and virtue are, the moral perfections of God, his moral government, the rule of our duty, a future state of retribution, the possibility of pardon and the end of our crea- tion. Let us in these several particulars compare Christianity with the philosophical religion, which is the only rival of Christianity with any among us. Vol. II. 18 202 BELIEF OF CHRISTIANITY (1) As to the moral perfections of God, Christianity certainly teaches them more clearly than they can be learnt from any light aflbrded by the philosophical religion. The scriptures assure us, that '' holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts ;" that he is " a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he ;" that he is " the Lord, the Lord God merciful and gracious, long suffering, and abiHidant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thou- sands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty." Yea, they assure us, that " God is love." They clear up the difficulty arising from the evil in the world, by informing us of the end of all things, and that alt things shall finally be overruled for good. But the philosophical religion gives no clear evidence at all of the moral perfections of God. This is acknowledged by some of the principal writers on that system. Hume, the most acute of all infidels, says we ought to infer from the works of God, intermixed as they are with good and evil, that God is of a mixed character, partly good and part- ly evil. Also Lord Bolingbroke, another principal deistical wri- ter, holds, that there is no evidence of the moral perfections of God. (2) The like advantage have we by the scriptures as to the evidence of the reality and nature of the moral government of God. On the pretence that we are under the influence of a ne- cessity of coercion, it is denied by some infidels that we are moral agents and that we are capable of either virtue or vice. Now not only is this matter cleared up by revelation, but it is to be observed, that to be consistent, such infidels ought also to de- ny, that we are capable of any crime in civil society. If we be not moral agents, we are no more capable of murder, than a stock or a stone ; and a man who from malice prepense kills another, no more deserves punishment, than the stone or the tree, which falls on a man and crushes him to death ; and the man who from a wish to introduce and establish arbitrary gov- ernment in his country, now a free and happy republic, betrays- its ships and fortresses, no more deserves punishment, than the tempests which sink the former, or the fire which consumes the latter. Some deny, that God at all concerns himself with human af- fairs or actions. But this is not only not reconcilable with the scriptures, but not with the moral perfections of God. If we be capable of virtue, and yet he neglect us, so as not to set before us proper motives to it, and not to show by proper rewards and punishments his approbation of the virtuous, and disapprobation of the vicious ; this cannot be reconciled with his moral perfec- tion. NECESSARY TO POLITICAL PROSPERITY. 203 It is further urged, that we are not in any case punishable, as all things are right, or as the poet expresses it, whatever is, is right. If by this observation be meant, that things are by the all-wise and all-governing providence of God, overruled to an- swer a good purpose, though in many instances directly contrary to their natural tendency ; this is granted. But if it be meant, that all things in their own nature tend to good, this is not true. Malice has no natural tendency to good but a natural tendency to evil. On the other hand, benevolence has a natural tendency to good. Nor will it be pretended, that if malice reigned through the universe, the universe would be as happy, as if benevolence universally reigned. It is the natural tendency of a rational ac- tion, which determines its moral quality, and not the consequence produced by Almighty God, contrary to its natural tendency. If all human actions were in a moral view indifferent, we should no more deserve punishment for murder, than we should for saving our country from ruin. This scheme shuts all moral good out of the universe, as well as all moral evil. For if all the tempers and actions of men, are as to morality alike, it must be because there is no morality in any of thern. If there be moral good in any of those tempers or actions, there must be moral evil in the directly opposite ; and if there be no moral evil in the latter, there is no moral good in the former ; as if there were no natural evil in pain there would be no natural good in pleasure. But while infidels confound themselves and the principles of reason, in their discourses concerning the moral government of God ; the scriptures assure us of the reality of that government, and of our accountableness to God. (3) TJie scriptures give us a plain and excellent rule of duty, pointing out our duty not only in general, but in all the most im- portant particulars. How extremely deficient in this instance also, is the philosophical religion ! It is indeed said, that the rule of our duty is right reason and the law of nature, and that virtue is a conformity to them. But this is saying no more than that virtue is virtue, and that the rule of our duty is the rule of our duty. For right reason in this case means what is reasonable and right in a moral sense ; and duty and what is right in a moral sense are the same thing ; and it is just as difficult to find out the law of reason and of nature, as to find out our duty. (4) The scriptures give us the most positive assurance of a future state. But the philosophical religion can never assure us of this, because it cannot assure us of the moral perfections of God, by which alone he is disposed to reward the righteous and punish 204 BELIEF OF CHRISTIANITY the wicked. Therefore infidels are greatly divided among them- selves on this subject. Some as was before observed believe a future state, some disbelieve it. Those who believe such a state, believe that God made all men for their own personal happiness, and that therefore he will make them all happy in the future world. But all this depends on the moral perfections of God, of which they, as their principal writers confess, have no evidence. And if there be no evidence of God's moral perfections, there is no evidence, that he designs the happiness of his creatures either here or hereafter ; nor is there any evidence but that he designs the final misery of all his creatures. Or if infidels had evidence of the moral perfections of God, they would not have evidence, that God made every man for the end of his personal happiness. The perfect goodness of God doubtless implies, that he made all things with a design to promote good on the whole or on the large scale. So that taking the system of intelligent creatures together, there shall be the greatest possible happiness in it. But this does not imply, that every individual creature shall be completely hap- py. There is no accounting for the calamities and sufferings of this life on any other supposition, than that they will all finally issue in the greatest happiness of the system ; and to suppose that they conduce to the good of the system, by making the persons themselves who suffer them here, more happy hereafter, is a mere conjecture unsupported by any argument. Therefore to in- dulge it and to build upon it, is altogether unreasonable and un- philosophical. On the whole, there is no evidence but that the good of the general system may be promoted by the exemplary punishment of the wicked in the future world. And if it would be promoted by such a punishment, infinite goodness not only admits of it, but requires and demands it. (5) The scriptures assure us of a way of pardon and accept- ance with God; but the philosophical religion gives no such as- surance. Infidels do indeed expect to be pardoned on their bare repentance. But the expectation of jmrdon on repentance, im- plies an acknowledgement, that they deserve punishment even though they repent, and that such punishment would be just ; otherwise there could be no pardon in the case. To pardon is to exempt from punishment not an innocent man, but a guilty one ; and to pardon a penitent implies that he deserves punish- ment, and that his punishment would be just. But if the pun- ishment of the penitent would be just, the interest of the kingdom of God, the great community against which he has sinned, re- quires his punishment. The very idea of a just punishment is NECESSARY TO POLITICAL PROSPERITY. 205 of one which, (there being no atonement or substitution,) is due to the community or to the pubhc good of the community, against which the crime punished was committed. But if the pubUc good of God's kingdom, which is the universe, require the punish- ment of the sinner, it is not consistent with divine goodness to pardon him. What ground then has the infidel to expect par- don, when both justice and goodness require his punishment? (6) Christianity informs us of the end of our creation. It is generally holden by infidels, as was before observed, that we were made for our own personal happiness. But if this were true, it would prove, that God does concern himself with human actions, and that he aims to prevent those which tend to our destruction. It would also prove, that those rational actions which tend to de- stroy our happiness, are morally evil, and that all actions are not in the same sense right. The evidence that God created us for our own happiness, must depend on the evidence of God's moral perfections. But as has been observed, the infidel has no evi- dence of these. Besides, if God really created us all for the end of our own personal happiness, it seems that he has in this world obtained his end, in a very imperfect degree only ; and on the plan of infidelity there is no evidence of a future state. There- fore on that plan there is no evidence, that God will ever obtain his end in our creation. Or if infidels should grant, that we were made for the general good of the system of intelligences, this would be to give up the chief object of infidelity ; because the general good may admit of our misery in the future world, as it does of our misery in this. But Christianity clearly informs us, that God made all things for his glory, implying the greatest happiness and perfection of the creation as a system ; or for the glorious exercise and display of his power, wisdom and goodness in raising his kingdom, which is the creation, as a system, to the highest degree of perfection and happiness. Thus we see in what darkness, as to the most essential princi- ples of religion, we should have been involved, had we not been favored with the light of divine revelation, and in what darkness they are involved, who embrace the philosophical religion of in- fidelity. And thus we have further proof how happy that people is, whose God is the Lord, not only as this circumstance lays a foundation for their political good, but especially as it lays a foundation for true virtue and piety, for peace and comfort here and eternal happiness in the favor of God hereafter. 2. A second inference from this subject is, that since Chris- tianity appears to be necessary to the public good of the state, it 18* 206 BELIEF OF CHRISTIANITY ought to be encouraged by magistrates and rulers of every descrip- tion. They are appointed to be the guardians of the public good ; of course it is their duty to protect and promote everything tend- ing to it, and especially everything necessary to it. Therefore as Christianity is necessary to the public good, they are bound to en- courage, promote and inculcate that, by their example and pro- fession, by speaking and acting in favor of it both in public and private, by supporting christian ordinances and worship, and by promoting to places of trust and profit those who profess it and live agreeably, and who are otherwise properly qualified. Magis- trates are called to do all this on the ground of the soundest policy. 3. For the same reasons the citizens in general are obligated to encourage and promote Christianity, by being themselves chris- tians and that not only in profession, but in heart and life, and by giving their suffrages for those who are of the same character. It is indeed to be confessed, that not all professed christians are good men or real christians ; yet among professed christians are many men, who possess good abilities and a proper share of infor- mation, who are strictly moral and upright, and who expect to give an account of their conduct to God. Such are the men to be promoted in the state ; and the citizens by promoting such men, will encourage and promote Christianity, and at the same time promote the good of the state. I would ask the further patience of the auditory, while I close the discourse, with the addresses usual on this occasion. In the first place I beg leave to address myself to His Excel- lency the Governor. May it please your Excellency, — In obedience to your command I appear in the desk this day ; and I could think of no subject more important and at the same time more suitable to the present occasion, than the happiness of that people whose God is the Lord. I have therefore endeavored to illustrate the necessity of the christian faith and practice, to the prosperity of the state. I may appeal to your Excellency how far this faith and practice have hitherto contributed to our political prosperity. Had not our ancestors been firm and exemplary in this faith and practice ; had they not taken pains to hand them down to us ; had they not in all their towns and settlements instituted schools, in which the principles of Christianity, as well as other things were taught ; had they not provided for the support of public worship, for the due observance of the Lord's day, and for the public teaching of Christianity on that day ; had they not pro- vided for the support of a studious and learned ministry, who being themselves men of knowledge, should be able to instruct NECESSARY TO POLITICAL PROSPERITY. 207 Others ; I appeal to your Excellency, whether our political affairs would not at present have worn a very different aspect. And if our supreme magistrates had not been, both by profession and apparent practice, christians, it would doubtless have had a very baleful influence on the christian and moral character of the peo- ple at large, and consequently on our political prosperity. But we are happy in that we have had from the beginning, even to the present day, a series of Governors, who have been not only an honor to the state, but ornaments to our churches. May such a series be still kept up without interruption. This, as it will be a proof of our christian character, will also be a proof of our public prosperity in every successive period, and a pledge of our subse- quent prosperity. May God grant, that your Excellency shall effectually contribute to this prosperity in every way, in which your eminent situation affords opportunity. And when earthly states and empires shall be no more, may your Excellency, in that series of excellent men and excellent Governors, and among all real christians, " shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of your Father." The discourse also addresses itself to his Honor the Lieuten- ant Governor, to the Legislative Council of the state, and to the Representatives of the towns in General Assembly. Honorable Legislators, — Since the belief and practice of Christianity are so necessary to the political good of our state, and since you are appointed to be the guardians of our political good, I thought it not impertinent to suggest to you some impor- tant means, by which you may obtain the end for which you are appointed. Opposition to Christianity both in faith and practice was never, at least in our country, so great and so increasing, as at the present day. It lies with you, gentlemen, by a steady be- lief, profession and practice of Christianity ; by your conversation and weight ; by the appointments which you shall make to the various offices, civil and military, and by all your public proceed- ings, to withstand this opposition, and to guard against the dan- ger to the public good, arising from the depravity of manners which opposition to Christianity naturally induces. It is your pro- vince, in conjunction with his Excellency the Governor, to ap- point all our executive civil authority and to confer the highest military honors. When men of licentious principles and prac- tice are promoted either in the civil or military line, it gives a dignity and an influence to vice and irreligion. And "one sin- ner destroys much good," especially when exalted to a high sta- tion of honor and authority. Now, if you give this advantage to vice, you will thereby injure the state ; but more immediately 208 BELIEF OF CHRISTIANITY you will injure religion and the kingdom of Christ. And let me beseech you to remember, that you also have a master in heaven, to whom you, as well as the rest of men, must give an account. The only way to gain his approbation is, to keep a conscience void of offence, and in your political transactions not to act from party attachments and private connections, not to practise in- trigue to serve your own interests or those of your friends ; but to endeavor to serve the public in the best manner according to your capacity and opportunity. In so doing you will appoint to the several executive offices, men of knowledge and discretion ; men that fear God and hate covetousness ; men who will be just and rule in the fear of God. By the promotion of such men, virtue will be encouraged and vice will be restrained ; by their official proceedings, law and justice will be executed, and "judg- ment will run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream," even that righteousness which exalteth a nation." Then shall our political interests be in a prosperous state ; then shall we be that happy people whose God is the Lord. The Reverend Pastors of the churches, who are present, will also suffer the word of exhortation. My fathers and brethren, — We who are employed in the work of the ministry, are deeply interested in this subject. We are interested in the prosperity of the state, and are peculiarly in- terested in this means of prosperity on which I have been insist- ing. It is our business to study and teach Christianity, and thus to promote the political good of the state, as well as the spiritual good of the souls of our hearers. This is a noble employment, to fidelity and zeal in which, not only the motives of religion call us, but even those of patriotism. Therefore if we have any love to religion and the souls of men ; nay if we have any public spir- it and love to our country, let us diligently study the evidences, the nature, the doctrines and duties of Christianity, and incul- cate them with all plainness, assiduity and perseverance, giving line upon line and precept upon precept. This is to be done, 1. By instruction. Without communicating instruction and information concerning the truth, we can expect to do nothing in our work to any good purpose. Knowledge and not igno- rance is the mother of real devotion. The rational mind is to be led by the exhibition of the truth only. 2. By every motive to persuade, drawn from reason and reve- lation, from time and eternity ; and among others this motive of the public good of the state and our general happiness, liberty and prosperity as a people, is not to be omitted. 3. By a christian life and conversation. If we do these ■** NECESSARY TO POLITICAL PROSPERITY. 209 things ; if we thus instruct, persuade and live, we shall at last stand in our lot, and shall be owned as his, when Christ our Lord and judge " shall make up his jewels." Finally I shall, in the last place, address myself in a very few words to this numerous auditory collectively. Men and breth- ren, this subject nearly concerns you all. How happy would you be, if the Lord were indeed your God ? Nor can you be truly happy on any other condition. However prosperous you may be in your private concerns, in your property, your business and your reputation ; yet unless you are the objects of the favor of God and the heirs of eternal life, you are truly in a miserable situation. You have not only the motive of eternal happiness to choose the Lord for your God ; but the motives of the peace, good order, and happiness of the people as a body politic, and the general prosperity of the state. You all feel a firm attach- ment to your liberties and to the privileges of a republican gov- ernment. Of all forms of government a republic most essential- ly requires virtue and good morals in the great body of the peo- ple, in order to its prosperity and even its existence. But the way to virtue and good morals is to choose the Lord for your God. Nor is this all ; you not only have to choose and serve the Lord yourselves, but by the same reasons by which you are obligated to choose the Lord for your God, you are obligated to seek out and by your suffrages to promote to legislative authority, such as are of the same character. In a republic all authority is derived from the people ; and such as they generally are, we may expect their representatives, legislators and all their civil au- thority will be. If you have the Lord for your God, you will elect those of the same character with yourselves, to be your leg- islators ; you will encourage and support them and other faithful rulers in the thorough discharge of their duties of civil govern- ment, and you will withhold your suffrages from those who ac- knowledge not the Lord as their God and regard not his law. Nor can you consistently and innocently give your suffrages to men of this last description ; for thus you would give a sanction and influence to sin and vice, would be partakers of their wick- edness and would do an injury to the state. But if you and the good people of the state in general shall unite to practise virtue and Christianity, and to promote the wisest and best men among us, we shall doubtless be that happy people described in the text, and " judgment shall dwell in the wilder- ness and righteousness remain in the fruitful field ; and the work of righteousness shall be peace, and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever." SERMON XII. THE DUTY OF MINISTERS TO PREACH THE TRUTH.* John 18 : 37. — To this end ivas I born, and for this cause came I into tlie world, that I sJiould bear witness unto the truth. These are the words of our blessed Savior. In them he in- forms us, that one end of his incarnation and ministry was, that by bearing witness to the truth, he might communicate the know- ledge of it. The same is doubtless the end of the ordinary min- istry of the gospel, and should be the object aimed at by every minister. From our text therefore I deduce this doctrine : The great duty of the ministers of the gospel is, to preach the truth. Under this doctrine I purpose, I. No show what truth ministers of the gospel ought to preach. II. To mention some reasons in confirmation of the doctrine. I. I am to show what truth a minister of the gospel ought to preach. Truth is very extensive and of various kinds. There is truth in every science, in mathematics, philosophy, history, etc. It will not be pretended, that mathematical and philosophical truth is the proper subject of the evangelical ministry. Nor is histori- cal truth, any further than it illustrates the gospel, by exhibiting the facts of it, or other important facts relating to the works and the character of God. The truth then intended in the doctrine is primarily evangeli- cal truth, and secondarily all other truth which relates to the gos- pel and tends to illustrate it ; as all truth relating to God and his character, especially his moral perfections ; all truth relating to his supreme, universal and sovereign government ; all truth re- lating to his law, its requirements and threatenings ; relating to sin, its nature and evil ; relating to ourselves, our present fallen state, and the ruin consequent on the fall ; particularly our na- * Preached at the ordination of the Rev. Edward Dorr Griffin, A. M. to the pastoral charge of the church in New Hai'tford, June 4th, 1795. — First pubhshed at Hartford. DUTY OF MINigTERS. 211 live and total depravity, our actual sins and the various aggrava- tions of them ; our demerit as sinners ; our dependence on the mere mercy and sovereign grace of God ; our own moral inabili- ty to bring ourselves to repentance and holiness of heart and life, and our absolute insufficiency to make satisfaction for our sins ; the necessity of an atonement and one of infinite value, corres- pondent to the demerit of our sin ; the character of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, his divinity, his humanity, his offices, his sufferings in our stead, and his readiness to save sinners of every description, who come to him for this purpose ; the conditions of his salvation, the privileges and rewards of it, and the inevitable consequences of a rejection of it. This is a very brief summary of the truths, which every minis- ter of the gospel is obligated to preach and inculcate. II. / am to mention some reasons in confirmation of this doc- trine. The following reasons show, that ministers of the gospel are obliged to preach the truth or the real doctrines of scripture. 1. The truth was the subject of the preaching of our Lord Je- sus Christ. He certainly is a proper example in this, as well as in his common conduct. He was a perfect preacher. Therefore he is to be imitated by all other preachers. And he in our text, informs us not only that he preached the truth, but that this was one great end of his incarnation and ministry. 2. The same was the subject of the preaching of the apostles and prophets. 2 Cor. 4: 2, " We have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully ; but by manifestation of the truth com- mending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God." Chap. 13: 8, " For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth." Gal. 4: 16, " Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?" 1 Tim. 2: 7, " Whereunto I am ordained a preacher and an apostle — a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity ;" i. e. in faith and truth. The great business of the prophets was to declare the word of God, which is the truth, as it was immediately taught them, or as they were by God directed to repeat former revelations. The great business of the apostles was to preach the gospel, which is the system of divine truth given to the church and to the world, in the last and most perfect dispensation. Both the prophets and apostles were inspired by the infallible spirit of God which guided them into all necessary truth, and preserved them, in their official proceedings, from everything inconsistent with it. Under the in- fluence of this spirit they preached the truth and that only. 212 DUTY OF MINISTERS 3. The knowledge of the truth is necessary to true religion. It is necessary both to the affections and to the practice of it. (1) The knowledge of the truth is necessary to true religious affections. The knowledge of the true God is necessary to the true love of God. That love of God, which implies true virtue and real holiness, is the love of the true God and of the true and real character of God. To love any other than the true charac- ter of God, is as really to love a false God as to love Jupiter or Dagon. For instance to love God as a perfectly holy and wise God, is a holy affection ; but to love him as one who tolerates and connives at sin and saves all at last, whatever their lives and characters be in this world, is a wrong and sinful affection. To love God as a benevolent being, aiming at his own glory consist- ing in the good and happiness of the intellectual system, is a right and holy affection. But to love him in the idea, that he is aiming at some partial, private good, or our own particular good only, is no exercise of true virtue, but a mere love of ourselves or of some party. Therefore we must have the knowledge of the truth in this important particular, and just ideas of the divine character, in order to the exercise of true virtue and religion in the love of God. Similar observations may be made concerning the divine law. If we believe that it forbids and condemns some sins only, and in that view love it, there is in that love no true religion, but irreli- gion. If we believe it forbids all sin and love it in that view, that is true virtue and religion. If we love the divine law, because we believe it denounces some small temporary punishment, and cannot bear it, as threatening an endless punishment, we hereby show, that we are not friends, but enemies to the law and the truth. We must believe, that there is a God, or we cannot love him at all. We must believe, that Jesus Christ is the Savior, or we cannot receive and trust in him as our Savior. We must be- lieve the scriptures, or how shall we receive and comply with them? We must believe that we are sinners, or we can never repent. We must believe the atonement, or we shall never de- pend on it, nor seek forgiveness and salvation on the ground of it. And so with respect to every other truth of the gospel. We can have no right exercise or affection in view of any truth, un- less we know and believe that truth. (2) The knowledge of the truth is necessary to all genuine re- ligious practice. Genuine practice implies genuine affections, and is founded on them. Therefore without repeating, it is suf- ficient to say, that the knowledge of the truth is necessary to gen- TO PREACH THE TRUTH. 213 ulne religious practice, for the same reasons, that it is necessary to genuine religious affections. Having thus briefly illustrated the doctrine, and having men- tioned some reasons in confirmation of it, I proceed to several in- ferences, which were indeed principally intended, in the choice of this subject. 1. Hence we see the groundlessness of a sentiment holden and advanced by many in these days, that it is of no importance what a man's religious creed or sentiments are, provided he be an hon- est man and sincere in his religion. Let us examine this senti- ment. By an honest man in this proposition must be meant, either one who is honest and just in matters of property ; or one who in his religion professes and acts as he thinks. If the latter be meant, then an honest man and one who is sincere in his reli- gion are the very same ; and then the proposition now under con- sideration is this, that it is of no importance what a man's reli- gious sentiments are, provided that in his religion he believes as he professes and does what he believes to be right. But this any man may do, let his religion be what it will. A papist, a Mo- hammedan or a pagan may be equally sincere in this sense, as the best Christian ; and if this sincerity be all which is necessary in religion ; then all kinds of religions, as to that which is essential to true religion and the benefits of it, are perfectly alike ; and of course it is a matter of indifference which we embrace and which we reject, if we embrace any. But this cannot be reconciled with either scripture or reason. Many of the ancient worshippers of Dagon and Baal, and of the gods many and lords many, so called, were very sincere and in good earnest in their worship ; yet they are every where condemned in scripture, as they are also by the voice of reason. But perhaps it will be said, that in the proposition, that it is of no importance what a man's religious sentiments are, provided he be an honest man and sincere in his religion ; by honesty is meant moral honesty, or justice to man in matters of property. If this be intended, then the proposition is this, that justice to men together with the forementioned sincerity, is the whole of religion. But we see by what has been said already, that the forementioned sincerity is no part of true religion, and that in this respect it is just nothing at all. Therefore if justice to men with this sincerity be the whole of religion ; as this sincerity is no part of true religion, the whole of it must centre in mere justice to men. But this cannot be reconciled with either scripture or reason. The scripture requires us to render not only unto Caesar the things Vol. II. 19 214 DUTY OF MINISTERS which are Caesar's, but also unto God, the things which are God's ; and the Jews in the time of the prophet Malachi, were severely reproved for having robbed God. Mai. 2: 8, " Will a man rob God ? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, wherein have we robbed thee ? In tythes and offerings." Yea, the scripture re- quires us to love the Lord our God with all our heart. And it is perfectly rational, that if he be supremely great, good and glori- ous ; if he be our Creator, our chief and constant benefactor ; he should be the object of our first and chief regard. So that justice to men and a mere moral life, are so far from the whole of religion, that they are not the principal part of it. That it is of no importance what a man's religious sentiments are, is so far from the truth, that nothing is more manifest, than that those sentiments must daily influence his religious feelings and affections, and consequently his practice. If a man believe, that he is dependent on divine grace for a renovation, sanctifica- tion and forgiveness, this naturally tends to humble him. But if he believe, that he is in no need of divine grace in any of these respects, he must necessarily feel so far self-sufficient, so far in- dependent, and consequently must be spiritually proud and self- righteous. If he believe the necessity of the atonement of Christ ; this powerfully persuades him to look thither and to place his dependence there. If he believe not the necessity of the atone- ment, we may be sure he will depend on some other foundation. If he believe, that God will pardon, and is by his own infinite goodness bound to pardon, any sinner in consequence of his repen- tance merely, without a mediator ; he will certainly neglect Christ as the mediator. But if he believe, that a mediator is absolutely necessary, and that there is no other name but that of Christ, given under heaven among men, whereby we can be saved, what can more strongly urge him to receive and trust in Christ ? Thus as a man thinketh in his heart so is he ; such is his real character; and no man can commonly be expected to be better than his principles. 2. Hence we see the mistake of those who hold, that we need not know much of the doctrines of Christianity ; that it is not useful either for the purpose of conviction to sinners or edification to saints ; that such knowledge rather tends to stifle and prevent both conviction and edification ; that we may be just as good christians without that knowledge as with it ; yea better, because it rather obstructs christian experience and exercise, and quenches christian zeal and fervor. But on candid examination it will be found, that this is a great mistake ; and that the knowledge of divine truth is of a most hap- TO PREACH THE TRUTH. 215 py tendency both to the conviction of sinners and the edification of saints. Certainly the knowledge of the existence and charac- ter of God, of his holiness and his will, of his law and of our vio- lations of it, of the righteousness and goodness of the law, of the punishment and evil of sin, of the grace of the gospel and of our neglect of that grace, most directly tends to produce and in- crease conviction. Indeed genuine conviction cannot exist with- out knowledge of this kind ; and whatever fear or terror, without the knowledge of the truth, exists in any man's mind, which some call conviction, is mere enthusiasm and not genuine con- viction. The knowledge of the truth is equally useful and necessary to ed- ification as to conviction. The necessity of it to this, I before en- deavored to illustrate. How can we love God, if we know him not ? or believe in Christ, without the knowledge of him ? and so in every instance of christian exercise. And the more we know of God, the more opportunity and the greater motives we have, to love, fear and serve him. The more we know of his glorious majesty and sovereignty, the greater motive we have to adore, praise and submit to him. The more the christian knows of the divine law, the more will he naturally delight in it after the inward man. The more he knows of Christ, his grace, sufficiency and fulness, the more will he rejoice and trust in him. And so with respect to all di- vine truth. Just as a man, who has a taste for music, or poetry, or the fine arts in general, is more delighted, the more he is in- structed in those arts, and his taste for them and for their pecu- liar and most delightful excellences, is the more increased. So that there is no foundation for the imagination, that the knowledge of christian doctrines tends to obstruct either convic- tion or edification. Indeed that kind of conviction and edifica- tion, w^hich is not built on the foundation of the truth, but of im- agination, is obstructed by the knowledge of the truth and will naturally be abolished by it. And the sooner such conviction and edification are abolished, the better, as they are not favorable to true religion, but to enthusiasm and false religion, which so far as they obtain, lead astray from the footsteps of the flock, and this straying may be fatal to the soul. 3. Hence we infer the duty of all, who live under the light of the gospel, diligently to study the doctrines of it and of the whole word of God. This is the way to know more of God, of his law, of his will, of Christ and of the free and infinite grace of God, and the way to greater joy in them and conformity to them. This is the w^ay to know more of our own vileness as sinners, and to be more humble in the view of it. This is the way to know 216 DUTY OF MINISTERS more of our duty and of the motives to the performance of it. But the knowledge of all these objects tends most directly to our edification in the christian life. 4. Especially are ministers of the gospel under obligation to the careful study of its doctrines. Their principal business, as has been attempted to be illustrated, is to preach and teach the truth. But how shall they be able to teach the truth, if they be ignorant of it themselves ? And the knowledge of it is to be ob- tained in no other way, than by a diligent study of the scriptures. Besides, they ought to seek their own edification. They are at least under equal obligation to this, as other men. Nay, their obligation is greater, in proportion to their greater advantages for edification, and the greater advantage which their own edifica- tion gives tiiem, to promote that of others. Yet not only are some ministers too negligent of this duty of thoroughly studying the doctrines of scripture, but some design- edly avoid it. They mean to preach jjractically and not to puz- zle their people with deep doctrines. No doubt that preaching which is truly practical, is the best and most useful. But that a minister may preach practically and most usefully, it is not neces- sary that he be ignorant of the doctrines of the gospel ; nor is it necessary, that he should not preach those doctrines. That is the most practical preaching, which most happily conduces to pro- mote christian experience and practice ; and that preaching most happily conduces to promote these, which is founded on the truth and which urges all the motives and arguments, which the truth affords, to excite to christian experience and practice ; and any other arguments than these are not proper to be urged, nor do they on the whole lead to christian experience and practice, but to enthusiasm, and ultimately to irreligion and infidelity. Some seem to conceive, tliat it is a minister's duty to exhort only, and urge and press his hearers to become and to live as christians. But are these exhortations to be pressed with motives drawn from the truth or from falsehood ? The latter will not be pretended ; and as there is no medium in the case, they must be pressed with arguments drawn from the truth only. And in order to this the truth must be known, must be searched out by study, and must be taught ; which is the very thing for which I plead. The mind cannot be rationally persuaded by any other means, than by arguments drawn from the truth ; nor indeed ought it. Therefore for a minister to neglect his studies, on this princi- ple, that the knowledge of divine truth is not necessary or useful to enable him to preach practically and usefully, is to proceed on ground that will by no means support him. The only truly prac- TO PREACH THE TRUTH. 217 tical and useful preaching is that which is founded on the truth and is enforced with arguments drawn from it ; and to such preaching a knowledge and dihgent study of the trutiis and doc- trines of the gospel, are necessary. For a minister to neglect the study of those truths from indo- lence, is still worse ; it is inexcusable. Ministers are bound to be at least as industrious as other men, and many arguments might be mentioned why they should, if their health admit, be still more industrious. But it is to be feared, that some neglect study on a still differ- ent principle. They are afraid, that if they study thoroughly and attend to what has been or may be said on certain important sub- jects, they shall be convinced, that those doctrines are true, which in some places are extremely unpopular. Therefore they do not wish to be convinced of their truth, and will not attend to them, lest they should be convinced ; or lest they should be under a necessity of giving their opinion concerning them, and thus ex- pose themselves to the censure of one party or the other, either the advocates or the opposers of those doctrines. For this rea- son they will not read those books, in which those doctrines are contained, nor converse much with those persons, who hold them. And if they be asked their opinion, they make this apology for not giving it, that they have not read the books, nor examined the arguments relating to those doctrines ; and of set purpose they avoid to do either. Now can this be justified ? What is this but shutting their eyes against the light? And how can this be done with a good conscience ? Are we not commanded to " prove all things, and to hold fast that which is good ?" Besides ; this conduct ar- gues a want of liberality of sentiment, and a contractedness, which it is presumed, they who act in this manner, would not wish to have imputed to them. A man of true liberality of sentiment and feeling, is willing to hear both sides of every important question, and is not afraid that he shall receive too much light. 5. Hence we learn, that it is the duty of ministers of the gos- pel, to preach the truth plainly and in a manner that is intelligi- ble to their people in general. I have endeavored to show, that it is their principal duty to preach the truth ; but to preach it in obscure and unintelligible terms is not very different from not preaching it at all. The words of the apostle Paul are worthy of notice in this case. 1 Cor. 14: 19, "In the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that with my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue." Nor ought we to be deterred from preaching any es- 19* 218 DUTY OF MINISTERS sential truth, by the consideration, that it is unpopular. Every truth of the gospel in its proper connection is opposed to the car- nal heart, and with carnal men will be unpopular. Therefore if w^e proceed on this ground, we must suppress every truth. Indeed some preachers, it is confessed, act an imprudent part. They declare the most offensive truths in the most offensive terms, and in those terms, against which their hearers or many of them are greatly prejudiced, and which they really misunderstand, having been long accustomed to affix to them a wrong meaning. This is not to teach the truth ; but it is the way to prevent the knowledge of it ; and the way not to do good but hurt. There are two extremes in this, as in other cases. One is, not to de- clare important and useful truth faithfully ; the other is, to de- clare it, either in words not understood in the sense, in which they are used by the speaker, or before the hearers are prepared to receive it, by having learned other truths necessary previously to be known. 6. It is the sentiment and doctrine of some, that on all dispu- table points, ministers should preach in scripture language ; that this would be a happy way to avoid all disputes in religion ; that all public formulas, creeds, confessions and doctrines of faith, should be drawn up in scripture language entirely ; that thus christians would be agreed, and dissensions, parties and separa- tions would be at an end. Let us consider this matter. It is said that on disputable points ministers should preach in scrip- ture language only. But all the peculiar and the most important doctrines of the gospel are disputable. And shall ministers do nothing toward teaching those doctrines, beside reading the scrip- tures to their people ? All who can read, as all, or almost all among us can, may read them for themselves. Yet the sentiment now under consideration will come to this, that ministers are to do nothing toward public instruction, beside publicly reading the scriptures. For if they must use scripture language only on all the most important subjects, why not on all the less important ? What advantage is there in deviating from the words of scripture in the latter case, more than in the former ? And if one word, which is not scriptural, may be used in the pulpit, why not another ? and where shall we fix the limits ? Besides, this sentiment will not only exclude from the pulpit all words and phrases, which are not used in scripture ; but it will confine us to use the words of scripture in the very same order in which they stand in scripture. The design of using the mere language of scripture is, to alter not the sense of it and to avoid all disputes concerning that sense and concerning the doctrines of TO PREACH THE TRUTH. 219 Christianity. Bat though we use the words of scripture only, yet if we shift their arrangement, we may aher their sense entirely ; and this not only by altering the arrangement of the words of particular sentences ; but by selecting arud arranging sentences themselves. So that mere using scripture words and phrases, whether in preaching or in our public formulas, will not answer the end intended, unless we preserve the exact order, as well as the words of scripture ; that is, unless we merely 7'ead the scripture. Some sensible of this consequence of their doctrine, have avowed it with regard to public formulas. But to be consistent, they must avow it with regard to all teaching in religion, and must hold, that there should be no religious instruction, beside the reading of the scriptures. In defence of this doctrine it has been said, that the language of scripture was chosen by Omniscience, and is therefore the best possible ; that it is in vain therefore to attempt to mend or ex- plain it by words of our own choosing ; that we might as well at- tempt to mend any other of the works of God. But all this goes on the ground of the impropriety of our using any other means of religious instruction, than the reading of the scriptures ; a ground on which those who use this reasoning, will not dare to rest their cause. As to the alleged absurdity of explaining the language of scripture, which is said to be equal to an attempt to mend or im- prove the other works of God ; I observe, that in a certain sense we may and do daily improve the works of God. No man imagines that there is any impiety or absurdity in clearing and cultivating his lands, or in grinding his grain into meal and making it into bread. Yet there is as much of both impiety and absurdity in either of these, as in explaining by the use of other words, such texts as these : " The plowers have plowed on my back and made long their furrows ;" and " He that believeth on me as the scrip- ture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." Though the language of scripture was doubtless the best possi- ble on the whole ; yet this does not prove but that other words may be used in a variety of instances, which will better explain the meaning of scripture, at least to many particular persons or societies of men, than the words of scripture themselves. A word or phrase which is very determinate in one place or nation, may be very ambiguous in another. Nor was it possible for Omnis- cience itself to make a selection of words, which would not be liable to this inconvenience in the present state of mankind, any more than it was possible for omniscience to give a revelation, which could not be abused and perverted by depraved men. 220 DUTY OP MINISTERS Now, when a word or phrase of scripture is become ambiguous in a particular age or country, there is no absurdity in supposing that this word or phrase should be explained by other words or phrases, which in that age and country are not so ambiguous ; though with respect to all ages and all countries, the last supposed words and phrases may not be so clear and useful, as those, which they are used in a particular time and place to explain. 7. Hence we infer that ministers are not bound to preach plain things only. This is the idea of some ; and that ministers ought never to meddle with things which are not plain. But unless this be so explained, as to be nothing but what all will grant, it can never be supported. If by plain things, be meant things which are already plain and well known to the hearers, then a minister is never to teach his people anything ; and he is bound to preach so to them, that they shall not, under his preaching, make the least improvement in christian knowledge ; which is absurd and what no man will undertake to support. But if by plain things be meant, things which are capable of being made plain to the hearers, or which, if they will be attentive and candid, may, by the evidence of reason or revelation, be made to appear to be credible and manifest truths ; it is granted that in this sense a minister must preach plain things only. But the proposition thus explained, comes to nothing. 8. Also hence we see the absurdity of parents refusing to teach their children any particular sentiments in religion, even those which they themselves believe ; and leaving them to judge for themselves, without any such instruction. This is advocated and practised by some, on the pretences, that their children have a right of private judgment in religion and a liberty of conscience ; that teaching them any particular religious sentiments would cur- tail this liberty, would shackle their judgment and their genius, and would prevent improvement. But these reasons, if they prove anything prove too much, and so confute themselves. Children grown to a proper age have a right to judge for themselves in politics, as well as religion. They have a right to judge, whether monarchy or democracy, whether a free or a despotic government be the best. Also they have a right to judge for themselves in morals, whether it be best and obligatory on them, to be temper- ate and prudent, and to observe truth and justice in their inter- course with their fellow-men. Yet no man will be thought to cur- tail his son's right of private judgment or his liberty of conscience, by teaching him the principles of true civil liberty, or the moral duties of temperance, prudence, and justice. Nay, our children at a proper age, have a right to judge for themselves what busi- TO PREACH THE TRUTH. 221 ness to follow in life and in what manner to carry it on. Yet no man scruples to bring up his son to some particular business. Nor docs any man imagine, that he curtails the liberty of his son, by educating him for a scholar, a husbandman or a mechanic. Nor is it ever thought that if parents educate their children to some particular business, they cramp their genius or prevent im- provement. On the principle which I am considering, a parent must never teach his son anything. Though he wish to have him a husbandman, he must never teach him the use of the plough or scythe ; though he wish to have him a carpenter, he must never teach the use of the saw or chisel ; though he wish to have him a scholar, he must never teach him to read or write ; for the son has the same right of private judgment concerning the best mode of reading and writing, and of using any kind of utensils, which he has to judge in matters of religion ; and teach- ing him any of the things just mentioned would be as likely to prevent improvement by cramping his genius, as teaching him the principles of Christianity. As these ideas of the education of children are contrary to rea- son, they are equally contrary to scripture. That commands us to " train up a child in the way he should go," with encourage- ment that " when he is old, he shall not depart from it," and to " bring up our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." Some allow indeed, that children are to be taught that the scriptures are the word of God ; but are not to be taught the par- ticular doctrines contained in the scriptures ; that as to the mean- ing and contents of the scriptures, they are to judge entirely for themselves. But why are they not to be taught, as well that the scriptures contain such and such particular doctrines, as that the scriptures themselves are the word of God ? They have the same right of private judgment in the one of these cases as the other. To teach our children, that the scriptures are the word of God, and not to teach them any of the particular doctrines of scripture, is like carefully teaching them that a certain volume contains the laws of our country ; but at the same time cautiously avoiding to teach them any of the laws which are contained in that volume ; or teaching them, that husbandry is the best business of life ; yet not teaching them anything in particular concerning husbandry. 9. If ministers be bound to teach the truths and doctrines of the gospel ; people are bound to attend, to hear and learn those truths. If ministers be bound to take great pains to teach, peo- ple are bound to take correspondent pains to learn and to acquire knowledge. These duties mutually imply each other, and it is absurd to separate them. 222 DUTY OF MINISTERS For the same reasons people are bound to seek for a minister who will instruct them ; and divine grace, though essential to the character of a good minister of Jesus Christ, is not sufficient to constitute that character. It is necessary that he be " able to teach others also." I shall now close this discourse with an address, first to the pas- tor elect, and then to the church and society in this place. I. To the pastor elect. My dear sir, — I have endeavored to represent the importance and necessity of preaching the truth ; and have done it with a special reference to you. We who are in the ministry are al- ways liable to temptation, as in other respects, so in faithfully preaching the truth. And the very circumstance, which in itself is so agreeable, that there is so great and cordial an unanimity among this people, with respect to your settlement among them, may increase your temptation. It may make you more remiss in your studies and more negligent in faithfully declaring the truth. It may put you off your guard, and thus you may expose your- self and expose the cause of truth. It may be an occasion of a presumptuous conduct or mode of preaching; or on the other hand, it may be the occasion of making you excessively compli- ant, so as to suppress important and useful truth, in order to pre- serve the present peace and unanimity. I beseech you to avoid all these, " to hold fast the form of sound words once delivered to the saints," and not to be seduced from them by any tempta- tion. Yet preach the truth prudently and with circumspection. All things that are lawful, are not expedient. Beware of preach- ing so as to be misunderstood by the use of terms, to which your people have affixed ideas different from your own. Dwell not perpetually on a few favorite topics. All evangelical truth is di- vine ; all is useful. That you may thus preach, read extensively. " Beware of the man who reads but one book," is an old and sensible observation. By reading extensively you will see not only what truth others have taught, but what errors they have taught, and the reasons with which they have endeavored to support those errors. Thus you will know how the better to guard against those errors, and to illustrate the contrary truth. You are to teach the truth not only in the pulpit, but day by day in your walk and conversation. Thus not only you will show, that you believe what you preach, but you will add force to it. You, as well as ministers in general, will have great need of prudence in all your conduct, and of keeping the entire mastery of yourself. " He that ruleth his spirit, is better than he that TO PREACH THE TRUTH. 223 taketh a city." In cases of opposition (and you may have oppo- sition, notwithstanding the present happy appearance) the great- est danger is from ourselves. If we do not keep under our pas- sions and fcchngs, our enemies will not fail to take the advantage of us. This therefore, in case of opposition, you are to expect ; and the consequence may be fatal to your comfort and usefulness in this place, and detrimental to the cause of truth in general. But if agreeably to our Lord's direction, you be wise as a serpent and harmless as a dove ; if you preach the truth faithfully and feel and live accordingly, you may hope for a blessing on your ministry. But however this may be, you will be accepted and approved by the great shepherd of the sheep, who will say to you at last, " Well done, thou good and faithful servant ; thou hast been faithful over a few things ; I will make thee ruler over many things ; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." II. I am to address myself in a very few words to this church and society. Men and brethken, — You have heard what has been said to your pastor elect and the exhortation to him, to preach the truth. If he be bound to preach the truth, you are bound to hear, re- ceive and obey it. If he shall faithfully preach it, he will be ac- cepted by his God and Judge, whether you hear or forbear. You are now to have another pastor set over you in the Lord. This is one of the gifts which Christ has received and which he dispenses in consequence of his ascension ; and you are account- able for the manner in which you shall improve by this gift. Your pastor is to be a watchman on this part of the walls of Je- rusalem, to give warning to you. If he shall faithfully warn you and you shall not hear nor regard, your blood will be on your own heads. But if you shall hear and comply, you shall live. Therefore take heed how you hear. " Incline your ear and come unto Christ. Hear and your souls shall live ; and he will make with you an everlasting covenant, even the sure mercies of Da- vid." SERMON XIII. THE MINISTER'S PARTING COUNSEL.* 2 Corinthians 13 : 2. — Finally, brethren^ farewell : Be perfect, he of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace ; and the God of love and peace shxtll he ivith you. Corinth was a famous city of Greece, in which the gospel was introduced and established by the apostle Paul. There he exercised his ministry for a year and six months at one time, be- sides his occasional visits afterward. And there that ministry was attended with great success. All this appears, as from other passages in the New Testament, so particularly from Acts 18: 9, 10, 11, "Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace. For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee, to hurt thee : for I have much people in this city. And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them." To this church planted by the apostle himself, he wrote two epistles, of which this from which our text is taken is the last. At the close of this epistle, he takes his final leave of this church, in the af- fecting words of the text. As if he had said, And now, brethren, after all my acquaintance with you, which has been mutually so agreeable and profitable ; after all my labors among you, which God has been pleased so greatly to bless ; and after my repeated visits and epistles to you ; I bid you an aft'ectionate and final farewell. I ardently wish you prosperity in every respect ; and particularly that you may " be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace, and then the God of love and peace shall be with you." What I propose in this discourse, is to consider the several parts of this farewell of the apostle, to the Corinthians. I. He ivishes them to be perfect. We are not to understand here absolute, sinless perfection. This is not attainable in this life. " There is not" even " a just * A Farewell Sermon to die people of Colebrook, preached July 14, 1799, and pi'inted at the request of the hearers. THE minister's PARTING COUNSEL. 225 man upon earth ; that doeth good and sinneth not," Eccles. 7: 20. " And who can say, I have made my heart clean ; I am pure from my sin," Prov. 20: 9. " Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one," Job 14: 4. But if any man has at- tained to perfection in this life, he is a just man upon earth, that doeth good and sinneth not ; he is pure from his sin ; he is a clean thing brought out of an unclean ; in direct contradiction to the scriptures just quoted. If any person ever has attained to perfection in this life, we may surely suppose, that some of the saints mentioned in scrip- ture, were favored with this privilege. Therefore let us search for perfection among the most distinguished saints of both the Old Testament and the New. Noah, Daniel and Job are in scripture mentioned as eminent saints and as peculiarly beloved of God. Let us attend to them distinctly. Noah, though dis- tinguished from the rest of the world in being saved from the flood and in being employed as a preacher of righteousness to the old world, and though in the main he walked with God, yet was overtaken with gross intemperance, as you cannot but remember. Job was indeed an eminently good man, so that there was none Hke him in all the earth, and for a long time he persevered in his patience, vnder various most distressing afflictions, brought on him in a rapid succession, and for a long time he conducted him- self in the most humble and pious manner, " falling down to the ground and worshipping ;" saying, "naked came I out of my mother's womb and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away ; and blessed be the name of the Lord." And when he was insulted by his own wife, because he still retained his integrity, and refused to curse God and die, he made the following most proper and pious answer ; " What ? shall we receive good at the hand of the Lord, and shall we not receive evil." Yet to show, that there is no man upon earth, though really just and upright, who liveth and sinneth not, Job at last had his patience exhausted, so that he " opened his mouth and cursed his day." With regard to Daniel, though no particular gross sin is in scripture recorded concerning him, yet we have no reason to sup- pose that he was more perfect than the other two saints, with whom he is classed in scripture, as a distinguished favorite of God. Abraham was the father of the faithful, and the friend of God ; yet he was not sinless ; he felt into polygamy and lived in it for a long time. As to David, in general a man after God's own heart, you know the great sins into which he fell. Moses was a distinguished saint, and the meekest of men ; yet he trans- VoL. IL 20 226 THE minister's parting counsel. grossed at the waters of Meribah, so that he was shut out of the good land. But let us come to the New Testament. The eleven apostles, from their constant attendance on the preaching and miracles of our Lord, and from their daily conversation and intimate inter- course with him, were under great advantages for christian edi- fication. Yet they fell short of perfection. For when the multi- tudes from the chief priests and elders, came with swords and staves, to take Jesus, his disciples " all forsook him and fled." Paul was the great apostle of the gentiles, was " not a whit be- hind the very chiefest apostles ;" was " a chosen vessel to God, to bear his name before the gentiles and kings, and the children of Israel ;" and appears to have done more to spread the gospel in the world, than any of the other apostles ; yet according to his own testimony, he came short of perfection. His language is, Phil. 3: 12 — 15, "Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect ; but I follow after, if that I may ap- prehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended ; but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reach- ing forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark, for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." This you see is an express confession of his own imperfection. The same thing is manifest from this, that when the apostle, " would do good, evil was present with him ;" and that " he had a law in his members warring against the law of his mind, and bringing him into captivity to the law of sin, which was in his members." This surely is not the description of a perfect man. If it should be said, as it has been, that the apostle is here de- scribing his state before his conversion and not after ; I answer, that in the same context, and even in the next words he declares, that he " delighted in the law of God, after the inward man ;" and that " with the mind he served the lav/ of God ;" which no unconverted man does ; because " the carnal mind is enmity against God, and is not subject to the law of God, neither in- deed can be." And if it were otherwise ; if an unconverted man could delight in the law of God, after the inward man, he could and would of course delight in God himself, and love him sincerely. And if he could serve the law of God ; he would of course serve God himself. And what is there more difficult in any part of religion, or more distinguishing of its truth and gen- uineness, than the sincere love and service of the law and of God himself? Indeed this is the root of all true religion and virtually constitutes the whole. THE minister's PARTING COUNSEL. 227 Thus we have taken a view of the most eminent saints of scrip- ture, and find none among them all, who profess to have attain- ed to perfection ; and concerning most of them, we find evident proofs of imperfection. They manifestly fell short of sinless perfection. 13ut if this be so, it may be said ; if sinless perfec- tion be not attainable in this life, what does the apostle mean in our text ; when he exhorts the Corinthians to be perfect 1 I answer, he doubtless means the same as is intended, when it is said of Job, that " he was perfect and upright, and one that feared God and eschewed evil." By what has been already ob- served, it appears, that Job was not sinlessly perfect, as he curs- ed Jiis day. It must mean therefore, that he was a truly good man, a sincere servant of God, a real saint. In the same sense we are told, " All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thorougli- ly furnished unto all good works." This means either the same sincerity, to which Job attained, or a perfection of furniture, a being thoroughly farnished to all good works ; and the latter clause may be understood as explanatory of the former. In this sense the apostle Paul, after his express renunciation of perfec- tion, as to himself ; yet assumes it to himself and some of his fel- low christians ; as you may see in Phil. 3: 15, " Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded ; and if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you ;" plainly showing, that the apostle uses the word perfection in a very dif- ferent sense, when he assumes it to himself, from that in which he had used it, when he renounced it. Therefore when the apostle in the text exhorts us to be per- fect, he exhorts as to the perfection of Job, to the integrity and sincerity of vital Christianity ; he exhorts us to live up to our pro- fession, to live in character, to be real and exemplary christians. II. The apostle tells the Corinthians, to be of good comfort. Good comfort naturally follows from the perfection before de- scribed. If we be real christians, humble penitents and cordial believers in Christ ; if we live in character, and make proper pro- ficiency in our christian course, leading an exemj)lary life, so as to adorn the doctrine of God our Savior ; no doubt we shall en- joy comforts. There is peace and comfort in the very exercise of christian grace. The carnal mind is enmity against God, not subject to his law, neither indeed can be. Therefore so long as we are in our native state of depravity, we are in a state of war- fare and opposition to God. The carnal or native mind of man is opposition itself to God ; and such a temper of mind is direct- 228 THE minister's parting counsel. ly opposed to peace and comfort. " The wicked," says Isaiah, " are Hke the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked." But no sooner is the heart changed by divine grace, than instead of enmity, reconcihation, submission, and cordial and supreme love to God are introduced and established in it. Of course then it enjoys peace and comfort. Cordial submission and reconciliation are in their very nature placid, peaceful and comfortable. And as peace and comfort are implied in the first exercises of the new convert ; so they increase as he increases in grace. The very knowledge of God, of his law and of divine truth, af- fords him delight and comfort, and the more his knowledge is increased, the more are his delight and comfort increased. The same may be said of his increase in humility, submission to God, complacency in him, faith in Christ, and every other grace. The very existence of sanctification in any person, and especially as it will produce good fruit both in heart and life, is attended with comfort and happiness. " The ways of wisdom are," in their own nature, " ways of pleasantness, and all her paths peace." Besides this, sanctification is the evidence of our justification, and in this view is attended with additional comfort. You are not to imagine, my brethren, that you are to obtain evidence of your pardon and justification, by any immediate revelation from hea- ven, by any suggestion thrown into your mind, that you are par- doned and accepted by God ; or by any text of scripture brought to your thoughts however suddenly, unexpectedly and undesign- edly by yourselves. All such grounds of comfort and belief that you are pardoned, are delusive. The word of God gives not the least warrant to trust to them. Where in all the scripture, do you find it said, that they who have an involuntary suggestion, that they are converted and pardoned, are in reality converted and pardoned. Where do you find it said, He that has a text of scripture unexpectedly coming to his mind, importing that his sins are forgiven, is really forgiven of God ? The scriptural evi- dences of conversion and forgiveness, are such as these : *' He that bclieveth and is baptized, shall be saved ;" " repent ye therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out ;" *' I love them that love me, and those that seek me early shall find me ;" " Hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts ;" " We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren ;" " If ye con- tinue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed ;" " Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I have commanded you." These . THE minister's PARTING COUNSEL. 