Ade
PETIT AL
MERCY
1
AS
DESIRE
Liars so
Abercromby of Birkenbog Bart
UNIVERSIT
*
}
-ARIES
SERMONS
ON
IMPORTANT SUBJECTS.
BY DAVID BLACK,
LATE MINISTER OF LADY YESTER'S, EDINBURGH.
TO WHICH IS PREFIXED,
AN
ACCOUNT
OF
THE LIFE AND CHARACTER
OF
THE AUTHOR.
Edinburgh:
PRINTED BY TURNBULL & GALL,
OLD ASSEMBLY CLOSE.
SOLD BY W. LAING, OGLE & AIKMAN, A. CONSTABLE & Co. MANNERS
& MILLER, W. DICKSON, AND W. WHYTE,
1808.
BX
9178
.363
11960/8-190
ACCOUNT
OF THE
LIFE AND CHARACTER
OF THE
REV. DAVID BLACK.
THE family from which MR BLACK de-
scended, has produced several eminent mi-
nisters of the Church of Scotland, as well
as many private individuals of distinguished'
piety.
His grandfather, the Rev. Thomas Black,
wa's esteemed one of the most judicious,
learned, and worthy ministers of the age in
which he lived. He was first settled mi-
nister of Strathmiglo, in the county of Fife;
a 2
iv
ACCOUNT OF
But
and in 1698 was translated to one of the
charges in the town of Perth. In this im-
portant station he laboured with singular di-
ligence and success. In 1707 he received
a presentation to the professorship of divini-
ty in the University of St Andrews.
the importunate solicitations of a people, sen-
sible of their obligations to a faithful and
beloved pastor, prevailed with him to de-
cline that honourable appointment. He was
the intimate friend of the celebrated Pro-
fessor Halyburton at St Andrews, and the
editor of a posthumous volume of Sermons
by that learned and pious author. He died
in 1739.
His son, the Rev. David Black, was or-
dained one of the ministers of Perth in 1737,
whilst his father was yet living. He continu-
ed in this situation for thirty-four years, uni-
versally respected and beloved for his piety
and integrity, for his gentle and amiable
temper, and for his diligence and fidelity
THE AUTHOR.
1
in discharging the duties of the pastoral
office. His judgment, distinguished by
its perspicacity and strength, was often
the resource of his friends; who, on ma-
ny occasions, in cases of difficulty, pro-
fited by his wise and salutary counsels.
-He married Jean Macvicar, daughter
of the Rev. Neil Macvicar, one of the mi-
nisters of St Cuthbert's; a clergyman, whom
few have excelled in warmth of devotion, in
simplicity of manners, or in sanctity of life.
Mrs Black greatly resembled her father in
unaffected piety and sweetness of temper,
which, joined to her other excellent qualities,
rendered her a blessing to her husband and
her family. Mr Black died, after a very
short illness, May 19. 1771. * His funeral
* Mr Black left the following children :
1. Bridget,—who married the Rev. Archibald Bo-
nar, minister of Cramond.-Died January 4. 1787.
2. THOMAS,-Merchant in Perth, and lately Provost
of that Borough.
ACCOUNT OF
sermon was preached by the Rev. James
Scott, one of the ministers of Perth, who on
that occasion, whilst he testified his own af-
fection and the public regret, offered a
just and honourable testimony to the emi-
nent worth of his departed colleague and
friend.
The Rev. David Black, the subject of this
Memoir, was born at Perth, May 23. 1762.
Though deprived of his father when just
nine years of age, the education which he
received from his pious mother, was blessed
as the means of leading his mind to an early
acquaintance with serious religion. Whilst
only in his tenth year, he was remarked for
his tenderness of conscience, and for the
3. ELIZABETH,-who married Thomas Young, Esq.
of Arbenie.-Died September 19. 1785.
4. DAVID,―minister of Lady Yester's, Edinburgh.
Died February 25. 1806.
5. NEIL,-now residing in London.
THE AUTHOR.
vii
{
readiness with which he received instruc-
tion; as well as for his diligence in reading
the scriptures, and his
ties of secret devotion.
attention to the du-
At an
At an early period,
he expressed a strong desire to consecrate
his life to the work of the ministry. To this
object, in which he was encouraged by his
friends, all his subsequent schemes and pur-
suits were uniformly directed. He applied
with diligence to his studies at the universi-
ty of Edinburgh, and made proficiency a-
bove many of his equals, in the knowledge
of the learned languages, as well as of theo-
logy, and the different branches of litera-
ture, more immediately connected with theo-
logical science.
In his sixteenth year he began to keep a
diary, a practice in which he persevered till
his last illness. These papers discover
his habitual attention, not only to his ex-
ternal conduct, but also to the state and
dispositions of his mind. Though he fre-
viii
ACCOUNT OF
quently laments imperfections which could
be known only to God and his own con-
science, it evidently appears, that on many
occasions, he experienced the peculiar com-
forts of true religion.
Having finished his studies at the univer-
sity, and having passed through the usual
trials before the Presbytery of Perth, with
the high approbation of all the members
who attended, he was licensed to preach the
Gospel, August 25. 1784. It would be hap-
py indeed for the church, if all who enter
on the sacred office possessed that sense of
its high importance, and that ardent zeal
for promoting its great design, with which
his mind was then impressed. His first ap-
pearances as a preacher, fully equalled the
expectations of his friends; and there is rea-
son to believe, that his occasional services,
whilst a probationer, were accompanied with
a divine blessing, to the spiritual advantage
of many who heard him.
THE AUTHOR.
it
Mr Black's first settlement was at St Ma-
does, a small country parish, about six
miles from Perth. His immediate prede-
cessor in this charge was the Rev. Archibald
Stevenson, one of the ablest and most re-
spectable ministers of his time; whose talents
and worth would have qualified him to fill
with honour to himself, and with advantage
to the public, any situation in the church.
Mr Stevenson having died in December
1784, Mr Richardson of Pitfour, the Patron,
presented Mr Black to this parish; and he
was accordingly ordained, with the cordial
approbation of the people, September 15,
1785. Mr Black enjoyed much personal
comfort in St Madoes, and continued, for the
space of nine years, to discharge the duties
of his office with approved fidelity; pos-
sessing the full confidence and affection of
his own people, and the unqualified estima-
tion of all who knew him.
b
ACCOUNT OF
1
When the church of Lady Yester's, in the
city of Edinburgh, became vacant in 1794,
many respectable members of that congre-.
gation, as well as Mr Black's numerous
friends in the city, were desirous that a mi-
nister of his character and talents should
be invited to fill that important charge. The
Magistrates and Town Council, concurring
in the general sentiment, were pleased to
grant a presentation in his favour. He was
accordingly admitted to be minister of La-
dy Yester's, November 20, 1794.-The so-
lemn services of the day were conducted by
the late Dr Erskine, a name extensively
known, and justly dear both to the learn-
ed, and the christian world. On this oc-
casion he preached that excellent sermon,
entitled, "
"The Blessing of Christian Teach-
ers,” which is the third in the volume pub-
lished in his life time. When that venera-
ble man proceeded-like Paul the aged ad-
dressing Timothy his son-to deliver to his
young friend the impressive charge subjoin-
THE AUTHOR.
Xi
ed to the sermon, sentiments of veneration
for the speaker, and of kind affection for the
young minister, pervaded every heart.
“You have begun well," said Dr Erskine,
"hold on to the end with persevering and in-
creasing diligence, and be not discouraged
$6
66
by the difficulties of your work. Take heed
“unto thyself, and unto thy doctrine ; con-
"tinue in them; for in doing this, thou
“shalt both save thyself and them that hear
"thee. You have had the honour to de-
"scend from two ministers of Perth, and
"one of St Cuthbert's. May you be justly
"loved and esteemed as they were, for the
"amiableness of your temper, the exem-
plariness of your life, and your diligence
"in the pastoral office. May the Lord be
"with you, as he was with
as he was with your fathers,
" and may you have many for
your crown
"of rejoicing in the day of the Lord!"
66
In March, 1795, Mr Black married
Agnes Wood, daughter of George Wood
2
ACCOUNT OF
of Warriston, Esq. in the parish of Cur-
rie. This event he considered as one of
the happiest in his lot. Her amiable dis-
positions were congenial to his own; and
in her piety, prudence, and tender affection,
he enjoyed the greatest domestic comfort.
Mr Black continued to be minister of
Lady Yester's till his death; and his servi-
ces in this station were highly acceptable
and useful to his people. He laboured with
diligence in his preparations for the pulpit,
and it will appear, from the specimen now
given to the public, how much his discour-
ses were adapted to general edification.
His sermons, it must be remarked, derived
peculiar advantage from his elocution and
delivery. His manner was solemn and af-
fectionate, earnest and persuasive. When
expostulating with sinners,
sinners, or
or unfold-
ing to Christians the consolations of the
gospel, there was often an animation in
his address a sacred fervour a divine
THE AUTHOR.
XIIL
unction, which powerfully impressed the
auditory. He evidently felt the truths he
was delivering, and spake as one standing
in the presence of God, animated with
pure zeal for the glory of the Redeemer,
and the salvation of immortal souls.
Nor did he confine his labours to the pul-
pit. He visited his parishioners in their
own houses; and regularly every summer,
except while the church was rebuilding,
held meetings for catechetical exercises,
which were uncommonly well attended. He
possessed a singular felicity in engaging the
attention of the young, and was successful,
in many instances, in fixing on their minds
lasting impressions of the truths of religion.
To the sick members of his congregation,
and to others who desired his visits, he re-
gularly devoted a portion of his time.-To
the necessities of such as were indigent, he
ministered with a liberality, greater, per-
haps, than a rigid prudence would have dic-
tated.
Xiv
ACCOUNT OF
The most perfect affection subsisted be
twixt him and his congregation. They
were justly sensible of the singular advan-
tage they enjoyed, in having such a pastor.
They looked up to him as their spiritual
guide, and, since his death, have testified
their respect for him, in a manner peculiarly
honourable to their own feelings. Such al-
so was his attachment to them, that he re-
peatedly declined to accept the offer of a col-
legiate charge. And when the church of
Lady Yester's was found to be in so decay-
ed a state, that it was no longer safe to as-
semble there for public worship, he readily
entered into an arrangement, by which he
was permitted to preach, on the forcnoon of
every Lord's day, in the chapel of ease,
which belongs to the parish of St Cuth-
bert's. This he continued to do till the new
church was opened, December 8, 1805, lit-
tle more than two months before his death.
THE AUTHOR.
XV
He retained always a warm affection for
the people of Perth, and was ready on eve-
ry occasion to promote their interests. When
a plan was formed in 1793 to erect a cha-
pel of ease in that town, he exerted him-
self with great zeal, along which some other
ministers and private Christians, in forward-
ing this salutary and important object. The
decision of the General Assembly in 1794,
by which this plan was finally frustrated, he
regretted as highly prejudicial both to the
interests of the Established Church, and to
the spiritual prosperity of the people of
Perth.
•
To the Church of Scotland he was con-
scientiously attached. The sermons con-
tained in this volume will sufficiently shew,
how perfectly his views of christian doc-
trine accorded with the public standards of
the church. His soul, indeed, abhorred the
dishonesty of subscribing, as articles of
peace, doctrines which the subscriber does
*ti
ACCOUNT OF
not believe to be "agreeable to the word of
God, and founded thereon." The growing
neglect of the peculiar doctrines of the Gos-
pel, he certainly considered as one princi
pal cause of the declining state of religion
in the present times.-Though neither dis-
posed, nor, perhaps, qualified to take
any ac-
tive share in the direction of public affairs,
yet he felt it his duty steadily to resist all
those measures, which, in his judgment,
appeared to militate against the essential
principles of the constitution of the church,
or to endanger her most important inter-
ests.
The lively interest which he felt in the
general prosperity of religion, led him to
rejoice in the exertions which have, of late
years, been made by Christians in different
parts of the world, for propagating the gos
pel among heathen nations. Hence, too,
he assisted with great alacrity at the forma
tion of the Edinburgh Missionary Society,
THE AUTHOR:
and continued, to the end of his life, one of
the most zealous friends of that institution.
He justly appreciated the blessings, which
the inhabitants of the British empire derive
from the civil constitution of their country.
He was a steady friend to government, and
strenuous in supporting its authority, even
at the time, when, to serve a temporary
purpose, his conduct was greatly misrepre-
sented and traduced.
About the middle of February, 1806,
Mr Black was seized with a fever, the symp-
toms of which did not appear alarming till
Thursday the 20th of that month. On the
forenoon of that day, his mind was remark-
ably tranquil and serene. In the course of
an interesting conversation with a christian
friend, he expressed, in strong terms, his
confidence toward God through Jesus Christ,
and his assurance of his personal interest in
the salvation of the gospel. Towards
C
xviii
ACCOUNT OF
evening the disorder increased to a great
degree, and from that time became so vio-
lent, as to prevent him from expressing, in
such a manner as his friends could have
wished, the state of his mind in the near
prospect of dissolution. Nor was this ne-
cessary. His whole life had afforded an
honourable testimony to the truth of Chri-
stianity; and all his principles and habits
had been deliberately formed, under the in-
fluence of realizing prospects of an eternal
world.--On the evening of Monday, February
24th, a considerable number of the congre-
gation, and other friends, met in Lady Yes-
ter's church, and offered their united and
earnest prayers for his recovery. But the
Sovereign Disposer of events had determin-
ed to release his servant, from the services
and sufferings of the present state. Mr
Black died on the evening of Tuesday, Fe-
bruary 25th, in the 44th year of his age,
and 21st of his ministry.
THE AUTHOR.
xix
The general regret occasioned by his
death, sufficiently testified the high estima-
tion in which his character was held, by
persons of all ranks and denominations.
This painful and unexpected bereavement
Mrs Black was enabled to bear, with a for-
titude and resignation, which displayed, in a
striking light, the power of true religion to
support the mind, in the most trying scenes
of life. She was left with six children, one
son and five daughters, of whom the young-
est was born about three months after Mr
Black's death.
On the Lord's day after his funeral, ap-
propriate and impressive discourses were de-
livered in Lady Yester's church, by the Rev.
Mr Bonar of Cramond, and the Rev. Dr
Buchanan, Canongate : two of his friends,
well qualified by their long and intimate
acquaintance with him, to do justice to his
character, and to direct the congregation
to a suitable improvement of this afflicting
2
XX
ACCOUNT OF
dispensation of providence.The fathers of
Mr. Bonar and. Mr Black had long been
colleagues at Perth; a circumstance which
laid the foundation of that endearing friend-
ship which subsisted between their sons;
and which, not only Mr Bonar's connection
in marriage with Mr Black's sister *,--a tru-
ly pious and amiable lady, but a remark-
able similarity of character, sentiments, and
pursuits, served to strengthen and perpe-
tuate. Though Mr Bonar declined to write
the life of his friend, he has been so obliging,
as to furnish a considerable portion of the
materials from which this account is drawn
up.
The limits of this memoir will not admit
such a delineation of Mr Black's character,
as might equal the just expectations of his
friends, or convey to strangers an adequate
idea of his worth. Yet, it may not be im-
* See Note,.p. v.
་
THE AUTHOR.
xxi
proper to mention a few of those qualities,
which secured to him, whilst living, the es-
teem and affection of all to whom he was
known, and which must render his memo-
ry precious to all the friends of genuine
Christianity. His natural endowments were
peculiarly adapted to the sphere, which
providence had assigned for their exer-
tion. His clear understanding, his sound
judgment, and correct taste, qualified
him well, both to investigate truth, and to
display it with advantage. He was capa-
ble of great application to study, and might
have risen to considerable eminence, had he
chosen to employ his talents in the pursuit
of literary fame.-His temper was calm and
mild; and his manners were distinguished
by an uncommon degree of sweetness and
gentleness. He possessed a considerable
measure of sensibility, which appeared
chiefly in his lively participation in the joys
and sorrows of his friends, seldom in any
strong expression of his feelings, when ex-
J
xxii
ACCOUNT OF
periencing ungenerous or injurious treat
>
ment. His heart was the seat of all the
kind affections. His endearing converse
with his family and friends, gave to his so-
ciety peculiar attractions. His habits of life
were simple, orderly, and free from ostenta-
tion. Moderate in his desires, and satisfied
with his condition, he managed his own affairs
with good sense and discretion; and was far
from resembling those who trouble the world
with pretensions, too often produced by dis-
content or vanity.-Modest and unassum-
ing, he discovered none of that self-conceit
and arrogance, which mark, with awful in-
consistency, the character of some pretend-
ers to religion. His humility shed a pleas-
ing lustre over all the other excellencies of
his character. In matters of indifference
he was never tenacious of his own opinion.
At the same time he discovered nothing of
tameness or servility. He thought for him-
self, and steadily followed the convictions
of his own mind. Hence he has been known,
THE AUTHOR.
xxiii
en some occasions, to dissent from the opi-
nion of his most respected friends.
Sincere and fervent piety, undoubtedly
formed the most prominent feature in the
character of Mr Black. It has been alrea-
dy stated, that at an early period of life he
felt the power of religion on his mind; and
his early choice was confirmed by the full
convictions of his riper years.
His piety
was not confined to stated seasons of devo-
tion. He lived under its influence, and dis-
covered its happy effects in every part of
his conduct. His faith filled his mind with
peace and joy; raised him above the anxie-
ties of life; sustained him under its various
trials; and animated him with the hope of
a blessed immortality. His own reflections
on some interesting occasions, and at dif-
ferent periods of his life, will exhibit a just-
er idea of the distinguishing character and
habitual tendencies of his mind, than can
be conveyed by any general description.
Xxiv
ACCOUNT OF
6
6
6
When entering on his Presbyterial
trials, February 1784.- Thursday the
19th was appointed for my examina-
tion before the Presbytery. It passed
'without censure: so that in due time,
if the Lord spare me, my trials will go
6 on. In the several steps of this affair
I acknowledge and adore the hand of pro-
6
•
6
vidence. How little would it signify to
me, to have the countenance and appro-
bation of my fellow-creatures, if I thought
• I had not the call of God himself to un-
⚫dertake this great work. Men may mis-
• take our qualifications. They cannot pe-
netrate into the secret purposes and dis-
positions of the heart, but all things are
• naked and open unto the eyes of Him with
• whom we have to do. He knows whether
' our aim be single or not, whether it is a
• sincere desire of being useful, an ardent
• love to Christ, and a generous compassion
'for the souls of men, that are our chief
&
motives; or whether our minds are influ-
THE AUTHOR.
XXỶ
⚫enced by the mean desire of worldly emo-
6
lument, ease, or honour.
C
C
• Great Searcher of hearts! hast thou not
early determined me to choose this em-
ployment, as that in which, by thy grace,
"I hope with most success to glorify thy
6
6
name, and advance the best interests of
my fellow-creatures. If ever I have in-
dulged other views, O discover to me the
• deceit and hypocrisy of my heart, and let
me bitterly repent my grievous folly.
6
'Methinks at this moment, if I know my
own heart, I should willingly prefer the
'honour of being a minister of the gospel
' of Jesus Christ, however despised, to the
dignity of the greatest potentate on earth.
Since ever I was capable of any thing, I
• have always been inclined to devote my
•
.
❝ time and talents to the work of the minis-
6
try, and have never, from my earliest years,
seriously thought of any other profession.
d
xxvi
ACCOUNT OF
6 ces,
• A concurrence of favourable circumstan-
under the direction of providence,
gradually succeeding each other, has tend-
ed to confirm my inclinations; and, up-
6
6
6
6
6
6
on the whole, now that the Lord has
brought me hitherto, and made my way
plain before me, what can I say, but, Fa-
'ther, thy will be done; glorify thy great
name in me and by me; and fully qualify
me for the work, thou hast appointed for
• me in thy vineyard. Let my own soul be
6
daily and richly fed with the heavenly
manna, the bread of life that came down
• from heaven; and endow me with the di-
• vine skill of dispensing to every one, like
4
a faithful householder, their portion of
• meat in due season!'
6
6
6
When licensed to preach. Wednesday,
August 25. 1784. a day which I hope never
'to forget. I have now received a new
• character, and entered on the discharge of
a new and 'important office. Unto me,
1
THE AUTHOR.
xxvii
6
6
6
who am less than the least of all saints, is
• this
grace given, that I should preach the
unsearchable riches of Christ.-This is
now the issue of many fears, and hopes,
Hitherto the Lord hath
• and prayers.
6
helped me. I have undertaken a great
'work; but blessed be God, he sends none
4
a warfare on their own charges, but gives
* strength according to the day.'
In autumn, 1789, he was visited with a
severe and dangerous illness. On his reco-
very, he
expresses himself in his diary as
follows:-
· October 11. 1789. Again permitted, by
'the kind providence of God, to enter the
6
6
pulpit, after being debarred from this pri-
vilege about four months. I preached on
'this occasion from Job xxxiv. 31, 32. a
6
6
passage, which afforded me some comfort
in the time of my sickness.-Life in itself,
" with all the cares and troubles that attend it,
2
xxviii
ACCOUNT OF
ACCO
#
6
6
C
would hardly be desirable for its own sake;
but as it is the season of usefulness, as it
gives an opportunity of advancing the in-
terests of the Redeemer's kingdom, it is
highly valuable, and in this view I desire
chiefly to value it.-O Lord, watch over
my soul, that I may watch for the souls of
6 my people. Help me to live a life of closer
fellowship and communion with thee; and
then in health or in sickness, serving thee,
or suffering from thee, I shall be satisfied,
chearful, and happy.'
On the death of a child.- February 6.
• 1799. An event which for some time we
' have been looking for, but still it is felt as
"
a very sharp stroke, and hard to flesh and
'blood. Never was a lovelier child-she
• had arrived at an age peculiarly interest-
'ing, when the first dawnings of reason be-
'gin to appear. But it is the Lord, let him
⚫ do what seemeth him good. It is his
will. Our dear child is now, I trust, with
THE AUTHOR.
xxix
• Christ in heaven, joined to her kindred
'spirits around the throne. What a mar-
6
• vellous change! what a glorious transition!
' from a sick-bed to a throne of glory; from
6
6
weeping friends to glorified spirits; from
a world of sin and suffering, to a world of
'perfect holiness and endless blessedness!
'How inconceivable the expansion of facul-
'ties, that must take place in the case of an
'infant, on its first entrance into the unseen
6
6
world! It is an almost overwhelming
thought, that our sweet babe already
'knows more, than the most perfect saint
' on earth. Let my soul bless God, that I
6
• have been honoured as the instrument of
6
⚫ bringing into existence one, who is now
• added to the Redeemer's company above.
'Soon shall the last trumpet sound, and
the sleeping dust of countless generations
• awake to life. I shall then see my dear
child, not the feeble infant which she ap-
6
peared on earth, but a glorified saint, con-
XXX
ACCOUNT OF
'formed to the image of her blessed Lord.
O glorious hope!'
6
•
Happy communion season.
day, November 11. 1801.
Wednes-
Last Lord's
day was our communion here, and much
'cause have I to observe the abundant
grace and goodness of God. It was as
• sweet and solemn a day as ever I expe-
❝rienced in Lady Yester's. The number of
<
' communicants greater, I believe, than on
6
6
<
6
any former occasion, and some of those
admitted, gave hopeful evidences of a
change having lately been wrought in
them. Preached on Exod. xii. 14. This
day shall be unto you for a memorial.—
'I find enough to keep me humble, even in
'the most favoured seasons. May the Lord
6
keep his good hand about all who have
'been at his table. May the impressions
6
' of this delightful solemnity long remain
6
upon my own heart, and excite to watch
• fulness and diligence.'
THE AUTHOR.
xxxi
J
C
•
6
Anniversary of ordination. Lord's
day, September 15. 1805, brings me to.
⚫ the 20th anniversary of, my ordination to
'the sacred work of the ministry. It is a
weighty and serious thought, that so long
'I have been spared and honoured to preach
the gospel. In undertaking this great
"work, I hope I was actuated on the whole
6
<
by pure motives, and that in the course of
my ministry, I have been seeking not to
please men, but to profit their immortal
• souls.—I can truly say I have found Christ
'to be a good master, and his work sweet
' and delightful, so that I would not ex-
'change employments with the greatest
prince or potentate on earth. No mate-
'rial change of sentiment has taken place
'since I began to preach; only, if the Lord
<
6
spare me, I would study to be more prac-
tical, more particular in the delineation of
'character, and more faithful in dealing
' with the consciences of men.'
xxxii
ACCOUNT OF
A few years before his death, when so
much enfeebled by a severe and lingering
illness, that his continuance in life seemed
to himself extremely precarious, he was en-
abled to look forward to death with compo-
sure and joy. Directing his attention to
the consequences of such an event to his
young and rising family, he thus expressed
himself, I can leave the dear partner of
،
C
my heart, and the dear pledges of our
'mutual love, upon the care and faithfulness
' of my heavenly Father. He hath made
⚫ with me an everlasting covenant, well or-
'dered in all things and sure; and hath
graciously promised to be the God of my
• children. He abideth faithful and will
⚫ not deny himself. He will keep what I
have committed to him; and his blessing
will be upon my offspring.'
The view which has been given, in the
preceding narrative, of the life and cha-
racter of Mr Black, will not appear ex-
THE AUTHOR.
xxxiii
aggerated to those by whom he was in-
timately known. It might not be diffi-
cult to mention some of his contemporaries,
distinguished by a higher portion of those
endowments and acquirements, which the
men of the world admire, and which pro-
cure for their possessors, the envied, but
perishable meed of earthly renown. But,
while Mr Black possessed talents, equal to
the attainment of every valuable object
which he chose to pursue, let it be ever
known as his honourable memorial, that his
talents were unreservedly consecrated to
the service of God; that his life eminently
adorned the religion which he professed;
and that he was honoured to be a faithful
and successful minister of the gospel. To
his character, the friends of Christianity may
with confidence appeal, as one bright instance
more of the power of the gospel, to promote
the purity, the dignity, and the happiness
of those who cordially embrace it. In him,
indeed, was exemplified, in an eminent de-
1
る
​xxxiv
ACCOUNT OF
gree,
that sublime view of the Christian life
which is given by the apostle Paul, a life
hid with Christ in God.
1
The publication of this volume of SER-
MONS has been loudly called for by Mr
Black's friends, and by the public at large.
It labours, to a certain degree, under the
disadvantages which are common to post-
humous publications. In preparing it for
the press, great care has been taken, that
no sentiment of Mr Black's should be sup-
pressed or changed; though some verbal
corrections, which seemed indispensible,
have been hazarded.
It would be wrong to anticipate the judg
ment of the public, or to obtrude any opi-
nion respecting the merits of the sermons
contained in the present volume. On this
point every reader will decide for himself.
Those readers who have been accustomed
to hear Mr Black, should not be disappoint-
THE AUTHOR.
XXXV
ed, if his sermons seem, in the perusal, to
want that peculiar charm which they deriv-
ed from his earnest and impressive address.
Others must not expect to be gratified, who
look into this volume, only with the view of
being amused with the subtilties of argu-
mentation, the sallies of fancy, or the mere
ornaments of style. But it is hoped that
none will be disappointed, who peruse it
with the single desire of having their un-
derstandings informed, and their hearts
improved. They will have ample reason
to be satisfied, if they find in it a clear and
judicious illustration of the leading doctrines
of Christianity, faithfully applied to the con-
sciences and conditions of men. In this
view, the volume now offered to the public,
will furnish a valuable accession to that
store of religious instruction, with which our
language abounds.
2
จง
CONTENTS.
SERMON I.
The deceitfulness of the Heart.
Jeremiah xvii. 9.
The heart is deceitful above all things, and
desperately wicked.-p. 1.
SERMON II.
The Evil of Sin.
Proverbs xiv. 9.
Fools make a mock at sin.-p. 22.
SERMON III.
Sin Detected.
Numbers xxxii. 23.
Be sure your sin will find you out.-p. 52.
SERMON IV.
On Repentance.
Mark vi. 12.
And they went out, and preached that men
should repent.-p. 82.
SERMON V.
The Gospel Invitation.
Rev. xxii. 17.
And the Spirit and the Bride say, Come ;
Xxxviii
CONTENTS.
and let him that heareth say, Come; and
let him that is athirst come; and who-
soever will, let him take of the water of
life freely.—p. 122.
SERMON VI.
Christian Benevolence recommended and
enforced from the Example of Christ.
Matthew ix. 13.
But go ye, and learn what that meaneth,
I will have mercy and not sacrifice : for
I am not come to call the righteous, but
sinners to repentance.—p. 148.
SERMON VII.
On Justification.
Philippians iii. 9.
And be found in him, not having mine own
righteousness, which is of the law; but
that which is through the faith of Christ,
the righteousness which is of God by
Faith-p. 183.
SERMON VIII.
The Law established by the Doctrine of
Faith.
Romans iii. 31.
Do we then make void the law through
faith? God forbid: yea, we establish
the law. p. 219.
CONTENTS.
xxxix
SERMON IX.
Faith's Victory over the World.
1 John v. 4.
This is the victory that overcometh the
world, even our faith. p. 256.
SERMON X.
The Christian Character.
Acts iv. 13.
And they took knowledge of them, that
they had been with Jesus.—p. 290.
SERMON XI.
The Safety of Believers.
2 Tim. i. 12.
I know whom I have believed; and I am
persuaded that he is able to keep that
which I have committed unto him
gainst that day.—p. 330.
SERMON XII.
Christ's Little Flock
Luke xii. 32.
Fear not, little flock; for it is your Fa-
ther's good pleasure to give you the king-
dom. p. 366.
SERMON XIII.
The Improvement of Affliction.
Job xxxiv. 31, 32.
Surely it is meet to be said unto God, I
x1
CONTENTS.
have borne chastisement, I will not of-
fend any more: That which I see not,
teach thou me; if I have done iniquity,
I will do no more.-p. 392.
SERMON XIV.
The Duty of seeking the Things which are
Jesus Christ's.
Philippians ii. 21.
For all seek their own, not the things which
are Jesus Christ's.—p. 411.
SERMON XV.
Support in God's Covenant.
2 Samuel xxiii. 5.
1
Although my house be not so with God, yet
he hath made with me an everlasting co-
venant, ordered in all things, and sure;
for this is all my salvation, and all my
desire, although he make it not to grow.
-p. 462.
SERMON I.
ON
THE DECEITFULNESS OF THE
HEART.
JEREMIAH Xvii. 9.
The heart is deceitful above all things, and
·desperately wicked.
TRUE and faithful is the testimony of
God. Men may amuse themselves and their
fellow creatures with empty, high sounding
descriptions of the dignity of human nature,
and the all-sufficient powers of man; but
every humble, every truly enlightened mind,
will see and acknowledge the justness of the
declaration in the text, that the heart is de-
ceitful above all things, and desperately
wicked.
A
THE DECEITFULNESS
SER. Í.
This is a truth which, like many others
in the word of God, can only be learned
from experience. As long as we assent to it,
merely because it is contained in the Scrip-
tures, we are strangers to its nature, and
cannot understand what it means: But, as
in water face answereth to face, so doth the
heart of man to man. Human nature in
different ages and in different circumstances
is still the same; and when, by means of
the word, the secrets of our own hearts are
made manifest, when we come to perceive
the exact correspondence between the decla
rations of Scripture, and what passes within
us, we are obliged to confess, that God is
in it of a truth, since none but He who
searcheth the hearts, and trieth the reins of
the children of men, could know so perfectly
the inward workings of our minds, and those
numberless evils which are hidden from the
view of all our fellow creatures.
I
purpose at present to speak only of the
deceitfulness of the heart, a subject suffi-
ciently extensive, not merely for one, but for
many discourses, and which, after all that
SER. 1.
3
OF THE HEART.
can be said on it, must remain in a great
measure unexhausted, for who can know it?
The deceit that lodges in the heart is so
complicated and so various, that it is impos-
sible to trace it in all its windings. It is
but comparatively a small part of it that
any created mind can discover, and there-
fore, in the verse immediately following the
text, God ascribes this knowledge to him-
self as his peculiar prerogative; I the Lord
search the heart, I try the reins, even to
give every man according to his ways, and
according to the fruit of his doings,
1
But, by the blessing of God, it
may be
useful to turn our attention to this deeply
interesting subject, and point out some of
the plainest and most decisive evidences of
the deceitfulness of the human heart, which
scripture, observation, and experience af-
ford. It
appears,
I. From men's general ignorance of their
own character.
2
4.
SER. 1.
THE DECEITFULNESS
There is not any thing in the history of
mankind more surprising, or at first view
more unaccountable, than the self-partiality
which prevails in the world. One would be
apt to imagine, that it should not be so
difficult to arrive at the knowledge of
our real character, possessing, as we do,
every possible advantage for attaining it.
We have constant access to our own breasts,
and are more deeply interested in the dis-
covery, than in the acquisition of any other
knowledge. But we see, in fact, that of all
knowledge this is the rarest and most un-
common. Nor is it difficult to account for
this fact, since the heart is deceitful above
all things. Self-love casts a veil over the
understanding, the judgment is warped by
various circumstances, and hence it is, that
many seem to be almost entire strangers to
their own character. They think, and rea-
son, and judge quite differently in any thing
relating to themselves, from what they do
in those cases in which they have no per-
1
sonal interest. Accordingly, we often hear
people exposing follies for which they them-
selves are remarkable, and talking with great
SER. 1.
5
OF THE HEART.
severity against particular vices, of which, if
all the world be not mistaken, they them-
selves are notoriously guilty. It is astonish-
ing to what a pitch this self-ignorance and
self-partiality may be carried! How fre-
quently do we see men, not only altogether
blind to their own character, but insensible
to every thing that can be said to convince
them of their mistake. In vain do
you ten-
der to them instruction or reproof, for they
turn away every thing from themselves, and
never once imagine that they are the per-
sons for whose benefit these counsels and
admonitions are chiefly intended.
t
Of this we are every day furnished with
frequent instances in common life. The sa-
cred history affords us a remarkable example
in the case of David on one particular occa-
sion: I say on one particular occasion, for
the description that we have been giving by
no means applies to David's general charac-
ter.
Few were, in general, more accustom-
ed to self-inquiry. But when Nathan the
prophet was sent to him, in consequence of
his grievous fall in the matter of Uriah, such
6
SER. 1.
THE DECEITFULNESS
was the insensibility, and self-ignorance
which sin had produced, that he perceived
not the application of the parable to him-
self, till the prophet declared, Thou art the
man.
¡
From this and similar instances, we are
led to observe that, if we trace this self-ig-
norance to its source, we shall find that it
is in general owing, not only to that partia-
lity and fondness which we all have for our-
selves, but to the prevalence of some par-
ticular passion or interest, which perverts
the judgment in every case where that par-
ticular passion or interest is concerned. And
hence it happens that some men can reason
and judge fairly enough, even in cases in
which they themselves are interested, provid-
ed it does not strike against their favourite
passion or pursuit. Thus the covetous man
will easily enough perceive the evil of in-
temperance, and perhaps condemn himself
if he has been guilty of this sin in a parti-
cular instance. But he is altogether insen-.
sible to the dominion of his predominant
passion, the love of money. It has become
1
SER. 1.
7
OF THE HEART.
habitual to him. His mind is accustomed
to it, so that in every case, where his in-
terest is concerned, his judgment is warped,
and in these instances he plainly discovers
that he is totally unacquainted with his own
character. The same observation applies to
other particular vices.
Here then, is one striking evidence of the
deceitfulness of the heart. It produces ig-
norance of ourselves; it keeps men stran-
gers to their own character; and makes
them fatally presume that they are in friend-
ship with God, while they are enemies to
him in their minds and by wicked works.
II. The deceitfulness of the heart appears
from men's general disposition on all occa-
sions to justify their own conduct.
This disposition our first parents discover-
ed immediately upon their eating the fruit
of the forbidden tree. When the Lord ap-
peared to Adam and charged him with his
guilt, he attempted to justify himself by say-
ing, The woman whom thou gavest me to be
**
SER. 1.
THE DECEITFULNESS
with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did
eat. And in like manner the woman re-
plied, The serpent beguiled me, and I did
eat. Something also of this disposition is
common to all their sinful posterity. We
are all extremely partial to ourselves, and
apt to view our own conduct in a different
light from that in which we are accustomed
to regard the conduct of our fellow creatures.
When we observe improper conduct in o-
thers, the impropriety strikes us at once.
Sin appears to us in its true and genuine
colours, and we are ready to judge and con-
demn, perhaps with too much severity. But
in our own case, the action is seen through
a deceitful medium. The judgment is per-
verted by self-love, and a thousand expedi-
ents are employed, if not to vindicate, at
least to apologise for our conduct. If we
cannot justify the action itself, we attempt
to extenuate its guilt from the peculiar cir-
cumstances of the case. We were placed
in such and such a particular situation,
which we could not avoid; our temptations
were strong: we did not go the lengths that
many others would have gone in similar cir-
SER. 1.
9
OF THE HEART.
-
cumstances; and the general propriety of
our conduct is more than sufficient to over-
balance any little irregularities with which
we may sometimes be chargeable. Thus,
on all occasions, men endeavour to justify
their own conduct. They even learn to call
their favourite vices by softer names. With
them, intemperance is only the desire of
good fellowship; lewdness is gallantry, or
the love of pleasure; pride, a just sense
of our own dignity; and covetousness, or
the love of money, a prudent regard to our
worldly interest. Strange infatuation! to
think that by changing the names of vi-
ces, it is possible to change their nature; and
that what is base and detestable in others,
should be pardonable only in ourselves!
But it may be farther observed on this
part of the subject, that besides these single
determinate acts of wickedness, of which we
have now been speaking, there are number-
less cases in which the wickedness cannot be
exactly defined, but consists in a certain
general temper and course of action, or in
the habitual neglect of some duty, whose
B
10
SER. 1.
1
THE DECEITFULNESS
bounds are not precisely fixed. This is the
peculiar province of self-deceit, and here,
most of all, men are apt to justify their con-
duct, however plainly and palpably wrong.
Whoever considers human life will see, that
a great part, perhaps the greatest part of
the intercourse amongst mankind cannot be
reduced to fixed, determined rules: yet in
these cases there is a right and a wrong, a
conduct that is sinful and immoral, and a
conduct, on the other hand, that is virtuous
and praise-worthy, though it may be diffi-
cult, nay, perhaps impossible to ascertain
the precise limits of each.
To give an example: There is not a word
in our language that expresses more detest-
able wickedness than oppression. Yet the
nature of this vice cannot be so exactly stat-
ed, nor the bounds of it so determinately
marked, as that we shall be able to say, in
all instances, where rigid right and justice
end, and oppression begins. In like man-
ner, it is impossible to determine how much
of every man's income ought to be devoted
to pious and charitable purposes: the
SER. 1.
11
OF THE HEART,
彝
​boundaries cannot be exactly maiseɛ
yet
we are at no loss in the case of others o per-
ceive the difference betwixt a liberal and
generous man, and one of a hard-hearted
and penurious disposition. In these cases,
there is great latitude left for every man to
determine in his own favour, and conse
quently to deceive himself; and it is chief-
ly in such instances as these, that men are
ready to justify their conduct, however cri-
minal. Because they are not chargeable
with single determinate acts of wickedness,
because you cannot precisely point out to
them, in so many words, wherein they have
done amiss, they falsely conclude, that their
conduct is unexceptionable; though, per-
haps, their general temper and behaviour
may be uniformly wrong, inconsistent with
the spirit of the gospel, and contrary to the
plainest dictates of morality. I proceed to
observe,
III. That the deceitfulness of the heart
appears from the difficulty with which men
are brought to acknowledge their faults, even
when conscious that they have done wrong,
2
12
SER. 1.
THE DECEITFULNESS
This necessarily follows from that disposi-
tion in human nature, to which I have alrea-
dy adverted, namely, the disposition on all
occasions to justify our own conduct. Hence
men in general are so backward to acknow-
ledge their faults, and so displeased with
those who are so faithful and friendly as to
point them out. How few can bear to be
told their faults! This is the sure and rea-
dy way to make most men your enemies,
even though you administer the reproof in
the gentlest, and most prudent manner. In-
stead of reflecting on their own conduct,
which might convince them of the justice of
what is laid to their charge, many, in these
cases, set themselves immediately to disco-
ver faults in their faithful reprovers, or in
those, who, they suspect, may have informed
them; and turning away their attention en-
tirely from themselves, are only concerned
to find equal, if not greater blemishes in o-
thers. Thus deceitful is the heart of man.
We wish always to entertain a favourable o-
pinion of ourselves and of our own conduct,
and are displeased with those who endea-
your in any instance to change this opi-
SER. 1.
13
OF THE HEART.
nion, though it be done with the best, and
most friendly intention.
But how unreasonable and preposterous
is this degree of self-love! Were we alive
to our true interests, we would wish to be-
come better acquainted with our follies and
our faults, and would esteem our faithful
reprovers our best friends. Instead of feel-
ing any resentment against them, we would
turn all our resentment against ourselves;
and endeavour, in the strength of divine
grace, to correct those evils which, were we
not so blinded by self-love, we might easily
discover. But through the deceitfulness of
the heart, men are generally disposed to
justify their own conduct, and ready to
throw the blame of what is amiss on any
thing sooner than on themselves.
IV. The deceitfulness of the heart appears
from the disposition which men discover to
rest in notions and forms of religion, while
they are destitute of its power.
14
SER. 1.
THE DECEITFULNESS
In the purest ages of the church, there
have been persons of this character, men
who, from selfish or worldly motives have
assumed a profession of religion, without un-
derstanding its nature, or feeling its power;
having a name to live, but being spiritually
dead. It is not easy for persons whose
minds are in any degree informed, to divest
themselves entirely of religious impressions.
The fears that naturally accompany guilt,
will at times obtrude themselves on the most
giddy and thoughtless. But the
But the pure, the
spiritual, the humbling doctrines and pre-
cepts of the gospel are by no means agree-
able to the natural mind; and therefore it
is not wonderful that persons who have some
apprehension of the truth of religion, but no
acquaintance with its power, should
should eagerly
grasp at something which may give them
hope beyond the grave, while at the same
time it leaves them in the quiet possession of
their beloved lusts.
Hence it is that so many are hearers of
the word only, and not doers also, deceiving
their ownselves. Hence it is that so many
SER. 1.
15
OF THE HEART.
shew great zeal about small and unimpor-
tant matters in religion, who are shamefully
deficient in some of its plainest and most
essential duties; that so many are punctual
in their observance of religious institutions,
who are unjust and uncharitable in their
conduct towards their fellow creatures; that
so many can talk fluently and correctly on
religious subjects, who are visibly under the
dominion of evil tempers or evil habits;
that so many are scrupulously exact in
what regards the externals of religion, who
are at no pains to cultivate its genuine spi-
rit, or to perform its most substantial duties.
Like the Pharisees of old, who paid tithes
of anise, mint, and cummin, they neglect
the weightier matters of the law, judgment,
mercy, and faith. Hypocrisy in all its
forms and appearances flows from the de-
ceitfulness of the heart; for in general men
deceive themselves, before they attempt to
deceive others. Few are so bold as to lay
down a plan of imposing on the world, with-
out endeavouring, in the first instance at
least, to impose on their own minds. Nor
is it difficult, when the mind is strongly bi-
16
SER. 1.
THE DECEITFULNESS
assed by the love of any particular sin, or
the pursuit of any particular interest, to
persuade ourselves that our conduct is, at
least, excusable, if not innocent. A disho-
nest mind is satisfied with the meanest shifts
and evasions; and persons who wish to be
deceived into a good opinion of their con-
duct, are seldom at a loss to accomplish
their purpose.
Balaam was a remarkable instance of
this. He was a man of extensive know-
ledge and superior gifts. He was not a
stranger to the impressions of religion, for
in his calm reflecting moments, he desired
to die the death of the righteous, nor could
any consideration prevail with him to op-
pose the divine commandment, by cursing
those whom God had blessed. But he lov-
ed the wages of unrighteousness. Covet-
ousness was his ruling passion, and led him,
by the advice which he gave to Balak, to
contradict the whole spirit and design of the
very prohibition, for the letter of which he
professed so sacred a regard. It would be
SER. 1.
17
OF THE HEART.
easy to multiply particulars on this subject,
But I only add, in the
V. and last place, That the deceitfulness
of the heart appears in the highest degree,
when men overlook the real motives of their
conduct, and mistake the workings of their
own corruptions for the fruits of the Spirit
of God.
That there is such deceitfulness in the
world, none can doubt, who consider the
dreadful enormities that have been committed
under the sacred name of religion. In many
cases, it must be acknowledged, these enor-
mities have been committed by persons who
were conscious of the motives from which
they acted, and who employed religion mere-
ly as an engine to attain the objects of their
avarice or ambition. But in other cases it
is no less certain, that men have concealed
from themselves the motive of their conduct,
and even mistaken the workings of their
corruptions for the fruits of the Spirit of
God.
C
18
SER. 1.
THE DECEITFULNESS
Of this we have several examples in scrip-
ture. A striking instance of it occurs in the
conduct of Jehu, who, when shedding the
blood of Jezreel to serve the purposes of his
own ambition, said exultingly to Jehonadab,
Come, see my zeal for the Lord! It is not
improbable, that at the time he imagin-
ed himself to be influenced by zeal for God,
though there cannot be a doubt, that in
what he did he was actuated chiefly by the
love of power. Our blessed Lord forewarns
his disciples, that the time should come,
when whosoever killed them, would think
that he did God service; in like manner as
the prophet Isaiah had declared concerning
the persecuted people of God in his time,
Hear the word of the Lord, ye that trem-
ble at his word. Your brethren that hated
you, that cast you out for my name's sake,
said, Let the Lord be glorified.
We are greatly shocked when we read of
the dreadful persecutions which in different
ages have been carried on against the faith-
ful servants of Christ, by the blood-thirsty
votaries of Rome; yet these men pretended
SER. 1.
19
OF THE HEART.
zeal for the glory of God: Nor is it impro-
bable, but that many of them might so far
deceive themselves, as to imagine, that they
were doing God service, while shedding the
blood of his saints. This is indeed the high-
est instance of the extreme deceitfulness and
desperate wickedness of the human heart,
and the most awful proof of being given up
of God to a reprobate mind. But, in a less-
er degree, men frequently practise this kind
of deceit upon themselves, ascribing to the
word and to the Spirit of God what is evi-
dently the effect of their own ignorance,
wickedness, and depravity.
On the whole, since the ways in which
men deceive themselves are so various, can
we be too jealous over our own hearts? He
that trusteth to his own heart, says the wise
man, is a fool; and the reason is obvious,
because the heart is deceitful above all
things, and desperately wicked.
Let us
therefore, Brethren, accustom ourselves to
self-examination. Instead of indulging a
censorious disposition, and looking abroad
2
20
SER. 1.
THE DECEITFULNESS
to discover the faults of our neighbours, let
us descend into our own breasts, and ob-
serve the plagues of our own hearts. Let us
attend, not merely to our outward actions,
but to the principles and motives from which
these actions proceed. Let us consider our
conduct, not in the light in which self-love
and self-partiality would present it to our
minds, but in the light in which any impar-
tial spectator would view it, in the light in
which God's word teaches us to consid-
er it, and in the light in which it wil
be judged of at last, when God shall
bring to light the hidden things of dark-
ness, and make manifest the counsels of
all hearts.
We are all more or less liable to self-deceit;
and they who think they have the least of it,
are in general most of all under its dominion.
Let us therefore distrust our own judgment,
and, sensible of our own ignorance and lia-
bleness to mistake, let us pray to God for
his divine teaching; saying, with Elihu in
the book of Job, That which I see not,
SER. 1.
21
OF THE HEART.
teach thou me; and with the Psalmist,
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
try me, and know my thoughts, and see if
there be any wicked way in me, and lead
me in the way everlasting.
SERMON II.
ON
THE EVIL OF SIN.
PROVERBS xiv. 9.
Fools make a mock at sin.
VARIOUS and opposite are the opinions
of men on the different subjects of religion,
but we know that the judgment of God is
always according to truth. Men of licen-
tious principles and of profligate manners,
have often been admired by the world, as
persons of superior sagacity and discern-
ment. Their profane scoffs and impious
raillery at the truths of God, have been fre-
quently dignified with the name of wit, and
highly applauded by persons of like dispo-
sitions with themselves. In particular, eve
$ER. 2.
23
THE EVIL OF SIN.
ry attempt which they have made to lessen
the evil and demerit of sin, has obtained
credit with the world, and if tolerably plau-
sible, has gained to its author the wished-for
reputation of wisdom. But He, whose under-
standing is infinite, and who sees and knows
things as they really are, hath denominated
them fools who make a mock at sin. All
attempts, therefore, to lessen its evil and de-
merit in the estimation of men, must be as
weak as they are impious. Our slight
thoughts of sin must proceed from ignorance.
For did we only know its nature, and con-
sider its effects, instead of making a mock
at it, our minds would be impressed with
the most serious and solid apprehensions of
its dreadful malignity, and fatal consequen-
ces.
T propose, my Brethren, from the words
which I have read, to discourse to you on
this awful, but interesting subject; and
would endeavour, by the help of God, to
impress your mind and my own, with a
deep sense of the exceeding evil and sinful-
24
SER. 2.
THE EVIL OF SIN.
+
ness of sin. With this view I shall consider
sin,
I. In its nature;
II. In its effects;
III. In the views which persons in differ-
ent situations entertain of it.
From this it will appear, how justly
they are said to be fools who make a mock
at sin.
I. Let us consider sin in its nature. The
qualities of certain objects are sometimes
best understood by contrasting them with
those to which they are opposed. Thus
the evil nature of sin is most strikingly re-
presented, by contrasting it with the cha-
racter of God, against whom it is commit-
ted; and with the law of God, of which it is
the transgression.
1. God is a Being of the most perfect ex-
cellence, possessed of every attribute that
SER. 2.
25
THE EVIL OF SIN.
can excite the admiration, love, and es-
teem of his intelligent creatures. He is in-
finitely glorious, and completely amiable ;
and, what in a peculiar manner renders him
so, is the holiness of his nature. Holiness is
the chief and brightest attribute of the God-
head. It is rather a combination of excel-
lencies, than a distinct perfection. It is that
which gives a lustre to all the perfections of
God, and raises them so far above the poor
imperfect resemblances of them to be found
among creatures. The power, the wisdom,
the justice, and even the mercy of God
could not command our love and esteem, if
these perfections were not always united
with the most spotless holiness. God is
therefore glorious in his holiness. He is in-
finitely excellent and infinitely lovely, be-
cause he is infinitely holy; and creatures
are more or less excellent and lovely, in pro-
portion as they are more or less conforma-
ble to the image of the divine holiness.
Judge from this, therefore, what must be
the odious nature of sin, which is directly
opposite to the holiness of God. If God be
I)
26
SER. 2..
THE EVIL OF SIN.
infinitely excellent and amiable, sin must be
infinitely vile and detestable.
In this light, it is uniformly represented
in Scripture, where we are told, that God
cannot look upon iniquity but with abhor-
rence, that evil cannot dwell with him, nei-
ther can fools stand in his sight, and that he
hateth all the workers of iniquity. Sin is re-
bellion against the adorable Majesty of hea-
ven and earth. It aims at the destruction of all
the perfections of God. It is directed against
his
power, which it defies. It is employed
in opposition to the counsels of his wisdom,
which it seeks to overthrow. It denies his
justice; it calls in question his faithfulness;
it abuses his goodness. It is particularly
directed against his holiness, practically de-
nying its existence, or saying, that it is not
the lovely and adorable excellence which
the word of God declares it to be. Dread-
ful then must be the nature of that evil
which is so opposite to the character of God,
and at variance with all the perfections of
his nature. But let us consider the nature
of sin,
SER. 2.
27
THE EVIL OF SIN.
2. As contrasted with the law of God, of
which it is the transgression.
The law of God is a transcript of his per-
fections. The law is holy, says the Apos-
tle, and the commandment holy, and just,
and good. It is not only holy and just,
that is, perfectly agreeable to the nature of
God, and to the reason and fitness of things,
but likewise good, being evidently calculat-
ed to promote the happiness of those who
are subject to its authority. Were it at
present necessary, every precept of the law
of God might be shewn to have this ten-
dency. But to be convinced of this, let us
only attend a little to the summary which
our blessed Lord hath given us of the law
of God, in the two great commandments of
love to God and to our neighbour. Can
any thing be more reasonable, or better a-
dapted to promote our happiness than these
commandments? To love the Lord our God
with all our heart, and soul, and mind, and
strength, is only requiring us to place our
supreme affection on boundless excellence;
than which, nothing can give greater satis-
10
28
SER, 2.
THE EVIL OF SIN.
¡
faction to a well regulated mind. And, to
love our neighbour as ourselves, is a rule,
so consonant to right reason, so pleasant to
those who practise it, and so plainly condu-
cive to the interest and happiness of society,
that there is no man but must allow its ex-
cellence, however little disposed he may be
to put it in practice. Thus holy, and just,
and good is the law of God. It is pure and
perfect. It is evidently conducive in all its
parts to the happiness of man, and bears
the plainest marks, both of the wisdom and
of the goodness of its blessed Author.
But sin is the transgression of this law,
and must therefore contain in it a maligni-
ty and vileness proportioned to the purity
and excellence of the law of God. If the law
be holy, and just, and good, sin, which is
the transgression of it must be inconceiva-
bly evil. If, as we have observed, the evi-
dent tendency of every precept in the law
of God be to promote the happiness of men,
the transgression of this law must inevita
bly lead to misery and woe. Sin is the
greatest of evils, because it is opposite to the
SER. 2.
29
THE EVIL OF SIN.
greatest good. It is opposite to the nature
of God, which is pure and perfect holiness;
and it is likewise opposite to the will of God,
as made known to us in his law, which is
the unerring standard of right and wrong.
How great then must the evil of sin be,
which stands thus directly opposed to what-
ever is excellent and praise-worthy.
But not to insist longer on the abstract
nature of sin, let us proceed,
II. To consider sin in its effects.
Here a much wider field opens to our
view. We can say little of the nature of sin,
because we are so little acquainted with the
perfection of the nature and law of God;
but wherever we turn our eyes, we behold
the effects of sin. Within us and around
us, on earth and in hell, we contemplate the
baneful consequences of this mortal evil.
No sorrow or misery of any kind can be
named, that does not spring from this root
of bitterness. It is the source of
It is the source of every o-
ther evil, the fruitful womb, that conceives
30
SER. 2.
THE EVIL OF SIN.
and brings forth all the wretchedness that
is in the universe.
First of all, let us reflect on the mischief
which sin has done to the angels who kept
not their first estate. These, you know,
were once pure and happy spirits, standing
continually in the presence of God, and
blest with the beatific vision of his life-giv-
ing countenance. But sin entered their blest
abodes. They aspired to be like to God;
they affected to be independent of their Ma-
ker; and, on account of their pride and re-
bellion, they were banished from heaven,
And now we are told, they are reserved in
chains under darkness to the judgment of
the great day, when they shall be brought
forth to receive their final and everlasting
doom.
But angels are not the only creatures who
exhibit to the universe the baneful effects
of transgression. Man, the lord of this low-
er world, who was formed at first after his
Maker's image, is likewise become a fallen
and sinful creature. How lovely was man
SER. 2.
SI
THE EVIL OF SIN.
at his first creation, when his understanding
was clear and unclouded, his will under sub-
jection to the will of his Maker, and all the
lower appetites and passions of his nature,
uniformly governed by reason and con-
science! But now, what a melancholy
change hath sin produced! How is the gold
become dim, and the most fine gold chan-
ged! Instead of that perfect order, and de-
lightful harmony which once prevailed, the
soul of man is become the seat of various
contending passions. His understanding is
darkened through the ignorance and blind-
ness of his heart, and the noblest powers of
his nature are willingly enslaved by the low-
est and meanest appetites. Who that pro-
perly considers this melancholy change, but
must drop a tear over the ruins of human
nature. Fools may make a mock at sin;
but the man of serious reflection, who con-
templates the fatal effects of transgression,
who beholds around him a number of im-
mortal creatures, living in the open neglect
and contempt of God and religion, the slaves
of divers lusts and pleasures, while he feels
within himself a natural aversion to every
32
SER. 2.
THE EVIL OF SIN.
thing that is good, and a perpetual prone-
ness to that which is evil, must have very
awful apprehensions of the infinite evil of
sin, which has thus miserably defaced one of
the noblest works of God.
Every thing around us bears marks of
man's fatal apostacy from God. The whole
creation groaneth. The voice of lamentation
is heard from every quarter. Time would
fail, were I to speak of the numberless cala-
mities, both of a public and private nature,
which are the effects of sin,---of earthquakes
and tempests, the famine and pestilence, the
war and bloodshed, which are the common
scourges of mankind,—or of the pain and po-
verty, the sickness and distress, and all the
thousand nameless ills which fall to the lot
of individuals. Let us turn our eyes to
what part of the world we may, and we be-
hold the awful effects of this deadly evil. Sin
has brought a curse upon the creature, so that
now vanity and vexation of spirit are inscrib-
ed in legible characters on all earthly enjoy-
ments. The fatal poison hath spread through
SER. 2.
33
THE EVIL OF SIN.
every part of the visible creation of God, and
embittered every cup of human bliss.