229 evidences imply santification of heart and life ; and to depend on anything else, than what implies sanctificalion as an evidence of our justification, is unwarrantable and delusive. I have insisted the more particularly on this, because it has pleased the great Head of the church graciously to visit you with the effusions of his Holy Spirit, hopefully to bring some of you to the saving knowledge of the trutli, and to awaken and convice others ; and to be informed what is the proper evidence of a real conversion, is at such a time peculiarly necessary. I wish you to apply what I have now said on this subject to the faithful and candid trial of yourselves. 'To be perfect, then, in the sense already described, affords comfort, not only as it implies a placid and peaceful temper of mind toward God, complacency in God, etc. but as it affords evi- dence, and the only real evidence, of our acceptance with God, and of our sure title, by the promises of the gospel, to the future eternal inheritance of heaven and glory. This must certainly be a great source of comfort to every chris- tian. Thus he enjoys peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. On his part he is at peace with God, as by regeneration his heart is reconciled to God and subjected to his will ; and God on his part is at peace with him, as for Christ's sake he is reconciled to him, pardons his sins, adopts him and makes him an heir of himself. What a source of comfort must these things be to the real christian ! Besides, in this way he enjoys peace of conscience. Just so far as a man is sanctified, sin, the very foundation of the accusa- tions of an angry conscience, is prevented or removed ; and in consequence of sanctification, the foundation of accusing and condemning himself as an enemy to God, a rejecter of Christ, and an unconverted sinner, is removed ; therefore in the same respects, he has a foundation to enjoy peace of conscience and comfort in his own mind. Nor is this all ; the true christian is comforted by all the prom- ises of the gospel, that Christ will never leave nor forsake any of his real disciples ; that he will be with them always, that he will so defend them that none shall be able to pluck them out of his hand ; that he will support and protect his church even to the end of the world, so that the gates of hell shall not be able to prevail against it ; that he will increase and promote true re- ligion in the world ; that Satan's kingdom shall be overthrown ; that Christ shall generally reign on the earth, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the most high God ; that the whole earth 20* 230 THE minister's parting counsel. shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the seas ; and that finally the kingdom of grace, which took its orig- inal from heaven, shall be transplanted to heaven, its native soil, and shall there eternally flourish in perfect rest, peace, holiness, and happiness, to the glory of God the Father. All these considerations are replete with comfort to real chris- tians. No wonder then they are exhorted to be of good comfort. They have reason for comfort, under the greatest afliictions and persecutions, that ever they are called to endure. III. The apostle exhorts the Corinthians to he of one mind. This is of great importance in every community, and especially in every christian church or society. They ought to be of one mind in several respects. 1. As to their articles of faith. Articles of faith, or at best articles of infidelity, will naturally govern the temper and prac- tice. He who believes there is no God, will not love and wor- ship him. He who believes that Christ is not the Savior, will not trust in him for salvation. He who believes not in a future state of rewards and punishments, will not prepare for it. He who be- lieves not the gospel to be true, will not be anxious to comply with it. He who believes that there is nothing in religion, will not embrace, love, and practise it. If then any people be not of one mind in these respects, how can they walk together ? Or if they differ in things on which the very existence of all religion does not depend ; still even this diversity of sentiment produces discord and is very hurtful. For instance, if some be- lieve the total depravity of human nature, but others believe that we naturally have some good principles in us ; if some believe the sovereignty of divine grace, that God has a right to cast off all men, and would do them no injustice if he should make them eternally miserable ; while others believe either that no man de- serves eternal misery, or that those who are moral and attend on the means of grace, ought not to be finally rejected ; if some be- lieve the entire and total dependence of man upon God, and his grace ; while others think we have a self-determining power in our wills, which is entirely sufficient for repentance and all the exercises of religion ; if some believe the great importance, use- fulness and necessity of public worship on the sabbath ; while others think they can spend the sabbath as profitably at their own homes ; if some believe in the necessity and indispensable obliga- tion of a virtuous and pious education of their children, while others are impressed with no such ideas ; if some believe them- selves bound to submit cheerfully to the expense necessary to support both the public worship of the sabbath, and the schools Tttfi minister's parting counsel. 231 ftfecessary for the due education of their children, but others grudge every part of this expense ; you cannot but see, that this diversity of sentiment must work disorder and confusion, and finally, tend to the ruin of any society. 2. They ought to be of one mind in their aims and ends. What if some aim at the glory of God, others at their own glory and applause ? What if some aim at the promotion of true reli- gion and the interest of Christ, and others, at the promotion of their own interest merely ? What if some are willing to deny themselves and their own interest or applause, for the sake of Christ and his cause, but others set up themselves as supreme, and make religion itself subservient to their private ends ? It is manifest, that the religious concerns of such a people cannot pro- ceed with success. As soon as ever religion proves not to be sub- servient to their applause, their ambitiort or their private ends, a part of them forsake and oppose it ; they oppose therewith Chris- tianity and oppose Christ himself. And how can we expect any good to the cause of religion and virtue, in such a course of things as this ? This shows the necessity of being of one mind. 3. It is equally necessary that a people be united in their mea- sures to support or promote religion. Suppose all the individu- als of any community are agreed to aim at the divine glory and the advancement of virtue and piety ; yet if they pursue different paths and take different measures, to secure these ends ; if one be of Paul, and another of ApoUos ; if while all are wishing to settle a minister, one choose to settle this man and another that, and each be fixed in his own measures ; what can be done in this case ? The great end will doubtless be lost. In these things there must be mutual condescension ; and in the case now described there can be condescension. It is sup- posed, that all are seeking the same end ; and when the general- ity are agreed in the measures to secure this end ; for instance, the settlement of a particular minister ; and wise men in the so- ciety and out of it, judge it best for the society, that he should be settled ; in this case one or two individuals should rather con- descend and fall in with the wishes of the society in general, than that the society should submit to them, or be broken in pieces. Unless there be condescension in some such cases, no people can enjoy peace and success in their religious concerns. IV. The apostle exhorts the Corinthians to live in peace. Peace follows of course from what the apostle had before en- joined. There is no danger that they who agree in the articles of their faith and religious sentiments, in their aims and ends, and in their measures to obtain those ends ; will fall into contention 232 THE minister's parting counsel. concerning religion. And how happy is religious peace ! How comfortable to the church and society ! How comfortable to their minister ! How favorable to the advancement of the knowledge of the truth, to the love and practice of it, and to the increase of true and real religion ! On the contrary, how disagreeable is it to live in contention ! How uncomfortable to the church, to the society and to the minister ! How unfavorable to the increase of religious knowledge, virtue and piety ! It is directly opposed to both morality and piety, and cannot proceed from them, but from the want of them ; or rather from that which is directly opposed to them. " Whence come wars and fightings among you ? Come they not hence, even from your lusts which war against the spirit?" But however uncomfortable and hurtful contention is, we may expect it, unless we be of one mind in the forementioned respects. If every one be strenuous for his own peculiar opinions, his own ends and his own measures, there can be no peace in any society. And there is great danger of this from various causes. One source of danger is the natural liberty and independence of man. As every blessing and privilege is capable of abuse, so this is true with regard to personal liberty. As men feel themselves free and in many repects independent, some are apt to indulge this inde- pendence in adopting peculiar opinions, and in pursuing peculiar ends and peculiar measures. Some from vanity aflect singulari- ty. They wish to distinguish themselves, and they cannot do it any other way so easily as by setting up for peculiar opinions, ends or measures. Thus they afTect to show themselves wiser than other men. The head of a party is always distinguished, and to be in such a situation is flattering to human vanity. From this motive some put themselves at the head of a party however erroneous ; and to gratify their ambition, they will rend the soci- ety to which they belong in pieces, and destroy all peace, all or- der, and all good. V. On certain conditions, the apostle promises the Corinthi- ans, that the God of love and peace would he with them. The conditions are, that they be perfect, of good comfort, of one mind, and that they live in peace. And if we comply with these conditions, God will be with us in several respects. 1. He will be with us by the presence of his grace in our hearts. All who comply with those conditions, are truly gracious persons, are the subjects of divine grace communicated in sancti- fication, by the spirit of God, and God by his grace and Holy Spirit habitually dwells in them. In this respect he never leaves them nor forsakes them, but is with them to the end of their lives. THE minister's PARTING COUNSEL. 233 2. If we comply with the forementioned conditions, God will be with us, in the way of divine consolation. This is the natu- ral consequence of the former particular. It is implied in what has been already said, that divine grace is comforting in its very nature, as it implies love to God, to the law of God, and to our Lord Jesus Christ ; as it implies faith, truth and hope in Christ, and as it implies love to mankind ; all which are agreeable, pleas- ant and comforting emotions. That it is comforting, as it im- plies the subduing of native depravity, which is ever turbulent and opposed to peace and comfort ; and as it gives evidence of future grace and support here, and of eternal glory hereafter. 3. On the same conditions God will be with us in the way of protection. He will keep us even as the apple of his eye ; he will never leave us nor forsake us, and never deliver us up into the hands of our spiritual foes, who seek our ruin. As he really is, so he will act as the captain of our salvation, and afford us the most effectual aid, in times of need. Nay, he will make all things to work together for our good ; for this is his express promise to them that love God. And though we may fall into various tem- poral evils, from these we shall be recovered, and those evils them- selves shall be made to work together for our good. 4. God will be with us to build us up in faith and holiness. " The path of the just is as the shining light, which shineth more and more unto the perfect day." We need the same communi- cations of grace to build us up in holiness, as in the first instance to regenerate our hearts ; and this we shall receive on the condi- tions specified in the text. 5. God will be with us, to prepare us for glory and to receive us to it. He will never suffer any who are once the subjects of grace, to fail of glory. " Whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son ; and whom he did predestinate, them he also called ; and whom he called, them he also justified ; and whom he justified, them he also glo- rified." " 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 con- querors,' through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." I shall now apply these general observations to the present oc- casion. For several years past, I have been with you laboring in the ministry, endeavoring to instruct you in the great and most 234 THE minister's parting counsel. important doctrines of the gospe], to inculcate its duties, to ex- cite you to the practice of tiiem, and to warn you against every error, sin and vice. My connection with you has been peaceful, agreeable, and of late I hope successful. I expected to continue and spend the rest of my days with you. And as the proposal of my leaving you was no object of my seeking ; so it has been attended with great anxiety concerning my duty. As the best expedient in the case, and the most likely means of obtaining light as to the way of duty, the whole question concerning my re- moval has, as you well know, been submitted to a council mu- tually agreeable to us both. You know the result of the council ; it was their unanimous opinion, that it was my duty to accept the call, which invites me to leave you, and your duty to ac- quiesce. Had they decided, that I ought to continue with you, I should have complied with their decision, in a conviction, that in that case, I should enjoy far more ease ; more leisure, more retirement and more opportunity to prosecute my favorite study of theology, to indulge many agreeable propensities and to enjoy many of my most agreeable friends, whose society must be lost by my removal. And now that they have decided it to be my duty to accept a call to a distant place, I feel myself obliged to comply with their decision, though with great reluctance to leaving this dear people, especially at the present juncture, at which it has pleased the great Head of the church to afford his influences among us ; and in the prospect of labor, anxiety, responsibility and perhaps diffi- culty, in the undertaking to which I am invited. Yet since it is by proper judges decided to be my duty, I shall take upon me this arduous service, and discharge the obligations of it, accord- ing to my best ability, looking to God to assist and support me. Since we must part, what is more proper, than we part as Paul, and the Corinthians did ? After the example of the great apostle of the gentiles, I do certainly most ardently wish you to be per- fect, to be of good comfort, to be of one mind and to live in peace ; and that you may be animated so to do, by the motive, that then the God of love and peace shall be with you. You have heard what has been said concerning the necessity of unanimity and peace among yourselves. And I dare say you realize it. Formerly, you experienced the ill effects of dissen- sions. Let this your experience warn and guard you against everything of the like kind in future. " Remembering your afflic- tion and your misery, the wormwood and the gall ; let your soul still have them in remembrance, and be humbled in you." Let me beseech you to withstand the beginning of dissension. It is 1^- THE minister's PARTING COUNSEL. 235 " like tlie letting out of water ; once let out, it is hard to be stop- ped again, and the longer it runs, the deeper and wider channel it wears, therefore leave off contention before it is meddled with." Your union among yourselves, as well as your kind treatment of me, since I have been connected with you, has been a source of happiness to me. I shall always remember you with affection, gratitude and kindest benevolence. It is a most happy circum- stance, that since we must part, we part not only with peace, but with entire mutual friendship. This is a singular case of the dismission of a minister from his people. That you have acted in this whole affair with so much candor, with so many and so unequivocal testimonies of affection to me, and regard to the council which has dissolved our connection, has been often no- ticed to your honor. I hope the mutual friendship, which has uninterruptedly subsisted between us, will ever continue, and that we shall sincerely remember each other in our prayers. As your minister is now about to leave you, I sincerely pray and hope that in due time God will send you a good minister of Jesus Christ a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost ; and that under his faithful ministry much people may be added unto the Lord. And as it has pleased God lately to visit you with the in- fluences of his Holy Spirit, to the revival of true religion among you ; I presume you will not be contented to live long, without so important a blessing, as a christian minister. If you have tasted, that the Lord is gracious, you will not be willing to live without the preaching of the gospel and stated worship on the sabbath. As new born babes you will desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby. I hope, brethren, that in settling a minister, you will be atten- tive to two things, that he be sound in the faith, and that as far as you can judge, he be a man of true piety. If he be not sound in the faith, he will lead you and your children into error and false religion ; and this error and false religion will naturally de- scend to future generations, and may prove fatal to thousands. And if he be not a man of true piety, with what sincerity can he act in any part of his ministry ? As he will not be friendly to Christ or his cause, he will not relish the truth, nor heartily en- gage to promote it. If he do not directly oppose true religion, which is the most favorable supposition ; still being a blind leader of the blind, he and his hearers will be likely both to fall into the ditch. But if you shall settle a good and faithful minister, you will, so far as you yourselves are rightly disposed, rejoice in him and in his ministrations ; you will have peace and be edified in the most 236 THE minister's parting counsel. holy faith ; and you will have reason to hope, that God will bless his labors among you, and extend the good effects of such a min- istry to generations yet unborn. How happy will you be under such a minister ! How happy will all your friends be on your behalf! And how happy shall I be, to hear of your prosperity ! And now, Brethren, I am to take my leave of you. When Paul took leave of the elders of the church of Ephesus, " they all wept sore, and fell on Paul's neck and kissed him, sorrowing most of all for the words, which he spake, that " they should see his face no more.''^ How it may be with us, brethren, whether we may ever be permitted to see each other's face again in this world, God only knows. Therefore " finally, brethren, farewell." It is my heart's desire and prayer for you, that you may prosper in all your real interests ; that you may prosper in your several lawful secular concerns ; that you may prosper as a society, in- creasing in numbers, wealth, and reputation, and be regarded as a truly respectable people, by all around you ; that you may prosper as a church, established in the faith and order of the gos- pel, receiving '' daily additions of such as shall be saved ;" and that you may prosper as individuals ; that every careless sinner among you may be thoroughly awakened and convinced ; that every unregenerate sinner may be renewed by divine grace ; and that every real christian may " grow in grace and in the know- ledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ ;" in one w^ord, that " your souls may be in health and prosper," is my earnest prayer for you. To this end, let me beseech you all to improve the present fa- vorable opportunity. Now God is shedding down his kind influ- ences among you, to the awakening and conviction of many and the hopeful conversion of some. Now then is a happy oppor- tunity to obtain the grace of God. " Now is the accepted time ; now is the day of salvation." Should any of you live through such a time as this, and resist the peculiar and strong motives, which are now exhibited, to become reconciled to God ; it is not likely, that the weaker motives of ordinary times will have much effect upon you. But you are in the hands of a sovereign God, to whom you have forfeited every blessing, and who therefore has a right to have mercy upon you, or to leave you to perish in your sins. You are dependent on his sovereign grace. Own this your dependence ; and expect help from no other source. Ac- cept the offered grace of God, and lose not that infinite blessing, by neglect or delay. " Take heed to yourselves, and to all the flock, which God THE minister's PARTING COUNSEL. 237 hath purchased with his own blood." Take heed, that after my departing grievous wolves do not enter in among you, not sparing the flock ; and that of your ownselves men do not arise, speak- ing perverse things, to draw away disciples after them." " Breth- ren, I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them, which are sanctified." May the God of love and peace be with and bless both you and me respectively ; may he watch over, protect and prosper us in our several lawful ways ; and may he especially replenish our hearts with his grace and love. And when we shall have served our generation according to his will, may we meet with joy and mutual congratulation before our common judge, be acquitted and accepted by him, and so may we be forever with the Lord. Vol. II. 21 SERMON XIV. SUBailSSION TO RULERS.* Romans 13: 1, 2. — Let even/ soid he subject unto the higher potvers. For there is no poiver but of God : the powers that be are ordained of God. Whoso- ever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God. The nature of civil government, and the extent and limits of the authority of magistrates, have been so frequently and large- ly discussed, especially in later times, that scarce anything new concerning them can be said. Still, to be reminded of what is old and has often been said, especially on such important sub- jects, is by no means without its use. If therefore this shall be all that is done in my present discourse, it will not be in vain. The sources of argument for the exhibition and confirmation of \j' the truth as to civil government are two, reason and scripture. And of the passages of scripture referred to by writers on the subject, the text is probably the chief. Now it is of great im- portance that we know the scriptural doctrine on these points. For if God has revealed his mind concerning the nature, extent, and end of civil government, we may be sure that such a revela- tion is a perfect and infallible rule for us. And as our text is supposed by many to be the passage in which above all others God has made known his will concerning these things, so we are under peculiar obligation, in our inquiries after truth on these subjects, to attend to it, and to endeavor by all means to possess ourselves of its true meaning and import. This we now propose to do. The text has been understood very difl:erently by different per- sons. Some suppose that in it we have a very plain precept, re- quiring passive obedience and non-resistance to our rulers in all cases, and especially to those in supreme authority. And though such rulers may do what they will ; though they oppress us ever so much, and break through all law, and overturn the very foun- dations of our constitution, and tear from us every right and lib- * Preached at the annual Freemen's Meeting for voting, etc. 1775. It is pubHshed, as being in many respects a curious and interesting "sign of the times" in which it was preached. SUBMISSION TO RULERS. 239 erty whether civil or reHgious ; though they plunder our estates, and sport themselves with our very lives, still these persons sup- pose that we ought not in the least degree to oppose this the wantonness of their tyranny and cruelty, but patiently to submit, and endure it all. Such persons further suppose that the words of the text have a particular reference to those who held civil power in the time of the apostle ; that he especially enjoins submission to them, though they were some of the most unjust and tyran- nical rulers that ever lived ; and that, consequently, if christians were then obliged to submit and not resist, they must be obliged to do the same in every other case, as it will rarely happen that they will live under rulers more tyrannical than were the Roman em- perors and their subordinate magistrates ; and that as even these were ordained of God, and therefore their subjects were obliged to submit to them ; so, for the same reason, must all subjects, in all cases, do the same. On the other hand, it is supposed by some that these words are well capable of another construction, and will not bear this which has been mentioned. They hold that they refer to those civil rulers who rule justly, and according to the laws and con- stitution of the state ; and that the apostle meant to limit what he here says by what follows, where he tells us " that rulers are the ministers of God to us for good ; that they are not a terror to good works, but to evil ; and that if we do well, we shall have praise of them." It is such rulers only, say they, that the apos- tle forbids us to resist. Whether this be the true sense or not, I have not time now to argue. I would only say that it does not appear to me to be the true sense ; for I cannot but think these words were intend- ed to teach us the general duty of obedience to civil magistrates, without reference to any particular rulers whether Roman em- perors or others, and that they were never written with a view to determine the particular bounds and extent of that obedience. It is doubtless true, and is conceded on all hands, that it is our general duty to be subject to the higher powers ; for there is no power but of God, and the powers that be are ordained of him. He not only expressly ordained civil magistracy among his an- cient people the Jews ; but by his providence, and the light of nature, and reason, he has led mankind in general to form them- selves into civil societies, under proper rulers, both supreme and subordinate. Whosoever, therefore, shall in ordinary cases resist the established supreme authority, resists the ordinance of God, and is guilty before him. All must grant that to justify resistance and rebellion against 240 SUBMISSION TO RULERS. the ruling powers in any state, there must be some extraordinary reason. So long as the established powers rule according to law, justice, and the constitution, none can pretend that it is lawful to resist them. Nor is every violation of law, justice, or the con- stitution, a sufficient reason of resistance. It must always be considered whether the evil consequences of resistance be not likely to overbalance the good ; and then only is resistance justi- fiable, when the rulers rule tyrannically, and there is also a good prospect that the public good will be promoted, more than in- jured, by resistance. But whether, even in this case, resistance be justifiable or not, the apostle did not mean expressly to deter- mine. He only gives the general rules of obedience and sub- mission, and does not touch, one way or the other, the question I have now presented. We are to understand this passage in the very same manner as we would any other passages on other subjects, expressed a^ this is, in general and absolute terms. For instance in Matt. 5: 39, etc. it is said, " But I say unto you that ye resist not evil ; but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. And whoso- ever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain." Here our Lord, in express and absolute terms, forbids all resistance ta any private person whatsoever, however injuriously and abusive- ly he may treat us, just as the apostle in the text forbids all resist- ance of the civil powers. But who ever understood these words in the most literal and extensive sense ? Who ever supposed that they make it our duty- to suffer every ruffian to beat and mangle us as much as he may please ? Who ever imagined that our Sa- vior intended to forbid our using means to protect our property from thieves and robbers, or to make us the dupes of every im- pertinent and assuming villain who should take it into his head ta command us to go with him a mile, or to give up our garment to him ? I know, indeed, that the Quakers rest upon this passage their doctrine of abstaining from all violence. Yet I question whether there is a soul among them, who, if he were violently smitten on the one cheek, would patiently turn the other to re- ceive a second blow, or who would think he was in duty bound so to do. The truth is, that in this passage, all resistance in case of pri- vate assault or injury, is as much forbidden, as all resistance of the supreme power is forbidden in the text. Nor is there any- thing left on record, in any other part of the New Testament, to justify such resistance in the one case more than in the other. SUBMISSION TO RULERS. 241 Yet the words quoted, you will all grant, are not to be taken in the literal sense. You all hold that they only contain the gene- ral rules of patience and gentleness under the greatest private abuses, and teach us that we should not be forward to resist and retaliate injuries, but should rather, as a general rule, patiently suffer wrong. And why may we not — why ought we not, to put the same construction on these words of the apostle ? Plainly we may ; for there is no more difficulty attending the construc- tion in the one case than the other. In the same universal terms the apostle enjoins upon servants obedience to their masters. Col. 3: 22, " Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh." What words could be more comprehensive and universal ? Yet no man will hold that they are to be taken in their most extensive and literal sense. For in some cases we know, and the apostles have taught us that we ought to obey God rather than man. Nor will any hold that servants are obliged to obey their masters in all things which are not of a religious nature, and wherein the rights of conscience are not immediately concerned. Suppose any of you were taken captive by our neighboring savages, and by them held in a state of servitude, and that by resisting your master you might regain your liberty and return to your family and friends ; would you in this case feel yourself conscientiously bound by this precept, still to continue to obey your master in all things, and to forego the opportunity to escape ? No ; never ! And yet there is no more reason why we should put such a construction upon our text than upon this passage. Another instance that I would mention is recorded in Matt. 5: 34, etc., " But I say unto you, swear not at all ; neither by hea- ven for it is God's throne ; nor by the earth, for it is his footstool ; neither by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great king. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be yea, yea ; nay, nay ; for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil." And to the same effect is James 5: 12, " But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, nei- ther by any other oath ; but let your yea, be yea, and your nay, nay, lest ye fall into condemnation." Now in these passages, all swearing is peremptorily and absolutely forbidden, as all resist- ance of the higher powers is in the text. Yet we all understand the former with some limitation ; and for aught that appears the same limitation may as reasonably be put on the text, as upon these passages. As in these passages we suppose our Lord and the apostles only meant to teach us that in general we ought to 21* 242 SUBMISSION TO RULERS. be cautious of swearing ; that we ought never to use an oath on common and trivial occasions ; and especially that we ought never to swear profanely, as was so frequently done both among the Jews and the heathen ; so, with the same reason, we may sup- pose that the apostle, in our text, only meant to teach the gene- ral duty of submission, and the sin of resistance in ordinary cases, without at all intending to touch the question whether resistance may not, in some cases, be lawful. That the interpretation thus given of the text is the true one, I think we may gather from the immediate context. " For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power ? Do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same. For he is a minister of God to thee for good, but a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil." They who suppose that these words contain an ab- solute prohibition of all resistance of the supreme power, must, at the same time, hold that the character here given of civil rulers applies to all rulers without exception ; for no reason can be given why the word "rulers" in the third verse should be less extensive than the words " higher powers " in the first. And such persons actually do hold, that what is said in the first and second verses, had a special and direct reference to the rulers who were in power when the apostle wrote ; and therefore they must also hold that what is said in the third and fourth verses, has the same reference to these rulers. But this is impossible, because with reference to them it was not true. It was by no means the true character of those rulers, that they were a terror to evil works, and not to good ; and that if a man did that which was good, he should cer- tainly have praise of them, or that they were the ministers of God to christians for good, or that they were revengers to execute wrath upon the evil. Their true character, in general, was quite the reverse of all this. Whereas if we understand the words in the sense that has now been given, no such difficulty occurs. The apostle lays down the general duty of submission and obe- dience; and as a reason of it states the end of the institution of civil government and of the appointment of civil rulers, which is, to be a terror to evil doers, and a praise and a recompense to those that do well. There are several other things that make it still further plain that such must be the true construction of this passage. It seems very evident from the whole New Testament, that neither Christ nor his apostles intended to intermeddle in any curious questions or disputes upon politics. Our Lord with indignation rejected the thought of being a judge and a divider over the people. And SUBMISSION TO RULERS. 243 agreeably to this, he ever conducted himself in his teaching and his conversation, both in public and private. While in general terms he taught mankind their duty, he ever very carefully avoided any nice disquisitions on political topics ; and even when the Jews, with all their craft endeavored to draw out his opinion con- cerning the paying of tribute, he utterly evaded the question, merely telling them, in general, to " render unto Caesar, the things that are Caesar's, and unto God, the things that are God's." He might easily have told them in express terms, whether they were in duty bound to pay tribute, and to submit to such a ty- rannical prince as Caesar ; and so the apostle might easily have told us, in the text, whether in any case, it is lawful to resist the higher powers. With the same ease, too, he might have told us whether it be lawful ever to resist any private person who shall assault us, or rob us of our property ; or whether it ever be law- ful to protect our property and seek satisfaction for injuries in a legal way. But for wise reasons, no doubt, Christ and his spirit have passed over these matters in silence, only teaching us our general duty, and leaving particular cases, which are endless in their variety of circumstances, to be determined by the light of of these general rules, and of natural reason. That the apostle did not mean to teach that it is never lawful to resist the higher powers, is further manifest from various things mentioned in the scriptures, to one or two of which I would briefly advert. Barely alluding to the army that David raised to resist Saul if it should be needful, and which he did, so far as we know, with God's approbation, I pass to notice more particularly the revolt of the ten tribes from Rehoboam. The people of Is- rael having suffered much under the grievous yoke of Solomon, determined to effect a reformation in the government. For this purpose they made proposals to Rehoboam. And when he re- jected them with disdain, and treating them with contempt even threatened them with more grievous burdens than they had borne under Solomon, the ten tribes, with one consent revolted, and set up another king Jeroboam. Yet they are never once blamed for this conduct. On the contrary, when Rehoboam was about to make war upon them to recover his dominion, God utterly for- bade him, saying, '' This thing is from me." Yet I know not that this was any more from God than any other rebellion against a tyrannical prince whom God in his providence may permit and prosper ; for though in this case by a prophet he had foretold the event, yet he had given the ten tribes no permission in this way to accomplish the prediction ; and a mere prediction never justi- fies any action which otherwise would have been criminal. Now 244 SUBMISSION TO RULERS. can we suppose that the scriptures are so inconsistent with them- selves as to teach in one place that resistance to rulers is never lawful, while in other cases they contain those plain facts which so evidently of themselves justify resistance in some cases, and that without an intimation that it was not pleasing to God ? I might further argue the same thing from the people's resis- tance of Saul when determined to destroy Jonathan ; from his servants' refusing to obey in slaying the priests of the Lord ; from the case of the Egyptian midwives ; from David's war with Ishbosheth ; from his joining the Philistines against Saul ; from the conspiracies against Joash and Amaziah, which seem to be mentioned with approbation, or at least without disapprobation ; from the frequent revolts of the Israelites from under the domin- ion of the Philistines and other nations, by whom they had been as really conquered as by the Romans in the times of our Savior ; and also from the brave and vigorous resistance of the Maccabees and their adherents, to Antiochus Epiphanes and the other kings of Syria, which is spoken of approvingly by the prophets. But passing by these things in the Old Testament, I would mention one or two things in the New which are worthy of our notice. The first is the direction of our Lord to his disciples, when they were persecuted in one city to flee to another. Now fleeing from under the government of a prince is one kind of re- sistance ; for if the generality of his subjects or all of them should flee, this would as effectually break up his government and de- throne him as a universal rebellion. The other case is where the apostle Peter says, in his first epistle, " submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake ; whether it be to the king, as supreme ; or unto governors, as unto those that are sent by him." It ought to have been translated, " submit your- selves to every " creature of man ;" for so it is in the original — the words being " avOgomivri xziaei. " So that the apostle here declares all civil rulers, whether supreme or subordinate to be " creatures of men." But if they be the creatures of men, sure- ly men have a right to resist or even to unmake and annihilate them, if they rule not according to the will of God and the good of the subject. Thus I have endeavored briefly to lay before you the scriptu- ral views concerning resistance of civil rulers. The arguments from reason respecting the matter I have not even hinted at, as this was beside my present purpose. Upon the whole I think we may justly infer that the doctrines of passive obedience and non-resistance are not the doctrines of the Bible, and that non-resistance to the supreme powers is no SUBMISSION TO RULERS. 245 more taught in the scriptures, than non-resistance to our fellow men, and even to thieves, robbers, and those who use the most abusive violence. I hope, therefore, that our text, and some other passages of scripture, all of which are to be taken in the same sense, will no more be quoted to prove and sustain the doc- trines of passive obedience and non-resistance, especially in times like these. The truth is, and the whole spirit of scripture sus- tains it, that rulers are bound to rule in the fear of God and for the good of the people ; and if they do not, then in resisting them we are doing God service. Having now finished what it was proposed to say directly upon this subject, I shall be expected to say something to the freemen present, with respect to the immediate business of the day. And since it has become customary upon this occasion to point out to the freemen what should be the character of the men for whom they shall vote, and whom they shall now choose for rujers, I am willing to comply with the custom, and also to show mine opinion. 1. In the first place, then, as you ought always on this anni- versary to make choice of those only to rule over you, who are real friends to your country and its constitution, so you ought to be especially careful in this day when the rights, the liberty, and the peace of our country are so immediately threatened. One man who is not a friend to the rights and liberty of his country, now chosen to any office in the civil government, may do more harm than ten good men in the same office can do good. Now in the light of enemies to our country I think we may fairly con- sider those who themselves reject the result of the late Conti- nental Congress, and the similar votes and proceedings of our own House of Representatives, and who not only do this, but also endeavor to stir up a party to oppose them. Agreeably to this general rule, you ought by no means to choose a man who says that the plan adopted by the Congress is altogether wrong, and that if we ever obtain relief, it must be in a way entirely diiferent, viz. by barely petitioning the king and parliament. Brethren, you have reason to resent such speeches as these, not only as they tend to divide the country in this critical juncture, and thereby make us an easy prey to our enemies, but also as they are utterly contradictory to your own sentiments expressed in your public votes. You have almost unanimously voted your appro- bation of the result of the late Congress, a result which we doubt not time will show was most wisely ordered and brought about by Divine Providence for his own glory and the freedom and pros- perity of this people. For you therefore to promote men to civil 346 SUBMISSION TO RULERS. rule, who publicly declare their disapprobation of that result, is to act a part very inconsistent and very unwise. 2. For the same reason you ought by no means to vote for a man who declares " that he considers the citizens of Boston not as suffering in the common cause of American liberty, but as suffering the fruits of their own folly and rashness." Such speeches have been made, and by some who would like to be chosen to office. But you ought to mark such men, and show your disapprobation of their sentiments and your love for your country, by refusing to give them your votes. Our Congress have abundantly declared that they consider Boston as suffering in the common cause of American rights and liberty ; and so it most manifestly is. He therefore, that declares the contrary, does not agree with the Congress, nor with the manifest interests of the country ; nor can you vote for such a man without declaring your disagreement with that same Congress, whose result you have publicly and solemnly adopted as your own, and your disregard for the best interests of your country. 3. Nor ought you to vote for those who speak contemptuously of the late law of our Assembly so necessary to put us in a pos- ture of self-defence ; who either say, that it was foolish to make any such law, and that it is the most easy thing in the world for Great Britain to subdue this country ; or who say, that they never were for these armings and trainings of the soldiers ; that all the burden comes upon the farmers ; that they must pay the expenses of the soldiers' training, and also must train themselves ; and that they must go to Boston, and expose their lives in battle, for that gentlemen, and particularly the gentlemen of the Assembly never expected to go there or anywhere else to fight. Of such persons I might observe, that he that is not willing, if need be, to defend his liberty, deserves to be a slave. But without dwelling on this, I would especially say, that the manifest tendency of all such speeches is to disaffect the minds of the people towards our Gen- eral Assembly, and to raise in them a spirit of jealousy towards those whom these men call gentlemen ; and such a sower of dis- cord among the people, especially in such a day as this, when so much depends upon our unanimity, ought to be frowned upon with indignation by every friend to the people and the country. 4. Once more, let me caution you against giving your votes for a man who being a farmer himself, and a known candidate for office, goes round among the farmers and tells them that it is by all means best for them to send a farmer to the Assembly, and not one that lives in the town or city. Such bare-faced impudence is intolerable ! I am astonished at it ! And he must be short- SUBMISSION TO RULERS. 247 sighted indeed, who cannot see through it. As well might such a one say, " gentlemen, I would have you vote for me. I am the fittest one in town to be sent as your representative. Let me have your votes." Again I say, I am astonished at such impu- dence ; and those who are guilty of it ought to be ashamed of it ! This, I know, is plain speaking ; but the occasion calls for it. And if any should think I have spoken too plainly, I would only say, that it is the business of ministers to tell men their sins ; and he is unworthy of his office who has not the firmness to do it. 5. Finally ; I would observe that we of this town, by some means or other, are become the objects of suspicion to many of our neighbors of the other towns about us. They suspect that we are not sincere and hearty friends to the cause of American lib- erty. This day we have a fair opportunity to remove this sus- picion, by unanimously choosing men to represent us in the next legislature, who are known, and who on all occasions have ap- peared themselves to be, not only men of integrity and ability, but also hearty friends of the rights and liberties of their country, and steady opposers of every encroachment on these rights. But if we shall this day make choice of men, who are known either now to be, or to have been, in time past, opposed to the rights and liberty of their country, and advocates for the rights of the British parliament to tax us ; or if we even choose men whose characters in this respect are doubtful, we shall, in either of these cases, confirm the suspicions of our neighbors, and fix upon our- selves the character which many have already, without sufficient reason, attributed to us, of being friends to parliamentary taxation, and enemies to our country. Let us bear in mind what may be our influence, and what are our high responsibilities, and so act as to endeavor to meet them, whether in relation to God, our country, or our fellow men. SERMON XV. MERE REPENTANCE NO GROUND OF PARDON.* Acts 3: 19. — Repent therefore, and be converted, tliat your sins may he blotted out. Whether God will pardon our sins, is a most important ques- tion. And if he will pardon at all, the next question is, in what way and on what conditions will he do it? The scriptures as- sure us that on our repentance and faith he will pardon us for Christ's sake. But what is the doctrine of reason, or of the light of nature ? If we may believe infidels, it is that we shall be par- doned on our bare repentance, without a mediator and without any atonement. This is a main principle of infidelity, on which the whole system, so far as it is allowed that we are sinners, de- pends. Therefore let us consider it attentively, and inquire whe- ther it be indeed the voice of reason that we shall be pardoned on our repentance barely. Several eminent infidels, as Hume and Bolingbroke, deny that there is any evidence of the moral perfections of God, or that he is a good being. On this principle there cannot possibly be evi- dence that he will pardon at all, either in consequence of repent- ance, or without it. For unless we have evidence of his good- ness, it is impossible that we should know but that he will take pleasure in torturing his creatures, whether it answer any good purpose or not, or whether they deserve it or not. When infi- dels say that God will pardon on bare repentance, they must be- lieve either ihdl justice requires such pardon, or that mere good- ness and grace require it ; either that pardon is no more than strict justice requires, or that though it is indeed beyond the re- quirement of strict justice, it is required by divine goodness and grace. Let us consider the proposition on both these grounds. I. That the pardon of the penitent is a mere act of justice, and that if he he not pardoned, he suffers injustice. Concern- ing this I observe, 1. If this be the case, it is no pardon at all, and it is absurd * No date. REPENTANCE NO GROUND OF PARDON. 249 to call it by that name. To release a man on the footing of jus- tice, is manifestly no pardon, but a mere act of justice which he deserves, and which cannot be denied him without injury and oppression. But pardon, in its very nature, is an act of grace, which may be denied without injustice. On this hypothesis, then, the law of nature must be, that we shall perform certain actions ; and that if we do not, we shall repent, and thenceforth perform them. Now if this be the law of nature, then it is plain, that if we either perform the actions required, or having neglected them if we afterward repent and thenceforward perform them, we ful- fil the law of nature, and stand right with respect to it, and there- fore are to be justified by it. Our conduct, in either case, equal- ly answers the law. Where then is the foundation or possibility of pardon in consequence of repentance ? There is no possibil- ity of it, as there is nothing to be pardoned. 2. On this supposition, repentance is either the complete and perfect obedience of the law, or it is its complete penalty. Oth- erwise it does not, and cannot answer the law or satisfy it, so but that the sinner is still, both by law and justice, liable to its penal- ty. Surely he is liable to the penalty of the law, who has indeed broken it, and who has not suffered the penalty. For as to a gracious pardon, whether with or without an atonement, it is in the present case, entirely out of the question ; because the very principle on which we proceed, at present is, that the penitent is to be released from punishment on the footing of justice and not of grace. But repentance is neither the perfect obedience of the law, nor the complete penalty. It is not the perfect obedience of the law, as it is supposed that the subject has transgressed the law ; and indeed, otherwise there would be no foundation or pos- sibility of repentance. Nor is repentance the complete penalty of the law. That is a curse ; but repentance is a blessing. The penalty of any law is an evil; but repentance is a good, and a most important and invaluable good. And to imagine that this is the curse or penalty of the law, is to confound good and evil, curses and blessings. If a man in consequence of transgressing the law of nature, be justly liable to repentance only, he is rather entitled to a reward than exposed to penalty, and so transgres- sion will appear to be a moral good, rather than a moral evil. 3. This supposition implies that the end of all punishment is the good of the transgressor, and that he, in any case, deserves no more punishment than is subservient to his repentance and re- formation. But this is by no means true in human governments ; and whence does it become true in the divine ? We never exe- cute a murderer for his good, or to lead him to repentance and Vol. II. 22 250 MERE REPENTANCE to reform his morals. He is executed to restrain and deter others, to support the authority of the law, and to establish government. Yet the case may be so clear that no man shall question the jus- tice of the execution. A child may deserve to be disinherited, and to be banished from his father's house, though there be no prospect, and therefore no intention of reforming him by the mea- sure. The sole end may be, to deter the other children from the like vicious courses, and to cut off the abandoned child from the opportunity to corrupt them. In like manner, if a man have transgressed the law of God, and thereby have trampled on that law, and done what in him lies to bring it into general neglect and contempt, it is just that he should be exemplarily punished, to restrain and deter others. The public good requires it. It is due to the public, and therefore is just. But if his punishment be just, it cannot at the same time be unjust ; as it would be, if agreeably to the principle now under consideration, he be entitled to impunity on the footing of justice. 4. This principle implies that there is in transgression no evil in any other respect than as by it the transgressor has injured hiinself. The principle is that the penitent cannot be punished consistently with justice, and that the only just end of punish- ment is the repentance and good of the transgressor. But if the only just end of punishment be the good of the transgressor, then the only just end of punishment is to remove or prevent evil to the transgressor. Therefore the whole and only evil of trans- gression, or that on the account of which it deserves punishment, is some ill consequence to the transgressor personally, and there is no evil in it in any other respect. Therefore there is no mora! evil in any dishonor done to God, or in any abuse of any crea- ture, unless therein the agent do an injury to himself; and no further, and on no other account than as he does an injury to himself. But who does not see the falsity of this doctrine ? Who does not see that murder and theft are moral evils, whether by them the murderer and the thief injure or benefit them.selves ? Who does not see that another man's life and happiness, other things being equal, are at least of the same importance and worth as the life and happiness of a murderer, and that if it be a crime for a man to destroy his own happiness and life, it is also a crime to destroy those of another person ? 5. On this principle, the punishment deserved for transgress- ing the law of nature is no evil at all, but a very valuable good. It is either repentance itself, or that wholesome discipline which is necessary to lead the subject to repentance. But neither of these is any evil, but a good, an advantage, a privilege. So that NO GROUND OF PARDON. 251 on this principle, sin deserves no evil, but good ; not a punish- ment, but a reward ; for surely even that w^holesonie discipline which is absolutely necessary to a man's repentance and highest happiness, is as real a good, and may be as properly given in the way of reward, as an effectual medicine to a sick man. Such a medicine is no token of the displeasure of the physician towards his patient, but of his benevolence. So the necessary and whole- some discipline in question is no token of the displeasure of the Deity, but of his benevolence to the individual. It would be as absurd to punish vice with this, as it would be to punish murder by the administration of some dose, of disagreeable taste indeed, but which should certainly make the man who takes it, immortal and entirely prosperous and happy forever. 6. h cannot be the law of nature that sin deserves to be pun- ished with repentance only, or with only that discipline which is necessary to the repentance and happiness of the subject. The law of nature is the law of reason, and the law of God. It is the effect of infinite reason and wisdom ; and whatever is dictated by the law of nature, is the dictate of infinite reason and wisdom. Now it is not the dictate of reason that sin deserves nothing but repentance, or beneficial discipline ; but it is the dictate of rea- son that it deserves some real and proper token of displeasure — something that on the whole shall be a real evil and disadvantage to the sinner. 7. There can be no law without a sanction, a punishment threatened. But neither repentance, nor wholesome discipline is a proper punishment, as it is on the whole no evil to the subject. Therefore on the principle we are now considering, there is no law of nature, and of course there is, without revelation, no moral government of God over intelligent creatures ; which is contrary to the avowed doctrine of many deists, and to all which they say concerning the law of nature. 8. If the law of nature require, on the footing of justice, that every penitent be pardoned, then it is a dispensation of grace, and it ought to be called the gospel of nature instead of the law of nature. But what evidence have we that there is such a gospel of nature, and that God has given up, or will give up the law of nature to make way for this gospel ? Besides, there is a direct contradiction in the supposition that a man is entitled to pardon, which is an act of grace, on the footing of strict justice. 9. On this hypothesis, sin, or transgression of the moral law of nature is no moral evil. Moral evil deserves natural evil — that natural evil which is an evil on the whole, and which is a token of the divine displeasure. But if transgression of the law of na- 252 MERE REPENTANCE ture deserve nothing but repentance, it deserves nothing which, on the whole, is any evil to the subject, and therefore is not a moral evil. Moral evil deserves to be disapproved and abhorred. This abhorrence is just ; and therefore it is just in God, the su- preme magistrate of the universe, to show this abhorrence in a corresponding treatment of the subject, and that, whether such manifestation tend to the repentance and good of the subject or not. And if this be just, it is deserved, and moral evil deserves something more than repentance. J3ut sin or transgression, by the present supposition, deserves nothing more than repentance. Therefore, according to this supposition, it is not a moral evil. If sin deserve hatred, and the proper fruits of hatred in no case but when such hatred and fruits are beneficial to the sinner, then sin is not in itself, and on account of its own nature and tendency hateful, but on account of this circumstance, that the hatred of it, and the proper fruits of that hatred are beneficial to the sinner, and in this circumstance alone the evil of sin consists, which is absurd. And if it be evil in no other respect, if it be not hateful on account of its own nature and tendency, it is no moral evil at all. Moral evil is a damage to the intellectual system, as it violates the law, and weakens the government of the system ; and unless restrained and counteracted, it would issue in the ruin of the system. Therefore the good of the system requires that it be re- strained and counteracted by the great moral governor, to whom it belongs to defend the rights and secure the interests of the system. But what restraint of a moral kind, and in the way of moral government, can be laid upon moral evil, otherwise than by law, threatening, and punishment? And if the good of the intellectual system require such restraint to be laid on sin, then the punishment of the sinner, which must be more than repen- tance, is just and sin is a moral evil. Moral evil is a damage to the universe, as it is a violation of the law, an opposition to the authority and government of the God of nature, and as it dissolves and weakens that government. Therefore satisfaction is due to that authority and government, and the good of the system requires that by something done to support the government, to restore its tone, and to deter others from future transgressions, reparation be made of the injury done by moral evil. But bare repentance is no satisfaction to the in- sulted and weakened law, authority, and government of the uni- verse— is no reparation of the damage done to the public, which consists in weakening the government ; and the threatening of repentance is no proper terror or restraint to others. What ter- NO GROUND OF PARDON. 253 ror will it be to the man disposed to commit theft, adultery, mur- der or treason, to assure him that if he do so, he shall become the subject of repentance, which is on the whole no evil, but an inestimable good, absolutely necessary to his complete and ever- lasting hajipiness, and infallibly connected with it ? It would be no more terrible, and no more have a tendency to restrain the in- dividual from the crimes to wjiicli he might be disposed, and would no more support government, or give satisfaction for a crime al- ready committed, tlian the declaration that whoever shall commit either of the crimes just mentioned, shall go through a laborious and painful exertion, to be followed with health, honor, and com- plete happiness. No more would the threatening of repentance be a proper terror and restraint to those who are disposed to put off repentance and reconciliation with God in the way of the gospel. If a man, pretending to deliver an authoritative threat- ening, should tell a procrastinating sinner that if he do not now repent, he will repent hereafter ; that if he do not now become reconciled to God, he will hereafter become reconciled, and thenceforth forever be happy in him, and that thus he shall be purified for his present procrastination, he would act an absurd and contemptible, not to say a ridiculous part. Now whatever sin deserves, the general good of the moral system requires, and no more. Therefore if sin deserve no more by way of punish- ment than repentance, which is no satisfaction for the crime of moral evil, no support of the divine government, no proper terror or restraint of others from future transgressions, and therefore no reparation of damage done to the system, then the good of the moral system requires so such reparation. And if it require no such reparation, it must be for the reason that it hath not been impaired ; and if it have not been impaired, no moral evil has been committed. Therefore sin is no moral evil. If it be not just to inflict on the sinner any punishment besides repentance, or to exact anything else of him, then he owes no- thing else, whether to the universe or to the supreme magistracy of it. Of course the public good requires nothing else of him, by way of reparation of damage, support of government, or of restoring the tone of government. And if the public good re- quire nothing of this kind, then no damage has been done, the government has not been weakened, and the tone of it has not been relaxed. Of course sin is no moral evil. If it be not just to punish the penitent, then he deserves it not ; and he does not owe it to the public, or the public good does not require his punishment ; it only requires that he should repent. Therefore either all his past transgressions of the law of nature 22* 254 MERE REPENTANCE are no damage to the public, or his repentance makes full satis- faction for them. But repentance does not make full satisfac- tion, as is plain in cases of murder, treason, etc. Of course, on the present supposition, his past transgressions are no damage to the public, or in other words are no moral evil. And if they be no moral evil, neither will any future transgressions be so. A repetition of nothing is still nothing. If the man who repents do not deserve punishment, he no more deserved it before he repented, unless it be that his re- pentance make full satisfaction for his sin, and by restoring the tone of the divine law and government, and exhibiting a proper motive to deter others from transgression and repair the damage done to the system. But this is not the fact, as appears by the reasons already given. And if the sinner never deserve punish- ment, whether before or after repentance, he has committed no evil. Perhaps it may be objected to some of the foregoing reasoning that God's government needs no support, as it is impossible to overthrow, or even to weaken it, and that the pubhc good of God's kingdom cannot possibly be impaired. If this objection mean that God's government is irresistible, and uncontrollable, this is undoubtedly true. But this is not all that is requisite in the divine government. A human government in the hands of an absolute tyrant may be irresistible ; and yet it may be unstable, capricious, relaxed and contemptible. Its laws may not be exe- cuted, and disobedience may at least in many instances be prac- tised without restraint. Nor will mere power, however irresisti- ble, be sufficient to prevent these effects. Nor can this govern- ment be maintained with honor and dignity but by a steady exe- cution of the laws, or proper satisfaction for crimes. And just so as to the divine government. As to the part of the objection which asserts that the good of God's kingdom cannot be im- paired, it may be observed, that it is not true in any other sense, than that the laws of this kingdom cannot fail to be steadily exe- cuted, or supported with dignity. As the wisdom, holiness, and goodness of God make it certain that he will steadily execute or support his own good and perfect law, so it is certain that the good of his kingdom cannot be impaired. Otherwise we could not be certain that it might not be. But, II. Let us consider the other supposition, that the penitent does not indeed on the footing of justice deserve impunity, yet that by free grace he may obtain it, and that the divine per- Jections require that he should. If the exemption of the penitent from punishment be an act of NO GROUND OF PARDON. 