It is unnecessary to go far for instances
to prove this melancholy truth. Where is
the man or woman that has lived any time
in the world who has not felt the bitterness
of human woe? Even while I now speak,
the wounds of some may be bleeding afresh,
at the remembrance of some calamity that
has recently befallen them. One man may
be mourning the loss of a beloved friend or
relation, another lamenting the decay of
his substance or reputation, while a third is
labouring under the effects of a frail and
sickly constitution. These, and all the o-
ther evils incident to man in his present
state, are the baneful effects of sin. And, to
complete this catalogue of human woes,
death at length arrives; death, that dread-
ed foe of man, who is justly stiled the king
of terrors, wearing the most gloomy aspect
and formidable appearance, when viewed
only with the eye of sense. Death closes
our eyes upon this visible world, and all its
loved and valued enjoyments; it puts an
L
$4
SER. 2.
THE EVIL OF SIN.
end to all our capacities and opportunities
of usefulness; it seems like the destruction
of our nature. The dust returns to the
earth as it was, and the spirit unto God who
gave it. What contempt does death pour
upon human nature! What a dark cloud
does it cast over all the beauty and glory of
our outward condition! The body becomes
a motionless lump of clay. Death sits hea-
vy upon it, and the sprightliness and vigour
of life are perished from every feature, and
from every limb. If we descend into the
gloomy chambers of the grave, what do we
behold! the dead lying in their cold man-
sions, in beds of darkness and of dust. The
shadows of a long evening are stretched o-
ver them, the curtains of a deep midnight
are drawn around them; the worm is
spread under them, and the worms cover
them.
All this is the effect of sin. For the wa-
ges of sin is death, and by one man sin en-
tered into the world, and death by sin, and
so death has passed upon all men, for that all
have sinned. We are too apt to conceive a
SER. 2.
35
THE EVIL OF SIN.
slight opinion of the evil of sin, because it is
to be found in the best of men, and is so
constant an attendant on human nature.
We are not sufficiently affected with the
thoughts of it, because its greatest evil is of
a spiritual and invisible nature. We consi-
der not that infinite Majesty which it dis-
honours, that spotless holiness which it of-
fends, nor the glory and perfection of that
law which it violates. But in the scenes of
misery and death which I have now describ-
ed, we may survey the sensible and mighty
injury which sin has done to the nature of
man, and may thence infer, how offensive it
is to God.
You may think this, my Friends, a very
sad and dismal picture of the effects of sin,
but the half has not yet been told you. Dread-
ful as the effects of sin in the present life
are, they are inconsiderable indeed in com-
parison of its effects in a future and eternal
state. There the worm never dies, and the
fire is never quenched. Thence hope is for
ever excluded. In hell the wicked remain
the awful and eternal monuments of God's
2
36
SER. 2.
THE EVIL OF SIN.
infinite and invariable abhorrence of sin.
Who knows the power of his anger! even
according to his fear, so is his wrath. It
is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of
the living God, more fearful than it is pos-
sible for language to describe, or imagma-
tion to conceive.
And is all this the effect of sin? Are these
thy baneful consequences, thou irreconcile-
able foe of God and man? Then by what
name shall we call thee, or how shall we
sufficiently detest and abhor thee? let fools
make a mock at sin; but may I ever enter-
tain the most awful impressions of its malig-
nity and vileness. Shall I ever think, or
speak lightly of that which has been pro-
ductive of so much mischief, which brings
with it such a train of evils in the present
life, and which leads to endless, inconceiva-
ble misery in the life to come!
We now proceed, as was proposed, in
the
III. and last place, To consider the views
SER. 2.
37
THE EVIL OF SIN.
which persons in different situations enter-
tain of sin.
Here it may be useful to observe, the
different apprehensions which men enter、
tain of the evil of sin, according to their dif
ferent moral characters. The more profli-
gate a man becomes, the less evil he per-
ceives in sin : and, on the contrary, the high-
er degrees of purity that a person is enabled
to attain, the clearer and deeper will his
convictions be of the guilt and danger of
transgressing the law of God. It is remark-
able how exactly this observation holds in
There is a fatal progress in
every case.
vice, and the man who at first was accus-
tomed to startle at the more open and dar-
ing violations of the law of God, by degrees
becomes reconciled to the most enormous
crimes, till, at last, (in the emphatical lan-
guage of Scripture,) his conscience is seared
as with a hot iron, and he seems to lose all
sense of right and wrong. Persons in this
state of mind perceive little or no evil in sin,
and consider the most presumptuous trans-
gressions in no other light than as harmless
38
SER. 2.
THE EVIL OF SIN.
or unavoidable frailties. Again, the more
decent and respectable part of mankind are
shocked at the grosser violations of the di-
vine law. Their consciences are so far en-
lightened as to perceive and acknowledge
the evil of sin, when it disturbs the peace of
society, or violates some of the plainer and
more obvious principles of morality. But
their views are exceedingly narrow and con-
fined. They have no just conceptions of
the purity and perfection of this law, and
therefore content themselves with a very
partial outward observance of its precepts.
Nor are they much troubled at the plagues
of their hearts, nor with the sins which
more immediately affect the first table of
the law, if their conduct before the world
be such as to procure the esteem and
good will of their fellow creatures.
Far different and juster views of the evil
of sin have they who are taught and en-
lightened by the word and Spirit of God.
To them, the least offence appears an in-
finite evil. They have received from the
sacred scriptures just and becoming ap-
1
$ER. 2.
39
THE EVIL OF SIN.
prehensions of the majesty and holiness of
God, and of the purity and spirituality of
His law; and consequently, their minds are
affected with every deviation from that per-
fect standard of duty. They see the base-
ness and ingratitude of sin, as committed a-
gainst God, and bewail with deep contrition
the secret and hidden evils of their hearts,
as well as the open irregularities of their life
and conduct. In this respect, however, we
may perceive a difference, even among the
children of God, who are sanctified by faith
which is in Christ Jesus. Some are more
humble, more tender, more sensible of the
evil that is in sin than others, just in pro-
portion to the degree in which they are
conformed to the image of the divine holi-
ness. And, if we carry this thought a little
farther, we may suppose how much clearer
and more affecting apprehensions of the evil
of sin, those spirits must have who are dis-
lodged from their tenements of clay, and
blest with the immediate vision and enjoy-
ment of God. As long as they remain in
the present state, their judgments are cloud-
ed by remaining ignorance and corruption;
40
SER. 2.
THE ÉVIL OF SIN.
but when they are introduced into the man-
sions of glory, and behold the truths of God
in the clear light of heaven, what astonish-
ing views must they have of the inconceiv-
able evil and demerit of sin. Fools make a
mock at sin,-but saints who behold the
face of God, are struck with the most seri-
ous apprehensions of its infinite maligni-
ty and vileness. Fools make a mock at
sin,—but angels, who excel in strength,
whose nature is far more noble, and whose
capacities are far more comprehensive than
ours, entertain very different thoughts of
this fatal and deadly evil. The more
holy any creature becomes, the nearer re-
semblance it bears to the infinitely pure
and ever-blessed God, the greater evil does
it perceive in sin, and the more must it ap-
prove of the awful punishment which God
has annexed to the transgression of his ho-
ly law.
Such are the views which persons of dif-
ferent characters, and in different situations
entertain of sin. But after all, it must be
acknowledged, that the apprehensions of the
SER. 2.
41
THE EVIL OF SIN.
holiest and most enlightened creatures on
this subject fall infinitely short of the reali-
ty. No finite mind can perceive in their
full extent the evil nature and bitter conse-
quences of sin. He only, whose all-com-
prehensive mind perceives all things at once,
with all their connections and consequen-
çes, can fully know the vast extent of this
baneful evil. Facts are more powerful and
convincing than any reasonings: and, from
the testimonies which God hath given of
his awful displeasure at sin, we may judge
in what an odious light it must appear in
the eye of his spotless purity. In many in-
stances he hath revealed from heaven his
wrath against all ungodliness and unrighte-
ousness of men. He destroyed the old
world for the wickedness of its inhabitants.
He consumed the cities of the plain with
fire from heaven, on account of their crying
abominations. He hath denounced indig-
nation and wrath, tribulation and anguish,
against every soul of man that doth evil.
And what is most wonderful of all, in the
very means which his infinite wisdom hath
F
42
SER. 2.
THE EVIL OF SIN.
1
devised for the pardon and recovery of the
sinner, he hath given the strongest possible
proof of his invariable abhorrence of sin. For
when man had become a transgressor of the
divine law, and was exposed to all the dread-
ful effects of God's righteous displeasure, in
the unsearchable riches of his condescension
and grace, He was pleased to entertain
thoughts of mercy towards our fallen race.
But this mercy could not be extended to
guilty creatures, in a consistency with the o-
ther glorious attributes of the divine nature,
without such an adequate atonement or satis-
faction, as would maintain the honour of
his perfections and government, and dis-
play to all intelligent creatures his infinitel
and invariable hatred of sin. Such an a-
tonement the offended Majesty of heaven
himself provided in the person of his own
Son, one of the same nature and perfections
with himself, who took upon him the like-
ness of sinful flesh, and became obedient
unto death, even the death of the cross.
Here the evil of sin is displayed in its most
awful and striking colours, and, God's hatred
of it is declared in a more forcible manner
SER. 2.
43
THE EVIL OF SIN.
than if all the crcatures on earth, or even all
the angels in heaven, had been doomed to
everlasting punishment. How great must
that evil be which required such a costly
sacrifice to atone for it! How deep the stain
which nothing but blood of such inconceiv-
able value could wash away! Surely the in-
finitely great God must perceive an infinite
evil in sin, when, to testify his displeasure
against it, he spared not his own Son, when
standing in the room and stead of guilty
men; when He, who was the Father's equal,
and the Father's delight, was exposed on
account of it to such inconceivable suffer-
ings. O the unknown malignity and vile-
ness of that accursed thing which crucified
the Lord of glory! If these things were done
in the green tree, what shall be done in the
dry? If the beloved Son of God endured all
this when he bore the load of human guilt,
where shall the ungodly and the sinner ap-
pear, at that day when the Almighty ariseth
to plead his own cause, and to vindicate the
rights of his injured holiness and abused
goodness.
44
SER. 2.
THE EVIL OF SIN.
Upon the whole, then, are they not just-
ly said to be fools who make a mock at sin,
whether we consider its nature as contrast-
ed with the holy nature and perfect law of
God; or observe its effects on fallen angels
and fallen men, both in this world, and in a
future and eternal state; or lastly, attend
to the views which persons in different situ-
ations entertain of it, and to the awful proofs
which the great God hath given of his infi-
nite and invariable displeasure against it.
I shall now conclude this discourse with
a few practical reflections from what has
been said.
1. Let us adore the patience of God in
bearing so long with a world of such sinful
rebellious creatures.
O what contempt is daily poured on the au-
thority of God, by multitudes of careless un-
thinking men! How is his sacred name
blasphemed, and his holy law violated! How
are his ordinances profaned, and even his
goodness and grace grossly abused! all this
SER. 2.
45
THE EVIL OF SIN.
the great and adorable Majesty of heaven
and earth witnesses, for his eyes are upon
the ways of man, and he seeth all his go-
ings. And yet, though sin, as we have
shewn, is the object of his infinite hatred
and aversion, he bears with sinners. This
is the day of their merciful visitation. He is
long suffering to us-ward, not willing that
any should perish, but that all should come
to repentance. He waits to be gracious,
and therefore he endures with much long-
suffering a world of sinful rebellious crea-
tures, till the purposes of his grace, in the
salvation of all his chosen and redeemed ones
be finally accomplished.
My brethren, this is not a subject of mere
speculation. We are all personally and
deeply interested in it; for we have all cor-
rupted our ways, we have all gone aside,
there is none righteous, no not one. So that
we have all good reason to adore the pa-
tience of God, in bearing so long with us.
To contemplate the evil of sin in general, will
do us little service, unless we bring the matter
home to ourselves, and are duly affected with
46
SER, 2.
THE EVIL OF SIN.
a sense of our own peculiar sinfulness. This
is the proper work of a day of solemn fast-
ing and humiliation, and the use that should
be made of all that we have been hearing.
Let us therefore, brethren, look into our
own hearts and lives. Let us search and
try our ways, and endeavour to recollect
those particular instances in which we have
sinned against God. Let us impartially re-
view our past conduct, and consider our
numberless offences, with all their aggrava-
tions. Let us think of our pride and impa-
tience, our impurity and worldly minded-
ness, our unfruitfulness under the means of
grace, and neglect of the glorious gospel,
our coldness and formality in the exercises of
devotion, and our omission, or careless per-
formance of social and relative duties. From
these, and such like instances of actual trans-
gression, let us rise to the fountain of origi-
nal corruption that dwells within, and then
let us reflect what an evil and bitter thing
sin is; how hateful in itself, and how dread-
ful in its consequences. Such an exercise
as this, cannot fail, by the divine blessing, to
give us very humbling views of ourselves,
SER. 2.
47
THE EVIL OF SIN.
as well as admiring thoughts of the patience
and forbearance of God. Overwhelmed
with the sight of such a load of guilt, we
must be disposed, with somewhat of like
feelings, to breathe out the Publican's
prayer,
God be merciful to me a sinner.
2. How thankfully ought we to receive
the blessed remedy that God hath provided
for the cure of our sinful souls.
pur-
Great beyond all conception is the evil of
sin, and awful are the effects which it pro-
duces. But, blessed be God, it is not an e-
vil without remedy: for there is balm in Gi-
lead, and a physician there. For this
pose was the Son of God manifested, that
he might destroy the works of the devil.
He came to finish transgression, to make an
end of sin, to make reconciliation for iniqui-
ty, and to bring in everlasting righteousness :
And, if we apply to this matchless Physi-
cian, for the cure of our diseased souls, we
shall certainly experience his healing power.
He is called Jesus, because he saves his
people from their sins. He saves them from
48
SER. 2.
THE EVIL OF SIN.
the guilt of sin, by the merit of his atoning
blood; he saves them from the power of sin,
by the grace of his Holy Spirit; and none
who put their trust in him, ever had cause
to be ashamed of their confidence. O then,
let us be persuaded, under a deep convie-
tion of the evil and danger of sin, and of our
own peculiar sinfulness, to fly for refuge to
this all-sufficient Saviour. However worth-
less and wretched in ourselves, we are per-
mitted, invited, and commanded to plead
the worthiness of the Lamb that was slain.
In him God is reconciled. He liveth to make
intercession for all who come to the Father
by him, and the more vile and unworthy
we feel ourselves to be, the more will the
Redeemer's power and grace be magnificd
in our salvation. Nothing is too hard for
omnipotence to accomplish. Where sin hath
abounded, grace hath much more abound-
ed: That as sin hath reigned unto death,
even so might grace reign through righte-
ousness unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ
our Lord.
SER. 2.
49
THE EVIL OF SIN.
3. Let us long for that blessed world,
where sin and all its effects shall be com-
pletely destroyed.
While the saints remain on earth, sin, in
a greater or less degree, still cleaves to them.
They indeed truly hate and forsake it; but
the flesh lusteth against the spirit, so that
they cannot always do the things that they
would. Besides, they live in a defiling sin
ful world, where they are exposed to many
temptations, which too often prevail against
them, and disturb their inward peace. But
in a little while, this painful conflict will
cease. The very being of sin shall be de-
stroyed. Into the heavenly Jerusalem no-
thing that is impure shall enter. There
shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor
crying, neither shall there be any more
pain: for the former things are passed a-
way. O blessed world! where sin and all
its baneful effects shall be known no more,
or known only like evils and dangers that
ure past, to accent the songs of the redeem-
ed, to furnish continual matter for their
praise and wonder through eternity, while,
G
50
SER. 2.
THE EVIL OF SIN.
with enraptured hearts, they join in the
highest ascriptions of glory and dominion,
to him that hath loved them, and washed
them from their sins in his own blood, and
hath made them kings and priests unto God
and his Father.
Who that has the joyful hope of this in-
conceivable blessedness, would wish to live.
one moment longer in this world than infi-
nite wisdom sees meet-in this world, where
every thing is stamped with the melancholy
marks of sin-where God is so much dis-
honoured, the Saviour so much neglected,
his ordinances so little regarded, and his
people so often reviled and persecuted-
where pain and wretchedness, disease and
death, are seen and felt wherever we turn
our eyes—and where our own wicked hearts
create for us such constant trouble and un-
easiness.
Blessed be God, who hath given us the
hope of a better life beyond the grave.
Here we have no
seek one to come.
continuing city, but wę
Let us pass the time
3
-
SER. 2.
51
THE EVIL OF SIN.
of our sojourning here in fear, and
pa-
tiently wait the appointed hour of complete
deliverance.
Amen.
2
SERMON III.
SIN DETECTED.
NUMBERS xxxii. 23.
Be sure your sin will find you out.
THE history to which these words refer,
and which is contained in the preceding part
of this chapter may be thus shortly related.
The children of Israel had arrived at the
borders of the land of Canaan, and were
about to pass over the river Jordan, to take
possession of the country that had been pro-
mised them for an inheritance, when the
Reubenites and Gadites, two of the twelve
tribes, beholding the land of Jazer and of
Gilead, and judging it to be peculiarly suit-
ed to their habits and manner of life, propo-
SER. 3.
55
SIN DETECTED.
sed to remain on this side of the river. With
this proposal Moses was displeased, chiefly
because it might deprive the other tribes of
their assistance in warring with those na-
tions of Canaan which remained to be sub-
dued. But when the Reubenites and Gad-
ites, in order to remove this objection, de-
clared their determination to continue with
their brethren, till the land was conquered,
Moses consented; only warning them not
to deal deceitfully in this matter, for that
God was witness to the whole transaction,
ver. 20-23.
The words of the text contain a general
truth of great importance; a truth which
cannot be too often, or too seriously consi-
dered: Be sure your sin will find you out.
Most men are anxious to hide their sin,
to conceal or to palliate its guilt, and to flat-
ter themselves with the hope of peace,
though they walk after the imagination of
their own corrupt hearts. For this purpose
various expedients are tried, and tried, alas!
with too fatal success. Some, in order to
54
SER. 3.
SIN DETECTED.
avoid the stings of conscience, have recourse
to infidel principles, or, if that appear too
wide a step at once, to false and erroneous
sentiments in religion, which steel the mind
against conviction, and render it compara-
tively easy in the commission of sin. Others
banish as much as possible all reflection on
these subjects. They plunge into company,
business, or amusement, for the express pur-
pose of driving away care; and think them-
selves peculiarly fortunate if they are able
to succeed. A third class, not so hardened
as the two former in inpiety or vice, unable
to divest themselves entirely of the fears of
an hereafter, stifle their convictions by una-
vailing purposes of future amendment. In
these, and many other ways, do sinners woe-
fully deceive themselves to their everlasting
ruin. If they can only succeed in conceal-
ing their guilt from themselves, or from
public view, if they act with such prudence
and caution as to maintain a fair and re-
spectable character in the sight of their fel-
low-creatures, they are pleased and satisfied;
never considering in what light they appear
before HIM who seeth not as man seeth,
SER. 8.
55
SIN DETECTED.
and to whom the secrets of all hearts are
ever manifest.
ren,
But verily there is a God that judgeth
in the earth, and though hand join in hand,
the workers of iniquity shall not gỡ unpu-
nished. Sin is not that harmless trivial
thing which multitudes flatter themselves it
is. As certainly as there is a God who go-
verns the world; as certainly as power, wis-
dom, faithfulness, justice, and holiness be-
long to his character, so certainly, my breth-
sin will find the sinner out. If the word
of God be true, it must, it will do so, soon-
er or later. Though wickedness be sweet
in the mouth, and the sinner hide it under
his tongue, though he spare it, and forsake
it not, but keep it still within his mouth,
yet his meat in his bowels is turned, it shall
prove as the gall of asps within him. Every
sin which we commit, whether it be great
or small, has in it the seeds of inconceiva-
ble misery, and will assuredly produce, ei-
ther bitter repentance in the present life,
or endless unavailing remorse in the world
to come. Such is the doctrine of the text, ·
>
56
SER. 3,
SIN DETECTED.
1
and of every part of Scripture; and to this
solemn awakening truth, I propose at this
time to call your attention. And O that
it may reach the conscience of every one
present! that all of us, under the effec-
tual teaching of the Holy Spirit, may be
brought to confess our guilt, to humble our-
selves before God, and to apply without de-
lay to the blessed and only remedy provid
ed in the gospel!
I do not intend to occupy your time by
proving, in an abstract manner, the truth of
the proposition in the text; but shall en-
deavour to bring the subject home at once
to your cases and to your consciences, by
mentioning some of those particular seasons
when sin will find the sinner out. I shall
begin with those which are more especial
and peculiar, and then proceed to such as
are more certain and universal.
I. Sin is frequently brought to remem-
brance under the powerful and searching
ministry of the gospel.
SER. 3.
5797
SIN DETECTED.
The word of God is quick and powerful,
sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing
Even to the dividing asunder of soul and
spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and
is a discerner of the thoughts and intents
of the heart. When skilfully opened, and
faithfully applied, it seldom fails to make
some impression upon the minds of the hear-
ers; and though these impressions in many
cases prove transient and ineffectual, yet,
blessed be God, many are the instances in
which the gospel becomes the power of God
unto salvation. In particular, convictions
of sin are frequently produced under the
ministry of the word. The preacher draws
his bow at a venture; he knows not the par-
ticular state or character of many of the in-
dividuals whom he addresses; but the Spirit
of God directs the arrow to the heart of this
or the other hearer, just as he pleases; so
that he is judged of all, and convinced of
all; and thus the secrets of his heart being
made manifest, he falls down on his face
and worships God, and acknowledges that
God is among us of a truth. Perhaps some
particular sin is brought to the sinner's re-
H
58
SER. S.
SIN DETECTED.
membrance; a sin which he may have long
ago committed, and which he may have like-
wise long ago forgotten. Or, the history of
his past life in general may be brought un-
der review, and the guilt of numberless
transgressions, which now appear with all
their horrid aggravations, may stare him in
the face. Probably he wonders how the
preacher knows so much of the workings of
his heart, or of the transactions of his life.
Every word seems particularly addressed to
himself, as if there were no other person
present; and he almost suspects that the
speaker has been informed of circumstances
relative to his character, hitherto unknown
to the world. So powerful is the operation
of the word of God, when applied to the
conscience. Even the most hardened and
secure are sometimes made to feel it. Thus
when Paul reasoned of righteousness, tem-
perance, and judgment to come, Felix trem-
bled. And such was the effect of John the
Baptist's faithful preaching, on the mind of
Herod, that we are told he feared John,
and did many things, and heard him glad-
ly. In these two cases, indeed, as in many
SER. 3.
59
SIN DETECTED.
ment.
others, the effects were merely temporary,
and unproductive of any good fruit. The
love of sin proved too powerful, and trium-
phed over their feeble resolutions of amend-
But still, the cases prove the truth
of our assertion, that under the powerful
and searching ministry of the word, sin will
find the sinner out. O happy case! when
the arrows of conviction take such fast hold
of the conscience, that nothing but the
peace-speaking blood of Christ can heal the
wound! May this be the case with every
unconverted sinner who hears me this day!
May the Lord open your hearts as he open-
ed the heart of Lydia, to attend unto the
things which are spoken; and if your sin has
never found
you out before, may it now be
discovered to you, in all its malignity and
vileness, that seeing your danger, you may,
like the manslayer pursued by the avenger
of blood, speedily flee to the city of refuge.
But still the complaint of the prophet may
be made, Who hath believed our report,
and to whom is the arm of the Lord re-
vealed? The preacher's words are to many
like a lovely song of one that hath a plea-
60
SER. 3.
SIN DETECTED.
sant voice and can play well on an instru-
ment, for they hear his words, but they do
them not.
But the Lord has many ways of awaken-
ing the consciences of men, besides the mi-
nistry of the word, or, at least, in subservi-
ency to it. And therefore I mention, as
another season when sin finds the sinner
out,
· II. The season of sickness.
This is frequently a time of serious re-
flection. Separated from the busy crowd,
and rendered incapable of attending to his
ordinary cares and employments, the man
who is visited with sickness has time and
opportunity for considering his ways. Things
then are generally not beheld in the same
light, in which they are viewed in the time
of health, when the animal spirits are brisk
and lively, and every thing around wears a
fair and smiling appearance. And, in par-
ticular, sin then assumes quite a different
aspect from what it had in the moments of
SER. 3.
61
SIN DETECTED.
gaiety and thoughtless dissipation. In some
cases, disease is the proper and natural ef-
fect of particular sins. In every case it is
the fruit of our original apostacy from God.
And how often has God been pleased to a-
waken in the sinner's conscience a sense of
sin, by means of some sharp or threatening
illness, so that he has been forced to ex-
claim, There is no soundness in my flesh be-
cause of thine anger, neither is there any
rest in my bones because of my sin. For
mine iniquities are gone over mine head;
as an heavy burden they are too heavy for
me. Psal. xxxviii. 3, 4. Yes, I do remem-
ber my faults this day: this and the other
sin that I have done lies heavy on my con-
science. It gave me little uneasiness at the
time I committed it, for my heart, my fool-
ish and depraved heart was hardened
through the deceitfulness of sin. But now
the veil is removed; the false glare in which
passion and fancy represented objects to my
mind has disappeared, and I now see the
guilt and the folly of my past conduct. Ma-
ny faithful sermons, long ago heard, to
which I paid little attention at the time, are
62
SER. 3.
SIN DETECTED.
now fresh in my remembrance. Many kind
and salutary admonitions, which I once
treated with neglect and scorn, are now for-
ced on my recollection. Alas! how have I
hated instruction and my heart despised
reproof! and I have not obeyed the voice
of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to
them that instructed me! Thou writest bit-
ter things against me, and makest me to
possess the iniquities of my youth.
My Brethren, these are not imaginary
scenes. Those who are accustomed to visit
sick beds have occasion to know, that in
fact they are often realized. Many, indeed,
are awfully hardened under God's afflicting
hand, and continue as insensible as ever to
the evil and demerit of sin, even while their
bones are chastened with pain, and the
multitude of their bones with strong pain;
exhibiting a striking proof of the total inef-
ficacy of means, without the concurring in-
fluence of divine grace. Yet, on the other
hand, there are comfortable instances of per-
sons who have resisted every mean of con-
viction, being savingly awakened in the time
1
SER. S.
63
SIN DETECTED.
of sickness.
More instances, however, it is
to be feared, occur, of persons being parti-
ally awakened, and considerably softened in
time of trouble, who, upon the return of
health, have relapsed into their former se-
curity and carelessness about their souls.
Be sure, however, that sooner or later your
sin will find you out. It may be in the time
of sickness, in the hour of calm and sober
reflection; and happy will it be, if the dis-
covery be made while time and opportuni-
ty are given for repentance; before the door
of mercy be shut, and the awful sentence be
past, He that is unjust, let him be unjust
still; and he that is filthy, let him be fil-
thy still.
III. The truth declared in the text is fre-
quently exemplified in those various adverse
changes which occur in human life.
We are born to trouble as the sparks fly
upward. Besides bodily sickness, the differ-
ent conditions and relations in which we are
placed in the world, prove, in the course of
providence, the occasion of suffering to the
64
SER. 3.
SİN DETECTED.
children of men. In situations of this kind,
iniquity is often brought to the remembrance,
and impressed on the conscience of the sin-
ner. We have a striking instance of this in
the history of Joseph's brethren, recorded
with such inimitable simplicity and beauty
in the sacred page. Long after they had
sold their brother into Egypt, when the me-
mory of it was almost obliterated from their
minds, a seemingly adverse dispensation of
providence awakens their recollection, and
brings their treachery and unkindness to Jo-
seph, full in their view. And they said onc
to another, We are verily guilty concerning
our brother, in that we saw the anguish of
his soul when he besought us; and we would
not hear therefore is this distress come up-
And again, What shall we say unto
my Lord what shall we speak or how
shall we clear ourselves? God hath found
out the iniquity of thy servants.
on us.
The history of David furnishes another
striking instance of the same instructive
truth. After his lamentable fall, David con-
tinued for a long time in a state of awful in-
SER. 3.
65
SIN DETECTED.
sensibility. While his outward circumstan-
ces prospered, he seems to have had no idea
of the greatness of his sin. Living in af-
fluence and ease, he went on frowardly in
the way of his heart, and perhaps secretly
congratulated himself on having escaped de-
tection. But when the prophet Nathan
was sent to rouse his conscience to a sense
of guilt, after assuring him that the Lord
had put away his sin, that is, cancelled its
guilt, or granted him forgiveness, he foretells,
at the same time, several great and grievous
calamities which should befal him, as tokens
of God's displeasure; every one of which
would, doubtless, contribute to bring his sin
to remembrance. First of all, the child be-
gotten in adultery is smitten with sickness,
and cut off by death; an affliction, in which
David did not fail to perceive the hand of a
justly offended God. Next, Tamar his
daughter is defiled by her own brother Am-
non; in revenge for which, Amnon is cruel-
ly and treacherously slain by Absalom. To
fill
up the measure of his sufferings, Absa-
lom, his darling son, his beloved Absalom,
rises in rebellion against his too indulgent
I
66
SER. S.
SIN DETECTED.
Father, and dies in the very act of rebellion,
with all his crimes and follies on his head.
How much David's heart was softened under
these accumulated distresses, and how clear-
ly he saw in them the punishment of his in-
iquity, appears from his language on a ve-
ry trying occasion, when by Absalom's re-
bellion he was forced to fly from Jerusalem,
and, with a few faithful attendants, to pass
over the brook Kedron. Carry back, said
he to Zadok the high priest, (2 Sam. xv.
25, 26.) the ark of God into the city; if I
shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord,
he will bring me again, and shew me both
it and his habitation. But if he thus say, I
have no delight in thee, behold, here am I,
let him do to me as seemeth good unto
him.
Have we not, my Friends, in the course
of our own experience and observation, wit-
nessed cases very similar to these? Have
we not known persons of reputed piety,
who, in the season of outward prosperity,
have discovered no small degree of sinful
conformity to the world; and whose con
SER. 3.
67
SIN DETECTED.
duct in general, so far from adorning the
doctrine of God our Saviour, has been stain-
ed with many blemishes, which have griev-
ed the hearts of the godly, and brought re-
proach upon the good ways of the Lord?
Have we not seen them backsliding from
God in spite of faithful warnings and admo-
nitions, promising themselves peace when
there was no peace, till, by means of some
sharp and rousing affliction, their sin has
found them out. Then with tears of peni-
tential sorrow and unfeigned regret, we have
heard them confess their guilt, bewail their
backslidings, and bless the kind hand,
which, by means of seasonable correction,
has recovered them from their sinful wan-
derings.
May not this, Brethren, have been the
case with some who now hear me? or, at
least, are there not some of you, who in less
palpable deviations from duty, have been
brought back to God by means of afflic-
tion? You secretly cherished some idol in
your hearts, which marred your com-
fort, and interrupted your communion with
68
SER. 3.
SIN DETECTED.
God. You were guilty of inordinate at-
tachment to the creature, and gave to some
ther object that place in your affections
which belongs to God only. Perhaps you
were not aware of it at the time, till, by the
removal of the idol, God detected and dis-
covered your guilt, and then, with shame and
self-condemnation, you were constrained to
acknowledge, that your sin had found you
out.
Hitherto I have mentioned some of those
more special seasons and situations, in which
sin finds the sinner out, and in which the
discovery, however painful, may, by the
blessing of God, prove salutary to the soul.
But I proceed to speak of two other seasons,
more certain and universal, in which the ef-
fects, in general, are not so comfortable.
If then neither the faithful ministry of
the word, nor sickness, nor adversity prove
effectual for this purpose, I add,
IV. That the near approach of death of-
ten rouses the sinner's conscience, and dis-
SER. 3.
69
SIN DETECTED.
covers him to himself in his real charac-
ter.
At this awful season, every disguise is
commonly removed; those refuges of lies,
which formerly kept alive a presumptuous
hope, are swept away, and the sinner finds
himself on the brink of eternity, without
any well grounded confidence in God; nay,
with the fearful looking for of judgment,
and fiery indignation from his presence. I
know, indeed, that in very many cases, sin-
ners die as they have lived, in a state of
thoughtless security, or hardened impeni-
tence. Some are cut off suddenly, without
· having any opportunity afforded them for
serious reflection. They pass at once from
a state of abused worldly prosperity, into a
state of endless inconceivable misery: There
are no bands in their death, but their
strength is firm. Others, who die of lin-
gering diseases, flatter themselves to the
last with the hope of recovery; and through
the cruel mistaken kindness of friends, are
never allowed to admit a thought of death
or eternity. But there are instances, and
·
70
SER. 3,
SIN DETECTED.
these, perhaps, more numerous than many
suppose, of persons dying under the horrors
of an awakened conscience; alarmed, but
not converted; convinced, but not chan-
ged. When such cases do happen, as I am
persuaded they not unfrequently do, es-
pecially in those places where the gospel
is most purely and faithfully preached, the
greatest pains are taken to conceal them
from public notice; or, admitting the facts,
to ascribe them to other causes than those
which really produce them, such as dis-
ease, the delirium of fever, or a gloomy dis-
tempered imagination.
But however easy it may be to view death
at a distance, the near approach of it can
scarcely fail to excite alarming apprehen-
sions, in the breasts of those who are not
brutishly ignorant, or awfully hardened.
The certain and immediate prospect of pass-
ing into eternity, of entering on an unknown
and unchangeable state of being, of ap-
pearing before the great and omniscient God,
who is of purer eyes than to behold iniqui-
ty, and from whose awful and impartial deci-
SER. 3.
71
SIN DETECTED.
sion there lies no appeal, nor any possibility of
escape, how serious and solemn! How over-
whelming the thought, when the mind is ca-
pable of reflection, and in full possession of its
faculties ! Sin must then appear to the unpar-
doned sinner, in a very different light, from
what it ever did before. Innumerable in-
stances of vicious habits indulged, of duties
neglected or slightly performed, of privi
leges misimproved, and of mercies ungrate-
fully abused, recur to his memory; and, a-
midst the agonies of dissolving nature,
harrow up
his soul. Should it be sug-
gested to his mind in these awful mo-
ments, that God is merciful, this sug-
gestion, which formerly served to cherish a
false delusive hope, and to render him se-
cure in the commission of sin, so far from
yielding comfort, greatly heightens and
aggravates his distress. "Yes," (might he
say, if able to express his feelings in words,)
"God is merciful-but I have undervalued,
66
slighted, and abused his mercy. God is
" merciful—but he is likewise just to punish
"the workers of iniquity; and how can I
escape his deserved vengeance, who have
66
72
SER. 3.
SIN DETECTED.
"all my life long neglected his great salva-
❝tion."
Of all the delusions by which the god of
this world blinds the minds of them that
believe not, the trusting to a death-bed re-
pentance is surely one of the greatest. How
uncertain! how dreadfully precarious! The
possibility of it, none who regard the autho-
rity of God's word can deny; but how rare
are the instances, and how unlikely, that
those who sin under this presumption will
ever be visited with God's salvation! Even
Christians, who are pardoned and accepted
by God, may suffer on their death-bed very
awful rebukes on account of the prevalence
of some particular sin, or the general unten-
derness and inconstancy of their walk.
Their sin may find them out, at a time when
they stand most in need of divine support and
consolation; and they may be left to mourn
under the hidings of God's face, in painful
uncertainty about their state, when, had they
walked more closely with God, they might
have been edifying and instructing their fel-
low Christians. Ah! little do we think, when
SER. 3.
73
SIN DETECTED.
we are guilty of sinful compliances, when
we indulge a worldly spirit, or neglect the
opportunities of doing good which we have
in our power, that we may be scattering
thorns on our dying pillow, and perhaps
clouding our evidences for heaven in those
moments when ten thousand worlds will ap-
pear as nothing, in comparison of one smile
of God's reconciled countenance.
V. I have only to mention, as another
season, when, if not before, sin will infallibly
find the sinner out-The judgment of the
great day.
God hath appointed a day, in which he
will judge the world in righteousness. This
is the uniform doctrine of scripture, and va-
rious appearances in the present state of the
world concur in proving the certainty of
this great and solemn event. In particular,
the power of conscience, in cases which are
not cognisable by human laws, shews, that
there is a witness above, whose eyes are up-
on the ways of men, and who seeth all his
goings, to whom the greatest, as well as
K
74
SER. 3.
SIN DETECTED.
the meanest of mankind are accountable.
Think not then, poor sinner, that thou canst
escape the judgment of God. The terrors
of his word thou mayest affect to brave;
his threatnings may fail to alarm, and his
promises to allure thy stupid and obdurate
heart; even the most striking and awaken-
ing dispensations of providence may be dis-
regarded and despised by thee. Death it-
self may possibly approach without creating
any great alarm; and, supported by some
mistaken view of the character of God, thou
mayest go down to the grave with a lie in
thy right hand-but still, be sure your sin
will find you out. It must, it will do So, if
not before, at least at the judgment seat of
Christ, when God will bring to light the
hidden things of darkness, and make ma-
nifest the counsels of every heart. And ah!
how dreadful to think of never being unde-
ceived, till death has sealed thine everlast-
ing doom; of never seeing thy true state and
character, till placed beyond the reach of
recovery, in a world of endless misery, when
he that made thee will not have mercy on
SER. 3.
75
SIN DETECTED.
thee, and he that formed thee will shew
thee no favour.
There is something very solemn and strik-
ing in the account given us in the seventh
chapter of Joshua, of the discovery of A-
chan's sin. He had stolen a golden wedge,
with some other articles, which he hid in
the earth, in the midst of his tent, hoping
thereby to escape detection. But though
no human eye was witness to Achan's
crime, God beheld it, and by his express
command, the offender is called forth to suf-
fer deserved punishment. For this purpose
all the tribes of Israel are assembled toge-
ther, and each tribe, with every particular
family and household belonging to it passes
under review, till at last, the guilty person
is singled out, confesses his guilt, and re-
ceives the punishment due to his crime. An
instructive emblem this of what we shall all
witness, when the Son of man shall come
again in the clouds of heaven with power
and great glory; when he shall sit upon
his throne, and before him shall be gather-
ed all nations, and he shall separate them
2
76
SER. 3.
. SIN DETECTED.
one from another as a shepherd divideth
his sheep from the goats. Then shall every
man be judged according to his works.
Sin, however carefully concealed, however
artfully coloured over by plausible pretexts,
will then find the sinner out.
The guilty
person, whoever he is, or whatever station
he may have occupied upon earth, shall
then be called forth to judgment, and the
most secret crime he has ever committed
shall be detected and exposed before assem-
bled worlds. No apologies for sin will then
be admitted, for the Judge is omniscient, and
knows the secrets of all hearts. No attempt
to escape the punishment of iniquity will -
then be possible, for the Judge is omnipotent,
and can easily put in execution his most
tremendous threatnings. In vain will im-
penitent transgressors cry to the rocks and
to the mountains to fall on them, and to
hide them from the face of him that sit-
teth on the throne, and from the wrath of
the Lamb. The day of recompence is fully
come, when he will render to every man
according to his deeds; and all shall know
{..
14
SER. 3.
77
SIN DETECTED.
that it is He who searcheth the hearts and
trieth the reins of the children of men.
J
Is it then so indubitably certain, that
sooner or later sin will find the sinner out,
how dreadful the infatuation of multitudes,
who go on secure from day to day, under
the guilt of innumerable transgressions!
The practical language of many is, The
Lord doth not see, neither doth the God of
Jacob regard it. But how vain and ground-
less is such an expectation! There is no-
thing secret that shall not be made mani-
fest, neither any thing hid that shall not
be known. He who searcheth Jerusalem as
with lighted candles, can easily pierce
through the thickest disguise. Be not de-
ceived; God is not mocked: for whatso-
ever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
For he that soweth to his flesh, shall of the
flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth
to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life
everlasting. If a man should sow cockle
in his field instead of barley, and after all
expect to reap the same kind of crop with
his neighbour who sowed good seed, we
78
SER. 3.
SIN DETECTED.
should pity his folly, or suppose him out of
his senses. It matters little whether any
one saw him while he sowed his field, the
harvest will soon discover the absurdity of
his conduct. Far more egregious is the fol-
ly and madness of that man who expects to
find peace in the ways of sin; who sows to
the flesh, and yet hopes to reap life ever-
lasting. The present life is our seed-time.
We are sowing for eternity. The harvest is
approaching, when we shall reap according
to the nature of the seed that we have sown,
whether it be to the flesh or to the Spirit.
My dear hearers, we are all deeply inter-
ested in this subject. Our sins are many,
they are highly aggravated, they expose us to
certain and inevitable destruction. Let us
not wait, then, till our sin find us out. This
it will do, but it may be too late, and there-
fore let us all, without delay, endeavour to
find our sins out, that in the exercise of true
repentance and faith in the blood of Christ,
we may apply to God for his pardoning
mercy and sanctifying grace.
SER. 3.
79
SIN DETECTED.
Nor let any of us flatter ourselves with
the hope that our sins are pardoned, mere-
ly because we confess that we are poor sin-
ners, and have learned to say,God have mercy
on us. This many do, who are evidently stran-
gers to the forgiveness that is with God.
Nay, many are encouraged to go on in sin,
from partial, confused, and mistaken ideas
of gospel grace. But that is not the genu-
ine gospel which gives the least encourage-
nent to sin. If we hold fast our transgres-
sions, and refuse to let them go, or, if while
we pretend to be sorry for our sins, we se-
cretly indulge them in our hearts, and are at
no pains to avoid the temptations which lead
to them, it is a plain evidence, that our
hearts are not right with God, that our guilt
is still unpardoned, and that we are yet in
our sins. True godly sorrow is known by its
fruits. It produces unfeigned hatred of sin,
habitual watchfulness against it, a holy fear
of offending God, and an uniform desire and
endeavour to please him. If we have ob-
tained redemption through the blood of
Christ, the forgiveness of all our sins, ac-
cording to the riches of his grace, sin shall
80
SER. 3.
SIN DETECTED.
no longer have dominion over us. We may
mourn over its prevalence, but we shall no
longer be subject to its power.
We may
feel its inward workings, but we shall be
made daily to watch, and pray, and strive
against it. Brethren, is it thus with you?
Examine yourselves, whether you be in the
faith; prove your own selves. The heart
is deceitful. Let this make you distrustful
of yourselves, and lead you to pray with
the Psalmist, Search me, O God, and know
my heart; try me, and know my thoughts ;
and see if there be any wicked way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
An opportunity is again afforded us of
approaching the table of the Lord *. Let
none who are living in open or in secret sin
venture to approach it. Let none imagine
that the partaking of the bread and wine,
will make atonement for their sins, or settle
accounts with God. Fatal mistake! dread-
* This Sermon appears to have been preached on a
day of humiliation before dispensing the Lord's Sup-
per.
SER. 3.
81
SIN DETECTED.
ful perversion of the ordinance! But let e-
very humble, penitent, believing sinner re-
new his application to the blood of sprink-
ling, and come to receive the pledges of the
Redeemer's love.
I
SERMON IV.
ON
REPENTANCE:
MARK Vi. 12.
And they went out, and preached that
men should repent.
IN these words we are presented with a
summary account of the doctrine preached
by the Apostles, in consequence of the in-
structions which they received from their
divine Master. Jesus having chosen twelve
of his followers to be his constant atten-
dants, began to send them out by two and
two, to preach in the surrounding cities and
villages, that by means of their instructions,
the minds of his countrymen might be pre-
pared for receiving the glad tidings of the
SER. 4.
83
REPENTANCE.
gospel, which were soon to be published to
them, and to all nations. And here we are
told, that when they went out upon this im-
portant mission, they preached that men
should repent.
The doctrine of repentance, my Brethren,
holds a distinguished place in the system of
divine truth contained in the scriptures.
Nor is this to be wondered at, if we consi-
der, that the gospel is adapted to the cir-
cumstances, not of innocent, but of sinful
creatures. Moses and the prophets fre-
quently inculcated the necessity of repent-
ance. It was the substance of John the
Baptist's ministry. Repent ye, said that
great preacher of righteousness to his hear-
ers of every description, for the kingdom of
heaven is at hand. Such also was the doc-
trine which our Lord himself preached to
those who attended his public ministry.
Repent, he said, and believe the gospel.
And in the instructions which he delivered
to his apostles, when he commissioned them
to preach the gospel, it was expressly en-
joined, that repentance and remission of
2
84
SER. 4.
REPENTANCE.
appears
:
sins should be preached in his name among
all nations. That the apostles were faith-
ful in the discharge of this important trust,
from the words of Peter on the me-
morable day of Pentecost, when they were
all filled with the Holy Ghost. Addressing
the convinced Jews, he thus exhorts them,
Repent and be baptized, every one of you,
in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remis-
sion of sins and afterwards, Repent and
be converted, that your sins may be blotted
( out. The Apostle Paul speaks of repent-
ance from dead works as one of the first
principles of the doctrine of Christ; and,
when giving a summary of his doctrine be-
fore the elders of Ephesus, he comprehends
the whole under the two great articles of Re-
pentance and Faith; Testifying both to the
Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance
towards God, and faith towards our Lord
Jesus Christ.
A doctrine so important, and so frequent-
ly insisted upon in the sacred writings, has
surely a claim to our most serious consider
SER. 4.
85
REPENTANCE.
{
ation. Let me entreat you then to listen
with attention, while I endeavour,
I. To explain the nature of true repent-
ance.
II. To point out its indispensible neces-
sity.
"
III. To mention some motives and en-
couragements, to incite you to the perform-
ance of this duty.
I. The nature of true repentance.
There are two words in the New Testa-
ment, which are rendered in our version
repentance; the one * denoting after-care-
fulness, the other † a change of mind, of
judgment, and disposition. Without con-
suming your time in a critical examination
of the words, I would only observe, that
both these ideas are included in true repent-
Before, however, proceeding direct,
ance.
* μεταμέλεια.
Η μετάνοια.
86
SER. 4.
REPENTANCE.
ly to explain its nature, it may be proper to
premise two observations to prevent some
mistakes on this subject, into which many
have fallen.
1. I would remark, that repentance is re-
presented in scripture, both as the gift of
God, and as the duty of the sinner. It is
the gift of God, for every good gift, and
every perfect gift is from above, and com-
eth down from the Father of lights. Je-
sus is exalted a Prince and a Saviour, to
give repentance to Israel and forgiveness
of sins. Without the concurring influence
of divine grace, the best and most likely
means will prove ineffectual.
prove ineffectual. Such is the
deep depravity of human nature, such our
total alienation from the life of God, that
no power, but that which made us at first,
can form us anew after the divine image, or
change the heart of stone into a heart of
flesh. But, at the same time, repentance is
the sinner's duty, and certain means are ap-
pointed, in the use of which, God is pleased
to communicate his grace. It is the sin-
ner's duty to consider his ways, and to turn
SER. 4.
87
REPENTANCE.
from sin unto God. It is his duty to read
and hear the word of God with reverence
and attention, to meditate upon the truths.
of Scripture, above all, to pray to God for
the effectual teaching of his Spirit, in depen-
dence upon his faithful promise, that he will
give his Holy Spirit to them that ask him.
These two things, that repentance is the
gift of God, and, at the same time, the du-
ty of the sinner, are in themselves perfect-
consistent with one another, and it is our
ignorance only that leads us to suppose
any incongruity between them. I would,
2. Remark, that true repentance is in-
separably connected with faith in Jesus
Christ.
Whether faith or repentance has the pre-
cedency in the order of nature, is a point a-
bout which different opinions have been
formed. This, however, I apprehend, is not
of such importance as some have supposed.
Faith and repentance are equally the effects
of the regenerating grace of God, nor is it
possible to conceive a moment of time in
88
SER. 4.
REPENTANCE.
which the one exists in the soul separate
from the other. An impenitent believer, or
an unbelieving penitent, are expressions a-
like contradictory and absurd. On the one
hand, it is certain, that without some con-
viction of the evil and demerit of sin, there
can be no true faith in the gospel of Jesus
Christ; for our Lord himself declares, They
that be whole need not a physician, but
they that are sick. On the other hand, it
is equally certain, that sin is never truly
hated nor forsaken, till we obtain some com-
forting discoveries of the forgiveness that is
with God. There is an awakening of the
conscience, which generally precedes the
comfort which the sinner derives from the
gospel. But this, strictly speaking, is not
repentance, though it may lead to it. It is
only when we can look on him whom we
have pierced by our sins, that we mourn
(after a godly sort. This, and this alone,
melts the soul into genuine contrition, and
breaks asunder the adamantine chains by
which the sinner is kept in bondage. There
is a conviction of danger, that excites the
trembling soul to flee to the Saviour for re-
SER. 4.
89
REPENTANCE.
fuge, and this by some may be called re-
pentance, but the evil nature and bitter con-
sequences of sin are never truly perceived,
nor felt, till Jesus become the object of our
confidence, and hope, and till we learn to
estimate the greatness of our guilt, by the
value of the price that was paid for our re-
demption.
Having made these preliminary observa-
tions, I proceed to explain more distinctly
the nature of true repentance.
1. We may consider repentance as includ-
ing a genuine sorrow for sin.
There is a sorrow for sin which is not
connected with repentance, and which ma-
ny have felt who are still in the gall of bit-
terness, and in the bond of iniquity. A man
may be deeply affected with the consequen- ´
ces of his sin, while he sees no evil in sin it-
self, nor feels any hatred against it. He
may be concerned for the injury it has done
to his health, his reputation, or his worldly
interest. Nay, he may be seriously and
M
90
SER. 4.
REPENTANCE.
(
greatly alarmed at the danger to which it will
expose him in a future and eternal world.
Yet all the while he regards iniquity in his
heart, and continues to practise it in his
life. Such a sorrow as this, partakes in no
degree of the nature of true repentance. It
is not indeed so properly a sorrow for sin,
as a dread of the punishment that attends
it. The sinner is sorry, not that he hath
sinned, but that God is so infinitely just and
holy as to mark his iniquity; and so power-
ful, that nothing can prevent the execution
of his threatenings: he is grieved, not that
he has transgressed the law of God, but
that this law is so pure and spiritual as to
take cognisance of his thoughts and inten-
tions, as well as of his words and actions; and
however deeply he may be affected, though
he may make many promises of amendment,
and even shed abundance of tears, it is not
so much on account of the intrinsic evil, as
{of the fearful consequences of sin.
It is possible also, that one may be deep-
ły grieved for some particular transgressions,
who is yet a stranger to true repentance.
SER. 4.
91
REPENTANCE.
(
Thus, Judas repented of his betraying
Christ, confessed his guilt, restored the thir-
ty pieces of silver, and most earnestly wish-
ed that the crime had never been commit-
ted; nay, so deep was his remorse, that he
could not bear the reproaches of his own
conscience, but went and hanged himself.
But that he was no true penitent is evident
from our Lord's words, It had been good
for that man that he had not been born.
Nor does it appear, that with all the con-
cern he expressed for betraying innocent
blood, he felt any remorse for his hypocri-
sy, his covetousness, and other sins in which
he had long indulged. The same thing fre-
quently happens in the case of murderers
and others, who are guilty of flagrant
breaches of the law of God. They are in-
expressibly troubled on account of one par-
ticular act of violence committed against a
fellow-creature, while, perhaps, they feel no
concern for all the ingratitude, contempt,
and rebellion of which they have been guil-
ty against their Maker. This is nothing
else than the effect of natural conscience;
God having been pleased to preserve such a
2
92
SER. 4.
REPENTANCE.
measure of light in the conscience, even in
the present corrupted state of human na-
ture, as frequently serves to restrain wicked
men from those crimes which would endan-
ger the peace and welfare of Society.
Very different from both these kinds of
sorrow, is that which accompanies genuine
repentance. This is a godly sorrow. It has
a principal and direct reference to God.
The true penitent mourns for sin after a
godly sort. He is chiefly concerned for sin
as it is committed against God, and as it is
a violation of his holy and righteous law:
Against thee, thee only have I sinned, and
done this evil in thy sight. It is true his
conscience is alarmed with the terrors of the
Lord; but this is not the only, nor even the
chief spring of his sorrow. When he con-
templates the majesty, the glory, and per-
fection of the God whom he hath offended,
he is grieved at the dishonour done to his
name. When he reflects on the purity and
excellence of that law which he has so of
ten and so daringly broken, his mind is fill-
ed with shame and sorrow. Especially
SER. 4.
93
REPENTANCE.
when he thinks of the goodness of God in
sparing him so long in the world, notwith-
standing his daily and aggravated rebellion,
and of the bounties of divine providence, so
liberally bestowed, and so ungratefully a-
bused above all, when he contemplates the
riches of divine grace manifested in Christ
Jesus; even that grace, which has produced
in his darkened and perplexed soul some
pleasing hope of forgiveness, how is his soul
filled with the deepest regret for his past
conduct, and how readily does he subscribe
to the justice of the sentence which con-
demns him, while, with self-abhorrence and
self-condemnation, he breathes out the pub-
lican's prayer, God be merciful to me a sin-
ner!
Nor is it only for a few of his more flag-
rant transgressions that he is thus affected.
No; he mourns over all, and every one of
them without exception, those that are more
secret, as well as those which have been o-
pen; sins of omission, as well as of com-
mission; sins which have the sanction of
custom and fashion, as well as those which
94
SER. 4.
REPENTANCE.
The
are odious in the eyes of the world.
more he is enlightened to see the glory of
God, the more deeply is his mind affected
with the number and greatness of his trans-
gressions. And because all the sins he has
committed, whether in heart or life, are the
effects of an originally depraved nature, he
traces back the streams of actual transgres-
sion to this polluted fountain, acknowledging
with the Psalmist, Behold, I was shapen in
iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive
me.
Genuine sorrow for sin never fails to
be accompanied with very humbling appre-
hensions of ourselves. Whatever opinion
the penitent sinner may have formerly en-
tertained of his own character, no sooner
does he feel the influence of true repentance,
than he sinks in his own esteem, and re-
nounces all his own righteousness as filthy
rags. His high imaginations are cast down,
and so far from thinking that his repentance
can merit any thing at the hand of God, he
mourns over its defects. He is ashamed
that he is so little affected, and abhors him-
self on account of the remaining hardness
and insensibility of his heart.
SER. 4.
95
REPENTANCE.
Such were the feelings of Job, when he
obtained a clearer discovery of the majesty
and holiness of God: I have heard of thee,
says he, by the hearing of the ear, but now
mine eye seeth thee
seeth thee; wherefore I abhor my-
self, and repent in dust and ashes.
2. True repentance includes in it an un-
reserved and ingenuous confession of sin.
This is the natural consequence of a ge-
nuine sorrow for sin; for confession is no-
thing else than the outward expression of
those inward sentiments, which constitute
the temper of a real penitent. I acknow-
ledged my sin unto thee, says the Psalmist,
and mine iniquity have I not hid: I said,
I will confess my transgressions unto the
Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of
my sin. Corresponding to this is the ac-
count given of returning Ephraim, (Jer. xxxi.
18, 19.) in which we discern all the genu-
ine characters of true repentance. I have
surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself
thus, Thou hast chastised me, and I was
chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the
"
96
SER. 4.
REPENTANCE.
yoke; turn thou me, and I shall be turn-
ed; for thou art the Lord my God. Sure-
ly after that I was turned I repented ; and
after that I was instructed I smote upon
my thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even con-
founded, because I did bear the reproach
of my youth.
By confessing our sins we give glory to
God, as well as take shame to ourselves.
We give God the glory of those divine per-
fections which sin dishonours. Thus Jo-
shua exhorted Achan, My son, give, I pray
thee, glory to the Lord God of Israel, and
make confession unto him. This is a point
so plain, as hardly to stand in need of any.
illustration; yet it may be proper to observe,
that secret sins require only secret confes-
sion unto God; but public offences require
a public acknowledgment, that, in the sight
of others, we may openly honour that God
by our confession, whom we have openly
dishonoured by our conduct. Thus David,
after his shameful conduct in the matter of
Uriah, composed the fifty-first Psalm, in
which he acknowledged his guilt, gave glo-
SER. 4.
97
REPENTANCE.
ry to God, and stopped the mouths of the
ungodly, who had taken occasion from his
conduct to blaspheme.
It is impossible in every instance, to un-
do the evil which we have done by sin;
but the true penitent, whose confession of
sin is sincere, will endeavour, to the utmost
of his power, to counteract the evil conse-
quences of his former conduct. In particu-
lar, he will make ample restitution, if in any
instance he has defrauded or injured his
neighbour. Under the ceremonial law, the
trespass offering was to be accompanied with
restitution to the injured party, (Lev. vi.
1-7.) To this institution, we find an ob-
vious allusion in our Lord's sermon on the
mount, Matth. v. 23, 24. Therefore, if
thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there
rememberest that thy brother hath ought
against thee; leave there thy gift before
the altar, and go thy way; first be recon-
ciled to thy brother, and then come and of-
· fer thy gift.
N
98
SER. 4.
REPENTANCE.
Thus, Zaccheus gave evidence of the sin-
cerity of his repentance. Behold, said he,
Lord, the half of my goods I give to the
poor; and, if I have taken any thing from
any man by false accusation, I restore him
fourfold. In like manner, every true peni-
tent will be disposed, to the utmost of his
power, to repair any injury which he may
have done to his neighbour's reputation, and
good name, as well as to his property. Nor will
he be backward to retract any false principles
or opinions, by which, in the days of his igno-
rance, he may have corrupted or misled
any
of his fellow-creatures. I have only to add,
3. That true repentance includes in it
a firm purpose, through divine grace, to
walk in newness of life-a purpose, that
is proved to be sincere, by the fruits which
it produces.
This is the chief circumstance which di-
stinguishes a true, from a false repentance.
Godly sorrow is not so properly repentance
itself, as that which produces it. Repentance
is the turning of the heart from sin unto God,
SER. 4.
go
REPENTANCE.
and is accompanied with a blessed change
in the temper and conversation; and what-
ever fails to produce this effect, call it by
what name you please, is not that repen-
tance which is unto salvation. Unless the
drunkard, therefore, become sober, and the
unclean person chaste; unless the covetous
man become liberal, and the profane swear-
er devout; unless the passionate man be-
come meek, and the proud humble; in
short, unless a man be enabled, in some
measure, to overcome his favourite and pre-
dominant iniquity, his pretensions to repent-
ance are groundless and vain. I acknow-
ledge, indeed, that the true penitent is far
from having attained complete deliverance
from sin. He still finds a law in his mem-
bers warring against the law of his mind;
and that often when he would do good, evil
is present with him. Hence he finds occa-
sion, every day, for the renewed exercise of
repentance, and faith in the blood of sprink-
(ling. But with all his imperfections, and
short-comings in duty, he is conscious of
being delivered, in some measure, from the
dominion of iniquity; he aims at universal
100
SER. 4.
REPENTANCE.
1
and unreserved subjection to the will of
God; and he feels in his heart, as well as
exemplifies in his conduct, the blessed fruits
of repentance, described by the Apostle in
2 Cor. vii. 11. For, behold, this self same
thing that ye sorrowed after a godly sort,
what carefulness it wrought in you, yea,
what clearing of yourselves, yea, what
indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what ve-
hement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what
revenge! In all things ye have approved
yourselves to be clear in this matter. I
come now, as was proposed,
II. To point out the indispensible neces-
sity of repentance.
Some of my hearers may perhaps be rea-
dy to think, that in this part of the subject
they have little or no immediate concern.
They flatter themselves they have not been
guilty of any flagrant transgressions of the
law of God; and, as to lesser faults, they
trust that a merciful God will not be severe
to mark them. It is of importance, there-
fore, to point out the indispensible necessi-
SER. 4.
101
REPENTANCE.
(
{
¿
ty of genuine repentance. Our labour will
be lost, our attempts to describe the feel-
ings and actings of true penitence will be to
no purpose, unless men are convinced that
they need repentance. For this purpose,
then, consider,
1. That all have sinned, and come short
of the glory of God.
There is not a
This is the doctrine of scripture, and u-
niversal experience and observation abun-
dantly confirm its truth.
just man upon earth, that doeth good and
sinneth not. Here it is unnecessary to in-
quire, what sort of character you have main-
tained in the sight of your fellow-creatures
whether you have been moral or immoral,
sober or profligate, decent or profane. Al-
lowing all that can be said in your favour,
I hope to be able to shew, from the word of
God, that
stand in need of repentance.
you
You must acknowledge, then, that the
law, which God hath given for the direction.
of your conduct, is holy, and just, and good.
102
SER. 4.
REPENTANCE.
It is founded in the perfections of his na-
ture, and is a transcript of his moral i-
mage. It is just and equitable in all its de-
mands, and calculated, in every respect, to
promote our happiness. Though perfectly
pure and holy, it is not unreasonable in any
thing it enjoins. It requires us to love the
Lord our God with all our heart, with all
our soul, with all our mind, and with all
our strength; and our neighbour as our-
selves. Will
Will any presume to say that this
is unreasonable? or could it possibly have
demanded less? But besides, the law of
God makes no allowance for that disincli-
nation to obedience, that moral indisposi-
tion for loving and serving God with all our
powers, which constitutes the temper of e-
very sinner, and, every degree of which is
enmity against God. In this view the law
admits of no abatement, but expressly de-
clares, Cursed is every one that continueth
not in all things that are written in the
book of the law to do them.
Bring your temper and conduct then,
my brethren, to the test of this perfect and
SER. 4.
103
REPENTANCE.
infallible standard. Judge of your actions,
and of the principles and motives from which
they proceed, not by the opinions and max-
ims of the world, not by the self-flattering
views which we are all too apt to entertain
of our own character, but by the oracles of
the living God-by that pure and spiritual
law, which is a discerner of the thoughts
and intents of the heart. Consider that the
commandments of God are exceeding broad,
reaching, not only to the outward conduct,
but to the inward frame, and disposition of
the heart. With this standard in your eye,
recollect the different periods of your past
life. Think of the advantages you have en-
joyed, above many of your fellow-creatures.
Have you feared and loved God your Maker
as you ought to have done? On the contrary,
did you not discover, in the very earliest
period of life, a strong disinclination to
the love and service of your Creator? If it
cannot be said, that God was not in all
your thoughts, yet in how few of them has
he been, compared with the ten thousand
thousand vain, unprofitable, and wicked
thoughts which have found ready access in-
104
SER. 4.
REPENTANCE.
to your minds? If you have bowed the knee
to God, have you prayed in the spirit of
true devotion? or rather, does not conscience
bear witness, that you have offered to your
Maker cold, formal, and hypocritical servi-
ces? How have you abused the day which
God hath set apart for his immediate wor-
ship and service? Can you truly say, that
the Sabbath hath been your delight, the
holy of the Lord, honourable? or, on the
contrary, has not much of your precious
time on that day been trifled away in vain
company, or idle conversation? I will not
have been guilty of gross
suppose, that you
or scandalous breaches of the second table
of the law. I shall take it for granted that
you are not extortioners, nor unjust, nor a-
dulterers. But, my Brethren, have you, in
every instance, done unto others, as you
would, that they, in like circumstances,
should do unto you? Have you been faith-
ful and conscientious in discharging the du-
ties belonging to your different stations and
relations in society? and, in doing so, have
you had a respect to the authority of God,
SER. 4.
105
REPENTANCE.
:
and not merely to your own interest, will,
and pleasure?
By following out this inquiry, in all its
different branches, you will, under the influ-
ence and direction of the word and Spirit of
God, soon perceive, that however amiable and
respectable your
your character may be in the
man, you are guilty, condemned cri-
minals in the sight of God; and, that with-
out repentance, and faith in the blood of
sprinkling, you must be completely and for
ever wretched.
eye of
2. The necessity of repentance appears
from the express' command of God, and par-
ticularly, from the awful threatenings, de-
nounced against the finally impenitent.
The Scriptures declare, that God is angry
with the wicked every day. If he turn not,
he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow.
and made it ready. He hath also prepar
ed for him the instruments of death. The
wrath of God, says the apostle, is revealed
from heaven, against all ungodliness and
106
SER. 4.
REPENTANCE.
unrighteousness of men. Hence, when ad-
dressing the Athenians, who had erected an
altar to THE UNKNOWN GOD, he said to
them, The times of this ignorance God
winked at; but now commandeth all men
every where to repent: Because he hath
appointed a day, in the which he will judge
the world in righteousness, by that man
whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath
given assurance unto all men, in that he
hath raised him from the dead. Acts xvii.
30, 31. The words of our Lord to this
purpose are express and decisive, Except ye
repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
(Clear and convincing, however, as the
words of Scripture are, to those who respect
its divine authority, it has been the business
of the great adversary of souls, from the be-
ginning of the world, to persuade men that
they may sin with impunity.. Ye shall not
surely die, was the temptation by which he de-
ceived our first parents: and the same strata-
gem has been, alas! too successfully em-
ployed, to the ruin of many souls. The
great deceiver knows well, that nothing so
SER. 4.
107
REPENTANCE.
effectually increases the number of the dam-
ned, as the disbelief of eternal damnation ;
and, therefore, against this awakening truth,
his strongest batteries have been planted in
(every age. But let no man deceive you
with vain words. If there be any meaning
in language, if the most solemn and repeat-
ed declarations be entitled to our serious
attention, if the Bible be what we believe
it to be, the faithful word of HIM who cannot
lie, then it is certain, that The wicked shall
go away into everlasting punishment.-To
them, who, by patient continuance in well-
doing, seek for glory, honour, and immor-
tality, God will render eternal life: But
unto them that are contentious, and do not
obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness,
indignation and wrath, tribulation and an-
guish upon every soul of man that doth e-
vil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gen-
tile.
Without repentance there is no forgive-
ness of sin. He that covereth his sins
shall not prosper; but whoso confesseth
and forsaketh them shall find mercy. If
108
SER. 4.
REPENTANCE.
we confess our sins, God is faithful and
just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse
us from all unrighteousness.
1
Without repentance there can be no true
holiness; for humility, and poverty of spirit,
which are essential ingredients in the nature
of true repentance, are virtues, of the first
importance in the Christian character.-
And finally, without repentance there can
be no meetness for heaven. An impenitent
sinner is altogether unfit for the enjoyments
of the heavenly state. Possessed of proud,
unsanctified dispositions, the glories of hea-
ven, which fill with rapture the souls of the
Redeemed, could afford him no satisfaction.
The objects to be found in those blissful
mansions, are in no respect suited to the
taste of his carnal, unrenewed mind. Ex-
cept ye be converted, then, and become as
little children, ye shall not, ye cannot en-
ter into the kingdom of heaven.
A sinner who lives and dies without re-
pentance, is termed by the apostle, a vessel
of wrath, fitted to destruction. However
SER. 4.
109
REPENTANCE:
much he may have flattered himself in his
iniquity, saying in his heart, I shall have
peace, though I walk after the imagination
of my own heart, yet, when death, that
unwelcome messenger, comes to summon
him into the eternal world, he will find him-
self awfully disappointed. He will then
know, alas! when it is too late, that those
objects, which he has pursued as substantial
good, have been delusive phantoms, while
the things which he once treated as idle
tales, are great and dreadful realities. A-
( waking, as out of a dream, he will begin to
see his sins in their true colours, and to la-
ment, with hopeless and unavailing regret,
the seasons of grace, and the opportunities of
salvation which he once enjoyed, but which
are now past-never to return. Like the rich
man in the parable, who in hell lift up his
eyes, being in torments, and could not ob-
tain so much as a drop of water to cool his
tongue, the impenitent sinner shall wish, but
wish in vain, to obtain deliverance from his
sufferings, or even the least mitigation of
them: Doomed to pass a wretched eternity,
in bitter reproaches, and self-condemnation,
110
SER. 4.
REPENTANCE.
heightened by the reflection, that, by a
timely repentance, and faith in a crucified
Saviour, all this misery might have been
prevented.
You see then, my Brethren, the necessi-
ty, the absolute necessity of repentance, if
ever you expect to escape the displeasure of
your offended God. And, now, may I not
hope, that some sinners in Zion are afraid,
and that fearfulness surprises the hypocrite;
for who can dwell with devouring fire, who
can dwell with everlasting burnings? But
is there any hope, are not some ready to
exclaim, that such sinners as we are, who
have misimproved so many privileges, abus-
ed so many mercies, and lived so long in
the neglect of our souls, and of salvation,
shall obtain mercy from God? Yes, my
Brethren, there is. And this naturally
brings me to mention,
III. Some motives, and encouragements to
the performance of this duty.
SER. 4.
111
REPENTANCE.
ners.
1. The very call, and command to repent,
may afford encouragement to returning sin-
There is no such command given to
the angels who kept not their first estate.
For them, no Saviour is provided; and,
therefore, how much cause soever they have
for repentance, they have neither motive,
nor encouragement to the performance of
this duty. Such a command, coming from
an offended Sovereign to his rebellious sub-
jects, could not fail to excite a hope in their
breasts, that the prince who required their
submission, was disposed to exercise cle-
mency towards them. On this ground, the
Ninevites repented at the preaching of Jo-
nah; Who can tell, said they, if God will
turn, and repent; and turn away from his
fierce anger that we perish not. But, bless-
ed be God, we are not left to uncertain con-
jecture, nor to hopes built on obscure and
scattered hints in the word of God, amount-
ing to nothing more than this, It may be
the Lord will be gracious. For, I add,
2. That the word of God is full of the
112
SER. 4.
REPENTANCE.
most encouraging declarations, and express
promises to penitent sinners.
It contains the most encouraging decla-
rations.It assures us, that the Lord God
is, merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and
ready to forgive: that he will not always
chide, neither will he keep his anger for
ever. All things are of God, (says the a-
postle, 2 Cor. v. 18—20.) who hath recon-
ciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and
hath given to us the ministry of reconcili-
ation; to wit, that God was in Christ, re-
conciling the world unto himself, not im-
puting their trespasses unto them; and
hath committed unto us the word of re-
conciliation.
: But, without enumerating the many pas-
sages of Scripture that might be quoted,
let me only solicit your attention to a very
remarkable one, which seems to have been
left on record, for the purpose of encou
raging penitent sinners to hope in the mer-
cy of God: I mean, the parable of the
digal son. As soon as the poor prodigal
pro-
SER. 4.
115
REPENTANCE.
came to himself, and began to entertain
thoughts of returning to his father's house,
ashamed and grieved at the recollection of
his past misconduct, he scarce knew how to
come into his father's presence, or in what
way to order his speech before him. But
observe how the indulgent father removes
all his difficulties, and even prevents his
wishes. When he was yet a great way off,
his father saw him, and had compassion,
and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed
him. Instead of upbraiding him with his
ingratitude, he bids his servants bring forth
the best robe, and put it on him, and put a
ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. For
this my son, says he, was dead, and is alive
again; he was lost, and is found. See
here, my Brethren, the tender compassion
of our heavenly Father, and his infinite will-
ingness to receive returning sinners.
But, besides these encouraging declara-
tions, there are many express promises in
the word of God to penitent sinners, under
the titles of Mourners, Poor in Spirit,
Broken Hearted, Humble, and the like.
T
114
SER. 4.
REPENTANCE.
!
Thus saith the high and lofty One, that in-
habiteth eternity, whose name is holy, I
dwell in the high and holy place; with
him also that is of a contrite and humble
spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble,
and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord hath anointed me to
preach good tidings unto the meek: he hath
sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to
proclaim liberty to the captives, and the
opening of the prison to them that are
bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of
the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our
God; to comfort all that mourn; to ap-
point unto them that mourn in Zion, to
give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of
joy for mourning, the garment of praise
for the spirit of heaviness.
But, in order to prevent mistakes, it is
necessary to observe here, that repentance
does not, in any degree, entitle us to the
blessings of salvation; nor has it any influ-
ence in procuring these blessings from God.
It is true, God does not pardon any sinner
SER. 4.
115
REPENTANCE.
without repentance, but neither does he par-
don any on account of it. In the forgive-
ness of sin, he has respect solely and exclu-
sively to the atonement of Christ, on ac-
count of which, without any other consider-
ation whatever, he is just, in justifying the
ungodly who believe in Jesus. That peni-
tence which is trusted in for acceptance with
God, is not the repentance wrought in the
soul by the Holy Spirit, but a proud phari-
saical repentance which needs to be repent-
ed of. Do not imagine, then, that your
prayers, or your tears can atone for your
past guilt, or recommend you to the divine
favour: nor think that it is presumption to
trust in the Saviour, unless you can feel
those sentiments which you have been
taught to consider as necessary to true re-
pentance. The design of the Spirit of God
in working repentance in the soul of a sin-
ner, is just the reverse of what many sup-
pose. It is not to furnish any ground of
confidence before God. It is not to make us
think that we have any better plea, than o-
thers, for mercy and grace. But it is to de-
stroy the natural pride of our hearts. It is
116
SER. 4.
REPENTANCE.
to make us sensible, that, in point of accep
tance with God, we stand upon a footing
with the poorest and vilest of our fellow-
sinners; and that we have nothing, and can
do nothing, to obtain the favour of our Mak-
er. This humbling truth, no impenitent
sinner is disposed to admit, and the convic-
tion of it is essential to the repentance which
is necessary, to prepare the heart for receiv-
ing the glad tidings of the gospel,
3. The examples recorded in scripture, of
sinners who obtained mercy, notwithstand-
ing the peculiar greatness of their guilt,
may afford another motive and encourage-
ment to repentance.
cross-
Such were Manasseh--the thief upon the
Mary Magdalene Saul the perse-
cutor and some of the very men who cru-
cified the Prince of Life. These instances
are recorded, not to encourage any to go
on in a course of iniquity, but to shew us,
that none who are sincerely desirous to for-
sake their sins, and turn to the Lord, need
despair of mercy, on account of the num
SER. 4.
117
REPENTANCE.
ber, or greatness of their former transgres-
sions, Our Lord, indeed, speaks of some who
sin against the Holy Ghost, whose sin shall not
be forgiven. But, as it is impossible to renew
such to repentance, what is said respecting
them ought not to discourage the trembling
penitent soul. Let persons of this last descrip-
tion, consider for their comfort, the bound-
less extent of divine mercy, and be assured,
that all manner of sin and blasphemy shall
be forgiven, for the blood of Jesus Christ
cleanseth from all sin.
4. In the last place, let the unspeakable
happiness which awaits the true penitent, in
a future and eternal world, be improved as
a motive and encouragement to repentance.
Even in the present life, the penitent sinner
is not without comfort. Being justified by
faith, he has peace with God through our
Lord Jesus Christ. As the heart knoweth
its own bitterness, so there is a joy, with
which a stranger cannot intermeddle. E-
ven the tears of repentance are mingled
with inexpressible delight; and the true pe-
118
SER. 4.
REPENTANCE.
nitent, in mourning for sin, enjoys a purer
and higher satisfaction, than he ever found
in all the boasted pleasures of the world.
But it is in heaven only that the mourn-
ers in Zion shall be fully comforted. There,
they who have sowed in tears shall reap in
joy. He that goeth forth weeping, bear-
ing precious seed, shall doubtless come a-
gain with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves
with him.
O blessed day! when sin, with all its bit-
ter effects, shall be for ever done away-
when the voice of lamentation shall be
heard no more-when temptation, affliction,
and remaining corruption, the great sources
of uneasiness to the people of God in the
present state, shall be completely removed
-and when the ransomed of the Lord,
who were led on with weeping and suppli-
cations, shall return, and come to Zion
with songs, and everlasting joy upon their
heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
SER. 4.
119
REPENTANCE.
{
I shall now conclude this Discourse, with
a short address to two different classes of
hearers.
1. To those who are in danger of delay-
ing repentance, from a presumptuous con-
fidence that they shall have time enough for
it afterwards.
Persons in the season of youth, and in
the bloom of health, are in peculiar danger
from this fatal snare. The delusion, how-
ever, is by no means confined to them, for it
pervades all ages, and all conditions. Ah!
thoughtless infatuated fellow-mortals, how
long will
you be duped by this stale arti-
fice? How many are now in hell, who once
intended, as much as you do, to repent, but
who delayed it from time to time, till their
race was run, and their eyes were closed in
the shadows of eternal death. Like Felix,
perhaps, they trembled; but saying to their
convictions, as he said to Paul, Go your
way for this time; when I have a conve-
nient season, I will call for you, they lost
that opportunity, and never saw their ruin-
120
SER. 4.
REPENTANCE.
ous mistake till it was too late. Consider,
I beseech you, that repentance is not in
your own power. It is, as you have heard,
the gift of God; and have you not reason
to fear, that by stifling conviction, you may
provoke the divine displeasure. Though
God may call, even at the eleventh hour,
yet nothing can be more dangerous and
foolish, than to trust to an uncertain here-
after. To day if ye will hear his voice,
harden not your hearts, lest he swear in
his wrath that ye shall not enter into his
rest.
2. To those who are tempted to think it
is now too late to repent; that their day of
grace is past, and the door of mercy for e-
ver shut against them.
This is a mistake no less dangerous than
the other. Poor sinners! give no heed to
the tempter's lying suggestions. However
long you may have lived without God,
and without hope in the world, if now, at
last, you are convinced of your folly and
sinfulness, and of your need of the Saviour's
*
SER. 4.
121
REPENTANCE.
grace, despair not of mercy. Apply in-
stantly, and earnestly to the blood of sprink-
ling. Look unto me, says the compassion-
ate Redeemer, and be ye saved, all the
ends of the earth. He assures you of a gra-
cious welcome; Him that cometh unto me,
I will in no wise cast out. It is daring, and
must be highly provoking in the sight of
God, to delay repentance on the presump-
tion of obtaining mercy at last; but it is no
less displeasing to him to despair of his
mercy, after the declarations he hath made,
and especially after the proof he hath given
of his boundless love to sinners, in not spar-
ing his own Son, but delivering him up for
us. Wherefore, seek ye the Lord while he
may be found, call ye upon him while he is
near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and
the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let
him turn unto the Lord, and he will have
mercy upon him; and to our God, for he
will abundantly pardon.
SERMON V.
THE GOSPEL INVITATION.
REV. xxii. 17.
And the Spirit and the Bride say, Come;
and let him that heareth say, Come; and
let him that is athirst come; and who-
soever will, let him take of the water of
life freely.
THESE words contain one of the fullest
displays of the riches and freeness of di-
vine grace that is to be found in the sa-
cred writings; and, as they occur at the
close of the inspired volume, they may be
considered as a concluding exhortation, ad-
dressed to sinners in every country and age
of the world. The Spirit and the Bride.
SER. 5.
123
THE GOSPEL, &c.
say, Come. The Spirit, by whom the scrip-
tures were indited, and by whose inspiration
holy men of old spake, says, by the mouth
of prophets and apostles, Come—Hear,
and your souls shall live-Let the wicked
forsake his way, and the unrighteous man
his thoughts; and let him return unto the
Lord, and he will have mercy upon him;
and to our God, for he will abundantly
pardon-Repent, and be converted, that
your sins may be blotted out. With these
invitations, the Spirit also concurs by his
gracious influences on the heart.
And the Bride says, Come ;-that is, the
Church, who is called in this book the
Lamb's Wife, and who is
chaste virgin unto Christ.
espoused as a
She joins with
the Spirit in these gracious invitations. To
the church are committed the oracles of
God; and the ministers of the churches are
from time to time sent forth, as heralds, to
proclaim to men the Redeemer's boundless
compassion, and infinite readiness to receive
returning sinners,
124
SER. 5.
THE GOSPEL
Let
And let him that heareth say, Come.-
every one who hears and obeys the voice
of Christ in the gospel, echo back the voice of
sovereign mercy, and invite others to share
with him in the unsearchable riches of
Christ, saying, “Come, my fellow-sinners,
"be no longer faithless, but believing; ac-
"cept the blessings of salvation; and rejoice
"in the manifestations of the Saviour's love.
"From comfortable experience we can as-
“sure you,
that these blessings are as free-
"ly bestowed as they are freely offered."
And let him that is athirst come.-
He who is hungering and thirsting after
righteousness he who is labouring and
heavy laden he who is ardently longing af
ter happiness, but cannot find it in the bro-
ken and empty cisterns of creature comforts,
let him come to Jesus, and he shall have all
his wants supplied, and the desires of his
heart completely satisfied.
And whosoever will, let him take of the
water of life freely.-Lest any should think
themselves excluded by the former invita
SER. 5.
125
INVITATION.
tion-lest any poor convinced sinner should
suppose that he was not the person whose
soul was properly athirst for the blessings of
salvation, it is here extended, so as to take
in every case, and to silence every objec-
tion which unbelief, fruitful in apologies for
itself, can possibly suggest. Whosoever
will-whatever his former character may
have been, however great his present guilt
and unworthiness are let him take the wa-
ter of life freely.
Having thus shortly explained the words
of the text, I propose in what follows,
I. To point out some of those inestimable
blessings of which we are here invited to
partake.
II. To explain the extent of the invita-
tion; and particularly, to shew the absolute
freeness with which these blessings are be-
stowed on all who are willing to receive
them.
126
SER. 5.
THE GOSPEL.
!
I. I propose to point out some of those
inestimable blessings of which we are here
invited to partake. ·
The blessings of the gospel are spoken of
in the text under the general and compre-
hensive name of "The Water of Life."
Whosoever will, let him take the Water of
Life freely. Water is a very common,
and favourite metaphor with the sacred
writers, when speaking of the blessings of
salvation. When the poor and needy seek
water, and there is none, and their tongue
faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear
them, I the God of Israel will not forsake
them. I will open rivers in high places,
and streams in the midst of the vallies. I
will make the wilderness a pool of water,
and the dry land springs of water.—Ho!
every one that thirsteth, come ye to the wa-
ters. In similar language, our Saviour
speaks, when describing the same blessings ;
In the last day, that great day of the feast,
Jesus stood, and cried, saying, If any man
thirst, let him come unto me and drink.
And in like manner he addresses the woman
SER. 5.
127
INVITATION.
of Samaria, If thou knewest the gift of
God, and who it is that saith to thee;
Give me to drink; thou wouldest have ask-
ed of him, and he would have given thee
living water. Whosoever drinketh of the
water that I shall give him, shall never
thirst; but the water that I shall give
him, shall be in him a well of water, spring-
ing up into everlasting life.
!
No blessing is more necessary than wa-
ter to the sustenance of life; nothing com-
monly is less valued; yet there is nothing,
of the want of which we are sooner sensi-
ble. In the warm and sultry regions of
Judea, where this invaluable comfort was
often scarce, and difficult to be procured,
the metaphor must have appeared with pe-
culiar force and beauty. But whether men
are sensible of it or not, sure we are, that
water is not more necessary to the suste-
nance of our bodies, than the blessings of
the gospel are to the life of our souls. The
gospel is truly living water, more refreshing
to the weary soul, than the cooling draught
to the traveller parched with thirst. Its
|
128
SER. 5.
THE GOSPEL
blessings are exactly suited to the wants and
distresses of poor guilty sinners. To shew
how necessary and important they are, I
shall now mention a few of them.
1. The pardon of sin.
This I mention first, not only because it
is a blessing of inestimable value, but be
cause it lies at the foundation of all the
rest, and is indispensibly necessary to the
enjoyment of true and solid happiness.
While sin is unpardoned, and guilt lies on
the conscience, nothing in heaven or on earth
can ease the troubled mind. To abide un-
der the wrath of the Almighty, to be con-
tinually exposed to the just and everlasting
displeasure of him who made us, must ap-
pear inexpressibly awful to every reflecting
person. Like the hand-writing which ap-
peared to Belshazzar in the midst of his
feast, it must embitter all the pleasures of
life, and cause trembling and astonishment
to seize the awakened sinner. But blessed
is the man whose transgression is forgiven,
and whose sin is covered. Blessed is the
* 1
SER. 5.
129
INVITATION.
man to whom the Lord imputeth not ini-
quity.
This, my Brethren, is the blessedness
which the gospel proposes, and of which we
are here invited so freely to partake. The
gospel lays a solid foundation for the en-
joyment of this blessedness. It reveals God
as reconciled by the death of his Son. It
informs us of this gladdening, of this
peace-
inspiring truth, that God is in Christ recon-
ciling the world unto himself, not imputing
unto men their trespasses. It assures us,
that if we confess our sins, he is faithful
and just to forgive us our sins, and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness. For
the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth
from all sin. How reviving and comfort-
ing to the mind of the awakened sinner is
this discovery! To be assured from the
word of God, that there is forgiveness with
him; that every obstruction is removed out
of the way of our reconciliation to God;
that though our sins be as scarlet, through
the blood of his dear Son, they shall be
R
130
SER. 5.
THE GOSPEL
•
▼
white as snow; though they be red like
crimson, they shall be as wool.
Come, therefore, ye labouring, heavy lad-
en sinners, to Jesus the Saviour, for this in-
estimable blessing. He invites you to par-
take of it, without money, and without
price. He himself has paid the ransom.
Nor can any thing prevent your enjoyment
of this unspeakably precious blessing, but
an obstinate rejection of his rich redeeming
mercy. To every penitent believing sin-
ner, he addresses these comfortable words,
Be of good cheer, thy sins are forgiven
thee.
2. Another blessing offered in the gospel,
and of which we are here invited to partake,
is the sanctification of our corrupted nature.
Not only has sin brought guilt upon the
conscience, and exposed us to the awful
curse, and eternal wrath of God, but it has
likewise vitiated all the powers of our souls,
and rendered us the miserable slaves of our
own headstrong and unruly passions. No
SER. 5.
131
INVITATION.
captivity is so disgraceful as the bondage of
sin; no pollution so loathsome as that
which defiles the conscience. As there can
be no true enjoyment under a sense of un-
pardoned guilt, so neither can there be any
so long as sin retains its dominion in the
soul, and the enslaved sinner is led captive
by the devil at his will. Accordingly, the
salvation which the gospel offers, is not a
partial, but a complete salvation. It in-
cludes deliverance from the power and pol-
lution, as well as from the guilt and punish-
ment of sin. It is designed to make us ho-
ly, as well as happy; nay, to make us holy,
in order that we may be happy. For it is im-
possible to conceive any degree of perma-
nent happiness, unconnected with inward
purity; nor does the gospel give the least
countenance to any joy, that has a tenden-
to relax the obligations of holiness.
cy
Come then, ye weary and heavy laden
sinners, who are groaning under the bon-
dage of corruption, to you the gospel brings
a glorious deliverance. It is admirably fit-
ted to purify, refine, and ennoble your souls;
2
ག
SER. 5.
132
THE GOSPEL
to elevate them above the grovelling plea-
sures of sin, and exalt them to higher
and more dignified pursuits. Jesus invites
you to aspire after sublimer objects than
any
which this world can bestow. He is
able to heal all the diseases of your nature.
He can cure you of your pride, your sensu-
ality, your covetousness, and earthly-mind-
edness. He can subdue the most powerful
corruptions of the human heart, overcome
the most inveterate habits, and implant the
graces of his Spirit in the souls, where sin
and Satan ruled before, with uncontrouled
dominion. Only commit your souls to the
government of his grace, and the guidance
of his Spirit, and you shall experience his
all-conquering power.
3. Access to God, and communion with
him in the ordinances of his grace, is ano-
ther blessing of which we are here invited
to partake.
The value of this blessing can be known
by those only who have tasted its sweet-
ness. Pure and satisfying are the joys of a
SER. 5.
133
INVITATION.
pious and devout mind. When retired from
the world, with no eye upon him but that of
his God, the Christian holds fellowship with
his heavenly Father. When he turns over
the sacred page, and there reads with asto-
nishment and delight, the counsels of hea-
ven respecting the salvation of guilty per-
ishing man; the exceeding great and pre-
cious promises which God hath given him;
and the returns of love and gratitude
which all this kindness demands--when his
thoughts take a wider range, and he medi-
tates on the boundless variety of objects
which nature, providence, and grace, pre-
sent to his mind-when he pours out his soul
in the humble confidence of faith, and
spreads before his heavenly Father, his wants
and cares, his sins and sorrows, his fears,
and hopes, and joys-what inexpressible sa-
tisfaction diffuses itself through his soul, and
with what pity and contempt does he look
down on the mean, sordid pleasures of
worldly men, which, in comparison of those
which he enjoys, are like the crackling of
thorns under a pot. Or, when he mingles
with his fellow-saints; when he comes to
134
SER. 5.
THE GOSPEL
the house of God, and joins in the solemn
acts of social worship; when with meek-
ness he receives the ingrafted word of truth;
when he offers up with the congregation
the fervent and united prayer, or lifts his
cheerful voice in praises to their common
Father and God; or, when in more retired
converse with a few Christian friends, he
talks of the things which belong to their
peace, till their hearts burn within them;
or, when in a more public and solemn man-
ner he holds communion with his Saviour
and all the faithful, in the holy ordinance of
the Supper, in all these exercises he expe-
riences a pleasure with which strangers do
not intermeddle; nay, often a joy that is
unspeakable and full of glory.
Now, my Brethren, the gospel invites you
to partake of all this happiness. It removes.
the distance which sin has made betwixt a
pure and holy God, and a guilty polluted
soul. It brings those who were afar off
nigh by the blood of Christ. It gives us
access to the holiest of all, and opens a way,
not only to the altar of Goa, but unto God
SER. 5.
135
İNVİTATION.
himself as our exceeding joy. Being justi-
fied by faith, we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ; by whom
also we have access by faith into this grace
wherein we stand.
Come then, ye who spend your money for
that which is not bread, and your labour
for that which satisfieth not. Hearken
diligently unto Christ, and eat ye that
which is good, and let your soul delight it-
self in fatness. I shall only add,
4. That victory over death, and the sure
hope of eternal life, belong to the blessings
of which we are here invited to partake.
Whatever pleasures worldly men may
boast of, there are none of them that reach
beyond the grave. Death puts an end to
all their schemes and pursuits, to all their
hopes and joys. To say the least, it affords
to them nothing but a dreary, melancholy
prospect; a vast, unknown, uncertain futu-
rity, in which they cannot tell how it shall
fare with them, or what shall become of
186
SER. 5.
THE GOSPEL
them. On this account, men who are stran-
gers to religion endeavour to banish the
thought of death as much as possible from
their minds; and, by means of business and
amusement, they in general so far succeed,
as to keep themselves tolerably easy and
secure, except in the hour of sickness and of
danger, when, in spite of their utmost en-
deavours, the prospect of this frightful mes-
senger frequently occasions the most dread-
ful apprehensions.
But the gospel, my Friends, delivers from
the fear of death. It destroys this bane of
human happiness, not by banishing the
thought of it from the mind, but by open-
ing up such prospects beyond it, as com-
pletely change its nature, and render it
the object of desire. The gospel brings life
and immortality to light. It assures us,
that Christ, by dying and rising again, hath
destroyed death, and him that had the
power of death. It discloses unutterable
joys beyond the grave, in that blessed world
to which he will bring, in due time, all his
faithful followers. It teaches believers to
SER. 5.
137
INVITATION.
consider death as the entrance into life eter-
nal; and, though the path be gloomy, it
will assuredly lead them to the regions of
everlasting day; though the passage may
be stormy, it will infallibly bring them safe
to the peaceful shore of Immanuel's happy
land.
Come then, my Friends, embrace this
blessed gospel, which presents such bright
and boundless prospects to our view. Trust
in that almighty Saviour, who has conquer-
ed death, and secured the victory to all who
believe in his name. He will receive your
souls at death into his own blissful pre-
sence, and in the morning of the resurrec-
tion, even these vile bodies, which must soon
become the food of worms, shall be fashion-
ed like unto his glorious body, according to
the working of that mighty power, where-
by he is able to subdue all things unto him-
self. Then shall be brought to pass the
saying that is written, Death is swallowed
up in victory. O death! where is thy
sting? O grave! where is thy victory?
The sting of death is sin; and the strength
S
1
138
SER. 5.
THE GOSPEL
of sin is the law. But thanks be to God,
which giveth us the victory through our
Lord Jesus Christ. I proceed now, as was
proposed,
II. To explain the extent of the invita-
tion, and particularly to shew the absolute
freeness with which the blessings of the gos-
pel are bestowed on all who are willing to
receive them.
The extent of the invitation is expressed
in these words, Whosoever will. This gives
encouragement to every returning sinner
who feels his need of mercy, and is willing
to receive the blessings of salvation, what-
ever his former character, or however great,
numerous, and highly aggravated his of
fences in the sight of God may have been.
None are excluded from partaking of the
blessings of salvation, but those who exclude
themselves. The water of life is freely be-
stowed on every one who is willing to re-
ceive it.
SER. 5.
139
INVITATION.
This is a precious, and most comfortable
truth. It is the glory of the Christian
scheme, the hope of sinners, and the song
of the Redeemed before the throne. It is
the uniform doctrine of the Scriptures, and
particularly conspicuous in every page of
the New Testament. It was frequently the
subject of our Lord's discourses. He taught,
that in point of acceptance with God, the
Jew and the Greek, the poor and the rich,
the decent and the profligate, are precisely
on the same footing. And because many
of the Jews, on account of their peculiar pri-
vileges, trusted in themselves that they were
righteous, and despised others, he said to
them in plain terms, (Matt. xxi. 31.) Verily
I say unto you, that the publicans and the
harlots go into the kingdom of heaven be-
fore you. On another occasion, he solemn-
ly assured them, that they shall come from
the east and from the west, and from the
north and from the south, and shall sit
down in the kingdom of God, while the
children of the kingdom are thrust out.
When he was in the house of Simon the
Pharisee, a woman that was a sinner came
2
140
SER. 5.
THE GOSPEL
into the house, and began to wash his feet
with her tears, and to wipe them with the
hairs of her head. Instead of reproving
her, or forbidding her approach, he kindly
encouraged and comforted her, by declar-
ing, that her sins, which were many, were
forgiven her; at the same time telling the
proud Pharisee, that because much had been
forgiven her, therefore she loved much.
So remarkable was this conduct of our bless-
ed Lord, that his enemies called him, by
way of reproach, The Friend of publicans
and sinners. Nor did the merciful Saviour
disdain the appellation: They that are
whole, he said, need not a physician, but
they that are sick. I came not to call the
righteous, but sinners to repentance.
How often do we find him, in the course
of his public ministry, inviting sinners of e-
very description to come to him for the
blessings of salvation. Come unto me, all
ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I
will give you rest. If any man thirst, let
him come unto me and drink. And, for the
encouragement of all, he declares, that none
SER. 5.
141
INVITATION.
who come to him shall be rejected. Him
that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast
out. "In no wise,❞—that is, on no account
whatever, be his sins ever so numerous, or
his guilt ever so aggravated. Nay, we find
him complaining, with the tenderest pity,
of the unwillingness of sinners to come to
him. Ye will not come to me, he said, that
ye might have life. O Jerusalem, Jerusa-
lem! thou that killest the prophets, and
stonest them which are sent unto thee, how
often would I have gathered thy children
together, even as a hen gathereth her chic-
kens under her wings, and ye would not.
To crown the whole, such was the compas-
sion of our great and gracious Redeemer,
that he laid down his life upon a cross, as
a ransom for many; declaring with his dy-
ing breath, It is finished; and displaying,
in the midst of the greatest sufferings, the
boundless extent of his grace, by extending
mercy to a penitent thief who was crucified
along with him, and praying for his very
murderers in these astonishing words, Fa-
ther, forgive them, for they know not what
they do.
142
SER. 5.
THE GOSPEL
When our blessed Lord rose again from
the dead, he discovered still more plainly,
the nature of his kingdom, and the extent
of that salvation which he had procured by
his obedience unto death, by commission-
ing his apostles to teach and baptize all na-
tions, and to preach the gospel to every
creature. Accordingly, we find the apostles,
after the ascension of their Lord, and the
pouring out of the Holy Spirit on the day
of Pentecost, publishing the glad tidings of
salvation in the name of a crucified and ris-
en Saviour; and declaring to all who heard
them, that they who believe in his name,
are justified from all things, and shall never
come into condemnation.
Every one who is tolerably acquainted with
the writings of the apostles, particularly with
the epistles of Paul, and who reads them
with any degree of candour, and freedom
from prejudice, must be sensible, that the
doctrine which the apostles taught, was, like
that of their great Master, the doctrine of
free grace.
How fully and clearly does
Paul, the great apostle of the Gentiles, vin
ser. 5.
143
INVITATION.
dicate and explain this doctrine in his epis-
tles to the Romans and Galatians, as well as
in other parts of his writings. He there
lays it down as a certain and undeniable
truth, that all have sinned and come short.
of the glory of God; that, in consequence
of this, the whole world is become guilty
before God; so that there is none righte-
ous, no not one. From which he draws
this evident conclusion, that by the deeds of
the law, that is, by our own works or per-
formances of any kind, no flesh living can
be justified in the sight of God. Having
thus shut up all hope from a any other quar-
ter, the apostle proceeds to unfold the
pel method of salvation, in all its
grace and
glory, its fulness and freeness. He declares,
that the righteousness of God, which is by
faith of Jesus Christ, is unto all, and upon
all them that believe; for there is no dif-
ference, being justified freely by his grace,
through the redemption that is in Jesus
Christ. To him that worketh, is the re-
ward not reckoned of grace, but of debt;
but to him that worketh not, but believeth
on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith
gos-
144
SER. 5.
THE GOSPEL
is counted for righteousness. And again,
Therefore it is of faith that it might be by
grace. If there had been a law which
could have given life, verily righteousness
should have been by the law. But the
scripture hath concluded all under sin, that
the promise, by faith of Jesus, might be
given to them that believe.
the an-
This is the doctrine of free grace,
cient apostolic gospel, which excludes all
boasting, denies
any merit or worthiness to
the creature, and ascribes the whole of our
salvation, from first to last, to the sovereign
mercy of God, and the all-perfect redemp-
tion of Jesus Christ. Here a sure and broad
foundation is laid for the sinner's hope, suit-
ed to every case, and able to support in the
utmost extremity. All are invited to par-
take of blessings, to which none have any
superior claim above their fellow-sinners;
and all who receive them, receive them in
the same way, without money, and without
price.
SER. 5.
145
INVITATION.
Nor is there any danger that this doc-
trine, so reviving to the mind of the awak-
ened sinner, should prove unfriendly to the
interests of morality, by opening a wide
door to licentiousness. The apostle foresaw
this objection, and has answered it; What
then, says he, shall we continue in sin that
grace may abound? God forbid! How
shall we that are dead to sin live any long-
er therein? The doctrine of grace may be
abused by those who do not rightly under-
stand its nature or feel its influence; but
when properly understood, and cordially be-
lieved, it will not fail to produce the fruits
of universal holiness. Good works, though
they are neither the cause, nor the condi-
tion of our acceptance with God, are the
necessary fruits and effects of it. Salvation
is freely bestowed by the grace of God,
through the redemption that is in Jesus
Christ; but this salvation, it ought to be re-
membered, includes in it deliverance from
sin, as well as from punishment; and a dis-
position to obey the will of God, as well as
a title to future happiness. To conceal,
then, or to limit the freeness of the gospel
T
•
146
SER. 5.
THE GOSPEL
+
offer, from fear of the abuse that may be
made of it, is presuming to be wiser than
God. It is unfaithfulness to his testimony,
to join any thing whatever with the righte-
ousness of Christ, as the ground of a sin-
ner's justification before God. And it is
cruelty to the souls of men, to withhold from
their view the unsearchable riches of Christ,
and the boundless extent of his grace. For
this is a faithful saying, and worthy of all
acceptation, that Jesus Christ came into the
world to save even the chief of sinners.
I conclude all that hath now been
said, with a full and explicit declaration
of the freeness of this salvation which
the gospel reveals. The Spirit and the
Bride say, Come; and let him that heareth
say, Come; and let him that is athirst come.
Hearken, ye stout hearted and rebellious,
that are far from righteousness;—hearken,
ye aged sinners, and ye young ;-hearken,
ye proud self-righteous Pharisees, who are
vainly compassing yourselves about with
sparks of
your own kindling; and, ye o-
pen, daring trangressors, who are proclaim-
SER. 5.
147
INVITATION.
ing your sins as Sodom, and your wicked-
ness as Gomorrha-unto you is the word of
this salvation sent to every one of you
without exception, of every name, character,
and description. Whosoever will, let him
take of the water of life freely. There is
salvation in Christ for all, for the very chief
of sinners, and there is salvation in none o-
ther. He that believeth shall be saved; but
he that believeth not shall be damned. Sub-
mit then to the righteousness of God. Be-
lieve his threatenings. Believe his promises.
Take sanctuary from the wrath to come un-
der the covert of the Redeemer's wings.
And ye, beloved, who know the grace of
God, building up yourselves in your most
holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
keep yourselves in the love of God, looking
for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unz
to eternal life. Amen.
2
SERMON VI.
CHRISTIAN BENEVOLENCE,
RECOMMENDED AND ENFORCED BY THE
EXAMPLE OF CHRIST
MATT. ix. 13.
But
go ye
and learn what that meaneth, I
will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for
I am not come to call the righteous, but
sinners to repentance.
CHRISTIANITY is a system of the most
perfect benevolence. As it originated in
the pure unmerited love of God, and was
established in the world, with the brightest
possible display of divine mercy and grace;
* Preached before the Edinburgh Philanthropic So-
ciety, January 11. 1798.
SER. 6.
149
CHRISTIAN, &c.
:
so it inspires all those who become partak-
ers of its blessings with a portion of the
same spirit. Peace on earth, and good-will
to men, mark its progress wherever its ge-
nuine influence is felt. By means of Chri-
stianity the sphere of human beneficence is
greatly enlarged. The gospel teaches us to
consider every man as our neighbour: It
breaks down the partition walls which pas-
sion and prejudice have reared betwixt man
and man: It inculcates love to all, even to
our very enemies; commanding and inclin-
ing us to bless them that curse us, to do
good to them that hate us, and to pray for
them which despitefully use, and persecute
us. Nor are the exertions of Christian be-
nevolence confined only to the bodily wants,
or to the temporal interests of mankind.
The man who is actuated by its godlike spi-
rit, aims at something higher; and, sensi-
ble how vastly superior the concerns of the
soul, and the interests of eternity are to the
things which relate only to a present life, his
chief attention is employed about the means
of promoting the spiritual benefit, and eter-
pal salvation of his fellow-creatures. In
150
SER. 6.
CHRISTIAN
this generous design, the distinctions of
rank, of party, and even of character, are
overlooked. None, however poor, or aban-
doned, or despised by the world, are exclud-
ed from the Christian's compassion, or
deemed unworthy of his benevolent regard;
on the contrary, the more wretched the cir-
cumstances of any of his fellow-creatures
appear, the greater is their claim, in his o-
pinion, to the exertions of Christian bene-
volence; and, while he feels the most settled
hatred and detestation of sin, he cannot but
at the same time mourn over and pity the
sinner,
Such is the nature of true Christian be-
nevolence; such the mercy recommended
in the text, and enforced by no less an ex-
ample than that of Christ himself. The oc-
casion upon which our Lord spoke these
words we learn from the ninth verse of this
chapter: And as Jesus passed forth from
thence, he saw a man named Matthew, sit-
ting at the receipt of custom; and he saith
unto him, Follow me : and he arose and fol-
howed him. Matthew was engaged in a
SER. 6.
151
BENEVOLENCE
profession reckoned most odious among the
Jews, and generally held by persons of the
worst character. He was a publican, or
tax-gatherer; that is, he exacted from his
countrymen the tribute imposed on them
by the Roman government, to which they
were at this time under subjection. As the
office itself was extremely unpopular among
the Jews, who submitted with great reluc-
tance to the Roman yoke, it was rendered
still more so by the fraud and extortion of
those who exercised it: yet, from among
this number, Christ selected one of his dis-
ciples, whom afterwards he appointed to the
office of apostle. And, as a farther proof
of his condescension, he sat down to eat
with a number of publicans and sinners,
whom Matthew had probably invited to
his house, that they, as well as himself,
might enjoy the benefit of his divine instruc-
tions. This circumstance, as might have
been expected, gave offence to the Phari-
sees; who, pretending to more than ordi-
nary strictness in ceremonial observances,
and trusting in themselves that they were
righteous, despised others. With affected
152
SER. 6
CHRISTIAN
surprise, but with real scorn and contempt,
they inquire of the disciples of Jesus, Why
eateth your Master with publicans and sin-
ners? The reply which Christ made (for he
did not leave it to his disciples, who at this
time were but imperfectly acquainted with
the nature of his kingdom, to defend his
cause), while it expresses his adorable con-
descension, strongly marks the character of
his religion: But when Jesus heard that, he
said, They that be whole need not a phy-
sician, but they that are sick. But go ye
and learn what that meaneth, I will have
mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not
come to call the righteous, but sinners to
repentance.
Standing in this place to plead the cause
of a poor and wretched class of fellow-crea-
tures, who are in general considered as out-
casts of Society, I cannot conceive any sub-
ject better fitted to excite compassion, or
to remove prejudices from our minds, than
these memorable words of our blessed Lord,
spoken in pity to those whose characters
bear a strong resemblance to theirs. With
*
SER. 6.
153
BENEVOLENCE.
this object in view, I shall direct your at-
tention,
I. To the great pattern of Christian be-
nevolence which our Lord here proposes in
his own example, I am not come to call the
righteous, but sinners, to repentance.
II. To the influence which this considera-
tion ought to have, in leading us to shew
mercy to our fellow-sinners.
I. In entering upon this subject, it is pleas-
ing to remark the inseparable connection
which the wisdom of God hath established
betwixt the doctrines and duties of our ho-
ly religion. There is no doctrine of Chri-
stianity that has not a practical tendency;
nor is there any precept which is not enfor-
ced by evangelical motives. Our blessed
Lord, in recommending compassion to the
souls of men, proposes his own example;
and for this purpose declares the great end
of his coming into the world, which was not
to call the righteous, but sinners, to repent-
ance.
ए
154
SER. 6.
CHRISTIAN
Two things naturally present themselves
to our minds in reading these words: 1. The
character of the persons whom Christ came
to save; and, 2. His gracious design in
coming to save them.
1. The character of the persons whom
Christ came to save-not the righteous, but
sinners.
To those who have been accustomed to
consider the gospel as a mere system of
morals, enforced by the sanction of rewards
and punishments, and designed barely to
regulate and reform the outward manners of
mankind, such a view as is here given of our
state and character in the sight of God, may
appear strange. If, as some suppose, we
were only feeble and imperfect creatures,
standing in need, it is true, of divine direc-
tion and assistance, but possessed of powers
for the performance of our duty, which on-
ly require cultivation; and apt to deviate
from the paths of virtue, not so much from
a perverse disposition of mind, as from a
weakness of nature inseparable from humani-
SER. 6.
155
BENEVOLENCE.
ty—if such, I say, were our character and
circumstances, it is not easy to conceive for
what purpose
the Son of God should have
come down from heaven to earth, led a life
of pain and poverty, reproach and persecu-
tion, and at last submitted to the death of
the cross.
None of the works of God are
in vain. In the various productions of na-
ture, and in the extensive operations of pro-
vidence, we perceive evident marks of the
most consummate wisdom and design. And
can we suppose, that the greatest of all the
works of God, in which he hath abounded
towards us, in all wisdom and prudence,
should not have an object in view suited to
its grandeur and importance? No; it can-
not be. If there had been a law which
could have given life, verily righteousness
should have been by the law. Had not the
condition of man, as a fallen creature, been
as completely helpless as it is miserable, so
as to render it impossible for him to recover
the lost favour and image of his Maker by
any merit or power of his own; we may be
bold to say, those astonishing means would
not have been employed which are now ma-
2
156
SER. 6.
CHRISTIAN
nifested in the redemption of the world by
Jesus Christ.
But instead of the self-flattering views
which the pretended sons of wisdom give of
the dignity of human nature, and of the all-
sufficient powers of man, the Scripture hath
concluded all under sin, that the promise,
by faith of Jesus Christ, might be given to
them that believe. The whole world is be-
come guilty before God; for all have sin-
ned and come short of the glory of God.
They are all gone out of the way; they are
together become unprofitable; there is none
righteous, no, not one. In conformity to
these declarations, which perfectly accord
with universal experience and observation,
we are told by Christ himself, that the Son
of man is come to seek and to save that
which was lost. And his apostles testify,
that when we were yet without strength, in
due time Christ died for the ungodly; that
he suffered the just for the unjust, to bring
us to God; and was made sin for us who
knew no sin, that we might be made the
righteousness of God in him. Thus all
SER. 6.
157
BENEVOLENCE.
boasting is excluded; every mouth is stop-
ped; the proud distinctions upon which
men are apt to value themselves are levelled
to the ground; the decent and the profli-
gate stand upon a footing in point of accep-
tance with God; The same Lord over all,
appears rich in mercy unto all that call up-
on him; being justified freely by his grace,
through the redemption that is in Jesus
Christ.
Nothing is easier than to acknowledge in
words that we are sinners in the sight of
God. Many who make this acknowledg-
ment, too plainly discover that they know
not what they say, nor whereof they affirm.
They confess themselves sinners, but their
hearts are unbroken on account of sin. They
seem to have no abiding conviction of its e-
vil nature or dangerous consequences; and
would highly resent it as an unpardonable
affront, if faithfully told what is virtually
implied in their own acknowledgment. They
confess themselves sinners; but, at the same
time, they thank God they are not as other
men. They have never been guilty of gross
158
SER. 6.
CHRISTIAN
immoralities; their characters have always
been respectable in the eyes of the world;
they have, upon the whole, been punctual
in their attendance upon the ordinances of
religion; nor have they ever been charged,
with any flagrant violation of the duties be-
longing to their several stations and rela-
tions in society.So far it is well. Such
characters are worthy of esteem; they may
be valuable members of society, and in
many respects, useful to their fellow-crea-
tures; but still remember, one thing is lack-
ing, without which the most admired ac-
complishments, and boasted virtues, are of
no avail in the sight of God. Jesus Christ
came not to call the righteous,—that is,
those who are so in their own estimation,-
but sinners to repentance: and unless you
have a deep conviction that
you are indeed
sinners, guilty, condemned criminals, and
vile polluted creatures, in the eyes of your
great Judge, you have neither part nor lot
in the blessings of Christ's salvation.
To promote this conviction, so needful
and so salutary, let me entreat you, my
SER. 6.
159
BENEVOLENCE.
Brethren, instead of taking your rule of
judging from the maxims and manners of
the world around you, to bring your actions,
and the principles and motives from which
they proceed, to the standard of God's pure
and holy law; which, being founded in the
nature and perfections of God, must con-
tinue unchangeable. So long as you mea-
sure yourselves by others like yourselves,
and compare your conduct with that of the
great bulk of mankind, it is certain
you must
err in the judgment you form of your own
characters. The fondness and partiality
which every one feels for himself, will al-
ways furnish some ground for self-compla-
cency: But place yourselves as in the pre-
sence of God; recollect his spotless purity,
and the awful scrutiny which every part of
your conduct shall one day undergo by
Him, who is the great searcher of hearts,
and knoweth all things.-In making this
solemn review, you will find that the com-
mandments of God are exceeding broad,
reaching not only to the outward conduct,
but to the inward thoughts and dispositions
of the heart; so that those very actions of
160
SER. 6.
CHRISTIAN
your lives, which have been most highly e-
steemed among men, when weighed in the
balances of the sanctuary, will be found
wanting. Conscious of guilt, covered with
shame, and stripped of every self-righteous
plea; if your eyes are indeed opened, in-
stead of the boasting language of the Pha-
risee, you will be disposed to cry with the
Publican, God be merciful to me a sinner !
You will join with the prophet in acknow-
ledging, we are all before thee as an un-
clean thing, and all our righteousnesses are
as filthy rags; and pray with the Psalmist,
Enter not into judgment with thy servant,
O God; for in thy sight can no flesh liv-
ing be justified.
Such then is the character of the persons
whom Christ came to save.
2. His design in coming into the world,
is to bring such to repentance.
To call sinners to repentance! what a
noble and glorious design! how worthy of
the Son of God! and how admirably adapt-
*
SER. 6.
161
BENEVOLENCE.
ed to our circumstances, as guilty, deprav-
ed, and ruined creatures! To raise the poor
out of the dust, and to lift the needy from
the dung-hill, to set them with princes, even
with the princes of his people; to restore
immortal creatures, formed originally after
the image, and designed for the service and
glory of their Creator; endowed with powers
and capacities which assimilate them to an-
gels, the highest orders of intelligent beings;
but fallen from their primitive dignity, lost
to every thing excellent and praise-worthy,
and sunk, by low earthly pursuits, to a level
with the brutes that perish-to restore such,
I say, to their original glory and felicity, to
bring them back to the favour and enjoy-
ment of their Maker, to inspire their souls
with the love of God and of goodness, to
render them happy in their own minds, and
blessings to all around them; and, finally,
to prepare them for higher services, and
nobler enjoyments in the heavenly world,
where sin, and all the effects of it shall be
for ever done away-these are the great and
glorious objects which the gospel proposes;
and these objects it never fails to accom-
X
162
SER. 6.
CHRISTIAN
plish in all those who are brought under its
influence.
To call sinners to repentance, is here said
to be the great design of Christ's coming in-
to the world; because repentance is the first
step of the sinner's recovery to God; ex-
pressing in general, that blessed change
which takes place in his mind, when, de-
livered from the power of darkness, he is
translated into the kingdom of God's dear
Son. Genuine repentance is always accom-
panied with a living faith in the gospel. It
naturally flows from it, and is maintained
and cherished in the soul by those awful,
yet pleasing discoveries of the character of
God which the gospel exhibits. Looking
on him whom we have pierced by our trans-
gressions, we learn, not only to mourn, but
to hate and forsake those sins, to atone for
the guilt of which, the Lord of life and glo-
ry suffered and died.
Such, in general is the nature of true re-
pentance of that repentance which Jesus
is exalted as a Prince and Saviour to be-
SER. 6.
163
BENEVOLENCE.
stow. The effects produced by it are such
as evidently prove it to be the work of God.
The man who before was a slave to divers
lusts and pleasures, carried into every kind
of wickedness by his own headstrong and
unruly passions, and led captive by the de-
vil at his will, is now brought into the glo-
rious liberty of the children of God. Being
made free by the Son of God, he is free in-
deed. Before this time, perhaps, he fre-
quently attempted to break the chains in
which he was bound. Tasting the bitter-
ness of iniquity, perceiving the ruinous ef
fects of indulged vicious habits on his health,
his fortune, or his character, he often re-
solved that he would no longer pursue the
paths which lead down to the chambers of
death. But, alas! the force of temptation
soon overpowered the strength of his resolu-
tions. Now, however, a most astonishing
change is felt. What all the wit and wis-
dom of man, the rules of philosophy, the
lessons of morality, and his own most vigo-
rous purposes and endeavours never could
effect, the power of the
of the gospel has accom-
plished. It has subdued the most invete
2
164
SER. 6.