255 jTree grace, still divine goodness will not admit of it unless it be required by the general good of the moral system. Now real and extensive goodness, sucii as the goodness of God, is always gov- erned by the general good, and seeks what is required by that and that only. It would be no goodness, but the very opposite of goodness, to seek an object which however it might promote the iiappincss of the individual, or of the few, does on the whole, and with respect to the entire system, obstruct or diminish good and happiness. So that the divine goodness does not require the pardon of the sinner on his repentance merely, unless the general good of the moral system require it. Now if the general good require it, it either requires it even without repentance, or it re- quires it as a consequence of repentance only. If it require par- don in the former case, then the general good requires no satis- faction, or reparation of damage — nothing to restrain or deter others from the like transgression ; if this be the fact, it must be because no damage to the public good has been done by sin, and therefore sin is no moral evil. If on the other hand it be said that the general good requires that pardon be dispensed in consequence of repentance only, still as repentance is no proper punishment of sin, no satisfaction for it, nothing adequate to the ends of deterring and restraining others from its commission, or of supporting the authority of the divine law, and the tone of the divine government, and therefore does not repair the damage done to the moral system by moral evil, it of course follows, that there was no damage done by sin to the system, and therefore that sin is no moral evil. If the law of nature which is founded on the public good, and always requires what that requires, do not require the punish- ment of the sinner, or anything to repair the violation of the law of nature, it must be because it has not been violated, that is has not been transgressed, which is contrary to the supposition ; for what is sin but the transgression of the divine law, which, where there is no revelation, is the law of nature ? If the penitent deserve punishment, as is now supposed, then tlie law of nature requires it. As he is supposed to be without revelation, and to sin against no law beside the law of nature, of course he deserves nothing but what the law of nature requires. But it is granted that he deserves punishment. Therefore the law of nature requires it, and of course cannot require that he be dismissed with impunity. Doubtless the law of nature may be executed, in some instances at least, consistently with the general good. It would be absurd to suppose the contrary. The law of nature is founded on the general good. Whatever the general S56 MERE REPENTANCE good requires, reason requires in every instance ; and whatever reason requires, the law of nature requires. Therefore if the law of nature require the punishment of the penitent, as it certainly does if by that law he deserves punishment, the general good, and the divine goodness require the same. It is, in the present state of the argument granted, that by jus- tice and the law of nature the transgressor, even though penitent, deserves punishment. But the law of nature is the law of reason ; and the law of reason is the law of the general good of the moral system — the law which is entirely regulated by the general good, and which requires what that requires, and forbids and threatens only what that forbids and threatens. Therefore if the law of justice and of nature threaten and require the punishment of the transgressor, even though he repent, as it is now granted that it does, the general good of the moral system requires the same. Therefore it cannot require at the same time his pardon. And if the general good do not require this, neither does the goodness of God require it. If the sinner though penitent deserve pun- ishment he deserves it by the law of nature. But the law of na- ture is the law of right, and is the rule of right. That he should be punished therefore is right, all things considered. But the divine goodness never forbids, but absolutely requires what is right all things considered. Therefore the divine goodness re- quires his punishment. To allow that it would be consistent with justice to punish the penitent, and yet to say that divine goodness does not admit of his punishment, is to hold a direct contradiction. If his punish- ment be just and deserved, the general good allows and requires it, as the general good is the measure of justice when no atone- ment is made. And what the general good requires, divine good- ness requires, and what the general good forbids, the divine good- ness forbids. And as it is allowed in the case now put that the punishment of the penitent would be just, it is allowed that the general good, and of course the divine goodness admits of it. Therefore to hold this, and at the same time to hold that tbe di- vine goodness does not admit of it, is to hold a contradiction. Such is our reasoning. If it be just, several inferences follow. 1 . That there is no evidence from reason, that the penitent will, on the bare ground of his repentance, escape punishment, but abundant evidence to the contrary. This fundamental doc- trine of infidelity is so far from having any foundation in reason, the law of nature, or the divine goodness, that it directly contra- dicts them all, and is irreconcilable with them. Therefore let in- fidels no more plead any of these in support of this favorite and NO GROUND OF PARDON. 257 fundamental principle of their system. Let them allow that they hold this system, not because it can be supported by reason, by the law of nature, or the divine goodness, but because they derive much ease and comfort from it, as it quiets their fearful appre- hensions of future punishment, and therefore they will hold it, however contradictory it be to reason, to the law of nature, and to the goodness of God. 2. Hence it also follows that there is no advantage in infidel- it \) in that very respect in which its advocates flatter themselves there is the greatest advantage. The boasted advantage of infi- delity is, that it frees a man from those fearful apprehensions and gloomy feelings which are excited by the doctrine of future pun- ishment as taught in the gospel. But if bare repentance secure not to its subject impunity, all this supposed advantage of infi- delity fails ; and the infidel knows not but tiiat he may be in the same awful state in which the gospel declares that all those shall be who are not interested in the atonement ; and he has abun- dant reason for all those gloomy feelings and fearful apprehen- sions, which, as he pretends, are naturally excited by the gospel, so that to become an infidel on this ground is to act with folly. And still more is it the part of folly to embrace infidelity, if, as appears from the preceding reasoning, the divine goodness not only does not secure impunity to the penitent without an atone- ment, but forbids it as utterly inconsistent with the good of God's kingdom, or of the great system of being. 3. We may also infer, from what has been said, the necessity of an atonement for si7i. If there be no foundation to expect the forgiveness of sin on bare repentance, the necessity of an atonement in order to its forgiveness follows of course. 4. Therefore since an atonement is necessary, and since one which is all-sufficient is provided and offered in the gospel, let us joyfully and thankfully receive it, and make that the only foun- dation of our hope. It is an all-sufficient and glorious founda- tion. The author of it is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, equal with the father, and one with him. In him we may safely trust. He will never leave, nor forsake us. Nor can we with the least safety depend on any other. " Other foundation can no man lay, than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." Build here, and you are safe forever ! SERMON XVI. CHRIST OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.* 1 Cor. 1 : 30. — Of him are ye in Christ Jesiis, who of God is made unto us, — righteousness. Every truth ought to be made the object of our attention in proportion to its importance. And though all the doctrines of the gospel are important, yet some are more so than others. The doctrines of the present fallen state of mankind ; of the possibility and mode of salvation by Christ ; of the necessity of union to him, and of justification through him : these are among the most important truths implied in the words of our text. Particularly it is there implied, 1. That all real christians are in Christ: "of him are ye in Christ Jesus ;" that is, ye Corinthian converts, and doubtless all other real converts to the christian faith ; and 2. That in and through Christ all real believers obtain righteousness or justification : " Who of God is made unto us, righteousness." As the doctrines of the union of believers to Christ, and of justification through him have, in every age of the church, been accounted doctrines of great importance, so they are peculiarly important and necessary to be thoroughly understood at the present day, when they have been perverted to the support of several danger- ous tenets which are totally subversive of Christianity itself. It may be useful therefore, in view of our text, to inquire, ] . In what sense believers are in Christ, or are united to him ; and 2. In what sense he is made righteousness unto them, or they are justified through him. I. In what sense are believers in Christ, or united to himl " Of him are ye in Christ Jesus." These words doubtless point out a peculiar relation between Christ and believers ; a re- lation which is often mentioned in the New Testament. John 15: 5, "I am the vine; ye are the branches. He that abideth in me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit ; for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch and is withered." John 17: 21, "That * Preached before the General Association of Connecticut, June 19, 1786. I CHRIST OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. 259 they all may be one, as thou father art in me, and I in thee ; that they may be one in us." Eph. 1:6, " He hath made us accept- ed in the beloved ;" and chap. 5: 30, " For we are members of his body ; of his flesh and of his bones." 1 Cor. 12: 27, " Now ye are the body of Christ, "and members in particular," etc. The same relation is illustrated by that which subsists between the husband and wife ; and the whole body of believers is called " the bride, the lamb's wife." But what is this union between Christ and believers ? In what respect are they one ? To these inquiries I reply, there is a two-fold union between Christ and believers ; a vital union and a relative union ; or what may more properly be called a union of atfection and a union of relation ; or a uniou which is real and a union which is constituted. Each of these requires a distinct explanation. 1. By a vital union, or the union of affection is meant, that cordial and mutual love or affection which subsists between Christ and all true believers. This love is implied in the true and sav- ing faith of the gospel. Every real christian being tlie subject of this faith, is therein united in heart and affection to Christ. The first act of this faith is the uniting act ; and in its exercise the believer cordially receives Christ ; is sincerely pleased with him ; loves those things which Christ loves ; desires and seeks those ob- jects which he seeks, and in aftection becomes one with him. He has the very spirit of Christ. " The same mind is in him which was also in Christ Jesus." He is also united to him in the exercise of trust and reliance on him. He leans on Christ his beloved, and lives by communications of grace from him. " His life is hid with Christ in God ;" and " the life which he now lives in the flesh, he lives by faith on the Son of God." This is the vital or real union ; the union of affection between Christ and believers. Faith has by some been called the hand or instrument by which believers lay hold on and receive Christ. But with more propriety may it be called *he act of unition itself, or the uniting act, by which Christ and the believer become one. We are also to inquire, 2. What is meant by the relative and constituted union be- tween Christ and believers. This has been variously explained, and in some instances so as to give erroneous impressions. Some have said that the believer, in consequence of faith is viewed or considered by God as one with Christ, and is treated according- ly ; is pardoned, justified and received to glory, because he is one with Christ. If the meaning of this be that the believer is viewed as one with Christ in affection, and as cordially united to him in faith and love, and therefore is pardoned and accepted, iHt. 260 CHRIST OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. this is undoubtedly true ; but it contains very little if any impor- tant meaning. It amounts only to this, that the believer being viewed by God as united to Christ in affection, or in faith and love, or what is the same thing being viewed as a believer, is par- doned, etc. Doubtless God pardons none but believers ; and he pardons them viewing them as being wiiat they are, that is real believers, and under no other conception. But it is manifest that in the expression just mentioned, something further than this is intended by those who use it. The expression is that the be- liever, in consequence of faith, is viewed or considered by God as one with Christ, and is treated accordingly. Yet in what other sense are Christ and the believer one, than that they are one in affection ? None will pretend that they are really one person ; that the believer by faith becomes Christ, and Christ the believer. How then can it be true that God views and considers them as one ? Does God view or consider them as one when in reality they are not? No! for this is impossible. That he treats and acts toward them in certain respects, as if they were one, is granted. He in certain respects treats believers in justification, as if they had themselves wrought out the perfect satisfaction of Christ. He as completely acquits and justifies them, as com- pletely exempts them from the curse of the law, and admits them to the happiness of heaven, as he would have done if they had wrought out the perfect righteousness of Christ. Yet in reality the believer is not Christ ; nor did he work out that satisfaction to divine justice which Christ effected ; nor has he any righteous- ness of his own which answers the demand of the law. Some have said concerning this relative union between Christ and the believer, that they are one in law. But what is intend- ed by this expression ? The most obvious meaning of it is, that what the law demands of one it demands of the other, and what it does not demand of the one it does not demand of the other. If this be the real meaning of those who say that Christ and the believer are one in laiv, then, if they are correct, the consequence is, that as the law has now no demand on Christ, so it has none on the believer ; and that as Christ is justified and accepted by the father on the footing of strict law, so is the believer. But this is utterly contrary to the whole doctrine of the New Testament, which asserts peremptorily " that by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified" in the sight of God. But perhaps some may say that by the proposition, "that Christ and the believer are one in law," is meant, not that they are one in the eye of the moral law, but in the eye of the gospel, or the new law of grace, as they are pleased to call it. But this also needs expla- '!^tt>^ CHRIST OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. 261 nation. For surely the meaning cannot be that the gospel does not consider the believer as a sinner deserving the curse of the law, and capable of being exempted from that curse only by a free and gracious pardon. Yet the gospel by no means considers Christ in this light. It by no means supposes that Christ is ex- empted from punishment by mere free grace and pardon. So that it still appears thnt the gospel does not consider or suppose that the believer and Christ are strictly one. It seems to be supposed by many who dwell on this subject, that there is a threefold union between Christ and the believer; that first the individual becomes a believer, or exercises faith, and thus becomes one with Christ in affection ; that immediately on this, by the divine constitution, commences a relative union, or God appoints that Christ and the believer be one ; and in the last place, that he proceeds to treat them as one. But this middle kind of union I conceive to be a mere imagination. God does not ordain that the believer in consequence of faith, shall be one with Christ, and then proceed to treat him as one with him ; but in consequence of faith, though he sees and knows the believer to be a person as entirely distinct from Christ as from God the father or from the Holy Spirit, yet he proceeds to treat him and conduct towards him in certain respects as if he were one with Christ ; I mean in these respects, in exempting him from con- demnation ; in justifying him ; in receiving him to the divine fa- vor, and admitting him in due time to eternal glory. Therefore the constituted union of Christ and the believer consists, not in God's view or opinion or judgment that they are one person, or in his determination or constitution that they shall be one ; but wholly in his treating the believer in certain respects as if he were one with Christ, and were possessed in his own person of Christ's merits ; which treatment is indeed founded on the divine consti- tution or determination. Nor is there any intermediate oneness between the oneness of affection and the oneness of treatment. Now this idea of the relative oneness between Christ and the be- liever entirely coincides with the representations of scripture. According to these representations Christ is the bridegroom, the husband ; and the church, which is the whole body of believers, is the bride, the lamb's wife. Now no one ever imagines that the husband and wife among men are one and the same being and person ; yet we often treat them as if they were the same. We treat the wife with the same honor as we do the husband, and that for his sake, or on his account. And when it is said that they are one in law, or that the law considers them as one, all that is meant is, that in certain legal respects and proceedings Vol. II. 23 262 CHRIST OUK RIGHTEOUSNESS. they are treated as if they were one, and as if what is done by one of them, were done by the other or by both. At the same time, the judge and other officers of the law never think or ima- gine that they are really one and the same person. Again, Christ calls himself the friend of his disciples. " Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants, but 1 have called you friends." Now between friends there is a real and sincere oneness of atTection, and it is sometimes said that we consider one of two friends as being the other, or as being the same as the other. But such expressions never mean that it is our real opinion that one is the other; but merely that we ti'eat one with the same respect and kindness as we should the other if he were present. The ex- pression wholly refers to the identity of treatment, and not to any belief on our part that the two are in fact one — that there is a real identity. But I am to inquire, II. In what sense Christ is made righteousness to believer's^ or in what sense they are justified through him. Here I purpose, 1. To inquire into the meaning of the term justification ; 2. To show in what sense we are not justified by our own good works ; and 3. In what sense we are justified through Christ. 1. What is the meaning of the term justification, as it is used in the New Testament ? It is a matter of importance that we affix right ideas to this term ; for I doubt not that the very term itself, from its common acceptation, may have given occasion ta erroneous sentiments as to this important doctrine. It is said that justification is a forensic term, originally and primarily used in civil courts ; and this is undoubtedly true. A man is said to be justified in a civil court, when in consequence of a fair trial it ap- pears that he is innocent, or that he has not broken the law by which he has been tried. In this case he is declared to be inno- cent, or is justified and acquitted on the footing of justice and merit, not of grace ; nor has the judge any right to condemn him. On the contrary the individual has a right, on the ground of personal innocence, to demand acquittal or justification ; and to condemn him would be gross injury and oppression. This is justification in the civil courts, and in the original and most strict sense of the word. But the same word is used in a very diflferent sense in the gos- pel ; if it were not, it would be wholly inconsistent with that gospel, and with the grace of it. The justification of the civil courts is an act of pure laiv and justice ; but the justification of the gospel is an act of pure grace or favor. Rom. 3: 24, " Being CHRIST OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. 263 justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Je- sus Christ." The justification of the civil courts includes no pardon at all ; but pardon is an essential part of the justification of the gospel. To justify a man who upon trial is found to be guilty, and justly to deserve punishment for certain high crimes which he has actually committed, would be, in the estimation and language of our civil courts, an absolute absurdity. But in the estimation and language of the gospel it is no absurdity at all. Therefore we must always carefully distinguish between the sense of the words "justify" and "justification" in the common language of mankind and with regard to the violations of human laws, and the sense of the same words as used in the gospel and with regard to the violations of the laws of God. Again, in civil courts justification is the act of a judge, pro- ceeding according to law ; but the justification of the gospel is the act of a sovereign, proceeding beside and above law, and yet in such a manner as most effectually to support and establish the authority of the law. Doubtless it is the part of a judge to pro- ceed strictly by the law as his rule ; nor has he any right in his judicial capacity to vary at all from the law. But just as clearly is it the peculiar province of a sovereign to pardon, and to " have mercy on whom he will have mercy." So that though it has been said by divines of eminence, that the justification of the gos- pel is tlie act of a judge proceeding according to law, it is plainly a mistake, and such a mistake as is plainly subversive of the grace . of the gospel. For if any man be justified by his divine judge proceeding according to law, then plainly he is justified by the deeds of the law, and not by the grace of the gospel. It is true, indeed, that, in the general judgment, Christ the judge will jus- tify all believers ; yet in justifying them he will proceed not strictly according to law, but according to the promise of the free and sovereign grace of the gospel. We shall all be tried by our final judge ; but we shall be tried by two different rules or con- stitutions. Those who shall have laid hold on the grace and promises of the gospel, will be mercifully acquitted according to that grace and those promises. Those who shall not have laid hold on that grace, still standing on the footing of the law, will be judged strictly by the law. Some have said that justification is a sentence pronouncing a man to be perfectly righteous, or to stand perfectly right with respect to the law ; and that this sentence is according to strict truth, as every believer does stand perfectly right with regard to the divine law. But if the meaning of these propositions be, that the believer in his own person is perfectly righteous, or stands 264 CHRIST OUR RIGHTEOUSiSrESS. perfectly right with regard to the divine law, that doctrine, if cor- rect, would entirely supersede the necessity of Christ's satisfac- tion, and overthrow the whole gospel. Surely he who in his own person stands right with respect to the law, or is perfectly righteous, has no need of satisfaction to be made for his sins by another. Or if the meaning of tliese propositions be, that the believer is righteous with Christ's righteousness, or that he stands right with respect to the divine law by reason of Christ's satisfac- tion, then they amount merely to this, that Christ has satisfied the law on his behalf, and that he for Christ's sake, is justified and saved. But this can never warrant the expression, that the be- liever stands perfectly right with respect to the law, when the law entirely condemns him ; or that he is perfectly righteous, when in himself he is poor and miserable and guilty. In opposition to all this it may be urged, that it is true the be- liever has no righteousness of his own, distinct from that of Christ, to meet the demands of the law, but that still Christ's righteous- ness is his righteousness, and that Christ and he are one ; that all personal identity depends on the divine constitution, and that by the divine constitution, Christ and the believer are one person. But in answer to this I need not say anything, as it wholly de- pends on the nature of that oneness which subsists between Christ and the believer, and which I have already endeavored to illus- trate. I shall only observe, that it is granted that personal iden- tity depends on the divine constitution. But it is not granted that there is any divine constitution making Christ and the be- liever one and the same person. It is only admitted that the constituted oneness between Christ and the believer, is a oneness or similarity of divine treatment, and not a oneness of person. On the whole, the true idea of the justification which is men- tioned so often in the New Testament is, that the believer for Christ's sake, for the sake of his satisfaction, and in reward of his perfect obedience, is pardoned, acquitted from condemnation, and entitled by promise to heaven and all its glory ; and thus is treat- ed as if he himself had satisfied tlie law, and as completely obey- ed it as Christ has. Thus though the believer is treated as if he were perfectly righteous, yet he is not supposed or considered or pronounced to be righteous. He is indeed pronounced to be free from condemnation and wrath, and to be an heir of heaven ; but this is wholly for Christ's sake, and not at all on account of his own righteousness or his own merits of any kind whatever. This leads us to the next particular under this head, which is, 2. To show in what sense we are not justified by our own good works. As to this I would observe, CHRIST OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. 265 (1) That when it is said we are not justified by our own good works, the meaning is not that good works, and those wrought by ourselves too, are not necessary to our justification. In order to justification we must be regenerated, and become the subjects of a cordial faith and trust in Christ. But such a faith in Christ, is itself a moral or spiritual exercise of iieart, and therefore is a good work. Besides, faith implies love to Christ, which is undoubt- edly a good work. And love to Christ plainly implies love to the whole Deity. And love or reconciliation of heart to God, will necessarily induce repentance for sin, and a disposition to gen- eral obedience. But all these are moral aflfections or good works. And we can no more be justified without them, than we can be without faith. And where one grace exists, all the other graces do radically exist ; and it is not to be imagined that faitli can exist in the heart without them. But that these graces, or good works are requisite to justification, the whole language of Scripture implies. " Repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out." " He that covereth his sins shall not pros- per ; but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall find mercy." " Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." " Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord that he may have mercy upon him, and to our God for he will abundantly pardon." " If any man love not our Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema." From these passages it is evident that faith, repentance and love to God are essential prerequisites to our justification ; and of course we are not justified without good works, but on occasion of them ; so that if we have them, we are infallibly justified, and if we have them not, we are not, nor can we be justified. (2) Again, when it is said that we are not justified by our good works, it is not meant but that God is well pleased with the good works of believers at the time of their justification, and even antecedent to it in the order of nature. AH virtue, obedience, or holiness is pleasing to God in whomsoever it exists, whether it be in angels, in Adam as he was in paradise, or in believers. The good works of believers, consisting in faith, love, repentance, etc., at the time of their justification, have a real moral beauty and excellence in them. The same may be said of every, the least good work, and of the very first act of faith, or love, or any other grace. God sees it to be suitable that we should, in order to our justification, repent, and be reconciled to himself, and be- lieve on his Son. And when we do all this, he is pleased with it as with that which in itself is suitable and right. And being well pleased with these good works, he justifies him who is the 23* ^66 CHRIST OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. subject of them ; not on account of the merit of these good works, or on account of any satisfaction thereby made for the in- dividual's sins, (for there is not the least degree of merit, satis- faction or atonement attaching to them,) but because in them- selves they are right, and he lias required them of all. But though God is well pleased with these good works in the be- liever at the time of his justification, yet he is by no means well pleased with his character taken together, nor is he at all recon- ciled to it as it is in itself. Its sin and demerit still infinitely overbalance its righteousness or moral excellence. On the whole, therefore, even the believer in himself considered, and without respect to the satisfaction of Christ, must be infinitely abomina- ble in the sight of God. This being a matter of importance, T would illustrate it by an example. A subject of a most just, wise, and excellent prince, without the least provocation, but from mere ambition or malice against his prince, excites a rebellion, collects an army, and spreads confusion and blood throughout the kingdom. Thousands of in- nocent persons lose their lives, and thousands more are reduced to extreme poverty and distress. At length the leader of the re- bellion is taken and imprisoned. His trial and execution being deferred for some time, he has opportunity for reflection. By re- flection he is brought to real repentance and cordial reconciliation to his sovereign. He now sees and most explicitly owns that his whole conduct in the rebellion arose from the most wicked and abominable principles in himself; that the character of his sove- reign is not only irreproachable but most excellent, and worthy of the entire esteem and gratitude of his subjects in general and of himself in particular ; and that therefore his rebellion, in every step of it, was altogether unjustifiable, and that he on account of it justly deserves all that the law denounces agaiust him. By these and other confessions, and by the whole of his conduct and conversation, he manifests his sincere repentance and reconcilia- tion to his sovereign. Now these his repentance and reconcilia- tion, taken by themselves, will doubtless be agreeable to his sov- ereign. They are reasonable in themselves, and the indispensa- ble duty of the man, and tlierefore the sovereign observes them with pleasure. Yet taking the whole conduct of the man to- gether, the sovereign is by no means pleased with it, but views it with utter abhorrence. And as the individual justly deserves for his various and aggravated crimes a painful and ignominious death, so his sovereign may find it necessary for the public good to leave him in the hands of justice, unless some proper atone- ment should be made. In like manner, though God views with CHRIST OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. 267 complacency the faitli. love and repentance of the believer, and that in two respects, first as in themselves agreeable to him, and then because they imply a friendly disposition to Christ, and be- cause in them the believer is united in heart to him, so that God is pleased with him as the friend of his well beloved Son, yet without a respect to the satisfaction and righteousness of Clirist, God is by no means pleased with his character in general, and can by no means be reconciled to him, or pardon and justify him. (3) Again, when it is said that we are not justified by our own good works, I do not conceive it to be meant that justification cannot in any sense be considered as the reward of the faith, repentance and love of the believer. By reward I mean any to- ken of approbation. It is allowed on all hands, that heaven and all its joys and glory are conferred on the believer as a reward of his faith and good works ; and that in the bcstovvment of the de- gree of these blessings, he will be rewarded according to his works. Yet this reward is not bestowed on account of his good works solely or chiefly ; nor would it be bestowed at all were it not for the satisfaction and righteousness of Christ. These are the pro- curing and meritorious cause of that reward, without which it would not be obtained by any one who has sinned, though his faith and holiness were ever so sincere and entire. Nor is there any inconsistency between these two propositions, that heaven is bestowed on the believer on account of Christ's merit solely as the procuring cause, and that it is bestowed in the way of a re- ward of his own faith and good works. If heaven be bestowed as a reward of the believer's faith and good works in general, why is it not to be considered as a reward of the first acts of his faith and good works, as truly as of any subsequent acts ? Those first acts are as real acts of virtue and holiness, and as really excellent in the moral sense, as any that follow. Therefore they are as properly rewardable. Heaven is not bestowed from a regard to any or all the holy acts of the be- liever as the meritorious or procuring cause ; and would in fact not be bestowed as a reward to any or all of them, were it not for the merit of Christ. And this merit being the procuring and meritorious cause of the reward, God may take occasion to be- stow that reward on the very first acts of faith and holiness in the believer, as well as those that follow afterwards ; and it no more implies justification by works that heaven is bestowed as a reward of tliose acts of faith and holiness which are first in the believer, than that it is bestowed as a reward of those which follow. To suppose indeed that it is merited, or is bestowed as a reward to the believer from a regard to his faith and good works as the pro- 268 CHRIST OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. curing cause, would be utterly inconsistent with the gospel doc- trine of Christ's merit or satisfaction ; and this is equally true, whether it be bestowed in this manner as a reward of the first acts of faith and holiness, or of any which follow. But if it be bestowed from a primary regard to the merit of Christ, and would not be bestowed but from a regard to this as the procuring cause, and if in bestowing it from regard to this primary, procuring cause God also takes occasion to manifest his approbation in a reward to the faith and holiness of the believer, still there is noth- ing in all this which is at all inconsistent with the gospel doctrine concerning the necessity and effect of Christ's satisfaction and vicarious righteousness. And this is equally true whether the faith or holiness which is rewarded be that of which the believer is subject in the first instance, or that of which he is the subject at some subsequent time. In either case it is true that the vica- rious satisfaction of Christ is absolutely necessary to the attain- ment of heaven and other spiritual blessings, and is the sole pri- mary and procuring or meritorious cause of them. Yet in be- stowing heaven from regard to this as the meritorious cause, God takes occasion to reward the whole faith and holiness of the real believer. Now if even heaven and all its glory be given in the way of reward to the faith and holiness of the believer, and in the way of reward to the first acts of faith and holiness as well as of any other, then why may not justification be bestowed in the same way, and with the same view ? Justification is not a greater bless- ing than heaven and all its glory. And as the only meritorious cause of the bestowment of heaven, is the satisfaction of Christ, so it is also of justification. And as the faith and good works of the believer do not at all come in in aid of the merit of Christ, to ope- rate in any measure as the procuring cause of the glory of heaven to the believer, just so it is as to justification. The faith and good works of the believer are neither in whole nor in part the meritorious cause of justification. Yet justification may be granted in the way of reward to his faith and good works. On the whole, though I conceive it is not essential to the doc- trine of the New Testament, (which teaches that we are justified through Christ alone and not by our own works) to hold, either that at the time of our justification we are destitute of all good works, or that at that time God is not at all well pleased with the good works of the believer and does not in justification manifest any approbation of them, or that justification is no reward of the faith and good works of the believer ; yet it is essential to that doctrine that the believer is not justified by his good works, or in CHRIST OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. Q69 consideration of them as the meritorious cause, or as making any atonement or satisfaction or compensation, in whole or in part, for his past disobedience, or as at all answering the demands of the law and supporting its authority. Whoever thus holds that the believer's good works do not make satisfaction for his sins, can- not be said to hold that wc are justified by our good works, or " by the deeds of the law," in the sense in which the apostle de- nies it. We come now, 3. To inquire in what sense we are justified through Christ. To this inquiry I answer, that we arc justified through Christ, as we are justified on account of his merit alone, or solely on account of his satisfaction and obedience as the meritorious cause. But having repeatedly mentioned this matter in speaking on the pre- ceding particulars, I shall not dwell on it at present. I shall only notice a part of the scri|)tural evidence of this great and funda- mental truth that we are indeed justified solely through the merits of Christ. The expression merits of Christ is not indeed to be found in the scriptures ; and yet what is intended by the expres- sion is found there abundantly. Thus R.ev. 5: 9, " Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood." Rom. 3: 24, " Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." Rom. 5: 18, 19, "Therefore as by the offence of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation, even so by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men to justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous." And in the same chapter, ver. 9, " Much more, then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him." Eph. 4: 32, '■ Even as God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you." And as the authority of this last text, with respect to the present question, has by some been disputed, it being said that according to the original it is, " Even as God in Christ hath forgiven you," I shall add 1 John 2: 12, which admits of no evasion. The w^ords are, " I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you /or his name's sake,'' Sitt to opofta aviov, on account of his name. By these and such like passages of scripture, we are taught that the merits of Christ are the only procuring cause of justification. These merits comprehend his sufferings unto death, and his perfect righteousness. By the former he made satisfaction to the law for sin ; by the latter he has exhibited to us an example ; has laid a foundation for his own intercession and for the bestowmenl of justification and eternal life on his disciples, and of all the 270 CHRIST OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. honors of his exalted state on Iiimself, in the way of reward to his tried, persevering, and inviolate obedience. Having thus finished what was at first proposed from the text, we may now briefly notice some inferences and reflections. And, 1. Hence we may learn the true idea of the imputation of the righteousness of Christ to the believer. It consists not in sup- posing or thinking that the righteousness of Christ is the believer's righteousness, but in the fact that the believer is treated as if it were his. Or if any choose to express themselves thus, " That the righteousness of Christ becomes by imputation the believer's righteousness as to tlie effects of it," this is no more than that the effects of Christ's righteousness are the same to the believer as if it were his own righteousness ; and this comes again to what was just said, that the believer is treated as if the righteousness of Christ were his own. 2. Hence also we may understand what is meant by the im- putation of the sins of the elect to Christ. It consists not in thinking or supposing Christ to be a sinner, but wholly in treat- ing him as if he were a sinner ; as if he were guilty of all the sins of the elect, and in punisliing him, or putting him to suffering and shame accordingly. In this sense " he bare their sins in his own body on the tree," and " on him were laid the iniquities of us all." In this explanation of the imputation of Christ's right- eousness to the elect and of their sins to him, we avoid various difficulties, and at best seeming absurdities, which are otherwise inevitable ; such for example as that there should be a transfer of guilt or merit from one person to another, or that one person should become another, or that God should so be deceived and imposed upon, as to think and judge of persons contrary to the truth. 3. This subject also teaches us in what sense the sin of Adam, is imputed to all his posterity. The idea of imputation in this case has been more reprobated than in either of those just men- tioned. That Adam's sin should be ours, and that we on account of it should be judged and condemned as sinners, or that we should be the same person as Adam, or that God should so con- sider or suppose us, has appeared to many to be absurd, impious and impossible. But if we conceive that our standing or falling was suspended on the standing or falling of Adam ; that Adam having fallen, God permitted us all to fall also ; and that he so ordered things that we are liable to the numberless calamities of life, and thus are treated as if we were sinners ; on such a repre- sentation, no man, I conceive, can fasten an absurdity. Undoubt- edly God who had a right to suffer Adam to fall and become a CHRIST OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. 271 sinner, had the same right to have suffered all mankind to become sinners by their own personal acts, without any reference to the sin of Adam. And if so, what can be said to show that he had no right to permit them to fall in consequence of the fall of Adam ? If he had a right to permit them to fall though Adam had not fallen, surely the fall of Adam did not deprive him of that right. But the right remaining, he might exercise it, if he saw fit, on occasion and in consequence of Adam's sin, as well as on any other occasion. To determine these things was the part of divine, sovereign wisdom only ; so that whatever that should determine and establish, would be perfectly right. I before observed with regard to the justification of the sinner, that it is not the act of a judge proceeding according to law ; but of a sovereign proceeding on the plan of free grace. Just so, I apprehend, we are to conceive of the divine constitution by which all mankind come into the world in a depraved state, that it was not the constitution or act of a judge condemning and punishing them for the guilt of Adam's sin ; but of a wise sovereign, per- mitting in consequence of Adam's sin, all his posterity to fall into the same state of condemnation, and at the same time ordering them to be born into a world full of calamities, and with bodies that should ever be liable to pain, disease and death. And as in the justification and salvation of the believer, God shows his per- fect well-pleasedness with the satisfaction and obedience of Christ, so in the dispensation of providence by which the posterity of Adam are born into the world in a fallen and calamitous state, God manifests his abhorrence of the sin of our common father. Again, as in the justification and salvation of the believer, God treats him in certain respects as if he were one with Christ, and were personally possessed of his merits ; so in the dispensation of providence by which all men are born in a fallen, depraved and calamitous state, God treats them as though they had person- ally committed Adam's sin ; for the consequences of that sin in this life are the same with respect to all Adam's posterity as to himself. One consequence of Adam's sin to himself was that he became habitually depraved ; and the same is the consequence to all his posterity. Another consequence to him was that he became frail in body, and liable to pain, disease, casualty and death ; and the same is the consequence to all his posterity. Another consequence to him was that the very earth was cursed for his sake, so that it was only in the sweat of his brow that he could eat bread ; and here again the same is true of his posterity. In these respects, therefore, the posterity of Adam, on account of his sin, are treated as sinners. And in this treatment Adam's 272 CHRIST OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. sin is imputed to them, and in the treatment itself consists the imputation. 4. Hence we may also learn in wliat sense faith is accounted or imputed for righteousness to the believer. The imputation of faith for righteousness, as was said concerning the imputation of Christ's righteousness, consists wholly in treatment, not in opin- ion or judgment. It consists in treating the believer, in conse- quence of his faith, as if he possessed a righteousness of his own entirely answerable to the demands of the law. 5. In this view of the subject, we may take occasion to inquire why believers are said to be justified by faith, or why faith jus- tifies and is represented to have a more necessary and immediate influence in justification th.an any other grace. The reason doubtless is, that faith is a cordial acceptation of Christ and trust in him. Therefore God has seen fit to make it in a peculiar sense the condition and prerequisite of justification. Repentance and love to God are also requisite to our justification, as I have already endeavored to show. But they are not exercised imme- diately towards Christ, nor do they consist in an acceptation of him or trust in him ; and therefore they are not represented as having the same influence or instrumentality in justification that faith has. As justification is granted wholly for Christ's sake, so it was doubtless wise in itself, and seemed wise and good to God that it should be granted to the believer in such a way that he should see and know that it was granted wholly and only for Christ's sake ; and that as he is really and wholly dependent on Christ for this inestimable blessing, so he should be made sensi- ble of this his dependence, and cordially consent to it. But this is faith. Besides, faith more than any other grace ascribes to all beings their proper place and character. By faith in Christ, as just now observed, we acknowledge and feel our own entire de- pendence on him. We see his glorious excellence and all-suffi- ciency, and our own sinfulness and ill-desert ; and to see and feel all this is to ascribe to Christ his proper place and character, and to acknowledge and feel and assume our own. And this temper will naturally lead us to right vicAvs of Christ, and will bind us most strongly to him. Faith also makes us willing to re- ceive justification as a fiee gift. It disposes us to be sincerely thankful for it, and to relish and prize it, and all its consequent blessings ; and in these respects also it renders the believer the proper subject of justification and the proper heir of heaven. 6. Hence also we see that the dispute between those who hold to justification by our good works, and those who hold to justification by faith alone, is really a dispute as to the necessity CHRIST OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. 273 and efficacy of the vicarious satisfaction of Christ. If tliose who hold justification by works, hold also the necessity of Christ's satisfaction, and that that is the only meritorious cause of our jus- tification, then by their doctrine of justification by works they can mean no more than that christians are justified on occasion of good works, and that they cannot and will not be justified but in consequence of repentance, and faith and such other good works as they may liave had opportunity to perform, or as may be necessarily implied in regeneration and its fruits. But this is nothing inconsistent with the doctrine of justification by faith alone or by the the sole merit of Jesus Christ. 7. Besides these inferences and remarks, I might easily pass to several other and practical improvements of this subject. But time forbids. I would only add that we may see what a sure and glorious ground of hope and comfort the doctrine of the text affords to all true believers. It is most safe, most gracious, and fully and forever sufficient for all their wants. What a ground too for their gratitude for the Savior's grace ! And by what sol- emn and tender obligation are all bound to accept it, and to live answerably to it ! And if they do not, how inexcusable will they be, to their own consciences and to God ! How base their ingratitude ; how vile their abuse of mercy, and of the love and merit of Jesus Christ ; and how justly will they deserve to be re- jected of him when he shall come in the clouds of heaven, and with thousands and tens of thousands of angels to the judgment ! If they reject him and his offered grace now, then they will be rejected of him, and his indignation and fierce wrath will be upon them forever ! If then, my hearers, you would avoid this terrible doom, accept the offered grace of Christ without delay. " Kiss the Son lest he be angry and ye perish from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little." To seek him you have every encouragement, for Christ himself hath said, " Him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out." " Let the wicked forsake his way and the un- righteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him, and to our God for he will abun- dantly pardon." Confess him before men, and he will confess and acknowledge you before the assembled universe. Receive him, and he will give you " power to become the sons of God," and to be made " kings and priests unto him," and to reign with him in glory. Receive him as your righteousness, and you shall " shine as the brightness of the firmament and as stars forever and ever !" Vol. IL 24 SERMON XVIL CHRIST CRUCIFIED* 1 Cor. 1: 23. — Bid ive preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumUing-blockf and unto the Greeks foolishness. The Jews and Greeks were alike opposed to the gospel. This opposition proceeded from the same general principle, though from different pretences. The real reason of it was the depravity of tlieir own hearts. Indeed, this always was the reason of all the opposition which has ever been made to the gospel ; though it may veil itself under various pretences, as in the case of the Jews and Greeks. The Jews required a sign. They had formerly been used to miracles, and the prophets had confirmed their mis- sions by miraculous signs. They therefore justly expected them from the Messiah. Jesus our Lord had indeed wrought many miracles, more and greater than the prophets, and sufficient and fitted to convince any who were candid. And yet they were not convinced. Nor would they have been had he, in compliance with their demands, wrought many more and greater. The same prejudice and alienation of heart from Christ and the gospel, which had hitherto shut out the light effectually, would still have produced the same effect. The Greeks as a nation were of a different character. They sought after wisdom ; were bent on the study of philosophy, and pretended that the gospel was not a system of true wisdom. It was not agreeable to their philosophy ; and as it contradicted and condemned their depravity of heart and life, they were blinded to it, and it appeared to them foolishness. Just so it is in modem times. The same objections are still made to the gospel, and they proceed from the same causes. Yet this same gospel which was to the Jews a stumbling-block and to the Greeks foolishness, and which is both a stumbling- block and foolishness to modern objectors, was preached by Christ and his apostles, and is to them that believe, the power and wisdom of God. * Preached at the ordination of Rev. Mr. Cowley 1793. CHRIST CRUCIFIED. 275 I propose from the words of our text to inquire, 1. What it is to preach Christ crucified, and 2. In what respects the doctrine of Christ crucified, is to many a stumbhng and foolishness. I. What is it to preach Christ crucified 1 It is far more than to set forth the mere historical fact that such a person as Christ once lived on the earth. It is, I conceive, to preach the gospel in general ; and in particular to preach the fact of Christ's crucifix- ion and death ; the design of his death, and the necessity and reasons for it. 1 . To preach Christ crucified is to preach the gospel in general. This is doubtless the meaning of our text. Christ crucified is the sum and substance of the gospel. To preach Christ crucified is to preach that Christ is the Savior and the only Savior of sin- ners. It is to preach our need of him and of an interest in him ; his sufficiency in power, wisdom, merit and interest with the Fa- ther to procure our acceptance and salvation ; his goodness and readiness in a proper way to save us however sinful, and to save us freely, " without money and without price." It is at the same time to preach up the duties of Christianity and the necessity of tiicm to the christian character and to salvation. For Christ is not tiic minister of sin, but of righteousness ; and the gospel as positively requires personal holiness as the law ; nor is the obli- gation of the law abated, or at all abolished by the gospel, but is confirmed and established. The gospel does not indeed require obedience as the ground of our justification ; yet it absolutely re- quires it as the occasion of it, and as our duty. 2. To preach Christ crucified, is to preach the death of Christ on the cross, or to preach a suffering Savior. It is indeed con- trary to the ideas which we should have entertained, that Christ the Son of God would come into the world to suffer and die by the hands of wicked men. But God's ways are not as our ways, nor his thoughts as our thoughts. And in his infinite wisdom he has seen fit to put his own Son to grief, and to cause him to suf- fer for our sake. And in preaching the gospel these his suffer- ings must be made known, and the reasons of them. 3. To preach Christ crucified is to preach the design and end of his death. It is to preach not only the more remote end, the salvation of his people, but the more inmiediate end of aton- ing for their sins. By atonement is to be understood something done or sufffered, which for the purposes of supporting the honor and dignity of the divine law and government, shall be equivalent to the punishment of the sinner according to law. Therefore the atonement made by Christ implies his substitution in the stead of the sinner who is to be saved by him ; or that he sufffered in the 276 CHRIST CRUCIFIED. sinner's stead, which as effectually tended to discourage trans- gression and excite to obedience, as the punishment of the trans- gressor himself according to the letter of the law would have done. That Christ did suffer as a substitute appears plain from the scriptures. (1) As he is abundantly said to die as a sacrifice fo?' us, and a sacrifice for sin. Eph. 5: 2, '' Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor." Heb. 7: 27, " Who needeth not, as those high priests, daily to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people. For this he did once when he offered up himself." Chap. 9: 22, " And without shedding of blood is no remission." Now as the sacrifices under the Mosaic dispen- sation were offered to make atonement for the sins of the people, and were slain in the stead of those who offered them ; so in that Christ is said to die a sacrifice for us, it is implied that he died as a substitute for the sins of his people. That t!ie ancient sacrifices were offered under the ISIosaic dis- pensation by way of atonement for sin, is manifest, as by other texts, so by Lev. 1: 2 — 5. Here we are told that the man who brought the sacrifice, was to lay his hand on the head of the beast offered, and it should be accepted for him, to make atonement for him. And with regard to the scape-goat, the priest, in behalf of the whole people, was to lay his hands on the head of the goat, and to confess over him all tlie iniquities of the children of Israel. This transaction jilainly implied, that those sacrifices were the substitutes of those who offered them, and that when the beast was killed, the suffering and death which the former deserved, were transferred to the latter, and thus an atonement was made, and the substitute vi'as accepted instead of the transgressor. Therefore when Christ is said to be sacrificed for us, it must mean that he was substituted and died in our stead, to make atonement for us really, as the ancient sacrifices did typically. It is expressly declared, that it was tlie blood of those ancient sacrifices which made the atonement, so far as they did make atonement. Lev. 17: 11, "For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon tjie altar, to make an atonement for your souls ; for it is the blood that maketh atone- ment for tlie soul." Therefore we are said to be redeemed by " the blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." And in Heb. 9: 8 — 14, it is said that "Christ by one of- fering of himself as a sacrifice for sins, hath perfected " or perfect- ly justified his people; and elsewhere he is called " the lamb slain from the foundation of the world." CHRIST CRUCIFIED. 277 Now if we consider Christ as the substitute of sinners, as obey- ing in their stead and thus making atonement, all this is plain and intelligible. But if we deny this to be the design of Christ's death, how can this representation of it be at all understood? I know it is said that " Christ in his death is represented as a sa- crifice, because the great object of his death was the establish- ment of that religion by which the world is to be reformed, and in consequence of which the divine being is rendered propitious to men ; and that the death of Christ is compared to a sacrifice, because he gave his life in the cause of virtue and of God ; and more especially to a sacrifice for sin, because his death and re- surrection were necessary to the confirmation of that gospel by which sinners are brought to repentance, and thereby reconciled to God." (Priestly's Familiar Illustrations, pp. 48 — 50.) But was this the object of the ancient sacrifices? Was the lamb I'^erally slain from the foundation of the world, slain to confirm, and give evidence of the divine original of some form of religion ? The sacrifice of the lamb was indeed a rite of religion, but what proof was it that the religion of which it was a rite was instituted by God ? And how (on this plan) did the death of Christ establish, prove or confirm the christian religion, in any other sense than the deaths of the apostles confirmed it on the supposition, that he was a mere man, as is holden by those who deny his atonement, or than the deaths of prophets under the Old Testament confirmed the religion instituted by Moses ? Christ did indeed die a mar- tyr to his own doctrine ; and so did both the apostles and an- cient prophets. But are they ever said to die a sacrifice for us, and to redeem and save us ? Or are they called the Saviors, the Redeemers of mankind ? And are they said to have come to seek and to save that which was lost ? Yet if Christ was a Sa- vior and Redeemer in no other sense than that he preached re- pentance and a religion which happily tended to reform mankind and has in fact reformed them ; why may not the apostles and prophets as properly be called saviors and redeemers as he ? As to Christ's resurrection, this was indeed a confirmation of the gospel as it was a miraculous and divine attestation in favor of Christ and his religion. But so was the resurrection of Dorcas a miraculous and divine attestation in favor of Peter and the reli- gion which he preached ; and the resurrection of Eutychus was a miraculous and divine attestation in favor of Paul and of the religion which he preached. But neither Dorcas nor Eutychus, neither Peter nor Paul, is said to be the savior or redeemer of sinners. (2) Christ is said to be the propitiation for our sins. 1 John 24* 278 CHRIST CRUCIFIED. 2: 1, "And he is the propitiation for our sins." Rom. 3: 25, " Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood." A propitiation, is an offering made to render a per- son propitious, or favorably disposed to some other person. Such was Christ as he offered himself a sacrifice to God to render him propitious to men. This directly teaches the substitution and atonement of Christ. But according to those who oppose the doctrine of the atonement, Christ is a propitiation for our sins in this sense only, that he taught and exhibited the most excellent motives to repentance and reformation, and by these leading sin- ners to repentance, he brought it to pass, that God became pro- pitious to them. But in the same sense it may be said, that the apostle Paul and the prophet Isaiah made propitiation for our sins. (3) Christ is also said to be made sin for us. 2 Cor. 5: 21, " He made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." If this mean that he was made a sin offering, it confirms the doctrine that Christ was substituted for us as a sacrifice, and so made atonement. If it mean, as I apprehend, that he was for us treated and made to suffer in the same manner as if he had been a sinner, that we might be treated through him as if we had been righteous, it seems more directly to establish the doctrine for which we plead. But according to the scheme of those who oppose the doctrine of atonement, this text must mean that Christ fell a sacrifice in the cause of virtue as most or all of his apostles did and many other christians ; and so they were made sin for us in the same manner that he was. (4) Christ is abundantly said to redeem us, to be our redeem- er, and to have obtained eternal redemption for us, etc. He is also said to give his life a ransom for many, and a ransom for all. This naturally means that some satisfaction was made for us, in consequence of which we are delivered from bondage. But if, as some pretend, the redemption of Christ means his delivering man from sin only by his precepts, examples and previous prom- ises, which he exhibited as a mere man, in what other sense has he redeemed us, than the prophets and apostles did ? And if his giving his life a ransom for us, mean that he laid down his life as an example, and for our instruction to persuade us to vir- tue, in the same sense every martyr has given his life a ransom for us. It is pleaded however, that Moses is called a deliverer or re- deemer, and that God is said to have redeemed Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and yet he did not pay a price or make CHRIST CRUCIFIED. 279 satisfaction in order to procure their deliverance ; but redeemed them by the mere exertion of power and wisdom. As to Moses, as lie was a remarkable type of Christ, he is properly enough called a redeemer. He remarkably represented Christ in many parts of his redemption, though not in making atonement. And the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt was a remarkable type of the deliverance and salvation of the Church, the spiritual Israel, and therefore may properly be called a redemption ; though it does not represent it in every particular, and especially in this, that an atonement was made in order to the redemption of the church. (5) Christ is said to bear the sins of men. Isaiah 53: 11, " He shall bear their iniquities." 1 Pet. 2: 24, " Who his own self, bare our sins in his own body on the tree." Heb. 9: 28, " So Christ was once offered, to bear the sins of many." Sup- posing as the adversaries of the doctrine of the atonement con- tend, that the word " bear" means to remove, yet how was Christ offered to remove the iniquities of men in any other sense than all martyrs are, unless it be this, that he was offered to remove the guilt of their sin, or their liableness to punishment, by mak- ing a proper atonement ? And in what other sense did he, agreeably to Peter's declaration bear our sins in his own body on the tree, unless we will say that Peter himself too bare our sins in his own body on the tree, when he was crucified? If Christ bare our sins in his body on the tree in this sense only, that in his death on the cross he exhibited motives to repentance, this was done by Peter too. in his death on the cross, and by every other crucified martyr. (6) Christ is said to be made a curse for us. Gal. 3: 10, " Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us." This betokens his suffering the curse of the di- vine law, or what was equivalent to it, in our stead. To say that Christ was made a curse, because the manner of his death was similar to that by which those died who were under the law deemed accursed ; viz., by hanging on a tree, is to say, that Christ died a curse in no other sense than Peter, or any martyr who may have been crucified. (7) We are said to he forgiven and justified for the sake of Christ, and in his name. 1 John 2: 12, " Because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake." 1 Cor. 6: 4, " But ye are jus- tified in the name of the Lord Jesus." These texts naturally im- port, that for the sake of the atonement or merit of Christ, we are forgiven and justified. As to the objection to this construction of these texts taken from Gen. 26: 24, " Fear not, I am with S80 CHRIST CRUCIFIED. thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham's sake ;" and from other texts in which God is entreat- ed " to remember Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and to forgive the sin of their posterity ;" it is to be observed that God bound him- self by covenant with those patriarchs to bless them and their posterity. And when God says to Isaac, " I will bless thee for my servant Abraham's sake," the meaning doubtless is, that he would bless Isaac, on account of the covenant which he had made with Abraham and in fulfilment of that covenant, and the promises of it. And when afterward (Deut. 9: 27,) Moses plead- ed that God would " remember Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and not look on the sin of that people," lie doubtless had respect to the same covenant which was first made with Abraham, and af- terward renewed with Isaac and Jacob. That this was the real meaning of Moses in Deut. 9: 27, is manifest from Exod. 32: 13, in which the transaction is recorded to which he refers in Deut. 9: 27, " Remember Abraham, Isaac and Israel thy servants to whom thou swearest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will mul- tiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of, will I give to thy seed, and they shall inherit it forever." In this we see Moses pleads, not the personal right- eousness or merit of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, as the ground of the divine favor to their posterity, but the covenant which God had made with them, and the promises of that covenant. It is further to be observed, that the Israelites are never said to be forgiven for the name's sake of Abraham, or to be justified in the name of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And the reason doubt- less is, that this means something different from pardoning them on account of promises which he made to those their ancestors. To justify in the name of Christ, or in the name of the Lord Je- sus, means, as is conceded by those who most violently oppose the doctrine of atonement, to justify " as Christ, or in the place of Christ." Thus our Lord says, " Many shall come in my name," that is in my place or character, and pretending to be what I am, the Messiah. And again, " the Comforter, whom the Father shall send in my name," that is, in my place. Now this concession contains all that we plead for. Believers are justified " as Christ or in the place of Chi'ist ;" or as if they were Christ and were possessed of his merit ; or, as some speak, as viewed and consid- ered as in Christ and one with him. They are justified in the place or stead of Cinist, and as if they had personally wrought out everything that is satisfactory and amiable in him, even as he suffered and died in their place and stead, and as if he had been guilty of all their sins. So that it seems, the opposers themselves CHRIST CRUCIFIED. 