CHRISTIAN
+
;.
rate habits of sin, conquered the most un-
governable passions, and changed the very
picture of the devil into the lovely image of
God. Old things are passed away, and all
things are become new. The drunkard be-
comes sober, the unclean person chaste, the
profane swearer devout, the covetous man
liberal, and the proud self-righteous Phari-
see a humble believer in the grace of the
gospel. The power of sin is destroyed; its
dominion in the soul is overthrown; and
the true penitent begins to hate those things
which formerly he loved, and to love and
delight in those things which before were
the objects of his strongest aversion.
The call to repentance is addressed to
sinners universally, without exception; for
God hath commanded all men every where
to repent. The most moral, respectable,
and amiable of mankind, cannot be saved
without it; and the most guilty, worthless,
and abandoned of our fellow-creatures, will
not be rejected if truly possessed of it.
Know ye not, says the apostle, (1 Cor. vi.
9-11.) that the unrighteous shall not in-
;
SER. 6.
165
BENEVOLENCE.
herit the kingdom of God. Be not deceiv
ed; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor
adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of
themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor
covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor
extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of
God. Persons of the characters here de-
scribed, who live and die impenitent, are e-
vidently excluded from any inheritance in
the kingdom of Christ and of God. But
the apostle adds, And such WERE some of
you; but ye are washed, but ye are sancti-
fied, but ye are justified, in the name of the
Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
The scripture abounds with instances of
some of the greatest sinners who have ob-
tained mercy. At present I shall select two,
which appear peculiarly well suited to the
occasion of our meeting. The first is the
instance of Zaccheus, who, from a rapacious
publican, became a genuine disciple of
Christ. This man, it should seem, from
mere motives of curiosity, climbed up into
a sycamore tree to see Jesus, who was to
pass that way. Judge how great his sur-
prise must have been, when Jesus coming to
166
SER. 6.
CHRISTIAN
the place where he was, looked up, and like
one who had long been acquainted with
him, addressed him in these words: Zacche-
us, make haste and come down; for to-day
I must abide at thy house. The word of
Christ was accompanied with power; for at
once Zaccheus obeyed the Saviour's call, and
received him joyfully, not only into his
house, but his heart. And as an evidence
of the happy change which divine grace had
wrought in the disposition of his mind, he
declares, Behold, Lord, the half of my
goods I give to the poor; and if I have ta-
ken any thing from any man by false accu-
sation, I restore him fourfold. The other
instance of the Saviour's power and grace,
not less remarkable than the former, is
that of the woman which was a sinner,
who came with an alabaster box of oint-
ment into the house of one Simon a Phari-
see, where Jesus sat at meat, and began to
wash his feet with her tears, and to wipe
them with the hairs of her head, and to a-
noint them with the ointment. Simon, per-
ceiving this, wondered how our Lord could
allow a woman which was a sinner, that is,
SER. 6.
167
BENEVOLENCE.
one who had formerly been of a notorious-
ly bad character, to approach him. But
instead of treating this poor weeping peni-
tent with cruel disdain ; instead of thrusting
her away from his presence as unworthy of
his regard, saying, Stand by, for I am ho-
lier than thou,the compassionate Redeem-
er vindicates her cause, reproves the self-
righteous Pharisee, relieves her anxious mind
with the gracious assurances of pardon ; and
declares, that because much had been for-
given her, therefore she loved much.
Here let it be observed, how vastly they
mistake the nature of the doctrine of grace,
and misrepresent its genuine tendency, who
consider it as injurious to the interests of
morality. Did the gospel indeed give any
encouragement to sinners continuing in sin,
and determined to hold fast their trans-
gressions; did it flatter them with the hopes
of impunity in a course of iniquity; or lead
them to expect the enjoyment of future
happiness in the neglect of that holiness,
without which, no man shall see the Lord-
then the charge would be just, and to preach
168
SER. 6.
CHRISTIAN
the doctrine of free grace and justification
by faith alone, would be not only dangerous
to Society, but ruinous to the souls of men.
But is not the very reverse of all this the
truth? Is it not the professed design of the
gospel to call sinners to repentance? Has
not God the Father, having raised up his
Son Jesus, sent him to bless us, by turning
away every one of us from his iniquities?
And does not the grace of God, which
bringeth salvation, teach men, that, deny
ing ungodliness and worldly lusts, they
should live soberly, righteously, and godly
in the world? The gospel, it is true, gives
encouragement to the greatest sinners:
But what kind of encouragement? Does it
encourage to sin, because grace abounds;
or afford the least ground to hope, that at
any future period by confessing our sins,
and imploring mercy in the name of Christ,
we may obtain pardon? No. On the con-
trary, it strongly urges the danger of delay,
and removes the chief ground of presump-
tion, by assuring us, that repentance is not
in our own power, but the gift of God. It
reveals the pardoning love of God as an en-
13
SER. 6.
169
BENEVOLENCE.
couragement to instant, speedy, immediate
repentance. The language of the gospel is,
Behold, now is the accepted time; behold,
now is the day of salvation. Seek ye the
Lord while he may be found, call ye upon
Let the wicked for-
him while he is near.
sake his way, and the unrighteous man his
thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord,
and he will have mercy upon him; and to
our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
Having thus endeavoured to illustrate the
great pattern of Christian benevolence ex-
hibited by Christ himself, who came not to
call the righteous, but sinners to repent-
ance, I come now, as was proposed,
II. To point out the influence which this
consideration ought to have in leading us to
shew mercy to our fellow sinners.
But go ye and learn what that meaneth,
I will have mercy, and not sacrifice. In
these words, our Lord refers to a passage
in the prophecies of Hosea, (chap. vi. 6.) For
I desired mercy, and not sacrifice: to
Y
170
SER. 6.
CHRISTIAN
which allusion is made more than once in
the New Testament. The meaning of the
words, in connection with the passage be-
fore us, is plainly this, that mercy to the
souls of men is far more acceptable and
pleasing to God, than the strictest regard to
mere outward observances, where the Spi-
rit of true religion is wanting. In all
In all ages
men have been exceedingly prone to sub-
stitute the form, in place of the power of
godliness, by a rigorous adherence to the
mere external parts of worship, or even
sometimes to their own vain traditions;
while they have omitted the weightier mat-
ters of the law, judgment, mercy, and
faith. Such would do well to consider the
meaning of this scripture, and, in general,
the end of the commandment; which is,
charity, out of a pure heart, and of a good
conscience, and of faith unfeigned.
Upon this part of the subject a variety
of considerations press upon our minds.
But not to fatigue your attention, I shall on-
ly mention the two following:
SER. 6.
171
BENEVOLENCE.
1. Our Lord Jesus Christ, by coming in-
to the world to call sinners to repentance,
hath taught us the unspeakable value of the
souls of men. Surely those souls, to redeem
which the Son of God became an inhabi-
tant of our guilty world, and submitted to
the most awful and excruciating sufferings,
must be infinitely precious in the sight of
God. If we estimate the value of any thing
from the regard that is paid to it by wise
and capable judges, what shall we think of
the value of a single immortal soul, ransom-
ed at such a price, and saved from everlast-
ing destruction, by such a variety of asto-
nishing means? Well might the great
Preacher of righteousness say, What shall
it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole
world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a
man give in exchange for his soul? Suppose
a man possessed of the whole world, of all its
honours, riches, and pleasures; yet what a
poor compensation were these for the loss
of an immortal soul! "The eternal salva-
"tion of one soul," says an excellent author,
"is of greater importance than the temporal
“salvation of a whole kingdom or empire for
2
172
SER. 6.
CHRISTIAN
"ten thousand ages, or indeed for any given
"duration of time; because there will come
66
up a point in eternity, when that one soul
"will have existed as many ages as all the
“individuals of a kingdom, ranged in close
"succession, will altogether have existed at
"that given period. Therefore one soul is
66
capable of a larger share of happiness or
"misery, to an endless duration, than all
"the inhabitants of a whole kingdom are
66
capable of in ten thousand ages."-Shall
we not then, Brethren, in the different sta-
tions in which providence hath placed us,
account it our highest honour and privilege
to be workers together with God, in promot-
ing the salvation of immortal souls? espe-
cially when I add,
2. That our Lord Jesus Christ, by his
example, as well as doctrine, hath taught us,
that none of our fellow-sinners are beyond
the reach of mercy. The gracious Redeem-
er, as we have had occasion to observe, was
not ashamed to be called the Friend of
publicans and sinners. While he boldly
reproved vice of every kind, and, in his own
SER. 6.
173
BENEVOLENCE.
character, was holy, harmless, undefiled,
and separate from sinners, he scrupled not
to converse with persons of every descrip-
tion, with a view to their instruction and re-
formation, that he might reclaim sinners
from the error of their way, and turn the
disobedient to the wisdom of the just. In
this, as in other respects, he hath left us an
example that we should follow his steps.
He hath taught us not to overlook or de-
spise any of our fellow-sinners, however far
they may have erred from the right path;
but, while we hold their crimes in just
abhorrence, and keep at a distance from
their abominable practices, to shew pity to
their souls, by employing all the means in
our power to lead them to repentance, that
they may recover themselves out of the
snare of the devil, who are taken captive by
him at his will.
Upon these principles, and with these
great and important objects in view, the
PHILANTHROPIC SOCIETY of Edinburgh
has been formed; at whose request I now
address you. It took its rise from the pious
174
SÈR. 6.
CHRISTIAN
and successful endeavours of a few indivi-
duals, to recover, from their wretched course
of life, some of the convicts in bridewell, who
seemed not altogether indisposed to listen
to instruction. The good effects attending
these endeavours, suggested the idea of in-
stituting a Society, for the purpose of in-
structing, and attempting to reclaim the
criminal and profligate, wherever there
might appear any reasonable prospect of
effecting this salutary object; and this sug-
gestion, dictated by true Christian benevo-
lence, meeting with every possible counte-
nance and encouragement from the Honour-
able Magistrates of this city, and others of
the most respectable character, led to the
adoption of those measures which have been
already laid before the Public.
It is not my intention at present, to enter
into a detail of the wretched circumstances
of that miserable class of our fellow-crea-
tures, for whose benefit this Society has been
instituted. Alas! their condition is too
well known to stand in need of any descrip-
tion; nor, supposing it needful, would such
SER. 6.
175
BENEVOLENCE.
a description be in all respects proper from
this place. Suffer me only to observe, that
the alarming progress of vice and profligacy
in this city, has, of late years, greatly en-
creased the number of those unhappy crea-
tures, who, sunk in sin, and lost to shame,
infest our streets. To check, in some mea-
sure, this growing evil, it has been found
necessary, within this short time, to erect a
Bridewell, where criminals of different de-
scriptions are adjudged to labour and con-
finement; the happy effects of which, in
promoting the
peace and good order of the
community, are doubtless considerable.
But still something was wanting to give this
wise and salutary institution its full effect.
Among the criminals brought into this si-
tuation, there are some not so hardened in
vice as others, who have been so far influ-
enced, by the discipline and instruction re-
ceived during their confinement, as to ex-
press an earnest wish to leave off their vi-
cious practices, were the least encourage-
ment given, or any means provided, that
might enable them to procure, after their
liberation, proper protection, or a decent
176
SER. 6.
CHRISTIAN
livelihood. But to what hand can they
look for such encouragement or protection?
Abandoned by the reputable part of Socie-
ty, unpitied by their cruel seducers, who
have been the chief instruments of their
ruin; the objects of general disgust and a-
version, without a single friend or guardian,
and surrounded only by their former com-
panions in vice-what is to be expected,
but that they will return to their former
profligate courses, and become twofold more
the children of hell than they were before?
A small degree of attention to these cir
cumstances, must, I think, convince every
feeling and unprejudiced mind, not only of
the utility, but absolute necessity of such
an institution as the PHILANTHROPIC SO
CIETY, where an asylum is provided for
such of those poor forlorn fellow-creatures as,
having forsaken the guide of their youth,
and forgotten the covenant of their God, are
convinced of the evil of their ways, and
sincerely desirous to return to the paths of
religion and virtue. In the prosecution of
this benevolent design, the Society, though
SER. 6.
177
BENEVOLENCE.
still in its infancy, have reason to hope their
endeavours have already been blest with
success. In the house which they lately
procured for the greater convenience of su-
perintending those under their charge, there
are at present seven, and it is expected that
a few more will soon be admitted. Two,
under the protection of the Society, are now
in service, and doing well: other applica-
tions for this purpose have been made; but
the directors judge it expedient to refuse
such applications till they have had an op-
portunity of making full proof of their sin-
cerity, and can with confidence recommend
them to families. It is almost unnecessary
to say, that the strictest attention is paid
by the Society, to the health, morals, and
proper behaviour of those immediately un-
der their care. Above all, it is their chief
object to inform their minds, by instructing
them in the great principles and duties of
the Christian religion, from a full and deep
persuasion that many of them are destroy-
ed for lack of knowledge; and that it is
the gospel of Jesus Christ alone, understood
and felt in its genuine influence, that can
7
178
SER. 6.
CHRISTIAN
4
effectually cure the depravity of the human
heart, or lay a foundation for good conduct
in the various stations and relations of life.
It is enough, I hope, simply to have stat-
ed these facts. With the wise and discern-
ing, they will plead more strongly than the
most laboured address to the feelings. Let
me only add, that, without the immediate
and liberal aid of the Public, the benevo-
lent designs of the Society must fall to the
ground. Hitherto, on account of the scan-
tiness of their funds, they have been obli-
ged to act upon a very limited scale; but
by the assistance of the friends of religion
and humanity, with the blessing of God,
they fondly flatter themselves, they will soon
be enabled to extend their labours; and
that, to meet with general countenance and
approbation, the object of the PHILAN-
THROPIC SOCIETY only needs to be known.
Even in a political point of view, the ob-
ject of this Society is of no small import-
ance. If their exertions should produce no
other effect, it must be allowed, at least,
SÉR. 6.
179
BENEVOLENCE.
that their tendency is highly conducive to
the welfare of the community, and the tem-
poral happiness of individuals. At all times,
but especially in such times as the present,
when increasing impiety and profligacy,
threaten the dissolution of all establish-
ed order, to lessen the number of pub-
lic pests and nuisances, and to restore
them as valuable members to society, is
surely doing a most essential service to the
state, and must meet with the countenance
and support of every man who wishes well
to his country.
But this, it is to be hoped, will not be all
the fruit of their labours. There is a con-
sideration of infinitely higher moment, which
will be felt by those who are actuated by
the spirit of true Christian benevolence.
Jesus Christ, who came into the world, not
to call the righteous, but sinners to repent-
ance, and who went about doing good, hath
enjoined on his followers the exercise of
mercy to the souls of men; and taught us,
by his own example, the extent of this com-
passion. Here is the noblest field for exer-
2
180
SER. 6.
CHRISTIAN
tion; the most delightful service in which
any of the friends of Jesus can be employ-
ed. Christians, do we stand so much in
need of mercy from him whom we daily of
fend?and shall we refuse to shew the like
mercy to our fellow-sinners? Hath God, for
Christ's sake, forgiven us all our trespass-
es?—and shall not the love of Christ con-
strain us to shew pity to our brethren who
are perishing around us? Who maketh us to
differ from others? and what have we that
we have not received? and if we have re-
ceived it, why should we glory as if we had
not received it? Grace-free, sovereign,
unmerited grace, is the cause, and the only
cause of the difference betwixt one sinner
and another. And if, by the grace of God,
we are what we are, why should we des-
pair of any of our fellow-sinners? Why
should we limit the power and mercy of
the Holy One of Israel, or cease to employ
the most likely means for bringing the stout
hearted and rebellious, who are far from
righteousness, to the belief and obedience
of the truth, that they may be as brands
plucked out of the fire? Great are the
SER. 6.
181
BENEVOLENCE.
compassions of our heavenly Father; won-
derful the patience and grace of our loving
Redeemer! Wherefore, my beloved Breth-
ren, be
ye followers of God, as dear chil-
dren; be merciful, as your Father also is
merciful; devise liberal things, and let the
blessing of them that are ready to perish
come upon you.
And you, my respected Friends, who are
more immediately engaged in this labour
of love, continue your exertions with unre-
mitting diligence and alacrity: cry mighti-
ly to God for the influences of his Spirit to
accompany all your endeavours; nor be dis-
couraged though you should meet with dis-
appointment, and find reason to change your
opinion of many of those, concerning whom
you may have once entertained good hope.
Such disappointments are by no means un-
common: Remember the work is the Lord's,
and not yours; for though Paul may plant,
and Apollos water, it is God that giveth
the increase. If your exertions fail in some
instances, they may succeed in others; and
the salvation of one soul (if but one), how-
182
SER. 6.
CHRISTIAN
ever little it may be considered in the eyes
of the world, will be found at last an abun-
dant recompence for the labours of a life-
time; for he which converteth a sinner from
the error of his way, shall save a soul from
death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.
$
SERMON VII
ON
JUSTIFICATION.
PHIL. iii. 9.
And be found in him, not having mine
own righteousness, which is of the law,
but that which is through the faith
of Christ, the righteousness which is of
God by faith.
THE Apostle Paul, the author of this e-
pistle, was, in many respects, a remarkable
instance of the power of converting grace.
His views, his sentiments, his dispositions,
were so entirely changed, that it might just-
ly be said of him, after his conversion, that
he became a new man. Before this period,
>
184
SER. 7.
JUSTIFICATION.
he was a Pharisee of distinguished emi-
nence. He was brought up at the feet of
Gamaliel, and taught according to the per-
fect manner of the law of the fathers. And
not only did he enjoy every religious privi-
lege peculiar to a Jew, but his conduct, so
far as it came under the observation of his
fellow-creatures, was blameless and unex-
ceptionable. If any other man, says he,
(ver. 4-6.) thinketh he hath whereof he
might trust in the flesh, I more. Circum-
cised the eight day-of the stock of Israel
-of the tribe of Benjamin-an Hebrew of
the Hebrews-as touching the law, a Pha-
risee-concerning zeal, persecuting the
church-touching the righteousness which
is in the law, blameless.
Such was the character of Paul before his
conversion; a character, some may think,
which could not fail to be well-pleasing in
the sight of God. But attend more narrowly
to the account we have given of it, and you
will perceive a most essential defect. With
all his boasted privileges and attainments, he
was labouring to establish a righteousness
*
SER. 7.
185
JUSTIFICATION.
of his own, not submitting to the righte
ousness of God. He was a stranger to the
purity and spirituality of the divine law,
and therefore unacquainted with the deceit-
fulness and desperate wickedness of his own
heart. I was alive without the law once,
says he, but when the commandment came,
when it was brought home to my con-
science in all its power and spirituality, sin,
which before lay undiscovered, revived, and
as to all hope of acceptance with God, on
account of my own personal righteousness,
I died. Hence he adds in the context,
that what things were counted gain to him,
those he counted loss for Christ, (ver. 7.)
The religious privileges which he had en-
joyed were valuable in themselves, the obe-
dience which he had performed to the law
of God, so far as it went, might be sincere,
and worthy of commendation from men, but
when his mind was enlightened in the know-
ledge of the gospel, he was convinced of the
utter insufficiency of either of these, to re-
commend him in the sight of God: and
therefore, in this view, and in competition
with Christ and his perfect righteousness,
A
A A
186
SER. 7.
JUSTIFICATION.
he esteemed them, not only unprofitable,
but injurious.
Nor was this all. Before his conversion,
he had lived according to the strictest sect
among the Jews, a Pharisee. In this state,
his obedience to the law of God, however
scrupulous, must have been very superficial,
and in many respects defective. But after
this period he became a distinguished pro-
ficient in all the branches of genuine holi-
ness. He laboured more abundantly than
the rest of the apostles, and for the sake of
Christ and the gospel, chearfully underwent
a variety of hardships and sufferings. But
were these labours and sufferings, in any
measure, the ground of his confidence in the
sight of God? No. He renounces them
as unworthy to share the honour with the
perfect righteousness of Christ, in which a-
lone he gloried as the foundation of all his
hopes. Yea, doubtless, says he, (ver. 8, 9.)
and I count all things but loss for the ex-
cellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus
my Lord; for whom I have suffered the
loss of all things, and do count them but
SER. 7.
187
JUSTIFICATION.
ए
dung, that I may win Christ; and be found
in him, not having mine own righteousness,
which is of the law, but that which is
through the faith of Christ, the righteous-
ness which is of God, by faith.
In discoursing on these words, I propose,
through divine assistance,
I. To prove the insufficiency of our own
righteousness to justify us in the sight of
God.
II. To explain what is meant by the righ-
teousness of faith, which the apostle oppos-
es to his own personal obedience. And,
III. To point out the perfection and suit-
ableness of this righteousness as the ground
of a sinner's justification before God.
I. I am to prove the insufficiency of our
own righteousness to justify us in the sight
of God.
2
188
SER. 7.
JUSTIFICATION.
h
This is what most people who profess to
take the scriptures for their guide will be
readily disposed to grant. But from the
manner in which the gospel is received, it
is evident, that many who seem to assent
to this proposition are far from understand-
ing it; or, at least, are not suitably im-
pressed with a sense of its truth and im-
portance. For is it possible, that one who
really believes the awful threatenings of
God against the transgressors of his law,
and who, at the same time, is persuaded
that this is his own character, could listen
to the offers of reconciliation held forth in
the gespel, with such coldness and indiffer-
ence? Think it not therefore unnecessary,
that I endeavour to prove this great and
fundamental truth, that by the deeds of the
law no flesh living shall be justified.
Before, however, proceeding to a direct
proof of this important point, it may
be ne-
cessary to premise the two following obser
vations:
SER. 7.
189
JUSTIFICATION.
1. That the law of God, which, as to the
substance of it, was delivered from Mount
Sinai in the ten commandments, was ori-
ginally given to man, not only as the rule
of his obedience, but likewise as the condi-
tion of life.
This is what is commonly called the co-
venant of works: and that there really sub-
sisted such a covenant with man in his state
of innocence, is plainly intimated in many
passages of scripture.
of scripture. Thus the apostle
Paul informs us, (Rom. vii. 10.) that the
commandment was ordained to life; the
meaning of which certainly is, that the
law of God, here called the commandment,
was originally designed to give life to man,
which it could do only when a perfect obe-
dience was given to its precepts. The same
truth is taken for granted in the assertion
of the apostle, Rom. viii. 3. What the law
could not do, in that it was weak through
the flesh, God sending his Son in the like-
ness of sinful flesh, and for sin condemned
sin in the flesh: Where, you will remark,
that the insufficiency of the law to confer
190
SER. 7.
JUSTIFICATION.
life upon fallen man, is wholly imputed to
the weakness of the flesh, that is, to the cor-
ruption of human nature, and our conse-
quent incapacity of obeying that law. From
which it plainly follows, that before this
weakness was introduced by the fall, man
might have secured the favour of God and
eternal life, by his obedience to the law.
2. Notwithstanding the change that has
taken place in the state of man, the law of
God still continues the same, and its de-
mands are as extensive now, as they were
during his continuance in a state of inno-
cence.
In proof of this, I have only to beg your
attention to this single consideration, which
few, it is presumed, will deny, that the law
of God is a transcript of his moral image.
This, therefore, being the case, if the per-
fections of God are unchangeable, his holy
law, which is founded in these perfections,
must be equally so. But to suppose, as
some have done, that the demands of the
divine law may be relaxed, and accommo-
SER. 7.
191
JUSTIFICATION.
dated to the weakness of human nature, is
totally repugnant to this idea. It repre
sents the Supreme Being as weak and in-
constant. It arraigns his wisdom, in giv-
ing such a law to his creatures as could af-
terwards be set aside. Nay, is it not con-
trary to the proper notion of his goodness?
for, if the law be holy, and just, and
good, to require from his creatures any
thing short of a perfect obedience, would
be as incompatible with the happiness of
the subject, as it is inconsistent with the
honour of the Lawgiver.
Having made these observations, I shall
now endeavour to prove the insufficiency
of our own righteousness to justify us in the
sight of God. This I shall do, not by any
laboured train of argument, but by a sim-
ple and direct appeal to conscience; repre-
senting, on the one hand, the extensive de-
mands of the divine law; and, on the other,
the manifold defects that attend our best
performances.
192
SER, 7.
JUSTIFICATION.
An obedience, then, commensurate with
the demands of the divine law, or, in other
words, a righteousness capable of justifying
us in the sight of God, must be spiritual,—–—–
universal, and perpetual. The first re-
spects its nature, the second its extent, the
last its duration.
1. The obedience which the law of God
requires must be spiritual in its nature.
This is evident from the very nature of
God, who is represented in scripture as
the Searcher of hearts, and as requiring
truth in the inward parts. In this respect
he differs from man, who can judge of o
thers only by the outward appearance.
Man looketh to the outward appearance,
but the Lord looketh on the heart. The
ław, therefore, which God hath given to his
creatures, can be satisfied with nothing less
than a spiritual obedience. It demands,
not only the outward expressions of vener
ation and gratitude, but likewise the inward
unconstrained homage of the heart. It for-
bids the actual commission of murder, and,
SER. 7:
193
JUSTIFICATION.
at the same time, the slightest indulgence
of malice or ill-will against our neighbour.
It requires, not only chastity of life, but pu-
rity of heart. It reaches the secret dispo-
sition of covetousness, as well as the open
violations of truth and justice. In a word,
it is designed to regulate the principles and
motives of our actions, as well as the ac-
tions themselves; and unless these princi-
ples and motives be such as the law of God
approves, oúr obedience falls short of that
perfection which is indispensibly necessary
to our acceptance with God.
You are just in your dealings with others,
that is, you with-hold from no man what
you esteem to be his due: but do you ne-
ver take advantage of the ignorance or
the necessities of your neighbours? Are you
as tender of hurting his reputation as of in-
juring his property? In short, do
you love
your neighbour as yourselves, and study to
do unto others in every respect, as you
would wish that they, in like circumstan-
ces, should do unto you. Again, you are
liberal to the poor, and ready, perhaps, to
B B
194
SER. 7:
JUSTIFICATION.
presume upon this account that you must
be in favour with God. But examine the
motives of your conduct. Is it not often a
love of praise, or, at best, an instinctive kind
of benevolence, and not a sacred regard to
the command of God, which moves you to
bestow
your charity? or, supposing that you
are actuated upon the whole by nobler prin-
ciples, yet is there not, at least, such a cor-
rupt mixture of these baser motives, as just-
ly contaminates your purest acts of benefi-
cence in the sight of God?
2. The obedience which the law of God
requires, must be universal. It must ex-
tend to every part of the law without excep-
tion. Whosoever shall keep the whole law,
says the apostle James, and yet offend in
one point, he is guilty of all*. The rea-
son is obvious. The same authority that
enjoined any one part, enjoined the whole;
and, therefore, to make any exception in
our obedience, is, in effect, to call in ques-
tion the authority or the wisdom of the
* James ii. 10, 11.
SER. 7.
195
JUSTIFICATION.
i
Lawgiver. For, as the apostle adds, He
that said, Do not commit adultery, said al-
so, Do not kill. Now, if thou commit no
adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become
a transgressor of the law. On this account,
it is not sufficient that we endeavour punc-
tually to discharge the duties which we owe
to our neighbour, if we withhold the love,
and obedience that are immediately due to
God. Nor, on the other hand, will that
obedience be acceptable in the sight of God,
which is confined entirely to acts of piety
and devotion, without an equal regard to the
second table of the law.
Your time will not permit me to illustrate
this part of the subject in all its branches,
and therefore I shall confine myself to one.
single, but comprehensive branch of duty;
which I do the rather, because, as it is of all
duties the most important, so likewise it is
the most generally neglected. You believe
that there is a God. You acknowledge that
this God is the most perfect and excellent
of all beings, greater than human thought
can comprehend, and more excellent than.
2
196
SER. 7.
JUSTIFICATION.
ness.
can be either described or conceived. You
are sensible, likewise, of your constant and
absolute dependance upon Him, that all you
enjoy is the fruit of his bounty, and that all
you expect must be the effect of his good-
Now, I ask, are your minds suitably
impressed with a sense of the perfections of
God? Do you feel sentiments of gratitude
and affection towards him, corresponding to
the number and value of the benefits
you re-
ceive? And do you neglect no proper oppor-
tunity of expressing these sentiments, in the
ways which he himself hath appointed? In
a word, do you love the Lord your God with
all your heart, and soul, and mind, and
strength? All this, you must own, is due to
a being of such superlative excellence; and,
to deny him the supreme affection of your
souls, discovers at once the grossest insensi-
bility, and the basest ingratitude. But if
conscience can charge you with innumera-
ble failures in these respects; if, instead of
loving God, you discover an alienation of
heart from him, even from that God who
made and preserves you, and who daily loads
you
with his benefits; if you have frequent-
SER. 7.
197
JUSTIFICATION.
r
ly neglected to pay a sacred regard to his i
stitutions, or, at least, have drawn near to
him with your mouths, and honoured him
with your lips, while your heart re far from
him-then, however strict you may have
been in fulfilling the law of God in other re-
spects, your obedience fails in one essential
point, and, according to the principles be-
fore laid down, he that offendeth in one point
is guilty of all.
3. The obedience which the law of God
requires must be perpetual in its duration.
To be sometimes pious and devout will be
of no avail to your acceptance with God,
unless your piety and devotion be con-
stant as well as ardent. Nor is it enough
that you conscientiously discharge the seve
ral duties of your station during one period
of your life, unless you persevere in that
course, from the beginning to the end of
your days. Nay, if your obedience be in-
termitted but for the shortest time, the very
idea of its perfection is destroyed, and by
consequence, it can never be a proper
ground of confidence toward God.
198
SER.7.
JUSTIFICATION.
Ask yourselves, therefore, if your thoughts
are at all times equally fixed and constant
in the worship of God, and your affections
equally warm and lively? Are you never
surprised by any temptation, but always
steady, watchful, and vigorous in your op-
position to sin? and, in general, do the in-
ward feelings of your soul uniformly keep
pace
with the outward performance of du-
ty?
These, my Friends, are the demands of
God's righteous law. These are the terms
upon which you must expect to be justified,
if you are seeking salvation by the works of
the law Nor think that in any case these
demands can possibly be relaxed; for it is
written, Cursed is every one that continueth
not in all things that are written in the book
of the law to do them. You must therefore
either obey the law of God completely in
all its parts, or else submit to the righteous-
ness of God revealed in the gospel, and be
willing to become absolute debtors to his
grace. There is no middle way. There is
no possibility of joining the two in your jus-
SER. 7.
199
JUSTIFICATION.
}
tification before God; for, as the apostle
reasons upon a subject intimately connected
with this, If by grace, then it is no more
of works, otherwise grace is no more grace.
But if it be of works, then it is no more of
grace, otherwise work is no more work*.
II. I shall now endeavour to explain what
is meant by the righteousness of faith, which
the apostle here opposes to his own person-
al obedience.
And be found in him, not having mine
own righteousness which is of the law, but
that which is through the faith of Christ,
the righteousness which is of God by faith.
Here let it be observed, that the righte-
ousness which the apostle declares to be
the ground of his confidence before God, is
not faith itself. This is evident from his call-
ing it the righteousness which is by the faith
of Christ, and the righteousness of God by
* Rom. xi. 6.
200
SER. 7.
JUSTIFICATION.
147
faith*. Nor, indeed, supposing faith itself
to be our justifying righteousness, could it
with any propriety be opposed to our own
personal obedience, since faith is as much
an act of our own, as any act of obedience to
the moral law. There is, however, too much
reason to fear, that many who profess to be-
lieve the gospel, labour under this mistake ;
a mistake which arises from the want of just
apprehensions of the proper distinction be-
twixt the covenant of works and the cove→
nant of grace. They seem to think that the
only difference consists in this, that the one
required perfect obedience, such as we are
now incapable of performing; but that the
other promises salvation on easier terms,
and accepts of faith and sincere obedience;
instead of a perfect conformity to the law;
and consequently, that if we do our best, we
may hope to be saved at last, through the
merits of Jesus Christ. But this opinion is
*It deserves to be noticed, that though we are often
said in the New Testament to be justified by faith, (ex
715εws), and through faith, (die wisews), yet we are never
said to be justified (g) on account of it, as the merito
rious procuring cause.
#'S
SER. 7.
201
JUSTIFICATION.
derogatory from the honour of the Redeem-
er, and totally repugnant to the whole
scheme of the gospel. Strictly speaking,
there is but one way of obtaining the favour
of God and eternal life, and that is, by a
perfect conformity to his holy law; for as
we have before seen, this law is unchange-
able in its nature and demands. Now the
gospel reveals a righteousness perfectly a-
dequate to these demands, and strictly con-
formable to the Justice of God; and the
difference betwixt the covenant of works
and the covenant of grace consists in this,
that in the former, this perfect obedience
must be performed in our own person, and
by our own strength-in the latter, it is re-
ceived as already wrought out for us, by a
ŝurety in our stead.
By the righteousness of faith, therefore,
we understand the obedience and sufferings
of Christ, which the gospel reveals as the
grand object of our faith, and the sole
ground of our confidence towards God.
When man by his apostacy had become a
transgressor of the divine law, he stood in
CC
202
SER. 7.
JUSTIFICATION.
1
need of the gracious interposition of a Me-
diator, for the two following reasons:
1. As he had by disobedience incurred the
penalty annexed to the transgression of the
law, it became necessary, in order to his be-
ing re-instated in the favour of God, that
some one, equal to the mighty undertaking,
should undergo the punishment due to trans-
gression.
2. As he had by the same means introdu-
ced weakness and corruption into his nature,
it was likewise indispensably necessary that
a surety in his room and stead should yield
a perfect obedience to the precepts of the
law.
In both these respects the divine Redeem-
er completely fulfilled the important office
assigned to him, as Mediator between God
and man. He endured the penalty we had
incurred. He was wounded for our trans-
gressions, and bruised for our iniquities;
the chastisement of our peace was upon him,
that by his stripes we might be healed. He
\
SER. 7.
203
JUSTIFICATION.
bare our sins in his own body on the tree.
To redeem us from the curse of the law he
was made a curse for us, and became obedi-
ent unto death, even the death of the cross.
And, with regard to the other requisition of
the law, he is said to have fulfilled all righ-
teousness, and to have become the end of
the law for righteousness to every one that
believeth. In short, the humiliation of
Christ in all its parts, his taking upon
the human nature, his obeying in that na-
ture the utmost demands of the law, his sub-
mitting to unexampled sufferings, and his
continuing in that course of obedience till
he could say with his dying breath, It is
finished; all this must be viewed as con-
stituting that righteousness by which a sin-
ner is justified in the sight of God.
him
To point out the perfection and suitable-
ness of this righteousness as the ground of
a sinner's justification before God, was the
III. Third General Head proposed in the
method.
2
204
SER. 7.
JUSTIFICATION.
+
The apostle in our text calls it the righte-
ousness of God.
Now, it has a just claim to this honoura-
ble appellation for the following reasons:
1. Because it is a righteousness which
God himself hath appointed. The wisdom
of man could never have devised this me-
thod of obtaining the favour of God. It is
a scheme, which, upon the very first
first propo-
sal, declares its Author to be divine. Nay,
so opposite is it to the natural prejudices of
the human mind, that though, when fully un-
derstood, it must appear the brightest dis-
play of divine wisdom and grace, yet, by the
careless and superficial observer, whose mind
is not enlightened by the Spirit of God, it is
esteemed foolishness. Hence this scheme
of mercy is in scripture opposed to all me-
thods of human contrivance. Thus, in Isa.
xxviii. 15, 16. Because ye have said, We
have made lies our refuge, and under false-
hood have we hid ourselves: Therefore, in
opposition to all these methods of your own
devising, thus saith the Lord, behold, I lag
3
SER. 7,
205
JUSTIFICATION.
in Zion for a foundation, a stone, a tried
stone, a precious corner-stone, a sure foun-
dation: he that believeth shall not make
haste. This, therefore, is the appointment,
the only appointment of God, for the salva-
tion of sinners. It is an appointment, too,
which God hath made from the beginning;
for you are by no means to imagine, (as ma-
ny seem to have done), that the gospel me-
thod of salvation is peculiar to the New Tes-
tament. No, my friends, the gospel was
published as early as the fall of man, in the
promise that the seed of the woman should
bruise the head of the serpent. It was the
frequent subject of prophecy in succeeding
ages. And the whole Levitical economy,
which subsisted for so long a period, was
chiefly designed to exhibit, under types and
shadows, the nature and blessings of that
salvation which was afterwards to be accom-
plished.
Abraham, the Father of the faithful, ob-
tained salvation in this way; and the Old
Testament Scriptures themselves bear wit-
ness concerning him, that he believed God,
206
SER. 7.
JUSTIFICATION.
and it was counted to him for righteousness.
David, who lived under another dispensa-
tion, looked for the mercy of God in the very
same way; for he describeth the blessedness
of the man unto whom God imputeth righ-
teousness without works, saying, Blessed
are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and
whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man
to whom the Lord will not impute sin. In
a later period of the church, Isaiah, who has
not improperly been stiled the Evangelical
Prophet, in name of all the faithful, exults
in the same glorious truth: I will greatly
rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful
in
my God; for he hath clothed me with
the garments of salvation, he hath covered
me with the robe of righteousness, as a
bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments,
and as a bride adorneth herself with jew-
els*. And again, Surely shall one say,
In the Lord have I righteousness and
strength, even to him shall men come,
and all that are incensed against him shall
be ashamed. In the Lord shall all the seed
* Isa. lxi. 10.
SER. 7.
207
JUSTIFICATION.
of Israel be justified, and shall glory
Jeremiah is equally explicit in declaring
the same comfortable truth, Behold, the
days come, saith the Lord, that I will
raise unto David a righteous branch,
and a king shall reign and prosper, and
shall execute judgment and justice in the
earth. In his days Judah shall be saved,
and Israel shall dwell safely; and this
is the name whereby he shall be call-
ed, the Lord (or Jehovah), our righte-
ousness. To add but one instance more,
Daniel, foretelling the time when Messiah
should appear, makes use of the following re-
markable language: Seventy weeks are de-
termined upon thy people and upon thy ho-
ly city, to finish the transgression, and to
make an end of sin, and to make reconcilia-
tion for iniquity, and to bring in everlast-
ing righteousness †.
Thus it appears, that in every period of
the church, before the coming of our Savi-
* Isa. xlv. 24, 25.
+ Jer. xxiii. 5, 6.
Dan. ix. 24.
208
SÉR. 7:
JUSTIFICATION.
our, the same truth was revealed as the ob
ject of faith; and that all who obtained the
favour of God, obtained it in the same way,
by believing the divine testimony concern-
ing Christ, which was then more obscurely
held forth under the veil of types and pro-
phecies, but is now revealed to us who live
under the gospel, in the fullest and clearest
manner. But,
2. This righteousness is called the righte-
ousness of God, because it was wrought out
by him who was God as well as man.
Without controversy, great is the myste-
ry of godliness. God was manifest in the
flesh. In the beginning was the Word, and
the Word was with God, and the Word was
God. And the Word was made flesh, and
dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory,
the glory as of the only begotten of the Fa-
ther, full of grace and truth. The righ-
teousness, even of the most exalted creature,
could be of no avail to the justification of a
sinner in the sight of God. Obedience is
due from every creature to his Creator, and
SER. 7.
209
JUSTIFICATION.
cannot, therefore, by its own intrinsic merit,
procure blessings for others. But behold
the depth of divine wisdom, as well as good-
ness! the Son of God himself becomes incar-
nate, obeys the divine law, suffers the threat-
ened penalty, removes the curse, and ob-
tains, for all who believe in his name, a title
to the favour of God and eternal life. Hence
we read in Scripture of being purchased with
the blood of God. Astonishing expression!
with the blood of Him who was God as well
as man―Immanuel, God with us. As man
only he suffered and died; but his human
nature was so united to the godhead, as to
constitute but one person, and from this
union his atonement and righteousness de-
rive infinite efficacy.
3. This righteousness may be called the
righteousness of God, because God the Fa
ther hath accepted it.
Of this the resurrection of Christ from the
dead is an undoubted evidence. When our
blessed Lord suffered on the cross, he suf-
fered in the room and stead of the guilty.
DD
210
SER. 7.
JUSTIFICATION.
The Lord had laid on him the iniquity of
us all, and therefore he exacted of him the
punishment which our sins deserved. Our
blessed Surety shed his precious blood for
the remission of our sins, and was brought
down to the dust of death, that he might
purchase our redemption. But the grave
could not possibly hold him. Soon he burst
the bands of death, and triumphed glorious-
ly over all opposition, leading captivity cap-
tive. His resurrection was the visible pledge
and token of his victory. By it the Father
declared his complete satisfaction in the fi-
nished work of Christ: He declared that he
was well pleased with believing sinners for
his righteousness sake; that the debt which
they owed to divine justice was now com-
pletely discharged; that the honour of his
law was vindicated, and the reign of grace
established on the firm and immutable basis
of impartial equity.
This glorious truth, therefore, is the grand
foundation of the believer's faith and confi-
dence before God. Accordingly, we find,
that when the apostles after the day of Pen-
SER. 7.
211
JUSTIFICATION.
tecost, preached the doctrine of salvation
through a crucified Redeemer, they princi-
pally insisted on this fact, in proof of what
they advanced. Be it known unto you all,
said the apostle Peter to the rulers of the
Jews, and to all the people of Israel, that
by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,
whom ye crucified, whom God raised from
the dead, even by him doth this man stand
here before you whole. This is the stone
which was set at nought of you builders,
which is become the head of the corner.
Neither is there salvation in any other, for
there is none other name given under hea-
ven among men whereby we must be sav-
ed*. To the same purpose, the apostle
Paul having established the truth of Christ's
resurrection, thus addressed the rulers of the
Synagogue, Be it known unto you, there-
fore, men and brethren, that through this
man is preached unto you the forgiveness
of sins. And by him, all that believe are
justified from all things, from which they
could not be justified by the law of Moses †.
* Acts iv. 10–12.
+ Acts xiii. 38.
*
9
212
SER. 7.
JUSTIFICATION.
Upon the whole, then, must not that
righteousness be perfect, and exactly suited
to the wants of a sinner, which was appoint-
ed and accepted by God the Father, and
wrought out by one who is his equal, the
only begotten and well beloved Son of God?
Must not that righteousness be perfect and
suitable to our deplorable circumstances,
which in every age has been the ground of
the sinner's trust, to which thousands and
tens of thousands are indebted for their eter-
nal salvation, and the efficacy of which re-
mains the same to the latest generations.
Where sin abounded, grace hath much more
abounded. That as sin hath reigned unto
death, even so might grace reign through
righteousness unto eternal life, by Jesus
Christ our Lord*.
APPLICATION.
1. Let me beseech all who now hear me,
seriously to enquire, what is the ground of
their confidence toward God?
* Rom. v. 20, 21.
SER. 7
215
JUSTIFICATION.
!
I have endeavoured to shew you the in-
sufficiency of our own righteousness, and
the perfect suitableness and sufficiency of
the method of salvation revealed in the gos-
pel. Now let me ask you, Is the righte-
ousness of Christ the only foundation on
which you build your hopes for eternity?
Be not hasty, my friends, to answer this
question. It is not enough to say, that
you
trust in Christ for salvation; for many who
say so, discover too plainly by their conduct
that they have never known the grace of God
in truth. If you are built upon the foun-
dation which God hath laid in Zion, then you
must have discovered previously your lost and
ruined circumstances as sinners in the sight
of God. You must have seen yourselves con-
demned by the sentence of his righteous
law, and not only seen, but felt the justice
of that sentence. If you are built on this
foundation, then you must have perceived
a peculiar excellence and glory in the gos-
pel-an excellence and glory infinitely su-
perior to every thing which the world calls
good or great. You must have been brought
with the apostle to count all things but loss
214
SER. 7.
JUSTIFICATION.
for the excellency of the knowledge of
Christ. Unto them which believe He is pre-
cious. His name is as ointment poured
forth; and an interest in him, and in the
favour of God through him, appears of in-
finitely greater value than ten thousand
worlds. Are these things so with you? or
are you still ignorant of the peculiar glory
of the gospel, and of your own pressing need
of it? Then let me beseech you, as you va-
lue
your own souls, not to remain in this
dreadfully dangerous situation, no, not for
a single moment. Perhaps you never be-
fore questioned the safety of your state.
If so, then it is high time to awake out of
sleep, and seriously to put to your own con-
science this most important of all questions,
Am I in Christ, or not? Were I this mo-
ment to be called into the presence of God,
to answer at his tribunal, what could I plead
before him? Would I plead the righteous-
ness of Christ? Let me ask myself, what do I
know about this righteousness? Did I ever
properly consider what it means? Was I
ever convinced of my need of it, and brought
to renounce all my former self-righteous
SER. 7.
215
JUSTIFICATION.
refuges, and to depend on this alone as the
ground of my confidence in the mercy of
God?
It is to be feared, that there are many
living in a state of awful security, from a
presumptuous confidence in their own righ-
teousness. If at any time their conscience
is awakened under the afflicting hand of
God, or under the ministry of his word,
how soon are their fears dispelled, by re-
flecting on what they reckon a well spent
life, good dispositions, or virtuous actions?
But such refuges as these will prove miser-
able comforters, when death, the king of
terrors, begins his approach; and still more
at that grand and decisive period, when the
fire shall try every man's work, of what sort
it is. Then shall it be found, to the ever-
lasting confusion of all despisers of the gos-
pel, that other foundation can no man lay,
than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
2. Such as are awakened to perceive their
dangerous and lost situation as sinners, may
derive encouragement from this subject, and
216
SER.
JUSTIFICATION.
be directed what course to pursue. Beware of
striving, my friends, to obtain the favour of
God and eternal life, by your own doings.
You must first receive spiritual life from
Christ, before you can be capable of per-
forming any spiritual or acceptable obedi-
ence. Go, search the scriptures, for in them
are the words of eternal life, and they are
they which testify of Christ. Examine with
attention, and with a mind free from preju-
dice, the way of salvation as it is laid down
in the gospel. Place yourselves as in the
presence of God. Compare your actions
with the perfect standard of the divine law.
Look into the secret springs of your con-
duct; and let
and let your heart be affected with
a deep sense of your guilt and misery. At-
tend to the gospel plan of salvation in its
connection and fulness. Ponder the preci-
ous truths of the word of God. Pray over
them. Endeavour to apply them. You
will find that there are properly no qualifi-
cations required to prepare you for the
grace
of the gospel, unless guilt and misery can
be accounted such. Go, therefore, cast
yourselves at the feet of sovereign mercy.
SER. 7.
217
JUSTIFICATION.
Confess your unworthiness. Pray that God
would effectually open your eyes to see his
glory as it shines in the face of Jesus Christ,
and that he would fulfil in you the good
pleasure of his goodness, and the work of
faith with power. Believe, and plead the
promise of his grace, and take encourage-
ment from such assurances as these: If any
man thirst, let him come unto me and
drink; and him that cometh unto me, I
will in nowise cast out.
Finally, Let true believers, who are look-
ing for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ
unto eternal life, be careful to adorn the
doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.
This is a faithful saying, and these things
I will that thou affirm constantly, that they
which have believed in God might be care-
ful to maintain good works; for these
things are good and profitable unto men.
In this way only can we justify the sinceri-
ty of our faith, and the truth of our Chri-
stian profession; and thus may we hope to
advance the glory of our Redeemer, and to
E E
218
SER. 7
JUSTIFICATION.
put to silence the mouths of gainsayers,
while we shew out of a good conversa-
tion our works with meekness of wisdom,,
SERMON VIII.
THE LAW ESTABLISHED BY THE
DOCTRINE OF FAITH:
ROMANS iii. 31:
Do we then make void the law through
faith? God forbid: yea, we establish
the law.
IN
matters of religion, as in other things,
men are generally prone to extremes. Hence
has arisen the unhappy opposition which
has too often been stated betwixt faith and
practice. Some have altogether neglected
and undervalued sound principles, and con-
fined the whole of religion to what they e-
steem a regular practice; while others, e
qually mistaken, have laid the whole stress
on orthodox opinions, to the disparagement
2
220 THE LAW ESTABLISHED SER. &
and neglect of moral duties. The gospel
gives no countenance to either of these ex-
tremes. It unites, what, alas! men have
too often attempted to separate, a sound
belief with a holy and virtuous life. On
the one hand, it teaches, that good princi-
ples are the only foundation of good prac-
tice; that a corrupt tree can produce no-
thing but corrupt fruit; and, that whoever
would attain habitual conformity to the will
of God, must first believe in the name of
Christ, and feel the influence of evangelical
truth. On the other hand, it teaches, that
the belief which men profess to have in the
gospel, is nothing but a dead faith, a mere
unprofitable notion, if it does not produce
the fruits of universal holiness, in the tem-
per and conversation; and, that all hopes of
heaven, which are not supported by this
clear and indispensable evidence, are vain
and delusive.
us.
Thus the word of God uniformly instructs
While it gives no countenance to the
self-righteous Pharisee, who seeks to recom-
mend himself to his Maker by his own do-
SÉR. 8.
221
BY FAITH.
ings, it equally condemns the slothful and
unprofitable servant, who, under pretence
of honouring the gospel, omits, or careless-
ly performs the weighty matters of the law.
It speaks peace to the guilty sinner, who, de-
spairing of salvation by the works of the law,
flees for refuge to the hope set before us in the
gospel. But this peace is connected with holi-
ness. It is not designed as a pillow on which
a man may lie down in ease and security;
but as a spur to diligence, a motive to acti-
vity, a powerful incitement to the practice
of all that is true, honest, just, pure, lovely,
and of good report.
The words which I have just now read as
the ground of this discourse, clearly express
the apostle's sentiments on this important
subject. If we look back to the preceding
context, we find him engaged in proving,
that we are justified by faith alone. With
this view, he considers the state both of
Jews and Gentiles, and shews, with abun-
dance of evidence, from fact, as well as scrip-
ture testimony, that all have sinned, and
122 THE LAW ESTABLISHED SER.8.
come short of the glory of God. Having
inferred from thence the impossibility of
being justified by our own obedience, and
stated the method which the gospel reveals,
he concludes with this declaration, that a
man is justified by faith, without the deeds
of the law:
It was easy to foresee an objection against
this doctrine, which might be made, and
which actually has been made in all ages;
that to say we are justified by faith alone,
without the deeds of the law, is, in fact, to
abolish the law. The apostle, without en-
tering into a formal refutation, denies the
charge, and asserts, in the strongest lan-
guage, that the tendency of his doctrine was
directly the reverse. Do we make void the
law through faith? God forbid: yea, we
establish the law.
I think it altogether unnecessary to take
up your time in shewing that by the law
here, the apostle can mean no other than
the moral law. This is the only law that is
SER. 8.
229
BY FAITH.
established through faith. For the ceremo-
nial law, which was given to the Jewish
church for a particular purpose, till the ful-
ness of time should come, was certainly made
void, and altogether set aside by the gos-
pel. But the moral law, which was given
to be the rule of man's obedience from the
beginning, so far from being made void by
the gospel of Jesus Christ, is confirmed and
enforced by new obligations.
This is the truth which I propose at this
țime to illustrate, in a humble dependance
on divine aid. With this view, I shall,
I. Lay before you, very shortly, the doc-
trine of faith, as taught by the apostle here,
and in other parts of his writings.
II. Explain what is meant by making
void the law. And,
III. Prove that the law is not made void,
but established through faith.
I. I am to lay before you the doctrine of
224 THE LAW ESTABLISHED
SER. 8.
faith, as taught by the Apostle here, and in
other parts of his writings.
Upon this part of the subject, I shall only
attempt a summary of what you are accus-
tomed to hear more fully explained in the
course of our ordinary ministrations. The
doctrine of faith is the doctrine of salvation
through the blood and righteousness of the
Son of God. It is the doctrine which teach-
es, that we are justified freely by the grace
of God, through the redemption that is in
Jesus Christ. This can only be understood
by those who entertain just conceptions of
the present state of human nature. Accord-
ing to the account which scripture gives
of the fallen corrupted state of man, an
account which is uniformly confirmed by
fact and experience, every mouth is stopped,
and the whole world is become guilty before
God. All men, however different in their
characters and circumstances, are, in this
respect, considered on an equal footing
in the sight of God. They have all sinned
and come short of the glory of God. They
are all equally exposed to divine condemņa-
SER. 8.
225
BY FAITH.
tion, and equally incapable of relieving
themselves by any exertions of their own.
In this situation the gospel brings a suita-
ble and seasonable relief. It informs us,
that a person of no less dignity than the Son
of God, undertook from eternity to restore an
innumerable multitude of the guilty apos-
tate race of Adam, to the favour and image
of their Maker; and that, in pursuance of
this purpose, a variety of means have been
employed, suited to the grandeur and im-
portance of the undertaking. In particular,
we learn, that immediately upon the fall of
man an intimation was given to our first pa-
rents of God's gracious design of saving sin-
ners. It was promised, that the seed of the
woman should bruise the head of the ser-
pent. The mercy contained in this pro-
mise was gradually unfolded in subsequent
revelations, till, at length, in the fulness of
time, God sent forth his Son, made of a
woman, made under the law, to redeem
them that were under the law:
When this divine person appeared in our
world, it was, as had been foretold in an-
FF
226
THE LAW ESTABLISHED SER. 8.
cient prophecy, not with the pomp and
splendour of a king, but in the humble
form of a servant. He became a man of
sorrows, and acquainted with grief. His
whole life was a series of the most disinter-
ested beneficence. But for his love he re-
ceived hatred. He endured the contradic-
tion of sinners against himself; was revil-
ed, insulted, betrayed; and, at last, by
wicked hands crucified and slain.
These are marvellous facts. The gospel
explains their cause. It informs us, that
in the whole of this amazing transaction, our
Lord Jesus Christ acted as a public person.
He was made sin for us, who knew no sin,
that is, though perfectly free from sin, he
was considered in the eye of the divine law
as a transgressor. Our guilt was imputed
to him; therefore it pleased the Lord
to bruise him and put him to grief. He
was wounded for our transgressions, and
bruised for our iniquities; the chastise-
ment of our peace was upon him, and with
his stripes we are healed. He bare our
sins in his own body on the tree, and chear-
fully submitted to all the appointments of
SER. 8.
227
BY FAITH.
of his heavenly Father, till the work was fi-
nished that had been given him to do.
pe-
Thus far the Redeemer appears in a hum-
ble and suffering state, obeying, as our
surety, the precepts, and enduring the
nalty of the divine law. But from this pe-
riod, a more pleasing scene opens to our
view. Jesus, the Prince of life, after sub-
mitting for a season to the power of death,
rises triumphant from the grave. The bands
of death are burst asunder. The shout of
victory is heard. It is the shout of a king.
The glorious Redeemer triumphs over prin-
cipalities and powers. The ransom is paid ;
complete atonement is made for sin; ever-
lasting righteousness is brought in; and, if
you ask what evidence can be produced of
all this? It is answered, evidence the sim-
plest and the most satisfying. The Lord is
risen indeed, and God the Father hath gi-
ven him glory, that our faith and hope
might be in God.
Such, my Christian friends, is the doc
trine of faith which the apostles preached,
2
228 THE LAW ESTABLISHED
SER. 8.
and which has been found in every age to
be the power of God, and the wisdom
of God unto salvation. God is in Christ
reconciling the world unto himself, not
imputing unto men their trespasses. Jus-
tice is now satisfied; the law fulfilled;
and every obstacle removed, that stood
in the way of a sinner's recovery to God and
happiness. For Him hath God set forth to
be a propitiation through faith in his blood,
to declare his righteousness in the remission
of sins. To believe this great, this comfortable
truth, and simply to rely for pardon, peace,
and eternal life, on the faithful word of that
God who cannot lie, is what the scripture
calls the obedience of faith-the £rst and
great duty of a sinner, in obeying which,
according to the divine appointment, he is
furnished with strength to obey all the other
commandments of God.
{
If this account of the doctrine of faith be
agreeable to the word of God, then you will
easily perceive, that in the justification of a
sinner in the sight of God, our own works
have no place. In the grand scheme of
:
can,
SER. 8.
229
BY FAITH.
șalvation, they certainly have a place, and
what that place is, I shall afterwards endea-
vour to shew: But, at present I would ob-
serve, and I wish it to be deeply impressed
upon your minds, that no good disposition
or qualification whatever, nothing, in short,
that distinguishes one man from another,
can be joined with the righteousness of
Christ as the ground of our confidence to-
wards God. Here there is no room for
boasting. We must be saved either com-
pletely by grace, or completely by our own
works. To him that worketh is the reward
not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to
him that worketh not, but believeth on him
that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is
counted for righteousness.
Having thus laid before you what I appre-
hend to be the doctrine of faith, I proceed,
II. To explain what is meant by making
void the law.
The original word signifies to render use-
less, or of no avail. It expresses the same idea
280 THE LAW ESTABLISHED
SER. 8.
that is stated by our blessed Lord, when he
says, I came not to destroy the law, but to
fulfil it. Now, there are two ways in which
the law may be said to be destroyed, or
made void;
1. In principle; when any doctrine is
taught, which, in its just consequences, has
a tendency to relax our obligations to obey
the law of God.
2. In practice; when persons take encou-
ragement from mistaken views of gospel
truths, to continue in sin, or to be less punc-
tual in discharging the duties which they
owe to God or their fellow-creatures.
1. The law of God is made void in prin-
ciple, when any doctrine is taught, which,
in its just consequences, has a tendency to
relax our obligations to duty. Thus to sup-
pose, that holiness is less necessary now,
than it was before the coming of Christ; or
that a less degree of it is necessary; or that
it is less necessary to believers than to o-
thers; or even to suppose that we may safe
SER. 8.
231
BY FAITH.
ly take more liberty in particular cases, than
we could have done before we believed; all
this is, in effect, to make void the law, since
it weakens the obligations to duty, and en-
courages the natural sloth and indolence of
the human mind. We cannot magnify too
much the grace of God in the salvation of
men; but let us beware of doing it in such
a manner, as would, by just consequence,
furnish the slothful and unprofitable servant
with an excuse for his wickedness. Let us
not hold opinions derogatory from the honour
of the law of God, which we certainly do, if
we imagine that good works are in no respect
necessary to salvation. Though they are
neither a condition, nor a qualification for
our acceptance with God, they are necessa-
ry as an evidence of our faith in the gospel,
and a preparation for the enjoyment of fu-
ture happiness. Hence we are said to be
created in Christ Jesus unto good works,
which God hath before ordained that we
should walk in them; and the apostle ex-
pressly declares, that without holiness, no
man shall see the Lord.
232 THE LAW ESTABLISHED
SER. 8.
Whatever therefore has a tendency to re
lax the obligations to duty, must on that ac-
count be wrong, and contrary to the form of
sound words delivered in the scriptures. How
unjustly these consequences have been attri-
buted to the doctrine of faith, as I have en-
deavoured to explain it under the former
head of discourse, it remains afterwards to
shew. At present, I go on to observe,
2. That the law is made void in practice;
when, from mistaken views of gospel truths,
persons take encouragement to continue in
sin, or to be less punctual in discharging the
duties which they owe to God, or to their
fellow-creatures. This is a much more com-
mon way of making void the law than the
former. There is much practical Antino-
mianism in the world. The heart of man
is
prone to sin, and every thing is laid hold
of, that can furnish a plausible pretext for a
conduct which conscience does not fail to
condemn. For this purpose the most pre-
cious doctrines are abused, and even the
grace of God itself is turned into licentious-
ness. Thus, the doctrine of salvation with-
1
SER. 8.
238
BY FAITH.
out the works of the law, is frequently laid
hold of by men of corrupt minds, to whom
the commandments of God are grievous.
The notion of the saints' final perseverance
affords an easy pillow for those to rest on,
who, though destitute of spiritual life, labour
to persuade themselves that they are Chri-
stians, because they once had some serious
thoughts, and made some profession of re-
ligion. In like manner, in what the scrip-
tures teach concerning the total inability of
fallen man, there are many who think that
they find a sufficient plea to justify their ne-
gligence and sloth. Few indeed are so bold
as to maintain in words, that Christ hath
purchased for his people a release from obe-
dience, in other words, a liberty of sinning;
but, alas! how many are there, who indulge
themselves in evil tempers, and evil habits,
from a presumptuous confidence of being
saved at last through the merits of Christ;
not considering, that the grace of God
which bringeth salvation, teacheth us to de-
ny all ungodliness and worldly lusts, and
to live soberly, righteously, and godly in
the world.
GG
234
THE LAW ESTABLISHED SER. 8.
Thus you
you see in what way the law of God is
made void, both in principle and in practice.
What countenance such principles, or such
practice have from the doctrine of faith,
when rightly understood and cordially be-
lieved, will appear from the
Third general head of discourse; in
which I am, to prove, that the law of God
is not made void, but established through
faith.
When we affirm that the law is establish-
ed through faith, the meaning is, that the
gospel lays the surest foundation for obedi-
ence, and that the belief of the doctrines of
grace, proves the most powerful inducement
to the practice of universal holiness. The
truth of this assertion will appear, I hope,
from the following considerations :
1. The sacred authority and perpetual
obligation of the law of God are vindicated
in the strongest manner, by the doctrine of
faith.
SER. 8.
235
BY FAITH.
This doctrine teaches us, that when man
had become a transgressor of the divine law,
all hope of obtaining the favour of God and
eternal life, by any method of his own de-
vising, was taken away. The awful, but
righteous sentence of the law is, The soul
that sinneth, it shall die. It admits of no
abatement or composition, but insists on full
payment, to the utmost extent of its de-
mands. Perfect in its nature, it cannot pos-
sibly accommodate itself to the weakness
and corruption of man; but requires an o-
bedience suitable to its nature, spiritual, u-
niversal, and perpetual. In these circum-
stances, the Son of God interposed to save
us. Lo! I come, was his gracious language,
in the volume of the book it is written of
me, I delight to do thy will, O my God;
yea, thy law is within my heart. But for
what purpose did he come? Not surely, as
some have imagined, to put us into a capacity
of becoming our own saviours. Not to pre-
scribe terms or conditions, on complying
with which, we might acquire a title to the
blessings of his salvation. This is an idea,
not only unworthy of the great Redeem-
2
236 THE LAW ESTABLISHED SER. 8.
er, but derogatory likewise from the honour
of the divine law. It was for a nobler pur-
pose
that the Son of God was manifested in
the flesh. He came to make complete re-
conciliation for iniquity, by bringing in an
everlasting righteousness. Nothing short
of a perfect righteousness can satisfy the
law of God; and such a righteousness the
Son of God hath accomplished, by his obe-
dience unto death; a righteousness every
way commensurate to the extensive de-
mands of the law, in which the piercing
eye of divine justice itself can discover no
imperfection; and, on account of which,
without any other consideration, God is just,
in justifying the ungodly who believe in
Jesus.
Such is the doctrine of faith; and say,
my friends, can any thing give a nobler or
more honourable representation of the law of
God? Does its perpetual obligation, or its sa-
cred authority ever appear in so striking and
venerable a light, as when viewed in connec-
tion with the righteousness of God our Savi-
our? This truly is a spectacle worthy the at-
tention of all the subjects of God's moral go
{
SER. S.
237
BY FAITH.
vernment, being the highest possible proof
of his unalterable regard to that rule which
he hath prescribed for the conduct of his in-
telligent creatures.
What superficial views of the gospel, then,
must they entertain, who can once suppose
that the obedience of Christ, in the room and
stead of sinners, was ever meant to grant
them a release from personal obedience. How
strange a conclusion! How absurd to think,
that the great God would have employed such
a wonderful method to assert the dignity and
authority of his law, only that his creatures
might have the liberty of transgressing it!
It is impossible that such impious thoughts
can seriously enter into the mind of that
man who properly understands, and firmly
believes the gospel of Christ. The more
confidently he relies on the righteousness of
God his Saviour, the more deeply must his
mind be impressed with a sense of the au-
thority and obligation of the law. It was a
conviction of the purity of this law, that first
taught him the necessity of a better righte-
ousness than his own, and still, by the same
238 THE LAW ESTABLISHED SER. 8.
means, he is kept looking for the mercy of our
Lord Jesus unto eternal life. He expects
no favour from God on account of any me-
rit of his own, not because obedience is less
pleasing to him than to others, but because
the commandments of his God appear to
him exceeding broad. He rejoices in the
finished work of the divine Redeemer, not
because it weakens the obligations to duty,
but because, in this glorious scheme of mer-
cy,
he perceives the character of God, and
the authority of his law most fully vindicat-
ed. He can truly say with the apostle, I
delight in the law of God after the in-
ward man; and with the Psalmist, O how
love I thy law ! it is my meditation all the
day. How sweet are thy words unto my
taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth.
Through thy precepts I get understand-
ing, therefore I hate every false way.
2. As the sacred authority and perpetual
obligation of the law of God are vindicated,
in the strongest manner, by the doctrine of
faith, so there are new obligations superadded
by the gospel, to enforce obedience.
$ER. 8.
239
BY FAITH.
To illustrate all these particularly, would
require more time than the limits of a single
discourse will allow. I shall only mention
a few of the most remarkable.
First, then, a conviction of its infinite
evil, must surely be allowed to be a power-
ful motive to depart from sin. But by what
means can this conviction be produced to
such a degree, as by a firm belief of the
doctrine of faith relating to the sufferings
and death of Christ? Never did the world
behold such a display of the evil of sin as
in the sufferings and death of the Son of
God. The dignity of his person, and the
greatness of his sufferings, are two circum-
stances which mark in stronger colours than
words can express, God's infinite abhorrence
of sin, and his determined invariable pur-
pose to punish it. If these things were
done in the green tree, what shall be done
in the dry? If such were the sufferings of
the Son of God, when bearing only the pu-
nishment of imputed guilt, how dreadful the
condition of the ungodly sinner, when
brought into judgment for his personal
240 THE LAW ESTABLISHED SER. 8.
transgressions! Can any one imagine, that
the great God should hate sin so much, and
find it necessary to punish it so severely, in
the person of the Surety, and yet connive at
the sins of those for whom the Surety suf-
fered? The very nature of God forbids such
a thought. Nor will the true believer ever
indulge it. On the contrary, every view
which he takes of the method of salvation,
every act of trust and confidence in the
grace of his Redeemer, will increase his
hatred to sin, and excite him to fly from it.
Again, Just apprehensions of the holiness
of God, have always been found to produce
correspondent effects on the characters of
the persons who entertain them. Now, the
doctrine of faith gives us the brightest dis-
play of this glorious attribute of the divine
nature. It teaches us, that before man
could be admitted to friendly intercourse
with his Maker, a sacrifice of no less value
than the death of God's dear Son, was in-
dispensably necessary. A mere nominał
professor of the faith of Christ
may be little
affected with this truth. He may still en-
*
SER. 8.
241
BY FAITH.
i
tertain low and unworthy apprehensions of
the majesty and holiness of God. But it
will, it must be otherwise with the true be-
liever, who has seen the glory of God in
the face of Jesus Christ. He beholds in
the glass of the Redeemer's sufferings, such
a display of the divine holiness as power-
fully transforms him into the same image.
Taught by this discovery, he is more and
more convinced of the impossibility of en-
joying the favour of God, while sin retains
its dominion in his soul. He looks for ac-
ceptance indeed on account of the righte-
ousness of another, but the very means
which procure this acceptance, point out to
him, at the same time, the indispensable
necessity of real personal holiness, to quali-
fy him for the presence and enjoyment of
God. Who can stand before this holy
'Lord God,' will the true believer say,
' after the astonishing proof which he hath
given of his unalterable regard to holi-
6
<
6
ness, in not sparing his own Son? How
can I expect to be admitted into his hea-
venly presence, without first receiving the
grace of his Holy Spirit, to sanctify this
H H
242 THE LAW ESTABLISHED
SER. 8.
6
C
polluted soul of mine? As soon may light
and darkness dwell together, as God de-
light in the soul that is not, in some mea-
sure, made partaker of his holiness."
ed
But the motives which are chiefly insist-
upon in the New Testament, and which
the gospel in a peculiar manner inspires,
are love and gratitude. These two power-
ful principles in our nature, are allowed to
have great influence in the common affairs
of life; and, certainly, they cannot have
less when excited by that grace which brings
salvation to the soul. Now, where can we
find such objects to awaken our love and
gratitude, as in the gospel of Jesus Christ?
Here we behold the most amazing instance
of love which it is possible to conceive; an
instance of it so wonderful, that the sacred
writers themselves labour for expressions to
describe its greatness. Conceive to your-
selves a person delivered from some immi-
nent danger by the seasonable interposition
of a generous benefactor; a danger too
which he clearly foresaw, but from which it
was utterly impossible for him to be delivered
SER. 8.
243
BY FAITH.
by any other means. This will but faintly
represent the circumstances of a convinced
awakened sinner, who has obtained com-
forting discoveries of the salvation of Christ.
Once he thought himself beyond the possi-
bility of a recovery. He stood, as it were,
on the very brink of destruction. He saw
the bottomless pit ready to receive him,
and his heart meditated nothing but terror.
In these circumstances the joyful tidings of
the gospel were brought to his mind. He
beheld the Almighty Father seated on a
throne of grace, and heard him, as he ne-
never did before, issuing out from the ex-
cellent glory this gracious command, Deli-
ver from going down into the pit, for I
have found a ransom.
1
1
What then must be the sentiments of his
heart on obtaining such a seasonable deli-
verance? Will he sin because so much grace
hath abounded? Rather, will not his heart
burn within him, with godly sorrow for his
past transgressions, and with the most sincere
and hearty resolutions of future obedience.
Such, it is evident, is the natural effect of
2
244 THE LAW ESTABLISHED SER. &.
gratitude; and such, we find, was its influ-
ence on the apostles and first believers of
the gospel. It was this principle that in-
spired them with that undaunted resolution
and fortitude, which they displayed in their
peculiarly trying circumstances. This made
pain easy, and labour pleasant. This gave
fervour to their zeal, strength to their reso-
lution, vigour and constancy to every part
of their conduct.
constrained them.
For the love of Christ
And why is the obedi-
ence of so many professing Christians in the
present day so unlike that of the apostles
and first believers; so superficial, so une-
qual, so inconstant? Why, but because
the doctrine of free grace is so little under-
stood, so little believed, so little felt in its
genuine influence. • Let the love of Jesus
"but reign in my heart; let it be ever pre-
"sent to my mind; let my thoughts dwell
'upon it, till my soul is warmed with its ge-
'nuine influence. This will serve instead of
'ten thousand arguments to persuade me to
"obedience. It will make my soul swift like
the chariots of Aminadib. It will animate
me to the discharge of every duty; render
SER. 8.
245
BY FAITH.
4
'me patient under suffering, temperate in
prosperity, and chearful in adversity. This
• will raise me above the smiles and frowns
"of the world; reconcile me to every change
⚫ of condition; and make the prospect of dis-
solution itself pleasant and delightful.'
6
3. The law is established through faith,
because obedience is one of the principal
ends for which we are called to believe in
the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Faith and obedience stand related to each
other as cause and effect. The latter is
produced by the former. We do not be-
come intitled to the blessings of salvation,
on account of any holiness of which we are
capable; but, on the contrary, every mea-
sure or degree of holiness is the effect of
believing the gospel. It is a part, and an
essential part of the salvation itself, which
Christ hath wrought out for his people.
And, accordingly, we are said to purify our
souls by obeying the truth, and to be cho-
sen unto salvation, through sanctification
of the Spirit, and belief of the truth. In
246
SER. 8.
THE LAW ESTABLISHED
this order, the connection betwixt faith and
holiness is uniformly represented in the sa-
cred writings. Good works are one end of
our election. God hath chosen us in Christ
before the foundation of the world, that
we should be holy, and without blame, be-
fore him in love. They are one end and
design of our redemption by Jesus Christ,
who gave himself for us, that he might re-
deem us from all iniquity, and purify unto
himself a peculiar people, zealous of good
works. They are the end of our calling,
for God hath called us unto holiness. They
are the indispensable evidence, as well as
the certain fruits of a living faith. Faith
without works is dead, and by works is faith
made perfect. This is a faithful saying,
and these things I will that thou affirm con-
stantly, that they which have believed in
God might be careful to maintain good
works: for these things are good and pro-
fitable unto men. Finally, good works, as
was before observed, are necessary to pre-
pare us for the enjoyment of heaven; for
without holiness no man shall see the Lord.
SER. 8.
247
BY FAITH.
Thus the law is established through faith.
The doctrine of faith is the foundation of o-
bedience. The belief of the truth is the
animating principle of holiness. Nor is it a
matter of indifference whether or not this
order be preserved, provided the connection
betwixt faith and holiness be in any sense
admitted. The order is clearly established
by infinite wisdom. Reverse or confound
it, and immediately you convert the gospel
into a self-righteous scheme.
You may
continue after this to use the words grace,
faith, and gospel, but you employ them in
another sense than that in which the apos-
tles understood them; and, in proportion
to the degree in which this order is pervert-
ed, your minds are corrupted from the sim-
plicity that is in Christ.
In the last place, The law is establish-
ed through faith, because the doctrine of
faith furnishes the believer with the most
powerful encouragements, in his endeavours
to attain holiness.
There are two considerations, which serve
as mighty encouragements to the practice
248
THE LAW ESTABLISHED SER. 8.
of our duty. The one is the promise of as-
sistance, and the other the hope of accep-
tance with God. For want of these, many
who seem to begin well, soon decline
from the path of duty, and turn back to
the world. Some labour a while in their
own strength, to attain conformity to the
will of God; but, on the appearance of diffi-
culties, they give over the vain attempt, and
their strength and their hopes perish toge-
ther. Others, after going about to establish a
righteousness of their own, not submitting
to the righteousness of God, on perceiving
the imperfection attending their best servi-
ces, despair of success; suffer themselves to
be again entangled in the pollutions of the
world, and overcome; and the latter end
is worse with them than the beginning.
Now, the doctrine of faith, or, which is
the same thing, the doctrine of grace, is ad-
mirably fitted to preserve the soul, from
sinking into that state of despondency which
unfits for every vigorous exertion. It ani
mates the Christian with the promise of all
necessary assistance in the performance of
SER. 8.
249
BY FAITH.
his duty. Fear not, for I am with thee,
is the gracious language of God to eve-
ry one of his people; be not dismayed, for
I am thy God. I will strengthen thee,
yea, I will help thee, yea, I will uphold
thee with the right hand of my righteous-
ness. Hast thou not known, hast thou not
heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord,
the Creator of the ends of the earth, faint-
eth not, neither is weary; there is no search-
ing of his understanding.
He giveth
power to the faint, and to them that have
no might he increaseth strength. Even the
youths shall faint and be weary, and the
young men shall utterly fall : but they that
wait upon the Lord shall renew their
strength; they shall mount up with wings
as eagles, they shall run and not be weary,
and they shall walk and not faint. With
what chearfulness and alacrity may the be-
liever work out his own salvation, when he
knows that it is God which worketh in him
both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Again-The hope of acceptance is ano-
ther circumstance which serves as a migh-
I I
250 THE LAW ESTABLISHED SER. 8.
ty encouragement to the performance of
our duty. This hope, as you have heard,
rests entirely on the merits of the Saviour,
and therefore, is not fluctuating and uncer-
tain, like the hope which is built on a-
ny other foundation. Hence, the obedience
which flows from it, is not the constrained
submission of a slave, but the liberal and
ingenuous service of a child, who is bound
by the cords of love. At the same time,
this hope of final acceptance is perfect-
ly compatible with a reverential fear of
God, and a godly jealousy over our-
selves. The faith of the gospel, while it in-
spires a joyful hope, has a tendency like-
wise to beget a humble, tender, and watch-
ful spirit. If the confirmed and establish-
ed believer has more holy boldness, he has
also less self-confidence. If he is surer than
others of deliverance from hell, he is like-
wise more sensible that he deserved it. If
he is less apt to be shaken in faith, he is
more apt to be affected by the solemn
warnings of scripture, by the frowns of his
God, and by the calamities of his fellow-
creatures. In a word, he becomes stedfast
SER. 8.
251
BY FAITH.
and immoveable, always abounding in the
work of the Lord, forasmuch as he knows,
that his labour shall not be in vain in the
Lord.
Thus have I finished all that I proposed
on the doctrinal part of this subject, and it
now only remains, that I conclude with a
few words of application.
1. From what has been said, you may
judge, whether you are possessed of true
faith in the gospel. Has it come to you, not
in word only, but in power also, and in the
Holy Ghost? You may possibly have as-
sented to all that has been said on the con-
nection betwixt the law and the gospel, or
faith and holiness. Your judgment may be
convinced, that matters have really been as
they have been represented. But if
here, if these truths remain in your minds
as mere subjects of speculation, what will it
avail you? Better not to have known the
way of righteousness, than, after you
have
known it, to turn from the holy command-
ment. Indeed, the genuine principles of
you rest
252 THE LAW ESTABLISHED SER. 8.
Christianity have this advantage above all
other systems of morality, that where they
are properly understood and believed, they
have a necessary influence on the practice.
By some who profess them they may
be a-
bused; by those who really believe them
they never can. But there is a traditionary
belief of the gospel, which may always be
expected to prevail in those places where
the gospel is preached; and though this can
produce nothing but a customary profes-
sion, it is too often mistaken for that living
faith, which changes the heart, and regu-
lates the life. Beware, my friends, of this
fatal mistake. Do not take it for granted
that you believe the gospel, if you have no
better reason than this, that you never call-
ed in question the truth of any of its doc-
trines. Perhaps you never seriously applied
your minds to this subject. Perhaps you
never felt yourselves to be in the circum-
stances in which the gospel considers us.
Or, perhaps, you have hastily taken
wrong notion of the gospel, and may think
you believe the doctrine of the pro-
phets and apostles, while you are only be-
that
up a
ser. 8.
253
BY FAITH.
1
lieving a delusion of your own imagination.
If you are living without God in the world,
if the love of sin prevail in your souls, if you
are proud or revengeful, deceitful or disho-
nest, unchaste or intemperate; if piety to-
wards God and love to men be not the lead-
ing features in your character;
character; if your
friends, your families, your neighbours-if
the world at large cannot bear witness, at
least to the general consistency of your con-
duct, you never have believed the gospel,
you never have received the grace of God
in truth; for by the doctrine of faith, as
the apostles understood and taught it, the
law is not made void, but confirmed and
established.
2. From this subject, let me exhort true
believers to justify the sincerity of their pro-
fession, by the holiness of their lives. We
may reason, my Friends, upon the good
tendency of our principles. We may shew,
to the conviction of every unprejudised
mind, that the doctrines of grace are doc-
trines according to godliness. But all this
will have little influence, unless our argu-
254 THE LAW ESTABLISHED SER.&.
ments be supported by more solid and sub-
stantial proofs. The enemies of the gospel
will judge of its tendency more from the
actions, t'an from the words of its profes-
sors. And though this be a false rule of
judging, and though a degree of perfection
be often expected from a religious charac-
ter, greater than is attainable in the present
state, yet it were much to be wished, that
believers in general were more careful than
they are, to remove every ground of offence,
and to adorn the doctrine of God our Savi-
our in all things.
Consider, my Brethren, the eyes of ma-
ny are upon you. The glory of God,
the honour of the Redeemer, and the sal-
vation of precious souls are intimately con-
nected with the part that you act. Be
blameless, therefore, and harmless, the
children of God without rebuke, in the
midst of a crooked and perverse genera-
tion. Have no fellowship with the un-
fruitful works of darkness, but rather re-
prove them. Abstain from all appearance
of evil. Nor think that a merely negative
SER. 8.
255
BY FAITH.
good character is a sufficient justification of
the truth of your faith. Aim at something
higher. Study to be useful, as well as in-
nocent; and let your light so shine be-
fore men, that they may see your good
works, and glorify your Father which is in
heaven.
SERMON IX.
FAITH'S VICTORY OVER THE
WORLD.
1 JOHN V. 4.
This is the victory that overcometh the
world, even our faith.
THE Christian life is with great proprie-
ty represented as a state of warfare. We
are placed in this world as on a field of bat-
tle, where dangers stand thick on every
side, and where thousands are continually
falling around us. Our enemies are nu-
merous and powerful. We wrestle not a-
gainst flesh and blood only, but against
principalities and powers, against the rul-
ers of the darkness of this world, against
spiritual wickednesses in high places. The
*
SER. 9. FAITH'S VICTORY, &c. 257
in
world, too, is a dangerous foe to the Chri-
stian. All that is in the world, the lust of
the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride
of life, is hostile to the growth of grace
the soul. And when you add to this, the
powerful corruptions of our own deceitful
and desperately wicked hearts, which give
strength to every temptation, and second
all the attacks of our spiritual adversaries,
you will then have some idea of the diffi-
culties and dangers of the Christian war-
fare.
In these circumstances, how shall crea-
tures, so weak and defenceless as we are,
maintain the combat with such formidable
foes? By what means shall we resist their
united attacks, and rise superior to all their
machinations? The Scriptures inform us,
that faith is the weapon with which alone
we can successfully fight the battles of the
Lord. By the shield of faith, we are ena-
bled to quench all the fiery darts of the
wicked one. Through faith we endure, as
seeing Him who is invisible. And this is
KK
258
SER..
FAITH'S VICTORY
the victory that overcometh the world, even
our faith.
The words of the text contain a plain and
important proposition, which I shall endea-
vour to illustrate and improve, by shew-
ing,
I. What it is in the world that the Chri-
stian has to overcome: And,
II. How his faith enables him to obtain
the victory.
I. I begin with shewing, what it is in the
world that the Christian has to overcome.
This term, the world, is used in differ-
ent significations in scripture. Sometimes
it is applied to the things, and at other
times to the men of the world. Love not
the world, says the apostle John, neither
the things of the world. If any man love
the world, the love of the Father is not in
him. When applied to the men of the
world, it generally signifies, the ungodly
SER. 9. OVER THE WORLD.
259
and unbelieving, as distinguished from
those who receive the testimony of God,
and are walking according to the rules of
his word. These latter are uniformly re-
presented as a people chosen out of the
world, and actuated by other views and
principles. We know that we are of God,
and the whole world lieth in wickedness.
Now, the Christian's passage to heaven
lies through this dangerous and defiling
world. He has a part to act in it. He
must necessarily mingle in its cares and bu-
siness, share in its vexations and troubles,
and occasionally associate with worldly men.
Much watchfulness, therefore, is necessary
to preserve his heart pure, and his
and his garments
clean, amidst so many defilements; and,
notwithstanding all the entanglements that
he meets with, to be continually pressing
forward in the way to heaven. The world,
by various methods, is perpetually attempt-
ing to draw him back into the ways of sin,
Its temptations are chiefly of two kinds, its
allurements, and its terrors.
?
•
260
SER. 9.
FAITH'S VICTORY
1. The Christian has to overcome the al-
lurements of the world.
These are its most dangerous temptations,
and too often they are the least suspected.
Many who have boldly withstood the shock
of persecution, have fallen a prey to the soft
alluring pleasures of sın. The world holds
out many fair enticing charms. It addresses
the senses and imagination; and, in ten
thousand ways, insinuates itself into our
heart. It first deceives, and then leads
captive the unwary soul. It first infatuates,
and then destroys. Sometimes it allures
the sinner into the fascinating paths of sen-
sual indulgence; sometimes it presents to
him the flattering prospects of ambition;
and at other times it draws its votary into
the pursuit of sordid gain. Its temptations
are artfully varied, according to the differ-
ent age, temper, and condition of those to
whom they are presented. And ah! my
brethren, how fatally successful is this de-
luding enchantress! How many, without
the least opposition, or, at best, after a very
feeble resistance, have yielded to her seduc
{
SER. 9.
261
OVER THE WORLD.
tions, and have been carried down the
stream of carnal delights or worldly pur-
suits! Thus, many a fair appearance of re-
ligion has been blasted; and many, who
once seemed to set their faces towards Zion,
have turned back, and walked no more with
Christ. Demas hath forsaken me, saith
the apostle, having loved this present
world. Those which received the seed a-
mong thorns, are they, which, when they
have heard, go forth, and are choaked with
the cares, and riches, and pleasures of this
life, and bring forth no fruit to perfection*.
They that will be rich, fall into tempta-
tion and a snare, and into many foolish
and hurtful lusts, which drown men in de-
struction and perdition. For the love of
money is the root of all evil; which, while
some coveted after, they have erred from
the faith, and pierced themselves through
with many sorrows. But,
2. The Christian, in his way to heaven,
*Luke viii. 14.
+ 1 Tim. vi. 9, 10.
262
SER. 9.
FAITH'S VICTORY
has to overcome, not only the allurements,
but likewise the terrors of the world.
The friendship of the world is enmity
with God; so that whosoever will be a friend
of the world is the enemy of God *. There-
fore said our Saviour to his disciples, If the
world hate you, ye know that it hated me
before it hated you. If ye were of the
world, the world would love his own; but
because ye are not of the world, but I have
chosen you out of the world, therefore the
world hateth you. On this account the a-
postle hath affirmed, that all that will live
godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecu-
tion. The experience of every age confirms
the truth of this observation. Persecution,
of one kind or another, is, in a greater or
less degree, the common lot of all real
Christians. Sometimes it breaks out in o-
pen rage and violence, attacking their per-
sons, their property, and even their life.
We read of some who had trial of cruel
mockings and scourgings, yed, moreover, of
*James iv. 4.
+ John xv. 18, 19.
f
SER. 9.
263
OVER THE WORLD.
bonds and imprisonment: They were ston-
ed, were sawn asunder, were tempted,
were slain with the sword: they wander-
ed about in sheep-skins and goat-skins ; be-
ing destitute, afflicted; tormented: (of
whom the world was not worthy ;) they
wandered in deserts, and in mountains,
and in dens and caves of the earth.
At other times, though the enmity of the
seed of the serpent against the seed of the
woman, is restrained by various circumstan-
ces, from breaking out into acts of open vi-
olence, it still shews itself with no less evi-
dence in other ways-by stirring up oppo-
sition to serious godliness, and provoking to
slander, calumny, and unjust reproach. All
this the Christian is called to overcome. He
must deny himself, take up his cross, and
follow Christ. Whosoever, says he, shall be
ashamed of me and of my words, of him
shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he
comes in his own glory, in the glory of his
Father, and of the holy angels. But who-
soever shall confess me before men, him
will I also confess before my Father which
1
264
SÉR. 9.
FAITH'S VICTORY
is in heaven. He that findeth his life shall
lose it, and he that
loseth his life for my
sake shall find it. Blessed are ye, when
men shall revile you, and persecute you,
and say all manner of evil against you
falsely for my sake. Rejoice, and be ex-
ceeding glad, for great is your reward in
heaven; for so persecuted they the pro
phets which were before you
*
Such, Christians, is the warfare in which
you must engage,
engage, if you would obtain the
prize of your high calling in Christ Jesus.
Like good soldiers you must learn to en-
dure hardness, rising superior to the smiles
and frowns of the world, unallured by its
flatteries, and undismayed by its terrors.
An arduous contest, indeed, but one that is
truly glorious: a contest, in which thou-
sands, once weak and fallible as we, have
proved victorious, and are now arrayed in
white robes, with palms in their hands, be-
fore the throne of God and of the Lamb.
*Matth. x. 32, 39. and v. 11, 12.
SER. 9.
265
OVER THE WORLD.
This naturally brings me to the
Second general head of discourse, which
was, to shew, how the Christian's faith enables
him to obtain the victory over the world.
Here it is necessary to inquire, what is
that faith to which such powerful and glo-
rious effects are ascribed. Faith, in gener-
al, is described by the apostle to be the sub-
stance of things hoped for, and the evi-
dence of things not seen. It has a respect
to things invisible and future. It gives them
a real and proper subsistence in the mind,
representing them, not as mere probabili-
ties, but as absolute certainties, on which it
may rely with the firmest credit, and the
most unsuspicious confidence. But the faith
of the Christian has a peculiar respect to
the testimony of God, respecting his Son
Jesus Christ. And therefore the Apostle,
after he had affirmed in the text, This is
the victory that overcometh the world, even
our faith, immediately subjoins, Who is he
that overcometh the world, but he that be-
lieveth that Jesus is the Son of God?
LL
266
SER. 9.
FAITH'S VICTORY
This proposition, that Jesus is the Son of
God, is the very sum and substance of the
gospel. It is a truth which comprehends in
it, by necessary connection and conse-
quence, all the grand and fundamental doc-
trines of the gospel. For, if Jesus be the
Son of God, in the high and exclusive sense
in which this title is ascribed to him in
Scripture, then, the atonement which he
made when he offered up himself without
spot unto God, must be every way perfect.
If the atonement which he offered be every
way perfect, then God is reconciled, justice
is satisfied, the law is magnified, and the
most unworthy sinner who feels his need of
mercy, and relies for it on this atonement,
is safe for eternity, and may rejoice in hope
of the glory of God. These truths, my
Brethren, are inseparably connected. They
form so many links of the same chain; and
the belief of them is essentially necessary to
that faith by which the world is overcome.
It has become fashionable in the present
day to represent these, and the other pecu-
liar doctrines of Christianity as mere mat-
1
SER. O
267
OVER THE WORLD.
ters of opinion, subjects of speculation which
have no immediate connection with prac-
tice, and of which a man may without dan-
ger entertain his own ideas. The apostle
was evidently of a different opinion, when
he declared, This is the victory that over-
cometh the world, even our faith; and
when he boldly challenged the adversaries
of the gospel to produce a single instance of
this victory having ever been obtained by
any other means, Who is he that overcometh
the world, but he that believeth that Jesus,
is the Son of God.
Let us now attend to this important part
of the subject, and consider, how the faith
of a Christian enables him to obtain the
victory-first, over the allurements; and,
secondly, over the terrors of the world.
1. Faith enables the Christian to over-
come the allurements of the world, by
shewing him the vanity and unsatisfying
nature of all earthly enjoyments.
2
268
SER. 9.
FAITH'S VICTORY
The world does not appear in its true co-
lours to those who do not look beyond it to
an unseen and everlasting state. It assumes
a false and deceitful appearance, somewhat
like those enchanted scenes which fabulous
writers tell us deceived the unwary travel-
ler. Thus, unthinking men, blinded by the
devices of Satan and the deceitfulness of
their own hearts, pursue the vanities of life,
forming to themselves a thousand schemes
which are never realised, ever complaining
of the sad disappointment of their hopes,
yet still pursuing the empty shadows which
elude their grasp. But faith dissolves the
enchantment. It draws aside the veil,
shews us, with convincing evidence, how
vain and unsatisfying those objects are
which are most highly valued by worldly
men. It presents to our mind the cross of
Christ, and discovers to us its infinite im-
portance and value. And O! my Breth-
ren, how much does the believing contem-
plation of this glorious object darken the
lustre of the world in our eyes! What con-
tempt does it pour upon all its boasted ho-
hours, and riches, and pleasures! He who
::
and
SER. 9.
269
OVER THE WORLD.
was the prince of life, and the Lord of all
things was despised and rejected of men, a
man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.
Poverty, reproach, persecution, and death
was the portion which he possessed in this
world. How poor and inconsiderable, then,
must earthly enjoyments appear, in the es-
timation of him whose judgment is always
according to truth. Why should I covet
great things in the world, when my bless-
6
· ed Master had not where to lay his head ?
6
Why should I wish to stand high in the
esteem of that world which crucified
my
best Friend and beloved Saviour? Let o-
thers eagerly pursue the vain trifles of life;
'let them heap up gold as the dust of the
"earth; let them pant after fame; let them
seek for happiness in the low and pitiful
pleasures of sin-but God forbid that I
should glory, save in the cross of our Lord
Jesus Christ; by whom the world is cru-
cified to me, and I unto the world.'
16
6
Thus will the Christian reason, whose
faith has taught him to look upon this world
in its true and proper light.
270
SER. 9.
FAITH'S VICTORY
2. The faith of a Christian enables him
to overcome the allurements of the world,
by pointing out to him the dangerous con-
séquences of the unlawful pursuits of world-
ly men.
Faith opens to the mind boundless pros
pects beyond death and the grave. It
teaches us to consider the remote, as well as
the immediate consequences of our actions,
to stretch forward our thoughts to the ulti-
mate end of our being, and to pursue a plan
which will infallibly secure our final and e-
ternal happiness. But this is not the plan
which most men pursue. Present ease, pre-
sent interest, or present enjoyment is all that
they have in view. The objects of a future
and invisible state are too distant, and, in
their apprehension, too uncertain, to have
any abiding influence on their temper and
conduct. But faith brings these objects
near, and leads the mind attentively to con-
sider the different ends of the righteous and
the wicked. Does the world hold out to
the Christian its fair and flattering charms?
Poes it tempt him with the prospect of
SER. 9.
271
OVER THE WORLD.
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the wages of unrighteousness? or endeavour,
with its Siren voice, to allure him into the
forbidden paths of sensual indulgence? how
feeble will be the influence of such tempta-
tions on the mind of that man, who, believ-
ing the threatening of God, is firmly persuad-
ed that the end of these things is death.
Faith enables him boldly to reply, How
'shall I do this great wichedness and sin
against God? I see that the ways of sin
lead down to the chambers of destruction,
' and therefore, depart from me, ye evil do-
ers, for I will keep the commandments of
God. You say that such a thing is
my interest but how can that be for
my interest which would rob me of ever-
'lasting treasures? You tell me that such
a life is a life of pleasure: Be it so. But
• shall I purchase a few momentary plea-
sures at the expence of endless pain? I be-
⚫lieve the testimony of God, that the wa-
ges of sin is death. I behold indignation
and wrath, tribulation and anguish ap-
proaching with swift and certain steps to
⚫ overwhelm a world of ungodly sinners. By
the eye of faith I survey the unbelieving
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272
SER. J.
FAITH'S VICTORY
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and impenitent. I see the Judge descend-
ing in the clouds. I hear the voice that
" will reach the deepest caverns of the grave,
Arise, ye dead, and come to judgment !
It is the sound of the last trumpet that.
summons assembled worlds to receive from
'the lips of the Judge their final and ever-
lasting doom. Ah! what piercing accents
' are these that reach my ear! Depart from
me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, pre-
pared for the devil and his angels !—And
' is this the end of ungodly men? will these
❝ be the consequences of the unlawful pur-
suits in which they are engaged? My
soul, come not thou into their secret; but
'flee these things, and follow after righ-
‘teousness, godliness, faith, love, patience,
❝ meekness, and all the graces which ought
'to adorn the Christian character, and
which lead to peace, and life eternal.
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3. Faith enables the Christian to over-
come the allurements of the world, by fill-
ing his soul with those pure and spiritual
delights, which produce a disrelish for the
perishing pleasures of sin.
SER. 9.
273
OVER THE WORLD.
The mind of man is restless in pursu-
ing after happiness, and if it does not find
it in religion, it is sure to seek for it in
the world. But, blessed be God, true re
ligion is no enemy to happiness. On the
contrary, the faith of the gospel promotes it
in the highest degree. There is a peace
and a joy in believing, that the world know-
eth not, a peace that passeth all under-
standing, and a joy that is unspeakable and
full of glory. The Christian's happiness is
not all in reserve. Though it is only at the
right hand of God that he expects fulness of
joy, yet here he is often made to experi-
ence the foretastes of heaven. God sends
forth the Spirit of his Son into the hearts of
his people, as the earnest of their inheri
tance, and causes them, from happy experi-
ence, to say, Thou hast put gladness in our
heart, more than in the time when their
corn and wine increased. In the secret
exercises of meditation, prayer, and praise ;
in the various acts of social worship, and in
the solemn and delightful services of the
sanctuary, the Christian experiences a plea-
sure which he would not exchange for all
M M
274
SER. 9.
FAITH'S VICTORY
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that the world can bestow. Ah! my Friends,
how do such joys as these embitter the plea-
sures of sin, and elevate the soul above the
vanities and allurements of the world! How
poor and contemptible, in comparison, are
all its gay and glittering objects! What!'
may the believer say, when solicited by
these vanities, shall I pollute my sacred
joys with the unhallowed streams of car-
nal delights? Shall I foolishly part with
my heavenly birth-right, for any of the
unsatisfying objects of this transitory
state? No; I never can consent to such
an exchange. Upborn on the wings of
faith and hope, I can look down with in-
difference, and even with contempt, on
the kingdoms of this world, and all the
glory thereof. I covet not the poor pe-
rishing pleasures of sin. My soul aspires
after nobler joys. In communion with
my God, in the love of my Saviour, in the
fellowship of the saints, and in the bright
• and boundless prospects of immortality, I
"find a new and increasing satisfaction
which must for ever determine my choice,
even were the flatteries and allurements of
४
6
6.
6
SER. 9.
275
OVER THE WORLD.
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the world ten thousand times greater than
they are.
In this manner doth faith enable the Chri-
stian to obtain the victory over the allure-
ments of the world. Let us now observe,
II. How faith enables the Christian to
overcome its terrors.
1. It does so, by the gracious supports
which it yields under every trial.
I do not speak here of the common cala-
mities of life, such as pain or sickness, loss
of substance, or of friends, to which all men
are liable in the present state. Although,
in these cases, faith affords the Christian
the noblest support, yet the evils I have
chiefly in view are those which are peculiar
to the people of God, and which, in the
course of divine providence, they are often
called to endure, on account of their sted-
fast adherence to Christ and his service.
These are the evils in the world, to which
the apostle in the text seems particularly to
2
276
SER. 9.
FAITH'S VICTORY
refer. And how great are the supports
which faith affords to the Christian under
every
trial of this kind. Is he, for example,
called to endure the trial of cruel mockings?
Does he meet with much unmerited re-
proach because he refuses to comply with
the sinful customs and practices of the
world? In this case, he is supported by such
declarations as these, Hearken unto me, ye
that know righteousness, the people in
whose heart is my law; fear ye not the
reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of
their revilings. For the moth shall eat
them up like a garment, and the worm
shall eat them as wool; but my righteous-
ness shall be for ever, and my salvation
from generation to generation. If ye be
reproached for the name of Christ, happy
are ye; for the Spirit of glory and of God
resteth upon you: on their part he is evil
spoken of, but on your part he is glori
fied.
Does the opposition of the world proceed
the length of open violence? Faith has still
its support at hand, to confirm and encou
SER. 9.
277
OVER THE WORLD.
rage the Christian, Fear not, for I am with
thee; be not dismayed, for I am thy God.
I will strengthen thee, yea, I will help thee,
yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand
of my righteousness. When thou passest
through the waters, I will be with thee;
and through the rivers, they shall not over-
flow thee; when thou walkest through the
fire, thou shalt not be burnt, neither shall
the flames kindle upon thee.
C
Animated by such gracious encouraging
words, the believer can even glory in tri-
bulation. My Brethren, says an apostle,
count it all joy when ye fall into divers
temptations; knowing this, that the trying
of your faith worketh patience. On this
account, it is represented as a peculiar pri-
vilege, to suffer for Christ's sake. Unto
it is given, in the behalf of Christ, not
only to believe on him, but also to suffer for
his suke. And to the same purpose it is
elsewhere said, Let none of you suffer as a
murderer, or a thief, or as an evil-doer, or
as a busy-body in other men's matters. Yet
if any man suffer as a Christian, let him
you
278
SER. 9.
FAITH'S VICTORY
not be ashamed, but let him glorify God on
this behalf. Such, my Brethren, is the
wonderful efficacy of faith, in overcoming
the terrors of the world.
2. Faith enables the Christian to over-
come the terrors of the world by setting
before him the example of the great Author
'and Finisher of our faith.
Our blessed Redeemer was in all points
tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
No flatteries could allure, no threatenings
could move his spotless and innocent soul.
He vanquished every temptation, he tri-
umphed over every enemy, and his victory
is both the pattern and the pledge of ours.
Hence the example of Christ is so frequent-
ly mentioned as a support and encourage-
ment to Christians under every kind of suf
If, when ye do
·
fering for conscience sake.
well. and suffer for it, ye take it patient-
ly, this is acceptable with God. For even
hereunto were ye called, because Christ al-
so suffered for us, leaving us an example,
that we should follow his steps. Who did
SER. 9.
279
OVER THE WORLD.
no sin, neither was guile found in his
mouth: who, when he was reviled, reviled
not again; when he suffered, he threaten-
ed not, but committed himself to Him that
judgeth righteously.
How confirming and animating to the
Christian is such an example! I may be
despised and persecuted by the world,'
may he say, • but I cannot be worse treat-
'ed than my blessed Master. Why should
'I be unwilling to bear a little reproach for
• him who bore so much shame and con-
6
6
tempt for me! Why should I shrink at tak-
ing up the cross in my way to heaven, when
'I behold the glorious Captain of salvation
• himself made perfect thro' sufferings? Why
* should I refuse the cup of affliction from
his hands, who, to accomplish my redemp-
6
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tion, drank the cup of wrath that was due
to me for sin. Take courage then, Q my
soul, and march boldly on under the con-
'duct of such a Leader, nor fear the diffi-
6
culties and dangers of the way.'
3. Faith enables the Christian to over
280
SER. 9.
FAITH'S VICTORY
}
come the terrors of the world, by the glo
rious hopes with which it inspires him.
Let not your heart be troubled; ye be-
lieve in God, believe also in me.
In my
Father's house are many mansions; if it
were not so, I would have told you: I go
to prepare a place for you. And if I go
prepare a place for you, I will come a
gain and receive you unto myself, that
where I am, there ye may be also:
and
Blessed reviving words! How well fitted
to bear up the mind under the greatest suf-
ferings! What though we suffer now, if we
shall reign hereafter! What though the
way be strait and narrow, if it lead to the
heavenly mansions! The journey may be
troublesome, but the rest that remains is
glorious. The passage may be stormy, but
it will land us safe on Immanuel's happy
shore.
Animated by these enlivening hopes, Mo-
ses, the servant of God, forsook the land of
Egypt, and refused to be called the son of
SER. 9.
281
OVER THE WORld.
Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suf-
fer affliction with the people of God, than
to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a sea-
son. Animated by these hopes, the believ-
ing Hebrews took joyfully the spoiling of
their goods: knowing in themselves, that
they had in heaven a better and an endur-
ing substance. Animated by the same
hopes, the apostles and first teachers of
Christianity relinquished all that was dear
to them in the world, and were willing to
be accounted the filth of the world, and the
off scouring of all things. For they reck-
oned that the sufferings of the present time
were not worthy to be compared with the
glory to be revealed; and that their light
affliction, which was but for a moment, was
working for them a far more exceeding and
an eternal weight of glory. Hence that
astonishing fortitude with which they en-
countered and surmounted every danger,
rising superior to all the malice and rage
rage of
earth and hell.
In this manner, then, does faith enable
the Christian to obtain the victory over the
NN
282
SER. 9.
FAITH'S VICTORY
terrors, as well as the allurements of the
world. Such are the triumphs of this di-
vine grace: such the wonderful effects of
that glorious gospel which a blinded world
neglects and despises.
I shall now apply this subject to some
practical uses.
1. It furnishes us with a rule by which to
judge whether our faith be genuine. Does
it overcome the world? Does it render us
superior to its smiles and frowns, its allure-
ments and terrors? This is the certain and
uniform effect of true faith in the gospel.
But alas! my Brethren, how many profess-
ing Christians are evidently destitute of this
faith, walking after their own lusts, and
according to the course of this evil world.
Did religion consist, as too many by their
conduct seem to suppose, in bare specula-
tive notions, or in mere external decency,
then it would be no difficult matter to be-
come a Christian. But if it requires some-
thing vastly superior to this; if to be a Chri-
stian indeed, it is necessary that a man be
:
SER. 9.
283
OVER THE WORLD.
up
born again; that he deny himself, take
his cross, and follow Christ; renouncing
whatever he knows to be contrary to the
will of God, and simply following the path
of duty, however opposite it may be to his
sinful inclination or worldly interest: if to
be a Christian indeed, it is necessary, in
some degree, to live above the world, to be
dead to its vanities, and undismayed by its
terrors, then how few are there to whom this
character belongs. Yet this, my Brethren,
is the religion that will stand the test. This
is the Christianity so beautifully delineated
in the New Testament, and so happily ex-
emplified in the lives of the primitive Chri-
stians. Vain are our pretensions to the
faith of the gospel, if the love of sin and of the
world predominate in our heart. True faith
never fails to purify the heart, and to over-
come the world. It is a living, powerful,
operative principle; and proves itself to be
divine by the blessed effects which it pro-
duces on the temper and conduct. Let us
not deceive ourselves, then, with a name to
live if we are spiritually dead; with the merc
form of godliness, if we are destitute of its
2
284
SER. 9.
FAITH'S VICTORY
power. Examine yourselves whether you
be in the faith; prove your ownselves. Are
you indeed striving, under the influence of
faith, to overcome the world? Are you set-
ting yourselves in opposition to its sinful max-
ims, its evil customs, and its corrupt prac-
tices: Or, on the contrary, do you suffer
yourselves without resistance to be carried
down the stream of worldly pleasures and
pursuits? Is passion or interest your great
governing principle in the common inter-
course of life? and, provided you attain the
object of your wishes, have you little con-
cern about what is to be done for God,
for his cause, and kingdom, and glory in the
world.
2. From what has been said, we may in-
fer the danger of worldly prosperity.
How hardly shall they that have riches
enter into the kingdom of God. For it is
easier for a camel to go through the eye of
a needle, than for a rich man to enter into
the kingdom of God. The difficulty which
our Saviour expresses in these words arises
1
SER. 9. OVER THE WORLD.
285
from the intoxicating notions of worldly
prosperity. As a man's circumstances pros-
per, his temptations increase. A long con-
tinued course of worldly prosperity is apt
to produce pride, self-sufficiency, forgetful-
ness of God, and insensibility to spiritual
objects. Hence it is that we find so few
in affluence or high rank who are possessed
of real religion. Nay, how many instan-
ces are there of persons, who possessed some
regard to religion whilst in low or moder-
ate circumstances, who, on being raised to
greater dignity and affluence, have thrown
off every restraint, and become openly pro-
fane. Should not this consideration make
us dread, rather than covet great things for
ourselves in the world; since the higher we
are raised, the more is the difficulty encreas-
ed of entering into the kingdom of God.
Even on the minds of real Christians, what
an unhappy influence often has worldly
prosperity! How uncommon is it to behold
a Christian maintaining the lively exercise
of divine faith in the midst of ease and af-
fluence! Outward prosperity, therefore, is
not the common lot of the people of God,
286
SER. 9.
FAITH'S VICTORY
It is not the most friendly soil for the growth
of the Christian graces. This leads me to
remark,
3. The benefit of sanctified afflictions.
O my Christian Friends, what cause have
you to bless God for afflictions, for this,
among other reasons, that they tend to pro-
mote your victory over the world! It has
generally been found in experience, more
difficult to overcome its smiles than its
frowns. Prosperity has a natural tenden-
cy to attach us to present objects. But af
flictions discover them in their true and
proper light. They aid us in the exercise
of faith. They quicken us to prayer, and
raise our thoughts towards our heavenly rest.
Bless God, then, ye afflicted followers of a
crucified master. Envy not the men who
are placed in more prosperous circumstan-
ces than yourselves. In various respects
their situation is more dangerous than yours,
and their difficulties in overcoming the
world far greater, than you are well able to
conceive.
SER. 9.
287
OVER THE WORLD.
It must be observed, at the same time,
that there is no situation in which the power
of faith in overcoming the world does not
appear. Though in general not many rich,
not many mighty, not many noble are call-
ed, yet blessed be God, some such there
have been in every age, who have proved
distinguished ornaments to the Christian
profession, and shewn the possibility of
maintaining the strictest godliness in the
most unfavourable situations.
Joseph was cnabled to`preserve his inte-
grity, even when raised to the highest
power among the idolatrous Egyptians.
Daniel could dare to be devout among the
courtiers of Babylon: And it is recorded of
Cornelius, a centurion of the Roman army,
that his prayers and his alms came up for a
memorial before God. These, and many
other instances that might be mentioned,
shew, that, in every situation of life, this is
the victory that overcometh the world, even
our faith.
288
SER. 9.
FAITH'S VICTORY
And now, Brethren, let me exhort all
who hear me, earnestly to engage in this
honourable warfare. All men have not
faith. See then that you be possessed of this
heavenly grace. Do not content yourselves
with a cold wavering assent to the truths
of Scripture, for this can never produce
any lasting effect upon the temper and
conduct. Apply yourselves closely to the
study of those sacred oracles, which con-
tain the words of eternal life. Remember
that there is nothing in the world that con-
cerns you so much as the salvation of your
souls; and that a mistake here, may be at-
tended with the most fatal and irretrieva-
ble consequences. Count all things but
loss, then, for the excellency of-the know-
ledge of Christ; yea, dross and dung that
you may win Christ, and be found in him:
If you are possessed of true faith, you'
shall become conquerors, and more than
conquerors, through him that loved you.
Sin, Satan, and the world will fall before
you; and in due time you shall reach the
end of your faith, and hope, and patience;
SER. 9.
289
OVER THE World.
and be crowned with unfading glory and
never-ending bliss. Be strong, therefore,
in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Take unto you the whole armour of God,
that you may be able to withstand in the
evil day, and having done all to stand.
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on
eternal life. And, for your encourage-
ment, remember the cheering, animating
words of the glorious Captain of our salva-
tion, To him that overcometh, will I grant
to sit with me on my throne, even as I al-
so overcame, and am sat down with my Fa-
ther on his throne.
00.
SERMON X.
THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER.
!
ACTS iv. 13.
And they took knowledge of them, that
they had been with Jesus.
THE success that attended the ministra-
tions of Peter and John, and which seems to
have been greatly promoted by the mira-
cle which they had performed on the impo-
tent man, who sat at the gate of the tem-
ple, alarmed and irritated the priests, Sad-
ducees, and other enemies of the gospel at
Jerusalem. Hoping by threats and violence
to intimidate them into a compliance with
their wishes, they laid hands on the apos-
tles, and cast them into prison. Next day,
>
}
SER. 10.
291
THE CHRISTIAN, &c.
being brought before the council, and in-
terrogated by what power, or in what name
they had wrought this miracle, Peter, fill-
ed with the Holy Ghost, immediately re-
plied; Ye rulers of the people, and elders
of Israel, if we this day be examined of the
good deed done to the impotent man, by
what means he is made whole; be it known
unto you all, and to all the people of Is-
rael, that by the name of Jesus Christ of
Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God
raised from the dead, even by him doth this
man stand here before you whole. This is
the stone which was set at nought of you
builders, which is become the head of the
corner. Neither is there salvation in any
other: for there is none other name under
heaven given among men whereby we must
be saved.
Such a confession in such circumstances,
'discovered a mind conscious of the goodness
of its cause, and nobly superior to the fear
of man.
It struck the Jewish rulers with
admiration and awe. When they saw the
boldness of Peter and John, and perceived
2
292
SER. 10.
THE CHRISTIAN
that they were unlearned and ignorant men,
it is said they marvelled. They perceived
in the manner, the language, and the whole
behaviour of the apostles, something that
bespoke an elevation of mind and dignity of
character, far above the common standard.
This filled them with wonder, as they knew
that the apostles were men of low birth, and
destitute of the advantages of a learned e-
ducation.
The only way, therefore, in which they
could account for it, was by recollecting,
that they were the friends and disciples of
Jesus, from whose society and conversation
they supposed them to have acquired these
superior endowments. They took know-
ledge of them that they had been with Je-
sus.
Was a reflection of this kind naturally
suggested to the members of the Jewish
council, by the conduct of the apostles on
this occasion; and do not you think, my
Friends, that there must be something in
the temper and conduct of real Christians
SER. 10.
298
CHARACTER.
at all times, that will distinguish them from
the men of the world among whom they
live? Undoubtedly there is. Our circum-
stances, indeed, are different from those of
the apostles and first Christians. There is
not the same marked and visible distinction
between the friends and enemies of the cross
of Christ now, as when the profession of
Christianity was attended with the risk of
life, and every worldly comfort. The num-
ber of hypocrites and false pretenders to re-
ligion has always been greatest in peacea-
ble times of the church. But the religion
of Jesus itself, is the same in every age. Its
opposition to the prevailing maxims and
manners of the world is marked now, as
really as it was in the days of the apostles ;
and it is still as certain, that we can have
no title to the name of Christians, unless
the same mind be in us which was also in
Christ Jesus.
Suffer me, therefore, in farther discours-
ing from these words, to point out to you
what that temper and conduct is, by which
you ought to be distinguished as the friends
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THE CHRISTIAN
of Christ; or, to use the beautiful lan-
guage of our text, on account of which, o-
thers may take knowledge of you that you
have been with Jesus. This is a subject
which can never be unseasonable, but which,
I hope, will be listened to with peculiar at-
tention by those who have so lately been
professing their love to Christ at his own
table*. You have there acknowledged him
as your Lord and Master. You have en-
listed yourselves under his banner. You
have sworn allegiance to the King of Zion.
If
you would wish therefore to justify the
sincerity of your professions, you must stu-
dy to walk even as Christ also walked, and
to manifest the happy effect of your con-
nection with him in every part of your fu-
ture conduct:
It is a common, but just observation,
that a man is known by the company with
whom he associates. He that walketh with
the wise shall be wise; but a companion of
* Preached on the Lord's day after the dispensation
of the Supper.
SER. 10.
295
CHARACTER.
fools shall be destroyed. It is equally true,
that a man's general spirit and manner will
for the most part discover the company
which he ordinarily frequents. On these
principles, then, it might naturally be expect-
ed, that the Christian, the manwho has been
with Jesus in the sense which I shall after-
wards explain, should have something in his
general temper and conduct, that will dis-
tinguish him from the rest of the world.
We are all sensible of the influence which
frequent intercourse with others produces on
our minds. How naturally, and almost in-
sensibly do we imbibe the sentiments and
spirit of those whom we love and esteem.
Nay, how apt are we, without intending it,
to imitate them, even in their peculiarities
and weaknesses. And is it possible to hold
frequent converse with our God and Saviour,
to dwell much on the contemplation of his
adorable perfections, to take delight in his
word and ordinances, and to enjoy his spi-
ritual presence, without being transformed
in some measure into the same image.
When Moses descended from Mount Ho-
reb, after having spent forty days and for-
296
SER. 10.
THE CHRISTIAN
ty nights in communion with God, a visi-
ble glory appeared in his countenance. His
face shone so, that the children of Israel
could not stedfastly behold him. In like
manner will the Christian, whose conversa-
tion is in heaven, and who is accustomed to
hold frequent communion with the Saviour
by means of his word and ordinances, dis-
cover by his spirit, his language, and his
behaviour that he has been with Jesus. He
is a pilgrim and a stranger on the earth.
His best enjoyments come from above, and
therefore you may observe, in the tenor of
his conduct something that bespeaks his
acquaintance with the other world, and his
regard to it, as the terminating object of all
his hopes and wishes. But let us take a
nearer survey of the Christian temper and
character, that we may perceive more dis-
tinctly how we ought to walk, so that o-
thers shall take knowledge of us that we
have been with Jesus.