281 of this doctrine can put no construction on this scriptural phrase, but what fully implies the substitution and atonement of Christ. 4. To preach Clirist crucified is to preach the necessity and reasons of Christ's substitution and atonement. It seems that Christ did die, not only as a martyr, but as a substitute to atone for the sins of his people. We are now to inquire, whether this measure was necessary, and for what reason it was so. (1 ) We may argue the necessity of Christ's dying for this end, from the veri) fact itself. We cannot imagine that either God tiie father or his son Jesus Christ would have ever consented to the death of Christ for the end mentioned, unless it had been of absolute necessity. God never does anything in vain ; and as Christ was his only begotten and well beloved son, so we may be sure that he did not delight in his misery, and would never iiave permitted and much less himself have inflicted it, unless it had been necessary. With equal strength may we argue from the wisdom of Christ, that he himself would never have consented to endure the misery of the cross if it had not been necessary. (•2) We argue the necessity of his death from express decla- rations of scripture. " Other foundation can no man lay, than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." " There is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved ; neither is there salvation in any other." " Thus it behoved Christ to suffer." " If there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law." " If righteousness came by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." And with the same force may we argue, that if righteousness or justification came by mere sovereign goodness without an atone- ment, then Christ is dead in vain. For Christ's death was no more necessary to establish the christian religion, and by that to lead sinners to repentance and acceptance with God than it was necessary to establish, and to lead them to obey the moral law, that they might obtain acceptance by that. If then the apostle means, that if righteousness came by the moral law, Christ is dead in vain, he is dead in vain if righteousness came by repent- ance and reformation. For these are a conformity to the moral law. And he is truly dead in vain, unless he died to make atonement for sin, because obedience to the law, repentance and reformation might have been obtained v/ithout his death. Again ; if acceptance, pardon and life, be by repentance and reformation, then they are by the moral law, and in the same sense as they are by repentance and reformation ; for these are works of the law and a conformity to it. But the moral law had been given. Therefore there had been a law given which could 282 CHRIST CRUCIFIED. have given life, and therefore by the authority of an inspired apos- tle, Christ is dead in vain ; which is absurd. Of course therefore pardon and life cannot be by repentance and reformation only, but must be by the death, substitution and atonement of Christ. (3) The necessity of Christ's death and atonement may be argued from rational considerations. If repentance, including reformation, be all that is necessary to pardon and acceptance with God, then the glory of God, and the good and prosperity of his kingdom require no more. Whatever these require, and nothing more, is necessary in order to pardon. But the kingdom of God is the universe taken as a system; and the declarative glory of God is the highest perfection, good or prosperity of this system. If therefore the good of the universal system require no more in order to the pardon of the sinner than his bare repent- ance and reformation, then the glory of God requires no more. Again, if the good of the universe require no more than the re- pentance and reformation of the sinner in order to his pardon, then justice requires no more. For whenever a crime is commit- ted against any community and the government of it, whether it be a republic, a kingdom or an empire, if there be no substitution or atonement, the crime deserves just such a punishment as the public good requires. The requirement of the public good is the exact measure of justice in this case. Now therefore if the pub- lic good of the universe require no more of the sinner in order to his pardon, than that he repent and reform, then this is all that justice requires of him, and he justly deserves no other punish- ment than this. But this is no punishment at all, no evil, but an invaluable good. Therefore sin by which he deserves no more, is no moral evil, no crime at all, which is absurd ; and consequent- ly the principle from which it follows, that mere repentance and reformation are all that is necessary to pardon and acceptance with God, is absurd also. But if we allow that sin is a crime, a moral evil, it deserves some punishment, and the general good of the universe requires that punishment, and consequently does not admit that the sinner be acquitted from it, but in consequence of something done or suflered which is equivalent to vc hat his pun- ishment would be according to strict justice ; and this is the very atonement for which we plead. The great plea of the opposers of the atonement is that God's in- finite goodness secures pardon to the penitent in consequence of his repentance only. But the infinite goodness of God seeks invaria- bly what the general good of the universe requires, and that only. Therefore if the goodness of God require the penitent to be pardon- ed in consequence of his repentance only, the general good requires CHRIST CRUCIFIED. 283 his pardon in that case and of course does not admit of his pun- ishment. But if the general good do not admit that the penitent be punished, justice does not admit of it ; for the measure of jus- tice, when no atonement is made, is the general good. And if justice do not admit of his punishment, he deserves no punish- ment, and sin is no crime, and there is no grace in his acquittal. Yet the opposers of the atonement are great advocates for free grace in pardon ; and it is truly surprising that they do not see their own perfect inconsistency. Certainly there is no free grace in pardoning that which is no crime. And certainly that is no crime which deserves no punishment. And that deserves no punishment which, there being no atonement, the general good does not require to be punished, frowned upon, or restrained by some penalty. It is further to be observed that this scheme of forgiveness on bare repentance and reformation, overthrows all moral govern- ment. It does so, as it enervates and overthrows the moral law. Tiie moral law is the law whereby God requires of us a certain course of moral conduct on a certain penalty. But if this threat- en no penalty beside repentance and reformation, it threatens no penalty, no evil at all, but a blessing. Consequently it is no law, no authoritative injunction, nor is any moral government to be maintained by it. And besides ; certainly that is no rule of gov- ernment the violation of which implies no moral evil and exposes to no punishment. Any human government in the world would be dissolved and all authority in it abolished, if it were to proceed on the maxim of pardoning all crimes on bare repentance. And as we have no other way to form an idea of God but to ascribe to him in an in- finite degree all the perfections of a human spirit, abstracting all imperfection, so we have no way to form an idea of the divine government but by ascribing to it everything excellent in human governments abstracting all imperfections. Thus we see not only the necessity of an atonement in order to forgiveness ; but the reason why it is necessary, which is, that without it the law and government of God would be weakened, dishonored and in a degree at least dissolved ; just as any human law and government would be weakened by suffering the lawless and disobedient to pass with impunity and without measures taken to support that law and government. II. We come now to consider in what respects the doctrine of Christ crucified, is to many a stumbling-block and. foolish- ness ; or what are the principal objections to this doctrine urged by the opposers of it. Of these there are several. It is objected, 284 CHRIST CRUCIFIED. 1. That it is incredible that Christ, a divine person, should die for sinners. Answer. If this be incredible it must be so, either because it is incredible that one should be guilty of so great a sin as to make so great atonement necessary ; or because it is incredi- ble that God should have so much goodness in him as to be willing to give his Son, and his Son have so much goodness as to be willing to give himself to die for us. As to the first supposed ground of incredibility, that our demerit cannot be so great as to require so great an atonement, it is to be observed, that we are very inade- quate judges of our own demerit, both because of our ignorance and incapacity to determine in this case, and because we are al- ways prepossessed in our own favor. Still, clear light may be ob- tained on the subject if we candidly attend to the voice of reason and revelation. Once allow that all men are saved from some punishment, and it follows that they are saved from an endless punishment. It is plain by that, that whoever are saved are saved by free grace. Now either all men are to be saved, or they are not. If all men are not to be saved, then some suffer an endless punishment. If some suffer an endless punishment, doubtless endless punishment is just and deserved by them. But an end- less punishment is an infinite evil. This therefore is deserved by all men ; and that sin by which they deserve an infinite natural evil, is doubtless an infinite moral evil. But no wonder infinite sin or moral evil requires an atonement of infinite value. Thus on the supposition that all are not finally to be saved, it appears that sin is an infinite evil, and requires an infinite atonement. It is not incredible then that such an atonement is provided. Let us take the other supposition, that all men are to be saved. On this supposition all are to be saved from some punishment. This punishment is either temporary or endless. If it be endless, it is just and deserved because threatened by a just God. But if we deserve an endless punishment sin is an infinite evil and so requires an infinite atonement. But if the punishment from which all are saved be a temporary punishment, it must be either that very punishment which some suffer in hell, or a shorter pun- ishment or a temporary punishment of longer duration. But it cannot be that very punishment which the damned suffer, as that by the very supposition is suffered by some. Nor can it be a shorter punishment because as they suflfer a punishment which lasts for ages of ages, of course they inclusively suffer one which does not last so long as that. Nor are all men saved from a longer temporary punishment than that which the damned suffer, and which in the language of scripture is said to continue forever and ever, because no such punishment is threatened, and there- CHRIST CRUCIFIED. 285 fore they never were exposed to such a one. So that we are necessitated to come to tlie conclusion, that if all men shall be saved, they sliall be saved from an endless punishment. But this proves that sin is an infinite evil, and requires an infinite atonement. Therefore it is not incredible that an infinite atone- ment has been made ; and the substitution and vicarious death of Christ are not incredible on account of the smallness of our demerit. If then the vicarious death of Christ be incredible at all, it must be incredible that God had so much goodness as to give his Son, and the Son liad so much goodness as to give himself, to die for sinners. But I presume, that all who allow that the good- ness of God is infinite, will allow that it is adequate to the expres- sion of goodness made in the gift of his Son ; and that they will allow the same as to the goodness of Christ. But (ew if any will deny that God is infinitely good. Especially those who declaim so vehemently on the free and infinite grace of God, as all those do who oppose the doctrine of Christ's atonement, cannot pre- tend that God's goodness is not such as to afford the unspeakable gift of his Son. 2. It is objected that the atonement of Christ, if it were ever so real, would not answer the end which it is supposed to an- swer ; viz. the same end as was designed to be answered by the threatening and punishment of the sinner. This end is the re- straint of others. Others by seeing the sinner punished may ra- tionally be supposed to be restrained from that conduct which brought him to that punishment. And if their substitute must suffer in future, they might, from compassion to him, avoid sin. But when he has suffered already, what motive is there to re- strain any from sin ? This is tiie objection. To it I answer, — That though the motive of compassion to Christ our substitute cannot now operate to restrain men from sin, since he has suffered already all that he ever is to suffer, yet in his death there are other very powerful motives exhibited to restrain men from sin. In his death we see God's hatred of transgression and his determi- nation to punish it, as clearly as in the damnation of the wicked. Therefore if the consideration of the latter tends to restrain men from sin, why not the former ? It is true that compassion to- ward Christ will not be a motive to restrain from sin, any more than compassion to the damned is. And yet it will not be pre- tended that the damnation of the wicked is not a motive to re- strain sinners from sin. And in the same sense the death of Christ is also a motive to restrain us from it. Though Christ has al- ready died, yet no man will escape the curse of the law on ac- VoL.II. 25 286 CHRIST CRUCIFIED. count of his sufferings, unless he repent and forsake sin and walk in newness of Hfe. And if any presume that he shall not be punished because Christ has died, and thence take occasion to be remiss in his duty and indulge himself in sin, he may be sure he is deluding himself and that he is going fast in the road which leads to destruction. 3. It is also objected that the atonement of Christ is incon- sistent with the free grace of God in the pardon of the sinner. But this objection seems to arise from a mistaken idea of the doc- trine. To make satisfaction for another by the literal payment of a debt is indeed inconsistent with grace in the forgiveness of the debt. But to make satisfaction for a crime by the vicarious suffering of another person, is not at all inconsistent with grace in tiie pardon of the criminal. For as long as he deserves not impunity, whatever may be the merit or demerit of his friend or substitute, so long his impunity is the fruit of grace. And the suffering of his substitute makes no alteration in his character. 4. Another objection is, that it is not just that the innocent should suffer the punishment due to the guilty. If either must suffer for the other, it seems that the guilty ought rather to suffer for the innocent than the innocent for the guilty. Answer. If it would indeed have been ever so unjust provided the innocent had not consented, yet his consent entirely removes the objection. Suppose a parent were by some arbitrary authority punished by a fine for the crime of his son, he would doubtless have just rea- son to complain of injury. But if the parent consents to pay the very same fine in behalf of his son, no pretence of injury to the parent can be made. So if Christ without his consent had been compelled to sufter in the stead of sinners, it might have been matter of complaint and wonder. But since he has consented and voluntarily offered himself to do and suffer agreeably to the will of God, and even freely chosen it, there is no foundation for the objection. 5. It is objected, that " if it was necessary in the nature of things that the justice of God should be satisfied before any sin could be pardoned, then as Christ as well as the Father is God, the justice of Christ ought to have been satisfied in the first place, and if so, ivhat other infinite being has made satisfaction to him ? And if the divine nature of Christ required no satisfac- tion, why should the divine nature of the Father require any?" (Priestly.) This is easily answered by only explaining what is meant by satisfying the justice of God. The justice of God here means justice to himself as the sovereign and supreme head and guardian of the universe ; and justice to himself in this view, is CHRIST CRUCIFIED. 287 justice to the universe as a system ; and justice to the universe is tliat which secures the interest and prosperity of the universe. So that to satisfy divine justice is to satisfy the demands and secure the interests of the universal system. Tiierefore whatever secures the general good, satisfies divine justice. And the divine justice be- ing thus satisfied, the satisfaction extends to not only the divine nature of the Father, but equally to the divine nature of the Son ; and there is no need that another infinite person die to make sat- isfaction to the divine nature of the Son in particular. 6. Some again object that the doctrine of Christ's substitution and atonement represents God as implacable and unmerciful ; as insisting on all that justice demands ; unwilling to recede at all from the rigor of justice, but exacting that to the uttermost far- thing. This also depends on the sense of the word justice. If the objectoi mean that God insists on all that distributive justice, or justice to the sinner considered in his own person admits, this is not true ; for then he would insist on his eternal damnation, not- withstanding all that Christ has done or suffered. But if he mean that God insists on all which public or general justice requires, this is undoubtedly true, but the objection then comes to this only, that God insists on all which the general good, the good of his kingdom, or the good of the creation requires, and will not par- don sinners but in a way which is consistent with the general good of the creation. And is this made a matter of objection ? Will any man pretend that it is required by the divine perfec- tions, or is consistent with those perfections, to pardon sinners in a way which is inconsistent with the general good ? This can never be, till goodness itself is turned into malice. Many have very wrong ideas of satisfying justice, as if it were the satisfying of a revengeful spirit. But no more is ever implied in it than is implied in a good magistrate's requiring satisfaction to the good laws of the state. It is satisfying the public good. Therefore so far is the doctrine of atonement from represent- ing the Deity as implacable and unmerciful, that since the atone- ment is no more than a measure taken by infinite wisdom to pre- pare the way for pardon consistently with the general good, it represents God to be as placable and as ready to show mercy as is consistent with the general good and happiness, or with the good of creatures taken collectively ; and more placable, and more ready to show mercy than this, it cannot be pretended to be desirable that he should be. I have now finished what was at first proposed ; — have consid- ered what it is to preach Christ crucified, and what are the princi- pal objections to that doctrine. In conclusion I would address 288 CHRIST CRUCIFIED. the subject first to the pastor elect, and then to the church and congregation over vvliom he is to be placed as God's minister. I. I would address the Pastor elect. My dear friend and brother, — Christ crucified is the sum and substance of the gospel. That gospel you are now to be ordain- ed to preach, and therefore you are to preach the doctrine on which we have dwelt. This doctrine, that of the atonement, is the very essence of the evangelical system. Without it Christianity is not essentially distinguished from any other religion. If there is no atonement, if Christ came only to preach repentance, then there is nothing peculiar in his office. All the prophets and apostles preached this ; and so did even the heathen philosophers. And if Christ is a savior, only as a preacher of repentance, why are not they saviors also ? In what sense are we saved through him or by him more than by Paul or Moses ? To preach Christ and the gospel only in this sense, is to give up the whole revealed sys- tem, and to go back to the law of nature or even to paganism. If then there be any occasion, I would caution you against so great an error. I would warn you against it as another gospel, and as utterly subversive of the cross of Christ. If Christ be a savior only as a preacher of repentance, then Peter and Paul are saviors as truly as he ; and why may not they be the ground of our reliance and hope as well as Jesus of Nazareth ? Is it supposed that he was an inspired man ? So were they. Is it said that he was the better preacher ? This may be questioned. He certainly did not preach the gospel as fully as they did, its doctrines and mo- tives and especially those drawn from a future state. Some how- ever may say, " no matter what we deny so long as we hold to salvation by Christ." But by this they only mean salvation by the gospel ; that is only by repentance and reformation. But Paul and Peter preached salvation in the same way, and there- fore we may as well hold to salvation by them ; and if we go so far, then we may as well hold to salvation by Seneca or Cicero. Those who hold to this bold scheme are anxious, they say, to cut off" the objections of Jews and Mohammedans, and by denying Christ's divinity and atonement to prepare the way to win and receive them. But why not proceed further, and take in the Pa- gans ? They hold what these persons would call the essence of the gospel, repentance and reformation ; and as to their polythe- ism, this doubtless is only an error of judgment, for which they are not to be rejected. Indeed the advocates of this scheme can- not consistently reject the heathen on this account ; for as they have charily for those who hold to three persons in the Godhead, that is for what they call tritheists, why not for polytheists ? But CHRIST CRUCIFIED. 289 I need not caution you, my dear brother, against this system. Avoiding it, you will preach the great doctrines of the atonement. You will know nothing among your people, but Christ Jesus and him crucified. This is a solid foundation of hope. It is something to relieve the awakened conscience, and to raise up the sinner when in the clear light of God's law he sees himself as he is, and is bowed down under a deep sense of his depravity and sinfulness. The contrary doctrine can never do this. It can but give a false peace, and thus delude and ruin the soul. Therefore, my bro- ther, not only exhibit Christ as an atoning Savior, but the entire gospel with all its doctrines and duties in its relation to him. Press too the reception of these doctrines and a compliance with these duties ; for these are the great ends of all preaching. Urge the necessity of this ; the obligation, the reasonableness, the advan- tages, the safety, the peace and satisfaction it will afford here, and the endless blessings it will secure hereafter. Press these things in all their eternal weight and in their immediate obligation. Press them by all the motives God has given, and that, whether men will hear or forbear. As Christ your master was a witness to the truth, do you bear witness to the same ; and thus you may be the means of salvation to many, and at least will deliver your own soul. Be diligent to do your arduous work ; to do it in ten- derness, and with your might. Be thou faithful unto death and Christ shall give you a crown of life. II. I would address the church and congregation. Men and brethren, — You have heard the word of exhorta- tion to your pastor. But remember if these duties rest on him there are correspondent ones on you. If he is bound to preach Christ crucified, and the great doctrines and duties of the cross, you are bound to hear, and believe and practice. If these things which have been set forth be the sum of the gospel, then you are to be deeply and ever attentive to them, and to receive them to the salvation of your souls. These doctrines and duties, you are to remember, are connected, and that you have no evidence of your reception of the former but in your performance of the latter. I know the opposite system is flattering to human nature. To think that sin is no great evil ; that there is no need of so great an atone- ment ; that God is merciful and ever ready to forgive, and that he will forgive on mere repentance ; all this is very flattering to the carnal heart. And clearly connected with this are other sen- timents quite as flattering ; that God is not very strict, and we are not entirely depraved ; that we are naturally well disposed and with proper attention and culture of ourselves we shall grow up to virtue ; and even if we do not, that God is merciful and 25* 290 CHRIST CRUCIFIED. never made man to be damned, and especially he never decreed any to be damned, and therefore that we all at last shall be saved. These doctrines are suited to flatter human vanity, and to puff up self-sufficiency and self-righteousness. But as you will find no such flattering idea in the gospel, so you are not to expect them from your pastor. We trust he is not disposed to swerve from the truth, but in all its fulness and power to commend it to every one's conscience in the sight of God. We have confidence in him that he will tell you the truth plainly and faithfully, and that in all its fulness he will onfold to you the great system of the gospel. It is a connected system. Every part of it is depen- dent on every other part, so that none of it can be spared or taken away without its all falling to the ground. Therefore receive every part, or you will be in danger of rejecting the whole. And in the bonds of that truth let me beseech you ever to cultivate union and peace and sincere brotherly affection. Do this for your own sake, and also for the sake of your pastor, for his use- fulness and your own edification, for the honor of religion, and the glory of your Redeemer. And may you and he ever walk hand in hand in the truth, you rejoicing in his instructions, and he in your growth in grace and eminent holiness, till you both come to the measure of the stature of perfect men in Christ Je- sus. Then shall his ministry be joy to him and a rich blessing to you ; and when you and he shall review it at the final day, you shall rejoice together in it forever. SERMON XVIII. HOLDING FAST OUR PROFESSION.* Hebrews 4: 14. — Seeing the7i tve have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us holdfast our profession. The apostle, in the preceding part of this epistle, had spoken of the sonship and divine nature of Jesus Christ, and proved from the scriptures of the Old Testament that he is equal with the Father, and that divine worship is to be paid to him. He had spoken also of the incarnation of Christ, and had shown that act- ing in the flesh as our higli priest, he had made atonement for our sins, not by offering the blood of bulls and goats, but by his own most precious blood. And having insisted on these things, he at length proceeds to make the proper application of them to the christian Hebrews to whom he was writing. " Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the apostle and high priest of our profession, Christ Jesus ; who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house." Here mentioning Christ and Moses together, he takes notice of the superiority of the former to the latter ; the one being faith- ful only as a servant, while the other is so in the superior charac- ter of a son. Therefore Christ, being thus superior to Moses, he is the more worthy to be received, and to be believed and relied on in the great ministry which he is carrying on between God and man. And on this consideration, he exhorts them to hearken to his voice, and not to harden their hearts against Christ, as their fathers had against Moses. Those ancient Israelites had the promise of entering into and enjoying the land of Canaan, but they failed of obtaining it through unbelief. They professed indeed to believe, and to rely on the Lord Jehovah who had brought them out of Egypt ; and in the fullest terms they de- clared that all that the Lord had said they would observe and do. But when it came to the test, it appeared that they were far from being sincere in this their profession, and that they were not * Preached in 1771. 292 HOLDING FAST OUR PROFESSION. Steadfast to it. For when they heard of the strength of the Ca- naanites ; that their cities were walled up to heaven, and that giants dwelt in the land, their confidence in God was gone. They feared to go forward as he had commanded, and chose for them- selves a leader to go back into Egypt. Therefore, for their un- belief and distrust of the power and faithfulness and goodness of God, he was wroth with them, and sware in his wrath that they should not enter into the land of rest which he promised to Abraham and his seed. And the consequence was that they per- ished in the wilderness. From this sad instance of the effects of unbelief, Paul takes oc- casion to warn the christian Hebrews against this ruinous sin. They, like the ancient Israelites, had professed to believe in Christ as their great high priest. And fearing lest some of them, after the example of their fathers, might apostatize from their profes- sion, the apostle most earnestly exhorts them in several passages, and especially in our text, to hold fast that profession, and to be steadfast in it. For though they had hitherto witnessed a good confession, yet so well did he know the heart of man to be de- ceitful above all things and desperately wicked, that he is jealous over them with a holy jealousy, lest all his labors with them should finally prove in vain, and they should fall after the same example of unbelief. Having thus briefly considered the connection of the text with the preceding part of the epistle, I come now to a more particu- lar consideration of the text itself. Its exhortation is to the He- brews, urging them to continue in their christian profession, and to live and act accordingly. This is the end to which they are exhorted. And the motive mentioned to encourage them to it, is, that Christ, who is their atoning high priest, has ascended to heaven, there to plead the virtue and merit of his atonement, and to make intercession for them. This seems to be the force and spirit of the text. It may be more briefly expressed int he follow- ing proposition : That since Christ, in the character of our high priest; has ascended into glory, this affords abundant encour- agement to us to continue steadfast in our christian profession. In speaking on this proposition, I would show 1. That all the followers of Christ are bound to make a profession of their chris- tian faith ; and 2. That the consideration of Christ's priesthood and ascension to glory, affords abundant encouragement to them to continue steadfast in that profession. I. lam to show that all the followers of Christ are hound to make an open and explicit profession of their christian faith. The apostle is here writing to the Hebrews of his day, who HOLDING FAST OUR PROFESSION. 293 supposed themselves to be the followers of Christ. What he says, therefore, is to be understood as applicable to the same class in every age of the world ; so that the teaching of the text applies to us, as well as to those to whom it was originally addressed. From it I would here show two tilings ; first that all the follow- ers of Christ arc bound to make some profession, which in gene- ral may be called their christian profession ; and second what kind of a profession this ought to be. 1. All the followers of Christ are bound to make some profes- sion, which may in general be called their christian profession. This is plainly taught in the scriptures. For, (1) A profession or confession is expressly spoken of in scrip- ture, as the duty of all the disciples of Christ. Promises are made to those who make it in an acceptable manner, and, on the other hand, threatenings are denounced against those who neg- lect it. " Whosoever therefore," says Christ, " shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven." Here is an ex- press promise of the future favor and friendship of Christ, made to those who in an acceptable manner confess him before men. And. on the other hand, there is an express threatening that he will disown and reject hereafter, those who do not thus confess him in this world. But could these things be so, if it were not the duty of the disciples of Christ, as such, to make at least some kind of profession ? No ; it is impossible. A parallel text is tliat in Rom. 10: 9, 10, "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Here I need not repeat the observation made on the text just quoted. But one thing I would observe, and that is, that the apostle here expressly speaks of " confessing with the mouth." The language implies that it is an instituted duty that the disciples of Christ, as such, do make an open, explicit, verbal profession of some kind or other. From both these pas- sages it is plain that some kind of profession is to be made by every disciple of Christ, as such, and that openly, "before men," and verbally, " with the mouth." (2) The scriptures often speak in such a manner as plainly to show that all the followers of Christ, in the days of the apostles, did make a profession of some kind or other. And if this was the practice of the disciples in those days, who in all they did in the worship of God, acted under the inspection and direction of 294 HOLDING FAST OUR PROFESSION. the inspired apostles, then it is plain that we, and the disciples of Christ in every age, are bound to do the same ; for it is admitted that apostolic example is equivalent to express precept, or in other words that it is as much our duty, with respect to all instituted ordinances, to follow the example and practice of the apostles, and of the churches acting under their direction, as it is to obey their express commands. But that it was the practice of the dis- ciples of the apostolic day to make a profession of some kind or other, is evident from a variety of expressions, used both in this and in several other epistles. Our text itself is very full to this purpose. In it the apostle exhorts the Hebrew christians to " hold fast their profession." But what propriety would there be in this exhortation, if they had never made any profession ? He calls this their profession, or as it may be understood, the profession ; that is, a profession which they all, as christians, made, and which was so well known among them, that it was, by way of eminence, called the profession. The like expression we have again in chapter 10: 23, " Let us hold fast the profession of our faith witliout wavering;" and again, in chapter 3: 1, "Wherefore holy brethren, consider the apostle and high priest of our profes- sion ;" and still again, in the sixth verse of the same chapter, " Whose house we are, if we hold fast the confidence, and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end." The word here ren- dered " confidence," is nuQQtjnlu, which signifies a bold, confi- dent, undaunted profession or declaration of anything, and which, as here used by the apostle, signifies a bold, undaunted profession of the christian faith. Thus commentators seem to understand it, and one of them (Matthew Henry) thus explains these words : " If we maintain a bold and open profession of the truths of the gospel." On the whole, then, this text seems plainly to show that the primitive christians made some kind of profession, which was one of their distinguishing characteristics in the sight of men. The same expression we have in chapter 10: 35, of this same epistle. " Cast not away, therefore, your confidence," or bold profession, " which hath great recompense of reward." Such evidence is there in this single epistle that christians are bound to make a profession of some kind. But the same thing is evident from the other epistles. 1 Tim. 6: 12, " Whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses." Tit. 1: 16, "They profess that they know God, but in works they deny him." 1 Tim. 2: 10, " Which becometh women professing godliness." 2 Cor. 9: 13, " They glorify God for your professed subjection to the gospel of Christ." The same thing is further evident from HOLDING FAST OUR PROFESSION. 295 the first epistle of John, throughout the whole of it. This epistle was written with the design of convincing false professors of their hypocrisy ; and it abounds in such expressions as these : " If we say we have fellowship with him ;" " he that sailh I know liirn ;" " he that saith he abideth in him ;" " he that saith he is in the light ;" " if a man say I love God," etc. Now from these ex- pressions of the aposde it is manifest that the early christians were accustomed to say, declare or profess something, whereby they were distinguished, at least in the sight of men, from the rest of tiie world ; and according to which if they did not live, they were, as the apostle expressly declares, " liars." For if it was not the common practice of christians in that day, thus to make a jjj'ofession of their faith, why should the apostle take this method to convince iiypocrites ? On the contrary supposition, there might not be one in thousands that did say or profess these things. It would, then, be a very unlikely way to convince hy- pocrites, as these might not be one in thousands that made the profession, a failure in the performance of which the aposde de- clares to be hypocrisy. The phrases used, then, not only teach that there is a christian profession which all the disciples of Christ are obliged to make ; but also that those who make this profes- sion, and live not according to it, are "liars," false to the truth and to their own solemn vows. Having thus shown from the scriptures that it is the duty of christians to make some profession whereby they shall distinguish themselves from the rest of the world, I now proceed to inquire, 2. What kind of a profession this is to be. And here I would lead your thouglits to only a few of the texts already quo- ted. Heb. 10: 23, " Let us hold fast to the profession oi our faith without wavering." This text shows that we, and all christians ought to make a profession of the christian faith. Here it may possibly be asked, what faith is this that we are bound to profess ? Is it the precious faith of God's elect, or the mere intellectual faith that devils may have while they tremble ? Such a question, however, answers itself. Or if a further answer be insisted on, I re- ply, that we are to profess the very same faith to which the apos- tles exhort us, and which they ever preached. And whether this be the faith of the elect or of devils, I leave to yourselves to judge. The nature of this profession further appears from 1 Tim. 2: 10, " Wiiich becometh women professing ^orf/iness." God- liness, then, we must also profess. But what kind of godliness? The answer again is, that which Jesus Christ and iiis apostles preached, the entire consecration of the heart and life to God. The nature of this profession further appears from 2 Cor. 9: 13, 296 HOLDING FAST OUR PROFESSION, " They glorify God for your professed subjection to the gospel of Christ." To be subject to the gospel, is a very forcible and comprehensive expression, signifying a hearty submission to, and compliance with all the terms and duties of the gospel. The nature of this profession is further evident from several of the expressions already quoted from the first epistle of John. By them it appears that the primitive christians were wont to say or profess. " that they had fellowship with God ;" " that they knew him ;" " that they abode in him ;" " that they were in the light ;" " that they loved God,'' etc. And if so, then it is our duty to say or profess the same. And no other profession, short of this, have we any warrant to make, from the practice of the primitive christians. All these, and indeed all similar expressions, however various in words, yet in substance and reality amount to the same thing ; and all imply real reconciliation to God, supreme love to him, and sincere acquiescence in the gospel of Christ as the only Sa- vior. And whoever can consistently, and with truth, make this profession, will undoubtedly share a glorious part with the church of the first born in heaven. Having thus seen that all the disciples of Christ are bound to profess him before the world, we pass as proposed, II. To the fact that the consideration of the priesthood and ascension of Christ, is an abundant encouragenient to us, to hold fast our profession. And here we may inquire, 1. What is implied in holding fast our profession. Two things seem manifestly to be implied in it. (1) The first is, that we continue stedfast and unshaken in our profession of the gospel, even to the end of our lives. And this we are bound to do, let the temptations to renounce and apostatize from it be ever so great. These temptations were very great in the times of the apostle. Then those that made this profession, and continued steadfast in it, thereby exposed them- selves to persecution, to the loss of their worldly estate, and even to death itself. And by these temptations, some were induced to turn back from their pr:)fession, and give up their hopes in a crucified Savior. And the temptations to the same thing are great in our own day. For though by this profession, we may not expose ourselves to the loss of worldly goods, or of life, still we may be exposed by it to the reproach and contempt of men, to be persecuted with their tongues, and to have our names cast out as evil. But notwithstanding these, and all other temp- tations, we must still hold fast our professio:i, steadfast unto the end. We must set ourselves firmly against all that is inconsist- HOLDING FAST OUR PROFESSION. 297 ent with our high vocation, and be willing through good or evil report, to be faithful to Jesus Christ. And if God in his pro- vidence require it, we must be willing to suffer the loss of our worldly substance, or the loss even of all things, that we may ob- tain that inheritance that never fades away. (•2) The other thing implied in holding fast our profession, is, that in our conduct and practice we live up to the profession we have made. To do otherwise is practically to renounce that pro- fession. And what does it signify that we make, in ever so strong terms, the gospel profession, if at the same time we give the lie to our profession in our practice ? What does it signify that we " say we know God, if in works we deny him ;" that we say we " have fellowship with him," if we still " walk in darkness and do the works of darkness ;" that we say we " abide in him," if we '^ walk not as he walked ;" that we say we are in the light and love of God, if by our fruits we give not evidence that so it is in truth ? It is a maxim universally true, that actions speak louder than words. Therefore let us say and profess what we will, yet if we live not up to what we profess, neither God, or angels, or men, will believe our profession. In the express words of John we " are liars and do not the truth. We come now, 2. To show how the consideration of the ascension of our Sa- vior to glory, affords us strong encouragement thus to hold fast our profession. Here I would say, it affords us abundant en- couragement to this end, inasmuch as the intercession which he makes for us, in consequence of his ascension, will be effectual to secure eternal rewards to us if we do indeed hold fast our pro- fession. Christ has passed into the heavens, not in a private ca- pacity, but as our high priest, and as the head and representative of his church before God. Having made atonement for our sins in his flesh, he is now ascended to his Father, to plead the merit of his obedience and of his sufferings unto death, thus to procure the application of the blessed fruits of all that he has done, to his own people. And all this implies that they shall be prepared for, and at last received to the same glory to which he is exalted. But this inconceivable glory and happiness, he will obtain for none but those that hold fast their profession steadfast unto the end. And to all such, they are sure. For such he has gone to pre- pare a place, that where he is they may be also, and that there they may receive their reward. This, then, is the motive which the apostle sets before us in the text, to encourage and animate us to continue steadfast in our christian profession, and to live up to it in our practice. And is not this encouragement sufficient ? Is it not abundant ? If thus the sympathies, and the prayers of Vol. II. 26 298 HOLDING FAST OUR PROFESSION. Christ are with us, shall we think much of the trials through which we must pass, or the obedience we must yield, in being found faithful to our profession ? Shall not these seem but light things to us, when there is so glorious a reward laid up for us in heaven ? Doubtless it becomes us, with the apostle, to " reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be com- pared with the glory that siiall be revealed in us," " For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." Thus, as proposed, I have endeavored to show, that it is an in- stitution of the gospel, and therefore the duty of all the disciples of Christ, to make some profession, whereby they shall be united among themselves, and distinguished from the unbelieving world ; and also, from the scriptures, what kind of a profession this must be. I have also considered what is implied in holding fast this profession, and what encouragement to this is afforded us by the ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ. In a word I would endea- vor to improve the whole subject. And, 1. We may infer from it that the ancient practice of our church- es, in insisting that those who offer themselves as candidates for admission to them should make a public profession of their chris- tian faith, is entirely according to the practice and institution of the apostles. Some hold the opinion that the children of chris- tian parents, when they become adult, may be received to the church and to all its ordinances, without making any profession at all. But this, as is evident, would at once set aside the doc- trine which has now been proved from the scriptures. It may be said, however, that their very offering of themselves, and coming to the special ordinances of the church, are to be considered as a profession of their faith, and so supersede a verbal profession. To this I answer : that if this be indeed the settled and establish- ed meaning of such transactions, and all parties concerned agree to understand them in this light, then it is as real a profession as if it were made in words, and therefore is no objection to the doc- trine maintained. But if it be meant that any and all, who are the children of christian parents, may enter the church without any- thing on their part which is fully understood as a solemn profes- sion of their personal faith in Jesus Christ and his gospel, such a doctrine is subversive of the plain teachings of the New Testa- ment, and if acted on, would soon fill our churches with corrupt and unworthy members, who would dishonor the name and in- jure and reproach the cause of the Redeemer. 2. From what has been said we infer that the gospel knows and recognizes no other profession than this of which we have HOLDING FAST OUR PROFESSION. 299 spoken, viz. a profession of christian faith, of godliness, of sub- jection to the commands and spirit of the Redeemer, and of the knowledge and love of God. As to any other profession of mere morality, or speculative faith, or sincerity of belief or conduct, the gospel of Christ knows nothing of it. That gospel teaches us that there is •• one Lord, one faith, and one baptism ;" and this one faith it retjuires us to profess. And as to sincerity, we read of no other but godly sincerity ; and this also ought to be included in our profession. And no other kind of profession does the gospel teach, as that which as christians we are bound to make. 3. We may also hence be impressed with the very solemn pro- fession that we have made, and the sacred obligations with which we have bound ourselves to God and his service. In making that christian profession, which all of us who are members of the church of Christ have made, we have professed the one faith of the gospel ; that is, that we believe the Lord Jesus Christ to be the only and an all-sufficient Savior, and that we come to him, trusting in, and relying on him as such, renouncing our own righteousness, and despairing of any acceptance with God on account of it. We have professed to be the disciples and followers of the meek and lowly Jesus, ever striving to cherish his spirit, and to imitate his example. We have made a profession of godliness, that is, of true piety and real holiness ; and of subjection to the gospel, that is, that we submit to the method of salvation which is there- in proposed, and cordially and practically comply with the terms of it. We have professed to be in the light, to know God, to love him, to abide in him, and to have fellowship with him. Such is the solemn profession which we have made, before God and angels and men. May the Holy Spirit enable us to be faith- ful to it, so that we may ever " walk worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called." 4. Let us then all seriously and candidly inquire, whether we have continued in, and lived up to this our high profession. Most naturally does our subject lead us to inquire into our state and character, and particularly whether we have hitherto held fast our christian profession. Let me even lead your thoughts further back, and inquire with what views it was that you at first made this profession. Did you, in doing it, act understandingly, knowing the full import of the solemn transaction, and of all that w^as said and implied in it ? Did you enter upon it in the fear of God, and with a full sense of its solemnity resting on your soul? And if so, how have you conducted since ? Have you lived as be- comes those who profess godliness ? It becomes those who pi'o- fess godliness to practice it, and to live in its practice from day 300 HOLDING FAST OUR PROFESSION. to day. And such is the nature of real godhness that they who profess, will practice it ; and whosoever does not practice it, is a stranger to it. Further, have you Uved and conducted as be- comes those who profess to be subject to the gospel, and to be- lieve on the Lord Jesus Christ? Do you show that the spirit of the gospel, the same spirit that was in Christ, is also in your hearts ? Do you obey the laws of Christ, and the rules and pre- cepts of the gospel ? Do you show, by your lives and conduct, that you indeed love God supremely, and that you have fellow- ship with him ? This is what you have professed ; and if you have lived and conducted accordingly, you have hitherto held fast your profession. But if not, then you have, at least practi- cally, denied and betrayed the cause which you have professed to espouse and maintain ; and erelong you are to answer for it to him whom you have mocked by your professions. But however it may have been with you hitherto, be entreated, 5. Now to comply with the exhortation of the apostle in the text. Be exhorted to hold fast your profession, and to live ac- cording to it. And as motives to this, consider, (1) That unless you do this, you have no evidence that you are the disciples of Christ. Defect in this one point is enough to counterbalance all other evidences. Without it you have no suf- ficient evidence of discipleship, either to your own minds, or to the view of others. 1 John 2: 3 — 5, " And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected ; hereby know we that we are in him." How full and explicit is all this, and that both negatively and positively ! He that keepeth not the command- ments of Christ does not know him, and can have no evidence that he does. And on the other hand, he who does keep his commandments, does know, and has evidence that he knows, and loves, and is in him. (2) As another motive, consider that unless you live up to your profession, you will deeply dishonor it. This is the way that the christian profession is come into so much contempt in the eyes of the world, that many who bear the christian name do not live up to their profession. If they would but do this, and if all christians would do it, that profession would be honorable in the esteem even of a sinful world. But vfhen so many profess one thing, and do and practise quite the reverse, the men of the world, and even the candid and honest among them, are stumbled and confounded, and perhaps led to doubt the reality of religion, HOLDING FAST OUR PROFESSION. 301 and to be careless as to seeking it for themselves. And while this is the sad result with even the candid and honest, the pro- fane and malicious will indulge tiiemselves in open ridicule and contempt. And thus Christ and his holy religion are reproached and dishonored. Beware then, my brethren, lest by living un- worthily of your profession, and thus " breaking the law," you dishonor God, and so cause " his name and doctrine to be blas- phemed." " It must needs be that offences come, but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh." Let none, then, " put a stumbling block, or an occasion to fall," in the way of his brother, or of those without ; but let your conversation be such, that those who would otherwise " speak against you as evil doers," seeing your good works, may be led to " glorify God in the day of vis- itation." Evermore, " watch and pray that you enter not into temptation ;" that you may " adorn the doctrine of God your Savior in all things;" that "your light may so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your father who is in heaven." Let all professors do this, and then will the church look forth as the morning, " fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners." 26* SERMON XIX. THE SOUL'S IMMORTALITY, AND FUTURE RETRIBUTION.* 2 Timothy I : 10. — Jfho hath aholished death, and hath brought life and im- mortality to light through the gospel. This Lecture was designed not only to exhibit positive argu- ments in favor of Christianity, but to refute the objections and doctrines of infidelity. In a controversy like this, it is not best to be always on the defensive. It is often useful to act on the of- fensive ; to make attack ; and like Hannibal, who succeeded best in Italy, to carry the war into the heart of the enemy's country. Deists oppose not only revelation in general, but the several most important doctrines of it ; particularly the doctrine of a fu- ture state of rewards and punishments. This doctrine, as repre- sented in the scriptures, is one main cause of infidelity. If there be a future state, infidels are afraid for the consequences. They are conscious of their own impiety and immorality, or at least of their neglect of true virtue and religion ; and therefore if there be a future state of rewards and punishments, they expect that pun- ishment will be their portion. The prospect of this is dreadful ; and therefore they search for arguments against the reality of such a state. They see clearly that such a state is taught in the scrip- tures, and therefore they reject them, and console themselves in infidelity, apprehending that there is no evidence of a future state but that which the scriptures afford. It will, then, be advanta- geous to the cause of Christianity, if it can be shown that the in- fidel has no such ground of consolation ; that the light of nature teaches a future state of rewards and punishments ; and that no man has any well-founded motive of this kind to reject revela- tion. This I shall endeavor to show, by offering the arguments which the light of nature affords in favor of the immortality of the soul, and a future state of rewards and punishments. * Preached at the Lecture instituted by the General Association, on the day befoi'e the Commencement at Yale College, New Haven, Conn. Sept. 1795. THE soul's immortality. 303 These arguments will be drawn, 1. From the soul's immateriality ; and 2. From several moral considerations. And, I, The soul is an immaterial substance, and therefore natu- rally immortal. ; — That is, it is not capable of destruction by a dissolution of its parts, as all material bodies are. I acknowledge that this con- sideration is not decisive in favor of the real and actual immor- tality of the soul. Yet all opposers of its immortality, oppose also its immateriality, and thus show that they consider its imma- teriality as an obstacle in their way which it concerns them to re- move. As they assert the soul to be a material substance, it seems proper, 1. To consider their ideas of matter and of the soul ; 2. To examine their arguments to disprove the soul's immateriality ; and 3. To show by positive arguments that the soul is immaterial. I. I shall briefly consider their ideas of matter, and of the hu- man soul. It is not strange that on these subjects they should differ among themselves ; and it is not worth while to follow, or even to relate the opinions of all the opposers of the soul's imma- teriality. It will be sufficient, if I consider that, which in modern times is the most noted, and perhaps has been the most labored, and supported by the most learned arguments. Matter is defined by a late writer, " to be an extended substance possessed of certain powers of attraction and repulsion ;"* and it is said, " take away attraction and repulsion and matter vanishes," p. 245. Solidity and impenetrability is denied to belong to matter, and it is said that it is '' a compages of centres of attrac- tion and repulsion." Therefore it is held that matter thinks, re- flects, reasons, etc. ; and as it is said to consist of mere centres of attraction and repulsion, these centres, void of all solidity, must think, and reason, etc. Matter, as just now observed, is said to be an extended substance ; and a compact body is de- fined to be a compages of centres of attraction and repulsion. At the same time, however, it is held that a single one of these centres is indivisible, and does not occupy any portion of space, p. 249, etc. If so. then any number of these centres, or any com- pages of them, can occupy no space. They may, indeed, define or mark out a certain portion of space. But this portion, defined by these centres or points, is no more a substance than any other part of space, or than space in general. How, then, can matter he called an extended substance 1 It is said that matter possesses certain powers of attraction and repulsion. Now what possesses these powers ? Nothing solid or extended ; but an unextended centre or mathematical point, or at most a compages of these * Correspoudence between Price and Priesdy, pp. 16 and 6. 304 THE soul's immortality, 1 points. These points are the mere centres, to and from which the divine agency is directed in what this scheme calls attraction and repulsion. For it is allowed that attraction and repulsion are no actions of matter, but of some cause extrinsic to it ; that is of the Deity. It is expressly asserted, " that the divine Being and his energy are absolutely necessary to that of every other being;" that "everything is the divine power ;" (I suppose it is meant, is the effect of that power) that " all action is the action of God;" that "he does everything;" that "his power is the very life and soul of everything that exists, and that strictly speaking, without him we are as well as can do nothing," p. 253. The whole of matter, therefore, according to this scheme, is the divine agency, drawing or driving certain mathematical points, to or from certain other mathematical points. Now if this matter thinks, reasons, loves and hates, what is it belonging to it that does these things? It must be either these mathematical points, or the divine agency exerted in attraction and repulsion. But it is to be presumed that mere mathematical points do not reason, think, etc. ; because on that supposition, not only would all matter think, which is not pretended ; but all space, and every mathematical point in the universe would think. Nor is it con- ceived that the divine agency exerted in attraction and repulsion thinks, or is the subject of human thought. No doubt the divine mind thinks in all its actions ; but it is not pretended that the di- vine mind is matter, or any property of matter ; and we are in- quiring after that thought of which matter is the subject, or which is put forth or produced by matter. If the divine agency which produces attraction and repulsion, produces at the same time thought also, then as attraction and repulsion are common to all matter, it will follow that thought is common to all matter. But this is expressly denied by the scheme on which I am remarking. The doctrine which we are considering is, that matter thinks ; and yet it is denied that matter of itself, either attracts or repels, that is, moves either itself or any other matter. But is it not strange, that it has no power either of attraction or repulsion ; but that all attraction and repulsion, and therefore all motion in all matter, should be the effect of an immediate divine agency, and yet that matter should have the power, without that imme- diate divine agency, to think and reason, to choose and refuse, to love and hate ? Surely if " everything be the divine power," or the immediate effect of it ; if " the Deity do" (or immediately cause) " everything ;" if " his power be the very life and soul of everything that exists, and strictly speaking without him we are, as well as can do nothing ;" then, according to these concessions, AND FUTURE RETRIBUTION. 305 thought is the immediate effect of the divine power. As an act or action of the mind, it is the immediate effect of God's action. It is immediately caused by God, " as God's power is the hfe and soul of everything that exists ;" and our soul is not matter, (but the divine power is) and strictly speaking, without him and his immediate agency, we cannot think. If it should be said, that we can think without his immediate agency, and that only his mediate agency is necessary to our thinking ; then I ask, what is the medium which the divine agen- cy makes use of to the production of thought ? Not anything in, or belonging to matter, surely ; for that,'according to the scheme now under consideration, consists of nothing but attraction and rej)ulsion directed to and from certain indivisible centres or mathematical points. It will not be pretended that these points are the medium ; for they are really nothing but the beginnings and bounds of the divine agency in attraction and repulsion. It will not be pretended that attraction or repulsion is the medium ; for they are nothing but the immediate divine agency ; and for the divine agency to produce thought, by the medium of the di- vine agency, is absurd. So it seems that all this cry about the materiality of the soul, and matter's thinking, comes to this mere- ly, that God, by his immediate agency, produces thought where lie commonly produces certain other effects, called attraction and repulsion, or motion to and from certain points or centres. And if this were ever so true, could this, with any propriety, be called matter's thinking ? Or could it, from these premises, be inferred that the human soul is material ? It is manifest, however, that this scheme is aimed at something further than this. It is expressly declared, " that sensation and thought do necessarily result from the organization of the brain, when the powers of mere life are given to the system," p. 256. How to reconcile this with what was just now quoted from the same scheme, that everything and every action are the effect of the divine agency, and this as has just been shown, an immediate agency, I must leave others to inform us. Besides, that sen- sation and thought should necessarily result from the organ- ization of the brain, when the powers of mere life are given to the system, is not reconcilable with what this same scheme holds concerning a person in a deep sleep, p. 271. It will not be pre- tended but that the brain of such a person is well organized, and the person himself is alive ; and yet it is asserted that the soul of such a man ceases to think. So that on the premises of this scheme, thought does 7iot necessarily or always result from the organization of the brain, when life is once given. It is said, that 306 THE soul's immortality, *' in all other cases we deem it sufficient to say, that certain cir- cumstances are the causes and the necessary causes of certain appearances, if tlie appearances always accompany the circum- stances," p. 258. But the appearances of thought and sensation do not, according to our adversaries' concessions, always accom- pany life, and the organization of the brain. Therefore, by their own concessions, sensation and thought do not necessarily result from the organization of the brain, and animal life. It is said, p. 256, " that the whole man," (meaning both soul and body) " is of the same uniform composition ;" and that man " is a homogeneous substance." But of what substance is man compounded ? Matter, it is said, is a mere compages of mathe- matical points, the centres of attraction and repulsion. These points, then, are no substance at all. Nor are attraction and re- pulsion substance. Therefore if the whole man be compound- ed, or consist of matter, he is compounded of no substance at all, and is no substance, either homogeneous or heterogeneous. Again we are told " that substance is the unknown support of proper- ties," p. 364. But the support of attraction and repulsion, which are acknowledged to be divine agencies, must be the Deity him- self. Then it follows that the substance of matter is God him- self ; that the Deity is a material being or substance ; and if the whole man consist of matter, he consists of the divine essence, and the Deity is the to TTan, or the universe ! Such are the conse- quences to which this scheme of the materiality of the human soul necessarily leads us ! 2. It was proposed next to consider more directly some of the arguments by which it is attempted to be proved that the soul is material. These are principally the following : (1) That reason and thought depend on the brain, because a person can exercise thought and reason as long as his brain is in a state of soundness, but never after it is destroyed. On this I observe, 1. That if it were ever so true that thought depends on the brain, still it may be the act of an immaterial substance. It will not be pretended that everything on which the exercise of thought and reason depends, is the soul. If it were so, we should prove that the trunk of the body, the heart, the lungs, the neck, etc., are the soul, because thought and reason, in our present state, depend on every one of these. 2. It is not true that a man can exercise thought and reason as long as his brain is in a state of soundness, if, as is held by the advocates for the materi- ality of the soul, he ceases to think in a deep sleep, or in a swoon. 3. As to the observation that thought ceases when the brain is destroyed, this no more proves the brain to be the soul, than the AND FUTURE RETRIBUTION. 307 same argument would prove the trunk of the body, or any of its several vital parts to be the soul. (2) Another argument to prove that the human soul is mate- rial, is, that the souls of brutes are material ; and they appear to be analogous to human souls. But it is not granted that the souls of brutes are material. The argument to prove that they are so, is, that they cease, or are annihilated at death. But in reply to this T would observe, that if they are annihilated at death, this does not prove that they are material. God may annihilate a s})irit as well as matter, or as well as he can make it. But that they are annihilated is not an agreed point, among either philos- ophers or diviues. (3) Another argument for the materiality of the soul, is, that it appears to grow and decay with the body ; that when the body is in its infancy, the powers of the soul are, in correspondence to those of the body, feeble and imperfect ; that as the body grows, they increase in strength, and as the body decays, tliey decay with it. The answer is, that all this may be consistently enough with the supposition of the immateriality of the soul. The connection between the body and the soul may be such as to pro- duce these effects. Therefore they are no proof for, or against the immateriality of the soul. These are some of the principal arguments urged to prove that the soul is matter. The force of them I submit to the judgment of this learned audience. Still it may be said that though thought is the immediate effect of the divine agency, and does not necessarily result from the or- ganization of the brain and from animal life, yet God always pro- duces thought in an organized brain, and never without it, just as he produces gravitation in all matter, and never without it; that thought is as much a property or effect of matter, as gravitation is ; that this is sufficient to answer every purpose wished for by the advocates for the materiality of the soul ; and that on this plan, we shall have thought as long as we have an organized brain and no longer. But to all this I answer, 1. That it is not true on the principles of the materialists themselves, that we have thought as long as we have an organized brain ; for they hold that in a deep sleep and in a swoon, thought ceases. Yet in these cases, and especially in a deep sleep, it will not be pretended that the brain is disorganized. 