In judging of any character, there are
four things that should be taken into ac-
SER. 10.
297
CHARACTER.
count:
Sentiments,-Temper,-Language,
--and Outward Behaviour.
;
Now, let us consider the Christian cha-
racter under these particulars, and observe
how each of them is affected by a real ex-
perimental knowledge of the gospel of Je-
sus:
I. Let us consider the influence which a
knowledge of the gospel of Jesus may natu-
rally be supposed to produce on our lead-
ing sentiments and views.
These, it is evident, enter very deeply in-
to the formation of a man's temper and
character. The light of the body is the eye.
The leading faculty of the soul is the un-
derstanding, or judgment. If, therefore,
the eye be single, the whole body shall be
full of light; but if the eye be evil, the
whole body shall be full of darkness. A
superficial enquirer may think, that opinions
in religion are of very small importance,
having little or no connection with the life
and practice; but the truth is, however
P P
298
SER. 10.
THE CHRISTIAN
much some men may act in direct contra-
diction to their acknowledged principles,
there are none who really believe what they
profess, but must, in some measure, be sen-
sible of its influence upon their life and con-
duct.
A leading feature, then, in the character
of a Christian, and one by which he may
be known and distinguished as a disciple of
Christ, is the sentiments which he en-
tertains, in opposition to the false and dan-
gerous maxims which prevail in the world.
A Christian is one who yields an entire
and implicit submission to the authority of
Christ, as revealed in his word. He has
received the scriptures upon satisfying evi-
dence as the word of God, and therefore he
cannot, he dare not dispute the authority of
of the truths which it reveals. He is
sensible there must be many things in a di-
vine revelation above the reach of his limit-
ed capacity; but it is sufficient for him to
know, that such and such things are clear-
ly revealed. He believes, upon the testi-
any
SER. 10.
299
´CHARACTER.
mony of God, those things which his reason
cannot fully comprehend, and submits his
understanding, in matters that are beyond
its reach, to the unerring dictates of divine
wisdom. From the Scriptures of truth,
therefore, the Christian takes his sentiments
for the direction of his conduct. These sa-
cred oracles he esteems as the infallible
standard of right and wrong. Nor is he
ashamed, though he should be account-
ed singular in his opinions, provided only
he can be satisfied as to the mind and will
of God in any particular matter.
Let us endeavour to illustrate this idea a
little more fully, by pointing out some par-
ticular instances, in which our sentiments,
if we are Christians, must essentially differ
from those that currently prevail in the
world, even among those that bear the Chri-
stian name.
I may begin, then, with that which is the
first and fundamental principle of all reli-
gion, The nature and perfections of God.
2
300
SER. 10.
THE CHRISTIAN
How many false and erroneous notions
concerning God have gone abroad into the
world. Every man, forsaking the plain and
consistent account given us of God in Scrip-
ture, frames to himself, as his pride or his
passion dictates, an idea of his own fancy
which he falls down and worships. The ge-
neral notion that worldly men entertain of
God is, that he is a Being of unlimited good-
ness, who will have all his creatures to be
happy, and who is easily disposed to forgive
any little faults (for such they are pleased
to account their sins) with which they may
be chargeable. But how different does the
Christian, the man who has been with Jesus,
and who takes his information from the sa-
cred Scriptures, conceive of God. He knows,
indeed, that God is a Being of infinite good-
ness, and unbounded loving kindness, and
this inspires his confidence. But, at the
same time, he considers him as just and ho-
ly in his dealings with his creatures, keep-
ing mercy for thousands of them that love
him, but by no means clearing the impeni-
tently guilty. His acquaintance with the
gospel of Jesus, that wonderful scheme of
•
SER. 10.
301
CHARACTER.
salvation, which forms the great subject of
the inspired writings, has rectified his no-
tions of God, and taught him to entertain
high and honourable conceptions of his mo-
ral character and government; so that now,
while he rejoices in God through our Lord
Jesus Christ, as reconciled by the death of
his Son, he stands in awe of his power and
majesty, and serves him with reverence and
godly fear.
Ex-
Again, as the Christian's ideas of God
are very different from those of worldly men,
so are his sentiments respecting himself.
He has long ago laid aside the self-flatter-
ing views, which the pretended sons of wis-
dom give of the dignity of human nature,
and the all-sufficient powers of man.
perience has taught him his own weakness
and unworthiness. His high imaginations
are cast down, and he now cordially assents
to the mortifying and melancholy truth
which the word of God reveals, and the his-
tory of every age confirms, that man is a
fallen, and corrupted creature, that the ima-
ginations of the thoughts of his heart are e-
302
SER. 10.
THE CHRISTIAN
1
vil, only evil continually; that the carnal
mind is enmity against God, not being sub-
ject to the law of God, nor disposed to yield
obedience to his will; and therefore, that it
is not in man that walketh to direct his
own steps, and that if ever a fallen crea-
ture is restored to the lost image of his Mak-
er, he must be born again, renewed by the
Holy Spirit, and translated from darkness
unto light, and from the power of Satan un-
to God.
Again, in proportion to the humbling ap-
prehensions which the Christian entertains
of himself, are his admiring and exalted
thoughts of the Redeemer. To the igno-
rant unenlightened mind, Christ has no form
nor comeliness, nor is there any beauty in
him that they should desire him. But the
man who hath been with Jesus, has receiv-
ed some satisfying discovery of his match-
less excellence and worth. His person, his
character, his offices, and work, appear in-
estimably precious in his esteem. These he
regards with the profoundest veneration and
the highest delight. In them he places his
SER. 10.
303
CHARACTER.
1
1
confidence and hope, while, with the apos-
tle, he counts all things but loss for the ex-
cellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus
his Lord; that he may win Christ, and be
found in him, not having his own righteous-
ness, which is of the law, but that which is
through the faith of Christ, the righteous-
ness of God by faith.
Once more, the Christian's views of this
and another world, are very different from
those of the generality of mankind. The
Christian considers this world as a danger-
ous wilderness, through which he has to
pass to the Canaan that is above; and on
its best enjoyments he perceives written in
plain and legible characters, Vanity and
vexation of spirit. A great part of man-
kind seem to live only for this world. Their
hopes, their desires, their pursuits, are
bounded by things seen and temporal; and,
to judge by their conduct, you would think
that this is all the portion they ever wish
to enjoy. But the Christian, whose mind is
enlightened from above, takes in a larger and
more comprehensive view of things. He judg-
304
SER. 10%
THE CHRISTIAN
es with the apostle, that the things which
are seen are temporal, but that the things
which are not seen are eternal. He reckons,
that the sufferings of this present time are
not worthy to be compared with the glory
that is to be revealed, even with that far
more exceeding and eternal weight of glo-
ry,
which is reserved for the people of God
in heaven. Eternity! O how vast does e-
ternity appear in the Christian's esteem!
How does it annihilate the world, and all
its little trifling concerns! Wicked and un-
godly men, whatever they may pretend,
have no fixed and steady belief in the great
realities of an invisible world; for, if they
had, they could not live in the manner they
do. But the man who hath been with Je-
sus, the genuine disciple of Christ, is one
who acts on the well grounded and steady
conviction of the great truths revealed in
the word of God, relating to a future and
eternal world. His faith is the substance of
things hoped for, the evidence of things not
seėn. It gives a kind of subsistence (as the
original word 705aσis signifies) to those fu-
ture and distant objects which are conceal-
SER. 10.
305
CHARACTER.
éd from the eye of sense. It brings them
near, as it were, and represents them to the
view of the mind, not as bare probabilities,
but as absolute certainties, which are well
entitled to the firmest credit, and most un-
suspicious confidence.
I come now to consider,
II. The influence which a saving know-
ledge of the gospel ought to produce on the
Temper.
By the temper, I mean the habitual
frame or disposition of the mind, both to-
wards God and our fellow-creatures. In-
deed, however correct our religious views
and sentiments may be, unless they have a
corresponding influence on our temper, we
have too good reason to fear that we are
yet strangers to the grace of God in truth.
I could willingly enlarge on this important
branch of the Christian character, but a-
greeably to the general design of this dis-
course, I must only hint at a few particu-
lars, in which I shall endeavour to keep in
QQ
306
SER. 10.
THE CHRISTIAN
view that great pattern of the Christian
temper, exhibited by
exhibited by our blessed Lord, who
in this, as well as in all other respects, hath
left us an example that we should follow his
steps.
The first thing I mention, by which the
Christian temper is marked, and on account
of which, others may take knowledge of
us that we have been with Jesus is humi-
lity.
This is the ground-work of the Christian
character. It is the first lesson that is learn-
ed in the school of Christ, and that temper
of mind, which, above all others, the gospel
enjoins. A proud Christian is a contradic-
tion in terms; for the very name Christian
implies the renunciation of our own wisdom,
works, and will; and a chearful submission
to the righteousness, grace, and government
of Christ. And where can we find, my
Friends, such a bright pattern of humility
as in the example of Christ himself? He
was in the form of God, and thought it not
robbery to be equal with God; yet he made
SER. 10.
307
CHARACTER.
himself of no reputation, and took upon
him the form of a servant. For almost
thirty years of his life, he lived in obscu-
rity, nor did he aspire to worldly gran-
deur, even after he entered upon his public
ministry. He sought not honour from men,
but patiently submitted to shame and re-
proach, in the prosecution of his great and
generous designs.
designs. He condescended to
men of low estate, conversing with the
meanest, as readily as with the most wealthy
or powerful, and refusing no acts of kindness
to persons of any description who applied.
to him for relief. Such was the humble
and lowly spirit of the great Author and
Finisher of our faith and surely it is meet
that the disciple should be as his Master,
and the servant as his Lord. Has the Chri-
stian been with Jesus? has he frequently
contemplated his life and character? has he
received likewise of his Spirit? and must not
the same mind be in him, even that lowly
self-denying temper, which will lead him to
entertain just, and therefore low apprehen-
sions of his own character and attainments,
and to esteem others better than himself?
2
308
SER. 10.
THE CHRISTIAN
1
Again, nearly allied to the grace of hu-
mility is meekness, another eminent branch
of the Christian temper.
Of this disposition, also, we have an ad-
mirable pattern in the life and conduct of
our blessed Lord. As he was of a humble,
so he was likewise of a meek and quiet spi-
rit. Though he met with much unprovoked
ill usage from his cruel and implacable ene-
mies, he was never heard to employ passion-
ate or irritating language in return. When
he was reviled, he reviled not again; when
he suffered, he threatened not, but commit-
ted himself to him that judgeth righteous-
ly. On one occasion, when the Jews, with-
out any just cause, took up stones to stone
him, we find him, instead of shewing any
resentment, endeavouring to calm their pas-
sions by this mild and gentle reply, Many
good works have I shewed you from my
Father, for which of those works do
ye
stone me? At another time, he rebuked his
disciples for their intemperate zeal, in wish-
ing him to call down fire from heaven to
consume the Samaritans, who had shut their
SER. 10.
309
CHARACTER.
gates against him; Ye know not,
what manner of spirit ye are of.
said he,
For the
Son of man is not come to destroy men's
lives, but to save them. And at the con-
cluding scene of his sufferings, when`endur-
ing all the pain and ignominy which the
most inveterate malice could inflict, with
what divine meekness and compassion did
he pray for his murderers! Father, forgive
them, for they know not what they do!
With such an example before him, can
the Christian indulge an angry or revenge-
ful spirit? Is there any man that is of a
proud or passionate, of an implacable and
unforgiving temper, who yet pretends to
be a disciple of Him who was meek and
lowly in heart? He may build himself up
with vain hopes, but he is, he must be
a stranger to the life and spirit
of true re-
ligion. The man who hath been with Je-
sus must have learned of him who endured
the contradiction of sinners against himself,
a meek, a gentle, and peaceable disposition.
He must have been taught after his exam-
ple, to bless them that curse him, to do
310
SER. 10.
THE CHRISTIAN
good to them that hate him, and to pray
for them that despitefully use and persecute
him.
Charity, including love to God and man,
is another important and comprehensive
branch of a Christian temper, on account
of which, others may take knowledge of us
that we have been with Jesus.
This is the very life and soul of true reli-
gion, without which, an apostle tells us, it
would profit us nothing though we could
speak with the tongue of men and of an-
gels, though we had the gift of prophecy,
and understood all mysteries, and all know-
ledge, though we had all faith, so that we
could remove mountains, yea, though we
bestowed all our goods to feed the poor, or
even gave our bodies to be burned. This
kind of love is a gracious principle, wrought
in the soul by the Spirit of God, leading to
hope, and trust, and delight in Him, and
producing by its influence the fruits of righ-
teousness in the life and conversation.
SER. 10.
CHARACTER.
Such is the nature of love to God, consi-
dered as an inward principle, but I speak of
it at present chiefly as an external mark of
a Christian temper. And in this view I
would observe, that wherever true love to
God is felt, it will discover itself by un-
feigned love to mankind. A Christian
has the mind of Christ, who went about do-
ing good, who maketh his sun to shine on
the evil and good, and sendeth rain on the
just and unjust. Never did the world be-
hold such an example of universal love, as
was exhibited in the character of Jesus. His
whole life was nothing else but a continued
series of labours and sufferings in the cause
of love. And of this he at last gave the
most astonishing proof, by laying down his
precious life upon a cross for our sakes. Un-
der the constraining influence of this love,
and with so bright an example before him,
the Christian is formed to the habit of
diffusive benevolence. He breathes a spi-
rit of good-will to mankind, and rejoices in
every opportunity of being useful to the
souls and bodies of others, without respect
to parties or interests. He commiserates,
312
SÉR. 10.
THE CHRISTIAN
and would, if in his power, alleviate, the mi-
series of all around him; and if his active
services are restrained by want of ability,
all have a share in his sympathy and pray-
ers.
But while the Christian regards all man-
kind with a love of benevolence, he bears
a special affection to those who are par-
takers of the faith and hope of the gospel.
This is not confined to any particular sect
or denomination, but extends to all who
love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. He
rejoices in the image of God wherever he
sees it, and in the work of God wherever it
is carried on. A love so extensive and dis-
interested is one of the most amiable parts
of the Christian temper. It is that which
our blessed Lord recommends to his disci-
ples as the distinguishing badge of their
profession: By this shall all men know that
ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to
another. This is the best evidence of your
6
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relation to me, and of your rightful claim
to the character of my disciples. This is the
"most convincing proof to the world of the
SER. 10.
313
CHARACTER.
'
It
• divine excellence of my religion, that ye
• have love one to another.' So it was in
the early ages of Christianity, when the hea-
thens were constrained to exclaim, See how
these Christians love one another! Such
indeed will always be the effect of the gos-
pel, when received in demonstration of the
Spirit and with power. It will produce a
spirit of love and mutual forbearance.
will beget that charity, which, to use the
beautiful language of the apostle, suffereth
long, and is kind, envieth not, vaunteth not
itself, is not puffed up; doth not behave
itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not
easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth
not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
beareth all things, believeth all things,
hopeth all things, endureth all things.
I shall only add farther, that submission
naturally and necessarily flows from the
temper of love. This is two-fold, and in each
it is absolute, and without reserve. The
Christian submits to the revealed will of his
Lord, as made known to him in Scripture.
He aims to tread in his Saviour's footsteps,
RR
$14
SER. 10.
THE CHRISTIAN
and makes conscience of obeying all his
commandments, without exception, and
without hesitation.
Again, He submits to the providential
will of God. He acquiesces in his wisdom,
and chearfully resigns himself and all his
concerns to the unerring disposal of his
providence. Here likewise, as in the form-
er instances, the example of Christ is held
forth for his imitation. In the days of his
flesh, he exhibited a bright pattern of the
most perfect submission to the will of his
heavenly Father. Not my will, but thine
be done, were the words which he uttered
in the garden of Gethsemane. The cup
which my Father hath given me, said he at
another time, shall I not drink it? Such
was the language, such the spirit of him
whom we call our Lord and Master; and
the man that has been with Jesus cannot
but
possess something of the same patient
and submissive temper.
From considering the temper, I now
now pro-
ceed to another branch of the Christian
SER. 10.
315
CHARACTER.
character, intimately connected with it,
which, for the sake of distinction, I men-
tioned under the general name of language.
This was the
III. Particular to which I proposed to
direct your attention. And, in the prose-
cution of the general plan, I shall very
shortly endeavour, as under the former
heads, to point out the influence which an
experimental knowledge of the gospel of Je-
sus ought to produce upon a Christian's or-
dinary language or discourse.
Here I must be understood to have in
view all the duties included in the proper
government of the tongue, a most impor-
tant branch of the Christian character, and
so indispensably necessary, that without it an
apostle tells us, all our religion is vain. If
any man among you seem to be religious,
and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth
his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
Elsewhere we are told by the same apostle,
that the tongue is a fire, a world of iniqui-
ty; that it defileth the whole body, setteth
,
2
316
SER. 10.
THE CHRISTIAN
[
on fire the course of nature, and is set on
fire of hell that it is an unruly evil, and
full of deadly poison: and, says he, if any
man offend not in word, the same is a per-
fect man, and able also to bridle the whole
body. Let us consider, then, in what man-
ner the Christian, or the man that hath been
with Jesus, will distinguish himself by the
due government of his tongue.
First, A Christian's language will be dis-
tinguished for its purity.
No filthy communication ought to pro-
ceed out of his mouth, but such as is good
and for the use of edifying. The language
of
any person ought certainly to express the
disposition of his mind, agreeably to that
rule of our Saviour's, Out of the abundance
of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good
man, out of the good treasure of his heart
bringeth forth good things; and an evil
man, out of the evil treasure bringeth
forth evil things. A heart, therefore, that
is purified by divine faith, must produce a
language proportionably pure and spiritual.
·
SER. 10.
317
CHARACTER.
The man that hath been with Jesus can find
no pleasure in the conversation of the sen-
sualist. He abhors the garment spotted by
the flesh; and having no fellowship with
the unfruitful works of darkness, accounts
it a shame even to speak of those things
that are done of them in secret.
Again, a Christian's language, or ordi-
nary discourse will certainly be character-
ised by a constant regard to truth.
The Christian, as the child of God, who
is truth itself, and who cannot lie, must bear
this image of his heavenly Father. As the
disciple of Jesus, also, he must imitate his
blessed Master, who did no sin, and in whose
mouth guile was not found. If therefore
he has been with Jesus, the law of truth will
be in his lips, and his tongue will be a stran-
ger to all guile and deceit. In his ordinary
intercourse with men, he will be careful to
shun the most distant approach to lying or
dissimulation, however it may be coloured
over by specious names or pretexts. Even
when provoked by the unjust calumnies of
318
SER. 10.
THE CHRISTIAN
the wicked, he will guard against the spirit
of revenge,
which would lead him to reta-
liate by circulating reports to their preju-
dice and when, in the transactions of bu-
siness, he is tempted to conceal what it is
his duty to make known, he will study to
resist the temptation, and in the simplicity
of his heart, according to the apostolic di-
rection, speak the truth with his neigh-
bour.
Again, His language will likewise be kind
and inoffensive.
He will, indeed, disdain to flatter, for he
will not court the favour of men at the ex-
pence of integrity and truth; but, so far as
truth and conscience will allow, his speech
is winning and courteous. He affects not
the airs of a Cynic. He wears not the gloom
of superstition. But, though raised above
levity, his conversation is easy and chearful,
and far removed from that ill-natured and
censorious spirit which is too often conceal-
ed under the more specious names of inno
cent raillery or thoughtless mirth. Kemem-
SER. 10.
319
CHARACТЕК.
bering that a man's character is one of his
most valuable possessions, he will not dare
to rob him of it by malicious insinuations;
but will be silent, rather than concur with
those who are disposed to slander a brother
behind his back. In short, as his spirit is
meekness, his language will be gentle and
unoffending.
He
Besides all this, however, there must be
something still more peculiar to the lan-
guage of a Christian, in order to mark his
connection and intercourse with Jesus.
will speak the language of Canaan, a lan-
guage which, though it may be some-
times not unsuccessfully imitated by men
who have never known the grace of God in
truth, belongs essentially to those who are
the citizens of Zion. This is what the apos-
tle seems to mean, by having our speech
seasoned with
grace. It is to have a
savour of godliness in the whole of our
conversation, so that a stranger may take
knowledge of us, as the Jewish rulers did of
the apostles, that we have been with Jesus.
320
SER. 10.
THE CHRISTIAN
I acknowledge, that there is a time to keep
silence, as well as a time to speak, and that
much prudence is necessary in the manage-
ment of religious conversation, lest we give
that which is holy unto dogs, or cast our
pearls before swine; but I am afraid we ge-
nerally run to the opposite extreme, and
from an excessive fear of appearing ostenta-
tious, often betray the cause of religion, and
neglect many a precious opportunity of do-
ing good to the souls of men. He is but a
faint-hearted Christian who in the compa-
ny of worldly men, wants courage to bring
in a word for Christ and religion; but he is
worse, he is a traitor to the cause, and de-
serves not the sacred name of Christian,
who can patiently sit, and hear the name
of God blasphemed, his ordinances vilified,
and every thing that is sacred made the
subject of ridicule. A disciple of Pythago-
ras or of Plato, would surely have stood
forth in the cause of his master, if malici-
ously or unjustly calumniated: but be as-
tonished, O heavens! and be horribly afraid,
O earth! a man, who bears the name of
Christian, who professes love to Jesus, and
SER. 10.
821
CHARACTER.
T
entertains the hope of being saved by him
at last, mingles without fear in the society
of the scorner and profane; and listens,
without expressing his disapprobation, to
things which ought not to be once named
amongst Christians. To such, the alarm-
ing words of our Saviour may be justly ap-
plied, Whosoever shall be ashamed of me
and of my words, of him shall the Son of
Man be ashamed, when he shall come in his
own glory, and in his Father's, and of the
holy angels.
It now only remains, that, in the
Fourth place, we consider the influence
of an experimental knowledge of the gospel
of Jesus on a Christian's actions, or outward
behaviour.
This is the finishing part of the Christian
character, the most unequivocal proof of
the sincerity of our Christian profession,
and that which gives a beauty, a lustre,
and consistency to the whole.
BS
322
SER. 10.
THE CHRISTIAN
What, then, are the actions, what the
outward behaviour, that may naturally be
expected to accompany the sentiments, the
temper, and language which I have alrea-
dy 'illustrated?
1. Are the Christian's leading sentiments
and views such as have been represented?
Does he think honourably of God? Does he
conceive humbly of himself? Is the Saviour
precious to him? and does the world appear
in his esteem what it really is, vanity and
vexation of spirit? To such sentiments and
views as these, his outward behaviour will
correspond. As he fears and loves God in
his heart, so you will observe him paying a
sacred regard to all the positive institu-
tions of religion. You will see him in
his family worshipping the God of his
fathers, and like pious Abraham, com-
manding his children and his household af-
ter him to keep the way of the Lord. You
will observe his strong attachment to the
word and ordinances of God, in opposition
to those who either altogether slight the in-
stitutions of religion, or who give but a for-
>
SER. 10.
323
CHARACTER.
ced and occasional attendance upon them.
In obedience to the express command of
God, he is particularly careful to remember
the Sabbath-day to keep it holy, so that no
part of it may be spent in amem-nt, or un-
necessary worldly business. An ungodly man,
though accustomed to appear in the house of
God, accounts the worship of God a burden,
and is glad of an excuse for not attending;
but the Christian can truly say, in the devout
language of the Psalmist, How amiable are
thy tabernacles! a day spent in thy courts
is better than a thousand : I had rather
be a door-keeper in the house of my God,
than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.
In a particular manner, he feels the warın-
est affection to that ordinance which is ap-
pointed for the express purpose of comme-
morating the Saviour's dying love; and so
deeply impressed is he with a sense of his
obligations to this love, that with the ut-
most readiness he embraces every opportu-
nity of testifying before the world in this
solemn and public manner, that he hath
been with Jesus.
2
324
SER. 10.
THE CHRISTIAN
1
Farther, the Christian looks upon this
world as vanity, and the next as all-impor-
tant. In conformity therefore to this sen-
timent, he discovers a noble superiority
to the world. He will not be over-solicit-
ous to obtain its honours, or riches, or plea-
sures, nor be greatly cast down with its
disappointments and losses; for, having
his heart and his treasure in heaven, he
looks out for a city which hath founda-
tions, whose builder and maker is God.
Yea, though every outward circumstance
should seem to be against him, yet will he
possess his soul in patience, in hope of that
far more exceeding and eternal weight of
glory that awaits him beyond the grave.
But again, is the Christian distinguished
from the men of the world by having the
same mind in him which was also in Jesus;
a humble, meek, loving, and submissive tem-
per? This also will shew itself in his out-
ward behaviour. His humility, if he move
in a superior station of life, will appear to
the world, in the unaffected simplicity and
condescension of his manners; or, if in an
SER. 10.
325
CHARACTER.
inferior station, in a modest and unassuming
behaviour, in submission to the lawful com-
mands of his superiors, and in a chearful
discharge of the duties belonging to his
place in society.
His meekness will dispose him to bear
with patience the injuries he may receive
from his fellow-creatures, and, as much as
in him lies, to live peaceably with all men.
His love will shew itself in acts of kindness
and humanity, according to his ability and
opportunities. If providence has blessed
him with affluence, he will not think it
enough to say to his indigent brethren, De-
part in
peace; be ye warmed, and be ye
clothed :—while he gives not those things
that are needful for the body. Such a con-
duct is highly injurious to our fellow-crea-
tures, and altogether inconsistent with the
character of a real Christian. His love is
not a dead unactive principle, satisfied with
prayers and wishes, but proves a constant and
powerful incitement to the practice of all
that is just, and pure, and honest, and love-
ly, and of good report. And as the Chri-
326
SER. 10.
THE CHRISTIAN
stian's love disposes him to be liberal, gene-
rous, and tender-hearted, so the temper of
submission leads to contentment with his
lot, to the suppression of all murmuring and
repining complaints, and to the conscien-
tious improvement of those talents whatev-
er they may be, that providence hath put
into his hands.
Once more, is the Christian's language
pure and spiritual, simple and devoid of ar-
tifice, kind and inoffensive, useful and edify-
ing? his actions will correspond with his
words. He will not beguile you with fair
speeches, while deceit lurks in his heart.
He will not make professions of friendship
with his lips, while by his actions he is de-
vising means to ensnare and to ruin you.
Nor will he administer useful and salutary
advice, without exemplifying his precepts
in his own conduct and life. No; there
ought to be no such inconsistencies in the
Christian character. His conduct should
be uniform, and in every situation he ought
to be the same man, the same devout wor-
shipper of God, the same obedient servant
SER. 10.
227
CHARACTER.
of the Lord Jesus Christ, the same self-deny-
ing and watchful observer of his own temper,
the same noble and generous lover of man-
kind.
Thus, Brethren, have I endeavoured to
describe the Christian character, and parti-
cularly those parts of it that are more o-
pen to the observation of our fellow-crea-
tures, and on account of which the world
will take knowledge of us that we have been
with Jesus. Do we possess this character?
Do we cherish the sentiments, feel the tem-
per, utter the language, and exemplify the
conduct which have been described? Alas!
how rare is such a charac er! how much
of Christian profession often exists, where
nothing of the Christian spirit is felt! how
many in words say that they have been with
Jesus, and yet in works deny him! But be
not ye deceived, my Brethren. It must be
acknowledged, that the very best come far
short of exhibiting that complete consisten-
cy and purity of character which inter-
course with the Saviour ought to produce;
but it is no less certain, that something of
528
SER. 10.
THE CHRISTIAN
the spirit and conduct which I have endea-
voured to illustrate, must be found in eve-
ry man who is a disciple of the Son of God
in deed and in truth. Examine, therefore,
your
heart and life by this test. Guard a-
gainst self-deception; and pray that any
root of bitterness which springs up in
heart may be destroyed, and that the seeds
of that faith which purifies the heart and
overcomes the world, may be implanted in
its room.
your
To the Friends of Jesus, I would particu
larly say, Study to attain more and more
of the Christian character, that your rela-
tion to Him, whose disciples you are, may
be more evident; that the gospel may be
honoured by your conduct; and that God
may be glorified in you and by you.
For
this purpose be jealous over yourselves with
a godly jealousy. Watch against tempta-
tion. Pray without ceasing.
Live by
faith. Keep the cross of your Saviour
steadily in your eye.
your eye. Walk circumspectly,
not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the
time. Avoid unnecessary intercourse with
SER. 10.
329
CHARACTER.
the world. Abstain from all appearance
of evil. And the very God of peace sanc-
tify you wholly; and, I pray God, your
whole spirit and soul, and body be preserv-
ed blameless, unto the coming of our Lord,
Jesus Christ. Amen.
TT
SERMON XI
THE SAFETY OF BELIEVERS.
2 TIM. i. 12.
I knów whom I have believed; and I am
persuaded that he is able to keep that
which I have committed unto him a-
gainst that day.
AT the time when Paul wrote this second
épistle to Timothy, he was a prisoner at
Rome, under Nero the Roman emperor, by
whose unjust sentence he was soon after-
wards beheaded. This eminent apostle,
who had all along been so remarkable for
his intrepidity and zeal, seems on this try-
ing occasion to rise above himself, and dis-
plays in no common degree, those great and
SER. 11.
331
THE SAFETY, &c.
noble virtues, which, at such seasons, support
and adorn the Christian hero. He betrays
no symptoms of uneasiness; he expresses
no anxious concern respecting the death
which he knew awaited him; but speaks of
his approaching dissolution with a dignified
composure, like one who was certain of fu-
ture happiness. For I am now ready to be
offered, and the time of my departure is at
hand; I have fought a good fight, I have
finished my course, I have kept the faith.
Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown
of righteousness, which the Lord, the righ-
teous judge shall give me at that day; and
not to me only, but unto all them also that
love his appearing.
The mind is struck with the display of
such magnanimity in circumstances of so
much outward distress, and is naturally led
to enquire, what were the grounds of this
holy confidence and triumph? The apostle
himself informs us, in the words of the text,
For the which cause, i. e. for the sake of the
gospel, I suffer these things. Nevertheless
I am not ashamed, for I know whom
2
3S2
SER. 11.
THE SAFETY
have believed.
6
6
C
6
My persecutors may de-
stroy this mortal flesh. They may deprive
remains of a life which has
me of the poor remains of
already exhibited a scene of suffering and
distress but my best, my immortal in-
'terests are safely lodged in the hands of
an almighty Friend. These they cannot
6
،
1
possibly injure, for I know whom I have
believed, and I am well assured, that none
' is able to pluck me out of his hands. He
'will not disappoint my expectations, but
will keep that which I have committed
• unto him against the great day of his ap-
pearing, when he shall present me fault-
• less before the presence of his glory with
exceeding joy, and make it appear with
divine evidence, that the light afflictions
which I now suffer, are not worthy to be
'compared with the glory that shall then
be revealed.'
6
What the apostle here says of himself, is
equally applicable to every true believer.
It directs our attention to the
proper foun-
dation of our faith and hope as Christians,
to that which alone is fitted to support the
SER. 11.
SS3
OF BELIEVERS.
mind under the changing circumstances of
life, and in the near prospect of death and
eternity.
In farther discoursing on these words, I
propose, through the divine assistance, to
confirm and illustrate the doctrine contain-
ed in the text, viz. That every true believ-
who has committed his eternal interests
into the hands of Christ, may rest assured,
that He will keep that which is committed
unto him against the great day of his ap-
pearing.
er,
With this general view, I shall consider,
I. The grounds upon which this comfort-
able persuasion is built. And,
II. The manner in which it is produced
and promoted in the souls of true believers.
I. Let us enquire, what are the grounds
of the comfortable persuasion expressed in
the text?
334
SER. 11.
THE SAFETY
Our faith, if it be genuine, is built upon
knowledge. Let the Athenians rear their
altars to The Unknown God, we cannot,
we dare not commit the interests of our im-
mortal souls into the hands of an unknown
Saviour. The meanest, and least informed
Christian can say with the apostle, I know
whom I have believed. He may not un-
derstand all mysteries and all knowledge,
but he knows as much of the Saviour as
engages his trust and confidence, and ena-
bles him to give a reason of the hope that
is in him with meekness and fear.
In illustrating these grounds of hope and
confidence, we may consider the personal
qualifications of Christ as a Saviour, and his
special character and commission as ap-
pointed by the Father to that important of-
fice.
With regard to the personal qualifications
of Christ, I observe,
1. He is infinitely powerful. This per-
fection belongs to him as the true and eter-
SER. 11.
33.5
OF BELIEVERS.
nal God, the equal of the Father, of whom,
and to whom, and through whom are all
things. He is the Maker and ruler of the
universe. By him were all things created
that are in heaven, and that are on earth;
whether they be thrones, or dominions, or
principalities or powers: all things were
created by him and for him. And he is
before all things, and by him all things
consist. There is no creature that is not
subject to his controul; nor is there any
power in heaven, or earth, or hell that can
resist his omnipotent arm.
ty God, and all, in one
He is the Migh-
way or another,
This the believer
must bow to his sceptre.
knows, and therefore, with the most perfect
confidence, he commits his eternal interests
into the hands of this almighty Saviour;
persuaded that he is able to keep that which
is committed unto him against that day:
He knows that the same power which form-
ed him at first, is able to create him anew
after the divine image—that there is no ini-
quity so strong, which the power of God
cannot subdue—no duty so difficult which
the arm of omnipotence cannot enable him
336
SER. 11.
THE SAFETY
to perform. Should all the wicked on earth,
or all the devils in hell conspire to ruin his
soul, he knows that he is safe under the
protection of Him who rules the universe.
Satan himself is a chained enemy, who
tempts only by permission, and who can
proceed no farther against any of the saints
than He who is the great Shepherd of the
sheep is pleased to allow. In short, if God
be for us, who can be against us? if Omni-
potence be engaged on our side, what is
there within us or around us, that can en-
danger our happiness? To this all-powerful
Redeemer, therefore, we may safely commit
our eternal interests.
i
2. He is infinitely wise. He knows the
most secret devices of the enemies of our
salvation. Hell is open before him, and in
his sight destruction hath no covering. He
can confound the policy of the powers of
darkness, and overturn their best laid
schemes; nay, he can render the devices of
his enemies subservient to the accomplish-
ment of his own gracious purposes, and
bring glory to himself, and comfort to his
SER. 11.
337
OF BELIEVERS.
people out of those very circumstances,
which, in their own nature, seem to have
the most opposite tendency. And as he
thus confounds the wisdom of his enemies,
so his own designs are formed with unerring
skill. All things are naked and open to his
eyes; and, in ways the least perceivable by
us, he often fulfils the purposes of his grace.
He knows how to deliver the godly out of
every temptation, and to preserve them safe
to his heavenly kingdom:
With what joyful confidence, then, may
the believer, who is persuaded that the Re-
deemer is God only wise, commit his eter-
nal interests into his hands. He who ba-
lances the clouds, and guides the stars in
their courses, who rules in the hearts, and
manages the counsels of men, whose eye
pervades the deepest recesses of darkness,
and the most subtle policy of hell, this in-
finitely wise and all-perfect Being is surely
able to manage the concerns of our precious
and immortal souls. No artifice can elude
his search. No circumstance, the smallest
or most inconsiderable, can escape his ob
UUJ
338
SER. 11.
THE SAFETY
servation; and if he but undertake to save
our guilty souls, he will certainly perfect
that which concerneth us. His unsearcha-
ble wisdom therefore qualifies him to be a
Saviour to blind and ignorant creatures,
such as we acknowledge ourselves to be.
S. His love and compassion are equal to
his wisdom and power. Though this is not
expressed, it is evidently implied in the
text. For with what confidence could the
apostle commit his immortal interests into
the hands of Christ, unless he had been
persuaded of his care and compassion, as
well as of his ability to keep that which was
committed unto him.
Blessed be his name,
we have the fullest and most satisfying evi-
dence of this delightful and encouraging
truth. The whole of his undertaking to
save sinners, is a convincing proof of his love
and compassion to the souls of men. For
what but this could move the Son of God
to veil his glory in a human form, and sub-
mit to such unexampled sufferings for our
sakes. His love was stronger than death.
Many waters of affliction could not quench
SER. 11.
339
OF BELIEVERS.
it; neither could the floods of death drown
it. It brought him from heaven to earth;
it made him willing to submit to pain and
poverty, to contempt and reproach, to envy,
persecution, and all the thousand nameless
ills which fall to the lot of mortality. Nay,
it reconciled him to that bitterest of all the
ingredients in his cup of suffering, the hid-
ings of his Father's face. Every wound
which he felt in his sacred body, every pang
which affected his holy and innocent soul,
the nails which fastened his hands and
feet to the accursed tree, the spear which
pierced his side, his bitter agonies and dy-
ing groans, all proclaim, as with ten thou-
sand tongues, the strength and tenderness
of his love to men. And now that he is.
gone to heaven, as he said, can we once en-
tertain the thought that his love and com-
passion are less than when he trode Geth-
semane, or bowed his head on Calvary?
Far be such unworthy thoughts from cur
minds. Our great High Priest in his exalt-
ed state, retains the same loving and gra-
cious heart, as in the days of his deepest a-
basement. He liveth to make intercession
2
340
SER. 11.
THE SAFETY
for all who come to the Father by him. He
invites the weary, the worthless, and wretch-
ed to take shelter from the wrath to come,
under the covert of his wings. He assures
them all, without exception, of the most
hearty welcome, and even beseeches them
to be reconciled to God, and to become
partakers of the unsearchable riches of his
grace. With what assured trust and con-
fidence then may the believer commit his
eternal interests into the hands of this lov-
ing and compassionate Saviour! He is not
only infinitely wise and powerful to manage
the momentous concerns of our souls, but
infinitely condescending and gracious to
undertake this solemn charge. And there-
fore
६
'
may the believer say, 'I can safely in-
trust him with my best and most import-
ant interests. Though my guilt be ex-
ceedingly great, I know there is virtue in
* the blood of Christ to atone for it all.
Though my corruptions be many and
strong, His grace is sufficient for me, and
his strength is made perfect in weakness.
His love and compassion are equal to his
power. He will not therefore forsake the
SER. 11.
341
OF BELIEVERS.
work of his own hands, nor suffer me to be
' ashamed of the hope and confidence which
• I repose in him.' Once more,
His
4. He is unchangeably faithful.
name is the Amen, the Faithful and True
Witness. His gifts and calling are without
repentance, and therefore he rests in his
love, and keeps his people by his mighty
power through faith unto salvation. If we
believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he
cannot deny himself. In the hour of dark-
ness and despondency, Zion may say, The
Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath
forgotten me: But can a woman forget
her sucking child, that she should not have
compassion on the son of her womb? Yea,
they may forget, yet will I not forget thee,
saith the Lord. Behold, I have graven
thee upon the palms of my hands; thy
walls are continually before me. He is
ever mindful of the interests of his people.
His eye is continually upon them for good,
and his ear is ever open to their cry. Be-
cause he lives, they shall live also. Their
life is hid with Christ in God; and when
$42
SER. 11.
THE SAFETY
Christ who is their life shall appear, they
also shall appear with him in glory.
Where then can our immortal interests.
be so safely lodged, as in the hands of this
faithful Saviour? With what confidence may
the believer commit all that is dear to him
to the keeping of this unchangeable Friend!
This God is our God for ever and ever, he
will be our guide even unto death. Crea-
tures may change, but the Saviour in
'whom I trust,' may the believer say, • liv-
• eth and changeth not. He is the same
6
6
6
yesterday, to-day, and for ever; the same
in his wisdom and power, the same in his
' compassion and love, who will never leave
nor forsake the soul that trusts in him.
• On him, therefore I cast all my care, and
6
C
though an host should encamp against me,
"I will not fear; though war should arise
C
against me, in this will I be confident, for
the Lord is my light and my salvation,
he is the strength of my heart, and my
portion for ever.'
SER. 11.
343
OF BELIEVERS.
These, then, my Brethren, are some of
the personal qualifications of Christ, which
render him every way fit to perform the of-
fice of a Saviour. But I mentioned, as
A Second ground of this comfortable
persuasion the special appointment and
commission of Christ to the office of Me-
diator.
This our Saviour often mentions, when
speaking of the commandment which he
had received from his Father. This is the
Father's will which hath sent me, that of
all which he hath given me I should lose
nothing, but should raise it up again at the
last day. For this purpose all power in
heaven and in earth is committed to him;
and he is said to be the Head over all
things to the church, which is his body, the
fulness of him that filleth all in all. As
no creature was equal to the arduous task
of saving a guilty world, God was pleased
to lay our help upon one who was mighty
to save. He committed the charge of our
immortal interests into the hands of his own
344
SER. 11.
THE SAFETY
beloved Son, who, having freely undertaken,
fully accomplished, the work that was given
him to do.
Here, then, is the firmest ground for the
faith and confidence of believers. The Sa-
viour in whom they trust is not only pos
sessed of the highest personal qualifications,
but was likewise expressly commissioned and
appointed by the Father to employ these
for the salvation of sinners. Christ and the
Father, who are one in nature and perfec-
tions, are united in this glorious design.
Hence the words of our Lord himself, I give
unto my sheep eternal life, and they shall
never perish, neither shall any pluck them
out of my hands. My Father which gave
them me is greater than all, and none is
able to pluck them out of my Father's hand:
I and my Father are one.
Convinced, then, that the concerns of our
souls are infinitely important, where should
we lodge them but in his hands to whom
the Father hath committed them. • L
6
know,' may the believer say, • that the
SER. 11.
345
OF BELIEVERS.
¿ Father hath committed all judgment to
'the Son. He is the only Mediator be-
• tween God and man; the Way, the Truth,
' and the Life, by whom alone we can have
4 access to the Father. And shall I not
'choose him for my guardian, with whom
• the Father has entrusted the care of all
his chosen? Shall I not confide in him as
my Saviour, who is so dear in the sight of
• his heavenly Father, as well as every way
qualified in himself for discharging this
high and honourable office?'
Thus it appears, from the special charac-
ter and commission of Christ, as well as
from his personal qualifications, how admi-
rably fitted he is for the office which he
sustains.
I come now, as was proposed,
II. To point out the manner in which this
persuasion is produced and promoted in the
souls of true believers.
XX
346
SER. 11.
THE SAFETY
It will occur to every person who reads
the words of the text with attention, that
they are the words of a confirmed, esta-
blished believer; of one who has tasted
that the Lord is gracious, and who, under
the effectual teaching of the Spirit of God,
is brought to a settled, and comfortable per-
suasion of his own personal interest in the
blessings of salvation. Upon what grounds
this persuasion is built, has been illustrated
under the former head of discourse. We
shall now consider how, or in what manner
the believer arrives at such a knowledge of
Christ, as is sufficient to produce and pro-
mote this happy persuasion. And here I
would observe, that this knowledge is de-
rived, partly from testimony, and partly
from experience.
1. The knowledge of Christ, which is ne-
cessary to produce and promote the com-
fortable persuasion expressed in the text, is
partly derived from testimony.
This, properly, is what we call faith; a
principle which becomes more firm and cer-
SER. 11.
347
OF BELIEVERS.
tain, in proportion to the number and cha-
racter of the witnesses on whose testimony
it rests.
Now the witnesses to the power
and faithfulness of Christ are so numerous
and so credible, that the faith of a Christi-
an is built on the most solid and rational
grounds. Let us shortly consider who these
witnesses are, and what their testimony is.
God the Father has in all ages borne
witness to the power and faithfulness of his
own beloved Son, our blessed Saviour. This
he did of old time by visions and voices,
by prophecies and typical ordinances. It
is of Jesus and of his power and grace to
save, that God hath spoken by the mouths
of his holy prophets, which were since the
world began. He was the person describ-
ed to our first parents, as the seed of the
woman who should bruise the head of the
serpent. He was the Son promised to A-
braham, in whom all the families of the
earth were to be blessed; the Prophet like
unto Moses, whom God was to raise up
from among his brethren; the Man of sor-
Kows, and the Mighty God, foretold by I-
2
348
SER. 11.
THE SAFETY
saiah; the Righteous branch, the King of
Israel, the Desire of all nations, the Sun of
righteousness, celebrated in such rapturous
strains by the other prophets, who were
successively raised up to bear witness to his
excellence and glory.
The typical institutions under the Old
Testament dispensation prefigured his fu-
ture incarnation. The sacrifices under the
law pointed to his great atonement; the
ark and the mercy-seat, the tabernacle of
testimony, and the temple of Solomon, the
molten sea and the golden altar, were so
many different emblems of the fulness of
that salvation which he came to accom-
plish..
Accordingly, when the fulness of time
was come, God the Father bore testimony
to his Son, by sending a heavenly host to
announce his birth, by kindling a star in
the east, which conducted the wise men to
the manger at Bethlehem, and by reviving
the spirit of prophecy in Simeon and Anna,
who hailed him as a light to lighten the
1
SER. 11.
$49
OF BELIEVERS.
Gentiles, and the glory of his people Israel.
At his baptism, also, and afterwards at his
transfiguration, a solemn, and public attes-
tation was given to his character and office,
when the Father declared, by an audible
voice from heaven, This is my beloved Son,
in whom I am well pleased.
Christ himself, likewise, thus testifies con-
cerning his own power and readiness to save,
Come unto me, ull ye that labour and are
heavy laden, and I will give you rest; and
whosoever cometh unto me, him I will in
no wise cast out. All the predictions re-
specting the Messiah were accomplished in
him; the doctrines which he taught, the
life which he led, and the miracles which
he wrought, all united in confirming and
proving the truth of his mission, and, conse-
quently, of his ability and willingness to
$ave.
Nor must the testimony of the Holy Spi-
rit be forgotten. It is the Spirit that bear-
eth witness, because the Spirit is truth. He
dwelt in Jesus without measure. He unit-
350
SER. 11.
THE SAFETY
ed with the Father in the testimony given
to the Son at his baptism, for at that time
the Spirit of God was seen descending like
a dove, and lighting upon him. The mira-
cles which Christ performed are expressly
ascribed to his influence *; and on the day
of Pentecost, when not only miraculous
gifts were bestowed on the apostles, but
when above three thousand souls were con-
verted, the promise was fulfilled, I will pour
out of my Spirit upon all flesh; and it shall
come to pass, that whosoever shall call on
the name of the Lord shall be saved.
These are the three that bear record in
heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Ho-
ly Ghost; and as these three are one in na-
ture and perfections, so they agree in their
testimony. This is the record, that God
hath given unto us eternal life, and this
life is in his Son.
But, besides this divine testimony, there
are other witnesses to the power and faith-
*Matth. xii. 28.
SER. 11.
351
OF BELIEVERS.
fulness of Christ. All the saints who lived
in former times, the whole company of the
faithful, all the patriarchs and prophets, the
apostles and martyrs, bear testimony to this
interesting fact. They all died in the faith
of its comforting truth, and are now be-
fore the throne, clothed in white robes, with
palms in their hands, proclaiming as with
one voice that Jesus is mighty to save.
Our fellow-Christians, likewise, in the
present day, may be produced as witnesses
to the power and faithfulness of the Re-
deemer. They live in different and distant
places; their cases are various, and their
attainments unequal; but they all will unite
in declaring, that ever since they were ena-
bled to commit their souls to Christ, they
have found a peace and joy to which they
were strangers before, and that not one
word of all that he hath spoken hath failed
to be accomplished.
1
On what a sure foundation, then, does
the faith of a believer rest! on nothing less
than a divine testimony, confirmed by the
352
SER. 11.
THE SAFETY
concurring evidence of a great cloud of wit-
nesses in every age. In this manner does
the believer attain to such a knowledge of
the Saviour, as produces and maintains im
his soul the comfortable persuasion express-
ed in the words of the text. But I obser-
ved,
2. That this knowledge is likewise in
part derived from the believer's own expe-
rience.
The apostle speaks here like one who had
passed through many dangers and trials,
and who, in all the situations in which he
had been placed, had experienced the care
and compassion of his faithful Redeemer.
Such, in some degree, is the case with all
true believers. Though at first they are in-
duced, by the report of others, to commit
their best interests into the hands of Jesus,
yet, from what they afterwards experience
of his power and grace on their own souls,
they can say, as the men of Samaria did to
the woman who first told them of Christ,
Now we believe, not because of thy saying,
SER. 11.
353
OF BELIEVERS.
for we have heard him ourselves, and know
that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour
of the world.
From these sources, from experience as
well as faith, is that knowledge derived, of
which the apostle speaks in our text. · I
¿
was guilty, wretched, and hopeless,' may
the believer say, ' when the joyful sound of
the gospel first brought peace
to my
'I saw myself condemned by the sentence
6
mind.
of God's righteous law, and my heart me-
'ditated nothing but terror; but the view
• of a crucified and risen Saviour removed
6
my fears. I beheld the Almighty Father
'seated on a throne of grace, and heard
'him with infinite complacency proclaim-
'ing from the exalted glory, This is
6
6
be-
my
loved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
And I know whom I have believed, for
still, under the alarms of new guilt, my
'soul betakes itself to this blessed refuge;
6
and I find, that nothing can pacify my
'conscience but this precious blood of
sprinkling.
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Y Y
354
SER. 11.
THE SAFETY
I was a slave to divers lusts and pas-
sions, carried captive by the devil at his
'will: I was a daring rebel against the Ma-
jesty of heaven, and a presumptuous trans-
6
6
gressor of his holy law. But the Re-
deemer, who is mighty, released me from
'this degrading bondage. In the day of
his power he broke the fetters in which
I had long been held. And I know whom
• I have believed; for though, alas! iniqui-
• ties still prevail against me, though I am
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6
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daily receiving fresh proofs of my sinful
corrupted nature, yet I trust the power of
sin is destroyed, and that I truly hate and
forsake those things in which I formerly
delighted. I well know to whose grace I
• am indebted for this happy change.
I
was utterly unable of myself to perform
the duties, to endure the afflictions, or to
' resist the temptations of life. But I know
• whom I have believed. I know who it is
that has helped me in numberless difficul-
ties; who it is that has strengthened me
'with singleness of heart, though with ma-
ny imperfections, to fulfil the duties of
$ my station; who it is that has enabled me
6
SER. 11.
355
OF BELIEVERS.
'to bear sharp, and long-continued afflic-
• tions with chearfulness and composure;
who it is that has fortified my mind a-
6
"
6
6
gainst the various snares and temptations
'incident to my situation in life, the least
' of which, I am conscious, must have prov-
'ed too powerful, without his gracious aid ;
and therefore, weak and inconstant as I
'feel myself to be, I bless him I can say,
that, by the grace of God I am what I
am.'
In this manner does the believer, by his
own experience, attain a knowledge of the
Redeemer's power and faithfulness. Rea-
soning from the past to the future, he is en-
couraged to put an unlimited confidence in
Him who hath delivered, and doth deliver,
and in whom he trusts that he will yet de-
liver; being persuaded that he is able to
keep that which he has committed unto him
against that day.
Thus have I endeavoured to illustrate
and confirm the proposition contained in
the text, That every true believer who has
Ο
356
SER. 11.
THE SAFETY
'
committed his eternal interests into the
hands of Christ, may rest assured that he
will keep that which is committed unto him
against that day, by shewing you,-I. Upon
what ground this comfortable persuasion is
built; and, II. In what manner it is produced
and promoted in the souls of true believers.
It now only remains, that I conclude this
discourse with a few practical reflections
from what has been said.
1. How much are they to be pitied, who
have no interest in the Saviour, who have
never been thoroughly convinced of their
wretched and helpless condition as sinners,
and who, consequently, have not committed
the infinitely momentous concerns of their
souls into the hands of Christ.
Alas! how many are in this situation,
living without God, and without hope in
the world! How many seem to be satisfied
with their part and portion in the present
life! Let them only enjoy health and ease,
wealth and honour, and they sit down con-
ว
SER. 11.
357
OF BELIEVERS.
tented, saying to themselves, as the rich
fool in the parable, Soul, thou hast much
goods laid up for many years, take thine
ease, cat, drink, and be merry. But how
soon must this enchantment be dissolved!
how soon must the eyes of these unhappy
men be opened to perceive, that what they
blindly consider as substantial good, is on-
ly the shadow of happiness; whilst the
things which they were accustomed to con-
sider as the chimeras of a gloomy imagina-
tion, are found to be great and awful rea-
lities! What shall they do, or how shall
they appear in that day, when the secrets
of all hearts shall be manifest, and every
man shall receive according to the deeds
done in the body, whether they have been
good or bad; when the Judge shall ascend
the throne, and summon all the quick and
the dead to appear before him, to answer
for the improvement which they have made
of their several talents? Then, and not till
then, will it be known of what importance
it is to have the interests of our souls safe-
ly lodged in the hands of the Almighty Sa-
viour. O that sinners would think of this
358
SER. 11.
THE SAFETY
whilst it may avail them, and not sacrifice
concerns of such infinite importance, to the
vain pursuits of a perishing world!
But merely to be convinced of the im-
portance of this subject, and to entertain
some serious thoughts about salvation, is
not sufficient, unless we have actually com-
mitted our interests to the Saviour, and are
looking for the mercy of God, through him,
unto eternal life. Men may be convinced
of their danger, and seriously concerned a-
bout their souls, and yet be far from ob-
taining eternal life, if they are deceiving
themselves with a false hope, with a hope
that rests on any other foundation than the
finished work of Christ. Let us take good
heed unto ourselves, therefore, lest our
hopes fail us in the day of the Lord. That
day will try every man's work of what sort
it is. O that our hope may be such as will
stand the test! a hope built upon the Rock
of ages, which will never make us ashamed;
a hope that will support us through all the
changing circumstances of life, yield us so-
lid comfort at the hour of death, and ena
SER. 11.
359
OF BELIEVERS.
ble us to lift up our heads with joy at the
eventful period, when assembled worlds
shall receive their final and everlasting
doom.
2. That we may abound more and more
in this hope, through the power of the Ho-
ly Ghost, let us study to grow in grace, and
in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Faith, we have seen, is built upon know-
ledge, and the more knowledge any Chri-
stian possesses, the more confirmed and es-
tablished will his faith be; and consequent-
ly, the more will his hope and joy in the
Lord increase. What is the reason that
many Christians are so subject to doubt and
despondency, that every change in the state
of their minds shakes the ground of their
spiritual confidence, so that they are often
alarmed, and tremble as if all was lost? Is it
not, in a great measure, owing to the im-
perfection of their knowledge, to their want
of clear and comprehensive views of divine
truth, and to their laying an unwarrantable
stress on sudden and warm affections, in-
360
SER. 11.
THE SAFETY
stead of applying their minds to the solid
and permanent grounds of Christian faith?
There can be no abiding joy that does not
spring from faith, and there can be no true
faith that is not built upon knowledge. It
was the knowledge of the Redeemer's power
and faithfulness to save, that raised the
apostle to the blessed assurance which he
expresses in the text. It was for this most
excellent knowledge that he counted all
things but loss. And if we would wish, my
Brethren, to rise to the same exalted tri-
umphs of faith and hope, we must be deter-
mined to know nothing so much as Jesus
Christ and him crucified; we must study
daily to acquire a fuller and more impres-
sive acquaintance with the power and wis-
dom, the faithfulness and compassion of the
great Redeemer.
Above all, let us seek after an increasing
experimental knowledge of the Saviour. Ex-
perience is the best of all knowledge, and
that which will most certainly yield us the
greatest comfort in the season of distress,
and at the hour of death. To promote
SER. 11.
361
OF BELIEVERS.
this, let us converse much with Christ in
meditation and prayer, by secret and hour-
ly addresses to him, and frequent pious
breathings towards him. Let us daily ex-
amine what influence the work and power
of grace has on our own hearts, in the per-
formance of duties and the resistance of
temptation, and take heed that we lose not
those things which we have gained, guard-
ing against the first beginnings of declen-
sion, and pressing towards the mark for
the prize of the high calling of God in
Christ Jesus. Thus shall we become esta-
blished in the ways of God. Our faith will
rise to a blessed assurance, and our hopes
be full of immortality.
3. Have we committed our immortal in-
terests into the hands of Christ, and shall
we not trust him with all our lesser con-
cerns?
Do we rely on this Saviour for life eter-
nal, and shall we not also rely on him for
the supply of our temporal wants? Is he
able to keep that which we have committed
Z Z
362
SER. 11.
THE SAFETY
unto him against that day, and is he not
able likewise to make all things, that can
happen to us in the present life, to work to-
gether for our good? Why should we in-
dulge immoderate anxiety and worldly
cares? He who hath undertaken to save us
at the end of our journey, hath likewise en-
gaged to provide for us by the
way. He
who hath not withheld from us the highest
expression of his love, will not deny any
meaner gift that he sees to be truly good for
ús. He feeds the fowls of the air, and will he
not feed his people with food convenient for
them? He clothes the lilies of the field, and
shall he not much more clothe
you, O ye of
little faith? Therefore, Christians, learn to
trust in him. In the way of duty and di-
ligence cast all your care on God, who car-
eth for you.
Commit the management of
your lot to him with whom you have en-
trusted concerns of infinitely greater mo-
ment, and be content with such things as
ye have; for he hath said, I will never
leave thee nor forsake thee.
SER. 11.
363
OF BELIEVERS.
4. Let us look forward with believing ex-
pectation to the day when it will appear
with divine evidence, how faithfully Jesus
has kept all that has been committed unto
him.