2. To say that we never are the sub- jects of thought, any longer than the brain remains entire and properly organized, is to suppose that the soul dies with the body ; which is a mere begging of the question. I sliall now, as pro- posed, 3. Subjoin some positive considerations and arguments to prove 308 THE soul's immortality, that the human soul is immaterial. Here let us first consider the only sense in which we have to prove that the soul is immaterial. This is the sense just now explained, under the last objection. I mean this, that it is not true that when the human body, and par- ticularly when the brain is destroyed and disorganized, the soul also is destroyed and ceases to think ; or that God no longer con- tinues the thinking of the individual, than he continues his body in life, and his brain in its proper organization. For as to the scheme that matter thinks by its own power, and that thought necessarily, and without the immediate agency of the Deity, re- sults from matter however organized ; either it is expressly given up by the modern advocates for the materiality of the soul, or it abundantly contradicts other principles which they, as well as other philosophers, expressly hold. This I conceive clearly ap- pears from what has been already said in this discourse. It is granted by our opponents that everytliing is the effect of the di- vine power ; that every action is the effect of God's action ; and that his power is the life and soul of everything that exists. Therefore the only question remaining to be discussed is, that just stated, whether thought may and does exist, or whether God may and does continue human thought after the death of the body. As to this I observe, (1) That God may, or has power to continue thought under these circumstances, seems impossible to be denied by any one. It is granted by those whom I now oppose, tliat everything and every action in creation are the immediate effects of the divine power and energy. This therefore is true concerning thought in particular. Thought, then, is the immediate effect of the divine power, and is not brought into existence by the medium of mat- ter, or anything in or pertaining to it ; neither matter, nor any of its properties help at all towards its production. Therefore it is just as easy for God to produce it without matter, as in con- nection with it ; and of course he may continue thought after the death of the body. This is plain apart from all that is said in the scriptures. Some, however, who oppose the immateriality of the soul, profess a belief in the scriptures. With them, then, it is pertinent to argue from the scriptures ; from what God, who is able to continue the thinking principle after death, has assured us he will do. I observe, then, (2) That the scriptures aflford us light in this case. This will appear from several passages. The first that I shall adduce is 2 Cor. 12: 2 — 4, "I knew a man in Christ, about fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell ; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell : God knoweth ;) such an one caught up to AND FUTURE UETKIBUTION. 309 the third heaven. And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell ; God knoweth ;) how he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter." Now it is plain that this man had perception and tliought ; for he was conscious that he was caught up to the third heaven and to paradise, and there heard unspeakable words. But the apostle did not know whether he was in the body, or out of it. Therefore it was clearly his opin- ion that a man might be conscious, and perceive, and think, out of the body. To the same purpose is chapter 5: 6, 8, 9, of the same epistle. " Therefore we are always confident, 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. Wherefore we labor, that whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him." These words inform us that the apostle and his fellow christians of that day, were willing to be absent from the body and present with the Lord ; and that they made it the great object of their labor, that whether present or absent they might be accepted of him ; which clearly shows their belief that they might be absent from the body, and yet consciously present with the Lord. This text also further informs us, that they were confident this would be the case with them ; that when they should leave the body, it would be to go and be present with the Lord. Acts 7: 59, " And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God and saying. Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." If Stephen had be- lieved that there was no intermediate or separate state, he would doubtless have expressed himself very differently. He would have said, " Lord Jesus receive my spirit and body, or my body and brain at the general resurrection." Matt. 10: 28, " Fear not them which kill tiie body, but are not able to kill the soul ; but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." What can be plainer than that these words imply that the soul will survive the body ? Nothing can be more manifest than that this is their meaning, unless we should take the absurd sense of the scheme of our opponents, that we are to fear him who is able to destroy both brain and body in hell ! Heb. 12: 22, 23, " But ye are come to — the spirits of just men made per- fect." Lest it should be said that these spirits of the just made perfect, mean the saints in the resurrection state, we may ob- serve, that the scriptures have explained their idea of spirits very clearly. John 4: 24, " God is a spirit, and they that worship him, must worship him in spirit and in truth." It is granted on all hands, that God is an immaterial being, and he is here declared Vol. II. 27 310 THE soul's immortality, to be a spirit. By " a spirit," therefore, the scriptures mean an immaterial being. Again, Luke 24: 37, 39, " But they were ter- rified and affrighted, and supposed they had seen a spirit. And he said unto them — behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Handle me, and see ; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have." This is a further illustration of the scriptural idea of a spirit, and is a demonstration that that idea is not reconcilable with the doctrines of materialism. Another text bearing on the main question before us, is Acts 1: 25, "From which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place." This implies that Judas was in a state of sensibility after the death of his body, and therefore that his soul was not a part or the whole of his body which at death becomes insensible. If it should be said that his own place meant the grave, the answer is that this was no more his own proper place^ than it was the place of the most sincere christian ; for all, both good and bad, go to it. 2 Pet. 1: 13, 14, " Yea, I think it meet as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance, knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath showed me." If the soul of the apostle was his brain, there is no truth in this re- presentation. His brain was not about to be separated from the rest of his body, and to live and be in a state of sensibility after the rest of his body was dead ; but his brain died whenever hi» body died, as is granted by those who hold the materiality of the soul. Yet the apostle declares, that he knew he must shortly put off this tabernacle, that is, be separated from his body, and that the Lord had shown it to him. 1 Thess, 5: 9, 10, " God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him." I need not inform you^ that the expressions " waking " and " sleeping " are very com- monly used in the scriptures to signify bodily life and death. Nor does it appear that this passage will bear any other construction. If it will not, it is a clear and direct declaration, that whether the bodies of true christians after death be alive or dead, their souls shall be alive and with Christ. Phil. 1: 21 — 23, " For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labor ; yet what I shall choose, I wot not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better." For the apostle to die, could be gain on no other ground, than this was to be in a state of sensibility and happiness immediately after death. On the supposition that his soul died with his body- AND FUTURE RETRIBUTION. 311 and was to be revived with it at the resurrection, what gain could he secure by dying at that time, more than if he should have lived many years longer ? In either case, he would, by the promises, be entitled to eternal glory in the resurrection state. By dying at the time he wrote, he would lose all that happiness which he might enjoy in spiritual exercises, in communion with God and with Christ, in being the instrument of the conversion of sinners, and the edification of saints, in building up the kingdom of Christ in the world, and in any temporal blessings, improved by divine grace. Therefore, if he liad died at that time, he would have been a loser instead of a gainer. Nor is this all. By continuing in life, he would have made further proficiency in the chiistiau course, and done more for the honor of God and the kingdom of Christ, and therefore would have been entitled, by promise, to a greater degree of happiness in the resurrection state ; and his happiness, in that state, would have been the greater to all eter- nity. So that in reality the apostle would have been an infinite loser by death at that time. He would have left a certain degree of happiness, possibly equal in degree to the whole heavenly hap- piness of some saints. And this degree of happiness running on through eternity, would be a sum of happiness as truly infinite, as the whole eternal happiness of some real saints. As, there- fore, these saints, by the loss of their whole heavenly happiness, would sustain an infinite loss, so would the apostle, if he had lost that additional degree of happiness, to which he would have been entitled by his continued life and usefulness. Thus we can make nothing of this text, but upon the supposition that his soul did not die with his body, as it must have done, if it was his brain, or any part of his physical system. 1 Pet. 3: 19, 20, " By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison ; which sometime were disobedient, when once the long suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was preparing." Now unless we allow the soul to exist after the death of the body, in what sense could the spirits of the survivors of the old world, he said to be in prison ? Their spirits could no more be in prison than their bodies. Nor could they, on that supposition, be properly called spirits. They would have been called, as they would have been, bodies wholly. But the scriptures everywhere represent spirits to be different from bodies, as we have already seen. Eccl. 12: 7, " Then shall the dust return to the earth as it w^as, and the spirit siuiU return unto God who gave it." How can this be reconciled with the doctrine that the soul is matter, and dies with the body ? If it be matter, it is dust as well as 312 THE soul's immortality, the body, and therefore must return to the earth as it was." But it is expressly said that while the dust, or the body returns to the earth, the spirit returns unto God ; and therefore tlie latter must exist in a state of separation from the former. Besides, the soul is called the spirit, which always in scripture is distinguished, as it is in this very passage, from the body, or the dust. Therefore we have a right to believe it to be distinct. If, as is pretended, the human soul is the brain, then it seems that the brain is not dust, as the rest of the body is ; which it is presumed our adver- saries in this cause will not pretend. Let us read this text, with the word brain instead of spirit, which it is certainly right and proper to do, if the spirit be the brain ; and then it will run thus : " The dust shall return to the earth as it was, and the brain shall return unto God who gave it !" The bare repetition of the pas- sage in this form, shows the absurdity of such a construction, and of the doctrine which could lead to it. Luke 23: 43, " And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, to-day shalt thou be with me in paradise." This could not be true, if the soul of this thief on the cross was material, and died with his body. If it should be said that the meaning is, that as the thief would be conscious of nothing between death and the resurrection, his being with Christ, in the resurrection state, would seem to him to be on the same day and immediate- ly ; I answer : This would be to talk unintelligibly, without rea- son and without example. Would it not be unintelligible and unreasonable to tell a man who had been the whole day in a deep sleep, and who was wholly ignorant of the time that had passed during his sleep, that it was but an hour or a moment since he had fallen into sleep ? Or would there be any propriety or truth in saying, that Lazarus, who lay dead four days, was raised on the same day, and even immediately after his death ? Yet this would have been just as true and proper, on the ground of this objection as our Lord's telling the thief on the cross, " To- day shalt thou be with me in paradise." Luke 16: 22, 23, " And it came to pass that the beggar died, and was carried by angels into Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died, and was buried ; and in hell he lifted up his eyes be- ing in torments," etc. This parable is a plain representation that Abraham and Lazarus and the rich man, were all in a state of existence and sensibility between death and the resurrection, and while the brethren of this rich man were still in this life. There- fore their souls were not material, and did not die with their bo- dies. I know it is said, that this is a parabolical representation. I grant it. But parabolical representations are designed to AND FUTURE RETRIBUTION. 313 teach truth and not falsehood. Now unless this parable does teacii direct falsehood, the souls of Abraham, Lazarus and the rich man, were in existence and sensibility, in a state of separa- tion from their bodies ; and by parity of reasoning, this is true of all mankind. Several representations in the book of the Revelation, teach us that the dead, and especially the dead saints are in a state of sen- sibility between death and the resurrection. Ciiap. 5: 9, 10, " And they sang a new song, saying. Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof; for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation ; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth." The per- sons here speaking were saints redeemed from among men. The place in wjiich they were seen and heard by the apostle to sing this song, was heaven, as is manifest by the preceding context, and by other passages. And the time was manifestly before the resurrection, because it is said, " We shall reign on the earth ;" and these words, whether we believe the reign of the saints on earth to be immediately before or after the resurrection, prove that the time at which they were spoken was before it. It is al- so manifest, from the text with its context, that the time of sing- ing this song, was at the time of the Lamb's taking the book sealed with the seals, and previous to the opening of them, that is, previous to' the great events and dispensations of providence concerning the christian church. Rev. 6: 9, 10, " And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying. How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?" On these words we may observe, that the apostle here had a vision of the souls of the martyred saints, pleading for ven- geance. But on the supposition that the souls of men are a part of their bodies, and die and perish with them, their souls could no more plead for vengeance than any other part of their bodies ; their brain no more their hands or their feet. Again, on the supposition that the souls of men are their brains, in strict pro- priety it ought to have been said ; And I saw under the altar the bi'ciins of them that were slain, etc. And if the brain be the soul, how has it come to pass that the scriptures, neitiier here nor in any other passage, call the soul by its literal and proper name, but always speak of it by a figurative and improper one ? Rev. 7: 13 — 15, " And one of the elders answered, saying un- 27* 314 THE soul's immortality, to me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes, and whence came they ? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said unto me. These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple." That this is a representation of what was to take place before the resurrection, is manifest from this, that it was under the sixth seal, and before the opening of the seventh ; and that the events of the seventh will be accomplished before the resurrection. But in this scene taking place, thus before the resurrection, the inspired apostle saw those who had come out of great tribulation, and who had washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb, standing before the throne of God, and serving him day and night in his temple. And this most plainly implies both existence and sensi- bility. And so in chap. 14: 13, " And I heard a voice from heaven, saying unto me. Write, Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord, from henceforth : yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors, and their works do follow them." These blessed persons were the dead, and not those who are raised from the dead ; for these last are spoken of as alive. And they, dead as they are, are said to rest from their labors, and their works to follow them ; that is, the effects of their works follow them, in that they receive the reward of them. But this could not be tru- ly said of them, if they were in a state of insensibility, and were dead both as to soul and body. Several other passages in this book, seem to hold forth the same important truth ; but these may be sufficient for our argument. Thus far I have, so far as relates to infidels, argued the immor- tality of the soul and a future state of existence, from the soul's immateriality. I now proceed, as proposed, IL To argue the same thing from several moral consid- erations. 1. Unless there were a future state of rewards and punish- ments, it would not appear that God is a holy God, a friend to virtue and an enemy to vice. God can by no other means clearly appear to be a friend to virtue and an enemy to vice, than by acting the part of a friend to the former, and an enemy to the latter ; or by discovering, in his treatment of the virtuous and the vicious, an approbation of the former and a disapprobation of the latter. But he is a friend to virtue and an enemy to vice. This is granted by infidels themselves. Therefore he will show this character, and will on the whole appear as he really is. There- fore he will treat both the virtuous and the vicious so as to show AND FUTURE RETRIBUTION. 315 his approbation of the former, and his disapprobation of the lat- ter. And such treatment as this, is rewarding and punisliing; it is to befriend, uphold, protect and reward the virtuous, and to punish the wicked. If God should not thus show his approba- tion of virtue, and disapprobation of vice, he would not a[)pear in his true character; he would not finally appear to be such a being as he really is. And this his final neglect to act out his real character in the view of his intelligent creatures, would be unaccountable, and irreconcilable with his character or nature it- self. But he does not, in this life, thus act out his character ; and therefore we infer that there will be a future state, in which he will act it out. To this reasoning, however, several objections are made which require an answer. (1) It is objected that we do not know but that virtue is pro- perly and fully rewarded in this life ; that many whom we judge to be happy are miserable ; that perhaps those vicious men whom we judge to be most happy are extremely miserable, and those virtuous men whom we judge to be miserable are happy ; and that thus tiie former are properly punished, and the latter fully rewarded. To this I answer : This objection supposes that it is impossible for us to know who are happy and who are miserable. If so, it is impossible that God should ever so reward the virtu- ous and punish the vicious that mankind shall know it ; it is im- possible that he should ever do it visibly and convincingly to mankind. If so, God cannot manifest himself to mankind as a friend to virtue and an enemy to vice ; for they can see his true character no otherwise than by seeing him reward the virtuous and punish the wicked ; and this implies that they see, or are convinced of the happiness which he communicates to the former, and of the misery which he inflicts on the latter. If it were in- deed true, as this objection implies, that we cannot know by ex- ternal appearances, when our fellow-creatures are happy and when they are miserable, then we cannot know that they are either happy or miserable in a future state. And though in the state of the damned, they should appear to be exquisitely tor- mented, they might in reality, be superlatively happy. So that on the ground of this objection there would be no foundation for complaining, or for being at all terrified in the prospect of hell, and all the apparent torments of that world of suffering. If it should be said that the scriptures assure us that some are miser- able in hell, so they assure us that some are miserable in this life ; that those who are finally saved will have come out of great trib- ulation, and that the best of ciiristians shall on earth be more or less subject to trial. On the ground of this objection, though the 316 THE soul's immortality, virtuous and vicious are really rewarded and punished in this life, yet neither rewards nor punishments are visible. But the honor of God and the vindication of his character as a friend to virtue and an enemy to vice, require that sooner or later they be visibly rewarded and punished, so that men in general shall see and know it. What should we think, and what should we have a right to think of the Deity, if he always appeared to treat the vir- tuous and the vicious in the same manner, or without any proper discrimination ? If God do really and properly distribute re- wards and punishments in this life, why does he conceal this pro- ceeding, when the vindication of his own character, and the re- lief of his most dutiful children from their anxiety for his honor, require that it should not be concealed, but openly manifested? (2) Another objection to the foregoing reasoning is, That vir- tue is its own reward, and naturally and necessarily tends to hap- piness while it is practised ; and tiiat vice, in the same manner, naturally punishes itself; so that there is no need of a future state of rewards and punishments. To this it may be answered, that so far as virtue, by its own native tendency to happiness, rewards itself, and vice, by its own native tendency to misery, punishes itself, God does not reward the one or punish the other. For this same reward would attend virtue if God were an enemy to it, provided he did not interpose positively to prevent the na- tive effect of it ; and the same punishment would attend vice, even if God were a friend to that, provided he did not prevent the effect of it. This reward of virtue, then, is no token of his ap- probation of it ; nor is this punishment of vice any token of his disapprobation. By this reward and this punisimient, we should never know that God is a friend to virtue and an enemy to vice. Besides, it is not true that virtue carries its own full reward with it. It will not be pretended that the perfect virtue and holiness of our Lord Jesus Christ was fully rewarded in this life. And so with regard to the virtue of Paul, and the other apostles, and the prophets and holy men of old in other ages of the world. (3) Another objection is, that if there be a future state, it need not be an immortal state ; that virtue may be sufficiently reward- ed, and vice sufficiendy punished in a limited time. So that if it should be allowed that the argument from the unequal distri- bution of rewards and punishments in this life, proves the future existence of the soul, it does not prove its immortality. To this it is answered, that of what the proper reward of virtue is, we may be very inadequate judges. Whatever the reward is, it is a rev/ard of grace and not of debt, because the virtue of the best man is imperfect, and therefore he, on the footing of law and jus- AND FUTURE RETKIBUTION. 317 ticG deserves no rcwaid. But God means to show his own infi- nite grace in the reward of an imperfect creature ; and that a re- ward sufficient for this, may be bestowed in a hmited time, does not appear. That a reward equal and superior to the merit of the a'eature, may be bestowed in a limited time is granted ; for, in fact, lie has no merit at all. But that a reward expressive of the infinite grace and goodness and bounty of God can be received and enjoyed by a finite creature, in a limited time, does not ap- pear ; and whether it do not appear to be an impossibility, that such a reward should, in such a time, be enjoyed by a finite crea- ture, I submit to the decision of any person of candor and judgment. And whether the punishment expressive of the divine infinite ab- liorrence of sin, do not require an equal time as that which is ex- pressive of the infinite love and goodness of God, I submit to the same decision. If there be indeed a future state of reward and happiness to the righteous, but a limited one, then the best of men must be rendered miserable by the prospect that their happiness, however entire without that prospect, must come to an end, and that they themselves must cease to exist. On the other hand the worst of men must be greatly comforted by the prospect that their misery, however great, will also come to an end. Besides, what end can be answered by the annihilation of either the righteous or the wicked, after they shall have been fully rewarded and punished ? What if the righteous have been rewarded sufficiently to show God's ap- probation of their virtue, and his own grace and goodness ? Why may they not yet be permitted to exist, and enjoy further good ? Would not the same infinite goodness, which at first gave them existence and afterwards made them happy, be dis- posed still to permit them to enjoy the same existence and hap- piness ? What good to God or the universe, can we imagine would result from their annihilation ? On the other hand, what good can it be to God or the universe, to annihilate those who have, by their own sufferings, satisfied for their own sins ? To annihilate them, must be, it would seem, a further punishment of them, which, from the nature of the case, must be an unjust pun- ishment, as they are supposed to have suffered already, all that justice requires. And these considerations are worthy of notice on the supposition, that tj^e virtuous and vicious are fully reward- ed and punished in this life. If they be thus rewarded, why should they be annihilated at death ? The loss of existence, and of all that happiness v/hich they might enjoy throughout eternity, is cer- tainly a very great evil. Why should they be made to suffer this evil ? The virtuous might certainly be supposed to escape this 318 THE soul's immortality, evil as a punishment, on the same ground that they escaped the punishment which the wicked are supposed to have suffered in this hfe. And the wicked having, by the supposition, suffered the full punishment of their sins in this life, do not deserve any further punishment, nor can they consistently with justice, be made to suffer any ; and to suppose annihilation brought on them as a punishment, would be to impeach the divine justice. If it should be said that annihilation is brought on both the righteous and the wicked, not as a punishment ; I answer, still it must be brought on them for some good end, and must somehow be sub- servient to the general good ; otherwise we shall impeach both the wisdom and goodness of God. And it is incumbent on the ad- vocates for annihilation to point out some good end to be ob- tained by it, and some end subservient to the divine glory and the general good. Until this is done, we have no reason to say — nay, it would be unreasonable to say — that the annihilation of all mankind will take place at death, or at any future period whatever. 2. Another argument for a future state, is, that without such a state it does not appear that the world was made for any very valuable end. As the Deity is possessed of infinite perfection, of infinite wisdom and goodness, doubtless all his works are design- ed to answer some most valuable and important end. But if there be not a future state, the creation of this world and of the human race, does not appear to answer any such end. For what end shall we suppose the world was created ? For the happiness of mankind ? This is certainly very imperfectly obtained in the present state. If then, that was the end of the creation of the world and of the human race, why is not the race made perfectly happy, or at least as happy as possible ? If we believe that the happiness of mankind is the end of creation, and that God seeks this end in a lower degree than it may be obtained, we impeach his goodness. If he seek this end in as high a degree as possi- ble, and yet obtain it to a lower degree than is possible, this sup- position impeaches his power or wisdom. Or shall we suppose tiiat God made the world and mankind, for the display of his own glory ? The display of the divine glo- ry, is the display of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness. And to display these perfections, is to produce a system of intelligent creatures, to the highest possible degree excellent and happy. But it is manifest that mankind are not, in the present state, to the highest possible degree excellent and happy. It is in vain to say that if God had chosen, he could not have kept out at least some of the diseases, pains, mortifications, disappointments and AND FUTURE RETRIBUTION. 319 Other calamities that mankind suffer in the present state. To say tliat God has glorified iiimself in the creation of the human race, because in the present state men enjoy more happiness tiian they suffer misery, will not relieve the dilBculty. In the first place it is a matter of great dispute, and one that has never yet been set- tled, whether the happiness of mankind in their present state, docs or does not exceed their misery. But let us allow for the pres- ent that it exceeds it. Still why is any misery sent upon them which it was in the power of the Deity to prevent ? How is this consistent with the infinite goodness of God, and with his aiming at the happiness of mankind in their creation, or at the dis})lay of his glory, especially of his infinite goodness ? Is it a sufficient vindication of the goodness of a father, to say that he does his children good, more often than he does them harm ; or of any man, to say that he pays his debts, or bestows his charity more often than he robs or steals ? No ! it is a stain on the character of any parent, that he inflicts pain on his child, in'any instance, unless it be necessary to a more important good ; and on the character of any man, that he has been once guilty of theft or robbery. How, then, can we vindicate the character of God, and make it out that the hapi)iness of mankind was the end of their creation, on any other ground than that the evils of this life are to be overruled for good to them in a future state ? Or how shall we make it out that these evils are subservient to the clear manifestation of the divine power, wisdom and goodness, unless this is made manifest in a future state ? Or if it be said that the evils of this life are not to be overruled to the good of mankind in a future state, because there is no such state ; but they are to be overruled to the good of some other order or orders of beings, and so to the good of the whole ; this is to admit that mankind may be made to suffer evil in order to promote the general good. If so, how do we, or can we know but that they are to suffer evil, in the future world, for the same end ? But this will open a door by which to introduce the doctrine of the eternity of hell- torments, which it is presumed the advocates of the mortality of the human soul would be very unwilling to open. For, once al- low that mankind were made, not for the end of their own hap- piness, but to promote the happiness of others by their sufferings, and it will be difficult, if not impossible to prove that they may not promote the liappiness of others by their endless as well as by their temporary sufferings. Nor is this all. It is further to be observed with respect to this matter, that if it were ever so true that men were made not for their own sakes, but for some higher order or orders of beings, ••«• 320 THE soul's immortality, still they are moral agents, capable of moral government, and ac- tually do practise either virtue or vice. Therefore God, as the supreme moral governor, and the patron of virtue and opposer of vice, must take suitable notice of the conduct of these moral agents, and must reward and punish them according to their respective characters. So that the plea that men were not made for their own happiness, does not at all weaken the argument from the mo- ral government of God in favor of a future state. 3. I shall mention but one more argument for a future state. It is this. If the eternal existence and happiness of mankind, as a race of beings, be more subservient to the general happiness of the universe, than their annihilation at death, then the infinite goodness of God will doubtless choose and secure them eternal existence and happiness. Infinite goodness seeks the good and happiness of intelligent beings in general, and will consent to the misery or annihilation of any, on no other condition than that their misery or loss is necessary to the greater good and happi- ness of the whole. Therefore as the annihilation of all man- kind at death implies the entire loss of all that good and happi- ness which they do enjoy in life, and might enjoy to all eternity, we may be sure that infinite goodness and a God of infinite good- ness would never consent to it, unless it were absolutely necessa- ry to the greater happiness of the whole system of intelligent be- ings. But their annihilation does not appear to be necessary or subservient to the greater good of the system. In what respect would the rest of the system be rendered more happy by it ? It is, I confess, impossible for me to conceive but that the rest of the system might be just as happy, though mankind should eter- nally exist and be happy, as they would be if mankind were anni- hilated. Nay, as benevolence rejoices in the happiness of others, and is rendered more happy by their happiness, and as all inno- cent intelligences are entirely benevolent, therefore we may safe- ly conclude, that unless some special reason be assigned to show the contrary, that all innocent and well disposed intelligences will be rendered more happy by the eternal existence and happi- ness of mankind as a race of beings, than they would be by their annihilation at death ; and therefore that the infinitely good God will secure their eternal existence and happiness. If it should be said that this argument proves the final happi- ness, as well as existence of all mankind ; I observe that it un- doubtedly does, unless we have evidence that the exclusion of some of them from happiness is required by the greatest happi- ness of the system, or by the divine glory, as we certainly have by divine revelation ; and if we had the same evidence that the an- AND FUTURE RETRIBUTION. 321 hilalion of all the race would be subservient to the good of the intellectual universe, we should doubtless have reason to believe that all men would be annihilated. I have thus exhibited what appears to me the principal evi- dence, from the light of nature, of a future state of existence, and of the immortality of the human soul. This evidence may be briefly summed up thus : The soul is a spirit, an immaterial sub- stance, and therefore naturally incorruptible, immortal, capable of existence and thought, and according to abundant scriptural declarations, actually enjoying them both, when the body is dead. Man is a rational creature, capable of virtue and vice, and actu- ally practising either the one or the other, and therefore account- able to God ; and God, as a friend to virtue and an enemy to vice must reward the former and punish the latter ; and as this is not done in this life, it must be in a future state. The human race, no doubt, were made for some important end, either their own happiness or the divine glory. But neither of these ends appears to be in this life obtained in a degree at all corres- pondent to the divine goodness, power, and wisdom. Therefore there is a future state in which one or the other, or both will be properly obtained. And lastly, we have reason from the good- ness of God to suppose that mankind will exist in a future state and there be happy, (since goodness and especially infinite good- ness delights in the existence and happiness of intelligent beings), unless their existence or happiness be inconsistent with the great- er happiness of some other being or beings ; and there is no reason to believe that the existence of all men, and the happiness of the virtuous in a future state, are at all inconsistent with the happiness of any other being or beings. I grant that all this depends on the moral perfections of God. But these are generally granted by deists. And if God be not a friend to virtue, he will not be disposed to reward it or to punish vice ; but on the other hand he may be disposed eternally to pun- ish virtue and reward vice, or he may be disposed to punish both alike. He may be disposed to give all men a future existence, to gratify his own malevolence in their endless misery. So that the advocates of annihilation will obtain no advantage to their cause by the denial of God's moral perfections. Such is a brief summary of the evidence of the soul's immor- tality and of a future state of rewards and punishments. The in- ferences which might naturally be drawn from this important sub- ject are many and of much moment. But as this discourse has already been so protracted, I shall only glance at two. 1. If there be a future state of rewards and punishments, and Vol. II. 28 323 THE soul's immortality, etc. this be evident even from the light of nature, then let not infidels deceive themselves in reference to this subject. Let them not flatter themselves that they are never to be called to an account for their conduct, but are to be like the beasts that perish. Let them not foolishly say, " Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die." Let them not fondly embrace infidelity, with the idea that it rea- sonably relieves them from all fear of a future state, and of the punishment to be inflicted in it. That state is a reality. They are to exist forever. And if unreconciled to God through Christ, his wrath must be their only portion. 2. Since there is a future state, how diligent ought christians to be, to live in a manner corresponding to their hopes. " See- ing that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of per- sons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness ; look- ing for, and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens, being on fire, shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat ? Nevertheless, we according to his prom- ise, look for new heavens and a new earth,^ wherein dwelleth righteousness. » Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot and blameless." And " now unto the king eternal, immor- tal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen." SERMON XX. FALSE REFUGES UNSAFE.* Isaiah 28 : ] 7. — .^tid the hail shatl sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overfotv the hiding-place. It is supposed that our text, with the context, had a primary reference to the poHtical state of the Jews at the time when it was written. They were at that time threatened by the Assyri- ans and Chaldeans ; and to secure themselves from immediate danger they made a feigned submission to their invading foes. To this it is supposed the prophet refers in the fifteenth verse. " We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at an agreement ; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us, for we have made lies our refuge and under falsehood have we hid ourselves." By making a pretend- ed submission, and entering into a treaty of peace with their ene- mies, which they themselves intended to break, they made lies their refuge, and hid themselves from impending danger under falsehood. And by this deceitful transaction they imagined them- selves to be as safe from death and slaughter, as if they had made a covenant with death, and an agreement with hell or the grave. And though the overflowing scourge of the Assyrians and Chal- deans should pass through all the adjacent countries, they flat- tered themselves that it should not come unto them. Others, however, suppose that the covenant with death, and the agreement with hell, refer to an alliance which the Jews had entered into with Egypt. The Egyptians were a very powerful nation, and the Jews certainly did, about this time, form an alli- ance with them for their defence against the Assyrians or Chal- deans. In consequence of this alliance they supposed themselves as safe from their enemies, and from death by their hands, as if they were in alliance with death and the grave. At the same time that they entered into this covenant with Egypt, they might doubtless have made many false pretensions of obedience or friendship for the Chaldeans. This they might deem an additional * First preached in 1779. 324 FALSE REFUGES UNSAFE. ground of safety ; so that they would account themselves entirely secure from the overflowing scourge of the Chaldean army, both because they were in alliance with Egypt, and because they had made lies their refuge. God, however, tells them that in all their confidence, they should be terribly disappointed. He tells them that he had laid in Zion a sure and safe foundation of confidence in all times of danger, and that every one that should seek safety in that, should never seek in vain. " Behold," he says, " I lay in Zion for a foundation, a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation. He that believeth shall not make haste." At the same time he informs them that he will execute strict judgment on all who do not trust in this foundation ; and that their perjured submission to the Chaldeans, or their alliance with Egypt should not save them in the day of his wrath. "Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet, and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. And your covenant with death shall be disan- nulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand ; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it. For the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it, and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it." But however these things might have been written with an im- mediate reference to the Jews, and to the events of their day, doubtless the chief design of the Holy Spirit was to teach them and us spiritual and evangelical truth. It seemed good to the Holy Ghost in that state of the church, to teach the most interest- ing truths of the gospel by outward types and shadows — by war and peace, danger and safety, success and victory, defeat and desolation. Thus our text and context are full of instruction to us, who live under the gospel, with respect to our spiritual con- cerns. Sinners in these days are exceedingly apt to neglect the plain and sure way of the gospel salvation, and to place their de- pendence for justification, either in the sight of God or to their own consciences, or both, on something quite as false and delusory as that to which the Jews trusted. They make a refuge of lies ; they betake themselves to vain and insufficient hiding places which cannot save them from the overflowing scourge of divine wrath. Our present subject therefore shall be to point out and expose some of the refuges of lies of gospel sinners. By refuges of lies of gospel sinners, I mean not only all false grounds of confidence as to acceptance with God, but all false FALSE REFUGES UNSAFE. 325 pretences on which they justify themselves, at least in some mea- sure in their own minds ; stifle the just accusations of their own consciences, and quiet the fears which both scripture and reason tend to excite. These are many. I shall attempt to notice only a few of them. I. They often make a refuge of their ignorance. When the system of the gospel in general, or any particular doctrine is proposed to them, and they are urged to receive it, they plead that they know not whether it be the truth or not. They say tiiat there is much dispute in the world about religion and its doctrines ; that great and wise men have differed, some asserting and others denying the same things ; and which are in the right they know not ; they have never given themselves the trouble to inquire much into such matters. All this they own, as if it were a meritorious instance of virtue ; and add, perhaps, that they think it would ill become them to undertake to determine points con- cerning which even the greatest and best men have not been agreed. Thus they shield themselves in their ignorance against the charge of unbelief, and the claims of trutji and duty. Let us attend to an example or two of this nature. If the doctrine of original and total depravity be urged upon them ; or the nature and necessity of regeneration ; or that the law of God is perfect in goodness and glory, and therefore of full and eternal obligation ; or that salvation is to be obtained only through Christ ; or if any duty be inculcated or pressed upon them, as that it is now time to exercise the spirit and begin the practice of religion ; that it is their immediate and indispensable duty to repent and return to the ways of obedience ; to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ ; to become reconciled to God, so as to love him sincerely and supremely, at once they plead their ignorance. They know not, they say, whether these doctrines be really true, and there- fore they cannot at present receive them ; they know not whether the exercises enjoined on them as duties be really duties or not, and therefore they must for the present be excused from their performance. Now this ignorance is altogether voluntary, as they who plead it generally take no proper pains to remove it by obtaining right information, so that they may be fully and reasonably satisfied. If they do not, at present, know whether these things are true or not, yet they might have known, or may know now if they will but use the means of information which they have in their hands. But they choose not to use them, nor to obtain the knowledge which they would afford ; they choose to remain in their ignorance, and that for these reasons : 28* 326 FALSE REFUGES UNSAFE. 1. Because the knowledge of the truth and duties of the gos- pel is very disagreeable and painful to men in their carnal and sinful state. These truths and duties are to them even disagree- able objects of attention and contemplation. They are not suited to their taste, but are directly opposed to it. . They promise them so long as they remain of their present characters, no good, either in this life or the future ; but condemn them to eternal and in- supportable wo. They do not justify the temper and practice of sinners, but entirely disapprove and condemn both. Now being thus disagreeable to carnal men, it is no wonder they do not at- tend to them so far as is necessary to the understanding and knowledge of them. Men are, in any case, with difficulty in- duced to attend to disagreeable objects, and to seek after that which they believe will be a source of pain if they should find it. But the things that engross the attention, such as the pleasures, amusements, profits and honors of this world, are very agreeable to their taste ; they love them, and view them as matters of great importance. No wonder then that these occupy their minds, and exclude that attention to the things before mentioned which is necessary to the proper knowledge of them. 2. Ignorance and a disbelief of the truth quiet the consciences of sinners and prevent fear. If sinners really believed that they are by nature totally depraved, and that they are still under the influence of that depravity, they would fear the consequences. If they believed in the necessity of regeneration, they would tremble for themselves while unregenerate. If they beheved in the necessity of an interest in Christ in order to salvation, they would of course be alarmed till they should have found that in- terest in him. But so long as they are ignorant of these things, they are not troubled with the accusations of conscience in these particulars, nor with any fearful expectations of that wrath which shall devour the guilty. And just so with respect to the duties of Christianity. If they believed that they were bound to an im- mediate compliance with the gospel — at once to repent and be- lieve on Christ, conscience which is God's faithful monitor, would accuse them for their neglect, and sting them with many self re- proaches. But so long as they are ignorant of their duty, in these or any other particulars, they feel no uneasiness, but are satisfied with themselves and their conduct. 3. The plea of ignorance is of use to sustain their reputation in the view of others. If at any time it has been observed to them that they seem to be negligent of religion in general, of death and another world, or of any particular doctrines or duties of Christianity, they at once plead that they do not think of these FALSE REFUGES UNSAFE. 327 things as others think, and therefore it need not be matter of wonder if they are not influenced by things that they do not be- Heve. They do but act according to their sentiments. Thus they maintain a show of consistency, and on that account often boast and triumph in their ignorance, as if it were a glory to be consistently wrong. This ignorance or unbelief is sometimes afTected or pretended. They who plead it have strong apprehensions that the things which they pretend to disbelieve are true, if they do not actually believe them to be so. Yet they pretend the contrary in vindi- cation of their wickedness. But in either case, whether this ig- norance be real or pretended, it is but a refuge of lies, deceptive and insufficient to answer the purpose for which they betake themselves to it. It is most manifestly and literally so, when it is pretended ; and even when it is real, inasmuch as it is volun- tary, and might be removed by a careful and candid inquiry, it still remains a refuge of lies. What if ministers, and other wise and good men do diflfer ? There is a ground of faith — of faith that is sure and safe ; and until they have diligently studied God's truth, they surely have no right to complain that they cannot find this ground. II. Some make a refuge of their good works. By these they both quiet their consciences, and hope to obtain the divine favor. They are more or less moral and externally correct and regular in their conduct, and of this they make their refuge. Of such we may reckon three classes of men ; those who generally lead a moral life ; those who are moral in some re- spects, while in others they are grossly immoral ; and those who attend on the external institutions of divine worship. And 1. Some in general lead a moral life. They are sober and temperate, just and true, kind and pacific, public spirited and charitable. Such men, with all their moral attainments, if un- sanctified and unenlightened by at least the common influences of the Holy Spirit, universally depend on what they call their good works to render them acceptable in the sight of God. Be- ing blind to their own faults, they see not so much of their own sins as they do of the sins of others. Being prepossessed in their own favor, as we all are by the influence of our natural pride and self-love, they magnify their own moral acts, and think them to be acts of real virtue and goodness. They shine in their own eyes and imagine they shine as much in the eyes of others, and even of God himself. In short, in the spirit of Haman they think, " whom will the Lord so much delight to honor" as themselves. But this is a deceitful refuge — a mere refuge of lies. For in the first place it is wholly a false supposition that their works of 328 FALSE REFUGES UNSAFE. morality are really good works. They are no more than splendid sins. Arising from a wrong principle of heart, from mere self- love or some more depraved appetite, and being directed to a wrong end, they are wholly destitute of all true virtue, all real goodness. In them there is nothing of duty ; and those who per- form them, to say the most, are only God's best and most re- spectable enemies. Duty is the most amiable and excellent thing in the created universe ; it is real goodness or true holiness. And he who truly performs any duty, is so far holy, as he who per- forms all his duty is complete in holiness. Again, the persons of whom 1 am now speaking, fall into another grand mistake in this matter. It is this, that they sup- pose that works really good and virtuous can procure for them acceptance with God. This, however, is a very groundless im- agination. If it were true, it would prove the atonement of Christ entirely needless. So that in both these respects, the most universal and correct morality is but a refuge of lies, when made either on the ground of quieting the conscience, or of securing the favor of God. 2. There are others, who are moral only in parts of their con- duct, while in others they are grossly immoral, who yet depend for salvation on their morality even though it be such as it is. Scarcely any man is so immoral and abandoned but that he thinks his goodness is such, as in one way or another far overbalances his wickedness. The drunkard, the profane, the debauchee, will all plead their honesty, their justice, or their acts of gene- rosity, and thank God perhaps that they are no hypocrites. Those which they reckon their most amiable virtues, they doubt not far overbalance their peculiar sins, and on the whole they scruple not to esteem themselves much better men than most others, and es- pecially than many who make great professions of religion ; and therefore suppose they are likely to obtain the eternal favor of God. The like plea is made by the unjust and fraudulent, and indeed by sinners of every description. What if they do injure or defraud their neighbor on some occasions ? They are not guilty of these crimes as often as they themselves suffer in such things from others. So that they are not worse, but much bet- ter than many other men. And what if they do not always ob- serve the golden rule of doing to others as they would wish that they should do to them ? At least they observe the rule which they seem to think sufficient of doing to others as others actually do to themselves. Therefore though they may not obtain the first place among good men, they persuade themselves that they shall not be seated lower than the second. That this is a refuge of lies is self-evident. FALSE REFUGES UNSAFE. 329 3. There are also those who attend on the outward ordinances of worship, who in Hke manner depend on this as the other char- acters mentioned do on their morahty. But this also is a refuge of lies. There is no more goodness in the bare outward attend- ance on ordinances and the means of grace, than there is in a bare outward morality. The one can no more recommend to the favor of God than the other. The great test of acceptance with him is, doing his will from the heart ; and anything that comes short of this is no evidence of such acceptance. But even if there were a real good in attending on ordinances, still this could not satisfy for sin, or in the least appease the wrath of God. There is, therefore, no dependence to be placed on this as a refuge. It is but a refuge of lies. III. Some make a refuge of the absolute goodness and grace of God. They have heard that God is good ; that he is infinite in good- ness ; that he delights not in the death of the wicked, but chooses rather that they should turn and live ; that mercy is his darling attribute, (as it has been, though improperly, expressed by some) and that judgment is his strange work. These considerations af- ford them comfort, quiet their fears, soothe their consciences, and are the ground of their hope and even confident expectation of salvation. But they are no more than a refuge of lies, and that in two respects. 1. Impenitent sinners do but deceive themselves in imagining that they are really desirous of being saved by the infinite mercy and grace of God. They have no proper idea of grace in the case, nor of their need of it. Grace can be exercised to the ill- deserving only. There is no grace in pardoning a person who has been guilty of no crime. Suppose a man arraigned at a hu- man tribunal on the charge of murder, but that upon full inquiry it appears that he is entirely innocent of the crime. The judge in this case is bound injustice to discharge him, and in discharg- ing him performs no act of grace at all. Further, the man must deserve the very punishment from which he is delivered, or else there is no grace in his deliverance. There is no grace in par- doning a man who is condemned to the gallows while he deserves only the punishment of a small pecuniary fine. And so there is no grace in saving sinners from hell unless they actually deserve the eternal torments of that world of misery. But impenitent sinners in general who are hoping to be saved by the absolute goodness and grace of God, have no proper idea that they are, in this sense, and to this degree, ill-deserving. For the truth of this assertion, I appeal to those who imagine they 330 FALSE REFUGES UNSAFE. are trusting in the infinite goodness and grace of God for salva- tion, and ask whether they really admit and believe that they de- serve the torments of hell, and that those torments might be in- flicted upon them with tlie most perfect justice ? If not, then of course they must think they ought to be saved from those tor- ments on the footing of justice ; that to save them from them would be no more than an act of justice, or than what they de- serve ; and that if they are not saved, but sent to them, they will be very hardly treated. Of course, as they suppose that God will not deal hardly or unjustly with them, all their expectations of salvation are not at all on the footing of grace, but wholly on the footing of justice. And in truth to be saved by grace is not the object of their desire ; they disdain the very offer and idea of it. Therefore in future let them not plead the infinite mercy and grace of God, nor amuse themselves with the expectation of salvation on that footing ; for this is not what they desire or wish for, nor can it be, till they are truly convinced of sin and of their infinite ill-desert on account of it. 2. The expectation of salvation because God is of infinite goodness and grace, is entirely groundless and delusive unless sinners comply with the terms on which grace and salvation are offered. It is indeed true that God is gracious, infinitely gra- cious. Yet he does not, nor ever will exercise pardoning and saving grace to all mankind. We are told that " strait is the gate, and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." As some will at last enter into " life eternal," so others "shall go away into everlasting punishment." And none are saved but those who are interested in the promises of grace and salvation. These promises are to men of certain par- ticular characters, and on certain conditions, such as faith, re- pentance, holiness, reconciliation to God, etc. " He tliat be- lieveth and is baptized, shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned." " Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." "Without holiness, no man shall see the Lord." " If any man love not our Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema, maranatha." Therefore even the amiable and glorious divine perfections of in- finite goodness and grace, are perverted to a refuge of lies by all those of you who expect to be saved by those perfections, with- out a compliance with the terms of the gospel on which only sal- vation is offered. And to hope to be saved in a compliance with these terms, is not to hope for it on the footing of God's absolute goodness and grace, but on the footing of the conditional prom- ises of the gospel. IV. Many sinners make a refuge of their own inability. FALSE REFUGES UNSAFE. 331 On this ground they excuse themselves from almost every duty, particularly from the great duties of repentance and faith and re- conciliation to God. Their plea is that they are poor, lost, de- praved creatures ; that they are so blinded by their original cor- ruption that they cannot even see their duty ; that they are so weak and feeble that they can do nothing in religion ; and par- ticularly that they cannot comply with the gospel, so as to be en- titled to its promises. This is their perpetual refuge ; and when- ever any duty, and especially a compliance with the gospel is pressed upon them, they immediately fly to it.' With it they quiet their consciences in their neglect and indifference — looking upon themselves as, in reality, perfectly excusable, and of course, if consistent, supposing that they are and shall be actually ex- cused in the sight of God. But if this refuge — this strong hold of sinners be examined, I presume it will be found to be entirely false and delusory — a mere refuge of lies. " The bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it, and the covering nar- rower than that a man can wrap himself in it." The inability of sinners is of a peculiar kind. It is an inabil- ity of the heart only ; an inability wherein they are wholly vol- untary— to which they consent and which they prefer and choose. It ought, therefore, to be called an indisposition rather than an inability. For indeed it consists wholly in an indisposition of heart to truth and duty. If this indisposition were removed — if it were not voluntarily cherished, the inability would wholly cease. If sinners were but willing to receive and obey the truth, they would be sufficiently able. Now surely this indisposition, this unwillingness to receive and obey the truth can be no excuse for any sin whether of omission or commission, being in itself a very great sin and the root of all other sins. As well might the un- dutiful and rebellious child plead his inveterate hatred of his good parent as an excuse for his undutiful conduct toward that parent, or the murderer plead his malice to justify his murder. But the sinner pleads, further, that he cannot cure this indis- position ; that he cannot make himself willing to love and obey the truth. In the same sense cannot the drunkard make him- self willing to forsake his cups and to be temperate and sober. In the same sense cannot the indolent man make himself willing to apply industriously to the business of his calling. In the same sense, the malicious man cannot renounce his malice, and over- come his evil temper, and imbibe and act from the principles of good nature and humanity. In the same sense the covetous and churlish cannot divest themselves of their narrow and selfish spirit, and become generous and beneficent. Yet no man sup- 332 FALSE REFUGES UNSAFE. poses that these, or that any other vicious characters are at all excusable on account of their respective inabilities. And no more is the impenitent sinner to be excused on account of his inability to repent and believe the gospel. But the sinner again pleads that he did not bring this inability on himself, but was born with it. If he had brought it on him- self, he will allow, perhaps, that he would have been blamable on account of it. But as he did not bring it on himself, he thinks this fact ought in justice to excuse him. But let us examine this point by the examples just adduced. The malicious, the ill-na- tured, the peevish, the covetous and churlish, are all frequently born with their respective evil biases ; and these peculiar biases may be discerned in them even when they are children, and long before they have had time to contract them from the evil exam- ples of others. Yet none of us suppose that they are on that ac- count to be excused in their several vices, or vicious tempers. Therefore the being born with a vicious bias does not, in the common sense of mankind, excuse any man in the indulgence of that evil bias, or in the evil practice that flows from it. For the same reason, the being born with a heart indisposed to comply with the gospel, excuses no man in his neglect to comply with it. You yourselves who make this plea to excuse your impenitence and unbelief, do not at all excuse your neighbor who is constantly acting a malicious part toward you, because he was born with a vicious temper. Be not, then, so inconsistent with yourselves as to urge this apology in your own vindication. You cannot but see that it is a refuge of lies ; therefore trust to it no longer. But as this is such a favorite refuge of sinners — one to which they so often and constantly resort, I am willing to consider it in various lights, in order if possible to drive them from it. If, then, this were a true and safe refuge for them, it would certainly be acknowledged as such by God. If it be a sufficient excuse for the depraved sinner in neglecting to comply with the gospel that he is naturally indisposed to comply, then God would doubtless allow it. He would allow that every sinner who is naturally in- disposed to comply with the gospel, may with impunity continue in non-compliance ; would allow that if he goes as far as he has a heart to go, he would do all that he is in duty bound to do. He would allow that the impenitent sinner is under no obligation to repent, but may with a clear conscience and with entire im- punity remain in his impenitence. He would allow that the un- believer is under no obligation to believe on Christ, but may still persist in his unbelief ; and that no enemy to God is under ob- ligation to become reconciled to him, but may still with safety FALSE REFUGES UNSAFE. 333 remain at enmity with him. He would also allow that no wick- ed, unregenerate sinner, no matter how abominable his character, is under any obligation to become a good man, and a true chris- tian but that he may witli imj)unity still continue as he is. But how is it in fact ? Does God indeed give us such a lati- tude as to duty or obligation as this ? Do the scriptures which contain his word si)eak this language ? Where are the passages ? I may safely challenge you to point them out, and boldly assert that you will be able to produce nothing of this nature from the whole word of God. On the contrary, there sinners are called on, exhorted, and commanded to comply with the gospel ; and promises are made to them if they do comply while threatenings are denounced against them if they do not. " Repent ye, there- fore, and be converted that your sins may be blotted out." '• Ex- cept ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." " Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shall be saved." " He that be- lieveth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned." '' Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and soul, and mind, and strength," " As he which ■hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversa- tion." If again, this plea of inability be a true and safe refuge for sinners, then the validity of it would be allowed at the final judg- ment ; — and on the ground of it God would acquit all who could with truth make it. For God is a perfectly just judge, and at the last day will allow every sinner to make any just plea in his own vindication, and will give it its full weight. So that if this be a just plea or excuse for impenitence, or unbelief, or any other sin, no man at the day of judgment will be condem- ned for those sins ; but God will say to him if impenitent, " Well done, thou good and faithful servant, thou didst not indeed re- pent as I in the gospel commanded you to do, but thou hadst no heart, no willingness to obey, to repent and forsake thy sins, and on this ground I acquit thee. Enter into the joy of thy Lord." To the unbeliever he will say, " Thou hast indeed rejected the gospel, and all its offered grace ; thou hast treated with perfect contempt my only begotten and well beloved son, yet as thou wast wholly unwilling to accept the former, or receive and trust in the latter, this is a sufficient excuse. Therefore I acquit thee. Well done, good and faithful, enter into the joy of thy Lord." This I say we might certainly expect would be the lan- guage of our great judge, if there were any force in the plea of inability to comply with the gospel. But how contrary to all this is the language of our Savior ! " This," he says, <' is the Vol. n. 29 334 FALSE REFUGES UNSAFE. condemnation that light hath come into the world, and men have loved darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil.'^ And again, " If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin ; but now they have no cloak for their sin." In the same spirit, too, is that passage from the apostle, '• How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation ? He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses. Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, sliall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and count- ed the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an un- holy thing, and hath done despite to the spirit of grace ?" From all this it appears that there is no force in the self-justi- fying plea of sinners drawn from their inability to repent and be- lieve and comply with the gospel ; that unbelief is the great sin of the evangelized world ; and that it will be the chief cause of their final and eternal condemnation at the last great day. V. Some men have recourse at diffei'ent times, to all these refuges, or pei'haps to several of them at the same time. They do not depend upon any one of these, but flee to them all as a general city of refuge consisting of so many particular fortresses or citadels ; and when beaten from one they betake themselves to another ; sometimes they plead in justification of themselves their ignorance, and that they are not satisfied as to the doctrines and duties of the gospel ; but being convinced of the insufficiency of this plea, and that they might inform and sat- isfy themselves if they would, and that therefore their ignorance is voluntary and inexcusable, they have recourse to their good works — their justice, morality, or outward attendance on means, and depend on these in the manner already described. Being driven hence by a conviction of the imperfection and insufficien- cy of their good works, they fly to the absolute and infinite mer- cy and grace of God. Being driven hence they shield themselves under their inability. And when this is made to appear inade- quate to their purpose, they fly back to some of their former refuges, endeavoring to rest on them as a satisfying ground of hope. Sometimes, too, as I have already hinted, they will take posses- sion of several of these refuges at the same time, expecting to make up by the others what is wanting in some of them. For example, they think themselves in a good measure excusable on account of their ignorance. But fearing to depend wholly on this, so far as they do know, they plead that they have good works to show, and bring them in aid of their ignorance. Not daring, however, to pretend to perfection of goodness, they hope God FALSE REFUGES UNSAFE. 335 will be merciful and overlook their imperfections. And still be- ing doubtful of this, they derive much ease and comfort from their inability. Thus they have a manifold ground of depen- dence ; and what is lacking in one part they expect will be sup- plied by another. But as every part is essentially deficient — is wholly a refuge of lies, the same is true of the whole taken to- gether. Before I leave this head, I cannot but observe, that often sin- ners pervert the most wholesome and important truths in order to quiet their consciences or justify themselves. When they are taught the total depravity of human nature, they own it perhaps, and make themselves easy on that subject by saying, " What can such poor, lost, depraved creatures do in religion ? surely nothing at all." When on the other hand they are exhorted to repent, and believe, and coujply with the gospel, they at once fly to the idea that they are not totally depraved, but have a good princi- ple within them, which they need but to cultivate to make them good enough. When they are shown, however, that none but the regenerate ever do or will comply with God's requirements, they quietly sit down in the idea that being unregenerate and having no power to comply, they are not therefore to be blamed. When, however, they are taught that they are to be blamed for not complying with the gospel, and that their inability is only and wholly voluntary, and of the moral kind, then they take courage, and flatter themselves that they have power enough, and can use it whenever they wish, and in this idea become self-sufficient and self-righteous ; and presuming on the future, neglect religion for the present. In this manner do sinners fly from one excuse to another and pervert the most wholesome truths of the gospel, in order to quiet their consciences and go on calmly and without remorse in the way that leads to hell. Amazing their folly ! As- tonishing their madness ! Besides these, I might mention several other false refuges of sinners under the gospel — such as the general custom, or the ex- ample of individuals ; a false conversion, wherein they have had great terrors, and then great comforts ; great zeal, but not accord- ing to knowledge ; inward suggestions and impulses, etc. But time does not permit me to enlarge on any of these, or on seve- ral others that I might mention. I rather hasten to close with some practical uses and reflections. And, 1. Let me entreat you, my hearers, carefully to examine your- selves in view oj this subject. You see something of what it is to betake yourselves to refuges of lies — refuges which God will sweep away. Apply, then, these general observations to your- 336 FALSE REFUGES UNSAFE. selves, feeling that they may have reference to your case. It is not for me to point out by name those who betake themselves to such false refuges. But you are to judge, in the light of God's truth, of your own characters, whether or not you are of this de- scription. Doubtless there are many such in the world ; — but who and where are they ? Are there none in our country and nation ? Are there not some in this place — in this house ? Why not here as well as anywhere else ? To suppose that we are so much better than those of any other place or community, would neither be consistent with reason, or christian humility, or even decent modesty. It is admitted by all to be a time of general ease and indifference as to spiritual things. What is the cause of it ? If men did but see and believe the truth, having at the same time no false refuge to quiet them, could they remain so listless and secure ? Would not the love of God melt, and the wrath of God make them tremble ? It is impossible but that it should be so. And so long as they are secure in sin, they have some refuge of lies by which they are lulled into this fearful drow- siness. And as this is the case with secure sinners in general, so it is undoubtedly the case with the secure sinners of this as- sembly— with every one of you who hear me this day who are out of Christ, and exposed to the danming curse of God's holy law, while yet you are unconcerned about it. I entreat you, therefore, to examine carefully and candidly what is your refuge — what your ground of confidence — what the cause of your pres- ent security and negligence of your everlasting interests ? Is it a pretence of ignorance, and want of satisfying information as to the truth ? Or is it the plea of innocence and good works ? Or is it your own inability, or the infinite grace and mercy of God ? Put these questions to yourselves, not in a hasty and careless manner, but seriously, deliberately, and with candid reflection upon your own temper and conduct. Remember that God is present with you while you are doing it. And if upon such an exami- nation you shall find that you are making a refuge of any or all of tiiese things, then, 2. Be exhorted at once to abandon them. Remember that they are refuges of lies, which will deceive you just in proportion as you put your confidence in them. You would not choose to be deceived as to your temporal affairs. Much less should you wish to be in affairs of infinite moment, in those that relate to the salvation of the soul. But these false refuges will deceive you to your eternal ruin. Or rather now they will not deceive you ; for so far as they have been made known to you, you can- not be deceived by thena. You now know what they are, and FALSE REFUGES UNSAFE. 337 what is your danger from them. If, then, you still will trust to them, you do it wilfully, against the light of your own minds, with your eyes open, and knowing what the consequences will be to yourselves. Consider, then, those consequences as they are ex- pressed in the strong and even terrible language of our text. " Tlie hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place." " As it was in the days of Noah, so shall the coming of the Son of Man be." In the days of Noah the waters overflowed the loftiest habitations of man, and even the peaks of the highest mountains, and swept the in- habitants of the world from all their refuges of supposed safety away to ruin and death. All the high places of the earth proved to them but refuges of lies. The waters also rolled themselves into all the caves and dens of the earth, and drowned those who had there taken refuge. " And as it was in the days of Lot, so shall the coming of the Son of Man be." The fire and brimstone which God rained down from heaven on the inhabitants of Sodom soon consumed or swept away their places of refuge, as though it had been by a deluge of liquid fire. And so shall all your vain hiding places and your false refuges be overflowed and swept away, and you too if you continue in them, in that dreadful storm of wrath and fiery indignation which God will pour down upon the wicked. What *hen will you do for a refuge — for a hiding place, when the universe is dissolved and the world is in flames? How will you then be amazed when you shall find your founda- tion giving way from beneath you — when you shall find by too late experience that all that was told you of false confidences and refuges of lies, was real truth ? How will you be vexed at your- selves, and at your madness in trusting to them, and that too when you were so clearly and fully warned of your danger? Deep must have been the vexation and self-reproaches of the old world, and the inhabitants of Sodom, at their own folly and mad- ness, when they found all the predictions of Noah and Lot veri- fied, and also found that though they had had sufficient opportu- nity to escape, yet now it was too late, and they must perish ! Cut far greater is the folly and madness of which you are guilty, in neglecting to escape from not a temporal death or deluge, but from the endless wrath and vengeance of God, which will not only sweep you away from all your false confidences, but will bury you in eternal death and wo, where their worm dieth not, and their fire is not quenched. Especially what consummate, what infinite folly and madness are you guilty of in trusting to any refuge of lies when a true and 29* 338 FALSE REFUGES UNSAFE. proper ^nd perfectly safe refuge is provided for you and freely offered to your acceptance. " Thus saith the Lord God, Behold I lay in Zion for a foundation, a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation ; he that believeth shall not make haste." Here is a sure and safe hiding place ; for God himself hath declared that " a man shall be a hiding place from the wind and a covert from the tempest, as rivers of waters in a dry place, and the shadow of a great rock in a weary land." Abandon, then, all false refuges, all vain hiding places, and come to this sure foundation, this refuge of safety. To it you are invited, and urged, and besought to flee, by the strongest and most persuasive motives that can be either exhibited or conceived. Yield then to those motives, and flee to this refuge that you may be safe for- ever. Or if you will not do this — if you will not abandon your false confidences and grounds of hope, at least let me obtain one thing of you. And that is, 3. That you will at least act an open and manly and decided part in this important affair. Confess openly that you do and that you mean to make lies your refuge, and under falsehood to hide yourselves. It is best to be open and explicit in our tem- poral affairs, and much more so in things that relate to eternity. By " a fair show in the flesh" you may indeed deceive men but you cannot deceive God. He knows your real character and temper and conduct as well without this confession as with it. Nothing, therefore, can be gained by concealment. On the other hand an open acknowledgment of the real truth may tend to strike conviction to your own consciences, to bring your charac- ters to your own view, and make you attend to your own hearts. In this view it may be of signal service to you, for it may waken and rouse you to flee from the wrath to come. Confess then openly and plainly that for the sake of present peace of conscience and to quiet the fears of God's wrath — that in order to gratify your carnal, covetous or ambitious desires you are resolved to lay hold of every plausible ground of hope of God's favor, or of fu- ture safety and felicity, and of every plausible excuse for your own impenitence and unbelief. Admit that you care not what the pretence or excuse is, if you can but persuade yourself that it is true, and can find in it present peace. Admit that you are re- solved to grasp the present world, and present comfort, no matter what becomes of the future ; that you are determined to secure your temporal interest, and to enjoy the pleasures of this life, whether in the future you inherit heaven or hell — whether you are saved or damned. Admit, in short, that for your part you will eat and FALSE REFUGES UNSAFE. 339 drink though tomorrow you die ; that you will say to your soul, " take thine ease, eat, drink and be merry," though it be at the hazard of hearing that awful voice from the heavens, " Thou fool ! this night thy soul shall be required ;" admit all this, and it might alarm you, and by God's grace it might rouse you to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. SERMON XXI. THE P.\RTING COi^IMENDATION.* Acts 20: S^. — And nou\ brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, ichich is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. In this chapter is an account of part of Paul's journey from Philippi to Jerusalem. Ephesus was in proconsular Asia. It was a place where the apostle had labored much, and where at one time he had spent two years, (ch. 19: 8 — 1 1.) He was the founder of the church there ; the spiritual father of its members. He had built them up and made them what they were. And now as he is going to Jerusalem, not knowing what was to befal him there ; as he could not visit Ephesus, he sends from Miletus, a sea-port near, for the elders of the Ephesian church to come and meet him. On their arrival he addresses them in a very af- fectionate and solemn manner in the farewell discourse of which our text is a part. He tells them in much tenderness that they shall see his face no more ; and then after advice on various points he leaves them with God in the language of our text. "And now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an in- heritance among all them which are sanctified." In dwelling on these words, I would show 1. What it is to commend to God, and to the word of his grace ; 2. What is pre- supposed in this ; 3. In what sense his word is able to build us up, and to give us an inheritance among them that are sanctified. I. What is it to commend to God, and to the word of his grace 1 1. What is it to commend to God 1 It is, * A farewell discourse to the church and society in New Haven, May 24, 1795. The body of this sermon, as far as the "Improvement," was left by the author iu the shape of brief notes. As these notes have been filled up only by the addition of the needful connecting words, the dis- course as here presented gives but an imperfect idea of what it nnist have been as originally delivered. The application was written out in full by the author. THE PARTING COMMENDATION. 341 (1) To leave with God. It is to leave the individual to his guidance and counsel, to his gracious teaching and to the influ- ence of his spirit. By his spirit he influences all good men. He restrains, animates and excites them to duty. He guards them from mistakes and temptations, from dishonoring his name, from sins of omission and of commission. All are liable to innumera- ble errors, to mistakes in judgment both through misinformation and depraved passions ; — are liable to the influence of corruption within ; and to constant and sore temptations from the world and the great adversary of the soul. And from all these things we need protection, and God is able and willing to render it to us. And to commend one to God, is to leave him with God for this end. Nor is this all. We not only need protection but to be ex- cited to duty ; to love God and his law, and Christ and his gos- pel ; to love the Lord our God with all our heart and our neigh- bor as ourselves ; to cherish the spirit of repentance, and humil- ity, and meekness, and gentleness, and all tlie christian graces. We also need to be incited to christian practice. It is not suffi- cient that we have the temper of Christ ; but we are to carry out that temper in our practice, and endeavor to do so perfectly. We should aim at entire obedience to the will of God. And for this holy practice, we need the influence of the Holy Spirit ; and to commend one to God is to leave him with God for this end, that he may obtain this influence to sanctify him for every good word and work. To commend one to God is also to leave him with God, that grace may be given him according to his day. It is to leave him with God in prosperity, that he may use it aright ; that he may not be lifted up with pride or vanity or ostentation, so as to per- vert his blessings to covetousness or any unhallowed ends ; but that he may use them with humility, with a feeling sense of his dependence, with devout gratitude, acknowledging God in them all, and ever remembering his accountability, and that with all he has he is bound to do good as the steward and servant of Christ. It is also to commend him to God's grace in adversity, that he may be supported ; that he may neither faint nor be stu- pid under the divine dealings ; that he may neither murmur nor despise the chastening of the Lord, but receive it as the disciplme of a wise and tender parent. And in general it is to leave with God, that in all circumstances of life, whatsoever they may be, his grace may be according to our need. (2) To commend others to God, is also to pray to God for them according to their circumstances and necessities. It is to 342 THE PARTING COMMENDATION. offer earnest prayer for them that they may be kept from all evil and excited to all good ; that they may be kept from dishonoring God, from bringing reproach to his name or injury to his cause. It is to pray that they may be excited to the exercise of every christian temper and the practice of every christian duty, so as in all things to adorn the doctrine of God our Savior. These two things, then, seem mainly to be implied in commending a person to God ; that we commit him in confidence to the divine keeping and guidance, and that by earnest prayer we ask for him all need- ed grace and blessing, for all the circumstances of life. 2. What is it to commend a person to the word of God's grace 1 It is, (1) Earnesdy to recommend to him a firm belief of the gos- pel. This is the word of his grace ; the word that reveals and teaches his grace, and that freely offers it to all. And this word must be believed, if we would derive from it any spiritual bene- fit. (2) It is to recommend an habitual attention to the gospel. It is to urge to the daily and serious perusal of it, and to a faith- ful attendance on all the means of grace, in which it is expound- ed and made plain. (3) It is to recommend a cordial complacency in the gospel. This is essential. If any man love not our Lord Jesus Christ, he must be anathema — accursed. Any faith that does not lead to this, is but a dead faith. (4) It is to recommend a practice according to the gospel. We must be not only hearers of the word but doers. (5) It is to recommend a persevering adherence to the gos- pel ; to all its doctrines and all its precepts. It is only by con- tinuance in well doing that we can secure to ourselves glory and honor and immortality ; only by being faithful unto death that we shall receive a crown of life. II. What is presupposed in commending a person to God and to the word of his grace ? It presupposes that we are entirely dependent on God ; that we are not sufficient for ourselves. We are dependent on him to pre- serve and protect, to excite and animate, in our faith and our prac- tice. We ever need the assisting grace of God that we may be faithful and accepted in duty. Difficulties and dangers are about us, and we need to be guided and kept and saved from them. Siimers are not awakened and converted, and there is danger that many of them may never be. Christians have declined in spirituality, and grown cold and formal, and by falling into temp- tation and inconsistency have dishonored the cause of Christ. THE PARTING COMMENDATION. 343 The church is not free from danger ; danger of divisions and er- rors and general coldness and backsliding. And in all these re- spects we are dependent on God to keep us by his mighty power through faith unto salvation. This is the foundation — the ground of necessity for commending ourselves to God and to the word of his grace. III. In what sense is the word of divine grace able to build us up, and give us an inheritance among all them that are sanctified 1 1. It is adapted to build us up. By the word of grace is meant the gospel. This is adapted to our edification. It is fitted to instruct and animate, and excite to every grace ; to lead us to repentance and faith in Christ, to hnmility and love and joy, to meekness and gentleness, and all the graces of the spirit. Its truths and facts and promises, its invitations and warnings, all the views which it presents of Christ and of eternity, are adapted to produce this effect upon us. And, 2. God has promised they shall have this effect on those who receive and improve them. " Then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord." And of the servant that wisely improved his Lord's money it is said, " To him that hath shall be given." Edification, then, is inseparably connected with a due improve- ment of the word. In the same senses is the gospel, as applied by the Holy Spirit, able to give us an inheritance among them that are sanctified. It is adapted to produce these effects that are found in the sanc- tified, and to which their inheritance \s promised ; so that if we comply with it, and faithfully improve it, we shall have a title, through divine grace to that inheritance, and finally be received to enjoy it forever. IMPROVEMENT. It now remains that I make the application of this subject to the present important and solemn occasion. You, brethren, and I, have long been united in a most intimate and tender and so- lemn relation. It is twenty-six years, last January, since I was constituted your pastor. Among you I have spent my youth and the vigor of my life. We have been together in joy and sorrow. I have endeavored to be faithful to you as a minister of the New Testament, and you I would hope have endeavored to improve my ministry. At length, God, in his wise providence, has so dis- posed events that the relation between us is dissolved. And I could think of no more proper words from which to address you in this my farewell discourse than those of our text. I could 344 THE PARTING COMMENDATION. think of nothing that more truly expresses the feelings of my heart than these words of the apostle. " And now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified." A christian pastor leaving his peo- ple, ought certainly to leave them with God and with the word of his grace ; earnestly to pray to God for them, and to recom- mend them to go to God for every needed good. And this, brethren, I most cordially and solemnly do for you. It is an agreeable circumstance that our separation has been attended with so much calmness and moderation. To have sep- arated in any other manner would have been very unsuitable to the character of christians which, before God and men, we have assumed. Let us still observe the same line of conduct and per- severe in it. This church have unanimously voted me " their thanks for all the good they have experienced by my ministry ; the assurance of their brotherly love and high respect for me, and of their prayers for the success of my future ministry." And on my part, I have " thanked them for all their expressions of kindness to me during my ministry among them, and have as- sured them of my brotherly love and respect for them, and of my prayers for their future prosperity." This is truly commending each other to God and the word of his grace. May his bless- ing and his grace ever be with us. As it has been my duty for so many years to give you such in- struction and advice as appeared to be founded in truth and pro- fitable to you, so it is now highly proper that I should continue to give similar advice in this my farewell discourse. You, brethren of this church and society, have from the begin- ning professed to believe the great distinguishing doctrines of free grace. This has been your glory. Let me beseech you to per- severe in tiie same faith and [)rofession, and to hold fast the form of sound words once delivered to the saints. These are limes of degeneracy. Corrupt principles and practices amazingly prevail in our land. Even gross infidelity lifts up its head among us, and much more other loose and most dangerous principles. I entreat you to be on your guard against them. The church is the pillar and ground of the truth. Let this church ever be, and ever appear to be a firm pillar and ground of the truth in this place. For this end let it guard against the first encroachments of error and false doctrine. It is much easier to withstand the entrance of these, than to eradicate them after they have once taken root. And consider how dishonorable as well as ruinous it will be, for you to give up these essential evangelical truths, THE PARTING COMMENDATION. 345 on which you have hitherto been established. Be faithful, too, as a churcli to the obedience of the faith. Live yourselves so as to be lights in the world, so as to be epistles of Christ known and read of all men. Let your light so shine before men, that they shall be led to glorify your Father which is in heaven. As indi- vidual professors be holy ; and as a church keep yourselves pure, by being careful in the admission of members, and if need be by wholesome discipline. Another advice proper to this occasion, is, that which Joseph gave to his brethren after he had made himself known to them. " See that ye fall not out by the way." Divisions in churches and societies are exceedingly common in these days. How many congregations have been by division broken up and destroyed ! Diversity of sentiments concerning doctrine and discipline is the common cause of ecclesiastical divisions. But if you, brethren, hold fast to the sound doctrines of your fathers, you will not be divided by this cause. Private views, ambitious projects, resent- ment of real or supposed injuries or abuses, are the sources of di- vision. I hope, brethren, you will diligently guard yourselves against them, and against everything tending to mar the peace and prosperity of the church. Let me further exhort you, not only to hold the truth, but to hold it in the love and in active obedience of it. To love and to obey the truth are as necessary as to believe it. Indeed that be- lief of it which implies love and a disposition to obey, is the only belief to which all the promises of the gospel are made. There- fore cultivate this faitii in your own souls with all diligence and prayer to God. Enjoin it too upon your children and the rising generation, that when you shall have gone to your rest, they may be prepared to fill your places in this as well as in other respects. The rising generation is the hope of the flock. If they be suf- fered to grow up in loose principles and practices, it will be no wonder if religion both in practice and profession decline among you. If on the other hand you that are parents do what in you lies to teach and inculcate on your children good principles, good affections and good practices, exhibiting yourselves proper exam- ples, and attending all with your fervent prayers to the fatlier of mercies that he would crown your exertions with his blessing and grace, you have many and great encouragements that it shall not be in vain. Having thus addressed you all as a church in gene- ral, I would now conclude with an application to several classes of persons in particular. 1 . To the church of Christ in this place. This church is a city set on a hill. It stands in a conspicuous place, easily seen Vol. n. 30 346 THE PARTING COMMENDATION. and actually observed. Your professed attachment to the doc- trines of grace, has rendered you more abundantly the objects of observation. It concerns you therefore on this account to act a consistent and uniform part. If you, brethren, should betray your principles and renounce your former purity in doctrine and dis- cipline, what a wound would you give to the cause of truth ; what a dishonor to yourselves ; what an occasion of grief to all the friends of Jesus, and of exultation and triumph to the enemies of the cross ! Wherefore take heed to yourselves and your whole christian conduct, both as a church and as individuals. In so doing you will adorn the doctrine of God your Savior, and after my departure from you I shall still have the joy of hearing that you are walking in the truth. 2. Let me address those who are not professors of 7'eligion, There are many such in this society. You have not yet seen fit to come forward and confess Christ before men by an explicit confession of the gospel, and by publicly entering into covenant with him. Some of you may stand thus at a distance from mere scruples as to your preparation, and others from an apprehension but to well founded that you are not at all prepared. As to the former of these classes, it becomes them to endeavor to have their scruples removed by the evidence of the truth, and then openly to confess Christ agreeably to his own positive directions. As to those who are really unprepared for the seals of the covenant, they ought to remember that their want of preparation is their own sin, and therefore will never justify them in the sight of God. It is the indispensable duty of all to become prepared, and then to make an open confession to the world that they have chosen the Lord as their God and Christ as their Savior. And till they do this they are inexcusable in the sight of God. And now that I am about to close my ministry here and to leave you who are of this class, it is affecting to think that I leave you in this state, unprepared for the Lord's supper, and therefore unfitted for death and heaven. May God, of his infinite mercy, have pity on yon, and awake and convert you, and thus prepare you for his ordi- nances here, and for heaven hereafter. 3. T would also address myself to all who are careless sinners. Of these there are several descriptions. Some are grossly im- moral ; others are moral. Some neglect the means of grace and ordinances of worship ; others attend on these ordinances. But all are careless and secure in their Christless state. And now that I am about to leave this people, so long under my charge, it is melancholy and affecting to leave any of you still without God and without hope ; to leave you in a world that is full of temptations and snares that may entangle and destroy your souls. THE PARTING COMMENDATION. 347 But to leave so many of you careless and unaffected with your situation, with your deep guilt and exposure to God's wrath, is still more sad and grievous. O ! let me beseech you in all the earnestness and tenderness of this our parting hour, as I have often done in time past, to awake from these your dangerous slumbers lest soon it be forever too late. By the value of your souls and the alarming danger of their eternal loss, awake ye who are thus sleeping and arise from the dead that Christ may give you life. 4. I would address those of you ivho are thoughtful and anxiouslij inquiring the way of salvation. It is a token for good that there are some such among us. It shows that God has not entirely forsaken us. May he greatly increase the num- ber of such, and bring their awakenings to a saving issue. In tiie mean liiue let me beseech those of you who are the subjects of such awakenings to take heed that you resist not and quench not the Holy Sj)irit of God which is striving with you. En- courage his inrtuences, and comply with his dictates. Hear, that your souls may live. Do this, and God will make an everlast- ing covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. But if you diaw back, God shall have no pleasure in you, and you will make your perdition sure. 5. In the last place I would address in a few words this whole society. As already observed, we have been connected as min- ister and people for more than six and twenty years. How I have discharged my duty in this important relation, and how you have improved under my ministry, it does not become me to declare. But God is our common judge. Before him we are all soon to stand, and render our account. I must answer whether I have faithfully delivered the truth as it is in Jesus, and declared the whole counsel of God ; and you must answer whether you have received and loved and obeyed the truth which has been delivered to you. May those of you who have profited by the truth, profit still more and more. May those who have not, yet profit by it in future. And may God provide for your future instruction and spiritual good, such means as may have the most direct and powerful tendency to lead you all to himself. Particularly may he provide for you a pastor after Iiis own heart, who shall be abundantly qualified for the duties of the ministry among you, and who by the influence of the Holy Spirit co-op- erating with his labors, shall be abundantly successful in win- ning souls to Christ. '• Finally, brethren, farewell I Be perfect ; be of good comfort ; be of one mind ; live in peace ; and the God of love and peace shall be with you. Amen !" SERMON XXII. GOD THE AUTHOR OF ALL GOOD VOLITIONS AND ACTIONS.* Philippians 2 : 13. — // is God which ivorhdh in you bolh to ivill and to do of his good pleasure. The gospel is a scheme of salvation on certain conditions. These are reconciliation to God, repentance of sin, and cordial faith in Christ as an atoning Redeemer. But how are we to at- tain to these christian graces ? Our text informs us. " It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." From these words I propose to show, 1. That God is the au- thor of all our good dispositions ; " he worketh in us to will ;" 2. That he is the author of all our good actions ; " he worketh in us to f/o;" and 3. That both these are the effects of his sov- ereign grace ; " of his good pleasure.^^ I. God luorks in us " to will," and is the author of all good dispositions. This is abundant!}' taught in the sacred scriptures. 2 Cor. 3: 5, " Not that we are sufficient of ourselves, to think anything as of ourselves ; but our sufficiency is of God." Heb. 13: 20, 21, " Now the God of grace make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is- well pleasing in his sight," etc. 1 Pet. 5: 10, " But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Jesus Christ, after that ye have suffered awhile, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you." John 15: 5, "He that abideth in me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do noth- ing." James 1: 17, " Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." 1 Cor. 15: 10, " By the grace of God, I am what I am : and his grace which was bestowed upon me, was not in vain ; but I labored more abundantly than they all ; yet not I, but tlie grace of God, which was with me." Again, all morally good dispositions are implanted in the heart * First preached before the General Association of Connecticut, 1794. GOD THE AUTHOR OF ALL GOOD, ETC. 349 in regeneration. For naturally all men are wholly indisposed to the love and service of God, and to the exercise and practice of true religion, in which compliance with the gospel consists. In r<;generation the heart is reconciled to God, to his character, to his will, to his law, to his government, to his sovereign grace, and to the conditions of salvation revealed in the gospel. It also be- comes disposed to love mankind in general with sincere benevo- lence, and true christians with both benevolence and complacen- cy. Thus it is disposed to all virtue and all piety. But regene- ration is the work of God. John 1: 12, 13, " But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name ; which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man ; but of God." Thus God works in us to will. II. God also works in us " to do,'''' and is the author of all good actions. To do, in the sense of this passage, is something more than to will. It is not mere mental, but external doing. All right ex- ternal conduct implies a good heart, or will ; but not every de- gree of goodness of heart is sufficient to lead to general external, obedience. Some higher and peculiar degree of goodness of heart and temper is necessary to this. And this higher degree of good- ness of heart is from God. As he gives the lowest, so he does the highest ; and such a degree whether it be the highest or not, as will lead to sincere christian obedience. He that begins a good work, nmst carry it on in all its steps. " Paul rhay plant, and A polios water, but God must give the increase." III. These are the effects of God's sovereign grace ; the ef- fects of his good pleasure." Here it may be proper to explain what we mean by the divine sovereignty. 1. We mean that God is absolutely supreme and uncontrolled. This must needs be the case, as he is omnipotent, and without a superior. To suppose that he is under control, is to suppose he is not the supreme being ; but that he by whom he is controlled is superior to him. Dan. 4: 35, " None can stay his hand, or say unto him, what doest thou ?" 2. The sovereignty of God implies that he ever acts as he pleases. Ps. 135: 6, '• Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he, in iieaven and in earth, in the seas and all deep places." 3. That the sovereignty of God does not imply, that he acts arbitrarily. This is the erroneous and groundless construction which some give of the divine sovereignty : that God acts as he pleases, merely because he pleases or wills to do so ; and not be- 30* 350 GOD THE AUTHOR OF cause it is the dictate of wisdom and according to eternal right. But such an idea of sovereignty is dishonoring to God. Though he always does what pleases him, yet he always pleases to do what wisdom dictates and what is subservient to the general good of the moral system ; and this is always right and best, is always perfectly wise and benevolent, and directly subservient to the most glorious and important ends. This sovereignty is exercised by God, in working in some of mankind both to will and to do ; in working in them powerfully and effectually as he pleases and on whom he pleases, and yet wisely and benevolently. I am well aware that to this doctrine of the sovereign and ef- ficacious grace of God, several objections have been raised. Let us consider some of these, that if they appear to have sufficient weight, we may, as in that case we ought to do, reject the doc- trine ; but if not, that we may be the more firmly established in the belief of it. 1. It is objected, that if God work in us all good dispositions of heart and actions of life, this destroys our agency ; that on this plan we do nothing, but God does all ; that all our actions are the mere actions of God, and that we are no agents at all but mere patients. To this I answer, that these consequences by no means follow from our doctrine. Though God work in us both to will and to do, yet we are agents and do act. This is express- ly taught in our context taken with the text. " Work out your own salvation, with fear and trembling ; for it is God which work- eth in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." There- fore though God work all in us, yet we do work out our own sal- vation. This is perfectly agreeable to reason as well as to scrip- ture. If God do produce holy exercises and acts in us, still they are our acts, as much so as those thoughts which God excites in us are our thoughts ; and we might as well say that those thoughts are not ours, but the thoughts of the divine mind, as to say that those volitions which God produces in us are not our acts, but the acts of God. If God excite in any man, evangelical repen- tance and godly sorrow for sin, will it be pretended that it is not the repentance and sorrow of the man in whose mind they are excited, but the repentance and sorrow of the divine mind ? And if God produce in a man that faith which is his gift, whereby the man trusts in Christ as his Savior, will it be pretended that this trust is not the trust of the man, but an act in which God him- self trusts in Christ as his Savior ? Such is the absurdity into which this objection plunges the objector. Such is the absurdity of supposing that an act caused by the Deity in us, is not our .own act, but the act of him who caused it. ALL GOOD VOLITIONS AND ACTIONS. 351 In further answer to this objection, it may be useful to consid- er wluit is an action and what an agent. If we establish the true idea of these, it will immediately appear whether we are agents, and whether we act or do anything, or whether we are mere pa- tients. Those who make this objection mean by aciion a self- determinate action, of which we are the sole efficient causes. And by agent, they mean one who acts thus self-determinately, and sets himself to action by his own efficiency. Now if this be the true idea of action and agent, I grant that any emotion pro- duced in us by God is not our action, and that in such emotion we are not agents. For it is absurd and contradictory, that an emotion should be the sole effect of God, and yet the sole effect of ourselves ; or that in that emotion we should be entirely self- moved and determined by our own efficiency, and yet tiiat we should be moved and determined by a divine efficiency. But I deny that this is the true idea of an action and of an agent. A self-determinate action is an absurdity and an impossibility. It runs into an infinite series of actions determining or causing one another. The present volition, for example, of any man's mind, must be caused by a preceding volition ; and that preced- ing volition must, for the same reason, be caused by another pre- ceding that, and that by another, and so on forever, or at least until you arrive at the first volition of which the man was ever the subject ; and that by the supposition being the first, cannot have been caused by a preceding volition of that man, and there- fore is not self-determined, and according to the forementioned definition is no action. And for the same reason, all the subse- quent volitions arising from this as its cause, being not self-deter- minate, are no actions. Therefore this scheme confutes itself; for though it assumes to be the only scheme which admits of ac- tion and agency in man, yet it really excludes all action and agen- cy from us. Another absurdity attending this idea of action and agency is, that though it is sui)posed that the mind causes one volition by another, and that the causing volition is distinct from the caused volition, still it will be found that they in fact are not distinct from each other, but really coincide, and are one and the same. Let us take as an example this, that a man determines himself to read a cliapter in tlie bible. In the first place he determines or chooses to read the chapter. But this choice is caused by a pre- ceding choice. Therefore he chooses to choose to read the chap- ter. But what is this beside a barely choosing to read it ? It is manifestly nothing different from it, but is the very same thing ; and after all this parade of our choice causing or choosing ano- 352 GOD THE AUTHOR OF iher, there is nothing but a bare choice, or determination to read the chapter. Let us take another example. Suppose a man de- termines himself to love God. He does it by choosing to love him ; that is he chooses to love God before he loves him, and thus causes the love of God in his own heart. But this choos- ing to love God is no other than actually loving him, and cannot be distinguished from it. In whatever sense, and from whatev- er motive a man chooses to love God, in the same sense, and from the same motive, in some degree at least, he actually does love him. But I need not multiply examples. Another absurdity attending this supposition, that a man caus- es his own volitions, is, that he causes them without motive and without design, and therefore blindly, and by mere chance. The advocates for the self-determining power, universally oppose and reject the idea that we are influenced by motives, and suppose it to be as inconsistent with human agency and action, as the doc- trine of a divine influence working in us all good dispositions and actions. Therefore it would be inconsistent in them to allow that we exercise the self-determining power under the influence of motives. Such a self-determination as this, is no self-deter- mination at all, but a determination by motives. Self-determin- ation therefore is, in its very nature, a determination without mo- tive ; and a determination without motive, is a determination without design ; and a determination without design, is a deter- mination in the dark, or a blind determination, a determination at hap-hazard and by mere chance. And such an action as this is neither virtuous nor vicious ; and is worthy of neither praise nor blame. If it be said that the mind does indeed determine itself in ev- ery act, and is the efficient cause of its own volitions, but not by a preceding volition, then the inquiry will arise, " How then does it efficiently cause its own volitions ?" If it cause them by an act of the will, it causes them by a preceding volition. If it cause them not by an act of the will, it does not cause them vol- untarily ; and it will not be pretended that a man acts, or is an agent in causing or doing anything involuntarily, and without his will. As to that part of the objection which states, that if God work all good dispositions and actions in us we are mere patients and not agents, it may be observed that our good dispositions and ac- tions either have a cause, or they have no cause. If they have a cause, that cause is either ourselves or one extrinsic to ourselves. It cannot be ourselves, for the reasons already given. It must therefore be an extrinsic cause. If they have no cause at all, ALL GOOD VOLITIONS AND ACTIONS. 353 we are no more the cause of them than we are on the supposi- tion that they are the effect of an extrinsic cause. And conse- quently if agency consists in causing our actions internal as well as external, we are no more agents on the supposition that our volitions came into existence without a cause, than we arc on the supposition that they are the effect of an extrinsic cause. Besides the advocates for that kind of agency which I am opposing will not pretend that our volitions came into existence without any cause, and by mere chance. Tt remains therefore, as they would avoid the forementioned absurdities attendiiig the supposition that our volitions are the ef- fects of our own efficiency ; that they allow that they are the ef- fects of an extrinsic cause ; and this extrinsic cause may, as con- sistently with our agency, be the Deity as any other. Nor is there any difficulty in allowing tliis, if we have just ideas of action and agency ? The true idea of internal or mental ac- tion is, that it consists in volition or voluntary emotion ; and of external action, that it is an action of the body proceeding from volition. Now this being the true idea of an action there is no difficulty in allowing that it may be the effect of some extrinsic cause. A volition is a volition, let it be the effect of what it may, whether of an intrinsic, or an extrinsic cause. And as a volition may be the effect of an extrinsic cause, so may an action be; for every volition is an action. As to that part of the objection which represents that we are mere patients in volition if it be produced by an extrinsic cause, I observe ; that though we are patients in that we are the sub- jects of the operation of the cause which produces volition, yet we are active in the volition itself; just as a body which is acted upon by another body, and thus set in motion, is a patient, in that it is acted upon by that body, but in the motion which is the im- mediate effect, it is active. If it should be still urged, that a volition produced by an ex- trinsic cause is no action at all, because it is not produced by the man whose volition it is ; this would be a shameful begging of the question. It would be taking it for granted, that an action in its very nature is and must be self-determinate, which is the very thing in dispute. 2. Another objection to our doctrine is, that if God work all good dispositions and actions in us, we are not free, and that our liberty is infiinged and destroyed. How can we be free in our volitions and actions, it is asked, if God make us to will and to do those actions ? 354 GOD THE AUTHOR OF The answer to this objection depends on what we mean by freedom or hberty. If we mean by freedom of action, willing- ness, and by a free action a voluntary action ; in this sense, we may be entirely free, though our actions, internal or external, be caused by the Deity. According to scripture, God does cause in us a willing mind. Psalm 110: 3, " Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power." This willing mind is free action. Therefore the divine operation does not destroy free action, but causes and secures it ; and the more efficaciously it causes the willing mind or volition, the more certainly and infallibly is our freedom established. To imagine that if God cause our volitions, which are free acts, we are not free, is just as absurd as to ima- gine that if God make a wall white it is certainly not white but black ; or to imagine that if God create a man he certainly is not a man, but a block. I am very sensible that the idea and definition of free action, now given, will be disputed by some. They will tell us a voli- tion is not a free action, merely because it is a volition ; but that in order to be free it must be self-determinate and self-originated, and that the subject of the volition, in becoming the subject of it, must be exempted from all extrinsic causality, and produce the volition by his own efficiency only. But this immediately plunges us into all the absurdities mentioned under the former head of action and agency. These absurdities are, (1) That either every free volition is the effect of an infinite series of volitions causing each other, and therefore every man must have existed from eternity, else he could not have been the subject of such an infinite series ; or every free volition is the ef- fect of a series of volitions extending to the beginning of his exis- tence, or to his first volition at least. But as this first volition cannot be the effect of a preceding volition, it cannot according to the idea of freedom now under consideration, be free. And this first volition which is not determined by the man who is the sub- ject of it, determines all the rest of the series ; so that all the rest are really determined by the same cause which determines the first, and therefore are none of them self-determinate, and none of them free in the sense now under consideration. (2) As all the series of volitions preceding the present one or any supposed one of the series, are really not distinct from the supposed one, but the same with it, it follows that another ab- surdity attending the idea of liberty now opposed is this : that one and the same thing is supposed to be distinct from itself and • the cause of itself. And another is, that all our free volitions are on this supposition without motive or design, and merely by ALL GOOD VOLITIONS AND ACTIONS. 355 chance. So the idea that a volition in order to be free, must be self-determinate is replete with absurdity, and is incapable of vin- dication ; it must therefore be relinquished. The advocates of it, may be, as they have been, challeni^ed to vindicate and clear it of the palpable absurdities and contradictions which attend it. Freedom or liberty is an exemption from something, some in- cumbrance, obstruction, or compelling power. The only ques- tion is, what that is from which liberty, mental liberty is an ex- emption ? As I have already observed, some hold that it is an exemption from all extrinsic influence or causality, and therefore the person who is free, causes his own actions external and inter- nal. I need not further enlarge on this idea of liberty as I have already made some observations upon it. But if those who hold that liberty implies an exemption from all extrinsic causality, do not mean that a free action is caused by ourselves, they must mean that it is caused by nothing, or has no cause. Every volition has a cause, or has no cause. If it have a cause, that cause is either extrinsic to the person whose volition it is, or he himself is the cause of it. Those w'ho oppose us on this subject — utterly deny that it is the effect of an extrinsic cause. And that it is not the effect of the person himself whose volition it is, I have endeavored to show by the absurdities and contradictions attend- ing that supposition ; and how far this confutation is valid, I sub- mit to all candid judges, and even challenge our opponents to show the invalidity of it. If it be valid, then it remains that vo- lition has no cause at all, but springs up out of nothing, by mere chance. Whoever espouses this idea of liberty, must reject all arguing of causes from effects, and particularly must reject the proof ofthe existence of a first cause, from the existence of the visible world, its inhabitants, or any events which have taken place, or may take place in it. Besides, what desirable freedom is there in having volitions take place in our minds by mere cliance ? Is there a greater or a more desirable freedom in this, than in having those same voli- tions take place by the influence of some extrinsic and wise cause ? We should in the former case, no more be the cause of, and have no more control over them than in the latter. Yet this is the only freedom which there can be, if freedom be inconsis- tent with extrinsic influence and cafisality. For beside the ab- surdities before observed to be necessarily implied in causing our ovrn internal acts, if it should be allowed that we do cause them, it must also be allowed that we cause them by mere chance. For if we cause them according to any established order, under any superior influence, and in any definite way and manner, 356 GOD THE AUTHOR OF there would be a limitation of our wills and of their acts, and consequently there would be no liberty to either side, no liberty to act or not act ; which all hold who hold that extrinsic causal- ity is inconsistent with liberty. If we cause our own volitions, we cause them either according to a certain established order, or by mere chance. If we cause them according to any established order, that order was doubtless estabiislied by some superior be- ing, and of course that superior being limits, restrains, and really causes our volitions to be what they are, and thus this hypothesis necessarily leads to an extrinsic cause of all our volitions. If on the other hand we cause them ourselves, by mere chance, then the act or acts by which we cause them take place by mere chance, and consequently the acts caused and the whole of our volitions, take place by mere chance. If the cause of the act be accidental, the efTect too is accidental. And what a glorious state of liberty is this ! To be driven, like a feather in the wind, or rather like one of Epicurus' atoms in the infinite void ! The true idea of moral liberty, therefore, cannot be an ex- emption from all extrinsic causality of our actions ; but it consists in exemption from all involuntary compulsion and restraint ; that is, from that compulsion and restraint to which the will is, or may be opposed. But the will is not, nor can be opposed to itself, or to its own acts. It cannot will, and not will at the same time, and in the same respect. It cannot have a volition, and not have it. Therefore every volition is in its own nature necessarily exemp- ted from involuntary compulsion and restraint, and of course it is, and must be free. Tliis idea of liberty is directly opposed to that which places it in self-determination, and contingence or chance ; nor is there any medium between these two. They who arc convinced that the latter is absurd and indefensible, must receive the former ; as they who do not receive the former, do, and must receive the latter. Some profess to believe both human liberty, and the doctrine of divine universal influence taught in our text. At the same time they profess not to be able to reconcile them, or see their mutual consistency. But the truth is, that if human liberty con- sists in exemption from extrinsic influence and causality, it is im- possible to reconcile it with the divine agency working in us both to will and to do ; and to believe both this influence, and this kind of liberty, is to believe both parts of a direct contradiction. But if liberty consist in an exemption from that compulsion to which will is or may be opposed, there is not the least inconsis- tency, between that and a divine causation of our volitions. Vo- ALL GOOD VOLITIONS AND ACTIONS. 357 litions are incapable of compulsion. A compelled volition, would be an involuntary volition, which is a contradiction. Every voli- tion therefore is necessarily free, however the volition came into existence, whether by a divine influence, or in whatever way. And the whole difficulty of reconciling human liberty with di- vine efficacious influence, and also with the divine decrees, de- pends upon the definition which we give of human liberty. In- deed upon this depends the so great, and so long agitated dispute concerning human liberty. Let human liberty be defined, and the whole dispute will soon be settled. If it be defined to con- sist in an exemption from all extrinsic influence and causality, the advocates for this liberty may soon be compelled, it is conceived, to own that we are not free. If it be defined to consist in ex- emption from involuntary compulsion and restraint, all will allow that in this sense we are free. 3. It is objected that if God work in us both to will and to do, and we be dependent on his aid for all moral good, ive are not accountable, and are not rewardable, or punishable for any of our conduct. This objection is really one, though it seems to divide itself into two. To be accountable, and to be rewardable or pun- ishable as our conduct may be, is the same thing. Now it is pleaded that we are not rewardable or punishable for any of our actions external or internal, unless we be the efficient cause of them. But that we should be the efficient cause of our own vo- litions is replete with absurdity, as I have already endeavored to show. This therefore is not necessary to reward or punishment. An absurdity or impossibility cannot be necessary to these. Nor is it necessary to either of these, that we act by chance ; and that it be previously uncertain what our actions shall be. A man may be rewardable for one action, and punishable for another, though in both instances it was previously certain in reality, and certainly known too, what his actions would be. It is granted on all hands, that God certainly foreknows all events and all human actions, and therefore they are both certain and known to be so, yet it is not pretended that on this account those actions are neither reward- able nor punishable. This objection is built oh a wrong idea of what constitutes an action rewardable, or punishable, viz. this : that the subject of that action is the efficient cause of it. No intelligent being, either God or creature, is the efficient cause of his own mejital ac- tions. If God were the efficient cause of his own volitions, he would be mutable. To effect a volition is to excite it, and the volition in this case is a creature. But a creature necessarily be- gins its existence in time, and cannot have existed from eternity. Vol. II. 31 358 GOD THE AUTHOR OF Therefore if God have effected any volition in his own mind, that volition has had its beginning in time, and therefore implies a change in God. Neither, for reaso'.is already given can any creature be the ef- ficient cause of volitions in himself. Therefore there is no such thing in nature, as an intelligent mind efficiently causing voli- tions in itself. This then cannot be the ground of reward or pun- ishment. The true ground of these, seems to be this, that a rational volun- tary action tends to good, or to evil. When a man in the exercise of his reason, voluntarily and designedly performs an action which tends in its nature to the general good, or to good on the whole, and with a design to do good, he is rewardable. And on the other hand, when in the exercise of his reason he voluntarily per- forms an action whicii tends, and which he knows, or might know tends to the general detriment, or to evil on the whole, he is pun- ishable. And therefore a man in the exercise of his reason, act- ing voluntarily is accountable for his conduct ; and this is all that is necessary to accountableness. It is right and reasonable, that such a man should be rewarded or punished as his conduct may be, because all the good ends of reward and punishment may be obtained in such a case. One end of reward in many cases is to encourage the man rewarded to proceed in good conduct. This end may be obtained by rewarding the man I have descri- bed. Being under the government of motives, reward will natu- rally operate as a motive, and persuade him to continue and pro- ceed in well doing. Another end is to encourage others to do well ; and reward in the instance now described, manifestly has a tendency to this. The ends of punishing are correspondent to those of rewarding, viz. : to restrain the subject of the punish- ment, or others from evil conduct. And I need not observe that punishment in the case before described naturally subserves both these ends. Therefore there is no foundation to say that unless a man be the efficient cause of his own volitions, there is no rea- son or propriety, in either rewarding or punishing him. Having now finished what I proposed from this text, I shall conclude with some inferences. ]. Hence we learn the extent of our dependence on God. Some suppose we are dependent for our creation and for our pre- servation, but not for our common actions ; that God upholds our being and our faculties, but that we exercise these faculties of ourselves, without any other divine influence than what is im- plied in his upholding us. But this seems to be contradicted by the text, as well as by all that has come up to our view in con- ALL GOOD VOLITIONS AND ACTIONS. 359 sideling the doctrine taught by it. Our text and its doctrine teach us, that we are dependent on a divine influence for every good action, external or internal, as well as for the preservation of our faculties. Therefore sinners are dependent on God to re- new and sanctify their hearts ; and saints are dependent on him, to uphold, strengthen and edify them. Nor can tliey any more make progress in the christian life without the influence of God, than they can first begin this life. To God, therefore, we must all look for grace to help in every time of need. 2. We see that it is no ground of luonder, that the sacred scriptures teach the doctrine of the new birth ; tliat they de- clare in peremptory terms, " Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of heaven ;" and " except we be conver- ted, and become as little children, we cannot enter into the king- dom of God." .3. Hence we see how foolish, and stupid they are, who live at ease without having experienced the new birth. To do this is to be at ease in a state of the most imminent danger, exposed at any moment to the endless wrath of God. 4. Hence we infer, that if any man be not a real christian it is wholly his own fault, and that he is entirely and solely to be blamed ibr it. If we be free and accountable creatures, if we be justly blamable for all tliose voluntary actions, both external and internal which we perform in the possession and exer- cise of our reason, and which tend not to the general good ; then it is wholly a man's own f\iult, that he lives in alienation from God, and in impenitence and unbelief. And although many, on the ground of their inability to repent and believe, may, in their own apprehensions, excuse themselves for living in this state, yet in reality they are utterly inexcusable ; as inexcusable as the drunkard in his intemperance ; as the indolent in his idle- ness ; or as the malicious in his revenge. Therefore let the wicked, the unconverted, the unregenerate, in view of this their inexcusable sinfulness, humble themselves before God in deep abasement ; let them repent of this their wick- edness, and fly to the blood of the atonement, and for the sake of that pray God that all the wicked thoughts and afl^ectionsof their hearts, and the wicked fruits thereof in their lives may be forgiv- en them. 5. It is solely the fault of christians that they make so little proficiency in the christian life. It is common for christians to complain that they have so little grace in exercise, that they are so dead, dull and lifeless, and that they have so little evidence from sanctification, of their christian character and privileges. 360 GOD THE AUTHOR OF ALL GOOD, ETC. Of these things they often complain, not in the humble strains of real repentance, but sometimes with a degree of peevishness, and oftener in a way of self-justification, pleading that they have not the influences of the spirit and a sufficiency of the grace of God, as an apology for their unfruitfulness. But if our doctrine be true, all this is utterly wrong. It is adding sin to sin. Therefore instead of this vain splf-justification, and instead of this complaining of God for withholding his grace and spirit, let us sincerely confess our own fault to God, be deeply humbled under a sense of it, and forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth to those which are before, let us press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Let us be faithful unto death, and then we shall receive a crown of life. SERMON XXIII THE LAW NOT MADE VOID THROUGH FAITH.* Romans 3: 31. — Do wc then make void the laiv through failh '? God forbid : yea we establish Hie law. Since God created man he has been pleased to treat with him in two several ways, whieh are called covenants. These cove- nants are distinguished according to their order, as the first and the second covenant, or the old covenant and the new ; accord- ing to their different natures, as the covenant of works and the covenant of grace ; and by the apostle in the context as the law of works and law of faith ; or, as in our text itself, they are denoted simply by the words " law " and " faith." In each of these ways of treating with man, God has proposed certain terms or conditions, upon the fulfilment of which on man's part, he might expect to secure the divine favor both here and hereafter. In the former of these covenants or ways of God's treat- ing with man, the terms were perfect obedience to the divine law. He that should continue in all things written in the book of the law to do them, should live in them ; but whosoever should fail in any the least of these, should be accursed. The terms of the other covenant are very different. For now God does not re- quire a perfect obedience as the ground of our acceptance with him. Perfect obedience, perfect conformity to the law of God is indeed, now, as ever, the duty of all men. It is as much our duty now under the second covenant to observe the law perfectly as a rule of life, as ever it was under the first covenant ; and hence the command of our Lord : " Be ye therefore perfect, even as your father which is in heaven is perfect." Yet notwithstand- ing it is thus our absolute duty to keep the whole law as a rule of life, we are not required to keep it as a way of securing God's favor, and obtaining final salvation. All that God requires of us now, in order to secure his friendship and our own safety, is that we repent of our sins, and believe and accept of the Lord Jesus Christ as our mediator and Savior. These are the two ways of accept- * First preached in 1768. 