Behold he cometh with clouds, and eve-
ry eye shall see him. He comes in his own
glory, in the glory of his Father, and of
his holy angels. He comes, to pass the
grand decisive sentence, which will deter-
mine the everlasting state of every indi-
vidual, to execute vengeance on his ene-
mies, but to reward, to bless, to render e-
ternally and completely happy his ransom-
ed ones, who have committed their everlast-
ing all into his faithful hands. Then shall
their sleeping dust awake, and obey his al-
mighty summons; the bodies of the saints,
fashioned like unto his glorious body, shall
be re-united to their glorified spirits, and
both soul and body shall be put in posses-
sion of all the happiness of which their
enlarged and ennobled natures shall be ren
dered capable.
2
364
SER. 11.
THE SAFETY
•
7 .
O the unknown transports of that day,
when the ever-blessed Redeemer shall de-
liver up his charge to his heavenly Father,
saying, Behold, O Father, here am I, and
the children whom thou hast given me!
Those whom thou hast given me I have
kept, and not one of them is lost. With
what inconceivable complacency will the
Father receive the solemn charge from the
hands of his beloved Son; while the Saviour
himself sees of the travail of his soul, and
is satisfied, saying with looks full of love,
Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the
kingdom prepared for you from the four-
dation of the world. Behold, all "is
safe which ye have committed to my
charge. I now, before assembled worlds,
acknowledge you as mine, and welcome
you to all the glory which I have purchas-
'ed and prepared.' O the melody of these
heavenly words! What language can ex-
press the transports of joy which will then fill
the souls of the redeemed, while every one
vies with another who shall extol in loudest
strains the praises of the matchless Saviour,
saying, My best-beloved, and most faith-
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SER. 11.
365
OF BFLIEVERS.
:
ful Redeemer, thou hast indeed kept that
which I committed unto thee against this
day. Amidst many dangers and much
'weakness, thou hast graciously preserved
me; and now thou hast brought me safe
' into thy Father's house, thine be the glo-
ry for ever and eyer.'
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O the glories of that day! the high rap-
turous praises of the Redeemer and his
grace, that shall then sound sweet from e-
very string! Even faith is astonished at the
delightful, though distant, prospect, and is
ready to cry out, Why is his chariot so long
in coming? Why tarry the wheels of his
chariot? Amen. Even so, come Lord Je-
Amen.
}
sus.
SERMON XII.
CHRIST'S LITTLE FLOCK.
LUKE xii. 32.
Fear not, little flock; for it is your Fa-
ther's good pleasure to give you the king-
dom.
THE disciples, to whom these words were
originally addressed, were few in number,
and exposed to peculiar dangers, like sheep
in the midst of wolves, and other beasts of
prey. But their gracious Master, in the
most winning language, desires them not to
be afraid. He appears like an affectionate
parent looking round on his children with
an air of inexpressible tenderness, and per-
SER. 12.
S67
CHRIST'S, &c.
ceiving marks of sorrow and anxiety in their
countenances, instantly suggesting subjects
of consolation, calculated to soothe their
griefs and dispel their fears.
The encouraging words of the text, how-
ever, were designed to comfort, not only
the first disciples of the Lord, but all, in e-
very succeeding age, who rely on his
grace.
Christ's flock, is still a little flock. They
bear but a small proportion to the multi-
tude around them, who are evidently walk-
ing in the broad way that leadeth to de-
struction. They seldom possess any distin-
guished station in the world, and are some-
times despised, reviled, and persecuted by
ungodly men. Danger surrounds them.
Enemies watch for their halting. Their
own hearts, too, their evil and deceitful
hearts, occasion them much annoyance.
But the good Shepherd, who laid down his
life for the sheep, continually watches over
them, and if they are only enabled by faith
to realise the precious truths which he sets
before them, they will dismiss their fears,
$68
SER. 12.
CHRIST'S
and be exceeding joyful in all their tribu
lations.
To assist you, in this interesting duty, I
shall endeavour to explain and illustrate the
different grounds of consolation suggested
in the text, and then improve and apply the
subject.
1. The first ground of consolation which
the words of the text suggest to the people
of Christ, is their relation to him.
They are his flock, his little flock, sepa-
rated from the rest of the world by his di-
stinguishing grace, and brought into a pe-
culiarly near and endearing relation to him.
They were as sheep going astray, but are
now returned to the Shepherd and Bishop
of souls. In different parts of scripture, our
Lord Jesus Christ is described under the
emblem of a Shepherd, a tender and inter-
esting image, which presents many pleasing
and delightful ideas to the mind. He is
called the Good Shepherd, the Chief Shep-
SER. 12.
369
LITTLE FLOCK.
herd, and the Great Shepherd of the
sheep.
As a shepherd he guides his flock. When
he putteth forth his sheep, he goeth before
them, and the sheep follow him. He guides
them by his counsel, pointing out the road
that leads to happiness on high. As their
forerunner, he hath entered for them into
the holy place not made with hands. He
guides them by his example; having illus-
trated in his own life the duty which he re-
quires and expects of them. There is no
path of obedience or of suffering in which
they cannot trace his footsteps. He guides
them by his providence, choosing for them.
the lot of their inheritance, appointing the
place and the sphere of their usefulness, and
making their way plain before them. And
finally, he guides. them by his Spirit, open-
ing their understandings to understand the
scriptures, and inclining their hearts to com-
ply with all his will.
As a shepherd he guards his flock.
Formidable are the adversaries which they'
3 A
370
SER. 12.
CHRIST'S
1
have to encounter. The subtilty of the
serpent, and the strength of the lion are but
faint representations of their craft and
power. But the Lord is the protector of
his people. Jehovah is their Shepherd, and
having laid down his life to redeem them,
he will not lose the purchase of his blood,
nor suffer their enemies to prevail against
them.
Again, as a shepherd he feeds them. He
shall feed his flock like a shepherd. He
brings them into green pastures, and leads
them beside the still waters.
These pas-
tures are his word and ordinances, by means
of which he communicates to them of his
own fulness; for, in strict propriety of lan-
guage,
he himself is their food. I am the
bread of life, says he, the living bread which
came down from heaven.. If any man eat
of this bread, he shall live for ever. And
the bread that I will give is my flesh, which
I will give for the life of the world. Ve-
rily, verily, I say unto you, except ye eat
the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of
Man, ye have no life in you. Whoso eat-
SER. 12.
371
LITTLE FLOCK.
eth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath
eternal life, and I will raise him up at the
last day.
These words appear to many hard say-
ings, as they did to some of Christ's pro-
fessed followers in the days of his flesh; but
they are his own words, and when under-
stood in a spiritual sense, (as he intended
that they should), they are full of instruc-
tion and comfort. In consequence of the
analogy which God hath established be-
twixt the natural and spiritual life, the ac-
tions and enjoyments of the one, are employ-
ed to illustrate the actions and enjoyments
of the other. Truth is to the soul what
food is to the body; and since the doc-
trine of Christ, particularly that which re-
lates to his person, character, office, suffer-
ings, and death, is designed to strengthen
and invigorate the mind in the same way
as bread supports and nourishes the body;
so they who feed upon Christ in their hearts
by faith, find that his flesh is meat indeed,
and his blood is drink indeed.
2
372
SER. 12.
CHRIST'S
Finally, As the Shepherd of his chosen
Aock, our Lord Jesus Christ seeks that
which was lost, brings again that which was
driven away, binds up that which was bro-
ken, and heals that which was sick; and
having safely conducted his people through
life, his rod and his staff will comfort them at
death. He will be with them when called
to pass through the dark valley that leads
to the heavenly fold, where they shall hun-
ger no more, neither thirst any more, and
where the Lamb which is in the midst of
the throne shall feed them, and lead them
unto living fountains of water.
Such is the character of the Shepherd of
Israel. Happy they who can truly say, We
are his people and the sheep of his pasture.
A sheep is a feeble and defenceless crea-
ture, unable to protect and to provide for
itself, and wholly dependent on the care
of its shepherd. No animal is more apt to
go astray, nor less able by its own sagaci-
ty to find its way back to the place from
which it has wandered. In these respects
SER.12.
$73
LITTLE FLOCK.
it is a striking emblem of the state and cha-
racter of man. All we like sheep have
gone astray, we have turned every one to
his own way; and having once wandered
from the right path, we never could have
retraced our steps, nor found the way back
to God and happiness, had not the good
shepherd mercifully interposed for our re-
covery. He came, as he himself informs
us, to seek and to save that which was lost.
In one respect, indeed, the emblem fails.
A strayed sheep is an innocent, harmless
creature, an object of pity, rather than of
blame. But man is not only a ruined, but
a sinful creature. He has become guilty
through his own choice, and therefore mi-
serable by his own fault. There was every
thing in our case to move the just indigna-
tion of our offended Sovereign; nothing to
conciliate his favour or regard. But such
was the love of God, that even when we
were yet sinners, Christ died for us; and
all for whom the good Shepherd laid down
his life, he effectually calls by his grace.
He knows them while they know him not.
lle has his eye upon them for good, even at
374
SER. 12.
CHRIST'S
the very time when they are running at the
farthest distance from him, and in his own
appointed time he brings them to the know-
ledge of himself, and reclaims them from
their sinful wanderings. He discovers to
them their hopeless and miserable condi-
tion, and with the most melting condescen
sion, reveals his love to their souls. Thus
they become his flock.
This expression implies, their relation,
not only to Christ their Shepherd, but to
one another, as the sheep of his pasture,
who are fed by his common bounty. They
are widely scattered in different and distant
parts of the earth, they are separated from
each other by seas, and rivers, and moun-
tains, and still more by little party names
and distinctions; but in the eye of their
Shepherd they are but one flock, and by
and by, the fruits of remaining ignorance
and weakness being completely done away,
they shall all be gathered into one fold un-
der one Shepherd. The ransomed of the
Lord shall return and come to Zion, with
songs, and everlasting joy upon their heads.
SER. 12.
$75
LITTLE FLOCK.
They shall come from the east and from
the west, from the north and from the
south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of
God.
II. Another ground of consolation con-
tained in the text, is the relation in which
the disciples of Christ stand to God as their
Father. Fear not, little flock, it is YOUR
FATHER'S good pleasure to give you the
kingdom.-Your Father! How comfort-
able and encouraging to those in every age
who compose the flock of Christ, is it to know
that God is their Father! Here we may ob-
serve, that Christ, in addressing his disci-
ples, changes the image of a shepherd and
his flock, and speaks of the relation in which
they stand to God under a different figure,
because no one image can fully express the
honour and happiness of his people. Na-
ture must be ransacked; whatever is excel-
lent, valuable, or endearing in the various
relations of life, must be collected together,
in order to afford some faint idea of the
privileges and enjoyments of the people of
Christ.
376
SER. 12.
CHRIST'S
The relation of a father to his children, is
frequently employed in scripture, to repre-
sent the favour which God bears to his peo-
ple. As a father pitieth his children, so
the Lord pitieth them that fear him. And
surely no image can be better adapted to
express the divine condescension, or to ba-
nish the distressing fears which sometimes
harass the minds, even of true believers.
Guilt necessarily begets fear, and the awak-
ened mind is disposed to consider God in
the light of an angry and sin-avenging
Judge. But the gospel represents him un-
der the mild and endearing character of ȧ
Father. Thus in the parable of the Pro-
digal Son, God is set forth as a compassion-
ate Father, plenteous in mercy, and ready
to forgive. And thus he addresses his peo-
ple, Wherefore come out from among them,
and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and
touch not the unclean thing; and I will
receive you, and will be a Father unto you,
and
ye shall be my sons and daughters;
saith the Lord Almighty:
SER. 12.
377
LITTLE FLOCK.
Struck with admiration at the exceeding
riches of divine grace, in shewing such fa-
vour to creatures so guilty and polluted as
we are, the apostle exclaims, Behold what
manner of love the Father hath bestowed
upon us, that we should be called the sons
of God. Marvellous grace indeed! to raise
up the
poor out of the dust, and lift the
needy from the dunghill, that he may set
them with princes, even with the princes
of his people.
L
As a Father, God protects and provides
for his people. All his saints are in his
hand. He hides them in the secret of his
presence, from the pride of man; he keeps
them secretly in a pavilion from the strife
of tongues, so that he that toucheth them,
toucheth the apple of his eye: He watch-
es over them with a peculiar care, so that
no real evil shall be permitted to befal them.
And as he protects, so he likewise pro-
vides for them. The Lord is a sun and
shield; he will give grace and glory; no
good thing will he withhold from them that
3 B
378
SER. 12.
CHRIST'S
walk uprightly. If ye being evil, saith our
Lord, know how to give good gifts unto
your children, how much more shall your
Father which is in heaven give good things
to them that ask him. O how great is the
goodness, how rich the bounty of our hea-
venly Father!
But there is another expression of paren-
tal care and love, which, however unplea-
sant, is often needful and salutary. I mean
correction. And this too the Lord will not
withhold, when the circumstances of his peo-
ple require it. For whom the Lord loveth
he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son
whom he receiveth. Afflictions, when sanc-
tified by the Spirit of God, are not evidences
that the Lord hath forsaken us, but rather
tokens of his love and marks of our adop-
tion into his family. And though no chas-
tening for the present seemeth to be joyous
but grievous, yet afterwards it yieldeth the
peaceable fruits of righteousness to them
that are excrcised thereby.
SER. 12.
379
LITTLE FLOCK.
What shall I say more of this endearing
relation in which God stands to his people?
Having brought them into his family, he
will never leave them nor forsake them.
Here they are like children at a distance
from home, exposed to numberless incon-
veniences and hardships, but they are re-
turning to their heavenly Father's house,
where they are sure to meet with a kind re-
ception. In my Father's house, says Christ,
are many mansions; if it were not so I
would have told you; I go to prepare à
place for you.
But this suggests,
III. A third ground of consolation con-
tained in the words of the text. If you are
among the flock of Christ and children of
God, a kingdom is prepared for
you.
Here, again, a new idea presents itself to
our minds; the idea of honour and dignity.
The children of God, however low their out-
ward condition may be, are the children of
a King, yea, of the King of kings. A king-
dom is prepared for them, not such as the
kingdoms of this world, which are fast hast-
2
$80
SER. 12.
CHRIST'S
ening to decay, but a kingdom that cannot
be moved.
Glorious things are spoken in scripture
concerning the kingdom which God hath
prepared for them that love him. The
brightest images, borrowed from external
objects, can give but a very imperfect idea
of its nature and excellence. Heaven is a
glorious place. It is called the city of the
Great King; a city which hath founda-
tions, whose Builder and Maker is God.
It is the habitation of his holiness, the
throne of his majesty, the place where his
honour dwelleth. We are not to suppose,
indeed, that the great and eternal God is
confined to any place. The heaven of hea-
vens cannot contain him. He filleth hea-
ven and earth, and is everywhere present
throughout his boundless dominions, per-
vading, directing, and supporting the whole.
But we are taught to conceive of heaven as
a place where the great Jehovah is pleased
to manifest himself in a peculiar manner,
and to display the most transcendent and
visible glory. As in Solomon's temple there
SER. 12.
381
LITTLE FLOCK.
was the holy of holies, in which the Shechi-
nah, or symbol of the divine presence over-
shadowed the mercy-seat, and into which
none but the high priest was permitted to
enter, after having made atonement for the
sins of the people; so, if we consider the
whole creation as one great temple, there is
in it this holy of holies, into which the high
priest of our profession entered, after hav-
ing made propitiation for the sins of men.
It is in heaven that the glorified human
nature of Christ resides: It is there that the
celestial hierarchies and all the innumerable
hosts of angels surround the throne of God.
The saints themselves, when they reach that
blessed world, shall rise to high degrees of
excellence and glory. They shall shine as the
brightness of the firmament, and as the stars
for ever and ever. Their souls, complete-
ly delivered from every remainder of sin
and corruption, shall be formed after the
image of their Saviour; and even their vile
bodies, raised from the grave, shall be fa-
shioned like unto his own glorious body, ac-
cording to the working whereby he is able
to subdue all things to himself.
382
SER. 12.
CHRIST'S
And as the place and the company, so
the services and enjoyments of heaven, are
inconceivably glorious. Its services (so far
as we can form any idea of them), consist
in doing the will of our Father in heaven
with readiness and delight, and in the pur-
est and sublimest acts of devotion; and its
enjoyments, in holding the closest and most
intimate converse with the Father of our
spirits, in the presence and love of the Sa-
viour.
If the apostle Paul, when wrapt up to
the third heavens, saw such glorious scenes,
and heard such words as it is not possible
for men to utter, what must the complete
enjoyment of future glory be, when all the
purposes of divine grace in the salvation of
man shall be fully accomplished, and the
whole company of the Redeemed shall meet
in the celestial mansions, to mingle their
gratitude and joys together, and to join in
the same rapturous song of praise to Him
that sitteth upon the throne, and to the
Lamb for ever and ever.
SER. 12.
383
LITTLE FLOCK.
Such is the kingdom prepared for the
children of God—for all who compose the
flock of Christ. But how shall sinful crea-
tures be put in possession of such exalted
happiness? Upon what ground can they
hope to be raised to this high dignity? This
naturally leads to another source of conso-
lation mentioned in the text, which is,
IV. The fourth, and last point that claims
our consideration, namely, the security which
true believers have for the everlasting en-
joyment of the heavenly happiness. Fear
not, little flock, says Christ, for it is your
Father's good pleasure to give you the
kingdom.
Here is a firm and solid foundation of
hope, the purpose of Jehovah, his ever-
lasting purpose of grace, made known in his
word, and sealed by the blood of his Son.
What a blessed security! If you belong to
Christ's little flock, if you have the charac-
ter of his genuine friends and disciples, it is
your Father's good pleasure to give you the
kingdom. God hath not appointed us to
384
SER. 12.
CHRIST'S
wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord
Jesus Christ. From the beginning he hath
chosen you to salvation, through sanctifica-
tion of the Spirit, and belief of the truth.
They who are awakened by the word and
Spirit of God to a just sense of their own
guilt and unworthiness, and who know the
inestimable value of the kingdom of hea-
ven, can scarcely believe it possible that
they should ever be put in possession of
such inconceivable happiness. They are
overwhelmed with a view of their own sin-
fulness, contrasted with the exceeding and
eternal weight of glory, which God hath
prepared as the inheritance of his saints.
But remember, Christians, the kingdom
which you are taught to expect is not the
result of your own labour, the reward of
your own merit, but a gift—the gift of your
Father, of Him who loves you, and tender-
ly regards you. The gift of God is eter-
nal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Remember likewise, it is the pleasure of
God, his good pleasure, to give you the
kingdom. He does it with delight, on ac-
SER. 12.
385
LITTLE FLOCK.
count of your union with the Saviour, and
interest in the blessings of his salvation.
How indissoluble is the connection be-
twixt the purpose of Jehovah, and the final
salvation of his people! Whom he did fore
know, he also did predestinate to be con-
formed to the image of his Son, that he
might be the first born among many breth-
ren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate,
them he also called; and whom he called,
them he also justified; and whom he jus-
tified, them he also glorified. All who are
saved with an everlasting salvation, were the
objects of God's everlasting love. He knew
them from eternity, and ordained them to
eternal life. They were delivered to Christ
by the Father, to be redeemed by his pre-
cious blood; and power is now given to him
over all flesh, that he should give eternal
life to as many as the Father hath given
him. In the time appointed by infinite wis-
dom, they are called by his grace, and
brought into the kingdom and fellowship of
Jesus Christ. They are convinced of sin,
humbled under the mighty hand of God,
3 c
386
SER. 12.
CHRIST'S
and taught to rely on the Saviour for all
the blessings that they need. The Holy
Spirit, the Comforter, who bears witness to
the truth and glorifies the Saviour, takes of
the things of Christ and shews them to their
souls. They begin to hate sin and to for-
sake it, to love holiness, and to pursue it.
The glory of God becomes their aim, his
word their rule, and his Spirit their guide.
Thus they obtain evidence of their interest
in the love of God, and of their title to the
kingdom prepared for them. It is their
daily study and endeavour, through grace,
(and in this they labour with increasing dili-
gence,) to make their calling and election sure,
and to obtain a gradual and growing meet-
ness for the inheritance of the saints in light.
At death they enter on the possession of
their glorious inheritance; and at the last day
they shall hear from the lips of the Judge
this transporting sentence, Come, ye blessed
of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepar-
ed for you from the foundation of the
world.
SER. 12.
387
LITTLE FLOCK.
And now, my Friends, after this imper-
fect delineation of the different grounds of
comfort suggested in the text-the relation
in which believers stand to Christ as his lit-
tle flock-their relation to God as their Fa-
ther-the kingdom prepared for them-and
their Father's good pleasure to give them
this kingdom; must not every one be sensi-
ble, how little reason the disciples of Jesus
have for indulging anxious fears? Fear not
then, Christians, let not your hearts be troub-
led; ye
believe in God, believe also in Jesus.
Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?
Are any of the outward circumstances in
your lot the causes of your sorrow? Have
you been reduced from a state of ease or
affluence, to a state of dependence or world-
ly embarrassment? Fear not; your trea-
sure is in heaven; your best interests are
secure, beyond the reach of change. It is
your Father's good pleasure to give you the
kingdom; and having bestowed on you this
inestimable blessing, will he withhold any
meaner gift which he sees to be truly good
for you? Having given you the hope of eter-
2
388
SER. 12.
CHRIST'S
nal life, will he not grant you such a measure
of the good things of this life, as to his in-
finite wisdom may seem meet. Or have
you
been deprived of some of your most va-
lued earthly comforts, a friend, a brother,
a parent, a child, a beloved husband or
wife? Still you ought not to mourn as those
who have no hope. It is the hand of a Fa-
ther that smites; and he smites not in an-
ger,
but in love. The Lord giveth, and the
Lord taketh away, and blessed be the name
of the Lord.
Do
your fears arise, not so much from
outward causes, as from the sloth, carnality,
and wickedness of your hearts? This is a just
cause for deep humiliation, but not for des-
pondence. Still look unto Jesus as the au-
thor and finisher of your faith, and in the
strength of his grace labour to mortify your
corruptions, and to attain a growing con-
formity to the will and image of God. The
joy of the Lord is your strength; and the
more that you live upon the Redeemer's ful-
ness, the more closely that you cleave to
him, the clearer evidence will you possess
SER. 12.
389
LITTLE FLOCK.
of your title to the heavenly inheritance,
and the more fruitful will you become in e-
very good word and work.
But do all who hear me this day be-
long to Christ's little flock? Would to
God that this were indeed the case! but
the widest stretch of charity forbids the
thought. Does not the conduct of many
amongst us too plainly declare the contra-
ry? Yes, it is a lamentable truth! Instead
of hearkening to the voice of the good Shep-
herd, are not some of you still fleeing from
God, and following after lying vanities;
turning every one to his own way, instead
of returning to the Shepherd and Bishop of
souls? You cannot call God Father, for you
have not received the spirit of adoption, nor
do
you possess the temper and character of
his children. The kingdom prepared for
the faithful, is not prepared for those who
continue to the end of their life in rebellion
against God. No, sinner, a very different
end awaits you. If you continue impeni-
tent and unbelieving, and die in your sins,
you shall be found amongst those, upon
390
SER. 12.
CHRIST'S
whom he shall rain snares, fire, and brim-
stone, and a horrible tempest : this shall be
the portion of your cup.
Consider these things, ye that forget
God-all ye secure impenitent transgressors
of his law-all ye who neglect or despise
his great salvation; nor think that your most
solemn professions will secure you from the
effects of divine vengeance. I cannot say
to you this day, Fear not; but I sincere-
ly wish and earnestly pray, that the sin-
ners in Zion may be afraid, and that fear-
fulness may surprise the hypocrite. This
is the best thing that can befal you, if it lead
to a thorough and saving change. Blessed
be God the door of mercy still stands open.
Still
you may return. The Redeemer in-
vites you. He calls and beseeches
ner.
you in
the tenderest and most importunate man-
Unto you, O men, I call; once more
the offers of pardon and reconciliation are
proclaimed in your ears. O reject not the
counsel of God against yourselves! Be-
hold, now is the accepted time, now is the
day of salvation. But how long this day
SER. 12.
391
LITTLE FLOCK.
may last, God only knows. O may he in-
cline your hearts to comply with his graci-
ous calls! And may those who have receiv-
ed Christ Jesus the Lord, be careful to walk
in him; and, in every situation, may they
hear their Saviour's blessed voice, saying
to them by his Spirit, as well as by his word,
Fear not, little flock, it is your Father's
good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
SERMON XIII.
THE
IMPROVEMENT OF AFFLICTION *
JOB XXXIV. 31, 32.
Surely it is meet to be said unto God, I
have borne chastisement, I will not of-
fend any more: That which I see not,
teach thou me; if I have done iniquity,
I will do no more.
How gracious and condescending is our
Heavenly Father! When he smites his chil-
dren, he does it in love, not in anger, with
a view to their correction, not to their de-
* Preached after the Author's recovery from a dan-
gerous illness.
SÉR. 13. THE IMPROVEMENT, &c. 393
struction. When he hides his face, it is not
to drive them away from his presence, but
to excite them with greater earnestness to
seek the light of his countenance. With
the bowels of a father, he observes the first
breathings of their souls after him; and
when, by means of his chastening rod, they
are brought to that temper of mind which
by their affliction he meant to produce, hé
either removes the trouble, or supports and
strengthens them under it. This filial tem-
per is admirably expressed in the words of
the text, Surely it is meet to be said unto
God, I have borne chastisement, I will not
offend any more. That which I see not,
teach thou me: if I have done iniquity, I
will do no more.
Considering the words in this view, I
propose, through divine assistance, more
fully to explain the temper of mind becom-
ing a child of God in the season of afflic-
tion. In doing which, I shall observe the
order naturally suggested by the words of
the text.
S D
394
SER. 13.
THE IMPROVEMENT
In general, then, we may remark, that a
child of God in the time of affliction will
naturally apply to his heavenly Father, as
the wise and gracious disposer of all events.
Surely, says Elihu, it is meet to be said, or
spoken, to God.
Reason, as well as Scripture, may teach
us, that affliction cometh not from the
ground, neither doth trouble spring out of
the dust. Though man is born unto trouble
as the sparks fly upward, the world is not
left, as some have supposed, to the direction
of blind chance, but is under the govern-
ment of a Being infinitely wise and good,
who ordereth all events to the best and no-
blest purposes. But how few are there who
rightly acknowledge the providence of God
in the afflictions that befal them. Most
men weary themselves and others with com-
plaints of the greatness of their trouble, as
if thereby they could obtain relief from the
burden under which they labour. But how
vain, how unavailing are such complaints!
Miserable comforters will the best of men
be found, if God withdraw himself. He,
SER. 13.
395
OF AFFLICTION.
and He alone is the effectual Comforter, the
Physician of great value. Hence the exhor-
tation of James, Is any afflicted? let him
pray. One short petition, addressed to God
in the exercise of faith, will go farther to re-
lieve the mind under the pressure of afflic-
tion, than many words spent in converse
with our fellow-creatures. To this quarter,
therefore, the afflicted child of God betakes
himself for relief, sensible that whatever may
be the kind or the occasion of his trouble,
it is the hand of God that smites him. Nor
does he smite without a cause. His sins are
immediately brought to remembrance, and
in such penitential language as this, he pours
out his soul to his heavenly Father, I have
borne chastisement, I will not offend any
more. That which I see not, teach thou
me: if I have done iniquity, I will do no
more.
In which words you may remark,
I. A humble confession of God's justice.
in afflicting.
2
896
SER. 13.
THE IMPROVEMENT
II. A prayer for divine teaching. And,
III. A pious resolution, founded on this
confession and prayer.
I. Let us attend to the humble confession
in the text. I have borne chastisement :
that is, I have suffered justly; nay, I have
been punished less than mine iniquities de-
serve.
It is common in scripture to represent af
flictions, particularly the afflictions of be-
lievers, as chastisements from God. As a
tender-hearted father corrects the child in
whom he delights, so the Lord visits the
transgressions of his people with the rod,
and their iniquities with stripes. Hence the
apostle thus addresses the believing He-
brews, Ye have forgotten the exhortation
which speaketh unto you as unto children,
My son, despise not thou the chastening of
the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuk-
ed of him. For whom the Lord loveth he
chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom
he receiveth.
If ye endure chastening,
SER. 13.
397
OF AFFLICTION.
God dealeth with you as with sons, for what
son is there whom the father chasteneth
not? But if ye be without chastisement,
whereof all are partakers, then are ye bas-
tards, and_not_sons *. A servant or a
stranger who commits a fault is dismissed
without correction—but a child of the fa-
mily, who displeases his father, is chastened
for his offence, and restored to favour.
The particular afflictions of the people of
God are not indeed always sent on account
of particular sins, but there is enough of sin
in the best of men to justify the severest
sufferings with which they may be visited
in a present world. Hence we find, that
in their heaviest afflictions they have
never failed to justify God in his dealings
towards them, while they have taken shame
to themselves on account of their sins. Thus,
says David, I was dumb, and opened not
my mouth, because thou didst it. And
again, I know, O Lord, that thy judg-
ments are right, and that thou in faith-
* Heb. xii. 5, 6, 7, 8. † Psal. xxxix. 9.
398
SER. 13.
THE IMPROVEMENT
fulness hast afflicted me*. In like manner,
Eli, bowing with meek submission under
the hand of God, says, It is the Lord, let
him do unto me what seemeth him good †.
In still stronger language does the church
express herself in the book of Lamentations.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not
consumed, because his compassions fail not.
Wherefore should a living man complain, a
man for the punishment of his sins? In
the prophecies of Jeremiah, Ephraim is in-
troduced bemoaning himself thus: Thou
hast chastised me, and I was chastised as a
bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn
thou me, and I shall be turned, for thou
art the Lord my God. Surely after that
I was turned I repented, and after that I
was instructed I smote upon my thigh; I
was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because
I did bear the reproach of my youth ||.
•
Father,' says the relenting penitent, I
"have borne chastisement, I will not offend
* Psal. cxix. 75.
‡ Lam. iii. 22.
+ 1 Sam. iii. 18.
Jer. xxxi. 18, 19.
SER. 13.
399
OF AFFLICTION.
6
6
any more. I have sinned against heaven
and before thee, and am not worthy to
· be called thine. I bless thee for that sea-
6
• sonable correction which reclaimed me
'from my wanderings, and taught me again
'to place my chief happiness in thy favour
and enjoyment. Before I was afflicted'
I went astray. I left my guide, I lost
•
6
my way, and I might have still been wan-
dering in the deceitful paths of sin, had
not thy merciful rod broken the snare.
'O that I may not offend any more! Let
6
6
me never forsake the way of thy com-
'mandments, nor again incur thy fatherly
displeasure!'
C
Such will be the language and sentiments
of the believer, under the afflicting hand of
God. But sensible of the deceitfulness, and
desperate wickedness of his own heart, he
will likewise be disposed to add,
II. A prayer for divine teaching. That
which I see not, teach thou me.
400
THE IMPROVEMENT SEr. 13.
This is a prayer very necessary for all,
and peculiarly seasonable in the time of af-
fliction, since one of the principal ends for
which affliction is sent is the discovery of
sin, and one of the chief benefits derived
from it is the knowledge of ourselves.
This prayer may be understood as refering
both to the rule of our conduct, the law of
God, by which we are enabled to discover the
nature of sin in general; and to the appli-
cation of this rule to our own particular
characters and conduct.
1. It may have a reference to the rule
and measure of our conduct, the holy
law of God. That which I see not, of
the purity and perfection of this consum
mate standard of duty, teach thou me. And
how much need there is of divine teaching
for this purpose, will be evident, if we con-
sider what low imperfect ideas the genera-
lity of mankind entertain of the law of God ;
and what a poor measure of outward con-
formity to its precepts appears to satisfy
even the most decent and respectable of
SER. 13.
401
OF AFFLICTION.
has
those who are strangers to the teaching of
the divine Spirit. But the enlightened soul
very different views of the law of God,
and of that degree of purity of heart, as well
as regularity of outward conduct, which it
demands; and yet, after all, deeply sensi-
ble of his ignorance in this respect, he prays
that God would make him more fully ac-
quainted with the rule of his duty, saying
with the Psalmist, Make me to understand
the way of thy precepts. Give me under-
standing, and I shall keep thy law. I have
seen an end of all perfection, for thy com-
mandments are exceeding broad. Open
thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous
things out of thy law. But,
2. This prayer may likewise have a refer-
ence to the application of this rule to our
own characters and conduct, whereby we
become acquainted with our own sins in
ticular.
par-
And surely, if divine teaching is neces
sary to make us acquainted with the rule of
our conduct, it is no less necessary to ena-
3 E
402
THE IMPROVEMENT SER. 13
ble us to make a right application of it to
ourselves, for the discovery of our real cha-
racters in the sight of God. Alas! how
little of this knowledge obtains among men!
Many are so blinded by self-love, as to be
insensible, even of their gross deviations
from the law of God; and what they readi-
ly enough condemn in others, they freely
allow in themselves. Nay, how many hid-
den, undiscerned, yea, unsuspected evils and
follies lodge in the hearts of those who are
least under the dominion of sin, and most
accustomed to examine themselves. Well
might the Psalmist ask, Who can under-
stand his errors? and pray, cleanse thou
me from secret faults-not only from
those which are hidden from the view of
men, but from those also which are con-
cealed from myself.
O what a deal of vanity and love of this
world; how much impurity, secret pride,
and self-seeking lurk unperceived in our
hearts, till God cause us to see them, lead-
ing us, as he did the prophet Ezekiel, from
one thing to another, still saying, as he did
SER. 18.
403
OF AFFLICTION.
to him, Son of man, hast thou seen these?
I will shew thee yet more and greater abo-
minations than these *. Thus it is with ma-
ny of us who ought to be the temples of the
living God. We have many images of jea-
lousy, one lying behind another, unperceiv-
ed and unsuspected, till God is pleased to
discover them to us. What need have we
then, most earnestly to pray, That which I
see not, teach thou me.
In both these respects then, in the know-
ledge both of the rule that God hath given
us, and of our own want of conformity to it,
we have need to apply for divine teaching,
for who teacheth like God? He can teach
us more in one hour, than men can do in a
whole age; and he does what no other
teacher can do, he gives to the dullest un-
derstanding a capacity to receive his in-
structions, making wise the simple and op-
ening the eyes of the blind. Happy the
man who is taught of God this most impor- \
tant knowledge of which I have now been
* Ezek. viii. 15.
2
404
SER. 13.
THE IMPROVEMENT
speaking for however painful and humbling
the discovery of guilt and corruption, in
connection with the purity and perfection
of the law of God, may be, it is the ground-
work of all saving knowledge. From this
we derive our knowledge of sin, in its nature,
deformity, and awful consequences. From
this too arises our esteem of that spotless
righteousness which justifies the ungodly
a righteousness every way adapted to the
circumstances of our guilty, helpless condi-
tion, and fitted to give relief under the most
alarming apprehensions of impending wrath.
And finally, from this painful, but salutary
teaching of God's Spirit, springs a settled
abhorrence of all iniquity, and a determin-
ed resolution, in the strength of divine
grace, to avoid it for the future. This
leads me to illustrate
III. The last particular that I mentioned
as contained in the text, namely, a pious re-
solution, founded on the foregoing confession
and prayer, If I have done iniquity, I will
do no more.
SER. 13.
405
OF AFFLICTION.
This implies a total renunciation of all
sin, and a full and fixed purpose of new and
better obedience. It is the natural lan-
guage of every sincere penitent, If there is
any iniquity that I have not yet discover-
'ed, let me now see it, that in the strength
.
of thy promised grace, I may abhor and
'abandon it for ever.' There must not be
any secret reserve in our dealings with God,
any beloved lust that we should wish to
spare, nor any partial indulgence in any
thing that is inconsistent with our duty to
our heavenly Father. No; wherever the
grace of God is known in truth, there is an
absolute renunciation of all sin, and an en-
tire surrender of ourselves to the service of
God. Without this our religion is vain;
and, what is more to our present purpose,
without this our afflictions are vain, for by
these the iniquity of Jacob is purged, and
this is all the fruit to take away his sin.
Whatever sufferings therefore men may en-
dure, they have gained nothing by them if
their hearts remain as self-willed, as carnal,
and as stubborn as before. But blessed is
the man whom God chasteneth, and teach-
406
SER. 13.
THE IMPROVEMENT
eth out of his law. Blessed is the man
whose heart is humbled by affliction, and
whose stubborn will is brought under a
meek submission to the will of God. Bless-
ed is the man in whom the love of sin is
destroyed; and who, by means of his hea-
venly Father's chastisement, is made, in
some happy measure, partaker of his holi-
ness. Such a one may kiss the rod that
smites him, and count his greatest sufferings
among his choicest mercies; since every
thing that befals us ought to be estimated,
not by its outward appearance, but by the
tendency it has to advance our conformity
to the will and image of God, in which the
chief glory and happiness of our nature con-
sists.
Would to God, my Brethren, that there
were such hearts in us, and that every one
in this assembly, under the correcting hand
of God, was disposed to say, as in the text,
I have borne chastisement, I will not offend
any more. That which I see not, teach
thou me; if I have done iniquity, I will do
no more.
SER. 18.
407
OF AFFLICTION.
Thus have I endeavoured to illustrate the
passage before us, and from the particulars
it contains to delineate the temper of mind
becoming a child of God in the season of
affliction. You will naturally judge that
my mind has been led to these reflections,
in consequence of the late indisposition with
which an infinitely wise and gracious God
hath been pleased to visit me.
What might
be the design of this fatherly correction
with respect to myself, it concerns me only
to know. But surely it is not presumption
or vanity to suppose, that this dispensation
of providence had some respect likewise to
my beloved and affectionate Congregation,
whose souls the great Lord of the vineyard
hath given me in special charge. It deep-
ly concerns your Pastor to inquire, in what
instances he has failed in ministerial fidelity
and watchfulness in times past, that through
the strength of God, he may not so offend
any more. But does it not equally concern
you, my Brethren, likewise to inquire, how
you have improved the gospel of Christ,
though delivered to you by so unworthy an
instrument, and in what instances you may
•
408
SER. 13.
THÈ IMPROVEMENT
have sinned against God, either in your
personal or social capacities? Most cer-
tain it is, that God may visit a congre-
gation, as well as larger communities, with
marks of his displeasure on account of some
particular offences; and surely we must be
altogether deaf to the voice of God's rod, if
we do not consider the sickness that for
some time past has raged in this parish, as
an awakening call in providence to greater
watchfulness and diligence. Upon this oc-
casion, my dear Friends, an occasion which
ought to call forth at least my warmest ac-
knowledgments of gratitude to Almighty
God, it would be unpardonable in me not
to take notice of the kind concern you were
pleased to shew for my recovery during the
time of my distress. This I regard, not only
as a proof of your affection, but, which is of
more consequence, as an encouraging symp-
tom that God may yet be graciously pleas-
ed more abundantly to succeed my poor la
bours among you. Should this be the case,
I can truly say it would be one of the chief
comforts of my life; as the little fruit that
has hitherto appeared, and the open scan-
SER. 13.
409
OF AFFLICTION.
dals that have broken out amongst us have
been none of the least of my trials.
Allow me to add, as I consider this day
as a new introduction to my ministry, that
after some little addition made to the small
stock of my experience, my views of the gos-
pel are the same now as they were formerly;
and I am fully persuaded, that had it pleas-
ed God to have removed me out of the
world by my late indisposition, nothing but
the faith of those truths which I have endea-
voured, though in great weakness, to preach
to you, could have supported me in my last
and departing moments. The doctrine of
man's fallen, guilty, corrupted, and utterly
helpless state by nature; the doctrine of
salvation by grace, through the blood and
Spirit of Jesus, the God who made all
things; the necessity of a new nature, and
of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, in order
to obtain that holiness of heart and life,
without which no man shall see the Lord—
these have hitherto been the chief subjects
of my ministry; and whether it shall please
God to lengthen out my days, or to cut
3 F
410 THE IMPROVEMENT, &c. SER. 13.
them short, still I hope to abide by the a-
postle's determination, to know nothing a-
mong you, save Jesus Christ and him cru-
cified. Amen.
SERMON XIV:
THE DUTY OF SEEKING THE THINGS
WHICH ARE JESUS CHRIST'S *
PHILIPPIANS ii. 21.
For all seek their own, not the things which
are Jesus Christ's.
}
WE can be at no loss to understand the
Apostle's meaning in the passage before us,
whether we consider its connection with the
context, or attend to the common use of
language. A proposition may sometimes
be stated in universal terms, when only a
great number, or the greater part are meant.
+
* Preached before the Edinburgh Missionary Socie
ty, April 5. 1803.
2
412
SER. 14.
DUTY OF SEEKING
Such a mode of expression is usual in the
gravest writings, as well as in ordinary and
familiar discourse.
We cannot suppose that the apostle in-
tended, by these words, to characterise all
his fellow-Christians, the whole multitude
of believers; many of whom were conspi-
cuous for a spirit and temper, the very re-
verse of that which the apostle here con-
demns. He speaks, in the context, of Ti-
mothy, as one, who, as a son with a father,
served with him in the gospel *. And a
little after, of Epaphroditus, his brother and
companion in labour, who, for the work of
Christ, was nigh unto death, not regard-
ing his life to supply their lack of service
towards him . And, in the foregoing
chapter, he tells us, that many of the breth-
ren, waxing confident by his bonds, were
much more bold to speak the word without
fear.
* Phil. ii. 22.
† Chap. ii. 25, 30.
‡ Chap. i. 14.
SER. 14. THE THINGS OF CHRIST. 413
apos-
But from this, as well as many other
parts of Paul's epistolary writings, it ap-
pears, that even at this early period of the
church, a selfish and worldly spirit had be-
gun to manifest itself among those who
bore the Christian name. And, in particu-
lar, we have reason to think, that the
tle had occasion to witness the prevalence
of this spirit among many real, or pretend-
ed friends of Christianity, at the time when
he wrote this epistle. And if such were the
case in this purest age of the church, when
the temptations to a false and hypocritical
profession of religion were so much fewer
than they are at present, is it
any wonder,
that, in these corrupt and degenerate times
in which we live, we should have still
great-
er cause to complain, that all seek their
own, not the things which are Jesus
Christ's?
Selfishness, or inordinate self-love, is the
common character of mankind. While men
are strangers to the regenerating power of
divine grace, they are almost wholly guided
by it.
Even their boasted benevolence,
414
DUTY OF SEEKING SER. 14.
uninfluenced by the principles and motives
which the gospel inspires, is little better
than refined selfishness. The world they
pursue as their chief good-its honours, its
riches, or its pleasures, are, in their estima-
tion, of the highest importance; so that,
regardless of the glory of their Maker, and
of the ultimate end of their being, they on-
ly consult the means of present selfish gra-
tification. Nor is this temper, alas! whol-
ly confined to those who are living without
God, and without hope in the world. It is
too often found, in a certain degree, in men
who are, upon the whole, actuated by no-
bler principles. The cursed leaven has
spread itself through the church of Christ,
and infected the minds even of its genuine
members. I do not mean to affirm, that a
prevailing worldly or selfish spirit is com-
patible with real religion-No; let God be
true, though every man should prove a liar.
The tree is known by its fruits; and if any
man have not the spirit of Christ, he is
none of his. But as Christians are only
sanctified in part, there may remain a con-
siderable mixture of selfishness, even in
?
SER. 14. THE THINGS OF CHRIST. 415
A
those in whose hearts the love of God is su-
preme. Hence have arisen the envies, jea-
lousy, and party-spirit which have tarnish-
ed the character, and marred the usefulness
of many wise and good men.
To trace the nature, and point out the
causes of this criminal temper, would open
up a very wide, and, perhaps, not unpro-
fitable subject of discourse; and such a
train of reflection is naturally suggested by
the words of the text. But this is not my pur-
pose at present. My design, in the choice
of this text, is not so much to expose the
sinfulness and mischievous consequences of
a selfish and worldly spirit, in the professors
of Christianity, as to recommend a temper
opposite to it :—to shew the dignity, excel-
lence, and unspeakable advantages of public
spirit, and disinterested Christian zeal—that
I may, if possible, rouse a generous emula-
tion in the breasts of those, who, possessing
the means and opportunities of doing good,
have not been so active as they might have
been, in improving the talents committed
416
SER. 14.
DUTY OF SEEKING
to them. With this end in view, and look-
ing up to God for his blessing, I shall en-
deavour,
I. To state and explain the principles by
which true Christians are led to seek the
things which are Jesus Christ's, in prefer-
ence to their own. And then,
II. Recommend the cultivation and
ercise of this divine temper, by some mo-
tives and arguments.
I. I am to state and explain to you, the
principles by which true Christians are led
to seek the things which are Jesus Christ's,
in preference to their own. The things
which are Jesus Christ's, are the things per-
taining to the kingdom and glory of Jesus
Christ, with the means of promoting them.
These are opposed to our own things: that
is, to our own ease, reputation, or worldly
interest, which duty to God, and a regard
to the honour of our Lord Jesus Christ,
will often require us to sacrifice. It is not
SÉR. 14. THE THINGS OF CHRIST. 417
possible indeed, to divest ourselves of a re-
gard to our own happiness :-nor does the
gospel require it. On the contrary, in the
summary which Christ hath given us of the
second table of the law, Thou shalt love thy
neighbour as thyself, it is plainly supposed,
that self-love, under due regulations, is à
natural and proper principle of action, since
it is the measure by which we are to regu-
late the love which we owe to our neigh-
bour. Pious men have sometimes uttered
rash and unscriptural sentiments upon this
subject, supposing it possible to be so far
divested of all selfish regards, as to be will-
ing to be eternally miserable, if the glory of
God, and the good of others might be there-
by promoted; and have, in support of this
opinion, cited Moses and Paul as examples
of this high degree of disinterested zeal and
charity. But this sentiment is as opposite
to the whole tenor of scripture doctrine, as
it is repugnant to the common feelings of
mankind. Nor do the examples that have
been mentioned, when properly under-
stood, give the smallest countenance to this
3 G
418
SER. 14.
DUTY OF SEEKING
idea*. The glory of God is certainly the
highest and noblest end at which a creature
can aim, since it is the great end for which
all things were made-but this, so far from
* In Exod. xxxii. 31, 32. we are told, upon occasion
of the Israelites making the golden calf, that "Mo-
❝ses returned unto the Lord, and said, O! this people
❝ have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of
"gold: Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin, and if
"not, blot me out of thy book which thou hast written.”
There is no reason to suppose, that Moses, in these
words, refers to his final state, or expresses his willing-
ness to endure everlasting misery for the sake of the
people of Israel; but God having threatened, (ver. 10.)
the total extirpation of the people whom he had brought
out of Egypt, and offered to Moses to make of him a
great nation:-Moses cannot bear the thought of this;
but humbly pleads with God, that he would spare the
people for his name's sake; or, if that could not be, but
they must be cut off, that he, at least, might not survive
to witness their destruction, but be cut off with them,
by a violent death; and, consequently, have no inheri-
tance in the land of Canaan. Compare Ezekiel xiii. 9.
In short, Moses, though innocent of the crime which,
upon this occasion, had provoked the Lord's displeasure,
was willing to endure any kind or degree of suffering
short of eternal misery, for the sake of the guilty con-
gregation; in which, as in other respects, he was an e-
minent type of our Lord Jesus Christ, who not only ex-
SER. 14. THE THINGS OF CHRIST. 419
being incompatible, is inseparably connect-
ed with the happiness of all the dutiful sub-
jects of God's moral government, and it ne-
ver can be for his glory that any creature
pressed his willingness to suffer, but actually bore the
curse due to our transgression, that he might redeem us
from everlasting destruction.
The parallel passage relating to the apostle Paul, from
which some have inferred, that he, as well as Moses, was
willing to forego his own eternal happiness for the sake
of others, is Rom. ix. 3. « For I could wish that myself
"were accursed from Christ, for my brethren, my kins-
"men according to the flesh." Many different inter-
pretations have been given of this difficult passage, with-
out supposing it to refer to the apostle's final and ever-
lasting state. The most probable appears to me to be
the following, which Mr Glass in his Notes on Scrip-
ture texts, and others after him have adopted. The
Greek word Húzóμnv, rendered in our translation “" I
"could wish," properly refers to the past, and not to the
present time. It might be rendered " I did wish," which
relieves the passage of the principal difficulty attending
it. Placing a part of it in a parenthesis, the whole text,
ver. 2. and 3. runs thus: "I have great heaviness, and
❝ continual sorrow in my heart, (for I myself [Hvxóμnv]
"did wish to be accursed, or separated from Christ) on
"account of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the
"flesh." Paul's former hatred of Christ, and a convic-
2
420
DUTY OF SEEKING SER. 14.
1
should be eternally miserable, who does not
for his own wilful rebellion and impenitence
deserve to be so. The self-denial which the
gospel requires, implies nothing of this kind.
But still it occupies a very wide and exten-
sive province; and they who are possessed
of the genuine spirit of Christianity, will dis-
cover, in their general temper and conduct,
a superiority to those selfish views which ac-
tuate the rest of mankind. Let us attend,
then, to the principles upon which such a
character is formed, contrasting the selfish-
ness of a worldling, or mere formalist in re-
ligion, with the enlarged and disinterested
benevolence of a faithful disciple of the
Lord Jesus Christ.
1., The grand principle upon which the
Christian character is formed, and that
which gives birth to every other gracious
disposition, is faith. Faith, as the apostle
tion of the misery to which he was then exposed, made
him now feel in the tenderest manner for his brethren
the Jews, who still remained in the same enmity from
which he had been so miraculously delivered.
ŞER. 14. THE THINGS OF CHRIST. 421
*
tells us, is the substance of things hoped
for, and the evidence of things not seen
It gives a kind of present subsistence to
things future and invisible; representing
them to the mind, not as bare probabilities,
but as absolute certainties, to which we may
attach the firmest credit, and on which we
may rely with the most unsuspicious confi-
dence. Faith has respect to the testimony
of God, as the ground upon which it rests.
It embraces the whole system of revealed
truth, and yields an implicit and unquali-
fied assent to every thing which bears the
undoubted mark of divine authority. The
faith of a Christian does not indeed require
him to believe without evidence; for the
sacred scriptures, which contain the revela-
tion of God's will, are accompanied with
many infallible proofs of their divine origi-
nal. But when satisfied upon clear and
convincing evidence, that the scriptures are
the word of God, the Christian does not
consider himself at liberty to choose or to
refuse certain parts of the divine testimony,
*Heb. xi. 1.
422
SER. 14.
DUTY OF SEEKING
according as they may appear to him to be
more or less conformable to his corrupt pre-
judices, or sinful inclinations. He considers
himself equally bound by every word which
God hath spoken, and cordially acquiesces
in all his revealed will, as holy, and just, and
good.
Such is the faith of divine operation,
the faith which is inseparably connect-
ed with salvation. But it is too evident,
that all men have not this faith*. Many
openly oppose and deride it, while others,
who esteem themselves, and would be esteem-
ed by others, Christians, are satisfied with a
cold formal assent to the truth of divine re-
velation in general, without understanding
its nature, examining its contents, or feel-
ing any particular interest in the doctrines
which it reveals. The consequence is, that
with all their pretended veneration for the
sacred scriptures, they receive no serious
lasting impression from them, nor do they
at all experience their practical influence.
*2 Thess. iii. 2.
SER. 14. THE THINGS OF CHRIST. 423
Naming the name of Christ they depart not
from iniquity, but walk after the course of
this world, and mind only earthly things.
Hence it is, that so many professors of Chri-
stianity, especially in the age in which we
live, when a mere outward profession of re-
ligion is attended with little danger to a
man's worldly interest, seek their own things
in preference to the things which are Jesus
Christ's. It is far otherwise with the man
who is possessed of genuine faith in the
gospel. Inspired with this divine princi-
ple, the true Christian is taught to form a
proper estimate of the unspeakable value of
spiritual blessings, and the comparative in-
significance of all earthly pursuits, while he
looks not at the things which are seen and
temporal, but at those things which are un-
seen and eternal*. Risen with Christ, he
seeks and sets his affections on things above,
not on things on the earth. According
to the measure of his faith is his superiori-
ty to low earthly schemes and selfish con-
siderations. These, it is true, may mingle
* 2 Cor. iv. 8.
+ Col. iii. 1, 2.
424
SER. 14,
DUTY OF SEEKING
with his religious duties, and debase his
pur-
est services, which cannot fail to humble
him deeply in the sight of God; but they
do not form his predominant character:
they arise from the weakness of his faith,
and are neither allowed nor indulged, but
powerfully resisted and mourned over be-
fore the Lord. With all his acknowledged
imperfection, an habitual regard to the
things which are Jesus Christ's, in prefer-
ence to his own things, is abundantly ma-
nifest in the prevailing temper of his mind,
as well as in the general tenor of his con-
duct.
In nothing, perhaps, is true spiritual re-
ligion (the religion, I mean, which flows
from a living faith in the gospel,) more dis-
tinguished from a form of godliness than in
this respect. The stream can rise no high-
er than the fountain from which it flows.
That which is born of the flesh is flesh;
but that which is born of the spirit is spi-
rit *. A worldly man's religion is regu-
* John iii. 6.
SER. 14. THE THINGS OF CHRIST. 425
lated by worldly principles; his fear of
God is taught by the precepts of men *. A
stranger to the faith which overcometh the
world, not realising the things of an unseen
and everlasting state, he is always afraid of
venturing too far; of being righteous over-
much; of hurting his worldly interest, and
incurring the censure and reproach of those
whose good opinion he wishes to preserve.
But the simple-hearted genuine disciple of
Christ, has learned to deny himself, to také
up
his cross;
cross, and follow his blessed Lord.
He has counted the cost, and is made will-
ing to sell all that he has, that he may buy
the treasure hid in the gospel field-the
pearl of great price, which faith has
taught him to prize above every thing which
this world can bestow.
2. Connected with this principle, and na-
turally flowing from it, is another gracious
disposition, which has a powerful influence
in forming the Christian character—a su-
preme
love to the Lord Jesus Christ.
*Isa. xxix. 13
+ Matt. xiii. 45, 46.
S HI
426
DUTY OF SEEKING SER. 14.
No temper or disposition of mind is
more frequently spoken of in scripture, as
characteristic of a real Christian, than love
to Christ. It is of the very nature and es-
sence of true religion. If any man, says
the apostle, love not the Lord Jesus Christ,
let him be Anathema Maranatha*; but,
on the other hand, Grace be with all them
that love our Lord Jesus Christ in since-
rity. Love to Christ, proceeding from
faith in him, is something more than a tran-
sient glow of affection. It is something
more than saying unto Christ, Lord, Lord,
which many do, who in works deny him.
Genuine love to Christ is a powerful, oper-
ative, abiding principle. It is the spring of
all acceptable obedience, the grand incen-
tive to the practice of every thing that is
true, and honest, and just, and pure, and
lovely, and of good report; for the love
of Christ CONSTRAINETH US: it impels
us forward, and bears us on in its own
course, like a mighty current which carries
* 1 Cor. xvi. 22.
‡ Phil. iv. 8.
+ Eph. vi. 24.
Η συνεχει ἡμᾶς.
SER. 14. THE THINGS OF CHRIST. 427
all before it. But how is this gracious prin-
ciple brought into action, or in what way is
its existence in the soul manifested in the
outward conduct? Our Lord Jesus Christ
is not now personally present upon earth,
to receive from his friends any visible tok-
ens of regard. The heavens have received
him till the time of the restitution of all
things. But he has a cause, a kingdom, an
interest in the world, and what is done for
the advancement of his kingdom and inter-
est among men, out of love to his name, he
considers as done to himself. Here, then,
Brethren, is the test of the sincerity of our
love to Christ—a test which he himself re-
quires as indispensably necessary to the
character of his disciples *. He that loveth
father or mother more than me, is not wor-
thy of me; and he that loveth son or
daughter more than me is not worthy of
me.
And again, in still stronger terms †,
If any man come to me, and hate not his
father, and mother, and wife, and chil-
dren, and brethren, and sisters, and his
* Matt. x. 37.
+ Luke xiv. 26.
2
428
SER. 14.
DUTY OF SEEKING
own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
The meaning of both these passages is the
same. They evidently refer to the supreme
affection of the soul, and to that decided
preference which the things of Jesus Christ
ought to have in our minds above our own
things. Our Lord, in the words just now
recited, cannot be supposed to require us
absolutely to hate our brethren and kins-
men according to the flesh, (for this would
be as contrary to the plainest principles of
religion, as to the common dictates of hu-
manity,) but, in a comparative view, we are
commanded to act as if we hated them, so
as to be willing to renounce our dearest
friends, when duty to Christ demands such
a sacrifice; that is, when we must either
forsake them, or forsake our blessed Lord.
This doctrine, which appears to many an
hard saying, is strikingly illustrated by an
apposite example, which occurs in the his-
tory of our Saviour's personal ministry *
We read of a certain Ruler, who came to
* Luke xviii. 18-23.
SER. 14. THE THINGS OF CHRIST. 429
$
Christ, professing great respect for his cha-
racter, and an earnest desire to be instruct-
ed by him. Good Master, said he, what
shall I do to inherit eternal life? Our
Lord, who knew what was in man, perceiv-
ed, that, with all his professions of regard,
the love of the world was predominant in
his heart, and therefore he put his boasted
virtue to the trial, by telling him, Yet lack-
est thou one thing: sell all that thou hast,
and distribute unto the poor, and thou
shalt have treasure in heaven, and come,
follow me.