31* 362 THE LAW NOT MADE VOID ance and justification in the sight of God, and these are the dif- ferent terms of each. Now that we, and all men since the fall are justified and ac- cepted on the last of these footings, viz. of faith in the Lord Je- sus Christ, and not on the former one of the law and perfect obe- dience to it, is what the apostle abundantly asserts and proves in the former part of this epistle. Thus in the 20th verse of the context he says, " Therefore by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight ;" and again in the 28th verse, " There- fore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law." This being the case then, that we are not accepted, and justified on the footing of the law or by the deeds of the law, but entirely on the footing of faith in a redeemer, the question naturally arises whether, upon this plan of justification by faith, the law was not set aside and made void, of none effect ? This question the apostle starts in our text : " Do we then make void the law through faith ?" And the answer to it also we have in the same text: '-'God forbid: yea we establish the law." To make void the law, as the phrase is here used, means to set it aside and to have no regard to it, to treat it as being repealed, and thus as a mere dead letter. For as the apostle had abun- dantly declared that we are not justified by the works of law, but by faith without these works, it might naturally seem to fol- low that the law was now made void, and that no regard was to be had to it, any more than to any other dead letter. But this consequence he most directly denies and rejects. We by no means, says he, make void the law through faith ; so far from this is the fact, that on the other hand we establish it. By making void the law through faith he means evidently, as already hinted, making it void by this new plan of justification by faith in Christ, and not barely by the simple act of faith. He here uses the word faith in opposition to the law. And as by " the law " he means the moral law which was the way of acceptance and justification under the first covenant ; so by " faith" he in- tends not merely the simple act of believing, but in general the way and method of justification and salvation under the second covenant. Let us then inquire wherein it appears, that by this new way of acceptance and justification by faith, the law is indeed not nulli- fied and set aside, but is fully kept up and sustained in its true spirit and import, and not only so, but is even more firmly estab- lished than if this new method of justification had never been adopted. In attempting this, two points are before us : I. To inquire wherein it appears that in the gospel mode of justification THROUGH FAITH. 363 by faith without the deeds of the law, the law is not set aside and made void ; and 2. Wherein it appears that the law, in this mode of justification, is further and more effectually established than if this way had never been adopted. We proceed to con- sider each of these in its order. I. JVherein does it appear that in the gospel mode of justifi- cation bij faith, icithout the deeds of the law, the law is not set aside and made void 1 Whenever a law is repealed, set aside, or made void, no fur- ther regard is had to it ; for if any regard or respect is had to it, certainly it is not entirely set aside and made void. So far as any respect is had to it by executive authority, so far it is unre- pealed and remains in force. And if the executive authority do in any instance so keep in view any law, as never to allow the least violation of it to pass with impunity, and as always to see that it be maintained in force according to its true spirit and im- port; then in such a case, that law can in no sense be said to be set aside or made void. Now all this, I trust, upon examina- tion, we shall find true with regard to the law of God in the af- fair of justification by faith in Christ. It is manifest that God, who executes his own law, has not been regardless of it in this new plan of pardon and salvation, inasmuch as he has caused an atonement to be made for the breaches and violations of it. This most clearly proves that the law is not set aside and made void. It would be a most absurd thing to make an atonement for the violations of a law, when that law itself was made void, and really had no existence. What need could there be of an atonement for the violations of such a law ? The breaches of a law which has no existence, are the breaches of nothing ; that is, they are no breaches of law at all ; for " When there is no law there is no transgression." But to require an atonement when there is no transgression to be atoned for, can never consist with the justice and purity of God. So that this plan of justification and salvation through a redeemer, does not suppose that the law is made null and void ; but quite contrarily is found- ed entirely upon the real existence and continued force and obli- gation of the law, and is so far from making the law void, that its very existence depends upon the existence of the law itself. Again, to make an atonement for the breaches of the law is doing no small honor to the law, inasmuch as it is a public de- claration, (and that in a way of facts,) of its reasonableness, equity and goodness, and so of its just obligatory force. For wliat is the meaning of an atonement made for the breaches of any law, if it be not this ; that the law is just, equitable and 864 THE LAW NOT MADE VOID good, and that he that breaks it justly deserves to fall under its penalty, and that it is only out of mere mercy that this atonement is accepted instead of his punishment ? This was the true and plain and intended meaning of the atonement made for the trans- gressions of the law committed by sinners. But what shall we think of all these practical declarations, of all this show, as if the law was not only then in force, but also as if it was a most good and equitable law, entirely worthy to be obeyed in every article by man, and to be executed in every one of its penalties by God, if at the same time that law was in fact such an evil and unjust one that God had been obliged to re- peal it, and set it aside as void ? For if the law was repealed and made void at all, it was doubtless for some reason. But what reason could there be for repealing it, if it was in all respects an equitable and good law ? It is manifest there could be none. Therefore if the law was at all repealed and made void, it undoubt- edly was because it was at least in some respects evil, severe and unmerciful. But that God should require an atonement, and no less a one than the death of his own Son for the breaches of such a law, and make so public a manifestation of its goodness ; and that after he himself had nullified it as bad, is a conception of the Deity the most gross and impious that the human mind is capable of framing. Yet such impious consequences will follow if the law was set aside in order that the present scheme of sal- vation might take its place ; that is, if the law be made void by faith. But perhaps it may be objected, that what we have hitherto urged, supposes that the law was repealed antecedently to the atonement's being made ; whereas in truth, it was repealed and made void only afterwards, and in consideration of the atonement's having been n\ade. To this I would observe, that although it would seem most natural to suppose, that if the law was at all repealed in order to jnake way for the plan of salvation by faith in Christ, it would be done before that plan was entered upon, and so before the atone- ment was made ; yet I am wilHng to allow that the law was not repealed but upon the supposition of the atonement's being al- ready made. Now upon this supposition, either the law was made void without the consideration of anything done in the atonement as a motive to excite God to repeal it, or ivith some such motive on account of wiiich he was pleased to set it aside and make it void. Either the atonement made by Christ, did in some sense prepare the way, for the repeal and nullifying of the law or it did not. THROUGH FAITH. 365 If there was nothing done in the atonement with this view, and wliich tended to this end, and if the law. was not repealed upon this account, then there is no kind of difference as to the consequences before mentioned whether the law was repealed be- fore or after the atonement. For what reason could there be for making an atonement for the breaches of a law, which God himself knew was so evil that he must ere long repeal it, and make it void ? What difference can be pointed out between making an atonement for the breaches of such a law, and one already repealed ? I think it is nianifest there can be none. But if we take the other supposition, viz. that the law was not only repealed after the atonement was made or conceived to be made, but also on account of the atonement itself, or some- thing done in it, in this case I beg we may carefully examine this our sup[)osition, and perhaps, in the result, we shall find it no nearer the truth than the former. I ask then, is it not something new and strange that an atone- ment should be made in order to procure the repeal of the law ? On this supposition it seems the law was to be repealed and set aside, but that this was to be done only provided the law should be satisfied. But such a setting aside of a law as this is no set- ting of it aside at all. Besides, if the law is set aside and made void at all, so as not to be kept up in its true spirit and import, however it may be in consideration of the atonement, yet as the atonement was introduced and brought about, only as a means in order to this end, and as the end is always in view and is pro- posed before the means, so there must have been some reason antecedent to the consideration of the atonement, why God pro- posed at first to make void his law. But what reason could this be, unless that it was an evil law, and at least in some respects, not fit to be executed ? No other reason is conceivable. There- fore the law of God, upon this supposition, was originally evil, unjust and cruel ; and upon this account it was that God pro- posed to repeal it, and make it void. Yet although this was the case, God could not find it in his heart to do it, till Jesus Christ came into the world and lived a life of suffering, and died upon the cross, to excite, and persuade him to do it. Then, and not till then, God found himself willing to make void his law. But if this was really the case, that the divine law was evil, and over-rigorous, and unjust, was not God bound of himself to make it void ? What need was there of an atonement to per- suade him to do this ? On the other hand does not the very sup- position, that God required an atonement to be made ere he would consent to nullify his law, when it was, and he knew it to 366 THE LAW NOT MADE VOID be unjust and cruel, and such as he was obliged lo nullify ; — does not this supposition contain a charge of the blackest iniquity and cruelty against the ever glorious Jehovah ? Yet such is the ne- cessary consequence of supposing that the law is made void through faith. Let us now more particularly inquire into the consistency be- tween our being justified by faith alone, and the law's being strictly maintained without the least abatement. The reason why these two things seem to have any mutual inconsistency, is that in the way of justification and salvation by faith the law is not executed exactly according to the letter of it. The letter of the law is, " In the day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die ;" and "the soul that sinneth it shall die." Now because the law is not executed exactly according to the letter, it may seem to some, whatever ditiiculties the supposition may be attended with, that it must be, and is in some degree at least abated, and made void. To clear off this objection, and show that it is unfounded, is what I shall next attempt. There is doubtless such a thing as a law's being maintained and kept up as to its true spirit and design, although it be not literally executed. Any law may be said to be maintained in its true spirit and design, when its authority either to restrain from the thing forbidden or excite to the thing enjoined, is as great as it ever was. But the authority of a law may doubtless thus be maintained, without in all cases an exact and literal execution of it. If for instance a law made by a prince requires, in case of its violation, that the offender be punished with a certain corpo- ral punishment, yet doubtless this same offender may by hum- bling himself before his prince, by parting with his property, etc. make such satisfaction as will be as much to the honor and credit of the law, and which will as effectually support its authority, as if the law were literally executed and the offender corporally punished. If the penalty should be literally inflicted, it would be an attestation of the equity, goodness and justly binding force of the law, and so of the guilt and iniquity of its violation. But the same attestation may be made in other ways besides this of a literal execution, as in that just mentioned. The offender by humbling himself before his prince, and paying such a sum of his property as a ransom of his body, may give as great an attes- tation in favor of the law and of its just obligatory force, and so of his sense of his own guilt and iniquity in transgressing it, as could be given by its literal execution. In this case then the au- thority of the law, and its influence to restrain from the things TMROUtt FAITH. 367 forbidden, and to excite to the performance of those enjoined, are as great as if it had been literally executed ; and so it cannot be said in the least to be set aside, abated or made void. If this law were set aside or made void in any one instance, it would be an encouragement to all who should be disposed to of- fend, to hope that it would be set aside in their case also ; and thus would manifestly bring the law into disgrace and contempt. It would soon become a mere pointless weapon ; and men would be very careless whether they observed or broke it. But in that instance before mentioned, where a man humbles, and acknow- ledges himself guilty before the prince, and justly bound by the law, and offers a ransom for his body, the authority of the law is sustained. And in this as in many cases, there may be such a ransom and such satisfaction given, as will as effectually secure the law from disgrace and contempt, as if it were exactly execu- ted according to the letter. It being then manifest that there is no impossibility in the na- ture of things in omitting the literal execution of a law, without at all setting it aside, or making it void, even in the case where it has been broken, let us now proceed to inquire what was done witii regard to the divine law ; w^hether anything proper to se- cure it from contempt, and support its authority. That there was a ransom given, that there was a price paid, that an atonement or expiatory sacrifice was offered up, that a redemption, a propitiation was effected, cannot be denied. All the doubt then must be about the sufficiency, the value of the ransom, atonement or propitiation. But as to this, the sacred scriptures give abundant testimony. Thus saith God the Son to the Father, " I have glorified thee on Uie earth, I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do;" and again, "After this Jcsiis knowing that all things were now accomplished, saith I thirst ;" and again, " When Jesus therefore had received the vin- egar, he said, it is finished." The original in these texts, various- ly translated " accomplished " and " finished," is the very same, and properly signifies " completely and perfectly finished," or "accomplished." Our Lord says that he had completely and j)erfectly finished the work which the Father had given him to do. What this work was we are informed in the context. " Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God ; to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness, that he might be just, and the jus- tificr of him which believeth in Jesus." Here we are expressly told that God set forth Jesus Christ his son to be a propitiation 368 THE LAW NOT MADE VOID to declare his righteousness, and to prepare the way, and lay such a foundation, that God might be just and yet the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus ; that is, to make a full and sufficient atonement for sinners. Now this work our Lord says, he has completely and perfectly finished. Therefore it is manifest that the atonement which is made for sinners, is complete, perfect and every way sufficient. Besides, how often in the scriptures is Christ called God's " beloved son in whom he is well pleased," " his dear son," " the son of his love," " his servant whom he hath chosen," " his elect in whom his soul is delighted," etc. But could God be thus pleased with his Son, thus delighted in his servant, if that son, that servant had not finished the work to which he had sent him ? Again we may argue the same from the omnipotence of God. God certainly did undertake to provide an atonement sufficient to secure the honor of his law, and preserve it from contempt. For says the prophet Isaiah, " the Lord is well pleased for his righteousness' sake ; he will magnify his law and make it honor- able." But if God in the atonement which he has provided has not secured this end, it necessarily impeaches iiis omnipotence if not his omniscience also. From these various considerations I think it is evident that there is an abundant atonement made for the breaches of God's law, even such as will eftectually support its honor and authority, and therefore that the law is no more abated, or made void by the atonement, than it would have been by the literal execution of it. But further, not only is the law not made void by the atone- ment but as the apostle tells us in our text, it is established. " Do we then make void the law through faith?" says he. " God for- bid ; yea we establish the law." He rejects the very supposition of the law's being made void through faith, or which is the same thing through the atonement and the way of salvation by it, as the greatest absurdity, as it in reality is. What can be a greater absurdity than to suppose that the law is made void and set aside, when not one of its violators is pardoned without deep repen- tance and full atonement ? Would it be absurd to suppose that a law is made void and set aside by executing it exactly accord- ing to its letter, and after that dismissing the offender? Equally so is it to suppose that it is made void by pardoning penitent of- fenders when complete atonement is made. The very notion of an atonement is inconsistent with the notion of the law's being made void, as much so as the exact, literal execution of it. But as was observed, not only does the apostle reject the supposition THROUGH FAITH. 369 of the law's being made void by faith, but on the contrary express- ly declares that it is established by it. This certainly is the case. Is the literal execution of a law, an establishing of its authority ? Is it a practical declaration of its goodness and equity ? Does it tend to create a respect and reverence for the law, to secure it from contempt, and to make its subjects believe that it is indeed a matter of importance that it should be most strictly observed ? Equally so docs a full atonement. This as etfectually, and in some cases more effectually secures all these ends. And thus it is that through faith, so far from making void the law, we neces- sarily establish it. What has been said is I apprehend sufficient to establish the first tiling proposed to be shown, whicii was, tiiat in the gos- pel way of justification by faith without the deeds of the law, the law is not made void, or in the least abated. I now proceed to the next proposed topic, which was to inquire, II. Jiherein it appears, that the law, in this way of justifi- cation, is more effectually established, than it would have been if this way had never been adopted. That the law of God is more established by the present plan of salvation, than it would have been if even all mankind had per- ished according to the letter of the law, will be plain, I think, if we consider that the present plan of salvation is wholly founded upon the atonement of Christ. This atonement is the foundation of the whole gospel, and without it the gospel and the salvation by it would never have taken place. Now through the atonement of Christ more honor is done to the law, and consequently the law is more established, than if the law had been literally executed, and all mankind had been condemned. Whatever tends most to the honor of the law, tends most to establish its authority. But the atonement made by the life and death of our Lord Jesus Christ is a greater expression of honor to the law of God than would have been offered even by the eter- nal damnation of all mankind. Their eternal damnation would doubtless be a very manifest and full testimony of God, and that in the sight of both worlds, that he esteemed his law holy, just, and good ; that he esteemed it an excellent and glorious law, and most worthy to be maintained in every article. Wiiat else but this could be the meaning of such a fact. Can we suppose that God would execute the threatenings of a law which he did not view in this light ? Surely not ; for it would be inconsistent with his glorious purity. Now although the eternal condemnation of the whole human race for the breach of the law, would be a most full and striking testimony of God, before the eyes of the whole Vol. II. 32 370 THE LAW NOT MADE VOID universe, in favor of his law and its authority, yet the atonement^ by the life and death of Christ, is a testimony in its favor stili more full and more striking. For by this it appears, that God so much regarded his law and set so great a value and esteem upon it, that when his own dearly beloved Son stood up and interposed in favor of sinncre who had broken it, rather than make the least abatement of its claims, he poured out the dregs of the wine-cup of his wrath, without mixture of mercy, even upon him. That God should not make an abatement of his law in order to spare one of us mortals might not seem strange. " For what is man, that is a worm, and the son of man, which is a worm?" Nay, further, that God should not set aside his law in order to spare any of the human race, but that he should hold them bound by it to suffer the punishment therein threatened till they should pay the uttermost farthing ; neither ought this to seem strange and unaccountable. And if he had provided no remedy, but had suf- fered all mankind to walk in the ways of their own heart, and in the sight of their own eyes, till they had filled up the measure; of their iniquity, and if he had then condemned them to the punishment they justly deserved, and had glorified himself in their eternal ruin ; even all this would have been no just matter of astonishment. For of what profit could the whole human race be to God ; and what would he lose by their eternal de- struction ? God stands in no need of us, or any of our services. He wants not those who should worship him. He is worshipped by " an innumerable company of angels." " The chariots of the Lord," saith the psalmist, " are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels ;" and saith the prophet Daniel, "Thousand thousand's minister unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stand before him." What loss then could it have been to Jehovah, had none of mankind been brought to join this vast assembly ? It is said in the Revelation " that the sealed servants of our God," (meaning those sealed from among men) were in all 144,000. But what are these to the innumerable company of angels, and the thousand thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand, which the sacred scriptures mention ? Now if the whole race of mortals considered in themselves, are of so small worth when compared with the angelic hosts, of how much smaller worth must they be in comparison with Jesus Christ the Son of God ? He is " the brightness of his Father's glo- ry and the express image of his person ;" " who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God." He is God, and every way equal with God the Father ; for he is one with him. As then God the Father is far more glorious, nay infinitely THROUGH FAITH. 371 more glorious, worthy and excellent than all creatures both angels and men, so also is God the Son. All nations, yea all the count- less millions of creation, both men and angels united, are in comparison with him as a drop of the bucket, and are counted as the dust of the balance. Of how much more worth, then, must his sufferings be than those of all creatures together ? And of how much more still than those of the human race alone ? It is true his sufferings were not eternal, as those of men must have been ; yet it is true also that he suffered the full punishment due to sin. He suffered till it was finislied, till the work of atonement was completely ac- complished, till God's wrath was appeased and his law satisfied. But certainly that a person of such glory and dignity has suffered the full punishment due to sin, is a greater honor to the law, and a more striking testimony in favor of its goodness, than if the same punishment had been suffered by any being or beings infi- nitely inferior in glory and dignity. This matter may be illustrated thus. Suppose a criminal of common rank in the kingdom has been condemned for iniquitous practices, to suffer a certain corporal punishment. The prince and heir-apparent, however, entertains so strong an affection for him, that although ho fully consents to the justice of the sentence, he yet cannot bear that he suffer such punishment and disgrace ; and rather than either he should thus suffer, or the law by which he is condemned should be set aside, he offers himself to suffer the full punishment due to the law. Now although the judge may rightly determine, that as he is a person of vastly superior dignity, it would not be necessary to exact of him the same de- gree or duration of punishment ; yet as he suffers the full punish- ment due to the law, will any one deny that it is as honorable to the law, nay much more honorable, than if the criminal himself had suffered the punishment to which he was sentenced ? This illustration is indeed far from perfectly representing the thing it is brought to illustrate ; and yet I apprehend, it in some measure points out to us how much more honorable to the law of God it is, that Christ has died, and has made atonement for sin, than if 'even all mankind had fallen under its sentence and suffered its penalty ; and thus it also points out how much more the law is established through faith, than it would have been by an exact ex- ecution of it according to the letter. Having thus finished the doctrinal part of our discourse, the way is prepared to make some inferences and reflections. And, 1. From this doctrine we may infer that it is the indispensa- ble duty of every one inviolably to observe and perfectly to ful- fil the divine law. 372 THE LAW NOT MADE VOID To be subject to law and government, to submit to authority, and to live according to command, is a thing to which men natu- rally are not well disposed. The carnal mind is enmity against God, is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. It is the very nature of the carnal mind " to despise government, to be presumptuous, self-willed, and not afraid to speak evil of dig- nities." Especially is it opposed to the government and authority of God. It is this authority and government against which eve- ry wicked man has rebelled, and from which he has revolted ; in which rebellion and revolt he persists and perseveres, as long as he perseveres in his wickedness. And according as he sees this au- thority and government opposed to him, according as he sees God is his enemy and is disposed to bring him to that punishment he justly deserves, in the same proportion will his heart rise and his enmity boil out against God. And in the same proportion as the enmity of wicked men boils and rages against God himself, will it also against his law ; for this is that by which they are exposed to his vengeance, that which binds them over to punishment. But however wicked men are displeased with the law, and however their enmity against it rises, and swells, and rages, they are still under its obligations. The law is still in its full force unrepealed and unabated ; and consequently it is their indispensable duty inviolably to observe, and perfectly to fulfil it. In what has just been said I would by no means be under- stood as if the wicked only were obliged to keep the law, and not the godly also. These latter are under equal obligations to keep the law as the former. Entire conformity to it is as much the indispensable duty of the godly, as of the ungodly. The law of God originally respected all mankind. It was not given for any particular sect, class or division of men, but was set forth as a rule of obedience to be observed by all. Now as this was the original design and intent of the law that it should extend to all, so it is manifest from our doctrine that it is still thus extensive. For by our subject it appears that the law remains the same that it ever was, in its full force and whole extent ; that it is not set aside, or abated in any one respect. It is true we are not justi- fied by the deeds of law, as we were to be under the first cove- nant. But the obligation of the law as a rule of life, and its abil- ity to justify, are two very different things ; and the former, viz. its obligation as a rule of life, is the very same now, with respect to all its subjects, that it ever was. Whether men are godly or ungodly, there is in this respect no difference ; it is the indispen- sable duty of all to live in perfect obedience to the divine law ; THROUGH FAITH. 373 and this appears as already said, from hence, that law still re- mains unrepealed and unabated. It also further appears from God's having done so much in or- der to honor and magnify his law. Can that law be unworthy of our obedience, which God has judged worthy of so much honor from himself? Can it be, that it should not be our duty perfect- ly to observe that law, which God has judged worthy to main- tain and establish by so great an atonement as that of the death of his own Son ? Can that law with impunity be violated, neg- lected and despised by us, when rather than it should be set aside in any one instance, or suffer the least disgrace, the Son of God would die to magnify it, and make it honorable ? What greater and more emphatical, or even so great and so emphatical expression of the sense which God has of the glory of his law, could be made, as that which is made by the death of Christ, to maintain and support its honor and authority ? And how could God more loudly have called upon us, cordially to submit to it, and to obey it perfectly ? All the honor which it is possible for us to express to the divine law, even by our most perfect obedience, is infinitely less than the honor done it by the atonement of Christ. If then it was a fit and proper thing, that Christ should die upon the cross to do honor to the divine law, how even infinitely more proper is it, and with what infinite obli- gations are we bound to render it all the honor in our power, by the most perfect obedience and punctual observance on our part of all its demands ? Nor is it only our duty to keep the whole divine law, or all the particular commands of it, in some measure, or as we are apt to say, " as well as we can." Here are we not apt to de- ceive ourselves with the lurking opinion that under the first cove- nant indeed, before the fall of man, when we were in a state of innocence and free from corruption, then it was our duty to ren- der a perfect obedience to the law of God ; but that since we are fallen, and our hearts are become corrupt, and we have lost all power and ability to obey the divine law, now God does not require of us, his poor, feeble creatures, a perfect observance of his law, as that is out of our power ; but that he requires only our imperfect sincere obedience ; so that all the divine law now binds us to, is this imperfect sincere obedience, and nothing more is our duty. But is this indeed so ? Because God is pleased, in free grace, to accept the repenting, humble sinner returning to him through Christ, not for the sake of his imperfect obedience, but entirely for the sake of the merits of Christ, will it thence follow that 32* 374 THE LAW NOT MADE VOID God's law requires of him no more than imperfect obedience, and that no more is his duty ? And as to the excuse we make, that we cannot obey the law perfectly, will it follow that because we are so wicked and corrupt, and so fully set to do evil that we have no heart to do good, we are therefore under no obligation to cease to do evil and learn to do well ? Besides, we may make the same excuse concerning all duty whatever. For it is truly the case that we have naturally no disposition, no heart to any one of the duties required of us either in the law or the gospel. Shall we then excuse ourselves from all duty whatever, by say- ing we cannot perform it ? Do the sacred scriptures any where admit of this excuse as good and valid ? Or do they undertake any where seriously to answer it, as if there were in it any force or plausibility ? We read indeed of one who gave as an excuse for his not coming to the supper, that having lately married a wife he therefore could not come. But this excuse, that he could not come, is so far from being considered as valid and sufficient, that there is no kind of notice taken of it. The sacred scriptures just in a plain and simple manner inform us what is our duty, and require of us an immediate compliance : and in case we do not finally comply with the terms of salvation, they warn us of the fearful and certain consequence. Whether we can or can- not, that is, whether we have, or have not a heart to obey, the sacred scriptures make no difierence in their claims. Comply we must, or the consequence is certairt. Certainly that excuse must be frivolous and groundless, of which the sacred scriptures take no notice ; and to delude ourselves with it, is, to the high- est degree, vain and sinful. It is but to mock God, and cheat ourselves to ruin. Let us then examine whether we are deceiving ourselves thus. We believe we are converted and become christians, and there- fore our state is safe ; why then, we may ask, need we be so very scrupulous about keeping the law ? Our sins we believe are pardoned already through the imputation of Christ's righteousness. Our eternal state then being secured, whatever sins we shall hereafter commit, still we shall certainly be saved. What if we do commit this, or that, or the other sin ? Christ's righteousness is abundantly sufficient to atone for them all. But what saith the apostle to this ? " What shall we say then ?" says he ; " shall we continue in sin that grace may abound ? God forbid. How shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein ? What then ? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but un- der grace ? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey,; THROUGH FAITH. 375 whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness ?" Shall those who suppose they are made the subjects of the grace of God, thence grow bold and presumptuous in sin ? Those who are indeed the subjects of this grace are under the highest, even infinite obligations to God, to show their gratitude by all possible ways of honor and respect. Shall these then, presuming upon his pardoning mercy, dishonor God by breaking and despising his law ? This would be indeed to make void the law through faith ; and it would prove tliat we are hypocrites or self-deceivers, still " in the gall of bitterness and the bonds of iniquity." 2. Another inference naturally drawn from our doctrine is, that the evil and icickedness of every transgressor of the divine law must be exceeding great. If Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died upon the cross to honor and magnify the law ; if this law was so glorious in the eyes of God that rather than its penalties and threatenings should not be executed, he poured out the vials of his wrath upon his own Son ; if nothing less than the blood of the second person in the trinity could atone for the transgressions of sinners against it : if all this is true, as is manifest from our doctrine, then it must needs be that the evil and wickedness of sin and of every transgression of the law is exceeding great. What is meant by saying the evil of sin, or transgression of a law is great, but that a great atonement is required in order to expiate that sin ? But in order to expiate any transgression of the divine law, an infinite atonement was requisite. The evil then of any sin or transgression of the law must be properly infi- nite, and deserves an infinite punishment. If it M^ere not infi- nitely great and did not deserve an infinite punishment, how could an infinite atonement have been requisite, and how could Christ have died ? But who are these who are guilty of so great wickedness. Are they some distant people, that we have merely heard of? No, my hearers, as the prophet Nathan said to David, so may we say to ourselves, " We are the men." We have been guilty of this exceeding great wickedness in sinning against God. We have broken that law which was so glorious in his eyes. We by our transgression have despised and dishonored that law which Christ died to honor. And we have exposed ourselves to the sentence of that law, which condemns to eternal destruction for every transgression. This our condition is one of deep danger ; and it appears the more so because we infer from our doctrine, 3. The entire justice of that sentence that condemns to eter- nal death all who transgress the law even in one instance. This sentence is certainly just, if the punishment to which it 376 THE LAW NOT MADE VOID condemns is no more than equal to the crime. Any punishment which is only equal to the crime committed, is certainly a just punishment. But in the instance before us, every crime or sin committed against God is so great, that no atonement but the death of Jesus Christ which is an atonement of infinite worth, is sufficient to atone for it. For God never, consistently with his own glory, could have pardoned any one sin, had not Christ died. The nature then of every sin being such that it requires an infi- nite atonement, it must certainly justly deserve an infinite pun- ishment, and the sentence which condemns to it, is a just, right- eous and holy sentence ; and were it not for the mere grace of God it would be actually executed upon every one of our race. Were it not for the mere grace of God, we should each one of us be eternally condemned for even the least transgression, and lie down forever under God's wrath. It is mere grace, and that only, which prevents it. As to justice, that lays no bar in the way, and has no plea to make in our behalf. On the contrary, it is utterly and forever against us. It vindicates the sentence, and demands its execution, and our perdition. Even the great- est saint on earth, on the footing of justice, deserves eternal con- demnation. All his present holiness, and true godliness, cannot atone for even the least of all his sins. And though, through the grace of God, he shall certainly be saved, yet it is only and merely by grace. As to justice and desert, on the footing of these, he is still as much as ever exposed to the sentence of the law, and deserving of the wrath of God forever. 4. How great and wonderful then is the grace oj God by which we are saved ! How free and unmerited is it with re- gard even to the greatest saints ! "Not by works of righteous- ness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us." That is great mercy and grace, which forgives great of- fences. And in proportion as the offences are greater, so is the grace which forgives them. Now the offences against God which divine grace pardons, are offences infinitely great. So that the grace of God exercised in pardoning any one, even the least of all sinners, is infinite grace. No one sinner whatever can be pardoned, not only without the exertion of free grace ; but no sinner can be pardoned without the exertion of that grace which is infinitely great. Upon the whole then, with what sentiments ought our doctrine to inspire our hearts ! How adorable and astonishing is the wisdom, goodness and grace of God ! How glorious and amiable and excellent is the law of God ! How strong is our obligation to observe and fulfil this perfectly ! How great are the wickedness and guilt of every transgression ! How THKOUGH FAITH. 377 much ought we to humble ourselves before God, and walk be- fore him all our days with fear and trembling, because we have thus sinned ! How great glory and praise ought we to ascribe to God ; and renouncing all self-dependence and self-righteous- ness as filthy rags, how ought we to " abhor ourselves and repent in dust and ashes !" Our only cry should be that of the publi- can, " God be merciful to me a sinner." " Not unto us, O Lord ! not unto us, but to thy great name be the glory forever, for thy mercy and for thy truth's sake !" SERMON XXIV. THE ACCEPTANCE AND SAFETY OF THE ELECT.* Romans 8 : 33. — " Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect ?" All mankind are by nature criminals. The crime laid to their charge is nothing short of high treason against God. And not only are they criminals, charged with so black a crime, but they are convicted of it, and sentence of condemnation is actual- ly gone forth against them. For " he that believeth not is con- demned already, because he hath not believed on the name of the only begotten Son of God." This is the state of all men by nature. In the course of life, however, a vast difference in their state and character sometimes takes [)lace. For while the generality still remain " dead in tres- passes and sins," and of consequence condemned by the right- eous sentence of the divine law, yet we read in the text, " Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect ?" and again in the beginning of this chapter, •' There is therefore now no con- demnation to them who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Thus we are taught by inspira- tion itself that a certain class of men, called in the text " the elect," are in so different a state from the rest of mankind, that while the latter are charged with the crime of rebellion against heaven, and high treason against the omnipotent Jehovah, the for- mer are in a state of justification, and none can lay anything to their charge. But here several questions naturally arise ; as. Who are these elect ; why can no one lay anything to their charge ; how were they brought out of that state of ruin in which they with the rest of mankind were involved, into their present state so different from it ; and what peculiar propriety is there in the question of the text. Who shall lay anything to their charge ? To each of these things I would attend in its order. I. Who are the elect spoken of in the text 1 By the elect here, I conceive, we are not to understand all those * First preached in 1774. ACCEPTANCE AND SAFETY OP THE ELECT. 379 who are predestinated to eternal life. This and other words of the same import, are sometimes, if not generally used in the scrip- tures in this large extent ; as for example, in Eph. 1: 4, 5. But in our text it must be understood in a more restricted sense, as referring only to those of the elect who now appear to be such, or to those who are born again, become true penitents and be- lievers, and consequently are pardoned, and justified, and accep- ted of God. Tiiese are the elect intended by the apostle, and it is manifest he did not intend any other. For concerning the rest of those who are predestinated to eternal life, it can witli no propriety be asked, " Who shall lay anything to their charge ?" Nor can it be truly added, " It is God that justifieth," for he has not justified them. But as they remain hitherto rebellious, they are under the sentence of condemnation ; they are " condemned already, because they have not believed on the name of the only begotten Son of God." And while they remain in their present state, God himself lays to their charge all the sins they have ever committed ; and it is only in consequence of faith in an atoning Redeemer that they can ever be delivered from the charge. We are under the necessity then of understanding the word in this restricted sense ; — for otherwise we must suppose that a man is pardoned, and justified before he repents and believes ; which is contrary to the whole doctrine of the scriptures. By the elect therefore we are to understand true christians ; those who have been born again ; who are brought to true repen- tance of their sins ; who believe in Christ, and hope for salvation only through him in dependence on the Holy Spirit ; who are re- conciled to God, so far as to love him supremely, to his law, so as to submit to, and obey it, and to his gospel so as to rejoice in it, and testify their regard for it by a suitable life and conversa- tion. Having thus shown whom we are to understand by the elect, the way is prepared to enter upon the next inquiry proposed, viz. n. Why can no one lay anything to their charge 1 What can be the reason of this? I answer, 1. It is not because they have never been guilty of any crime, or sin. If this were indeed the case it would be downright in- justice to lay anything to their charge, and therefore it would be no wonder that the question of the text should be put with so much assurance. But this is far from being the case, as we have just now shown. They by nature are equally depraved with the rest of mankind. And not only so, but before their conversion they may have been as bad by practice as any. In the scrip- tures we read of Mary Magdalene out of whom our Lord cast 380 ACCEPTANCE AND SAFETY seven devils. Yet she afterwards became one of God's elect, in the sense before described. Then we read also of Saul the per- secutor, who breathed out threatenings and slaughter against the christian church, being exceedingly mad against it, and who yet afterwards became a chosen messenger of mercy to convey the name of God to the Gentiles. We have, too, a remarkable testi- mony of the apostle Paul, very pertinent to our present purpose, in 1 Cor. 6: 9, etc., " Be not deceived ; neither fornicators, nor idolators, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor re- vilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you ; but ye are washed, but ye are sanctifi- ed, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." And as this had been the character of some of the Corinthian converts, so it may be the character of others in the present, or any other age of the church, who yet may afterwards become the true disciples of Christ, and with the greatest truth and propriety be reckoned among the elect of God. And all believers have doubtless many actual transgressions, as well as their original sin, which might justly be laid to their charge. The reason therefore of asking the question in the text cannot be that they have never been guilty of any crimes, or contracted any guilt. Nor is it, 2. This, that although they had formerly been guilty of sins, yet they are not guilty of any now, since their conversion ; so that whatever may have been the case with them formerly, nothing can now be justly laid to their charge. This I say, is not the reason of the question in the text. No ; for upon a little exam- ination we shall find that this is as far from the truth, as that they have never committed any sin. The sacred scriptures tell us " there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good and sin- neth not ;" and again, " in many things we offend all ;" that is, " we all offend ;" and again, " Who can say I have made my heart clean, I am free from my sins?" and still again, "if we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." By all these passages of scripture it appears that even the best of men are not clear of sin, but that they daily offend in thought, word or deed, or perhaps in all these. There is therefore suffi- cient matter of charge against the christian, not only upon the footing of his former sins, committed before his conversion, but upon the footing of those which have been committed since, and are daily committed by him in the continual course of his life. Again, I observe, 3. That the reason why nothing is to be laid to the christian's OF THE ELECT. 381 charge is not that he does not deserve that his sins should be charged against him, and to be condemned for them. This seems to be the vain conceit of some. They seem to imagine that the behever, since he is become a behever, no longer deserves that his sins should be charged to his account, or he be at all punish- ed for them. But let us consider the consequences of such a sup- position. It is evidently this, that the pardon, the justification of the believer is not an act of mercy but of justice. Surely if a man do not deserve punishment, it is no act of grace to let him go free of punishment. He is not a sinner, but a just, and righteous person ; and to acquit and justify such a one is no act of grace, but an act of justice which he may demand as a debt. Now to suppose this in the case of the believer's justification, is to over- throw entirely the grace of that justification, and to put him upon the footing of the covenant of works. But how ill does it be- come us thus to frustrate the grace of God ! True it is that God has bound himself, by his immutable pro- mise, to forgive and justify the sinner immediately upon his be- lieving. But both this promise itself, and the fulfilment of it are not of debt, but of mere grace. The reason therefore why no- thing is to be laid to the charge of the believer, is not that he does not deserve it. Upon the footing of law and justice he has no right to any blessing ; and yet upon the footing of grace, and by the promise of the gospel, he has a right to all blessings. The truth is, the sins of the believer not only deserve the same condemnation, as those of other men ; but in some respects they have a peculiar demerit, and are more vile, and ill-deserving than those of others. His sins are committed with some peculiar ag- gravations. It is a true maxim, that the more light a man has, and the greater the mercy against which he sins, the more aggra- vated is his guilt. Now for both these reasons the sins of the be- liever, are sins of peculiar aggravation. For in the first place he is favored with much greater light than other men. "The God of this world hath blinded the minds" of all " those which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ should shine un- to them." But " God who commanded the light to sliine out of darkness, hath shined into the heart of the believer, to give him the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ." He is enlightened to see the true character of God, and his obligation to love and serve him ; the glory of the law, and his obligation to obey it ; the glory of Jesus Christ, and his obligation to believe on him. Whereas the sinner is natural- ly blind to all these things, and never does see the true spiritual glory of them till he is enlightened of God in regeneration. And Vol. II. 33 382 ACCEPTANCE AND SAFETY as the believer has so much more light than the unbeliever, so in this respect his sins are attended with a peculiar aggravation. They are also peculiarly aggravated for the other reason men- tioned, viz. they are committed against ^reo/er mercy than those of others. The believer has not only been favored with the com- mon mercies of life, and the ordinary means of grace ; but he has tasted that the Lord is gracious ; he is made the subject of the saving grace of God, so that he is pardoned, and justified, and is admitted into a peculiar relation to God, even to the rela- tion of a child. Now for a child to rise up in rebellion against his father, especially when that father has been peculiarly kind to him, has forgiven him many former acts of rebellion, and has be- stowed upon him many inestimable and eternal blessings ; I say for a child under those circumstances to rebel against his parent, would be an act of very aggravated wickedness indeed. And yet this is the very case of the believer, in all the sins he commits after his conversion. But if none of these are the reasons why the believer can have no charge brought against him, what, I may be asked, is the rea- son ? This question I shall now endeavor directly to answer. The reason is that he believes in Christ. The constitution of the gospel is this, that whosoever believes in Christ shall be par- doned and justified, and no charge brought against him shall be of any avail to procure his condemnation. God has settled this constitution from the respect he has to his own Son, and to his complete and infinitely glorious righteousness. Such is his love to his Son and his well pleasedness in him, that as soon as the sinner believes in him, that is, as soon as he is reconciled to him, accepts him as his Savior, and in this view depends on him, God immediately pardons all his sins however great and many they may have been, and entitles him to heaven and all its invaluable blessings. An earthly parent may have such an affection for one of his sons, who is very dutiful and obedient as to pardon another re- bellious child who pleads his brother's goodness, and for whom that brother intercedes. And this the father does, not out of any respect to, or well-pleasedness in this rebellious child ; but mere- ly because he is well pleased with the duty and obedience of the other who intercedes for him. In like manner a king on account of the intercession of a very good and dutiful subject, may be pleased to forgive a rebel. And so God for Christ's sake pardons, and justifies the greatest sinner, who believes on him, as the only intercessor and redeemer. Now God having in this way justified the sinner, none can lay OF THE ELECT. 383 anytliing to his charge. Though he really deserves that all his sins should be charged to his account, both those committed be- fore conversion and those after, yet God having once justified him, all his sins are cast behind his back, and are buried as in the depths of the sea. Tiiey ate as though they had not been. They can never be charged to his account either in this world or in the world to come. We come now to the next question upon the text, which is, III. How are true clwislians brought out of the slate in which they with the rest of mankind are involved in one com- mon ruin, into their present state which is so different from it ? What is the cause of this great difference ? We have already shown that the sins of the believer are freely forgiven in conse- (juence of faith. But how does it come to pass that they believe while others do not ? In the acts of the apostles we read that " some believed and some believed not ;" and again that " the election obtained, and the rest were blinded." Now whence does this difference arise? JVot from the superior, natural goodness of some above others ; for all men by nature are " dead in trespasses and sins." " There is none that doeth good, no, not one." No one is more inclined by nature to repent, return to God, and believe on Christ than another. And in vain shall any one expect of himself, without tlic aid of supernatural grace, to rise from his spiritual sloth to a life of true holiness. As soon might we have expected that our Lord Jesus Christ would have risen from the grave without a di- vine agency. And this is the very example which the apostle Paul brings to illustrate the subject now before us in Eph. 1:18, 19, 20, " That ye rnay know what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us ward, who believe according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in heaven- ly places." It is true indeed, there is this remarkable difference between the similitude, and the thing it is brought to illustrate ; that a dead corpse is not a moral agent, and consequently can- not be made the subject of either praise or blame. Though it continue in its present state, no blame is to be ascribed to it. Or if it be raised from the dead it deserves no praise. But tlie case is quite otherwise with the soul which is dead in a spiritual sense. j This very state of death is a state of sin, and so long as the soul j continues in this state, it continues in a state of sin ; and surely ' sin, in the very idea of it, is blamable and ill-deserving. The soul therefore deserves the punishment threatened against all sin, that is eternal condemnation, for continuing though it be but for one hour, in its natural state of spiritual death. 384 ACCEPTANCE AND SAFETY On the other hand whenever it revives from this state, howev- er the divine power is exerted in order to this effect, yet because it is made willing in the day of God's power, and so in reviving is active as well as passive, therefore the spiritual reviving of such a soul is an amiable act of true holiness. Upon the whole it is only in consequence of the sovereign, dis- tinguishing grace of God bestowed in regeneration, only through the agency of the Holy Spirit that any of mankind become be- lievers, and consequently are delivered from the charge of sin and the condemnation of the law. God maketh us to differ one from another. And being once reconciled to him in regeneration, we are of course reconciled to his Son, and so cordially receive him in true faith, to be our Savior. The last proposed inquiry still remaining to be considered is, IV. What peculiar propriety is there in the question of the text, " Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect ?" To this query I answer, that it seems in part to consist in this, that it is even a more strong negation of the thing inquired than if it had been simply denied. It is as if the apostle had said, " Who will be so daring, as when God justifies, to undertake to condemn, or to lay anything to the charge of the elect ?" It is so plain a case that even the most audaciously wicked will not ad- venture to do it. Again, it is observable that the interrogative " who" seems to be emphatical. " Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect?" Shall God ? No; it is he that justifies them. Shall Christ ? No ; it is he that died for them. Shall the angels in glory ? No ; there is joy in heaven among them when even a single sinner repents, and is justified. Shall the saints in heaven or upon earth ? No ; these are the very elect, and surely will never reject the justifying grace of God against themselves. Shall the devils and wicked men do it ? Alas ! what charge can they exhibit which will not fall even with greater weight upon them- selves? No! however desirous they may be of bringing others into the same place of torment with themselves, yet even these envious and wicked spirits will be so convinced of the irreversi- bility of the decree of justification that is gone forth in favor of the elect, that they will not attempt to exhibit any charge against them. Whom God loves he loves unto the end, and nothing shall be able to separate them from his love which is in Christ Je- sus our Lord." Thus I have endeavored to answer the several queries sugges- ted by our text ; have endeavored to show whom we are to under- stand by " the elect" spoken of in it ; why no one can lay anything OF THE ELECT. 385 m to their charge ; how they are brought into this state so different from that of the rest of mankind, and what pecuhar propriety there is in the question of the text respecting them. In the improvement of the subject, I remark, 1 . We may observe that although this doctrine ascribes tlie justification of the sinner wholly to free grace, yet it does not open any door to licentiousness. The only way in which it can be supposed to open such a door, is by encouraging sinners to imagine that they may be justified though they continue in sin. But this doctrine gives no occasion for such an imagination. No man ever will be justified who continues in impenitence and un- belief. Justification is obtained only in consequence of repen- tance and faith ; and upon the condition of repentance and faith, any, even the vilest sinner in the world shall be justified. There- fore while there is the greatest encouragement for sinners to repent and lead a holy life, it is absolute ruin for them to remain impen- itent. So that although God of his sovereign grace makes some willing in the day of his power to comply with the terms of the gospel, and sometimes bestows this grace on some of the greatest sinners ; yet this is no encouragement for any to continue in sin ; for though there is abundant assurance given of mercy and salva- tion in case of repentance and faith ; yet without these there is no possibility of obtaining salvation. 2. Hence we may see how God has maintained all his per- fections, and glorified his whole character in the gospel. The Psalmist, under a spirit of prophecy, foreseeing the state of things under the gospel cries out, " mercy and truth are met together ; righteousness and peace have kissed each other." These at first view seem to be inconsistent and jarring attributes. Mercy calls for the salvation of the sinner ; while truth demands his condem- nation agreeably to the original divine threatening. So righteous- ness requires that the law of God be maintained in its full force, and that its honor be not in the least abased. But on the other hand peace calls for reconciliation between God and man. Now how shall all these things be brought to pass ? However difficult this may seem, they are all accomplished in the gospel. The calls of mer- cy and peace are fully answered, as through Christ reconciliation takes place and salvation is bestowed upon the sinner. Yet the requirements of truth and righteousness are fully secured, as the threatening of God is executed upon our substitute, and as he hath " magnified the law and made it honorable." So that now *■' God can be just, and yet the justifier of him that believeth on Jesus." 3. From what has been said, we may also learn how much 33* 386 ACCEPTANCE AND SAFETY OF THE ELECT. reason we have to humble ourselves before God. This is a duty incumbent upon all, both saints and sinners, believers and unbe- lievers. Doubtless those who have all their lives long unto this time, been guilty of neglecting and transgressing the divine law, of hating and rebelling against God, of despising and rejecting his Son, the only Savior ; doubtless those who still persevere in their sins have reason to humble themselves for them before God, to confess and bewail them, and to do no more so wickedly. And the same is true with regard to true christians. However they have repented of their sins, and have begun to walk in newness of life, yet they have great reason to humble themselves before God for their daily short comings, for all their sins committed against so many strong and peculiar obligations as they are laid under. Humility is the proper character of the christian ; it is a grace which very specially becomes him. 4. How loudly are the elect colled to the exercise of grati- tude. The bestowment of kindness implies an obligation to grat- itude, and that greater or less according to the greater or less good or kindness bestowed. But there can be no greater good bestowed in the world than justification and a title to eternal life. And such is the good bestowed on the christian. In comparison with this good, riches and honor, provinces, kingdoms and em- pires are nothing. If then, any common civilities and kindness between neighbors demand gratitude, how much more, may I not say infinitely more is it demanded by this invaluable gift bestowed upon every true christian. 5. What reason there is that sinners should accept the offers of life which are fully made to them in the gospel. There can- not be a good proposed more worthy of the acceptance of the sinner. He is therefore not only bound in gratitude to accept it, but if he does not accept it he is guilty of the greatest sin. You may reject houses and lands, honors and titles, thrones and king- doms, and be blameless. But you cannot reject Christ and heaven, without being guilty of the darkest wickedness, and exposing yourselves to the severest vengeance of an angry God. For he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned ; and while to the penitent and believing God is a refuge, to the impenitent and the unbelieving he " is a con- suming fire." SERMON XXV. GRACE EVIDENCED BY ITS FRUITS.* Matthew 6: 15. — JVeither do men light a candle, and put it under a husliel, but on a candlestick ; and it giveth light unto all that are in the. house. These words are a part of Christ's sermon on the mount, which was addressed particularly to his disciples. " Ye," says he, "are the salt of the earth," But who? The whole crowd that followed him into the mountain ? And again, " Ye are the light of the world." Who? All those multitudes that followed from Galilee, and Decapolis, and Jerusalem, and from beyond Jordan ? No ; but his disciples ; who all professed to be, and who all, except one, actually were his true and faithful followers. These were the light of the world, and these were a city set on a hill that could not be hid. Thus our Lord compares his disciples to a light, and calls them the light of the world ; and under this similitude he proceeds to draw the character of his true disciples, and to tell the twelve apostles what they must be if they would be such. " Neither do men light a candle," says he, " and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick, and it giveth light unto all that are in the house." As if he had said, " As I just told you, you are a light, even the light of the world. But what is the use of a light, of a candle for instance, and with what design do men light it ? Is it that they may put it under a bushel, and there keep it concealed from the view of all spectators ? No ; quite the reverse. You all know that the use of a candle is to give light to those who are in the house, and that this is the very end for which it is enkindled. Therefore as you are the light of the world, it behoves you, as you would ever appear in character, or appear what you profess to be, to cause your light to shine before men ; so to shine that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." There are two things especially taught in our text: 1. The na- ture of the principle of grace in the hearts of believers. Believers * First preached in 1769. 388 GRACE EVIDENCED BY ITS FRUITS. are here compared to a light, or to a candle. And they are com- pared to this because they are believers, or because they are en- dowed with a principle of divine grace. It is on account of this principle that it is proper to compare them to a light. But it is the nature of a light, or of a candle to render itself visible ; to shed abroad a bright shining splendor, which cannot but be taken notice of by all who are in proper circumstances to observe it. And as christians, on account of the principle of grace which is in them, are compared to a light or candle, we are thus plainly taught that it is the very nature of this principle in the heart to render itself visible to all who are about us, and in circumstances to observe it. 2. We are also taught in these words, what is the end for which this principle of divine grace is implanted in the hearts of believers. Christ tells us expressly that it is the same as that for which men light a candle, viz. that it may give light and thus be of service ; that men may see their good works and thus be led to glorify their Father which is in heaven. Hence we have, then, the following doctrine : That it is the nature and tendency of the principle of divine grace, and also the end for which it is communicated, to render itself manifest in holy practice. In discoursing on this doctrine I shall endeavor 1. To show that this is the nature and tendency of the principle of divine grace ; and 2. To illustrate this truth, in the case of the several particular graces. I. / would show that it is the nature and tendency of the principle of divine grace in the heart to manifest itself in holy practice. This will abundantly appear if we consider the representations which the scriptures give of this principle. They speak of it un- der a variety of names and views, some of which I shall now lay before you ; and by which it will appear tjiat a principle of grace is a lively, active principle that tends directly to operate, and manifest itself in holy practice. In the first place, this principle of divine grace is in scripture called the divine nature. 2 Pet. 1: 4, " Whereby are given un- to us exceeding great and precious promises ; that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the cor- ruption that is in the world through lust." Inasmuch then as the principle of grace is called the " divine nature," it must in some respect, at least, resemble the divine nature. But what is this ; or what is the nature of God ? Is it not all life, all activity, all energy and power ? Is it not at the furthest possible remove from everything dull, sluggish and inactive ? Surely it is. And if a principle of grace is anything like it, it must be a principle GRACE EVIDENCED BY ITS FRUITS. 