The event was such as might
have been expected, in the case of one
whose heart was not right with God. He
went away very sorrowful, for he was very
rich. For the same reason, one of Paul's
fellow-labourers deserted him in the hour of
trial. Demas hath forsaken me, says he,
having loved this present world*" And
many, alas! in
alas! in every age, who are called by
the name of Christ, and with their mouths
shew much love, plainly discover by their
conduct, that the world has the chief place
* 2 Tim. iv. 10.
430
SER. 14.
DUTY OF SEEKING
in their hearts; preferring their own ease,
credit, and interest, to the honour of Christ
and the advancement of his kingdom, when-
ever they happen to come in competition with
each other. The genuine disciples of Christ,
who are possessed of a supreme love to him,
are men of another spirit. To them, the
honour of Christ, and the advancement of
his kingdom, are matters of the most seri-
oùs concern. They rejoice in Zion's pros-
perity, and are filled with the deepest re-
gret, when the interest of the Redeemer's
kingdom appears to be in a low and declin-
ing state. Nor are they satisfied with in-
dolent wishes and unmeaning compliments,
when they have it in their power to give
more substantial proofs of regard to the Sa-
viour; but constrained by his love, present
their bodies and spirits as living sacrifices,
and cheerfully consecrate their time, and ta-
lents, and substance, and influence to his
service and glory.
3. Another principle, arising from the
two former, which has a powerful influence
in forming the Christian character, is, love
SER. 14. THE THINGS OF CHRIST. 431
to the souls of men, or true Christian bene-
volence.
ren *
The origin of this divine temper is to be
traced to the love of God, displayed in the
redemption of the world by his Son Jesus
Christ. For, as the apostle John informs
us, Love is of God, and every one that lov-
eth is born of God, and knoweth God.
Hereby perceive we the love of God, be-
cause he laid down his life for us and we
ought to lay down our lives for the breth-
The character of man as a fallen
apostate creature, is the very reverse of
this-Hateful, and hating one another†,
exhibits a no less just than melancholy pic-
ture of his history in all past ages, with but
few exceptions. Nor is this difficult to be
accounted for. While every one pursues
his own apparent interest, without regard
to the welfare or happiness of others, vari-
ous will be the occasions of mutual strife
and contention. Pride and covetousness,
these two evil demons which haunt the
# 1 John iv. 7. and iii. 16. + Tit. iii. 3.
432
SER. 14.
DUTY OF SEEKING
smaller, as well as the larger societies of
men, have produced innumerable mischiefs
in the world. Hence have arisen wars and
fightings, discord and jealousy, peevishness
and discontent, which, in ten thousand in-
stances, have broken the peace of nations,
of churches, and families. There is, I ac-
knowledge, a sort of benevolence, which,
greatly for the benefit of society, is to be
found among those who are strangers to
the saving power of the gospel; though,
even on persons of this description, Christi-
anity has no inconsiderable influence. In
proof of this, it may be observed, that a
spirit of humanity and liberality is chiefly
to be found in those places where the pur-
est system of religion prevails, and where
the greatest number of real Christians are
to be seen adorning the doctrine of God
their Saviour. Their influence and exam-
ple cannot fail to stir up others to acts of
beneficence, and to diffuse a spirit of gene-
ral philanthropy, which gradually and in-
sensibly raising the standard of morals, con-
tributes, in a high degree, to meliorate and
improve the state of society. But however
SER. 14. THE THINGS OF CHRIST. 435
useful this sort of benevolence may be in
its own place, it falls short of that love to
mankind, which is the fruit of a living faith
in the gospel of Jesus Christ. The common
benevolence which springs from mere natu-
ral principles, refers chiefly to men's bodily
wants, and temporal distresses; whereas
true Christian love, while it does not over-
look these, aims at higher objects, and, deep-
ly sensible how infinitely superior the con-
cerns of the soul are to those things which
relate only to a present life, directs its prin-
cipal efforts to the spiritual interests and
eternal salvation of mankind.
{
While the Christian philanthropist, then,
mourns over the countless calamities of suf-
fering humanity, he is still more deeply af-
fected with the spiritual distresses of his fel-
low-creatures. While his heart bleeds at
every tale of woe, his compassion is roused
in a still higher degree, by beholding the
ignorance and wickedness of multitudes a-
round him. While he labours to the utmost
of his power to relieve the wants, and alle-
viate the miseries of the poor and afflicted,
3 I
434
SER. 14.
DUTY OF SEEKING
he is no less active and zealous in promot-
ing every scheme for spreading the light
and blessings of the gospel, especially in
those dark places of the earth, which, in
the emphatical language of scripture, are
full of the habitations of cruelty*.
The gospel, when properly understood
and believed, cannot fail to produce these
effects, being admirably fitted to enlarge
and elevate the mind, and to destroy that
sordid selfishness which is so universally
prevalent in the world. It teaches us to
consider every man as
man as our brother. It
breaks down the middle wall of partition
between Jew and Gentile, Barbarian, Scy-
thian, bond, and free. It disposes us to
regard, with interest and affection, the Afri-
can Negro, the American Indian, the wan-
dering Tartar, the South Sea Islander, the
half-starved Greenlander—the untutored sa-
vage of every clime, as well as the inhabi-
tant of more favoured regions. It shews
that, in point of acceptance with God, all
* Psal. lxxiv. 20.
+Coloss. iii. 11.
SER. 14. THE THINGS OF CHRIST. 435
men, notwithstanding the distinctions of
country, climate, colour, and even charac-
ter, stand upon a footing;-that all are
sprung from the same stock-descended
from the same apostate parents-involved
in the same circumstances of guilt and mi-
sery-indebted for their hope to the com-
mon salvation—and equally capable sub-
jects of redeeming power and grace. By
holding up to our view the great pattern of
divine benevolence, exhibited in the gift of
God's own Son, the gospel has a tendency
to inspire universal good-will-to expand
the soul with the most enlarged and gene-
rous sentiments—and to beget and cherish,
in particular, an ardent love to the souls of
men, as of unspeakable value, being destin-
ed for immortality, and redeemed by the
blood of the Son of God. The great rule
of Christian charity is expressed in these
Scriptural exhortations: Look not every
man on his own things, but every man also
on the things of others. Rejoice with them
that do rejoice, and weep with them that
weep. For none of us liveth to himself,
and no man dieth to himself. For whether
2
436
SER. 14.
DUTY OF SEEKING
we live, we live unto the Lord; or whe-
ther we die, we die unto the Lord: whe-
ther we live, therefore, or die, we are the
Lord's *.
These, then, are the principles which con-
tribute to form in the Christian that pure
and disinterested zeal for the glory of the
Redeemer, and the advancement of his king-
dom, which constitutes the brightest orna-
ment of his character. Faith, working by
love, is the true spring of all that is great,
or amiable, or excellent among
among men.
Suffer me now, my Christian Brethren,
II. By a few plain motives and argu-
ments, to recommend to you the cultivation
and exercise of this divine temper.
1. The superior importance of the things
of Jesus Christ to our own things, should
determine our preference.
* Phil. ii. 4. Rom. xii. 15. and xiv. 7, 8.
SER. 14. THE THINGS OF CHRIST. 437
How poor and trifling, in comparison, are
all those objects which so much engross the
time and attention of the great bulk of man-
kind! What a bauble is wealth, compared
with the unsearchable riches of Christ!
How insignificant the honour that cometh
from man, compared with the honour that
cometh from God! And how contemptible
the pleasures of sin, which are but for a sea-
son—those short-lived enjoyments for which
men barter their souls and eternal salvation,
when set in competition with the high dig-
nity and happiness of being workers toge-
ther with God, in promoting the holy, wise,
and beneficent purposes of his
of his government!
The things which are Jesus Christ's, remem-
ber, are the things which pertain to the di-
vine glory. For the Father loveth the Son,
and hath given all things into his hand*,
And can we conceive, Christians, a higher
motive to exertion than the glory of Him
that made us? Has the Father committed
to the Son the dearest interests of his own
glory, and shall we not seek the things
* John iii. 35.
438
SER. 14.
DUTY OF SEEKING
which are Jesus Christ's, in preference to e-
very thing else? Our own things! How do
they dwindle into insignificance when con-
trasted with these! Shall we prefer a little
ease, a little worldly interest or indulgence,
a little praise or commendation from poor
fellow-mortals like ourselves (for these are
the only things which can come into com-
petition with the things which are Jesus
Christ's) to the glory of God, and the ho-
nour of the Redeemer?
Take the things which are supposed to be
of the greatest importance to mankind-the
rise and fall of empires-the revolutions of
states and kingdoms-the civil and politi-
cal interests of the great bodies which di-
vide the inhabitants of the globe. These,
it will readily be granted, are justly entit-
led to regard, since they involve the tempo-
ral comfort and prosperity of thousands
and millions of our fellow-creatures. But
bring them into competition with the things
which are Jesus Christ's, and what is their
amount? Except in so far as they are con-
nected with the advancement of the Re-
SER. 14. THE THINGS OF CHRIST. 489
deemer's kingdom, of the increase and
peace of which there shall be no end *, they
will be found, comparatively speaking, light
as a feather, and insignificant as the small
dust
upon the balance. The salvation of a
single soul is an event of greater importance
than the conquest of a kingdom. The hum-
ble self-denied followers of the Lamb, who
are willing to hazard their lives for the sake
of Christ and immortal souls, are far more
worthy of being enrolled in the annals of
fame-I will not say, than the Cæsars and
Alexanders, who have deluged the world
with blood, whose memory is fitted to ex-
cite abhorrence, rather than applause—but
than the most renowned patriots, or illus-
trious benefactors of the human race, who
have promoted, in the highest degree, the
temporal interests of their fellow-creatures.
Little as the preaching of the gospel, and
the effects produced by it, are regarded by
many, it is followed with consequences in-
finitely more momentous than those which
arise from the deliberations of senates, or
* Isa. ix. 7.
440
SER. 14.
DUTY OF SEEKING
the decrees of princes. And are Christi-
ans, then, the only men who are justified
in the indulgence of sloth? Are all others
active and diligent in promoting, in differ-
ent ways, what they conceive to be their
interest, while they who call themselves dis-
ciples of Christ, are careless and indifferent
about the honour of their Master, and the
success of his glorious gospel!-How true
the saying of our blessed Lord, The chil-
dren of this world are in their generation
wiser than the children of light*! The
merchant, in quest of gain, braves the
dangers of the deep, and exposes himself to
all the variety of climates; the scholar, who
aspires after literary fame, grudges no time,
and spares no labour that may add to the
stock of his knowledge; and the crafty po-
litician, who seeks to rise into power, by
the favour and good services of those around
him, thinks no condescension too great
which may lead to the accomplishment of
his wishes. Let us blush for shame,
that we, who profess to have such superior
* Luke xvi. 8.
SER. 14. THE THINGS OF CHRIST. 441
objects in view, should be so far outstripped
in activity and zeal by the votaries of Mam-
mon, who aim at nothing higher than the
attainment of blessings which perish with
the using.
•
2. Gratitude to the Redeemer for the in-
estimable benefits he hath procured for us,
should excite us to seek the things which
are Jesus Christ's in preference to our own.
Even Christ, we are told, pleased not him-
self *.
He sought not his own things, but
the glory of his heavenly Father, and the
happiness of his people. He became poor,
that we, through his poverty, might be
rich he emptied himself of his glory,
though possessed of all the fulness of the
Godhead, took upon him the degraded form
of a servant, submitted to shame and suf-
ferings, and death itself, that he might de-
liver us from endless inconceivable misery,
and raise us to the possession of immortal
glory and blessedness. In this view, how
astonishing is the history of Christ's person-
**Rom. xv. 3.
+2 Cor. viii. 9.
3 к
442
SER. 14.
DUTY OF SEEKING
al ministry! Well might it be said of him,
that the zeal of God's house had eaten him
up*; for it was his meat and drink to do
the will of his heavenly Father, and to fi-
nish his work. Often did he deny him-
self the ordinary refreshments of nature,
that he might be serviceable to the souls of
men. Upon one occasion, when faint and
weary, he sat on Jacob's well, and asked of
the woman of Samaria a little water to
quench his thirst; denied, as he was at first,
this trifling boon, he seems, from the con-
versation that follows, to have forgotten his
thirst in his ardent concern for the salva-
tion of this poor woman's soul. And once
and again, we read of his retiring to a
mountain to pray, and spending whole
nights in prayer, after having employed the
day in public instruction and acts of bene-
ficence .
What a pattern to his followers! And how
powerful a motive likewise to deny ourselves
* John ii. 17.
John iv. 9-26.
+ John iv. 34.
|| Mark vi. 40. Luke vi. 12.
SER. 14. THE THINGS OF CHRIST. 443
for him, who, for our sakes, laboured, and
watched, and wept, and prayed, and at last
shed his precious blood! How poor the re-
turns which we can possibly make for his
marvellous love to us! But surely, if one
spark of gratitude remain in our breasts,
we cannot fail to judge with the apostle,
that if one died for all, then were all dead;
and that Christ died for all, that they who
live should not henceforth live unto them-
selves, but to him who died for them and
rose again *. We must be irresistibly led,
by this endearing consideration, to seek the
things which are Jesus Christ's, accounting
the honour of his name, and the advance-
ment of his kingdom in the world, of infi-
nitely greater moment, and far more desira-
ble than any little separate interest of our
own. If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, said
the captive Jews in Babylon, let my right
hand forget her cunning. If I do not re-
member thee, let my tongue cleave to the
roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jeru-
salem above my chief joy. In like man-
* 2 Cor. v. 14, 15.
† Psal. cxxxvii. 5, 6.
હરે
444
SER. 14.
DUTY OF SEEKING
will the pious Christian say, If ever I for-
6
get thy dying love, O bleeding Immanuel!
❝ if ever I lose the sense of my infinite obli-
gations to thy matchless grace, let my
6
6
6
right hand forget her cunning, let my
tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth.
'Sooner let me die than not live to thee;
'sooner let me lose the powers of my ra-
6
• tional nature, than fail to employ them in
6
6
6
thy service. Henceforth thy glory shall
be my constant aim, thy will my only
• rule, and the advancement of thy kingdom,
‹ in the particular station in which thy pro-
vidence hath placed me, the great busi-
'ness of my life.'
Cherish, my Christian Friends, such sen-
timents as these. Muse
Muse upon the great
things which God hath done for
and
your souls,
till the fire of divine love burn within you,
you feel
feel yourselves constrained to say,
Lord, what wilt thou have us to do *_to
be-or to suffer? We are ready, through
thine all-powerful grace assisting us, not
* Acts ix. 6.
SER. 14. THE THINGS OF CHRIST. 445
ز
to be bound only, but also to die for the
name of the Lord Jesus*. We are ready
to renounce kindred, country, friends, com-
forts, every thing, in short, which the
world holds dear, at the command of him
whose we are, and to whom we owe our e-
verlasting all. Only let the grace of Christ
be sufficient, and his strength made perfect
in our weakness, and love will make pain
easy, and labour delightful.
3. To animate us to the exercise of pure
and disinterested zeal, let us recal to our
minds the example of the best and holiest
men who have lived in past ages.
All seek their own, says the apostle, not
the things which are Jesus Christ's-and
too much cause has there been for the same
complaint in every period of the church.
But, blessed be God, there have been, and
still are, many noble examples of the con-
trary spirit. The Lord has not wanted
faithful witnesses to his truth, from the ear-
* Acts xxi. 13.
446
SER. 14.
DUTY OF SEEKING
•
liest ages of the world, through all succeed-
ing generations, to the present times. Mo-
ses, the renowned lawgiver of the Jews, was
a man on whom the Spirit of God rested in
no common measure; and for no quality
was this eminent servant of God more dis-
tinguished, than for a noble superiority to
narrow and selfish views. Among many
proofs of this that might be mentioned, it is
recorded of him upon one occasion*, that
when Eldad and Medad, two men who were
of them that were written, but went not out
unto the tabernacle, prophesied in the camp;
Joshua, the servant of Moses, offended at
their presumption, proposed that they should
not be allowed to prophecy any longer. My
lord Moses, said he, forbid them. But Mo-
ses, better instructed in the spirit of true
religion, nobly replied, Enviest thou for my
sake? Would God that all the Lord's peo-
ple were prophets, and that the Lord would
put his Spirit upon them. In the same
temper John the Baptist, the forerunner of
our blessed Lord, spoke and acted, when
* Numb. xi. 26-29.
SER. 14. THE THINGS OF CHRIST.
447
some of his disciples came to him, telling
him, by way of complaint, Rabbi, he that
was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom
thou barest witness; behold, the same bap-
tizeth, and all men come to him. Greatly
superior to all their little jealousies, John
answered and said, A man can receive no-
thing, except it be given him from heaven.
Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said,
I am not the Christ, but that I am sent
before him. He that hath the bride is the
bridegroom: but the friend of the bride-
groom, which standeth and heareth him,
rejoiceth greatly because of the bride-
groom's voice: this my joy, therefore, is
fulfilled. He must increase, but I must
decrease*.
But in none was this blessed temper ever
more conspicuous, than in Paul himself, the
apostle whose words we are now consider-
ing. How ardent and disinterested was the
zeal of this great apostle, for the honour of
his Master! From the time that his Lord
* John iii. 25-30.
448
SER. 14.
DUTY OF SEEKING
6
met him on his way to Damascus, to the
close of his life, a period of more than thirty
years, his whole soul was engaged in devis-
ing and carrying into execution schemes for
the advancement of the Redeemer's king-
dom. Nor did he seem to think he had
'done any thing, while any thing remain-
'ed to be done *,' in this glorious warfare.
He spoke he lived he acted--he breath-
ed for no other purpose. Sometimes the
apostle met with ungrateful returns from
those whose best interests he laboured to
promote; but even ingratitude itself could
not damp the generous ardour of his love.
Speaking to the Corinthians, he says, I will
very gladly spend and be spent for you,
though the more abundantly I love you, the
less I should be loved. And to shew how
far this great man was superior to those
narrow selfish views which operate so strong-
ly upon little minds, he informs us in this
epistle†, that some preachers of the gospel
* Nil actum reputans, si quid superesset agendum.
LUCAN.
+2 Cor. xii. 15.
Phil. i. 15-18:
SER. 14. THE THINGS OF CHRIST. 449
had so far departed from the true spirit of
their office, as to preach Christ even of
envy and strife, supposing to add affliction
to his bonds. The apostle does not com-
mend their spiteful spirit; but in so far as
he himself was concerned, he shews that he
was not in the least affected by it. What
then, continues he, notwithstanding every
way, whether in pretence or in truth, Christ
is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea,
and will rejoice. In the prosecution of
this arduous work, the apostle was some-
times exposed to incredible dangers and
hardships. But none of these things mov-
ed him, neither did he count his life dear
to himself, that he might finish his course
with joy. Yea, says he, a few verses be-
fore the text*, and if I be offered upon
the sacrifice and service of your faith, I
joy and rejoice with you all.
辈
​In these examples, brethren, we see the
power of genuine magnanimity-we behold
the effects of the grace of God upon men
* Phil. ii. 17.
3 L
450
SER. 14.
DUTY OF SEEKING
of the same nature, and of like passions with
ourselves; and by these and similar exam-
ples, we ought to be excited and encoura-
ged in the strength of God, to aim at the
same excellence and dignity of character.
In the Fourth and last place, Let a re-
gard to our own best and eternal interests
determine us to seek the things which are
Jesus Christ's in preference to our own.
This, at first view, may appear paradoxical,
that we should be exhorted to consult our
own interest by seeming to overlook and
neglect it. But this difficulty vanishes at
once, if we recollect, that the highest inter-
est of man is the salvation of his immortal
soul, which forms a part of the things which
are Jesus Christ's; and that even with re-
gard to our temporal interest, if we seek
first the kingdom of God and his righte-
ousness, all other things, which are truly
good and necessary for us, will be added
unto us*. This seems to be the import of
our Lord's gracious promise, Verily, I
* Matt. vi. 33.
+ Luke xviii. 29, 30.
"
SER. 14. THE THINGS OF CHRIST. 451
say unto you, there is no man that hath
left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife,
or children, for the kingdom of God's sake,
who shall not receive manifold more in this
present time, and in the world to come, life
everlasting.
If we simply follow the Lord in the path
of duty, devoting our time and talents to
his service and glory, and minding the in-
terest of his kingdom above every other con-
cern, the power and promise of God are en-
gaged for our temporal support *. We may
be brought into difficult and trying circum-
stances-former friends may frown, or for-
sake us adverse dispensations of provi-
dence may add to our perplexity and dis-
tress the cruise of oil, and barrel of meal
may be nearly exhausted, and the means of
future supply may seem to be cut off ;—but
they that fear the Lord shall not lack any
* It is remarkable, that God secured the possessions
of the Israelites when their males came up to Jerusalem
to worship three times a-year, and promised that the
heathen should not so much as desire their land at those
times, Exod. xxxiv. 24. Compare Prov. xvi. 7.
2
452
SER. 14.
DUTY OF SEEKING
{
thing that is good. Sooner will the Lord
open windows in heaven than suffer any of
his children to be utterly forsaken. Their
bread shall be given, and their water
shall be sure*. And though, for the sake
of Christ and a good conscience, they
may be sometimes called to abandon the
dearest earthly comforts—to take, not only
the spoiling of their goods, but what is
much harder to bear, the loss of their good
name ;--though they may be hated, revil-
ed, and persecuted for Christ's sake-yet
the Lord, who has the hearts of all in his
hands, can, in ten thousand ways, restrain
the wrath of their enemies; or, if he allow
it in any measure to break forth, he can,
by his wonder-working wisdom, render it
subservient to their greater good. In every
case, and at all events, it shall be well with
the righteous. They shall receive ma-
nifold more in the present time—a well-
grounded sense of the divine favour,—peace
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ-
fellowship with him in the ordinances of his
* Isa. xxxiii. 16.
+ Isa. iii. 10.
SER. 14. THE THINGS OF CHRIST. 453
grace the indwelling of the Holy Spirit-
the testimony of an approving conscience
--and the joyful reviving hope of heaven.
These are sufficient to compensate the loss
of all earthly comforts, and to preserve the
soul steady and serene amidst the raging
billows of adversity. If God be for us, who
can be against us? If the Almighty be our
friend, our protector, and our guide, what
have we to fear from the malice of men, or
the rage of devils? In foreign lands and dis-
tant climes, as well as when surrounded
with our families and friends, our compas-
sionate Saviour will be near to comfort us.
His presence can cheer the gloom of soli-
tude, remove the apprehension of danger,
strengthen under the severest suffering, and
overcome the dread of dying.
And no sooner shall our connection with
things seen and temporal be dissolved, than
we shall find in the world to come, life e-
verlasting. Them that honour Christ, he
will honour. Our seeming losses for his
sake will then be found to be unutterable
gain. They that be wise shall shine as the
454
SER. 14.
DUTY OF SEEKING
brightness of the firmament, and they that
turn many to righteousness, as the stars for
ever and ever*. Even a cup of cold wa-
ter given to a disciple, in the name of a dis-
ciple, shall in no wise lose its reward †. Our
gracious Redeemer will not forget our work
of faith and labour of love. His own infinite
merit, it is true, will appear in that day to be
the only ground of his people's title to the hea-
venly inheritance; but the works which have
been performed under the influence of his
blessed Spirit, he will acknowledge and re-
ward, not, indeed, as the cause of his love to
them, but as the evidence of their love to
him. The meanest and most despised of
his humble followers he will welcome into
his blissful presence with these transporting
words, Well done, good and faithful ser-
vant, enter thou into the joy of thy
· Lord‡.
Animated by these glorious hopes, Be-
loved, seek not great things for yourselves,
*Dan. xii. 3.
+ Matth. x. 42.
Matt. xxv. 21.
SER. 14. THE THINGS OF CHRIST. 455
but seek the things which are Jesus
Christ's. Be diligent, that ye be found
of him in peace, without spot, and blame-
less at his coming. Occupy your talents
till your Lord come. Be stedfast, immove-
able, always abounding in the work of the
Lord: forasmuch as ye know that your
labour is not in vain in the Lord *.
Such, then, are the encouraging motives
which ought to determine us to cultivate
and exercise that noble and disinterested
zeal, the nature and principles of which I
have endeavoured to explain. The appli-
cation of this subject to the occasion of our
present meeting, is abundantly obvious. In
seeking the things which are Jesus Christ's,
it is impossible to avoid turning our thoughts
to the miserable condition of a great por-
tion of the human race, who are sitting in
darkness, and in the region of the shadow
of death; wretched slaves of the most ab-
ject superstition, and sunk in the most de-
Jer. xlv. 5. 2 Pet. iii. 14. Luke xix. 13.
1 Cor. xv. 58.
456
SER. 14.
L
DUTY OF SEEKING
grading vices. A benevolent mind cannot
view this object with indifference. A Chri-
stian heart cannot think of it without the
tenderest pity. The gospel is evidently fit-
ted and designed to become a universal
blessing. It has nothing in its nature local
or limited. But its
But its progress and extension
have hitherto been lamentably retarded,
not by the malice and wickedness of its open
foes, but by the criminal sloth and negli-
gence of its professed friends, by the almost
universal prevalence of the spirit which the
apostle here condemns, of seeking our own
things, in preference to the things which
are Jesus Christ's.
Brethren, are we verily guiltless in this
matter? If we except the Moravians, who
have for many years patiently laboured in
the field of Missions, and some particular
exertions made by respectable and long-
established societies in England, and in our
own country, have not all denominations of
Christians among us been shamefully defi-
cient in employing the means which provi-
dence hath put into our hands, of spread-
+
SER. 14. THE THINGS OF CHRIST. 457
ing the gospel throughout the world? In-
stead of hastening with generous emulation,
to the aid of the heathen, we have gone,
one to his farm, and another to his merchan-
dise; or we have wasted our zeal in bitter
contentions about the modes and forms of
religion, while our poor fellow-sinners have
been passing into the eternal world by hun-
dreds and thousands, without one effort
made to save them. Blessed be God, a
more excellent spirit hath of late appeared
in the Christian world. May it continue
and increase still more and more! The
friends of the Redeemer, of different deno-
minations, pitying the condition of the mil-
lions around them, who are perishing for
lack of knowledge, have either among them-
selves, or in conjunction with other Chri-
stians, formed associations for the purpose
of sending the gospel to the heathen; and
though partial failures and discouragements
have attended their pious efforts, in no in-
stance have they proved altogether unsuc-
cessful. On the contrary, the dispensations
of God's providence have, in many cases,
wonderfully concurred with his faithful pro-
S M
}
458
SÉR. 14:
DUTY OF SEEKING
mises, to animate the zeal, and stimulate
the patient persevering endeavours of those
who, out of love to Christ and perishing
souls, have engaged in this noble cause.
The Society, in whose name I now address
you, has no separate interest in view.
It
most cordially co-operates with every socie-
ty, and every individual that holds the great
essentials of Christianity, and desires to
promote the salvation of the heathen. It
seeks the advancement of no sect or party,
but the common interest of the Redeem-
er's kingdom. It apprehends no danger
from any interference with those who are
labouring in the same cause, for here there
is employment for thousands and ten thou-
sands more, could so many be found will-
ing and qualified to engage in so glorious a
service. The harvest indeed is great, for
the field is the world*.
With confidence, therefore, I solicit your
countenance and aid on this occasion. If
you are seeking the things which are Jesus
* Matt. xiii. 38.
ŞER. 14. THE THINGS OF CHRIST. 459
you,
Christ's-if you are anxious to know how
you may contribute to the success of the
gospel, and the honour of Jesus' name, em-
brace the opportunity which is now afford-
ed
of promoting these objects. De-
vise liberal things. Honour the Lord with
thy substance, and with the first fruits of
all thine increase*. Many of
you know,
that a favourable opening for the spread of
the gospel, has lately occurred in a distant
part of the Russian empire, whither two
Missionaries, sent out by this society, have
gone, in whose ability and zeal we have rea-
son to place the most entire confidence. The
Lord has hitherto smiled upon this under-
taking. By means of the unexpected friend-
ship of a Russian Nobleman, in a high offi-
cial department, our Missionaries have ob-
tained, not only the protection, but the fa-
vour of the Russian government. For this
singular blessing, which, under God, can-
not fail greatly to facilitate the object of
our wishes, let our thanks this day ascend
to the Father of mercies, who hath thus far
* Isa. xxxii. 8. Prov. iii. 9.
2
460
SER. 14.
DUTY OF SEEKING
>
exceeded our most sanguine hopes. But in
such a situation, the labours of one or two
missionaries are not sufficient. The place
is centrical. The state of the surrounding
countries, in a moral and religious view, is
deplorably wretched. Their misery strongly
solicits our aid, it cries, even from that
distant region, Come over and help us *
And, for your encouragement, my Friends,
and to excite your thankfulness, I have the
satisfaction to inform you, that some have
been found ready to obey the call, provid-
ed you will furnish them with the means of
carrying their benevolent purpose into exe-
cution. And is there a lover of Christ in
this assembly, who does not burn with the
desire of lending his aid to this good work?
How small a sacrifice is it to part with a lit-
tle of your superfluous wealth-nay, to de-
ny yourselves in some lawful indulgence for
the sake of Christ, and the eternal salvation
of your perishing fellow-creatures. Shew,
then, the ardour of your love, by the cheer-
fulness with which you give on this occasion
according as God hath prospered you †.
ร
* Acts xvi. 9.
↓
+ 1 Cor. xvi. 2.
SER. 14. THE THINGS OF CHRIST. 461
1
And let your prayers, as well as alms as-
cend for a memorial before God. Pray for
the extension of the Mediator's kingdom.-
Pray for a blessing on the means employ-
ed for that purpose.-Pray for the ministers
of the everlasting gospel, in every part of
the world, and that the great Lord of the
harvest would be pleased, from time to time,
to send faithful labourers into his har-
vest *. Finally, Brethren, pray for us,
that the word of the Lord may have free
course and be glorified †, that a great door,
and effectual, may be opened, for the preach-
ing of the gospel in every land, that men
may be blessed in Christ, and all nations
call Him blessed .- -Blessed be the Lord
God, the God of Israel, who only doth
wondrous things. And blessed be his glo-
rious name for ever: and let the whole
earth be filled with his glory. Amen, and
Amen§.
.
* Matth. ix. 38.
1 Cor. xvi. 9.
}
+ 2 Thess. iii. 1.
Psal. Ixxii. 17.
§ Psal. lxxii. 18, 19.
SERMON XV.
SUPPORT IN GOD'S COVENANT.
2 SAMUEL Xxiii. 5.
Although my house be not so with God, yet
he hath made with me an everlasting co-
venant, ordered in all things, and sure ;
for this is all my salvation, and all my
desire, although he make it not to grow.
WE are naturally disposed to be more
than ordinarily attentive to the words of
dying persons, of those, especially, whose
lives have been remarkable for piety and
usefulness. Every expression that drops from
their lips in these solemn circumstances, is
watched with peculiar care, and the solem-
SER. 15.
463
SUPPORT IN, &c.
$
nity of the occasion gives dignity and weight
to all that they say. Here, then, we have the
dying testimony of an eminent saint, to the
reality and comfort of true religion; the
testimony of one who had passed through
various scenes, and had experienced singu-
lar vicissitudes in his lot, who had seen the
world in very different aspects, having been
uncommonly elevated, and depressed by
turns.
David had been much exercised in the
school of adversity. Before his advance-
ment to the throne, he endured a long and
severe persecution from Saul, his blood-
thirsty and implacable enemy. But the
latter part of his life was attended with trou-
bles still more insupportable than any he
had formerly experienced. After his la-
mentable fall, the bitter remembrance of
which seems never to have left him, what a
scene of calamity does the history of David
present! How rapidly does one affliction
succeed another, threatening to overwhelm
his soul! The defilement of Tamar-the
wickedness and murder of Amnon-the re-
464
SER. 15.
SUPPORT IN
bellion and death of Absalom-and the
treason of Adonijah, were trials peculiar in
their nature, and that could not fail great-
ly to embitter the old age of this venera-
ble servant of God.
7
f
Behold then, David, at the close of a busy
life, bowed down with years and infirmities,
oppressed with heavy and complicated trou-
bles, yet encouraging himself in the Lord
his God, rising superior to the afflictions of
life, and deriving from the covenant of his
God the strongest consolation. Although
my house be not so with God—though there
are many circumstances in my family, which
are matter of vexation and trouble to me at
this moment; though my children have
proved neither so pious nor so prosperous as
I could have wished, yet here is my com-
fort, God hath made with me an everlasting
covenant, ordered in all things and sure :
for this is all my salvation and all my de-
sire, although he make it not to grow.
My Brethren, David's case is not singu-
lar: Many are the afflictions of the righ
SER. 15.
465
GOD'S COVENANT.
>
ness.
teous. The heart knoweth its own bitter-
Personal and domestic troubles, in a
greater or less degree, are the common lot
of man.
There are none who have lived for
any time in the world, who have not drunk
of the cup of sorrow. Happy are they who
have the covenant of God to support them.
This is a never-failing source of consolation;
a balm for the afflicted soul, suited to eve-
ry possible case; an anchor of hope, suffi-
cient to keep the mind steady and serene,
amidst the raging billows of adversity.
In this discourse, I propose,
I. Shortly to explain the nature and four-
dation of the covenant which God makes
with his people.
II. To consider the properties of this co-
venant, that are mentioned in the text. It
is everlasting, ordered in all things, and
sure. And,
III. To point out the comfort which
an interest in this covenant is suited
3 N
466
SER. 15.
SUPPORT IN
3
to impart, under every kind and degree
of trouble, particularly in the near and
immediate prospect of death and eternity.
It is all my salvation, said David, and all
my desire.
I. Let us attend to the nature and foun-
dation of the covenant which God makes
with his people.
The covenant, of which David speaks in
the text, can be no other than the covenant
of grace-that dispensation of it, I mean,
under which David' lived, and which direct-
ed his hopes and wishes to nobler objects
than any that this world could bestow. No
other covenant but this partakes of the pro-
perties that are here mentioned: nor could
David have rejoiced in it as all his salvation
and all his desire, had not Christ been the
substance of it, who is the desire of all na-
tions, and God's salvation to the ends of the
earth.
For explaining this part of the subject, it
is necessary to observe, that the gospel, or
SER. 15.
467
GOD'S COVENANT.
1
the covenant of grace (for the terms are e-
quivalent) was revealed to man, as soon as
he became a fallen guilty creature. At the
very same time that God denounced the
doom of our first parents, he disclosed the
means of their recovery, in the gracious
promise of the seed of the woman that
should bruise the serpent's head. This was
the first great promise on which the belie-
vers, in the antediluvian world, rested their
hopes of salvation. Afterwards, the gospel
was still more clearly preached to Abra-
ham, when God was pleased to enter into
covenant with him, and to promise, that in
him, even in his seed, all the nations of the
earth should be blessed. This is the pro-
mise made to Abraham, of which the apos-
tle speaks; by believing in which, Abra-
ham became the Father of the faithful, and
heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
This covenant, that was confirmed before of
God in Christ, the law (which was four hun-
dred and thirty years after,) could not dis
annul, that it should make the promise of
none effect. David, therefore, who lived
under the Mosaic, or legal dispensation,
1
1
2
468
SER. 15.
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looked for the mercy of God in the same
way with faithful Abraham; for he also de-
scribeth the blessedness of the man to whom
God imputeth righteousness without works;
saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities
are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will
not impute sin.
There are not different methods of salva-
tion, for persons who have lived in different
places and periods of the world: But the
same method of salvation has been exhibit-
ed from the beginning, under different ap-
pearances. The same grace reigns through
righteousness unto eternal life, by Jesus
Christ our Lord. It was not a different co-
venant under which David and Paul lived,
and on which they built their hopes of eter-
nal salvation, but a different dispensation of
the same covenant. The one looked for-
ward to a promised Messiah, and a salva-
tion which was to be accomplished in the
fulness of time; the other believed in a Sa-
viour who had actually come in the flesh,
and in a salvation already wrought out by
SER. 15. GOD'S COVENANT.
469
his obedience unto death. David, as well
as Abraham, saw the day of Christ afar off,
and was glad. Through the veil of types
and shadows, they beheld the promised seed,
and rejoiced in that great atonement which
He was to make, in the end of the world,
for the sins of his people.
This is the covenant to which David look-
ed for comfort in the midst of his trouble.
It has its foundation in that grand mysteri-
ous transaction, in which the distinct per-
sons in the adorable Trinity are represent-
ed as sustaining different parts in the eco-
nomy of man's redemption; the Father as
choosing the objects of mercy, and appoint-
ing his well-beloved Son to be the Surety
and Saviour of sinners-the Son as under-
taking to accomplish the arduous work of
man's redemption-the Holy Spirit as en-
gaging to apply to the souls of men those
gifts which the Father hath decreed, and
the Son hath purchased. This noble, this
glorious plan of salvation, where all the
per-
fections of the divine nature are most illus-
triously displayed, and the rights of the di-
470
SER. 15.
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vine government completely vindicated, is
the foundation of that covenant which God
makes with his people.
He may be said to make this covenant
with his people, when he brings them with-
in the bond of his everlasting covenant—
when he opens their eyes to perceive the
sinfulness, misery, and danger of a natural
state, and persuades and enables them to
embrace the Lord Jesus Christ, the Medi-
ator of the covenant, as all their salvation
and all their desire. This is what is called,
in the language of the Old Testament, a lay-
ing hold of God's covenant, which is the
same thing in the new Testament with be-
lieving the record of God, and receiving it
as a faithful saying, and worthy of all ac-
ceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the
world to save sinners.
When we are enabled thus to credit the tes
timony of God revealed in the covenant of
grace; resting our hopes of eternal salva-
tion on the sure foundation that is laid in
Zion; then God becomes our God in cove-
SER. 15.
471
GOD'S COVENANT.
nant, our Friend, our Father, our portion,
and everlasting inheritance. What he is in
himself he becomes to his people; his wis-
dom is theirs to guide them, his power to
protect them, his faithfulness to support,
and his goodness to bless them. His pro-
vidence is engaged for their safety; his pro-
mises are all yea and amen to them in Christ
Jesus; angels are their ministering spirits;
the saints, the excellent ones of the earth,
are their companions; and heaven at last
will be their eternal home.
Nor is this all, when God
says in his gra
cious covenant, I will be your God, he im-
mediately subjoins, and ye shall be my peo-
ple. He imparts the dispositions, as well
as the privileges of children.
He sends
forth the Spirit of his Son into their hearts,
enabling them to cry Abba, Father. He
gives them a new heart and a right Spirit,
causing them to walk in his statutes. He
puts his laws into their inward parts, and
his fear into their hearts, so that they shall
not depart from him.
472
SER. 15.
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↑
Thus are they formed for himself a pecu-
liar people, to shew forth his praise. They
are separated from the world in their spirit,
aims, and conduct; and trained up under
the discipline of the word, and providence,
and Spirit of God for a nobler inheritance,
that is incorruptible, undefiled, and unfad-
ing in the heavens.
Such, then, my Brethren, is the nature,
such the foundation of the covenant which
God makes with his people. But we shall
have a fuller, and more distinct view of this
subject, if we proceed as was proposed,
II. To consider the excellent properties
of this covenant, mentioned in the text: It
is everlasting,-ordered in all things-and
sure.
1. It is everlasting. This covenant has
its date in eternity, and the blessings it con-
tains shall endure for ever. It sprung from
the eternal purpose and counsel of Jehovah,
and when millions of ages are past, it will
still be unfolding its fulness and glory. As
SER. 15. GOD'S COVENANT.
478
the Author of this covenant is the everlast-
ing unchangeable God, so the Mediator of
it, the Lord Jesus Christ, is the same yes-
terday, to-day, and for ever. Every thing
that pertains to the covenant, partakes of
this invaluable property. Its righteousness
is an everlasting righteousness. The for-
giveness which it imparts is everlasting
forgiveness. The kindness it unfolds to
all who are within its sacred bond is e-
verlasting kindness. And hence the con-
solation derived from it is everlasting con-
solation. Other things, in which men are
apt to place their confidence are of short
and uncertain duration, like the fashion of
this world, which passeth away. But this
covenant has a respect to eternity. Its
blessings are as lasting as our immortal ex-
istence. It provides, not only for present
peace and comfort, but likewise for a great
while, even an eternity to come, carry-
ing our thoughts beyond this poor transi-
tory world, to that future boundless scene,
when our state shall be unchangeably fix-
ed.
30
474
SER. 15.
SUPPORT IN
2. It is ordered in all things.It is apt-
ly set, prepared, and disposed, as the word
imports. It is so, both with regard to per-
sons, and to things. With regard to per-
sons, every one in this covenant occupies
his proper place. God the Father appears
as the great Author and gracious dispenser
of its blessings; our adorable Redeemer
acts as its Surety and Mediator, through
whom alone all its blessings are communi-
cated to the sons of men. And believers
too, appear in their proper place in this co-
venant; while, as dependent, indebted crea-
tures, they receive all from the hands of
free grace, and bear for ever this humbling
inscription, Not for works of righteousness
which we have done, but according to his
mercy hath he saved us.
And as persons, so things are admirably
ordered in this covenant, to promote the
glory of God and the happiness of man.
Here are blessings suited to all our wants—
pardon for our guilt, wisdom for our igno-
rance, strength for our weakness, joy for our
despondency, and stability to balance our
SER. 15.
475
GOD'S COVENANT.
inconstancy. So wonderfully disposed is
this covenant, that all things work together
for good to them that love God; to them
that are the called according to his pur-
pose. In consequence of it, afflictions lose
their nature, and are converted into bless-
ings. Though no chastening for the pre-
sent seemeth to be joyous, but grievous;
nevertheless, afterward, it yieldeth the
peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them
which are exercised thereby.
;
3. This covenant is sure-Incline your
ear, and come unto me, says God, by the
mouth of his prophet, hear, and your soul
shall live; and I will make an everlasting
covenant with you, even the sure mercies of
David. This covenant is built on a sure
and immoveable foundation. It is not of
works, but of grace, and therefore it is of
faith, that it might be by grace, to the end
the promise might be sure to all the seed.
Were its blessings suspended on certain con-
ditions to be performed by the creature, (as
some have supposed); were our own good
works the condition, instead of being the
g
476
SER. 15.
SUPPORT IN
effect of an interest in it, then, so far from
being sure, there would, in the present state
of human nature, be the strongest probabi-
lity that none of the guilty sons of Adam
would ever partake of its blessings. But if
it be founded (as it certainly is,) on the e-
verlasting unchangeable purpose of God; if
it is not of him that willeth, nor of him
that runneth, but of God that sheweth mer-
cy; if the blessings of this covenant are
safely lodged in the hands of a Mediator
who has all power committed to him in hea-
ven and on earth, and who is able to save
them to the uttermost that come unto God
by him, it necessarily follows, that the co-
venant is sure, and its blessings irrevocable.
It is built upon a rock, against which the
gates of hell can never prevail. Neither
death nor life, nor angels, nor principali-
ties, nor powers, nor things present, nor
things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor
any other creature, shall be able to sepa-
rate from the love of God which is in
Christ Jesus our Lord. The mountains
shall depart, and the hills shall be remov-
ed, but
my kindness shall not depart from
SER. 15.
477
GOD'S COVENANT.
thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace
be removed, saith the Lord that hath mer-
cy on thee.
Thus excellent are the properties of the
covenant, which God has been pleased to
make with his people. It is everlasting—
ordered in all things—and sure.
But it is
now time to proceed,
III. To point out the comfort, which an
interest in this covenant is suited to afford,
under every kind and degree of trouble,
particularly in the near and immediate pros-
pect of death and eternity. It is all my
salvation, says David, and all
my desire.
Here, my Brethren, I wish to be as plain
and practical as possible. The troubles
to which the people of God are liable in the
present state are various and complicated.
I shall mention a few of the most common,
and endeavour to point out the comfort
which may be derived from an interest in
God's covenant.
478
SER. 15.
SUPPORT IN
Are the children of God sometimes afflict-
ed with a frail and sickly constitution? are
they chastened with pain upon their beds,
and the multitude of their bones with strong
pain? And by frequent returns of bodily
distress, are they unfitted for such an active
discharge of their duty as their hearts de-
sire? In these circumstances, how cheering
the comfort which an interest in God's co-
venant imparts to the soul! It is the hand
of a Father that smites,' may the humble
believer say, and it is in love,
·
6
ger that he is pleased to do so.
not in an-
As many
as I love, says he, I rebuke and chasten ;
' and again, Whom the Lord loveth he chas-
' teneth, and scourgeth every son whom he
6
•
<
<
receiveth. Why then should I complain,
as if the Lord dealt unkindly with me,
when he assures me, that this affliction is
the fruit of his covenant love, and an evi-
dence of my adoption into his family.
• What though by this means I am laid a-
• side from the active discharge of my du-
ty? I may glorify God as much by pa-
'tient suffering as by active service. What
though this mortal flesh decay? I have a
6
SER. 15. GOD'S COVENANT.
479
C
6
building of God, an house not made with
hands, eternal in the heavens. Yet a lit-
tle while, and this corruptible shall put on
'incorruption, and this mortal shall put on
immortality. This aching head shall then
'ache no more. These withered limbs shall
be restored to immortal life and vigour.
I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that
• he who believeth in him shall never die.
• Flesh and heart may fail, but God is the
⚫ strength of my heart, and portion for e-
• ver.'
}
6
Again, Are the people of God often in
poor and straitened circumstances in the
world? An interest in the covenant is a
blessed relief under all the care and anxiety
that can spring from this source. It secures
our best and most important interests. It
points to a fair and rich inheritance beyond
the skies. Nay, it gives a title to all that
is truly valuable in this present life, in so
far as the enjoyment of outward comfort
is connected with the salvation of our souls.
All things are yours, says the apostle, whe-
ther Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the
1
480
SER. 15.
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world, or life, or death, or things present,
or things to come; all are yours, and ye
are Christ's, and Christ is God's. · What
6
' though I cannot read my name and title to
• lands and houses, to fields and palaces, in
large conveyances and writings under the
6
•
•
seal of men, if I can read my name as a
Christian in the covenant of grace, under
'the seal of God and the blood of his Son,
• since there I find all that heart can wish.
• Poor and mean I may be in my outward
6
• circumstances, but my portion, my trea-
6
sure, my happiness is secure; and having
'food and raiment, I bless God, I can there-
6 with be content. I have no estate, no
6
plentiful inheritance to leave behind me,
• but I can commit my dearest earthly con-
6
cerns to the care of my unchangeable co-
❝venant God, who hath said, Leave thy fa-
•therless children, I will preserve them,
and let thy widows trust in me.'
But there are other trials still more se-
vere than these, which the people of God
must expect to endure, in their passage
through this valley of tears. In the inter-
SER. 15.
481
GOD'S COVENANT.
;
course of life, various circumstances will oc-
cur, to discompose and vex their minds.
They may be disappointed in the object of
their earthly pursuit; friends may prove
faithless, or abandon them through mistake.
Their character may be exposed to unjust
and unmerited reproach, and the deepest
wounds may come from a quarter whence
they least expected it. Thus David bitter-
ly complains, It was not an enemy that re-
proached me; then I could have borne it:
neither was it he that hated me that did
magnify himself against me; then I would
have hid myself from him: but it was thou,
a man mine equal, my guide, and mine ac-
quaintance. We took sweet counsel toge-
ther, and walked to the house of God in
company.
But even supposing that we should never
experience the fickleness and inconstancy
of friendship in such trying instances as
these, there is another way in which all
must expect to taste the bitterness of hu-
man woe. Death, that relentless enemy of
man, whose empire is universal, is daily dis-
SP
482
SER. 15.
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solving every tender connection. A few
years at most will separate the dearest
friends, and put an end to all those golden
dreams of happiness, by which multitudes
of unthinking creatures are fatally deluded.
And ah! who can describe the bitter an-
guish that attends the parting stroke which
divides souls that have been united in the
closest and tenderest ties? who can tell the
painful sensations of a feeling heart, on the
loss of a friend, a brother, a child, a parent,
a beloved husband or wife? These are a-
mong the heaviest afflictions of human life,
to minds that are not altogether lost to e-
very kind and generous affection. And
no effectual remedy can be found against
them, but in God's everlasting covenant.
Here, indeed, sure and permanent com-
fort may be found, to relieve and support
the mind. Do men deceive us, or friends
forsake us? God never will. He is a Friend
that sticketh closer than a brother; a faith-
ful, unchangeable, and everlasting friend,
whose love is as great as his power, and
knows neither measure nor end. He is not
like man, fickle in his resolutions, and
}:
SER. 15. GOD'S COVENANT.
483
changeable in his purposes, but his counsel
standeth for ever, and the thoughts of his
heart from generation to generation. And
having an interest in God's everlasting love,
what is there, Christians, that need create
you much uneasiness. Cease from man,
whose breath is in his nostrils, for wherein
is he to be accounted of? but trust in the
Lord for ever, for in the Lord Jehovah is
everlasting strength.
1
You mourn the loss of dear departed
friends; and some allowance is to be made
for the feelings of nature. Jesus himself
wept at the grave of Lazarus. But the co-
venant of grace forbids you to mourn as
those that have no hope. If the friends
whose loss you deplore were within the
bond of that covenant, they are not lost;
they are only gone a little before you to
that blessed world, where all tears are for
ever wiped away. They have left the sor-
rows and burdens of mortality behind them,
and are now in the presence of God and of
the Lamb, crowned with unfading glory;
and never-ending bliss. Nor shall the time
2
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SER. 15.
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be long that separates you from their be-
loved society. A little while, and
you shall
follow them to the same happy country, to
be for ever with the Lord: for if we believe
that Jesus died and rose again, even so,
them also which sleep in Jesus will God
bring with him.
But supposing you are doubtful respect-
ing their eternal state, and even have rea-
son to entertain gloomy fears concerning it,
still your own interest in the covenant for-
bids immoderate grief. Your situation can-
not be worse than that of David, who mourn-
ed the loss of two profligate children, cut
off in the midst of their days and wicked-
ness. Yet he could say, Although my house
be not so with God, he hath made with
me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all
things, and sure; for this is all my salva-
tion, and all my desire, although he make
it not to grow.
In this trying case, it becomes you to
bow to the sovereign will of God, and to
bless his name that he hath given you your
SER. 15. GOD'S COVENANT.
485
own souls for a prey. Wise and good rea-
sons there are for every part of the divine
administration, though we cannot always
perceive them. Our Lord's words to Peter
are peculiarly applicable in this case, and
ought to quiet the mind of a believer un-
der the smart of this most painful stroke,
What I do thou knowest not now, but thou
shalt know hereafter. Wait, ye mourning
saints, that all-decisive day, which will ex-
plain every dark providence, and unravel
every perplexing mystery. And, in the
meanwhile, take comfort from the covenant
that God hath made with you, which effec-
tually secures all that is necessary to your
happiness, both here and hereafter.
In all these cases, then, (and many more
that might be mentioned) an interest in
God's covenant is a source of unspeakable
and never-failing comfort. But the com-
fort of an interest in the covenant appears
to the highest advantage at the close of life,
when all other comfort fails, and the trem-
bling soul just ready to enter into the eter-
nal world, stands in need of the strong-
486
SER. 15.
SUPPORT ÍN
est support.
"As the sun paints the
fairest colours on the blackest clouds, and
while the thick dark shower is descending,
entertains the eye with all the variegated
beauties of the rainbow; so the covenant of
grace, of which this is both the emblem and
the seal, can give a bright aspect even to
death itself, and spread light and pleasure
over the dark and gloomy grave *.”
If we are within the bond of this cove-
nant, death is ours, as well as life. It is
numbered among the all things that be-
long to the Christian's treasure. And a no-
ble privilege, an invaluable blessing it is to
the saints, since it finishes their state of la-
bour and suffering, and puts them in com-
plete possession of their glorious inheritance,
of light, and joy, and life eternal. Death
to the happy believer is disarmed of his
sting, and stripped of all his terrors. The
death of Christ has completely vanquished
this formidable foe, and secured the victory
to all his called, and chosen, and faithful.
*Watts.
SER. 15.
487
GOD'S COVENANT.
Come, my Friends, enter into the cham-
ber of a dying saint, in the lively exercise
of divine faith, and with the bright prospects
of immortality full in his view; observe the
smile that sits upon his countenance; view
his patience, his resignation, his peaceful se-
renity; hear the holy and heavenly lan-
guage that drops from his lips ;— I
6 way
of all the earth, and I long to be
gone,
• to be where my Saviour is. I have trust-
⚫ed in him for salvation; I have committed
my everlasting all into his faithful hands;
• and I know whom I have believed. O the
heavenly peace and joy that I now find in
6
6
go the
• God's everlasting, sure, and well-ordered co-
• venant. It has been my support through life,
under many painful trials and overwhelming
• sorrows. And now, when drawing near to
• the eternal world, and about to bid adieu
'to all things here below, it is the spring of
'joy unspeakable and full of glory. With
6 my Shepherd's rod and staff to support me,
'I can walk fearless and undismayed,
6
through the valley of the shadow of death.
• For this God is my God for ever and ever;
• he will be my guide even unto death : yea,
488
SER. 15.
SUPPORT IN
•
he is the strength of my heart and my
'portion for ever. I have no righteousness
• of
my own to plead at God's tribunal; no
'covering at all to screen my naked guilty
'soul from the stroke of divine justice. But
• I bless God who hath given me faith to
rely on the all-atoning efficacy of
my Re-
'deemer's blood, and the infinite merit of
his perfect righteousness; so that now,
through faith in his name, I can triumph
' with the apostle, and say, O death! where
• is thy sting? O grave! where is thy vic-
6
6
6
<
6
6
6
tory? The sting of death is sin; and the
strength of sin is the law: But thanks be
to God, which giveth us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ. Wel-
come, then, the peaceful messenger that
conveys my willing spirit into the arms
of my Saviour and my God. I resign this
• frail corruptible body to the grave with
the utmost pleasure, knowing that in
' due season, even my sleeping dust shall
hear the voice of the Son of God, and
' awake in triumph to a blissful and glori-
ous immortality.'
.
6
SER. 15. GOD'S COVENANT.
489
Thus, my Brethren, have I endeavoured
to point out the comfort which an interest
in God's covenant is suited to afford under
every kind and degree of trouble; particu-
larly at the close of life, in the near and im-
mediate prospect of death and eternity. And
surely this fully justifies the high and ho-
nourable appellation which the pious king of
Israel here bestows upon it, when he calls it
all his salvation and all his desire.
And
now, my Brethren, upon a review of
all that has been said, must we not acknow-
ledge, that they are blessed indeed who are
within the bond of God's everlasting co-
venant. Let us bring the matter home to
ourselves and ask, Are we partakers of this
blessedness? Have we been convinced of
the misery, guilt, and danger of a natural
state; and, under this conviction, have we
fled for refuge, to lay hold on the hope set
before us in the gospel? Do our tempers
and lives bear witness to the sincerity of our
profession? Has the grace of God, which
bringeth salvation, taught us effectually to
deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to
3 Q
490
SER. 15.
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live soberly, righteously, and godly in this
present world? Alas! my Brethren, the lives
of multitudes declare too plainly their igno-
rance of the gospel, and their total estrange-
ment from the covenant of promise. If the
wilful indulgence of pride, of resentment, of
sensuality, of earthly mindedness, could con-
sist with the hope of the gospel, and an in-
terest in the covenant, then many might lay
claim to it. But if the love of sin and the
hope of eternal life be totally incompatible;
if the pleasures of sin, and the pleasures of
true godliness cannot exist together; if none
can enjoy the comforts of the Holy Ghost,
but such as walk in the fear of the Lord,
and have a respect unto all his command-
ments; alas! how few are giving evidence
of their interest in God's covenant! how few
have any title to make the comfortable
words of the text their own.
•
Yet, without this, my Friends, be assured
you cannot be happy. The world can ne-
ver bestow on its deluded votaries true, so-
lid, and lasting comfort. You may com-
pass yourselves about for a little, with sparks
SER. 15.
491
GOD'S COVENANT.
of your own kindling; you may amuse
yourselves for a season with the cares, the
business, or the gaieties of life; but this
shall you have at the hand of God, you
shall lie down in sorrow at last. Awake,
deluded men, from this fatal dream! Why
any longer will you expect happiness from
the world? Why seek the living among the
dead? Why spend your money for that
which is not bread, and your labour for that
which satisfieth not? Hearken diligently
unto me, says the merciful Redeemer, hear,
and
your souls shall live; and I will make
an everlasting covenant with you, even the
sure mercies of David.
Believe it, my friends, nothing can pre-
vent your happiness, but your own impeni-
tence and unbelief, your wilful and obsti-
nate rejection of Christ and his blessed co-
venant. The blessings of salvation are as
free as they are complete. The gospel
proclaims pardon and peace to them that
are afar off, as well as to them that are nigh.
Therein is the righteousness of God brought
nigh to every guilty despairing sinner, who
2
492
SUPPORT IN, &c.
SER. 15.
feels his need of mercy, and is willing to be
saved in God's appointed way, to the praise
Listen therefore to
of his glorious grace.
the voice of sovereign mercy.
Believe on
the name of the Son of God. Forsake
Forsake every
false and wicked way. Turn to the Lord with
all your hearts, and join yourselves to him in
a perpetual covenant, never to be forgotten.
Then shall you enjoy the comfort of which
you have been hearing. This covenant will
prove to you a perennial spring of joy, amidst
all the changing circumstances of your lot. It
will be staff through life, your sup-
port at death, and the source of unutter-
able bliss through eternity. Amen and
Amen.
your
TURNBULL & GALL, Printers;
Old Assembly Close.
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