389 immediately tending to exert itself in life and practice. Besides, from this same representation of the principle of grace, we not only learn that it tends to practice and exertion in general, but we also learn to what particular practice it tends. For being something Hke the divine nature itself, it doubtless tends to exert itself in llie same way tliat that does. But how is that? Are not God's ways righteousness, and his paths holiness ? And is it not the very tendency of the divine nature to exert itself in acts of holiness, and in those only ; or to maintain one continued course of holy practice ? If so, we may safely conclude that that principle which the holy Spirit has seen fit to denominate the di- vine nature, has a tendency to the same kind of exertion and practice. I would just observe further, that from the representa- tion of the nature of grace, it appears that it has a native tenden- cy so to exert itself in holy practice, as to manifest itself very visi- bly to the view of those who are about us. This we know is the proper tendency of the divine nature itself, and that it actually has this effect. Have not all God's attributes, especially his ho- liness and purity, been abundantly exhibited to the view of the world in the works of creation and providence, and in his written revelation ? If so, then the like tendency also has the principle of divine grace in the hearts of believers. Again, the scriptures also represent the principle of divine grace in the hearts of believers to be the image of Christ. Col. 3: 10, " And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge, after the image of him that created him ;" that is, of Christ. Yea, it is further represented to be Christ himself living in us. Gal. 2: 20, '' I am crucified with Christ : nevertheless I live ; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me." Now if a principle of grace is pro- perly called the image of Christ ; yea, Christ himself hving in us ; it must needs have some resemblance to the character of Jesus Christ, in its nature and tendency. But what was his character ? What was the temper and spirit of his mind ? Did not he live in the practice of holiness, as well as profess it ? Did not his whole life savor of it, and did it not abundantly manifest itself in all his conversation ? Did not his light truly so shine before men, that they might see his good works, and glorify his Father who was in heaven ? The holiness and spirit of piety in Christ did not lie concealed in his heart, but it come out in his conduct ; in every part of his conduct, and on all occasions manifested itself to the view of others. And so a principle of true grace tends to the same in every one who is indeed possessed of it. Again, the scriptures call a principle of grace by the name of a seed. 1 John 3: 9, " Whosoever is born of God doth not commit 390 GRACE EVIDENCED BY ITS FRUITS. sin, for his seed remaineth in him ; and he cannot sin because he is born of God." And as it is compared to a seed, so we may doubtless judge of its nature by the nature of a seed. And what is the nature of this ? Is it an ever dead and lifeless thing, which lies always concealed in the ground and never manifests itself by its fruits and product ? How far otherwise ! You all well know that it is the nature of a seed to grow, to spring up out of the ground in which it was sown, and to produce a living plant or tree, and finally fruit, both of which are visible, and standing proofs of the goodness of the seed itself. Now as the holy scrip- ture compares a principle of grace to this, so it herein teaches us that it is the nature and tendency of a principle of grace, not to lie concealed in the heart, as though it were dead, but to produce such fruit in our practice as shall be a clear proof of its existence within us. Otherwise there would be no propriety in comparing it to a seed ; and the comparison would not tend to instruct but to deceive us, and to give a wrong notion of the nature of a prin- ciple of grace. Again, another thing to which a principle of true grace is com- pared in scripture is fire. Matt. 3: 11, " I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance ; but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear ; he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire." And when the Holy Ghost descended upon the apostles on the day of Pen- tecost, it was in the appearance of fire. Acts 2: 3, 4, " And then there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them." And Isaiah 42: 3, "The smoking flax shall he not quench." Here the same thing is compared to a very small fire, or to a fire just beginning, v/hich does not yet blaze, but has just begun to smoke. But what is the nature and tendency of fire ? Is it to be hid and concealed, and never show itself by any effects ? No ; quite the reverse. We all know it is 51 most powerful element and always alive, and always in the actual exercise of its power. This liveliness is essential to its very existence ; and it manifests itself in two ways. First it renders it visible, or manifest to the sense of seeing. It natu- rally exhibits a bright shining light, which cannot but be seen by all who are in proper circumstances to observe it ; and in this it agrees with that to which true grace is compared in our text. It also renders itself manifest to the sense of feeling, and the near- er we approach to it and the more we are conversant with it, the more plainly, does it manifest itself in both of these ways. Now to this element of fire, is a principle of true grace compared in scripture ; and does not this plainly teach us the nature of such GRACE EVIDENCED BY ITS FRUITS. 391 grace ? Does it not hence appear to be of a lively, vigorous and active nature, always tending to render itself manifest by its pro- per fruits and effects in holy practice ? It doubtless does. Again, the scriptures compare a principle of divine grace to precious ointment. 1 John 2: 20, " But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things ;" and verse 27, " But the anointing which ye have received abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach yon ; but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him." But precious ointment is wont to render itself manifest and observable, by the agreeable odor and sweet smell which it sends forth ; and with which those who smell it are wont to be charmed and delighted. In this it affords a proper illustration of the nature of true grace in the heart. This also is wont to spread abroad its visible fruits and effects in the life and practice of holiness — a life which is pleasing and acceptable to God. Again, the scriptures compare a principle of true grace to a spj'in^ of living water. John 4: 14, " But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall never thirst, but the wa- ter that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." Now you all know that such a spring or fountain of water is, not a hidden, covert thing, which, as to any visible effects is entirely concealed. On the contrary it flows forth, and produces a permanent stream which is a standing evi- dence of its real existence. And so it is with the principle of true grace. The nature of this also is to manifest itself in a con- tinued series of visible and gracious fruits in the life. Again ; a principle of divine grace is called by the name of spirit. John 3: 6, " That which is born of the flesh, is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit, is spirit ;" and Rom. 8: 4, " That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit." But what is there of a more lively active nature, and what is more disinclined to any dullness or inactivity than a spirit ? Nothing in existence. And so it is with a principle of divine grace. This also is of the same lively and active nature. And all dullness or sluggishness is en- tirely foreign from it. And as spirit is of such an active nature, it will so far as it prevails in any man, display itself by its fruits in his life and conduct. And these fruits we have a right to look for and to expect from those who profess to be possessed of the principle. And so far as we see the manifest fruits of grace, so far we are bound to believe that there is the principle. But so far as we see that they are wanting, so far we have a right to 392 GRACE EVIDENCED BY ITS FRUITS. suspend our judgment and withhold our charity. This is per- fectly agreeable to our manner of judging in the affairs of com- mon life. Whenever we see a neighbor, in all his conduct busy and active and producing evident marks and effects of his activity in all that he undertakes, we immediately judge that such a one is not a lazy, indolent man ; but that he is possessed of an active spirit ; in other words that he has the principle of activity with- in. But if we can find no fruits and effects of a man's diligence and activity, then however he may profess to be diligent and ac- tive, we rightly judge him to be dull and indolent. So unless we see those who profess to be gracious, living according to their profession and exhibiting the proper fruits of grace in their lives and conduct, we cannot believe that they really have grace in their hearts. I would only observe further under this head, that the nature of a principle of true grace is also manifest by what is said in 2 Tim. 3: 5, " Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof," Here the apostle seems to call true grace by the name of the power of godliness ; by which at least we are taught that it is a powerful thing, and that its nature and tendency are, to produce remarkable effects in all in whom it is implanted. Thus it may appear that there is abundant evidence from the scripture account of a principle of divine grace, that its nature and ten- dency are to operate in the life and practice, and by means of its holy fruits, to manifest itself to the view of others. We may now consider this doctrine, n. With reference to several of the principal graces in par- ticular, and endeavor to show that their nature and tendency are the same, viz. to holy practice. Here I observe, 1. That this is the nature and tendency of that great christian grace faith. Faith in its proper and scriptural sense, is a cordial belief of the truth, or a reception of the truth of the gospel and of God's word in general, with the full approbation of the heart. And in this general notion of faith are included especially two things : (1) A firm persuasion and full conviction of the truth and reality of the great doctrines revealed in God's word. Now this persuasion and conviction most certainly tend directly to prac- tice, because these truths deeply concern our interest and affect our happiness or misery. If they are real truths our happiness or misery is greatly dependent upon them. And if we really be- lieve them to be true, what a powerful tendency will they have so to put us upon practice, that we may if possible secure the one and avoid the other. And the general reason why man- GRACE EVIDENCED BY ITS FKUITS. 393 kind in general are no more influenced in their practice by the truths of God's word, is, because in reality they do not reahze them, or in a reahzing manner believe them to be truths. Did they but do this, somehow they would be greatly influenced in their practice. They would at least be filled with concern and anxiety, so as to break ofl" from their open wickedness, and be all attention to their miserable estate and to the duty which God re- quires of them. This we find to be the case with mankind in the common concerns of this life. Whenever they really believe, that is, have a realizing sense that a given course of conduct is greatly for their interest, and that its omission will certainly ter- minate in their exceeding great loss, dishonor and shame, they are at least filled with concern and anxiety about the matter. And if in any such case they are not, we scruple not to believe and affirm that they have no realizing sense of the things which concern their interest. Now the same thing holds good in the affairs of religion. If men really believed and had a realizing sense that there is an eternal and infinitely good God, who is the creator and ruler of the world, and takes strict notice of all the conduct of his rational creatures ; if they were fully convinced that they are in the hands of God who is angry with them, and are daily exposed to his wrath ; if they were firmly persuaded that there is an eternal world of endless joy or misery just before them, upon which they must shortly enter, and that there is no way of escaping eternal ruin but by flying to Jesus Christ who offers himself to become a Savior to all who will accept of him ; I say if men really believed these things, what could tend more to influence them in their practice and conduct ? (2) There is also contained in true saving faith, a consent and warm approbation of the heart of the things believed. And this uni- ted with the forementioned conviction of the judgment, the whole becomes a principle still more practical, and still more binding to influence the life and conversation. The true saint not only be- lieves that there is a future state of rewards and punishments, but he also rejoices in it ; is charmed with the prospect of the happi- ness of heaven, and fully acquiesces in the justice of the torments of hell. He not only believes that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh and is the Savior of the world, but also rejoices in him, in this character, and his soul receives him as his Savior, and thus becomes united to him. Now such a faith as this more especial- ly tends to practice in two respects. In the first place, it sweeps away all those objections and stumbling blocks which are in the way of others, and which tend to weaken their belief of the truths of the gospel. Men who have no cordial consent to the truth, Vol. II. 34 394 GRACE EVIDENCED BY ITS FRUITS. but whose hearts wholly oppose it, are continually raising objec- tions against it. And by this means they frequently persuade themselves into the disbelief of it ; at least they render it less practical to themselves, and are much less influenced by it in their conduct. But a true saving belief of the truth sweeps away all these objections, and receives the truth in all its practical power and efficacy. Again, true faith more especially tends to practice, as it tends to fix our attention upon the truths believed. If we cordially consent to any truth we shall delight in attending to it, and in meditating upon it, and shall actually have it very much in our thoughts. But if our hearts are opposed to any truth, even though we do believe it, yet we shall endeavor to divert our attention from fixing and dwelling upon it. In true faith again, there is not only a cordial reception of the truths of the gospel in general, but in particular of Jesus Christ, and an acqui- escence in him as our Lord and Savior. And to receive him as our Savior is to receive him as our Savior from sin ; for this is the view in which he offers himself to us. But no one will re- ceive a Savior from sin, until he is disposed and really desires to be delivered from it. Why should he fly to Christ to deliver him from that, from which he really desires not to be delivered, but which he eagerly clings to and embraces ? But when a person is really sick of sin, weary and heavy laden with it, then and not till then he is prepared to receive a deliverer from it, and he is also at the same time prepared henceforth to forsake it. And such a disposition of mind as he now has, tends abundantly to his actually forsaking it in life and practice. The same alsa may be observed of receiving him as our Lord and King. If we do really receive him cordially and willingly as our Lord and Master, we shall willingly submit to his authority, and obey his commands. 2. The same also is the nature and tendency of true trust and reliance upon God. This is a grace which is much insisted on in the scriptures, especially in the Old Testament, and it is great- ly inculcated as an important duty. And doubtless if we do real- ly confide in and rely upon God, and make him the object of our hope and trust, we shall in our practice be governed by this prin- ciple. Its tendency will be to make us still rely upon him in the midst of darkness and the frowns of providence. The covenant- ing people of God profess to trust in him and to rely upon him as their supreme good and best portion. And as they make such a profession, so God frequently in the course of his providence sees fit to try them, whether the profession which they make be true and sincere. For this purpose he cuts off their hope in GRACE EVIDENCED BY ITS FRUITS. 395 other objects, and disappoints their trust, and brings them into great trouble and affliction. Now in such circumstances the ten- dency of a false trust in God is to leave us to murmuring against God and finally to throw us into despair. But the trust which is true and genuine will still support us, will make us patient and submissive, and will lead us to conduct as if our all were not lost. For if God be indeed our supreme good, and we are sure he lives, whatever else we are deprived of, we shall be indifierent about it. Perfectly agreeable to this is the exhortation, Is. 50: 10, " Who is among you that fearetli the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness and hath no light ?^^ Let him trust in tlie name of the Lord, and stay upon his God." A gra- cious trust in God will also tend greatly to influence our practice as it will make us willing to trust him with our earthly substance when he calls for it. We are not afraid to commit our earthly substance into the hands of those of our neighbors in whom we have full confidence that they will deal faithfully with it, and du- ly repay it to us. How then, if we have any trust in God, shall we be unwilling to commit the same to him, when he has prom- ised abundantly to reward us both here and hereafter? 3. The same also is the tendency of that capital christian grace true love to God. Love is eminently a practical principle, to- wards what ever object it be directed. What else is it but love exercised towards various objects and in various shapes and de- grees, which governs the whole world of mankind ? Whatever a man loves and sets his heart upon, that in proportion to the degree of his love, he pursues in his practice. For instance, those who set their hearts on riches how do they conduct as to their practice ? Are they all engaged after other things, at the same time neglecting all opportunities of acquiring the wealth which they so much love ? Is this the way with men of this char- acter ? It is well known to be far otherwise. It is well known that they keep their eyes still fixed upon the one object of their pursuit, and so regulate all their conduct as tends most to secure the grand thing at which they are aiming. So also if men set their hearts upon honor ; then we shall find them so regulating their conduct as if possible to obtain this. Or if they very ten- derly love their friends or their near relations ; in this case we shall find their conduct to be influenced in favor of those whom they love, in proportion to the degree of their love. Now the same is the natural eflfect and tendency of true love to God. It will excite us in our life and practice to express our love. True love to God is always supreme. And if we love God supremely, that is, more than all things else, it will tend to 396 GRACE EVIDENCED BY ITS FRUITS, that practice whereby we shall express this supreme love. All our conduct will have an ultimate respect to God, to his service, and to his honor and glory. If we love God, we shall certainly love his laws ; for these are an expression of his mind and will. And if we love his laws, we shall love to practise them ; for they all respect practice and strictly enjoin it. John 14: 15, "If ye love me, keep my commandments ;" and verse 21, " He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me ; and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him." And the same thing is abundantly insisted on throughout the scriptures, as the grand mark by which we both know concerning ourselves and others, whether we have any true love to God. Of love there are various kinds, or rather it is exercised in a variety of ways which are distinguished by several names. One exercise of love is esteem, whereby we prefer God and choose him before all things else. And if we have this esteem of God it will tend to manifest itself when other things come in compe- tition with him. When it comes to tiiis that we must either have our God or the world, our God or our honor, our God or our pleasure and ease, we shall readily choose the former, and reject the latter. Another exercise of true love to God is desire. Those that really love God, desire to know more and more of him in order that they may love him more and more. They desire also to be more and more conformed to him. This is expressed in that benediction of our Lord, " Blessed are they that do hun- ger and thirst after righteousness." This is the true character of all who sincerely love God. Now strong desire is a powerful principle of action and practice. Another exercise of true love to God is joy and delight in him. This also is most manifestly a powerful principle tending to influence the life and practice. 4. I come now to consider that particular christian grace which in the scriptures is called by the name of repentance. This is a grace of which some christians seem to make very little account. Yea, they hardly esteem it a grace at all to be exercised by chris- tians, but only to be exercised by unrenewed sinners. But quite contrarily to this we read in scripture, of " repentance for the re- mission of sins," "repentance unto life," " sorrowing after a god- ly manner ;" which expressions surely mean something not to be found in carnal sinners. This repentance consists in a real ha- tred and abhorrence of all sin, or a turning of the mind from it. The word in the New Testament which is most frequently trans- lated repentance, most properly signifies a change of mind. But when the mind is changed from one thing upon which it was be- GRACE EVIDENCED BY ITS FRUITS. 397 fore fixed to another, the practice is wont also to be changed. But in this case the mind is changed or turned from sin. Sin is the grand object upon which the minds of natural men are fixed. But in repentance they are drawn off from this, and are fixed upon quite a contrary object, viz. holiness. And doubtless such a change of mind has a most direct tendency to a like change in practice. We find it to be so in all other cases. Suppose a man who has hitherto been pursuing a certain course, now has his mind with respect to that course entirely changed ; what will be the effect ? Will he still go on pursuing the same course ? Universal experience demonstrates the contrary, viz. that hence- forth he will desist from it. The same is true of a change of the mind from sin. If the mind be turned, why should not the man forsake it in practice ? How can it be otherwise ? We are by no means wont to run greedily on in the practice of that which our minds hate and abhor. 5. I would also consider the christian grace of humility. This tends to a humble walk and conversation ; and whoever is pos- sessed of it, will be led to express it in all his conduct towards others. Humility is a thing so much inculcated and so peculiarly suited to the christian dispensation, that all professing christians hold to it and endeavor the most of them to make a show of it. But some are much put to it even to put on any tolerable sem- blance of it. But where there is a humble spiri twithin, there a humble behavior is natural and easy. We find that men of a proud and haughty spirit are very apt to express their pride in their outward conduct. And why should not men of a humble spirit be as likely in the same way to express their humility ? A truly humble spirit will also tend to express itself in contentment in the circumstances allotted to us by providence ; and not only so but also to rejoice in the prosperity of others. 6. The next grace that I would mention is love to men. This is ever connected with love to God, and like that will flow out in holy practice. It will lead us to assist our fellow men when in difficulty, to compassionate them when in suffering, and to oblige them in all possible things. " If a brother or sister be na- ked and destitute of daily food," it will lead us not merely to say to them, " depart in peace, and be ye warmed and filled," but '^ to give them those things which are needful for the body." It will lead us to suffer long and be kind, to forgive others as we would be forgiven by our heavenly father. And whatever may be our professions, if they are not thus sustained and their sin- cerity evidenced by these and all kindred fruits, we are but de- ceiving ourselves. 34* 398 GRACE EVIDENCED BY ITS FRUITS. 7. The same remarks apply to the christian grace of gratitude. We cannot indeed profit God by our thankfuhiess, and yet we may express that thankfuhiess by our holy obedience. The very sense of God's mercies, will lead us, from a grateful and aflec- tionate feeling, to endeavor to obey him, because thus we know he is pleased and glorified. As the subject who has been most highly favored by his prince, can and will find ways to show his thankfulness, so it will be with the christian to whom God has shown the greatest conceivable favors. 8. Equally true is all this of the christian grace of hope. This tends to wean us from the world, for it is always pointing us for- ward to another state of existence. If we have true hope, it will fix our desires and expectations on the great subjects of the promi- ses. It will lead us to look for our highest good hereafter, and as a consequence to think but lightly of the things of this world, and to live as pilgrims and strangers here. It will lead us also to lay up our treasure in heaven, and to live and act as really be- lieving it to be there. And if we thus live by faith, and as hav- ing our conversation in heaven, this surely is holy practice. Thus I have in some measure finished what was proposed, viz. have shown that it is the nature and tendency of divine grace to manifest itself in holy practice, and that the same is true of each particular one of the christian graces, individually considered. In the improvement of the subject, it may be remarked, 1 . By way of instruction, that we may see the reason why re- ligion is so much dishonored by the disorderly walk of professors. It is because it is so eminently a practical thing, and known to be so by all. But if they see those who profess this religion not practising accordingly, they are ready to believe there is nothing in it, or at least that there is nothing in their profession. And, indeed, what else could be expected ? And by what else beside actions can man judge ? How important then that " every one that nameth the name of Christ should depart from all iniquity," and " shun the very appearance of evil," and seek in all things to walk worthy of the christian vocation ! 2. In the use of examination, let us ask, in view of this sub- ject, what have been our lives ? Many of us have made a pro- fession of religion, have told of a great change of our sentiments and feelings, and of new and perhaps extraordinary views of God and Christ, of the grace of the gospel, of the joys of heaven and the torments of hell. But have we lived accordingly ? Have we lived in obedience to God, in faith on Christ, in the purifying hope of the gospel, and as realizing the blessed and fearfiil real- ities of the unseen world ? And not only toward God, but to- GRACE EVIDENCED BY ITS FRUITS. 399 Ward our fellow men, have we lived answerably to the great change we profess to have experienced ? We arc all doubtless sensible that we come short in these things. But are we contented to come short, flattering ourselves that we are christians, and there- fore resolving to hope at any rate, no matter what may be our conduct ? This ought not to be ; for this is not the nature of true grace. True grace, in all our short-comings, vrill be attend- ed by four things which may evidence its sincerity. If we indeed possess it, (1) We shall at least be desirous of being holy. Some do not desire to be holy. The safety of the christian they desire, but they care not for his holiness. But if we are true christians we shall eagerly desire to be holy. We shall strive for holiness, using to this end all the means of grace, working out our salva- tion with fear and trembling. (2) We shall be grieved that we come short of perfect and entire obedience and holiness. The spirit will ever be working against the flesh. It will be our grief and burden that we so of- ten sin against God. And with the apostle we shall often be ready to cry out, " O ! wretched man that I am, who shall de- liver me from the body of this death." (3) We shall ever feel our dependence on the Holy Spirit, and lie low at the throne of grace asking for divine strength. At the throne of grace we shall feel is our proper place ; and the more we see our own deficiencies and weakness, the more con- stantly and humbly shall we cast ourselves on God for assistance, and for grace to help in every time of need. (4) We shall make progress. If we are truly possessed of grace, our path will be " as the shining light growing brighter and brighter to the perfect day." Now clouds may be about us, and now mists may gather upon our way, but on the whole we shall go forward. From period to period we shall find that we are growing in grace, and becoming more and more like Christ. 3. The last use I would make of this subject, is that of exhor- tation. And, (I) It exhorts sinners at once to enter on the practice of holi- ness. It is the service of God to which you are called ; and will you not enter it ? He is your creator, and has he not a right to your services ; your sovereign, and does he not demand them ; your constant benefactor, and are you not bound by every tie of gratitude to render them ? If you refuse to obey, you will go on to live, as you are now living, in the service of satan and sin. And is not God's service better than these ? Will it not give you more joy and happiness here, and be better rewarded here- 400 GRACE EVIDENCED BY ITS FRUITS. after ? By every duty then here, and by every prospect hereaf- ter, are you not bound to enter it, that your souls may hve ? (2) It also exhorts those who are saints. The cause of God is at stake, and how much will it be dishonored by unfaithfulness on your part ! Many are ready to disbelieve all religion ; and your conduct may do much to remove their doubts and convince them of the reality and excellence of your faith, or to impede their progress and place stumbling blocks in their way over which they may fall and perish. Your own character as christians, and even as men of truth and honor, are involved. You profess great things, and your profession has been public and most solemn. It is a sacrament ; — an oath. Be diligent then, that you walk wor- thy of your high and holy calling, and that you put no occasion of stumbling or falling in the way of others. " Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, what- soever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report ; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." Thus " shall your light so shine before men, that they shall see your good works, and glorify your father which is in heaven." SERMON XXVI. TIIE GLORY OF THE GOSPEL.* 1 TiMOTHV 1 : 11. — " The glorious Gospel of tJie blessed God." To celebrate the gospel, is the universal practice of all who profess the christian name. Those who cannot endure the law, will, in the fullest and strongest terms, commend the gospel ; and those who openly declare that they cannot away with an ab- solute God, are most lavish of their praises of a merciful Redeem- er. Even those who are at sword's points in almost everything else, yet agree in this, to speak highly of the gospel and of the Savior. They all agree that it is a glorious gospel, and that he is a glorious Savior. But how and why is this ? Is it that the gospel and the true character of the Savior are things agreeable to the natural taste and relish of the hearts of men, which yet are at enmity against God, and not subject to his law ? Or is the gospel, rightly un- derstood, any more agreeable to the corrupt heart of man than the law is ; or the character of Jesus the Savior, than the char- acter of God the lawgiver and judge ? No ; if we consult the apostle we shall find that these, viz. the law and the gospel, God the father and lawgiver and Christ the Son and Savior, are in no wise opposed to each other, but are in all things perfectly harmonious and consistent. For, says he, " Do we then make void the law through faith," i. e. through the gospel ? And the answer which he himself directed by inspiration gives, is, " God forbid ; yea, we establish the law." The law and the gospel, therefore, ac- cording to the apostle, are not at all opposed to each other, but being built on the same foundation, do mutually establish each other. Again, the same apostle speaking of Jesus the Savior, says, that " he is the brightness of the father's glory, and the ex- press image of his person." But if he is such a perfect image of the father, surely those must act a very inconsistent part who love and rejoice in the image, while they have no complacency in, but hate and reject the original. And the same is true of those who * Preached in 1771. 302 GLORY OF THE GOSPEL. rejoice in the gospel which establishes the law, and yet hate and oppose the law itself. From these things it appears that although all who would call themselves christians agree to speak highly of the gospel and of the Savior, and to call them a glorious gospel and a glorious Sa- vior, yet it may be with many through misapprehension of their real nature, and of what constitutes their glory. That for which they love the gospel and love the Savior, and which they call their glory, inasmuch as it is opposed to the law and the charac- ter of God the father, is, in reality, not the true glory of the gos- pel, and of the Savior, but something which they falsely so call. That the gospel and the glory of it are not inconsistent with the law is evident, not only from the passages already quoted, but from many others ; as Rom. 10: 4, " Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth,;" and Gal. 3: 24, " The law is our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ," These pas- sages plainly show that the law is subservient to the gospel ; and on the other hand that the gospel is, as to its spirit, though not as to the letter, a fulfilment of the law. The glory of the one, therefore, cannot be inconsistent with the other. Now that the gospel is indeed a glorious gospel, our text, as well as the whole of the New Testament informs us. Let us, then, inquire where- in consists its glory ? It consists, I reply, namely in two things, the display that it makes of God's character, and the provision that it makes for man. I. The gospel is a glorious gospel, inasmuch as in it every one of the divine attributes is set forth in a most glorious light. This is true both of the natural attributes of God, and also of his moral. 1. It is true of the natural attributes of God. The natural attributes of God, considered as an infinite intelligence, are his power, and knowledge or wisdom. And both these are abun- dantly glorified in the plan of the gospel. (1) The infinite power of God, was gloriously displayed in the work of creation ; in producing out of nothing the heavens and the earth, the sun and moon and stars, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air and the fishes of the sea, and especially in producing rational intelligences, mankind with all the hosts of heaven, angels and archangels, thrones and dominions and prin- cipalities and powers. Few more sublime conceptions of power can be conceived than that of the Psalmist, " He spake, and it was done ; he commanded, and it stood fast." The production of a universe, and that by a word, was indeed a glorious display of power that is infinite. GLORY OP THE GOSPEL. 303 But a far more glorious display of that power has been made, and especially at the final consummation of all things will have been made, in the prosecution of the plan of the gospel. In the creation of the universe, there was no opposition and resistance, at least none of a moral kind, for God's power to overcome. As opposed to the plan of the gospel, however, there is all the re- sistance that can possibly be made by earth or hell. In every sinner who is converted from the error of his ways to the wis- dom of the just, God has to overcome the utmost opposition that that soul can make to his work within it. In no degree is such a one inclined by nature to fall in with this work of God for his salvation, but to resist it ; for the carnal mind is ever enmity against God and all true holiness, and can only be made willing in the day of his power. And not only is the sinner himself op- posed to this work of grace, but it is also, to the utmost degree of their might, opposed by the powers of darkness, the devil and his angels, the prince of the power of the air and all his hosts. And the reason why it is opposed by these, is, because by it their kingdom is assailed, and one of their subjects is likely to be taken from them, and brought into the kingdom of God's dear Son. And as there is opposition to the work of divine grace in the in- stance supposed, from the powers of darkness, so there is in every instance where any step is taken by God to carry out the designs of the gospel. And this for the same reason as has just been given, viz., that in every such step their kingdom is attacked and shaken. Nor is this opposition small or contemptible ; for these spirits, however fallen and depraved, yet are of vast power and ability, so that they are called in scripture " principalities and powers." And especially is this true of their leader, who is called " Luci- fer," " the sun of the morning ;" intimating that before his fall he was as much distinguished among the heavenly hosts, as the morning star is among the stars of the firmament. And although he and all those that apostatized with him lost their holiness and moral rectitude, yet they lost not their natural power and strength. Now all this their power has ever been opposed to God the Fa- ther, and his Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit the sanctifier, in every step of the work of redemption ; and yet by them it has always been overcome. It is overcome in the conversion of every sinner, and in the progressive sanctification of every saint. It was overcome most gloriously in the complete triumph which Jesus Christ gained over these powers of darkness, in the signal victory wiiich he achieved on the cross. It has been and will be over- come in every revolution brought to pass in the world in favor of 404 GLORY OF THE GOSPEL. the church, and will finally be completely and forever overcome In the consummation of all things, when Christ shall have " put all enemies under his feet." Thus it would appear that the pow- er of God is abundantly more displayed and more glorified in the work of redemption according to the plan of the gospel, than even in the work of creation. (2) The same is also true with respect to the knowledge or wisdom of God. A truly divine display of the knowledge and wisdom of God is indeed given in the works of creation ; in con- triving the vast machine of the universe ; in ordering the sun and moon and stars in their proper places ; in causing them to observe their appointed times and seasons, so that summer and winter, seed-time and harvest should never cease ; and in adapting all the works of nature to their proper end. But who will pre- tend to say that herein knowledge and wisdom are equally dis- played as in the plan of the gospel ? The latter is represented in scripture as far surpassing the wisdom and comprehension of angels. The apostle Peter speaking of the aflTairs of the gospel, says, " Which things the angels desire to look into ;" which shows plainly that angels, with all their vast capacities and eager desires to know, cannot fathom the depths of wisdom displayed in the gospel. And the apostle Paul in his Epistle to the Ephe- sians, says, " To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places, might be known, by the church, the manifold wisdom of God." And if this wisdom is to be known to the angels only by the church, that is by the display of it in the application of the work of redemption, then it is manifest, that before such display, it was impossible for them to investigate and comprehend it, and therefore that in its fulness it was not dis- played. And the same thing is most manifest in reflecting on any part of this plan. For instance, who would ever have imagined that if we had once rebelled against God, it could be possible for us to be readmitted to his favor ? Or if it had been known that this was possible, who could have determined in what way it might be brought to pass ? Who would have imagined that it could be by the incarnation of God's own Son ? Or if this had been known, who could have determined what he should do, or how he should prepare the way for God to be reconciled to us, and for our re- turn to him ? Who would have thought of his death as being a proper expedient to this end ? These things utterly surpassed the wisdom of man or angels to determine, and thus to surmount the difficulties that stood in the way of our salvation. . Yet all these, to creatures insurmountable difficulties, were easily over- GLORY OF THE GOSPEL. 405 come by the infinite wisdom of God. He contrived a way in which he could be just and yet the justifier of every one that be- lieveth in Jesus. And therefore Christ is said by the apostle to be not only the ''power," but "the wisdom" of God. Having thus endeavored to show very briefly how God's natural perfec- tions, his power and knowledge or wisdom are displayed in the plan of the gospel, I would now, as proposed, proceed to show the same, 2. With regard to his moral perfections. These are common- ly reckoned to be his holiness, justice, goodness and truth. On each of these I would dwell for a moment. (1) By the holiness of God, we are to understand the moral purity of the divine nature, and its freedom from, and opposition to all sin. Or we may call it God's love of righteousness and hatred of iniquity. After man had fallen it was a question which would have forever perplexed both men and angels, how God could forgive sin without appearing friendly to it, and giving it not only toleration but countenance. Yet a way of doing this God has found out and put in practice in the plan of the gospel. For since Christ has undertaken to make an atonement for sin and has suffered the penalty which was justly threatened against it, and since when he took the guilt on himself, God spared him not, but freely gave him up to death, and poured out upon him the vials of his wrath, it appears in the most glaring colors that he is far very far from the least disposition to befriend sin, or even to countenance or tolerate it. For if this were the case, why did he not spare his own Son when he took the sinner's place, and save him from the threatened penalty of the law ? Doubdess if God were disposed to tolerate sin and remit the punishment due to it in any case, he would have done it in this. And for him to give up his own Son who is the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person, who is infinitely beloved and infinitely dear to him, is more than for him to have cast off the whole world. So that in the sufferings of Christ there is a more abundant testimony borne against sin than there would have been if all mankind had been cast off forever. The holiness of God, then, is abundantly displayed and glorified in the plan of the gos- pel. The same is true, (2) Of the divine attribute of justice. The justice of God requires that he should maintain equity in all his dealings with his creatures, and that he render to every one according to his de- sert ; and particularly that he be just in maintaining the rights of the Godhead, and by no means suffering any injury done to his honor and law to go unpunished. And these demands of justice are all satisfied and answered in the way of the gospel. Vol. H. 35 406 GLORY OF THE GOSPEL. For the dishonor done to the dignity and law of God is fully vin- dicated in the sufferings of Christ, so that now no injustice is done to God though the sinner be acquitted. The same will be found to hold good, (3) Of the divine attribute of truth. God from the beginning threatened death to the violator of his holy law. " In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." Now the truth of God requires that this threatening be executed. If it be not ex- ecuted, what becomes of his truth ? Accordingly it was executed, to the fullest extent ; not indeed literally on man himself, but on his surety and substitute, so that to all intents and purposes the demands of the law are answered and satisfied, and God's word performed. The threatening which he had denounced was, that sin should be punished with death. And so strictly did he ad- here to this threatening and to his word herein, tliat he would not set it aside even to save the life of his own Son. Rather than that his truth should fail, his own well beloved Son, who is dearer to him doubtless than thousands of angels, even he dies in anguish on the cross ! We need not then scruple to say that God's truth is more glorified in the plan of the gospel, than it would have been if the sentence of the law had been literally ex- ecuted ; that is, it more demonstratively appears that God will in no case fall from the word that has gone forth from his lips. Once more I remark that the same is true, (4) Of the divine attribute of goodness. The goodness of God, and especially that exercise of it which we call mercy, is most gloriously displayed in the gospel. This, indeed, is what none, I think, will deny, however they may deny the same as to the several other attributes which have been mentioned ; and therefore I need not dwell much upon the proof. The whole dispensation of the gospel, from beginning to end, is a most won- derful display of goodness and mercy, and such a display as could not have taken place on any other plan. Had it not been for the gospel, God could never have had the glory of forgiving rebels, or of doing such things for their salvation as he has done in giving his only Son to be a propitiation for their sins. Herein it appears that he is willing to show mercy to the vilest of sinners, to those that have rebelled against him, and contemned his law, and despised his authority, and abused his grace, and trampled on the blood of his Son. And that God could or would show such mercy, even to the most ill-deserving, how could it have been manifest but by the gospel ? It could not have been. There could not have been an opportunity thus to have showed mercy, had not man fallen, and the gospel dispensation been GLORY OF THE GOSPEL. 407 provided for his recovery. And thus that gospel, in the senti- ment of the apostle, indeed displays " the riches" of the divine goodness. Thus we have in some measure considered what was at first proposed, viz. that the gospel is glorious inasmuch as in it every attribute of God is set in a tnost glorious and conspicuous light. And not only so, but those attributes which seemed to be wholly inconsistent in their exercise toward mankind, are now shown to bo entirely consistent and perfectly harmonious. In accordance with this the Psahnist observes, that " Mercy and truth are met together, and righteousness and peace have kissed each other." Had it not been for the gospel, truth would have forever appeared inconsistent with mercy, and righteousness with peace or pardon. But now in the gospel, these, and all the divine attributes are perfectly harmonized, so that God is glorified by it ; and in this it appears that the gospel as a dispensation is divinely glorious. II. The gospel is also a glorious gospel, inasmuch as in it full provision is made for the free pardon, in consistency with the obedience of the sinner, and at the same time his obedience is secured in a way that is consistent with the free pardon of his sins. This is frequently made an objection against the gospel, or rather against this notion of the gospel that it consists in the free pardon of the sinner, " that it encourages licentiousness, and dis- courages and lays not a sufficient foundation for obedience." But that this objection is without foundation will appear on a lit- tle reflection ; and it will also appear that quite the contrary is the truth, viz. that there is the most abundant security for obedi- ence to the divine law. For the offer of the gospel is the offer of pardon to every one that believes on Christ, and to none but such. Our Lord himself declares, " He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life : and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life ; but the wrath of God abideth on him." Now to believe on Christ and to accept of him as our Savior, and heartily to approve of him as such, as a person of infinite holiness and purity, implies some degree, at least of true holiness in us. A person who is wholly destitute of holiness and wholly sunk in sin, can never approve of and cordially acquiesce and rejoice in an- other of perfect and consummate holiness. But if faith in Christ implies a holy temper, this is the proper and only principle from which all true obedience springs and which naturally leads to it. Again, in receiving and believing in Christ, who is the express image of the Father, and who has done all that he has done in the work of redemption to honor God and promote his glory. 408 GLORY OF THE GOSPEL. there is evidently implied approbation of God the Father, and his holiness and glory. Otherwise we could not approve of Christ wherein he approves of the Father. And further, Christ has magnified the law, and made it honorable, both by his active obe- dience and his dying to sustain it. And to receive and acquiesce in such a Savior implies that we also have a heart to approve and honor and obey the same law. Thus faith in Christ implies a foundation in the heart for love to God, and also for love to his law and a cordial obedience thereto. And he that is the subject of true faith, has this foundation laid in him. So that justification by faith in Christ, so far from discouraging from obedience, ne- cessarily secures it. I might go on to mention several other virtues for which this way of salvation lays a foundation ; particularly humility, meek- ness, patience, forgiveness and brotherly love. To be sensible that we are saved only through the righteousness of another, and are continually dependent on him, naturally tends to expel pride and inspire humility in the soul. To believe in a Savior who patiently endured such things as Christ did for us, naturally tends to inspire with patience. The consideration of the forgiveness of our sins through Christ, and of the fact that we are united in one mystical body with our christian brethren, has the like ten- dency, if our hearts are indeed right with God, to excite in us a forgiving spirit toward our enemies, and sincere brotherly love towards all the true disciples of the Savior. But these things I have only time to mention. The mere mention of them, how- ever, is enough, I presume, to show that in these respects, as in the others that have been stated, the plan of the gospel has no tendency to discourage from obedience to the divine law, but on the contrary effectually secures that obedience in all who comply with it. I have thus endeavored to show that the gospel is a glorious gospel, because in it every divine attribute, whether natural or moral, is most eminently displayed ; and also because it renders the free pardon of sin consistent with the obligation of the law in those who comply with it, and at the same time secures in all such a holy life. In the improvement of the subject I remark, 1. If the gospel be indeed so glorious a gospel as appears from what has been said in the present discourse, then we may see how highly favored we are in enjoying the revelation of it. The revelation of the gospel is so famihar to multitudes that they seem to esteem it no favor, no privilege at all. But let such con- sider what their state would have been if they had lived under the dim light of the Old Testament dispensation, or in the deep GLORY OF THE GOSPEL. 409 darkness of heathenism ; or wliat it would have been if there had been no plan of reconciliation between God and tnan revealed. And by dsvellin— 17. Atonement, no need of, on Dr. Chauncy's scheme, 64, Thoughts on the, 493 — 507. Christ suffered as a substitute, 493 — 8. Objections to the atonement ; incredible, 501 — useless, 503 — inconsistent with grace, 503 — unjust, 504. Essence of the gosj)el, 505 — 7. Necessity of, and its consistency with free grace in forgiveness, 498 — 503. ii. 11 — 52. We are forgiven only through the atonement of Christ, 12 — 14. Atonement is necessary in all cases, 14 — 16. To preserve the authority of law and vindicate the character of God, 15. Must be adequate, 17. Cannot be made by our (a) repentance and reformation, 18 — or (b) partial punish- ment, 20. Christ's mission necessary to it, 20. His obedience no part of it, 41. B. Believers united to Christ, ii. 258. By a vital and a relative union, 259 — 62. Benevolence of God in inflicting punishment, ii. 466 — 8. Brutes, difference between and men, 433. ii. 103. Whether moral agents, 513. C. Calamities, private, public, spiritual, ii. 173 — 4. How Christians supported under, 174 — 9. Certainty antecedent, in the order of nature, to foreknowledge, 403. Not subsequent, 412 — as consistency i-equires Dr. West to admit, 415. If it be consistent with freedom, the cause of it is also, 408. Charity, its fruits, 4.55. Meaning of, ii. 448. In what sense the veil of sins, 452. Reasons for practising, 45.3. Chauncy, Dr., his doctrine of universal salvation examined, 5 — 262. His principles inconsistent with each other, 5 — 16. Objections answered, 16 — 24. His arguments to prove endless punishment inconsistent with jus- tice, examined, 72 — 91. His argument from Rom. 5: 12, etc. 142 — 58 Rom. 8: 19 — 24, 159 — 79 — from various other passages, 179 — 211. His scheme in its relation to his ideas of liberty and moral agency, 211 — 18. His answers to the arguments from the texts that punishment is forever, etc. replied to, 218 — 244. His views on the bad tendency of his doc- trines, and of the texts whicli relate to Judas, 244 — 8. Children, absurd not to teach them i)articular sentiments in religion, ii. 220. Christ, liis kingdom without end, 209. Did not literally pay our debt, ii. Vol. II. 47 ^^^ GENERAL INDEX. 26. His sufferiiigs do not prove the law just, 38. Gain to the universe from h,s death, u. 43. In what sense our justification, ii. 269. Cruci- fied, what It is to preach, ii. 275-83. Suffered as a substitute, 276. In what respects he is a stumbling-block, 283-8. His counsel to be fol- lowed, wiiy, n. 422—7. Chnstmmty heWef of, necessary to political prosperity, ii. 185. Compared with modern infidelity, 188, 201-5— with ancient paganism, 190-901 liest promotes virtue, 195—200. Churches, their duties, ii. 159. Clarke, Dr., inconsistent, 307, 325. On the power of not acting, 317. Criti- cised, 339. His doctrine that we efficiently cause our volitions accord- ing to motives, 366 et seq. Covenants, two, ii, 361. D. Damned, the, whether they suffer as much as they deserve, 18—23. De- serve and will sutler other punishment than what is conducive to their good, 24—72. Their punishment not annihilation, 91— 105— but justly consists in misery, 105-16_which, though endless, is consistent with God's goodness, ] 19—42. Death, in what sense the last enemy, 201. Deislic objections, with answers, ii. 518-26. Short comments on new texts, 533 — 8. Depravity, the source of infidelity, ii. 161. Destruction, of two kinds, ii. 413.- causes of, 418—422. Doctrines of Christianity, ought to be studied by all, ii. 214, E. Edwards, the father, his improvements in theologv, 481—92. As to the ultimate end of the creation, 481. Liberty and necessitv, 481—4. The nature of holiness, 484. The origin of moral evil, 485. The doctrine of the atonement, 486. The imputation of Adam's sin and of Christ's righteousness, 486—8. Tlie state of the unregenerate, 488. The nature of experimental religion, 489. Dismterested aflfection, 490. Regenera- tion, 490. '^ Edwards, the son, his residence among the Mohegans, 469. Sermon at his death, 509. His parentage, 510. His temper and conduct, 511. As a scholar, 513. His sickness and death, 514. His farewell discourse at Colebrook, ii. 225— in New Haven, ii. 340. Effed, whether the nature of the cause may be known by the, 441. Elect, their acceptance and safety, ii. 378. Reason of it, 382. Election, objections to, ii. 508—12. Whether it implies partiality, 509. In- consistence, 510. Lisincerity, 511. EUgihility of two objects, never equal, 366- Evil, moral, in its own nature odious, 38. Faith, justifying, implies a compliance with the gospel in heart and life, ii. 142—4. Not a speculative assent, for this is dead faith, and the GENERAL INDEX. 551 damned have it, 145. Implies assent of understandinfj and consent of will, 147. Wliy tliis complex exercise termed faith, 148. Why a word of more determinate meanini^ not used, 14!>. How far it is an appro- priating act, 150. Error as to its nature, 153. Whether first gracious exercise, 154. A duty, 15.5. Fnlalism, which West charges on Pres. Edwards, is equally chargeable on himself, 4-38. Foreknowledge, 3!)8 — 420. Implies necessity, {VX> — i. e. certain futurity, 418. West's denial of this, 400 — his admission, 401 — remarks on a paragraph from him, 403 — 5 — concedes everything, 40(5. With what liberty it is consistent, 408. Difference between it and knowledge of a present act, 401). Forgiveness is by grace, ii. 3.3 — not merely as founded on an act of grace, 24. Attempts to prove the consistency of with forgiveness through re- demption, ii. 23 — 29. Edwards' theory, 31. Fraiiklin, Dr. his ground of hope for futm-e happiness, ii. 52G. Future state required, that it may ap])ear, that God is holy, ii. 314 — that the world is made for a vahiable end, 318 — that the happiness of the univeree may be increased, 320. G. God, \A hetlicr all that he wills comes to pass, 189. Whether he has self- determination, 320, 324. In what sense all his knowledge is present knowledge, 41(1 How far he is concerned in the existence of sin, 439 — and takes pleasure in it, 442 — and tempts to sin, 451 — and decrees it, 453 — overrules it to good, 4.5.5. A refuge, ii. 175. How he is present with christians, 232. The author of all good volitions and actions, ii. 348 — which are the effects of his sovereign grace, 349 — yet our agency is not destroyed, 350 — nor our freedom, 353 — nor our accountability, 357. Goodness, not inconsistent with endless punishment, 119 — for it is just, 134. Need not make certain the happiness of all, 125. Gospel, its glory v.hat — a disjjlay of God's character, a provision for man, ii. 302—308. Grace, whether it is merely a means of bringing to lieaven, 16. Forgive- ness only through, ii. 23. Evidenced by its fruits — so is evci-y grace, faith, love, humility, repentance, gratitude, hope, ii. 387 et seq. H. Heathen, salvation of, ii. 405. Hebrew language, its resemblance to the Mohegan, in affixes, 47G. In sin- gle words, 478. Holy Spirit, promise of, ii. 468 — 71. Hopkins on the use of means, 489. Hume, some of his opinions stated, ii. 169. I. hnni'tleriality of the sold, ii. 497 — 502. Imputation, meaning of the term in various connections, ii. 270. Indians, iMuhhekaneew, observations on their language, its extent, its ge- 552 GENERAL INDEX. nius grammatically traced, some of its peculiarities, some instances of analogy between it and the Hebrew, 469 — 480. Infidelity, not necessary but voluntary, ii. 169. Some of its maxims, 188. Its strongest point weakness, 257. Infinite evil of sin, meaning of the phrase, 89. Consistent with degrees of guilt, 90. J. Justice, kinds of, commutative, distributive and general, ii. 29. In what sense satisfied by Christ's death, 47. Justification, meaning of the term, ii. 202. K. King, the most consistent advocate of self-determination, 373. Holds that motives have no influence, 375. Knowledge, West on the sources of, refuted, 405. Whether the gospel be true, assured to all sincerely disposed to piety, ii. 163. Of the truth necessary to true religion, 212. Law, whether its curse is the punishment necessary to lead to repentance, 26 — and a means of grace, 35 — or annihilation, 93 — it is endless mise- ry, 107. Not proved just by the obedience and death of Christ, ii. 38. Not made void through faith, ii. 361. Proof, 363 — 9. But established, 369—71. lAberality, modern, ii. 464. Liberty and necessity, dissertation on, 299 — 468. West's definition com- pared with Clarke's, 313 — his explanation, 312. Discussion of what is essential to, 321. Various definitions, 326. Does not end where ne- cessity begins, 340 — or where motives govern, 365. Consequence of its being an exemption from all extrinsic influence, 467. lAght of nature, proof of God's moral perfections from, ii. 471-496. Locke's proof that the will is not free to act or not act, 315. M. Marriage of a wife's sister unlawful, as appears from scripture and reason, ii. 125. Objections, 126-40 — that the precept does not literally forbid, 127 — that it is ceremonial, 129 — that a man is no blood relation of his wife's sister, 131 — that his marrying her is not unlawful, ^er se, 131 — that it is impliedly permitted, 135, etc. Materiality of the soul, arguments in proof of refuted, ii. 306. Merit of oondignity and congruity, ii. 49. Of virtue, 459 — 64. Ministers, duty of, to be honest and faithful in seeking for truth, ii. 64 — in preaching truth, 68 — for what reasons, 211. How they may hold a good conscience, 157. Misery, endless, justly the curse of the law, 107. Chauncy's attempt to prove the doctrine of, to be uncomfortable, perplexing, etc. 128. Moliegan language entirely difl^erent from the Mohawk, 473. No diversity of gender, 474. No adjectives, 475. GENERAL INDEX. 553 Motives, West's definition, 342. An infallible connection between and ac- tion, 343 — meaninfr of this, 344. Granted by West, 345 — his attempt to j)rove tliat mind acts witlioiit a motive, 348 — his stricture on Presi- dent Edwards' assertion that they may be invincible, 354. Concomitan- cy between them and volitions, 37(i. Price's efforts to find a medium between indiflference to them and an inclination of the will, 380. We are governed by them if we give them strength as much as if we do not, 382. Murray, his doctrine of universalism examined, — refuted by reasoning scripture, and its consequences, 279 — 94. N. JVecessitij, natural and moral distinguished, 20J). The latter cannot be at- tended with as much opposition as the former, 301-4. Or if not the love of virtue is necessitated by a natural necessity, 304. The former not blameworthy, 305. Strong epithets defended, 306. How far both necessities are the same, 309-10. All events take place in consequence of, 398. The logical necessity of West, 411 — who misrepresents Pres. Edwards, 412. Dr. Clarke's evasion, 413. Moral necessity liable to few objections which may not be urged against foreknowledge, 417. Would exist though we were conscious of efficiently causing our volitions, 42.3. ■whether we live as if under no moral necessity, 424. Whether it de- stroys agency and precludes action, 425. Subtlety of West on act and operativeness, 428. Moral necessity does not make men machines, 432 — nor place them in respect to liberty on a level with brutes, 433. Moral necessity of sin, whether inconsistent with God's holiness, 441 — with the punishment of sin, 444 — with remorse, 449. JVewton, Bishop, strictures upon, 203 — G9. Inconsistent, 264. Anti-scrip- tural, 265. JVoTU-resistance, not always a duty, ii. 239 — 45. O. Obligation, moral, foundation of, ii. 538 — 41. Order, of gracious exercises, ii. 154. P. Paganism, some features of, ii, 191. Pastors, duties of, ii. 116 — 19. Addresses to, 159, 222. Perfection, moral, not attainable in this life, ii. 224 — 7. Perfections, God's moral, proof of, from light of natm-e, ii. 471 — 96 — from scripture, 505 — 8. Persecution, Christianity not answerable for, ii. 192. Practised by pagans upon each other, 193. Why no more practised, 102. Pttitpierre, his views lead to false notions of God's justice and grace and forgiveness, 272. His notions as to the happiness of every individual and of the universe, 274. Power, not to act, 454. Preaching, the end of, is to manifest the truth, ii. 62. Plainly, engagingly. 554 GENERAL INDEX. SO as to show the heart and lead to self-exammation, — not keeping back a part, or using equivocal terms, or hiunoring prejudice, — or neglect- ing stLidj', GO — 2. PunishnieiU, I'litm-e, whether adequate to the demerit of sin, and yet disci- ])linary, 23. Vindictive in hell, because on earth, 49. Scripture proof, 50. Chauncy's pi-oofs that it is disciplinary, 68 — 72 — that endless punish- ment is unjust, 77. Future ])unislinient not annihilation, 95 — but end- less misery, and tliat justly, 107. Proof from hopes, promises, prayers, 110. Good ends answered by, 124. Of the wicked proved endless, 249—60. R. Refuges of lies, unsafe, ii. 323 — ignorance, 325 — good works, 327 — the absolute goodness and grace of God, 329 — inability, 330. Regeneration distinguished from convei'sion, ii. 110. Reid''s self-contradictions, 369 — 71. Religion, duty of professing, ii. 292. Encouragement to steadfastness in, 297. Philosophical inferior to Christianity, in its teachings concerning the perfections and moral government of God, — the rule of duty, tlvj way of pardon, the end of our creation, and a future state, ii. 200 — 5. Relly, James, his treatise on union, 269 — 72. His notion that all men are one person with Christ. Repentance of itself no ground of pardon, ii. 248. Cannot claim it from (a) justice, 248 — (b) or from grace, 254 — 7 — for repentance neither fully obeys nor suffers the penalty of law, 249 — punishment has others aims than the good of the offender, 250 — sin is a moral evil, 251 — law must have a sanction, 251. Riders, subniissiou to, ii. 238 — as a genei'al rule a duty, 240. Salvation, argued from the goodness of God, 128 — from his end in crea- tion, 132. Sandification, a ground of comfort, ii. 228. Sandeman, showed the inconsistency of popular preachers, 488. Scripture, language of, not to be used exclusively in religious teaching, ii. 213. Self-determination, West on, criticised, 318 — 27. What it is, 329 — incon- ceivable, 331 — undesirable, 335 — a mystery, 336 — relieves no difficulty, 337 — j)ossessed by God ? 360 — consequences, 378. No proof of, from our power to suspejid determination, 420 — nor from consciousness, 421 — as to volitions not being the effect of an extrinsic cause, 422 — nor from our own sense of right and wrong, 429. Self-love, essay on, ii. 544 — 8. Shaftesbury, his tenets, ii. 168. Shermnn, Roger, sketch of his life and character, ii. 180 — 4. Sin, whether it is an infinite evil, 78 — 88. Meaning of infinite evil, 89. In what sense God is the author of, 439. Why it may appear the greatest good, 448. Objections to God's lieing the author of sin apply to his be- ing the author of calamity, 4.50 — 7. Sincerity in religion, of itself not enough, ii. 180 — 4. GENERAL INDEX. 555 Sinner, whether he should thank God for the sins he commits, 450. Slavery, impolitic, ii. 79 — hurtful to morals, industry, population, national strengtli, 79 — 81. Slave trade, unjust (a) in itself, ii. 7li — (b) because cruelly carried on, 77 — and (c) impolitic, 71). Arguments in tiivor olj answered, b'i — 97. Soclniitns, their objection that the atonement is inconsistent with grace in pardon, ii. ',ki. Their principle that God cannot reluse pardon to any penitent examined, 21 — 3, Soul, [troved immortal, ii. 302 — because immaterial, 303 — from several moral considerations, 314. Intermediate state of, 5i28 — 33. Suffering may as well be imposed lor the good of a system, as of the suf- ierer, 59. Temptulion, in what sense God leads men into, 452. ''Time, no independent existence, 367. Trinity, explanation of, ii. 99 — doctrine of, profitable to be preached, 101. Truth^ all which is divine may be prolitably preached, ii. 98 — e. g. the char- acter, decrees, providence and law of God, 98 — 107. The depravity, re- dempiiou, regeneration and accountability of man, lOG — ICJ. U. Unity, churches ought to possess — in articles of faith, aims and ends — nieasures, ii. 230. Univcrsalism, its proof texts, 281 et seq. Universe, whether the plan of, is the best possible, 135. V. Vice, why some kinds of, may be more prevalent in christian than in hea- then nations, ii. 191 — 2. Virtue, essence of| not in being efficiently caused by the sulyect, 430. Virtues, moral, best promoted by Christianity, e. g. temperance, chastity, truth, justice and humanity, ii. 195 — 200. Volitions, cannot be caused by the mind, 339. Determined by motives, 346. Always comparative acts, 349. Whether they are efi'ccts, 383. If as West holds they are not, then no creature is a creatine, 384 — no creature can be the cause of anything, 384. Objections to the view of volition as an effect, answered, 385. Price's reasoning refuted, 391. West's concessions, 393 — his definition commented on, 394. Volition as much passive in his scheme as in any other, 397. Always moral, 431. Clarke's sophism on the beginning of motion, 434. W. JVay to destruction, in what respects, broad, ii, 414 — 10. JVest, Dr. Sanuiel, remarks on his essays, 299. Inconsistent, 304, 3^30. In- sists on the very distinction which he reprobates in Edwards, 309. On the power to act or not act, 313 — 18. His concessions, 338. His views of volition as not an effect, 383. What implied in his denying volition 556 GENERAL. INDEX. to result from an extrhisic cause, 389 — and nothing is thus | gained, 392. His quotations from Hopkins, 457. Will, Dr. West on its self-determination, 318. Works, necessary to justification and pleasing to God, ii. 265. END OF VOLUME II, Ky Date Due 4 HffiTTggr" mrs m